By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Former U.S. President Barack Obama said he did not see evidence that aliens “have made contact with us,” after sending social media abuzz by saying aliens were real on a podcast over the weekend. During a lightning round…
By MICHAEL CASEY BOSTON (AP) — More than a decade before he became the country’s first president, George Washington was leading a critical campaign in the early days of the American Revolution. The Siege of Boston was his first campaign as…
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Government offices, the stock market and schools are closed Monday in observance of Presidents Day, but most big retailers are open. When in doubt, call ahead or look up more specific schedules online for stores in your neighborhood.…
By STEFANIE DAZIO and ANNIE RISEMBERG MILAN (AP) — For fans of the Milan Cortina Olympic mascots, the eponymous Milo and Tina, it’s been nearly impossible to find a plush toy of the stoat siblings in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Many of the official…
By TIM REYNOLDS Chris Paul, the “Point God” who was a 12-time All-Star selection and two-time Olympic gold medalist, announced his retirement on Friday in the capper of a 21-season career that will surely merit induction into the Basketball Hall of…
By KOSTYA MANENKOV HIIUMAA, Estonia (AP) — Temperatures in northern Europe have been so low that citizens of Estonia can now drive across a 20-kilometer (12 1/2-mile) stretch of frozen sea linking the country’s two main islands. The so-called “ice road”…
By RACHEL BECKER/CalMatters Just weeks after a mountain lion wandered into San Francisco, state officials voted to permanently protect populations of the charismatic predators that prowl the coastal mountains between the Bay Area and the Mexican border. Mountain lions are one of the…
By JAIMIE DING LOS ANGELES (AP) — In the arid, cracked desert ground in Southern California, a tiny bee pokes its head out of a hole no larger than the tip of a crayon. Krystle Hickman crouches over with her specialized…
By DOUG FERGUSON PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Taylor Swift boosted ticket sales to the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-am without even being there. Pebble Beach had an extra buzz Friday morning with rumors swirling in the cool Pacific breeze Swift would be…
By TASSANEE VEJPONGSA ABOARD BATTLESHIP NEW JERSEY (AP) — Aboard the Battleship New Jersey, surrounded by friends, family and the ship’s important legacy, John “Johnny Q” Quinesso Sr. marked a milestone: his 100th birthday. The World War II Navy veteran and…
By JOE REEDY ESPN is planning on making the Super Bowl a year-around experience instead of just one day. The network — which will carry the Super Bowl for the first time — on Wednesday unveiled its plans leading up to…
By LIAM MCEWAN LOS ANGELES (AP) — Eight hundred episodes, 37 seasons, and one four-fingered family that refuses to age. As “The Simpsons” hits a milestone few series have ever glimpsed this weekend, the architects behind Springfield are reflecting on the choices that…
By ELÉONORE HUGHES RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — The mayor of Rio de Janeiro gave King Momo the key to the Brazilian city on Friday, ushering in the symbolic Carnival monarch’s five-day reign over the festivities. Until Wednesday, Momo is charged with presiding…
ROME (AP) — A Slovak fugitive who had been on the run for 16 years was finally arrested when he turned up in Milan to support his national ice hockey team at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, police said Friday. The 44-year-old…
By MARK KENNEDY NEW YORK (AP) — This Valentine’s Day, Rodney Ingram will be doing what he loves with the one he loves. All on Broadway. The newlywed plays the title role in Disney’s “Aladdin” alongside his wife, Sonia, who covers multiple roles.…
By MARCIA DUNN CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A new crew rocketed toward the International Space Station on Friday to replace the astronauts who returned to Earth early in NASA’s first medical evacuation. SpaceX launched the replacements as soon as possible at NASA’s request,…
By ADITHI RAMAKRISHNAN NEW YORK (AP) — The first solar eclipse of the year will grace Antarctica, and only a lucky few will get to bask — or waddle — in its glow. Tuesday’s annular solar eclipse, known as a “ ring of fire,” will…
By TRAVIS LOLLER NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Highlights from a trove of more than 200 love letters that tell the story of a couple’s courtship and marriage during World War II are now on display digitally through the Nashville Public Library, offering an…
By DEE-ANN DURBIN It’s a tale as old as time, or at least as old as TikTok: chicken nuggets lovingly topped with a dab of caviar. McDonald’s is embracing the trend this Valentine’s Day with a limited-time McNugget Caviar kit. The…
By STAN CHOE NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks steadied on Friday after an encouraging update on inflation helped calm a Wall Street that’s been wracked by worries about how artificial-intelligence technology may upend the business world. The S&P 500 barely budged, a day after…
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER WASHINGTON (AP) — A key measure of inflation fell to nearly a five-year low last month as apartment rental price growth slowed and gas prices fell, offering some relief to Americans grappling with the sharp cost increases of the past…
By DEE-ANN DURBIN Wendy’s is closing several hundred U.S. restaurants and increasing its focus on value after a weaker-than-expected fourth quarter. The Dublin, Ohio-based company said Friday that its global same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year,…
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco teachers reached a tentative agreement Friday with the school district to end their strike, the first such walkout in nearly 50 years. San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent Maria Su said schools…
By ALEX ROZIER/Mississippi Today North Mississippi senators pleaded for an improved disaster response from the state Thursday as thousands of their constituents still lacked power nearly three weeks after the January winter storm. Sen. Rita Potts Parks, a Republican from Corinth,…