News

National

From killer cats to Christmas classics, this week's quiz is both feral and festive

9:44am December 15, 2023

by Holly J. Morris

Do you know the breadth of species a cat can eat? How about which Christmas movies have been added to the National Film Registry? Get these right and you're on your way to a perfect score.

European Council President Charles Michel, front right, speaks with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, front second right, and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, second row center, as they pose with other European Union leaders for a group photo at an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023.

World News

Ukraine gets a boost toward EU membership, but Hungary blocks an aid deal

9:14am December 15, 2023

by The Associated Press

The aid package for Ukraine was vetoed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The EU did approve opening membership negotiations with Ukraine and its neighbor Moldova.

How do you discipline an in-school overdose? In some districts, you don't

8:19am December 15, 2023

by Sequoia Carrillo

Amid the rise in teen opioid overdoses, school systems from California to Maryland are changing their approach: Instead of zero tolerance, they're turning to rehabilitation.

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World News

Up First briefing: Gaza's post-war future; insect-borne disease

8:14am December 15, 2023

by Suzanne Nuyen

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan is in Jerusalem to discuss the future of Gaza with Palestinian and Israeli leaders. Scientists warn of the spread of tropical, insect-borne disease.

Sharon Hertzman, right, hugs her son, Omer Avigdori, as they reunite at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, in November. Hertzman and her daughter, Noam Avigdori, were kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 and released last month.

World News

The accounts of freed Israeli hostages add pressure to save those still in captivity

5:41am December 15, 2023

by Becky Sullivan

In the two weeks since a ceasefire allowed for the release of more than 100 Israeli hostages held by Hamas, their stories have rocked Israel. About 115 hostages are thought to remain in Gaza.

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Mosquitoes can carry viruses including dengue, malaria, chikungunya and Zika. They are a growing public health threat abroad and in the United States.

Health & Safety

The U.S. is unprepared for the growing threat of mosquito- and tick-borne viruses

5:41am December 15, 2023

by Pien Huang

Experts warn that new tropical viruses are headed for the U.S. – and the country should take active measures to fend them off.

Sophia Smith of USA during the FIFA Women's World Cup, August 06, 2023 in Melbourne, Australia.

Arts

Weird, wild and wonderful stories of joy from 2023

5:00am December 15, 2023

Let's face it: the news in 2023 was often a grind, confronting us with war, tragedy and controversies. But there were also incredible moments of hope, kindness and joy.

Temple Israel Synagogue is seen, Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2023, in Canton, Ohio, after charges came to light against a 13-year-old boy who allegedly planned a mass shooting targeting the synagogue, including drawing maps of the building, back in September.

National

Boy, 13, charged after allegedly planning mass shooting at a synagogue in Ohio

10:57pm December 14, 2023

by The Associated Press

The charges come amid a rise of antisemitism in the United States and worldwide. In the U.S. alone, antisemitic incidents rose 35% from 2021 to 2022.

A grand jury in Mississippi found that there was no criminal conduct on behalf of the officer involved in the shooting of 11-year-old Aderrien Murry. Here, this December 2022 photo provided by Nakala Murry of Indianola, Miss., shows Aderrien Murry, who was shot and wounded by an Indianola Police Department officer on May 20, 2023, during a domestic disturbance call at the home of Murry's family.

No charges filed after police shot an 11-year-old who called for help, officials say

8:34pm December 14, 2023

by Jonathan Franklin

In a statement, Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch says her office completed its review into the May incident and presented it to a grand jury — who handed up the decision.

FILE - This Oct. 24, 2006 file photo shows file photo shows the Ice Harbor dam on the Snake River in Pasco, Wash. (AP Photo/Jackie Johnston, File)

Tribes celebrate historic deal with White House that could save Pacific Northwest salmon

6:22pm December 14, 2023

by Kirk Siegler

The White House has reached what it says is an historic agreement over the restoration of salmon in the Pacific Northwest, a deal that could end for now a decades long legal battle with tribes.