Associated Press stories, Page 207
Consumer confidence plummets to covid-era low as trade war stokes anxiety
WASHINGTON — Americans’ confidence in the economy slumped for the fifth straight month to the lowest level since the onset of the covid-19 pandemic as anxiety over the impact of tariffs takes a heavy toll. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 7.9 points in April...
Decision looming for Trump administration on first PFAS drinking water limits
In pain so bad he couldn’t stand, Chris Meek was rushed to the hospital with a life-threatening ruptured gallbladder. When he emerged from surgery, he learned he had kidney cancer that thankfully hadn’t yet spread. Meek, a social studies teacher in Wilmington, North Carolina, was 47 at the time. But...
Disgraced Cardinal Becciu formally withdraws from participation in conclave to elect pope
VATICAN CITY — The Italian cardinal at the heart of the Vatican’s “trial of the century” announced Tuesday he was withdrawing from participating in the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope for “the good of the church,” ending days of drama that had overshadowed the proceedings. Cardinal Angelo Becciu’...
Chinese authorities say 22 people killed, 3 injured in restaurant fire in northern city of Liaoyang
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Chinese authorities say 22 people have been killed and 3 injured in a fire at restaurant in the northern city of Liaoyang. No word was given on the cause of the fire, which broke out shortly after noon, but images from the scene showed huge flames spurting...
How to save for short-term goals while keeping long-term ones in mind
You shouldn’t have to cross your fingers and hope for a strong stock market to coincide with your short-term goals. And right now, you probably wouldn’t want to. Because you’re working within a short time frame — think two to six years — investing for shorter-term goals like buying a...
’Nowhere to turn’: Small businesses dependent on imports from China are feeling more desperate
NEW YORK — Major orders canceled. Containers of products left stranded overseas. No roadmap for what comes next. The Trump administration raised tariffs on goods from China to 145% in early April. Since then, small business owners who depend on imports from China to survive have become increasingly desperate as...
Trump marks his first 100 days in office with a rally in Michigan, a state rocked by his tariffs
WARREN, Mich. — President Donald Trump is holding a rally in Michigan on Tuesday to mark the first 100 days of his second term, staging his largest public event since returning to the White House in a state that has been especially rocked by his steep trade tariffs and combative...
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberals win election upended by Trump
TORONTO — Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party won Canada’s federal election Monday, capping a stunning turnaround in fortunes fueled by U.S. President Donald Trump’s annexation threats and trade war. The Liberals are projected to win more of Parliament’s 343 seats than the Conservatives, though it wasn’t clear yet whether...
Rep. Gerry Connolly steps down as top Oversight Democrat, won’t seek reelection as cancer returns
WASHINGTON — Rep. Gerry Connolly of Virginia announced Monday he is stepping down as the top Democrat on the powerful House Oversight Committee and will not be seeking reelection next year because of his cancer returning, ending his long career in public life. “The sun is setting on my time...
Mexico, U.S. reach deal on Rio Grande water sharing
MEXICO CITY — Mexico and the United States said Monday they had reached an agreement that involves Mexico immediately sending more water from their shared Rio Grande basin to Texas farmers after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs and sanctions this month. “Mexico has committed to make an immediate transfer...
Trump celebrates Super Bowl champ Eagles at White House, but QB Jalen Hurts skips ceremonyVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump feted the 2025 Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles at the White House on Monday, but several players, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, decided to skip the celebration. Hurts and other players cited scheduling conflicts as the reasons for their absences, according to a White House official...
Vehicle smashes through Illinois building, killing 4 children and injuring others
CHATHAM, Ill. — A car smashed through a building Monday afternoon, killing four children and injuring several others during an after-school program in a small city outside of Springfield, Illinois, police said. Officers responded at about 3:20 p.m. to calls about a vehicle ramming through the building, fatally hitting four...
