Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was asked Wednesday if he ever envisioned playing for another franchise.

The UEFA Women's Champions League group stage is over. Here are the grades for all 18 teams.

The departure of Dan Bongino had seemed inevitable since August, when the White House hired Missouris attorney general, Andrew Bailey, to share his job as deputy director.

Even adversaries of Jack Smith, the former special counsel, conceded that his tight-lipped, painstaking approach made tripping him up particularly difficult.

The district attorney in Atlanta addressed a Republican-led committee created to investigate her conduct during her prosecution of President Trump last year.

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The U.S. House has passed Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greenes (R-GA) so-called Protect Childrens Innocence Act, a bill to ban and criminalize gender-affirming care for minors nationwide. It passed 216-211, withDemocratic Reps. Henry Cuellar (TX), Vicente Gonzalez (TX), andRep. Don Davis (NC) voting with the Republican majority in favor of it. Only four Republicans voted against it.Though the bill is unlikely to pass the Senate, Greene touted it as one of President Trumps key campaign promises. LGBTQ+ Congress members have said the bill is cruel and criticized Republicans for focusing on anti-trans legislation while doing nothing to address more pressing social issues. Related Trans youth & families sue hospitals for denying them care: Theyre living through a nightmare The legislation, which Greene has repeatedly introduced in successive Congress sessions since August 2022, would make it a Class C federal felony for doctors to follow the standards of care for gender dysphoria in trans youth, including prescribing any puberty blockers or hormones. It would also ban federal funds including Medicaid funds from being used for gender-affirming care for trans people, ban medical schools from teaching about such care, stop health care plans under the Affordable Care Act from funding the care, and ban anyone found to have performed gender affirming care from immigrating to the United States. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today Greene said that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) promised a vote on her bill in exchange for her support of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a $901 billion national defense spending bill approved by the House last week in a 312-112 vote.. The NDAA contains a provision that would ban trans female athletes from competing on womens sports teams at military academies.Greene said her bill was one of President Trumps key campaign promises and executive orders, adding, Every Republican campaigned to protect kids from the trans agenda. During the 2024 election, Republicans ran ads negatively highlighting Democrats support of trans-inclusive policies. In early January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to ban youth and adults under the age of 19 from accessing gender-affirming care and to investigate any organizations providing such care. The order directed the Department of Health to ignore all studies affirming the benefits of gender-affirming care, ordered medical schools to stop teaching about it, and threatened prosecution against the 16 sanctuary states that currently protect this form of care from out-of-state prosecutorial investigations against it.On Wednesday, Rep. Sarah McBride (D-DE), the only out trans Congress member, spoke against Greenes bill on the Capitol steps. Noting that tax credits for the Affordable Care Act will expire soon, raising healthcare costs for an estimated 22 millions of Americans nationwide, McBride said, They would rather have us focus in and debate a misunderstood and vulnerable one percent of the population instead of focusing on the fact that they are gutting everyones health care in order to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest one percent. All Republican politicians care about is making the rich richer and attacking trans people, she added. They are obsessed with trans people. I actually think they think more about trans people than trans people think about trans people.Rep. Mark Takano (D-California), the chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, also denounced Greenes bill, saying, This bill is the most extreme anti-transgender legislation to ever pass through the House of Representatives and a direct attack on the rights of parents to work with their children and their doctors to provide them with the medical care they need. If this bill becomes law, doctors, pharmacists, and in some circumstances the parents of young trans people, would face time in prison for choosing to prioritize their childs health. This bill is beyond cruel, and its passage will forever be a stain on the institution of the United States Congress.The Washington Post noted that the bill has forced Democrats to go on record on a contentious issue. While all major medical and psychological associations consider gender-affirming care as safe, effective, and essential to young trans peoples well-being, 56% of U.S. adults support banning health care professionals from providing gender-affirming care for minors, according to a 2025 study from the Pew Research Center. Currently, 26 states have bans on gender-affirming care for trans youth, according to the Movement Advancement Project. Six of them have made it a felony crime to provide certain forms of best practice medical care to trans youth.Many Democrats and pundits have claimed trans issues contributed to the partys 2024 election night losses. The victories on the anti-trans right have emboldened some Democrats to begin wavering on their support for trans rights, with some like Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY)and Seth Moulton (D-MA) coming out in favor of anti-trans policies. Meanwhile, high-profile Democrats like Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Rep. Greg Casar (TX) have warned Democrats against abandoning trans Americans. In a statement responding to the vote, Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson wrote, Every child, including transgender children, deserves to thrive. And every family deserves the freedom and privacy to see a doctor and get the care their child needs. But politicians like Marjorie Taylor Greene and the MAGA House majority are obsessed with weaponizing their power to terrorize transgender people. Instead of tackling the real crisis of skyrocketing health care costs and fighting to guarantee every child access to quality care, they have forced through a bill that overrides the judgment of parents and doctors.Should this bill become law,doctors could face the threat of prison simply for doing their jobs and providing the care they were trained to deliver, Robinson added. Parents could be criminalized and even imprisoned for supporting their children and ensuring they receive prescribed medication. Voters will not forget that this Republican majority chose to tear families apart and endanger vulnerable youth over the needs of our country.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.

