The Trump administration is restricting the number of refugees admitted to the U.S. to 7,500 and they will be mostly white South Africans. This marks a dramatic drop after the U.S. previously allowed in hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war and persecution from around the world. The administration published the news in a notice on the Federal Registry on Thursday. No reason was given for the numbers, which are a dramatic decrease from last year’s ceiling of 125,000 set under the Biden administration. The memo stated that the admission of the 7,500 refugees during the 2026 fiscal year is “justified by humanitarian concerns or is otherwise in the national interest.”

Scientists say there’s new evidence that settles the origins of a mysterious dinosaur excavated in the 1940s. Researchers have long debated whether a dinosaur skull found in Montana decades ago was a young T. rex or another type of dinosaur. A research team studied a new complete skeleton from Montana and claim it identifies the mystery reptile as an adult and a new species. Not all scientists are convinced, and some say the other mystery skeletons could belong to a younger T. rex. The research was published Thursday in the journal Nature.

The Minnesota Twins have picked former bench coach Derek Shelton as their new manager. Shelton managed the Pittsburgh Pirates for five-plus years. The Twins made a formal announcement on Thursday and scheduled an introductory news conference for Shelton on Tuesday. Shelton had an overall record of 306-440 with the Pirates before he was fired just 40 games into this season. The 55-year-old was the bench coach for the Twins in 2018 and 2019 under two different managers, Paul Molitor and Rocco Baldelli. Shelton never finished higher than fourth place in the NL Central or better than 76-86 with the Pirates.

The government shutdown is taking a toll on military families as they live without the guarantee of a paycheck. Alicia Blevins is married to a Marine stationed in North Carolina. She's going to see a therapist because of the grinding uncertainty. The Trump administration has found ways to pay the troops twice during the shutdown. But the process has been fraught with anxiety for many Americans in uniform. The White House said it found the money just days before paychecks were supposed to go out Friday. But Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said money may be unavailable for the troop's next paycheck on Nov. 15.

This photo gallery, curated by photo editor Beatrice Larco, highlights some of the most compelling images worldwide published by The Associated Press in the past week. Follow AP visual journalism: AP photography: https://apnews.com/photography Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apnews 34 words

Judges around the world are seeing error-riddled legal briefs that were generated with the help of artificial intelligence. A data scientist and lawyer has catalogued at least 490 filings in the past six months that contained false or misleading information from AI responses. His database is a cautionary tale for people learning to use AI tools at work. With many employers wanting workers to employ the technology, it's not just the legal profession that needs to be aware of the possible foibles. Legal and workplace experts suggest treating AI as an assistant whose work needs to be checked. They say users also need to be aware of privacy concerns.

A group of 11 Democratic U.S. senators has raised concerns about the use of full-body restraints on deportation flights. They say this practice raises serious human rights issues. U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland has called on ICE to explain its policies and stop using the WRAP device until questions are resolved. The senators' letter raises broader concerns about secrecy surrounding the flights and cites an AP investigation revealing ICE's use of the WRAP since 2020. Advocates worry ICE isn't tracking the WRAP’s use. Rep. Delia Ramirez is working on a bill to limit its use, citing safety and human rights concerns.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says China has agreed to purchase 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually as part of an agreement reached by its leaders. He said Thursday that China will start by purchasing 12 million metric tons of soybeans from the U.S. between now and January. On Fox Business Network, the secretary said the agreement lasts for three years.

The United States is experiencing a shortage of pennies after President Trump decided to stop their production earlier this year. Merchants across the country are struggling to provide exact change, and banks are rationing their remaining supply. Some retailers are even offering promotions to encourage customers to bring in pennies. The shortage began in late summer and is worsening as the holiday season approaches. While the government aims to save money by discontinuing the penny, the abrupt decision has left retailers and banks without guidance. A bill in Congress, the Common Cents Act, seeks to address some of the issues.

The International Space Station is marking 25 years of nonstop human presence in orbit. Nearly 300 people have lived aboard the scientific outpost. The visitors are mostly professional astronauts, but also the occasional space tourist and movie director. With only five years left at the complex, NASA is counting on private companies to launch their own orbiting stations with an even bigger and wider clientele. NASA is paying SpaceX nearly $1 billion to boot the space station from orbit in early 2031. The station's first full-time residents — one American and two Russians — opened the hatch in 2000.

A Senate hearing for President Donald Trump’s surgeon general pick, Dr. Casey Means, has been postponed because she went into labor. The news from a Senate health committee spokesperson Thursday morning comes just hours before Means was set to appear virtually before the committee for her confirmation hearing. Means, a Stanford-educated physician and wellness influencer, was expected to present her vision for tackling chronic disease by addressing root causes, aligning with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s agenda.

The Grand Egyptian Museum is finally nearing its grand opening after two decades of anticipation. The museum, located just outside Cairo, is set to open on Saturday. It highlights ancient Egyptian civilization and aims to boost tourism, a crucial source of foreign currency for Egypt. The $1 billion facility will be the world’s largest museum dedicated to a single civilization, featuring over 50,000 artifacts. The museum has faced multiple delays, with construction beginning in 2005 and interruptions due to political instability. Officials hope the museum will revitalize tourism and attract millions of visitors annually.

A new AP-NORC poll finds that only 12% of U.S. adults support the current system of daylight saving time, which has people in most states changing the clocks twice a year, while 47% are opposed and 40% are neutral. Around the country, the clocks will go back one hour at 2 a.m. Sunday to mark the return to standard time and more daylight in the mornings. If forced to choose, most Americans would prefer to keep that extra hour of daylight in the evening. Permanent daylight saving time would be unpopular with a significant chunk of people, though, the survey found — particularly those who prefer mornings.

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute are developing tiny drones inspired by bats for search and rescue missions. The aerial robots use echolocation, like bats, to navigate in dark and challenging conditions. Assistant professor Nitin Sanket and his team aim to create small, affordable, and energy-efficient drones that can operate where and when current drones can't. While drones are becoming more common in search and rescue, Sanket and researchers elsewhere want to move beyond the manually operated individual robots being used today. They're exploring how to create autonomous drones that can be deployed in swarms.

Erika Kirk, the widow of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has sparked a conversation about forgiveness after forgiving the man accused of assassinating her husband. Her words have inspired others, like actor Tim Allen, who forgave the drunken driver responsible for his father's death. In Michigan, a Latter-day Saints congregation forgave a gunman who killed four people. While some see hope in these acts, others remain skeptical. Religious leaders emphasize forgiveness as a process, not a one-time event. At the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, where a mass shooting in 2018 claimed 11 worshippers' lives, forgiveness has been a complex topic as the community continues its journey toward healing.