Trump continues to vent against California

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump lashed out at California on Wednesday, threatened to prevent construction of a border wall in a state that sued to stop it.In a puzzling early-morning tweet, Trump said he "decided that sections of the Wall that California wants built NOW will not be built until the whole Wall is approved.""OUR COUNTRY MUST HAVE BORDER SECURITY!" he wrote.California, however, joined four environmental advocacy groups in challenging the wall [...]

FBI: Driver may have sexually abused many female inmates

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) " An FBI agent has testified that he thinks a California man may have sexually assaulted 100 or more female inmates while transporting them between lockups around the country over the past 15 years.Eric Scott Kindley faces federal charges in Arkansas alleging that he sexually assaulted a woman along a deserted road in January 2017 while transporting her from a jail in Alabama to Arizona, where there was a warrant for her arrest. Kindley faced similar charges in [...]

Trump puts GOP in the hot seat on guns _ for now

WASHINGTON (AP) " Putting fellow Republicans in the hot seat, President Donald Trump called for speedy and substantial changes to the nation's gun laws on Wednesday, criticizing lawmakers in a White House meeting for being too fearful of the National Rifle Association to take action.In a freewheeling, televised session that stretched for an hour, Trump rejected both his party's incremental approach and its legislative strategy that has stalled action in Congress. Giving hope to [...]

The Latest: Democrat pleased with Trump support on gun laws

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on President Donald Trump, Congress and guns (all times local):6:05 p.m.One of the Senate's leading gun control proponents says he is pleased that President Donald Trump expressed support for expanded background checks and other measures during a bipartisan meeting at the White House.But Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut says he is "worried that this was the beginning and the end of the president's advocacy on this issue. [...]

One-star Marine general suspended

WASHINGTON (AP) " The head of the Marine Corps suspended a top adviser accused of creating a "hostile work environment," officials said Wednesday.Gen. Robert Neller, the commandant of the Marine Corps, said in a written statement that he took action against Brig. Gen. Norman L. Cooling pending the outcome of a Defense Department review. Cooling has served as Neller's legislative assistant since July."We are committed to being an organization in which every Marine has the [...]

Spotify's unusual IPO seeks to drum up fans on Wall Street

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Music-streaming pioneer Spotify is hoping to attract a new crowd of fans on Wall Street as its competition with Apple heats up.Spotify is pursuing an unusual initial public offering that will sell some of its existing stock instead of issuing more shares to raise money. The strategy will make it easier for Spotify's existing stockholders to cash out of their investments while creating a potential new financial channel for the company.Spotify took its first [...]

AP source: WH Communications Director Hope Hicks resigning

WASHINGTON (AP) " White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, one of President Donald Trump's most loyal aides, is resigning.That's according to a White House official briefed on her plans but not authorized to discuss them publicly.The news comes a day after Hicks was interviewed for nine hours by the panel investigating Russia interference in the 2016 election and contact between Trump's campaign and Russia.She acknowledged to a House intelligence panel that she [...]

AP-NORC Poll: Most Americans say Trump is racist

WASHINGTON (AP) " More than half of Americans, including large majorities of blacks and Hispanics, think President Donald Trump is a racist. More than half think his policies have made things worse for Hispanics and Muslims, and nearly half say they've made things worse for African Americans.According to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 57 percent of Americans think Trump's policies have been bad for Muslims, and 56 percent think they've been [...]

Ex-interior officials: Zinke's proposed overhaul unnecessary

DENVER (AP) " U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's plan for a major realignment to put more of his department's decision-makers in the field has a fundamental flaw in the eyes of some who spent their careers making those decisions: They're already out there.Eleven former Interior Department officials with decades of experience in both Washington and in local offices told The Associated Press the agency already has a well-established system for decentralized decision-making. [...]

Spotify's music service seeks to drum up $1 billion in IPO

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Music-streaming pioneer Spotify is hoping to attract a new crowd of fans on Wall Street to help fend off a growing competitive threat posed by Apple.Spotify will expand its financial arsenal with an initial public offering of stock aiming to raise $1 billion. That figure could change as Spotify's bankers assess investor demand for Spotify shares ahead of the IPO, a process likely to be completed early in the spring.The company's first steps toward its [...]

Jury duty anyone? North Carolina county finds few takers

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) " The judges, deputies and clerks showed up for court, but one key element was missing: No one had invited any jurors.The Winston-Salem Journal reports that North Carolina's fourth-largest county failed to mail notices to the 1,700 or so prospective jurors needed to hear cases this week.After no one showed up for jury duty Monday, Forsyth County officials made a plea through local television station WXII for any volunteers willing to fulfill their civic [...]

Californians bash Trump for bid to end climate change plan

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " California stands in "complete opposition" to a Trump administration plan to scrap a policy slashing climate-changing emissions from power plants, its top air official said Wednesday at a U.S. hearing in a state helping lead the fight against global warming.State officials joined hundreds of other opponents, including technology billionaire Tom Steyer, in speaking out against ending the Obama-era Clean Power Plan at the hearing in San Francisco, billed as the [...]

Giffords targets high-profile Republicans in 2018 strategy

NEW YORK (AP) " Gabby Giffords' political organization is targeting six high-profile members of Congress " including House Speaker Paul Ryan " in a midterm strategy designed to defeat those Republican lawmakers it blames for blocking efforts to curb gun violence.The group is known as Giffords, named for the former Arizona congresswoman who survived a 2011 shooting. It plans to highlight the voices of high school students as a key component of a comprehensive plan to spend at least $10 [...]

The Latest: Police ID teacher who fired handgun at school

DALTON, Ga. (AP) " The Latest on shots fired at high school in Georgia. (all times local):2:40 p.m.Police say a teacher who fired a gun inside a Georgia classroom taught social studies and was the play-by-play announcer for the high school's football team.Dalton police tweeted that 53-year-old Jesse Randall Davidson has been taken into custody after a 30- to 45-minute standoff with police. Authorities say he was inside a locked classroom with no students present when he [...]

Challenge announced against Mississippi's Sen. Roger Wicker

ELLISVILLE, Miss. (AP) " A tea party-backed state lawmaker who came close to unseating one of Mississippi's U.S. senators during a bitter 2014 race announced Wednesday that he will challenge the state's other U.S. senator, Roger Wicker.Conservative Republican Chris McDaniel had hinted at the decision for days and made the announcement at an afternoon rally in his hometown of Ellisville. He said he looked forward to going up against Wicker in the GOP primary on June 5, accusing the [...]

Ex-Trump campaign chief rebuked by judge for public comments

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman was reprimanded by a federal judge Wednesday for speaking publicly in violation of her gag order in his criminal case.The rebuke of Paul Manafort came as he pleaded not guilty to the latest charges brought by special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigators.Manafort appeared at the federal courthouse to enter a formal plea to a second indictment accusing him of acting as an unregistered foreign agent and [...]

In public spat, Trump taunts Sessions, AG doesn't keep quiet

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump renewed his verbal attacks on his attorney general Wednesday, describing as "disgraceful" his handling of Republican complaints that the FBI abused its surveillance power during the early stages of the Russia investigation.Jeff Sessions, who rarely responds publicly to criticism from his boss, didn't keep quiet this time and said the Justice Department he leads had acted appropriately."As long as I am the attorney general, I will [...]

Damaged ear of Penn State mascot's statue repaired

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) " The damaged ear of a statue of the Pennsylvania State University mascot has been repaired.Authorities were called to the university's Nittany Lion Shrine around 4 a.m. Sunday and found that an ear on the right side of the statue had been broken off and was found nearby.The Centre Daily Times reports Wednesday the ear had been fixed by the university's Office of Physical Plant. Earlie the statue had a temporary replacement for the ear thanks to Penn [...]

Astronomers glimpse cosmic dawn, when the stars switched on

WASHINGTON (AP) " For the first time, astronomers have glimpsed the dawn of the universe 13.6 billion years ago when the earliest stars were just beginning to glow after the Big Bang. And if that's not enough, they may have detected mysterious dark matter at work, too.The glimpse consisted of a faint radio signal from deep space, picked up by an antenna that is slightly bigger than a refrigerator and costs less than $5 million but in certain ways can go back much farther in time and [...]

California leaders target US push to end climate change plan

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " California officials on Wednesday planned to vociferously oppose an effort by President Donald Trump's administration to scrap an Obama-era policy that slashes climate-changing emissions from coal-fired power plants.The heads or top deputies of seven state energy and environmental agencies, including California's electrical grid operator, were set to testify at a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hearing that ending the policy ignores science and will endanger [...]

Police: Man stole officer's car, used credit cards for food

WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) " Connecticut police say a man stole a rookie officer's car and used his credit cards buy food at a Taco Bell and shop at Walmart.The Republican-American reports 21-year-old Waterbury resident Derrick Johnson was charged Tuesday with multiple offenses, including burglary, second-degree larceny and identity theft.Police say Johnson stole the car from a Waterbury parking garage on Jan. 23, the night of the officer's police academy graduation. Investigators [...]

Report: Russian group hacked Germany's government network

BERLIN (AP) " A Russian-backed hacker group known for many high-level cyber attacks was able to infiltrate the German government's secure computer networks, the dpa news agency reported Wednesday.Dpa cited unidentified security sources saying the group APT28 hacked into Germany's foreign and defense ministries and managed to steal data.The attack was noticed in December and may have lasted a year, dpa reported.The Interior Ministry said in a statement that "within the [...]

Trump attacks Sessions over Russian probe methods

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on his attorney general Wednesday, describing as "disgraceful" his handling of Republican complaints that the FBI abused its surveillance power during the early stages of the Russia probe.Jeff Sessions said Tuesday that the Justice Department's inspector general will evaluate whether prosecutors and agents wrongly obtained a warrant to monitor the communications of a Trump associate. This is in response to pressure from [...]

Mennonite investigator who won't testify goes back to jail

DENVER (AP) " A defense investigator in a Colorado death penalty case remained behind bars after refusing again on Wednesday to testify for prosecutors, saying that helping their effort to execute a defendant would violate her religious beliefs.Greta Lindecrantz, a Mennonite who opposes capital punishment, faced a third night in jail and possibly more after telling Judge Michelle Amico that her position hasn't changed."I feel like I'm having to choose between you and God," [...]

Worshippers clutching AR-15 rifles hold commitment ceremony

NEWFOUNDLAND, Pa. (AP) " Worshippers clutching AR-15 rifles drank holy wine and exchanged wedding vows in a commitment ceremony at a Pennsylvania-based church.The event Wednesday morning at the World Peace and Unification Sanctuary led a nearby school to cancel classes.The Rev. Sean Moon leads the church. He said in a prayer that God gave people the right to bear arms. Moon is the son of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, a self-proclaimed messiah who founded the Unification Church, [...]

Graham praised by Trump, politicians as 'America's pastor'

WASHINGTON (AP) " He felt stung by the politics that helped define his life " and resolved to keep a distance. But in death, the Rev. Billy Graham on Wednesday received a rare tribute from the nation's top political leaders under the Capitol Rotunda."Here lies America's pastor," said House Speaker Paul Ryan, gesturing to Graham's casket under the eye of the dome, surrounded by family, friends, lawmakers and a ring of paintings of the nation's founders. "He ministered to all walks, [...]

