The Titan submersible imploded, killing all 5 on board, the US Coast Guard says
The U.S. Coast Guard says a missing submersible imploded near the wreckage of the Titanic, killing all five people on board. Coast Guard officials said during a news conference Thursday that they’ve notified the families of the crew of the Titan, which had been missing for several days. OceanGate Expeditions is the company that owned and operated the vessel. The company issued a statement expressing its sorrow and lauding the passengers as adventurers with a “deep passion for exploring and protecting the world’s oceans.” A senior U.S. military official says a Navy acoustic system detected an “anomaly” Sunday that was likely the Titan’s fatal implosion.
House Republicans push off Biden impeachment bid for now as hard-right clamors for action
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hard-right House Republicans pressing to impeach President Joe Biden forced a vote Thursday that sends an impeachment measure to House committees. But they're under no obligation to act on the resolution from Rep. Lauren Boebert. Her effort is a clear demonstration of the challenge that Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces in controlling the majority party. Boebert's resolution charges Biden with “high crimes and misdemeanors” over his handling of the U.S. border with Mexico. Many of her colleagues view the matter as a political distraction from other priorities. Democrats said the case against Biden made a mockery of the seriousness of impeachment and was merely an attempt to distract from the twice-impeached Donald Trump.
Supreme Court rules against Navajo Nation in Colorado River water rights case
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled against the Navajo Nation in a dispute involving water from the drought-stricken Colorado River. States that draw water from the river — Arizona, Nevada and Colorado — and water districts in California had urged the court to decide for them, and that's what the justices did. Colorado said siding with the Navajo Nation would undermine existing agreements and disrupt the river's management. The Biden administration said that if the court ruled for the Navajo Nation, the government could face lawsuits from many other tribes. The Navajo Nation's president says the ruling is “disappointing" and lawyers are reviewing it. A lawyer who represented states opposing the tribe’s claims says the justices “ruled exactly right.”
India's Modi brings comedy game to big White House dinner in his honor
WASHINGTON (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought his comedy game to Thursday's big White House dinner in his honor. Modi cracked jokes about his lack of singing chops and the time President Joe Biden wanted him to eat even though he was fasting. Modi isn't known for having a sense of humor, but he had the nearly 400 guests in stitches throughout his toast. Titans of business, fashion, entertainment and more made the guest list. Designer Ralph Lauren, filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and tennis legend Billie Jean King were among those rubbing shoulders with tech leaders from Apple, Google and Microsoft.
Tech billionaires' cage match? Musk throws down the gauntlet and Zuckerberg accepts challenge
WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg are ready to fight, offline. In a now-viral back-and-forth seen on Twitter and Instagram this week, the two tech billionaires seemingly agreed to a “cage match” face off. It all started when Musk, who owns Twitter, responded to a tweet about Meta reportedly preparing to release a new Twitter rival called “Threads.” Musk proposed a cage match between himself and Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta. Zuckerberg soon responded — and appeared to agree to Musk’s proposal by asking for a match location. Whether or not Musk and Zuckerberg actually make it to the ring has yet to be seen. But, even if their agreement is all a joke, the banter gained attention.
Judge blocks Wyoming’s 1st-in-the-nation abortion pill ban while court decides lawsuit
CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A judge has blocked Wyoming’s first-in-the-nation ban on abortion pills before it was set to be implemented July 1. While several states have banned abortion outright or restricted access to abortion pills, Wyoming in March became the first state with an explicit ban on abortion pills. Teton County Judge Melissa Owens issued the ruling after hearing arguments Thursday for and against allowing the ban to take effect pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging the new law. The ban would limit services at two Wyoming clinics including one that opened in Casper in April. Owens has now blocked three abortion bans signed into law by the Republican governor who appointed her.
3M reaches $10.3 billion settlement over contamination of water systems with 'forever chemicals'
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Chemical manufacturer 3M has agreed to pay at least $10.3 billion to settle lawsuits over contamination of many U.S. public drinking water systems with potentially harmful compounds known as PFAS. The deal was announced Thursday by the company based in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an attorney representing hundreds of public water systems. 3M is a leading maker of PFAS chemicals used widely in firefighting foams and many nonstick and grease-resistant consumer products. They're described as “forever chemicals” because they don’t degrade naturally in the environment. PFAS compounds been linked to a variety of health problems, including liver and immune-system damage and some cancers.
DeSantis sues Biden administration over university accrediting system
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says the state is suing the Biden administration and U.S. Department of Education over accreditation agencies that control federal aid for students. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale federal court. It challenges a federal law that requires colleges and universities to submit to private accreditors to qualify for federal funding. It also targets U.S. Department of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and other federal officials. DeSantis, who is seeking the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Thursday called the federal law unconstitutional because they say it seeks to “trump” state laws. DeSantis says he's asking the court to find the arrangement to be unconstitutional.
Victor Wembanyama is the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, with expectations of stardom
NEW YORK (AP) — Victor Wembanyama is the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, headed to San Antonio with enormous expectations to become basketball’s newest sensation. The selection of the 19-year-old from France that had been a foregone conclusion for months was announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Wembanyama arrives with far more height and hype than most No. 1 picks. Listed at 7-foot-4, he dominated his French league in his final season there, leading all players in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Brandon Miller of Alabama was the No. 2 pick by the Charlotte Hornets and Scoot Henderson went third to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Pop star Kesha and producer Dr. Luke settle longstanding legal battle over rape, defamation claims
NEW YORK (AP) — Pop star Kesha and producer Dr. Luke have settled nearly a decade of suits and countersuits over her accusation that he drugged and raped her and his claim that she made it up and defamed him. Both announced it on Instagram on Thursday and issued statements. She wrote that “only God knows what happened that night.” Dr. Luke wrote that he is “absolutely certain that nothing happened" between them. Terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed. The deal averts a trial that had been scheduled to begin this summer in New York.
