AP-Newswatch

Court preserves access to abortion pill but tightens rules

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A federal appeals court has preserved access to the abortion pill mifepristone for now but reduced the period of pregnancy when the drug can be used and said it could not be dispensed by mail. The ruling late Wednesday temporarily narrowed a decision by a lower court judge in Texas that had completely blocked the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the nation’s most commonly used method of abortion. The Texas order unsettled abortion providers less than a year after the reversal of Roe v. Wade already dramatically curtailed abortion access. The case may now be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Torrential storms batter South Florida, close key airport

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Nearly a foot of rain fell in a matter of hours in Fort Lauderdale – causing widespread flooding, the closure of the city’s airport and the suspension of high-speed commuter rail service for the Broward County region. The relentless showers prompted the airport to suspend all arriving and departing flights, the airport tweeted around 4:15 p.m. The heavy rains also prompted South Florida’s high-speed commuter rail service to shut down. Brightline posted on Twitter Wednesday evening that train service between Miami and Fort Lauderdale was suspended.

After calls to resign, Feinstein seeks Judiciary replacement

LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California is asking to be temporarily replaced on the Judiciary Committee while she recovers from a case of shingles. Her announcement Wednesday came after two House Democrats called on her to resign because of her extended absence from Washington. Feinstein said complications have delayed her recovery and she provided no date for her return to Washington. At 89, Feinstein is the oldest member of Congress. Her absence has complicated Democratic efforts to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominees for federal courts. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday from Ireland, where President Joe Biden was visiting, that Biden is “deeply appreciative of her support” for his judicial nominees.

Biden to expand some migrants’ health care access: officials

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is set to announce that his administration is expanding eligibility for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. That’s according to two people familiar with the matter who discussed it on the condition of anonymity before Thursday’s announcement. The action will allow those covered by the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to access government-funded health insurance programs. The White House action comes as the DACA program is in legal peril and the number of people eligible under the program is shrinking.

Juror: Texas governor’s rush to pardon shooter a ‘travesty’

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — An juror in the trial of a Texas man convicted of murder for killing a protester says Gov. Greg Abbott’s rush to issue a pardon in the case is an “egregious overreach.” Jere Dowell says the Republican’s action would wipe aside the jury’s unanimous decision over Daniel Perry’s 2020 shooting of Garrett Foster during a Black Lives Matter protest. Perry is yet to be sentenced. As an alternate, Dowell did not have a vote in convicting Perry. But she told The Associated Press she was in the room for deliberations and that she agreed with the verdict handed down Friday.

US, Ukraine say many war secrets safe from intel leaks

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine’s leaders say they don’t see a major U.S. intelligence leak as gravely damaging future offensives. A key reason: They have long held back on sharing their most sensitive operational information, doubting Washington’s ability to keep their secrets safe. Ukrainian and U.S. officials said this week that only Ukrainians know some battle plans and other operational information, not the Americans, their most important ally. That means the leak of secret military documents, including some assessing Ukraine’s battlefield strengths and weaknesses against Russia, likely has not been enough — so far — to change the course of the war.

N. Korea fires missile that may have been new type of weapon

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Its neighbors say North Korea has conducted its first intercontinental ballistic missile launch in a month as it extends a provocative run of weapons tests. Japan briefly urged residents on a northern island to evacuate in a sign of its vigilance over North Korea’s evolving missile threats. The missile was launched at a high angle, which North Korea usually does to avoid its neighbors, and it landed in the waters between the peninsula and Japan. A South Korean defense official said the military believes the test was of a new type of missile, possibly using solid fuel. It would be the first, if so. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to obtain several new weapons to cope with what he calls U.S. military threats.

First image of a black hole gets a makeover with AI

NEW YORK (AP) — The first image of a black hole captured in 2019 is getting a makeover. Researchers on Thursday revealed an updated version, which they made using artificial intelligence. The black hole still looks like a fuzzy, orange doughnut-shaped object in a galaxy 53 million light-years from Earth. But it now has a skinnier ring and a darker center, which researchers think is more accurate. The new image is based on the same data gathered by a network of radio telescopes, but researchers used machine learning to fill in the gaps.

Haven’t filed taxes yet? Don’t panic. Here’s what to know

NEW YORK (AP) — The deadline to file your taxes is fast approaching. Whether you do them by yourself, go to a tax clinic or hire a professional, navigating the tax system can be complicated. Experts recommend that you ask as many questions as you need during the process. The deadline is Tuesday. Filing for an extension isn’t ideal, but if you need one you can get it and then you’ll have until October to file your taxes. Experts recommend pulling together all of the documents you need and then giving yourself a chunk of time to sit down and get it done.

‘Game of Thrones’ prequel and ‘Harry Potter’ series are a go

Warner Bros. Discovery is sticking with safe bet franchises that will likely lure viewers, including a “Harry Potter” series and a “Game of Thrones” prequel. Executives touted the new Max service debuting May 23 and made original Warner Bros. Discovery programming announcements during a presentation for journalists and investors on Wednesday. The “Harry Potter” series for Max is planned as a decade-long series retelling the events of the seven books by J.K. Rowling about the boy wizard. The “Game of Thrones” prequel for HBO will be based on novellas by George R. R. Martin who will also swerve as a writer and executive producer.