Many countries have systems to alert people seconds before shaking begins in an earthquake. Experts say even a slight warning provides critical time for protection. Several countries, including the U.S., Mexico, and Japan, have Early Earthquake Warning systems. These systems use sensors and cellphones to detect seismic activity and send alerts to affected regions. Even in countries like Venezuela that do not have such systems, Google Android Earthquake Alerts can send important warnings to give people time to protect themselves.
The Supreme Court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to potentially revive an immigration policy once used to turn back migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. The justices overturned a lower court order on Thursday blocking the practice used by presidents of both parties. It limited the number of people who could apply for asylum each day during President Donald Trump’s first term. Advocates said the tactic created a humanitarian crisis as thousands of people settled in unsafe makeshift shelters to await their turn. The Trump administration said it was necessary to deal with an increase of asylum seekers at the border.
Venezuelan migrants living in the U.S. are rushing to send aid to family and friends stricken by devastating earthquakes in their home country. Local officials and advocates put out calls for donations Thursday in communities with large Venezuelan populations in states such as Florida and Texas. Oscar Torres moved to the U.S. from Venezuela in the 1990s and now lives in Doral, Florida, outside Miami. He said that soon after the earthquakes hit, groups on social media were organizing to gather donations of medicine, clothing and other essentials to send to Venezuela, where he has family.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has asked the U.S. Justice Department’s internal watchdog to investigate a whistleblower’s claims that DEA agents permitted hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to hit the streets of New Mexico. The request Thursday came days after an Associated Press investigation found agents repeatedly monitored — but did not seize — major shipments of the synthetic opioid in a bid to build bigger criminal cases between 2023 and 2025.
According to current and former DEA agents and records reviewed by The Associated Press, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to hit the streets of New Mexico from 2023 to 2025. The tactic was intended to build larger cases against drug traffickers. But whistleblower David Howell says the DEA gambled with public safety and violated Justice Department rules intended to protect the public from the dangerous drug. Ridding the streets of illicit fentanyl became the DEA’s top priority over the past decade as overdose deaths surged.
The Supreme Court has struck down a Hawaii law requiring people to get permission to carry guns into places such as stores and hotels. The Thursday decision is the high court's latest ruling backing Second Amendment rights. President Donald Trump's Republican administration opposed the law, arguing that Hawaii had violated gun rights by effectively banning them from a wide range of places generally open to the public. Hawaii, on the other hand, said the 2023 measure was aimed at protecting the rights of property owners. The decision doesn't stop businesses from taking their own steps to ban guns on their property.
NEW YORK (AP) — When Monique Di Liberto began looking for a paying job after putting her career on pause to parent full-time, she felt paralyzed by self-doubt.
The Supreme Court has sided with the maker of Roundup weedkiller, blocking thousands of lawsuits alleging it failed to warn users the product could cause cancer. The decision on Thursday is a victory for the Trump administration but could complicate relations with allies who want to limit pesticide use. The court ruled that federal regulations finding a cancer link unlikely protect the company from state lawsuits. Roundup manufacturer Bayer disputes the cancer claims but has set aside billions of dollars to settle cases. Bayer says the ruling is good for science and farmers. Lawyers for some residents pursuing cases say the ruling “wrongly slams the courthouse door on Americans sickened by pesticides.”
The Supreme Court has voted 6-3 to allow 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 Department of Homeland Security can now end temporary protected status, a program that protects a total of 1.3 million people from 17 countries. The Supreme Court also voted 6-3 on Thursday to clear the way for the Trump administration to potentially revive an immigration policy once used to turn back migrants seeking asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border.
A U.N. maritime agency has paused the evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz after the British military said a vessel was hit Thursday by a projectile off the coast of Oman. The head of the International Maritime Organization said the plan to move stranded ships through the strait will be on hold until the agency can confirm safety guarantees for the ships on the evacuation list and in the region. It was unclear who launched the projectile or the type of vessel that was targeted. The report of a strike came hours after Iran threatened vessels to stop using a U.N.-approved route through the strait without Tehran’s permission.
