WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumers were less confident in the economy in December as Americans remain anxious about still-high prices and the impact of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 3.8 points to 89.1 in December from November’s upwardly revised reading of 92.9. That reading…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — Consumers stepped up gift giving during the first seven weeks of the holiday shopping season, yet uncertainty about the economy is making them more targeted in their buying. From Nov. 1 through Sunday, cash and credit card sales rose 4.2%, which is less than the 4.8% increase during the same period…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is suspending leases for five large-scale offshore wind projects under construction on the East Coast due to what it said were national security risks identified by the Pentagon. The pause is effective immediately and will give the Interior Department, which oversees offshore wind, time to work with the Defense…… MORE
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Trevon Diggs faces an uncertain future with the Dallas Cowboys after a two-month absence that started when he got a concussion in an accident at home. The star cornerback played for the first time since Week 6 in a 34-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Cowboys have said the…… MORE
A White House envoy says he held “productive and constructive” talks in Florida with Ukrainian and European representatives to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine. Steve Witkoff says Sunday the talks aimed at aligning a shared strategic approach between the United States, Ukraine and Europe. A Kremlin envoy says talks are proceeding…… MORE
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche is defending the Justice Department’s decision to release just a fraction of the Jeffrey Epstein files by the congressionally mandated deadline. Blanche is pledging that the Trump administration will eventually meet its obligation required by law. But he tells NBC’s “Meet the Press” that…… MORE
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard is pursuing another sanctioned oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. Word of the pursuit comes as the Trump administration appears to be intensifying its targeting of such vessels connected to the Venezuelan government. The tanker pursuit Sunday was confirmed by a U.S. official. The official…… MORE
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel’s far-right finance minister says the Cabinet has approved 19 new Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. The decision announced Sunday is part of a broader push by the government to expand settlements, which threatens the possibility of a Palestinian state. The Peace Now anti-settlement group says the approval…… MORE
ATLANTA (AP) — Christian influencers are reaching hundreds of thousands of young people online. They share podcasts and videos with biblical advice on tough questions that aren’t always answered in Sunday sermons. Followers relate to millennial and Generation Z influencers more than the buttoned-up pastors of their parents’ generation. And these influencers open up about…… MORE
LONDON (AP) — Thousands of people have gathered at Stonehenge to celebrate the winter solstice. On Sunday, they cheered and danced as the sun rose over the prehistoric stone circle. Many wore costumes and arrived before dawn in southwest England. Some sang and beat drums, while others reflected among the huge stone pillars. The ancient…… MORE
