Associated Press stories, Page 405
Billionaire who performed the 1st private spacewalk is Trump’s pick to lead NASA
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A tech billionaire who bought a series of spaceflights from Elon Musk’s SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday to lead NASA. Jared Isaacman, 41, CEO and founder of a card-processing company, has been a close collaborator with...
Trump hires Peter Navarro as White House adviser as he continues building administration
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump is bringing Peter Navarro, a former adviser who served prison time related to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, back to the White House for his second administration. Navarro will serve as a senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, Trump announced on Truth...
Detroit Mayor Duggan, a longtime Democrat, will run for Michigan governor in 2026 as independent
DETROIT — Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a longtime Democrat, says he will run for Michigan governor as an independent in 2026. “It’s clear to me that there are a lot of people in this country who are tired of both parties and tired of the system,” Duggan said in an...
Spotify Wrapped is finally here. How can you see your 2024 recap?
NEW YORK — It’s that time of year: Spotify has released its annual Wrapped, personalized recaps of users’ listening habits and year in audio. Spotify has been giving its listeners breakdowns of their data since 2016. And each year, it’s become a bigger production — and internet sensation. Spotify said...
Police hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s masked killer after ‘brazen, targeted’ attackVideo
NEW YORK — A gunman killed UnitedHealthcare’s CEO on Wednesday in a “brazen, targeted attack” outside a Manhattan hotel where the health insurer was holding its investor conference, police said, setting off a massive search for the fleeing assailant hours before the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting nearby. Brian...
Mexican troops seize record fentanyl haul days after Trump threatened tariffs
MEXICO CITY — Mexican soldiers and marines have seized over a ton of fentanyl pills in two raids in the north, with officials calling it the biggest catch of the synthetic opioid in the country’s history. The raids came after a sharp drop in fentanyl seizures in Mexico earlier this...
Syria’s insurgency leader tours seized city of Aleppo, as fierce battles intensify near Hama
BEIRUT — The leader of Syria’s most powerful insurgent group Wednesday toured the seized city of Aleppo in a surprise visit for the first time since the group captured large parts of the city last weekend, as fierce fighting intensifies in the government-led counter-offensive in northern Hama. Abu Mohammed al-Golani,...
District of Columbia says Amazon secretly stopped fast deliveries to 2 predominantly Black zip codes
The District of Columbia sued Amazon on Wednesday, alleging the company secretly stopped providing its fastest delivery service to residents of two predominantly Black neighborhoods in Washington while still charging residents millions of dollars for a service that promises the benefit. The complaint filed in District of Columbia Superior Court...
Pete Hegseth fights to save Pentagon nomination as sources say Trump considers Ron DeSantis
WASHINGTON — A defiant Pete Hegseth fought to save his nomination to be Donald Trump’s defense secretary Wednesday as the president-elect considered possible replacements in the face of growing questions about the former Fox News host’s personal conduct and ability to win Senate confirmation. Hegseth met with legislators on Capitol...
‘Amtrak Joe’ Biden uses his visit to Angola to promote a major U.S.-backed rail project in Africa
LUANDA, Angola — Even in the waning days of his presidency and thousands of miles from home, U.S. President Joe Biden is finding ways to celebrate trains. Biden used the third and final day of his visit to Angola on Wednesday to showcase the Lobito Corridor railway, where the U.S....
Trump’s defense pick Pete Hegseth faces deepening scrutiny in Senate
WASHINGTON — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Defense Secretary, spent a second day on Capitol Hill, meeting privately with Republican senators amid rising questions about his ability to effectively lead the Pentagon. Hegseth told reporters Tuesday that he was planning to sit down with senators, even with those...
EU condemns reported Taliban move to suspend medical education for women and girls
The European Union on Wednesday condemned the Taliban for violating human rights and women’s access to education after media reports that the Taliban’s leader has ordered private and public institutions to stop providing medical courses for women and girls in Afghanistan. The Taliban have neither confirmed the order nor responded...
