President Donald Trump says the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela as tensions mount with the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Using U.S. forces to seize an oil tanker is incredibly unusual and marks the Trump administration’s latest push to increase pressure on Maduro. Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that “other things are happening,” but he didn't offer additional details. The seizure was led by the U.S. Coast Guard and supported by the Navy. That's according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Federal health officials have expanded an outbreak of infant botulism tied to ByHeart baby formula to include any illnesses reported since the company began production in 2022. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that at least 51 babies in 19 states have been sickened since 2023. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said new cases include any infants with botulism who consumed ByHeart formula since the product's release. The outbreak was announced on Nov. 8. ByHeart recalled all of its products sold in the U.S. and around the world on Nov. 11.

Waymo's self-driving taxis have been in the spotlight for both negative and positive reasons. This week, the automated ride-hailing taxis went viral after a San Francisco woman gave birth inside a Waymo taxi while on her way to the hospital. A Waymo spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed the unusual delivery. It said the company's rider support team detected unusual activity inside the vehicle and alerted 911. The taxi arrived safely at the hospital before emergency services. Waymo's popularity is growing despite heightened scrutiny following an illegal U-turn and the death of a San Francisco cat. The company, owned by Alphabet, says it is proud to serve riders of all ages.

From a bird's-eye view high above St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, a stunning photograph shows the estimated 250,000 mourners who gathered for the funeral of Pope Francis. Another photo, taken at sunset from a beach in Uruguay, shows a…

Travelers who are now able to come to the United States without a visa might soon need to provide social media, email, and family history details to the Department of Homeland Security. The Trump administration has increased monitoring of international travelers. And now, Customs and Border Protection is proposing collecting five years of social media data from travelers from about roughly 40 mostly European and Asian countries who can now come to the U.S. for tourism or business for three months without visas. The public has 60 days to comment on these proposed changes.

Democrat Eileen Higgins’ victory in the Miami mayoral race marks a setback for Republican President Donald Trump. The president endorsed Higgins' rival and has touted his 2024 win in the area as evidence of his appeal in Florida and particularly among Hispanic voters. Higgins, who will be the city’s first female mayor, secured a decisive win over Trump’s pick, Emilio Gonzalez on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Higgins said she will explore legal ways to unwind an agreement that empowers police officers to conduct immigration enforcement. She emphasized affordability issues, contrasting Trump’s dismissive stance on inflation. Higgins also expressed concerns over a proposed Trump presidential library in Miami, calling it a “land giveaway.”

CBS says Tony Dokoupil will take over at the beginning of next year as anchor of its flagship “CBS Evening News” broadcast. He moves from the mornings, where he has been part of the anchor team for “CBS Mornings” since 2019. He represents the first major hire for Bari Weiss, the Free Press editor installed this fall as CBS News editor-in-chief following the network's corporate takeover by Paramount. Dokoupil faces a major challenge competing against the dominant David Muir of ABC's “World News Tonight,” which has nearly double the CBS audience. Dokoupil replaces the pairing of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, who both left the network recently.

Iceland's national broadcaster has announced it will boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest due to discord over Israel's participation. This decision announced Wednesday follows similar moves by Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and Slovenia. These countries have withdrawn after organizers refused to expel Israel over its actions in Gaza. Iceland's RÚV stated that neither joy nor peace will prevail with their participation. The walkouts have raised concerns about the future of the contest, which has been affected by the conflict in Gaza for two years. The European Broadcasting Union recently met to discuss Israel's participation but took no action to exclude any broadcaster.

Mega billionaire Elon Musk said his efforts leading the Department of Government Efficiency were only “somewhat successful” and he would not do it over again. Musk made his remarks in a friendly interview with his aide and conservative influencer Katie Miller, who is married to White House adviser Stephen Miller. Musk still broadly defended President Donald Trump’s controversial pop-up agency that Musk left in the spring before it shuttered officially last month. But Musk acknowledged how difficult it is to remake the federal government quickly and how much his businesses suffered because of his DOGE work and its lack of popularity. Musk is the Tesla and SpaceX CEO and also owns the social media platform X.

The language of politicians has become more vulgar in recent years. Leaders in both parties are openly using vulgarities. President Trump recently referred to alleged drug smugglers with an expletive during a Cabinet meeting. Vice President JD Vance and former Vice President Kamala Harris have also used to coarse language in public. Experts say this shift reflects changes in political discourse, increased media coverage, and social media's influence. On social media or other digital platforms, posts or video clips that evoke the strongest emotions are often rewarded with the most engagement.

Three years ago, Arden Cho was ready to walk away from acting. She’d landed her first lead role in the Netflix series “Partner Track” only to see it canceled after one season. Now, Cho is one of The Associated Press' Breakthrough Entertainers of 2025 after voicing the lead character Rumi in Netflix’s animated summertime hit “KPop Demon Hunters.” It's become the most-streamed movie on the platform and spawned inescapable earworms “Golden” and “Soda Pop” as its soundtrack dominated pop charts. Cho calls it her “golden moment.” She has multiple film projects lined up for next year.

Diana Ross has been named the headliner for “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.” The pop icon will perform a medley of hits, including “I’m Coming Out” and “Upside Down.” The show will feature 39 artists from locations like New York, Las Vegas, and Chicago. Other performers include Mariah Carey, Post Malone, and Demi Lovato. The event will air live on ABC on Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. EST and repeat on Hulu. Ryan Seacrest and Rita Ora will host from Times Square, with Chance the Rapper in Chicago and Rob Gronkowski in Las Vegas.

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a case that could make it harder for convicted murderers to show their lives should be spared because they're intellectually disabled. The justices on Wednesday are taking up an appeal from Alabama, which wants to put to death a man who lower federal courts found is intellectually disabled and shielded from execution. The Supreme Court prohibited execution of intellectually disabled people in a landmark ruling in 2002. Fifty-five-year-old Joseph Clifton Smith has been on death row roughly half his life after his conviction for beating a man to death in 1997. The issue in Smith’s case is what happens in borderline cases of intellectual disability.

The Federal Reserve will almost certainly reduce its key interest rate Wednesday, but the bigger question for financial markets and the economy is what signals Chair Jerome Powell may send regarding the central bank’s next steps. It would be the third cut in a row and bring the Fed’s key rate to about 3.6%, the lowest in nearly three years. For Americans struggling with high borrowing costs for homes, cars, and other large purchases, this year’s rate cuts could reduce those costs over time — though it’s not guaranteed.