Associated Press stories, Page 321
Senators overseeing the military request an investigation at the Pentagon into use of the Signal app
WASHINGTON — The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee requested an investigation Thursday into how Trump national security officials used the Signal app to discuss military strikes, ensuring at least some bipartisan scrutiny on an episode President Donald Trump has dismissed as frivolous. Sen. Roger Wicker,...
At least 6 dead after submarine carrying tourists on a reef tour in Red Sea sinks off Egypt
CAIRO — A recreational submarine taking 45 tourists on an underwater cruise of coral reefs in the Red Sea sank off the Egyptian resort town of Hurghada on Thursday, leaving six Russians dead, the provincial governor said. The remaining tourists, more than two dozen of whom were injured, were rescued,...
Health and Human Services to lay off 10,000 workers, close agencies in a major restructuring
WASHINGTON — In a major overhaul, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will lay off 10,000 workers and shut down entire agencies, including ones that oversee billions of dollars in funds for addiction services and community health centers across the country. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. criticized...
Rubio visits Guyana as part of his Caribbean tour to promote energy independence and curb migration
GEORGETOWN, Guyana — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived Thursday in Guyana, the second leg of a three-nation tour of the Caribbean, as the Trump administration ramps up engagement in the Western Hemisphere to promote energy independence and curb illegal migration, drug trafficking and gang violence. Rubio was making...
Salman Rushdie’s 1st book of fiction since his stabbing will be published in November
NEW YORK — Salman Rushdie has a collection of novellas and short stories coming out this fall, his first published fiction since being stabbed repeatedly and hospitalized in 2022. Random House announced Thursday that Rushdie’s “The Eleventh Hour,” billed by the publisher as “five interlinked stories and novellas that explore...
Newly signed Russell Wilson says he expects to be the Giants’ starting QB this upcoming season
Russell Wilson has bounced around the NFL the past few years, a one-time Super Bowl winner suddenly without a consistent home while facing doubts and critics about his play. The 36-year-old quarterback is now officially at his latest stop after signing his one-year contract with the New York Giants on...
NATO clarifies comments that 4 missing U.S. soldiers had died during training in Lithuania
WARSAW, Poland — NATO on Wednesday clarified comments that Secretary-General Mark Rutte made earlier in the day, when he suggested that four U.S. soldiers who went missing while training in Lithuania had died, even though the U.S. Army said their fate was not yet confirmed. “The search is ongoing,” NATO...
Flyers fire coach John Tortorella in midst of another losing season
The Philadelphia Flyers fired coach John Tortorella on Thursday with nine games left in another losing season for a franchise that hasn’t been in the playoffs since 2020. The Flyers are last in the Metropolitan Division at 28-36-9 for 65 points under the notoriously brusque Tortorella. The Flyers suffered their...
North Korea sent 3,000 more troops to Russia, according to South’s assessment
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea sent around 3,000 additional troops to Russia in January and February in continued support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine, South Korea’s military said Thursday in its latest assessment. The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korea has also been sending...
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ cast includes Hemsworth’s Thor, Mackie’s Cap, Fantastic Four and original X-Men
LOS ANGELES — Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, Anthony Mackie’s Captain America, Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, Paul Rudd’s Ant-Man and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki are all back in the Avengers ensemble, where they’ll be joined by several of cinema’s original X-Men. The five veterans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are in the cast...
A Venus flytrap wasp? Scientists uncover an ancient insect preserved in amber that snatched its prey
NEW YORK — An ancient wasp may have zipped among the dinosaurs, with a body like a Venus flytrap to seize and snatch its prey, scientists reported Wednesday. The parasitic wasp’s abdomen boasts a set of flappy paddles lined with thin bristles, resembling “a small bear trap attached to the...
States move to ban or restrict use of synthetic dyes used in candies and cereal
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Synthetic dyes used to make brightly colored cereals, drinks and candies are coming under scrutiny in states across the country, where lawmakers say the federal government has stalled in taking action despite evidence of harmful effects. West Virginia, which ranks at the bottom in the U.S. for...
