AP-National

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The family that had wanted to build the world’s tallest flagpole in rural eastern Maine has agreed to pay a $250,000 penalty for construction of more than 50 cabins without obtaining environmental permits from the state. The Board of Environmental Protection on Wednesday signed off on the consent agreement signed by

By KIMBERLEE KRUESI Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Deep divisions remain in the Tennessee GOP over how to implement a universal school voucher program. Different proposals are floating in the House and Senate and Republican members are publicly grumbling that they need more time to study the details. While various voucher bills are advancing,

By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press EAST LANSDOWNE, Pa. (AP) — Officials near Philadelphia are closing their investigation into a shootout and house fire that killed six members of an extended family. They say 43-year-old Canh Le shot and killed his brother, sister-in-law and two nieces before setting fire to the home and killing himself. The

By SETH BORENSTEIN AP Science Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Government scientists have cooked up a new concept for how to potentially cool an overheating Earth: Fiddle with the upper atmosphere to make it a bit drier. Water vapor — water in its gas form — is a natural greenhouse gas that traps heat, just like

By MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) — An influential government advisory panel says older U.S. adults who got a COVID-19 shot in the fall should get a booster dose now. The advisers say people 65 and older should get another dose of the updated vaccine that became available in September — if

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s National Disaster Prevention Center said Wednesday the Popocatépetl volcano, located just 50 miles from the country’s capital, has erupted 13 times in the past day and urged people to not try to climb it due to debris shooting out of the crater. Volcanic ash from the Popocatépetl disrupted flights out

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — The agency that regulates U.S. telecommunications is considering a rule that could stop domestic abusers from tracking their partners through vehicles that are connected wirelessly. In a statement Wednesday, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel says she is asking other commissioners to start the process of

LONDON (AP) — Tractors lined a road leading to the Welsh capital as thousands of farmers and their supporters thronged parliament to protest proposed environmental protections that would be required to receive farm subsidies. Protesters on Wednesday held signs reading, “No Farmers, No Food,” and “We Will Not Be Mooooved!” Leaders say 5,500 farmworkers would

By SUMMER BALLENTINE Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri lawmakers are once again trying to block Medicaid funding from going to Planned Parenthood. The Republican-led House on Wednesday voted to bar federal health care dollars from going to Planned Parenthood, which is already banned by state law from providing abortions in most circumstances.

By ALANIS THAMES AP Sports Writer A social media influencer is suing Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill over an alleged incident that happened at the star’s South Florida home last summer. In a lawsuit that Sophie Hall’s attorneys filed in Broward County circuit court on Feb. 23, the influencer claims that Hill “forcefully and

RINCON, Ga. (AP) — Authorities in Georgia say they discovered an estimated $1 million worth of stolen cargo inside a warehouse a few miles from Savannah’s busy seaport. The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Wednesday that investigators with a search warrant found pallets of consumer goods including cellphones, food and Peloton exercise

By COLLEEN SLEVIN and JESSE BEDAYN Associated Press DENVER (AP) — The oldest son of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert is suspected of being part of a group of friends who used credit cards stolen from cars to make purchases at gas stations and McDonald’s. Court documents released Wednesday say 18-year-old Tyler Boebert was identified after

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A former military officer who assaulted police officers with a hockey stick and a sharp metal pole during the U.S. Capitol riot has been sentenced to more than three years in prison. Michigan resident Michael Joseph Foy threw the pole at police and struck officers with the

By ISABELLA O’MALLEY Associated Press Wildfires raging in the Texas Panhandle have been growing at a staggering rate, resulting in widespread evacuations. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties late Tuesday. The blaze grew to 1,300 square miles on Wednesday, rivaling the largest in state history. The fast-moving fires are rare,

By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer The Oscars just got an infusion of Kenergy. Ryan Gosling will sing the pop power ballad “I’m Just Ken” at the show on March 10. The show’s producers said Wednesday that others set to perform their nominated original songs include Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell, Jon Batiste, Scott George

By THOMAS ADAMSON AP Fashion Writer PARIS (AP) — Paris Fashion Week’s fall shows offered a journey through time, blending historical influences with futuristic designs. Designers revisited archives to inspire new collections that mixed traditional elegance with modern innovation, evident in Dries Van Noten’s whimsical blend of historic and contemporary styles. The collection featured regal

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Hundreds of flights have been canceled and dozens more rescheduled in Argentina as unionized air travel workers go on a 24-hour strike nationwide to demand better wages, in the latest sign of social unrest in the South American country. The strike, which started Wednesday morning, is expected to impact nearly

By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press Gun accessories known as bump stocks hit the market more than a decade ago. The U.S. government initially concluded that the devices that make semi-automatic weapons fire faster didn’t violate a federal ban on machine guns. That changed after a gunman with bump stock-equipped rifles killed 60 people and wounded

NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Hunter Schafer was among dozens of war protesters arrested at NBC’s headquarters in Manhattan during President Joe Biden’s appearance on “Late Night with Seth Myers” earlier this week. Protest organizers confirmed Wednesday the 25-year-old “Euphoria” star was among more than 100 demonstrators who packed the lobby at 30 Rockefeller Plaza

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Antisemitism would be defined in Florida law under a bill whose sponsor warned that an increase in acts against Jewish people will lead to extremism against other groups. The Senate unanimously passed the bill Wednesday. The bill language was taken from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.