Associated Press

Associated Press

Federal judge to hold hearing on whether Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being vindictively prosecuted

A federal judge this week canceled the trial of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran man who was mistakenly deported, and scheduled a hearing on whether the prosecution is being vindictive in pursuing a human smuggling case against him. Abrego Garcia has become a centerpiece of the debate over immigration after the Trump administration deported him […]
9 months ago

Kennedy Center criticizes musician who canceled performance after Trump name added to building

WASHINGTON (AP) — The president of the Kennedy Center on Friday fiercely criticized a musician’s sudden decision to cancel a Christmas Eve performance at the venue after the White House announced that President Donald Trump’s name would be added to the facility. “Your decision to withdraw at the last moment — explicitly in response to […]
9 months ago

Venezuelan migrants sent to El Salvador demand justice after US judge ruling

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Men who were part of the group of Venezuelan migrants that the United States government transferred earlier this year to a prison in El Salvador demanded justice on Friday, days after a federal judge in Washington ruled that the Trump administration must give them legal due process. The men told reporters […]
9 months ago

What to know about the Christmas Eve Powerball jackpot in Arkansas worth $1.8 billion

Christmas came early for someone who purchased a Powerball ticket at a gas station outside Little Rock, Arkansas, worth more than $1.8 billion. The lone winner in Wednesday’s Christmas Eve drawing matched all five winning numbers and the Powerball to capture the second-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, ending the game’s three-month stretch without a […]
9 months ago

California drops lawsuit seeking to reinstate federal funding for the state’s bullet train

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — California this week dismissed a lawsuit officials filed against the Trump administration over the federal government’s withdrawing of $4 billion for the state’s long-delayed high-speed rail project. The U.S. Transportation Department in July slashed funds for the bullet train aimed at connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles. The Trump administration has […]
9 months ago

Man dead, 2 police officers hurt in shooting during custody exchange in North Carolina

MINT HILL, N.C. (AP) — A man was shot and killed Friday after firing at police in a suburb of Charlotte, North Carolina, during a child custody exchange, authorities said. Two Mint Hill police officers were also wounded in the shooting and are in critical condition, Mint Hill Police said in a statement on social […]
9 months ago

Harvey Weinstein accuser Kaja Sokola is being sued for defamation. The plaintiff: Her sister

NEW YORK (AP) — Two sisters testified at Harvey Weinstein’s most recent criminal trial. Kaja Sokola accused the disgraced movie mogul of sexual assault. Ewa Sokola was called as a witness to boost her claims, but ultimately ended up helping the defense. Now, Ewa Sokola is suing Kaja for defamation, alleging in a lawsuit filed […]
9 months ago

Delaware State Police say DMV gunman let customers leave, fired at approaching officers

A man accused of fatally shooting a Delaware State Police trooper at a DMV office allowed customers to leave and then fired at approaching officers before being killed, investigators said Friday. State Police Cpl. Matthew Snook was working an overtime assignment at the New Castle DMV reception desk on Tuesday afternoon when Rahman Rose entered […]
9 months ago

A beginner’s guide to Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa has become a nationally recognized celebration of African culture and community in the United States since its founding in 1966 and also is celebrated in countries with large African descendant populations. The holiday, which serves as a nationwide communal event reinforcing self-determination and unity in the face of oppression, spans seven days from the […]
9 months ago

Photos show California homes buried in mud and debris during Christmas storms

WRIGHTWOOD, California (AP) — Towns across California have been affected by storms during Christmas week, filling homes halfway with mud, cracking highways and burying cars. The National Weather Service warned of heavy rain throughout the week due to a series of atmospheric rivers. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
9 months ago

Nigerian villagers are rattled by US airstrikes that made their homes shake and the sky glow red

JABO, Sokoto (AP) — Sanusi Madabo, a 40-year-old farmer in the Nigerian village of Jabo, was preparing for bed Thursday night when he heard a loud noise that sounded like a plane crashing. He rushed outside his mud house with his wife to see the sky glowing a bright red. The light burned bright for […]
9 months ago

Scrapyard worker injured in UPS plane crash dies on Christmas, raising deaths to 15

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A man injured in last month’s fiery UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky died on Christmas Day, raising the death toll from the crash to 15, officials announced late Thursday. Alain Rodriguez Colina worked at a scrapyard that was devastated when the departing cargo plane, fully loaded with fuel for a […]
9 months ago