Report: Russian group hacked German government network

BERLIN (AP) " Germany's dpa news agency reports that a Russian-backed hacker group has infiltrated the German government's secure computer networks.Dpa cited unidentified security sources saying the group APT28 hacked into Germany's Foreign and Defense Ministries, and that it managed to steal data.It reported Wednesday that the attack was noticed in December and may have lasted a year.Officials at Germany's domestic intelligence agency, which is tasked with fending off [...]

Manafort pleads not guilty to new Russia charges

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman is maintaining his innocence as he faces charges he acted as an unregistered foreign agent and directed an international money-laundering conspiracy.Paul Manafort's formal plea of not guilty came Wednesday during a brief hearing in Washington.It was his first court appearance since his co-defendant and longtime business associate, Rick Gates, pleaded guilty and cooperated with prosecutors.During the [...]

The Latest: Democrats push Trump on gun background checks

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on President Donald Trump, Congress and guns (all times local):10:15 a.m.Senate Democrats want President Donald Trump to follow through on his push for "comprehensive background checks" for gun buyers. And they're pressing him to endorse legislation that would extend the pre-purchase checks at least to online and gun show sales.They're making their case in a letter to Trump before the president hosts a meeting with a bipartisan group of [...]

Ford and Miami to form test bed for self-driving cars

DETROIT (AP) " Ford Motor Co. is making Miami-Dade County its new test bed for self-driving vehicles.The automaker and its partners " Domino's Pizza, ride-hailing company Lyft and delivery company Postmates " are starting pilot programs to see how consumers react to autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles. Self-driving startup and Ford partner Argo AI already has a fleet of cars in the area making the highly detailed maps that are necessary for self-driving. Ford also will establish [...]

Interior Department veterans question need for overhaul

DENVER (AP) " U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's plan for a major realignment to put more of his department's decision-makers in the field has a fundamental flaw, in the eyes of some who spent their careers making those decisions: They're already out there.Eleven former Interior Department officials with decades of experience in both Washington and in local offices told The Associated Press the agency already has a well-established system for decentralized decision-making. [...]

Suspects on the run scale fence, land in police lot, custody

PHOENIX (AP) " Two shoplifting suspects running from police scaled a fence to get away from officers and landed in a secure parking lot of a police station " and in custody.Officials tell KTAR-TV (http://bit.ly/2t585vf ) that officers were called to a gas station for possible shoplifting at 6 p.m. Friday. Authorities say as officers arrived, the suspects, 28-year-old Marwan Al Ebadi and 29-year-old Salma Hourieh, took off running. [...]

Trump: Calif wall section not built until 'whole wall' OK'd

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump is hailing a legal victory for his promised border wall, but says sections in California will not built "until the whole Wall is approved."Trump tweeted Wednesday: "I have decided that sections of the Wall that California wants built NOW will not be built until the whole Wall is approved. Big victory yesterday with ruling from the courts that allows us to proceed. OUR COUNTRY MUST HAVE BORDER SECURITY!"The White House did not immediately [...]

Man charged with eluding police in stolen U-Haul _ again

STANDISH, Maine (AP) " A Maine man has been arrested for the second time in a year on charges he led police on a chase in a stolen U-Haul truck.The Portland Press Herald reports a Cumberland County Sheriff's deputy tried to stop a U-Haul driven at high speeds by 41-year-old William Wyman in Standish Sunday night. Police say Wyman and the stolen truck were later found.Authorities say the Portland man had minor injuries and the vehicle sustained minor damage.Wyman faces [...]

Complaint: HUD employee demoted over office makeover request

WASHINGTON (AP) " A Department of Housing and Urban Development employee says she was demoted after she refused to comply with a request from the acting agency head that she "find money" for a costly remodeling of future HUD Secretary Ben Carson's office.A HUD document shows the agency spending $31,561 on a dining set.In response, HUD says only blinds were purchased for Carson's office and were within a $5,000 limit. The agency says the dining set was considered "a building [...]

Hicks acknowledges 'white lies' for Trump, but not on Russia

WASHINGTON (AP) " White House communications director Hope Hicks acknowledged to a House intelligence panel that she has occasionally told "white lies" for President Donald Trump but has not lied about anything relevant to the Russia investigation, according to those present for Hicks' closed-door testimony.Hicks was interviewed for nine hours Tuesday by the panel investigating Russia interference in the 2016 election and contact between Trump's campaign and Russia. One of Trump's [...]

Florida students return to 'picture of education in fear'

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) " About 50 uniformed officers marched into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School early Wednesday, just one aspect of the heavy security as classes resumed for the first time since 17 students and teachers were killed by a troubled teenager with an AR-15, thrusting them into the center of the nation's gun debate.The heavily armed police presence, designed to make the community feel secure, is also disturbing in itself, some students said."This is a picture of [...]

Graham, wary of politics in life, gets Capitol salute

WASHINGTON (AP) " He felt stung by the politics that helped define his life " and resolved to keep a distance. But in death, the Rev. Billy Graham is getting a rare tribute from the nation's top political leaders under Capitol Rotunda.President Donald Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are expected Wednesday to remember "America's pastor," who died a week earlier at age 99. Some 30 family members will accompany Graham's casket to Washington, [...]

White House downgrades Kushner's security clearance

WASHINGTON (AP) " The security clearance of White House senior adviser and presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner has been downgraded, significantly reducing his access to classified information, according to two people informed of the decision.Kushner had been operating with an interim clearance at the "top secret/sensitive compartmented information" level for more than a year. Now he is authorized to access information only at the lower "secret" level, according to a White House [...]

Hicks declines to answer panel's questions about White House

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump's longtime aide Hope Hicks declined to answer questions about her time in the White House during a nine-hour, closed-door interview with the House intelligence committee, saying she was advised not to.The panel is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and any contacts between Trump's campaign and Russia. As one of Trump's closest aides, Hicks is a key eyewitness to his actions over the past several years. She was his [...]

Cracking the mysteries of the elusive, majestic whale shark

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, Ecuador (AP) " Scientists have spent time diving with whale sharks in the Galapagos Islands to help solve some of the most enduring mysteries about the biggest shark in the sea.Despite typically being bigger than a double-decker bus, the elusive whale shark has only tiny, almost useless teeth. It's also one of the least understood animals in the oceans.Last year scientists tried some never-before used techniques on the species in the wild: taking blood [...]

Mennonite investigator jailed after refusing to testify

DENVER (AP) " A defense investigator in a Colorado death penalty case is behind bars after refusing to testify for prosecutors, saying that helping their effort to execute a defendant would violate her religious beliefs.A judge ordered the jailing of Greta Lindecrantz, a Mennonite who opposes capital punishment, on Monday after she repeatedly refused to answer questions about her work on the defense team of Robert Ray, one of three men on Colorado's death row.Lindecrantz, [...]

California leaders to protest scrapping of Clean Power Plan

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " California's top energy and environment officials were expected Wednesday to vociferously oppose a Trump administration effort to scrap an Obama-era policy aimed at fighting climate change by slashing emissions from coal-fired power plants.The heads or top deputies of seven agencies, including the state's electrical grid operator, planned to testify at a federal Environmental Protection Agency hearing that repealing the policy ignores science and will endanger [...]

Despite legal victory, Trump needs money for border wall

SAN DIEGO (AP) " President Donald Trump has won a judge's permission to build a border wall with Mexico. Now he just needs the money.A judge who was taunted by Trump during the presidential campaign sided on Tuesday with the president on a challenge to building the wall. U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel rejected arguments by the state of California and advocacy groups that the administration overreached by waiving laws requiring environmental and other reviews before construction [...]

GOP winner of Arizona primary expected to win US House seat

PHOENIX (AP) " The Republican victor of a special primary election is the immediate favorite to win the U.S. House seat vacated by former Rep. Trent Franks.Former state Sen. Debbie Lesko pulled out a decisive victory Tuesday. She will face Democratic nominee Hiral Tipirneni, a political newcomer, in an April 24 special election to represent the heavily Republican western Phoenix suburbs.The winner will replace Franks, who resigned under pressure from House Speaker Paul Ryan in [...]

Graham, wary of politics in life, gets rare Capitol salute

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Rev. Billy Graham is getting a rare tribute by the nation's political leaders under the Capitol Rotunda in Washington.The North Carolina minister, called "America's pastor" by some, is lying in honor Wednesday and Thursday in Washington, where he counseled presidents and others over more than 60 years. President Donald Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell are among those attending.Graham met every president back to [...]

Supreme Court hearing Minnesota polling place apparel case

WASHINGTON (AP) " A Minnesota law that bars residents from wearing political clothing at the polls is being debated at the Supreme Court.The law covers a range of apparel from Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" hats to Democratic Party T-shirts and union buttons. Opponents say the law is overly broad. But Minnesota has defended it as a reasonable restriction that keeps order at polling places and prevents voter intimidation.Other states have similar laws, so the case [...]

Echo of Obamacare: Dems divided over vow to repeal tax law

WASHINGTON (AP) " From New Mexico to New York, many Democrats are calling for the repeal of the Republican tax plan that President Donald Trump signed into law just two months ago.They're betting big that the message will resonate with voters in the midterm elections in November and provide the sort of clear, populist economic message some Democrats worry has been missing.But some, including red-state Democrats, are clearly queasy about the strategy, mindful that repealing a [...]

Trump campaign chief lends name to penny stock tied to felon

WASHINGTON (AP) " The political strategist and online guru who was named President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign manager Tuesday has a close financial relationship with a penny-stock firm with a questionable history that includes longstanding ties to a convicted fraudster, according to an Associated Press investigation.Brad Parscale, who played a key role in Trump's 2016 election victory, signed a $10 million deal in August to sell his digital marketing company to CloudCommerce Inc. As [...]

Milkman accused of sneaking drugs, phones into Ohio prison

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) " A longtime milkman delivered more than what the labels on his packages promised, smuggling marijuana, tobacco and cellphones into an Ohio prison hidden inside milk cartons, a prosecutor said.Ray Adams was in contact with an inmate at Lebanon Correctional Facility who facilitated the deliveries and set up payments, according to Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell.Adams, an employee of Martins Ferry-based United Dairy Inc., made thousands of dollars [...]

Pennsylvania-based church to host ceremony featuring AR-15s

NEWFOUNDLAND, Pa. (AP) " A Pennsylvania-based religious group is scheduled to host a blessing ceremony for couples that will feature their AR-15 rifles.World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Newfoundland believes the AR-15 symbolizes the "rod of iron" in the biblical book of Revelation, and it is encouraging couples to bring the weapons to a commitment ceremony Wednesday morning. The AR-15 is the gun used in the Florida high school massacre.The service is expected to draw [...]

Students wary, hopeful, on return to site of school shooting

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) " The walkway leading onto the campus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is lined with flowers and photographs, memorials to the 17 students and teachers killed in a Valentine's Day massacre that forever altered their lives and thrust them into the center of the nation's gun debate.Alexis Grogan, a 15-year-old sophomore, planned to wear a Stoneman Douglas color " maroon " on the first day back to class Wednesday, plus sneakers that say "MSD Strong, be positive, [...]

