Catty McCatface? No, Zoo needs real help naming tigers

Kittens are inarguably the most adorable creatures on earth: miniature, bumbling, comic versions of their future regal selves. Human infants, in comparison, are little more than larvae.

$4.75M Forest Hills sale sets high bar for amenities

Maile Stover is a real estate broker with Parks whose name consistently appears on high-end, luxury listings, and her sale at 2005 Earlington Drive in Forest Hills is no exception. Listed for $5.295 million, she sold the house for $4.75 million, a record for the street and for the immediate neighborhood.

Average long-term mortgage rates edge higher, snapping 9-week slide

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate edged higher this week, ending a nine-week slide that gave prospective homebuyers some breathing room after home loan borrowing soared to the highest level in more than two decades.

Baker Donelson adds 8 Nashville associates

Baker Donelson has added 32 associates across the firm, including eight in Nashville. They are:

Freshman QB has Vol fans looking forward to new season

The Nico Iamaleava era has officially launched. After making a few brief appearances this season, the heralded freshman quarterback made his first career start for the University of Tennessee football team in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Poll: More Americans focusing on foreign policy

In this time of war overseas, more Americans think foreign policy should be a top focus for the U.S. government in 2024, with a new poll showing international concerns and immigration rising in importance with the public.

Best plug-in hybrids for driving past the pumps

Buying a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is a great way to try living with an electric vehicle without giving up the convenience of using gasoline for longer trips. They’re perfect for driving shorter commutes, shuttling children to school and running local errands on electricity.

Shelve diversity training, hire diverse management

Well. This wasn’t what you wanted. It was supposed to be better than this, wasn’t it? But it’s not anywhere close to what it should be. No, you expected different and that’s not right. Read the new book “Gray Areas” by Adia Harvey Wingfield, Ph.D., and you might have to think about this again.

Overspent in December? Here’s how to battle the bills

The first workday in January after the holidays hits a little bit differently: The parties are over, debt payments are soon due and it can feel like there’s nothing to look forward to.

I saved $800 in 5 months by eating more plants

I tried going vegetarian once when I was in high school. My best friend was a vegetarian, and I was curious. I lasted only about four days. My downfall was a buffalo chicken sandwich.

Dostal's 39 saves leads Ducks over Predators 5-3

NASHVILLE (AP) — Troy Terry scored a goal and assisted on another, Lukas Dostal made 39 saves and the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Nashville Predators 5-3 on Tuesday night.

Trump warns of 'Pandora's box' of perpetual presidential prosecutions if charges against him stand

Former President Donald Trump has long vowed to prosecute President Joe Biden if Trump wins November's election and the two trade places. He upped the stakes dramatically Tuesday, contending that if criminal charges against him aren't dropped, any current and future ex-presidents also could be prosecuted.

Judge rescinds permission for Trump to give his own closing argument at his civil fraud trial

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump won't make his own closing argument after all in his New York civil business fraud trial after his lawyers objected to the judge's insistence that the former president stick to "relevant" matters.

Notorious 'Access Hollywood' tape to be shown at Trump's defamation trial damages phase next week

NEW YORK (AP) — The notorious 2005 "Access Hollywood" video in which Donald Trump was caught on a hot mic speaking disparagingly about women over a decade before he became president can be shown to jurors deciding what he owes a columnist he sexually abused and then defamed, a judge ruled Tuesday, setting ground rules for a trial next week.

'Obamacare' sign-ups surge to 20 million, days before open enrollment closes

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some 20 million people have signed up for health insurance this year through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, a record-breaking figure.

For consumers shopping for an EV, new rules mean fewer models qualify for a tax credit

DETROIT (AP) — U.S. consumers looking to get a tax credit on an electric vehicle purchase have fewer models to choose from under new rules that limit the countries where automakers can buy battery parts and minerals — a potential blow to efforts to reduce planet-warming emissions from autos.

Hydrogen energy back in the vehicle conversation at CES 2024

LAS VEGAS (AP) — While electric vehicles are gaining the lion's share of the attention for carbon-neutral technology at CES 2024, hydrogen energy has snuck its way back into the conversation thanks to two automotive giants.

