The Latest: Fiance, kids of man shot by police attend rally

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) " The Latest on protests over the police killing of an unarmed black man in Sacramento (all times local):6:40 p.m.The family of Stephon Clark joined hundreds of people at a peaceful rally to renew calls for police reform nearly two weeks after the 22-year-old, unarmed black man was killed by Sacramento officers.Clark's fiance, Salena Manni, stood on stage with his two young sons, grandmother and uncle for the gathering Saturday organized by [...]

Democrats tell embattled congresswoman to quit; she says no

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) " The cries for embattled U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty to step down for not protecting female staffers who said they experienced violence, death threats and sexual harassment by her former chief of staff intensified on Saturday, with fellow Democrats saying the allegations were shocking and she needed to "do the right thing."Esty, an outspoken advocate for the #MeToo movement, was put in the awkward position of having to apologize for not protecting the staffers in [...]

Fellow Democrats tell embattled Congresswoman Esty to resign

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) " Some Connecticut Democrats are calling for their embattled colleague U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty to step down for not protecting female staffers who say they experienced violence, death threats and sexual harassment by her former chief of staff.Esty is an outspoken advocate for the #MeToo movement. She has apologized for not protecting the staffers in her Washington office but has dismissed calls for her to resign.Former Secretary of the State Susan [...]

Melania Trump escapes glare of affair headlines in Florida

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) " Spring break couldn't have come at a better time for Melania Trump.With fresh details spilling into the headlines daily about how Donald Trump allegedly cheated on her early in their marriage, the former model escaped the intense glare by spending the past week at the family's estate in Palm Beach, Florida, with their 12-year-old son, Barron.But even then, there was no perfect refuge from the attention to recent legal activity related to the [...]

The Latest: Clark's fiancee, kids among rally attendees

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) " The Latest on protests over the killing of an unarmed black man (all times local):12:50 p.m.Dozens of protesters of a Sacramento police shooting of an unarmed black man have gathered for a rally, including the man's fiancee and young children.At least 150 people were at a downtown park Saturday afternoon for a demonstration in the wake of the March 18 shooting death of Stephon Clark by two police officers.Clark's fiancee is on stage and [...]

Soldier killed in Syria identified as 36-year-old from Texas

WASHINGTON (AP) " The American service member killed this week by a roadside bomb in northern Syria was a 36-year-old Army soldier from Texas, the Defense Department said Saturday.Master Sgt. Johnathan J. Dunbar, of Austin, died Friday as a result of injuries suffered when an improvised explosive device detonated near his patrol in Manbij, Syria, not far from the border with Turkey. A Briton also was killed and five other people were wounded in Thursday's bombing " a rare attack since [...]

Court: Government can't block immigrant teens from abortion

WASHINGTON (AP) " A federal court in Washington has told the Trump administration that the government can't interfere with the ability of pregnant immigrant teens being held in federal custody to obtain abortions.A judge issued an order Friday evening barring the government from "interfering with or obstructing" pregnant minors' access to abortion counseling or abortions, among other things, while a lawsuit proceeds. The order covers pregnant minors being held in federal custody after [...]

New Asian-American, Brazilian apostles make Mormon history

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) " The Mormon church made history and injected diversity into a top leadership panel on Saturday by selecting the first-ever Latin-American apostle and the first-ever apostle of Asian ancestry.The selections of Ulisses Soares of Brazil and Gerrit W. Gong, a Chinese-American, were announced at the start of a twice-annual conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.They join a panel called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that, before [...]

Ohio woman brings baby on board on way to hospital

CINCINNATI (AP) " An Ohio woman has given new meaning to baby on board.WXIX-TV reports Tiffany and Patrick Stone, of Camp Dennison, were headed to an Anderson Township hospital Friday morning not long after Tiffany's water broke for the delivery of their third child.But Ember Ray Stone wasn't willing to wait for a traditional setting to make her world debut.Patrick Stone pulled into a parking lot where Tiffany, while trying not to scare the couple's two young children in [...]

Trump goes after Amazon _ again _ over postal delivery

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump is again attacking online retailer Amazon.com, calling its business deal with the U.S. Postal Service to deliver packages a money-losing agreement that hurts U.S. taxpayers. Federal regulators, however, have found the contract with Amazon to be profitable.In tweets Saturday, Trump said "the U.S. Post Office will lose $1.50 on average for each package it delivers for Amazon. That amounts to Billions of Dollars."He added: "If the P.O. [...]

Hundreds line Cambridge streets to honor Stephen Hawking

LONDON (AP) " Hundreds of people lined the streets of the English city of Cambridge on Saturday, breaking into applause as the hearse carrying the remains of famed British scientist Stephen Hawking arrived at the church.Some 500 guests had been invited to the private funeral at St. Mary the Great church for the service honoring Hawking, who died on March 14 at age 76 after capturing popular imagination with his writings about space and time.Actor Eddie Redmayne, who portrayed [...]

Industrial-scale pork on trial in federal nuisance lawsuits

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) " Drive past clustered hog sheds containing thousands of animals in the country's No. 2 pork-producing state on the wrong day and the reason hundreds of North Carolina neighbors are suing in federal court is clear: it really stinks.The question facing jurors in a federal lawsuit starting Monday is whether the open-air animal waste pits that proliferated over a generation generate intense smells, clouds of flies and noise.The trial's outcome could shake the [...]

Winning ticket for Mega Millions jackpot sold in New Jersey

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) " A winning ticket for a giant lottery jackpot estimated at $521 million has been sold in New JerseyMega Millions says one winning ticket was sold in Friday night's drawing. The winning numbers were 11, 28, 31, 46, 59 and Mega Ball 1. No additional details on where the ticket was sold were available Saturday.It's the nation's 10th-largest lottery jackpot. No one has matched all six numbers drawn since January.The $521 million figure refers to the [...]

Colleagues, stars hail Stephen Hawking at Cambridge funeral

LONDON (AP) " Some 500 invited guests were gathering for the private funeral of famed British scientist Stephen Hawking.Crowds of them came to the University Church of St. Mary the Great in the English town of Cambridge on Saturday for the service honoring Hawking, who died on March 14 at age 76.Actor Eddie Redmayne, who portrayed Hawking in the 2014 biographical drama "The Theory of Everything," planned to give a reading from Ecclesiastes during the service. There will also be [...]

Spring break offers first lady refuge from affair headlines

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) " Spring break couldn't have come at a better time for Melania Trump.With fresh details spilling into the headlines daily about how Donald Trump allegedly cheated on her early in their marriage, the former model escaped the intense glare by spending the past week at the family's estate in Palm Beach, Florida, with their 12-year-old son, Barron.But even then, there was no perfect refuge from the swirl of attention surrounding recent legal activity [...]

Drug companies want Supreme Court to take eye drop dispute

WASHINGTON (AP) " Eye drop users everywhere have had it happen. Tilt your head back, drip a drop in your eye and part of that drop always seems to dribble down your cheek.But what most people see as an annoyance, some prescription drop users say is grounds for a lawsuit. Drug companies' bottles dispense drops that are too large, leaving wasted medication running down their faces, they say.Don't roll your eyes. Major players in Americans' medicine cabinets " including Allergan, [...]

The Latest: Police chain downtown hotel door during protest

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) " The Latest on protests over the killing of an unarmed black man (all times local):1 a.m.Police have handcuffed shut a downtown Sacramento hotel door to stop protesters from entering as they march against the recent killing of an unarmed black man.Capital Public Radio reports protesters had a brief confrontation with police outside the hotel. The scuffle came during the fourth hour of a protest that began at City Hall and continued through [...]

EPA to loosen rules for automobile gas mileage, pollution

DETROIT (AP) " The Trump administration is expected to announce that it will roll back automobile gas mileage and pollution standards.Automakers wanted the government to relax the current standards, which were imposed by the Obama administration to combat climate change. They say the rules will cost the industry billions of dollars and raise vehicle prices.But environmentalists say the right technology is available to increase a car's gas mileage and building it into the car [...]

Mormon conference ushers in leaders as church faces scrutiny

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) " A Mormon conference this weekend in Utah will usher in a new era of church leadership that comes as the faith grapples with heightened scrutiny about its handling of sexual abuse reports and one-on-one interviews between local lay leaders and youth.Church President Russell M. Nelson will preside over the twice-annual gathering for the first time since taking office. Two new members will be chosen for an all-male top governing body.The Church of Jesus [...]

In Iowa's GOP ag epicenter, tariffs spark Trump skepticism

HOSPERS, Iowa (AP) " In Sioux County, where swine barns interrupt the vast landscape of corn-stubbled fields, exports of meat, grain and machinery fuel the local economy. And there's a palpable sense of unease that new Chinese tariffs pushed by President Donald Trump " who received more than 80 percent of the vote here in 2016 " could threaten residents' livelihood.The grumbling hardly signals a looming leftward lurch in this dominantly Republican region in northwest Iowa. But after [...]

The Latest: Doctor: Stephon Clark shot 7 times from behind

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) " The Latest on the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man by Sacramento police (all times local):11:37 a.m.A pathologist hired by attorneys for the family of an unarmed man killed by Sacramento police says an independent autopsy shows Stephon Clark was shot seven times from behind and took up to 10 minutes to die.Dr. Bennet Omalu told reporters Friday that Clark was shot in the right back side of the neck and had a cluster of wounds in the upper [...]

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to end email case

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to dismiss a case about emails the government wants as part of a drug trafficking investigation.In a motion Friday, the administration says the Cloud Act's passage as part of last week's spending bill resolves the case.The legislation updated a 32-year-old law governing how authorities can get electronic communications held by technology companies. The issue was whether Microsoft had to turn over emails [...]

Court: government can't block immigrant teens from abortion

WASHINGTON (AP) " A federal court in Washington told the Trump administration Friday the government can't interfere with the ability of pregnant teens in the country illegally and being held in federal custody to obtain abortions.The court issued an order Friday evening barring the government from "interfering with or obstructing" pregnant immigrant children in federal custody from accessing abortion counseling or abortions, among other things, while a lawsuit proceeds.Lawyers [...]

Kings support protesters marching over man shot by police

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) " The struggling Sacramento Kings find themselves in the national spotlight and it has nothing to do with another disappointing NBA season in their sparkling new two-year-old arena.Instead of looking ahead to the draft lottery as they wind down their 12th consecutive losing season, the Kings " like many nationwide " have turned their attention to demonstrators who have joined hand-in-hand on game nights to block entrances to the building.The wave of [...]

Actress Stacey Dash withdraws from California House race

LOS ANGELES (AP) " Actress turned conservative commentator Stacey Dash ended her campaign for a Southern California congressional seat on Friday, about a month after it began.The "Clueless" star said in a statement on her website that she believed the bitterness in politics and the rigors of campaigning and holding office would be detrimental to her family.Dash, a Republican, faced long odds in the heavily Democratic 44th District, which includes part of Los Angeles, the city [...]

Congresswoman, outspoken MeToo advocate, says she won't quit

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) " U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, an outspoken advocate for the #MeToo movement, has found herself in the awkward position of apologizing for not protecting female staffers in her Washington office who say they experienced violence, death threats and sexual harassment by her former chief of staff.She dismissed calls Friday to step down.The Democrat has issued press releases calling for tougher harassment protections for congressional staff and was among those [...]

