National News

Kilmar Abrego Garcia and his wife Jennifer Vasquez Sura leave the United States District Court Dist...

DOJ pushed to prosecute Kilmar Abrego Garcia only after mistaken deportation, judge’s order says

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A newly unsealed order in the criminal case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia reveals that high-level Justice Department officials pushed for his indictment, calling it a “top priority,” only after he was mistakenly deported and then ordered returned to the U.S. Abrego Garcia has pleaded not guilty in federal court in Tennessee […]
9 months ago
recall ground beef e. coli idaho...
Associated Press

Idaho company recalls nearly 3,000 pounds of ground beef for E. coli risk

An Idaho-based company is recalling nearly 3,000 pounds of raw ground beef that may have been contaminated with E. coli bacteria.
9 months ago
Buddhist monks on a "Walk for Peace" walk on Veterans Parkway in Fayetteville, Ga., on Monday, Dec....

Buddhist monks persist in peace walk despite injuries as thousands follow them on social media

ATLANTA (AP) — A group of Buddhist monks is persevering in their walking trek across much of the U.S. to promote peace, even after two of its members were injured when a truck hit their escort vehicle. After starting their walk in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 26, the group of about two dozen monks […]
9 months ago
New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs (8) runs against the Baltimore Ravens during the se...

Patriots star receiver Stefon Diggs faces strangulation charges, denies allegations

DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) — New England Patriots star wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with an incident that happened earlier this month, police said. News of the charges emerged after a court hearing Tuesday in Dedham, Massachusetts. It is unclear what led to the charges, which include felony […]
9 months ago

Derailed train in Kentucky causes a chemical leak and sparks a fire

TRENTON, Ky. (AP) — A derailed CSX train leaked a flammable chemical and sparked a fire in a rural part of southern Kentucky on Tuesday, prompting authorities to issue a shelter-in-place order that was later lifted for nearby residents. No injuries were reported after 31 rail cars derailed at about 6:15 a.m. CST in Todd […]
9 months ago
FILE - Vehicles drive along Pennsylvania Ave. during rush hour traffic at sunrise Wednesday, Oct. 1...

IRS increases 2026 business mileage rate by 2.5 cents

WASHINGTON (AP) — The standard mileage rate for the business use of a car, truck, van or other vehicle will increase by 2.5 cents in 2026. The IRS announced Monday that beginning Jan. 1, the standard mileage rate for a qualifying vehicle will be 72.5 cents per mile, up 2.5 cents from 2025. The rate […]
9 months ago
FILE - An EBT SNAP sign is shown on a self check out screen at a grocery store in Mount Prospect, I...

SNAP bans on soda, candy and other foods take effect in five states Jan. 1

Starting Thursday, Americans in five states who get government help paying for groceries will see new restrictions on soda, candy and other foods they can buy with those benefits. Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia are the first of at least 18 states to enact waivers prohibiting the purchase of certain foods through the […]
9 months ago
President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netany...

U.S. sanctions 10 people and firms from Iran and Venezuela over drone and missile trade

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. imposed sanctions on 10 people and firms from Iran and Venezuela over allegedly contributing to Iran’s drone trade and ballistics program which the Trump administration says threatens the U.S. and its allies in the Middle East. The Treasury Department said the latest measures are intended to support the reimposed United […]
9 months ago
FILE - Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought speaks to reporters at the Wh...

Judge blocks White House’s attempt to defund the CFPB, ensuring employees get paid

NEW YORK (AP) — The White House cannot lapse in its funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal district court judge ruled on Tuesday, only days before funds at the bureau would have likely run out and the consumer finance agency would have no money to pay its employees. Judge Amy Berman ruled […]
9 months ago
FILE - FBI Director Kash Patel White House speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Wedne...

Surge in federal officers in Minnesota focuses on alleged fraud at day care centers

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A surge of federal officers in Minnesota follows new allegations of fraud by day care centers run by Somali residents. President Donald Trump has previously linked his administration’s immigration crackdown against Minnesota’s large Somali community to a series of fraud cases involving government programs in which most of the defendants have roots […]
9 months ago
FILE - Attendees visit the Meta booth at the Game Developers Conference 2023 in San Francisco on Ma...

Meta buys startup Manus in latest move to advance its artificial intelligence efforts

DETROIT (AP) — Meta is buying artificial intelligence startup Manus, as the owner of Facebook and Instagram continues an aggressive push to amp-up AI offerings across its platforms. The California tech giant declined to disclose financial details of the acquisition. But The Wall Street Journal reported that Meta closed the deal at more than $2 […]
9 months ago

Judge orders new trial for woman sentenced to 18 years in prison after stillbirth

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A judge has ordered a new trial for an Alabama woman who was sentenced to 18 years in prison following a stillbirth that her attorneys argued was caused by an infection rather than drug use. Lee County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Tickal vacated Brooke Shoemaker’s 2020 conviction for chemical endangerment of a […]
9 months ago
New signage, The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts, i...