Alaska Airlines cancels flights on certain Boeing planes through Saturday for mandatory inspections

Alaska Airlines is canceling through Saturday all flights on Boeing 737 Max 9 planes like the one that suffered an in-flight blowout of a fuselage panel last week as it waits for new instructions from Boeing and federal officials on how to inspect the fleet.

Amazon's Twitch cuts more than 500 jobs attempting to turn expensive platform profitable

Twitch, the video game streaming platform acquired by Amazon a decade ago for close to $1 billion, is laying off more than 500 employees as the company tries to turn the tremendously expensive division profitable.

X Corp. has slashed 30% of trust and safety staff, an Australian online safety watchdog says

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — X Corp., the owner of the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has slashed its global trust and safety staff by 30% including an 80% reduction in the number of safety engineers since billionaire Elon Musk took over in 2022, Australia's online safety watchdog said on Thursday.

AI-powered misinformation is the world's biggest short-term threat, Davos report says

LONDON (AP) — False and misleading information supercharged with cutting-edge artificial intelligence that threatens to erode democracy and polarize society is the top immediate risk to the global economy, the World Economic Forum said in a report Wednesday.

Meta to hide posts about suicide, eating disorders from teens' Instagram and Facebook feeds

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Meta said Tuesday it will start hiding inappropriate content from teenagers' accounts on Instagram and Facebook, including posts about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders.

Carbon pollution is down in the US, but not fast enough to meet Biden's 2030 goal, new report says

WASHINGTON (AP) — Climate-altering pollution from greenhouse gases declined by nearly 2% in the United States in 2023, even as the economy expanded at a faster clip, a new report finds.

For IRS, backlogs and identity theft are still problems despite funding boost, watchdog says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS is still too slow in processing amended tax returns, answering taxpayer phone calls and resolving identity theft cases, according to an independent watchdog within the agency.

Economy tops US priorities for government across racial groups, AP-NORC and AAPI Data polls show

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans of various racial backgrounds largely agree that the government should focus on the economy and foreign policy issues in 2024, but recent polling shows that views among racial groups diverge on some high-profile topics, including racism and immigration.

Trump suggests unauthorized migrants will vote. The idea stirs his base, but ignores reality

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump is seizing on his party's frustration with the recent surge of illegal crossings at the southern U.S. border to churn up fears around another top GOP concern — voter fraud.

Wall Street nears record high as markets prep for an inflation report

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street neared a record high ahead of a highly anticipated report on inflation, which could show whether all the excitement that's vaulted stocks higher recently is warranted.

SEC chair denies a bitcoin ETF has been approved, says account on X was hacked

NEW YORK (AP) — The Securities and Exchange Commission said Tuesday that a post sent from the agency's account on the social platform X announcing the approval of a long-awaited bitcoin exchange-traded fund was "unauthorized," and that the agency's account was hacked.

Walmart experiments with AI to enhance customers' shopping experiences

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Walmart has unveiled plans to dive further into the world of artificial intelligence — and drones — to improve its customers' shopping experiences.

As House GOP launches effort to impeach Mayorkas, senators want to strike a border deal with him

WASHINGTON (AP) — Marching ahead with multiple impeachment plans, House Republicans set their sights Wednesday on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who they intend to prove is "derelict in his duty" over handling the surge of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Secrecy surrounding the defense secretary's hospitalization has put the White House on the defensive

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's administration pledged from Day One to restore truth and transparency to the federal government — but now it's facing a maelstrom of criticism and credibility questions after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's hospitalization was kept secret for days, even from the White House.

Hunter Biden makes surprise visit to Capitol Hill as GOP takes a first step to hold him in contempt

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden made a surprise visit to a Capitol Hill hearing Wednesday, stirring a political frenzy as Republicans were taking the first step toward holding President Joe Biden's son in contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena.

Titans have the assets for rebuild with coach Mike Vrabel's future in question

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have the seventh overall draft pick in April along with the second-most cap space to fix a roster that led the NFL in players used for a third straight season winning only six of its past 24 games.

