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Humans have been exploring space for almost 70 years. But if we thought all that experience would make it any easier for us to venture beyond our planet, then 2024 has put that idea to rest. While there have been some major achievements in space exploration this year, including China returning farside lunar samples to Earth for the first time , a record-breaking student-made rocket and the first-ever private spacewalk , there have also been some major blunders from NASA, SpaceX and other organizations from across the globe. From astronauts stranded on board a leaky space station and crashlanding moon landers to a tumbling solar sail, here are 10 of the biggest space mishaps of 2024. Related: NASA delays historic Artemis missions — yet again Astronauts stranded in space The most high-profile and long-running space mishap story in 2024 was probably the saga of Boeing's leaky Starliner capsule, which stranded NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams on board the International Space Station (ISS) in June. The defective capsule, which had multiple issues, eventually returned to Earth without passengers in September, after several delays as NASA scrambled to find a solution . Some experts claimed that the astronauts would have been perfectly safe on board the returning vessel. However, this was disputed by other experts. The pair were originally supposed to spend just a week in space, but by the end of 2024 they will have spent 209 days on the ISS and are not scheduled to return until at least March 2025 . Sign up for the Live Science daily newsletter now Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox. ISS leak and 'areas of concern' If Wilmore and Williams' time on board the ISS was not already dramatic enough, in September, a new report highlighted the urgency of a long-running leak aboard the space station and identified 50 additional "areas of concern" related to it. The leak was first identified in Russia's section of the ISS in 2019 and has since spawned several other cracks in that part of the station. The leak and resulting cracks have been temporarily treated with "sealant and patches" but are still letting some air escape into space. The new report warned that a permanent fix is needed to avoid a cascade of other issues and a potential "catastrophic failure" in the next few years. However, the Russian space agency Roscosmos disagrees about the severity of the issue and is so far refusing to fix it , likely because the ISS is scheduled to be demolished in 2030 . Florida house hit by space junk The final and potentially most alarming ISS mishap of note this year was when a mysterious piece of space junk fell back to Earth in March and crashed through the roof of a family house in Naples, Florida . NASA later admitted that the falling debris, which was around 4 inches (10 centimeters) across, was the charred remains of a pallet of batteries ejected from the ISS in 2021 . The debris was expected to completely burn up in the atmosphere, but this did not happen. In June, the house's owners filed a lawsuit against NASA , asking the agency to pay up to $80,000 in damages. This case has not been resolved yet. Moon lander fails While China's lunar samples return mission has been a huge success this year, other agencies and private organizations have had less success in sending spacecraft to the moon in 2024. First, in January, Astrobiotic Technology's Peregrine spacecraft, which was carrying the first private lunar lander to the moon, malfunctioned shortly after takeoff and became stranded in space before eventually falling back toward our planet and burning up in our atmosphere . This launch had already been heavily criticized before takeoff because the spacecraft was attempting to carry human remains to the moon . Later the same month, Japan successfully launched and landed its Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM), also known as the "moon sniper" thanks to its incredibly accurate navigation system. However, the spacecraft didn't live up to its nickname and ended up landing upside down . Despite this, the lander managed to survive for several months despite its solar panels being pointed at the ground. In February, another private lander, Odysseus, completed its trip to the moon and became the first U.S. spacecraft to touch down on the lunar surface in more than 50 years . However, the spacecraft, built by Intuitive Machines, also didn't quite stick the landing and ended up faceplanting in the dust , shortly before succumbing to the bitter cold of the lunar night. Tumbling solar sail In August, attention turned to NASA's new Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3), which finally unfurled its massive 860-square-foot (80 square meters) foil sail after launching into space in April. However, the big reveal didn't exactly go to plan. Live Science was the first outlet to report that initial observations suggested the solar sail was uncontrollably tumbling end over end in orbit around Earth, which was later confirmed by the first photos of the giant silver sail . However, mission scientists claimed this had been expected and said the issue would be resolved shortly. But in October, Live Science's sister site Space.com revealed that the main boom holding ACS3's sail had bent and the spacecraft was still tumbling. It is unclear if this problem has been rectified. Mars robots take a hit In January, NASA's Ingenuity helicopter ended its roughly three-year mission after sustaining fatal damage in a crash landing during its 72nd flight on the Red Planet. Subsequent photos revealed a large section