MIAMI — Florida’s Legislature is eyeing changes to the ballot initiative process after last year’s intense fight over two proposed amendments on abortion access and recreational marijuana.

Opponents say the bill would consolidate more power in the hands of Tallahassee and monied special interests. Proponents say the changes ensure the integrity of the process and keep out-of-state special interests out.

Copyright 2025 Tribune Content Agency.

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West Texas reports nearly 200 measles cases. New Mexico is up to 30
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AP

West Texas reports nearly 200 measles cases. New Mexico is up to 30

  • By DEVI SHASTRI - AP Health Writer

Health officials say West Texas now has almost 200 measles cases and New Mexico's case number has tripled to 30. The case counts were updated on Friday. A child died of measles in Texas last week. New Mexico health officials said Thursday they are investigating a possible adult measles death. Federal health officials announced they would send a team to Texas this week. Most of the cases are in people younger than 18 and people who are unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

Trump order would deny student loan relief to nonprofit workers engaged in 'improper' activity
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AP

Trump order would deny student loan relief to nonprofit workers engaged in 'improper' activity

  • By COLLIN BINKLEY - AP Education Writer

President Donald Trump is ordering changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that would disqualify workers of nonprofit groups deemed to have engaged in “improper” activities. An executive order being signed Friday directs the Education Department to modify the program to deny loan relief to some borrowers. White House officials said the order would exclude loan forgiveness for people whose work is tied to illegal immigration, foreign terrorist groups or other illegal activity. Congress created the program in 2007 to encourage careers in the government or nonprofit groups. It offers to cancel any remaining student debt after borrowers make 10 years of payments while working in public service.

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AP

New leader takes over Haiti's transitional presidential council as violence persists

  • AP

The council tasked to prepare eventual presidential elections in Haiti has sworn in a new leader, as the country keeps struggling with a persistent gang violence. Fritz Alphonse Jean is an economist and former central bank governor. He has replaced Leslie Voltaire in the rotating presidency of the transitional presidential council, formed in 2024 after a violent gang siege of the capital that forced then Prime Minister Ariel Henry to resign. The council helps run the country and organizing general elections, aimed for February 2026.

Trump administration cancels $400M in grants and contracts with Columbia University
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AP

Trump administration cancels $400M in grants and contracts with Columbia University

  • By JENNIFER PELTZ - Associated Press

The Trump administration says it’s pulling $400 million from Columbia University. Multiple federal agencies announced Friday that they're canceling grants and contracts because of what the government describes as the Ivy League school’s lackluster efforts to squelch antisemitism on campus. The notice came after Columbia set up a new disciplinary committee and ramped up its own investigations into students critical of Israel, alarming free speech advocates. Nonetheless, federal Education Secretary Linda McMahon says Columbia has “abandoned” its obligation to Jewish students. Columbia is vowing to work with the government to try to get the money back.

Which US companies are pulling back on diversity initiatives?
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AP

Which US companies are pulling back on diversity initiatives?

  • By The Associated Press

A growing number of prominent companies have scaled back or set aside the diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that much of corporate America endorsed following the protests that accompanied the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, a Black man, in 2020. The changes have come in a response to a campaign by conservative activists to target workplace programs in the courts and social media, and more recently, President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at rooting out DEI policies in both the federal government and private sector.

Bosnia's top court temporarily suspends separatist laws adopted by Bosnian Serbs
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AP

Bosnia's top court temporarily suspends separatist laws adopted by Bosnian Serbs

  • AP

Bosnia’s top court has temporarily suspended a set of laws enacted by separatist Bosnian Serb authorities that barred the state judiciary and police from operating in the Serb-controlled part of the country. The contentious legislation has fueled tensions in the ethnically divided Balkan country. Bosnia’s Constitutional Court said it had to act quickly because the newly adopted laws “could harm the constitutional order of Bosnia-Herzegovina.” It is expected to declare the laws invalid after thorough deliberation. Bosnian officials on Thursday lodged an appeal against the law.