Tennessee lawmakers kick off session to mull voucher expansion, changes after school shooting

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee lawmakers returned Tuesday for months of election-year work, anchored by the debate over whether taxpayer money to help students attend private schools should be available statewide for families of any income level.

More women join challenge to Tennessee's abortion ban law

NASHVILLE (AP) — More women on Monday joined a Tennessee lawsuit challenging the state's broad abortion ban that went into effect shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

With Trump present in court, judges express skepticism of claims that he's immune from prosecution

WASHINGTON (AP) — With Donald Trump listening intently in the courtroom, federal appeals court judges in Washington expressed deep skepticism Tuesday that the former president was immune from prosecution on charges that he plotted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Key moments in the arguments over Trump's immunity claims in his election interference case

WASHINGTON (AP) — Appeals court judges signaled Tuesday that they will likely reject Donald Trump's claims that he is immune from prosecution in his election interference case. The outcome seemed clear during arguments that touched on a range of political and legal considerations.

Ray Epps, a target of Jan. 6 conspiracy theories, gets a year of probation for his Capitol riot role

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man targeted by right-wing conspiracy theories about the U.S. Capitol riot was sentenced on Tuesday to a year of probation for joining the Jan. 6, 2021, attack by a mob of fellow Donald Trump supporters.

NRA lawyer says gun rights group is defendant, victim at civil trial over leader's big spending

NEW YORK (AP) — A National Rifle Association lawyer acknowledged in court Tuesday that some former executives and outside vendors may have ripped off the influential gun rights group with lavish spending and self-dealing.

A judge has temporarily halted enforcement of an Ohio law limiting kids' use of social media

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A federal judge issued an order Tuesday temporarily halting enforcement of a pending Ohio law that would require children to get parental consent to use social media apps.

ChatGPT-maker braces for fight with New York Times and authors on 'fair use' of copyrighted works

A barrage of high-profile lawsuits in a New York federal court will test the future of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence products that wouldn't be so eloquent had they not ingested huge troves of copyrighted human works.

National Association of Realtors grapples with more leadership turmoil as president resigns

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The National Association of Realtors is grappling with more turmoil in its top leadership ranks just over two months after the trade group's CEO stepped down well before his planned retirement.

IRS announces Jan. 29 as start of 2024 tax season

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS on Monday announced January 29 as the official start date of the 2024 tax season, and expects more than 128.7 million tax returns to be filed by the April 15 tax deadline.

GE business to fill order for turbines to power Western Hemisphere's largest wind project

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A business to be spun off by General Electric will build hundreds of turbines for what will be the largest wind project in the Western Hemisphere, part of a massive equipment order and long-term service agreement with the global renewable-energy giant Pattern Energy.

JetBlue's CEO is stepping down, and he'll be replaced by the first woman to lead a big US airline

NEW YORK (AP) — JetBlue said Monday that CEO Robin Hayes will step down next month and be replaced by the airline's president, Joanna Geraghty, who will be the first woman to lead a major U.S. carrier.

Indonesia temporarily grounds Boeing 737-9 Max jetliners after Alaska Airlines incident

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia has temporarily grounded three Boeing 737-9 Max jetliners, following an incident last week in which an Alaska Airlines plane suffered a blowout that left a gaping hole in the side of the fuselage.

A look at recent crashes and safety problems involving Boeing planes

SEATTLE (AP) — The blowout of part of the fuselage on a Boeing 737 Max flying over Oregon is the latest in a string of safety problems — including two devastating crashes — for the aerospace giant.

CES 2024 updates: The most interesting news and gadgets from tech's big show

LAS VEGAS (AP) — CES 2024 kicks off in Las Vegas this week. The multi-day trade event put on by the Consumer Technology Association is set to feature swaths of the latest advances and gadgets across personal tech, transportation, health care, sustainability and more — with burgeoning uses of artificial intelligence almost everywhere you look.

Marine commandant has open heart surgery, Corps says he will return to full duty

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gen. Eric Smith, the commandant of the Marine Corps, had open heart surgery Monday, and he is expected to return to full duty as the service's leader, the Corps said in a statement.

