Hezbollah targets base near Haifa after Israeli strike in Beirut killed 37, including top commander
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has announced that it fired a barrage of missiles at a military base deep inside Israel following an Israeli airstrike more than a day earlier that killed at least 37 people, including one of the militant group’s senior leaders. It was not immediately clear if any of the rockets had hit their target. Israel’s emergency medical services reported that a man was lightly wounded by shrapnel from a missile that was intercepted in a village in the lower Galilee. Local media reported that rockets shot from Lebanon were intercepted in the areas of Haifa and Nazareth.
Trump appeals to women in return to North Carolina without Mark Robinson, a top in-state supporter
WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — Donald Trump has returned to North Carolina to stump in the southern battleground state that both Democrats and Republicans are treating as increasingly critical to victory in November. But on Saturday he campaigned in Wilmington without Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson. Trump has long praised the GOP gubernatorial nominee, but his campaign is now distancing itself following a CNN report about Robinson’s alleged posts on a pornography website’s message board. Robinson has denied writing the posts and says he’s not leaving the race. State Republican officials have stood by Robinson, whose decision to keep campaigning could threaten GOP prospects in other key races, including Trump’s efforts in a battleground state he previously won twice.
An Israeli strike on a school kills at least 22 people, Gaza Health Ministry says
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza health workers say an Israeli strike on a school in northern Gaza has killed at least 22 people. Another 30 were wounded in the strike on the school in the Zeitoun area of Gaza City. The Israeli army said Saturday that it struck Hamas’ command and control center which was embedded inside a compound that previously served as a school. The Israeli army has continually accused Hamas of operating from within civilian infrastructure in Gaza including schools and U.N. facilities. The Gaza Health Ministry said Saturday that five of its workers were killed and five others wounded by Israeli fire that struck the ministry’s warehouses in the southern Musbah area.
AI is helping shape the 2024 presidential race. But not in the way experts feared
WASHINGTON (AP) — Generative artificial intelligence is playing a major role in the presidential campaign, even if the greatest fears about how it could threaten the U.S. presidential election haven’t materialized yet. Fake AI-generated images regularly ricochet around the web. Many of them are so cartoonish and absurd that even the most naïve viewer couldn’t take them seriously. Still, even these memes can be problematic. Eye-catching AI-generated photos and videos, some striving to be funny, have become useful tools for spreading false, sometimes racist messages with a clear political bent — and candidates and their supporters are among those sharing them on social media.
Diddy faces public scrutiny over alleged sex crimes as questions arise about future of his music
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs created a hit-making empire with big name performers, earning his place as a savvy music mogul and becoming a three-time Grammy winner while securing high-profile deals across other industries. But now, Combs’ kingdom is collapsing under charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. He was arrested in New York on Sept. 16 and accused in an indictment of using his “power and prestige” to induce female victims and male sex workers in “Freak Offs” along with allegations of abuse dating back to 2008. If convicted on all counts, Combs could face at least 15 years in prison. Combs’ public image has taken a nosedive as major deals slipped away.
FBI agents have boarded vessel managed by company whose other cargo ship collapsed Baltimore bridge
BALTIMORE (AP) — The FBI has confirmed that federal agents have boarded a vessel managed by the same company as a cargo ship that caused the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse. In statements Saturday, spokespeople for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland confirmed that authorities have boarded the Maersk Saltoro. The ship is managed by Synergy Marine Group. Authorities didn’t offer further specifics. On Wednesday, the U.S. Justice Department sued owner Grace Ocean Private Ltd. and manager Synergy Marine Group of the Dali ship that crashed into a support column for the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. The department is seeking $100 million.
Euphoric two years ago, US anti-abortion movement is now divided and worried as election nears
Just two years ago, leading anti-abortion activists were euphoric after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, thus ending the nationwide right to abortion. Now, with a presidential election fast approaching, their movement is disunited and worried. Within their ranks, there is second-guessing and finger-pointing, plus fears that Election Day might provide new proof that their cause is broadly unpopular. There is dismay over the movement’s recent seven-state losing streak on abortion-related ballot measures, with similar measures on the Nov. 5 ballot in nine more states. And there’s anger over the inconsistent rhetoric on abortion coming from the Republican presidential ticket of Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance.
Giant sinkholes in a South Dakota neighborhood make families fear for their safety
Families in a South Dakota neighborhood are fearing for their safety as sinkholes have appeared around their homes in the area above an old underground mine. About 150 neighbors have sued the state, seeking $45 million for the value of their homes and legal costs. A large sinkhole that opened in 2020 exposed the underground mine impacting the Hideaway Hills subdivision near Rapid City and the Black Hills. The state wants the lawsuit thrown out, saying the cement plant didn’t mine underground and that it isn’t liable for damages related to the underground mine collapse.
Want to burn calories? Climbing stairs might be the most effective exercise for you
TOKYO (AP) — If you’re trying to lose a bit of weight and want a new way to do it, stair-climbing as a regular exercise — or just adding a few flights a day — might be for you. It’s accessible, and research shows it’s more effective than walking on level ground. You burn about 20 times more calories going up stairs than walking on flat ground. Even going down stairs you burn roughly five times more, the muscles being stretched to slow the body’s descent.
The Midwest could offer fall’s most electric foliage but leaf peepers elsewhere won’t miss out
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Fall is back, and bringing with it jack-o’-lanterns, football, pumpkin spice everything and, in some parts of the country, especially vibrant foliage. Leaves around the northern U.S. are starting to turn orange, yellow and red, inspiring legions of leaf lovers to hop in their cars and travel to the countryside for the best looks at fall’s fireworks. Leaf peeping — the act of traveling to witness nature’s annual kaleidoscope — contributes billions of dollars to the economy, especially in New England and New York. But this year, some of the most colorful displays could be in the Midwest.