Associated Press stories, Page 14
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...
Channel Tunnel disruption affects Eurostar and vehicle shuttle between France and England
PARIS — Power problems and a stuck train interrupted rail services through the undersea Channel Tunnel connecting the United Kingdom and continental Europe on Tuesday, operators said, stranding passengers during the busy end-of-year holidays. At Paris’ Gare du Nord station, Jamie and Issy Gill scrambled to find a flight back...
After quiet off-year elections, Democrats renew worries about Trump interfering in the midterms
If history is a guide, Republicans stand a good chance of losing control of the House of Representatives in 2026. They have just a slim majority in the chamber, and the incumbent party usually gives up seats in midterm elections. President Donald Trump, whose loss of the House halfway through...
European and Canadian leaders discuss U.S.-led peace efforts in Russia-Ukraine war
KYIV, Ukraine — Leaders from Europe and Canada held talks Tuesday on U.S.-led peace efforts to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine, as Moscow and Kyiv sparred over Russian claims, denied by Ukraine, of a mass drone attack on a lakeside residence used by President Vladimir Putin....
More musicians cancel Kennedy Center concerts following addition of Trump’s name to building
More artists have canceled scheduled performances at the Kennedy Center following the addition of President Donald Trump’s name to the facility, with jazz supergroup The Cookers pulling out of a planned New Year’s Eve concert, and the institution’s president saying the cancellations belie the artists’ unwillingness to see their music...
Extreme Midwest cold follows storm that barreled across Great Lakes and Northeast
Now comes even more frigid weather in the U.S. Midwest. Extreme cold with near-zero degree wind chills descended upon parts of Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin, forecasters said Tuesday, even as utilities worked to restore power to thousands of customers after heavy snow and strong winds pummeled parts of the...
Father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin dies after house fire, mother critically injured
RALEIGH, N.C. — The father of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin died and his mother was critically injured after a weekend fire heavily damaged the North Carolina home where they lived, officials said Monday. Firefighters arrived Sunday night at a two-story home near Stanley that was mostly engulfed in fire, with...
Drew Brees, Larry Fitzgerald lead Pro Football Hall of Fame modern era finalists; former Steelers WR Hines Ward falls short
Quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald headlined a group of four modern era finalists in their first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tight end Jason Witten and running back Frank Gore were the two other first-year eligible players who were also announced Tuesday...
Israel says it will halt operations of several humanitarian organizations in Gaza starting in 2026
JERUSALEM — Israel on Tuesday said it will suspend over two dozen humanitarian organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, for failing to meet its new rules to vet international organizations working in Gaza. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said the organizations that will be banned on Jan. 1 did not meet...
Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missiles have entered active service, Moscow says
Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service in Belarus, Russia’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday, as the U.S. efforts to broker a deal to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine have entered a pivotal stage. The ministry released a video showing combat vehicles that are part of the...
Where are the wackiest New Year’s Eve drops in the U.S.?
Why let New York City have all the fun with its Times Square ball drop on New Year’s Eve? Dozens of places across the U.S. will ring in 2026 by dropping a quirky assortment of fruits, vegetables, sea creatures and balls of all shapes and sizes. Many have a hometown...
Rested or rusty? Top 4 playoff seeds eager to show they are ready as CFP quarterfinals arrive
No. 1 Indiana spent several December weeks reveling in the luster of the best season in school history. They sung the school’s fight song in the confetti celebration following their first Big Ten championship since 1967 and first outright title since 1945. They were featured on “60 Minutes.” They signed...
Falcons’ Bijan Robinson runs wild, sending Rams sliding into 3rd place
ATLANTA — A Los Angeles Rams team that spent most of the season competing for the best record in the NFL now is third in its division, saddled with a two-game losing streak and bound to open the playoffs on the road. “This is a humbling league, and we got...
Khaleda Zia, former Bangladeshi prime minister and archrival of Hasina, dies at 80
DHAKA, Bangladesh — Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, whose archrivalry with another former premier defined the country’s politics for a generation, has died, her Bangladesh Nationalist Party said in a statement Tuesday. She was 80. Zia was the first woman elected prime minister of Bangladesh. She had faced corruption...
Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen over shipment of weapons for separatists that arrived from UAE
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen’s port city of Mukalla on Tuesday after a weapons shipment from the United Arab Emirates arrived for separatist forces in the war-torn country, and warned that it viewed Emirati actions as “extremely dangerous.” The bombing followed tensions over the advance of...
Marcus Freeman will return to Notre Dame after having his contract restructured, school confirms
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame has restructured coach Marcus Freeman’s contract, and he will coach the Fighting Irish next season, the school confirmed Monday. SI.com first reported Freeman’s new contract and that he notified two NFL teams that had contacted him about jobs that he would stay at Notre...
Former Pirates pitcher Andrew Heaney retiring after 12 major-league seasons
Pitcher Andrew Heaney says he is retiring after 12 major-league seasons. “I am now ready to return my focus and energy to being a husband, father, family man and active member of my community,” he wrote Sunday on social media. “I’m retiring from baseball, but I hope to give back...
