Stories by Associated Press

Incredibly unusual, the use of U.S. forces to seize a merchant ship was a sharp escalation in the Trump administration’s pressure campaign on President Nicolás Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States.

The president has urged GOP-led states to gerrymander their U.S. house districts ahead of the midterms to create more winnable seats for Republicans. It’s an unusual move, since the district boundaries are usually adjusted based on the census every 10 year.

Senators rejected a Democratic bill to extend the subsidies for three years and a Republican alternative that would have created new health savings accounts — an unceremonious end to a monthslong effort by Democrats to prevent the COVID-19-era subsidies from expiring on Jan. 1.

Top military officials faced questioning over the deployments for the first time at the hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. They were pressed by Democrats over the legality of sending in troops, which in some places were done over the objections of mayors and governors.

The legislation was designed to favor GOP candidates in the next year’s midterms. Republicans control the state Senate, but many have been hesitant or openly opposed to the idea of mid-decade redistricting.

The number of fundraisers started to help cover essential expenses such as rent, utilities and groceries jumped 20%, according to the company’s 2025 review, after already quadrupling last year. “Monthly bills” were the second fastest-growing category behind individual support for nonprofits.

The Federal Reserve reduced its key interest rate for the third time in a row Wednesday but signaled that it may leave rates unchanged in the coming months.

The law, which takes effect immediately, also provides legal steps for people whose constitutional rights were violated during the federal enforcement action in the Chicago area, including $10,000 in damages for someone unlawfully arrested while attempting to attend a court proceeding.

Despite little to no daylight — plus months of frigid temperatures — people who live in northern Europe and above the Arctic Circle have learned how to cope mentally and physically with the annual onset of the winter blues.

President Donald Trump announced a $12 billion farm aid package Monday — a boost to farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised tariffs on China.

Frank Gehry’s fascination with modern pop art led to the creation of some of the most striking buildings ever constructed, including the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago.

The justices will hear Trump’s appeal of a lower-court ruling that struck down the citizenship restrictions. They have not taken effect anywhere in the country.

For decades, the government has advised that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection right after birth. The shots are widely considered to be a public health success for preventing thousands of illnesses.

The plan, if finalized next year, would significantly reduce fuel economy requirements, which set rules on how far new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline, through the 2031 model year.

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday shared for the first time what he was thinking when the votes started going his way during the conclave that elected him, saying he resigned himself to the inevitable and put the rest in God’s hands.

Republicans held onto a reliably conservative U.S. House district in Tennessee’s special election, but only after a late burst of national spending and high-profile campaigning helped them secure a margin less than half of last year’s race.

Pat Fitzgerald has been out of coaching for two seasons following a hazing scandal at Northwestern that led to his firing.

A son of notorious Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo” pleaded guilty Monday to U.S. drug trafficking charges, months after his brother entered a plea deal.

Republicans who control the House have said there’s no doubt that redistricting will pass that chamber. But the fate of any proposal remains uncertain in the Indiana Senate.

Northwestern University has agreed to pay $75 million to the U.S. government to end a series of investigations and restore hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding.

Led by rookie coach Ben Johnson, the surprising Bears (9-3) are alone in first place in the NFC North heading into a Dec. 7 showdown at Green Bay.

Most big U.S. retailers are closed on Thanksgiving Day. However, many will open early the following day, Black Friday, the unofficial start of the holiday gift-buying season and the biggest shopping day of the year.

U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis wrote the footnote in a 223-page opinion issued last week, noting that the practice of using ChatGPT to write use-of-force reports undermines agents’ credibility and “may explain the inaccuracy of these reports.”

The 84-year-old civil rights leader was discharged Monday from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, his son and family spokesperson Yusef Jackson said.

The Wisconsin woman who won release from a mental institution after almost killing her sixth grade classmate in the name of horror villain Slender Man only to flee the state weeks later won’t fight extradition from Illinois.

The Emmett Till Interpretive Center disclosed late Sunday that it had purchased the barn located in a rural area outside the city of Drew, aided by a $1.5 million donation from television producer and writer Shonda Rhimes.