Trump says Signal chat isn’t ‘really an FBI thing.’ The FBI has a long history of such inquiries
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel was not part of a Signal chat in which other Trump administration national security officials discussed detailed attack plans, but that didn’t spare him from being questioned by lawmakers this week about whether the nation’s premier law enforcement agency would investigate. Patel made no...
The White House says nothing classified was shared on Signal. Democrats say that strains credulity
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration struggled Wednesday to stem the fallout from revelations that top national security officials discussed sensitive attack plans over a messaging app and mistakenly added a journalist to the chain. The White House said the information shared through the publicly available Signal app with Jeffrey Goldberg,...
Kansas measles cases double to 23 and new Ohio outbreak sickens 10
A measles outbreak in Kansas doubled in less than a week to 23 cases and has “a possible link” to outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico that have sickened more than 370, the state health department said Wednesday. And health officials in Ohio say a single case identified in Ashtabula...
Congressional Republicans target PBS, NPR funding in contentious hearingVideo
WASHINGTON — A House Republican pushing the Trump administration’s government efficiency efforts called for dismantling and defunding the nation’s public broadcasting system following a contentious hearing Wednesday featuring the heads of PBS and NPR. “We believe that you all can hate us on your own dime,” said Georgia Rep. Marjorie...
Turkish student at Tufts University detained, video shows masked people handcuffing herVideo
SOMERVILLE, Mass. — A Turkish national and doctoral student at Tufts University has been detained by U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents without explanation, her lawyer said Wednesday. Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, had just left her home on Tuesday night in Somerville when she was stopped, lawyer Mahsa Khanbabai said in...
Calipari embraces new Cinderella role with 10th seeded Arkansas in Sweet 16
SAN FRANCISCO — In an NCAA Tournament sorely lacking in Cinderella stories, coach John Calipari has the unusual role of being the closest thing to it. After routinely taking powerhouse teams in his first decade at Kentucky to the Sweet 16 and beyond, Calipari has surprisingly done the same in...
Players rocking T-shirts are everywhere in March Madness. Why? ‘It’s part of that dripper vibe’
Mouhamed Dioubate would love to tell you he had a good, practical reason to start rocking a compression shirt underneath his Alabama jersey. That it keeps his arms warm. That he loves the way it feels. That it’s a tribute to the old school days of Patrick Ewing and Chris...
Social Security Administration backtracks on some ID requirements after backlash
WASHINGTON — The Social Security Administration is partially backtracking on a plan that would require all new and existing beneficiaries to travel to a Social Security field office to verify their identity. The Social Security Administration on Wednesday said that people applying for Social Security Disability Insurance, Medicare, or Supplemental...
Now with Arizona, Caleb Love takes on Duke again
NEWARK, N.J. — He’s back. If there’s a single player Duke or any of its fans would love to not run into when the stakes are this high, Caleb Love would be that player. Love used to play for Duke’s biggest rival, North Carolina. Now he plays for Duke’s next...
Copper prices have soared as the U.S. threatens tariffs on the metal and China boosts its economy
NEW YORK — Copper prices have hit record highs as an ongoing trade war between the U.S. and its key trading partners threatens to squeeze supplies of the vital metal. Buyers in the U.S. have been stocking up on copper ahead of potential tariffs. Future prices for the base metal’s...
Appeals court won’t halt order barring Trump administration from deportations under wartime law
WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court refused Wednesday to lift an order barring the Trump administration from deporting Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under an 18th century wartime law. A split three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit wouldn’t block a March 15...
Trump places 25% tariff on imported autos, expecting to raise $100 billion in tax revenues
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday he was placing 25% tariffs on auto imports, a move the White House claims would foster domestic manufacturing but could also put a financial squeeze on automakers that depend on global supply chains. “This will continue to spur growth,” Trump told reporters. “We’ll...
West Virginia hires Ross Hodge of North Texas as men’s basketball coachVideo
West Virginia hired Ross Hodge of North Texas as its men’s basketball coach Wednesday. The 44-year-old Hodge replaces Darian DeVries, who left after one season for Indiana. Hodge agreed to a five-year deal. Terms of the contract weren’t immediately disclosed. “Ross Hodge is a proven winner and leader who has...
