Stories by Associated Press
Senate Dems Stick With Schumer as Leader, Durbin as No. 2. Their Strategy for Countering Trump is Far Less Certain
| Associated Press
Chuck Schumer faced no opposition in the party leadership elections, in which Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin was also reelected to the No. 2 spot and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar became the new No. 3.
South Korean Parliament Votes to Defy President by Lifting His Declaration of Martial Law
| Associated Press
The president’s surprising move harkened back to an era of authoritarian leaders that the country has not seen since the 1980s, and it was immediately denounced by the opposition and the leader of Yoon’s own conservative party.
Ryan Poles to Remain Bears General Manager and Lead Search for New Head Coach
| Associated Press
Chicago had never fired a coach during a season. But a six-game losing streak marked by questionable coaching decisions spurred the founding NFL franchise to change course.
What Medical Care for Transgender Minors is at Stake in Supreme Court Case?
| Associated Press
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case involving Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender people under age 18. At least 26 states have adopted laws restricting or banning such care for minors, and most of those states face lawsuits.
Some Democrats Are Frustrated Over Joe Biden Reversing Course and Pardoning His Son Hunter
| Associated Press
The president said in a statement that his son’s prosecution on charges of tax evasion and falsifying a federal weapons purchase form were politically motivated.
Chicago Cubs Add Pitcher Matthew Boyd to Rotation With $29M, 2-Year Contract, Source Says
| Associated Press
Making a successful return from Tommy John surgery, Boyd went 2-2 with a 2.72 ERA in eight starts with Cleveland this year. He also made three postseason starts for the AL Central champions, allowing one run while striking out 14 in 11 2/3 innings.
Emboldened 'Manosphere' Accelerates Threats and Demeaning Language Toward Women After US Election
| Associated Press
Many have appropriated a 1960s abortion rights rallying cry, declaring “Your body, my choice” at women online and on college campuses. For many women, the words represent a worrying harbinger of what might lie ahead as some men perceive the election results as a rebuke of reproductive rights and women’s rights.
Chicago Bears Fire Coach Matt Eberflus After Free-Falling Team Suffers String of Brutal Losses
| Associated Press
Matt Eberflus was fired by the Chicago Bears on Friday, one day after botching a timeout in a loss to Detroit. Offensive coordinator Thomas Brown will serve as interim coach, the Bears said in a statement.
How Did Dinosaurs Dominate Earth? Fossilized Feces and Vomit Help Reconstruct the Creatures’ Rise
| Associated Press
Researchers aren’t sure whether dinosaurs’ rise over the course of 30 million years happened because of luck, skill, climate or some combination. But they came away knowing this: “It was not a sudden thing,” said study co-author Martin Qvarnström from Uppsala University.
Donald Trump Transition Says Cabinet Picks, Appointees Were Targeted by Bomb Threats and Swatting Attacks
| Associated Press
“Last night and this morning, several of President Trump’s Cabinet nominees and Administration appointees were targeted in violent, unAmerican threats to their lives and those who live with them,” Trump transition spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
Donald Trump’s Threat to Impose Tariffs Could Raise Prices for Consumers
| Associated Press
In a federal courtroom on Monday, Solis testified that his call back to the speaker two minutes later opened a whole new avenue of focus for the feds’ still-unfolding corruption investigation, and added Madigan to the list of people he would surreptitiously record and lure into the FBI’s trap.
Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah Agree to a Ceasefire to End Nearly 14 Months of Fighting
| Associated Press
Israel’s security Cabinet approved the ceasefire agreement late Tuesday after it was presented by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his office said. U.S. President Joe Biden, speaking in Washington, called the agreement “good news” and said his administration would make a renewed push for a ceasefire in Gaza.
A Look at How Some of Trump’s Picks to Lead Health Agencies Could Help Carry Out Kennedy’s Overhaul
| Associated Press
Trump's choices don't have experience running large bureaucratic agencies, but they know how to talk about health on TV.
Special Counsel Moves to Dismiss Election Interference and Classified Documents Cases Against Trump
| Associated Press
The Justice Department believes President-elect Donald Trump can no longer be tried in accordance with longstanding policy that says sitting presidents cannot be prosecuted.
