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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CBS News shutters its storied radio news service after nearly a century, ending an era
SUMMARY: CBS News says it's shutting down its radio news service after nearly a century of operation as part of a round of layoffs at the company. When it began operation in September 1927, the radio service was a precursor to the entire CBS network. It gave young executive William S. Paley his start and was the home of legendary broadcaster Edward Murrow’s reports from London during World War II. Today it is primarily known for its top-of-the-hour news roundups delivered to about 700 stations across the country. CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss said it will stop operating in May.
WORDS: 404 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 3:23 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSMediaCBSrdLdWritethru/11372c28f9557d0b10e329e6c4be339f/text___
Clergy seek court order to allow pastoral access to immigrants held at Minneapolis ICE facility
SUMMARY: Clergy groups in Minnesota are asking a federal judge to order ICE to allow in-person pastoral visits for immigrants held in a Minneapolis federal building. Judge Jerry Blackwell is to hear arguments Friday on access to the building in Minneapolis. Lutheran, United Church of Christ, and Catholic leaders say Immigration and Customs Enforcement has blocked clergy from providing sacraments and other spiritual care. They say the restrictions violate the Constitution and a federal religious freedom law. The government says the enforcement surge officially ended in February and restrictions have eased since. ICE calls the building a short-term holding facility, and not the kind of long-term detention center where more clergy visits are allowed.
WORDS: 711 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 4:06 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSImmigrationEnforcementPastors/aee3380f484d6e2554c0ed851c2dd042/text___
Michigan synagogue posts photos of fire damage a week after armed man plowed truck into building
SUMMARY: A Michigan synagogue has posted photos on social media of major fire damage that occurred when a man drove a pickup truck into the building last week before killing himself. One image shows tables of uneaten snacks in an early childhood education room at Temple Israel in suburban Detroit. No children or staff were injured. Ayman Ghazali rammed his pickup through a synagogue door last Thursday. The FBI says security staff exchanged gunfire with Ghazali before he killed himself.
WORDS: 475 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 5:02 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSMichiganSynagogueAttackrdLdWritethru/cc3686881e04b5e42e2f30cd8a78c965/text___
Dolores Huerta ends her silence, champions decades of advocacy for marginalized groups
SUMMARY: Dolores Huerta has dedicated her life to breaking down barriers and cemented her place in history as one of the nation’s most influential labor leaders, civil rights icons and feminist activists. Now she has shocked the world by revealing that she was among the women and girls who say they were sexually abused by César Chavez while he led the United Farm Workers union. Huerta says she was fearful of speaking out because she didn’t want the movement to be tarnished. While Chavez and Huerta's names were once inseparable, elected leaders and community members are initiating efforts to rename some buildings, schools and streets after Huerta alone.
WORDS: 847 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 1:02 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSChavezAllegationsHuertaLegacystLdWritethru/020d1aca52fb54e46b3e3ad11f8a02fa/text___
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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White House urges Congress to take a light touch on AI regulations in new legislative blueprint
SUMMARY: The White House is laying out a new framework that it wants Congress to use to shape national rules for artificial intelligence without curbing growth in the sector. It wants Congress to “preempt” state laws is sees as too burdensome. The focus is on protecting children, preventing electricity costs from surging, respecting intellectual property rights, preventing censorship and educating Americans on using the technology. It comes as state governments have forged ahead on their own regulations. Civil liberties and consumer rights groups have lobbied for more regulations on the powerful technology. But the industry and the White House say a patchwork of rules would hurt growth.
WORDS: 750 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 1:04 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpArtificialIntelligencerdLdWritethru/479eb3d0a50fe7237678a9bfb146ac7a/text___
Trump administration sues Harvard, saying it violated civil rights law and seeking to recover funds
SUMMARY: The Justice Department is filing a new lawsuit against Harvard University, saying its leadership failed to address antisemitism on campus, creating grounds for the government to freeze existing grants and seek repayment for grants already paid. The lawsuit, filed Friday in federal court in Massachusetts, is another missive in a protracted battle between the administration of President Donald Trump and the elite university.
