Iran fires on 3 ships in the Strait of Hormuz as US maintains blockade and diplomacy stalls
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran has fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them. The intensification of Iran's assault on shipping in a waterway crucial to global energy supplies comes a day after U.S. President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire but pressed on with an American blockade of Iranian ports. The White House says the seizures didn’t violate ceasefire terms but the latest salvos complicate efforts to bring the United States and Iran together for talks to end the war. The effective closure of the strait has already sent gas prices skyrocketing worldwide and raised the cost of food and a wide array of other products.
The Iran war could drive up costs for petroleum-derived products like clothes and crayons
NEW YORK (AP) — The Iran war’s most tangible and immediate effect for many people outside the Middle East has been spiking gasoline prices. But crude oil isn’t just refined as fuel. Petrochemicals derived from oil and natural gas go into making more than 6,000 consumer products. A list produced by the U.S. Department of Energy includes everyday items ranging from computer keyboards, lipstick, tennis rackets and chewing gum to aspirin, umbrellas and nylon guitar strings. Petroleum derivatives also are used in a lot of product packaging. Shoe and apparel trade groups and companies that sell stuffed animals, home products and medical supplies are looking at price increases or other ways to offset higher materials costs.
Celeste Rivas Hernandez, girl who singer D4vd is charged with killing, died from penetrating wounds
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Celeste Rivas Hernandez, the 14-year-old girl singer D4vd is charged with killing, died from penetrating injuries. That's according to an autopsy report released Wednesday by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office. Her death was ruled a homicide. A judge had ordered the report sealed for months at the request of law enforcement after the girl’s dismembered and decomposed body was found. The 21-year-old alt-pop singer whose legal name is David Burke pleaded not guilty Monday to first-degree murder. According to the report released Wednesday, she had significant wounds to her torso, likely caused by a sharp object. Her body had so degraded that examiners couldn’t even determine her eye color.
Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving in latest departure of a top defense leader
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has abruptly announced that Navy Secretary John Phelan is leaving his job. Phelan is the first head of a military service to depart during President Donald Trump’s second term but is just the latest top defense leader to step down or be ousted. No reason was given for the unexpected departure of the Navy’s top civilian official. It comes as the sea service has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and is targeting ships linked to Tehran around the world during a tenuous ceasefire in the war. Another Trump loyalist is taking over as acting head of the Navy: Undersecretary Hung Cao.
Rep. David Scott, a Georgia Democrat seeking his 13th term in Congress, dies at age 80
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia's Democratic congressman David Scott has died at age 80. Scott was the first Black chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and was seeking his 13th term in Congress despite challenges from within his party. Scott was the Democrats’ ranking member on the Agriculture Committee, despite most recently representing a metro Atlanta district. The congressman was once a leading voice for Democrats on farm aid policy and food aid for consumers and a prominent Black member of the moderate Blue Dog caucus. But Scott faced criticism and concerns in recent years because of declining health. Scott was born in South Carolina and graduated from Florida A&M University and the University of Pennsylvania.
Vaccines, budget cuts and affordability: Takeaways from RFK Jr.’s gauntlet of congressional hearings
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has concluded a marathon of budget hearings with federal lawmakers. Throughout a week of hearings, he deflected blame for measles outbreaks and dwindling vaccination rates and touted several initiatives that he says are making health care more affordable. Kennedy was tasked with defending President Donald Trump’s proposed 2027 budget, which would cut more than 12% of funding from Kennedy’s department. In response to bipartisan concerns about funding reductions, Kennedy said they were “painful.” As the week wore on, and with Democrats coming out swinging, Kennedy became more defiant, even at times screaming his rebuttals. Experts said his claim that the federal government isn't cutting Medicaid doesn't align with the facts.
Chemical leak at a West Virginia plant kills 2 people and sends 30 more to hospitals, officials say
INSTITUTE, W.Va. (AP) — Authorities say a chemical leak at a West Virginia plant has killed two people and sent about 30 others to the hospital, including one person in serious condition. A Kanawha County emergency management official says the leak occurred Wednesday at the Catalyst Refiners plant in Institute. The plant is a silver recovery business. The emergency official, C.W. Sigman, says workers were preparing to shut down at least part of the facility when the leak occurred, causing a chemical gas reaction. Authorities say seven ambulance workers who responded to the leak were among the injured. The plant is located about 10 miles west of Charleston, the state capital.
Democrats win in Virginia but it won't be the final say in a national redistricting competition
Democrats are celebrating an election win in Virginia that could put them slightly ahead in the national redistricting competition that President Donald Trump triggered in an attempt to preserve his party’s House majority in this year’s midterms. But Tuesday's vote won’t be the final round. The new Virginia maps face a court challenge and could be tossed. Meanwhile, Florida Republicans are poised to begin a special session on redistricting and could give the GOP more seats in the state. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule in a case that could lead to more Republican seats by eliminating districts drawn to elect minorities.
Wildfires across Georgia and Florida destroy more than 50 homes and force evacuations
NAHUNTA, Ga. (AP) — Wildfires have intensified intensifying across the U.S. Southeast. More than 50 homes have been destroyed in Georgia. The fires also have forced evacuations. Some of the biggest blazes are along Georgia’s coast and around Jacksonville, Florida. Drought and strong winds are fueling the fires. Georgia’s two largest wildfires have burned over 33 square miles. In Brantley County, more evacuations were ordered Wednesday on top of 800 evacuations that had taken place. So far, there have been no major injuries reported. In Florida, firefighters are battling more than 130 wildfires that have burned 39 square miles. The National Weather Service warns that low humidity and winds will keep the fire danger elevated.
New study finds 'alarming' high flood risk for 17 million Americans on Atlantic and Gulf coasts
WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the most comprehensive studies ever of flood risk has determined that more than 17 million people in eight cities along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are at the highest risk of being affected by flooding. Using machine learning, historic flood data and 16 factors representing hazards, exposure and vulnerability, the study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances has come up with what is likely the most comprehensive model of coastal cities’ risk of flood damage. Researchers are alarmed by the findings, including that more than 4 million people are at risk in New York City, alone, and that 99% of people and buildings in New Orleans are vulnerable.
