US Will Allow Ukraine to Use American Antipersonnel Land Mines Against Russian Forces
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The U.S. defense chief says the Biden administration will allow Ukraine to use American-supplied antipersonnel land mines to help it slow Russia’s battlefield progress in the war. It is Washington’s second major policy shift in a week after its decision to let Ukraine strike targets on Russian soil with U.S.-made missiles. The war, which reached its 1,000-day milestone on Tuesday, has largely been going Russia’s way in recent months. Russia’s bigger army is slowly pushing Ukraine’s outnumbered army backward in the eastern Donetsk region, while Ukrainian civilians have repeatedly been clobbered by Russian drones and missiles often fired from inside Russia. The U.S. and some other Western embassies in Kyiv stayed closed Wednesday after a threat of a major Russian aerial attack.
Strike Blamed on Israel Kills 36 People in Syria’s Historic Town of Palmyra, Syrian State Media Say
DAMASCUS (AP) — Syria’s state-run media say that a strike on the Syrian town of Palmyra killed 36 people and wounded more than 50, an attack that Damascus blamed on Israel. The Israeli military declined to comment. SANA news agency said the strike on Wednesday also led to “significant material damage to the targeted buildings and the surrounding area. Palmyra is known for the historic Roman temple complex nearby. Israel frequently targets military sites and facilities associated with Iran-linked groups in Syria but rarely acknowledges the strikes. The death toll from Wednesday’s strike was unusually high. It was not immediately clear if the ruins were damaged.
Trump’s Casting Call As He Builds Out His Administration: TV Experience Preferred
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump is clearly prizing experience on television as he chooses people to serve in his new administration. Trump likes what he calls that “central casting” look. His choices for defense secretary and transportation chief — Pete Hegseth and Sean Duffy — have both had shows on Trump’s favorite network, Fox News. Duffy is a former lawmaker and also was a cast member on MTV’s “The Real World.” Trump has tapped Dr. Mehmet Oz, a former syndicated talk show host and heart surgeon, to head the agency that oversees health insurance programs for millions of older, poor and disabled Americans.
Trump Has Called for Dismantling the Education Department. Here’s What That Would Mean
WASHINGTON (AP) — Throughout his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump heaped scorn on the federal Department of Education, describing it as being infiltrated by “radicals, zealots and Marxists.” He has picked Linda McMahon, a former wrestling executive, to lead the department. But like many conservative politicians before him, Trump has called for dismantling the department altogether — a cumbersome task that would require action from Congress. The agency’s main role is financial. Annually, it distributes billions in federal money to colleges and schools and manages the federal student loan portfolio.
‘Bomb Cyclone’ Kills 1 and Knocks Out Power to Over Half a Million Homes Across the Northwest US
SEATTLE (AP) — A major storm was sweeping across the northwest U.S., battering the region with strong winds and rain. It caused widespread power outages and downed trees that killed at least one person. Falling trees struck homes and littered roadways across northwest Washington, while nearly 600,000 were without power Wednesday morning. Fire officials in Lynnwood, Washington, say a woman died when a large tree fell on a homeless encampment. The Weather Prediction Center issued excessive rainfall risks through Friday and hurricane-force wind warnings were in effect. The storm system is considered a “bomb cyclone,” which occurs when a cyclone intensifies rapidly.
Deadline Looms for Negotiators Seeking a Deal for Cash to Curb Global Warming
BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — Time is running short for negotiators at the United Nations climate talks in Azerbaijan to solve a difficult puzzle. They need to find an agreement that can bring far more money to poor nations affected by climate change than wealthy nations have shown they are willing to pay. Pressure is building on the host nation to drive a deal by the time the talks are scheduled to conclude on Friday. Many climate activists questioned the siting of this year’s talks in oil- and gas-rich Azerbaijan, whose president has described those fossil fuels as a “gift of the gods.”
Susan Smith to Ask Parole Board for Her Freedom After Serving 30 Years for Drowning Her Children
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Susan Smith will ask a parole board in South Carolina for her freedom for the first time on Wednesday. The 53-year-old rolled her car into a lake in 1994 with her 3-year-old and 14-month-old sons still strapped inside. Smith is serving a life sentence for murder after a jury decided not to sentence her to death. Under state law at the time, she now is eligible for a parole hearing every two years. Smith will get to make her case for freedom first by video link from her women’s prison. Then she will go offline. Her ex-husband and a prosecutor will get to ask that she remain in prison.
What to Know About Transgender Day of Remembrance and Violence Against Trans People
Vigils and other events are being held to draw attention to transgender people who have lost their lives due to violence in the past year. Wednesday marked Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is held every Nov. 20. The Human Rights Campaign says at least 36 transgender people have been killed by violence over the past 12 months. That number is likely higher because of deaths not being reported, misreported or because the victims are misgendered. This year’s events follow an election where transgender people were the focus of a costly barrage of attack ads by Republicans.
Pope Approves New Papal Funeral Rites to Simplify Ritual, Allow for Burial Outside the Vatican
ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has revised the funeral rites that will be used when he dies. He’s simplifying the rituals to emphasize his role as a mere bishop and allowing for burial outside the Vatican in keeping with his wishes. The Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano published details on Wednesday of the updated liturgical book. Francis approved it in April, and it replaces the previous edition that was last published in 2000. Francis turns 88 in December and, despite some health and mobility problems, appears in fine form.
Maui Invitational Returns to a Lahaina Still Grappling With Raw Emotions Left by Deadly Wildfire
HONOLULU (AP) — Residents of the Hawaii town devastated by last year’s wildfire are awaiting the return of one of the nation’s most prestigious basketball tournaments with mixed feelings. Fans are excited about the Maui Invitational bringing high-caliber competition to Lahaina. And they welcome the economic boost Lahaina will get from the thousands of travelers eating in restaurants and staying in hotels. But there’s also a fear that travelers might show disrespect by wandering into the burn zone and taking photos of the devastation. And there is worry tourists might trigger unpleasant memories with questions about that catastrophic day. Residents say feelings are still raw.
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