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  • District of Columbia sues over Trump’s deployment of the National Guard

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    The District of Columbia on Thursday sued to stop President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard during his law enforcement intervention in Washington.The city’s attorney general, Brian Schwalb, said the surge of troops essentially amounts to an “involuntary military occupation.” He argued in the federal lawsuit that the deployment, coinciding with an executive order Aug. 11, that now involves more than 1,000 troops is an illegal use of the military for domestic law enforcement.A federal judge in California recently ruled that Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles after days of protests over immigration raids in June was illegal.The Republican administration is appealing that decision and Trump has said he is ready to order federal intervention in Chicago and Baltimore, despite staunch opposition in those Democrat-led cities. That court ruling, however, does not directly apply to Washington, where the president has more control over the Guard than in states.The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment to the new lawsuit.Members of the D.C. National Guard have had their orders extended through December, according to a Guard official. While that does not necessarily mean all those troops will serve that long, it is a strong indication that their role will not wind down soon.Several GOP-led states have added National Guard troops to the ranks of those patrolling the streets and neighborhoods of the nation’s capital.Schwalb’s filing contends the deployment also violates the Home Rule Act, signed by President Richard Nixon in 1973, because Trump acted without the mayor’s consent and is wrongly asserting federal control over units from other states.The city’s attorney general, an elected official, is its top legal officer and is separate from Washington’s federal U.S. attorney, who is appointed by the president.The lawsuit is the second from Schwalb against the Trump administration since the president asserted control over the city’s police department and sent in the Guard, actions that have been with protests from some residents.Trump has said the operation is necessary to combat crime in the district, and Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has pointed to a steep drop in offenses such as carjackings since it began.Violent crime has been an issue in the capital for years, though data showed it was on the decline at the start of Trump’s intervention.

    WASHINGTON —

    The District of Columbia on Thursday sued to stop President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard during his law enforcement intervention in Washington.

    The city’s attorney general, Brian Schwalb, said the surge of troops essentially amounts to an “involuntary military occupation.” He argued in the federal lawsuit that the deployment, coinciding with an executive order Aug. 11, that now involves more than 1,000 troops is an illegal use of the military for domestic law enforcement.

    A federal judge in California recently ruled that Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles after days of protests over immigration raids in June was illegal.

    The Republican administration is appealing that decision and Trump has said he is ready to order federal intervention in Chicago and Baltimore, despite staunch opposition in those Democrat-led cities. That court ruling, however, does not directly apply to Washington, where the president has more control over the Guard than in states.

    The White House did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment to the new lawsuit.

    Members of the D.C. National Guard have had their orders extended through December, according to a Guard official. While that does not necessarily mean all those troops will serve that long, it is a strong indication that their role will not wind down soon.

    Several GOP-led states have added National Guard troops to the ranks of those patrolling the streets and neighborhoods of the nation’s capital.

    Schwalb’s filing contends the deployment also violates the Home Rule Act, signed by President Richard Nixon in 1973, because Trump acted without the mayor’s consent and is wrongly asserting federal control over units from other states.

    The city’s attorney general, an elected official, is its top legal officer and is separate from Washington’s federal U.S. attorney, who is appointed by the president.

    The lawsuit is the second from Schwalb against the Trump administration since the president asserted control over the city’s police department and sent in the Guard, actions that have been with protests from some residents.

    Trump has said the operation is necessary to combat crime in the district, and Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has pointed to a steep drop in offenses such as carjackings since it began.

    Violent crime has been an issue in the capital for years, though data showed it was on the decline at the start of Trump’s intervention.

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  • FSU freshman linebacker is in intensive care after shooting, school says

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    FSU freshman linebacker Ethan Pritchard is in intensive care after shooting, school says

    Updated: 9:59 AM PDT Sep 1, 2025

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    A Florida State linebacker is in critical but stable condition after being shot while visiting family, the Seminoles said Monday.Ethan Pritchard, a 6-foot-2, 224-pound freshman from Sanford, was in intensive care at a Tallahassee-area hospital. He was shot Sunday evening while inside a vehicle outside apartments in Havana, according to the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office.“The Pritchard family is thankful for the support from so many people, as well as the care from first responders and medical professionals, and asks that their privacy be respected at this time,” FSU said in a statement. “Further updates will be provided as they are available.”Pritchard did not play in Florida State’s season opener, a 31-17 victory Saturday over No. 8 Alabama in Tallahassee.

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —

    A Florida State linebacker is in critical but stable condition after being shot while visiting family, the Seminoles said Monday.

    Ethan Pritchard, a 6-foot-2, 224-pound freshman from Sanford, was in intensive care at a Tallahassee-area hospital. He was shot Sunday evening while inside a vehicle outside apartments in Havana, according to the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office.

    “The Pritchard family is thankful for the support from so many people, as well as the care from first responders and medical professionals, and asks that their privacy be respected at this time,” FSU said in a statement. “Further updates will be provided as they are available.”

    Pritchard did not play in Florida State’s season opener, a 31-17 victory Saturday over No. 8 Alabama in Tallahassee.

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  • There may soon be a new approach to treat hard-to-control high blood pressure

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    Doctors may soon have a new way to treat high blood pressure, even among people for whom medicines haven’t worked well in the past.Baxdrostat, an experimental medicine made by AstraZeneca, showed promise in treating people with uncontrolled or resistant high blood pressure in a recent trial. If the medicine gets approved by regulatory authorities, it will be one of the first new approaches to treating high blood pressure in decades, researchers say.Scientists presented the trial results Saturday at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2025 in Madrid and simultaneously published them in the New England Journal of Medicine.For the study, researchers enrolled 800 adults who still had high blood pressure after taking two or more medications for at least four weeks. To qualify for the study, patients’ systolic blood pressure had to be between 140 and 170.Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, which is abbreviated as mm Hg. The measurement has an upper number, or systolic reading, and a lower number, a diastolic reading. Systolic pressure measures the force of blood as it pumps out of the heart into the arteries; diastolic is the pressure created as the heart rests between beats.Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg, and elevated blood pressure is considered to be from 120 to 129/80 mm Hg. At 130/80 mmHg or higher, according to new U.S. guidelines, a person’s medical provider will want them to take a blood pressure medication if lifestyle changes — including eating healthier, reducing salt in the diet and exercising more — don’t work first.The researchers on the new trial placed the participants into three groups. One received 1 milligram of baxdrostat, another got 2 mg, and another got a placebo, which does nothing. Participants took their dose in addition to medicines they were already taking.At 12 weeks, about 4 in 10 patients taking baxdrostat reached healthy blood pressure levels, compared with less than 2 in 10 who got a placebo.Specifically, participants who got 1 or 2 mg of baxdrostat daily saw their systolic blood pressure – the upper number in the reading – fall around 9 to 10 mm Hg more than those taking a placebo. This reduction, studies show, is large enough to cut cardiovascular risk.When blood pressure is high, the force of the blood pushes against the walls of their blood vessels, making the heart less efficient: Both the vessels and the heart must work harder, and it’s more difficult to get blood to essential organs and cells. Without treatment, high blood pressure will eventually damage the arteries, raising the risk of conditions like a heart attack, stroke, coronary disease, vascular dementia and cognitive problems.Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the world. Lowering blood pressure is the most modifiable way to avoid such a death.Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have higher than normal blood pressure, and 1 in 10 people have what doctors call resistant hypertension: Despite being on three or more medications, they are not meeting the goal for blood pressure control.When a patient has high blood pressure, doctors may need to try a variety of medications to see what works best.Adding baxdrostat to the list of options could be a big help for patients, according to Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, who was not involved with the new research.“What’s interesting about this medication is that they can really be a wonderful partner, so to speak, with some of the more classically recommended anti-hypertensive medications,” said Rosen, who is also a senior vice president of women’s health and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health of Northwell Health in New York City.Medication options now on the market control blood pressure in a variety of ways. Some, such as vasodilators, relax and widen arteries and veins to allow blood to get through easier and increase flow. Diuretics primarily work by removing excess fluid and salt from the body by increasing urine production. Centrally acting alpha agonists help prevent the nervous system from responding to stress. ACE inhibitors keep the body from producing angiotensin II, a hormone that makes blood vessels constrict. ARBs, or angiotensin II receptor blockers, help reduce the production of aldosterone, a hormone that promotes salt and water retention. Calcium channel blockers can keep calcium away from the cells of the heart and arteries so they don’t have to work as hard.Each can have different side effects, including dizziness, rapid or slower heart rate, exhaustion, upset stomach and swelling in the legs.Baxdrostat’s side effects, the study showed, were mild overall. The most common problem was abnormalities in potassium and sodium levels, but this was rare.Baxdrostat takes a new approach to managing high blood pressure. It focuses on blocking aldosterone, a hormone created by the adrenal glands that helps kidneys regulate salt and maintain the body’s water balance. Some people produce too much aldosterone, leading their body to retain too much water and salt, pushing up blood pressure.“We’ve also known for a while now that most of us eat too much salt and in doing that, it raises blood pressure. But we’re also increasingly recognizing that aldosterone may have a direct impact on causing damage to the blood vessels, to the heart, to the kidneys,” said Dr. Jenifer Brown, one of the lead investigators and co-author of the published study.Brown said she often sees cardiology patients at Brigham and Women’s who may have had a heart event, so she needs to be aggressive in getting their blood pressure under control to prevent another. Some patients may have trouble tolerating other blood pressure medications. For others, the standard medicines just don’t work well. Baxdrostat could be a good complement, she said.“We really have had the same tools as clinicians for many years,” Brown said. “I would be excited to have an option like this.”In an editorial accompanying the publication, Dr. Tomasz Guzik, a cardiovascular scientist at the University of Edinburgh, and Dr. Maciej Tomaszewski, a cardiovascular expert at the University of Manchester, write that next steps should be to figure out which patients would best respond to this new medicine and provide longer-term data. If the medication works long-term, they wrote, it could become a “central piller of therapy for difficult-to-control hypertension.”AstraZeneca said it plans to submit its data to regulatory agencies before the end of 2025.

    Doctors may soon have a new way to treat high blood pressure, even among people for whom medicines haven’t worked well in the past.

    Baxdrostat, an experimental medicine made by AstraZeneca, showed promise in treating people with uncontrolled or resistant high blood pressure in a recent trial. If the medicine gets approved by regulatory authorities, it will be one of the first new approaches to treating high blood pressure in decades, researchers say.

    Scientists presented the trial results Saturday at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2025 in Madrid and simultaneously published them in the New England Journal of Medicine.

    For the study, researchers enrolled 800 adults who still had high blood pressure after taking two or more medications for at least four weeks. To qualify for the study, patients’ systolic blood pressure had to be between 140 and 170.

    Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury, which is abbreviated as mm Hg. The measurement has an upper number, or systolic reading, and a lower number, a diastolic reading. Systolic pressure measures the force of blood as it pumps out of the heart into the arteries; diastolic is the pressure created as the heart rests between beats.

    Normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg, and elevated blood pressure is considered to be from 120 to 129/80 mm Hg. At 130/80 mmHg or higher, according to new U.S. guidelines, a person’s medical provider will want them to take a blood pressure medication if lifestyle changes — including eating healthier, reducing salt in the diet and exercising more — don’t work first.

    The researchers on the new trial placed the participants into three groups. One received 1 milligram of baxdrostat, another got 2 mg, and another got a placebo, which does nothing. Participants took their dose in addition to medicines they were already taking.

    At 12 weeks, about 4 in 10 patients taking baxdrostat reached healthy blood pressure levels, compared with less than 2 in 10 who got a placebo.

    Specifically, participants who got 1 or 2 mg of baxdrostat daily saw their systolic blood pressure – the upper number in the reading – fall around 9 to 10 mm Hg more than those taking a placebo. This reduction, studies show, is large enough to cut cardiovascular risk.

    When blood pressure is high, the force of the blood pushes against the walls of their blood vessels, making the heart less efficient: Both the vessels and the heart must work harder, and it’s more difficult to get blood to essential organs and cells. Without treatment, high blood pressure will eventually damage the arteries, raising the risk of conditions like a heart attack, stroke, coronary disease, vascular dementia and cognitive problems.

    Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the world. Lowering blood pressure is the most modifiable way to avoid such a death.

    Nearly half of all adults in the U.S. have higher than normal blood pressure, and 1 in 10 people have what doctors call resistant hypertension: Despite being on three or more medications, they are not meeting the goal for blood pressure control.

    When a patient has high blood pressure, doctors may need to try a variety of medications to see what works best.

    Adding baxdrostat to the list of options could be a big help for patients, according to Dr. Stacey E. Rosen, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, who was not involved with the new research.

    “What’s interesting about this medication is that they can really be a wonderful partner, so to speak, with some of the more classically recommended anti-hypertensive medications,” said Rosen, who is also a senior vice president of women’s health and executive director of the Katz Institute for Women’s Health of Northwell Health in New York City.

    Medication options now on the market control blood pressure in a variety of ways. Some, such as vasodilators, relax and widen arteries and veins to allow blood to get through easier and increase flow. Diuretics primarily work by removing excess fluid and salt from the body by increasing urine production. Centrally acting alpha agonists help prevent the nervous system from responding to stress. ACE inhibitors keep the body from producing angiotensin II, a hormone that makes blood vessels constrict. ARBs, or angiotensin II receptor blockers, help reduce the production of aldosterone, a hormone that promotes salt and water retention. Calcium channel blockers can keep calcium away from the cells of the heart and arteries so they don’t have to work as hard.

    Each can have different side effects, including dizziness, rapid or slower heart rate, exhaustion, upset stomach and swelling in the legs.

