Supreme Court avoids ruling on law shielding internet companies from being sued for what users post
May 18, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday sided with Google, Twitter and Facebook in lawsuits seeking to hold them liable for terrorist attacks.
False claims of a stolen election thrive unchecked on Twitter even as Musk promises otherwise
May 18, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — In an interview this week, Twitter owner Elon Musk said users making false claims of stolen elections “will be corrected” on the platform.
Navy probe prompted by suicides condemns conditions at shipyard: ‘We let our people down’
May 18, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A Navy investigation prompted by a spate of suicides is recommending widespread improvements in housing, food, parking and internet for sailors as well as changes to mental health and other personnel programs.
Biden, Japan’s Kishida meet ahead of G-7 summit, vowing to ‘stand strong’ against global threats
May 18, 2023 GMTHIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met Thursday aiming to showcase the strength of their alliance ahead of a Group of Seven summit where leading democracies will tackle the challenges of Russia’s war in Ukraine, North Korea’s ballistic nuclear threats and an increasingly forceful China.
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden 's reelection campaign is vowing to hold the states that won him the White House in 2020 but also compete in places it lost like North Carolina and increasingly Republican-dominated Florida, providing what it says are “a number of viable pathways to the 270 electoral votes” needed to clinch four more years.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Congress “must move quickly” to regulate artificial intelligence and has convened a bipartisan group of senators to work on legislation.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Negotiators from the White House labored Thursday over the U.S. debt limit with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's emissaries at the Capitol, grinding through a second day of head-to-head talks trying to strike a budget deal to avert a looming economic crisis.
WASHINGTON (AP) — In a rare judicial defeat for President Joe Biden, Michael Delaney is withdrawing his nomination for the Boston-based 1st U.S.
World leaders gather for G7 meetings, ready to pile fresh sanctions on Russia over Ukraine war
May 18, 2023 GMTHIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — Leaders of the world's most powerful democracies gathered Thursday for Group of Seven meetings in Hiroshima, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine high on the agenda for a summit convened in the shadow of the world’s first atomic bomb attack.
WASHINGTON (AP) — All the hand-wringing over a potential government default if Congress doesn't increase the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling has conjured up images of past government shutdowns.
10K bridges similar to Pittsburgh one that collapsed should be checked for corrosion, report says
May 18, 2023 GMTInvestigators looking into the collapse of a Pittsburgh bridge want transportation officials nationwide to examine more than 10,000 other bridges with similar construction to ensure they don't have the same kind of corrosion that was found on the bridge that collapsed.
Will dashboard AM radio be saved? Bipartisan bill would require automakers to keep it in new cars
May 18, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are pushing to keep AM radio in the nation's cars.
A bipartisan group in Congress has introduced the “AM for Every Vehicle Act." The bill calls on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to require automakers to keep AM radio in new cars at no additional cost.
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska lawmakers began a special session Thursday after failing to reach agreement on a state spending package during their four-month regular session.
Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy called the special session after the House failed to take up a budget plan sent over by the Senate as a take-or-leave proposition.
Here are the restrictions on transgender people that are moving forward in US statehouses
May 18, 2023 GMTFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis has highlighted efforts by Republican governors and statehouses across the country to embrace proposals limiting the rights of transgender people, signing new restrictions as he moves closer to a presidential bid.
China’s loans pushing world’s poorest countries to brink of collapse
AP InvestigationMay 18, 2023 GMTA dozen poor countries are facing economic instability and even collapse under the weight of hundreds of billions of dollars in foreign loans, much of them from the world’s biggest and most unforgiving government lender, China.
Rhode Island Senate poised to approve expanded abortion access
May 18, 2023 GMTPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The Rhode Island Senate is set to vote Thursday on a measure that would allow state funds to be used to pay for health plans that cover state workers and Medicaid recipients seeking abortions.
Ecuador lawmakers denounce president’s disbanding of National Assembly, argue it wasn’t legal
May 18, 2023 GMTQUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Ecuadorian lawmakers who were ousted when President Guillermo Lasso dissolved the National Assembly denounced the move Thursday and argued it wasn't legal because the country wasn't facing any urgent crisis.
Minnesota Democrats hold emergency meeting in response to melee at Minneapolis political convention
May 18, 2023 GMTMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Democratic leaders are meeting over Zoom on Thursday evening to discuss the chaos that broke out during a weekend convention to endorse a candidate for a Minneapolis City Council race.
Disney scraps plans for new Florida campus as fight with Gov. Ron DeSantis continues
May 18, 2023 GMTLAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — The Walt Disney Co. announced Thursday that it was scrapping plans to build a new campus in central Florida and relocate 2,000 employees from Southern California to work in digital technology, finance and product development.
8-year-old girl dies in Border Patrol custody in Texas, as agency struggles with overcrowding
May 18, 2023 GMTMCALLEN, Texas (AP) — A little girl from Panama born with heart problems died in Border Patrol custody Wednesday, the second death of a child from Latin America in U.S.
