Author: The Associated Press

Iran names Khamenei’s son to succeed him, signaling no letup in war as oil prices surge

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei(CNN) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran named the hard-line Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his late father as supreme leader on Monday, signaling no letup in the war launched by the United States and Israel. Oil prices surged as Iran attacked regional energy infrastructure and the U.S. and Israel bombed targets across Iran. The secretive 56-year-old…

Evidence suggests the deadly blast at an Iranian school was likely a US airstrike

(CNN) JERUSALEM (AP) — Satellite images, expert analysis, a U.S. official and public information released by the U.S. and Israeli militaries suggest an explosion that killed scores of Iranian students at a school was likely caused by U.S. airstrikes that also hit an adjacent compound associated with the regime’s Revolutionary Guard. The Feb. 28 strike, which had the highest reported civilian death…

Oil surges to its highest price since 2023, and stocks drop after data shows a weaker US job market

(CNN) NEW YORK (AP) — Oil shot to its highest price since 2023 after surging again because of the Iran war, and a weak update on the U.S. job market knocked stocks lower to cap Wall Street’s worst week since October. The S&P 500 dropped 1.3% Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged as many as 945 points before finishing…

Russia has provided Iran with information that can help Tehran strike US military, AP sources say

(Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP) WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter. The people, who were not authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition…

Trump appears to rule out talks with Iran absent its ‘unconditional surrender’

A group of men inspect the ruins of a police station struck Monday amid the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israeli warplanes pounded Beirut and Tehran on Friday as Iran launched another wave of retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries. There was no sign of…

More than 20 states sue over new global tariffs Trump imposed after his stinging Supreme Court loss

(CNN) WASHINGTON (AP) — Some two dozen states challenged President Donald Trump’s new global tariffs on Thursday, filing a lawsuit over import taxes he imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court. The Democratic attorneys general and governors in the lawsuit argue that Trump is overstepping his power with planned 15% tariffs on much of the world. Trump has said the…

Trump fires Homeland Security Secretary Noem after building criticism over immigration

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears for an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s replacing his embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and will nominate in her place Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin. Trump made the announcement on…

Iran launches new attacks and calls for ‘Trump’s blood’ while Israel strikes Iranian infrastructure

An Iranian flag is placed among the ruins of a police station struck Monday during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran launched a new wave of attacks Thursday at Israel, American bases and countries around the region, threatening that the United States would “bitterly regret”…

Gov. Tim Walz tells a House panel the Trump immigration crackdown hampered Minnesota’s fraud fight

(AP) – Minnesota’s governor and attorney general on Wednesday defended their efforts to combat fraud and told a U.S. House committee that their efforts have been hampered by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the state. Republicans on the House Oversight Committee accused Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison of stalling to fight fraud in government programs, saying they put politics ahead of…

Hegseth says a torpedo from a US submarine sank an Iranian warship

An Iranian flag is placed among the ruins of a police station struck Monday during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says a torpedo from a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship. In a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday, Hegseth said that the…

Noem defends her portrayal of killed Minneapolis protesters as agitators, in her Senate hearing

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended her department’s immigration enforcement tactics in front of a Senate committee on Tuesday and pushed back against criticism from Democrats who say she wrongly disparaged two protesters killed by federal officers in Minneapolis earlier this year. It was Noem’s first congressional appearance since the shooting deaths of the two protesters galvanized widespread opposition to how…

Iran strikes the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia as war expands yet again

An Iranian flag is placed among the ruins of a police station struck Monday during the U.S.–Israeli military campaign in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran expanded its targets Tuesday, striking the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia as Washington began to pull many staff out of the Middle East. The U.S. and…

Noem testifies in the Senate in her first appearance since 2 Minneapolis protesters’ deaths

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee.(CNN) WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testified in the Senate on Tuesday in her first congressional appearance since the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis galvanized widespread opposition to how the Trump administration was executing its mass deportation agenda. Noem’s appearance in front of the Judiciary Committee also…

Trump says Iran operations are likely to last 4 to 5 weeks but could go longer

Satellite image from Airbus shows smoke billowing from the compound of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran operations are likely to last 4 to 5 weeks but that he’s prepared “to go far longer than that.” Trump spoke Monday at a White House ceremony. THIS IS A BREAKING…