Times Square to feature patriotic ball drop for New Year’s Eve, kicking off US’s 250th birthday

When the ball drops on New Year’s Eve in New York City, it will sparkle in red, white and blue, ushering in 2026 and kicking off months of celebrations for the nation’s upcoming 250th birthday. The patriotic touches at this year’s Times Square gathering, including a second confetti drop, will offer an early glimpse of […]
9 months ago

Not too young to help: Families find ways to volunteer with small children

NEW YORK (AP) — When Cami Teacoach’s son turned three she set out to find volunteer opportunities they could do together. He made Valentine cards for senior citizens. They hiked and picked up trash. He helped harvest produce at community gardens and made seed balls out of mud, throwing them into the forest to promote […]
9 months ago

Trump overturned decades of US trade policy in 2025. See the impact of his tariffs, in four charts

Since returning to the White House in January, President Donald Trump has overturned decades of U.S. trade policy — building a wall of tariffs around what used to be a wide open economy. His double-digit taxes on imports from almost every country have disrupted global commerce and strained the budgets of consumers and businesses worldwide. […]
9 months ago

China sanctions 20 US defense companies and 10 executives over massive arms sales to Taiwan

BEIJING (AP) — Beijing imposed sanctions on Friday against 20 U.S. defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington annoucned large-scale arms sales to Taiwan. The sanctions entail freezing the companies’ assets in China and banning individuals and organizations from dealing with them, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. The companies include Northrop Grumman […]
9 months ago

What to know about the militants targeted by US airstrikes in northwest Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The United States airstrikes that targeted Islamic State group militants in northwestern Nigeria on Thursday marked a major escalation in an offensive that the West African’s overstretched military has struggled with for years. U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that the “powerful and deadly” strikes in the state of […]
9 months ago

Asian shares are mixed, while gold and silver hit record highs

BANGKOK (AP) — U.S. futures edged lower and Asian shares were mixed Friday, with Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 trading near record high levels. The prices of gold and silver surged to records, extending their sharp gains for the year as investors including central banks have stocked up on the precious metals, which are viewed as safe […]
9 months ago

Rain-soaked California still at risk of floods and high surf

WRIGHTWOOD, Calif. (AP) — A strong storm system that brought relentless winds, rain and snowfall to California this week was expected to ease Friday, but there was still a risk of high surf along the coast, flash flooding near Los Angeles and avalanches in the Sierra Nevada. Waves near the San Francisco Bay Area could […]
9 months ago

Amid a battery boom, graphite mining gets a fresh look in the US

GOUVERNEUR, N.Y. (AP) — Graphite mines in the United States largely closed down seven decades ago. Mining the ubiquitous mineral found in everything from nuclear reactors to pencils seemed to make little sense when it could be imported inexpensively from other nations, especially China. That view is changing now. Demand for graphite, a key material […]
9 months ago

From red donkeys to vibrant art: Fernando Dávila’s colorful journey as a colorblind painter

DORAL, Fla. (AP) — When Fernando Dávila was 8 years old in Colombia, he failed a drawing class because he painted donkeys red. There was a reason for that: He is colorblind. Now the 72-year-old Dávila is an established and respected artist whose vibrant paintings have been exhibited in South America, Europe and the United […]
9 months ago

Hawaii’s Big Island bans feeding feral cats in an effort to help endangered native species

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (AP) — Throngs of feral cats emerge from the shade of parked trucks and bushes as soon as the familiar Subaru Forester pulls into a dump on Hawaii’s Big Island. They run after the vehicle to a certain meal — a gravy train that might not be around much longer. A Hawaii County […]
9 months ago

Trump says US struck Islamic State targets in Nigeria after group targeted Christians

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday night that he’d launched a “powerful and deadly strike” against Islamic State forces in Nigeria, after he spent weeks decrying the group for targeting Christians. “Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS […]
9 months ago

Saudi Arabia calls on Yemen separatists to leave 2 governorates as anti-Houthi coalition strains

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia on Thursday formally called on Emirati-backed separatists in Yemen to withdraw from two governorates their forces now control in the country, a move that threatens sparking a confrontation within a fragile coalition battling the Houthi rebels. The statement from Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry on Christmas morning appeared […]
9 months ago