News - Friday, January 24, 2025

Jen Gregory didn’t have time to think about the life changes she’d have to make as she plummeted 12 feet from her mother’s attic toward the concrete floor below. She barely had time to register what had happened as she stepped onto what she says looked like solid wood in the dim light of the roof space but was merely particle board.

Ryan Burgett was not raised by a family of lawyers or eyeing law school as he packed for college. In fact, the legal profession could not have been further from his mind as he settled in at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and began to study finance.

This past year saw a fresh start and new beginnings for some of our citizens, who took the final step to abandon their former national citizenship and become United States citizens.

These new citizens underwent naturalization. Naturalization is the process by which a foreign national becomes a United States citizen. The nationalization power is within the authority of Congress under Article I, Section 8, Clause 4 of the Constitution.

Ryan Burgett of Husch Blackwell is not the only new partner in Chattanooga. Local firms are home to at least two additional new partners, including commercial attorney Rachael Ruiz of Miller & Martin and Luke Neder of Copeland, Stair, Valz & Lovell.

Chattanooga has emerged as one of the South’s most desirable cities for first-time homebuyers. With its blend of outdoor activities, growing tech scene and relatively affordable housing market, the Scenic City offers unique opportunities for those looking to make their first home purchase. This comprehensive guide will help you navigate the journey to homeownership in Chattanooga.

The start of a new year brings fresh insights into the evolving real estate market, which continues to show signs of resilience and growth.

Recent data from the National Association of Realtors highlights positive trends, including an eight-month high in U.S. existing-home sales. While inventory challenges persist, the activity in the market both nationally and locally offers an optimistic outlook.

The Hunter Museum’s upcoming exhibition – “The Long View: From Conservation to Sustainability – Works from the Bank of America Collection” – traces the history and impact of the environmental movement through art.

Firefighter Allen Green has entered burning houses to save lives and property. Now he’s written a children’s book he’s hoping will do the same.

“Mom! Dad! What Should I Do?” teaches elementary school age children how to respond when a fire breaks out in their home. Through colorful illustrations and diverse characters, children learn how to put together a fire escape plan for their home and are encouraged to practice the plan with family members.

Environmental activist Erin Brockovich will speak at the kickoff dinner for the annual statewide Women’s Policy Conference Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Westin Chattanooga. Known for inspiring the Oscar-winning film “Erin Brockovich,” she advocates for clean water and environmental equity.

 Are you changing jobs soon? If so, you’ll obviously be interested in your new salary. But you’ll also want to look at other financial considerations.

Here are some of the most important ones:

• 401(k): If you had a 401(k) plan through your previous employer, you’ll need to decide what to do with it once you’ve joined a new employer. You could just cash it out, but you’d pay taxes and possible penalties. You could leave your 401(k) with your previous employer, if allowed, and if you have been happy with your plan’s performance.

Nearly all small investors lose money in the markets, but a new trading platform called Good Market thinks artificial intelligence might be the solution. Launched by fintech experts from M2 Exchange and Freetrade, Good Market targets what many consider to be the biggest enemy of retail trading: human emotion.

This message from Capt. Damien Vinson, the Chattanooga Fire Department’s community outreach and recruitment coordinator, concerns an ordinance change voters will see on their ballot March 4 and during early voting starting Feb. 12. The proposed referendum would amend the residency requirements for firefighters, police officers and other essential workers in the city’s charter.

Kennedy Dykes walked into her dad’s home office in Arkansas during her sophomore year of high school. Dykes was deciding if she wanted to run track or be a cheerleader in college. Dykes informed her dad that her heart was pulling her to be a cheerleader at an SEC school.

Welcome to Tennessee, Mike Borgonzi.

You’ve got a big job ahead of you, even if you don’t have final say over the Titans roster and the exact direction the franchise wants to go.

Wherever that direction leads, Borgonzi will be a key component in the makeup of what the Titans roster looks like going forward.

Its name sounds simplistic – the code. But in hockey circles, the code is far from simple.

Baseball is famous for its unwritten rules. Hockey too has its share of unwritten rules, but one of the most prominent ones is that players need to stand up and face the metaphorical music if they do something dangerous on the ice, either within or outside of the game’s written rules.

CES, formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas continues to provide a sneak peek at future technology. The annual showcase includes advanced automotive tech in an industry striving to reduce pollution and increase occupant safety while also providing greater convenience and entertainment for road warriors.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Authorities are examining "very concerning online writings and social media posts" connected to the shooter who killed a female student and wounded another student in a Nashville high school cafeteria.

Solomon Henderson, a 17-year-old Black student at Antioch High School, shot and killed Josselin Corea Escalante, who was 16 and Hispanic, in the school's cafeteria on Wednesday, then turned the gun on himself.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday revived a requirement that owners of millions of small businesses register with an arm of the Treasury Department charged with fighting money laundering and other financial crimes.

