National News

Lilli Johnson, a server at The Dinner Bell rotates a lazy Susan on Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025 in McCom...

Giant lazy Susans bring people together at Mississippi restaurant

MCCOMB, Miss. (AP) — Over the course of a steaming-hot Southern lunch, served family-style on a giant lazy Susan, restaurant owner Andre Davis has watched people go from perfect strangers to lifelong friends. His restaurant, The Dinner Bell in McComb, Mississippi, consists of just four tables. Large and circular, they seat upward of 15 people. […]
11 months ago
FILE - Danish military forces participate in an exercise with hundreds of troops from several Europ...

Trump announces he’s appointing Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to serve as US special envoy to Greenland

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump ‍on Sunday ​announced ​he ⁠is appointing Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry to serve as the U.S. ‌special envoy to Greenland, the vast, semi-autonomous territory of Denmark that Trump has said the U.S. needs to take over. “Jeff understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and […]
11 months ago
FILE - Colorado Gov. Jared Polis speaks to the National Governors Association at the Broadmoor Hote...

Colorado governor accuses Trump of playing ‘political games’ after disaster request denials

DENVER (AP) — Colorado Gov. Jared Polis accused President Donald Trump of playing “political games” Sunday after the Trump administration denied disaster declaration requests following wildfires and flooding in the state earlier this year. Polis’ office said he received late Saturday two denial letters from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The letters follow requests for […]
11 months ago
FILE - Actor James Ransone, a cast member in "The Son of No One," poses at its premiere during the ...

Actor James Ransone, known for his role in ‘The Wire,’ dead at 46

LOS ANGELES (AP) — James Ransone, the actor who played Ziggy Sobotka in the HBO series “The Wire” and appeared in many other TV shows and movies, has died. He was 46. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s office said in online records that Ransone died by suicide on Friday. Ransone’s film credits include “It: […]
11 months ago
President Donald Trump holds a cell phone with a call to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as he departs on A...

Trump removes nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial positions

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts as it moves to reshape the U.S. diplomatic posture abroad with personnel deemed fully supportive of President Donald Trump’s “America First” priorities. The chiefs of mission in at least 29 countries were informed last week that […]
11 months ago

ICE says an agent fired shots at a migrant who hit him and another agent with his SUV in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fired shots Sunday at a Cuban immigrant living in the U.S. illegally after the man struck the agent and another one with an SUV in Minnesota’s state capital, the Department of Homeland Security said. The man also bit an ICE agent as officers subdued […]
11 months ago

New Jersey police chief faces domestic violence charges in Massachusetts, prosecutor says

BOSTON (AP) — A New Jersey police chief is facing domestic violence charges in Massachusetts after prosecutors accused him of assaulting a woman at a hotel earlier this year. Carmen Veneziano, who leads Totowa, New Jersey’s police department, was indicted Thursday on one count of kidnapping and three counts of domestic assault and battery, officials […]
11 months ago
Nicki Minaj speaks during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025, in Phoenix. ...

Nicki Minaj surprises conservatives with praise for Trump, Vance at Arizona event

Female rapper Nicki Minaj on Sunday made a surprise appearance at a gathering of conservatives in Arizona that was memorializing late activist Charlie Kirk, and used her time on stage to praise President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, calling them “role models” for young men. The rap star was interviewed at Turning Point […]
11 months ago

Powerball jackpot climbs to $1.6 billion, among largest lottery prizes ever in U.S.

The Powerball jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.6 billion, making it one of the largest lottery prizes in U.S. history, Powerball officials said Sunday. No ticket matched all six winning numbers on Saturday — white balls 4, 5, 28, 52, 69 and red Powerball 20. That sets up the fifth largest U.S. jackpot ever […]
11 months ago
President Donald Trump holds a cell phone with a call to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as he departs on A...

Coast Guard is pursuing another tanker helping Venezuela skirt sanctions, US official says

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday was pursuing another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea as the Trump administration appeared to be intensifying its targeting of such vessels connected to Venezuelan government. The pursuit of the tanker, which was confirmed by a U.S. official briefed on the operation, […]
11 months ago
FILE - Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche speaks during an event with President Donald Trump in t...

Top Trump administration official defends partial release of Epstein files as Democrats cry foul

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Justice Department’s decision to release just a fraction of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the congressionally mandated deadline as necessary to protect survivors of sexual abuse by the disgraced financier. Blanche pledged that the Trump administration eventually would meet its […]
11 months ago

Officer who killed Tamir Rice fired from ranger position in West Virginia

SLATYFORK, W.Va. (AP) — The former Cleveland officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 was fired from his post as a ranger at a West Virginia resort community, the fourth known time in seven years that he left a small department following public backlash. Timothy Loehmann was fired on Friday from his position […]
11 months ago

Muddy eruption at Yellowstone’s Black Diamond Pool captured on video

“Kablooey!” That’s the word U.S. Geological Survey volcanic experts used to describe a muddy eruption at Black Diamond Pool in Yellowstone National Park on Saturday morning. Video shared by the USGS on social media shows mud spraying up and out from the pool just before 9:23 a.m. in Biscuit Basin about midway between park favorites […]
11 months ago
FILE - Workers install panels at a solar project May 21, 2025, in Galena, Alaska. (AP Photo/John Lo...

