AP-National

By ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers have endorsed a state agency’s decision to no longer offer “X” as an option alongside male and female on state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards. A predominantly Republican legislative panel approved the emergency rules for the new policy announced this week by the

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration says it’s investigating an incident in which an American Airlines plane flying from Dallas to Los Angeles suffered a tire problem. American flight 345 landed safely at Los Angeles International Airport on Wednesday night. American says pilots got a warning of low pressure in one of

By DASHA LITVINOVA and JIM HEINTZ Associated Press Russia has begun three days of voting in a presidential election that is all but certain to extend President Vladimir Putin’s rule for six more years after he stifled dissent. The vote takes place against the backdrop of a ruthless crackdown that has crippled independent media and

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — Environmental officials are monitoring the air quality in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. after several oil tanks caught fire late Thursday morning at a quarry in Rockville. Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesperson Pete Piringer says no injuries were reported. The fire was contained by early afternoon as three tanks

By FARAI MUTSAKA Associated Press NORTON, Zimbabwe (AP) — A man claiming to be a prophet has been charged in a Zimbabwean court after police raided the compound where he led a religious sect and found more than 250 children being kept away from school and used as workers. Police also discovered 16 unregistered graves,

By STEVE LeBLANC Associated Press Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee says a critical bridge that was partially shut down over safety concerns in December will need to be demolished and replaced. McKee said Thursday that an independent review of the Washington Bridge found additional structural deficiencies requiring that it be replaced. The bridge carries Interstate

By JIM SALTER Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — It’s a scenario that plays out over and over again at American crime scenes: The investigation reveals that the shooter didn’t get his firearm legally from a store or gun show, but instead obtained it from someone who did. It’s known as a straw purchase. A

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a network of supporters has helped fugitives from Florida avoid capture to face charges stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Prosecutors argued Thursday that a Jan. 6 defendant, Thomas Osborne, is a flight risk because he is close to

ATLANTA (AP) — Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among more than a dozen college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing transgender woman Lia Thomas to compete at the national championships in 2022. The lawsuit details the shock Gaines and other swimmers felt

By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press A trailblazing Southern woman who worked as a speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter after covering the civil rights movement as a newspaper reporter has died. Achsah Nesmith wrote Martin Luther King Jr.’s front-page obituary for The Atlanta Constitution following his 1968 assassination and covered Carter’s first campaign for Georgia governor,

By OMAR FARUK Associated Press MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The Somali extremist group al-Shabab says its fighters have attacked a hotel in the capital Mogadishu, where a loud explosion and gunfire have been heard. Al-Shabab said on its Telegram channel that its fighters managed to penetrate the SYL hotel, which is located not far from

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Newly released federal estimates show that more than 16,000 residents left Philadelphia last year, marking the third straight year the city’s population has declined. The U.S. Census Bureau data out Thursday indicates Philadelphia’s population now stands at about 1.6 million residents, meaning a 1% drop occurred between July 2022 and July 2023.

MONTECITO, Calif. (AP) — Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has returned to Instagram to tease a new brand that records show could feature jams, household items, cookbooks and cutlery. The former actor left Instagram when she got engaged to Prince Harry. On Thursday, a new account called American Riviera Orchard appeared on Instagram, saying it

STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (AP) — Two suburban Detroit police officers are under investigation after police video of officers arresting a Black man accused of domestic violence shows one officer kicking him in the head during a chaotic arrest. The Sterling Heights Police Department says two officers have been placed on administrative leave as the Macomb

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, JENNIFER PELTZ and JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — New York prosecutors said Thursday they are open to delaying the start of Donald Trump’s hush-money criminal trial by a month “in an abundance of caution” to give the former president’s lawyers time to review evidence they only recently obtained

By JEFF AMY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Republicans have powered a voucher plan funding private school tuition and home schooling through the state House. Thursday’s 91-82 vote gets the measure close to becoming law. The same bill failed last year when 16 Republicans voted against it. Thursday, it passed with one vote to

By JOHN HANNA Associated Press TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators are close to banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors in Kansas over the Democratic governor’s expected veto. At least a dozen GOP lawmakers who voted against a ban last year are supporting one this year. The Republican-controlled state Senate expected to approve a bill

By HOLLY RAMER Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — The League of Women Voters filed a lawsuit Thursday seeking to prevent those who sent robocalls mimicking President Joe Biden’s voice to New Hampshire voters from using artificial intelligence for future deceptions. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in New Hampshire against Steve Kramer, the

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — In Oregon, two Republican state senators barred from reelection after last year’s record-long walkout are seeking statewide office. Oregon Public Broadcasting reports that Sen. Brian Boquist is running for state treasurer and Sen. Dennis Linthicum is running for secretary of state. Boquist had served in the Legislature since 2009, and Linthicum

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The leaders of Poland’s influential Catholic Church have chosen moderate Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda to be their new principal, at a time when the church is struggling to reckon with the abuse of minors by some Polish clergy. The number of Poles attending mass has also fallen sharply. Bishops and archbishops chose