Donald Trump Jr. Emerges as a Political Force as He Helps His Father Launch a Second Term
| Associated Press
For the son of a president-elect, Trump has already had an outsized impact on the next White House. He lobbied hard for the former president to choose his good friend, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, to be his running mate.
Donald Trump 2.0 Has a Cabinet and Executive Branch of Different Ideas and Eclectic Personalities
| Associated Press
With a rapid assembly of his second administration — faster than his effort eight years ago — the former and incoming president has combined television personalities, former Democrats, a wrestling executive and traditional elected Republicans into a mix that makes clear his intentions to impose tariffs on imported goods and crack down on illegal immigration but leaves open a range of possibilities on other policy pursuits.
Hydrate. Make Lists. Leave Yourself Time. And Other Tips for Reducing Holiday Travel Stress
| Associated Press
Travel can be stressful in the best of times. Now add in the high-level anxiety that seems to be baked into every holiday season and it's clear that travelers could use some help calming frazzled nerves.
Americans With Disabilities Rely on Rideshare Apps, But Many Still Face Discrimination
| Associated Press
People who use wheelchairs and guide dogs have watched drivers cancel rides, charge cleaning fees for guide dogs or outright refuse to take them where they need to go.
Donald Trump Gave Interior Nominee One Directive for a Half-Billion Acres of US Land: ‘Drill.’
| Associated Press
That dictate from the president-elect’s announcement of Doug Burgum for Secretary of Interior sets the stage for a reignition of the court battles over public lands and waters that helped define Trump’s first term, with environmentalists worried about climate change already pledging their opposition.
Gaetz Withdraws as Trump’s Pick for Attorney General, Averting Confirmation Battle in the Senate
| Associated Press
The abrupt withdrawal is a setback to President-elect Donald Trump’s push to install steadfast loyalists in his incoming administration, but also a recognition of the resistance the Republican is already encountering from members of his own party to picks with checkered backgrounds.
US Regulators Seek to Break Up Google, Forcing Chrome Sale as Part of Monopoly Punishment
| Associated Press
U.S. regulators want a federal judge to break up Google to prevent the company from continuing to squash competition through its dominant search engine after a court found it had maintained an abusive monopoly over the past decade.
Woman Faces Hate Crime Charges After Confronting Man Wearing ‘Palestine’ Shirt at Downers Grove Panera
| Associated Press
Szustakiewicz was at a Panera Bread restaurant in the Chicago suburb of Downers Grove on Saturday “when she confronted and yelled expletives at a man regarding a sweatshirt he was wearing with the word Palestine written on it,” the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office and Downers Grove police said Monday in a statement.
Trump Chooses TV Doctor Mehmet Oz to Lead Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
| Associated Press
Dr. Mehmet Oz, who ran a failed 2022 bid to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate, has been an outspoken supporter of Trump and in recent days expressed support for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination for the nation’s top health agency, the Department of Health and Human Services.
What is Bluesky, the Fast-Growing Social Platform Welcoming Fleeing X Users?
| Associated Press
Disgruntled X users are again flocking to Bluesky, a newer social media platform that grew out of the former Twitter before billionaire Elon Musk took it over in 2022. While it remains small, it has emerged as an alternative for those looking for a different mood, lighter and friendlier and less influenced by Musk.
Spirit Airlines Files for Bankruptcy as Financial Losses Pile Up and Debt Payments Loom
| Associated Press
Spirit, the biggest U.S. budget airline, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition after working out terms with bondholders. The airline has lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020 and faces looming debt payments totaling more than $1 billion in 2025 and 2026.
Chicago Crowns Lookalike Winner for ‘The Bear’ Star Jeremy Allen White
| Associated Press
Beyond the renown of being named White's unofficial body double, the winner walked away with $50 and a pack of cigarettes in recognition of the puff-prone character White plays in the series — Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto — a young, award-winning chef from the glittery world of fine dining who returns to the Windy City to captain his family's dive sandwich shop.
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