Author: Associated Press

Biden waiving ethanol rule in bid to lower gasoline prices

MENLO, Iowa (AP) — President Joe Biden has journeyed to corn-rich Iowa to announce he's suspending federal rules that restrict ethanol in gasoline, aiming to strike at least a small blow against surging inflation. President Joe…

Gunman opens fire on Brooklyn subway; at least 10 shot

NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities say at least 10 people were shot and six others injured when a gunman in a gas mask filled a rush-hour subway train with smoke and opened fire in Brooklyn. The shooter was on the…

1 killed, 2 wounded in gunfire exchange on Beale Street

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities say one man was killed and two others wounded in a gunfire exchange on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, that involved police. News outlets cited a statement from Memphis police that said officers responded early…

Most Tennessee interstate road work halts for Easter travel

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee officials are halting nearly all construction on interstates for Easter holiday travelers. The Tennessee Department of Transportation says the closures will be paused from Thursday evening through the morning of April 18. The department says…

Fire destroys Northern California Home Depot store

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — A weekend fire has gutted a Home Depot store in the San Francisco Bay Area but no injuries are reported. Fire officials say the fire erupted at about 5 p.m. Saturday at the store in…

Accused shooter in Lady Gaga dog theft mistakenly freed

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A gunman accused of shooting and seriously wounding Lady Gaga’s dog walker and stealing her two French bulldogs was mistakenly released from jail and is being sought. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed Friday that…

Jack White marries musician Olivia Jean at Detroit show

DETROIT (AP) — Jack White surprised fans by marrying musician Olivia Jean on stage during his Detroit homecoming show Friday. The Detroit-born singer, songwriter and producer invited Jean onstage to join his performance and introduced her as his girlfriend. He…

‘The Eagle Has Landed’ author Jack Higgins dead at 92

LONDON (AP) — British author Jack Higgins, who wrote “The Eagle Has Landed” and other bestselling thrillers and espionage novels, has died. He was 92. Publisher HarperCollins said that Higgins died at his home on the English Channel island of…

Tennessee Black-majority town takeover case before judge

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Attorneys representing a majority-Black Tennessee town are hoping to stop a state takeover of the town's finances. During a Wednesday hearing in Nashville, attorneys representing the town of Mason said the state is treating the town's…

Spain probes private taxidermy museum with 1,000 animals

MADRID (AP) — Spain’s Civil Guard says it is investigating a businessman in the eastern Valencia region who owned a private taxidermy collection with more than 1,000 stuffed animals, including just over 400 from protected species and at least one…

‘Sonic 2’ steals weekend box office, but ‘Ambulance’ stalls

(AP)--“Sonic the Hedgehog 2” sped to the top of the charts in its opening weekend, earning an impressive $71 million according to studio estimates Sunday. Paramount’s PG-rated sequel easily bested the weekend’s other major newcomer, Michael Bay’s “Ambulance,” which faltered…

EXPLAINER: Anti-LGBTQ marriage bill sparks criticism

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Republicans and Democrats in Tennessee are raising the alarm over a proposal that would create a new marriage contract specifically designed to exclude same-sex couples. Critics say it’s a deliberate effort to circumvent the Supreme Court’s…

Woman faces Texas murder charge after self-induced abortion

(AP) --Authorities say a 26-year-old woman has been charged with murder in Texas after causing “the death of an individual by self-induced abortion.” It’s unclear whether Lizelle Herrera is accused of having an abortion or helping someone else get an…

Vehicle collides with food truck in Austin, Texas; 11 hurt

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Authorities say 11 people have been injured in a “major collision” in Austin, Texas, involving pedestrians and two vehicles, one of which hit a food truck. Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services tweeted that two of the…

Police: 3 dead in gun range shooting; 40 weapons stolen

GRANTVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Authorities say a couple and their grandson are dead after an armed robbery at a gun range in Georgia. The Grantville Police Department said via Facebook that the robbery occurred Friday evening. When officers arrived at…

Scott Hamilton to cycle 444 miles in cancer fundraiser

(AP)---Figure skating icon Scott Hamilton will sit atop a bike and cycle 444 miles in the Erase the Trace, a five-day ride along the Natchez Trace Parkway. The fundraiser that goes through Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee is designed to raise…

Steelers QB Dwayne Haskins killed in auto accident

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins has been killed in an auto accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Authorities say Haskins was hit by a dump truck while walking on a highway. The Steelers and Washington Commanders,…

Will Smith gets 10-year Oscars ban over Chris Rock slap

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The motion picture academy has banned Will Smith from attending the Oscars or any other academy event for 10 years following his slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. The move comes after a meeting…

Trans kids fear Alabama laws targeting medicine, bathrooms

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Transgender kids and their parents say they feel attacked by a wave of Republican-sponsored legislation and policies aimed at trans youth. In a photo provided by Jeff Walker, he and his daughter…

‘Dancing With the Stars’ moves from ABC to sibling Disney+

LOS ANGELES (AP) — “Dancing With the Stars” will waltz away from its longtime ABC home and over to streaming service Disney+, the network’s corporate sibling. The company says the competition series will be on Disney+ starting this fall. “Dancing…

Jackson confirmed as first Black female high court justice

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, shattering a historic barrier by securing her place as the first Black female justice and giving President Joe Biden a bipartisan endorsement for his effort to…

