Two major law firms have asked separate judges to permanently block President Donald Trump’s executive orders that were designed to punish them and harm their business operations.

President Donald Trump has announced deals with five law firms that will allow them to avoid the prospect of a punishing executive order.

Another major international law firm has reached a deal with President Donald Trump to dedicate at least $100 million in free legal services to causes such as supporting veterans and combating antisemitism.

The leading hip-hop superstar beef has been cranked up another notch, with Drake suing Universal Music Group for defamation over rival Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us.”.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has announced a ban on the use of TikTok and certain China and Russia-based platforms in the state’s executive branch of government.

One would have to go back hundreds of years to find a monarch who reigned longer than Queen Elizabeth II.

The 11-year-old nephew of a Black woman fatally shot by a white Texas police officer says his aunt had a gun but didn't raise it to point at the officer.

A joint venture between General Motors and South Korean battery company LG Energy Solution says it will invest an additional $275 million to expand a Tennessee battery cell factory for electric vehicles.

Democrats celebrating a successful effort to keep control of the U.S. Senate this year will soon confront a 2024 campaign that could prove more challenging.

It's been nine years since then-English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke set the national team the bold target of winning the 2022 World Cup.

American comedian Leo Anthony Gallagher Jr. has died at the age of 76, according to his family.

Jimmie Johnson’s NASCAR retirement and IndyCar experiment lasted all of two seasons.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will call a special session of the state Legislature to pass a new tax on oil companies.

It’s looking increasingly like Arsenal is the real deal in the Premier League this season.

The head of one of the country's most storied nonprofits, United Way Worldwide, will mark her first year as CEO in September.

Liverpool has equaled the single game scoring record in the English Premier League by beating Bournemouth 9-0 at home.

The International Monetary Fund is facing pressure to eliminate, or at least, reevaluate how it imposes fees on loans it disperses to needy countries like war-torn Ukraine — which is one of the fund’s biggest borrowers.

This is quite a time to be a season ticket holder for the San Diego Padres.

The Kansas City Royals are busy patching up a roster decimated by players barred from traveling to Toronto because of their COVID-19 vaccination status while trying to heal their damaged image among fans.

The Royals will be without 10 of the 26 players on their active roster for their upcoming trip to Toronto due to Canadian restrictions on travelers who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Kansas City Royals will be without 10 of the 26 players on their active roster for their upcoming trip to Toronto due to Canadian restrictions on travelers who aren’t vaccinated against COVID-19.

Justin Verlander got his MLB-leading 11th win, Yordan Alvarez hit his 26th homer and the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 5-2 to take the series 3-1.

Pope Francis has ordered the online publication of 170 volumes of its Jewish files from the recently opened archives of the Pope Pius XII pontificate.

California lawmakers say they'll investigate why the state's gas prices are the highest in the U.S. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced a bipartisan committee on Monday to investigate gas price gouging.

Hong Kong is preparing to introduce new middle school textbooks that will deny the Chinese territory was ever a British colony.

The twin concerts for Foo Fighters’ late drummer Taylor Hawkins will include Miley Cyrus, Liam Gallagher, Joan Jett, Mark Ronson, members of Queen, The Police, Rush, Kiss, The Pretenders, Motley Crue, Queens of the Stone Age, Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Supergrass and comedian Dave Chappelle.

Members of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection are holding their first prime-time hearing to share what they have uncovered about then-President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is renewing his calls for an immediate halt to violence on the 100th day of the war in Ukraine.

Australia’s new prime minister was sworn into office before flying to Tokyo for a summit with President Joe Biden.

The Vatican’s foreign minister is heading to Kyiv this week as the Holy See seeks to balance its concern for Ukrainians with its efforts to keep open a channel of dialogue with Russia.

Astros manager Dusty Baker tries for his 2,000th win as a major league manager when Houston hosts Seattle.

Padres right-hander Mike Clevinger is set to pitch in the majors for the first time since recovering from his second Tommy John surgery.

Paul Goldschmidt hit an early home run and Steven Matz and the St. Louis bullpen made it stand up, leading the Cardinals over the Kansas City Royals 1-0.

Aaron Judge returned from a scheduled day off to homer twice and drive in the tying run as the Yankees rallied past the Royals 6-4 for their ninth straight win.

Leeds has moved five points clear of the relegation zone by drawing at Crystal Palace 0-0 in the English Premier League.

