News - Friday, December 12, 2025

The Novonix Chattanooga facility rises over the Tennessee River like a monument to industrial reinvention. Once a manufacturing center for nuclear steam turbines, the 400,000-square-foot complex is being retooled to produce one of the most sought-after materials in the modern energy economy: synthetic graphite, the critical mineral that forms the anode of every lithium-ion battery.

Most days, Nathan Griffin and his wife, Elspeth Haire, clip leashes onto their two retrievers and step out their backdoor toward the woods. Enterprise South Nature Park – a network of trails and forest that runs along the western edge of their Flagstone subdivision in Ooltewah – begins just beyond their property line.

When you hire a Realtor in the Chattanooga area, you gain more than one professional; you tap into a coordinated network at the local, state and national levels that’s designed to protect consumers, raise standards and keep transactions on track. This week, I want to focus on how you, as a consumer, benefit from the local and state partnership.

The Robinson Team of Keller Williams Realty has set two records in the Chattanooga residential real estate market, surpassing $200 million in closed volume in 2025 and exceeding $2 billion in lifetime sales, according to a release issued Dec. 8. Both totals represent the highest documented sales figures ever recorded in the history of the region’s MLS.

Chattanooga’s residential construction market continued to expand through the first three quarters of 2025 while commercial building activity eased, according to new data from The Market Edge.

The reports, which track building permits for the year through Sept. 30, show Chattanooga’s residential sector posting solid year-over-year gains. Residential permits across the market rose to 2,856 through September, up 16% from 2,459 during the same period in 2024. The annual residential total reached 3,348 last year, continuing a steady climb that began in 2022.

The city of Chattanooga’s Department of Community Development has announced the upcoming retirement of longtime community center manager Evelyn Snorton, who will retire Dec. 31, closing a 33-year.

Originally from Ohio and raised in Clarksville, Snorton moved to Chattanooga in 1990 and joined the city’s community centers after teaching part-time. What began as a practical job choice quickly became a lifelong commitment to service.

Hamilton County recorded more than $741 million in combined property sales and mortgages in November, according to monthly data released by Register of Deeds Marc Gravitt. The report shows $337.1 million in total property sales and $403.9 million in mortgage loan values for the month.

As an investor, you will always need to deal with risk of some kind. How can you manage the risk that accompanies the volatility of the financial markets? The answer depends somewhat on where you are in life.

When you’re starting out

If you’re early in your career, with perhaps four or five decades until you retire, you can likely afford to invest primarily for growth, which also means you’ll be taking on a higher level of risk – because risk and reward are positively correlated. But, given your age, you’ll have time to overcome the market downturns that are both inevitable and a normal part of investing. Still, even at this stage, being over-aggressive can be costly.

Coming off a deflating loss to Vanderbilt to end the regular season, the Tennessee football program was in need of some positive news. The Vols received a boost last week during the start of the early signing period.

Tennessee was able to shift some momentum in its favor by flipping some high-profile recruits from other programs, including four-star athlete Legend Bey (Ohio State) and four-star defensive linemen JJ Finch (Alabama) and Carter Gooden (UCLA).

A small SUV is a great choice if you want a vehicle that is practical, comfortable and versatile enough to handle anything from daily driving to multiday road trips. Available all-wheel drive, good mpg and starting prices in the low $30,000s are other big draws.

Americans are under financial stress as the holidays approach, with 38% saying this is the first year they’re worried about how they’re going to afford gifts this season. What’s more, two-thirds say the holidays have become more financially stressful than joyful.

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Tennessee coach Josh Heupel has hired Jim Knowles as the Volunteers' new defensive coordinator.

Heupel moved quickly after firing coordinator Tim Banks on Monday, and the Volunteers coach said Thursday that hiring Knowles was a priority from the start.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee executed Harold Wayne Nichols by lethal injection Thursday in Nashville for the 1988 rape and murder of Karen Pulley, a 20-year-old student at Chattanooga State University.

