Inflation gauge in US rockets

to its highest level in 3 years

WASHINGTON — A key inflation gauge accelerated in April to the highest level in three years, the latest sign that spiking gas prices and higher food costs are squeezing Americans’ finances.

Inflation jumped to 3.8% in April compared with a year ago, the Commerce Department said Thursday, up from 3.5% in March and the highest since May 2023.

On a monthly basis, prices rose 0.4%, down from the 0.7% rise in March. The report showed that prices have risen for many items in addition to gas, a sign inflation could persist and pose problems for congressional Republicans in this year’s midterm elections.

Crews recover the remains of six

workers missing after tank rupture

LONGVIEW, Wash. — Crews have recovered the remains of six of nine workers who were missing after a chemical tank ruptured at at paper mill in Washington state, officials said Thursday.

In all, 11 people were killed in the disaster, including the three yet to be recovered. It’s one of the deadliest U.S. workplace accidents in recent decades.

A tank containing more than 500,000 gallons of a highly destructive chemical mixture used in paper manufacturing collapsed Tuesday at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview, a city along the Columbia River. The six workers who were recovered had been in an area where they would congregate in the morning as they awaited their assignments.

French lawmakers vote to repeal

slavery law on books since 1685

PARIS — French lawmakers have voted to repeal a 17th-century law that governed enslaved people in France’s colonies. The National Assembly on Thursday unanimously approved the bill to repeal Code Noir.

The decree was signed in 1685 by King Louis XIV. France abolished slavery in 1848. But the Code Noir was never formally eliminated as a law. The vote is seen as a significant step in addressing France’s colonial past. President Emmanuel Macron recently suggested the idea of reparations for slavery. But details remain unclear. The repeal is considered symbolic. Many people are calling for further action to address systemic racism and inequality.

Supreme Court rules for black

death row inmate over racial bias

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court has ruled for a black death row inmate from Mississippi who claims there was racial bias in the makeup of the jury that convicted him.

By a 5-4 vote Thursday, the justices sided with Terry Pitchford, who was sentenced to death for his role in the killing of a grocery store owner in northern Mississippi.

There were 11 white jurors and one black juror in a trial with similarities to that of another black man on Mississippi’s death row, whose conviction the high court overturned seven years ago.

If Pitchford’s conviction is overturned, the state could seek to retry him. Pitchford’s lawyer says he’s “entitled to a fair trial.”

UN targets Israel for sexual violence

UNITED NATIONS — An annual United Nations report documenting sexual violence in conflicts worldwide has included Israeli forces for the first time since the review began more than 15 years ago for their treatment of Palestinian detainees.

Russian armed and security forces were also blacklisted for the first time this year for sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilians detained during the war in Ukraine.

Israel and Russia both deny the accusations. The 35-page report was shared by the Israeli mission to the U.N. late Thursday ahead of its expected release Friday. The report says the number of cases of sexual violence in conflicts rose sharply in 2025 from 2024.

O’Brien addresses Harvard graduates

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Harvard graduates heard from comedian and television host Conan O’Brien at their commencement. The appearance Thursday of O’Brien, a Harvard alum, came during one of the most fraught periods in the Ivy League school’s recent history, as it faces mounting legal and financial pressure from President Donald Trump. The administration sued Harvard in March, accusing its leadership of failing to address antisemitism on campus and creating grounds for the government to freeze existing grants and seek repayment for grants already paid.

Jill Biden feared for Joe at debate

WASHINGTON — Former first lady Jill Biden feared her husband was having a stroke as she watched him stumble through his June 2024 debate performance.

Then-President Joe Biden’s shaky debate against Donald Trump fueled fears among voters that he was too old for a second term and led to the end of his 2024 reelection campaign. Jill Biden tells CBS News in an interview airing Sunday that she was “frightened” while watching her husband because she “had never ever seen Joe act like that before or since.”

The former first lady is promoting a book due out next week, “View from the East Wing: A Memoir.”

RFK Jr. snatches snakes bare-handed

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has captured the internet’s attention by wrangling two snakes bare-handed. The U.S. health secretary shared a video Tuesday of himself grabbing nonvenomous black racer snakes from the patio of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. Reactions to the video, shared on Kennedy’s personal social media accounts, ranged from joy to concern. Experts say the snakes are harmless but warn against handling them by the tails due to potential harm.

Kennedy, known for his wildlife encounters, has shared similar videos before, including one showing him handling a rattlesnake in 2024. Some of his past actions, like placing a bear carcass in Central Park as a prank in 2014, have sparked criticism.