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Israel-Hamas war protesters and police clash on Texas campus, Columbia University begins suspensionsNEW YORK -- Protesters and police clashed Monday at the University of Texas in a confrontation that resulted in dozens of arrests, and Columbia University began suspending students as colleges around the U.S. begged pro-Palestinian demonstrators to clear out tent encampments as commencement ceremonies approach...
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4 law officers serving warrant are killed, 4 wounded in shootout at North Carolina home, police sayCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Four law officers serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and four other officers were wounded in a shootout Monday at a North Carolina home, police said. Some of the officers who rushed to the Charlotte neighborhood to rescue the first wave of downed officers were wounded as a second shooter began firing on them after they killed the wanted man, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said...
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Backers of a ban on gender care for minors in Kansas fail to override the governor's vetoTOPEKA, Kan. -- Republican legislators in Kansas failed Monday to override the Democratic governor's veto of a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The vote was 82-43 in the state House to reverse Gov. Laura Kelly's veto, but that was two votes shy of the necessary two-thirds majority...
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United Methodists prepare for votes on lifting LGBTQ bans and other issues at General ConferenceCHARLOTTE, N.C. -- United Methodist delegates are heading into the homestretch of their first legislative gathering in five years -- one that appears on track to make historic changes in lifting their church's longstanding bans on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy...
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West Virginia's and North Carolina's transgender care coverage policies discriminate, judges ruleCHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia's and North Carolina's refusal to cover certain health care for transgender people with government-sponsored insurance is discriminatory, a federal appeals court ruled Monday in a case likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court...
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President Joe Biden, Mexican President Andres Manuel L--pez Obrador discuss migration in latest callWASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden spoke with his Mexican counterpart, Andres Manuel L--pez Obrador, about cooperating on migration policy as the U.S. leader continues to deliberate whether to take executive action that would crack down on the number of migrants arriving at the southern U.S. border...
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Oklahoma towns hard hit by tornadoes begin long cleanup after 4 killed in weekend stormsSULPHUR, Okla. -- When a monster nighttime tornado came roaring into the southern Oklahoma town of Sulphur, Sheila Hilliard Goodman, a grandmother and casino worker, hunkered down inside Raina's Sport Lounge with about 30 other customers in the popular downtown hangout...
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Likely missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels damages a ship in the Red SeaJERUSALEM -- A suspected missile attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels damaged a ship in the Red Sea on Monday, authorities said, the latest assault in their campaign against international shipping in the crucial maritime route. The attack happened off the coast of Mokha, Yemen, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. ...
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Supreme Court rejects Musk appeal over social media posts that must be approved by TeslaWASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Elon Musk over a settlement with securities regulators that requires him to get approval in advance of some social media posts that relate to Tesla, the electric vehicle company he leads...
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Abducted retired Catholic bishop who mediated between cartels in Mexico is located, hospitalizedMEXICO CITY -- A retired Roman Catholic bishop who was famous for trying to mediate between drug cartels in Mexico was located and taken to a hospital after apparently being briefly kidnapped, the Mexican Council of Bishops said Monday. The church leadership in Mexico said in a statement earlier that Msgr. Salvador Rangel, a bishop emeritus, disappeared on Saturday and called on his captors to release him...
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Ahead of visit to Israel, US's Blinken presses Hamas to accept new proposal for Gaza cease-fireCAIRO -- The United States stepped up pressure for a cease-fire deal in Gaza on Monday as the secretary of state said a new proposal had been put to Hamas, whose officials were in Cairo talking to Egyptian mediators. Israeli airstrikes killed 26 people in Gaza's southernmost town of Rafah, according to hospital records...
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Blinken says Israel still must do more to boost humanitarian aid to GazaRIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday that Israel must still do more to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged Gaza Strip and that he would use his Middle East trip -- his seventh to the region since the Israel-Hamas war started in October -- to press that case with Israeli leaders...