Global economy will slow for a third straight year in 2024, World Bank predicts

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hobbled by high interest rates, persistent inflation, slumping trade and a diminished China, the global economy will slow for a third consecutive year in 2024.

Wall Street drifts in mixed trading as oil recovers some of its losses

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street drifted through a quiet day of mixed trading Tuesday, where most stocks fell but a handful of influential companies kept the losses in check.

New rule tightens worker classification standards; Uber, Lyft say their drivers won't be affected

The Biden administration enacted a new labor rule Tuesday that aims to prevent the misclassification of workers as "independent contractors," a step that could bolster both legal protections and compensation for millions of in the U.S. workforce.

US retail mortgage lender loanDepot struggles with cyberattack

BOSTON (AP) — The U.S. retail mortgage lender loanDepot is struggling to recover from a cyberattack that impacted its loan processing and phone service.

Defense Secretary Austin was treated for prostate cancer, urinary tract infection, doctors say

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has prostate cancer, and his recent secretive hospitalization was for surgery and later to treat a urinary tract infection related to that operation, his doctors said Tuesday.

Maine House votes down GOP effort to impeach election official who removed Trump from ballot

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Democrats who control the Maine Legislature on Tuesday turned back a Republican effort to impeach the state's top election official for her decision to remove former President Donald Trump from the state ballot over his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Zelenskyy, Blinken, Israeli president, more will come to Davos to talk about global challenges

LONDON (AP) — More than 60 heads of state and government and hundreds of business leaders are coming to Switzerland to discuss the biggest global challenges during the World Economic Forum's annual gathering next week, ranging from Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Biden renominates Julie Su for labor secretary after Senate declined to confirm her for ten months

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House announced Monday that President Joe Biden has renominated Julie Su to serve as labor secretary as her confirmation has languished in the Senate for more than 10 months.

Henry turns in his best game of season in possible finale with Titans

NASHVILLE (AP) — If Derrick Henry's career with the Tennessee Titans truly is over, the four-time Pro Bowl running back and two-time NFL rushing champ made his finale a day to remember.

Lawrence stopped short of goal line as Jags eliminated from playoff race in 28-20 loss to Titans

NASHVILLE (AP) — Trevor Lawrence called his own number on fourth-and-goal at the 1, stretching the ball out with the right arm that had him questionable for a game the Jacksonville Jaguars had to win to reach the playoffs for a second straight season.

Falcons fire former Titans OC Smith hours after completing 3rd straight 7-10 season

ATLANTA (AP) — Arthur Smith, who inherited a rebuilding project in his first NFL head coaching job and failed to lift Atlanta from its playoff drought, was fired late Sunday night, hours after completing his third straight losing season with the Falcons.

Clock ticking for Haslam family to sell stake in Pilot truck stops to Berkshire Hathaway this year

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Following the settlement of a lawsuit pitting Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam against fellow billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway, the clock is ticking for the Haslam family to decide whether to sell its remaining stake in the Pilot truck stop chain to Berkshire.

Judge in Trump's DC election case is targeted by fake emergency call in latest high-profile swatting

WASHINGTON (AP) — A home owned by the judge overseeing the federal election subversion case against former president Donald Trump was targeted by a fake emergency call Sunday night, the latest in a spate of similar false swatting reports at the homes of public officials in recent days.

Supreme Court denies Alaska's bid to revive copper, gold Pebble Mine proposal blocked by EPA

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday rejected Alaska's bid to revive a proposed copper and gold mine that was blocked by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Judge blocks Trump lawyers from arguing about columnist's rape claim at upcoming defamation trial

NEW YORK (AP) — A judge late Saturday said former President Donald Trump's lawyers can't present legal arguments to a jury assessing damages at a defamation trial on a jury's conclusion last year that he didn't rape a columnist in the mid-1990s.

Vietnam's VinFast to build a $2B EV plant in India as part of its global expansion

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Vietnamese automaker VinFast says it plans to spend up to $2 billion to build an electric vehicle factory in India, the world's third-largest auto market by sales.

White House infrastructure czar Landrieu leaving job and expected to make case for Biden reelection

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House infrastructure coordinator Mitch Landrieu is leaving his post after two years and is expected to help push publicly for President Joe Biden's reelection.

