Iran fires on 3 ships in the Strait of Hormuz as US maintains blockade and diplomacy stalls

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them. The intensification of Iran’s assault on shipping in a waterway crucial to global energy supplies comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire but pressed on with an American blockade of Iranian ports. The latest salvos complicate already faltering efforts to bring the United States and Iran together for talks to end the war. The effective closure of the strait has already sent gas prices skyrocketing far beyond the region and raised the cost of food and a wide array of other products.

The Iran war could drive up costs for petroleum-derived products like clothes and crayons

NEW YORK (AP) — The Iran war’s most tangible and immediate effect for many people outside the Middle East has been spiking gasoline prices. But crude oil isn’t just refined as fuel. Petrochemicals derived from oil and natural gas go into making more than 6,000 consumer products. A list produced by the U.S. Department of Energy includes everyday items ranging from computer keyboards, lipstick, tennis rackets and chewing gum to aspirin, umbrellas and nylon guitar strings. Petroleum derivatives also are used in a lot of product packaging. Shoe and apparel trade groups and companies that sell stuffed animals, home products and medical supplies are looking at price increases or other ways to offset higher materials costs.

New study finds ‘alarming’ high flood risk for 17 million Americans on Atlantic and Gulf coasts

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the most comprehensive studies ever of flood risk has determined that more than 17 million people in eight cities along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are at the highest risk of being affected by flooding. Using machine learning, historic flood data and 16 factors representing hazards, exposure and vulnerability, the study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances has come up with what is likely the most comprehensive model of coastal cities’ risk of flood damage. Researchers are alarmed by the findings, including that more than 4 million people are at risk in New York City, alone, and that 99% of people and buildings in New Orleans are vulnerable.

RFK Jr. goes before the Senate. One lawmaker’s competing loyalties will be on display

Sen. Bill Cassidy faces a tough situation as he questions Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in two Senate hearings. Cassidy supported Kennedy’s confirmation as health secretary but is a strong vaccine advocate and has clashed with him over vaccine policies. Kennedy was a longtime anti-vaccine activist before entering politics and has moved to dramatically scale back vaccine guidance in his time in President Donald Trump’s Republican administration. The hearings come as Cassidy faces a competitive primary election in his home state of Louisiana in less than a month. In his first opportunity to question Kennedy on Wednesday, Cassidy didn’t bring up vaccines at all, instead focusing on some of his other health care priorities around affordability and fraud.

Rep. David Scott, a Georgia Democrat seeking his 13th term in Congress, dies at age 80

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s Democratic congressman David Scott has died at age 80. Scott was the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and was seeking his 13th term in Congress despite challenges from within his party. Scott was Democrats’ ranking member on the Agriculture Committee, despite most recently representing a metro Atlanta district. The congressman was once a leading voice for Democrats on farm aid policy and food aid for consumers and a prominent Black member of the moderate Blue Dog caucus. But Scott faced criticism and concerns in recent years because of declining health. Scott was born in South Carolina and graduated from Florida A&M University.

Supreme Court revives wounded veteran’s lawsuit against a contractor over suicide bombing

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is clearing the way for a veteran wounded by a suicide bomb in Afghanistan to sue the government contractor for whom the attacker was working when he built the explosive. The court ruled Wednesday in the case of a former Army specialist, Winston Hencely. He was wounded in a 2016 explosion at Bagram Airfield that killed five people. Hencely sued after an Army investigation faulted the company’s failure to supervise an Afghan employee who built the vest on the job site inside the base. Wednesday’s ruling reverses lower courts that found the company was immune because it was working during wartime for the federal government.

More kids than ever are attending state-funded preschool, with California’s surge leading the way

WASHINGTON (AP) — More kids than ever are attending state-funded preschool in the U.S., 1.8 million of them the last school year. A report by the National Institute of Early Education Research finds that 37% of 4-year-olds and about 10% of 3-year-olds are enrolled. However access to free preschool remains uneven across states. California contributed significantly to the increase by making all 4-year-olds eligible for a program called “transitional kindergarten.” But the rapid rollout meant the state missed many quality benchmarks last school year. Evidence shows that high-quality preschool can positively impact a child’s future, but challenges such as uneven access and funding persist.

Wildfires across Georgia and Florida have destroyed nearly 50 homes and are forcing evacuations

NAHUNTA, Ga. (AP) — Wildfires are intensifying across the southeastern U.S. They’ve destroyed nearly 50 homes in Georgia. The fires also have forced evacuations and school closures. Some of the biggest blazes are along Georgia’s coast and around Jacksonville, Florida. A long drought, low humidity, and strong winds are fueling the fires. Georgia’s two largest wildfires have burned over 31 square miles. In Brantley County, 800 evacuations have taken place, and five shelters have opened. In Florida, firefighters are battling 131 wildfires that have burned 34 square miles. The National Weather Service warns that low humidity and winds will keep the fire danger elevated.

US stocks rise toward more records while Brent oil tops $100 on uncertainty about the Iran war

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market is rallying toward more records after GE Vernova and other big companies joined the list of those reporting fatter profits for the start of the year than analysts expected. But caution is still hanging over Wall Street Wednesday, and oil prices are also rising on uncertainty about what will happen in the war with Iran. The S&P 500 climbed 0.9% and was on track to top its all-time high set on Friday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 317 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1.3%. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil topped $100.

Dave Mason, co-founder of Traffic known for ‘We Just Disagree’ and ‘Feelin’ Alright,’ dies at 79

NEW YORK (AP) — Dave Mason, co-founder of the psychedelic British band Traffic and songwriter behind “Feelin’ Alright” and “Hole in My Shoe,” died Sunday at his home in Gardnerville, Nevada. He was 79. A cause was not immediately revealed. Mason canceled his remaining tour dates last summer, citing health issues stemming from an infection. Mason was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 for classics including “Feelin’ Alright?” which he co-wrote with Traffic frontman Steve Winwood. It wasn’t an immediate hit, but became one after it was covered by the likes of Joe Cocker, the Jackson 5, Gladys Knight & the Pips and Grand Funk Railroad.