National Headlines
Lawsuit says Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXAI and Google made illegal agreement on AI slowdown
[caption id="attachment_1542803" align="alignnone" width="1024"] This combination of photos shows CEO & Co-Founder of Anthropic Dario Amodei, top left, on Jan. 23, 2025, co-founder of Google DeepMind Demis Hassabis, top right, and CEO of OpenAI Sam Altman, bottom left, on June 17, 2026, and CEO of SpaceXAI Elon Musk, bottom right, on Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, Julia Demaree Nikhinson)[/caption]A new lawsuit claims Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXAI and Google made an illegal deal to slow the pace of their respective AI development. The lawsuit, which was filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, argues that the leading AI companies violated antitrust laws when they agreed to coordinate slowdown efforts, and that doing so would reduce ... Read More
Thousands join protest outside Kennedy Center, expressing concern that it might be torn down
WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of people joined outside the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Friday evening to protest President Donald Trump’s plans for the facility, lending their voices to a chorus of organizations and individuals who have been horrified that he might make good on his threat to close and tear down the storied institution. The crowd streamed in from the nearest subway stop, crowding streets in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington and locking down traffic as they walked, many carrying signs, as they joined in “Hands Around the Kennedy Center.” At one point some held hands and formed a human chain around the center. Chris Raleigh, co-founder of Hands Off the Arts, which set up ... Read More
Early voting begins in US midterm elections that could flip control of Congress
HENRICO, Va. (AP) — In-person voting for this year’s midterm elections began Friday, ushering in the final six weeks for Americans to decide which party they trust to lead Congress through a cost-of-living crisis, a prolonged war in Iran and other pressing issues. Election administrators say they are prepared and confident the vote will be accurate and secure. Nevertheless, President Donald Trump has continued efforts to denigrate certain voting methods and reshape how elections are run, through court challenges, a federal hunt for noncitizen voters and a pressure campaign to force election officials to share sensitive voter data. Friday was the start of early voting in Virginia. Voters in a few other states, including Minnesota and South Dakota, can cast ... Read More
Holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy trial says he ‘didn’t have any doubts’ during deliberations
Plymouth Superior Court during Lindsay Clancy's murder trial on Aug. 26, 2026,in Plymouth, Massachusetts. (Mel Musto/Getty Image(NEW YORK) -- The man identified as the lone holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy trial is speaking out, saying he "didn't have any doubts" during the jury's seven days of deliberations."I didn't have any doubts. As I tried to explain different possible theories during deliberation, I kept getting cut off as if I had doubts based on the evidence presented," Michael Péguy Desronvil said in a statement shared to ABC News by his attorney on Friday. "Based on all the physical evidence, key witnesses, and what the prosecution presented, I thought it was enough proof that she (Clancy) knew exactly what she was doing and ... Read More
Bryan Kohberger’s family says they support his attempt to challenge conviction
In this July 23, 2025, file photo, Bryan Kohberger appears at the Ada County Courthouse for his sentencing hearing in Boise, Idaho. (Kyle Green, Pool via Getty Images, FILE)(NEW YORK) -- The family of Bryan Kohberger is supporting his efforts to challenge his 2025 conviction, saying in a statement exclusive to ABC News, "Our full support of Bryan’s decision to pursue post-conviction relief does not come from a place of disregard.”Kohberger, who is currently serving four consecutive life sentences for killing four college students in Idaho, said in his petition that the circumstances of his plea deal are now suspect because, among other things, he was “convinced to falsely confess” to a crime he says he did not commit.“My actual ... Read More
Millions dropped from SNAP food assistance as funding faces September uncertainty
A sign indicates the store accepts SNAP benefits on April 21, 2026, in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding could face a major shake-up at the end of September unless Congress passes a resolution to delay major changes included in H.R. 1, commonly known as the GOP's One Big Beautiful Bill.Starting Oct. 1, states will have to pick up 75% of the administrative costs of running the program, with the funding burden of providing benefits to participants set to shift from the federal to state level over the next few years.State and national food assistance groups are calling on Congress to pass a resolution delaying the implementation of this cost shift, to give states ... Read More
Steve Witkoff earned nearly $107M from Trump-affiliated crypto venture, disclosures show
Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff attends a Cabinet Meeting at Camp David on July 31, 2026 in Camp David, Maryland. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff made nearly $107 million last year from a holding company affiliated with World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency firm he cofounded with President Donald Trump and members of their respective families, according to financial disclosures obtained by a government watchdog. Witkoff, one of President Trump's top negotiators working to broker peace deals in the Middle East and Ukraine, was at one point listed as a "co-founder emeritus" on World Liberty's website, a title he shared with President Trump.The firm is operated by Witkoff's son, Zach Witkoff, and Trump's three sons. Trump and Witkoff have both ... Read More
‘We won’t be erased’: Academics defend Black studies amid program cuts
Aidan Keys is a fourth-year PhD student studying African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. (Courtesy Aidan Keys)(NEW YORK) -- At a time when Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts face local and federal backlash, some academics say that Black studies programs -- several of which have been scaled back at colleges and universities across the nation -- are more crucial than ever."The Trump administration has made clear to colleges and universities that they don't want them doing anything that is race conscious. So, institutions are very cowardly defunding and eliminating these academic programs and departments that have enriched the campus for decades," Dr. Shaun Harper, a professor at University of Southern California that specializes ... Read More
Lindsay Clancy trial jurors speak out after mistrial