was missing from one of the flying robot's rotor blades , damage which cannot be repaired. The helicopter is still technically operational and could have a second life as a weather station over the next few decades. But astronauts might need to go to Mars to retrieve any of the data it collects . NASA's Curiosity rover, which has been tirelessly surveying Mars for more than 12 years, also sustained some serious damage this year. Images released in September show a series of holes in the rover's middle right wheel , including a gaping tear that exposes the inner mechanisms of the wheel's drum. However, the rover shows no immediate signs of being slowed down by its injuries and is currently en route to explore mysterious Martian "spiderwebs." Multiple Voyager issues After more than 90 combined years of relatively smooth sailing through the solar system , and now interstellar space, NASA's historic Voyager probes experienced some pretty major issues in 2024. Voyager 1, which launched in 1977 just a few weeks after Voyager 2, has had the most eventful year of the two probes. The craft spent the first few months of the year transmitting "gibberish” signals . NASA identified the problem and implemented a temporary fix in March when the probe was a staggering 15 billion miles (24 billion kilometers) from Earth. But the problem partially persisted until the agency eventually restored full communication in June. Then, in September, the probe performed a risky maneuver to start relying on different thrusters , after its main propulsion system suddenly went offline. And in October, NASA temporarily lost contact with the probe again when its main radio transmitter broke and it had to switch to a backup. Voyager 2 had a quieter year but also experienced some setbacks, including having to shut off one of its long-running scientific instruments to conserve its dwindling power levels. Falcon 9 rockets grounded (3 times) SpaceX 's iconic Falcon 9 rockets have shattered records in 2024, launching more than 120 times this year — mostly to deploy the company's ever-expanding Starlink megaconstellation . However, these launches have not always been plain sailing. The rocket was temporarily grounded three times in three consecutive months this year as federal agencies investigated various malfunctions with the spacecraft. The first grounding occurred in July when 20 Starlink satellites unexpectedly fell to Earth after being prematurely released into low-Earth orbit by their rocket. The second temporary ban came into effect in August when one of the rocket's reusable boosters exploded during a routine landing . And the third no-flight order came in September when another rocket crashed back to Earth in the wrong part of the ocean . Starship lost (and blowing holes in the atmosphere) While Falcon 9 has been busy in 2024, SpaceX's superheavy Starship rocket has often overshadowed its smaller relative with multiple high-profile launches this year — and the first successful recovery of one of its boosters, which was caught with chopstick-like pincers . However, the larger rocket has also run into a few problems this year, most noticeably when it was lost in the Indian Ocean in March, shortly after making it into orbit around Earth for the first time. The spacecraft was misplaced after a communication error prevented SpaceX from tracking its reentry. This year it was also revealed that Starship's second-ever launch, which happened in 2023, triggered a first-of-its-kind atmospheric hole when the rocket exploded shortly after liftoff. Shattering spacecraft As the space around Earth becomes increasingly crowded, the potential for things to go wrong — and the potential fallout from these disasters — also increases. And 2024 gave us several reminders of this. First, in June, ISS astronauts had to temporarily shelter in their return capsules — including Boeing's leaky Starliner pod — when Russia's Resurs-P1 satellite suddenly broke into more than 100 pieces near the space station. Then in August, a Chinese rocket exploded into more than 300 pieces after deploying the first of the country's "Thousand Sails" satellite constellation in space. It is still unclear exactly what went wrong. However, astronomers are concerned about how extremely bright the new satellites are. And in October, the Boeing-made satellite Intelsat 33e suddenly shattered into more than 20 pieces without warning. Scientists are still trying to figure out what happened. There was also a close call in February when a NASA probe and a Russian communication satellite narrowly avoided colliding with one another , which could have ended up being even more destructive than the examples above.NEW YORK — The man accused of burning a woman to death inside a New York City subway train used a shirt to fan the flames, a prosecutor said Tuesday at his arraignment on murder charges. Sebastian Zapeta, 33, who federal immigration officials said is a Guatemalan citizen who entered the U.S. illegally, was not required to enter a plea and did not speak at the hearing in Brooklyn criminal court. Zapeta, wearing a white jumpsuit over a weathered black hooded sweatshirt, will remain jailed at the city’s Rikers Island complex and is due back in court on Friday. His lawyer did not ask for bail. Zapeta is charged with two counts of murder, accusing him of intentionally killing the woman and killing her while committing arson. He is also charged with one count of arson. The top charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison without parole. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez called the attack a “gruesome and senseless act of violence” and said it would be “met with the most serious consequences.” The apparently random attack occurred Sunday morning on an F train that was stopped at the Coney Island station. The victim’s identification is still pending. Authorities say Zapeta approached the woman, who may have been sleeping in the train, and set her clothing on fire with a lighter. Zapeta then fanned the flames with a shirt, engulfing her in fire, Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg said in court Tuesday. Zapeta then sat on a bench on the subway platform and watched, Rottenberg said. According to Rottenberg, Zapeta told detectives that he didn’t know what happened but identified himself in images of the attack. Zapeta’s lawyer, public defender Andrew Friedman, did not speak to reporters after the arraignment. A message seeking comment was left for him. Video on social media appears to show some people looking on from the platform and at least one police officer walking by while the woman is on fire inside the train. NYPD Transit Chief Joseph Gulotta said Sunday that several officers responded to the fire and one stayed to keep the crime scene “the way it’s supposed to be” while the others went to get fire extinguishers and transit workers. “Officers who were on patrol on an upper level of that station smelled and saw smoke and went to investigate. What they saw was a person standing inside the train car fully engulfed in flames,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. They eventually put the fire out, but “unfortunately, it was too late,” Tisch said, and the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Zapeta was taken into custody Sunday afternoon while riding a train on the same subway line after teenagers recognized him from images circulated by the police. A Brooklyn address for Zapeta released by police matches a shelter that provides housing and substance abuse support. The shelter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Federal immigration officials said Zapeta was deported in 2018 but later reentered the U.S. illegally. The crime deepened a growing sense of unease among some New Yorkers about the safety of the subway system, amplified by graphic video of the attack that ricocheted across social media. Overall, crime is down in the transit system compared to last year. Major felonies declined 6% between January and November compared to the same time period last year, according to data from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. But murders are up, with nine killings this year through November compared to five during the same period last year. There have also been several high-profile incidents, including one in September where police inadvertently shot two bystanders and a fellow officer when they opened fire on a man holding a knife in front of a train. Earlier this month, a Manhattan jury acquitted former Marine Daniel Penny in the chokehold death last year of an agitated subway rider. The case became a flashpoint in debates over safety, homelessness and mental illness on the system. Policing the subway is difficult, given the vast network of trains moving between 472 stations. Each stop contains multiple entry points and, in many stations, multiple floors and platforms. This story has been corrected to show that the name of Zapeta’s lawyer is Andrew Friedman, not Ed Friedman.
Freedom Party quits Tonse Alliance admin: Kachali wants Chakwera to fix fuel, forex crisesMumbai: Tight races and unexpected outcomes marked the polls in the city, with several incumbent MLAs securing narrower victories compared to their 2019 performance. Five sitting MLAs faced particularly challenging contests before emerging victorious. Of the 32 sitting MLAs who sought re-election in Mumbai (which has 36 assembly constituencies), 25 retained their seats. IPL 2025 mega auction IPL Auction 2025: Who got whom IPL 2025 Auction: Updated Full Team Squads While nine improved their victory margins, others witnessed reductions (see graphic). Shiv Sena's Mangesh Kudalkar from Kurla experienced an 80% reduction in his winning margin, dropping from 21,013 in 2019 to 4,187. The constituency's demographic mix of 38% Marathi-speaking and 32% Muslim voters, coupled with Sena (UBT) fielding former corporator Pravina Morajkar, created a competitive environment. In Worli, Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray's victory margin decreased substantially from 67,427 in 2019 to 8,801 against Shiv Sena's Milind Deora, a former Union minister and Rajya Sabha MP backed by CM Eknath Shinde. Vikhroli, considered to be a bastion of Sena UBT for two terms, once again elected Sunil Raut as their MLA. But the going was not as smooth as last time for him; Raut faced a political fight from former party colleague and grassroots worker Suvarna Karanje, who had switched allegiance to Shiv Sena and was pitted against him. His margin plunged 44%. In Dindoshi, Sunil Prabhu, suffered a loss in margin from 44,511 in 2019 to 6,182 against Sena's Sanjay Nirupam. An analyst said Nirupam gave a "tough fight" despite BJP not campaigning for him. Sena UBT's Ajay Choudhari in Sewri saw his margin decrease from 40,000 to 7,140 against MNS's Bala Nandgaonkar. Similarly, Malad MLA Aslam Shaikh's margin dropped from 10,383 to 6,227. Conversely, some MLAs improved their performance. Chandivli's Dilip Lande increased his margin from 409 to 20,625 votes, attributed to grassroots engagement and successful implementation of the Ladki Bahin scheme. BJP's Rahul Narwekar in Colaba tripled his margin to 48,581 votes. At 45, he became India's youngest state legislature Speaker and was tasked by SC to address Shiv Sena's disqualification