Associated Press A former Kentucky sheriff charged in a judge’s shooting death has pleaded not guilty. Former Letcher County Sheriff Shawn “Mickey” Stines entered the plea Monday in the same Whitesburg courthouse where prosecutors say he killed District Judge Kevin Mullins in September. A grand jury indicted Stines last week on one count of murder
Continue ReadingAssociated Press Scientists who study a critically endangered species of whale that lives off New England say encouraging early signs suggest the animals could have a strong season for feeding and breeding. The North Atlantic right whale is one of the rarest whale species in the world and it is thought to number about 370.
Continue ReadingAP Basketball Writer Kansas remained solidly entrenched at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll Monday ahead of its showdown with No. 11 Duke in Las Vegas, while a pair of schools from the Magnolia State elbowed their way back into the rankings. Ole Miss returned to the poll at No.
Continue ReadingAssociated Press Deck the Halls with Christmas-themed TV as broadcast networks, cable channels and streamers offer holiday fare ranging from romance to musicals and timeless classics. This year’s options include three sequels to the 2023 Hallmark Channel hit “Christmas on Cherry Lane,” a docuseries following what happens when a letter to Santa is dropped in
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, on Monday opened their final holiday season at the White House with the annual turkey pardons and Christmas tree arrival before they hosted “friendsgiving” in New York City for U.S. Coast Guard members and their families. “Simply put, we owe you. We
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by handing out more than $1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family’s foundations Monday, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death. Buffett has
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Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — More shoppers than ever are on track to use ‘buy now, pay later’ plans this holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt. The data firm Adobe
Continue ReadingMONROE, Mich. (AP) — A county official in Michigan has taken the oath of office for another term. But face-to-face meetings with his constituents are unlikely. Mark Brant soon will be off to federal prison for allowing his land to be used to grow marijuana for use in Ohio. Brant, a Republican, says he has
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NEW YORK (AP) — When Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Elon Musk and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. circled up aboard the president-elect’s plane over some McDonalds burgers and fries recently, Donald Trump Jr. was seated in the center of that power foursome. The central spot occupied by Trump’s eldest son, as captured
Continue ReadingAP Media Writer The reaction of those who defended “Morning Joe” hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for meeting with President-elect Trump sounds almost quaint in the days of opinionated journalism. Doesn’t it makes sense, they said, for hosts of a political news show to meet with such an important figure? But given how “Morning
Continue ReadingLONDON (AP) — UK authorities say they have charged a 43-year-old man with a bomb hoax near the U.S. Embassy in London last week. Daniel Parmenter appeared at Ealing Magistrates Court on Monday and was taken into custody. He was arrested at his home on Sunday, just days after police carried out the controlled explosion
Continue ReadingAP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The new stage musical about Louis Armstrong on Broadway opens with the jazz icon in a rehearsal room alongside an anonymous piano player. Keep an eye on the guy on keys. Audiences may not know it, but there are actually two Armstrongs onstage at that moment — the
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Scuffles and fistfights broke out between ruling party and opposition lawmakers in Serbia’s parliament on Monday, weeks after a deadly rail station roof collapse that ignited tensions in the Balkan state. The opposition wanted to discuss who is responsible for the crash that killed 15 people in the northern
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Associated Press/Report for America SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California could offer rebates for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration eliminates a federal tax credit for people who buy electric cars, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday. Newsom, a Democrat, proposed creating a new version of the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, which was phased
Continue ReadingCLEVELAND (AP) — A former casino dealer in Ohio has been charged with skimming chips from the pot more than a dozen times this summer. Court records don’t say how much the onetime poker room dealer at the JACK Cleveland Casino is accused of stealing. He was fired soon after a casino manager reviewed a
Continue ReadingAP Soccer Writer MANCHESTER, England (AP) — British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview. Amorim was talking on Sky Sports after United’s 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Sunday when Sheeran walked up to embrace analyst Jamie Redknapp. The
Continue ReadingAP Sports Writer GENEVA (AP) — Two United States senators have urged FIFA not to pick Saudi Arabia as the 2034 World Cup host next month. The decision by FIFA member federations on December 11 has been seen as inevitable since last year despite the kingdom’s record on human rights. Democrats Ron Wyden of Oregon
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court won’t hear a challenge to a federal requirement that cigarette packages and advertising include graphic images demonstrating the effects of smoking. The high court declined to hear the case in a brief written order handed down Monday. Tobacco company R.J. Reynolds appealed to the high court after
Continue ReadingMOSCOW (AP) — A Russian man has been convicted of treason and sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of high treason for a video he sent to Ukraine’s security services. It’s the latest in a series of espionage cases amid the fighting in Ukraine. The Volgograd District Court says Nikita Zhuravel
Continue ReadingDALLAS (AP) — The founder of Dallas-based megachurch The Potter’s House, Bishop T.D. Jakes, was hospitalized after suffering what the church called a “slight health incident.” Jakes was speaking to churchgoers after he sat down and began trembling as several people gathered around him Sunday at the church. Jakes’ daughter Sarah Jakes Roberts and her
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