News - Friday, January 17, 2025

As Israeli-American conductor Ilya Ram steps up to the podium at Sailors and Soldiers Auditorium to guide the Chattanooga Symphony through a performance, his shoes are the first indication he’s no ordinary maestro.

Ram, 33, sometimes wears a pair of silver sneakers that shine like disco lights in contrast to his jet-black slacks and are easy to spot even from the rear of the auditorium. Ram debuted these during the opening night of the symphony’s 2024-25 season in September, which also served as his introduction to Chattanooga audiences following the departure of music director Kayoko Dan.

A new court in Hamilton County is giving men and women who have served the United States of America through active duty in the nation’s military an opportunity to receive substance abuse treatment and return to leading healthy, productive lives.

Playwright William Shakespeare once asked, “What’s in a name?”

The principals of McCarthy, Murphy & Preslar answered, “Everything.”

In an effort to promote its focus on representing individuals with disabilities and Social Security disability claims, McCarthy, Murphy & Preslar has changed its name to DisabilityFirm PC.

As we step into 2025, I’m honored and excited to serve as your president of Greater Chattanooga Realtors. Having been part of this vibrant real estate community for 24 years, I’ve come to appreciate the unique role Realtors play as trusted advisers in real estate transactions and ambassadors for our Scenic City.

Councilwoman Carol Berz, who died in December, was the driving force behind the creation and support of the Family Justice Center. Now her name graces the center for which she advocated.

The Chattanooga City Council has unanimously voted to re-name the Chattanooga Hamilton County Family Justice Center the Dr. Carol B. Berz Family Justice Center.

It’s widely thought that home ownership is a key to building wealth – but is it? And should you consistently make sacrifices to buy your own home?

Let’s start with the first question: Is owning a home essential to building wealth? It would probably be more accurate to say that home ownership can be helpful in building wealth. Building home equity – essentially, the difference between the size of your home’s value and what you still owe – is certainly valuable. Plus, the bigger your equity, the less you might have to take out in a new mortgage if you ever want to buy a different home.

It’s a theme popularized on “The X-Files,” a TV show that portrayed a government conspiracy to conceal the existence of extraterrestrial visitors: Trust no one.

It certainly seems to have caught on. Trust is in notably short supply these days.

The Chattanooga Zoo is kicking off 2025 with the addition of a two-toed sloth. Boysenberry is 7 years old, weighs 19 pounds and comes to Chattanooga from the Oregon Zoo in Portland. Her species is found throughout Central America and the northern parts of South America and live around 16 years in human care. Sloths are arboreal mammals, meaning they live in treetops and spend most of their time clinging to limbs in forest canopies. They are known to move very slowly and to spend around 15 hours a day sleeping due to their leafy low-calorie diet and their slow metabolic rate. Boysenberry is on exhibit in the center of the zoo’s Forests of the World building. She can also be seen via livestream at chattzoo.org/explore/video-stream.

All-wheel drive might not be a must-have, but it sure is nice to have if you live in any of the large swaths of America that regularly see snow. A good set of winter tires will get the job done much of the time, but there’s no substitute for all-wheel drive if you want ultimate peace of mind.

For two years, the Tennessee Titans preached to fans, media and to the entire organization about collaboration.

The results of that collaboration are in, and that oft-used buzzword produced nine wins and 25 losses and ultimately helped to cost both Mike Vrabel and Ran Carthon their jobs. The buzzword turned into a buzzkill as the Titans sank to the bottom of the NFL this season.

Hold on a sec. Hit the double-lines on the remote. You need to leave the room a minute, take a phone call, take care of business, grab snacks, let the dog out, you’ll be right back. Halt things, put them on “snooze” and resume when you’re done. As in the new book “The Power Pause” by Neha Ruch, you have important things to do first.

NEW YORK (AP) — A trial to decide whether Rudy Giuliani must give up his Florida condominium and three World Series rings or turn them over to satisfy a $148 million defamation judgment was delayed for at least until Thursday afternoon after the former New York City mayor didn't show up to testify.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury nominee Scott Bessent told his confirmation hearing Thursday that President-elect Donald Trump has an opportunity to unleash "a new economic golden age."