Nichols, 64, had confessed to killing Pulley as well as raping several other women in the Chattanooga area. Although he expressed remorse at trial, he admitted he would have continued his violent behavior had he not been arrested. He was sentenced to death in 1990.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A grand jury declined for a second time to re-indict New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday, refusing to resurrect a mortgage fraud prosecution encouraged by President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter.

PROVO, Utah (AP) — The 22-year-old Utah man charged with killing Charlie Kirk made his first in-person court appearance Thursday as his attorneys push to further limit media access in the high-profile criminal case.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Michael Jordan and NASCAR chairman Jim France stood side-by-side on the steps of a federal courthouse as if they were old friends following a stunning settlement Thursday of a bruising antitrust case in which the Basketball Hall of Famer was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit accusing the top racing series in the United States of being a monopolistic bully.

NEW YORK (AP) — A Hollywood director was convicted Thursday on charges that he scammed Netflix out of $11 million for a show that never materialized, while he instead used the cash for lavish purchases that included several Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari and about $1 million in mattresses and luxury bedding.

NEW YORK (AP) — Cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon weaponized investors' trust, convincing them that his company's artificially propped up crypto ecosystem was safe before a $40 billion crash wiped out nest eggs and money for charities, college tuition, rent and other bills, victims said at his sentencing hearing Thursday.

RANDOLPH, Minn. (AP) — When Donald Trump promised new tariffs while running for president, Gene Stehly worried that trade disputes would jeopardize his international sales of corn, soybeans and wheat.

A little more than a year later, Stehly said his fears have become a reality, and Trump's latest promise of federal assistance is insufficient to cover American farmers' losses.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defiantly defended the Trump administration's hard-line immigration policies on Thursday during a House committee hearing, portraying migrants as a major threat faced by the nation that justifies a crackdown that has seen widespread arrests, deportations and a dizzying pace of restrictions on foreigners.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Congress clashed Thursday over President Donald Trump's use of the National Guard in American cities, with Republicans saying the deployments were needed to fight lawlessness while Democrats called them an extraordinary abuse of military power that violated states' rights.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Steven Stamkos rediscovered his scoring touch with a four-goal outing on Thursday night, and it's no coincidence that the Nashville Predators' trajectory is suddenly pointing up.

After a slow start to the season, Stamkos now has eight goals in his past eight outings, which coincides with the Predators going 6-2 over that stretch following a 7-2 win over the St. Louis Blues.

BALTIMORE (AP) — A federal judge blocked U.S. immigration authorities on Friday from re-detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia, saying she feared they might take him into custody again just hours after she had ordered his release from a detention center.

WASHINGTON (AP) — This holiday season isn't quite so merry for American shoppers as large shares are dipping into savings, scouring for bargains and feeling like the overall economy is stuck in a rut under President Donald Trump, a new AP-NORC poll finds.

NEW YORK (AP) — The holiday season means time with family and new memories, but it can also mean lots of spending — sometimes too much.

From gifts to travel plans to grocery shopping, costs can pile up and become overwhelming, especially in a difficult economic environment. Holiday shopping can bring joy, but it's important to stick to a budget and avoid going into debt, said shopping expert Trae Bodge.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A bipartisan group in Congress is urging the Education Department to add nursing to a list of college programs that are considered "professional," adding to public outcry after nurses were omitted from a new agency definition.

The Trump administration's list of professional programs includes medicine, law and theology but leaves out nursing and some other fields that industry groups had asked to be included. The "professional" label would allow students to borrow larger amounts of federal loans to pursue graduate degrees in those fields.

DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. has stepped up technology in its popular F-150 pickup to combat the ever-evolving techniques car thieves have at their disposal.

It is the latest cat-and-mouse move that the automaker hopes will help customers avoid the costly and frustrating process that occurs when vehicles are swiped and includes a feature that won't allow an engine to start even if a key fob is in the pickup.

