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Final jurors seated for Trump's hush money case, with opening statements set for MondayNEW YORK -- The final jurors were seated Friday in Donald Trump's hush money trial, and an appellate judge rejected the former president's latest bid to halt the case as a hectic day in court set the stage for opening statements to begin Monday. The panel of New Yorkers who will decide the first criminal trial of a former U.S. ...
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Israel, Iran play down apparent Israeli strike. The muted responses could calm tensions -- for nowJERUSALEM -- Israel and Iran on Friday both played down an apparent Israeli airstrike near a major air base and nuclear site in central Iran, signaling the two bitter enemies are ready to prevent their latest eruption of violence from escalating into a full-blown regional war...
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Ukraine, Israel aid advances in rare House vote as Democrats help Republicans push it forwardWASHINGTON -- With rare bipartisan momentum, the House pushed ahead Friday on a foreign aid package of $95 billion for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and humanitarian support as a robust coalition of lawmakers helped it clear a procedural hurdle to reach final votes this weekend. ...
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Biden administration restricts oil and gas leasing in 13 million acres of Alaska's petroleum reserveJUNEAU, Alaska -- The Biden administration said Friday it will restrict new oil and gas leasing on 13 million acres of a federal petroleum reserve in Alaska to help protect wildlife such as caribou and polar bears as the Arctic continues to warm. The decision -- part of a yearslong fight over whether and how to develop the vast oil resources in the state -- finalizes protections first proposed last year as the Democratic administration prepared to approve the contentious Willow oil project...
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5 Japanese workers in Pakistan escape suicide blast targeting their van. A Pakistani bystander diesKARACHI, Pakistan -- A suicide bomber targeted a van carrying Japanese nationals in Pakistan's port city of Karachi on Friday, police said. The Japanese nationals escaped unharmed but officials later said one bystander was killed. Initially, police said the van was heading to an industrial area where the five Japanese nationals worked when it came under attack, local police chief Arshad Awan said. ...
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12 jurors have been picked for Donald Trump's hush money trial. Selection of alternates is ongoing (4/19/24)NEW YORK -- A jury of 12 people was seated Thursday in former President Donald Trump's history-making hush money trial, propelling the proceedings closer to opening statements and the start of weeks of dramatic testimony. The court quickly turned to selecting alternate jurors, with the process on track to wrap up by the end of the week. Prosecutors could begin presenting their case early next week...
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Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80 (4/19/24)Dickey Betts, who died Thursday at age 80, really was born a ramblin' man. He left home at 16 to join the circus and became a renowned guitarist touring the world with the Allman Brothers Band. He wrote the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man," and remained on the road until he reached the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame...
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House leaders toil to advance Ukraine and Israel aid. But threats to oust speaker grow (4/19/24)WASHINGTON -- House congressional leaders were toiling Thursday on a delicate, bipartisan push toward weekend votes to approve a $95 billion package of foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as several other national security policies at a critical moment at home and abroad...
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US and UK issue new sanctions on Iran in response to Tehran's weekend attack on Israel (4/19/24)WASHINGTON -- The U.S. and U.K. on Thursday imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran as concern grows that Tehran's unprecedented attack on Israel could fuel a wider war in the Middle East. The sanctions are meant to hold Iran accountable for its weekend attack and to deter further such activity. ...
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Iran fires air defense batteries in provinces as explosions heard near Isfahan (4/19/24)DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Iran fired air defense batteries early Friday morning as explosions could be heard near a major air base near Isfahan, raising fears of a possible Israeli strike following Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country...
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US vetoes widely supported resolution backing full UN membership for Palestine (4/19/24)UNITED NATIONS -- The United States vetoed a widely backed U.N. resolution Thursday that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought and Israel has worked to prevent. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 in favor, the United States opposed and two abstentions, from the United Kingdom and Switzerland. U.S. allies France, Japan and South Korea supported the resolution...
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India starts voting in the world's largest election as Modi seeks a third term as prime minister (4/19/24)NEW DELHI -- Millions of Indians began voting Friday in a six-week election that's a referendum on Narendra Modi, the populist prime minister who has championed an assertive brand of Hindu nationalist politics and is seeking a rare third term as the country's leader...
