ON UTAH BEACH, France (AP) — Looking at the vastness of Utah Beach, its sand blowing in strong wind and bright sunshine, made Robert Gibson's memory of D-Day even more vivid.
“It was tough,” the 99-year-old veteran said of the moment when he landed there on June 6, 1944 alongside more than 150,000 other Allied troops.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican attempt to expand work requirements for federal food aid in debt legislation moving through Congress would increase federal spending by $2.1 billion over 10 years — far from the cuts GOP lawmakers had promised.
Group accused of making up story about homeless vets being evicted to make room for migrants
May 19, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — The founder of a nonprofit group has been accused of fabricating a story about homeless military veterans being evicted from a New York hotel to make room for migrants, a tale that stoked days of outrage on cable news networks.
What to know about Twitter’s new CEO Linda Yaccarino
May 12, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Elon Musk is welcoming a veteran ad executive to the helm of Twitter, the social media site the billionaire Tesla CEO has been running since he bought it last fall.
Chokehold killed man restrained by NYC subway passengers
May 4, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A man who had been shouting at people aboard a New York City subway train died after fellow riders tackled him and one put him in a chokehold that lasted until his body went limp, according to police officials and video of the encounter.
Kemp signs Georgia law for veterans mental health grants
April 25, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — Georgia is creating a $750,000 grant program to support mental health programs for military service members, veterans and their families through a law signed Tuesday by Gov. Brian Kemp.
Four for Caspar Fownes as King of the Valley moves to top of city circuit standings
April 6, 2023 GMTA Caspar Fownes quartet provided him with his best individual meeting haul since his Sha Tin five-timer in June 2021 and propelled the King of the Valley to the top of this season's city circuit standings.
Volunteer searcher finds 2-year-old safe in Missouri woods
April 3, 2023 GMTTECUMSEH, Mo. (AP) — A 2-year-old boy who followed his dog into the woods near his Missouri Ozarks home is safe, after one of the nearly 100 people searching for him heard a faint whimper and found the child just before the sunset.
2023 Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees
April 1, 2023 GMTNorth American Committee — Dwayne Wade, player; Dirk Nowitzki, player; Tony Parker; player; Paul Gasol, player; Gene Bess, coach; David Hixon, coach; Gene Keady, coach; Gregg Popovich, coach.
Women's Committee — Becky Hammon, player; Gary Blair, coach.
Police: 5 dead, including three kids, at South Carolina home
March 22, 2023 GMTCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A former soldier shot and killed three children as they slept in their South Carolina home Tuesday night while their mother frantically sought help, authorities said. The ex-soldier then killed himself.
Number of imprisoned veterans concerns former defense chiefs
March 3, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Two former Iraq and Afghanistan War-era defense secretaries are recommending that the government consider new ways to ensure that military service is taken into account when courts prosecute former service members.
Families sue over deaths of loved ones at veterans home
March 1, 2023 GMTBOSTON (AP) — The families of three residents of a state-run veterans' care facility in Massachusetts who died after contracting COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic say in a federal lawsuit that the deaths were “premature and preventable" and the result of “unsanitary, unfit, and unacceptable living conditions" at the facility.
Audit: Inadequate background checks found at 2nd VA hospital
February 24, 2023 GMTBECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) — An audit of personnel review procedures at hospitals in West Virginia that serve veterans has found problems at a second facility.
The full audit of Veterans Health Administration personnel procedures came after an initial review found that the Louis A.
Alcaraz drops set but recovers to beat Fognini at Rio Open
February 24, 2023 GMTRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was far from his best against veteran Fabio Fognini but managed to advance to the Rio Open quarterfinals on Thursday.
The top-seeded Alcaraz overcame the 35-year-old Italian 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in 2 hours, 47 minutes.
Governor signs bill for Bowling Green veterans center
February 15, 2023 GMTFRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear signed legislation Wednesday that allocates more than $16 million in a final round of funding to build a veterans nursing home in Bowling Green.
The bill signing at the statehouse culminated efforts spanning more than a decade to put a state veterans home in the fast-growing city in south-central Kentucky.