Apple's Vision Pro headset launches next month as company seeks to expand mixed-reality market

Apple's high-priced headset for toggling between the real and digital world will be available in its stores beginning Feb. 2, launching the trendsetting company's push to broaden the appeal of what so far has been a niche technology.

CES 2024 is upon us. Here's what to expect from this year's annual show of all-things tech

LAS VEGAS (AP) — CES, the Consumer Technology Association's annual trade show of all-things tech, is kicking off in Las Vegas this week.

Moon landing attempt by US company appears doomed after 'critical' fuel leak

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The first U.S. moon landing attempt in more than 50 years appeared to be doomed after a private company's spacecraft developed a "critical" fuel leak just hours after Monday's launch.

What to know about the Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 jet that suffered a blowout

NEW YORK (AP) — An emergency landing by an Alaska Airlines jetliner has prompted U.S. federal authorities to ground some Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft, adding another episode to the troubled history of Boeing's Max lineup of jets.

Pope in major policy address calls for universal ban on surrogacy, says it exploits mother, child

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis called Monday for a universal ban on what he called the "despicable" practice of surrogate motherhood, as he included the "commercialization" of pregnancy in an annual speech listing threats to global peace and human dignity.

Wall Street rallies as Big Tech recovers but oil and Boeing tumble

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street rallied to claw back most of the losses from its slow start to the year.

Tiger Woods, Nike end partnership after more than 27 years

Tiger Woods has gone from "Hello, world," to saying goodbye to Nike.

Yellen says 100,000 firms have joined a business database aimed at unmasking shell company owners

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is announcing that 100,000 businesses have joined a new database that collects "beneficial ownership" information on firms as part of a new government effort to unmask shell company owners.

Congressional leaders announce an agreement on spending levels, a key step to averting shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders have reached an agreement on overall spending levels for the current fiscal year that could help avoid a partial government shutdown later this month.

White House will review Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's lack of disclosure on his hospital stay

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House said Monday the administration will review what rules or procedures weren't followed when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin did not disclose his hospitalization for days to President Joe Biden and top officials at the Pentagon and the National Security Council. The Pentagon maintained its silence on why Austin was hospitalized and said he has no plans to resign.

Pederson keeps playoff math simple for his Jaguars: Beat the Titans

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans have one thing in common going into their regular-season finale.

Flames score 4 goals in 1st, beat Predators 6-3 for 3rd straight win

NASHVILLE (AP) — Connor Zary, Blake Coleman, Rasmus Andersson and Yegor Sharangovich each had a goal and an assist in the Calgary Flames' 6-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.

Nashville is reassigning 10 officers following the leak of a school shooter's writings, police say

NASHVILLE (AP) — Ten officers with the Nashville police department's specialized investigative unit will be reassigned following an unauthorized release of writings from the shooter who killed six people, including three children, at The Covenant School last year.

NY seeks $370M in penalties in Trump's civil fraud trial. His defense says gains weren't ill-gotten

NEW YORK (AP) — New York state lawyers increased their request for penalties to over $370 million Friday in Donald Trump's civil business fraud trial, while his defense argued that 10-plus weeks of testimony produced no evidence of fraudulent intentions or ill-gotten gains.

Massachusetts voters become latest to try and keep Trump off ballot over Jan. 6 attack

BOSTON (AP) — Five Republican and Democratic voters in Massachusetts have become the latest to challenge former President Donald Trump's eligibility to appear on the Republican primary election ballot, claiming he is ineligible to hold office because he encouraged and did little to stop the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Hundreds of convictions, but a major mystery is still unsolved 3 years after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot

WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of far-right extremist groups. Former police officers. An Olympic gold medalist swimmer. And active duty U.S. Marines.

President Biden lambastes Trump for Jan. 6 Capitol riot, a day 'we nearly lost America'

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. (AP) — President Joe Biden warned Friday that Donald Trump's efforts to retake the White House in 2024 pose a grave threat to the country, the day before the third anniversary of the violent riot at the U.S. Capitol by then-President Trump's supporters aiming to keep him in power,

Haley draws more attacks from Republican rivals after a televised town hall in Iowa

WASHINGTON (AP) — Nikki Haley's rivals for the Republican presidential nomination are ratcheting up their attacks on her as Iowa's first-in-the-nation voting draws closer.