Exterior view of Plymouth Superior Court during Lindsay Clancy's murder trial on Aug. 26, 2026, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. (Mel Musto/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- Jurors in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy are speaking out after the 12-person group was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, triggering a mistrial in the high-profile case.In an interview with NBC 10 Boston, which aired Tuesday, the jurors discussed their task of determining a verdict after a weekslong trial which centered around the events of Jan. 24, 2023, when Clancy was accused of strangling her 5-year-old daughter Cora, 3-year-old son Dawson and infant son Callan at the family's home in Duxbury, a Boston suburb.Clancy and her attorney, Kevin Reddington, argued that she killed her three children but ... Read More
NTSB to release readout from cockpit voice recorder following Amazon cargo plane crash that killed 5
Investigators continue work to determine what caused the crash of an Amazon cargo plane at Miami International Airport on September 07, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- The National Transportation Safety Board expects to interview the two pilots who were in the cockpit of an Amazon Air cargo plane that overran a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, crashing into a van and leaving five people dead. At a press briefing Tuesday night, NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorders, which she said contains two hours of good-quality audio, and the flight data recorder, which she said contains 55 hours' worth of data. Investigators have already combed through some of the data, which indicated ... Read More
US students’ reading scores take a dive, new data shows
(WASHINGTON) -- New data shows U.S. students continue to fall behind their peers in reading as the country's achievement gap widens, according to results from the latest globally recognized international exam.The 2025 Program for International Assessment, or PISA, found that 15-year-old U.S. students' reading scores fell 14 points from the last time the test was administered, in 2022. The assessment also found that the achievement gap among U.S. readers in the 90th percentile and the 10th percentile was the largest among any other country included in the report.The results come as reading scores among U.S. fourth and eighth grade students worsened in 2024, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, dubbed the nation's report card. The recent plunge has renewed the conversation around ... Read More‘Utter devastation’: NTSB investigation underway after Amazon cargo plane crash leaves 5 dead, 5 injured
NTSB investigators examine the wreckage field Monday after a Boeing 767 cargo plane operating as 21 Air LLC Flight 7598 overran the end of runway 30 while landing Sunday at Miami International Airport; Sept. 7, 2026. (National Transportation Safety Board)(WASHINGTON) -- A National Transportation Safety Board investigation is underway after an Amazon Air cargo plane overran a runway at Miami International Airport on Sunday, leaving five people dead and five injured.Of the five people injured, three remain hospitalized, two of whom are in critical condition and one of whom is in stable condition, Rosie Cordero-Stutz, the Miami-Dade County sheriff, said in a news conference on Tuesday.The five deceased victims were identified in the news conference as: Rolando Aleman Leon, 55; ... Read More
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch resigns amid attacks from Trump administration
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie Bunch speaks during an event at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on Feb. 20, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)(WASHINGTON) -- Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch is stepping down from his position, the institution said Tuesday, after seven years of leading the world's largest museum, education and research complex."I have fought for as long as I can. I love this country and I love the Smithsonian and I will always work to defend our more perfect Union," Bunch told ABC News in a statement, confirming his resignation on Tuesday.Bunch’s resignation comes amid mounting attacks against the Smithsonian from the Trump administration, which has accused Smithsonian leadership of presenting a “radical view” of American history and threatening to ... Read More
Lindsay Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington asks Trump for pardon after mistrial
Kevin Reddington appears on "Good Morning America," Sept. 8, 2026. (ABC News)(NEW YORK) -- Lindsay Clancy's attorney Kevin Reddington said he is hopeful for an agreement between the defense and the district attorney after Clancy's trial ended last week in a hung jury.Reddington also said he hopes President Donald Trump would consider a pardon for his client."Mr. President, I would hope that you would consider this young lady and the person she is, what she's been through, and consider a pardon," Reddington said Tuesday in an interview on "Good Morning America."Clancy pleaded not guilty to three murder charges for the deaths of her 5-year-old daughter Cora, 3-year-old son Dawson and infant son Callan at the family's home in Duxbury, a Boston suburb, on Jan. 24, 2023.Clancy's ... Read More
Man arrested after incident with Ohio Democratic gubernatorial nominee, police say
Mahoning County Sheriff's Office.A 38-year-old Ohio man was arrested Sunday after allegedly "pushing his way" through a crowd at a fair where Amy Acton, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Ohio, was speaking, according to authorities.The suspect, identified by police as Patrick Havas, allegedly knocked two people to the ground before being taken into custody, according to the Mahoning County Sheriff's Office."After his arrest, two handguns and a set of 'brass knuckles' were recovered," a sheriff's office spokesperson said in a statement Sunday. "Investigators say no weapons were ever brandished or even removed from their holsters."The Ohio State Highway Patrol said in a later statement that Havas was booked at the Mahoning County Jail on charges of disorderly conduct and two ... Read More
Lindsay Clancy trial: Judge declares mistrial after emergency request denied
Plymouth Superior Court during Lindsay Clancy's murder trial on Aug. 26, 2026, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. (Mel Musto/Getty Images)(NEW YORK) -- The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mom who killed her three young children while in the family's home on Jan. 24, 2023, has ended in a mistrial after seven days of juror deadlock.Clancy's defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, claims she was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she strangled her children and attempted to take her own life. The prosecutors, Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham, argue that Clancy -- who pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder -- is criminally responsible for her children's deaths.Judge William Sullivan, who is overseeing the trial, has set a court date of ... Read More
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