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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Oklahoma's Richard Glossip, who was nearly executed 3 times, granted bond while awaiting retrial
SUMMARY: An Oklahoma man who has narrowly avoided execution three separate times could walk free from a county jail after a judge agreed to grant him bond while awaiting retrial. Judge Natalie Mai on Thursday set bond for Richard Glossip in the amount of $500,000. Glossip must wear an electronic monitoring device and will not be allowed to travel outside Oklahoma. He also must not contact any witnesses in the case, or consume any drugs or alcohol. The decision paves the way for the 63-year-old Glossip to be freed for the first time in nearly 30 years. Glossip has long maintained his innocence in the 1997 murder-for-hire killing of his former boss.
WORDS: 543 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 4:32 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSOklahomaDeathSentenceOverturnedstLdWritethru/93cb95674a05161d219b2a54139d531f/text___
Louisiana senators take up new US House map while South Carolina plans for extra redistricting work
SUMMARY: State senators in Louisiana are considering a new congressional map after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the previous one. The new plan would eliminate a majority-Black district, giving Republicans a chance to win an additional seat in the November midterm elections. Louisiana must redraw its map after the court ruled it illegally used race to gerrymander. But the court ruling weakening the Voting Rights Act also spawned a wave of redistricting efforts in Southern states. South Carolina's governor is the latest to push for congressional redistricting ahead of the midterms and could call lawmakers into a special session.
WORDS: 1021 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 2:48 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSElectionRedistrictingndLdWritethru/16458ce398b200dc808c7fac244e9632/text___
Oklahoma executes a man convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend and her 7-month-old daughter
SUMMARY: Oklahoma has executed a man who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend and her 7-month-old daughter nearly 20 years ago. Raymond Johnson received a lethal injection Thursday morning at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary. He was sentenced to death for killing 24-year-old Brooke Whitaker and her 7-month-old daughter, Kya, in June 2007. Prosecutors say Johnson repeatedly hit Whitaker over the head with a metal claw hammer in her Tulsa home before setting it ablaze. Whitaker and her daughter died in the fire. Johnson’s attorneys did not file a last-minute appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court to stop his execution.
WORDS: 743 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 4:03 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSOklahomaExecutionJohnsonrdLdWritethru/4db012d15265369c105d3a7e494556a3/text___
Small medical plane crashes in New Mexico, killing all 4 people aboard
SUMMARY: A small medical plane has crashed outside Ruidoso, New Mexico, killing all four people aboard. Lincoln County Manager Jason Burns says the cause of the crash Thursday morning remains unknown. The Federal Aviation Administration says the flight departed from Roswell Air Center and was headed to Sierra Blanca Regional Airport. The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. Burns says the U.S. Forest Service is working with local agencies to suppress a fire “associated” with the crash. Ruidoso sits at the base of south-central New Mexico’s Sierra Blanca range. The surrounding area is heavily forested and rural.
WORDS: 238 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 4:12 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSPlaneCrashNewMexicothLdWritethru/3556b511a0286bad19a503bb52bc288e/text___
The world's reaction to hantavirus is tinged by echoes of something else: COVID
SUMMARY: The coronavirus pandemic's impact lingers, influencing our lives in both obvious and subtle ways. Work-from-home jobs, mask-wearing and hand sanitizers are now common. Some effects are less visible, like grief, chronic health conditions and interrupted lives. Recently, a rare hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship sparked fears of another pandemic. Despite reassurances of low risk, the fear highlights a deeper issue: There's been an erosion of trust. It raises questions about who people now rely on for guidance and understanding. Arizona State University research professor and sociologist Elisa Jayne Bienenstock says COVID-19 undermined confidence in science for people who don’t understand how science works.
WORDS: 1044 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 11:17 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSHantavirusPandemicsShadowstLdWritethru/0caba20db004446dd45ecda3a24e6cc0/text___
Muskets like those from 1776 are mostly exempt from today’s gun laws
SUMMARY: Guns that are antiques or replicas of antiques are not considered firearms under federal law. The United States exempts guns manufactured in or before 1898 from most regulation, saying it would be an undue burden on collectors and history buffs. Most states have adopted that federal language, meaning even convicted felons can order black powder guns over the internet. However, at least three states make no distinction between a single-shot flintlock musket and an AR-15 semiautomatic assault rifle. A Revolutionary War reenactor says treating his musket the same as an assault rifle is silly because antique guns aren't the best weapon if someone wanted to commit mass violence.
