National-World

Associated Press PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A storm that swept up the East Coast that brought torrents of rain and high winds caused some misery for New England ski resort operators. But unseasonable cold returned Thursday to the Upper Midwest. Powerful winds Wednesday into Thursday caused power outages in Maine, and ski resort operators had

Associated Press TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey is seeking to drastically reduce the amount of plastics and other packaging material that’s tossed out once a package is opened. Lots of packaging that keeps items safe during shipping routinely ends up in landfills or as environmental pollution. Among that packaging is bubble wrap, air-filled plastic

Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Mali’s armed forces, supported by Russian mercenaries, committed abuses against civilians since the withdrawal of a U.N. peacekeeping mission late last year, Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday. Malian armed forces and the Russia-backed Wagner Group deliberately killed at least 32 civilians, including seven in a

Associated Press BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota regulators have approved permits for underground carbon dioxide storage for a massive pipeline proposed for the Midwest. The approval Thursday is another victory for Summit Carbon Solutions, whose project has faced fierce opposition from landowners. The proposed 2,500-mile, $8 billion pipeline would transport carbon dioxide emissions from

Associated Press TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey is considering charging fees on producers of fossil fuels to help the state that is home to several oil and gas facilities fight the effects of climate change. The bill aims to create a Climate Superfund similar to the pot of money assembled by the federal government

Associated Press THOMASTON, Maine (AP) — Kaja Veilleux has been hunting New England attic treasures for more than 50 years. He once found a copy of the Declaration of Independence sitting on a pile of trash, and he made headlines this year when he stumbled upon a million-dollar portrait gathering dust in an old farmhouse

Associated Press ROVANIEMI, Finland (AP) — Shuffling across icy ground on a cold December afternoon, lots of tourist groups poured into Santa Claus Village, a winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. They frolic in the snow, take a reindeer sleigh ride, sip a cocktail in an ice bar or even

AP Business Writer BANGKOK (AP) — The Biden administration has announced it is raising tariffs on solar wafers, polysilicon and some tungsten products from China to protect U.S. clean energy businesses. The notice from the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said tariffs on solar wafers and polysilicon will rise to 50% from 25% and 25% duties

Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Papua New Guinea will gain its own team in Australia’s rugby league in a soft diplomacy deal linked to limiting Chinese influence in the South Pacific. The Australian government will spend $380 million over a decade to add a team from its nearest neighbor to the National Rugby League

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The government of Argentina has accused its Venezuelan counterpart of continually harassing six members of the political opposition who have been sheltering for months in the Argentine diplomatic compound in Caracas. The government of President Javier Milei on Wednesday also urged the Organization of American States to pressure Venezuela to allow

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Gunmen have shot to death a state judge outside a court building in the violence-wracked Pacific coast resort of Acapulco in Mexico. The prosecutors’ office in the southern state of Guerrero said they were reviewing security camera footage to try to identify the killers. The attack on Wednesday killed Edmundo Román

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats failed in their bid to confirm a Democratic member of the National Labor Relations Board after the Senate rejected a razor-thin vote that hinged on the pivotal rejections of independent Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. If the nomination had been successful, the

SYDNEY (AP) — A team from rugby league hotspot Papua New Guinea will enter the National Rugby League from 2028 after officially being granted a license. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his Papua New Guinean counterpart James Marape met in Sydney on Thursday to shake hands over the deal, the culmination of two years

Associated Press DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Jim Leach has died at age 82. He served 30 years as a politician from eastern Iowa. He later headed the National Endowment for the Humanities. His death Wednesday was confirmed by an Iowa City funeral home. He represented Iowa as a moderate Republican until

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