Associated Press stories, Page 264

LOS ANGELES — A growing force of firefighters battled massive infernos across the Los Angeles area on Monday as more powerful wind moved in and threatened recent progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed at least 24 people. Planes doused homes and hillsides with bright pink...

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Blue Origin called off the debut launch of its massive new rocket early Monday because of technical trouble. The 320-foot New Glenn rocket was supposed to blast off before dawn with a prototype satellite from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. But launch controllers had to...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Within minutes of his inauguration Monday, new Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is expected to issue a variety of orders targeting crime. The tone-setting move reflects a national trend. After a period of relaxed sentencing laws, a tough-on-crime approach is back in political favor in the U.S....

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is proposing a new framework for the exporting of the advanced computer chips used to develop artificial intelligence, an attempt to balance national security concerns about the technology with the economic interests of producers and other countries. But the framework proposed Monday also raised concerns...

PHILADELPHIA — A.J. Brown had a novel ideal to pass time on the bench during the Philadelphia Eagles’ wild-card playoff game. The Eagles wide receiver passed on the playbook and checked out an inspirational title — Brown casually flipped through the pages of “Inner Excellence” by Jim Murphy. Brown had...

A California man whose two cats died after drinking raw milk recalled for bird flu risk says he meant to keep his beloved pets healthy, but his efforts tragically backfired. “It’s horrible when you realize that you’re the one that actually gave them the milk that killed them,” said Joseph...

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Joe Biden spoke Sunday about efforts to reach a ceasefire and hostage release deal in the Israel-Hamas war, a sign of the intensifying push to reach a deal before Donald Trump’s inauguration next week. Talks mediated over...

STATE COLLEGE — Jackson Shelstad scored 17 points, Keeshawn Barthelemy added 15, Jadrian Tracey had 13 and No. 15 Oregon held on to beat Penn State, 82-81, on Sunday. Nate Bittle had 11 points, TJ Bamba and Kwame Evans Jr. added 10 apiece for the Ducks (15-2, 4-2 Big Ten),...

BOULDER, Colo. — Javon Small scored 26 points, and Joseph Yesufu added 18 as No. 21 West Virginia held off Colorado, 78-70, on Sunday in the teams’ first meeting as members of the Big 12. The Mountaineers (12-3, 3-1 Big 12) overcame foul trouble and used a late 13-4 run...

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers decided not to build a $1.3 billion downtown arena, a surprising move that comes just weeks after the team received approval for the controversial project from the city council. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Sunday that multiple council members had confirmed the change in plans. The...

The New England Patriots have hired Mike Vrabel as their head coach. The team announced the hiring Sunday morning, a week after Patriots owner Robert Kraft fired Jerod Mayo following the team’s season-ending victory over the Buffalo Bills. Mayo finished 4-13 in his lone season. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive...

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Canada’s outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Sunday suggested that President-elect Donald Trump’s remarks about Canada becoming America’s “51st state” has distracted attention from the harm that steep tariffs would inflict on U.S. consumers. Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports. “The...

WASHINGTON — Vice President-elect JD Vance says people responsible for the violence during the Capitol riot “obviously” should not be pardoned, as President-elect Donald Trump is promising to use his clemency power on behalf of many of those who tried on Jan. 6, 2021, to overturn the results of the...

In the winter months, it seems few are safe from some kind of illness — flu, covid-19, norovirus, colds. While many of the germs that cause this misery can circulate throughout the year, scientists think that the winter surge of flu and cold activity may be because we spend more...

Do you live in a red state, a blue state, or one where Republicans and Democrats share power? Your answer might provide the best indicator of what to expect from your governor and state lawmakers as President-elect Donald Trump takes office and legislatures convene. In many cases, political party identification...

LOS ANGELES — Firefighters scrambled Sunday to make further progress against wildfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed 24 people in the Los Angeles area as forecasters again warned of dangerous weather with the return of strong winds this week. At least 16 people were missing, and authorities...

LOS ANGELES — People across Los Angeles have worked for years to increase the number of trees that shade the pavement, provide a respite for people and even clean some air pollution. They’ve confronted increasing drought, bad tree-trimming and objections from some neighbors who resent the leaves and sap. Now...