AP National

SILVER CITY, N.M. (AP) — Western New Mexico University’s president has agreed to resign. Joseph Shepard’s resignation Friday comes after a state audit found evidence of wasteful spending by top WNMU officials and regents that didn’t comply with university rules. Shepard’s last day will be Jan. 15. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that Shepard’s

GUATEMALA CITY (AP) — Guatemalan authorities have searched the compound of an extremist ultra-orthodox Jewish sect and taken at least 160 minors and 40 women into protective custody after reports of abuse. Interior Minister Francisco Jiménez said Friday the National Civil Police and members of military participated in the raid on the Lev Tahor group’s

AP Business Writer Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract. The strikes that started Thursday and Friday followed other recent standoffs

Associated Press HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A new report by a congressional subcommittee accused former top Coast Guard officials of hiding a yearslong investigation into sexual assault and harassment at the service’s academy in Connecticut from both Congress and the public. The Senate Permanent Committee on Investigations released the report Friday. It also accused Coast

Associated Press O’FALLON, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge has ruled that the state’s Republican governor and not a local Democratic official has the power to fill a vacancy in the prosecutor’s office for the state’s most populous county. A spokesperson said St. Louis County would appeal St. Louis Circuit Judge Brian May’s decision Friday.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The U.S. has won a trade dispute panel resolution on Mexico’s bid to ban genetically modified corn for human consumption. U.S. growers welcomed the decision announced on Friday, calling it “a major win.” Mexico’s Economy Department said it disagreed with the ruling by a panel of experts convened under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada

Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — As the stars of Friday’s show in downtown Miami, baby pigs Glinda and Elphaba will never have to worry about gracing the dinner table at a Cuban American family’s home on Christmas Eve. Public pardons for the two piglets were granted by the mayor of Miami-Dade County, Daniella Levine Cava,

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Blaring trumpets and joyful voices resounded in a New Orleans neighborhood earlier this week as about 100 people marched in honor of John “Prince” Gilbert, a founding member of an innovative brass band, who died last weekend. Gilbert played the saxophone for the Rebirth Brass Band, which has been a favorite

Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri’s governor has commuted the sentence of a white Kansas City police officer who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a Black man. Gov. Mike Parson decided Friday to free Eric DeValkenaere, who was serving a six-year prison sentence after he was convicted in

Associated Press SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has found El Salvador’s government responsible for violating the rights of a young Salvadoran woman who was denied an abortion of her anencephalic fetus in a country with a total abortion ban. The Costa Rica-based regional court said Friday that the

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Authorities say a teacher at a San Antonio-area day care was killed when one car accelerated into another in a parking lot and both vehicles crashed through a fence into a play area. Another day care employee and five toddlers were injured in the accident that happened Thursday afternoon as parents

Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump’s billionaire ally Elon Musk played a key role this week in killing a bipartisan funding proposal that would have prevented a government shutdown, railing against the plan in a torrent of more than 100 X posts that included multiple false claims. The X owner, an unelected figure, not only used

PHOENIX (AP) — The director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources has determined that it’s necessary to regulate the use of groundwater in the state’s rural southeast. The agency’s announcement Friday allows it to designate a controlled area to stop rapid depletion of the water through agricultural use. The department’s director says data analysis

Associated Press/Report for America AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas man facing execution did not appear at the state Capitol after two failed attempts by lawmakers to issue a subpoena for his testimony. The second failed effort Friday comes after Texas’ attorney general ordered to block what was likely the final chance to have Robert

Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida agriculture suffered more than $190 million in losses from Hurricane Milton, making it the costliest for farmers and ranchers of three cyclones that struck the state in 2024, according to University of Florida researchers. When all the data is in, the university’s Institute of Food and Agricultural

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, brought some holiday cheer to patients and families at a children’s hospital in Washington. The president and first lady on Friday made a traditional Christmastime visit to Children’s National Hospital. They visited privately with patients and their families for photos. Jill Biden read

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Norfolk State officially named Michael Vick its head football coach Friday, the latest hire of a talented NFL player with no college coaching experience to lead an HBCU program. Vick’s addition was unanimously approved by the school’s board of visitors, Norfolk State athletic director Melody Webb said in a release from

Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he’s nominating the president of the advocacy group CatholicVote to be the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. Brian Burch is the president and co-founder of CatholicVote. He and his wife, Sara, have nine children and live in the Chicago suburbs. Trump on Friday

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Michael Regan, who has led the Environmental Protection Agency throughout President Joe Biden’s four-year term, said Friday he will be leaving the agency Dec. 31, about three weeks before Biden’ leaves office. In a letter to agency employees, Regan said he was proud of the EPA’s work to confront climate

Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee says he is pardoning 43 people who have served out their sentences in what he says is “very different” than President Joe Biden’s recent wave of commutations. Lee’s latest clemency moves are nearly double his next highest total for a single year. But Lee

Associated Press An Indigenous community in Peru has won the latest stage of a legal battle to reclaim lost rainforests. The Kichwas say land they were evicted from in 2001 to create a national park and later a carbon credit project that generated huge sums of money was their ancestral territory. The Kichwas got no

Associated Press SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Department of Homeland Security agent who the FBI says conspired with another agent to sell an illicit drug known as “bath salts” pleaded not guilty to a drug distribution conspiracy charge Friday in federal court. A grand jury in Salt Lake City brought the criminal charge against

BERWYN, Ill. (AP) — A man suspected in the killings of three people in Illinois was fatally shot by police in suburban Chicago while in the neighborhood of a far-right political influencer. Nick Fuentes said on the social media site X that the man was outside his home in Berwyn with a gun and another

Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Fentanyl fueled a record number of homeless deaths last year in Oregon’s Multnomah County, home to Portland. An annual report released by the county on Friday says 456 homeless people died in 2023. That’s the highest number on record in the county and a 45% jump compared to 2022.

AP Sports Writer Netflix is planning to provide plenty of gifts for viewers of its two Christmas Day games, including Mariah Carey kicking it all off with a taped performance of “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Yet, Netflix executive Brandon Riegg realizes it all amounts to a lump of coal if there are

Associated Press MANASQUAN, N.J. (AP) — Huge gates at the mouths of three inlets and barriers across bays are no longer part of a plan to protect New Jersey’s back bays from the type of catastrophic flooding they endured during Superstorm Sandy. Instead, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wants to rely more on elevating

ROME (AP) — A court in Sicily Friday found Vice Premier Matteo Salvini not guilty of illegally detaining 100 migrants aboard a humanitarian rescue ship when he was interior minister. The court dropped all the charges against Salvini in relation an incident in 2019, when he refused to allow the migrants to leave the Open

Associated Press ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Members of Greece’s former royal family have applied for Greek citizenship and formally acknowledged the country’s republican system of government, in a landmark move 50 years after the monarchy was abolished. A government official said relatives of the late King Constantine II, who died last year aged 82, had

AP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. flu season is underway, with cases surging across much of the country, health officials said Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted sharp increases in several measures, including lab tests and emergency room visits. “It’s been increasing at a pretty steady pace now for

DENVER (AP) — A baby Jesus figurine snatched from a nativity scene in Colorado has been returned in time for Christmas, with an apology. Police in Fort Collins say the statuette of Jesus lying in a manger, stolen from a public display downtown, was dropped off anonymously at a fire station Thursday. It was accompanied

AP Business Writer FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Volkswagen’s employee representatives say they have reached a wage deal. The deal will ward off management proposals for plant closings in Germany and bars involuntary layoffs through 2030. The company said the deal includes provisions to shed more than 35,000 jobs in “socially responsible” ways by 2030. The

Associated Press Federal education officials say the Philadelphia school district failed to show it protected Jewish students from harassment despite “repeated, extensive notice” that students, teachers and administrators were engaging in antisemitic behavior. The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights found that Philadelphia school administrators did not adequately address allegations that students were performing Nazi

AP Sports Writer ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The chance to rub shoulders with quarterback Josh Allen and broaden the Buffalo Bills’ reach into Toronto wasn’t the only thing on the minds of former NBA stars Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady and soccer’s Jozy Altidore in purchasing a minority share of the franchise. More importantly,

