AP National

AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Brenda Lee’s memories of recording “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” are a little hazy now. But that’s to be expected, since she was 13-years-old when it was made in 1958 and this month is celebrating her 80th birthday. The song has lived a remarkable life, and even unseated

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese official broadcaster CCTV says a former chairman of the state-owned bank China Everbright Group has been jailed 12 years for embezzlement and bribery. Tang Shuangning, who had also held senior posts at the People’s Bank of China and the China Banking Regulatory Commission, was arrested in January, part of a wider

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The U.K. and Germany have pledged to share intelligence and expertise against the people-smuggling gangs that send migrants across the English Channel in small boats. It’s the latest effort by European countries to stop the dangerous journeys. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and German counterpart Nancy Faeser signed a “joint action

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s top domestic security agency says it has arrested a dual Russian German citizen accused of planning to blow up railway tracks on orders from Ukrainian intelligence. The Federal Security Service said Tuesday that the man was arrested in Nizhny Novgorod and an improvised explosive device was seized from him. It didn’t

Associated Press WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand plans to outlaw greyhound racing because too many dogs are hurt or killed, the government said Tuesday, spelling an end to the practice in one of the few countries where it still operates. The racing of greyhounds as a betting sport was wildly popular at times

Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has met with officials in Japan to reaffirm the importance of their alliance and Washington’s commitment to regional security as threats rise from China and North Korea. Austin’s visit on Tuesday also came amid growing concerns over the safety of Ospreys. The military aircraft have

Associated Press PASADENA, Calif. (AP) — A federal appeals court scrutinized the impact of Idaho’s strict abortion ban on emergency medical care on Tuesday, weighing whether the ban criminalizing abortions should be enforceable in life- and health-threatening situations. John Bursch, an attorney with the Alliance Defending Freedom representing Idaho, asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court

Associated Press A federal judge on Tuesday night rejected the auction sale of Alex Jones’ Infowars to The Onion satirical news outlet, criticizing the bidding process as flawed and the amount of money that families of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting stood to receive. The Onion had been named the winning bidder on Nov.

AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes drifted lower Tuesday in the runup to the highlight of the week for the market, the latest update on inflation that’s coming on Wednesday. The S&P 500 dipped 0.3%, a day after pulling back from its latest all-time high. They’re the first back-to-back losses for

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seemed to favor a Utah oil railroad expansion in arguments on Tuesday, but appeared more skeptical of putting strict new limits on a key national environmental law. The justices were weighing a multibillion-dollar project that could quadruple oil production in the remote area of sandstone and sagebrush.

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The grinding war pitting Ukraine against its Russian invaders has escalated ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration. President Joe Biden is rushing out billions more in military aid before U.S. support for Kyiv’s defenses is thrown into question under the new administration. Russia, Ukraine and their global allies are scrambling to

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Massive U.S. airstrikes on Islamic State militants in Syria are meant partly as a message to the group and a move to ensure that the insurgents don’t try to take advantage of the chaos following the overthrow of President Bashar Assad’s government. Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh says the U.S. and

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s previous defense minister was formally arrested Wednesday over his alleged collusion with President Yoon Suk Yeol and others in imposing martial law last week, as authorities investigate whether their acts amount to rebellion. Martial law, the first in more than 40 years, lasted only about six

AP Business Writer HONG KONG (AP) — China’s exports slowed in November and its imports declined, falling below forecasts and underscoring potential weakness in trade at a time when its leaders are striving to boost domestic business activity. Customs data Tuesday showed exports grew 6.7% from a year earlier, down from a 12.7% increase in

AP Business Writer Shares of Nvidia have slipped after China said it is investigating the high-flying U.S. microchip company over suspected violations of Chinese anti-monopoly laws. In a brief press release with few details, Chinese regulators appear to be looking into Nvidia’s $6.9 billion 2019 acquisition of network and data transmission company Mellanox. Nvidia shares

BANGKOK (AP) — One of the most powerful ethnic minority armed groups battling Myanmar’s army claims it has captured the last military outpost in a strategic western town, gaining full control of the border with Bangladesh. The capture of Maungdaw by the Arakan Army makes the group’s control of the northern part of Rakhine state

Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Biden administration has given approval for the sale of oil and gas leases in Alaska, leaving the door open for drilling in a portion of the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The sale will be held next month, less than two weeks before Biden leaves office. It will

AP Baseball Writers DALLAS (AP) — Shortly after striking a record $765 million, 15-year contract for Juan Soto with the New York Mets, agent Scott Boras walked into Nick & Sam’s, a restaurant near the winter meetings hotel, with about a dozen of his staff. They were given a bottle of celebratory champagne and dined

