AP National News

By JONATHAN J. COOPER Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Republican officials in a rural Arizona county refused Monday to certify the 2022 election ahead of the deadline amid pressure from prominent Republicans to reject a vote count that had Democrats winning for U.S. Senate, governor and other statewide races. State election officials have vowed to

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — “We the People” is Jill Biden’s holiday theme with White House decorations designed for “the people” to see themselves in the tree ornaments, mantel displays, mirrors and do-it-yourself creations that have turned the mansion’s public spaces into a winter wonderland. “The soul of our nation is, and

By CAROLYN THOMPSON Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The white gunman who massacred 10 Black shoppers and workers at a Buffalo supermarket pleaded guilty Monday to murder and hate-motivated terrorism charges, guaranteeing he will spend the rest of his life in prison. Payton Gendron, 19, entered the plea Monday in a courthouse roughly two

By KANIS LEUNG and ZEN SOO Associated Press HONG KONG (AP) — Students in Hong Kong chanted “oppose dictatorship” in a protest of China’s COVID-19 rules Monday after demonstrators on the mainland issued an unprecedented call for President Xi Jinping to resign in the biggest show of opposition to the ruling Communist Party in decades.

By MATTHEW LEE AP Diplomatic Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says Russia has abruptly postponed the scheduled resumption of arms control talks this week. The State Department said Monday that Russia had “unilaterally postponed” a meeting of the Bilateral Consultative Commission that was scheduled to begin Tuesday in Egypt. The commission hammers out

By AMY BETH HANSON Associated Press HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana officials are asking a judge to lift a restraining order that restricted wolf hunting and trapping in the state. Monday’s hearing before District Judge Chris Abbott in Helena comes as Montana and other Republican-led states have moved in recent years to make it easier

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Cryptocurrency lender BlockFi is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as the fallout from the collapse of FTX continues. BlockFi said Monday that it was filing for bankruptcy protection to stabilize its business and give it the chance to perform a restructuring. The company said its restructuring will include

By JAMEY KEATEN Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine prepared for more Russian strikes against energy and other key infrastructure Monday in what appears to be a weekly pattern, and warned of possible evacuations from the capital. Estonia’s foreign minister joined counterparts from six Baltic and Nordic nations — in the largest delegation to

By LORNE COOK and STEPHEN MCGRATH Associated Press BUCHAREST (AP) — NATO returns on Tuesday to the scene of one of its most controversial decisions, intent on repeating its vow that Ukraine — now suffering through the 10th month of a war against Russia — will join the world’s biggest military alliance one day. NATO

By DAMIAN J. TROISE AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks fell in morning trading on Wall Street Monday as protests spread in China calling for President Xi Jinping to step down amid growing anger over severe COVID-19 restrictions. The world’s second largest economy has been stifled by a “zero COVID” policy which includes

By COLLEEN BARRY Associated Press MILAN (AP) — Search teams digging through meters of mud and debris on the Italian resort island of Ischia for a third day have recovered the body of an eighth victim. He was identified by the Naples prefect as a 15-year-old boy whose younger siblings were confirmed dead over the

By JAE HONG and BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — In an filthy alley behind a Los Angeles doughnut shop, Ryan Smith convulsed in the grips of a fentanyl high — lurching from moments of slumber to bouts of violent shivering on a warm summer day. When Brandice Josey, another homeless addict, bent

By HALELUYA HADERO AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Days after flocking to stores on Black Friday, consumers are turning online for Cyber Monday to score more discounts on gifts and other items that have ballooned in price because of high inflation. Cyber Monday is expected to remain the year’s biggest online shopping day

By LEANNE ITALIE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — “Gaslighting” — behavior that’s mind manipulating, grossly misleading, downright deceitful — is Merriam-Webster’s word of the year. Lookups for the word on merriam-webster.com increased 1,740% in 2022 over the year before. But something else happened. There wasn’t a single event that drove significant spikes in curiosity,

By LEANNE ITALIE AP Entertainment Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Don’t look for plastic partitions or faraway benches when visiting Santa Claus this year. The jolly old elf is back, pre-pandemic style, and he’s got some pressing issues on his mind. Santa booker HireSanta.com has logged a 30% increase in demand this Christmas season over

By OMAR FARUK Associated Press MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Somali forces are still trying to flush out armed assailants who attacked a hotel in the capital Mogadishu, killing at least four people, according to residents. The death toll is likely to rise as there has been no official word of any casualties. There were reports

NEW YORK (AP) — A mother has been charged with murder in the stabbings of two small children in a Bronx apartment. Police said Monday that 22-year-old Dimone Fleming has been charged with killing 11-month-old Octavius Fleming-Canada and 3-year-old Dashawn Fleming. The two boys were found with multiple stab wounds on Saturday in the apartment

By CALEB JONES Associated Press HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, began spewing ash and debris from its summit, prompting civil defense officials to warn residents on Monday to prepare in case the eruption causes lava to flow toward communities. The eruption began late Sunday night in the summit caldera