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Supreme Court seems favorable to Biden administration over efforts to combat social media postsWASHINGTON — The Supreme Court seemed likely Monday to side with the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security in a case that could set standards for free speech in the digital age. ...
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Spring equinox is here. What does that mean?Spring is almost here — officially, at least. The vernal equinox arrives on Tuesday, marking the start of the spring season for the Northern Hemisphere. But what does that actually mean? Here’s what to know about how we split up the year using the Earth’s orbit. ...
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Supreme Court extends block on Texas law that would allow police to arrest migrantsWASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court on Monday continued to block, for now, a Texas law that would give police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the U.S. while the legal battle it sparked over immigration authority plays out...
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Netanyahu agrees to send Israeli officials to Washington to discuss prospective Rafah operationWASHINGTON -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday agreed to send a team of Israeli officials to Washington to discuss with Biden administration officials a prospective Rafah operation as each side is looking to make "clear to the other its perspective," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said...
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Idaho considers a ban on using public funds or facilities for gender-affirming careBOISE, Idaho -- Idaho lawmakers are expected to vote this week on a bill that would ban the use of any public funds for gender-affirming care, including for state employees using work health insurance and for adults covered by Medicaid. The legislation already passed the House and only needs to clear the majority Republican Senate before it is sent to Gov. ...
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Trump seeks to appeal decision not to disqualify district attorney from Georgia election caseATLANTA -- Former President Donald Trump and other defendants in Georgia's election interference case filed court papers Monday seeking to appeal a judge's ruling not to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from their prosecution or dismiss the charges...
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Trump's lawyers say it is impossible for him to post bond covering $454 million civil fraud judgmentNEW YORK -- Donald Trump's lawyers told a New York appellate court Monday that it's impossible for him to post a bond covering the full amount of a $454 million civil fraud judgment while he appeals, suggesting the former president's legal losses have put him in a serious cash crunch...
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Biden signs executive order on advancing study of women's health while chiding 'backward' GOP ideasWASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden signed an executive order Monday aimed at advancing the study of women's health by strengthening data collection and providing better funding opportunities for biomedical research while chiding Republicans for having "no clue about the power of women" but saying they're "about to find out" come November's election...
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'Access Hollywood' tape won't be played at Donald Trump's hush-money criminal trial, judge rulesNEW YORK -- The infamous "Access Hollywood" video in which Donald Trump bragged about grabbing women sexually without asking permission will not be shown to jurors at the former president's hush-money criminal trial, a New York judge ruled Monday. Judge Juan M. ...
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Pro-Trump Michigan attorney arrested after hearing in DC over leaking Dominion documentsAn attorney facing criminal charges for illegally accessing Michigan voting machines after the 2020 election was arrested Monday after a hearing in a separate case in federal court in Washington, D.C. Stefanie Lambert was arrested by U.S. Marshals after a hearing over possible sanctions against her for disseminating confidential emails from Dominion Voting Systems, the target of conspiracy theories over former President Donald Trump's 2020 election loss. ...
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Biden to host Japan PM Kishida, Philippines President Marcos for White House summitWASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a White House summit next month amid growing concerns about North Korea's nuclear program, provocative Chinese action in the South China Sea and differences over a Japanese company's plan to buy an iconic American steel company...
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Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religionNEW YORK -- Former President Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats "hate Israel" and hate "their religion," igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders. Trump, in an interview, had been asked about Democrats' growing criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his handling of the war in Gaza as the civilian death toll continues to mount...
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Famine is said to be 'imminent' in northern Gaza as Israel raids the main hospital againRAFAH, Gaza Strip -- Famine is "imminent" in northern Gaza, where 70% of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger, according to a report Monday that warned escalation of the war could push half of Gaza's total population to the brink of starvation...
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EPA bans asbestos, a deadly carcinogen still in use decades after a partial ban was enactedWASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced a comprehensive ban on asbestos, a carcinogen that kills tens of thousands of Americans every year but is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads and other products. The final rule marks a major expansion of EPA regulation under a landmark 2016 law that overhauled regulations governing tens of thousands of toxic chemicals in everyday products, from household cleaners to clothing and furniture...
