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UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United Nations said Wednesday that it’s ready to ramp up the delivery of desperately needed humanitarian aid to Gaza following a ceasefire agreement and urged the removal of major security and political obstacles so supplies can reach all Palestinians in need. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the announcement of a deal to pause the fighting “a critical first step” and told reporters that the U.N.’s […]

Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Florida Rep. Mike Waltz, said in an interview on Wednesday that the president-elect is exploring options to “preserve” TikTok. Waltz made the comment when Fox News anchor Bret Baier asked him about a report from The Washington Post that said Trump was considering an executive order to suspend enforcement of a federal law that could ban the popular platform nationwide by Sunday. Last week, […]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom will join Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and some GOP governors around the country in directing U.S. flags be raised to full height on Inauguration Day. Newsom’s spokesperson Izzy Gardon confirmed Wednesday that the governor would temporarily direct the raising of flags at the state Capitol in Sacramento for President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. Flags at the U.S. Capitol and at statehouses […]

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — As New Orleans prepares to host the Super Bowl next month, Louisiana authorities cleared homeless encampments around the stadium on Wednesday and relocated many to a temporary warehouse facility that costs millions of dollars to operate. Gov. Jeff Landry framed the sweep — which city officials say undermines their efforts to address homelessness — as part of a move to secure New Orleans, especially in the […]

HONOLULU (AP) — People were flocking to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Wednesday to get a glimpse of fountaining lava. The eruption that began Dec. 23 in a crater at the summit of Kilauea volcano has paused periodically. It resumed Wednesday morning as a “small sluggish lava flow,” and then increased into a fountain that appeared to be 200 feet (60 meters) high, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. By the […]

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Leading New Mexico legislators on Wednesday recommended a 5.7% general fund spending increase for the coming fiscal year that emphasizes health care access, public school improvements, and early education and childcare programs that can boost household finances. The lead budget writing committee to the Democratic-led Legislature proposed a $577 million increase to $10.8 billion for the fiscal year running from July 2025 to June 2026. […]

By Andrew Mills, Nidal al-Mughrabi and Maayan Lubell DOHA/CAIRO/JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Israel intensified strikes on Gaza hours after a ceasefire and hostage release deal was announced, residents and authorities in the Palestinian enclave said, and mediators sought to quell fighting ahead of the truce’s start on Sunday. The complex ceasefire accord between Israel and militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, emerged on Wednesday after months of mediation by Qatar, Egypt […]

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan will dispatch its navy if needed to help the coast guard respond to any suspicious activity near undersea communication cables, Defence Minister Wellington Koo said on Thursday, after a Chinese-linked ship was suspected of damaging one. Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, said a ship owned by a Hong Kong company but registered both in Cameroon and Tanzania damaged a cable to the north […]

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Phoenix Suns acquired center Nick Richards and a second-round pick in 2025 from the Charlotte Hornets for guard Josh Okogie and three future second-round draft picks Wednesday night. Charlotte receives second-round draft picks from the Denver Nuggets in 2026 and 2031, in addition to a second-round draft pick from Phoenix in 2031. The Hornets send a 2025 second-round draft pick, the least favorable between Denver […]

Viewer audiences for the first weekend of the NFL playoffs were down 9.3% from last year, a bigger decline than what the league experienced during the regular season. According to the league and Nielsen, the six wild-card round games averaged 28.3 million viewers on television and digital platforms, compared to 31.2 million last year. The two Saturday games held steady, while the Sunday and Monday matchups saw declines. The biggest […]