AP National News

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Universal Parks & Resorts is bringing a theme park to Texas that will focus on entertaining young children. Officials announced Wednesday that the new park will be built in the Dallas suburb of Frisco. The company says the park will include attractions, interactive shows and opportunities for meet-and-greets with characters. The

By HILLEL ITALIE AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — No, the public has not tired of hearing about Prince Harry. Sales for “Spare” have placed the Duke of Sussex in some rarefied company. Penguin Random House announced Wednesday that first day sales for the Harry’s tell-all memoir topped 1.4 million copies, a record pace

By MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff Beck, a guitar virtuoso who pushed the boundaries of blues, jazz and rock ‘n’ roll, influencing generations of shredders along the way and becoming known as the guitar player’s guitar player, has died. He was 78. Beck died Tuesday after “suddenly contracting bacterial meningitis,”

By BRIAN MELLEY and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Storm-ravaged California scrambled to clean up and repair widespread damage on Wednesday as the lashing rain eased in many areas, although thunderstorms led a new atmospheric river into the northern half of the state. The plume of moisture lurking off the coast stretched

By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are taking early action on abortion now that they are in the majority. Republicans approved two abortion measures Wednesday, making clear they want to go further after the Supreme Court overruled the federal right to an abortion last year. However, neither of their measures

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A group of Florida college professors are asking a federal judge to block Gov. Ron DeSantis from requesting spending data on diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory programs in state universities. The Wednesday filing comes as part of a lawsuit against the so-called “Stop WOKE” Act, which restricts certain

By JIM SALTER Associated Press A Christian boarding school in Missouri that’s been under intense scrutiny over abuse allegations will close later this month. It’s citing financial hardship. Agape Boarding School in Stockton has been the subject of state and location investigations and several lawsuits filed on behalf of former students. A statement from the

La SALLE, Ill. (AP) — Officials say a large fire that sent smoke plumes towering over a northern Illinois chemical plant has been contained and no injuries have been reported. The fire at Carus Chemical in La Salle was reported around 9 a.m. Wednesday. Nearby residents were told to shelter in place until that order

By SOPHIE AUSTIN Associated Press/Report for America SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s capital city is known for the many trees that fill up its parks and line its streets. But persistent storms that have hit the so-called “City of Trees” and other parts of the state have damaged homes, vehicles and power lines. Over the

By TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — The head of the National Transportation Safety Board is expressing concern about the safety risks that heavy electric vehicles pose if they collide with lighter vehicles. Jennifer Homendy raised the issue in a speech Wednesday in Washington to the Transportation Research Board. She noted, by way

By DAMIAN J. TROISE and STAN CHOE AP Business Writers NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks are rallying Wednesday as investors make their final moves ahead of a highly anticipated report on inflation, one that could show whether Wall Street’s rising optimism recently has been warranted or overdone. The S&P 500 was 1% higher in

By DAVE COLLINS Associated Press Five Connecticut police officers have pleaded not guilty to charges accusing them of cruelly mistreating a Black man after he was partially paralyzed in a police van when the driver braked hard. The New Haven officers entered the pleas Wednesday in state court. They were arrested in November in connection

By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Democratic member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission is calling for a Republican member who bragged about GOP efforts to suppress votes in Milwaukee to resign from the bipartisan panel. Commissioner Robert Spindell’s comments sent in an email to Republicans in the 4th Congressional District were

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Crystal Dunn was often the only Black girl on her youth soccer clubs, and even when she finally made it to the national team, she did her own hair and makeup for photo shoots because “there wasn’t someone set up for me.” While the

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A police spokesman in Kabul says an explosion near the Foreign Ministry in the Afghan capital has killed five civilians and wounded a number of others. It is the second prominent attack in Kabul so far this year. The spokesman says that in the mid-afternoon explosion in Kabul on Wednesday “five

By DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Business Writer Thousands of travelers were stranded at U.S. airports due to an hours-long computer outage. If a flight is canceled, experts say most airlines will rebook you on the next available flight. But if you choose to cancel the trip, airlines must provide you with a full refund. If your

By The Associated Press SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) — Tatjana Patitz, one of an elite group of famed supermodels who graced magazine covers in the 1980s and ’90s and appeared in George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” music video, has died at age 56. Patitz’s death in the Santa Barbara, California, area was confirmed by her New

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Japan are boosting military and security cooperation as their top national security officials hold talks in Washington. The U.S. and Japanese foreign and defense ministers are set to agree Wednesday to revisions in their joint defense posture that will