petitions in May 2023. For BJP's Mihir Kotecha, voters from Mulund's high-rises boosted the victory margin: he won by over 90,000 votes. Then, in Mumbadevi, MLA Amin Patel said he worked relentlessly in his constituency, especially improving education and health needs of voters, which helped him gain a better margin this time than in 2019.Achilles Therapeutics plc ( NASDAQ:ACHL – Get Free Report ) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest in the month of December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 90,300 shares, a decline of 33.9% from the November 30th total of 136,700 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 163,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.6 days. Approximately 0.2% of the company’s shares are sold short. Achilles Therapeutics Price Performance Shares of ACHL opened at $1.13 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $1.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $0.91. The stock has a market cap of $46.44 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.68 and a beta of 1.37. Achilles Therapeutics has a one year low of $0.63 and a one year high of $1.76. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Achilles Therapeutics A hedge fund recently raised its stake in Achilles Therapeutics stock. XTX Topco Ltd grew its holdings in Achilles Therapeutics plc ( NASDAQ:ACHL – Free Report ) by 239.4% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 51,660 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 36,441 shares during the period. XTX Topco Ltd owned approximately 0.13% of Achilles Therapeutics worth $42,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. 56.38% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. About Achilles Therapeutics Achilles Therapeutics plc, a biopharmaceutical company, develops precision T cell therapies to treat solid tumors. Its platform identifies mutations formed early in the development of cancer. The company offers PELEUS, a proprietary AI-powered bioinformatics platform, used to identify clonal neoantigens in a patient. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Achilles Therapeutics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Achilles Therapeutics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter .
South Korean MPs vote to impeach second president in as many weeks
Eagles' Jalen Hurts in concussion protocol; Kenny Pickett hurt, tooWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump's movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump's Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer's comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar." Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry's need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump's world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift. His presidential transition team did not respond to questions about positions on visas for highly skilled workers or the debate between his supporters online. Instead, his team instead sent a link to a post on X by longtime adviser and immigration hard-liner Stephen Miller that was a transcript of a speech Trump gave in 2020 at Mount Rushmore in which he praised figures and moments from American history. Musk, the world's richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump's movement but his stance on the tech industry's hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry's need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent," he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Trump's own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump's businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country" and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country," he told the “All-In" podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump's budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.South Korean MPs vote to impeach second president in as many weeks
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Wall Street, led by Big Tech, rallies ahead of the Christmas holidayPresident Jimmy Carter in Bangor in February 1978. Carter stayed overnight with a family in their home while in Bangor for a town hall meeting and to campaign for U.S. Senator Bill Hathaway. Photo courtesy of Buddy Murray Gov. Janet Mills said in a statement Sunday evening that she is mourning the loss of former President Jimmy Carter, who died Sunday at his home in Georgia. Mills said Carter “led a remarkable life centered around service to others” and extended her condolences to his family. “President Carter spent his life working to make our world a better place. He was the moral conscience of a nation whose words and deeds demonstrated that the human capacity for kindness and goodness is limitless,” Mills wrote. “America has lost a true model of servant leadership.” Many in Maine had just celebrated Carter’s 100th birthday in October, remembering his visits to the Pine Tree state in the 1970s. In February 1978, he stayed with the Murray family in Bangor to campaign for U.S. Sen. Bill Hathaway, D-Maine, and to hold a town hall meeting. Cynthia Murray-Beliveau, told the Press Herald the visit felt “unreal.” “I remember thinking, ‘This is unreal. The president of the United States is in our living room,’” Murray-Beliveau said in October. Carter also played a key role in the careers of U.S. Sen. George Mitchell and former governor and U.S. Sen. Ed Muskie — who served as Carter’s secretary of state from 1980 to 1981. His staff helped negotiate the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act , which provided reparations to Wabanaki tribes for land