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US military strike on alleged drug boat kills 2 in the Caribbean

military said it launched another strike on a boat accused of ferrying drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing two people Monday.The Trump administration’s campaign of blowing up alleged drug-trafficking vessels in Latin American waters has persisted since early September and killed at least 188 people in total. Other strikes have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean.Despite the Iran war, the series of strikes have ramped up again in recent weeks, showing that the administration’s aggressive mea

Asian shares slip and oil pares gains on Iran war uncertainties

<block>HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks declined Tuesday, tracking losses on Wall Street after U.S. stocks retreated from record highs. Oil prices fell back after rising earlier on escalating tensions in the war between the U.S. and Iran.U.S. futures edged 0.1% higher.Regional trading was thin, with markets in Japan, South Korea and mainland China closed for holidays.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.1% to 25,805.98. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.5% to 8,649.80, while Taiwan’s Taiex traded 0.2% lower at 40,626.22.The fragile ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran was tested Monday after the U.S. military said it had sank six Iranian small boats targeting civilian ships, while two U.S.-flagged ships successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The key waterway for oil and gas tranport remains largely closed despite repeated demands from the U.S. for Iran to reopen the strait and as the United States imposed a sea blockade on Iranian ports. U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Project Freedom” plan under which the United States would help guide stranded ships through the Strait of Hormuz began on Monday. Brent crude, the international standard, fell $1.22 to $113.22 per barrel. It surged above $114 a barrel on Monday, gaining nearly 6%. Before the war began in late February, it was trading near $70.Benchmark U.S. crude slipped $2.08 to $104.34 per barrel.Talks on a permanent end to war have stalled. Tensions escalated when the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. ally, said it came under attack from Iran for the first time since the ceasefire last month.“We are seeing the first signs of the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran breaking down amid a re-escalation in the Persian Gulf,” ING Bank analysts Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey wrote in a note Tuesday. “Continuation of ‘Project Freedom’ risks further escalation,” they wrote. “Any relief from stranded vessels making their way through the Strait will be temporary, with very few inbound vessels moving into the Persian Gulf.”On Monday, Wall Street closed lower with the benchmark S&P 500 slipping 0.4% from its latest record heights to 7,200.75. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.1% to 48,941.90, while the technology-heavy Nasdaq composite dropped 0.2% to 25,067.80.Shares of GameStop sank 10.1% after it said it wants to acquire eBay, which has a market value that’s roughly four times of GameStop’s.The U.S. dollar rose to 157.27 Japanese yen from 157.25 yen. The euro was trading at 1.1687, down from $1.1689.___AP Business Writers Stan Choe and Matt Ott contributed.</block>

Trump’s retribution? What to watch in Tuesday’s elections in Indiana, Ohio and Michigan

<block>President Donald Trump’s campaign to politically punish Republicans who stand in his way moves through Indiana on Tuesday, when seven state senators face Trump-backed primary challengers. In neighboring Ohio, primaries for U.S. Senate and governor will lock in the candidates for two major races with national implications. And in Michigan, voters in a bellwether district will fill a vacancy in the state Senate, a race with implications for the balance of power in a battleground state.Here’s what to watch for. <hl2>How strong is Trump’s grip on the Republican Party?</hl2>Trump is taking aim at seven Republican state senators in Indiana who opposed his plan to redraw congressional district boundaries to help the party gain seats in the U.S. House. Groups allied with the president have spent millions on advertising, an extraordinary flood of cash and attention into races that are typically low profile.The races are a test of Trump’s enduring grip over his party as Republicans grow increasingly anxious about the midterm elections in November. The results will signal to Republicans everywhere about how big a price they’ll pay with their voters if they distance themselves from Trump even as his popularity fades. And it will show the president whether he can still credibly threaten consequences for Republicans who cross him. The Trump-targeted state senators all represent districts he carried in 2024, mostly by 20 percentage points or more. The key races to watch are districts 1, 11, 19, 21, 23, 38 and 41. <hl2>Ohio races get started in earnest</hl2>The state’s primary is the wind up to the big show. Although Ohio has become increasingly conservative, Democrats believe their path back to a U.S. Senate majority runs through the state. They’re putting their hopes behind former Sen. Sherrod Brown, who lost Ohio’s other Senate seat to Bernie Moreno in 2024. He’s expected to face off with Republican Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed last year to fill the vacancy created when JD Vance became vice president.The race is a special election to fill the last two years of Vance’s term. In the campaign for governor, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy has parlayed his national name recognition, tech industry connections and alliance with Trump into a record fundraising haul. He’s largely ignoring Republican rival Casey Putsch, focusing his rallies and television ads on the general election. An engineer and vehicle designer who calls himself “The Car Guy,” Putsch has attracted fans with provocative YouTube videos that troll Ramaswamy and criticize national Republicans over their handling of the Epstein files, positions on energy-guzzling data centers and support for Israel.Amy Acton, Ohio’s former public health director, is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination. She played a key role in the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. <hl2>Will Democrats sweep another special election?</hl2>The special election for a state Senate seat in central Michigan carries outsized importance. It’s another test of enthusiasm in a series of special elections that have swung almost universally toward Democrats since Trump returned to the White House. It also could affect the balance of power in the Michigan State Capitol. A Democratic victory would give the party a firm majority in the state Senate, while a Republican win would deadlock the chamber in a 19-19 tie. The district is closely matched. Democrat Kamala Harris beat Trump there by less than 1 point in the 2024 presidential election. The seat has been vacant for more than a year, since Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet resigned to take a seat in Congress. Democrats are showing surprising strength in special elections and off-year contests across the country, winning races in unexpected places and significantly narrowing the gap, even when they fall short.There’s no guarantee the trend will continue through the midterms, when turnout will be much higher, but it has nonetheless energized Democrats and spooked Republicans worried about keeping their congressional majorities. </block>

