Here are the AP’s top stories and promotable content. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan.
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Here are the AP’s top stories and promotable content. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan.
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NATIONAL
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US--CALIFORNIA-CAPSIZED BOAT
3 killed and 9 missing after small boat capsizes off San Diego, Coast Guard says
SUMMARY: Officials say three people were killed, four were injured and nine others are missing after a small boat overturned in the ocean off San Diego. The sheriff’s department says agencies including the U.S. Coast Guard responded around 6:30 a.m. Monday following reports of a capsized panga-style boat near Torrey Pines State Beach. The Coast Guard said it does not know where the boat was coming from but that the agency was searching for nine missing people in the water about 15 miles north of downtown San Diego. Pangas are open boats designed for fishing but commonly used by smugglers.
WORDS: 180 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 1:22 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:26b454906f298d9ee442583e40051470&mediaType=text
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US--INMATE DEATH-NEW YORK
Prison guard who helped beat cuffed New York inmate to death pleads guilty to manslaughter
SUMMARY: A corrections officer has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the fatal beating of a handcuffed inmate at an upstate New York prison in December. The attack on Robert Brooks at the Marcy Correctional Facility was caught on video by guards’ body cameras, sparked public outrage and led to charges against 13 people. Thirty-six-year-old officer Christopher Walrath, who was one of six guards charged with second-degree murder, pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree manslaughter during a hearing in Utica. The plea deal calls for Walrath to get a 15-year prison term. The special prosecutor says Brooks transferred to the prison that day and that guards beat him to “welcome” him.
WORDS: 679 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 1:00 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c4f0d1abfa3af3531347bb8be21a85f8&mediaType=text
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US--SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-DIDDY
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ sex trafficking trial begins with jury selection
SUMMARY: The sex trafficking trial of hip-hop impresario Sean “Diddy” Combs has begun with jury selection in New York. A judge described the charges against Combs to prospective jurors on Monday, telling them that he has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent. Prosecutors say Combs coerced women into participating in sex acts with prostitutes during drug-fueled parties. They say he used violence and threats to keep his victims compliant and silent. Lawyers for Combs say the sex was consensual. Combs has pleaded not guilty to charges including racketeering conspiracy and bringing sex workers across state lines. The trial is expected to last at least eight weeks.
WORDS: 776 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 12:40 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:550b3f0c7a4bbb2f2777edb0a16762a0&mediaType=text
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US--HUD-FAIR HOUSING-LGBTQ
In battle against transgender rights, Trump targets HUD’s housing policies
SUMMARY: In the months since President Donald Trump took back the White House and installed a loyalist to lead the federal housing department, HUD Secretary Scott Turner and his team have moved swiftly to undo, uproot and remake the agency’s decades of work and priorities. There is an intense focus on transgender people as the Department of Housing and Urban Development retreats from long-established fair-housing protections by closing their discrimination complaints and moving to undo the Obama-era Equal Access Rule that cemented transgender people’s rights to discrimination protection in housing. The Trump administration has both halted enforcement of the Equal Access Rule and proposed unspecified revisions to the policy. Homeless shelters also are struggling to comply with the Trump directives.
WORDS: 2120 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 11:17 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:915634741f56f3d5ea265e316cd396bb&mediaType=text
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US--SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-ABERCROMBIE
Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO is ruled unfit for trial and ordered hospitalized
SUMMARY: A federal judge in New York has ruled that the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is unfit to stand trial on sex trafficking charges. The judge ordered Michael Jeffries to be hospitalized for up to four months to see if his mental condition improves. Jeffries’ lawyers sought the ruling last month, writing in a letter to the court that the 80-year-old requires around-the-clock care because he has Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia and the “residual effects of a traumatic brain injury.” Jeffries has been free on $10 million bond since pleading not guilty in October to federal charges of sex trafficking and interstate prostitution.
WORDS: 368 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 10:40 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:be6824abaf11f15b3e82eba45f559e7b&mediaType=text
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US--AN ETHICAL GENERATION?
From debate to dialogue: In a contentious era, ‘Ethics Bowl’ offers students a gentler alternative
SUMMARY: The National High School Ethics Bowl has just concluded its competition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Win or lose, many of the teenage participants say the experience helped them think more deeply about controversial topics. Unlike debate, Ethics Bowl teams are not assigned a specific position. Instead, team members make their own decisions about what they believe to be the true or best position. Scoring is based on how deeply they explore the issues, including other viewpoints. In a time when many are wondering whether it is still possible to have a principled, respectful disagreement over important issues, proponents of Ethics Bowl say it points the way.
