New York City's iconic pizzerias and bagel shops may soon be forced to update their long-standing baking practices after state lawmakers moved to ban a common additive. The bill would prohibit businesses from using potassium bromide, a key component of a type of flour that is widely used at the city's pizzerias and bagel shops. The chemical compound is considered a possible carcinogen and is widely banned outside the United States. While some fear the ban will hurt the city's longtime establishments, others say it could ultimately enhance the city's slices and bagels. The legislation is awaiting Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature.
Ken Paxton is playing up President Donald Trump's endorsement as the Texas attorney general heads into the final days of U.S. Senate primary runoff against incumbent John Cornyn. Paxton opened a recent event by talking about the endorsement. He also criticized Democratic nominee James Talarico, who's awaiting the winner of Tuesday's election. The race is the latest campaign where Trump is encouraging voters to oust a politician who's displeased him and elect a challenger more aligned with the president. Cornyn and his allies argue that Paxton's history, including an acquittal in an impeachment trial, will hurt the GOP in the general election.
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the year since President Donald Trump signed an executive order promising to create a deep-sea mining industry from scratch, businesses have raised millions of dollars from investors, stock prices have soared and federal regulators have raced to fast-track a permitting process.
Everlane, which bucked the fast-fashion industry by promising affordable ethically sourced and sustainable clothing, is being acquired by the king of fast-fashion, China’s Shein. Everlane has signed an agreement to be acquired by Shein, according to a letter written by the brand’s CEO Alfred Chang sent to employees and obtained by The Associated Press on Friday. Everlane’s majority owner had been L Chatteron, which also owns a significant stake in Boll & Branch, Etro and Birkenstock, Everlane didn’t disclose a purchase price. Shein declined to comment, The takeover bid arrives at a time when Everlane is struggling. Sales are down and debt has mounted
President Donald Trump is heading to one of the most competitive congressional districts in the country to test his midterm economic message. He plans to appear in New York with GOP Rep. Mike Lawler, who is up for reelection in a closely watched House race. The event focuses on promoting the tax law Trump signed last year, which expanded the state and local tax deduction. Trump established the SALT cap in 2017 through his Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Lawler, one of three House Republicans representing a district that backed Kamala Harris in 2024, has embraced Trump to energize GOP voters. The White House says Trump will highlight his record of making life more affordable for working families.
NEW YORK (AP) — Stephen Colbert chatted with Paul McCartney and joined him on stage for a raucous performance of “Hello, Goodbye” on the final broadcast of CBS' “The Late Show” on Thursday night, a bittersweet farewell for a canceled show that still had a few barbs left for the network that …
Matthew Perry's assistant is set to become the last defendant sentenced in the investigation of the drug death of the “Friends” star. Perry's family wrote letters to the judge saying they had known Kenneth Iwamasa for decades. They were pleased when the actor hired him because they trusted him to help Perry's sobriety. But instead, Iwamasa helped Perry get and inject the ketamine that would lead to his death in 2023. Iwamasa eventually pleaded guilty and become the most important witness in the case that led to five indictments. His lawyers say he wasn't in a position to say no to Perry. He'll be sentenced Wednesday.
PHOENIX (AP) — As Sandra Ramirez watched footage of immigration officers cracking down on migrants over the past year, she knew her 2024 vote for Donald Trump was a mistake.
Kyle Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion who won more races than anyone across NASCAR’s three national series, has died. He was 41. The Busch Family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR issued a joint statement Thursday saying Busch died after being hospitalized. No cause of death was given. Busch’s family said earlier Thursday that he was hospitalized with a “severe illness,” three days before he was to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because details have not been disclosed by Busch’s team or family.
California is one of the most heavily Democratic states in the country. But in a U.S. House district southeast of Los Angeles, the campaign is being shaped by a different dynamic: Two sitting GOP lawmakers are duking it out over who is most loyal to President Donald Trump. Rep. Ken Calvert is the longest serving Republican in the state’s House delegation. He is running ads calling rival Rep. Young Kim a “traitor” to the president. Kim has dubbed herself a “Trump Republican” and aired spots accusing Calvert of “sabotaging President Trump’s agenda.” The Republican-versus-Republican primary resulted from the national fight over redistricting, which in California could result in five fewer Republican-held seats.