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AP

Putin ready to agree Ukraine Truce with conditions

  • Bloomberg News (TNS)

Russia is willing to discuss a temporary truce in Ukraine provided there is progress toward a final peace settlement, according to people familiar with the matter in Moscow.

No. 14 Tar Heel women dominate boards, freshman Grant clutch at line in 60-56 win over No. 22 FSU
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No. 14 Tar Heel women dominate boards, freshman Grant clutch at line in 60-56 win over No. 22 FSU

  • AP

Alyssa Ustby scored 12 points and grabbed 18 rebounds and freshman Lanie Grant made two free throws with 7.3 seconds left to give No. 14 North Carolina a 60-56 win over No. 22 Florida State in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Reniya Kelly hit a jumper with just over a minute remaining to give the Tar Heels the lead and she connected again near the foul line to make it 58-54 with 20.4 seconds left. Ta’Niya Latson made two free throws for the Seminoles with 11.4 to go but then they had to foul three times before Grant went to the line. The fifth-seeded Tar Heels play the winner of No. 7 N.C. State and Georgia Tech in Saturday’s semifinals. Makayla Timpson had 15 points, eight rebounds and she tied a tournament record with eight blocks for the fourth-seeded Seminoles.

No. 14 Tar Heel women dominate boards, freshman Grant clutch at line in 60-56 win over No. 22 FSU
Sports
AP

No. 14 Tar Heel women dominate boards, freshman Grant clutch at line in 60-56 win over No. 22 FSU

  • AP

Alyssa Ustby scored 12 points and grabbed 18 rebounds and freshman Lanie Grant made two free throws with 7.3 seconds left to give No. 14 North Carolina a 60-56 win over No. 22 Florida State in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Reniya Kelly hit a jumper with just over a minute remaining to give the Tar Heels the lead and she connected again near the foul line to make it 58-54 with 20.4 seconds left. Ta’Niya Latson made two free throws for the Seminoles with 11.4 to go but then they had to foul three times before Grant went to the line. The fifth-seeded Tar Heels play the winner of No. 7 N.C. State and Georgia Tech in Saturday’s semifinals. Makayla Timpson had 15 points, eight rebounds and she tied a tournament record with eight blocks for the fourth-seeded Seminoles.

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AP

What to know about Social Security office closures driven by Musk's DOGE

  • By MEG KINNARD - Associated Press

Across-the-board cuts at the Social Security Administration are prompting questions about how the benefits of millions of recipients may be affected. Among the potential changes are layoffs for more than 10% of the agency’s workforce and the closure of dozens of its 1,200 field offices throughout the U.S. It’s all part of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce through the Department of Government Efficiency, inspired by President Donald Trump’s adviser Elon Musk. Advocates for those receiving Social Security benefits have claimed agency reductions will result in diminished services. The Republican president has vowed Social Security benefits “won’t be touched.”

Trump administration throws hundreds of affordable housing projects into limbo after contract cuts
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AP

Trump administration throws hundreds of affordable housing projects into limbo after contract cuts

  • By JESSE BEDAYN - Associated Press/Report for America

The Associated Press has found that the Trump administration has stalled at least $60 million in funding intended largely for affordable housing developments nationwide. The holdup has thrown hundreds of projects into a precarious limbo. The move is part of a flurry of funding freezes, staffing cuts and contract cancellations by the Trump administration at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The changes have instilled widespread uncertainty in the affordable housing industry. A spokesperson for HUD said the program is not being cut, but the contracts to distribute the funds are being consolidated. It's remains unclear when or how the money will get to local nonprofits.

