BERLIN (AP) — U.S. officials say Washington has agreed to provide unspecified security guarantees to Ukraine as part of a peace deal to end Russia’s nearly four-year war, and more talks are likely this weekend. The officials spoke Monday following the latest discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin. European leaders there said they and…… MORE
NEW YORK (AP) — Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A contributing factor is the unusually high import taxes the Trump administration put on foreign goods. While the worst-case consumer…… MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials have expanded approval of a drug that boosts libido in women who report stress due to a low sex drive. The Sprout Pharmaceuticals drug, Addyi, is now approved for women up to age 65 who’ve gone through menopause. Previously, the once-a-day pill was only for premenopausal women. The drug…… MORE
DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. is pivoting away from its once-ambitious electric vehicle plans amid financial losses and waning consumer demand for the vehicles. Instead it’ll invest in more efficient gasoline-engines and hybrid EVs, the company said Monday. The Detroit automaker, which has poured billions of dollars into electrification along with most of its…… MORE
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company’s primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford,…… MORE
MADRID (AP) — Spain’s government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain’s ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies…… MORE
BRUSSELS (AP) — France is creating a last-minute hurdle for a major trade deal between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc. European farmers are protesting in Brussels, fearing competition from the deal. Negotiators thought they would finalize it this year. The agreement would gradually remove duties on nearly all goods traded between the EU…… MORE
VIENNA (AP) — An Austrian appeals court has rejected a request to extradite Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash to the United States. The Vienna high regional court dismissed the appeal, finalizing a lower court’s decision. Firtash faces a U.S. indictment for allegedly conspiring to pay bribes in India to mine titanium, used in jet engines. He…… MORE
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — J.J. McCarthy threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score, C.J. Ham had the go-ahead TD on his first carry of the season and the Minnesota Vikings severely damaged Dallas’ playoff hopes with a 34-26 victory over the Cowboys. The Vikings won a second consecutive game after they were eliminated…… MORE
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were found dead Sunday at Reiner’s Los Angeles home, according to a law enforcement official. The official spoke anonymously to The Associated Press. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical aid request around 3:30 p.m. and discovered a 78-year-old man and a…… MORE