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. prosecutors are accusing two senior Syrian officials of overseeing a notorious Syrian torture center that abused peaceful protesters, including a 26-year-old American woman who was later hanged. The indictment was released Monday, two days after a shock rebel offensive overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad. The U.S., U.N. and others

The Indiana vs. Notre Dame matchup in the first round of the College Football Playoff is the most expensive ticket on StubHub, but it’s Tennessee vs. Ohio State that’s selling the fastest. StubHub spokesperson Adam Budelli said Monday that the game being hosted in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 21 has sold 34% more tickets than

Associated Press JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Clarke Reed, a Mississippi businessman who developed the Republican Party in his home state and across the South starting in the 1960s, died Sunday at his home in Greenville, Mississippi. He was 96. Reed was chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party from 1966 to 1976, beginning at a time

Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers will consider a bill to require labels on social media platforms warning of their effects on young people’s lives. The legislation is sponsored by state Attorney General Rob Bonta. Supporters said the requirement is necessary to address the impacts of social media on children’s well-being. The bill

DENVER (AP) — An investigation has found a series of inadvertent and unforeseen events resulted in Colorado voting system passwords being posted on the Secretary of State’s website earlier this year. A Denver attorney did not find any intentional wrongdoing by Secretary of State Jena Griswold or her staff, but said two policies were violated.

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department says it isn’t actively reviewing the “foreign terrorist organization” designation of the main Syrian rebel group that overthrew of President Bashar Assad’s government this weekend. But, it says such designations are constantly under review and that even while it’s in place, the label doesn’t bar U.S. officials

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Police believe the brazen killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO was carried out with a ghost gun. The nearly untraceable weapons can be made a home. A ghost gun is a firearm without a serial number. Police said Monday that the gun used in last week’s shooting of Brian Thompson may have

Associated Press/Report for America TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A state attorney in Florida is telling his staff he can’t help his elected replacement take over his seat because Gov. Ron DeSantis had already suspended the Democrat from the office. Judicial circuit prosecutor Andrew Bain sent the message to his staff Monday and it was obtained

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Since its inception in 2019, a U.S. development agency has created a portfolio of more than $50 billion worth of projects in 114 countries, including a trans-Africa railway corridor, a power plant in Sierra Leone, and solar panel manufacturing in India. The U.S. International Development Finance Agency was founded in

Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Republicans have filed a lawsuit seeking a court order to resolve a discrepancy between state and federal law about what date the state’s presidential electors must meet to cast Wisconsin’s 10 Electoral College votes for President-elect Donald Trump. State law calls for the meeting to take place on

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexican authorities say a passenger on a domestic flight in Mexico who tried to divert an aircraft to the United States by force said that he was under threat by criminals who had kidnapped one of his relatives. Videos posted on social media showed other passengers subduing the man on a

Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge is considering whether a Minnesota law that bans religious tests for colleges that participate in a state program that allows high school students to take college courses for credit is unconstitutional. The state argued at a hearing Monday that the 2023 law rightly protects high-school students who

Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts judge has dismissed witness intimidation and criminal harassment charges against a backer of Karen Read who admitted placing dozens of yellow rubber ducks and fake $100 bills around town. Richard Schiffer Jr. had argued he had a First Amendment right to support the defense theory that Read has

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department says the U.S. government’s top hostage negotiator is in Beirut in hopes of collecting information on the whereabouts of Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for 12 years. Spokesman Matt Miller told reporters Monday that the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs is talking to officials in

Associated Press ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A terrorism trial is underway against a Virginia man accused of funneling tens of thousands of dollars to the Islamic State group. During opening statements Monday at federal court in Alexandria, a defense lawyer for 35-year-old Mohammed Chhipa said his client was a lonely man looking for a wife

Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — For the first time in 50 years, the question of how Syria will be governed is wide open. The end of the Assad family’s rule is for many Syrians a moment of mixed joy and fear, of the total unknown. The insurgency that swept President Bashar Assad out of power

Associated Press HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — President Joe Biden designated a national monument at a former Native American boarding school site in Pennsylvania to commemorate the resilience of tribes whose children were forced to attend the school and similar abusive institutions. The White House announced the creation of the Carlisle Federal Indian Boarding School National

Associated Press TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The dramatic downfall of Syrian President Bashar Assad presents possible danger, and an opening, for neighboring Israel. After fighting wars on multiple fronts for months, Israel is now concerned that unrest in Syria could spill over into its territory. Israel also views the end of the Assad regime