Molly Shannon made a name for herself as a standout performer on “Saturday Night Live” with memorable characters including the hyperactive schoolgirl Mary Katherine Gallagher.

Lawyers for Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai are asking the United Nations to investigate his imprisonment and multiple criminal charges as “legal harassment” that punish him for speaking out.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed a tax rebate amid record-high prices at the pump.

The head of the Polish bishops’ conference has done what Pope Francis has avoided doing by publicly condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

California could mandate that all businesses require their employees and independent contractors receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Adele has made a return to live performance and scooped three prizes at the Brit Awards, the U.K.’s leading music prizes.

Add Allegiant Air to the list of airlines getting a new CEO this year.

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics are opening with the same concerns that loomed over the 2008 Beijing Olympics: China's record on human rights and its treatment of Tibetans and Uyghur Muslims in western China.

The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics open in just over a week.

Leaders of the Arizona Democratic Party have voted to censure Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema.

California would allow children age 12 and up to be vaccinated without parental consent under a state senator's proposal.

Video released from body cameras captures the chaos deputies encountered when they arrived at the scene of a mass shooting outside a Southern California bar in 2018.

Ondrej Palat scored 36 seconds into overtime after Tampa Bay teammate Corey Perry tied it late in the third period, and the Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 in the first NHL game following an extended holiday break.

Security pros say it’s one of the worst computer vulnerabilities they’ve ever seen.

January cannot come quick enough for Newcastle.

New York officials have disclosed that the U.S. Department of Justice began a civil inquiry in August into sexual harassment claims made against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The stand the women's professional tennis tour is taking in China over concern about Grand Slam doubles champion Peng Shuai's well-being could cost the WTA millions of dollars.

This week’s new entertainment releases include a new album from saxophone legend Kenny G, a documentary about the 12 young soccer players and their coach trapped in a flooded Thailand cave, and Jane Campion makes a triumphant return to filmmaking in “The Power of the Dog.”.

Angela Williams has taken the helm of the nation’s largest charity with a powerhouse resume behind her — and a long list of challenges in front of her.

A Texas radio host has been sentenced to three life prison sentences for a Ponzi scheme in which he bilked elderly listeners out of millions of dollars.

Jim Bob Duggar, whose large family was featured in the TLC reality show “19 Kids and Counting,” has announced he’s running for a seat in the Arkansas Senate.

Both China and the United States are starting new financial attacks on climate change.

New Zealand is buying an extra 500,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine from Denmark as it tries to keep its coronavirus vaccination program running at full speed, the government said.

Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, say it’s “possible” that the U.S. will have to coordinate with the Taliban on any future counterterrorism strikes in Afghanistan against Islamic State militants or others.

Salvador Perez hit two of Kansas City’s five home runs in the Royals’ 6-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.

Yogananda Pittman, who was the top Capitol Police intelligence official when thousands of pro-Trump rioters descended in January and who served as the agency’s acting chief, is back in charge of intelligence.

Luke Voit had a two-run single in the first inning and the New York Yankees beat Kansas City 5-2 on Wednesday for their 12th straight series victory over the Royals.

Irish singer Ronan Keating has accepted “substantial damages” from a British tabloid newspaper publisher over phone hacking.

A judge in Northern Ireland says there is plausible evidence that authorities could have prevented the worst single atrocity of the Troubles.

The Russia-based criminal syndicate behind a devastating series of recent ransomware attacks is offline.

The cyber insurance industry, once a profitable niche, is now in the crosshairs of ransomware criminals.

Pope Francis is insisting that Lebanon must remain a “land of tolerance and pluralism.”.

The Tampa Bay Lightning lead the Stanley Cup Final two games to none after beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-1on Wednesday night.

The Montreal Canadiens have finally earned respect during a remarkable playoff run that has them in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 28 years.

The Vatican has formally opposed a proposed Italian law expanding anti-discrimination protections to the LGBT community.

Shea Theodore had a goal and an assist, Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in the first game of the Stanley Cup semifinal.

California officials announced six weeks ago that Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom would face an almost certain recall election.

Rookie Andrew Vaughn, starting the nightcap at first base after AL MVP Jose Abreu was injured in a frightening collision in the first game, homered to send the Chicago White Sox over the Kansas City Royals 3-1 for a doubleheader split.

California is racing to spend more than a half-billion dollars before this year's wildfire season gets going in earnest.

