A federal judge ruled on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration unlawfully terminated a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant program designed to protect states and communities against natural disasters before they occur. U.S. District Judge Richard Stearns in Boston sided with 20 mostly Democratic-led states in finding that the...
US Issues Fresh Sanctions Targeting Maduro’s Family, Venezuela-Linked Oil Tankers
The United States on Thursday issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas. The action came as the U.S. executes a large-scale military...
Snoop Dogg Named Honorary Coach of Team USA Ahead of 2026 Winter Games
Rapper and entertainment mogul Snoop Dogg has joined Team USA as its first-ever honorary coach, a role the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee hopes will sprinkle a little West Coast cool on the American team at the Milano Cortina Winter Games. The USOPC said on Thursday that "Coach Snoop"...
Nasdaq Slips as Oracle AI Shock Overshadows Fed Relief
The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index lost ground on Thursday, as Oracle's financial update sent investors away from many artificial intelligence-related stocks while the Dow hit a record high as investors rotated into value stocks after a Federal Reserve policy update that was less hawkish than expected. Oracle shares sank about...
Architects of AI Named Time’s ‘Person of the Year’
Time magazine named the architects of artificial intelligence its "Person of the Year" on Thursday, citing their ability to deliver the age of thinking machines with transformative technology. "Person of the Year is a powerful way to focus the world’s attention on the people that shape our lives. And this...
100,000 Ordered to Evacuate as Rivers Rise in Washington State
Hundreds of National Guard soldiers were deployed to stack sandbags Thursday morning to hold back fierce floodwaters that forced more than 100,000 people in western Washington to evacuate. Several days of heavy rain pushed waterways in the region to record levels, creating potentially deadly conditions along a series of rivers...
Hanford Christian School Break-In Leads to Arrest After Truck Theft
A 22-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after deputies say he broke into Hanford Christian School, damaged several windows, rummaged through vehicles and stole a truck before being tracked down by authorities. The Kings County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched around 6:54 a.m. to the campus on Flint Avenue after...
OpenAI Launches GPT-5.2 AI Model With Improved Capabilities
OpenAI on Thursday launched its GPT-5.2 artificial intelligence model, after CEO Sam Altman reportedly issued an internal "code red" in early December pausing non‑core projects and redirecting teams to accelerate development in response to Google's Gemini 3. GPT-5.2 comes with improvements in general intelligence, coding and long-context understanding, the company said...
Fortnite Returns to Google Play in US After Court Order
Dec 11 — Epic Games' popular battle royale title Fortnite is back on the Google Play Store in the United States after Google complied with a U.S. District Court injunction, the company said on Thursday. Epic added that it is working with Google to seek court approval of a settlement...
Want a Picasso Original? Want to Fight Alzheimers? 100 Euros Gets You a Chance to Do Both
A French charity is taking an artistic approach in the fight against Alzheimer's — giving the world a chance to own an original Picasso painting valued at $1 million. The Alzheimer's Research Foundation opened up a raffle Tuesday for Pablo Picasso's 1941 painting "Tête de Femme." Raffle tickets cost 100...