News - Friday, March 13, 2026

On any given evening, the glow of a smartphone is hard to miss – on sidewalks, in coffee shops, on college campuses and at kitchen tables across Chattanooga. 

Messages arrive in quick bursts: a meme, a GIF from a favorite comedy sketch, a reminder about dinner plans, a photo of someone’s dog wearing sunglasses. 

A postcard from New Orleans arrived one day in the mailbox of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga freshman James Hill. 

He’d never met the sender. 

On the front was a picture of Jackson Square. On the back, written in tight cursive, was a single sentence: “Running late to the train, but greetings from the Gulf Coast!” 

On a table at Chattanooga’s Arts Friends Market on Feb. 28, Mary Price arranged a small but carefully composed display: rows of handmade greeting cards layered with textured papers, vintage postcards and delicate embellishments. Each one had been assembled piece by piece at her worktable, the result of a creative journey that began with a wedding scrapbook. 

Cindy Mathis has assumed ownership of Aladdin Printing & Copying following the recent passing of founder Ginger Weeks. 

Weeks founded the locally owned print shop in November 1996 after acquiring Bee Line Printing & Copying on Chestnut Street. 

J&J Contractors has been awarded a $29 million construction and renovation project for Soddy Daisy Middle School, a multiyear effort aimed at easing overcrowding and modernizing the school’s facilities. 

Located about 20 minutes north of Chattanooga, the school opened in 1960 to serve students in grades seven through nine. The comprehensive project will include upgrades to existing spaces and construction of a new gymnasium. Work is expected to take nearly three years to complete. Pre-construction activities are underway, with full-scale construction scheduled to begin in October. 

District 3 City Councilmember Jeff Davis is inviting residents to attend and take part in a discussion 2-4 p.m. at the Greenway Farm Conference Center, 4960 Gann Store Road in Hixson, about ongoing and upcoming city projects affecting the Hixson area and development of the city’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year. A question-and-answer session will follow, giving attendees an opportunity to ask about these or any other topics related to city government. 

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has launched a new Nanoengineering Center within the UTC Research Institute, expanding the university’s research work in advanced materials and emerging technologies. 

The center evolved from a Center for Excellence in Applied Computational Science and Engineering Convergent Research Initiative that met key milestones in research growth, collaboration and external funding. 

The Chattanooga Police Department honored more than 50 employees, volunteers and community partners during its annual awards ceremony March 5 recognizing exceptional service and lifesaving actions during the 2025 calendar year. 

Police Chief John Chambers opened the ceremony by praising officers and reminding them of the responsibility they carry in serving the public. 

An award-winning craft brewery with a growing footprint in the Southeast is expanding its presence in Chattanooga. 

Creature Comforts Brewing Company will open the Creature Comforts Beer Garden in the city’s Foundries District, creating a large gathering space inside the historic foundry building known as The Shed, adjacent to the Chattanooga Lookouts’ new home at Erlanger Park. 

It’s never a good thing when a team has more controversy and drama than wins over the final month of the season. That’s been the case for the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team.

From the head coach saying the team ‘quit’ to former players criticizing the program to current players getting benched or leaving, the Lady Vols have been on a downward spiral as Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament approaches.

An outfit calling itself the Christian Employers Alliance says its study of legislation across the U.S. shows that Tennessee lawmakers lead the nation in their support of measures that align “with principles rooted in Scripture.”

“The study found that 100 of the 132 members of the Tennessee General Assembly voted with the biblically based position at least 80% of the time,” the group said in a press release announcing its findings.

When you open a retirement account or buy a life insurance policy, you’re asked to name a beneficiary. It might seem like just another form to fill out, but this simple step can affect your family’s future. 

Many people don’t give beneficiary designations much thought after signing the initial paperwork. It may have been years ago, and life has moved on. But this might surprise you: These designations can override what’s in your will or living trust. That means your retirement accounts and insurance proceeds could end up going to someone you didn’t intend, creating what professionals call an accidental inheritance. 

After years of experimentation and early adoption, automakers are rolling out the next generation of electric vehicles that better align with people’s needs and expectations. This year, you can expect to see new EVs that have more range, easier charging, lower pricing and distinctive designs. 

