Stories by Associated Press

Trump Taking Longer to Approve Disaster Aid and Denying Democratic States More Frequently

Since taking office last year, President Donald Trump has approved about 65 requests for major disaster declarations and denied more than two dozen others from states, tribes or territories seeking federal financial assistance following hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, floods and fires.

Blanche Confronts Skeptical Questioning of Fund, Tax Deal for Trump During Attorney General Confirmation Hearing

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confronted skeptical questioning at a Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday about the creation of a fund to compensate allies of President Donald Trump.

Trump Administration Orders ICE to Suspend Most Vehicle Stops After Two Deadly Shootings

Trump administration officials told Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to suspend most vehicle stops after two deadly shootings within a week, people familiar with the decision said Tuesday.

Darline Graham Nordone, Sister of Lindsey Graham, Chosen to Fulfill Remainder of His US Senate Term

 Lindsey Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nordone, has been named as her late brother’s temporary replacement in the U.S. Senate after his unexpected death over the weekend.

Family Targeted in Mass Shooting That Left 5 Dead in Southern Illinois, Police Say

Five people were killed in a “targeted mass shooting” against a family in southwestern Illinois, police said.

Federal Appeals Court Upholds Illinois Ban on Semiautomatic Weapons, Overturning Lower-Court Ruling

The 2-1 appellate decision found that the Illinois law does not violate the Second Amendment, and its restrictions are “consistent with the principles that underpin our Nation’s tradition of firearm regulation.”

Ravinia Festival’s Hunter Pavilion Reopens After $70 Million Gut Renovation

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s summer home in Highland Park starts its season Saturday night with chief conductor Marin Alsop leading a program with pianist Yunchan Lim and flautist Lizzo.

Judge Orders E. Jean Carroll Be Paid $5.8M in Trump Sex Abuse and Defamation Case; Trump Appeals

The jury found President Donald Trump attacked writer E. Jean Carroll in 1996 in a department store dressing room, and defamed her after she publicly talked about it in a 2019 memoir during Trump’s first term.

Blackhawks Star Connor Bedard to Miss Start of the Season After Shoulder Surgery

Team physician Michael Terry said Connor Bedard is expected “to make a full recovery in an approximate timeline of four months.” The NHL hasn’t announced its regular-season schedule, but the Blackhawks played their first game last season on Oct. 7.

How John Denver’s ‘Country Roads’ Became the Soundtrack of the US Team’s World Cup Run

It’s become one of the enduring scenes of the U.S. team during this World Cup: jubilant U.S. players joining tens of thousands of fans in singing John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads.”

Did the Milk Expire? California Moves Away From ‘Sell By’ Food Labels to Cut Food Waste

Manufacturers selling food in California must now use two standardized labels — a “Best if Used By” label for peak quality and “Use By” label for product safety.

Top FBI Agent in Chicago Abruptly Leaving Post After Being Pushed to Retire, AP Sources Say

The head of the FBI’s Chicago field office is abruptly leaving his position, according to a resignation message he sent to colleagues and multiple people familiar with the situation who said he was told to retire.

The Onion’s New Parody of Alex Jones’ Infowars Starts With $100,000 to Sandy Hook Families

The satirical news site The Onion isn’t waiting to take possession of Infowars to launch a parody of Alex Jones ’ conspiracy platform.

‘Awesome.’ ‘Sad.’ ‘Let’s Keep Democracy Going.’ Americans Weigh In on State of a 250-Year-Old Nation

Across the United States, many Americans are celebrating their country’s 250th birthday by closing their ears to all the partisan shouting. Instead, in varied ways, they are tuning into their own personal concepts of America the Beautiful.

Norman Powell to Chicago Bulls in Another All-Star Move as Teams Continue Shaping Rosters

Norman Powell has agreed to a two-year deal that could be worth up to $45 million with the Chicago Bulls, a person with knowledge of the talks said Wednesday.

Nursing Gains ‘Professional’ Label for Student Loans After Judge’s Ruling, But Theology Now Dropped

Previously, graduate students had been able to take out federal loans up to the full cost of their degree. Trump officials pushed for new loan caps to rein in student debt and lower tuition prices that they said had grown out of control.

Supreme Court Upholds State Laws Banning Transgender Girls and Women From School Athletic Teams

The court’s six-justice conservative majority, which has repeatedly ruled against transgender Americans in the past year, ruled that state bans in Idaho and West Virginia don’t violate the Constitution.

Supreme Court Strikes Down Limits on Party Spending in Federal Elections, Backing Republican Appeal

The Supreme Court on Tuesday erased limits on how much political parties can spend in coordination with candidates for Congress and president, striking down a federal election law that is more than 50 years old.

Supreme Court Upholds Birthright Citizenship, Rejecting Trump’s Proposed Limits

The justices relied on a long-settled understanding of the 14th Amendment, adopted after the Civil War, and more recent federal laws in ruling that anyone born in the country, with very limited exceptions, is a citizen.

Supreme Court Says Fed’s Cook Can Keep Her Job for Now While Upholding Other Trump Firings

The Supreme Court on Monday dramatically expanded presidential power, upholding President Donald Trump’s firings of the heads of independent federal agencies with one important exception.

Supreme Court Rules States Can Count Late-Arriving Mailed Ballots, Rejecting Trump-Led Challenge

The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day, a persistent target of President Donald Trump.

Khadijah Farrakhan, ‘First Lady of Nation of Islam’ as Wife of Famous Pastor, Dies at 90

Khadijah Farrakhan, longtime wife of Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, died Saturday, the Nation of Islam has announced. She was 90.

988’s LGBTQ+ Hotline to Relaunch This Year. But the Group That Helped Start It Might Be Excluded

The Trevor Project, the leading nonprofit for suicide prevention in LGBTQ+ young people, may not be allowed to offer the service it had helped develop for the 988 Lifeline just a few years ago.

Disagreements Between Supreme Court Justices Bubble Into Public View as Major Rulings Loom

The Supreme Court is handing down major opinions at a rapid clip, but even with some of the biggest decisions yet to come there are signs of tension between the justices.

UN Agency Pauses Evacuation of Ships Through the Strait of Hormuz After Attack on Vessel

The U.S. and Iran are still debating terms of an interim peace deal, including issues such as getting ships through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf and addressing the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Supreme Court Ruling Blocks Thousands of Lawsuits Against Maker of Roundup Weedkiller

The Supreme Court sided with the maker of the Roundup weedkiller Thursday in a ruling expected to block thousands of lawsuits alleging it failed to warn people the product could cause cancer.
 

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