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The Latest: Uncertainty shrouds possible US-Iran talks after Trump extends ceasefire

Here is the latest:Iran’s Revolutionary Guard opens fire on ship in Strait of HormuzIran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard opened fire Wednesday on a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, damaging the ship and further raising the stakes as planned ceasefire talks in Pakistan failed to materialize.The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said the attack happened around 7:55 a.m. in the strait and targeted a container ship.The UKMTO said a Guard gunboat did not hai

Asian shares are mixed and oil prices little changed as investors watch for US-Iran talks

<block>TOKYO (AP) — Shares were mixed in Asia on Wednesday as markets waited to see if the United States and Iran may resume talks to end their war.The price of Brent crude edged 1 cent higher to $98.51 a barrel. U.S. benchmark crude fell 0.4% to $89.29 a barrel. Lower oil prices help bring down costs for all kinds of businesses. President Donald Trump said he was extending the ceasefire with Iran at Pakistan’s request while awaiting a “unified proposal” from Tehran. The U.S. military was keeping its blockade of Iranian portsJapan’s Nikkei 225 gained 0.5% to 59,653.56 and the Kospi in South Korea edged 0.2% lower to 6,374.46. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.9% to 8,866.20. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 1.3% to 26,137.59, while the Shanghai Composite gained 0.1% to 4,090.24. In Taiwan, the Taiex was up 1.1%. On Tuesday, U.S. shares initially were lifted by signs that diplomats were working through back channels to arrange a new round of talks between the United States and Iran.The S&P 500 erased an early rise to fall 0.6% after U.S. Vice President JD Vance called off a trip to Pakistan, where he had been expected to lead U.S. negotiators in talks with Iran to extend the ceasefire. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 0.6%, erasing an earlier gain of 400 points, while the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.6%. On Wednesday, benchmark U.S. crude inched up 1 cent to $91.29 a barrel. Brent crude added 48 cents to $95.27, or less than 1% after falling 4.6% the day before. While that’s still above its roughly $70 price from before the war began in late February, it’s well below the peak level of $119.Asian nations, including resource-poor Japan, depend on access to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that’s the main avenue for crude oil produced in the Persian Gulf area to reach customers worldwide. Blockages there have kept oil off the global market, helping to drive up its price. Global inflation this year looks set to accelerate to 4.4% from 4.1% in 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund, which had earlier thought inflation would slow to 3.8%. The IMF on Tuesday also downgraded its forecast for global economic growth to 3.1% this year from the 3.3% it had forecast in January. In the bond market, Treasury yields eased as the fall for oil prices took some of the pressure off inflation. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.25% from 4.30% late Monday.In currency trading, the U.S. dollar fell to 159.27 Japanese yen from 159.38 yen. The euro cost $1.1746, down from $1.1744. ___AP Business Writer Stan Choe in New York contributed to this report.Yuri Kageyama is on Threads: <a href="https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.threads.com/@yurikageyama</a></block>

Leading candidates to square off in TV debate at critical point in California governor’s race