3 space station astronauts return to Earth

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) " Three astronauts returned from the International Space Station to the snowy, bitingly cold flat lands of Central Asia, ending a 5 1/2-month mission highlighted by robotic renovations, schoolteacher pep talks and heavenly greetings from Pope Francis.The two Americans and one Russian landed in a Soyuz capsule shortly after sunrise Wednesday, local time, in Kazakhstan, where the temperature was below freezing. Flight controllers feared snow and freezing rain [...]

Trump campaign chief lends name to penny stock tied to felon

WASHINGTON (AP) " The political strategist and online guru who was named President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign manager Tuesday has a close financial relationship with a penny-stock firm with a questionable history that includes longstanding ties to a convicted fraudster, according to an Associated Press investigation.Brad Parscale, who played a key role in Trump's 2016 election victory, signed a $10 million deal in August to sell his digital marketing company to CloudCommerce Inc. As [...]

Suit: Colorado sheriff's policy violates immigrant rights

DENVER (AP) " A Colorado sheriff's department is improperly holding people suspected of being in the country illegally on behalf of federal authorities, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by the Colorado American Civil Liberties Union.The complaint in Colorado District Court alleges that El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder "holds prisoners in custody for days, weeks and even months after state law requires their release."After inmates suspected of being in the country illegally [...]

Complaint: HUD employee demoted over office makeover request

WASHINGTON (AP) " When the acting head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development asked an agency official to "find money" to pay for a costly makeover of incoming Secretary Ben Carson's office, she recoiled, telling him $5,000 was the statutory max. But that wasn't the end of the conversation, according to a complaint alleging retaliation filed with a federal whistleblower agency.Helen Foster, HUD's former chief administrative officer, wrote in the complaint that she was told [...]

Site says YouTube dinged it for slamming shooting survivors

Infowars, a conspiracy website that suggested survivors of the Florida school shooting were coached on their pleas for gun control, said its video account was temporarily frozen by YouTube.The suspension for harassment and bullying was subsequently lifted, the site said. YouTube, which is owned by Google, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.Infowars said Tuesday it had multiple videos removed from YouTube, including one in which host Owen Shroyer alleged that [...]

Use of private firm for Greitens investigation questioned

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) " The St. Louis prosecutor's office said Tuesday that it has hired a Michigan firm to aid its investigation into Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens to try to ensure that the probe remains independent.Documents filed in court show that St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner hired Enterra LLC of Rochester Hills, Michigan, to help with an investigation of the Republican governor that was prompted by his recent acknowledgment of an extramarital affair in 2015.A [...]

Trolling, DC-style: Russian Embassy gets a new street name

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Russian Embassy in Washington has a new address, at least symbolically.A one-block section of Wisconsin Avenue directly in front of the embassy was officially renamed Boris Nemtsov Plaza on Tuesday, in what amounts to a D.C.-sponsored effort to troll the Russian government.A former deputy prime minister, Nemtsov became an opposition activist and vocal public critic of President Vladimir Putin. He was shot dead while walking on a bridge near the Kremlin [...]

Hope Hicks declines to answer some questions in Russia probe

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump's longtime aide Hope Hicks declined to answer questions about her time in the White House during a nine-hour, closed-door interview with the House intelligence committee Tuesday, saying she was advised not to.The panel is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and any contacts between Trump's campaign and Russia. As one of Trump's closest aides, Hicks is a key eyewitness to his actions over the past several years. She was his [...]

Top intel official: US must do more to stop Russian meddling

WASHINGTON (AP) " The U.S. response to Russian meddling and disinformation campaigns has not been strong enough to deter Moscow's activities, a top intelligence official said Tuesday.Adm. Mike Rogers, director of both the U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency, said he's taken steps to respond to the threat, but that neither President Donald Trump nor Defense Secretary James Mattis has granted him any additional authorities to counter Russian efforts to sow discord in the [...]

Police called after brawl in dispute over Trump Panama hotel

PANAMA CITY (AP) " Rival teams of security guards grappled in a stairwell Tuesday as a business dispute for control over the Trump luxury hotel in Panama mounted.Cellphone video of the confrontation obtained by The Associated Press showed a security official working for President Donald Trump's family hotel business screaming "Out!" in Spanish as condo owners attempted to enter a room filled with computer equipment.Men in suits wrestled in a stairway before a large man aligned [...]

Striking West Virginia teachers to return to class Thursday

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) " Striking teachers in West Virginia are to return to the classroom on Thursday, Gov. Jim Justice said in announcing he is offering teachers and school service personnel a revised 5 percent pay raise in the first year to end their statewide walkout.Justice made the announcement at a news conference Tuesday after emerging from a meeting with union leaders for teachers in all 55 counties. Teachers walked off the job last Thursday, their first statewide strike [...]

Car vandalism culprit? Evidence points to unidentified bear

SONTAG, Miss. (AP) " Stealing a picnic basket is one thing. Mauling a car is quite another.A Mississippi wildlife department biologist says a bear attacked a woman's car Friday in the Sontag community about 60 miles south of Jackson.Jamie Holt tells the Jackson Clarion-Ledger there were tooth and claw marks consistent with a bear on the front wheel wells and hood. There was headlight damage, and the front license tag holder was ripped off. There was also a muddy bear track [...]

Suspicious mail triggers illness at Virginia military base

WASHINGTON (AP) " Three people at a northern Virginia military base have been transported to a medical facility and are in stable condition after a suspicious piece of mail was opened and nearly a dozen people felt ill.A spokeswoman for Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall says people in the office on the Marine Corps side of the base said that as soon as the mail was opened they began feeling poorly and complaining of sore throats.Leah Rubalcaba says 11 people were initially [...]

YouTube dings InfoWars for slamming shooting survivors

InfoWars, a website that suggested survivors of the Florida school shooting were coached on their pleas for gun control, says its video account was temporarily frozen by YouTube.The suspension for harassment and bullying was subsequently lifted. YouTube, which is owned by Google, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.InfoWars says it had multiple videos removed from YouTube, including one in which host Owen Shroyer alleges that Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School [...]

Manafort's case saddled by side issues, disputes with judge

WASHINGTON (AP) " U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson was not amused.A lawyer for Paul Manafort, the former campaign chairman for President Donald Trump, was trying to justify the multimillion-dollar value of his client's home as part of a bail package. Rather than producing tax assessment or property records, the lawyer submitted to the judge a printout from Zillow, the online real estate website."Zillow is actually considered to be pretty accurate, Your Honor," said Kevin [...]

In free speech case, justices troubled by Fla. man's arrest

WASHINGTON (AP) " A Florida man arrested during a city council meeting " for what he says was retaliation for being an outspoken critic of the city " seemed to find a sympathetic ear from Supreme Court justices during arguments over his case.The justices heard arguments Tuesday in a case brought by Fane Lozman over his arrest at a 2006 city council meeting in Riviera Beach, Florida. Lozman was arrested after he began using the meeting's public comment time to talk about government [...]

Amazon to buy Ring, maker of Wi-Fi--connected doorbells

NEW YORK (AP) " Amazon is expanding its home-security business by buying Ring, which makes Wi-Fi-connected cameras and doorbells.The deal comes months after the online retailer started selling its own Wi-Fi-connected indoor security cameras, which work with its voice-assistant Alexa. The Ring acquisition helps Amazon better compete with Google's Nest, which also makes cameras and doorbells.Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. declined to say how much it was paying for Ring or when the [...]

Mobster linked to art heist sentenced in gun case

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) " A mobster who authorities believe is the last surviving person of interest in the largest art heist in history has been sentenced to 4 ½ years in prison in an unrelated weapons case.Robert Gentile, 81, was sentenced Tuesday in federal court in Hartford, Connecticut. He was given credit for time already served, and is expected to spend about 11 more months behind bars.Federal prosecutors have said they believe Gentile has information about the still- [...]

US considers protected status for wild spring Chinook

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Federal fisheries officials said Tuesday they will consider putting the Pacific Northwest's once-flourishing wild spring-run Chinook salmon on the list of threatened or endangered species.The National Marine Fisheries Services plans a 12-month review on whether to give protected status to the salmon in and around the Klamath River.Spring Chinook, historically the first Chinook salmon to return from the ocean each winter, were once one of the most abundant [...]

Shooting survivor's father admits email changes in CNN spat

Last week's televised town hall on guns and school safety has led to finger-pointing by the father of a Florida school shooting survivor and CNN.The network says Glenn Haab, the father of Marjory Stoneman Douglas junior Colton Haab, doctored emails to push a claim that the network told his son what to say at the forum. Colton Haab backed out of the Feb. 21 event.CNN denies scripting any remarks and released an email exchange between a CNN producer and Glenn Haab that it says [...]

Police: Parents beat girl daily, tried to cover up death

STOCKTON SPRINGS, Maine (AP) " Investigators say a mother and stepfather beat a 10-year-old girl daily and staged a scene in their home to make it appear that her death was an accident.An autopsy indicates Marrissa Kennedy was a victim of battered child syndrome whose injuries including bleeding on the brain and a lacerated liver.A state police affidavit indicates 33-year-old Sharon Carrillo and 51-year-old Julio Carrillo took turns beating her, once breaking a mop handle on [...]

US general: Russia is both 'arsonist and fireman' in Syria

WASHINGTON (AP) " Russia is seeking to counter U.S. diplomatic influence by stoking conflict in Syria even as it portrays itself as an arbiter in the civil war, the top American general in the Middle East said Tuesday in notably pointed criticism of Moscow."I'm being very serious when I say they play the role of both arsonist and fireman " fueling tensions and then trying to resolve them in their favor," Army Gen. Joseph Votel told the House Armed Services Committee. He said Moscow is [...]

Ex-presidents, friends, family pay respects to Billy Graham

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) " Former President Bill Clinton first saw the late Rev. Billy Graham as a boy when a Sunday School teacher brought him to a football stadium for a crusade.More than 30 years later, Clinton would join 10 other presidents who were ministered personally by the "Pastor to Presidents." As Clinton paid his respects to Graham on Tuesday, one thing stuck out in his mind about those one-on-one White House chats."In that little room, he was the same person I saw when [...]

The Latest: McConnell says Senate gun bill not a 'panacea'

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on President Trump, Congress and guns (all times local):3:15 p.m.Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says a firearms background check bill moving forward in the Senate is not a "panacea" to gun violence, but a step Congress could take after the Florida high school shooting.McConnell says Congress should focus on areas of bipartisan agreement to "at least show some progress."The proposal would strengthen the existing National Instant [...]

White House: Talks to continue on renewable fuel standard

WASHINGTON (AP) " The White House says talks will continue on a dispute over the future of the renewable fuel standard, which has pitted lawmakers from corn-producing states against those representing refineries.White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says President Donald Trump had a productive meeting Tuesday with four Republican senators: Ted Cruz of Texas, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Charles Grassley and Joni Ernst of Iowa.The White House says Trump has made clear [...]

