FDA approves over-the-counter Narcan. Here’s what it means
March 29, 2023 GMTThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved selling the leading version of naloxone without a prescription, setting the overdose-reversing drug on course to become the first opioid treatment drug to be sold over the counter.
Some in dry Somalia break Ramadan fast with little but water
March 29, 2023 GMTMOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — This year’s holy month of Ramadan coincides with the longest drought on record in Somalia.
At trial, Minnesota says e-cigarette maker Juul targets kids
March 28, 2023 GMTMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison personally opened his state's case against Juul Labs on Tuesday, accusing the e-cigarette maker of using “slick products, clever ads and attractive flavors” to hook children on nicotine as the first of thousands of cases against the company reached trial.
West Virginia bans marriage for children age 15 or younger
March 29, 2023 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia will no longer allow children under 16 to marry, after the governor signed a compromise bill Wednesday.
The law signed by Republican Gov. Jim Justice continues allowing children ages 16 and 17 to get married with restrictions.
New Maryland provider opening in post-Roe ‘abortion desert’
March 27, 2023 GMTCHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — A new abortion provider is opening this year in Democratic-controlled Maryland — just across from deeply conservative West Virginia, where state lawmakers recently passed a near-total abortion ban.
Kansas high court signals continued abortion rights support
March 27, 2023 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas’ highest court signaled Monday that it still considers access to abortion a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, as an attorney for the state argued that a decisive statewide vote last year affirming abortion rights “doesn't matter."
Arkansas bathroom bill condemned as too extreme is revamped
March 29, 2023 GMTLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — An Arkansas bathroom bill that went further than a 2016 North Carolina law that was repealed after widespread boycotts was revamped Tuesday following complaints from members of the transgender community and their families that it would criminalize trans people simply for using public restrooms.
India’s warm weather plans can’t take the heat, report says
March 28, 2023 GMTBENGALURU, India (AP) — With temperatures set to soar next month, Indian authorities need more resources and better preparation to deal with searing heat particularly for the most vulnerable communities around the country, a New Delhi-based think tank said.
As South bans abortion, thousands turn to Illinois clinics
March 25, 2023 GMTFAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) — Dr. Colleen McNicholas is fresh off performing two abortions when a ringing phone quickly stops her.
“Oh, ugh,” she said, eyes widened, before she darted off to another room.
What is the filibuster, and why does it matter in Nebraska?
March 28, 2023 GMTLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A group of lawmakers is continuing this week to filibuster all bills that come before the Nebraska Legislature — even the ones they support — in protest over a bill that would ban gender-affirming treatments for minors.
California may end travel ban to states with anti-LGBT laws
March 29, 2023 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — When North Carolina in 2016 banned transgender people from using the bathroom of their gender identity in public buildings, California retaliated by banning state-funded travel to that state and any other state with laws it deemed discriminatory against LGBTQ people.
Remembrances, calls for reform at Irvo Otieno’s funeral
March 29, 2023 GMTNORTH CHESTERFIELD, Va. (AP) — Family, friends and other mourners gathered Wednesday at a Virginia church to remember Irvo Otieno at a funeral service, celebrating his life and calling for mental health care and policing reforms after the 28-year-old Black man's death earlier this month while in custody at a state psychiatric hospital.
GOP lawmakers override veto of transgender bill in Kentucky
Climate and Environment issuesMarch 29, 2023 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Kentucky on Wednesday swept aside the Democratic governor’s veto of a bill regulating some of the most personal aspects of life for transgender young people — from banning access to gender-affirming health care to restricting the bathrooms they can use.
SC senators advance ban on gender-affirming care for minors
March 29, 2023 GMTCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — About five dozen advocates for transgender youth rallied outside the South Carolina State House as Republican senators joined their conservative counterparts nationwide in advancing a ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors.
Georgia budget to pay full tuition for college scholarships
March 29, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — Georgia lawmakers are agreeing to a state budget that will pay full tuition for all college students receiving a HOPE Scholarship while boosting pay for all state and university employees and public school teachers.
AP source: Fetterman expected back to Senate in April
March 29, 2023 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman will return to the Senate in April, two months after the freshman Democrat sought inpatient treatment for clinical depression, a person close to Fetterman said Wednesday.