<block>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Six leading candidates for California governor will meet in a televised debate Wednesday — all of them eager for a breakout moment in a chaotic race with no clear leader. With mail ballots scheduled to go to voters early next month in advance of the June 2 primary election, candidates are running short on time to break into contention. Under California election rules, only the top two vote-getters advance to the November election, regardless of party. Democrats have been fretting for months that a crowded field could result in two Republicans making it to November, a result that would be a historic calamity for Democrats in a famously left-leaning state. conservative commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco — and four Democrats, former U.S. Rep. Katie Porter,billionaire Tom Steyer, former Biden administration health secretary Xavier Becerra and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan.With candidates angling for an advantage in front of a television audience, it is possible the debate could devolve into 90 minutes of shouting matches, finger-pointing and verbal backstabs as candidates compete for attention.The campaign has just come through an unstable period, with U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell — one of the leading Democrats — leaving the race and then Congress following sexual assault allegations that he denies. Another Democrat, former state controller Betty Yee, dropped out Monday after lagging in polls since entering the race in 2024, then endorsed Steyer. Meanwhile, Becerra picked up the support of Democratic Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. Becerra and Mahan were late additions to the debate lineup, after Swalwell exited the race. Both candidates have been getting fresh attention — and endorsements — in the reordered contest.Becerra picked up Rivas’ endorsement on Tuesday. Mahan, meanwhile, has been rolling out advertising to lift his campaign.Democrats mostly agree on policy issues, including the need to bring down household costs and counter President Donald Trump’s agenda. So they will be looking for ways to stand out on stage, either by stressing their own records and trying to sully those of competitors.Porter, who became a social media celebrity by brandishing a white board at congressional hearings while grilling CEOs, could become the state’s first woman governor. Steyer, a hedge fund manager-turned-liberal activist who ran an unsuccessful campaign for president in 2020, is known for his involvement in climate issues. Becerra is the most experienced politician in the group, after serving in the Biden administration, and as state attorney general, a congressman and state legislator. Mahan has been arguing that he has made gains against homelessness and crime while leading Northern California’s largest city.Look for California to be at the center of the stage, too. Democrats have dominated government in the nation’s most populous state for years. Republicans haven’t won a statewide election in two decades, so Hilton and Bianco will be pounding familiar campaign themes, including faulting Sacramento’s one-sided politics for the state’s troubles. Those themes also include pointing out that billions in spending has done little to slow the long-running homeless crisis; the state has some of the nation’s highest taxes, utility bills and gas prices; heavy government regulation is driving away jobs; and soaring home prices are out of reach for many families. The race remains wide open.Polling in late March and early April by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found a cluster of candidates in close competition: Democrats Steyer and Porter, Republicans Hilton and Bianco, and Swalwell. Other candidates were trailing. The polling was conducted before Swalwell withdrew.</block>

Trump’s Cuba threats revive exile hopes, fears over property claims

Their nightmare scenario: a repeat of what happened recently in Venezuela, where Trump ousted Nicolás Maduro only to join forces with his former allies in a partnership where demands for democracy are taking a back seat to oil industry dealmaking.“I hope that he doesn’t do what he did in Venezuela, which is keep the thieves in power,” said Valdes-Fauli, who married a Venezuelan.An emotional element of the talks, and one of the toughest to resolve, is the potential for hundreds of thousands of le

Petroleum infuses a multitude of everyday items the Iran war could make more expensive

Business expenses tied to marketing, distribution and administration comprises the rest, he said.The ripple effectExperts say if oil holds above $90 per barrel for the next several months, cost pressures will accelerate throughout the supply network.Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America CEO Matt Priest said most of the trade organization’s members keep a two- to three-month inventory of finished products, providing a temporary cushion against higher materials costs. Roughly 70% of

Senate hearings with RFK Jr. put Cassidy’s competing loyalties to Trump and science on display