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Global online forum Reddit on Friday filed a court challenge to Australia's world-first law that bans Australian children younger than 16 from holding accounts on the world's most popular social media platforms.

California-based Reddit Inc.'s suit filed in the High Court follows a case filed last month by Sydney-based rights group Digital Freedom Project.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Conservation groups and an Iñupiat-aligned group sued Thursday to overturn the recent approval of an exploratory drilling program in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, saying it was improperly analyzed by the federal government and could harm caribou and important habitat areas.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve's governing board unanimously approved the reappointment of nearly all of the Fed's 12 regional bank presidents, a group that has come under scrutiny by the Trump administration.

The Fed's board approved the reappointment of 11 of the presidents, with the only exception being the Atlanta Fed, where current president Raphael Bostic is stepping down at the end of the February and a new president hasn't been named.

NEW YORK (AP) — Lululemon Athletica Inc, said Thursday that its CEO Calvin McDonald is stepping down effective Jan. 31 as the athletic wear maker wrestles with a year of disappointing sales.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats released a selection of photos from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, including some of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the former Prince Andrew.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump successfully harnessed voter anxiety over the economy, immigration and crime last year to retake the White House — and lift plenty of other Republicans into office with him. But as the party tries to keep its grip on complete control in Washington, that strategy may be harder to replicate.

BERLIN (AP) — Germany summoned Russia's ambassador Friday following accusations of sabotage, cyberattacks and election interference, an official said.

The German government has also accused Moscow of perpetrating disinformation campaigns.

"The goal of these Russian cyber and disinformation attacks is clear: It is to divide society, stir up mistrust, provoke rejection, and weaken confidence in democratic institutions," German foreign ministry spokesperson Martin Giese said.

MIDLAND, Texas (AP) — Retired Chinese official Li Chuanliang was recuperating from cancer on a Korean resort island when he got an urgent call: Don't return to China, a friend warned. You're now a fugitive.

Days later, a stranger snapped a photo of Li in a cafe. Terrified South Korea would send him back, Li fled, flew to the U.S. on a tourist visa and applied for asylum. But even there — in New York, in California, deep in the Texas desert — the Chinese government continued to hunt him down with the help of surveillance technology.

MIAMI (AP) — The oil tanker was navigating near the coast of Guyana recently when its location transponder showed it starting to zigzag. It was a seemingly improbable maneuver and the latest digital clue that the ship, the Skipper, was trying to obscure its whereabouts and the valuable cargo stored inside its hull: tens of millions of dollars' worth of illicit crude oil.

MEMPHIS (AP) — A Tennessee man who was shot by police after he fired a gun at a contractor outside his former Jewish school in Memphis in 2023 pleaded guilty on Friday and was sentenced to eight years' probation.

Joel Bowman, 35, entered guilty pleas to aggravated assault and aggravated burglary in a Memphis courtroom. Bowman was then sentenced by Shelby County Judge James Jones III. During the hearing, Bowman answered "yes sir" to questions from the judge about whether he understood his sentence.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department is targeting businesses that people use to wire money to family members abroad as the Trump administration rachets up investigations into fraud within Minnesota's Somali community, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday.

Wilson Young Professionals Holiday Mixer. The organization’s first-ever holiday mixer is set for East Nashville Beer Works, 1688 Callis Road, Lebanon. This festive, low-pressure evening is designed to bring the YP community together in a fresh and fun way. The first 40 attendees (ages 40 and under) will receive a free drink ticket. Tuesday, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Information

Four players from Ohio State are among 10 first-team picks from the Big Ten on The Associated Press All-America team released Monday, a group headed by repeat selection Caleb Downs of the Buckeyes and AP Player of the Year Fernando Mendoza of Indiana.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia has apologized for his comments after finishing second in Heisman votes behind Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza on Saturday night.

Mendoza became the first Hoosier to win the award, and the competition wasn't particularly close. The Indiana quarterback earned 2,362 points, including 643 first-place votes. Pavia was next in line with 1,435 points. The two other finalists were Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love (719 points) and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (432 points).