    Baxdrostat’s side effects, the study showed, were mild overall. The most common problem was abnormalities in potassium and sodium levels, but this was rare.

    Baxdrostat takes a new approach to managing high blood pressure. It focuses on blocking aldosterone, a hormone created by the adrenal glands that helps kidneys regulate salt and maintain the body’s water balance. Some people produce too much aldosterone, leading their body to retain too much water and salt, pushing up blood pressure.

    “We’ve also known for a while now that most of us eat too much salt and in doing that, it raises blood pressure. But we’re also increasingly recognizing that aldosterone may have a direct impact on causing damage to the blood vessels, to the heart, to the kidneys,” said Dr. Jenifer Brown, one of the lead investigators and co-author of the published study.

    Brown said she often sees cardiology patients at Brigham and Women’s who may have had a heart event, so she needs to be aggressive in getting their blood pressure under control to prevent another. Some patients may have trouble tolerating other blood pressure medications. For others, the standard medicines just don’t work well. Baxdrostat could be a good complement, she said.

    “We really have had the same tools as clinicians for many years,” Brown said. “I would be excited to have an option like this.”

    In an editorial accompanying the publication, Dr. Tomasz Guzik, a cardiovascular scientist at the University of Edinburgh, and Dr. Maciej Tomaszewski, a cardiovascular expert at the University of Manchester, write that next steps should be to figure out which patients would best respond to this new medicine and provide longer-term data. If the medication works long-term, they wrote, it could become a “central piller of therapy for difficult-to-control hypertension.”

    AstraZeneca said it plans to submit its data to regulatory agencies before the end of 2025.

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  • WATCH: Video shows boy walking on monorail tracks at Pennsylvania amusement park

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    Video shows a boy walking on the monorail tracks at Hersheypark before being rescued by an adult.Watch the video in the player above.The video, sent to sister station WGAL, shows a panicked crowd trying to direct the child to a nearby roof, where a man is waiting to grab him.The man then hops up on the monorail from the roof of the nearby building, picks up the boy and carries him to safety. The child was reported missing around 5:05 p.m. Saturday after becoming separated from his parents, according to a statement from a spokesperson for Hersheypark. While employees were searching for the boy, he entered a secured area for the monorail and remained there for almost 20 minutes before briefly walking along the track. The monorail was not in operation, and the ride was chained off as the child walked on the tracks, according to the park. The park said a guest quickly noticed the child walking on the tracks and helped the child off the track to safety.

    HERSHEY, Pa. —

    Video shows a boy walking on the monorail tracks at Hersheypark before being rescued by an adult.

    Watch the video in the player above.

    The video, sent to sister station WGAL, shows a panicked crowd trying to direct the child to a nearby roof, where a man is waiting to grab him.

    The man then hops up on the monorail from the roof of the nearby building, picks up the boy and carries him to safety.

    The child was reported missing around 5:05 p.m. Saturday after becoming separated from his parents, according to a statement from a spokesperson for Hersheypark.

    While employees were searching for the boy, he entered a secured area for the monorail and remained there for almost 20 minutes before briefly walking along the track.

    The monorail was not in operation, and the ride was chained off as the child walked on the tracks, according to the park.

    The park said a guest quickly noticed the child walking on the tracks and helped the child off the track to safety.

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  • Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler pleads guilty to DUI incident

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    Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler was sentenced to four days in jail as part of a plea deal on Tuesday, according to CNN affiliate WSMV 4, after being charged with driving under the influence and possession of a firearm in 2024.Cutler was arrested in October last year after police said the car he was driving rear-ended another vehicle in Franklin, Tennessee.A police statement at the time said that officers responded to the accident and detected the smell of alcohol on Cutler, who also had bloodshot eyes and was slurring words.According to police, the former QB refused a field sobriety test at the scene and was later taken to a hospital, where a blood sample was taken after authorities got a search warrant.The police investigation also found two firearms in Cutler’s vehicle, including a loaded pistol.According to the police report, Cutler attempted to flee the scene after offering the other driver $2,000 not to call the police.According to WSMV 4, Cutler pled guilty to driving under the influence on Tuesday. As part of the plea bargain, the firearm possession charge was dropped.Cutler has not commented publicly on the incident.The 42-year-old is reportedly required to pay a $350 fine and serve four days at the Williamson County Jail, starting on Sept. 29. WSMV 4 also reported that Cutler will be on unsupervised probation for a year and will be required to attend a DUI safety class.Cutler will also have his Tennessee driver’s license revoked and agreed to “forfeit” his pistol, WSMV 4 added. Cutler was a highly touted QB prospect out of Vanderbilt University in the mid-2000s. He was selected in the first round, 11th overall, in the 2006 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos.He played just three seasons in Denver before being traded to the Chicago Bears where he made a name for himself.In his eight seasons with the Bears, he became the franchise’s all-time leading passer with 23,443 yards and 154 touchdowns.He would play 12 seasons in the league for the Broncos, Bears and Miami Dolphins, passing for 35,133 yards and 227 touchdowns. His last season in the NFL was 2017.

    FRANKLIN, Tenn. —

    Former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler was sentenced to four days in jail as part of a plea deal on Tuesday, according to CNN affiliate WSMV 4, after being charged with driving under the influence and possession of a firearm in 2024.

    Cutler was arrested in October last year after police said the car he was driving rear-ended another vehicle in Franklin, Tennessee.

    A police statement at the time said that officers responded to the accident and detected the smell of alcohol on Cutler, who also had bloodshot eyes and was slurring words.

    According to police, the former QB refused a field sobriety test at the scene and was later taken to a hospital, where a blood sample was taken after authorities got a search warrant.

    The police investigation also found two firearms in Cutler’s vehicle, including a loaded pistol.

    According to the police report, Cutler attempted to flee the scene after offering the other driver $2,000 not to call the police.

    The Franklin Police Department via CNN Newsource

    Jay Cutler mugshot: Arrested and charged in 2024

    According to WSMV 4, Cutler pled guilty to driving under the influence on Tuesday. As part of the plea bargain, the firearm possession charge was dropped.

    Cutler has not commented publicly on the incident.

    The 42-year-old is reportedly required to pay a $350 fine and serve four days at the Williamson County Jail, starting on Sept. 29. WSMV 4 also reported that Cutler will be on unsupervised probation for a year and will be required to attend a DUI safety class.

    Cutler will also have his Tennessee driver’s license revoked and agreed to “forfeit” his pistol, WSMV 4 added.

    Cutler was a highly touted QB prospect out of Vanderbilt University in the mid-2000s. He was selected in the first round, 11th overall, in the 2006 NFL draft by the Denver Broncos.

    He played just three seasons in Denver before being traded to the Chicago Bears where he made a name for himself.

    In his eight seasons with the Bears, he became the franchise’s all-time leading passer with 23,443 yards and 154 touchdowns.

    He would play 12 seasons in the league for the Broncos, Bears and Miami Dolphins, passing for 35,133 yards and 227 touchdowns. His last season in the NFL was 2017.

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  • Pet food recalled due to potential contamination of salmonella, listeria

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    Viva Raw pet food recalled due to potential contamination of salmonella and listeria

    Updated: 8:22 AM EDT Aug 27, 2025

    Editorial Standards ⓘ

    Raw pet food brand Viva Raw has recalled several of its dog and cat food products due to potential contamination with salmonella and listeria.The recall affects various beef, turkey and chicken varieties sold nationwide between July 2 and Aug. 21.The possible contamination was discovered during routine testing, although no illnesses have been reported so far.Pet owners are advised to contact their veterinarians immediately if their pets have consumed any of the affected products.Consumers should throw away the recalled items and contact Viva Raw for a refund.For more information, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website.

    Raw pet food brand Viva Raw has recalled several of its dog and cat food products due to potential contamination with salmonella and listeria.

    The recall affects various beef, turkey and chicken varieties sold nationwide between July 2 and Aug. 21.

    The possible contamination was discovered during routine testing, although no illnesses have been reported so far.

    Pet owners are advised to contact their veterinarians immediately if their pets have consumed any of the affected products.

    Consumers should throw away the recalled items and contact Viva Raw for a refund.

    For more information, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website.

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  • 5 dead, dozens injured after tour bus with about 50 people crashes in New York State, officials say

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    A vacation to Niagara Falls ended in tragedy on Friday as a tour bus with about 50 passengers heading back to New York City crashed into a ditch, killing five people and injuring dozens.Officials believe most of the passengers were not wearing a seat belt, as multiple people were also ejected from the bus, which sustained heavy damage in the incident, said New York State Police spokesperson James O’Callaghan.“We believe there is a child that is a fatality,” he said.And translators are headed to the scene to assist police in the investigation, as most of the passengers were Indian, Chinese or Filipino, he said at a news conference.Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo received 24 patients and 20 are being treated, it confirmed at a Friday afternoon news conference.Video below: NY State Police Trooper James O’ Callaghan discusses bus crashAs the investigation unfolds, it’s not yet clear why the crash took place, O’Callaghan said, but he added authorities have a “good idea” of what caused the bus to roll over after losing control, without offering further details.The bus was driving at full speed and did not hit any other vehicles, but lost control from the median onward, O’Callaghan said.Helicopters, ambulances and law enforcement swarmed the crash site, where the bus was seen on its side with many people gathered around it.A list of the passengers provided by the bus company confirms there were 52 people on board, including the driver, police said in a statement.“Several witnesses observed the bus lose control, enter the median, then cross to the southern shoulder and overturn,” the state police said in a news release.The state’s department of transportation is trying to help people get off the interstate as some remain stranded due to the incident, O’Callaghan said. The state Thruway is currently closed in both directions near the crash site, state police say.“It’s a very volatile scene. We have vehicles going the wrong way on the 90,” he said, describing the area as “highly traveled.”The driver is “alive and well” and working with authorities, O’Callaghan said, and some victims were taken to the Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York.New York Gov. Kathy Hochul described the crash as “tragic” and said first responders are “working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved” in a post on X.CNN has contacted the U.S. embassies for the Philippines, China and India for comment.

    PEMBROKE, N.Y. —

    A vacation to Niagara Falls ended in tragedy on Friday as a tour bus with about 50 passengers heading back to New York City crashed into a ditch, killing five people and injuring dozens.

    Officials believe most of the passengers were not wearing a seat belt, as multiple people were also ejected from the bus, which sustained heavy damage in the incident, said New York State Police spokesperson James O’Callaghan.

    “We believe there is a child that is a fatality,” he said.

    And translators are headed to the scene to assist police in the investigation, as most of the passengers were Indian, Chinese or Filipino, he said at a news conference.

    Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo received 24 patients and 20 are being treated, it confirmed at a Friday afternoon news conference.

    Video below: NY State Police Trooper James O’ Callaghan discusses bus crash

    As the investigation unfolds, it’s not yet clear why the crash took place, O’Callaghan said, but he added authorities have a “good idea” of what caused the bus to roll over after losing control, without offering further details.

    The bus was driving at full speed and did not hit any other vehicles, but lost control from the median onward, O’Callaghan said.

    Helicopters, ambulances and law enforcement swarmed the crash site, where the bus was seen on its side with many people gathered around it.

    A list of the passengers provided by the bus company confirms there were 52 people on board, including the driver, police said in a statement.

    “Several witnesses observed the bus lose control, enter the median, then cross to the southern shoulder and overturn,” the state police said in a news release.

    The state’s department of transportation is trying to help people get off the interstate as some remain stranded due to the incident, O’Callaghan said. The state Thruway is currently closed in both directions near the crash site, state police say.

    “It’s a very volatile scene. We have vehicles going the wrong way on the 90,” he said, describing the area as “highly traveled.”

    The driver is “alive and well” and working with authorities, O’Callaghan said, and some victims were taken to the Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York.

    New York Gov. Kathy Hochul described the crash as “tragic” and said first responders are “working to rescue and provide assistance to everyone involved” in a post on X.

    CNN has contacted the U.S. embassies for the Philippines, China and India for comment.

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  • America’s last living ace pilot from World War II dies at age 103

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    A World War II veteran from Nebraska believed to be America’s last surviving “ace” pilot because he shot down five enemy planes has died at age 103.Donald McPherson served as a Navy fighter pilot aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex in the Pacific theater, where he engaged Japanese forces during the final years of the war. He earned the Congressional Gold Medal and three Distinguished Flying Crosses for his service.However, his daughter Beth Delabar said his loved ones always felt McPherson preferred a legacy reflecting his dedication to faith, family and community instead of his wartime feats.“When it’s all done and Dad lists the things he wants to be remembered for … his first first thing would be that he’s a man of faith,” she told the Beatrice Daily Sun, a southeast Nebraska newspaper that first reported McPherson died on Aug. 14.“It hasn’t been till these later years in his life that he’s had so many honors and medals,” she said.McPherson was listed as the conflict’s last living U.S. ace by both the American Fighter Aces Association and the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum. He was honored at the museum’s Victory at Sea event last weekend in Minnesota. To be considered an ace, a pilot has to shoot down five or more enemy planes.McPherson enlisted in the Navy in 1942 when he was 18. Trainees weren’t allowed to marry, so he and his wife Thelma tied the knot right after he completed the 18-month flight program in 1944. He flew F6F Hellcat fighters against the Japanese as part of fighter squadron VF–83.He recounted one mission where he shot down two Japanese planes after he noticed them low near the water on a converging course. In a video the Fagen museum played in his honor, McPherson described how he shoved his plane’s nose down and fired on the first aircraft, sending that pilot into the ocean.“But then I did a wingover to see what happened to the second one. By using full throttle, my Hellcat responded well, and I squeezed the trigger and it exploded,” McPherson said. “Then I turned and did a lot of violent maneuvering to try to get out of there without getting shot down.”When he returned to the aircraft carrier, another sailor pointed out a bullet hole in the plane about a foot behind where he was sitting. His daughter, Donna Mulder, said her father told her that experiences like that during the war gave him the sense that “Maybe God is not done with me.”So after he returned home to the family farm in Adams, Nebraska, he dedicated himself to giving back by helping start baseball and softball leagues for the kids in town and serving as a Scoutmaster and in leadership roles in the Adams United Methodist Church, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.The community later named the ballfield McPherson Field in honor of Donald and his wife, Thelma, who often kept score and ran the concession stand during games.