<block>Bill Cassidy’s roles as a lawmaker, a doctor and a political candidate will collide on Wednesday as he questions Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in two high-stakes Senate hearings.The Louisiana Republican chairs one of the Senate committees that oversees Kennedy’s department and sits on another, giving him two chances to interrogate the secretary about his plans for an agency responsible for public health programs and research. As a doctor, Cassidy has clashed with Kennedy’s anti-vaccine ideas even though he provided crucial support for the health secretary’s nomination last year.At the same time, Cassidy is fighting for his political future in next month’s primary, where President Donald Trump has endorsed one of his opponents in an unusual attempt to oust a sitting senator from his own party. How Cassidy handles the hearings could affect his chances at a pivotal moment of his reelection campaign and set the tone for how Congress oversees the nation’s health agenda at a time of rampant distrust and misinformation.Cassidy hasn’t faced Kennedy in public since September. In the subsequent months, Kennedy has attempted a dramatic rollback of vaccine recommendations that, if not blocked by an ongoing lawsuit, could undermine protections against diseases like flu, hepatitis B and RSV.After a backlash, Kennedy has also pivoted to spending more time talking about less controversial topics like healthy eating — albeit with his own spin, including sharing exaggerated claims that various ailments can be cured by diet alone.Cassidy will have to decide on Wednesday whether to grill Kennedy on vaccines, an issue deeply important to him, or put their differences aside and prioritize loyalty to the Trump administration.“He’s taken a risk showing any sort of resistance to RFK,” said Claire Leavitt, an assistant professor at Smith College who studies congressional oversight. “He may pay an electoral price for that.”<hl2>Cassidy has long advocated for vaccines</hl2>Cassidy has spent years walking a political tightrope. He’s one of the few Republican senators who voted to convict Trump during an impeachment trial after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. As a liver doctor, he advocated for babies to receive hepatitis B vaccines shortly after birth, a step that could have prevented the disease in his patients. But when Trump nominated Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine activist, Cassidy supported him. He did so after securing various commitments, including that Kennedy would work within the current vaccine approval and safety monitoring system and support the childhood vaccine schedule.The vote for Kennedy did not appear to mollify Trump. The president endorsed U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, one of Cassidy’s two primary opponents. Cassidy also faces opposition from Kennedy’s allies in the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, a group that includes both anti-vaccine activists and a wide variety of other crusaders for health and the environment. The MAHA PAC, aligned with Kennedy, has pledged $1 million to Letlow’s campaign. While the organization hasn’t publicly said so, some have questioned whether the support is partly in retaliation against Cassidy for criticizing Kennedy’s vaccine policy agenda.“I’m not really sure what MAHA’s beef is,” Cassidy told reporters earlier this month. “Let me point out that I am the reason that Robert F. Kennedy is now the secretary of HHS. He would not have gotten there otherwise.”Cassidy argues that he has “strongly supported” the MAHA agenda, especially when it comes to the fight against ultraprocessed foods. However, the physician-turned-senator acknowledged that he and MAHA have “disagreed on vaccines.”“We’ve seen, frankly, that I am right,” Cassidy added, pointing to recent measles-related deaths of children who were not vaccinated.At a hearing in September, he slammed Kennedy’s decision to slash funding for mRNA vaccine development. He interrogated Kennedy over his attempt to replace members of a vaccine committee, suggesting the new members could have conflicts of interest. He also raised concerns that Kennedy’s vaccine policy decisions could be making it harder for Americans to get COVID-19 shots.Later that month, Cassidy convened a hearing featuring former U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez, who was ousted by Kennedy less than a month into her tenure after they clashed over vaccine policy, and former CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, who resigned in August citing an erosion of science at the agency.“I want to work with the president to fulfill his campaign promise to reform the CDC and Make America Healthy Again. The president says radical transparency is the way to do that,” Cassidy said at the time. <hl2>Experts say Cassidy’s vaccine stance might not hurt him</hl2>Political consultants said they expect Cassidy’s primary opponents, Letlow and Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, to seize on any sound bites from Wednesday’s hearings that can make Cassidy seem at odds with the Trump administration.But Dorit Reiss, a vaccine law expert at UC Law San Francisco, said the political risk of advocating for vaccines may not be as strong among Republicans as some people assume. “He’s probably not alienating voters by focusing on the issue and calling it out,” she said.Louisiana political consultant Mary-Patricia Wray said she thinks most diehard MAHA voters already know who they are voting for, and it’s probably not Cassidy.Instead, she said, he may still be able to appeal to Democrats who switch their party registration to vote in the primary, as well as a wide swath of still-undecided Republican voters who care about the same health care affordability issues he advocates for every day in Congress.“If I was advising Bill Cassidy, I would tell him your goal here is not to get out unscathed,” Wray said. “Your goal is to prove that your consistency on issues regarding public health is an asset in your campaign, not a detriment.”<hl2>Election outcome will shape future oversight of HHS</hl2>Also at stake if Cassidy doesn’t make it to November’s general election is what will happen to his responsibility to oversee the massive U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee.Leavitt, the Smith College professor, said seniority typically plays the most important role in who chairs Senate committees. She said another Republican in today’s increasingly hyper-partisan Congress may not be as willing as Cassidy to check Kennedy’s power.Reiss, the vaccine law expert, said she wishes Cassidy had done more hearings or introduced legislation to rein in Kennedy. And she said the senator bears the blame for allowing Kennedy to bring unfounded vaccine fears into the government in the first place.“His original sin, of course, was voting for Kennedy at all,” Reiss said.___Associated Press writer Sara Cline contributed to this report.</block>

