AP-National

By SCOTT McFETRIDGE Associated Press Former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan, who became the first female senator to represent Missouri when she was appointed to replace her husband following his death, has died at age 90. Carnahan was appointed to the Senate in 2001 after the posthumous election of her husband, Gov. Mel Carnahan, and she

By DAVID SHARP Associated Press AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine’s governor is calling for strengthening the state’s yellow flag law, boosting background checks for private gun sales and bolstering mental health crisis care following the deadliest mass shooting in state history. An army reservist killed 18 people and wounded 13 others in Lewiston in October.

By LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden has again asked a judge to dismiss the federal gun case against him, arguing it is politically motivated and key evidence was tested after charges were filed. Hunter Biden’s defense attorney says in court documents that cocaine residue found on the pouch the president’s son

By ADRIAN SAINZ and ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press HELENA-WEST HELENA, Ark. (AP) — Residents of an east Arkansas town have been without running water for the past two weeks after the state was hit by below-freezing temperatures, and the outage has forced them to line up for bottled water, fill up jugs or take showers

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Drought-stricken New Mexico is teaming up with Google to hunt for leaky water pipes using satellites. State officials made the announcement as they rolled out a 50-year plan for addressing dwindling drinking water supplies. They said New Mexico is the first state to ink such

By MORGAN LEE Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A Democratic-backed bill to ban firearms at polling places and near ballot drop boxes won the endorsement of New Mexico’s state Senate in response to concerns about intimidation and fears among poll workers in the runup to the 2024 election. The bill moves to the

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and TARA COPP Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has made it clear the U.S. will strike back after a deadly drone attack killed three service members and wounded more than 40 at a small base in Jordan over the weekend. What isn’t yet clear is who will be

By KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says it has conducted a test-firing of long-range cruise missiles with an aim to sharpen its counterattack and strategic strike capabilities. It is the country’s latest display of weapons threatening South Korea and Japan. The report by North Korean state media on Wednesday

By SEAN MURPHY Associated Press Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt says he is confident in the state’s lethal injection protocols and has no plans to endorse a switch to nitrogen as a method of execution. Stitt said this Tuesday as several other states like Ohio and North Dakota say they’re considering

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Former Nebraska tight end Arik Gilbert pleaded no contest to two misdemeanors and was ordered to pay a fine and restitution in connection with a break-in at a liquor and vape shop in Lincoln last summer. Gilbert had been charged with burglary, but prosecutors amended it to trespassing and criminal mischief.

OURAY, Colo. (AP) — A police chief in southwestern Colorado has been placed on paid administrative leave after charges were filed against three men in the case of a 17-year-old girl who reported being raped by more than one person during a party at the chief’s house. The city of Ouray announced Monday that Police

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Floridians could soon be able to kill bears threatening them on their property with no consequences — if they don’t bait or provoke them first or turn them into a meal or a living room rug later. A measure approved in its final House committee stop Tuesday would allow people without

By TRISHA AHMED Associated Press/Report for America RICHFIELD, Minn. (AP) — Travelers in northwestern Minnesota can shake off their trepidation about hitting the winter roads knowing Taylor Drift is clearing a path ahead of them. The snowplow named for Taylor Swift was the runaway winner of Minnesota’s fourth-annual Name a Snowplow contest. Eight new names

By SUMMER BALLENTINE Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A faction of the Missouri Senate has ended a roughly 16-hour filibuster that was meant to pressure their fellow Republicans into fast-tracking legislation that would make it harder for voters to amend the state constitution. The Freedom Caucus’ filibuster, which began Monday and ended Tuesday,

NEWTON, Mass. (AP) — A teachers strike in a Boston suburb entered its eighth day Tuesday with both sides still unable to agree on salaries and other issues. The Newton School Committee said Tuesday that it has made another revised offer to the Newton Teachers Association, which it described as a fair and competitive offer.

RUSHVILLE, Ind. (AP) — A man accused of strangling and killing a 17-year-old central Indiana girl who worked for him has agreed to plead guilty to murder. Court documents state 59-year-old Patrick Scott of Arlington entered the plea in Rush County Circuit Court last week. The body of Valerie Tindall was discovered in November in

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer NHL players Carter Hart of the Philadelphia Flyers, Michael McLeod and Cal Foote of the New Jersey Devils and Dillon Dube of the Calgary Flames have been charged with sexual assault in connection with an investigation into an alleged sexual assault by several members of Canada’s 2018 world junior

By RANDALL CHASE AP Business Writer DOVER, Del. (AP) — Elon Musk is not entitled to a landmark compensation package awarded by Tesla’s board of directors that is potentially worth more than $55 billion, a Delaware judge ruled Tuesday. The ruling by Chancellor Kathaleen St. Jude McCormick comes more than five years after a shareholder

By COLLEEN LONG Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will visit Michigan to meet with members of the United Auto Workers, according to a campaign official speaking on the condition of anonymity. His trip to the key battleground state on Thursday comes as he faces sharp criticism from Arab and Muslim leaders over