National-World

CHICAGO (AP) — The murder conviction of a former Northwestern University professor who was sentenced to decades in prison for killing a boyfriend has been overturned because he was not allowed to consult with his lawyer during an overnight recess. An Illinois Appeals Court panel on Friday overturned Wyndham Lathem’s 2021 first-degree murder conviction. The

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden faces a stark choice as he contemplates broad preemptive pardons to protect aides and allies from potential retribution by Donald Trump. It comes down to whether he hews to the institutional norms he’s spent decades defending or flexes the powers of the presidency in untested ways. The

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The mother of Austin Tice, an American journalist missing in Syria for more than a decade, said Friday that she was confident her son was alive, citing information she said had come from a “significant source” that she did not identify but said had been vetted by the U.S. government

Associated Press ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Authorities say a fiery crash involving two minibuses in Ivory Coast has killed at least 26 people and injured 28 more. The two vehicles collided in Brokoua, a village in the center west of the country, the transportation ministry said in a statement without providing further details. It

AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — The NFL has closed an investigation into sexual assault allegations against Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. The league has been reviewing the case for months, trying to determine whether Watson should be punished. League spokesman Brian McCarthy said in an email that “there was insufficient evidence to support a

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso (AP) — Burkina Faso’s ruling military junta has issued a decree dismissing Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kyelem de Tambela and announcing the dissolution of the national government. A decree by the junta leader, Ibrahim Traore, said officials in the dissolved government will continue to perform their duties until a new government is

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Authorities in the Dominican Republic say they have confiscated nearly 9.5 tons of cocaine. It is the largest drug seizure in the country’s history. Carlos Devers, spokesman for the Dominican Republic’s Anti-Drug Agency, says $250 million worth of drugs were found nestled inside a banana shipment that arrived at

Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Planned Parenthood wanted to resume offering abortions in several Missouri clinics on Friday, immediately after the state’s new constitutional amendment rolling back a near total ban took effect. But they remain on hold as a complicated court battle drags on. The amendment is widely understood to prevent the

AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A prolonged and closely watched copyright case involving an online library’s unauthorized offering of free e-books has ended after the Internet Archive decided not to fight an appeal’s court’s ruling against it. In September, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit had upheld a lower-court decision

Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico environmental regulators have issued a $47.8 million fine on allegations of excess air pollution at a natural gas processing facility in a prolific oil production region. The state Environment Department issued the sanctions on Friday, including a cease and desist order against Houston-based Targa Resources at

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is running to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. The New York lawmaker threw her hat in the ring in a letter to colleagues on Friday.  At 35, Ocasio-Cortez would by far be the youngest to serve in the prominent post. It’s the latest

AP Health Reporter The U.S. government has ordered testing of the nation’s milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows. The Agriculture Department on Friday said raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16. Testing will begin

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The picture of who will be in charge of executing President-elect Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration and border policies has come into sharper focus after he announced his picks to head Customs and Border Protection and also the agency tasked with deporting immigrants in the country illegally. Trump said late Thursday

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — A judge sentenced a man to 22 years in federal prison for kidnapping a woman from Michael Bloomberg’s Colorado ranch during what prosecutors said was a failed attempt to kill the media mogul. Joseph Lee Beecher, 51, had faced up to life in prison after his August conviction by a jury

Religion News Service HARDWICK, Mass. (RNS) — As fall shifts into winter in Hardwick, Massachusetts, temperatures are unseasonably high for November, and a 34-acre community built by a homesteading couple nearly four decades ago stands remarkably quiet. “I’m finding it’s okay for me to say, well maybe this will not thrive,” Suzanne Shanley, co-founder of

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has agreed to settle a years-long legal dispute over whether Palestinian authorities can be sued in U.S. courts by Americans killed or wounded in terrorism attacks in the Middle East. The federal appeals court in New York has repeatedly ruled in favor of the  Palestine Liberation Organization

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Authorities say six people died after a pickup truck traveling the wrong way on a Mississippi highway collided with a car. Police say the crash happened before dawn Friday on Interstate 55 in Jackson. They say the Chevy Silverado pickup was heading south in the northbound lane when it collided with

Associated Press NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s top police official has denied reports that officers serving in the United Nations-backed multinational peacekeeping mission in Haiti have gone unpaid for three months. The police inspector general, Douglas Kanja, on Thursday said officers in Haiti had been paid “up to the end of October.” He was reacting

ATLANTA (AP) — Authorities have identified the Florida-bound Greyhound bus passenger who was shot and killed by Atlanta police. Thirty-nine-year-old Robert McVay was from Maryland. The shooting happened after 1:00 a.m. Thursday on the Interstate 75 south of downtown Atlanta. Police were initially responding to a call reporting that someone on the bus was stabbed.

