News - Friday, October 11, 2024

Hoping to secure a cellphone for her best friend, Katie Philyaw tried her first case at the age of 10. Even at such a tender time of life, and without the benefit a legal education or a license to practice law, she demonstrated a flair for successful advocacy.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee hosted its annual Pro Bono Night Oct. 3 at Chattanooga Whiskey Event Hall. The event celebrated the American promise of “justice for all” and honored those who ensured justice was available to everyone in 2024 – including clients who cannot afford to pay for an attorney. The program included an awards ceremony during which Legal Aid recognized the contributions of various individuals and firms toward this mission.

As Dexter Gouger and his wife, DeAnna, arrived in Flintstone during their search for a place to relocate in 2018, he noted that the small Georgia town felt like home.

Gouger, a Realtor with Keller Williams, says he made the comment to his wife moments after the tires of their vehicle began rolling across Flintstone asphalt. Since then, his first impression has become a lasting one, and he and DeAnna are now living in the town and loving the laid-back lifestyle.

A new survey from Clever Real Estate finds most real estate agents expect some of their peers to leave the industry following recent commission rule changes. That may pose a problem for those looking for help buying or selling a home.

The changes stem from the recent antitrust lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and cover how buyer agent commissions are paid. With sellers no longer on the hook to cover buyer agent fees, buyers must agree on commission fees directly with their agents through a now-required-upfront agency agreement. These can be paid out-of-pocket, through a seller concession, or wrapped into a home mortgage with a higher offer price.

The Chattanooga Fire Department’s minimum hiring age is now 18. The Chattanooga City Council approved the change in a recent vote.

“This change represents a critical step forward in expanding opportunities for young people in Chattanooga,” said Mayor Tim Kelly. “By lowering the fire department’s minimum hiring age to 18, we’re helping the CFD recruit talented public servants while opening doors for motivated high school graduates to begin meaningful and rewarding careers.

If you work for a midsize or large company, you might soon be able to review your employee benefits package as we enter the open-enrollment season. So, consider your options carefully, with an eye toward making changes appropriate for your needs.

Here are some of the key areas to look at:

Welcome to Quarterback Purgatory. Both the Tennessee Titans and Sunday’s opponent, the Indianapolis Colts, reside in the perilous realm of what is and what could be.

The two AFC South rivals are hoping against hope the second-year quarterbacks upon which they are banking their immediate and long-term futures will begin to click with success replacing frustrating struggles.

In addition to National Football League, NFL also is an acronym for “Not For Long.” Former Oilers coach Jerry Glanville made that line famous when caught by an NFL Films crew berating a first-year official after what he perceived to be a bad call.

After finally getting their first win of the season, the Titans now return home to face their first AFC South opponent when the Indianapolis Colts visit Nissan Stadium. Let’s look at the keys for the Titans.

First down

Get Levis in rhythm. Brian Callahan needs to start the game in scripted fashion for Will Levis with some low-risk play calls that can give the young quarterback a much-needed confidence boost. Mix in the run game the way it worked in Miami, and perhaps use some play action and high percentage pass plays early to get rid of any fear Levis might have of making another critical mistake.

The recent death of the baseball legend and pariah Pete Rose offers a timely opportunity to reflect on our culture’s notions of punishment and forgiveness, at least as they relate to sports.

“Pete should go into the Hall of Fame,” the noted baseball writer Jon Heyman tweeted post-mortem. “As a great baseball person reminded me, he was given a lifetime suspension. So he has satisfied the terms of his ban.”

As the cooler days of fall approach, it’s the perfect time to get your home in shape for the colder months ahead. Tackling a few simple maintenance tasks now can save you a lot of hassle and potentially costly repairs when winter hits.

John Riha from HouseLogic.com has put together a fantastic checklist of fall maintenance tips to help keep your home running smoothly throughout the season and into next year.

Push up, minimize, sports-type. Enhanced backside, padded hips, slimming effect, lift and separate. Smooth lines, no seams, no lumps, no peekaboo, not too-tight, no surprises, all curves.

We demand a lot of whatever we wear underneath our clothes and, as in the new book “Selling Sexy” by Lauren Sherman & Chantal Fernandez, we ask a lot of the place where we buy it.

Buying a reliable used car, truck or SUV on a $15,000 budget is easy if you know what to look for. Edmunds’ experts have done that homework for you so you can start your search with the five recommended models listed below.

RepairPal, a network of automotive repair shops, gives each vehicle a high score for overall reliability. The vehicles also have favorable consumer reviews on Edmunds.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Homebuyers in Seattle, Silicon Valley and the nation's other priciest markets are seeing more properties hit the market as mortgage rates finally start trending lower.

The number of newly listed homes for sale climbed 4.2% last month, according to data from Realtor.com. September's jump was the biggest annual increase since the peak of the spring homebuying season, and helped lift active listings 34% from a year earlier, according to Realtor.com.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Florida theme parks including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld planned to reopen Friday after an assessment of the effects of Hurricane Milton.

Disney World said in a statement that its theme parks, Disney Springs, and possibly other areas will be open. The parks said some Halloween special events won't be offered and they won't necessarily be fully functioning Friday, but the public is welcome back.

Communities in Florida still reeling from the impact of Hurricane Helene are now also grappling with the still-unfolding damage from Hurricane Milton. The storm crashed into a community south of Tampa, drenching counties with torrents of rain, downing power lines and bridges and kicking up dangerous storm surges.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday publicly admonished Donald Trump, telling his predecessor to "get a life, man" and try to help people impacted by a pair of devastating hurricanes rather than spreading misinformation about the federal response.

AURORA, Colo. (AP) — The city of Aurora is roughly the size of pre-evacuation Tampa, Florida. With 400,000 people spread over 164 square miles, it has swank subdivisions, working-class neighborhoods and the high-end resort where Donald Trump will hold a rally Friday to highlight a city turned into "a war zone" by immigrants, in the words of his campaign.

