2034 World Cup would bring together FIFA’s president and Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed

GENEVA (AP) — The near certainty that Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 men’s World Cup unites two of the most influential men in world sports. There’s the leader of soccer’s governing body and the kingdom’s crown prince. Under President Gianni Infantino, FIFA has become increasingly involved in Persian Gulf nations looking to make their mark in global soccer. Critics call that involvement part of a hunger for money that risks the sport’s integrity. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for his part, has been spearheading a massive Saudi investment in athletics, including soccer and golf. Critics call that sportswashing — using athletic endeavors to clean an image. Saudi Arabia stands alone in the 2034 bidding contest after Australia declined Tuesday to enter a fast-track FIFA process.

Frustrated Big Ten coaches push for league to discipline Michigan for sign-stealing, AP sources say

There is mounting pressure on Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti to discipline Michigan and coach Jim Harbaugh for a sign-stealing scheme. Pettiti heard from frustrated and angry Big Ten coaches during a video call Wednesday, according to two people with knowledge of the meeting. The NCAA is investigating Michigan for impermissible in-person scouting. A Michigan staffer is alleged to have sent people to future opponents’ games for the purpose of video recording signals. The NCAA’s enforcement process is slow moving, but Big Ten bylaws provide the commissioner leeway to act on competitive integrity issues.

The NBA’s In-Season Tournament is finally set to begin, giving teams another trophy shot

The NBA’s In-Season Tournament starts Friday and runs through Dec. 9. Games will have a new look with brightly painted courts, and Commissioner Adam Silver finally has the second trophy that teams can play for. Group play games will be held every Tuesday and Friday in November except for Election Day when the NBA will take the night off. The semifinals are in Las Vegas on Dec. 7 and the title game is there two nights later.

Bochy adds to legacy with 4th World Series title, and 1st for Rangers, in his return to majors

The longer Bruce Bochy was away from baseball, the more he missed the game. And missed winning, too. Now, he has another World Series title to celebrate. The first season of Bochy’s return to the bench ended with the first championship in Texas Rangers history. The veteran manager added to the three World Series he won with the San Francisco Giants from 2010-14 before stepping down after the 2019 season. He is the sixth skipper to earn four titles, but the 68-year-old Bochy is the only one of them to take home championships with more than one team. He is the third manager to win the World Series in both the American and National Leagues.

Corey Seager earns second World Series MVP, joining Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson

PHOENIX (AP) — Corey Seager was voted the World Series Most Valuable Player after leading the Texas Rangers over the Arizona Diamondbacks for their first title. Seager joined Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson and Reggie Jackson as the only two-time World Series MVPs. He also won the award in 2020 for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Seager hit three two-run homers in the Series, then broke up Zac Gallen’s no-hit bid with a leadoff single and scored in the Rangers’ 5-0 victory in Game 5, giving Texas the World Series in five games.

Innovative motion offense a trademark of Bob Knight’s legacy

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Dusty May started his student manager career doing Indiana’s dirty work. Somehow between wiping up sweat, chasing rebounds and filling water bottles, he took enough mental notes to stake a coaching career on Bob Knight’s lessons. Those studies helped him take Florida Atlantic to its first Final Four. And while doesn’t run Knight’s trademark motion offense quite the way his mentor did, he saw no reason to chuck out the principles that helped the Hall of Fame coach win three national championships in 42 seasons.

Bills’ Damar Hamlin expects to be excited and emotional in return to Cincinnati

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin says he has nothing to worry about in preparing to return to Cincinnati for a game against the Bengals some 10 months since his near-death experience. Hamlin tells The Associated Press he’s thrilled while expecting to experience numerous emotions in returning to the stadium where he went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on Jan. 2. The 25-year-old enjoyed a remarkable recovery and completed a courageous bid to resume his playing career. Hamlin is not expected to suit up after being a healthy inactive in all but one of Buffalo’s eight games this season.

Clippers’ top brass says James Harden will make the sacrifices necessary to contend for a title

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Harden is a superstar joining a team already loaded with stars. The Los Angeles Clippers’ top brass believes he will thrive in their galaxy. Clippers coach Tyronn Lue says he isn’t sure when Harden will make his debut following the blockbuster trade that brought the 10-time All-Star and 2018 NBA MVP home to Los Angeles from the Philadelphia 76ers. But Lue believes that when Harden plays alongside Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook this season, all four will make the adjustments necessary to turn the Clippers into a prime contender for Harden’s first NBA title.

Raiders bench Garoppolo, try to move forward under interim coach Antonio Pierce

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Las Vegas Raiders fired offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi on Wednesday. Quarterbacks coach Bo Hardegree was promoted to offensive coordinator. Aidan O’Connell has replaced starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The chances came the morning after the club fired coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. Antonio Pierce is the Raiders’ interim coach and Champ Kelly the interim GM. Las Vegas hosts the New York Giants on Sunday. Pierce played for the Giants from 2005-09.

Iga Swiatek says female tennis players are united as they seek improvements from the WTA

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Iga Swiatek says she and other women’s tennis players are more united than in the past as they seek changes on the WTA Tour, including improvements to prioritize the athletes’ well-being. Swiatek said at the WTA Finals on Wednesday that players are not happy with some things. Some players recently outlined various concerns in a letter to WTA CEO Steve Simon and during two meetings with tour leadership. Among the topics were a guaranteed income and coverage for maternity leave and injury absences, along with an objection to a planned change in rules governing mandatory tournament appearances. Swiatek is a four-time Grand Slam champion who was ranked No. 1 until September.

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Maine mass killing suspect has been found dead, ending search that put entire state on edge

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — The man wanted in the mass shooting at a bowling alley and bar that killed 18 people and wounded 13 has been found dead, bringing an end to a search that put the entire state of Maine on edge for the last two days. Authorities say Robert Card was found dead Friday in Lisbon Falls, Maine. Commissioner of Maine Department of Public Safety Mike Sauschuck says Card was found at 7:45 p.m. near the Androscoggin River of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. He declined to provide a specific address. Card was a trained firearms instructor who recently had been treated for mental health issues.

Israel steps up air and ground attacks in Gaza and cuts off the territory’s communications

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli army says its ground forces are “expanding their activity” in the Gaza Strip, as it moves closer to a full-on ground invasion of the besieged territory. Internet and phone services collapsed Friday in Gaza under intensified Israeli bombardment, largely cutting off its 2.3 million people from the outside world and each other. Israel has amassed hundreds of thousands of troops along the Gaza border. The expected ground offensive is aimed at uprooting the Hamas militant group in response to its bloody incursion on  Oct. 7. Explosions from airstrikes lit up the Gaza sky Friday night. Casualties from new airstrikes could not be immediately known in the information blackout.

