October 13, 2024 5:20 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The devastation of Hurricanes Helene and Milton is still being tallied as a swath of Florida comes to terms with damage from the unusual dual strike of storms in just two weeks. Some longtime Floridians have grown accustomed to the annual cycle of storms that can shatter and upend lives in a state known mostly for its balmy weather, sunshine and beaches. Some say it’s the price of living in paradise. President Joe Biden arrived Sunday to tour the hurricane damage. Crews continued to reconnect electricity in storm-stricken communities. And lines for gasoline seemed considerably shorter as more stations opened.
October 14, 2024 5:19 am
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli airstrike on a hospital courtyard in the Gaza Strip early Monday killed at least four people and sent flames sweeping through a packed tent camp for people displaced by the war. Palestinian medics said the attack early Monday left more than two dozen people with severe burns. The Israeli military said it targeted militants hiding out among civilians, without providing evidence. In recent months it has repeatedly struck crowded shelters and tent camps, alleging that Hamas fighters were using them as staging grounds for attacks. The hospital was already struggling to treat a large number of wounded people from an earlier strike on a school-turned-shelter that killed at least 20 people.
October 13, 2024 5:15 am
TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China is holding large-scale military exercises surrounding Taiwan, deploying an aircraft carrier along with warplanes, underscoring the tense situation in the Taiwan Strait. China’s Defense Ministry says the drills are a response to the Taiwanese president’s refusal to accept Beijing’s demand that self-governed Taiwan acknowledge itself as a part of the People’s Republic of China under the rule of the Communist Party. The drills began Monday after Taiwan last week celebrated its National Day. President Lai Ching-te said in a speech marking the holiday that China has no right to represent Taiwan and declared his commitment to “resist annexation or encroachment.”
October 14, 2024 5:48 pm
Products sold at various retailers such as Walmart, Aldi and Trader Joe’s are part of the recall of almost 10 million pounds of meat, chicken and turkey products processed by BrucePac. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service released a list of products that were sold to consumers from many popular grocery stores. The items include the following brands: Great Value (Walmart), Michelina’s, Boston Market, Atkins, Trader Joe’s, Good & Gather (Target), Taylor Farms, Little Salad Bar (Aldi), Kroger, Amazon Fresh and Giant Eagle among others. To see the complete list, visit the USDA’s website. In addition to the USDA’s alert, the Food and Drug Administration announced Reser’s Fine Foods recalled some of its meal kits because they contained chicken from BrucePac. (Photo: AP)
October 14, 2024 5:53 pm
OCEAN CITY, N.J. (AP) — A beloved boardwalk amusement park at the Jersey shore is shutting down. Gillian’s Wonderland Pier in Ocean City was to close Sunday night after generations of anchoring the vacation scene for families from Philadelphia, New York and southern New Jersey. Jay Gillian, the city’s mayor, says he tried his best to keep the park open, but determined the attraction his family ran for generations is no longer viable. It is currently owned by a hotel company, but Ocean City has already rejected a plan by that company to build a hotel nearby. Gillian’s family has operated amusement rides and attractions on the Ocean City boardwalk for 94 years. (Photo: AP)
October 14, 2024 5:41 pm
(AP) – Bath & Body Works is apologizing for selling a candle with packaging that some people said looked like Ku Klux Klan hoods. The 3-wick candle was called “Snowed In” and briefly appeared on the company’s website for purchase. It was quickly pulled off of the website once the issue was brought to Bath & Body Works attention. The image on the packaging was supposed to convey a snowflake cut out of paper. The outer edges of the snowflake are white and cone shaped, with two holes cut out near the center. “I have never seen a snowflake that looks like that,” one Instagram user commented. “This wasn’t an accident,” said another. But others felt differently. “It’s just a poorly executed design – that shouldn’t have been approved,” one Instagram user countered. “This is a paper snowflake. I would not have looked at that and thought it was a racist candle,” said another. A Bath & Body Works spokesperson said in a statement on Monday that the mistake was unintentional, and that the company is committed to fixing it. “We apologize to anyone we’ve offended and are swiftly working to have this item removed and are evaluating our process going forward,” the spokesperson said. (Photo: ABC News)
October 13, 2024 8:29 am
BAKERSVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Nearly two weeks after Hurricane Helene downed power lines and washed out roads all over North Carolina’s mountains, the roar of gas-powered generators is both unpleasant and essential. More than 43,000 of the 1.5 million customers who lost power in the region still lacked electricity on Friday. Without it, they can’t keep medicines cold, pump well water, recharge their phones or apply for federal disaster aid. Crews from all over are helping Duke Energy make repairs, but it’s slow going in the dense mountain forests. One nonprofit that is helping is the Footprint Project, which is scaling up to supply solar-powered mobile infrastructure, from batteries and small generators to solar grids. (Photo: AP)
October 13, 2024 8:31 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama recently had some frank words for Black men who may consider sitting out the election. His comments have reignited a debate about the reasons why some among the consistently Democratic voting group appear unsettled about the idea of Kamala Harris as president. Obama suggested misogyny was at play. The remarks by America’s first Black president have set off a wave of handwringing among liberals over how intensely Black men will back Harris and whether the focus on Black men belies Democrats’ deeper troubles with the broader electorate.
October 13, 2024 8:31 am
COACHELLA, Calif. (AP) — The White House election is expected to come down to battlegrounds such as Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. So why did Donald Trump venture into California on Saturday, just weeks before Election Day? California is one of the most solidly Democratic states, and it’s one he’s almost certain to lose to Kamala Harris. And that’s something that won’t change after his stop in Coachella, a desert city east of Los Angeles that’s best known for the annual music festival bearing its name. Still, there are practical reasons for him to visit the state, including a get-out-the-vote push to help congressional candidates.
October 13, 2024 8:39 am
(AP) – A new U.S. rule requires mammography centers to inform women about their breast density. The information isn’t entirely new for some women because many states already had similar requirements. Dense breasts can make it harder to spot cancer on a mammogram. The best advice for a woman with dense breasts is to discuss with her doctor the pros and cons of additional screening methods. Researchers are studying better ways to detect cancer in women with dense breasts. So far, there’s not enough evidence for a broad recommendation for additional screening. (Photo: AP)
