Stories by The Associated Press

Walmart’s head of fashion talks about changing chain’s image NEW YORK (AP) -- Walmart has been long known for its wide array of basic socks, T-shirts and pull-on pants. Now, the world's largest retailer is betting it can change that image and be a destinati... September 26, 2023

Missouri officials say clinic that challenged transgender treatment restrictions didn’t provide proper care Missouri officials struck back at one of the clinics that unsuccessfully challenged new state restrictions on gender affirming care, accusing the clinic in a lawsuit of failing to provide proper care ... September 25, 2023

St. Louis victims want compensation for secret Cold War-era testing ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Ben Phillips' childhood memories include basketball games with friends, and neighbors gathering in the summer shade at their St. Louis housing complex. He also remembers watching... September 25, 2023

Writers Guild and Hollywood studios reach tentative agreement to end strike. No deal yet for actors LOS ANGELES (AP) — Union leaders and Hollywood studios reached a tentative agreement Sunday to end a historic screenwriters strike after nearly five months, though no deal is yet in the works fo... September 25, 2023

Russian airstrikes kill two in southern Ukraine KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Russian airstrikes on Sunday killed two people and wounded eight others in southern Ukraine's Kherson province, the region's governor reported as the war in Ukraine entered its 2... September 25, 2023

High-speed rail was touted as game-changer in Britain: Costs making government think twice LONDON (AP) -- The British government confirmed Sunday it may scrap a big chunk of an overdue and over-budget high-speed rail line once touted as a way to attract jobs and investment to northern Engla... September 25, 2023

Usher to headline 2024 Super Bowl halftime show LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Usher has a new confession: The Grammy winner will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show in Las Vegas.The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation announced Sunday that Usher wo... September 25, 2023

‘Expend4bles’ flops with $8.3M debut LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham weren't enough to save "Expend4bles" from a debut box office flop. The fourth installment suffered the action-packed franchise&#3... September 25, 2023

Cracks emerge in wall of support for Ukraine WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- Once rock-solid, the support Ukraine has gotten from its biggest backers for its fight against Russia is showing cracks.Political posturing in places like Poland and Slovakia, w... September 24, 2023

Golf ball factory fire in Taiwan kills at least five BEIJING (AP) -- A fire and subsequent explosions at a golf ball factory in southern Taiwan killed at least five people and injured more than 100 others, and five people are still missing. The fire beg... September 24, 2023

School shooting survivor develops app to help people heal Kai Koerber was a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School when a gunman murdered 14 students and three staff members there on Valentine's Day in 2018. Seeing his peers -- and himself -- struggl... September 24, 2023

Little UN oasis offers riverside pocket of peace as world’s diplomacy roils a few feet away UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Inside, with speeches and machinations and carefully deployed elbows, those who administer the world persist in their search for the elusive path to peace. Outside, on the woode... September 24, 2023

National Cathedral replaces windows honoring Confederacy The landmark Washington National Cathedral unveiled new stained-glass windows Saturday with a theme of racial justice, filling the space that had once held four windows honoring Confederate Gens. Robe... September 24, 2023

Many states expand Medicaid programs to provide dental care to poorest residents NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- For months, Carlton Clemons endured crippling pain from a rotting wisdom tooth. He couldn't sleep, barely ate and relied on painkillers to get by. The 67-year-old from Nashvil... September 24, 2023

Review: ‘Dumb Money’ recalls GameStop squeeze The little guy -- or at least the little guy with a few hundred bucks to sink into the stock market -- gets a movie to cheer with "Dumb Money," the real story of a very recent financial rebellion that... September 24, 2023

Temporary status for Venezuelans complicates messaging on immigration MEXICO CITY (AP) -- From a White House podium in May, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas outlined new legal pathways to the United States for Venezuelans and others, along with a &quo... September 24, 2023

Landslide in Sweden causes huge sinkhole on highway HELSINKI (AP) -- A landslide early Saturday in western Sweden caused a huge sinkhole on a major highway to Norway, and three people were injured when their cars and a bus skidded off the road, police ... September 24, 2023