Senate redistricting map blocked by Tennessee court

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A three-judge panel has blocked a new redistricting map for the Tennessee Senate. The panel said Wednesday that the GOP-controlled General Assembly violated the state’s constitution by improperly numbering the new districts. The 21-page ruling gives…

10 Tennessee communities picked for downtown revitalization

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ten communities around the state have been selected to participate in the Tennessee Downtowns revitalization program. The state Department of Economic and Community Development said Wednesday that the selected communities are Alexandria, Copperhill, Cumberland Gap, Decherd,…

Smoky Mountains seeks parking fees, campsite rate increases

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) — Great Smoky Mountains National Park wants to start charging parking fees and increase rates for campsites, day-use cabin rentals and picnic pavilions. Late afternoon light streaks across golden leaves in Great Smoky…

Court hearing set as Tennessee town fights state takeover

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A hearing is scheduled in a lawsuit filed by a majority-Black Tennessee town located near the site of a planned Ford pickup truck factory as it tries to fight off a state takeover of its finances.…

Tennessee death row inmate: Unknown DNA on weapon

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee inmate scheduled to be executed this month is asking the courts to reopen his case after DNA from an unknown person was detected on one of the murder weapons. Oscar Smith is scheduled to…

Tennessee advancing bill banning abortion pills by mail

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Republicans are advancing legislation that would strictly regulate the dispensing of abortion pills. The bill includes requiring women to be examined in person by a doctor before receiving the medication. Under the Tennessee bill, delivery…

Ukraine president delivers video message at Grammy Awards

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy appeared in a video message at the Grammy Awards to ask for support in telling the story of Ukraine’s invasion by Russia. During the pre-recorded message that aired on the show Sunday,…

Weighed down by bad reviews, ‘Morbius’ opens with $39.1M

NEW YORK (AP) — Sony Pictures’ Marvel adaptation “Morbius” landed with dismal reviews but still managed to debut with $39.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. That was enough to easily hand “Morbius" the top spot at…

Man in Germany gets 90 COVID-19 shots to sell forged passes

BERLIN (AP) — A 60-year-old man allegedly had himself vaccinated against COVID-19 dozens of times in Germany in order to sell forged vaccination cards with real vaccine batch numbers to people not wanting to get vaccinated themselves. The man from…

WEB EXTRA: 64th Annual Grammy Awards Performers

GRAMMY PERFORMERS: Some of music's biggest stars will take the stage during music's biggest night. Here's a look at some of the acts that will perform at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday night…

States look for solutions as US fentanyl deaths keep rising

(AP)---With fentanyl driving fatal overdoses to record levels in the U.S., state governments are scrambling for solutions. Since last year, at least 18 states have passed or considered laws to make it clear that it's legal to use tests to…

US agency acknowledges damage to dinosaur tracks in Utah

MOAB, Utah (AP) — Dinosaur tracks from 112 million years ago have been damaged in southeastern Utah by heavy machinery used to rebuild a boardwalk at the popular tourist area. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management in a recently released…

Tennessee wildfires under control, 300 structures damaged

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Two Tennessee wildfires that have burned more than 3,000 acres near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and damaged more than 300 structures were under control as of Saturday afternoon. Officials speaking at a press conference…

Memphis street being renamed for member of The Bar-Kays

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Stax Museum says a street is being renamed for James Alexander, the last surviving member of The Bar-Kays band that backed soul music star Otis Redding. Located near the Stax Records studios where the the soul-funk…

Police say 6 dead, 10 injured in Sacramento shooting

SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) — Police in California are searching for at least one suspect in connection with a mass shooting early Sunday in downtown Sacramento that claimed six lives and left 10 other people injured. Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester…

Tesla sells 310,000 vehicles in 1Q, despite logistics issues

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Tesla said Saturday it delivered 310,000 vehicles in the first quarter, up 68% from the same period in 2021. However the company’s sales were slightly below expectations, which were looking for Tesla to produce 312,000 cars,…

Lawsuit seeks to challenge congressional residency bill

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A new federal lawsuit argues legislation that would create a residency requirement for most U.S. House and Senate hopefuls is unconstitutional. A group of Tennesseans filed the lawsuit Thursday. They argue the measure would unfairly block…

Suit claims Tennessee city violated meeting, records laws

ATHENS, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee man has filed suit against the city of Athens and its manager, claiming violations of state open records and open meetings laws. The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports Athens resident Larry Eaton sued in…

Dad charged in 2016 death of daughter first injured as baby

NEWPORT, Vt. (AP) — A 44-year-old Tennessee man is facing a second degree murder charge in the 2016 death of his daughter who was originally injured in 2001 when she was an infant. Vermont police say Jason Roberts was taken…

3 Army soldiers, 9 others accused in gun trafficking ring

WASHINGTON (AP) — Twelve people, including three U.S. Army soldiers, are accused in a large-scale gun trafficking ring that prosecutors allege supplied nearly 100 guns to gang members in Chicago. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the indictment at a news…

Police: Car hits athletes running along road, 1 killed

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) — Authorities say an athlete from a Tennessee university was killed when he and two other members of his team were struck by a car while running along a road in Virginia. Virginia State Police say members…

Oldest U.S. active Park Ranger retires at 100

RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) - Imagine working as a park ranger and being older than some of the trees you get to care for. That was the lot of 100-year-old Betty Reid Soskin. Until yesterday, she worked at the Rosie the…