WORDS: 587 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 2:47 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpHarvardrdLdWritethru/4b70863c7cf18703a6398e8189791135/text___
Many states count mail ballots that arrive after Election Day. Those grace periods could go away
SUMMARY: The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments over a Mississippi law that allows counting late-arriving mail ballots after Election Day. The high court will on Monday hear from Republicans and Libertarians who sued the state, arguing that federal Election Day statutes envision a single day for casting ballots, which would mean that grace periods for receiving mail ballots aren't allowed. The practice is a frequent target of President Donald Trump and allies who argue it delays vote tallies and leads to suspicions about the results, even though there is no evidence of fraud in late-arriving ballots. Grace periods for all mail ballots are allowed in 14 states, with an additional 15 granting extra time for military and overseas ballots to arrive.
WORDS: 1223 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 10:29 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSSupremeCourtMailBallots/2d83cde64284e9e06d19162a45065801/text___
Democrats aim to turn Trump's tariffs against GOP in campaigns for governor
SUMMARY: Democrats running for governor across the country are making tariffs a central element of their political message this year. They’re betting that in an election year dominated by issues ranging from immigration to the war in Iran, rising costs tied to tariffs will be a motivating factor for many voters. Republicans are entering a challenging election year. Much of the focus has been on Congress, where Democrats are just a few seats shy of taking the House majority. But the party is also aiming to regain ground outside Washington as they hope to hold onto competitive governorships in Arizona, Michigan and Wisconsin and flip GOP-held seats in states such as Nevada, Georgia and Iowa.
WORDS: 1152 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 4:05 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSElectionTariffs/e668d496c41fa57804ac441259d87868/text___
Japan's Takaichi tries to reaffirm alliance with Trump as he seeks help securing Strait of Hormuz
SUMMARY: There appeared to be some tension as President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi answered questions from White House reporters about Japan’s support for the Iran war. As Trump took questions during a brief public appearance together Thursday, Taikaichi checked her watch. When Trump was asked why the U.S. didn’t notify allies before striking Iran, the Republican president invoked Japan’s 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, saying he wanted surprise and “Who knows better about surprise than Japan?” Takaichi’s slight smile appeared to drop, and she raised her eyebrows. However, Trump and Takaichi otherwise exchanged warm words during their White House meeting, including him calling her a “popular, powerful woman.”
WORDS: 1249 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 4:07 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpJapanthLdWritethru/0006b848118381786baa837c403e5e13/text___
Mullin's DHS nomination advances to full Senate despite opposition from Republican Rand Paul
SUMMARY: Markwayne Mullin has moved a step closer to becoming President Donald Trump’s next homeland security secretary. A Senate committee on Thursday narrowly advanced the nomination of the Republican senator from Oklahoma. The 8-7 vote came after a contentious hearing Wednesday and sent the Cabinet nomination to the full Senate, which could act to confirm Mullin next week. That vote included a “no” from the Republican chairman, Rand Paul of Kentucky, and a “yes” from a Democrat, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania. The approval comes at a time when the parties are fighting bitterly over the policies of the Department of Homeland Security, leading to a funding lapse that is now in its 34th day.
WORDS: 403 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 2:58 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSCongressHomelandSecurityMullinndLdWritethru/a64e8f7ad315a3e64e32a758e5494630/text___
Pentagon seeks $200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war, AP source says
SUMMARY: A senior administration official says the Pentagon is seeking $200 billion in additional funds for the Iran war. The department sent the request to the White House, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private information. It’s an extraordinarily high number and comes on top of extra funding the Defense Department already received last year in President Donald Trump’s big tax cuts bill. Asked about the figure at a press conference Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not directly confirm the amount, saying it could change. Congress is bracing for a new spending request but it is unclear it would have support. Trump says it's a small price to pay for security.
WORDS: 902 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 1:12 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSIranUSSpendingthLdWritethru/972ec1bd956a2c3633e6ab7fff389791/text___
Trump faces his most difficult Iran war decision: Will he deploy US troops to seize uranium?
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump faces the most daunting question of the Iran war: Will he put U.S. troops on the ground to secure the enriched uranium Tehran could use for nuclear weapons? Trump has offered shifting justifications for launching the war but has been consistent in articulating a primary objective in joining Israel in it is ensuring Iran will “never have a nuclear weapon.” However, the Republican president has been more circumspect about whether he's willing to send troops into Iran to seize or dilute its enriched uranium. Iran's foreign minister told CBS that Iran offered to dilute the enriched uranium stockpile during talks with Trump’s negotiators before the war began.