Ukraine launches missile attack on Sevastopol KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Ukraine on Saturday morning launched another missile attack on Sevastopol on the occupied Crimean Peninsula, a Russian-installed official said, a day after an attack on the headq... September 24, 2023

Black student suspended for hairstyle — family now suing Texas officials HOUSTON (AP) -- The family of a Black high school student in Texas who was suspended over his dreadlocks filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Saturday against the state's governor and attorney general... September 24, 2023

Biden gets updated COVID-19 vaccine, annual flu shot WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Joe Biden has gotten the updated COVID-19 vaccine and annual flu shot, the White House said Saturday. The White House physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, said in a memo that Bi... September 24, 2023

Florida siblings, ages 10 and 11, stopped while driving mom’s car 200 miles from home GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- A 10-year-old Florida boy and his 11-year-old sister who were running away to California drove 200 miles in their mother's car before they were stopped by sheriff's d... September 24, 2023

Turner sues to force Jonas to turn over children’s passports NEW YORK (AP) -- Actor Sophie Turner sued her estranged pop star husband Joe Jonas on Thursday to force him to turn over the passports of the couple's two young daughters so she can take them to E... September 24, 2023

Ice pops cool down monkeys at Rio zoo during rare winter heat wave RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- Upon spotting a zookeeper laden with a bucket full of fruit-flavored ice pops, black spider monkeys in Rio de Janeiro's BioParque gracefully swung their way toward him Friday, c... September 23, 2023

Netanyahu to UN: Israel ‘at the cusp’ of historic agreement with Saudi Arabia UNITED NATIONS (AP) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly on Friday that Israel is "at the cusp" of a historic breakthrough leading to a peace agreement with Saud... September 23, 2023

Shimano recalls 760,000 bike cranksets NEW YORK (AP) -- Cycling company Shimano is recalling some 760,000 bike cranksets in the U.S. and Canada due to a crash hazard that has resulted in several reported injuries. According to a Thursday n... September 23, 2023

Some providers dropping gender-affirming care for kids even in cases where it’s legal ST. LOUIS (AP) -- As Republican-led states have rushed to ban gender-affirming for minors, some families with transgender children found a bit of solace: At least they lived in states that would allow... September 23, 2023

Longshot for Missouri governor uses flamethrower at recent event A longshot candidate for Missouri governor and his supporters describe his use of a flamethrower at a recent "Freedom Fest" event outside St. Louis as no big deal. They said it was a fun moment for fe... September 23, 2023

Third Republican presidential debate set for Nov. 8 in Miami The third Republican presidential debate will be held Nov. 8 in Miami, a day after several states hold off-year elections, and candidates will be facing the most stringent requirements yet to take par... September 23, 2023

Lahaina residents brace for what they’ll find as they return HONOLULU (AP) -- Soon after one of Maui's Japanese Buddhist temples, the Lahaina Hongwanji Mission, burned in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century, its resident minister was desperate to... September 23, 2023

Gold bars, cash-stuffed envelopes: New indictment of Sen. Menendez alleges vast corruption NEW YORK (AP) -- Sen. Bob Menendez was charged Friday with secretly aiding the authoritarian government of Egypt and trying to thwart the criminal prosecution of a friend in exchange for gold bars and... September 23, 2023

Amazon Prime Video will soon come with ads Amazon Prime Video will include advertising during shows and movies starting early next year, joining other streaming services that have added different tiers of subscriptions. Members of Amazon Prime... September 23, 2023

Wienermobile is back after short-lived name change MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Some names are just the wurst. Just four months after announcing that the hot dog-shaped Wienermobile was changing its name to the Frankmobile, the distinctive wiener on wheels i... September 23, 2023

Oklahoma judge arrested in Texas capital, accused of shooting parked cars, causing collision OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An Oklahoma judge was arrested in Austin, Texas, last week after authorities say he opened fire on parked vehicles while out driving, striking at least one of them, and intention... September 23, 2023

Microsoft’s revamped deal for Activision on the cusp of going through LONDON (AP) -- British competition regulators gave preliminary approval Friday to Microsoft's restructured $69 billion deal to buy video game maker Activision Blizzard, easing a final global hurdle th... September 23, 2023