The justices granted an emergency plea made by the Justice Department in the waning days of the Biden administration to allow enforcement of the Corporate Transparency Act, enacted in 2021 to crack down on the illicit use of anonymous shell companies.

SEATTLE (AP) — A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's executive order redefining birthright citizenship, calling it "blatantly unconstitutional" during the first hearing in a multi-state effort challenging the order.

CNN announced a restructuring Thursday that includes some 200 layoffs, an accelerated pivot to digital operations and new TV roles for personalities like Wolf Blitzer, Jake Tapper and Audie Cornish.

It's the boldest revamp yet in the 18-month tenure of CEO Mark Thompson, a former chief executive at The New York Times and BBC called upon by parent company Warner Bros. Discovery to revive the news outlet's flagging fortunes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has pledged cheaper prices and lower interest rates, but an economy transformed by the pandemic will make those promises difficult to keep.

Economic growth is solid, driven by healthy consumer spending. And budget deficits are huge and could get even larger. Meanwhile, businesses are borrowing more to step up their investments in data centers and artificial intelligence, leading to a greater demand for loans that can raise interest rates.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump used an address Thursday to the World Economic Forum to promise global elites lower taxes if they bring manufacturing to the U.S. and threatened to impose tariffs if they don't.

Speaking by video from the White House to the annual summit in Davos, Switzerland, on his third full day in office, Trump ran through his flurry of executive actions since his swearing-in and claimed that he had a "massive mandate" from the American people to bring change. He laid out a carrot-and-stick approach for private investment in the U.S.

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump drew pockets of laughter and a few moans with his blunt comments to an international audience while appearing by video link Thursday at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Trump's address and answers to a handful of questions were the highlight of the fourth day of the annual gathering of political and business leaders. His return to the White House this week also shaped other sessions, from a panel on tariffs to a fiery speech by Javier Milei, the brash president of Argentina.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is preparing to reshape the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which has been on the frontlines of responding to recent wildfires in California and last year's hurricane in North Carolina.

He spoke at length about the issue with congressional Republican leaders on Tuesday, discussing whether the agency known as FEMA should continue providing assistance to states in the same way, according to a person familiar with the conversation and granted anonymity to discuss it.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate on Thursday confirmed John Ratcliffe as CIA director, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead America's premier spy agency and his second nominee to win Senate approval.

Ratcliffe was director of national intelligence during Trump's first term and is the first person to have held that position and the top post at the CIA. The Texas Republican is a former federal prosecutor who emerged as a fierce Trump defender while serving as a congressman during Trump's first impeachment.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate advanced the nomination of Pete Hegseth as President Donald Trump's defense secretary Thursday on a largely party-line vote, despite grave objections from Democrats and stirring unease among Republicans over his behavior and qualifications to lead the U.S. military.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Filip Forsberg scored twice to extend his goals streak to seven games, Fedor Svechkov broke a tie on a power-play midway through the third period and the Nashville Predators beat the San Jose Sharks 6-5 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell gave birth this week to a son and they are both "doing well," a Tennessee spokesperson said.

Conor Scott Caldwell is the first child for Caldwell and her husband, Justin.

There was no timetable given for Caldwell's return to the 17th-ranked Lady Vols, who lost 80-76 at No. 7 Texas on Thursday night.

SEATTLE (AP) — President Donald Trump's executive order denying U.S. citizenship to the children of parents living in the country illegally has faced the first of what will be many legal tests. It didn't fare well.

A Justice Department lawyer had barely started making his arguments in a Seattle courtroom Thursday when U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour began blistering him with questions, calling the executive order "blatantly unconstitutional." Coughenour went on to temporarily block it pending further arguments.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday barred Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from entering Washington, D.C., without the court's approval after President Donald Trump commuted the far-right extremist group leader's 18-year prison sentence for orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Capitol four years ago.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in 2024 to a nearly 30-year low for the second time in as many years as elevated mortgage rates, rising home prices and few properties on the market freeze prospective homebuyers out of the market.

LONDON (AP) — Google pledged to crack down on fake online reviews with tougher punishments for rogue reviewers and businesses that try to profit from them, British regulators said Friday following an investigation.

The Competition and Markets Authority said that Google has committed to "rigorous steps" to detect and remove sham reviews, so it can quickly identify and investigate businesses and reviewers trying to benefit from the phony posts.

DETROIT (AP) — While President Donald Trump took aim at the electric vehicle industry this week, there is still optimism about the industry's future in Michigan, a state retooling from America's most recognizable auto hub to its number one destination for electric vehicle investment.

