Month: December 2024

NEW YORK (AP) — George Joseph Kresge Jr., who was known to generations of TV watchers as the mesmerizing entertainer and mentalist The Amazing Kreskin, has died at age 89. Kreskin’s friend and former road manager, Ryan Galway, told The Associated Press that he died Tuesday at his home in Caldwell, New Jersey, where he

Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — At least 26 enslaved people died on the Tennessee plantation of President Andrew Jackson before the end of the Civil War. Where they were laid to rest was thought to be lost to time. But officials at the historic site announced a discovery on Wednesday: They believe they have

AP Business Writer Regional supermarket chain Stop & Shop is installing kiosks in all of its stores in the Northeast U.S. to make digital-only coupons more accessible. Stop & Shop said on Wednesday that the kiosks will give customers access to digital coupons by scanning a loyalty card or entering a phone number. Digital-only deals

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk says his government will protect major television stations in the country, like the U.S.-owned TVN, against hostile purchases, in a move aimed at protecting from any such attempts by Russia. Tusk stressed on Wednesday that the directive to be adopted next week is to safeguard against

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia could launch its lethal new intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine again soon, the Pentagon said Wednesday, as both sides wrestle for a battlefield advantage that will give them leverage in any negotiations to end the nearly 3-year war. Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokeswoman, told reporters in a briefing that an

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — A spokesperson for France’s outgoing government says President Emmanuel Macron is seeking a political deal that would allow him to both name a new prime minister and “guarantee the stability of the country.” That follows the resignation of ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier last week. Maud Bregeon, the spokesperson, said Macron

Drumroll, please. Seven people who became stars in 2024 have been named The Associated Press’ Breakthrough Entertainers of the Year. Aaron Pierre announced himself in the taut, suspenseful thriller “Rebel Ridge,” Nicholas Alexander Chavez frightened in the one-two punch of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” and “Grotesquerie,” and GloRilla emerged as one of

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union says Poland and other eastern flank countries can suspend asylum rights if they believe that Belarus and Russia are “weaponizing” migrants to destabilize the bloc. The number of migrants arriving at EU borders from Belarus increased 66% this year. Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk angered rights groups in October

AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — As a young woman, Maleah Joi Moon used to join the crowds outside Broadway stage doors after shows to cheer the stars. Now she’s the one that people line up to meet. Moon has had quite a 2024. She won a best actress Tony Award, went to the

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Myha’la is best known for playing a steely, manipulative investment banker on HBO‘s “Industry.” And though Harper Stern regularly betrays friends and colleagues for personal gain, Myha’la manages to find the humanity and vulnerability in her character. She has also transferred that skill to film, starring in “Leave the

AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Pierre is closing out his big year on a literal high note. After playing Malcolm X in the “Genius: MLK/X” series and starring in the Netflix action hit “Rebel Ridge,” the 30-year-old English actor showcases his vocal talents in “Mufasa: The Lion King.” To deliver as the titular

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — As a child, Fred Hechinger dreamed of running away to join the circus. Now as his acting career takes off, he jokes that it feels like he’s finally living that childhood fantasy. Levity suits the 24-year-old, despite his role as the tyrannical Emperor Caracalla in “Gladiator II.” While his

Associated Press Nicholas Alexander Chavez starred in two Ryan Murphy shows this fall. He played Lyle Menendez in “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” for Netflix and a priest in FX’s “Grotesquerie.” Chavez’s work in the Murphyverse has made him one of The Associated Press’ Breakthrough Entertainers of 2024. The 25-year-old says he feels

AP Business Writer Kroger and Albertsons’ plan for the largest U.S. supermarket merger in history crumbled Wednesday, with Albertsons pulling out of the $24.6 billion deal and the two companies accusing each other of not doing enough to push their proposed alliance through. Albertsons said it had filed a lawsuit against Kroger, seeking a $600

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Olaf Scholz has formally set Germany on course for an early election by requesting a confidence vote in parliament next week. Five weeks after his three-party governing coalition collapsed in a dispute over how to revitalize Germany’s stagnant economy, Scholz said he had requested the confidence vote in parliament’s lower house,

Associated Press DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Thousands of members of youth and student bodies belonging to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party have marched from the capital toward the country’s eastern border with India to protest an attack on a diplomatic mission and alleged desecration of Bangladeshi flags in India. On Wednesday, they drove in cars to

Edmunds Midsize three-row SUVs are among today’s primary modes of family movement, but some are roomier than others. We don’t think you can ever have enough room in a family SUV, and the best ones offer ample room to stretch out, especially for adults in the third row. They should also be fuel-efficient and have

AP Business Writer TikTok has challenged a Canadian government order to shut down the Chinese video-sharing app’s business operations in the country that was imposed over national security concerns. The company said Tuesday that it filed an application for a judicial review with the Federal Court in Vancouver on December 5. The application seeks to

Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch court has convicted a woman of crimes against humanity for keeping a Yazidi woman as a slave in Syria and sentenced her to 10 years in prison. The Hague District Court found Hasna A. was guilty of multiple offenses for traveling to Syria in 2015 to

Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The global chemical weapons watchdog will hold an emergency meeting on Thursday to discuss the situation in Syria over concerns about the country’s stockpile of toxic chemicals. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has warned Syria that it has obligations to comply with rules to safeguard and

Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — A suicide bombing in the Afghan capital has killed the Taliban refugee minister and two others in the most brazen attack on a member of the Taliban inner circle since they returned to power three years ago. Officials say Wednesday’s explosion struck inside the ministry in Kabul, killing Khalil Haqqani.

BRUSSELS (AP) — After suffering multiple fractures when he crashed into one of their vehicles, two-time Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel is teaming up with the Belgian Post Office to raise awareness of road safety for cyclists and reduce the number of “dooring” victims. That’s where the occupant of a parked vehicle inadvertently opens the door

AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — The World Bank forecasts that Myanmar’s economy will contract this year, as flooding and fighting take a severe toll nearly four years after the military ousted its government headed by Aung San Suu Kyi. In an update issued Wednesday, the bank said about a fifth of all built structures

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Romania’s pro-European parties agreed to form a majority government made up of groupings that were traditionally on opposite sides and shutting out far-right nationalists who made significant gains in the election on Dec. 1. The leftist Social Democratic Party will now form a government with parties representing the center-right, the Hungarian

Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A New Zealand man playing his first-ever competitive Scrabble game in Spanish, a language he doesn’t speak, has won the board game’s Spanish-language world title. Nigel Richards is a professional player and won the Spanish world Scrabble championships in November, losing one game out of 24. He started

Associated Press The Onion’s rejected purchase of Infowars in an auction bid supported by families of the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting dealt them a new setback Wednesday and clouded the future of Alex Jones’ conspiracy theory platform, which will remain in his control for at least the near future. What’s next for Infowars and the

Assocaited Press CAMP ASAKA, Japan (AP) — U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has expressed confidence about enhanced military capabilities among the United States, Australia and Japan as he observed joint exercises showcasing their closer cooperation as tension in the region grow. Austin is in Japan to reaffirm the importance of their alliance and Washington’s

Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli strikes pounded the Gaza Strip overnight and into Wednesday, with one attack ripping through a home where displaced people were sheltering in the isolated north. The strikes killed at least 33 people including children, Palestinian health officials said. Violence also flared in outside Jerusalem, where an