Associated Press stories, Page 8
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ launches with $88M domestically, $345M worldwideVideo
NEW YORK — “Avatar: Fire and Ash” opened with $345 million in worldwide sales, according to studio estimates Sunday, notching the second-best global debut of the year and potentially putting James Cameron on course to set yet more blockbuster records. Sixteen years into the “Avatar” saga, Pandora is still abundant...
Doctor’s orders? ‘Belly laugh at least 2 to 5 days a week’
Melanin Bee curves her spine like a stretching cat as she lets out a maniacal, forced laugh. The quick-fire pattern of manufactured giggles —“oh, hoo hoo hoo, eeh, ha ha ha”— soon ripples into genuine laughter, and she giddily kicks her feet. She’s practicing what she calls Laughasté, a hilarious...
Coast Guard pursuing another tanker helping Venezuela skirt sanctions, U.S. official saysVideo
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard on Sunday was pursuing another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea as the Trump administration appeared to be intensifying its targeting of such vessels connected to the Venezuelan government. The pursuit of the tanker, which was confirmed by a U.S....
Bills edge closer to playoff berth with 23-20 win over Browns
CLEVELAND — James Cook rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns, Josh Allen played through a foot injury and the Buffalo Bills drew closer to a playoff berth with a 23-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. Ty Johnson also had a rushing score for the Bills (11-4), who...
Georgetown coach Ed Cooley’s water bottle throw earns him a 1-game suspensionVideo
WASHINGTON — Georgetown men’s basketball coach Ed Cooley was suspended by the school on Sunday for one game after throwing a water bottle into the stands at the end of a loss to Xavier the night before. “I met with Coach Cooley today to discuss the incident which occurred after...
Joe Burrow throws for 309 yards, 4 TDs as Bengals rout Dolphins
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Joe Burrow rebounded from his first time being shut out to throw for 309 yards and four touchdowns as the Cincinnati Bengals routed the Miami Dolphins, 45-21, on Sunday. Miami (6-9) and Cincinnati (5-10) were eliminated from playoff contention last week, but the teams insisted they...
James Madison puts up valiant fight, but Group of Five teams still have much to prove in CFP
EUGENE, Ore. — Perhaps it was James Madison going for it twice on fourth down on its first drive of the game. Or, maybe it was coach Bob Chesney calling for a wide receiver pass on the Dukes’ second series of the evening. Even 12th-ranked James Madison successfully pulling off...
NFL Week 16: Justin Herbert keeps Chargers rolling toward playoffs with win over Cowboys
Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score and the Los Angeles Chargers closed in on a playoff spot with a 34-17 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Chargers’ fourth consecutive victory gave them a chance later in the day to clinch their second postseason...
Top Trump administration official defends partial release of Epstein files as Democrats cry foulVideo
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Justice Department’s decision to release just a fraction of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the congressionally mandated deadline as necessary to protect survivors of sexual abuse by the disgraced financier. Blanche pledged that the Trump administration...
Powerball jackpot climbs to $1.6 billion, among largest lottery prizes ever in U.S.
The Powerball jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.6 billion, making it one of the largest lottery prizes in U.S. history, Powerball officials said Sunday. No ticket matched all six winning numbers on Saturday — white balls 4, 5, 28, 52, 69 and red Powerball 20. That sets up the...
Thousands cheer as the sun rises on winter solstice at StonehengeVideo
LONDON — Thousands of people cheered and danced around Stonehenge as the sun rose over the prehistoric stone circle on Sunday, the winter solstice. The crowds, many dressed as druids and pagans, had gathered before dawn, waiting patiently in the dark and cold field in southwest England. Some sang and...
France will build a new aircraft carrier as it increases defense spending
PARIS — France will build a new aircraft carrier with a capacity for 30 fighter jets and 2,000 sailors, French President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday in what he described as “the display of our nation’s power in the service of freedom on the seas and amid the turbulence of our...
