Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has named his campaign press secretary Karoline Leavitt to serve as his White House press secretary. The 27-year-old Leavitt would be the youngest White House press secretary in history. The press secretary typically serves as the public face of the administration and historically has
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — A climate change activist who dumped red powder on a case containing the original copy of the U.S. Constitution has been sentenced to two years in prison for his role in the publicity stunt earlier this year at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson
Continue ReadingWASHINGTON (AP) — ABC’s “This Week” — Sen.-elect Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich.; Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas; Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; Preet Bharara, former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. ___ NBC’s “Meet the Press” — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.; Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. ___ CNN’s
Continue ReadingAssociated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Incoming Democratic Senator-elect Ruben Gallego of Arizona says building authentic connections with working-class voters can help Democrats find their way back to power in Washington. Gallego did better than other Democrats in this month’s election. He told The Associated Press on Friday that he put a lot of work into
Continue ReadingSACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California officials say the state is removing a derogatory term for a Native American woman from geographic features and place names. State and local officials are consulting California’s Native American tribes for new names to replace the slur for over 30 locations in 15 counties. The move comes from a 2022
Continue ReadingWEST MILFORD, N.J. (AP) — Firefighters are getting closer to taming a wildfire burning across the New Jersey-New York border, increasing their encirclement of the hard-to-access blaze. The fire is 90% contained on the Passaic County, New Jersey, side of the border. It’s about 70% contained on the Orange County, New York side. It has
Continue ReadingAP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule from the Biden administration that would have expanded access to overtime pay to millions more salaried workers across the U.S. In a Friday ruling, U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan sided with the state of Texas and a group
Continue ReadingHUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A judge has rejected California’s lawsuit against the city of Huntington Beach over a local measure allowing officials to require voter identification at the polls. Orange County Superior Court Judge Nico Dourbetas ruled Friday that existing state law does not block the local measure, which was passed earlier this year.
Continue ReadingAssociated Press NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court has temporarily limited the scope of a ruling that Louisiana’s law requiring public schools to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms next year is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge John deGravelles’ ruling that the law is unconstitutional remains in effect under Friday’s appellate order. However, the
Continue ReadingDOUGLAS, Ga. (AP) — Officials say 12 decomposing bodies found inside a south Georgia funeral home have been identified. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced Friday that it is still trying to identify another six remains. The bureau says the funeral home owner was arrested and charged last month on 17 counts of abuse of
Continue ReadingAssociated Press RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — An already close race for a North Carolina Supreme Court seat reached a razor-thin margin as most counties completed final tallies from the Nov. 5 election. Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs and Republican challenger Jefferson Griffin were essentially even as of Friday night. The margin is within the range
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — If confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would control the world’s largest public health agency, and its $1.7 trillion budget. Kennedy for years has condemned how that agency does business — putting him on a direct collision course with some of the 80,000 scientists, researchers,
Continue ReadingAssociated Press/Report for America AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court has ruled against a legislative subpoena that lawmakers used to stave off the execution of Robert Roberson. Roberson, who was convicted of killing his 2-year-old daughter in 2003, has gained bipartisan support from lawmakers who claim he is innocent and was wrongly convicted
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson says that he will “strongly request” that the House Ethics Committee not release the results of its investigation into ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz. The move effectively rebuffs senators who are demanding access now that Gaetz is President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general. Johnson’s intervention is highly
Continue ReadingAssociated Press GILBOA, N.Y. (AP) — New York City officials are concerned about low reservoir levels after months of little rain, saying they may postpone repairs on a temporarily out-of-service aqueduct to bring more water into the stressed system. Mayor Eric Adams issued a drought watch this month and urged city residents to conserve water
Continue ReadingAssociated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The president of a Kentucky plant that exploded earlier this week said the company is accountable for the accident and will pay damages to residents affected by the blast. “First and foremost, we are devastated by the accident that happened on Tuesday,” said Ann Leonard, president of Givaudan Sense
Continue ReadingDETROIT (AP) — A man accused of stealing $44 million from a Detroit nonprofit group has pleaded guilty to financial crimes. William Smith’s fraud stunned the organization and forced some delays in a major riverfront project. For years, he controlled the money at the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, which is transforming the shore along the Detroit
Continue ReadingAssociated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, the Army National Guard veteran and Fox News host nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was flagged as a possible “Insider Threat” by a fellow service member due to a tattoo on his bicep that’s associated with white supremacist groups. Hegseth, who has downplayed
Continue ReadingAssociated Press EDMOND, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma’s education superintendent has sent an email to public school superintendents requiring them to show students his video announcement of a new Department of Religious Freedom and Patriotism. Ryan Walters, a Republican, announced the new office on Wednesday and on Thursday sent the email to school superintendents statewide. Two
Continue ReadingTRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey has launched a long-expected campaign for governor. He pledged Friday to make the state more affordable. Gottheimer’s announcement comes just over week after he won reelection for a fourth term in the House in his northern New Jersey district. He joins an already
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