An attack at a California Islamic center is the latest violence where the perpetrators said they were inspired by past atrocities, such as the 2019 massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand. The teens attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego this week and killed three men and themselves. Researchers who study extremism have long noted the resonance of the Christchurch attack among far-right assailants. They attribute it to the extent of the violence, the document the killer posted about his actions, and his decision to livestream the massacre.
MOUNTAINAIR, N.M. (AP) — Investigators in New Mexico are trying to identify a mysterious substance that may have contributed to the deaths of three people and led to more than a dozen first responders being briefly quarantined.
Elim Chan has been hired as the first female music director of the San Francisco Symphony. She will start with the 2027–28 season and has been given a six-year term. Chan, 39, was principal conductor of the Antwerp Symphony Orchestra and principal guest conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. She will also be an artistic partner of the Vienna Symphony for two seasons starting next fall. Esa-Pekka Salonen, whose term ends with the 2024-25 season, announced his departure after the orchestra's management cut spending.
Meteorologists predict a developing El Nino could dampen the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season, but it won't eliminate storms. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts a below-average season with fewer named storms and hurricanes. Colorado State University expects the lowest activity since 2015. El Nino is a warming of the central Pacific that typically reduces Atlantic storms by creating strong wind shear that disrupts storm formation. However, El Nino can increase storm activity in the Pacific, affecting regions like Japan and Korea. The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and ends November 30.
Prosecutors say the former girlfriend of a member of the boy band Why Don’t We has been charged with trying to hire a hitman on the dark web to kill him as part of a custody dispute over their now 7-year-old daughter. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office says Gabriela Gonzalez, a 24-year-old with a large social media following, was charged Tuesday with one count of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and solicitation of murder in the alleged plot to kill Jack Avery. Her father and boyfriend at the time face the same charges. Her attorney didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — Colorado Democrats voted overwhelmingly to censure one of their own, Gov. Jared Polis, for commuting the prison sentence of Tina Peters, the election conspiracy theorist who amplified President Donald Trump's baseless claims that mass fraud caused his 2020 election loss.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is warning people to avoid buying gas from Chevron stations over Memorial Day weekend because of the high price at the pump. California has the highest gas prices in the nation largely because of taxes and environmental regulations. But prices of the pump have swelled due to a global energy crisis caused by the Iran war. Newsom has passed policies over the years to crack down on oil company profits and reduce gas prices. But the state has recently had to reexamine its ambitious climate policies after two major refineries announced their plans to close.
Alexi Lalas has criticized U.S. soccer players for citing pressure ahead of the World Cup at home. He called them “whiners” at a Fox event and said they have been given everything they need to succeed. Lalas, a former U.S. defender and current TV analyst, expects more from the team and believes it should win its group. He also said Christian Pulisic needs to be the star the team requires, but he says Pulisic is “never going to be the leader” that some want. Lalas predicts the U.S. should reach the round of 16 and hopes home advantage could push the Americans further.
Senate Republicans have departed Washington for the Memorial Day recess without voting on a roughly $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies. Voting on the bill was abruptly called off on Thursday. Republicans are debating whether to try and block a new $1.776 billion settlement fund to compensate Trump allies. They failed to reach a resolution after a tense meeting with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Soon after Republican leaders announced that they would not vote on the immigration enforcement measure until they return from a Memorial Day recess, the week of June 1. That had been Trump's self-imposed deadline to pass the bill.
Tennessee officials have called off the lethal injection of Tony Carruthers, who was convicted of kidnapping and murdering three people in 1994, after his executioners tried and failed for over an hour to establish an intravenous line. Gov. Bill Lee says the state will not try again for at least a year. The Tennessee Department of Corrections said medical personnel had quickly established a primary IV line Thursday but were unable to find a suitable vein for a backup line as required by the state’s execution protocol. Maria DeLiberato, an attorney for Carruthers, said she saw him “wincing and groaning” Thursday as the medical team worked.
President Donald Trump says it’s “fantastic” that a key federal agency approved the design for the triumphal arch he wants to build at an entrance to the nation’s capital. The Republican president says Washington needs an arch because it’s the only major Western capital without one. His version would rise on a traffic circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts gave its final approval on Thursday to a slightly revised design. A separate agency that oversees construction on federal land must still approve the plan. At 250 feet, critics say the arch is too big for the region.
