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Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trialNEW YORK -- With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later...
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Israel seizes Gaza's vital Rafah crossing, but the US says it isn't the full invasion many fearCAIRO -- Israeli troops seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday in what the White House described as a limited operation, as fears mount of a full-scale invasion of the southern city and talks with Hamas over a cease-fire and hostage release remain on a knife's edge...
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Some colleges that had been permissive of pro-Palestinian protests begin taking a tougher stanceCHICAGO -- Police cleared a pro-Palestinian tent encampment at the University of Chicago on Tuesday after administrators who had initially adopted a permissive approach said the protest had crossed a line and caused growing concerns about safety. University President Paul Alivisatos acknowledged the school's role as a protector of freedom of speech after officers in riot gear blocked access to the school's Quad but also took an enough-is-enough stance...
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In Holocaust remembrance, Biden condemns antisemitism sparked by college protests and Gaza warWASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden on Tuesday decried a "ferocious surge" in antisemitism on college campuses and around the globe in the months since Hamas attacked Israel and triggered a war in Gaza, using a ceremony to remember victims of the Holocaust to also denounce new waves of violence and hateful rhetoric toward Jews...
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Transgender activists flood Utah tip line with hoax reports to block bathroom law enforcementSALT LAKE CITY -- Transgender activists have flooded a Utah tip line created to alert state officials to possible violations of a new bathroom law with thousands of hoax reports in an effort to shield trans residents and their allies from any legitimate complaints that could lead to an investigation...
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US paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official saysWASHINGTON -- The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S., a senior administration official said Tuesday...
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Pro-Palestinian student protests spread across Europe. Some are allowed. Some are stoppedAMSTERDAM -- Campus protests by pro-Palestinian activists spread across Europe on Tuesday as some called for a break in academic ties with Israel over the war in Gaza, while schools increasingly faced the question under debate in the U.S.: Allow or intervene?...
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After deadly Oklahoma tornado, storms bring twisters to the MidwestDETROIT -- Severe storms battered the Midwest on Tuesday, unleashing a curtain of heavy rain, gusty winds and tornadoes throughout the region a day after a deadly twister ripped through a small Oklahoma town and killed at least one person. Tornadoes were spotted after dark Tuesday in parts of Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, while portions of Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri were also under a tornado watch, according to the National Weather Service...
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Boy Scouts of America changing name to more inclusive Scouting America after years of woesIRVING, Texas -- The Boy Scouts of America announced after 114 years that it will change its name and will become Scouting America in an effort to emphasize inclusion as it works to move past the turmoil of bankruptcy and a flood of sexual abuse claims...
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Mother of Australian surfers killed in Mexico gives moving tribute to sons at a beach in San DiegoMEXICO CITY -- The mother of two Australian surfers killed in Mexico delivered a moving tribute to her sons Tuesday at a beach in San Diego. "Our hearts are broken and the world has become a darker place for us," Debra Robinson said, fighting back tears. "They were young men enjoying their passion of surfing together."...
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Semi-automatic gun ban nixed in Colorado's Democratic-controlled statehouse after historic progressDENVER -- A bill to ban the sale and transfer of semi-automatic firearms was nixed in Colorado's Democratic-controlled Legislature on Tuesday as lawmakers pressed forward with a slew of other gun control bills on the 25th anniversary year of the Columbine High School massacre...
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US service member shot and killed by Florida police identified by the Air ForceFORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- The U.S. Air Force said an airman based at the Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Florida, was shot and killed Friday during an incident involving a sheriff's deputy. Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, died at his off-base residence, the U.S. Air Force said in a statement released Monday...
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Grit, humor, grief and gloom mix as Ukrainians face a dangerous new phase in the warKYIV, Ukraine -- Paintbrush in hand, Anastasiya Sereda is working on a painting of a chubby-faced panda in the uniform of a Ukrainian soldier. Propped on her easel is the reason why -- a photo of her boyfriend Bohdan, a burly serviceman with a gentle smile...
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Xi begins Serbia visit on the 25th anniversary of NATO's bombing of the Chinese EmbassyBELGRADE, Serbia -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to European ally Serbia on Tuesday falls on a symbolic date: the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade during NATO's air war over Kosovo. U.S. jets dropped five bombs on the Chinese Embassy compound in the Serbian capital on May 7, 1999, setting it ablaze and killing three Chinese nationals. Twenty other people were injured in the bombing, which has burdened relations between the two powers ever since...