Restaurants celebrate authentic Mexican culture and history this Cinco de Mayo

Nayomie Mendoza has become accustomed to how Cinco de Mayo is celebrated in the U.S.: the platters of tacos, the pitchers of margaritas and the jubilant sounds of mariachi bands.She is among a number of Mexican American business owners who’ve become more vocal about also honoring Mexican history and the significance of the holiday, as a way to combat anti-immigrant sentiments amid heightened immigration enforcement efforts that have targeted Latino communities.Mendoza, owner of Cuernavaca’

Trump’s influence tested in Indiana Republican state Senate primaries

Jim Bopp, a prominent Indiana attorney who leads a political action committee aligned with Braun, predicted that Trump’s support will carry the day for the challengers.“Republican voters overwhelmingly support Trump, and when they find out Trump has endorsed a particular Senate candidate, they swing their support behind them,” he said.Indiana opposition came from constituents, former governorOpposition to the effort came from anti-Trump Republicans and those wary of the president reaching so dee

Vance gets a chance to woo Iowa GOP voters ahead of 2028 in a campaign stop with congressman

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Vice President JD Vance will visit Iowa on Tuesday, marking his first visit since taking office to the state where Republicans in less than two years will cast the first votes to pick their party’s next presidential nominee.Vance, who is seen as one of the GOP’s strongest potential candidates for president in 2028, is making the trip to campaign on behalf of Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, who faces a competitive race to keep his Des Moines-area seat in the November midterms.B

Michigan special election to decide state Senate control and give clues about fall midterms

<block>WASHINGTON (AP) — A special election in a small Michigan swing district on Tuesday could have outsized consequences, determining whether Democrats retain their slim majority in the state Senate for the final months of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s term.Democrat Chedrick Greene and Republican Jason Tunney are vying for the 35th state Senate district seat left vacant in January 2025. Also running is Libertarian candidate Ali Sledz. The district is located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of Detroit and includes Saginaw, Bay City and Midland. Whitmer, a Democrat, is term-limited, setting up a competitive race in November to succeed her. With Democrats currently controlling the state Senate 19-18, Tuesday’s outcome will be key for the state’s legislative agenda in the months before she leaves office in January. Beyond the immediate stakes, political insiders are watching the race for clues about November’s midterms in this battleground state. The district includes part of Saginaw County, the only Michigan county to back the winning presidential candidate in each of the past five national elections.“It’s really this microcosm of the Midwest, frankly,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet of the seat she left upon entering Congress. “Given how much it resembles so many other places across the country, we have to look at it and say, this is an indicator of how things are going to go in November.”Greene is a fire captain and former Marine who campaigned on lowering costs while emphasizing his union backing. Tunney, a former prosecutor, has run as a conservative Republican, highlighting his local roots in Saginaw.Republicans also have made the timing of the special election a central issue, arguing Whitmer, a Democrat, waited too long to call it — leaving the district without representation in the state Senate for nearly 500 days. A victory by Greene would keep Democrats in the majority. If Tunney wins, the Senate would be tied, making it tougher for Democrats to advance their agenda. While Democratic Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II would serve as the tiebreaking vote, Republicans could effectively block any measure from passing by not having all members vote. The Michigan House is controlled by Republicans.The term at play in Tuesday’s special election is only through the end of the year, meaning the seat will again be up for reelection in November. Nonetheless, the race is being watched as a test of voter sentiment ahead of the midterm elections, when Democrats are looking to regain power in Congress. Some strategists caution against overinterpreting the results, noting heavy Democratic spending and high-profile visits by such figures as former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin. The Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee invested $250,000 to back Greene in February and has said that the race will “set the tone for midterms.”“This is a tough race to win in any environment, but they’ve stacked the deck with the spending. And you layer the overall political environment on top of it, it’s going to be tough,” said Jason Roe, a Republican strategist in the state.Although Republican Donald Trump carried all three counties in the 2024 presidential race, the portions of the counties that fall within District 35 are more competitive. McDonald Rivet won the seat in 2022 with 53% of the vote. Democrat Kamala Harris barely edged Trump in the district in 2024, 49.7% to 48.9%, on the strength of her 17-percentage-point lead in the Saginaw portion of the district.Once a hub of the auto industry, the region includes a large share of union-affiliated voters and a sizable Black population, surrounded by more conservative rural areas. Cory Smidt, interim director at Michigan State University’s Institute of Public Policy and Social Research, said the district “looks like the state as a whole.” Though he cautioned against viewing the outcome as a clear signal for the midterms, he said turnout and voting patterns among different groups could offer valuable insights.___Associated Press reporter Robert Yoon contributed from Washington. </block>

