AP-National

By DAVID SHARP Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The largest newspaper group in Maine is becoming a nonprofit with the completion of the sale of more than 20 daily and weekly newspapers, including the Portland Press Herald. In a deal closed Tuesday, it is now owned by the National Trust for Local News. That

SMITHTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Police say a 14-month-old girl died after her grandmother left her unattended in a hot car in New York for eight hours. Suffolk County police say the 54-year-old grandmother forgot to drop the toddler off at her day care center  in Smithtown on Long Island on Monday and went to work,

By SEAN MURPHY Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed an executive order targeting transgender rights in Oklahoma. Stitt signed the order on Tuesday, flanked by women from the anti-trans group Independent Women’s Voice. The order directs state agencies to use narrow definitions of “female” and “male” to correspond with the

By BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Republican gubernatorial nominee Daniel Cameron is looking to separate himself from the last GOP governor, apologizing for former Gov. Matt Bevin’s feud with educators, in an effort to reclaim lost territory with teachers — whose voting clout helped vault the incumbent Democratic governor into office.

By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — A federal judge has again rejected a military contractor’s effort to toss out a lawsuit filed against it by former inmates of Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison. The plaintiffs allege that Virginia-based CACI, which supplied interrogators at the prison, was complicit in torture they suffered. The

By JOHN RABY Associated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — The lives of hundreds of students at a small university in West Virginia have been turned upside down after the school announced just before the start of fall classes that it plans to cease operations. Alderson Broaddus University’s Board of Trustees voted Monday night to develop

By MUNIR AHMED Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan’s lower house has passed a bill that recommends a three-year prison term for anyone found guilty of disclosing the identity of an intelligence official, a move apparently aimed at stifling criticism of military-backed spy chiefs and agents. The legislation comes amid growing criticism of military and

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s government says that two Belarusian helicopters entered the Polish airspace. Tuesday’s incident comes amid rising tensions along the NATO member’s border with the Russian ally. Warsaw authorities said they were going to increase Poland’s military presence along the border and that Belarus’ top diplomat in

By MICHAEL HILL Associated Press ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — An 84-year-old retired bishop of Albany says he recently married a woman in a civil ceremony. Emeritus Bishop Howard Hubbard last fall said he wanted to be returned to the lay state because he could no longer function as a priest due to a U.S. church

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — A man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the killing of a Mississippi law enforcement officer. Lt. Michael Boutte of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department was shot in the face and head on Feb. 1, 2021, while responding to a call about a suicide

By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — Astros owner Jim Crane texted Justin Verlander with a simple message moments after they reacquired him Tuesday from the New York Mets in a blockbuster trade. “I said: ‘Welcome back. We missed you,’” Crane said. “’We’ll see you in New York. Hope you pitch well for

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer Pac-12 leaders were presented details of a long-awaited media rights deal Tuesday by Commissioner George Kliavkoff. A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that the meeting concluded without voting on whether to accept the terms by the nine remaining Pac-12 schools. The person spoke

By R.J. RICO Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta’s police chief is urging the public to come forward with information about those who set police motorcycles on fire last month in protest over the planned construction of a public safety training center that critics call “Cop City.” Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said Tuesday that the

By TARA COPP and REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is pulling 1,100 troops from the U.S.-Mexico border that it had deployed in response to a surge in migrant crossings. A defense official, on the condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press on Tuesday the details ahead of an announcement. The active

By RICK CALLAHAN Associated Press INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s six abortion clinics have stopped providing abortions ahead of the state’s near-total abortion ban officially taking effect, and as a petition is pending before the state’s high court asking it to keep the ban on hold while legal action continues. A Planned Parenthood official says its

By PATRICK ORSAGOS Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio police agency shared records Tuesday that showed an officer who released his police dog on a surrendering truck driver was repeatedly told not to keep talking about the incident before he was fired last week. Records provided to The Associated Press by the Circleville

By SYLVIE CORBET Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Niger’s prime minister, who has been stuck outside the country since last week’s coup, is appealing to the international community’s help in rolling back the military takeover, saying it was crucial for the defense of democracy in West Africa. Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou said in an interview

By TRISHA AHMED Associated Press/Report for America MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s legalization of recreational marijuana went into effect Tuesday. The law allows people 21 and older to legally possess and grow their own marijuana for recreational purposes. But that’s subject to limits as the state establishes a legal cannabis industry in the coming months and

WINDHAM, Vt. (AP) — Vermont State Police say the death of a Connecticut television news anchor’s mother last winter is being investigated as a homicide. Law enforcement officials initially believed 73-year-old Claudia Voight, of Windham, died in her home from a medical event. But police say she actually died from neck compression that was detected

By MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Diversity, equity and inclusion programs have been abolished from Walt Disney World’s governing district, which is now controlled by appointees of Gov. Ron DeSantis. The move is an echo of the Florida governor’s agenda which has championed curtailing such programs in higher education and elsewhere. The