AP National News

By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Bear hunters in Alaska would no longer be able to use bait, such as pastries, dog food or bacon grease, under a proposed rule by the National Park Service on Friday that would prohibit bear baiting in national preserves in the state. It’s the latest in

By SAM METZ and COLLEEN SLEVIN Associated Press ENOCH, Utah (AP) — A Utah man who fatally shot his five children, mother-in-law and wife and then killed himself removed guns owned by himself and his wife days before the murder-suicide, leaving the family “vulnerable,” a relative said Friday. The wife, Tausha Haight, told her extended

By AMY BETH HANSON Associated Press HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A white state lawmaker in Montana is questioning whether land set aside long ago for Native Americans should exist anymore. Republican Sen. Keith Regier is proposing asking Congress to study alternatives to reservations. The measure, submitted this week and riddled with racial stereotypes, is unlikely

By MARGARET STAFFORD and JOHN HANNA Associated Press TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Bureau of Investigation says a lengthy investigation into sexual abuse by Catholic priests in the state has not led to any charges. Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt released the KBI’s report on Friday. The agency says it initiated 125 criminal cases

By AUDREY McAVOY and JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — Lava from Kilauea spurted high into the air and spread out across about 300 acres (120 hectares) of the Hawaii volcano’s summit crater floor, creating a spectacular sight as the mountain began erupting again after a few weeks’ hiatus. Jillian Marohnic said the

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE AND SOPHIE AUSTIN Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has kicked off his second term by comparing his leadership style to that of Republican governors and former President Donald Trump. The Democratic governor’s inaugural address crafted California as a beacon for freedom amid a rising tide of oppression

By MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A Manhattan judge on Friday scolded Donald Trump’s lawyers as he denied their bid to dismiss a lawsuit accusing the former president and his company of a yearslong fraud scheme. Judge Arthur Engoron said lawyers for Trump and his Trump Organization “should have known better”

By SUSAN MONTOYA BRYAN and MORGAN LEE Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Police in New Mexico say the three homes of elected Democratic officials in Albuquerque were hit by gunfire and two offices were targeted by shots over the past month. Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina says local and federal investigators are trying to

By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The National Park Service is proposing a rule that would prohibit bear baiting in national preserves in Alaska.  A park service spokesperson said Friday that the agency is pursuing the new proposal “due to legal and policy concerns” around bear baiting. A federal judge in September

By KEVIN McGILL Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Trump administration ban on bump stocks — devices that enable a shooter to rapidly fire multiple rounds from semi-automatic weapons after an initial trigger pull — was struck down Friday by a federal appeals court in New Orleans. The ban was instituted after a gunman

By BRITTANY PETERSON Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — Avocados can be tricky. Their ripeness window is so narrow that a slew of memes poke fun at the fine art of deciding when to eat them. Dutch entrepreneur Marco Snikkers aims to solve that problem with an avocado scanner unveiled this week at the CES

By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A 38-year-old retired NASA satellite is about to fall from the sky. NASA said Friday the chance of wreckage falling on anybody is “very low.” Most of the 5,400-pound (2,450-kilogram) satellite will burn up upon reentry, according to NASA. But some pieces are expected

By LISA MASCARO and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican leader Kevin McCarthy flipped 15 colleagues to supporters in dramatic votes for House speaker on Friday, making extraordinary gains on the fourth day and the 12th and 13th ballots of a historic standoff that has tested American democracy and the GOP majority’s ability

By KATHLEEN RONAYNE AND SOPHIE AUSTIN Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has kicked off his second term by comparing his leadership style to that of Republican governors and former President Donald Trump. The Democratic governor’s inaugural address crafted California as a beacon for freedom amid a rising tide of oppression

By BEN FINLEY and MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — A 6-year-old student shot and wounded a teacher at his school in Virginia during an altercation inside a first-grade classroom Friday, police and school officials in the city of Newport News said. Experts said a school shooting involving a 6-year-old is extremely rare,

By JOHN CARUCCI Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — As the cast of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” celebrated the new season, they credited the show’s creator with popularizing drag and expressed concern about the protests and threats to the performance style at the heart of the long-running series. “RuPaul really brought drag into the mainstream, truly

By BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin added an element of drama to the governor’s race Friday, teasing a bid for the Republican nomination before leaving the state Capitol without jumping into the state’s top political race as the filing period expired for the May primary. Instead the

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has announced a new $3.75 billion military assistance package to help Ukraine and its neighbors on NATO’s eastern flank as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine grinds on. The latest tranche of assistance will include for the first time Bradley armored vehicles

WASHINGTON (AP) — Police say the mother of Ashli Babbitt, the woman fatally shot by police inside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, has been arrested in Washington after refusing to get out of the street during a demonstration on the two year anniversary. Capitol Police said Friday that Micki Witthoeft was

By JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Negotiations to keep about 10,000 nurses from walking off the job are heading into a final weekend. Some major New York City hospitals already are bracing for a potential strike by sending ambulances elsewhere and transferring some patients, including vulnerable newborns. The walkout could start early