WORDS: 1041 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 4:01 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSAmericaMusketLoopholestLdWritethru/4aba06f4d5254dd3f2c03b0193794323/text___
Man known for racially derogatory livestreams charged with attempted murder after Tennessee shooting
SUMMARY: Authorities say a man who livestreams himself saying racially derogatory statements to Black people in public settings has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after a shooting outside a Tennessee courthouse. District Attorney Robert J. Nash said in a statement Wednesday that Dalton Eatherly, known online as “Chud the Builder,” and an unidentified man were involved in a confrontation that resulted in gunfire. Police haven't provided the race of the other man. A witness who says she saw him loaded into an ambulance described him as Black. An attorney listed in court records as representing Eatherly in a separate harassment case didn't immediately return a phone message.
WORDS: 872 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 10:31 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTennesseeCourthouseShootingthLdWritethru/1d456797ea8042c5846e93af87b95e87/text___
Republicans have gained an edge in a US House redistricting battle. What states are taking action?
SUMMARY: Republicans have gained an advantage in a national congressional redistricting battle among states ahead of the midterm elections. A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the federal Voting Rights Act has opened the way for Republicans in Southern states to redraw Black-majority districts. Meanwhile, the Virginia Supreme Court has struck down a redistricting plan that could have helped Democrats win more seats. Voting districts typically are redrawn based on census data after the start of each decade. But an unusual spate of mid-decade redistricting broke out after President Donald Trump urged Texas Republicans to reshape U.S. House districts last year. More states have followed.
WORDS: 1103 - MOVED: 05/04/2026 9:15 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSElectionRedistrictingGlancethLdWritethru/f78310aed323bfeec3430f236f7b6e03/text___
Kouri Richins, author of a children’s book on grief, gets life sentence for killing her husband
SUMMARY: A judge has ruled that a Utah mother who wrote a children’s book about grief after her husband’s death will serve life in prison without parole for his murder. Kouri Richins was convicted in March of poisoning her husband, Eric, with fentanyl in 2022. A jury also found her guilty of insurance fraud, forgery, and attempted murder for a previous poisoning attempt. Prosecutors said she was in debt and had taken out life insurance policies on her husband. Her sons, now in the care of relatives, expressed fear of her release. Richins maintains her innocence and plans to appeal the conviction.
WORDS: 782 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 4:03 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSKouriRichinsMurderTrialthLdWritethru/fa8c4b159827eef080cfa104a316454c/text___
Prosecutors to retry Alex Murdaugh in deaths of wife and son after high court overturned convictions
SUMMARY: Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions and life sentence for the deaths of his wife and son have been overturned by the South Carolina Supreme Court because the court clerk at his trial suggested he was guilty. But the disgraced lawyer won’t be leaving prison anytime soon. Prosecutors say they plan to retry Murdaugh, which likely means there will be another lengthy trial for the case that because of the combination of money, power, Southern accents and treachery has become a true crime sensation with several streaming miniseries, best selling books and dozens of true crime podcasts. Murdaugh will remain in prison. He pleaded guilty to stealing around $12 million from his clients and currently is serving a 40-year federal sentence.
WORDS: 1075 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 2:38 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSMurdaughKillingsAppealthLdWritethru/65a2ea0610bdb80763b39838ab4fcdb6/text___
Doctor on ship who helped care for passengers with hantavirus leaves medical isolation unit
SUMMARY: An oncologist traveling on the cruise ship at the center of a hantavirus outbreak has been cleared to leave a special biocontainment unit in Nebraska, where he was the lone American placed in isolation after he helped care for fellow passengers who became sick on board. Dr. Stephen Kornfeld of Bend, Oregon, was among more than 120 passengers and crew evacuated from the ship and flown to different countries to enter quarantine. Kornfeld was brought to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha with 15 other Americans, but he was the only one taken to an isolated biocontainment unit after a nasal swab he took on the ship produced inconclusive results about whether he had the virus.
WORDS: 504 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 10:02 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSHantavirusShipstLdWritethru/72daa0e1ff672c8c22b6851f4c5e3cad/text___
Survivors of plane crash off Florida were on a life raft for hours with no idea if help was coming
SUMMARY: Eleven people who survived a plane crash about 50 miles off the Florida coast were on a life raft for hours and had no idea anyone was coming to save them when rescue crews from the U.S. military arrived. The plane was flying between two airports in the Bahamas when it suffered engine failure Tuesday. The pilot ditched the plane in the ocean, and everyone on board made it onto the life raft. Rescue crews from the Air Force Reserve and the U.S. Coast Guard arrived and hoisted them to safety. Air Force Reserve Maj. Elizabeth Piowaty called it “miraculous” they all survived.
