Eviction filings are 50% higher than they were pre-pandemic in some cities as rent rises

ATLANTA (AP) - Entering court using a walker, a doctor's note clutched in his hand, 70-year-old Dana Williams, who suffers serious heart problems, hypertension and asthma, pleaded to delay eviction from his two-bedroom apartment in Atlanta. Although sympathetic, the judge said state law required him to evict Williams and his 25-year-old daughter De'mai Williams in April because they owed $8,348 in unpaid rent and fees on their $940-a-month apartment. They

China says Biden comments likening leader Xi to a dictator are ‘extremely absurd and irresponsible’

BEIJING (AP) - China on Wednesday called comments by U.S. President Joe Biden referring to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator "extremely absurd and irresponsible," as a new rift threatened to upset tentative efforts to stabilize the relationship between the two countries. The clash of words comes just over a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a visit to Beijing that sought to break the ice in

Democrats downplay Hunter Biden’s plea deal, while Republicans see opportunity to deflect from Trump

NEW YORK (AP) - Democrats, already anxious about President Joe Biden's reelection prospects, are seeking to downplay - or ignore altogether - revelations that the president's son has entered into a plea deal with federal prosecutors over tax offenses and a gun charge. And as Democrats dodge, former President Donald Trump and his Republican allies seized on the extraordinary legal development to tighten his grip on the GOP and deflect

Actor Jonathan Majors domestic violence trial scheduled for Aug. 3

NEW YORK (AP) - Actor Jonathan Majors' domestic violence case will go to trial Aug. 3, a Manhattan judge said Tuesday, casting him in a real-life courtroom drama as his idled Hollywood career hangs in the balance. Judge Rachel Pauley wished Majors' "best of luck" as she scheduled his trial. "Yes, ma'am," Majors said, standing with his lawyers in front of Pauley's bench in Manhattan's domestic violence court. Majors, 33,

Supreme Court turns away veterans who seek disability benefits over 1966 hydrogen bomb accident

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal on behalf of some U.S. veterans who want disability benefits because they were exposed to radiation while responding to a Cold War-era hydrogen bomb accident in Spain. The justices not did comment in turning away an appeal from Victor Skaar, an Air Force veteran in his mid-80s. Skaar, of Nixa, Missouri, filed class-action claims seeking benefits for him and

Lawyer Eastman faces a disciplinary hearing over a plot to keep Trump in power after his 2020 loss

LOS ANGELES (AP) - An effort to disbar conservative attorney John Eastman, who devised ways to keep President Donald Trump in the White House after his defeat in the 2020 election, will begin Tuesday in Los Angeles. Eastman is expected to spend the day testifying before the State Bar of California in a proceeding that could result in him losing his license to practice law in the state. He faces

Inside the deepening rivalry between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - California Gov. Gavin Newsom says there's no chance "on God's green earth" he's running for president in 2024, but he wants to make clear that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running, is "weak" and "undisciplined" and "will be crushed by Donald Trump." DeSantis, meanwhile, likes to mock Newsom's apparent "fixation" on Florida while insisting that the Democratic governor's "leftist government" is destroying California. Welcome to

Andrew Tate is charged with rape and human trafficking in Romania

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Divisive social media personality Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan, have been charged with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to exploit women, prosecutors in Romania said Tuesday. Romania's anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, said prosecutors filed the charges against the brothers, who are both British-U.S. dual citizens, along with two Romanian women in a court in the capital Bucharest. In a statement, the agency

Hunter Biden charged with failing to pay federal income tax and illegally having a weapon

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Joe Biden's son Hunter has been charged with failing to pay federal income tax and illegally possessing a weapon and has reached an agreement with the Justice Department, according to a letter filed in U.S. District Court in Delaware. As part of the agreement, made public Tuesday, Hunter Biden will plead guilty to misdemeanor tax offenses and is expected to reach an agreement with prosecutors on

Juneteeth festival canceled after double shooting in Asheville

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - A two-day Juneteenth Festival in a popular North Carolina tourist city came to an abrupt halt after two juveniles were wounded in a shooting. The News & Observer reports that all activities planned for Sunday at Asheville's Pack Square Park were canceled after the shooting occurred on Saturday as festivities drew to a close on the first day of the festival. "We are saddened that a