AP National News

By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — The slap sat front and center at Monday’s Oscar nominees luncheon. So much so that motion picture academy president Janet Yang neither had to describe it nor say the names Will Smith or Chris Rock for the ballroom full of award hopefuls to know

By FARNOUSH AMIRI and NOMAAN MERCHANT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have kicked off an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 by issuing a series of letters to current and former Biden administration officials for documents and testimony. The Republican chairmen of the House Oversight Committee and the subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic

By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A key prosecution witness has testified that he delivered millions of dollars in payoffs destined for former Mexican public safety chief Genaro García Luna and saw him leave with the bags of cash. Jesús Zambada says they didn’t directly discuss what the money was allegedly buying,

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the first Black officers to lead a Special Forces team in combat will receive the Medal of Honor, the nation’s top award for bravery on the battlefield. The honor will go to retired U.S. Army Col. Paris Davis nearly 60 years after Davis distinguished himself

By ZEKE MILLER, COLLEEN LONG and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — With few confirmed details from President Joe Biden’s White House, the downing of three unknown aerial objects in as many days by U.S. fighter jets has prompted wild speculation about what they were and where they came from. It even fell to

By ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas lawmakers are trying to effectively reinstate a ban on gender-affirming care for minors with a proposal that makes it easier to file malpractice lawsuits against doctors who provide the treatments. A state Senate panel on Monday has endorsed legislation that would allow someone who

By LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A prosecutor urging a death sentence has promised to make jurors understand the emotional ramifications of a man’s vow to kill as many people as he could in a terrorist strike on a Manhattan bike path. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Houle on Monday launched the death

By MEHMET GUZEL, SUZAN FRASER and SARAH EL DEEB Associated Press ADIYAMAN, Turkey (AP) — The desperate search for earthquake survivors in Turkey and Syria entered its final hours as rescuers using sniffer dogs and thermal cameras surveyed pulverized apartment blocks for any sign of life a week after the disaster. Teams in southern Turkey’s

By JONEL ALECCIA AP Health Writer A federal law that boosted nutrition standards for school meals may have begun to help slow the rise in obesity among America’s children. A study released Monday of more than 14,000 schoolkids ages 5 to 18 found a small but significant decline in the average body mass index of

By LINDSEY TANNER AP Medical Writer The pandemic took a harsh toll on U.S. teen girls’ mental health, with almost 60% reporting feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness, according to a government survey released Monday that bolsters earlier data. Sexual violence, suicidal thoughts, suicidal behavior and other mental health woes affected many teens regardless of

By EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations says Syria’s president has agreed to open two new crossing points from Turkey to the country’s rebel-held northwest to deliver desperately needed aid and equipment for millions of earthquake victims. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the decision by Syrian leader Bashar Assad

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Kansas City police officer was hit by gunfire and wounded at the department’s headquarters shortly after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl. The Kansas City Police Department said Monday the officer’s injuries are not life-threatening. Police said detectives are investigating whether the shooting Sunday night was connected to several

By BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writer In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, thousands of volunteer software developers have been using a crucial Twitter tool to comb the platform for calls for help — including from people trapped in collapsed buildings — and connect people with rescue organizations. They could soon

By NARDOS HAILE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Carolina Herrera is a brand synonymous with elegance and class and in this year’s fall/winter debut, the brand pushed the boundaries on high drama, romance and grandeur — while also showing restraint when necessary. In the shimmering, grand Plaza Hotel ballroom in New York on Monday,

By LEANNE ITALIE AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — When one becomes a mother, Rihanna mused before her epic Super Bowl halftime show, “there’s something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world — you can do anything.” And so she did Sunday, on one of the biggest stages

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The World Health Organization says Equatorial Guinea has confirmed its first-ever outbreak of Marburg disease, saying the Ebola-related virus is responsible for at least nine deaths in the tiny Western African country. In a statement on Monday, the U.N. health agency confirmed the epidemic after samples from Equatorial Guinea were sent

By MARÍA VERZA and ASTRID SUÁREZ Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Colombia’s government and its largest remaining rebel group have met in Mexico City to resume peace talks. The talks Monday were the second round of negotiations aimed at achieving a cease-fire in the nearly six-decade conflict. It followed three weeks of negotiations in

By CRISTIAN JARDAN and STEPHEN McGRATH Associated Press CHISINAU, Moldova (AP) — Sandwiched between Ukraine and Romania, the country of Moldova has often been at the center of a struggle between Moscow and the West. It finds itself in that uncomfortable position again. On Monday, its president alleged that Russia was plotting to overthrow her

By The Associated Press Federal investigators are seeking more information about an incident in which a United Airlines plane dropped to within about 800 feet of the ocean surface after taking off from Hawaii. United says the two pilots are undergoing additional training. A spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that the

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — UEFA-appointed investigators have held European soccer’s ruling body mostly responsible for chaotic security failures at the Champions League final in Paris last May. The failed security operation put the lives of Liverpool and Real Madrid fans at risk. The investigation panel writes in a 220-page document,