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Celebrities who had the worst year in 2023

While some celebrities, like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé, had undoubtedly great years (as far as we know), not everyone got so lucky.

Carr throws for 2 TDs to help the Saints beat the Bucs 23-13 and tie NFC South standings

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Derek Carr threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns to help the New Orleans Saints stop Tampa Bay's four-game winning streak and climb back into a tie for first place in the NFC South with a 23-13 victory over Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers on Sunday.

'Wonka' ends the year No. 1 at the box office, 2023 sales reach $9 billion in post-pandemic best

Hollywood closed out an up and down 2023 with “Wonka” regaining No. 1 at the box office, strong sales for “The Color Purple” and an overall $9 billion in ticket sales that improved on 2022’s grosses but fell about $2 billion shy of pre-pandemic norms.

Credit card skimming scams: What they are, and how to avoid being a victim

After two credit card skimmers were discovered at a grocery store on Christmas Eve in Sudbury, the company has discovered more skimmers at other locations.

The year in review: Influential people who died in 2023

Yevgeny Prigozhin rose from being an ex-con and hot dog vendor to winning lucrative Kremlin contracts and heading a formidable mercenary army. But it all came to a sudden end when the private plane carrying him and others mysteriously exploded over Russia. Prigozhin's Aug.

New FAFSA forms aim to make college applications easier. Here's what to know

New Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms — typically dreaded by college hopefuls and their families — will soon be available after a makeover, including some exciting and controversial features.

Trump's lawyers say he may testify at January trial over defamation damages in sex abuse case

NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for former President Donald Trump say he may testify at a mid-January civil trial set to decide how much he owes a columnist for defaming her after she said he sexually abused her three decades ago in a Manhattan luxury department store.

Around the world

Russia launches fresh drone strikes in Ukraine after promising retaliation for Belgorod attack

Russia has launched a fresh drone assault on Ukraine after promising that strikes on the Russian border city of Belgorod that killed 24 people “would not go unpunished.”.

Denmark's Queen Margrethe II announces she's stepping down from throne: 'Now is the right time'

Denmark's 86-year-old monarch Queen Margrethe II announced that she is abdicating the throne during a speech on Sunday, surprising her Danish subjects.

Shelling kills 21 in Russian city of Belgorod following Moscow's aerial attacks across Ukraine

Shelling in the center of the Russian border city of Belgorod killed at least 21 people, including three children, local officials have reported.

Live updates | UN warns of deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Gaza, desperate need for aid

A top United Nations official warned Friday of deteriorating humanitarian conditions across Gaza and reiterated calls for Israel to immediately halt its bombardment to allow aid to get in.

German cardinal says Pope Francis’ same-sex blessings declaration ‘never would have happened’ under Benedict

Pope Benedict would "never" have approved a policy granting priests the ability to bless people in same-sex relationships, a close ally of the former pope says.

Separatist Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik vows to tear his country apart despite US warnings

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) — The Bosnian Serbs' separatist leader vowed to carry on weakening his war-scarred country to the point where it will tear apart, despite a pledge by the United States to prevent such an outcome.

Russia launches the biggest aerial barrage of the war and kills 30 civilians, Ukraine says

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched 122 missiles and dozens of drones against Ukrainian targets, officials said Friday, killing at least 30 civilians across the country in what an air force official called the biggest aerial barrage of the war.

Technology

5 ways artificial intelligence is rapidly changing our world 

The reach of generative artificial intelligence (AI) skyrocketed this year as tech companies raced to get ahead of each other while regulators and lawmakers looked to add guardrails.

New direct hire authority aims to assist agencies with AI talent surge

The direct hire authority from OPM, effective immediately, lets agencies use a more streamlined process to appoint individuals to four different AI-related positions.

USB-C explained: How to get the most from it (and why it keeps on getting better)

Now that you’re used to seeing co-workers, family, and strangers at coffee shops, offices, and planes using the oblong USB-C connector, it’s time to see just what this promising standard can do today and tomorrow.

