TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration is taking the extraordinary step of ordering state universities to ban a pro-Palestinian student organization from campuses, saying it illegally backs Hamas militants who attacked Israel earlier this month. As Israel’s attacks on Gaza have intensified, some college students have expressed...
Hunter Biden Prosecutor Wasn’t Blocked From Bringing California Charges, US Attorney Tells Congress
WASHINGTON — A second U.S. Attorney has testified to Congress that the prosecutor overseeing the Hunter Biden investigation had full authority over filing charges, rebutting whistleblower claims that Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss didn’t have the final say on the case against the president's son. The allegation that Weiss was blocked from filing...
Autoworkers Reach a Deal With Ford, a Breakthrough Toward Ending Strikes Against Detroit Automakers
DETROIT — The United Auto Workers union said Wednesday it has reached a tentative contract agreement with Ford that could be a breakthrough toward ending the nearly 6-week-old strikes against Detroit automakers. The four-year deal, which still has to be approved by 57,000 union members at the company, could bring...
Israeli Troops Carry out an Hourslong Ground Raid Into Gaza Before an Expected Wider Incursion
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli troops and tanks launched an hourslong ground raid into northern Gaza overnight into Thursday, the military said, striking several militant targets in order to "prepare the battlefield" before a widely expected ground invasion after more than two weeks of devastating airstrikes. The raid came after...
At Least 16 Dead in Maine Shooting and Number Expected to Rise, Law Enforcement Officials Tell AP
LEWISTON, Maine — A man opened fire at a bowling alley and a bar in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday night, killing at least 16 people and engulfing the state's second-largest city in chaos. The suspect remained at large as authorities ordered residents and business owners to stay inside and off...
Biden Condemns Retaliatory Attacks by Israeli Settlers Against Palestinians in the West Bank
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday spoke out against retaliatory attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. He also said he was redoubling his commitment to working on a two-state solution to end the decades-long Israel-Palestinian conflict....
There’s Finally a Speaker of the House. It’s Conservative Mike Johnson of Louisiana.
WASHINGTON — Both relieved and exultant, Republicans unanimously elected Rep. Mike Johnson as House speaker on Wednesday, elevating a deeply conservative but lesser-known leader to the seat of U.S. power and ending for now the political chaos in their majority. Johnson, 51, of Louisiana, swept through on the first ballot with...
GOP Appears to Be Rallying Behind Fourth GOP Nominee for Speaker Mike Johnson
WASHINGTON — Anxious Republicans prepared to vote once more Wednesday, hopeful of electing Rep. Mike Johnson as their House speaker to unite their fractious majority and end weeks of chaos by elevating a little-known conservative to one of the highest seats of U.S. power. Johnson of Louisiana, a lower-ranked member of...
UN Warns Gaza Blockade Could Force It to Sharply Cut Relief Operations as Bombings Rise
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — The U.N. warned on Wednesday that without more fuel it will soon sharply curtail relief operations in the Gaza Strip, which has been blockaded and devastated by Israeli airstrikes since Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel more than two weeks ago. The Rising Death Toll...
CA Suspends Recently Approved San Francisco Robotaxis for Safety Reasons
SAN FRANCISCO — California regulators have revoked the license of a robotaxi service owned by General Motors after determining its driverless cars that recently began transporting passengers throughout San Francisco are a dangerous menace. The California Department of Motor Vehicles' indefinite suspension of the Cruise robotaxi service comes just two...