‘Uncut Gems,’ ‘The Lighthouse’ top Spirit Awards nominations
NEW YORK — The Safdie brothers’ Diamond District crime film “Uncut Gems” and Robert Eggers’ fever-dream period tale “The Lighthouse” lead the 35th ann...
Vape debate: Are e-cigarettes wiping out teen smoking?
WASHINGTON — In almost any other year it would be hailed as a public health victory: The smoking rate among U.S. high schoolers took its biggest hit e...
From ‘Knives Out’ to Bond, Ana de Armas is on the rise
LOS ANGELES — Ana de Armas is fumbling with a packet of sugar and talking about her breakneck schedule on a recent afternoon in Los Angeles when her a...
Massachusetts OKs ban on flavored vaping, tobacco products
BOSTON — Massachusetts lawmakers passed a groundbreaking ban Thursday on the sale of flavored tobacco and vaping products, including menthol cigarette...
US home sales rose 1.9% last month, lifted by lower rates
WASHINGTON — Americans purchased more homes in October, though sales were held back by a shortage of available properties.
DC priest says he was ‘too busy’ to abuse parishioners
WASHINGTON — A D.C. priest convicted of sexually abusing two child parishioners is asking for mercy at his sentencing and maintaining his innocence, s...
Sculptor crafting first women’s statue for Central Park
RIDGEFIELD, Conn. — A sculptor known for trying to redress history through her art is creating the first statue of real-life women for New York’s Cent...
Where parents feel like chauffeurs, companies step in
NEW YORK — When Deb Fink heard about a company that could drive her 9-year-old son to his after-school program, she balked at the idea of putting him ...
Legal hemp, CBD stir more farmers to grow unfamiliar crop
CLAYTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Dave Crabill and two business partners started small for their first foray into farming hemp, growing two strains of the now...
Across Mister Rogers’ actual neighborhoods, his faith echoes
PITTSBURGH — His TV neighborhood, was, of course, a realm of make believe — a child’s-eye view of community summoned into being by an oddly understand...
Gore kicking off 24 hours of climate talks around the world
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former Vice President Al Gore kicked off a series of climate presentations on Wednesday evening that will continue around the globe...
Clarification: California-Oil Well Moratorium story
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In a story Nov. 19 about California Gov. Gavin Newsom issuing a moratorium on permits for wells using high-pressure steam to extr...
Arizona border activist acquitted of harboring immigrants
TUCSON, Ariz. — An activist was quickly acquitted Wednesday on charges he illegally harbored two Central American immigrants at a southern Arizona cam...
Lawsuit: US border officers questioned journalists at length
SAN DIEGO — Five American journalists sued the U.S. government Wednesday, alleging border authorities violated their First Amendment rights by inspect...
Blackouts hit Northern California again during fire danger
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Gas & Electric turned off electricity Wednesday for about 120,000 people in Northern California to prevent power lines fro...
Amnesty International calls Facebook, Google rights abusers
Amnesty International has issued a scathing indictment of Google and Facebook.
Police: Chicago teen hurt in gunfire likely shot by officer
CHICAGO — A 15-year-old Chicago high school student who was wounded during a gun fight between a bank robbery suspect and investigators was likely sho...
Native Americans honor 50th anniversary of Alcatraz takeover
SAN FRANCISCO — For Eloy Martinez, returning to Alcatraz Island meant a joyous reunion with people he hadn’t seen in decades. It also brought a renewe...
UAW president steps down as GM sues rival over union bribery
DETROIT — United Auto Workers President Gary Jones abruptly resigned Wednesday, capping a tumultuous day that saw union leaders move to oust him and G...
Apple cancels premiere of ‘The Banker’ over ‘concerns’
NEW YORK — Apple has canceled the premiere of one of the tech company’s first original films, “The Banker” the day before it was to debut at Los Angel...
SEALs face review following death of Islamic State militant
SAN DIEGO — Navy officials on Wednesday notified a SEAL convicted of posing with a dead Islamic State militant and three of his superior officers duri...
Review: ‘Waves’ explores the ebb, flow of a family’s love
Rarely has a movie’s title been so apt as that of “Waves,” a film that makes you feel like you’ve been knocked flat over by a fierce current — only to...
Foreign ski-area investors sue US over residency petitions
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Foreigners who invested in northern Vermont ski area developments that are now linked to a fraud case are suing the federal governme...
Ariana Grande, Miranda Lambert, Shelton react to Grammy noms
LOS ANGELES — Reactions from some of the nominees for the 62nd Grammy Awards:
Fed minutes: Officials felt 3 cuts this year could be enough
WASHINGTON — Most Federal Reserve officials believed last month that the three rate cuts they have made this year would be enough unless the economy w...
US schools try to diversify mainly white teaching ranks
WATERBURY, Conn. — It wasn’t until she became a high school senior that Kayla Ireland had another black person as a teacher in Waterbury, a former man...
In Musgraves’ Christmas special, her grandma steals the show
NEW YORK — Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves knows who the real star is in her family — her grandmother. That's why the singer put the woman she calls Nan...
Ex-Baltimore mayor charged in ‘Healthy Holly’ book scandal
BALTIMORE — The disgraced former mayor of Baltimore was charged Wednesday with fraud and tax evasion involving sales of her self-published children's ...
Disney Plus blames past hacks for user accounts sold online
Disney says Disney Plus account passwords being sold in underground hacking forums are coming from previous breaches at other companies, predating las...
Jussie Smollett: Chicago prosecution was malicious
CHICAGO — Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett says his $10,000 payment after the close of a criminal case should prevent Chicago from seeking reimbu...