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Jeffery Simmons took over the game for the Tennessee Titans in one three-play stretch in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.

What went on in the other 59 minutes of San Francisco's 37-24 win over Tennessee on Sunday made that impressive period a footnote to yet another loss for the Titans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear the appeal of a Black death row inmate from Mississippi whose case was handled by a prosecutor with a history of dismissing Black jurors for discriminatory reasons.

A federal judge had previously overturned the murder conviction of the inmate, Terry Pitchford, but an appeals court reversed that ruling.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The fight over California's new congressional map designed to help Democrats flip congressional House seats will go to court Monday as a panel of federal judges considers whether the district boundaries approved by voters last month can be used in elections.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Two attorneys and an aide who all worked on President Donald Trump's 2020 campaign appeared in court Monday for a preliminary hearing in Wisconsin on felony forgery charges related to a fake elector scheme.

The Wisconsin case is moving forward even as others in the battleground states of Michigan and Georgia have faltered. A special prosecutor last year dropped a federal case alleging Trump conspired to overturn the 2020 election. Another case in Nevada is still alive.

VIENNA (AP) — An Austrian appeals court has rejected a request to extradite Ukrainian businessman Dmytro Firtash to the United States in a case of alleged corruption through a plot to pay bribes in India.

The Vienna high regional court dismissed the appeal of a lower court ruling last year in the long-running legal saga. The high court said its decision announced on Dec. 10 was final.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A group of students and professors at public universities across Alabama are asking an appeals court to halt a state law that bans diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in public schools and prohibits the endorsement of what Republican lawmakers dubbed "divisive concepts" related to race and gender.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rob Reiner's younger son, Nick Reiner, was in police custody Monday for what investigators believe was the fatal stabbing of the director-actor and his wife at their home a day earlier, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday blamed Rob Reiner's outspoken opposition to the president for the actor-director's killing, delivering the unsubstantiated claim in a shocking post that seemed intent on decrying his opponents even in the face of a tragedy.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Director-actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were the two people found dead Sunday at a Los Angeles home owned by Reiner, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.

The official could not publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Before Jimmy Kimmel, there was KCBS. Just six days into President Donald Trump's new administration, the San Francisco Bay-area radio station KCBS-AM reported that immigration agents were in the area — driving "unmarked vehicles including a black Dodge Durango, a gray Nissan Maxima and white Nissan truck."

HEFEI, China (AP) — Volkswagen is making a major bet in China, the largest and one of the most cutthroat auto markets in the world. The question is whether it will work.

The German carmaker, which once dominated the market with a more than 50% share, has invested 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion) in a sprawling research and development center — its largest outside its home country — in Hefei, a low-key central China city of 10 million people.

HONG KONG (AP) — Chinese demand for foreign luxury cars is waning as customers opt for more affordable Chinese brand models, often sold at big discounts, catering to their taste for fancy electronics and comfort.

That is bad news for European carmakers like Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz and BMW that have long dominated the upper reaches of the world's largest auto market.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Ah Louis Store in San Luis Obispo, California, turns into a winter wonderland every holiday season.

Green garlands, giant nutcrackers, baubles and bows go up in early November on the historic downtown building that houses the gift shop. Inside, customers can choose from over 500 different types of ornaments and a variety of holiday gift baskets.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A leading candidate to be President Donald Trump's choice for Federal Reserve chair said that he would present the president's views to Fed officials for their consideration but they could reject them if they chose when making decisions on interest rates.

MADRID (AP) — Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros ($75 million) for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals, officials said Monday.

The rentals didn't include license numbers — a requirement in many regions in Spain — or included license numbers that didn't match what authorities had, the consumer rights ministry said. Others listed incorrect information about hosts, it said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the rest of the world rushes to harness the power of artificial intelligence, militant groups also are experimenting with the technology, even if they aren't sure exactly what to do with it.

