Things to know about the Nobel Prizes
Forecasts say Tropical Storm Philippe is threatening to unleash heavy rains and flash floods in the Leeward Islands. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said early Monday that Philippe was centered about 130 miles east-northeast of Guadeloupe and about 160 miles east-southeast of Barbuda. Top sustained winds were at 50 mph as Philippe was crawling to the west-northwest at 6 mph. A tropical storm watch remains in effect for Antigua and Barbuda. Meteorologists say the center of Philippe is forecast to pass near or just northeast of the northern Leeward Islands on Monday.
The Emirati president-designate of the upcoming United Nations COP28 climate talks has called on oil and gas companies to be “central to the solution” to fighting climate change, even as the industry boosts its production to enjoy rising energy prices. The call on Monday by Sultan al-Jaber highlights the gap between climate activists suspicious of his industry ties and his calls to drastically slash the world’s emissions by nearly half in seven years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or about 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, compared with pre-industrial times. Al-Jaber said: “It is simply acknowledging and respecting the science.”
Five conservative cardinals are challenging Pope Francis to affirm Catholic teaching on homosexuality and female ordination. They've asked him to respond ahead of a big Vatican meeting where such hot-button issues are up for debate. The cardinals on Monday published five questions they submitted to Francis, known as “dubia.” They also published an open letter to the Catholic faithful in which they outlined their concerns. The cardinals said they felt duty-bound to inform the faithful “so that you may not be subject to confusion, error, and discouragement.” The letter and questions were published two days before the start of a major three-week synod, or meeting, at the Vatican on the future of the Catholic Church.
Early voting has begun in New Zealand for the nation’s Oct. 14 general election, with conservative contender Christopher Luxon casting his ballot. Early voting also began on Monday in some parts of Australia in a referendum on the Indigenous people's “Voice” in Parliament. The measure would enshrine in Australia’s constitution a mechanism for Indigenous people to advise Parliament on policies that affect their lives. In New Zealand, the campaign of Prime Minister Chris Hipkins faced a setback on Sunday when he tested positive for COVID-19. He said he's isolate for five days or until he returned a negative test. It's a coincidence the elections are taking place on the same day.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo has inaugurated Southeast Asia’s first high-speed railway, which begins its commercial operations on Monday, a key project under China’s Belt and Road infrastructure initiative that will drastically cut the travel time between two key cities. The $7.3 billion project connects Jakarta with Bandung, the heavily populated capital of West Java province. It will cut travel time between the cities from the current three hours to about 40 minutes. Its use of electrical energy is expected to reduce carbon emissions. Widodo in his opening remarks officially named Indonesia’s first high-speed railway — the fastest in Southeast Asia, with speeds of up to 217 mph — as “Whoosh,” an acronym from the Indonesian words for “timesaving" and "reliability.”
Late-night talk shows are returning after a five-month absence brought on by the Hollywood writers strike. John Oliver returned to his “Last Week Tonight” with a full-throated endorsement of the strik and its successful outcome. As shows like “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” will return to the air Monday, actors will resume talks that could end their own strike. Colbert will have Astrophysicist and author Neil deGrasse Tyson on his first show back. Kimmel will host Arnold Schwarzenegger. Jimmy Kimmel will greet Matthew McConaughey to “The Tonight Show.” The writers last week struck a deal with an alliance of Hollywood's biggest studios, streaming services and production companies.
Asian shares are mostly higher in thin trading with many markets closed for holidays. Japan's Nikkei 225 index advanced after a central bank survey showed business confidence on the rise. Markets in China are closed for a weeklong holiday. Oil prices gained and U.S. futures were higher as the threat of a U.S. federal government shutdown receded after Congress approved a temporary funding bill late Saturday to keep federal agencies open until Nov. 17. On Friday, Wall Street closed out its worst month of the year with more losses. The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% and the Dow fell 0.5%. The Nasdaq composite edged 0.1% higher.
In the middle of a military base outside Mexico City, an army colonel runs what he calls a kindergarten for dogs. Puppies that one day will become rescue dogs, or sniffer dogs for drugs or explosives, get their basic training at the facility — Mexico’s Army and Air Force Canine Production Center. The puppies are born and spend their first four months here, before being sent to military units around the country for more specialized instruction. Founded in 1998, the center has in the past produced breeds such as German Shepherds and Rottweilers. Now, it exclusively breeds Belgian Malinois, about 300 of them a year.
An alternative mental health court program designed to fast-track people with untreated schizophrenia into housing and medical care is starting in San Francisco and six other California counties. But as petitions roll in Monday, it’s not clear who the program might help nor how effective it will be. The eligibility criteria is narrow, meaning fewer people will qualify for help. Gov. Gavin Newsom created the new civil court process as part of a massive push to address the homelessness crisis in California. Critics say the program is coercive, cruel and will be ineffective. They say the state lacks the housing and services to offer people.
Egyptian officials say a fire has broken out in a police headquarters in northeastern Egypt, injuring at least 14 people. They say the blaze ripped through the multistory police headquarters in the Suez Canal province of Ismailia. The injured were taken to hospitals. The cause of the blaze was not immediately known. Firefighters were attempting to put out the fire. Safety standards and fire regulations are poorly enforced in Egypt and have been linked to many deaths.
Simone Biles leads a dominant US performance at the world gymnastics championships
Pope Francis this week will open a global gathering of Catholic bishops and laypeople discussing the future of the church. It's a meeting where women, their voices and their votes, are taking center stage for the first time. Francis earlier this year agreed to let women and laypeople vote alongside bishops at the synod, putting the laity and hierarchy on equal ground. As a result, supporters say the gathering is a watershed moment for the Catholic Church and quite possibly the most consequential thing Francis will have undertaken as pope. The meeting runs Oct. 4-29, and will be followed by a second session next year.