What to know about changes to this year's FAFSA application for college students

NEW YORK (AP) — A new version of the federal student aid application known as the FAFSA is available for the 2024-2025 school year, but only on a limited basis as the U.S. Department of Education works on a redesign meant to make it easier to apply.

The new FAFSA is meant to make applying for college aid easier, but not everyone can access it yet

NEW YORK (AP) — A new online application designed to make applying for federal student aid easier went live this week, but not everyone has been able to access it.

Biden administration cuts pay for student loan servicers after a bungled return to repayment

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is docking more than $2 million in payments to student loan servicers that failed to send billing statements on time after the end of a coronavirus pandemic payment freeze.

Tesla recalls 1.6M-plus EVs exported to China to fix automatic steering, door latch glitches

BEIJING (AP) — Tesla is recalling more than 1.6 million Model S, X, 3 and Y electric vehicles exported to China for problems with their automatic assisted steering and door latch controls.

New gun law has blocked over 500 firearms from being bought by young people, attorney general says

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 500 gun purchases have been blocked since a new gun law requiring stricter background checks for young people went into effect in 2022, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday, the day after a school shooting in Iowa left a sixth-grader dead.

Florida can import prescription drugs from Canada, US regulators say

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday cleared the way for Florida's first-in-the-nation plan to import prescription drugs from Canada, a long-sought approach to accessing cheaper medications that follows decades of frustration with U.S. drug prices.

Eli Lilly starts website to connect patients with new obesity treatment, Zepbound, other drugs

Eli Lilly has launched a unique website to connect U.S. patients seeking obesity treatment to doctors, dieticians and its new weight-loss drug, Zepbound.

US employers add a surprisingly strong 216,000 jobs in a sign of continued economic strength

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's employers added a robust 216,000 jobs last month, the latest sign that the American labor market remains resilient even in the face of sharply higher interest rates.

Global food prices declined from record highs in 2022, the UN says. Except for these two staples

ROME (AP) — Global prices for food commodities like grain and vegetable oil fell last year from record highs in 2022, when Russia's war in Ukraine, drought and other factors helped worsen hunger worldwide, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said Friday.

Europe's inflation is up after months of decline. Could it delay interest rate cuts?

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Inflation plaguing Europe rose to 2.9% in December, rebounding after seven straight monthly declines as food prices rose and support for high energy bills ended in some countries. The rise in price levels fueled debate over how soon interest rate cuts could be expected from the European Central Bank.

Wall Street inches higher but still marks its first losing week in the last 10

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street drifted to a higher close but still marked its first losing week in the last 10.

PepsiCo products are being pulled from some Carrefour grocery stores in Europe over price hikes

PARIS (AP) — Global supermarket chain Carrefour will stop selling PepsiCo products in it stores in France, Belgium, Spain and Italy over price increases for popular items like Lay's potato chips, Quaker Oats, Lipton tea and its namesake soda.

NRA chief, one of the most powerful figures in US gun policy, says he's resigning days before trial

NEW YORK (AP) — The longtime head of the National Rifle Association said Friday he is resigning, just days before the start of a civil trial over allegations he diverted millions of dollars from the powerful gun rights organization to pay for personal travel and other lavish perks.

House Republicans ready contempt of Congress charges against Hunter Biden over a subpoena he defied

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans plan to move forward next week with holding Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress after the president's son defied a congressional subpoena to appear for a private deposition last month.

UN economic forecast cites conflicts, sluggish trade, high interest, climate disasters

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations issued a somber global economic forecast for 2024 on Thursday, pointing to challenges from escalating conflicts, sluggish global trade, persistently high interest rates and increasing climate disasters.

Titans coach Vrabel: 'of course I want to be here' next season

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel started off Wednesday by apologizing for using an expletive a day earlier while describing the feeling of losing 18 of 23 games.

Tennessee judge denies release of more records in sexual harassment complaint against ex-lawmaker

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee judge has squashed an attempt to release more records involving a sexual harassment complaint against a former state lawmaker, including information about how tax dollars may have been spent as part of the investigation.

