Associated Press HOUSTON (AP) — The number of executions in the U.S. remained near historic lows in 2024 and was mostly carried out in a small group of states. But the report by the Death Penalty Information Center also highlights that the death penalty remains entrenched in a small group of states. One of these
Continue ReadingAssociated Press/Report for America UVALDE, Texas (AP) — A Texas judge on Thursday refused to throw out criminal charges accusing the former Uvalde schools police chief of putting children at risk during the slow response to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, while a lawyer for his co-defendant said they want to move the upcoming
Continue ReadingAssociated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A man in western Congo has died with hemorrhagic fever symptoms. Health authorities say that has led them to suspect that a still-unidentified virus may be involved alongside malaria in a mysterious outbreak that has killed dozens of people. Congo authorities said last week that they suspected malaria in
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A fast-moving winter storm brought snow, ice, strong winds and bitter cold to much of the upper Midwest, snarling traffic in the Twin Cities and forcing North Dakota officials to shut down an interstate highway. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for large areas of Minnesota,
Continue ReadingAssociated Press Authorities say two Union Pacific employees were killed and three people were injured when a freight train collided with a tractor-trailer and derailed in a small West Texas city. The train also damaged the local Chamber of Commerce building. Officials in Pecos said the train derailed around 5 p.m. Wednesday. Nebraska-based Union Pacific
Continue ReadingAssociated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Winston Leiva rattles off a long list of things immigrants should do to protect themselves against President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to conduct mass deportations when he returns to the White House. Make a plan for someone to care for your children if you are arrested. Don’t open the door
Continue ReadingAP Health Writer California officials have declared a state of emergency over the spread of bird flu, which is tearing through dairy cows in that state and causing sporadic illnesses in people in the U.S. That raises new questions about the outbreak of the virus, also known as Type A H5N1. It was detected for
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A day before a potential government shutdown, the House resoundingly rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s new plan to fund operations and suspend the debt ceiling, as Democrats and dozens of Republicans refused to accommodate his sudden demands. In a hastily convened Thursday evening vote punctuated by angry outbursts over the self-made
Continue ReadingAP National Writer It took more than 100 years, a few billion dollars and the cold, hard realization that you can’t fight progress forever. And now, finally, college football has what the rest of sports have — a legitimate postseason tournament. The first 12-team College Football Playoff kicks off Friday and Saturday with four first-round
Continue ReadingAP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The first time Chris and Rich Robinson were at the Grammy Awards, it was 1991. The siblings behind the band The Black Crowes had just released their debut album “Shake Your Money Maker” and were nominees for best new artist. They didn’t have high hopes. Sure enough, Mariah
Continue ReadingAssociated Press ATLANTA (AP) — A state appeals court on Thursday removed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and others, the latest legal victory for the president-elect in criminal cases that once threatened his career and freedom. The case against Trump and more than a dozen
Continue ReadingAssociated Press LONDON (AP) — An Australian computer scientist who falsely claimed to be the founder of the bitcoin cryptocurrency was found Thursday to be in contempt of an order of London’s High Court and was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years. In a judgment on Thursday, Justice James Mellor said
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes rose in November to their fastest pace since March as home shoppers were encouraged by a wider selection of properties on the market, even as mortgage rates mostly ticked higher. Existing home sales rose 4.8% last month, from October, to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of
Continue ReadingAssociated Press LONDON (AP) — It’s a photo that sent a tremor through British politics: Elon Musk flanked by British politician Nigel Farage and a wealthy backer, in front of a gilt-framed painting of a young Donald Trump. Taken this week at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, the image suggested that Musk, a key player
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. increasingly relies on Canadian crude oil to meet domestic demand and that relationship faces potential strain amid tariff threats. More than 50% of crude oil imported to the U.S. comes from Canada, up from 33% in 2013. The increase follows a jump in production from Canada’s
Continue ReadingNEW YORK (AP) — The NHL has begun production on the second season of an all-access, behind-the-scenes show with the makers of the popular “Formula 1: Drive to Survive” series. The league, in announcing the continuation of the show Thursday, said Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk is the first player confirmed to be involved in
Continue ReadingWASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan Wednesday to prevent a government shutdown, instead telling House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans to essentially renegotiate — days before a deadline when federal funding runs out. The sudden, new demands have sent Congress spiraling even as lawmakers are trying to wrap up work
Continue ReadingThe Associated Press Huge quantities of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, are being emitting by oil and gas operators in the 75,000-square-mile Permian Basin straddling Texas and New Mexico. So far, most efforts to reduce the flow of the gas have focused on so-called super emitters. But researchers say it’s also important to address smaller
Continue ReadingAssociated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Democrats in North Carolina were celebrating big wins in the swing state after the November election, including victories for governor and other top statewide offices. But the political high didn’t last long. Republican lawmakers are stripping away these newly elected officials’ powers through a series of wide-ranging changes while
Continue ReadingAssociated Press TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisian authorities recovered the bodies of 20 people who appeared to have drowned after a shipwreck off the country’s Mediterranean coastline, near a popular point of departure for migrants attempting to reach Europe by boat. The country’s National Guard said in a statement that coast guard members dispatched to
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