War widens as Israeli and US planes pound Iran and Tehran and its proxies hit back

A plume of smoke rises after a strike in Tehran, Iran, Monday, March 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohsen Ganji) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran and allied armed groups fired missiles at Israel, Arab states and U.S. military targets around the region on Monday, while Israel and the United States pounded Iran as the war expanded to several fronts. Kuwait…

Attorney general announces indictments against 30 more people who protested at a Minnesota church

Cities Church is seen in St. Paul, Minn. where activists shut down a service claiming the pastor was also working as an ICE agent, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026 in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that 30 more people have been indicted for allegedly taking part in an anti-immigration…

Bill Clinton tells lawmakers he ‘did nothing wrong’ and saw no signs of Epstein’s abuse

FILE – Former President Bill Clinton speaks in the Cash Room of the Treasury Department during an event for the anniversary of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund,, Nov. 21, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton started his deposition before members of Congress investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday by telling them he “did…

Scouting America will alter its policies to maintain support from the US military, Pentagon says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Scouting America will alter several policies at the urging of the Pentagon, including a requirement that members use “biological sex at birth and not gender identity,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday. Some of the changes mirror what the organization suggested to the Defense Department in January, which included discontinuing its Citizenship in Society merit badge and introducing a…

Walz unveils anti-fraud package after Trump administration threatens to halt Medicaid funds

Democratic Gov. Tim Walz, speaking at a news conference on Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025, in St. Paul, denounces President Donald Trump for calling Minnesota’s Somali community “garbage” and dismissing the state as a “hellhole.” ST. PAUL, Minn., (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz denounced the Trump administration’s latest threat to withhold federal funds from Minnesota as another step in a “retribution”…

Judge rejects request to block Trump White House from building its $400 million ballroom project

Work continues on the demolition of a part of the East Wing of the White House, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in Washington, before construction of a new ballroom. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday rejected a preservationist group’s request to block the Trump administration from continuing construction of a $400 million ballroom where it demolished…

Hillary Clinton testifies she has no information on Epstein’s crimes and doesn’t recall meeting him

FILE – Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during the Clinton Global Initiative, Sept. 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File) WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told U.S. House lawmakers on Thursday that she had no knowledge of Jeffrey Epstein’s or Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes at the start of two days of depositions…

Army Corp of engineers approve permit for line 5 relocation

FILE – Pipeline used to carry crude oil sits at the Superior, Wis., terminal of Enbridge Energy, June 29, 2018. DULUTH, Minn. & MADISON, Wis. — Energy company Enbridge has finally started work on rerouting an aging oil pipeline around a tribal reservation in northern Wisconsin after seven years of legal wrangling, moving ahead despite two new lawsuits that still…

Cuba says it killed 4 people aboard Florida-registered speedboat that opened fire on soldiers

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban soldiers killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-registered speed boat that had entered Cuban waters and opened fire first on soldiers, the Cuban government said Wednesday. Cuba’s Interior Ministry issued a statement that provided few details about the shooting, but noted that the boat was roughly 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) northeast of Cayo…

Larry Summers will resign from teaching at Harvard during review of Epstein ties, university says

FILE – Documents that were included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files are photographed Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers will resign from teaching at Harvard University amid a campus review of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the university announced Wednesday. Summers, who has been on leave since November and…

US men’s hockey team feted at State of the Union; Trump says women’s team will be honored ‘soon’

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team visited President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday afternoon and later received about a two-minute bipartisan standing ovation during his State of the Union address that night. Trump also announced that the women’s hockey team, which also defeated Canada to win gold, will “soon” visit the White House. The women’s team had declined…

Takeaways from Trump’s address: Sales mode on economy, heavy on patriotism, dark turn on Democrats

State of the Union Address (CNN) WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump started in sales mode, using his State of the Union address to deliver an upbeat vision of the U.S. economy. But that portrayal collides with the sentiment of Americans who remain anxious about their finances and feel they haven’t benefited from Trump’s policies. He took the high road to honor the gold…

Suspect and 4 others are dead after stabbing near Tacoma, Washington, authorities say

KEY PENINSULA, Wash. (AP) — A man fatally stabbed four people before being shot by a sheriff’s deputy outside a home northwest of Tacoma, Washington, on Tuesday, authorities said. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office said deputies initially responded to reports made at around 8:40 a.m. Tuesday that a 32-year-old man was violating a no-contact order. They obtained a copy of…

