Associated Press stories, Page 13
Ken Seals, Jeremy Payne rally TCU past No. 16 USC for overtime victory in Alamo Bowl
SAN ANTONIO — Ken Seals had to bide time on the bench until his final college game to make his first start for his beloved TCU Horned Frogs, but it was truly worth the wait. Seals directed two scoring drives in the final five minutes of regulation and threw the...
U.S. applications for jobless benefits fell below 200,000 last week with layoffs historically low
WASHINGTON — Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week with layoffs remaining low despite a weakening labor market. U.S. applications for jobless claims for the week ending Dec. 27 fell by 16,000 to 199,000 from the previous week’s 215,000, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. Analysts surveyed by the data...
A rough year for journalists in 2025, with a little hope for things to turn around
NEW YORK — By nearly any measure, 2025 has been a rough year for anyone concerned about freedom of the press. It’s likely to be the deadliest year on record for journalists and media workers. The number of assaults on reporters in the U.S. nearly equals the last three years...
Isiah Whitlock Jr., actor from ‘The Wire,’ ‘Veep’ and Spike Lee films, dies at 71
Isiah Whitlock Jr., an actor who made frequent memorable appearances on the HBO series “The Wire” and “Veep” and in five films with director Spike Lee, died Tuesday. He was 71. Whitlock’s manager Brian Liebman told The Associated Press in an email that the actor died in New York after...
Zohran Mamdani is set to be sworn in as mayor as NYC rings in the New Year
Zohran Mamdani will become mayor of New York City as the clock ticks over into 2026 — but the celebrations are set to last through New Year’s Day. The Democrat’s team is planning two separate swearing-in ceremonies Thursday — a small, private one with his family in an old subway...
National Guard arrives in New Orleans for 1st New Year’s since Bourbon Street attack
NEW ORLEANS — National Guard members arrived in New Orleans Tuesday to help with safety measures ahead of New Year’s celebrations as city officials are still seeking permanent security solutions nearly a year after a truck attack on Bourbon Street left 14 dead. The rampage, in which a man drove...
Pacifist Japan has slowly transformed from exclusively self-defense to a military buildup
TOKYO — Japan is barreling forward with efforts to significantly boost its military capabilities to stand up to China’s growing threats by doubling annual arms spending. The goal comes as Tokyo’s main ally, the United States, pushes for more military assistance in Asia and a military hawk and ultra-conservative takes...
Russian drones blast Ukraine’s Odesa and injure 6, including children
KYIV, Ukraine — Russian drones blasted apartment buildings and the power grid in the southern Ukraine city of Odesa in an overnight attack that injured six people, including a toddler and two other children, officials said Wednesday. Four apartment buildings were damaged in the bombardment, according to regional military administration...
Idaho company recalls nearly 3,000 pounds of ground beef for E. coli risk
An Idaho-based company is recalling nearly 3,000 pounds of raw ground beef that may have been contaminated with E. coli bacteria. The recall involves 16-ounce vacuum-sealed packages labeled “Forward Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef.” Affected packages were produced Dec. 16 and have a label telling customers to use or freeze the...
Illinois beats Tennessee in the Music City Bowl to keep Big Ten undefeated this bowl season
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — David Olano kicked a 29-yard field goal as time expired, and Illinois beat Tennessee, 30-28, on Tuesday night in the Music City Bowl. Illinois (9-4) posted the first back-to-back nine-win seasons in program history along with winning the first game between these programs. Olano’s winning kick was...
Nuggets star Nikola Jokic hyperextends left knee, will be evaluated in 4 weeks
MIAMI — Nikola Jokic is only going to miss a few weeks, which is surely cause for the Denver Nuggets to take a giant sigh of relief. The Nuggets’ superstar center has been diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee, the team said Tuesday, adding that the three-time MVP will be...
No. 3 Georgia eager to make better Sugar Bowl memories; No. 6 Ole Miss eyes payback
NEW ORLEANS — For the Georgia Bulldogs and coach Kirby Smart, last year’s Sugar Bowl brought a heavy dose of sadness that had more to do with life — and the loss of it — than football. As fate would have it, the third-ranked Bulldogs (12-1, No. 3 seed CFP)...
