U.S. to deploy 200 troops for Gaza task force with no operations on ground in Gaza
WASHINGTON — The United States will deploy 200 troops as part of a joint task force for Gaza stability, with no Americans on the ground in the Palestinian enclave, two senior U.S. officials said Thursday. The officials, speaking to reporters on condition of anonymity, said the 200 would be the...
U.S. judge blocks Trump’s deployment of National Guard in Illinois
CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago on Thursday temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s deployment of hundreds of National Guard soldiers in Illinois, five days after another U.S. judge blocked a similar deployment in Portland, Oregon. U.S. District Judge April Perry said that permitting Guard troops in the state would...
Shapiro joins states in legal action against Trump’s National Guard deployments
Pennsylvania has joined nearly two dozen states in taking legal action in an attempt to stop President Donald Trump from deploying National Guard troops to U.S. cities. The multistate amicus brief argues that the deployment of National Guard troops in Oregon was “unlawful, unconstitutional and undemocratic,” according to Gov. Josh...
U.S. could fire air traffic controllers who fail to work during shutdown, transportation secretary saysVideo
WASHINGTON — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned on Thursday that the government could dismiss air traffic controllers who repeatedly fail to show up for work during the government shutdown, saying a spike in absences is causing significant air disruptions. “If we have a continual small subset of controllers that don’t...
Health Secretary Kennedy, Trump link circumcision to autism through TylenolVideo
WASHINGTON – Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expanded his crusade against using Tylenol with a cutting-edge warning: boys who were circumcised were twice as likely to be diagnosed with autism later. “There are two studies that show children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism,” Kennedy...
U.S. buys Argentine pesos, finalizes $20 billion currency swap
The U.S. government purchased Argentine pesos and finalized a $20 billion currency swap framework with Argentina’s central bank, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday, sending the peso and Argentine dollar bonds sharply higher. “The U.S. Treasury is prepared, immediately, to take whatever exceptional measures are warranted to provide stability...
New York AG Letitia James criminally charged in Trump’s latest effort to punish rivalsVideo
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a longtime foe of President Donald Trump, was indicted on charges of lying on a mortgage application on Thursday, the Justice Department said, as the administration seeks to use government power against those who have pursued investigations into him or publicly resisted his agenda....
Fetterman breaks with Dems on reining in Trump’s strikes on alleged drug boats; approval rating up among Republicans
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman went against the Democratic grain again. Fetterman on Wednesday was the lone Democrat in the Senate to vote against a measure to prevent President Donald Trump from using military force against suspected drug traffickers in the Caribbean without congressional authorization. Even with the support of two...
A Democratic rep.-elect isn’t being sworn in. Is it because she’d force an Epstein vote?
A Democrat from Arizona who won a special election for a seat in Congress on Sept. 23 is still waiting to be sworn in to the House of Representatives. Adelita Grijalva says the first thing she’ll do is sign the paperwork that would let the House vote on a bill...
Astronomers spot young rogue planet gobbling up its surroundings
WASHINGTON - Just as Earth orbits the sun, most planets discovered beyond our solar system orbit a host star. But some are out there all by themselves, called rogue planets. While their origins are poorly understood, astronomers have now spotted a voracious one in its infancy that offers new insight...
What’s next legally for James Comey? His team plans to argue for dismissing the charges.
A series of legal motions aimed at dismissing charges against former FBI Director James Comey could be coming quickly from his defense team. Comey pleaded not guilty in a Virginia federal court Oct. 8 to charges pushed by President Donald Trump. One of Comey’s defense lawyers, former Justice Department senior...
Trump’s war on the left: Inside the plan to investigate liberal groups
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump’s threatened crackdown on the finances and activities of liberal non-profits and groups opposed to his agenda is a multi-agency effort with top White House aide Stephen Miller playing a central role, according to officials. The Trump administration plans to deploy America’s counter-terrorism apparatus - including...