3 players are ejected after a brawl late in the Eagles’ game against the Commanders
LANDOVER, Md. — The heated rivalry between the Eagles and Commanders boiled over in the fourth quarter Saturday night, when three players were ejected after a fight broke out among several members of both teams in the aftermath of Saquon Barkley’s 2-point conversion that increased Philadelphia’s lead to 19 points...
Russia says talks on U.S. peace plan for Ukraine ‘are proceeding constructively’
A Kremlin envoy said peace talks on a U.S.-proposed plan to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine were pressing on “constructively” in Florida, while the Ukrainian president said they were moving “quickly.” The talks are part of the Trump administration’s monthslong push for peace that also included meetings with...
Trump is leaning on son-in-law Jared Kushner for difficult diplomacy
WASHINGTON — As the dawn rose on President Donald Trump’s second term, one key figure from his first administration stood back, content to focus on his personal business interests and not retake a formal government role. Now, nearly a year into Trump 2.0, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner has been drawn...
Turning Point showcases the discord that Republicans like Vance will need to navigate in the future
PHOENIX — The next presidential election is three years away, but Turning Point USA already knows it wants Vice President JD Vance as the Republican nominee. Erika Kirk, leader of the powerful conservative youth organization, endorsed him on opening night of its annual AmericaFest convention, drawing cheers from the crowd....
U.S. tech enabled China’s surveillance empire. Now Tibetan refugees in Nepal are paying the price
KATHMANDU, Nepal — The white dome of Boudhanath rises like a silent guardian over the chaotic sprawl of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, crowned by a golden spire that pierces the sky. Painted on each of the spire’s four sides are the benevolent eyes of the Buddha — wide, calm, and unblinking...
Prince William brings his son to the same homeless shelter he first visited with Princess Diana
LONDON — Prince William and his eldest son, Prince George, put on aprons to help make Christmas lunch at a homeless shelter, a charity that the Prince of Wales first visited as a child with his mother, the late Princess Diana. The royal father and son were seen decorating a...
Israel’s Cabinet approves 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel’s Cabinet has approved a proposal for 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, the far-right finance minister said Sunday, as the government pushes ahead with a construction binge in the territory that further threatens the possibility of a Palestinian state. That brings the...
Multiple gunmen open fire at a South African pub, killing 9 and wounding 10
BEKKERSDAL, South Africa — Nine people have died and at least 10 others were wounded after a group of gunmen carried out a shooting at a South African pub during the early hours of Sunday, authorities said. The incident occurred just before 1 a.m. in the township of Bekkersdal which...
Bears complete stunning comeback win over Packers with TD pass in OT
CHICAGO — Caleb Williams threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore in overtime as the Chicago Bears overcame a 10-point deficit late in the fourth quarter Saturday night for a 22-16 win over the Green Bay Packers, who lost quarterback Jordan Love to a concussion. The Bears (11-4) extended...
Oregon breezes past James Madison in College Football Playoff 1st round
EUGENE, Ore. — Dante Moore threw four touchdown passes and ran for another score as No. 5 Oregon beat No. 19 James Madison, 51-34, on Saturday night in a College Football Playoff first-round matchup. The Ducks (12-1) advanced to face Texas Tech in a quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl on...
WWII Navy veteran Ira ‘Ike’ Schab, one of last remaining Pearl Harbor survivors, dies at 105
World War II Navy veteran Ira “Ike” Schab, one of the dwindling number of survivors of the 1941 Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, has died. He was 105. Daughter Kimberlee Heinrichs told the Associated Press Schab died at home early Saturday in the presence of her and her husband. With...
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles win their second NFC East title in a row by beating the Commanders 29-18
LANDOVER, Md. — This was not a terrific performance by the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, from a fumble on the opening kickoff to a pair of penalties on the tush push to three wide-left field-goal tries to a halftime deficit. Still, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and company eventually got...
No. 6 Ole Miss aces test without Lane Kiffin, beat Tulane in CFP
OXFORD, Miss. — Trinidad Chambliss ran for two touchdowns and passed for another, and No. 6 Mississippi looked unfazed by the defection of coach Lane Kiffin, beating No. 17 Tulane, 41-10, on Saturday in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Scoring runs of 20 yards by Kewan Lacy...
