Stories by Associated Press
Mike Pence Set to Launch His Presidential Campaign in Iowa Next Week
| Associated Press
Former Vice President Mike Pence will officially launch his campaign for the Republican nomination for president in Iowa on June 7, adding another candidate to the growing GOP field and putting him in direct competition with his former boss.
Here’s What’s In, What’s Out of The Debt Limit Bill to Avert US Default
| Associated Press
President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have been working the phones in an intense push to sell Congress on the 99-page bill that would suspend the nation's debt limit through 2025 to avoid a federal default while limiting government spending.
Study Finds 1 in 10 Get Long COVID After Omicron, Starts Identifying Key Symptoms
| Associated Press
Millions worldwide have had long COVID, with dozens of widely varying symptoms including fatigue and brain fog. Scientists still don’t know what causes it, why it only strikes some people, how to treat it -– or even how to best diagnose it.
From the Civil War to Today’s Mattress Sales, Memorial Day is Full of Contradiction
| Associated Press
Memorial Day is supposed to be about mourning the nation’s fallen service members, but it’s come to anchor the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend of discounts on anything from mattresses to lawn mowers.
Debt Ceiling Explained: Why It’s a Struggle in Washington and How the Impasse Could End
| Associated Press
The White House and House Republicans are working to reach a budget compromise before June 1, when Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said the country could run out of cash to pay the nation’s bills. A debt default would be potentially devastating for the U.S. and global economy.
Tina Turner, Unstoppable Superstar Whose Hits Included ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It,’ Dead at 83
| Associated Press
Tina Turner was an unstoppable singer and stage performer who teamed with husband Ike Turner for a dynamic run of hit records and live shows in the 1960s and ‘70s and survived her horrifying marriage to triumph in middle age with the chart-topping “What’s Love Got to Do With It.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Formally Launches 2024 Presidential Campaign to Challenge Donald Trump
| Associated Press
The 44-year-old Republican revealed his decision in a Federal Election Commission filing before an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk.
8 Tips for Parents and Teens on Social Media Use — From the US Surgeon General
| Associated Press
The U.S. surgeon general is calling for tech companies and lawmakers to take “immediate action” to protect kids’ and adolescents’ mental health on social media.
UPS Strike Looms in a World Grown Reliant on Everything Delivered Everywhere All the Time
| Associated Press
The 24 million packages UPS ships on an average day amounts to about a quarter of all U.S. parcel volume, according to the global shipping and logistics firm Pitney Bowes, or as UPS puts it, the equivalent of about 6% of nation’s gross domestic product.
20-Year-Old Lake Bluff Man Drowns After Getting Stuck in Alaska Mud Flats
| Associated Press
Zachary Porter, 20, of Lake Bluff, Illinois, was submerged Sunday evening as the tide came in, and his body was recovered Monday morning, Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Austin McDaniel told The Associated Press. A member of Porter’s group called 911 when they couldn’t get him out, but it was too late, authorities said.
Tim Scott Launches 2024 Presidential Bid Seeking Optimistic Contrast with Other Top Republican Rivals
| Associated Press
The Senate’s only Black Republican, Scott kicked off the campaign in his hometown of North Charleston, on the campus of Charleston Southern University, his alma mater and a private school affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
TikTok and Other Social Media Trends are Thrusting Performance Crimes Into the US Spotlight
| Associated Press
Unlike some social media-driven trends that seemingly disappear just as police get a handle on them, the car thefts have continued. Hyundai has tried to work with TikTok and other platforms to remove the videos, but as new ones surface fresh waves of thefts occur, illustrating the lingering effects of dangerous content that gains traction with teens looking for ways to go viral.
Debt Limit Talks Halted Again at Capitol as Republicans, White House Face ‘Real Differences’
| Associated Press
The Biden administration is racing to strike a deal with Republicans as the nation careens toward a potentially catastrophic debt default if the government fails to increase the borrowing limit, now at $31 trillion, to keep paying the nation’s bills.