WORDS: 1675 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 10:27 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:2d8297d1596646090af9994ac3d00770&mediaType=text
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US-HUD-FAIR HOUSING-LGBTQ-TAKEAWAYS
Trump is swiftly undoing transgender protections in HUD’s housing policies
SUMMARY: The Trump administration is swiftly remaking housing policy as the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development retreats from long-established fair-housing protections for transgender people. In recent months, HUD has been targeting the Obama-era Equal Access Rule that expanded protections to include sexual orientation and gender identity. Also in the bull’s-eye are fair-housing complaint investigations and federally funded homeless shelters, according to documents provided to The Associated Press. HUD says in a statement that it is both upholding the Fair Housing Act and implementing Trump’s executive order, which it says is “restoring biological truth to the federal government.”
WORDS: 887 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 9:18 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:003a354b933592303a4eea350ebbc804&mediaType=text
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US--AN ETHICAL GENERATION?-ABRIDGED
From debate to dialogue: In a contentious era, ‘Ethics Bowl’ offers students a gentler alternative
SUMMARY: The National High School Ethics Bowl has just concluded its competition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Win or lose, many of the teenage participants say the experience helped them think more deeply about controversial topics. Unlike debate, Ethics Bowl teams are not assigned a specific position. Instead, team members make their own decisions about what they believe to be the true or best position. Scoring is based on how deeply they explore the issues, including other viewpoints. In a time when many are wondering whether it is still possible to have a principled, respectful disagreement over important issues, proponents of Ethics Bowl say it points the way.
WORDS: 1146 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 12:22 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c74e2927e7bb492bc581e2b22e41288c&mediaType=text
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US--SHOOTING-HOUSTON
At least 1 dead after 16 people shot at a Houston family party, police say
SUMMARY: Police in Texas say at least one person was killed when 16 people were shot at a party in Houston. Houston Police Department Assistant Chief Patricia Cantu says shots were reported around 12:50 a.m. Sunday from a home in southeast Houston. Arriving officers reported hearing gunfire and saw multiple people wounded. Cantu says a family party was taking place and an uninvited guest was asked to leave and then began firing shots, prompting others to return fire. Cantu says several people were in critical condition and in surgery. Police said they detained, questioned and released several people, but don’t have a suspect in custody.
WORDS: 318 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 8:49 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:2bf0373eb2cca80385888206c4be2b0f&mediaType=text
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US--STAR WARS DAY
Here’s why May the 4th is celebrated as Star Wars Day across the galaxy
SUMMARY: May the 4th be with you. “Star Wars” fans around the world are celebrating the space epic and its surrounding franchise this weekend through an unofficial, fan-made holiday. A sly nod to one of the most popular catchphrases in the films, May the 4th is known as Star Wars Day and has been embraced by businesses and communities over the years. The May the 4th phrase appeared as early as 1979 in a British political ad and has exploded in recent years. The day is being marked with events ranging from special bobbleheads to a daylong celebration in a town sharing the first film’s name.
WORDS: 823 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 6:36 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ea1b5b43b00c23f53294dc159da2bae9&mediaType=text
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US--TRUMP-WESTERN COAL PLANTS
Arizona communities bank on Trump’s push for coal to ensure they’re not forgotten
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump wants to tap into “beautiful, clean coal” to help meet the electricity demands of what he bills as a new dawn of manufacturing and technological advancement in the United States. But some utilities say coal is no longer the answer. Stuck in the middle are communities that depend on the jobs and tax revenues. Coal-fired power plants are woven into nearly every aspect of life in the northeastern parts of Arizona. Residents in the southwestern state see Trump’s efforts as an opportunity to save their towns and stay in the energy race for another generation, no matter if coal — or something else — provides the fuel.
WORDS: 1418 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 5:05 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1b4c706e3005de79e2a4fe9700a6286b&mediaType=text
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US--CALIFORNIA-PLANE CRASH
A small plane crashes into a Los Angeles-area neighborhood, killing 2 people and a dog
SUMMARY: Authorities say two people and a dog were killed when the small plane they were in crashed into a neighborhood in Simi Valley near Los Angeles. Two homes were damaged. Fire crews responded to the scene Saturday afternoon as smoke billowed from the roof of one home. Police officers cordoned off the streets and warned people to stay clear. Wreckage could be seen between the two homes. The Ventura County Fire Department confirmed that residents were inside at the time but they evacuated with no reported injuries. Authorities did not immediately release any information about the plane’s occupants. The single-engine Van’s RV-10 involved in the crash is a popular home-built airplane sold in kit form.
