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Supreme Court expands gun rights, striking New York limits

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Thursday that Americans have a right to carry guns in public, a major expansion of gun rights. The court struck down a New York gun law in a ruling expected to directly impact half a dozen other populous states. The justices’ 6-3 decision is expected to allow more people to legally carry guns on the streets of the nation’s largest cities. It's high court’s first major gun decision in more than a decade. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote for the majority that the Constitution protects “an individual’s right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home.”

1/6 panel to hear of Trump's pressure on Justice Department

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection will hear from former Justice Department officials who faced down a relentless pressure campaign from then-President Donald Trump over the 2020 election results. The officials are also expected to testify about a bizarre challenge from within their own ranks. Thursday's hearing will bring focus to a memorably turbulent stretch at the department as the Republican president sought to bend to his will a law enforcement agency that has long cherished its independence. The testimony aims to show how Trump tried to leverage the authorities of federal executive branch agencies in pursuing his false claims of election fraud.

FDA bans Juul e-cigarettes tied to teen vaping surge

WASHINGTON (AP) — Health officials have ordered vaping company Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the U.S. market. It's the biggest blow yet to the embattled company that is widely blamed for sparking a surge in teen vaping. The announcement Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration is part of a sweeping regulatory review of e-cigarettes, which faced little regulation until recently. Since last fall, the FDA has greenlighted a few e-cigarettes that account for a tiny share of the vaping market. To stay on the market, manufacturers must show their products help reduce the harm of smoking for adults, without appealing to kids.

Afghans bury dead, dig for survivors of devastating quake

GAYAN, Afghanistan (AP) — Villagers rushed to bury the dead and dug by hand through the rubble of their homes in search of survivors of a powerful earthquake in eastern Afghanistan. The Taliban and the international community that fled their takeover struggled to bring help to the disaster’s victims on Thursday. State media reported that Wednesday’s quake killed 1,000 people. In the first independent count, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said around 770 people had been killed in Paktika and Khost provinces. Under a leaden sky, men dug a line of graves in one village, as they tried to lay the dead to rest quickly in line with Muslim tradition.

Biden administration moves to expand Title IX protections

The Biden administration has proposed a dramatic overhaul of campus sexual assault rules. The goal is to expand protections for LGBTQ students, bolster the rights of victims and widen colleges’ responsibilities in addressing sexual misconduct. The proposal comes on the 50th anniversary of the Title IX women’s rights law. It's intended to replace a set of controversial rules issued during the Trump administration by then-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. The current education secretary, Miguel Cardona, says Title IX has been “instrumental” in fighting sexual assault and violence in education. The new proposal is almost certain to be challenged by conservatives, and it’s expected to lead to new legal battles over the rights of transgender students in schools, especially in sports.

The AP Interview: Estonian PM says Russia not weary of war

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has told The Associated Press that the West shouldn't underestimate Russia’s military capabilities in Ukraine and that President Vladimir Putin's forces are in it for the long haul. She also said Wednesday that Europe should ensure that officials in Moscow are prosecuted for war crimes and attempted genocide. She noted that Putin escaped punishment for annexing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and supporting an insurgency in eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region that killed over 14,000 people even before this year’s war began. Kallas praised the unity that Europe has shown in punishing Russia for the invasion. But it will be “more and more difficult over time” to hang together.

European Union leaders set to grant Ukraine candidate status

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders are set to grant Ukraine a candidate status to join the 27-nation bloc. It's a first step in a long and unpredictable journey toward full membership that could take many years to complete. Making Ukraine a contender now seems to be a done deal. But national leaders were initially divided on how quickly to embrace the war-torn country’s request to become an EU member, The Ukrainian government applied only a few days after Russia attacked its neighbor on Feb. 24. EU candidacy doesn't give potential members the automatic right to join the bloc. The start of membership negotiations will depend on Ukraine meeting essential political and economic conditions.

Black veteran groups seek policy agenda on racial inequities

A coalition of former and current service members is holding the first-ever conference for Black veterans in the nation’s capital Thursday. The groups plan to collaborate on a legislative agenda to address longstanding racial, economic and social inequities facing more than 2 million Black American veterans. In addition to disparities in the military justice system, homelessness, and unemployment, federal veterans benefits data show that Black service members’ post-Sept. 11 disability claims have been approved at lower rates than their white counterparts. Advocates say racial inequality in access to veterans benefits can upend the lives of Black people who proudly served their country.

Michigan to destroy some blood spots in fight over consent

DETROIT (AP) — Michigan has agreed to destroy more than 3 million dried blood spots taken from babies and kept in storage. It's all part of a partial settlement in an ongoing lawsuit over consent and privacy in the digital age. Hospitals routinely prick the heels of newborns to draw blood to check for more than 50 rare diseases. That practice isn’t being challenged. The dispute in Michigan is over leftover samples. A blood spot from each child is stored in Lansing while more are stored in Detroit for possible use by scientists. Michigan must get permission from parents to use spots for health research. But attorney Philip Ellison argues that the program might not be constitutional. And the agreement to destroy some blood spots doesn’t end the lawsuit.

Fin-tastic! Growing 'mermaiding' subculture makes a splash

SYDNEY (AP) — Across the world, people are increasingly embracing the subculture of “mermaiding.” At its simplest, these are humans of all genders, shapes and backgrounds who enjoy dressing up as mermaids. In recent years, a growing number have flocked to mermaid conventions and competitions, formed local groups called “pods,” and poured their savings into a multimillion-dollar mermaid tail industry. On a planet plagued by war, disease and social upheaval, many merfolk have found life in the water a refuge. Away from the critics and chaos of life on land, mer-world is the kinder, gentler and more joyful alternative to the real world. Merfolk say it's also a world where you can be whoever and whatever you want.

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