Trump calls DeSantis ‘wounded, falling baby bird’ at Florida GOP summit
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis made his case for the presidential nomination at the Florida Republican Party’s annual summit Saturday, only for Donald Trump to compare him to a “wounded, falling baby bird” in casually dismissing the governor’s chances. “He asked me for the endorsement,” Trump said of DeSantis...
Arab envoys reject Blinken’s call for limited war pause in Gaza
Secretary of State Antony Blinken took U.S. calls for “humanitarian pauses” in the Israel-Hamas war to key Arab allies, who publicly insisted on an immediate cease-fire instead. The rift played out on Blinken’s tour of the Middle East against the backdrop of a growing backlash against the death toll in...
Her daughter was killed in the Robb Elementary shooting. Now she’s running for mayor of Uvalde
UVALDE, Texas — On a sticky Texas morning, Kimberly Mata-Rubio is lacing up her running shoes ahead of two races she is running in Uvalde in tribute to her daughter Lexi, who was killed in the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting. First up is a charity run honoring Lexi’s life....
Man fatally shot after domestic dispute in Pittsburgh
A man died Saturday morning after being shot by a woman in what Pittsburgh police say started as a domestic dispute. Officers were dispatched to the Maple Ridge Apartment complex on the 2100 block of Park Hill Drive in East Hills around 11:30 a.m. Saturday to investigate reports of a...
Right turn on red? With pedestrian deaths rising, U.S. cities are considering bans
CHICAGO — Sophee Langerman was on her way to a bicycle safety rally in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood in June when a car turning right rolled through a red light and slammed into her bike, which she was walking off the curb and into the crosswalk. The car was moving slowly...
Israeli strikes kill multiple civilians at shelters in Gaza combat zone, as Blinken seeks more aid
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli military strikes killed multiple civilians Saturday at a U.N. shelter and hospital in the main combat zone in the Gaza Strip as the assault intensified on the besieged enclave’s Hamas rulers, amid growing international uproar over the soaring death toll and deepening humanitarian crisis. Israel’s...
Nepal rushes aid and rescue operations after strong quake shakes its northwest, killing at least 157
KATHMANDU, Nepal — Survivors of a strong earthquake that shook Nepal’s northwest in the middle of the night described sudden shaking followed by houses collapsing and burying entire families, as the death toll rose to 157 on Saturday. Most of those killed were crushed by debris when their houses —...
Penn Township man set to run New York City Marathon to support his son, raise funds for genetic disorder foundation
Will Hoffman’s main motivation for running the New York City Marathon on Sunday has little to do with a finishing time or position. Rather, Will and about 25 other runners are chasing down a fundraising goal of $150,000 for the Children’s Tumor Foundation — an organization that supports research for...
Florida teacher fired for using gender-neutral title Mx. in class materials
ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida Virtual School physics teacher who identifies as non-binary was fired last month for using a gender-neutral courtesy title in class materials, which the school said violated a new Florida law that prohibits teachers from sharing “personal titles and pronouns” that do not correspond to their...
Milk carton shortage could hit school lunchrooms in Pa., other states
The tiny, half-pint cartons of milk served with millions of school lunches nationwide might soon be scarce in some cafeterias, with districts across the country scrambling to find alternatives. The problem is not a shortage of milk but the cardboard cartons used to package and serve it, according to dairy...
Killer on the loose: Maine mass shooter was alive for most of massive search, autopsy suggests
PORTLAND, Maine — The Army reservist who fatally shot 18 people at two locations in Lewiston before disappearing into the night was alive and possibly on the run during a good portion of the huge search that led to community-wide shelter-in-place orders, according to the Maine medical examiner’s office. Robert...
Virginia teacher shot by 6-year-old can proceed with $40 million lawsuit, judge rules
NEWPORT NEWS — A teacher who was shot by her 6-year-old student in Virginia can press forward with her $40 million lawsuit against a school system over claims of negligence by school administrators, a judge ruled Friday. The surprise decision by Newport News Circuit Court Judge Matthew Hoffman means Abby...
