Biden picks Connecticut schools chief as education secretary

President-elect Joe Biden has chosen Miguel Cardona, Connecticut's education chief and a lifelong champion of public schools, to serve as education secretary.

Christmas treat: Overnight at FAO Schwarz for one NYC family

NEW YORK (AP) — It's like getting a peek at Santa's workshop.

Virginia policy change offers employers $200M in tax relief

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — State officials announced a temporary policy change Tuesday that will provide about $200 million in payroll tax relief next year to Virginia businesses that laid off workers amid the pandemic.

Report: Prison failed to protect women inmates from staff

OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida women's prison has likely violated inmates' constitutional rights by failing to protect them from sexual abuse by staff, federal investigators announced Tuesday.

Legals for December, 23 2020

Trump's presidential legacy, by the numbers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Words matter. But numbers tell stories, too.

California health system buckling under COVID-19 pandemic

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California's health care system is buckling under the strain of the nation's largest coronavirus outbreak and may fracture in weeks if people ignore holiday social distancing, health officials warned as the number of people needing beds and specialized care soared to previously unimagined levels.

California's 1st Latino US senator brings cheers, anger

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California is getting its first Latino U.S. senator. For Gov. Gavin Newsom, it’s a political gamble.

AP News in Brief at 9:04 p.m. EST

Trump pardons 15, commutes 5 sentences, including GOP allies

The Latest: Peru is 5th LatAm nation to pass million cases

LIMA, Peru — Peru has passed 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus infection. It is the fifth nation in Latin America to report that number as the region struggles with the pandemic’s economic and health effects.

Peru reaches 1 million confirmed coronavirus infections

LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru passed 1 million confirmed cases of coronavirus infection Tuesday, becoming the fifth nation in Latin America to report that number as the region struggles with the pandemic’s economic and health effects.

Mississippi deputy: 4 found dead, suspect dies after chase

MERIDIAN, Miss. (AP) — Authorities in Mississippi found four bodies Tuesday after a sheriff's department received calls about people not showing up for work.

Trump pardons security contractors in deadly Iraq shooting

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned four former government contractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad that left more than a dozen Iraqi civilians dead and caused an international uproar over the use of private security guards in a war zone.

Trump pardons 15, commutes 5 sentences, including GOP allies

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has pardoned 15 people, including a pair of congressional Republicans who were strong and early supporters, a 2016 campaign official ensnared in the Russia probe and former government contractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad.

The Latest: Navajo Nation reports 7 more COVID-19 deaths

WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation is reporting 151 new coronavirus cases and seven more deaths related to COVID-19.

Falsely accused "Anonymous" re-emerges at VOA sister network

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former White House aide falsely accused of penning anonymous criticism of President Donald Trump has been named to head the U.S. government’s Arabic-language broadcasting outlets.

Indicted Giuliani associate seeks White House communications

NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer for Lev Parnas, the indicted former associate of Rudy Giuliani, asked a federal judge Tuesday to order the White House and Justice Department turn over any emails or text messages in which they discussed the decision to charge his client with making illegal campaign contributions.

The Latest: Arkansas to add more beds for COVID-19 patients

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson says two facilities will be constructed to provide over 100 additional hospital beds in case they are needed for COVID-19 patients.

California's new virus message: 'Don't share your air'

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s health care system is in the throes of a coronavirus crisis stemming from ill-advised Thanksgiving gatherings, top executives from the state's largest hospital systems said Tuesday as they put out a “desperate call” for residents to avoid a Christmas repeat they said would overwhelm the state’s medical system.

NHL teams begin to unveil advertisements on helmets

There will be advertisements on NHL players' helmets this season as teams try to recoup revenue lost to the pandemic.