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At least 45 people die in western Kenya as floodwaters sweep away houses and carsNAIROBI, Kenya -- Flash floods and a landslide swept through houses and cut off a major road in Kenya, killing at least 45 people and leaving dozens missing on Monday, the Interior Ministry said. Police official Stephen Kirui initially told The Associated Press that the Old Kijabe Dam, located in the Mai Mahiu area of the Great Rift Valley region that is prone to flash floods, had collapsed, carrying with it mud, rocks and uprooted trees...
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Ecuador files complaint against Mexico at top UN court in spat over embassy raidQUITO, Ecuador -- Ecuador filed a complaint Monday at the top U.N. court over what it called Mexico's illegal move to grant political asylum to a former Ecuadorian vice president, which led to Ecuador's highly criticized raid on a Mexican embassy earlier this month...
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NATO chief chides members as Ukraine's allies say slow arms deliveries have helped RussiaKYIV, Ukraine -- NATO countries haven't delivered what they promised to Ukraine in time, the alliance's chief said Monday, allowing Russia to press its advantage while Kyiv's depleted forces wait for military supplies to arrive from the U.S. and Europe...
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Tornadoes kill 4 in Oklahoma, leaving trail of destruction, thousands without power (4/29/24)SULPHUR, Okla. — Tornadoes killed four people in Oklahoma, including an infant, and left thousands without power Sunday after a destructive outbreak of severe weather flattened buildings in the heart of one rural town and injured at least 100 people across the state...
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Ukraine's army chief reports tactical retreat in east, warns of front-line pressure (4/29/24)KYIV, Ukraine -- Ukraine's troops have been forced to make a tactical retreat from three villages in the embattled east, the country's army chief said Sunday, warning of a worsening battlefield situation as Ukrainian forces wait for much-needed arms from a huge U.S. aid package to reach combat zones...
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NerdWallet: So you got a raise? Here's what to do with the money (4/29/24)Whether it's a 5% increase or a 20% bump, a pay raise at work is an opportunity to take charge of your financial priorities. A small raise might not seem like much when it's broken down into a biweekly paycheck, but over time, that difference in income could provide a boost to your lifestyle or be put toward other financial goals...
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Supreme Court seems skeptical of Trump's claim of absolute immunity but decision's timing is unclear (4/26/24)WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Thursday appeared likely to reject former President Donald Trump's claim of absolute immunity from prosecution over election interference, but several justices signaled reservations about the charges that could cause a lengthy delay, possibly beyond November's election...
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Ex-tabloid publisher testifies he scooped up possibly damaging tales to shield his old friend Trump (4/26/24)NEW YORK -- As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye. But when it came to the seamy claims by porn performer Stormy Daniels, David Pecker, the tabloid's longtime publisher, said he put his foot down...
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Tennessee lawmakers OK bill penalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care (4/26/24)NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee's GOP-controlled Statehouse on Thursday gave their final approval to legislation penalizing adults who help minors receive gender-affirming care without parental consent, clearing the way for the first-in-the-nation proposal to be sent to Gov. Bill Lee's desk for his signature...
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USC cancels graduation ceremony and dozens are arrested on other campuses as anti-war protests grow (4/26/24)The University of Southern California canceled its main graduation ceremony and dozens more college students were arrested at other campuses nationwide Thursday as protests against the Israel-Hamas war continued to spread. College officials across the U.S. ...
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As some universities negotiate with pro-Palestinian protestors, others quickly call the police (4/26/24)The students at an encampment at Columbia University who inspired a wave of pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country dug in for their 10th day Friday, as administrators and police at college campuses from California to Connecticut wrestle with how to address protests that have seen scuffles with police and hundreds of arrests...
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Ukraine pulls US-provided Abrams tanks from the front lines over Russian drone threats (4/26/24)WASHINGTON -- Ukraine has sidelined U.S.-provided Abrams M1A1 battle tanks for now in its fight against Russia, in part because Russian drone warfare has made it too difficult for them to operate without detection or coming under attack, two U.S. military officials told The Associated Press...
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Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction is overturned by New York's top court (4/26/24)NEW YORK -- New York's highest court on Thursday threw out Harvey Weinstein 's 2020 rape conviction with a ruling that shocked and disappointed women who celebrated historic gains during the #MeToo era and left those who testified in the case bracing for a retrial against the ex-movie mogul...