WORDS: 1238 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 10:29 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSIranUSTrumpUraniumrdLdWritethru/819338075c3793128ed924560d6a59ff/text___
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INTERNATIONAL
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US prosecutors probe whether Colombian President Petro had ties to drug traffickers, sources tell AP
SUMMARY: Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating Colombian President Gustavo Petro for alleged ties to drug traffickers, according to two people familiar with the matter. The people weren’t authorized to discuss the ongoing inquiry and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Prosecutors in Brooklyn and Manhattan in recent months have been questioning narcotraffickers about their ties to Petro and specifically about allegations the Colombian president’s representatives solicited bribes to block their extradition to the United States, said one of the people familiar with the inquiry.
WORDS: 147 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 4:58 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSColombiaPresidentDOJInvestigation/95886306b7c3107df584e154726a8737/text___
Iran threatens world tourism sites and says it is still building missiles 3 weeks into war
SUMMARY: Iran's new supreme leader is praising Iranians for the steadfastness while its military makes threats against tourist and recreational destinations worldwide. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written statement Friday that the Islamic Republic remains strong amid U.S.-Israeli strikes that have killed a slew of Tehran’s top leaders. Iran fired on Israel and energy sites in neighboring Gulf Arab states Friday. With little information coming out of Iran, it was not clear how much damage its arms, nuclear or energy facilities have sustained since the war began Feb. 28 or even who was truly in charge of the country. But Iran has showed it is still capable of attacks that are choking off oil supplies and denting the global economy.
WORDS: 1373 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 5:34 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLIranUSthLdWritethru/28202423a66327455e898deab2fde88c/text___
Ukraine is using its drone expertise to help 5 countries against Iran attacks, Zelenskyy says
SUMMARY: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukrainian officials are helping five countries in the Middle East and Gulf region counter attacks on their territory by Iranian drones. He also says that the United States and European countries are among others who have requested support. Ukraine is also looking into whether it can have a role in restoring security in the Strait of Hormuz amid the Iran war, according to Zelenskyy. Ukraine has become one of the world’s leading producers of cutting-edge, battle-tested drone interceptors that play a key part in its defense against Russia’s more than 4-year-old full-scale invasion.
WORDS: 800 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 11:41 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEURussiaUkraineWarndLdWritethru/40ad8f5481d954fe8207c3d576d540f7/text___
Ukraine faces growing pressure because of the war in Iran as Russia readies a new offensive
SUMMARY: With U.S.-brokered Ukraine peace talks on hold due to the war in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to try to expand his military gains via new offensives against his southern neighbor that will put even more pressure on Kyiv. Windfall revenues from surging global oil prices are filling Moscow’s war coffers and U.S. air defense assets are being drained quickly by Iranian attacks across the Gulf, leaving little available for Ukraine in the fifth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukraine’s European allies have promised to maintain their steadfast support, but bickering over a major 90 billion euro ($106 billion) European Union loan to cover Kyiv’s military and economic needs for two years has reflected the mounting challenges.
WORDS: 1276 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 5:25 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEURussiaUkraineWarPlansthLdWritethru/2b863bc22e97006846e7351e19401f9f/text___
They were under siege by a Mexican cartel. Now these civilians fight back with AK-47s and grenades
SUMMARY: Residents in the Mexican central state of Guerrero are setting up self-defense patrols to keep a powerful cartel out of their mountain towns. They say cartel gunmen have moved in their territory, while police and soldiers rarely appear. Locals in the community of Guajes de Ayala say they first organized in 2020 after La Nueva Familia Michoacana tried to take control of seven communities buried deep in the mountains. The fighting has emptied villages and cut populations sharply. Experts say Guerrero now holds many competing armed groups and that vigilantes are often absorbed, and armed, by the cartels themselves.
WORDS: 1320 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 5:11 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APLTMexicoVigilantesstLdWritethru/83d58237ca428ddcd0ad0e8c73c8ea4c/text___
Exiled Iranian Kurds in Iraq say they will return only if Iran’s theocracy falls
SUMMARY: Iranian Kurdish families living in a camp in Iraq hold on to one hope: that the U.S.–Israeli war with Iran weakens Iran’s theocracy and lets go back home. The families have lived in exile since the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, and many still cannot return. Some younger people support Kurdish armed groups and run secret operations inside Iran. Many others scrape by with low paid work and remittances. They mistrust foreign powers and fear being used again. They also fear Iran-backed militias, and as for joining the fight, Kurdish fighters say they lack air cover and modern weapons to do so.
