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First lady Melania Trump speaks to reporters Thursday, April 9, 2026, in the Grand Foyer of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Melania Trump will push for updating a foster care program during a rare visit to Capitol Hill

Darlene Superville, The Associated Press 3 minute read 6:06 AM CDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump planned a rare appearance on Capitol Hill on Wednesday to join a roundtable discussion with House lawmakers who are sponsoring legislation to update a nearly 30-year-old foster care program by broadening access to a range of services.

The first lady began working on foster care issues after President Donald Trump's first term in office ended in 2021. Her trip to the branch of government at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue follows a similar and successful lobbying effort last year for Congress to send legislation to the president to protect women and children from online sexual exploitation.

The visit also comes a week after Melania Trump's surprise on-camera statement at the White House in which she denied ties to Jeffrey Epstein and knowledge of his crimes, and urged Congress to hold a hearing for his victims. She also demanded an end to “lies” linking her to the late financier and convicted sex offender.

The first lady said on social media that she looked forward to working with Congress to “advance new legislation designed to protect and empower individuals from the foster care community.” Their shared mission, she said, is "to strengthen America’s next generation.”

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New Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon a day after historic talks in Washington

Malak Harb, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

New Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon a day after historic talks in Washington

Malak Harb, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: 7:39 AM CDT

TYRE, Lebanon (AP) — Israeli strikes rocked southern Lebanon overnight and into Wednesday, a day after a first round of historic talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials in Washington. Smoke rose over the coastal city of Tyre, underscoring the fragility of diplomatic efforts.

Though Israeli strikes in Beirut have eased since last week's shattering 10-minute bombardment without warning that killed over 350 people across the country, areas in southern Lebanon remain under frequent attack.

Israel's military has periodically issued warnings telling residents of wide swathes of southern Lebanon to flee, but thousands have stayed, either because they don't want to leave their homes or because they have nowhere to go.

Tyre was once viewed by many displaced families as a relative refuge from the heaviest fighting in areas closer to the Israeli border. Now many residents say there is little sense of safety anywhere as Israel targets the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group.

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Updated: 7:39 AM CDT

Paramedics bury the body of Ghadir Baalbaki, 19, who was killed on Tuesday in an Israeli airstrike, at a temporary mass grave in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

House Democrats will try anti-corruption message to gain traction against Trump

Matt Brown, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

House Democrats will try anti-corruption message to gain traction against Trump

Matt Brown, The Associated Press 4 minute read 8:01 AM CDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Days after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was ousted by an opposition campaign with an anti-corruption message, Democrats want to try the same playbook against President Donald Trump before the midterm elections.

House Democrats will announce Wednesday what they call a task force to overhaul ethics rules and protect access to the ballot. They also want to highlight the Trump family's business dealings and the president's transformation of the federal government.

The task force, which will include a mix of progressive and moderate members, could become a central part of Democrats' messaging as they try to claw back control of Congress from Republicans.

Rep. Joe Morelle, top Democrat on the House Administration Committee and a longtime ally of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, will spearhead the effort. He said Jeffries “fears that we’re losing Americans' faith and trust in government and institutions” because so often "decisions are made based on the personal interests of the members or the president and with little regard for Americans.”

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8:01 AM CDT

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., speaks with reporters outside of the US Capitol, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

Walmart unveils new packaging for its Great Value store brand to reflect changing shopping habits

Anne D'innocenzio, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Walmart unveils new packaging for its Great Value store brand to reflect changing shopping habits

Anne D'innocenzio, The Associated Press 4 minute read 5:05 AM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Walmart is redesigning the packaging of its Great Value store brand to help customers instantly spot whether that bag of spicy chips is gluten free or how much protein is packed in its chicken nuggets.

Great Value is Walmart's biggest private label food brand and one of the largest food and consumer packaged goods labels in the U.S. The redesign of the brand, which spans 10,000 different products, also reflects how shoppers are looking at its store brands in food not as a stepdown from national labels but more as an equivalent.