Video Shows Chicago-Area Driver Fleeing Iowa Police With Officer on Hood, Roof of Car
| Associated Press
Dennis James Guider Jr., 29, of the Chicago area, was sentenced last week to up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a felony count of serious injury by vehicle.
All-Time NFL Great, Social Activist Jim Brown Dead at 87
| Associated Press
An unstoppable runner with power, speed and endurance, Brown’s arrival sparked the game’s burgeoning popularity on television. As Black Americans fought for equality, Brown used his platform and voice to advance their cause.
FDA Advisers Back RSV Vaccine for Pregnant Women That Protects Their Newborns
| Associated Press
RSV fills hospitals with wheezing babies each fall and winter, and the virus struck earlier than usual and especially hard in the U.S. this past year.
8-Year-Old Girl Dies in Border Patrol Custody in Texas, as Agency Struggles With Overcrowding
| Associated Press
The 8-year-old girl and her family were being held in Harlingen, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, one of the busiest corridors for migrant crossings. The girl experienced “a medical emergency” and emergency medical services were called.
Sam Zell, Billionaire Chicago Real Estate Investor and Former Tribune Co. Owner, Dies at 81
| Associated Press
Sam Zell, a Chicago real estate magnate who earned a multibillion-dollar fortune and a reputation as “the grave dancer” for his ability to revive moribund properties has died due to complications from a recent illness. He was 81.
Death Toll From Blinding Dust Storm Crashes on Interstate 55 Rises to 8
| Associated Press
More than 70 vehicles, including dozens of commercial vehicles and passenger cars, were involved in crashes May 1 along a 2-mile stretch of Interstate 55 in Montgomery County, 75 miles north of St. Louis.
BP Subsidiary Agrees to Record $40M Penalty and Pollution-Cutting Steps at Lake Michigan Refinery
| Associated Press
The 134-year-old refinery, located between Hammond, Indiana, and Chicago, is the biggest in the U.S. Midwest and sixth largest nationally. It processes about 440,000 barrels of crude oil daily, making a variety of liquid fuels and asphalt.
Minnesota Prosecutors Drop State Sex Charges Against R&B Singer R. Kelly, Citing Federal Convictions
| Associated Press
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said in a statement Tuesday that it believes her and that Kelly would likely be convicted if tried, but prosecuting him on charges that had been dormant since being filed in 2019 wouldn’t make a difference now that Kelly’s federal convictions could keep him in prison for the rest of his life.
Debt Ceiling Deal Possible by End of Week, McCarthy Says; Biden Cuts Short Upcoming Foreign Trip
| Associated Press
Crucial debt ceiling negotiations are still far from success, but a deal is possible by the end of the week, Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said after a brief meeting Tuesday with President Joe Biden and other congressional leaders.
Prosecutor Ends 4-Year Probe of FBI’s Trump-Russia Investigation with No New Charges but Some Harsh Criticism
| Associated Press
The report Monday from special counsel John Durham represents the long-awaited culmination of an investigation that Trump and allies had claimed would expose massive wrongdoing by law enforcement and intelligence officials. Instead, Durham’s investigation delivered underwhelming results.
Repelled by High Car Prices, Americans Holding on to Their Vehicles Longer Than Ever
| Associated Press
Since the pandemic struck three years ago, the average new vehicle has rocketed 24% to nearly $48,000 as of April, according to Edmunds.com. Typical loan rates on new-car purchases have ballooned to 7%, a consequence of the Federal Reserve’s aggressive streak of interest rate hikes to fight inflation.
Chicago Is Hosting the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday. Here’s How It Works
| Associated Press
The league will hold this year’s lottery Tuesday night in Chicago, with the winner getting the No. 1 pick and the chance to draft Victor Wembanyama. He is considered the best prospect in years — perhaps since LeBron James went No. 1 20 years ago.
See the Most Popular Baby Names Last Year and the Hit TV Show Impacting Trends
| Associated Press
The Social Security Administration released the annual list Friday. The agency tracks baby names in each state based on applications for Social Security cards, with names dating to 1880.
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