Top candidates battle charges in Arizona's US House race

PHOENIX (AP) " Allegations of impropriety against the top candidates were on voters' minds as the last ballots were being cast in Tuesday's Republican primary to replace a U.S. congressman from Arizona who quit amid charges of sexual misconduct last year.Arizona relies heavily on mail-ballots and they were completed before the sex-related and campaign funding revelations surfaced. So it was unclear just how much of an impact the early voting would have on the contest wrapping up to [...]

Astronauts aim for icy homecoming after months in space

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) " Three astronauts face a bitterly cold homecoming after nearly six months aboard the International Space Station.The two Americans and one Russian entered their attached Soyuz capsule Tuesday for the ride back to Earth. They're aiming for a touchdown Wednesday morning local time in Kazakhstan. Snow and freezing rain are complicating the travel of recovery crews.Joe Acaba, Mark Vande Hei (VAN-duh-HI) and Alexander Misurkin flew to the orbiting lab last [...]

Justices look at how older law applies to internet cloud

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court on Tuesday explored what happens when a decades-old law meets 21st century technology.The justices heard arguments in a dispute between the Trump administration and Microsoft Corp. over a warrant for emails stored in the internet cloud outside the United States.The Drug Enforcement Administration wanted the emails as part of a drug trafficking investigation. The agency obtained a warrant under a 1986 law, but Microsoft refused to turn over [...]

Embattled Shulkin says he's focusing on improving vets care

WASHINGTON (AP) " Seeking to put a blistering travel controversy behind him, embattled Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said Tuesday he is focused on expanding medical care for veterans, even as he hints that rebellious VA staff remaining opposed to him may soon leave the department.Speaking to reporters at an American Legion event, Shulkin said he had delivered a clear message to department employees that he was in charge and that bad behavior wouldn't be tolerated. Recent [...]

Challenge to Murdoch: US giant Comcast also bids for Sky

LONDON (AP) " Comcast, the owner of NBC and Universal Pictures, has launched a bid for European pay TV broadcaster Sky that threatens to thwart a rival offer by media mogul Rupert Murdoch' 21st Century Fox.The move appears not only opportunistic but aimed at disrupting the European expansion of arch-rival Disney, which is currently looking to take over Fox.Comcast said Tuesday it is offering 22.1 billion pounds ($29.5 billion) for London-based Sky. The proposed cash deal values [...]

Guns in schools? 2 Columbine survivors are split on issue

DENVER (AP) " Patrick Neville was outside, sneaking off to smoke with friends, and avoided the outburst of gunfire at Columbine High School nearly two decades ago, but he did not dodge the heartbreak. A close friend died, and the anguish in his father's eyes is seared in Neville's memory.Samantha Haviland was fundraising in the cafeteria and froze, uncomprehending, at the sound of screams just outside the window. Trance-like, she and others fled the room, then pressed against a wall [...]

Top intel official says US hasn't deterred Russian meddling

WASHINGTON (AP) " The U.S. response to Russian meddling and disinformation campaigns has not been strong enough to deter Moscow's activities, a top intelligence official said Tuesday."I believe that President (Vladimir) Putin has clearly come to the conclusion that there's little price to pay and that therefore, 'I can continue this activity,'" Adm. Mike Rogers told Congress. "Clearly what we have done hasn't been enough."Rogers, director of both the U.S. Cyber Command and the [...]

US judge blocks weed-killer warning label in California

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " A federal judge has blocked California from requiring that the popular weed-killer Roundup carry warning labels that it is known to cause cancer.U.S. District Judge William Shubb in Sacramento said in a ruling Monday that the warning is false and misleading because almost all regulators have concluded there is insufficient evidence that Roundup's main ingredient, glyphosate, causes cancer.Shubb issued a preliminary injunction against the requirement. His [...]

Justices seem ready to rule against Microsoft in email case

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court appeared ready Tuesday to allow the government to force American technology companies to hand over emails and other digital information sought in criminal probes but stored in the internet cloud outside the U.S.The justices heard arguments in a dispute between the Trump administration and Microsoft Corp. over a warrant for emails that were sought as part of a drug trafficking investigation. Microsoft refused to turn over the emails because they are [...]

Man with red sauce on face charged with meatball theft

HAZLE TOWNSHIP, Pa. (AP) " Police say a damning clue led to the arrest of a Pennsylvania man charged with stealing a pot of meatballs " red sauce smeared on his face and clothes.Authorities in Luzerne County have charged 48-year-old Leahman Glenn Robert Potter with burglary, criminal trespass and theft by unlawful taking for allegedly swiping a pot of meatballs from a man's garage on Monday.Police say the victim reported his meatballs missing and told officers at around 2:30 p. [...]

Trump hasn't ordered Russian meddling stopped at source

WASHINGTON (AP) " A top intelligence official says President Donald Trump has not ordered the U.S. Cyber Command to disrupt Russian cyber threats where they originate.Director Mike Rogers, who directs both the cyber command and the National Security Agency, told lawmakers on Tuesday that the president or defense secretary would need to give him the authority to disrupt the threats at their source.Rogers told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that that's not to say [...]

Trump names campaign manager for re-election bid

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump has named former digital adviser Brad Parscale as campaign manager of his 2020 re-election campaign.In a statement, the Trump campaign said Parscale will lead "advanced planning" for the 2020 effort, and that the campaign will also be engaged in the 2018 midterm elections " which are shaping up to be a challenging environment for Republicans.Trump has left little doubt about his intentions to seek re-election. He filed the paperwork to [...]

US envoy on NKorea exits as window for talks may be opening

WASHINGTON (AP) " Joseph Yun, the 30-year veteran of the U.S. foreign service who retained quiet contacts with North Korea amid the Trump administration's turbulent first year, is retiring as Washington and Pyongyang step up considerations for formal diplomatic talks.Yun told The Associated Press he will stand down as special representative for North Korean policy on Friday. He said his decision to retire is entirely his own but it comes at a surprising juncture, just as American ally [...]

The Latest: Bill Clinton pays his respects to Billy Graham

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) " The Latest on mourning for the Rev. Billy Graham (all times local):11:50 a.m.Former U.S. President Bill Clinton is paying his respects to the late Rev. Billy Graham.Clinton arrived in Charlotte on Tuesday and was escorted into Graham's boyhood home where his casket sits. Clinton spoke with Graham's son Franklin for several minutes.Clinton is the second former president to visit Charlotte to pay his respects. George W. Bush visited Graham's [...]

Ford and Miami to form test bed for self-driving cars

DETROIT (AP) " Ford Motor Co. is making Miami-Dade County its new test bed for self-driving vehicles.The automaker and its partners " Domino's Pizza, ride-hailing company Lyft and delivery company Postmates " are starting pilot programs to see how consumers react to autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles. Self-driving startup and Ford partner Argo AI already has a fleet of cars in the area making the highly detailed maps that are necessary for self-driving. Ford also will establish [...]

Columbine principal's advice is sought after Fla. shooting

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) " After school shootings like the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, administrators reach out to former Columbine High principal Frank DeAngelis for advice, since there is no book to teach what he learned after gunmen killed 12 of his students and a teacher in 1999.There should be no balloons at Stoneman Douglas' welcome-back ceremony, he told the school's administrator. The reason: Some balloons popped at Columbine's reopening, sending students diving for [...]

High court: Detained immigrants not entitled to bond hearing

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court says immigrants the government has detained and is considering deporting aren't entitled by law to a bond hearing after six months in detention and then every six months if they're still being held.The justices on Tuesday overturned a decision of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which had said the immigrants were entitled to bond hearings.Immigrants who've spent long periods in custody had brought the class-action lawsuit. The group [...]

Trump reaches deal with Boeing on new presidential planes

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump has reached an informal deal with Boeing to provide the next generation presidential aircraft.Deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley says the $3.9 billion "fixed price contract" for the new planes, known as Air Force One when the president is on board, "will save the taxpayers more than $1.4 Billion."Boeing, in a statement, said it is 'is proud to build the next generation of Air Force One." The company added: "President Trump negotiated a [...]

US cites setbacks to democracy in curtailing aid to Cambodia

WASHINGTON (AP) " The U.S. says it will suspend or curtail several aid programs to Cambodia, citing setbacks to democracy in the southeast Asian nation.White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says that after a review conducted after Cambodia's Senate elections, the U.S. will suspend or curtail several Treasury, international development and military assistance programs that support Cambodia's tax department, local governments and the Cambodia military.Sanders says [...]

First lady cuts ties with adviser paid $26M for inaugural

WASHINGTON (AP) " Melania Trump has cut ties with an adviser whose firm was paid $26 million to help plan the president's inauguration.Mrs. Trump's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, confirms Tuesday that the first lady's office has "severed the gratuitous services contract" it had with Stephanie Winston Wolkoff.Winston Wolkoff is a New York-based event planner and longtime friend of the first lady. She'd been working as an unpaid White House adviser to Mrs. Trump.The New [...]

US envoy on North Korea policy is retiring

WASHINGTON (AP) " The senior U.S. diplomat who has retained back-channel contacts with North Korea amid high tension over the pariah nation's nuclear program is retiring.The State Department says Joseph Yun, a 30-year veteran of the U.S. foreign service, has decided to retire for personal reasons. Spokeswoman Heather Nauert says Secretary of State Rex Tillerson "has reluctantly accepted his decision and wished him ?well."Yun's retirement comes amid continuing tensions but also [...]

Sex, campaign scandals circle US House race in Arizona

PHOENIX (AP) " Allegations against the top candidates have captured much of the attention in the Republican primary to replace a U.S. congressman from Arizona who quit amid charges of sexual misconduct last year.But Arizona relies heavily on mail-ballots and they were completed before the sex-related and campaign funding revelations surfaced. So it's unknown just how much of an impact they will have on Tuesday's special contest to replace former Rep. Trent Franks in the 8th [...]

Less is more as companies explore shopping by voice

NEW YORK (AP) " When the world shifted from personal computers to smartphones, websites had to slim down to work on smaller screens and slower wireless connections. A similar shift to voice-centric services is again forcing businesses to rethink how they present information to consumers " and spurring new efforts to help them do so.The software company Adobe, for instance, announced on Tuesday a new suite of tools that could help airlines, retailers and other companies create simple [...]

German appeals court says Google doesn't have to check links

BERLIN (AP) " A top German appeals court has ruled Google does not have to check the content of pages it links to for possible legal violations before providing search results.The dpa news agency reported the Federal Court of Justice ruled Tuesday that Google does, however, have to react when "concrete evidence" of violations of law, such as child pornography or acts of violence, are reported.The court upheld a lower ruling in a case brought by a couple who argued Google should [...]

Hope Hicks to appear before House panel in Russia probe

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump's longtime aide Hope Hicks is scheduled to meet with the House intelligence committee Tuesday for a closed-door interview as part of the panel's Russia investigation.That's according to a person familiar with the panel's investigation, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the person wasn't authorized to speak publicly.Hicks is a key eyewitness to Trump's actions over the past several years. She was his [...]