Montana bill to deny care for transgender minors passes
March 29, 2023 GMTHELENA, Mont. (AP) — A Montana bill to deny gender-affirming medical care to young transgender residents passed a final vote in the state Senate on Wednesday, which sends the measure to Republican Gov.
Idaho law could criminalize helping minors get abortions
March 29, 2023 GMTIdaho lawmakers are considering making it illegal for an adult to help a minor procure an abortion without parental consent.
Pope to be hospitalized for days with respiratory infection
March 29, 2023 GMTVATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis was hospitalized with a respiratory infection Wednesday after experiencing difficulty breathing in recent days and will remain in the Rome hospital for several days of treatment, the Vatican said.
Anti-abortion Wisconsin lawmakers now eye Medicaid expansion
March 29, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Low-income Wisconsin mothers could stay on Medicaid longer after giving birth and with less paperwork under a bill that has gained bipartisan support in the Republican-controlled Legislature.
A different March Madness: Online hate for the athletes
March 29, 2023 GMTHOUSTON (AP) — It wasn’t so much that social media was criticizing his son. That happens sometimes — especially after a loss like THAT.
But when a post came up suggesting Terrance Williams II, a junior forward for Michigan, be left for dead in a ditch, his dad decided enough was enough.
Social issues dominate in Women’s Hall of Fame’s new class
March 29, 2023 GMTSENECA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) — A new group of National Women's Hall of Fame inductees includes social justice pioneers, groundbreaking physicians and women who have championed Jewish feminist theology and the financial well-being of Native Americans, the institute announced Wednesday.
Injured All Blacks winger Sevu Reece out of Rugby World Cup
March 29, 2023 GMTWELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — All Blacks winger Sevu Reece has been ruled out of this year’s Rugby World Cup in France with a knee ligament injury which requires surgery.
The veteran of 23 tests was injured in a Super Rugby Pacific match between the Christchurch-based Crusaders and the Auckland-based Blues on March 18, although seriousness of the injury wasn't confirmed until Wednesday.
Kansas moving to raise age for buying tobacco to 21 from 18
March 29, 2023 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is moving to increase its legal age for buying cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and other tobacco products to 21 from 18 after the federal government and most other states already have done it.
16-month-old boy dies from gunshot at Lafayette apartment
March 29, 2023 GMTA 16-month-old child died from a gunshot wound Tuesday at a northwestern Indiana apartment, authorities said, but investigators provided few details.
The shooting killed Isiah Johnson, Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello said.
Elephant in the dining room: Startup makes mammoth meatball
March 29, 2023 GMTAMSTERDAM (AP) — Throw another mammoth on the barbie?
An Australian company on Tuesday lifted the glass cloche on a meatball made of lab-grown cultured meat using the genetic sequence from the long-extinct pachyderm, saying it was meant to fire up public debate about the hi-tech treat.
Mayor: Philadelphia water will not be tainted by spill
March 28, 2023 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia officials say the city's water system will not be affected by a chemical spill into the Delaware River upstream last week.
“We can all confidentially say the threat has passed — I repeat: All the city’s drinking water is safe to drink and will not be impacted by the spill,” Mayor Jim Kenney said Tuesday night.
Wyoming abortion clinic fire suspect to go free pending case
March 28, 2023 GMTCHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — She posted on social media about competing in a bike race, losing her pet hedgehog and visiting a butterfly garden with her grandmother but gave no sign of the anti-abortion views investigators say drove her to set fire to a Wyoming abortion clinic.
Brazil hits 700,000 virus deaths, 2nd highest in the world
March 28, 2023 GMTSAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's government on Tuesday reported the 700,000th death from COVID-19 in the South American nation, which has the second most victims of the virus after the United States.
Brazilian health experts say most people dying of COVID-19 in recent days are either unvaccinated or suffer from other debilitating diseases.
Nets’ Simmons won’t play again this season because of back
March 28, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Ben Simmons won't play again this season because of a nerve injury in his back, ending his disappointing first full season with the Brooklyn Nets after just 42 games.
Simmons saw multiple specialists this week who determined that he should be shut down for the season because of a nerve impingement and begin a rehabilitation program.
Ohio senators introduce bipartisan bill to end death penalty
March 28, 2023 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The death penalty could be abolished in Ohio under upcoming bipartisan legislation announced Tuesday — the latest in what has been years of effort to end capital punishment in the state.
