Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years for seditious conspiracy in Jan. 6 attack
WASHINGTON (AP) — Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was sentenced Thursday after a landmark verdict convicting him of spearheading a weekslong plot to keep former President Donald Trump in power. He’s the first of the Jan. 6 defendants convicted of seditious conspiracy to receive his punishment. Rhodes did not express remorse or appeal for leniency, but instead claimed to be a “political prisoner." Another Oath Keeper convicted of seditious conspiracy alongside Rhodes — Florida chapter leader Kelly Meggs — was sentenced later Thursday to 12 years behind bars.
Deadline looming, Biden and McCarthy narrow in on budget deal to lift debt ceiling
WASHINGTON (AP) — Days from a deadline, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are narrowing in on a two-year budget deal that could unlock a vote for lifting the nation’s debt ceiling. They are racing for agreement this weekend. As soon as June 1, Treasury says it could run short of funds to pay the bills. A federal default on the nation's debt would send the economy into chaos. The budget flow isn’t the only hang-up. One thorny issue is a Republican demand opposed by Democrats for stiffer work requirements on people who receive government aid. Any compromise needs support from both Democrats and Republicans to pass in Congress.
Texas lawmakers issue 20 articles of impeachment against state Attorney General Ken Paxton
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas lawmakers have issued 20 articles of impeachment against state Attorney General Ken Paxton, ranging from bribery to abuse of public trust as state Republicans surged toward a swift and sudden vote that could remove him from office. The charges were released Thursday night, hours after a Republican-led House investigative committee recommended impeaching the state’s top lawyer. The House could vote on the recommendation as soon as Friday. If it impeaches Paxton, he would be forced to leave office immediately.
Indiana doctor reprimanded for talking publicly about Ohio 10-year-old's abortion
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana board has decided to reprimand an Indianapolis doctor after finding that she violated patient privacy laws by taking publicly about providing an abortion to a 10-year-old rape victim from neighboring Ohio. The state Medical Licensing Board voted that Dr. Caitlin Bernard didn’t abide by privacy laws by telling a newspaper reporter about the girl’s treatment in a case that became a political flashpoint in the national abortion debate days after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer. Board members chose to fine Bernard $3,000 for the violations, turning down a request from the attorney general’s office to suspend Bernard’s license.
Body-cam footage shows indicted ex-police officers laughing at man who died in their custody
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Body-camera footage shows former police officers who were indicted by a Mississippi grand jury laughing about a man who died in their custody. The footage also shows one of them questioning whether to immediately call an ambulance for the man. Officials in the state capital of Jackson announced Wednesday that a grand jury had indicted two former police officers on murder charges and another ex-officer on a manslaughter charge in the death of Keith Murriel. Murriel is Black and is seen on video being pinned down and repeatedly shocked with stun guns during a New Year’s Eve arrest. The city released hours of body-camera footage detailing the encounter.
Pentagon says allies will unite to train Ukrainians on F-16s, but warns jets aren't 'magic weapons'
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says that European allies are developing a coordinated program to train Ukrainian forces on the F-16 fighter jet. But Pentagon leaders warn that it will be a costly and complex task and won’t be a magic solution to the war. Austin says the allies recognize that in addition to training, Ukraine will also need to be able to sustain and maintain the aircraft and have enough munitions. And he says that air defense systems are still the weapons that Ukraine needs most in the broader effort to control the airspace.
Ford electric vehicle owners to get access to Tesla Supercharger network starting next spring
DETROIT (AP) — All of Ford‘s current and future electric vehicles will have access to about 12,000 Tesla Supercharger stations in the U.S. and Canada starting next spring. Ford CEO Jim Farley and Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the agreement Thursday during a “Twitter Spaces” audio chat. Farley said the agreement is a huge move for the auto industry and all electric vehicle customers. Musk said he didn’t want Tesla’s network to be a “walled garden." He said he wants to use it to support sustainable transportation. The event came off without the embarrassing technical glitches that plagued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ announcement Wednesday that he was running for president.
UN peacekeeping on 75th anniversary: successes, failures and challenges ahead in a divided world
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — On the 75th anniversary of U.N. peacekeeping, the United Nations chief says peacekeepers are increasingly working in places where there is no peace. And Secretary-General Antonio Guterres praised the more than 4,200 who have given their lives to the cause of peace since the U.N. authorized its first military deployment in 1948. Thursday was a day to look back at the successes of peacekeeping from Liberia to Cambodia and its major failures in former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, but also to the challenges ahead. These include dealing with more violent environments, fake news campaigns, and a divided world that is preventing peacekeeping’s ultimate goal of successfully restoring stable governments.
'Romeo & Juliet' stars' lawsuit over 1968 film's teen nude scene tossed
A Los Angeles County judge says she will dismiss a lawsuit that the stars of the 1968 film “Romeo and Juliet” filed over a nude scene shot when they were in their mid-teens. Actors Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, who are both 72, alleged that they were sexually abused when director Franco Zeffirelli shot the scene. But the judge granted a request from Paramount Pictures to dismiss the lawsuit. She said laws against child pornography do not apply to the award-winning film, and that the suit was filed too late. The actors' attorney denounced the decision and said they'll file a similar suit in federal court.
Celtics thrive on 3s, beat Heat 110-97 in Game 5 to extend East finals
BOSTON (AP) — Derrick White had 24 points, including six 3-pointers, helping lead the charge as the Boston Celtics dominated the Miami Heat 110-97 in Game 5 on to extend the Eastern Conference finals. Marcus Smart had 23 points and five steals. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown finished with 21 points apiece as the Celtics claimed their second straight win and trimmed Miami’s series lead to 3-2. It keeps alive Boston’s hopes of becoming the first team in NBA history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a best-of-seven series. Game 6 is Saturday in Miami. Duncan Robinson led the Heat with 18 points.