WORDS: 449 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 11:12 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSBahamasFloridaPlaneCrash/3e9bd38e3f76c1393a7a6ec5c2308b59/text___
Harvey Weinstein reports chest pain and court ends early as jury deliberates in his rape retrial
SUMMARY: Harvey Weinstein's lawyers say their client felt chest pains as jurors deliberated in his rape retrial. The disclosure Wednesday prompted the judge to end the first day of deliberations early. The 74-year-old Weinstein has health problems and uses a wheelchair. He has been behind bars since 2020. The jury is weighing whether the former movie mogul raped a woman in a Manhattan hotel in 2013. His accuser testified that the two had a consensual relationship, but she says Weinstein subjected her to unwanted sex that day after she repeatedly said no. Weinstein's lawyers say the encounter was consensual. It’s an unresolved piece of Weinstein’s New York case, which epitomized the #MeToo movement.
WORDS: 582 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 3:41 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSSexualMisconductHarveyWeinsteinthLdWritethru/797f535c9e0801ccb25281f9df0ce838/text___
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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Senators approve withholding their own pay during government shutdowns
SUMMARY: Senators have unanimously approved a resolution to withhold their pay during government shutdowns. Lawmakers said the measure approved Thursday would discourage future funding standoffs after a series of record-breaking shutdowns. The proposal requires the secretary of the Senate to hold senators’ salaries during shutdowns and release the money once funding resumes. It'll take effect the day after the Nov. 3 general election. Republican Sen. John Kennedy, the bill’s sponsor, says the measure ensures lawmakers share the burden faced by unpaid federal workers. The resolution follows a 76-day partial shutdown at the Department of Homeland Security and a 43-day full government shutdown last year.
WORDS: 467 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 4:07 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSSenateShutdownPaystLdWritethru/face16eac3196ad4c3bedf3d699be87f/text___
Vance is set to speak in Maine about fraud investigations ahead of primary election
SUMMARY: Vice President JD Vance is set to visit Maine to highlight the Trump administration’s anti-fraud efforts before the state’s primary elections. Vance chairs the Republican administration’s anti-fraud task force and will speak Thursday at Bangor International Airport. Vance's visit marks his first focused solely on fraud-fighting efforts. The trip comes as Maine residents begin voting ahead of the June 9 primary elections. Some Democrats plan to use Vance’s appearance to boost their campaigns. Progressive groups are organizing a demonstration, and Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows plans to speak at it.
WORDS: 710 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 10:22 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSVanceMainestLdWritethru/952059a3702da29487d05b1941e2f6b9/text___
Jeffries' job grows more difficult in race for House and speaker's gavel
SUMMARY: House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries had warned Republicans they would come to regret the congressional redistricting fight. And when Democrats counterpunched last month with a victory in Virginia, Jeffries had proved his point. But in a matter of days, back-to-back court rulings wiped out the Democratic gains in Virginia and threatened to erode Black representation by Democrats in the Deep South. The shifting political landscape has been a wake-up call for Democrats, who are favored to win back the House this November. It's also a test for Jeffries, who is in line to become House speaker if his party regains power.
WORDS: 1053 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 9:20 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSElectionHakeemJeffries/9e2fc4fe99c4dd3db0f0a6996722860b/text___
Lutnick backs away from his Epstein 'blackmail' claim in interview with House committee
SUMMARY: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has backed away from a previous claim that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein blackmailed people. That's according to transcript released Wednesday of an interview with the House Oversight Committee. The release of case files on Epstein had contradicted claims Lutnick made on a podcast last year. Under scrutiny from lawmakers last week, Lutnick said he was only “speculating.” Lutnick was once a neighbor of Epstein's in New York City. He said his personal interactions with Epstein years later were “meaningless and inconsequential.” Lutnick is the highest-ranked current administration official, besides President Donald Trump, to be named in the Epstein case files.
