Conan O’Brien to return as Oscars host in 2027
Conan O’Brien’s era as Oscars host is becoming a trilogy. The Emmy-winner and comedian will be back to host the 99th Academy Awards in 2027, film academy leaders said Tuesday. O’Brien hosted the last two Oscar ceremonies to positive reviews. Earlier this year, in his opening monologue, he said he was “honored to be the […]
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera reunite on Day of the Dead in new Met Opera production
Racked by unrelenting pain, Mexican painter Frida Kahlo wrote in her diary shortly before she died: “I joyfully await the exit — and hope never to return.” Yet return she does — if only briefly — on the Day of the Dead in “El Último Sueño de Frida y Diego” (“The Last Dream of Frida […]
Former CCA President Betsy Oudenhoven honored as president emeritus
AURORA | The Community College of Aurora has named former college president Betsy Oudenhoven president emeritus, honoring her leadership in expanding equity initiatives and securing long-term investments that continue to shape the college. The designation was announced May 9 during the college’s commencement ceremony. The president emeritus title is reserved for leaders whose influence extends […]
Operator of hantavirus-hit ship will say by week’s end when the vessel will resume cruises
The operator of the cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak told The Associated Press Wednesday that it expects to know by the end of the week if the vessel will keep to its schedule for the coming months, as it previously indicated it would. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius is listed on Oceanwide […]
Louisiana advances plan to eliminate majority-Black US House district after court ruling
BATON ROUGE, La. | Republican senators in Louisiana advanced a plan Wednesday to eliminate one of two majority-Black, Democratic-held congressional seats following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down the state’s U.S. House map as an illegal racial gerrymander. The early morning Senate committee vote came after hours of impassioned testimony from Black residents […]
Gunfire breaks out in Philippine Senate where authorities have tried to arrest a senator
MANILA, Philippines | A burst of gunfire rang out Wednesday night in the Philippine Senate, where authorities have tried to arrest a senator who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for a charge of crime against humanity, an Associated Press journalist and other witnesses said. It wasn’t immediately clear what set off the gunfire […]
Producer prices shot up 6%, adding to pressure on companies to raise prices for customers
WASHINGTON | U.S. wholesale inflation came in hot last month. Producer prices rose 6% from a year earlier, most since December 2022, as the 10-week Iran war pushed up energy prices and put pressure on companies to pass along higher costs to consumers. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that its producer price index — which […]
HOLD THE PHONE: Aurora schools scrolling through student phone policies
AURORA | Aurora Hills Middle School teacher Tracie Jansen, for the most part, has her students work on classroom assignments with pencils and paper. The old school technology in her sixth-and-seventh-grade language arts class, free of cell phones, has breathed new life into the classroom, she said. “My students are more engaged and enabled to […]
Russian ship that sank near Spain in 2024 may have carried nuclear reactor parts
BARCELONA, Spain | A Russian ship that sank in the Mediterranean over a year ago after its engine room exploded may have been carrying pieces for nuclear reactors used in submarines, a Spanish government document shows. The Ursa Major sank on Dec. 23, 2024, between Spain and Algeria while allegedly on a journey from St. […]
AP Exclusive: Senate Democrats plan to force votes on Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rollbacks
NEW YORK | Senate Democrats plan to force several votes on the Trump administration’s dismantling of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a maneuver aimed at making vulnerable Republicans take politically difficult votes in an election year. The plan to hold the votes Wednesday, shared exclusively with The Associated Press, is tied to rule changes or […]