New White House comms director as re-election decision nears
February 10, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is getting a new communications director at the White House as he inches closer to an expected re-election campaign.
The administration tapped a veteran of the Obama-Biden years to lead the team, Ben LaBolt.
New veteran investments included in Gov. Tony Evers’ budget
February 9, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers' executive budget will include millions of additional dollars to help Wisconsin veterans with their mental health and educational needs, the governor's office announced Thursday.
Biden to focus on vets, cancer patients, others in speech
February 7, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will outline some new steps Tuesday to go after illegal drugs, help veterans and cancer patients, and provide more access to mental health care.
Biden makes progress on ‘unity agenda’ outlined in 2022
February 4, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A year ago, President Joe Biden used his first State of the Union address to push top Democratic priorities that were sure to face a battle in the narrowly divided Congress but he also laid out a four-pronged “unity agenda” that would be an easier sell.
Judge hikes bail for Army vet accused of threat to synagogue
February 1, 2023 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — A courtroom outburst by a man accused of telephoning threats to “shoot up” a Southern Nevada synagogue prompted a judge to increase his bail on Wednesday, despite the man’s father’s account that his son is a military veteran with “a mental issue” resulting from head injuries.
Civil War soldier’s Michigan grave finally gets headstone
January 29, 2023 GMTEMPIRE, Mich. (AP) — The grave of a man who served in the U.S. Civil War has been formally marked at a northern Michigan cemetery.
Claude Fields ensured that Ruel Boynton's service wouldn't be forgotten.
Guilty verdict in 2013 killing of Vietnam vet out for a run
January 27, 2023 GMTWARWICK, R.I. (AP) — The man charged with killing a 66-year-old Vietnam veteran and retired postal worker who was out for his morning run in a Rhode Island park nearly a decade ago was found guilty on Friday by a judge who rejected the suspect's mental illness defense.
Moore highlights tax break proposal for military retirees
January 26, 2023 GMTANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland Gov. Wes Moore wants to expand state tax relief for military retirees.
The governor highlighted the “Keep Our Heroes Home Act” in his legislative agenda during a roundtable with veterans on Thursday.
Richard Gasquet beats Cameron Norrie in Auckland ATP final
January 14, 2023 GMTAUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — French veteran Richard Gasquet added another milestone in a career of extraordinary longevity on Saturday when he beat Cameron Norrie 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 at the ASB Classic to claim his 16th ATP Tour title.
Oldest living Pearl Harbor survivor marks 105th birthday
January 11, 2023 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Flag-waving admirers lined the sidewalk outside the National World War II Museum in New Orleans on Wednesday to greet the oldest living survivor of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor as he marked his upcoming 105th birthday.
Q&A: FedEx founder, veteran Fred Smith offers unusual gift
January 11, 2023 GMTFred Smith, the founder of FedEx, believes that if you've done well, you should give back to the public interest.
The 78-year-old Marine Corps veteran stepped down as FedEx's CEO last year, but remains its executive chairman.
Gov. Evers appoints gay Marine vet to lead veterans agency
January 9, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers announced Monday he promoted the deputy secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to lead the agency, which has been troubled by frequent allegations of abuse and poor care.
France’s African ex-soldiers win last battle - over pensions
January 4, 2023 GMTPARIS (AP) — Some of the last survivors in France from a colonial-era infantry corps that recruited tens of thousands of African soldiers to fight in French wars around the world will be able to live out their final days with family members back in Africa after a French government U-turn on their pension rights.
TNT’s Albert, Olczyk love challenge of calling outdoor games
January 1, 2023 GMTKenny Albert and Eddie Olczyk are veterans when it comes to calling outdoor games. Yet, the Winter Classic still resonates for them as one of the biggest games of the season.
Wisconsin secretary of veterans affairs to retire
December 30, 2022 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's secretary of veterans affairs, who pushed to increase resources for veterans facing homelessness and addiction, will retire at the start of the new year, Gov. Tony Evers announced Thursday.
