Beyond Evangelicals, Trump and His Allies Courted Smaller Faith Groups, From the Amish to Chabad
Donald Trump’s lock on the white evangelical vote is legendary, but he didn’t focus exclusively on large religious voter blocs. He and his allies also wooed smaller religious groups, away from the mainstream. He posted a tribute to Coptic church members on social media and met with members of Assyrians for Trump — two smaller Christian communities with Middle Eastern roots. He visited the grave of the revered late leader of an Orthodox Jewish movement. His allies sought votes from the separatist Amish community. While Trump won decisively, the outreaches reflected aggressive campaigning in what was expected to be a tight race.
Gaetz’s Withdrawal Highlights How Incoming Presidents Often Lose Cabinet Nominees
MARTIN, Tenn. (AP) — Losing a Cabinet nominee to the confirmation process isn’t unheard of for incoming presidents — including for Donald Trump when he was elected the first time. Matt Gaetz’s decision to pull his name Thursday from consideration for attorney general — amid continued fallout over a federal sex trafficking investigation — represents the first indication of resistance that the president-elect could face from his own party to picks facing allegations of sexual misconduct or other questions. Other Trump picks have drawn negative attention as well, including Pete Hegseth for defense secretary and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence.
Many in Gaza Are Eating Just Once a Day, As Hunger Spreads Amid Aid Issues
DEIR AL-BALAH, The Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian families in the Gaza Strip are often eating just once a day, even in areas where aid groups have relatively more access than the isolated and heavily destroyed north. A displaced family living in a tent in central Gaza says they go to bed hungry every night. The United Nations humanitarian office has warned of a “stark increase” in the number of households experiencing severe hunger in central and southern Gaza. Experts say a full-blown famine may be underway in the north. Israel says it allows enough aid to enter. But humanitarian groups say Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting and the breakdown of law and order pose major obstacles to distribution.
NATO and Ukraine to Hold Emergency Talks After Russia’s Attack With New Hypersonic Missile
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — NATO and Ukraine will hold emergency talks Tuesday after Russia attacked a central city with a hypersonic ballistic missile that escalated the nearly 33-month-old war. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says the conflict is entering “a decisive phase.” Ukraine’s parliament canceled a session Friday over the security threat. In a stark warning to the West, President Vladimir Putin said in a nationally televised speech to his nation Thursday that the attack with the intermediate-range Oreshnik missile was retaliation for Kyiv’s use of U.S. and British longer-range missiles capable of striking deeper into Russian territory. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov kept up the bellicose tone, blaming “the reckless decisions and actions of Western countries” in supplying weapons to Ukraine.
JD Vance Is Leaving the Senate for the Vice Presidency. That’s Set Off a Scramble for His Ohio Seat
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — JD Vance’s election as vice president has opened up one of Ohio’s U.S. Senate seats for the third time in as many years. That’s set off a scramble for the appointment among ambitious Republicans. GOP Gov. Mike DeWine, a pragmatic center-right politician, will fill the vacancy. Those who lost crowded Republican primaries for Senate in 2022 and 2024 are among contenders. They include former Ohio Republican Chair Jane Timken; Secretary of State Frank LaRose; and state Sen. Matt Dolan. Two-term Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague and Republican attorney and strategist Mehek Cooke, a frequent guest on Fox News, are also in the mix.
Northern California Gets Record Rain and Heavy Snow. Many Have Been in the Dark for Days in Seattle
FORESTVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A major storm with heavy snow and record rain that’s moving through Northern California has toppled trees, closed roads and prompted evacuations in some areas after knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people in Washington and Oregon. Forecasters warn that the risk of flash flooding and rockslides will continue through Friday. The National Weather Service has extended a flood watch for areas north of San Francisco as a plume of moisture known as an atmospheric river inundates Northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Up to 16 inches of rain is forecast in Northern California and southwestern Oregon. The storm system unleashed winds earlier this week that left two people dead and hundreds of thousands without power in Washington.
Texas Is Taking a Final Vote on Allowing Bible-Infused Lessons in Public Schools
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas education officials will soon decide if a controversial Bible-infused curriculum can be taught in public schools. The Texas State Board of Education will vote on the materials at a meeting on Friday. If approved, it would be optional for schools to adopt the materials, but they’d receive additional funding if they do so. The board has heard emotional testimony from parents, teachers and advocates for and against the lesson plans earlier this week. If approved, Texas would become the first state to sign off on a curriculum of this kind. Other Republican-led states are also making efforts to introduce Bible lessons into public schools.
A Growing Number of Oregon Cities Vote to Ban Psychedelic Mushroom Compound Psilocybin
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Drug reform advocates hailed Oregon as a progressive leader when it became the first in the nation to legalize the therapeutic use of psilocybin, the compound found in psychedelic mushrooms. But four years later, voters in a growing list of its cities have banned the substance. In the wake of the fentanyl crisis, the rejection of drug liberalization measures in Oregon and states across the country this election has some experts questioning whether voters are rethinking their appetite for such policies. Massachusetts voters rejected a measure that would have legalized the therapeutic use of psilocybin. Three of the four states that voted on legalizing recreational marijuana opposed it.
US Budget Airlines Are Struggling. Will Pursuing Premium Passengers Solve Their Problems?
DALLAS (AP) — Delta and United Airlines have become the most profitable U.S. airlines by targeting premium customers while also winning a significant share of budget travelers. That is squeezing smaller low-fare carriers like Spirit Airlines, which filed for bankruptcy protection on Monday. Some travel industry experts think Spirit’s troubles indicate less-wealthy passengers will have fewer choices and higher prices. Other discount airlines are on better financial footing but also are lagging far behind the full-service airlines when it comes to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. Most industry experts think Frontier and other so-called ultra-low-cost carriers will fill the vacuum if Spirit shrinks, and that there’s still plenty of competition to prevent prices from spiking.
What Do Hundreds of Beavers Have to Do With the Future of Movies?
NEW YORK (AP) — The low-budget movie “Hundreds of Beavers” has turned into a lo-fi legend. Mike Cheslik’s film, made for just $150,000 and self-distributed in theaters, has managed to gnaw its way into a movie culture largely dominated by big-budget sequels. It’s a wordless black-and-white bonanza of slapstick antics about a stranded 19th century applejack salesman at war with a bevy of beavers, all of whom are played by actors in mascot costumes. It’s been called “the future of cinema” — a proclamation that may sound extreme for a movie about a guy with a giant beaver hat. But in a shrinking movie industry, DIY microbudget filmmaking may increasingly be left to fill some of the void left by risk-adverse, corporate-driven Hollywood.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
