All posts tagged: Associated Press

G7 Summit at Swiss-French Border Brings Tight Security in Case Violent Protests Occur

G7 Summit at Swiss-French Border Brings Tight Security in Case Violent Protests Occur

Published by Sam Flores

GENEVA (AP) — French and Swiss authorities will impose a week of pandemic-like border restrictions as U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders attend a G7 summit starting Monday while organizers fear potentially violent protests. The summit of some of the world’s richest nations from June 15-17 in the French town of Evian-les-Bains on Lake Geneva is meant to discuss the Middle East, Ukraine and global economic imbalances. In nearby Geneva, Switzerland, business owners and local leaders want to avoid a repeat of violent protests that smashed storefronts on the sidelines of the G8 summit in 2003, when Russia was in the club of nations. Authorities in Geneva and activist groups including environmentalists, feminists and foes of capitalism are facing off over the right to protest and the right to protection from those who target symbols of corporate and political power. “As the G7 meets in Evian, France, to plan the destruction of peoples, the exploitation of life and the domination of bodies, let us organize our resistance against fascism and imperialism,” the No G7 …

Taylor Swift Attends Knicks’ Record-Breaking Rally Over Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals

Taylor Swift Attends Knicks’ Record-Breaking Rally Over Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals

Published by Sam Flores

NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift attended Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs at Madison Square Garden, the arena that has gotten a lot of attention recently as the possible location for her upcoming wedding to Travis Kelce. Swift wore a blue T-shirt with “Stevie Knicks” printed in orange lettering and was seated courtside on Wednesday night next to Ben Stiller. She attended along with singers Este and Alana Haim, who also had Knicks-related references on their shirts: “Knickole Kidman” and “Knickleback.” They were joined midway through by third Haim sister Daniella, and the quartet witnessed the biggest comeback in finals history as the Knicks rallied from a 29-point deficit to win 107-106 on OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds left. Swift jumped around in celebration, waving a rally towel after leaving the court for the bowels of the Garden. She may be back soon. Less than a year after their August engagement announcement, reports of Swift and Kelce’s impending nuptials have reached a crescendo. TMZ …

Judge to Rule Thursday in Misdemeanor Arrest of Congressional Candidate Brad Lander

Judge to Rule Thursday in Misdemeanor Arrest of Congressional Candidate Brad Lander

Published by Sam Flores

NEW YORK (AP) — Congressional candidate Brad Lander on Wednesday got the day in court that he demanded after a misdemeanor charge was lodged against him last summer after he was arrested while protesting with other elected officials outside an immigration holding facility in New York City. The Democrat testified in Manhattan federal court in his own defense that he did not try to block an elevator by sitting near it during the protest on the 10th floor of a federal building in lower Manhattan that houses 40 federal agencies, including the FBI. A magistrate judge who heard the one-day trial without a jury said he’ll rule Thursday morning. A prosecutor said Lander was guilty of the charge because he was in front of an elevator whose doors never opened during the 20 to 25 minutes he was seated on the floor in a circle with the other politicians. Prosecutors have said they will not seek jail time if Lander is convicted. Lander, formerly the city’s comptroller and an ally of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, testified …

Police in the Bahamas Arrest 5 Cruise Ship Passengers From the US After a Brawl

Police in the Bahamas Arrest 5 Cruise Ship Passengers From the US After a Brawl

Published by Sam Flores

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Authorities in the Bahamas say they have arrested five cruise ship passengers from the United States who were accused of assaulting police officers and resisting arrest in the Caribbean archipelago. Police said in a statement on Tuesday that the three women and two men became involved in a fight involving several cruise ship passengers at the port in Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. The incident occurred on Monday evening. Officials said a “violent struggle” ensued at a police station after officers prepared to search the five suspects arrested. One woman was accused of throwing a chair through a glass door and shattering it. One man was accused of then kicking out the remaining glass and trying to escape, police said in a statement. Four police officers were injured, including one who was seriously injured in his left shoulder and was taken to the hospital, authorities said. The five suspects remain in custody, and police said the investigation is ongoing. Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material …

Southern Baptists Vote to Advance a Formal Ban on Churches With Women Pastors

Southern Baptists Vote to Advance a Formal Ban on Churches With Women Pastors

Published by Sam Flores

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Thousands of Southern Baptists overwhelmingly voted Wednesday to advance a formal ban on women pastors in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, sending a clear message that men alone should preach to these conservative evangelical congregations. The amendment would tighten existing restrictions in the Southern Baptist Convention, which already has a faith statement opposing women pastors. The vote was 6,028 to 2,026 — a 3-to-1 margin — which easily exceeded the required two-thirds majority. It will require a similar two-thirds vote at next year’s meeting to become part of the constitution. The two-day meeting concluded Wednesday after bringing more than 11,000 delegates, or messengers, to a cavernous convention center in Orlando, Florida. Typical of the SBC’s annual meetings, the gathering carries the feel of a town hall with a cast of thousands. It mixes worship and sermons with numerous motions and resolutions governed by parliamentary procedure, where the sacred and the arcane are debated with equal fervor. A debate Wednesday over the location of a future SBC annual meeting took longer than …

A Pentagon List Overhaul Puts Mormon Church’s Christian Identity Back in the Spotlight

