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  • Woman knits scarf with each color tracking daily temperatures

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    A Baltimore County knitter’s unique scarf is not only vibrant: Each color signifies the daily weather.At her Maryland home, Rose Armentrout has an entire room dedicated to her knitting yarn and needles.”I try to organize it by type,” Armentrout told sister station WBAL-TV. “This bin is the cotton and this bin is the cashmere.”The room serves as Armentrout’s safe space, a sign of her dedication to knitting.”It helps you get through a lot of stuff. My husband and I both have had cancer. He is going through treatment now, so there’s a lot of hours spent sitting at the cancer center. So, I knit,” Armentrout said. “When I was going through treatments, I knitted scarves for all the nurses and doctors.”This year, Armentrout embarked on a project to knit a scarf that reflects the temperature for each day.”I made myself up a card, so I do single-digits is lilac, and 10 to 20 (degrees) is purple; 21 to 30, and so on by 10 digits, within that range,” Armentrout said. “I knit two rows, and whatever color I have decided for that temperature range, it’s like, ‘OK, I accomplished something today.’”Armentrout first saw the idea on Ravelry, a social networking site that connects knitters from all over the world.”My first thought was, ‘That’s weird.’ And then, it was intriguing as I looked into it,” Armentrout said. “The original idea behind it, though, was actually tracking temperature changes. It was about climate change, to see how much it has changed over the years, and how we are being affected by climate change.”As Armentrout completes her first temperature scarf with a few days left in 2025, she plans to wear it proudly.”I’m calling it my ‘Dr. Whoish temperature scarf’ because it’s very Dr. Whoish to me with all the colors, but it’s interesting, too, that you can see from the cold to the hot and back again,” Armentrout said.Armentrout is not finished with her knitting projects. She plans to knit another temperature scarf next year with the temperatures from her mother’s birth year, 1927, and compare them to this year’s temperatures.

    A Baltimore County knitter’s unique scarf is not only vibrant: Each color signifies the daily weather.

    At her Maryland home, Rose Armentrout has an entire room dedicated to her knitting yarn and needles.

    “I try to organize it by type,” Armentrout told sister station WBAL-TV. “This bin is the cotton and this bin is the cashmere.”

    The room serves as Armentrout’s safe space, a sign of her dedication to knitting.

    “It helps you get through a lot of stuff. My husband and I both have had cancer. He is going through treatment now, so there’s a lot of hours spent sitting at the cancer center. So, I knit,” Armentrout said. “When I was going through treatments, I knitted scarves for all the nurses and doctors.”

    This year, Armentrout embarked on a project to knit a scarf that reflects the temperature for each day.

    “I made myself up a card, so I do single-digits is lilac, and 10 to 20 (degrees) is purple; 21 to 30, and so on by 10 digits, within that range,” Armentrout said. “I knit two rows, and whatever color I have decided for that temperature range, it’s like, ‘OK, I accomplished something today.’”

    Armentrout first saw the idea on Ravelry, a social networking site that connects knitters from all over the world.

    “My first thought was, ‘That’s weird.’ And then, it was intriguing as I looked into it,” Armentrout said. “The original idea behind it, though, was actually tracking temperature changes. It was about climate change, to see how much it has changed over the years, and how we are being affected by climate change.”

    WBAL

    Rose Armentrout embarked on a project to knit a scarf that reflects the temperature for each day.

    As Armentrout completes her first temperature scarf with a few days left in 2025, she plans to wear it proudly.

    “I’m calling it my ‘Dr. Whoish temperature scarf’ because it’s very Dr. Whoish to me with all the colors, but it’s interesting, too, that you can see from the cold to the hot and back again,” Armentrout said.

    Armentrout is not finished with her knitting projects. She plans to knit another temperature scarf next year with the temperatures from her mother’s birth year, 1927, and compare them to this year’s temperatures.

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  • US military launches strikes in Syria targeting Islamic State fighters after American troop deaths

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    The Trump administration launched military strikes Friday in Syria to “eliminate” Islamic State group fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter almost a week ago. A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that hit 70 targets in areas across central Syria that had IS infrastructure and weapons. Another U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, said more strikes should be expected.“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.The new military operation in Syria comes even as the Trump administration has said it’s looking to focus closer to home in the Western Hemisphere, building up an armada in the Caribbean Sea as it targets alleged drug-smuggling boats and vowing to keep seizing sanctioned oil tankers as part of a pressure campaign on Venezuela’s leader. The U.S. has shifted significant resources away from the Middle East to further those goals: Its most advanced aircraft carrier arrived in South American waters last month from the Mediterranean Sea.Video below: Trump commented on the strikes during a speech Friday nightTrump vowed retaliationPresident Donald Trump pledged “very serious retaliation” after the shooting in the Syrian desert, for which he blamed IS. Those killed were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the militant group.Trump in a social media post said the strikes were targeting IS “strongholds.” He reiterated his backing for Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who Trump said was “fully in support” of the U.S. effort.Trump also offered an all-caps threat, warning IS against attacking American personnel again.“All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A.,” the president added.The attack was conducted using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the U.S. officials said. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery also were used, one official added.U.S. Central Command, which oversees the region, said in a social media post that American jets, helicopters and artillery employed more than 100 precision munitions on Syrian targets.How Syria has respondedThe attack was a major test for the warming ties between the United States and Syria since the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago. Trump has stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops and said al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” which came as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces.Syria’s foreign ministry in a statement on X following the launch of U.S. strikes said that last week’s attack “underscores the urgent necessity of strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in all its forms” and that Syria is committed “to fighting ISIS and ensuring that it has no safe havens on Syrian territory and will continue to intensify military operations against it wherever it poses a threat.”Syrian state television reported that the U.S. strikes hit targets in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces and in the Jabal al-Amour area near the historic city of Palmyra. It said they targeted “weapons storage sites and headquarters used by ISIS as launching points for its operations in the region.”IS has not said it carried out the attack on the U.S. service members, but the group has claimed responsibility for two attacks on Syrian security forces since, one of which killed four Syrian soldiers in Idlib province. The group in its statements described al-Sharaa’s government and army as “apostates.” While al-Sharaa once led a group affiliated with al-Qaida, he has had a long-running enmity with IS.The Americans who were killedTrump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action.The guardsmen killed in Syria last Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, also was killed.The shooting near Palmyra also wounded three other U.S. troops as well as members of Syria’s security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned because of suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba has said.The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards.___Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut, Lebanon, contributed.

    The Trump administration launched military strikes Friday in Syria to “eliminate” Islamic State group fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter almost a week ago.

    A U.S. official described it as “a large-scale” strike that hit 70 targets in areas across central Syria that had IS infrastructure and weapons. Another U.S. official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, said more strikes should be expected.

    “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media.

    The new military operation in Syria comes even as the Trump administration has said it’s looking to focus closer to home in the Western Hemisphere, building up an armada in the Caribbean Sea as it targets alleged drug-smuggling boats and vowing to keep seizing sanctioned oil tankers as part of a pressure campaign on Venezuela’s leader. The U.S. has shifted significant resources away from the Middle East to further those goals: Its most advanced aircraft carrier arrived in South American waters last month from the Mediterranean Sea.

    Video below: Trump commented on the strikes during a speech Friday night

    Trump vowed retaliation

    President Donald Trump pledged “very serious retaliation” after the shooting in the Syrian desert, for which he blamed IS. Those killed were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the militant group.

    Trump in a social media post said the strikes were targeting IS “strongholds.” He reiterated his backing for Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, who Trump said was “fully in support” of the U.S. effort.

    Trump also offered an all-caps threat, warning IS against attacking American personnel again.

    “All terrorists who are evil enough to attack Americans are hereby warned — YOU WILL BE HIT HARDER THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN HIT BEFORE IF YOU, IN ANY WAY, ATTACK OR THREATEN THE U.S.A.,” the president added.

    The attack was conducted using F-15 Eagle jets, A-10 Thunderbolt ground attack aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters, the U.S. officials said. F-16 fighter jets from Jordan and HIMARS rocket artillery also were used, one official added.

    U.S. Central Command, which oversees the region, said in a social media post that American jets, helicopters and artillery employed more than 100 precision munitions on Syrian targets.

    How Syria has responded

    The attack was a major test for the warming ties between the United States and Syria since the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago. Trump has stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops and said al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack,” which came as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces.

    Syria’s foreign ministry in a statement on X following the launch of U.S. strikes said that last week’s attack “underscores the urgent necessity of strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in all its forms” and that Syria is committed “to fighting ISIS and ensuring that it has no safe havens on Syrian territory and will continue to intensify military operations against it wherever it poses a threat.”

    Syrian state television reported that the U.S. strikes hit targets in rural areas of Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces and in the Jabal al-Amour area near the historic city of Palmyra. It said they targeted “weapons storage sites and headquarters used by ISIS as launching points for its operations in the region.”

    IS has not said it carried out the attack on the U.S. service members, but the group has claimed responsibility for two attacks on Syrian security forces since, one of which killed four Syrian soldiers in Idlib province. The group in its statements described al-Sharaa’s government and army as “apostates.” While al-Sharaa once led a group affiliated with al-Qaida, he has had a long-running enmity with IS.

    The Americans who were killed

    Trump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action.

    The guardsmen killed in Syria last Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, also was killed.

    The shooting near Palmyra also wounded three other U.S. troops as well as members of Syria’s security forces, and the gunman was killed. The assailant had joined Syria’s internal security forces as a base security guard two months ago and recently was reassigned because of suspicions that he might be affiliated with IS, Interior Ministry spokesperson Nour al-Din al-Baba has said.

    The man stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials who were having lunch together and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards.

    ___

    Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut, Lebanon, contributed.

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  • Hegseth announces effort to ‘eliminate’ Islamic State fighters in Syria after deaths of Americans

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    Hegseth announces effort to ‘eliminate’ Islamic State fighters in Syria after deaths of Americans

    Updated: 2:39 PM PST Dec 19, 2025

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    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the start of an effort to “eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” in Syria following the deaths of three U.S. citizens.“This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” he said Friday on social media.Two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter were killed Dec. 13 in an attack in the Syrian desert that the Trump administration has blamed on the Islamic State group. The slain National Guard members were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting IS.Soon after word of the deaths, President Donald Trump pledged “very serious retaliation” but stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops. Trump has said Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack” and the shooting attack by a gunman came as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces.Trump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action.The guardsmen killed in Syria on Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, was also killed.

    Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced the start of an effort to “eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites” in Syria following the deaths of three U.S. citizens.

    “This is not the beginning of a war — it is a declaration of vengeance. The United States of America, under President Trump’s leadership, will never hesitate and never relent to defend our people,” he said Friday on social media.

    Two Iowa National Guard members and a U.S. civilian interpreter were killed Dec. 13 in an attack in the Syrian desert that the Trump administration has blamed on the Islamic State group. The slain National Guard members were among hundreds of U.S. troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting IS.

    Soon after word of the deaths, President Donald Trump pledged “very serious retaliation” but stressed that Syria was fighting alongside U.S. troops. Trump has said Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was “extremely angry and disturbed by this attack” and the shooting attack by a gunman came as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces.

    Trump this week met privately with the families of the slain Americans at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware before he joined top military officials and other dignitaries on the tarmac for the dignified transfer, a solemn and largely silent ritual honoring U.S. service members killed in action.

    The guardsmen killed in Syria on Saturday were Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, according to the U.S. Army. Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Macomb, Michigan, a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter, was also killed.

