AP National News

By MEG KINNARD Associated Press With roughly a year and a half until the 2024 presidential election, the field of candidates is largely set. Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have dominated the early Republican race. But other GOP candidates including former Vice President Mike Pence, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley

By FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writer The U.S. cybersecurity firm Mandiant says suspected state-backed Chinese hackers exploited a vulnerability in a popular email security appliance to break into the networks of hundreds of public and private sector organizations globally, nearly a third of them government agencies including foreign ministries. Fifty-five percent of the targets were

GREAT FALLS, Mont. (AP) — A southwestern Montana man has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison after being convicted of a hate crime and firearms charges for threatening a woman with violent, homophobic slurs and shooting at her house with an AK-style rifle as part of a self-described “mission” to rid a small

By FARAI MUTSAKA Associated Press HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe has reported record tobacco sales as the southern African nation reestablishes itself as one of the leading growers in the world. Yet the small-scale Black farmers now selling their crop mostly to China are “heavily indebted” and seeing “minimal” benefits, according to an association that

By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday preserved the system that gives preference to Native American families in foster care and adoption proceedings of Native children, rejecting a broad attack from some Republican-led states and white families who argued it is based on race. The court left in place

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Closings arguments are underway in the federal trial of a truck driver who killed 11 worshippers at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the nation’s deadliest attack on Jews. Robert Bowers is charged with 63 criminal counts, some carrying a potential death sentence. Bowers’ attorneys did not call any witnesses or present any evidence

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer After more than two decades as America’s best-selling beer, Bud Light has slipped into second place. Modelo Especial, a Mexican lager, overtook Bud Light in U.S. retail dollar sales in the month ending June 3, according to Nielsen data analyzed by Bump Williams Consulting. Modelo controlled 8.4% of U.S.

By HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONG-HYUNG Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles toward its eastern waters on Thursday, its neighbors said, in a resumption of weapons tests to protest just-ended South Korean-U.S. live-fire drills that it viewed as an invasion rehearsal. The launches are the first by

By FARES AKRAM, NINIEK KARMINI, ABBY SEWELL, MARIAM FAM and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA Associated Press This year’s Hajj is a landmark: the first full pilgrimage after a daunting three-year period when the COVID-19 pandemic sharply reduced the scale of one of Islam’s holiest and most beloved rites. Millions of Muslims from around the world will start

By GRAHAM DUNBAR and STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writers Sweden is moving closer to a bid to host the Winter Olympics for the first time in what is shaping up to be a race for the 2030 Games with only one obvious candidate. Swedish sports officials say there is a desire for the Nordic country

By BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — All major social media platforms do poorly at protecting LGBTQ+ users from hate speech and harassment — especially those who are transgender, non-binary or gender non-conforming, the advocacy group GLAAD said on Thursday. But Twitter is the worst. In its annual Social Media Safety Index,

By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer CHICAGO (AP) — When it comes to baseball and LGBTQ+ inclusivity, Billy Bean often flashes back to his playing days. Ending his career without telling his parents about his life as a closeted gay ballplayer. Shielding his secret from teammates like Brad Ausmus and Torey Lovullo. The regret of

By DEREK GATOPOULOS and NICHOLAS PAPHITIS Associated Press KALAMATA, Greece (AP) — Rescue workers transferred the bodies of dead migrants to refrigerated trucks as a major search continued Thursday for possible survivors of a sea disaster in southern Greece. Hundreds of people are still feared missing. At least 78 bodies have been recovered after a

By MATT OTT AP Business Writer The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits remained elevated last week, a possible sign that the Federal Reserve’s interest rate hikes over the past year may taking hold in what’s been a resilient job market. The Labor Department reported Thursday that U.S. applications for jobless claims were 262,000

By DAVID McHUGH AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank has pressed ahead with another interest rate hike. The quarter-percentage point increase Thursday aims to crush inflation that’s driving up the cost of groceries, utility bills and summer vacations. It comes a day after the U.S. Federal Reserve took a break

By MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — The leader of the Pacific island nation of Palau says it needs U.S. help to deter China’s “unwanted activities” around its coasts. Palau’s President Surangel Whipps Jr. also repeated on Thursday his government’s determination to maintain diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The president said in Tokyo that three

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press The European Union’s ambition to lead the way on ecological issues has avoided a major setback. The environment committee of the European Parliament voted by the thinnest margin on Thursday to reject a proposal that would have killed a draft law on restoring nature and lost species across the continent.

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP Retail Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Americans increased their spending at retailers last month despite pressure from  still-high inflation and rising borrowing costs. Thursday’s report from the Commerce Department showed that retail sales rose 0.3% from April to May, , helped by stronger sales of auto dealers. Economists were expecting a

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the military organization has seen no evidence that Russia has changed its nuclear posture. On Tuesday, President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that Belarus has already received some tactical nuclear weapons from Moscow. He’s warning that he would order their use if his country comes under threat. Stoltenberg said