PHOENIX (AP) — Donald Trump is suggesting that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal. He says the United States “foolishly” ceded it to its Central American ally. And he contends that shippers are being charged “ridiculous” fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — A NASA spacecraft is about to make the closest approach to the sun. The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun. On Tuesday, Parker will pass within a record-breaking 3.8 million miles of the sun’s surface. That’s nearly seven times closer to the…… MORE
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Party City announced that it’s going to “wind down” its retail and wholesale operations as it prepares to shutter nearly 700 stores nationwide. The company said Saturday it has also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection “to maximize value for the benefit of the company’s stakeholders.” The New Jersey-based retailer said…… MORE
Approximately 1 million taxpayers will automatically receive special payments of up to $1,400 from the IRS in the coming weeks. The money will be directly deposited into eligible people’s bank accounts or sent in the mail by a paper check. Most people shouldn’t get their hopes up about receiving the cash. The IRS says it’s…… MORE
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Baseball Hall of Famer and stolen base king Rickey Henderson has died. He was 65. Known as baseball’s “Man of Steal,” Henderson had a lengthy list of accolades and accomplishments over his nomadic 25-year career. He was an MVP, 10-time All-Star selection, two-time World Series champion and Gold Glove winner. But…… MORE
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Israeli military says a rocket fired from Yemen hit an area of Tel Aviv injuring 16 people. The attack comes after Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebel-held capital Sanaa and the port city of Hodeida killed at least nine people in response to attacks on Israel. The Israeli military…… MORE
Hanukkah, Judaism’s eight-day Festival of Lights, begins this year on Christmas Day. That’s only happened four times since 1900. For some rabbis, that intersection of the two religious holidays provides an auspicious occasion for interfaith engagement. One example of togetherness: a Chicanukah party hosted by several Jewish organizations in Houston, bringing together members of the…… MORE
Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has rushed through final passage of a bipartisan plan to fund federal operations and prevent a government shutdown. It now goes to President Joe Biden, who is expected to quickly sign it into law. The House passed the package late Friday in an overwhelming vote. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer…… MORE
MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — Authorities in the German city of Magdeburg say at least two people were killed and dozens were injured after a car plowed into a busy Christmas market what officials called a deliberate attack. Authorities say an adult and toddler were killed in Friday’s violence. At least 60 other people were were…… MORE
