AP-Newswatch

From birth to death, legacy of racism lays foundation for Black Americans’ health disparities

From birth to death, Black Americans fare worse in measures of health compared to their white counterparts. They have higher rates of infant and maternal mortality, higher incidence of asthma during childhood, more difficulty treating mental health as teens, and greater rates of high blood pressure, Alzheimer’s disease and other illnesses. The Associated Press spent the past year exploring how the legacy of racism in America has laid the foundation for the health inequities that Black people face.

Russia fights alleged incursion from Ukraine for second day, reports more drone attacks

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian troops and security forces are fighting for a second day against an alleged cross-border raid that Moscow blamed on Ukrainian military saboteurs but which Kyiv portrayed as an uprising against the Kremlin by Russian partisans. The governor of the Belgorod region on the Ukraine border said Tuesday that forces continued to sweep the area around the town of Graivoron where the alleged attack on Monday took place. The governor said that one civilian was killed and 12 others were wounded in the attack. It was impossible to verify who was behind the attack. Disinformation has been one of the weapons of the nearly 15-month war.

No debt ceiling agreement, but Biden and McCarthy call White House talks productive

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy say they and their lead negotiators have had a productive meeting at the White House on the impasse over the government’s debt ceiling. Yet there was no agreement Monday as Washington races to strike a budget compromise and raise the nation’s borrowing limit in time to avert a potentially devastating federal default as soon as next week. Despite the lack of movement toward a possible agreement, both men appeared upbeat as they face a deadline, as soon as June 1, when the government could run out of cash to pay its bills.

The cyber gulag: How Russia tracks, censors and controls its citizens

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — It’s becoming increasingly difficult for Russians to escape government scrutiny. Authorities monitor social media accounts, prosecuting critics of President Vladimir Putin or the war in Ukraine. Surveillance cameras with facial recognition systems allow police to swiftly detain activists and draft dodgers. Even a once-praised online government service platform is seen as a tool of control, with plans to serve military summonses through it — rendering useless a popular draft evasion tactic of avoiding being handed the paperwork in person. Activists say Putin’s government has managed to harness digital technology to surveil, censor and control Russians — new territory in a nation with a long history of spying on its citizens.

Donald Trump to appear by video as judge reinforces ban on attacking witnesses

NEW YORK (AP) — The judge in Donald Trump’s criminal case is holding a hybrid hearing to make sure that the former president is aware of new rules barring him from using evidence to attack witnesses. Trump won’t have to show up to court for Tuesday’s hearing at a Manhattan courthouse. Instead, the Republican will be connected by video conference, with his face beamed onto courtroom TV monitors. His lawyers and prosecutors must still appear in person. The judge agreed to the extra step of personally instructing Trump on the restrictions after listing them May 8 in what’s known as a protective order. Trump pleaded not guilty and says the prosecution is politically motivated.

7 people arrested in Spain linked to racial abuse cases against Vinícius Júnior

MADRID (AP) — Spanish police say they have arrested seven people accused of racially abusing Real Madrid player Vinícius Júnior. Three have been arrested in Valencia for alleged abuse against Vinícius in a Spanish league match on Sunday. Four were arrested in Madrid for allegedly hanging an effigy of the player off a highway bridge in January. The effigy was hanged by the neck on the morning of a derby match between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey. Along with it was a banner with the words “Madrid hates Real.”

Father, son sentenced for decadelong, $20 million lottery fraud scheme

BOSTON (AP) — A father and son from Massachusetts have both been sent to prison for running an elaborate lottery fraud scheme designed to enrich themselves and help prize winners avoid paying taxes on their windfall. Federal prosecutors said Monday that 63-year-old Ali Jaafar and 29-year-old Yousef Jaafar cashed in 14,000 winning lottery tickets over a roughly 10-year period, laundered more than $20 million in proceeds, and then lied on their tax returns to cheat the IRS out of about $6 million. Ali Jaafar was sentenced to five years in prison. Yousef Jaafar received a sentence of more than four years.

Nuggets shaking off team history, staking claim for first NBA title

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Denver Nuggets played with disruption on their minds in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. Everybody on that tight-knit bench Monday night seemed to know their team had never reached the NBA Finals, had never swept a playoff opponent and had never beaten the Los Angeles Lakers in a postseason series. After Nikola Jokic conjured his latest triple-double playoff masterpiece and Gordon blocked LeBron James’ shot at the buzzer, the Nuggets had torn up their franchise’s history with a clinching 113-111 victory. This often-overlooked franchise will be favored to win its first championship when the Nuggets get back on the court in nine days.

Wish you could tweak that text? WhatsApp is letting users edit messages

LONDON (AP) — WhatsApp is allowing users to edit the messages they’ve sent. The popular chat app announced the update in a blog post Monday, saying people can correct misspellings, add more details or otherwise change what they have messaged to friends, family and coworkers. Meta-owned WhatsApp says the ability to edit messages has started rolling out to people worldwide and will be available to all users in coming weeks. To fix a text up to 15 minutes after firing it off, press and hold the sent message and pick “edit.” After the changes, it will then display “edited,” but those receiving the message won’t be able to see the edit history.

Prince Harry’s effort to pay for British police protection fails in court

LONDON (AP) — A London judge has ruled against Prince Harry in his efforts to pay for police protection when he visits Britain. The ruling Tuesday rejected the Duke of Sussex’s assertion that the British government exceeded its authority when it denied his request to hire police. The British government stopped providing security after Harry and his wife, Meghan, quit their royal duties and moved to California in 2020. Harry said he doesn’t feel safe visiting with his young children and has cited aggressive paparazzi. He is separately challenging the decision to deny him government-paid security.