National News

By  WILL WEISSERT, SAM MEDNICK and SAMY MAGDY PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, as Washington looks to create fresh momentum for a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza that could be in danger of stalling…

By  DAVE COLLINS Authorities on Monday identified two pilots who died after their helicopters collided midair in southern New Jersey. Kenneth Kirsch, 65, and Michael Greenberg, 71, were friends who both lived in New Jersey and would often have breakfast together at a…

By  ILLIA NOVIKOV KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The United States is offering Ukraine security guarantees for a period of 15 years as part of a proposed peace plan, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday, though he said he would prefer an American commitment…

By  THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The countdown is on for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. The torch relay is already underway and some of the top athletes are already making headlines. There are 16 sports in all, including some never seen before, and 116 gold medals are…

By  ANDREW DAMPF Mariah Carey is going to add some American pop-star pedigree to the opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The local organizing committee announced on Monday that the 56-year-old Carey — the “All I Want for Christmas is You” singer — is the…

By  ANNA FURMAN Creepy, zany and demonstrably fake content is often called “slop.” The word’s proliferation online, in part thanks to the widespread availability of generative artificial intelligence, landed it Merriam-Webster’s 2025 word of the year. “It’s such an illustrative word,” said…

By  MICHAEL MELIA It was one of the year’s biggest stories — the selection of the first American pope — and an Associated Press journalist was interviewing the pope’s brother at his home in suburban Chicago. Suddenly, they heard a ringing coming from…

By  JAMIE STENGLE DALLAS (AP) — From the election of Zohran Mamdani to the intrigue surrounding the jewel heist at the Louvre, keeping up with this year’s news also left some Americans struggling with pronunciations. That’s put both the name of New York City’s incoming…

By  MARIA SHERMAN New York (AP) — Much has been made about the global touring economy in the last few years. Take, for example, that tours grossing over a billion dollars is a new phenomenon in the 2020s — a benchmark…

By  LEANNE ITALIE NEW YORK (AP) — With Labubus hanging from our bags, Dubai chocolate in our bellies and “6-7” ringing in our ears, it’s almost time to bid farewell to a few things that went hard in 2025. Scat. Don’t follow us into the…

By  HOLLY RAMER Even the most dedicated doomscrollers smile once in a while. Here’s a look back at some of the Associated Press stories that captured attention around the world and provided moments of brightness throughout 2025: Art and intrigue The brazen heist…

By  HILLEL ITALIE NEW YORK (AP) — The year in publishing saw such notable releases as the latest “Hunger Games” novel and the first book in years from Thomas Pynchon. Readers also sought life advice from Mel Robbins, campaign books by former Vice President Kamala…

By  THALIA BEATY NEW YORK (AP) — The author and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott revealed $7.1 billion in donations to nonprofits in 2025 Tuesday, marking a significant increase in her annual giving from recent years. Writing in an essay on her website, Scott said, “This dollar…

By  VIRGINIA MAYO ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) — Getting ready for the holiday season has never been stressful for Christel Dauwe — after all, her holiday period lasts all year long in her Christmas ornament shop in the Belgian city of Antwerp. Her collecting…

By  ED WHITE BRIGHTON, Mich. (AP) — Ed Bambas will soon ring up his last can of corn. The 88-year-old Michigan grocery worker was handed an oversized check for $1.7 million Friday, the result of a remarkable fundraising campaign by a young Australian…

By  AMY ALONZO and MINI RACKER/The Nevada Independent As a tiny seedling began sprouting in the forest along Mount Rose Highway west of Reno, the Vietnam War was ending under President Gerald Ford, the price of gas was 53 cents per gallon and…

By  DARLENE SUPERVILLE WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump on Friday visited a children’s hospital and wished the patients strength and lots of toys from Santa Claus as she continued a decades-old tradition for first ladies. Two patients — an 11-year-old boy and a…

By  COLLEEN SLEVIN PETERSON SPACE FORCE BASE, Colo. (AP) — Sometimes kids drop the phone after hearing Santa won’t show up if they’re not asleep. Others who call the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline wonder if St. Nick will be able to…

NEW YORK (AP) — The end of 2025 is near. And the season of unwrapping our online lives — or at least a glimpse of what they looked like over the past year — is well underway. Music streamers, social media sites…

By  BERNARD MCGHEE The death of Pope Francis brought change to the Catholic Church, which counts 1.4 billion adherents and is now led — for the first time — by an American pope. The fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk as he spoke before…

By  SUSAN HAIGH WETHERSFIELD, Conn. (AP) — “Christmas at Pemberly Manor” and “Romance at Reindeer Lodge” may never make it to Oscar night, but legions of fans still love these sweet-yet-predictable holiday movies — and this season, many are making pilgrimages…

By  DARLENE SUPERVILLE WASHINGTON (AP) — Melania Trump on Monday unveiled the holiday decorations for her family’s first Christmas back at the White House and her theme is “Home Is Where the Heart Is.” The decor also nods to next year’s 250th anniversary of the signing…