AP National

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — After a tumultuous and unproductive session of Congress, nearly 50 House members have decided either to not seek reelection or to run for a higher office. That leaves vacancies in several tight races that could tilt control of Congress to either party. Both Republicans and Democrats have had their fair

AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied Friday after a surprisingly strong report on the U.S. job market raised optimism about the economy. The S&P 500 climbed 0.9% and got close to its all-time high set on Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 341 points, or 0.8%, to set its own

AP Sports Writer EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — With the emergence of rookie Malik Nabers as one of the NFL’s top receivers, second-year speedster Jalin Hyatt has had his playing time reduced to a few plays a game for the New York Giants. That could change this weekend when the Giants (1-3) face the Seahawks

Associated Press Two U.S. senators have asked the Department of Justice to take tougher action against Boeing executives for safety issues that have impacted its airplanes. In a letter, Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut urged the department to “hold criminally accountable” executives who disregarded passenger safety in violation of federal

Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations peacekeeping chief says U.N. peacekeepers are staying in their positions on Lebanon’s southern border despite Israel’s request to vacate some areas before it launched its ground operation. Jean-Pierre LaCroix told reporters Thursday that the commander and liaison officers from the U.N. force also are in constant

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada Republican politician who ran unsuccessfully two years ago for state treasurer has been found guilty of misusing funds for a statue honoring a slain police officer for political and personal costs. KLAS-TV in Las Vegas reports that a jury on Thursday convicted Michele Fiore of six counts of federal

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has threatened to use nuclear weapons and destroy South Korea permanently if provoked. South Korea’s leader had warned earlier this week that Kim’s regime would collapse if he attempted to use nuclear arms. The exchange of such rhetoric between the rival

Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A U.S. Judge has ruled that the National Nuclear Security Administration failed to properly evaluate its expansion of plutonium pit production at two sites in New Mexico and South Carolina in violation of environmental regulations. Environmental groups on Thursday have applauded the ruling. South Carolina-based Judge Mary Geiger

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — In late August, shortly before resigning under a cloud of scandal, New York City’s former police commissioner blocked the discipline of three officers involved in a melee outside a Brooklyn juice bar. That same juice bar owner is now alleging a corrupt “shakedown” scheme involving the police commissioner’s twin

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer for a New York City subway rider who was inadvertently shot in the head by police at a station has filed a legal claim against the city, accusing the officers of showing “carelessness and reckless” disregard for bystanders’ lives when they opened fire on a man holding

AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman who says she worked as a hair-and-makeup stylist for Garth Brooks alleged in a lawsuit filed Thursday that he raped her in a Los Angeles hotel in 2019. The woman does not use her name and goes by Jane Roe in the lawsuit filed in Los

Associated Press ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Before Hurricane Helene’s landfall last week, the National Weather Service began an all-out blitz to alert emergency planners, first responders and residents across the Southeast that the storm’s heavy rains and high winds could bring disaster hundreds of miles from the coast. Warnings blared phrases such as “URGENT,” “life

AP Health Writer Two dairy workers in California were infected with bird flu, the 15th and 16th human cases detected in the U.S. this year. The new cases confirmed Thursday were found in dairy workers who had contact with cattle on separate farms in California’s Central Valley. More than 50 dairy herds have been infected

TORONTO (AP) — Austrian-Canadian billionaire Frank Stronach is facing additional sexual assault charges involving three additional complainants, court documents how. The latest charges bring the total number of accusers in his case to 13. The 92-year-old Stronach was first charged in early June with five sex-related charges involving three complainants. Peel Regional Police filed more

Associated Press SAO PAULO (AP) — Environment ministers of the Group of 20 nations agreed Thursday to support the creation of funding sources for ecosystem services, acknowledging Brazil’s proposal to establish a trust fund for forest conservation. Named the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, the Brazilian initiative would reward tropical forest countries for protecting the critical

BOSTON (AP) — A Black teacher and musician told a court about how members of a white nationalist hate group punched, kicked and beat him with metal shields during a march through downtown Boston two years ago. Charles Murrell III, of Boston was in federal court Thursday to testify in his lawsuit asking for an

AP Media Writer Reuters has withdrawn two doping-related news stories after learning that one of the news organization’s employees helped arrange for an official to get a coveted media credential to see the Master’s golf tournament. Reuters said it had no reason to doubt the information in the two stories, but wanted to avoid the