Bosnia: Croat politician named as prime minister-designate
December 28, 2022 GMTSARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — A veteran Bosnian Croat politician received an official mandate to form a new government Wednesday, positioning her to become the first female prime minister in the Balkan country’s history.
Israeli air force veterans say incoming government a danger
December 26, 2022 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Over 1,000 senior Israeli air force veterans, including a former Israeli chief of staff, on Monday urged the country’s top legal officials to stand tough against the incoming government.
Ducey announces $26M for first responder, veteran charities
December 21, 2022 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Arizona is allocating $26 million to organizations devoted to the health and well-being of veterans and first responders.
Gov. Doug Ducey announced the funding Wednesday that will be split among three programs focused on mental health issues for those two groups.
Biden urges veterans to seek health benefits under new law
December 16, 2022 GMTNEW CASTLE, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden urged military veterans on Friday to take advantage of new healthcare opportunities under legislation that he signed in August.
Deputy dressed as Grinch gives onions to speeding drivers
December 14, 2022 GMTMARATHON, Fla. (AP) — Several motorists who were speeding through an elementary school zone on the Florida Keys Overseas Highway received an odorous onion as a reminder to slow down from a county sheriff’s deputy dressed as the Grinch.
USS Arizona survivor: Honor those killed at Pearl Harbor
December 6, 2022 GMTHONOLULU (AP) — USS Arizona sailor Lou Conter lived through the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor even though his battleship exploded and sank after being pierced by aerial bombs.
That makes the now 101-year-old somewhat of a celebrity, especially on the anniversary of the Dec.
Jurors hear ex-Border Patrol agent’s confession in killings
December 4, 2022 GMTSAN ANTONIO (AP) — Jurors in the capital murder trial of a former U.S.
Wounded officers sue Sig Sauer, say gun goes off by itself
December 2, 2022 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Police and federal law enforcement officers are among 20 people from multiple states saying they were wounded by a popular type of Sig Sauer pistol, the latest lawsuit alleging that the gun is susceptible to going off without the trigger being pulled.
Last of Mexico’s World War II veterans dies at age 98
December 1, 2022 GMTMEXICO CITY (AP) — The last veteran of Mexico’s relatively small contingent of World War II veterans has died, Mexico’s Defense Department announced Thursday.
The department said former Sgt. Horacio Castilleja Albarrán was 98 when he died Wednesday.
‘Do something:’ Ukraine works to heal soldiers’ mental scars
December 1, 2022 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Sleep plunges the soldier back into the horrors of Ukraine’s battlefields. He can hear bombs falling again and picture explosions. He imagines himself frantically running, trying to save himself and others.
Vet’s lawsuit blaming antimalarial drug for psychosis tossed
November 30, 2022 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge threw out a lawsuit against the maker of an anti-malarial drug blamed for causing psychotic behavior and neurological damage to U.S. servicemembers, ruling that the case had no right to be filed in California.
VA deaths report finds protocols not followed, issues remain
November 28, 2022 GMTHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A federal investigation released Monday of a hot steam accident that killed two workers conducting maintenance on a boiler system at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Connecticut substantiates a whistleblower's allegations that employees did not follow proper protocols to control hazardous energy or receive adequate training, among other violations.
Man pleads guilty to charge he threatened Moms Demand Action
November 23, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — A 31-year-old Army veteran has pleaded guilty to charges that he made violent threats against an organization that supports stronger firearm laws.
Federal prosecutors in Massachusetts said Wednesday that Drummond Neil Smithson made the threat in a letter he mailed to the Department of Veterans Affairs in July 2020.
Republican Kiley captures California US House seat
November 23, 2022 GMTSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Republican Kevin Kiley, a state legislator who became a conservative favorite for his pointed and relentless criticism of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, captured a U.S. House seat Tuesday in northeastern California.
Vet sues over coverage denial for daughter gender transition
November 22, 2022 GMTPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A U.S. military veteran and his daughter filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging a federal rule they said prevents the daughter from accessing medical coverage because she is transgender.
Veterans of UK nuclear weapons tests win battle for medal
November 21, 2022 GMTLONDON (AP) — Seven decades after Britain detonated a nuclear bomb in the Indian Ocean, troops who took part — sometimes unknowingly — in the country’s atomic weapons tests are being recognized with a medal.
