Here's your first look at the Kentucky high school football playoff third-round pairings

Reuters
Billions of dollars for US projects remain frozen by Trump, managers and advocates say
President Donald Trump has placed holds on tens of billions of dollars in congressionally-approved spending for projects across the U.S. that range from Iowa soybean farmers adopting greener practices to a Virginia railway expansion, a Reuters analysis found. Project managers and advocates warn continued delays could take a toll on local economies. Democratic lawmakers say the halts are the building blocks to "impoundment," presidential refusal to release money authorized and appropriated by Congress, which they say is illegal.
Associated Press
'Voice of the CDC' resumes publication, but experts worry about what they're not hearing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention resumed the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which the Trump administration suspended as part of a “pause” on regulations, guidance, announcements, press releases, social media posts and website posts. The CDC has gradually restarted some communications and reports, but the silencing of MMWR, as it it known, prompted a chorus of concern from public health leaders and some legislators. “Outbreaks are not contained because scientists are ordered to stop talking about them,” Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat from Illinois, said in a Wednesday night statement calling for the publication to be restarted.
AFP
We will not be bullied, says S.Africa president after US barbs
South Africa will not be bullied, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a national address Thursday, after his government faced criticism from senior US officials including President Donald Trump."We are witnessing the rise of nationalism, protectionism, the pursuit of narrow interests, and the decline of common cause," Ramaphosa said.
AFP
COP30 president urges most ambitious emissions targets possible
Countries must aim as high as possible when setting new goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Andre Correa do Lago, the president of the COP30 climate conference to be hosted by Brazil in November, told AFP in an interview.Brazil will host the COP30 meeting in the Amazonian city of Belem -- the first time the conference will be held in a region considered so crucial to the global climate.
Associated Press
Telescopes spy a monster radio jet streaming from a bright and early object in the universe
Telescopes around the world have spotted a monster radio jet streaming from a quasar dating back to the first 1 billion years of the universe. At double the width of our Milky Way galaxy, this jet of radio waves is the biggest ever detected so early in the history of the universe, astronomers reported Thursday. Radio jets like this are not uncommon in our cosmic neighborhood.
Associated Press
Trump's Gaza plan shocks the world but finds support in Israel
President Donald Trump’s plan to seek U.S. ownership of the Gaza Strip and move out its population infuriated the Arab world. It stunned American allies and other global powers and even flummoxed members of Trump’s own party. The reaction in Israel was starkly different.
USA TODAY
Donald Trump to sign order sanctioning ICC over its treatment of Israel
Donald Trump is imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court over its treatment of Israel, including an arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
Reuters
Greenland government party plans independence vote after upcoming election
Greenland's ruling Siumut party plans to hold a vote on independence following a general election next month, it said on Thursday, an issue made urgent by U.S. President Donald Trump's expressed interest in acquiring the island. The semi-autonomous territory under the Kingdom of Denmark, on Wednesday called a general election to be held on March 11. Leading issues in the election campaign include Greenland's aspirations to be independent and its relationship with Denmark and the United States under Trump who has repeatedly expressed a desire to "get" the strategically significant island.
Politico
Trump administration hits Illinois and Chicago with anti-sanctuary lawsuit
The suit challenges state and local laws that limit police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
USA TODAY
'This thing's heavy': Watch officers rescue giant sunfish stranded on Florida beach
Bodycam footage shared by the Volusia Sheriff's Office shows officers trying to rescue a huge ocean sunfish stuck on the beach near Ponce Inlet.
USA TODAY
Trump's buyout offer for federal workers paused by judge hours before deadline
Unions representing many of the nation’s 2.3 million federal workers charge that the administration’s “unprecedented offer” violates the law.
Reuters
US Treasury temporarily agrees to limit DOGE access amid privacy lawsuit
The U.S. Treasury Department has agreed not to give Elon Musk’s government efficiency agency access to its payment systems while a judge hears arguments in a lawsuit alleging the billionaire adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump illegally searched them. The deal struck on Wednesday night by Treasury and a group of federal employee unions and retirees will for now prevent billions of sensitive government payment records from being turned over to Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency as part of its sweeping campaign to shrink the federal bureaucracy and crack down on allegedly wasteful and fraudulent spending. In their Monday lawsuit in Washington, D.C., federal court, the employee unions and retirees said Treasury had violated privacy laws by giving Musk and DOGE “full access” to government payment records documenting everything from income tax payments to social security benefits and federal employee salaries.
Time
Elise Smith Defends DEI as Good Business
The CEO of Praxis Labs says the art of navigating cultural differences is critical
Time
What Is OSHA and Why Do Some Republicans Want to Disband It?
A new bill is attempting to close the agency designed to keep Americans safe in the workplace.
AFP
Ecuador presidential candidates sprint to campaign finish
Ecuador's dueling presidential hopefuls made a last-ditch pitch to late-deciding voters Thursday, wrapping a bitter campaign dominated by surging cartel violence and economic crisis.Gonzalez's campaign has focused on her coastal strongholds, and on mopping up votes in poorer neighborhoods where her political mentor, exiled ex-president Rafael Correa made his name.
Politico
Judge temporarily blocks Trump’s exit plan for federal employees
Senior District Judge George O’Toole has hit pause on the plan until a new hearing Monday.
Associated Press
House lawmakers push to ban AI app DeepSeek from US government devices
A bipartisan duo in the the U.S. House is proposing legislation to ban the Chinese artificial intelligence app DeepSeek from federal devices, similar to the policy already in place for the popular social media platform TikTok. Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Darin LaHood, R-Ill., on Thursday introduced the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act," which would ban federal employees from using the Chinese AI app on government-owned electronics. “The Chinese Communist Party has made it abundantly clear that it will exploit any tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spew harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans," Gottheimer said in a statement.
AFP
OpenAI says to host some customers' data in Europe
ChatGPT developer OpenAI on Thursday said it will allow some European customers to store and process data from conversations with its chatbots within the European Union, rather than on its infrastructure in the United States or elsewhere.The move comes as AI developers based largely in the United States, such as OpenAI, Facebook parent Meta, Google and Microsoft, are racing to invest tens of billions in the data centre infrastructure needed for large-scale use of systems like chatbots and image
CBS News
At least 2 killed in Ohio warehouse shooting; suspect in custody
Police in New Albany, Ohio, said four other people were hospitalized after the mass shooting at the KDC/One warehouse.
CNN
New York governor calls for criminal charges in beating death of Robert Brooks after autopsy rules it a homicide
New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for criminal charges to be filed and arrests being made