The justices are taking the bench at the Supreme Court for the first time since late June. Their new term is beginning Monday with ethics concerns swirling around the court. The only case being argued Monday concerns the meaning of the word “and” in a federal law dealing with prison terms for low-level drug dealers. The length of thousands of sentences a year are at stake. The court also is expected to get rid of hundreds of appeals that accumulated over the summer. The term is shaping up as an important one for social media as the court grapples with applying older laws and rulings to the digital age.
Donald Trump says he will be in courtroom for New York trial scrutinizing his business practices
Donald Trump says he will be in courtroom for New York trial scrutinizing his business practices
President Joe Biden’s name isn't on the ballot in 2023. But you wouldn’t know it from campaigns that Republican candidates for governor are running in Kentucky and Mississippi. The Republican nominees — Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and first-term Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves — are as likely to mention the Democratic president as they are to name the Democrats they face Nov. 7. Gov. Andy Beshear seeks a second term in Kentucky, while Brandon Presley is the challenger in Mississippi. An expert on Southern politics, Vanderbilt University’s Carrie Archie Russell, says trying to tie a gubernatorial candidate to national political figures allows candidates to create a “mental shortcut for identifying individuals as ‘us’ or ‘them.’”
One of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's harshest critics plans to make good on his threat to remove the California Republican from his leadership post. Rep. Matt Gaetz says he will use a procedural tool — called a motion to vacate — to try and strip McCarthy of his office as soon as this week. This comes after McCarthy relied on Democrats to provide the necessary votes to fund the government. The resolution at hand is a rare and strong procedural tool that has only been used twice in the past century. But in recent years, conservatives have wielded the motion as a weapon against their leaders.
Former elite fencer Kirsten Hawkes feels let down by the U.S. Center for SafeSport after filing a complaint to the agency formed six years ago to combat sexual misconduct in Olympic sports. Since then, more than 1,900 people have been placed on its disciplinary database — a sign its efforts to corral abusers who might otherwise go unchecked have been a success. But Hawkes’ former coach, who she accused of forcing an unwanted kiss on her and other abuse, never went on that list — not after SafeSport handed him a three-month probation, nor after the probation was overturned by an arbitrator. Hawkes says her case undermined her confidence in SafeSport’s ability to protect her and others in similar situations.
Former elite fencer Kirsten Hawkes feels let down by the U.S. Center for SafeSport after filing a complaint to the agency formed in 2017 to combat sexual misconduct in Olympic sports. Since then, more than 1,900 people have been placed on its disciplinary database — a sign, it says, that efforts to corral abusers who might otherwise go unchecked have been successful. But Hawkes’ former coach, who she accused of forcing an unwanted kiss on her and other abuse, never went on that list — not after SafeSport handed him a three-month probation, nor after the probation was overturned by an arbitrator. Hawkes says her case undermined her confidence in SafeSport’s ability to protect her and others in similar situations.
Mexician officials say at least nine people are confirmed dead from the collapse of a church roof.
George Kirby allowed only three hits in six innings, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Texas Rangers 1-0 and allowed Houston to win the American League West title. A day after clinching the ninth postseason berth in franchise history, Texas only needed a win over the Mariners to wrap up the AL West. But the loss opened the door for Houston to grab the division title thanks to holding the tiebreaker over the Rangers. The Astros beat Arizona 8-1. Texas will begin the postseason as a wild-card team and face Tampa Bay. The Rangers couldn’t solve Kirby, who closed the regular season with 12 scoreless innings over his final two starts against Houston and Texas.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom will name Laphonza Butler, a Democratic strategist and adviser to Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein. A spokesman in Newsom's office confirmed to The Associated Press on Sunday that Butler is his choice. In choosing Butler, Newsom fulfilled his pledge to appoint a Black woman if Feinstein’s seat should become open. The long-serving Democratic senator died last Thursday after a series of illnesses. Butler leads Emily’s List, a political organization that supports women who favor abortion rights. She also is a former labor leader.
California Gov. Newsom's office says he'll name Laphonza Butler, former Kamala Harris adviser, to Feinstein Senate seat.
With control over some of his most prized real estate holdings in jeopardy, former President Donald Trump says he will make a rare, voluntary trip to court Monday for the start of a civil trial in a lawsuit that has already resulted in a judge ruling that he committed fraud in his business dealings. Trump made the announcement Sunday night on his Truth Social platform. He wrote: “I’m going to Court tomorrow morning to fight for my name and reputation." The trial is the culmination of a yearslong investigation by James, who accused Trump and his company of habitually lying about his wealth in financial statements.
MILWAUKEE — The Chicago Cubs will have plenty of time to ponder the “what ifs” of a season that fell short of their postseason goal.
Aaron Rodgers strolled the New York Jets’ sideline on crutches, greeting his teammates and coaches as well as members of the Kansas City Chiefs a few hours before their game. The four-time NFL MVP arrived at MetLife Stadium in a golf cart holding crutches in his first public appearance since tearing his left Achilles tendon four snaps into his debut with the Jets on Sept. 11 against Buffalo. Rodgers attended a team meeting at the Jets’ hotel Saturday night, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce Rodgers had rejoined his teammates.
As Gov. Gavin Newsom deliberated over the weekend over whom he will appoint to the Senate following the death Friday of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, supporters of Rep. Barbara Lee mounted a campaign on her behalf and the governor's staff worked to combat criticism that he will pick a short-term ca…
ANAHEIM, Calif. — On Friday, Leonard Bernal stood beside a friend amid a sea of MAGA paraphernalia and was absolutely buzzing.
President Joe Biden expressed concern over an effort by the group No Labels to consider mounting a third-party 2024 presidential ticket, saying it would only serve to help elect the Republican nominee.