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Police arrest dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia, including congresswoman's daughter (4/19/24)NEW YORK -- New York police removed a pro-Palestinian protest encampment at Columbia University on Thursday and arrested more than 100 demonstrators, including the daughter of a prominent Minnesota congresswoman. Several students involved in the protest said they also were suspended from Columbia and Barnard College, including Isra Hirsi, who is the daughter of Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar...
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Kennedy family makes 'crystal clear' its Biden endorsement in attempt to deflate RFK Jr.'s candidacy (4/19/24)PHILADELPHIA -- President Joe Biden scooped up endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr...
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Communications breakdown left authorities in the dark and residents without alerts amid Maui fire (4/19/24)HONOLULU -- As unpredictable wildfires roared across Maui last August, the head of the emergency management agency dragged his heels about returning to the island amid the unfolding crisis, while a broad communications breakdown left authorities in the dark and residents without emergency alerts, according to a report released Wednesday...
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Trump loses bid to halt Jan. 6 lawsuits while he fights criminal charges in the 2020 election case (4/19/24)WASHINGTON -- Donald Trump lost a bid Thursday to pause a string of lawsuits accusing him of inciting the U.S. Capitol attack, while the former president fights his 2020 election interference criminal case in Washington. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington denied defense lawyers' request to put the civil cases seeking to hold Trump responsible for the Jan. ...
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First major attempts to regulate AI face headwinds from all sides (4/19/24)DENVER -- Artificial intelligence is helping decide which Americans get the job interview, the apartment, even medical care, but the first major proposals to reign in bias in AI decision making are facing headwinds from every direction. Lawmakers working on these bills, in states including Colorado, Connecticut and Texas, came together Thursday to argue the case for their proposals as civil rights-oriented groups and the industry play tug-of-war with core components of the legislation...
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Legislation that could force a TikTok ban revived as part of House foreign aid package (4/19/24)WASHINGTON -- Legislation that could ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn't sell its stake won a major boost late Wednesday when House Republican leaders included it in a package of bills that would send aid to Ukraine and Israel. The bill could be law as soon as next week if Congress moves quickly...
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Biden administration moves to make conservation an equal to industry on US lands (4/19/24)BILLINGS, Mont. -- The Biden administration on Thursday finalized a new rule for public land management that's meant to put conservation on more equal footing with oil drilling, grazing and other extractive industries on vast government-owned properties...
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Poland's president becomes the latest leader to visit Donald Trump as allies eye a possible return (4/18/24)NEW YORK -- Former President Donald Trump met Wednesday in New York with Polish President Andrzej Duda, the latest in a series of meetings with foreign leaders as Europe braces for the possibility of a second Trump term. The presumptive Republican nominee hosted Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed the war in Ukraine and Duda's push to boost NATO members' defense spending, according to a readout from Trump's campaign. ...
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Senate rejects impeachment articles against Mayorkas, ending trial against Cabinet secretary (4/18/24)WASHINGTON -- The Senate dismissed all impeachment charges against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday, ending the House Republican push to remove the Cabinet secretary from office over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border and shutting down his trial before arguments even began...
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House's Ukraine, Israel aid package gains Biden's support as Speaker Johnson fights to keep his job (4/18/24)WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden said Wednesday he strongly supports a proposal from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending crucial bipartisan support to the precarious effort to approve $95 billion in funding for the U.S. allies this week...
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Biden is off on details of his uncle's WWII death as he calls Trump unfit to lead the military (4/18/24)WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden on Wednesday misstated key details about his uncle's death in World War II as he honored the man's wartime service and said Donald Trump was unworthy of serving as commander in chief. While in Pittsburgh, Biden spoke about his uncle, 2nd Lt. Ambrose J. Finnegan Jr., aiming to draw a contrast with reports that Trump, while president, had called fallen service members "suckers" and "losers."...
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Democrats clear path to bring proposed repeal of Arizona's near-total abortion ban to a vote (4/18/24)PHOENIX -- Democrats in the Arizona Senate cleared a path to bring a proposed repeal of the state's near-total ban on abortions to a vote after the state's highest court concluded the law can be enforced and the state House blocked efforts to undo the long-dormant statute...
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Netanyahu brushes off calls for restraint, saying Israel will decide how to respond to Iran's attack (4/18/24)JERUSALEM -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday his country would be the one to decide whether and how to respond to Iran's major air assault earlier this week, brushing off calls for restraint from close allies. Israel has vowed to respond to Iran's unprecedented attack without saying when or how, leaving the region bracing for further escalation after months of unrest linked to the ongoing war in Gaza...
