Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has linked the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela to the Trump administration's counterdrug efforts. During testimony Thursday to the House Homeland Security Committee, Noem lauded the U.S. forces' unusual move to take control of a merchant ship. Noem describes it as a successful move that's part of President Donald Trump's efforts to combat drug trafficking. The Republican president told reporters Wednesday the tanker was seized “for a very good reason.” Venezuela's government has called the seizure an act of international piracy.

Fernando Mendoza was named Associated Press player of the year after leading unbeaten and top-ranked Indiana to its first Big Ten championship since 1967 and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The redshirt junior quarterback was the overwhelming choice over fellow Heisman Trophy finalists Diego Pavia of Vanderbilt, Jeremiah Love of Notre Dame and Julian Sayin of Ohio State. Mendoza received 32 of 51 first-place votes from a nationwide panel of media members who cover college football. The Hoosiers’ first-year starter transferred from California after last season and is the triggerman for Indiana's record-setting offense.

NASCAR has settled an antitrust lawsuit with two race teams, including one co-owned by Michael Jordan. The settlement was announced Thursday after a delay on the ninth day of the trial. The lawsuit was filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports last year after they refused to sign new charter agreements presented by NASCAR. The teams raced uncharted for most of 2025. The case highlighted family ties in motorsports, with emotional testimonies from figures like Denny Hamlin and Jordan. NASCAR's chairman, Jim France, defended the temporary nature of charters, citing core principles from his family.

Disney is investing $1 billion in OpenAI to bring characters like Mickey Mouse and Luke Skywalker to the AI company's Sora video tool. Announced on Thursday, this three-year licensing deal makes Disney the first major content partner for Sora. Fans can generate and share videos featuring over 200 Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars characters. Disney and OpenAI emphasize responsible AI use to protect creators' rights. Some user-generated videos will be available on Disney+. Disney also sent Google a cease and desist letter for using Disney content without permission to train its AI models.

Italian food is known and loved around the world for its fresh ingredients and palate-pleasing tastes, but the U.N.’s cultural agency is giving foodies another reason to celebrate their pizza, pasta and tiramisu by listing Italian cooking as part of the world’s “intangible” cultural heritage. UNESCO added the rituals surrounding Italian food preparation and consumption to its list of the world’s traditional practices and expressions on Wednesday. It’s a designation celebrated alongside the more well-known UNESCO list of World Heritage sites. The citation didn’t mention specific dishes, recipes or regional specialties, but highlighted the cultural importance Italians place on the rituals of cooking and eating.

Indiana state Senators are expected to take a final and deciding vote on redistricting Thursday, and the outcome is still uncertain. Even in the face of pressure from the White House and about a dozen threats made against Indiana lawmakers, many state senators in the Republican supermajority are outright opposed to the legislation or hesitant to take a stance. Going into the vote Thursday, it is unknown if the legislation has the support needed to pass. The proposed congressional map is designed to deliver all nine of Indiana's congressional districts to the GOP. Republicans currently hold seven of those seats.

Mike Lindell, the fervent supporter of President Donald Trump known to TV viewers as the “MyPillow Guy,” says he’s running for Minnesota governor in 2026. Lindell became close to Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. He went on to become a leading amplifier of Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. That led to a string of legal and financial setbacks for Lindell and his MyPillow company, which he founded in Minnesota. But he says he’s overcome them and is eager to take on Democratic Gov. Tim Walz.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado says “decisive” actions by the United States, including the seizure of an oil tanker, have left the repressive government of President Nicolás Maduro at its weakest point. She vowed Thursday to return to the country to keep fighting for democracy. Machado spoke after her first public appearance in 11 months in Oslo, where her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf. She sidestepped questions about U.S. military intervention, and said she'll return to Venezuela when security conditions are right. Machado has been in hiding since January after a brief detention in Caracas. She won an opposition primary but was barred from running in last year's presidential election.

Documents that detail Lawrence Kasdan’s career have been donated to the University of Michigan, the writer and director’s alma mater. Archivists are about a quarter of the way through cataloging the 150-plus boxes of material. Included are scripts, photographs, audio recordings, call sheets, props and more. One rarity is pictures of Kevin Costner on the set of the 1983 film “The Big Chill,” before his scene was famously cut. Kasdan also wrote “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and a number of “Star Wars” films. Kasdan directed “Wyatt Earp” and “Body Heat.” The 76-year-old's papers join those of fellow filmmakers Orson Welles, Robert Altman and Jonathan Demme at the Ann Arbor school.

When gunmen stormed St. Mary Catholic School in Nigeria's Papiri community, the children tried to escape but were told they would be shot if they ran away. Gunmen abducted 303 students and 12 teachers on November 21, marking one of the country's largest school kidnappings. Fifty students escaped soon after, and 100 more, including Onyeka Chieme, were freed on Sunday. However, 153 students and the teachers remain captive. The Nigerian government has not disclosed how the students were released or if any arrests were made. Families are increasingly worried about their children's safety, as school abductions have become a significant security crisis in Nigeria.

MIAMI (AP) — During the first Trump administration, families were forcibly separated at the border. Now parents inside the United States are being arrested by immigration authorities and separated from their families during prolonged detention inside the country. Three recent…

Chase Sui Wonders always thought she was “kind of funny,” but it was officially confirmed after booking “The Studio” after just one audition. It's been an eventful year for the AP Breakthrough Entertainer who plays the hyper ambitious, cutthroat assistant-turned-creative executive Quinn Hackett on the Emmy-winning comedy. But a Hollywood career nearly didn’t happen for the magna cum laude graduate who switched her major at Harvard from astrophysics to film studies after being “humbled” by quickly falling behind. The 29-year old has several projects in the works including “I Want Your Sex” starring Olivia Wilde and A24’s horror thriller “October.”