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A bill in South Carolina that would greatly expand voting through no-excuse absentee ballots and eliminating witnesses for votes cast by mail got a hearing in the Republican dominated Legislature. But the subcommittee hearing was less than an hour long, forced to end without a vote because the House was going into session. Not all the supporters of the proposal got a chance to speak. The 10 people who did speak supported the bill. It allows people to register to vote and cast an in-person absentee ballot the same day and would allow college IDs with photos to be used as identification at the polls. 

Recent flooding in Hawaii caused widespread and obvious damage. But extreme rain events that are predicted to become more common with global warming do not only wreak havoc on land. The runoff from these increasingly severe storms is also threatening Hawaii’s coral reefs. The runoff problem is multifaceted, but one of the biggest issues is pollution from the state’s 88,000 cesspools, which regularly overflow into the ocean when there's heavy rain. And while increasing ocean temperatures can sicken and kill coral, scientists say the less well known threat of runoff could prove more serious for reefs in the Hawaiian Islands.

LaMarcus Aldridge has retired from the NBA after saying he experienced an irregular heartbeat during his final game with the Brooklyn Nets. The 35-year-old Aldridge posted a statement on social media saying the heart concerns he had during and after Brooklyn’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday was one of the “scariest things” he’s experienced. He says he feels better now after getting it checked out but decided to end his 15-year career. Aldridge says: “For 15 years I’ve put basketball first, and now, it is time to put my health and my family first." The seven-time All-Star signed with the Nets on March 28 and became their starting center. He previously played for San Antonio and Portland.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's top diplomat asked Thursday for stronger Western backing, saying “words of support aren't enough” amid escalating tensions in the country’s east and a Russian troop buildup across the border. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking…

A new wave of public health advocacy that is multilingual, culturally sensitive, entertaining and personal is rapidly replacing mundane public service announcements in the battle to stamp out the disinformation around COVID-19 vaccines in communities of color. Barbers are busting vaccine myths as they cut hair, while a company that made comics to combat Islamic extremism is creating Spanish-language animated stories to smash conspiracy theories hindering Latinos from getting shots. The innovative messaging has grown out of urgency. Black and Latino people have been hit disproportionately hard by the coronavirus, yet their vaccination rates are less than half that of white people. 

President Joe Biden’s proposal to get rid of every lead water pipe in the country could have huge ramifications. That's especially true in communities where a large number of Black, Latino and low-income residents have been left effectively drinking from a lead straw. The problem persists decades after scientists established that lead consumption is unsafe at any level. Biden announced the pipe proposal as part of his $2.3 trillion infrastructure package. There are few, if any, cities across the country where the issue resonates more than in Chicago. The city is estimated to have some 380,000 lead pipes bringing water into homes, schools and businesses.  

A Tennessee mayor has asked for the release of video footage of a shooting at a high school that left a student dead and a police officer wounded, but the local district attorney denied the request. Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon said on Twitter that she requested release of redacted video footage of Monday’s shooting at Austin-East Magnet High School. She said her request was denied by the district attorney, who told her the integrity of the investigation needed to be protected. Police said a 17-year-old student had a gun inside a school and was fatally shot in a confrontation with officers in a bathroom. An officer was wounded.

The former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in George Floyd’s death won’t testify in his own defense. Derek Chauvin on Thursday invoked his right to remain silent and leave the burden of proof on the state. It's a high-stakes decision. Taking the stand could have helped humanize Chauvin to jurors who haven’t heard from him directly at trial. But it also could have opened him up to a devastating cross-examination. In court, without the jury present, defense attorney Eric Nelson and Chauvin agreed it would be an understatement to say they had gone back and forth on the decision. 

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — The French embassy in Pakistan on Thursday advised all of its nationals and companies to temporarily leave the country after anti-France violence erupted in the Islamic nation over the arrest of a radical leader. Saad Rizvi…

It’s become a race against time in the search for 12 missing people from an oil industry vessel that capsized in the Gulf of Mexico. Coast Guard divers hope a break in stormy weather will give them an opportunity to reach the overturned ship's hull. The Seacor Power flipped over Tuesday as hurricane-force winds kicked up dangerous seas off the Louisiana coast. The Coast Guard said before dawn Thursday that they're still trying to work out how to get inside the vessel. Six people were rescued alive and one body was found floating on the water in the continuing search.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Middle East's largest operator of malls expects revenue and earnings to climb back to pre-pandemic levels by the end of next year and is moving full steam ahead with plans to develop its…

LONDON (AP) — The ousted Myanmar ambassador to Britain has appealed to the British government to help him as he faced eviction from his London residence. Kyaw Zwar Minn had to spend a night in his car last week after…

LONDON (AP) — Senior royals must wear civilian clothes to Prince Philip’s funeral, defusing potential tensions over who would be allowed to don military uniforms. Queen Elizabeth II's decision means Prince Harry won’t risk being the only member of the…

Two officials in Japan’s ruling LDP party have suggested separately that the Tokyo Olympics could be in for some radical changes. One says they could be canceled. The other says they could proceed without any fans. The speculation comes only a day after Tokyo reached the 100-days-to-go mark. Liberal Democratic Party secretary general Toshihiro Nikai says cancellation is still an option with coronavirus cases rising across the country. Taro Kono is the minister in charge of the vaccine rollout in Japan. He says that even if the games go on it may be without any fans. Organizers last month banned fans from abroad.

Caster Semenya won the 5,000-meter race at the South African national championships in a personal-best time and then said she's likely to focus on long-distance events for the rest of her career. The 5,000 appears to be her best chance of running at this year's Tokyo Games after being been banned from the 800 because of World Athletics' contentious testosterone rules. Semenya's time of 15 minutes, 52.28 seconds in the 5,000 was outside the Olympic qualifying mark of 15:10.00. Semenya is a two-Olympic champion in the 800. She has until the end of June to qualify for the Tokyo Games.