Disney is going big in 2026. Between Marvel shakeups, Pixar sequels, live-action reimaginings, and a return to one of fashions most iconic offices, the studios upcoming slate is stacked with nostalgia, spectacle, and a few wild swings we did not see coming. From superhero satire to sentient toys versus technology, heres everything Disney has lined up for the year ahead.Wonder ManJanuary 27Marvels Wonder Man pulls back the curtain on Hollywood itself. Aspiring actor Simon Williams finds himself chasing a career-changing opportunity when a legendary director announces a reboot of the superhero film Wonder Man. Alongside him is Trevor Slattery, an actor whose glory days may be behind him. The series promises a meta look at fame, failure, and ambition, blending superhero mythology with industry satire.Send HelpJanuary 30Directed by Sam Raimi, Send Help traps two coworkers on a deserted island after a plane crash and lets the psychological games begin. What starts as a survival story quickly turns into a darkly funny battle of wills. Starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan OBrien, the film leans into tension, twisted humor, and just enough chaos to keep you guessing who will crack first.Psycho KillerFebruary 20This chilling road-trip thriller follows a Kansas highway patrol officer hunting down her husbands murderer across the country. As the pursuit escalates, she realizes shes dealing with a sadistic serial killer whose motivations go far beyond revenge. With a sharp script and a deeply unsettling tone, Psycho Killer looks poised to be one of 2026s most intense theatrical releases.Daredevil: Born AgainMarch 2026Hells Kitchen is calling. Daredevil: Born Again continues Marvels darker, street-level storytelling, bringing Matt Murdock back into the spotlight as old threats resurface and new moral lines are tested. Details are still under wraps, but the return alone has fans buzzing.HoppersMarch 6Pixar gets delightfully weird with Hoppers. The animated adventure follows Mabel, an animal lover who uses experimental technology to transfer her consciousness into a robotic beaver. What she discovers is a hidden animal society with big personalities, big mysteries, and a looming human threat. With a stacked voice cast and playful sci-fi energy, this one feels primed to charm kids and adults alike.The Devil Wears Prada 2May 1The heels are higher, the stakes are sharper, and Runway is back. Twenty years after the original film became a cultural touchstone, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci return for The Devil Wears Prada 2. Set once again in New Yorks fashion world, the sequel revisits Miranda, Andy, Emily, and Nigel as the industry and their power dynamics have evolved.The Mandalorian and GroguMay 22The galaxys favorite duo heads to the big screen. The Mandalorian and Grogu expands the Star Wars universe with a new theatrical adventure following Din Djarin and his Force-sensitive companion as they navigate a fragile post-Empire galaxy. With epic action, emotional stakes, and Grogu still stealing every scene, this is a major moment for the franchise.Toy Story 5June 19The toys are back, and this time theyre facing their biggest challenge yet: technology. Toy Story 5 explores what happens when traditional play collides with a new digital threat, forcing Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest of the gang to adapt or be left behind. Expect laughs, heart, and at least one scene that emotionally destroys you.Moana (Live-Action)July 10Disneys live-action Moana brings the beloved story back to the big screen with a fresh cast and sweeping visuals. Catherine Lagaaia steps into the role of Moana, joined by Dwayne Johnson returning as Maui. The film promises to honor the original while expanding the world of Motunui with new cinematic scale, songs, and emotional depth.Avengers: DoomsdayDecember 18Marvel is ending 2026 with a full-blown multiverse event. Avengers: Doomsday brings together heroes from across eras of the MCU as they face one of Marvels most iconic villains: Doctor Doom.The film is shaping up to be a massive crossover, with returning and newer faces uniting for what sounds like an all-hands-on-deck battle. The sprawling ensemble cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Letitia Wright, Paul Rudd, Wyatt Russell, Tenoch Huerta Meja, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, Kelsey Grammer, Lewis Pullman, Danny Ramirez, Joseph Quinn, David Harbour, Winston Duke, Hannah John-Kamen, Tom Hiddleston, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Alan Cumming, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Channing Tatum, Pedro Pascal, and Robert Downey Jr.What are you excited to see? Source

Amidst the madness of my holiday planning, I forgot to order an essential item: the charcuterie board. A staple at almost every family gathering because we all need a little snack between rounds of Rummikub.And it is the one item I said I would handle.But by the time I remembered, it was too late. Local options required an advanced notice or were already sold out. So with two days until Thanksgiving, I was frantically looking online for options. And I know what youre thinking, just make one yourself.But I was flying from Los Angeles to Chicago to Minneapolis, smarty pants, so I couldnt exactly carry on a bunch of cured meats and cheeses! But thats when I found Boarderie. They offer free overnight shipping nationwide and charcuterie boards for almost every occasion. Lucky for me, Thanksgiving was one of those occasions.Boarderie Saves the DayBoarderie is the first service to ship fully arranged artisan cheese and charcuterie boards nationwide, delivered fresh and ready to serve right to your home. Or in my case, a hotel.Their boards are prepared the day before shipping, chilled, and sent via FedEx Overnight in custom-insulated packaging with ice packs, which keeps everything fresh during transit.I loved that Boarderie also offers boards in three different sizes. I went with the large option because why not, and added on the honeycomb because who doesnt love honeycomb.They also offer savory and sweet baked brie that looks delicious! I will definitely be adding that to our next order Cranberry, Orange & Pecan Baked Brie for Christmas. Obviously.How to Order Your BoarderieChoose your board pick your size based on your guest count (small, medium, or large) and choose boards for different occasions. Oh! They even have meat-free options.Select a delivery date you can schedule delivery up to 365 days in advance. I will definitely be doing this to plan gifts I would usually forget. Shame on me, I know.Unwrap and enjoy when the board arrives, its ready to graze. Just remove it from the box, let it come to room temperature (if youre patient), pour out the nuts, unbox the crackers, and voila!So, whether youre taking a gaycation, celebrating a holiday with your chosen family, or just want to take some of the pressure off hosting (I do) Boarderie is a great option the next time you find yourself too busy, too far from home, or just wanting to skip to snacking instead of preparing.Source

Defying reason and self-preservation, Chelsea's Lucy Bronze continues to shine in the biggest moments.