Detroit Lions player Terrion Arnold has been charged in Tampa, Florida, with leading a plot to detain and pistol-whip three people whom he believed had stolen from him. The crimes could carry a sentence of up to life in prison. Tampa police say Arnold believed the young men had stolen from him and his friends at an Airbnb rental in February. But investigators found they had nothing to do it. Arnold's lawyer says the NFL player “absolutely” denies the allegations. Arnold remains locked up until the next hearing Monday.
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 popular acts of the late 1960s, has died at age 84. He was a stocky, onetime street fighter and petty thief in Canada who briefly became a rock superstar, the front man of a nine-member group that sold millions of records and won two Grammys for its self-titled second album. Backed by horns, keyboards and percussion, his urgent shout was a signature voice of the era. A spokesman says Clayton-Thomas died Wednesday in Toronto.
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 Trump as midterm elections near. The increase was largely driven by more expensive gas, as well as pricier semiconductors and other computer equipment that are in high demand for the AI buildout. Rising prices have caused the inflation-fighters at the Federal Reserve to keep their key rate unchanged this year, a reversal from January when they had penciled in two cuts. Some economists forecast the central bank could lift rates this year instead.
The Supreme Court is allowing 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 decision Thursday blocks lower court orders and allows the Department of Homeland Security to swiftly end temporary protected status. That program protects a total of 1.3 million people from 17 countries. The administration had argued that Homeland Security can revoke protections without court interference. Immigration lawyers say the decision to end the program ignored the law and was tainted by racial animus.
LITTLE BIGHORN BATTLEFIELD NATIONAL MONUMENT, Mont. (AP) — The quiet, wind-swept hills of the Battle of Greasy Grass, known to many as the Battle of Little Bighorn, are the setting for Native Americans commemorating the battle's 150th anniversary with horse rides, battle reenactments and a c…
Apple on Thursday announced an increase in prices for Macs and iPads, citing a memory chip shortage brought on by the artificial intelligence boom. The Cupertino, California-based company called the demand spike an “unprecedented challenge” for the consumer electronics industry. The new, entry-level MacBook Neo will now cost $699, up from $599. The 512 gigabyte MacBook Air now costs $1,299, up from $1,099. The one terabyte MacBook Pro is $1,999, up from $1,699. The 128 gigabyte iPad Air is now $749, up from $599, while the 256 gigabyte iPad Pro Wifi is now $1,199, up from $999. Analysts expect iPhone prices to rise later this year.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced the closure of the temporary immigration center known as "Alligator Alcatraz." The center was built in the Florida swamps last year. DeSantis said Thursday that about 21,000 people were deported through the center. Federal officials say they no longer need the extra capacity to handle detention and deportation because they have more permanent facilities. Immigration advocates criticized the center for unsafe and inhumane conditions. Detainees reported issues like poor access to lawyers, unsanitary conditions and insect infestations.
The U.S. stock market is drifting in mixed trading after several AI stocks veered back up the roller coaster, while Apple shares dropped after hiking prices on many of its products. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% Thursday after swinging between gains and losses in the morning. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 227 points, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.1%. Micron Technology helped lead the market after the memory chip company reported much stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts anticipated. Treasury yields eased in the bond market after a report said inflation is behaving pretty much as economists expected.
New York prosecutors have dropped a rape charge against Harvey Weinstein instead of trying the former movie mogul for a fourth time in the state. The decision was announced Thursday after his accuser said she could not endure testifying again. Weinstein already stands convicted of another sexual felony in New York and others in California, including raping an Italian actress in Los Angeles. But this rape charge had remained unresolved, after an overturned conviction followed by two hung juries. The Oscar-winning producer denies all the accusations.
