AP-National

By MARK STEVENSON, MICHAEL BALSAMO and COLLEEN LONG Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — The Biden administration will resume deporting Venezuelan migrants, the largest single group encountered at the U.S.-Mexico border last month, back to their economically troubled country as their arrivals continue to grow. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, speaking in Mexico City

By MARY CLARE JALONICK and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The future of additional U.S. aid to Ukraine is in doubt now that Kevin McCarthy has been ousted as House speaker. Many House Republicans are opposing help for the war-torn country, and support for Ukraine from the next House leader is uncertain. So

By CLAIRE RUSH Associated Press/Report for America PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Oregon officials have identified the victims who lost their lives after a small plane precipitously dropped out of the sky and crashed through the roof of a home on Tuesday. Police in Newberg, a small city about 25 miles southwest of Portland, said 20-year-old

By KEVIN McGILL Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal judge has rejected an adult entertainment group’s lawsuit against a Louisiana law requiring sexually explicit websites to verify the ages of their viewers. The law passed in 2022 subjects such websites to damage lawsuits and state civil penalties as high as $5,000 a day.

By VALERIE GONZALEZ Associated Press McALLEN, Texas (AP) — The Biden administration announced it waived 26 federal laws in South Texas to allow border wall construction on Wednesday, marking the administration’s first use of a sweeping executive power employed often during the Trump presidency. The Department of Homeland Security posted the announcement on the U.S.

BALTIMORE (AP) — The Orioles may be Big Shots this year, but they’ll try to stay out of the Piano Man’s way this weekend. Baltimore announced that Game 1 of the AL Division Series at Camden Yards is scheduled for just after 1 p.m. Saturday. Then it will be time for the Orioles and Texas

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Prosecutors who filed firearms charges against Hunter Biden moved Wednesday to formally dismiss a gun count that had been part of a collapsed plea deal. The procedural step removes a charge alleging he broke a law against drug users having guns when he bought a gun in

NEW YORK (AP) — New Yorkers will soon be able to choose an “X” gender option when applying for food stamps, Medicaid and other public assistance. A court agreement Wednesday settles a 2021 lawsuit against multiple New York agencies that claimed a state computer system compels nonbinary people to either lie under oath by declaring

LIMA, Peru (AP) — The first two leopard cubs born in captivity in Peru began climbing trees inside their cages at a Lima zoo Wednesday in their first appearance before the public. The cubs — a male and a female — walked in circles and showed their small fangs as a zookeeper grabbed them by

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A first-degree murder trial began Wednesday against a former student accused of being the getaway driver in an Iowa high school shooting that left two students dead and the program’s founder injured. Prosecutors argued in opening statements that 20-year-old Bravon Tukes played a key role in planning the January shooting,

By JUAN A. LOZANO and PAUL J. WEBER Associated Press CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) — A booming Texas residential development is pushing back after being put into an unwelcome national spotlight over immigration. The Colony Ridge residential development north of Houston is one of the largest in Texas. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott says lawmakers now may

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP) — A judge has approved the release of a teenager who opened fire at a central Indiana middle school in 2018, wounding another student and a teacher. Hamilton County Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Kocher tells The Indianapolis Star that the judge on Wednesday approved the 18-year-old’s release from juvenile detention into

By ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is facing scrutiny over the purchase of a $19,000 lectern and the handling or records surrounding it. A legislative panel next week will take up a lawmaker’s request for an audit to review the purchase of the lectern in June

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal regulators have rejected a request from environmental groups to immediately shut down one of two reactors at California’s last nuclear power plant. The two groups say long-postponed tests needed to be conducted on critical machinery at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant. Friends of

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP Sports Writer ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) — Simone Biles and her teammates were far from perfect, and yet nothing could stand in the way of a victory that set a record for both the U.S. women’s team and the greatest gymnast in history. The U.S. women earned a record seventh consecutive team

NEW YORK (AP) — Looking for something to add to your Costco cart along with the 30 rolls of toilet paper? How about a bar of gold? While not a typical outlet for the sale of precious metals, the members-only warehouse chain has seen its 1-ounce gold bars sell out faster than discounted 170-ounce jugs

By MARGERY A. BECK Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska lawmaker says her office has been contacted by families who have reported some pharmacists are wrongly refusing to fill prescriptions for gender-affirming medications for their transgender children. Sen. Megan Hunt sent a letter Wednesday to the state’s chief medical officer, Dr. Timothy Tesmer,

By MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Most of the top Republican candidates running for president in 2024 reacted grimly to the ouster of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy by a faction of hard-liners in their own party. But one contender embraced the chaos — and the front-runner for the nomination notably did

Associated Press The governors of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island plan to procure offshore wind energy together. Officials said Wednesday it would be the first such multi-state agreement in the nation. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont says the partnership could lead to the three states acquiring clean energy at more competitive and affordable rates. Energy from

NEW YORK (AP) — “Saturday Night Live” is ready to make its return, five months after ending its season early due to the writers strike. NBC announced in a press release Wednesday that Pete Davidson will host the season 49 premiere on Oct. 14 with musical guest Ice Spice. Davidson had been scheduled to host