By WAFAA SHURAFA, JOSEF FEDERMAN and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas’ top leader traveled to Cairo on Wednesday for talks on the war in Gaza, part of a flurry of diplomacy to secure another cease-fire and swap of hostages for Palestinian prisoners at a moment when Israel’s offensive shows
Continue ReadingBy GEROLD ROZENBLAD Associated Press PARAMARIBO, Suriname (AP) — Suriname’s former dictator Desi Bouterse has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the murders of 15 opponents of the then-military regime in December 1982, ending a historic, 16-year legal process. Bouterse, 78, was previously sentenced in the case in 2019 and in 2021 but
Continue ReadingBy Betsy Klein, Michael Conte and David Shortell, CNN Washington (CNN) — The US has reached an agreement to secure the release of six wrongfully detained Americans and four other Americans held in Venezuela, senior US officials announced Wednesday, The deal will also include the extradition of Leonard Francis, the former military contractor known as
Continue ReadingBy JOSHUA GOODMAN, ERIC TUCKER and REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press MIAMI (AP) — The United States freed a close ally of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in exchange for the release of 10 Americans imprisoned in the South American country and the return of a fugitive defense contractor known as “Fat Leonard” who is at
Continue ReadingNEW YORK (AP) — New York’s attorney general has filed suit against SiriusXM, accusing the satellite radio service of making it intentionally difficult for its customers to cancel their subscriptions. Attorney General Letitia James’ office said Wednesday that an investigation into complaints from customers found that SiriusXM forced subscribers into often lengthy interactions with agents
Continue ReadingBy AAMER MADHANI and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press MILWAUKEE (AP) — President Joe Biden says it’s “self-evident” that Donald Trump is an insurrectionist but demurs on whether he should be barred from the ballot in next year’s election. He made the comments after landing in Milwaukee on Tuesday, the day after the Colorado Supreme Court
Continue ReadingBy EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council has again delayed a vote on a new U.N. resolution on desperately needed aid to Gaza as the Biden administration struggles to change key wording in high-level negotiations seeking to avoid a U.S. veto. The vote is now expected on Thursday
Continue ReadingBy Lauren Fox and Manu Raju, CNN Senators bolted for the holidays Wednesday — and left behind a mountain of problems for Congress to tackle immediately in January as domestic and international crises mount. In the new year, Congress will have to figure out how to fund the government in a matter of days and
Continue ReadingBy WAYNE PARRY and TASSANEE VEJPONGSA Associated Press WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) — Investigators were looking for evidence Wednesday of what caused a news helicopter to crash in the New Jersey Pinelands the night before, killing the pilot and photographer on board. Chopper 6 from WPVI-TV in Philadelphia was returning from an assignment at the
Continue ReadingBy HOLLY RAMER Associated Press ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Republican presidential hopeful Chris Christie is outlining his plan for addressing the latest wave of the nation’s drug crisis. With 110,000 people dying of drug overdoses last year, Christie said, during a Wednesday trip to a New Hampshire recovery center, that reducing stigma and providing treatment
Continue ReadingDALTON, Mass. (AP) — A U.S. Air Force staff sergeant from Massachusetts who was one of eight service members lost when a CV-22 Osprey crashed off the coast of Japan is being remembered as a leader and a friend to many. At his funeral on Wednesday in Dalton, Massachusetts, the pastor said the 24-year-old Jake
Continue ReadingBRUSSELS (AP) — European Union finance ministers have sealed a deal to reform the 27-nation bloc’s fiscal rules after France and Germany finally adhered to a compromise. EU countries had been negotiating for months a reform of the EU’s rules limiting debt and deficits for member states, known as the Stability and Growth Pact. The
Continue ReadingRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — An investigation has found that the hospital that initially treated a man who later died while being admitted to a Virginia psychiatric facility failed to meet care standards while he was in a mental health crisis. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that the state Department of Health led the investigation of Parham
Continue ReadingBy JACK DURA Associated Press BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Physicians and the former sole abortion provider in North Dakota are asking a state district court judge to temporarily block enforcement of part of a revised law that bans most abortions so doctors can perform the procedure to save patients’ lives or health. They argue a
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The First Alert Weather Team is tracking a storm system that is expected to bring up to an inch of rain to the Coachella Valley through Friday morning. This incoming rain could affect your plans to hit the road for the holidays. Automobile Club (AAA) defines the “holiday travel season” as the period between Saturday,
Continue ReadingBy LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer Carey Mulligan recently realized that she’s spent much of her professional career holding back. But that changed in the past several years, in no small part because of Bradley Cooper and “Maestro,” an all-encompassing project that would push her out of that comfort zone. In it she plays Felicia
Continue ReadingBy ANDREW DeMILLO Associated Press LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — A judge has threatened to dismiss a lawsuit the Arkansas attorney general filed against a panel he’d normally represent as a dispute widens over who runs state prisons. The judge on Tuesday criticized Attorney General Tim Griffin for suing the Board of Corrections without arranging
Continue ReadingBy SAM MEDNICK and RUTH ALONGA Associated Press KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Lengthy delays at the polls have forced officials to extend voting in Congo’s presidential election to Thursday. Many voters in the West African nation struggled to cast ballots because of steep logistical and security challenges, raising concerns about the election’s credibility. The national
Continue ReadingA Russian politician calling for peace in Ukraine has presented her documents to Russia’s Central Election Commission to register as a candidate for the country’s 2024 presidential election. Regional legislator Yekaterina Duntsova hopes to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin, promoting her vision of a “humane” Russia “that’s peaceful, friendly and ready to cooperate with everyone
Continue ReadingFLORENCE, Wis. (AP) — A federal agency wants to fine a northern Wisconsin sawmill more than $1 million after inspectors said they found “egregious” violations at the sawmill following a June accident that killed a teenage worker. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed fining Florence Hardwoods LLC $1.4 million for numerous violations of
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