An Oval Office ceremony meant to celebrate milk was overshadowed by President Donald Trump making news on other fronts.

Federal health officials say at least 45 people in nearly two dozen states have been sickened with salmonella food poisoning tied to the Super Greens brand of diet supplement powder.

A top Democrat is slamming the Trump administration for cutting thousands of substance abuse and mental health grants and then abruptly reversing course.

President Donald Trump says he’s been told “on good authority” that plans for executions in Iran have stopped, even as Tehran has signaled fast trials and executions ahead in its crackdown on protesters.

The United States says it’s moving into the next phase of a Gaza ceasefire plan involving disarming Hamas, rebuilding the war-ravaged territory and establishing the group of Palestinian experts that will administer daily affairs.

The Supreme Court is reviving a Republican challenge to a law allowing the counting of late-arriving mail ballots, a target of President Donald Trump.

Attorney General Pam Bondi says the search of a Washington Post reporter’s home was done at the Pentagon’s request as part of a leak investigation.

Senate Democrats are expressing optimism they'll be able to flip the chamber this year after it looked all but impossible last year.

The Trump administration says multiple Americans who were detained in Venezuela have been released.

Civil rights pioneer Claudette Colvin has died.

The Democratic National Committee plans to spend millions of dollars to consolidate voter registration efforts, traditionally handled by nonprofits and individual campaigns.

The leaders of Denmark and the country’s territory of Greenland on Tuesday offered a united front against President Donald Trump’s calls for the United States to take over the strategic Arctic island.

Washington’s inspector general’s office has launched an investigation into the Metropolitan Police Department’s crime data reporting system.

Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Elon Musk's AI chatbot Grok as concerns grow over its misuse in generating explicit images.

The German government has sharply rejected claims by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that it sidelined patient autonomy during COVID-19.

A Virginia man has pleaded not guilty to charges accusing him of planting two pipe bombs outside the headquarters of the Democratic and Republican national parties on the eve of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.

Adam Johnson, known for grabbing Nancy Pelosi's podium during the Capitol riot, is running for a county office in Florida.

A federal judge on Friday blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from enforcing most of his executive order on elections against the vote-by-mail states Washington and Oregon, in the latest blow to Trump’s efforts to require documentary proof of citizenship to vote and to require that all ballots be received by Election Day.

The Washington National Opera is moving performances away from the Kennedy Center.

The Senate has agreed to display a plaque honoring the police who defended the Capitol during the Jan. 6, 2021 attack.

President Donald Trump says he is directing the federal government to buy $200 billion in mortgage bonds, a move he said would help reduce mortgage rates at a time when Americans are worried about home prices.

The IRS will start accepting 2025 tax returns on Jan. 26, marking the official start of the 2026 tax filing season.

U.S. filings for unemployment benefits rose in the last week of 2025 but remain historically low, despite signs that the labor market is weakening.

The White House says structural issues and decay had made it unfeasible to save the East Wing.

The State Department says it has suspended all U.S. assistance to Somalia’s federal government over allegations that Somali officials destroyed an American-funded warehouse belonging to the World Food Program and seized 76 metric tons of food aid intended for impoverished civilians.

U.S. employers posted far fewer jobs in November than the previous month, a sign that employers aren’t yet ramping up hiring even as growth has picked up.

President Donald Trump's administration is seeking to assert its control over Venezuelan oil, seizing two sanctioned tankers transporting petroleum and announcing plans to relax some sanctions so the U.S. can oversee the sale of Venezuela’s petroleum worldwide.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says he plans to meet with Danish officials next week after the Trump administration reiterated its intention to take over the strategic Arctic island.

President Donald Trump says Venezuela will be providing 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S., and he pledges to use proceeds from the sale of this oil “to benefit the people” of both countries.

On the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, there is no official event to memorialize what happened.

President Donald Trump may have his name on the building but it's still the Kennedy Center to Congress.

The Trump administration has added seven countries, including five in Africa, to the list of nations whose passport holders are required to post bonds of up to $15,000 to apply for visas to enter the United States.

The Environmental Protection Agency says it will propose a drinking water limit for perchlorate, a chemical in certain explosives.