BANGKOK (AP) — Ford Motor Co. is recalling 272,827 Broncos and Mavericks due to a power problem that can cause vehicles to stop unexpectedly or fail to start.

Information from the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration says the problem is related to a 12 volt battery made by Camel Battery of China that has "internal manufacturing defects," including weld failures that can cause open circuits.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Right Rev. Mariann Budde made headlines this week after she angered President Donald Trump with her sermon during an inaugural prayer service.

It was not the first time the cleric has publicly disagreed with Trump, but it became a striking moment in what is usually a staid and scripted event.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has pledged cheaper prices and lower interest rates, but an economy transformed by the pandemic will make those promises difficult to keep.

Economic growth is solid, driven by healthy consumer spending. And budget deficits are huge and could get even larger. Meanwhile, businesses are borrowing more to step up their investments in data centers and artificial intelligence, leading to a greater demand for loans that can raise interest rates.

TORONTO (AP) — Outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday American consumers will pay more whenever President Donald Trump decides to apply sweeping tariffs on Canadian products.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Thursday that he still plans to tariff Canada and Mexico at 25% rates starting as soon as Feb. 1. Trump previously threatened to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he took office but the tariffs weren't applied on day one.

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) — The European Central Bank's president responded Friday to U.S. President Donald Trump's accusation of unfair trade treatment by the European Union by calling for negotiations and mutual respect rather than a focus purely on trans-Atlantic trade figures.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is heading to hurricane-battered western North Carolina and wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles on Friday, using the first trip of his second administration to tour areas where politics has clouded the response to deadly disasters.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans see the federal government as rife with corruption, inefficiency and red tape — but they're less sure about whether Elon Musk is the right person to fix it.

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that only about 3 in 10 U.S. adults strongly or somewhat approve of President Trump's creation of an advisory body on government efficiency, which Musk is helming. About 4 in 10 disapprove, while the rest were neutral or didn't know enough to say. (The poll was conducted before Vivek Ramaswamy announced he would no longer be involved in the group.)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary, paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, according to answers he provided to a senator during his confirmation process that The Associated Press has obtained.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tire manufacturer Bridgestone Americas is closing its LaVergne truck and bus radial tire plant and laying off 700 workers there, the company announced in a news release.

Bridgestone said the closure will help the company "optimize its business footprint" and "strengthen its competitiveness."

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's new Justice Department leadership issued an order Friday to curtail prosecutions against people accused of blocking reproductive rights facilities, calling the cases an example of the "weaponization" of law enforcement.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday barred Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from entering Washington, D.C., without the court's approval after President Donald Trump commuted the extremist group leader's 18-year prison sentence in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The latest evidence that homeownership is becoming increasingly less accessible to many Americans: Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell last year to a nearly 30-year low for the second time in as many years.

Elevated mortgage rates, a yearslong shortage of homes on the market and record-high home prices continued to stymie prospective home shoppers, especially first-time buyers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Right Rev. Mariann Budde made headlines this week after she angered President Donald Trump with her sermon during an inaugural prayer service.

It was not the first time the cleric has publicly disagreed with Trump, but it became a striking moment in what is usually a staid and scripted event.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Like most presidents, Donald Trump faces an economy that seldom bends to political ambitions.

The Republican has promised strong growth, high tariffs, income tax cuts and booming oilfields. But despite the solid job market and low 4.1% unemployment rate, he has to contend with headwinds like inflation, a budget deficit, increased tensions over trade, the fallout from his plans to curtail immigration and a persistent wealth gap.

NEW YORK (AP) — Discount store chain Target said Friday that it would join rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have come under attack from conservative activists and, as of this week, the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department on Friday froze new funding for almost all U.S. foreign assistance, making exceptions to allow humanitarian food programs and military aid to Israel and Egypt to continue.

The sweeping order threatened a quick halt to countless projects globally aiding health, education, development, job training and other efforts by the United States, the largest provide of foreign aid. It appears to begin enforcement of a pledge to eliminate aid programs that President Donald Trump judges not to be in U.S. interests.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Several federal agencies have begun removing resources for underrepresented Americans from their webpages following President Donald Trump's executive order cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Agencies also have been cancelling training and service contacts to comply with the order from Trump, who vowed to dismantle diversity programs across the federal government. He has called for all DEI staff to be put on paid leave and eventually be laid off.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump vowed to support anti-abortion-rights protesters in his second term as tens of thousands of demonstrators rallied in Washington on Friday for the annual March for Life.

"We will again stand proudly for families and for life," Trump declared in a pre-recorded video address.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is muscling Pete Hegseth's nomination as defense secretary toward confirmation Friday, prioritizing his vow to create a "warrior culture" at the Pentagon over allegations of heavy drinking and aggressive behavior toward women.

Kim Caldwell will be back on the sideline Monday night when her 17th-ranked Tennessee Lady Vols host the defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks.

