Just-released hostage attends funeral of fellow soldier, whose body was among few returned from Gaza
JERUSALEM (AP) — Mourners in Jerusalem gathered at Capt. Daniel Peretz’s funeral, where Matan Angrest, a recently released hostage, paid his respects. Angrest was abducted in the same attack that killed Peretz. Over the past few days, Hamas released nine bodies of deceased hostages, including Peretz, leaving some families in limbo. In Judaism, burial is essential for spiritual closure. Families continue to struggle, unable to properly mourn without their loved ones’ remains. Only when all hostages are returned can families and the country begin to heal from traumatic grief.
Who’s winning the blame game over the shutdown? Here’s what a new AP-NORC poll shows
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll finds most Americans see the government shutdown as a significant problem as it drags on. The AP-NORC poll also finds there’s plenty of blame being cast on President Donald Trump as well as Republicans and Democrats in Congress. Leaders warn the shutdown could become one of the longest ever. Americans are beginning to see the impacts on their lives with delayed flights and hundreds of thousands of federal employees being furloughed or working without pay. The poll shows roughly 6 in 10 Americans say Trump and Republicans in Congress have “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of responsibility for the shutdown, compared with 54% who say that about Democrats.
Senate Democrats, holding out for health care, ready to reject government funding bill for 10th time
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats are poised for the 10th time to reject a stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government. They are insisting they won’t back away from demands that Congress take up health care benefits. The repetition of votes on the funding bill has become a daily drumbeat in Congress. It underscores how intractable the situation has become as the vote has at times been the only item on the agenda for the Senate floor. House Republicans have left Washington altogether. The impasse has lasted over two weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, even more without a guaranteed payday and Congress essentially paralyzed.
Chief of staff of Yemen Houthi rebel’s military dies from wounds suffered in Israeli airstrike
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israel says an airstrike in August killed the chief of staff of Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The group on Thursday acknowledged the death of Maj. Gen. Muhammad Abdul Karim al-Ghamari, who had been sanctioned by the United Nations. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed responsibility for the attack, stating al-Ghamari died from his wounds from the August strike. The U.N. described al-Ghamari as a key figure in orchestrating the Houthis’ military efforts, threatening Yemen’s peace and security and conducting cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia. The incident further escalates tensions between the Houthis and Israel, despite a ceasefire holding in the Gaza Strip.
Trump confirms the CIA is conducting covert operations inside Venezuela
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has confirmed that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela. The president on Wednesday also said he’s considering land operations following recent U.S. military strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats from Venezuela. Trump told reporters at an Oval Office event that he had authorized the move because Venezuela is allowing criminals and drugs to flow into the U.S. On Wednesday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro lashed out at the record of the U.S. spy agency in various conflicts around the world without directly addressing Trump’s comments about authorizing the CIA to carry out covert operations in Venezuela.
Cuomo and Sliwa aim to blunt Mamdani’s momentum in first NYC mayoral debate
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa are slated to face off in a debate. The candidates will meet Thursday as voters prepare to choose who will be the next to lead America’s biggest city. Mamdani, a 33-year-old democratic socialist, defeated Cuomo in the city’s Democratic primary this summer. But Cuomo has relaunched his campaign to run on an independent ballot line in the general election, hoping that the city’s moderate and conservative voters will help him defeat the progressive Mamdani in their rematch.
Embattled French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survives no-confidence votes in Parliament
PARIS (AP) — French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has survived two votes of no-confidence that could have toppled his fragile new government. The National Assembly’s decision Thursday clears the way for Lecornu to focus on a significant challenge: passing a 2026 budget for the European Union’s second-largest economy through a divided Parliament before the end of the year. Lecornu’s survival also means President Emmanuel Macron will not have to dissolve the National Assembly and call snap legislative elections. Macron had indicated he might take the risky step if Lecornu had fallen.
Lesotho finds its HIV care system unraveling and patients in despair in the wake of US cuts
HA LEJONE, Lesotho (AP) — In the wake of massive U.S. cuts to foreign aid, the tiny country of Lesotho in southern Africa faces deep uncertainty and worry over its HIV-positive residents. Lesotho long had the world’s second-highest HIV infection rate. Over years, with nearly $1 billion in U.S. aid, Lesotho patched together a health network efficient enough to slow the epidemic’s spread. But when President Donald Trump froze foreign assistance and dismantled USAID, chaos and confusion followed in Lesotho. Clinics shut down, workers were let go, and patients stopped treatment. Much of Lesotho’s system to treat hundreds of thousands of HIV-positive residents is crumbling, and experts are sounding alarms, even as some U.S.-funded programs are temporarily reinstated.
Obesity remains high in the US, but more states are showing progress, a new report finds
For the first time in more than a decade, the number of states with rates of obesity of 35% or more has dropped. That’s being viewed as an encouraging sign that America’s epidemic of excess weight might be improving. But cuts to federal staff and programs that address chronic disease could endanger that progress. Those are the findings of a new report released Thursday. Nineteen states had obesity rates of 35% or more in 2024, down from 23 states in 2023. That’s according to data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and analyzed by the nonprofit group Trust for America’s Health. It follows a CDC report last year that found that the overall rate of obesity in the U.S. is holding steady at about 40%.
US stocks drift higher, led by Nvidia and other tech companies
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes are ticking higher. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 116 points, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5%. Technology stocks helped lead the way after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. reported a big jump in profit. That’s important for U.S. stocks because TSMC is a critical player in the AI frenzy, making chips for such companies as Nvidia. And AI has been one of the main reasons Wall Street has set record after record this year. Trading has been erratic this week, and stocks have repeatedly swung between gains and losses.
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