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Getting trapped in quicksand is a corny peril of old movies and TV shows, but it really did happen to one unfortunate hiker in Utah's Arches National Park.
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San Mateo County is looking for volunteers to help with next year’s Point in Time count, which is a census of so…
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The heirs of an 83-year-old Connecticut woman are suing ChatGPT maker OpenAI and its business partner Microsoft for wrongful death. They claim the artificial intelligence chatbot intensified her son’s “paranoid delusions” and helped direct them at his mother before he killed her. Police said Stein-Erik Soelberg, 56, a former tech industry worker, fatally beat and strangled his mother, Suzanne Adams, and killed himself in early August. The lawsuit claims OpenAI designed a defective product that validated a user's paranoid delusions, leading him to kill his own mother.
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop deploying California National Guard troops in Los Angeles. A judge in San Francisco on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction sought by California officials to end the deployment and return the remaining troops to the state's command. But he put the decision on hold until Monday. The White House suggested the administration will appeal. The Trump administration ordered the deployment of thousands of troops to Los Angeles in June over Gov. Gavin Newsom's objections following clashes between immigration officers and protesters. California officials argued that conditions in Los Angeles had since changed. The administration said the Guard was still needed to protect federal personnel and property.
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Tens of thousands of residents in western Washington are facing potential evacuation orders as another round of heavy rain drops on the region. The rain is threatening to bring catastrophic flooding as rivers near historic levels. Days of seemingly unrelenting heavy rain have already triggered rescues and road closures. Gov. Bob Ferguson has declared a statewide emergency, saying, “lives will be at stake in the coming days.” In Skagit County, a major agricultural region north of Seattle, those within the Skagit River’s floodplain have already been ordered to evacuate.
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Some of the nation’s most prestigious colleges have been enrolling record numbers of low-income students as campuses prioritize economic diversity in the wake of a ban on affirmative action. Students from lower economic rungs remain in the minority on elite campuses, but some schools have accelerated efforts to reach a wider swath of the country. College officials have been steering more financial aid to students whose families are not among the highest earners and seeking out students in poorer areas. Several elite colleges have new freshman classes with more low-income students than ever, including Princeton, Johns Hopkins and MIT.
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lawyers for the 22-year-old Utah man charged with killing Charlie Kirk are due in court Thursday as they push to further limit media access in the high-profile criminal case.
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Some of the most recognizable artwork depicting the American West is heading to auction at Christie’s, where dozens of pieces from billionaire Bill Koch’s collection are expected to fetch at least $50 million.
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Defense attorneys and prosecutors are set to choose the jurors who will decide whether a Wisconsin judge accused of helping a Mexican immigrant dodge federal officers broke the law. Federal prosecutors charged Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan in April with obstruction and concealing an individual to prevent arrest. She could face up to six years in prison if convicted on both counts. Jury selection for her trial is set to begin Thursday. Opening statements are set for Monday. Dugan has maintained she was acting within her authority when she led the man out of her courtroom through a private doorway when she learned agents were in the courthouse looking to arrest him.
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Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore has been jailed, according to court records. He was detained on Wednesday, just hours after he was fired for what the university said was an “inappropriate relationship with a staff member.” According to the Washtenaw County Jail, the 39-year-old Moore had been booked into the facility as of Wednesday evening. The jail’s records did not provide any information about why Moore was detained or whether any court appearances were scheduled. In response to media inquiries about Moore, Pittsfield Township Police Department said officers took a person into custody after investigating an alleged assault. The police statement did not mention anyone by name.
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Residents of western Washington state began packing up and fleeing rising rivers as heavy rain causes rivers to rise. An atmospheric river is swelling rivers toward record levels, with major flooding expected in areas like the Skagit River, north of Seattle. On Wednesday, dozens of vehicles were backed up at a sandbag-filling station in the town of Mount Vernon. Authorities warned residents within the river's floodplain to be ready to evacuate. Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson has declared a statewide emergency. The weather service expects several days of heavy rainfall along the coast.