WORDS: 667 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 11:09 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSEpsteinCongressLutnick/51283ede04b8dd2f6d72be495d6ebb7b/text___
Foreign ticket holders from World Cup qualifying countries won't have to pay bonds to enter US
SUMMARY: The Trump administration is suspending a requirement that foreign visitors from countries that have qualified for the World Cup and have bought tickets for the soccer tournament pay as much as $15,000 in bonds to enter the United States. The department imposed the bond requirement last year for countries that it said had high rates of people overstaying their visas and other security issues. Travelers from 50 countries are required to pay the new bond, and five of those countries have qualified for the World Cup. Citizens from Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia who have purchased tickets from FIFA are now exempt from the bond requirement.
WORDS: 731 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 4:47 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpWorldCupVisasthLdWritethru/a3a165fb5c2d215c5cd237d7a2e783ad/text___
Senate confirms Trump pick Warsh as chairman of the Federal Reserve, following Powell
SUMMARY: The Senate has confirmed Kevin Warsh as chairman of the Federal Reserve. The vote to confirm Warsh on Wednesday brings new leadership to the world’s most powerful central bank at a fraught moment for the global economy. Warsh’s nomination faced uncertainty after Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina threatened to block it while the Justice Department investigated Fed Chair Jerome Powell. The Powell probe was dropped in April, allowing the Warsh confirmation to move forward. Warsh will take over as the Fed confronts stubborn inflation, deep divisions over interest rates and renewed scrutiny from President Donald Trump over its independence.
WORDS: 1046 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 2:55 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSFederalReserveWarshthLdWritethru/b665712fa5d40d3fcea53d80d0a79c64/text___
Republican resistance to Iran war grows in the Senate as Murkowski flips
SUMMARY: Senate Republicans have again blocked Democratic legislation that would halt President Donald Trump’s war with Iran. Yet the number of GOP senators voting against the war grew in the roll call Wednesday. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska supported the resolution to halt the war, the first time she has voted that way since the conflict began at the end of February. Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky also voted for the resolution. The legislation still failed to advance 49-50. But the close vote signaled how Republicans are growing increasingly uneasy with the war.
WORDS: 636 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 5:30 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSIranCongress/3efd8b6bc1834a66eca8526a0a9b3ffe/text___
Former private prison executive David Venturella will become ICE's acting leader
SUMMARY: The Trump administration says a former executive at a private prison operator will serve as the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security says David Venturella will take over for Todd Lyons when Lyons leaves ICE at the end of the month. Lyons led the agency through much of the administration’s tumultuous crackdown on immigration. Venturella left the Geo Group in early 2023 and has been working at ICE leading the division that oversees detention contracts. That's according to a public letter from members of Congress earlier this year.
WORDS: 682 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 1:19 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpImmigrationICEthLdWritethru/4996875a8d3296ccc1735798e2428d98/text___
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INTERNATIONAL
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China's Xi warns Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to conflict
SUMMARY: China’s Xi Jinping has warned President Donald Trump that their two countries could clash over Taiwan if the issue is not handled properly. That was an unusually harsh admonition that stood in contrast to the American leader’s praise for his counterpart. The exchange Thursday at a highly anticipated summit in Beijing underscored just how far apart Trump and Xi remain on thorny issues, including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Washington’s relations with Taiwan. Taiwan is a self-ruled island that China claims as part of its territory. The exchange also suggested that Trump’s three-day visit to China is likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than substantive political or economic breakthroughs.
WORDS: 1277 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 12:00 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASChinaTrumpndLdWritethru/a1d63a711a037472f5c1c330c2120bd5/text___
UK health secretary resigns, setting up a potential Labour leadership challenge to Keir Starmer
SUMMARY: Efforts to unseat British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have erupted into open rebellion within his party. Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned Thursday, expressing a lack of confidence in Starmer's leadership. Streeting criticized Starmer for lacking vision and direction. Starmer faces mounting pressure after poor election results last week. Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham are potential challengers. Starmer insists on staying, warning that a leadership contest could destabilize the government. Despite political turmoil, the British economy showed unexpected growth, offering some positive news for the government.
WORDS: 953 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 7:25 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUBritainPoliticsthLdWritethru/6bd359148664c9478ed01b36ebb6e37d/text___
Tensions flare near Strait of Hormuz as a ship is seized and another is sunk
SUMMARY: Tensions are escalating again near the Strait of Hormuz after a ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates was seized and taken toward Iran and another was attacked and sank near the coast of Oman. The incidents reported on Thursday came as a senior Iranian official reiterated his country’s claim to the waterway. Another Iranian official says Tehran has a right to seize oil tankers connected to the U.S. The British military says the ship seized near the UAE was moving toward Iranian territorial waters. The seizure comes as U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing.