The House Ethics Committee has announced an investigation into Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz.

A day after Tatis walked off the field during an exhibition game in a worrisome scene, the Padres said the discomfort in his left shoulder had improved. In fact he was lobbying to get in the lineup today, so I thought that was very encouraging,” Tingler said. I think everybody’s kind of expecting him to be back in the lineup in the next day or two. AdMichael Pineda was roughed up in his second start for Minnesota, surrendering five runs on nine hits in five innings. Ian Anderson went six innings in his fourth start, allowing four runs on eight hits and a walk.

FILE - This Nov. 5, 2020 file photo shows a sign for a Pontins holiday park. A chain of holiday parks in Britain kept an undesirable guests list of Irish surnames in an attempt to keep out members of the Irish Traveller community, the U.K. equalities watchdog said Tuesday March 2, 2021. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP, File)LONDON – A chain of holiday parks in Britain kept an “undesirable guests” list of Irish last names in an attempt to keep out members of the Irish Traveler community, the U.K. equalities watchdog said Tuesday. The list kept by Pontins, which was displayed on a staff intranet site, contained about 40 largely Irish names, including Cash, Delaney, Gallagher, Murphy and O’Brien. At the firm’s peak, there were about 30 Pontins sites in the U.K., but only half a dozen are still operating.

People eat dinner in an outdoor dining tent set up at Lumen Field, the home of the Seattle Seahawks NFL football team, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)SEATTLE – Sick of the same old, same old pandemic dining? The “Field to Table” dining series kicked off this month at Lumen Field, offering upscale eats, plus a view of the stadium normally reserved for players and coaches. Event producer Sam Minkoff says he believes the dining series is the first of its kind in the U.S.And people are eating it up. But Minkoff said with the Lumen Field dining series, “we find ourselves back to doing what we love: bringing people together through shared experiences.”___On the web: https://www.fieldtotable.us/

Priebus would only consider running for Senate if incumbent Republican Ron Johnson did not seek a third term, the strategist said. Some began reaching out to Priebus after conservative talk radio host Jay Weber floated Priebus' name, the strategist said. Priebus served as Trump's chief of staff for the first six months of Trump's term in 2017 before being fired. Priebus last voted in Wisconsin in the 2016 presidential election, when Trump narrowly won the state. AdPriebus, a native of Kenosha, was head of the Wisconsin Republican Party between 2007 and 2009 before spending the next six years as chairman of the Republican National Committee.

Naval Academy wants the state of Wisconsin to return the statue. The statue, crafted from melted-down cannons seized from Cuba during the Spanish-American War, was affixed to the first USS Wisconsin prior to World War I. The academy museum contacted state officials last March seeking the statue's return so it could be loaned to the nonprofit Nauticus Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, where the second USS Wisconsin is berthed as an exhibit. Academy museum director Claude Berube last week consulted with U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, a Wisconsin Republican and former Marine. AdThe academy museum previously extended the state loan until mid-September due to COVID-induced closures in Norfolk.

Not Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson. Bishop criticized fellow Republicans like Johnson who parroted claims of illegal election activity, even as he remains a Johnson backer. A number of Republicans are eyeing a run for either Senate or governor, depending on what Johnson does. Potential Republican Senate candidates include U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, former U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy and Kevin Nicholson, who lost a 2018 Republican Senate primary. Mandela Barnes, the state’s first Black lieutenant governor, state Treasurer Sarah Godlewski and state Sen. Chris Larson of Milwaukee.

Cade Cunningham scored 18 points, and the Cowboys held off a late rally to beat No. “This is what the process looks like,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Boynton said. It was the fifth time in the past eight tries that Oklahoma State has beaten the Jayhawks at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Garrett missed a 3-pointer, and Oklahoma State got the ball in a scramble and called timeout with 17.8 seconds left. Oklahoma State hosts rival Oklahoma on Saturday.

Authorities said four people died during the violence, including one woman who was shot by an officer outside the House chamber. Trump only reluctantly issued the tweets and taped a video encouraging an end to the violence. Stephanie Grisham, first lady Melania Trump's chief of staff and a former White House press secretary, submitted her resignation. Deputy national security adviser Matt Pottinger, White House social secretary Rickie Niceta and deputy press secretary Sarah Matthews also resigned, according to officials. At one point, he even suggested he might join them — a prospect that was discussed by the White House but eventually abandoned.

Fields led Ohio State to a 6-0 record and the No. 7 Indiana (6-1) to its highest ranking since 1967, knocking off three ranked teams along the way. Its only loss was 42-35 at Ohio State in a game that went down to the final play. u-QB — Justin Fields, Ohio State, 6-3, 228, Jr., Kennesaw, Georgia. C — Josh Myers, Ohio State, 6-5, 312, Jr., Miamisburg, Ohio.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump offered a new rationale Sunday for threatening to veto the annual defense policy bill that covers the military's budget for equipment and pay raises for service members: China. “The biggest winner of our new defense bill is China! I will veto!” Trump said in a new tweet. “President Trump clearly hasn’t read the bill, nor does he understand what’s in it," Reed said. McConnell said it was important for Congress to continue its nearly six-decade long streak of passing the defense policy bill.

The Cougars defense, which had allowed less than 90 yards rushing a game coming in, was pounded by Coastal Carolina for 281 yards. But Coastal Carolina linebackers Gunter and Teddy Gallagher kept blocking and hitting Wilson after the interception. Coastal Carolina: The Chanticleers pulled off the latest milestone in a season full of them. POLL IMPLICATIONSCount on Coastal Carolina moving up if there's any room in the rankings. Coastal Carolina travels to Troy next Saturday to make up a game postponed in November.

Northwestern players celebrate after they defeated Wisconsin 17-7 in an NCAA college football game in Evanston, Ill., Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)If you need help with the Public File, call (713) 778-4745.

Patrick Marks, left, helps customer Jesus Chavez at Beck's Shoes in the Sutter County committee of Yuba City, Calif., Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. But Patrick, 64, won’t stop eating breakfast at his favorite restaurant in Yuba City even though it’s supposed to be closed to inside dining following California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest health mandate aimed at curbing a frightening spike in coronavirus cases. Yuba City is in Sutter County, about 100 miles northeast of San Francisco and one of the places that saw new restrictions on businesses. It’s just the way it is.”Tuesday’s cold, drizzly weather in Yuba City didn’t seem to bother Tony Baptiste, who stopped in to eat lunch outside on a restaurant on his way back to Chico.

NEW YORK – The University of Pittsburgh has acquired the archive of the late playwright and Pittsburgh native son August Wilson, a trove that contains recordings, letters, artwork, poetry, unpublished work and notebooks. The August Wilson Archive will reside in a state-of-the-art home in Hillman Library’s renovated Archives & Special Collections, the university said Thursday. “This acquisition is about more than bringing August Wilson back home to Pittsburgh,” said Chancellor Patrick Gallagher in a statement. Next up this December is “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” directed by Tony-winner George C. Wolfe and adapted by Ruben Santiago-Hudson. Washington says “The Piano Lesson” is the next Wilson work he hopes to bring to the screen.

(NBC via AP)Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIES— Many things will be different about Halloween this year, but the annual rush of horror films is much the same. It stars Sope Dirisu and Wunmi Mosaku as a Sudanese refugee couple finding new horrors in life in England. But Neon, the “Parasite” distributor, last week put a restored version into theaters and on Tuesday brings it to VOD. One is Natalie Margolin “The Party Hop,” which she wrote during quarantine in one week in early April.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo meets Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, at the Vatican, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020. Pompeo is meeting Thursday with top Vatican officials, a day after tensions over U.S. opposition to the Vaticans China policy spilled out in public. The State Department sought to play down the differences, but tensions were palpable during Pompeo’s two-day visit to Rome. The disagreement on China comes as the Vatican is heading into delicate negotiations with Beijing to extend its controversial 2018 accord over bishop nominations. Pompeo spent about 45 minutes Thursday meeting in the Apostolic Palace with his Vatican counterpart, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and the Vatican foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

Pompeo made the appeal at a conference on religious freedom organized by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, with top Vatican officials in the audience. Pompeo has strongly criticized the accord, penning an essay earlier this month suggesting that the Vatican had compromised its moral authority by signing it. The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said the Holy See was “surprised” by Pompeo’s article. Both focused instead on the Holy See’s longstanding history of promoting religious freedom as a fundamental human right. After the conference, Pompeo met with Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte, the first Group of Seven leader to sign onto China’s infrastructure-building Belt and Road initiative.

California Secretary for Environmental Protection Jared Blumenfeld talks to the media after he toured the North Complex Fire zone with Gov. “The data is self-evident, the experience that we have in the state of California just underscoring the reality of the ravages of climate change,” he said. The debate is over around climate change." Two Republican state lawmakers who represent the Northern California region where Newsom spoke countered that the governor is using climate change as an excuse for years of failed policies by fellow Democrats who control nearly all aspects of California government. Newsom finally called for voters to unseat politicians “across the spectrum” who deny the effects of climate change, saying he was not just criticizing President Donald Trump.

Police say protesters have masqueraded as journalists and then set fires or thrown fireworks, making it a struggle to figure out who is a real reporter during the pandemonium. Reporters whether they're from major media outlets, freelancers or self-proclaimed citizen journalists" say they are doing their job and law enforcement is hindering that work. Suzette Smith, a freelance journalist who has covered the protests, recorded the Aug. 29 encounter between police and reporters. In July, the ACLU of Oregon sued Portland police and federal agents on behalf of a group of legal observers and journalists. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

The extra $600 in weekly unemployment benefits has expired, the federal eviction moratorium has ended and federal money to help businesses retain workers has grown lean. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)An unemployed makeup artist with two toddlers and a disabled husband needs help with food and rent. Still, it was the 20th straight week that at least 1 million people sought jobless aid. But Lopez, 30, just received her first weekly unemployment check without the $600, and it was only $213. Floridas weekly unemployment aid is capped at $275 a week, so Im quite reliant on that extra $600, he said.

Chicago Cubs fans wait for a ball outside of Wrigley Field before the Opening Day baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers in Chicago, Friday, July 24, 2020, in Chicago. In a normal year, that would mean a sellout crowd at Wrigley Field and jammed bars surrounding the famed ballpark. While Major League Baseball is beginning this season without fans in its stadiums, the famed ballhawks of Wrigley Field remain at their post amid the coronavirus pandemic. We couldn't wait for baseball to start.Each of the Wrigley veterans has tips for tracking down balls. He lives near Wrigley, but never had the time before he started working from home because of the pandemic.

Cubs executive vice president of sales and marketing Colin Faulkner looks to the field from the Wrigley Rooftop before the Opening Day baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and the Milwaukee Brewers in Chicago, Friday, July 24, 2020, in Chicago. The Chicago Cubs open against the Milwaukee Brewers. In a normal year, that would mean a sellout crowd at Wrigley Field and jammed bars surrounding the famed ballpark. The Chicago Cubs were about to open their season at long last against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, and it sure sounded like a packed house at Wrigley Field. But I've been watching a lot of pro wrestling without the crowds so I kind of got used to it.

Nick Cordero, the Broadway actor who spent more than 90 days in a hospital fighting for his life after contracting coronavirus, will have an album released posthumously. Broadway Records said Wednesday it will release Nick Cordero: Live Your Life on Sept. 17 what would have been his 42nd birthday. Cordero's album is named after one of his songs and captures his cabaret performance in April 2019 at the Broadway supper club Feinsteins/54 Below. Cordero was in many stage productions, including Bullets Over Broadway in New York, which earned him a Tony Award nomination. His wife, dancer and personal trainer Amanda Kloots, said shed never seen Cordero work so hard on something as his cabaret show.

Kansas City Royals' Hunter Dozier bats during the first inning of an exhibition baseball game against the Houston Astros in Kansas City, Mo., Monday, July 20, 2020. Kansas City Royals outfielder Hunter Dozier has tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the injured list before the club played its final exhibition game against the Cardinals in St. Louis on Wednesday. And it still snuck up on them.The positive test leaves Matheny with another hole to fill in his starting lineup. Ryan McBroom, who made his big league debut last season, will likely start at first base with O'Hearn sidelined by the virus. Danny Duffy will start opening day against Cleveland and rookie Brady Singer will make his big league debut on Saturday.

Not long ago, Royals pitcher Tim Hill was wrapping up eight brutal months of chemotherapy to treat colon cancer. The biopsy came back positive for colon cancer, the same disease that claimed his father when Hill was just 17 years old. With the support of the Royals, Hill began to build back his strength. Those factors left Hill wondering whether he should step on the field when baseball resumed or stick to the sideline, knowing they increased the risk of complications should he contract COVID-19. Some of it seems over-the-top when you first look at it, but when you start seeing people test positive, you see maybe it's necessary.