WORDS: 1220 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 10:39 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLIraqIranianKurds/b330da59ccef665fc0db18d33b106083/text___
Fire at South Korean auto parts factory injures at least 55
SUMMARY: A fire at an auto parts factory in South Korea’s central city of Daejeon injured at least 55 people on Friday, with officials warning the toll could rise. The National Fire Agency said 24 were seriously hurt in a blaze likely caused by an explosion. Officials could not immediately confirm whether any of the injured were in life-threatening condition. Nam Deuk-woo, fire chief of the city’s Daedeok district, said authorities were searching for at least 14 others believed to have been inside the facility when the fire broke out. Videos and photos from the scene showed thick gray smoke billowing from the complex and some workers jumping from a building.
WORDS: 295 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 6:00 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASSouthKoreaFirethLdWritethru/227bcb17b76920a2fe543f599c09a05d/text___
Kuwait says its Mina Al-Ahmadi refinery again hit in Iranian drone attacks, starting fire
SUMMARY: Kuwait said Friday its Mina Al-Ahmadi oil refinery again came under attack by Iranian drones, which sparked a fire at several of its units.The refinery had been hit Thursday, sparking fires.Kuwait said firefighters on Friday were trying to control the blazes and there were no immediate injuries from the attack.The Iranian attack came as Kuwait marked Eid al-Fitr, the celebration marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
WORDS: 108 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 4:49 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLIranUSKuwait/d052e93613dac59e4164194f4df52c88/text___
Drone video from inside a Fukushima reactor shows a hole in pressure vessel, likely fuel debris
SUMMARY: A video taken by tiny drones sent into one of three damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant shows a gaping hole in the thick-walled steel container of the core, with lumps of likely fuel debris hanging from it, in a first sighting of a pressure vessel bottom since the meltdown 15 years ago. The rare footage was taken by micro-drones to collect visual, radiation and other data from inside of the Unit 3 reactor. It was released Thursday. The three reactors contain at least 880 tons of dangerously radioactive melted fuel debris whose details are still little known.
WORDS: 424 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 6:30 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASJapanNuclearFukushima/4075881d2ec92ca260e33c044e976748/text___
Dozens of boys and young men are dying in South Africa's traditional circumcision rites
SUMMARY: At least 48 boys and young men died during the latest round of initiation ceremonies in South Africa, which involve the highly secretive process of traditional circumcision to “become a man.” South Africa has been grappling with the problem of initiation deaths for years. It is rare to hear the story of an initiate who died, and The Associated Press spoke to the family of one. Participants don't talk about the ritual to outsiders. Families and authorities have struggled to understand and police a traditional but often abused practice. Hundreds of illegal initiation schools attract people who can’t afford licensed ones.
WORDS: 1263 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 1:28 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APAFSouthAfricaInitiationDeathsstLdWritethru/eada8249280e1096338ca81c5f9cd11b/text___
The body of an American student who went missing in Barcelona has been found, police in Spain say
SUMMARY: Spanish authorities say they have found the body of missing college student from Illinois who was missing for more than two days. The body of 20-year-old James “Jimmy” Gracey was found Thursday evening in the waters off a Barcelona beach, near where he was last seen outside a nightclub with his friends early Tuesday. He never returned to the room he was renting with friends. Police recovered his phone soon after he went missing. Gracey was a student at the University of Alabama, and was visiting friends in Barcelona for a spring break trip.
WORDS: 563 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 5:59 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSMissingStudentBarcelonathLdWritethru/ec6bc6a9ca00c4d3901c1b65ae634f89/text___
Trade with Cuba collapses as Trump escalates pressure on Communist Party leadership
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump this week said he believes he’ll have “the honor of taking Cuba” soon. Without declaring a formal blockade, Trump and his administration have already crippled trade with the island and threatened the future of the Communist Party regime. In March, supplies of oil, food and other goods to the island collapsed, with no foreign-originating tankers arriving to Cuba, according to shipping data analyzed by Windward, a maritime intelligence firm. The volume of port calls, which includes tankers moving from one Cuban port to another, averaged around 50 per month in 2025 but fell to just 11 in March - all of them arriving from domestic ports. It was the lowest since 2017.