More musicians cancel Kennedy Center concerts following addition of Trump’s name to building

More artists have canceled scheduled performances at the Kennedy Center following the addition of President Donald Trump’s name to the facility, with jazz supergroup The Cookers pulling out of a planned New Year’s Eve concert, and the institution’s president saying the cancellations belie the artists’ unwillingness to see their music as crossing lines of political […]
9 months ago
FILE - Berkshire Hathaway Vice Chairman Greg Abel poses for pictures with shareholders while tourin...

With the legendary Warren Buffett stepping back, Berkshire Hathaway enters a new era

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Greg Abel faces the challenge of taking over Berkshire Hathaway from the legendary Warren Buffettthis week. Many regard Buffett as the world’s greatest investor after he grew Berkshire from a struggling New England textile mill that he starting buying up for $7.60 a share in 1962, to the massive conglomerate it […]
9 months ago
A Basset Fauve De Bretagne stands for photographs during a Meet the Breeds event February 22, 2022 ...

Unleash the hounds! And terriers and lapdogs. The American Kennel Club adds 3 breeds

NEW YORK (AP) — They’re ready to embark on 2026. Three more dog breeds joined the American Kennel Club’s roster of recognized breeds on Tuesday, making them eligible for many U.S. dog shows and likely increasing their visibility to the pet-loving public. One of the newcomers is a terrier named for a U.S. president. Another […]
9 months ago
FILE - The Chow's Gymnastics & Dance Institute is seen Aug. 4, 2025, in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP ...

Takeaways from AP report on what sources say was Olympic watchdog’s failure to close abuse case

DENVER (AP) — There was an eight-year gap between the time young gymnasts and their parents started sounding warnings about a coach in 2017 and when he was arrested earlier this year on federal child pornography charges. It took the U.S. Center for SafeSport — the agency formed by Congress to combat this type of […]
9 months ago
FILE - Voters fill out their ballots Nov. 4, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)Credit: ...

After quiet off-year elections, Democrats renew worries about Trump interfering in the midterms

If history is a guide, Republicans stand a good chance of losing control of the House of Representatives in 2026. They have just a slim majority in the chamber, and the incumbent party usually gives up seats in midterm elections. President Donald Trump, whose loss of the House halfway through his first term led to […]
9 months ago
FILE - Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., arrives on stage at the inaugura...

In a tumultuous year, US health policy has been dramatically reshaped under RFK Jr.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the whirlwind first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, some of the most polarizing changes have taken place within the Department of Health and Human Services, where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has openly rebuffed the medical establishment as he converts the ideas of his Make America Healthy Again movement into […]
9 months ago
FILE - People are seen on the beach and in the water in front of the Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honol...

New 2026 laws are among the first of their kind to tackle climate change, drunken driving

Tourists celebrating the new year in Hawaii could become the first to be taxed to address the consequences of climate change. In Utah, people who party too heartily — and get caught driving drunk — could be among the first to have their driver’s licenses striped red with the label: “No Alcohol Sale.” And motorists […]
9 months ago

Winter storm packing snow and strong winds to descend on Great Lakes and Northeast

A wild winter storm was expected to bring strong winds, heavy snow and frigid temperatures to the Great Lakes and Northeast on Tuesday, a day after a bomb cyclone barreled across the northern U.S. and left tens thousands of customers without power. The storm that hit parts of the Plains and Great Lakes on Monday […]
9 months ago
This Dec. 19, 2025, image provided by Jessica Damiano shows evergreen branches serving as winter mu...

Christmas is over, but what to do with the tree? Here’s some alternatives to the landfill

What to buy, what to serve, which events to attend — December is typically full of decisions. Here’s one more for you to contemplate: What are you going to do with your Christmas tree? According to the Nature Conservancy, some 10 million live Christmas trees end up in landfills every year. There, they are covered […]
9 months ago
This combination of undated images provided by Hardman for Iowa and Lucas Loftin on Friday, Dec. 26...

Republicans try to flip an Iowa Senate seat and reclaim a supermajority in year-end special election

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Some Iowans are ringing in 2026 with a special election on the final Tuesday of the year, casting ballots for a state senator in a race that offers Republicans an opportunity to reclaim two-thirds control of the chamber. Democrat Renee Hardman faces Republican Lucas Loftin in the special election for […]
9 months ago

Where are the wackiest New Year’s Eve drops in the US?

Why let New York City have all the fun with its Times Square ball drop on New Year’s Eve? Dozens of places across the U.S. will ring in 2026 by dropping a quirky assortment of fruits, vegetables, sea creatures and balls of all shapes and sizes. Many have a hometown flair. There’s the giant cheese […]
9 months ago

Texas man accused of trying to aid Islamic State group is charged with international terrorism

DALLAS (AP) — A 21-year-old Texas man who authorities say provided bomb materials and money to people he believed were affiliated with the Islamic State group has been federally charged with international terrorism, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday. John Michael Garza Jr. of Midlothian, Texas, is accused of giving bomb-making materials to an […]
9 months ago