    ADAMS, Neb. —

    A World War II veteran from Nebraska believed to be America’s last surviving “ace” pilot because he shot down five enemy planes has died at age 103.

    Donald McPherson served as a Navy fighter pilot aboard the aircraft carrier USS Essex in the Pacific theater, where he engaged Japanese forces during the final years of the war. He earned the Congressional Gold Medal and three Distinguished Flying Crosses for his service.

    However, his daughter Beth Delabar said his loved ones always felt McPherson preferred a legacy reflecting his dedication to faith, family and community instead of his wartime feats.

    “When it’s all done and Dad lists the things he wants to be remembered for … his first first thing would be that he’s a man of faith,” she told the Beatrice Daily Sun, a southeast Nebraska newspaper that first reported McPherson died on Aug. 14.

    “It hasn’t been till these later years in his life that he’s had so many honors and medals,” she said.

    McPherson was listed as the conflict’s last living U.S. ace by both the American Fighter Aces Association and the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum. He was honored at the museum’s Victory at Sea event last weekend in Minnesota. To be considered an ace, a pilot has to shoot down five or more enemy planes.

    McPherson enlisted in the Navy in 1942 when he was 18. Trainees weren’t allowed to marry, so he and his wife Thelma tied the knot right after he completed the 18-month flight program in 1944. He flew F6F Hellcat fighters against the Japanese as part of fighter squadron VF–83.

    He recounted one mission where he shot down two Japanese planes after he noticed them low near the water on a converging course. In a video the Fagen museum played in his honor, McPherson described how he shoved his plane’s nose down and fired on the first aircraft, sending that pilot into the ocean.

    “But then I did a wingover to see what happened to the second one. By using full throttle, my Hellcat responded well, and I squeezed the trigger and it exploded,” McPherson said. “Then I turned and did a lot of violent maneuvering to try to get out of there without getting shot down.”

    When he returned to the aircraft carrier, another sailor pointed out a bullet hole in the plane about a foot behind where he was sitting. His daughter, Donna Mulder, said her father told her that experiences like that during the war gave him the sense that “Maybe God is not done with me.”

    So after he returned home to the family farm in Adams, Nebraska, he dedicated himself to giving back by helping start baseball and softball leagues for the kids in town and serving as a Scoutmaster and in leadership roles in the Adams United Methodist Church, American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

    The community later named the ballfield McPherson Field in honor of Donald and his wife, Thelma, who often kept score and ran the concession stand during games.

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  • Ranger fired for hanging transgender flag in Yosemite

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    A Yosemite National Park ranger was fired after hanging a pride flag from El Capitan while some park visitors could face prosecution under protest restrictions that have been tightened under President Donald Trump.Shannon “SJ” Joslin, a ranger and biologist who studies bats, said they hung a 66-foot wide transgender pride flag on the famous climbing wall that looms over the California park’s main thoroughfare for about two hours on May 20 before taking it down voluntarily. A termination letter they received last week accused Joslin of “failing to demonstrate acceptable conduct” in their capacity as a biologist and cited the May incident.“I was really hurting because there were a lot of policies coming from the current administration that target trans people, and I’m nonbinary,” Joslin, 35, told The Associated Press, adding that hanging the flag was their way of saying, “We’re all safe in national parks.”Joslin said their firing sends the opposite message: “If you’re a federal worker and you have any kind of identity that doesn’t agree with this current administration, then you must be silent, or you will be eliminated.”Park officials on Tuesday said they were working with the U.S. Justice Department to pursue visitors and workers who violated restrictions on demonstrations at the park that had more than 4 million visitors last year.The agencies “are pursuing administrative action against several Yosemite National Park employees and possible criminal charges against several park visitors who are alleged to have violated federal laws and regulations related to demonstrations,” National Park Service spokesperson Rachel Pawlitz said.Joslin said a group of seven climbers including two other park rangers hung the flag. The other rangers are on administrative leave pending an investigation, Joslin said.Flags have long been flown from El Capitan without consequences, said Joanna Citron Day, a former federal attorney who is now with the advocacy group Public Employees For Environmental Responsibility. She said the group is representing Joslin, but there is no pending legal case.On May 21, a day after the flag display, Acting Superintendent Ray McPadden signed a rule prohibiting people from hanging banners, flags or signs larger than 15 square feet in park areas designated as “wilderness” or “potential wilderness.” That covers 94% of the park, according to Yosemite’s website.Park officials said the new restriction was needed to preserve Yosemite’s wilderness and protect climbers.”We take the protection of the park’s resources and the experience of our visitors very seriously, and will not tolerate violations of laws and regulations that impact those resources and experiences,” Pawlitz said.It followed a widely publicized instance in February of demonstrators hanging an upside down American flag on El Capitan to protest the firing of National Park Service employees by the Trump administration.Among the climbers who helped hang the transgender flag was Pattie Gonia, an environmentalist and drag queen who uses the performance art to raise awareness of conservation issues. For the past five years, Gonia has helped throw a Pride event in Yosemite for park employees.She said they hung the transgender flag on the iconic granite monolith to express that being transgender is natural.This year, Trump signed an executive order changing the federal definition of sex to exclude the concept of gender identity. He also banned trans women from competing in women’s sports, removed trans people from the military and limited access to gender-affirming care.Gonia called the firing unjust. Joslin said they hung the flag in their free time, as a private citizen.“SJ is a respected pillar within the Yosemite community, a tireless volunteer who consistently goes above and beyond,” Gonia said.Jayson O’Neill with the advocacy group Save Our Parks said Joslin’s firing appears aimed at deterring park employees from expressing their views as the Trump administration pursues broad cuts to the federal workforce.Since Trump took office, the National Park Service has lost approximately 2,500 employees from a workforce that had about 10,000 people, Wade said. The Republican president is proposing a $900 million cut to the agency’s budget next year.Pawlitz said numerous visitors complained about unauthorized demonstrations on El Capitan earlier in the year.Many parks have designated “First Amendment areas” where groups 25 or fewer people can protest without permits. Yosemite has several of those areas, including one in Yosemite Valley, where El Capitan is located.Park service rules on demonstrations have existed for decades and withstood several court challenges, said Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers. He was not aware of any changes in how those rules are enforced under Trump.

    A Yosemite National Park ranger was fired after hanging a pride flag from El Capitan while some park visitors could face prosecution under protest restrictions that have been tightened under President Donald Trump.

    Shannon “SJ” Joslin, a ranger and biologist who studies bats, said they hung a 66-foot wide transgender pride flag on the famous climbing wall that looms over the California park’s main thoroughfare for about two hours on May 20 before taking it down voluntarily. A termination letter they received last week accused Joslin of “failing to demonstrate acceptable conduct” in their capacity as a biologist and cited the May incident.

    “I was really hurting because there were a lot of policies coming from the current administration that target trans people, and I’m nonbinary,” Joslin, 35, told The Associated Press, adding that hanging the flag was their way of saying, “We’re all safe in national parks.”

    Joslin said their firing sends the opposite message: “If you’re a federal worker and you have any kind of identity that doesn’t agree with this current administration, then you must be silent, or you will be eliminated.”

    Park officials on Tuesday said they were working with the U.S. Justice Department to pursue visitors and workers who violated restrictions on demonstrations at the park that had more than 4 million visitors last year.

    The agencies “are pursuing administrative action against several Yosemite National Park employees and possible criminal charges against several park visitors who are alleged to have violated federal laws and regulations related to demonstrations,” National Park Service spokesperson Rachel Pawlitz said.

    Joslin said a group of seven climbers including two other park rangers hung the flag. The other rangers are on administrative leave pending an investigation, Joslin said.

    Flags have long been flown from El Capitan without consequences, said Joanna Citron Day, a former federal attorney who is now with the advocacy group Public Employees For Environmental Responsibility. She said the group is representing Joslin, but there is no pending legal case.

    On May 21, a day after the flag display, Acting Superintendent Ray McPadden signed a rule prohibiting people from hanging banners, flags or signs larger than 15 square feet in park areas designated as “wilderness” or “potential wilderness.” That covers 94% of the park, according to Yosemite’s website.

    Park officials said the new restriction was needed to preserve Yosemite’s wilderness and protect climbers.

    “We take the protection of the park’s resources and the experience of our visitors very seriously, and will not tolerate violations of laws and regulations that impact those resources and experiences,” Pawlitz said.

    It followed a widely publicized instance in February of demonstrators hanging an upside down American flag on El Capitan to protest the firing of National Park Service employees by the Trump administration.

    Among the climbers who helped hang the transgender flag was Pattie Gonia, an environmentalist and drag queen who uses the performance art to raise awareness of conservation issues. For the past five years, Gonia has helped throw a Pride event in Yosemite for park employees.

    She said they hung the transgender flag on the iconic granite monolith to express that being transgender is natural.

    This year, Trump signed an executive order changing the federal definition of sex to exclude the concept of gender identity. He also banned trans women from competing in women’s sports, removed trans people from the military and limited access to gender-affirming care.

    Gonia called the firing unjust. Joslin said they hung the flag in their free time, as a private citizen.

    “SJ is a respected pillar within the Yosemite community, a tireless volunteer who consistently goes above and beyond,” Gonia said.

    Jayson O’Neill with the advocacy group Save Our Parks said Joslin’s firing appears aimed at deterring park employees from expressing their views as the Trump administration pursues broad cuts to the federal workforce.

    Since Trump took office, the National Park Service has lost approximately 2,500 employees from a workforce that had about 10,000 people, Wade said. The Republican president is proposing a $900 million cut to the agency’s budget next year.

    Pawlitz said numerous visitors complained about unauthorized demonstrations on El Capitan earlier in the year.

    Many parks have designated “First Amendment areas” where groups 25 or fewer people can protest without permits. Yosemite has several of those areas, including one in Yosemite Valley, where El Capitan is located.

    Park service rules on demonstrations have existed for decades and withstood several court challenges, said Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers. He was not aware of any changes in how those rules are enforced under Trump.

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  • Target’s CEO is stepping down as customers turn away

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    Target CEO Brian Cornell, who helped reenergize the company but has struggled to turn around weak sales in a more competitive retail landscape since the COVID pandemic, plans to step down Feb. 1.Minneapolis-based Target said Wednesday that Chief Operating Officer Michael Fiddelke, a 20-year company veteran, will succeed Cornell.Cornell said Fiddelke’s appointment followed several years of board vetting of both internal and external candidates. Fiddelke has overhauled Target’s supply network and expanded the company’s stores and digital services while cutting costs. In May, the company announced that he would lead a new office focused on faster decision-making to help accelerate sales growth.Fiddelke is taking over at a time when Target’s sales are in a funk, its stores are messy and understocked, and it’s losing market share to rivals like Walmart.He said he’s stepping into the role with urgency with three priorities: reclaiming the company’s merchandising authority; improving the shopping experience by making sure shelves are consistently stocked and stores are clean; and investing in technology at the company’s stores and in its supply network.“When we’re leading with swagger in our merchandising authority, when we have swagger in our marketing, and we’re setting the trend for retail, those are some of the moments I think that Target has been at its highest in my 20 years,” he said.The change in leadership was announced Wednesday at the same time that Target reported another quarter of sluggish results. The company’s stock was down more than 8% in pre-market trading.Neil Saunders, a managing director at GlobalData Retail, said Wednesday that he had “mixed feelings” about the appointment.“While we think Fiddelke is talented and has a somewhat different take on things compared to current CEO Brian Cornell, this is an internal appointment that does not necessarily remedy the problems of entrenched groupthink and the inward-looking mindset that have plagued Target for years,” he said.Target reported a 21% drop in net income in the quarter ended Aug. 2. Sales were down slightly and the company reported a 1.9% dip in comparable sales — those from established physical stores and online channels. Target has seen flat or declining comparable sales in eight out of the past 10 quarters including the latest period.Target, which has about 1,980 U.S. stores, has been the focus of consumer boycotts since late January, when it joined rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.Target’s sales also have languished as customers defect to Walmart and off-price department store chains like TJ Maxx in search of lower prices. But many analysts think Target is stumbling because consumers no longer consider it the place to go for affordable but stylish products, a niche that long ago earned the retailer the jokingly posh nickname “Tarzhay.”In fact, out of 35 merchandise categories that Target tracks, it gained or maintained market share in only 14 during the latest quarter, Fiddelke told reporters Tuesday.Meanwhile, Walmart gained market share among households with incomes over $100,000 as U.S. inflation caused consumer prices to rise rapidly. Lower-income shoppers have driven customer growth at Target, suggesting it may have lost appeal with wealthier customers, according to market research firm Consumer Edge.“It’s probably not the best sign, especially because higher-income consumers continue to hold up a little bit better” during times of economic uncertainty, said Consumer Edge Head of Insights Michael Gunther.In March, members of Target’s executive team told investors they planned to regain the chain’s reputation for selling stylish goods at budget prices by expanding Target’s lineup of store label brands and shortening the time it took to get new items from the idea stage to store shelves. The moves would help the company stay close to trends, executives said.“In a world where we operate today, our guests are looking for Tarzhay,” Cornell told investors. “Consumers coined that term decades ago to define how we elevate the everything everyday to something special, how we had unexpected fun in the shopping that would be otherwise routine.”Before joining Target in 2014, Cornell, 66, spent more than 30 years in leadership positions at retail and consumer-product companies, including as chief marketing officer at Safeway Inc. and CEO at Michaels, Walmart’s Sam’s Club and PepsiCo America Foods. In September 2022, the board extended his contract for three more years and eliminated a policy requiring its chief executives to retire at age 65.When Cornell got to Target, the company was facing a different set of challenges.Cornell replaced former CEO Gregg Steinhafel, who stepped down nearly five months after Target disclosed a huge data breach in which hackers stole millions of customers’ credit- and debit-card records. The theft badly damaged the chain’s reputation and profits.Cornell reenergized sales by having his team rev up Target’s store brands. It now has 40 private label brands in its portfolio. And even before the pandemic, Cornell spearheaded the company’s mission to transform its stores into delivery hubs to cut down on costs and speed up deliveries.Target’s 2017 acquisition of Shipt helped bolster the discounter’s same-day, store-based fulfillment services. Cornell also focused on making its stores better tailored to the local community.The coronavirus pandemic delivered outsized sales for Target as well as its peers as people stayed home and bought pajamas, furnishings and kitchen items. And it continued to see a surge in sales as shoppers emerged from their homes and went to stores. But the spending sprees eventually subsided.As inflation started to spike, Target reported a 52% drop in profits during its 2022 first quarter compared with a year earlier. Purchases of big TVs and appliances that Americans loaded up on during the pandemic faded, leaving the retailer with excess inventory that had to be sold off.In July 2023, as shoppers feeling pinched by inflation curtailed their spending, Target said its comparable sales declined for the first time in six years.Moreover, Target started losing its edge as an authority on style by focusing too much on home furnishings basics, and not enough trendy items, Fiddelke said.A customer backlash over the annual line of LGBTQ+ Pride merchandise Target stores carried that year further cut into sales.Although Walmart retreated from its diversity initiatives first, Target has been the focus of more concerted consumer boycotts. Organizers have said they viewed Target’s action as a greater betrayal because the company previously had held itself out as a champion of inclusion.

