AP National

AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The poet, author, educator and public speaker Nikki Giovanni has died at 81. She went from borrowing money to release her first book to spending decades as a literary celebrity sharing her takes on everything from racism and love to space travel and mortality. Friend and author Renée

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seemed to favor a Utah oil railroad expansion in arguments on Tuesday, but appeared more skeptical of putting strict new limits on a key national environmental law. The justices were weighing a multibillion-dollar project that could quadruple oil production in the remote area. Backers of the project

Associated Press ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The great-granddaughter of the last Alaska Native chief of a remote island in the Bering Sea believes Japan should pay more restitution for what its soldiers did to the residents of Attu Island during World War II. Japan invaded the most westerly of Alaska’s Aleutian Islands and took 41

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The grinding war pitting Ukraine against its Russian invaders has escalated ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration. President Joe Biden is rushing out billions more in military aid before U.S. support for Kyiv’s defenses is thrown into question under the new administration. Russia, Ukraine and their global allies are scrambling to

RENO, Nev. (AP) — A probate commissioner has ruled against Rupert Murdoch’s effort to change his family’s trust to give one of his sons control of his media empire and ensure Fox News maintains its conservative editorial slant, according to a sealed document obtained by The New York Times. In a decision filed on Saturday,

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s previous defense minister was formally arrested Wednesday over his alleged collusion with President Yoon Suk Yeol and others in imposing martial law last week, as authorities investigate whether their acts amount to rebellion. Martial law, the first in more than 40 years, lasted only about six

AP Business Writer HONG KONG (AP) — China’s exports slowed in November and its imports declined, falling below forecasts and underscoring potential weakness in trade at a time when its leaders are striving to boost domestic business activity. Customs data Tuesday showed exports grew 6.7% from a year earlier, down from a 12.7% increase in

Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — About 87,000 people were being evacuated in a central Philippine region Tuesday a day after a volcano briefly erupted with a towering ash plume and superhot streams of gas and debris hurtling down its western slopes. The latest eruption of Mount Kanlaon on central Negros island did not cause

Associated Press OKAPI WILDLIFE RESERVE, Congo (AP) — For eight years, a Chinese mining company has been vastly expanding inside an endangered World Heritage Site, accused by locals and conservationists of decimating the environment. The Okapi Wildlife Reserve became a protected site in 1996, due to its unique biodiversity and large number of threatened species,

Associated Press OKAPI WILDLIFE RESERVE, Congo (AP) — Scattered along the banks of the Ituri River, buildings cram together, cranes transport dirt and debris scatters the soil. The patches of trees are a scant reminder that a forest once grew there. Nestled in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, the Chinese-run gold mine is rapidly encroaching on

SEATTLE (AP) — Boeing has laid off hundreds of additional employees in Washington state and California as part of planned cuts that will eventually reduce the company’s workforce by about 17,000. Nearly 400 Boeing employees were laid off in Washington state and more than 500 in California, news outlets reported Monday. The aerospace giant announced

Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Biden administration has given approval for the sale of oil and gas leases in Alaska, leaving the door open for drilling in a portion of the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The sale will be held next month, less than two weeks before Biden leaves office. It will

AP Baseball Writers DALLAS (AP) — Shortly after striking a record $765 million, 15-year contract for Juan Soto with the New York Mets, agent Scott Boras walked into Nick & Sam’s, a restaurant near the winter meetings hotel, with about a dozen of his staff. They were given a bottle of celebratory champagne and dined

AP College Football Writer Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Colorado’s Travis Hunter, Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty and Miami’s Cam Ward were announced as the Heisman Trophy finalists on Monday night. The Heisman has been given to the nation’s most outstanding college football player since 1935. This year’s winner will be announced Saturday in New York. The top

Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Americans are realizing that “tariffs on everything from Canada would make life a lot more expensive” and says he would retaliate if Donald Trump imposes them. Trump later responded by calling Canada a U.S. state and Trudeau the governor. Trudeau also said Monday that

Associated Press/Report for America TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The field of candidates has been set for two special elections in Florida to replace members of Congress nominated for positions in President-elect Donald Trump’s new administration. Two dozen candidates have filed to run for the seats of outgoing Republican Reps. Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz, though

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for intelligence chief, Tulsi Gabbard, faced fresh scrutiny Monday on Capitol Hill about her proximity to Russian-ally Syria amid the sudden collapse of that country’s hardline Assad rule. Gabbard ignored shouted questions about her 2017 visit to war-torn Syria as she ducked into one of several