US defense secretary says war with China neither imminent nor unavoidable, stressing need for talks (apnews.com)
Shrine honors cats at a Japanese island where they outnumber humans (apnews.com)
South Africa’s ruling ANC is on the brink of losing its majority in a landmark election result (apnews.com)
Lawsuits claim 66 people were abused as children in Pennsylvania's juvenile facilities (apnews.com)
Oregon defendants without a lawyer must be released from jail, US appeals court says (apnews.com)
A federal appeals court on Friday upheld a ruling that Oregon defendants must be released from jail after seven days if they don’t have a defense attorney....
New Louisiana law will criminalize approaching police under certain circumstances (apnews.com)
Critics of a new Louisiana law, which makes it a crime to approach within 25 feet (7.6 meters) of a police officer under certain circumstances, fear that the measure could hinder the public’s ability to film officers — a tool that has increasingly been used to hold police accountable....
Vermont becomes 1st state to enact law requiring oil companies pay for damage from climate change (apnews.com)
Biden details a 3-phase hostage deal aimed at winding down the Israel-Hamas war (apnews.com)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Friday detailed a three-phase deal proposed by Israel to Hamas militants that he says would lead to the release of the remaining hostages in Gaza and could end the grinding, nearly 8-month-old Mideast war....
OpenAI's Altman sidesteps questions about governance, Johansson at UN AI summit (apnews.com)
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was a star speaker at the annual AI for Good conference Thursday, addressing the U.N. telecommunications agency’s annual gathering about how to tap the societal promise of artificial intelligence technology....
In Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, a hidden underground world is under threat by the Maya Train (apnews.com)
Rays of sunlight slice through pools of crystal water as clusters of fish cast shadows on the limestone below. Arching over the emerald basin are walls of stalactites dripping down the cavern ceiling, which opens to a dense jungle....
Andrew Tate loses appeal to relax judicial restrictions as he awaits human trafficking, rape trial (apnews.com)
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Andrew Tate, the divisive social media influencer awaiting trial in Romania on charges of human trafficking and rape, lost an appeal Thursday to have the court relax geographical restrictions preventing him from traveling outside the eastern European country....
Andrew Tate loses appeal to relax judicial restrictions as he awaits human trafficking, rape trial (apnews.com)
Andrew Tate, the divisive social media influencer awaiting trial in Romania on charges of human trafficking and rape, lost an appeal Thursday to have the court relax geographical restrictions preventing him from traveling outside the eastern European country....
IRS makes free tax return program permanent and is asking all states to join in 2025 (apnews.com)
The IRS said Thursday it will make permanent the free electronic tax return filing system that it experimented with this year and is asking all 50 states and the District of Columbia to help taxpayers file their returns through the program in 2025....
A nurse honored for compassion is fired after referring to Gaza ‘genocide’ in speech (apnews.com)
Labor and delivery nurse Hesen Jabr, who is Palestinian American, was being honored by NYU Langone Health for her compassion in caring for mothers who had lost babies when she drew a link between her work and the suffering of mothers in Gaza....
Roberts rejects Senate Democrats' request to discuss Supreme Court ethics and Alito flag controversy (apnews.com)
Chief Justice John Roberts on Thursday declined an invitation to meet with Democratic senators to talk about Supreme Court ethics and the controversy over flags that flew outside homes owned by Justice Samuel Alito....
IRS makes free tax return program permanent and is asking all states to join in 2025. This could deal a massive blow to private tax filing services such as TurboTax (apnews.com)
Ship attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels was full of grain bound for Iran, the group's main benefactor (apnews.com)
New Louisiana law will criminalize approaching police under certain circumstances (apnews.com)
Critics of a new Louisiana law, which makes it a crime to approach within 25 feet (7.6 meters) of a police officer under certain circumstances, fear that the measure could hinder the public’s ability to film officers — a tool that has increasingly been used to hold police accountable....
The US-built pier in Gaza broke apart. Here's how we got here and what might be next (apnews.com)
Louisiana chemical plant threatens to shut down if EPA emissions deadline isn't relaxed (apnews.com)
A synthetic rubber manufacturer accused of increasing the cancer risk for the nearby majority-Black community in Louisiana told a federal appeals court it will have to shut down “likely permanently” if it’s forced to meet the Biden administration’s deadline to reduce emissions....
The Washington Post said it had the Alito flag story 3 years ago and chose not to publish (apnews.com)
Nine days after The New York Times reported about the political symbolism of an upside-down American flag that flew at U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s home, the Washington Post acknowledged it had the same story more than three years ago and decided not to publish it....
The art of drag has become a target. With Pride Month nigh, performers are organizing to fight back (apnews.com)
“Drag is joy, but it’s under attack. Our very existence, our self-expression, our art — all of it is being threatened. And we’ve had enough.”...
Poland's leader says the border with Belarus will be further fortified after a soldier is stabbed (apnews.com)
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday that its forces would further fortify the border with Belarus and can use “all available means” to defend the NATO nation’s frontier, after a soldier was seriously wounded with a knife by a migrant....
A synthetic drug ravages youth in Sierra Leone. There's little help, and some people are chained (apnews.com)
In Sierra Leone, a cheap, synthetic drug is ravaging youth. Trash-strewn alleys are lined with boys and young men slumped in addiction. Healthcare services are severely limited. One frustrated community has set up what it calls a treatment center, run by volunteers. But harsh measures can be used....