Live updates | UN calls for ‘humanitarian truce’ in Gaza as Israel expands activity in the territory

The Israeli military says its ground forces will expand their activities in Gaza. The announcement on Friday night came hours after Israel’s defense minister said the country expects to launch a long and difficult ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory. That same day, the U.N. General Assembly called for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza passed 7,300, and in the occupied West Bank, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack. Also, 229 people were taken hostage during the incursion and remain in captivity in Gaza.

Agreement reached for Biden-Xi talks, but details still being worked out, official tells AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to meet on the sidelines of next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. That’s according to a U.S. official familiar with the planning. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the two sides worked out an agreement in principle to hold a meeting during the summit. The agreement was worked out as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Friday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The official added that two sides have not worked out details on the exact day of the meeting, venue and other logistics.

Maine’s close-knit deaf community is grieving in the wake of shootings that killed 4 beloved members

FALMOUTH, Maine (AP) — Maine’s close-knit community of deaf and hard of hearing people is grieving in the wake of the Lewiston shootings that killed beloved members, many of whom were ardent advocates. The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf says Friday the shootings at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, killed at least four members of their community. The shootings killed 18 people in total and injured 13 others. The educational center is located on an island in Falmouth, Maine, and it became a site for grieving and sharing memories on Friday even though school was officially closed.

Families hunt for loved ones not heard from since Hurricane Otis pummeled Acapulco

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Desperate families are making missing posters and joining online groups to find loved ones out of touch since Hurricane Otis devastated the Mexican Pacific coast city of Acapulco. Officials say they are moving in supplies and getting people out of the devastated city of 1 million. Cell phone signals are returning to some parts of the city. Many residents are looking for relatives with the help of friends and relatives living in other parts of Mexico and the United States. They are sharing information and searching for the missing.

Pope orders Vatican to reopen case of priest accused of adult abuse but allowed to keep ministering

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has ordered the Vatican to reopen the case of a well-known priest-artist accused of sexually, psychologically and spiritually abusing adult women. The Vatican says Francis has removed the statute of limitations on their claims to allow a canonical trial to proceed. The announcement came just a day after the case of the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik again made headlines when a diocese in his native Slovenia confirmed it had welcomed him after he was expelled by his Jesuit order this summer. A Vatican statement said Pope Francis’ abuse prevention commission had flagged “serious problems” in the way the case was handled, prompting Francis to act.

Donald Trump is set to testify Nov. 6 in civil fraud trial. Daughter Ivanka also will testify

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is set to testify Nov. 6 in the civil business fraud case against him, following testimony from his three eldest children. State lawyers disclosed the schedule in court Friday, when the judge ruled that the former president’s daughter Ivanka also must take the stand. It was already expected that the ex-president and sons Donald Jr. and Eric would testify. But the timing became clear Friday. The schedule sets up a blockbuster stretch of the trial of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit. She alleges that the former president overstated his wealth for years on financial statements. The ex-president denies any wrongdoing.

A salty problem for people near the mouth of the Mississippi is a wakeup call for New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drought. Sea level rise. Dredging for cargo ships. Those are just some of the complex factors blamed for an inland flow of salt water from the Gulf of Mexico into the Mississippi River. Salty water was a problem for months for low-population communities at Louisiana’s southeastern tip. Fears that the salt water would reach the heavily populated New Orleans area have abated for now. But people in rural Plaquemines Parish say too little was done to help them. Meanwhile, New Orleans-area officials say long-rage plans are needed for the return of the salt water threat.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Israel steps up air and ground attacks in Gaza and cuts off the territory’s communications

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli army says its ground forces are “expanding their activity” in the Gaza Strip, as it moves closer to a full-on ground invasion of the besieged territory. Internet and phone services collapsed Friday in Gaza under intensified Israeli bombardment, largely cutting off its 2.3 million people from the outside world and each other. Israel has amassed hundreds of thousands of troops along the Gaza border. The expected ground offensive is aimed at uprooting the Hamas militant group in response to its bloody incursion on  Oct. 7. Explosions from airstrikes lit up the Gaza sky Friday night. Casualties from new airstrikes could not be immediately known in the information blackout.

Law enforcement official tells Associated Press that Maine mass killing suspect has been found dead

LEWISTON, Maine (AP) — Authorities say a man suspected of fatally shooting 18 people and wounding 13 in Maine has been found dead. Robert Card, who was wanted in connection with the shootings at Schemengees Bar and Grille and at Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley in Lewiston, is believed to have died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a law enforcement official tells The Associated Press. The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity. A 10 p.m. news conference was scheduled by police.

Live updates | UN calls for ‘humanitarian truce’ in Gaza as Israel expands activity in the territory

The Israeli military says its ground forces will expand their activities in Gaza. The announcement on Friday night came hours after Israel’s defense minister said the country expects to launch a long and difficult ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory. Shortly before, communication services in the territory were also cut. The Palestinian death toll in Gaza passed 7,300, and in the occupied West Bank, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids since Oct. 7. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly civilians slain during the initial Hamas attack. Also, 229 people were taken hostage during the incursion and remain in captivity in Gaza.

Agreement reached for Biden-Xi talks, but details still being worked out, official tells AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to meet on the sidelines of next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. That’s according to a U.S. official familiar with the planning. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the two sides worked out an agreement in principle to hold a meeting during the summit. The agreement was worked out as Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Friday with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan. The official added that two sides have not worked out details on the exact day of the meeting, venue and other logistics.

Maine’s close-knit deaf community is grieving in the wake of shootings that killed 4 beloved members

FALMOUTH, Maine (AP) — Maine’s close-knit community of deaf and hard of hearing people is grieving in the wake of the Lewiston shootings that killed beloved members, many of whom were ardent advocates. The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf says Friday the shootings at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, killed at least four members of their community. The shootings killed 18 people in total and injured 13 others. The educational center is located on an island in Falmouth, Maine, and it became a site for grieving and sharing memories on Friday even though school was officially closed.

Families hunt for loved ones not heard from since Hurricane Otis pummeled Acapulco

ACAPULCO, Mexico (AP) — Desperate families are making missing posters and joining online groups to find loved ones out of touch since Hurricane Otis devastated the Mexican Pacific coast city of Acapulco. Officials say they are moving in supplies and getting people out of the devastated city of 1 million. Cell phone signals are returning to some parts of the city. Many residents are looking for relatives with the help of friends and relatives living in other parts of Mexico and the United States. They are sharing information and searching for the missing.

Pope orders Vatican to reopen case of priest accused of adult abuse but allowed to keep ministering

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has ordered the Vatican to reopen the case of a well-known priest-artist accused of sexually, psychologically and spiritually abusing adult women. The Vatican says Francis has removed the statute of limitations on their claims to allow a canonical trial to proceed. The announcement came just a day after the case of the Rev. Marko Ivan Rupnik again made headlines when a diocese in his native Slovenia confirmed it had welcomed him after he was expelled by his Jesuit order this summer. A Vatican statement said Pope Francis’ abuse prevention commission had flagged “serious problems” in the way the case was handled, prompting Francis to act.