For extremist organizations, AI could be a powerful tool for recruiting new members, churning out realistic deepfake images and refining their cyberattacks, national security experts and spy agencies have warned.

MIAMI (AP) — On a warm Sunday morning in Miami, Sen. Ruben Gallego stepped out of a car and approached parishioners exiting a church beneath palm trees, handing out flyers in this Dominican neighborhood. Gallego left some of his staff members behind as he drummed up support for a fellow Democrat running to be the next mayor of the majority-Hispanic city.

Wilson Young Professionals Holiday Mixer. The organization’s first-ever holiday mixer is set for East Nashville Beer Works, 1688 Callis Road, Lebanon. This festive, low-pressure evening is designed to bring the YP community together in a fresh and fun way. The first 40 attendees (ages 40 and under) will receive a free drink ticket. Tuesday, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Information

The home of Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons was burglarized while he was on the road in San Francisco, the team said Monday.

Simmons posted several Instagram stories that implied he returned from the Titans' 37-24 road loss against the 49ers to discover his home had been broken into. One of his social media posts included footage from what appears to be a home security system showing two masked people entering his house through the patio at about 7:30 p.m. CST on Sunday.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rob Reiner's younger son, Nick Reiner, was in jail Monday after being booked for what investigators believe was the fatal stabbing of the director-actor and his wife at their Los Angeles home a day earlier, authorities said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday blamed Rob Reiner's outspoken opposition to the president for the actor-director's killing, delivering the unsubstantiated claim in a shocking post that seemed intent on decrying his opponents even in the face of a tragedy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials have expanded approval of a much-debated drug aimed at boosting female libido, saying the once-a-day pill can now be taken by women older than 65.

The announcement Monday from the Food and Drug Administration broadens the drug's use to older women who have gone through menopause. The pill, Addyi, was first approved 10 years ago for premenopausal women who report emotional stress due to low sex drive.

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets' ballpark in Queens. A Bronx golf course once operated by President Donald Trump 's company. A slot parlor on a horse racing track near John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The three disparate sites, located far from the tourist hub of Manhattan, will become the future homes of New York City's first Las Vegas-style resort casinos.

NEW YORK (AP) — UPS stole tens of millions of dollars in pay from seasonal workers who help the shipping giant deliver packages during the busy holiday season, forcing some to clock in well after their shifts started and deducting pay for lunch breaks they never took, New York Attorney General Letitia James alleged in a lawsuit Monday.

WASHINGTON D.C. (AP) — Republican Sen. Ted Cruz threatened Monday to hold up funding to keep the federal government open after the end of January if reforms don't pass by then to tighten up the rules on military flights and help prevent deadly crashes like the collision between an airliner and an Army helicopter over Washington, D.C., that killed 67.

Wilson Young Professionals Holiday Mixer. The organization’s first-ever holiday mixer is set for East Nashville Beer Works, 1688 Callis Road, Lebanon. This festive, low-pressure evening is designed to bring the YP community together in a fresh and fun way. The first 40 attendees (ages 40 and under) will receive a free drink ticket. Tuesday, 4:30-7:30 p.m. Information

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Filip Forsberg scored his 12th career hat trick, leading the Nashville Predators to a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Monday night.

Forsberg scored in the each of first two periods before adding an empty-net goal in the third with 3:51 remaining.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Mikayla Blakes scored 19 points to lead five Commodores in double figures and No. 13 Vanderbilt overcame a slow start to remain undefeated, beating South Florida 87-58 on Monday night.

Blakes made 7 of 19 shots with four 3-pointers for the Commodores (10-0). She added six rebounds and three steals.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Five college football players at power-conference schools asked a federal judge on Monday for a preliminary injunction to play a fifth year next season.

All five have competed four seasons in four years without taking a redshirt. They are Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson; kicker Nathanial Vakos, tight end Lance Mason and long snapper Nick Levy all of Wisconsin; and Nebraska long snapper Kevin Gallic.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Every time the Tennessee Titans take one step forward, it's back they go.

