The Latest: Miss. governor defends holding Christmas parties

JACKSON, Miss. — Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves is defending his decision to hold Christmas parties at the Governor’s Mansion after repeatedly warning people to avoid social gatherings as coronavirus cases surge in t…

Blockbuster IPO market still calls for cautious approach

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wall Street has rolled out the welcome mat for companies going public this year, boosting proceeds from initial public offerings to the highest level in six years.

Man who was serving 90-year sentence for marijuana released

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — While serving a 90-year prison sentence for selling marijuana, Richard DeLisi's wife died, as did his 23-year-old son and both his parents. His adult daughter was in a horrific car acci…

SpaceX launches Starship on highest test flight, crash-lands

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX launched its shiny, bullet-shaped, straight-out-of-science fiction Starship several miles into the air from a remote corner of Texas on Wednesday, but the 6 1/2-minute test flight…

US set to execute 1st of 5 inmates before Biden inauguration

CHICAGO (AP) — The Trump administration is planning an unprecedented five more federal executions before President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, starting with a Texas street-gang member set to be put to death Thu…

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3 workers injured, 2 missing in collapse of Ohio power plant

Three workers were hospitalized and two were unaccounted for after a power plant that was being demolished in Ohio collapsed Wednesday, authorities said.

Despite Trump's venting and threats, Biden's win is sealed

WASHINGTON (AP) — There’s plenty of noise but no cause for confusion as President Donald Trump vents about how the election turned out and vows to subvert it even still.

Mother of Black man killed by Ohio deputy: 'I want answers'

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — The mother of a Black man shot by an Ohio sheriff's deputy demanded answers Wednesday to her son's death, saying he'd done nothing wrong and was returning from the dentist with sandwiches for …

UK government says Brexit trade deal talks with EU to resume but “very large gaps” remain between the two sides

BRUSSELS (AP) — UK government says Brexit trade deal talks with EU to resume but “very large gaps” remain between the two sides.

UK-EU trade talks to resume but “very large gaps” remain

BRUSSELS (AP) — U.K.-EU negotiators will resume talks on a Brexit trade deal after a dinner summit Wednesday night between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen -- but …

Congress vows to watch Army response to Fort Hood violence

WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Congress pledged on Wednesday to deepen their investigations into

Wichita area feels 5 low-intensity earthquakes in 2 weeks

LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — Five low intensity earthquakes have rattled part of the Wichita area since Thanksgiving, but a Kansas expert on seismic activity says residents of the state's largest city should not be overly c…

Johns Hopkins: Census records show founder owned slaves

Johns Hopkins University, whose researchers have been at the forefront of the global response to COVID-19, announced on Wednesday that its founder owned slaves during the 19th century, a revelation for the Baltimor…

Oklahoma asks court: Make J&J pay $9.3B to end opioid crisis

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma has asked the state Supreme Court to order Johnson & Johnson to pay more than $9.3 billion to cover the entire anticipated cost of combatting the state's opioid crisis, arguing in its …