WORDS: 1116 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 2:07 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APCubaNavalBlockaderdLdWritethru/745611a2d6fb7e9ba02e322401003a3e/text___
Belarus releases 250 political prisoners in a deal with the US to lift some sanctions
SUMMARY: Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has ordered the release of 250 prisoners as part of a deal with Washington to lift some U.S. sanctions, the latest step in the isolated leader’s effort to improve ties with the West. Lukashenko on Thursday pardoned the prisoners after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Belarus, John Coale. Coale hailed the release as a “significant humanitarian milestone” and a testament to Trump’s “commitment to direct, hard-nosed diplomacy.”
WORDS: 834 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 9:39 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUBelarusUSthLdWritethru/06d5703f575f6cca9ad27ba923acde2a/text___
EU asks for reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and no more strikes on energy, water sites
SUMMARY: European leaders have demanded the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a moratorium on strikes on water and energy infrastructure in the Middle East as they met in Brussels to grapple with rising energy prices caused by the war. All heads of the 27 European Union nations known collectively as the European Council issued a joint statement Thursday calling for the stabilization of energy shipments and “de-escalation and maximum restraint” from warring parties. Many leaders are still resisting U.S. President Donald Trump’s calls to send military assets to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
WORDS: 1022 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 5:32 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUEuropeSummitthLdWritethru/014cc7de7f00a52c272c07937117db51/text___
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RACE AND ETHNICITY
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César Chavez's name, once an honor, now carries a stain that officials want to scrub
SUMMARY: Within hours of explosive sexual abuse allegations against labor leader César Chavez, officials at a California university took swift action and covered a statue of him. It is one of scores of monuments, city streets and schools nationwide that honor Chavez’s name and his labor movement legacy. Overnight, his name has become more of a stain. Some of the institutions and local governments started the process Thursday of erasing it. Officials in various cities are also moving to rename César Chavez Day, a federally proclaimed holiday on March 31, his birthday. The New York Times first reported Wednesday that it found credible evidence that Chavez sexually abused young girls.
WORDS: 1142 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 5:57 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSChavezLegacyUnravelsthLdWritethru/77ea3332e88c4ccc86d6942aa91ac865/text___
California's Gov. Newsom supports move to rename César Chavez Day over alleged sexual abuse
SUMMARY: California Gov. Gavin Newsom is supporting a proposal to rename César Chavez Day following stunning abuse allegations against the revered labor leader. Newsom said Thursday he will move quickly on legislation if it passes to rename March 31 as Farmworkers Day. Political leaders in states and cities are considering similar moves after the co-founder of the United Farm Workers of America union and others alleged Chavez sexually abused them. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson’s office says he won’t issue a proclamation honoring César Chavez Day this year. There also are calls to alter memorials honoring the man who helped secure better wages and working conditions for farmworkers.
WORDS: 1088 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 5:54 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSChavezAllegationReactionsthLdWritethru/08264e63b6f594278239af1ad23ba1fc/text___
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BUSINESS
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Stocks sink on fears the war with Iran will keep interest rates high
SUMMARY: Stocks are sinking as hopes wither on Wall Street for a possible cut to interest rates by the Federal Reserve this year. The S&P 500 fell 0.8% Friday and was on track for a fourth straight losing week, its longest such streak in a year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 228 points, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1.1%. Rising Treasury yields in the bond market hurt U.S. stocks as traders speculate the Fed won't be able to cut interest rates this year because of how high oil prices have climbed. The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.36%.
WORDS: 779 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 5:06 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APFinancialMarketsthLdWritethru/b797f3819f7caac46893afb5b770f44c/text___
DOJ investigation into Powell could backfire on Trump and keep Fed chair in office
SUMMARY: President Donald Trump has for months wanted to remove Jerome Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve. But instead, an investigation by one of his own officials could end up extending Powell’s time at the top of the central bank even after his term formally ends May 15. Trump has nominated former Fed official Kevin Warsh to succeed Powell. Yet Warsh’s confirmation has been delayed by the Justice Department's investigation into brief comments Powell made before the Senate Banking Committee last June about the Fed’s building renovation. On Wednesday, Powell said he would remain as chair of the Fed’s interest rate-setting committee after his term ends if no successor has been confirmed. And he said he could stay even longer if the investigation continues.
