Stories by associated press

Deb Robertson sits for a portrait at her Lombard, Ill. home, Thursday, March 21, 2024. (Charles Rex Arbogast / AP Photo)

‘I’m Dying, You’re Not’: Terminally Ill Patients Ask More States to Legalize Physician-Assisted Death

A bill moving through the Illinois legislature to allow certain terminally ill patients to end their own lives with a doctor’s help had made progress. Vermont and Oregon permit any qualifying American to travel to their state for the practice.

This Feb. 1978 photo shows Robert MacNeil, executive editor of “The MacNeil/Lehrer Report.” MacNeil, who created the even-handed, no-frills PBS newscast “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” in the 1970s and co-anchored the show for with his late partner, Jim Lehrer, for two decades, died on Friday, April 12, 2024. (AP Photo / FILE)

Robert MacNeil, Creator and First Anchor of PBS ‘NewsHour’ Nightly Newscast, Dies at 93

Robert MacNeil first gained prominence for his coverage of the Senate Watergate hearings for the public broadcasting service and began his half-hour “Robert MacNeil Report” on PBS in 1975 with his friend Jim Lehrer as Washington correspondent.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol, March 7, 2024, in Washington. Prosecutors say the man accused of starting a fire outside Sen. Sanders’ Vermont office has had past brushes with the law involving guns and a history of traveling from place to place. (AP Photo / Jose Luis Magana, file)

Man Accused of Lighting Fire Outside Bernie Sanders’ Office Had AK-47 Confiscated in Illinois Last Year

Security video shows Shant Michael Soghomonian throwing liquid at the bottom of a door opening into Sanders’ third-floor office in Vermont and setting it on fire with a lighter last Friday, law enforcement officials say. 

O.J. Simpson stands as he listens to Municipal Judge Kathleen Kennedy-Powell as she reads her decision to hold him over for trial on July 8, 1994, in connection with the June 12 slayings of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. (AP Photo / Eric Draper, Pool, File)

OJ Simpson, Fallen Football Hero Acquitted of Murder in ‘Trial of the Century,’ Dies at 76

Simpson earned fame, fortune and adulation through football and show business, but his legacy was forever changed by the June 1994 knife slayings of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles.

Arizona Supreme Court Justices from left; William G. Montgomery, John R Lopez IV, Vice Chief Justice Ann A. Scott Timmer, Chief Justice Robert M. Brutinel, Clint Bolick and James Beene listen to oral arguments on April 20, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo / Matt York, File)

Arizona Can Enforce an 1864 Law Criminalizing Nearly All Abortions, Court Says

Under the decision, a long-dormant law that predates Arizona’s statehood would take effect. It provides no exceptions for rape or incest, but allows abortions if a mother’s life is in danger. Enforcement can take effect in 14 days.

Former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he arrives for a GOP fundraiser, Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo / Lynne Sladky)

Appeals Court Rejects Donald Trump’s Latest Attempt to Delay April 15 Hush Money Criminal Trial

Justice Cynthia Kern’s ruling was the second time in as many days that the state’s mid-level appeals court refused to postpone the trial, set to begin next week, further narrowing any plausible path to the delay that Trump’s legal team has repeatedly sought.

The moon partially covers the sun during a total solar eclipse, as seen from Eagle Pass, Texas, Monday, April 8, 2024. (AP Photo / Eric Gay)

A Total Solar Eclipse Races Across North America as Clouds Part Along Totality

It promised to be North America’s biggest eclipse crowd ever, thanks to the densely populated path and the lure of more than four minutes of midday darkness in Texas and other choice spots. Almost everyone in North America was guaranteed at least a partial eclipse, weather permitting. 

President Joe Biden, center, arrives on Air Force One at Dane County Regional Airport for an event on student loan debt at Madison College, Monday, April 8, 2024, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo / Evan Vucci)

Biden Promotes ‘Life-Changing’ Student Loan Relief in Wisconsin Ahead of Chicago Campaign Event

President Joe Biden said Monday that college graduates would see “life-changing” relief from his new plan to ease debt burdens for more than 30 million borrowers, the latest attempt by the Democratic president to make good on a campaign promise that could buoy his standing with young voters.

