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The Vatican’s ‘trial of the century,’ a Pandora’s box of unintended revelations, explained

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:26:32 GMT

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Verdicts are expected Saturday for a cardinal and nine other defendants in the most complicated financial trial in the Vatican’s modern history: a case featuring a Hollywood-worthy cast of characters, unseemly revelations about the Holy See and questions about Pope Francis ’ own role in the deals.The trial had initially been seen as a showcase for Francis’ reforms and his willingness to crack down on alleged financial misdeeds in the Vatican, which long had a reputation as an offshore tax haven.But after 2 1/2 years of hearings, no real smoking gun emerged to support the prosecution’s hypothesis of a grand conspiracy to defraud the pope of millions of euros (dollars) in charitable donations.Even if some convictions are handed down, the overall impression is that the “trial of the century” turned into something of a Pandora’s box of unintended revelations about Vatican vendettas, incompetence and even ransom payments that ultimately cost the Holy See reputat...

Shooting of Palestinian college students came amid spike in gun violence in Vermont

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:26:32 GMT

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — The recent shootings of three college students of Palestinian descent in Vermont’s largest city come as the small rural state, often ranked as one of the nation’s safest, is grappling with a spike in gun violence.Two days after the students were shot and seriously wounded during their Thanksgiving break, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger said it “was one of the most shocking and disturbing events in this city’s history.”Statewide, Vermont has had 10 homicides and one suspicious death since October, including a double homicide in Burlington, Weinberger said. Burlington has seen 16 gunfire incidents so far this year, he said, adding that Vermont’s largest city is not alone.“Many communities are experiencing an alarming rise in gun violence with recent shootings happening in Newport, Danville, St. Johnsbury, Brattleboro, Castleton, Leicester, Brookfield,” Weinberger said at the time.Overall the country had a 6% decrease in national firearms homicides between...

Trump loves the UFC. His campaign hopes viral videos of his appearances will help him pummel rivals

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:26:32 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — After Donald Trump attended South Carolina’s annual Palmetto Bowl, video of the crowd chanting “We want Trump!” as the former president arrived at Williams-Brice Stadium spread across conservative social media.It was much the same two weeks earlier when the GOP front-runner attended an Ultimate Fighting Championship event in New York, fist-bumping and waving to the crowd as he entered Madison Square Garden like he was one of the fighters, with an entourage that included the musician Kid Rock, UFC president Dana White and former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.While Trump has spent less time campaigning in early-voting states than many of his Republican primary rivals, his campaign has been filling his schedule with appearances at major sporting events including Saturday’s UFC fight in Las Vegas. Videos of his appearances routinely rack up hundreds of thousands of views across social media, particularly on non-political outlets, including popular online sport...

Serbia’s Vucic seeks to reassert populist dominance in elections this weekend

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:26:32 GMT

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic is pushing hard to reassert his populist party’s dominance in this weekend’s early parliamentary and local elections that observers say are being held in an atmosphere of intimidation and media bias.The vote in the troubled eastern European country on Sunday pits Vucic’s governing Serbian Progressive Party, or SNS, against a pro-Western opposition coalition which is trying to undermine the firm grip on power the populists have maintained since 2012. Though he is not formally a candidate, the Serbian president has campaigned relentlessly for the SNS and its list of candidates, which appears on the ballot under the name “Aleksandar Vucic — Serbia must not stop!” The main opposition Serbia Against Violence bloc gathers parties that were behind months of street protests this year triggered by two back-to-back mass shootings in May. Campaign monitors have reported pressure on voters and fearmongering and a...

Americans agree that the 2024 election will be pivotal for democracy, but for different reasons

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:26:32 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — In a politically polarized nation, Americans seem to agree on one issue underlying the 2024 elections — a worry over the state of democracy and how the outcome of the presidential contest will affect its future.They just disagree over who poses the threat.A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 62% of adults say democracy in the U.S. could be at risk depending on who wins next fall. Majorities of Democrats (72%) and Republicans (55%) feel the same way, but for different reasons.President Joe Biden has attempted to paint a dystopian future if GOP front-runner and former President Donald Trump returns to the White House after promising to seek retribution against opponents and declining to rule out that he would abuse the powers of the office. The former president has tried to flip the narrative lately, saying the election subversion and documents cases against him show Biden has weaponized the federal government to prosecu...