Double couples: 2 sets of identical twins to marry

GREEN BAY, Va. (AP) " A set of identical twin sisters will fulfill their dream when they marry a set of identical twin brothers in a joint wedding this summer.The Lynchburg News & Advance reports Jeremy and Josh Salyers proposed to Briana and Brittany Deane on Feb. 2 at Virginia's aptly named Twin Lakes State Park. The engagements came six months after the pairs met at the Twin Days Festival, which bills itself as the world's largest annual gathering of twins and other multiples, in [...]

Administration pressed to expand mental health treatment

WASHINGTON (AP) " Amid the outcry over the Florida school shootings, the Trump administration says it is "actively exploring" ways to help states expand inpatient mental health treatment using Medicaid funds.President Donald Trump again brought up the issue of mental hospitals in a meeting with governors on Monday, invoking a time when states maintained facilities for mentally ill and developmentally disabled people."In the old days, you would put him into a mental institution, [...]

Trump urges lawmakers to buck NRA every once in a while

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump declared he's willing to take on the National Rifle Association over gun legislation, but Republicans who control Congress aren't so sure. They prefer to consider only modest changes to firearms limits in response to the mass shooting at a Florida high school.Congress returned to work Monday without following Trump's lead on any of the major initiatives he has tossed into the debate since the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. [...]

Missouri House forms panel to investigate Gov. Greitens

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) " The Missouri House formed a special panel of seven lawmakers on Monday to investigate Gov. Eric Greitens following an invasion-of-privacy charge alleging he took a nonconsensual photo of a woman in a compromising position.The committee, which will have subpoena powers, will determine whether to initiate impeachment proceedings against the Republican governor to try to remove him from office. Its work will be separate from the criminal proceedings in St. [...]

Q&A: West Virginia sees rare statewide teacher walkout

West Virginia's teachers are refusing to go to school for a fourth day Tuesday in protest of pay that is among the lowest in the nation.Such statewide strikes are unusual but not unprecedented " West Virginia teachers last walked out in 1990. Most teacher labor disputes start and end at the district level, where teacher salaries are more typically set. The strike in West Virginia has closed schools in all 55 counties.As the state's labor unions and lawmakers hash out their [...]

Student protests resonate with Columbine shooting survivors

DENVER (AP) " Patrick Neville was outside, sneaking off to smoke with friends, and avoided the outburst of gunfire at Columbine High School nearly two decades ago, but he did not dodge the heartbreak. A close friend died, and the anguish in his father's eyes is seared in Neville's memory.Samantha Haviland was fundraising in the cafeteria and froze, uncomprehending, at the sound of screams just outside the window. Trance-like, she and others fled the room, then pressed against a wall [...]

Sex, campaign funding scandals dog US House race in Arizona

PHOENIX (AP) " Sex-related and campaign funding allegations involving several top candidates have captured much of the attention in the Republican primary to replace a U.S. congressman from Arizona who quit amid charges of sexual misconduct last year.Because the state relies heavily on mail-in ballots completed before the revelations against two of the lead contenders surfaced, it's unknown how much of an impact they will have on Tuesday's special contest to replace Rep. Trent Franks [...]

Supreme Court declines to decide fate of 'Dreamers' just yet

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the Trump administration's highly unusual bid to bypass a federal appeals court and get the justices to intervene in the fate of a program that protects hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation.The announcement means the case affecting "Dreamers" will have to work its way through the lower courts before any Supreme Court ruling is possible. The case could also become moot if Congress takes action in the meantime. [...]

Closing arguments set in trial of ex-aide to Gov. Cuomo

NEW YORK (AP) " Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Tuesday in the bribery trial of a former top aide to Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo.Defense lawyers presented witnesses over three days to refute a month of evidence from prosecutors aimed at convincing jurors in Manhattan federal court that Joseph Percoco accepted more than $300,000 in bribes from three businessmen to treat them favorably.Lawyers for the 48-year-old Percoco and the businessmen have maintained that they [...]

The Latest: High court won't decide immigrants' fate for now

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on the Supreme Court's refusal to intervene, for now, in the fate of a program protecting young immigrants from deportation (all times local):6:30 p.m.The Supreme Court has rejected the Trump administration's highly unusual bid to bypass a federal appeals court and get the justices to intervene in the fate of a program that protects hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation.The announcement means the case affecting "Dreamers" [...]

US judge bars revoking DACA work permits without due process

LOS ANGELES (AP) " A federal judge on Monday issued a sweeping ban on the U.S. government revoking deportation protection of immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children.U.S. District Court Judge Philip Gutierrez expanded a preliminary injunction he issued earlier in a lawsuit that alleges the Trump administration is yanking people out of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program without giving them a chance to defend themselves.The Obama-era program [...]

Nassar victims help unveil sweeping child abuse legislation

LANSING, Mich. (AP) " Victims of imprisoned former sports doctor Larry Nassar helped unveil what they described Monday as a sweeping rewrite of Michigan laws related to childhood sexual abuse, saying the changes would ease the ability to stop abuse and bring justice to survivors.Included in the bipartisan 10-bill package is a proposal to drastically lengthen the time limit for victims of sexual assault to sue. Survivors who were minors at the time of abuse now generally must file a [...]

Supreme Court declines to decide fate of 'Dreamers' just yet

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the Trump administration's highly unusual bid to bypass a federal appeals court and get the justices to intervene in the fate of a program that protects hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation.The announcement means the case affecting "Dreamers" will have to work its way through the lower courts before any Supreme Court ruling is possible. The case could also become moot if Congress takes action in the meantime. [...]

California OKs autonomous car testing without backup drivers

LOS ANGELES (AP) " Driverless cars will be tested in California for the first time without a person behind a steering wheel under new rules approved Monday for the fast-developing technology.The regulations are a major step toward getting autonomous vehicles to dealerships and onto the streets of California, where companies such as Tesla and Waymo are leading the way on the technology. Until now, driverless cars could only be tested on public roads in the state if a person could take [...]

Oakland mayor warns of immigration raids in rare move

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " The mayor of Oakland warned residents of large-scale raids by immigration agents in the San Francisco Bay Area, marking the latest escalation of tensions between California officials and the Trump administration.Calling it her "duty and moral obligation" to warn families, Mayor Libby Schaaf's unusual alert this weekend also follows months of criticism of her decision to allow Oakland police to direct traffic during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid in [...]

Deportation document described immigrant activist's protests

SEATTLE (AP) " An immigrant rights advocate targeted for deportation first came to the attention of authorities because she discussed her unlawful status in the country in an interview with a monthly newspaper last year, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official wrote in a newly released document.But the official, Timothy Black, also noted her "extensive involvement with anti-ICE protests and Latino advocacy programs" " something her supporters said proves she was targeted [...]

Hawaii appeals court sides with lesbian couple denied B&B

HONOLULU (AP) " A Hawaii bed and breakfast discriminated against a couple by denying a room to two women because they're gay, a state appeals court affirmed.Aloha Bed & Breakfast owner Phyllis Young had argued she should be allowed to turn away gay couples because of her religious beliefs. She appealed a 2013 lower court ruling that ordered her to stop discriminating against same-sex couples.Last week's ruling supported the 2013 decision.Alliance Defending Freedom, which [...]

Possible GOP foe for Sen. Roger Wicker 'looking for a fight'

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) " A tea party-backed lawmaker who lost a hard-fought race against one of Mississippi's two U.S. senators in 2014 is strongly hinting he will run this year against the state's other Republican senator, Roger Wicker.Republican Chris McDaniel has said for months that he might challenge Wicker in the GOP primary. In a live event Monday night on Facebook, McDaniel strengthened his language, telling viewers: "We're looking for a fight. And I can't wait to have you on my [...]

Trump says he's willing to buck NRA; Congress not so sure

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump declared Monday he's willing to take on the National Rifle Association over gun legislation, but Republicans who control Congress aren't so sure. They prefer to consider only modest changes to firearms limits in response to the mass shooting at a Florida high school.Congress returned to work Monday without following Trump's lead on any of the major initiatives he has tossed into the debate since the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High [...]

Trump administration weighs mental health coverage option

WASHINGTON (AP) " Amid the outcry over the Florida school shootings, the Trump administration says it is "actively exploring" ways to help states expand inpatient mental health treatment using Medicaid funds.President Donald Trump again brought up the issue of mental hospitals in a meeting with governors on Monday, invoking a time when states maintained facilities for mentally ill and developmentally disabled people."In the old days, you would put him into a mental institution, [...]

Appeals court says FTC can police telecommunications cos.

NEW YORK (AP) " A U.S. appeals court says the Federal Trade Commission can police telecommunications companies like AT&T " a ruling that's important because another agency is dropping its oversight with repeal of "net neutrality" rules governing customer access to apps and websites.The case is over claims that AT&T misled smartphone customers in offering unlimited data plans, but slowing speeds for heavy users. By law, only the Federal Communications Commission can take action against [...]

Trump Org. donates foreign profits but won't say how much

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Trump Organization said Monday it has made good on the president's promise to donate profits from foreign government spending at its hotels to the U.S. Treasury, but neither the company nor the government disclosed the amount or how it was calculated.Watchdog groups seized on the lack of detail as another example of the secrecy surrounding President Donald Trump's pledges to separate his administration from his business empire."There is no independent [...]

Trump says he would have rushed into Florida school, unarmed

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump, who's been highly critical of the law enforcement response to the Florida school shootings, says he would have rushed in, unarmed, if he'd been there.Speaking to a roomful of governors at the White House, Trump said Monday, "You don't know until you're tested, but I think I really believe I'd run in there even if I didn't have a weapon, and I think most of the people in this room would have done that, too."Trump's heroic hypothetical [...]

US opens tough Saudi nuke talks, in shadow of Iran deal

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Trump administration is opening talks with Saudi Arabia on a potentially lucrative atomic energy agreement that's inextricably linked to an Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran. At stake: Billions of dollars in contracts for U.S. companies and bigger questions about America's ability to keep friend and foe alike from reaching nuclear weapons capability.Energy Secretary Rick Perry will lead an interagency U.S. delegation to talks with the Saudis in London on Friday, [...]

Ivanka Trump's dual roles as senior adviser, first daughter

WASHINGTON (AP) " Ivanka Trump expects to be treated seriously as a senior White House adviser. But when faced with uncomfortable questions about her father's treatment of women, she'd prefer to be viewed as just a daughter.President Donald Trump's elder daughter drew fresh scrutiny Monday for an NBC interview in which she argued that a query to her about the women accusing the president of inappropriate behavior was "pretty inappropriate."The comment highlighted her [...]

Agents search Iowa AAU coach's cabin in nude videos case

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) " Investigators seized phones, hard drives and other devices during a search of a cabin owned by a prominent Iowa youth basketball coach under investigation for allegedly making videos of boys showering, court records show.An investigator also said Monday that Iowa officials are considering asking the FBI to join the probe into Greg Stephen, which has stunned the state's basketball scene.Stephen, 42, hasn't been charged with any crimes. He was one of two [...]

