Associated Press CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Two New Hampshire fathers who were punished for wearing pink wristbands marked “XX” to represent female chromosomes at a high school soccer game say they didn’t set out to harass or otherwise target a transgender athlete. But a judge hearing their case in federal court Thursday says the message
Continue Reading AP Business Writer The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. edged closer to 7% this week, climbing to its highest level since July. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the rate rose to 6.84% from 6.78% last week. That’s still down from a year ago, when the rate averaged 7.29%. When
Continue Reading AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Snoop Dogg and Simone Biles turned their Olympic bond from this summer’s Paris Games into a new challenge: The superstar tandem will team up on NBC’s “The Voice.” Biles will join Snoop on the reality competition television series during a new episode, airing Monday. As a show coach,
Continue Reading Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr says he’s running for governor in 2026. The Republican’s announcement Thursday makes him the first major candidate from either party in the race. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp is limited to two terms. It’s early to announce a 2026 candidacy, but Carr started lining up donors
Continue Reading AP Film Writer NEW YORK (AP) — When the photographer Ernest Cole died in 1990 at the age of 49 from pancreatic cancer at a Manhattan hospital, his death was little noted. Cole, one of the most important chroniclers of apartheid-era South Africa, was by then mostly forgotten and penniless. Banned by his native country
Continue Reading Associated Press/Report for America ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has been elected to lead the Republican Governors Association, a one-year position. The organization works to elect Republicans nationwide and Kemp is expected to use the post to spread his traditional brand of conservatism. He will likely make stops across the states as Republicans
Continue Reading Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he will nominate former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to lead the Justice Department, turning to a longtime ally after his first choice, Matt Gaetz, withdrew his name from consideration amid scrutiny over sex trafficking allegations. Bondi has been an outspoken defender of Trump. She
Continue Reading U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled Google maintained an illegal monopoly for the last decade. The sweeping set of recommendations filed late Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice could radically alter Google’s business, including possibly spinning off the Chrome web browser
Continue Reading Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police are searching for a man accused of stealing a gold-plated rose from a Manhattan church memorial honoring the victims of 9/11. The metal flower had served as the centerpiece of a memorial at the Church of St. Francis of Assisi, whose long-time pastor was killed
Continue Reading Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House passed legislation that would give the Treasury Department unilateral authority to strip the tax-exempt status of nonprofits it claims support terrorism. It is a proposal that has alarmed civil liberties groups about how a second Trump presidency could use it to punish political opponents. The bill passed
Continue Reading AP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lil Wayne, GloRilla and Camila Cabello are gearing up to make their presence felt in a festive concert series leading up to college football’s national championship game. The College Football Playoff announced Thursday that the hitmakers will headline the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! starting Jan. 18 at the
Continue Reading Associated Press Did stand-up comedians help reelect Donald Trump? Not a joke, as outgoing President Joe Biden might say. Trump has been the butt of countless late-night monologues and “Saturday Night Live” sketches for the better part of a decade, as much of Hollywood tracked the highs and lows of his political career with revulsion
Continue Reading AP Airlines Writer The Biden administration is on its way out of power, but that’s not ending the arguments between the administration and airlines that think they are being over-regulated. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg snapped back on Thursday at criticism from airline CEOs. Buttigieg says the regulations his department has imposed, like automatic cash refunds
Continue Reading AP Education Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal FAFSA form used to apply for college financial aid opened to high school seniors across the nation on Thursday, a year after a disastrous rollout by the Biden administration delayed the application for months. After weeks of testing, the Education Department says there have been no major
Continue Reading WINDER, Ga. (AP) — The father of a 14-year-old boy accused of carrying out a deadly mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Colin Gray was not in court during the Thursday hearing, but his lawyers told the judge during a brief hearing that their
Continue Reading Associated Press TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Police in New Jersey’s capital have shown a pattern of misconduct, including excessive force and unlawful stops. A Justice Department report released Thursday documents arrests without legal basis, officers escalating situations with aggressive tactics and unnecessary use of pepper spray. The 45-page report comes after a roughly yearlong investigation
Continue Reading Associated Press 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 prosecutors. The ruling, which did
Continue Reading Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia’s third largest bank, Gazprombank and its six foreign subsidiaries were hit with U.S. sanctions on Thursday. The action is intended to curtail Russia’s ability to evade the thousands of sanctions imposed on the nation since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen
Continue Reading Associated Press Former Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell has died at age 78. Rell’s family say she died Wednesday at a Florida hospital following a brief illness. The Republican was lieutenant governor in 2004 when Gov. John G. Rowland resigned amid a corruption investigation. She took over the office and then won election in 2006.
Continue Reading NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Thousands from across the junta-led countries in Africa’s Sahel region were gathering this week in the Nigerien capital of Niamey to condemn what they call the West’s imperialist agenda and to drive support for their military regimes. The three-day anti-imperialism conference featured music and cultural displays. Delegates from Niger, Burkina Faso
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