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Two North Carolina state House Republicans have lost their caucus leadership positions following recent comments directed at Democratic colleagues questioning their religion and educational attainment. A top House GOP leader announced on Thursday that Reps. Keith Kidwell and Jeff McNeely, who are both white, are no longer deputy majority whips after their resignations were sought by other GOP leaders. The Democrats who were the subject of the comments are both Black. McNeely took criticism during debate last week on legislation to expand the state’s private-school voucher system when he asked a question about a colleague's time at Harvard University. A television station reported that Kidwell disparaged a colleague's religion as she debated a bill restricting abortion.

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Thousands of United Methodist congregations have been voting on whether to stay or quit one of the nation’s largest denominations amid intractable debates over theology and the role of LGBTQ people. The dividing line isn’t just running between congregations. It’s running right through the pews of individual churches, separating people who had long worshipped together. Those who come up on the short end of a disaffiliation vote face the dilemma of whether to stay or go. Some United Methodist regional conferences have begun designating what they call “Lighthouse” congregations – ones that actively welcome people who wanted to stay United Methodist but whose former churches voted to leave.

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A wave of newly approved abortion restrictions in the Southeastern United States has sent providers scrambling to reconfigure their services for a region with already severely limited access.  South Carolina’s governor signed a bill Thursday banning most abortions around six weeks of pregnancy, setting up an anticipated legal challenge from providers. The law Thursday goes into effect immediately. Pending bans at varying stages of pregnancy in North Carolina and Florida are threatening to further delay abortions for patients as appointments pile up and doctors work to understand the new limitations. The states had been holdouts providing wider access to the procedure in the region.

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Guam residents facing down the strongest typhoon to hit their remote U.S. Pacific island territory in decades had identical twin meteorologists helping them get ready and stay safe this week. The National Weather Service’s Guam office employs Landon Aydlett as its warning coordination meteorologist. His brother Brandon Aydlett is the science and operations officer. The 41-year-olds tag-teamed Facebook live broadcasts watched by thousands as Typhoon Mawar approached. Landon Aydlett said Thursday morning that working with his brother is like working with his best friend. He says they never planned to work together but the jobs fell in their laps and they followed their heart and passion for the work.

National & World AP Stories

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North Korea has notified neighboring that it plans to launch a satellite in coming days, which may be an attempt to put a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit. The notice gave a launch window from May 31 and June 11 and said the launch may affect waters in the Yellow Sea, East China Sea and east of the Philippines’ Luzon Island. Japan’s coast guard issued a safety warning for ships in the area during those days. Pyongyang said earlier this month its first military spy satellite was ready for launch. North Korea’s past launches have demonstrated an ability to deliver a satellite into space, but there are questions about the satellite’s capability.

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The historic impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is plunging Republicans into a bruising fight over whether to banish one of their own in America’s biggest red state. Paxton was impeached this weekend by the state's GOP-controlled House of Representatives after years of scandal and accused crimes. Paxton says he has “full confidence” as he now awaits trial in the state Senate. His conservative allies in the Senate include his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, who has not said whether she will recuse herself from the proceedings.

Authorities say a suspect has been arrested on connection in connection with five separate shootings in the Phoenix metro area that left four people dead and a woman wounded. Mesa police say 20-year-old Iren Byers was taken into custody Sunday on suspicion of four counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder. They say a motive for the shootings wasn’t immediately clear, but Byers took responsibility for the shootings and told officers where they could find the clothes and gun used in the crimes. Police say video surveillance footage showed the suspect wearing the clothing reported by witnesses at multiple shooting scenes.]

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won reelection in a victory that extends his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade. The divisive populist won Sunday's presidential runoff despite the fact that his country is reeling from high inflation and the aftermath of an earthquake that leveled entire cities. A third term gives Erdogan an even stronger hand domestically and internationally, and the election results will have implications far beyond the capital of Ankara. Turkey stands at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and it plays a key role in NATO.