Major U.S. airports are among those facing 10% reductions in air traffic Friday due to the government shutdown. A list distributed to airlines and obtained by The Associated Press includes airports in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles among the 40 that will see flights slashed. The Federal Aviation Administration is imposing the reductions to take pressure off air traffic controllers, who are federal employees and have gone without pay during the shutdown. In addition to the reduced flight traffic, the shutdown has led to more flight delays, with experts advising travelers to check flight statuses before heading to the airport, among other tips.

As the saying went, all roads once led to Rome — and scientists now say those roads stretched 50% longer than previously known. A new study combines information from historical records, ancient journals, locations of milestones and other archival data with newly available satellite imagery to map all known roads in the ancient Roman Empire. Researchers say these feats of Roman engineering still shape the geography and economy of the Mediterranean region and beyond. The new dataset and digital map are available online for scholars, history teachers and people with an interest in ancient Roman history. Results were published Thursday in Scientific Data.

Cora Anderson and Madison DeCleene spent their first two years at Division III St. Norbert College believing their academic pursuits would force them to end their athletic careers earlier than they wanted. An NCAA pilot program gives  Division III athletes a chance to continue competing for their original school after transferring if their new school doesn’t sponsor varsity athletics. The pilot is tiny, with only three athletes, but it will be studied by the NCAA.

A federal appeals court have given new life to President Donald Trump’s bid to erase his hush money conviction. A three-judge panel on Thursday ordered a lower court to reconsider its decision to keep the Trump case in state court instead of moving it to federal court. The judges ruled that U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein erred by failing to consider “important issues relevant” to Trump’s request to move the New York case to federal court, where he can seek to have it thrown out on presidential immunity grounds. But the judges said they “express no view” on how Hellerstein should rule.

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that she will not seek reelection to the U.S. House. Pelosi, a Democrat who was the first woman in the speaker’s office and who has represented San Francisco for nearly 40 years, said…

An analysis from World Weather Attribution reports human-caused climate change intensified the winds and rainfall unleashed by Hurricane Melissa in the Caribbean. Melissa, one of the strongest to hit the Atlantic, caused destruction in Jamaica, Haiti, Dominican Republic and Cuba. Dozens of fatalities have been recorded, homes and public infrastructure were damaged and crops were ruined. The analysis reports climate change increased Melissa’s wind speeds by 7% and made the rainfall 16% more intense. Planet-warming gases released by humans, such as carbon dioxide, cause the atmosphere to hold more water vapor and spike ocean temperatures. Warmer oceans give hurricanes fuel to unleash more rain and strengthen quickly.

Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland, a former Western Michigan standout in his second NFL season, has died. He was 24. The Cowboys say Kneeland died overnight. There were no other details on his death, and agent Jonathan Perzley asked for privacy. Kneeland was a second-round draft pick in 2024. His rookie season was off to a promising start before he was sidelined for five games by a knee injury. Kneeland had his first career sack in the season opener this season against Philadelphia. He played in seven of the nine games this year.

Ruth Wilson doesn’t look sick yet “everywhere hurts all the time” – because her immune system is attacking her own body. The Massachusetts woman has lupus, nicknamed the disease of 1,000 faces for its variety of symptoms — one of…

World leaders are gathering in a coastal city in the Brazilian Amazon for the U.N.'s annual climate summit. This year's host has billed the summit as a rare opportunity to turn previous commitments into practical steps toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preserving rainforests and making good on pledges to finance clean energy. Brazil’s left-wing President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sees this as a chance to cement his image as a champion of climate diplomacy. But the heads of the world’s three biggest polluters — China, the United States and India — will be notably absent from the preliminary leaders’ gathering that kicks off Thursday.

Thirty years after the death of Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the Grammy Museum has announced it is launching a special pop-up exhibit celebrating the Latin music icon. “Selena: From Texas to the World” runs from Jan. 15 to March 16 at the museum in Los Angeles. The exhibit was curated in collaboration with Suzette Quintanilla, Selena's sister, and will display personal artifacts from the Selena Museum in Corpus Christi, Texas. This will mark the first time these items have been shown outside of Texas. Known as Selena, the singer blended Tejano, pop, cumbia and other musical styles. She was 23 when she was killed by her fan club’s president in 1995.

The gooey, sticky and often-homemade plaything slime was enshrined into the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday along with perennial bestselling games Battleship and Trivial Pursuit. The Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York, honors toys that inspire creative play across generations. Battleship and Trivial Pursuit have each sold over 100 million copies. Slime has been sold commercially since 1976 but is also a popular DIY project. The National Toy Hall of Fame is located inside The Strong National Museum of Play.

President Donald Trump is set to host leaders of five Central Asian countries for White House talks. Thursday's summit and dinner with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan come as he intensifies the hunt for alternatives to China for rare earth metals needed for high-tech devices, including smartphones and electric vehicles. Beijing expanded export restrictions over vital rare earth elements and magnets early last month before announcing it would delay the restrictions for a year. That came after Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held talks last week. Central Asia holds deep reserves of rare earth minerals, but it needs investment to develop the resources.

Powerful Democratic former speaker Nancy Pelosi won’t seek reelection to the U.S. House. Pelosi’s announcement Thursday brings to a close her storied career as not only the first woman in the speaker’s office but arguably the most powerful in American politics. Pelosi has represented San Francisco for nearly 40 years. Pelosi’s decision comes after she helped lead California’s Prop 50 redistricting effort as the party countered President Donald Trump in this week’s election. It also comes as a seasoned generation of political leaders is stepping aside. Pelosi was an architect of the Affordable Care Act and other landmark policies. She had already relinquished her leadership position three years ago, becoming speaker emerita.

NEW YORK (AP) — The iconic Radio City Rockettes are turning 100. The famed dance troupe and high-kicking staple of the New York City holiday season is marking a century of wowing crowds as its annual Christmas Spectacular at Radio…