Trump's picks for key positions in his second administration

President-elect Donald Trump has filled the key posts for his second term in office, prioritizing loyalty after feeling bruised and hampered by internal squabbling during his first term. His first pick happened during the campaign: JD Vance as his vice presidential running mate,...

Mystery drone sightings continue in New Jersey and across the US. Here's what we know

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey and across the eastern U.S., sparking speculation and concern over where they came from and why. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and U.S. Sen. Andy Kim have both gone out on drone hunts,...

Knife-wielding suspect shot at federal courthouse in Pennsylvania, authorities say

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Security guards at the federal courthouse in Harrisburg shot and wounded a knife-wielding man who attempted to attack one of them on Monday, authorities said. Few details of Monday's shooting were immediately available, and authorities said the FBI was...

Former FBI informant pleads guilty to lying about phony bribery scheme involving the Bidens

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A former FBI informant pleaded guilty on Monday to lying about a phony bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden and his son Hunter that became central to the Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress. Alexander Smirnov entered his plea to a felony charge in...

Former FBI informant pleads guilty to fabricating claim that President Joe Biden and his son Hunter accepted bribes

Virginia man convicted of funneling money to Islamic State group

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A northern Virginia man targeted by an FBI sting operation has been convicted on terrorism charges for collecting funds on behalf of the Islamic State group. Mohammed Chhipa, 35, of Springfield, was convicted late Friday afternoon on all five counts against...

Survivors seek a reckoning as FBI investigates child sex abuse in little-known Christian sect

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Nearly every detail about the religious group Lisa Webb’s family belonged to was hidden from the outside world. Its followers met in homes rather than churches. Its leadership structure was hard to discern, its finances opaque. It didn’t even have an official name. ...

Takeaways from AP's reporting on a child sex abuse crisis inside a secretive Christian sect

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — For decades, a little-known Christian sect has dealt with its abusive ministers and spiritual elders mostly in secret, shunning legal action in favor of urging victims to forgive the predators in their midst. Forgiveness, however, was far from a cure: The...

After UnitedHealthcare CEO's killing, San Francisco police gave FBI tip about suspect's identity

NEW YORK (AP) — The day after a masked gunman killed the CEO of UnitedHealthcare in New York City, police in San Francisco gave the FBI a potentially valuable tip about the identity of the suspect: He looked like a man who had been reported missing to them the previous month, Luigi Mangione. ...

Capitol rioter who tried to join Russian army is sentenced to prison for probation violation

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Dallas man who tried to fly overseas to join the Russian military and fight against Ukraine was sentenced on Friday to six months in prison for violating the terms of his probation for storming the U.S. Capitol four years ago. Kevin Loftus, a 56-year-old...