Associated Press stories, Page 330
Democrat elected speaker of tied Pennsylvania House after GOP candidate bows out
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania lawmakers on Tuesday returned Democratic Speaker Joanna McClinton to lead the chamber for the new session after the Republican floor leader bowed out to resolve a deadlock. Democrats won 102 seats in November, a single-vote majority, but one of their members was absent from swearing-in day after...
Smart bird feeders gain popularity and spark interest in bird-watching
CONCORD, N.H. — Marin Plank truly had no interest in birds when she gave her husband a camera-equipped bird feeder for his birthday. But by Christmas, she had become so obsessed with birds that most of the gifts she received this year — books, stickers, notecards — were related. “This...
Dangerously strong wind forces Biden to cancel event announcing new national monuments
LOS ANGELES — Dangerously strong wind forced President Joe Biden to cancel a trip Tuesday to the Eastern Coachella Valley, where he was to announce the creation of two new national monuments in California that will honor Native American tribes. Winds began gaining strength across Southern California as forecasters warned...
How to talk to your family about inheritance
Beyond the general discomfort of talking about death, the topic of inheritance brings in a whole other set of sticky issues. Research finds that parents’ and children’s expectations for bequests are rarely aligned, even among those who have a good relationship, which is why it’s so important to get on...
LGBTQ+ rights group reports progress at U.S. companies despite conservative backlash
NEW YORK — A national rights group said Tuesday that more U.S. companies are providing strong benefits and protections to LGBTQ+ employees despite an ongoing effort by conservative activists to get high-profile brands to stop participating in the organization’s annual workplace report card. The education arm of the Human Rights...
Judge temporarily blocks release of special counsel report on Trump cases amid simmering court fight
WASHINGTON — A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the public release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on investigations into Donald Trump as an appeals court weighs a challenge to the disclosure of a much-anticipated document just days before the president-elect reclaims office. The ruling from U.S. District Judge...
NFL playoffs feature veteran running backs producing successful second acts with new teams
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Those veteran running backs who changed addresses in the offseason have given themselves a chance to showcase the difference they can make in the postseason. Plenty of contenders capitalized on a crowded market by adding proven ball carriers. The moves paid major dividends. Now players such...
New labels will help people pick devices less at risk of hacking
WASHINGTON — The federal government is rolling out a consumer labeling system designed to help Americans pick smart devices that are less vulnerable to hacking. Under the voluntary program, called the U.S. Cyber Trust Mark Initiative, manufacturers can affix the label on their products if they meet federal cybersecurity standards....
Biden administration set to announce ‘substantial’ final weapons package for Ukraine
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is set to announce a massive, final weapons aid package for Ukraine as part of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s visit to Germany on Thursday to meet with representatives of about 50 partner nations who have come to Ukraine’s defense since Russia invaded nearly three years...
U.S. opens another Tesla probe, latest focused on tech that remotely returns car to driver
NEW YORK — U.S. regulators have opened an investigation into 2.6 million Tesla after reports of crashes involving the use of company technology that allows drivers to remotely command their vehicle to return to them, or move to another location, using a phone app. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration...
Titans fire GM Ran Carthon after 2 seasons despite big spending spree
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — General manager Ran Carthon paid the price for the Tennessee Titans going 9-25 in his two seasons. The Titans introduced Carthon as the franchise’s first Black general manager in January 2023, and he helped the franchise hire a new coach in Brian Callahan a year later. A...
Peter Yarrow of folk-music trio Peter, Paul and Mary dies at 86
LOS ANGELES — Peter Yarrow, the singer-songwriter best known as one-third of Peter, Paul and Mary, the folk-music trio whose impassioned harmonies transfixed millions as they lifted their voices in favor of civil rights and against war, has died. He was 86. Yarrow, who also co-wrote the group’s most enduring...
Trump won’t rule out use of military force to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal
PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he declared U.S. control of both to be vital to American national security. Speaking to reporters less than two weeks...