Elon Musk slams media over Tesla robot injury story: 'Shameful'

"That robot did exactly as it was programmed to do. Apparently, the worker thought it was off when it wasn’t," Musk said.

As social media guardrails fade and AI deepfakes go mainstream, experts warn of impact on elections

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly three years after rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, the false election conspiracy theories that drove the violent attack remain prevalent on social media and cable news: suitcases filled with ballots, late-night ballot dumps, dead people voting.

Ex-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen says he unwittingly sent AI-generated fake legal cases to his attorney

Former Trump lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen says he unwittingly passed along to his attorney bogus artificial intelligence-generated legal case citations he got online before they were submitted to a judge in New York.

Java persistence with JPA and Hibernate: Persisting data to a database

In this second half of the Java persistence with JPA and Hibernate tutorial, we move past concepts and start writing code that persists data to and from a relational database using JPA with Hibernate.

Sports News

Shocker! Stanford routs No. 4 Arizona in men’s basketball

STANFORD — Stanford hadn’t beaten anyone of note through the first 11 games on its schedule, but the Cardinal claimed victory over a top-5 opponent for the third straight season with a 100-82 rout of No. 4 Arizona on Sunday at Maples Pavilion.

Tulare Western, Clovis will play for holiday tournament titles

Highlights of Tulare Western's 59-36 win over Tulare Union in the semifinals of the Polly Wilhelmsen Invitational, and Clovis High's 61-59 win against Reno in the semifinals of the Clovis Elks Classic Friday night.

49ers’ Christian McCaffrey stoked for extra rest after ‘minor’ calf injury

Christian McCaffrey sustained what he considers a "minor" calf injury in the 49ers' win Sunday as he likely wrapped up the NFL rushing title.

Cardinals shock Eagles on the road to drastically alter NFC playoff picture

Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals stunned the Philadelphia Eagles, picking up the team's fourth win of the season, which drastically alters the NFC playoff picture.

USC's Moss throws Holiday Bowl-record 6 TD passes in 42-28 victory over No. 16 Louisville

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Southern California Trojans bid farewell to the Pac-12 Conference with a six-pack to go and an eggnog bath to toast an otherwise unremarkable season.

'100 percent false': Bills pass rusher Von Miller denies domestic violence allegations

Prosecutors in Dallas have not provided an update on their investigation since Miller turned himself in.

Mark Cuban says the changing NBA landscape led to his sale of the Mavs to casino families

DALLAS (AP) — Mark Cuban sees a future of NBA ownership where the advantages will be in real estate. The high-profile billionaire says that's why he sold his majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks to a pair of families with strong ties to the hotel and casino industry.

Politics News

Gov. Lombardo chief of staff Kieckhefer stepping down, Ryan Cherry stepping into role in January

Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo's chief of staff will step down in early 2024 after helping to guide the transition over the past year, according to an announcement Wednesday from the Governor's Office.

Former Texas Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson dies at 88

"I am heartbroken to share the news that my mother, Eddie Bernice Johnson, has passed away," Johnson's son wrote on Facebook.

The rules of the road are changing, but not fast enough for everyone

An obscure federal manual that guides road signs and design is getting a rare update. The Biden administration says the changes will protect cyclists and pedestrians, but safety advocates wanted more.

Maine secretary of state says home swatted after Trump decision

Maine’s secretary of state removed Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot, ruling he is disqualified under a 14th Amendment provision.

The 10 biggest changes to hit Minnesota this year, from legal cannabis to abortion access

Democrats took full Capitol control in January and quickly rolled through their policy wish list. Here’s a look at some of the most significant changes they made this year.

Mexico emerges as Biden's immigration Hail Mary

The Biden administration is leaning on Mexico to help reduce the number of migrants showing up at the southern border in the face of few and unpalatable policy options stateside.

Maine bars Trump from ballot as U.S. Supreme Court weighs state authority to block former president

Maine’s Democratic secretary of state on Thursday removed former President Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot under the Constitution’s insurrection clause, becoming the first election official to take action unilaterally as the U.S.