Exactly one week after giving birth to her first child — a bouncing baby boy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday left in place Mississippi's Jim Crow-era practice of removing voting rights from people convicted of certain felonies, including nonviolent crimes such as forgery and timber theft.

The justices, without comment, turned away an appeal from Mississippi residents who have completed their sentences, but who have been unable to regain their right to vote.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Perplexity AI has presented a new proposal to TikTok's parent company that would allow the U.S. government to own up to 50% of a new entity that merges Perplexity with TikTok's U.S. business, according to a person familiar with the matter.

MADRID (AP) — Spain attracted a record 94 million tourists last year, making the Southern European nation famous for its Mediterranean coastline, sweeping landscapes and historic cities among the most visited countries on earth.

The surge in visitors has stoked complaints at times from some Spaniards about "overtourism, " with concerns about overcrowding, water use and particularly the availability and affordability of housing.

President Trump's first week in office included a flurry of executive orders with implications for Earth's climate and environment.

While former President Joe Biden made climate change a hallmark of his administration and some of his policies remain, at least for now, Trump is quickly unraveling that.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve is nearly certain to keep its key interest rate unchanged at its policy meeting this week, just a few days after President Donald Trump said he would soon demand lower rates.

Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, have cut their rate for three meetings in a row, to about 4.3%, from a two-decade high of 5.3%. Yet with several recent economic reports showing healthy hiring and some progress on inflation, policymakers have said that the pace of rate cuts will slow this year. Some have suggested that few reductions are needed at all.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said vaccines are not safe. His support for abortion access has made conservatives uncomfortable. And farmers across the Midwest are nervous over his talk of banning corn syrup and pesticides from America's food supply.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump was expected to sign a flurry of new executive orders focused on the military Monday, including to reinstate troops booted for refusing COVID-19 vaccines, assess transgender forces and further outline new rollbacks in diversity programs, just as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth began his first day on the job.

Auburn keeps winning games that come down to the wire. It's kept them on top of the AP Top 25, too.

The Tigers were the unanimous choice atop the men's college basketball poll for the second consecutive week Monday, getting all 62 votes from the national media panel. Their place at No. 1 was solidified when Miles Kelly hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30 seconds left to propel Auburn to a 53-51 victory over then-No. 6 Tennessee over the weekend.

Vanderbilt entered the Associated Press women's basketball Top 25 on Monday at No. 23, its first ranking in more than a decade, while Texas returned to the top five and Ohio State and Duke both jumped back into the top 10.

Shea Ralph's Vanderbilt team is in the poll for the first time since Feb. 10, 2014, and has two wins over ranked teams for the first time since the 2015-16 season. The Commodores topped then-No. 19 Alabama on Sunday as the Crimson Tide were one of a dozen ranked teams to lose last week.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's threat to impose a 25% tax on imports from Colombia comes at a most inauspicious time: The wrangling over the South American country's willingness to accept flights carrying deported immigrants is flaring up just three weeks before Valentine's Day, and Colombia is America's No. 1 foreign source of cut flowers.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. public health officials have been told to stop working with the World Health Organization, effective immediately.

A U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official, John Nkengasong, sent a memo to senior leaders at the agency on Sunday night telling them that all agency staff who work with the WHO must immediately stop their collaborations and "await further guidance."

It had been over a decade since Vanderbilt was among the elite women's basketball teams in the nation.

Now, coach Shea Ralph has the No. 23 Commodores back among the best as the team entered The Associated Press Top 25 on Monday or the first time since 2014.

When he was hired by Vanderbilt to rebuild the men's basketball program after years of mediocrity, Mark Byington envisioned a moment like the football team experienced last October, when fans stormed the field following a win over Alabama.

Byington might have to start getting used to such moments.

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Joyce Edwards scored 18 points to lead No. 2 South Carolina to its 15th straight victory, 70-63 over No. 18 Tennessee on Monday night.

MiLaysia Fulwiley added 11 points and Te-Hina Paopao, Chloe Kitts and Raven Johnson all had 10 for the Gamecocks (20-1, 8-0 Southeastern Conference).

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have hired veteran assistant John Fassel as their special teams coordinator among some changes to coach Brian Callahan's staff announced Monday.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's Republican-dominant Statehouse gaveled into session Monday with blueprints from Gov. Bill Lee to greatly expand school voucher access and find ways to embrace President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration agenda.

But as lawmakers eased into the special session, they were met with renewed calls from the public for gun control changes less than a week after another school shooting. Last week, a 17-year-old Antioch High student killed a 16-year-old girl who also attended the school, before the shooter fatally shot himself.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Oil and gas companies would be liable for damages caused by climate change -related disasters in California under legislation introduced Monday by two Democratic lawmakers.

