HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese demand for foreign luxury cars is waning as customers opt for more affordable Chinese brand models. Those are often sold at big discounts catering to their taste for fancy electronics and comfort. That is bad news for European carmakers like Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz and BMW that have long dominated…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to spend money on gifts, parties, and travel this holiday season, you’re not alone. The time of year marketed as the most wonderful can quickly become stressful. That’s especially true now. The job market is tough, student loan and credit card debt are rising,…… MORE
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Belarusian authorities have released Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski and key opposition figure Maria Kolesnikova from prison. Human rights advocate Pavel Sapelka confirmed the release to the AP. This move comes as President Alexander Lukashenko seeks to improve relations with Washington. On Saturday, the U.S. announced it was lifting sanctions…… MORE
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union has indefinitely frozen Russia’s assets in Europe to ensure that Hungary and Slovakia, both with Moscow-friendly governments, can’t prevent the billions of euros from being used to support Ukraine. Using a special procedure meant for economic emergencies, the EU blocked the assets until Russia gives up its war on…… MORE
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Police in Rhode Island say they have a person of interest in custody after a shooting at Brown University killed two people and wounded nine others. The incident happened Saturday afternoon in a classroom during final exams. Surveillance video shows the suspect, dressed in black, calmly walking away. The shooting paralyzed…… MORE
PHILIPSBURG, Pa. (AP) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia has been released from an immigration detention center in Pennsylvania following an order from a federal judge issued Thursday, according to his attorney’s office. Abrego Garcia’s attorney’s office confirmed he was released just before 5 p.m. His attorney earlier told The Associated Press he plans to return to…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has rejected legislation to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits, essentially guaranteeing that millions of Americans will see a steep rise in costs at the beginning of the year. Senators on Thursday rejected a Democratic bill to extend the subsidies for three years and a Republican alternative that would have…… MORE
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has linked the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela to the Trump administration’s counterdrug efforts. During testimony Thursday to the House Homeland Security Committee, Noem lauded the U.S. forces’ unusual move to take control of a merchant ship. Noem describes it as a successful move that’s…… MORE
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A grand jury has declined for a second time in a week to re-indict New York Attorney General Letitia James. A grand jury rejection is an unusual circumstance in any case, and the repeated failures amount to a stunning rebuke of prosecutors’ bid to resurrect a criminal case President Donald Trump…… MORE
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says negotiators are tackling territorial issues in U.S.-led peace talks with Russia. Discussions include the possession of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region and the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. Ukraine has submitted a 20-point plan to the U.S., but Zelenskyy noted uncertainties about the final documents. American negotiators suggest…… MORE
