By Jen Christensen, CNN (CNN) — Towana Looney is the only person in the world living with a functional pig kidney. But her doctor predicts that in less than a decade, pig-to-human organ transplants like hers could become routine. Looney, 53, is from Alabama and had the transplant at NYU Langone Transplant Institute in New
Continue ReadingAP Business Writers WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumers stepped up their spending at retail stores last month, providing a boost to the economy in the early phases of the winter holiday shopping season. The Commerce Department said Tuesday that retail sales rose 0.7% in November. That’s a solid increase and higher than October’s 0.5% gain. The
Continue ReadingBy Brian Stelter, Katelyn Polantz, Hadas Gold and Paula Reid, CNN New York (CNN) — President-elect Donald Trump is escalating his legal campaign against media outlets by suing renowned pollster J. Ann Selzer, her polling firm, The Des Moines Register newspaper and its parent company Gannett. Unlike many of Trump’s legal actions against the press,
Continue ReadingMILAN (AP) — Rescue officials say the operation to transport an injured spelunker out of a cave in northern Italy has cleared a difficult passage Tuesday. The officials say they have left the uncharted part of the Bueno Fonteno cave and entered the main tunnel. The operation is in its fourth day and is expected
Continue ReadingBy Joseph Buczek Click here for updates on this story DETROIT, Michigan (WWJ) — Three Michigan men were arrested Sunday after allegedly leading Livingston County Sheriff’s deputies on a chase in a stolen vehicle, officials said. The incident happened around 4:25 p.m. Sunday when a Livingston County deputy patrolling eastbound I-96 near Grand River Avenue
Continue ReadingAP Medical Writer NEW YORK (AP) — An Alabama woman is recovering well after a pig kidney transplant last month that freed her from eight years of dialysis, the latest effort to save human lives with animal organs. Towana Looney is the fifth American given a gene-edited pig organ — and notably, she isn’t as
Continue ReadingAssociated Press LONDON (AP) — The father and stepmother of a severely abused 10-year-old girl found dead in her home in England have been sentenced to life in prison for murder. Urfan Sharif and Beinash Batool were sentenced Tuesday after being convicted of murder in what prosecutors called a “campaign of abuse.” The girl’s uncle,
Continue ReadingAP Sports Writer Record numbers of basketball fans filled arenas to watch the rookie seasons of Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese unfold. Simone Biles captivated the world at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Coco Gauff made women’s tennis history. It was all part of a pivotal year for women in sports, both financially and culturally, and
Continue ReadingBy Matt Egan, CNN New York (CNN) — The world’s most famous market indicator just suffered its longest losing streak since Jimmy Carter was in the White House. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed lower by 267 points on Tuesday, or 0.6%, down for its ninth-straight day. The blue chips haven’t closed in the red
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) — On Christmas Eve in 1741, Moravian settlers named this Pennsylvania city after the biblical birthplace of Jesus. Nearly 300 years later, Moravians continue celebrating their Christmas season traditions in Bethlehem. They include the “putz,” a Nativity scene that tells the story of Christ’s birth with miniature wooden figurines, the
Continue ReadingBy Jordan Valinsky, CNN New York (CNN) — Taco Bell is veering away – slightly – from its Mexican-inspired cuisine, going all-American for its newest offering. Beginning Thursday, the chain is adding chicken nuggets to its menu for a limited time. However, Taco Bell is putting its own spin on the fast food staple, marinating
Continue ReadingBy Nell Lewis, CNN (CNN) — The world’s oceans are under threat from rising sea temperatures, marine pollution and overfishing. The effects are visible in shallow ecosystems suffering from coral bleaching, but less is known about the impact on deeper areas of the ocean such as the mesophotic or “twilight” zone, which lies between 30
Continue ReadingLONDON (AP) — The world’s most famous fictional Top Gun is now a decorated naval hero. Tom Cruise was awarded the U.S. Navy’s top civilian honor on Tuesday for “outstanding contributions to the Navy and the Marine Corps” with “Top Gun” and other films. Cruise, who has been working in the U.K., was given the
Continue ReadingBy Sam Joseph, CNN (CNN) — The NFL playoffs are nearly in sight and the heat is on for some teams still in the fight to make the postseason. Week 15 saw the number of teams that have qualified for the playoffs increase to seven, while two more were cut out of contention. There were
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BOSTON (AP) — Boston is planning to renovate a crumbling stadium in one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods for its new professional women’s soccer team. The nearly $200 million project is expected to start in the coming weeks and has the support of Mayor Michelle Wu. She argues the public-private partnership —
Continue ReadingAssociated Press LONDON (AP) — A lawyer accused of trying to interfere in British politics on behalf of China has lost a legal challenge against the U.K.‘s domestic intelligence agency. Britain’s MI5 security service issued an alert to all lawmakers in January 2022 warning that London-based lawyer Christine Lee was knowingly engaged in “political interference
Continue ReadingBy Matias Grez, CNN (CNN) — Austrian international soccer player Guido Burgstaller has been hospitalized with a fractured skull after being assaulted in Vienna, his club Rapid Vienna said in a statement. Rapid said Burgstaller, who has played 26 times for the Austria national team, was “attacked by an unknown assailant” in the city center
Continue ReadingSTRASBOURG, France (AP) — The European Union’s legislature has celebrated the bravery and staunch resistance of Venezuelan opposition leaders Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia while awarding them the EU’s top human rights honor. The European Parliament president said the Sakharov Prize is “in recognition of your tireless efforts to restore freedom and democracy
Continue ReadingLONDON (AP) — Anti-whaling activist Paul Watson will not be extradited to Japan after being freed from prison in Denmark, his lawyer said. Canadian-American citizen is now planning to return home to be reunited with his family during the festive season after spending five months in custody in Greenland. Japan had asked Denmark to extradite
Continue ReadingBy Irene Nasser, CNN (CNN) — Syrians are starting to uncover mass graves across the country, shedding light on the magnitude of atrocities committed during the brutal rule of ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad. Since Assad fled Syria on December 8 following the collapse of his regime, scores of Syrian families still have no answer about
Continue Reading