By MARCIA DUNN Astronomers have uncovered a pair of giant planets that are lighter than cotton candy — super-puffs the size of Jupiter. The featherweight pair — orbiting a star 1,110 light-years away — are the biggest exoplanets found to have less density than cotton…
By MIKE KOSHMRL/WyoFile Every now and then, a hiker, climber or biologist lays eyes on a mountain goat in the nooks and crannies of the mighty Teton Range. There’s a good likelihood that the unwanted, nonnative animal doesn’t survive long after the authorities pinpoint its…
By ROD MCGUIRK MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Joseph McGrail-Bateup, an Australian professional air conditioner cleaner and honorary town crier, has been recognized as the world’s loudest person. Guinness World Records last week acknowledged the 58-year-old Canberra resident recorded the loudest ever shout…
By STAN CHOE NEW YORK (AP) — Most of the U.S. stock market rose Friday after oil prices eased back to where they were before the war with Iran, but drops for stocks swept up in the mania around artificial-intelligence technology kept the market in check.…
By PAUL WISEMAN WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy expanded at a solid and unexpected 2.1% annual pace from January through March, the Commerce Department reported Thursday in its final estimate of first-quarter growth. The growth in gross domestic product —…
By ANDREW DALTON LOS ANGELES (AP) — An appeals court on Friday upheld Harvey Weinstein’s 2022 rape and sexual assault conviction in California, but ordered his trial judge to resentence him. A three-judge panel from the California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal unanimously…
By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN NEW YORK (AP) — Humans and great apes have been giggling in similar ways since branching off the evolutionary tree, a new study suggests. How do we know this? Researchers tickled 13 captive apes — including gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos —…
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN WASHINGTON (AP) — The District of Columbia has reached a settlement agreement for an undisclosed amount of money with a resident who claims police illegally detained him for following an Ohio National Guard patrol while playing Darth Vader’s theme song…
By MATTHEW BROWN The Utah judge in the murder case over Charlie Kirk’s killing held prosecutors in contempt of court on Friday over comments they made to media organizations about defendant Tyler Robinson’s guilt. Judge Tony Graf said the comments violated his restrictions…
Texas public schools will require students to read Bible stories under a reading list approved by the state’s education board. The required reading list approved Friday by the Texas State Board of Education widens conservative efforts to bring more Christian…
By BEN FINLEY and MELANIE LIDMAN WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio along with Israel and Lebanon’s ambassadors announced a framework agreement Friday that was described as a first step toward peace following months of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese…
By COLLIN BINKLEY WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday threatened a 100% tax on imports from any country that imposes a tax on digital services from United States companies. In a post on social media, Trump took aim at…
By JUAN PABLO ARRAEZ, MEGAN JANETSKY and REGINA GARCIA CANO LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelans took the search for missing loved ones into their own hands Friday in the aftermath of back-to-back earthquakes, saying they have not seen state rescue teams despite authorities projecting…
By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH A federal judge has blocked part of a Trump administration plan that would have limited access to loans for students pursuing graduate degrees in nursing, physical therapy, public health and some other fields. The American Association of Nurse…
By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani barreled into City Hall vowing to tackle the city’s notoriously high cost of living, partly by fulfilling a campaign promise repeated with almost monomaniacal zeal in social media ads,…
By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on Friday to illegally retaining classified information, sealing a deal with federal prosecutors that could allow him to avoid a prison term. Bolton, who became an…
By STAN CHOE NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market meandered to a mixed finish Thursday after several artificial-intelligence stocks veered back up their roller-coaster ride, while Apple dropped after hiking prices on many of its products. The S&P 500 finished nearly unchanged…
By ALEX VEIGA The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate edged higher this week, staying close to 6.5%, where it’s been the last six weeks. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.49% from 6.47% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac…
By MATT OTT WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans applied for jobless aid last week as layoffs remain low despite economic headwinds that are creating uncertainty for businesses. U.S. applications for unemployment benefits in the week ending June 20 fell by 12,000…
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge rose to a new three-year high in May as gas prices peaked, a sign rising costs could pose political problems for President Donald Trump and his political party as midterm elections near. Consumer…
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court struck down a Hawaii law requiring people to get permission to carry guns into stores and hotels on Thursday, in its latest opinion backing Second Amendment rights. The high court’s 6-3 decision means people can carry guns…
By MICHAEL CASEY, BILL BARROW and JOHN HANNA BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday halted President Donald Trump’s executive order that sought to create a federal voter list and limit who can receive a mail ballot. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, who was…
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Trump administration to end legal protections for migrants fleeing violence and natural disaster in Haiti and Syria, exposing hundreds of thousands more people to potential deportation. The 6-3 decision overturns…
By HILLEL ITALIE NEW YORK (AP) — David Clayton-Thomas, the lead singer of Blood, Sweat & Tears whose husky, high-strung tenor on “Spinning Wheel,” “And When I Die” and other hits helped make the so-called “brass rock” band among the most…
By DAVID FISCHER A giraffe named Gracie is missing in Texas, and the search for her has become a tall order. Gracie, who is about 3 years old, has been missing for nearly two weeks after escaping her enclosure at Cedar…