In testimony, Bessent said the U.S. must secure vulnerable supply chains, levy sanctions to address national security concerns "and critically, we must ensure that the U.S. dollar remains the world's reserve currency."

NASHVILLE (AP) — The athletic director at a mid-sized school that's making a splash this season has a modest proposal for taming what many say is a transfer-portal system run amok in college sports.

Sean Frazier, the AD at Northern Illinois — remember, the team that beat national finalist Notre Dame earlier this season — is talking about a "talent acquisition fee."

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee House is warning lawmakers and the crowds watching legislative floor sessions that they could be booted from the room if their behavior is deemed out of line.

For lawmakers, after multiple infractions they could be removed from the floor a few days at a time and forced to vote remotely. For the public, they could be banned up to two years for particularly bad or frequently disruptive behavior. The tougher punishment options came in a news rules package passed Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is rescinding its protocol for federal executions that allowed for single-drug lethal injections with pentobarbital, after a government review raised concerns about the potential for "unnecessary pain and suffering."

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The problem of kids working in dangerous slaughterhouses continues to be a concern as the Labor Department announced its third agreement this week with a company in the industry agreeing to pay a penalty and reform its practices to help ensure it won't hire underage workers again.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health officials on Thursday backed the public health benefits of nicotine pouches, authorizing Philip Morris International's Zyn to help adult smokers cut back or quit cigarettes.

The Food and Drug Administration OK'd 10 Zyn flavors, including coffee, mint and menthol. It's the first time regulators have authorized sales of nicotine pouches, which are the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. tobacco market.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The global economy is growing steadily in the face of war, protectionist trade policies and high interest rates. It just isn't growing fast enough to bring relief to the world's poorest, the World Bank said Thursday in its latest assessment of the global economy.

NEW YORK (AP) — American Express has agreed to pay more than $138 million to resolve a wire fraud investigation related to its sales and marketing practices, federal authorities announced Thursday.

The New York-based financial giant provided inaccurate tax advice to customers and potential customers on wire products primary marketed at small and mid-size businesses, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York's office said. Customers were told, for example, that the company's fees were tax-deductible as a business expense.

WASHINGTON (AP) — After Donald Trump becomes president again on Monday, he's on the hook for achieving a hefty chunk of his promises even before the day is out. One of those promises is to make you dizzy.

"Your head will spin when you see what's going to happen.," he said of Day 1.

Lee Zeldin said Americans deserve a clean environment "without suffocating the economy" during his Senate confirmation hearing Thursday to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, a department likely to play a central role in President-elect Donald Trump's pledge to slash federal regulations and promote oil and gas development.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday defended Biden administration policies on Israel's war with Hamas after a ceasefire agreement in Gaza was reached, facing protests that interrupted his final news conference at the State Department.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden in his Wednesday farewell speech to the nation warned that American democracy was sliding into an "oligarchy" of tech billionaires. But what exactly is an oligarchy?

What is an oligarchy?

In short, an oligarchy is an elite few who control the government's actions.

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that a last-minute dispute with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages. Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Treasury nominee Scott Bessent on Thursday faced sharp questions from both Democrats and Republicans on tax policy, tariffs, China, Russia sanctions and the future of an IRS tax filing system that Republicans have called to be cut.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans wrapped up a third straight day of interviews Thursday as part of their second round searching for a general manager, meeting in person with Green Bay Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan and Tampa Bay assistant general manager John Spytek.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Steven Stamkos scored in regulation and had Nashville's third straight shootout goal in the Predators' 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

Filip Forsberg tied it with 3:03 left with his 300th NHL goal, and Juuse Saros made 24 saves in regulation and overtime. Gustav Nyquist and Ryan O'Reilly scored on Nashville's first two attempts in the tiebreaker and Stamkos put it away on the third.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok beginning Sunday unless it's sold by its China-based parent company, holding that the risk to national security posed by its ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app or its 170 million users in the United States.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Missouri man who crashed a rental truck into barriers protecting the White House was sentenced Thursday to eight years in prison for an attack that prosecutors said was inspired by his fascination with Nazi ideology, court records show.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Popular weight loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have been added to Medicare's list of medications that will be negotiated directly between the government and drug manufacturers, the Biden administration said Friday.