Eminem killed off his alter ego Slim Shady with his latest album, but he’s making way for a new nickname: Grandpa. The rapper announced his daughter Hailie Jade is pregnant through a touching music video that is a tribute to their relationship. Home videos dating back to 1999 and photos of the father-daughter duo, along

AP Basketball Writer BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — The Cleveland Cavaliers were hitting golf balls into a lake and some people couldn’t figure out why. Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat played dominoes in the Bahamas until the wee hours of the morning. The Golden State Warriors sprawled out on a Hawaiian lawn for some morning

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS is expanding its program that allows people to file their taxes directly with the agency for free. The federal tax collector’s Direct File program, which allows taxpayers to calculate and submit their returns to the government directly without using commercial tax preparation software, will be open to more

BATON ROUGE, LA. (AP) — Former football coach Les Miles’ lawsuit against LSU and the NCAA over a decision to vacate 37 of his teams’ victories from 2012 to 2015 has been moved from federal court to state court. Miles’ original suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Baton Rouge in June. It alleged

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump “laid the groundwork for his crimes” well before Election Day in 2020. He said “the details don’t matter” when told his election fraud claims would fail in court. And his response to learning that then-Vice President Mike Pence was taken to a secure location as rioters stormed the

Associated Press Month-old twin boys are the youngest known victims of Hurricane Helene. The twins died alongside their mother when a large tree fell through the roof of their home in Thomson, Georgia, last week. The woman’s father, Obie Williams, said one of his sons went to check on the mother and her babies after

Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Department of Justice has confirmed that its criminal investigators are looking into the removal of Wausau’s absentee ballot drop box by the mayor last month. The agency’s spokesperson said Thursday the Marathon County district attorney had asked for assistance from DOJ, and its Division of Criminal Investigation

Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Former President Donald Trump has raised $160 million for his campaign in September and entered October with $283 million in the bank for the campaign’s final sprint. Trump’s campaign released the figures on Wednesday. The $160 million Trump raised in September is up from $130 million he reported raising in

Associated Press CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa’s Constitutional Court says it will hear a case next month brought by two opposition parties to revive impeachment proceedings against President Cyril Ramaphosa. The court made the announcement on Thursday. The two opposition parties want Ramaphosa impeached over a scandal involving more than $500,000 in

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Special counsel Jack Smith has provided a road map for how prosecutors hope to prove their case charging Donald Trump with an illegal scheme to overturn his 2020 election loss — if it ever gets to trial. In court papers unsealed Wednesday, Smith’s team details new evidence of Trump’s “increasingly

RUTLAND, Vt. (AP) — A judge has ordered a New York man charged with killing his father, stepmother and stepbrother in Vermont held without bail. The attorney for 23-year-old Brian Crossman Jr., of Granville, New York, entered pleas of not guilty to three counts of aggravated murder on Thursday. Crossman watched via video feed from

Associated Press FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — A jury has begun deliberations on whether a former police officer who fatally shot a shoplifting suspect last year after a foot chase outside a busy northern Virginia shopping mall should be convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Wesley Shifflett testified that he shot Timothy McCree Johnson in self defense because

Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — The sentencing of a former Houston police officer convicted of murder in the deaths of a couple during a 2019 drug raid is on hold after he suffered a medical emergency in a courtroom. A prosecutor was in the middle of addressing jurors on Thursday during closing arguments in the

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP) — One of four people charged in the shooting death of Southern Miss football player Marcus “MJ” Daniels Jr. has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Court records show 16-year-old Nytavion Shaw was charged as an adult. In his guilty plea Tuesday, Shaw said the killing happened during an armed robbery. He faces

Associated Press PARIS (AP) — A 31-year-long treasure hunt that drew in thousands of enthusiasts across France appears to have come to an end after official social media accounts linked to the search said the token needed to claim the grand prize had been found. The hunt, “On the Trail of the Golden Owl,” was

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A federal judge has denied Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul’s request to review the Milwaukee Archdiocese’s sealed bankruptcy records as part of his investigation into clergy sex abuse. Kaul launched the investigation in April 2021. He said he wanted to develop a full picture of clergy sexual abuse over the decades. He

Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Federal authorities say a rare whale found dead off Massachusetts earlier this year died as a result of entanglement in Maine lobster fishing gear. The North Atlantic right whale was found dead off Martha’s Vineyard in January. The whales are declining in population and are at the center of