By MATTHEW DALY WASHINGTON (AP) — A liner along the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was cut with a sharp knife or razor this month, causing damage to the foam sealant installed as part of a $16 million rehabilitation project, a…
OCHOPEE, Fla. (AP) — The immigration center built in the Florida swamps known as “Alligator Alcatraz” is closing after nearly a year of holding thousands of immigrant detainees, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday. DeSantis said the center was always supposed to be…
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court sided with the maker of the Roundup weedkiller Thursday in a ruling expected to block thousands of lawsuits alleging it failed to warn people the product could cause cancer. The case came before…
By DAMIAN J. TROISE NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks wavered to a mixed close on Wall Street Wednesday as technology stocks once again weighed down the market. Declines for several influential tech heavyweights, including Microsoft, pulled the broader market lower even…
By KEN SWEET NEW YORK (AP) — All 32 of the nation’s biggest banks passed the Federal Reserve’s annual “stress test” of the financial system, the central bank said Wednesday, a sign that the banking system would remain healthy even if…
By DAVID A. LIEB Several dozen states could have to fork over millions of dollars to provide food aid to lower-income residents, if they don’t cut down on payment errors in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Nine states, meanwhile, won’t have…
By MATTHEW DALY WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday reached a multi-state settlement with chemical giant Chemours Co. over years-long, illegal discharges of synthetic “forever chemicals” used to make products resistant to water, grease and stains. The settlement is…
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House has formally requested $87.6 billion mostly to replenish the Pentagon after the U.S. war against Iran, submitting the request to Congress at a politically difficult time as a majority of lawmakers have objected to any further…
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ and CHRISTOPHER WEBER SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A rural area of Northern California experienced its strongest earthquake since 1940 on Wednesday morning, but it caused only mild shaking with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter of the quake, with…
By DAVE COLLINS, JAKE OFFENHARTZ, MICHAEL R. SISAK and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER NEW YORK (AP) — A chief of staff to former New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been charged with accepting more than $100,000 in bribes to steer a lucrative migrant shelter contract…
By PAN PYLAS and SYLVIE CORBET LONDON (AP) — Much of western Europe baked under a “heat dome” Wednesday as temperatures soared toward 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in places, and weather agencies warned that the extreme conditions could endanger lives across countries, many of…
By MARI YAMAGUCHI and JON GAMBRELL TOKYO (AP) — The head of the U.N.'s nuclear agency signaled Wednesday that Iranian nuclear enrichment sites would be visited by his inspectors, a key component in the interim U.S.-Iran deal to reach an end to the war. An Iranian…
BOSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday permanently barred President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing most of his first executive order on elections, part of which sought to require people to show documentary proof of citizenship when they register to vote.…
By KATHY McCORMACK Camp Mystic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization on Wednesday, nearly a year after catastrophic floods killed 25 girls and two teenage counselors at the all-girls Christian camp in Texas. In paperwork filed with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in…
By ALEX VEIGA Technology companies are spending big to incorporate artificial intelligence into their businesses and to build huge data centers. Investors who had jumped on the bandwagon appear to be having second thoughts. Proponents of artificial intelligence see it as…
By ERIC OLSON Eager to lessen the chaos of the transfer portal era, the NCAA approved a new eligibility model for Division I athletes on Tuesday that will allow five seasons of competition over a five-year period that begins with their full-time enrollment…
By STEPHEN WHYNO NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL is exploring potential expansion in Texas in either Houston or Austin under an agreement with billionaire Dan Friedkin and his family, Commissioner Gary Bettman said Tuesday. Bettman said the Board of Governors executive committee endorsed a…
By ELI NEWMAN/Bridge Michigan Michigan took another step Monday in its effort to eliminate medical debt for thousands of residents. The state announced it would wipe out $74 million in medical debt for 71,871 individuals. It’s the second round of a…
By MATTHEW DALY WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday that six people have been arrested for damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, as the iconic Washington, D.C. site increasingly becomes a flashpoint over the president’s $14-million-plus rehabilitation project gone awry. In…
FORT STEWART, Ga. (AP) — An Army sergeant was sentenced to life in a military prison Tuesday for shootings last summer that wounded five people at a base in Georgia. A military judge at Fort Stewart sentenced Sgt. Quornelius Radford to life…
By LISA MASCARO WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate for the first time approved a war powers resolution Tuesday seeking to block U.S. military action against Iran, as lawmakers warily watch President Donald Trump’s efforts to resolve a conflict that the administration launched on its…
By MUNIR AHMED, DAVID RISING and JON GAMBRELL ISLAMABAD (AP) — The U.S. and Iran were in dispute Tuesday over whether Tehran had agreed to allow U.N. inspections of its nuclear sites. As officials negotiated over how to permanently end the war in Iran, a…
By JENNIFER McDERMOTT and MATTHEW DALY WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is providing $17.5 billion to speed the development of 10 new large nuclear reactors to meet the skyrocketing power demand from massive data centers. Energy Secretary Chris Wright cited “tremendous interest”…
By KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has told senators it needs roughly $80 billion, mostly to cover the cost of the U.S. war against Iran, adding to what is already a sizable military spending boost being sought by President Donald Trump. The…
By MICHAEL CASEY and MARY CLARE JALONICK WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a bipartisan housing bill on Monday that aims to reduce federal regulations and expand local control, one of the most sweeping efforts in recent decades to increase supply and bring…