LONDON (AP) — It's called the Voice of America — a storied news outlet that has promised "the truth" since it first broadcast stories about democracy into Nazi Germany during World War II. Now, it's the voice of a country in which a majority of voters chose incoming presidentDonald Trump, a man famous for insistingthe truth is what he says it is.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden won't enforce a ban on the social media app TikTok that is set to take effect a day before he leaves office on Monday, a U.S. official said Thursday, leaving its fate in the hands of President-elect Donald Trump.

Unfair. Astonishing. Un-American. That is how tech entrepreneur Jeff Atwood sees the staggering wealth inequality in the U.S. today. In response, he and his family have pledged to give away half their wealth within five years, starting with $1 million gifts to eight nonprofits this month.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has named Troy Meink, a former Air Force KC-135 tanker aircraft navigator and former deputy of the National Reconnaissance Office, as his choice to serve as the top civilian leader for the Air Force.

Meink has almost four decades of experience as both a military member and in government service in national security, including roles managing some of the nation's most sensitive satellite intelligence capabilities and the military's space portfolio.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army expects to meet its enlistment goals for 2025, marking a dramatic turnaround for a service that has struggled for several years to bring in enough young people and has undergone a major overhaul of its recruiting programs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The price of bitcoin topped $100,000 again early Friday as a pumped up cryptocurrency industry expects early action by Donald Trump when he's sworn in as president next week.

Once a skeptic who said a few years ago that bitcoin " seems like a scam," Trump has embraced digital currencies with a convert's zeal. He's launched a new cryptocurrency venture and vowed on the campaign trail to take steps early in his presidency to make the U.S. into the "crypto capital" of the world.

TORONTO (AP) — Canada's foreign minister warned Americans they will be paying a "Trump tariff tax" if President-elect Donald Trump follows through with a threat to impose a 25% tariff on all Canadian goods.

Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly said Friday that Canada is ready to retaliate and put maximum pressure on the United States.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The International Monetary Fund expects the world economy to grow a little faster and inflation to keep falling this year. But it warned that the outlook is clouded by President-elect Donald Trump's promises to slash U.S. taxes, impose tariffs on foreign goods, ease regulations on businesses and deport millions of immigrants working illegally in the United States.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Few Democrats found ways to negotiate with Republicans quite like Shalanda Young — whose work as White House budget director stopped several potential economic crises from erupting.

She brokered a 2023 deal to stop the government from defaulting on its debt. She worked to keep the government from shutting down, preserve disaster relief and address a baby formula shortage. She helped save aid to Ukraine with a loan based on frozen Russian assets.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The national debt is slated to rise by $23.9 trillion over the next decade, a sum that does not include trillions of dollars in additional tax cuts being championed by President-elect Donald Trump.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released its 10-year budget outlook on Friday that showed a slightly brighter picture as higher taxable incomes will relieve some pressure on the rising national debt. Still, annual budget deficits are expected to be equal to 6.1% of U.S. gross domestic product in 2035, which the CBO noted is "significantly more than the 3.8 percent that deficits have averaged over the past 50 years."

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump may take the oath of office from inside the Capitol Rotunda on Monday due to forecasts of intense cold weather.

"The weather forecast for Washington, D.C., with the windchill factor, could take temperatures into severe record lows," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. "There is an Arctic blast sweeping the Country. I don't want to see people hurt, or injured, in any way."