Donald Trump is set to testify Nov. 6 in civil fraud trial. Daughter Ivanka also will testify

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is set to testify Nov. 6 in the civil business fraud case against him, following testimony from his three eldest children. State lawyers disclosed the schedule in court Friday, when the judge ruled that the former president’s daughter Ivanka also must take the stand. It was already expected that the ex-president and sons Donald Jr. and Eric would testify. But the timing became clear Friday. The schedule sets up a blockbuster stretch of the trial of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit. She alleges that the former president overstated his wealth for years on financial statements. The ex-president denies any wrongdoing.

A salty problem for people near the mouth of the Mississippi is a wakeup call for New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drought. Sea level rise. Dredging for cargo ships. Those are just some of the complex factors blamed for an inland flow of salt water from the Gulf of Mexico into the Mississippi River. Salty water was a problem for months for low-population communities at Louisiana’s southeastern tip. Fears that the salt water would reach the heavily populated New Orleans area have abated for now. But people in rural Plaquemines Parish say too little was done to help them. Meanwhile, New Orleans-area officials say long-rage plans are needed for the return of the salt water threat.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Disney says DeSantis-appointed district is dragging feet in providing documents for lawsuit

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Disney says Walt Disney World’s governing district made up of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees is dragging its feet in providing requested documents to the company in a lawsuit over who has design and construction powers over Disney’s sprawling theme park resort in central Florida. Disney on Thursday accused the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District of “dodging its obligations.” Disney asked a Florida judge to delay any decision on whether the case should proceed until the company gets documents and conducts depositions needed to argue against a summary judgement requested by the district. A hearing is scheduled for mid-December.

US consumers keep spending briskly even in the face of persistent inflation and high interest rates

WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely monitored by the Federal Reserve showed price increases remained elevated in September amid brisk consumer spending and strong economic growth. Prices rose 0.4% from August to September, the same as the previous month. And compared with 12 months earlier, inflation was unchanged at 3.4%. Taken as a whole, the figures the government issued Friday show a still-surprisingly resilient consumer, willing to spend briskly enough to power the economy even in the face of persistent inflation and high interest rates. Spread across the economy, the strength of that spending is itself helping to fuel inflation.

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried acknowledges in court that customers were hurt but denies fraud

NEW YORK (AP) — FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried has begun testifying at his fraud trial, saying the innovative business he had hoped would move the cryptocurrency ecosystem forward ended up hurting customers instead. The onetime cryptocurrency golden boy lost his businesses and his reputation as a pioneering entrepreneur when a rush of customers withdrew their money last year, exposing that billions of dollars were missing. His much-anticipated testimony Friday became the centerpiece of a defense that insists Bankman-Fried had no criminal intent as he took actions that prosecutors say were directly to blame for the collapse last November of Bankman-Fried’s businesses.

Twitter takeover: 1 year later, X struggles with misinformation, advertising and usage decline

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — One year ago, billionaire Elon Musk walked into Twitter’s San Francisco headquarters with a white bathroom sink and a grin, fired its CEO and other top executives and began transforming the social media platform into what is now known as X. X looks and feels something like Twitter, but the more time you spend on it the clearer it becomes that it’s merely an approximation. Musk has dismantled many core features of Twitter, but what X will become, and whether Musk can achieve his ambition of turning it into an “everything app” that everyone uses, remains unclear.

General Motors and Stellantis in talks with United Auto Workers to reach deals that mirror Ford’s

DETROIT (AP) — General Motors and Jeep maker Stellantis are meeting with United Auto Workers bargainers to see if they can reach a contract agreement that mirrors a deal signed with crosstown rival Ford. Nearly 17,000 striking workers at Ford left the picket lines when the agreement was announced Wednesday night and will return to work shortly. About 57,000 Ford workers still have to vote on the tentative deal. GM and Stellantis will have to follow the pattern set by Ford or it’s likely that UAW President Shawn Fain will add factories to its partial strikes that began on Sept. 15.

Many Americans say their household expenses are outpacing earnings this year, AP-NORC poll shows

NEW YORK (AP) — About two in three Americans say their household expenses have risen over the last year, but only about one in four say their income has increased in the same period. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. As household expenses outpace earnings, many are expressing concern about their financial futures. What’s more, for most Americans, household debt is rising or not going away. About half say they currently have credit card debt, 4 in 10 are dealing with auto loans, and about one in four have medical debt. Just 15% say their household savings have increased over the last year.

As the ‘Hollywood of the South,’ Atlanta has boomed. Its actors and crew are now at a crossroads

ATLANTA (AP) — For more than a decade, work had been nonstop in Atlanta’s booming film industry thanks to Georgia’s extremely generous tax break. Dubbed the “Hollywood of the South,” metro Atlanta became ubiquitous as a backdrop for huge projects, including Marvel films and “Stranger Things.” But work dried up last winter and has been at a near-standstill ever since the industry’s writers went on strike in May and the actors joined them in July. Writers reached a deal late last month, but with the actors strike still ongoing, many Atlanta-based performers and behind-the-scenes crew members members are grappling for financial survival.

Abercrombie & Fitch slapped with lawsuit alleging sexual abuse of its male models under former CEO

NEW YORK (AP) — A former model for Abercrombie & Fitch has sued the fashion retailer, alleging it allowed its former CEO Mike Jeffries to run a sex-trafficking organization during his 22-year tenure. Jeffries left Abercrombie in 2014. While there, he converted the chain from an struggling retailer of hunting apparel to a seller of must-have teen clothing. But he faced criticism for the company’s sexualized marketing, including billboards and beefy models that alienated potential customers who didn’t fit into its image. The lawsuit comes after a BBC report earlier this month that raised similar allegations against Jeffries and his partner Matthew Smith.

Stock market today: Wall Street falls, pulling S&P 500 down 10% from its July peak

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks closed lower on Wall Street, pulling the S&P 500 down 10% from the peak it reached in July. That puts the benchmark index into what’s called a ‘correction.’ The declines came amid the latest batch of earnings from big technology and energy companies and some mixed readings on the economy. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% Friday, its 10th loss in the last 12 days. The Dow fell 366 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.4%. Treasury yields held steady following a mixed report on inflation, consumer spending and incomes. Higher yields in the bond market have been helping to knock stocks lower since the summer.

Cruise, GM’s robotaxi service, suspends all driverless operations nationwide

NEW YORK (AP) — General Motors’ Cruise says it’s suspending its driverless operations nationwide as the robotaxi service works to rebuild public trust. The announcement arrives just days after California regulators revoked Cruise’s license — after determining that its driverless cars, which recently began transporting passengers throughout San Francisco, posed dangers to public safety. U.S. regulators have also been investigating Cruise’s operations, after receiving incident reports that suggested risks to pedestrian and passenger safety. The choice to suspend its driverless services isn’t related to any new on-road incidents, Cruise says. Human-supervised operations of Cruise’s autonomous vehicles, or AVs, will continue.

