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‘Lilo & Stich’ team with Tom Cruise and ‘Mission Impossible’ for a monster Memorial Day weekend
“Lilo & Stich” team with Tom Cruise for what may be a record-breaking Memorial Day box office weekend. According to studio estimates Sunday, Disney's “Lilo & Stich” earned a staggering $145.5 million in North American theaters, the…
What’s open and closed on Memorial Day?
In what had long been celebrated every May 30 to honor America’s fallen soldiers, Memorial Day officially became a federal holiday in 1971, observed on the last Monday in May.
Businesses increasingly have chosen to stay open, leading to…
In an uneasy climate, diverse pride groups converge on DC with differing interests but common goals
Members of different LGBTQ and transgender communities are descending on the nation's capital with plans for celebrations, parades, concerts and more. But the unifying theme will be to let the world know they're here and ready to keep…
Five years later: How the murder of George Floyd changed America
Five years after the murder of George Floyd, the ripple effects of that summer are still being felt to this day. His death sparked days of intense protests echoing calls for racial justice and police reform nationwide. In this episode of…
The US military spent $6 billion in the past 3 years to recruit and retain troops
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military spent more than $6 billion over the past three years to recruit and retain service members, in what has been a growing campaign to counter enlistment shortfalls.
The financial incentives to reenlist in…
Can Pope Leo remain a U.S. citizen now that he’s a foreign head of state?
Pope Leo XIV's election as the first U.S.-born leader of the Catholic Church elevated him to the extremely rare, and legally thorny, position of being an American citizen who now is also a foreign head of state.
Born in Chicago as Robert…
The Digital Equity Act tried to close the digital divide. Trump calls it racist and acts to end it
One initiative distributes laptops in rural Iowa. Another helped people get back online in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene washed away computers and phones. And there are efforts in Oregon and rural Alabama teach digital skills to…
Venezuelans vote for lawmakers and governors as opposition calls for election boycott
Venezuela is going to the polls to elect lawmakers, governors and other officials against a backdrop of heightened government repression. But voters are weighing whether to heed opposition calls to boycott the election. Sunday's poll is the…
Scientists have lost their jobs or grants in US cuts. Foreign universities want to hire them
As the Trump administration cut billions of dollars in federal funding to scientific research, thousands of scientists in the U.S. lost their jobs or grants — and governments and universities around the world spotted an opportunity.
The…
Thousands nationwide mark the 5th anniversary of George Floyd’s murder
Thousands are marking the fifth anniversary of George Floyd's murder at religious services, concerts and vigils nationwide. In Houston, the Rev. Al Sharpton spoke Sunday morning at a private graveside service for Floyd. Sharpton told those…
A 302-pound loggerhead sea turtle hit by a boat gets an oversize CT scan, with a surprise
JUNO BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A massive loggerhead sea turtle hit by a boat off Florida's Atlantic coast arrived at a turtle hospital needing medical care, but at 302 pounds (137 kilograms), Pennywise was too large to fit their equipment.
So the…
Meet Hercules and Ned, the border collies fending off wildlife at West Virginia’s busiest airport
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Hercules and Ned have quite the spacious office at West Virginia's busiest airport.
The border collies and their handler make daily patrols along the milelong airfield to ensure birds and other wildlife stay away…
A crypto investor is charged with kidnapping and torturing a man in an NYC apartment for weeks
NEW YORK (AP) — A cryptocurrency investor has been arrested and charged with kidnapping a man and keeping him locked up for weeks in an upscale Manhattan apartment, where authorities say he was beaten, shocked and led to believe that his…
Texas is closer to putting the Ten Commandments in classrooms after a key vote
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas would require all public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments under a Republican proposal that cleared a major vote Saturday and would make the state the nation's largest to impose such a mandate.
If…
An Oregon man who quit his job to set sail with his cat arrives to cheering fans in Hawaii
An Oregon man who quit his job at a tire company and liquidated his retirement savings to set sail for Hawaii with his cat reached his destination Saturday. His arrival on Oahu ended a weekslong journey that he documented for his mass of…
1 dead in New York sewage-boat explosion on Hudson River
NEW YORK (AP) — An explosion on a boat carrying raw sewage that was docked on the Hudson River in New York City killed a longtime city employee Saturday, authorities said.
Another worker on the city-owned Hunts Point vessel was injured and…
A federal judge orders the Trump administration to return a Guatemalan deported to Mexico to the US
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration late Friday to facilitate the return of a Guatemalan man it deported to Mexico in spite of his fears of being harmed there.
The man, who is gay, was protected from being returned to his home…
In their words: How recent presidents have honored America’s fallen on Memorial Day
WASHINGTON (AP) — From Arlington National Cemetery outside the nation's capital to the American burial ground in Normandy, France, presidents customarily commemorate Memorial Day on hallowed ground.
In somber wreath-laying ceremonies and…
The Democrats’ path back to power might start in places like this Appalachian town
PAINTSVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Janet Lynn Stumbo leaned on her cane and surveyed the two dozen or so voters who had convened in a small Appalachian town to meet with the chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party.
A former Kentucky Supreme Court…
Some of Trump’s loyalty-first picks for prosecutors draw opposition from senators who can block them
Senate opposition led President Donald Trump to abandon his candidate to be the top prosecutor in the nation’s capital. But Trump is facing similar headwinds with some of his picks for U.S. attorneys elsewhere. The Republican president has…
Alabama study reveals hurricane resilience programs are paying off for homeowners and insurers
A new Alabama study of hurricane-affected homes sends a clear message to insurers and homeowners nationwide: climate-resilient construction methods can protect homes, and save a lot of money.