that was taken from them, but has also limited the applicability of federal laws that apply to and benefit tribes in other states. Carter had also stayed overnight in South Portland with former Gov. Ken Curtis and his wife, Polly, while campaigning for the presidency. It was at their home where Carter was interviewed by broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite. He was a “famously considerate house guest” who always made his bed, including at the Curtis’ home, Kermit Lipez, a friend and former staffer in Curtis’ administration, told the Press Herald in October. This story will be updated. Mainers look back at Jimmy Carter’s visits, impacts as the former president turns 100 Maine Voices: Jimmy Carter has always been true to the standards he set for himself Maine Voices: I am grateful to you, Jimmy Carter, for being my role model We invite you to add your comments. We encourage a thoughtful exchange of ideas and information on this website. By joining the conversation, you are agreeing to our commenting policy and terms of use . More information is found on our FAQs . You can modify your screen name here . Comments are managed by our staff during regular business hours Monday through Friday as well as limited hours on Saturday and Sunday. Comments held for moderation outside of those hours may take longer to approve. Please sign into your Press Herald account to participate in conversations below. If you do not have an account, you can register or subscribe . Questions? Please see our FAQs . Your commenting screen name has been updated. Send questions/comments to the editors. « Previous
SpaceX knocks out 1st of final 2 Space Coast launches of 2024Israel cracks down on Palestinian citizens who speak out against the war in Gaza UMM AL-FAHM, Israel (AP) — In the year since the war in Gaza broke out, Israel's government has been cracking down on dissent among its Palestinian citizens. Authorities have charged Palestinians with “supporting terrorism” because of posts online or for demonstrating against the war. Activists and rights watchdogs say Palestinians have also lost jobs, been suspended from schools and faced police interrogations. Palestinians make up about 20% of Israel's population. Many feel forced to self-censor out of fear of being jailed and further marginalized in society. Others still find ways to dissent, but carefully. Israel's National Security Ministry counters that, “Freedom of speech is not the freedom to incite.” Israel says rabbi who went missing in the UAE was killed TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says the body of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi who went missing in the United Arab Emirates has been found, citing Emirati authorities. The statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Sunday said Zvi Kogan was killed, calling it a “heinous antisemitic terror incident.” It said: “The state of Israel will act with all means to seek justice with the criminals responsible for his death." Kogan went missing on Thursday, and there were suspicions he had been kidnapped. His disappearance comes as Iran has been threatening to retaliate against Israel after the two countries traded fire in October. Israeli strike kills Lebanese soldier and wounds 18 as Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli strike on a Lebanese army center has killed one soldier and wounded 18 others, the Lebanese military said. The Hezbollah militant group meanwhile fired barrages of rockets into northern and central Israel, wounding at least five people. Israeli strikes have killed over 40 Lebanese troops since the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah, even as Lebanon's military has largely kept to the sidelines. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has acknowledged mistakenly hitting Lebanese troops while saying they are not a target of its campaign against the militants. After Trump's Project 2025 denials, he is tapping its authors and influencers for key roles WASHINGTON (AP) — During the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump had hailed what would become Project 2025 as a conservative roadmap for “exactly what our movement will do." Trump pulled an about-face when Project 2025 became a political liability. He denied knowing anything about the “ridiculous and abysmal” plans, even though some were written by his former aides and many allies. Now, after winning the 2024 election, Trump is stocking his second administration with key players in the effort he temporarily shunned. Trump has tapped Russell Vought for an encore as director of the Office of Management and Budget; Tom Homan, his former immigration chief, as “border czar;” and immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of policy. Trump's Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It's a shift seen in his labor pick WASHINGTON (AP) — Working-class voters helped Republicans make steady election gains this year and expanded a coalition that increasingly includes rank-and-file union members. It's a political shift spotlighting one of President-elect Donald Trump’s latest Cabinet picks: a GOP congresswoman, who has drawn labor support, to be his labor secretary. Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer narrowly lost her bid for a second term this month, despite strong backing from union members. They're a key part of the Democratic base but are gravitating in the Trump era toward a Republican Party traditionally allied with business interests. Forecasts warn of possible winter storms across US during Thanksgiving week WINDSOR, Calif. (AP) — Forecasters in the U.S. have warned of another round of winter weather that could complicate travel leading up to Thanksgiving. California is bracing for more snow and rain this weekend while still grappling with some flooding and small landslides from a previous storm. The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning for California's Sierra Nevada through Tuesday, with heavy snow expected at high elevations. Thousands remained without power in the Seattle area on Saturday after a “bomb cyclone” storm system hit the West Coast earlier in the week, killing two people. Parts of the Northeast and Appalachia also began the weekend with heavy precipitation. Pakistan partially stops mobile and internet services ahead of pro-Imran Khan protest ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has suspended mobile and internet services “in areas with security concerns” as supporters of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan gear up for a protest in the capital. The government and Interior Ministry made the announcement on X, which is banned in Pakistan. Sunday's protest is to demand Khan's release. He has been in prison for more than a year but remains popular. His supporters rely heavily on social media and messaging apps to coordinate with each other. Pakistan has already sealed off Islamabad and shut down major roads and highways connecting the city with Khan's power bases. Here's what to know about the new funding deal that countries agreed to at UN climate talks BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — In the wee hours Sunday at the United Nations climate talks, countries from around the world reached an agreement on how rich countries can cough up the funds to support poor countries in the face of climate change. But it’s a far-from-perfect arrangement, with many parties still unsatisfied but hopeful that the deal will be a step in the right direction. Japan holds Sado mines memorial despite South Korean boycott amid lingering historical tensions SADO, Japan (AP) — Japan has held a memorial ceremony near the Sado Island Gold Mines despite a last-minute boycott of the event by South Korea that highlighted tensions between the neighbors over the issue of Korean forced laborers at the site before and during World War II. South Korea’s absence at Sunday’s memorial, to which Seoul government officials and Korean victims’ families were invited, is a major setback in the rapidly improving ties between the two countries, which since last year have set aside their historical disputes to prioritize U.S.-led security cooperation. Chuck Woolery, smooth-talking game show host of 'Love Connection' and 'Scrabble,' dies at 83 NEW YORK (AP) — Chuck Woolery, the affable, smooth-talking game show host of “Wheel of Fortune,” “Love Connection” and “Scrabble” who later became a right-wing podcaster, skewering liberals and accusing the government of lying about COVID-19, has died. He was 83. Mark Young, Woolery’s podcast co-host and friend, said in an email early Sunday that Woolery died at his home in Texas with his wife, Kristen, present. Woolery, with his matinee idol looks, coiffed hair and ease with witty banter, was inducted into the American TV Game Show Hall of Fame in 2007 and earned a daytime Emmy nomination in 1978. He teamed up with Young for the podcast “Blunt Force Truth” and became a full supporter Donald Trump.Yankees’ Aaron Judge wins 2nd AL MVP award
Texas hospitals are now required to ask for patients' citizenship. Here's what you should know.
Eagles seek 7th straight win while Rams try to keep pace in crowded NFC West raceAmericans worried about Social Security’s futureEverton striker Neal Maupay has sparked outrage among Toffees fans by taking a swipe at his parent club in a post on social media. Maupay also had a dig at Everton when he departed on loan to Marseille in the summer and his latest taunt has further angered the Premier League club’s supporters. The 28-year-old said on X after Sean Dyche’s side had lost 2-0 to Nottingham Forest at Goodison Park on Sunday: “Whenever I’m having a bad day I just check the Everton score and smile.” Whenever I’m having a bad day I just check the Everton score and smile 🙂 — Neal Maupay (@nealmaupay_) December 29, 2024 Former boxer Tony Bellew was among the Toffees’ supporters who responded to Maupay, with the ex-world cruiserweight champion replying on X with: “P****!” Maupay endured a miserable spell at Everton, scoring just one league goal in 29 appearances after being signed by the Merseysiders for an undisclosed fee in 2022. He departed on a season-long loan to his former club Brentford for the 2023-24 season and left Goodison for a second time in August when Marseille signed him on loan with an obligation to make the deal permanent. After leaving Everton in the summer, Maupay outraged their fans by posting on social media a scene from the film Shawshank Redemption, famous for depicting the main character’s long fight for freedom.Impatience over polls hurting reforms