WORDS: 517 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 3:36 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:167f2d005e574eaa78330663a61cb77f&mediaType=text
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ENT--FILM-BOX OFFICE
‘Thunderbolts’ kicks off the summer movie season with $76 million at the box office
SUMMARY: Marvel Studios’ “Thunderbolts” opened with $76 million in domestic ticket sales. Studio estimates released Sunday showed the film kicking off the summer box office with a solid No. 1 debut, though it fell shy of Marvel’s more spectacular launches. All eyes had been on whether “Thunderbolts” could match the kind of performance Walt Disney Co.’s superhero factory once enjoyed so regularly. The results suggested Marvel’s malaise won’t be so easy to snap out of. But excellent reviews and good word-of-mouth should power “Thunderbolts” to strong business in the coming weeks. Other openings included the Alec Baldwin western “Rust,” which premiered in 115 theaters. It grossed about $25,000 in a debut more than three years after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on set.
WORDS: 747 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 2:11 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4fa2cd9f20dc6e2bd2f343c86dc83c8b&mediaType=text
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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US--IMMIGRATION-SELF-DEPORT
Trump administration says it will pay immigrants in the US illegally $1,000 to leave the country
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump’s administration says it’s going to pay immigrants in the U.S. illegally who’ve returned to their home country voluntarily $1,000 as it pushes forward with its mass deportation agenda. The Department of Homeland Security said Monday it has already paid for a plane ticket for one migrant to return home to Honduras from Chicago. Trump has made immigration enforcement a centerpiece of his campaign. But it’s a costly, resource-intensive endeavor. The Republican administration is pushing Congress for an increase in resources but also pushing people in the U.S. illegally to “self-deport.” Advocates for immigrants warn there’s a lot for migrants to be cautious about in the latest offer from Homeland Security.
WORDS: 603 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 1:06 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c459325c4a73dba0d5a89fa19dbee334&mediaType=text
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US--TRUMP-CHECKS-AND-BALANCES
America’s long history of ‘checks and balances’ is being tested by Trump like rarely before
SUMMARY: The principle of “checks and balances” is rooted in the Constitution’s design of a national government with three distinct, coequal branches. Those are the executive, meaning the president, the legislative, meaning Congress, and the judicial, meaning the Supreme Court and the lower courts. President Donald Trump is testing that system like rarely before. He’s doing it by signing dozens of executive orders, by closing or sharply reducing government agencies that are funded by Congress, and by denigrating judges who’ve issued dozens of rulings against him. One historian says the framers of American democracy “had great distrust of concentrated authority” and that’s the origin of a system of checks and balances.
WORDS: 1369 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 12:29 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:979b5d303442cfa90fb0771fa177cb95&mediaType=text
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US--DEMOCRATS-PRITZKER-AOC
Pritzker and Ocasio-Cortez: A billionaire and a former bartender emerge as Trump resistance leaders
SUMMARY: Democrats are looking for the right message and messengers to lead the opposition to President Donald Trump in his second term. And two vastly different politicians are emerging as top Democratic voices. They are Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a New York congresswoman. Both have drawn praise for high-profile speeches and events that have excited voters on the left. Pritzker is a billionaire heir who calls Trump as a threat to democracy and national stability. Ocasio-Cortez maintains her antiestablishment profile and labels Trump a corrupt billionaire who’s hurting the working class he says he represents. Their messages highlight a familiar argument among Democrats’ progressive and more moderate factions.
WORDS: 1405 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 12:08 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9d4f7868892629e34df7ea1e29dc0b34&mediaType=text
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US--TRUMP-FILM TARIFF
Trump threatens a 100% tariff on foreign-made films, saying the movie industry in the US is dying
SUMMARY: The White House says no final decisions have been made on President Donald Trump’s call for tariffs targeting films made outside the United States. A spokesperson said Monday that the administration is exploring all options. The Republican president said Sunday he has authorized the Department of Commerce and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to slap a 100% tariff “on any and all Movies” coming into the U.S. that are produced overseas. It’s unclear how any such tariff on international productions could be implemented. It’s common for both large and small films to include production in the U.S. and in other countries.
WORDS: 964 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 11:39 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:415367dff6ae5bb7dc0871db5ac97d48&mediaType=text
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US--TRUMP-ALCATRAZ
Trump says he’s going to reopen Alcatraz prison. Doing so would be difficult and costly
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump says he’s directing his government to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on a California island that’s been closed for more than 60 years. In a social media message Sunday, Trump wrote that, “For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering.” The Republican president says he’s directing the Bureau of Prisons along with the Department of Justice, the FBI and Homeland Security to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz to house “America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders.” Reopening Alcatraz would be difficult and costly.