The proposal claims that the oil industry intentionally deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels on climate change that now have intensified storms and wildfires and caused billions of dollars in damage in California. Such disasters have also driven the state insurance market to a crisis where companies are raising rates, limiting coverage or pulling out completely from regions susceptible to wildfires and other natural disasters, supporters of the bill said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday left in place Mississippi's Jim Crow-era practice of removing voting rights from people convicted of certain felonies, including nonviolent crimes such as forgery and timber theft.

The justices, without comment, turned away an appeal from Mississippi residents who have completed their sentences, but who have been unable to regain their right to vote.

BRUSSELS (AP) — Coca-Cola has recalled some of its soft drinks in Europe after higher-than-normal levels of a chemical called chlorate were detected in bottles and cans at a production plant in Belgium.

Batches of Coca Cola, Fanta, Sprite, Minute Maid and Fuze Tea were among the products recalled in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the company said on Tuesday. The recall concerns drinks with production codes 328 GE to 338 GE.

HONG KONG (AP) — The Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek has rattled markets with claims that its latest AI model, R1, performs on a par with those of OpenAI, despite using less advanced computer chips and consuming less energy.

DeepSeek's emergence has raised concerns that China may have overtaken the U.S. in the artificial intelligence race despite restrictions on its access to the most advanced chips. It's just one of many Chinese companies working on AI, with a goal of making China the world leader in the field by 2030 and besting the U.S. in their battle for technological supremacy.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence dipped for the second consecutive month in January, a business research group said Tuesday.

The Conference Board reported that its consumer confidence index retreated this month to 104.1, from 109.5 in December. That is worse than the economist projections for a reading of 105.8.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Bird flu is forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, pushing U.S. egg prices to more than double their cost in the summer of 2023. And it appears there may be no relief in sight, given the surge in demand as Easter approaches.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Having already forced Colombia to accept deportees by threatening a 25% tariff, President Donald Trump is readying the same move against Canada and Mexico as soon as Saturday.

But this time, the stakes are higher and many economists surveying the possible damage doubt Trump would be comfortable with what they say would be self-inflicted wounds from the tariffs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Boeing posted a fourth-quarter loss of $3.8 billion on Tuesday as a machinists strike and other problems continued to plague the troubled aircraft manufacturer.

Boeing has lost more than $35 billion since 2019 following the crashes of two then-new Max jets that killed 346 people. For the full year 2024, Boeing logged a loss of $11.8 billion.

WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, conservative activist Ed Martin has promoted Donald Trump's false claims about a stolen 2020 election, railed against the prosecution of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol and represented some of them in court.

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Deportation flights between the U.S. and Colombia resumed on Tuesday, following a dispute between the two countries that nearly led to a trade war.

The diplomatic drama, which began over the weekend, provided clues on how the Trump administration would deal with countries standing in the way of its immigration policies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is pausing federal grants and loans starting Tuesday as President Donald Trump's administration begins an across-the-board ideological review of its spending, causing confusion and panic among organizations that rely on Washington for their financial lifeline.

ATLANTA (AP) — President Donald Trump's brash populism has always involved incongruence: the billionaire businessman-politician stirring the passions of millions who, regardless of the U.S. economy's trajectory, could never afford to live in his Manhattan skyscraper or visit his club in south Florida.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Advocacy groups are set to file the first lawsuit Tuesday challenging President Donald Trump's executive order for the Pentagon to revise its policy on transgender troops, likely setting up ban on their service in the armed forces.

WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, conservative activist Ed Martin has promoted Donald Trump's false claims about a stolen 2020 election, railed against the prosecution of the rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol and represented some of them in court.

Now he's leading the office that prosecuted the nearly 1,600 defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot before Trump — now back in the White House — ended the largest investigation in Justice Department history with the stroke of a pen.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Senate confirmed billionaire investor Scott Bessent on Monday to serve as President Donald Trump's treasury secretary, giving him the delicate balancing act of cutting taxes and curbing deficits while putting forward a plan on tariffs that doesn't jeopardize growth.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department said that it had fired more than a dozen employees who worked on criminal prosecutions of President Donald Trump, moving rapidly to pursue retribution against lawyers involved in the investigations and signaling an early willingness to take action favorable to the president's personal interests.

China raced ahead building renewable energy last year, installing more wind and solar power than ever before and continuing to leave all other countries in the dust.

The nation put up 357 gigawatts of solar and wind, a 45% and 18% increase, respectively, over what was operating at the end of 2023, according to China's National Energy Administration. That's akin to building 357 full-size nuclear plants in one year.

NEW YORK (AP) — X is teaming up with Visa to soon offer a system for real-time payments on the social media platform — signaling some progress in a yearslong vision from billionaire owner Elon Musk to create an "everything app."

