Associated Press stories, Page 348
Biden says the Equal Rights Amendment should be considered ratified
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Friday that the Equal Rights Amendment should be considered a ratified addition to the U.S. Constitution, making a symbolic statement that’s unlikely to alter a decades-long push for gender equality. “It is long past time to recognize the will of the American people,” Biden...
What other apps can you turn to with TikTok ban just days away?
With a possible TikTok ban just days away, many U.S. users are looking for alternative social media platforms to help them keep up with pop culture or provide the type of entertaining videos that popularized the short-form video app. The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the federal law banning...
Trump’s swearing-in will move inside Capitol Rotunda because of intense cold
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of intense cold weather. “The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “There...
How to prepare for a TikTok ban, including how to save your content
TikTok has cemented itself as a quintessential entertainment app, offering everything from funny skits and makeup tutorials to social commentary and news. Without a sale to an approved buyer, the platform is expected to vanish from U.S. app stores by Sunday now that the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the the...
Fire at one of the world’s largest battery plants in California forces evacuations
MOSS LANDING, Calif. — A major fire burning Friday at one of the world’s largest battery storage plants in Northern California is sending up flames of toxic smoke, leading to the evacuation of 1,700 people and the closure of a major highway. The blaze in Moss Landing started Thursday. Fire...
Senate advances migrant detention bill that could be Trump’s 1st law to sign
WASHINGTON — The Senate is heading toward a final vote on legislation that would require federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft and violent crimes and give states power to challenge federal immigration policies, setting a new tone on immigration as Donald Trump enters the White House. Newly in...
Russia and Iran sign a partnership treaty to deepen their ties in the face of Western sanctions
MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, signed a broad cooperation pact Friday as their countries deepened their partnership in the face of stinging Western sanctions. Russian and Iranian officials say the “comprehensive strategic partnership treaty” covers all areas —- from trade and military cooperation...
Supreme Court upholds law banning TikTok if it’s not sold by its Chinese parent company
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Sunday unless it’s sold by its China-based parent company,holding that the risk to national security posed by its ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app or its 170 million users in...
Hundreds of dead sea turtles are washing ashore on India’s coast
BENGALURU, India — Over 400 endangered sea turtles have washed ashore on India’s east coast near the city of Chennai in the last two weeks in an event not witnessed in over two decades. Olive ridley turtles travel thousands of miles for ideal nesting conditions on India’s coast. But the...
He is credited with one of history’s most indelible photos. A new documentary questions who took it
It is one of the 20th century’s most memorable images: a naked girl, screaming, running from a napalm bombing during the Vietnam War. More than a half-century later, a new documentary is calling into question who took it — and the retired Associated Press photographer long credited for the photo...
Nintendo says its new Switch 2 console will be released in 2025
LOS ANGELES — Gaming giant Nintendo revealed its newest console Thursday in a highly anticipated announcement gamers had been waiting for since rumors of its release first spread years ago. But the initial reaction to the Nintendo Switch 2 was lackluster, and the company’s Tokyo-traded shares slumped 4.3% on Friday....
Tony Award-winning British actor Joan Plowright, widow of Laurence Olivier, dies at 95
LONDON — Award-winning British actor Joan Plowright, who with her late husband Laurence Olivier did much to revitalize the U.K.’s theatrical scene in the decades after World War II, has died. She was 95. In a statement Friday, her family said Plowright died the previous day at Denville Hall, a...
How Trump’s political and business interests will intersect in the White House
As he assumes the presidency for a second time, Donald Trump brings with him a broad expanse of business relationships and financial entanglements — and the possibility that those associations could influence his decision-making in the White House. Trump’s team dismisses such concerns. “President Trump removed himself from his multibillion-dollar...
Israel’s security Cabinet recommends approval of ceasefire in Gaza; deal is now with full Cabinet
JERUSALEM, Israel — Israel’s security Cabinet recommended approval Friday of a Gaza ceasefire deal after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed an agreement had been reached that would pause the 15-month war with Hamas and release dozens of hostages held by militants there. Netanyahu’s office Friday evening said the meeting of...
Biden got an Oval Office letter from Trump and may leave one in the desk himself. It’d be a first
WASHINGTON — Ronald Reagan probably didn’t realize he was starting a tradition when he wrote a note congratulating his successor and left it in the Oval Office desk drawer after two terms as president. He did that for George H.W. Bush, his successor and vice president of eight years. Bush...
Progressives are frustrated by Biden’s final-days warning of billionaire influence
NEW YORK — The Democratic Party’s left wing has warned for decades that America is moving toward an oligarchy in which a handful of billionaires controls much of the nation’s wealth and political power. President Joe Biden elevated such concerns from the Oval Office for the first time this week,...
Army expects to meet recruiting goals, in dramatic turnaround, and denies ‘wokeness’ is a factor
WASHINGTON — The Army expects to meet its enlistment goals for 2025, marking a dramatic turnaround for a service that has struggled for several years to bring in enough young people and has undergone a major overhaul of its recruiting programs. In an interview with The Associated Press, Army Secretary...
Biden sets record by commuting sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted on nonviolent drug charges
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced Friday that he was commuting the sentences of almost 2,500 people convicted of nonviolent drug offenses, using his final days in office on a flurry of clemency actions meant to nullify prison terms he deemed too harsh. The recent round of clemency gives Biden...
Fetterman was elected to challenge convention. Now, he’s challenging his fellow Democrats
HARRISBURG — When Democrat John Fetterman got elected to Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate seat, many backers hoped he’d challenge convention and the status quo. He did and has — just not in the way many had expected. Fetterman has broken with his party on some policy matters and warmed to President-elect...
Arkansas governor wants to revive state’s Medicaid work requirements under Trump administration
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday she wants to impose work requirements on some Medicaid recipients, hoping to revive and expand a restriction that was blocked by the courts but could get a new life under the Trump administration. Sanders’ comments come as fellow Republicans in...
Title IX memo throws wrench in plans for schools to pay NIL money directly to athletes
NASHVILLE — Plans for colleges to pay athletes directly for their name, image and likeness deals would run afoul of Title IX, the Department of Education said in guidance issued Thursday that adds more confusion to the shifting landscape in college sports. The nine-page memo from the department’s Office for...
Defending Australian Open champ Aryna Sabalenka advances
MELBOURNE, Australia — It wasn’t often pretty, but two-time defending Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka extended a few impressive streaks Friday while becoming one of the first players to advance to the fourth round of the year’s opening Grand Slam tournament. In a tougher-than-expected match, Sabalenka beat Clara Tauson, 7-6...
Texans bring DeMeco Ryans’ swarm defense into Kansas City
HOUSTON — When DeMeco Ryans became coach of the Houston Texans before last season, the two-time Pro Bowl linebacker brought his swarm defense with him. It’s an identity the Texans have embraced as they prepare for their second straight trip to the divisional round of the playoffs Saturday where they’ll...
Alex Ovechkin breaks the record for most goalies scored on, beating Leevi Merilainen to reach 179Video
OTTAWA, Ontario — Alex Ovechkin broke the NHL record for the most goaltenders scored on, beating Leevi Merilainen in overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 1-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. Merilainen became the 179th goalie Ovechkin has scored against, breaking a tie with Jaromir Jagr...
Texas judge says states can revive challenge to abortion pill access nationwide
The Texas judge who previously halted approval of the nation’s most common method of abortion ruled Thursday that three states can move ahead with another attempt to roll back federal rules and make it harder for people across the U.S. to access the abortion drug mifepristone. Idaho, Kansas and Missouri...
