FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — An Atlanta man has been arrested and charged with fraud after George Mason University’s men’s basketball team was forced to cancel a trip to the Bahamas earlier this year after it paid for travel that was never actually booked. Charges against 44-year-old Maurice Smith, CEO of the Eugene Toriko travel agency,
Continue ReadingAssociated Press CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) — When the elected prosecutor in Missouri’s largest county leaves his job for a seat in Congress next month, an appointed replacement will take his spot. The question is: Which one? Democratic St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and Republican Gov. Mike Parson have each named an appointee for the
Continue ReadingAP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — After acquiring Juan Soto for a one-year rental and failing to keep him as a free agent, the New York Yankees are taking the same chance with Devin Williams. New York acquired the All-Star closer from the Milwaukee Brewers for left-hander Nestor Cortes and infield prospect Caleb Durbin
Continue ReadingAssociated Press THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Two weeks of historic and closely-watched hearings on the threat of climate change have wrapped up at the UN’s top court. Now the wait begins for the verdict that can take up to a year. The International Court of Justice has taken up the largest case in its
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden has told children from military families who helped the White House donate toys for the annual Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots campaign to remember that they are loved. The first lady reminded them Friday that they are loved by a lot of people, from their family and
Continue ReadingAssociated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma panel has rejected a plea for clemency for a man convicted of torturing and killing a 10-year-old girl as part of a cannibalistic fantasy. Friday’s unanimous vote by the state’s Pardon and Parole Board paves the way for Kevin Ray Underwood to become the last person executed
Continue ReadingAssociated Press TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man who lived in a makeshift camp with a homeless 5-year-old Kansas girl and her father has pleaded guilty to rape and first-degree murder in connection with the child’s death. Prosecutors said Friday that Mickel Cherry, 26, admitted suffocating Zoey Felix in October 2023 with a pillow in
Continue ReadingAP Entertainment Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ice Cube could have chased trends to keep up with today’s rap sound for his latest release, but instead, he stayed loyal to his signature style since the N.W.A. days. The rap icon showcases that gritty West Coast gangsta rap sound on his 11th studio album “Man Down.”
Continue ReadingAssociated Press MIAMI (AP) — A federal judge ordered that a prominent real estate broker be held without bond Friday on sexual assault and trafficking charges, saying he is a flight risk as she rejected his family’s pledge of $115 million in real estate holdings to secure his release. Magistrate Judge Lisette Reid’s ruling likely
Continue ReadingAssociated Press Writing a Christmas made-for-TV movie may seem formulaic, but there’s no real checklist to follow. Successful writers in the genre say there are some standard practices to keep in mind. Be prepared to devote time beyond the actual holiday season to brainstorming, pitching and writing. These movies never have a true villain and
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been hospitalized after she “sustained an injury” during an official engagement in Luxembourg, according to a spokesman. Pelosi, 84, was in Europe with a bipartisan congressional delegation to mark the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. Her spokesman,
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Home shoppers hoping for more attractive mortgage rates next year may be disappointed. That’s the takeaway from several economists’ 2025 housing forecasts. The majority of the eight forecasts call for the average rate on a 30-year mortgage to remain above 6% next year, with some including an upper
Continue ReadingAssociated Press HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — From answering questions from Cabinet ministers, academics and students on climate change, substance abuse and the law to children’s inquiries about her “birth” and links to God and being described as a talkative feminist, Sophia, the world-famous robot won hearts at an innovation fair in Zimbabwe this week. Boasting
Continue ReadingAP Technology Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is planning to make a $1 million personal donation to President-Elect Donald Trump’s inauguration fund, joining a number of tech companies and executives who are working to improve their relationships with the incoming administration. A spokesperson for OpenAI confirmed the move on Friday. The
Continue ReadingAssociated Press Have you ever watched a holiday rom-com on Hallmark Channel or Lifetime — or any of the other many networks and streaming services that now air them — and thought, “I could write that”? It’s harder than you may think — but just as fun. Regular writers in the genre say there’s not
Continue ReadingAssociated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The judge overseeing the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump has rejected an attempt by former Trump campaign lawyer Kenneth Chesebro to invalidate his guilty plea. Chesebro reached a deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to a single conspiracy count a few months after he, Trump and 17 others
Continue ReadingAssociated Press HOUSTON (AP) — Prosecutors in Texas will seek the death penalty for two Venezuelan men who are accused of killing a 12-year-old Houston girl after they entered the U.S. illegally. The death of Jocelyn Nungaray was among several cases this year that became flashpoints in the debate over the nation’s immigration policies. Nungaray’s mother
Continue ReadingAssociated Press BEIRUT (AP) — After insurgents toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad this month, many senior officials and members of his dreaded intelligence and security services appear to have melted away. Activists say some of them have managed to flee the country while others went to hide in their hometowns. For more than five decades,
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer DETROIT (AP) — Elon Musk says the Securities and Exchange Commission wants him to pay a penalty or face charges involving what he disclosed — or failed to disclose — about his purchases of Twitter stock before he bought the social media platform in 2022. In a letter, Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro
Continue ReadingROME (AP) — The Council of Europe anti-torture committee has criticized Italy’s treatment of migrants in local detention centers. In a report released Friday, it revealed cases of physical ill-treatment and “excessive” use of force, along with the use of unprescribed psychotropic drugs. The report follows a visit in April to four migrant detention and
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