Associated Press stories, Page 31
Airline adding bunk beds for economy travelers but bans snacks, smells and cuddling
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Sleep on a long-haul flight in economy class has always been a fantasy for many travelers. Air New Zealand will soon offer a solution that involves climbing into a triple-tier bunk bed wearing special socks. The airline will soon open bookings for four-hour stints in the...
IPC report finds that soaring oil prices threaten to deepen hunger in Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The number of people facing high levels of hunger in Haiti is expected to drop slightly, according to a new report released Thursday, but officials say the situation remains critical and that any small gains might soon be erased because of soaring oil prices linked to the...
Men caught competing in the women’s category of a prestigious South African marathon
JOHANNESBURG — Two men were disqualified from one of South Africa’s flagship marathon races after they finished in the top 10 of the women’s race in an example of cheating that has overshadowed the performance of honest runners. Their attempt at swapping bibs, which bear the identification numbers worn by...
House extends surveillance powers until April 30 after late-night revolt sinks GOP plan
WASHINGTON — The House early Friday approved a short-term renewal until April 30 of a controversial surveillance program used by U.S. spy agencies in a post-midnight vote after Republicans revolted and refused President Donald Trump’s push for a longer extension. GOP leaders rushed lawmakers back into session late Thursday with...
Ford recalls 1.4 million F-150 pickup trucks to fix a gearshift issue
Ford is recalling almost 1.4 million of its F-150 pickup trucks in the U.S. because of a gearshift issue that may lead to the loss of control of vehicles and increasing the risk of a crash. The automaker is aware of two injuries and one accident possibly related to the...
Trump and Iranian foreign minister say Strait of Hormuz is fully open
BEIRUT — U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran’s foreign minister said Friday that the Strait of Hormuz is now fully open to commercial vessels, as a 10-day truce in Lebanon appeared to hold. The truce offered a pause in fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group and could clear...
Trump draws Marie Antoinette comparisons as he leans into the gilded trappings of the presidency
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump had something urgent to address while flying back to Washington from his luxury Mar-a-Lago estate on a recent Sunday. It wasn’t the Iran war, nor the still-going partial government shutdown over Department of Homeland Security funding. He wanted to talk about a monumental issue of...
Trump bets his tax cuts will please Las Vegas voters on his swing West
LAS VEGAS — President Donald Trump is betting that the tax cuts he signed into law last year will resonate with voters in Las Vegas, where he highlighted his tax breaks for tipped workers in an appeal targeted at this year’s midterm elections. Workers who earn tips and overtime are...
Artemis II astronauts praise their moonship’s performance, especially the heat shield
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Artemis II astronauts who ignited a lunar renaissance gave high marks Thursday to their moonship, especially the heat shield, for its performance during reentry. In their first news conference since returning to Earth, the three Americans and one Canadian said their lunar flyby puts NASA...
Wanna bet? Washington steps up scrutiny of prediction markets
WASHINGTON — As the United States was preparing a daring mission to rescue an airman whose fighter jet was shot down by Iran, there was money to be made. Users on Polymarket, the world’s largest prediction market, could place bets on when the airman would be rescued. When Rep. Seth...
Cameras in courtrooms stir debate from baby Lindbergh kidnapping to O.J. and Charlie Kirk’s killing
From the Lindbergh baby kidnapping trial to O.J. Simpson’s double murder case, cameras in the courtrooms have long exposed the inner workings of some of America’s most spectacular criminal cases. Now calls to bar cameras from Tyler Robinson ‘s trial in the killing of Charlie Kirk is reigniting the debate...
Man accused of killing Charlie Kirk pushes to ban cameras from court
SALT LAKE CITY — The man accused of killing Charlie Kirk wants a judge to ban cameras from the courtroom and says live broadcasts of the prosecution are violating his right to a fair trial. Tyler Robinson is due in court Friday as his attorneys press their claims that biased...
