DeSantis to argue US should be like Fla. ahead of 2024 bid

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' State of the State speech is likely to be more about making a case to lead the country rather than an assessment of Florida’s future. Tuesday's address comes as DeSantis builds momentum for a presidential run and marks the start of Florida's annual 60-day legislative session. He's traveled the country talking about how America should be more like Florida. This session, that means issues like telling teachers what pronouns they can use for students, making guns more available to Floridians and keeping keeping immigrants who are in the country illegally out of the state. So far that approach has worked for DeSantis, who won reelection last year by nearly 20 points.

Roman shrine uncovered beneath graveyard in central England

LONDON (AP) — Archaeologists have uncovered what they believe to be a Roman shrine beneath a former graveyard in the grounds of a cathedral in central England. Experts from the University of Leicester say they found what appears to be the cellar of a Roman building and a fragment of a 1,800-year-old altar stone during excavations in the grounds of Leicester Cathedral. They believe the cellar, nearly 10 feet (3 meters) below the ground, was built in the second century. Several pieces of Roman pottery and coins were also found at the site. The Romans built a fort around A.D. 50 in Leicester. The dig was part of a multi-million-pound project to restore Leicester Cathedral.

Vatican 'donating' its own 3 Parthenon sculptures to Greece

ROME (AP) — The Vatican and Greece have finalized a deal for the return of three sculpture fragments from the Parthenon that have been in the collection of the Vatican Museums for two centuries. The Vatican has termed the return an ecumenical “donation” to the Orthodox Christian archbishop of Athens and all Greece, not necessarily a state-to-state transfer. The head of the Vatican city-state, Cardinal Fernando Vergez, signed an agreement Tuesday with Greece's culture minister and a representative of the Orthodox Christian archbishop to implement the “donation.” The agreement is likely to add pressure on the British Museum to conclude a deal with Greece over the fate of its much bigger collection of Parthenon marbles.

France on strike: Unions say 'non' to higher pension age

PARIS (AP) — Demonstrators have started marching across France in a new round of protests and strikes against the government’s project to raise the retirement age to 64. Unions hope the action will the biggest show of force against the planned change. Garbage collectors, utility workers, train drivers and others have walked off the job on Tuesday across France to show their anger at the reform. More than 250 protests are expected in Paris and around the country against President Emmanuel Macron’s legislation. The bill is under debate in the French Senate this week. Unions threatened to freeze up the French economy with work stoppages across multiple sectors.

Thousands of pro-Trump bots are attacking DeSantis, Haley

WASHINGTON (AP) — Researchers have uncovered a network of tens of thousands of fake Twitter accounts created to support former President Donald Trump and attack his critics and potential rivals. Those targeted by the bot network include a Republican candidate for president, Nikki Haley, and potential Trump rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The network was discovered by an Israeli tech firm, Cyabra, which shared its findings with The Associated Press. While the network's creator remains unknown, its existence is a reminder that online manipulation techniques pioneered by Russia are becoming increasingly common in the U.S.

US citizen, Somali convicted in journalist's hostage-taking

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors say two men have been convicted of helping Somali pirates who kidnapped a U.S. journalist for ransom and held him for 2 1/2 years. The U.S. attorney's office says Mohamed Tahlil Mohamed and Abdi Yusuf Hassan were convicted by a federal court jury in New York on Feb. 24. They could face life sentences for hostage-taking, conspiracy, providing material support for acts of terrorism and other crimes. Prosecutors say the men helped pirates who kidnapped German-American journalist Michael Scott Moore in 2012 in Somalia and held him for 977 days before he was released after his family paid a $1.6 million ransom. Hassan is a naturalized U.S. citizen. He was arrested in Minneapolis in 2019.

2 dead in stampede at GloRilla concert in New York

Police say another person injured in a stampede at a rap concert has died. The death toll is now two after the chaos in Rochester, New York. A 33-year-old died earlier. The two were among those injured in a crowd surge as concertgoers left a show headlined by Grammy-nominated artist GloRilla. Authorities say audience members rushed for the Main Street Armory’s exits because of unfounded fears of gunfire. Police say several people were injured. Police Chief David M. Smith says there was no evidence any shots were fired. Police are investigating possible causes of the fatal surge.

Man accused of trying to open jet's door, attacking crew

BOSTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors say a Massachusetts man tried to open an airliner’s emergency door on a cross-country flight from Los Angeles to Boston and then tried to stab a flight attendant in the neck with a broken metal spoon. The U.S. attorney's office in Boston said Monday that 33-year-old Francisco Severo Torres was tackled and restrained with the help of passengers. He was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport on Sunday once the United Airlines flight landed. The man was charged with interference and attempted interference with flight crew members using a dangerous weapon. He was detained at an initial federal court appearance Monday. An email seeking comment was left with his lawyer.

DA stands by prosecutor in Alec Baldwin set-shooting case

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A district attorney in Santa Fe is fighting back against efforts to disqualify a special prosecutor pursuing manslaughter charges against actor Alec Baldwin in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set. Baldwin’s legal team in February sought to disqualify prosecutor and Republican state Rep. Andrea Reeb of Clovis based on constitutional provisions that safeguard the separation of powers between distinct branches of government. In a court filing Monday, Santa Fe District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies Baldwin said there are protections that ensure the Legislature can't influence ongoing court proceedings. Baldwin and film-set weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter.

Hawaii cites man for harassing humpback whale, dolphins

HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii officials have cited a Maui man seen on video snorkeling for allegedly harassing a humpback whale and pod of dolphins. The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources said Monday the man actively pursued the adolescent whale inside Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park off the Big Island. A law enforcement officer from the agency went to the park on Monday and recorded video of the man pursuing a pod of spinner dolphins. The agency cited him for prohibited activity with indigenous wildlife and harassing wildlife in a state park. The individual the agency identified as the defendant didn’t immediately respond to a Facebook message seeking comment.

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