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  • Christmas cheer with bone-chilling twist in Florida

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    Most homes decorate for Christmas with lights, wreaths, maybe a few reindeer.But Ron Levine’s house in Cape Coral, Florida? It’s rocking nearly 50 skeletons, some towering up to 12 feet tall. Some say the house looks straight out of a “Nightmare Before Christmas”: Cape Coral edition.There’s a skeleton hot cocoa bar, a “dead gift exchange,” a crew of skeletal construction workers, and some lawn ornaments that even move.”It’s called Cape Skeleton,” said Levine. “It’s a resort for snowbird skeletons, basically. They start showing up in September…There’s a few of them that are here year-round.” Levine used to work with a haunted house in New York, and when he retired to Cape Coral, he brought his spooky talent with him. Levine said it started small, with two skeletons and a dog. But small didn’t last long.“First thing I saw was this lawn,” he said. “And my brain went into overdrive.”Now, the display has become something of a local landmark. Cars honk. Families stop to take pictures. Levine says even police officers slow down to get a look.“We have to take a breath,” Levine jokes. “And if we’re not breathing… we might end up here.”A Christmas hit or a Halloween that won’t die? Some neighbors absolutely adore it.“The elaborate displays, the way he changes it from Halloween to Christmas — I think it’s outstanding,” said neighbor Marcia Dunn. “So many kids stop by and see it. So many people love that he does it.”But others would rather save skeletons for October.“I don’t like it,” said neighbor Joey Guidice. “Right now it’s Christmas. I’d rather see Santa Claus, his elves, not skeletons.”The reason for the holly-jolly boneyard? Levine says, it’s simple.“You’ve got to find that spark of joy sometime in the day,” he said. “That’s what I hope to do. Whether someone’s heading to work or coming home from a bad day.”Whether you think it’s festive, freaky, or fantastically Florida, one thing is certain… You’ll never drive past this house without slowing down.Levine doesn’t have any code violations on record related to his lawn decor. In fact, the city says there’s nothing in its code of ordinances that regulates holiday decorations.”Cape Skeleton” might not be the Christmas tradition you expected, but it’s definitely the one you’ll remember.

    CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

    Most homes decorate for Christmas with lights, wreaths, maybe a few reindeer.

    But Ron Levine’s house in Cape Coral, Florida? It’s rocking nearly 50 skeletons, some towering up to 12 feet tall. Some say the house looks straight out of a “Nightmare Before Christmas”: Cape Coral edition.

    There’s a skeleton hot cocoa bar, a “dead gift exchange,” a crew of skeletal construction workers, and some lawn ornaments that even move.

    “It’s called Cape Skeleton,” said Levine. “It’s a resort for snowbird skeletons, basically. They start showing up in September…There’s a few of them that are here year-round.”

    Levine used to work with a haunted house in New York, and when he retired to Cape Coral, he brought his spooky talent with him.

    Levine said it started small, with two skeletons and a dog. But small didn’t last long.

    “First thing I saw was this lawn,” he said. “And my brain went into overdrive.”

    Now, the display has become something of a local landmark. Cars honk. Families stop to take pictures. Levine says even police officers slow down to get a look.

    “We have to take a breath,” Levine jokes. “And if we’re not breathing… we might end up here.”

    A Christmas hit or a Halloween that won’t die?

    Some neighbors absolutely adore it.

    “The elaborate displays, the way he changes it from Halloween to Christmas — I think it’s outstanding,” said neighbor Marcia Dunn. “So many kids stop by and see it. So many people love that he does it.”

    But others would rather save skeletons for October.

    “I don’t like it,” said neighbor Joey Guidice. “Right now it’s Christmas. I’d rather see Santa Claus, his elves, not skeletons.”

    The reason for the holly-jolly boneyard? Levine says, it’s simple.

    “You’ve got to find that spark of joy sometime in the day,” he said. “That’s what I hope to do. Whether someone’s heading to work or coming home from a bad day.”

    Whether you think it’s festive, freaky, or fantastically Florida, one thing is certain… You’ll never drive past this house without slowing down.

    Levine doesn’t have any code violations on record related to his lawn decor. In fact, the city says there’s nothing in its code of ordinances that regulates holiday decorations.

    “Cape Skeleton” might not be the Christmas tradition you expected, but it’s definitely the one you’ll remember.

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  • Long-awaited $3.6B in heating assistance released to states and tribes

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    Approximately $3.6 billion in delayed funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, was released Friday to states and tribes, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.The federal funding for LIHEAP, which helps millions of low-income households pay to heat and cool their homes, has been held up during the beginning of the cold-weather season because of the federal government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12.“This release of LIHEAP funding is essential and long overdue,” Mark Wolfe, executive director of NEADA, said in a statement. “Families can finally begin receiving the support they need to keep the heat on as winter begins.”States typically receive their allocations at the beginning of November.The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the assistance program, has not yet issued a formal public announcement about the resumption of the funding. After the federal shutdown ended, HHS said one of its agencies would “work swiftly to administer annual awards,” blaming the delay on congressional Democrats.Wolfe said state agencies told his organization they’ve received award letters from HHS, enabling them to begin distributing assistance to households.A message was left seeking comment with HHS.On Monday, a bipartisan group of U.S. House members sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urging him to release the LIHEAP funds by Nov. 30. Given the heating season has already started in many parts of the U.S., they said “there is no time to waste,” especially for households that use home heating oil or propane. Those fuels typically aren’t affected by state moratoriums on utility shutoffs during the winter months.Roughly 68% of LIHEAP households also receive SNAP food benefits. Wolfe said delays in both programs during the shutdown “put many households in an even more precarious situation than usual.” While Friday’s funding release is welcome news, he said the need for assistance “remains enormous,” especially given rising energy prices. He noted that arrearages remain near record highs.

    HARTFORD, Conn. —

    Approximately $3.6 billion in delayed funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, was released Friday to states and tribes, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.

    The federal funding for LIHEAP, which helps millions of low-income households pay to heat and cool their homes, has been held up during the beginning of the cold-weather season because of the federal government shutdown, which ended Nov. 12.

    “This release of LIHEAP funding is essential and long overdue,” Mark Wolfe, executive director of NEADA, said in a statement. “Families can finally begin receiving the support they need to keep the heat on as winter begins.”

    States typically receive their allocations at the beginning of November.

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the assistance program, has not yet issued a formal public announcement about the resumption of the funding. After the federal shutdown ended, HHS said one of its agencies would “work swiftly to administer annual awards,” blaming the delay on congressional Democrats.

    Wolfe said state agencies told his organization they’ve received award letters from HHS, enabling them to begin distributing assistance to households.

    A message was left seeking comment with HHS.

    On Monday, a bipartisan group of U.S. House members sent a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urging him to release the LIHEAP funds by Nov. 30. Given the heating season has already started in many parts of the U.S., they said “there is no time to waste,” especially for households that use home heating oil or propane. Those fuels typically aren’t affected by state moratoriums on utility shutoffs during the winter months.

    Roughly 68% of LIHEAP households also receive SNAP food benefits. Wolfe said delays in both programs during the shutdown “put many households in an even more precarious situation than usual.” While Friday’s funding release is welcome news, he said the need for assistance “remains enormous,” especially given rising energy prices. He noted that arrearages remain near record highs.

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  • Israel identifies the latest remains returned from Gaza as hostage Dror Or

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    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel had identified the latest remains returned from Gaza as hostage Dror Or.That leaves the bodies of two hostages in Gaza as the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement nears a conclusion.Palestinian militants released Or’s remains Tuesday.Israel has agreed to release 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage returned.Dror Or was killed by Islamic Jihad militants who overran his home in Kibbutz Beeri on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s military said. His wife, Yonat Or, was also killed in the attack.That day, Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people across southern Israel and abducted 251 to Gaza. Kibbutz Beeri was one of the hardest-hit farming communities in that attack that started the war in Gaza.Two of Or’s children, Alma and Noam, were abducted by the militants on Oct. 7 and released in a hostage deal in November 2023.Almost all of the hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals. The remains of two — one Israeli and one Thai national— are still in Gaza.Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 69,700 Palestinians have been killed and 170,800 injured in Israel’s retaliatory offensive. The toll has increased during the ceasefire, both from new Israeli strikes and from the recovery and identification of bodies of people killed earlier in the war.The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures, but has said women and children make up a majority of those killed. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel had identified the latest remains returned from Gaza as hostage Dror Or.

    That leaves the bodies of two hostages in Gaza as the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement nears a conclusion.

    Palestinian militants released Or’s remains Tuesday.

    Israel has agreed to release 15 Palestinian bodies for each hostage returned.

    Dror Or was killed by Islamic Jihad militants who overran his home in Kibbutz Beeri on Oct. 7, 2023, Israel’s military said. His wife, Yonat Or, was also killed in the attack.

    That day, Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people across southern Israel and abducted 251 to Gaza. Kibbutz Beeri was one of the hardest-hit farming communities in that attack that started the war in Gaza.

    Two of Or’s children, Alma and Noam, were abducted by the militants on Oct. 7 and released in a hostage deal in November 2023.

    Almost all of the hostages or their remains have been returned in ceasefires or other deals. The remains of two — one Israeli and one Thai national— are still in Gaza.

    Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 69,700 Palestinians have been killed and 170,800 injured in Israel’s retaliatory offensive. The toll has increased during the ceasefire, both from new Israeli strikes and from the recovery and identification of bodies of people killed earlier in the war.

    The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its figures, but has said women and children make up a majority of those killed. The ministry, part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by independent experts.

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  • Two UAB football players stabbed on campus, another player in custody

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    Two University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) football players are recovering after being stabbed by another player on campus Saturday morning.It happened shortly after 10 a.m. at the Football Operations Center.Two people were stabbed, according to Birmingham Fire and Rescue, which responded to the scene. Their injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.Both victims were taken to UAB Hospital for treatment.UAB issued the following statement: “We’re grateful to report that two players injured in an incident this morning at the Football Operations Building are in stable condition. Our thoughts are with them and their families as they recover. The suspect – another player – remains in custody, and an investigation is taking place. The team elected to play today’s game. UAB’s top priority remains the safety and well-being of all of our students. Given patient privacy and the ongoing investigation, we have no further comment at this time.”The team elected to play the afternoon game at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, where 29 players were being honored on Senior Day.UAB player Daniel Israel Mincey was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on Saturday afternoon on charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder. It has not been confirmed if his arrest is connected to the stabbings.UAB Police and Public Safety are handling the investigation.This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. ____The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    BIRMINGHAM, Ala. —

    Two University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) football players are recovering after being stabbed by another player on campus Saturday morning.

    It happened shortly after 10 a.m. at the Football Operations Center.

    Two people were stabbed, according to Birmingham Fire and Rescue, which responded to the scene. Their injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

    Both victims were taken to UAB Hospital for treatment.

    UAB issued the following statement:

    “We’re grateful to report that two players injured in an incident this morning at the Football Operations Building are in stable condition. Our thoughts are with them and their families as they recover. The suspect – another player – remains in custody, and an investigation is taking place. The team elected to play today’s game. UAB’s top priority remains the safety and well-being of all of our students. Given patient privacy and the ongoing investigation, we have no further comment at this time.”

    The team elected to play the afternoon game at Protective Stadium in Birmingham, where 29 players were being honored on Senior Day.

    UAB player Daniel Israel Mincey was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on Saturday afternoon on charges of aggravated assault and attempted murder. It has not been confirmed if his arrest is connected to the stabbings.

    UAB Police and Public Safety are handling the investigation.

    This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available.

