NYPD seeking to question Wu-Tang Clan’s Method Man over assault claim (2025)

Hundreds of people have been ordered to evacuate and part of Highway 1 in Northern California has been closed due to a major fire at one of the world’s largest battery storage plants. The fire erupted Thursday afternoon, sending up towering flames and black smoke and showed no sign of easing by Thursday night. The Mercury News reported that 1,500 people have been instructed to leave Moss Landing and the Elkhorn Slough area. The Moss Landing Power Plant is about 77 miles south of San Francisco and is owned by Texas-company Vistra Energy. It contains tens of thousands of lithium batteries.

Officials say the death toll from a rocket and gun attack on an aid convoy in restive northwestern Pakistan has jumped to at least five. Local authorities said on Friday that two security officers and three truck drivers were killed in the assault. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack Thursday, when aid trucks carrying food, medicine and other relief supplies for hundreds of thousands of besieged residents were heading to Kurram, a district hit by sectarian violence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. At least 130 people have died there since November.

DeMar DeRozan had 31 points, Malik Monk added 28 points and nine assists and the Sacramento Kings beat the Houston Rockets 132-127 on Thursday night. Monk made the last four free throws for Kings. They improved to 21-20 with their eighth victory in nine games. Domantas Sabonis had 20 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists for the Kings, and DeAaron Fox added 19 points. Jaden Green led Houston with 28 points, and Alperen Şengun had 21 points and 10 rebounds. The Rockets had won seven straight on the road.

Kamala Harris has hinted that she wants to stay involved in politics and foreign affairs after leaving the vice president's office, but she hasn't disclosed any plans so far. Her historic term ends Monday, and it will be the first time she hasn't held elected office since 2004, when she became San Francisco's district attorney. Harris was the first woman, Black person or person of South Asian descent to serve as vice president. She replaced President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket when he dropped his reelection bid, but she lost to Donald Trump in November.

When Democrat John Fetterman got elected to the U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania, many backers had hoped he’d challenge the status quo. He has — just not in the way many had expected. Fetterman has warmed to President-elect Donald Trump, a man he bashed on the 2024 campaign trail, and recently became the first Senate Democrat to meet with Trump since the election. Fetterman has also met with many of Trump’s Cabinet picks and staked out positions on policy and legislation that break with his party. Fetterman says his meeting with Trump “was a positive experience,” while Trump has called it “fascinating.”

Bent Leuchten finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds to propel UC Irvine to an 82-62 victory over Cal State Fullerton.

A mysterious airstrip being built on a remote island in Yemen is nearing completion, according to satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press. The runway is likely built by the United Arab Emirates, which has long been suspected of expanding its military presence in the region and has backed a Saudi-led war against the Houthis. The construction comes as Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have continued their attacks on commercial shipping, U.S. warships and Israel over the war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Experts worry a ceasefire in Gaza may not be enough to see the Houthis halt a campaign that’s drawn them global attention.

Led by Ty Johnson's 21 points, the UC Davis Aggies defeated the Cal Poly Mustangs 65-54.

Caleb Stone-Carrawell scored 19 and made two free throws with 44 seconds left to help Loyola Marymount hold off Santa Clara 57-54.

Led by Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe's 22 points and 15 rebounds, the Seattle U Redhawks defeated the Utah Tech Trailblazers 82-62.

Netanyahu says deal to release hostages held in Gaza has been reached after last minute snags

Evan Bouchard scored with 6:55 left and the surging Edmonton Oilers overcame a three-goal deficit to beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on Thursday night. Edmonton, playing on the second night of a back-to-back, has won four in a row and eight of nine. Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, Viktor Arvidsson and Brett Kulak also scored and Stuart Skinner recovered from a shaky start to make 22 saves. Logan O’Connor opened the scoring 5:17 into the game and Nathan MacKinnon scored twice as Colorado scored three times on its first five shots.

Few Democrats found ways to negotiate with Republicans quite like Shalanda Young — whose work as White House budget director stopped several potential economic crises from erupting. She brokered a 2023 deal to stop the government from defaulting on its debt. She worked to keep the government from shutting down, preserve disaster relief and address a baby formula shortage. She helped save aid to Ukraine with a forgivable loan. Her formula for success: understanding the arcana of federal spending, reading the politics of the moment, and convincing reluctant lawmakers that compromise was in their interest. Now, the Trump administration is about to face some of the same vexing issues that she helped solve.