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Hamas again raises the possibility of a 2-state compromise. Israel and its allies aren't convinced (4/26/24)The Palestinian militant group Hamas has said for more than 15 years that it could accept a two-state compromise with Israel -- at least, a temporary one. But Hamas has also refused to say that it would recognize Israel or renounce its armed fight against it...
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Strict new EPA rules would force coal-fired power plants to capture emissions or shut down (4/26/24)WASHINGTON -- Coal-fired power plants would be forced to capture smokestack emissions or shut down under a rule issued Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency. New limits on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric plants are the Biden administration's most ambitious effort yet to roll back planet-warming pollution from the power sector, the nation's second-largest contributor to climate change. ...
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US-China talks start with warnings about misunderstandings and miscalculations (4/26/24)BEIJING -- The United States and China butted heads over a number of contentious bilateral, regional and global issues as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Friday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and both men warned of the dangers of misunderstandings and miscalculations...
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A US-led effort to bring aid to Gaza by sea is moving forward. But big concerns remain (4/26/24)JERUSALEM -- The construction of a new port in Gaza and an accompanying U.S. military-built pier offshore are underway, but the complex plan to bring more desperately needed food to Palestinian civilians is still mired in fears over security and how the humanitarian aid will be delivered...
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With fear and hope, Haiti warily welcomes new governing council as gang-ravaged country seeks peace (4/26/24)PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Haiti opened a new political chapter Thursday with the installation of a transitional council tasked to pick a new prime minister and prepare for eventual presidential elections, in hopes of quelling spiraling gang violence that has killed thousands in the Caribbean country...
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Dozens arrested on California campus after students in Texas detained as Gaza war protests persist (4/25/24)AUSTIN, Texas -- Police peacefully arrested student protesters at the University of Southern California on Wednesday, hours after police at a Texas university aggressively detained dozens in the latest clashes between law enforcement and those protesting the Israel-Hamas war on campuses nationwide...
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Biden says the US is rushing weaponry to Ukraine as he signs a $95 billion war aid measure into law (4/25/24)WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he was immediately rushing badly needed weaponry to Ukraine as he signed into law a $95 billion war aid measure that also included assistance for Israel, Taiwan and other global hot spots. The announcement marked an end to the long, painful battle with Republicans in Congress over urgently needed assistance for Ukraine, with Biden promising that U.S. weapons shipment would begin making the way into Ukraine "in the next few hours."...
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Arizona House advances a repeal of the state's near-total abortion ban to the Senate (4/25/24)PHOENIX -- A proposed repeal of Arizona's near-total ban on abortions won approval from the state House Wednesday after two weeks of mounting pressure on Republicans over an issue that has bedeviled former President Donald Trump's campaign to return to the White House...
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Arizona indicts 18 in election interference case, including Giuliani and Meadows (4/25/24)PHOENIX -- An Arizona grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump 's chief of staff Mark Meadows, lawyer Rudy Giuliani and 16 others for their roles in an attempt to overturn Trump's loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. The indictment released Wednesday names 11 Republicans who submitted a document to Congress falsely declaring that Trump won Arizona in 2020. ...
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Tennessee House kills bill that would have banned local officials from studying, funding reparations (4/25/24)NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee's Republican-dominant House on Wednesday spiked legislation that would have banned local governments from paying to either study or dispense money for reparations for slavery. The move marked a rare defeat on a GOP-backed proposal initially introduced nearly one year ago. ...
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Russia vetoes a UN resolution calling for the prevention of a dangerous nuclear arms race in space (4/25/24)UNITED NATIONS -- Russia on Wednesday vetoed a U.N. resolution sponsored by the United States and Japan calling on all nations to prevent a dangerous nuclear arms race in outer space, calling it "a dirty spectacle" that cherry picks weapons of mass destruction from all other weapons that should also be banned...
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Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by US to hit Russian-held areas, officials say (4/25/24)WASHINGTON -- Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday...