Reports: Ex-Steelers WR Diontae Johnson agrees to 1-year deal with BrownsVideo
CLEVELAND — Former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Cleveland Browns on Monday, according to multiple reports. Cleveland will be the fourth team that Johnson has been on in a year. He began last season with Carolina before being traded to...
Stronger Caitlin Clark gears up for 2nd WNBA season with IndianaVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark slapped the court with both hands and started gesturing in her side’s direction after forcing a 5-second call near the end of Tuesday’s practice. It was only Day 2 of training camp, yet this is what Clark has yearned for these past seven...
Amazon launches internet satellites to compete against SpaceX’s Starlinks
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Amazon’s first batch of internet satellites rocketed toward orbit Monday, the latest entry in the mega constellation market currently dominated by SpaceX’s thousands of Starlinks. The United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket carried up 27 of Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites, named after the frigid fringes of...
Amazon launches 1st internet satellites to compete against SpaceX’s Starlinks
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Amazon’s first batch of internet satellites rocketed toward orbit Monday, the latest entry in the mega constellation market currently dominated by SpaceX’s thousands of Starlinks. The United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket carried up 27 of Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellites, named after the frigid fringes of...
Storms with lightning, hail hitting upper Midwest with the potential for strong tornadoesVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — Storms with lightning and hail and at least one observed tornado were moving through the upper Midwest on Monday with the potential for strong tornadoes. The National Weather Service said the highest risks — a 4 on a scale of 1 to 5 — were in portions of...
Penn allowing transgender swimmer violated sex discrimination laws, Trump administration says
HARRISBURG — The Trump administration said Monday the University of Pennsylvania violated laws guaranteeing women equal opportunities in athletics by letting a transgender swimmer compete on the school’s women’s team and into team facilities. The administration’s statement does not name Lia Thomas, the transgender swimmer who last competed for the...
Woman charged with murder in stabbing of paramedic during ambulance ride to hospital
A woman pleaded not guilty Monday to fatally stabbing a Kansas City, Missouri, paramedic as she was being taken to a hospital in an ambulance. Shanetta Bossell, 39, was arrested Sunday after trying to drive off in the ambulance as others were tending to paramedic Graham Hoffman’s chest wound, according...
‘Exceptional’ power outage in Spain, Portugal affects millions of people
BARCELONA, Spain — An unprecedented blackout brought much of Spain and Portugal to a standstill Monday, stopping trains, cutting phone service and shutting down traffic lights and ATMs for millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula. Spanish power distributor Red Eléctrica declined to speculate on the cause of the power...
Wall Street: Stocks end day mixed with potential for big swings on horizon
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks drifted to a mixed finish on Monday, ahead of potential flashpoints this week that could bring more sharp swings for financial markets. The S&P 500 inched up by 0.1% to extend its winning streak to a fifth day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 114...
Ex-Justice Department prosecutor challenges his firing by the White House after Laura Loomer post
WASHINGTON — A former career Justice Department prosecutor is challenging his firing by the White House, saying it was for “unprecedented partisan and political reasons” and undermines a “bedrock principle” of the justice system after he was dismissed following a post by right-wing activist Laura Loomer. Adam Schleifer, an assistant...
Suspect in Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse theft charged in federal court
WASHINGTON — A man accused of stealing a purse from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was charged Monday in federal court with aggravated identity theft, robbery and fraud. Video captured Mario Bustamante Leiva taking Noem’s purse while she dined at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., on April 20 under the...
White House focuses on border crackdown as it marks 100 days for Trump’s second term
WASHINGTON — The White House on Monday opened a weeklong celebration of Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office by focusing on his border crackdown, an area of relative strength for the president at a time when there are red flags for him in the latest round of polling. Yard...
EPA is allowing the sale of cheaper, higher-ethanol E15 gasoline across U.S. this summer
TOPEKA, Kan. — Consumers across the U.S. still will be able to buy higher-ethanol blend E15 gasoline this summer, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday, saving them a little money at the pump but risking potential damage to the air and water. The emergency waiver issued by the EPA prevents...
