Although Milton has moved on, at least 8 are dead and millions remain in the dark
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rescue teams are plucking Florida residents from the flotsam of Hurricane Milton after the storm smashed through coastal communities. The storm tore homes into pieces, filled streets with mud and spawned a barrage of deadly tornadoes. At least eight people are dead. Arriving just two weeks after the misery wrought by Hurricane Helene, the system also knocked out power to more than 3 million customers, flooded barrier islands, tore the roof off a baseball stadium and toppled a construction crane. Despite the destruction, many people expressed relief that Milton wasn’t worse. The hurricane spared Tampa a direct hit, and the lethal storm surge that scientists feared never materialized.
Back-to-back hurricanes reshape 2024 campaign’s final stretch
WASHINGTON (AP) — A pair of unwelcome and destructive guests named Helene and Milton have stormed their way into this year’s presidential election. The unprecedented back-to-back hurricanes have jumbled the schedules of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump — both of whom devoted part of their Thursdays to tackling questions about the storms. The two hurricanes are forcing basic questions about who as president would best respond to deadly natural disasters. And just weeks before the Nov. 5 election, the storms have disrupted the mechanics of voting in several key counties and forced the candidates to alert their plans.
At least 22 killed in airstrikes in central Beirut, with Israel also firing on UN peacekeepers
BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon’s health ministry says at least 22 people have been killed and 117 have been wounded in Israeli airstrikes that hit two different areas in central Beirut. An Associated Press photographer who went to the scene on Thursday evening said the first strike, in the area of Ras al-Nabaa, appeared to have hit the lower half of an eight-story apartment building, and that explosions were ongoing inside the building. The second strike, in the area of Burj Abi Haidar, collapsed an entire building, which was engulfed in flames. There was no immediate statement from the Israeli military on the strikes. Earlier in the day, a strike on a central Gaza school-turned shelter killed 27 people.
Gunmen kill 20 miners in an attack in southwest Pakistan ahead of an Asian security summit
QUETTA, Pakistan (AP) — Police say gunmen killed 20 miners and wounded another seven in Pakistan’s southwest. It’s the latest attack in restive Balochistan province and comes days ahead of a major security summit being hosted in the capital. Police official Hamayun Khan Nasir said the gunmen stormed the accommodations at the coal mine in Duki district late Thursday night, rounded up the men and opened fire. Most of the men were from Pashtun-speaking areas of Balochistan. Three of the dead and four of the wounded were Afghan. Nobody claimed immediate responsibility for the attack.
Harris viewed more positively by Hispanic women than by Hispanic men: AP-NORC poll
WASHINGTON (AP) — A solid majority of Hispanic women have a positive opinion of Vice President Kamala Harris and a negative view of former President Donald Trump, but Hispanic men are divided on both candidates, according to a recent AP-NORC poll. Hispanic men are also more likely than Hispanic women to say Trump represents their views on key issues, underscoring the potential importance of this group, which both candidates have courted aggressively. Despite some divisions in views of the candidates, though, Hispanic voters are largely in agreement that the economy is a major factor as they consider their options for president. Around 8 in 10 Hispanic voters say the economy is “one of the most important issues” during this election season.
Trump seizes on one block of a Colorado city to warn of migrant crime threat, even as crime dips
AURORA, Colo. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is coming to a Colorado city where crime is down to warn about the danger he says criminal migrants pose to voters. Trump is holding a rally on Friday at a resort in Aurora, Colorado. The city near Denver became infamous in August when a video circulated showing armed men walking through an apartment building housing Venezuelan migrants. Police have since made multiple arrests and the building’s residents say they feel safer now. This occurred in a single block in a city of 400,000 where crime has been dropping. The city’s mayor says he hopes Trump’s visit actually shows the country that Aurora “is a considerably safe city.”
12 rescued from Colorado gold mine tourist site where elevator mishap killed 1 person
DENVER (AP) — Authorities say 12 people have been rescued after being trapped for hours at the bottom of a former Colorado gold mine when an elevator malfunctioned at the tourist site. One person died in the accident Thursday. The elevator was descending into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine near the town of Cripple Creek when it had a mechanical problem around 500 feet beneath the surface. Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said that created a “severe danger for the participants,” and one person was killed. The 12 who were rescued were about 1,000 feet (305 meters) below ground. Mikesell said they were safe and in communication with authorities while waiting.
Ethel Kennedy, social activist and wife of Robert F. Kennedy, has died
BOSTON (AP) — Ethel Kennedy, who lost her husband Robert F. Kennedy to assassination, has died. She was 96. She was by her husband’s side when the senator was killed while running for president in 1968. She endured that tragedy and many others while raising their 11 children. A millionaire’s daughter and family matriarch, she advocated for many causes after founding the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. She demonstrated for farmworkers in Florida and joined a hunger strike against President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Former President Barack Obama called Ethel Kennedy “a dear friend with a passion for justice, an irrepressible spirit, and a great sense of humor.”
South Koreans are joyful after Han Kang wins Nobel Prize for literature
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Koreans have reacted with joy and astonishment after learning that homegrown writer Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in literature, an unexpected moment that stoked national pride about the country’s growing cultural influence. Han, known for her experimental and often disturbing stories that explore human traumas and violence and incorporate the brutal moments of South Korea’s modern history, is the country’s first writer to win the preeminent award in world literature. Han’s triumph adds to the growing global influence of South Korean culture, which in recent years included the successes of director Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning “Parasite,” the brutal Netflix survival drama “Squid Game” and K-pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK.
Rafael Nadal gave his all until he simply couldn’t anymore and had to retire: Analysis
Rafael Nadal’s tennis career will be remembered because of the numbers, yes — the 14 French Open trophies, the 22 Grand Slam titles overall, the nearly two decades in the top 10, and so on — and, without a doubt, because of his riveting rivalries with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Also, indelibly, because of the all-out effort and energy he brought to the court every time. So long, that is, as his body allowed. Perhaps not surprisingly, it was his health that eventually forced Nadal to announce his retirement on Thursday after competing only sparingly the past two seasons.