Trump set to highlight violent crime reduction during a visit to New York police academy

August 15, 2026

GARDEN CITY, N.Y. (AP) — President Donald Trump highlighted his record on crime and safety during a visit to New York on Friday, pivoting to one of his strongest issues as he looks to boost Republicans in battleground races ahead of the November midterms. Trump was visiting the Nassau County police academy in suburban Long Island, where he promoted new FBI crime statistics being released Friday showing a decrease in violent crime for 2025. Trump’s visit was aimed at boosting Republican candidates in closely contested races across his home state, but just how much his presence ...

Former high-ranking Democratic legislator in New Mexico convicted in federal fraud case

August 15, 2026

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A former high-ranking New Mexico Democratic legislator has been convicted of dozens of federal charges stemming from a yearslong scheme to divert money from public schools to a friend’s company in exchange for kickbacks. Jurors reached the verdict Friday, following a trial that included testimony from Sheryl Williams Stapleton’s former colleagues, investigators and tax experts. Williams Stapleton, who declined to testify, could face 20 years in federal prison when sentenced. A grand jury indicted Williams Stapleton, 69, in March 2024 on more than three ...

Federal judge denies attempt to strike down Mississippi county’s majority-Black judicial districts

August 15, 2026

A federal judge, at least for now, has denied a request to prevent a majority-Black section of voters from electing new county judges months before the election begins. The ruling comes in a lawsuit filed by Robert Foster, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate and current DeSoto County supervisor, and others who claim the Legislature’s creation of majority-Black subdistricts for the state judiciary violates the Voting Rights Act. The lawsuit came after the U.S. Supreme Court’s May Louisiana v. Callais decision rolled back protections for minority voters during ...

An ‘influencer’ degree? Colleges bet on content creator major as critics question its value

August 15, 2026

Ask a teen what they want to be when they grow up, and there’s a fair chance being an influencer is on their list. Digital media and the people who star in it have been cultural mainstays for teens’ entire lives, so creating social media, video or podcast content seems a natural, albeit ...

The hidden politics of time: How clocks, calendars — and now-contentious time zones — came to be

August 15, 2026

NEW YORK (AP) — It flies. It heals all wounds. It can be of the essence, and it can be money. We thrill in the best of it, lament the worst. We’re warned not to waste it, since we can’t turn it back — even as we try to make up for when it’s lost. And probably more than anything ...

Nero’s Bridge emerges from Tiber River as Rome faces water crisis

August 15, 2026

ROME (AP) — The remains of an ancient bridge have emerged in Rome’s Tiber River, near St. Peter’s Basilica, as weeks with virtually no rain caused water levels to plunge. The bridge — known as Nero’s Bridge, named for the former Roman emperor — once connected Rome’s city center ...