AP National News

By MICHAEL BALSAMO, ERIC TUCKER and LISA MASCARO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Far right extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are planning to attend a rally later this month at the U.S. Capitol that is designed to demand “justice” for the hundreds of people who have been charged in connection with

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — It looked like a zombie apocalypse. For the U.S. military pilots and aircrew about to make their final takeoffs out of Afghanistan, the sky was lit up with fireworks and sporadic gunfire and the airfield littered with battered shells of airplanes and destroyed equipment. Stray dogs

By MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A House committee investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection has requested that telecommunications and social media companies preserve the personal communications of hundreds of people who may have somehow been connected to the attack. It’s a sweeping public demand from Congress that is rare, if

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE and CHRISTINA A. CASSIDY Associated Press A monthslong campaign by the Republican Party, fueled in part by the false narrative of widespread fraud in last year’s presidential election, has led to a wave of new voting laws that will tighten access to the ballot for millions of Americans. The restrictions especially target

By JESSICA GRESKO Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday blasted the Supreme Court’s decision not to block a new Texas law banning most abortions in the state and directed federal agencies to do what they can to “insulate women and providers” from the impact. Hours earlier, in the middle of the

By TOM MURPHY AP Health Writer What can employers do if workers avoid COVID-19 vaccines? They can require vaccination and fire employees who don’t comply, or take other actions such as withholding company perks or charging extra for health insurance. Businesses for months have been encouraging workers to get vaccinated, in some cases offering incentives

By FELICIA FONSECA Associated Press FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — After two bone-dry years that sank the U.S. Southwest deeper into drought, this summer’s rainy season unleashed with fury. Monsoon storms have brought spectacular lightning shows, bounties of wildflowers and mushrooms, and record rainfall to the region’s deserts. They’ve also brought destruction, flooding streets and homes,

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia’s navy has seized a massive tanker believed to be loaded with thousands of tons of wasted black oil and has brought the ship to shore for further investigation. The commander of Indonesia’s western navy fleet says the Panamanian-flagged MT Zodiac Star was located based on a tip about a suspicious

By AMY FORLITI Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Attorneys for three former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death asked a judge Thursday to bar their upcoming trial from being livestreamed, saying some witnesses won’t testify if the proceedings are broadcast. The request from attorneys for Thomas Lane, J. Kueng and Tou Thao is

By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan received its first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines Thursday after a prolonged purchasing process that gave rise to a political blame game with China. Taiwan had been unable to buy the vaccine itself directly from BioNTech, the German company that had partnered with U.S.-based Pfizer to

By YURAS KARMANAU Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The authoritarian leader of Belarus said Wednesday that the country will soon receive a large batch of Russian weapons, including dozens of combat jets, helicopters and top-of-the-line air defense missile systems. President Alexander Lukashenko announced the expected acquisition as Russia and Belarus prepare to conduct joint

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles couple who were convicted of helping steal $18 million in COVID-19 relief funds are on the lam after cutting off their ankle monitors. The FBI announced Tuesday that Richard Ayvazyan and Marietta Terabelian are considered fugitives. They were convicted of fraud and conspiracy in June and were potentially

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Britney Spears will face no charges after an allegation from her housekeeper that Spears slapped a phone out of her hand, prosecutors said Wednesday. A possible misdemeanor battery charge was declined based on insufficient evidence that a crime had occurred and lack of injury to the housekeeper or of significant

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Federal officials closed a portion of trails at a national forest in Northern California where a family and their dog mysteriously died last month, citing pending toxicology reports on nearby water. There was no clear cause of death, prompting authorities to treat the area as a hazmat scene. Investigators are considering

SAN DIEGO (AP) — A California woman who allegedly punched a flight attendant in the face and grabbed her hair has been charged with assault in federal court. Vyvianna M. Quinonez was also charged Wednesday with interfering with a flight crew. She is scheduled to appear in court in San Diego on Sept. 17. Prosecutors

By BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Robert Durst’s marathon testimony over three weeks — in which the ailing millionaire denied killing his wife and best friend but also said he’d lied if he had done so — concluded Wednesday and lawyers rested their cases in the murder trial. The New York real

By BOB CHRISTIE Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — A slew of communications between Arizona GOP lawmakers and their representatives overseeing a review of the 2020 election and party activists has been released under a court order obtained by a watchdog group that is fighting for transparency in the Senate’s recount of 2020 election results. Lawyers

LAS VEGAS (AP) — An arrest report says a 44-year-old Michigan man accused of creating a bomb hoax at the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas told investigators he wanted to send a message that former Republican President Donald Trump had messed up his life. Dandre Lundy remained jailed Wednesday following his arrest Tuesday at

By FRANK BAJAK AP Technology Writer BOSTON (AP) — The Federal Trade Commission has for the first time banned a company that makes so-called stalkerware — software used to surreptitiously track a cellphone user’s activities and location — from continuing in the surveillance app business. Wednesday’s action applies to the marketer of SpyFone, Puerto Rico-based

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California could soon force large department stores to display some child products in gender neutral ways after the state Legislature passed a bill on Wednesday aimed at getting rid of traditional pink and blue marketing schemes for items like toys and toothbrushes. The bill would not