AP-Newswatch

Why is Biden announcing 2024 bid now, and what will change?

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has formally announced he’s seeking reelection. But he’s also still the president, with roughly 20 months left in his term regardless of whether he wins a second one on Election Day 2024. Top Democrats have remained solidly unified behind the president, despite his low approval ratings and many Americans saying they’d rather not see the 80-year-old Biden try for four more years in the White House. So what will change with Biden’s announcement? A formal reelection announcement means the president is now allowed to raise money directly for his campaign. It also means he now has to publicly release how much money his reelection campaign is raising.

Montana transgender lawmaker silenced again, backers protest

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Republican legislative leaders in Montana persisted in forbidding Democratic transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr from participating in debate for a second week and her supporters brought the House session to a halt Monday — chanting “Let her speak!” from the gallery before they were escorted out. Zephyr told supporters earlier Monday she planned to continue to speak forcefully against legislation that members of the transgender community consider matters of life and death. Republican leaders in the GOP-controlled Legislature have told the first-term Democrat that she must first apologize for saying they would have “blood on their hands” if they banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth.

Actor Danny Masterson drugged, raped women, prosecutor says

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles prosecutor told jurors that actor Danny Masterson drugged three women before raping them. Deputy District Attorney Reinhold Mueller told a jury Monday during opening statements at the second trial of the star of “That ‘70s Show” that Masterson gave drugged drinks to each of the women, then raped them in his home between 2001 and 2003. Mueller had not been allowed to directly assert that the women were drugged at Masterson’s first trial, where a deadlocked jury led to a mistrial. Masterson’s attorney said in his opening statement that there was no tangible evidence that Masterson drugged the women, nor any convincing evidence that he raped them.

Fitful start to new 3-day truce in Sudan; airlifts continue

CAIRO (AP) — Sudan’s warring generals have pledged to observe a new three-day truce that was brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia to try to pull Africa’s third-largest nation from the abyss. The claims were immediately undercut by the sound of heavy gunfire on Tuesday in the capital of Khartoum. Several previous cease-fires declared since the April 15 outbreak of fighting were not observed. However, intermittent lulls during the weekend’s major Muslim holiday enabled evacuations of hundreds of diplomats, aid workers and other foreigners by air and land. For many Sudanese, the departure of foreigners was a terrifying sign that international powers expect a worsening of the fighting.

East Palestine families living in limbo months after fire

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) — Residents of East Palestine, Ohio, say they’re still living in limbo almost three months after a fiery Norfolk Southern train derailment blackened the skies and sent residents fleeing. They’re unsure how or whether to move on from the accident and worry what will happen to them and the village to which they’re bound by deep family roots, friendships and affordable homes. About half of the nearly 5,000 residents evacuated when state and local officials decided to burn toxic vinyl chloride from five tanker cars to prevent a catastrophic explosion. Most have returned, though many worry about illnesses and soil, water and air quality. Some are staying away until they’re sure it’s safe. Others aren’t allowed back in their homes because of the ongoing cleanup.

Alabama and Mississippi mark Confederate Memorial Day

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama and Mississippi closed government offices on Monday for Confederate Memorial Day as efforts have stalled to abolish or rename Confederate holidays. Legislation has been introduced in the ongoing Alabama legislative session to remove, alter or rename Confederate-related holidays, but this effort has so far gained little traction. Several Southern states have ended or renamed Confederate holidays. Louisiana in 2022 removed Robert E. Lee Day and Confederate Memorial Day from the list of state holidays. Georgia in 2015 renamed Confederate Memorial Day to “State Holiday.” Arkansas in 2017 ended the practice of commemorating Lee and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. on the same day.

Don Lemon fired from CNN after divisive morning show run

NEW YORK (AP) — Longtime CNN host Don Lemon has been fired by the cable news network a little over two months after apologizing to viewers for on-air comments about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley. CNN announced Lemon’s departure Monday. The host said in a Twitter post that he was stunned by the move and said he was informed by his agent. Lemon had been with the cable news network for 17 years. CNN did not provide a public explanation for Lemon’s departure. In mid-February, Lemon drew widespread condemnation for saying the 51-year-old Haley was not “in her prime” and later said he regretted the comment.

What is a sweeper? A look at the pitch taking over MLB

PHOENIX (AP) — Move over slider, curve, slurve and screwball, there’s a new (ish) breaking ball making the rounds in the majors: the sweeper. Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani uses it, as does Padres starter Yu Darvish, Yankees lefty Nestor Cortes and dozens of other pitchers. It’s not really a new pitch, but a new term to describe a certain type of breaking ball that’s been around a long time. A good sweeper’s main movement is side-to-side and doesn’t plunge downward like the normal slider or curveball. Ohtani’s sweeper is considered one of the best in today’s game, with a good one producing around 20 inches of horizontal movement.