    NEW YORK —

    Target CEO Brian Cornell, who helped reenergize the company but has struggled to turn around weak sales in a more competitive retail landscape since the COVID pandemic, plans to step down Feb. 1.

    Minneapolis-based Target said Wednesday that Chief Operating Officer Michael Fiddelke, a 20-year company veteran, will succeed Cornell.

    Cornell said Fiddelke’s appointment followed several years of board vetting of both internal and external candidates. Fiddelke has overhauled Target’s supply network and expanded the company’s stores and digital services while cutting costs. In May, the company announced that he would lead a new office focused on faster decision-making to help accelerate sales growth.

    Fiddelke is taking over at a time when Target’s sales are in a funk, its stores are messy and understocked, and it’s losing market share to rivals like Walmart.

    He said he’s stepping into the role with urgency with three priorities: reclaiming the company’s merchandising authority; improving the shopping experience by making sure shelves are consistently stocked and stores are clean; and investing in technology at the company’s stores and in its supply network.

    “When we’re leading with swagger in our merchandising authority, when we have swagger in our marketing, and we’re setting the trend for retail, those are some of the moments I think that Target has been at its highest in my 20 years,” he said.

    The change in leadership was announced Wednesday at the same time that Target reported another quarter of sluggish results. The company’s stock was down more than 8% in pre-market trading.

    Neil Saunders, a managing director at GlobalData Retail, said Wednesday that he had “mixed feelings” about the appointment.

    “While we think Fiddelke is talented and has a somewhat different take on things compared to current CEO Brian Cornell, this is an internal appointment that does not necessarily remedy the problems of entrenched groupthink and the inward-looking mindset that have plagued Target for years,” he said.

    Target reported a 21% drop in net income in the quarter ended Aug. 2. Sales were down slightly and the company reported a 1.9% dip in comparable sales — those from established physical stores and online channels. Target has seen flat or declining comparable sales in eight out of the past 10 quarters including the latest period.

    Target, which has about 1,980 U.S. stores, has been the focus of consumer boycotts since late January, when it joined rival Walmart and a number of other prominent American brands in scaling back corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

    Target’s sales also have languished as customers defect to Walmart and off-price department store chains like TJ Maxx in search of lower prices. But many analysts think Target is stumbling because consumers no longer consider it the place to go for affordable but stylish products, a niche that long ago earned the retailer the jokingly posh nickname “Tarzhay.”

    In fact, out of 35 merchandise categories that Target tracks, it gained or maintained market share in only 14 during the latest quarter, Fiddelke told reporters Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, Walmart gained market share among households with incomes over $100,000 as U.S. inflation caused consumer prices to rise rapidly. Lower-income shoppers have driven customer growth at Target, suggesting it may have lost appeal with wealthier customers, according to market research firm Consumer Edge.

    “It’s probably not the best sign, especially because higher-income consumers continue to hold up a little bit better” during times of economic uncertainty, said Consumer Edge Head of Insights Michael Gunther.

    In March, members of Target’s executive team told investors they planned to regain the chain’s reputation for selling stylish goods at budget prices by expanding Target’s lineup of store label brands and shortening the time it took to get new items from the idea stage to store shelves. The moves would help the company stay close to trends, executives said.

    “In a world where we operate today, our guests are looking for Tarzhay,” Cornell told investors. “Consumers coined that term decades ago to define how we elevate the everything everyday to something special, how we had unexpected fun in the shopping that would be otherwise routine.”

    Before joining Target in 2014, Cornell, 66, spent more than 30 years in leadership positions at retail and consumer-product companies, including as chief marketing officer at Safeway Inc. and CEO at Michaels, Walmart’s Sam’s Club and PepsiCo America Foods. In September 2022, the board extended his contract for three more years and eliminated a policy requiring its chief executives to retire at age 65.

    When Cornell got to Target, the company was facing a different set of challenges.

    Cornell replaced former CEO Gregg Steinhafel, who stepped down nearly five months after Target disclosed a huge data breach in which hackers stole millions of customers’ credit- and debit-card records. The theft badly damaged the chain’s reputation and profits.

    Cornell reenergized sales by having his team rev up Target’s store brands. It now has 40 private label brands in its portfolio. And even before the pandemic, Cornell spearheaded the company’s mission to transform its stores into delivery hubs to cut down on costs and speed up deliveries.

    Target’s 2017 acquisition of Shipt helped bolster the discounter’s same-day, store-based fulfillment services. Cornell also focused on making its stores better tailored to the local community.

    The coronavirus pandemic delivered outsized sales for Target as well as its peers as people stayed home and bought pajamas, furnishings and kitchen items. And it continued to see a surge in sales as shoppers emerged from their homes and went to stores. But the spending sprees eventually subsided.

    As inflation started to spike, Target reported a 52% drop in profits during its 2022 first quarter compared with a year earlier. Purchases of big TVs and appliances that Americans loaded up on during the pandemic faded, leaving the retailer with excess inventory that had to be sold off.

    In July 2023, as shoppers feeling pinched by inflation curtailed their spending, Target said its comparable sales declined for the first time in six years.

    Moreover, Target started losing its edge as an authority on style by focusing too much on home furnishings basics, and not enough trendy items, Fiddelke said.

    A customer backlash over the annual line of LGBTQ+ Pride merchandise Target stores carried that year further cut into sales.

    Although Walmart retreated from its diversity initiatives first, Target has been the focus of more concerted consumer boycotts. Organizers have said they viewed Target’s action as a greater betrayal because the company previously had held itself out as a champion of inclusion.

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  • Giuliani appears in NYC court after missing deadline to surrender assets

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    A combative Rudy Giuliani said a civil case to take his most prized assets was like “a political persecution” before he entered a New York City courthouse Thursday to explain to a federal judge why he hasn’t surrendered his valuables as part of a $148 million defamation judgment.Judge Lewis Liman ordered the former New York City mayor to report to court after lawyers for the two former Georgia election workers who were awarded the massive judgment visited Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment last week only to discover it had been cleared out weeks earlier.The judge had set an Oct. 29 deadline for the longtime ally of once-and-future President Donald Trump to surrender many of his possessions to lawyers for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss.The possessions include his $5 million Upper East Side apartment, a 1980 Mercedes once owned by movie star Lauren Bacall, a shirt signed by New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio, dozens of luxury watches and other valuables.When he arrived at Manhattan federal court, Giuliani told reporters that he has not stood in the way of the court’s orders.“Every bit of property that they want is available, if they are entitled to it,” he said. “Now, the law says they’re not entitled to a lot of them. For example, they want my grandfather’s watch, which is 150 years old. That’s a bit of an heirloom. Usually you don’t get those unless you’re involved in a political persecution. In fact, having me here today is like a political persecution.”During the court proceeding, which lasted over an hour, a lawyer for Freeman and Moss and a lawyer for Giuliani disputed whether Giuliani has done all he can to turn over assets.Liman ordered Giuliani to hand over the Mercedes by Monday.Liman originally scheduled a phone conference about the situation, but he changed it to a hearing in Manhattan federal court that Giuliani must attend after learning about the visit to the former mayor’s apartment.Aaron Nathan, an attorney for the election workers, wrote in a letter to Liman that the residence was already “substantially empty” when representatives for his clients visited with a moving company official to assess the transportation and storage needs for the property Giuliani was ordered to surrender.He said the group was told most of the apartment’s contents, including art, sports memorabilia and other valuables, had been moved out about four weeks prior and that some of it had been placed in storage on Long Island.At the hearing, Nathan complained that efforts to get assets were met by “delay and then evasion.”Giuliani spoke directly to the judge at one point, saying he’d been “treated rudely” by those trying to take control of his assets.They have so far argued unsuccessfully that Giuliani should not be forced to turn over his belongings while he appeals the judgment.Liman also denied a request from Giuliani’s legal team to postpone Thursday’s court appearance to next week or hold it by phone, as originally planned.A Giuliani spokesperson, meanwhile, dismissed the legal wrangling as intimidation tactics.“Opposing counsel, acting either negligently or deliberately in a deceptive manner, are simply attempting to further bully and intimidate Mayor Giuliani until he is rendered penniless and homeless,” Ted Goodman, his spokesperson, said earlier this week.Giuliani was found liable for defamation for falsely accusing Freeman and Moss of ballot fraud as he pushed Trump’s unsubstantiated election fraud allegations during the 2020 campaign.The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani accused the two of sneaking in ballots in suitcases, counting ballots multiple times and tampering with voting machines.

    NEW YORK —

    A combative Rudy Giuliani said a civil case to take his most prized assets was like “a political persecution” before he entered a New York City courthouse Thursday to explain to a federal judge why he hasn’t surrendered his valuables as part of a $148 million defamation judgment.

    Judge Lewis Liman ordered the former New York City mayor to report to court after lawyers for the two former Georgia election workers who were awarded the massive judgment visited Giuliani’s Manhattan apartment last week only to discover it had been cleared out weeks earlier.

    The judge had set an Oct. 29 deadline for the longtime ally of once-and-future President Donald Trump to surrender many of his possessions to lawyers for Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss.

    The possessions include his $5 million Upper East Side apartment, a 1980 Mercedes once owned by movie star Lauren Bacall, a shirt signed by New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio, dozens of luxury watches and other valuables.

    When he arrived at Manhattan federal court, Giuliani told reporters that he has not stood in the way of the court’s orders.

    “Every bit of property that they want is available, if they are entitled to it,” he said. “Now, the law says they’re not entitled to a lot of them. For example, they want my grandfather’s watch, which is 150 years old. That’s a bit of an heirloom. Usually you don’t get those unless you’re involved in a political persecution. In fact, having me here today is like a political persecution.”

    During the court proceeding, which lasted over an hour, a lawyer for Freeman and Moss and a lawyer for Giuliani disputed whether Giuliani has done all he can to turn over assets.

    Liman ordered Giuliani to hand over the Mercedes by Monday.

    Liman originally scheduled a phone conference about the situation, but he changed it to a hearing in Manhattan federal court that Giuliani must attend after learning about the visit to the former mayor’s apartment.

    Aaron Nathan, an attorney for the election workers, wrote in a letter to Liman that the residence was already “substantially empty” when representatives for his clients visited with a moving company official to assess the transportation and storage needs for the property Giuliani was ordered to surrender.

    He said the group was told most of the apartment’s contents, including art, sports memorabilia and other valuables, had been moved out about four weeks prior and that some of it had been placed in storage on Long Island.

    At the hearing, Nathan complained that efforts to get assets were met by “delay and then evasion.”

    Giuliani spoke directly to the judge at one point, saying he’d been “treated rudely” by those trying to take control of his assets.

    They have so far argued unsuccessfully that Giuliani should not be forced to turn over his belongings while he appeals the judgment.

    Liman also denied a request from Giuliani’s legal team to postpone Thursday’s court appearance to next week or hold it by phone, as originally planned.

    A Giuliani spokesperson, meanwhile, dismissed the legal wrangling as intimidation tactics.

    “Opposing counsel, acting either negligently or deliberately in a deceptive manner, are simply attempting to further bully and intimidate Mayor Giuliani until he is rendered penniless and homeless,” Ted Goodman, his spokesperson, said earlier this week.

    Giuliani was found liable for defamation for falsely accusing Freeman and Moss of ballot fraud as he pushed Trump’s unsubstantiated election fraud allegations during the 2020 campaign.

    The women said they faced death threats after Giuliani accused the two of sneaking in ballots in suitcases, counting ballots multiple times and tampering with voting machines.