Navy veteran charged in series of Atlanta-area shootings dies in jail

ATLANTA (AP) — A man charged in a string of shootings near Atlanta that left three people dead, including a Department of Homeland Security employee who was walking her dog, died in jail Tuesday night, authorities said.Olaolukitan Adon Abel, 26, was found in his cell unresponsive, according to a statement from the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Officials performed lifesaving measures on the U.S. Navy veteran, but he was later pronounced dead.The official cause of death has not been determined,

ICE detains the wife of an Army sergeant in Texas as military family leniency wanes

The agency did not address whether Rivera Ortega might be deported to Mexico.Rivera Ortega was being held at El Paso Service Processing Center, where Serrano says he was able to visit Sunday and talk to his wife through a plastic pane.She applied for consideration with her husband under the “parole in place” policy that previously provided a possibly expedited pathway to permanent residency for spouses of service members.But last April, DHS eliminated a 2022 policy that considered military servi

Elderly man beaten, left on pavement in unprovoked downtown Seattle attack

A 29-year-old man was arrested over the weekend for injuring a 77-year-old man during an unprovoked assault in downtown Seattle.On April 19 at approximately 9:50 p.m., Seattle Police Department (SPD) officers responded to reports of an assault near 3rd Avenue and Pine Street, SPD announced.At the scene, officers found the victim bleeding from a head injury and a possible broken arm. The Seattle Fire Department responded and treated the victim before he was transported to the VA hospital for addi

Trump media company replaces CEO, ex-congressman Nunes after stock plunge that wiped out billions

Nunes got total compensation of $47 million in 2024, the last year for which figures are available.The new CEO McGurn said in statement that the company was “poised to take off.”“In carrying President Trump’s unique, singular vision and message, Truth Social stands for the most powerful brand and voice in history of social media and beyond,” he said.The Trump Organization didn’t immediately responded to a request for comment.The company has recently b ranched into cryptocurrency and anothe

FEMA begins home inspections in WA counties hit by December storms

FEMA said the first center opened last week in Sumas, with additional locations planned across the affected counties in the coming weeks.Harrison said individuals and families should first file claims with their insurance providers before applying for FEMA assistance.What to expect during an inspectionWithin four to seven days of applying, a FEMA housing inspector will reach out by phone or text to schedule an appointment at the damaged property, Harrison said.“Applicants must be present f

Gun used to kill 8 children was stolen from truck, Louisiana man tells investigators

Charles Ford told investigators he suspected Elkins, who was the father of seven of the children killed, because he was one of the few people to ride with him, according to a criminal complaint filed in Louisiana federal court. Ford allegedly said it was around March 9 when he noticed the gun was missing.Ford said he confronted Elkins about the missing weapon. But when Elikns became “offensive,” Ford “let it go,” according to a court affidavit filed Tuesday.The affidavit is in

Washington’s gray wolf population reaches record high

After decades of conservation efforts, Washington’s gray wolf population has reached a record high.Wildlife officials counted 270 wolves and 49 packs across the state — a 17.4% increase from the year before, according to the Washington gray wolf conservation and management 2025 annual report.“After a decline in 2024, Washington’s minimum year-end wolf count increased by 17.4% to its highest count to date,” the report stated.Out of the 49 packs, 23 were confirmed to be successfu

Navy review puts future of highest-tech US aircraft carriers in question

The documents instead simply said “aircraft carrier.” Meanwhile, other ships — such as the Columbia-class submarines and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers — were described by class name.A Navy statement provided Tuesday praised the Ford-class carrier as “a battle-proven design” that has been able to launch aircraft at a faster rate than the older Nimitz-class carriers and offers increased “combat power and ability to maintain high-tempo global strike operations” in three parts of the world.Ph

