First shipment of aid to the U.S.-built floating pier in Gaza departs from Cyprus
NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus’ foreign minister says a shipment of humanitarian aid has left a port in Cyprus and is on its way to the U.S-built pier in Gaza, the first delivery to the newly built ramp. The U.S. vessel, loaded with much needed humanitarian assistance, left the Larnaca port on Thursday morning. The voyage comes about two months after President Joe Biden gave the order to build the large floating platform several miles off the Gaza coast. The relief is desperately needed, with the United Nations saying people in Gaza are on the brink of famine and as Israeli troops have ordered the evacuation of 100,000 Palestinians from Gaza’s southern city of Rafah.
New storms pummel the South as a week of deadly weather marches on
COLUMBIA, Tenn. — A wave of dangerous storms has begun crashing over parts of the South a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes killed at least three people in the region. A heavy line of storms swept into Atlanta near the end of the morning rush hour Thursday. Busy hub airports in Georgia and North Carolina reported delays. The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center cites an “enhanced risk” for severe weather from Texas to South Carolina. The storms continue a streak of torrential rains and tornadoes this week from the Plains to the Midwest and now the Southeast. At least four people have died since Monday.
Homeless woman was living inside Michigan rooftop store sign with computer
Police in Michigan say a startling discovery was made on the roof of a Michigan grocery store: A woman was living inside the store sign for roughly a year. Contractors who were on the roof of a Family Fare store in Midland found the 34-year-old in late April. The sign has attic-like space with a door. Inside, the woman had a computer, desk, printer and coffee maker. She was able to get power with an extension cord. Police aren't certain how she regularly got up on the roof. An officer says the woman was cooperative and quickly agreed to leave. No charges were pursued. The store's operator, SpartanNash, says affordable housing is a national issue.
Maryland governor signs bill to rebuild Pimlico, home of the Preakness Stakes
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has signed a measure to rebuild Baltimore’s historic but antiquated Pimlico Race Course and transfer the track to state control. Under the new law, Maryland can use $400 million in state bonds to rebuild the home of the second jewel of horse racing’s Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes. The 149th running of the race is set for May 18. The plan also calls for transferring Pimlico from the Stronach Group, which is the current owner of Pimlico and nearby Laurel Park, to a newly formed nonprofit that would operate under the state.
Report: Guns are being stolen from cars at triple the rate they were 10 years ago
WASHINGTON — The rate of guns stolen from cars in the U.S. has tripled over the last decade, making them the largest source of stolen guns in the country. That's according to an analysis of FBI data by the gun safety group Everytown. The rate of stolen guns from cars climbed nearly every year and spiked during the coronavirus pandemic along with a major surge in weapons purchases. The findings are in a report provided to The Associated Press that analyzed FBI data from 337 cities in 44 states. The director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says the alarming trend underscores the need for Americans to safely secure their firearms.
New storms pummel the South as a week of deadly weather marches on
COLUMBIA, Tenn. — A wave of dangerous storms has begun washing over parts of the South a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region. A heavy line of storms swept into Atlanta near the end of the morning rush hour Thursday. Busy hub airports in Georgia and North Carolina reported delays. Tornado warnings were issued in the morning for parts of Tennessee and Alabama. The storms continue a streak of torrential rains and tornadoes this week from the Plains to the Midwest and, now, the Southeast. At least four people have died since Monday.
TikTok to start labeling AI-generated content as technology becomes more universal
TikTok says it’s going to start automatically labeling content that’s made by artificial intelligence when it’s uploaded from certain platforms. TikTok says its efforts are an attempt to combat misinformation from being spread on its social media platform. TikTok’s policy in the past has been to encourage users to label content that has been generated or significantly edited by AI. It also requires users to label all AI-generated content where it contains realistic images, audio, and video.
Feds have 'significant safety concerns' about Ford fuel leak recall, demand answers
DETROIT — Federal investigators say they have “significant safety concerns” about a Ford SUV recall repair that doesn’t fix gasoline leaks that can cause engine fires. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is demanding volumes of information from the automaker as it investigates the fix in a March 8 recall of nearly 43,000 Bronco Sport and Escape SUVs with 1.5-liter engines. Ford says the SUVs have fuel injectors that will crack, allowing gas or vapor to leak near hot engine parts that can cause fires. But the agency says the recall fix does not proactively replace fuel injectors before they fail.