After finding the slain couple, investigators focused on their younger son, Nick, as a suspect. He was formally charged with murder on Tuesday.

The Democratic measure was defeated mostly along party lines, along with another resolution that would have halted the militarys escalating campaign of boat attacks.

Also, New York will allow the terminally ill to end their lives. Heres the latest at the end of Wednesday.

The government has greatly restricted the number of work and study permits issued to foreigners following an unpopular immigration boom during the pandemic.

Her film Who Killed Vincent Chin? earned an Oscar nomination in 1988 and was inducted into the National Film Registry for its cultural significance.

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Michigan's investigation into its football program and athletic department could lead to findings of additional misconduct that would trigger more terminations, interim president Domenico Grasso said Wednesday.

The Chicago Bears are exploring locations for a new stadium outside the city and even outside Illinois after multiple plans hit stumbling blocks over concerns about the cost to taxpayers.

Ms. Maxwell, who conspired with Jeffrey Epstein in a sex-trafficking scheme, argued that she had been denied a fair trial.

Judge Jia M. Cobb wrote that two policies announced in June appeared to unlawfully bar members of Congress from making unannounced visits at immigration detention facilities.

Officials said that they were working with physical evidence, including DNA, and that they were seeking a second man who appeared to have crossed paths with the possible suspect.

For more than three and a half years, officials said, the men used the Johnson Houses as an open drug market to sell crack cocaine and fentanyl.

The New York Times is looking to talk to New Yorkers about how they budget, splurge and save in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Prediction market Kalshi filed notice to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Wednesday that it intends to offer trading on the transfer portal, prompting the NCAA to say it "vehemently opposes college sports prediction markets."

A federal court filing says the Army crew piloting a Black Hawk helicopter could have avoided the nighttime accident in January if it had been able to see and avoid a commercial jet.

During much of the 12.5-minute call, President Trump reiterated his claims that he had won Georgia, a state he lost by more than 11,000 votes that year.

The Pentagon has released plenty of video clips that show American missiles blowing boats suspected of carrying drugs out of the water. But the double tap strike on Sept. 2 is being kept under wraps.

The White House unveiled plaques near the Oval Office that describe U.S. presidents with varying levels of accuracy, depending on President Trumps opinion of them.

President Trump said the United States wanted to reclaim expropriated oil assets, setting off a nationalist reaction in a country where the resource holds a mythical status.

NFL survivor pool strategy, predictions and picks for ESPN Eliminator Challenge Week 16.

In some ways, Trumps broader flexing of power has achieved what he set out to do. But his attempts to push prosecutions of rivals have been far less successful.

Green Bay's Doug Gottlieb says he's stepping away from his radio show to put his total focus on his coaching responsibilities.

The tallest college basketball player ever recorded his first field goal in the 23rd-ranked Gators' win over Saint Francis on Wednesday night.

He won the prestigious award for his daring coverage of the Vietnam War for The Associated Press, and went on to cover conflicts for CNN for nearly two decades.

A piece of wreckage is lifted from the water onto a salvage vessel near the site in the Potomac River of a mid-air collision between an American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter, at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Feb. 4, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, file)2025-12-18T00:06:06Z The U.S. government admitted Wednesday that the actions of an air traffic controller and Army helicopter pilot played a role in causing a collision last January between an airliner and a Black Hawk near the nations capital, killing 67 people.It was the deadliest plane crash on American soil in more than two decades.The official response to the first lawsuit filed by one of the victims families said that the government is liable in the crash partly because the air traffic controller violated visual separation procedures that night. Plus, the filing said, the Army helicopter pilots failure to maintain vigilance so as to see and avoid the airline jet makes the government liable.But the filing suggested that others, including the pilots of the jet and the airlines, may also have played a role. The lawsuit also blamed American Airlines and its regional partner, PSA Airlines, for roles in the crash, but those airlines have filed motions to dismiss. And the government denied that any air traffic controllers or officials at the Federal Aviation Administration or Army were negligent.At least 28 bodies were pulled from the icy waters of the Potomac River after the helicopter collided with the American Airlines regional jet while it was landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport in northern Virginia, just across the river from Washington, D.C., officials said. The plane carried 60 passengers and four crew members, and three soldiers were aboard the helicopter. Attorney says loss of life was needlessRobert Clifford, one of the attorneys for the family of victim Casey Crafton, said the government admitted the Armys responsibility for the needless loss of life and the FAAs failure to follow air traffic control procedures while rightfully acknowledging others - American Airlines and PSA Airlines - also contributed to the deaths.The families of the victims remain deeply saddened and anchored in the grief caused by this tragic loss of life, he said.The governments lawyers said in the filing that the United States admits that it owed a duty of care to plaintiffs, which it breached, thereby proximately causing the tragic accident. An American spokesman declined to comment on the filing, but in the airlines motion to dismiss, American said plaintiffs proper legal recourse is not against American. It is against the United States government ... The Court should therefore dismiss American from this lawsuit. The airline said that since the crash it has focused on supporting the families of the victims.The lawsuit had accused the airlines of not doing enough to mitigate the risks of flying so close to helicopters around Washington, D.C., and not adequately training their pilots to handle it. Investigators highlight contributing factorsThe National Transportation Safety Board will release its report on the cause of the crash early next year, but investigators have already highlighted a number of factors that contributed, including the helicopter flying 78 feet higher (24 meters) than the 200-foot (61-meter) limit on a route that allowed only scant separation between planes landing on Reagans secondary runway and helicopters passing below. Plus, the NTSB said, the FAA failed to recognize the dangers around the busy airport even after 85 near misses in the three years before the crash.The government admitted in its filing that the United States was on notice of certain near-miss events between its Army-operated Black Hawk helicopters and aircraft traffic transiting in and around helicopter routes 1 and 4 around Washington.Before the collision, the controller twice asked the helicopter pilots whether they had the jet in sight, and the pilots said they did and asked for visual separation approval so they could use their own eyes to maintain distance. FAA officials acknowledged at the NTSBs investigative hearings that the controllers at Reagan had become overly reliant on the use of visual separation. Thats a practice the agency has since ended.Witnesses told the NTSB that they have serious questions about how well the helicopter crew could spot the plane while wearing night vision goggles and whether the pilots were even looking in the right spot.Investigators have said the helicopter pilots might not have realized how high they were because the barometric altimeter they were relying on was reading 80 to 100 feet (24 to 30 meters) lower than the altitude registered by the flight data recorder. Swift admissionThe crash victims included a group of elite young figure skaters, their parents and coaches who had just attended a competition in Wichita, Kansas, and four union steamfitters from the Washington area.Retired pilot Richard J. Levy, an aviation litigation expert witness, said the governments admission of some responsibility less than a year after the crash is unusual, especially considering the amount of money that could be involved in the case. They would not have done that if there was a doubt in their mind about anything the controller did or that the Army did, said Levy.____Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy contributed to this report. JOSH FUNK Funk is an Associated Press reporter who covers transportation including aviation safety and airlines along with all the major freight railroads. Funk also covers Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, the impact of the ongoing bird flu outbreak, agriculture and other news out of the Midwest. twitter mailto