Associated Press The U.S. Department of Education said Friday it has reached an agreement with the University of California system resolving complaints from Jewish and Muslim students of discrimination and harassment during protests last spring over the war in Gaza. The department’s Office for Civil Rights said it investigated nine complaints against University of California

AP Auto Writer DETROIT (AP) — The government’s highway safety agency is proposing voluntary safety guidelines for self-driving vehicles. But a rule from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration putting the plan in place won’t be approved before the end of President Biden’s term in January and likely will be left to whoever runs the

AP Golf Writer Derek Sprague is the new CEO of the PGA of America. Sprague is the first CEO to previously be PGA president. It’s the first time in nearly 20 years the PGA of America has chosen a club professional to be its business leader. Sprague takes over for former Deutsche Bank Americas CEO

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California regulators have approved a controversial proposal to delay the closure of the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Facility, the site of the nation’s largest known methane leak, which forced thousands of families from their Los Angeles homes in 2015. The California Public Utilities Commission on Thursday voted 4-0, with one commissioner

CAIRO (AP) — Even with hopes running high, so much can go wrong when a country ousts a longtime dictator and tries to start anew. The Middle Eastern and North African nations that attempted to transition to democracy in recent years can attest to that. Now it’s Syria’s turn to try to get it right.

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — An Iranian officer blamed for the 2022 killing of an American in Iraq has been charged in New York with federal murder and terrorism crimes. Federal authorities in New York City announced the charges on Friday against Mohammad Reza Nouri, an officer in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. Acting U.S.

Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — Venezuela’s attorney general says an opposition politician met with prosecutors after leaving the Argentine diplomatic compound in the capital, Caracas, where he had sheltered for nine months to avoid arrest. Attorney General Tarek William Saab said in a statement that Fernando Martínez “voluntarily presented himself” before authorities and gave

AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — While recording “Crash,” Kehlani faced a career-defining decision: Stick with the familiar R&B sound that helped build their name, or risk it all to showcase their full artistic range. For Kehlani, choosing the latter was a gamble, but trusting their instincts paid off in the long run. The

VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — The Lithuanian government says an investigation of last month’s crash of a DHL cargo plane as it approached the airport in Vilnius has found no indication of “unauthorized interference.” The plane crashed and skidded into a house in the early morning of Nov. 25. A Spanish crew member was killed and

Associated Press DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — No state has a longer, more profit-driven history of contracting prisoners out to private companies than Alabama. With a sprawling labor system that dates back more than 150 years — including the brutal convict leasing era that replaced slavery — it has constructed a template for the commercialization of

Associated Press DADEVILLE, Ala. (AP) — A storm was looming when the inmate serving 20 years for armed robbery was assigned to transport fellow prisoners to their jobs at private manufacturers supplying goods to companies like Home Depot and Wayfair. It didn’t matter that Jake Jones once had escaped or that he had failed two

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria’s mountain rescue service says one person has died in an avalanche on Pirin Mountain, in the south of the country, rescue efforts are underway to find several others buried under the snow. According to initial information, the slide of a huge snow mass was caused by skiers who were descending

Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — It’s perhaps Rio de Janeiro’s hardest trail. It features one particularly daunting section requiring a perilous scramble that can cause hikers to freeze up with fright. But 40-year-old paraplegic Ezequiel da Luz traversed jungle and surmounted rocks this week to reach Pedra da Gavea’s peak that towers over

ROME (AP) — Italy’s data protection authority says it has fined OpenAI $15.6 million after wrapping up a probe into the collection of personal data by its generative artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT. The country’s privacy watchdog, known as Garante, said its investigation showed that OpenAI processed users’ personal data to train ChatGPT “without having an

Associated Press PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani authorities in the northwest want warring tribes to hand over their weapons after weeks of deadly clashes. Sectarian clashes flared last month in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province after gunmen ambushed a convoy and killed 52 people. Most of them were Shiite Muslims. It triggered retaliatory

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The military has ordered new safety guidelines for a key part in all Osprey aircraft after a recent accident revealed the same problem that had caused a fatal crash in Japan last year. During a Nov. 20 flight involving a CV-22B Osprey in New Mexico, the crew received warnings that

