FDA will drop two-study requirement for new drug approvals

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Food and Drug Administration plans to drop its longtime standard of requiring two rigorous studies to win approval for new drugs, the latest change from Trump administration officials vowing to speed up the availability of certain medical products.

Democrats recruit popular content creators to win Latino voters

WASHINGTON (AP) – An evening rally to boost Democratic turnout for Texas’ rapidly approaching primary featured plenty of the state party’s political star power, but it was someone who won’t be on a ballot who drew the most attention.

The plot that led to a DEA supervisor's downfall in Dominican Republic

MIAMI (AP) – The scheme began, investigators say, with a hushed message passed along by a music promoter in the Caribbean: Instead of the usual years-long wait to apply for permission to enter the United States, a visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic could be had in as little as two weeks. All it took was $10,000 in cash.

Lawmaker says US deported sick baby, while authorities say child was cleared

U.S. immigration authorities deported a 2-month-old baby with bronchitis to Mexico along with his family, a U.S. representative from Texas said. The child was so sick he had been unresponsive “in the last several hours” but was discharged from the hospital anyway, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said Tuesday in an X post.

 

Children of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson honor his legacy

CHICAGO (AP) – From jokes about his well-known stubbornness to tears grieving the loss of a parent, the adult children of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. gave an emotional tribute Wednesday honoring the legacy of the late civil rights icon, a day after his death.

Snow drought helped set the stage for deadly California avalanche

A weekslong “snow drought” in Northern California’s Sierra Nevada helped set the stage for Tuesday’s deadly avalanche, after several feet of new snow fell on an earlier layer that had hardened, making it unstable and easily triggered, experts said.

Early prenatal care is on the decline in the US

Early prenatal care improves the chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby. But a new federal report shows it’s been on the decline. The share of U.S. births to women who began prenatal care in the first trimester dropped from 78.3% in 2021 to 75.5% in 2024, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.

Hawaii residents could be allowed to kill wild chickens

HONOLULU (AP) – The crowing starts well before the sun rises over Mason Aiona’s home in Hawaii. But the 3 a.m. rooster alarm isn’t what bothers the retiree the most. It’s spending most of the day shooing away wild chickens that dig holes in his yard, listening to constant squawking and feather-flapping, and scolding people who feed the feral birds.

Catholics return to confession focused on grace

The Lenten period for penance started this week with Ash Wednesday, and some Catholic priests are happily bracing for long lines outside the confessional. The faithful across the United States are embracing anew the sacrament that has shifted from embarrassing recitation of sin to cathartic quest for grace.