5 questions heading into Trump’s State of the Union address

President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House before signing an executive order regarding childhood cancer and the use of AI, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025, in Washington. WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he has a lot to talk about tonight. He’s returning to Congress to deliver a State of the Union address at a consequential moment in his…

Robert Carradine, ‘Revenge of the Nerds’ and ‘Lizzie McGuire’ star, dies at 71

Robert Carradine (CNN) Robert Carradine, the youngest of his prolific Hollywood family and whose biggest hit was the 1984 comedy “Revenge of the Nerds,” has died at 71. In a Tuesday statement, his family said he lived with bipolar disorder for two decades. His brother told Deadline that Carradine died by suicide. “We want people to know it, and there is…

Police in Britain arrest Peter Mandelson, a former ambassador, in probe into Epstein ties

Peter Mandelson (CNN) LONDON (AP) — British police on Monday arrested Peter Mandelson, a former U.K. ambassador to the United States, in a misconduct probe stemming from his ties with Jeffrey Epstein. London’s Metropolitan Police force said “officers have arrested a 72-year-old man on suspicion of misconduct in public office” at an address in north London. He has been taken…

Rob Reiner’s son pleads not guilty to murder in the killing of his parents

FILE – Rob Reiner and Michele Reiner arrive on the red carpet at the State Department for the Kennedy Center Honors gala dinner, Dec. 2, 2023, in Washington. LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nick Reiner pleaded not guilty Monday to two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. Nick Reiner’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene, entered…

25 Mexican National Guard troops killed in Jalisco after cartel leader’s capture, official says

GUADALAJARA, Mexico (AP) — Mexico Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said Monday 25 members of the National Guard were killed in Jalisco in six separate attacks following the capture of Jalisco New Generation Cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes. Oseguera Cervantes died after his capture. Also killed were a prison guard, an agent from the state prosecutor’s office and a woman…

US beats Canada in OT for women’s hockey gold medal

United States’ players celebrate after a women’s ice hockey gold medal game between the United States and Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek) MILAN (AP) — The U.S. women’s hockey team delivered an Olympic comeback for the ages by beating Canada 2-1 in overtime to win the gold medal…

Police say the former Prince Andrew has been released after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew(CNN) LONDON (AP) — The former Prince Andrew has been released after his arrest on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The Thames Valley Police force said the former prince was released Thursday evening. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was photographed in a car leaving the station near his home in eastern England about 11 hours after…

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office over ties to Epstein

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew(CNN) LONDON (AP) — Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former British prince who was stripped of his royal titles because of his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of misconduct in public office. While Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in connection with his friendship with Epstein, concerns about Mountbatten-Windsor’s links to…

Rich Bisaccia Steps Down as Packers Special Teams Coordinator

Bisaccia, 65, joined Packers coach Matt LaFleur’s staff after going 7-6 as Las Vegas’ interim head coach in 2021.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Rich Bisaccia has stepped down as the Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator after four seasons. Bisaccia said Tuesday in a statement released by the team that he had made the decision “after taking some time to reflect over the last few weeks.” The Packers’ season ended Jan. 10 with a 31-27 loss to the Chicago Bears…

Transportation Department says more than 550 driving schools should close over safety failures

FILE – Freight trucks travel northbound on Interstate 5 Highway, Sept. 3, 2025, in Tracy, Calif. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez, File) More than 550 commercial driving schools in the U.S. that train truckers and bus drivers must close after investigators found they employed unqualified instructors, failed to adequately test students and had other safety issues, the federal Transportation Department planned…

Eight backcountry skiers found dead and 1 still missing after California avalanche

(credit: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office) TRUCKEE, Calif. (AP) — Eight backcountry skiers have been found dead and 1 remains missing after an avalanche near Lake Tahoe in California, officials said, making it the deadliest avalanche in the U.S. in more than four decades. Nevada County Sheriff Shannan Moon announced the deaths at a news conference Wednesday. Search and rescue crews…

Police arrest man who ran toward the US Capitol building holding a shotgun

  WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Capitol Police in Washington, D.C., arrested an 18-year-old man Tuesday after he ran from his vehicle toward the west side of the Capitol Building armed with a shotgun. Capital Police Chief Michael Sullivan said the unidentified man parked a Mercedes SUV near the Capitol, got out and ran “several hundred yards” toward the building before…