WORDS: 935 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 9:44 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:fabe3385415ae03829d44e50efb3c1fb&mediaType=text
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US--TRUMP-MEXICO
Trump blasts Mexico’s Sheinbaum for rejecting offer to send US troops into Mexico to fight cartels
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump said Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum rejected his proposal to send U.S. troops to Mexico to help thwart the illegal drug trade because she is fearful of the country’s powerful cartels. The comments by Trump came a day after Sheinbaum confirmed that Trump pressed her in a call last month to accept a bigger role for the U.S. military in combating drug cartels in Mexico. Trump said it was “true” that he proposed sending troops to Mexico and lashed into Sheinbaum for dismissing the idea. Trump in comments to reporters Aboard Air Force One on Sunday added that Sheinbaum is “so afraid of the cartels she can’t walk.”
WORDS: 496 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 10:09 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c2113e74cfc122f8f5a9e162644a470f&mediaType=text
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US--TRUMP-COMMUNISM-EXPLAINER
Trump brands his opponents as ‘communists,’ a label loaded with the baggage of American history
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump is once more calling opponents “communists” as his administration wages policy fights on trade and in the courts. His use of the term continues a strategy from the 2024 presidential campaign, when he called Democratic rival Kamala Harris “comrade Kamala.” But experts say there’s little connection between communism, the system, and the American judges and others Trump now calls communists. Experts tell The Associated Press that Trump is using the term as a rhetorical tool to erode the legitimacy of his opponents. Trump came of age though during the Cold War, during a period of intense fear that communists could overtake the United States.
WORDS: 1033 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 8:59 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:cae626a3699a5411841f646a847c2c7b&mediaType=text
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US--TRUMP
Trump, in a new interview, says he doesn’t know if he backs due process rights
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump is circumspect about his duties to uphold due process rights laid out in the Constitution, saying in a new interview that he doesn’t know whether U.S. citizens and noncitizens alike deserve that guarantee. He also says he doesn’t think military force would be needed to make Canada the “51st state.” And he’s downplaying the possibility that he’d look to run for a third term in the White House. The comments came in a wide-ranging and at time combative interview with Kristen Walker that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
WORDS: 1890 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 3:42 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8da3e853b6cec944ec373fae4d317ac4&mediaType=text
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INTERNATIONAL
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ML--MIDEAST-WARS
Israel plans to seize Gaza under a new plan, officials say
SUMMARY: Two Israeli officials say ministers have approved a plan to seize the Gaza Strip and to stay in the territory for an unspecified amount of time. If carried out, the move would vastly expand Israel’s operations in the Palestinian territory and likely draw fierce international opposition. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing military plans. Israeli Cabinet ministers approved the plan in a vote Monday. The new plan calls for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to move to Gaza’s south. The details of the plan were not formally announced, and its exact timing and implementation were not clear.
WORDS: 1298 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 1:02 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d22caabfd2cf89e83fe06e649e6438ba&mediaType=text
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AS--CHINA-BOAT-ACCIDENT
Tourist boats capsize in sudden storm in southwest China, leaving 10 dead
SUMMARY: Four boats have capsized in a sudden storm on a river in southwestern China, leaving 10 people dead. State media said more than 80 people fell into the water when strong winds hit the scenic area in Guizhou province on Sunday afternoon. Initial reports said two tourist boats had capsized, but CCTV and the official Xinhua News Agency said on Monday that four boats were involved. The boats capsized after a sudden rain and hail storm hit the upper reaches of the Wu River, a tributary of the Yangtze, the longest river in China.
WORDS: 292 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 12:48 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:2ad24bd795b5e1172e01972da278f19b&mediaType=text
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EU-REL--VATICAN-CONCLAVE
Ahead of the conclave, Vatican staff must vow secrecy under threat of excommunication
SUMMARY: All Vatican personnel involved in supporting the upcoming papal conclave will take an oath of secrecy — under penalty of automatic excommunication. The ceremony, mandated by Vatican law and revised by Pope Benedict XVI, includes clerics and lay staff alike: cooks, cleaners, doctors, nurses and security officials. Nearly 135 cardinal electors will gather in the Sistine Chapel, beginning on Wednesday, to vote in secret for Pope Francis’s successor. The oath, which explicitly forbids recording or disclosing anything from within the conclave, underscores the Church’s insistence on confidentiality. Cardinals are bound by their own rules of secrecy. They will take their oaths on Wednesday as well.
