WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has selected Chris Wright, a campaign donor and fossil fuel executive, to serve as energy secretary after his second administration begins in January. Wright, CEO of Denver-based Liberty Energy, is a vocal advocate of oil and gas development, including fracking, a key pillar of Trump’s quest to achieve U.S.…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed legislation that would provide full Social Security benefits to millions of people. The measure won bipartisan support in a 327-75 vote Tuesday in what is now the lame-duck period for Congress. But Senate passage isn’t assured despite considerable support. The Senate has a jam-packed schedule in the remaining…… MORE
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jake Paul won a unanimous decision over Mike Tyson as the hits didn’t match the hype in a fight between a young YouTuber-turned-boxer and the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion. All the hate from the pre-fight buildup was gone, with Paul even stopping to pay homage with a bow to Tyson before…… MORE
LIMA, Peru (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to use his final meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping to urge him to dissuade North Korea from further deepening its backing of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Saturday’s talks on the sidelines of an international summit come with about two months to go before Biden leaves…… MORE
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Texas Supreme Court ruled that a legislative subpoena cannot be used to stop an execution, putting a decisive end to a legal battle that halted the scheduled execution of Robert Roberson last month. Roberson was sentenced to death in 2003 for killing his 2-year-old daughter. Prosecutors maintained she was a…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — New research confirms volcanoes were erupting on the far side of the moon billions of years ago. Researchers analyzed lunar soil brought back by China’s Chang’e-spacecraft and found fragments of volcanic rock that were about 2.8 billion years old. The oldest dated back to 4.2 billion years. Previous studies have suggested…… MORE
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, asked Iran to help secure a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah. He appeared to be urging it to press the militant group, a close ally of Iran, to agree to a deal that could require it to pull back from the Israel-Lebanon border. Mikati…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans stepped up their spending at retailers last month in the latest sign that healthy consumer spending is driving the economy’s steady growth. Retail sales rose 0.4% from September to October, a solid increase though less than the previous month’s robust 0.8% gain. A 1.6% jump in sales at auto dealers drove…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump said Friday that North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, Trump’s choice to head the Interior Department, will also head a newly created National Energy Council that will seek to establish U.S. “energy dominance” around the world. Trump said Burgum will oversee a panel that crosses all executive-branch agencies involved in…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge in Texas has blocked a new rule from the Biden administration that would have expanded access to overtime pay to millions more salaried workers across the U.S. In a Friday ruling, U.S. District Judge Sean Jordan sided with the state of Texas and a group of business organizations…… MORE