NEW YORK (AP) — With no clear end in sight, the war with Iran sent oil prices back to $100 per barrel on Thursday, and stocks sank worldwide.

The S&P 500 fell 1.4% and resumed its sharp swings following a couple days of relative calm. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 674 points, or 1.3%, with an hour remaining in trading, and the Nasdaq composite was 1.6% lower.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a broad bill on Thursday to make U.S. housing more accessible and affordable, a rare bipartisan effort in Congress to address a growing national problem.

The bill, which passed 89-10, would reduce regulations, regulate corporate investors and expand how housing dollars can be used to build affordable homes and rentals. It will now head back to the House, which passed a similar bill earlier this year.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have a new coach in Robert Saleh for the upcoming season and are opening a new enclosed stadium in 2027.

So, no reason to wait to update their uniforms and logos.

The Titans unveiled their new look Thursday night at a party featuring current and past players. The new uniforms lean heavily on the history of the franchise, which started in 1960 as the AFL's Houston Oilers. The team celebrates its 30th season in Tennessee this year.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks scored a pair of third-period goals to erase a two-goal deficit then got a shootout goal from Jake DeBrusk to beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 on Thursday night.

The Canucks trailed 3-1 after two periods, but Marco Rossi scored with 4:05 to play to make it 3-2 and Filip Hronek tied it at 3-all with 1:01 left in regulation.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Nate Ament warmed up and started for No. 25 Tennessee on Thursday after missing two games and about two weeks of practice, sidelined by a sprained right ankle.

Nobody watched the clock on how many minutes Ament played.

Coach Rick Barnes never asked.

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State has hired Casey Alexander away from Belmont to take over the men's basketball program, athletic director Gene Taylor announced Friday.

NEW YORK (AP) — Incendiary internal messages in which a Live Nation employee mocks customers as "so stupid" and says the company is "robbing them blind, baby" have been made public as over two dozen states weigh whether to continue their antitrust trial against the entertainment giant and its subsidiary Ticketmaster.

NEW YORK (AP) — Live Nation and the U.S. government announced a deal this week that they say would give artists and venues more choice when it comes to selling concert tickets to music fans. But critics say meaningful changes are far from guaranteed.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The man accused of killing Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus is due back in court Friday as a state judge weighs whether certain documents and proceedings should be open to the public.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration's top drug regulator, Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg, is working to hire a researcher and friend who wants the agency to add new warnings to antidepressants about unproven pregnancy risks, The Associated Press has learned.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Trump administration ramped up a battle with California over the state's nation-leading vehicle-emission standards Thursday, suing air regulators over rules aimed at curbing pollution from cars.

President Donald Trump has long fought California's efforts to curb tailpipe emissions and spur electric vehicle adoption, and last summer he blocked the state's first-in-the-nation ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. He's also routinely criticized California's highest-in-the-nation gas prices, which are largely due to taxes and environmental regulations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An American military refueling plane taking part in the operation against Iran crashed in Iraq and rescue efforts were underway, U.S. Central Command said Thursday.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. A U.S. official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the developing situation, said the KC-135 aircraft that crashed had at least five crew members aboard.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge closely monitored by the Federal Reserve moved higher in January in the latest sign that prices were persistently elevated even before the Iran war caused spikes in oil and gas costs.

Prices rose 2.8% in January compared with a year earlier, the Commerce Department said Friday, slightly below December's increase in a report that was delayed by last fall's six-week government shutdown. The shutdown created a backlog of data that is nearly cleared.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings rose to nearly 7 million in January, better than expected at a time when the American labor market has looked sluggish.

The 6.95 million job postings in January were up from 6.55 million in December, the Labor Department said Friday. That was higher than economists had forecast.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy, hobbled by last fall's 43-day government shutdown, advanced at an unexpectedly sluggish 0.7% annual rate from October through December, the Commerce Department reported Friday in a big downgrade of its initial estimate.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is scrambling to replace the revenue the federal government lost when the Supreme Court struck down his biggest and boldest tariffs last month.

