AP

By Associated Press There might by more intrigue in the race for the No. 1 pick than in the race to make the playoffs in the final three weeks. There’s already a record number of teams that have clinched a playoff spot with three weeks to play in the NFL season and a record number

By Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Former NFL quarterback Nick Foles still remembers when he was launching his new apparel company with retired punter Pat O’Donnell, and they decided to send some “Dad SZN” merch to some of their old pals in various locker rooms. The package he sent to Kansas City ended up

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court said Wednesday it will consider South Carolina’s move to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the latest abortion-related case since the justices overturned Roe v. Wade. The court agreed to take up the state’s appeal of a lower-court ruling focused on whether Medicaid patients can sue

By Associated Press MADISON, Wis. — The shooter at a religious school in Wisconsin had two handguns with her but used only one in the attack that killed a teacher and a student and wounded six others, the city’s police chief said in an interview with The Associated Press on Wednesday. Police were still investigating

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — China is expanding its nuclear force, has increased military pressure against Taiwan and has strengthened its ties with Russia over the past year, according to a Pentagon report Wednesday that details actions accelerating key areas of conflict with the United States. The report, however, also notes that the recent rash

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense is expected to face his first public questioning from U.S. senators on Jan. 14. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told reporters Wednesday that the committee is planning to hold Pete Hegseth’s hearing in mid-January as the former Fox News

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — The House Ethics Committee voted in secret to release the long-awaited ethics report into ex-Rep. Matt Gaetz, raising the possibility that the allegations against the Florida Republican who was President-elect Donald Trump’s first choice for attorney general could be made public in the coming days. The decision by the bipartisan

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a defense bill Wednesday that authorizes significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members, aims to counter China’s growing power and boosts overall military spending to $895 billion while also stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for children of military members. The annual defense authorization bill usually

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump abruptly rejected a bipartisan plan Wednesday to prevent a Christmastime government shutdown, instead telling House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans to essentially renegotiate — days before a deadline when federal funding runs out. Trump’s sudden entrance into the debate and new demands sent Congress spiraling as lawmakers

By Associated Press NEW YORK — U.S. stocks tumbled to one of their worst days of the year after the Federal Reserve hinted Wednesday it may deliver fewer shots of adrenaline for the U.S. economy in 2025 than earlier thought. The S&P 500 fell 2.9%, just shy of its biggest loss for the year, to

By Associated Press NEW YORK — There’s only one Roxie Hart. And yet — stay with us here — there are many Roxie Harts. The murderous, washed-up chorus girl is the beating, biting heart of Broadway’s mainstay musical “Chicago,” but no single actor owns her. She instead belongs to a revolving sisterhood of performers who,

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Wednesday said it will hear arguments next month over the constitutionality of the federal law that could ban TikTok in the United States if its Chinese parent company doesn’t sell it. The justices will hear arguments Jan. 10 about whether the law impermissibly restricts speech in

By Associated Press It’s been a very long time since vendors sold the American chestnut on city sidewalks. It’s no longer the variety whose smell some people associate with Christmastime as it wafts from street carts. Because it’s virtually extinct. But memories of the American chestnut’s legacy keep resurfacing for the researchers who want to

By Associated Press LOS ANGELES — Jacob Elordi is suddenly everywhere in Hollywood — so much so that he thinks he must be dreaming. Amid a remarkable streak of high-profile projects with respected filmmakers — Sofia Coppola’s “Priscilla,” Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming adaptation of “Frankenstein” and, in theaters now, Paul Schrader’s “Oh, Canada” — the

By Associated Press NEW YORK — Over the four years he’s spent working on “Mufasa: The Lion King,” Barry Jenkins estimates that he’s been asked why he wanted to make it at least 400 times. The question of why Jenkins, the filmmaker of “Moonlight” and “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “The Underground Railroad,” would

By Associated Press TORONTO — The premier of Canada’s most populous province said Tuesday President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to impose sweeping 25% tariffs on all Canadian products would be a “disaster” that would hurt U.S. stock markets. Ontario Premier Doug Ford also said in an interview with The Associated Press that he’s “extremely worried” about

By Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday by a quarter-point — its third cut this year — but also signaled that it expects to reduce rates more slowly next year than it previously envisioned, largely because of still-elevated inflation. The Fed’s 19 policymakers projected that they will cut

By Associated Press The griping Vatican-based thriller “Conclave” about picking a new pope and Stephanie Hsu starring in the dark comedy “Laid” as a woman whose former lovers keep unexpectedly dying are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you. Also among the streaming offerings worth your time

By Kimberly Przeszlowski Quinnipiac University The Conversation via AP The fatal shooting of Brian Thompson, the chief executive of UnitedHealthcare, on Dec. 4, 2024, in New York City, immediately captured national attention. But many people immediately fixated mostly on the manhunt for the assailant, and then on Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old suspect who was charged

By Metro Creative Home renovations are wildly popular, and that popularity can be traced to a number of factors. Some homeowners renovate their homes with their own comfort in mind, while others do so to improve the resale value of the property. For those in the latter group, a recognition of renovations that yield the

By Metro Creative Hosts have free rein when it comes to planning a holiday menu. Despite that freedom, many hosts feel obligated to prepare some holiday season staples their guests will surely expect when they sit down at the dinner table. Stuffing is a dish many celebrants can’t wait to see on the holiday dinner

By Associated Press Patrick Mahomes is battling another ankle injury. Josh Allen has a banged-up shoulder. Geno Smith is dealing with a knee issue. Those are just the quarterbacks who got hurt in Week 15. The Detroit Lions keep losing players at an alarming rate. Other teams are dealing with injuries to key players. It’s

By Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is preparing to play against Houston on Saturday, unless his ailing ankle puts the two-time MVP in such a precarious position that he can’t protect himself or he “puts the football team in a bad position.” Mahomes sustained a mild high-ankle sprain late in