The CBP One app has brought nearly 1 million people to the U.S. on two-year permits with eligibility to work since January 2023, but it could end under President-elect Donald Trump. Trump has said he would end it as part of a broader immigration crackdown. Critics say it prioritizes a lottery system over people who have long lived in the U.S. illegally while paying taxes and people who have waited years for visas. Supporters say CBP One has helped bring order to the border and reduce illegal crossings. Illegal border crossings by Cubans plunged under CBP One from a peak of nearly 35,000 in April 2022 to just 97 in September.

As he assumes the presidency for a second time, Donald Trump brings with him a broad expanse of business relationships and financial entanglements. Those come with the possibility that those associations could influence his decision-making in the White House. Trump has earned at least $11.6 million in royalties over the last two years from two of his books produced by Winning Team Publishing. Trump’s name and image are branded on a dizzying array of merchandise. And judgments of more than half a billion dollars from civil lawsuits hang over Trump and will be difficult to avoid.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is set to face senators during her confirmation hearing as she vies to become the next homeland security secretary. The Friday hearing will be her first chance to lay out a vision for the sprawling department that will be central to Donald Trump's plans for cracking down on illegal immigration and carrying out mass deportations. Noem is a two-time governor and a former House representative who was tapped by Trump to lead the department of 260,000 employees. If confirmed for the Cabinet position, she'll take over from outgoing DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Jan. 10 - 16, 2025

Netanyahu says deal to release hostages held in Gaza has been reached after last minute snags

President-elect Donald Trump has proposed trillions of dollars of tax cuts. In some states, governors and lawmakers are seeking to cut millions more. The movement for more tax cuts comes after nearly all states already have enacted some sort of tax reduction or rebate in recent years. And it comes as state revenues have begun to recede or stagnate after peaking during the pandemic. Opinions are mixed about whether states can afford additional tax cuts. But more states are again proposing tax cuts rather than tax increases this year.

The Los Angeles wildfires have forced thousands of students to relocate to other schools. Students from two elementary schools that burned down in the Palisades Fire arrived Wednesday for their first day of class at two other Los Angeles campuses where their classes are being held temporarily. Seven other Los Angeles Unified School District schools in evacuation zones that have been closed since the fire are also relocating. Meanwhile, Palisades Charter High School has asked the community for help finding temporary classrooms for its 3,000 students. And in the nearby Pasadena Unified School District, thousands of other students are still home from school. Five school sites there were severely impacted by the Eaton Fire.

Eight years ago, Donald Trump delivered an inaugural address that set aside the typical optimism and promises of unity with a dark portrait of national life. His unapologetically populist and nationalistic speech installed the phrases “American Carnage” and “America First” into the presidential lexicon. Trump then and now talks about the “forgotten men and women of our country.” One difference: Trump eight years ago said America does not seek to impose its way of life on others. Now, he's talking about acquiring Greenland and Canada and taking back the Panama Canal.

A polarized nation. A right-wing populist casting doubt on the electoral system then refusing to concede. A riot by his supporters in the capital aiming to keep him in power. This isn’t just the story of Donald Trump, but also that of Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro. The Western Hemisphere’s two largest democracies faced similar challenges in 2020 and 2022, respectively, but their institutional responses have been dramatically different. The different approaches to Bolsonaro and Trump amount to a case study of how democracies attempt -- and sometimes struggle -- to hold their most powerful leaders to account. The examples are being closely watched at a time of rising concern that democratic governments around the world are destabilizing.

A rare gold medal from the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis is being auctioned off as part of a larger collection of memorabilia from previous Games. Boston-based RR Auction says the medal bears the inscription “Olympiad, 1904” and shows a victorious athlete holding a wreath on the front. On the back is a pair of ancient Greek gods and the words for the event it was awarded: the 110-meter hurdles. The medal also is much smaller than today's medals and is solid gold, while those awarded these days are silver with gold plating.

California is years behind in implementing a 2020 law aiming to make it harder for homes to burn during a wildfire. It was slated to take effect in 2023, but the board tasked with developing the regulations has not finalized its guidelines. The law creates a new “ember-resistant” zone, dubbed “zone zero,” that bars things like brush, wooden fencing, furniture, sheds and mulch within 5 feet of homes. Some experts say having the requirement in place could have made a difference for some in the Los Angeles fires that have destroyed thousands of homes.

(All times Central)Schedule subject to change and/or blackoutsSaturday, January 18COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN'S)12 p.m.

(All times Central)Schedule subject to change and/or blackoutsSaturday, January 18COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN'S)2 p.m.

(All times Central)Schedule subject to change and/or blackoutsSaturday, January 18COLLEGE BASKETBALL (MEN'S)1 p.m.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida assistant coach Taurean Green is the target of a sexual assault complaint filed by an athletics department employee, according to an ESPN report.

Brian Taylor II had 23 points and Ray’Sean Taylor scored 21 to help SIU Edwardsville rally to beat Tennessee State 87-80 in overtime.

Freshman Ace Bailey finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, Dylan Harper scored 21 and Rutgers rallied late to beat Nebraska 85-82. Bailey made both ends of a one-and-one opportunity at the free-throw line to give the Scarlet Knights (10-8, 3-4 Big Ten Conference) a four-point lead with 10 seconds left. He missed the front end at the foul line 11 seconds earlier with Rutgers up 81-77. Brice Williams followed Bailey’s miss at the line with a layup and he nailed a 3-pointer to get the Cornhuskers (12-5, 2-4) within a point with five seconds remaining. Dylan Grant took a pass from Bailey and nailed a jumper to wrap up the win.

Duke Brennan had 16 points and 10 rebounds to power Grand Canyon to an 88-58 victory over Abilene Christian.

Led by Malik Moore's 18 points, the Montana Grizzlies defeated the Weber State Wildcats 63-59.

A new venue and new technology will add an element of uncertainty to the second round of the SailGP which will be raced on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. The 12 teams in the global series will be racing in Auckland on Saturday and Sunday for the first time and using new titanium T-Foils which have just been shared with the teams after two years of testing. The foils are the appendages which allow the 50-foot catamarans to rise up out of the water and effectively “fly” across the surface at high speeds.

Otis Frazier III scored 14 points to lead the UTEP Miners and Ahamad Bynum hit the game-winning jump shot with three seconds left as the Miners knocked off the Liberty Flames 72-70.

Alex Newhook’s deflection broke a tie midway through the third period and unbeaten rookie Jakub Dobes made 32 saves as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Dallas Stars 3-1. Newhook’s goal stood up following a replay review to check the height of his stick while he was tied up with Dallas’ Wyatt Johnston just outside the crease. Dobes improved to 4-0-0, with all four victories coming on the road against teams with winning records: Florida, Colorado, Washington and Dallas. The 23-year-old goalie was brought up from Laval of the AHL following the NHL’s Christmas break to back up Sam Montembeault. Juraj Slafkovsky and Joel Armia also scored for the Canadiens, who are 11-2-1 in their last 14 games. Armia’s goal was a last-minute empty-netter. Jason Robertson scored for the Stars.

Jaloni Cambridge scored 27 points and Chance Gray added 22 to help No. 9 Ohio State beat Wisconsin 80-69. Cambridge, who entered averaging 14.5 points, shot 11 of 16 from the field and added a career-high eight rebounds. Cotie McMahon added 17 points for the Buckeyes. At 17-0, Ohio State is off to its best start since winning its first 19 games in 2022-23. Serah Williams had 20 points and 17 rebounds and Tess Myers scored a season-high 18 points for Wisconsin, which has lost six straight.

ST. LOUIS — That’s four small points for the Blues, and one giant leap in the Western Conference.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting his Iranian counterpart President Masoud Pezeshkian for the signing of a broad partnership pact. The Kremlin says the “comprehensive strategic partnership” treaty being signed by Putin and Pezeshkian will take their cooperation to a new level. The signing comes ahead of the Jan. 20 inauguration that will return Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Trump has pledged to broker a peace deal on Ukraine and get tough on Iran.

This is a collection of photos chosen by AP photo editors.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 40 points and eight assists in three quarters, and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled past the Cleveland Cavaliers 134-114 on Thursday night in a matchup of teams with the best records in the NBA.