Thousands pay their respects to the Rev. Billy Graham

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) " Thousands of people from all walks of life " including a former president " filed slowly past the casket of the Rev. Billy Graham on Monday to pay their final respects to a man who reached millions with his message of salvation through Jesus Christ.The heavy rain overnight tapered to a light, occasional drizzle around 8 a.m. Monday when the doors opened to the boyhood home of the famed evangelist, who died Wednesday at age 99. The rain had stopped by late [...]

The Latest: Trump, lawmakers to talk about guns Wednesday

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on President Donald Trump's meeting with the nation's governors (all times local):3:30 p.m.The White House says President Donald Trump is planning to meet Wednesday with a bipartisan group of lawmakers to discuss ways of addressing gun violence.Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says there's support for "the concept" of raising the minimum age for the purchase of assault-style weapons but "how it would be implemented and what it might look [...]

Panama's government steps into Trump hotel dispute

PANAMA CITY (AP) " Panama's government said Monday it was formally investigating a complaint that executives for President Donald Trump's family hotel business were illegally occupying a 70-story luxury Trump hotel amid a management dispute.The Public Ministry said it was investigating whether there was any "punishable conduct" in the matter at the Trump International Hotel in Panama, and that it intended to ask for more information from both sides.The dispute has brought armed [...]

Trump to host Macron for first state visit on April 24

WASHINGTON (AP) " The White House has set the date for the first state visit of President Donald Trump's administration.Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says Trump will be hosting French President Emmanuel Macron (eh-mahn-yoo-EHL' mah-KROHN') on April 24.Trump was the first U.S. president in decades to close his first year in office without welcoming a fellow world leader for a state visit.The designation means Macron will be welcomed to the White House with a South [...]

The Latest: Suspect sought in slayings of 4 in Detroit

DETROIT (AP) " The Latest on the fatal shootings of four people in Detroit (all times local):2:20 p.m.Detroit police are seeking a 27-year-old man suspected of fatally shooting the mother of his child, an adult cousin and two other people.Officer Holly Lowe, a police spokeswoman, identified the suspect in Monday morning's shootings as George Anthony Davis Jr.Police Cmdr. Jacqueline Pritchett says investigators believe Davis shot the mother of his child and another [...]

Man held without bail in 'unprovoked' fatal library stabbing

WOBURN, Mass. (AP) " A Massachusetts man charged with fatally stabbing a woman studying to become a doctor in a public library has a severe mental illness, his lawyer said Monday.Jeffrey Yao, 23, was held without bail after not guilty pleas to charges including murder were entered on his behalf at his arraignment in Woburn District Court.Yao approached Deane Stryker, 22, from behind and stabbed her 20 times with a 10-inch hunting knife at the Winchester Public Library on [...]

School to close for church ceremony featuring AR-15 rifles

NEWFOUNDLAND, Pa. (AP) " A Pennsylvania school district will cancel classes at an elementary school on Wednesday because a church down the street is hosting a ceremony featuring AR-15 rifles.World Peace and Unification Sanctuary in Newfoundland believes the AR-15 symbolizes the "rod of iron" in the biblical book of Revelation, and it is encouraging couples to bring the weapons to a commitment ceremony.The ceremony, to be held about a half-mile from Wallenpaupack South [...]

Elvis Presley is running for an Arkansas congressional seat

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) " Elvis Presley is officially running for a congressional seat in Arkansas. But don't confuse him with the rock 'n' roll icon, unless he's performing.Elvis D. Presley performs shows as the late superstar Elvis A. Presley, but he's also now filed to run as the Libertarian nominee challenging Arkansas Republican Rep. Rick Crawford.Both men filed paperwork Monday to run for the 1st Congressional District in eastern Arkansas. Crawford has represented the area [...]

The Latest: Trump says teachers with 'talent' can carry guns

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on President Donald Trump's meeting with the nation's governors (all times local):12:15 p.m.President Donald Trump says he doesn't want all teachers to carry guns " just those who have a "natural talent."Speaking to the nation's governors in the White House, the president responded Monday to news coverage of his calls to arm teachers to prevent school shootings after the mass school shooting that killed 17 people.Trump says he wants [...]

Sex, campaign funding scandals upend Arizona US House race

PHOENIX (AP) " The closing days of the Republican primary to replace an Arizona congressman who quit in a sex scandal have included a top contender admitting he received texts from a Senate aide posing topless. A second is fighting claims of campaign funding improprieties.Former state Sen. Steve Montenegro said that he received sexually provocative messages from a state Senate staffer but denied any improper relationship. Former state Sen. Debbie Lesko is denying claims she improperly [...]

Gorsuch silent as divided Supreme Court spars over unions

WASHINGTON (AP) " With the justice holding the decisive vote silent, a divided Supreme Court sparred Monday over a case that could undermine the financial footing of labor unions that represent government workers.The justices heard arguments in a challenge to an Illinois law that allows unions representing government employees to collect fees from workers who choose not to join.Amid colorful, sometimes angry comments from his colleagues, Justice Neil Gorsuch asked no questions [...]

Ukraine police say they've rearrested cybercrime ringleader

LONDON (AP) " Ukrainian police say they have rearrested the ringleader of a cybercrime group accused of inflicting hundreds of millions of dollars in losses worldwide. It comes 15 months after his embarrassing escape put the spotlight on corruption in the Eastern European country.Ukraine's Interior Ministry says the cybercrime boss was detained Sunday in Kiev. The ministry doesn't identify the man, but Cyberpolice spokeswoman Yulia Kvitko says he is Gennadiy Kapkanov, whose [...]

Court: US anti-discrimination law covers sexual orientation

NEW YORK (AP) " A New York federal appeals court says U.S. anti-discrimination law protects employees from being fired due to sexual orientation.The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday.The decision stemmed from a rare meeting of the full appeals court, which decided to go against its precedents.Three judges dissented. The ruling pertained to a skydiver instructor who said he was fired after telling a client he was gay.The case led to two government [...]

State of the art: Museum takes hi-tech look at Vermeer

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) " This really is state of the art research.Experts at the Mauritshuis museum in The Hague are using the latest technology to take a long, hard look at one of their most prized paintings, Johannes Vermeer's "Girl with a Pearl Earring," and they are inviting the public in to watch.For two weeks starting Monday, experts are pointing a battery of high-tech machines at the 17th-century masterpiece of a young woman whose enigmatic gaze has earned her the [...]

Supreme Court to hear case where man can't remember killing

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of a man sentenced to death for killing an Alabama police officer but who lawyers say now can't remember the 1985 murder.The court agreed Monday to hear arguments in the case of Vernon Madison.Madison had been scheduled to be executed in January, but the court stayed the execution to consider whether to take the case. Madison's case will now likely be argued in the fall, and the court's decision to take the case [...]

Supreme Court rejects administration appeal over immigration

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court is rejecting the Trump administration's highly unusual bid to get the justices to intervene in the controversy over protections for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants.The justices on Monday refused to take up the administration's appeal of a lower court order that requires the administration to continue accepting renewal applications for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. What made the appeal unusual is that the [...]

Ivanka Trump believes father's denials of sexual misconduct

WASHINGTON (AP) " Ivanka Trump says she believes her father's denials of sexual misconduct.Trump, who led the U.S. delegation at the closing ceremony for the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, made the comment in an interview aired Monday on NBC. Asked if she believed women who have accused President Donald Trump of sexual misconduct, Ivanka Trump called it a "pretty inappropriate question to ask a daughter."She says: "I believe my father, I know my father. I think I have that right as a [...]

Congress returns amid pressure to act on gun violence

WASHINGTON (AP) " After a 10-day break, members of Congress are returning to work under hefty pressure to respond to the outcry over gun violence. But no plan appears ready to take off despite a long list of proposals, including many from President Donald Trump.Republican leaders have kept quiet for days as Trump tossed out ideas, including raising the minimum age to purchase assault-style weapons and arming teachers, though on Saturday the president tweeted that the latter was "Up to [...]

Organized labor case goes in front of Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case that could deal a painful financial blow to organized labor.All eyes will be on Justice Neil Gorsuch Monday when the court takes up a challenge to an Illinois law that allows unions representing government employees to collect fees from workers who choose not to join. The unions say the outcome could affect more than 5 million government workers in 24 states and the District of Columbia.The court split 4-4 the [...]

Trump: Florida shooting to dominate governors meeting

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump says the deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school is the top issue he wants to discuss with the nation's governors.Under pressure to act to stem gun violence on school grounds, Trump planned to solicit input from the state chief executives during meetings Monday at the White House. The governors are in Washington for their annual winter meeting.But socializing was the focus Sunday night as Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted [...]

Trump: Florida shooting at top of agenda at govs meeting

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump says the deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school is the top issue he wants to discuss with the nation's governors.Under pressure to act to stem gun violence on school grounds, Trump planned to solicit input from the state chief executives during meetings Monday at the White House. The governors are in Washington for their annual winter meeting.But socializing was the focus Sunday night as Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted [...]

Denver weighs Olympics over 40 years after saying no thanks

DENVER (AP) " It promised ample snow and sunny weather on a normally bare, rocky peak easily accessible by "super highway," thousands more hotel rooms than existed and a cross-country ski course that looked good on paper but would have cut through some people's backyards.The airbrushed pitch worked, but after Denver won a bid to host the 1976 Winter Olympics, its plan unraveled amid questions about the environmental impact, ballooning costs and logistics of hosting such a big event in [...]

Justices take up critical challenge to public sector unions

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case that could deal a painful financial blow to organized labor.All eyes will be on Justice Neil Gorsuch Monday when the court takes up a challenge to an Illinois law that allows unions representing government employees to collect fees from workers who choose not to join. The unions say the outcome could affect more than 5 million government workers in 24 states and the District of Columbia.The court split 4-4 the [...]

Most in survey see US fiscal policy as too aggressive

WASHINGTON (AP) " A majority of business economists now view the government's tax and spending policy as moving too aggressively to stimulate economic growth, setting up a potential increase in the deficit in the coming years, a new survey shows.That view emerged from the latest economic policy survey by the National Association for Business Economics, polling 211 members at companies and industry groups. The survey by NABE, a professional association for business economists, [...]

Public paying respects to Billy Graham, who died at age 99

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) " A four-day period for the public to pay respects to the late Rev. Billy Graham is beginning at his boyhood home in North Carolina.Mourners will file past Graham's body starting at 8 a.m. Monday. The man called "America's Pastor" is lying in repose in a closed casket at the home his father built in 1927 on their Charlotte dairy farm, which was long ago swallowed by urban sprawl. It was moved and restored by his library and is on the same campus as the Billy [...]

Students resolute as they re-enter school shooting site

PARKLAND, Fla. (AP) " The line of students and their parents wrapped around Stoneman Douglas High School, several thousand people entering the campus for the first time since a gunman took 17 lives nearly two weeks ago.They walked solemnly but resolutely Sunday through gates that had been locked to all but law enforcement and school officials since the Valentine's Day shooting, set to collect backpacks and other belongings left behind as they the massacre. To enter, they passed within [...]

