New aircraft carrier heads toward Mideast after reports of issues on long-deployed USS Lincoln<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The Pacific-based aircraft carrier USS George Washington has begun heading toward the Middle East as reports have emerged of mental health and supply issues aboard the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln.<\/p>\n
The Lincoln has been supporting the U.S. war against Iran, and its deployment has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 260 days. Several Democratic lawmakers are pressing for accountability from the Pentagon over conditions aboard the carrier, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said were \u201ccompletely misrepresented.\u201d<\/p>\n
Extended deployments of carriers during the Iran conflict have raised concerns about the impact on service members who are away from home for long periods as well as the increasing strain on the ship and its equipment. While renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran have calmed in recent weeks, the Navy has reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the crucial Strait of Hormuz, and the Trump administration has offered no clarity on how it intends to wind down the war.<\/p>\n
Hegseth told reporters that the U.S. can maintain the blockade \u201cindefinitely.\u201d<\/p>\n
The USS George Washington left port in Da Nang, Vietnam, last week, a Navy statement said. The carrier, along with a cruiser and a destroyer, have since been spotted crossing the Singapore Strait.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Kennedy Center votes to restore Trump’s name and close for 2 years, challenging a judge’s order<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The battle over the Kennedy Center’s future escalated Thursday as President Donald Trump’s allies on the board took new steps to commemorate him with physical changes to the iconic performing arts institution that could defy a federal court order.<\/p>\n
During an hourslong meeting that was conducted virtually, the board voted to add Trump’s name to the building’s facade so it would read \u201cThe John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated By President Donald J. Trump.\u201d The plaza in front of the building would be named after Trump and most of the space at the venue would be closed for two years to allow for substantial renovations.<\/p>\n
The changes, described by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who is an ex-officio board member, and her lawyers, amount to a dramatic test of U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper. <\/p>\n
He ruled in May that letters affixed to the building that spelled out Trump’s name were added illegally and he ordered their removal, a decision that the Republican administration failed to persuade courts to overturn. At the same time, Cooper blocked a two-year closure that was set to take effect July 5, saying an earlier board vote authorizing the shuttering was \u201cill-informed and seemingly preordained.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis latest development is a transparent effort to circumvent the Court\u2019s ruling, and flies in the face of the statutes that Congress passed,\u201d Beatty said in a statement. \u201cI will continue to fight for this treasured national monument.\u201d<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Rescuers call for silence around earthquake rubble as window for survival narrows in Colombia<\/p>\n
CALI, Colombia (AP) \u2014 With arms raised and fists clenched, rescuers in Colombia called for silence Thursday as they listened for signs of life in the rubble of a deadly earthquake and raced to pull more survivors from the debris before time runs out.<\/p>\n
The call for quiet was part of last-ditch efforts to find anyone else alive in the aftermath of the 7.4 magnitude quake that struck the South American country Monday, killing more than 280 people and leaving hundreds more missing.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, we are reaching a point where the probability of finding survivors is dwindling,\u201d said David Santiago Tamayo, director of the National Unit for Disaster Risk Management, in a press conference Thursday night. \u201cBut the mission is to never stop searching and find all those reported missing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aid agencies consider the first two to three days after a quake to be the prime window for retrieving survivors. People trapped in debris can live longer if they have access to food and water.<\/p>\n
The death toll rose Thursday to 281, authorities said, with another 348 people rescued.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
FACT FOCUS: Conspiracy theories falsely blame Colombia earthquake on Alaska research program<\/p>\n
An enduring conspiracy theory has resurfaced on social media after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit western Colombia on Monday, with users blaming a research program in Alaska for the disaster.<\/p>\n
Posts falsely claim that the earthquake, which has killed at least 270 people and left widespread damage, was caused by the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program, or HAARP, which studies the properties and behavior of the upper atmosphere.<\/p>\n
