About $1B arranged for wildfire expenses
State House and Senate leaders have determined that close to $1 billion should be appropriated by the state for Maui wildfire response and recovery work through mid-2025.
Tabloid publisher defiant as Trump lawyer tries to shake his confidence
NEW YORK — Lawyers for Donald Trump on Friday grilled the former publisher of The National Enquirer, casting doubt on his explanation for why he suppressed salacious stories about the Republican presidential candidate before the 2016 election.
Xi and Blinken trade small nods over a large gap
The areas where the United States and China can work together seem to be shrinking fast, and the risks of confrontation are growing. But it was clear Friday that both countries are trying to salvage what they can.
House bill seeks to increase tobacco tax for cancer research
A bill seeking to increase the tax on cigarettes and vaping products at the state Legislature is moving forward, but without the actual increase first proposed.
What to know about Bell’s palsy, the facial paralysis affecting Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star center Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a condition that can strike out of the blue and cause muscles on one side of a person’s face to become weak or paralyzed, distorting expression.
Trump’s immunity case was settled more than 200 years ago
Did the American Revolution actually happen? If it did, was it a good thing?
Gimme shelter: Supreme Court should outlaw punishment for the homeless who sleep outside
It is embarrassing to have to type this sentence, but type it we will: If and when there are no shelter beds available, it is unacceptable for a city or town to make it a crime for individuals to fall asleep outdoors. Though Grants Pass, Oregon, insists it is only prohibiting behavior, not the people themselves, that’s a distinction without a difference when it refers to a basic, involuntary human need like sleep. The U.S. Supreme Court should invalidate its attempts to punish those who fall asleep outside.
Orioles send former No. 1 pick Holliday back to minors after he hit .059 in 10 MLB games
BALTIMORE — Highly touted prospect Jackson Holliday has been optioned to the minor leagues by the Baltimore Orioles after starting his big league career with a disappointing thud.
How athletes and entertainers like Shohei Ohtani get financially duped by those they trust
LOS ANGELES — R. Allen Stanford is among the most brazen white-collar criminals — and he’s paying dearly for it. The former financier is in the 14th year of a 110-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2012 for selling $7 billion in fraudulent certificates of deposits in the Caribbean island of Antigua.
Tropical Gardening: May Day is Lei Day
May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii but we celebrate flowers of all kinds all year long. Traditionally, everyone should consider wearing flowers more often. Fellows, let’s get back to wearing aloha shirts and ladies, what about revisiting mu’umu’u. These unique expressions of our culture are coming back in style as part of the Hawaiian renaissance movement.
WNBA training camps open with Caitlin Clark, the rookie class and free agency moves in the spotlight
NEW YORK — There is a buzz around the opening of WNBA training camps with the arrival of Caitlin Clark, the rest of her heralded rookie class and major offseason free agency moves that included former All-Stars Nneka Ogwumike and Skylar Diggins-Smith landing in Seattle.
James, Lakers facing elimination Saturday. Magic, Pelicans and Heat seek home wins
Nikola Jokic moved LeBron James out of the way as they battled for a rebound, grabbed the ball, got fouled and scored off the putback.
Oregon State and Washington State face player exodus amid realignment
Perhaps the biggest blow for Oregon State in recent weeks was the departure of running back Damien Martinez, who had previously pledged his loyalty to the Beavers.
Fed’s preferred inflation gauge shows price pressures stayed elevated last month
WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure of inflation closely tracked by the Federal Reserve remained uncomfortably high in March, likely reinforcing the Fed’s reluctance to cut interest rates anytime soon and underscoring a burden for President Joe Biden’s re-election bid.
Midwest tornadoes cause severe damage in Omaha suburbs
OMAHA, Neb. — A tornado plowed through suburban Omaha, Nebraska, on Friday afternoon, damaging hundreds of homes and other structures as the twister tore for miles along farmland and into subdivisions. Injuries were reported but it wasn’t yet clear if anyone was killed in the storm.
Columbia protesters say they’re at an impasse with administrators and will continue anti-war camp
NEW YORK — Columbia University students who inspired pro-Palestinian demonstrations across the country said Friday that they reached an impasse with administrators and intend to continue their encampment until their demands are met.
Why did more than 1,000 people die after police subdued them with force that isn’t meant to kill?
Carl Grant, a Vietnam veteran with dementia, wandered out of a hospital room to charge a cellphone he imagined he had. When he wouldn’t sit still, the police officer escorting Grant body-slammed him, ricocheting the patient’s head off the floor.
US announces new Patriot missiles for Ukraine as part of new $6 billion aid package
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. will provide Ukraine additional Patriot missiles for its air defense systems as part of a massive $6 billion additional aid package, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Friday.
Rooting for Trump to fail has made his stock shorters millions
NEW YORK — Rooting for Donald Trump to fail has rarely been this profitable.
You’re gonna need a bigger number: Scientists consider a Category 6 for mega-hurricane era
In 1973, the National Hurricane Center introduced the Saffir-Simpson scale, a five-category rating system that classified hurricanes by wind intensity.