Oscar statuettes appear backstage at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on Feb. 28, 2016. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP, File)2025-12-17T17:58:30Z In a seismic shift for one of televisions marquee events, the Academy Awards will depart ABC and begin streaming on YouTube beginning in 2029, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Wednesday.ABC will continue to broadcast the annual ceremony through 2028. That year will mark the 100th Oscars. But starting in 2029, YouTube will retain global rights to streaming the Oscars through 2033. YouTube will effectively be the home to all things Oscars, including red-carpet coverage, the Governors Awards and the Oscar nominations announcement. We are thrilled to enter into a multifaceted global partnership with YouTube to be the future home of the Oscars and our year-round Academy programming, said academy chief executive Bill Kramer and academy president Lynette Howell Taylor. The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community. AP AUDIO: The Oscars will move to YouTube in 2029, leaving longtime home of ABC APs Lisa Dwyer reports on a big move by the Oscars. While major award shows have added streaming partnerships, the YouTube deal marks the first of the big four the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys and Tonys to completely jettison broadcast television. It puts one of the most watched non-NFL broadcasts in the hands of Google. YouTube boasts some 2 billion viewers. The Academy Awards will stream for free worldwide on YouTube, in addition to YouTube TV subscribers. It will be available with audio tracks in many languages, in addition to closed captioning. Financial terms were not disclosed. The Oscars are one of our essential cultural institutions, honoring excellence in storytelling and artistry, said Neal Mohan, chief executive of YouTube. Partnering with the academy to bring this celebration of art and entertainment to viewers all over the world will inspire a new generation of creativity and film lovers while staying true to the Oscars storied legacy. The Walt Disney Co.-owned ABC has been the broadcast home to the Oscars for almost its entire history. NBC first televised the Oscars in 1953, but ABC picked up the rights in 1961. Aside from a period between 1971 and 1975, when NBC again aired the show, the Oscars have been on ABC. ABC has been the proud home to The Oscars for more than half a century, the network said in a statement. We look forward to the next three telecasts, including the shows centennial celebration in 2028, and wish the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences continued success.The 2025 Academy Awards were watched by 19.7 million viewers on ABC, a slight increase from the year before. That remains one of the biggest TV broadcasts of the year, though less than half of Oscar ratings at their peak. In 1999, more than 55 million watched James Camerons Titanic win best picture. The film academy, in choosing YouTube over other options such as Netflix or NBC Universal/Peacock, selected a platform with a wide-ranging and massive audience but one without as much of an established production infrastructure. Still, more people especially young people watch YouTube than any other streaming platform. According to Nielsen, YouTube accounted for 12.9% of all television and streaming content consumed in November. Netflix ranked second with an 8.3% market share. JAKE COYLE Coyle has been a film critic and covered the movie industry for The Associated Press since 2013. He is based in New York City. twitter mailto