WORDS: 909 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 12:42 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:254ceb6848bea852047097fec08d8e70&mediaType=text
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AS--PAKISTAN-INDIA
Iran’s top diplomat holds talks in Pakistan to mediate in escalation with India over Kashmir attack
SUMMARY: Iran’s foreign minister has held talks with top Pakistani officials to try and mediate in the escalation between Islamabad and New Delhi after last month’s deadly attack on tourists in the Indian-controlled part of Kashmir. Abbas Araghchi’s visit to Islamabad on Monday was the first by a foreign dignitary since tensions flared in the wake of the April 22 massacre of 26 people in the town of Pahalgam. Most of the victims were Indian Hindu tourists. India blames Pakistan which denies the accusation. Tehran has offered to help ease tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors.
WORDS: 768 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 11:23 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:92770117a93b72814c494834348b73b8&mediaType=text
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EU--ROMANIA-ELECTION-SIMION
Who is George Simion, a nationalist who topped polls in Romania’s presidential redo?
SUMMARY: George Simion, a nationalist and vocal supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump, has won Romania’s first-round presidential election after capitalizing on widespread anti-establishment sentiment. The 38-year-old leader of the hard-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, will face a pro-Western reformist in a May 18 runoff that could reshape the European Union and NATO member country’s direction. Romania’s political landscape was upended last year when a top court voided the previous election in which the far-right outsider Calin Georgescu topped first round. The decision followed allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied.
WORDS: 980 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 10:47 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d31c2690e9df8157851a253026898043&mediaType=text
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WORLD COURT-SUDAN-UAE
The UN’s top court dismisses Sudan’s genocide case alleging the Emiratis funded RSF rebels
SUMMARY: The top United Nations court has dismissed a case brought by Sudan accusing the United Arab Emirates of breaching the genocide convention by arming and funding the rebel paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan’s deadly civil war. Judges found that the International Court of Justice lacked the authority to continue the proceedings. While both Sudan and the UAE are signatories to the 1948 genocide convention, the United Arab Emirates has a carveout to the part of the treaty that gives The Hague-based court jurisdiction. The UAE called Sudan’s case a publicity stunt and, in a hearing last month, argued the case should be dismissed.
WORDS: 367 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 10:32 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b517981f245af2ca864a2f5b8ca58d55&mediaType=text
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ML--IRAN-US
AP Analysis: Iran talks tough and launches missile all while seeking a new nuclear deal with the US
SUMMARY: Iran is talking tough — while still wanting to talk more with the United States over a possible nuclear deal. In the last days, Tehran has backed an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels that slipped through Israel’s missile defenses to strike near Ben-Gurion Airport. But all the while, Iran maintains it wants to reach a nuclear deal with the U.S. That’s even as Trump administration officials continue to insist that Tehran must give up all its ability to enrich uranium in order to receive sanction relief — something Iran repeatedly has said is a nonstarter for the negotiations.
WORDS: 1027 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 10:19 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:37f64936be136584b0e03173ab813cb9&mediaType=text
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AS--INDIA-PAKISTAN-KASHMIR-EXPLAINER
India and Pakistan face off over Kashmir attack. Here’s where the rivals stand
SUMMARY: India and Pakistan are scrambling resources both military and diplomatic to respond to a crisis triggered by a massacre in Indian-controlled Kashmir that has heightened fears of a conflict between the nuclear-armed rivals. India blames Pakistan for backing the gunmen behind the April 22 killing of 26 people, most of them Indian tourists. Islamabad denies the charge. Both countries have expelled each other’s diplomats and nationals, as well as closed their borders and shuttered airspace. India has also suspended a critical water-sharing treaty with Pakistan. A Pakistani minister said his country had “credible intelligence” that an Indian strike was imminent.
WORDS: 626 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 5:25 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8594b9e7694e0f3c6b4795e232d01cd9&mediaType=text
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EU--GERMANY-WWII-BERLIN TRANSFORMED
Berlin still bears scars 80 years after pivotal battle that sealed the defeat of Nazi Germany
SUMMARY: Central Berlin was in ruins after the Red Army completed the Allied victory over the Nazis in an intense fight for the German capital in May 1945. After decades of division and its revival as the capital of a reunited, democratic Germany, the city is now transformed, blending painstakingly restored buildings with modern architecture. But the scars of the past remain visible in many places: facades riddled with bullet holes, or gaps in rows of houses sometimes plugged by new buildings. Berlin, the epicenter of Adolf Hitler’s power, was the ultimate prize as the Allies closed in from east and west on the disintegrating German defenses in the final stage of World War II.
WORDS: 759 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 3:51 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:f416b674b65e52c65e9f0fe58fcc232d&mediaType=text
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ML-IRAQ-JUSTICE MINISTER
Iraq’s justice minister says prisons are at double their capacity as amnesty law takes effect
SUMMARY: As a general amnesty law takes effect in Iraq, the country’s prisons are facing a crisis of overcrowding, housing more than double their intended capacity, the country’s justice minister said in an interview. Justice Minister Khaled Shwani has told The Associated Press that Iraq’s 31 prisons currently hold approximately 65,000 inmates, despite the system being built to accommodate only half that number. He acknowledged that the overcrowding has put a severe strain on prison healthcare and human rights standards.