Georgia high court considers whether abortion law is void
March 28, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — Georgia's highest court is considering whether the state's restrictive abortion law is void because it violated U.S.
Millennial Money: Manage the costs of a chronic condition
March 28, 2023 GMTFor millennials with chronic medical conditions — or those raising kids with chronic conditions — health care can be an enormous monthly expense. About 44% of older millennials born between 1981 and 1988 have at least one chronic health condition, including migraines, major depression and asthma, according to a 2021 survey of over 4,000 adults conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of CNBC Make It.
Idaho Senate passes ban on gender-affirming care for minors
March 28, 2023 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Senate on Monday voted 22-12 to pass a bill criminalizing gender-affirming healthcare for minors, one month after the state House passed similar legislation.
Ailing 46-year-old elephant euthanized at Oakland Zoo
March 28, 2023 GMTOAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A 46-year-old African elephant has been euthanized at the Oakland Zoo after suffering arthritis and other age-related problems, the zoo announced Monday.
Lisa was euthanized on Sunday after years of chronic and degenerative health issues that had irreversibly worsened, a zoo statement said.
Indiana bill banning gender-affirming care sent to governor
March 27, 2023 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana House Republicans on Monday approved a bill that would ban all gender-affirming care for minors in the state, sending the measure to Indiana's Republican governor amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation across the U.S.
N. Carolina governor signs Medicaid expansion bill into law
March 27, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday signed a Medicaid expansion law that was a decade in the making and gives the Democrat a legacy-setting victory, although one significant hurdle remains before coverage can be implemented, thanks to a Republican-backed provision.
Washington moves to end child sex abuse lawsuit time limits
March 27, 2023 GMTOLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — People who were sexually abused as children in Washington state may soon be able to bring lawsuits against the state, schools or other institutions for failing to stop the abuse, no matter when it happened.
Minnesota suit against e-cigarette maker Juul goes to trial
March 27, 2023 GMTMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is slated to lead off opening statements expected for Tuesday in his state's lawsuit against Juul Labs – marking the first time any of the thousands of cases against the e-cigarette maker over its alleged marketing to young people is going to play out in a courtroom.
Foes of Kentucky transgender bill push back with radio ads
March 27, 2023 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A well-known Kentucky Republican on Monday blasted the GOP's push for transgender legislation, calling it “a bad look for the party of Abraham Lincoln” in a radio ad coming days before lawmakers could vote to override the Democratic governor's veto of the bill.
Idaho bill to provide free period products in schools fails
March 27, 2023 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — A bill that would have provided free menstrual products in girls bathrooms in Idaho public schools failed in the state House, with at least one Republican lawmaker calling the proposal “very liberal.”
Former governor sues college over chapel name removal
March 27, 2023 GMTA former Republican governor of Vermont has sued Middlebury College, his alma mater, accusing it of cancel culture behavior for removing the name of another former governor and Middlebury graduate from the campus chapel for what the school said was his role in eugenics policies in the early 1900s.
Veto puts Kentucky in thick of fight over transgender rights
March 26, 2023 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's veto of a bill aimed at transgender health care puts the state in the middle of a national fight, but with more immediate consequences as the state's looming election offers an early test on the state-by-state assault on gender-affirming care for minors.
States’ divisions on abortion widen after Roe overturned
March 26, 2023 GMTNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A group of Tennessee Republicans began this year’s legislative session hoping to add narrow exceptions to one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, armed with the belief that most people — even in conservative Tennessee — reject extremes on the issue.
California looks to spend some Medicaid money on housing
March 26, 2023 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — At the start of 2022, Thomas Marshall weighed 311 pounds. He had been hospitalized 10 times in five years, including six surgeries. He had an open wound on his left leg that refused to heal — made worse by living in a dirty, moldy house with five other people, two ball pythons, four Chihuahuas and a cage full of rats.
McConnell leaves rehab facility after therapy for concussion
March 25, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Saturday he has been released from the rehabilitation facility where he had physical therapy for a concussion caused by a fall earlier this month.
Brazil’s Lula cancels trip to China because of pneumonia
March 25, 2023 GMTRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has canceled his trip to China after contracting pneumonia, the presidential palace said on Saturday.