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is heading toward a final vote on legislation that would require federal authorities to detain migrants accused of theft and violent crimes and give states power to challenge federal immigration policies, setting a new tone on immigration as Donald Trump enters the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal task force aiming to fix the mishandling of classified documents that it says has plagued outgoing presidential administrations for decades is recommending better guidance and training on such materials.

Released Friday, the recommendations come nearly a year after President Joe Biden formed the Presidential Records Task Force with the goal of studying past transitions to determine best practices for safeguarding classified information from one administration to the next.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden announced Friday that the Equal Rights Amendment should be considered a ratified addition to the U.S. Constitution, inserting himself into a long-running legal battle over gender equality.

"It is long past time to recognize the will of the American people," Biden said in a statement. "In keeping with my oath and duty to Constitution and country, I affirm what I believe and what three-fourths of the states have ratified: the 28th Amendment is the law of the land, guaranteeing all Americans equal rights and protections under the law regardless of their sex."

MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, signed a broad cooperation pact Friday as their countries deepened their partnership in the face of stinging Western sanctions.

Russian and Iranian officials say the "comprehensive strategic partnership treaty" covers all areas -– from trade and military cooperation to science, education and culture.

WASHINGTON (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Donald Trump's pick to lead the agency central to his vision of cracking down on illegal immigration, will face senators Friday at confirmation hearing that will be her first chance to lay out her vision for the sprawling Department of Homeland Security.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams plans to meet with Donald Trump in Florida on Friday, another friendly overture to the president-elect by a Democrat awaiting trial on federal corruption charges.

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump wants to make Hollywood "bigger, better and stronger" and has cast Mel Gibson, Jon Voight and Sylvester Stallone as stars of what he is calling his "Special Ambassadors to a great but very troubled place, Hollywood, California."

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson appointed Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., as the new chairman of the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday after asserting that the panel needed a fresh start.

MONTEREY (AP) — Perdue Farms plans to close a processing plant in Tennessee that employs more than 430 people.

In a news release Thursday, the company confirmed that the Monterey facility would close in late March. It said changes in market demand and how the company produces and supplies its products have affected the Monterey plant in recent years.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve said Friday that it is leaving an international grouping of central banks that focused on how regulation of the financial system could help combat climate change. The Fed's membership has been criticized by Republicans in Congress.

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — Apple is suspending an error-prone feature that used artificial intelligence to deliver bogus news alerts to some iPhone owners.

The decision was disclosed Thursday as part of a test version for the next software release, iOS 18.3. The beta version is only available to a relatively small group of iPhone users and developers, but the same features are usually released in an update available to all users several weeks after the testing begins.

WASHINGTON (AP) — IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel said in a letter to IRS workers on Friday that he intends to step down from his position on President-elect Donald Trump's Inauguration Day.

"After significant introspection and consultation with others, I've determined the best way to support a successful transition is to depart the IRS on January 20, 2025," Werfel said in a note addressed to all IRS employees. "While leaving a job you love is never easy, I take comfort in knowing that the civil servant leaders and employees at the IRS are the exact right team to effectively steward this organization forward until a new IRS Commissioner is confirmed."

WASHINGTON (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Donald Trump's pick to lead the agency central to his vision of cracking down on illegal immigration, faced senators Friday at a confirmation hearing and promised to be a tough hand in carrying out the president's vision for the sprawling Department of Homeland Security.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Vanderbilt was fined $250,000 by the Southeastern Conference on Sunday for allowing fans to storm the court Saturday in celebration of a 75-75 basketball victory over No. 6 Tennessee.

Vanderbilt was penalized for a second offense under the conference's revised access to competition area policy. The first violation — and a $100,000 fine — came when fans stormed the football field after a 40-35 victory over Alabama in October.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears interviewed Tennessee State coach Eddie George, the Heisman Trophy-winning former NFL running back, for their head coach vacancy Sunday.

ATLANTA (AP) — The way Kardell Thomas sees things, it wasn't so much the schools as it was the system that let him down.

