A cultural casualty of the war in Ukraine: ‘The Nutcracker’
VILNIUS, Lithuania — Unimpressed by the substitute for Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” the mother and her young daughter left at the intermission, a small protest over a decision by the opera house not to perform the Russian composer’s Christmas classic.
Trump names his picks for top Pentagon roles
WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate four men for top leadership roles at the Pentagon, including two who served in his first administration, he announced on social media Sunday.
Suspect held after woman set on fire in subway car dies, police say
NEW YORK — Early Sunday morning, a man calmly approached a woman who was sitting motionless and possibly dozing on a stationary F train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue subway station and, without saying anything, lit the woman’s clothes on fire, engulfing her in deadly flames in seconds, the police said.
Jeff Bezos prepares to close the gap in his space race with Elon Musk
SEATTLE — Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have become the two wealthiest men in the world thanks to their breakthrough technology companies. But Musk, through SpaceX, has long held a big lead in the pursuit closest to their hearts: colonizing space.
Trump previews second term in sprawling speech to conservative conference
PHOENIX — President-elect Donald Trump delivered a sprawling address on Sunday that he called a “small preview of the common-sense revolution” his administration will bring, pledging to slam shut the nation’s borders, end federal regulations, lower taxes, prosecute his rivals, “stop woke” and “end the transgender lunacy.”
Rickey Henderson, baseball’s flamboyant ‘man of steal,’ dies at 65
Rickey Henderson, the thrilling and charismatic Hall of Fame outfielder who, with his signature crouched stance, blazing speed and unlikely home run power, was widely regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter in Major League Baseball history, died Friday. He was 65.
Iran’s energy crisis hits ‘dire’ point as industries are forced to shut down
Government offices in Iran are closed or operating at reduced hours. Schools and colleges have moved to online only. Highways and shopping malls have descended into darkness, and industrial plants have been denied power, bringing manufacturing to a near halt.
Justice Thomas did not disclose additional trips, Democrats say
WASHINGTON — Justice Clarence Thomas failed to disclose two additional trips from a billionaire patron that had not previously come to light, Senate Democrats revealed Saturday after conducting a 20-month investigation into ethics practices at the Supreme Court.
Biden signs spending bill, finalizing end to shutdown drama
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Saturday signed the spending package that allowed federal funds to keep flowing until mid-March, formally ending the week’s unexpected drama over the issue a few hours after the deadline for a shutdown had technically passed.
Houthi missile strikes Tel Aviv as attacks increase
JERUSALEM — Iranian-backed Houthi militants launched a missile from Yemen that landed in Tel Aviv, Israel, early Saturday after air defenses failed to intercept it, the latest in an increasing barrage of Houthi attacks.
Atmospheric rivers will drench the West Coast
The Pacific Northwest and Northern California, especially Washington and Oregon, have had an onslaught of storms, and the run of them is expected to continue over the next week.
Insurers are deserting homeowners as climate shocks worsen
SILVER CITY, N.M. — The insurance crisis spreading across the United States arrived at Richard D. Zimmel’s door this month in the form of a letter.
A mouse that swims and dozens more species are discovered in a Peruvian jungle
In the summer of 2022, researchers trudged into the jungles of the Alto Mayo region of Peru in search of undiscovered creatures. This remote yet populous region had experienced significant deforestation, so the team didn’t expect to find much.
House passes bill to avert shutdown with hours to spare
WASHINGTON — The House on Friday approved legislation to avert a federal shutdown that was just hours away, with lawmakers extending funding into mid-March and approving $100 billion in disaster relief for parts of the nation still reeling from storms. The Senate was expected to quickly follow suit.
Biden withdraws proposed regulations on student loans and trans athletes
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Friday withdrew some of its main outstanding plans to enact significant federal student loan forgiveness and to set rules around the participation of transgender athletes on school sports teams.
Why it’s hard to control what gets taught in public schools
Oklahoma and Texas are among more than 20 states that have passed laws since 2021 seeking to control how race, gender and American history are discussed in schools.
A spineless Senate abandons a qualified judge
After more than a year of twisting in the wind, it is official: Adeel Mangi, President Joe Biden’s nominee to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, will not become the nation’s first Muslim federal appellate judge. This was perhaps inevitable. Sen. Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, cut a deal with Republicans last month to abandon four appeals court nominees who didn’t have the votes to win in exchange for not obstructing the confirmation of about a dozen circuit court justices.
Back-to-back-to-back atmospheric rivers are expected to soak the West Coast
A barrage of storms known as atmospheric rivers is expected to soak the West Coast over the next eight to 10 days, raising the risk of flooding, power outages and holiday travel disruptions leading up to Christmas in a region that has already experienced significant weather activity this season.
California declares an emergency over bird flu in cattle
In a stark acknowledgment of the increasing seriousness of bird flu’s spread, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared on Wednesday that the outbreak of infections among the state’s dairy cattle constituted an emergency.
The ‘murder hornet’ has been eradicated from US, officials say
SEATTLE — The hunt for the “murder hornet” in the northwest corner of Washington state began like a criminal investigation, with bee carcasses creating a crime scene and the public being asked to send tips about the potential culprit’s whereabouts.