Maine babies will get Social Security numbers in hospital after Trump admin directive condemned
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AP

Maine babies will get Social Security numbers in hospital after Trump admin directive condemned

  • By PATRICK WHITTLE and FATIMA HUSSEIN - Associated Press

The acting head of the Social Security Administration says he rescinded and apologized for an order that would have required Maine parents to register their newborns for Social Security numbers at a federal office rather than the hospital. The order drew widespread condemnation from medical organizations and public officials who described it as unnecessary and punitive. The practice of allowing parents to register a newborn for a Social Security number at a hospital or other birthing site, called the Enumeration at Birth program, has been common for decades. Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek says Friday he admits his mistakes and has rescinded the order.

As censure motion looms, Greeks return to the streets to remember rail tragedy victims
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AP

As censure motion looms, Greeks return to the streets to remember rail tragedy victims

  • AP

Thousands of demonstrators are rallying across Greece for the third time in a week to protest the government’s handling of a deadly rail disaster that occurred two years ago. The protests Friday began in Athens and other cities as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ center-right government faced a censure motion over the 2023 train collision that killed 57 people and injured dozens more. Despite widespread public anger, the parliamentary vote is not expected to threaten Mitsotakis’ government, as the opposition remains fragmented.

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AP

Red Rocks 2025 concert season kicks off this weekend

  • John Wenzel - The Denver Post (TNS)

DENVER — The merry month of May used to be an outlier on the Red Rocks Amphitheatre calendar, and any artist that dared book past September tempted the wrath of show-stopping cold and snow.

VMI's first Black superintendent says ouster is based on politics, not job performance
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AP

VMI's first Black superintendent says ouster is based on politics, not job performance

  • By BEN FINLEY - Associated Press

The first Black superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute says his forced departure is the result of politics rather than his job performance. VMI's board voted last week against renewing its contract for Retired Army Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins. The board's decision follows diversity and inclusion efforts that were implemented under Wins' leadership. Wins said in a statement Thursday that the decision was “a partisan choice" that abandons VMI's values of honor and integrity. Wins is a 1985 graduate of the school. He became superintendent in 2021, when VMI was undergoing a racial reckoning and diversity programs were being put into place.

Slovakian crowds continue protest against pro-Russian policies of populist premier Robert Fico
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AP

Slovakian crowds continue protest against pro-Russian policies of populist premier Robert Fico

  • AP

Thousands of people have taken to the streets across Slovakia again to voice their opposition to populist Prime Minister Robert Fico and his pro-Russian policies. The protests are fueled by Fico’s recent trip to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a rare visit to the Kremlin by a European Union leader since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine and his recent remarks that Slovakia might consider leaving the 27-nation EU and NATO. The crowd has condemned recent pro-Russian activities of Fico’s close associates. The protesters have called Fico “a traitor” and repeatedly chanted “Slovakia is Europe.”

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AP

New EPA guidance says spending items greater than $50,000 must get approval from DOGE

  • By MATTHEW DALY - Associated Press

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued new guidance directing senior staff to submit spending items greater than $50,000 for approval from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The guidance, issued this week, escalates the role that the new efficiency group, known as DOGE, plays in EPA operations. The guidance says that “any assistance agreement, contract or interagency agreement transaction" valued at $50,000 or greater must receive approval from an EPA DOGE team member. That's according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. A Democratic senator calls the new directive “troubling″ and says agency actions, including routine contracts and grant awards, “now face unnecessary bureaucratic delays.”

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AP

'With Love, Meghan,' the Duchess of Sussex's Netflix series, renewed for a second season

  • AP

There’s going to be more “With Love, Meghan,” the Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix lifestyles series. The streaming service announced Friday that a second season of the show, which debuted this week, has already been shot. She has said the show, which includes her chatting with celebrity pals, is not about a quest for perfection but more about finding joy in the little things. No premiere date has been set, but Netflix said the second season would air this fall. The Duchess was born and raised in Los Angeles and now lives in Montecito, California, with Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and their two children.