Among the changes are better images of its food. For example, new packaging for Great Value lasagna shows the meal garnished with a basil leaf served on a full plate displayed on a red checkered table cloth against a red background instead of the lasagna against a white background, to better tempt shoppers to pick up the item, according to Walmart executives.

The changes, announced Wednesday, mark the first full redesign in more than 10 years for the 33-year-old brand. The new packaging will start to appear on shelves next month, according to Scott Morris, senior vice president of Walmart's U.S. private brands division. He emphasized the redesign doesn't include any changes to the products themselves.

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5:05 AM CDT

This image provided by Walmart shows from left, Walmart's Great Value Kettle Cooked Lasagna and the redesigned packaging for Walmart's Great Value Lasagna. (Walmart via AP)

Tax procrastinators, this is how to seek an extension and some other tips at the IRS deadline

Cora Lewis And Adriana Morga, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

Tax procrastinators, this is how to seek an extension and some other tips at the IRS deadline

Cora Lewis And Adriana Morga, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: 8:29 AM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — It's officially Tax Day in the U.S. And if you’ve waited till the last minute to file your 2025 return, don’t panic. You still have time to get it done.

If you're worried that you still might not be able to finish your taxes in time, you also can file for an extension, which will give you until Oct. 15 to file.

Here's what you need to know about Wednesday's deadline — and a few tips to keep in mind.

What do I need to file my tax return?

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Updated: 8:29 AM CDT

FILE- In this Feb. 15, 2018, photo, Susan Prendergast, reference supervisor at the Eudora Welty Library, in Jackson, Miss., adds additional federal tax filing information booklets on a shelf. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns from The Athletic after photos published of her with Mike Vrabel

Rob Maaddi, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns from The Athletic after photos published of her with Mike Vrabel

Rob Maaddi, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 5:14 PM CDT

NFL reporter Dianna Russini has resigned from The Athletic less than a week after published photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at an Arizona resort prompted an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet.

The New York Post last week published the photos of Vrabel and Russini at the Sedona hotel and said they were taken before the NFL owners meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29.

“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published. When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful. In the days that followed, unfortunately, commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” Russini said in a letter sent Tuesday to Athletic Executive Editor Steven Ginsberg and obtained by The Associated Press.

“Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no interest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept. Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now — before my current contract expires on June 30. I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”

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Updated: Yesterday at 5:14 PM CDT

FILE- Reporter Dianna Russini works on the sidelines before the start of an NFL football game between the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos Monday, Sept. 9, 2019, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)

Republican Clay Fuller sworn in to take House seat formerly held by Marjorie Taylor Greene

The Associated Press 1 minute read Preview

Republican Clay Fuller sworn in to take House seat formerly held by Marjorie Taylor Greene

The Associated Press 1 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 6:43 PM CDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Rep. Clay Fuller of Georgia was sworn into office Tuesday after winning a special election to take the congressional seat formerly held by Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Fuller represents a deep red district in northwest Georgia and has sought to align himself with President Donald Trump as much as possible. Fuller will serve out the remaining months of Greene’s term, maintaining Republicans’ slim majority in the House.

Greene resigned her seat after a contentious public fallout with Trump that has shown no signs of letting up despite her exodus from Congress.

“You have sent a warrior to Congress and I can't wait to fight for you each and every day,” Fuller said to his constituents as he addressed the House. “To my Democratic colleagues, I look forward to working with each and every one of you.”

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Updated: Yesterday at 6:43 PM CDT

Republican Clay Fuller speaks during an election night watch party after winning a special election for Georgia's 14th Congressional District, Tuesday, April 7, 2026, in Ringgold, Ga. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Seoul court sentences US YouTuber to 6 months in jail over offensive stunts

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Seoul court sentences US YouTuber to 6 months in jail over offensive stunts

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: 7:03 AM CDT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — An American YouTuber who sparked national outrage in South Korea for provocative stunts, including dancing on a statue honoring victims of wartime sexual slavery, was sentenced to six months in prison by a Seoul court on Wednesday.