Minnesota’s Legislature braces for a federal immigration fight as the enforcement surge winds down

  Minnesota State Capitol (Senate Media Services, Photo by A.J. Olmscheid) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democrats hope to rein in the power of federal immigration officers in Minnesota as the state’s legislative session gets underway Tuesday, while Republicans will focus on combatting fraud in taxpayer-funded programs that President Donald Trump cited to justify the recent immigration enforcement surge. While White House border czar Tom Homan said…

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, who led the Civil Rights Movement for decades after King, has died at 84

Jesse Jackson (CNN) CHICAGO (AP) — The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, a protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate who led the Civil Rights Movement for decades after the revered leader’s assassination, died Tuesday. He was 84. As a young organizer in Chicago, Jackson was called to meet with King at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, shortly…

Anthony Edwards Claims MVP Award, Leads Stars to Tourney Win in an Entertaining NBA All-Star Game

Edwards claimed his first All-Star MVP trophy — an award named for Kobe Bryant — with that tying 3-pointer to cap a 13-point effort in the first game.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Anthony Edwards has said it boldly and confidently for years. He intends to be the best basketball player in the world. The Minnesota Timberwolves guard got to beat the World on Sunday, thanks to the NBA All-Star Game’s intriguing new format — and then he also beat a team of his fellow Americans to cap an…

Robert Duvall, Oscar-winning actor and ‘Godfather’ mainstay, dead at 95

Robert Duvall (CNN) LOS ANGELES (AP) — Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor of matchless versatility and dedication whose classic roles included the intrepid consigliere of the first two “Godfather” movies and the over-the-hill country music singer in “Tender Mercies,” has died at age 95. Duvall died “peacefully” at his home Sunday in Middleburg, Virginia, according to an announcement from his…

Presidents Day 2026: Here’s what’s open and closed on the holiday

Government offices, the stock market and schools are closed Monday in observance of Presidents Day, but most big retailers are open. When in doubt, call ahead or look up more specific schedules online for stores in your neighborhood. Here’s a rundown of what’s open and closed on Presidents Day 2026: Government offices Federal and state government offices are closed. Courts and…

Searchers find wreck of luxury steamer lost in Lake Michigan more than 150 years ago

Courtesy: shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Searchers have discovered the wreck of a luxury steamer that sank in a Lake Michigan gale in the late 19th century, completing a quest that began almost 60 years ago. Shipwreck World, a group that works to locate shipwrecks around the globe, announced Friday that a team led by Illinois shipwreck…

Journalist Don Lemon pleads not guilty to civil rights charges in Minnesota church protest

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former CNN host turned independent journalist Don Lemon pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges Friday, following a protest at a Minnesota church where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official is a pastor. Four others also pleaded not guilty in the case. Lemon did not comment to reporters as he entered the courthouse accompanied by his attorney, Joe Thompson. Roughly…

Feds investigating whether 2 ICE officers lied about the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis

Courtesy: Associated Press (file) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal authorities have opened a criminal probe into whether two immigration officers lied under oath about the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis last month. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons said Friday that his agency had opened a joint probe with the Justice Department after video evidence revealed “sworn testimony…

Journalist Don Lemon is set to be arraigned in Minnesota church protest case

Don Lemon (CNN) ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Former CNN host turned independent journalist Don Lemon and four other people are set to be arraigned on federal civil rights charges Friday, accused in a protest at a Minnesota church where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official is a pastor. Also scheduled for arraignment Friday is civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong. The prominent local activist was the subject…

54-year-old Minnesota lawyer, who played with his teammate’s dad, becomes oldest US Winter Olympian

United States’ Rich Ruohonen watches the men’s curling round robin session against Canada, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair) CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — The stakes were low — and the time ripe — for a 54-year old personal injury lawyer and six-time winner of “Minnesota Attorney of the Year”…

Trump’s EPA revokes scientific finding that underpinned US fight against climate change

(CNN) WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Thursday revoked a scientific finding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change, the most aggressive move by the president to roll back climate regulations. The rule finalized by the Environmental Protection Agency rescinds a 2009 government declaration known as the…