NEW YORK (AP) — The hosts of ABC's "The View" clapped back at Donald Trump on Thursday, a day after the Republican nominee for president insulted co-hosts Sunny Hostin and Whoopi Goldberg.

"I have a personal legal note," said Hostin. "Donald Trump, I want to thank you for personally telling so many lies and committing so many alleged crimes and providing us with material on a daily basis. You help us do our jobs and I'm so appreciative."

NEW YORK (AP) — Even in an election year, most seem to agree on one aspect about Ali Abbasi's much-debated Donald Trump film "The Apprentice": Sebastian Stan is a remarkably good Trump and Jeremy Strong is chillingly riveting as the New York power broker Roy Cohn.

ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump is proposing to grant a key tax break to U.S. citizens living overseas, pitching the idea as an effort to court votes from potentially millions of Americans who could benefit.

The former president and Republican nominee made the pledge in a video released by Republicans Overseas CEO Solomon Yue. Trump was expected to emphasize his idea Thursday during an appearance at the Economic Club of Detroit.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With less than four weeks until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris is facing new urgency to define how her potential presidency would be different from that of President Joe Biden.

Her struggle to present herself both as a candidate of change while demonstrating a loyalty to the politician she serves under was made clear Tuesday, when she was asked on ABC's "The View" how she would lead differently than Biden.

A company is recalling nearly 10 million pounds of meat and poultry products made at an Oklahoma plant because they may be contaminated with listeria bacteria that can cause illness and death.

BrucePac of Woodburn, Oregon, recalled the roughly 5,000 tons of ready-to-eat foods this week after U.S. Agriculture Department officials detected listeria in samples of poultry during routine testing. Further tests identified BrucePac chicken as the source. The recall includes 75 meat and chicken products.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tens of millions of older Americans will see an increase in benefits this January when a new cost-of-living adjustment is added to Social Security payments.

The 2.5% raise is intended to help meet higher prices for food, fuel, and other goods and services. The average recipient will see an increase of about $50 per month, according to agency officials. Social Security recipients received a 3.2% increase in their benefits in 2024, and some retirees are concerned that this year's increase is not big enough to meet their needs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — TD Bank will pay approximately $3 billion in a historic settlement with U.S. authorities who said Thursday that the financial institution's lax practices allowed significant money laundering over multiple years.

Canada-based TD Bank pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, the largest bank in U.S. history to do so, Attorney General Merrick Garland said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation in the United States dropped last month to its lowest point since it first began surging more than three years ago, adding to a spate of encouraging economic news in the closing weeks of the presidential race.

Consumer prices rose just 2.4% in September from a year earlier, down from 2.5% in August, and the smallest annual rise since February 2021. Measured from month to month, prices increased 0.2% from August to September, the Labor Department reported Thursday, the same as in the previous month.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks edged back from their records Thursday after reports showed inflation was a touch warmer last month than expected and more workers filed for unemployment benefits last week.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.2%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 57 points, or 0.1%, after it likewise set an all-time high the day before. The Nasdaq composite edged down by 0.1%.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans are coming off the early bye nobody really wanted, with the NFL schedule offering a chance to start making up for their 0-3 start.

Indianapolis visits Sunday for the Titans' first AFC South game this season.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The leaders of the SEC and Big Ten want to see how the first year of the expanded College Football Playoff works before deciding what comes next.

They met Thursday with SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti to go over the changing landscape of college athletics.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Dallas scored three goals on consecutive shots in the second period to hold off the Nashville Predators 4-3 Thursday night in the season opener for both teams.

Mason Marchment scored two goals in the win, while Roope Hintz and Jason Robertson each had a goal apiece for Dallas. Logan Stankoven had three assists.

RUSTON, La. (AP) — Freshman Evan Bullock threw touchdown passes on four straight drives to open the game and ran for a score on the fifth as Louisiana Tech cruised to a 48-21 victory over Middle Tennessee on Thursday night.

Bullock sandwiched touchdown passes to Omiri Wiggins covering 5 and 16 yards around a 15-yarder to Jimmy Holiday to lead Louisiana Tech (2-3, 1-1 Conference USA) to a 20-14 advantage after one quarter.

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Authorities in eastern Tennessee continued Friday to investigate a container suspected of holding large amounts of dynamite, warning residents that evacuations will likely remain in place throughout the night.

"Until we know more, we implore people to stay out of this area," Scott Erland, spokesperson for the Knoxville Police Department, told reporters Friday. "We're still dealing with a volatile situation."

Human-caused climate change intensified deadly Hurricane Milton 's rainfall by 20 to 30% and strengthened its winds by about 10%, scientists said in a new flash study. The analysis comes just two weeks after Hurricane Helene devastated the southeastern United States, a storm also fueled by climate change.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Relatives of some of the 346 people who died in two crashes involving Boeing 737 Max planes are in court Friday, where their lawyers are asking a federal judge to throw out a plea agreement that the aircraft manufacturer struck with federal prosecutors.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House criticized Donald Trump for his attacks on the federal response to Hurricanes Helene and Milton and suggested he was wrongly trying to turn the deadly storms to his political advantage.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Former President Barack Obama gave a blistering critique of his White House successor Donald Trump and urged Black men to show up for Kamala Harris as he opened a swing-state tour for the Democratic ticket.

At a campaign field office to thank volunteers, Obama said Thursday he wanted to "speak some truths" after hearing reports on the ground that there was lower enthusiasm for Harris than there was for his own candidacy and that some Black men were thinking of sitting out the election.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A pair of unwelcome and destructive guests named Helene and Milton have stormed their way into this year's presidential election.

The back-to-back hurricanes have jumbled the schedules of Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump, both of whom devoted part of their recent days to tackling questions about the storm recovery effort.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris was asked to name three virtues that her opponent in next month's election, Donald Trump, possesses — but was unable to come up with even one.

