AP National News

By TERRY WALLACE Associated Press Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued an executive order banning any state or local mandates requiring people to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and he’s calling on legislators to vote it into law during the current special session. The move comes as Texas reported the most COVID-19 patients in its hospitals

KENAI, Alaska (AP) — The mayor of a borough in Alaska, who says he is not a medical professional, has promoted a debunked treatment for COVID-19. Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Charlie Pierce has publicly backed the use of ivermectin, an anti-parasitic deworming drug. The Peninsula Clarion reports livestock supply stores in the borough, directly south

By ANITA SNOW and AMY TAXIN Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — The Supreme Court has ordered the reinstatement of the “Remain in Mexico” immigration policy, saying the Biden administration likely violated federal law by trying to end the Trump-era program that forces people to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the U.S. The decision

Associated Press DENVER (AP) — Rural Colorado county officials pled with community members Tuesday to pass along a message to their missing-in-action County Clerk who is being investigated for an election security breach. Mesa County Commissioner Scott McInnis told the audience to tell Tina Peters “to come out of hiding and come home.” Peters has

By MOHAMED IBRAHIM Associated Press/Report for America ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Protesters descended upon the Minnesota State Capitol to rally against Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 oil pipeline as the project nears completion. The rally is part of a series of events called Treaties over Tar Sands organized by Indigenous and environmental activists. Protesters called

By ANDREW DALTON AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Authorities say adult film actor Ron Jeremy has been indicted on more than 30 counts of sexual assault involving 21 women and girls dating back more than two decades. The 68-year-old prolific porn performer, whose legal name is Ronald Hyatt, pleaded not guilty in Los

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Federal prosecutors in Mexico say an opposition politician who fled the country over the weekend allegedly took a $525,000 bribe. The Attorney General’s Office outlined the accusation that led it to try to obtain an arrest warrant fort former presidential candidate Ricardo Anaya of the conservative National Action Party. Anaya has

By TOM HAYS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A woman has testified that R&B hitmaker R. Kelly’s forced her and his other girlfriends to write fake blackmail letters that he wanted to have in hand in case he was ever charged with sexually abusing them. One of the letters penned by the woman warned

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Federal authorities say a northwest Louisiana man has pleaded guilty to wire fraud and accepted a 15-year prison sentence in connection with an investment scheme that drew tens of millions of dollars from victims. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Shreveport says 59-year-old David DeBerardinis pleaded guilty Wednesday. Prosecutors say DeBerardinis claimed

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer Spectators will not be required to wear masks or show proof of their vaccination status to attend matches at the U.S. Open when the tennis tournament returns at full capacity next week. A year ago, all fans were banned from the event because of the coronavirus pandemic. A member

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — President Joe Biden has nominated Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg. The White House announced the appointment Wednesday. Barrett still needs Senate confirmation to serve, but the White House issued a statement with Barrett, a Democrat, saying he’s proud to be nominated and looks

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals court says a Texas group has no standing to claim that New York University illegally gives preference to women and racial minorities when selecting editors and articles for the NYU Law Review. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled Wednesday that a group called Faculty,

By ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Inmates at a northwest Arkansas jail have been prescribed ivermectin to combat COVID-19, despite warnings from federal health officials that the antiparasitic drug should not be used to treat the coronavirus. Washington County’s sheriff confirmed Tuesday night that the jail’s health provider had been prescribing

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Refugees from Afghanistan have arrived at Fort McCoy in Wisconsin and up to 10,000 more could do so in the coming weeks. That is what U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said after meeting with officials at the base on Wednesday. Fort McCoy is one of three military installations nationwide that is processing

By SCOTT BAUER Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Senate Democrats are bringing their push for a new federal voting bill to battleground Wisconsin. Sens. Tammy Baldwin, of Wisconsin, and Amy Klobuchar, of Minnesota, argued at a roundtable discussion Wednesday that the sweeping measure is needed to blunt attempts by Republicans to make voting more

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida kite surfer has died after a strong wind picked the man off the ground, carried him 400 feet and slammed him into the second floor of a house on Fort Lauderdale Beach. Fire Rescue officials said the kite surfer hadn’t even gotten into the water Wednesday when a

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A former Florida deputy accused of having sex with a 15-year-old girl has been sentenced to 35 years in federal prison. Former Clay County deputy Travis Ryan Pritchard was sentenced Tuesday in Jacksonville federal court. A criminal complaint says Pritchard began communicating with the girl through an online chat application in

By DÉBORA ÁLVARES and DAVID BILLER Associated Press BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Thousands of Indigenous people have marched toward Brazil’s Supreme Court to pressure justices expected to issue a ruling with far-reaching implications for land rights. The justices will be evaluating a lower court’s ruling that invalidated an Indigenous group’s claim to what it says

By JULIE WATSON Associated Press EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) — Three families from a San Diego suburb have now made it out of Afghanistan after they went to the country earlier this summer to visit relatives and got stuck there amid the chaos following the Taliban’s takeover. Officials said Thursday that five other families from

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — After long months of illness, Uruguay is once again starting to dance. The government last week authorized ballrooms and event halls to open as the country’s COVID-19 death rate has fallen sharply. A few months ago it was among the highest in the world per capita. Seventy percent of Uruguayans have