Trump lashes out at allies as Iran war and strait closure push fuel prices higher
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with allies who have been unwilling to help the U.S. war effort, telling them to “go get your own oil” as the conflict with Iran and its closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent average U.S. gas prices past $4 a gallon. He made the comments on social media after U.S. strikes hit a city that is home to one of Iran’s main nuclear sites. Tehran meanwhile attacked a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Persian Gulf on Tuesday. The attacks showed the intensity of the war more than a month after the U.S. and Israel launched their first strikes. The conflict has left more than 3,000 dead.
Gas prices eclipse $4 a gallon in the US, the highest since 2022
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. gas prices have jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 as fuel prices continue to soar worldwide amid the Iran war. According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now $4.02 — over a dollar more expensive than before the war began on Feb. 28. That's the largest monthly jump the motor club has seen on record. As drivers pay more to cover necessities like gas, many households may be forced to cut their budgets in other places. And as businesses face higher transportation costs, prices of things like groceries and other goods people buy each day could also rise.
A US journalist was kidnapped in Baghdad and a search is underway, Iraqi officials say
BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi officials say an American journalist was kidnapped in Baghdad and security forces are pursuing her captors. The journalist was identified as freelancer Shelly Kittleson by one of the outlets she worked for. A U.S. official blamed the Iran-backed Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah. Two Iraqi security officials said the journalist was kidnapped on Tuesday and that she has U.S. citizenship. They said that two cars were involved in the kidnapping, one of which crashed while being pursued near the town of Al-Haswa in Babil province southwest of Baghdad. The journalist was the transferred to a second car that fled the scene. The U.S. Embassy had warned about kidnapping risks to U.S. citizens during the Iran war.
Citing First Amendment, federal judge blocks Trump order to end funding for NPR and PBS
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has agreed to permanently block the Trump administration from implementing a presidential directive to end federal funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. The two are media entities that the White House has said are counterproductive to American priorities. U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss cited the First Amendment in his decision. The impact was not immediately clear — both because it will likely be appealed and because too much damage to the public-broadcasting system has already been done, both by the president and Congress.
The Dow surges more than 1,100 points as Wall Street soars to its best day since last spring
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks surged to their best day since last spring as doubt swung back to hope on Wall Street about a possible end to the war with Iran. The S&P 500 leaped 2.9% Tuesday for its largest gain since May. Just a day before, worries about the war had sent the main measure of Wall Street’s health more than 9% below its all-time high set early this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 1,125 points, or 2.5%, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 3.8%. Stocks strengthened after oil prices eased, which also sent yields lower in the bond market.
Judge orders Trump administration to halt White House ballroom construction
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to suspend construction of a $400 million ballroom after it demolished the East Wing of the White House. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in Washington granted a preservationist group’s request for a preliminary injunction that temporarily halts President Donald Trump’s White House ballroom project. Leon wrote that the president is a steward of the White House, not its owner, and said the project needs congressional approval. The ruling was the first major rebuke of Trump’s sweeping efforts to overhaul the White House, but it wasn’t immediately clear what it would mean for a sprawling project that is already well underway. The Trump administration quickly filed a notice to appeal Leon's ruling.
Tiger Woods pleads not guilty to DUI in car crash where authorities say he was found with opioids
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods has entered a not guilty plea in his driving under the influence case in Florida hours after a sheriff’s report said he had pain pills and showed signs of impairment at the scene of the crash last week. The online court docket for Martin County, Florida, showed Woods entered a written plea of not guilty and planned to waive his appearance during an arraignment hearing next month. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office says deputies found two white pills, which were identified as the opioid hydrocodone used to treat pain, in his pocket. They said Woods’ movements were slow and lethargic.
Supreme Court rules against Colorado ban on ‘conversion therapy’ for LGBTQ+ kids
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled against a law banning “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ kids in Colorado, one of about two dozen states that banned the discredited practice. The high court majority sided Tuesday with a Christian counselor who argues the law banning talk therapy violates the First Amendment. The justices agreed the law raises free speech concerns and sent it back to a lower court to decide if it meets a legal standard few laws pass. President Donald Trump’s Republican administration supported the counselor. Colorado said the measure simply bars a practice of using therapy to try to “convert” LGBTQ+ people to heterosexuality, a practice that’s been scientifically discredited and linked to serious harm.
Judge says Penn must turn over information about Jewish employees in US discrimination probe
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the University of Pennsylvania to hand over records about Jewish employees on campus to a federal agency as part of an investigation into antisemitic discrimination. But the judge said Tuesday the school did not have to reveal any employee’s affiliation with a specific group. U.S. District Judge Gerald Pappert said employees can refuse to take part in the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigation but the agency “needs the opportunity to talk to them directly to learn if they have evidence of discrimination.” He mostly upheld a subpoena but said Penn does not have to disclose any worker’s affiliation with a Jewish-related organization nor must it provide information about three groups.
Army suspends 2 helicopter crews that flew near Kid Rock's Nashville home
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The crews of two AH-64 Apache helicopters that hovered next to Kid Rock’s swimming pool while he clapped and saluted on Saturday have been suspended from flying pending an Army investigation of their actions. The entertainer is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump. He posted videos of the helicopters on social media over the weekend. One post included a caption from Kid Rock disparaging Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Kid Rock tells WKRN-TV that it's not unusual for helicopters from nearby Fort Campbell to fly near his home. He says the fact that they stopped to hover near his house was “really cool.”