    ____

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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  • Trump teaming up with Jack Nicklaus to revamp ‘president’s golf course’ at Joint Base Andrews

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    President Donald Trump says he’s enlisting the help of legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus to spruce up the courses at Joint Base Andrews — adding a site long known as the “president’s golf course” to his long list of construction projects.The president took an aerial tour of the Courses at Andrews aboard Marine One on Saturday, and promised, “We’re going to do some work” there, as well as to other parts of the base.“We’re doing some fix-up of the base, which it needs. We’re gonna try and reinstitute the golf courses. I’m meeting with the greatest Jack Nicklaus,” Trump told reporters outside the White House before boarding Marine One to head to Andrews. “He’s involved in trying to bring their recreational facility back.”Located in Maryland, about 15 miles (24.14 kilometers) from the White House, Andrews houses Air Force One. Gerald R. Ford was the first president to golf there in 1974, but the facility was most recently a favorite of Barack Obama.An 11th Force Support Squadron asset, the facilities include three 18-hole golf courses, three practice putting greens, two private practice areas and a driving range, according to the Andrews website. Trump said at least two of the courses could get facelifts.Trump has infrequently golfed at Andrews, but prefers to spend most weekends playing at or near one of his own properties. Those are Bedminster in New Jersey, or Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. On those weekends he remains at the White House, Trump often golfs at his course in Sterling, Virginia, near Dulles International Airport.Nicklaus won 18 professional majors and 73 times on the PGA Tour. The Nicklaus Design firm features a team that has completed more than 425 courses in 40 states and more than 45 countries.Trump said Saturday that the base at Andrews “was a great place that’s been destroyed over the years through lack of maintenance.”“So we’ll fix that up, and Jack will be the architect and he’ll design it,” the president said.He also referenced, “Two existing courses that are in very bad shape” saying, “we can — for very little money — fix it up.””And we’re looking at other things over at Andrews,’ Trump added.Trump’s comments immediately raised questions about who is paying Nicklaus, and how much such design services might cost. Also, given that Andrews is military property, who pays for improvements to its golf courses or other parts of its grounds was also unclear. Andrews deferred queries on the matter to the White House, which didn’t respond to a request for more details.The potential Andrews redesign follows construction crews already having demolished the East Wing of the White House to make room for a $300 million ballroom that Trump commissioned. He’s promised that it is being paid for by himself and private donors — including 37 individuals, firms and charitable organizations that have publicly disclosed contributing to the project.Work on the ballroom follows Trump having replaced the lawn in the Rose Garden with a patio area reminiscent of Mar-a-Lago, and redecorated the Lincoln Bathroom and Palm Room in the White House’s interior. The president also installed a Walk of Fame featuring portraits of past presidents along the Colonnade, massive flagpoles on the north and south lawns and substantially overhauled the Oval Office through the addition of golden flourishes, cherubs and other, flashy items.The work at Andrews may eventually join another off-White House site project Trump has announced publicly: his plan to erect a Paris-style arch just west of the Lincoln Memorial.Trump ceded control of his family business to his children when he returned to the White House, but it has had ties to other courses designed by Nicklaus — including the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the New York City borough of the Bronx and Trump National Jupiter in Florida. The Trump Organization sold its right to operate the Bronx course in 2023 to Bally’s Corporation.

    WASHINGTON —

    President Donald Trump says he’s enlisting the help of legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus to spruce up the courses at Joint Base Andrews — adding a site long known as the “president’s golf course” to his long list of construction projects.

    The president took an aerial tour of the Courses at Andrews aboard Marine One on Saturday, and promised, “We’re going to do some work” there, as well as to other parts of the base.

    “We’re doing some fix-up of the base, which it needs. We’re gonna try and reinstitute the golf courses. I’m meeting with the greatest Jack Nicklaus,” Trump told reporters outside the White House before boarding Marine One to head to Andrews. “He’s involved in trying to bring their recreational facility back.”

    Located in Maryland, about 15 miles (24.14 kilometers) from the White House, Andrews houses Air Force One. Gerald R. Ford was the first president to golf there in 1974, but the facility was most recently a favorite of Barack Obama.

    An 11th Force Support Squadron asset, the facilities include three 18-hole golf courses, three practice putting greens, two private practice areas and a driving range, according to the Andrews website. Trump said at least two of the courses could get facelifts.

    Trump has infrequently golfed at Andrews, but prefers to spend most weekends playing at or near one of his own properties. Those are Bedminster in New Jersey, or Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. On those weekends he remains at the White House, Trump often golfs at his course in Sterling, Virginia, near Dulles International Airport.

    Nicklaus won 18 professional majors and 73 times on the PGA Tour. The Nicklaus Design firm features a team that has completed more than 425 courses in 40 states and more than 45 countries.

    Trump said Saturday that the base at Andrews “was a great place that’s been destroyed over the years through lack of maintenance.”

    “So we’ll fix that up, and Jack will be the architect and he’ll design it,” the president said.

    He also referenced, “Two existing courses that are in very bad shape” saying, “we can — for very little money — fix it up.”

    “And we’re looking at other things over at Andrews,’ Trump added.

    Trump’s comments immediately raised questions about who is paying Nicklaus, and how much such design services might cost. Also, given that Andrews is military property, who pays for improvements to its golf courses or other parts of its grounds was also unclear. Andrews deferred queries on the matter to the White House, which didn’t respond to a request for more details.

    The potential Andrews redesign follows construction crews already having demolished the East Wing of the White House to make room for a $300 million ballroom that Trump commissioned. He’s promised that it is being paid for by himself and private donors — including 37 individuals, firms and charitable organizations that have publicly disclosed contributing to the project.

    Work on the ballroom follows Trump having replaced the lawn in the Rose Garden with a patio area reminiscent of Mar-a-Lago, and redecorated the Lincoln Bathroom and Palm Room in the White House’s interior. The president also installed a Walk of Fame featuring portraits of past presidents along the Colonnade, massive flagpoles on the north and south lawns and substantially overhauled the Oval Office through the addition of golden flourishes, cherubs and other, flashy items.

    The work at Andrews may eventually join another off-White House site project Trump has announced publicly: his plan to erect a Paris-style arch just west of the Lincoln Memorial.

    Trump ceded control of his family business to his children when he returned to the White House, but it has had ties to other courses designed by Nicklaus — including the Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point in the New York City borough of the Bronx and Trump National Jupiter in Florida. The Trump Organization sold its right to operate the Bronx course in 2023 to Bally’s Corporation.

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  • Brazil’s ex-president Bolsonaro arrested over alleged plot to escape and avoid 27-year prison term

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    Brazil’s federal police on Saturday arrested former president Jair Bolsonaro over suspicion he was plotting to escape and avoid starting a 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt. The decision laid bare some of the country’s divisions, with many uncorking Champagne outside the far-right leader’s prison to celebrate as his supporters prepared a religious act in his favor.In a dramatic and unexpected twist in the final stage of a long and divisive criminal trial, federal agents entered Bolsonaro’s house early Saturday under the order of a Supreme Court Justice to take the former president to the headquarters of the country’s federal police in the capital, Brasilia.Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the case on Bolsonaro’s attempt to keep the presidency after his defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022, ordered the preemptive arrest after saying the far-right leader’s ankle monitor was violated at 12:08 a.m. on Saturday. His lawyers claimed in a statement that did not take place.Bolsonaro, 70, who had been under house arrest, was ordered to wear the device after being deemed a flight risk. His aide Andriely Cirino confirmed to The Associated Press that the arrest took place around 6 a.m. on Saturday.In the following hours, dozens of cars honked outside the federal police’s headquarters as some Bolsonaro supporters protested. Police have since tried keep the small, but fierce, opposing sides separated.A protest organized by Bolsonaro’s son alerted the justiceDe Moraes said the arrest was a preventive measure to avoid a potential escape during a protest organized by his son later Saturday.“Are you going to fight for your country or are you going to watch it all from your cellphone in your home’s sofa?,” Flávio Bolsonaro said in a video inviting people to go outside his fathers’ house at 7 p.m. “I invite you to fight with us.”De Moraes said the attempt to break the ankle monitor was a confirmation Bolsonaro would try to escape during “the confusion that would be caused by a demonstration organized by his son.”The judge said there was a chance of Bolsonaro fleeing to the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia. The Supreme Court justice also mentioned other defendants in the coup case and political allies of the former president leaving Brazil to avoid jail.“He is located about 13 kilometers (8 miles) away from where the United States of America embassy lies, in a distance that can be covered in a 15-minute drive,” said de Moraes, who has been sanctioned by the Trump administration.In August, Brazil’s federal police found messages that linked Bolsonaro to a political asylum request to Argentina, where an ally of his, Javier Milei, is president.Trump was asked outside the White House on Saturday about Bolsonaro’s arrest, but said that was the first he was hearing of it. “Is that what happened? That’s too bad,” he said.Pressed for further comment he simply said, “I just think it’s too bad.”Trump also said he’d spoken with Lula on Friday night and that the two might be meeting “in the very near future.”Bolsonaro’s lawyers said in a statement that the former president’s arrest “causes deep perplexity because, as (de Moraes’) chronology of facts shows, it is based in a vigil for prayer,” not a protest.The preemptive arrest of Bolsonaro, who is an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, will be discussed and voted on Monday by the five-justice Supreme Court panel that both convicted and sentenced him to prison by 4 votes to 1 in September.‘Pathetic illegal initiatives’Local media reported that Bolsonaro, who was Brazil’s president from 2019 to 2022 and remains a key political player, was expected to begin serving his sentence sometime next week after all appeals of his conviction are exhausted.Few protesters were outside the federal police headquarters in Brasilia as of Saturday morning, with more expected later as organizers of the vigil mentioned by Bolsonaro’s lawyers say they will move it to where the former president is jailed.Detractors of the former president were celebrating online and scheduling parties later in the day in major Brazilian cities.“The video shot by Flávio Bolsonaro stimulates the disrespect to the constitutional text, to the judicial decision and to (democratic) institutions, showing there’s no limits for the criminal organization in its attempt to create chaos and conflict in this country, in a total disrespect to democracy,” de Moraes wrote in his ruling.Bolsonaro and several of his allies were convicted by a panel of Supreme Court justices for attempting to overthrow Brazil’s democracy following his 2022 election defeat. Prosecutors said the coup plot included plans to kill Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and de Moraes.Bolsonaro was also found guilty on charges of leading an armed criminal organization and attempting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law. He denies any wrongdoing.Bolsonaro’s allies vow to defend himFabio Wajngarten, Bolsonaro’s former press adviser and lawyer, said the arrest of the former president was “a terrible stain on the institutions.”Speaking in a video posted on X, Wajngarten added: “It’s a shame. I hope this is reviewed soon.” He claimed Bolsonaro’s ankle monitoring device was working perfectly as of Saturday morning.“How could something that was broken, violated, be functioning normally nine hours later?” he wrote. “The president had dinner — a soup — yesterday with four brothers and brothers-in-law, took medication for hiccups, felt drowsy and laid down around 10 p.m. None of his sons were at the house.”Sóstenes Cavalcante, Bolsonaro’s party whip in the lower house, accused de Moraes of showing “psychopathy at the highest level.”“We will always stand by your side. Stay strong,” he said in a video shared with the AP. “We will respond appropriately.”In an Instagram post, Michelle Bolsonaro, the former first lady, vowed Bolsonaro’s supporters “will not give up on our nation.” She was outside Brasilia when her husband was arrested at home.Lula is in South Africa for a summit of the G20 group of industrialized and emerging-market nations. Gleisi Hoffmann, one of his top ministers, said on her social media channels that Bolsonaro’s arrest comes after “violent attempts of coersion” of Supreme Court justices by the former president.’Martyr and impactful popular leader’Bolsonaro was placed under house arrest in early August, weeks before he was convicted. His lawyers were pleading with Brazil’s Supreme Court to keep him at home to serve his sentence, citing his poor health, but Brazilian law requires that all convicts start their sentences in prison.Creomar de Souza, a political analyst with Dharma Political Risk and Strategy, a political consultancy firm based in Brasilia, said the move by de Moraes will impact next year’s presidential election, with Lula seeking reelection and Bolsonaro already barred from running.“They had the idea of turning the 2026 election into a referendum on Bolsonaro. And for that to happen they needed actions, they needed to build an optics of Bolsonaro as a martyr and an impactful popular leader,” de Souza told the AP. “At the end of the day, this shows the Bolsonaro family they will need to build their own alternative for the 2026 elections.”___ Associated Press writers Gabriela Sá Pessoa in Sao Paulo and Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.

    Brazil’s federal police on Saturday arrested former president Jair Bolsonaro over suspicion he was plotting to escape and avoid starting a 27-year prison sentence for leading a coup attempt. The decision laid bare some of the country’s divisions, with many uncorking Champagne outside the far-right leader’s prison to celebrate as his supporters prepared a religious act in his favor.

