Top General News
Gaetz withdraws as Trump's pick for attorney general, averting confirmation battle in the Senate
WASHINGTON (AP) — Matt Gaetz withdrew Thursday as President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation that cast doubt on his ability to be confirmed as the nation's chief federal law enforcement officer. The...
Warrants put Israeli PM and others in a small group of leaders accused of crimes against humanity
The decision by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and a top Hamas official puts them in a small group of leaders to be accused of crimes against humanity. The court issued warrants Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin...
Several of Trump's Cabinet picks — and Trump himself — have been accused of sexual misconduct
WASHINGTON (AP) — While Matt Gaetzhas withdrawn from the nomination process for attorney general, President-elect Donald Trump has picked several other people for his Cabinet and key staff positions who have been accused of some form of sexual misconduct. Trump himself has long...
Elon Musk's budget crusade could cause a constitutional clash in Trump's second term
WASHINGTON (AP) — When Elon Musk first suggested a new effort to cut the size of government, Donald Trump didn't seem to take it seriously. His eventual name for the idea sounded like a joke too. It would be called the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a reference to an online meme...
Death toll in Gaza from Israel-Hamas war passes 44,000, Palestinian officials say
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The death toll in the Gaza Strip from the 13-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000, local health officials said Thursday. The Gaza Health Ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count, but it has...
Putin touts Russia's new missile and delivers a menacing warning to NATO
The new ballistic missile fired by Russia struck a military-industrial facility in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, but its real mission was delivering a deadly new message to NATO. Hours after Thursday's strike touched off a debate over whether the Ukrainian plant was hit by an...
What to know about a storm bringing high winds, heavy rain, snow to California and Pacific Northwest
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — One of the strongest storms on the West Coast in decades knocked out power for thousands of people, unleashed strong winds that toppled trees and left two dead in Washington before making its way through Oregon to Northern California where on Thursday it dropped heavy snow...
Brazilian police indict former President Bolsonaro and aides over alleged 2022 coup attempt
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s federal police said Thursday they indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro and 36 other people for allegedly attempting a coup to keep him in office after his defeat in the 2022 elections. Police said their sealed findings were being delivered Thursday...
Jussie Smollett’s conviction in 2019 attack on himself is overturned
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned actor Jussie Smollett’s conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019 and lying to Chicago police, saying he should not have been charged a second time after reaching a deal with...
US towns plunge into debates about fluoride in water
NEW YORK (AP) — For about 50 years, adding cavity-preventing fluoride to drinking water was a popular public health measure in Yorktown, a leafy town north of New York City. But in September, the town’s supervisor used his emergency powers to stop the practice. ...
Latest General News
New Zealanders are banned from displaying gang symbols as a new law takes effect
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — A ban on New Zealanders wearing or displaying symbols of gang affiliation in public took effect on Thursday, with police officers making their first arrest for a breach of the law three minutes later. The man was driving with gang insignia displayed...
Police report reveals assault allegations against Hegseth, Trump's pick for defense secretary
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (AP) — A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Pete Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report made public late Wednesday. Hegseth,...
What to know about a storm bringing high winds, heavy rain, snow to California and Pacific Northwest
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — One of the strongest storms on the West Coast in decades knocked out power for thousands of people, unleashed strong winds that toppled trees and left two dead in Washington before making its way through Oregon to Northern California where on Thursday it dropped heavy snow...
Louisiana's governor raises major doubts about a stalled $3 billion coastal restoration project
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry raised serious objections Thursday to a $3 billion project long hailed as key to restoring the state's eroding coastline, decrying the growing cost and predicting dire harm to a coastal culture dependent on fishing, shrimping and oyster dredging. ...
Trump convinced Republicans to overlook his misconduct. But can he do the same for his nominees?
WASHINGTON (AP) — In the two weeks since Donald Trump won the presidency, he's tried to demonstrate his dominance by naming loyalists for top administration positions, even though many lack expertise and some face sexual misconduct accusations. It often seems like he's daring Congress to oppose...
Penn State wins trademark case over retailer's use of vintage logos, images
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Penn State has won a closely watched trademark fight over an online retailer's use of its vintage sports logos and images. A Pennsylvania jury awarded Penn State $28,000 in damages on Wednesday over products made and sold by Vintage Brand and Sportswear Inc.,...
Canada's Irving Tissue plans a $600 million factory expansion in Georgia, hiring 100 more workers
MACON, Ga. (AP) — A Canadian company announced Thursday that it will spend $600 million to expand its tissue paper mill in Georgia, hiring 100 more workers. Irving Tissue said it needs to expand in Macon because the mill is currently selling all the bath tissue and paper towels it...
The dizzying array of legal threats to Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro
SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro has been a target for investigations since his early days in office, and the swarm of cases since his failed reelection bid in 2022 has left him in ever-deeper legal jeopardy. In the latest indictment Thursday, he was...
India's Modi seeks energy security from Guyana and its vast oil deposits
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday during a visit to Guyana that his government views the South American country as key to its energy security. Modi spoke a day after his foreign minister said India is interested in buying up to two million...
Top war-crimes court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and others in Israel-Hamas fighting
THE HAGUE (AP) — The world’s top war-crimes court issued arrest warrants Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas’ military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the 13-month war in Gaza. The...