The test was for NASA's Space Launch System, a successor to the retired Space Shuttle program. It takes eight minutes to generate the power needed to get to space, and ultimately to the moon.

They want to know what the intelligence community knew about the planned attack and why officials didn't prepare more thoroughly.

The nation prepares for an inauguration unlike any in the country's history amid a massive effort to avoid a repeat of the U.S. Capitol attack.

In remarks at the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Francis condemned the violence at the U.S. Capitol and urged Americans to come together for the "common good."

The U.S. is reporting more than 271,000 new cases each day. Congress' attending physician says lawmakers who sheltered in place last week may have been exposed to the virus.

Wednesday's violent insurrection at the Capitol led to the deaths of five people. Some lawmakers and others worry that it was just the beginning.

Dozens of Republicans in the House and Senate have said they will object to certification of the Electoral College results. Others say it's time to move on.

A federal panel of judges has cleared the way for Lisa Marie Montgomery to become the first woman in federal custody to be put to death in nearly 70 years. Her execution is set for Jan. 12.

Health care workers are bracing for a deadly January, and President-elect Joe Biden cautioned that "the next few weeks and months are going to be very tough."

Rep. Louie Gohmert and other Republicans argued that the Constitution lets Vice President Pence reject Biden electors and count those for Trump. But judges say the plaintiffs have no standing to sue.

"Knucksie," as he was known, pitched the most games of any Braves pitcher. He retired at 48 years old in 1987.

Authorities revealed that DNA testing shows the man believed to be the perpetrator of the Christmas Day incident died in the blast.

A day after the early Christmas explosion injured three people and damaged dozens of buildings in downtown Nashville, Tenn., large swaths of the state's communications networks were still down.

"Vaccines for all, especially for the most vulnerable and needy of all regions of the planet," Pope Francis said at the Vatican on a subdued Christmas Day.

More than 1 million people went through checkpoints at U.S. airports on each of the past two days. That's down considerably from a year ago, but still an increase over typical pandemic travel levels.

All of London and much of southeastern England is now under strict "Tier 4" lockdown restrictions after the discovery of what appears to be a new, more transmissible variant of the coronavirus.

In a virtual town hall for kids on CNN, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he made a trip to the North Pole to get Santa vaccinated for COVID-19. "He is good to go."

The official moniker, announced by Vice President Pence at a White House ceremony, comes one year after the creation of the newest military branch. The name drew raised eyebrows online.

It's the first time in over 40 years that fresh lunar samples are being brought back to Earth. Scientists hope to gain a better understanding of lunar volcanic activity and the age of various craters.

The two sides have been trying to hammer out the details of a post-Brexit world for most of the year. Talks will continue ahead of a fast-approaching deadline, leaders announced on Sunday.