U.S. says Sudanese rebel force has committed genocide, and it imposes sanctions on the group’s leaders
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration said Tuesday it has determined that Sudan’s paramilitary group and its proxies are committing genocide in the country’s civil war and that it has imposed sanctions on the group’s leader and affiliated companies. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that the conflict,...
Jimmy Carter is back in Washington, where he remained an outsiderVideo
WASHINGTON — Nearly 44 years after Jimmy Carter left the nation’s capital in humbling defeat, the 39th president returned to Washington for three days of state funeral rites starting Tuesday. Carter’s remains, which had been lying in repose at the Carter Presidential Center since Saturday, left the Atlanta campus Tuesday...
Suspect in NYC subway burning told police ‘that’s me’ when shown video, transcript says
NEW YORK — The man accused of setting a woman on fire inside a New York City subway told detectives, “Oh, damn, that’s me,” when he saw video of the attack but said he couldn’t remember anything, according to a transcript released Tuesday. The interview was made public shortly after...
Many structures already destroyed in Pacific Palisades wildfire, California governor saysVideo
LOS ANGELES — Firefighters scrambled to corral a fast-moving wildfire in the Los Angeles hillsides dotted with celebrity homes as a fierce windstorm hit Southern California on Tuesday, fanning the blaze seen for miles as scores of residents abandoned their cars and fled on foot to safety with roads blocked....
Houseplants that don’t require soil and can be displayed any which way? Look to air plants
If you’re looking for a houseplant that’s as unique as it is low-maintenance, let me introduce you to air plants, members of the Tillandsia genus in the Bromeliad family. I first became acquainted with Tillandsia circa 2007, when I was invited to tour the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival at...
Oprah Winfrey opens 2025 with an encore — ‘A New Earth’ is her book club pick for 2nd time
NEW YORK — Oprah Winfrey is beginning 2025 with an old favorite. She has selected Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life Purpose” for her book club, marking the first time she has chosen a publication twice. Winfrey, who launched her club in 1996, also picked “A New...
UN says over 5,600 people were killed in Haiti last year as gangs rampage
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — More than 5,600 people were reported killed in Haiti last year as a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenya struggles to contain rampant gang violence, officials said Tuesday. The number of killings increased by more than 20% compared with all of 2023, according to the U.N. Human Rights...
U.S. job openings rise unexpectedly to 8.1 million in November, a sign the labor market is resilient
WASHINGTON — U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in November, showing companies are still looking for workers even as the labor market has cooled overall. Openings rose to 8.1 million in November from 7.8 million in October, the Labor Department reported Tuesday. They were down from 8.9 million a year earlier...
Week 18 settles playoff field and draft order but also served as the last chance to reach bonuses
DENVER — It’s not about the money until it is. The final weekend of the NFL regular season brought the usual intrigue over which teams would clinch the final playoff spots — the Buccaneers and Broncos — and who would get the No. 1 overall draft pick — the Titans...
NFL coaching searches have complicated rules about timing and interviews
The overlap of the NFL playoffs and coaching search season will have many of the league’s top assistants pulling double duty this month. While 14 teams are deep into playoff preparations with hopes of winning a Super Bowl, there are five teams that had disappointing campaigns that have led to...
Australian Open 2025: How to watch on TV, betting odds and more to know
MELBOURNE, Australia — Get ready for the Australian Open before play begins with a guide that tells you everything you need to know about how to watch the year’s first Grand Slam tennis tournament, what the betting odds are, what the schedule is, who the defending champions are and more:...
U.S. rejection of Nippon Steel’s bid for U.S. Steel rankles Washington’s key ally in Asia
BANGKOK — U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to reject a bid by Nippon Steel to acquire U.S. Steel on national security grounds isn’t the first time friction over trade and investment has irked Washington’s closest ally in Asia. There have been plenty of scraps over trade in the past few...
