House Republicans push through defense bill limiting abortion access and halting diversity efforts

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed a sweeping defense bill that provides a pay raise for service members but strays from traditional military policy with Republicans add-ons blocking abortion coverage, diversity initiatives at the Pentagon and transgender care. Democrats voted against the package, which had sailed out of the House Armed Services Committee on…

3 tax prep firms shared ‘extraordinarily sensitive’ data about taxpayers with Meta, lawmakers say

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some congressional Democrats say three large tax preparation firms sent “extraordinarily sensitive” information on tens of millions of taxpayers to Facebook parent company Meta over at least two years. Their Wednesday report urges federal agencies to investigate and potentially go to court over the information H&R Block, TaxAct and TaxSlayer shared with…

Baltimore police searching for suspects after 2 killed, 28 wounded at weekend block party shooting

BALTIMORE (AP) — Police are searching for suspects who opened fire during a holiday weekend block party in Baltimore that killed two people, wounded 28 others and prompted one resident to jump into action when a wounded teenage girl showed up on her doorstep. Authorities said many of the shooting victims were under 18. Charlene…

Pence calls for his 2024 rivals to back a 15-week federal abortion ban on eve of Dobbs anniversary

WASHINGTON (AP) — Speaking at a gathering of evangelical Christians, former Vice President Mike Pence urged his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination to support a 15-week federal abortion ban at minimum. The exhortation at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s annual conference on Friday came a day before the first anniversary of Roe v. Wade’s…

Trump’s promise of payback for prosecution follows years of attacking democratic traditions

Donald Trump’s attacks on the justice system after his indictment on federal charges this week are the latest step in a now eight-year campaign by the former president and his allies against the traditions and institutions that have helped maintain American democracy. He went through a familiar routine of mounting a victimhood defense in the…

Fox News says it ‘addressed’ onscreen message that called Biden a ‘wannabe dictator’

NEW YORK (AP) — Fox News says it has addressed an onscreen headline that called President Joe Biden a “wannabe dictator” who sought to have his political rival arrested, without saying what was done. The chyron was shown on Fox Monday night, beneath a split-screen image of former President Donald Trump speaking to supporters live…

Wolves that nearly died out from inbreeding recovered, now helping a remote island’s ecosystem

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Gray wolves are thriving at Isle Royale National Park five years after they nearly died out. Authorities airlifted 19 mainland wolves to Lake Superior park to rebuild a population that had fallen to just two, mostly because of inbreeding. A report Wednesday by Michigan Technological University scientists says the population…