Here's your first look at the Kentucky high school football playoff third-round pairings

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Class 4A

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Class A

Latest Stories

Billions of dollars for US projects remain frozen by Trump, managers and advocates say

'Voice of the CDC' resumes publication, but experts worry about what they're not hearing

We will not be bullied, says S.Africa president after US barbs

COP30 president urges most ambitious emissions targets possible

Telescopes spy a monster radio jet streaming from a bright and early object in the universe

Trump's Gaza plan shocks the world but finds support in Israel

Donald Trump to sign order sanctioning ICC over its treatment of Israel

Greenland government party plans independence vote after upcoming election

Trump administration hits Illinois and Chicago with anti-sanctuary lawsuit

'This thing's heavy': Watch officers rescue giant sunfish stranded on Florida beach

Trump's buyout offer for federal workers paused by judge hours before deadline

US Treasury temporarily agrees to limit DOGE access amid privacy lawsuit

Elise Smith Defends DEI as Good Business

What Is OSHA and Why Do Some Republicans Want to Disband It?

Ecuador presidential candidates sprint to campaign finish

Judge temporarily blocks Trump’s exit plan for federal employees

House lawmakers push to ban AI app DeepSeek from US government devices

OpenAI says to host some customers' data in Europe

At least 2 killed in Ohio warehouse shooting; suspect in custody

New York governor calls for criminal charges in beating death of Robert Brooks after autopsy rules it a homicide