AP National News

AP Sports Writer EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The 2026 World Cup is coming to North America with an ambitious plan, expanding the field by 50% and spreading the soccer spectacle over 16 cities in three countries with multiple climates and elevations. FIFA partnered with turf experts at the University of Tennessee and Michigan State

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An Apple TV+ documentary series, “K-pop Idols,” premiering Friday, offers an intimate look at how the K-pop industry is embracing diversity while grappling with challenges in a field that demands perfection. The six-part series features Korean American star Jessi and up-and-coming K-pop bands like Cravity and Blackswan, documenting

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Officials say a tropical storm developing in the Arabian Sea has prompted authorities to shut schools in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city. Weather forecasters warned fishermen on Friday not to venture out to sea. The disaster management authority warned that the storm could cause heavy rains in Karachi and elsewhere. A day

AP Business Writer Stocks on Wall Street finished broadly higher Friday as the market closed out its fourth straight winning month with solid gains. A late-afternoon rally helped stocks bounce back from a midafternoon slide. The S&P 500 rose 1%, with about 76% of the stocks in the index notching gains. The benchmark S&P 500

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — A slow-moving tropical storm is having a far-reaching impact in much of Japan, dumping heavy rain around Tokyo and flooding roads and riverside areas in the south. Flooding was reported Friday in a number of areas west of Tokyo, where water blocked roads and stalled cars. Warnings for heavy rain

AP Film Writer VENICE, Italy (AP) — “Babygirl,” an erotic thriller about a female CEO who begins an affair with a younger, male intern, is about sex, certainly. But that’s just part of the story. It’s also about desire, secrets, marriage, truth, power and consent, star Nicole Kidman said Friday at the Venice Film Festival.

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump lamented the growing acceptance of transgender Americans Friday in an appearance at the annual gathering of Moms for Liberty, a national nonprofit that has spearheaded efforts to get mentions of LGBTQ+ identity and structural racism out of K-12 classrooms. Trump said transgender women should not

Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The National Basketball Association formalized its giving over the past four years through a new $300 million grantmaking arm. The NBA Foundation sends flexible funding to nonprofits focused on boosting economic opportunity for Black youth in its teams’ cities. Recipients report few strings attached and comprehensive application processes, a

Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The effort to make the peace between Donald Trump and Georgia’s powerful Republican governor began in a sprawling neo-Victorian mansion in the exclusive Atlanta enclave of Buckhead. It was at an Aug. 7 fundraiser hosted by former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler that fellow Republican Lindsey Graham approached Gov. Brian Kemp.

AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — One of two doctors charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death made his first appearance in a federal court in Los Angeles on Friday after reaching a deal to plead guilty and cooperate with prosecutors. Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, stood in court with his lawyer

Associated Press KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP) — On a residential block in upstate New York, college students dig and sift backyard dirt as part of an archaeological project that could provide insights into the lives of African Americans buried there centuries ago. This spot of tightly-packed houses in the city of Kingston was a cemetery for

Associated Press AYER, Mass. (AP) — Christina Hernon was saved by a doctor at a local hospital when she was 5. Now she’s an emergency physician at one of two Massachusetts hospitals that are due to close on Saturday. She and other staff believe patients like she was could suffer or even die when Nashoba

Associated Press Before he was suspended, Zaire Byrd was thriving. He acted in school plays, played on the football team and trained with other athletes. He had never been suspended before — he’d never even received detention. But when Byrd got involved in a fight after school one day, none of that seemed to matter

Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Several programs of diversity, equity and inclusion are at risk of elimination at North Carolina’s flagship university after the University of North Carolina Board of Governors voted to scrap a previous diversity policy in May and replace it with a new one. Sept. 1 marks the deadline for implementing

Associated Press WEST CHESTER, Pa. (AP) — A convicted killer captured last year after two weeks on the run in southeastern Pennsylvania’s rolling farmlands has pleaded guilty to escape and burglary charges. Danilo Cavalcante escaped from a Chester County lockup while waiting to be transferred to state prison to serve a life sentence for killing his

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (AP) — New Zealand’s Māori King, Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII, has died at age 69, just days after the celebration of his 18th year on the throne. Officials say Tuheitia died in hospital Friday after heart surgery. Tuheitia was the seventh Māori monarch. The position was created in 1858 to unite

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — Zakia Khudadadi made history on Thursday at the Paris Paralympics by becoming the first athlete from the Refugee Paralympic Team to win a medal. Khudadadi won bronze in the women’s 47kg category after defeating Turkey’s Ekinci Nurcihan. When the final buzzer sounded at the Grand Palais in central Paris, Khudadadi

AP Basketball Writer Stephen Curry has signed a one-year extension with the Golden State Warriors for the 2026-27 season, one in which the NBA’s all-time 3-point leader and Olympic gold medalist will earn nearly $63 million. The team announced the signing Thursday. ESPN first reported the agreement was in place, and Curry’s agent, Jeff Austin