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Gangs unleash new attacks on upscale areas in Haiti's capital, with at least a dozen killed nearbyPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Gangs attacked two upscale neighborhoods in Haiti's capital early Monday in a rampage that left at least a dozen people dead in surrounding areas. Gunmen looted homes in the communities of Laboule and Thomassin before sunrise, forcing residents to flee as some called radio stations pleading for police. The neighborhoods had remained largely peaceful despite a surge in violent gang attacks across Port-au-Prince that began on Feb. 29...
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Putin extends rule in preordained Russian election after harshest crackdown since Soviet eraPresident Vladimir Putin extended his reign over Russia in a landslide election whose outcome was never in doubt, declaring his determination Monday to advance deeper into Ukraine and dangling new threats against the West. After the harshest crackdown on dissent since Soviet times, it was clear from the earliest returns that Putin's nearly quarter-century rule would continue with a fifth term that grants him six more years. ...
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With the election behind him, Putin says Russia aims to set up a buffer zone inside UkraineRussian President Vladimir Putin said after extending his rule in an election that stifled opposition that Moscow will not relent in its invasion of Ukraine and plans to create a buffer zone to help protect against long-range Ukrainian strikes and cross-border raids...
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Israel urges UN court to reject South Africa's request for more emergency orders in genocide caseTHE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Israel has urged the top U.N. court to reject the latest request by South Africa for interim orders to prevent starvation in Gaza as part of a case accusing Israel of breaching the Genocide Convention with its military offensive against Hamas...
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Today in HistoryToday in History Today is Tuesday, March 19, the 79th day of 2024. There are 287 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On March 19, 1995, after a 21-month hiatus, Michael Jordan returned to professional basketball with his former team, the Chicago Bulls. (He would go on to win three more NBA championships to go with the three he and the Bulls had already won.)...
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TikTok creators warn of economic impact if app sees ban, call it a vital space for the marginalized (3/18/24)Alex Pearlman shut the door on dreams of a standup comedy career almost a decade ago, pivoting from the stage to an office cubicle where he worked a customer service job. Then he started posting random jokes and commentary about pop culture and politics on TikTok. Just more than 2.5 million followers later, he quit his nine-to-five and recently booked his first nationwide tour. ...
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Bernie Sanders wants the US to adopt a 32-hour workweek. Could workers and companies benefit? (3/18/24)The 40-hour workweek has been standard in the U.S. for more than eight decades. Now some members of Congress want to give hourly workers an extra day off. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the far-left independent from Vermont, last week introduced a bill that would shorten to 32 hours the amount of time many Americans can work each week before they’re owed overtime. ...
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Netanyahu snaps back against growing US criticism after being accused of losing his way on Gaza (3/18/24)TEL AVIV, Israel — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu railed Sunday against growing criticism from top ally the United States against his leadership amid the devastating war with Hamas, describing calls for a new election as “wholly inappropriate”. ...
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Today in History (3/18/24)Today in History Today is Monday, March 18, the 78th day of 2024. There are 288 days left in the year. Today's highlight in history: On March 18, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order authorizing the War Relocation Authority, which was put in charge of interning Japanese-Americans, with Milton S. Eisenhower (the younger brother of Dwight D. Eisenhower) as its director...
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Today in History (3/17/24)Today in History Today is Sunday, March 17, the 77th day of 2024. There are 289 days left in the year. This is St. Patrick's Day. Today's highlight in history: On March 17, 1969, Golda Meir took power in Israel, beginning a stint as prime minister that would last through five crucial years in the nation's history...
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Tornadoes kill 3 and leave trails of destruction in the central US (3/16/24)LAKEVIEW, Ohio (AP) -- Blaine Schmidt sifted through the broken glass and splintered wood throughout his Ohio home Friday, salvaging a guitar and a bundle of diapers. His couch and a crib had been ripped apart by one of many tornadoes that tore through the central U.S., killing three people and injuring dozens more. The storm peeled open his living room wall, but at least the house was standing. The one next door was flattened...