When thinking about the pros and cons of college players forming a union as they navigate their way through an industry that's changing by the day, the story of the offensive lineman who has signed with four schools in five years is a good one to tell.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Draft lyrics to Bob Dylan's song "Mr. Tambourine Man" went for over a half-million dollars as part of a weekend sale of dozens of items related to the iconic American singer-songwriter.

About 60 Dylan items — including photos, music sheets, his guitar, pencil drawings and an oil painting composed by the Nobel Prize for literature winner — were sold on Saturday in Nashville, Tennessee, through Julien's Auctions.

NEW YORK (AP) — During his first term as president, Donald Trump led the effort to ban TikTok, the hugely popular video-sharing site he said posed a threat to U.S. national security. But on the eve of his return to the White House, the president-elect is being hailed as the app's savior.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is holding off on tariffs during his first day and placing a big bet that his executive actions can cut energy prices and tame inflation. But it's unclear whether his orders will be enough to move the U.S. economy as he promised.

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — Billionaires' wealth grew three times faster in 2024 than the year before, a top anti-poverty group reported on Monday as some of the world's political and financial elite prepared for an annual gathering in Davos, Switzerland.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The price of bitcoin surged to over $109,000 early Monday, just hours ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, as a pumped up cryptocurrency industry bets he'll take action soon after returning to the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Paul Abbate, who as the FBI's longtime deputy director had been expected to replace Director Christopher Wray on an acting basis, is retiring from the bureau, according to an email he sent to senior executives and obtained by The Associated Press on Monday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Incoming President Donald Trump has been promising a flurry of executive action on Day 1, and there are executive orders already prepared for his signature. Those orders will end diversity, equity and inclusion funding, crack down on border crossings and ease regulations on oil and natural gas production. The Republican has promised dozens of actions, though it's unclear whether he'll make good on his pledge to do them all on his first day.

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis said Donald Trump's plans to impose mass deportations of immigrants would be a "disgrace," as he weighed in on the incoming U.S. president's pledges nearly a decade after calling him "not Christian" for wanting to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is going to issue a series of orders aimed at remaking America's immigration policies, ending asylum access, sending troops to the southern border and ending birthright citizenship, an incoming White House official said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump, who overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, will be sworn in as the 47th president Monday, taking charge as Republicans assume unified control of Washington and set out to reshape the country's institutions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump will start implementing a far-reaching agenda when he takes office for the second time on Monday, but a poll finds that despite his claims of an "unprecedented and powerful mandate," the incoming Republican president lacks broad support for some of his top priorities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is going to issue a series of orders aimed at remaking America's immigration policies, ending asylum access, sending troops to the southern border and ending birthright citizenship, an incoming White House official said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired Gen. Mark Milley and members of the House committee that investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, in an extraordinary use of the powers of the presidency in his final hours to guard against potential "revenge" by the incoming Trump administration.

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Cecile Richards, a national leader for abortion access and women's rights who led Planned Parenthood for 12 tumultuous years, has died. She was 67.

Richards died Monday at home "surrounded by family and her ever-loyal dog, Ollie," her family said in a statement.

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump's second inaugural address sounded a lot like his first, with a sweeping indictment of the country he inherits and grand promises to fix its problems.

Eight years ago, Trump described "American carnage" and promised to end it immediately. On Monday, he declared that the country's "decline" will end immediately, ushering in "the golden age of America."

In his first address after being sworn in on Monday, President Donald Trump repeated several false and misleading statements that he made during his campaign. They included claims about immigration, the economy, electric vehicles and the Panama Canal. Here's a look at the facts.

NEW YORK (AP) — Some of the most exclusive seats at President Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday were reserved for powerful tech CEOs who also happen to be among the world's richest men.

That's a shift from tradition, especially for a president who has characterized himself as a champion of the working class. Seats so close to the president are usually reserved for the president's family, past presidents and other honored guests.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A large number of senior career diplomats who served in politically appointed leadership positions at the State Department have left their posts at the demand of the incoming Trump administration, which plans to install its own people in those positions, according to current and outgoing U.S. officials.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration Monday ended use of a border app called CBP One that has allowed nearly 1 million people to legally enter the United States with eligibility to work.