    In a dramatic and unexpected twist in the final stage of a long and divisive criminal trial, federal agents entered Bolsonaro’s house early Saturday under the order of a Supreme Court Justice to take the former president to the headquarters of the country’s federal police in the capital, Brasilia.

    Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who oversaw the case on Bolsonaro’s attempt to keep the presidency after his defeat to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in 2022, ordered the preemptive arrest after saying the far-right leader’s ankle monitor was violated at 12:08 a.m. on Saturday. His lawyers claimed in a statement that did not take place.

    Bolsonaro, 70, who had been under house arrest, was ordered to wear the device after being deemed a flight risk. His aide Andriely Cirino confirmed to The Associated Press that the arrest took place around 6 a.m. on Saturday.

    In the following hours, dozens of cars honked outside the federal police’s headquarters as some Bolsonaro supporters protested. Police have since tried keep the small, but fierce, opposing sides separated.

    A protest organized by Bolsonaro’s son alerted the justice

    De Moraes said the arrest was a preventive measure to avoid a potential escape during a protest organized by his son later Saturday.

    “Are you going to fight for your country or are you going to watch it all from your cellphone in your home’s sofa?,” Flávio Bolsonaro said in a video inviting people to go outside his fathers’ house at 7 p.m. “I invite you to fight with us.”

    De Moraes said the attempt to break the ankle monitor was a confirmation Bolsonaro would try to escape during “the confusion that would be caused by a demonstration organized by his son.”

    The judge said there was a chance of Bolsonaro fleeing to the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia. The Supreme Court justice also mentioned other defendants in the coup case and political allies of the former president leaving Brazil to avoid jail.

    “He is located about 13 kilometers (8 miles) away from where the United States of America embassy lies, in a distance that can be covered in a 15-minute drive,” said de Moraes, who has been sanctioned by the Trump administration.

    In August, Brazil’s federal police found messages that linked Bolsonaro to a political asylum request to Argentina, where an ally of his, Javier Milei, is president.

    Trump was asked outside the White House on Saturday about Bolsonaro’s arrest, but said that was the first he was hearing of it. “Is that what happened? That’s too bad,” he said.

    Pressed for further comment he simply said, “I just think it’s too bad.”

    Trump also said he’d spoken with Lula on Friday night and that the two might be meeting “in the very near future.”

    Bolsonaro’s lawyers said in a statement that the former president’s arrest “causes deep perplexity because, as (de Moraes’) chronology of facts shows, it is based in a vigil for prayer,” not a protest.

    The preemptive arrest of Bolsonaro, who is an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, will be discussed and voted on Monday by the five-justice Supreme Court panel that both convicted and sentenced him to prison by 4 votes to 1 in September.

    ‘Pathetic illegal initiatives’

    Local media reported that Bolsonaro, who was Brazil’s president from 2019 to 2022 and remains a key political player, was expected to begin serving his sentence sometime next week after all appeals of his conviction are exhausted.

    Few protesters were outside the federal police headquarters in Brasilia as of Saturday morning, with more expected later as organizers of the vigil mentioned by Bolsonaro’s lawyers say they will move it to where the former president is jailed.

    Detractors of the former president were celebrating online and scheduling parties later in the day in major Brazilian cities.

    “The video shot by Flávio Bolsonaro stimulates the disrespect to the constitutional text, to the judicial decision and to (democratic) institutions, showing there’s no limits for the criminal organization in its attempt to create chaos and conflict in this country, in a total disrespect to democracy,” de Moraes wrote in his ruling.

    Bolsonaro and several of his allies were convicted by a panel of Supreme Court justices for attempting to overthrow Brazil’s democracy following his 2022 election defeat. Prosecutors said the coup plot included plans to kill Lula, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and de Moraes.

    Bolsonaro was also found guilty on charges of leading an armed criminal organization and attempting the violent abolition of the democratic rule of law. He denies any wrongdoing.

    Bolsonaro’s allies vow to defend him

    Fabio Wajngarten, Bolsonaro’s former press adviser and lawyer, said the arrest of the former president was “a terrible stain on the institutions.”

    Speaking in a video posted on X, Wajngarten added: “It’s a shame. I hope this is reviewed soon.” He claimed Bolsonaro’s ankle monitoring device was working perfectly as of Saturday morning.

    “How could something that was broken, violated, be functioning normally nine hours later?” he wrote. “The president had dinner — a soup — yesterday with four brothers and brothers-in-law, took medication for hiccups, felt drowsy and laid down around 10 p.m. None of his sons were at the house.”

    Sóstenes Cavalcante, Bolsonaro’s party whip in the lower house, accused de Moraes of showing “psychopathy at the highest level.”

    “We will always stand by your side. Stay strong,” he said in a video shared with the AP. “We will respond appropriately.”

    In an Instagram post, Michelle Bolsonaro, the former first lady, vowed Bolsonaro’s supporters “will not give up on our nation.” She was outside Brasilia when her husband was arrested at home.

    Lula is in South Africa for a summit of the G20 group of industrialized and emerging-market nations. Gleisi Hoffmann, one of his top ministers, said on her social media channels that Bolsonaro’s arrest comes after “violent attempts of coersion” of Supreme Court justices by the former president.

    ‘Martyr and impactful popular leader’

    Bolsonaro was placed under house arrest in early August, weeks before he was convicted. His lawyers were pleading with Brazil’s Supreme Court to keep him at home to serve his sentence, citing his poor health, but Brazilian law requires that all convicts start their sentences in prison.

    Creomar de Souza, a political analyst with Dharma Political Risk and Strategy, a political consultancy firm based in Brasilia, said the move by de Moraes will impact next year’s presidential election, with Lula seeking reelection and Bolsonaro already barred from running.

    “They had the idea of turning the 2026 election into a referendum on Bolsonaro. And for that to happen they needed actions, they needed to build an optics of Bolsonaro as a martyr and an impactful popular leader,” de Souza told the AP. “At the end of the day, this shows the Bolsonaro family they will need to build their own alternative for the 2026 elections.”

    ___

    Associated Press writers Gabriela Sá Pessoa in Sao Paulo and Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.

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  • Pope Leo XIV accepts resignation of Spanish bishop accused of abuse in first known case for pontiff

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    Pope Leo XIV on Saturday accepted the resignation of an ailing Spanish bishop who is under church investigation for allegedly sexually abusing a young seminarian in the 1990s, the first known time the new pontiff removed a bishop accused of abuse.A one-line statement from the Vatican said Leo had accepted the resignation of Cádiz Bishop Rafael Zornoza, 76. It didn’t say why, but Zornoza submitted his resignation to the pope last year when he turned 75, the normal retirement age for bishops.It hadn’t been accepted though until the El País newspaper reported earlier this month that Zornoza had been recently placed under investigation by a church tribunal. The daily, which since 2018 has exposed decades of abuse and cover-up in the Spanish Catholic Church, said Zornoza was accused of abusing a young former seminarian while he was a young priest and directed the diocesan seminary in Getafe.The report, quoting a letter the former seminarian wrote the Vatican over the summer, said Zornoza fondled him and regularly slept with him from when he was 14-21 years old. The former seminarian’s letter said Zornoza heard his confession and persuaded him to see a psychiatrist to “cure” his homosexuality.The diocese of Cádiz denied the accusations against Zornoza but confirmed the investigation was being carried out by the church court in Madrid, known as the Rota. In a Nov. 10 statement, the diocese said Zornoza was cooperating with the investigation and had suspended his agenda temporarily “to clarify the facts and to undergo treatment for an aggressive form of cancer.”“The accusations made, referring to events that took place almost 30 years ago, are very serious and also false,” the statement said.It is believed to be the first publicly known case of a bishop being retired, and being placed under investigation for alleged abuse, since the Spanish church began reckoning in recent years with a decades-long legacy of abuse and cover-up that has rocked the once-staunchly Catholic Spain.Leo didn’t immediately name a temporary leader of the diocese.In 2023, Spain’s first official probe of abuse indicated that the number of victims could run into hundreds of thousands, based on a survey that was part of a report by the office of Spain’s ombudsman. The ombudsman conducted an 18-month independent investigation of 487 cases involving alleged victims who spoke with the ombudsman’s team.Spain’s Catholic bishops apologized but dismissed the interpretations of the ombudsman report as a “lie,” arguing that many more people had been abused outside of the church.The Spanish Catholic hierarchy then did its own report, saying in 2024 that it had found evidence of 728 sexual abusers within the church since 1945. It then launched a plan to compensate victims, after Spain’s government approved a plan to force the church to pay economic reparations.

    Pope Leo XIV on Saturday accepted the resignation of an ailing Spanish bishop who is under church investigation for allegedly sexually abusing a young seminarian in the 1990s, the first known time the new pontiff removed a bishop accused of abuse.

    A one-line statement from the Vatican said Leo had accepted the resignation of Cádiz Bishop Rafael Zornoza, 76. It didn’t say why, but Zornoza submitted his resignation to the pope last year when he turned 75, the normal retirement age for bishops.

    It hadn’t been accepted though until the El País newspaper reported earlier this month that Zornoza had been recently placed under investigation by a church tribunal. The daily, which since 2018 has exposed decades of abuse and cover-up in the Spanish Catholic Church, said Zornoza was accused of abusing a young former seminarian while he was a young priest and directed the diocesan seminary in Getafe.

    The report, quoting a letter the former seminarian wrote the Vatican over the summer, said Zornoza fondled him and regularly slept with him from when he was 14-21 years old. The former seminarian’s letter said Zornoza heard his confession and persuaded him to see a psychiatrist to “cure” his homosexuality.

    The diocese of Cádiz denied the accusations against Zornoza but confirmed the investigation was being carried out by the church court in Madrid, known as the Rota. In a Nov. 10 statement, the diocese said Zornoza was cooperating with the investigation and had suspended his agenda temporarily “to clarify the facts and to undergo treatment for an aggressive form of cancer.”

    “The accusations made, referring to events that took place almost 30 years ago, are very serious and also false,” the statement said.

    It is believed to be the first publicly known case of a bishop being retired, and being placed under investigation for alleged abuse, since the Spanish church began reckoning in recent years with a decades-long legacy of abuse and cover-up that has rocked the once-staunchly Catholic Spain.

    Leo didn’t immediately name a temporary leader of the diocese.

    In 2023, Spain’s first official probe of abuse indicated that the number of victims could run into hundreds of thousands, based on a survey that was part of a report by the office of Spain’s ombudsman. The ombudsman conducted an 18-month independent investigation of 487 cases involving alleged victims who spoke with the ombudsman’s team.

    Spain’s Catholic bishops apologized but dismissed the interpretations of the ombudsman report as a “lie,” arguing that many more people had been abused outside of the church.

    The Spanish Catholic hierarchy then did its own report, saying in 2024 that it had found evidence of 728 sexual abusers within the church since 1945. It then launched a plan to compensate victims, after Spain’s government approved a plan to force the church to pay economic reparations.