WORDS: 706 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 1:12 a.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:577236f4f20125610c078e1625dcb33f&mediaType=text
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EU--ROMANIA-ELECTION
Hard-right candidate Simion secures decisive win in first round of Romania’s presidential redo
SUMMARY: Nearly complete electoral data shows that hard-right nationalist George Simion has secured a decisive win in the first round of Romania’s presidential election redo. The vote comes months after last year’s annulled election plunged the European Union and NATO member country into its worst political crisis in decades. Simion, the leader of the Alliance for the Unity of Romanians, or AUR, is far outpacing all other candidates in the polls with 40.5% of the vote, official electoral data shows after 99% of votes were counted. Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan is second with 20.89%, and third is the governing coalition’s candidate, Crin Antonescu, with 20.34%, who admitted defeat.
WORDS: 1034 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 9:13 p.m. EDT
https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:e6ce0a674cf88bfc02c505482dc2497b&mediaType=text
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CB--HAITI-GANG VIOLENCE
Protesters in Haiti demand new government and more security as anger over gangs spreads
SUMMARY: Dozens of protesters are marching up the hills of Haiti’s capital to demand an end to persistent gang violence as they call on the country’s prime minister and transitional presidential council to resign. Sunday’s demonstration is the latest such protest to reflect growing anger and frustration over a surge in violence as gangs try to seize full control of Port-au-Prince. Hundreds of people gathered Saturday in Port-au-Prince to honor several community leaders killed in recent clashes with gangs as the neighborhood vowed to fight back.
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LT--BRAZIL-POLICE-LADY GAGA
Brazilian police arrest 2 people over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in Rio
SUMMARY: Brazilian police say they have thwarted a plot to detonate a bomb at Lady Gaga’s concert the night before in Rio de Janeiro, the biggest show of her career that drew some 2.5 million fans to Copacabana Beach. The Rio de Janeiro state police said Sunday they worked with the Justice Ministry to disrupt the attack allegedly planned by a group that was spreading hate speech against the LGBTQ+ community. Two people have been arrested. Police said the group sought to radicalize and recruit teenagers to carry out attacks using Molotov cocktails and improvised explosives.
WORDS: 736 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 4:31 p.m. EDT
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EU--UNESCO-NICARAGUA WITHDRAWS
Nicaragua is quitting a UN agency over a press freedom award. Here’s a look at the issue
SUMMARY: Nicaragua has withdrawn from the U.N. cultural and educational body UNESCO because it awarded a prize celebrating press freedom to a Nicaraguan newspaper, La Prensa. UNESCO’s director general, Audrey Azoulay, announced she had received a letter Sunday morning from the Nicaraguan government announcing its withdrawal because of the attribution of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. Nicaragua was one of 194 member states in the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. UNESCO members set up the press freedom prize in 1997, and the 2025 award was attributed Saturday to La Prensa on the recommendation of an international jury of media professionals.
WORDS: 678 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 3:17 p.m. EDT
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EU--BRITAIN-IRAN-COUNTERTERROR ARRESTS
UK police arrest Iranian men over alleged attack plot in major counterterror operation
SUMMARY: British counterterrorism officers have arrested four Iranian men over an alleged plot to attack an unspecified target and three others over a national security threat. The government says it’s the biggest “counter state threat and counterterrorism” operations for years. The Metropolitan Police force said five men aged between 29 and 46 were detained Saturday in various parts of England on suspicion of preparing “a terrorist act.” Four are Iranian citizens and the nationality of the fifth is still being established. All the suspects are being questioned at police stations and have not been charged. Separately, three other Iranian men were arrested in London on suspicion of a national security offense as part of an unrelated investigation.
WORDS: 548 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 2:49 p.m. EDT
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RACE AND ETHNICITY
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US--CINCO DE MAYO-CELEBRATIONS
Cinco de Mayo celebrates resilience and culture of Mexican people
SUMMARY: Cinco de Mayo festivities are taking place across the U.S. with music, tacos and tequila flowing. In the U.S., the date is seen as a celebration of Mexican American culture, stretching back to the 1800s in California. Festivities include parades, street food, mariachi competitions and folkloric ballet — some playing on stereotypes. In Mexico where it’s designated a holiday, it marks the anniversary of the 1862 victory by Mexican troops over invading French forces at the Battle of Puebla. The day falls on a Monday this year, meaning many of the events happened over the weekend. Still, Monday offers history lessons and festivals to enjoy.