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  • Bob Costas retiring from baseball play-by-play after 42 years

    Bob Costas retiring from baseball play-by-play after 42 years

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    After 42 seasons, Bob Costas is retiring from baseball play-by-play.Costas had done games the past couple seasons for MLB Network and TBS Sports. His final games were the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals.Costas’ contract with TBS expired at the end of the season, but his plans to retire from baseball play-by-play had been in the works for over a year.The Athletic was the first to report on Costas’ baseball play-by-play retirement. Costas plans to address his decision at a future date.Baseball has always been Costas’ favorite sport. He called games on NBC from 1982-89 and again from 1994-2000. He was one of the announcers for the 1995 World Series and then the main play-by-play voice for the Fall Classic in 1997 and ’99.He joined TBS in 2021 to serve as studio host for its coverage of the National League Championship Series and then called games the past three seasons. TBS has had a package of Tuesday night regular-season games to go with its postseason coverage since 2022.Costas had also done games on MLB Network since its start in 2009. He will continue to do some work for the network on key events, including the Baseball Hall of Fame announcement.In 2018, he received the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcast excellence from the Baseball Hall of Fame.Costas is also known for being the prime-time host of NBC’s Olympics coverage from 1992 to 2016. He also has made appearances as a commentator on sports issues on CNN.

    NEW YORK —

    After 42 seasons, Bob Costas is retiring from baseball play-by-play.

    Costas had done games the past couple seasons for MLB Network and TBS Sports. His final games were the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals.

    Costas’ contract with TBS expired at the end of the season, but his plans to retire from baseball play-by-play had been in the works for over a year.

    The Athletic was the first to report on Costas’ baseball play-by-play retirement. Costas plans to address his decision at a future date.

    Baseball has always been Costas’ favorite sport. He called games on NBC from 1982-89 and again from 1994-2000. He was one of the announcers for the 1995 World Series and then the main play-by-play voice for the Fall Classic in 1997 and ’99.

    He joined TBS in 2021 to serve as studio host for its coverage of the National League Championship Series and then called games the past three seasons. TBS has had a package of Tuesday night regular-season games to go with its postseason coverage since 2022.

    Costas had also done games on MLB Network since its start in 2009. He will continue to do some work for the network on key events, including the Baseball Hall of Fame announcement.

    In 2018, he received the Ford C. Frick Award for broadcast excellence from the Baseball Hall of Fame.

    Costas is also known for being the prime-time host of NBC’s Olympics coverage from 1992 to 2016. He also has made appearances as a commentator on sports issues on CNN.

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  • Ballot drop box fires under investigation in Oregon, Washington after hundreds of ballots destroyed

    Ballot drop box fires under investigation in Oregon, Washington after hundreds of ballots destroyed

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    Federal authorities are investigating fires at two ballot boxes reported Monday morning in the Portland, Oregon, area that destroyed hundreds of ballots at one location, as well as another fire reported earlier this month.Related video above: Get the Facts: Will there be physical security at polls on Election Day?Evidence from the incendiary devices found at the ballot boxes Monday show the fires are connected, as well as a third incident reported in Vancouver, Washington, on October 8, said Mike Benner, a spokesperson for Portland Police Bureau. While many of the ballots in Portland were unaffected, hundreds of ballots were destroyed in a Vancouver ballot box, election officials said.Portland police also identified a “suspect vehicle” seen leaving the scene of the fire in Portland, which is believed to be tied to the two incidents in Vancouver as well, they said in a news release Monday. The car appears to be “a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60” that’s missing a front plate and has an unknown rear plate, they said.“We don’t know the motives behind these acts, sounds like a series of three at this point, but we do know that acts like this are targeted and intentional,” Portland Police Bureau Assistant Chief Amanda McMillan said during a news conference Monday. “We are concerned about that intentional act trying to affect the election process. We’re dedicated to stopping that kind of behavior and we are working toward that today.”Meanwhile, the FBI is running a “separate but parallel investigation” into the matter, Benner said. The agency’s Seattle office confirmed to CNN they are working on the investigation.Video below: Tim Scott, Multnomah County Elections Director, speaks after ballot box arsonWashington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement Monday evening “there will be 24-hour enhanced security around ballot drop-off locations.”“While law enforcement investigates this incident, we urge concerned Vancouver-area voters to check with the Clark County Auditor’s office or VoteWA.gov for accurate information about how to obtain a replacement ballot or track their ballot once it has been returned. There are multiple ways for voters to cast their ballot and make sure their voice is heard,” he said.Early morning calls on ballot boxesPolice responded to a call about a fire in Portland about 3:30 a.m. Monday, the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement. An “incendiary device” was attached to the side of the box and security personnel extinguished the fire, officials said. Police previously said the device was placed inside the box.While three ballots were damaged, 409 ballots were protected by fire suppressant inside the box, Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said.The second ballot box was set on fire early Monday morning at a bus station in Vancouver, Washington, according to the Vancouver Police Department. When officers arrived, they found a “suspicious device” next to the box, which was smoking and on fire, police said.Laura Shepard, a spokesperson for the city of Vancouver, said elections officials are asking anyone who may have placed a ballot in the box after 11 a.m. on Saturday to contact them to check the status of their ballot. Election officials are still counting all the ballots involved in the Vancouver fire but believe hundreds of ballots were destroyed, according to Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey.“Some were damaged and might be able to be duplicated and then processed, some were severely damaged, some were completely destroyed,” he told CNN.An incendiary device was also found at a ballot box in Vancouver on October 8 after someone called to report that the ballot box was smokey, Benner said.Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs condemned the fire and confirmed some ballots were damaged.“We take the safety of our election workers seriously and will not tolerate threats or acts of violence that seek to undermine the democratic process,” Hobbs said, adding he has “complete confidence in our county elections officials’ ability to keep Washington’s elections safe and secure for all voters.”Officials in Portland plan to contact the three affected voters “via unique identifiers on their ballot envelopes, so they can receive replacement ballots.” Voters who dropped their ballots at the box between 3:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Monday should reach out to the Multnomah County Elections Division if they have concerns, Scott said.“Voters should be assured that even if their ballots were in the affected box, their votes will be counted,” Scott said.Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said the fire was “an attack on our democracy and completely unacceptable. Whatever the motivation behind this incident, there is no justification for any attempt to disenfranchise voters.”All ballot boxes in Multnomah County and Clark County have fire suppressant installed, election officials said during a news conference Monday. In Multnomah County, voting by mail is the most popular method as less than 1% of people vote in person, Scott told CNN; in Clark County, 60% of the ballots received are from ballot drop boxes, Kimsey said.Next steps as Election Day nearsThe ballot box in Portland has already been replaced, said Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, and law enforcement in Multnomah County and Vancouver, Washington, plan to increase patrols of ballot boxes in the area.The boxes are about 15 miles apart. The one in Vancouver is in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, where one of the most competitive House races in the country is taking place.The district is represented by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, one of five seats held by Democrats in a district former President Donald Trump won in 2020. She is facing a rematch against Republican Joe Kent, a retired Green Beret who had Trump’s endorsement.Gluesenkamp Perez requested an overnight law enforcement presence at ballot boxes in Clark County through Election Day following the damage. Speaking with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Monday, she said she isn’t mad about the damaged ballots for partisan reasons, but “because I’m an American who sees the corrosive and toxic environment that we’ve seen across the country come home in a really damaging and ugly way.”Other fires affecting ballots have been recently reported across the country. Last week, a mailbox outside a Phoenix post office was set on fire, damaging an unknown number of ballots. A 35-year-old man was charged with arson in connection with the incident. The Phoenix Police Department said he told them it was not politically motivated.The fires come after the FBI and Department of Homeland Security recently issued a bulletin raising concerns “election-related grievances,” such as a belief in voter fraud, could motivate domestic extremists to engage in violence in the weeks before and after the November election.In the intelligence bulletin obtained by CNN, the agencies said some domestic violent extremists likely see publicly accessible locations, including ballot drop boxes, as “attractive targets.”Benner said he doesn’t have any information on if these incidents are related to the bulletin, but noted that Portland police’s criminal intelligence unit “is monitoring anything and everything” related to planned attacks on ballot boxes or civil unrest.CNN’s Chris Boyette, Ethan Cohen, Sean Lyngaas and Natasha Chen contributed to this report.

    Federal authorities are investigating fires at two ballot boxes reported Monday morning in the Portland, Oregon, area that destroyed hundreds of ballots at one location, as well as another fire reported earlier this month.

    Related video above: Get the Facts: Will there be physical security at polls on Election Day?

    Evidence from the incendiary devices found at the ballot boxes Monday show the fires are connected, as well as a third incident reported in Vancouver, Washington, on October 8, said Mike Benner, a spokesperson for Portland Police Bureau. While many of the ballots in Portland were unaffected, hundreds of ballots were destroyed in a Vancouver ballot box, election officials said.

    Portland police also identified a “suspect vehicle” seen leaving the scene of the fire in Portland, which is believed to be tied to the two incidents in Vancouver as well, they said in a news release Monday. The car appears to be “a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60” that’s missing a front plate and has an unknown rear plate, they said.

    “We don’t know the motives behind these acts, sounds like a series of three at this point, but we do know that acts like this are targeted and intentional,” Portland Police Bureau Assistant Chief Amanda McMillan said during a news conference Monday. “We are concerned about that intentional act trying to affect the election process. We’re dedicated to stopping that kind of behavior and we are working toward that today.”

    Meanwhile, the FBI is running a “separate but parallel investigation” into the matter, Benner said. The agency’s Seattle office confirmed to CNN they are working on the investigation.

    Video below: Tim Scott, Multnomah County Elections Director, speaks after ballot box arson

    Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said in a statement Monday evening “there will be 24-hour enhanced security around ballot drop-off locations.”

    “While law enforcement investigates this incident, we urge concerned Vancouver-area voters to check with the Clark County Auditor’s office or VoteWA.gov for accurate information about how to obtain a replacement ballot or track their ballot once it has been returned. There are multiple ways for voters to cast their ballot and make sure their voice is heard,” he said.

    Early morning calls on ballot boxes

    Police responded to a call about a fire in Portland about 3:30 a.m. Monday, the Portland Police Bureau said in a statement. An “incendiary device” was attached to the side of the box and security personnel extinguished the fire, officials said. Police previously said the device was placed inside the box.

    While three ballots were damaged, 409 ballots were protected by fire suppressant inside the box, Multnomah County Elections Director Tim Scott said.

    The second ballot box was set on fire early Monday morning at a bus station in Vancouver, Washington, according to the Vancouver Police Department. When officers arrived, they found a “suspicious device” next to the box, which was smoking and on fire, police said.

    Laura Shepard, a spokesperson for the city of Vancouver, said elections officials are asking anyone who may have placed a ballot in the box after 11 a.m. on Saturday to contact them to check the status of their ballot. Election officials are still counting all the ballots involved in the Vancouver fire but believe hundreds of ballots were destroyed, according to Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey.

    “Some were damaged and might be able to be duplicated and then processed, some were severely damaged, some were completely destroyed,” he told CNN.

    An incendiary device was also found at a ballot box in Vancouver on October 8 after someone called to report that the ballot box was smokey, Benner said.

    Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs condemned the fire and confirmed some ballots were damaged.

    “We take the safety of our election workers seriously and will not tolerate threats or acts of violence that seek to undermine the democratic process,” Hobbs said, adding he has “complete confidence in our county elections officials’ ability to keep Washington’s elections safe and secure for all voters.”

    Officials in Portland plan to contact the three affected voters “via unique identifiers on their ballot envelopes, so they can receive replacement ballots.” Voters who dropped their ballots at the box between 3:30 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Monday should reach out to the Multnomah County Elections Division if they have concerns, Scott said.

    “Voters should be assured that even if their ballots were in the affected box, their votes will be counted,” Scott said.

    Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade said the fire was “an attack on our democracy and completely unacceptable. Whatever the motivation behind this incident, there is no justification for any attempt to disenfranchise voters.”

    All ballot boxes in Multnomah County and Clark County have fire suppressant installed, election officials said during a news conference Monday. In Multnomah County, voting by mail is the most popular method as less than 1% of people vote in person, Scott told CNN; in Clark County, 60% of the ballots received are from ballot drop boxes, Kimsey said.

    Next steps as Election Day nears

    The ballot box in Portland has already been replaced, said Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, and law enforcement in Multnomah County and Vancouver, Washington, plan to increase patrols of ballot boxes in the area.

    The boxes are about 15 miles apart. The one in Vancouver is in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District, where one of the most competitive House races in the country is taking place.

    The district is represented by Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, one of five seats held by Democrats in a district former President Donald Trump won in 2020. She is facing a rematch against Republican Joe Kent, a retired Green Beret who had Trump’s endorsement.

    Gluesenkamp Perez requested an overnight law enforcement presence at ballot boxes in Clark County through Election Day following the damage. Speaking with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Monday, she said she isn’t mad about the damaged ballots for partisan reasons, but “because I’m an American who sees the corrosive and toxic environment that we’ve seen across the country come home in a really damaging and ugly way.”

    Other fires affecting ballots have been recently reported across the country. Last week, a mailbox outside a Phoenix post office was set on fire, damaging an unknown number of ballots. A 35-year-old man was charged with arson in connection with the incident. The Phoenix Police Department said he told them it was not politically motivated.

    The fires come after the FBI and Department of Homeland Security recently issued a bulletin raising concerns “election-related grievances,” such as a belief in voter fraud, could motivate domestic extremists to engage in violence in the weeks before and after the November election.

    In the intelligence bulletin obtained by CNN, the agencies said some domestic violent extremists likely see publicly accessible locations, including ballot drop boxes, as “attractive targets.”