Congressman files papers clarifying lobby registration dates

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) " A congressman who failed to disclose nearly $50,000 in political contributions while registered as a Washington lobbyist filed papers clarifying the date the registration was deactivated, his campaign said Friday.A spokesman for the U.S. Senate campaign of Republican Rep. Jim Renacci said a missing form setting Renacci's deactivation date as Aug. 1, 2009, was filed Thursday.The move came a day after The Associated Press reported there were five reporting [...]

US says Security Council approves new sanctions on NKorea

WASHINGTON (AP) " The United States said Friday it has secured the support of the U.N. Security Council for a new package of sanctions designations that target smuggling at sea by North Korea.Ambassador Nikki Haley said the North Korea Sanctions Committee, which comprises all members of the U.N.'s most senior decision-making body, unanimously approved designations of 21 shipping companies, one individual and 27 ships. She said it was the largest-ever set of U.N. designations against [...]

Facebook exec disavows his own provocative memo

NEW YORK (AP) " The author of a provocative Facebook memo declaring that growth is justified even if it costs lives says he doesn't actually agree with the memo and wrote it to provoke debate.The 2016 internal memo, titled "The Ugly," was leaked to BuzzFeed this week. In it, Facebook executive Andrew Bosworth said "all the work we do in growth is justified," even if it costs people their lives because they are exposed to bullies or die in a terrorist attack coordinated through [...]

Grand Canyon tests change in water system serving visitors

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) " Crews are drilling at the bottom of the Grand Canyon to test the idea of shifting the area where water is drawn to serve millions of people at the national park's popular South Rim.The park's water supply comes from a natural spring that flows through 12.5 miles (20 kilometers) of pipeline. But the 1960s aluminum pipeline to the South Rim twists and turns around trails and through rocky terrain, frequently breaking and leaking. Each repair costs an average of [...]

In private, Trump has mused about Syria pullout for weeks

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump's unscripted remark this week about pulling out of Syria "very soon," while at odds with his own policy, was not a one-off: For weeks, top advisers have been fretting about an overly hasty withdrawal as the president has increasingly told them privately he wants out, U.S. officials said.Only two months ago, Trump's aides thought they'd persuaded him that the U.S. needed to keep its presence in Syria open-ended " not only because the Islamic [...]

Facebook exec disavows his own his provocative memo

NEW YORK (AP) " The author of a provocative Facebook memo declaring that growth is justified even if it costs lives says he doesn't actually agree with the memo and wrote it to provoke debate.The 2016 internal memo, titled "The Ugly," was leaked to BuzzFeed this week. In it, Facebook executive Andrew Bosworth said "all the work we do in growth is justified," even if it costs people their lives because they are exposed to bullies or die in a terrorist attack coordinated through [...]

Oregon's rare loss from US tax law sets off political fight

SALEM, Ore. (AP) " President Donald Trump's tax overhaul is a short-term boon for most states, but one is set to miss out entirely: Oregon.Instead of a bonus, Oregon faces a loss of $217 million in the two years after the overhaul goes into effect, the largest of any state that has revealed its predictions. Democrats created a plan to avoid losing hundreds of millions of dollars, but Republicans are using it to try to make political inroads in this deep blue state.The [...]

Qatar, UAE spend heavily on lobbyists amid a war of words

WASHINGTON (AP) " A diplomatic crisis tearing at the Middle East has ignited a multimillion-dollar battle for influence in Washington between bitter rivals Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.Both countries spent heavily over the last year on lawyers, lobbyists, public relations and advertising to seek better trade and security relationships with the United States, according to disclosure records filed with the Justice Department.On Qatar's roster: Republican former U.S. [...]

The Latest: Cosby lawyers argue for trial delay

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) " The Latest on Bill Cosby's retrial on sexual assault charges (all times local):12:10 p.m.Bill Cosby's lawyers say his April 9 sex assault retrial should be postponed if prosecutors are allowed to bring in more witnesses in a bid to bolster the accounts of five additional accusers who've been allowed to testify.They argued in court papers on Friday that the 14 proposed supporting witnesses are irrelevant and would only further confuse and distract [...]

EPA chief paid $50 a night for DC condo linked to lobbyist

WASHINGTON (AP) " The head of the Environmental Protection Agency paid just $50 a night to stay in a Capitol Hill condominium linked to a prominent Washington lobbyist whose firm represents a roster of fossil fuel companies.EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt paid for a single bedroom in the building on a leafy street about a block from the U.S. Capitol, staying for about six months in 2017 during nights he was in Washington. Records show three units inside the building are listed as [...]

63 dogs seized from suspected dog fighting operation

ATLANTA (AP) " Federal agents have seized more than 60 dogs after discovering blood-stained carpet at the site of a suspected dogfighting pit in rural Georgia.Prosecutors say state troopers pulled over four vehicles March 17 and found a pit bull covered in blood.Authorities say the driver admitted to having just attended a dog fight in a remote part of Dodge County, about 140 miles (225 kilometers) southeast of Atlanta.Agents searched the scene and found 55 pit bull dogs [...]

Trump EPA expected to roll back auto gas mileage standards

DETROIT (AP) " The Trump administration is expected to announce soon that it will roll back automobile gas mileage and pollution standards that were approved during the Obama administration.It's not clear whether the announcement will include a specific number. Current regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency require the fleet of new vehicles to get 36 miles per gallon in real-world driving by 2025. That's about 10 mpg over the existing standard.Environmental groups [...]

SpaceX launches 10 Iridium satellites from California

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) " A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 10 satellites for Iridium Communications has blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.The rocket lifted off at 7:13 a.m. Friday and arced over the Pacific west of Los Angeles.The satellites are expected to be deployed into low Earth orbit about an hour after liftoff.The Falcon 9's first stage was previously launched on an Iridium mission last October and was recovered.The [...]

The Latest: Prosecutors want jurors to hear Cosby testimony

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) " The Latest on Bill Cosby's retrial on sexual assault charges (all times local):10:10 a.m.Prosecutors again want jurors to hear Bill Cosby's lurid deposition testimony about giving quaaludes to a string of women before sex.District Attorney Kevin Steele asked a judge Friday to let them read the testimony into the record at Cosby's April 9 sex assault retrial, just as it was at the first one that ended in a hung jury last year.Steele says the [...]

Facebook exec says he didn't agree with his provocative memo

NEW YORK (AP) " Facebook executive Andrew Bosworth says he didn't agree with a provocative memo leaked to Buzzfeed in which he describes the company's mentality to grow and connect people at all costs.Bosworth, who goes by "Boz," said on Twitter Thursday that he didn't agree with the post even when he wrote it. In the 2016 internal memo titled "The Ugly," he writes that "all the work we do in growth is justified," even if it costs someone their life because they are exposed to bullies [...]

North Carolina 'bathroom bill' saga lingers in election year

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) " It's been a year since the partial repeal of North Carolina's "bathroom bill" helped take the state off the national news.But the 2016 law hasn't been forgotten this year with Democrats seeking to retake control of the legislature. Republican incumbents are being targeted for pushing the law also known as HB 2. One GOP senator even has a May primary opponent who is focusing on this issue.The law said transgender people had to use public bathrooms matching [...]

EPA's Pruitt lived in DC condo connected to energy lobbyist

WASHINGTON (AP) " The head of the Environmental Protection Agency lived in a Capitol Hill condominium linked to a prominent Washington lobbyist whose firm represents a roster of fossil fuel companies.ABC News first reported Thursday that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt had been living in a building on a leafy street about a block from the U.S. Capitol. Records show three units inside the building are listed as belonging to a corporation co-owned by the wife of J. Steven Hart, the [...]

Brake failure, a blown tire? Search for clues in SUV wreck

  SAN FRANCISCO — Brake failure, a blown tire and factors such as the weather and road condition are among the factors that will be looked at by investigators trying to determine what caused an SUV carrying a Washington state family to plunge off a California cliff, but authorities might never figure out exactly what happened.Authorities don't know exactly when or how the SUV — which was discovered Monday — went over the cliff alongside a [...]

How the AP-NORC and MTV poll was conducted

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and MTV Youth Political Pulse poll of young Americans was conducted by NORC from Feb. 22-March 9 using NORC's Amerispeak Panel. It is based on online and telephone interviews of 1,027 teens and young adults age 15-34 who will be old enough to vote in the 2020 election.To select teens between age 15-17, adult panel members with children in that age group were selected from the panel and asked for permission to interview their [...]

AP-NORC/MTV Poll: Young people run from Trump

NEW YORK (AP) " A majority of young people believe President Donald Trump is racist, dishonest and "mentally unfit" for office, according to a new survey that finds the nation's youngest potential voters are more concerned about the Republican's performance in the White House than older Americans.The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and MTV found that just 33 percent of Americans between the ages of 15 and 34 approve of Trump's job performance. [...]

Trump loses a trusted aide, White House anxiety lingers

WASHINGTON (AP) " With a handshake and a presidential kiss on the cheek, Hope Hicks bid farewell to the White House, the press-shy communications director taking a rare moment in the spotlight on her final day in Donald Trump's administration.The Thursday exit of the president's most trusted aide, coming one day after yet another Cabinet departure, highlights continuing uncertainty among Trump aides and White House staff about who might be the next to go.Hicks departed the [...]

Kin of Japanese abducted to N. Korea want Trump's help

TOKYO (AP) " Families of Japanese nationals abducted to North Korea decades ago on Friday urged Japan's leader to persuade President Donald Trump to help win the abductees' release during his summit with North Korea's leader.Trump expects to meet Kim Jong Un by the end of May, though North Korea hasn't commented on the South Korean report that Kim wanted to meet Trump.Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit the U.S. in April for talks with Trump, likely after Kim's summit [...]

Taiwan suspect in US school attack plot had 'unusual ideas'

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) " People who knew the 18-year-old Taiwanese exchange student charged in the U.S. with threatening to shoot up his school say he liked guns and flamethrowers and had dreams of a police career.An Tso Sun, who has been jailed in the state of Pennsylvania, was "a child who really cares about things," said Cheng Wei-ting, who home-schooled Sun in Taiwan's capital, Taipei."He was an extremely simple and kind student, yet he would often have unusual ideas," Cheng [...]

Rare loss from tax law leads to political standoff in Oregon

SALEM, Ore. (AP) " President Donald Trump's federal tax overhaul is a short-term boon for most states, but one is set to miss out entirely: Oregon.Instead of a bonus, Oregon faces a loss of $217 million in the two years after the overhaul goes into effect, the largest of any state that has revealed its predictions. Democrats created a plan to avoid losing hundreds of millions of dollars, but Republicans are using it to try to make political inroads in this deep blue state.The [...]

Could enemies sabotage undersea cables linking the world?

WASHINGTON (AP) " Russian ships are skulking around underwater communications cables, causing the U.S. and its allies to worry the Kremlin might be taking information warfare to new depths.Is Moscow interested in cutting or tapping the cables? Does it want the West to worry it might? Is there a more innocent explanation? Unsurprisingly, Russia isn't saying.But whatever Moscow's intentions, U.S. and Western officials are increasingly troubled by their rival's interest in the 400 [...]