Visa is the first partner for the platform's "X Money Account" service, which is set to launch later this year, X CEO Linda Yaccarino said in a Tuesday post announcing the news. The offering, Yaccarino noted, will support an in-platform digital wallet and peer-to-peer payments connected to users' debit cards, with an option to transfer funds to a bank account.

CNN anchor Jim Acosta, an irritant to President Donald Trump as a former White House correspondent, says he's quitting the network rather than accept an offer for a new late-night time slot.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a "predator" who is addicted to power, Caroline Kennedy urged the U.S. Senate in a Tuesday letter to reject the nomination of her cousin to be President Donald Trump's health secretary.

CHAPIN, S.C. (AP) — Changeover among federal government agencies is normal when a new administration comes to Washington. But President Donald Trump has implemented sweeping changes in the first days of his second administration, from firing career agency employees to freezing trillions in federal grant funds and halting diversity, equity and inclusion programs that could result in wide-ranging layoffs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Six transgender active duty service members and two former service members who seek re-enlistment on Tuesday filed the first lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order that calls for revising policy on transgender troops and probably sets the stage for banning them in the armed forces.

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Koby Brea scored 18 points to lead No. 12 Kentucky to a 78-73 victory over No. 8 Tennessee on Tuesday night.

Jaxson Robinson added 17 points as the Wildcats (15-5, 4-3 Southeastern Conference) snapped a two-game skid. Otega Oweh scored 14 and Amari Williams had 10 points and 15 rebounds.

With a launch party that included Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion and Mariah Carey, the VH1 Save the Music Foundation never had any problem getting attention in the late '90s.

But a lot has changed since the music education nonprofit's early years, with the glitzy, star-studded cable TV specials slowly giving way to a decidedly more grassroots focus on establishing and sustaining music programs in elementary and secondary schools nationwide. To expand its work, the foundation needs to broaden its donor base, especially as MTV and VH1 — and their parent company Viacom, and now, Paramount — continue their pivot away from music.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department on Wednesday abandoned all criminal proceedings against the two co-defendants of President Donald Trump in the Florida classified documents case, wiping out any legal peril the pair could have faced.

Trump valet Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago property manager Carlos De Oliveira were charged with conspiring with Trump to obstruct an FBI investigation into the hoarding of classified documents that the Republican took with him when he left the White House after his first term.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tax season is underway, and the IRS expects 140 million people will file returns by April 15. The agency has also debuted a new online tool to help taxpayers check the status of any refund they may be entitled to.

President Donald Trump this week offered all federal employees a buyout package in an effort to reduce the size of the government workforce, which could impact IRS staffing at an important period for the agency, though it's not yet clear how. The IRS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

LONDON (AP) — Advanced artificial intelligence systems have the potential to create extreme new risks, such as fueling widespread job losses, enabling terrorism or running amok, experts said in a first-of-its-kind international report Wednesday cataloging the range of dangers posed by the technology.

Chinese artificial intelligence startup company DeepSeek stunned markets and AI experts with its claim that it built its immensely popular chatbot at a fraction of the cost of those made by American tech titans.

That immediately called into question the billions of dollars U.S. tech companies are spending on a massive expansion of energy-hungry data centers they say are needed to unlock the next wave of artificial intelligence.

NEW YORK (AP) — Get ready for an onslaught of ads full of celebrities, cute animals and snack brands during breaks in the action at Super Bowl 59 on Feb. 9, when the Philadelphia Eagles face the Kansas City Chiefs at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — America's children have continued to lose ground on reading skills in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and have made little improvement in math, according to the latest results of an exam known as the nation's report card.

Amid all of the enthusiasm in conservative media for President Donald Trump's first week back in office, the Rupert Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal has notably applied some brakes.

The Journal has editorialized against Trump's pardons of Jan. 6 rioters, called presidential appointee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. "dangerous to public health," suggested Trump give up the effort to end birthright citizenship and twice said he was wrong to strip protection of former officials under threat from Iran.

NEW YORK (AP) — The superstar run for Nvidia's stock the last few years has been astonishing. So was its tumble Monday, which caused $595 billion in wealth to vanish. That's about as much as PepsiCo, McDonalds, Starbucks and Target are worth, combined.

NEW YORK (AP) — Frontier Airlines is attempting for a second time to merge with the now bankrupt Spirit Airlines, which declared bankruptcy late last year as budget airlines struggle.

Frontier Group Holdings Inc., the parent company of Frontier Airlines, said Wednesday that the proposed deal would include newly issued Frontier debt and common stock.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tens of thousands of recently arrived refugees might lose support for basic necessities like food and rent after a Trump administration order suspended federal funding for resettlement agencies.