Ragen Hatcher, a member of the Indiana House of Representatives from the 3rd district, poses for a photo at the Gary Sanitary District building in Gary, Ind., Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (Nam Y. Huh / AP Photo)

State Republicans Killed an Indiana City’s Lawsuit to Stop Illegal Gun Sales. Why?

Gary, Indiana, was among dozens of U.S. cities to sue major gun-makers and sellers in reaction to the out-of-control homicide rates and violent crime of the 1990s.

People wait at the 8th and Market PATCO station because of a suspension of service on PATCO, so that crews can check the tracks follwing an earthquake, Friday, April 5, 2024, in Philadelphia. (Jessica Griffin / The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

An Earthquake Centered Between NYC and Philadelphia Rattles Much of the Northeast

While there were no immediate reports of serious damage, officials were checking bridges and other major infrastructure, Amtrak slowed trains throughout the busy Northeast Corridor, and a Philadelphia-area commuter rail line suspended service out of what it said was “an abundance of caution.”

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper speaks Sept. 22, 2020, at the Pentagon in Washington. (AP Photo / Alex Brandon, File)

Former Donald Trump Officials Among the Most Vocal Opponents of Returning Him to the White House

As Donald Trump seeks the presidency for a third time, he is being vigorously opposed by a vocal contingent of former officials who are stridently warning against his return to power and offering dire predictions for the country and the rule of law if his campaign succeeds.

A security official walks in front of the entrance to the national headquarters of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on Jan. 23, 2014, in Washington. (AP Photo / Charles Dharapak, File)

Federal Report Finds 68,000 Guns Were Illegally Trafficked Through Unlicensed Dealers Over 5 Years

The guns were used in 368 shooting cases, which are harder to investigate because unlicensed dealers aren’t required to keep records of their sales that could allow federal agents to trace the weapon back to the original buyer.

Construction workers work in Mount Prospect, Ill., Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. (AP Photo / Nam Y. Huh, File)

Another Month of Robust US Job Growth Points to Continued Economic Strength

Friday’s report from the Labor Department also showed that the unemployment rate dipped from 3.9% to 3.8%. The jobless rate has now remained below 4% for 26 straight months, the longest such streak since the 1960s. 

Kansas City Chiefs fans gather outside Arrowhead Stadium before a NFL football game against the Oakland Raiders Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009 in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo / Ed Zurga, File)

When Voters Say ‘No’ to New Stadiums, What Do Professional Sports Teams Do Next?

he defeat Tuesday of a three-eighths cent sales tax to fund a new downtown Royals ballpark and renovate the Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium was almost assuredly not the end of the matter. Other teams and cities have faced similar setbacks, and that hasn’t slowed a wave of stadium construction underway across the U.S.

A Powerball lottery ticket is dipslayed seen inside a convenience store, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Kennesaw, Ga. An estimated $1.09 billion Powerball jackpot that ranks as the 9th largest in U.S. lottery history will be up for grabs Wednesday night, April 3. (AP Photo / Mike Stewart, FIle)

Powerball Jackpot Jumps to $1.23 Billion After Another Drawing Without a Big Winner

The jackpot, which now ranks as the eighth-largest in U.S. lottery history, has been growing for more than three months, reflecting the long odds of 1 in 292.2 million of winning the top prize. 

FILE - Menthol cigarettes and other tobacco products are displayed at a store in San Francisco on May 17, 2018. (Jeff Chiu / AP Photo, File)

Lawsuit Seeks to Force Ban on Menthol Cigarettes After Months of Delays by Biden Administration

The lawsuit is the latest effort to force the government to ban menthols, which are disproportionately used by Black smokers and young people. It comes amid growing concerns from advocates that the federal plan could be derailed by election-year politics.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks, Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at a rally in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo / Mike Roemer)

Prosecutors in Donald Trump’s Classified Documents Case Sharply Rebuke Judge’s Unusual and ‘Flawed’ Order

In an unusual order, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had asked prosecutors and defense lawyers to formulate proposed jury instructions for most of the charges even though it remains unclear when the case might reach trial.