At the end of her town hall for Spanish-language network Univision in Las Vegas on Thursday, audience member Teresa Djedjro, 48 and originally born in Mexico, asked Harris to, "Please give me three virtues that Trump has."

DETROIT (AP) — Former President Donald Trump criticized Detroit while delivering remarks to an economic group there on Thursday, saying the whole country would end up like the city if his Democratic opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, is elected.

DETROIT (AP) — Donald Trump on Thursday rolled out more plans for tax breaks without offering details on how they would work or how they'd affect the federal budget.

Trump vowed in a speech at the Detroit Economic Club to allow interest on car loans to be deducted from taxes, saying the proposal would "stimulate massive domestic auto production" and make car ownership more affordable. In a video, also released Thursday, he proposes to grant a key tax break to U.S. citizens living overseas to end so-called double taxation.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A solid majority of Hispanic women have a positive opinion of Vice President Kamala Harris and a negative view of former President Donald Trump, but Hispanic men are more divided on both candidates, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California's reputation as a hothouse of progressive politics is being tested in a string of U.S. House contests that are again expected to play into which party controls the chamber next year.

Despite its distinction as a liberal protectorate, both parties see races in the nation's most populous state as crucial battlegrounds and are pumping millions of dollars into campaigns that stretch from the beaches of San Diego and Orange County to the almond groves and vineyards of the Central Valley farm belt.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tesla unveiled its long-awaited robotaxi at a Hollywood studio Thursday night, though fans of the electric vehicle maker will have to wait until at least 2026 before they are available.

CEO Elon Musk pulled up to a stage at the Warner Bros. studio lot in one of the company's "Cybercabs," telling the crowd that the sleek, AI-powered vehicles don't have steering wheels or pedals. He also expressed confidence in the progress the company has made on autonomous driving technology that makes it possible for vehicles to drive without human intervention.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale prices in the United States were unchanged last month in another sign that inflation is returning to something close to normal after years of pressuring America's households in the wake of COVID-19.

The Labor Department reported Friday that its producer price index — which tracks inflation before it hits consumers — didn't move from August to September after rising 0.2% the month before. Measured from a year earlier, the index rose 1.8% in September, the smallest such rise since February and down from a 1.9% year-over-year increase in August.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans' outlook on the economy soured a bit this month after two months of small gains, according to the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index, released Friday.

The index slipped to 68.9 in October from 70.1 in September, which had been its highest reading since May. "Consumers continue to express frustration over high prices," said Joanne Hsu, director of consumer surveys at University of Michigan.

NEW YORK (AP) — JPMorgan on Friday reported that its net income fell 2% in the third quarter as the bank had to set aside more money to cover bad loans.

Net income fell to $12.9 billion from $13.2 billion in the year-ago quarter. However, the New York bank's earnings per share rose to $4.37 from $4.33 because there are fewer outstanding shares in the latest quarter. That beat Wall Street analysts' forecasts, which called for a profit of $3.99 a share, according to FactSet.

AURORA, Colo. (AP) — Donald Trump is detouring from the battleground states Friday to visit a Colorado suburb that's been in the news over illegal immigration as he drives a message that migrants are causing chaos in smaller American cities and towns, often using false or misleading claims to do so.

NEW YORK (AP) — JD Vance, Republican vice presidential nominee, again refused to acknowledge that President Joe Biden won the 2020 election over former President Donald Trump, evading the question five times in an interview with The New York Times, the newspaper reported Friday.

NEW YORK (AP) — JPMorgan's net income fell 2% in the third quarter as the bank had to set aside more money to cover bad loans, but the results topped Wall Street estimates and shares rose in morning trading.

Net income fell to $12.9 billion from $13.2 billion in the year-ago quarter, the New York bank said Friday. However, earnings per share rose to $4.37 from $4.33 because there were fewer outstanding shares in the latest quarter. The result beat Wall Street analysts' forecasts, which called for a profit of $3.99 a share, according to FactSet. Total revenues rose to $43.3 billion from $40.7 billion a year ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Withdrawing the United States from the IMF and World Bank would be "a step backward," a top U.S. Treasury official said Friday, defending the organizations before a presidential election that could cast uncertainty about America's future in them.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With Israel's sabotage and military operations in Lebanon taking out many of Hezbollah's senior leaders, some in Washington and elsewhere believe there may be a window for a new push to break the political deadlock in Lebanon to try to ease escalating war.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose to records Friday as big banks rallied following a run of reassuring profit reports.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.6% to top its all-time high set earlier in the week and close out its fifth straight winning week, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 409 points, or 1%, to set its own record. The Nasdaq composite lagged the market with a gain of 0.3% after a slide for Tesla kept it in check.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee says counties severely impacted by Hurricane Helene will soon be able to access a new $100 million loan program designed to help clear debris and repair damaged water systems.

Lee announced the program, dubbed the Helene Emergency Assistance Loan or HEAL program, on Thursday. The Republican says the no-interest loans will go toward communities while they wait for federal reimbursements.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Joe Flacco has been around the NFL long enough to know the backup quarterback should always be ready to start.

The 39-year-old quarterback also understands to ignore reports about a teammate possibly going on injured reserve and look for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. when it matters most.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans made wide receiver Calvin Ridley one of their top free agent additions this offseason, giving him a four-year deal for $92 million.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Gunfire broke out among a crowd near Tennessee State University's homecoming celebrations, killing one person and wounding nine others, police said.

A crowd that gathered earlier Saturday for homecoming events was thinning out when people in two groups near the campus began shooting at around 5 p.m., said Metro Nashville Police spokesperson Don Aaron. Shell casings indicate that gunfire was exchanged across a street, he said.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The leading private prison company in the U.S. has spent more than $4.4 million to settle dozens of complaints alleging mistreatment — including at least 22 inmate deaths — at its Tennessee prisons and jails since 2016.

More than $1.1 million of those payouts involved Tennessee's largest prison, the long-scrutinized Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, which is now under federal investigation.

BAKERSVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Helene downed power lines and washed out roads all over North Carolina's mountains, the constant din of a gas-powered generator is getting to be too much for Bobby Renfro.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The indictment charging Donald Trump with hoarding classified documents leveled one jaw-dropping allegation after another, including that he showed off a secret Pentagon attack plan to guests at his golf club and suggested his lawyer mislead the FBI about the presence of the White House records.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A year that began with the prospect of a federal court reckoning for Donald Trump will conclude without any chance at trial, leaving voters without the finality of an up-or-down jury verdict in the two most consequential cases against the Republican presidential nominee.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will take their fight for Pennsylvania to opposite ends of the state on Monday, with Harris speaking in the northwest corner of Erie and Trump in the southeastern suburbs of Philadelphia.

ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump insists that Project 2025, a nearly 1,000-page blueprint for a hard-right turn in American government and society, does not reflect his priorities for a White House encore.

"I haven't read it. I don't want to read it — purposefully," the Republican presidential nominee said Sept. 10 on the debate stage.

WASHINGTON (AP) — During his first term as president, Donald Trump tested the limits of how he could use the military to achieve policy goals. If given a second term, the Republican and his allies are preparing to go much further, reimagining the military as an all-powerful tool to deploy on U.S. soil.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is announcing a plan to give Black men more economic opportunities and other chances to thrive as she works to energize a key voting bloc that has Democrats concerned about a lack of enthusiasm.

Harris' plan includes providing forgivable business loans for Black entrepreneurs, creating more apprenticeships and studying sickle cell and other diseases that disproportionately affect African American men.

PRESCOTT VALLEY, Ariz. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Sunday proposed hiring 10,000 additional Border Patrol agents and giving them a $10,000 retention and signing bonus, after he derailed a bipartisan bill earlier this year that included funding for more border personnel.

GREENVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Kamala Harris used an appearance Sunday before a largely Black church audience in battleground North Carolina to call out Donald Trump for spreading misinformation about the government's hurricane response. President Joe Biden visited Florida for the second time this month to survey storm damage.

ATLANTA (AP) — The latest method of voting to fall into the political crosshairs is the way overseas voters — including members of the military stationed abroad — cast their ballots.

The process is governed by federal law and implemented by states. In recent weeks, Republicans have been challenging how states handle these voters, something former President Donald Trump didn't do in 2020 when he and his allies challenged his loss in court.

ALBANY, Ga. (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton urged churchgoers in Albany, Georgia, on Sunday to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign for the office he once held.

A health care spending surge looms in the new year, and Business Group on Health is helping employers understand it.

The nonprofit found in a recent survey that large employers expect the cost to treat patients will jump nearly 8% next year before they make coverage changes to address it. That's the highest growth rate in a decade.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults are more likely than the overall U.S. population to view legal immigration as an asset to the country's economy and workforce, according to a new poll.

When it comes to the risks posed by illegal immigration, though, their views are similar to those of Americans overall.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Tennessee Titans brought in an offensive-minded head coach with a new staff and spent a bunch of money along with using a lot of draft picks in the offseason.

Yet even with all the changes, they are 1-4.

The Titans have lost three games by a touchdown or less, the latest defeat was 20-17 to Indianapolis on Sunday when they failed to protect a 17-10 lead going into the fourth quarter. Worse, they couldn't stay on the field after their AFC South rival took the lead for good.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Alabama is the favorite to win the Southeastern Conference men's basketball championship this season, led by preseason player of the year Mark Sears.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Defending national champion South Carolina is the pick to win the Southeastern Conference women's basketball championship.

Dawn Staley's Gamecocks return four starters from last season's undefeated team and have a highly rated recruiting class. The picks released by the SEC on Monday were made by a panel of league and national media members.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris will be interviewed by Fox News anchor Bret Baier on Wednesday in Pennsylvania as she steps up her travel and conversations with media outlets in the closing stretch of the presidential campaign.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump will take their fight for Pennsylvania to opposite ends of the state on Monday, with Harris speaking in the northwest corner in Erie and Trump in the southeastern suburbs of Philadelphia.

DETROIT (AP) — Stellantis is fixing its slowing U.S. sales at the right pace after fumbling a marketing plan earlier this year, CEO Carlos Tavares told reporters Monday.

Tavares, who last week pushed out the company's chief financial officer and the chief operating officers for both North America and Europe in a management restructuring, told reporters at the Paris Motor Show that he is responsible for the bad things that have happened at the company, but also for the good.

PARIS (AP) — Auto manufacturers competing to persuade drivers to go electric are rolling out cheaper, more tech-rich models at the Paris Motor Show, targeting everyone from luxury clients to students yet to receive their driving licenses.

The biennial show has long been a major industry showcase, tracing its history to 1898.

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street rolled to more records Monday as U.S. stocks added to their all-time highs.

The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% to build on its record set on Friday. It's coming off its fifth straight winning week and is on track for its longest weekly winning streak of the year.

NEW YORK (AP) — Lilly Ledbetter, an former Alabama factory manager whose lawsuit against her employer made her an icon of the equal pay movement and led to landmark wage discrimination legislation, has died at 86.

Ledbetter's discovery that she was earning less than her male counterparts for doing the same job at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant in Alabama led to her lawsuit, which ultimately failed when the Supreme Court ruled in 2007 that she had filed her complaint too late. The court ruled that workers must file lawsuits within six months of first receiving a discriminatory paycheck — in Ledbetter's case, years before she learned about the disparity through an anonymous letter.

As the college football season reaches its midway point, plenty of playoff contenders suddenly find themselves dealing with season-ending injuries to notable players.

Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison, Tennessee linebacker Keenan Pili and Texas defensive back Derrick Williams are out for the rest of the season, their coaches announced Monday. Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons also has an injury that puts his availability for the rest of the season in doubt.