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Government shutdown averted with little time to spare as Biden signs funding before midnight

WASHINGTON (AP) — The threat of a federal government shutdown ended late Saturday night after Congress approved a temporary funding bill to keep federal agencies open until Nov. 17. The bill passed just hours before the midnight deadline and President Joe Biden quickly signed it. He called it “good news for the American people.” The package drops aid for Ukraine but adds money for U.S. disaster assistance. House approval came after Speaker Kevin McCarthy abandoned plans for steep spending cuts and relied on Democratic help. Biden said he expects McCarthy to keep “his commitment” to the Ukrainian people and push for aid “at this critical moment” in the war with Russia.

A truck crash in Illinois kills 5, seriously injures 5 and forces an evacuation due to ammonia leak

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Five people were killed and five were critically injured when a semitruck carrying anhydrous ammonia crashed in central Illinois. Illinois State Police said the accident occurred Friday and involved “multiple” vehicles. It happened about a half-mile east of Teutopolis on U.S. Highway 40. Police said Saturday that due to the plume from the ammonia leak, an evacuation was ordered within an approximate one-mile radius of the crash, including northeastern parts of Teutopolis. Crews were working to contain the leak. The National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday it will review the crash. Teutopolis is about 110 miles northeast of St. Louis.

Dianne Feinstein was at the center of a key LGBTQ+ moment. She’s being lauded as an evolving ally

The nation’s LGBTQ+ leaders are lauding the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein as a longtime friend who learned and evolved to become an ally. Feinstein died Thursday at her home in Washington. She became mayor of San Francisco after the sitting mayor and her pioneering gay colleague Harvey Milk were assassinated by a disgruntled former fellow county supervisor. She led the city and its large gay population through the AIDS crisis. And the Human Rights Campaign is extolling her “sterling record” of support for LGBTQ+ people during her three decades in the U.S. Senate.

Arrest in Tupac Shakur killing stemmed from Biggie Smalls death investigation

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The first arrest in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur had its roots in the investigation of the killing of Biggie Smalls. Duane Keffe D. Davis was arrested and charged with murder Friday, with prosecutors saying he ordered and masterminded the Shakur killing. Retired Los Angeles police detective Greg Kading tells The Associated Press that he interviewed Davis as a person of interest in the Biggie Smalls shooting death. The detective says Davis revealed his role in the Shakur killing in that interview, then said the same thing in public interviews and a memoir. That gave new life to the Las Vegas investigation, and led to his arrest and indictment.

The Supreme Court will take up abortion and gun cases in its new term while ethics concerns swirl

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is returning to a new term with familiar topics such as guns and abortion, as well as concerns about ethics swirling around the justices. The year also will have a heavy focus on social media and how free speech protections apply online. The new term begins on Monday. A big unknown is whether the court will be asked to weigh in on any aspect of the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump or on efforts in some states to keep Trump off the 2024 presidential ballot because of his role in trying to overturn the results of the last presidential contest.

When Kula needed water to stop wildfire, it got a trickle. Many other US cities are also vulnerable

Hours before fires largely destroyed the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina, residents of another part of Maui were trying to stop flames reaching their homes despite a frustrating loss of pressure in their water system. Officials say when electricity was knocked out, the lack of backup power for pumps seriously hindered firefighting efforts in Kula. The scale of damage and loss was far smaller than in Lahaina, where at least 97 people died. But Kula’s experience highlighted a vulnerability that exists in many water systems across the United States. Experts say adding backup power to water systems is expensive, and it’s not required.

California governor rejects bill to give unemployment checks to striking workers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California won’t be giving unemployment checks to workers on strike. While state lawmakers passed a bill to make California the third state to do this, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it Saturday. Newsom says he rejected the bill because the fund the state uses to pay unemployment benefits is in debt. The money comes from a tax on businesses that hasn’t changed since 1984. Labor unions argue that making striking workers eligible for benefits would not have much of an impact on the fund. Lawmakers could attempt to pass the law anyway, but it’s been decades since a governor’s veto was overruled in California.

The police chief who led a raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended

The police chief who led a highly criticized raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended. Marion Mayor Dave Mayfield on Saturday confirmed to The Associated Press that he suspended Chief Gideon Cody this week. The mayor declined to discuss his decision further. The chief’s suspension is a reversal of the mayor’s earlier stance. Mayfield previously said he would wait for results from a state police investigation before taking action. Police seized computers and cellphones during searches of the Marion County Record’s office and the home of its publisher last month.

Federal agency sues Chipotle after a Kansas manager allegedly ripped off an employee’s hijab

A federal agency has sued Chipotle, accusing it of religious harassment and retaliation. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges in its lawsuit that a manager at a Chipotle restaurant in Kansas forcibly removed a Muslim employee’s hijab in 2021. The complaint alleges that the manager repeatedly harassed the employee by asking her to show him her hair, despite her refusal. The lawsuit claims this created a hostile working environment based on religion. Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer, Laurie Schalow, said the company has no tolerance for discrimination and has fired the manager in question.

The Dianne Feinstein they knew: Women of the Senate remember a tireless fighter and a true friend

WASHINGTON (AP) — In tributes to Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death, her female colleagues talked about her indomitable, fierce intelligence and how she had paved the way for so many women. But colleagues also mentioned their private times with the California Democrat that were at odds with Feinstein’s tough public persona. They spoke of how she would invite them out to dinners and sometimes give them the clothes off her back. Feinstein was the first female mayor of San Francisco, one of California’s first two female senators and the first female chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The 90-year-old Feinstein died on Thursday night at her home in Washington.

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Threat of government shutdown ends as Congress passes a temporary funding plan and sends it to Biden

WASHINGTON (AP) — The threat of a federal government shutdown ended late Saturday night after Congress approved a temporary funding bill to keep federal agencies open until Nov. 17. The bill passed just hours before the midnight deadline and was sent to President Joe Biden to sign. He called it “good news for the American people.” The package drops aid for Ukraine but adds money for U.S. disaster assistance. House approval came after Speaker Kevin McCarthy abandoned plans for steep spending cuts and relied on Democratic help. Biden said he expects McCarthy to keep “his commitment” to the Ukrainian people and push for aid “at this critical moment” in the war with Russia.

A truck crash in Illinois kills 5, seriously injures 5 and forces an evacuation due to ammonia leak

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Five people were killed and five were critically injured when a semitruck carrying anhydrous ammonia crashed in central Illinois. Illinois State Police said the accident occurred Friday and involved “multiple” vehicles. It happened about a half-mile east of Teutopolis on U.S. Highway 40. Police said Saturday that due to the plume from the ammonia leak, an evacuation was ordered within an approximate one-mile radius of the crash, including northeastern parts of Teutopolis. Crews were working to contain the leak. The National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday it will review the crash. Teutopolis is about 110 miles northeast of St. Louis.

