Associated Press stories, Page 427
No. 2 Texas goes for a title in its first SEC season, but must get by No. 5 GeorgiaVideo
ATLANTA — Texas wasted no time making its presence felt in the mighty SEC. In their debut as a member of the powerhouse league, the No. 2 Longhorns posted the best regular-season record and earned a spot in the SEC championship game Saturday. “Not a lot of teams can go...
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield reverses decision to put time limit on anesthesia
One of the country’s largest health insurers reversed a change in policy Thursday after widespread outcry, saying it would not tie payments in some states to the length of time a patient went under anesthesia. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement that its decision to backpedal resulted...
FBI investigating reports of large drones flying in New Jersey, seeks public’s help
The FBI is investigating reports about several mysterious nighttime drone flights that have recently occurred across central New Jersey and has asked the public for help. Witnesses have spotted a cluster of what appears to be drones — larger than those typically used by hobbyists — as well as a...
Bahamas Bowl to feature pair of 8-win teams as Liberty, Buffalo square off Jan. 4
Liberty will face Buffalo in the Bahamas Bowl on Jan. 4, bowl officials announced Thursday. The Flames (8-3), of Conference USA, will be making their sixth consecutive bowl appearance. Buffalo (8-4), of the Mid-American Conference, will be playing in its fifth bowl game in the last seven years. The Bulls...
Messi, Inter Miami to open Club World Cup against Egyptian club Al Ahly
MIAMI — Lionel Messi and Inter Miami now know their path for next year’s Club World Cup. The host team — invited by FIFA to compete despite criticism from many in the soccer world — will play the tournament’s first match June 15 against Egyptian club Al Ahly as part...
Browns RB Nick Chubb makes full circle comeback, returns to Pittsburgh for 1st time since knee injury
CLEVELAND — With every game, every carry, Nick Chubb puts a little distance between himself and a moment that changed him. On Sunday, he’ll return to where it happened. The full circle. More than a year since the Cleveland running back’s left knee was obliterated on a trap play near...
7.0 earthquake off Northern California prompts brief tsunami warningVideo
SAN FRANCISCO — A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items of grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the West Coast. The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. west of Ferndale,...
Trump set to receive the ‘Patriot of the Year’ award at FOX Nation event
NEW YORK — President-elect Donald Trump, largely ensconced at Mar-a-Lago in recent weeks, will make a rare appearance outside his Florida resort to accept the “Patriot of the Year” award at FOX Nation’s Patriot Awards on Thursday night. Trump, who has been announcing job picks as he builds out his...
Storm brings squalls to the Northeast; 2 dead from heart attacks after shoveling snow
Snow squalls — sudden bursts of heavy snow and gusty wind — created whiteout conditions in parts of the northeast during a storm that brought even more snow to the Great Lakes region Thursday. Two people died from heart attacks after shoveling snow in upstate New York, officials said. The...
Secret Service director vows overhaul as Congress presses him on Trump assassination attemptVideo
WASHINGTON — The acting director of the Secret Service said Thursday that the agency is “reorganizing and reimagining” its culture and how it operates following an assassination attempt against Donald Trump on the campaign trail. Members of a bipartisan House task force investigating the attempt on Trump’s life pushed Ronald...
George Floyd protester injured by Fort Lauderdale police gets $2M in settlement
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A protester who suffered eye damage when a rubber bullet fired by Fort Lauderdale police struck her in the face during a 2020 protest over George Floyd’s murder has received $2 million from the city to settle a federal lawsuit accusing the officer and the department...
Average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. falls to 6.69%
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. eased again this week, slipping to its lowest level since late October. The rate dropped to 6.69% from 6.81% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago the rate averaged 7.03%. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages,...
UnitedHeathcare CEO killer left eerie message on bullets, AP sources say
NEW YORK — The masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” two law enforcement officials said Thursday. The words were written in permanent marker, according to...
Taylor Swift ‘Eras’ tie-in book is a smash, selling more than 800,000 copies in first weekend
NEW YORK — Just one retail chain was enough for Taylor Swift to have the top-selling book last week and the biggest publishing launch of 2024. According to Circana, Swift’s “Eras Tour Book” sold 814,000 copies over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Circana tracks around 85% of the print market, but...
Consumer Reports survey finds electric vehicle reliability improving but lagging gas models
DETROIT — The reliability of electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids has dramatically improved, narrowing a wide gap with gas-powered automobiles, according to the latest survey by Consumer Reports. But vehicles with internal combustion engines and gas-electric hybrids are still far more dependable, the survey found. Consumer Reports subscribers, who filled...
Syrian insurgents capture central city of Hama in another blow to Syrian president
BEIRUT — Syrian insurgents entered the central city of Hama Thursday after days of intense clashes with government forces as they push forward with their week-long offensive that brought large parts of Syria under their control. The Syrian army said it has withdrawn from Hama after insurgents broke through its...
Congo government says it’s ‘on alert’ over mystery flu-like disease that killed dozens
KINSHASA, Congo — Public health officials in Africa urged caution Thursday as Congo’s health minister said the government was on alert over a mystery flu-like disease that in recent weeks killed dozens of people. Jean Kaseya, the head of Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told reporters that more...
U.S. applications for jobless benefits rise last week but remain at low levels
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but remains at historically healthy levels. Jobless claim applications rose by 9,000 to 224,000 for the week of Nov. 30, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s more than the 214,000 analysts were forecasting. Continuing claims, the total number of...
Police release new photos in the search for the gunman in the UnitedHealthcare CEO killing
NEW YORK — The masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies outside a Manhattan hotel used ammunition emblazoned with the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” two law enforcement officials said Thursday. The words were written in permanent marker, according to...
OPEC+ oil producers’ alliance postpones production increases as U.S. drivers enjoy cheaper gasoline
FRANKFURT, Germany — Eight members of the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting countries decided Thursday to put off increasing oil production as they face weaker than expected demand and competing production from non-allied countries — factors that could keep oil prices stagnant into next year. The OPEC+ members decided at...
Bitcoin has surpassed the $100,000 mark as the post-election rally continues. What’s next?
NEW YORK — Bitcoin topped $100,000 for the first time this week as a massive rally in the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, largely accelerated by the election of Donald Trump, rolls on. The cryptocurrency officially to rose six figures Wednesday night, just hours after the president-elect said he intends to...
Why Trump and the Federal Reserve could clash in the coming years
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump campaigned on the promise that his policies would reduce high borrowing costs and lighten the financial burden on American households. But what if, as many economists expect, interest rates remain elevated, well above their pre-pandemic lows? Trump could point a finger at the Federal Reserve,...
As data centers proliferate, conflict with local communities follows
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Richard Andre Newman thought he would live the rest of his life in his quiet, leafy neighborhood in suburban Virginia. He was born and raised in Bren Mar Park, where children ride their bikes and neighbors wave hello. But now, as he’s approaching 60, he’s considering selling...
Yoon replaces the defense minister as South Korea’s parliament moves to vote on their impeachments
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s president replaced his defense minister Thursday as opposition parties moved to impeach both men over the stunning-but-brief imposition of martial law that brought armed troops into Seoul streets. The Democratic Party and other small opposition parties submitted a joint motion to impeach President Yoon...
Gunman may have targeted California religious school in shooting that wounded 2 kindergarteners
PALERMO, Calif. — Two children were in “extremely critical condition” after being shot at a tiny religious K-8 school in Northern California and the gunman died at the scene, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot, police said. The gunman may have targeted the Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists in Palermo...