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Jury selection in Trump hush money trial faces pivotal stretch as former president returns to court (4/18/24)WASHINGTON -- Jury selection in the hush money trial of Donald Trump enters a pivotal and potentially final stretch Thursday as lawyers look to round out the panel of New Yorkers that will decide the first-ever criminal case against a former president...
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Columbia's president rebuts claims she has allowed the university to become a hotbed of antisemitism (4/18/24)WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Columbia University's president took a firm stance against antisemitism in a congressional hearing on Wednesday, but she faced bruising criticism from Republicans who say her actions haven't supported her words, especially when it comes to disciplining faculty and students accused of bias...
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Sweden's parliament passes a law to make it easier for young people to legally change their gender (4/18/24)COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- The Swedish parliament passed a law Wednesday lowering the age required for people to legally change their gender from 18 to 16. Those under 18 still need approval from a guardian, a doctor and the National Board of Health and Welfare...
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Russian missiles slam into a Ukraine city and kill 17 people as the war approaches a critical stage (4/18/24)KYIV, Ukraine -- Three Russian missiles slammed into a downtown area of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on Wednesday, hitting an eight-floor apartment building and killing at least 17 people, authorities said. At least 61 people, including three children, were wounded in the morning attack, Ukrainian emergency services said, as rescue workers searched through partially demolished buildings and tall mounds of rubble. ...
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G7 ministers eye targeted sanctions on Iran and a message of restraint for Israel at Italy meeting (4/18/24)CAPRI, Italy -- Group of Seven foreign ministers are meeting on the Italian resort island of Capri, with the agenda topped by calls Wednesday for targeted new sanctions against Iran over its attack against Israel and more aid to Ukraine to fight Russia's war...
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Tesla asks shareholders to restore $56B Elon Musk pay package that was voided by Delaware judge (4/18/24)DETROIT -- Tesla is asking shareholders to restore a $56 billion pay package for CEO Elon Musk that was rejected by a Delaware judge this year, and to shift the company's corporate home to Texas. The changes, to be voted on by stockholders at a June 13 annual meeting, could be a tougher sell than when it was first approved in 2018. ...
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Biden vows to shield US steel industry by blocking Japanese merger and seeking new Chinese tariffs (4/18/24)PITTSBURGH -- President Joe Biden suggested to cheering, unionized steelworkers on Wednesday that his administration would thwart the acquisition of U.S. Steel by a Japanese company, and he called for a tripling of tariffs on Chinese steel, seeking to use trade policy to win over working-class votes in the battleground state of Pennsylvania...
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Boeing put under Senate scrutiny during back-to-back hearings on aircraft maker's safety culture (4/18/24)An engineer at Boeing said Wednesday that the aircraft company, in rushing to produce as many planes as possible, is taking manufacturing shortcuts that could lead to jetliners breaking apart. "They are putting out defective airplanes," the engineer, Sam Salehpour, told members of a Senate subcommittee...
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UN appeals for $2.8 billion to help 3 million Palestinians in desperate need of food and other aid (4/17/24)UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations appealed for $2.8 billion on Tuesday to provide desperately needed aid to 3 million Palestinians, stressing that tackling looming famine in war-torn Gaza requires not only food but sanitation, water and health facilities...
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Biden visits his Pennsylvania hometown to call for more taxes on the rich and cast Trump as elitist (4/17/24)SCRANTON, Pa. -- President Joe Biden made a nostalgic return to the house where he grew up in working-class Scranton on Tuesday, kicking off three days of campaigning across Pennsylvania by calling for higher taxes on the rich and casting Donald Trump as an out-of-touch elitist...
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Yellen says Iran's actions could cause global economic spillovers as White House vows new sanctions (4/17/24)WASHINGTON -- Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Tuesday of potential global economic damage from rising tensions in the Middle East as the Biden administration said it was readying new sanctions in response to Iran's malevolent activity in the region...
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Fed's Powell: Elevated inflation will likely delay rate cuts this year (4/17/24)WASHINGTON -- Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cautioned Tuesday that persistently elevated inflation will likely delay any Fed interest rate cuts until later this year, opening the door to a period of higher-for-longer rates. "Recent data have clearly not given us greater confidence" that inflation is coming fully under control and "instead indicate that it's likely to take longer than expected to achieve that confidence," Powell said during a panel discussion at the Wilson Center...