    Benner said he doesn’t have any information on if these incidents are related to the bulletin, but noted that Portland police’s criminal intelligence unit “is monitoring anything and everything” related to planned attacks on ballot boxes or civil unrest.

    CNN’s Chris Boyette, Ethan Cohen, Sean Lyngaas and Natasha Chen contributed to this report.

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  • Republicans ask Supreme Court to block counting of some provisional ballots in PA

    Republicans ask Supreme Court to block counting of some provisional ballots in PA

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    Republicans ask US Supreme Court to block counting of some provisional ballots in Pennsylvania

    SHATTER PREVIOUS SPENDING RECORDS, ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT FROM OPEN SECRETS, A NONPROFIT THAT TRACKS MONEY IN POLITICS. FEDERAL ELECTION SPENDING IS SET TO TOP $15.9 BILLION. WILL THAT RESULT IN A HIGHER VOTER TURNOUT? ONLY 66% OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS ACTUALLY CAST A BALLOT IN 2020. THAT TURNOUT WAS THE HIGHEST FOR A NATIONAL ELECTION IN OVER A CENTURY. ONE NONPARTISAN ORGANIZATION IS TAKING A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO EMPOWERING PEOPLE TO VOTE AND NOT JUST IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS, ALEX NIEMCZEWSKI IS THE CO-FOUNDER OF BALLOTREADY. ALEX, SO NICE TO HAVE YOU IN STUDIO. THANK YOU. WHEN AND WHY DID YOU START BALLOTREADY? SO IN 2015, I WAS READY TO VOTE FOR THE CANDIDATES AT THE TOP OF MY BALLOT, BUT I REALIZED MY BALLOT WAS VERY LONG AND THERE WERE ALL THESE CANDIDATES WHO I’D NEVER HEARD THEIR NAMES BEFORE. AND WHEN I ASKED OTHER PEOPLE, THEY ALL SAID, OH YEAH, I DON’T KNOW WHO TO VOTE FOR. SO IT BECAME CLEAR TO ME THAT THIS WAS A BIG PROBLEM, NOT JUST FOR ME. WHAT IS THIS BALLOTREADY DO WE HAVE A BIG TEAM AND WE CONTACT EVERY ELECTION AUTHORITY IN THE COUNTRY. SO THAT’S OVER 3000 COUNTIES, BOARDS OF ELECTIONS. WE SHOW VOTERS BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT ALL THE CANDIDATES THAT WILL BE ON THEIR BALLOT AND BALLOT MEASURES. OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE IT REALLY EASY FOR EVERYONE TO BE INFORMED AND BE VERY CONFIDENT WHEN THEY GO TO VOTE. SO IS THERE A CONNECTION BETWEEN HOW CIVICALLY INVOLVED SOMEBODY IS AND THEIR ACCESS TO NEWS AND INFORMATION IN VOTING? YES, WE KNOW THAT IN THE MEDIA, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT LOCAL NEWS HAS BEEN UNDERFUNDED, THERE’S JUST MUCH MORE ATTENTION ON CANDIDATES RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT. SO FOR MANY VOTERS, THEY DON’T EVEN REALIZE IT’S GOING TO BE MORE THAN TRUMP AND HARRIS ON THE BALLOT. THEY DON’T REALIZE IT’S GOING TO BE LONG. AND YOUNG PEOPLE. THEY’RE GETTING THEIR INFORMATION FROM SOCIAL MEDIA THAT MAY NOT HAVE AS MUCH LOCAL CONTENT. IT HAS ASTONISHED ME THE NUMBER OF UNCONTESTED RACES THAT EXIST. GIVE ME SOME OF THE DATA AROUND THAT. IT’S CRAZY. YEAH. SO WE’VE DONE THIS ANALYSIS SINCE 2020 ON THE NUMBER OF SEATS THAT ARE UNCONTESTED, WHICH MEANS THERE’S ONLY ONE CANDIDATE RUNNING. AND EACH YEAR IT’S BEEN ABOUT 70% OF RACES ARE UNCONTESTED, WHICH IS CRAZY, INSANE, DEPRESSING. IT’S NOT DEMOCRACY WORKING THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD. WHY DO YOU THINK THERE ARE SO MANY RACES THAT ARE UNCONTESTED? WE SEE IT’S WORSE FURTHER DOWN THE BALLOT. SO RACES THAT AFFECT DISTRICT ATTORNEY, SHERIFF, THOSE TEND TO BE UNCONTESTED. WE THINK THE REASON FOR THIS IS THIS HUGE INFORMATION GAP THAT THE PUBLIC HAS AROUND WHO REPRESENTS THEM. AND WHAT’S GOING TO BE ON THEIR BALLOT. AND THAT’S KIND OF THE FIRST WAY WE ARE TRYING TO TACKLE THAT IS MAKING IT EASY TO BE INFORMED ABOUT YOUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND YOUR SAY IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT. THE SECOND IS THERE ARE AN INCREASING NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT SUPPORT PEOPLE RUNNING FOR OFFICE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. ONCE AN INCUMBENT IS IN OFFICE, THEY DON’T REALLY HAVE AN INCENTIVE TO MAKE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO RUN AGAINST THEM. ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT DEMOCRACY? AS YOU SEE THIS GAP THAT YOU’RE TRYING TO SORT OF BRIDGE FOR FOLKS? I AM CONCERNED ABOUT DEMOCRACY, NAMELY, HOW LOW TURNOUT IS IN LOCAL ELECTIONS AND EVEN IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS. AND I’M CONCERNED ABOUT HOW MANY UNCONTESTED RACES THERE ARE. I AM OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE A LOT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY CIVICALLY ENGAGED. THEY’RE REGISTERING TO VOTE AT HIGHER RATES THAN THEY HAVE BEEN BEFORE. THEY’RE PROTESTING. THEY’RE TALKING ABOUT CIVIC ISSUES ON SOCIAL MEDIA. I THINK THERE’S A LONG WAY TO GO, BUT I AM OPTIMISTIC THAT WE’RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. AL

    Republicans ask US Supreme Court to block counting of some provisional ballots in Pennsylvania

    Republicans on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency order in Pennsylvania that could result in thousands of votes not being counted in this year’s election in the battleground state.Just over a week before the election, the court is being asked to step into a dispute over provisional ballots cast by Pennsylvania voters whose mail ballots are rejected for not following technical procedures in state law.The state’s high court ruled 4-3 that elections officials must count provisional ballots cast by voters whose mail-in ballots were voided because they arrived without mandatory secrecy envelopes.The election fight arrived at the Supreme Court the same day Virginia sought the justices’ intervention in a dispute over purging voter registrations.Four years ago, the high court weighed in on pandemic-inspired changes in voting rules in several states, including Pennsylvania.In their high-court filing, state and national Republicans asked for an order putting the state court ruling on hold or, barring that, requiring the provisional ballots be segregated and not included in the official vote count while the legal fight plays out.

    WASHINGTON —

    Republicans on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court for an emergency order in Pennsylvania that could result in thousands of votes not being counted in this year’s election in the battleground state.

    Just over a week before the election, the court is being asked to step into a dispute over provisional ballots cast by Pennsylvania voters whose mail ballots are rejected for not following technical procedures in state law.

    The state’s high court ruled 4-3 that elections officials must count provisional ballots cast by voters whose mail-in ballots were voided because they arrived without mandatory secrecy envelopes.

    The election fight arrived at the Supreme Court the same day Virginia sought the justices’ intervention in a dispute over purging voter registrations.

    Four years ago, the high court weighed in on pandemic-inspired changes in voting rules in several states, including Pennsylvania.

    In their high-court filing, state and national Republicans asked for an order putting the state court ruling on hold or, barring that, requiring the provisional ballots be segregated and not included in the official vote count while the legal fight plays out.

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  • For Biden, a bittersweet moment as he casts a ballot he once wanted to be on

    For Biden, a bittersweet moment as he casts a ballot he once wanted to be on

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    When President Joe Biden enters a voting booth in Delaware on Monday to cast his early ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris, the moment will be bittersweet.Biden, of course, once hoped to vote for himself, one last opportunity to check the box next to his own name after a half-century in the political arena.Instead, he is voting for his chosen successor – a moment of pride, to be sure, that is still coming earlier than he wanted it to.Instead of a big campaign event – as it would likely have been if he were still the candidate – his trip to a polling station in Delaware will be a low-key affair compared to the roiling presidential campaign that is unfolding without him.With eight days until Election Day, the president’s schedule this week doesn’t reflect a surrogate in high demand. After suggesting in September he would be on the road regularly for Harris in the final months, Biden has been largely absent from the campaign trail in the closing stretch.His union event in Pittsburgh over the weekend provided an outlet to attack Donald Trump and boost Harris – but the outing wasn’t heavily promoted by the Harris campaign, unlike higher-profile rallies with the Obamas.Biden has a few “campaign calls” scheduled this week, where he hopes to rally various groups telephonically behind Harris. He’ll attend a union event in Philadelphia on Friday, but it’s considered an official event rather than a Harris campaign rally.The rest of his week before the election, for now, is devoted to official tasks: receiving briefings on hurricane recovery, a Diwali reception in the East Room, remarks in Baltimore about infrastructure, trick-or-treating at the South Portico.Such is the existence of an unpopular incumbent on the way out. He joins a club that includes Bill Clinton and George W. Bush as presidents mostly kept off the campaign trail as their party looks to turn a page.After so much time in politics, Biden is fully aware of the delicate decisions that govern a campaign season. He has long said – usually as a joke – that he’s willing to campaign for or against his favored candidate, “whichever will help the most.”Still, that doesn’t make it any easier to watch as the party moves forward without him. Biden believes he could still be of use to Harris among the White, working-class voters in Blue Wall states where he retains sway.Nor is it lost on Biden — or anyone inside the White House – that he has a lot riding on the outcome. The result of next Tuesday’s election will either burnish his legacy or launch harsh recriminations that he stepped aside too late.Speaking at the get-out-the-vote event in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Biden seemed to acknowledge his time on the national stage was coming to an end.”We got a lot more work to do, Kamala and I,” he said, before quickly adjusting: “Kamala does.”

    When President Joe Biden enters a voting booth in Delaware on Monday to cast his early ballot for Vice President Kamala Harris, the moment will be bittersweet.

    Biden, of course, once hoped to vote for himself, one last opportunity to check the box next to his own name after a half-century in the political arena.

    Instead, he is voting for his chosen successor – a moment of pride, to be sure, that is still coming earlier than he wanted it to.

    Instead of a big campaign event – as it would likely have been if he were still the candidate – his trip to a polling station in Delaware will be a low-key affair compared to the roiling presidential campaign that is unfolding without him.

    With eight days until Election Day, the president’s schedule this week doesn’t reflect a surrogate in high demand. After suggesting in September he would be on the road regularly for Harris in the final months, Biden has been largely absent from the campaign trail in the closing stretch.

    His union event in Pittsburgh over the weekend provided an outlet to attack Donald Trump and boost Harris – but the outing wasn’t heavily promoted by the Harris campaign, unlike higher-profile rallies with the Obamas.

    Biden has a few “campaign calls” scheduled this week, where he hopes to rally various groups telephonically behind Harris. He’ll attend a union event in Philadelphia on Friday, but it’s considered an official event rather than a Harris campaign rally.

    The rest of his week before the election, for now, is devoted to official tasks: receiving briefings on hurricane recovery, a Diwali reception in the East Room, remarks in Baltimore about infrastructure, trick-or-treating at the South Portico.

    Such is the existence of an unpopular incumbent on the way out. He joins a club that includes Bill Clinton and George W. Bush as presidents mostly kept off the campaign trail as their party looks to turn a page.

    After so much time in politics, Biden is fully aware of the delicate decisions that govern a campaign season. He has long said – usually as a joke – that he’s willing to campaign for or against his favored candidate, “whichever will help the most.”

    Still, that doesn’t make it any easier to watch as the party moves forward without him. Biden believes he could still be of use to Harris among the White, working-class voters in Blue Wall states where he retains sway.

    Nor is it lost on Biden — or anyone inside the White House – that he has a lot riding on the outcome. The result of next Tuesday’s election will either burnish his legacy or launch harsh recriminations that he stepped aside too late.

    Speaking at the get-out-the-vote event in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Biden seemed to acknowledge his time on the national stage was coming to an end.

    “We got a lot more work to do, Kamala and I,” he said, before quickly adjusting: “Kamala does.”

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  • Train carrying at least 50 people derails on Norway coast, killing at least 1 person

    Train carrying at least 50 people derails on Norway coast, killing at least 1 person

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    At least one person was killed and four people injured when a train running along Norway’s northern coast derailed Thursday with at least 50 people on board, Norwegian media reported.Initial reports suggested that people with minor injuries were found at the scene.Train operator SJ said 90 tickets for the train had been sold but it could not immediately say how many people were on board.Police spokesman Kenneth Lauritsen told the newspaper Dagbladet that one person had died in the derailment. Five or six people were injured. Police earlier had told Norwegian news agency NTB that people with minor injuries were found at the scene. They were alerted to the derailment at 1238 GMT.Police told NTB that a rock slide likely caused the derailment. The VG newspaper carried a photo of a huge rock on the track that had smashed into a train carriage.The Arctic Circle Express was on its way from Trondheim to the northern town of Bodoe. NTB, citing the Joint Rescue Coordination Center for northern Norway, said there were “between 50 and 70 people on board the train.”“We think all the passengers are out. But we are doublechecking the train as we do not have a passenger list,” police spokesman Bent Are Eilertsen told Norwegian broadcaster TV 2.One of the passengers, Ingvart Strand Mølster, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that “a rock has hit the train.”Strand Mølster said no one in his train carriage was hurt, with the exception of one person who suffered a minor ankle injury. Another passenger told the local newspaper Avisa Nordland that people were evacuated out through the windows.NRK posted a video of the train which had left its mountainside tracks, crashing through trees and down onto the road, which was closed to traffic in the wake of the derailment.Photos on Norwegian media showed the locomotive and what appeared to be at least two passenger cars. The derailment happened near Bodoe, just north of the Arctic Circle.