The U.S. capture and ouster of Venezuelan strongman leader Nicolás Maduro marked a stunning culmination of the Trump administration’s efforts to assert dominance in Latin America.

Legal questions are being raised about the Trump administration’s capture of Venezuela’s president and claims that it will “run” the South American country.

The Trump administration faces a legal complaint from government employees over a new policy eliminating coverage for gender-affirming care in federal health insurance programs.

Chief Justice John Roberts says that the Constitution remains a sturdy pillar for the country, a message that comes after a tumultuous year in the nation’s judicial system with pivotal Supreme Court decisions on the horizon.

The U.S. military says it has struck five alleged drug-smuggling boats over two days.

Farmers are now learning how much aid they can expect to receive from a $12 billion package that President Donald Trump announced earlier this month.

Former Brazil and Real Madrid great Roberto Carlos has posted a picture of himself smiling in hospital and says he's “recovering well” after confirming he had undergone a heart procedure.

Fewer Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week as layoffs remain low despite a weakening labor market.

The CIA was behind a drone strike last week at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels.

Some Federal Reserve officials who supported cutting a key interest rate earlier this month could have instead backed keeping the rate unchanged, minutes released Tuesday show, underscoring the divisions and uncertainty permeating the central bank.

The surge of federal officers this week in Minnesota follows new allegations of fraud by day care centers run by Somali residents.

President Donald Trump has indicated that the U.S. has “hit” a dock facility along a shore as he wages a pressure campaign on Venezuela.

The man accused of placing two pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol told investigators after his arrest that he believed someone needed to “speak up” for people who believed the 2020 election was stolen.

The president of the Kennedy Center is criticizing musician Chuck Redd for canceling a Christmas Eve performance.

A planned Christmas Eve jazz concert at the Kennedy Center has been canceled.

The Justice Department said Wednesday that finishing the release of all of the Jeffrey Epstein files could take a “few more weeks,” further delaying compliance with a Dec. 19 deadline set by Congress.

The Justice Department says that finishing the release of all of the Jeffrey Epstein files could take a “few more weeks,” further delaying compliance with a Dec. 19 deadline set by Congress.

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week and remain at historically healthy levels despite some signs that the labor market is weakening.

The Trump administration says it will begin garnishing the wages of student loan borrowers who are in default early next year.

Wyoming’s lone U.S. representative is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Cynthia Lummis, who isn’t seeking reelection.

The U.S. economy economy expanded at a strong 4.3% annual rate from July through September as consumer spending, exports and government spending all grew.

A new Department of Health and Human Services report reveals Medicaid programs made over $200 million in improper payments to health care providers between 2021 and 2022 for people who had already died.

The U.S. military says it has conducted another strike against a boat it said was smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing one person.

UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava is returning for another season instead of declaring for the NFL draft.

A federal judge ruled Monday that the Trump administration must give legal due process to Venezuelan migrants flown to a notorious prison in El Salvador, either by providing court hearings or returning them to the U.S. Judge James Boasberg ordered the government to come up with a plan within two weeks.

The head of the U.S. Department of Transportation is calling out Colorado for its slow response to what he describes as major violations of federal commercial driver’s license regulations.

A transgender employee of the National Security Agency plans to sue the Trump administration and try to block enforcement of a presidential executive order and other policies the employee says violate federal civil rights law.

The Trump administration is suspending leases for five large-scale offshore wind projects under construction on the East Coast due to what it said were national security risks identified by the Pentagon.

The Trump administration is recalling nearly 30 career diplomats from ambassadorial and other senior embassy posts as it moves to reshape the U.S. diplomatic posture abroad with personnel deemed fully supportive of President Donald Trump’s “America First” priorities.

The president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation says she trusts the Trump-appointed chairman of a federal planning commission to do his job and seriously review President Donald Trump's proposal to build a ballroom at the White House.

The U.S. military will end its practice of shooting pigs and goats to help prepare medics for treating wounded troops in a combat zone.

The Supreme Court is siding with immigration judges and rebuffing the Trump administration for now in a case that could have wider implications for federal workers as the justices weigh expanding presidential firing power.

The Kennedy Center has added President Donald Trump's name to the memorial that Congress created for John F. Kennedy.

