AP

By Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Celebrities, artists and tens of thousands of fans proud to call themselves nerds are converging in Kansas City for the Missouri city’s 25th annual Planet Comicon this weekend. Devotees ranging from “Potterheads” — lovers of the popular Harry Potter series — to “furries” — people dressed as cartoonish

By Associated Press HOUSTON — The Biden administration can keep operating a program that allows a limited number of migrants from four countries to enter the U.S. on humanitarian grounds after a federal judge on Friday dismissed a challenge from Republican-led states. U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton said Texas and 20 other states had

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — Reproductive freedom took center stage during Biden’s State of the Union address, but abortion rights advocates had mixed reactions, raising concerns about the president trying to capitalize on what will be a central campaign issue while avoiding using the word “abortion.” Abortion rights have proved to be a potent issue

By Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The U.S. military said Sunday that it had flown in forces to beef up security at the U.S. Embassy in Haiti and allow nonessential personnel to leave. The aircraft flew to the embassy compound, the U.S. Southern Command said, meaning that the effort involved helicopters. It was careful to

By Associated Press Former U.N. diplomat Giandomenico Picco, whose negotiating skills helped resolve some of the thorniest crises of the 1980s and 1990s, including the Iran-Iraq war and the kidnappings of Westerners by Hezbollah in Lebanon, has died. Picco passed away peacefully Sunday after a long illness, his son, Giacomo Picco, said. He was 75.

By Associated Press SEATTLE — The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into the Boeing jetliner blowout that left a gaping hole on an Alaska Airlines plane this January, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Citing documents and people familiar with the matter, the newspaper said investigators have contacted some passengers and

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has stepped up public pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, warning he’s “hurting Israel” and speaking candidly about “come to Jesus” conversations with the leader over the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Despite Biden’s increased displays of frustration, Israeli officials and Middle East analysts say

By Kerri Raissian University of Connecticut The Conversation via AP For the past few years, guns have been identified as the leading cause of death for children in the United States. There were 2,571 children age 1 to 17 who died in shootings in the U.S. in 2021, 68% more than the 1,531 that occurred

By Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark overcame a cold start to score 30 of her 34 points after halftime and help third-ranked Iowa rally past Nebraska 94-89 in overtime to win a third straight Big Ten Tournament on Sunday. “It never gets old cutting the net,” Clark said after black and gold confetti covered

By Associated Press The Kansas City Chiefs are bringing back versatile linebacker Drue Tranquill on a three-year, $19 million contract, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Thursday night. The person requested anonymity because the team had not announced the contract. Tranquill signed with the Chiefs relatively late last offseason

By Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and star Chris Jones have agreed to the framework of a five-year contract that includes $95 million guaranteed and keeps the All-Pro defensive tackle off the upcoming free-agent market, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press late Saturday.

By Associated Press TUBA CITY, Ariz. — Melissa Blackhair was not eager to spring forward Sunday. “I’m dreading it. I just don’t want to see how much we have to adjust,” Blackhair said while sitting in her home office in Tuba City on the Navajo Nation, the only area in Arizona that follows daylight saving

By Metro Creative Stir-fry is a dish many people, adults and kids alike, seem to love. That popularity is perhaps because no two stir-fry dishes ever seem to be the same or because stir-fry dishes encourage cooks to take chances with ingredients. Those who want to experiment with a tried and true stir-fry success might

By Metro Creative Many people aspire to eat more nutritious foods in an effort to take charge of their overall health. For some, this may include turning to fresh vegetables and plant-based protein sources with greater frequency. While it may seem like a trend, vegan and vegetarian eating can have many benefits, even if people

By My Courier-Tribune Missouri Department of Conservation naturalists celebrate the colors of Missouri’s fish, forests, and wildlife and there is no better month than March to celebrate the coming of green. Green is everywhere in nature. March sees the amorous serenade of several species of frogs. Leopard frogs show dark bronzy spots on a mossy

By My Courier-Tribune Birds are returning to neighborhoods. One in particular is the state bird of Missouri, which is often associate with cheerfulness. Some say its song sounds like “Cheer Cheerful Charmer.” Perhaps that is why the eastern bluebird is thought of as a symbol of happiness. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, bluebirds

By My Courier-Tribune The National Garden Bureau has named African violet as its houseplant of the year for 2024. The choice is an excellent one, said University of Missouri Extension state horticulture specialist David Trinklein. African violets thrive in most interior settings, provide nearly continuous color and are inexpensive, according to a press release. African

By Metro Creative Italian cuisine is beloved across the globe. Flavorful and filling, Italian cuisine is also versatile, as different regions of the country produce very different dishes featuring meat, poultry, fish and, of course, pasta. For those who want to try their hand at Italian cuisine from the comforts of home, the following recipe

By Associated Press NEW YORK — U.S. stocks climbed to records Thursday, with easier interest rates beckoning on the horizon. The S&P 500 rallied 1% to set its 16th all-time high so far this year. It’s been on a terrific run and is on track for its 17th winning week in the last 19 after

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — A sweeping bank regulatory proposal will be significantly revised by year’s end, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Thursday, a potential victory for the large banks that have aggressively opposed the likely changes. The proposed rule, issued last summer by the Fed and other regulatory agencies, is intended to implement

By Associated Press Candy companies want to know: What will make Americans start chewing gum again? Gum’s bubble burst during the COVID-19 pandemic, when masks and social distancing made bad breath less of a worry and fewer people spent on impulse buys. The number of packages of gum sold dropped by nearly a third in

By Associated Press NEW YORK — Once upon a time, there was a brief outage on some social media platforms. It got fixed. The end. On the face of it, kind of a boring story. But the widespread attention given to the blanking of Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, Threads and Messenger platforms on Tuesday suggests another,