Cosby's defense strategy hinges on judge his team attacked

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) " Bill Cosby's lawyers first pressured the judge in his sexual assault retrial to quit, and now they are counting on him to make rulings critical to their plan to portray the accuser as a greedy liar who framed the comedian to get rich.Judge Steven O'Neill could rule as early as Friday on whether the defense can call a witness who claims Andrea Constand spoke about falsely accusing a celebrity before going to police with allegations Cosby drugged and molested her [...]

Stephen Reinhardt, liberal circuit court judge, dies at 87

LOS ANGELES (AP) " Judge Stephen Reinhardt, a liberal stalwart on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for nearly four decades, died Thursday in Southern California. He was 87.Reinhardt died of a heart attack during a visit to a dermatologist in Los Angeles, court spokesman David Madden said."As a judge, he was deeply principled, fiercely passionate about the law and fearless in his decisions," 9th Circuit Chief Judge Sidney Thomas said in a statement. "He will be remembered [...]

Kentucky lawmakers pass pension overhaul despite protests

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) " Republican lawmakers in Kentucky passed a pension overhaul Thursday that preserves benefits for most workers and does little in the short-term to address the state's massive debt.They did it in response to one of the worst-funded public retirement systems in the country and in defiance of a powerful teachers union that vowed political retribution.The 291-page proposal suddenly appeared Thursday afternoon. By 10:30 p.m., it had raced through the House and [...]

Protests block streets after funeral for man shot by police

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) " A standing-room-only crowd packed into a church Thursday to celebrate the life of a 22-year-old black man who was shot to death by Sacramento police, prompting angry protests in California's capital city and a resolve to force changes in police departments around the country.The musical and scriptural celebration of Stephon Clark's life was interrupted by his emotional brother Stevante, who hugged and kissed the casket, led the crowd in chanting his brother's [...]

Help wanted: Nudist campground searching for a lifeguard

FOSTER, R.I. (AP) " A Rhode Island nudist campground is looking for a lifeguard, and the uniform is cheap: nothing.The Providence Journal reports Dyer Woods Nudist Campgrounds' help wanted notice for a lifeguard this summer says qualified candidates must have "excellent communication skills" and the ability to "work as part of a team."Campground president Jim Johnson says the lifeguard can wear a swimsuit but it's not necessary.The campground offers swimming, hiking, [...]

Judge dismisses Exxon lawsuit against climate change probe

NEW YORK (AP) " A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit by Exxon Mobil aimed at stopping an investigation by New York and Massachusetts officials into whether the oil giant misled investors and the public about its knowledge of climate change and how the issue could affect its business."Exxon's allegations that the AGs are pursuing bad faith investigations in order to violate Exxon's constitutional rights are implausible and therefore must be dismissed for failure to state a [...]

Trump warns he may freeze SKorea trade deal for NKorea talks

RICHFIELD, Ohio (AP) " President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to hold up the trade agreement his administration finalized this week with South Korea in an effort to gain more leverage in potential talks with North Korea.Speaking on infrastructure in Ohio, Trump highlighted the recently completed renegotiation of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement. But he warned: "I may hold it up until after a deal is made with North Korea." The announcement comes as the two Koreas have [...]

EPA's Pruitt lived in DC condo connected to energy lobbyist

WASHINGTON (AP) " The head of the Environmental Protection Agency is reported to have lived in a Capitol Hill condominium linked to a prominent Washington lobbyist whose firm represents a roster of fossil fuel companies.ABC News reported Thursday that EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt has been living in a building about a block from the Capitol. Records show three units inside the building as belonging to a corporation co-owned by the wife of Steven Hart. He's the chairman and CEO of the [...]

After departures, West Wing anxiety lingers

WASHINGTON (AP) " Hope Hicks bid farewell to the White House on Thursday, the press-shy communications director taking a rare moment in the spotlight on her final day in Donald Trump's administration.But the exit of the president's most trusted aide, coming one day after yet another Cabinet departure, highlights continuing uncertainty among Trump aides and White House staff about who might be the next to go.Hicks departed the administration on her own terms and was given a [...]

Woman sexted with lawmaker, now she wants to replace him

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) " A woman with whom an Ohio state lawmaker exchanged sexual text messages has launched a campaign to unseat him and threatened to release more details about their relationship if he doesn't resign.The unusual faceoff between Republican Rep. Rick Perales, of Beavercreek, and nurse Jocelyn Smith, of Fairfield, has exploded out of nowhere just weeks before a May 8 primary.Perales acknowledges exchanging texts with Smith in 2015 that he describes as "flirtatious. [...]

Plaque honoring Jefferson Davis removed at Kentucky Capitol

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) " Statues of Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis have shared the same space in the Kentucky Capitol for more than 80 years, but only one of them was labeled a hero and a patriot " and it wasn't Lincoln.That changed earlier this month, when state officials secretly removed a plaque declaring the only president of the Confederacy to be a "Patriot-Hero-Statesman." State officials announced the removal Thursday, making Kentucky the latest state to alter Confederate [...]

Facebook's limits on using data brokers won't stop tracking

NEW YORK (AP) " Facebook's decision to stop working with third-party data collectors might earn it public-relations points, but it does little to protect your privacy. The social network still has more than enough data on your interests and hobbies to target ads with precision.The company will still tap browser and device IDs to track visits to third-party sites and apps. And it will have lots more information from your use of its service " everything from the businesses and hobbies [...]

Informant: Plot against Muslims began after Orlando attack

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) " A Kansas militia member started trying to recruit other members to kill Muslim immigrants after the 2016 attack on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, an FBI informant testified Thursday.Patrick Day told jurors that Patrick Stein called him a couple of days after the attack in which a man who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group killed 49 people in the Florida attack. He said Stein told him he was "ready to take action" against Muslims and wanted [...]

The Latest: Final prayers said for man killed by police

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) " The Latest on the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black man in Sacramento (all times local):12:57 p.m.Final prayers have been said at the funeral for an unarmed black man who was fatally shot by Sacramento police.Speakers at Thursday's service called for justice for 22-year-old Stephon Clark, who was shot in his grandparents' backyard by officers responding to a nighttime call of someone breaking car windows.The Rev. Al Sharpton told [...]

Emotional plea at Sacramento funeral to end police killings

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) " A standing-room-only crowd packed into a church Thursday to celebrate the life of a 22-year-old black man who was shot to death by Sacramento police, prompting angry protests and a resolve to force changes in police departments around the country.The musical and scriptural celebration of Stephon Clark was interrupted by his emotional brother Stevante, who hugged and kissed the casket, led the crowd in chants of his brother's name and interrupted speakers. The [...]

Facebook says it's making progress in election preparedness

NEW YORK (AP) " Facebook says it is making progress weeding out fake accounts and fake news on its service. The moves are aimed at preventing election interference ahead of the U.S. midterms.Samidh Chakrabarti, a product manager, said in a conference call Thursday that Facebook is using machine learning to block fake accounts before they spread misinformation, rather than wait for reports from users. Suspicious accounts are then reviewed by humans " similar to ways Facebook monitors [...]

Iowa man wins lawsuit over calling his hometown stinky

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) " An Iowa man threatened by city officials with legal action for saying on a website that his hometown smelled like "rancid dog food" has won a free-speech lawsuit.Josh Harms, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, filed suit in U.S. District Court earlier this month asking a judge to block Sibley officials from suing him. City officials said they'd sue if he didn't stop criticizing the odor problem from an animal food processing plant and [...]

Judge rejects trial demand in Stormy Daniels case

NEW YORK (AP) " A porn star who said she had an affair with President Donald Trump and is suing to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement so she can discuss the alleged relationship can't have a jury trial or question the president under oath because the request to do so is premature, a federal judge in Los Angeles ruled Thursday.Stormy Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, had been seeking to invalidate the non-disclosure agreement she signed days before the 2016 presidential [...]

A ribbit of hope: Panama frogs hop back after nasty disease

WASHINGTON (AP) " After years of silence, the rhythmic "dee, dee, deep" of frogs and toads are returning in parts of Panama.A deadly fungal disease devastated amphibians in Central America more than a decade ago, quieting some mountain streams. But new research shows evolution may have saved the day " and the frogs.In El Cope, Panama, at least four species disappeared including the red-striped Rio San Juan robber frog. Four other species lost at least 88 percent of their [...]

Pentagon silent on transgender policy released last week

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Pentagon is refusing to clarify portions of the Pentagon's recommendation on transgender troops and won't settle confusion about whether service members who have transitioned from one gender to another would be discharged under the proposed plan.Chief spokeswoman Dana White says pending litigation challenging President Donald Trump's order to ban transgender forces prevents her from answering even the most basic questions, including who was on the panel that [...]

Speaker Ryan is expected to seek re-election; will he stay?

WASHINGTON (AP) " Paul Ryan's future as House speaker has been such a topic of speculation that even the simple question of whether he will seek re-election to his Wisconsin seat remains secret.Officially, Ryan says he's still deciding. But a person familiar with Ryan's thinking told The Associated Press this week the speaker plans to file campaign paperwork and intends to win his seat.To do so, the Republican would have to fend off primary challengers, including one styled [...]

Source: Speaker Ryan to seek re-election, but will he stay?

WASHINGTON (AP) " Paul Ryan's future as House speaker has been such a topic of speculation that even the simple question of whether he will seek re-election to his Wisconsin seat remains secret.Officially, Ryan says he's still deciding. But a person familiar with Ryan's thinking told The Associated Press this week the speaker plans to file campaign paperwork and intends to win his seat. To do so, the Republican would have to fend off primary challengers, including one styled after [...]

Video games exhibition set for Philly's Franklin Institute

PHILADELPHIA (AP) " A touring exhibition that explores the evolution of video games and features more than 100 playable games has landed in Philadelphia."Game Masters " opens Saturday at The Franklin Institute and runs through Sept. 3.The exhibition is divided into sections that explore legendary arcade games, leading contemporary designers and the work of independent designers.It includes a selection of 20 classic and still-playable arcade machines from the 1970s and [...]

Lawyer for victim's family says matter with Uber 'resolved'

PHOENIX (AP) " The family of an Arizona woman killed when struck by an autonomous Uber vehicle apparently has reached a settlement with the company.Cristina Perez Hesano, an attorney for the daughter and husband of 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, disclosed no details and responded Thursday to inquiries by The Associated Press by saying only that the matter "has been resolved."Herzberg was killed March 18 as she walked her bike across a dark street in Tempe, a Phoenix suburb. [...]

Cosby judge rejects demand to step aside over wife's work

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) " The judge in Bill Cosby's sexual assault trial rejected demands Thursday from the comedian's defense lawyers that he step aside because his wife is a social worker and advocate for assault victims.Judge Steven O'Neill said at a pretrial hearing that he's "not biased or prejudiced" by his wife's work and that the assertion that he shares the same views as his wife or has let his rulings be influenced by her profession "is faulty, plain and simple."Cosby's [...]

Solved: Portrait of mystery high court justice identified

BOSTON (AP) " The mystery of the unknown justice has been solved.The man whose portrait has hung for years outside the chamber of the highest court in Massachusetts without anyone actually knowing who he was now has a name: Lemuel Shaw, who served as chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court from 1830 until 1860.In February, current Chief Justice Ralph Gants sought the public's help in identifying the man and received more than 40 educated guesses.Gants credits two [...]