Trump’s return brought stiff headwinds for clean energy. So why are advocates optimistic in 2026?

There were some highs amid a lot of lows in a roller coaster year for clean energy as President Donald Trump worked to boost polluting fuels while blocking wind and solar, according to dozens of energy developers, experts and politicians. Surveyed by The Associated Press, many described 2025 as turbulent and challenging for clean energy, […]
11 months ago
Attendees applaud during Turning Point USA's AmericaFest 2025, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Phoenix....

Turning Point showcases the discord that Republicans like Vance will need to navigate in the future

PHOENIX (AP) — The next presidential election is three years away, but Turning Point USA already knows it wants Vice President JD Vance as the Republican nominee. Erika Kirk, leader of the powerful conservative youth organization, endorsed him on opening night of its annual AmericaFest convention, drawing cheers from the crowd. But the four-day gathering […]
11 months ago
FILE - Jared Kushner with his wife, Ivanka Trump, acknowledges applause at the Israeli parliament, ...

Trump is leaning on son-in-law Jared Kushner for difficult diplomacy

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the dawn rose on President Donald Trump’s second term, one key figure from his first administration stood back, content to focus on his personal business interests and not retake a formal government role. Now, nearly a year into Trump 2.0, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has been drawn back into the foreign […]
11 months ago
Australian players celebrate after England's Ben Stokes, right, was dismissed during play on day fo...

Bazball revolution falters for England in the Ashes, but it’s not the end of the system

The architects of the Bazball revolution that England aimed to use to summit test cricket have conceded the preparation wasn’t quite right for the Ashes. That’s not to say the strategy will be shelved. After arriving on Australian shores with great expectations, coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes were intent on imposing the attack-at-all-costs […]
11 months ago
Erika Kirk, center, speaks as Jack Posobiec, left, and Megyn Kelly look on during Turning Point USA...

Here’s what you missed at Turning Point’s chaotic convention

PHOENIX (AP) — When Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest convention reached its halfway point, Erika Kirk tried to put a smiling face on things. “Say what you want about AmFest, but it’s definitely not boring,” said Kirk, who has led the influential conservative organization since her husband Charlie was assassinated in September. “Feels like a […]
11 months ago

San Francisco outages leaves 130,000 without power

A massive outage knocked out power to 130,000 homes and businesses in San Francisco on Saturday, Pacific Gas and Electric Co. said. The power failure left a large swath of the northern part of the city in the dark, beginning with the Richmond and Presidio neighborhoods and areas around Golden Gate Park in the early […]
11 months ago
Men dressed as former President Abraham Lincoln attend a mock funeral for the penny, which was disc...

Photos show mock funeral for the penny at Lincoln Memorial

Wasington (AP) — A mock funeral for the penny, which was discontinued earlier this year, was held Saturday in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.
11 months ago
FILE - An attendee asks Pearl Harbor survivor Ira "Ike" Schab, 103, to sign an U.S. flag during the...

WWII Navy veteran Ira ‘Ike’ Schab, one of last remaining Pearl Harbor survivors, dies at 105

World War II Navy veteran Ira “Ike” Schab, one of the dwindling number of survivors of the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, has died. He was 105. Daughter Kimberlee Heinrichs told The Associated Press that Schab died at home early Saturday in the presence of her and her husband. With his passing, there remain […]
11 months ago
FILE - Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, at podium, speaks during a news conference in Mineol...

Trump endorses county executive for NY governor, days after longtime ally Stefanik suspends campaign

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump on Saturday announced he’s endorsing Nassau County’s Republican executive for governor in next fall’s New York race, just a day after the president’s longtime ally Rep. Elise Stefanik announced she was suspending her candidacy. The endorsement, while not unexpected, could help ensure that Bruce Blakeman, who […]
11 months ago
FILE - Demonstrators march from Memorial Park to the Andrew W. Bogue Federal building on Wednesday,...

South Dakota hotel owner found liable for discrimination against Native Americans

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The owner of a South Dakota hotel who said Native Americans were banned from the establishment was found liable for discrimination against Native Americans on Friday. A federal jury decided the owner of the Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City will pay tens of thousands of dollars in damages to […]
11 months ago
This undated photo released by the U.S. Department of Justice shows Jeffrey Epstein. (U.S. Departme...

Epstein files offer scant new insight into his crimes or how he avoided serious prosecution

NEW YORK (AP) — The Justice Department’s much-anticipated release of records tied to Jeffrey Epstein arrived in a flood of documents that did little to quell the long-simmering intrigue, largely because some of the most consequential records were nowhere to be found. The initial disclosures, spanning tens of thousands of pages, offer scant new insight […]
11 months ago