As the omicron coronavirus variant spreads in southern Africa and pops up in countries all around the world, scientists are anxiously watching a battle play out that could determine the future of the pandemic. Can the latest competitor to the world-dominating delta overthrow it? More >>

Jussie Smollett took the witness stand Monday at his trial where he is facing charges accusing him of staging a racist, anti-gay attack on himself and lying to Chicago police about it. More >>

Kentucky has been hit by an across-the-board coronavirus escalation, driven by the delta variant that remains the main adversary in the fight against COVID-19, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday. More >>

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The prosecutor overseeing the case against the student accused in last week's deadly Michigan school shooting and who took the rare step of charging his parents left open the possibility Monday that school officials could also face charges, saying “in this case, a lot c… More >>

Massive amounts of federal aid have given Kentucky a once-in-a-generation opportunity to guarantee basic necessities and build on economic momentum, showing the grassroots benefits that trump the partisan rancor over coronavirus pandemic relief, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday. More >>

The vaccine mandate for private businesses will take effect Dec. 27 and is aimed at preventing a spike in COVID-19 infections during the holiday season and the colder months. More >>

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Bob Dole's casket will lie in state in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday as congressional leaders honor the former Republican presidential candidate and World War II veteran who served in Congress for 36 years. More >>

Monday’s verdict was the first expected in a series of cases against the 76-year-old. More >>

When Japanese bombs began falling on Pearl Harbor, U.S. Navy Seaman 1st Class David Russell first sought refuge below deck on the USS Oklahoma. More >>

Allyship, an old noun made new again, is Dictionary.com's word of the year. More >>

"Ghislaine’s physical welfare and her right to have proper and timely access to her counsel during the trial have been entirely overlooked." More >>

Representing Kansas in Congress for nearly 36 years, Dole was known on Capitol Hill as a shrewd and pragmatic legislator, trusted to broker compromises across party lines. More >>

The People’s Bank of China said it released 1.2 trillion yuan ($190 billion) for lending by reducing the amount of money banks must hold in reserve. More >>

Pope Francis ended his visit to Greece on Monday by encouraging its young people to follow their dreams and not be tempted by the consumerist “sirens” of today that promise easy pleasures. More >>

The path to power for Republicans in Congress is now rooted in the capacity to generate outrage. More >>

More than 230 skiing and snowboarding Kris Kringles took to a western Maine resort on Sunday to raise money for charity. More >>

 Cincinnati will play Alabama and Michigan will face Georgia on New Year's Eve after being selected to the College Football Playoff as a historic field of four was set Sunday. More >>

As the Supreme Court court weighs the future of the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, a resurgent anti-abortion movement is looking to press its advantage in state-by-state battles while abortion-rights supporters prepare to play defense. More >>

A Detroit-area artist whose studio was where the parents of the Oxford High School student charged in a deadly shooting were found by police is cooperating with authorities and didn’t know the couple had stayed overnight, his attorney said Sunday. More >>

He then said employees could expect an email from HR detailing benefits and severance. More >>

A new allegation of sexual harassment against Chris Cuomo emerged just days before CNN announced it was firing the anchor amid an investigation into work he did defending his brother from similar harassment allegations. More >>

His wife, Elizabeth Dole, posted the announcement Sunday on Twitter. More >>

U.S. health officials said Sunday that while the omicron variant of the coronavirus is rapidly spreading throughout the country, early indications suggest it may be less dangerous than delta, which continues to drive a surge of hospitalizations. More >>

Bien-Aimé St. Clair frowned as the stream of older Haitian migrants pushed past him. Accused of living in the Dominican Republic illegally, they knew they had no choice but to go back across the border to Haiti. More >>

Norwegian Cruise Line issued a statement that confirmed a “handful of COVID-19 cases among guests and crew.”  More >>

Bob Dole’s political career began in 1950 with election to the Kansas Legislature and officially ended nearly five decades later, one step short of the White House. In retirement, Dole kept working into his 90s for the causes he cherished. More >>

