Record Store Day celebrates indie retail music sellers as they ride vinyl’s popularity wave

PHOENIX — Special LP releases, live performances and at least one giant block party are scheduled around the U.S. Saturday as hundreds of shops celebrate Record Store Day during a surge of interest in vinyl and the day after the release of Taylor Swift’s latest album. There were no announced Record Store Day specials for … Read more

BNSF Railway says it didn’t know about asbestos that’s killed hundreds in Montana town

HELENA, Mont. — BNSF Railway attorneys told a Montana jury Friday that the railroad should not be held liable for the lung cancer deaths of two former residents of an asbestos-contaminated Montana town, one of the deadliest sites in the federal Superfund pollution program. Attorneys for the company say the corporate predecessors of the railroad, … Read more

Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ is here. Is it poetry? This is what experts say

NEW YORK — NEW YORK (AP) — Taylor Swift has released her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” But just how poetic is it? Is it even possible to close read lyrics like poems, divorced from their source material? The Associated Press spoke to four experts to assess how Swift’s latest album stacks up … Read more

A convicted rapist is charged with murder in the killing of a Connecticut visiting nurse

A convicted rapist was charged with murder and attempted sexual assault Friday in the killing of a visiting nurse at a Connecticut halfway house for sex offenders in October — a crime that spurred calls for better safety measures for home health care workers. Authorities added the charges against Michael Reese, 39, as he appeared … Read more

U.S. aid to Ukraine, Israel set to pass. But bills differ in one key area – National

The final form of how U.S. aid will finally begin flowing to Ukraine and Israel is taking shape this week after months of delay — and it may end up including additional oversight for only one of those countries. The U.S. House of Representatives will vote Saturday on a series of bills that will approve billions … Read more

AP Explains: 4/20 grew from humble roots to marijuana’s high holiday

SEATTLE — Saturday marks marijuana culture’s high holiday, 4/20, when college students gather — at 4:20 p.m. — in clouds of smoke on campus quads and pot shops in legal-weed states thank their customers with discounts. This year’s edition provides an occasion for activists to reflect on how far their movement has come, with recreational … Read more

Reality TV’s Chrisleys are appealing their bank fraud and tax evasion convictions in federal court

ATLANTA — Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley, who are in prison after being convicted on federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion, are challenging aspects of their convictions and sentences in a federal appeals court. The Chrisleys rose to fame with their show “Chrisley Knows Best,” which chronicled the exploits of their … Read more

Rap artist GloRilla has been charged with drunken driving in Georgia

FILE – GloRilla performs during the second weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. The rap artist known as GloRilla has been charged with drunken driving in Georgia, jail records show. GloRilla, whose real name is Gloria Woods, was charged Tuesday, April 16, … Read more

Iran’s attack on Israel prompts U.S., U.K. sanctions – National

The U.S. and U.K. on Thursday imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran as concern grows that Tehran’s unprecedented attack on Israel could fuel a wider conflict in the Middle East. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted 16 people and two entities in Iran that produce engines that power the drones used in … Read more

Long-lost first USS Enterprise model is returned to ‘Star Trek’ creator Gene Roddenberry’s son

DALLAS — The first model of the USS Enterprise — used in the opening credits of the original “Star Trek” television series — has boldly gone back home, returning to creator Gene Roddenberry’s son decades after it went missing. The model’s disappearance sometime in the 1970s had become the subject of lore, so it caused … Read more