AP News Summary at 7:16 p.m. EDT
Trump will campaign in Wisconsin with Brett Favre, who’s linked to a Mississippi welfare scandal
Donald Trump will be campaigning in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre. Favre is now shadowed by a welfare spending scandal in his home state of Mississippi. He’s among more than three dozen people or groups being sued as Mississippi tries to recover misspent money from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program. Kamala Harris will also be in Wisconsin with six days until Election Day. She will travel from Pennsylvania to Madison, Wisconsin, and then back south to North Carolina. Trump will be moving in the opposite direction, heading to Green Bay after an event in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
Harris promises to ‘represent all Americans’ after Biden’s remark on Trump supporters and ‘garbage’
HARRISBURG, Penn. (AP) — Kamala Harris is calling for Americans to “stop pointing fingers at each other” as she tries to push past comments made by President Joe Biden about Donald Trump’s supporters and “garbage.” Harris made her pitch in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the first of three rallies she was scheduled to attend Wednesday. She’s also heading to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Madison, Wisconsin, as part of a blitz of battleground states in the final week before Election Day. She stressed unity and common ground, expanding on her capstone speech Tuesday in Washington, where she laid out what her team called the “closing argument” of her campaign.
A new push to wind down the Middle East wars faces familiar challenges
BEIRUT (AP) — The United States and other mediators are ramping up efforts to halt the wars in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. They are circulating new proposals to wind down the regional conflict during the Biden administration’s final months. Negotiations have been stalled for months and the warring parties have shown no signs of backing down. Two senior White House officials will visit Israel on Thursday for talks on halting the fighting. A proposal to end the war between Israel and Hezbollah calls for a two-month cease-fire during which Israeli forces would withdraw from Lebanon, and Hezbollah would end its armed presence in the south. The U.S., Egypt and Qatar have proposed a four-week cease-fire in Gaza during which Hamas would release eight to 10 hostages.
A Gaza medic realizes he’s carrying his own mother’s body, killed by an Israeli airstrike
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — A Palestinian ambulance worker in Gaza was devastated to realize he was carrying his own mother’s body. Seeing her face at the hospital, Abed Bardini broke down in tears, saying: “I didn’t know it was her!” Palestinian health officials said an Israeli airstrike Wednesday killed 61-year-old Samira Bardini. She was standing near a car that was bombed by Israel, killing two men inside. Her body had been wrapped in a bloody sheet during the ride to the hospital. A spokesperson for the Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike.
North Korean troops in Russian uniforms are heading toward Ukraine, US says
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says North Korean troops wearing Russian uniforms and carrying Russian equipment are moving toward Ukraine. Austin called it a dangerous and destabilizing development during a press conference Wednesday with his South Korean counterpart. Concerns are growing about Pyongyang’s deployment of as many as 12,000 troops to Russia. Austin says officials are discussing what to do about the deployment, which he said has the potential to broaden or lengthen the conflict in Ukraine.
McDonald’s E. coli case count rises as federal officials inspect an onion grower
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal officials are reporting more cases of E. coli poisoning as they trace the supply of onions that are the leading culprit behind the outbreak. The onions were served on Quarter Pounder hamburgers at hundreds of McDonald’s locations and were distributed by Taylor Farms, a food supplier with a processing plant in Colorado. The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that it is inspecting the company’s Colorado facility as well as a farm in Washington state. According to the latest government update, 90 people were sickened, with 27 of them hospitalized. One death in Colorado has been tied to the outbreak.
Police say the man behind ballot box fires has metalworking experience and might plan more attacks
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Investigators say the man suspected of setting fires in ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington state is an experienced metalworker and may be planning additional attacks. Portland Police Bureau spokesman Mike Benner said Wednesday that authorities believe the man who set the incendiary devices at ballot boxes in Portland and nearby Vancouver, Washington, had a “wealth of experience” in metal fabrication and welding. The suspect is described as a white man, age 30 to 40, who is balding or has very short hair. Police previously said surveillance video showed the man driving a black or dark-colored 2001 to 2004 Volvo S-60. The vehicle didn’t have a front license plate, but did have a rear plate with unknown letters or numbers.
Abortion-rights groups outspend opponents by more than 6 to 1 in ballot measure campaigns
The groups promoting abortion-rights amendments on the ballots in nine states have outraised their opponents by more than 6 to 1 and are spending far more on ads. The majority of the money is being raised and spent around the question before voters in Florida. There’s been an influx of campaign funding in South Dakota. That includes money from a national abortion-rights group for the first time. South Dakota is the only state where opponents have significantly outraised abortion-rights supporters. Nebraska has competing ballot measures. Anti-abortion groups there have a smaller edge. The opponents have run modest campaigns in some states.
At least 95 people die in devastating flash floods in Spain
UTIEL, Spain (AP) — Authorities say flash floods in Spain turned village streets into rivers, ruined homes, disrupted transportation and killed at least 95 people. Emergency services in Valencia said Wednesday that at least 92 people have died in the eastern region due to the floods. Another two casualties were reported in neighboring Castilla La Mancha. One death occurred in Andalusia, in the south. Floods of muddy water tumbled vehicles down streets at high speeds. Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from their homes and rubber boats to rescue drivers stranded atop their cars.
Washington Post report: Subscriber loss after non-endorsement reaches a quarter million
The Washington Post has lost at least a quarter million subscribers since announcing last Friday it would not endorse a candidate in the presidential race. That’s according a report in the newspaper itself. That represents 10 percent of the paper’s digital subscriptions at a time the outlet — like most news organizations — is struggling to attract interest. Post owner Jeff Bezos has defended the decision, saying such editorials create a perception of bias, and have little impact on readers. But he did say he regretted the timing, coming so close to Election Day when political feelings are raw.
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