WORDS: 1070 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 7:33 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLIranUSthLdWritethru/efb53c39ee6334733e1cb22ca4a6c279/text___
Russia hammers Ukraine for a 3rd straight day, flattening a Kyiv apartment block and killing 9
SUMMARY: Authorities say a massive Russian drone and missile attack on Ukraine has demolished an apartment block in Kyiv, killing nine and wounding dozens. It was a third straight day that Moscow has unleashed such a large-scale barrage. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched over 1,560 drones at Ukraine since Wednesday. The bombardment has affected multiple cities and strained Ukraine’s air defenses. Damage to energy infrastructure has left many without power. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha calls for international pressure on Moscow and noted the attack came as U.S. President Donald Trump met in Beijing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Sybiha said the two leaders had sufficient leverage to compel Russia to stop the war.
WORDS: 949 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 2:31 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEURussiaUkraineWarthLdWritethru/12b12a7694b6f7df0e1ba971068efc86/text___
What to know about Xi's warning to Trump over the 'Taiwan Question'
SUMMARY: China has intensified its stance on Taiwan, warning the U.S. of potential clashes if the issue isn’t handled properly. During a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, China’s President Xi Jinping emphasized that Taiwan is the most crucial issue in U.S.-China relations. Beijing has increased military pressure on Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province. Analysts suggest Xi’s rhetoric reflects China’s concerns over the growing defense ties between Taiwan and the U.S., especially after a recent $11 billion weapons package.
WORDS: 725 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 1:56 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASChinaTaiwanQuestionWhattoKnowstLdWritethru/5d26e536240b881b06c26cd2be9ba632/text___
Trump's talk of 51st US state met with near-silence in Venezuela
SUMMARY: U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in making Venezuela the 51st U.S. state. He recently posted a map showing Venezuela filled with the U.S. flag. In the past, such statements were met with strong condemnation from Venezuelan officials. However, the current government has mostly remained silent. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez briefly stated that Venezuela has no plans to become a U.S. state. This reserved approach reflects the delicate balance Rodríguez must maintain after a U.S. military attack led to the capture of her predecessor, Nicolás Maduro. Trump has praised Rodríguez’s cooperation, and the U.S. now recognizes her as Venezuela’s leader.
WORDS: 738 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 7:20 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APLTVenezuelaUSstLdWritethru/634203c885803b018ecd8ac012bb249d/text___
Philippine senator wanted by the International Criminal Court flees from Senate
SUMMARY: A Philippine senator wanted by the International Criminal Court has fled from the Senate, where he sought refuge to evade arrest. Officials said Thursday that Sen. Ronald dela Rosa slipped out after gunshots were fired during an argument with a government agent. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged calm in a late-night TV statement. A police investigation is underway, with suspicions that the incident was staged to help dela Rosa escape. Senate President Alan Cayetano said there was no obstruction of justice. Critics argue Cayetano and the Senate's security chief should be held responsible for the escape.
WORDS: 560 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 9:44 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASPhilippinesICCSenator/fd768b3cf67a4a3b3246140e83baebae/text___
Dust storms and lightning kill at least 96 people in northern India
SUMMARY: Dust storms, heavy rain, and lightning have damaged homes and killed at least 96 people in northern India. The storms also knocked out power and caused injuries as they swept across several districts late Wednesday in Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state. Officials said some deaths were caused by falling trees, collapsing structures and lightning. Emergency crews worked overnight to restore power and clear roads. Storms are common in northern India during the hot season from March to June, before the annual monsoon rains arrive.
WORDS: 250 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 7:51 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASIndiaStormndLdWritethru/79623d4ba5d46e7c402a2398a8b8eec2/text___
Somalia is in a deadly drought again. Most humanitarian aid isn't there this time
SUMMARY: Somalia is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate shocks, and now it is in the grip of another deadly drought. But this time the Trump administration's cuts in U.S. humanitarian aid mean that Somalis have much less help. Aid funding to Somalia dropped to $500 million in 2025 in large part because of those aid cuts. In 2022, aid funding was nearly five times as much at $2.38 billion. The Associated Press visited Somalia and witnessed the carcasses of livestock on which many people's livelihoods survive. Crops have withered. Some families are eating one simple meal a day.