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Tensions rise in Australia after a bishop and priest are wounded in a knife attack in a church (4/17/24)SYDNEY -- A teenager has been accused of wounding a Christian bishop and a priest during a church service in the second high-profile knife attack to rock Sydney in recent days, leaving communities on edge, leaders calling for calm and a besieged church urging against retaliation...
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First 7 jurors are chosen for Trump's hush money criminal trial; 11 more still needed (4/17/24)NEW YORK — The first seven jurors for Donald Trump's hush money trial were seated Tuesday after lawyers grilled the jury pool about their social media posts, political views and personal lives to decide who can sit in fair judgment of the former president...
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Facing a Republican revolt, House Speaker Johnson's plan for US aid to Ukraine, allies uncertain (4/17/24)WASHINGTON — Defiant and determined, House Speaker Mike Johnson pushed back Tuesday against mounting Republican anger over his proposed U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, and rejected a call to step aside or risk a vote to oust him from office...
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Senate to convene Mayorkas impeachment trial as Democrats plot quick dismissal (4/17/24)WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats could end the impeachment trial of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday before arguments even begin...
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UN appeals for $2.8 billion to help 3 million Palestinians in desperate need of food and other aid (4/17/24)UNITED NATIONS — The United Nations appealed for $2.8 billion on Tuesday to provide desperately needed aid to 3 million Palestinians, stressing that tackling looming famine in war-torn Gaza requires not only food but sanitation, water and health facilities...
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Biden visits his Pennsylvania hometown to call for more taxes on the rich and cast Trump as elitist (4/17/24)SCRANTON, Pa. — President Joe Biden made a nostalgic return to the house where he grew up in working-class Scranton on Tuesday, kicking off three days of campaigning across Pennsylvania by calling for higher taxes on the rich and casting Donald Trump as an out-of-touch elitist...
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Yellen says Iran's actions could cause global economic spillovers as White House vows new sanctions (4/17/24)WASHINGTON — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Tuesday of potential global economic damage from rising tensions in the Middle East as the Biden administration said it was readying new sanctions in response to Iran's malevolent activity in the region...
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Fed's Powell: Elevated inflation will likely delay rate cuts this year (4/17/24)WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cautioned Tuesday that persistently elevated inflation will likely delay any Fed interest rate cuts until later this year, opening the door to a period of higher-for-longer rates...
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Donald Trump brings his campaign to the courthouse as his criminal hush money trial begins (4/16/24)NEW YORK -- Former President Donald Trump began his day as a criminal defendant lashing out at the judge and prosecutors, casting himself as a victim and angrily posting on social media. In other words: a familiar routine. But inside the courtroom, which was closed to TV cameras, Trump was a different man -- reserved and muted in a stark departure from his feisty approach to other legal troubles...
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Pro-Palestinian demonstrators shut down airport highways and key bridges in major US cities (4/16/24)CHICAGO -- Pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked roadways in Illinois, California, New York and the Pacific Northwest on Monday, temporarily shutting down travel into some of the nation's most heavily used airports, onto the Golden Gate and Brooklyn bridges and on a busy West Coast highway...
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Much of central US faces severe thunderstorm threat and possible tornadoes (4/16/24)WASHINGTON -- Tens of millions of Americans stretching from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Baltimore could face strong thunderstorms Monday night through Wednesday, with tornadoes possible in some states. A large storm system hitting much of the central U.S. over the next few days is expected to bring severe thunderstorms to Kansas and Nebraska on Monday evening, the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center said...
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House Speaker Mike Johnson pushes towards a vote on aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan (4/16/24)WASHINGTON -- House Speaker Mike Johnson is pushing toward action this week on aid for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan, unveiling an elaborate plan Monday to break the package into separate votes to squeeze through the House's political divides on foreign policy...
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Tennessee judge set to decide whether a Nashville school shooters' journals are public records (4/16/24)NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Whether the journals of a Nashville school shooter can be released to the public will go before a Tennessee judge on Tuesday after nearly a year of legal wrangling over who can participate in the case. What started as a simple public records request has ballooned into a messy mix of conspiracy theories, leaked documents, probate battles and new legislation as different sides try to gain an advantage. ...