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Britain's Boris Johnson battles to stay as PM amid revolt
LONDON (AP) — A defiant British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is battling to remain in office, shrugging off calls for his resignation after three Cabinet ministers and a slew of junior officials said they could no longer serve under his scandal-plagued leadership. British media is reporting that Johnson is refusing to step down, citing “hugely important issues facing the country.″ Members of the opposition Labour Party showered Johnson with shouts of “Go! Go!’’ during the weekly ritual of Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons. And members of his own Conservative Party also challenged him. Critics argue the leader’s days are numbered following his poor handling of sexual misconduct allegations against a senior official.
Police: Parade shooting suspect contemplated 2nd shooting
HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (AP) — The man charged with killing seven people at an Independence Day parade confessed to police that he unleashed a hail of bullets from a rooftop in suburban Chicago and then fled to the Madison, Wisconsin, area, where he contemplated shooting up an event there. That's according to authorities who spoke Wednesday. Robert Crimo III turned back to Illinois, where he was later arrested after deciding he was not prepared to pull off a shooting in Wisconsin. An Illinois judge ordered Crimo to be held without bail. A prosecutor said police found the shells of 83 bullets and three ammunition magazines on the rooftop that he fired from.
EXPLAINER: Should red-flag law have stopped parade shooting?
CHICAGO (AP) — Days after a rooftop gunman killed seven people at a parade, attention has turned to how the assailant obtained multiple guns and whether the laws on Illinois books could have prevented the Independence Day massacre. Illinois gun laws are generally praised by gun-control advocates as tougher than in most states. But they did not stop Robert E. Crimo III from carrying out the attack in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. One focus is on the state’s so-called red-flag law, which is intended to temporarily take away guns away from people with potentially violent behavior. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have such laws.
Scramble as last Mississippi abortion clinic shuts its doors
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi’s only abortion clinic has been buzzing with activity in the chaotic days since the U.S. Supreme Court upended abortion rights nationwide. The case originated in Mississippi with the bright pink medical facility called Jackson Women's Health Organization. Physicians there have been trying to see as many patients as possible before the facility, best known as the Pink House, permanently closes its doors at the end of business Wednesday. Clashes have intensified between anti-abortion protesters and volunteers who escort patients into the clinic. Unless there’s an intervention by the state’s conservative Supreme Court, Mississippi will enact a law Thursday to ban most abortions.
New report details missed chances to stop Uvalde shooting
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A new report on the Uvalde elementary school massacre in Texas says a police officer had a chance to open fire on the gunman but missed it while waiting for permission to shoot. The report also says some of the 21 victims at Robb Elementary School likely “could have been saved” on May 24 had they received medical attention sooner. The report is yet another damning assessment of how police failed to act on opportunities that might have saved lives in what became the deadliest school shooting in the U.S. since the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre in 2012.
Some Russians won't halt war protests, despite arrest fears
Despite a massive government crackdown on protests of the invasion of Ukraine, some Russians persist in speaking out against the invasion. One woman in the Ural Mountains city of Perm posts signs in the entrance to her apartment block bearing anti-war sayings. But it remains dangerous. Authorities rubber-stamped legislation that outlawed the spread of “false information” about the invasion and disparaging the military. They have used it against anyone who spoke out publicly against the attack or talked about the atrocities Russian troops were committing in Ukraine. One Moscow printer who made posters saying “No to war” has switched to blander messages such as “Fear is not an excuse to do nothing.”
Ex-cop Chauvin to get federal sentence for Floyd's killing
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is about to learn his sentence for federal civil rights violations in the killing of George Floyd. A plea deal is in place that will likely extend his time behind bars while shifting him to possibly more favorable conditions in a federal prison. It calls for 20 to 25 years in prison. But the final decision is up to U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson on Thursday. Prosecutors last month asked for the full 25 on the grounds that Chauvin’s actions were cold-blooded and needless. The defense has asked for 20 years, saying Chauvin accepts responsibility for what he did.
Jury finds man guilty of murdering rapper Nipsey Hussle
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jurors have found a 32-year-old man guilty of first-degree murder for the 2019 fatal shooting of rapper Nipsey Hussle. The Los Angeles County jury reached its verdict in the trial of Eric R. Holder Jr. on Wednesday. The verdict brings an end to a legal saga that has lasted more than three years and a trial that was often delayed because of the pandemic. Holder and Hussle had known each other for years when a chance meeting outside the Grammy-winning rapper’s Los Angeles clothing store led to the shooting, and Hussle's death. Holder could get life in prison when he’s sentenced on Sept. 15.
Appeals arguments heard on immigrants brought to US as kids
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Immigrant advocates are hoping a federal appeals court will uphold an Obama-era program that prevents the deportation of thousands of immigrants brought into the United States as children. A federal judge in Texas last year declared the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program illegal — although he agreed to leave the program intact for those already benefiting from it while his order is appealed. An attorney for the state of Texas who is leading an effort to end the Deferred Action for Childhood arrivals program argued Wednesday that DACA recipients have cost the state hundreds of millions in health care and other costs.
Mercury hold public rally in support of Brittney Griner
PHOENIX (AP) — They shared laughs, smiles, memories. There also were tears, fears, unease. Through the range of emotions, one common thread bonded them together: Brittney Griner. Wearing “BG” shirts and holding signs, several hundred fans gathered for a public rally in support of Griner on Wednesday, hoping their sentiments would reach the WNBA player 6,000 miles away in a Russian jail cell. Griner has spent the past four months in a Russian prison and is currently on trial, accused of possessing vape cartridges containing cannabis oil when she arrived at the Moscow airport while returning to play for her Russian team. She faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
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When General Motors went through the biggest industrial bankruptcy proceedings in history, 20,000 retirees from GM's Delphi Corp. subsidiary saw their retirement savings slashed. They fought unsuccessfully in court for 13 years to get that money back. Now, they're focused on congressional legislation to restore what they lost. Lawmakers from the left and right support the bill, which passed the House on Wednesday. But there's also some resistance to spending tax dollars to bail out pension funds. Supporters are hopeful for swift Senate action. And President Joe Biden's White House has expressed support for the measure.
St. Louis recorded 8 inches of rainfall in 7 hours overnight. Firefighters were scrambling to check submerged vehicles and saved 6 people trapped in homes.
Brittney Griner testified Wednesday that a language interpreter provided during her questioning translated only a fraction of what was said.
Chief Justice John Roberts privately lobbied fellow conservatives to save the constitutional right to abortion down to the bitter end, but May's unprecedented leak of a draft opinion reversing Roe v. Wade made the effort all but impossible.
Things to know today: Shooting at LA park kills 2, injures 5; pope in Canada for historic apology; US heat records fall; plus, NASCAR disqualifies winner.
New aerial surveys show massive amounts of methane venting into the atmosphere from oil and gas operations across the Permian Basin. An AP investigation pieced together the companies most likely responsible.
Things to know today: Manchin, Schumer reach surprise deal; Kim threatens to use nukes; Jeopardy! names hosts; high-stakes GDP report out today.
Kentucky’s governor said 15 people have died in record Appalachian flooding, a toll expected to grow as the rain keeps falling. Updates and photos here.
Politics roundup: Young conservatives wrestle with possible Trump vs. DeSantis matchup; Buttigieg blasts GOP over marriage; Republican rift in Maryland.
Things to know today: Mega Millions jackpot surges past $1 billion after no winner; US military plans for Pelosi's Taiwan visit; and more top news.
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