LOS ANGELES (AP) — Data collected from 30 American cities showed an 18% decrease in the homicide rate from 2025 compared to the same period in 2026, translating to about 215 fewer homicides this year, according to a new report from the independent Council on Criminal Justice. Should the trend continue, it would push the annual homicide rate to the lowest levels in over a century once final numbers are released at the end of the year. The report, released Thursday, tracked 13 crimes and drops...

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — When Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for Texas governor, began her campaign last year, candidates weren't talking about — or hearing about — data centers. But with barely three months until November's contest, the perceived threat to rural life, ranchland and dwindling water supplies could become a defining issue for her longshot challenge to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, dividing conservative rural areas that have traditionally served as a counterweight to to...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Health advisers begin meeting Thursday to review more than a half-dozen peptides, unproven substances that have become a growing wellness trend despite little evidence they are safe or effective. The two-day meeting hosted by the Food and Drug Administration has the backing of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. , who has described himself as a “big fan” of peptides and vowed to overturn industry restrictions put in place under President Joe Biden. Peptide supporters...