A crowd of students protests Cornell's response to gang rape complaint
ITHACA, New York (AP) — Cornell students, professors and others are thronging a campus plaza to protest the university’s response to allegations of sexual assault at a fraternity house in 2024. Students complained at Monday's demonstration that the Ivy League university has met sexual assault complaints with procedures and silence, instead of support. Speakers faulted fraternities, the university trustees and Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff. The protesters marched to present a list of demands at the school’s main administration building. It had been splashed with graffiti and damaged overnight.
Tennessee Republicans consider more execution options after Christa Pike lethal injection fails
Tennessee's top Republicans are exploring alternative execution methods after the failed execution of Christa Pike. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn said Monday the state needs to reevaluate its execution procedures. She emphasized the need to find a successful method, whether lethal injection or electric chair. Top legislative leaders have discussed potential changes to state execution laws during their 2027 session. Tennessee's execution procedures gained national attention last week when Pike survived a lethal injection attempt. Republican Gov. Bill Lee halted the remaining execution scheduled for this year and ordered an independent investigation into the state’s capital punishment system.
Trump approves firing squad execution for Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan
President Donald Trump has approved the execution by firing squad of Army Maj. Nidal Hasan for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas. The U.S. military hasn't carried out the death penalty since 1961. A Pentagon spokesperson says the Army secretary will decide the time and place for the execution. Hasan killed 13 people and injured more than 30, claiming it was to stop soldiers from going to Afghanistan. Trump's approval starts procedural steps for the execution, but Hasan could delay it with an appeal in civilian courts. Death sentences are rare in the military, with only four men currently on death row.
Trump signs order extending tax-free use of red-dyed diesel during midterm stop in Nebraska
GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) — President Donald Trump has taken his Republican midterm rescue mission to Nebraska. At a campaign rally Monday he signed an executive order to ease limits on the tax-free use of red-dyed diesel. He says the decision will save “millions” for farmers and drive down the cost of all goods with just four weeks to go until the elections. Trump was campaigning for GOP Sen. Pete Ricketts, who is running against an independent candidate backed by national Democrats, and Gov. Jim Pillen, who is seeking a second term. Diesel fuel prices have spiked in the aftermath of the war in Iran. As Trump campaigned in Nebraska, Vice President JD Vance was in Fairbanks, Alaska, to rally voters for GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan.
Supreme Court weighs local governments' climate change lawsuits against oil and gas companies
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is considering whether local governments can sue oil and gas companies for climate change costs. On Monday, key justices expressed skepticism about the potential flood of litigation if the case from Boulder, Colorado, proceeds. Chief Justice John Roberts questioned the implications of allowing municipalities nationwide to file similar lawsuits. Boulder officials argue that companies like Suncor and Exxon should be accountable for climate-related disasters. The companies claim the Clean Air Act gives the federal government regulatory power, not states. The Trump administration supports the companies, arguing the lawsuits are unconstitutional. The court's decision could impact similar cases across the country.
Exclusive: Soldiers and Gold Star families press Army leadership after deadly Iranian drone strike
WASHINGTON (AP) — It's the deadliest strike against American troops during the war with Iran. Now U.S. soldiers wounded in a drone attack on Port Shuaiba in Kuwait are raising their concerns publicly about whether commanders underestimated the threat and saying the military medical system failed them. The Associated Press' account of the March 1 attack is based on interviews with 13 soldiers. Several spoke on the record, which is rare for troops still in the Army. The Army has completed an investigation, but it hasn't been released. The Pentagon and the Army have declined to comment on the AP's reporting on the March 1 strike.
Rubio begins three-nation NATO tour in Iceland, which is wary of Trump’s Arctic intentions
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has begun a three-nation tour of NATO allies with a stop in Iceland. Unease persists there about the Trump administration’s Arctic intentions even after a deal was reached to ease the president’s designs on neighboring Greenland. Rubio called Iceland “a good friend” and offered no hint of tensions with the island that's a NATO member but has no army. Before the Greenland deal was struck last month, Iceland was an occasional feature of Trump's comments and social media complaints about NATO allies not doing enough to support the United States. Rubio, who also will visit Greece and Portugal this week, has often been called upon to reassure U.S. partners after undiplomatic comments by Trump.
Former ‘American Idol’ singer Caleb Flynn is sentenced to life in prison for wife’s murder
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A former music pastor in Ohio who appeared briefly on “American Idol” has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for murdering his wife while he was having an affair. Forty-year-old Caleb Flynn was convicted by a jury last week, and maintained his innocence Monday. The judge said Flynn has shown no remorse for actions that were marked by “layers of deceit, manipulation and cruelty.” Prosecutors say he staged a home invasion and claimed a burglar shot his wife, Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old schoolteacher and volleyball coach. He sobbed uncontrollably in court as his wife's family members read statements from his two young daughters.
2 people killed, including a student, after Florida school bus rolls over in crash
Authorities say a school bus flipped over onto its roof during a multivehicle crash in central Florida on Monday morning. Two people were killed, including a 10th grade girl, and several others were injured. The Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says 39 people — nearly all high school students — were on the school bus that was headed to Winter Haven High School. Judd says an oncoming car crossed the center line and caused the crash. The crash left the bus upside-down on the side of the road. Judd says 26 students have been transported to a hospital. At least one person was in critical condition.
Republican Sen. Tillis calls his vote for Hegseth the 'biggest regret of my career' in a new book
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Thom Tillis says in a new book that his deciding vote to confirm Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in January 2025 is the “biggest regret of my career.” Tillis also says he “should’ve stopped” Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from becoming Health and Human Services secretary in the first days of President Donald Trump’s second term. In “How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents,” to be published on Tuesday, the North Carolina senator defends his decision at the time to not be “the lone voice in the wilderness” preventing Trump’s nominees from confirmation. Tillis is leaving office in January, having decided against running for reelection last year.