    COPENHAGEN, Denmark —

    At least one person was killed and four people injured when a train running along Norway’s northern coast derailed Thursday with at least 50 people on board, Norwegian media reported.

    Initial reports suggested that people with minor injuries were found at the scene.

    Train operator SJ said 90 tickets for the train had been sold but it could not immediately say how many people were on board.

    Police spokesman Kenneth Lauritsen told the newspaper Dagbladet that one person had died in the derailment. Five or six people were injured. Police earlier had told Norwegian news agency NTB that people with minor injuries were found at the scene. They were alerted to the derailment at 1238 GMT.

    Police told NTB that a rock slide likely caused the derailment. The VG newspaper carried a photo of a huge rock on the track that had smashed into a train carriage.

    The Arctic Circle Express was on its way from Trondheim to the northern town of Bodoe. NTB, citing the Joint Rescue Coordination Center for northern Norway, said there were “between 50 and 70 people on board the train.”

    “We think all the passengers are out. But we are doublechecking the train as we do not have a passenger list,” police spokesman Bent Are Eilertsen told Norwegian broadcaster TV 2.

    One of the passengers, Ingvart Strand Mølster, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK that “a rock has hit the train.”

    Strand Mølster said no one in his train carriage was hurt, with the exception of one person who suffered a minor ankle injury. Another passenger told the local newspaper Avisa Nordland that people were evacuated out through the windows.

    NRK posted a video of the train which had left its mountainside tracks, crashing through trees and down onto the road, which was closed to traffic in the wake of the derailment.

    Photos on Norwegian media showed the locomotive and what appeared to be at least two passenger cars. The derailment happened near Bodoe, just north of the Arctic Circle.

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  • Blinken arrives in Israel as US looks to renew cease-fire efforts

    Blinken arrives in Israel as US looks to renew cease-fire efforts

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    Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday on his 11th visit to the region since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. The U.S. hopes to revive cease-fire efforts after the killing of top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, but so far all the warring parties appear to be digging in. Israel is still at war with Hamas more than a year after the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack, and with Hezbollah in Lebanon, where it launched a ground invasion earlier this month. Israel is also expected to strike Iran in response to its ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1.Blinken landed just hours after Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into central Israel, setting off air raid sirens in the country’s most populated areas and its international airport, but causing no apparent damage or injuries.The Israeli military said it intercepted most of the five projectiles, with one landing in an open area. Another 15 projectiles were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel at around the same time, it said.Hospitals in Lebanon fear being targeted by IsraelThe death toll from Israeli airstrikes late Monday that destroyed several buildings facing one of Beirut’s main hospitals climbed to 13. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 57 others were wounded, including seven who were in critical condition.The Israeli military said it struck a Hezbollah target, without elaborating, and said that it had not targeted the hospital itself.Video below: Blinken arrives in Tel Aviv for 11th visit since outbreak of warAssociated Press reporters visited the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the country’s largest public hospital, on Tuesday. They saw broken windows in the hospital’s pharmacy and dialysis center, which was full of patients at the time.The force of the explosions also destroyed some of the hospital’s solar panels. Staff said that in the midst of their own panic, they had to deal with wounded patients streaming into the hospital in the aftermath of the strikes across the street.Staff at another Beirut hospital feared it would be targeted after Israel alleged that Hezbollah had stashed hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold in its basement, without providing evidence.The director of the Sahel General Hospital denied the allegations and invited journalists to visit the hospital and its two underground floors on Tuesday. AP reporters saw no sign of militants or anything out of the ordinary.The few remaining patients had been evacuated after the Israeli military’s announcement the night before. The rest had left earlier because of repeated airstrikes in the surrounding neighborhood.“We have been living in terror for the last 24 hours,” said hospital director Mazen Alame. “There is nothing under the hospital.”Many in Lebanon fear Israel could target its hospitals in the same way it has raided medical facilities across Gaza. The Israeli military has accused Hamas and other militants of using hospitals for military purposes, allegations denied by medical staff.Hospitals can lose their protection under international law if they are used for military purposes.Blinken expected to focus on GazaThe State Department said ahead of the visit that Blinken would focus on ending the war in Gaza, securing the release of hostages held by Hamas and alleviating the suffering of Palestinian civilians.State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken would underscore the need for a dramatic increase in the amount of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza, something that Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made clear in a letter to Israeli officials last week.That letter reminded Israel that the Biden administration could be forced by U.S. law to curtail some forms of military aid should the delivery of humanitarian aid continue to be hindered.Blinken’s previous trips have yielded little in the way of ending hostilities, but he has managed to increase aid deliveries to Gaza in the past.The United States, Egypt and Qatar have brokered months of talks between Israel and Hamas, trying to strike a deal in which the militants would release dozens of hostages in return for an end to the war, a lasting cease-fire and the release of Palestinian prisoners.But both Israel and Hamas accused each other of making new and unacceptable demands over the summer, and the talks ground to a halt in August. Hamas says its demands have not changed following the killing of Sinwar.US and Iran both step up outreach ahead of expected Israeli strikeBlinken is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials, and to visit a number of Arab countries, likely to include Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been criss-crossing the region in recent days to try and built support ahead of Israel’s threatened retaliatory strike. Speaking in Kuwait on Tuesday, he said Gulf Arab countries had assured him they would not allow their territory to be used for any Israeli strike.“All the neighbors assured us that they will not allow their lands and air to be used against Iran,” Araghchi said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.The Arab Gulf countries have not publicly offered such assurances.Gulf Arab nations like the UAE and Qatar host major military installations, and there are concerns that an all-out regional war could draw them in. Iran has repeatedly vowed to respond to any Israeli strike.War rages in Lebanon and northern GazaThe U.S. has also tried to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, but those efforts fell apart as tensions spiked last month with a series of Israeli strikes that killed the militant group’s top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and most of his senior commanders.Israel is currently waging another major operation in already-devastated northern Gaza, which has killed hundreds of Palestinians over the last two weeks, according to local health authorities.In Lebanon, Israel has carried out waves of heavy airstrikes across southern Beirut and the country’s south and east, areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence. Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets, missiles and drones into Israel, including some that have reached the country’s populous center.Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking another 250 hostage. Around 100 of the captives are still held in Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead.Hezbollah began attacking Israel the day after the Hamas attack. Both groups are backed by Iran.Israel’s offensive has killed over 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded tens of thousands, according to local health authorities, who do not say how many were combatants but say more than half were women and children. It has also caused massive devastation across the territory and displaced around 90% of its population of 2.3 million.

    TEL AVIV, Israel —

    Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday on his 11th visit to the region since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. The U.S. hopes to revive cease-fire efforts after the killing of top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, but so far all the warring parties appear to be digging in.

    Israel is still at war with Hamas more than a year after the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack, and with Hezbollah in Lebanon, where it launched a ground invasion earlier this month. Israel is also expected to strike Iran in response to its ballistic missile attack on Oct. 1.

    Blinken landed just hours after Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into central Israel, setting off air raid sirens in the country’s most populated areas and its international airport, but causing no apparent damage or injuries.

    The Israeli military said it intercepted most of the five projectiles, with one landing in an open area. Another 15 projectiles were fired from Lebanon into northern Israel at around the same time, it said.

    Hospitals in Lebanon fear being targeted by Israel

    The death toll from Israeli airstrikes late Monday that destroyed several buildings facing one of Beirut’s main hospitals climbed to 13. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said 57 others were wounded, including seven who were in critical condition.

    The Israeli military said it struck a Hezbollah target, without elaborating, and said that it had not targeted the hospital itself.

    Video below: Blinken arrives in Tel Aviv for 11th visit since outbreak of war

    Associated Press reporters visited the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, the country’s largest public hospital, on Tuesday. They saw broken windows in the hospital’s pharmacy and dialysis center, which was full of patients at the time.

    The force of the explosions also destroyed some of the hospital’s solar panels. Staff said that in the midst of their own panic, they had to deal with wounded patients streaming into the hospital in the aftermath of the strikes across the street.

    Staff at another Beirut hospital feared it would be targeted after Israel alleged that Hezbollah had stashed hundreds of millions of dollars in cash and gold in its basement, without providing evidence.

    The director of the Sahel General Hospital denied the allegations and invited journalists to visit the hospital and its two underground floors on Tuesday. AP reporters saw no sign of militants or anything out of the ordinary.

    The few remaining patients had been evacuated after the Israeli military’s announcement the night before. The rest had left earlier because of repeated airstrikes in the surrounding neighborhood.

    “We have been living in terror for the last 24 hours,” said hospital director Mazen Alame. “There is nothing under the hospital.”

    Many in Lebanon fear Israel could target its hospitals in the same way it has raided medical facilities across Gaza. The Israeli military has accused Hamas and other militants of using hospitals for military purposes, allegations denied by medical staff.

    Hospitals can lose their protection under international law if they are used for military purposes.

    Blinken expected to focus on Gaza

    The State Department said ahead of the visit that Blinken would focus on ending the war in Gaza, securing the release of hostages held by Hamas and alleviating the suffering of Palestinian civilians.

    State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken would underscore the need for a dramatic increase in the amount of humanitarian aid reaching Gaza, something that Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made clear in a letter to Israeli officials last week.

    That letter reminded Israel that the Biden administration could be forced by U.S. law to curtail some forms of military aid should the delivery of humanitarian aid continue to be hindered.

    Blinken’s previous trips have yielded little in the way of ending hostilities, but he has managed to increase aid deliveries to Gaza in the past.

    The United States, Egypt and Qatar have brokered months of talks between Israel and Hamas, trying to strike a deal in which the militants would release dozens of hostages in return for an end to the war, a lasting cease-fire and the release of Palestinian prisoners.

    But both Israel and Hamas accused each other of making new and unacceptable demands over the summer, and the talks ground to a halt in August. Hamas says its demands have not changed following the killing of Sinwar.

    US and Iran both step up outreach ahead of expected Israeli strike

    Blinken is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials, and to visit a number of Arab countries, likely to include Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

    Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been criss-crossing the region in recent days to try and built support ahead of Israel’s threatened retaliatory strike. Speaking in Kuwait on Tuesday, he said Gulf Arab countries had assured him they would not allow their territory to be used for any Israeli strike.

    “All the neighbors assured us that they will not allow their lands and air to be used against Iran,” Araghchi said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.

    The Arab Gulf countries have not publicly offered such assurances.

    Gulf Arab nations like the UAE and Qatar host major military installations, and there are concerns that an all-out regional war could draw them in. Iran has repeatedly vowed to respond to any Israeli strike.

    War rages in Lebanon and northern Gaza

    The U.S. has also tried to broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, but those efforts fell apart as tensions spiked last month with a series of Israeli strikes that killed the militant group’s top leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and most of his senior commanders.

    Israel is currently waging another major operation in already-devastated northern Gaza, which has killed hundreds of Palestinians over the last two weeks, according to local health authorities.

    In Lebanon, Israel has carried out waves of heavy airstrikes across southern Beirut and the country’s south and east, areas where Hezbollah has a strong presence. Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets, missiles and drones into Israel, including some that have reached the country’s populous center.

    Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking another 250 hostage. Around 100 of the captives are still held in Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead.

    Hezbollah began attacking Israel the day after the Hamas attack. Both groups are backed by Iran.

    Israel’s offensive has killed over 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded tens of thousands, according to local health authorities, who do not say how many were combatants but say more than half were women and children. It has also caused massive devastation across the territory and displaced around 90% of its population of 2.3 million.

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  • Cuban power grid collapses for fourth time as hurricane arrives

    Cuban power grid collapses for fourth time as hurricane arrives

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    Hurricane Oscar’s arrival to eastern Cuba Sunday has impacted millions of residents already facing days without power, as fresh attempts to restore much of the nation’s electric grid have failed.In the capital city of Havana early Monday, people were seen outdoors in poor lighting, a few playing dominoes to kill time. Children are opting to sleep outside to cool off from the stifling heat indoors – schools have also been canceled until Thursday.Oscar made landfall near Baracoa along Cuba’s eastern shores around Sunday afternoon as a Category 1 storm with winds of 80 mph. By Sunday night, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced that Oscar had weakened to a tropical storm and was moving toward the west-southwest of the country at 6 mph.“Through Wednesday morning, rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches with isolated amounts of 18 inches are expected across eastern Cuba,” the NHC said, adding that as much as 8 inches of rain will appear in isolated amounts in the southeast Bahamas.Earlier Oscar made landfall on Inagua Island in The Bahamas, with maximum estimated sustained winds of 80 mph, the NHC said.On Sunday afternoon the Cuban Electrical Union announced that more than 216,000 people in Havana, a city of 2 million, had power restored. The power grid collapsed again later in the day — for the fourth time since Friday.Some Cubans have taken to the streets, to protest the three-day-long blackout — many banging pots and pans and disrupting traffic.Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel criticized demonstrators for causing public disorder, saying in a video posted on X that “we are not going to allow acts of vandalism and much less alter the tranquillity of our people.”Cuba descended into darkness on Friday, when one of the country’s major power plants failed, according to the Energy Ministry. Since then, most people in the 10 million-strong country have had their access to power interrupted, while also struggling to maintain fresh food and a steady supply of water.Havana residents queue for breadSome people began flooding WhatsApp chats with updates on which areas had power, while others arranged to store medications in the fridges of those who briefly had power – or were lucky enough to have a generator.In Havana, residents waited for hours to buy a few loaves from the handful of locations selling bread in the capital. When the bread sold out, several people argued angrily that they had been skipped in line.Many wondered aloud where Cuba’s traditional allies were, such as Venezuela, Russia and Mexico. Until now, they had been supplying the island with badly needed barrels of oil to keep the lights on.Meanwhile, tourists were still seen circling Havana’s main avenues in classic 1950s cars, although many hotel generators had run out of fuel.One foreign visitor told CNN that Havana’s José Martí International Airport was operating in the dark on emergency power only, adding that printers did not work to issue tickets and there was no air conditioning in the terminal.Reuters reporters witnessed two small protests overnight into Sunday, while videos of protests elsewhere in the capital have also surfaced.The Cuban government is cancelling classes for students from Monday until Wednesday, having previously cancelled them on Friday. It has also instructed non-essential workers to stay home. The U.S. Embassy in Havana will be open only for emergency services on Monday.Cuban officials have blamed the energy crisis on a confluence of events, from increased U.S. economic sanctions to disruptions caused by recent hurricanes and the impoverished state of the island’s infrastructure.In a televised address on Thursday that was delayed by technical difficulties, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz said much of the country’s limited production was stopped to avoid leaving people completely without power.“We have been paralyzing economic activity to generate (power) to the population,” he said.The country’s health minister, José Angel Portal Miranda, said Friday on X that the country’s health facilities were running on generators and that health workers continued to provide vital services.