FACT FOCUS: Who’s to blame for the national debt? It’s more complicated than one culprit
May 18, 2023 GMTThe U.S. is inching closer to a deadline to raise the debt ceiling or risk defaulting on the nation’s $31 trillion in debt and political leaders have not yet reached a deal to avert such a crisis.
Tennessee governor signs off on eliminating community boards with police oversight power
May 18, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Gov. Bill Lee on Thursday signed off on legislation that will gut Tennessee's community oversight boards and instead replace those panels with review committees that have no power to investigate police misconduct allegations.
A group led by a Nebraska state lawmaker plans to again try to put the question of legalizing medical marijuana before state voters in November 2024.
It will be the third time Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana launch a petition effort after two previous efforts failed.
Wisconsin Republican leaders at odds over local government aid bill, putting it at risk
May 18, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Senate and Assembly Republicans are at odds over a key ingredient of a proposal long sought after by local governments, first responders and others that would significantly boost state aid to pay for essential services.
Judge signals hesitance to shut down pipeline, pleads with Wisconsin tribe to work with oil company
May 18, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal judge signaled Thursday he will not force an energy company to shut down an oil pipeline in northern Wisconsin, despite arguments from a Native American tribe that the line is at immediate risk of being exposed by erosion and rupturing on reservation land.
North Carolina Senate budget proposal clears chamber, with negotiations with House soon to follow
May 18, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A two-year state government budget proposal cleared the North Carolina Senate on Thursday, setting the stage for negotiations with House counterparts over the coming weeks to fashion a final spending and tax plan.
Kansas governor vetoes part of school funding bill, setting up likely legal battle with GOP
May 18, 2023 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas' Democratic governor on Thursday vetoed parts of the Republican-backed $6 billion funding plan for the state's K-12 schools, setting up a likely legal battle that will test her office's powers.
Pentagon leak suspect was warned multiple times about mishandling of classified information
May 18, 2023 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Superiors of the Massachusetts Air National Guard member charged with leaking highly classified military documents had raised concerns internally on multiple occasions about his handling or viewing of classified information, according to a court filing Wednesday.
Trial over Kari Lake’s last challenge to loss in Arizona governor’s race enters 2nd day
May 18, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Attorneys for Kari Lake entered a second day Thursday of trying to build a case for the only remaining legal claim in her challenge to the Arizona governor's race.
A judge in suburban Phoenix is allowing Lake a three-day trial to prove county election officials failed to perform higher level signature verifications on mail-in ballots that had been flagged.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The U.S. government is greenlighting a proposed multibillion-dollar transmission line that would send primarily wind-generated electricity from the rural plains of New Mexico to big cities in the West.
NEW YORK (AP) — Veteran correspondent Christiane Amanpour became the most prominent CNN journalist to publicly criticize her network for airing last week's town hall with former President Donald Trump.
Syria’s Assad arrives in Saudi Arabia for regional summit, sealing his return to the Arab fold
May 18, 2023 GMTJEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad arrived on Thursday in Saudi Arabia to attend a regional summit that is expected to seal Syria's return to the Arab fold, marking his first visit to the oil-rich kingdom since Syria’s conflict began in 2011.
Pakistani police besiege Imran Khan’s home as deadline for him to hand over suspects expires
May 18, 2023 GMTLAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani police kept up their siege around the home of Imran Khan as a 24-hour deadline given to the former premier to hand over suspects allegedly sheltered inside expired on Thursday.
GENEVA (AP) — A top U.N. official said Thursday that he hopes for a breakthrough soon after months of efforts to ensure that Russian food and fertilizer can be shipped to developing countries struggling with high prices.
Bill to force schools to inform inquiring parents about transgender children fails in New Hampshire
May 18, 2023 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A bill that would have required school officials to disclose to inquiring parents that their child is using a different name or being referred to as being a different gender was defeated Thursday in the New Hampshire House.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of Jewish nationalists, some of them chanting “Death to Arabs” and other racist slogans, paraded on Thursday through the main Palestinian thoroughfare of Jerusalem’s Old City, in an annual display that caused new friction between Jews and Palestinians in the tense city.
Russia fires 30 cruise missiles at Ukrainian targets; Ukraine says 29 were shot down
May 18, 2023 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia fired 30 cruise missiles against different parts of Ukraine early Thursday in the latest nighttime test of Ukrainian air defenses, which shot down 29 of them, officials said.
Youngkin endorses 6 candidates in contested Republican primaries
May 18, 2023 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued a third round of endorsements Thursday in Virginia legislative races, backing 19 more Republican candidates, including six who are in contested primaries.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A ballot question seeking to make it more difficult to amend the Ohio Constitution was cleared for an August ballot on Thursday, and teams of Republican and Democratic lawmakers assigned to write pro and con arguments, respectively, to be presented to voters.