Dianne Feinstein was at the center of a key LGBTQ+ moment. She’s being lauded as an evolving ally

The nation’s LGBTQ+ leaders are lauding the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein as a longtime friend who learned and evolved to become an ally. Feinstein died Thursday at her home in Washington. She became mayor of San Francisco after the sitting mayor and her pioneering gay colleague Harvey Milk were assassinated by a disgruntled former fellow county supervisor. She led the city and its large gay population through the AIDS crisis. And the Human Rights Campaign is extolling her “sterling record” of support for LGBTQ+ people during her three decades in the U.S. Senate.

Arrest in Tupac Shakur killing stemmed from Biggie Smalls death investigation

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The first arrest in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur had its roots in the investigation of the killing of Biggie Smalls. Duane Keffe D. Davis was arrested and charged with murder Friday, with prosecutors saying he ordered and masterminded the Shakur killing. Retired Los Angeles police detective Greg Kading tells The Associated Press that he interviewed Davis as a person of interest in the Biggie Smalls shooting death. The detective says Davis revealed his role in the Shakur killing in that interview, then said the same thing in public interviews and a memoir. That gave new life to the Las Vegas investigation, and led to his arrest and indictment.

The Supreme Court will take up abortion and gun cases in its new term while ethics concerns swirl

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is returning to a new term with familiar topics such as guns and abortion, as well as concerns about ethics swirling around the justices. The year also will have a heavy focus on social media and how free speech protections apply online. The new term begins on Monday. A big unknown is whether the court will be asked to weigh in on any aspect of the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump or on efforts in some states to keep Trump off the 2024 presidential ballot because of his role in trying to overturn the results of the last presidential contest.

When Kula needed water to stop wildfire, it got a trickle. Many other US cities are also vulnerable

Hours before fires largely destroyed the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina, residents of another part of Maui were trying to stop flames reaching their homes despite a frustrating loss of pressure in their water system. Officials say when electricity was knocked out, the lack of backup power for pumps seriously hindered firefighting efforts in Kula. The scale of damage and loss was far smaller than in Lahaina, where at least 97 people died. But Kula’s experience highlighted a vulnerability that exists in many water systems across the United States. Experts say adding backup power to water systems is expensive, and it’s not required.

The police chief who led a raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended

The police chief who led a highly criticized raid of a small Kansas newspaper has been suspended. Marion Mayor Dave Mayfield on Saturday confirmed to The Associated Press that he suspended Chief Gideon Cody this week. The mayor declined to discuss his decision further. The chief’s suspension is a reversal of the mayor’s earlier stance. Mayfield previously said he would wait for results from a state police investigation before taking action. Police seized computers and cellphones during searches of the Marion County Record’s office and the home of its publisher last month.

Federal agency sues Chipotle after a Kansas manager allegedly ripped off an employee’s hijab

A federal agency has sued Chipotle, accusing it of religious harassment and retaliation. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges in its lawsuit that a manager at a Chipotle restaurant in Kansas forcibly removed a Muslim employee’s hijab in 2021. The complaint alleges that the manager repeatedly harassed the employee by asking her to show him her hair, despite her refusal. The lawsuit claims this created a hostile working environment based on religion. Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer, Laurie Schalow, said the company has no tolerance for discrimination and has fired the manager in question.

The Dianne Feinstein they knew: Women of the Senate remember a tireless fighter and a true friend

WASHINGTON (AP) — In tributes to Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death, her female colleagues talked about her indomitable, fierce intelligence and how she had paved the way for so many women. But colleagues also mentioned their private times with the California Democrat that were at odds with Feinstein’s tough public persona. They spoke of how she would invite them out to dinners and sometimes give them the clothes off her back. Feinstein was the first female mayor of San Francisco, one of California’s first two female senators and the first female chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The 90-year-old Feinstein died on Thursday night at her home in Washington.

Video provides first clear views of WWII aircraft carriers lost in the pivotal Battle of Midway

Footage from deep in the Pacific Ocean has given the first detailed look at three World War II aircraft carriers that sank in the pivotal Battle of Midway. The video could help solve mysteries about the days-long barrage in 1942 that marked a shift in control of the Pacific theater from Japanese to U.S. forces. Remote submersibles operating 3 miles below the surface conducted extensive archeological surveys in September of the U.S.S. Yorktown, as well as the Akagi and Kaga, two of the four Japanese aircraft carriers destroyed. The imagery is expected to provide insight into conflicting reports about what happened in the battle.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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On the brink of a federal shutdown, the House passes a 45-day funding plan and sends it to Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) — On the brink of a federal government shutdown, the House has swiftly approved a 45-day funding bill to keep federal agencies open. House passage came after Speaker Kevin McCarthy dropped plans for steep spending cuts and relied on Democratic help. The measure now goes to the Senate, which also is meeting Saturday. The bill drops aid for Ukraine but adds U.S. disaster assistance. Without a deal in place by midnight, millions of federal workers will face furloughs and programs and services that Americans rely on will begin to face disruptions. Senators are expected to pass it later Saturday. House passage came on a 335-91 vote, with most Republicans and almost all Democrats supporting the bill.

Biden says a possible shutdown wouldn’t be his fault. Would Americans agree with him?

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has pinned the blame for a possible government shutdown on House Republicans who, until Saturday, had been paralyzed by their inability to pass a funding package. President Joe Biden is hoping the rest of the country would see things the same way. But that’s an uncertain proposition at a time of extreme political polarization. On Saturday, with a midnight deadline looming, the House approved a 45-day funding bill to keep federal agencies open and send the package to the Senate, which is meeting in a rare weekend session. A shutdown would mean even more chaos in Washington at a time when Biden is running for reelection.

A truck crash in Illinois kills 5, seriously injures 5 and forces an evacuation due to ammonia leak

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Five people were killed and five were critically injured when a semitruck carrying anhydrous ammonia crashed in central Illinois. Illinois State Police said the accident occurred Friday and involved “multiple” vehicles. It happened about a half-mile east of Teutopolis on U.S. Highway 40. Police said Saturday that due to the plume from the ammonia leak, an evacuation was ordered within an approximate one-mile radius of the crash, including northeastern parts of Teutopolis. Crews were working to contain the leak. The National Transportation Safety Board said Saturday it will review the crash. Teutopolis is about 110 miles northeast of St. Louis.

The Dianne Feinstein they knew: Women of the Senate remember a tireless fighter and a true friend

WASHINGTON (AP) — In tributes to Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death, her female colleagues talked about her indomitable, fierce intelligence and how she had paved the way for so many women. But colleagues also mentioned their private times with the California Democrat that were at odds with Feinstein’s tough public persona. They spoke of how she would invite them out to dinners and sometimes give them the clothes off her back. Feinstein was the first female mayor of San Francisco, one of California’s first two female senators and the first female chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The 90-year-old Feinstein died on Thursday night at her home in Washington.

