AP-National

By ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — Love can blossom in the strangest of places, even in a post-apocalyptic world where your life is threatened by zombies all day, every day.  That’s what happened for “The Walking Dead” characters Rick Grimes and Michonne, played by Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira. Just friends in

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Two people are dead and another is missing on Mexico’s Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in the country. Authorities in the central state of Puebla said late Tuesday that rescuers had found the body of a guide who was leading an ascent of the 18,619 feet volcanic peak. The guide’s

By FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden’s brother has told lawmakers that the president “never had any involvement” in the family’s business dealings. That statement came from James Biden as he appeared for a voluntary private interview Wednesday on Capitol Hill as part of House Republicans’ impeachment inquiry. It’s the latest in

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A new entry in the “Avatar” franchise is about to soar and James Cameron has no part in it. “Avatar: The Last Airbender” is a completely different fictional world from Cameron’s blue moon Pandora, but the two similarly named dueling sci-fi fantasy properties keep throwing

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private U.S. lunar lander reached the moon and eased into a low orbit Wednesday, a day before it will attempt an even greater feat — landing on the gray, dusty surface. A smooth touchdown would put the U.S. back in business on the

By MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel on Wednesday said it has found evidence of “systematic and intentional” rape and sexual abuse during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that ignited the war in Gaza. The report said the attacks were more widespread than

By CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — With election season already underway, some state election officials are expressing frustration that Congress has yet to allocate federal money they have come to rely on to help cover the costs of securing their systems from attacks, updating equipment and training staff. Election officials face a

By NICOLE WINFIELD Associated press ROME (AP) — One of the first women who accused a once-exalted Jesuit artist of spiritual, psychological and sexual abuse went public Wednesday to demand transparency from the Vatican and a full accounting of the hierarchs who covered for him for 30 years. Gloria Branciani, 59, appeared at a news

By CHEYANNE MUMPHREY AP Education Writer For as long as schools have policed hairstyles as part of their dress codes, some students have seen the rules as attempts to deny their cultural and religious identities. Nowhere have school rules on hair been a bigger flashpoint than in Texas, where a trial this week is set

LONDON (AP) — Futuristic London landmark the BT Tower is to become a hotel. Owner BT Group PLC said Wednesday that it has agreed to sell the tower to U.S. company MCR Hotels for $347 million. The 581-foot structure was completed in 1964 and was London’s tallest building until 1980. A further section of aerial

By R.J. RICO Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — For years, churches and nonprofits have banded together money to bail out people from jail, often in time for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. But these wide-scale initiatives could be significantly restricted, if not criminalized, under a recently passed Georgia bill. Opponents have called the bill an

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The German government says Europe’s largest economy is in “troubled waters.” It’s slashing its growth forecast for this year as it struggles with a lack of skilled labor, excessive bureaucracy, high interest rates and lagging investment in new projects. Meanwhile, a relatively modest set of

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Lithuania has decided to seal off another two of its six checkpoints with Belarus amid growing tensions with its eastern neighbor, an ally of Russia. This brings the total of closed border crossings into the Baltic country to four. The Lavoriskes and Raigardas checkpoints will stop functioning on March 1, as

By MORGAN LEE Associate Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Prosecutors in New Mexico are pursuing accountability for the 2021 death of a cinematographer who was fatally shot by actor Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal for the Western film “Rust.” Before Baldwin’s case progresses, the armorer on the set is being tried on charges of

By DIANE JEANTET and ELEONORE HUGHES Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s foreign minister is calling for reforms of the United Nations and other multilateral institutions, as his country kicked off its presidency of the Group of 20 nations. Mauro Vieira told fellow foreign ministers during opening remarks for a G20 meeting in

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union countries have agreed on a new package of sanctions against Russia. The decision on Wednesday coincides with the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion and comes days after the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The measures target individuals and businesses suspected of assisting

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Beyond Meat is revamping its signature plant-based burger, hoping that healthier ingredients will help it boost flagging U.S. sales. The El Segundo, California-based company said Wednesday its new Beyond Burger patties and Beyond Beef grounds cut saturated fat by 60% by switching from canola and coconut oils to avocado

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Investigators in Mexico have largely confirmed the contents of a grisly drug cartel video showing gunmen shooting, kicking and burning the corpses of their enemies. In a country where videos of decapitations and executions have appeared on social media before,  the video released Tuesday was still chilling. A squad of whopping,

By DÁNICA COTO Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A new report says activists want stricter regulations of short-term rentals in Puerto Rico as the U.S. territory sees a growing number of displaced renters and a spike in housing costs. The report says the number of units operating as short-term rentals in Puerto

By VANESSA GERA Associated Press WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Ukraine’s president has invited Poland’s leaders to meet him at their shared border to resolve a blockade by Polish farmers protesting Ukrainian food imports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the blockade is hampering the shipment of weapons to Ukrainian soldiers. He hopes the border meeting could