WORDS: 796 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 1:09 a.m. EDT
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BUSINESS
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FINANCIAL MARKETS
Wall Street loses ground and oil prices tumble after OPEC+ says it will step up production
SUMMARY: Stocks are slipping on Wall Street and crude prices are falling to a four-year low after the OPEC+ group of oil-producing nations said it plans to increase output. The S&P 500 slid 0.3% Monday. The benchmark index is coming off its ninth straight gain. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 110 points, or 0.3%. The Nasdaq composite gave back 0.5%. U.S. crude fell to $57 a barrel. Berkshire Hathaway slumped after legendary investor Warren Buffett announced over the weekend that he would step down as CEO by the end of the year after six decades at the helm.
WORDS: 743 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 12:44 p.m. EDT
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US--WARREN BUFFETT-SUCCESSOR
Warren Buffett will remain chairman at Berkshire Hathaway when Greg Abel takes over as CEO in 2026
SUMMARY: Billionaire Warren Buffett will remain chairman of Berkshire Hathaway after Greg Abel takes over as CEO at the start of the new year. The decision by the board of directors at the conglomerate Sunday is likely to relieve investors worried about the future of Berkshire’s remarkable winning streak amid tariff shocks, financial turmoil and a possible recession. The changes come as the former textile manufacturer faces big questions about how to deploy its massive pile of cash after a stock-market defying six-decade run. ABel has already been managing all of Berkshire’s non-insurance businesses for years. He will now take on oversight of the insurance companies and decide where to invest the company’s cash.
WORDS: 1031 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 12:06 p.m. EDT
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US--FEDERAL RESERVE
Federal Reserve likely to defy Trump, keep rates unchanged this week
SUMMARY: The Federal Reserve will likely keep its key short-term interest rate unchanged on Wednesday, despite harsh criticism from President Donald Trump and his demand that the Fed reduce borrowing costs. After causing a sharp drop in financial markets two weeks ago by saying he could fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, the Republican leader backed off and said he had no intention of doing so. Still, he and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have said the Fed should cut rates. The heightened scrutiny shows that even as the Trump administration backs off its threats to fire Powell, the Fed is still subject to unusually sharp political pressures, despite being an independent agency.
WORDS: 997 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 11:18 a.m. EDT
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CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT
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US--TRUMP-CLIMATE-ENDANGERED SPECIES
Democratic senators press Trump administration on how it will protect endangered species
SUMMARY: Three Democratic U.S. senators are asking the Trump administration to explain how it analyzed a proposed rule to eliminate habitat protections for endangered and threatened species — and whether industry had a hand in drafting it. Senators Adam Schiff, Sheldon Whitehouse and Cory Booker sent a letter Monday to the departments of Interior and Commerce also asking how the administration plans to protect species if the rule is changed. At issue is the long-standing definition of “harm.” The Trump administration says habitat loss shouldn’t be considered harm because it’s not the same as intentionally targeting a species for extinction.
WORDS: 400 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 1:20 p.m. EDT
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US-TRUMP-EPA
EPA announces broad reorganization that includes shuffle of scientific research
SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday announced a broad reorganization as part of the Trump administration’s drive to cut costs that some activists worry will harm the agency’s independent scientific research. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced changes that included creating a new unit within his office “to align research and put science at the forefront of the agency’s rulemakings.” Though Zeldin didn’t mention it by name, some scientists and activists saw it as an attack on EPA’s Office of Research and Development, which has long provided the scientific underpinnings for EPA’s mission to protect the environment and human health.
WORDS: 674 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 10:01 a.m. EDT
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RELIGION
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EU-REL--VATICAN-CONCLAVE-GEOGRAPHIC-EXPLAINER
The conclave to choose the next pope will be the most geographically diverse in history
SUMMARY: Cardinals hailing from 71 different countries are eligible to elect a pope this week in the most geographically diverse conclave in history. There is no rule that cardinals vote a certain way according to their nationality or region. But understanding their makeup in geographic terms can help explain some of their priorities. There are currently 135 cardinals who are under age 80 and eligible to vote in the conclave. Already two have formally told the Holy See that they cannot attend for health reasons, bringing the number of men who will enter the Sistine Chapel down to 133. A two-thirds majority is needed to be elected pope, meaning the winner must secure 89 votes.
