Top General News

UnitedHealthcare CEO is killed in a 'targeted shooting' outside a New York hotel, officials say

Dec. 04, 2024 13:18 PM EST

NEW YORK (AP) — UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot and killed Wednesday morning in what police said was a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding an investor conference. The 50-year-old executive was shot around 6:45...

United Healthcare CEO kept a low public profile. Then he was shot to death in New York

Dec. 04, 2024 13:26 PM EST

NEW YORK (AP) — Even though Brian Thompson led one of the biggest health insurers in the U.S., he was largely unknown to the millions of people affected by his decision-making. Wednesday's fatal shooting of the United Healthcare CEO on a midtown Manhattan sidewalk — which police...

Trump considers DeSantis for the Pentagon with Hegseth under pressure over allegations: AP sources

Dec. 04, 2024 13:41 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump's Pentagon pick, was fighting to hold on to his Cabinet nomination amid growing questions Wednesday about his personal conduct as the president-elect's team considers alternatives, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. “We're not going anywhere,”...

Majority of Supreme Court seems reluctant to block state bans on medical treatments for minors

Dec. 04, 2024 12:32 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hearing a high-profile culture-war clash, a majority of the Supreme Court seemed reluctant Wednesday to block Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming care for minors. The justices’ decision, not expected for several months, could affect similar laws enacted by...

South Korean President Yoon's martial law declaration raises questions over his political future

Dec. 04, 2024 13:41 PM EST

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning martial law declaration lasted just hours, but experts say it raised serious questions about his ability to govern for the remaining 2 1/2 years of his term and whether he will abide by democratic principles. The...

South Korea’s opposition parties move to impeach president over sudden declaration of martial law

Dec. 04, 2024 11:15 AM EST

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s opposition parties moved Wednesday to impeach the president over the shocking and short-lived declaration of martial law that drew heavily armed troops to encircle parliament before lawmakers climbed walls to reenter the building and unanimously voted to...

Peter Navarro served prison time related to Jan. 6. Now Trump is bringing him back as an adviser

Dec. 04, 2024 13:40 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former White House adviser Peter Navarro, who served prison time related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, will return to serve in Donald Trump’s second administration, the president-elect announced Wednesday. Navarro, a trade adviser during Trump’s...

Harris found success with women who have cats, but Trump got the dog owner vote: AP VoteCast

Dec. 04, 2024 11:54 AM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The lead-up to the 2024 election was all about cat owners. But in the end, the dogs had their day. President-elect Donald Trump won slightly more than half of voters who own either cats or dogs, with a big assist from dog owners, according to AP VoteCast, a survey...

US senators grill officials from 5 airlines over fees for seats and checked bags

Dec. 04, 2024 12:02 PM EST

Members of a U.S. Senate subcommittee took aim at airline executives Wednesday for using an expanding menu of fees to charge customers for early boarding, better seats and other comforts that used to be part of the ticket price. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said he thinks the...

Raw milk recall in California expands after tests detect more bird flu virus

Dec. 04, 2024 12:03 PM EST

A California farm expanded a recall of raw milk sold in stores and halted production after state health and agriculture officials found bird flu virus in more milk samples. Raw Farm, of Fresno, voluntarily recalled all whole milk and cream products from stores late Tuesday after...

Latest General News

UK dismantles massive money laundering operations tied to Russian oligarchs and cybercriminals

Dec. 04, 2024 14:14 PM EST

LONDON (AP) — British authorities have dismantled two massive money laundering operations linked to Russia that were used by oligarchs, organized crime groups, cybercriminals and drug dealers, the National Crime Agency said Wednesday. The international sting, known as Operation...

LPGA and USGA to require players to be assigned female at birth or transition before male puberty

Dec. 04, 2024 14:04 PM EST

Players must be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female before going through male puberty to compete in LPGA tournaments or the eight USGA championships for females under new gender policies published Wednesday. The policies, which begin in 2025, follow more than a...

Middle East latest: An Israeli strike on a Gaza tent camp kills at least 21 people

Dec. 04, 2024 14:03 PM EST

An Israeli strike on a tent camp housing displaced people in southern Gaza killed at least 21 people and wounded 28 on Wednesday, said the director of Nasser Hospital, Atif al-Hout, in the nearby city of Khan Younis. The Israeli military said its aircraft struck senior Hamas militants “involved...

District of Columbia says Amazon secretly stopped fast deliveries to 2 predominantly Black zip codes

Dec. 04, 2024 14:03 PM EST

The District of Columbia sued Amazon on Wednesday, alleging the company secretly stopped providing its fastest delivery service to residents of two predominantly Black neighborhoods while still charging millions of dollars for a membership that promises the benefit. The complaint...

A court in Kenya finds a housemate guilty in the killing of an LGBTQ activist

Dec. 04, 2024 14:02 PM EST

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — A court in Kenya has found the housemate of an LBGTQ activist guilty of murder in the killing of the activist, whose body was discovered stashed in a metal box two years ago. A High Court judge in the western city of Eldoret said Wednesday that the prosecution...

Grid operator says Texas is better prepared for extreme cold this winter

Dec. 04, 2024 14:02 PM EST

Texas’ grid operator warned that the state should prepare for extreme cold this winter but said the state’s main power grid is better equipped than in previous years to withstand a powerful winter storm. At a board meeting on Tuesday, officials from the Electric Reliability...

A sinkhole may have swallowed a Pennsylvania woman. What are sinkholes and how do they form?

Dec. 04, 2024 14:00 PM EST

Authorities fear a woman in western Pennsylvania who disappeared while looking for her cat may have been swallowed by a sinkhole — a phenomenon likely caused by mine subsidence. Search and rescue crews have not seen or heard anything from 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard since she...

Legislators propose 15% to 25% tax rate for new states adopting internet gambling

Dec. 04, 2024 13:59 PM EST

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Lawmakers from states where gambling is legal are proposing standards for additional states that are considering allowing internet gambling, including a tax rate of 15% to 25%, and a ban on credit card deposits. The National Council of Legislators from...

Stock market today: Tech stocks and AI pull Wall Street toward more records

Dec. 04, 2024 13:53 PM EST

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are rising toward more records Wednesday after tech companies talked up how much artificial intelligence is boosting their results. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% in afternoon trading to add to what looks to be one of its best years of the millennium....

Trump selects a former soldier and Iraq War veteran to serve as Army secretary

Dec. 04, 2024 13:51 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Wednesday that he has selected a former soldier and Iraq War veteran to serve as secretary of the Army. Trump said Daniel P. Driscoll had completed Army Ranger school and deployed with the 10th Mountain Division to Iraq....