AP-Newswatch

Half a million immigrants could eventually get US citizenship under a new plan from Biden

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is taking an expansive election year step to offer relief to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants without legal status in the U.S. It comes after the Democratic president’s own aggressive immigration crackdown at the southern border earlier this month that enraged advocates and many Democratic lawmakers. The White House says the Biden administration will allow certain spouses of U.S. citizens without legal status to apply for permanent residency and eventually citizenship. Senior administration officials say the move could affect upwards of half a million immigrants. Biden will speak about his plans Tuesday at the White House.

Boeing’s CEO is appearing before a Senate panel as a new whistleblower emerges

Boeing’s CEO is getting his day in front of Congress, and lawmakers are expected to have many questions about safety at the troubled aircraft company. CEO David Calhoun is scheduled to testify Tuesday in front of a Senate investigations subcommittee. It’ll be his first appearance on Capitol Hill since a panel blew out of a Boeing 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Hours before Calhoun was set to appear, the Senate panel released a 204-page report with new allegations from a whistleblower who fears that “nonconforming” parts — ones that could be defective or aren’t properly documented — are going into 737 Max jets.

The politics of memes: How Biden and Trump are fighting each other on the internet

WASHINGTON (AP) — Both presidential campaigns this year have embraced digital memes, the lingua franca of social media. Democratic President Joe Biden’s campaign even recently posted a job seeking a manager of meme pages. With tens of millions of people using social media as a primary information source, the battle of memes could affect who wins in November. Many Americans say they’re not excited about the likely rematch between Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump. Growing digital habits make it harder to reach people through traditional spaces for political advertising like print publications or television.

When violence and trauma visit American places, a complex question follows: Demolish, or press on?

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Parkland. Uvalde. Columbine. Sandy Hook. A supermarket in Buffalo. A church in South Carolina. A synagogue in Pittsburgh. When violence comes to a public place, as it does all too often in our era, a delicate question lingers afterward: What should be done with the buildings where blood was shed? This question has been answered differently over the years. In addition to intense emotion, other factors in the decision-making include whether a community can afford to rebuild, and whether the site might be a draw for people sympathetic to the crime that happened there. Ultimately, it’s a community decision that turns out differently in different places.

When colleges close, students are left scrambling. Some never go back to school

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — More colleges around the country have been closing as they cope with steep declines in enrollment. That’s a consequence of both changing demographics and the effects of the pandemic. The closures in recent years have left tens of thousands of students in limbo — and at increased risk of never finishing their degrees at all. Students at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts were thrown into panic mode two weeks ago, as they got the startling news that their school would be shutting down within days. Many students are not sure what they will do next.

The shooter who killed 5 at a Colorado LGBTQ+ club pleads guilty to 50 federal hate crimes

DENVER (AP) — The shooter who killed five people and injured 19 others at a nightclub in Colorado Springs has pleaded guilty to 50 federal hate crimes. Anderson Lee Aldrich entered the pleas Tuesday in Denver, but once again declined to apologize or say anything to the victims’ families. Aldrich is already serving life in prison after pleading guilty last year to state charges in the 2022 shooting. Federal prosecutors described how premeditated hate and bias fueled the attack at Club Q — a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ people in the mostly conservative city. The federal plea deal would allow for Aldrich to avoid the death penalty and be sentenced to multiple life sentences plus another 190 years.

Record-breaking US heat wave scorches the Midwest as New York activates the National Guard

Extreme heat alerts are in effect for tens of millions of people in the United States as cities including Chicago break heat records. States in the Midwest started to bake Monday in a dangerous heat wave that was expected to stretch from Iowa to Maine into at least Friday. The mid-Atlantic and New England are likely to see highs in the 90s as the week progresses. Excessive humidity will make it feel even more oppressive. The U.S. last year saw the most heat waves since 1936. Officials are warning people to take precautions such as drinking plenty of water and staying indoors.

The beginners guide to celebrating Juneteenth

Many Americans are celebrating Juneteenth, marking the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the U.S. learned they were free. For generations, Black Americans have recognized the end of one of history’s darkest chapters with joy, in the form of parades, street festivals, musical performances or cookouts. It was the day when a Union officer reached Galveston, Texas and announced their liberation. It would take another century and a half and lots of rallying for the U.S. government to recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday. There’s a push today for people to see beyond the revelry and learn about Juneteenth’s history.

Who will have the 2024 song of the summer? We offer some predictions

NEW YORK (AP) — Since the beginning of time or, at least, pop music, only a few tracks have earned the esteemed designation of “song of the summer.” Who can forget hearing Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” for the first time, or when Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License” reminded the world what it meant to cry? In 2024, there are a number of song of the summer contenders. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” comes to mind, as does Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” and Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help” featuring Morgan Wallen. Across genre, The Associated Press has selected a few songs that qualify — as well as a past holder of each crown.