AP National News

AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The huge rally for U.S. stocks lost momentum on Thursday as Wall Street counted down to a big jobs report that’s coming on Friday. The crypto market had more action, and bitcoin briefly burst to a record above $103,000 before pulling back. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% from

NEW YORK (AP) — Fifty-thousand multi-colored lights were illuminated on Rockefeller Center’s iconic Christmas tree Wednesday evening to cheers from the crowds gathered to witness the annual New York City tradition. The giant Norway spruce, which this year hails from a tiny Massachusetts town, is also topped with a Swarovski star crown featuring 3 million

AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Bitcoin has topped the $100,000 mark, extending a rally in the world’s most popular cryptocurrency sparked by the election of Donald Trump. The milestone comes just hours after the president-elect signaled a lighter regulatory approach to the crypto industry with his choice of crypto advocate Paul Atkins to

MAKAWAO, Hawaii. (AP) — Five Hawaiian crows on Wednesday were released on Maui for the first time as part of an ongoing effort to return the species to its home, conservationists said. The Hawaiian crows, or alala, were last found on Hawaii’s Big Island, but they went extinct in the wild in 2002, officials with

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has held phone calls with U.S. congressional leaders while visiting Guam. Lai said in post on social media that he had spoken with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to discuss security and economic cooperation. The post said he also spoke with

Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — 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 Suk Yeol

Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — One of Colombia’s legendary drug lords and a key operator of the Medellin cocaine cartel has been released from a U.S. prison and is expected to be deported home. Records from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons show that Fabio Ochoa Vásquez was released Tuesday after completing 25 years of a

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon founder Jeff Bezos says he is “optimistic” about President-elect Donald Trump’s second term and expressed some excitement about potential regulatory cutbacks in the coming years. The comments follow an October decision by Bezos to prohibit The Washington Post, which he owns, from endorsing a presidential candidate. That move led to

AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — 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 the

Associated Press CAIRO (AP) — Amnesty International accuses Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip during its war with Hamas, saying it has sought to deliberately destroy Palestinians by mounting deadly attacks, demolishing vital infrastructure and preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid. The human rights group said in a report released Thursday in the

Associated Press MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The Memphis Police Department uses excessive force and discriminates against Black people, according to the findings of a U.S. Department of Justice investigation launched after the beating death of Tyre Nichols after a traffic stop in 2023. A report released Wednesday marked the conclusion of the investigation that began

PALERMO, Calif. (AP) — Two children were in “extremely critical condition” Wednesday 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 because of its

AP Sports Writer The arrival of the early signing period Wednesday offered a stark reminder for college football fans. If recruiting rankings offer any accurate gauge in the era of the transfer portal, those teams competing for College Football Playoff berths now should keep contending for years to come. Texas, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon and Ohio

LUQUE, Paraguay (AP) — Sake is perhaps more Japanese than the world-famous sushi. It’s brewed in centuries-old mountaintop warehouses, savored in the country’s pub-like izakayas, poured during weddings and served slightly chilled for special toasts. The smooth rice wine that plays a crucial role in Japan’s culinary traditions was enshrined on Wednesday by UNESCO on

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Jerry Nadler says that he will be stepping down as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee next year. The move helps avoid an intra-party fight over what will likely be the party’s top perch as it seeks to confront a second Trump presidency. Nadler’s decision to relinquish

Associated Press Swaths of Pennsylvania and many other states are honeycombed with old, unstable mines that can cause the earth to suddenly give way. The phenomenon is known as “mine subsidence” — and it poses a threat to people and property alike. That’s what officials near Pittsburgh fear happened Monday evening when 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard

Associated Press Security cameras captured video of a University of Mississippi student leaving his campus apartment twice on the morning he was last seen alive. That’s according to testimony Wednesday from University Police Department Capt. Jan Mahan. Jimmy “Jay” Lee was a 20-year-old gay man well known in the LGBTQ+ community at Ole Miss and

Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — The new Los Angeles police chief says in an interview with The Associated Press that his department is working with consulate offices for Mexico and other Central American countries to draft a plan to protect immigrants ahead of the Trump administration’s plans for mass deportations. Jim McDonnell says his

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court heard the most high-profile case of its term on Wednesday, weighing Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming health care for transgender minors. Similar laws have been passed by other conservative-leaning states. Challengers say they deprive kids of treatment they need, while the states defend them as protecting minors from

Associated Press 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 possible fixed-wing aircraft