An Israeli police officer killed during the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the country's war with Hamas is the last hostage whose remains are still in Gaza. Ran Gvili was 24 when he was one of 251 people in Israel abducted by Hamas militants. After a series of ceasefire-mandated exchanges of hostages for Palestinians held by Israel, Gvili’s body still has not been recovered. On Thursday, Israel mourned Gvili as a hero who died fighting. “The first to go, last to leave,” his mother, Talik Gvili, wrote on Facebook. “We won’t stop until you come back.”

President Donald Trump plans to visit Pennsylvania next week to highlight his efforts to reduce inflation.  Last month's elections showed a shift away from Republicans as affordability concerns persist. Trump argues that affordability worries are a Democratic “hoax" and that people need to hear his perspective to change their minds. It shows the dilemma faced by Trump as he tries to take credit for rewiring the U.S. economy with his large tariff hikes and extension of income tax cuts while blaming Biden for the increase nationwide in inflation rates under Trump’s watch.  Inflation is currently tracking at 3% annually, up from 2.3% in April when he rolled out his tariffs.

The New York Times is suing to try to stop the Pentagon from imposing new rules on journalists who cover the military. Most mainstream news outlets refused to agree to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's policy this fall. As a result, they lost credentials to work in the Pentagon. The Times says in the suit filed Thursday that the rules violate the Constitution's freedom of speech and due process provisions because the rules give Hegseth the power to determine on his own whether a reporter should be banned. There's no immediate comment from the Pentagon on the lawsuit.

A federal vaccine advisory committee is meeting in Atlanta to discuss whether newborns should still get the hepatitis B vaccine on the day they’re born. For decades, the government has advised that all babies be vaccinated against the liver infection right after birth. The shots are widely considered to be a public health success for preventing thousands of illnesses. But the committee formed by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist before he became the nation's top health official, is considering whether to recommend the birth dose only for babies whose mothers test positive, which would mark a return to a public health strategy that was abandoned more than three decades ago.

Northwest Arkansas has emerged as a hot spot in the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. That's because of one county’s partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and aggressive traffic enforcement by police. The region offers a window into what the future may hold in places where law enforcement authorities cooperate broadly with ICE. The Associated Press reviewed ICE data and interviewed local residents and found that Benton County stands out for its aggressive approach. More than 450 people were arrested by ICE at the Benton County Jail in Bentonville in the first seven months of this year.

A corner of Arkansas best known as home to Walmart headquarters has emerged as a little-known hot spot in the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown. That's according to an Associated Press review of arrest data, jail records, police reports and interviews with residents, immigration lawyers and watchdogs. Benton County offers a window into what the future may hold in places where local and state authorities cooperate broadly with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Records show the partnership has caught some violent criminals but also repeatedly turned misdemeanor arrests into the first steps toward deportations. The arrests have split apart families and spread fear through the immigrant community.

Cold, wintry weather brings risk for pets as well as people. Experts say pet owners need to prepare. Sweaters, coats and booties can be helpful accessories to reduce the risks of frostbite and hypothermia. Depending on the breed, size and age of the pet, veterinarians recommend limiting time outdoors and being safe around open flames. Avoid encounters with de-icing salts and antifreeze, which can be toxic when ingested in even the smallest amounts. Experts also suggest stocking up on essentials like extra food and medication in case of power outages, road closures or blizzards.

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level in more than three years last week, potentially complicating the Federal Reserve’s upcoming decision on interest rates. The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits for the week ending Nov. 29 fell to 191,000 from the previous week’s 218,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s the lowest level since September 24, 2022, when claims came in at 189,000. Analysts surveyed by the data provider FactSet had forecast initial claims of 221,000. Applications for unemployment aid are viewed as a proxy for layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

For many, 2025 felt like a blur and that was true in the world of entertainment, which saw happy reunions, somber farewells and introductions to fresh voices and faces. Associated Press photographers were there to capture it all, from Tom…

Talipot palms in a Rio de Janeiro park are flowering for the first and only time in their lives. These palms were introduced by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx in the 1960s. The rare event has been widely reported and has sparked curiosity among visitors to Flamengo Park. The palms, native to southern India and Sri Lanka, can reach up to 30 meters and produce millions of flowers. Biologist Aline Saavedra notes that the interest in this phenomenon could inspire environmental preservation.

The mood is grim as hundreds of diplomats, lawyers and activists gather in The Hague for the annual meeting of the International Criminal Court. The gathering this week will include discussion of unprecedented challenges from U.S. sanctions, Russian arrest warrants and worries over the court’s future. The court’s oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, is holding its 24th annual weeklong meeting this week. Delegates will approve the court’s yearly budget and debate proposals related to the institution’s functions but regular business has been overshadowed by U.S. sanctions and a sexual misconduct investigation.

A new survey of Affordable Care Act health insurance enrollees finds that many are already struggling with the high cost of health care. Most of the more than 1,300 enrollees surveyed say they anticipate that their health costs will be impacted next year if Congress doesn't extend COVID-era tax credits that will otherwise expire at the end of the year. Thursday's poll from the health care research nonprofit KFF finds that marketplace enrollees overwhelmingly support an extension of the subsidies. The survey found this group is more likely to blame President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress than Democrats if the tax credits are left to expire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said his five-hour talks with U.S. envoys on ending the war in Ukraine were “necessary” and “useful,” but also “difficult work,” with some of the proposals unacceptable to the Kremlin. Putin spoke to the India Today TV channel ahead of his visit to New Delhi on Thursday, and while the full interview is yet to be broadcast, Russian state news agencies quoted some of Putin's remarks. The Russian leader’s comments come as U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are set to meet with Ukraine’s lead negotiator, Rustem Umerov, on Thursday in Miami for further talks, according to a senior Trump administration official. The high-stakes talks are part of Trump’s renewed push to end the nearly four-year war.

Israeli and Thai officials say remains that militants in Gaza handed to Israel were those of a Thai agricultural worker killed during the attack that started the war two years ago. The return of Sudthisak Rinthalak's remains leaves just one last hostage, Israeli Ran Gvili, to be returned in the first phase of the ceasefire deal. Both Hamas and Israel have accused each other of breaking the ceasefire agreement, and questions linger over the upcoming phases of the plan.

Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday there have been no talks between team officials and Giannis Antetokounmpo regarding the two-time MVP’s potential exit from Milwaukee. Rivers made the comments after ESPN reported that Antetokounmpo and his agent, Alex Saratsis, had started speaking with the Bucks about the superstar’s future and whether he’s best suited to stay in Milwaukee or play elsewhere. Rivers said “there’s been no conversations” in that regard. Rivers added that "Giannis has never asked to be traded – ever. I can’t make that more clear.”