A notice on the website of Customs and Border Protection Monday just after Trump was sworn in let users know that the app that had been used to allow migrants to schedule appointments at eight southwest border ports of entry is no longer available. The notice said that existing appointments have been cancelled.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A wide-ranging series of executive orders that President Donald Trump has promised to beef up security at the southern border Monday began taking effect soon after he was inaugurated Monday, making good on his defining political promise to crack down on immigration.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president Monday, returning to power with a promise to end America's decline and to "completely and totally reverse" the actions of the man who drove him from office four years ago.

Trump overcame impeachments, criminal indictments and a pair of assassination attempts to win another term in the White House, and he planned to act swiftly after the ceremony. Dozens of executive orders were prepared for his signature to clamp down on border crossings, increase fossil fuel development and end diversity and inclusion programs across the federal government.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Monday pardoned his siblings and their spouses, saying his family had been "subjected to unrelenting attacks and threats, motivated solely by a desire to hurt me — the worst kind of partisan politics."

"Unfortunately, I have no reason to believe these attacks will end," he said.

Ohio State was No. 1 in the final Associated Press Top 25 college football poll of the season Tuesday after beating Notre Dame for its first national championship since 2014.

The Buckeyes (14-2) received every first-place vote following their mostly dominant run through the College Football Playoff. The Irish (14-2) finished No. 2 for their highest end-of-season ranking since 1993.

The Southeastern Conference can make a strong argument as the best league in college basketball with eight ranked teams and five in the top 10.

The bevy of AP Top 25 teams leads to ranked SEC teams playing each other pretty much every week. This week is no different, with four games between ranked SEC teams, headlined by No. 6 Tennessee at top-ranked Auburn on Saturday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Proud Boys extremist group leader Enrique Tarrio and Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes have been released from prison after their lengthy sentences for seditious conspiracy convictions in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol were wiped away by a sweeping order by President Donald Trump benefitting more than 1,500 defendants.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered lower courts to review the case of the only woman on Oklahoma's death row over concerns that prosecutors' discussion of her sexual history rendered her trial unfair in the murder of her estranged husband.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned back an election law case out of Montana that relied on a controversial legal theory with the potential to change the way elections are run across the country.

The high court declined to hear the case in a brief order without explaining its reasoning, as is typical.

LONDON (AP) — The sequel to Prince Harry vs. the British tabloids stalled Tuesday amid settlement talks before the start of a high-stakes trial pitting him against Rupert Murdoch's newspapers.

Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, and one other claimant remain alone among hundreds who have settled lawsuits against News Group Newspapers, the publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News of the World, over a llegations their phones were hacked and investigators unlawfully snooped on their lives.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump used one of the flurry of executive actions that he issued on his first day back in the White House to begin the process of withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization for the second time in less than five years — a move many scientists fear could roll back decadeslong gains made in fighting diseases like AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday temporarily halting offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pausing the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for both onshore and offshore wind projects.

The interior secretary will review wind leasing and permitting practices for federal waters and lands. The assessment will consider the environmental impact of wind projects on wildlife, the economic costs associated with the intermittent generation of electricity and the effect of subsidies on the viability of the wind industry, the order states.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday directing the United States to again withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement, dealing a blow to worldwide efforts to combat global warming and once again distancing the U.S. from its closest allies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday that he expects to put 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico starting on Feb. 1, while declining to flesh out his plans for taxing Chinese imports.

Trump made the announcement in response to reporters' questions while signing executive actions in the Oval Office on his first day back in the White House.

TORONTO (AP) — Top Canadian ministers said Monday that Canada will be ready to retaliate after President Donald Trump said he was thinking of imposing a 25% tariff on Canada and Mexico on Feb. 1.

Trump has been threatening to impose sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and other trading partners.

