1+ hour, 37+ min ago (719+ words) TEL AVIV -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday asked the country's president to grant him a pardon from corruption charges - seeking to end a long-running trial that has bitterly divided the nation. Netanyahu, who has been at war against the country's legal system over the charges, said the request would help unify the country at a time of momentous changes in the region. But it immediately triggered denunciations from his opponents, who said it would weaken Israel's democratic institutions and send a dangerous message that he is above the rule of law. In a statement Sunday, the prime minister's office said that Netanyahu had submitted a request for a pardon to the legal department of the Office of the President. The president's office called it an "extraordinary request," carrying with it "significant implications." Netanyahu is the only sitting prime…...

1+ day, 13+ min ago (344+ words) Northwestern University has agreed to pay $75 million to the U.S. government in a deal with the Trump administration to end a series of investigations and restore hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding. President Donald Trump's administration had cut off $790 million in grants in a standoff that contributed to university layoffs and the resignation in September of Northwestern president Michael Schill. The administration argued the school had not done enough to fight antisemitism. Under the agreement announced Friday night, Northwestern will make the payment to the U.S. Treasury over the next three years. Among other commitments it also requires the university to revoke the so-called Deering Meadow agreement, which it signed in April 2024 in exchange for pro-Palestinian protesters ending their tent encampment on campus. During negotiations, interim university president Henry Bienen said Northwestern refused to cede control over hiring, admissions,…...

4+ day, 22+ hour ago (367+ words) PHILADELPHIA -- A warning about a Facebook ad offering a popular chocolate in bulk, perfect for the holidays. The ads are popping up all over social media. This one was offering about 20 pounds of Hershey kisses for less than $11. But before you click to buy, listen to what happened to Susan Golding, who was trying to do something nice for her 12 nieces and nephews, and 10 great-nieces and nephews. "I thought, 'Oh, I'll go to the dollar store and get them all Christmas mugs, and I'll fill them with these 20 pounds of Hershey kisses," said Goldberg. "I filled out the form and I sent it in. And two days later, maybe three days later, I saw posted to my credit card, the $10.95." But Goldling said she never got the Hershey kisses and instead received a second charge of $81 from the same company,…...

5+ day, 22+ hour ago (265+ words) Ten years after first being transported to Zootopia - a city run by animals, for animals - audiences are now able to return with "Zootopia 2." Returning with audiences are voice actors for Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, Jason Bateman and Ginnifer Goodwin. "I still can't believe I got the job in the first place 10 years ago," Goodwin said. She explained that his is "because I feel like it doesn't get better than this. Whatever it could be, I just wanted to be part of the family." Joining the "Zootopia" family is Ke Huy Quan, playing Gary De'Snake. "What's really special for me is I grew up watching Disney cartoons and animated films, and it has made a big impact in my childhood," said Quan. "Getting to be on this side, where I get to voice a character and be part of the…...

6+ day, 20+ hour ago (243+ words) Glover, who performs under the moniker Childish Gambino, says he suffered a stroke last year, which forced him to cancel his tour. Donald Glover is opening up about a recent health scare that forced him to cancel his tour last year. At the time, he described it as an "ailment," but Glover said Saturday night at a performance that a doctor told him he'd had a stroke. Glover, who performs under the moniker Childish Gambino, shared the information on stage at Tyler, the Creator's Camp Flog Gnaw festival in Los Angeles. His remarks were shared widely on social media. "You guys voted for a 'where have I been monologue,'" Glover, 42, said. "I had a really bad pain in my head in Louisiana and I did the show anyway. I couldn't really see well, so when we went to Houston, I…...

2+ week, 13+ hour ago (829+ words) VATICAN CITY -- Pope Leo XIV welcomed Spike Lee, Cate Blanchett, Greta Gerwig and dozens of other Hollywood luminaries to a special Vatican audience Saturday celebrating cinema and its ability to inspire and unite. Leo encouraged the filmmakers and celebrities gathered in a frescoed Vatican audience hall to use their art to include marginal voices, calling film "a popular art in the noblest sense, intended for and accessible to all." "When cinema is authentic, it does not merely console, but challenges," he told the stars. "It articulates the questions that dwell within us, and sometimes, even provokes tears that we didn't know we needed to shed." The encounter, organized by the Vatican's culture ministry, followed similar audiences Pope Francis had in recent years with famous artists and comedians. It's part of the Vatican's efforts to reach out beyond the Catholic Church…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (681+ words) US President Trump penned a letter asking the Israeli president to grant a full pardon to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his ongoing corruption trial. In a letter distributed by the Israeli president's spokesperson, Trump wrote, "I hereby call on you to fully pardon Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister, and is now leading Israel into a time of peace." For any other president, the letter would be an unusual intervention in the domestic politics of a foreign country. But it's only Trump's latest effort to intervene on behalf of one of his most vocal international supporters. Netanyahu faces charges of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust in three separate cases which began in Trump's first term. He has entered a plea of not guilty and maintains his innocence. "While I absolutely respect…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (266+ words) Slime, that gooey, sticky and often-homemade plaything, was enshrined into the National Toy Hall of Fame on Thursday along with perennial bestselling games Battleship and Trivial Pursuit. Each year, the Hall of Fame recognizes toys that have inspired creative play across generations, culling its finalists from among thousands of nominees sent in online. Voting by the public and a panel of experts decides which playthings will be inducted. Milton Bradley's Battleship, a strategy game that challenges players to strike an opponent's warships, and Trivial Pursuit, which tests players' knowledge in categories like geography and sports, have each sold more than 100 million copies over several decades, according to the Hall of Fame. Slime's appeal is more about squish than skill. It was introduced commercially in 1976 and has been manufactured under various brand names, but it is even more accessible as a…...