A YouTube content creator whose livestream talking about investments mysteriously appeared to take over a White House website says he has no idea how it happened.

Washington, D.C., activists and local leaders say the law enforcement operation President Donald Trump launched four months ago with the goal of fighting crime has led to a crackdown on immigrants.

President Donald Trump has suspended the green card lottery program that allowed the suspect in the Brown University and MIT shootings to come to the United States.

Cannabis companies like Tilray Brands and Canopy Growth could soon face a more mellow path ahead following President Donald Trump’s move to help reclassify the drug’s status.

House Democrats have released several dozen more photos from the estate of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Zohran Mamdani can claim multiple firsts when he becomes New York’s mayor Jan. 1.

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits fell by 13,000 last week, remaining in the same historically healthy range of the past few years even as concerns grow about the health of the labor market.

U.S. inflation slowed unexpectedly last month according to data that was delayed and likely distorted by the government shutdown.

President Donald Trump's administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than $10 billion, including medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones.

The U.S. government says the actions of an air traffic controller and Army helicopter pilot played a role in a fatal collision last January between an airliner and a Black Hawk near the nation’s capital.

Ani Kilambi has joined the Nationals as their new general manager, making the 31-year-old who had been with the Philadelphia Phillies the latest young face to join president of baseball operations Paul Toboni in Washington.

A federal judge in the nation’s capital has temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing policies limiting Congress members’ access to immigration detention facilities.

In a story published Dec. 17, 2025, about Nebraska implementing work requirements for Medicaid, The Associated Press misspelled the first name of former President Barack Obama.

A federal appeals court says the National Guard deployment in the nation's capital can continue for now.

The winner of the 2026 World Cup will receive $50 million from a $655 million prize pool, FIFA said in announcing record financial rewards for teams in a tournament with ticket prices that have sparked outcries.

A federal judge in Washington says he's inclined to deny a preservationist group's request to temporarily halt President Donald Trump's ballroom project.

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia are suing President Donald Trump’s administration for what they say is unlawfully withholding billions of dollars in funding for two electric vehicle charging programs.

The Trump administration has designated another Latin American drug cartel as a foreign terrorist group, increasing financial pressure on its members and opening the door to potential military action against them.

The U.S. military says it has attacked three boats accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing a total of eight people.

The United States gained a decent 64,000 jobs in November but lost 105,000 in October as federal workers departed after cutbacks by the Trump administration, the government said in delayed reports.

The Trump administration says in a court filing that the president’s White House ballroom construction project must continue for unexplained national security reasons.

In a story published Dec. 15, 2025, about aviation safety, The Associated Press erroneously reported that Sen. Ted Cruz was threatening another federal government shutdown if new restrictions on military flights are not approved by the end of January.

A congressional committee's report says the police chief in Washington, D.C., pressured subordinates to manipulate department data to artificially lower the city’s crime rates.

U.S. health officials have expanded approval of a drug that boosts libido in women who report stress due to a low sex drive.

A leading candidate to be President Donald Trump’s choice for Federal Reserve chair says he would present the president’s views to Fed officials for their consideration but they could reject them if they chose when making decisions on interest rates.

A JetBlue flight from the small Caribbean nation of Curaçao halted its ascent to avoid colliding with a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker, and the pilot blamed the military plane for crossing his path.

An arctic air blast swept south from Canada, spreading into the northern United States.

President Donald Trump says “there will be very serious retaliation” after two U.S. service members and one American civilian were killed in an attack in Syria that the United States blames on the Islamic State group.

Record floodwaters are slowly receding in Washington state after triggering evacuations, inundating communities and prompting dramatic rescues from rooftops and vehicles.

A bipartisan group in Congress is urging the Education Department to add nursing to a list of college programs that are considered “professional.”.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to block states from regulating artificial intelligence.

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits jumped last week, but the total number of those collecting benefits fell to the lowest level in eight months.

Sweeping taxes on imports have cost the average American household nearly $1,200 since Donald Trump returned to the White House this year, according to calculations by Democrats on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee.

The House votes to pass a sweeping defense policy bill that authorizes $900 billion in military programs.