NASHVILLE (AP) — A federal appeals panel has temporarily halted two permits needed to begin construction on a pipeline project in Tennessee that will supply a natural gas plant.

In a split 2-1 decision, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel delivered a ruling Friday that, for now, prevents Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company LLC from starting to build its 32-mile (50-kilometer) pipeline through Dickson, Houston and Stewart counties.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The family of a Tennessee employee who was killed by catastrophic flooding caused by Hurricane Helene has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company he worked for, arguing that workers were forced to stay at their posts even when managers knew conditions were becoming dangerous.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday tossed out a decision allowing 18-year-olds to openly carry guns during emergencies in Pennsylvania.

There were no noted dissents in the high court's brief order. It lets stand a ban on people aged 18 to 20 carrying guns in public during a declared state of emergency.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, a Republican, sued CNN on Tuesday over its recent report that he made explicit racial and sexual posts on a pornography website's message board, calling the reporting reckless and defamatory.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered a federal appeals court to take a new look at the lawsuit filed by a Texas-based online citizen journalist who said she was wrongly arrested in a case that drew attention from national media organizations and free speech advocates.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. court has given two top associates of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman until early November to start turning over any evidence in a lawsuit from a former senior Saudi intelligence official who says he survived a plot by the kingdom to silence him.

DETROIT (AP) — Kamala Harris and Donald Trump both pushed Tuesday to energize key constituencies that their allies worry might be slipping away, with the vice president looking to reach Black men and the former president focusing on women.

Harris will appear at a town hall-style event in Detroit hosted by the morning radio program "The Breakfast Club," featuring Charlamagne Tha God, who is especially popular with Black males. Trump, meanwhile, will tape a Fox News Channel town hall featuring an all-female audience and moderated by host Harris Faulkner.

ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia judge has ruled county election officials must certify election results by the deadline set in law and cannot exclude any group of votes from certification even if they suspect error or fraud.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney ruled that "no election superintendent (or member of a board of elections and registration) may refuse to certify or abstain from certifying election results under any circumstance." While they have the right to inspect the conduct of an election and to review related documents, he wrote, "any delay in receiving such information is not a basis for refusing to certify the election results or abstaining from doing so."

WASHINGTON (AP) — With characteristic bravado, Donald Trump has vowed that if voters return him to the White House, "inflation will vanish completely."

It's a message tailored for Americans who are still exasperated by the jump in consumer prices that began 3 1/2 years ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday will unveil his ticket's plans to improve the lives of rural voters, as Vice President Kamala Harris looks to cut into former President Donald Trump's support.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As Election Day draws nearer, Democrat Kamala Harris is trying to maintain a diverse coalition of voters who were driven four years ago by their fierce opposition to Republican Donald Trump and anxiety over a deadly pandemic.

The former president, meanwhile, is looking to deepen gains among groups, such as men without college degrees, with whom he's already shown strength, and erode Harris' support among Hispanic Americans and other key demographics.

OAKS, Pa. (AP) — Donald Trump 's town hall in the Philadelphia suburbs turned into an impromptu concert Monday after the former president was twice interrupted by medical emergencies in the room.

The Republican presidential nominee paused during a question-and-answer session as a doctor in the room attended to the first person to have a medical issue. After a second emergency halted the discusion moderated by South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Trump stopped taking questions. He and Noem mentioned it was hot in the venue, and Trump asked about air conditioning.

BUTLER, Pa. (AP) — Two men who were shot during the first assassination attempt on Donald Trump this summer say the U.S. Secret Service was "negligent" in protecting the former president and other bystanders at the campaign rally in Pennsylvania.

David Dutch, 57, an ex-Marine, and James Copenhaver, 74, a retired liquor store manager, told NBC News in an exclusive interview Monday they were excited to be sitting in the bleachers behind the Republican nominee at the fairgrounds in Butler on July 13 when gunshots rang out and they were hit.

BOSTON (AP) — At a sparsely attended meeting last year, the Saugus Public School Committee approved a new admissions policy, it said, to streamline the process of enrolling students.

But critics say the policy — including stringent requests for proof of "legal" residency and "criminal and civil penalties" for violators — has another goal: keeping immigrants out of the small school district outside Boston.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia, China and Iran are increasingly relying on criminal networks to lead cyberespionage and hacking operations against adversaries like the U.S., according to a report on digital threats published Tuesday by Microsoft.

The growing collaboration between authoritarian governments and criminal hackers has alarmed national security officials and cybersecurity experts who say it represents the increasingly blurred lines between actions directed by Beijing or the Kremlin aimed at undermining rivals and the illicit activities of groups typically more interested in financial gain.

NEW YORK (AP) — The largest retail trade group in the United States said Tuesday that it expects consumers to spend more during the upcoming holiday shopping season but the growth in sales to be slower than last year due to concerns over persistent inflation and prices.

U.S. Agriculture Department officials have launched an internal investigation into how the agency handled reports of serious problems at a Boar's Head deli meat plant tied to a deadly listeria outbreak, a lawmaker said Tuesday.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal said that USDA Inspector General Phyllis Fong is looking into whether federal investigators and Virginia state inspectors responded appropriately to dozens of reports of problems at the factory, including mold, insects, dripping water and meat and fat residue on walls, floors and equipment. Inspection reports dating back at least two years indicated that the conditions could pose an "imminent threat" to food safety.

NEW YORK (AP) — Small business owners are growing more uncertain about the economy ahead of the presidential election and are reining in spending, according to a new survey.

The National Federation of Independent Business optimism index edged up 0.3 points in September to 91.5. But the uncertainty index rose 11 points to 103, the highest ever recorded.

WASHINGTON (AP) — There has been a doubling of petitions by workers to have union representation during President Joe Biden's administration, according to figures released Tuesday by the National Labor Relations Board.

There were 3,286 petitions filed with the government in fiscal 2024, up from 1,638 in 2021. This marks the first increase in unionization petitions during a presidential term since Gerald Ford's administration, which ended 48 years ago.