Arrest in Tupac Shakur killing stemmed from Biggie Smalls death investigation

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The first arrest in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur had its roots in the investigation of the killing of Biggie Smalls. Duane Keffe D. Davis was arrested and charged with murder Friday, with prosecutors saying he ordered and masterminded the Shakur killing. Retired Los Angeles police detective Greg Kading tells The Associated Press that he interviewed Davis as a person of interest in the Biggie Smalls shooting death. The detective says Davis revealed his role in the Shakur killing in that interview, then said the same thing in public interviews and a memoir. That gave new life to the Las Vegas investigation, and led to his arrest and indictment.

The Supreme Court will take up abortion and gun cases in its new term while ethics concerns swirl

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is returning to a new term with familiar topics such as guns and abortion, as well as concerns about ethics swirling around the justices. The year also will have a heavy focus on social media and how free speech protections apply online. The new term begins on Monday. A big unknown is whether the court will be asked to weigh in on any aspect of the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump or on efforts in some states to keep Trump off the 2024 presidential ballot because of his role in trying to overturn the results of the last presidential contest.

Federal agency sues Chipotle after a Kansas manager allegedly ripped off an employee’s hijab

A federal agency has sued Chipotle, accusing it of religious harassment and retaliation. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleges in its lawsuit that a manager at a Chipotle restaurant in Kansas forcibly removed a Muslim employee’s hijab in 2021. The complaint alleges that the manager repeatedly harassed the employee by asking her to show him her hair, despite her refusal. The lawsuit claims this created a hostile working environment based on religion. Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer, Laurie Schalow, said the company has no tolerance for discrimination and has fired the manager in question.

When Kula needed water to stop wildfire, it got a trickle. Many other US cities are also vulnerable

Hours before fires largely destroyed the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina, residents of another part of Maui were trying to stop flames reaching their homes despite a frustrating loss of pressure in their water system. Officials say when electricity was knocked out, the lack of backup power for pumps seriously hindered firefighting efforts in Kula. The scale of damage and loss was far smaller than in Lahaina, where at least 97 people died. But Kula’s experience highlighted a vulnerability that exists in many water systems across the United States. Experts say adding backup power to water systems is expensive, and it’s not required.

Video provides first clear views of WWII aircraft carriers lost in the pivotal Battle of Midway

Footage from deep in the Pacific Ocean has given the first detailed look at three World War II aircraft carriers that sank in the pivotal Battle of Midway. The video could help solve mysteries about the days-long barrage in 1942 that marked a shift in control of the Pacific theater from Japanese to U.S. forces. Remote submersibles operating 3 miles below the surface conducted extensive archeological surveys in September of the U.S.S. Yorktown, as well as the Akagi and Kaga, two of the four Japanese aircraft carriers destroyed. The imagery is expected to provide insight into conflicting reports about what happened in the battle.

Apple says it will fix software problems blamed for making iPhone 15 models too hot to handle

Apple is blaming a software bug and other issues tied to popular apps such as Instagram and Uber for causing its recently released iPhone 15 models to heat up and spark complaints about becoming too hot to handle. The Cupertino, California, company said Saturday that it is working on an update to the iOS17 system that powers the iPhone 15 lineup to prevent the devices from becoming uncomfortably hot. In a short statement provided to The Associated Press, the company didn’t specify the timeline for its software fix. Apple says it’s also working with the apps that have been causing problems, saying Instagram modified its app for iPhones this week.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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On the brink of a government shutdown, McCarthy pivots to a 45-day plan relying on Democratic help

WASHINGTON (AP) — On the brink of a federal government shutdown Speaker Kevin McCarthy has announced a dramatic pivot. The Republican leader will try on Saturday to push a 45-day funding bill through the House with Democratic help. It’s a move that could keep government open but most certainly risks his job as speaker. Hard-right Republicans in Congress have rejected any temporary measure. Senators also are at work in a rare weekend session. Without a deal in place by midnight, millions of federal workers will face furloughs and programs and services that Americans rely on will begin to face disruptions. The House is preparing for a quick vote, but Democrats want time to read the 71-page bill.

President Biden says the looming shutdown isn’t his fault. Will Americans agree with him?

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has pinned the blame for a looming government shutdown on House Republicans who’ve been paralyzed by their inability to pass a funding package. President Joe Biden is hoping the rest of the country will see things the same way.  That’s an uncertain proposition at a time of extreme political polarization, when many Americans are dug into their partisan corners regardless of the facts of the matter. Biden already faces low poll numbers and concerns about the economy. A government shutdown that could begin Sunday would mean even more chaos in Washington at a time when he’s running for reelection.

The Supreme Court will take up abortion and gun cases in its new term while ethics concerns swirl

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is returning to a new term with familiar topics such as guns and abortion, as well as concerns about ethics swirling around the justices. The year also will have a heavy focus on social media and how free speech protections apply online. The new term begins on Monday. A big unknown is whether the court will be asked to weigh in on any aspect of the criminal cases against former President Donald Trump or on efforts in some states to keep Trump off the 2024 presidential ballot because of his role in trying to overturn the results of the last presidential contest.

Arrest in Tupac Shakur killing stemmed from Biggie Smalls death investigation

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The first arrest in the 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur had its roots in the investigation of the killing of Biggie Smalls. Duane Keffe D. Davis was arrested and charged with murder Friday, with prosecutors saying he ordered and masterminded the Shakur killing. Retired Los Angeles police detective Greg Kading tells The Associated Press that he interviewed Davis as a person of interest in the Biggie Smalls shooting death. The detective says Davis revealed his role in the Shakur killing in that interview, then said the same thing in public interviews and a memoir. That gave new life to the Las Vegas investigation, and led to his arrest and indictment.

The Dianne Feinstein they knew: Women of the Senate remember a tireless fighter and a true friend

WASHINGTON (AP) — In tributes to Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death, her female colleagues talked about her indomitable, fierce intelligence and how she had paved the way for so many women. But colleagues also mentioned their private times with the California Democrat that were at odds with Feinstein’s tough public persona. They spoke of how she would invite them out to dinners and sometimes give them the clothes off her back. Feinstein was the first female mayor of San Francisco, one of California’s first two female senators and the first female chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The 90-year-old Feinstein died on Thursday night at her home in Washington.

New York stunned and swamped by record-breaking rainfall as more downpours are expected

NEW YORK (AP) — One of New York’s wettest days in decades has left the metropolitan area stunned and swamped. Heavy rainfall on Friday knocked out several subway and commuter rail lines, stranded drivers on highways, flooded basements and shuttered a terminal at LaGuardia Airport for hours. Some 8.65 inches of rain had fallen at John F. Kennedy Airport by nightfall. The National Weather Service says Friday’s weather broke the airport’s rainfall record for any September day. More downpours were expected Saturday. The deluge came two years after the remnants of Hurricane Ida dumped record-breaking rain on the Northeast and killed at least 13 people in New York City.