EXPLAINER: What are special counsels and what do they do?
November 19, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The appointment of a special counsel to oversee the remainder of two significant investigations related to former President Donald Trump focuses fresh attention on the role such prosecutors have played in modern American history.
Storming Capitol was ‘really stupid,’ Oath Keeper testifies
November 16, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A former Ohio bar owner who stormed the U.S. Capitol in a military-style stack formation with fellow members of the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group told jurors Wednesday that it was a “really stupid" decision, saying she got swept up in what seemed to be a "very American moment."
Veterans home COVID-19 outbreak results in $58M settlement
November 15, 2022 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A federal judge has approved a nearly $58 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed in response to the deaths of dozens of veterans who contracted COVID-19 at a Massachusetts veterans home.
Experts: Dallas air show crash may lead to more safety rules
November 14, 2022 GMTWhile the cause of a deadly collision between two vintage military aircraft at a Dallas air show to commemorate Veterans Day remains unknown, experts said Monday that the accident will likely renew discussion over whether additional safety rules are needed for such events.
Unclaimed cremains of 5 military veterans buried with honors
November 13, 2022 GMTBATTLE CREEK, Mich. (AP) — The unclaimed cremains of five military veterans have been buried with full honors at a national cemetery in southwestern Michigan.
The cremains, which had gone unclaimed in a morgue for months, were buried Thursday amid folded flags, the playing of the “Taps” bugle call, a color guard and a rifle detail at Fort Custer National Cemetery outside Battle Creek.
King Charles III leads Remembrance Sunday to honor veterans
November 13, 2022 GMTLONDON (AP) — The U.K fell silent for two minutes on Remembrance Sunday as King Charles III led the nation in honoring servicemen and women who lost their lives in past conflicts.
Big Ben chimed 11 times to mark the start of the silence as thousands of veterans, including some who had served during the World War II looked on solemnly under gray London skies.
Veterans ‘best of America,’ VP Harris says in laying wreath
November 11, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Under gray clouds and pouring rain at Arlington National Cemetery, Vice President Kamala Harris told the nation's veterans Friday their work makes America stronger, as the administration announced new support for children who live with wounded service members.
Many vets are landing jobs, but the transition can be tough
November 11, 2022 GMTNORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Phillip Slaughter left the Army after 18 years and found a job similar to one he had in uniform: behind the wheel of a truck. Instead of towing food and bullets through war zones, he hauled packages for FedEx.
CDC to conduct health study at polluted former Army base
November 9, 2022 GMTFederal health officials are conducting a new study to determine whether veterans once stationed at a now-shuttered California military base were exposed to dangerously high levels of cancer-causing toxins.
Head of New Mexico Department of Veterans Services resigns
November 9, 2022 GMTSANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Sonya Smith, head of the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services, said she will step down Friday to spend more time with her family.
Smith has been the Veterans Services’ cabinet secretary since October 2020 after previously working as a special projects manager at the state Department of Health.
Democrat Mrvan holds onto NW Indiana congressional seat
November 9, 2022 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Democrat Frank Mrvan won reelection to his northwestern Indiana congressional seat on Tuesday, surviving an expensive campaign in which Republicans made their first serious challenge in decades for the longtime Democratic stronghold.
Iowa Republican Grassley elected to 8th U.S. Senate term
November 9, 2022 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley was elected to an eighth term Tuesday, defeating Democrat Michael Franken and putting himself in position to be the Senate’s most senior member.
Grassley beat the retired Navy admiral after a race that had been seen as more competitive than the typically easy victories the veteran Republican had achieved since first being elected to the Senate in 1980.
US Sen. Duckworth defeats Chicago-area lawyer, wins 2nd term
November 9, 2022 GMTCHICAGO (AP) — Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth won reelection Tuesday in Illinois, defeating political newcomer and lawyer Kathy Salvi.
Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran who lost both legs when her helicopter was shot down in 2004, has served in Congress for nearly a decade.