By SCOTT McFETRIDGE Associated Press Snowplows are essential to enduring winter in Minnesota, so maybe it’s not surprising that every year thousands of people vote on names for the giant machines that clear the state’s roads, such as Plowy McPlowFace and Darth Blader. The often-icy state began naming its 800 plows in 2020 and is
Continue ReadingBy Kevin Liptak, Alex Marquardt and Becky Anderson, CNN (CNN) — Efforts to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza and broker a prolonged pause in fighting are at an important juncture as President Joe Biden deploys his point person on hostage talks to Europe for multiparty talks on the contours of a possible
Continue ReadingWRENTHAM, Mass. (AP) — A second Rhode Island man charged with assault and battery and disorderly conduct in connection with the death of a fan at a New England Patriots game has pleaded not guilty. In a brief court appearance Friday, 39-year-old Justin Mitchell entered the plea over allegations that he and 59-year-old John Vieira
Continue ReadingBy Chandelis Duster and Nicole Chavez, CNN (CNN) — The American Museum of Natural History in New York and other museums across the United States are closing or adapting exhibits featuring Native American objects, in response to new regulations from the Biden administration. The regulations, which went into effect on January 12, require museums and federal agencies to consult and obtain informed consent from descendants,
Continue ReadingROSEVILLE, Mich. (AP) — Officers in a Detroit suburb found a furry surprise when they patted down a theft suspect: A tiny blue-eyed puppy zipped inside the man’s jacket pocket. Roseville police found the palm-sized blue pit bull puppy on Jan. 16 while arresting a man accused of stealing money from a bank customer. The
Continue ReadingBy CIARÁN GILES Associated Press MADRID (AP) — Spain’s weather agency says abnormally high temperatures for the season are set to continue in many parts of the country over the weekend. The hot spell has led to an almost summer-like feel in many coastal areas as people take to the beaches to sunbathe or have
Continue ReadingNEW YORK (AP) — JetBlue Airways warned Friday that it may end its bid to acquire low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines as soon as this weekend, sending Spirit shares tumbling. A federal judge this month sided with the Justice Department and blocked JetBlue’s proposed $3.8 billion purchase of Spirit. The Justice Department sued to block the
Continue ReadingBy CARLA K. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer The announcement that King Charles III was admitted to a private hospital Friday to undergo a procedure for an enlarged prostate has sparked interest in what is an extremely common condition among older men. The 75-year-old monarch is in good company. About half of men in their 50s
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By Taylor Romine and Aya Elamroussi, CNN (CNN) — Pacific Gas and Electric will pay $45 million in penalties for its role in the Dixie Fire – the second-largest wildfire in California’s history – that started after a tree fell and hit the company’s equipment in 2021, state regulators said Thursday. The massive inferno ignited
Continue ReadingBy JON GAMBRELL and TARA COPP Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a missile Friday at a United States warship patrolling the Gulf of Aden, forcing it to shoot down the projectile, and struck a British vessel as their aggressive attacks on maritime traffic continue. The attack on the U.S. warship, the
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By Cindy Von Quednow, CNN (CNN) — A man was found guilty of second-degree murder on Thursday in the 2021 road rage shooting on a Southern California highway that left a 6-year-old boy dead, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. A jury also found Marcus Anthony Eriz, 26, guilty of shooting into an
Continue ReadingBy Hira Humayun, CNN (CNN) — The UN relief agency operating in Gaza said Friday that Israel had accused some of its staff of being involved in the October 7 attacks, and that their contracts would be “immediately” terminated. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNWRA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said Israeli authorities provided the
Continue ReadingBy MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Crowned Miss Japan this week, Ukrainian-born Carolina Shiino cried with joy, thankful for the recognition of her identity as Japanese. But her Caucasian look rekindled an old question in a country where many people value homogeneity and conformity: What does it mean to be Japanese? Shiino has
Continue ReadingBy LARRY NEUMEISTER and JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump stormed out of closing arguments at his defamation trial Friday as a lawyer for writer E. Jean Carroll urged a jury to award at least $24 million in damages for the “storm of hate” caused by the former president. Just minutes
Continue ReadingBy JON GAMBRELL and TARA COPP Associated Press JERUSALEM (AP) — Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched a missile at a U.S. warship patrolling the Gulf of Aden, forcing it to shoot down the projectile. The attack Friday on the USS Carney marks the latest by the rebels amid their campaign against ships traveling through the
Continue ReadingBy KIM CHANDLER Associated Press ATMORE, Ala. (AP) — A man put to death using nitrogen gas shook and convulsed on the gurney as Alabama carried out the first-of-its-kind execution that once again placed the United States at the forefront of the debate over capital punishment. Convicted killer Kenneth Eugene Smith was pronounced dead Thursday
Continue ReadingBy ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The San Francisco 49ers are back in a familiar spot facing a Detroit Lions team new to this stage. No team has played in the NFC championship game more than the 49ers, who will be making their 19th appearance and third in a row when they host Detroit
Continue ReadingBy Lauren Fox and Manu Raju, CNN House Speaker Mike Johnson is warning in a new letter that the emerging border deal is “dead on arrival” in his chamber if it resembles anything close to what has been reported, while also announcing that the House will soon vote to make Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas the second Cabinet secretary in
Continue ReadingBy Ashley Strickland, CNN (CNN) — Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have detected water molecules in the atmosphere of a small, blazing-hot exoplanet 97 light-years from Earth. The planet, named GJ 9827d, is about twice Earth’s diameter, and it’s the smallest exoplanet found to have water vapor in its atmosphere, according to a new
Continue ReadingBy MARIA SHERMAN and JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. AP Entertainment Writers LOS ANGELES (AP) — Women lead the major categories at the Grammys this year, with names like SZA, Taylor Swift, Victoria Monét, Phoebe Bridgers, Olivia Rodrigo and Brandy Clark topping the list. But who will take home music’s most coveted trophies on Feb. 4? Associated
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