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Prosecutor leaves Georgia election case against Trump after relationship with district attorney (3/16/24)ATLANTA (AP) -- A special prosecutor who had a romantic relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis formally withdrew Friday from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump after a judge ruled he had to leave or Willis couldn't continue to pursue the charges...
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Russian missiles kill at least 16 people in the latest strike on southern Ukraine's Odesa (3/16/24)KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- A Russian ballistic missile attack blasted homes in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa on Friday, followed by a second missile that targeted first responders who arrived at the scene, officials said. At least 16 people were killed...
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Brazil's military leaders told police Bolsonaro was involved in plan to reverse 2022 election result (3/16/24)SAO PAULO (AP) -- Top Brazilian military leaders declared to police that former President Jair Bolsonaro presented them a plan to reverse the results of the 2022 election he lost, but they refused and warned him they would arrest him if he tried it, according to judicial documents released Friday...
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Today in History (3/16/24)Today is Saturday, March 16, the 76th day of 2024. There are 290 days left in the year. Today's highlight in history: On March 16, 1968, the My Lai massacre took place during the Vietnam War as U.S. Army soldiers hunting for Viet Cong fighters and sympathizers killed unarmed villagers in two hamlets of Son My (suhn mee) village; estimates of the death toll vary from 347 to 504...
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Judge rejects bid by Donald Trump to throw out classified documents case on constitutional grounds (3/15/24)FORT PIERCE, Fla. -- A federal judge on Thursday rejected one bid by Donald Trump to throw out out his classified documents criminal case, and appeared skeptical during hours of arguments of a separate effort to scuttle the prosecution ahead of trial...
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James Crumbley, who bought gun used by son to kill 4 students, guilty of manslaughter in Michigan (3/15/24)PONTIAC, Mich. -- The father of a Michigan school shooter was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter Thursday, a second conviction against the teen's parents who were accused of failing to secure a gun at home and doing nothing to address acute signs of his mental turmoil...
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Prosecutors say they're open to delaying Donald Trump's March 25 hush-money trial for a month (3/15/24)NEW YORK -- New York prosecutors said Thursday they are open to delaying the start of Donald Trump's hush-money criminal trial by a month "in an abundance of caution" to give the former president's lawyers time to review evidence they only recently obtained from a previous federal investigation into the matter...
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Top Democrat Schumer calls for new elections in Israel, saying Netanyahu is an obstacle to peace (3/15/24)WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called on Israel to hold new elections, saying he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has "lost his way" and is an obstacle to peace in the region amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza...
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Damaging tornadoes move through Midwest, as officials in Indiana try to confirm deaths (3/15/24)MADISON, Ind. -- Authorities in Indiana said they were working to confirm reports of fatalities from a tornado that was part of storm system that also unleashed suspected twisters in parts of Ohio and Kentucky on Thursday, damaging homes and businesses...
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Middle East conflicts revive clash between the president and Congress over war powers (3/15/24)WASHINGTON -- A major deadline under the half-century-old War Powers Resolution came this week for President Joe Biden to obtain Congress' approval to keep waging his military campaign against Yemen's Houthis, in line with its sole authority under the U.S. Constitution to declare war and otherwise authorize military force...
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US military chief tours arms plants with GOP lawmakers to show that Ukraine aid boosts jobs at home (3/15/24)CAMDEN, Ark. -- As they stood before massive rocket launchers built in part by their Arkansas constituents, Republican lawmakers were getting an unambiguous message Thursday from America's top military officer: A Ukraine aid package that's stalled in Congress will not only help in the fight against Russia, but also support jobs in their districts...
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Trump-backed Senate candidate faces GOP worries that he could be linked to adult website profile (3/15/24)WASHINGTON -- For Republicans eager to regain the Senate majority this year, Ohio offers a prime opportunity to pick up a critical seat. But ahead of Tuesday's primary election, there's mounting anxiety inside the GOP that Bernie Moreno may emerge with the nomination. ...
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Colorado snow storm knocks out power for thousands even as I-70 reopens (3/15/24)DENVER -- A major storm dumped heavy snow in Colorado on Thursday -- forcing flight cancellations and shutting down a highway that connects Denver to Colorado ski resorts for much of the day, stranding some people in their cars for hours. The storm comes as other parts of the country face severe weather. ...