World leaders and Venezuela related celebrities are reacting with offers and solidarity after two powerful earthquakes shook the South American nation on Wednesday, killing at least 164 people, injuring more than 1,000 and trapping many beneath collapsed buildings. Wednesday evening’s 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes were among the strongest to strike Venezuela in more than a century and could be felt throughout the region.
Venezuelans searched for survivors beneath collapsed buildings and rescue teams raced to the areas hardest hit by a pair of powerful earthquakes that rocked northern Venezuela, killing at least 188 people and trapping more than 200. The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that hit Wednesday evening were among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century, and could be felt throughout the region. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez said authorities were shifting rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, which she said was one of the hardest-hit areas. The natural disaster poses a major challenge for Rodríguez, who took office in January after the U.S. seized then-president Nicolas Maduro in a surprise military operation.
A top official at the National Park Service says 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. The park service reported the June 9 incident to U.S. Park Police. Frank Lands, deputy director of operations for the park service, said about 70 fence post tops also were thrown into the pool. Lands made the statements in a court document filed late Wednesday as part of a lawsuit filed by a nonprofit organization to halt the administration’s work on the project.
A federal judge has 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 on Thursday sided with a coalition of nearly two dozen states that challenged the Republican president’s order. Her ruling applies to this year's midterm election cycle. Plaintiffs argued in two lawsuits filed in the same court that Trump’s order should be found unconstitutional because the states and Congress, not the president, have the power to set election rules. The White House stood by Trump’s executive order and indicated the administration would appeal the ruling.
A new study suggests humans and great apes have been giggling in similar ways dating back 15 million years. Many other animals also laugh, but the giggles don't match human patterns as closely. Scientists trying to uncover how laughter evolved recorded apes and children being tickled. Primatologist Chiara De Gregorio at the University of Warwick concluded that gorillas, orangutans and humans laugh in similar rhythms. But human laughter has become faster and more complex, sounding different based on context, from a polite chuckle to a full-bodied guffaw. Her research was published Thursday in the journal Communications Biology.
A series of Norman Rockwell sketches of scenes from the West Wing lobby is going on public display for the first time. The four 1940s-era sketches titled “So You Want to See the President!” depict U.S. senators, generals and even a Miss America biding time as they wait in the reception area. Rockwell spent hours at the White House, people-watching to create the sketches. The White House Historical Association paid more than $7 million last year for the sketches. They'll be on display through June 2027 at the association's “The People's House” exhibit near the White House.
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia is moving a significant part of its air defenses to protect a handful of prime targets, including Moscow, as Ukraine’s long-range drones hammered sites deep inside the country, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
Senate Republicans who were berated by President Donald Trump over opposition to his war in Iran have reversed course, holding a late-night vote to try to appease him. They rejected a war powers resolution Wednesday night, a day after a similar measure passed. Trump harangued GOP senators face to face earlier in the day for allowing a vote to block his war in Iran on Tuesday. Trump exchanged particularly harsh words with Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, one of four Republicans who had voted with Democrats on the measure. Cassidy later changed his position after he received a White House briefing on the war.
San Mateo County is looking to relocate its Human Services Agency programs to a new property in Foster City, but supervisors hit pause on the site’s purchase after concerns were raised by a councilmember Tuesday.
The San Carlos City Council approved the city’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which included capital fund appropriation adjustments and moving forward with the second of a two-year operating fiscal plan.
Shiite Muslims around the world are marking Ashoura, a holy day symbolizing sacrifice and martyrdom that holds special significance for many this year after months of war in Iran and Lebanon. Ashoura commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in A.D. 680. The event cemented the schism between Sunni and Shiite Islam and remains a powerful symbol of resistance against oppression and injustice. In Karbala, the southern Iraqi city holy to Shiite Muslims, security was tightened as visitors arrived. Religious banners flew from the walls of Imam Hussein’s golden-domed shrine and actors played out scenes from the 7th century.
A jury trial date has been set for a man accused of stabbing three people with box cutters in San Mateo in 2019, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.
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