Forced from Grand Canyon National Park, the Havasupai Tribe embraces spiritual homecoming
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — Members of a small tribe in Arizona are marking the renaming of a popular campground in Grand Canyon National Park as Havasupai Gardens. The Havasupai Tribe had lobbied the federal government for years to change the name from Indian Garden. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names granted approval in November. Tribal members trekked down a portion of the Bright Angel Trail last week for a blessing and dedication ceremony. It was an emotional homecoming for participants. And for the federal government, it was a reckoning of sorts nearly a century after it forced the last of the Havasupai people from the land.
DeSantis in Iowa warns of GOP ‘culture of losing’ as weather sidelines Trump’s event in the state
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is seeking to weaken former President Donald Trump’s grip on the Republican Party as he courts voters in battleground Iowa. Both prospects for the GOP presidential nomination were to hold events in the state Saturday, but a tornado warning prompted Trump to cancel his. DeSantis is expected to announce his 2024 presidential campaign any day. He briefly flipped burgers and pork chops at a picnic fundraiser in Sioux Center that drew hundreds of conservatives. At the podium, DeSantis highlighted his willingness to embrace conservative cultural fights and sprinkled his remarks with indirect jabs at Trump.
Biden’s reelection pitch that he can govern well faces daunting challenges with debt, border, more
WASHINGTON (AP) — Three weeks since launching his reelection campaign, President Joe Biden is confronting a sweeping set of problems in his day job that defy easy solutions and are not entirely within his control. If, as his advisers believe, the single best thing Biden can do for his reelection prospects is to govern well, then the coming weeks can pose a near-existential test of his path to a second term. He’s facing a showdown with Congress over the debt limit, chaos at the border as pandemic restrictions ease, and a pivotal foreign trip meant to sustain support for Ukraine and contain a more assertive China in the Indo-Pacific.
North Carolina governor vetoes abortion limits, launches override showdown
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s Democratic governor has vetoed legislation that would have banned nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. The veto came Saturday, during a public rally. About a thousand abortion-rights activists and voters watched on a plaza in Raleigh as Gov. Roy Cooper affixed his veto stamp to the bill, which also places additional restrictions on physicians, abortion clinics and the women seeking the procedure. The veto launches a major test for leaders of the GOP-controlled General Assembly to attempt to override Cooper’s veto. Cooper is a strong abortion-rights supporter. He had until Sunday night to act on the measure that would tighten current state law that bans most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Pop acts sing for glory at Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, with Ukraine in spotlight
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — The grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest has kicked off in Liverpool. A Swedish diva and a party-loving Finnish rapper among favorites to win a joyous multinational music competition clouded, for a second year running, by the war in Ukraine. Britain is hosting the event on behalf of Ukraine, which won last year’s competition, and the show includes performances by Ukrainian musicians including 2022 Eurovision winner Kalush Orchestra. Swedish singer Loreen is bookies’ favorite to win the competition, with Finnish party rapper Käärijä also a strong contender. Twenty-six countries are competing in the grand final, with the winner decided by a mix of jury and public votes.
Zelenskyy meets Pope Francis at Vatican and seeks backing for Ukraine’s peace plan
ROME (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, saying later he sought the pontiff’s support for Ukraine’s peace plan. The pontiff has previously offered his efforts to try to end the war that Russia began with its invasion of Ukraine a year ago. Francis has previously said the Vatican has launched a behind-the-scenes initiative to try to end the war. Earlier on Saturday, Zelenskyy received assurances from Italian leaders of continued military and financial support. Premier Giorgia Meloni, who staunchly supports military aid for Ukraine, said Italy would back the country “360 degrees for all the time necessary and beyond.”
Israel and Islamic Jihad agree on cease-fire to end 5 days of fighting
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group in the Gaza Strip have agreed to an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire, ending five days of intense fighting that left 33 Palestinians, including at least 13 civilians dead. Two people in Israel were killed by rocket fire. The cease-fire took effect just after 10 p.m., with a last-minute burst of rocket fire and Israeli airstrikes stretching several minutes past the deadline announced by Egypt. While the tenuous calm brought a sense of relief to the region, the agreement did nothing to address the underlying issues that have fueled numerous rounds of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip.
Michigan boy uses a slingshot to save his sister from being abducted from backyard, police say
ALPENA, Mich. (AP) — Authorities in Michigan say a girl was able to escape an attempted kidnapping when her brother used a slingshot to strike the would-be attacker this week. The Michigan State Police arrested the accused assailant, a 17-year-old boy, on Wednesday. They say the 8-year-old girl was in her backyard when the teen came out of the woods, grabbed her and covered her mouth. According to police, the girl’s 13-year-old brother hit the alleged attacker in the head and chest using a slingshot. The suspect was arrested later in the city of Alpena. His name hasn’t been released although he has been charged as an adult.
Tennessee company refuses US request to recall 67 million potentially dangerous air bag inflators
DETROIT (AP) — A Tennessee company could be heading for a legal battle with U.S. auto safety regulators after refusing a request to recall millions of potentially dangerous air bag inflators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is demanding that ARC Automotive of Knoxville recall 67 million inflators because they could explode and hurl shrapnel. The agency says at least two people have been killed in the U.S. and Canada, and six others have been hurt as a result of defective ARC inflators. The recall would cover about one-quarter of the vehicles now on U.S. roadways. In a letter posted late Friday, the agency told ARC that it has tentatively concluded a that the inflators have a safety defect. But ARC responded that no defect exists.
McDonald’s found liable for hot Chicken McNugget that burned girl
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A jury in Florida says McDonald’s and a franchise holder are fault after a hot Chicken McNugget from a Happy Meal fell on a little girl’s leg and caused second-degree burns. Thursday’s split decision found the franchise holder liable for negligence and failure to warn customers about the risk of hot food. It found McDonald’s USA liable for failing to provide instructions for safe handling of the food. The girl’s mother ordered Happy Meals from a drive-thru in 2019. A nugget fell onto her 4-year-old daughter’s leg. A second jury determine how much McDonald’s USA and franchise holder Upchurch Foods will have to pay the family.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.