AP National News

EL PASO, Texas (AP) — A powerful Mexican drug cartel leader has made his second appearance in federal court in Texas after being taken into U.S. custody last week. Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada used a wheelchair for the hearing Thursday before U.S. District Judge Kathleen Cardone in El Paso. The 76-year-old Zambada is the longtime

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — One is sparking speculation that he’ll be the choice by forgoing a weekend of swanky fundraisers in the Hamptons. Another watched TV commentators speculate about his viability as the pick while getting in a workout. A third is sticking to praising the newly minted presidential candidate who is closing in

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — More than a dozen third-party candidates for president, U.S. Senate and three statewide offices have filed paperwork to get on November’s general election ballot in Pennsylvania. The deadline to file was Thursday at 5 p.m. Pennsylvania is expected to have a decisive role in the Nov. 5 presidential election. A third-party

Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Court filings are providing new details of what happened in the nation’s first execution using nitrogen gas. Kenneth Smith was executed in Alabama on Jan. 25. A corrections officer said in a sworn statement that Smith had normal blood oxygen levels for longer than he expected. The state theorized

AP National Writer PARIS (AP) — Sunisa Lee gave herself the internal validation she needed by earning a bronze medal Thursday night in the Paris Olympics women’s gymnastics all-around finals. Lee was the defending champion in the event, but she dealt with two kidney diseases between Games that caused her weight to fluctuate. She finished

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Two New York City police sergeants were shot Thursday as they struggled with a man suspected of sticking up a Manhattan mahjong parlor and stealing women’s purses. Police say one sergeant was hit in the groin and will be kept at a hospital overnight for observation. The other sustained

Associated Press BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A slew of legislation passed by Louisiana’s GOP-dominated legislature earlier this year went into effect Thursday. Between new conservative Gov. Jeff Landry, Republicans holding every statewide elected office in Louisiana and a GOP supermajority in the state’s House and Senate, measures mirroring national conservative priorities had a clear

Associated Press SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois sheriff whose deputy fatally shot Sonya Massey in her home after she called 911 for help says it will take the rest of his professional life to rebuild trust in his agency. Sheriff Jack Campbell said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press that he was

GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — Authorities say they have recovered the body of a North Carolina man who fell 400 feet near a scenic viewpoint on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Park rangers say they received a report about a park visitor falling from Pipe Creek Vista around 10:30 a.m.

AP Sports Writer VILLEPINTE, France (AP) — The head of the new governing body that hopes to run the next Olympic boxing tournament says he strongly supports the IOC’s policies at the Paris Olympics. He urged those without deep understanding of gender identity issues to leave those discussions to medical professionals and scientists. World Boxing

AP Basketball Writer VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France (AP) — Brittney Griner knows only too well the swirling emotions of being involved in a prisoner swap. She says she is “head over heels” that fellow Americans are coming home from Russia. Griner called it a great day and that she is so happy for the families. She says

Associated Press TOMS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey officials are defending proposed building rules designed to limit damage from future storms and steadily rising seas in coastal areas. Business groups complain the initiative is an effort to force people away from the Jersey Shore by making it harder and costlier to build along the

NEW YORK (AP) — Universal Pictures has landed the rights to Britney Spears’ memoir “The Woman in Me” and will develop a biopic of the pop star to be directed by Jon M. Chu, the studio announced Thursday. After a competitive auction, Universal won the movie rights to the memoir, which has sold more than

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and Russia on Thursday completed their largest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history, a deal involving 24 people, many months of negotiations and concessions from other European countries who released Russians in their custody as part of the exchange. Here are some things to know: Who was freed The