Barbie, Israel-Hamas war among year’s top internet searches
Other top searches included Damar Hamlin, Jeremy Renner, Matthew Perry and Tina Turner.
Associated Press
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Holiday crowds at airports, on highways expected to be bigger than last year
Auto club AAA forecast Monday that 115.2 million people will go 50 miles or more from home during the 10 days between Dec. 23 and New Year’s Day. That’s 2.2% more than AAA predicted during the comparable stretch last year.
Indiana Fever win WNBA draft lottery for No. 1 pick for 2nd straight season
Indiana, which hasn’t made the playoffs since 2016, had a 44% chance of getting the No. 1 pick, but became only the third franchise to win the draft lottery in consecutive seasons.
Secretary of state appeals ruling for Senate candidate seeking GOP nod
The filing came a day after a Marion County judge granted an injunction sought by John Rust, the former chair of the egg supplier Rose Acre Farms who is running to replace Sen. Mike Braun.
Two Indiana police officers acquitted of excessive force in 2020 protesters’ arrests
Officers Jonathan Horlock and Nathaniel Schauwecker had been charged with battery and official misconduct in the case.
Is economy on track for soft landing? Jobs report might offer clues.
The November jobs report from the Labor Department is expected to show that employers added a still-solid 172,500 jobs last month, according to a survey of economists by FactSet.
Adults can now legally possess, grow marijuana in Ohio, but can’t buy it
Ohioans woke up Thursday in a land of limbo for recreational marijuana use, and lawmakers are still fighting over the next step in the process.
White House threatens patents of high-priced drugs developed with taxpayer dollars
The Biden administration is putting pharmaceutical companies on notice, warning them that if the price of certain drugs is too high, the government might cancel their patent protection and allow rivals to make their own versions.
Family planning: Tony Stewart to replace wife Leah Pruett in dragster
Pruett, who has 12 career Top Fuel victories, will step away from the NHRA drag racing series in 2024 to focus on starting a family with Stewart.
Creating new tier for big-money college sports is just a start, NCAA president says
NCAA President Charlie Baker said his groundbreaking proposal is just the beginning as he tries to shift the association to be more proactive than reactive.
Indiana’s appeals court hears arguments challenging abortion ban
The Court of Appeals of Indiana is considering a challenge to the state’s near total abortion ban on grounds it violates a religious freedom law.
House backs GOP bill to block EPA rule on tailpipe pollution
The EPA says it is not imposing an EV mandate, but Republicans say the plan favors EVs and punishes gas engines, forcing Americans into cars and trucks they can’t afford.
Colts’ Muhammad gets 6-game suspension for substance violation
Defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad will not be eligible for Indy’s five remaining regular-season games and he will either sit out next year’s season opener or a playoff game.
McDonald’s burger empire set for unprecedented growth with 10,000 new stores
Ahead of a day-long event for investors, the Chicago burger giant said Wednesday that it aims to have 50,000 restaurants in operation worldwide by the end of 2027.
Big bank CEOs warn that new regulations might severely impact economy
The heads of the nation’s biggest banks told Congress there are reasons to be concerned about the health of U.S. consumers—particularly poor and low-income borrowers.
Google ups stakes in AI race with more human-like Gemini
Google took its next leap in artificial intelligence Wednesday with the launch of an AI model trained to behave in human-like ways that’s likely to intensify the debate about the technology’s potential promise and perils.
Actors vote to approve deal that ended strike, bringing relief to union leaders and Hollywood
But the outcome is a major relief for SAG-AFTRA leaders and an entertainment industry that is attempting to return to normal after months of labor strife. And it brings a final, official end to Hollywood labor’s most tumultuous year in half a century, with two historic strikes that shook the industry.
Trial deciding if JetBlue can buy Spirit—and further consolidate the industry—nears its end
A Justice Department lawyer argued that the deal would push fares higher by 30% and leave fewer options for travelers on a budget.
Supreme Court signals it will uphold tax on foreign income, leave wealth tax for another day
Conservative and liberal justices voiced concerns that ruling for a couple challenging a provision of the 2017 tax bill would threaten other provisions of the tax code.
UPDATE: NCAA president calls for new tier of Division I where schools can pay athletes
NCAA President Charlie Baker is seeking a new tier of Division I in which schools with the most athletic resources can offer unlimited educational benefits, enter into name, image and likeness partnerships with athletes, and directly pay them through a trust fund.