Associated Press stories, Page 17
Winter storm snarls U.S. holiday travel across Northeast, Great Lakes
BOSTON — More than a thousand flights were canceled or delayed across the Northeast and Great Lakes regions due to snow as thousands took to U.S. roads and airports during the busy travel period between Christmas and New Year’s. New York City received around four inches of snow Friday night...
Russia strikes Ukraine’s capital and kills at least 1 person a day before Zelenskyy-Trump meeting
KYIV, Ukraine — Russia attacked Ukraine’s capital with ballistic missiles and drones on Saturday, killing at least one person and wounding 27, a day before talks between the leaders of Ukraine and the United States, authorities said. Explosions boomed across Kyiv as the attack began in early morning and continued...
UTSA races past Florida International in First Responder Bowl
DALLAS — Owen McCown threw three touchdown passes, Will Henderson III scored three times, and UTSA defeated Florida International, 57-20, on Friday night at the First Responder Bowl. UTSA (7-6) was making its seventh consecutive bowl appearance — eighth overall — and has won three in a row. FIU (7-6)...
Smith’s diving TD catch in overtime sends Minnesota to 20-17 win over New Mexico in Rate Bowl
PHOENIX — Jalen Smith scored his second touchdown on a diving 12-yard catch in the first overtime, and Minnesota extended its postseason winning streak to nine games with a 20-17 win over New Mexico in the Rate Bowl on Friday. A year after Kansas State beat Rutgers, 44-41, in the...
At least 15 injured in a knife and chemical attack at a factory in Japan
TOKYO — A man was arrested after stabbing eight people and injuring seven others with what was believed to be bleach at a tire factory in central Japan on Friday, officials said. There was no immediate explanation of his motive. Eight people were taken to hospitals after being stabbed by...
Massive crash on a highway in Japan kills 1 and injures 26 as the holiday season starts
TOKYO — A massive crash in snowy weather killed one person and injured 26 on an expressway in Japan late on Friday as the country kicked off its end-of-the-year holiday season. The Gunma prefectural highway police said Saturday that the pileup on the Kan-etsu Expressway started with a collision between...
Kennedy Center criticizes musician who canceled performance after Trump name added to building
WASHINGTON — The president of the Kennedy Center on Friday fiercely criticized a musician’s sudden decision to cancel a Christmas Eve performance at the venue after the White House announced that President Donald Trump’s name would be added to the facility. “Your decision to withdraw at the last moment —...
Tyler Perry sued for sexual assault by ‘Boo! A Madea Halloween’ actor seeking $77 million
LOS ANGELES — Tyler Perry was sued for sexual assault by an actor who appeared in “Boo! A Madea Halloween,” marking the second lawsuit in recent months accusing the filmmaker and studio mogul of leveraging his power in Hollywood to make sexual advances. Mario Rodriguez filed the lawsuit Thursday in...
Nigerian villagers are rattled by U.S. airstrikes that made their homes shake and the sky glow red
JABO, Nigeria — Sanusi Madabo, a 40-year-old farmer in the Nigerian village of Jabo, was preparing for bed on Thursday night when he heard a loud noise that sounded like a plane crashing. He rushed outside his mud house with his wife to see the sky glowing a bright red....
Federal judge to hold hearing on whether Kilmar Abrego Garcia is being vindictively prosecuted
A federal judge this week canceled the trial of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Salvadoran man who was mistakenly deported, and scheduled a hearing on whether the prosecution is being vindictive in pursuing a human smuggling case against him. Abrego Garcia has become a centerpiece of the debate over immigration after...
Ravens facing must-win situation and probably missing Jackson as they visit playoff-bound Packers
GREEN BAY, Wis. — This is what it has come down to for the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore will miss the playoffs for just the second time in the last eight years unless it wins its final two games on the road and the Pittsburgh Steelers lose Sunday at Cleveland. The...
Preston Stone throws 3 TDs, Northwestern has 4 takeaways in 34-7 victory over Central Michigan
DETROIT — Preston Stone threw three touchdown passes, and Northwestern turned four turnovers into touchdowns and beat Central Michigan, 34-7, in the GameAbove Sports Bowl on Friday at Ford Field. The Wildcats (7-6) extended their bowl game winning streak to six. They haven’t lost in the postseason since a 45-6...