Ricardo Scofidio, architect behind New York City's High Line park, dies at 89
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AP

Ricardo Scofidio, architect behind New York City's High Line park, dies at 89

  • By JENNIFER PELTZ - Associated Press

An architect who transformed an abandoned railway into New York City’s popular High Line park has died. Ricardo Scofidio was 89 and was among the first architects to win a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant." His firm, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, says he died Thursday. Founded by Scofidio and wife Elizabeth Diller, the New York-based studio has brought an avant-garde art sensibility to designing museums, college buildings and other projects around the world. Projects include The Broad museum in downtown Los Angeles, a massive artificial cloud above a Swiss lake for a 2002 art expo, and a redesign of New York’s Lincoln Center.

1 arrested, more suspects sought after Southern University fraternity hazing death
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AP

1 arrested, more suspects sought after Southern University fraternity hazing death

  • By JACK BROOK and SARA CLINE - Associated Press

Police say one arrest has been made and at least two more are expected in connection with the death of a 20-year-old Southern University student after an off-campus fraternity hazing ritual. Caleb Wilson, an engineering junior at the Baton Rouge school, died in late February. Police say Caleb McCray was arrested Thursday evening. He faces charges of manslaughter and criminal hazing. Authorities are investigating additional suspects and said they anticipated at least two more arrests in Wilson's death. Southern University said it ordered the Omega Psi Phi chapter to cease activities and is suspending Greek life membership.

Ap
AP

New EPA guidance says spending items greater than $50,000 must get approval from DOGE

  • By MATTHEW DALY - Associated Press

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued new guidance directing senior staff to submit spending items greater than $50,000 for approval from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The guidance, issued this week, escalates the role that the new efficiency group, known as DOGE, plays in EPA operations. The guidance says that “any assistance agreement, contract or interagency agreement transaction" valued at $50,000 or greater must receive approval from an EPA DOGE team member. That's according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. A Democratic senator calls the new directive “troubling″ and says agency actions, including routine contracts and grant awards, “now face unnecessary bureaucratic delays.”

Ap
AP

'With Love, Meghan,' the Duchess of Sussex's Netflix series, renewed for a second season

  • AP

There’s going to be more “With Love, Meghan,” the Duchess of Sussex’s Netflix lifestyles series. The streaming service announced Friday that a second season of the show, which debuted this week, has already been shot. She has said the show, which includes her chatting with celebrity pals, is not about a quest for perfection but more about finding joy in the little things. No premiere date has been set, but Netflix said the second season would air this fall. The Duchess was born and raised in Los Angeles and now lives in Montecito, California, with Harry, the Duke of Sussex, and their two children.

Ricardo Scofidio, architect behind New York City's High Line park, dies at 89
Ap
AP

Ricardo Scofidio, architect behind New York City's High Line park, dies at 89

  • By JENNIFER PELTZ - Associated Press

An architect who transformed an abandoned railway into New York City’s popular High Line park has died. Ricardo Scofidio was 89 and was among the first architects to win a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant." His firm, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, says he died Thursday. Founded by Scofidio and wife Elizabeth Diller, the New York-based studio has brought an avant-garde art sensibility to designing museums, college buildings and other projects around the world. Projects include The Broad museum in downtown Los Angeles, a massive artificial cloud above a Swiss lake for a 2002 art expo, and a redesign of New York’s Lincoln Center.

1 arrested, more suspects sought after Southern University fraternity hazing death
Ap
AP

1 arrested, more suspects sought after Southern University fraternity hazing death

  • By JACK BROOK and SARA CLINE - Associated Press

Police say one arrest has been made and at least two more are expected in connection with the death of a 20-year-old Southern University student after an off-campus fraternity hazing ritual. Caleb Wilson, an engineering junior at the Baton Rouge school, died in late February. Police say Caleb McCray was arrested Thursday evening. He faces charges of manslaughter and criminal hazing. Authorities are investigating additional suspects and said they anticipated at least two more arrests in Wilson's death. Southern University said it ordered the Omega Psi Phi chapter to cease activities and is suspending Greek life membership.