Lula, 77, was admitted to a hospital in the capital of Brasilia with flu-like symptoms and was diagnosed with “bacterial and viral bronchopneumonia due to influenza A,” the palace said in a statement, quoting a medical note signed by Dr.
Idaho governor signs firing squad execution bill into law
March 25, 2023 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — Republican Gov. Brad Little signed a bill allowing execution by firing squad, making Idaho the latest state to turn to older methods of capital punishment amid a nationwide shortage of lethal-injection drugs.
Minnesota nuclear plant shuts down for leak; residents worry
March 24, 2023 GMTMONTICELLO, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota utility began shutting down a nuclear power plant near Minneapolis on Friday after discovering water containing a low level of radioactive material was leaking from a pipe for the second time. While the utility and health officials say it is not dangerous, the issue has prompted concerns among nearby residents and raised questions about aging pipelines.
UN head says survival depends on how people manage water
March 24, 2023 GMTUnited Nations (AP) — Humanity’s survival depends on how people manage water, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Friday at the end of a three-day conference on global water resources during which developing nations made urgent calls for help with cleaner drinking water and better sanitation.
Kentucky governor vetoes sweeping GOP transgender measure
March 24, 2023 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's Democratic governor issued an election-year veto Friday of a sweeping Republican bill aimed at regulating the lives of transgender youths that includes banning access to gender-affirming health care and restricting the bathrooms they can use.
U.S. bishops’ new guidelines aim to limit trans health care
March 24, 2023 GMTUnited States Catholic bishops have issued guidelines that seek to stop Catholic hospitals from providing gender transition care, a move LGBTQ advocates say could harm the physical and emotional health of transgender people within the church.
Hong Kong traffic accident leaves 87 people injured
March 24, 2023 GMTHONG KONG (AP) — Four passenger buses and a truck collided near a Hong Kong road tunnel Friday and 87 people were injured, including children. Most of the injuries were minor.
The accident occurred after midday near a tunnel entrance on Tseung Kwan O Road in Lam Tin, a residential area in Kowloon.
Court blocks COVID-19 vaccine mandate for US gov’t workers
March 24, 2023 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — President Joe Biden’s order that federal employees get vaccinated against COVID-19 has been blocked by a federal appeals court.
Ignoring experts, China’s sudden zero-COVID exit cost lives
March 24, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — When China suddenly scrapped onerous zero-COVID measures in December, the country wasn’t ready for a massive onslaught of cases, with hospitals turning away ambulances and crematoriums burning bodies around the clock.
Ignoring experts, China’s sudden zero-COVID exit cost lives
March 24, 2023 GMTBEIJING (AP) — When China suddenly scrapped onerous zero-COVID measures in December, the country wasn’t ready for a massive onslaught of cases. Hospitals turned away ambulances, crematoriums burned bodies around the clock, and relatives hauled dead loved ones to warehouses for lack of storage space.
Radioactive water leaks at Minn. nuclear plant for 2nd time
March 24, 2023 GMTMONTICELLO, Minn. (AP) — Water containing a radioactive material has leaked for a second time from a nuclear plant near Minneapolis and the plant will be shut down, but there is no danger to the public, the plant’s owner said Thursday.
Gwyneth Paltrow’s lawyer asks about missing GoPro video
March 24, 2023 GMTPARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Gwyneth Paltrow's attorneys asked the daughter of a man suing the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer over a 2016 ski collision about missing GoPro camera footage that they called “the most important piece of evidence" at trial Thursday.
LPGA tournament in Taiwan canceled for 4th straight year
March 24, 2023 GMTDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The LPGA Tour says the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA tournament is being canceled for the fourth consecutive year, citing operational factors.
The LPGA said the decision was reached mutually with the Swinging Skirts Golf Foundation, which has sponsored the event since 2014, when it was first played in California.
NC approves Medicaid expansion, reversing long opposition
March 24, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A Medicaid expansion deal in North Carolina received final legislative approval on Thursday, capping a decade of debate over whether the closely politically divided state should accept the federal government's coverage for hundreds of thousands of low-income adults.
Surge in eating disorders spurs state legislative action
March 23, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — Stranded at home amid pandemic lockdowns in spring 2020, Emma Warford stumbled down a social media rabbit hole in her quest to get in shape. Viral 28-day fitness challenges. YouTubers promising “hourglass abs.” Diet videos where slim-stomached influencers peddled calorie-tracking apps.
