Stories by Associated Press

8-Year-Old Girl Dies in Border Patrol Custody in Texas, as Agency Struggles With Overcrowding

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Michael Jordan’s Famed ‘Dream Team’ Olympic Jacket Heading to Auction With Million Dollar Estimate

The red, white and blue Reebok jacket that Jordan — a Nike athlete — was forced to wear on the medal stand alongside the other members of USA Basketball’s first “Dream Team” at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics is headed to auction.

FDA Panel Backs Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

Federal health advisers said a decades-old birth control pill should be sold without a prescription, paving the way for a likely U.S. approval of the first over-the-counter contraceptive medication. Currently, a prescription is required in the U.S.

US Prices Stay High, Showing Inflation Pressures Persist

Prices increased 0.4% from March to April, the government said Wednesday, up from a 0.1% rise from February to March. Compared with a year earlier, prices climbed 4.9%, down slightly from March’s year-over-year increase.

Jury Finds Donald Trump Liable for Sexual Abuse, Awards Accuser $5M

The verdict was announced in a federal courtroom in New York City on the first day of jury deliberations. Jurors rejected advice columnist E. Jean Carroll's claims that she was raped, but found Trump liable for sexually assaulting her.

Blackhawks Win NHL Draft Lottery, Get to Pick Teen Phenom Connor Bedard

The Blackhawks won the lottery Monday night for the right to choose Bedard, the league’s most anticipated drawing since Connor McDavid in 2015. Bedard as a generational talent has drawn comparisons to McDavid and three-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time playoff MVP Sidney Crosby, whom he idolized growing up.

US to Propose New Rules for Airline Cancellations, Delays

The compensation would be in addition to ticket refunds when the airline is at fault for a flight being canceled or significantly delayed. It would give consumers in the United States protections similar to those in the European Union.

Why Are There So Many Mass Killings in the US? Families, Experts Seek Answers

Over the first four months and six days of this year, 115 people have died in 22 mass killings — an average of one mass killing a week. That includes the bloodshed Saturday at a Dallas-area mall where eight people were fatally shot.

King Charles III Crowned in Ancient Rite at Westminster Abbey

Trumpets sounded inside the medieval abbey at a service attended by more than 2,000 guests, including world leaders, aristocrats and celebrities. Outside, thousands of troops, tens of thousands of spectators and a smattering of protesters converged.

World Health Organization Downgrades COVID Pandemic, Says It’s No Longer Emergency

The U.N. health agency’s officials said that even though the emergency phase was over, the pandemic hasn’t ended, noting recent spikes in cases in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

April Sees 253K Jobs Added, Reflecting a Still-Resilient US Job Market

The unemployment rate dipped to 3.4%, matching a 54-year low, the Labor Department said Friday. The jobless rate fell in part, though, because 43,000 people left the labor force, the first drop since November, and were no longer counted as unemployed.

Former Proud Boys Leader Found Guilty of Jan. 6 Seditious Conspiracy

It’s a significant milestone for the Justice Department, which has now secured seditious conspiracy convictions against the leaders of two major extremist groups prosecutors say were intent on keeping Democratic President Joe Biden out of the White House at all costs. The charge carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

United Plans to Hire 15,000 This Year, With 3,800 Jobs in Chicago

United said 3,800 of its new jobs this year will be in Chicago, where the company is headquartered and runs a big operation at O’Hare International Airport. 

Fed Raises Key Rate to Highest Level in 16 Years, Hints It May Pause Amid Bank Turmoil

The Fed's rate increases since March 2022 have more than doubled mortgage rates, elevated the costs of auto loans, credit card borrowing and business loans and heightened the risk of a recession.

Blinding Dust Storm on Interstate 55 Causes ‘Crash After Crash,’ Killing 7 and Injuring Dozens

More than 70 vehicles, including dozens of commercial vehicles and passenger cars, were involved in crashes late Monday morning along a 2-mile stretch of Interstate 55 in Montgomery County, 75 miles north of St. Louis.

Why Hollywood Writers Are Striking and the Immediate Impact

Streaming and its ripple effects are at the center of the dispute. The Writers Guild of America says that even as series budgets have increased, writers’ share of that money has consistently shrunk.

Chicago-Born Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens’ Private Papers Open to Public

Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, who died in 2019, served on the court for nearly 35 years. In that time, the court decided cases on issues including abortion, affirmative action, presidential power, gun rights and the rights of prisoners held at the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention center.
 

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