The Seoul Western District Court found Ramsey Khalid Ismael, a self-proclaimed internet “troll” known online as Johnny Somali, guilty of multiple charges, including obstruction of business and distributing fabricated sexually explicit content.

Prosecutors had sought a three-year term for Ismael, who also faced accusations of harassing staff and visitors at an amusement park, disrupting a convenience store by blasting music and upending noodles onto a table, causing similar scenes on a bus and subway, and distributing non-consensual deepfake videos.

The court said the 25-year-old displayed “severe” disrespect for South Korean law, noting that he offended countless people with livestreamed stunts aimed at generating YouTube revenue. The court ordered his immediate detention following the verdict, citing him as a flight risk.

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Updated: 7:03 AM CDT

American YouTuber Johnny Somali speaks to reporters as he arrives at the Seoul Western District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, April 15, 2026. (Choi Jae-koo/Yonhap via AP)

They scour the Mexican cartel lands for the missing – and for closure

Eduardo Verdugo And María Verza, The Associated Press 9 minute read Preview

They scour the Mexican cartel lands for the missing – and for closure

Eduardo Verdugo And María Verza, The Associated Press 9 minute read 12:05 AM CDT

GUADALAJARA, México (AP) — For hours under the blistering sun, Raúl Servín shovels and digs his way through days filled with pain, hope and usually frustration. He is looking for his son, gone eight years now — and for “ all the other missing people " in Mexico as well.

Every Tuesday, Servín loads a van with picks, shovels, water and lunches. He commends himself to God. He picks up his three teammates for the day. Then they venture forth into areas where the ground beneath their feet may sometimes hide the bodies of the missing — the victims of foul play in a Mexican state rife with drug cartel violence.

They call themselves the Guerreros Buscadores — the “Searching Warriors." There is much to search for, and dozens of groups like theirs do: More than 130,000 people have been reported missing since 2006, according to official records.

Balancing the search efforts with daily obligations is not easy. Servín lost his job when he started looking for his missing son. Now he works as a waiter on weekends.

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12:05 AM CDT

Raul Servin, whose son disappeared eight years prior, inspects an area where the Guerreros Buscadores group of serarchers suspects bodies may be buried, in Tlajomulco de Zuniga, on the outskirts of Guadalajara, Mexico, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

A small but growing movement wants you to put down your phone. But first read this

Michael Weissenstein, The Associated Press 5 minute read Preview

A small but growing movement wants you to put down your phone. But first read this

Michael Weissenstein, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: 8:42 AM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — More than a dozen millennials gathered in a brownstone apartment in Brooklyn and placed their phones in a metal colander before two hours of reading, drawing and conversation — anything but staring at screens.

A similar scene played out a few miles away, in an early 20th-century cardboard box factory turned high-end office space. Nearly 20 people in their 30s stared at their cellphones for a few minutes. Then they set them down and looked at their bared palms for a while. Then those of their neighbors.

The exercise was meant to drive home the importance of paying attention to real life, not the gleaming little screens that have taken over our world.

A ‘revolution’ against devices

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Updated: 8:42 AM CDT

Guests collect their smartphones at the end of a weekly phone-free gathering at the home of organizer Dan Fox in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

Student kills 4, wounds 20 others, in second school shooting in Turkey in 2 days

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

Student kills 4, wounds 20 others, in second school shooting in Turkey in 2 days

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: 8:51 AM CDT

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A student opened fire on two classrooms at a middle school in southeast Turkey on Wednesday, killing four people and wounding 20 others, an official said, in the second such shooting in the country in two days.

The gunman, who was also killed, arrived at the school armed with guns believed to belong to their father, a retired police officer, Kahramanmaras provincial Gov. Mukerrem Unluer said. The attacker was carrying five firearms and seven magazines.

The victims included a teacher and three students, Unluer said. At least four of the wounded were in serious condition. The motive of the attack wasn't immediately known.

The attack came just a day after 16 people, mostly students, were wounded when a former student opened fire at a high school in nearby Sanliurfa province. The assailant later killed himself or herself.

