South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol removed from office over declaration of martial law
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s Constitutional Court removed impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol from office on Friday, four months after he threw South Korean politics into turmoil by declaring martial law and sending troops to parliament in an ill-fated effort to break through legislative gridlock. The unanimous verdict comes more than three months after the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon. South Korea must now hold a national election within two months to find a new president. Surveys show Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, is the early favorite to become the country’s next president.
Asian stocks slid after Wall Street surrendered to a hit by Trump's tariffs
HONG KONG (AP) — Asian markets are retreating after Wall Street led the biggest loss among world's markets over worries about U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 lost 2.4%, while Korea's Kospi fell 0.8% after the two countries sought lower tariffs. The S&P 500 fell 4.8% Thursday, more than other major stock markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,679 points, and the Nasdaq composite sank 6%. Little was spared as fear flared globally about the potentially toxic mix of weakening economic growth and higher inflation that tariffs can create. Everything from crude oil to Big Tech stocks to the value of the U.S. dollar against other currencies fell. Even gold pulled lower.
Trump’s tariff push is a race against time, and potential voter backlash
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s expansive new tariff regime reverses a decades-long global trend of lower trade barriers that will likely raise prices for U.S. consumers and threatens to sharply slow the economy this year. The White House is gambling that other countries will also suffer enough pain that they will open up their economies to more American exports. Or, the White House hopes, more companies will bring more production to the United States. But a key question will be how Americans react to the tariffs. If voters turn against the duties, that could make it harder to keep them for the length of time needed to encourage companies to return to the U.S.
Pentagon watchdog to review Hegseth’s use of Signal app to convey plans for Houthi strike
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon’s acting inspector general has announced that he will review Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of the Signal messaging app to convey plans for a military strike against Houthi militants in Yemen. The review will also look at other defense officials' use of the the publicly available encrypted app, which is not able to handle classified material and is not part of the Defense Department’s secure communications network. Hegseth’s use of the app came to light when a journalist, Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic, was added to a Signal text chain by national security adviser Mike Waltz.
Trump fires NSC officials a day after far-right activist raises concerns to him about staff loyalty
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said that he’s fired “some” White House National Security Council officials. The firings on Thursday come a day after far-right activist Laura Loomer raised concerns directly to him about staff loyalty. Trump downplayed Loomer's influence on the firings. But Loomer during her conversation with Trump urged the president to purge staffers she deemed insufficiently loyal to his agenda. That's according to several people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive personnel manner. Loomer, who has promoted 9/11 conspiracy theories, was a frequent presence on the campaign trail during Trump’s 2024 run. Now, she’s been speaking out about members of Trump’s national security team that she insists can’t be trusted.
Storms kill 7 in the South and Midwest as forecasters warn of catastrophic rains, floods this week
LAKE CITY, Ark. (AP) — Violent storms and tornadoes have torn through cities from Oklahoma to Indiana during what could be a record period of deadly weather and flooding. The storms destroyed homes and sent debris nearly 5 miles into the air in one location. Dozens of tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings were issued Wednesday and early Thursday from Texas to West Virginia as storms hit those and other states. At least seven people were killed in Tennessee, Indiana and Missouri. Forecasters say it was the opening act for a week of wild weather that could bring life-threatening flash floods across the nation’s midsection.
Republicans moving ahead with Trump's 'big' bill of tax breaks and spending cuts amid tariff uproar
WASHINGTON (AP) — After a long wait, the Senate is launching action on President Donald Trump’s ”“big, beautiful bill” of tax breaks and spending cuts. But it's coming at a risky moment for the U.S. and global economy after his announcement of steep tariffs. More than a month after House Republicans surprised Washington by advancing their framework for Trump’s package, Senate Republicans are ready to start voting on their version. It's a next step in the long process. But work on the multitrillion-dollar package is coming as markets at home and abroad are on edge in the aftermath Trump’s vast tariffs scheme, complicating an already difficult political and procedural undertaking.
Brown University to see half a billion in federal funding halted by Trump administration
WASHINGTON (AP) — A White House official says the Trump administration is planning to halt more than half a billion dollars in contracts and grants awarded to Brown University. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the plan and spoke on condition of anonymity. The action will add to a list of Ivy League colleges that are having their federal money threatened as a result of their responses to antisemitism. The official said nearly $510 million in federal funding is on the line. Dozens of universities are facing federal investigations into antisemitism following a wave of pro-Palestinian protests last year, but the administration has focused special attention on elite colleges.
Myanmar earthquake death toll rises to 3,145 as more bodies found
BANGKOK (AP) — The death toll from the earthquake that hit Myanmar nearly a week ago has risen to 3,145 as search and rescue teams find more bodies. State television reported Thursday that the information minister also said that another 4,589 people were injured and 221 are missing. The 7.7 magnitude quake on March 28 had an epicenter near Myanmar’s second-largest city of Mandalay. It brought down thousands of buildings, buckled roads and destroyed bridges. Local media reports of casualties have been much higher than the official figures. The numbers could rise sharply as more details come in.
Once pariahs, now winners, Final Four coaches Pearl, Sampson a reflection of a changing game
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — A decade ago, Bruce Pearl of Auburn and Kelvin Sampson of Houston were looking to resurrect their careers after being handed show-cause penalties by the NCAA for recruiting violations. This week, they’re coaching at the Final Four. Their return is a sign of the success they’ve enjoyed since their comebacks but also the shifting priorities that have overtaken college sports. These days, when coaches go job hunting, they need the school to not only be able to pay them, but the players they hope to land for their rosters.