WORDS: 1157 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 4:18 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APAFSomaliaDrought/a83b3ae3dcd99efd698022f79d307062/text___
BRICS foreign ministers meet in India as Iran war, oil prices and divisions test the bloc's unity
SUMMARY: BRICS foreign ministers have started a two-day meeting in New Delhi. Diplomats from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are attending the talks along with newer member states. The meeting beginning Thursday coincides with U.S. President Donald Trump’s talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing. Discussions in New Delhi are expected to focus on energy security, the conflict in the Middle East and trade in local currencies. BRICS has sought to increase its global influence, but differences over regional rivalries, global conflicts and ties with the West continue to test the bloc’s unity.
WORDS: 641 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 5:34 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASIndiaBRICSForeignMinistersrdLdWritethru/4fe5c3ff22993f8e24cf917df56d781c/text___
A Vienna cafe offers a welcome for Israel supporters as tensions brew at the Eurovision Song Contest
SUMMARY: Vienna's coffeehouses have embraced the Eurovision Song Contest, but tensions over Israel’s participation have surfaced. Initially, Israel was left out of Vienna's "Eurofan cafes” project to welcome fans from competing countries. MQ Kantine stepped in, offering Israeli food and decor. Security is tight across the city, with five countries boycotting the contest due to Israel's involvement. Pro-Palestinian activists are planning protests before Saturday’s final. Despite the tensions, the mood at MQ Kantine remains supportive. Israeli singer Noam Bettan faced mixed reactions but secured a spot in the final. Some fans feel reassured by the security, while others say the tensions over Israel have divided the Eurovision community.
WORDS: 914 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 4:07 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUAustriaEurovisionIsrael/020b1d0ae63123d4d16b650022247dd0/text___
After bombs, blackouts and bank restrictions, Gaza’s digital workers are still coding
SUMMARY: A small corps of remote workers in Gaza has provided coding, graphic design and digital marketing services to international clients through more than two years of war. They have improvised coworking spaces and relied on solar generators to stay online as infrastructure across the enclave has been devastated. They face persistent challenges getting paid through banks and wire transfers. The work has become somewhat steadier seven months into a fragile ceasefire, even as broader recovery and reconstruction efforts are at a standstill.
WORDS: 986 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 4:10 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLGazaDigitalWorkers/2c07ce2b1c639f43e9eeb936a62ee435/text___
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BUSINESS
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Cisco leads Wall Street toward more records and the Dow back to 50,000
SUMMARY: The U.S. stock market is rising toward more records after Cisco Systems joined the parade of U.S. companies reporting fatter profits for the start of 2026 than analysts expected. The S&P 500 rallied 0.9% Thursday after setting an all-time high the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 254 points and could finish a day above the 50,000 level for the first time since the war with Iran began. The Nasdaq composite rose 0.5% and was heading toward its own record. Cisco led the way after jumping toward its best day in nearly 15 years. Oil prices dipped modestly.
WORDS: 697 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 5:01 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APFinancialMarketsthLdWritethru/8420bff41dc5aa6e8a3eadfe4d3bb291/text___
Retail sales growth slowed in April from March as higher gas cost leaves less room for nonessentials
SUMMARY: Shoppers tempered their spending in April as higher gas prices fueled by the Iran war meant less money left over for some nonessentials like clothing and furniture. But they’re still buying, thanks to more generous tax refunds. Still, economists worry that spending will fall off more dramatically in the coming months as benefits from the refunds dissipate, and shoppers continue to grapple with the cumulative impact of rising gas prices at the pump. Retail sales rose 0.5% in April, a slowdown from the revised growth level of 1.6% in March, according to Commerce Department data released Thursday. March marked the largest one-month increase in retail spending in more than three years, largely because gas prices spiked higher rapidly.
WORDS: 892 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 12:43 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSRetailSalesthLdWritethru/f77b8986d274c40b913c26ba39492ead/text___
Producer prices shot up 6%, adding pressure on companies to hike prices for struggling customers
SUMMARY: U.S. wholesale inflation came in hot last month. Producer prices rose 6% from a year earlier, most since December 2022, as the 10-week Iran war pushed up energy prices and put pressure on companies to pass along higher costs to consumers. The Labor Department reported Wednesday that its producer price index — which tracks inflation before it hits consumers — shot up 1.4% in April, biggest monthly gain since March 2022. The numbers were much higher than economists had forecast.