At least the Titans can take solace in not hurting their chances for picking high in the next NFL draft.

Tennessee (2-12) missed yet another chance to string together consecutive wins for the first time since November 2022. Making Sunday's 37-24 road loss to the San Francisco 49ers even worse was the string of injuries that piled up for a young team.

FAIRFAX, Virginia (AP) — Kilmar Abrego Garcia wasn't an activist and he didn't choose to become locked in to what has become one of the most contentious immigration issues of the Trump administration, his lawyer told The Associated Press on Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Monday seeking $10 billion in damages from the BBC, accusing the British broadcaster of defamation as well as deceptive and unfair trade practices.

The 33-page lawsuit accuses the BBC of broadcasting a "false, defamatory, deceptive, disparaging, inflammatory, and malicious depiction of President Trump," calling it "a brazen attempt to interfere in and influence" the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Four of the nation's top retail stores failed to promptly pull contaminated infant formula tied to a dangerous botulism outbreak from their shelves, federal health officials said in warning letters posted Monday.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent letters to leaders at Walmart, Target, Kroger and Albertsons, saying the companies continued to sell ByHeart infant formula for days or weeks, despite a Nov. 11 recall of all products in the outbreak that has sickened more than 50 babies in 19 states.

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 in lieu of investment in more efficient gasoline-engines and hybrid EVs, the company said Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States gained a decent 64,000 jobs in November but lost 105,000 in October as federal workers departed after cutbacks by the Trump administration, the government said in delayed reports.

The unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, highest since 2021.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sales at U.S. retailers and restaurants were unchanged in October from September as consumers moderated their spending amid worries about higher prices and other economic uncertainties after splurging over the summer.

But a big factor dragging down the figure was a 1.6% drop in sales at motor vehicles and auto parts dealerships, hurt by the expiration of federal government subsidies that sliced demand for battery-powered electric cars. Excluding that category, retail sales rose 0.4%, the Commerce Department said Tuesday in a report delayed more than a month because of the 43-day government shutdown.

On a recent December day, Mark Latino and a handful of his workers spun sheets of vinyl into tinsel for Christmas tree branches. They worked on a custom-made machine that's nearly a century old, churning out strands of bright silver tinsel along its 35-foot (10-meter) length.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that the Pentagon will not publicly release unedited video of a strike that killed two survivors of an initial attack on a boat allegedly carrying cocaine in the Caribbean.

Hegseth said that members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committee would have an opportunity this week to review the video, but did not say whether all members of Congress would be allowed to see it, even as a defense policy bill demands that it be released to Congress.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Susie Wiles, President Donald Trump's understated but influential chief of staff, criticized Attorney General Pam Bondi's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case and broadly defended the president's aggressive second administration in a series of interviews published Tuesday in Vanity Fair.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Crypto.com was under siege. For more than a year, the firm had been investigated by President Joe Biden's Democratic administration, part of an aggressive push to regulate the largely unregulated cryptocurrency industry. Financial regulators had told the company that enforcement action was likely.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said in a court filing Monday that the president's White House ballroom construction project must continue for unexplained national security reasons and because a preservationists' organization that wants it stopped has no standing to sue.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's top Cabinet officials overseeing national security are expected back on Capitol Hill on Tuesday as questions mount over the swift escalation of U.S. military force and deadly boat strikes in international waters near Venezuela.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military said Monday that it attacked three boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of eight people as scrutiny over the boat strikes is intensifying in Congress.

The military said in a statement on social media that the strikes targeted "designated terrorist organizations," killing three people in the first vessel, two in the second boat and three in the third boat. It didn't provide evidence of their alleged drug trafficking but posted a video of a boat moving through water before exploding.

BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union envoys worked on Tuesday to narrow gaps on a plan to use billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets as collateral for a massive loan to cover Ukraine's economic and military needs over the next two years, ahead of a crunch summit of EU leaders later this week.