Ukrainian missile strikes headquarters of Russia’s navy in Crimea KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Ukraine struck the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in a missile attack Friday that left a serviceman missing and the main building smoldering, according to military offi... September 23, 2023

Auto workers expand strike to 38 locations in 20 states The United Auto Workers union expanded its strike against major carmakers Friday, walking out of all 38 parts-distribution centers operated by General Motors and Jeep and Ram owner Stellantis in 20 st... September 23, 2023

White House preparing for government shutdown WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House is preparing Friday to direct federal agencies to get ready for a shutdown after House Republicans left town for the weekend with no viable plan to keep the governme... September 23, 2023

9/11 defendant ruled unfit for trial after medical panel finds torture left him psychotic WASHINGTON (AP) -- A military judge at Guantanamo Bay has ruled one of the 9/11 defendants unfit for trial after a military medical panel found the man's sustained abuse in CIA custody years earlier h... September 23, 2023

Suspect wanted in Minnesota killing mistakenly released from Indianapolis jail INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- A man wanted for a 2021 killing in Minnesota was mistakenly released last week from jail in Indianapolis and authorities are now offering a reward of up to $10,000 as they continu... September 23, 2023

BTS member Suga begins alternative military service in South Korea SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- Suga, a member of K-pop supergroup BTS, began fulfilling his mandatory military duty Friday as a social service agent, an alternative form of military service in the country... September 23, 2023

Surgeons perform second pig heart transplant, trying to save a dying man By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer WASHINGTON (AP) -- Surgeons have transplanted a pig's heart into a dying man in a bid to prolong his life -- only the second patient to ever undergo such an exper... September 23, 2023

Suspect suffers life-threatening injuries in ‘gunfight’ with Missouri officers CLAYTON (AP) -- A man is hospitalized with what police describe as life-threatening injuries after a "gunfight" with two St. Louis County officers. Police received a call about a domestic disturbance ... September 22, 2023

Russia strikes Ukrainian cities from east to west KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- Russian missiles and artillery pounded cities across Ukraine early Thursday, sparking fires, killing at least five people and trapping others under the rubble of destroyed buildi... September 22, 2023

India suspends visa services for citizens of Canada NEW DELHI (AP) -- India told Canada to reduce its diplomatic staff and stopped issuing visas to its citizens Thursday as a rift widened between the once-close allies over Ottawa's allegation that New ... September 22, 2023

‘Euphoria’ actor accidentally overdosed on meth, cocaine, fentanyl OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Actor Angus Cloud died in July of an accidental overdose of cocaine, fentanyl and other substances, a Northern California coroner's office said Thursday. Cloud's cause of death... September 22, 2023

Roman palazzo reopens to tourists, nearly 50 years after closure ROME (AP) -- An ancient Roman imperial palazzo atop the city's Palatine Hill was reopened to tourists Thursday, nearly 50 years after its closure for restoration. The nearly 2,000-year-old Domus Tiber... September 22, 2023

DuckDuckGo founder: Google’s partnerships thwart competition WASHINGTON (AP) -- Appearing in the biggest antitrust trial in a quarter century, DuckDuckGo founder Gabriel Weinberg testified Thursday it was hard for his small search engine company to compete with... September 22, 2023

Kansas cold case detectives connect two 1990s killings to same suspect KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) -- A Kansas man has been charged with two counts of murder after detectives in a newly formed cold case unit connected him to the deaths of two women nearly three decades ago. D... September 22, 2023

Wave of migrants in Mexico closes one border crossing HUEHUETOCA, Mexico (AP) -- Thousands of migrants riding atop railway cars in Mexico this week or waiting in mile-long lines by the tracks to hitch a ride to the U.S. have triggered the closure of one ... September 22, 2023

First private US passenger rail line in 100 years launches today MIAMI (AP) -- The first big test of whether privately owned high-speed passenger train service can prosper in the United States will launch today when Florida's Brightline begins running trains betwee... September 22, 2023