Proud Boys member who went on the run after conviction in the Jan. 6 riot gets 10 years in prison

WASHINGTON (AP) — A member of the Proud Boys extremist group who went on the run after he was convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the U.S. Capitol and then allegedly faked a drug overdose after he was caught was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison.

Trump asks US Supreme Court to overturn Colorado ruling barring him from ballot over Jan. 6 attack

DENVER (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling barring him from the Colorado ballot, setting up a high-stakes showdown over whether a constitutional provision prohibiting those who "engaged in insurrection" will end his political career.

Supreme Court is expected to determine whether Trump can keep running for president. Here's why

DENVER (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to determine whether former President Donald Trump can keep running for the White House.

Kia EV9, Toyota Prius and Ford Super Duty pickup win 2024 North American SUV, car and truck awards

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — The Kia EV9 large electric SUV won the 2024 North American Utility of the Year award, while the Toyota Prius hybrid took the top car honors, and Ford's Super Duty pickup won the truck award.

US new vehicle sales rise 12% as buyers shake off high prices, interest rates, and auto strikes

DETROIT (AP) — Undeterred by high prices, rising interest rates, autoworker strikes and a computer-chip shortage that slowed assembly lines, American consumers still bought 15.6 million new vehicles last year, 12% more than in 2022, the biggest increase in more than a decade.

China's BYD is rivaling Tesla in size. Can it also match its global reach?

BEIJING (AP) — A less flashy Chinese electric vehicle maker is fast closing the gap with Tesla, the longtime, market-leading pioneer.

Voters file an objection to Trump's name on the Illinois ballot

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A petition filed by five voters on Thursday seeks to bar former President Donald Trump from the Illinois Republican primary election ballot in March, claiming he is ineligible to hold office because he encouraged and did little to stop the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

One attack, two interpretations: Biden, Trump make Jan. 6 riot a political rallying cry

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former President Donald Trump will spend Saturday's third anniversary of the Capitol riot by holding two campaign rallies in leadoff-voting Iowa in his bid to win back the White House.

Wall Street ends mixed, and yields rise after solid data on the economy

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street's weak start to 2024 carried into a third day, and stocks finished mixed on Thursday following reports showing the U.S. job market remains solid, though maybe a touch too strong.

SpaceX accused of unlawfully firing employees who were critical of Elon Musk

NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. labor agency has accused SpaceX of unlawfully firing employees who penned an open letter critical of CEO Elon Musk and creating an impression that worker activities were under surveillance by the rocket ship company.

US applications for unemployment benefits fall again as job market continues to show strength

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week as the labor market continues to show resilience despite elevated interest rates.

Biden administration announces $162M to expand computer chip factories in Colorado, Oregon

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is providing $162 million to Microchip Technology to support the domestic production of computer chips — the second funding announcement tied to a 2022 law designed to revive U.S. semiconductor manufacturing.

Drugstore chain Walgreens cuts quarterly dividend to get more cash to grow its business

Walgreens is chopping its dividend nearly in half as the drugstore chain looks to strengthen its balance sheet.

Trump's lawyers want special counsel Smith held in contempt in 2020 election interference case

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for former President Donald Trump on Thursday pressed to have special counsel Jack Smith's team held in contempt, saying the prosecutors had taken steps to advance the 2020 election interference case against him in violation of a judge's order last month that temporarily put the case on hold.

Blinken heads to the Mideast again as fears of regional conflict surge

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Biden administration grapples with an increasingly tense and unstable situation in the Middle East, Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to the region this weekend for the fourth time in three months on a tour expected to focus largely on easing resurgent fears that the Israel-Hamas war could erupt into a broader conflict.

Houthis launch sea drone to attack ships hours after US, allies issue 'final warning'

WASHINGTON (AP) — An armed unmanned surface vessel launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen got within a "couple of miles" of U.S. Navy and commercial vessels in the Red Sea before detonating on Thursday, just hours after the White House and a host of partner nations issued a "final warning" to the Iran-backed militia group to cease the attacks or face potential military action.