If the effort succeeds, congressional Democrats warn in a study out Friday, the administration's import taxes will cost American households an average of $2,512 in 2026, up 44% from $1,745 in tariff costs last year. And this at a time when U.S. consumers are already angry over the high cost of living and the war with Iran is pushing up energy prices.

PARIS (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday that the U.S. 30-day waiver on Russian oil sanctions amid the Iran war is "not the right decision" and won't help bring a stop to Russia's more than 4-year-old invasion of Ukraine.

"This easing alone by the United States could provide Russia with about $10 billion for the war," Zelenskyy said. "This certainly does not help peace."

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats have filed legislation that would prevent the U.S. from attacking Cuba without congressional approval as they seek to force a vote on President Donald Trump's stated goal of a "takeover" of the Caribbean country.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Sunday and Monday in Paris for a new round of trade talks, the Treasury Department said, paving the way for President Donald Trump's state visit to Beijing starting March 31.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Under pressure from President Donald Trump, Senate Republicans plan to launch a "full and robust debate" next week on legislation to impose strict new proof-of-citizenship requirements, an effort to show Trump that they are serious about the bill even though it doesn't have enough support to pass.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans released cornerback L'Jarius Sneed after two disappointing seasons in a move that frees up more salary cap space, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Friday.

Sneed played only 12 games combined in 2024 and 2025 without a single interception and was placed on injured reserve in October.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday quashed Justice Department subpoenas issued to the Federal Reserve in January, a severe blow to an investigation that has already attracted strong criticism on Capitol Hill.

Judge James Boasberg said that a "mountain of evidence suggests" that the purpose of the subpoenas was simply to pressure the Fed to cut its key interest rate, as President Donald Trump has repeatedly demanded.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed a pair of executive orders aimed at showing his commitment to improving home affordability — a key issue for many voters going into November's election for control of the House and Senate.

Under the first order, the federal government would reduce its own housing regulatory burdens and create incentives for best practices by state and local governments, with the goal of making it easier for builders to construct more homes. The second order would reduce the regulatory burdens tied to mortgages and make it easier for smaller community banks to provide home loans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — All six crew members of a KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed while supporting operations against Iran are dead, the U.S. military said Friday.

U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said the crash in western Iraq on Thursday followed an unspecified incident involving two aircraft in "friendly airspace" and that the other plane landed safely.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The highly resilient U.S. economy was already showing signs of strain even before the launch of the Iran war, data released Friday showed, underscoring the risks that rising gasoline and energy prices may pose.

The economy barely grew in the final three months of last year, the Commerce Department said, as it cut its estimate of fourth-quarter growth in half. Consumer spending, after adjusting for inflation, was anemic in January, as inflation remained sticky-high. Hiring has also ground largely to a standstill. And Americans' outlook for the economy tumbled after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, according to a survey of consumer sentiment also released Friday.

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba has held talks with the U.S. government, President Miguel Díaz-Canel said Friday, marking the first time that the Caribbean country has confirmed such speculation as it grapples with a severe energy crisis.

Díaz-Canel said the talks "were aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences between our two nations. International factors facilitated these exchanges." He did not elaborate on those factors, or provide any details about the talks.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The No. 1 seeds had a clear separation over the rest of the field when last year's NCAA Tournamentbracket was revealed and it played out that way with all those teams reaching the Final Four.

This year's top seeds — Duke, Arizona, Michigan and defending national champion Florida — are the favorites at BetMGM Sportsbook to win the national title.

UConn edged UCLA as the No. 1 overall seed in women's NCAA Tournament when the bracket was announced Sunday night,

Having the top spot in March Madness didn't really matter to Huskies coach Geno Auriemma as he looks to lead the team to another undefeated season with the school's 13th national championship.

NASHVILLE (AP) — John Calipari told his 17th-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks to use the Southeastern Conference Tournament title game to measure where they are before the NCAA Tournament.

Nick Pringle disagreed, saying a league championship was on the line Sunday.

Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey called NCAA language covering tampering rules "archaic," but stopped short of urging the oversight body to halt tampering investigations, the way the Big Ten did earlier this week.