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s president says much of the money gained by eliminating independent oversight and regulatory agencies will go to the army to fund a rise in soldiers’ pay. The announcement by President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday is the latest in a a series of strange funding sources to pay for the country’s

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Power to tens of thousands of people had been shut off by Monday night as utilities worked to mitigate the impacts of Southern California’s notorious Santa Ana winds, whose strong gusts could damage electrical equipment and spark wildfires. The National Weather Service has issued a rare “particularly dangerous situation,” or PDS,

Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is taking on a lead role for Democratic efforts to win governorships in the 2026 midterm elections. A majority of states will be electing governors in 2026, including in presidential swing states. Democratic governors on Saturday picked Beshear as chair-elect of the Democratic Governors Association

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Work to lay natural gas pipelines near the foot of the Acropolis has uncovered an ancient marble statue of a young man buried almost upright in a brick-lined pit. Greece’s Culture Ministry says in a statement that the nude statue resembles ancient representations of messenger of the Greek gods Hermes and

Associated Press BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A Ukrainian man who embarked on a perilous journey fleeing his war-torn country into Romania has been rescued from a deep mountain ravine in subzero temperatures with an unlikely companion: his months-old kitten named Peach. More than a dozen rescuers worked in harsh blizzard conditions to save Vladislav Duda,

Associated Press PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A gang leader who controls a key port in Haiti’s capital is accused of massacring older people and Vodou religious leaders in his community to avenge his son’s death, according to the government and human rights organizations that estimate more than 100 were killed. Reports on the number of

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Philadelphia man has been released from prison after 41 years in the latest review of convictions allegedly tainted by detectives in the 1980s in a “sex-for-lies” scheme. Russell Williams is the fourth person to have his conviction overturned in the investigation of whether police offered informants favors in exchange for false

NEW YORK (AP) — The oldest known stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments, dating from 300 to 800 A.D., will be sold in New York this month. The 155-pound (52-kilogram) marble slab inscribed with the commandments in Paleo-Hebrew script will be auctioned at Sotheby’s on Dec. 18.  The tablet was unearthed during railroad excavations

BERLIN (AP) — Germany and several other European countries said Monday they are suspending decisions on asylum claims by Syrian nationals because of the unclear situation in their homeland following the fall of Bashar Assad. Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said Monday that more than 47,000 applications are currently pending. It said it

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Four women who accused Curtis Hill of drunkenly groping them when he was Indiana’s attorney general have dropped their lawsuit against him. Jury selection was to begin on Monday. The women’s decision Sunday ends nearly seven years of investigations and litigation over Hill’s actions during a party in March 2018. The women

QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Police say two suspected militants riding on a motorcycle were killed when an explosive device they were carrying exploded prematurely near a police station in restive southwestern Pakistan. The blast happened Monday in Killa Abdullah, a town in Balochistan province. A local police officer said the men were near a police

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Cynthia Erivo says her Golden Globe nomination for “Wicked” was a dream come true, “really surreal and wild” — and especially rare because it was for a musical. Demi Moore, nominated for “The Substance,” calls her nod a “huge win” for women, and also important for its message of self-love

Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Imagine being able to bet on a basketball game or a boxing match after it was already over. That’s happened again in New Jersey, where sportsbook William Hill has been fined $20,000 for taking such bets in 2022 and 2023. The company, which runs retail sports betting at

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to Hawaii’s gun-licensing law, though three justices expressed a willingness to hear arguments over the issue later. The majority did not explain their reasoning in a brief order on Monday declining to take the case. But Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by Justice Samuel

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A federal appeals court has delayed a hearing in which an Oklahoma death row inmate is expected to make a final plea for mercy before his scheduled execution. The three-member panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit delayed Monday’s scheduled hearing of the Pardon and Parole Board.

AP Health Writer Winter is a great time to experiment with new food preparations and flavors to keep your meals nutritious and interesting. Experts recommend packing healthy ingredients into into warm stews and porridges, trying out underappreciated seasonal vegetables and broadening your use of spice. Balanced meals made in bulk can also be a way

AP Airlines Writer FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — It’s the job of American Airlines’ chief operating officer to make sure the carrier’s flights take off on time and fly safely during one of the busiest travel periods of the year. David Seymour oversees flight and airport operations for American, which expects to make about 6,500

Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The global chemical weapons watchdog has said that it reminded Syria of its obligations to comply with rules to safeguard certain toxic chemicals after rebels entered the capital Damascus over the weekend and overthrew Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons said in