Abortion pill rulings bring the issue back to the forefront in a midterm election year

The president publicly supported abortion rights until he entered politics in 2015, and his wife, Melania Trump, announced her broad support for abortion rights in 2024.Abortion opponents say they have no plans to let Trump avoid the issue for the remainder of his term. Marc Wheat, general counsel at former Vice President Mike Pence’s political advocacy group Advancing American Freedom, said his group will increase pressure on the administration. That will include urging the FDA to speedily rele

Ramaswamy looks to put primary behind him and turn to expensive fall campaign for Ohio governor

Emilia Sykes.Democrats think new House maps give them a shot to regain seatsAs a Trump-backed national effort to remake congressional maps in Republicans’ favor was underway, Ohio Democrats took a could-have-been-worse approach and passed the map they were given unanimously.Now party candidates are crowding congressional primaries across the state for the chance to take on sitting Republican representatives, who hold 10 of Ohio’s 15 seats.The newly redrawn 7th District in the Clevela

Pen pal programs have evolved, but old-fashioned letter writing could be coming back

One user said he was curious about pen pals after hearing about them from his grandparents, Chan said.“Slowly offers a convenient way and a modern way for them to try that experience,” she said.Syme, however, is all about the tangible aspects of letter writing. Her book includes advice on paper and pens plus all kinds of goodies that can be tucked into envelopes.“There is joy to be had once you fully embrace the medium’s outdated extravagance,” she writes.But letter writing, she said in an inter

21-year-old allegedly kills man during argument in Port Orchard

A 21-year-old has been booked into jail after he allegedly shot and killed a man during an argument inside a car in Port Orchard Sunday night, according to the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO).Kitsap County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported shooting involving three men near the 4200 block of Beach Drive E. at approximately 7:30 p.m.RELATED STORIES'My brothers go there every day to work out': Chris Sullivan reacts to deadly, fiery crash at Portland athletic clubMan criti

Former prison guard pleads guilty to manslaughter in New York inmate’s fatal beating

One of multiple corrections officers charged in connection with the fatal beating of an inmate at an upstate New York prison last year pleaded guilty to manslaughter Monday and agreed to serve 11 years in prison.Former guard Caleb Blair had initially faced the most serious charges filed against the officers, including second-degree murder, in the death of 22-year-old Messiah Nantwi at the Mid-State Correctional Facility near Utica on March 1, 2025. Nantwi died of massive head trauma and other in

Doris Fisher, co-founder of iconic Gap chain, dies at 94

<block>NEW YORK (AP) — Doris Fisher, who co-founded the iconic clothing chain The Gap Inc. in 1969 with her late husband Don, has died. She was 94.Fisher died on Saturday surrounded by her family, a Gap spokesperson confirmed on Monday. The company did not specify a cause of death.The couple co-founded The Gap after a frustrating shopping experience when Don Fisher couldn’t find a pair of jeans that fit, according to the retailer. The Fishers opened one small store on Ocean Avenue in San Francisco. Initially men’s Levi’s jeans and record tapes were the only items for sale. But the brand became the foundation for a global retail empire and reshaped American fashion with a focus on simple casual looks from khakis and jeans to T-shirts and sweater sets.The chain eventually expanded to other nameplates — Banana Republic and Old Navy — and now generates more than $15 billion in sales globally.Don Fisher died in 2009.</block>