Anti-abortion groups are at odds on strategies ahead of Ohio vote. It could be a preview for 2024

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Abortion opponents in Ohio are at odds over how to frame their opposition to a reproductive rights amendment on the state’s November ballot and over longer-term goals on how severely they would restrict the procedure. The disagreements come just six weeks before Election Day and they’re providing a window into the challenges that the wider movement is preparing to navigate next year. Initiatives to protect reproductive rights are expected in multiple states and abortion will be a central issue in candidate races up and down the ballot, including for president.

Pope Francis creates 21 new cardinals who will help him to reform the church and cement his legacy

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has presided over a ceremony to create 21 new cardinals. They include key figures at the Vatican and in the field who will help enact his reforms and cement his legacy. With the ceremony Francis has further expanded his influence on the College of Cardinals who will one day elect his successor. Nearly three-quarters of the voting-age “princes of the church” owe their red hats to the Argentine Jesuit. Among the new cardinals is the controversial new head of the Vatican’s doctrine office, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez. Leaders of the church in geopolitical hotspots like Hong Kong, Jerusalem and South Sudan filled out the roster. Francis said their variety and geographic diversity would serve the church like musicians in an orchestra.

When Kula needed water to stop wildfire, it got a trickle. Many other US cities are also vulnerable

Hours before fires largely destroyed the historic Hawaiian town of Lahaina, residents of another part of Maui were trying to stop flames reaching their homes despite a frustrating loss of pressure in their water system. Officials say when electricity was knocked out, the lack of backup power for pumps seriously hindered firefighting efforts in Kula. The scale of damage and loss was far smaller than in Lahaina, where at least 97 people died. But Kula’s experience highlighted a vulnerability that exists in many water systems across the United States. Experts say adding backup power to water systems is expensive, and it’s not required.

Becky G proudly shows her roots in ‘Esquinas,’ inspired by regional Mexican music

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Growing up on the border between Mexico and the United States, Becky G spoke English, but sang corridos, boleros and mariachi in Spanish. All her life she dreamed of an album that would honor her family’s roots and delve into those genres that she enjoys so much. On “Esquinas,” that dream has become a reality. The album released Thursday. “A lot of the times they would tell me that I am too Mexican to be American or too American to be Mexican and that you can’t be in the middle,” Becky G told the Associated Press.

Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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In 370 days, Supreme Court conservatives dash decades of abortion and affirmative action precedents

WASHINGTON (AP) — Overturning Roe v. Wade and eliminating affirmative action in higher education had been leading goals of the conservative legal movement for decades.

In a span of 370 days, a Supreme Court reshaped by three justices nominated by President Donald Trump made both a reality.

Last June, the court ended nationwide protections for abortion rights. This past week, the court’s conservative majority decided that race-conscious admissions programs at the oldest private and public colleges in the country, Harvard and the University of North Carolina, were unlawful.

Precedents that had stood since the 1970s were overturned, explicitly in the case of abortion and effectively in the affirmative action context.

“That is what is notable about this court. It’s making huge changes in highly salient areas in a very short period of time,” said Tara Leigh Grove, a law professor at the University of Texas.

Twitter users run into service issues after Elon Musk imposes daily limits on reading tweets

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Thousands of people logged complaints about problems accessing Twitter on Saturday after owner Elon Musk limited most users to viewing 600 tweets a day — restrictions he described as an attempt to prevent unauthorized scraping of potentially valuable data from the site.

The crackdown began to have ripple effects early Saturday, causing more than 7,500 people at one point to report problems using the social media service, based on complaints registered on Downdetector, a website that tracks online outages. Although that’s a relatively small number of Twitter’s more than 200 million worldwide users, the trouble was widespread enough to cause the #TwitterDown hashtag to trend in some parts of the world.

The service disruptions cropped up a day after Twitter began requiring people to log on to the service in order to view tweets and profiles — a change in its longtime practice to allow all comers to peruse the chatter on what Musk has frequently touted as the world’s digital town square since buying it for $44 billion last year.

In a Friday tweet, Musk described the new restrictions as a temporary measure that was taken because “we were getting data pillaged so much that it was degrading service for normal users!” Musk elaborated on the measures in a Saturday tweet that announced unverified accounts will temporarily be limited to reading 600 posts per day while verified accounts will be able to scroll through up to 6,000 posts per day.

The restrictions could result in users being locked out of Twitter for the day after scrolling through several hundred tweets.

An anti-Trump video shared by the DeSantis campaign is ‘homophobic,’ says a conservative LGBT group

NEW YORK (AP) — A prominent group that represents LGBT conservatives says a video shared by Ron DeSantis ′ presidential campaign that slams rival Donald Trump for his past support of gay and transgender people “ventured into homophobic territory.”

The “DeSantis War Room” Twitter account shared the video on Friday — the last day of June’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month — that features footage of Trump at the Republican National Convention in 2016 saying he would “do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens.” Trump had been pledging protection from terrorist attacks weeks after the shootings at the Pulse Nightclub, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that was the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history at that time.

The video also highlights “LGBTQ for Trump” T-shirts sold by the former president’s campaign and his past comments saying he would be comfortable with Caitlyn Jenner, the former Olympic decathlete who came out as a transgender woman in 2015, using any bathroom at Trump Tower and OK with transgender women competing one day in the Miss Universe pageant, which Trump owned at the time of those remarks.

The video then suddenly veers in a different direction, accompanied by dark, thumping music and images of DeSantis, the Florida governor who is trailing Trump by wide margins in the polls for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

It promotes headlines that DeSantis signed “the most extreme slate of anti-trans laws in modern history” and a “draconian anti-trans bathroom bill.” The images are spliced together with footage of muscular, shirtless men and several Hollywood actors, including Brad Pitt, seen wearing a leather mask from the movie “Troy.”

Mourners bury slain teen in France as 45,000 police are deployed and 5th night of unrest is quieter

NANTERRE, France (AP) — Hushed and visibly anguished, hundreds of mourners from France’s Islamic community formed a solemn procession from a mosque to a hillside cemetery on Saturday to bury a 17-year-old whose killing by police has triggered days of rioting and looting across the nation.

Underscoring the gravity of the crisis, President Emmanuel Macron scrapped an official trip to Germany after nights of unrest across France.

The government deployed 45,000 police to city streets across the nation to head off a fifth night of violence. Overnight, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted that the night had been calmer than previous ones, thanks to “the resolute action of security forces.” He put the night’s arrest toll at 427.

Some 2,800 people have been arrested overall since the teen’s death on Tuesday. Darmanin tweeted late Saturday that 200 riot police had been mobilized in the port city of Marseille, where TV showed footage of police using tear gas as night fell.