ATLANTA (AP) — Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer who tried to restore virtue to the White House after the Watergate scandal and Vietnam War, then rebounded from a landslide defeat to become a global advocate of human rights and democracy, has died. He was 100 years old . The Carter Center said the 39th president died Sunday afternoon, more than a year after entering hospice care , at his home in Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife, Rosalynn, who died in November 2023, lived most of their lives. The center said he died peacefully, surrounded by his family. A moderate Democrat, Carter ran for president in 1976 as a little-known Georgia governor with a broad grin, effusive Baptist faith and technocratic plans for efficient government. His promise to never deceive the American people resonated after Richard Nixon’s disgrace and U.S. defeat in southeast Asia. “If I ever lie to you, if I ever make a misleading statement, don’t vote for me. I would not deserve to be your president,” Carter said. Carter’s victory over Republican Gerald Ford, whose fortunes fell after pardoning Nixon, came amid Cold War pressures, turbulent oil markets and social upheaval over race, women’s rights and America’s role in the world. His achievements included brokering Mideast peace by keeping Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin at Camp David for 13 days in 1978. But his coalition splintered under double-digit inflation and the 444-day hostage crisis in Iran. His negotiations ultimately brought all the hostages home alive, but in a final insult, Iran didn’t release them until the inauguration of Ronald Reagan, who had trounced him in the 1980 election. Humbled and back home in Georgia, Carter said his faith demanded that he keep doing whatever he could, for as long as he could, to try to make a difference. He and Rosalynn co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 and spent the next 40 years traveling the world as peacemakers, human rights advocates and champions of democracy and public health. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002, Carter helped ease nuclear tensions in North and South Korea, avert a U.S. invasion of Haiti and negotiate cease-fires in Bosnia and Sudan. By 2022, the center had monitored at least 113 elections around the world. Carter was determined to eradicate guinea worm infections as one of many health initiatives. Swinging hammers into their 90s, the Carters built homes with Habitat for Humanity. The common observation that he was better as an ex-president rankled Carter. His allies were pleased that he lived long enough to see biographers and historians revisit his presidency and declare it more impactful than many understood at the time. Propelled in 1976 by voters in Iowa and then across the South, Carter ran a no-frills campaign. Americans were captivated by the earnest engineer, and while an election-year Playboy interview drew snickers when he said he “had looked on many women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times,” voters tired of political cynicism found it endearing. The first family set an informal tone in the White House, carrying their own luggage, trying to silence the Marine Band’s traditional “Hail to the Chief" and enrolling daughter, Amy, in public schools. Carter was lampooned for wearing a cardigan and urging Americans to turn down their thermostats. But Carter set the stage for an economic revival and sharply reduced America's dependence on foreign oil by deregulating the energy industry along with airlines, trains and trucking. He established the departments of Energy and Education, appointed record numbers of women and nonwhites to federal posts, preserved millions of acres of Alaskan wilderness and pardoned most Vietnam draft evaders. Emphasizing human rights , he ended most support for military dictators and took on bribery by multinational corporations by signing the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He persuaded the Senate to ratify the Panama Canal treaties and normalized relations with China, an outgrowth of Nixon’s outreach to Beijing. But crippling turns in foreign affairs took their toll. When OPEC hiked crude prices, making drivers line up for gasoline as inflation spiked to 11%, Carter tried to encourage Americans to overcome “a crisis of confidence.” Many voters lost confidence in Carter instead after the infamous address that media dubbed his “malaise" speech, even though he never used that word. After Carter reluctantly agreed to admit the exiled Shah of Iran to the U.S. for medical treatment, the American Embassy in Tehran was overrun in 1979. Negotiations to quickly free the hostages broke down, and then eight Americans died when a top-secret military rescue attempt failed. Carter also had to reverse course on the SALT II nuclear arms treaty after the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979. Though historians would later credit Carter's diplomatic efforts for hastening the end of the Cold war, Republicans labeled his soft power weak. Reagan’s “make America great again” appeals resonated, and he beat Carter in all but six states. Born Oct. 1, 1924, James Earl Carter Jr. married fellow Plains native Rosalynn Smith in 1946, the year he graduated from the Naval Academy. He brought his young family back to Plains after his father died, abandoning his Navy career, and they soon turned their ambitions to politics . Carter reached the state Senate in 1962. After rural white and Black voters elected him governor in 1970, he drew national attention by declaring that “the time for racial discrimination is over.” Carter published more than 30 books and remained influential as his center turned its democracy advocacy onto U.S. politics, monitoring an audit of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election results. After a 2015 cancer diagnosis, Carter said he felt “perfectly at ease with whatever comes.” “I’ve had a wonderful life,” he said. “I’ve had thousands of friends, I’ve had an exciting, adventurous and gratifying existence.” Contributors include former AP staffer Alex Sanz in Atlanta.India not ‘lucky’ on security front, stay vigilant against enemies: Rajnath to Armymen
Texans detail extent of WR Tank Dell's knee injuryEagles seek 7th straight win while Rams try to keep pace in crowded NFC West race