The artificial intelligence boom has benefited chatbot makers, computer scientists and Nvidia investors. It's also providing an unusual windfall for Anguilla, a tiny island in the Caribbean.

ChatGPT's debut nearly two years ago heralded the dawn of the AI age and kicked off a digital gold rush as companies scrambled to stake their own claims by acquiring websites that end in .ai.

NEW YORK (AP) — A group of Democrats in Congress appealed to the largest U.S. companies Tuesday to hold onto their diversity, equity and inclusion programs, saying such efforts give everyone a fair chance at achieving the American dream.

The 49 House members, led by U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia of California, shared their views in a letter emailed to the leaders of the Fortune 1000. The move follows several major corporations saying in recent months that they would end or curtail their DEI initiatives.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden-Harris administration announced plans Tuesday to provide up to $750 million in direct funding to Wolfspeed, with the money supporting its new silicon carbide factory in North Carolina that makes the wafers used in advanced computer chips and its factory in Marcy, New York.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration believes it has won assurances from Israel that it will not hit Iranian nuclear or oil sites as it looks to strike back following Iran's missile barrage earlier this month, two U.S. officials said Tuesday.

CHICAGO (AP) — Donald Trump seized Tuesday on an opening to sound his frequent argument that imposing huge tariffs on foreign goods would amount to an economic elixir — one that he claims would raise enormous sums for the government, protect U.S. firms from overseas competition and prod foreign companies to open factories in the United States.

CHICAGO (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday refused to say whether he's spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin since leaving office, as reported in journalist Bob Woodward's latest book. But if the two did speak, Trump said, it would be "a smart thing" for the United States.

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street pulled back from its records on Tuesday after the price of crude oil tumbled and technology stocks faltered.

The S&P 500 fell 0.8%, a day after setting an all-time high for the 46th time this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 324 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 1%.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has warned Israel that it must increase the amount of humanitarian aid it is allowing into Gaza within the next 30 days or it could risk losing access to U.S. weapons funding.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned their Israeli counterparts in a letter dated Sunday that the changes must occur. The letter, which restates U.S. policy toward humanitarian aid and arms transfers, was sent amid deteriorating conditions in northern Gaza and an Israeli airstrike on a hospital tent site in central Gaza that killed at least four people and burned others.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Oliver Bjorkstrand, Jaden Schwartz, Jared McCann and Adam Larsson each had a goal and an assist to lead Seattle Kraken to a 7-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Alabama is the Southeastern Conference favorite in basketball, not football. John Calipari is leading a team with high expectations, just not at Kentucky.

And Texas and Oklahoma are along for the ride now, too. The SEC has matched its record with eight NCAA Tournament teams each of the past two years and has valid reasons to expect even more with the league now at 16 members.

MURFREESBORO (AP) — Nicholas Vattiato passed for 199 yards, Omari Kelly returned a punt 61 yards for a touchdown and Middle Tennessee beat winless Kennesaw State 14-5 on Tuesday night in the first meeting between the programs.

Kelly scooped up a punted ball that bounced 10 yards in front of him and stiff-armed a tackler near the 20-yard line before racing into the end zone for a 14-2 lead with 5:09 left in the third quarter.

Tens of thousands of students in the Southeast are dealing with school disruptions after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc so severe — on homes, campuses and municipal power and water systems — that some districts have no idea when they will reopen.

While virtual learning helped during the COVID-19 school closures, that has not been an option for this crisis because internet and cellphone service has remained spotty since the storm struck in late September. In hard-hit western North Carolina, some districts warn students will miss up to a month of school, and others say they can't yet determine a timeline for returning to classrooms.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris rallies in Michigan's union halls, standing alongside the state's most powerful labor leader, while former President Donald Trump fires back from rural steel factories, urging middle-class workers to trust him as the true champion of their interests.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday said Kamala Harris would "cut her own path" once she wins the 2024 election, allowing for more daylight between him and his vice president as she works to win over skeptical voters three weeks before Election Day.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former first lady Michelle Obama will headline a rally in Atlanta a week before the Nov. 5 election alongside celebrities and civic leaders focusing on engaging younger and first-time voters, as well as voters of color.

The Oct. 29 event will be hosted by When We All Vote, a nonpartisan civic engagement group that Obama founded in 2018 to "change the culture around voting" and reach out to people who are less likely to engage in politics and elections.

CLAWSON, Mich. (AP) — Jill Biden wasted no time after she stepped up to the microphone at a suburban Detroit restaurant.

"Now some have come to (the) Detroit area recently and thrown around some insults, but from what I've seen this is a vibrant, thriving city," she said. It was a swipe at Republican Donald Trump, who aimed a recent dart at the most populous city in a critical Midwestern battleground state.

Amazon on Wednesday said that it was investing in small nuclear reactors, coming just two days after a similar announcement by Google, as both tech giants seek new sources of carbon-free electricity to meet surging demand from data centers and artificial intelligence.

The world is set to make abundant energy by the second half of the decade as the production of batteries and solar panels surges — but there'll also be an excess of planet-warming fossil fuels, a report released Wednesday by the International Energy Agency said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon announced Tuesday that more than 800 military personnel have seen their service records upgraded to honorable discharges after previously being kicked out of the military under its former "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

LONDON (AP) — Inflation in the U.K. has fallen to its lowest level for more than three years, official figures showed Wednesday, a drop that has cemented market expectations that the Bank of England will lower interest rates at its next policy meeting in November.

SEATTLE (AP) — Boeing signaled Tuesday that it could raise up to $25 billion in new stock or debt to shore up its balance sheet after years of heavy losses.