Speaking to reporters Saturday at the SEC basketball tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, the commissioner said the new landscape in college sports, which includes name-image-likeness payments to players, shifting and liberal transfer rules along with the increased influence of agents, calls for the language surrounding the rules to be changed.

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Connor McDavid had three assists, linemate Leon Draisaitl scored, but was injured soon after and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Nashville Predators 3-1 on Sunday to end a two-game losing streak.

Draisaitl took a hard early hit from Ozzy Wiesblatt. The Edmonton star came back for a couple of shifts, but didn't return for the start of the second period.

NEW YORK (AP) — Robocalls, texts, and phishing emails from scammers are up this tax season compared to previous years, with artificial intelligence likely increasing fraud attempts, according to the consumer protection bureau of the Federal Trade Commission. Consumer advocates and government officials urge the public to stay wary, to stop and think before engaging with phone or text messages, and to remember the IRS will not contact you directly by text or phone.

DETROIT (AP) — When gas prices spike, filling up gets more painful. But consumers can do something to stretch their fuel just a little farther: Change the way they drive.

"It's a hard one to swallow, right? You gotta put gas in to go about your day and get to work and pick the kids up from school," said Michael Crossen, Consumer Reports' manager of auto testing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright directed a Texas-based oil and gas company Friday to restore operations in waters off southern California that were damaged by a 2015 oil spill, invoking the Defense Production Act.

NEW YORK (AP) — The CEOs of the nation's top airline companies, including American, Delta, Southwest and JetBlue, are imploring Congress to restore funding to the Department of Homeland Security and embrace a bipartisan solution to pay federal aviation workers including airport security officers during the partial government shutdown.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The University of Florida says it's deactivating the campus College Republicans as a registered student group after being notified that some members engaged in antisemitism.

The deactivation effort at the University of Florida campus marks the second time this month that a public university in Florida has taken action against a Republican group accused of being involved in racist or antisemitic behavior.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security will soon be under new management, an opportunity to reset President Donald Trump's immigration agenda or to double down on his signature campaign promise to conduct the largest deportation operation in American history.

BRUSSELS (AP) — European countries on Monday demanded to know more about U.S. President Donald Trump's plans for the war on Iran and when the conflict might end as they weighed whether to agree to his call to send warships to help shore up security in the Persian Gulf.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States' war with Iran is entering its third week, but Congress has yet to publicly test the Trump administration's case for the conflict.

Republicans in Congress have so far side-stepped public debate over the war, even as Senate Democrats reach for every tool at their disposal to demand hearings with Trump administration officials. Increasingly frustrated, Democrats are threatening this week to force a series of votes on the war, hoping that the effort to gum up the Senate's voting schedule will prod Republicans to action.

PARIS (AP) — China warned Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump's latest tariff moves could harm the countries' trade relationship, at the end of high-level talks in Paris.

Li Chenggang, China's international trade representative, said the Chinese side had expressed serious concern about trade investigations into manufacturing in foreign countries that the Trump administration launched after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down its earlier tariffs.

GREELEY, Colo. (AP) — About 3,800 workers at one of the nation's largest meatpacking plants went on strike Monday in Colorado in what union representatives said was the first walkout at a U.S. beef slaughterhouse in four decades.

Hundreds of strikers picketed in front of the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley, owned by JBS USA, as the sun rose Monday. They walked back in forth in the morning cold, bundled in blankets as some yelled "huelga!" — Spanish for "strike." Others carried signs saying "please don't patronize JBS," written in both English and Spanish.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump may delay his China trip due to the Iran war, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday it's not to pressure Beijing on the Strait of Hormuz.

Bessent said any delay to Trump's trip to Beijing would not be because of disagreements over the Iran war or efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Every day more than $4 billion worth of goods cross the United States' borders with Canada and Mexico – U.S. auto parts headed for car factories in northern Mexico, cartons of Mexican avocados bound for California supermarkets, Canadian aluminum destined to become cans of Campbell Soup.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will hear arguments over the Trump administration's push to end legal protections for people fleeing war and natural disaster from countries around the world, including Haiti and Syria.

