North Carolina GOP town hall gets rowdy as attendees hurl scathing questions on Trump
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — A town hall held by Rep. Chuck Edwards in Asheville, North Carolina, got rowdy as attendees asked a barrage of scathing questions about policies rolled out under President Donald Trump's administration. House Speaker Mike Johnson has advised GOP representatives not to hold town halls, but Edwards told attendees he didn't want to “shy away” from conversations. Many questions centered on sweeping cuts in the federal government at the hands of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Nearly every answer Edwards gave during the hour-and-a-half town hall was interrupted by jeers and enraged shouting.
More shots fired at Oregon Tesla dealership in ongoing vandalism since Musk began advising Trump
TIGARD, Ore. (AP) — Police in Oregon say gunshots were fired at a Tesla dealership for the second time in a week. The Tigard Police Department says that around 4:15 a.m. Thursday, over a dozen shots fired around the suburban Portland business caused extensive damage to cars and showroom windows. No one was hurt. A similar shooting happened on March 6 at the same location. Police say they continue to work with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Explosives to thoroughly investigate. Tesla has been a target of protests and vandalism in the U.S. and elsewhere after CEO Elon Musk took a prominent role in President Donald Trump’s administration.
American who snatched a baby wombat leaves Australia as she was being investigated for a visa breach
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — An American influencer has left Australia after the government announced it was reviewing her visa over a video she posted of her snatching a baby wombat from its mother. Sam Jones made her Instagram account private after she was widely condemned for the video. She lifts the joey by its front legs from a roadside then runs away from its mother. “I caught a baby wombat,” she said as a man filming her laughs. She returns the wombat to the roadside after several seconds. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Friday his department was looking into her visa and determining whether immigration law was breached. A government official later confirmed she voluntarily flew from Australia on Friday.
Don't click on those road toll texts. Officials issue warnings about the smishing scam
WASHINGTON (AP) — State officials are warning Americans not to respond to a surge of scam road toll collection texts. The texts impersonating state road toll collection agencies attempt to get phone users to reveal financial information, such as credit or debit cards or bank accounts. They’re so-called smishing scams — a form of phishing that relies on SMS texts to trick people into sending money or share sensitive information.
Iconic pet reindeer in Alaska falls mysteriously ill after someone tampers in his pen
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A beloved reindeer in Alaska's biggest city is fighting for his life after falling mysteriously falling ill after someone tampered with his pen. Star is well-known in Anchorage. He has been in parades, featured on reality TV shows and visited by schoolchildren and tourists. Someone cut the locks off Star's pen Feb 20. The 8-year-old reindeer was found wandering around downtown. The next night, likely the same person was seen spraying something into Star's face and pen. Star's veterinarian says the animal's chance of recovery is uncertain. Police says no viable tips have come in about the suspect.
Measles cases in Europe and Central Asia doubled last year to the highest reported level since 1997
LONDON (AP) — There were 127,350 reported cases of measles, including 38 deaths, in Europe and Central Asia last year, marking the highest total in nearly 30 years, according to figures from UNICEF and the World Health Organization. In analysis published Thursday, U.N. health experts said Romania had the most measles infections, at more than 30,000, followed by Kazakhstan. UNICEF said that about 40% of measles infections were in children aged under 5 and that more than half of all people sickened by measles had to be hospitalized due to the severity of their illness. Measles is among the world’s most infectious diseases and is spread by an airborne virus. It is most commonly spread when infected people cough or sneeze.
10 taken to hospital, dozens displaced after explosion and fire at Denver assisted living facility
DENVER (AP) — Officials in Denver say 10 people were taken to hospitals and dozens were displaced after an explosion and transformer fire at an assisted living facility. The Denver Fire Department says firefighters responded at the Eastern Star Masonic Retirement Campus on Wednesday and controlled the blaze. Department spokesperson Capt. Luis Cedillo says 10 people were taken to hospitals with possibly only minor injuries. Another 87 people were displaced. The department says the preliminary investigation indicates a power line was struck accidentally during construction work, causing the explosion.
One Tech Tip: Wasting too much time on social media apps? Tips and tricks to curb smartphone use
LONDON (AP) — If you’ve got a smartphone, you probably spend too much time on it. It can be hard to curb excessive use of smartphones and social media, which are addictive by design but there are tips and tricks. First, delete any apps you’ve been wasting time on. You can always install them if you need to. Also, both iPhones and Android devices have onboard controls to help regulate screen time. Change your phone display to grayscale from color so that it doesn’t look so exciting. There are also many third-party apps, like Jomo, Opal, Forest, Roots and LockMeOut that are designed to cut down screen time.
SpaceX delays flight to replace NASA's stuck astronauts after launch pad problem
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A launch pad problem has forced a flight delay to replace NASA's two stuck astronauts. The new crew needs to get to the International Space Station before Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams can head home after nine months in orbit. Concerns over a critical hydraulic system arose less than four hours before the Falcon rocket’s planned evening liftoff from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. The decision to cancel finally came down with less than an hour remaining in the countdown. Officials say the launch is off until at least Friday.
Woman trapped in crashed car survives on creek water for 6 days until rescue
BROOK, Ind. (AP) — Authorities say a woman in Indiana who was trapped in her car with broken legs after a crash survived for nearly a week by sucking water from a sweatshirt that she dipped into a creek. The Newton County Sheriff's Office says a man operating drainage equipment saw 41-year-old Brieonna Cassell's car off a road Tuesday near the town of Brook. Cassell had been reported missing by family members six days before. The sheriff's office says the man who spotted her car told his supervisor and they found Cassell inside, conscious and able to speak. She was flown to a Chicago hospital for her injuries.