Lee Enterprises stabilizes finances with $50M investment led by billionaire David Hoffmann
Lee Enterprises announced a compromise Tuesday with billionaire investor David Hoffmann, who offered to take over the nation’s third-largest newspaper chain this year, to help stabilize the company’s finances with a $50 million investment and set Lee up for the future. Hoffmann, whose family investment firm already owns more than...
Role reversals: Alabama returns to the Rose Bowl as a CFP underdog to face powerhouse Indiana
LOS ANGELES — Nick Saban coached his final game for Alabama just two years ago in the Rose Bowl. Although the sport didn’t know it at the time, an era ended for the 21st century’s most dominant program to date when Jalen Milroe got stopped on fourth down in overtime...
Trump administration says it’s freezing child care funds to Minnesota after series of fraud schemes
President Donald Trump’s administration announced on Tuesday that it is freezing child care funds to Minnesota and demanding an audit of fraud schemes involving government programs. Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services Jim O’Neill said on the social platform X that the move is in response to “blatant fraud...
Louisiana Tech rallies to beat Coastal Carolina 23-14 in Independence Bowl
SHREVEPORT, La. — Trey Kukuk followed his fourth-quarter touchdown pass with a big run to set up Andrew Burnette’s go-ahead plunge in a 17-point fourth quarter, and Louisiana Tech rallied to beat Coastal Carolina, 23-14, on Tuesday to win the Independence Bowl. Louisiana Tech (8-5) trailed 14-6 heading to the...
Mirror images Texas Tech, Oregon set to face off in Orange Bowl in CFP quarterfinals
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — The formula for getting to this season’s Orange Bowl apparently went like this: Score a ton of points, allow very few points, have a big play on basically every possession, excel on third downs offensively, be stingy on third downs defensively. That was Texas Tech’s path....
Roses in the rain? New Year’s Day parade in Pasadena gets wet forecast. Bundle up for NYC ball drop
For the first time in 20 years, rain is expected to intrude on the Rose Parade in Southern California, a venerable New Year’s Day event that attracts thousands of spectators and is watched by millions more on TV. Storms caused Christmas week flooding, mudslides and other miseries across the region....
Cowboys waive cornerback Trevon Diggs to end tumultuous finish to his Dallas career
FRISCO, Texas — The Cowboys waived cornerback Trevon Diggs on Tuesday, ending a tumultuous final season a game early in a Dallas career that never lived up to the promise of a 2021 All-Pro performance that included 11 interceptions. The move came five days before Dallas’ season finale Sunday at...
Tatiana Schlossberg, a granddaughter of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died at 35
Environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, one of three grandchildren of the late President John F. Kennedy, has died. She was 35. Schlossberg, daughter of Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, and Edwin Schlossberg, revealed she had terminal cancer in a November 2025 essay in The New Yorker. A family statement disclosing her death...
Patriots star receiver Stefon Diggs faces strangulation charges, denies allegations
BOSTON — New England Patriots star wide receiver Stefon Diggs is facing strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with an incident that happened earlier this month, police said. News of the charges emerged after a court hearing Tuesday in Dedham, Massachusetts. It is unclear what led to the charges,...
Judge blocks White House’s attempt to defund the CFPB, ensuring employees get paid
NEW YORK — The White House cannot lapse in its funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a federal district court judge ruled on Tuesday, only days before funds at the bureau would have likely run out and the consumer finance agency would have no money to pay its employees....
The year’s 1st meteor shower and supermoon clash in January skies
NEW YORK — The year’s first supermoon and meteor shower will sync up in January skies, but the light from one may dim the other. The Quadrantid meteor shower peaks Friday night into Saturday morning, according to the American Meteor Society. In dark skies during the peak, skygazers typically see...
Unleash the hounds! And terriers and lapdogs. The American Kennel Club adds 3 breeds
NEW YORK — They’re ready to embark on 2026. Three more dog breeds joined the American Kennel Club’s roster of recognized breeds on Tuesday, making them eligible for many U.S. dog shows and likely increasing their visibility to the pet-loving public. One of the newcomers is a terrier named for...
SNAP bans on soda, candy and other foods take effect in 5 states Jan. 1
Starting Thursday, Americans in five states who get government help paying for groceries will see new restrictions on soda, candy and other foods they can buy with those benefits. Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Utah and West Virginia are the first of at least 18 states to enact waivers prohibiting the purchase...