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  • Amazon is issuing Prime refunds as part of an FTC settlement. Here’s who’s eligible and what you’ll get

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    Amazon began the process of issuing refunds to eligible Prime members this week as part of a large settlement the company agreed to over federal allegations that it misled customers.Related video above: Amazon Scam exposed — Don’t fall for this refund text trickIn 2023, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Amazon. In it, and in media releases since, the FTC has said the company “enrolled millions of people in Prime subscriptions without their consent – and then made it hard for those unwilling Prime subscribers to cancel.”On Sept. 25, 2025, Amazon, without admitting liability, reached a $2.5 billion settlement with the FTC. “Amazon and our executives have always followed the law and this settlement allows us to move forward and focus on innovating for customers,” Amazon said upon reaching the settlement. “We work incredibly hard to make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up or cancel their Prime membership, and to offer substantial value for our many millions of loyal Prime members around the world. We will continue to do so, and look forward to what we’ll deliver for Prime members in the coming years.”As part of the agreement, Amazon agreed to offer $1.5 billion in refunds to eligible customers. So, do you qualify? Here’s everything we know about the Amazon refunds.When are refund payments being sent out? Amazon has already started the process of issuing automatic refunds to eligible Prime customers. The automatic payments began being doled out on Nov. 12, and that process will continue through Dec. 24, 2025. How much money will I get? According to the FTC, under the settlement, eligible Prime customers can receive a refund of their Amazon Prime subscription fees, up to $51.Who is eligible for the automatic refunds? To qualify for the automatic refund, you had to have signed up for Amazon Prime in the U.S. between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025.Customers only qualify if they signed up for an Amazon Prime subscription through a “challenged enrollment flow,” which the FTC says includes “the universal Prime decision page, shipping selection page, single page checkout, or the Prime Video enrollment flow.”If you’re unsure of whether you signed up through a challenged enrollment flow, you don’t need to worry. According to an FAQ document linked to the FTC’s alert about the refund payments, “you will not need to determine whether or not you signed up through a Challenged Enrollment Flow. That analysis is being completed for you.”Furthermore, to qualify, you must have used no more than three “Amazon Prime Benefits” in “any 12-month period following Amazon Prime enrollment,” according to the FTC. Those benefits include Prime Music or Prime Video products offered for free to Prime subscribers.How will payments be issued? Those who are eligible will receive an email. The FTC says refunds must be accepted within 15 days. Refunds can be issued via PayPal or Venmo. However, those who would rather get a check should “ignore the email from Amazon,” the FTC said in its alert. If you do not claim the PayPal or Venmo payment, a check will be sent to the default shipping address listed on your Prime subscription. The checks must be cashed within 60 days, the FTC said.What if I didn’t get an automatic refund?If you think you are eligible but don’t get an automatic refund, the FTC says you “don’t need to do anything right now.””In 2026, Amazon will begin its claims process for eligible Prime customers who didn’t get an automatic refund between November and December 2025,” the FTC said in its alert, adding, “You don’t need to contact the FTC to receive a refund.”The FTC said it will update its “Amazon Refunds” webpage when the claims process begins.You can also sign up to receive emails by going to this website.Don’t fall for scamsIn its alert about the automatic refunds, the FTC is cautioning consumers that the FTC “will never ask you to pay to get a refund.””Don’t pay anyone who promises you a refund in exchange for a fee. And don’t give personal information to anyone who contacts you promising a refund,” the FTC said.

    Amazon began the process of issuing refunds to eligible Prime members this week as part of a large settlement the company agreed to over federal allegations that it misled customers.

    Related video above: Amazon Scam exposed — Don’t fall for this refund text trick

    In 2023, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against Amazon. In it, and in media releases since, the FTC has said the company “enrolled millions of people in Prime subscriptions without their consent – and then made it hard for those unwilling Prime subscribers to cancel.”

    On Sept. 25, 2025, Amazon, without admitting liability, reached a $2.5 billion settlement with the FTC.

    “Amazon and our executives have always followed the law and this settlement allows us to move forward and focus on innovating for customers,” Amazon said upon reaching the settlement. “We work incredibly hard to make it clear and simple for customers to both sign up or cancel their Prime membership, and to offer substantial value for our many millions of loyal Prime members around the world. We will continue to do so, and look forward to what we’ll deliver for Prime members in the coming years.”

    As part of the agreement, Amazon agreed to offer $1.5 billion in refunds to eligible customers.

    So, do you qualify? Here’s everything we know about the Amazon refunds.

    When are refund payments being sent out?

    Amazon has already started the process of issuing automatic refunds to eligible Prime customers.

    The automatic payments began being doled out on Nov. 12, and that process will continue through Dec. 24, 2025.

    How much money will I get?

    According to the FTC, under the settlement, eligible Prime customers can receive a refund of their Amazon Prime subscription fees, up to $51.

    Who is eligible for the automatic refunds?

    To qualify for the automatic refund, you had to have signed up for Amazon Prime in the U.S. between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025.

    Customers only qualify if they signed up for an Amazon Prime subscription through a “challenged enrollment flow,” which the FTC says includes “the universal Prime decision page, shipping selection page, single page checkout, or the Prime Video enrollment flow.”

    If you’re unsure of whether you signed up through a challenged enrollment flow, you don’t need to worry. According to an FAQ document linked to the FTC’s alert about the refund payments, “you will not need to determine whether or not you signed up through a Challenged Enrollment Flow. That analysis is being completed for you.”

    Furthermore, to qualify, you must have used no more than three “Amazon Prime Benefits” in “any 12-month period following Amazon Prime enrollment,” according to the FTC.

    Those benefits include Prime Music or Prime Video products offered for free to Prime subscribers.

    How will payments be issued?

    Those who are eligible will receive an email. The FTC says refunds must be accepted within 15 days.

    Refunds can be issued via PayPal or Venmo. However, those who would rather get a check should “ignore the email from Amazon,” the FTC said in its alert. If you do not claim the PayPal or Venmo payment, a check will be sent to the default shipping address listed on your Prime subscription. The checks must be cashed within 60 days, the FTC said.

    What if I didn’t get an automatic refund?

    If you think you are eligible but don’t get an automatic refund, the FTC says you “don’t need to do anything right now.”

    “In 2026, Amazon will begin its claims process for eligible Prime customers who didn’t get an automatic refund between November and December 2025,” the FTC said in its alert, adding, “You don’t need to contact the FTC to receive a refund.”

    The FTC said it will update its “Amazon Refunds” webpage when the claims process begins.

    You can also sign up to receive emails by going to this website.

    Don’t fall for scams

    In its alert about the automatic refunds, the FTC is cautioning consumers that the FTC “will never ask you to pay to get a refund.”

    “Don’t pay anyone who promises you a refund in exchange for a fee. And don’t give personal information to anyone who contacts you promising a refund,” the FTC said.

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  • Police warn of dangerous TikTok ‘door-kicking’ challenge

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    Police in Pennsylvania are warning residents about a viral TikTok challenge where kids record themselves kicking in the front doors of people’s homes. Similar instances of door-kicking have been reported in other states.In Pennsylvania, Multiple police departments in the Susquehanna Valley have reported these incidents. The Lower Swatara Township Police Department said officers responded to a report of disorderly juveniles just before 3 a.m. on Sunday. Police reviewed video camera footage, which showed one juvenile kicking in a front door while recording on her phone before running off with two other juveniles. Watch: Ring camera footage of the incident Officers walked through the neighborhood and spoke to several residents who said the same incident had happened to them. Anyone who recognizes the individuals in this video is asked to contact Lower Swatara Township police. Police said this incident is likely related to a viral TikTok trend where kids are kicking in the front doors of people’s homes, warning that this challenge is very dangerous. Adams County Crime Stoppers reported a similar “door-kicking” incident where a male kicked the front door of a home in McSherrystown Borough, Pennsylvania, multiple times the night of Halloween, Oct. 31. Authorities said the male fled with two other individuals after causing damage to the door. Police released a photo of the male suspect. KCRA reports that police in the Sacramento, California, area have warned residents of an uptick in cases of kids kicking the front doors of strangers’ homes. In Baltimore, WBAL reported that two teenagers were arrested while carrying out the trend in July.In September, a “ding-dong ditch” prank in Houston, Texas, resulted in the death of an 11-year-old boy when the homeowner exited the house and shot him.Anyone who experiences similar activity at their home is advised to call the police immediately.

    Police in Pennsylvania are warning residents about a viral TikTok challenge where kids record themselves kicking in the front doors of people’s homes.

    Similar instances of door-kicking have been reported in other states.

    In Pennsylvania, Multiple police departments in the Susquehanna Valley have reported these incidents.

    The Lower Swatara Township Police Department said officers responded to a report of disorderly juveniles just before 3 a.m. on Sunday.

    Police reviewed video camera footage, which showed one juvenile kicking in a front door while recording on her phone before running off with two other juveniles.

    Watch: Ring camera footage of the incident

    Officers walked through the neighborhood and spoke to several residents who said the same incident had happened to them. Anyone who recognizes the individuals in this video is asked to contact Lower Swatara Township police.

    Police said this incident is likely related to a viral TikTok trend where kids are kicking in the front doors of people’s homes, warning that this challenge is very dangerous.

    Adams County Crime Stoppers reported a similar “door-kicking” incident where a male kicked the front door of a home in McSherrystown Borough, Pennsylvania, multiple times the night of Halloween, Oct. 31.

    Authorities said the male fled with two other individuals after causing damage to the door. Police released a photo of the male suspect.

    KCRA reports that police in the Sacramento, California, area have warned residents of an uptick in cases of kids kicking the front doors of strangers’ homes.

    In Baltimore, WBAL reported that two teenagers were arrested while carrying out the trend in July.

    In September, a “ding-dong ditch” prank in Houston, Texas, resulted in the death of an 11-year-old boy when the homeowner exited the house and shot him.

    Anyone who experiences similar activity at their home is advised to call the police immediately.

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  • At Trump’s urging, Bondi says US will investigate Epstein’s ties to Clinton and other political foes

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    Acceding to President Donald Trump’s demands, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday that she has ordered a top federal prosecutor to investigate sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to Trump political foes, including former President Bill Clinton.Bondi posted on X that she was assigning Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to lead the probe, capping an eventful week in which congressional Republicans released nearly 23,000 pages of documents from Epstein’s estate and House Democrats seized on emails mentioning Trump.Trump, who was friends with Epstein for years, didn’t explain what supposed crimes he wanted the Justice Department to investigate. None of the men he mentioned in a social media post demanding the probe has been accused of sexual misconduct by any of Epstein’s victims.Hours before Bondi’s announcement, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he would ask her, the Justice Department, and the FBI to investigate Epstein’s “involvement and relationship” with Clinton and others, including former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and LinkedIn founder and Democratic donor Reid Hoffman.Trump, calling the matter “the Epstein Hoax, involving Democrats, not Republicans,” said the investigation should also include financial giant JPMorgan Chase, which provided banking services to Epstein, and “many other people and institutions.”“This is another Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, with all arrows pointing to the Democrats,” the Republican president wrote, referring to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of alleged Russian interference in Trump’s 2016 election victory over Bill Clinton’s wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.Asked later Friday whether he should be ordering up such investigations, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One: “I’m the chief law enforcement officer of the country. I’m allowed to do it.”In a July memo regarding the Epstein investigation, the FBI said, “We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”The president’s demand for an investigation — and Bondi’s quick acquiescence — is the latest example of the erosion of the Justice Department’s traditional independence from the White House since Trump took office.It is also an extraordinary attempt at deflection. For decades, Trump himself has been scrutinized for his closeness to Epstein — though like the people he now wants investigated, he has not been accused of sexual misconduct by Epstein’s victims.None of Trump’s proposed targets were accused of sex crimesA JPMorgan Chase spokesperson, Patricia Wexler, said the company regretted associating with Epstein “but did not help him commit his heinous acts.”“The government had damning information about his crimes and failed to share it with us or other banks,” she said. The company agreed previously to pay millions of dollars to Epstein’s victims, who had sued arguing that the bank ignored red flags about criminal activity.Clinton has acknowledged traveling on Epstein’s private jet but has said through a spokesperson that he had no knowledge of the late financier’s crimes. He also has never been accused of misconduct by Epstein’s known victims.Clinton’s deputy chief of staff Angel Ureña posted on X Friday: “These emails prove Bill Clinton did nothing and knew nothing. The rest is noise meant to distract from election losses, backfiring shutdowns, and who knows what else.”Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl, but was spared a long jail term when the U.S. attorney in Florida agreed not to prosecute him over allegations that he had paid many other children for sexual acts. After serving about a year in jail and a work release program, Epstein resumed his business and social life until federal prosecutors in New York revived the case in 2019. Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Summers and Hoffman had nothing to do with either case, but both were friendly with Epstein and exchanged emails with him. Those messages were among the documents released this week, along with other correspondence Epstein had with friends and business associates in the years before his death.Nothing in the messages suggested any wrongdoing on the men’s part, other than associating with someone who had been accused of sex crimes against children.Summers, who served in Clinton’s cabinet and is a former Harvard University president, previously said in a statement that he has “great regrets in my life” and that “my association with Jeffrey Epstein was a major error of judgement.”On social media Friday night, Hoffman called for Trump to release all the Epstein files, saying they will show that “the calls for baseless investigations of me are nothing more than political persecution and slander.” He added, “I was never a client of Epstein’s and never had any engagement with him other than fundraising for MIT.” Hoffman bankrolled writer E. Jean Carroll’s sexual abuse and defamation lawsuit against Trump.After Epstein’s sex trafficking arrest in 2019, Hoffman said he’d only had a few interactions with Epstein, all related to his fundraising for MIT’s Media Lab. He nevertheless apologized, saying that “by agreeing to participate in any fundraising activity where Epstein was present, I helped to repair his reputation and perpetuate injustice.”Bondi, in her post, praised Clayton as “one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country” and said the Justice Department “will pursue this with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people.”Trump called Clayton “a great man, a great attorney,” though he said Bondi chose him for the job.Clayton, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump’s first term, took over in April as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York — the same office that indicted Epstein and won a sex trafficking conviction against Epstein’s longtime confidante, Ghislaine Maxwell, in 2021.Trump changes course on Epstein filesTrump suggested while campaigning last year that he’d seek to open up the government’s case files on Epstein, but changed course in recent months, blaming Democrats and painting the matter as a “hoax” amid questions about what knowledge he may have had about Epstein’s yearslong exploitation of underage girls.On Wednesday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released three Epstein email exchanges that referenced Trump, including one from 2019 in which Epstein said the president “knew about the girls” and asked Maxwell to stop.White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt accused Democrats of having “selectively leaked emails” to smear Trump.Soon after, Republicans on the committee disclosed a far bigger trove of Epstein’s email correspondence, including messages he sent to longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon and to Britain’s former Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Andrew settled a lawsuit out of court with one of Epstein’s victims, who said she had been paid to have sex with the prince.The House is speeding toward a vote next week to force the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Epstein.“I don’t care about it, release or not,” Trump said Friday. “If you’re going to do it, then you have to go into Epstein’s friends,” he added, naming Clinton and Hoffman.Still, he said: “This is a Democrat hoax. And a couple, a few Republicans have gone along with it because they’re weak and ineffective.”__Bedayn reported from Denver. Associated Press writer Chris Megerian aboard Air Force One contributed to this report.

