Month: December 2022

By JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Alex Murdaugh, the disgraced attorney accused of killing his wife and son, was indicted Friday by a grand jury in South Carolina on nine counts of tax evasion, adding to the slew of charges he faces in the aftermath of their deaths more than a year

MEXICO CITY (AP) — One of Mexico’s best-known journalists says two gunmen on a motorcycle tried to kill him in a late-night attack on a Mexico City street. Radio and television reporter Ciro Gómez Leyva posted a description of the attack and photos of his bullet-ridden vehicle on social media. He said Friday that he

By RANDALL CHASE AP Business Writer DOVER, Del. (AP) — Attorneys for the U.S. bankruptcy trustee and several major media outlets are challenging an effort by cryptocurrency exchange FTX to withhold names of the company’s customers and creditors from the public. A judge on Friday granted a motion by media outlets to intervene in the

By DREW LINDSAY of The Chronicle of Philanthropy Chronicle of Philanthropy MacKenzie Scott is dedicating an unusually large share of her giving to nonprofits in the South — a region that megaphilanthropy and particularly tech donors have long been criticized for ignoring. The maverick philanthropist has earmarked at least $3.1 billion for organizations in southern

BERLIN (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people on Friday have been name the winners of a prize the German city of Aachen gives for contributions to European unity. The prize committee said Friday that it selected Zelenskyy and his invaded country’s citizens for the 2023 International Charlemagne Prize because they were

By JESSE BEDAYN and MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — A judge who dismissed a 2021 kidnapping case against the Colorado gay nightclub shooter warned last year that the defendant had been stockpiling weapons and planning a shootout, and needed mental health treatment or “it’s going to be so bad.” The comments

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer Brittney Griner said she’s “grateful” to be back in the United States and plans on playing basketball again next season for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury. Her comments came a week after she was released from a Russian prison, freed in a dramatic high-level prisoner exchange. “It feels so good

By BROOKE LEFFERTS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Bethenny Frankel has never been shy about offering her opinion, but lately giving advice has become her business. The reality TV star and producer, entrepreneur, and bestselling author has a new CNBC show, “Money Court,” where she and co-host Kevin O’Leary hear business dilemmas and come

MOSCOW (AP) — The head of Russia’s Central Bank says the country’s economy will contract by about 3% this year. That’s a sharp turnaround from its growth in 2021, the year before sanctions and company pullouts hit in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine. Central Bank governor Elvira Nabiullina  said following a bank board

Rabat, Morocco (AP) — French Foreign Affairs Minister Catherine Colonna says that France has this week restored normal consular relations with Morocco, following a year-long diplomatic dispute linked to Paris’ decision to slash the number of visas issued to people in the North African country. The move announced Friday is meant to smooth the relationship

BELTON, Mo. (AP) — Authorities say a northwest Missouri police officer shot and killed a 25-year-old man after he pointed a weapon at officers during a confrontation. The shooting occurred Thursday night in Belton, about 22 miles south of Kansas City. The man was identified Friday as William Blakely. Belton police say that officers responding

LONDON (AP) — A royal aide who resigned after asking a Black British charity director where she was “really” from at a palace reception apologized in person Friday and promised to educate herself about racism. Royal officials said Lady Susan Hussey “offered her sincere apologies” to Ngozi Fulani during a meeting at Buckingham Palace “filled

By KONSTANTIN TESTORIDES Associated Press SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Authorities in North Macedonia have evacuated the country’s main airport, schools, hotels, a shopping mall and sports venues for hours after receiving what ultimately turned out to be fake bomb threats. The 23 locations that received threats on Friday are the latest in a series

By BRENDAN FARRINGTON Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a sweeping property insurance bill. How much and when it will work to stabilize the stormy market is another question. One of the key goals of the legislation signed Friday is to keep the claims process from ending up being

By The Associated Press Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIES — At long last, “Top Gun: Maverick” is coming to a streaming hub. The biggest film of the year is gearing up to land on Paramount+ as of

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian representative in Central African Republic, who is associated with Yevgeny Prigozhin, the notorious millionaire owner of the Wagner Group military contractor, has been badly wounded when a package exploded in his hands. Prigozhin, who has been dubbed “Kremlin’s chef” for his close ties to the Kremlin, said in a statement

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A Florida woman has appeared in court on a first-degree murder charge in the 2018 death of her newborn infant whose body was found floating in a seaside inlet. A Palm Beach County judge on Friday ordered 29-year-old Arya Singh held without bail during a brief hearing. She was

By JAKE COYLE AP Film Writer NEW YORK (AP) — In Chinonye Chukwu’s “Till,” Danielle Deadwyler gives one of the most powerful and subtly expressive performances of the year. Deadwyler has been making her mark for several years in series like “Station Eleven” and “Atlanta,” and in the Western “The Harder They Fall.” But her

By PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press Some species of shark return to the same breeding grounds for decades at a time, and live longer than previously thought, scientists studying the animals off Florida say. Scientists with the New England Aquarium found that nurse sharks returned to the waters off the Dry Tortugas, 70 miles (113 kilometers)

By AARON MORRISON AP National Writer More than 100 racial justice groups, led by a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, are making a last push on a large-scale survey that will be the basis for a public policy agenda focused on the needs of Black people who often are not as engaged in

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will meet at the White House this coming Monday with the president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters on a Friday call that Lasso has been a key ally, speaking out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and granting temporary

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Angelina Jolie and the United Nations’ refugee agency are parting ways after more than two decades. In a joint statement issued Friday, the U.S. actor and the agency announced she was “moving on” from her role as the agency’s special envoy “to engage on a broader set of humanitarian and human

By BERENICE BAUTISTA Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — The opening credits of “Wakanda Forever” fittingly say “introducing Tenoch Huerta.” What an introduction it’s been. Huerta’s role as Namor in the “Black Panther” sequel has wowed audiences, catapulting him onto the global stage and sparking conversations about race and identity, both in his native Mexico

By BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS AP Education Writer RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Jonathan Oliva is in third grade, but struggles to read and write. “His teacher said he’s like a kindergartner. He doesn’t know anything. And she can’t help because her class is too big,” his mother, Veronica Lucas, said in Spanish, standing in the parking

By The Associated Press Musical artist Kelly Clarkson will host the 12th annual NFL Honors awards show Feb. 9 in Phoenix, recognizing the league’s best players, performances and plays from the 2022 season. A spokesperson said Friday that the Emmy and Grammy-award winning artist Clarkson will be the first woman to host the show. The

By CHRIS MEGERIAN and HANNAH FINGERHUT Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is in Delaware to talk about expanded veterans benefits under legislation that he signed in August. The law, known as the PACT Act, helps veterans get screened and treated for exposure to toxins. Those could include Agent Orange, which was used

By ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Simone Ashley was already a working actor with credits including “Broadchurch” and “Sex Education” when she won the role of Kate Sharma, a fiercely independent woman who wins the heart of Anthony Bridgerton in its second season. Her charm and grace make her one of The Associated

ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) — Croatian lawmakers have rejected a government bid to help train Ukrainian soldiers in Croatia as part of a European Union mission. The vote in parliament on Friday was held after Croatia’s president previously also had refused to sign off on the bid, saying it was not in accordance with the law.

BEIRUT (AP) — A Lebanese court has upheld the death sentence for an Uber driver convicted of killing a British woman who worked for the U.K. Embassy in Beirut five years ago. The British Embassy said in a statement on Friday that Lebanon’s Court of Cassation rejected an appeal by Tariq Houshieh and affirmed his