AP National

Associated Press/Report for America NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Facebook’s parent company Meta says it will build a $10 billion artificial intelligence data center in northeast Louisiana. Meta’s largest-ever data center is expected to transform an economically neglected part of the state. But it has also raised concerns over its planned energy usage. And in Memphis,

Associated Press/Report for America NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A southeast Louisiana official allegedly committed perjury by failing to disclose information related to a controversial grain terminal, according to a motion filed as part of a federal lawsuit brought by a prominent local climate activist. The dispute is part of a broader clash pitting officials eager

DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — A woman serving time at a federal prison in Connecticut managed to escape for about 45 minutes before being captured. Federal prison officials said Wednesday that the FBI is investigating the episode. The 30-year-old woman is a Chinese national who was serving time for a gun charge and setting fire to

Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The leaders of Ethiopia and Somalia have agreed to hold “technical talks” to resolve a dispute sparked by Ethiopia’s deal with Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland. A joint declaration by the two was released in Turkey on Wednesday after the leaders had separate meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip

Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backing the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban. The votes Wednesday culminated two days of speeches overwhelmingly calling for an end to the 14-month war between Israel and the militant Hamas group

ATLANTA (AP) — The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has promised to pay a private security company $1.4 million after some of its employees walked out of the jail in August. The office announced Wednesday it will send the payments electronically by the end of the week. Strategic Security Corporation ended its contract with the county

Associated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina’s elections board has dismissed protests filed by several Republican candidates trailing narrowly in their races last month who have questioned well over 60,000 ballots cast this fall. The Democratic-majority board agreed Wednesday to throw out the protests of GOP Supreme Court candidate Jefferson Griffin and three legislative

AP Sports Writer ZURICH (AP) — Saudi Arabia scored a major win in its campaign to attract major sports events to the kingdom when it was formally appointed as the 2034 World Cup host on Wednesday. Still, many questions remain about the tournament as well as the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by

Associated Press BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A federal judge heard arguments in a lawsuit brought by media outlets challenging a new Louisiana law that makes it a crime to approach within 25 feet of a working police officer after being ordered or asked to step back. Proponents of the law argue it creates a

Associated Press/Report for America TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republican state lawmakers in Florida have filed two bills that would roll back gun control measures passed in the wake of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. The proposals would repeal the state’s red flag law and another preventing people under the

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s parliament has approved legislation drafted by the government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico that could effectively ban doctors from protesting against low pay. The law was adopted as the government’s response to a move by more than 3,000 doctors in the country’s hospitals, a majority, to quit  their job

AP Film Writer The new film “September 5″ is a fictionalized account of ABC’s live coverage of the hostage crisis during the 1972 Munich Olympics. The film, rated R and opening in theaters this week, stays in the newsroom where the sports broadcasters attempt to follow the quickly escalating story. Associated Press Film Writer Lindsey

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — The Paris Olympics says it was far less polluting than recent Games but is not claiming to have been “carbon neutral” despite funding projects to compensate for its emissions. Organizers said Wednesday that this summer’s Olympics and Paralympics generated 1.59 million tons of climate-warming carbon dioxide. That’s including everything from

Associated Press A judge declared a mistrial Wednesday in the case of Sheldon “Timothy” Herrington Jr. in the 2022 killing of Jimmy “Jay” Lee, a gay man who was prominent in the LGBTQ+ community at the University of Mississippi. Jurors said they were unable to reach a verdict after over nine and a half hours

An Ohio politician has seen enough flag planting by visiting sports teams. Republican state Rep. Josh Williams said Wednesday on social media he’s introducing a bill to make flag planting in sports a felony in the state. His proposal comes after the Nov. 30 fight at the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry football game when the Wolverines

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says having healthy women is as important for the U.S. economy as it is for the women themselves. Biden said it’s a “fact” that hasn’t “gotten through to the other team yet.” Biden was referring to President-elect Donald Trump and his incoming administration. When Trump was president

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic senators are urging President Joe Biden to extend temporary protections for migrants in the U.S. before he leaves office. They warn that millions of people could be forced to return to unsafe countries once President-elect Donald Trump retakes the White House. The senators have been quietly urging the White

Associated Press Is he a hero? A killer? Both? About the same time the #FreeLuigi memes featuring the mustachioed plumber from “Super Mario Brothers” mushroomed online this week, commenters shared memes showing Tony Soprano pronouncing Luigi Mangione, the man charged with murdering the UnitedHealthcare CEO in Manhattan, a hero. There were the posts lionizing Mangione’s

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee inmate has died and five others were injured after fights erupted at a privately run state prison. CoreCivic spokesperson Brian Todd says the fights broke out early Saturday at Hardeman County Correctional Facility in Whiteville. He said the altercations were separate but likely related. Todd says six inmates were

David Bonderman, a lawyer and investor who managed money for one of the richest families in Texas, helped create one of the giants of the private-equity business and pushed to bring professional hockey to Seattle, died Wednesday. He was 82. Asset management firm TPG, which Bonderman co-founded, the Seattle Kraken, Bonderman’s family and his Wildcat