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A third party will investigate events at Oxford High School that occurred before a school shooting that left four students dead and six other students and a teacher wounded, the Michigan district's superintendent said, with the Michigan attorney general responding Sunda… More >>

Anti-racism activists were beaten up Sunday as far-right former French TV pundit Eric Zemmour held his first presidential campaign rally near Paris, a few days after he formally declared his candidacy in a video that highlighted his anti-migrant and anti-Islam views. More >>

The over-the-top parties and star-studded shows surrounding Miami's Art Basel wrapped up this weekend with performances by Rosalia, Lizzo, Cardi B and rocker Lenny Kravitz. More >>

JERUSALEM (AP) — The long-delayed resumption of nuclear talks with Iran has gotten off to a rough start — with Iran digging in and its negotiating partners openly voicing frustration and pessimism. More >>

LESBOS, Greece (AP) — Pope Francis returned Sunday to the Greek island of Lesbos to offer comfort to migrants at a refugee camp and blast what he said was Europe's indifference and self-interest “that condemns to death those on the fringes.” More >>

After two brothers spent hours telling a jury how Jussie Smollett paid them to carry out a fake racist and anti-gay attack on himself in downtown Chicago, the big question when the actor's trial resumes Monday will be whether or not he will tell his side of the story. More >>

Shoe Carnival Inc., with headquarters in Evansville, Indiana, said Friday it had acquired the Mobile-based Shoe Station Inc. More >>

Belgian police used water cannon and tear gas Sunday to disperse some rowdy protesters in Brussels after most demonstrators marched peacefully to protest tightened COVID-19 restrictions that aim to counter a surge of coronavirus infections. More >>

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Thursday that the administration's goal for offshore wind and the projects being developed now represent a “gust of job growth throughout the country.” More >>

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Michigan ignored the preseason predictions, the early poll snub and especially the critics who thought the program’s best days were long gone. More >>

The highest volcano on Indonesia’s most densely populated island of Java spewed thick columns of ash, searing gas and lava down its slopes in a sudden eruption triggered by heavy rains on Saturday. More >>

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has plenty of options to make good on its pledge to hit Russia financially if President Vladimir Putin invades Ukraine, from sanctions targeting Putin’s associates to cutting Russia off from the financial system that sends money flowing around the world. More >>

New York announced three more cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus Saturday, bringing the number of state cases linked to the new variant to eight. More >>

ATLANTA (AP) — Underdog is an unusual role for Alabama. More >>

The last known call between the leaders was in July, when Biden pressed Putin to rein in Russia-based criminal hacking gangs launching ransomware attacks against the United States More >>

The network suspended Chris Cuomo earlier in the week to investigate his involvement with his brother's defense. More >>

PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — A judge imposed a combined $1 million bond Saturday for the parents of the Michigan teen charged with killing four students at Oxford High School, hours after police said they were caught hiding in a Detroit commercial building. More >>

Most Americans know about atrocities endured by Native Americans after the arrival of European settlers: wars, disease, stolen land. But they aren’t always taught the extent of the indiscriminate killings. More >>

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Pope Francis warned Saturday that the “easy answers” of populism and authoritarianism are threatening democracy in Europe and called for fresh dedication to promoting the common good rather than narrow, nationalist interests. More >>

Donald Trump’s new social media company and its special purpose acquisition company partner say the partner has agreements for $1 billion in capital from institutional investors. More >>

Guns used in U.S. school shootings have often come from the homes of young perpetrators, but parents are rarely charged for the violence that occurs, experts say. More >>

America’s winter wonderland is starting out this season as anything but traditional. More >>

ATLANTA (AP) — Stacey Abrams announced a long-awaited second run for Georgia governor this week, but with Democrats facing a sour national environment and Republican Gov. Brian Kemp facing challenges within his own party, the 2022 campaign will look different from 2018. More >>