WORDS: 790 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 12:41 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSProducerPricesthLdWritethru/3cbd24e5e977c8d5f4518ece41ac61d8/text___
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HEALTH/SCIENCE
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Officials say $1.3 billion in Medicaid money to California will be deferred over suspicions of fraud
SUMMARY: The Trump administration is expanding its fraud-busting initiative in federal health programs. Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday announced a $1.3 billion deferral of Medicaid funding to California, which is said to be the largest-ever deferral. The press office of California's governor is disputing the administration's suspicions of fraud. The administration is also imposing a six-month freeze on some new Medicare enrollments and warning states to investigate Medicaid fraud or risk losing funding. The new efforts are part of Vance's anti-fraud task force. Several alleged fraud schemes have been prosecuted in federal health programs, and states have acknowledged it's a legitimate concern. But some have pushed back on the administration’s aggressive tactics.
WORDS: 999 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 2:41 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSVanceFraudTaskForcethLdWritethru/534297fffb47e31e2a3906273f20e0b5/text___
US overdose deaths fell again in 2025, but some worry about policy and drug supply changes
SUMMARY: About 70,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year — about 14% fewer than the previous year. It was the third straight annual drop, making it the longest decline in decades. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the provisional data Wednesday. The 2025 total is about the same as the tally in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Health and law enforcement officials in recent months have been sounding alarms about newer drugs that were increasingly detected in 2025. Among them is cychlorphine, a potent synthetic opioid that's up to 10 times stronger than fentanyl.
WORDS: 759 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 2:01 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSMEDOverdoseDeathsndLdWritethru/181d532093a6dd10482da1c223d43999/text___
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EDUCATION
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Some parents don't want their kids to use tech at school. But districts are pushing back
SUMMARY: Parents across the country who are worried about excessive screen time in schools are lobbying educators to go back to pencils and paper. In places like Pennsylvania's Lower Merion School District, some families are taking it even further. Over 600 people have signed a petition asking to preserve parents' ability to opt their children out of digital devices, setting off a clash with the school district. At a meeting Monday night, school board members said it’s not feasible to let hundreds of students opt out of technology that is essential to the curriculum.
WORDS: 1235 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 4:05 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSEducationTechinSchoolsOptingOut/6aab2bac1d66df1863509b5d5c74fe12/text___
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ENTERTAINMENT
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Drug counselor who delivered 'Friends' star Matthew Perry ketamine that killed him gets 2 years
SUMMARY: A licensed drug addiction counselor who delivered the ketamine that killed “Friends” star Matthew Perry has been sentenced to two years. Erik Fleming received the sentence in a Los Angeles federal court on Wednesday. He had pleaded guilty to distribution of ketamine resulting in death. Fleming connected Perry with drug dealer Jasveen Sangha, who was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison. Fleming cooperated with authorities and gave up Sangha, leading to a lighter sentence. Fleming became the fourth person sentenced of the five who have pleaded guilty.
WORDS: 812 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 4:36 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APENTMatthewPerrythLdWritethru/0aff74bf356c30559ccc1fd802b6dead/text___
Who are the 5 people convicted in connection with Matthew Perry’s death
SUMMARY: The prosecution of five defendants stemming from the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry is coming to a close. They've all pleaded guilty for their various roles in supplying the actor with ketamine, the drug that was the primary cause of his 2023 death at age 54. Two doctors, an addiction counselor and an admitted drug dealer prosecutors say was known as “The Ketamine Queen” have been sentenced. The final person will be sentenced in the coming days. He was Perry's live-in personal assistant who helped him acquire and inject the drug.
WORDS: 1218 - MOVED: 05/13/2026 10:03 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APENTMatthewPerryDefendantsWhattoKnowstLdWritethru/b9d12998b737ae5bd3f8bf1475e581b8/text___
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SPORTS
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PGA Championship gets started with a wild shot and a little uncertainty
SUMMARY: The PGA Championship is off and running at Aronimink and it started with a little uncertainty. Braden Shattuck was given the honor of the opening shot. He's one of 20 club pros in the field and works about 10 miles away. His opening drive sailed left and Shattuck hit a provisional shot in case it went out-of-bounds. Only later did he realize it was barely in play and he wound up with a double bogey. Aronimink is a bit of a mystery to many players. It last held a major at the 1962 PGA Championship.
WORDS: 260 - MOVED: 05/14/2026 11:25 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APGLFPGAChampionship/57b88736cf845aeae0b60811a0a97a67/text___
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