This undated photo provided by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in December 2025 shows Nuno Loureiro. (Jake Belcher/MIT via AP)2025-12-17T14:56:49Z BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) Police intensified their search Wednesday for a suspect in the killing of professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, two days after he was shot to death at his home outside Boston.Loureiro, a 47-year-old physicist and fusion scientist, was shot Monday night at his apartment in Brookline, Massachusetts. He died at a local hospital on Tuesday, the Norfolk District Attorneys Office said in a statement.The prosecutors office said the homicide investigation was active and ongoing as of early afternoon Wednesday and had no update earlier they had said no suspects were in custody.The investigation into the MIT professors killing comes as Brown University, another prestigious institution just 50 miles (80 kilometers) away in Providence, Rhode Island, is reeling from an unsolved shooting that killed two students and wounded nine others Saturday. Investigators provided no indication Tuesday that they were any closer to zeroing in on the gunmans identity. AP AUDIO: Shooting of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro has police still searching for a suspect AP correspondent Julie Walker reports on the search for a suspect in the shooting death of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor at his home. The FBI on Tuesday said it knew of no connection between the crimes.Dozens of people gathered outside Lourieros building Tuesday night, many with candles in hand, to honor the professors life and support his family. Neighbors received paper notices attached to their doors with tape to place candles in their windows in Lourieros honor. Some people cried and held each other, but most attendees were silent, their breath visible in the bracing cold. A few children rode scooters from their nearby homes to the gathering. The killing happened when most MIT students were on winter break, and more than a dozen of them on the Cambridge campus on Wednesday didnt want to talk about it. Most said they didnt know him. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on A 22-year-old student at Boston University who lives near Loureiros apartment in Brookline told The Boston Globe she heard three loud noises Monday evening and feared it was gunfire. I had never heard anything so loud, so I assumed they were gunshots, Liv Schachner was quoted as saying. Its difficult to grasp. It just seems like it keeps happening. Loureiro, who was married, joined MIT in 2016 and was named last year to lead MITs Plasma Science and Fusion Center, where he worked to advance clean energy technology and other research. The center, one of the schools largest labs, had more than 250 people working across seven buildings when he took the helm. He was a professor of physics and nuclear science and engineering. He grew up in Viseu, in central Portugal, and studied in Lisbon before earning a doctorate in London, according to MIT. He was a researcher at an institute for nuclear fusion in Lisbon before joining MIT, the university said.He shone a bright light as a mentor, friend, teacher, colleague and leader, and was universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner, Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor who previously led MITs Plasma Science and Fusion Center, told a campus publication.The president of MIT, Sally Kornbluth, said in a statement that the killing was a shocking loss. The office of Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa also put out a condolence statement calling Loureiros death an irreparable loss for science and for all those with whom he worked and lived. Loureiro had said he hoped his work would shape the future.Its not hyperbole to say MIT is where you go to find solutions to humanitys biggest problems, Loureiro said when he was named to lead the plasma science lab last year. Fusion energy will change the course of human history. ___Associated Press writers Leah Willingham in Boston; Mark Scolforo in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; and David Biller in Rome contributed. MICHAEL CASEY Casey writes about the environment, housing and inequality for The Associated Press. He lives in Boston. twitter mailto

Associated Press2025-12-17T16:49:44.309Z How well do you remember what happened in 2025? Test your knowledge with 25 questions about some of the years biggest stories.

A crowd of people holding candles gather outside the home of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro in Brookline, Mass., Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Leah Willingham)2025-12-17T17:28:15Z Authorities are searching for a suspect in the killing of Nuno F.G. Loureiro, a prominent physics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who was shot at his home near Boston. Loureiro, a married 47-year-old from Portugal, was shot Monday night and died Tuesday at a local hospital.Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive, and no suspects were in custody as of Wednesday morning, the Norfolk District Attorneys Office said.The shooting in Brookline, Massachusetts, comes days after a deadly attack at another prestigious school in the region, Brown University, where police also havent identified the suspect who killed two students and wounded nine others. The FBI said it knows of no connection between the two crimes. Finding solutions to the worlds problemsLoureiro joined MIT in 2016 and was named last year to lead the schools Plasma Science and Fusion Center, one of its largest laboratories. The center has around 250 researchers working across seven buildings and focuses on advancing clean energy technology and other research.The professor grew up in Viseu in central Portugal, studied in Lisbon and earned a doctorate in London, according to the university. Before moving to MIT, he worked at a nuclear fusion research institute in Lisbon.Loureiro studied the behavior of plasma and worked to explain the physics behind astronomical phenomena such as solar flares. His research, according to his obituary on MITs news site, involved the design of fusion devices that could harness the energy of fusing plasmas, bringing the dream of clean, near-limitless fusion power closer to reality.Its not hyperbole to say MIT is where you go to find solutions to humanitys biggest problems, Loureiro told the schools news site when he became head of the plasma lab. Fusion energy will change the course of human history. Sadness and shock over Loureiros death He shone a bright light as a mentor, friend, teacher, colleague and leader, and was universally admired for his articulate, compassionate manner, Dennis Whyte, an engineering professor who previously led MITs Plasma Science and Fusion Center, told a campus publication.Deepto Chakrabarty, the William A. M. Burden professor in astrophysics and head of the Department of Physics, described him as a champion for plasma physics, a valued colleague and an inspiring mentor to graduate students.MIT President Sally Kornbluth said the shocking loss for our community comes in a period of disturbing violence in many other places. The Portuguese presidents office also put out a condolence statement calling Loureiros death an irreparable loss for science and for all those with whom he worked and lived. Killing comes amid search for Brown shooting suspectThe investigation into Loureiros killing unfolds as Brown University, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) away in Providence, Rhode Island, continues to reel from Saturdays campus shooting. As the search for the suspect entered its fifth day Wednesday, authorities urged the public to review security or cellphone footage from the week before the attack, saying they believe the gunman may have cased the area beforehand.

New research suggests that having a pet can actually make people more likely to become parents.

Pandas have stood for friendship between China and Japan since 1972. But the last two are about to go, and a dispute over Taiwan could get in the way of sending more.

The European Council convenes on Thursday, and at stake is a contentious deal to back Ukraine and its war effort in 2026 and 2027.

A federal court filing says the Army crew piloting a Black Hawk helicopter could have avoided the nighttime accident in January if it had been able to see and avoid a commercial jet.

New legislation will be drafted to target those who promote violence and to increase penalties for hate speech, the prime minister said Thursday.

Katherine Carreo stands for a portrait Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Allison Dinner)2025-12-18T05:09:26Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department has launched a months-long effort to prosecute people accused of assaulting or hindering federal officers while protesting President Donald Trumps immigration crackdown and military deployments. Attorney General Pam Bondi has vowed such offenders will face severe consequences.In a review of scores of criminal prosecutions brought by federal prosecutors, The Associated Press found that the Justice Department has struggled to deliver on Bondis pledge. An analysis of 166 federal criminal cases brought since May against people in four Democratic-led cities at the epicenter of demonstrations found that aggressive charging decisions and rhetoric painting defendants as domestic terrorists have frequently failed to hold up in court.Its clear from this data that the government is being extremely aggressive and charging for things that ordinarily wouldnt be charged at all, said Mary McCord, a former federal prosecutor who is the director of Georgetown University Law Centers Institute for Constitutional Advocacy. They appear to want to chill people from protesting against the administrations mass deportation plans.Here are some key findings from the APs analysis: Dozens of felonies evaporatedOf 100 people initially charged with felony assaults on federal agents, 55 saw their charges reduced to misdemeanors, or dismissed.Sometimes prosecutors failed to win grand jury indictments required to prosecute someone on a felony, the AP found. Videos and testimony called into question some of the initial allegations, resulting in prosecutors downgrading offenses.In dozens of cases, officers suffered minor or no injuries, undercutting a key component of the felony assault charge that requires the potential for serious bodily harm.One of the cases was against Dana Briggs, a 70-year-old Air Force veteran charged in September with assault after a protest in Chicago. After video footage emerged of federal agents knocking Briggs to the ground, prosecutors dropped a case they had already reduced to a misdemeanor. Another case dropped by prosecutors was against 28-year-old Lucy Shepherd, who was charged with felony assault after she batted away the arm of a federal officer who was attempting to clear a crowd outside Portlands Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility. Her lawyers argued a video of her arrest showed she brushed aside an officer with too little force to have been intended to inflict any kind of injury.A Justice Department spokesperson said it will continue to seek the most serious available charges against those alleged to have put federal agents in harms way.We will not tolerate any violence directed toward our brave law enforcement officials who are working tirelessly to keep Americans safe, said Natalie Baldassarre, a DOJ spokesperson. Despite rhetoric, antifa rarely mentioned in courtThe administration has deployed or sought to deploy troops to the four cities where AP examined the criminal cases: Washington, D.C, Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago. Trump and his administration have sought to justify the military deployments, in part, by painting immigration protesters as antifa, which the president has sought to designate as a domestic terrorist organization. Short for anti-fascists, antifa is an umbrella term for far-left-leaning protesters who confront or resist white supremacists, sometimes clashing with law enforcement. The APs review found a handful of references to antifa in court records in the cases it reviewed. The review found no case in which federal authorities officially accused a protester of being a domestic terrorist or part of an organized effort to attack federal agents. Prosecutors have lost every trialExperts said they were surprised the Justice Department took five misdemeanor cases to trial, given that such trials eat up resources. They were further shocked that DOJ lost all those trials.When the DOJ tries to take a swing at someone, they should hit 99.9% of the time. And thats not happening, said Ronald Chapman II, a defense attorney who practices extensively in federal court.The highest-profile loss involved Sean Charles Dunn, a Washington, D.C., man who tossed a Subway-style sandwich at a Border Patrol agent he had berated as a fascist. Dunn was acquitted Nov. 6 after a two-day trial.In Los Angeles, 32-year-old Katherine Carreo was acquitted on a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from an August protest outside a federal building.Prosecutors had alleged she ignored an officers commands to move out of the way of a government vehicle and raised her hand and brought it down in a slapping/chopping motion onto the officers arm. Social media video shown to jurors raised doubts about that narrative, showing an officer striding toward Carreo and pushing her back. More than 50 cases are pendingProsecutors have secured felony indictments against 58 people, some of whom were initially charged with misdemeanors. They are accused of assaulting federal officers in several ways, including by hurling rocks and projectiles, punching or kicking them and shooting them with paintballs. None have yet to go to trial.From the start of Trumps second term through Nov. 24, the Department of Homeland Security says there have been 238 assaults on ICE personnel nationwide. The agency declined to provide its list or details about how it defines assaults.Rioters and other violent criminals have threatened our law enforcement officers, thrown rocks, bottles, and fireworks at them, slashed the tires of their vehicles, rammed them, ambushed them, and even shot at them, said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.___Ding reported from Los Angeles, Fernando from Chicago, Rush from Portland, Oregon, and Foley from Iowa City, Iowa.___Contact the APs global investigative team at [emailprotected] or https://www.ap.org/tips/ RYAN J. FOLEY Foley covers national news for The Associated Press and is based in Iowa City, Iowa. A 21-year AP veteran, he was part of the AP team honored as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting for the 2024 series, Lethal Restraint. twitter mailto CLAIRE RUSH Rush is an Associated Press reporter covering Oregon state government and general news in the Pacific Northwest more broadly. twitter mailto JAIMIE DING Ding covers California breaking news for The Associated Press. She focuses on law enforcement and the courts, and is based in Los Angeles. twitter mailto CHRISTINE FERNANDO Fernando is a democracy reporter covering misinformation, reproductive rights and state supreme courts for The Associated Press. twitter mailto MICHAEL BIESECKER Biesecker is a global investigative reporter for The Associated Press, based in Washington. He reports on a wide range of topics, including human conflict, climate change and political corruption. twitter instagram mailto

