NEW YORK (AP) — A judge has refused to dismiss President-elect Donald Trump’s hush money conviction because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity. But the overall future of the historic case remains unclear. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan’s decision Monday blocks one potential off-ramp from the case ahead of Trump’s return…… MORE
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s military intelligence agency and the Pentagon say some North Korean troops have been killed during combat against Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk border region. These are the first reported casualties since the U.S. and Ukraine announced North Korea has sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in…… MORE
After months of deadlock, Israel and Hamas appear to be moving closer toward a ceasefire to end their 14-month war. Top officials from the U.S., Qatar and Egypt have resumed their mediation efforts in recent weeks and reported greater willingness by the warring sides to wrap up a deal. In a key concession, Hamas officials…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans hoping for lower borrowing costs for homes, credit cards and cars may be disappointed after this week’s Federal Reserve meeting. The Fed’s policymakers are likely to signal fewer interest rate cuts next year than were previously expected. The officials are set to reduce their benchmark rate, which affects many consumer and…… MORE
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump told reporters that he would consider pardoning embattled New York Mayor Eric Adams, said the country was “not going to lose” the polio vaccine and weighed in on the flurry of drone sightings over New Jersey during a freewheeling press conference Monday at his Mar-a-Lago club. Holding…… MORE
A U.S. Senate committee says at least two internal Amazon studies have found a relationship between worker speed and injuries in the online retailer’s warehouses. A 160-page report issued Sunday night by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions alleges Amazon rejected many of the studies’ safety recommendations out of concern the proposed…… MORE
DETROIT (AP) — Starting in September of 2027, all new passenger vehicles in the U.S. will have to sound a warning if rear-seat passengers don’t buckle up. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday that it has finalized the rule. It also requires longer warnings when front seat belts aren’t fastened. Front seat changes…… MORE
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump joined SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son to announce plans by the Japanese company to invest $100 billion in U.S. projects over the next four years. Trump announced the planned investment Monday at his Mar-a-Lago resort with Son at his side, along with Howard Lutnick, head of investment…… MORE
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The new year will usher in the bitcoin-friendly administration of President-elect Donald Trump and an expanding lobbying effort in statehouses. Together, they could push states to become more crypto-friendly and more public pension funds and treasuries to buy cryptocurrency. Proponents of the uniquely volatile commodity argue that it’s a valuable hedge…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — TikTok is asking the Supreme Court to step in on an emergency basis to block the federal law that would ban the popular platform in the United States unless its China-based parent company agrees to sell it. Company lawyers and China-based ByteDance on Monday urged the justices to act before the law’s…… MORE