Venezuelan migrants sent to El Salvador demand justice after U.S. judge ruling
CARACAS, Venezuela — Men who were part of the group of Venezuelan migrants that the United States government transferred earlier this year to a prison in El Salvador demanded justice on Friday, days after a federal judge in Washington ruled that the Trump administration must give them legal due process....
Palestinian man kills 2 in car-ramming and stabbing attack in northern Israel; 2 others injured
JERUSALEM — A Palestinian attacker rammed his car into a man and then stabbed a young woman in northern Israel on Friday afternoon, killing both, police said. The Israeli military swiftly launched an operation in the assailant’s hometown in the occupied West Bank. The attack started in the northern city...
Penn State and Clemson meet in the Pinstripe Bowl after disappointing regular seasons
NEW YORK — Clemson and Penn State were projected in the preseason to be among the top four seeds in the 12-team College Football Playoff and in favorable position for a national championship. Very little went as expected, and instead of a prominent playoff matchup, Clemson and Penn State end...
Delaware State Police say DMV gunman let customers leave, fired at approaching officers
A man accused of fatally shooting a Delaware State Police trooper at a DMV office allowed customers to leave and then fired at approaching officers before being killed, investigators said Friday. State Police Cpl. Matthew Snook was working an overtime assignment at the New Castle DMV reception desk on Tuesday...
A beginner’s guide to Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa has become a nationally recognized celebration of African culture and community in the United States since its founding in 1966 and also is celebrated in countries with large African descendant populations. The holiday, which serves as a nationwide communal event reinforcing self-determination and unity in the face of oppression,...
Mosque bombing in Syria leaves 8 dead and 18 wounded
IDLIB, Syria — A bombing at a mosque in the Syrian city of Homs during Friday prayers killed at least eight people and wounded 18 others, authorities said, as long-standing sectarian, ethnic and political fault lines continue to destabilize the country, even as large-scale fighting has subsided. Images released by...
Volunteering with children can build character and create lasting family memories
NEW YORK — When Cami Teacoach’s son turned three she set out to find volunteer opportunities they could do together. He made Valentine cards for senior citizens. They hiked and picked up trash. He helped harvest produce at community gardens and made seed balls out of mud, throwing them into...
Why your holiday gift returns might go to a landfill and what you can do about it
The holiday season will soon come to a close, but the busiest time of the year for product returns is just beginning. The National Retail Federation estimates 17% of holiday purchases will be sent back this year. More retailers are reporting extended return windows and increased holiday staff to handle...
Scrapyard worker injured in UPS plane crash dies on Christmas, raising deaths to 15
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A man injured in last month’s fiery UPS cargo plane crash in Kentucky died on Christmas Day, raising the death toll from the crash to 15, officials announced late Thursday. Alain Rodriguez Colina worked at a scrapyard that was devastated when the departing cargo plane, fully loaded...
Lions are out of the playoff race, Packers are among 11 teams in and 3 spots remain open
The Lions are staying home for the playoffs, the Packers are in the postseason and only one spot remains open in the NFC. Detroit’s dismal performance in a 23-10 loss to Minnesota on Christmas eliminated the Lions (8-8) and allowed Green Bay (9-5-1) to clinch at least a wild-card berth....
What to know about the militants targeted by U.S. airstrikes in northwest Nigeria
ABUJA, Nigeria — The United States airstrikes that targeted Islamic State militants in northwestern Nigeria on Thursday marked a major escalation in an offensive that Nigeria’s overstretched military has struggled with for years. U.S. President Donald Trump said on social media that the “powerful and deadly” strikes in Sokoto state...
China sanctions 20 U.S. defense companies and 10 executives over massive arms sales to Taiwan
BEIJING — Beijing imposed sanctions on Friday against 20 U.S. defense-related companies and 10 executives, a week after Washington announced large-scale arms sales to Taiwan. The sanctions entail freezing the companies’ assets in China and banning individuals and organizations from dealing with them, according to the Chinese foreign ministry. The...
South Korea vows to end foreign adoptions as UN presses Seoul to address past abuses
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s government said it plans to end its waning foreign adoptions of Korean children, while United Nations investigators voiced “serious concern” over what they described as Seoul’s failure to ensure truth-finding and reparations for widespread human rights violations tied to decades of mass overseas adoptions....