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TikTok sues US to block law that could ban the social media platformTikTok and its Chinese parent company filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging a new American law that would ban the popular video-sharing app in the U.S. unless it's sold to an approved buyer, saying it unfairly singles out the platform and is an unprecedented attack on free speech...
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Pro-Palestinian protesters retake MIT encampment, occupy building at Rhode Island School of Design (5/7/24)NEW YORK -- A Monday deadline for pro-Palestinian protesters to leave an encampment at Massachusetts Institute of Technology cleared many demonstrators only to have the site retaken while protesters at the Rhode Island School of Design began occupying a building in the ongoing protest movement connected to the Israel-Hamas war...
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Trump faces jail threat over gag order as prosecutors zero in on transactions at heart of the case (5/7/24)NEW YORK -- Donald Trump returns to his hush money trial Tuesday facing a threat of jail time for additional gag order violations as prosecutors gear up to summon big-name witnesses in the final weeks of the case. Stormy Daniels, the porn actor who has said she had a sexual encounter with Trump, and Michael Cohen, the former Trump lawyer and personal fixer who prosecutors say paid her to keep silent in the final weeks of the 2016 presidential campaign, are among those who have yet to take the stand but are expected to in the coming weeks.. ...
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Powerful storms bring tornadoes to Oklahoma, large hail to Kansas. Forecasts warn more is to come (5/7/24)OKLAHOMA CITY -- Powerful storms have erupted in the central United States, bringing tornadoes to rural Oklahoma and large hail in parts of Kansas, with forecasters warning that the dangerous weather could stretch into the early hours of Tuesday amid a rare high-risk weather warning for the two states...
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Boeing calls off its first astronaut launch because of valve issue on rocket (5/7/24)CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Boeing called off its first astronaut launch because of a valve problem on the rocket Monday night. The two NASA test pilots had just strapped into Boeing's Starliner capsule for a flight to the International Space Station when the countdown was halted, just two hours before the planned liftoff...
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Lawsuit alleges decades of child sex abuse at Illinois juvenile detention centers statewide (5/7/24)CHICAGO -- Child sexual abuse at Illinois juvenile detention centers was pervasive and systemic for decades, according to disturbing accounts in a lawsuit filed Monday by 95 men and women housed at the youth centers as children. The lawsuit details alleged incidents of abuse from 1996 to 2017, including gang rape, forced oral sex, beatings and groping of children by corrections officers, sergeants, nurses, therapists, a chaplain and others at nine youth centers. ...
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Hamas accepts Gaza cease-fire; Israel says it will continue talks but presses on with Rafah attacks (5/7/24)JERUSALEM -- Hamas said Monday it accepted an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but Israel said the deal did not meet its core demands and it was pushing ahead with an assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Still, Israel said it would continue negotiations...
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The yearly memorial march at the former death camp at Auschwitz overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war (5/7/24)OSWIECIM, Poland -- Holocaust survivors and survivors of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel were among thousands who took part Monday in the March of the Living, a yearly memorial march at the site of Auschwitz that honors the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi Germany and celebrates the state of Israel...
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Macron puts trade and Ukraine as top priorities as China's Xi opens European visit in France (5/7/24)PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday that focused on trade disputes -- including lifting immediate tariff threats on Cognac exports -- and Ukraine-related diplomatic efforts. Xi was in France for a two-day state visit to open his European tour...
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Pulitzer Prizes in journalism awarded to The New York Times, The Washington Post, AP and others (5/7/24)NEW YORK -- The New York Times and The Washington Post were awarded three Pulitzer Prizes apiece on Monday for work in 2023 that dealt with everything from the war in Gaza to gun violence, and The Associated Press won in the feature photography category for coverage of global migration to the U.S...
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The FAA investigates after Boeing says workers in South Carolina falsified 787 inspection records (5/7/24)SEATTLE -- The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday it has opened an investigation into Boeing after the beleaguered company reported that workers at a South Carolina plant falsified inspection records on certain 787 planes. Boeing said its engineers have determined that misconduct did not create "an immediate safety of flight issue."...
