EPA imposes stricter standards to protect children from exposure to lead paint
WASHINGTON — Two weeks after setting a nationwide deadline for removal of lead pipes, the Biden administration is imposing strict new limits on dust from lead-based paint in older homes and child-care facilities. A final rule announced Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency sets limits on lead dust on floors...
Pope Francis denounces a world ‘losing its heart’ in 4th encyclical of his papacy
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis issued the fourth encyclical of his papacy on Thursday, denouncing a world that “is losing its heart” during times of global turmoil marked by “wars, socio-economic disparities and the uses of technology that threaten our humanity.” The document titled “Dilexit Nos,” Latin for “He Loves...
Voters trust Harris on a number of issues. But is that what they’ll vote on?
WASHINGTON — If the presidential election hinged on abortion or climate change, Kamala Harris might be feeling pretty comfortable about her chances on Nov. 5, based on the polls. The Democratic nominee is also competitive on economic issues against Republican Donald Trump. But Harris knows this is an extremely tight...
Donald Trump tells supporters to ‘just vote’ at Georgia rally organized by Charlie Kirk
DULUTH, Ga. — Donald Trump implored supporters at a Georgia rally to vote for him — with an early ballot or in-person on Election Day — in a state that will be crucial in the presidential election. “Just vote — whichever way you want to do it,” Trump said at...
4 memorable moments from Kamala Harris’ CNN town hall
WASHINGTON — Kamala Harris went to a Philadelphia suburb on Wednesday night for a CNN town hall, where she faced questions from undecided voters. The event was arranged after Donald Trump declined to participate in a second debate with her. With less than two weeks to go until the election,...
Israeli strike on Gaza shelter kills 17 as Blinken says cease-fire talks will resume
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — An Israeli strike on a school where displaced people were sheltering in the central Gaza Strip killed at least 17 people on Thursday, nearly all women and children, Palestinian medical officials said. The strike came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Israel had...
An Afghan province bans all media from showing images of living things to comply with Taliban laws
ISLAMABAD — An Afghan province has banned all media from showing images of living things to ensure compliance with the Taliban’s morality laws. Thursday’s decision was announced by Information Ministry officials in Helmand, the latest province to crack down on broadcasting and photography of humans and animals. In August, the...
Department of Justice warns Elon Musk his $1 million voter petition giveaway may be illegal
Federal prosecutors have warned Elon Musk that his $1 million-a-day voter petition sweepstakes may be illegal. The pro-Trump Tesla billionaire may have violated vote-buying laws by writing a seven-figure check every day to a randomly selected voter who agrees to sign a petition created by his political action committee, the...
Suspect in shootings of Democratic office in Arizona had over 200 guns in his home, officials find
TEMPE, Ariz. — An Arizona prosecutor said the man arrested in the shooting of a Democratic National Committee office in suburban Phoenix had more than 200 guns and over 250,000 rounds of ammunition in his home, leading law enforcement to believe he may have been planning a mass casualty event....
Pennsylvania high court gives voters provisional option if their mail ballots get rejected
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania’s highest court on Wednesday said people whose mail ballots are rejected for not following technical procedures in state law can cast provisional ballots, a decision sure to affect some of the thousands of mail-in votes likely to be rejected this fall. The Supreme Court ruled 4-3 that...
Kamala Harris to give her campaign’s closing argument at the Ellipse, where Trump helped spark Capitol riotVideo
PHILADELPHIA — Vice President Kamala Harris plans to lay out her campaign’s closing argument by returning to the site near the White House where Donald Trump helped incite a mob that attacked the U.S. Capitol in January 2021 — hoping it will crystalize for voters the fight between defending democracy...
Suspected drunken driver arrested after passing Harris’ motorcade the wrong way in WisconsinVideo
MADISON, Wis. — A suspected drunken driver heading the wrong way passed within feet of Vice President Kamala Harris’ motorcade following a campaign stop this week in Wisconsin. Harris had just wrapped up a rally in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield on Monday evening when her motorcade passed a car...
As he did in 2020, Trump says he plans to vote early
Donald Trump plans to vote early in this year’s presidential election — something that isn’t new to him, but which goes against the rhetoric he uses at his campaign rallies. Trump, who was president from 2017 to 2020 and is seeking a second term in the Oval Office, has long...
