Iran makes new strait demands, the UAE says a ship was targeted and other Middle East news
Iran has issued dramatic new demands around the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Oman says talks to manage the strait between it and Iran are continuing. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates said on Saturday that an Iranian missile targeted one of its ships that's owned by Abu Dhabi’s state-run ADNOC oil company. No casualties were reported. Elsewhere in the region, Yemen’s military attacked the country's Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in response to the strikes, escalating tensions and threatening to reignite the civil war. And Turkey's foreign minister gave new details on a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.
Todd Blanche is narrowly confirmed as Trump's attorney general in an overnight Senate vote
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed Todd Blanche as the next attorney general of the United States. The 50-49 vote early Saturday came after a bruising confirmation fight that exposed deep concerns in both parties about installing President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney atop the Justice Department. While Blanche has already been leading the department in an acting capacity, his confirmation could free him to pursue the Trump administration’s agenda even more aggressively. Blanche’s supporters say his experience as a federal prosecutor and the trust he earned working for Trump as his personal attorney will help him in the role.
Zelenskyy visits Moscow-friendly Serbia as Russian attacks on Kyiv region kill 4
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in Serbia for talks on economic ties and security issues. The visit, which included talks with Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic on Saturday, is the first by a Ukrainian president in eight years. It came as Russian attacks on Kyiv and its surrounding region killed four people, including a child. Zelenskyy said deliveries of Patriot air defense interceptors had slowed and that the U.S. has agreed to let Ukraine manufacture Patriot systems, but bureaucracy is slowing the process of obtaining licenses.
Senate approves funding bill to avoid a shutdown before the election
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed a short-term measure to keep federal agencies funded into early December and avoid a government shutdown during campaign season. The Senate's passage of the bill in an overnight vote Saturday shows lawmakers are still smarting from the two historic shutdowns that occurred this past year. The bill generally funds the federal government at current levels though Dec. 11, but includes a variety of funding exceptions that senators negotiated with the White House. The bill will still need to clear the House before it can go to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.
Darline Graham tests value of a famous name vs. lack of experience in South Carolina primary
FLORENCE, S.C. (AP) — Darline Graham, the sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham, is running in a crowded Republican Senate primary on Tuesday. She was appointed to fill out his term after he died from a torn aorta. Now she wants to serve a full six years and has the endorsement of President Donald Trump. But some South Carolina Republicans said her lack of experience in elective office makes her a less appealing candidate. Graham in response cites her state government experience, plus the past several weeks she’s had serving as an interim senator doing work in Washington.
Iran's leaders think they have Trump cornered, but their strategy carries great risks
Iran's leaders believe that sooner or later the United States will have to accede to their control over the Strait of Hormuz. That would mark a victory in the five-month war, as the critical waterway carries a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas in peacetime. But Iran's strategy also carries major risks. A prolonged conflict could inflict further damage on Iran's economy and infrastructure, potentially triggering another wave of internal unrest. In the meantime, the conflict over the strait makes it difficult to wind down the wider war, much less resume negotiations over Iran's disputed nuclear program.
ICE says it expects to equip every field officer with body cameras by the end of August
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it expects every officer and agent in the field to be equipped with a body camera by the end of August, a rapid expansion that could provide an unprecedented visual record of the federal government’s immigration enforcement operations. But whether the public will get to see that footage remains largely up to ICE. The agency defended its body-worn camera policy amid questions about provisions allowing ICE leadership to withhold or indefinitely delay footage after serious injuries or deaths in custody. Venturella’s statement came in response to an Associated Press report on ICE policy.
Hunter Biden says his father's prostate cancer is causing him pain even as he continues to speak out
LONDON (AP) — Former U.S. President Joe Biden’s prostate cancer has spread to other parts of his body and is causing him pain, even as he continues to speak out on public issues. His son Hunter Biden said in an interview with the BBC broadcast late on Friday that his father's condition was very sad to watch. The younger Biden says “the cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones" and that it's "very painful and it’s very debilitating.” His 83-year-old father was the oldest man to serve as U.S. president and his age was a concern for much of his four years in office.
Lake Mead hits historic low water level as Colorado River struggles
BOULDER CITY, Nev. (AP) — The largest reservoir in the United States has plummeted to its lowest water level since it was created some 90 years ago. Federal data shows Lake Mead fell Friday to a level just below the prior record-low set in July 2022. It’s another sign of the crisis plaguing the Colorado River, a major waterway that supplies the U.S. West. The record comes after the worst snowpack on record for the Colorado River Basin. Federal officials recently announced a proposal to stave off a crisis in the beleaguered waterway by having the states of California, Nevada and Arizona to share cuts.
Trump goes unmentioned but not ignored as Clinton, Bush and Obama step up as essayists on presidents
WASHINGTON (AP) — Three ex-presidents have joined an all-star roster of historians in contributing to a series of essays about presidents back to George Washington. Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Chief Justice John Roberts are among the essayists in a project called In Pursuit. The project is led by Colleen Shogan, who was fired by President Donald Trump without explanation last year as the country's archivist. The bipartisan effort in intended to bring new insights to the public about 43 presidents and 30 first ladies in history. All presidents are examined except Joe Biden and Trump. They were judged too fresh to be appraised by history.