But the earthquake was caused by natural movements in the Earth’s crust. Experts say it had nothing to do with human activities.<\/p>\n
Here’s a closer look at the facts.<\/p>\n
CLAIM: HAARP caused the 7.4 magnitude earthquake in western Colombia on Monday.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Luigi Mangione expected to plead guilty in federal case in UnitedHealthcare killing, AP source says<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 Luigi Mangione is expected to plead guilty as early as Friday in the federal case accusing him of stalking and killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, according to a person familiar with the matter.<\/p>\n
The person, who was not authorized to talk publicly about the case and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that Mangione could change his mind. If he follows through, it would be a stunning development in a case that rattled business leaders while galvanizing their critics.<\/p>\n
Mangione\u2019s lawyers, and spokespeople for the Justice Department and Manhattan federal prosecutors, declined to comment.<\/p>\n
Mangione is accused of traveling to New York City to ambush Thompson, 50, then shooting him outside a Manhattan hotel on Dec. 4, 2024, as the executive walked to UnitedHealth Group\u2019s annual investor conference.<\/p>\n
Mangione is due in court on Friday for a hastily scheduled hearing in the federal case, which involves two counts of stalking. It wasn\u2019t clear what charge or charges Mangione is expected to plead guilty to. The hearing, in Manhattan federal court, comes as his lawyers have been talking with federal prosecutors about a possible resolution to one of two criminal cases against Mangione in Thompson\u2019s death. Previous talks in June broke down.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Alabama man put to death for the murder of a 5-year-old girl in last of three US executions in a day<\/p>\n
Tennessee and Oklahoma put inmates to death within 30 minutes of each other Thursday and Alabama followed suit hours later as U.S. states executed three men by lethal injection in one day for the first time since 2010.<\/p>\n
The Tennessee man was executed for killing a motel maid in 1985 and the Oklahoma man for killing his girlfriend in 2003. In Alabama, a man was put to death for killing a 5-year-old girl he had offered to pay her mother to abuse.<\/p>\n
Having three executions in one day was a coincidence in scheduling, but reflected a trend of increased executions in the U.S. Eleven states executed a total of 47 people in 2025, the highest number since 2009. With Thursday’s injections, 22 executions have been carried out this year in the U.S. with nearly a dozen more scheduled.<\/p>\n
The last time three executions were carried out on the same day was on Jan. 7, 2010, when Louisiana, Ohio and Texas put inmates to death. Three executions were scheduled on the same day in 2018, but only one went forward after a Texas man was reprieved and Alabama prison officials had problems with the IV line.<\/p>\n
Florida executed two men the same day in July and has executed 31 overall since the start of 2025. <\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Judge drops Nevada case against electors accused of forging certificate in 2020 election<\/p>\n
LAS VEGAS (AP) \u2014 The yearslong case against six Nevada Republicans who were accused of submitting a bogus certificate that falsely declared Donald Trump the winner of the state\u2019s 2020 presidential election has been dismissed, a judge ruled Thursday.<\/p>\n
The dismissal marks the latest setback in swing states\u2019 efforts to prosecute fake electors who tried to keep Trump in the White House after he lost to Joe Biden in 2020. <\/p>\n
Three other fake elector cases in Arizona, Michigan and Georgia have been dismissed. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes recently dismissed her office\u2019s criminal case but vowed to bring it back to a grand jury in hopes of securing another indictment. The dismissal was a legal maneuver aimed at getting around a deadline for starting new grand jury proceedings after Mayes lost an appeal earlier in June.<\/p>\n
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is also running for governor as a Democrat, brought charges relating to forgery and \u201coffering a false instrument for filing or record\u201d against the six Nevada Republicans, who pleaded not guilty. <\/p>\n
His office plans to appeal the ruling.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Man used a screwdriver to kill his wife and daughter at a Minnesota daycare, police say<\/p>\n
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) \u2014 A man used a screwdriver to fatally stab his wife and their 7-year-old daughter inside a Minnesota daycare Wednesday morning before killing himself, according to a search warrant released Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Hennepin County search warrant obtained by The Associated Press identified the man as Nathan Brown, 41. It says he stabbed his wife, 41-year-old Kristen Brown, and their daughter, Evie Brown, inside the daycare that Kristen Brown operated out of the family’s basement in Hopkins, a suburb of Minneapolis. He then fatally shot himself in an upstairs closet. <\/p>\n