A vaccine standoff and other key moments from RFK Jr.’s 1st congressional hearing in monthsVideo
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday faced federal lawmakers for the first time since September as he sought to defend a more than 12% proposed cut to his department’s budget and dodge arrows from angry Democrats along the way. In his testimony before the House Ways and Means...
Progressive Analilia Mejia takes New Jersey U.S. House special election, giving Democrats another win
DENVILLE, N.J. — Democrat Analilia Mejia won a New Jersey special election for the U.S. House on Thursday, defeating Republican Joe Hathaway on a message of standing up to President Donald Trump. Mejia, a former head of the Working Families Alliance who had support from Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders,...
Jet fuel supplies are lagging. What does that mean for airlines and travelers?Video
NEW YORK — A looming jet fuel shortage in Europe and Asia sparked by the Iran war and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz could further upend world travel within weeks if oil doesn’t start flowing again soon — meaning higher airfares and flight cancellations as the summer...
Trump rails against court decision that once again stalls his White House ballroom project
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump railed against a federal judge’s decision on Thursday that continues to block above-ground construction of a $400 million White House ballroom, allowing only below-ground work on a bunker and other “national security facilities” at the site. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s latest ruling comes in...
Federal agency approves concept for Trump’s plan for a Triumphal Arch in WashingtonVideo
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s design for the Triumphal Arch he wants built at an entrance to the nation’s capital moved a step forward Thursday after a key agency reviewed the proposal for the first time. One commissioner suggested changes, including removing a Lady Liberty-like statue and a pair of...
County prosecutor charges ICE agent with assault for pointing gun at people on Minneapolis highwayVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — A federal immigration agent accused of pointing his gun at occupants of a car after pulling alongside them on a Minneapolis-area highway is wanted on felony assault charges, Minnesota prosecutors said Thursday. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said she believes it is the first criminal case brought against...
Senate Republicans send Trump resolution to lift mining ban near Boundary Waters Canoe Area
Congressional Republicans have sent President Donald Trump a resolution that would lift a federal ban on mining near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, hoping to clear the way for a South American company to extract precious metals from the region’s pristine forests, lakes and bogs. House Republicans approved the...
Trump nominates Erica Schwartz, former deputy surgeon general, to serve as CDC director
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday nominated Erica Schwartz, a former deputy surgeon general, to be the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a social media post, Trump described Schwartz as “incredibly talented” and said, “She is a STAR!” The Atlanta-based CDC, which is...
House passes a bill to protect Haitian immigrants, in slap back to the Trump administration
WASHINGTON — In a rare bipartisan moment, the House passed legislation Thursday that would extend temporary protections for Haitian immigrants, a long-shot effort fighting back against President Donald Trump’s attempts to end the program. The bill, pushed forward by House Democrats with a group of Republicans over the objections of...
House rejects effort to withdraw U.S. forces from the Iran war as Republicans stick with Trump
WASHINGTON — The House rejected a resolution Thursday requiring President Donald Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from the war with Iran unless Congress authorizes military action. It was the latest such vote that fell short of passage as Republicans largely continue to support Trump’s operation. Democrats voiced concern that the...
QVC prepares for bankruptcy protection in the era of influencers, TikTok and Temu
NEW YORK — The owner of home shopping network pioneer QVC — which for years garnered the attention of millions of TV viewers looking for a deal on baubles and housewares, is planning to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. A filing about imminent bankruptcy protection by parent company QVC...
Tiger Woods’ lawyer vows to fight subpoena for prescription records in DUI case
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods ’ attorney intends to fight an attempt by prosecutors to subpoena the golfer’s prescription drug records following his arrest last month in Florida on suspicion of driving under the influence. Attorney Doug Duncan said this week in a court filing that Woods has a constitutional...
Trump rails against court decision that once again stalls his White House ballroom project
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump railed against a federal judge’s decision on Thursday that continues to block above-ground construction of a $400 million White House ballroom, allowing only below-ground work on a bunker and other “national security facilities” at the site. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s latest ruling comes in...