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrates after defeating LSU in an Elite Eight round college basketball game during the NCAA Tournament, Monday, April 1, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (Mary Altaffer / AP Photo)

The Women’s NCAA Tournament Had Center Stage. The Stars, and the Games, Delivered in a Big Way

Millions of people — 12.3 million, the most to ever watch a women’s basketball game, according to ESPN — tuned in across America to watch the opener of an NCAA Tournament doubleheader that captivated fans like never before.

FILE - An Amazon Fresh grocery store is seen, Feb. 4, 2022, in Warrington, Pa. (Matt Rourke / AP Photo, File)

Amazon is Removing ‘Just Walk Out’ Technology From Its Fresh Grocery Stores in the US

The company’s well-known technology lets customers pay for items without standing in line and sends them receipts afterwards.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga throws against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 1, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo / Erin Hooley)

Shota Imanaga Stars in Major League Debut as Cubs Beat Rockies 5-0 in Wrigley Field Opener

Working in short sleeves on a cold, gray afternoon, Imanaga struck out nine in Chicago’s home opener. The Japanese left-hander, who signed a $53 million, four-year contract with the Cubs in January, allowed two singles and walked none.

In this aerial photo, responders are seen near wreckage in the aftermath of a fatal, multi-vehicle pileup on I-55 in Manchac, La., Oct. 23, 2023. (AP Photo / Gerald Herbert, File)

US Traffic Deaths Fell 3.6% in 2023, the 2nd Straight Yearly Drop. But Nearly 41,000 People Died

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was the second year in a row that fatalities decreased. The agency also released final numbers for 2022 on Monday, saying that 42,514 people died in crashes.

The Fishing Wars Memorial Bridge, which has been closed indefinitely since October 2023 after the Federal Highway Administration raised safety concerns, is shown Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Tacoma, Wash. (Lindsey Wasson / AP Photo)

The Baltimore Collapse Focused Attention on Vital Bridges. Thousands Are in Poor Shape Across the US

Iowa has the most poor bridges, followed by Pennsylvania, Illinois and Missouri, according to an Associated Press analysis.

FILE - Louis Gossett Jr. poses for a portrait in New York to promote the release of "Roots: The Complete Original Series" on Bu-ray on May 11, 2016. (Amy Sussman / Invision / AP, File)

Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black Man to Win Supporting Actor Oscar, Dies at 87

Louis Gossett Jr. broke through on the small screen as Fiddler in the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries “Roots.” He won an Oscar for his performance in “An Officer and a Gentleman” opposite Richard Gere and Debra Winger.

(WTTW News)

Man Charged With Murder, Attempted Murder in a Series of Stabbings in Rockford

Christian Soto, 22, has been charged with four counts of first-degree murder in a frenzied stabbing rampage that killed four people in a matter of minutes in Rockford.

No Labels Founding Chairman and former Sen. Joe Lieberman speaks in Washington on Jan. 18, 2024. (AP Photo / Jose Luis Magana, File)

Former Sen. Joe Lieberman, Democrats’ VP Pick in 2000, Dead at 82

Lieberman died in New York City on Wednesday due to complications from a fall, the statement said. He was 82.

Hillary Amofa listens to others member of the Lincoln Park High School step team after school Friday, March 8, 2024, in Chicago. (Charles Rex Arbogast / AP Photo)

Should College Essays Touch on Race? Some Feel the Affirmative Action Ruling Leaves Them No Choice

When the Supreme Court ended affirmative action in higher education, it left the college essay as one of few places where race can play a role in admissions decisions. For many students of color, instantly more was riding on the already high-stakes writing assignment.