AP National News

KINGSLAND, Ga. (AP) — A federal agency expects to announce its decision Monday on whether to allow a launchpad that would fly commercial rockets from coastal Georgia. However, the Federal Aviation Administration is emphasizing that a license authorizing Camden County to operate a spaceport would not yet permit the launch of any rockets. In a

By JOHN CARUCCI Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Faith Hill and Tim McGraw called on their parental instincts for “1883,” a prequel to the modern TV drama “Yellowstone.” The country music stars have been married with children for more than two decades. In the period drama “1883,” they play James and Margaret Dutton, who

By ROB GILLIES Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Canada’s largest province is cutting capacity at restaurants, bars and retailers to 50% and limiting social gatherings inside restaurants to 10 people in an effort to slow the spread of the omicron variant. Ontario’s chief medical officer of health also said Thursday that the sale of alcohol

By The Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — New York state is reporting its highest single-day total for new COVID-19 cases, with just over 21,000 people testing positive for the virus. The state’s previous one-day high for positive tests came on Jan. 14, 2021, when just under 20,000 people tested positive. Just under half of

By GEOFF MULVIHILL Associated Press A federal judge’s decision to reject a multibillion dollar opioid settlement involving OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma is being hailed as a step toward justice by advocates who have long called for greater accountability for the family that owns the company. But not everyone involved in the arduous settlement process is

By DAMIAN J. TROISE and ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writers Stocks closed lower on Wall Street, marking their third losing week in the last four. Banks, technology companies and industrials all helped pull major indexes lower Friday. The S&P 500 gave up 1%. The Nasdaq sliped 0.1% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.5%.

By THOMAS BEAUMONT Associated Press They are just three little words, but they have become nearly impossible for many Republicans to say: “Joe Biden won.” It’s a measure of election denialism within the Republican Party. Former President Donald Trump’s lies about a stolen election have so taken hold among GOP voters that many of the

By TOM HAYS and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Ghislaine Maxwell told the judge at her sex trafficking trial Friday that she would not testify in her own defense. Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges stemming from her interactions with four teenage girls from 1994 to 2004. Her defense

By AMY FORLITI and SCOTT BAUER Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota police officer who shot and killed Black motorist Daunte Wright said she’s sorry it happened. Kim Potter was the last witness Friday before the defense rested in her manslaughter trial. She is charged with manslaughter in Wright’s death during an April 11

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s unemployment rate has fallen below 7% for the fist time since March of last year at the start of the pandemic. Data made public Friday shows hiring in California slowed significantly in November compared to October. But the state still added 45,700 new jobs in

By MICHAEL R. BLOOD Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) — Leading California cannabis companies are warning Gov. Gavin Newsom that the state’s legal marijuana industry is on the verge of collapse. A letter signed by more than two dozen executives, industry officials and advocates follows years of complaints about heavy taxes and regulation that they

By JEFFREY SCHAEFFER and BARBARA SURK Associated Press PARIS (AP) — French authorities are urging people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus ahead of the holiday festivities as infections surge and the government tries to avoid another lockdown. “The fifth wave is here and it is here in full force,” Prime Minister Jean Castex said

By IAN PHILLIPS and SYLVIE CORBET NEW YORK (AP) — French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire says President Emmanuel Macron’s potential reelection next year is “very important” to further boost growth — in a clear endorsement of a candidacy that’s not yet been formally announced. The presidential vote is scheduled in April. Macron is widely

By AMY FORLITI and SCOTT BAUER Associated Press MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The defense has rested in the trial of the suburban Minneapolis police officer charged in the fatal shooting of Black motorist Daunte Wright. Kim Potter is charged with manslaughter in Wright’s death during an April 11 traffic stop in Brooklyn Center. Potter has said

By LAURAN NEERGAARD AP Medical Writer Pfizer is testing an extra dose of its COVID-19 vaccine for babies and preschoolers after preliminary research hinted the usual two doses wouldn’t be enough. Pfizer had been testing very low-dose shots in children under age 5, with some data expected by year’s end. But Pfizer and its partner

MATT OTT AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Former first lady Melania Trump launched a venture this week selling non-fungible tokens that must be paid for with Solan cryptocurrency, currently valued around $180 each. Trump said she will release NFTs “in regular intervals” on her website, with a portion of the proceeds going to

By CARLA K. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer The delta and omicron variants of the coronavirus are trying to spoil the holiday spirit, but there still are ways to enjoy the festivities. The explosive spread of the omicron variant is causing many to wonder if they should cancel their holiday plans. Health experts know that people

By TOM HAYS and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Ghislaine Maxwell’s defense called another of Jeffrey Epstein’s one-time paramours to the stand. Former Miss Sweden, New York City doctor and tabloid fixture Eva Andersson-Dubin told the jury Friday that she trusted the financier with her young daughters and denied taking part in