Pastors who endorse political candidates shouldn't lose tax-exempt status, IRS says in filing

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS says pastors endorsing political candidates during services should not risk losing their tax-exempt status. This challenges the Johnson Amendment, a 1954 rule barring tax-exempt groups, including churches, from political endorsements. On Monday, the IRS and a Christian media group asked a Texas court to stop enforcing the rule against religious organizations. The group argues the amendment violates their First Amendment rights. The IRS has rarely enforced the rule against churches. In 2017, President Donald Trump signed an order to limit its enforcement, and Republican lawmakers have since pushed to repeal it.

Residents wear masks as volcanic ash blankets villages near erupting Indonesian volcano

MAUMERE, Indonesia (AP) — Residents are wearing masks to protect themselves from thick volcanic ash that is blanketing several Indonesian villages as rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted for a second straight day. The eruption at dawn Tuesday sent lava and clouds of ash more than 2 miles high. That followed two larger eruptions Monday. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed terrified residents ran for their lives under the rain of ash and gravel as the ash clouds expanded into a mushroom shape. The volcano has been at its highest alert level since last month, and no casualties have been reported. A disaster agency official says residents increasingly understand how to minimize the impact of disaster risks.

Greece shuts the Acropolis due to high temperatures

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Authorities in Athens closed the Acropolis for several hours due to high temperatures. The closure lasted from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Mandatory work breaks remain in effect in parts of Greece, especially islands and central regions where temperatures have exceeded 104 F. These measures, which began Monday, include fines of 2,000 euros per worker for noncompliance. Officials warn that the risk of wildfires, already at a "very high" level in the eastern mainland, could worsen later this week. Elsewhere in Europe, a wildfire in northeastern Spain burned roughly 3,000 hectares on Tuesday. Authorities ordered some 18,000 people in Tarragona province to remain indoors.

Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron says he's leaving the band after nearly 30 years

AP Entertainment Writer (AP) — Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron says he’s leaving the band after nearly 30 years. The 62-year-old Cameron announced his departure in a social media post on Monday. He says he has taken his “final steps down the drum riser for the mighty Pearl Jam,” and thanked the band members for giving him the opportunity of a lifetime. The band called Cameron a “singular and true powerhouse of a musician" in a statement. Cameron didn’t give a reason for his departure. Cameron played drums for Seattle grunge legends Soundgarden for more than a decade before joining Pearl Jam.

Italy's Bergamo airport suspends flights when a person dies after getting sucked into an engine

ROME (AP) — The airport in the northern Italian city of Bergamo briefly suspended flights due to a runway incident that local media said was apparently caused when someone got sucked into an airport engine and died. The Bergamo Milan airport authority said Tuesday all flights were suspended at the Bergamo-Orio al Serio airport due to a problem on the taxiway. An investigation was underway. Corriere della Sera newspaper cited unnamed airport officials as saying someone apparently ran onto the tarmac as a plane was taking off. LaPresse news agency cited unnamed investigators as saying suicide was suspected.

A classical drive: Road rumble strips play Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony in UAE emirate of Fujairah

FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A highway in Fujairah, UAE, now plays Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony as cars drive over special rumble strips. Known as the "Street of Music," this art project spans nearly a kilometer on the E84 highway coming into the city of Fujairah. Drivers in the right-hand lane can hear the iconic "Ode to Joy" as they drive over the rumble strips. The experience is a collaboration between Fujairah Fine Arts Academy and local authorities which aims to blend art with daily life. The musical road has become a social media sensation, drawing visitors to the lesser-known emirate and promoting art and culture.

Former '16 and Pregnant' star charged in man's overdose death

ROME, Ga. (AP) — A woman who appeared on MTV's "16 and Pregnant" has been arrested in Georgia on charges including involuntary manslaughter. WAGA-TV reports that Whitney Purvis is accused of providing a substance containing fentanyl and xylazine, known as "Tranq," which led to a man's fatal overdose in February. The television station reported that police found John Mark Harris dead at a home in Rome, Georgia, with drug paraphernalia at the scene. The Drug Enforcement Administration and local officers made the arrest on Monday. The DEA warns that synthetic opioids like fentanyl are involved in nearly 70% of drug-related deaths. The investigation is ongoing.

Ozzy Osbourne says farewell to live performance with a hometown show for 40,000 fans

LONDON (AP) — Ozzy Osbourne has performed what he says is his final live show, thrilling 40,000 fans in Birmingham, England, on Saturday. The 76-year-old heavy metal icon sang from a black throne and reunited with Black Sabbath bandmates for the first time in 20 years. The band closed their set with the classic song “Paranoid.” The performance capped a day-long metal festival featuring acts including Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. Osbourne, who revealed his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2020, thanked fans, calling them “special.” Osbourne formed Black Sabbath in 1968 in Birmingham, a city that became the crucible of the British metal sceneKnown as a pioneer of heavy metal. He reached a new audience through the MTV reality show “The Osbournes.”

‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ bites off $318 million at the global box office

“Jurassic World Rebirth” has topped the holiday box office charts in the U.S. and abroad. Universal Pictures says Sunday that the film earned $318 million in its first five days in theaters globally. The dinosaur movie opened worldwide on Wednesday. It earned $91.5 million over the traditional three-day weekend, including Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from theaters in the U.S. and Canada. Second place went to the Brad Pitt racing film “F1” with $26.1 million. “How to Train Your Dragon” landed in third place with $11 million. “Elio” came in fourth with $5.7 million.

Musk says he's forming a new political party after split with Trump over tax cuts law

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — Elon Musk said he’s carrying out his threat to form a new political party after his fissure with President Donald Trump, announcing on social media that he would form the America Party in response to the president’s sweeping tax cuts law. Musk, once a ever-present ally to Trump as he headed up the slashing agency known as the Department of Government Efficiency, broke with the Republican president over his signature legislation, which was signed into law Friday. Trump on Sunday called Musk's third-party effort “ridiculous.”