    NEW YORK —

    Acceding to President Donald Trump’s demands, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Friday that she has ordered a top federal prosecutor to investigate sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to Trump political foes, including former President Bill Clinton.

    Bondi posted on X that she was assigning Manhattan U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton to lead the probe, capping an eventful week in which congressional Republicans released nearly 23,000 pages of documents from Epstein’s estate and House Democrats seized on emails mentioning Trump.

    Trump, who was friends with Epstein for years, didn’t explain what supposed crimes he wanted the Justice Department to investigate. None of the men he mentioned in a social media post demanding the probe has been accused of sexual misconduct by any of Epstein’s victims.

    Hours before Bondi’s announcement, Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that he would ask her, the Justice Department, and the FBI to investigate Epstein’s “involvement and relationship” with Clinton and others, including former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers and LinkedIn founder and Democratic donor Reid Hoffman.

    Trump, calling the matter “the Epstein Hoax, involving Democrats, not Republicans,” said the investigation should also include financial giant JPMorgan Chase, which provided banking services to Epstein, and “many other people and institutions.”

    “This is another Russia, Russia, Russia Scam, with all arrows pointing to the Democrats,” the Republican president wrote, referring to special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of alleged Russian interference in Trump’s 2016 election victory over Bill Clinton’s wife, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

    Asked later Friday whether he should be ordering up such investigations, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One: “I’m the chief law enforcement officer of the country. I’m allowed to do it.”

    In a July memo regarding the Epstein investigation, the FBI said, “We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.”

    The president’s demand for an investigation — and Bondi’s quick acquiescence — is the latest example of the erosion of the Justice Department’s traditional independence from the White House since Trump took office.

    It is also an extraordinary attempt at deflection. For decades, Trump himself has been scrutinized for his closeness to Epstein — though like the people he now wants investigated, he has not been accused of sexual misconduct by Epstein’s victims.

    None of Trump’s proposed targets were accused of sex crimes

    A JPMorgan Chase spokesperson, Patricia Wexler, said the company regretted associating with Epstein “but did not help him commit his heinous acts.”

    “The government had damning information about his crimes and failed to share it with us or other banks,” she said. The company agreed previously to pay millions of dollars to Epstein’s victims, who had sued arguing that the bank ignored red flags about criminal activity.

    Clinton has acknowledged traveling on Epstein’s private jet but has said through a spokesperson that he had no knowledge of the late financier’s crimes. He also has never been accused of misconduct by Epstein’s known victims.

    Clinton’s deputy chief of staff Angel Ureña posted on X Friday: “These emails prove Bill Clinton did nothing and knew nothing. The rest is noise meant to distract from election losses, backfiring shutdowns, and who knows what else.”

    Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl, but was spared a long jail term when the U.S. attorney in Florida agreed not to prosecute him over allegations that he had paid many other children for sexual acts. After serving about a year in jail and a work release program, Epstein resumed his business and social life until federal prosecutors in New York revived the case in 2019. Epstein killed himself while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

    Summers and Hoffman had nothing to do with either case, but both were friendly with Epstein and exchanged emails with him. Those messages were among the documents released this week, along with other correspondence Epstein had with friends and business associates in the years before his death.

    Nothing in the messages suggested any wrongdoing on the men’s part, other than associating with someone who had been accused of sex crimes against children.

    Summers, who served in Clinton’s cabinet and is a former Harvard University president, previously said in a statement that he has “great regrets in my life” and that “my association with Jeffrey Epstein was a major error of judgement.”

    On social media Friday night, Hoffman called for Trump to release all the Epstein files, saying they will show that “the calls for baseless investigations of me are nothing more than political persecution and slander.” He added, “I was never a client of Epstein’s and never had any engagement with him other than fundraising for MIT.” Hoffman bankrolled writer E. Jean Carroll’s sexual abuse and defamation lawsuit against Trump.

    After Epstein’s sex trafficking arrest in 2019, Hoffman said he’d only had a few interactions with Epstein, all related to his fundraising for MIT’s Media Lab. He nevertheless apologized, saying that “by agreeing to participate in any fundraising activity where Epstein was present, I helped to repair his reputation and perpetuate injustice.”

    Bondi, in her post, praised Clayton as “one of the most capable and trusted prosecutors in the country” and said the Justice Department “will pursue this with urgency and integrity to deliver answers to the American people.”

    Trump called Clayton “a great man, a great attorney,” though he said Bondi chose him for the job.

    Clayton, the chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission during Trump’s first term, took over in April as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York — the same office that indicted Epstein and won a sex trafficking conviction against Epstein’s longtime confidante, Ghislaine Maxwell, in 2021.

    Trump changes course on Epstein files

    Trump suggested while campaigning last year that he’d seek to open up the government’s case files on Epstein, but changed course in recent months, blaming Democrats and painting the matter as a “hoax” amid questions about what knowledge he may have had about Epstein’s yearslong exploitation of underage girls.

    On Wednesday, Democrats on the House Oversight Committee released three Epstein email exchanges that referenced Trump, including one from 2019 in which Epstein said the president “knew about the girls” and asked Maxwell to stop.

    White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt accused Democrats of having “selectively leaked emails” to smear Trump.

    Soon after, Republicans on the committee disclosed a far bigger trove of Epstein’s email correspondence, including messages he sent to longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon and to Britain’s former Prince Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. Andrew settled a lawsuit out of court with one of Epstein’s victims, who said she had been paid to have sex with the prince.

    The House is speeding toward a vote next week to force the Justice Department to release all files and communications related to Epstein.

    “I don’t care about it, release or not,” Trump said Friday. “If you’re going to do it, then you have to go into Epstein’s friends,” he added, naming Clinton and Hoffman.

    Still, he said: “This is a Democrat hoax. And a couple, a few Republicans have gone along with it because they’re weak and ineffective.”

    __

    Bedayn reported from Denver. Associated Press writer Chris Megerian aboard Air Force One contributed to this report.

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  • US military’s 20th strike on alleged drug-running boat kills 4 in the Caribbean

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    The U.S. military’s 20th strike on a boat accused of transporting drugs has killed four people in the Caribbean Sea, the U.S. military said Friday, coming as the Trump administration escalates its campaign in South American waters.The latest strike happened Monday, according to a social media post on Friday by U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military operations in the Caribbean and Latin America. The latest strike brings the death toll from the attacks that began in September to 80, with the Mexican Navy suspending its search for a survivor of a strike in late October after four days.Southern Command’s post on X shows a boat speeding over water before it’s engulfed in flames. The command said intelligence confirmed the vessel “was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics.”Southern Command’s post marked a shift away from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s practice of typically announcing the attacks on social media, although he quickly reposted Southern Command’s statement.Hegseth had announced the previous two strikes on Monday after they had been carried out on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is expanding the U.S. military’s already large presence in the region by bringing in the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. The nation’s most advanced warship is expected to arrive in the coming days after traveling from the Mediterranean Sea.Hegseth on Thursday formally named the mission “Operation Southern Spear,” emphasizing the growing significance and permanence of the military’s presence in the region. Once the Ford arrives, the mission will encompass nearly a dozen Navy ships as well about 12,000 sailors and Marines.The Trump administration has insisted that the buildup of warships is focused on stopping the flow of drugs into the U.S., but it has released no evidence to support its assertions that those killed in the boats were “narcoterrorists.” The strikes have targeted vessels largely in the Caribbean Sea but also have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean, where much of the cocaine from the world’s largest producers is smuggled.Some observers say the aircraft carrier is a big new tool of intimidation against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S. Experts disagree on whether American warplanes may bomb land targets to pressure Maduro to step down.Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. doesn’t recognize Maduro, who was widely accused of stealing last year’s election, as the leader of Venezuela and has called the government a “transshipment organization” that openly cooperates with those trafficking drugs toward the U.S.Maduro has said the U.S. government is “fabricating” a war against him. Venezuela’s government this week touted a “massive” mobilization of troops and civilians to defend against possible U.S. attacks.Trump has justified the attacks by saying the United States is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels and claiming the boats are operated by foreign terror organizations that are flooding America’s cities with drugs.Lawmakers, including Republicans, have pressed for more information on who is being targeted and the legal justification for the strikes.Rubio and Hegseth met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers who oversee national security issues last week, providing one of the first high-level glimpses into the legal rationale and strategy behind the strikes.Senate Republicans voted a day later to reject legislation that would have put a check on Trump’s ability to launch an attack against Venezuela without congressional authorization.

    WASHINGTON —

    The U.S. military’s 20th strike on a boat accused of transporting drugs has killed four people in the Caribbean Sea, the U.S. military said Friday, coming as the Trump administration escalates its campaign in South American waters.

    The latest strike happened Monday, according to a social media post on Friday by U.S. Southern Command, which oversees military operations in the Caribbean and Latin America. The latest strike brings the death toll from the attacks that began in September to 80, with the Mexican Navy suspending its search for a survivor of a strike in late October after four days.

    Southern Command’s post on X shows a boat speeding over water before it’s engulfed in flames. The command said intelligence confirmed the vessel “was involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying narcotics.”

    Southern Command’s post marked a shift away from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s practice of typically announcing the attacks on social media, although he quickly reposted Southern Command’s statement.

    Hegseth had announced the previous two strikes on Monday after they had been carried out on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is expanding the U.S. military’s already large presence in the region by bringing in the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier. The nation’s most advanced warship is expected to arrive in the coming days after traveling from the Mediterranean Sea.