Both directions of MLK Jr. Way S. reopened after natural gas leak

All northbound and southbound lanes on MLK Jr. Way S. were blocked on Tuesday afternoon after a natural gas leak in the area.Both directions of MLK Jr Way S. between S. Dawson Street and S. Hudson Street were reopened just after 3:40 p.m., the Seattle Department of Transportation <a href="https://x.com/SDOTtraffic/status/2046720960116715807?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a>.Around the same time, the Seattle Fire Department (SFD) <a href="https://x.com/SeattleFire/status/2046718358624911788?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> that Puget Sound Energy had secured the natural gas leak. No injuries were reported, and the SFD response was reduced.<h2>Natural gas leak shut down north, southbound lanes of MLK Jr. Way S. in Seattle</h2>At approximately 2:45 p.m., Seattle Fire Department (SFD) crews responded to reports of a natural gas leak in the 5000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way S., SFD announced.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">UPDATE: The NB and SB lanes on MLK Jr Way S between S Dawson St and S Hudson St are now blocked. Use alternate routes. <a href="https://t.co/DU4uiXzPIB">pic.twitter.com/DU4uiXzPIB</a>— SDOT Traffic (@SDOTtraffic) <a href="https://twitter.com/SDOTtraffic/status/2046709589106991324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April 21, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>After SFD crews arrived, it was confirmed that there was an exterior natural gas leak near a building under construction.The impacted buildings are being evacuated out of an abundance of caution.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">5000 block of Martin Luther King Jr Way S: Crews on scene confirm an exterior natural gas leak near a building under construction. They are evacuating impacted buildings as a safety precaution.— Seattle Fire Dept. (@SeattleFire) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeattleFire/status/2046707932319170776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April 21, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>SFD advised travelers to avoid the area entirely, while the Seattle Department of Transportation urged travelers to seek alternate routes.There is currently no estimated time for the roadway to reopen.Follow Jason Sutich <a href="https://x.com/jason_sutich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on X</a>. Send <a href="https://mynorthwest.com/contact-us">news tips here.</a>

Honduran national sentenced to more than 4 years for trafficking 28 pounds of meth, 10,000 fentanyl pills

That customer was working with law enforcement.After the deal was arranged, prosecutors said Aguilar Martinez and two other people were arrested with about 28 pounds of meth, some of it packed in cereal boxes, along with 10,000 fentanyl pills.“Fentanyl pills have proven to be lethal,” the judge said, according to the news release. “It is very easy to get a fentanyl pill that contains a deadly dose.”RELATED STORIESRedmond Police arrest another suspect in organized theft ring targeting Guitar Cent

New 225-seat rooftop restaurant opening in Seattle’s South Lake Union this summer

Onni found inspiration for the concept through its own property in Chicago’s financial district.“The best amenity you can add to your building is a new restaurant,” Tim Hamann, senior development manager at Onni, told The Puget Sound Business Journal.The focus of the restaurant will center on an upscale-casual dining experience with a variety of American-focused menu offerings, including steak, sushi, pasta, burgers, and salads.“Designed as an upscale-casual space with in

Teen charged with killing Florida stepsister on cruise ship pleads not guilty

MIAMI (AP) — A teenager charged with killing his stepsister on a Carnival Cruise ship filed a not-guilty plea Tuesday and waived his appearance at a hearing in Miami federal court.Timothy Hudson has received the indictment and is waiving his appearance at an arraignment scheduled for Wednesday, defense attorney Eric Cohen said in a court filing. The 16-year-old also signed the one-page document.Cohen didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking further commentHudson is being prosecuted as an a

Investigation finds former Ohio State president violated school policy

as school president following revelations about what it called an “inappropriate relationship.”In a statement, John Zeiger, Ohio State’s board chair, said the investigation’s findings were “deeply disappointing.”The university’s systems and processes and the people who run them prevented the misuse of the school’s resources, he said, although the report also documented how Carter’s actions led to “misapplied time and effort of numerous university personnel.”At least

New York sues Coinbase and Gemini, seeking to halt unlicensed prediction market businesses

NEW YORK (AP) — New York is suing Coinbase and Gemini over unregulated and unlicensed prediction market platforms that the state contends are illegal gambling operations.Attorney General Letitia James’ lawsuit, filed Tuesday in state court in Manhattan, seeks to bar the companies’ platforms from operating in the state unless and until they obtain licenses from the state Gaming Commission.“Gambling by another name is still gambling, and it is not exempt from regulation under our state