What’s streaming now: ‘Barbie,’ Taylor Swift in your home, Cody Johnson and the return of ‘Reacher’

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:26:32 GMT

“Barbie” makes her way onto the Max streaming service and the second season of Prime Video’s “Reacher” starring Alan Ritchson are some of the new television, movies and music headed to a device near you.Also among the streaming offerings worth your time as selected by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists are the reuniting of early cast members of “The Real Housewives of New York” for a new Bravo series, a Christmas TV special from country star Cody Johnson and Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” concert movie lands in homes on premium on-demand.NEW MOVIES TO STREAM— “Barbie.” The blockbuster of the year (and leading Golden Globes nominee ) is finally making its streaming debut, just in time for the holidays. Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” premieres Friday on Max (formerly HBO Max) after its pink-festooned $1.4 billion bonanza in theaters. (The film also remains available on video-on-demand.) So prepare your Mojo Dojo Casa House now for the hit of 2023.— After a tour through North Ame...

A year of war: 2023 sees worst-ever Israel-Hamas combat as Russian attacks on Ukraine grind on

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:26:32 GMT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A boy, his face coated in fresh blood, screams as rescuers try to pull him out of the rubble of a destroyed building following an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. A bruised, elderly Israeli hostage is taken away by Hamas in a golf cart as a man clutching a machine gun sits behind her, smiling. A 10-year-old girl cries next to the body of her brother as he is buried near Kyiv, Ukraine.This year as in years past, The Associated Press was there up close to document the world’s conflicts and their toll on civilians. From the Israel-Hamas war to Russia’s grinding battles against Ukraine, 2023 has shown the dangers of armed conflicts breaking out into region-wide combat. But behind their long shadows, the world faces strife in countries stretching both the globe and the alphabet from Afghanistan all the way to Yemen. Coups and violence across Africa upended life in nations there. Myanmar in Southeast Asia faces what some experts describe as a slow-burning civi...

Her 6-year-old son shot his teacher, now a Virginia woman faces sentencing for child neglect

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:26:32 GMT

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — The mother of a 6-year-old who shot his teacher in Virginia is expected to be sentenced Friday for felony child neglect, nearly a year after her son used her gun to critically wound the educator.Deja Taylor faces up to five years behind bars, but as part of a plea deal, prosecutors said they will recommend a six-month sentence that falls within state guidelines. A judge will ultimately decide Taylor’s punishment at court hearing scheduled for 1 p.m. Taylor’s son told authorities he got his mother’s 9mm handgun by climbing onto a drawer to reach the top of a dresser, where the firearm was in his mom’s purse. He concealed the weapon in his backpack and then his pocket before shooting his teacher, Abby Zwerner, in front of her first-grade class.Taylor initially told investigators she had secured her gun with a trigger lock, but investigators said they never found one.Friday’s sentencing will be the second time Taylor is held to account for the classroom s...

Texas rolls past Wisconsin 3-1, advances to 2nd consecutive NCAA volleyball championship match

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:26:32 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Texas Longhorns volleyball team will play for another national championship on Saturday.Texas had 11 service aces and four players who notched double-digit kills to top Wisconsin 3-1 in the NCAA semifinals Thursday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, earning the Longhorns a spot in their second consecutive national title match Saturday. Texas will play Nebraska at 2 p.m. CT on ABC to decide who wins it all.Texas's Carissa Barnes (10) celebrates with teammates after a point against Wisconsin during a semifinal match in the NCAA Division I women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)Wisconsin's Temi Thomas-Ailara (12) spikes the ball against Texas's Ella Swindle (1), Asjia O'Neal (7) and Keonilei Akana (12) during a semifinal match in the NCAA Division I women's college volleyball tournament Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)Texas's Jenna Wenaas (13, left) spikes the ball against...

Naz Reid sparks Timberwolves to win over Dallas

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 16:26:32 GMT

Minnesota’s bench has been up and down this season, with some questions about where the offensive production would come from. But the answer to that query clarifies with each passing game: Naz Reid.The reserve big man reminded everyone again just how dynamic he can be on any given night — and how capable he is of carrying a second unit or, on a bigger level, a team.Reid did the latter Thursday, pouring in 27 points on the strength of seven triples — which tied a franchise record off the bench — to guide the Timberwolves to a 119-101 victory in Dallas.“It was feeling good,” Reid said in his postgame on-court interview. “Last couple games, it hasn’t been to the level that it is, but that’s part of the game. You go through ups and downs, and it was going tonight. My teammates kept finding me, and I was able to find those shots.”Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Reid is Minnesota’s “best bench producer.”“And does it in ...