AP-National

By JOHN ANTCZAK and JULIE WATSON Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The University of Southern California canceled a commencement speech by its 2024 valedictorian who has publicly supported Palestinians, citing security concerns, a rare decision that was praised by several pro-Israel groups and lambasted by free speech advocates and the country’s largest Muslim civil

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The United States has filed a labor complaint panel after Mexico refused to act on alleged union-busting by a Mexican company. The U.S. Trade Representatives Office said Tuesday it has filed a request for a dispute settlement panel under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade agreement, known as the USMCA. The trade pact

By ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A former Arkansas law enforcement officer who was caught on video kicking and hitting a man during a violent arrest has pleaded guilty to a federal civil rights charge. Former Crawford County sheriff’s deputy Zackary King pleaded guilty Monday to one misdemeanor count of deprivation

By REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ordered the closure of his country’s embassy and consulates in Ecuador on Tuesday in solidarity with Mexico in its protest over a raid by Ecuadorian authorities on the Mexican Embassy in Quito. Maduro and other presidents participating in a virtual meeting

By JUAN A. LOZANO Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — A judge has recommended that the conviction and death sentence of Texas inmate Melissa Lucio should be overturned. Lucio’s execution was delayed in 2022 amid growing doubts she fatally beat her 2-year-old daughter. Friday’s recommendation by senior state District Judge Arturo Nelson comes amid findings by prosecutors

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s highest court has taken up a case that seeks to throw out a regulation requiring health insurance policies to cover medically necessary abortions. If successful, the case could jeopardize a similar state law. The lawsuit was filed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and other church groups that

By JOEY CAPPELLETTI and ED WHITE Associated Press LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Prosecutors have filed financial crimes against the former leader of the Michigan House and his wife. They’re accused of milking political accounts for travel, housing and other personal benefits while Lee Chatfield, a Republican, held the powerful post. Attorney General Dana Nessel says

By FARAI MUTSAKA Associated Press HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — State media in Mozambique say at least eight people from one family have died after their homemade boat sank in a central province. The sinking on a tributary of the Zambezi River in Sofala province came days after nearly 100 people died in one of the

By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — Defiant and determined, House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back Tuesday against mounting Republican anger over his proposed U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, and rejected a call to step aside or risk a vote to oust him from office. “I am not resigning,”

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — One of three people convicted of carjacking and kidnapping an FBI employee in South Dakota has been sentenced to 37 years in prison. The Rapid City Journal reports that Juan Alvarez-Sorto was sentenced Friday in federal court. Alvarez-Sorto and Deyvin Morales were found guilty in January. Alvarez-Sorto also was convicted

By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Authorities in Spain’s drought-stricken Catalonia are considering imposing water restrictions on tourists in the driest parts of the northeastern region if domestic consumption isn’t curtailed. The restriction of 100 liters, or about 26 gallons, per tourist per day for hotels will go into effect if a

By LORNE COOK Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian police have shut down a gathering of far-right politicians and supporters, citing concerns about public order. Attendees protested curbs on free speech and vowed to find another venue for their gathering. The National Conservative conference comes ahead of Europe-wide elections in June. Mainstream parties fear that

PLAINFIELD, Ind. (AP) — Police say a suburban Indianapolis sheriff’s deputy died after he came into contact with downed power lines at the scene of a car crash. Hendricks County Sheriff Jack Sadler says Deputy Fred Fislar came into contact late Monday with power lines knocked down by the crash after he arrived at the

By JOHN RABY Associated Press CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia’s transgender sports ban violates the rights of a teen athlete under Title IX, the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools, an appeals court ruled Tuesday. The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 2-1 that the law cannot be applied

By AMY TAXIN Associated Press California officials have voted to take over monitoring groundwater use in part of the fertile San Joaquin Valley under a landmark law aimed at protecting water flow to homes and farms. The State Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously Tuesday to place the region on so-called probationary status. That means

By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse have recently entered the public domain, making it possible for artists to use them freely. In the years to come they’ll be followed by a parade of pop culture figures, from King Kong to Superman. Some think that after

By FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Tuesday of potential global economic damage from rising tensions in the Middle East as the Biden administration said it was readying new sanctions in response to Iran’s malevolent activity in the region. Yellen spoke out against Iran’s “malign and destabilizing activity” in

By COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Home values in Detroit have increased by billions of dollars in the years following the city’s exit from the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. And that’s especially true for Black residents. A University of Michigan Poverty Solutions study released Tuesday says added home value for Black

By MICHAEL RUBINKAM Associated Press The U.S. Coast Guard reopened the Ohio River in Pittsburgh to maritime traffic on Tuesday, nearly four days after 26 barges broke loose and floated away during weekend flooding. “The river is open. The Ohio River is open,” Lt. Eyobe Mills told The Associated Press. The Coast Guard had barred