The company said in back-to-back regulatory filings that it could raise the cash over the next three years. It also entered into a new borrowing agreement with lenders to provide short-term protection against a cash crunch. It also entered into a new $10 billion credit agreement with lenders to provide short-term protection against a cash crunch.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Small Business Administration has run out of money for the disaster assistance loans it offers small businesses, homeowners and renters, delaying much needed relief for people applying for aid in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

WASHINGTON (AP) — If he wins next month's election, Donald Trump would be the oldest person in U.S. history to be elected president. Yet the 78-year-old Republican nominee refuses to disclose new details about his physical or mental well-being, breaking decades of precedent.

The first half of the Southeastern Conference season has featured a stunner from Vanderbilt, with three teams rising to No. 1 and Texas now the only unbeaten team.

Clark Lea, who led the Commodores to a win over then-No. 1 Alabama, has turned in the top coaching performance at the midpoint of the season, according to voting from 10 reporters who cover the SEC for The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government has approved nearly $2 billion in assistance across six states to help people hit hard by hurricanes Helene and Milton, the White House said Wednesday.

The federal government has been under intense pressure to show that it is getting help to areas devastated by the back-to-back hurricanes in late September and early October as it warns that more money will be needed to fund the response.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal judge overseeing the election interference case against Donald Trump directed prosecutors Wednesday to search for and provide to the former president's lawyers any Justice Department information related to a separate investigation into Mike Pence's handling of classified documents.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday halted a program that made thousands of legal voters in Alabama inactive, restoring active registration status for both American-born and naturalized citizens ahead of the November elections.

U.S. District Judge Anna Manasco ruled in favor of the Department of Justice and civil rights groups and issued a preliminary injunction against a voter purging program launched by the Republican Secretary of State Wes Allen in August. The state's top election official originally touted the program as a way to begin the "process" of removing "noncitizens registered to vote in Alabama."

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed a federal regulation aimed at limiting planet-warming pollution from coal-fired power plants to remain in place as legal challenges play out.

Republican-led states and industry groups had pushed the justices court to halt the rule, arguing that the Environmental Protection Agency overstepped and imposed unattainable standards.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the presidential race moves into its final weeks, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump embarked on an interview blitz that offered new details about their policy priorities and their political strategies.

In recent days, Harris has sat with Charlamagne tha God, whose radio show is especially popular among younger and Black audiences, and will be interviewed on Fox News, typically a safe haven for Republicans. Trump, meanwhile, participated in a contentious interview with the editor of Bloomberg News at an economic forum in Chicago, though the crowd was friendly to him, and participated in town halls on Fox News and the Spanish-language network Univision.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a drab office suite just blocks from the White House, seasoned political operatives are drawing up detailed plans for a government in waiting. Another identical suite in the same government building is dark and idle.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are running markedly different transition efforts to be ready for the potential responsibility of taking over the federal government. It's a below-the-radar effort for now that will snap into sharp focus as soon as a winner is declared.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk, a tech mogul who is the world's richest person, plunged more than $70 million into helping Donald Trump and other Republicans win in November's election, making him one of the biggest donors to GOP causes this campaign season, according to campaign finance disclosures released this week.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rose Wednesday following better-than-expected profit reports from Morgan Stanley, United Airlines and other big companies.

The S&P 500 gained 0.5% to recover much of the slide from its all-time high the day before because of tumbling energy and technology stocks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 337 points, or 0.8%, to set its own record, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.3%.

NEW YORK (AP) — RTX Corporation, the defense contractor formerly known as Raytheon, has agreed to pay the U.S. government $252 million to resolve criminal charges alleging it paid bribes to secure contracts with Qatar, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is heading to Germany Thursday and will visit Angola the first week in December, rescheduling visits that were postponed so he could remain in Washington to monitor the federal response to Hurricane Milton as it struck Florida.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Three-time Pro Bowl safety Jamal Adams' tenure with the Tennessee Titans ended Thursday on his 29th birthday with his release after the team placed the eight-year veteran on reserve/non-football injury list last weekend.

That roster move came after the Titans (1-4) already had declared Adams out with a hip injury. Adams started one of three games played for Tennessee, and he had just one tackle Sept. 30 in the Titans' one win at Miami.

KNOXVILLE (AP) — Who wins the latest game in the historic rivalry known as the Third Saturday of October may matter more than ever for Alabama and Tennessee.

On Saturday, the seventh-ranked Crimson Tide and No. 11 Tennessee are playing for separation with the winner facing an easier path to a College Football Playoff berth in the first year of the 12-team bracket while also getting a game up in the Southeastern Conference race. Both teams are part of a four-way tie in the expanded SEC with one loss apiece.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Witnesses reported seeing a group of armed people harassing hurricane relief workers in a remote Tennessee community last weekend, a sheriff said Wednesday as a man in North Carolina appeared in court for allegedly threatening aid workers in that state.

Monstrous hurricanes Helene and Milton caused so much complex havoc that damages are still being added up, but government and private experts say they will likely join the infamous ranks of Katrina, Sandy and Harvey as super costly $50-billion-plus killers.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A former porn shop worker who was accused by North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson of defamation has asked a court to throw out the lawsuit against him, calling the politician's allegations "bizarre" and his demand for at least $50 million in damages a violation of civil court rules.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Long Island funeral home owner pleaded guilty on Thursday to spraying wasp killer at police officers and assaulting two journalists, including an Associated Press photographer, during a mob's riot at the U.S. Capitol nearly four years ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal judge overseeing the election interference case against Donald Trump directed prosecutors Wednesday to search for and provide to the former president's lawyers any Justice Department information related to a separate investigation into Mike Pence's handling of classified documents.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada man who was arrested over the weekend with guns at a security checkpoint outside a Donald Trump rally in the southern California desert has filed a lawsuit accusing the sheriff of falsely characterizing his arrest as a thwarted assassination attempt for his own personal gain.

NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris will address the Al Smith charity dinner by video Thursday night, after deciding to skip the event in person in a break with presidential campaign tradition, organizers said.

Former President Donald Trump is planning to attend in person.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — With three weeks left in the presidential campaign, Democrat Kamala Harris is spending most of her days trying to shore up support in the "blue wall" states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin as she tries to avoid a repeat of Hillary Clinton's collapse there eight years ago.

WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. (AP) — Surrounded by more than 100 former Republican officeholders and officials, Democrat Kamala Harris urged GOP voters on Wednesday to put "country first" and abandon Donald Trump.

The Democratic presidential candidate made her case to Republican voters that the patriotic choice was her party in next month's election because Trump is "unstable" and "unhinged" and would eviscerate democratic norms if given a second White House term.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the presidential race moves into its final weeks, Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump embarked on an interview blitz that offered new details about their policy priorities and their political strategies.

In recent days, Harris has sat with Charlamagne tha God, whose radio show is especially popular among younger and Black audiences, and appeared in a combative 30-minute interview on Fox News, typically a safe haven for Republicans. Trump, meanwhile, participated in a contentious interview with the editor of Bloomberg News at an economic forum in Chicago, though the crowd was friendly to him, and participated in town halls on Fox News and the Spanish-language network Univision.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris engaged in a combative interview with Fox News on Wednesday, sparring with anchor Bret Baier on immigration and shifting policy positions while asserting that if elected, she would not represent a continuation of Joe Biden's presidency.

NEW YORK (AP) — Kamala Harris ' interview with Fox News Channel's Bret Baier on Wednesday is the latest indication that Democrats during this campaign are increasingly willing to engage with a network well-stocked with supporters of opponent Donald Trump.

CHICAGO (AP) — Donald Trump has had a tough time finding a consistent message to questions about abortion and reproductive rights.

The former president has constantly shifted his stances or offered vague, contradictory and at times nonsensical answers to questions on an issue that has become a major vulnerability for Republicans in this year's election. Trump has been trying to win over voters, especially women, skeptical about his views, especially after he nominated three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn the nationwide right to abortion two years ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitch McConnell said after the 2020 election that then-President Donald Trump was "stupid as well as being ill-tempered," a "despicable human being" and a "narcissist," according to excerpts from a new biography of the Senate Republican leader that will be released this month.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Elon Musk, a tech mogul who is the world's richest person, plunged more than $70 million into helping Donald Trump and other Republicans win in November's election, making him one of the biggest donors to GOP causes this campaign season, according to campaign finance disclosures released this week.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris' campaign is dismissing accusations that she and a co-author plagiarized parts of a 2009 book on the U.S. criminal justice system as a desperate attempt by "rightwing operatives" to distract voters.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An independent panel investigating the attempted assassination of Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania campaign rally faulted the Secret Service for poor communications that day and failing to secure the building where the gunman took his shots. The review also found more systemic issues at the agency such as a failure to understand the unique risks facing Trump and a culture of doing "more with less."

NEW YORK (AP) — Nuclear power is garnering renewed attention amid growing demand for power and cleaner energy.

The power source has seen a resurgence as nations focus on reducing emissions in an effort to combat climate change. At the same time, the technology sector's energy needs are growing in the form of data centers and powerful advances in artificial intelligence.

NEW YORK (AP) — PPG Industries plans to lay off about 1,800 employees amid efforts to cut costs, with the paints and coatings maker also inking a deal to sell a sizeable chunk of its architectural business.

Pittsburgh-based PPG said Thursday that the job cuts would primarily impact positions in the U.S. and Europe. The timing of the layoffs was not immediately disclosed, but the company said the cuts were part of a larger multiyear program aimed at reducing structural worldwide — noting that this will also include "various facility closures," without specifying further.

LONDON (AP) — The European Central Bank, which sets interest rates for the 20 countries that use the euro currency, does not expect the bloc to slide into recession as it cut borrowing costs once again Thursday in the wake of recent data showing inflation across the bloc falling to its lowest level in more than three years, and economic growth waning.

NEW YORK (AP) — PPG Industries plans to lay off about 1,800 employees amid efforts to cut costs, with the paints and coatings maker also inking a deal to sell a sizeable chunk of its architectural business.

Pittsburgh-based PPG said Thursday that the job cuts would primarily impact positions in the U.S. and Europe. The timing of the layoffs was not immediately disclosed, but the company said the cuts were part of a larger multiyear program aimed at reducing structural worldwide — noting that this will also include "various facility closures," without specifying further.

HELSINKI (AP) — Wireless and fixed-network equipment maker Nokia on Thursday reported better-than-expected third quarter earnings, mainly on the back of cost-cutting measures, but saw its sales dive 8% largely due to a weaker India market.

The Espoo, Finland-based company reported a net profit of 358 million euros ($389 million) for the July-September period, up 22% from 293 million euros ($318 million) a year earlier.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury on Thursday announced sanctions against two Chinese makers of drone engines and parts that the Biden administration said directly helped Russia build long-range attack drones used in the war in Ukraine.

The U.S. has previously accused China of providing material support to Russia's military-industrial base to sustain the Kremlin's war against Ukraine, and the latest round of sanctions sought to target the "direct activity" between Beijing and Moscow, according to senior Biden administration officials, who discussed the sanctions on the condition of anonymity before the measures were announced.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden has long believed diplomacy is about personal relationships — and he'll spend Friday in Berlin with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as his time in office is on the cusp of ending.

There is also a planned meeting with other leaders in the "European Quad," a group that in addition to Biden and Scholz includes French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A student loan cancellation program for public workers has granted relief to more than 1 million Americans — up from just 7,000 who were approved before it was updated by the Biden administration two years ago.

President Joe Biden announced the milestone on Thursday, saying his administration restored a promise to America's teachers, firefighters, nurses and other public servants. He celebrated it even as his broader student loan plans remain halted by courts following legal challenges by Republican-led states.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden eulogized the late Ethel Kennedy in deeply personal terms at a memorial service Wednesday, hailing the wife of the late Sen. Robert F. Kennedy as "a hero in her own right, full of character, full of integrity and empathy" who helped him through one of the darkest periods of his life.