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Federal health officials have expanded an outbreak of infant botulism tied to ByHeart baby formula to include any illnesses reported since the company began production in 2022. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that at least 51 babies in 19 states have been sickened since 2023. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said new cases include any infants with botulism who consumed ByHeart formula since the product's release. The outbreak was announced on Nov. 8. ByHeart recalled all of its products sold in the U.S. and around the world on Nov. 11.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prison officials say the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch is fit to stand trial on federal sex trafficking charges after he was hospitalized with Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia and a traumatic brain injury.
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Oil companies have offered $300 million for drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico in the first offshore lease sale for the region since 2023. Wednesday's Department of Interior auction was the first of 30 sales planned for the Gulf under Republican efforts to ramp up U.S. fossil fuel production. The sale came after President Donald Trump’s administration announced plans to allow new drilling off Florida and California for the first time in decades, drawing pushback from critics worried about impacts on tourism. Wednesday’s sale was mandated by the sweeping tax-and-spending bill approved by Republicans over the summer. Thirty companies submitted bids, including industry giants Chevron, Shell and BP.
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NEW YORK (AP) — The Bronx man charged with shooting Jets player Kris Boyd appeared in a New York City court late Tuesday, a day after authorities tracked him down at an apartment complex in the Buffalo area.
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An infant botulism outbreak has sickened at least 39 babies across the U.S. and underscored the crucial role of a medication that treats the rare disease. BabyBIG, an IV drug, is made from blood plasma donated by a small group of scientists and other volunteers. It was the brainchild of the late Dr. Stephen Arnon. He was a California scientist who first identified the form of botulism that affects babies under age 1 and then spent his 45-year career figuring out how to treat it. It took 15 years and $10.6 million to develop the treatment licensed in 2003.
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The Trump administration is adding another militarized zone to the southern U.S. border to support border security operations — this time in California. The Department of Interior on Wednesday said it would transfer jurisdiction along most of California’s international border with Mexico to the Navy. Since April, large swaths of border have been designated militarized zones, empowering U.S. troops to apprehend immigrants and others accused of trespassing on Army, Air Force or Navy bases. The military strategy was pioneered in April along a 170-mile (275-kilometer) stretch of the border in New Mexico and later expanded to portions of the border in Texas and Arizona.
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Charli XCX is making a trip to the Sundance Film Festival in January. The pop singer-songwriter appears in three films premiering at the 2026 festival, including a mockumentary that she produced and stars in. Programmers on Wednesday unveiled a lineup of 90 feature films set for the festival…
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President Donald Trump’s push for the largest mass deportation in history has had an outsized impact on the child care field, which is heavily reliant on immigrants and already strained by a worker shortage. Immigrant child care workers and preschool teachers, the majority of whom are working and living in the U.S. legally, say they are wracked by anxiety over possible encounters with ICE officials. Some have left the field, and others have been forced out by changes to immigration policy. About one-fifth of the child care workforce is Latino, and one-fifth were born outside the United States.
AP
Democrat Eileen Higgins’ victory in the Miami mayoral race marks a setback for Republican President Donald Trump. The president endorsed Higgins' rival and has touted his 2024 win in the area as evidence of his appeal in Florida and particularly among Hispanic voters. Higgins, who will be the city’s first female mayor, secured a decisive win over Trump’s pick, Emilio Gonzalez on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Higgins said she will explore legal ways to unwind an agreement that empowers police officers to conduct immigration enforcement. She emphasized affordability issues, contrasting Trump’s dismissive stance on inflation. Higgins also expressed concerns over a proposed Trump presidential library in Miami, calling it a “land giveaway.”