Survivor of 10 years' captivity joins abduction alert group

CLEVELAND (AP) " One of three women who escaped a Cleveland home after being held captive for a decade has joined a child abduction alert system committee in northeast Ohio.Gina DeJesus was abducted and held captive for 10 years by Ariel Castro. She escaped Castro's house in May 2013 along with fellow captives, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight. Castro was sentenced to life in prison a few months later and hanged himself in his prison cell.WJW-TV in Cleveland reports that [...]

Barclays to pay $2 billion to US to settle mortgage suit

NEW YORK (AP) " Barclays has agreed to pay $2 billion in civil penalties to the U.S. government to settle a lawsuit alleging that it was involved in a fraudulent scheme to sell residential mortgage-backed securities.The announcement was made Thursday by the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn.The Justice Department sued the Britain-based Barclays Bank and several of its U.S. affiliates in late 2016 over the sale of risky mortgage-backed securities between 2005 and 2007. [...]

NASA astronauts go spacewalking days after reaching orbit

Two new arrivals at the International Space Station are out spacewalking less than a week after moving in.NASA astronauts Drew Feustel (FOY-stul) and Ricky Arnold floated out Thursday to install new antennas, replace a bad camera and remove jumper cables from a leaky radiator.Mission Control plans to complete the chores despite a late start due to spacesuit trouble. Feustel's suit failed three leak checks after he put it on, but passed on the fourth try. That put the astronauts [...]

Shooting suspect's brother pleads no contest to trespassing

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) " The brother of the suspected Florida high school gunman pleaded no contest Thursday to trespassing on the campus where the deadly rampage happened and was sentenced to time served and six months of probation.Judge Melinda Kirsch Brown also ordered Zachary Cruz to enroll in therapy, wear an ankle bracelet and said he cannot possess firearms or ammunition.The 18-year-old was arrested March 19 after police found him skateboarding at Marjory Stoneman [...]

Canadian teen wins $1K a week for life on 1st lottery ticket

QUEBEC CITY (AP) " A Canadian teenager who purchased her first lottery ticket to celebrate her 18th birthday hit the jackpot and will receive $1,000 a week for the rest of her life.The Canadian Press reports Charlie Lagarde was celebrating with a bottle of champagne and a $4 scratch-off ticket earlier this month when she hit the grand prize in the Gagnant a Vie lottery.She was joined by family and friends when she collected the first payment on Monday.She told lottery [...]

President Trump goes after a favorite target, Amazon

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump is going after Amazon again.Trump tweeted Thursday: "I have stated my concerns with Amazon long before the Election. Unlike others, they pay little or no taxes to state & local governments, use our Postal System as their Delivery Boy (causing tremendous loss to the U.S.), and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business!"Amazon shares dropped 4.4 percent Wednesday after Axios reported that Trump has wondered if there was a way [...]

Trump emerging from seclusion to promote infrastructure plan

WASHINGTON (AP) " Attempting a policy reset, President Donald Trump will push for upgrades to the nation's aging roads and bridges Thursday in his first public appearance since an adult-film actress claimed on national TV that they had sex months after his wife gave birth to his fifth child.Trump is visiting Richfield, Ohio, to sell Americans on his plan to use $200 billion in federal money to spur at least $1.5 trillion in spending over a decade to repair or replace highways, bridges, [...]

The doctor is in: White House physician nominated to lead VA

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump fired Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and nominated White House doctor Ronny Jackson to replace him following a bruising ethics scandal and a mounting rebellion within the agency.A Navy rear admiral, Jackson is a surprise choice to succeed Shulkin, a former Obama administration official and the first nonveteran to head the VA. Trump had been considering replacing Shulkin for weeks but had not been known to be considering Jackson for [...]

India sends notice to Facebook over alleged data breach

NEW DELHI (AP) " India's government has sent a notice to Facebook asking whether the personal data of Indian voters and users has been compromised by U.K.-based Cambridge Analytica or any other downstream entity.A similar notice was dispatched to Cambridge Analytica last week following media reports that it had misused data to profile Indians and influence their elections. The government set a Saturday deadline for Cambridge Analytica and April 7 for Facebook to respond to its inquiry. [...]

City on edge for funeral of man killed by Sacramento police

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) " California's capital city is on edge for the funeral of a 22-year-old unarmed black man killed by Sacramento police in his grandparents' backyard.The Rev. Al Sharpton plans to give the eulogy for Stephon Clark at Thursday's funeral at Bayside of South Sacramento church.He previously called it "an atrocity" that shows the urgent need for intervention against police misconduct and a thorough investigation into Clark's death.Some mourners at [...]

VA pick impressed Trump when he gave glowing health report

WASHINGTON (AP) " Ronny Jackson passed his screen test with President Donald Trump before casting even began.Jackson, the president's personal physician and surprise choice to lead the massive Department of Veterans Affairs, stood before the White House press corps in January to announce the results of the president's first physical in a performance that showed he was quick-witted, hard to throw off-kilter and unfailingly complimentary of Trump.Marveling at the 71-year-old [...]

Kim family has made denuclearization vows in China before

WASHINGTON (AP) " An enigmatic North Korean leader takes a secretive train trip to China to affirm fraternal ties and declare a commitment to denuclearization.It sounds like Kim Jong Un's visit this week, but his father and predecessor Kim Jong Il made similar declarations on a trip to Beijing, months before he died in 2011. Yet North Korea's nuclear weapons development only speeded up.President Donald Trump expressed optimism Wednesday after the younger Kim's meeting with [...]

Cosby's legal team pressuring judge to quit, delay retrial

PHILADELPHIA (AP) " Bill Cosby's lawyers are expected to make a last-ditch effort on Thursday to postpone the comedian's sexual assault retrial by pressuring the judge to step aside after losing their bid to overturn his ruling allowing up to five additional accusers to testify.The defense first demanded Judge Steven O'Neill recuse himself last week, arguing in court papers that he could be seen as biased because his wife is a social worker who has described herself as an "advocate [...]

Thai beach from DiCaprio movie gets breather from tourists

BANGKOK (AP) " The daily hordes of tourists have exhausted the Thai beach made famous by the Leonardo DiCaprio movie.Authorities have announced Maya Bay, on Phi Phi Leh island in the Andaman Sea, will be closed to all visitors for four months annually starting this June to allow for the recovery of the battered coral reefs and sea life. The decision to keep visitors away was made Wednesday by Thailand's National Parks and Wildlife Department."It's like someone who has been [...]

Stormy Daniels seeking Trump's answers under oath

WASHINGTON (AP) " Cranking up pressure on the president, porn actress Stormy Daniels wants Donald Trump to answer her attorney's questions under oath about a pre-election payment aimed at keeping her quiet about their alleged tryst.If she's successful, it would be the first deposition of a sitting president since Bill Clinton in 1998 had to answer questions about his conduct with women.Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, is seeking sworn testimony from Trump and his personal [...]

Authorities: Mom tried to shift blame for deaths of children

SUPERIOR, Ariz. (AP) " The mother of two small children found dead after being left strapped in car seats in a vehicle tried to blame their deaths on someone else who was supposed to be watching them, authorities said Wednesday.A narrative of events released by the Pinal County sheriff's office says there is no proof for 20-year-old Brittany Velasquez's story that she dropped the children off with someone who was to care for them. That person's name is blacked out in the document. [...]

Official: Indicted Maryland lawmaker submits resignation

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) " A Maryland state senator facing federal bribery and obstruction of justice charges submitted a resignation letter Wednesday night.Sen. Nathaniel Oaks met Wednesday evening with Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller. Jake Weissmann, a Miller spokesman, said Oaks gave the Senate president a letter stating he was resigning effective 9 a.m. Thursday."That's all we have right now," Weissmann told reporters outside Miller's office after Oaks had left. [...]

Family famed for protest photo die when SUV goes off cliff

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " A family that gained attention for an emotional photograph of an African-American boy hugging a white police officer at a 2014 protest were killed when their SUV plunged off a scenic California highway, authorities said Wednesday as they asked for help figuring out what happened."We have every indication to believe that all six children were in there," Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allmon said, appealing for tips to retrace where the siblings and two parents had [...]

The Latest: Facebook ending ad targeting using outside data

NEW YORK (AP) " The Latest on Facebook's burgeoning privacy scandal (all times local):8:30 p.m.Facebook says it is shutting down a type of advertising product that allowed marketers to use data from people's lives outside of Facebook to target them on the platform.The information includes categories like home ownership and purchase history and is collected by some of the world's largest data brokers such as Acxiom, Epsilon and Experian.Facebook's product marketing [...]

Trump ousts Shulkin from Veterans Affairs, taps his doctor

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump fired Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin on Wednesday and nominated White House doctor Ronny Jackson to replace him in the wake of a bruising ethics scandal and a mounting rebellion within the agency.A Navy rear admiral, Jackson is a surprise choice to succeed Shulkin, a former Obama administration official and the first non-veteran ever to head the VA. Trump had been considering replacements for Shulkin for weeks, but had not been known [...]

Trump is hopeful, but some skeptical ahead of US-NK talks

WASHINGTON (AP) " An enigmatic North Korean leader takes a secretive train trip to China to affirm fraternal ties and declare a commitment to denuclearization.It sounds like Kim Jong Un's visit this week, but his father and predecessor Kim Jong Il made similar declarations on a trip to Beijing, months before he died in 2011. Yet North Korea's nuclear weapons development only speeded up.President Donald Trump expressed optimism Wednesday after the younger Kim's meeting with [...]

Baltimore: Ransomware attack hobbled city's dispatch system

BALTIMORE (AP) " A ransomware attack hobbled Baltimore's 911 dispatch system over the weekend, a city official confirmed Wednesday, prompting a roughly 17-hour shutdown of automated emergency dispatching.Earlier this week, Mayor Catherine Pugh's office didn't specify the nature of the cyberattack. But on late Wednesday afternoon, her chief information officer announced that it was caused by "ransomware perpetrators.""We were able to successfully isolate the threat and ensure [...]

3 kids sought after cliff crash kills parents, 3 siblings

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Searchers scoured the Northern California coast Wednesday for three missing children of a couple who were killed along with three of their other children when their SUV plunged off scenic Pacific Coast Highway onto rocks in the ocean.The California Highway Patrol said law enforcement officials in Oregon and Washington have been unable to locate the missing children of Jennifer and Sarah Hart at the family home in suburban Portland or with family members and [...]

Cynthia Nixon says public housing conditions 'devastating'

NEW YORK (AP) " "Sex and the City" star and governor's race candidate Cynthia Nixon visited a housing complex on Wednesday and said the conditions she saw were "devastating," in some cases resulting in death.Some residents hold umbrellas while using toilets under leaky ceilings. Moldy, insect-infested apartments need asthma machines. Holes in walls used by rodents don't get fixed for years, and broken boilers leave residents without heat or hot water.At Brooklyn's Albany Houses, [...]

Trump fires Veterans Affairs Secretary Shulkin

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump fired Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin by tweet Wednesday in the wake of a bruising ethics scandal and a mounting rebellion within the agency, and nominated White House doctor Ronny Jackson to lead the agnecy.A Navy rear admiral, Jackson is a surprise choice to lead to succeed Shulkin, a former Obama administration official and the first non-veteran ever to head the VA. Trump had been considering replacements for Shulkin for weeks, but [...]