WORDS: 541 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 5:48 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSFederalReservePowellstLdWritethru/0d1ca1d1850328cee0ddc28e6bc9394d/text___
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HEALTH/SCIENCE
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NASA hauls its repaired moon rocket from the hangar back to the pad for an early April launch
SUMMARY: NASA's moon rocket is back at the launch pad following hangar repairs. The 322-foot rocket made the slow four-mile trek Friday at Florida's Kennedy Space Center. If all goes well, the Space Launch System rocket will blast off in early April with four astronauts, the first to fly to the moon in more than half a century. They'll zip around the moon in their capsule and then come straight home without stopping. Their Artemis II mission should have been completed by now, but hydrogen fuel leaks and clogged helium lines forced two months of delay.
WORDS: 265 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 11:23 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSSCINASAArtemisMoonshotstLdWritethru/e5b018866abb059cb1fce3af44c4452c/text___
What Americans are giving up to afford ACA health insurance, according to a new poll
SUMMARY: A new KFF survey shows many Americans who had Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance last year are struggling with high health costs. The findings come three months after the expiration of enhanced tax credits that had offset most enrollees' monthly premiums. Thursday's poll of more than 1,000 of last year's ACA enrollees finds that more than half of those who re-enrolled are looking for ways to cut their spending. This includes cutting back on food and other household basics to afford health costs. One enrollee, 48-year-old Priscilla Brown in Florida, says she sometimes doesn't take her medicine for her Type 2 diabetes so that it will last longer. The poll also finds that 1 in 10 of last year's ACA enrollees dropped health insurance entirely.
WORDS: 808 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 3:03 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSHealthCarePollndLdWritethru/4dbaa457c20348338533f05679d604bf/text___
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CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT
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Records shattered as summer heat hits Southwest in March; 'This is what climate change looks like'
SUMMARY: Scientists say a record-smashing March heat wave in the U.S. Southwest shows climate change is already driving more dangerous weather extremes. World Weather Attribution said Friday that the heat would have been virtually impossible without human-caused warming. Experts say extremes now hit more often, in odd seasons, and in unusual places. NOAA data shows a much larger share of the country sees extreme conditions than decades ago. An analysis by The Associated Press finds the U.S. breaks far more heat records than in past decades. One former FEMA official said disasters now fall outside old planning models and noted insurers pulling back.
WORDS: 1106 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 7:07 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APClimateExtremeHeatthLdWritethru/0c3ef415241d3275fd9c260d57ccc3e5/text___
Energy fallout from Iran war signals a global wake-up call for renewable energy
SUMMARY: The Iran war is exposing how much the global economy still depends on fragile fossil fuel supplies. The conflict has virtually choked off the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. That's shaking up markets and pushing prices higher. Countries reliant on imported fossil fuels — from wealthy industrial economies to poorer developing nations — are facing major disruptions that can quickly ripple through utility bills, food prices, transport costs and electrical grids. Analysts say the crisis is a stark reminder that energy security is not just about stockpiles and shipping, but also about the lagging transition to renewable energy.
WORDS: 1271 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 4:09 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASIranRenewableEnergy/4b5fe0693ce5816472c905db85f7da6e/text___
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RELIGION
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Pete Hegseth’s Christian rhetoric draws renewed scrutiny after the US goes to war with Iran
SUMMARY: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth brings Christian language into the Pentagon as the U.S. and Israel wage war against Iran. He has called Iran’s leaders “religious fanatics” and quoted a biblical Psalm about war. Critics warn his frequent Christian rhetoric can fuel Iranian hostility and strain the military’s secular role. Hegseth has also defended the Crusades and has crusader-themed tattoos. A watchdog group claims U.S. commanders frame the war as biblical prophecy, but The Associated Press cannot verify those allegations. Hegseth has pushed policy changes that reflect his Christian views, including a revamp of the military chaplain corps.
WORDS: 1050 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 11:08 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APRELUSHegsethChristianMilitary/f246bca60f2927336b5d06b2c9daee80/text___
Jehovah's Witnesses ease policy on transfusions, allowing storage and use of one's own blood
SUMMARY: Jehovah’s Witness leaders are modifying their rules on blood transfusions by letting members choose whether to store and reuse their own blood for medical care. They have maintained a ban on using others' blood in transfusions. The Governing Body announced the “clarification” on Friday, saying it came after prayer and deliberation. It says each Christian decides how one's own blood is used, including drawing it, storing it, and receiving it back for surgery. The group still bans transfusions of donated blood, which remains one of its most distinctive and controversial stances. Former members say the change is an improvement but wouldn't benefit people who lose blood in emergencies.