A Tennessee judge has set a $1 million bond for a white livestreamer charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting and wounding a Black man. The case against Dalton Eatherly, who livestreams as “Chud the Builder,” has stoked debate over the extents of free speech and the rights of content creators who profit from hate-filled interactions. As more users of livestreaming social media platforms find being performative with racist language can draw big bucks, the line is blurring between freedom of expression and people's right to feel safe. Racial justice advocates worry that allowing people to profit from provoking strangers in livestreams will only heighten and normalize racist antics.
A Texas board has suspended the nursing license of Camp Mystic’s co-director in a scathing order that accuses her of not helping children evacuate during last year’s catastrophic floods. The suspension is one of the state’s first actions since the July 4 tragedy against a member of the family that owns and operates Camp Mystic. The predawn flooding along the Guadalupe River killed 25 girls and two teenage counselors at the all-girls Christian camp. Mary Liz Eastland, a registered nurse, served as the camp’s medical officer. Camp Mystic attorney Joshua Fiveson says Eastland rejects the findings and will fight the suspension.
The former leader of a Minnesota nonprofit has been sentenced to nearly 42 years in prison for her role in a staggering $250 million fraud case. Aimee Bock ran Feeding Our Future, which had claimed it provided millions of meals to children in need during the pandemic. She appeared Thursday in Minneapolis federal court. Her lawyer had argued for a sentence of no more than three years, saying she had been unfairly painted as the mastermind. Authorities later announced charges against 15 more people accused of fraud in receiving federal payments for a variety of social services in Minnesota.
Head spas, which offer scalp and face massages, are gaining popularity in the U.S. Hundreds of locations, especially in California and New York, now offer these services. Originating in Japan, head spas combine scalp and face massage, herbal tinctures, and aromatherapy. They became popular in Japanese salons in the 1990s and have since spread to other places in Asia and to the U.S. Some claim to treat scalp and hair conditions but experts advise seeing doctors for medical evaluations and treatments. Still, fans say they can be rejuvenating and relaxing.
Meta has settled the first of many lawsuits brought by school districts across the country that sued social media companies seeking compensation for costs they say they incurred dealing with children’s social media addiction and mental health harms. The lawsuit brought by a small, rural Kentucky school district was set to go to trial in federal court in Oakland, California, next month. It was selected as a bellwether case, essentially a test case for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury. There are about 1,200 similar cases across the country. The settlement only applies to the Breathitt County School District.
Since President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a deep-sea mining industry, businesses have raised millions from investors, and stock prices have soared. At least nine companies are in talks with the government for access to seabed minerals. Sections of the seafloor from American Samoa to Alaska could be auctioned for offshore mining this summer and through the fall. But a close look at some of the companies involved reveals uncertain track records and histories spattered with legal disputes, while major questions about how the minerals would be processed and refined remain unanswered.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Daytona International Speedway is installing LED lighting in and around the famed 2 1/2-mile track that is expected to create “dynamic, visually engaging moments throughout race events.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — A powerful congressional committee is urging major telecommunications companies to do more to protect Americans against scams, part of a widening investigation into the role that U.S. companies play in the surge in cyberscams that cost Americans an estimated $200 billion in 2024.
A group of young Republicans in Kentucky gather to talk politics once a month. During a meeting with The Associated Press, they expressed frustration with their party and President Donald Trump. They're angry over the war with Iran, which they see as a betrayal. Many in the group feel sidelined by the political establishment, and they still mourn the loss of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. They believe the party needs a change in leadership and direction. While some still support Trump, others criticize what they see as his broken promises. The conversation reflected a generational gap among Republicans.
President Donald Trump's repeated false claims about his 2020 election loss is almost certain to play a role in Georgia's four-week runoff campaign as Republican voters choose nominees for governor, secretary of state and the U.S. Senate. Among the contenders are one of Trump’s alternate electors in his attempt to overturn Democrat Joe Biden’s win in the state. The GOP runoff also features a Trump acolyte who won his first congressional race while saying Trump won in 2020 and a secretary of state hopeful who echoes Trump’s conspiracy theories as he vies to become Georgia’s top elections official. To be clear, Georgia’s presidential votes were counted three times, including once by hand, and each one affirmed Biden’s victory.