The justices refused to immediately lift the protections for hundreds of thousands of people Monday, allowing them to live and work in the U.S. legally for now.

NEW YORK (AP) — A bipartisan group of 13 attorneys general sued the financial company OneMain Financial on Monday, alleging the company placed unwanted additional products and other hidden costs on its loans that led to higher costs for its borrowers.

HOUSTON (AP) — An Afghan immigrant whose family said had worked with U.S. forces in his home country died at a Texas hospital after having been detained by immigration authorities, according to officials.

Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, died at Parkland Hospital in Dallas on Saturday, a day after having been taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump relied on his gut and largely side-stepped diplomatic coordination as he made the decision to launch strikes on Iran with Israel. But now with the war's economic and geopolitical consequences unfurling rapidly, he's cajoling allies and other global powers to help mop up the mess.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Kennedy Center's board of directors voted on Monday to shut down operations for two years following this summer's July 4 celebrations. The widely expected decision comes in the wake of numerous resignations and cancellations during President Donald Trump's second term, although Trump himself has cited the need for repairs as a reason for the closure.

NASHVILLE (AP) — There's a certain vibe on the Vanderbilt campus that's been a long time coming for the Southeastern Conference's smallest and only private university.

Winning.

Football just turned in the best season in program history led by the Heisman Trophy runner-up. Now the men's and women's basketball programs are rolling into the NCAA Tournament with high expectations for the first time in years.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — College Republicans have sued the University of Florida's president on free speech grounds over the school's decision to deactivate its chapter after being notified that at least one member engaged in an antisemitic act.

The University of Florida College Republicans filed the lawsuit Monday in federal court against interim president Donald Landry, asking a judge to stop the enforcement of the school's decision and to restore access to facilities on the Gainesville campus.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's sweeping act of clemency for rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol also should apply to a man charged with planting pipe bombs near the national headquarters of the Democratic and Republican parties on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, the suspect's attorneys argue in a bid to get his case dismissed.

A federal judge on Monday temporarily blocked federal health officials from cutting the number of vaccines recommended for every child, and said U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. likely violated federal procedures in revamping a key vaccine advisory committee.

NEW YORK (AP) — Millions more Americans will likely donate to nonprofits following changes in tax laws passed by Congress last summer, but those changes will also likely reduce the overall amount of money given to charity, according to new research.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Should Sen. Markwayne Mullin be approved as the next secretary of Homeland Security, he will walk into the department's sprawling Washington, D.C., campus with his work cut out for him.

Immigration enforcement is at a crossroads. Disaster-hit states and their lawmakers are angry at delayed federal assistance. Frustrated travelers face long airport security lines due to a monthlong funding battle in Congress.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced his resignation on Tuesday, citing his concerns about the justification for military strikes in Iran and saying he "cannot in good conscience" back the Trump administration's war.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Twice on Monday, President Donald Trump said he'd wrangled a confession of sorts from an Oval Office predecessor who he said had expressed regret in a private conversation about not attacking Iran the way Trump has been doing for more than two weeks.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — More than three decades after Lindsey Graham first arrived in Washington, he has everything he could ever want. The senator has President Donald Trump's ear, a war in Iran and a well-funded path to reelection in his home state of South Carolina.

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon said Tuesday that it has started offering faster U.S. deliveries of selected products for a fee, including pantry staples, clothing, over-the-counter medications, cleaning supplies and electronics.

The e-commerce colossus said customers in more than 2,000 cities, towns and suburban areas can now choose to have orders from its speedy-shipment inventory of 90,000 items delivered in three hours. The charge is $4.99 for Amazon Prime members and $14.99 for nonmembers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is delaying a diplomatic trip to China that had been planned for months but began to unravel as he pressured Beijing and other world powers to use military might to protect the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said Tuesday while meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in the Oval Office that he would be going to China in five or six weeks' time instead of at the end of the month. He said he would be "resetting" his visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, without elaborating.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are launching an unprecedented effort on Tuesday to hold the Senate floor and talk for days about a bill that they know won't pass — an attempt to capture public attention on legislation requiring stricter voter registration rules as President Donald Trump pressures Congress to act before November's midterm elections.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Legislation that would require proof of U.S. citizenship for new voters has become a rallying cry for President Donald Trump, who claims that passage of the bill will "guarantee the midterms" for his Republican Party in November.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An advocacy group hoping to expand support for child and elder care plans to spend $50 million to back Democrats in congressional races, tying the costs of caregiving to the nation's affordability debate.

The Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, created a decade ago, aims to make caregiver issues more salient in elections. The announcement comes as the cost of child care continues to rise and as waiting lists for federal child care subsidies, which support working families in poverty, continue to grow.

LONDON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was due in London on Tuesday for talks with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the British government said, as European countries look to keep international attention on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while the unfolding Iran war engages world leaders.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Former Mississippi and Duke coach and Tennessee assistant David Cutcliffe is retiring as the Southeastern Conference's special assistant to the commissioner for football relations.

The 71-year-old Cutcliffe announced Tuesday he will end his 40-year career in college football when his retirement becomes effective on March 31.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chief Justice John Roberts warned Tuesday that personal criticism of federal judges is dangerous and "it's got to stop," two days after President Donald Trump called a federal judge who ruled against the administration "wacky, nasty, crooked and totally out of control."

NEW YORK (AP) — The transit agency in charge of New York City's subway system sued the Trump administration Tuesday, accusing it of breach of contract for withholding almost $60 million in federal funding that was supposed to help build new stations in Manhattan.

NEW YORK (AP) — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s first year in the Trump administration racked up win after win for the longtime anti-vaccine crusader's allies.

Activists in the "medical freedom" movement were thrilled to see Kennedy fire all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, or ACIP, hire vaccine critics among the replacements, and dramatically downsize the childhood immunization schedule – to the horror of pediatricians across the country.

NEW YORK (AP) — Bank of America has tentatively settled a lawsuit claiming it ignored suspicious financial transactions involving Jeffrey Epstein while he was sexually abusing hundreds of girls and women.

The proposed settlement was revealed in filings in Manhattan federal court on Monday, the same day that billionaire financier Leon Black was originally scheduled to be deposed in the case. Terms were not disclosed. The bank declined to comment through a spokesperson.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday NATO and most other allies have rejected his calls to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, grousing that he has been unable to rally support behind his war of choice in Iran that he insists he's conducting for the good of the world, even if it doesn't appreciate his effort.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Iran war has scrambled the Federal Reserve's outlook on inflation and unemployment and will likely further delay interest rate cuts this year, putting off any relief for consumers struggling with high borrowing costs for home and car purchases.

HAVANA (AP) — The Trump administration made clear Tuesday that it sees Cuba as the next country where the U.S. can play out its desires on the world stage.

"Cuba right now is in very bad shape," President Donald Trump said, a day after Cuba's third nationwide blackout in four months as the socialist island's economy suffers under U.S. sanctions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi was subpoenaed Tuesday to answer questions from Congress about the Justice Department's sex trafficking investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and the agency's handling of millions of files related to the disgraced financier.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Ryan O'Reilly scored the lone goal in the shootout to lift the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.

O'Reilly beat Connor Hellebuyck to the glove side in the first round of the shootout. Predators' netminder Juuse Saros secured the win by stopping Gabriel Vilardi, Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Closing arguments concluded Tuesday in a trial pitting Elon Musk against Twitter shareholders who say the world's richest man engaged in a pattern of deceptive behavior that misled investors as he attempted to back out of his $44 billion deal to buy the social media platform in 2022.

NEW YORK (AP) — A Live Nation Entertainment ticketing employee testified Tuesday at the company's antitrust trial that his private instant messages were "very immature and unacceptable" several years ago when he told a coworker some customers were "so stupid" and boasted of "robbing them blind, baby."

