December 26, 2025 4:59 am
WRIGHTWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Another powerful storm system that could cause more flooding and mudslides is rolling across Southern California. Officials issued evacuation warnings in mountain towns and warned of possible high-surf conditions along the coast. Forecasters say the region could experience its wettest Christmas in years, increasing the risk of debris flows in areas scorched by wildfires in January. Heavy rain and gusty winds were blamed for at least two deaths on Christmas Eve. On Wednesday, a falling tree killed a San Diego man. Farther north, a Sacramento sheriff’s deputy died in what appeared to be a weather-related crash.
December 26, 2025 2:43 am
A Powerball ticket purchased at a gas station outside Little Rock, Arkansas, won a $1.817 billion jackpot just before Christmas. The winning numbers were announced on Christmas Eve, ending the lottery game’s three-month stretch without a top-prize winner. The winning numbers were 04, 25, 31, 52 and 59, with the Powerball number being 19. Final ticket sales pushed the jackpot higher than previously expected. Organizers say it is the second-largest pot in U.S. history and the largest Powerball prize of 2025. The jackpot has a lump sum cash payment option of $834.9 million.
December 25, 2025 5:01 am
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — On Christmas Eve, thousands of people flocked to Bethlehem’s Manger Square and other Holy Land sites, after two years of subdued Christmas celebrations because of the war in Gaza. Scouts groups marched and played festive music on Wednesday in Bethlehem and Nazareth, the cities where Christians believe Jesus was born and grew up. At the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first, packed Christmas Eve Mass as leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. And around the globe, people gathered to pray but also donned Santa hats and took to ice-skating rinks and the ocean for charity plunges.
December 25, 2025 3:00 am
A Jefferson, PA man has been charged in connection with a hit and run accident at the McDowell Shops in Peters Township in November. Keith Shearer, 47 is accused of striking 79 year old Sally Sherfinski and then driving away. Court documents said Shearer told police he went to Applebee’s that day after work and had one beer and two shots before driving away. Police say Shearer denied knowing he hit Sherfinski but said there was a chance he blacked out. Police say Sherfinski was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in critical condition. She spent two days in the ICU with multiple broken bones and a brain bleed and is now recovering at home. Shearer faces accidents involving death or injury and aggravated assault by vehicle felonies and a misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment.
December 25, 2025 4:52 am
BRISTOL, Pa. (AP) — Rescuers braved shooting flames, falling debris and the threat of more explosions to save nursing home residents after a blast at a Pennsylvania facility killed a resident and employee, and set off a dramatic and chaotic evacuation. The blast happened Tuesday at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center. Bristol Police Chief Charles Winik said Wednesday that searchers accounted for everyone considered missing. The Bucks County coroner’s office says an employee who died was 52-year-old Muthoni Nduthu. Authorities didn’t immediately identify a resident who died. The cause of the blast is under investigation. Authorities say a utility crew was on site responding to reports of a gas odor when the explosion occurred.
December 25, 2025 5:03 am
(AP) – California officials are urging holiday travelers to avoid the roads on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. A series of powerful winter storms is expected to douse California with relentless rain, heavy winds, and snow this week. Much of the state will see heavy rains and gusts that could lead to flooding, mudslides and rockslides. The Sacramento Valley and San Francisco Bay Area are under flood and high wind warnings through Friday. The Sierra Nevada will see heavy snow and strong winds, making travel nearly impossible. Southern California could see its wettest Christmas in years and warned about mudslides and debris flows. Some 380 particularly vulnerable households were ordered to leave.
December 25, 2025 5:07 am
(AP) – U.S. regulators have approved a pill version of the weight-loss drug Wegovy. This gives Novo Nordisk an edge over Eli Lilly, whose similar drug is still under review. Both pills mimic a hormone that controls appetite. The Wegovy pill is expected to be available within weeks. Experts say oral pills could expand access and reduce costs for obesity treatments. In a clinical trial, participants taking Wegovy lost 13.6% of their body weight. The pills promise convenience, though Wegovy must be taken on an empty stomach.
December 24, 2025 11:55 am
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) — After two years of subdued Christmas celebrations due to war in Gaza, thousands of people have flocked to Bethlehem’s Manger Square on Christmas Eve. The giant Christmas tree returned, and scouts groups marched and played festive music. Bethlehem canceled celebrations the past two years due to the Israel-Hamas war. The city where Christians believe Jesus was born relies heavily on tourism that has been severely impacted. Residents are hopeful as domestic tourism slowly returns. Christmas has always been crucial for Bethlehem’s economy. Many are thrilled to celebrate Christmas again, hoping for a brighter future and lasting peace.
December 24, 2025 1:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has released tens of thousands more documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, a tranche that included multiple mentions of President Donald Trump but added little new revelatory information to the long-anticipated public file on the disgraced late financier. The documents also contain apparent correspondence between an Epstein co-conspirator and the U.K.’s former Prince Andrew. Many of the mentions of Trump come from news clippings. There is also an email from a prosecutor pointing out flights Trump took on Epstein’s private jet. The Justice Department said one of the letters in the file was fake, but had been included for reasons of transparency.
December 24, 2025 3:50 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new Department of Health and Human Services report reveals Medicaid programs made over $200 million in improper payments to health care providers between 2021 and 2022 for people who had already died. The inspector general report, released Tuesday, suggests that a new mandate in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill could help reduce these kind of payments. The bill requires states to audit Medicaid beneficiary lists against the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File. Privacy laws currently restrict access to this file. The report recommends states comply with the new mandate to conduct quarterly death checks to prevent further improper payments.