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NEW YORK (AP) — After a yearslong legal battle, U.S. prosecutors told the Supreme Court on Tuesday that they want to give up their fight to preserve the convictions of a former Fox executive and South American sports media company in a corruption case related to TV rights for international s…
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A’ja Wilson stood atop the WNBA again, winning an unprecedented fourth MVP as her Las Vegas Aces earned a third championship in four seasons. For that, she earned The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year for the first time. It’s the second consecutive year a basketball player won the award after Caitlin Clark was honored in 2024. A group of 47 sports journalists from the AP and its members voted. Wilson received 17 votes, tennis star Aryna Sabalenka was second with nine and Paige Bueckers was third with five.
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A judge has ruled that secret grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case can be made public. The judge Wednesday joined two other judges in granting the Justice Department’s requests to unseal material from investigations into the late financier’s sexual abuse. U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman in New York reversed his earlier decision to keep the material under wraps, citing a new law that requires the government to open its files on Epstein and his longtime confidant Ghislaine Maxwell. The judge previously cautioned that the 70 or so pages of grand jury materials slated for release are hardly revelatory. On Tuesday, another Manhattan federal judge ordered the release of records from Maxwell’s 2021 case.
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Waymo's self-driving taxis have been in the spotlight for both negative and positive reasons. This week, the automated ride-hailing taxis went viral after a San Francisco woman gave birth inside a Waymo taxi while on her way to the hospital. A Waymo spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed the unusual delivery. It said the company's rider support team detected unusual activity inside the vehicle and alerted 911. The taxi arrived safely at the hospital before emergency services. Waymo's popularity is growing despite heightened scrutiny following an illegal U-turn and the death of a San Francisco cat. The company, owned by Alphabet, says it is proud to serve riders of all ages.
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A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop deploying California National Guard troops in Los Angeles. A judge in San Francisco on Wednesday granted a preliminary injunction sought by California officials to end the deployment and return the remaining troops to the state’s command. But he put the decision on hold until Monday. The White House suggested the administration will appeal. The Trump administration ordered the deployment of thousands of troops to Los Angeles in June over Gov. Gavin Newsom’s objections following clashes between immigration officers and protesters. California officials argued that conditions in Los Angeles had since changed. The administration said the Guard was still needed to protect federal personnel and property.
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The Supreme Court has heard arguments about how courts should decide borderline cases of whether convicted murderers are intellectually disabled and should be shielded from execution. There was no clear outcome apparent Wednesday after the justices heard two hours of arguments in an appeal from Alabama. The state wants to put to death a man who was found by lower federal courts found to be intellectually disabled. The Supreme Court prohibited execution of intellectually disabled people in a landmark ruling in 2002. But the justices said in two later cases that states should consider other evidence of disability in borderline cases.
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Composer Jake Heggie is set to premiere his opera “The Judgment of Paris,” inspired by the famous 1976 wine tasting where California wines triumphed over French selections. The opera will debut on July 18 at California's Festival Napa Valley. Known for works like “Dead Man Walking,” Heggie explores comedy in this new piece. The cast includes soprano Danielle De Niese and baritone Quinn Kelsey. The opera blends mythological figures with real-life participants from the event. Festival CEO Rick Walker highlights the tasting's revolutionary impact on the wine world. The opera is a one-act, 60-minute work.
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The clock is ticking for the U.S. government to open up its files on Jeffrey Epstein. After months of rancor and recriminations, Congress has passed and President Donald Trump has signed a law compelling the Justice Department to give the public everything it has on Epstein. And it has to be done before Christmas. A federal judge on Wednesday said the department could release grand jury transcripts and other documents from the sex trafficking case brought against Epstein. Two other federal judges have made similar rulings, ordering the release of transcripts of a grand jury investigation into Epstein’s abuse of underage girls in Florida and documents from the sex trafficking case brought against Epstein's former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.
AP
Jennifer Shah, a former star on “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” has been moved from a federal prison into a community confinement program after serving less than half of her sentence for defrauding thousands of people.
