A spineless Senate abandons a qualified judge
After more than a year of twisting in the wind, it is official: Adeel Mangi, President Joe Biden’s nominee to the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, will not become the nation’s first Muslim federal appellate judge. This was perhaps inevitable. Sen. Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, cut a deal with Republicans last month to abandon four appeals court nominees who didn’t have the votes to win in exchange for not obstructing the confirmation of about a dozen circuit court justices.
Back-to-back-to-back atmospheric rivers are expected to soak the West Coast
A barrage of storms known as atmospheric rivers is expected to soak the West Coast over the next eight to 10 days, raising the risk of flooding, power outages and holiday travel disruptions leading up to Christmas in a region that has already experienced significant weather activity this season.
California declares an emergency over bird flu in cattle
In a stark acknowledgment of the increasing seriousness of bird flu’s spread, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared on Wednesday that the outbreak of infections among the state’s dairy cattle constituted an emergency.
The ‘murder hornet’ has been eradicated from US, officials say
SEATTLE — The hunt for the “murder hornet” in the northwest corner of Washington state began like a criminal investigation, with bee carcasses creating a crime scene and the public being asked to send tips about the potential culprit’s whereabouts.
What Kennedy has said about the polio vaccine in recent years
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. began a tour of Capitol Hill this week to pay courtesy calls on senators who will vote on his nomination to be health secretary and to calm concerns that he would limit access to vaccines, especially for polio. “I’m all for the polio vaccine,” Kennedy said to a throng of reporters on Monday.
Trump sues The Des Moines Register, escalating threats against the media
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President-elect Donald Trump has sued The Des Moines Register for running a poll before the election that showed him trailing Vice President Kamala Harris, escalating his threats to seek retribution against the mainstream media and his political enemies.
A grisly discovery at a Bronze Age mass grave: The victims were eaten, too
The bones were spread out across a nearly 50-foot ditch, thousands of them, bearing marks of a grisly end. Snapped femurs. Bashed skulls. Bones with slicing cuts, as if someone had butchered the skin around them.
Judge denies Trump’s bid to throw out conviction over immunity ruling
NEW YORK — A judge on Monday rejected Donald Trump’s argument that a recent Supreme Court ruling had nullified his criminal case in New York, upholding the former and future president’s felony conviction for falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal.
Hundreds feared dead after cyclone hits French territory of Mayotte
Emergency workers and families on Monday desperately searched for victims after a storm devastated the French territory of Mayotte, off the eastern coast of Africa. Officials fear that hundreds or even thousands could be dead, far higher than the current confirmed toll of 21.
Jury awards woman $34 million for wrongful conviction
Kirstin Blaise Lobato, who spent nearly 16 years in prison for a killing she did not commit, was awarded more than $34 million by a federal jury in Nevada on Thursday.
Israel strikes military sites in Syria, monitor says
CAIRO — Israel struck Syrian weapons depots and air defenses overnight, a group monitoring the conflict said Sunday, in what appeared to be part of an effort Israel says is aimed at depriving “extremists” of military assets after rebels seized power in Syria.
Bob Fernandez, who survived Pearl Harbor as a teenager, dies at 100
Robert Louie Fernandez, one of the last known American survivors of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, died Wednesday, just days after the 83rd anniversary of the attack, in Lodi, California. He was 100.
At least 11 dead as cyclone devastates islands in Indian Ocean
Tropical Cyclone Chido made landfall in Mozambique on Sunday after causing destruction in Mayotte, a French archipelago of about 300,000 people in the Indian Ocean, where at least 11 people died, France’s interior ministry said Sunday.
Trump and his picks threaten more lawsuits over critical coverage
The legal threats have arrived in various forms. One aired on CNN. Another came over the phone. More arrived in letters or emails.
In display of fealty, tech industry curries favor with Trump
The $1 million donations came gradually — and then all at once.
South Korea’s president is impeached after martial law crisis
SEOUL, South Korea — Eleven days ago, President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea made a bold power grab, putting the country under military rule for the first time in 45 years, citing frustration at the opposition for obstructing his agenda in parliament.
Where it isn’t Christmas until the city shoots lasers at 20,000 crows
In Rochester, New York, there are telltale signs that the holiday season is underway.
After weeks of drone sightings, New Jersey remains on edge
The day after Thanksgiving, Susan and Lorelai Woodruff saw about 10 brightly lit objects banking and turning quickly in the night sky above their home in Elsinboro, in southern New Jersey.
US appeals court judge rescinds retirement after Trump’s win
A U.S. appeals court judge has taken the rare step of revoking his decision to retire from active service on the bench, depriving Republican President-elect Donald Trump of the ability to fill a judicial vacancy.
Joy buoys Syria’s first Friday prayers since Assad ouster, but hardships loom
DAMASCUS, Syria — Jubilant crowds gathered in cities across Syria for the first Friday Prayers since rebels toppled President Bashar Assad, including at the historic Umayyad Mosque in the capital, where civilians and fighters worshipped side by side and joyful chants erupted over the collapse of a long authoritarian dynasty.
