News

The Associated Press reports: Israel’s Cabinet on Wednesday approved a temporary cease-fire with the Hamas militant group that is expected to bring the first halt in fighting in a devastating six-week war and win freedom for dozens of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip. The deal calls for a four-day cease-fire, during which Israel will halt its military offensive …

ABC News reports: His legions of fans call him “the madman” and “the wig” due to his ferocity and unruly mop of hair. He refers to himself as “the lion.” He thinks sex education is a Marxist plot to destroy the family, views his cloned mastiffs as his “children with four paws” and has suggested people should be allowed to …

NPR reports: A federal appeals court has struck down a key path for enforcing the Voting Rights Act. The new ruling in an Arkansas redistricting lawsuit may set up the next U.S. Supreme Court fight that could further limit the reach of the Voting Rights Act’s protections for people of color. The legal dispute is focused on who is allowed …

The Messenger reports: The locations for next year’s presidential debates have been set for Virginia, Utah, and Texas according to the Commission on Presidential Debates. Texas State University will hold the first debate on Sept. 16, 2024. That will be followed by another one on Oct. 1 at Virginia State University. The last debate will be held on Oct. 9 …

The Messenger reports: Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., is strategizing potential plans to “mobilize the radical middle” as he continues to weigh entering the 2024 presidential race as an independent candidate, he said Sunday. Manchin, who has decided to not seek reelection to the Senate as he eyes higher office, was asked Sunday if he has “made up his mind” about …

NBC News reports: The Senate passed a stopgap funding bill Wednesday night, punting the GOP’s spending fight and the threat of a government shutdown until after the holidays. The bipartisan vote was 87-11, with 10 Republicans and one Democrat — Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado — voting against the bill. “Because of bipartisan cooperation, we are keeping the government open …

Ars Technica reports: With Tesla’s first Cybertruck deliveries expected later this month, a now-deleted update to the electric carmaker’s terms of service said the firm could sue customers for $50,000 or more if they resell during the first year of ownership without first getting written permission from Tesla. The provision seemed designed to deter scalping for a car expected to …

CBS News reports: Sen. Joe Manchin says there’s “plenty of time” for him or someone else to pursue a third-party bid for president. And if he does decide to run, the West Virginia Democrat says he doesn’t believe that an independent candidate would just help reelect former President Donald Trump. In Manchin’s first interview since announcing he won’t run for …

NBC News reports: The House passed its continuing resolution, or “CR,” sending it to the Senate to avoid a shutdown. The U.S. government will run out of money at 12:01 a.m. Saturday if Congress fails to act this week. The plan devised by new Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., would extend funding for some government agencies through mid-January and others through …

Knoxville’s ABC affiliate reports: Police in Tazewell say Henry Meade, 40, was operating “Santa’s Train” at the town’s Christmas Tractor Parade — i.e., driving a motorized lawn mower that he was using to pull carts full of children and their families. On Saturday evening, visitors at the event said they saw Moore acting erratically. Local police officers were soon alerted …

Haaretz reports: Benjamin Netanyahu’s credibility with the Israeli public has taken a significant hit since October 7, with less than 4 percent of Jewish Israelis reporting that they trust the prime minister as the most reliable source of information regarding the war against Hamas, according to a new survey by Bar Ilan University. Moreover, the poll found that 41% of …

New York City’s ABC affiliate reports: The FDNY revealed Monday that a lithium-ion battery is to blame for a deadly fire in Brooklyn over the weekend. Three people were killed and 14 others were injured in the fast-moving fire in a brownstone on Sunday. Officials said there have been 238 fires linked to the batteries and the total number killed …

The Associated Press reports: The Supreme Court is adopting its first code of ethics, in the face of sustained criticism over undisclosed trips and gifts from wealthy benefactors to some justices. The policy was issued by the court Monday. The justices, who have hinted at internal deliberations over an ethics code, last met Thursday in their private conference room at …

The Associated Press reports: Secret Service agents protecting President Joe Biden’s granddaughter opened fire after three people tried to break into an unmarked Secret Service vehicle in the nation’s capital, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The agents, assigned to protect Naomi Biden, were out with her in the Georgetown neighborhood late Sunday night when they saw the …

Reuters reports: The South American nation, the region’s no. 2 economy and a major grains exporter, is facing its worst crisis in decades. Two-fifths of people live in poverty and a looming recession is shaking up Argentina’s presidential election run-off next Sunday. Rising voter anger is propelling a radical outsider, Javier Milei, the slight favorite in polls to beat economy …

The Hill reports: CNN anchor Dana Bash pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to respond to Israeli concerns on whether he would accept some responsibility for failing to anticipate the Oct. 7 massacre in an interview on Sunday. In response, Netanyahu repeatedly dodged the issue, saying on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he would discuss those concerns after the …

The Associated Press reports: The Louisiana Legislature has until Jan. 15 to enact a new congressional map after a lower court last year ruled that the current political boundaries dilute the power of the state’s Black voters, a federal New Orleans appeals court said Friday. However, whether current Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards will call a special session to redraw …

Spectrum Honolulu reports: The 14-year-old Trump International Hotel Waikiki is being rebranded as Wakea Waikiki Beach with a “monumental transformation” soon to be underway, according to developer and front desk owner Irongate and new designated manager LXR Hotels and Resorts. In separate news releases issued on Friday, Irongate and Trump Hotels announced what Trump Hotels termed a “significant buyout” of …

The BBC reports: A man has been crushed to death by a robot in South Korea after it failed to differentiate him from the boxes of food it was handling, reports say. The incident occurred when the man, a robotics company employee in his 40s, was inspecting the robot. The robotic arm, confusing the man for a box of vegetables, …

The Associated Press reports: Ohio voters approved a measure legalizing recreational marijuana on Tuesday, defying Republican legislative leaders who had failed to pass the proposed law. Passage of Issue 2 makes Ohio the 24th state to allow adult cannabis use for non-medical purposes. The new law will allow adults 21 and over to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces …