Gunmen in Honduras open fire, kill at least 25 people

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Gunmen opened fire in two separate attacks Thursday on the Honduran coast, killing at least 25 people, including six police officers, authorities said.

The first incident took place at a plantation in the municipality of Trujillo in northern Honduras, where at least 19 workers were shot and killed, according to Public Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Yuri Mora.

The resource-rich region has been the site of a decades-long agrarian conflict.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has previously issued precautionary measures to some activists in the region who have been threatened, surveilled and intimidated for their work defending the environment and land rights.

Dems release post-election

autopsy critical of Harris

NEW YORK — Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin has released a critical study of the party’s performance in the 2024 campaign.

His decision on Thursday followed intense internal pressure from frustrated Democrats who had publicly demanded the release of the postelection autopsy.

The 192-page report, which was concluded last December and authored by Democratic consultant Paul Rivera, calls for Democrats to focus on Middle America and the South.

The autopsy also points to a reduction in support and training for Democratic state parties, shifts in voter registration, and what it called “a persistent inability or unwillingness to listen to all voters.”

It also was critical of candidate Kamala Harris.

Trump calls off AI order over concerns on US tech

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has called off plans to sign a new executive order on artificial intelligence hours before an expected White House ceremony.

He said he’s worried the measure could dull America’s edge on AI technology.

Trump said he postponed the Thursday signing because he didn’t like what he saw in the order’s text. The push for some form of government action to vet the most powerful AI systems follows growing concern within the banking industry and other institutions about AI’s ability to find cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the world’s software.

Trump eases refrigerant rule

in bid to lower grocery costs

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is loosening a federal rule that requires grocery stores and air-conditioning companies to reduce greenhouse gases used in cooling equipment.

President Donald Trump said that will help lower grocery costs.

But it’s not clear how much or how quickly prices could be impacted. Industry groups say it could even raise prices because manufacturers have already redesigned products, retooled factories and trained workers to build and service next-generation refrigerant equipment.

The move to relax the Biden-era rules on harmful pollutants known as hydrofluorocarbons is the latest attempt by the administration before the November elections to try to address rising voter concerns over the cost of living.

Woman at center of Minn.

fraud sentenced to prison

MINNEAPOLIS — The former leader of a Minnesota nonprofit has been sentenced to nearly 42 years in prison for her role in a staggering $250 million fraud case.

Aimee Bock ran Feeding Our Future, which had claimed it provided millions of meals to children in need during the pandemic. She appeared Thursday in Minneapolis federal court. Her lawyer had argued for a sentence of no more than three years, saying she had been unfairly painted as the mastermind. Authorities later announced charges against 15 more people accused of fraud in receiving federal payments for a variety of social services in Minnesota.

Atlantic hurricane season

forecast to be more mild

Meteorologists predict a developing El Nino could dampen the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season, but it won’t eliminate storms.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts a below-average season with fewer named storms and hurricanes. Colorado State University expects the lowest activity since 2015. El Nino is a warming of the central Pacific that typically reduces Atlantic storms by creating strong wind shear that disrupts storm formation. However, El Nino can increase storm activity in the Pacific, affecting regions like Japan and Korea. The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1 and ends Nov. 30.

The Associated Press