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — As the World Economic Forum's annual gabfest in the Swiss Alps got into full swing Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump gave everybody something to talk about with his actions on his first day back in office.

Energy industry executives could consider Trump's vow to "drill, baby, drill." Foreign leaders deciphered what he meant by his wish to expand U.S. territory. Trade advocates digested the unveiling of his "External Revenue Service" to collect tariffs and duties — a concern for many business leaders at the elite gathering.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is spending his first full day back in the White House meeting with congressional leaders, making an infrastructure announcement and demonstrating one of his favored expressions of power: firing people.

The new president posted on his Truth social media network early Tuesday that he would fire more than 1,000 presidential appointees "who are not aligned with our vision," including some high-profile names.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Elise Stefanik is likely to face questions at her confirmation hearing on Tuesday to become the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations about her lack of foreign policy experience, her strong support for Israel and her views on funding the U.N. and its many agencies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending all U.S. foreign assistance programs for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals.

It was not immediately clear how much assistance would initially be affected by the Monday order as funding for many programs has already been appropriated by Congress and is obligated to be spent, if not already spent.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, including people convicted of assaulting police officers, using his clemency powers on his first day back in office to undo the massive prosecution of the unprecedented assault on the seat of American democracy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says his administration will move to suspend the security clearances of the more than four dozen former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter saying that the Hunter Biden laptop saga bore the hallmarks of a "Russian information operation."

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump rolled out a blueprint to beef up security at the southern border in a series of executive orders that began taking effect soon after his inauguration Monday, making good on his defining political promise to crack down on immigration and marking another wild swing in White House policy on the divisive issue.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump began erasing Joe Biden's legacy immediately after taking office as the nation's 47th president, pardoning nearly all of his supporters who rioted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and issuing a blizzard of executive orders that signal his desire to remake American institutions.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday turned back an election law case out of Montana that relied on a controversial legal theory with the potential to change the way elections are run across the country.

The high court declined to hear the case in a brief order without explaining its reasoning, as is typical.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order promising to eliminate what he incorrectly labels "the electric vehicle mandate" imposed under former President Joe Biden. His order on Monday is consistent with pledges Trump made on the campaign trail to end what he calls a "preposterous" focus on EVs by Biden and other Democrats. The order, along with other steps expected in a second Trump administration, could slow U.S. efforts to address climate change, much of which is caused by burning gasoline and diesel fuel that emit carbon dioxide and other planet-warming greenhouse gases.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix added nearly 19 million subscribers during the holiday-season quarter to help propel its earnings beyond analysts' projections, signaling that the video streaming service's expansion into live programming is paying off.

TORONTO (AP) — Canada's outgoing prime minister and the leader of the country's oil rich province of Alberta are both confident Canada can avoid the 25% tariffs President Donald Trump says he will impose on Feb. 1.

Justin Trudeau and Danielle Smith will argue that Canada is the energy super power that has the oil and critical minerals that America needs to feed what Trump vows will be a booming U.S. economy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Tuesday is announcing investments worth up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank.

WASHINGTON (AP) — At the inaugural prayer service, the Right Rev. Mariann Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, made a direct appeal to President Donald Trump to have mercy on the LGBTQ+ community and undocumented migrant workers.

Referencing Trump's belief that he was saved by God from assassination, Budde said, "You have felt the providential hand of a loving God. In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now."

NEW YORK (AP) — Right-wing extremists are celebrating Elon Musk's straight-arm gesture during a speech Monday, although his intention wasn't totally clear and some hate watchdogs are saying not to read too much into it.

"I just want to say thank you for making it happen," Musk said during a speech at Capitol One Arena on Monday afternoon, referring to Donald Trump's victory in the presidential election. Then he slapped his hand on his chest, extended his arm straight outward and upward with his palm facing downwards. He turned around and made a similar gesture facing the other way.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rep. Elise Stefanik pledged Tuesday to push President Donald Trump's "America First" stance if confirmed as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and roll out a review of U.S. funding critical for U.N. operations and its many agencies around the world.