Earthquake response strains Colombia's new government and rescuers as they race against the clock
PEREIRA, Colombia (AP) — The search for life in the rubble of Colombia’s powerful earthquake is growing more desperate as search teams push up against a key time threshold to locate survivors before it's too late. The devastation is testing Colombia's new president as his government scrambles to respond to the natural disaster and ensure aid makes to the vulnerable communities most affected by Monday's quake and more than 100 aftershocks. At least 265 people died, and hundreds have been reported missing. Aid agencies consider the first 48 to 72 hours crucial for retrieving people alive, though that limit can be extended if those trapped have access to food and water.
ICE's plan to give officers electric shock gloves draws outrage and fears of misuse
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s plan to give officers gloves that deliver painful electric shocks is facing criticism from Democratic elected officials and civil rights advocates, who call it unnecessary and cruel. A notice published Monday says ICE plans to spend up to $20 million to outfit officers and agents with “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices." New York Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday that she is outraged by the plan and warned that ICE officers who misuse the gloves in her state could face criminal and civil consequences. The Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency, says it Is working to ensure officers “have the tools and equipment necessary to safely arrest and remove criminal illegal aliens."
New indictment alleges Nick Reiner was lying in wait before killing parents Rob and Michele Reiner
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles County grand jury has indicted Nick Reiner on murder charges in the killing of his parents, actor Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner. The indictment, unsealed Wednesday, includes an allegation that Reiner was lying in wait before attacking them. The couple was stabbed to death in their Brentwood home on December 14. Nick Reiner was arrested hours later and charged two days after the incident. The indictment allows prosecutors to skip California's preliminary hearing process. The lying in wait allegation makes Reiner eligible for the death penalty, though prosecutors haven't decided whether to seek it.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is leaving the Trump administration
WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt will be leaving the Trump administration at the end of the month to spend time with her young family. The 28-year-old Leavitt called it a “bittersweet decision” in a social media post Wednesday shortly after President Donald Trump announced she'd be stepping down. She is the youngest person in history to hold the role and recently gave birth to her second child. She said that, since returning to the White House from maternity leave, she has felt she could not devote enough time or attention to both roles. Trump said she will be one of his “top outside advisors.”
Minnesota man kills his wife and daughter at a daycare after killing another relative
HOPKINS, Minn. (AP) — Police in Minnesota say a man who killed his wife and their 7-year-old daughter at a daycare is also suspected of killing a 78-year-old relative in a separate attack. Police said Wednesday that the 41-year-old father fatally shot himself after stabbing his wife and the child at a home in Hopkins where she operated a daycare. At a Wednesday afternoon news conference, the police chief in Burnsville stepped forward and said a woman who was the man’s “close family relative” was also found dead at a home where they were both living. No other children were physically harmed at the daycare.
David Crowley's razor-thin primary win sets up Wisconsin governor's race against Trump's pick
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — David Crowley’s razor-thin primary win over a democratic socialist in swing state Wisconsin sets up a match against a congressman who has voted with President Donald Trump 100% of the time. It is a dream scenario for Democrats and a potential nightmare for Republicans. Crowley overcame Francesca Hong in dramatic, narrow fashion in Tuesday’s primary, stunning pundits and pollsters who had long placed Hong as the front-runner. Now Tiffany must pivot to face a challenger from Milwaukee, the state’s largest source of Democratic voters, known for working across the aisle with Republicans.
Republicans see Minnesota fraud scandal as a chance to go on offense in a blue state
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Republicans in Minnesota see a chance to regain influence after a fraud scandal rocked state government. On Tuesday, former sportscaster Michele Tafoya won the Senate nomination, and state House speaker Lisa Demuth secured the primary for governor. Both candidates defeated rivals seen as too extreme for Minnesota's left-leaning voters. The GOP hopes to capitalize on the scandal, which involved hundreds of millions of dollars meant for social services. Republicans believe this could sway voters. They face challenges, including President Donald Trump's unpopularity.
Israel says Gaza drone strike targeted a Hamas commander, and other developments in the Mideast
Israel's military says it struck a Hamas commander in northern Gaza targeted drone strike. The attack Wednesday marks the first targeted strike Israel has announced since Aug. 3. Targeted strikes have come under closer scrutiny since President Donald Trump announced a deal aimed at advancing peace efforts in Gaza that would include halting them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected Trump's plan earlier this week days after meeting with Board of Peace officials who urged Israel to stop the strikes. The Israeli military did not provide details about the man targeted or say whether he was killed.
Ex-Southern Poverty Law Center official charged in broader criminal case against group
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Newly unsealed court records show that a former Southern Poverty Law Center official has been charged in the Department of Justice’s broader criminal case against the Alabama-based civil rights group. Heidi Beirich is a political extremism expert who left the law center about six years ago. She made her initial court appearance in California on Wednesday. Her lawyer says Beirich is innocent and contends that prosecutors are trying to punish his client for her “decades-long record of success dismantling hate groups.” The charges include wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to submit false statements to a federally insured bank.
Millions crowd Spanish cities to see country's first total solar eclipse in over a century
MEDINACELI, Spain (AP) — Millions of people crowded cloudless cities and towns in Spain in search of the best views of a total solar eclipse, when the alignment of the sun, moon and Earth briefly plunged parts of the planet into darkness. The crowds brought lawn chairs and umbrellas as they eagerly awaited the celestial spectacle, which began early in the evening. As the sky darkened, people broke into applause and cheered. It was the country’s first total solar eclipse in more than a century. Across a wide band of northern and central Spain and Portugal, millions of people enjoyed some of mainland Europe’s best views of the eclipse.