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West Virginia says it will appeal ruling that allowed transgender teen athlete to compete (4/25/24)CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- West Virginia will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on an appeals court ruling that allowed a transgender athlete to compete on her middle school teams, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said Wednesday. "We're not going to allow the elites in the swamp to impose their values on West Virginia citizens," Morrisey said at a news conference in the state Capitol...
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Blinken, in Shanghai, begins expected contentious talks with Chinese officials (4/25/24)SHANGHAI -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken opened his first full day of meetings in China on Thursday by talking with local government officials in Shanghai. Blinken discussed local and regional issues with Chen Jining, the Chinese Communist Party Secretary of Shanghai. He also planned to speak to students and business leaders before flying to Beijing for what are expected to be contentious talks with national officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi...
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Australian police arrest 7 alleged teen extremists linked to stabbing of a bishop in a Sydney church (4/25/24)SYDNEY -- Australian police arrested seven teenagers accused of following a violent extremist ideology in raids across Sydney on Wednesday, as a judge extended a ban on social media platform X sharing video of a knife attack on a bishop that started the criminal investigation...
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Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge US to prosecute the company (4/25/24)Boeing said Wednesday that it lost $355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers...
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About 1 in 4 US adults 50 and older who aren't yet retired expect to never retire, AARP study finds (4/25/24)WASHINGTON -- About one-quarter of U.S. adults age 50 and older who are not yet retired say they expect to never retire and 70% are concerned about prices rising faster than their income, an AARP survey finds. About 1 in 4 have no retirement savings, according to research released Wednesday by the organization that shows how a graying America is worrying more and more about how to make ends meet even as economists and policymakers say the U.S. ...
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Tabloid publisher says he pledged to be Trump campaign's 'eyes and ears' during 2016 race (4/24/24)NEW YORK -- A veteran tabloid publisher testified Tuesday that he pledged to be Donald Trump 's "eyes and ears" during his 2016 presidential campaign, recounting how he promised the then-candidate that he would help suppress harmful stories and even arranged to purchase the silence of a doorman...
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Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote (4/24/24)WASHINGTON -- The Senate has passed $95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars. The bill passed the Senate on an overwhelming 79-18 vote late Tuesday after the House had approved the package Saturday. ...
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It began with defiance at Columbia. Now students nationwide are upping their Gaza war protests (4/24/24)NEW YORK -- What began last week when Columbia University students refused to end their protest against Israel's war with Hamas had turned into a much larger movement by Tuesday as students across the nation set up encampments, occupied buildings and ignored demands to leave...
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Tennessee lawmakers pass bill to allow armed teachers, a year after deadly Nashville shooting (4/24/24)NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Protesters chanted "Blood on your hands" at Tennessee House Republicans on Tuesday after they passed a bill that would allow some teachers and staff to carry concealed handguns on public school grounds, and bar parents and other teachers from knowing who was armed...
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Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature (4/24/24)WASHINGTON -- The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges and disrupt the lives of content creators who rely on the short-form video app for income...
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Woman charged with murder in crash that killed young brother and sister at birthday party (4/24/24)A Michigan woman was arraigned Tuesday on second-degree murder and other charges after prosecutors say she drunkenly crashed her SUV into a boat club that was hosting a child's birthday party, killing a young brother and sister and injuring several other people...
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Starbucks appears likely to win Supreme Court dispute with federal labor agency (4/24/24)The U.S. Supreme Court appeared to side with Starbucks Tuesday in a case that could make it harder for the federal government to seek injunctions when it suspects a company of interfering in unionization campaigns. Justices noted during oral arguments that Congress requires the National Labor Relations Board to seek such injunctions in federal court and said that gives the courts the duty to consider several factors, including whether the board would ultimately be successful in its administrative case against a company.. ...
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UN calls for investigation into mass graves uncovered at two Gaza hospitals raided by Israel (4/24/24)UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations called Tuesday for "a clear, transparent and credible investigation" of mass graves uncovered at two major hospitals in war-torn Gaza that were raided by Israeli troops. Credible investigators must have access to the sites, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters, and added that more journalists need to be able to work safely in Gaza to report on the facts...