Lawsuit challenges Florida ban on gender-affirming care
March 23, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Four families challenging Florida’s prohibition against puberty-blocking hormones and gender-affirming surgeries for minors filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against state health officials.
Minnesota moves to strengthen status as ‘trans refuge state’
March 23, 2023 GMTST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota House was moving Thursday toward strengthening the state's protections for children and their families who come for gender-affirming care by making Minnesota a “trans refuge state,” bucking a national backlash against transgender rights.
Lawmakers advance hospital visitation protections
March 23, 2023 GMTMONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers on Thursday advanced legislation requiring hospitals and nursing homes to allow in-person visits, even during a pandemic.
The Alabama Senate approved the bill on a 33-0 vote after members shared stories of people being separated from loved ones during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Georgia budget may cut university funds, boost scholarships
March 23, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — The Georgia Senate passed a budget on Thursday that cuts $87 million from teaching at the state’s public universities, money connected to a dispute with the House over hospital permits and funding.
Georgia House approves blocking COVID-19 vaccine mandates
March 23, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — Any COVID-19 vaccine requirement by public schools, state agencies or local governments would be blocked under legislation given final approval by the Georgia House on Thursday.
The House voted 99-69 in favor of Senate Bill 1, which would make permanent what had been a one-year ban enacted in 2022.
Autism now more common among Black, Hispanic kids in US
March 23, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — For the first time, autism is being diagnosed more frequently in Black and Hispanic children than in white kids in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
Idaho abortion law one reason hospital won’t deliver babies
March 23, 2023 GMTA rural hospital in northern Idaho will stop delivering babies or providing other obstetrical care, citing a shifting legal climate in which recently enacted state laws could subject physicians to prosecution for providing abortions, among other reasons.
Missouri school to stay closed after contamination scare
March 23, 2023 GMTA Missouri grade school that was shut down last year amid concerns of possible radioactive contamination will not reopen, the school district said Thursday.
Many millions die without clean water or sanitation, UN says
March 23, 2023 GMTUNITED NATIONS (AP) — A lack of drinking water and healthy sanitation infrastructure is dire around the world and getting worse, United Nations experts warned in a report issued Thursday.
Georgia law will ban most transgender care for kids under 18
March 23, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — Georgia will ban most gender-affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapies for transgender people younger than 18, under a new law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday.
Legislators gave final approval to the law on Tuesday, despite impassioned pleas from Democrats and LGBTQ advocates against what has become the most fiercely contested bill of Georgia's 2023 legislative session.
Abortion-rights supporters prevail in New Hampshire House
March 23, 2023 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — In a victory for abortion-rights supporters, the Republican-led but closely divided New Hampshire House on Thursday rejected multiple bills to further restrict abortion access while also approving legislation to protect it.
Iowa governor signs gender-affirming care ban, bathroom law
March 23, 2023 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has signed a pair of laws restricting the bathrooms transgender students can use and banning gender-affirming medical care amid a flood of legislation nationwide targeting the trans community.
Man sentenced in girlfriend’s slaying; remains found buried
March 23, 2023 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ind. (AP) — A southern Indiana man has been sentenced in the death of his live-in girlfriend whose remains were found in a shallow grave.
A judge on Thursday ordered Patrick Doyle, 40, to serve 85 years in prison, Bartholomew County Prosecutor Lindsey Holden-Kay said.
Feds: Woman charged in Wyoming clinic fire opposes abortion
March 23, 2023 GMTCHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A woman accused of setting fire last year to a Wyoming abortion clinic that was under construction told investigators that she opposes abortion and was experiencing anxiety and nightmares over the facility opening, authorities say in court documents.
Fetterman expected back ‘soon,’ but no certain timeline yet
March 23, 2023 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman's office said Thursday that he is expected to return soon to the chamber, although Democratic leaders are giving no timeline five weeks after he sought inpatient treatment for clinical depression.
Missouri Senate OKs limits on transgender treatments, sports
March 23, 2023 GMTJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri youths no longer could receive gender-affirming treatments under a bill passed Thursday by the state Senate.
Ky governor stops sale of drug known as ‘gas station heroin’
March 23, 2023 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's governor took emergency action Thursday to halt the sale of a drug commonly known as “gas station heroin” that he warned poses a threat in a state battling addiction and overdose problems.