What to know about E. coli and the McDonald’s outbreak
A food poisoning outbreak tied to McDonald’s Quarter Pounders was caused by a common type of E. coli bacteria that can cause serious illness and death. Particularly vulnerable are young children, older people or those with weakened immune systems. About 50 people have fallen ill in the McDonald’s outbreak, and...
U.S. confirms North Korea has sent 3,000 troops to Russia for training, possible Ukraine combatVideo
WASHINGTON — The U.S. said Wednesday that 3,000 North Korean troops have deployed to Russia and are training at several locations, calling the move very serious and warning that those forces will be “fair game” if they go into combat in Ukraine. The deployment raises the potential for the North...
Harris says Trump ‘is a fascist’ after John Kelly says he wanted generals like Hitler’sVideo
ASTON, Pa. — Vice President Kamala Harris said Wednesday that she believes that Donald Trump “is a fascist” after his longest-serving chief of staff said the former president praised Adolf Hitler while in office and put personal loyalty above the Constitution. Harris seized on comments by former chief of staff...
Lawsuits claim dozens of children were sexually abused inside Pennsylvania juvenile facilities
HARRISBURG — A set of lawsuits was filed Wednesday by people who claim they were sexually abused inside Pennsylvania juvenile detention and treatment facilities, making more than 200 people to have launched such cases since May. The New York-based Levy Konigsberg firm said it filed on behalf of more than...
Tim Walz, wife and son vote early in Minnesota
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Democratic vice presidential candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, his wife, Gwen, and their son, Gus, went to a polling place in St. Paul on a crip fall Wednesday morning to cast their ballots early. It was the first time voting for Gus, who just turned...
Pink cocaine, the designer drug tied to Liam Payne’s death, isn’t what it sounds like
Pink cocaine, name-dropped in the Diddy lawsuit and reportedly tied to the death of One Direction alum Liam Payne, is becoming a high-profile designer drug. But the contents of the deadly party cocktail tend to fly under the radar. Payne is believed to have been on pink cocaine and other...
Passenger aboard Royal Caribbean cruise full of Taylor Swift fans falls overboard
The U.S. Coast Guard is assisting in the search of a 66-year-old woman who fell overboard from a Royal Caribbean cruise ship late Tuesday night, officials said. The incident occurred around 9:40 p.m. about 17 miles north of the Bahamas’ capital Nassau, an agency spokesperson told the Daily News. The...
Fallout from 2023 Hamas attack lingers as Jews worldwide prepare for a holiday meant for joy
NEW YORK — Customarily, Simchat Torah is one of the most joyous days of the Jewish calendar, highlighted by exuberant dancing around a Torah. Jewish leaders say the joy will return during this week’s celebrations, even as Jews recall that last year’s Simchat Torah overlapped with Oct. 7, the day...
McDonald’s tries to reassure customers after deadly E. coli outbreak
McDonald’s said Wednesday that customers should feel confident ordering from its restaurants despite a deadly E. coli outbreak linked to its Quarter Pounders. McDonald’s U.S. President Joe Erlinger said in an interview on the “Today” show that the company has removed the Quarter Pounder from its menu in the 10...
Zillow to show climate risk data on home listings
If you’re looking to purchase a home, it might be important to consider potential environmental threats. Zillow is adding a climate risk threat score to every home listing on its platform, the Washington Post reported. According to a Zillow survey in 2023, 80% of buyers now consider climate risks when...
The Home Stretch: Here’s the election news for Oct. 23
As Nov. 5 draws closer, political campaigns are making the most of every opportunity to sway the elusive undecided voter. Here’s how the sprint to Election Day is going. Where is everyone? Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris is in Pennsylvania today, where she will participate in a CNN...
A Supreme Court reshaped by Trump has a low profile in this presidential campaign
WASHINGTON — Conservatives already have a supermajority on the Supreme Court as a result of Donald Trump’s presidency. If Trump wins a second term, the right side of the court could retain control for several more decades. Justices Clarence Thomas, 76, and Samuel Alito, 74, are the two oldest members...