This image made by the Cassini spacecraft and provided by NASA on March 12, 2006, shows two of Saturn's moons, the small Epimetheus and smog-enshrouded Titan, with Saturn's A and F rings stretching across the frame. (NASA via AP)2025-12-17T16:00:25Z CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) Saturns giant moon Titan may not have a vast underground ocean after all.Titan instead may hold deep layers of ice and slush more akin to Earths polar seas, with pockets of melted water where life could possibly survive and even thrive, scientists reported Wednesday.The team led by researchers at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory challenged the decade-long assumption of a buried global ocean at Titan after taking a fresh look at observations made years ago by NASAs Cassini spacecraft around Saturn.They stress that no one has found any signs of life at Titan, the solar systems second largest moon spanning 3,200 miles (5,150 kilometers) and brimming with lakes of liquid methane on its frosty surface.But with the latest findings suggesting a slushy, near-melting environment, there is strong justification for continued optimism regarding the potential for extraterrestrial life, said the University of Washingtons Baptiste Journaux, who took part in the study published in the journal Nature. As to what form of life that might be, possibly strictly microscopic, nature has repeatedly demonstrated far greater creativity than the most imaginative scientists, he said in an email. JPLs Flavio Petricca, the lead author, said Titans ocean may have frozen in the past and is currently melting, or its hydrosphere might be evolving toward complete freezing. Computer models suggest these layers of ice, slush and water extend to a depth of more than 340 miles (550 kilometers). The outer ice shell is thought to be about 100 miles (170 kilometers) deep, covering layers of slush and pools of water that could go down another 250 miles (400 kilometers). This water could be as warm as 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius).Because Titan is tidally locked, the same side of the moon faces Saturn all the time, just like our own moon and Earth. Saturns gravitational pull is so intense that it deforms the moons surface, creating bulges as high as 30 feet (10 meters) when the two bodies are closest. Through improved data processing, Petricca and his team managed to measure the timing between the peak gravitational tug and the rising of Titans surface. If the moon held a wet ocean, the effect would be immediate, Petricca said, but a 15-hour gap was detected, indicating an interior of slushy ice with pockets of liquid water. Computer modeling of Titans orientation in space supported their theory.Sapienza University of Romes Luciano Iess, whose previous studies using Cassini data indicated a hidden ocean at Titan, is not convinced by the latest findings.While certainly intriguing and will stimulate renewed discussion ... at present, the available evidence looks certainly not sufficient to exclude Titan from the family of ocean worlds, Iess said in an email.NASAs planned Dragonfly mission featuring a helicopter-type craft due to launch to Titan later this decade is expected to provide more clarity on the moons innards. Journaux is part of that team. Saturn leads the solar systems moon inventory with 274. Jupiters moon Ganymede is just a little larger than Titan, with a possible underground ocean. Other suspected water worlds include Saturns Enceladus and Jupiters Europa, both of which are believed to have geysers of water erupting from their frozen crusts.Launched in 1997, Cassini reached Saturn in 2004, orbiting the ringed planet and flying past its moons until deliberately plunging through Saturns atmosphere in 2017.___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Dilip Patel, right, and Bobby Charmak, left, work on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange in New York, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)2025-12-17T05:14:34Z NEW YORK (AP) More drops for AI stocks dragged the U.S. market lower Wednesday, and Wall Street sank to its fourth straight loss.The S&P 500 fell 1.2% for its worst day in nearly a month, though its still not far from its all-time high set last week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 228 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 1.8%.Slightly more stocks rose within the S&P 500 than fell, but they got drowned out by the drops for companies in the artificial-intelligence industry.Questions continue to dog the former superstars about whether their yearslong dominance of Wall Street meant their prices shot too high, as well as whether all the investment in AI will produce enough profit and productivity to prove worth the cost. Worries are also rising about the debt that some companies are taking on to pay for it all. Broadcom dropped 4.5%, Oracle fell 5.4% and CoreWeave sank 7.1%. Nvidia, the chip company thats become Wall Streets most influential stock because of its tremendous size, fell 3.8% and was the days heaviest weight on the S&P 500. AP AUDIO: More drops for AI stocks drag Wall Street toward a 4th straight loss Wall Street is holding steady as oil prices rise. We hear more from AP business correspondent Seth Sutel. Power companies that jumped earlier in the year on expectations for stronger demand from electricity-sucking data centers also lost some of their shine. Constellation Energy fell 6.7%. Only 17% of respondents in a survey of relatively big businesses by UBS said theyre in production at scale with their AI projects. That could be a reminder for tech investors to remain sober about the likely 2026 revenue growth uplift from AI products, according to UBS analysts, though the rate continues to rise. Also on the losing end of Wall Street was Lennar, which sank 4.5% following a mixed profit report. The homebuilder delivered a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, though its revenue topped expectations.Executive Chairman Stuart Miller said that conditions remain challenging, with customers feeling less confident while looking for discounts and more affordable options. As a result, the company gave limited forecasts for its upcoming financial performance. Progressive, meanwhile, fell 2% after the insurer based in Mayfield Village, Ohio, said that its net income for November fell 5% from its year-ago level. On the winning side of Wall Street were oil companies, after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers into Venezuela. Its Trumps latest escalation against Venezuela, which may be sitting on more oil than any other country. That sent the price of a barrel of benchmark U.S. crude higher by 1.2% to $55.94. just a day after it sank to its lowest level since 2021. Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 1.3% to $59.68 per barrel.That in turn helped ConocoPhillips rise 4.6% and cut into its loss for the year so far, which came into the day at 8.5%. Devon Energy rallied 5.3%, and Exxon Mobil climbed 2.4%. Oil prices had dropped through most of this year on expectations that companies are pumping more than enough crude to meet the worlds demand. Netflix added 0.2% after Warner Bros. Discoverys board said it still recommends shareholders approve a buyout offer from the streaming giant for its Warner Bros. business, rather than a competing hostile bid from Paramount Skydance for the entire company. Warner Bros. Discovery fell 2.4%, while Paramount Skydance dropped 5.4%. All told, the S&P 500 fell 78.83 points to 6,721.43. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 228.29 to 47,885.97, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 418.14 to 22,693.32.In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady ahead of a report coming on Thursday that will show how bad inflation has been for U.S. consumers.The yield on the 10-year Treasury held at 4.15%, where it was late Tuesday. In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe following a stronger finish in Asia. South Koreas Kospi leaped 1.4% for one of the worlds bigger gains and shaved its loss for the week so far down to 2.7%. ___AP Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

