ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Gretchen Carlson, a former Miss America who helped eliminate the pageant's swimsuit competition, is stepping down as board chairwoman of the Miss America...

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A former board member and four states that have had their licenses terminated by the Miss America Organization are suing the group and its top leaders, claiming "an illegal and bad-faith takeover" of the pageant.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The Latest on a lawsuit accusing top Miss America leaders of waging an illegal takeover of the group (all times local):

4:20 p.m.

The chairwoman of the Miss America Organization says opponents can sue all they want, but it's not going to bring swimsuits back to the pageant.

Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News host, responded Thursday to a lawsuit filed a day earlier by a former Miss America board member and four states that have had their licenses revoked.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — There they go. Miss America state groups in three more states have had their licenses revoked by the Miss America Organization following a bitter, high-stakes clash between state pageants and the national leadership headed by former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The other heel has dropped at the Miss America Organization, which had endured a revolt by dozens of states this summer against the national leadership of the pageant headed by former Fox News host Gretchen Carlson.

The crowning of the latest Miss America took place last month with the pageant's national leadership largely silent on the calls for their resignation from many states.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Miss America ceremony subtracted the swimsuit competition for the first time in its 98-year history, and subtracted one million television viewers, too.

The Nielsen company said 4.34 million people watched the annual ceremony on ABC Sunday, down 19 percent from the 5.35 million viewers last year. Declining viewership has been a consistent trend for the pageant over the past few years.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Hours after a new Miss America was crowned, the Miss America Organization released a report Monday denying the outgoing one had been bullied by pageant leaders including chairwoman Gretchen Carlson.

The lawyer for former Miss America Cara Mund called the report, commissioned by the Miss America Organization, "dishonest" and "a complete whitewash."

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The official arrival of the 51 hopefuls vying for the title of Miss America went off Thursday without direct mention of the recent public tensions between the reigning titleholder and the pageant's leadership.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The Latest on the arrival of contestants for the Miss America competition (all times local):

5:30 p.m.

The official arrival of the 51 hopefuls vying for the title of Miss America has gone off without mention of the tensions engulfing the pageant recently.

Chairwoman Gretchen Carlson has feuded on Twitter with reigning Miss America Cara Mund after Mund said she'd been "silenced" by pageant officials seeking to control what she says publicly.

Confidentiality agreements have come under fire during the #MeToo movement as one way abusive men have been able to hold on to their jobs, and keep harassing more women.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California would bar forced arbitration and nondisclosure agreements under a bill sent to Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday that enjoys celebrity backing from some in the #MeToo movement.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Miss America chairwoman Gretchen Carlson has struck back against the reigning Miss America, saying Cara Mund's allegations that Carlson and others bullied her have led to a loss of $75,000 in scholarship money for this year's contestants.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The reigning Miss America says she has been bullied, manipulated and silenced by the pageant's current leadership, including Gretchen Carlson.

In a letter sent Friday to former Miss Americas, Cara Mund says she decided to speak out despite the risk of punishment.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Gretchen Carlson, the former Fox News host now in charge of the Miss America Organization, says the organization needs to heal a rift that has seen over a dozen state groups call for her and other top leaders to resign.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The Latest on a rift between the Miss America Organization and some state directors (all times local):

1:15 p.m.

Former Fox News host and current Miss America Organization chairwoman Gretchen Carlson says the organization needs to heal a rift that has seen more than a dozen state groups call for her and other top leaders to resign.

Carlson said Miss America officials at all levels need to be "on the same page." But she dismisses critics as "a noisy minority."

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Former Miss America winners and state pageant officials are split over the leadership and direction of the organization, which was rocked by a 2017 email scandal that led to the resignations of its top leaders.

Representatives from 22 state pageants signed a petition calling for the resignations of the new Miss America board, including Chairwoman Gretchen Carlson and President and CEO Regina Hopper, The Press of Atlantic City reported Saturday.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — When the Miss America pageant started in 1921, having young women parade around in bathing suits seemed like a great way to get tourists to come to the Atlantic City Boardwalk after Labor Day.

But how America views women has changed drastically since then, and the Miss America Organization is run by women who don't think it's such a hot idea.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The Latest on the Miss America Organization eliminating its swimsuit competition (all times local):

9:50 a.m.

The Miss America pageant says it is dropping the swimsuit competition in favor of an interactive session between judges and contestants.

The group announced Tuesday it is eliminating the swimsuit competition and making changes to its evening wear section, no longer requiring contestants to wear gowns.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — The Miss America Organization is putting women in its three top leadership positions following an email scandal in which male officials were caught making vulgar and insulting comments about past winners of the beauty pageant.

The organization told The Associated Press Thursday it is appointing Regina Hopper as president and CEO of the Miss America Organization, and Marjorie Vincent-Tripp as chairwoman of the board of the Miss America Foundation.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson joined California Democrats on Wednesday to promote a bill aimed at protecting workers from required nondisclosure agreements and arbitration.

The bill would prohibit employers from forcing people into nondisclosure agreements related to sexual misconduct in order to get or keep a job.

NEW YORK (AP) — ABC News says Amy Robach will be David Muir's new co-anchor on the "20/20" newsmagazine.

Robach has reported for the newsmagazine and is best known at ABC for her work on "Good Morning America," where in recent years she has detailed her own battle with breast cancer. ABC News President James Goldston said Monday that Robach will continue to report for the morning show.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey officials have approved $4.3 million in state subsidies to keep the 2019 Miss America pageant in Atlantic City.

The state Casino Reinvestment Development Authority approved the funding Tuesday after months of uncertainty over the pageant's future.

BOSTON (AP) — Former first lady Michelle Obama is in Boston to address a forum devoted to empowering women to become leaders in their fields.

Obama is scheduled to participate in a moderated conversation at Thursday's closing session of the 39th annual Simmons Leadership Conference. The event is the longest-running women's leadership event in the U.S.

Organizers say they invited Obama because she's "a passionate and tireless champion of women, families and young people."

DALLAS (AP) — Food industry leaders will be meeting to map out a way to get more women into top spots in the businesses that include manufacturers, distributors and operators.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Gretchen Carlson says it's "a form of justice" that former Miss Americas like herself who were trashed in emails from former leaders of the organization now are in charge of it.

In an interview with "Good Morning America" on Friday, the former Fox News anchor said she will make the Miss America Organization all about empowering women.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Former Fox News Channel anchor and 1989 Miss America Gretchen Carlson was named chairwoman of the Miss America Organization's board of directors Monday, and three other past pageant winners will join her on the board.

The new leadership comes less than two weeks after leaked emails surfaced showing CEO Sam Haskell and others disparaging the appearance, intellect and sex lives of former Miss Americas. Haskell resigned Dec. 23, along with two other top leaders.

Gretchen Carlson stunned the nation and shook Fox News’ foundation when in 2016 the former Minnesotan accused her boss, network CEO Roger Ailes, of sexual harassment.

The TV personality’s decision to speak out led to Ailes’ resignation and won her a $20 million settlement.

NEW YORK (AP) — Between the continued fallout from the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment case and the mushrooming "me too" social media campaign, Gretchen Carlson's book on fighting back against abusive behavior couldn't be timed any better.

NEW YORK (AP) — Why now?

That was the first question many were asking this weekend after explosive revelations came to light about Harvey Weinstein, one of Hollywood's most powerful men, and decades of alleged sexual harassment on his part.