WORDS: 433 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 10:51 a.m. EDT
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EU-REL—VATICAN-CONCLAVE-TWO NEIGHBORHOODS
At Mass in housing projects and tourist hotspots, Romans pray next pope focuses on poverty and peace
SUMMARY: At Masses across Rome and socioeconomic lines, Catholics prayed the next pope focuses on poverty and peace days before the conclave that will elect Pope Francis’ successor. Whether in the squat 1980s concrete church of San Paolo della Croce or facing millennium-old golden mosaics in Santa Maria in Trastevere, Catholics shared two main hopes for the church’s future. Young and old, Romans and migrants alike said they would like the next pontiff to keep making faith accessible to those on the margins and to help bring peace to a world they see as teeming with dangers.
WORDS: 932 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 8:10 a.m. EDT
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ENTERTAINMENT
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ENT--MET GALA
Met Gala: Fashion’s biggest night of the year is here. Here’s how to watch and follow along
SUMMARY: Welcome to the first Monday in May! It’s Met Gala time and the theme this year is menswear. Specifically, the dress code will focus on Black dandyism, tailoring and style. The starry guest list amounts to about 450 high-profile people from tech, sports, art, entertainment and more. This is the first Met Gala to focus exclusively on Black designers, and the first in more than 20 years to have a menswear theme. Among the hosts are Pharrell Williams, Lewis Hamilton, Colman Domingo and A$AP Rocky. LeBron James is an honorary chair with Vogue’s Anna Wintour as mastermind. The gala raises the bulk of the budget for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
WORDS: 848 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 1:16 p.m. EDT
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ENT--MET GALA-EXHIBIT
Inside the 2025 Met Gala exhibit
SUMMARY: Jacques Agbobly has only been in the fashion business for five years. So the Brooklyn-based designer was at first shocked when contacted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, asking to use two of his designs in “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” the spring Costume Institute exhibit that will be launched by the Met Gala. The designer says it is a “pinch-me” moment in his career. He is one of a number of emerging designers to be featured in an exhibit that looks at dandyism and its influence on Black style. The Associated Press toured the exhibit over the weekend. After Met Gala guests get a sneak preview on Monday night, the show opens to the public May 10.
WORDS: 1187 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 9:58 a.m. EDT
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US--SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-DIDDY-TIMELINE
A timeline of the rise and fall of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
SUMMARY: For more than two decades, Sean “Diddy” Combs was one of hip-hop’s most opportunistic entrepreneurs. He spun his hitmaking talents into a broad business empire that included a record label, a fashion brand, a media company, deals with liquor companies and a key role in a reality TV show. But U.S. prosecutors say that behind the scenes, Combs was coercing and abusing women for years with help from a network of associates who helped silence victims through blackmail and violence. Combs has pleaded not guilty and denied the allegations. Jury selection for his trial starts Monday.
WORDS: 984 - MOVED: 05/04/2025 6:33 p.m. EDT
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SPORTS
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BKN--ROCKETS-EARLY EXIT
Houston sent to early playoff exit with 103-89 loss to Warriors in Game 7
SUMMARY: With a chance to close out their first-round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors, the Houston Rockets instead delivered a playoff flop to end their season. The Rockets won consecutive games to claw back from a 3-1 deficit and force a Game 7 but played their worst game of the series to be sent packing with a 103-89 loss. Houston won 52 games to capture the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference and return to the postseason for the first time since 2020. The seven seed Warriors eliminated the Rockets in the playoffs for a fifth time after doing so four times between 2015 and 2019.
WORDS: 551 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 1:47 a.m. EDT
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BKN--WARRIORS-ROCKETS
Stephen Curry and Buddy Hield lead Warriors past Rockets 103-89 in Game 7
SUMMARY: Stephen Curry scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, Buddy Hield made nine 3-pointers and scored 33 points, and the Golden State Warriors advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with a 103-89 win over the Houston Rockets in Game 7. The Warriors will face the Timberwolves Tuesday night in Minnesota. Hield had a scorching first half with six 3-pointers and 22 points to carry the Warriors to a 12-point lead, with Curry scoring just three points before the break. Then Curry took over in the closing minutes and performed his signature “night night” gesture as the Warriors put the Rockets away.
WORDS: 723 - MOVED: 05/05/2025 12:46 a.m. EDT
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CAR--F1-MIAMI GRAND PRIX
Oscar Piastri wins at Miami for 3rd straight F1 victory, 4th win of season for championship leader
SUMMARY: Oscar Piastri maintained his advantage in the Formula 1 championship fight by winning the Miami Grand Prix for his fourth win through six races this season. Piastri has now won three consecutive F1 races for McLaren Racing, where he and teammate Lando Norris are trying to dethrone four-time defending champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull. Piastri is the first McLaren driver to win three consecutive F1 races in 28 years. Mika Hakkinen did it with a win in the 1997 season finale and then victories in the first two races of 1998. Norris was second as McLaren went 1-2.
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