4 Republicans defy Speaker Johnson to force House vote on extending ACA subsidies
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Four centrist Republicans have broken with their party's leadership over health care. They've signed onto a Democratic-led petition that will force a House vote on extending for three years an enhanced pandemic-era subsidy that lowers health insurance costs for millions of Americans. The stunning move Wednesday comes after House Republican leaders pushed ahead with a health bill that doesn't address the soaring monthly premiums coming for those with insurance through the Affordable Care Act. A House vote on the subsidies could come as soon as January. Even if it passed, it would face an arduous climb in the Republican-led Senate.
Senate passes $901 billion defense bill that pushes Hegseth for boat strike video
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate has given final passage to an annual military policy bill that will authorize $901 billion in defense programs. The legislation is attempting to overhaul how the Pentagon purchases weapons and pressures Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide lawmakers with video of strikes on alleged drug boats in international water near Venezuela. The annual National Defense Authorization Act also raises troop pay by 3.8%. However, the legislation includes some pushback on recent moves by the Pentagon. Several Republican senators back Hegseth and his decision not to release the video publicly. Democrats call for part of the video to be released publicly and for every member of Congress to have access to the full footage.
Jack Smith tells lawmakers his team developed 'proof beyond a reasonable doubt' against Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith has told lawmakers in a closed-door interview his team "developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt" President Donald Trump criminally conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss. That's according to portions of Smith's opening statement obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday. Smith says investigators had "powerful evidence" Trump broke the law by hoarding classified documents from his first term as president at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and by obstructing government efforts to recover the records. Smith says decisions in the investigations were made without regard to consideration of Trump's Republican candidacy in 2024. Trump says he'd rather see Smith testify publicly.
Rob Reiner's son Nick appears in court on 2 counts of murder in killing of his parents
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Nick Reiner, son of Rob Reiner, appeared in court as he faces charges of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents. The 32-year-old did not enter a plea as he appeared Wednesday from behind the glass wall of a custody area. He was in shackles and wearing a jail suicide prevention smock. Arraignment was postponed until Jan. 7. The 78-year-old actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead from stab wounds in their Los Angeles home Sunday. Nick Reiner was arrested hours later.
Trump is previewing his 2026 agenda in an address to the nation as his popularity wanes
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump plans to give a preview of his 2026 agenda in a speech at the White House. Wednesday night's remarks come as Trump's popularity erodes. Polls show most U.S. adults are frustrated with Trump's handling of the economy. The Republican president's mass deportations of immigrants are also unpopular. The president and his party are less than a year away from midterm elections that will decide control of the House and the Senate. Trump has said he thinks more Americans would back him if they heard more about what he sees as his accomplishments.
Investigators seek older video that might show the Brown campus shooter days before the attack
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) -- Authorities are asking the public to review any security or phone footage from the week before the mass shooting at Brown University in the hopes it might help investigators identify the suspect, believing he may have cased the scene ahead of time. With the search for the shooter in its fifth day Wednesday, the city of Providence is on edge, with investigators showing no sign that they're close to figuring out who was behind Saturday's attack that killed two students and wounded nine others. The request to review older video came after authorities released several clips from the hours and minutes before and after the attack. In all of those, the suspect was masked or had his head turned.
Shooting of MIT professor Nuno Loureiro has police searching for a suspect
BROOKLINE, Mass. (AP) -- Police have intensified their search for a suspect in the killing of Massachusetts Institute of Technology physics professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro. He was shot at his home outside Boston on Monday night and died at a hospital on Tuesday. The Norfolk District Attorney's Office said the investigation is ongoing with no suspects in custody. Loureiro, a physicist and fusion scientist, joined MIT in 2016 and led the Plasma Science and Fusion Center. People gathered Tuesday night outside his home to honor him, some holding candles. The FBI said it does not know of any connection to the professor's shooting and a recent deadly shooting at Brown University.
Saturn's moon Titan may not have a buried ocean as long suspected, new study suggests
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Saturn's giant moon Titan may not have a vast underground ocean after all. New research suggests Titan instead may hold deep layers of ice and slush more akin to Earth's polar seas instead of a buried ocean as long suspected. In a study published Wednesday, scientists said there may also be pockets of melted water beneath the moon's surface where life could possibly survive and even thrive. They're basing their findings on observations made by NASA's Cassini spacecraft years ago, but with a fresh look. Titan is the second largest moon in the solar system.
More drops for AI stocks drag Wall Street toward a 4th straight loss
NEW YORK (AP) -- More drops for AI stocks are dragging the U.S. market lower, and Wall Street is heading toward a fourth straight loss. The S&P 500 fell 0.8% Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 128 points, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 1.2%. The majority of stocks across Wall Street rose, including oil producers that benefited from a jump in crude prices after President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers into Venezuela. But continued drops for stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry drowned out such gainers. Nvidia was the heaviest wight on the S&P 500. Treasury yields held relatively steady.
The Oscars will move to YouTube in 2029, leaving longtime home of ABC
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced a major change for the Oscars. Starting in 2029, the awards ceremony will stream on YouTube. ABC will continue broadcasting the event until 2028, which will mark the 100th Oscars. This shift announced Wednesday represents a significant move for one of television's marquee events. Starting in 2029, YouTube will retain global rights to streaming the Oscars through 2033. YouTube will effectively be the home to all things Oscars, including red-carpet coverage, the Governors Awards and the Oscar nominations announcement.