Associated Press JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — State Sen. Jenifer Branning has won a seat on the Mississippi Supreme Court, defeating Justice Jim Kitchens. The Associated Press on Friday declared the race for Branning as counties reported official results from the Nov. 26 runoff election. Kitchens and Branning advanced to the runoff as leaders among five

AP Science Writer A surprising study of temperature-related deaths in Mexico upends conventional thinking about what age group is hit hardest by heat. Friday’s study shows that at higher temperatures and humidity, heat kills far more young people under 35 than those older than 50. For decades, health and weather experts have warned that the

ATLANTA (AP) — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is seeking to hold a trial early next year for the last five defendants who were originally indicted along with Atlanta rapper Young Thug. A final plea hearing for the five is set for Dec. 17 and Willis filed a motion Friday asking that a trial

Associated Press FAIRVIEW, N.C. (AP) — Vice President-elect JD Vance on Friday assured residents of western North Carolina still cleaning up from Hurricane Helene that they haven’t been forgotten as he surveyed storm wreckage and talked to first responders in one of his first public appearances since the election. Vance said he was visiting because

Associated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A closely-watched international climate case that could yield guidance for governments around the world wrapped its first week of arguments before the top court of the United Nations in The Hague Friday. The case, though not binding, is expected to spell out what countries are legally required to

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Couples who look awkward on skates have gotten a chance to celebrate their cute clumsiness in a Rocky and Adrian look-alike contest at Philadelphia’s RockyFest. The Friday evening event at the University of Pennsylvania’s 1923 Ice Rink was meant to echo the pair’s first date in “Rocky.” In the classic 1976 film,

Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — A federal judge has upheld the consideration of race in admissions at the U.S. Naval Academy, ruling that military cohesion and other national security factors mean the officer training school should not be subjected to the same standards as civilian universities. The group behind the case, Students for Fair Admissions,

AP Business Writer Chipotle is raising its U.S. prices to offset inflation and to compensate for a promise to increase portion sizes. Chipotle’s chief corporate affairs officer confirmed Friday that the Mexican restaurant chain was implementing a 2% price increase nationally. She says it’s the company’s first such increase  in more than a year. Chipotle

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A Texas man who was the first rioter to go on trial for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol has been resentenced on Friday to nearly seven years in prison. Guy Reffitt delivered an angry, profane rant to the judge who agreed on Friday to modestly reduce

Angelina Jolie portraying opera singer Maria Callas in the movie “Maria” and Jamie Foxx’s Netflix comedy special called “Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…” are some of this week’s new streaming entertainment releases. Two sitcom favorites, Ray Romano and Lisa Kudrow, team up for the Netflix dark comedy “No Good Deed,” and Elton John looks

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra said four of its members were injured in an incident during a 15-minute traffic blockade commemorating the 15 people who died when a concrete canopy collapsed at a railway station in northern Serbia last month. The protests have been held every Friday in Belgrade, Serbia’s capital, and

AP Pro Football Writer Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss is stepping away from his ESPN analyst role for an extended time to focus on a personal health challenge, the network said in a statement. The 47-year-old Moss revealed last week that he’s dealing with a health issue and asked fans to pray for

AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Whoopi Goldberg is about to break two ironclad rules of show business — never work with animals or children. The actor and TV host is slipping into the terrifying role of Miss Hannigan when the latest touring production of “Annie” lands in New York City for the holidays.

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — A former British soldier will be tried for the murder of two men who were killed during the 1972 “Bloody Sunday” disturbances in Londonderry, Northern Ireland’s second-biggest city, after a judge refused to dismiss the charges against him. The veteran, known only as Soldier F, is charged with two counts

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Police say three people have been arrested in northern Greece on suspicion of systematically counterfeiting artworks by leading Greek painters and selling them as originals through an online auction house. A police statement says the arrests were carried out Wednesday on the eve of a live internet sale of 123 artworks

Associated Press ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani think tank says a Baloch separatist group is becoming as big a national security threat as the Pakistani Taliban. Last month, the Baloch Liberation Army killed dozens of people in the restive southwest Pakistani province of Balochistan. The deadliest assault was a suicide bombing at a train station.