There is widespread confusion as agency leaders seek greater clarity from the government. The most pressing question is how they will continue supporting refugees already under their care in the United States.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Billionaire financier Howard Lutnick, President Donald Trump's choice to lead the Commerce Department, said Wednesday that he would sell all of his business holdings within 90 days.

"I will divest, I will sell all of my interests, my business interests, all of my assets, everything,'' Lutnick said in a confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. "I made the decision I've made enough money in my life.''

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Tulsi Gabbard returned to Washington from a clandestine sit-down with Syria's then-president Bashar Assad eight years ago this month, she was greeted with a flurry of criticism.

Lawmakers and civil society groups chastised Gabbard, then a Hawaii congresswoman, for her meeting with an avowed U.S. adversary whose administration has been credibly accused of war crimes and major human rights abuses. A Republican congressman even called the meeting a "disgrace."

WASHINGTON (AP) — On the campaign trail last year, President Donald Trump talked tough about imposing tariffs as high as 60% on Chinese goods and threatened to renew the trade war with China that he launched during his first term.

But now that he's back in the White House, Trump appears to be seeking a more nuanced relationship with the country that both Republicans and Democrats have come to see as the gravest foreign policy challenge to the U.S. China is also a major trading partner and an economic powerhouse, and it has one of the world's largest military forces.

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — President Donald Trump fired two of the three Democratic commissioners of the federal agency that enforces civil rights law in the workplace, an unprecedented move aimed at implementing his crackdown on certain diversity and gender rights policies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has launched his second bid to oust all transgender troops from the military, and once again it will be headed to the courts to sort it out.

Although the new order will affect only a tiny fraction of America's 2.1 million service members, it has taken on oversized importance to Trump and his administration, who see transgender forces as a sign the military is "woke" or not focused on training and winning wars.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation hearing to become the nation's top health official quickly devolved into an argument over the questions he's persistently raised about vaccine safety over many years.

Kennedy is seeking to lead a $1.7 trillion agency that will oversee vaccine recommendations as well as food inspections and health insurance for half the country in President Donald Trump's administration.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is pulling security protections and clearance for retired Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Mark Milley and has ordered the Pentagon's inspector general to review Milley's actions while serving as the nation's top uniformed officer to determine if a demotion is warranted, two defense officials said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration's push for a sweeping pause on federal grants and loans totaling potentially trillions of dollars is on hold for now, on the order of a federal judge.

But the legal battle over the plan that set off panic and confusion across the country is just beginning, and it could become a constitutional clash over control of taxpayer money and expansion of executive power before the Supreme Court.

DETROIT (AP) — Hours after being sworn in as the new U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy took aim at the main way the federal government regulates miles per gallon for cars and pickup trucks — also a principal way that it regulates air pollution and addresses climate change. Duffy ordered the federal agency in charge of fuel economy standards to reverse them as soon as possible. The standards have been in place since the 1970s energy crisis and were intended to conserve fuel and save consumers money at the gas pump.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors on Wednesday asked a judge to dismiss their case against a former Nebraska congressman charged with lying to authorities about a foreign billionaire's illegal $30,000 contribution to his campaign.

A one-page court filing doesn't explain why the U.S. attorney's office in Washington, D.C., is seeking the dismissal of charges against former U.S. Rep. Jeffrey Fortenberry, a Republican who resigned after a related conviction in 2022.

A temporary freeze imposed briefly this week by the White House on federal grants and loans left many students wondering about the impact to the FAFSA form used to apply for financial aid.

President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday rescinded the memo freezing spending. The U.S. Department of Education said even if the pause had taken effect, it would not have applied to direct assistance to Americans including federal student loans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Private school vouchers and other school choice initiatives would expand under an order coming from President Donald Trump telling government agencies to repurpose federal dollars.

The Education Department is being told to use discretionary money to prioritize school choice programs and give states new guidance on how they can use federal money to support K-12 voucher programs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday after cutting it three times in a row last year, a sign of a more cautious approach as the Fed seeks to gauge where inflation is headed and what policies President Donald Trump may pursue.

NEW YORK (AP) — No-frills, budget airlines often lead the industry in customer complaints, according to government data, so if one were to disappear would it be missed by travelers?

That is a question U.S. regulators will be asking after Frontier Airlines said Wednesday that it wanted to buy Spirit Airlines, which sought bankruptcy protection late last year.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is ordering U.S. schools to stop teaching what he views as "critical race theory" and other material dealing with race and sexuality or risk losing their federal money.

A separate plan announced Wednesday calls for aggressive action to fight antisemitism on college campuses, promising to prosecute offenders and revoke visas for international students found to be "Hamas sympathizers."

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is directing the opening of a detention center at Guantanamo Bay to hold up to 30,000 migrants who are living illegally in the United States.