AP
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Egypt and Iran, two Middle East nations that target gays and lesbians, have complained to FIFA over a World Cup soccer match in Seattle that is planned to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride.
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Federal judge orders Trump administration to end deployment of California National Guard troops in Los Angeles.
AP
Federal judge grants Justice Department’s request to unseal records from Jeffrey Epstein's 2019 sex trafficking case.
AP
Diana Ross has been named the headliner for “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” The pop icon will perform a medley of hits, including “I’m Coming Out” and “Upside Down.” The show will feature 39 artists from locations like New York, Las Vegas, and Chicago. Other performers include Mariah Carey, Post Malone, and Demi Lovato. The event will air live on ABC on Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. EST and repeat on Hulu. Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora will host from Times Square, with Chance the Rapper in Chicago and Rob Gronkowski in Las Vegas.
AP
A'ja Wilson wins AP Female Athlete of the Year following historic 4th WNBA MVP.
AP
Sound baths are meditative experiences where participants lie down and are immersed in sound waves from instruments like gongs, singing bowls and chimes. Increasingly, churches, temples and synagogues are embracing sound baths as a way of connecting with neighbors who may be spiritual but not religious. Faith leaders who offer sound baths are tailoring the practice, which some have viewed as new age, to reflect their own roots and traditions. Sound baths have surged in popularity since the coronavirus pandemic as a way to cope with stress, anxiety and isolation.
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Authorities say Grammy-nominated singer Jubilant Sykes was stabbed to death at his home in Santa Monica, California, and his son was arrested on suspicion of murder. Police say officers responding to a 911 call Monday night found the 71-year-old Sykes with critical stab wounds. He died at the scene. The victim’s 31-year-old son was arrested at the home. Police recovered a weapon and the investigation is ongoing Tuesday. Sykes was nominated for best classical album at the 2010 Grammy Awards for “Bernstein: Mass,” in which he performed the Celebrant role.
AP
Democrat Eileen Higgins has won the Miami mayor’s race over a Republican endorsed by President Donald Trump. Higgins on Tuesday became the first Democrat in nearly 30 years to be elected Miami mayor. Her win gives Democrats a boost in one of the last electoral battles ahead of the 2026 midterms. Higgins spoke frequently in the Hispanic-majority city about Trump’s immigration crackdown, saying she has heard of many people in Miami who were worried about family members being detained. Higgins will be the first woman to lead the city of Miami. She beat Trump-backed candidate Emilio Gonzalez, a former city manager.
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Democrat Eric Gisler is claiming victory in a Republican state House district in Georgia. Gisler narrowly led Republican Mack “Dutch” Guest in unofficial returns from a special election after voting ended Tuesday. Republicans still control the Georgia House, but their majority falls to 99-81. Gisler's win is part of a series of Democratic successes in 2025, reflecting voter dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump. Democrats romped to two blowout victories in statewide special elections for Georgia Public Service Commission in November. Gisler won a district in the Athens area northeast of Atlanta. The seat became open after the Republican incumbent resigned to focus on his business interests.
AP
Opponents of Missouri’s new congressional map have submitted thousands of petition signatures calling for a statewide vote on the plan backed by President Donald Trump. Organizers of the petition drive said they turned in more than 300,000 signatures Tuesday to the secretary of state’s office. That’s well more than the roughly 110,000 signatures needed to suspend the U.S. House districts from taking effect until a public vote can be held next year. But the signatures still must be formally verified by election authorities. Republicans hope the new voting districts could help their party win additional seats in Congress in next year’s midterm elections.
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The fiancee of a man who died on a cruise ship has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Royal Caribbean. The lawsuit alleges the company negligently served him at least 33 alcoholic drinks and was liable for his death after crew members tackled him to the ground, stood on him with their full body weight and caused his breathing to become impaired. Connie Aguilar’s lawsuit for the death of Michael Virgil seeks damages and a jury trial. Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment on Tuesday. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner ruled Virgil's death a homicide.
