By JIM VERTUNO Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a full pardon Thursday for a former U.S. Army sergeant convicted of murder for fatally shooting an armed demonstrator in 2020 during nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice. Abbott announced the pardon shortly after the Texas Board of Pardons
Continue ReadingBy ERIC TUCKER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has announced multiple arrests in a series of complex stolen identity theft cases that officials say are part of a wide-ranging scheme that generates enormous proceeds for the North Korean government, including for its weapons program. The conspiracy involves thousands of North Korean information
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By Clare Foran, Kristin Wilson and Melanie Zanona, CNN (CNN) — The House voted on Thursday to pass a GOP-led bill to compel the delivery of defensive weapons to Israel as Republicans ramp up pressure on President Joe Biden over his handling of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The bill would prevent Biden
Continue ReadingBy ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Arkansas Supreme Court has upheld four voting restrictions passed by Republican lawmakers in 2021 that were struck down by a state judge as unconstitutional. Justices on Thursday unanimously reversed and remanded the decision against the four laws. The court had earlier stayed the judge’s
Continue ReadingBy Daniel Wine, CNN 👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! First it was the new official portrait of King Charles III that had people seeing red. Now billionaire Gina Rinehart, Australia’s richest woman, has raised a ruckus after demanding that an artist’s painting of her be removed from a national gallery exhibition. Take a look
Continue ReadingBy REBECCA SANTANA and ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is creating a new process aimed at cutting the time it takes to decide the fates of newly arrived migrants in immigration courts from years to roughly six months. The action comes at a time when immigration is increasingly a concern
Continue ReadingBy FARNOUSH AMIRI, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and COLLEEN LONG Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Thursday blocked the release of audio from President Joe Biden’s interview with a special counsel about his handling of classified documents, arguing that Republicans in Congress only wanted the recordings “to chop them up” and use them
Continue ReadingBy MIKE CATALINI and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Sen. Bob Menendez says his wife has breast cancer and will require a mastectomy, a revelation made just as the presentation of evidence began at his New York bribery trial. The New Jersey Democrat said in a statement Thursday there was concern about
Continue ReadingBy JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer A key Boeing supplier that makes the fuselages for its popular 737 Max airplanes is laying off about 450 workers. That’s because production has slowed down ever since a panel flew off one of those airplanes operated by Alaska Airlines in midair in January. A spokesman for Spirit AeroSystems
Continue ReadingLANSING, Mich. (AP) — Six men face charges in connection with the theft of more than 400 vehicles worth about $8 million in Michigan. The state attorney general’s office said Thursday that the men were part of a criminal organization. They say the vehicles were stolen from dealerships, storage and parking lots, and homes. The
Continue ReadingBy STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks edged back from their record heights Thursday after the Dow Jones Industrial Average briefly topped the 40,000 level for the first time. The Dow slipped 38.62 points, or 0.1%, to 39,869.38. The S&P 500 index, which is much more widely followed on Wall
Continue ReadingBy STEPHEN GROVES and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The House delivered a rebuke to President Joe Biden Thursday for pausing a shipment of bombs to Israel, passing legislation that seeks to force the weapons transfer as Republicans worked to highlight Democratic divisions over the Israel-Hamas war. Seeking to discourage Israel from
Continue ReadingFORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana judge has cleared the way for the opening of a new restaurant after finding that “tacos and burritos are Mexican-style sandwiches.” Martin Quintana says he is relieved the legal fight is over and he plans to open his second The Famous Taco location in Fort Wayne in months.
Continue ReadingBy STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ron Washington often reflects on his first managerial job and taking the Texas Rangers to their first two World Series appearances. “I was there, and as a manager, who wouldn’t want to win a World Series,” Washington said this week. “And I had two opportunities
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a full pardon Thursday for a former U.S. Army sergeant convicted of murder for fatally shooting an armed demonstrator in 2020 during nationwide protests against police violence and racial injustice. Abbott announced the pardon just a few minutes after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles announced that
Continue ReadingANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Alcohol sales will begin this football season at Michigan Stadium, following a trend of booze being made available at college sports venues across the nation. The Michigan athletic department made the announcement following successful rollouts of alcohol sales at its hockey and basketball arenas. The university’s Board of Regents voted
Continue ReadingBy REBECCA BOONE Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A judge is considering what effect a paperwork snafu should have on one of the three murder charges against Chad Daybell, an Idaho man accused of killing his wife and his new girlfriend’s two children. Seventh District Judge Steven Boyce alerted attorneys Thursday afternoon that the
Continue ReadingBy LOLITA C. BALDOR and TARA COPP Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon said Thursday that humanitarian aid will soon begin flowing onto the Gaza shore through the new pier that was anchored to the beach and will begin reaching those in need almost immediately. Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters that the U.S.
Continue ReadingBy SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press Five Americans are facing prison sentences of up to 12 years in the Turks and Caicos Islands on charges they illegally carried ammunition while in the popular, upscale tourist destination about 600 miles southeast of Miami. Three of the arrests have prompted pleas for mercy from the governors of Oklahoma,
Continue ReadingBy Fredreka Schouten, CNN (CNN) — Federal election regulators on Thursday authorized public matching funds for Mike Pence’s dormant White House campaign – acting on a request the former vice president’s campaign initially made in October, only weeks before he ended his short-lived bid for the Republican nomination. The Federal Election Commission certified an initial
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