    Hegseth on Thursday formally named the mission “Operation Southern Spear,” emphasizing the growing significance and permanence of the military’s presence in the region. Once the Ford arrives, the mission will encompass nearly a dozen Navy ships as well about 12,000 sailors and Marines.

    The Trump administration has insisted that the buildup of warships is focused on stopping the flow of drugs into the U.S., but it has released no evidence to support its assertions that those killed in the boats were “narcoterrorists.” The strikes have targeted vessels largely in the Caribbean Sea but also have taken place in the eastern Pacific Ocean, where much of the cocaine from the world’s largest producers is smuggled.

    Some observers say the aircraft carrier is a big new tool of intimidation against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S. Experts disagree on whether American warplanes may bomb land targets to pressure Maduro to step down.

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the U.S. doesn’t recognize Maduro, who was widely accused of stealing last year’s election, as the leader of Venezuela and has called the government a “transshipment organization” that openly cooperates with those trafficking drugs toward the U.S.

    Maduro has said the U.S. government is “fabricating” a war against him. Venezuela’s government this week touted a “massive” mobilization of troops and civilians to defend against possible U.S. attacks.

    Trump has justified the attacks by saying the United States is in “armed conflict” with drug cartels and claiming the boats are operated by foreign terror organizations that are flooding America’s cities with drugs.

    Lawmakers, including Republicans, have pressed for more information on who is being targeted and the legal justification for the strikes.

    Rubio and Hegseth met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers who oversee national security issues last week, providing one of the first high-level glimpses into the legal rationale and strategy behind the strikes.

    Senate Republicans voted a day later to reject legislation that would have put a check on Trump’s ability to launch an attack against Venezuela without congressional authorization.

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  • New Text to 911 service allows you to reach help without cell reception. Here’s how it works

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    Have you ever been in or traveling through an area where there is no or low traditional cell service and thought, “What if I had an emergency and needed to call 911?”Now, because of a well-known cell service provider’s connection to a popular network of satellites, there’s a solution when you have an emergency and are off the grid and out of reach of a terrestrial cell tower’s signal.Related video above: A different new piece of technology helps guide rescuers to woman stuck in swampThe service is called Text to 911, and its availability is all thanks to T-Mobile’s new T-Satellite with Starlink, a service that, according to a recent release from the mobile carrier, was rolled out in July and connects compatible phones to an array of Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth.But if you’re not a T-Mobile customer, don’t fret. You don’t need to be a subscriber of the provider to use Text to 911. The service is available to anyone in the U.S. who has a compatible, satellite-capable iPhone or Android phone, and is designed to work anywhere in the 500,000 square miles of the U.S. not reached by traditional cell towers.That means even customers of providers like AT&T and Verizon can sign up for Text to 911.How to sign up for and use Text to 911While the service is free to use, non-T-Mobile customers are required to sign up in advance to use Text to 911. That can be done on the company’s website. The company said T-Mobile customers can add the service under “Manage Data & Add-Ons’” in their account or in T-Life. You don’t need to take any special action to use Text to 911. The mobile provider says that all you need is a view of the sky, and that using the service is just like sending a normal text message. All you need to do is enter a message on your phone’s native messaging app and enter 911 in the number field. From there, all you’ll need to do is hit “send.”While some areas around the U.S. already have the ability to text 911, this new service allows users to do so even when they can’t get reception from a traditional cell tower. If that’s the case, Text to 911 finds you a signal from a satellite up in space.The company said it “was a no-brainer” to make Text to 911 available and free for any person who enrolls and has a compatible phone.“There’s a good chance you’ve had that moment in your life at some point. Badly rolled ankle deep into a backcountry hike. Stuck in a tree well while skiing. Flat tire on a backcountry road. Or a million other situations that require access to emergency services in a place without cell service. It’s an absolutely terrifying feeling that we don’t want anyone to have ever again,” Mike Katz, president of marketing, strategy and products for T-Mobile, said in announcing the availability of Text to 911 on Nov. 5.

    Have you ever been in or traveling through an area where there is no or low traditional cell service and thought, “What if I had an emergency and needed to call 911?”

    Now, because of a well-known cell service provider’s connection to a popular network of satellites, there’s a solution when you have an emergency and are off the grid and out of reach of a terrestrial cell tower’s signal.

    Related video above: A different new piece of technology helps guide rescuers to woman stuck in swamp

    The service is called Text to 911, and its availability is all thanks to T-Mobile’s new T-Satellite with Starlink, a service that, according to a recent release from the mobile carrier, was rolled out in July and connects compatible phones to an array of Starlink satellites orbiting the Earth.

    But if you’re not a T-Mobile customer, don’t fret. You don’t need to be a subscriber of the provider to use Text to 911.

    The service is available to anyone in the U.S. who has a compatible, satellite-capable iPhone or Android phone, and is designed to work anywhere in the 500,000 square miles of the U.S. not reached by traditional cell towers.

    That means even customers of providers like AT&T and Verizon can sign up for Text to 911.

    How to sign up for and use Text to 911

    While the service is free to use, non-T-Mobile customers are required to sign up in advance to use Text to 911. That can be done on the company’s website. The company said T-Mobile customers can add the service under “Manage Data & Add-Ons’” in their account or in T-Life.

    You don’t need to take any special action to use Text to 911. The mobile provider says that all you need is a view of the sky, and that using the service is just like sending a normal text message. All you need to do is enter a message on your phone’s native messaging app and enter 911 in the number field. From there, all you’ll need to do is hit “send.”

    While some areas around the U.S. already have the ability to text 911, this new service allows users to do so even when they can’t get reception from a traditional cell tower. If that’s the case, Text to 911 finds you a signal from a satellite up in space.

    The company said it “was a no-brainer” to make Text to 911 available and free for any person who enrolls and has a compatible phone.

    “There’s a good chance you’ve had that moment in your life at some point. Badly rolled ankle deep into a backcountry hike. Stuck in a tree well while skiing. Flat tire on a backcountry road. Or a million other situations that require access to emergency services in a place without cell service. It’s an absolutely terrifying feeling that we don’t want anyone to have ever again,” Mike Katz, president of marketing, strategy and products for T-Mobile, said in announcing the availability of Text to 911 on Nov. 5.

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  • Goats on the go: ‘Free goat walks’ provide a neighborhood with a quirky mental health escape

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    Goats on the go: ‘Free goat walks’ help neighbors unite and de-stress

    Updated: 8:44 PM EST Nov 13, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    When residents in an Idaho neighborhood need some time to unwind, they know the drill. The neighbors in Boise’s Bench neighborhood head over to the Ching family’s home, grab a leash, and take a goat for a walk. Kerry Ching told KIVI that her family uses goats to “help eat the weeds, clear the area, and be something kind of fun and different to have in the neighborhood and also for ourselves.””People come by to the goat area and then just enjoy watching the goats. So we thought about making this as a community engagement,” Tony Ching said, later adding, “So many people will just drive by, they’ll roll down the window and be like baaa.” Noticing how much their neighbors love the animals, the family created Chingóat, which is a free neighborhood activity that allows neighbors to walk, feed, or just spend time with their goats. The family says their free goat walks have become a popular activity, and they’re particularly beloved by Boise State University students who live nearby and cherish a chance to get a mental health break.”You can just like forget everything and just really be present in that moment and just look at these cute little goats and relax,” Kerry told KIVI.And the goats are also providing joy to people who don’t live in town.That’s because Chingóat offers a livestream of the goats. The “goatcam” can be viewed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.The goats have gained popularity far beyond Boise.”Coworkers who are in other states, even other countries … they log on as a mental health break,” Kerry said.To see more, watch the video from KIVI in the player above.

    (Video above: KIVI via CNN Newsource) —

    When residents in an Idaho neighborhood need some time to unwind, they know the drill.

    The neighbors in Boise’s Bench neighborhood head over to the Ching family’s home, grab a leash, and take a goat for a walk.

    Kerry Ching told KIVI that her family uses goats to “help eat the weeds, clear the area, and be something kind of fun and different to have in the neighborhood and also for ourselves.”

    “People come by to the goat area and then just enjoy watching the goats. So we thought about making this as a community engagement,” Tony Ching said, later adding, “So many people will just drive by, they’ll roll down the window and be like baaa.”

    Noticing how much their neighbors love the animals, the family created Chingóat, which is a free neighborhood activity that allows neighbors to walk, feed, or just spend time with their goats.

    The family says their free goat walks have become a popular activity, and they’re particularly beloved by Boise State University students who live nearby and cherish a chance to get a mental health break.

    “You can just like forget everything and just really be present in that moment and just look at these cute little goats and relax,” Kerry told KIVI.

    And the goats are also providing joy to people who don’t live in town.

    That’s because Chingóat offers a livestream of the goats. The “goatcam” can be viewed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

    The goats have gained popularity far beyond Boise.

    “Coworkers who are in other states, even other countries … they log on as a mental health break,” Kerry said.

    To see more, watch the video from KIVI in the player above.

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  • What are northern lights? Here’s what to know about auroras.

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    Space weather forecasters issued an alert on Tuesday for incoming severe solar storms that could produce colorful northern lights and temporarily disrupt communications.And the aurora borealis didn’t disappoint, showing up in various parts of the country.In the video player above: Photos show auroras seen in the skies of Nelson County and Virginia Beach, Virginia; South Dakota; Iowa; and Minnesota on Tuesday night.In the past few days, the sun has burped out several bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections that, earlier, forecasters said could reach Earth Tuesday night and early Wednesday. Forecasters warned that geomagnetic storms could disrupt radio and GPS communications, according to forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.How bright the auroras were and how far south they were visible were dependent on when the solar bursts got here and how they interacted with Earth’s atmosphere. How northern lights happenThe sun is at the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle, making the light displays more common and widespread. Colorful northern lights have decorated night skies in unexpected places and space weather experts say there are more auroras still to come.Aurora displays known as the northern and southern lights are commonly visible near the poles, where charged particles from the sun interact with Earth’s atmosphere.Skygazers are spotting the lights deeper into the United States and Europe because the sun is going through a major face-lift. Every 11 years, its poles swap places, causing magnetic twists and tangles along the way.Last year, the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades slammed Earth, producing light displays across the Northern Hemisphere. And soon afterward, a powerful solar storm dazzled skygazers far from the Arctic Circle when dancing lights appeared in unexpected places, including Germany, the United Kingdom, New England and New York City.The sun’s active spurt is expected to last at least through the end of this year, though when solar activity will peak won’t be known until months after the fact, according to NASA and NOAA.How solar storms affect EarthSolar storms can bring more than colorful lights to Earth.When fast-moving particles and plasma slam into Earth’s magnetic field, they can temporarily disrupt the power grid. Space weather can also interfere with air traffic control, radio and satellites in orbit. Severe storms are capable of scrambling other radio and GPS communications.In 1859, a severe solar storm triggered auroras as far south as Hawaii and set telegraph lines on fire in a rare event. And a 1972 solar storm may have detonated magnetic U.S. sea mines off the coast of Vietnam.Space weather experts aren’t able to predict a solar storm months in advance. Instead, they alert relevant parties to prepare in the days before a solar outburst hits Earth.How to see aurorasNorthern lights forecasts can be found on NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center website or an aurora forecasting app.Consider aurora-watching in a quiet, dark area away from city lights. Experts recommend skygazing from a local or national park. And check the weather forecast because clouds can cover up the spectacle entirely.Taking a picture with a smartphone camera may also reveal hints of the aurora that aren’t visible to the naked eye.

    (VIDEO ABOVE: Tommy Stafford, John Mitchell, Matthew Dux, Matt Beatty, Ali Roux Gaudette via CNN Newsource) —

    Space weather forecasters issued an alert on Tuesday for incoming severe solar storms that could produce colorful northern lights and temporarily disrupt communications.

    And the aurora borealis didn’t disappoint, showing up in various parts of the country.

    In the video player above: Photos show auroras seen in the skies of Nelson County and Virginia Beach, Virginia; South Dakota; Iowa; and Minnesota on Tuesday night.

