US & World News

Vanderbilt's Langston Patterson among 5 seeking injunction to play 2026 season

Five college football players at power-conference schools asked a federal judge on Monday for a preliminary injunction to play a fifth year next season. All five have competed four seasons in four years without taking a redshirt: Vanderbilt linebacker Langston Patterson; kicker Nathanial Vakos, tight end Lance Mason and long snapper Nick Levy of Wisconsin; and Nebraska long snapper Kevin Gallic. U.S. District Judge William L. Campbell granted an injunction nearly a year ago that allowed Diego Pavia to play this season. Pavia finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up leading Vanderbilt to a 10-2 record.

Abrego Garcia is still hoping to find justice after his wrongful deportation, his lawyer says

Kilmar Abrego Garcia's mistaken deportation to El Salvador has become a significant issue in the Trump administration's immigration policies. Despite having no criminal record, he was held in a brutal prison there. His lawyer, Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, says Abrego Garcia is still fighting for justice. Last week, a federal judge in Maryland ordered his release and temporarily barred the government from detaining him again. Abrego Garcia has options like applying for asylum or a green card, but challenges loom with those options. His priority is avoiding a return to the El Salvador prison where he says he was was tortured.

'General Hospital' star Anthony Geary of Luke and Laura fame dies at 78

Anthony Geary, who played Luke Spencer on the longrunning soap opera "General Hospital," has died. He was 78. The show's executive producer, Frank Valentini, expressed heartbreak over Geary's passing. Geary died from complications following a recent surgery. He joined the soap in 1978 and won eight Daytime Emmy awards. His character's wedding to Laura, played by Genie Francis, became a cultural phenomenon in 1981. Geary played Luke on and off until 2015 and returned for a cameo in 2017. He lived a quiet life in Amsterdam with his husband, Claudio Gama.

Biff Poggi tells signees and parents Michigan hopes to hire a coach by end of month, AP source says

Michigan interim football coach Biff Poggi had a Zoom call with the program’s signees and their parents just hours after Sherrone Moore was fired last week. That's according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because they were not authorized to share details from the call. The person said Poggi told the players and their parents that athletic director Warde Manuel hoped to have a new coach hired by the end of the month. Moore’s firing has left the Wolverines scrambling to retain recruits and to give current players reasons to stay out of the transfer portal.

Big retailers didn't pull ByHeart baby formula fast enough after botulism recall, FDA says

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters to four top retail stores for failing to promptly pull contaminated infant formula tied to a dangerous outbreak from their shelves. The FDA sent letters posted Monday to leaders at Walmart, Target, Kroger and Albertsons, saying the companies continued to sell ByHeart infant formula for days or weeks, despite a Nov. 11 recall of all products. The formula is linked to an outbreak of infant botulism that has sickened more than 50 babies in 19 states. All of the babies have been hospitalized and treated for the illness.

Big Ten puts 10 on AP All-America first team, led by 4 from Ohio State and Hoosier star Mendoza

The Associated Press has released its All-America team, featuring four Ohio State players among 10 first-team picks from the Big Ten. Caleb Downs of Ohio State and Fernando Mendoza of Indiana headline the list. Downs, a repeat selection, is the Big Ten defensive player of the year. Mendoza, the AP Player of the Year, led Indiana to a 13-0 record and the top seed in the College Football Playoff. The team includes players from 18 schools, with seven from the College Football Playoff. Western Kentucky, Navy, and Hawaii each have first-team selections for the first time in decades.

MRI confirms Packers' Micah Parsons tore his ACL, AP source says

An MRI has confirmed Green Bay Packers star pass rusher Micah Parsons tore his left anterior cruciate ligament. That's according to a person with knowledge of the test results who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday because the team hasn't announced the injury. It will knock Parsons out for the remainder of the season. He suffered the non-contact injury Sunday during the third quarter of Green Bay’s 34-26 loss at Denver. Parsons had gotten past right tackle Mike McGlinchey and was chasing Broncos quarterback Bo Nix when he pulled up and fell to the ground.

Hallmark holiday movie fans are flocking to Connecticut's quaint filming locations

Connecticut is working to become a destination for holiday movie fans, promoting its charming towns featured in films by Hallmark and Lifetime. The state has launched the nation's first Christmas Movie Trail, a self-guided tour of locations where 22 films were made. It has sparked online buzz and boosted business for some attractions. Fans are visiting places like Wethersfield, where parts of "Christmas on Honeysuckle Lane" were shot. The holiday movie industry is booming, with 100 new films released annually. Connecticut's marketing officer says the trail is also part of a rebranding effort to promote the state as a great place to live and work.

Arizona, Michigan stay 1-2 in AP Top 25 men's poll; No. 15 Nebraska hits highest mark since 1991

No. 1 Arizona and No. 2 Michigan remain atop The Associated Press men's college basketball poll for a second straight week. Monday's new poll also saw Nebraska jump eight spots to No. 15. That is the program's highest ranking since sitting at No. 11 in the final poll of the 1990-91 season. The top 10 was unchanged from last week other than No. 7 Gonzaga and No. 8 Houston swapping spots. Georgia was the lone new addition to the poll at No. 25. The Bulldogs replaced UCLA.

US tariffs are having an uneven effect on holiday prices and purchases

Many U.S. consumers say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for holiday gifts in recent months, according to a a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. A contributing factor is the unusually high import taxes the Trump administration put on foreign goods. While the worst-case consumer impact that many economists foresaw from the administration’s trade policies hasn’t materialized, some popular gift items have been affected more than others. Most toys and electronics sold in the U.S. come from China. So do most holiday decorations. Jewelry prices have risen due to the cost of gold.

Trump administration says it needs to fight SNAP fraud, but the extent of the problem is unclear

Accusations of widespread fraud are at the heart of the Trump administration's policies on SNAP. Officials looking at the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from a law enforcement view see it as a huge problem, costing taxpayers billions a year taken by both organized crime and people who receive benefits. Other government data does not show such a deep problem and some researchers see fraud as troublesome but not something that happens on a massive scale. Some advocates warn that measures intended to thwart fraud could also make it harder for qualified people to access benefits.

Russia indicates it's open to Ukraine joining EU as part of peace deal to end war, US officials say

U.S. officials say Russia has indicated it’s open to Ukraine joining the European Union as part of a potential peace deal aimed at ending the war in Ukraine and there’s now consensus on about 90% of the U.S.-authored peace plan. The officials who briefed reporters after U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as well as British, French and German officials in Berlin over the last two days said Monday such an offer would be a major concession by Moscow. But Russia has previously said it does not object to Ukraine joining the EU. The latest round of talks between Zelenskyy and U.S. envoys ended Monday.

Son Nick arrested after Rob Reiner and his wife found dead in Los Angeles home, AP source says

A law enforcement official tells The Associated Press that a son of Rob Reiner, Nick Reiner, was taken into custody Monday after the deaths of the director-actor and his wife Michele at their home in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical aid request Sunday afternoon and discovered a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman deceased inside. Detectives are investigating it as an apparent homicide. Reiner, known for directing films like “This is Spinal Tap” and “A Few Good Men,” was 78. He was married to Michele since 1989. They had three children together.

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