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Updated: 8:51 AM CDT

People stand at the courtyard of a secondary school where an assailant opened fire, in Kahramanmaras, Turkey, Wednesday, April 15, 2026, (IHA via AP)

7-Eleven expects to close hundreds of its stores in North America this year

The Associated Press 2 minute read Preview

7-Eleven expects to close hundreds of its stores in North America this year

The Associated Press 2 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 3:13 PM CDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Convenience chain 7-Eleven expects to close hundreds of its locations this year.

According to earnings filings published last week, 7-Eleven's North American operator plans to close 645 stores in the 2026 fiscal year — outpacing the 205 locations it forecasts it will open during that same time.

Seven & i Holdings Co., the Japan-based parent of the convenience chain, noted that these closures “include the conversion to wholesale fuel stores.” Financial documents show that 7-Eleven Inc. has steadily opened new wholesale fuel stores in North America over recent years, which accounted for more than 900 locations as of December 2025.

The company did not immediately explain the closures or specify which locations could be impacted. The Associated Press reached out for further information.

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Updated: Yesterday at 3:13 PM CDT

FILE - A 7-Eleven store is seen, Feb. 5, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

How a retired cranberry bog helped change the game for wetland restoration

Jamie Jiang And Julia Vaz Of The Mit Graduate Program In Science Writing, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

How a retired cranberry bog helped change the game for wetland restoration

Jamie Jiang And Julia Vaz Of The Mit Graduate Program In Science Writing, The Associated Press 6 minute read 7:59 AM CDT

PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — Glorianna Davenport looks out at hundreds of acres of protected wetlands that were once her family’s cranberry farms. In her hands are laminated pictures of striking red cranberry bogs fed by razor-straight water channels. It’s hard to believe the land where she stands — full of sinuous streams, wildlife, moss and tall trees — once looked so different.

The land’s transformation, documented through a network of cameras and sensors, offers a playbook for wetland restoration as cranberry farms see slimmer profits from New England to Wisconsin because of climate change and other factors. The crop requires cold winters and plenty of water, but warmer temperatures and longer droughts are challenging harvest seasons.

Settlers in Plymouth were among the first to farm this native New England crop, and since then cranberry farms have been passed down through families for centuries.

“For many of these farmers, it’s their life savings and what they want to pass on to their children,” Davenport says. “It’s very complicated.”

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7:59 AM CDT

April 15, 2026

Melania Trump will push for updating a foster care program during a rare visit to Capitol Hill

Weather

New Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon a day after historic talks in Washington

New Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon a day after historic talks in Washington

House Democrats will try anti-corruption message to gain traction against Trump

House Democrats will try anti-corruption message to gain traction against Trump

Walmart unveils new packaging for its Great Value store brand to reflect changing shopping habits

Walmart unveils new packaging for its Great Value store brand to reflect changing shopping habits

Tax procrastinators, this is how to seek an extension and some other tips at the IRS deadline

Tax procrastinators, this is how to seek an extension and some other tips at the IRS deadline

NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns from The Athletic after photos published of her with Mike Vrabel

NFL reporter Dianna Russini resigns from The Athletic after photos published of her with Mike Vrabel

Republican Clay Fuller sworn in to take House seat formerly held by Marjorie Taylor Greene

Republican Clay Fuller sworn in to take House seat formerly held by Marjorie Taylor Greene

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Raise a glass for a good cause

Seoul court sentences US YouTuber to 6 months in jail over offensive stunts

Seoul court sentences US YouTuber to 6 months in jail over offensive stunts

They scour the Mexican cartel lands for the missing – and for closure

They scour the Mexican cartel lands for the missing – and for closure

A small but growing movement wants you to put down your phone. But first read this

A small but growing movement wants you to put down your phone. But first read this

Student kills 4, wounds 20 others, in second school shooting in Turkey in 2 days

Student kills 4, wounds 20 others, in second school shooting in Turkey in 2 days

7-Eleven expects to close hundreds of its stores in North America this year

7-Eleven expects to close hundreds of its stores in North America this year

How a retired cranberry bog helped change the game for wetland restoration

How a retired cranberry bog helped change the game for wetland restoration

April 15, 2026

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