Trump made the announcement right before he signed the Laken Riley Act into law as his administration's first piece of legislation. The bipartisan measure means that people who are in the U.S. illegally and are accused of theft and violent crimes would have to be detained and potentially deported even before a conviction.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's new tool for reshaping the federal government is a relatively obscure agency, the Office of Personnel Management.

The agency has offered millions of federal workers eight months of salary if they voluntarily choose to leave their jobs by Feb. 6. The unconventional plan shows both Trump's desire to bring the bureaucracy under control and the downsizing tendencies of Elon Musk, the multibillionaire Trump supporter who is leading the president's Department of Government Efficiency.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Wednesday that the Trump administration has revoked a decision that would have protected roughly 600,000 people from Venezuela from deportation.

On "Fox and Friends," Noem said that she reversed the decision made by her successor, Alejandro Mayorkas, in the waning days of the Biden administration that extended Temporary Protected Status.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As an unconventional pick to lead the nation's intelligence service, Tulsi Gabbard is expected to face tough questions about her past comments on Syria, Russia, foreign surveillance and President Donald Trump when she goes before lawmakers at her confirmation hearing Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a contentious confirmation hearing to be the nation's top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. struggled to answer questions about how he would reform Medicaid or Medicare, the government health care programs used by millions of disabled, poor and older Americans.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's budget office on Wednesday rescinded a memo freezing spending on federal grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country.

The Monday evening memo from the White House Office of Management and Budget sparked uncertainty over a crucial financial lifeline for states, schools and organizations that rely on trillions of dollars from Washington and left the White House scrambling to explain what would and wouldn't be subject to a pause in funding.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Linus Karlsson scored his first NHL goal and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Nashville Predators 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Nils Hoglander and Pius Suter also scored, and Quinn Hughes had two assists and for the Canucks, who have won three straight. Thatcher Demko made 31 saves.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee's Republican-dominant Statehouse is on track to become the latest state to adopt immigration enforcement policies designed to assist President Donald Trump's plan to suppress illegal immigration and carry out one of the largest mass deportation efforts in U.S. history.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Meta has agreed to pay $25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump against the company after it suspended his accounts following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, according to three people familiar with the matter.

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of three liberals on a Supreme Court dominated by conservatives, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said she has found an outlet for the frustration that can result from being in the minority on the nation's highest court: boxing.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A humming American economy ended 2024 on a solid note with consumer spending continuing to drive growth, and ahead of what could be a significant change in direction under a Trump administration.

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product — the economy's output of goods and services — expanded at a 2.3% annual rate from October through December.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Meta Platforms Inc. posted sharply higher profit and revenue for its fourth quarter on Wednesday, thanks to higher ad revenue on its social media properties, sending its shares up in after-hours trading even as it forecast increasing expenses on its artificial intelligence efforts.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI has recorded a sharp spike in complaints that its own agents and employees have engaged in sexual misconduct, ranging from assault to harassment, despite a pledge by bureau leaders to eliminate the longstanding problem.

An Associated Press investigation found the FBI has received nearly 300 allegations of sexual misconduct since the bureau announced in 2021 it had launched an agency-wide crackdown.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House stenographers have a problem. Donald Trump is talking so much, the people responsible for transcribing his public remarks are struggling to keep up with all the words.

There were more than 22,000 on Inauguration Day, then another 17,000 when Trump visited disaster sites in North Carolina and California. It's enough to strain the ears and fingers of even the most dedicated stenographer, especially after four years of Joe Biden's relative quiet.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's cybersecurity agency has played a critical role in helping states shore up the defenses of their voting systems, but its election mission appears uncertain amid sustained criticism from Republicans and key figures in the Trump administration.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tulsi Gabbard, President Donald Trump's pick to be director of national intelligence, will face tough questions from lawmakers Thursday over past comments about Russia and a 2017 visit with Syria's now-deposed leader.

The back-and-forth during Gabbard's confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee could reveal whether she has successfully assuaged concerns from lawmakers of both parties — or whether worries about her experience and background will sink her nomination to oversee 18 U.S. intelligence agencies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kash Patel, President Donald Trump's pick to lead the FBI, portrayed himself Thursday as the right leader of a law enforcement agency he said had lost public trust and told senators he would commit himself to "due process and transparency" if confirmed as director.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's budget office on Wednesday rescinded a memo freezing spending on federal loans and grants, less than two days after it sparked widespread confusion and legal challenges across the country.

The memo, which was issued Monday by the Office of Management and Budget, had frightened states, schools and organizations that rely on trillions of dollars from Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed the Laken Riley Act into law, giving federal authorities broader power to deport immigrants in the U.S. illegally who have been accused of crimes. He also announced at the ceremony that his administration planned to send the "worst criminal aliens" to a detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.