4 mins read

Retail sales growth slowed in April from March as higher gas cost leaves less room for nonessentials

NEW YORK | Shoppers pulled back on spending in April as higher gas prices fueled by the Iran war meant less money left over for some nonessentials like clothing and furniture. But economists noted that consumer spending, propped up by generous income tax refunds, is still healthy. Still, they worry that spending will fall off […]

5 mins read

Trump’s talk of 51st US state met with near-silence in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela | Twice this week, U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in turning Venezuela into his country’s 51st state. The latest came via a Truth Social post Tuesday with a map showing the South American country filled with the U.S. flag. Previous statements doubting Venezuela’s sovereignty over the past 25 years have been […]

6 mins read

Man known for racially derogatory livestreams charged with attempted murder after Tennessee shooting

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. | A man who goes by “Chud the Builder” and livestreams himself saying racially derogatory statements to Black people in public settings was arrested and charged with attempted murder after a shooting outside a Tennessee courthouse on Wednesday, authorities said. Dalton Eatherly, 28, and an unidentified man were involved in a confrontation that […]

3 mins read

Survivors of plane crash off Florida were on a life raft for hours with no idea if help was coming

For five hours, the 11 survivors of a plane crash off the coast of Florida floated on a life raft, with no means of calling for help and no idea if anyone was coming to save them. As a thunderstorm approached, they gathered under a tarp for whatever protection it might offer. Then, search and […]

4 mins read

Lutnick backs away from his Epstein ‘blackmail’ claim in interview with House committee

WASHINGTON | Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in an interview with House lawmakers, backed away from a previous claim that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had blackmailed people. Lutnick agreed to sit for an interview with the House Oversight Committee last week after the release of case files on Epstein contradicted his claim on a podcast […]

3 mins read

By changing women’s lives, the pill changed the nation

The pill helped give birth to modern America. Known by one simple word, the revolutionary oral contraceptive — approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration 66 years ago — didn’t just prevent innumerable pregnancies. It gave women new freedom, changing family life and society forever. “Its introduction in the 1960s afforded U.S. women this […]

6 mins read

Jason Collins, NBA’s first openly gay player, dies at 47 of brain cancer

Jason Collins, the NBA’s first openly gay player who went on to become a pioneer for inclusion and an ambassador for the league, has died after an eight-month battle with an aggressive form of brain cancer, his family announced Tuesday. Collins spent 13 years as a player in the league for six different franchises. He […]

3 mins read

Corleone crime family returns in a new ‘Godfather’ novel for 2027 release by Random House

NEW YORK | Decades after the last “Godfather” movie and more than 10 years since the last “Godfather” novel, the story of the Corleone crime family has a new chapter, presented for the first time from a woman’s point of view. Random House told The Associated Press that it had acquired a “Godfather” novel authorized […]

5 mins read

Do these four things before buying a hybrid in 2026

Does the high price of gas have you considering a hybrid for your next vehicle? We don’t blame you, especially if you drive a lot. Fortunately, there are lots of hybrids to choose from, and many don’t cost much more than their non-hybrid counterparts. But to recoup the extra cost of a hybrid the quickest […]

4 mins read

The condition PCOS is now called PMOS. What to know about the name change and what it means for care

A hormonal condition affecting 1 in 8 women around the world just got a new name in hopes of improving care. It Is now called polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome instead of polycystic ovary syndrome. Researchers and supporters of the change said the old name, often shortened to PCOS, is inaccurate. It reduced a complex hormonal […]