Powerful earthquake rattles remote Papua New Guinea

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) " A powerful earthquake rattled forest villages and a large gold mine in central Papua New Guinea early Monday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.Officials were waiting for more information about damage from the magnitude-7.5 quake that hit about 89 kilometers (55 miles) southwest of Porgera in the Pacific Island nation.Chris McKee, acting director of geohazards management for the Papua New Guinea government, said tens of thousands of [...]

Trump to discuss Florida school shooting with governors

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump says he'll be discussing the Florida school shooting with the nation's governors.Trump says the "horrible event" that killed 17 high school students and teachers will be the top agenda item when the governors come to the White House on Monday for meetings.Socializing was on the agenda Sunday night when the governors and their spouses arrived at the White House night for their annual ball.Florida Gov. Rick Scott is among those [...]

Powerful quake rattles homes, gold mine in Papua New Guinea

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) " A powerful earthquake rattled forest villages and a large gold mine in central Papua New Guinea early Monday, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.Officials were waiting for more information about damage from the magnitude-7.5 quake that hit about 89 kilometers (55 miles) southwest of Porgera in the Pacific Island nation.Chris McKee, acting director of geohazards management for the Papua New Guinea government, said tens of thousands of [...]

No course for a horse: Man rides onto California freeway

LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) " Authorities say a drunken man rode his horse onto a California freeway.Los Angeles news station KABC-TV reports that the California Highway Patrol stopped the man early Saturday on State Route 91 in Long Beach.Officers administered field sobriety tests, which registered blood-alcohol levels of 0.21 percent and 0.19 percent " more than double the legal limit.The man was arrested and booked for riding a horse while under the influence. The white [...]

California Democratic Party won't endorse Dianne Feinstein

SAN DIEGO (AP) " U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein failed to win the official endorsement of the California Democratic Party as she seeks her fifth term, another sign that the party is divided over how best to battle Republicans in Washington.Democratic activists were more eager to back her primary challenger, state Senate leader Kevin de Leon, who is touting himself as a fresh face with stronger progressive credentials, particularly on immigration.However, he too failed to earn the [...]

Govs fear for election security amid Russian cyberattacks

WASHINGTON (AP) " Will your vote be safe this year from foreign adversaries working to undermine U.S. democracy? Some of the nation's governors aren't so sure.State leaders of both parties worried aloud Sunday about the security of America's election systems against possible cyberattacks ahead of this fall's midterm elections, aware that Russian agents targeted more than 20 states little more a year ago, and the Trump administration has taken a mostly hands-off approach to the [...]

The Latest: Body found in submerged vehicle in Kentucky

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) " The Latest on severe weather that moved through parts of the US (all times local):2:15 p.m.Authorities in western Kentucky say they've found a body inside a submerged vehicle.The Henderson Fire Department says on its Facebook page that it assisted in the recovery of the body inside a vehicle in a ditch. The Gleaner reports the body was found Saturday night near Morganfield, Kentucky.The body has been sent to a medical examiner for an [...]

Large earthquake rattles Papua New Guinea

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) " A large earthquake has struck the middle of Papua New Guinea.The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-7.5 quake hit about 89 kilometers (55 miles) southwest of Porgera early Monday in the Pacific island nation.Geological Survey geophysicist Paul Caruso says the quake, which had a depth of 35 kilometers (22 miles), occurred in a rural, jungle area near a mountain range.It wasn't immediately clear if there was damage. The [...]

White House answers online petitions, ducks tax-return issue

WASHINGTON (AP) " After more than a year of silence, the Trump administration is beginning to address a backlog of petitions signed by Americans on the White House website.But the White House is ducking a high-profile petition calling on President Donald Trump to release his tax returns. That petition attracted more than 100,000 signatures.The White House says the tax-return question "is not within the scope" of the government feedback tool. The White House says the president's [...]

Tribes cut out of California pot market might grow their own

LOS ANGELES (AP) " American Indian tribes that say they have been cut out of California's legal marijuana market have raised the possibility of going their own way by establishing pot businesses outside the state-regulated system that is less than two months old.The tribes floated the idea of setting up rival farms and sales shops on reservations after concluding that rules requiring them to be licensed by the state would strip them of authority over their own lands and their right to [...]

New Samsung phone: Nicer camera, static design, higher price

NEW YORK (AP) " Samsung unveiled new smartphones with largely unchanged designs and incremental improvements such as a better camera " accompanied by a second annual price increase for many customers.The static design of the new Galaxy S9 underscores both the slowing pace of smartphone innovation and the extent to which other manufacturers, particularly Apple, have caught up with Samsung features that once stood out. That includes everything from edge-to-edge screens to facial [...]

White House will see if North Korea is serious about talks

WASHINGTON (AP) " The White House said Sunday it would take a wait-and-see approach to a new overture by North Korea for talks with the United States, a rare step toward diplomacy after months of North Korean missile and nuclear tests and threats of war from both sides."We will see," was the response from White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was on the Korean peninsula as a member of the U.S. delegation attending the Olympic games in South Korea. The delegation was [...]

California Democratic Party isn't backing Dianne Feinstein

SAN DIEGO (AP) " U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein failed to win the official endorsement of the California Democratic Party as she seeks her fifth term in Washington, but her supporters say it won't hurt her with a broader swath of voters.Party activists were more eager to back her primary challenger, state Senate leader Kevin de Leon, who is crafting himself as a fresh face with stronger progressive credentials. However, he too failed to earn the 60 percent support he needed to win the [...]

The Latest: Teen at game hit by debris from leaky roof

CHARLESTON, W.V. (AP) " The Latest on severe weather that moved through parts of the US (all times local):12 p.m.A university official in Tennessee say a teenage girl was injured by falling debris at a basketball game after an apparent lightning strike.Media outlets report lightning hit the roof at the basketball arena Saturday night at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee. Water leaked onto the court, and fans at the game between Austin Peay and Murray [...]

Samsung's Galaxy S9 phones: Better camera, unchanged design

NEW YORK (AP) " Samsung unveiled new smartphones with largely unchanged designs and incremental improvements such as a better camera.Though Samsung already has one of the best smartphone cameras, it is looking to produce even better low-light shots, while offering a video mode that appears to freeze fast-moving objects.The Galaxy S9 phones were unveiled Sunday in Barcelona, Spain, and will be available March 16. Advance orders begin this Friday.Analyst Carolina Milanesi [...]

2018 state ballots could seek revised redistricting criteria

A look at proposed redistricting initiatives that have been approved to appear on statewide ballots this year or for which supporters have collected signatures in an attempt to qualify them. Other proposals are earlier in the initiative process.OHIOIssue: Proposed constitutional amendment on May 8 ballot affecting congressional redistricting.Status quo: Congress: 12 Republicans, four Democrats.Current process: State Legislature passes a redistricting plan by a [...]

NRA spokeswoman becomes new face of gun rights movement

CHICAGO (AP) " Dana Loesch is the new public face of the National Rifle Association, an organization long associated with older white men.At 39, she's poised, photogenic and a skilled public speaker, yet she's not softening the message of the NRA as it becomes an increasingly active voice in the nation's culture wars, with positions on everything from immigration to the media.In the aftermath of the shooting deaths of 17 people, mostly students, at a Florida high school, it's [...]

Sweeping Georgia cybercrime bill would target 'snoopers'

ATLANTA (AP) " Lying about your weight on an online dating site? Checking out who won the Falcons game from your work computer? Using your computer hacking knowledge as an "ethical hacker?" Those actions may become illegal if a Georgia bill gets voted into law, civil liberty advocates say.Supporters of a bill making its way through the state legislature say it's designed to give law enforcement the ability to prosecute "online snoopers" " hackers who break into a computer system but [...]

Microsoft fights US in high court to protect global business

WASHINGTON (AP) " Microsoft has an eye on its international customers as it confronts the Trump administration in a Supreme Court fight about turning over emails to investigators.The justices will hear arguments Tuesday over whether the company, as part of an international drug trafficking investigation, must comply with an American warrant for emails stored on a server in a Microsoft facility in Dublin, Ireland.The case turns on a law written in 1986, long before the advent of [...]

Congress has ideas on gun violence, but no consensus

WASHINGTON (AP) " After a 10-day break, members of Congress are returning to work under hefty pressure to respond to the outcry over gun violence. But no plan appears ready to take off despite a long list of proposals, including many from President Donald Trump.Republican leaders have kept quiet for days as Trump tossed out ideas, including raising the minimum age to purchase assault-style weapons and arming teachers, though on Saturday the president tweeted that the latter was "Up to [...]

Dems release Russia probe memo defending FBI surveillance

WASHINGTON (AP) " Two weeks after President Donald Trump blocked its full release, the House Intelligence Committee published a blacked out version of a classified Democratic memo aiming to counter a GOP narrative that the FBI and Justice Department conspired against Trump as they investigated his ties to Russia.The document's release Saturday was the latest development in an extraordinary back and forth between Republicans and Democrats about the credibility of multiple inquiries [...]

At drone fair, Chinese show off armed model likely in UAE

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) " Walking through a trade show all about military drones, Emirati officials made a point on Sunday to stop first at a stand run by Chinese officials with a mock armed drone hanging above them.Defense analysts believe that drone, the Wing Loong II, is now being used by the Emirati military while the UAE remains barred from purchasing weaponized drones from the United States.That purchase, as well as Abu Dhabi hosting the Unmanned Systems [...]

Abu Dhabi hosts international trade show of military drones

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) " The United Arab Emirates is hosting a stand-alone trade show featuring military drones, showing the power these weapons have across the Middle East.The Unmanned Systems Exhibition & Conference is being held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.Top UAE officials, including Abu Dhabi's powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, were on hand for the event, which opened on Sunday.Among the top companies in attendance was [...]

The Latest: 2 dead as severe weather moves across central US

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) " The Latest on severe weather that moved through parts of the US (all times local):1:30 a.m.Authorities say at least two people have died as a strong storm system that included possible tornadoes pushed its way eastward through the central United States, leaving demolished homes, damaged vehicles and uprooted trees in its wake.A man in northeast Arkansas and a woman in south central Kentucky both were killed as the storm that also included heavy winds, [...]

Democrats release memo rebutting GOP on Russia probe

WASHINGTON (AP) " Two weeks after President Donald Trump blocked the full release of a classified Democratic memo, the House intelligence committee published a redacted version of the document that aims to counter a narrative that Republicans on the committee have promoted for months " that the FBI and Justice Department conspired against Trump as they investigated his ties to Russia.The Democratic memo's release on Saturday was the latest development in an extraordinary back and [...]

School shooting survivors target NRA-linked companies

Survivors of a mass shooting at a Florida high school are hoping to expand the reach of their gun control movement by seeking a boycott of companies doing business with the NRA and urging tourists to boycott the Sunshine State.As the #BoycottNRA movement grew on Twitter, with petitions circulating against companies that offer discounts to NRA members, a growing number of those businesses announced they are cutting or reducing ties with the association.Both Delta and United said [...]

The Latest: Democrats offer own memo on Russia probe

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on the Democratic memo that aims to counter GOP allegations that the FBI abused government surveillance powers in its investigation into Russian election interference (all times local):10:15 p.m.Democrats on the House intelligence committee are rebutting Republican assertions that the FBI and Justice Department conspired against President Donald Trump as they investigated his ties to Russia.In a memo blocked for weeks by the White House, the [...]