AP Film Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The Robbie Williams heard in “Better Man” is Williams, himself. But the Williams seen in the movie is a computer-generated chimpanzee. Michael Gracey, who directed the 2017 musical hit “The Greatest Showman,” had the novel idea that the British pop star should get the big-screen biopic treatment, but

AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — As The Associated Press’ music writer, Maria Sherman has seen more than 80 concerts in 2024. Here are some picks for the best and biggest shows of the year, excluding most one-off performances that cannot be repeated, and where you too can catch these artists. Those include performances

Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s chances of staying on in power have become more tenuous after the opposition party that backed his government for years announced it will vote no confidence in the government when Parliament resumes. An embattled Trudeau reshuffled his Cabinet on Friday — but whether he will

DETROIT (AP) — Nuna Baby Essentials is recalling nearly 609,000 child car seats because the harness adjuster can loosen and the seats may not restrain children. The company says in documents posted Friday by U.S. safety reguators that the recall affects certain Rava seats with a plastic harness adjuster button. Debris can get into the

Associated Press EVERGLADES, Fla. (AP) — For centuries, the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida has called the Everglades home. But decades of engineering projects have devastated their ancestral lands and an ecosystem that’s sustained them. Water mismanagement has contributed to fires, floods and water pollution in their communities and cultural sites. Climate change, and

AP Basketball Writer Thursday had a little of everything in the NBA. There was another record for LeBron James. Joe Mazzulla gave out some Christmas cheer that was not Christmas cheer. It was a shooting night like none other for Stephen Curry, which was not a good thing. Victor Wembanyama did something unusual, which is

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has said that European leaders must acknowledge the need to change their strategy regarding Ukraine. In comments to Hungary’s state broadcaster on Friday, Orbán argued that the current strategy was not working and Russia was advancing on the frontlines. He added that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s

Associated Press HARARE (AP) — Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has launched a new policy that will allow beneficiaries of land taken from white people under controversial land reforms to sell it and to be able to borrow from banks using it as collateral. The new guidelines launched Friday mark a major shift in Zimbabwe’s land

Associated Press TOCOA, Honduras (AP) — Seven bullets pounded into Juan López outside a small white church on a sunny September afternoon. Another environmental champion in Honduras was dead after leading the fight to protect dense jungle and crystalline waters in a region rife with corruption and drug trafficking. López’s killing in the most deadly

Associated Press PALMYRA, Pa. (AP) — It was a radical idea, and for many years she had been resistant. But as Zoey Stapleton, 24, walked down a darkened hiking trail, steps behind her parents, she counted back from three and “took a leap of faith,” revealing to them that she wanted to become a nun.

AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains. Prices rose just 0.1% from October to November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices also ticked up just 0.1%,

For the world, 2024 was riven by conflict on two fronts. As the year ends, Gaza is in shambles and tens of thousands are dead. Meanwhile an adjacent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is playing out across the Lebanon landscape as the year ends. A continent away, the Russia-Ukraine war, which began with Russia’s invasion

Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Hundreds of Serbian students and others again blocked traffic for 15 minutes throughout the country as political tensions continue to simmer following last month’s collapse of a concrete canopy that killed 15 people. Friday’s traffic blockades have been held every week at exactly 11:52 a.m., the exact time on

Associated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Less than 1% of Catholic nuns in the United States today are 30 or younger. Seyram Adzokpa and Zoey Stapleton are two of the young women who have made the rare decision to join a religious community and begin the long process to become nuns. Here are their stories.

Associated Press Less than 1% of nuns in the United States today are 30 or younger. That number has remained steady in the past decade but shows little signs of increasing. Between 100 and 200 young women enter into a religious vocation each year in the U.S., and not all of them will complete the

Associated Press MIRERENI, Mayotte (AP) — Crowds in Mayotte have vented their frustration at French President Emmanuel Macron, with some booing. Particularly tense scenes unfolded Thursday as he toured destruction wrought by the strongest cyclone to hit the French territory in nearly a century. They underscored the discontent that many residents of the archipelago in