AP

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans have blocked legislation that would protect access to in vitro fertilization, objecting to a vote on the issue Wednesday even after widespread backlash to a recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that threatens the practice. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Mississippi Republican, objected to a request for a

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election and set a course for a quick resolution. The justices’ order maintains a hold on preparations for a trial focused on Trump’s efforts to overturn his

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader in history who maintained his power in the face of dramatic convulsions in the Republican Party for almost two decades, will step down from that position in November. McConnell, who turned 82 last week, announced his decision Wednesday in the well of the Senate,

By Associated Press LONDON — Kate Winslet is running things — on and off the set of her new TV show, “The Regime.” In the HBO show premiering Sunday, she plays Elena Vernham — also known as The Chancellor, the ruler of a fictional country in Europe, possibly near Poland. Winslet, who is also an

By Associated Press If you watched Lifetime’s Wendy Williams docuseries that premiered over the weekend and felt uncomfortable, you weren’t alone. “Where is Wendy Williams?” premiered over the weekend and featured numerous scenes of the former talk show host unsteady, belligerent, confused and also drunk. Her manager would regularly find liquor bottles hidden throughout her

By Associated Press NEW YORK — U.S. stocks drifted lower Wednesday to edge a bit further from their all-time highs. The S&P 500 slipped 8.42 points, or 0.2%, to 5,069.76, continuing its quiet and listless run since setting a record last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 23.39, or 0.1%, to 38,949.02. The Nasdaq

By Associated Press The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it’s giving Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to fix quality problems and meet safety standards for building planes after a panel blew off a brand-new Boeing 737 Max jetliner last month. The agency said the directive followed all-day meetings Tuesday with top

By Associated Press NEW YORK — When Hayao Miyazaki was contemplating whether he would come out of retirement in 2016, he put together a curiously self-critical proposal. “There’s nothing more pathetic than telling the world you’ll retire because of your age, then making yet another comeback,” wrote the filmmaker, now 83. “Doesn’t an elderly person

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — The U.S. economy grew at a robust 3.2% annual pace from October through December, propelled by healthy consumer spending, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday in a slight downgrade from its initial estimate. The expansion in the nation’s gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services —

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is signing an executive order aimed at better protecting Americans’ personal data on everything from biometrics and health records to finances and geolocation from foreign adversaries like China and Russia. The move allows the Department of Justice and other federal agencies to take steps to prevent the

By Associated Press Adam Sandler playing an astronaut on a solo mission to the edge of the solar system in the sci-fi drama “Spaceman,” and Disney+’s animated coming-of-age story “Iwájú” set in the future in Lagos, Nigeria, are some of the new television, movies, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among

By Associated Press SAN DIEGO — It will still be months before the San Diego Zoo gets new pandas, the first such bears sent to the United States by China in decades. For now, the only U.S. zoo left with any is in Atlanta. But globally there are many places to check out the cuddly

By Michael Traugott University of Michigan The Conversation via AP Joe Biden won the 2024 Michigan Democratic primary, but “uncommitted” ran a spirited campaign. More than 100,000 Michiganders voted “uncommitted” in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, 13% of the Democratic electorate. Listen to Michigan organized the uncommitted campaign in Michigan, promoting it as a way to express

By Metro Creative According to the World Health Organization, roughly 5% of the world’s population, or more than 400 million people, requires rehabilitation to address disabling hearing loss. And that could only prove the start, as the WHO estimates that 2.5 billion individuals will have some degree of hearing loss by 2050. The consequences of

By Metro Creative Although many desserts make for a sweet ending to delicious meals, there’s something so inviting about a moist and tender cobbler to add that yum factor. Cobbler consists of a fruit filling covered in a biscuit batter of sorts. When baked, the ingredients blend together to form a spoonable treat that is

By Associated Press LAWRENCE, Kan. — Dallin Hall and Jaxson Robinson scored 18 points apiece as BYU rallied from a 12-point deficit to beat seventh-ranked Kansas 76-68 on Tuesday night, ending the Jayhawks’ 19-game home winning streak. The Cougars (20-8, 8-7 Big 12) took a 66-63 lead when Noah Waterman drained a 3-pointer with 2:43

By Associated Press WASHINGTON | Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Selma, Alabama, on Sunday to commemorate the 59th anniversary of a landmark civil rights moment. Harris will speak as part of the annual remembrance of “Bloody Sunday,” on the bridge where, on March 7, 1965, white state troopers attacked Black voting rights marchers

By Associated Press DEARBORN, Mich. | President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump won the Michigan primaries on Tuesday, further solidifying the all-but-certain rematch between the two men. Biden defeated Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, his one significant opponent left in the Democratic primary. But Democrats were also closely watching the results of the “uncommitted”

By Associated Press ST. LOUIS — A Black mechanic for the company that provides school bus services for the St. Louis school district said he found a noose at his workstation, leading at least 100 drivers to stop work in a show of support and NAACP leaders to call for an investigation into whether it

By Associated Press NEW YORK — While it seems increasingly unlikely the U.S. economy is headed for recession, small businesses still face headwinds like higher costs and difficulty retaining qualified workers. But owners say they’re optimistic as 2024 gets underway, according to a new survey from American Express. Eighty-five percent of all small businesses surveyed

By Associated Press The federal government will fund 17 projects across the U.S. to expand access to renewable energy on Native American reservations and in other rural areas, the Biden administration announced Tuesday. The $366 million plan will pay for solar, battery storage and hydropower projects in sparsely populated regions where electricity can be costly

By Associated Press American consumers are feeling less confident this month as concerns over a possible recession grew despite most recent data pointing to a healthy U.S. economy. The Conference Board, a business research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell to 106.7 from a revised 110.9 in January. Analysts had been forecasting

By Associated Press NEW YORK — U.S. stocks held near their record levels on Tuesday after a quiet day of trading. The S&P 500 added 8.65 points, or 0.2%, to 5,078.18 and is just off its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 96.82, or 0.2%, to 38,972.41, and the Nasdaq

By Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The man accused of firing the first shots at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally told authorities he felt threatened, while a second man said he pulled the trigger because someone was shooting at him, according to court documents. Experts say that even though the shooting left

By Associated Press CANADIAN, Texas — A rapidly widening Texas wildfire more than doubled in size Tuesday and prompted evacuation orders in small towns as strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fueled the blaze in the state’s rural Panhandle. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties as the largest