AP News Summary at 11:46 p.m. EDT
Hamas frees two Israeli women as US advises delaying ground war to allow talks on captives
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The International Committee of the Red Cross says Hamas militants have released two hostages it had been holding captive in the Gaza Strip. It was the second time the group has freed hostages seized in its bloody Oct. 7 cross-border incursion into Israel. The hostages were identified by Israeli media as Yocheved Lifshitz and Nurit Cooper of the Israeli kibbutz of Nir Oz. A U.S. official said Monday that Washington has advised Israel to delay a possible ground invasion to allow more time to try and secure the release of more hostages. Palestinian officials and witnesses say heavy airstrikes across Gaza demolished buildings, killing hundreds of people.
Pentagon rushes defenses and advisers to Middle East as Israel’s ground assault in Gaza looms
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has sent advisers, including a Marine Corps general versed in urban warfare, to Israel to assist in its plans to conduct a ground assault in Gaza. It also is speeding multiple sophisticated air defense systems to the Middle East to defend U.S. bases in anticipation of additional retaliatory strikes by Iranian-backed groups. The U.S. is sending multiple Patriot battalions and a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, as well as repositioning the Eisenhower strike group to the Middle East. A U.S. official says one of the officers leading the assistance is Marine Corps Lt. Gen. James Glynn, who previously helped lead special operations forces against the Islamic State militant group.
Two weeks ago she was thriving. Now, a middle-class mom in Gaza struggles to survive
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip (AP) — Yousra Abu Sharekh’s life was turned upside down within days after Israel declared war on Gaza days after Hamas’ bloody rampage over two weeks ago. The 33-year-old mother spends her days securing food for her two children, taking care of her mother in a crowded U.N. shelter and checking in on her father who still lives in their Gaza City home despite Israeli evacuation orders. It’s a far cry from her life before the recent escalation. She had started a coveted new job after graduating from an American university with a prestigious scholarship. She is among many middle-class Palestinians in Gaza who’s lives have been upended.
It’s Day 20 with no House speaker, and lower-level names seek Trump’s support and race for the gavel
WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s Day 20 without a House speaker, and Republicans are starting over. They convened again Monday evening without any idea who will lead and when they will be able to get Congress back to work. Eight lower-level Republican lawmakers are now running to be speaker after Rep. Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania dropped out. None of those remaining has any clear shot for the gavel. Senior-most is Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota. He and others are reaching out to Donald Trump for backing. Party members heard from the candidates ahead of internal party voting, which is expected Tuesday.
‘Superfog’ in Louisiana blamed for highway crashes that killed at least 7 people, officials say
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Authorities say at least seven people have been killed after a “superfog” of smoke from south Louisiana marsh fires and dense fog caused multiple massive car crashes involving 158 vehicles. Louisiana State Police said in a statement Monday that 25 people were injured and the number of fatalities may increase as first responders continue to clear the crash scenes and search for victims. The crashes turned Interstate 55 near New Orleans into an apocalyptic scene of mangled and scorched cars as people cried out for help. Gov. John Bel Edwards issued a call for blood donors and asked for prayers “for those hurt and killed.”
An off-duty pilot is accused of trying to shut down the engines of a Horizon Air jet in midflight
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An off-duty pilot riding in the cockpit of a Horizon Air passenger jet tried to shut down the engines in midflight. It happened Sunday on a flight from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco. The plane diverted to Portland, Oregon, where it was met by law enforcement officers. Alaska Airlines, which owns Horizon, said Monday that the crew reported “a credible security threat related to an authorized occupant in the flight deck jump seat” — one of its pilots, who was off duty. Authorities in Oregon identified the man as Joseph David Emerson. The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office says he is being held on 83 counts each of attempted murder and reckless endangerment and one count of endangering an aircraft.
Trump compares himself to Mandela and rails against Biden after filing for New Hampshire primary
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is comparing himself to anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. The former South African president spent 27 years in prison for opposing South Africa’s apartheid system. Trump suggested at a rally Monday that he might go to prison for political reasons due to what he argues are prosecutors out to get him. Trump’s comments came at a rally in Derry after he officially registered for the New Hampshire presidential primary Monday. He wrote on the commemorative poster at the statehouse that all candidates are asked to sign: “Vote for Trump and solve your problems.”
UAW’s confrontational leader makes gains in strike talks, but some wonder: Has he reached too far?
WAYNE, Mich. (AP) — Throughout its 5-week-old strikes against Detroit’s automakers, the United Auto Workers union has cast an emphatically combative stance, reflecting the style of its pugnacious leader, Shawn Fain. Armed with a list of what even Fain has called “audacious” demands for better pay and benefits, the UAW leader has embodied the exasperation of workers who say they’ve struggled for years while the automakers have enjoyed billions in profits. Yet as the strikes have dragged on, analysts and even some striking workers have begun to raise a pivotal question: Does Fain have an endgame to bring the strikes to a close?
After presidential race surprise, Argentine economy minister and right-wing populist look to runoff
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s economy minister and the anti-establishment upstart he faces in a presidential runoff next month have begun competing to shore up the moderate voters they need. Economy Minister Sergio Massa earned almost seven points more than chainsaw-wielding economist and freshman lawmaker Javier Milei in Sunday’s vote. Most polls had shown Massa slightly trailing. Voters had been expected to punish him for triple-digit inflation that has eaten away at the purchasing power of salaries and boosted poverty. On Nov. 19, voters have the option of choosing Massa despite the economic deterioration that took place on his watch. Their other option is a self-described anarcho-capitalist who promises a drastic shake-up of South America’s second-largest economy.
Garc铆a powers Rangers to first World Series since 2011 with 11-4 rout of Astros in Game 7 of ALCS
HOUSTON (AP) — Adolis Garc铆a homered twice and drove in five runs as the Texas Rangers reached the World Series with an 11-4 blowout of the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the AL Championship Series. Garc铆a went deep for the fourth straight game and set a record for RBIs in a postseason series with 15. Corey Seager got things started for the Rangers with a long home run in the first inning, and Nathaniel Lowe also went deep to give Texas — one of six major league teams without a World Series title — its first berth in the Fall Classic since consecutive trips in 2010 and 2011. After winning their Lone Star State showdown with Houston, the wild-card Rangers open the World Series at home Friday night against Arizona or Philadelphia.