Associated Press CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Environmental groups are asking the U.S. government to do more to protect Rocky Mountain grizzly bears before the next Trump administration decides the big bruins’ future. The groups petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Wednesday to take steps to connect the bears’ separate populations. They want federal

Associated Press FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — Attorneys for a man accused of attempting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump in September asked a federal judge to delay his trial until next December. The public defenders representing Ryan Routh told Judge Aileen Cannon on Wednesday that they need more time to review the evidence against him

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Environmental Protection Agency is awarding $135 million in grants to fund 13 projects in California to help the state phase out big rigs that run on diesel. The money will go to state transportation department, cities and school districts to purchase 455 zero-emission vehicles. It’s part of an EPA program

Associated Press HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Montana Supreme Court is continuing to block a law that sought to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors while it goes through the courts. Justices, in a unanimous ruling on Wednesday, say a state judge was correct in saying the law was likely unconstitutional. District Court Judge Jason

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Indiana’s state fire marshal says an investigation into a northern Indiana house fire that killed six siblings in January failed to determine what caused the deadly blaze, although electrical items were identified as “potential ignition sources.” State Fire Marshal Steve Jones said Wednesday the probe of the Jan. 21 fire

Associated Press The large mysterious drones reported flying over parts of New Jersey in recent weeks appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security. In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump doesn’t think much of Joe Biden’s foreign policy record. The Republican president-elect frequently casts the outgoing Democratic president as a feckless leader who shredded American credibility around the world during his four-year term. But a funny thing happened on Trump’s way back to the White House: The Biden

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump doesn’t think much of Joe Biden’s foreign policy record. The Republican president-elect frequently casts the outgoing Democratic president as a feckless leader who shredded American credibility around the world during his four-year term. But a funny thing happened on Trump’s way back to the White House: The Biden

Associated Press VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis presided over his weekly general audience Wednesday alongside a Palestinian-crafted Nativity scene that was missing its eyebrow-raising signature element: a keffiyeh-draped manger holding the infant Jesus. The wooden Nativity scene in the Vatican’s main audience hall had generated headlines when it was unveiled Dec. 7 because of

Associated Press BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — A former Georgia district attorney charged with interfering in the police investigation of the 2020 killing of Ahmaud Arbery has made her first court appearance more than three years after being indicted. Jackie Johnson spent a decade as the state’s top prosecutor for coastal Georgia’s Brunswick Judicial Circuit. She

Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — The premier of Canada’s most populous says he will cut off energy to the United States if President-elect Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products. Trump has threatened to impose a 25% tax on all products entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico unless they stem the flow

Associated Press DAMASCUS (AP) — Mohammad Chaeeb spoke softly into his phone, telling a relative the grim news: He found his brother at the morgue. “I saw him and said my goodbyes,” he said. His gaze lingered on the blackened body of Sami Chaeeb, whose teeth were bared and whose eye sockets were empty. It

AP Pro Football Writer IRVING, Texas (AP) — A rape allegation against rapper Jay-Z, whose company Roc Nation has produced some of the NFL’s entertainment presentations including the Super Bowl halftime show, won’t impact the league’s relationship with the music mogul. “We’re aware of the civil allegations and Jay-Z’s really strong response to that,” NFL

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is expected to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange for the first time and be named Time magazine’s Person of the Year. Thursday’s events will be a notable moment of twin recognitions for Trump, a born-and-bred New Yorker who has long seen

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday passed a $895 billion measure that authorizes a 1% increase in defense spending this fiscal year and would give a double-digit pay raise to about half of the enlisted service members in the military. The bill is traditionally strongly bipartisan, but some Democratic lawmakers opposed the

Associated Press New York can be a magical place for museumgoers but it can also be overwhelming and overcrowded at times, especially at the biggest, most famous museums. Luckily the city has scores of great museums to choose from, from the small and quirky to elegant gems housed in historic mansions. There are preserved Lower

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan police say two Polish tourists have died and two others, along with their Kenyan guide, were badly injured after their vehicle was involved in a collision. The five were in a van traveling from the coastal city of Mombasa to the capital, Nairobi on Wednesday morning when a truck hit

Associated Press The jihadi rebels who toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad say they want to build a unified, inclusive country. But after nearly 14 years of civil war, putting that ideal into practice will not be easy. For Syria’s Kurdish minority, America’s closest ally in the country, the struggle for a new order is entering

Associated Press Sexual abuse and harassment by coaches and others in positions of power over women on the U.S. Biathlon team have been dismissed, ignored or excused over decades by officials more concerned with winning medals than holding offenders accountable, according to a half-dozen former Olympians and other biathletes. While the men involved climbed the

Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will undergo a new procedure on Thursday following up on an unplanned surgery earlier this week for a brain bleed. Doctors say the the minimally invasive procedure aims to stop persistent bleeding on the surface of the brain. On Tuesday, the

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union envoys have agreed a new raft of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine. The EU’s Hungarian presidency said Wednesday that the measures will target in particular a vast shadow fleet of ships that Moscow is exploiting to skirt restrictions on transporting oil and fuel. The sanctions are aimed

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