‘Let your guys know you can answer these questions’: Curley offers Katie Wilson advice after team yanks her from KOMO question

KIRO host John Curley had some advice for Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson after her team stopped her from answering a question last week. KOMO News reporter Chris Daniels asked Wilson if her stance on CCTV cameras had changed following a shooting near her news conference at the Yesler Community Center last week.Curley said Wilson should have stayed and answered the question, even if her response wasn’t perfect.“Katie, hey, some advice from the bullpen here. Let your guys know that you can

Drug injection rates cut nearly in half at WA needle exchanges, UW survey finds

The programs provide clients with supplies to use drugs more safely, naloxone (an overdose-reversal medication), and products for hygiene, wound treatment, and survival.“The providers’ aim is to save lives and reduce harms among this population, so they also connect clients with health and substance-use treatment services,” UW Medicine stated.Survey finds most respondents using meth, fentanyl, cocaine want to quitThe survey also found that a majority of respondents who take illicit m

Redistricting is rampant ahead of the US House midterm elections. What states are taking action?

North CarolinaCurrent map: four Democrats, 10 RepublicansNew map: The Republican-led General Assembly gave final approval in October to revised districts that could help Republicans win an additional seat.Challenges: A federal court panel in November denied a request to block the revised districts from being used in the midterm elections.OhioCurrent map: five Democrats, 10 RepublicansNew map: A bipartisan panel composed primarily of Republicans voted in October to approve revised House districts

A man shot by ICE in California pleads not guilty to federal charges

<block>SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A man who was shot multiple times during an arrest by immigration officers in central California pleaded not guilty on Monday to federal charges that he rammed his vehicle into two agents, prosecutors said. A federal grand jury on Friday indicted Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez, who has dual citizenship in El Salvador and Mexico, on two counts of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and one count of damaging government property. Patrick Kolasinski, one of his lawyers, has said Mendoza panicked and tried to flee when Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents blocked his car and that he did not intend to run over anyone. Kolasinski also disputed claims by officials that his client was a suspected gang member wanted in El Salvador for questioning in relation to a murder. Salvadoran court documents show he was acquitted of murder in El Salvador and Mendoza has denied ever being in a gang, his lawyer has said. He came to the U.S. in 2019 and has no criminal record, Kolasinski has said.The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Monday that Mendoza has requested a jury trial. A status conference was set for July 27. Mendoza is recovering after several surgeries for multiple gunshot wounds, including one to the jaw, his attorney said. The Department of Homeland Security has said ICE officers fired defensive shots at Mendoza after he tried to drive into them. DHS said the officers were conducting an enforcement stop targeting Mendoza, 36, on April 7 in Patterson, a city about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco.It was part of a series of shootings that have occurred during the Trump administration’s aggressive push to detain and deport immigrants in the country illegally. It is also among those where questions have been raised to federal officials about the circumstances since in some shootings, video evidence contradicted immigration officials’ initial accounts.</block>

Person shot by law enforcement near Washington Monument, Secret Service says

An individual was shot by law enforcement on Monday near the Washington Monument, the Secret Service said.The person’s condition and the circumstances surrounding the shooting around 15th Street and Independence Avenue were not immediately known.The Secret Service encouraged people to avoid the area as emergency crews responded to the shooting not far from the White House, where President Donald Trump was holding a small business event.The White House was briefly locked down as authorities inves

Man to plead guilty in Colorado firebombing attack on pro-Israel demonstrators

(AP) — A man accused of killing one person and injuring a dozen more in a firebomb attack on Colorado demonstrators showing support for Israeli hostages in Gaza plans to plead guilty this week, according to court documents.Mohamed Sabry Soliman faces a life sentence without the possibility of parole if a state judge accepts his guilty plea in the June 1 attack in downtown Boulder, according to the documents filed by his attorneys on Sunday in a related federal case.Soliman had previously pleaded

‘My brothers go there every day to work out’: Chris Sullivan reacts to deadly, fiery crash at Portland athletic club

Moments later, it was engulfed in flames, prompting a 911 call.First responders from Portland Fire & Rescue and police arrived to find the burning vehicle and the deceased occupant inside.RELATED STORIES'That money is gone forever': Prosecutor says grandson drained grandmother's $500K life savings, leaving her on food stampsChild shot while sitting in car at Olympic National Forest, 1 suspect arrestedWanted suspect rams police blockade, fires at deputies, then vanishes into Midland neighborh