AP-Newswatch

US intelligence finding shows China surging equipment sales to Russia to help war effort in Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — China has surged sales to Russia of machine tools, microelectronics and other technology Moscow uses to produce missiles, tanks, aircraft and other weaponry. That’s according to two senior Biden administration officials who discussed the sensitive findings on the condition of anonymity Friday. The officials say last year 90% of Russia’s microelectronics came from China, which Russia has used in missiles, tanks and aircraft. Nearly 70% of Russia’s approximately $900 million in machine tool imports in the last quarter of 2023 came from China. Chinese and Russian entities have been working to jointly produce unmanned aerial vehicles inside Russia. China says it’s not providing Russia with arms or military assistance, although it has maintained robust economic connections.

House passes reauthorization of key US surveillance program after days of upheaval over changes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House has passed a bill to reauthorize and reform a key U.S. government surveillance tool without including broad restrictions on how the FBI uses this crucial program to search for Americans’ data. But despite passage with bipartisan support, opponents of the final proposal forced a vote on a procedural motion to be taken early next week, further delaying the legislation being sent to the Senate. It is the latest in a series of hurdles for Speaker Mike Johnson who has been negotiating with far-right detractors of the legislation for weeks. The program is set to expire on April 19 if Congress does not act in time.

Crash of semitrailer into Texas public safety office was intentional, lawmaker says

BRENHAM, Texas (AP) — A lawmaker says the driver of a stolen semitrailer intentionally rammed it into a Texas public safety office in a rural town west of Houston in an apparent intentional crash. Texas State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst says three people were airlifted to a hospital and three more were transported in serious condition following the commercial vehicle crash Friday in Brenham. That’s about 75 miles west of Houston. Images from local news outlets showed a large, red semitrailer outside of the building where debris was scattered and a gaping hole that appeared to be from the crash at the entrance of the office. Authorities say a suspect has been arrested.

Manhattan court must find a dozen jurors to hear first-ever criminal case against a former president

NEW YORK (AP) — A dozen Manhattan residents are soon to become the first Americans ever to sit in judgment of a former president charged with a crime. Jury selection is set to start Monday in former President Donald Trump’s hush-money trial. The presumptive Republican nominee has pleaded not guilty. The proceedings present a historic challenge for the court, the lawyers and the everyday citizens who find themselves in the jury pool. Those problems include finding people who can be impartial about one of the most polarizing figures in American life and detecting any bias among prospective jurors without invading the privacy of the ballot box.

In death, 3 decades after his trial verdict, O.J. Simpson still reflects America’s racial divides

For many people old enough to remember O.J. Simpson’s murder trial, his 1994 exoneration was a defining moment in their understanding of race, policing and justice. Nearly three decades later, it still reflects the different realities of white and Black Americans. Simpson died Wednesday but remains a symbol of racial divisions in American society because he is a reminder of how deeply inequities are felt, even as newer figures have come to symbolize the struggles around racism, policing and justice. Some people recall watching their Black co-workers and classmates erupting in jubilation at perceived retribution over institutional racism. Others remember their white counterparts shocked over what many felt was overwhelming evidence of guilt.

Arizona just revived an 1864 law criminalizing abortion. Here’s what’s happening in other states

Abortion was already a major issue in U.S. elections in 2024. An Arizona Supreme Court ruling elevated it more. The court cleared the way for the state to start enforcing a ban on abortion in all stages of pregnancy. That’s something 14 other states are already enforcing. The state is a key battleground in this year’s presidential election, and it’s possible voters will also be able to cast ballots this year on whether to amend the state constitution to allow more abortion access. Voters in at least three states will see such questions on their ballots, and several more are considering it.

How immigrant workers in US have helped boost job growth and stave off a recession

MIAMI (AP) — Millions of jobs that new immigrants have been filling in the United States appear to solve a riddle that has confounded economists for at least a year: How has the U.S. economy managed to prosper, adding hundreds of thousands of jobs, month after month, at a time when the Federal Reserve has aggressively raised interest rates — normally a recipe for a recession? It turns out that the influx of foreign-born adults vastly raised the supply of available workers at a time when a labor shortage had left many companies unable to fill jobs. Over the past year, in fact, immigrants have accounted for all the growth in U.S. employment.

US-China competition to field military drone swarms could fuel global arms race

U.S. and Chinese military planners are gearing up for a new kind of warfare in which squadrons of air and sea drones equipped with artificial intelligence work together like a swarm of bees to overwhelm an enemy. The planners envision a scenario in which hundreds, even thousands of the machines engage in coordinated battle. A single controller might oversee dozens of drones. The world’s only AI superpowers are engaged in an arms race for swarming drones that is reminiscent of the Cold War, except drone technology will be far more difficult to contain than nuclear weapons.

No link between Ozempic, Wegovy and suicide, EU drug regulators say

Drug regulators in Europe have found no evidence that popular diabetes and weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are linked to a higher risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. The European Medicines Agency announced the results of its review Friday. It’s the latest group to conclude that there’s no known tie between a new class of obesity drugs and suicide. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also found no link. Both agencies said they would continue to monitor reports of possible thoughts of self-harm in people taking the drugs.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese headline one of the most anticipated WNBA drafts in years

NEW YORK (AP) — Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink and others make this one of the most anticipated WNBA drafts in recent years. There are several impact players up for grabs, but their talent is nearly eclipsed by their popularity among basketball fans. Clark has helped bring millions of new fans to the game. The Iowa star was a big reason why a record 18.9 million viewers tuned in to the NCAA championship game where South Carolina beat the Hawkeyes. The NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader will go first to the Indiana Fever on Monday night when the draft takes place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in front of 1,000 fans.