December 6, 2024 4:28 am
ISTANBUL (AP) — A Hamas official says that after a weekslong hiatus international mediators have resumed negotiating with the militant group and Israel over a ceasefire in Gaza, and that he was hopeful a deal to end the 14-month war was within reach. Ceasefire negotiations were halted last month when Qatar suspended its talks with mediators from Egypt and the United States over frustration with a lack of progress between Israel and Hamas. But Bassem Naim, an official in Hamas’ political wing, said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press that there has been a “reactivation” of efforts to end the fighting, release hostages from Gaza and free Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
December 6, 2024 4:25 am
GREENVALE, N.Y. (AP) — Donald Trump isn’t even in office yet, but he says he’s already accomplished more than President Joe Biden did in his entire term. It’s an outsized claim from the president-elect, coming just a month after Trump won the election. Trump made the remarks as he was honored at Fox Nation’s annual Patriot Awards during an event on New York’s Long Island. Trump has largely been ensconced at his Mar-a-Lago resort in recent weeks as he’s been announcing job picks to build out his administration. Trump also described Election Day as “tremendous” during a 10-minute acceptance speech that sounded like a highlight reel of his campaign rally speeches.
December 6, 2024 4:20 am
NEW YORK (AP) — New clues are emerging in the hunt for the masked gunman who stalked and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, including possible leads about his travel before the shooting and a message scrawled on ammunition found at the crime scene. Two law enforcement officials told The Associated Press Thursday that the words “deny,” “defend” and “depose” were found emblazoned on the ammunition. Those words echo a phrase used by insurance industry critics. One of the officials said investigators also now believe the suspect may have traveled to New York last month on a bus that originated in Atlanta.T he officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.
December 6, 2024 4:14 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The acting director of the Secret Service says the agency is “reorganizing and reimagining” its culture and how it operates following an assassination attempt against Donald Trump on the campaign trail in July. Members of a bipartisan House task force investigating the attempt on Trump’s life pushed Ronald Rowe on Thursday about how the agency’s staffers could have missed such blatant security vulnerabilities leading up to that day in Butler, Pennsylvania. During the hearing Rowe was repeatedly asked by flabbergasted lawmakers how problems so obvious in hindsight were allowed to happen. These included communications difficulties between the Secret Service and local law enforcement that help secure events and the building overlooking the rally being left unprotected.
December 6, 2024 4:03 am
Emergency responders in the City of Washington were called to an accident scene in the 300 block of Dewey Avenue at 8:30 Thursday night. According to 9-1-1 dispatchers police arrived at the scene to find a car had collided with a house. By the time police arrived the driver of the vehicle had fled. No injuries were reported. The fire department was called to cover a hole in the house left by the vehicle.
December 5, 2024 2:59 pm
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shook a large area of Northern California on Thursday, knocking items of grocery store shelves, sending children scrambling under desks and prompting a brief tsunami warning for 5.3 million people along the U.S. West Coast. The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. west of Ferndale, a small city in coastal Humboldt County, about 130 miles (209 km) from the Oregon border, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was felt as far south as San Francisco, some 270 miles (435 km) away, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by smaller aftershocks. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury. A tsunami warning was issued shortly after the temblor struck and covered nearly 500 miles (805 km) of coastline, from the edge of California’s Monterey Bay north into Oregon. (Photo: AP)
December 5, 2024 12:24 pm
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to an end after the popstar performed more than 150 shows across five continents over nearly two years. Since launching the tour in 2023, Swift has shattered sales and attendance records. It’s even created such an economic boom that the Federal Reserve took note. But for many who attended the concerts, and the millions more who eagerly watched on their screens, the tour also became a beacon of joy. It’s become a chance not only to appreciate Swift’s expansive music career, but also celebrate the years-long journey fans have taken with her. (Photo: AP)
December 5, 2024 4:12 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s Pentagon pick, is fighting to hold on to his Cabinet nomination amid growing questions about his personal conduct as the president-elect’s team considers alternatives, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. But Hegseth says, “We’re not backing down one bit.” The Trump transition team is concerned about Hegseth’s path to Senate confirmation and is actively looking at potential replacements, according to a person familiar with the matter. Hegseth is under pressure as senators weigh a series of allegations that have surfaced against him. Beyond DeSantis, there have been discussions about shifting Michael Waltz, who was named by Trump as his national security adviser, to the Defense Department.
December 5, 2024 4:09 am
CAIRO (AP) — Amnesty International accuses Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip during its war with Hamas, saying it has sought to deliberately destroy Palestinians by mounting deadly attacks, demolishing vital infrastructure and preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid. The human rights group said in a report released Thursday in the Middle East that such actions could not be justified by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack into Israel, which ignited the war, or the presence of militants in civilian areas. Amnesty called on the United States and other allies of Israel to halt arms shipments, saying they could be complicit in genocide. Israel, which was founded in the aftermath of the Holocaust, adamantly rejected the allegations, calling Amnesty a “deplorable and fanatical organization.”
December 5, 2024 4:07 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Investigators are searching for clues that could help them identify the masked gunman who killed the leader of one of the largest U.S. health insurance companies on a Manhattan sidewalk, then disappeared into Central Park. UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson died in a dawn ambush Wednesday as he walked to the company’s annual investor conference. Security cameras recorded the killing and the initial stages of the gunman’s escape on a bicycle. Police used drones, helicopters and dogs in an intense search, but the killer’s whereabouts remained unknown late into the night. Police had not yet established a motive.
