Pop star Katy Perry shocked fans byrevealing she will be leaving “American Idol” after seven years as a judge on the reality singing competition. During an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Monday night, the 39-year-old singer announced that the upcoming season of “Idol,” which airs on ABC this Sunday, will be her last. “I think this probably will be …

Scaffolding that covered the top of Notre Dame cathedral following a devastating fire in April 2019 is being removed, marking a milestone in its reconstruction. As the shell at the summit has been taken down in recent days, it has revealed the cathedral’s new spire for the first time, adorned with a golden rooster and cross, offering a glimpse of …

South Korea’s military says it has detected North Korea firing multiple cruise missiles into waters off its northeastern coast in its fifth test of such weapons since January. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff on Wednesday didn’t immediately provide the exact numbers of missiles fired or how far they flew. It added that both South Korea and U.S. intelligence agencies …

Inflation may be rapidly cooling, but there’s one area that continues to eat away at Americans’ budgets: Stubbornly high food prices. Rising food costs were one contributor to the hotter-than-expected inflation report on Tuesday, with food prices rising 0.4% in January from December, a faster pace than the overall 0.3% rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The CPI, a …

Carnival season culminated Tuesday withMardi Grasparades, street parties and what amounted to a massive outdoor costume festival around the bars and restaurants of New Orleans’ French Quarter. Revelers in capes, wigs, spandex and feathers danced in front of St. Louis Cathedral at Jackson Square while Latin music blared. Outside the narrow streets of the quarter, two tradition-rich parades rolled on …

A man wanted in connection to the fatal shooting of a sheriff’s deputy and the wounding of another during a traffic stop last week in eastern Tennessee has been apprehended, authorities said. Kenneth DeHart, 42, was taken into custody Tuesday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced. The Blount County Sheriff’s Office said the arrestwas made in Knoxville. No immediate details …

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Democrats retained their slim majority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Tuesday after voters elected a former school board member to represent them in a Philadelphia suburb that has been trending more to the left. Jim Prokopiak’s election to the Bucks County seat will give Democrats a 102-100 majority in the House, which they have …

After undergoing a medical procedure, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been released from the hospital and resumed the responsibilities that he had delegated to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, the Pentagon said Tuesday. Austin was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Sunday afternoon following symptoms of an “emergent bladder issue,” according to the Pentagon. He underwent what …

One person died and at least five others were injured after a vehicle crashed into a medical center in Austin, Texas, officials said Tuesday. The vehicle crashed into the emergency room at St. David’s North Austin Medical Center, Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services posted on social media. Austin’s EMS Chief Robert Luckritz said at a Tuesday evening briefing that officials …

Washington — President Biden urged House Republicans to “immediately” take up a $95 billion foreign aid bill that includes assistance to Ukraine and Israel after the Senate passed the measure early Tuesday, saying that “there’s no question” that it would pass if brought to the House floor. “I call on the speaker to let the full House speak its mind …

Washington — The House voted to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Tuesday, casting a historic vote that marks the first time a Cabinet secretary has been impeached in nearly 150 years. Under two articles of impeachment accusing Mayorkas of “willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law” and a “breach of public trust,” House Republicans …

Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzidefeated Republican Nassau County legislator Mazi Pilip in Tuesday’s special election in New York’s 3rd Congressional District to finish the term of former GOP Rep. George Santos, who wasindicted on federal charges and expelled from Congress in December. With 97% of votes counted, Suozzi was winning the race for the 3rd Congressional District seat by a margin …

Columbus, Ohio — A federal judge extended a block on enforcement Monday of an Ohio law that would require children under 16 to get parental consent to use social media apps, as a legal challenge proceeds. U.S. District Court Judge Algenon Marbley’s decision to grant a preliminary injunction prevents the law from taking effect while a lawsuit filed earlier this …

Los Angeles — Tiger Woods’ Sunday red is no longer just a shirt. It’s a brand. Woods is starting a new year with a new look, announcing Monday evening an extended partnership with TaylorMade Golf to launch a lifestyle brand that will be called Sun Day Red. The change followed Woods and Nike ending a 27-year relationship, which dated to …

A naked hiker lost in the hills near Chatsworth was rescued by firefighters Monday night. The Los Angeles Fire Department said they first heard about the lost hiker at about 8:45 p.m. after a few people started calling to report someone yelling for help. Firefighters believed he had been missing since about 4 p.m. A helicopter crew found the distressed …