AP-National

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Federal officials are opening an investigation into the Oklahoma school district where a nonbinary 16-year-old high school student was in a fight before dying last month. Nex Benedict’s family says the teen was bullied at Owasso High School, where she was in a fight inside a girl’s bathroom. The letter revealing

By CHRISTINE FERNANDO Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — The recent ruling in Alabama that frozen embryos are legally considered children created a political firestorm after the decision halted treatment for many couples seeking to have families through fertility treatments. It also has turned the spotlight on the importance of institutions that are poised to play

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Legislature has passed a bill that recriminalizes the possession of small amounts of drugs. The Senate approved the measure Friday. It undoes a key part of the state’s first-in-the-nation drug decriminalization law. Governments are struggling to respond to the deadliest overdose crisis in U.S. history. The drug decriminalization law

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California regulators have authorized Waymo to expand services of its fleet of robotaxis into Los Angeles and to cities on the peninsula south of San Francisco. The California Public Utilities Commission approved Waymo’s application for the expansion of its self-driving taxi operations beyond San Francisco starting Friday. The company owned by

By MORGAN LEE Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A movie director who was shot by Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal has testified at trial that he was approaching the cinematographer when he heard a loud bang. Joel Souza said Friday that the gunshot felt like he’d been hit with a baseball bat. Movie

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — College athletes in Utah who are looking to profit off their name, likeness and image will have to seek written approval from their school for any business deal exceeding $600. The state Senate gave final legislative approval Friday to a bill giving universities more control

By JON GAMBRELL Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Negotiators taking part in a World Trade Organization meeting in the United Arab Emirates have ended their summit after failing to reach agreements on several major initiatives. It’s the latest sign of turmoil within the global body. The WTO delayed its closing ceremony in

By BETH J. HARPAZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Iris Apfel, a textile expert, interior designer and fashion celebrity known for her eccentric style, has died. She was 102. Her death was confirmed by her commercial agent, Lori Sale, who called Apfel “extraordinary.” No cause of death was given. Apfel was famous for her

By KIM CHANDLER Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Groups representing Alabama doctors and hospitals are urging the state Supreme Court to revisit a decision equating frozen embryos to children. The Medical Association of the State of Alabama and the Alabama Hospital Association filed a brief Friday supporting a rehearing request in the case. Courts

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday signed a short-term spending measure that keeps one set of federal agencies operating through March 8 and another set through March 22 — officially staving off a partial government shutdown that would have started on Saturday. The measure gives lawmakers some more time to draft and pass

ANITA SNOW and MATTHEW DALY Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — An Apache group that has fought to protect land it considers sacred from a copper mining project in central Arizona has suffered a significant blow. A federal court panel voted 6-5 on Friday to uphold a lower court’s denial of a preliminary injunction to halt

By JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A Venezuelan man who became the subject of national attention for allegedly kicking a police officer in Times Square, then flipping off news cameras on his way out of court, was cleared of wrongdoing on Friday after prosecutors concluded he played no role in the attack.

By MARK LONG AP Sports Writer The NCAA has told its enforcement staff to halt investigations into booster-backed collectives or other third parties making name, image and likeness compensation deals with Division I athletes. In a letter to member schools, NCAA President Charlie Baker said the the Division I Board of Directors directed enforcement staff

By SEAN MURPHY and JIM VERTUNO Associated Press SKELLYTOWN, Texas (AP) — Ranchers in the fire-scarred Texas Panhandle are facing a grim task of disposing possibly thousands of dead cattle killed by smoke and flames. Officials have estimated this week’s fires have killed thousands of cattle. For some ranches, the impact could be severe, though

By HALLIE GOLDEN Associated Press SEATTLE (AP) — A bill that would bring millions of dollars to tribes in Washington state to address the opioid crisis has received unanimous support in the House. The vote on Friday opens the doors for state funding to address a scourge that some say is claiming a generation. The

By ANITA SNOW Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Native American groups have struggled with mining interests over a decade over Oak Flat, a piece of national forest land in central Arizona. The nonprofit Apache Stronghold says the land is sacred to the religion of the Western Apaches. Resolution Copper mining company wants to develop the

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A Texas-based writer for a conservative media outlet has surrendered to authorities to face charges that he joined a mob’s attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Steve Baker, who has written articles about the riot for Blaze News, was released from custody after he

By RUSS BYNUM and FRANK BAJAK Associated Press Georgia’s largest county is still repairing damage inflicted on its government offices by a cyberattack a month ago. Hackers in late January shut down online systems and phone service in Fulton County, which includes most of Atlanta. The attack left clerks unable to register vehicles or issue

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A patient, two psychiatric assistants and a nurse have been indicted on charges stemming from the beating death of another patient at a state-run mental health facility in Ohio. A 24-year-old man who allegedly attacked the 57-year-old victim at Twin Valley Behavioral Healthcare in Columbus in July 2022 is charged with

By CÉSAR BARRETO Associated Press PIURA, Peru (AP) — Residents of Pedregal Grande, a poor neighborhood in the Peruvian city of Piura, receive water for only 30 minutes a day because of shortages, forcing them to collect it in plastic tanks that have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Scorching temperatures and a lack of air