Russia extends detention of US consular worker by 3 months
May 18, 2023 GMTMOSCOW (AP) — A Russian court on Thursday extended by three months the detention of a former employee of the U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok on charges of cooperating with a foreign state.
Montana says 1st-in-nation TikTok ban protects people. TikTok says it violates their rights
May 18, 2023 GMTHELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana became the first state in the U.S. to enact a complete ban on TikTok on Wednesday when Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a measure that's more sweeping than any other state's attempts to curtail the social media app, which is owned by a Chinese tech company.
Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral cost UK government $200 million
May 18, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — Queen Elizabeth II's funeral and lying-in-state last year cost Britain's government an estimated 162 million pounds (around $200 million), the treasury revealed Thursday.
The state funeral for the late monarch, held on Sept.
France moves to ban smoking in woodlands to combat growing climate-related risk of mega fires
May 18, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — French lawmakers have voted to ban smoking in all forests and woods during the fire season, part of a series of proposed measures to tackle growing destruction and dangers from climate change-related blazes.
Myanmar raises death toll from Cyclone Mocha to 54, but full extent of damage still unknown
May 18, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — At least 54 people were killed and more than 185,000 buildings damaged in Myanmar by a powerful cyclone last weekend, state television MRTV reported Thursday.
Communication difficulties in the affected areas, where infrastructure was already poor, and the military government’s tight control over information leave the actual extent of casualties and destruction unclear.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — An executive at a news organization has apologized to former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant for remarks she made about him and the misspending of welfare money that was intended to help some of the poorest people in the U.S.
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main challenger in Turkey’s presidential race shifted gear and adopted a more nationalist and hard-line stance on Thursday, vowing to send back millions of refugees if he is elected and rejecting any possibility of negotiating for peace with Kurdish militants.
MASERU, Lesotho (AP) — Authorities in the small southern African kingdom of Lesotho have imposed an indefinite nighttime curfew nationwide in an attempt to curb violent crime, a move prompted by the killing of a prominent journalist.
China asks Australia to increase search for 39 aboard capsized boat as 2 bodies reportedly found
May 18, 2023 GMTCANBERRA, Australia (AP) — A Chinese envoy asked Australian authorities on Thursday to increase efforts to find survivors in the search for 39 crew members who were aboard a Chinese fishing boat that capsized in the Indian Ocean, as Chinese media reported two bodies had been recovered.
Top leaders of Pakistan, Iran inaugurate border market in their first meeting in 10 years
May 18, 2023 GMTISLAMABAD (AP) — The top leaders of Pakistan and Iran on Thursday inaugurated the first border market as relations warm between the two countries, officials said.
Located in the remote village of Pashin in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province, the marketplace is the first of six to be constructed along the Pakistan-Iran border under a 2012 agreement signed by the two sides.
Iran warns Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers not to violate its water rights, over Helmand River
May 18, 2023 GMTTEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s president warned Afghanistan's Taliban rulers on Thursday not to violate water rights of the Iranian people over their shared Helmand River, the state-run IRNA news agency reported..
Australia to provide surveillance drones to Philippines amid South China Sea tensions
May 18, 2023 GMTMANILA, Philippines (AP) — Australia will provide surveillance drones and other high-tech gear to the Philippine coast guard and is considering whether to take part in joint patrols in the disputed South China Sea, Australia Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Thursday.
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong's leader said Thursday the city's public libraries would not recommend books featuring “bad ideologies" to residents after they pulled titles related to the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and certain political figures, further shrinking the city's freedoms.
Leader of Thai opposition party that won election announces 8-party coalition plan to take power
May 18, 2023 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — The leader of the progressive opposition party that won a stunning victory in Thailand’s national election said Thursday that eight parties have agreed to form a coalition government with him as prime minister, despite fears among supporters that his military-aligned opponents may use the unelected Senate to block them.
China says Ukraine envoy met with Zelenskyy during talks in Kyiv
May 18, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — China said Thursday its special envoy met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during talks in Kyiv earlier this week.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the meeting came amid discussions between envoy Li Hui and Ukraine’s foreign minister and other government officials.
China asks embassies to avoid ‘propaganda’ in apparent reference to pro-Ukrainian displays
May 18, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — Foreign embassies in Beijing were asked by the Chinese government to avoid displaying what it calls propaganda in an apparent response to shows of support for Ukraine.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s government says it is neutral in Moscow’s 15-month-old invasion of Ukraine but has repeated Russian justifications, accusing Washington and the U.S.-European military alliance NATO of provoking Moscow.
Alaska lawmakers pass bill to keep gun shops open during disasters if other businesses are
May 18, 2023 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska lawmakers on Wednesday passed legislation that seeks to block state and local officials from closing gun stores during disasters declared by the governor, unless such closures apply to all other businesses.