ADDITION ADDS MAIDEN NAME: FILE - Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner arrive on the red carpet at the State Department for the Kennedy Center Honors gala dinner, Dec. 2, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf, File)2025-12-17T01:51:38Z LOS ANGELES (AP) Some of Rob and Michele Reiners closest friends, including actors Billy Crystal, Albert Brooks, Martin Short and Larry David, have released a statement mourning the couple and praising their love of film and country.Absorbing all he had learned from his father Carl and his mentor Norman Lear, Rob Reiner not only was a great comic actor, he became a master story teller. There is no other director who has his range. From comedy to drama to mockumentary to documentary he was always at the top of his game. He charmed audiences. They trusted him. They lined up to see his films, the group said in a statement released first to The Associated Press.His comedic touch was beyond compare, his love of getting the music of the dialogue just right, and his sharpening of the edge of a drama was simply elegant, it said of Rob Reiner, whose films included A Few Good Men, When Harry Met Sally... and The Princess Bride. The statement was released two days after Rob and Michele Reiner were found dead in their home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Their son, Nick Reiner, was charged Tuesday with two counts of murder and is suspected of stabbing his parents to death. The joint statement came from some of Reiners longtime collaborators and contemporaries, including Crystal, Brooks, Short, David and their spouses. The signatories included writer Alan Zweibel, composer and lyricist Marc Shaiman, director Barry Levinson and former U.S. Ambassador to Spain James Costos. For the actors, he loved them. For the writers he made them better. His greatest gift was freedom. If you had an idea, he listened, he brought you into the process. They always felt they were working as a team. To be in his hands as a film maker was a privilege but that is only part of his legacy, the statement said.The Reiners were major Democratic contributors and champions of numerous political causes. Rob was also a passionate, brave citizen, who not only cared for this country he loved, he did everything he could to make it better and with his loving wife Michele, he had the perfect partner. Strong and determined, Michele and Rob Reiner devoted a great deal of their lives for the betterment of our fellow citizens... They were a special force together dynamic, unselfish and inspiring, the statement said.We were their friends, and we will miss them forever, it said, before concluding with a quote from one of Reiners favorite films, the Christmastime classic Its a Wonderful Life.Each mans life touches so many other lives, and when he isnt around, he leaves an awful hole, doesnt he? You have no idea, the statement concludes.The deaths of the Reiners have stunned Hollywood, especially since their family embodied a gentle and comedic spirit.Their deaths drew tributes from numerous stars and political figures on Sunday and Monday, but many of those closest to the Reiners had yet to release statements.

Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino walks alongside his agents after they detain an individual near West 27th Street and South Ridgeway Avenue in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)2025-12-16T23:36:15Z CHICAGO (AP) Senior Border Patrol official Greg Bovino returned to the Chicago area on Tuesday, about a month after leaving to lead immigration enforcements in other cities, immigration advocates say.Bovino, the face of the Trump administrations immigration crackdown, was photographed Tuesday in the predominantly Mexican American neighborhood of Little Village by the Chicago Sun-Times as neighbors and activists blew whistles and shouted.Videos obtained by The Associated Press showed several unmarked cars and Border Patrol agents deploying pepper balls and detaining a man in the neighborhoods business corridor.Bovino arrived in the Chicago area in September amid Operation Midway Blitz, which has yielded thousands of arrests and fueled fear among immigrant communities. The operation has become known for its aggressive tactics, including the use of chemical munitions and car chases. Since the operation began, federal agents deployed tear gas in neighborhood streets, hit protesters and journalists with pepper balls and shot at least two people, killing one. Bovino left Chicago in November to lead immigration operations in New Orleans and North Carolina. While immigration operations had continued in Chicago, they were noticeably subdued with fewer tense confrontations, and Tuesdays enforcements were among the most visible since Bovino left town. As we said a month ago, we arent leaving Chicago and operations are ongoing, said Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker complained that he was not given notice that Bovino and additional Border Patrol agents were returning to the Chicago area on Tuesday. And he said he doesnt know how long theyll stay. Pritzker also called on Bovino to testify in front of an Illinois commission created in October to document misconduct by federal agents. Im so proud of the people of Illinois, for doing as they have, which is to protect their neighborhoods and their neighbors, to do the right thing, Pritzker said Tuesday. And so, I think were in a much better position.At a Tuesday news conference, activists vowed to continue supporting immigrant communities in the Chicago area. Advocates said 15 people, including day laborers and a tamale vendor, were detained Tuesday on the citys Southwest side and in suburban Berwyn and Cicero.We are tired but we are not weary, said Illinois State Senator Celina Villanueva. ... Every single time that they come, we are going to show up.Victor Rodriguez II, a lifelong resident of Little Village, said he helped a woman when her husband was detained after a caravan of masked agents began terrorizing our community, including using pepper balls in neighborhood streets. Rodriguez accused Bovino of targeted political theater.Bob Reiter, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor, said Border Patrol agents questioned striking laborers on Chicagos Southwest side and accused Bovino of coming to our picket line to chill union activity.We have seen the first act of this political theater they have brought, he said. Now its the second act, and were ready. CHRISTINE FERNANDO Fernando is a democracy reporter covering misinformation, reproductive rights and state supreme courts for The Associated Press. twitter mailto

Neighbors said a pall had fallen over the wealthy Los Angeles area where Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found stabbed to death.