Black Americans face a new fight after justices' Voting Rights Act ruling

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – At 16, Edward Blackmon Jr. was arrested during a protest for voting rights in his Mississippi hometown. He was loaded with schoolmates into a truck once used to haul chickens and was left in the summer heat before spending three nights in an overcrowded jail cell without a bed.

In one state, voters will get to decide whether to eliminate the income tax

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – It’s not every day – or even every decade – that voters are presented a decision like this: Should the state’s individual income tax be eliminated?

Mississippi Department of Public Safety uncovers rare KKK artifacts

A notebook with meeting minutes and a ledger are among Ku Klux Klan-related items that the Mississippi state government uncovered while clearing out an office, offering new glimpses into the violent white supremacist group known for its secrecy and links to law enforcement.

US-Iran talks begin Sunday in Switzerland as Tehran closes the strait over Lebanon fighting

TYRE, Lebanon (AP) – Iran on Saturday said it had closed the Strait of Hormuz because of Israel’s continued attacks in Lebanon and warned that while negotiators were going to Switzerland for talks with the United States on their interim agreement, not much likely will happen if the fighting doesn’t stop.

Vance meets top Iranian officials as US looks to prod Iran to 'turn over a new leaf'

OBBUERGEN, Switzerland (AP) – U.S. Vice President JD Vance said Sunday there was an opportunity to “turn over a new leaf” with Iran as the sides held talks aimed at building out the interim deal to end the war in Iran reached by the two sides last week.

TSA official stresses record-high airport wait times as shutdown drags on

At a House Homeland Security committee hearing that stretched over three hours on Wednesday, lawmakers and Transportation Security Administration officials stressed the urgency of the ongoing government shutdown as TSA workers scrape by without pay and long security lines wind through some airports.

Abortion pills are gaining ground as a method for ending pregnancies

As states that already ban abortion look to further restrict access this year, much of the focus is on pills sent by out-of-state providers. A survey released Tuesday helps explain the emphasis. It suggests that more women in states with bans obtained abortions last year using the pills prescribed via telehealth than by traveling to places where it’s legal.

Supreme Court sounds skeptical of late-arriving ballots, a Trump target

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court ‘s conservative majority on Monday sounded skeptical of state laws that allow the counting of late-arriving mail ballots, a persistent target of President Donald Trump.

Utah marks a year of battling measles, with no clear end in sight

Utah has spent the past year fighting measles outbreaks – a grim milestone that could affect whether the United States can keep its measles-free designation.