2nd worker trapped under collapsed Kentucky coal prep plant has died, governor says
The second of two workers trapped under a coal mine preparation plant that collapsed this week in eastern Kentucky has died, Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday. “This is a heartbreaking situation,” the Democratic governor wrote on social media, calling for prayers for the men’s loved ones. The two men —...
Pennsylvania’s election to be headlined by races for statewide courts, including high court seat
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania voters will settle four statewide judicial contests in Tuesday’s election, filling an open seat on the state Supreme Court — which has played a hugely consequential role in election-related cases in the presidential battleground state — and three seats on two lower appellate courts. The state Supreme...
Defendant in the Georgia election interference case: Trump won 2020 election
One of the defendants in the Fulton elections interference case is pursuing a unique legal strategy: trying to prove that former President Donald Trump won the 2020 election in Georgia. While other Trump allies, notably those who have reached plea deals with prosecutors, have backed away from election fraud claims,...
Can Trump be on the ballot in 2024? It can hinge on the meaning of ‘insurrection’
DENVER — Can former President Donald Trump run for his old job again after his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol? The answer may depend on the definition of insurrection. Liberal groups have filed lawsuits in Colorado, Minnesota and other states to bar Trump from...
An Ohio amendment serves as a testing ground for statewide abortion fights expected in 2024
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Abortion access is expected to play a central role in the 2024 elections. The preview comes next week, when Ohio voters decide whether to enshrine reproductive rights in their state Constitution. The amendment is the only abortion question on any state’s ballot this year, a spotlight that...
Supreme Court will rule on ban on rapid-fire gun bump stocks, used in the Las Vegas mass shooting
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court agreed on Friday to decide whether a Trump era-ban on bump stocks, the gun attachments that allow semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly like machine guns, violates federal law. The justices will hear arguments early next year over a regulation put in place by the Justice...
Ohio will vote on marijuana legalization. Advocates say there’s a lot at stake
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Voters in Ohio will decide next week whether to legalize recreational marijuana, but people on both sides of the issue say more hangs in the balance than simply decriminalizing the drug. Supporters of legalization say Ohio can reclaim tax revenue being lost to states such as Michigan,...
Tens of thousands of Las Vegas hotel workers at 18 casinos could go on strike this month
LAS VEGAS — Tens of thousands of Las Vegas hotel workers set a deadline Thursday for a sweeping strike, threatening major disruptions to the city’s economic backbone that could coincide with the Strip’s inaugural Formula 1 races later this month. The Culinary Workers Union said about 35,000 members whose contracts...
Gas explosion at building north of New York City injures 15, including 5 responders
WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. — A gas explosion collapsed part of a brick multifamily building north of New York City, trapping victims in the rubble and injuring 15 people, including five first responders, according to officials. There were no fatalities in the Thursday afternoon explosion and fire, which sent thick smoke...
How daylight saving time can seriously affect your healthVideo
CHICAGO — Brunch dates and flag football games might be a little easier to get to this Sunday, when phones grace early-risers with an extra hour of rest before alarm clocks go off. The downside: Next week across most of the U.S., the sun will set well before many folks...
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says ‘we need to do more to protect Palestinian civilians’
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said more needs to be done to “protect Palestinian civilians” in Gaza and that, without that, there will be “no partners for peace.” Speaking to reporters in Tel Aviv on Friday, Blinken also said, “we need to substantially and...
U.S. employers pulled back on hiring in October, adding 150,000 jobs
WASHINGTON — The nation’s employers slowed their hiring in October, adding a modest but still decent 150,000 jobs, a sign that the labor market may be cooling but remains resilient despite high interest rates that have made borrowing much costlier for companies and consumers. Last month’s job growth, though down...
Biden will host Americas summit that focuses on supply chains, migration and new investment
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is gathering leaders from 11 other countries across the Americas on Friday in the U.S. capital to discuss the tightening of supply chains and address migration issues. In a preview of the first Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity Leaders’ Summit, White House National Security Council...