New Mexico authorities say three people are dead and more than a dozen first responders were assessed for possible exposure to an unidentified substance after being called to a rural home for a suspected drug overdose. New Mexico State Police said four people were found unresponsive inside the Mountainair home east of Albuquerque. Three died and the fourth was being treated at a hospital. Officials at the University of New Mexico hospital say nearly two dozen patients were asessed and decontaminated after being exposed to the substance. Most of them were first responders who displayed no symptoms and later were discharged.
Competitive eater Joey Chestnut is on probation after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge. The reigning champion and 17-time winner of Nathan’s Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest will still compete in the July 4 spectacle. The competitive eating sensation was accused of slapping a man during a night out at an Indiana bar, his attorney said. Chestnut entered a guilty plea April 20 and was sentenced to 180 days of probation in Hamilton County, Indiana. A judge has granted him permission to travel outside the state, allowing him to continue competing.
Climate change is pushing starving gray whales into the San Francisco Bay in unusual numbers, where ship strikes killed at least 40% of the 21 whales found dead last year. Melting Arctic sea ice has disrupted their food web, leaving malnourished whales to linger in the crowded channel during their 12,000-mile migration. In response, California launched an AI-powered thermal camera network that detects whale heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away and alerts mariners in real time. Meanwhile, marine heatwaves are compressing humpback feeding grounds closer to shore, increasing deadly entanglements in Dungeness crab gear. California recently approved ropeless pop-up fishing gear to reduce entanglement risk.
Former Cuban President Raúl Castro has been charged in a U.S. indictment with murder and other crimes for his alleged role in the downing of two civilian aircraft operated by Miami-based exiles in 1996 off the coast of the Caribbean island. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the indictment in Miami on Wednesday. Castro is charged with murder and other crimes in connection with the shootdown of the two small, unarmed planes by Cuban military jet pilots off the coast of the island. It's not clear if Castro will ever set foot inside a U.S. courtroom as he remains in Cuba. But Blanche says he's confident that Castro will be prosecuted.
An Arizona prisoner convicted of killing another man by throwing gasoline at him and lighting a match has been put to the death in the first of three executions planned this week around the U.S. Corrections officials say 63-year-old Leroy McGill received a lethal injection Wednesday for the 2002 killing of Charles Perez. Authorities say Perez and his girlfriend accused McGill of stealing a gun from a north Phoenix apartment before they were attacked. The girlfriend survived the attack, but Perez died in a hospital. Thirteen people have been executed to date this year in the U.S. Tennessee and Florida are each scheduled to carry out an execution Thursday.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The eastern U.S. sweated through a second day of early-season heat Wednesday, with some schoolchildren being sent home while others stayed in sweltering classrooms.
A former federal prosecutor is facing federal charges over allegations that she sent a report detailing Jack Smith’s investigation into President Donald Trump’s hoarding of classified documents to her personal email account, despite a judge’s order to keep it secret. That's according to court papers unsealed Wednesday. Carmen Lineberger, who worked in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida and managed its Fort Pierce branch, pleaded not guilty during a court appearance in West Palm Beach to charges of theft of government property. Her attorney did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
Artificial intelligence chipmaker Nvidia’s quarterly results blew past Wall Street’s expectations once again, fueled by massive demand for its high-end AI chips. The company said Wednesday it earned $58.32 billion, or $2.39 per share, in the February-April period. That is up from $18.78 billion, or 76 cents per share, in the same period a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, Nvidia earned $1.76 per share. Revenue jumped 85% to $81.62 billion from $44.01 billion. Analysts, on average, were expecting earnings of $1.75 per share and revenue of $78.91 billion, according to a poll by FactSet.
A federal judge has ruled that attorneys for the man accused of sparking last year’s deadly Palisades Fire in and around Los Angeles can’t introduce evidence or arguments at his arson trial about alleged negligence by the fire department in responding to an earlier blaze. Jonathan Rinderknecht has pleaded not guilty to starting what became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history. Prosecutors say Rinderknecht started a fire on Jan. 1, 2025, that burned undetected before flaring back up a week later. Judge Anne Hwang ruled during a pretrial hearing Wednesday that defense attorneys can't refer to depositions by fire department members and a state park ranger that were used in a lawsuit because they could confuse jurors.
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