AP
At a nighttime event in Pennsylvania, President Donald Trump tried to emphasize his focus on combating inflation, although the issue couldn't quite command his full attention. The president told the crowd gathered at a casino and resort in Mount Pocono on Tuesday that inflation was no longer a problem and that Democrats had used the term “affordability” as a “hoax” to hurt his reputation. Yet he meandered during his remarks, asking why the U.S. couldn't take in more immigrants from Scandinavia and using an expletive to described countries such as Haiti and Somalia.
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The first of a series of powerful storms is dumping heavy rain and swelling rivers in the Pacific Northwest, closing roads and prompting high water rescues. Residents in parts of Oregon and Washington are grappling with power outages, flooding and school closures on Tuesday, while drivers are navigating debris and water that has closed roads and submerged vehicles. Fire officials northeast of Seattle say crews used inflatable kayaks to rescue several people trapped by rising water. And forecasters warn the worst was still to come, with some major rivers expected to crest later in the week.
AP
A to-do list and travel plans found during Luigi Mangione’s arrest and revealed in court this week shed new light on the steps he may have taken — or planned to take — to avoid capture after UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killing last year. The notes, including a hand-drawn map and tactics for surviving on the lam, were shown on Monday at a pretrial hearing as Mangione’s bid to prevent prosecutors from using evidence seized during his Dec. 9, 2024, arrest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Police said they discovered the notes in Mangione’s backpack, along with a 9 mm handgun that prosecutors said matches the one used to kill Thompson five days earlier.
AP
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR Chairman Jim France testified Tuesday in Michael Jordan’s federal antitrust lawsuit against his family that he still has not changed his mind on granting teams permanent charters, and evidence showed he entered negotiations on a new revenue-sharing agreement det…
AP
STOWE, Vt. (AP) — A rescue team that covers Vermont’s tallest mountain has seen a rise in calls from inexperienced skiers who end up getting lost and in dangerous locations after being influenced by videos on social media.
AP
The San Diego City Council has approved a $30 million payment to the family of a 16-year-old killed by police. Tuesday's settlement is one of the largest in the U.S. and exceeds the $27 million paid by Minneapolis to George Floyd's family. Surveillance and body-worn camera footage from Jan. 28 showed Konoa Wilson running from someone who fired at him in a downtown train station. As he exited, Wilson encountered Officer Daniel Gold. The family alleged in a lawsuit that Gold fired two shots at Wilson without warning, killing him. A police spokesperson says Gold is on an administrative assignment while the shooting is under investigation.
AP
Florida has executed a man convicted of killing a woman during a home invasion.
AP
The U.S. Justice Department has withdrawn from an agreement with Houston to curb illegal dumping in Black and Latino neighborhoods. The move is part of the Trump administration's dismantling of environmental justice initiatives around the country. Federal authorities quietly ended the monitoring this year along with a similar settlement in Alabama. The Houston agreement aimed to address illegal dumping of trash and waste in certain neighborhoods. It included federal monitoring and community outreach. Critics say the decision is short-sighted and neglects affected communities. Environmental justice advocates argue that President Donald Trump's administration doesn't understand the impact on these communities.
AP
Frustrated by the city’s slow progress in painting crosswalks at intersections they believe are unsafe, activists in Los Angeles have been picking up paint rollers and doing it themselves. Now one of them has been arrested on a vandalism charge. In a video posted online, Jonathan Hale wears a bright yellow safety vest as he’s handcuffed by a police officer Sunday. His group, People’s Vision Zero, had organized a guerrilla “paint party” at a four-way intersection in a leafy residential neighborhood of west LA. The mayor’s office says it has offered to collaborate with Hale and “any Angeleno who wants to make our streets safer” to develop solutions to expedite the installation of crosswalks.
AP
Shooting at Kentucky State University leaves one dead, one critically hurt and a suspect in custody, officials say.
AP
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
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