Hopkins police said in a statement Thursday that they are still investigating. <\/p>\n
According to police records, a father dropping off two of his children for daycare heard screams coming from the basement. The father entered the home and initially thought Nathan Brown was performing CPR before realizing it was an attack. The witness called 911 and fled with his children and two other children. <\/p>\n
Authorities said Wednesday that they believe Nathan Brown earlier killed a 78-year-old relative at her home in Burnsville, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Hopkins. Nathan Brown had recently been living there, investigators said. Police have not released the woman\u2019s identity or said how she was related to Brown.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Broken engine parts shattered the Ryanair plane window that a man’s head got sucked into: NTSB<\/p>\n
Broken engine parts shattered a window on a Ryanair flight shortly after takeoff in Greece last month, causing a man\u2019s head to be sucked through the opening before fellow passengers pulled him back inside, U.S. investigators said Thursday.<\/p>\n
A fan blade in the Boeing 737-800’s right engine broke loose, sending fragments flying out of the engine that broke the window and damaged the fuselage in several other places, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board. Greece turned the investigation over to the U.S. agency under international aviation rules.<\/p>\n
The July 10 accident happened after the flight departed the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki. Investigators found bird remains inside the engine, suggesting the plane may have struck birds during takeoff, though they haven’t determined what caused the fan blade to break loose.<\/p>\n
The 61-year-old passenger suffered neck and shoulder injuries and friction burns.<\/p>\n
The flight attendants told investigators they heard and felt loud, continuous vibration and saw smoke or fog fill the cabin before the oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
Jury selected for trial of former gang leader accused of ordering Tupac Shakur\u2019s killing<\/p>\n
LAS VEGAS (AP) \u2014 A jury of 6 men and 10 women was selected Thursday to hear the case against an ex-gang leader accused of orchestrating Tupac Shakur\u2019s killing nearly 30 years ago in one of hip-hop\u2019s most pivotal moments. <\/p>\n
Opening statements at the murder trial in Las Vegas are expected to begin Monday. <\/p>\n
Family members and fans of the legendary rapper have been waiting for decades to learn the truth behind the 1996 drive-by shooting that left Shakur dead at the height of his career. <\/p>\n
Shakur was just 25 when he was shot near the Las Vegas Strip at a time when he was in the middle of a fierce battle for dominance in a music scene shaped by rival gangs. <\/p>\n
Authorities three years ago charged Duane \u201cKeffe D\u201d Davis with murder, describing him as the \u201cshot caller\u201d who orchestrated the killing. Davis has pleaded not guilty and could be sentenced to life in prison if he\u2019s convicted.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
New aircraft carrier heads toward Mideast after reports of issues on long-deployed USS Lincoln WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The Pacific-based aircraft carrier USS George Washington has begun heading toward the Middle East as reports have emerged of mental health and supply issues aboard the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln. The Lincoln has been supporting the U.S. war […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":521,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"guid":"751ba092-7c9a-469a-83a9-4d1ec38e65e9","source":"The Associated Press","byline":"","published":"2026-08-12 21:04:52","updated":"2026-08-13 20:05:22","_infotelid":"","_prepressid":"","_multisite_post_sync":"","_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1303,1304],"tags":[],"region":[1280,1319,1299,1301],"class_list":["post-6932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","category-world","region-canada","region-london","region-ontario","region-world"],"blocksy_meta":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/news\/6932\/ap-news-in-brief-at-1104-pm-edt-407\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EDT","url":"http:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/news\/6932\/ap-news-in-brief-at-1104-pm-edt-407\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/infonews.ca\/inwheels\/news\/6932\/ap-news-in-brief-at-1104-pm-edt-407\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"International","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"The Associated Press"}],"creator":["The Associated Press"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"iNwheels","logo":""},"keywords":[],"dateCreated":"2026-08-13T04:04:52Z","datePublished":"2026-08-13T04:04:52Z","dateModified":"2026-08-14T03:15:14Z"},"rendered":"