China outlines more controls on exports of rare earths and technology
HONG KONG — China outlined new curbs on exports of rare earths and related technologies on Thursday, extending controls over use of the elements critical for many high-tech and military products ahead of a meeting in about three weeks between President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The regulations...
Putin says Russian air defenses were to blame for Azerbaijani jet’s crash last year, killing 38
MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that Russia’s air defense was to blame for downing an Azerbaijani jetliner in December that killed 38 people, his first admission of responsibility for the crash in an effort to ease tensions between the neighbors. Putin said the missiles fired by Russian air...
Kremlin denies that Russia-U.S. efforts to end Ukraine war are exhausted
MOSCOW — Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said on Thursday that efforts by Russia and the United States to end the conflict in Ukraine were still alive, state news agency TASS reported, appearing to contradict remarks from a top Russian diplomat a day earlier. On Wednesday, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov...
RIP landline phones? If you don’t have one now, you may not be able to get one
When Andy Brady had his cable television service installed, a landline telephone number was part of the package deal. He’s never hooked a phone to it, though. That probably says something about the bleak future for landline phones, considering Brady is the market president for the Verizon Consumer Group’s Great...
Democrats have excelled in special elections — what does that mean for the midterms?
Out of power since President Donald Trump took office and deeply unpopular in opinion polls, Democrats are clinging to a glimmer of hope ahead of the 2026 midterm elections: a string of impressive finishes this year in more than three dozen special elections. In 42 state legislative and U.S. congressional...
Who’s to blame for the shutdown? All of the above, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
WASHINGTON — Americans blame both Republicans and Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown and are worried services could falter as a third of the federal workforce sits on unpaid leave, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The five-day poll, completed on Tuesday, asked Americans nationwide how much blame Democrats, Republicans...
What do we know about Trump’s Gaza deal?
WASHINGTON — Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, a ceasefire and hostage deal that could be a first step toward ending a two-year-old war that has roiled the Middle East. Here are some details of what is known and not...
Celebrations erupt in Gaza, Israel on news of deal to end 2-year war
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza/TEL AVIV — Palestinians and the families of Israeli hostages broke into wild celebrations Thursday after news of a pact between Israel and Hamas to end the war in Gaza and return home all the Israeli hostages, both living and dead. In Gaza, where most of the more...
Senate blocks debate on ending military action against Venezuelan vessels; Fetterman breaks with Dems
WASHINGTON — The Senate on Wednesday blocked a preliminary move to terminate President Donald Trump’s use of the military to destroy boats carrying alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers, unless he gets authorization from Congress. The effort, spearheaded by Democratic Senators Adam Schiff of California and Tim Kaine of Virginia — and...
2 state troopers in critical condition, suspect dead after shootout in Franklin County
Two Pennsylvania State Police troopers are in critical condition and a suspect is dead after a retail theft in Franklin County led to a 15-mile car chase on I-81 that ended in a shootout Wednesday evening, according to officials. Around 6:15 p.m., state police were dispatched to the Dicks Sporting...
Covid shot led to less severe illness, fewer hospitalizations last year, U.S. study finds
Last year’s updated covid-19 vaccines helped prevent severe outcomes including hospitalizations and deaths, according to data from a large study of U.S. military veterans published on Wednesday. Vaccinated veterans who developed covid after receiving the 2024-2025 boosters from Moderna or Pfizer/BioNTech were also less likely to visit the emergency room...
Trump says Israel, Hamas reach agreement on 1st phase of Gaza deal
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says that Israel and Hamas have agreed to implement the first phase of a White House peace plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza and Israeli hostages will soon be released. Trump said in an Oct. 8 statement that Israel would also withdraw its...
Trump says he ‘took the freedom of speech away’ on flag burningVideo
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said his administration “took the freedom of speech away” as it relates to flag burnings, an activity that the Supreme Court has ruled is protected under the First Amendment. “We took the freedom of speech away, because that’s been through the courts, and the courts...