    In the past few days, the sun has burped out several bursts of energy called coronal mass ejections that, earlier, forecasters said could reach Earth Tuesday night and early Wednesday. Forecasters warned that geomagnetic storms could disrupt radio and GPS communications, according to forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

    How bright the auroras were and how far south they were visible were dependent on when the solar bursts got here and how they interacted with Earth’s atmosphere.

    How northern lights happen

    The sun is at the maximum phase of its 11-year activity cycle, making the light displays more common and widespread. Colorful northern lights have decorated night skies in unexpected places and space weather experts say there are more auroras still to come.

    Aurora displays known as the northern and southern lights are commonly visible near the poles, where charged particles from the sun interact with Earth’s atmosphere.

    Skygazers are spotting the lights deeper into the United States and Europe because the sun is going through a major face-lift. Every 11 years, its poles swap places, causing magnetic twists and tangles along the way.

    Last year, the strongest geomagnetic storm in two decades slammed Earth, producing light displays across the Northern Hemisphere. And soon afterward, a powerful solar storm dazzled skygazers far from the Arctic Circle when dancing lights appeared in unexpected places, including Germany, the United Kingdom, New England and New York City.

    The sun’s active spurt is expected to last at least through the end of this year, though when solar activity will peak won’t be known until months after the fact, according to NASA and NOAA.

    How solar storms affect Earth

    Solar storms can bring more than colorful lights to Earth.

    When fast-moving particles and plasma slam into Earth’s magnetic field, they can temporarily disrupt the power grid. Space weather can also interfere with air traffic control, radio and satellites in orbit. Severe storms are capable of scrambling other radio and GPS communications.

    In 1859, a severe solar storm triggered auroras as far south as Hawaii and set telegraph lines on fire in a rare event. And a 1972 solar storm may have detonated magnetic U.S. sea mines off the coast of Vietnam.

    Space weather experts aren’t able to predict a solar storm months in advance. Instead, they alert relevant parties to prepare in the days before a solar outburst hits Earth.

    How to see auroras

    Northern lights forecasts can be found on NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center website or an aurora forecasting app.

    Consider aurora-watching in a quiet, dark area away from city lights. Experts recommend skygazing from a local or national park. And check the weather forecast because clouds can cover up the spectacle entirely.

    Taking a picture with a smartphone camera may also reveal hints of the aurora that aren’t visible to the naked eye.

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  • Video: Train plows into truck carrying thousands of pears

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    After a speeding train collided with a semi-truck carrying pears in the Netherlands, authorities have released video of the incident to “raise awareness and improve behavior.”Jeremy Roth for CNN’s “Take a Look at This (TALAT)” reports that authorities are using the truck driver’s ill-timed hesitation as a cautionary tale about safety at railroad crossings.The train’s collision with the truck’s cargo trailer sent thousands of pears flying across the scene.See the TALAT video in the player above, and learn what happened when a bear got trapped in an SUV in ColoradoVideo released by Pro Rail shows the truck approaching the crossing, pausing, and then reversing as safety arms closed around it.The driver appeared unsure of what to do and attempted to move just as the commuter train bore down. Pro Rail reported minor injuries and shared the video on social media. They advised drivers to move through lowered safety arms if they become stuck.

    (Video: CNN, PRO RAIL, TMX, LARIMER COUNTY SD, Pro Rail/TMX via CNN Newsource) —

    After a speeding train collided with a semi-truck carrying pears in the Netherlands, authorities have released video of the incident to “raise awareness and improve behavior.”

    Jeremy Roth for CNN’s “Take a Look at This (TALAT)” reports that authorities are using the truck driver’s ill-timed hesitation as a cautionary tale about safety at railroad crossings.

    The train’s collision with the truck’s cargo trailer sent thousands of pears flying across the scene.

    See the TALAT video in the player above, and learn what happened when a bear got trapped in an SUV in Colorado

    Video released by Pro Rail shows the truck approaching the crossing, pausing, and then reversing as safety arms closed around it.

    The driver appeared unsure of what to do and attempted to move just as the commuter train bore down.

    Pro Rail reported minor injuries and shared the video on social media. They advised drivers to move through lowered safety arms if they become stuck.

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  • Trump once again nominates tech space traveler Jared Isaacman to serve as NASA administrator

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    President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he has decided to nominate Jared Isaacman to serve as his NASA administrator, months after withdrawing the tech billionaire’s nomination because of concerns about his political leanings.Trump announced in late May that he had decided to withdraw Isaacman after a “thorough review” of his “prior associations.” Weeks after the withdrawal, Trump went further in expressing his concerns about Isaacman’s Republican credentials.At the time, Trump acknowledged that he thought Isaacman “was very good,” but had become “surprised to learn” that Isaacman was a “ blue blooded Democrat, who had never contributed to a Republican before.”Isaacman had the endorsement of Trump’s former DOGE adviser and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. The president and Musk had a very public falling out earlier this year but are now on better terms.Last week, Trump told reporters he and Musk have spoken “on and off” since sitting together at conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s funeral last month in Arizona and that their relationship is “good.”Trump made no mention of his previous decision to nominate and then withdraw Isaacman in his Tuesday evening announcement of the re-nomination on his Truth Social platform. And the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s decision to reverse course.“This evening, I am pleased to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of NASA,” Trump posted. “Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era.”Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been serving as interim NASA administrator. The president on Tuesday praised Duffy for doing an “incredible job.”Isaacman, CEO and founder of credit card-processing company Shift4, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his first chartered flight with SpaceX.He also bought a series of spaceflights from SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk. SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA.The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman’s nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate had been expected when Trump announced he was yanking the nomination.In his own social media post Tuesday, Isaacman thanked Trump for the nomination and the “space-loving community.” He made no mention of the earlier turmoil.

    WASHINGTON —

    President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he has decided to nominate Jared Isaacman to serve as his NASA administrator, months after withdrawing the tech billionaire’s nomination because of concerns about his political leanings.

    Trump announced in late May that he had decided to withdraw Isaacman after a “thorough review” of his “prior associations.” Weeks after the withdrawal, Trump went further in expressing his concerns about Isaacman’s Republican credentials.

    At the time, Trump acknowledged that he thought Isaacman “was very good,” but had become “surprised to learn” that Isaacman was a “ blue blooded Democrat, who had never contributed to a Republican before.”

    Isaacman had the endorsement of Trump’s former DOGE adviser and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. The president and Musk had a very public falling out earlier this year but are now on better terms.

    Last week, Trump told reporters he and Musk have spoken “on and off” since sitting together at conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s funeral last month in Arizona and that their relationship is “good.”

    Trump made no mention of his previous decision to nominate and then withdraw Isaacman in his Tuesday evening announcement of the re-nomination on his Truth Social platform. And the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s decision to reverse course.

    “This evening, I am pleased to nominate Jared Isaacman, an accomplished business leader, philanthropist, pilot, and astronaut, as Administrator of NASA,” Trump posted. “Jared’s passion for Space, astronaut experience, and dedication to pushing the boundaries of exploration, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, and advancing the new Space economy, make him ideally suited to lead NASA into a bold new Era.”

    Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been serving as interim NASA administrator. The president on Tuesday praised Duffy for doing an “incredible job.”

    Isaacman, CEO and founder of credit card-processing company Shift4, has been a close collaborator with Musk ever since buying his first chartered flight with SpaceX.

    He also bought a series of spaceflights from SpaceX and conducted the first private spacewalk. SpaceX has extensive contracts with NASA.

    The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Isaacman’s nomination in late April and a vote by the full Senate had been expected when Trump announced he was yanking the nomination.

    In his own social media post Tuesday, Isaacman thanked Trump for the nomination and the “space-loving community.” He made no mention of the earlier turmoil.

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  • U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visits DMZ ahead of security talks with South Korean officials

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    U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas on Monday as he began a two-day visit to ally South Korea for security talks.Hegseth and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back received a briefing from military officials at Observation Post Ouellette, a site near the military demarcation line that past U.S. presidents, including Donald Trump during his first term in 2019, had visited to peer across the border into North Korea and meet with American soldiers.Hegseth and Ahn also visited the Panmunjom border village, where an armistice was signed to pause the 1950-53 Korean War. Ahn’s ministry said the visit “reaffirmed the firm combined defense posture and close coordination” between the allies.Hegseth did not mention North Korea, which has ignored Washington and Seoul’s calls for dialogue in recent years while accelerating the expansion of its nuclear weapons and missile programs.South Korea’s military also said Monday that the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung and his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Dan Caine, oversaw a combined formation flight aboard South Korean and U.S. F-16 fighter jets above a major U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek.The flight, conducted for the first time, was intended to demonstrate the allies’ “ironclad combined defense posture” and the “unwavering” strength of the alliance, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said.Hegseth and Ahn, who previously met on Saturday at a defense ministers’ meeting in Malaysia, will attend the allies’ annual defense talks in Seoul on Tuesday.The talks are expected to cover key alliance issues, including South Korea’s commitment to increase defense spending and the implementation of a previous agreement to transfer wartime operational control of allied forces to a binational command led by a South Korean general with a U.S. deputy.There are also concerns in Seoul that the Trump administration may demand much higher South Korean payments for the U.S. military presence in the country or possibly downsize America’s military footprint to focus more on China.Hegseth’s visit comes days after Trump traveled to South Korea for meetings with world leaders, including South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju.During his meeting with Trump on Wednesday last week, Lee reaffirmed South Korea’s commitment to increase defense spending to reduce the financial burden on America and also called for U.S. support in South Korean efforts to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.Trump later said on social media that the United States will share closely held technology to allow South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine, and that the vessel will be built in the Philly Shipyard, which was bought last year by South Korea’s Hanwha Group. The leaders also advanced trade talks, addressing details of $350 billion in U.S. investments South Korea committed to in an effort to avoid the Trump administration’s highest tariffs.

    U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas on Monday as he began a two-day visit to ally South Korea for security talks.

    Hegseth and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back received a briefing from military officials at Observation Post Ouellette, a site near the military demarcation line that past U.S. presidents, including Donald Trump during his first term in 2019, had visited to peer across the border into North Korea and meet with American soldiers.

    Hegseth and Ahn also visited the Panmunjom border village, where an armistice was signed to pause the 1950-53 Korean War. Ahn’s ministry said the visit “reaffirmed the firm combined defense posture and close coordination” between the allies.

    Hegseth did not mention North Korea, which has ignored Washington and Seoul’s calls for dialogue in recent years while accelerating the expansion of its nuclear weapons and missile programs.

    South Korea’s military also said Monday that the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung and his U.S. counterpart, Gen. Dan Caine, oversaw a combined formation flight aboard South Korean and U.S. F-16 fighter jets above a major U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek.

    The flight, conducted for the first time, was intended to demonstrate the allies’ “ironclad combined defense posture” and the “unwavering” strength of the alliance, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said.

    Hegseth and Ahn, who previously met on Saturday at a defense ministers’ meeting in Malaysia, will attend the allies’ annual defense talks in Seoul on Tuesday.

    The talks are expected to cover key alliance issues, including South Korea’s commitment to increase defense spending and the implementation of a previous agreement to transfer wartime operational control of allied forces to a binational command led by a South Korean general with a U.S. deputy.

    There are also concerns in Seoul that the Trump administration may demand much higher South Korean payments for the U.S. military presence in the country or possibly downsize America’s military footprint to focus more on China.

    Hegseth’s visit comes days after Trump traveled to South Korea for meetings with world leaders, including South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju.

    During his meeting with Trump on Wednesday last week, Lee reaffirmed South Korea’s commitment to increase defense spending to reduce the financial burden on America and also called for U.S. support in South Korean efforts to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

    Trump later said on social media that the United States will share closely held technology to allow South Korea to build a nuclear-powered submarine, and that the vessel will be built in the Philly Shipyard, which was bought last year by South Korea’s Hanwha Group. The leaders also advanced trade talks, addressing details of $350 billion in U.S. investments South Korea committed to in an effort to avoid the Trump administration’s highest tariffs.

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