November 9, 2026 4:54 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress returns to a changed Washington after Democrats trounced Republicans in the midterm elections. Also Monday, Stephen Miller becomes President Donald Trump’s new chief of staff as the White House doubles down on the president’s political threats despite the landmark GOP losses. It’s the start of a six-week lame-duck sprint for Congress as Republicans try to wrap up work before Democrats take charge in January. Newly elected lawmakers have arrived on Capitol Hill for orientation sessions. Jubilant Democrats, with families in tow, appear emboldened by the party’s sweep of power. The trickle of Republicans coming in spoke soberly of the GOP’s challenges ahead.
November 8, 2026 4:55 am
President Donald Trump and his Department of Justice are taking a combative stance toward Democrats after their victories in the midterm elections. The Republican administration is signaling that there’s intense conflict to come as lawmakers prepare aggressive investigations into the executive branch next year. Trump set the tone by claiming on social media that investigative requests already made by Democrats are “extortion at the highest level, and they should be held accountable.” Attorney General Todd Blanche says criminal investigations of Democrats are possible. A leading House Democrat says members of his party aren’t going to be intimidated.
November 8, 2026 4:00 am
Now that it is fall with cooler temperatures and shorter days, motorists may notice more deer along roadways. According to AAA, along with more deer, come more automobile accidents associated with deer strikes. According to new research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (AAAFTS), more than one third of deer-vehicle collisions occur during October and November. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says in 2025, there were more than 6300 deer related crashes in Pennsylvania causing 11 deaths. Most of the crashes were on rural roads, during dark conditions with speeds of 45 mph or higher. AAA suggests several practices that motorists can use to avoid accidents with deer. They include; pay attention to road signs, stay focused on the road, be attentive in early morning and early evening hours, use high beams when appropriate and slow down and watch for other deer to appear. If you are involved in a deer strike, AAA recommends that you call police, avoid making contact with the animal, put on hazard lights and if possible, move the vehicle to the side of the road and wait for help.
November 8, 2026 4:59 am
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Donald Trump launched the war against Iran even if it wasn’t “necessarily popular” to safeguard the world from the country’s nuclear ambitions. He wouldn’t comment directly Sunday about the Republican wipeout in the midterm elections that followed the unpopularity of the Iran war and its impact on gasoline prices. Asked about Vice President JD Vance’s social media post last week that largely blamed the war for the Republican losses, Rubio told reporters that Trump “identified a very real threat” in Iran and worked to stop the Islamic Republic from pursuing a nuclear weapon. Rubio said that “confronting difficult challenges for the security of our country” isn’t “necessarily popular, but necessary.”
November 8, 2026 4:52 am
BANGKOK (AP) — China is denying that there is any spy plot targeting Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and is calling it a smear campaign against Beijing. Huang admitted to an extramarital affair but did not name anyone. The controversy centers on whether he drove sales of advanced computer chips to China, despite U.S. tech restrictions. The New York Times reported that Huang had a close relationship with a Chinese citizen accused of smuggling chips into China. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson dismissed the spy allegations on Monday as unsubstantiated. Huang had lobbied U.S. President Donald Trump to loosen chip sales restrictions to China.
November 9, 2026 4:51 am
LONDON (AP) — Russell Brand has been sentenced to 10 1/2 years in prison for raping one woman and sexually assaulting three others. A jury found him guilty of these crimes, which date back to 2004. Judge Joel Bennathan said Brand showed a “casual and arrogant disregard” for women. Brand, known for his outrageous stand-up routines and battles with drugs, claimed innocence, saying all encounters were consensual. However, the jury convicted him on four of six accusations. Brand’s supporters, including his wife and father, were present in court. The accusers spoke about the lasting impact of his actions.
November 8, 2026 6:15 am
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump says he’s offered the job of White House press secretary to his friend and UFC boss Dana White. Trump made that announcement on his social media site. White said Saturday that he plans to meet with Trump on Monday at the White House. No one in the White House immediately confirmed it. Trump was at his Florida golf club on Saturday when he posted that he’d made the offer to “the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior” to become the Republican president’s chief spokesperson. White, who was in London for a boxing event, said he planned to fly to Washington right after for Monday’s meeting.
November 8, 2026 6:06 am
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay (AP) — Pope Leo XIV is wrapping up his visit to Uruguay by marking an important Catholic feast day that is tied to the country’s independence. Leo was traveling to the city of Florida, north of Montevideo, to commemorate the feast of the Virgin of the Thirty-three. Every year, thousands of pilgrims flock to the city to pray before the small wooden icon of the Virgin Mary. Leo is celebrating Mass there before heading to Argentina for the most politically delicate leg of his three-nation South American tour.
November 8, 2026 6:18 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge says she intends to appoint an ex-top federal prosecutor in the nation’s capital during President Donald Trump’s first term to investigate whether she was purposefully misled by lawyers and administration officials in a lawsuit challenging the renovation of a historic public golf course along the Potomac River. Former U.S. Attorney Jessie Liu would examine whether officials with the Interior Department and the National Park Service and attorneys with the Department of Justice violated ethics or misled U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes during the course of the case that was initiated in February by the DC Preservation League and two golfers.
November 8, 2026 6:10 am
JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Central Command says it has disabled a St. Kitts-flagged ship after it ignored warnings and tried to leave the region following a visit to an Iranian port. U.S. forces have been enforcing a naval blockade on Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route. The last confirmed U.S. strike on a cargo vessel was nearly a month ago. Iran state media reported explosions on Qeshm Island and in the port of Jask. The cause is unclear, and the U.S. military hasn’t commented. President Trump confirmed limited strikes against Iran, describing them as “minor.”
