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China affirms ex-Soviet nations’ sovereignty after uproar BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government said Monday it respected the sovereignty of former Soviet Union republics after Beijing’s ambassador to France caused an uproar in Europe by saying they weren’t sovereign nations. The governments of former Soviet republics Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were among those who rejected Ambassador Lu Shaye’s comment to a French broadcaster. While answering a question about the status of Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014, Lu said that there was no agreement to “solidify ...

National

‘Gender Queer’ tops library group’s list of challenged books NEW YORK (AP) — With Florida legislators barring even the mention of being gay in classrooms and similar restrictions under consideration in other states, a report released Monday says books with LGBTQ+ themes remain the most likely targets of bans or attempted bans at public schools and libraries around the country. The American Library Association announced that Maia Kobabe’s graphic memoir “Gender Queer” was the most “challenged” book of 2022, the second consecutive year it has topped the list. ...

Marijuana legalization advancing in Minnesota Legislature

ST. PAUL — Recreational marijuana could soon be legalized and regulated in Minnesota under bills that are entering the final rounds of debate at the Legislature. The House, where Democrats comfortably outnumber Republicans, was set to pass its marijuana bill Monday night after green-lighting similar legislation in 2021. The Senate, where Democrats hold only a one-seat majority, is scheduled to vote Friday on its own version. “Today is a big day because we are now at the five-yard line” for legalizing cannabis, the lead author, Democratic Rep. Zack Stephenson, of Coon Rapids, ...

Mexico intercepts liquid meth-filled tequila bottles

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican Navy inspectors have intercepted 11,520 tequila bottles bound for export that actually contained nearly 10 tons of concentrated liquid meth, the Navy said Monday. The discovery was made Sunday at the Pacific coast seaport of Manzanillo, the Navy said. It said the bottles contained approximately about 19,000 pounds of meth. Photos of the seizure show a sniffer dog alerting inspectors to cardboard boxes of glass bottles full of a brownish liquid, consistent with the color of “añejo” or aged tequila. The labels on the bottles were not visible. ...

‘Definition of a hero’

GLENWOOD (AP) — Loving father and husband. Heroic military veteran. Selfless law enforcement officer. And a distinctive laugh. That’s how Josh Owen, a Minnesota sheriff’s deputy killed on his 44th birthday, was remembered by the thousands of mourners at his funeral Saturday on a cold, clear spring day. Drawn by four horses, his flag-draped casket arrived atop a black caisson in the small city of Glenwood, Minnesota Public Radio News reported. A line of tan-uniformed Pope County deputies raised a final salute alongside first responders, military members, Owen’s wife, ...

Bird strike sparks plane engine fire

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A bird strike sparked an engine fire on a plane shortly after it took off Sunday from an Ohio airport, and the airliner returned safely with no injuries reported, authorities said. American Airlines flight 1958 had departed from John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Columbus around 7:45 a.m. and was headed to Phoenix. The fire was detected a short time later and the Boeing 737 returned to the airport, where firefighters quickly doused the flames. It wasn’t clear how many passengers and crew members were aboard the aircraft. The airline said the ...