The first-of-its-kind analysis, released this…
Japanese artist Takashi Murakami opens exhibit in Ohio museum with more than 100 works
CLEVELAND (AP) — Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami has never been limited to one medium, creating paintings, sculptures, luxury goods with fashion houses like Louis Vuitton, album covers and an exclusive merchandising collection…
AP PHOTOS: Looking back at 10 days in 2020 of fervent non-stop protests for George Floyd
As cellphone video documenting the last breaths of George Floyd spread across the internet, so did the collective outrage.
For 10 consecutive days after his murder at the hands of Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day in 2020,…
Ex-Minneapolis police chief recalls ‘absolutely gut-wrenching’ moment of seeing George Floyd video
Former Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo says he wishes he had moved faster to change the culture of his department before the murder of George Floyd, which happened five years ago Sunday. Arradondo, the city's first Black police…
What keeps the safety director of the most vulnerable spot in US up at night before hurricane season
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — No place is more vulnerable to hurricanes in the 50 U.S. states than the Florida Keys.
The chain of islands celebrated by singer Jimmy Buffett in his odes to tropical escapism is surrounded by water, jutting out 120…
Trump’s speech to West Point graduates mixes praise, politics and grievances
President Donald Trump has used the first service academy commencement address of his second term to laud graduating West Point cadets for their accomplishments and career choice. But he also veered sharply into a campaign-style recitation…
At 3 a.m. in the Capitol, the Speaker of the House pauses to share his place for prayer
WASHINGTON (AP) — It was just past 3 a.m., a few hours before the House vote on President Donald Trump's top priority in Congress, his “big, beautiful bill." House Speaker Mike Johnson was rushing through the Capitol halls with his security…
Judge denies stay request, lets ruling stand blocking DOGE efforts to shut down peace institute
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday denied the Trump administration’s request that she stay her May 19 ruling that returned control of the U.S. Institute of Peace back to its acting president and board.
In a seven-page ruling, U.S.…
Defense Secretary Hegseth, bedeviled by leaks, orders more restrictions on press at Pentagon
Bedeviled by leaks to the media during his short tenure, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a series of restrictions on the press late Friday that include banning reporters from entering wide swaths of the Pentagon without a government…
A Planned Parenthood affiliate plans to close 4 clinics in Iowa and another 4 in Minnesota
Four of the six Planned Parenthood clinics in Iowa and four in Minnesota will shut down in a year, the Midwestern affiliate operating them said Friday, blaming a freeze in federal funds, budget cuts proposed in Congress and state…
UN expert says Guatemalan prosecutor’s office using criminal law to pursue opponents
GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — A United Nations expert warned Friday at the conclusion of her two-week visit that Guatemala’s prosecutor’s office is increasingly using criminal law against former prosecutors, judges, defense attorneys, journalists…
New Hampshire to pay $2.25M to mother of 5-year-old killed by father
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire has agreed to pay $2.25 million to the mother of Harmony Montgomery, a 5-year-old girl whose father was convicted of murdering her.
Crystal Sorey filed a negligence lawsuit against the state last May…
Environmentalists’ lawsuit challenges Trump’s order to allow commercial fishing in Pacific monument
HONOLULU (AP) — Environmentalists are challenging in court President Donald Trump's executive order that they say strips core protections from the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument and opens the area to harmful commercial…
Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney reaches tentative agreement with striking machinists
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney announced Friday that it reached a tentative agreement with the union representing about 3,000 machinists in Connecticut who've been on strike since May 4 demanding improved…
White House slashing staff in major overhaul of National Security Council, officials say
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is ordering a major overhaul of the National Security Council that will shrink its size, lead to the ouster of some political appointees and return many career government employees back to their home…
Restraining order against Maui doctor jailed on charge of attempting to kill his wife is dismissed
WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — A judge on Friday dismissed a petition for a temporary restraining order against a Maui anesthesiologist accused of attempting to kill his wife on a Honolulu hiking trail.
Gerhardt Konig's wife initially filed the…
Movie armorer completes prison sentence in fatal ‘Rust’ set shooting
A movie armorer convicted in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western movie “Rust” has been released from a New Mexico prison after competing an 18-month jail term. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed signed out…
North Carolina’s high court says elections board shift can continue while appeals carry on
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A divided North Carolina Supreme Court confirmed Friday that it was OK for a new law that shifted the power to appoint State Board of Elections members away from the Democratic governor to start being enforced earlier…
Pentagon lost contact with Army helicopter on flight that caused jets to nix landings at DC airport
WASHINGTON (AP) — Military air traffic controllers lost contact with an Army helicopter for about 20 seconds as it neared the Pentagon on the flight that caused two commercial jets to abort their landings this month at a Washington airport,…
Privacy and hunger groups sue over USDA attempt to collect personal data of SNAP recipients
Privacy and hunger relief groups and a handful of people receiving food assistance benefits are suing the federal government over the Trump administration's attempts to collect the personal information of millions of U.S. residents who use…
US Justice Department pardon lawyer pledges ‘hard look’ at plot to kidnap Michigan governor
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department's new pardon attorney said he is going to take a “hard look” at two men who are serving long prison terms for leading a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
“On the pardon front, we…
Groups sue over West Virginia governor’s order on religious exemptions for school vaccines
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Two groups filed a lawsuit Friday over an executive order by West Virginia Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey granting religious exemptions from required school vaccinations.
The American Civil Liberties Union's West…
Judge blocks another Trump executive order targeting a major law firm
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday permanently blocked another of President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting a major law firm, calling it unconstitutional retaliation designed to punish lawyers for their legal work that…
