US military says it fired on another merchant vessel trying to breach its blockade of Iranian ports
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — The U.S. military says it has fired on a merchant vessel attempting to breach its blockade of Iranian ports, while Iran targeted American strongholds around the Persian Gulf. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia struck the port city of Hodeida in Yemen. The conflict shows no signs of easing after 13 nights of strikes. U.S. embassies in the Middle East have warned Americans that options to leave could become limited. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard advised residents of neighboring countries to avoid bases with U.S. troops. The Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point, with its closure causing economic turmoil. Diplomatic efforts appear stalled, with no signs of progress in negotiations.
Trump says the US will investigate EU trade practices, claiming the bloc unfairly fined tech giants
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says the United States will open a formal investigation into the European Union’s trade practices. He claims the bloc has unfairly levied billions of dollars of fines against Google, Apple and other U.S. tech giants. Trump made the announcement Friday. A day earlier, the EU hit Google with a fine of $1 billion after it said the technology behemoth broke digital antitrust regulations by setting up Google Play and its ubiquitous search engine to corral consumers toward its own services and apps to the detriment of competitors. Google says the fine hurts European businesses and consumers.
'The show must go on,' Trump says in rambling speech at rescheduled correspondents' dinner
President Donald Trump has returned to the stage of the rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. He delivered a rambling speech that praised some journalists, took potshots at others, made jokes about public figures’ weight and intellect, and quipped about a third presidential term. He assured the crowd of journalists, though, that he’d scrapped the most biting parts of his remarks. His appearance came three months after a gunman upended the original dinner and forced its postponement.
Attorney for family of man killed by Madison police says the officer should be criminally charged
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — An attorney for the family of a man who was shot and killed by Madison police says Corey Ruiz’s death was unjustified, and the officer should be criminally charged. Ruiz was killed on a busy city street Wednesday. Police were investigating reports that someone was trying to enter parked vehicles when they tried to arrest Ruiz. They say Ruiz injured an officer. The officer who fired the shots at Ruiz has not yet been identified. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump called it an unjustified “execution” during an emotional press conference Friday. Ruiz's 13-year-old daughter said her heart is broken. She lives just a few blocks from the place where Ruiz died.
Paramount delays closing Warner buyout while judge considers states' challenge
NEW YORK (AP) — Skydance-owned Paramount has agreed to delay closing its $81 billion buyout of Warner Bros. Discovery well into next year. The move comes as a judge continues to consider a challenge from 12 states seeking to block the deal altogether. In a court filing, Paramount said it wouldn’t close the merger until a court ruling on the merits of the lawsuit or June 1, 2027. Just days ago, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín granted a temporary restraining order requested by the states to freeze the transaction for several weeks. The states allege the merger would “extinguish competition” in Hollywood and lead to fewer choices for consumers.
Stocks waver on Wall Street while crude oil prices fall for the first time in a week
NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks drifted on Wall Street and oil prices fell for the first time in a week, even as heavy fighting in the Middle East again threatened to slow the global flow of oil. The S&P 500 was mostly unchanged Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.6%. All three indexes finished the week lower. After shooting to $102 a barrel a day earlier, Brent crude fell almost 4% to settle at $96.78 a barrel. Treasury yields moved lower in the bond market. European markets rose and Asian markets closed lower.
There are already more US measles cases this year than in all of 2025
The U.S. has surpassed 2025’s record for measles cases, with five months left in 2026. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday it has logged more than 2,300 cases of measles as of Thursday. Major outbreaks in South Carolina, Utah, and Arizona have contributed to the rise. Experts say the actual spread might be greater due to underreporting and declining vaccination rates. For example, experts relying on mathematical modeling and genetic analyses believe a large outbreak on the Utah-Arizona border could be around three to four times bigger than the official count.
Democrats select South Carolina to kick off presidential nominating contest in 2028, leave Iowa out
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats have selected South Carolina to hold the first presidential nominating contest in 2028. The decision Friday most likely cements a Democratic primary calendar that moves away from Iowa and New Hampshire in favor of more racially diverse states. The Democratic National Committee’s Rules and Bylaws Committee weighed competing bids led by South Carolina and Nevada for the first spot. The choice will need to be approved by the full Democratic National Committee, which is scheduled to meet in August.
Teen pleads guilty to murder in a 2024 shooting that left 4 dead at Georgia's Apalachee High School
WINDER, Ga. (AP) — A teenager has pleaded guilty to all 55 counts in a deadly shooting nearly two years ago at Apalachee High School in Georgia. Sixteen-year-old Colt Gray entered the plea Friday without having reached a deal with prosecutors. He had previously pleaded not guilty to charges in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting that killed two students and two teachers, and left several others wounded, at the high school about 45 miles northeast of Atlanta. Because he pleaded guilty to murder, Gray faces a minimum sentence of life in prison. The judge must decide whether he should be eligible for parole.
502 students lose spots at Howard University over tuition payments just weeks before classes start
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 500 incoming students at Howard University have learned this week that they have been unenrolled from the Washington, D.C., school and no longer have spots for the upcoming fall semester that begins Aug. 17. Many have taken to social media — some in tears — to share their stories. The posts have gone viral. Howard is one of about 100 historically Black colleges and universities in the United States. It says Friday that the school sent notifications to 502 first-time-in-college students whose accounts did not reflect the required enrollment and financial obligations by the previously communicated deadlines.