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The Cayman Islands plans to hold a referendum on whether to make the possession of small amounts of marijuana a minor crime. Tourism Minister Kenneth Bryan says there is widespread support among legislators to hold a public vote. Bryan says if voters approve the measure, possession would be treated

Associated Press MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Rescuers are searching for dozens of migrants from Africa still missing after smugglers apparently forced them out of two boats in the Red Sea off the coast of Djibouti earlier this week. At least 48 people were earlier reported to have drowned. The boats had departed from Yemen —

Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian opposition leader in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on Thursday said 224 political prisoners in Belarus must be urgently released. More than 65,000 people have been detained since Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020 unleashed a brutal crackdown on dissent. It followed mass protests that broke out after an

AP Sports Writer FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Lionel Messi’s first MLS Cup playoff match with Inter Miami will be on Oct. 25. And it’ll be aired live on a massive screen spanning an entire block of New York’s Times Square. Major League Soccer announced Thursday that Inter Miami’s opener will be the lone playoff

AP Technology Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google is pumping more artificial intelligence into its search engine. New features will enable people to voice questions about images and rely on the still-faulty technology to organize the presentation of an entire results page. The latest changes announced Thursday herald the next step in an AI-driven makeover

AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A new documentary captures the horror of the Hamas attack on a music festival in Israel, in time for the first anniversary of the event. It’s a harrowing experience, but also a political hot potato, according to its distributor. It is available on Paramount+ and Showtime in the

AP Golf Writer Masters chairman Fred Ridley says Augusta National sustained a lot of damage from Hurricane Helene, just like the rest of the area. Ridley is in Japan for the Asia-Pacific Amateur. He says he’s confident the Masters will go on as scheduled the second full week in April. He says the focus now

AP Music Writer NEW YORK (AP) — For years, the Grammy Awards have been criticized over a lack of diversity — artists of color and women left out of top prizes; rap and contemporary R&B stars ignored — a reflection of the Recording Academy’s electorate. An evolving voting body, 66% of whom have joined in

PARIS (AP) — French Union of Auschwitz Deportees president and Holocaust survivor Victor Perahia has died. He was 91. Perahia was deported as a child to the Nazi death camp of Bergen-Belsen. The Union of Auschwitz Deportees said in a statement that he died on Monday in the eastern Paris suburb of Saint-Mande. The union

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Deaf audiences are being prioritized at U.K. cinemas. Paramount Pictures UK will be showing their movies with captions the day before general release, meaning deaf and hard of hearing cinemagoers across the country will be able to watch them first. The distributor is starting with the robot animation “Transformers One”

AP Pro Football Writer Pro Football Focus changed how many fans followed the NFL by providing grades and advanced statistics to help quantify how every player performed on a play-by-play basis from high-profile quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes to more anonymous guards and linebackers. Now instead of waiting until the next day, PFF will provide grades

Associated Press GOMA, Congo (AP) — At least 78 people died when an overcrowded boat capsized on Lake Kivu in eastern Congo on Thursday, a local governor said. A frantic search and rescue operation was underway hours later as many remained unaccounted for from the vessel, believed to have had 278 people on board. Jean-Jacques

Associated Press COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Thousands sang, cheered and prayed as multiple preachers declared Donald Trump to be God’s favored candidate to defeat what one called the “forces of darkness.” Headliners denounced Democrat Kamala Harris — Trump’s campaign rival — as influenced by demons and the spirit of the wicked biblical queen Jezebel.

Associated Press COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Two Swedish teenagers have been jailed in pre-trial detention in connection with two predawn explosions in the vicinity of the Israeli Embassy in Copenhagen a day earlier. Prosecutors said investigators were establishing “whether the motive could be a terror attack.” No one was injured in the blasts on early

AP Business Writer U.S. retailers are ramping up hiring for the holiday season but expect to take on fewer seasonal employees to help customers in stores and assemble online orders in warehouses. E-commerce giant Amazon said Thursday that it plans to hire 250,000 full, part-time and seasonal workers for the shopping period. That’s the same

Associated Press KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) — Health authorities say Marburg hemorrhagic fever has killed 11 people in Rwanda. The East African country is searching for the source of an outbreak first traced among patients in health facilities. Rwanda’s government said Thursday that there are 36 confirmed cases of the disease that manifests like Ebola with

Associated Press HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnam has condemned China, saying that Chinese law enforcement personnel assaulted 10 Vietnamese fishermen, damaged their fishing gear and seized about 4 tons of fish catch near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. The fishermen first reported the assault near the Chinese-controlled islands by radio on