Christmas is an exciting time for family gatherings and travel, but it's also a peak period for scammers to strike. It can be easier than you think to fall victim to a scam, especially during the busy holiday season when you might overlook details you would normally catch. If you're...
Top 10 Songs of 2024: ‘Texas Hold ‘Em,’ ‘Not Like Us,’ ‘Igual Que Un ÁNgel’ and More
NEW YORK — Ten of the best songs of the year, as determined by Associated Press Music Writer Maria Sherman, in no particular order. "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," Shaboozey It is not only the biggest song of the year, but one of the longest-reigning No. 1s of all time, as...
Will Juan Soto Top Shohei Ohtani’s Deal? It Depends on the Accounting Tricks
NEW YORK — Deciding whether Juan Soto tops Shohei Ohtani for baseball's largest contract could be in the eye of the beholder because of all the deferred money in Ohtani's deal. Ohtani agreed last December to a $700 million, 10-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, easily exceeding the previous...
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Announces Bid for Top Oversight Job as Democrats Push for Generational Change
WASHINGTON — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced a bid Friday to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, the latest example of generational shakeup that is beginning to ripple across the Democratic Party in the wake of their election losses this year. The New York lawmaker, who at 35...
Biden Is Considering Preemptive Pardons for Officials and Allies Before Trump Takes Office
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump's administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president's extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so...
USDA Orders Nationwide Testing of Milk for Bird Flu to Halt the Virus
The U.S. government on Friday ordered testing of the nation's milk supply for bird flu to better monitor the spread of the virus in dairy cows. Raw or unpasteurized milk from dairy farms and processors nationwide must be tested on request starting Dec. 16, the Agriculture Department said. Testing will...
Police Found No Evidence of a Threat at California Capitol After Evacuation
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Capitol was deemed safe for reopening Friday afternoon after an emailed threat prompted an evacuation earlier in the day. State senators and their staff members were notified about the threat in a memo, according to officials. Members in the Assembly also received a similar note....
Stock Market Today: Wall Street Drifts Around Its Records After a Solid Jobs Report
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks are drifting around their records Friday after data suggested the job market remains solid enough to keep the economy going, but not so strong that it raises immediate worries about inflation. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% and was just above its all-time high set on...
Supreme Court Will Decide if Palestinian Authorities Can Be Sued in US Over Middle East Attacks
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed Friday to settle a years-long legal dispute over whether Palestinian authorities can be sued in U.S. courts by Americans killed or wounded in terrorism attacks in the Middle East. The federal appeals court in New York has repeatedly ruled in favor of the Palestine...
Judge Upholds Use of Race in Naval Academy Admissions, Saying a Diverse Military Is Stronger
BALTIMORE — A federal judge on Friday ruled that the U.S. Naval Academy can continue considering race in its admissions process, ruling that military cohesion and other national security factors mean the officer training school should not be subjected to the same standards as civilian universities. During a two-week bench...