AP National News

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The families of four Americans detained in China say their loved ones are suffering both physically and mentally, and they are urging the U.S. government to take action to bring then home. They spoke during a hearing before a congressional panel on Wednesday. Just days earlier, the U.S. secured the

Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A body found in rural southeastern Kentucky is believed to be the man suspected of shooting and wounding five people on an interstate highway, authorities said Wednesday night. The search ended with two private sleuths joining in the dramatic discovery. Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr. said the

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A longtime CIA officer who drugged, photographed and sexually assaulted more than two dozen women in postings around the world was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison Wednesday after an emotional hearing in which victims described being deceived by a man who appeared kind, educated and part of an

SEATTLE (AP) — Alaska Airlines is closing its $1 billion purchase of Hawaiian Airlines. The airlines announced Wednesday that they have completed the sale just a day after the federal government removed the last major regulatory obstacle. In an unusual decision, Alaska plans to maintain the Hawaiian brand rather than paint the smaller carrier’s planes

Associated Press SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Haiti’s government on Wednesday created a provisional electoral council long sought by the international community to prepare the troubled Caribbean country for its first general elections since 2016. Smith Augustin, a member of the country’s transitional presidential council, confirmed to The Associated Press that the electoral council

Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Some Brazilian users have regained access to X despite a nationwide ban put in place by the country’s Supreme Court. It’s the result of the social network apparently changing the way its servers are accessed. But the reunion Wednesday may be short-lived. Late last month, Justice Alexandre de

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Officials from the U.S. and the Dominican Republic have arrested nearly a dozen suspects after they launched a joint operation to crack down on a regional drug trafficking ring. Officials with the Dominican Republic’s Anti-Drug Agency and agents with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Southern Command

REDLANDS, Calif. (AP) — An autopsy found a Southern California couple whose bodies were found under their neighbor’s home in a nudist ranch died from “blunt force trauma to the head.” The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department released the cause of death of 79-year-old Daniel Menard and his wife 73-year-old wife, Stephanie, on Tuesday. The

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Chris Wray says the FBI has disrupted a group of hackers working at the direction of the Chinese government who targeted universities, government agencies and other organizations. The hacking campaign known as Flax Typhoon installed malicious software on thousands of internet-connected devices, including cameras, video recorders, and home

Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s highest court is weighing whether a state law that gave adults who were victims of child sexual abuse two additional years to seek civil damages is constitutional or not. The state Supreme Court heard Wednesday five cases involving individuals who sued based on changes in a 2019

NEW YORK (AP) — Fresh off her Emmys win, Jean Smart is taking her comedy to a new audience — she’ll kick off “Saturday Night Live’s” landmark 50th season. NBC on Thursday announced the lineup of hosts for the season, which premieres Sept. 28. Joining Smart on the first show will be Jelly Roll as

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky lawmaker who was critically injured when the lawn mower he was riding plunged into an empty swimming pool has made progress in his recovery, a legislative spokesman said Wednesday. State Sen. Johnnie Turner was able to sit upright and communicate on Tuesday and continued to improve Wednesday, said Dustin

Associated Press A Connecticut aquarium where three beluga whales have died from illnesses since 2021 has agreed to settle a federal investigation that found alleged animal care and water quality violations. Mystic Aquarium will pay a $12,200 fine as part of the settlement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture while not admitting or denying that

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a Delta Air Lines flight leaving Salt Lake City last weekend developed cabin pressure issues and left some passengers with bleeding eardrums, headaches and bloody noses. The flight was traveling Sunday from Salt Lake City to Portland, Oregon, when pilots of the five-year-old

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) — A New Hampshire woman suffered burns on her leg after hiking off trail in Yellowstone National Park and falling through a thin crust over scalding water in a thermal area near the Old Faithful geyser. Park officials say the 60-year-old woman, along with her husband and their dog, were