NEW YORK (AP) — The Iran war has rattled the global flow of oil, with steeper fuel costs already straining households worldwide. And in the U.S., drivers are now facing the highest prices they've seen at the pump in about two and a half years.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel kept up its campaign of targeting Iran's leaders on Wednesday, killing the country's intelligence minister, and an Iranian offshore natural gas field was struck in a sign of the war's mounting pressure – from both sides -- on the region's economic lifeblood: energy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. companies will be allowed to do business with Venezuela's state-owned oil and gas company after the Treasury Department eased sanctions, with some limitations, on Wednesday as the Trump administration looks for ways to boost world oil supplies during the Iran war.

HONG KONG (AP) — About 90 ships including oil tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the outset of the war with Iran and it is still exporting millions of barrels of oil at a time when the waterway has been effectively closed, according to maritime and trade data platforms.

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Tennessee farmer Todd Littleton expects to pay $100,000 more for fertilizer this season, a 40% spike from his bill last year thanks to the war in Iran — and he is scrambling to cover that extra cost.

NEW YORK (AP) — As the U.S. and Israel's war against Iran continues to upend energy markets and supply chains worldwide, the Trump administration says it will temporarily waive maritime shipping requirements under a more than century-old law known as the Jones Act.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top Trump administration national security officials facing back-to-back congressional hearings starting Wednesday are expected to be pressed on the war in Iran, including a deadly strike on a school, as well as the FBI's capacity to prevent terror attacks inside the United States.

WASHINGTON (AP) — China won't help the United States reopen the Strait of Hormuz as requested by President Donald Trump, but it is probably welcoming the delay in Trump's highly anticipated trip to Beijing as the U.S. risks getting bogged down in the Middle East, analysts say.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. wholesale prices came in hotter than expected in February, driven partly by a sharp increase in food costs.

The Labor Department reported Wednesday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it hits consumers — rose 0.7% from January, and 3.4% from February 2025. The year-over-year increase was the most since February 2025.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jay Allen is a fan of President Donald Trump, and voted for him on the belief that the Republican would cut taxes and trim regulations, helping his manufacturing business in northeast Arkansas.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A key question hangs over the Federal Reserve's two-day meeting that ends Wednesday: Will central bank policymakers still reduce short-term interest rates this year, now that the Iran war has sent oil prices higher and gas prices spiking? Or will they have to stand pat for months to see how the conflict plays out?

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — A new trade pact between Indonesia and the United States has recast their economic ties, binding Jakarta's resource wealth and energy future more closely to Washington's strategic needs.

Indonesia agreed to widen access for U.S. investors in critical minerals, boost its purchases of U.S. crude and liquefied petroleum gas, back the development of an American coal export corridor and cooperate on small modular nuclear reactors.

TOKYO (AP) — Japan recorded a trade surplus of 57.3 billion yen ($360 million) in February, according to government data released Wednesday, reversing from a deficit a month earlier.

Exports grew at a better-than-expected 4.2% in February to 9.57 trillion yen, the Finance Ministry's seasonally adjusted preliminary data show.

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Paraguay on Tuesday became the latest and final South American country to ratify the landmark free trade agreement between Mercosur and the European Union, which will establish one of the world's largest free trade zones.

The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, has said it will provisionally ratify the deal, meaning the agreement could take effect even as a legal challenge by European lawmakers winds its way through the European Court of Justice.

NEW YORK (AP) — Macy's reported stronger-than-expected profits in the crucial fourth-quarter and comparable sales rose again. The department store said an overhaul of its merchandise and improved customer service led to more spending by shoppers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department says it is adding 12 countries to an expanding list of nations whose citizens must post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply for U.S. visas.

Effective April 2, passport holders from Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles and Tunisia will be required to pay the bond, which is refunded if the visa application is denied or, if granted, the person adheres to the terms of the visa.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency industries spent big and lost often in this week's Illinois primaries, an early setback for technology firms that are trying to reshape the midterm elections and establish themselves as power players in American politics.

TOKYO (AP) — Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi headed to the United States on Wednesday for what she expects to be a "very difficult" meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump after he called on Japan and other allies to send warships to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Markwayne Mullin, President Donald Trump's pick for Homeland Security secretary, is appearing before senators on Wednesday for his confirmation hearing, where he'll face questions over his vision for a department tasked with carrying out the Republican administration's push for mass deportations.