Ivanka Trump: Visit to Olympics 'so incredibly inspiring'

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea (AP) " The U.S. president's daughter and adviser said Sunday that her visit to the Olympics was "so incredibly inspiring" and expressed gratitude at the chance to watch competition and " in a subtle nod to Korean Peninsula politics " "be here with our allies in South Korea."Ivanka Trump plans to attend the closing ceremony of the 2018 Pyongchang Games on Sunday night after two days of visiting venues and meeting American and other athletes. Her presence there [...]

The Latest: GOP House chairman criticizes Democratic memo

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Latest on the Democratic memo that aims to counter GOP allegations that the FBI abused government surveillance powers in its investigation into Russian election interference (all times local):7:15 p.m.The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is dismissing a memo about the Russia election probe that has been declassified by Democrats.In a statement, Republican congressman Devin Nunes of California reiterates his allegation that the FBI abused [...]

Congress releases redacted, declassified Democratic memo

WASHINGTON (AP) " A redacted, declassified memo released by Democrats on the House intelligence committee Saturday aims to counter a narrative that Republicans on the committee have pushed for months " that the FBI and Justice Department conspired against President Donald Trump during his presidential campaign, abusing a secret surveillance process to spy on one of his operatives in its Russia investigation.The Democratic memo was released Saturday after weeks of delays. The White [...]

At Flag Day ceremony, Mexico's 'tri-color' flies upside down

MEXICO CITY (AP) " A Flag Day ceremony in Mexico has gone awry, with troops flying the country's red, white and green "tri-color" upside down.Local media show images of the giant flag fluttering over Mexico City's Campo Marte parade ground Saturday with its iconic eagle inverted.President Enrique Pena Nieto acknowledged the gaffe, but he added that, "Upside down or right side up, backward or forward, the flag is a symbol that gives us a sense of identity, of belonging, of pride [...]

Trump says arming teachers in schools 'Up to States'

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump says arming teachers as a deterrent against school shootings is "Up to States."Trump has promoted the idea of putting "gun-adept" teachers and staff in schools with concealed firearms to protect students after this month's shooting at a Florida high school killed 17 people.But neither Trump nor the White House has said who would pay to train them. Trump has also called for giving bonuses to educators who volunteer to carry a firearm. [...]

Manafort indictment sparks hunt for Europeans paid to lobby

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) " A new indictment against former Donald Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort focused a spotlight Saturday on uncovering the former European leaders who prosecutors contend were secretly paid by Manafort to lobby on behalf of Ukraine.The U.S. indictment handed up Friday by a grand jury doesn't name the European politicians who were paid, although it notes they worked in coordination with Manafort, his deputy Rick Gates and two Washington lobbying firms " the Podesta [...]

Trump officials fight eviction from Panama hotel they manage

PANAMA CITY (AP) " One of President Donald Trump's family businesses is battling an effort to physically evict its team of executives from a luxury hotel in Panama where they manage operations, and police have been called to keep the peace, The Associated Press has learned. Witnesses told the AP they saw Trump's executives carrying files to a room for shredding.Representatives of the hotel owners' association formally sought to fire Trump's management team Thursday by hand-delivering [...]

Trump processes Fla. students' grief as president, parent

WASHINGTON (AP) " Once again, it was the images of children that propelled President Donald Trump to act.Trump spent the first days after the Feb. 14 school shooting in Florida fixated on the grieving and anguished students and parents.While at his Florida estate for the long weekend after the shooting, Trump studied the students' appeals on cable news, listened to their accounts during a visit to a hospital and processed their words not just as a president but as the father of [...]

Texas woman defecates in pants to hide drugs during arrest

CORSICANA, Texas (AP) " Police say a Texas woman attempted to hide evidence during an arrest by defecating in her pants and using the feces to conceal drugs.Officers in Corsicana, about 55 miles (88 kilometers ) south of Dallas, were investigating a report of a theft at a grocery store on Wednesday when they attempted to subdue a female suspect and take her into custody. Police say they placed Shannen Martin in the back of a police cruiser where they say she intentionally defecated in [...]

Thirsty goalkeeper gifts opponents equalizer in Germany

DUISBURG, Germany (AP) " A thirsty goalkeeper chose the wrong time to have a drink during a second-tier soccer game in Germany on Saturday.Duisburg's Dutch goalkeeper Mark Flekken had picked up a bottle behind his own goal-line and was not even watching the game against Ingolstadt when the inevitable happened in the 18th minute.After hosts Duisburg had seen a goal harshly disallowed, Ingolstadt quickly moved the ball up the field. Duisburg defender Gerrit Nauber headed back to [...]

Indictment of Missouri governor could have political ripples

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) " It didn't take long after Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted for alleged invasion of privacy for Missouri Democrats to tie him to Attorney General Josh Hawley, the presumed GOP front runner in Missouri's hotly contested U.S. Senate race.Nor did it take long for Republicans to link the prosecutor who announced the charges to a prominent national Democratic financier.The quick injection of politics was a strong sign that Greitens' potentially [...]

Politician: Ex-Austrian chancellor part of Manafort lobbying

MINSK, Belarus (AP) " A Ukrainian opposition lawmaker who helped uncover off-the-books payments to President Donald Trump's former campaign chairman said Saturday that a one-time Austrian chancellor was among the European politicians secretly paid to lobby for Ukraine.The lawmaker's claim to The Associated Press came a day after the United States indicted former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort for allegedly paying former politicians to lobby on behalf of his client at the time, [...]

Charged 'Putin's chef' runs news sites along with troll army

MOSCOW (AP) " He's been indicted in the U.S. for meddling in the 2016 presidential election with an army of trolls and his private military company has trodden battlefields in Ukraine and Syria. Still, the Russian multimillionaire dubbed "Putin's chef" runs yet another asset that is valuable to the Kremlin: a sprawling Russian media empire.St. Petersburg restaurateur Yevgeny Prigozhin is believed to control more than a dozen news portals in Russia that attract tens of millions of [...]

Police experts urge intensive training if teachers are armed

The idea of arming teachers to take out a shooter is alarming some law enforcement experts, who say it takes more than just being a good shot at a gun range.They say it would require specialized and repeated training to teach educators the proper tactics and enable them to conquer their fear and remain calm and clear-thinking in a fast-moving, life-or-death situation."Simply putting a gun on the premises and hoping someone's going to do the right thing with it is baseless," [...]

Latest Mueller indictment spells trouble for bankers, too

NEW YORK (AP) " Recently filed federal charges against President Donald Trump's ex-campaign chairman Paul Manafort could also pose legal and regulatory risks for the banks that loaned him millions of dollars against his New York real estate in recent years.The most serious exposure may be for a Rhode Island-based bank that employed a "conspirator" in Manafort's scheme to obtain a loan he couldn't afford, according to the 32-count new indictment unsealed this week.Dubbed "Lender [...]

Trump talks new gun measures, gun owners talk 'betrayal'

DENVER (AP) " As President Donald Trump talked this week about banning "bump stocks" and curbing young people's access to guns, the gun owners and advocates who helped propel his political rise talked about desertion and betrayal.Trump's flirtation with a set of modest gun control measures drew swift condemnation from gun groups, hunters and sportsmen who banked on the president to be a stalwart opponent to any new gun restrictions. In his pledge to make schools safer and curb gun [...]

Ex-Trump aide pleads guilty, will cooperate in Russia probe

WASHINGTON (AP) " Rick Gates' guilty plea to federal conspiracy and false-statements charges turns him from defendant to cooperating witness in the special counsel's probe of President Donald Trump's election campaign and Russia's interference.The plea by Gates, a former senior adviser to President Donald Trump's election campaign, revealed he will help special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation in "any and all matters" as prosecutors continue to probe the 2016 campaign, Russian [...]

How the AP-NORC poll on America's mood was conducted

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll on America's outlook about the country was conducted by NORC from Feb. 15-19. It is based on online and telephone interviews of 1,337 adults who are members of NORC's nationally representative AmeriSpeak panel.The original sample was drawn from respondents selected randomly from NORC's National Frame based on address-based sampling and recruited by mail, email, telephone and face-to-face interviews.NORC [...]

AP-NORC Poll: Worries about the country, hopes for economy

WASHINGTON (AP) " A majority of Americans believe the country's overall direction has dipped in the past year. What's more, only 28 percent are optimistic that things will get better in the year to come.That's according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.The survey released Friday found Americans have a better feeling about the state of the U.S. economy, but remain largely sour on President Donald Trump.Just 35 percent approve [...]

US deportations targeting more people with no crime records

SAN DIEGO (AP) " People arrested by deportation officers increasingly have no criminal backgrounds, according to figures released Friday, reflecting the Trump administration's commitment to cast a wider net.U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said 65 percent of arrests from October to December were criminals, compared to 82 percent during the final full three months of the Obama administration.Looked at another way, arrests of criminals jumped 14 percent to 25,626 from 22, [...]

Caller told FBI Florida shooting suspect 'going to explode'

WASHINGTON (AP) " A woman close to the man charged with killing 17 people at a Florida high school warned the FBI in chilling detail that he had a growing collection of guns and a temper so uncontrollable she worried about him "getting into a school and just shooting the place up."The Associated Press on Friday obtained a transcript of the Jan. 5 tip to the FBI's call center. The FBI acknowledged it failed to investigate the tip about 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, but the transcript [...]

Civil rights icon Ruby Bridges: Ban assault weapons

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) " Ruby Bridges, who faced threats and harassment when she integrated a southern school as a child several decades ago, said Friday that she is distressed by mass shootings in U.S. schools."When I think about our babies today and them not being safe in school, I think that should be the next civil rights movement, you know, is to ban the assault weapons so that our babies can be safe," Bridges said.She spoke at a gala in Jackson, Mississippi, where she was [...]

US lands agency makeover would diminish Washington's power

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) " U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke disclosed Friday in an Associated Press interview that he's revamping a sweeping overhaul of his department that's supposed to speed up permitting for development on public lands, but Democrats asserted it was just a ploy to let the energy industry get its way.The changes follow complaints from a bipartisan group of Western state governors that Zinke did not consult them before unveiling a plan last month to decentralize the [...]

Homeland Security's No. 2 official will retire in April

WASHINGTON (AP) " The No. 2 official at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is retiring after a tenure that included several months as acting secretary.Elaine Duke said Friday that she would step down in April with "mixed emotion."She was a top department official under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama before leaving to run a consulting firm. President Donald Trump brought her back as deputy secretary.Duke became acting secretary when John Kelly resigned [...]

Emoluments suit vs. Trump now personal as well as official

WASHINGTON (AP) " Attorneys general of Maryland and the District of Columbia on Friday expanded their lawsuit accusing President Donald Trump of accepting gifts from foreign and state governments, suing him not only as president but in his personal capacity as a businessman.Legal experts say the move takes the "emoluments" clause of the Constitution into uncharted legal waters, since it has been interpreted as only applying to presidents in their official capacity."The [...]