What to know about sinkholes amid fears a Unity woman fell into one
Authorities fear a grandmother from Unity who disappeared while looking for her cat may have been swallowed by a sinkhole. Crews searching for Elizabeth Pollard, 64, learned Wednesday morning that they have to switch up their tactics after the integrity of the mine where they’ve been digging is being compromised....
Trump, Republican senators plan agenda for first 30 days
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump dialed in to what was described as a “love fest” Tuesday with Senate Republicans as they begin laying the groundwork for control of government in the new year, and a potential first-30-days agenda. Trump’s brief call was more celebratory than a prescriptive policy agenda, according...
Chicago house party shooting kills 3 and wounds 5 others, police say
CHICAGO — Eight people were shot, three of them fatally, when gunfire erupted Monday during a house party in Chicago, sending screaming people fleeing from the home, authorities and a witness said. Officers responded about 2:10 p.m. and found that eight people had been shot during a “social gathering” at...
California teacher dies after she was bitten by a bat inside a classroom
DOS PALOS, Calif. — A central California teacher died last month after she was bitten by a bat inside her classroom that presumably had rabies, officials and the woman’s friend said. In the wake of Leah Seneng’s death on Nov. 22, public health officials are warning the public about the...
NHL, players provide optimism for new CBA
The NHL’s collective bargaining agreement does not expire until Sept. 15, 2026. That discussions are set to begin on a new deal in early 2025 is already one step ahead of where hockey has been in labor negotiations in the past. Commissioner Gary Bettman earlier this week said he expects...
Analysis: Browns set sights on Steelers after wasted effort by Jameis Winston vs. BroncosVideo
CLEVELAND — Only the Cleveland Browns. Only a team beset by perpetual problems at quarterback for the better part of two decades can get a record-setting 497-yard, four-touchdown, jaw-dropping, where-did-that-come-from performance on Monday night from Jameis Winston — and still lose. History wrapped in misery. Only the Browns. Winston spoiled...
Miami in trouble, Alabama rises in College Football Playoff rankings
Miami’s playoff hopes took an all-but-final nosedive while Alabama’s got a boost Tuesday night in the last rankings before the 12-team College Football Playoff bracket is set next weekend. The Hurricanes (10-2) moved down six spots to No. 12 — the first team out of the projected bracket — after...
Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, set to face Penn State, reminiscent of another Hawaiian-born QBVideo
Dillon Gabriel was faced with a quandary when he arrived at Oregon this year. Gabriel had worn No. 8 at Oklahoma before transferring for his sixth season of eligibility. But in Eugene, that number had special significance because it had been worn by Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota. There were...
Chad Chronister, Donald Trump’s pick to run DEA, withdraws name from consideration
NEW YORK — Chad Chronister, Donald Trump’s pick to run the Drug Enforcement Administration, said Tuesday he was withdrawing his name from consideration, becoming the second person selected by the president-elect to bow out quickly after being nominated for a position requiring Senate confirmation. Sheriff Chronister, the top law enforcement...
USWNT beats Netherlands in goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher’s final matchVideo
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Alyssa Naher made two critical saves in her final match for the United States, Lynn Williams scored the go-ahead goal in the 71st minute and the Americans beat the Netherlands 2-1 on Tuesday. The U.S., which won its fifth Olympic gold medal this summer in France,...
President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers urge judge to toss his hush money conviction
NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump’s lawyers formally asked a judge to throw out his hush money criminal conviction, arguing continuing the case would present unconstitutional “disruptions to the institution of the Presidency.” In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump’s lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that dismissal is...
Judge weighs whether to order Fani Willis to comply with lawmakers’ subpoenas over Trump case
ATLANTA — A judge is weighing whether a Georgia state Senate committee has the right to subpoena testimony and documents from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as it looks into whether she has engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump. The Republican-led committee sent subpoenas to...
San Jose State will play South Florida in the Hawaii Bowl
HONOLULU — San Jose State is headed back to the Hawaii Bowl for a second straight season to face South Florida. Bowl officials on Tuesday announced the matchup for the game set to be played on Dec. 24 on the campus of the University of Hawaii. The Spartans went 7-5...