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College swimmers, volleyball players sue NCAA over transgender policies (3/15/24)ATLANTA -- Former Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines was among more than a dozen college athletes who filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on Thursday, accusing it of violating their Title IX rights by allowing transgender woman Lia Thomas to compete at the national championships in 2022...
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Russia says Ukraine has fired more missiles at a border region on the eve of election favoring Putin (3/15/24)Ukraine fired at least eight missiles at Russia's Belgorod border region, killing two people and wounding 12, local officials said Thursday, as Kyiv's forces apparently kept up efforts to rattle the Kremlin on the eve of Russia's presidential election that is taking place amid a ruthless crackdown on dissent...
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Russians head to polls in a vote set to extend Putin's rule. His foes are in jail, in exile or dead (3/15/24)Voters headed to the polls in Russia on Friday for a three-day presidential election that is all but certain to extend President Vladimir Putin's rule by six more years after he stifled dissent. The election takes place against the backdrop of a ruthless crackdown that has crippled independent media and prominent rights groups and given Putin full control of the political system...
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Pope acknowledges criticism, health issues but says in upcoming memoir he has no plans to retire (3/15/24)VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis says he has no plans to resign and isn't suffering from any health problems that would require doing so, saying in a new memoir he still has "many projects to bring to fruition." Francis, 87, made the comments in an autobiography, "Life: My Story Through History," which is being published Tuesday, the 11th anniversary of his installation as pope. Extensive excerpts were published Thursday in the Italian daily Corriere della Sera...
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A plan to find new leadership for Haiti is moving forward, Caribbean officials say (3/15/24)PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- A plan to create a transitional presidential council is moving forward after a majority of Haitian parties and coalitions submitted the names of those charged with finding new leaders for the country, Caribbean officials said Thursday...
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Palestinian leader appoints longtime adviser as prime minister in the face of calls for reform (3/15/24)RAMALLAH, West Bank -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed his longtime economic adviser to be the next prime minister in the face of U.S. pressure to reform the Palestinian Authority as part of Washington's postwar vision for Gaza. Mohammad Mustafa, a U.S.-educated economist and political independent, will head a technocratic government in the Israeli-occupied West Bank that could potentially administer Gaza ahead of eventual statehood. ...
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Yemen's Houthis reported to have a hypersonic missile, possibly raising stakes in Red Sea crisis (3/15/24)DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Yemen's Houthi rebels claim to have a new, hypersonic missile in their arsenal, Russia's state media reported Thursday, potentially raising the stakes in their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways against the backdrop of Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip...
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Biden opposes plan to sell US Steel to a Japanese firm, citing the need for 'American steel workers' (3/15/24)WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden came out in opposition to the planned sale of U.S. Steel to Nippon Steel of Japan, saying on Thursday that the U.S. needs to "maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steel workers." In a statement, Biden added: "U.S. Steel has been an iconic American steel company for more than a century, and it is vital for it to remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated."...
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EPA tightens limits on a chemical used to sterilize medical equipment, citing cancer risk (3/15/24)WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency is imposing stricter limits on a chemical used to sterilize medical equipment after finding a higher-than-expected cancer risk at facilities that use ethylene oxide to clean billions of devices including catheters and syringes...
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Former Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin says he's putting together investor group to buy TikTok (3/15/24)Former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that he will put together an investor group to buy TikTok after the House passed a bill that would ban the popular video app in the U.S. if its China-based owner does not sell its stake. During an interview on CNBC's "Squawk Box," Mnuchin, who served under President Donald Trump, said he had spoken "to a bunch of people" about creating an investor group that would purchase the popular social media company. ...
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Today in History (3/15/24)Today is Friday, March 15, the 75th day of 2024. There are 291 days left in the year. Today's highlight in history: On March 15, 44 B.C., Roman dictator Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of nobles that included Brutus and Cassius. On this date:...
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House passes a bill that could lead to a TikTok ban if Chinese owner refuses to sell (3/14/24)WASHINGTON -- The House on Wednesday passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn't sell its stake, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company's current ownership structure is a national security threat...