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National News

Musk is a ‘special government employee,’ the White House confirms

By CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk is working for President Donald Trump as a "special government employee," according to a White House official, solidifying his controversial role in the administration but sidestepping some disclosure rules that are typical ...

American bald eagles are having a moment, ecologically and culturally

By MIKE CATALINI Associated Press WEST ORANGE, N.J. (AP) — Along the long road from American icon to endangered species and back again, the bald eagle — the national bird of the United States, often seen against a clear blue sky — is having a moment. The eagles find themselves in an ...

WHO chief asks countries to push Washington to reconsider its withdrawal

By MARIA CHENG and JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press GENEVA (AP) — The World Health Organization chief asked global leaders to lean on Washington to reverse President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the U.N. health agency, insisting in a closed-door meeting with diplomats last week ...

Beneath the surface, Groundhog Day’s deep roots predate Punxsutawney Phil

Groundhog Day predictions about the coming of spring put the spotlight on Punxsutawney Phil every Feb. 2, but celebrating the midpoint between the shortest and darkest day of the year and the spring equinox has ancient roots in European agricultural life. Punxsutawney Phil is far from the only ...

Colleges around the US cautiously navigate Trump’s DEI crackdown

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — In Boston, Northeastern University renamed a program for underrepresented students, emphasizing "belonging" for all. In New Jersey, a session at Rutgers University catering to students from historically Black colleges had to be abruptly canceled. And around the U.S., ...

Seven dead, 19 injured in ‘high-impact’ air ambulance crash in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A person in a car was the seventh fatal victim of the fiery crash of an air ambulance onto a busy Philadelphia street, authorities said Saturday, as investigators sifted through burned cars, damaged homes and charred debris for clues to determine why the aircraft plummeted ...