Associated Press

The death of Pope Francis brought change to the Catholic Church, which counts 1.4 billion adherents and is now led — for the first time — by an American pope. The fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk as he spoke before a crowd horrified many and prompted somber conversations about political violence.

The joy of being there, of prayer and play, a dance in a bomb shelter, a kiss in a flood and a hug in the mud, kids rolling tires and scooting among the ruins of Gaza are among the defining images of 2025 as people found happiness despite adversity and enjoyed the simple things of life.

Christmas is a Christian holiday that observes the birth of Jesus. But did you know that the earliest followers of Jesus did not annually commemorate his birth? Or that Santa Claus is inspired by the acts of kindness of a fourth-century Christian saint? And have you heard about the modern-day Japanese tradition of eating Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas?

Bourbon maker Jim Beam is halting production at one of its distilleries in Kentucky for at least a year as the whiskey industry navigates tariffs from the Trump administration and slumping demand for a product that needs years of aging before it is ready.

Turns out, the wait for Jayden Quaintance was well worth it. The burly sophomore made his long-anticipated Kentucky debut on Saturday, providing a big impact at both ends of the court as the Wildcats rallied past No. 22 St. John's 78-66.

Otega Oweh scored 20 points, Jayden Quaintance made a big first impression and Kentucky stifled No. 22 St. John's in the second half, beating former coach Rick Pitino 78-66 in the opening game of a collegebasketball doubleheader Saturday.

Clara Strack scored 26 points and the No. 12 Kentucky women hit 10 3-pointers in the first half in a 96-53 win over Wright State on Friday night.

When the funding for Shannon Johnson's job as a school mental health counselor came to an abrupt end, two years into a five-year grant, she thought about the work left to be done.

Mouhamed Dioubate totaled 14 points and 12 rebounds, fellow reserve Jaland Lowe scored 13 and Kentucky stormed back in the second half to beat Indiana 72-60 at Rupp Arena on Saturday night.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at blocking states from crafting their own regulations for artificial intelligence, saying the burgeoning industry is at risk of being stifled by a patchwork of onerous rules.