White House claims win in Korea trade deal, faces skepticism

WASHINGTON (AP) " The White House on Wednesday hailed a revamped trade agreement with South Korea as a vindication of President Donald Trump's hard-nosed approach to international trade."It's a big deal and a major win for American workers and American businesses," said White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders.Many trade analysts are skeptical that the changes Trump's team negotiated to the six-year-old U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) will make a dent in America's [...]

Emails show Arizona governor's tight connection with Uber

PHOENIX (AP) " Emails released Wednesday between Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's staff and Uber executives shed new light on a cozy relationship between the first-term Republican and the company whose autonomous vehicle recently was involved in a fatal crash.The previously unseen emails released by the governor's office were first reported by The Guardian newspaper. They show that Ducey's staff worked closely with the company as it began experimenting with autonomous vehicles that the [...]

Shed a tear: Artist shutting down gigantic eye projection

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) " An artist who projected an image of a gigantic eye gazing over Main Street in New Hampshire's capital city is shutting it down after two years.Artist Tom Devaney created the projection of his right eye from his studio in Concord (KAHN'-kard). A few other eyes made guest appearances.Devaney tells the Concord Monitor he's making space for new works.The project caught the eye of passers-by and became quite the conversation piece. Devaney says it was [...]

Thousands of Ghanaians protest defense accord with US

ACCRA, Ghana (AP) " Thousands of people have marched in the streets of Ghana's capital to protest a defense cooperation agreement with the United States that was ratified by Parliament last week.Protesters gathered Wednesday with signs that said "Ghana not for sale." Many said they would continue protests until the government amends the agreement. Ghana and the U.S. have long had ties, but protesters say the new agreement gives the U.S. too much, and could make Ghana a target. [...]

Students walking against gun violence reach Paul Ryan's town

JANESVILLE, Wis. (AP) " Some Wisconsin students who took their demonstration against gun violence on the road have reached their destination " House Speaker Paul Ryan's home turf.About 50 students set out Sunday from Madison on their "50 Miles More" march. They reached their destination in Janesville on Wednesday and are demonstrating in a park for stricter gun laws. Ryan, a Republican who has opposed gun restrictions, is in the Czech Republic on an official visit.The students [...]

Residents of US territory American Samoa sue for citizenship

HONOLULU (AP) " John Fitisemanu, who works for a lab company in Utah, has paid U.S. taxes and been subject to American laws his whole life. But the 53-year-old father and husband isn't considered a U.S. citizen by the federal government because he was born in American Samoa, a U.S. territory and the only place in the country without automatic claim to citizenship. Now, he's suing to be recognized as an American.Fitisemanu is the lead plaintiff on a lawsuit filed Tuesday on behalf of [...]

Author Krakauer wins order for release of rape case records

HELENA, Mont. (AP) " A judge has ordered the conditional release of records about a University of Montana rape case to author Jon Krakauer after a four-year dispute that pitted student privacy against the public's right to know the decisions their government agencies make.But the legal wrangling likely isn't over yet, and the records' release to the public will be delayed beyond the judge's May 23 deadline if Montana Commissioner of Higher Education Clayton Christian appeals to the [...]

Girls can apply to take New Hampshire governor's job for day

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) " New Hampshire middle and high school girls have been invited to apply to take Republican Gov. Chris Sununu's (soo-NOO'-nooz) job for a day.Sununu on Wednesday announced the Governor for a Day competition as part of Women's History Month. Applicants must answer the prompt "If I were governor for a day, I would ... " via either a written response of fewer than 250 words or a one-minute video.Written responses can be emailed to GovernorForADay@nh.gov or sent [...]

Prosecutors: Nightclub shooter intended to attack Disney

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) " The Orlando nightclub shooter intended to attack Disney World's shopping and entertainment complex by hiding a gun in a stroller but became spooked by police and instead chose the gay club as his target, prosecutors said Wednesday.Prosecutors revealed those details during their closing arguments in the trial of Noor Salman, the widow of Pulse nightclub shooter Omar Mateen. Salman, 31, is accused of helping her husband in the attack that killed 49 people in 2016. [...]

The Latest: Jurors deliberating in nightclub attack case

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) " The Latest on the trial of a woman accused of helping her husband plan a mass shooting at a Florida nightclub (all times local):2 p.m.Jurors have started to deliberate in the trial of a woman accused of helping her husband plan a deadly nightclub attack.Federal Judge Paul Bryan released the jurors at 1:42 p.m. Wednesday to begin their discussions after 11 days of testimony.Noor Salman is charged with obstruction and providing material support [...]

Judge allows part of Trump emoluments case to proceed

WASHINGTON (AP) " A federal judge is allowing the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia to partially proceed in a lawsuit accusing President Donald J. Trump of accepting unconstitutional gifts from foreign interests.U.S. District Judge Peter J. Messitte ruled Wednesday that the two jurisdictions have legal standing to proceed in their lawsuit against Trump, but only with respect to his involvement with the Trump International Hotel in Washington. The judge agreed with the [...]

Bribery charges behind him, Menendez runs for re-election

UNION CITY, N.J. (AP) " Eschewing any mention of the corruption scandal that dogged him for years and put his political career in jeopardy, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez launched his bid for a third term Wednesday, telling a cheering gymnasium full of high school students that "I am here because I am your vote."The 64-year-old New Jersey Democrat is being challenged by Bob Hugin, a Republican political newcomer who formerly headed New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company Celgene. [...]

Astronomers baffled by distant galaxy void of dark matter

WASHINGTON (AP) " It's a double cosmic conundrum: Lots of stuff that was already invisible has gone missing.Astronomers have found a distant galaxy where there is no dark matter.Dark matter is called "dark" because it can't be seen. It is the mysterious and invisible skeleton of the universe that scientists figure makes up about 27 percent of the cosmos. Scientists only know dark matter exists because they can observe how it pushes and pulls things they can see, like stars. [...]

Zuckerberg plans to testify before Congress

NEW YORK (AP) " Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to testify before Congress about the company's privacy practices in coming weeks, according to a person familiar with the matter.This person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Zuckerberg is aware there is intense pressure on him to testify, this person said.Zuckerberg said last week in a CNN interview that he'd be "happy" to testify, but didn't commit to appear. Facebook is [...]

The Latest: Playboy leaves Facebook over privacy

NEW YORK (AP) " The Latest on Facebook's burgeoning privacy scandal (all times local):12:15 p.m.Playboy Enterprises says it's pulling its Facebook presence as the privacy scandal enveloping the social media service continues to grow.Playboy says it's been difficult anyway to "express our values" because of Facebook's strict content and policy guidelines, which include restrictions on nudity. Playboy says the alleged data mismanagement is the last straw.About 25 [...]

Trump: Good chance NKorean leader will do 'what is right'

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump said Wednesday there's "a good chance" that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will "do what is right for his people and for humanity" and make moves toward peace.In a pair of morning tweets, Trump says he received a message from Chinese President Xi Jinping that a meeting Xi had with Kim this week "went very well."Trump says that according to Xi, the North Korean leader "looks forward" to meeting the American president. The White House has [...]

The Latest: Pulse shooter's initial target was Disney site

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) " The Latest on the trial of a woman accused of helping her husband plan a mass shooting at a Florida nightclub (all times local):11:45 a.m.Prosecutors say the Orlando nightclub shooter intended to attack Disney World's shopping and entertainment complex by hiding a gun in a stroller but became spooked by police and chose the gay club as his target.Prosecutors revealed the new information during closing arguments Wednesday in the trial of the gunman's [...]

Case dropped against Michigan man after 45 years in prison

DETROIT (AP) " A Michigan man whose murder conviction was thrown out after he spent 45 years in prison will not face a second trial.Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Wednesday that she's dropping the case against Richard Phillips. She says he was the victim of false testimony by a key witness.Worthy says what happened to Phillips "was not justice at all."Phillips' murder conviction was thrown out last summer and he's been free since December. He'll likely be eligible for more [...]

Rep. didn't report $50K in donations as registered lobbyist

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) " U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci failed to disclose nearly $50,000 in political contributions while registered as a Washington lobbyist starting in the late 2000s, according to an Associated Press review of federal records.The AP review identified five reporting periods from 2008 to 2010 while the Ohio Republican was registered as a lobbyist when he either failed to file the required disclosure form or reported giving no political contributions when he had given. [...]

Zell Miller honored during state funeral at Georgia Capitol

ATLANTA (AP) " Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal became emotional as he thanked Zell Miller's family "for being a part of the fabric that has made our state great."Deal made the comments Wednesday at the Georgia Capitol, during a state funeral for the former U.S. senator and two-term Georgia governor.Miller died Friday at the age of 86 in his old family home in the north Georgia mountain town of Young Harris.He served as Georgia governor from 1991 until 1999 and was appointed to [...]

The Latest: Zuckerberg plans to testify before Congress

NEW YORK (AP) " The Latest on Facebook's burgeoning privacy scandal (all times local):11:30 a.m.Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to testify before Congress about the company's privacy practices in coming weeks, according to a person familiar with the matter.This person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Zuckerberg is aware there is intense pressure on him to testify, this person says.Zuckerberg said last week [...]

Carnival Cruise trades cruise for teen's Snapchat handle

PROSPET, Va. (AP) " Carnival Cruise rolled into a small Virginia town this week on the hunt for a local teen and his coveted Snapchat handle @CarnivalCruise.The company surprised 15-year-old Darian Lipscomb at his Prospect, Virginia, home Tuesday night after peppering the town with signs asking "Hey Prospect, does anyone know Darian?"The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports the company offered to trade Lipscomb a free trip for his family abroad its newest ship, Carnival Horizon, in [...]

Tesla: Crash was worsened by missing freeway barrier shield

DETROIT (AP) " A missing or damaged safety shield on the end of a California freeway barrier worsened the impact of a crash involving a Tesla SUV that killed a man last week, the electric car maker said on its website.The company also said in the statement that it doesn't know what caused the Model X to crash Friday on U.S. 101 near Mountain View, and it's also unsure if the SUV was operating on its semi-autonomous "Autopilot" system. Tesla said it's working with authorities to [...]

Kim, Xi portray strong ties after NKorea leader's China trip

BEIJING (AP) " With smiles and firm handshakes, North Korea and China used a surprise summit this week to show that despite recent tensions, Pyongyang still has a powerful backer and Beijing will not be sidelined in discussions about the fate of its unpredictable neighbor.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's secretive talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing " which were not confirmed until after his return home " appear aimed at improving both countries' positions ahead of [...]

Police alerted Arizona child protection about arrested mom

SUPERIOR, Ariz. (AP) " Police say they alerted Arizona child protection officials about a 20-year-old mother now being held on suspicion of killing her toddler son and infant daughter, but the state department says it did not find evidence of neglect or abuse.Brittany Velasquez was arrested after her two children were found dead in car seats inside a vehicle late Monday, parked outside the family's home in Superior, a historic hardscrabble mining town of about 2,900 people about 60 [...]

Thailand to give the beach from 'The Beach' movie a breather

BANGKOK (AP) " Authorities in Thailand have ordered the temporary closing of the beach made famous by the Leonardo DiCaprio movie "The Beach" to halt environmental damage caused by too many tourists.Maya Bay, on Phi Phi Leh island in the Andaman Sea, will be closed to all visitors for four months annually starting this June to allow for the recovery of the island's battered coral reefs and sea life. The decision to keep visitors away was made Wednesday by Thailand's National Parks and [...]

