AP News Summary at 11:38 p.m. EDT (2024)

NCAA, leagues back $2.8 billion settlement, setting stage for current, former athletes to be paid

The NCAA and five major college sports conferences have agreed to settle antitrust allegations for nearly $2.8 billion over the next 10 years. The deal also calls for a groundbreaking revenue-sharing model that could start steering millions of dollars directly to college athletes as soon as fall 2025. If approved by a judge, the payouts will go to thousands of former and current college athletes who were not allowed to earn money from endorsem*nt and sponsorship deals dating to 2016. The Big Ten, Big 12, Atlantic Coast Conference, Southeastern Conference and Pac-12 were the defendants along with the NCAA.

How does this end? With Hamas holding firm and fighting back in Gaza, Israel faces only bad options

JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas is still putting up a fight after seven brutal months of war with Israel, regrouping in some of the hardest-hit areas in northern Gaza and resuming rocket attacks into nearby Israeli communities. Israel initially made tactical advances against Hamas after a devastating aerial bombardment paved the way for its ground troops. But those early gains have given way to a grinding struggle against an adaptable insurgency — and a growing feeling among many Israelis that their military faces only bad options, drawing comparisons with U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The other two members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s three-man War Cabinet are demanding that he come up with detailed postwar plans.

Border bill fails Senate test vote as Democrats seek to underscore Republican resistance

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans are blocking for a second time a bill to clamp down the number of migrants allowed to claim asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border. The bill failed 43-50. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer brought up the bill again to underscore Republican resistance to it. The bipartisan proposal was already rejected by most Republicans in February, but with immigration and border security becoming one of the top issues of this year’s election, Democrats are seeking to highlight Republican resistance to pursuing immigration legislation, along with other popular measures. Schumer is also planning to push forward a bill in June that would protect access to contraception.

Taiwan tracks dozens of Chinese warplanes and navy vessels off its coast on 2nd day of drills

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan is tracking dozens of Chinese warplanes and navy vessels off its coast on the second day of a large exercise the People’s Liberation Army held in response to the island's new leadership. The defense ministry said it tracked 49 warplanes and 19 navy vessels as well as Chinese coast guard vessels Friday. It said 35 planes flew across the median of the Taiwan Strait, the de facto boundary between the sides. The island's new President Lai Ching-te visited a marine base on Thursday and said Taiwan would “continue to maintain the values of freedom and democracy.” A Beijing official said Lai as soon as he took office had “challenged the one-China principle," which asserts Taiwan is part of China.

Trump holds a rally in the South Bronx as he tries to woo his hometown

NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is campaigning in one of the most Democratic counties in the nation Thursday, holding a rally in the South Bronx. He's hoping to woo minority voters by appearing in one of the most diverse and impoverished neighborhoods in the city where he grew up. Trump opened his rally with an ode to New York as a glamorous capital of culture that “inspired the entire world” that is now a city in decline. Trump’s campaign said it was expecting a crowd of several thousand in Crotona Park. The rally comes during a pause in Trump’s criminal hush money trial after both sides rested their cases Tuesday.

Government sues Ticketmaster owner and asks court to break up company's monopoly on live events

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has sued Ticketmaster and its parent company, accusing them of running an illegal monopoly over live events in America. The complaint filed Thursday in Manhattan asks a court to break up the system that squelches competition and drives up prices for fans. The sweeping antitrust lawsuit was brought with 30 state and district attorneys general. It seeks to dismantle the monopoly that they say is squeezing out smaller promoters, hurting artists and drowning ticket buyers in fees. Ticketmaster and its owner, Live Nation Entertainment, said the allegations were baseless and promised to fight the case.

Native American tribes give unanimous approval to proposal securing Colorado River water

The Navajo Nation Council has unanimously approved a proposed water rights settlement that carries a price tag larger than any such agreement enacted by Congress. The tribe has one of the largest single outstanding claims in the Colorado River basin, and Thursday's vote marks one of many approvals needed to finalize a deal that has been years in the making. Aside from ensuring water deliveries for the Navajo, Hopi and San Juan Southern Paiute tribes, the settlement provides some certainty over the Colorado River supply in a state that has been forced to cut back on water use.

Farmers in India are weary of politicians' lackluster response to their climate-driven water crisis

BEED, India (AP) — India’s 120 million farmers share fast-shrinking water resources as groundwater is pumped out faster than rain can replenish it. Drought-prone areas like Marathwada are at the sharp end of the shortage, making life unbearable for many. As the country continues to vote in its marathon six-week election, farmers are looking for longer-term solutions to the water problem, like building canal networks from distant rivers. But politicians have promised and done little to secure water for them, with activists saying that big businesses and large farms are being prioritized instead.

The 'Appeal to Heaven' flag evolves from Revolutionary War symbol to banner of the far right

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is embroiled in a second flag controversy in as many weeks, this time over a banner that in recent years has come to symbolize Christian nationalism and the false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen. The “Appeal to Heaven” flag seen outside his New Jersey beach home last summer dates to the Revolutionary War and was flown on six schooners outfitted by George Washington to intercept British vessels at sea. In recent years, it has been adopted by the far-right and was among several banners flown by rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

General Sherman passes health check but world's largest trees face growing climate threats

SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, California (AP) — Researchers climbed the world’s largest tree to inspect for bark beetles and descended the giant sequoia with good news this week. Anthony Ambrose of the Ancient Forest Society led the team up the 275-foot tree called General Sherman. He said researchers found minimal beetle activity in the 2,200-year-old tree in California's western Sierra Nevada range. The inspection was part of a broader effort to protect sequoias from climate-driven threats including extreme heat, drought and wildfires. The Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition organized Tuesday's climb. The group also tested the use of drones and satellite imagery for wider monitoring of the iconic trees for any beetle infestations and other threats.

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