AP-National

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Authorities say a human skull found padlocked to an exercise dumbbell has been fished out of a New Orleans waterway, leaving police with a mystery on their hands. Police said in a report that the skull was found on May 18. A man using a rope and a magnet the size

By JIM SALTER Associated Press As the school year drew to a close, Daken Kramer worried about children who owed money for meals at his school. So the enterprising fifth grader decided to do something about it. Daken, 11, posted a video last month challenging friends, family, and even strangers and businesses to pay off

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A noose that was used in the largest mass execution in U.S. history will be returned to a Dakota tribe. The Minnesota Historical Society plans to repatriate what is known as the Mankato Hanging Rope to the Prairie Island Indian Community after the required 30-day notice period

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Hungary’s top diplomat has visited Belarus for talks on expanding ties despite the European Union’s sanctions against the country. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó declared Wednesday that “our position is clear: the fewer sanctions, the more cooperation!” The EU has slapped a sweeping array of sanctions

By BEN NUCKOLS Associated Press OXON HILL, Md. (AP) — When Achyut Ethiraj’s final appearance in the Scripps National Spelling Bee ended far earlier than he anticipated, the 14-year-old grimaced at the microphone, walked off the stage quietly and exited the ballroom with his mother’s arm draped around his back. Achyut had plenty of company

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — Despite a long string of recalls that began more than two decades ago, about 6.2 million vehicles with potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators remain on U.S. roads today. On Wednesday, Nissan warned drivers of about 84,000 older Nissan and Infiniti vehicles not to drive them

By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer CHICAGO (AP) — Buck Leonard. Charlie “Chino” Smith. Turkey Stearnes. Baseball players and fans alike are learning more about the Negro Leagues after the statistics for more than 2,300 players — historic figures like Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Satchel Paige and Mule Suttles — were incorporated into the major

By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Justice Samuel Alito is rejecting calls to step aside from Supreme Court cases involving former President Donald Trump and Jan. 6 defendants because of the controversy over flags that flew over his homes. In letters to members of Congress on Wednesday, Alito said his wife, Martha-Ann, was

By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has filed an election complaint alleging CNN is colluding with Democratic President Joe Biden and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump to exclude him from a debate the network is hosting next month. CNN says the complaint is without merit.

By DYLAN LOVAN Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Criminal charges against Scottie Scheffler have been dismissed, ending a legal saga that began with images of the world’s top golfer being arrested and handcuffed in Louisville during the PGA Championship. Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell asked a judge Wednesday afternoon to drop the four charges

Associated Press BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A criminal court in Argentina has postponed to Oct. 1 the start of a trial in a criminal negligence case brought against eight people allegedly involved in the death of soccer star Diego Maradona. The 1986 World Cup winner died at age 60 on Nov. 25, 2020 due

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball said Tuesday that it has incorporated records for more than 2,300 Negro Leagues players following a three-year research project. Players like Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston and Satchel Paige now hold significant standing on MLB’s career and season leaderboards. Here’s a look at some of the stats most affected.

By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — After nearly two dozen witnesses, 16 days of testimony and hours of lawyers’ closing arguments, it’s time for jurors to have their say in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial. Jury deliberations began Wednesday in the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president. Jurors

By DAVE COLLINS Associated Press Yale University has named its 24th president. Maurie McInnis will take over on July 1 and succeed Peter Salovey, who is retiring to take a faculty position after leading the New Haven, Connecticut, school for the past decade. McInnis is the first woman to be appointed permanently as Yale’s president.

By LEA SKENE Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore are assessing the country’s bridges after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The team includes students and faculty. They hope to determine whether other structures are similarly vulnerable. University officials say they hope policymakers will use the findings

By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A judge overseeing a challenge brought by unions trying to undo Wisconsin’s law that bans nearly all collective bargaining for public workers appears to have signed a petition in 2011 to recall then-Gov. Scott Walker from office because of anger over that law. Dane County Circuit

By TRÂN NGUYỄN Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers have advanced a host of artificial intelligence proposals that would protect jobs, build public trust, fight algorithmic discrimination, and outlaw deepfakes involving elections or pornography. Corporations have been weaving the rapidly evolving technologies into the daily lives of Americans without much oversight. California touts

By JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s Supreme Court is going to be entirely white for the first time in nearly two decades. Circuit Judge Jocelyn Newman was the lone Black candidate for the state Supreme Court seat coming open. The only African American on the high court is Chief Justice

By MELINA WALLING Associated Press Thanks to heavy use of nitrogen fertilizer, tiny organisms that flourish in farm fields emit nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas that can warm the planet more than carbon dioxide and stay in the atmosphere for over a century. Now some researchers think they’ve found a bacteria that can help.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Heat-related howler monkeys deaths in Mexico have been recorded in a total of four states, environmental authorities said. The Environment Department said late Tuesday that monkey deaths have now been recorded in a total of four states, mostly on the Gulf of Mexico. The department also said tests confirmed the primates