STATESVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife, and their two children are among the seven people killed in a plane crash in North Carolina. The Cessna C550 crashed at Statesville Regional Airport, north of Charlotte. Records show the plane was registered to a company run by Biffle. AccuWeather reports some drizzle…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials are proposing new restrictions that are designed to block access to gender-affirming care for minors. The announcement from Department of Health and Human Services is the latest step by the Trump administration cracking down on care for transgender Americans. The sweeping proposals include cutting off federal Medicaid and Medicare funding…… MORE
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal prosecutors say about half of the roughly $18 billion in federal funds that supported 14 Minnesota-run programs since 2018 may have been stolen. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said Thursday that the scale of fraud in Minnesota puts services at risk for people who really need them. While prosecutors typically…… MORE
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — A court in Romania has sentenced American rapper Wiz Khalifa to nine months in jail on drug possession charges. The ruling on Thursday came more than a year after he took part in a music festival in the Eastern European country. Khalifa was stopped by Romanian police in July 2024 after…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. inflation slowed unexpectedly last month according to data that was delayed and likely distorted by the government shutdown. The Labor Department reported Thursday that its consumer price index rose 2.7% in November from a year earlier. Yet, year-over-year inflation remains well above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, and Americans are complaining…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that could reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. This move could ease regulations and expand medical research by shifting marijuana from a Schedule I drug, like heroin, to a Schedule III substance, similar to ketamine. This change won’t legalize recreational use nationwide but…… MORE
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — TikTok has signed a deal to sell its U.S. business to three American investors — Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX — ensuring the popular social video platform can continue operating in the United States. The deal is expected to close on Jan. 22, according to an internal memo seen by The…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose following an encouraging report on inflation that could help the Federal Reserve keep cutting interest rates next year. A strong profit report from Micron Technology also helped AI stocks halt their sharp slides on Thursday, at least for now. The S&P 500 gained 0.8% to break a four-day…… MORE
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — The European Central Bank is leaving interest rates unchanged for the fourth meeting in a row as the economy in the 20 countries that use the euro increasingly looks strong enough to get by without the stimulus of lower borrowing costs for businesses and consumers. The bank’s rate-setting council on Thursday…… MORE
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Federal regulators will allow tech companies to effectively plug massive data centers directly into power plants. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s order Thursday comes as the Trump administration urges it to help the U.S. lead the world in artificial intelligence. FERC’s order is designed to clear up pressing issues around so-called…… MORE