Ex-Cincy athlete says she was kicked off team due to photos

CINCINNATI (AP) " A former University of Cincinnati volleyball player is suing the school, saying she was kicked off the team for posting photos on Instagram that were "too sexy."Nineteen-year-old Shalom Ifeanyi (ih-fee-YAH'-nee) filed the lawsuit in federal court last week, alleging racial and sex discrimination by the university and volleyball coach Molly Alvey.Ifeanyi says she was removed from the team because she did not fit the description of a UC volleyball player. She [...]

Labs still lead but French bulldogs leap in popularity in US

NEW YORK (AP) " Americans still love Labrador retrievers, but the nation's flirtation with French bulldogs has reached new heights.Labs remain the country's most popular purebred dog for a 27th year, while German shepherds and golden retrievers have hung onto the second and third spots in new American Kennel Club rankings released Wednesday.But Frenchies hit a highest-ever No. 4, and German shorthaired pointers cracked the top 10 for the first time.___THE REST OF [...]

New service aims to follow users across multiple devices

NEW YORK (AP) " Visiting Subway's website on a personal computer might not seem to have anything to do with checking the NFL's app on a phone. But these discrete activities are the foundation for a new service to help marketers follow you around.Adobe, a company better known for Photoshop and PDF files, says the new initiative announced Wednesday will help companies offer more personalized experiences and make ads less annoying by filtering out products and services you have already [...]

Jersey man joins internet gambling, wins $194K on 1st spin

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) " A New Jersey man who signed up for internet gambling has won nearly $194,000 on his very first spin of an online slots game.Anibal Lopes, of Woodbridge, said he was bored after work Monday night, so he created an account on the playsugarhouse.com website on his smartphone.Choosing a slots game called Divine Fortune, the 33-year-old won its Mega Jackpot on his very first spin."I thought, 'This is not happening,' " he said. "I couldn't believe I [...]

Attorney for porn star seeks to depose Trump on payment

WASHINGTON (AP) " An attorney for an adult film star claiming a sexual encounter with President Donald Trump filed a motion Wednesday seeking to depose the president and his attorney.Michael Avenatti filed the papers in federal court in California. In the documents, he seeks to depose Trump and Trump attorney Michael Cohen about a $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels days before the 2016 presidential election.Avenatti wants to question each for "no more than two hours." In [...]

3 Facebook Messenger app users file lawsuit over privacy

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) " Three Facebook Messenger app users have filed a lawsuit claiming the social network violated their privacy by collecting logs of their phone calls and text messages.The suit, filed Tuesday in federal court in northern California, comes as Facebook faces scrutiny over privacy concerns.Facebook acknowledged on Sunday that it began uploading call and text logs from phones running Google's Android system in 2015. Facebook added that only users who gave [...]

Trump says Second Amendment won't be repealed.

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump says the Second Amendment will not be repealed.The president is making that pledge a day after retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens expressed a different view. Stevens wrote in The New York Times that repealing the Second Amendment would help Congress enact gun control measures."THE SECOND AMENDMENT WILL NEVER BE REPEALED!" Trump tweeted early Wednesday. "As much as Democrats would like to see this happen, and despite the [...]

SoftBank, Saudi Arabia announce massive solar power project

TOKYO (AP) " SoftBank Group Corp. Chief Executive Masayoshi Son announced Wednesday a $200 billion solar power project in Saudi Arabia, which promises to be the largest of its kind.The project is in cooperation with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a partner in the SoftBank Vision Fund, set up in 2016.The fund has already invested in companies in the U.S., India and Europe. The deal announced at a news conference in New York is the first major one in Saudi Arabia.Saudi [...]

Kim, Xi portray strong ties after N. Korean leader's visit

BEIJING (AP) " With smiles and firm handshakes, North Korea and China used a surprise summit this week to show that despite recent tensions, Pyongyang still has a powerful backer and Beijing will not be sidelined in discussions about the fate of its unpredictable neighbor.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's secretive talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing appear aimed at improving both countries' positions ahead of Kim's anticipated meetings with South Korean President Moon [...]

Orange County to join fight against California sanctuary law

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) " California and its Democratic-controlled Legislature have courted a reputation for leading resistance against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.But at the local level, there's a brewing backlash.On Tuesday, the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted to condemn the state's sanctuary law and to join a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit that contends it's unconstitutional.The law, Senate Bill 54, limits police cooperation with federal [...]

Chinese insurer founder tried for alleged fundraising crimes

BEIJING (AP) " The founder of the Chinese insurer that owns New York City's Waldorf Hotel went on trial Wednesday on charges of improperly raising billions of dollars from investors and abusing his position to benefit himself.Wu Xiaohui, chairman of Anbang Insurance Group, was detained last year. Regulators took control of privately owned Anbang in February following a multibillion-dollar global buying spree that prompted questions about its financial stability.The case added [...]

US, South Korea overhaul 6-year-old free trade agreement

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Trump administration said it has widened U.S. access to South Korea's car market while providing American manufacturers protection from South Korean imports.The United States and South Korea have reached an agreement to overhaul the 6-year-old U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, senior administration officials said Tuesday, confirming an announcement earlier in Seoul. President Donald Trump had called the original Korea pact a job killer.The new deal doubles [...]

Does Omarosa now bow down to Trump after criticizing him?

WASHINGTON (AP) " Omarosa Manigault Newman once predicted that "every critic, every detractor will have to bow down to President Trump." Now the question for the former White House aide and "Apprentice" contestant is whether that counts for her, too.Starring in another reality TV show after resigning from the West Wing, Manigault Newman unleashed one criticism after another of her longtime friend Donald Trump and former White House colleagues, testing the widely held view that few [...]

Dems fear immigrants will skip census with citizenship query

WASHINGTON (AP) " Democrats are worried that the Trump administration's decision to ask people about their citizenship in the 2020 Census will cause immigrants to avoid filling out the survey.That would have political consequences, diluting liberal representation for states that tend to vote Democratic and robbing many communities of federal dollars.The Congressional Research Service says not since 1950 has the census collected citizenship data from the whole population, rather [...]

Sen. Menendez leaves corruption case behind, seeks 3rd term

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) " U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez has put a federal corruption case behind him, and now he is taking aim at his Republican challenger, a wealthy former biopharmaceutical executive.The 64-year-old New Jersey Democrat announced he will begin his re-election campaign on Wednesday with stops in his hometown of Union City, outside of New York City, and at Rowan College in southern New Jersey.The two-term senator is being challenged by Bob Hugin, a Republican and political [...]

Maryland redistricting case comes before Supreme Court

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Supreme Court is taking up its second big partisan redistricting case of the term amid signs the justices could place limits on drawing maps for political gain.The justices are hearing arguments Wednesday in an appeal filed by Republicans in Maryland. They complain that Democrats who controlled the state government in 2011 drew a congressional district for the express purpose of ousting the Republican incumbent and replacing him with a Democrat.In [...]

APNewsBreak: American Samoans sue for birthright citizenship

HONOLULU (AP) " Meet John Fitisemanu, who works for a lab company in Utah, and has paid U.S. taxes and been subject to American laws his whole life. But the 53-year-old father and husband isn't considered a U.S. citizen by the federal government, because he was born in American Samoa, a U.S. territory and the only place in the country without automatic claim to citizenship. Now, he's suing to be recognized as an American.Fitisemanu is the lead plaintiff on a lawsuit filed Tuesday on [...]

Rogue waves hit Hawaii fishing vessel that sank, owner says

HONOLULU (AP) " The owner of a fishing vessel that sank off Hawaii over the weekend said Tuesday two massive rogue waves hit the boat, swamping it and forcing the crew to abandon ship.One wave hit the back of the of the 61-foot (19-meter) fishing vessel, the Princess Hawaii, and another hit the side, said owner Loc Nguyen in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. The boat was hundreds of miles off the coast of Hawaii's Big Island at the time."It was so big, they've [...]

Facebook accused of breaking New Zealand privacy law

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) " New Zealand's privacy commissioner said Wednesday that Facebook broke the law by not releasing information to a man who wanted to know what others were saying about him on the social network.Commissioner John Edwards said Facebook refused the man access to personal information that was held on the accounts of several Facebook users. Edwards said the company claimed it wasn't bound by New Zealand's privacy laws and didn't have to comply with a request [...]

Attorney general joins inquiry into fatal police shooting

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) " The California attorney general's office on Tuesday joined an investigation into the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black man in Sacramento, a move the police chief said he hopes will bring "faith and transparency" to a case that has sparked angry protests.City officials and community leaders called for calm as they announced the attorney general's involvement while Sacramento prepares for events memorializing 22-year-old Stephon Clark, where large [...]

Uber gives up autonomous vehicle testing rights in Calif.

DETROIT (AP) " Uber has decided to stop testing autonomous vehicles on California public roads by letting its state permit expire on Saturday without renewing it.If the ride-hailing service wants to return to the state, it will have to get a new permit and address any investigations into a crash involving one of its autonomous test SUVs in Arizona that killed a pedestrian, the California DMV said in a letter sent to the company on Tuesday."Any application for a new permit will [...]

Trump attends dinner in Virginia organized by super PAC

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump is attending a dinner in Virginia organized by a super PAC.America First Action President Brian O. Walsh says the group is "extremely honored" to be hosting Trump as their "special guest, along with supporters and friends" of the organization.The event on Tuesday night appears to be at the McLean home of real estate developer Giuseppe Cecchi and his wife, Mercedes. The Washington Post reported that Trump attended a fundraiser there in [...]

Hawaii committee calls for Obama statue in his birth state

HONOLULU (AP) " A state Senate committee in Hawaii is calling for a statue of former President Barack Obama to be erected in the state where he was born.The Senate Judiciary Committee voted unanimously Tuesday for a resolution requesting that the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts commission the statue.Obama was born in Honolulu and spent his formative years in the city.The resolution says the United States thrived during his presidency.The resolution [...]

Traffic stops for funeral of firefighter killed on movie set

NEW YORK (AP) " Traffic ground to a halt on Tuesday to make way for the funeral procession of a firefighter who was killed while dousing a blaze on the set of a new film starring Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Alec Baldwin and Willem Dafoe.St. Patrick's Cathedral was packed with thousands of firefighters from the city and around the country and the relatives and friends mourning Lt. Michael Davidson.Cardinal Timothy Dolan officiated at the funeral Mass for Davidson, a 37-year-old [...]

Kansas considers making schools liable for not arming staff

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) " Kansas schools that refuse to allow teachers to carry guns could be held legally responsible in the event of a tragedy under a proposal drafted after last month's mass shooting at a Florida high school.Opponents of the measure, which got its first hearing Tuesday in front of the House Insurance Committee, expressed concern it could effectively mandate arming teachers rather than allowing it, as several states have done."It would certainly open the door for [...]

Man charged with shipping explosives to military sites

SEATTLE (AP) " A Seattle area man suspected of sending suspicious packages to multiple government agencies and military installations around the nation's capital was charged Tuesday with shipping explosive materials.Thanh Cong Phan, 43, of Everett, was charged with one count of shipment of explosive materials in federal court in Seattle, where he made his initial appearance Tuesday.A complaint alleges that Phan shipped a vial containing black powder with a fuse on March 16 from [...]