NEW YORK (AP) — More than one million pairs of oven gloves are being recalled due to a burn hazard, after dozens of injury reports. Video and e-commerce retailer QVC is recalling about 1.1 million of its “Temp-tations Oven Gloves” because they fail to provide sufficient heat protection. According to a Thursday notice published by

AP Business Writer A federal appeals court panel on Friday unanimously upheld a law that could lead to a ban on TikTok as soon as next month, handing a resounding defeat to the popular social media platform as it fights for its survival in the U.S. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Soon-to-be first lady Melania Trump says preparing to enter the White House for the second time looks a lot different from the first time. She said Friday that now, “You know what you need to establish. You know what kind of people you need to hire for your office.” She

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Celebrating the end of the 100th anniversary Year of Czech Music, an event held every decade in the year ending in 4, Semyon Bychkov is conducting through pain in leading the Czech Philharmonic on a North American tour to New York and Toronto. He had lumbar decompression surgery in

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The Princess of Wales took another step Friday in her return to public life following cancer treatment, in hosting her annual Christmas carol service at Westminster Abbey. Dressed in a festive red coat featuring a large black bow on the collar and black buttons, the princess, often referred to simply

AP Sports Writer FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — It was a rare instance of Lionel Messi stepping on a soccer field and having no idea what was happening. There they were, more than 250 Inter Miami academy players, a slew of kids lined up at midfield in a formation that spelled out three letters: MVP.

AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Deciding whether Juan Soto tops Shohei Ohtani for baseball’s largest contract could be in the eye of the beholder because of all the deferred money in Ohtani’s deal. Ohtani agreed last December to a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, easily exceeding the previous high

Associated Press STOCKHOLM (AP) — South Korean author Han Kang, this year’s winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, says she was shocked at this week’s martial law announcement in her home country. Han was awarded by the Nobel committee “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human

Associated Press A Boston city councilor has been arrested on federal fraud charges, accused of funneling part of an inflated bonus payment to a staffer to whom she was related into her own pockets during an exchange at a City Hall bathroom. U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy says 45-year-old Tania Fernandes Anderson was arrested outside her

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — An alternative healer who advocated “slapping therapy” to treat a range of maladies was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison for the death of a 71-year-old diabetic woman who stopped taking insulin during one of his workshops. Hongchi Xiao, 61, was convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence for failing

AP Business Writer Stellantis is recalling more than 300,000 Ram Heavy Duty pickup trucks because a faulty part could cause certain braking and tracking systems to fail. The Netherlands-based automaker said the hydraulic control unit on the trucks is prone to failure, which can cause the anti-lock brake, electronic stability control and traction control systems

Associated Press MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Local authorities in Somalia have confirmed that a Chinese-owned fishing vessel with 18 crew members aboard was hijacked last week off the northeastern coast of Xaafuun district in Somalia’s Bari region. An official in the area where the vessel is being held told journalists that the hijackers include the

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The sale of the Observer, the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper and a bastion of liberal values in Britain’s media landscape, has been approved, despite two days of strike action from journalists this week. The Scott Trust, the owner of the Guardian Media Group, which includes the Observer and its sister

Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Syrian refugees across Turkey have jubilantly welcomed the downfall of Bashar Assad’s government with many embracing the chance to return to their homeland. Many say it’s time to go home after years of living in Turkey, which hosts some 3 million Syrians. Turkey, which shares a 566-mile-long frontier with

Associated Press BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — A court in Mali has freed 11 opposition leaders who were arrested in June on charges of plotting against the ruling military junta after calling for a return to civilian rule. Their provisional release on Friday has been seen as an attempt to calm the country’s political climate in

Associated Press N’DJAMENA, Chad (AP) — Hundreds of people have marched in Chad to call for the withdrawal of French troops from the country, a week after the Central African country ended a military agreement with its former colonial ruler. Protesters in the capital, N’Djamena, Friday chanted “Chad for us, France out!” with some holding

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited Belarus to sign a treaty offering security guarantees, including the possible use of Russian nuclear weapons, to protect Moscow’s closest ally. The signing of the document on Friday follows the publication of a revised version of Russia’s nuclear doctrine, which for the first time placed Belarus

Associated Press JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — One of the Middle East’s fastest-growing film festivals opened Thursday in Saudi Arabia, attracting filmmakers and stars from around the world to present over 120 films from 81 countries in Jeddah’s historic Al-Balad district. The Red Sea International Film Festival, now in its fourth year, offers a vibrant

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s opposition leader has questioned the state of mind of President Yoon Suk Yeol and vowed to make all-out efforts to get him impeached as soon as possible. In an interview with The Associated Press Friday, Democratic Party chairman Lee Jae-myung said Yoon’s controversial martial law imposition

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Several thousand people have marched through central Athens on the anniversary of the fatal police shooting of a teenager in 2008. Minor violence broke out after the end of the march as youths attacked police. No injuries or arrests were reported from the clashes. Rioters threw petrol bombs and stones at