By YURAS KARMANAU and EMMA BURROWS Associated Press Ukrainians living in regions illegally annexed by Russia are being coerced to vote in the presidential election of their wartime occupier, Vladimir Putin, an exercise denounced by Ukraine as an illegitimate effort by Moscow to tighten control over its neighbor. People in Russia don’t begin voting en
Continue ReadingBy Melanie Zanona and Haley Talbot, CNN Speaker Mike Johnson said Thursday that he does not believe Congress has a role to play when it comes to IVF legislation, as some members within the House Republican Conference have been pushing for in the wake of the controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling. “It’s not my belief
Continue ReadingBy Rob Picheta and Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN London (CNN) — Prince William praised his mother, Diana, the late Princess of Wales, at an event in London on Thursday, saying she taught him that everyone “has the potential to give something back.” The event, marking the 25th anniversary of The Diana Award, also saw Prince Harry,
Continue ReadingBy TODD RICHMOND Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A ruling by the Wisconsin Supreme Court is raising the bar for religions to show that their charity arms deserve tax exemptions. The state Supreme Court on Thursday rejected a Catholic charitable organization’s claim that it doesn’t have to pay unemployment taxes because it’s a religious
Continue ReadingBy PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — They’re wriggly, they’re gross and they’re worth more than $2,000 a pound. And soon, fishermen might be able to catch thousands of pounds of them for years to come. Baby eels, also called elvers, are likely the most valuable fish in the United States on a
Continue ReadingBy Luke McGee, CNN (CNN) — The British government has published a new definition of extremism in response to a surge in hate crimes following Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel, a move critics warn could threaten free speech. The new “more precise” definition deems extremism to be an “ideology based on violence, hatred or
Continue ReadingBy ERIC OLSON AP College Football Writer Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen says athletic director Trev Alberts’ sudden decision to take the same job at Texas A&M is disappointing and he has implored the university’s board of regents to act quickly to fill vacant leadership positions. Pillen, a former regent who played football for the Cornhuskers
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A SigAlert was issued by the California Highway Patrol Thursday morning for Interstate 10 east of Coachella in both directions due to two collisions involving big rig trucks. All east and westbound traffic was being detoured off the freeway in Coachella at Dillon Road. The CHP said all Eastbound traffic would be directed to State
Continue ReadingBy CHINEDU ASADU Associated Press ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria’s president has urged security agencies not to pay ransoms to rescue nearly 300 schoolchildren abducted from their school in the conflict-hit north a week ago. His directive comes as two people with extensive knowledge of the kidnap crisis said those holding the schoolchildren are known,
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The Imperial Irrigation District reported a power outage in Desert Hot Springs and Sky Valley that was impacting 1,014 customers Thursday morning. That original number was later updated by IID to 1,029 customers. 314 customers were said to have been restored. The initial outage was reported at 6:52 a.m., according to IID. There was no immediate word
Continue ReadingCNN By Clare Foran, CNN Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday criticized Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, calling for new elections in a speech on the Senate floor on the Israel-Hamas war. “As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me: The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel
Continue ReadingISABELLA O’MALLEY Associated Press Intense storms that swept through Kansas and Missouri on Wednesday brought whipping winds, possible tornadoes — and what some described as “gorilla hail.” Hail is a product of thunderstorms and the size of this precipitation depends on the strength of the updraft, which is the upward flow of air in a
Continue ReadingBy FATIMA HUSSEIN, MATTHEW LEE and JULIA FRANKEL Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. has imposed sanctions on a group of three extremist Israeli West Bank settlers who are accused of harassing and attacking Palestinians in an attempt to pressure them to leave their land. The announcement comes at a time of increasing friction
Continue ReadingBy COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press MILAN (AP) — Survivors rescued from a deflating rubber dinghy in the central Mediterranean Sea have reported that some 60 people who departed Libya with them more than a week ago perished during the journey, the humanitarian rescue group SOS Mediterranee said Thursday. The European charity’s ship Ocean Viking spotted
Continue ReadingBy COLLEEN SLEVIN Associated Press DENVER (AP) — A major storm dumped heavy snow in Colorado on Thursday – forcing flight cancellations and shutting down a highway that connects Denver to Colorado ski resorts. “Our city hasn’t seen a storm like this in a few years,” Denver Mayor Mike Johnston posted Wednesday on X, formerly
Continue ReadingBy BARBARA SURK Associated Press NICE, France (AP) — An independent French body in charge of a reparation program for victims of child sexual abuse by priests or church representatives says that nearly 500 people have so far received financial compensations from France’s Catholic Church. The Independent National Authority for Recognition and Reparation said in
Continue ReadingBy Billy Stockwell, CNN (CNN) — The top-hatted “drinking bird,” once a fixture in science classrooms for demonstrating the basics of thermodynamics, is making a surprising comeback — as the inspiration for a new clean-energy generator that could one day power your watch and phone. Scientists in Hong Kong and China have used the famous toy,
Continue ReadingRIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — The estranged wife of Long Island serial killing suspect Rex Heuermann says she believes he is not capable of the crimes he is accused of and she visits him in jail weekly despite pending divorce proceedings. Asa Ellerup, who filed for divorce in the days after Heuermann’s July 13, 2023, arrest
Continue ReadingBy MARY CLARE JALONICK and ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called on Israel to hold new elections, saying he believes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost his way” and is an obstacle to peace in the region amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Schumer,
Continue ReadingBy MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — For generations, German composer Hans Zimmer ‘s film scores have soundtracked magic movie moments in “The Lion King,” “Gladiator,” the “Dark Knight” trilogy, and most recently, “Dune” and “Dune: Part Two.” This fall, Zimmer will bring his award-winning scores to the live stage. His “Hans
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