Reports: Facebook's Zuckerberg to testify before Congress

NEW YORK (AP) " Published reports say Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is planning to testify before Congress about how his company collects and uses people's data.Citing unnamed sources, CNN said in a report Tuesday that Zuckerberg has "come to terms" with the fact that he'll have to testify in a matter of weeks. A Facebook representative said the company has received invitations to appear before congress and is talking to legislators but would not confirm Zuckerberg's attendance. [...]

Oklahoma lawmakers scramble to avert teacher walkout

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) " Pressure mounted Tuesday on the Republican-led Oklahoma Legislature to broker a deal on taxes to pay for hundreds of millions in new education spending and avert a threatened strike of teachers next week.The leader of the state's largest teacher's union said Monday's planned walkout over low pay and funding for schools could end up being more of a one-day celebration if lawmakers can approve a deal this week."Teachers will be here on April 2," said Oklahoma [...]

Appeals court finds Google infringed on Oracle's Java

MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) " A federal appeals court has overturned a decision in a long-running legal battle over whether Google infringed on Oracle's Java programming language to build its hugely popular mobile operating system, Android.The court said Google's use of Java was "not fair" and sent the case back to trial to determine damages.Oracle had originally sought $9 billion. The court said Android helped Google earn $42 billion in advertising revenue since the first Android [...]

Senator asks NRA to detail foreign donors, spending

WASHINGTON (AP) " A U.S. senator asked the National Rifle Association on Tuesday to turn over detailed internal records about foreign funding it received in the past three years and how it spent that money, including whether any of it went toward influencing American elections, according to a copy of the letter delivered to the powerful gun group's top lawyer.Sen. Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, released his request a week after NRA general counsel [...]

The Latest: California county to join US 'sanctuary' lawsuit

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) " The Latest on a proposal for Orange County to join a lawsuit over California's so-called sanctuary law (all times local):2:35 p.m.Leaders in Orange County, California, have voted to join a U.S. government lawsuit against the state over its so-called sanctuary law for immigrants living in the U.S. illegally.By a 3-0 vote, the all-Republican Board of Supervisors decided in closed session Tuesday to take the action.The vote comes a week after [...]

California county votes to join Trump's 'sanctuary' lawsuit

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) " Leaders of Orange County, California, voted Tuesday to join a Trump administration lawsuit against the state over its law aimed at protecting immigrants from stepped-up deportations.The all-Republican Board of Supervisors in the county of 3.2 million people made the decision in a closed 3-0 vote. It took place ahead of a raucous public debate about another proposal targeting the California law " whether to support an effort by the small city of Los Alamitos in [...]

Former Michigan State dean charged in Larry Nassar scandal

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) " The sexual abuse scandal at Michigan State University widened Tuesday when authorities charged a former dean not only with failing to keep sports doctor Larry Nassar in line but with sexually harassing female students and pressuring them for nude selfies.William Strampel, 70, is the first person charged since an investigation was launched in January into how Michigan State handled complaints against Nassar, who for years sexually violated girls and young [...]

Apple aims to school rivals with new iPad, education apps

CHICAGO (AP) " Apple wants to play a more prominent role in education, but it isn't willing to cut prices to make the grade.Instead, Apple is clinging to a thesis that has helped turn it into the world's most valuable company: Our products are more expensive, but they're worth it.On Tuesday, the company introduced a variety of features tailored for teachers and students while keeping the price for its cheapest iPad tablet unchanged, even as budget-strapped school administrators [...]

The Latest: Lawmaker says he feels misled on anti-porn bill

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) " The Latest on an effort to introduce bills that would require a filter for online pornography that could be lifted with a $20 fee (all times local):4:05 p.m.A Rhode Island lawmaker says he feels misled about who was supporting legislation he sponsored to require a filter for online pornography that could be lifted with a $20 fee.Democratic Sen. Frank Ciccone (chih-KOHN'-ee) pulled the bill Tuesday, a day after The Associated Press reported the [...]

California county urged to avoid Trump's 'sanctuary' lawsuit

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) " Leaders of Orange County, California, planned Tuesday to consider fighting a state law aimed at protecting immigrants from stepped-up deportations under the Trump administration.The backlash to the California's so-called sanctuary law comes a week after the small city of Los Alamitos in Orange County voted to opt out of the policy.The all-Republican supervisors of the Southern California county of 3.2 million people were expected to discuss passing a [...]

3 boys in Mississippi find part of mastodon jawbone

VICKSBURG, Miss. (AP) " Three boys have found a part of a mastodon jawbone while exploring family property in Mississippi.The Vicksburg Post reports that two brothers and a cousin made the discovery on plowed land near Bovina, a small community east of the Mississippi River.The newspaper says the three were on spring break from school when they found something they initially thought was a log, then saw that it had teeth.Lynett Welch, mother of the two brothers, says her [...]

Trump floats using military budget to pay for border wall

WASHINGTON (AP) " President Donald Trump is floating the idea of using the military's budget to pay for his long-promised border wall with Mexico.Trump raised the idea with House Speaker Paul Ryan at a meeting last week, according to a person familiar with the discussion who spoke on condition of anonymity.And he's tweeted that building "a great Border Wall" is "all about National Defense" and called to "Build WALL through M!", meaning the military.Departments have [...]

White House denies probe into loans to Kushner company

WASHINGTON (AP) " The White House denied Tuesday that senior adviser Jared Kushner is under investigation by the White House Counsel's office over possible ethical or criminal violations in connection with more than $500 million in loans made last year to his family real estate company.The head of the government's ethics agency had told a Democratic House member that White House lawyers had acknowledged they "had already begun the process" of looking into possible ethics and legal [...]

Michigan crowns winner in contest to prevent carp invasion

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) " The state of Michigan has declared a winner in its contest to find new ideas for preventing Asian carp from invading the Great Lakes.The top award of $200,000 in the "Carp Tank" competition goes to Edem Tsikata, a software consultant at Harvard Medical School in Boston.He proposed using specially designed propellers to generate a wall of bubbles that the fish would find noisy and painful, causing them to turn away.Tsikata suggested installing [...]

Mom arrested in deaths of baby, toddler found in car seats

SUPERIOR, Ariz. (AP) " The mother of a baby and a toddler was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder after the children were found dead in car seats inside a car and authorities discovered evidence of foul play, officials said Tuesday.Autopsies were being conducted to determine causes of death of the 2-year-old boy and 10-month-old girl and the Pinal County Sheriff's Office did not immediately disclose what evidence had been found.The mother was identified as Brittany [...]

The Latest: Zell Miller's casket arrives at Georgia Capitol

ATLANTA (AP) " The Latest on former Sen. Zell Miller's funeral (all times local):1:50 p.m.The motorcade carrying former Gov. and U.S. Sen. Zell Miller's flag-draped casket has arrived at the Georgia Capitol where he will lie in state until a state funeral Wednesday.Republican and Democratic state lawmakers lined up in front of the Capitol to pay tribute as the casket arrived. Gov. Nathan Deal and his wife led the procession into the building as bagpipes played. [...]

Lawmaker withdraws anti-porn bill, citing 'dubious origins'

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) " A proposal that would have required a filter for online pornography that could be lifted with a $20 fee was withdrawn Tuesday by a Rhode Island lawmaker who cited the "dubious origins" of the measure.Sen. Frank Ciccone said he pulled the bill after The Associated Press reported Monday that the legislation had been pushed around the country by a man with a history of outlandish lawsuits including trying to marry his computer as a statement against gay marriage. [...]

Waymo to buy 20,000 Jaguars for robotic ride-hailing service

NEW YORK (AP) " Self-driving car spinoff Waymo will buy up to 20,000 electric vehicles from Jaguar Land Rover to help realize its vision for a robotic ride-hailing service.The commitment announced Tuesday marks another step in Waymo's evolution from a secret project started in Google nine years ago to a spin-off that's gearing up for an audacious attempt to reshape the transportation business.The Jaguar deal will expand upon a fleet of self-driving cars that Waymo has been [...]

2 young children found dead in car seats in rural Arizona

SUPERIOR, Ariz. (AP) " Authorities say a baby and a toddler have been found dead in car seats in a vehicle in a rural Arizona community.Pinal County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Navideh Forghani says the children found in the vehicle at a home in the town of Superior were 2 years old and 10 months old.She said Tuesday there was no immediate information available on the circumstances of their deaths or if anyone had been arrested or detained.Forghani says autopsies will [...]

Post-Nassar sex-assault probe snares Michigan State official

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) " A sexual-abuse scandal at Michigan State University widened Tuesday as authorities charged a medical school official with failing to keep former sports doctor Larry Nassar in line and accused him of groping female students and storing nude student selfies on his campus computer.William Strampel, 70, is the first person charged since a broad investigation was launched in January into how Michigan State handled complaints against Nassar, who for years sexually [...]

The Latest: Ex-President Carter praises the late Zell Miller

ATLANTA (AP) " The Latest on former Sen. Zell Miller's funeral (all times local):12:10 p.m.Ex-President Jimmy Carter says former Georgia Gov. Zell Miller did more to help schoolchildren than perhaps any governor in American history.Carter is eulogizing Miller on Tuesday at an Atlanta church alongside two other former presidents, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Miller counted all three as personal friends. The former governor and U.S. senator died Friday.Carter [...]

Funeral honors firefighter killed in movie set blaze

NEW YORK (AP) " A New York City firefighter killed while battling a blaze on a movie set was hailed as a hero at his funeral Tuesday in the majestic St. Patrick's Cathedral.Cardinal Timothy Dolan, noting that Catholics are observing Holy Week, said that Fire Department of New York Lt. Michael Davidson gave his life for others, as Jesus did.The blood of Davidson " who hailed from a family of firefighters " contained "the DNA of the FDNY," Dolan said, and his name "radiates [...]

Zell Miller being remembered alongside 3 presidents

ATLANTA (AP) " Former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are sharing a pew and a pulpit Tuesday at an Atlanta church, where hundreds of mourners are remembering former Georgia Gov. and U.S. Sen. Zell Miller.The funeral at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church is the second of three public services for Miller, who died Friday at the age of 86."Zell Millers just don't come along very often," said the Rev. Bill Britt at the opening of the service, with [...]

NASA delays next-generation space telescope until 2020

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) " NASA has delayed the launch of its next-generation space telescope until 2020.Officials say they need more time to assemble and test the James Webb Space Telescope, which is considered a successor to the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope.The observatory was supposed to fly this year. But last fall, NASA bumped the launch to 2019. NASA announced the latest delay on Tuesday."We have one shot to get this right before going into space," said Thomas [...]

The Latest: Apple unveils pencil support for cheapest iPad

CHICAGO (AP) " The Latest on Apple's education event in Chicago (all times local):11 a.m.Apple is adding the ability to use a digital pencil to draw and write on its cheapest iPad model in an attempt to make the tablet more compelling for creating, teaching and learning.Apple's pencil previously worked only on its more expensive iPad Pro line.The company unveiled its latest iPad Tuesday in a Chicago high school to signal a renewed emphasis on education. Apple's [...]

Yucky ducky? Study reveals bath-time toy's dirty secret

BERN, Switzerland (AP) " Scientists now have the dirt on the rubber ducky: Those cute yellow bath-time toys are " as some parents have long suspected " a haven for nasty bugs.Swiss and American researchers counted the microbes swimming inside the toys and say the murky liquid released when ducks were squeezed contained "potentially pathogenic bacteria" in four out of the five toys studied.The bacteria found included Legionella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that is [...]