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China's Xi begins Serbia visit on the 25th anniversary of NATO's bombing of the Chinese Embassy (5/7/24)BELGRADE, Serbia -- Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit to European ally Serbia on Tuesday falls on a symbolic date: the 25th anniversary of the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade during NATO's air war over Kosovo. U.S. jets dropped five bombs on the Chinese Embassy compound in the Serbian capital on May 7, 1999, setting it ablaze and killing three Chinese nationals. Twenty other people were injured in the incident, which has burdened relations between the two powers ever since...
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The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars (5/7/24)NEW YORK -- The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage. Lopez went for silver leaves in a second-skin goddess gown and Zendaya was all vamp and fantasy in a rare double appearance on the steps of The Metropolitan Museum of Art...
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As storms move across Texas, 1 child dies after being swept away in floodwaters (5/6/24)HOUSTON -- Storms in Texas brought additional rain Sunday to the already saturated Houston area where hundreds of people have been rescued from flooded homes and roads, while to the north in the Fort Worth area, a child died after being swept away when the car he was traveling in got stuck in floodwaters...
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Denial, uncertainty looming over Biden-Trump rematch 6 months out from Election Day (5/6/24)WILMINGTON, N.C. -- This North Carolina voter is nervous. Will Rikard, a 49-year-old father of two, was among several hundred Democrats who stood and cheered for Joe Biden as the first-term president delivered a fiery speech recently about the billions of dollars he has delivered to protect the state's drinking water...
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Anti-war protesters leave USC after police arrive, while Northeastern ceremony proceeds calmly (5/6/24)Students protesting the war in Gaza abandoned their camp at the University of Southern California early Sunday after being surrounded by police and threatened with arrest, while Northeastern University's commencement ended peacefully at Boston's Fenway Park...
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Warren Buffett says AI may be better for scammers than society -- and he's seen how (5/6/24)OMAHA, Neb. -- Warren Buffett cautioned the tens of thousands of shareholders who packed an arena for his annual meeting that artificial intelligence scams could become "the growth industry of all time." Doubling down on his cautionary words from last year, Buffett told the throngs he recently came face to face with the downside of AI. ...
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Hamas says latest cease-fire talks have ended. Israel vows military operation in 'very near future' (5/6/24)JERUSALEM -- The latest round of Gaza cease-fire talks ended in Cairo after "in-depth and serious discussions," the Hamas militant group said Sunday, reiterating key demands that Israel again rejected. After earlier signs of progress, the outlook appeared to dim as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to resist international pressure to halt the war...
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Ukraine marks third Easter at war as it comes under fire from Russian drones, troops (5/6/24)KYIV, Ukraine -- As Ukraine marked its third Easter at war, Russia on Sunday launched a barrage of drones concentrated in Ukraine's east, wounding more than a dozen people, and claimed its troops took control of a village they had been targeting. Ukraine's air force said that Russia had launched 24 Shahed drones overnight, of which 23 were shot down...
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NerdWallet: Taking these financial steps could help post-divorce recovery (5/6/24)Jamie Lima remembers his divorce six years ago as one of the most emotionally draining and financially challenging experiences of his life. As a result, he resolved to use his professional background as a certified financial planner to help other people going through similar situations...
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China sends a probe to get samples from the less-explored far side of the moon (5/3/24)TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China on Friday launched a lunar probe to land on the far side of the moon and return with samples that could provide insights into differences between the less-explored region and the better-known near side. It is the latest advance in China’s increasingly sophisticated space exploration program, which is now competing with the U.S., still the leader in space...
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Hope Hicks, ex-Trump adviser, recounts political firestorm in 2016 over 'Access Hollywood' tape (5/3/24)NEW YORK (AP) — Former White House official and Donald Trump adviser Hope Hicks took the stand Friday at the former president's hush money trial and recounted how his 2016 campaign became embroiled in a political firestorm over a recording in which he boasted about grabbing women without their permission...
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House passes bill to expand definition of antisemitism amid growing campus protests over Gaza war (5/3/24)WASHINGTON (AP) — The House passed legislation Wednesday that would establish a broader definition of antisemitism for the Department of Education to enforce anti-discrimination laws, the latest response from lawmakers to a nationwide student protest movement over the Israel-Hamas war...