A Pentagon List Overhaul Puts Mormon Church’s Christian Identity Back in the Spotlight

Published by Sam Flores

The Pentagon’s revision to its list of Christian religions this week has reignited a nearly 200-year-old debate: Is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a Christian denomination? Most Latter-day Saints do see themselves as Christians. But there are many prominent Christian clergy and scholars who disagree, citing core differences in how they view God and the Trinity and revere a scripture that is not part of the two-testament Christian Bible. Utah U.S. Senators Mike Lee and John Curtis, both Republicans and Latter-day Saints, challenged the Pentagon’s exclusion of their faith from its list of Christian religions. It was part of the Department of Defense’s recent effort to significantly pare down a list of more than 200 religious affiliations that troops could choose from, deleting categories such as atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans. “Latter-day Saints are among the most patriotic, service-oriented individuals in our country,” Curtis posted on X in defense of his faith. “They are also unequivocally Christian — just look at who is in the name of the Church.” He also …

Celebrations Clash With Social Tensions in Mexico Ahead of World Cup

Celebrations Clash With Social Tensions in Mexico Ahead of World Cup

Published by Sam Flores

Mexico, which is jointly hosting the soccer tournament with the U.S. and Canada, is slated to kick off festivities with an inauguration and opening match Thursday in a star-studded event that will set the tone for the rest of the competition. Pressure has only continued to mount as guests flood into Mexico City, and the government has faced a crescendo of criticisms by protesters and residents who say authorities have prioritized the competition over pressing social needs in the Latin American nation. “Mexico wants to project an image to the world that doesn’t exactly square with reality,” said Carlos Pérez Ricart, a Mexican political analyst at the Mexican Center for Research and Economic Education. “The World Cup is putting the president in a vulnerable situation … The government is under extreme pressure.” World Cup celebrations kick off FIFA’s logo, bright orange Mexican marigold flowers, giant soccer balls and other sports decorations line streets across Mexico’s capital and the two other host cities, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Soccer fans buzzed with excitement as they strolled through Mexico …

Impeachment Sought Against Federal Judge Over Alleged Sex in Chambers, Lying to Investigators

Impeachment Sought Against Federal Judge Over Alleged Sex in Chambers, Lying to Investigators

Published by Sam Flores

ATLANTA (AP) — Two congressional Republicans from Georgia have introduced impeachment resolutions against a federal judge in Atlanta who was disciplined after an investigation found she had sex with a police officer in her chambers, attended a partisan political event and lied to investigators looking into the alleged misconduct. U.S. Reps. Clay Fuller and Andrew Clyde filed the resolutions against U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross. Clyde wrote Tuesday on social media that Ross’ “deeply disturbing actions prove she is incapable of displaying integrity or impartiality. She must be impeached and removed from the bench.” It is up to the House Judiciary Committee to decide whether to start impeachment proceedings against Ross. Federal judges are appointed for life and can only be removed from the bench through impeachment. A person who answered the phone in the judge’s chambers Tuesday afternoon said Ross had no comment. Ross was nominated to the Northern District of Georgia in January 2014 by then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat, and she was confirmed by the Senate in November of that year. She …

Deaths at Michigan Women’s Prison Spur Calls for Whitmer to Act, Director to Resign

Deaths at Michigan Women’s Prison Spur Calls for Whitmer to Act, Director to Resign

Published by Sam Flores

Federal and state lawmakers are calling on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to intervene at Michigan’s only women’s prison after a third inmate in less than a month died Saturday, intensifying scrutiny over conditions and medical care at the Huron Valley Correctional Facility. Ashley Hoath of Hillsdale County was rushed to Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital, about 15 minutes from the prison, where she was pronounced dead, Jenni Riehle, spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Corrections, confirmed in an email. Earlier Saturday, an officer had noticed Hoath wasn’t feeling well and promptly escorted her to a healthcare unit within the prison, where medical staff determined she needed to be sent to the hospital, according to Riehle. The 36-year-old’s death is the third inmate death since May 13. Khaira Howard, 28, died on May 13 and Rebecca Fackler, 57, died on May 17. The deaths have prompted bipartisan calls for Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi Washington to resign. And now, fellow Democrat and US Rep. Debbie Dingell is urging Whitmer to “direct every appropriate effort” to address …

FDA OKs First New Sunscreen Ingredient in More Than 25 Years

FDA OKs First New Sunscreen Ingredient in More Than 25 Years

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health regulators on Tuesday signed off on the first new sunscreen ingredient for the U.S. market in more than 25 years, giving Americans access to a skin-protecting chemical long used in Europe and other parts of the world. The Food and Drug Administration says the ingredient, bemotrizinol, met the agency’s standards for protecting from dangerous ultraviolet rays while causing little irritation or absorption into the skin. The ingredient is safe for adults and children 6 months and older, the agency stated in a release. Bemotrizinol will initially be sold in the U.S. by the Dutch manufacturer DSM Nutritional Products under the brand name Parsol Shield, which is expected to launch later in the year. After an 18-month exclusivity period, the ingredient will be available for use by other manufacturers. Experts say bemotrizinol will fill an important niche in the U.S. market: protecting against both ultraviolet A and B rays while not leaving white streaks associated with mineral-based sunscreens. “For decades, Americans have used outdated sunscreen tech while the rest of the …