Near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, hundreds of police with batons and shields stood restlessly along the Champs-Elysées, several in front of the shuttered Cartier boutique. Posts on social media had called for protests on the grand boulevard but the police presence appeared to discourage any large gatherings.

Passengers were stuck because United Airlines canceled their flights. The CEO took a private plane

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby apologized Friday for hopping on a private plane to get out of the New York area earlier this week while thousands of United passengers were stranded because the airline canceled so many flights.

“Taking a private jet was the wrong decision because it was insensitive to our customers who were waiting to get home,” Kirby said in a statement issued by the airline. “I sincerely apologize to our customers and our team members who have been working around-the-clock for several days — often through severe weather — to take care of our customers.”

Kirby concluded by promising “to better demonstrate my respect for the dedication of our team members and the loyalty of our customers.”

Kirby caught the private flight from Teterboro, New Jersey, to Denver on Wednesday, when United canceled 750 flights — one-fourth of its schedule for the day. That figure does not include flights on United Express.

United has canceled nearly 3,000 flights this week, with the largest number at its Newark Liberty International Airport hub in New Jersey, which was hit by thunderstorms for much of the week.

Affirmative action for white people? Legacy college admissions come under renewed scrutiny

WASHINGTON (AP) — The next big fight over college admissions already has taken hold, and it centers on a different kind of minority group that gets a boost: children of alumni.

In the wake of a Supreme Court decision that strikes down affirmative action in admissions, colleges are coming under renewed pressure to put an end to legacy preferences — the practice of favoring applicants with family ties to alumni. Long seen as a perk for the white and wealthy, opponents say it’s no longer defensible in a world with no counterbalance in affirmative action.

President Joe Biden suggested colleges should rethink the practice after the court’s ruling, saying legacy preferences “expand privilege instead of opportunity.” Several Democrats in Congress demanded an end to the policy in light of the court’s decision to remove race from the admissions process. So did Republicans including Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is vying for the GOP presidential nomination.

“Let’s be clear: affirmative action still exists for white people. It’s called legacy admissions,” Rep. Barbara Lee, a California Democrat, said on Twitter.

For critics of legacy admissions, the renewed debate over fairness in admissions has offered a chance to swing public sentiment behind their cause.

Satellite photos, reports suggest Belarus is building an army camp for Wagner fighters

Satellite images analyzed by The Associated Press on Saturday showed what appeared to be a newly built military-style camp in Belarus, with statements from a Belarusian guerrilla group and officials suggesting it may be used to house fighters from the Wagner mercenary group.

The images provided by Planet Labs PLC suggest that dozens of tents were erected within the past two weeks at a former military base outside Osipovichi, a town 230 kilometers (142 miles) north of the Ukrainian border. A satellite photo taken on Jun. 15 shows no sign of the rows of white and green structures that are clearly visible in a later image, dated Jun. 30.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and his fighters escaped prosecution and were offered refuge in Belarus last week after Minsk helped broker a deal to end what appeared to be an armed insurrection by the mercenary group. The abortive revolt saw Wagner troops who had fought alongside Russia forces in Ukraine capture a military headquarters in southern Russia and march hundreds of kilometers (miles) toward Moscow, seemingly unimpeded.

Belarus’ authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, said his country, a close and dependent ally of Moscow, could use Wagner’s experience and expertise, and announced that he had offered the fighters an “abandoned military unit” to set up camp.

Aliaksandr Azarau, leader of the anti-Lukashenko BYPOL guerrilla group of former military members, told The Associated Press by phone on Thursday that construction of a site for Wagner mercenaries was underway near Osipovichi.

After several turbulent days, flight disruptions ease despite worries about 5G signals

Airline passengers who have endured tens of thousands of weather-related flight delays this week got a welcome respite from the headaches Saturday, despite concerns about possible disruptions caused by new wireless 5G systems rolling out near major airports.

The number of flight delays and cancellations declined from the spikes recorded earlier in the week, according to data compiled by tracking service FlightAware. As of 10 p.m. EST, there had been at least 850 flight cancellations and more than 28,000 delayed flights Saturday. During the June 28-30 period, an average of 1,751 flights were canceled and more then 32,600 flights delayed, according to the FlightAware data.

The cancellation rate worked out to about 1% in the U.S. as of Saturday afternoon, according to Flightradar24, another tracking service. Flightradar24 spokesperson Ian Petchenik described Saturday’s conditions as “smooth sailing” in an email to The Associated Press, while adding inclement weather could cause problems at East Coast airports later in the day.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also advised travelers that bad weather conditions on the East Coast could affect flights later Saturday.

Heading into Saturday, one of the biggest concerns had been whether 5G signals would interfere with aircraft equipment, especially devices using radio waves to measure distance above the ground that are critical when planes land in low visibility.

Hungry ticks can use this static trick to land on you and your pets

NEW YORK (AP) — Hungry ticks have some slick tricks. They can zoom through the air using static electricity to latch onto people, pets and other animals, new research shows.

Humans and animals naturally pick up static charges as they go about their days. And those charges are enough to give ticks a boost to their next blood meal, according to a study published Friday in the journal Current Biology.

While the distance is tiny, “it’s the equivalent of us jumping three or four flights of stairs in one go,” said study author Sam England, an ecologist now at Berlin’s Natural History Museum.

Ticks are “ambush predators,” explained Stephen Rich, a public health entomologist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

They can’t jump or fly onto their hosts, he said. Instead, they hang out on a branch or a blade of grass with their legs outstretched — a behavior known as “questing” — and wait for people or animals to pass by so they can grab on and bite.

Climate change keeps making wildfires and smoke worse. Scientists call it the ‘new abnormal’

It was a smell that invoked a memory. Both for Emily Kuchlbauer in North Carolina and Ryan Bomba in Chicago. It was smoke from wildfires, the odor of an increasingly hot and occasionally on-fire world.

Kuchlbauer had flashbacks to the surprise of soot coating her car three years ago when she was a recent college graduate in San Diego. Bomba had deja vu from San Francisco, where the air was so thick with smoke people had to mask up. They figured they left wildfire worries behind in California, but a Canada that’s burning from sea to warming sea brought one of the more visceral effects of climate change home to places that once seemed immune.

“It’s been very apocalyptic feeling, because in California the dialogue is like, ‘Oh, it’s normal. This is just what happens on the West Coast,’ but it’s very much not normal here,” Kuchlbauer said.

As Earth’s climate continues to change from heat-trapping gases spewed into the air, ever fewer people are out of reach from the billowing and deadly fingers of wildfire smoke, scientists say. Already wildfires are consuming three times more of the United States and Canada each year than in the 1980s and studies predict fire and smoke to worsen.

While many people exposed to bad air may be asking themselves if this is a “new normal,” several scientists told The Associated Press they specifically reject any such idea because the phrase makes it sound like the world has changed to a new and steady pattern of extreme events.

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