Palestinian Death Toll in Gaza Tops 69,000

November 8, 2025 10:21 am

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza health officials report over 69,000 Palestinians have died in the Israel-Hamas war. The death toll has risen due to bodies being recovered since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10. Israel and Hamas have exchanged bodies under the ceasefire agreement, with Israel returning 15 Palestinian bodies on Saturday. The ceasefire aims to wind down the conflict, which began with a Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinian farmers and others in the West Bank, with violence reaching new highs during the olive harvest. Rights groups say arrests for settler violence are rare.

UPS, FedEx Grounding Planes Following Deadly Crash

November 8, 2025 5:09 am

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — UPS and FedEx has decided to ground their fleets of MD-11 planes “out of an abundance of caution” after a deadly crash at a UPS global aviation hub in Kentucky. The companies announced their decisions separately late Friday. The MD-11 aircraft make up about 9% of the UPS airline fleet and 4% of the FedEx fleet. The companies stated that their decisions were made proactively at the recommendation of the aircraft manufacturer. The crash occurred Tuesday at UPS Worldport in Louisville, Kentucky, killing 14 people, including the three pilots on the MD-11 that was headed for Honolulu.

Airlines Cancel 1,000 Flights, Comply With Shutdown Order

November 8, 2025 5:00 am

Anxious travelers across the U.S. are feeling a bit of relief as airlines have mostly stayed on schedule while gradually cutting flights because of the government shutdown. At least 1,000 flights were called off on Friday as airlines comply with the Federal Aviation Administration’s order to reduce service. Some passengers were forced make last-minute changes and rebook on different flights. Plenty of nervousness remained, as more canceled flights are expected in the coming days. Airports in Chicago, Atlanta, Denver and Dallas led the way with the most disruptions. The upheaval will intensify the longer the shutdown lasts and could become chaotic if it extends into the Thanksgiving holiday.

GOP Rejects Democrats’ Offer To End Shutdown

November 8, 2025 4:58 am

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are swatting down an offer from Democrats to end the government shutdown. Senate Majority Leader John Thune says the new offer from Democrats is a “non-starter.” The proposal from Democrats would reopen the government and include a one-year extension of expiring health care subsidies. It’s unclear what may happen next. Thune is keeping the Senate in session over the weekend, an idea President Donald Trump endorsed in a social media post. Despite the stalemate, lawmakers in both parties are feeling increased urgency to end the shutdown, which has now lasted for 38 days.

Judge: Portland Deployment Didn’t Meet Requirements

November 8, 2025 4:56 am

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A federal judge in Oregon has ruled that President Donald Trump’s administration failed to meet the legal requirements for deploying the National Guard to Portland. Trump appointee U.S. District Court Judge Karin Immergut issued the ruling Friday, after a three-day trial that concluded last week. The sides argued over whether protests at the city’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building met the conditions set out by Congress for using the military domestically. A higher appellate court order under which the National Guard is federalized but not deployed remains in effect. Legal experts say that order would have barred troops from being deployed anyway.

Fashion Show Benefits Washington County Food Nonprofit

November 8, 2025 4:45 am

At a time when SNAP benefits are in peril, a sold-out fashion show benefit has raised more than $30,000 for Washington County nonprofit Food Helpers. The fashion show is 11 a.m. Sunday at Valley Brook Country Club and is hosted by County Commissioner Electra Janis. Money raised will benefit Food Helpers programs, including the Community Food Program, Senior Food Boxes and Little MOOCHI, which, together, provide nutritious meals and resources to thousands of families, children and seniors. Food Helpers also operates The Farm and the Healthy Habits Training Center, which helps people with long-term food security. “Food insecurity doesn’t just affect those facing it directly, it impacts the health and well-being of our entire community,” Janis said in a prepared statement.

Supreme Court Blocks Full SNAP Food Aid Payments

November 8, 2025 2:55 am

BOSTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has granted the Trump administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the government shutdown. A judge had given the Republican administration until Friday to make the payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But the administration asked an appeals court to suspend any court orders requiring it to spend more money than is available in a contingency fund. After the appeals court declined to immediately intervene, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issued an order late Friday pausing the requirement to distribute full SNAP payments until the appeals court rules on whether to issue a more lasting pause.

Antonio Brown In Custody Of U.S. Marshals

November 8, 2025 2:48 am

Former NFL star Antonio Brown has been arrested on an attempted murder charge stemming from a shooting after a celebrity boxing event in Miami. Police confirmed Thursday that the 37-year-old Brown was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Dubai. Police spokesman Mike Vega said Brown was initially flown to Essex County, New Jersey, where he’s being held pending extradition to Miami. An arrest warrant says Brown is accused of grabbing a handgun from a security staffer and firing two shots at a man he had gotten into a fistfight with after the amateur boxing event in May. It was unclear from court documents whether Brown has an attorney.

City Council Approves Budget & Tax Program

November 8, 2025 2:15 am

Washington City Council approved their budget for 2026 and as advertised, there will be no tax increase. The $15.3 million dollar spending plan passed unanimously. Also approved was a measure to increase solid waste collection fees. The new fee will be $320 per year per dwelling unit. That is up $20 from last year. The increase is due to increased operational costs of the service provider. Council also approved two measures that extend the Local Tax Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance Act or LERTA. The graduated tax incentive program is for new real estate purchases for commercial or residential use. The program is a five year program that allows purchases to be tax free in year one and after five years a full tax bill will be due. Also allowed under the program is improvements made to properties that would increase the value of the building. Forms to enroll in the program are available at City Hall or on the City’s website. Finally, Mayor JoJo
Burgess reminds people that city employees are not to be abused or mistreated. Another incident occurred where police were called to City Hall to remove a belligerent person. Burgess says if you have a complaint, speak to him or any council member, do not holler at city employees.

Kendrick Lamar Leads Grammy Awards Nominations

November 7, 2025 5:47 pm

NEW YORK (AP) — Kendrick Lamar leads the 2026 Grammy Award nominations. Lady Gaga, Jack Antonoff and Canadian record producer and songwriter Cirkut follow Lamar with seven nominations each announced Friday. All four are nominated in the song, record and album of the year categories. In the best new artist category, global girl group Katseye, Olivia Dean, The Marias, Addison Rae, sombr, Leon Thomas, Alex Warren and Lola Young will all go head-to-head. There are a number of first-time nominees as well this year including Tate McRae, Zara Larsson and PinkPantheress. The 2026 Grammy Awards will air Feb. 1 live on CBS and Paramount+ from the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.