    HAVANA, Cuba —

    Hurricane Oscar’s arrival to eastern Cuba Sunday has impacted millions of residents already facing days without power, as fresh attempts to restore much of the nation’s electric grid have failed.

    In the capital city of Havana early Monday, people were seen outdoors in poor lighting, a few playing dominoes to kill time. Children are opting to sleep outside to cool off from the stifling heat indoors – schools have also been canceled until Thursday.

    Oscar made landfall near Baracoa along Cuba’s eastern shores around Sunday afternoon as a Category 1 storm with winds of 80 mph. By Sunday night, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) announced that Oscar had weakened to a tropical storm and was moving toward the west-southwest of the country at 6 mph.

    “Through Wednesday morning, rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches with isolated amounts of 18 inches are expected across eastern Cuba,” the NHC said, adding that as much as 8 inches of rain will appear in isolated amounts in the southeast Bahamas.

    Earlier Oscar made landfall on Inagua Island in The Bahamas, with maximum estimated sustained winds of 80 mph, the NHC said.

    On Sunday afternoon the Cuban Electrical Union announced that more than 216,000 people in Havana, a city of 2 million, had power restored. The power grid collapsed again later in the day — for the fourth time since Friday.

    Some Cubans have taken to the streets, to protest the three-day-long blackout — many banging pots and pans and disrupting traffic.

    Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel criticized demonstrators for causing public disorder, saying in a video posted on X that “we are not going to allow acts of vandalism and much less alter the tranquillity of our people.”

    Cuba descended into darkness on Friday, when one of the country’s major power plants failed, according to the Energy Ministry. Since then, most people in the 10 million-strong country have had their access to power interrupted, while also struggling to maintain fresh food and a steady supply of water.

    Havana residents queue for bread

    Some people began flooding WhatsApp chats with updates on which areas had power, while others arranged to store medications in the fridges of those who briefly had power – or were lucky enough to have a generator.

    In Havana, residents waited for hours to buy a few loaves from the handful of locations selling bread in the capital. When the bread sold out, several people argued angrily that they had been skipped in line.

    Many wondered aloud where Cuba’s traditional allies were, such as Venezuela, Russia and Mexico. Until now, they had been supplying the island with badly needed barrels of oil to keep the lights on.

    Meanwhile, tourists were still seen circling Havana’s main avenues in classic 1950s cars, although many hotel generators had run out of fuel.

    One foreign visitor told CNN that Havana’s José Martí International Airport was operating in the dark on emergency power only, adding that printers did not work to issue tickets and there was no air conditioning in the terminal.

    Reuters reporters witnessed two small protests overnight into Sunday, while videos of protests elsewhere in the capital have also surfaced.

    The Cuban government is cancelling classes for students from Monday until Wednesday, having previously cancelled them on Friday. It has also instructed non-essential workers to stay home. The U.S. Embassy in Havana will be open only for emergency services on Monday.

    Cuban officials have blamed the energy crisis on a confluence of events, from increased U.S. economic sanctions to disruptions caused by recent hurricanes and the impoverished state of the island’s infrastructure.

    In a televised address on Thursday that was delayed by technical difficulties, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz said much of the country’s limited production was stopped to avoid leaving people completely without power.

    “We have been paralyzing economic activity to generate (power) to the population,” he said.

    The country’s health minister, José Angel Portal Miranda, said Friday on X that the country’s health facilities were running on generators and that health workers continued to provide vital services.

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  • The Super Bowl will return to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2028

    The Super Bowl will return to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium in 2028

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    The Super Bowl will return to Atlanta in 2028 at the home of the Falcons, following a vote of approval by NFL team owners on Tuesday at the league’s annual fall meeting.Related video above: New Orleans will throw a parade ahead of 2025 Super BowlThis will be the fourth time the NFL’s championship game is played in Atlanta and the second in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which was the site when the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams in 2019.“This is a tremendous honor for the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia to be selected as host for Super Bowl LXII,” Falcons owner Arthur M. Blank said. “Thank you to my fellow owners for their trust in awarding Atlanta this opportunity, and thank you to Commissioner Goodell, Peter O’Reilly and the entire league for their continued leadership in making the NFL the greatest sports league in the world. Mercedes-Benz Stadium was built to host the world’s largest sporting events, and I know I speak for many when I say we are honored to bring it back to Atlanta in 2028 and build off the success of Super Bowl 53 in 2019. I look forward to working alongside our city and state officials as we continue to elevate Georgia as a premier, global sports destination.”The first two Super Bowls held in Atlanta were at the now-demolished Georgia Dome in 1994 and 2000.New Orleans will host the game following this season. It then goes to California for two years, with the San Francisco Bay Area hosting in 2026 and Los Angeles in 2027.“Renowned for its hospitality and rich sports and entertainment culture, Atlanta is a world-class event destination and a natural fit for Super Bowl 62,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “Arthur Blank has been a transformative figure in the Atlanta community, playing a crucial role in leading the bid to bring the Super Bowl back to the city. I have been fortunate to witness firsthand how Arthur continues to drive community engagement and economic development in the Atlanta community through his unwavering commitment to sports and philanthropy. We look forward to working with him, the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Sports Council and all of our partners on the ground to create an unforgettable experience for fans around the world in 2028.”

    ATLANTA —

    The Super Bowl will return to Atlanta in 2028 at the home of the Falcons, following a vote of approval by NFL team owners on Tuesday at the league’s annual fall meeting.

    Related video above: New Orleans will throw a parade ahead of 2025 Super Bowl

    This will be the fourth time the NFL’s championship game is played in Atlanta and the second in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which was the site when the New England Patriots beat the Los Angeles Rams in 2019.

    “This is a tremendous honor for the city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia to be selected as host for Super Bowl LXII,” Falcons owner Arthur M. Blank said. “Thank you to my fellow owners for their trust in awarding Atlanta this opportunity, and thank you to Commissioner Goodell, Peter O’Reilly and the entire league for their continued leadership in making the NFL the greatest sports league in the world. Mercedes-Benz Stadium was built to host the world’s largest sporting events, and I know I speak for many when I say we are honored to bring it back to Atlanta in 2028 and build off the success of Super Bowl 53 in 2019. I look forward to working alongside our city and state officials as we continue to elevate Georgia as a premier, global sports destination.”

    The first two Super Bowls held in Atlanta were at the now-demolished Georgia Dome in 1994 and 2000.

    New Orleans will host the game following this season. It then goes to California for two years, with the San Francisco Bay Area hosting in 2026 and Los Angeles in 2027.

    “Renowned for its hospitality and rich sports and entertainment culture, Atlanta is a world-class event destination and a natural fit for Super Bowl 62,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “Arthur Blank has been a transformative figure in the Atlanta community, playing a crucial role in leading the bid to bring the Super Bowl back to the city. I have been fortunate to witness firsthand how Arthur continues to drive community engagement and economic development in the Atlanta community through his unwavering commitment to sports and philanthropy. We look forward to working with him, the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Sports Council and all of our partners on the ground to create an unforgettable experience for fans around the world in 2028.”

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  • Harris unveils new proposals targeting Black men ahead of 2024 election

    Harris unveils new proposals targeting Black men ahead of 2024 election

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    Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday unveiled new proposals targeting Black men as she seeks to strengthen her coalition ahead of Election Day.Related video above: Get the Facts: Checking claims made about taxes by Kamala HarrisThe announcement comes as Harris lags behind President Joe Biden’s numbers with Black voters in 2020, especially men, though recent polling suggests she has room to grow. Last week, former President Barack Obama delivered a stark warning to Black men, saying it’s “not acceptable” to sit out this election and suggesting they might be reluctant to vote for Harris because she’s a woman.The proposal aims to provide Black men “with the tools to achieve financial freedom, lower costs to better provide for themselves and their families, and protect their rights,” according to a release by the campaign.Part of the proposal includes providing one million loans that are fully forgivable up to $20,000 to Black entrepreneurs and others to start a business. According to the campaign, the loans would be provided through a new partnership between the Small Business Administration and some lenders and banks.Harris is also calling for creating and investing in programs that help expand pathways for job opportunities for Black men, including promoting apprenticeships, strengthening the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and investing in more Black male teachers. On the campaign trail, Harris has said she will cut college degree requirements for certain federal jobs if elected president.The plan will also support a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and other digital assets and a National Health Equity Initiative that focuses on addressing health challenges that disproportionately impact Black men. Another component includes legalizing recreational marijuana and creating opportunities for Black Americans to succeed in the industry. The vice president has often reiterated that she believes marijuana should legalized in the U.S.The campaign will tout the agenda during several upcoming events, including “Black Men Huddle Up” events, an Economic Freedom Talk series and paid media outreach as they try to draw a contrast with former President Donald Trump.“Donald Trump’s outreach is gold sneakers, T shirts of mug shots and insults and putting other communities down. The Vice President is actually speaking to what Black men can achieve under her presidency. We think that’s a stark point of contrast, and one that is important to talk about,” Harris-Walz campaign communications Director Michael Tyler said in a statement.As CNN has reported, Harris had been focused on turning out Black men even before she took over as the Democratic nominee, trying to get the enthusiasm there for Biden when he was still running for reelection.“The concern is that the couch is going to win,” one person close to the Harris team previously told CNN. “We need to make sure that Black men, Hispanic men, don’t sit on the couch. Because if they don’t vote at all. That’s (a) vote for him.”Harris will travel to Detroit this week for a Tuesday radio town hall hosted by nationally syndicated radio co-host Charlamagne tha God, who has millions of followers across digital platforms, while “The Breakfast Club” enjoys a vast nationwide audience, much of it Black.

    WASHINGTON —

    Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday unveiled new proposals targeting Black men as she seeks to strengthen her coalition ahead of Election Day.

    Related video above: Get the Facts: Checking claims made about taxes by Kamala Harris

    The announcement comes as Harris lags behind President Joe Biden’s numbers with Black voters in 2020, especially men, though recent polling suggests she has room to grow. Last week, former President Barack Obama delivered a stark warning to Black men, saying it’s “not acceptable” to sit out this election and suggesting they might be reluctant to vote for Harris because she’s a woman.

    The proposal aims to provide Black men “with the tools to achieve financial freedom, lower costs to better provide for themselves and their families, and protect their rights,” according to a release by the campaign.

    Part of the proposal includes providing one million loans that are fully forgivable up to $20,000 to Black entrepreneurs and others to start a business. According to the campaign, the loans would be provided through a new partnership between the Small Business Administration and some lenders and banks.

    Harris is also calling for creating and investing in programs that help expand pathways for job opportunities for Black men, including promoting apprenticeships, strengthening the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program and investing in more Black male teachers. On the campaign trail, Harris has said she will cut college degree requirements for certain federal jobs if elected president.

    The plan will also support a regulatory framework for cryptocurrency and other digital assets and a National Health Equity Initiative that focuses on addressing health challenges that disproportionately impact Black men. Another component includes legalizing recreational marijuana and creating opportunities for Black Americans to succeed in the industry. The vice president has often reiterated that she believes marijuana should legalized in the U.S.

    The campaign will tout the agenda during several upcoming events, including “Black Men Huddle Up” events, an Economic Freedom Talk series and paid media outreach as they try to draw a contrast with former President Donald Trump.

    “Donald Trump’s outreach is gold sneakers, T shirts of mug shots and insults and putting other communities down. The Vice President is actually speaking to what Black men can achieve under her presidency. We think that’s a stark point of contrast, and one that is important to talk about,” Harris-Walz campaign communications Director Michael Tyler said in a statement.

    As CNN has reported, Harris had been focused on turning out Black men even before she took over as the Democratic nominee, trying to get the enthusiasm there for Biden when he was still running for reelection.

    “The concern is that the couch is going to win,” one person close to the Harris team previously told CNN. “We need to make sure that Black men, Hispanic men, don’t sit on the couch. Because if they don’t vote at all. That’s (a) vote for him.”

    Harris will travel to Detroit this week for a Tuesday radio town hall hosted by nationally syndicated radio co-host Charlamagne tha God, who has millions of followers across digital platforms, while “The Breakfast Club” enjoys a vast nationwide audience, much of it Black.

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