WORDS: 947 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 1:55 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APRELJehovahsWitnessesBloodPolicystLdWritethru/3b01d3b095fe895a131633192a774e17/text___
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EDUCATION
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Student loans to go to Treasury Department as Trump continues to dismantle Education Department
SUMMARY: The U.S. Education Department is handing off a portion of its student loan portfolio to the Treasury Department. It's a first step toward shedding management of all student loans as Trump administration officials dismantle the federal education agency. Under an agreement announced Thursday, the Treasury Department will take over management of student loans whose borrowers are in default, meaning they are months behind on payments. Those loans add up to about $180 billion, or 11% of the government’s $1.7 trillion student loan portfolio. A second phase with no timeframe says Treasury will “assume operational responsibility” over non-defaulted loans, “to the extent practicable.”
WORDS: 901 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 8:02 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpEducationDepartmentrdLdWritethru/014f9b51100226048335d053cc21e9f1/text___
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ENTERTAINMENT
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Chuck Norris, martial arts master and actor whose toughness became internet lore, dies at 86
SUMMARY: The martial arts grandmaster and action star Chuck Norris has died. His roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy, sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents. He was 86. Norris died Thursday, in what his family described as a “sudden passing.” They didn't release details about his death. Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts. His toughman image became the stuff of legend, sparking “Chuck Norris Facts” memes. He was also outspoken about his Christian beliefs and his support for gun rights, and backed political candidates for years.
WORDS: 1052 - MOVED: 03/20/2026 2:17 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APENTObitChuckNorristhLdWritethru/b92804d43c6eee0d9e3fb31583d7f877/text___
ABC cancels 'Bachelorette' season with Taylor Frankie Paul, citing 2023 video
SUMMARY: ABC has canceled its already filmed season of “The Bachelorette” starring Taylor Frankie Paul after a 2023 video surfaced. On Thursday, Disney Entertainment Television said was focused on supporting the family. The network made the move just days before the Sunday premiere. TMZ published a video of Paul punching, kicking and throwing chairs at her ex Dakota Mortensen. Police in Utah tell People magazine an investigation is open and allegations run both ways. Representatives for Paul and Mortensen didn’t immediately return requests for comment. Unlike previous leads, the 31-year-old had not appeared on the “Bachelor” franchise before
WORDS: 878 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 8:19 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APENTTVTheBachelorettethLdWritethru/74ac300b0d0925d94aa8b727f87d5388/text___
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SPORTS
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High Point's upset starts run of 4 wins by double-digit seeds, busting March Madness brackets
SUMMARY: The NCAA Tournament brackets have already been busted for millions of college basketball fans. High Point's upset of Wisconsin played a major factor in ending the hopes of a perfect bracket for more than 25 million who entered ESPN's perfect bracket challenge. The network reported that just over 10,000 of 26.5 million brackets remained perfect through the first 16 games. The odds of correctly picking every game during the three-week tournament can rise to as much as one in 9.2 quintillion.
WORDS: 459 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 8:46 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APBKCNCAABracketsthLdWritethru/4523b2747fb71d73c1ab8bee2134e666/text___
Xavier Edmonds' layup with 4.3 seconds left lifts TCU to 66-64 March Madness win over Ohio State
SUMMARY: Xavier Edmonds converted a layup to beat the shot clock with 4.3 seconds left, and No. 9 seed TCU held off a furious second-half rally by eighth-seeded Ohio State for a 66-64 victory to open the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Bruce Thornton’s half-court heave at the buzzer hit all backboard for the Buckeyes. Micah Robinson scored 18 points for TCU, Edmonds finished with 16 and David Punch had 16 points and 13 rebounds. John Mobley Jr. scored 15 points to lead Ohio State. The Horned Frogs move on to face top-seeded Duke, which survived a scare from 16th-seeded Siena to advance.
WORDS: 701 - MOVED: 03/19/2026 6:48 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APBKCNCAATCUOhioStatendLdWritethru/c2d8c7a561d1bfb176cac8feafd24eba/text___
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