Police: Woman made lewd comments to Easter Bunny

MANSFIELD, Ohio (AP) " Police say an Ohio woman has been arrested for making lewd comments to an Easter Bunny.Authorities say they were called to Richland Carrousel Park in Mansfield on Saturday after the woman made the comments while taking a picture with the Easter Bunny. Police report she began to ride the carousel after making the comments.Arriving officers reported the 54-year-old appeared to be intoxicated, with slurred speech and unsteadiness on her feet.The woman [...]

Suspected drug kingpin charged with trafficking enough fentanyl to kill 10 million people

New York City, N.Y. — Authorities in New York have indicted a suspected Mexican drug kingpin they say was responsible for trafficking enough fentanyl to kill 10 million people. Authorities say the arrest of Francisco Quiroz-Zamora provides a window into how the powerful Sinaloa cartel moves drugs from Mexico to the United States. Quiroz-Zamora, a 41-year-old known as "Gordo," or the Fat One, has been charged with operating as a major trafficker, first-degree sale of [...]

Latest: Michigan State dean accused of storing nude photos

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) " The Latest on the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case (all times local):9:45 a.m.A Michigan State University official who oversaw a clinic where former sports doctor Larry Nassar worked is facing criminal charges for allegedly inappropriately touching a student and storing nude photos of female students on his work computer.William Strampel, who was dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine until late last year, was charged Tuesday with a felony, [...]

Expert says Brexit campaign used data mined from Facebook

LONDON (AP) " The computer expert who sparked a global debate over electronic privacy said Tuesday that the official campaign backing Britain's exit from the European Union had access to data that was inappropriately collected from millions of Facebook users.Christopher Wylie previously alleged that political consultancy Cambridge Analytica used data harvested from more than 50 million Facebook users to help U.S. President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign. Wylie worked on [...]

Retired justice urges repeal of Second Amendment

WASHINGTON (AP) " Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is calling for the repeal of the Second Amendment to allow for significant gun control legislation.The 97-year-old Stevens says in an essay on The New York Times website that repeal would weaken the National Rifle Association's ability to "block constructive gun control legislation."Stevens was on the losing end of a 2008 ruling in which the high court held that the Second Amendment gives individuals the right to [...]

Yucky ducky? Study reveals bath-time friends' dirty secret

BERN, Switzerland (AP) " Scientists have the dirt on rubber ducky: Those cute yellow bath-time friends are, as some parents have long suspected, a haven for nasty bugs.Swiss and American researchers counted the microbes swimming inside the toys and say the murky liquid released when ducks were squeezed contained "potentially pathogenic bacteria" in four out of five toys studied. The bacteria included Legionella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that "often implicated in hospital- [...]

Decision to add citizenship question to census draws protest

WASHINGTON (AP) " The 2020 U.S. Census will include a question about citizenship status, a move that brought swift condemnation from Democrats, who said it would intimidate immigrants and discouraging them from responding.The population count taken every 10 years is more than an academic exercise. It's required by the Constitution and used to determine the number of seats each state has in the House as well as how federal funds are distributed to local communities. It helps [...]

AP-NORC Poll: Trump benefiting from economic policies

WASHINGTON (AP) " A growing American economy and passage of a Republican tax overhaul appear to be helping President Donald Trump lift his approval ratings from historic lows, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.Trump remains unpopular with the majority of Americans, 58 percent. But 42 percent say they now approve of the job he's doing as president, up seven points from a month ago. That's a welcome change in trajectory for a White [...]

2020 census to add question on citizenship status

WASHINGTON (AP) " The Commerce Department says the 2020 U.S. Census will include a question about citizenship status, a move that brought a swift response by the California attorney general to oppose it.Commerce says in a press release issued Monday night that the citizenship data will help the Justice Department enforce the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority voting rights.But opponents say the question will discourage immigrants from responding to the census. A [...]

Police find burglar sleeping inside Connecticut home

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) " Police say they caught a suspected burglar snoozing inside a Connecticut home.Officers responded to the break-in around 7 a.m. Sunday in New Haven. The homeowner wasn't inside at the time, but she watched the suspect through a surveillance system.Police say they found the 27-year-old suspect sleeping on the living room sofa.He has been charged with third-degree burglary and first-degree criminal trespass.

McConnell looks to complete hemp's comeback as crop

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) " Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell wants a full pardon for hemp.The Kentucky Republican on Monday previewed legislation seeking to free the plant from its ties to marijuana and let it take root as a legitimate crop.Hemp " marijuana's non-intoxicating cousin " would be removed from the controlled substances list under the bill he's offering, McConnell said. The result would legalize hemp as an agricultural commodity."We're going to give it [...]

Naked Donald Trump statue going up for auction

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) " A statue of a naked Donald Trump is going on the auction block.Julien's Auction says the sculpture is the last statue remaining that was not vandalized or destroyed when it was displayed along with others in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Cleveland in the weeks before the Republican was elected president.The auction house estimates the statue, which was created by the West Coast anarchist collective INDECLINE, will sell for $20,000 to $30,000. [...]

Fight fire with fire: opponents borrow from Trump's playbook

WASHINGTON (AP) " Looking to get ahead in President Donald Trump's Washington? Borrow his media playbook.With suggestive statements, cryptic tweets, provocative lawsuits and must-see television interviews, Trump's adversaries are using some of his own tactics to grab " and keep " the spotlight. From adult film star Stormy Daniels to former FBI Director James Comey, each has become a must-see supporting character in the president's daily drama.At the moment, the most visible is [...]

Linda Brown, central figure in school segregation case, dies

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) " As a girl in Kansas, Linda Brown's father tried to enroll her in an all-white school in Topeka. He and several black families were turned away, sparking the Brown v. Board of Education case that challenged segregation in public schools.A 1954 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court followed, striking down racial segregation in schools and cementing Linda Brown's place in history as a central figure in the landmark case.Funeral officials in Topeka said Brown died [...]

How Facebook was able to siphon off phone call and text logs

The news that Facebook's Android app has been collecting call and text histories is yet another black eye for the social media giant. But just why was Facebook able to siphon off records of who its users were contacting " and when " in the first place?The short answer: Because Google let it. The longer answer: Well, it's complicated.The social network acknowledged on Sunday that it began uploading call and text logs from phones running Google's Android system in 2015 " first [...]

Co-owner of water park company arrested over Kansas death

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) " A water park company's co-owner is expected to appear in court after his arrest in Texas in connection with a Kansas criminal case arising from a 10-year-old boy's waterslide death.Jeffrey Henry is being held without bond at the jail in Cameron County, Texas. A jail booking clerk says he'll remain there until a court appearance Tuesday.Henry's arrest Monday follows a Kansas grand jury's indictment last week of the Schlitterbahn park in Kansas City, Kansas, [...]

California county considers fighting state's 'sanctuary' law

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) " Leaders of Orange County, California, planned Tuesday to consider fighting a state law aimed at protecting immigrants from stepped-up deportations under the Trump administration.The backlash to the state's so-called sanctuary law comes a week after the small city of Los Alamitos in Orange County voted to opt out of the policy.The all-Republican supervisors of the Southern California county of 3.2 million people were expected to discuss passing a [...]

Michigan State official who oversaw Nassar faces charges

LANSING, Mich. (AP) " A Michigan State University official who oversaw Larry Nassar is facing criminal charges amid an investigation into the handling of complaints against the former sport doctor, who is in prison for sexually assaulting patients under the guise of treatment.William Strampel was in jail pending an arraignment Tuesday, Ingham County Sheriff Scott Wriggelsworth told The Associated Press. He declined to say what charges Strampel faces because the probe is being led by [...]

Apple looks to return to head of class in education market

CHICAGO (AP) " Apple is hoping to return to the head of the class in the competition to get high-tech products into U.S. classrooms.The trend-setting company is expected to provide more details about its renewed emphasis on education Tuesday at a Chicago high school. The curriculum may include a lower-priced iPad and a variety of services tailored for students ranging from kindergarten through high school.Apple is trying to regain ground lost to rivals Google and Microsoft [...]

Porn star's claim she was threatened disputed by White House

WASHINGTON (AP) " The White House is disputing adult film star Stormy Daniels' claim that she was threatened to keep quiet over her alleged affair with Donald Trump and said the president continues to deny the relationship.Daniels' detailed her allegations in a widely watched interview with "60 Minutes" that sparked new legal wrangling between attorneys for the porn star and the president's team. A lawyer for Michael Cohen, Trump's personal attorney, demanded that Daniels publicly [...]

Man who tried to wed laptop pushes anti-porn bill across US

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) " A man who tried to marry his laptop in a legal fight against same-sex marriage is promoting legislation across the country to require a filter to block pornography and human trafficking websites that would be lifted if a user pays $20.The measure pushed by Chris Sevier has been described as the "Elizabeth Smart Law" after the girl who was kidnapped from her Utah home as a teenager in 2002. But Smart wants nothing to do with it, and has sent a cease-and-desist [...]

World Video Game Hall of Fame to announce 2018 finalists

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) " The World Video Game Hall of Fame is set to announce the finalists for the class of 2018.The list will be revealed on Tuesday at The Strong museum in Rochester, New York, where the hall of fame is housed.The winners will be inducted on May 3.Electronic games of all types " arcade, console, computer, handheld and mobile " are eligible for entry into the World Video Game Hall of Fame. Anyone can nominate a game and a 27-member international committee [...]

Funeral for NYC firefighter killed battling movie set blaze

NEW YORK (AP) " Mourners are set to gather in New York City for the funeral of a firefighter who was killed while battling a blaze on a movie set.Tuesday's funeral for Michael Davidson will be held at St. Patrick's Cathedral.Davidson died early Friday from smoke inhalation. The 15-year veteran had been fighting a fire in the basement of a Harlem building where a movie starring Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Willem Dafoe and Alec Baldwin was being filmed.On Saturday, city [...]

'Truly alarming': No babies for endangered right whales

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) " The winter calving season for critically endangered right whales has nearly ended with zero newborns spotted in the past four months " a reproductive drought that scientists who study the fragile species haven't seen in three decades.Survey flights to look for mother-and-calf pairs off the Atlantic coasts of Georgia and Florida are scheduled to wrap up when the month ends Saturday. Right whales typically give birth off the southeastern U.S. seacoast between [...]

In-N-Out Burger seeks restraining order against prankster

LOS ANGELES (AP) " In-N-Out Burger is seeking a restraining order against an online prankster who posed as the company's CEO at two Los Angeles restaurants, argued with employees and in one instance took a hamburger from a customer, threw it to the ground and stepped on it, claiming it was "garbage."The California-based chain filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles last week requesting the order against Cody Roeder, who posts YouTube videos under the name Trollmunchies, the Orange County [...]

Arizona governor suspends Uber from autonomous testing

PHOENIX (AP) " Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey suspended Uber's self-driving vehicle testing privileges Monday in the wake of a pedestrian fatality in a Phoenix suburb last week.Ducey said in a letter to CEO Dara Khosrowshahi that video footage of the crash raised concerns about the San Francisco-based company's ability to safely test its technology in Arizona. He said he expects public safety to be the top priority for those who operate self-driving cars."The incident that took place [...]