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More than 2,100 people have been arrested during pro-Palestinian protests on US college campuses (5/3/24)LOS ANGELES -- Police have arrested more than 2,100 people during pro-Palestinian protests at college campuses across the United States in recent weeks, sometimes using riot gear, tactical vehicles and flash-bang devices to clear tent encampments and occupied buildings. One officer fired his gun inside a Columbia University administration building while clearing out protesters camped inside, a prosecutor's office confirmed...
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Biden: 'order must prevail' during campus protests over war in Gaza (5/3/24)WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden on Thursday rejected calls from student protesters to change his approach to the war in Gaza while insisting that "order must prevail" as college campuses across the country face a wave of violence, outrage and fear...
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Jurors in Trump hush money trial hear recording of pivotal call on plan to buy affair story (5/3/24)NEW YORK -- Jurors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump heard a recording Thursday of him discussing with his then-lawyer and personal fixer a plan to purchase the silence of a Playboy model who has said she had an affair with the former president...
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United Methodists remove anti-gay language from official teachings on societal issues (5/3/24)CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- United Methodist delegates on Thursday removed a 52-year-old declaration from their official social teachings that deemed "the practice of homosexuality ... incompatible with Christian teaching" -- part of a wider series of historic reversals of the denomination's longstanding disapproval of LGBTQ activity...
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Maryland officials release timeline, cost estimate, for rebuilding bridge (5/3/24)ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Maryland plans to rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge in just over four years at an estimated cost between $1.7 billion and $1.9 billion, a state transportation official said Thursday. The state plans to build a new span by fall of 2028, said David Broughton, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Transportation. He said the cost estimate is preliminary, and detailed engineering specifics have not been confirmed...
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Senators want limits on government's use of facial recognition technology for airport screening (5/3/24)WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan group of senators is pushing for restrictions on the use of facial recognition technology by the Transportation Security Administration, saying they are concerned about travelers' privacy and civil liberties. In a letter on Thursday, the group of 14 lawmakers called on Senate leaders to use the upcoming reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration as a vehicle to limit TSA's use of the technology so Congress can put in place some oversight...
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Arizona's Democratic governor signs bill to repeal 1864 ban on most abortions (5/3/24)PHOENIX -- Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs has relegated a Civil War-era ban on most abortions to the past by signing a bill Thursday to repeal it. Hobbs says the move is just the beginning of a fight to protect reproductive health care in Arizona. The repeal of the 1864 law that the state Supreme Court recently reinstated won't take effect until 90 days after the legislative session ends, which typically happens in June or July...
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Hamas sending delegation to Egypt for further cease-fire talks in latest sign of progress (5/3/24)BEIRUT -- Hamas said Thursday that it was sending a delegation to Egypt for further cease-fire talks, in a new sign of progress in attempts by international mediators to hammer out an agreement between Israel and the militant group to end the war in Gaza...
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Tension grows on UCLA campus as police order dispersal of large pro-Palestinian gathering (5/2/24)LOS ANGELES -- Law enforcement on the UCLA campus donned riot gear Wednesday evening as they ordered the dispersal of over a thousand people who had gathered in support of a pro-Palestinian student encampment, warning over loudspeakers that anyone who refused to leave could face arrest...
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Trump calls judge 'crooked' after facing a warning of jail time if he violates a trial gag order (5/2/24)FREELAND, Mich. -- Donald Trump returned briefly to the campaign trail Wednesday and called the judge presiding over his hush money trial "crooked" a day after he was held in contempt of court and threatened with jail time for violating a gag order...
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Police killed student outside Wisconsin school after reports of someone with a weapon, official says (5/2/24)MOUNT HOREB, Wis. -- Police shot and killed a student outside a Wisconsin middle school Wednesday after receiving a report of someone with a weapon, the state's attorney general said in the first law enforcement briefing on gunshots that sent children fleeing and prompted an hourslong lockdown of local schools...
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Federal Reserve says interest rates will stay at two-decade high until inflation further cools (5/2/24)WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve on Wednesday emphasized that inflation has remained stubbornly high in recent months and said it doesn't plan to cut interest rates until it has "greater confidence" that price increases are slowing sustainably to its 2% target...
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Experts fear 'catastrophic' college declines thanks to botched FAFSA rollout (5/2/24)WASHINGTON -- The last thing standing between Ashnaelle Bijoux and her college dream is the FAFSA form -- a financial aid application that's supposed to help students go to college, but is blocking her instead. She has tried to submit it over and over. Every time, it fails to go through...