Nation and world news — at a glance — for October 6
After Helene’s ‘historic’ damage, Appalachian Trail may need years to recover
Trump appears before large crowd at site of assassination attempt in Pennsylvania
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on Saturday returned to the rural Pennsylvania site where he was nearly assassinated, rallying a large crowd in the critical battleground state one month before the Nov. 5 election.
Russia’s envoy to U.S. ends his term at time of bilateral turmoil
Russia’s envoy to the U.S., a Kremlin hard-liner, was returning to Moscow on Saturday, state media reported, with the end of his term coming at a time of the most hostile relations between the two nations in decades.
Thousands around the world protest Middle East war as Oct 7 anniversary nears
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in major cities around the world on Saturday demanding an end to bloodshed in Gaza and the wider Middle East as the start of Israel’s war in the Palestinian enclave approaches its first anniversary.
Heavy strikes shake Beirut as Israel expands Lebanon campaign
Massive consecutive strikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs from late Saturday into Sunday, Reuters eyewitnesses said, sending booms across the city and sparking flashes of red and white for nearly 30 minutes visible from several kilometers away. The strikes came after days of bombing by Israel of Beirut suburbs considered strongholds for Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah, killing its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and possibly his potential successor. A Lebanese security source said on Saturday that Hashem Safieddine, the potential successor, had been out of contact since Friday, after an Israeli airstrike near the city’s international airport that was reported to have targeted him. The Israeli military said it eliminated Nasrallah in a strike on the group’s central command headquarters in Beirut on Sept. 27. Hezbollah confirmed he had been killed.
Uber, Lyft drivers use Teslas as makeshift robotaxis, raising safety concerns
A self-driving Tesla carrying a passenger for Uber rammed into an SUV at an intersection in suburban Las Vegas in April, an accident that sparked new concerns that a growing stable of self-styled “robotaxis” is exploiting a regulatory gray area in U.S. cities, putting lives at risk.
Biden warns Trump may not peacefully concede election
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday he is confident the upcoming presidential election will be fairly conducted, but he warned that Republican candidate Donald Trump and his running mate could refuse to accept the outcome.
In Michigan, Harris meets Arab American leaders angry over Israel
Vice President Kamala Harris met with Arab American and Muslim leaders in Flint, Michigan, on Friday, as her presidential campaign seeks to win back voters angry at U.S. support for Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon, two sources said.
Israel targets Hezbollah intel HQ in Lebanon, Iran says it will not back down
Israel said it had targeted the intelligence headquarters of Hezbollah in Beirut and was assessing the damage on Friday after a series of strikes on senior figures in the group that Iran’s Supreme Leader dismissed as counterproductive.
Donald Trump tries to blunt Democrats’ momentum in North Carolina
Donald Trump campaigned in North Carolina on Friday for the fourth time in a month, as the Republican presidential candidate tries to firm up support in a state where he was handily leading a few months ago but is now among the most competitive in the race.
US will not renew legal status for hundreds of thousands of migrants
The Biden administration will not renew a temporary humanitarian entry program for hundreds of thousands of migrants with U.S. sponsors who arrived in recent years, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said on Friday.
An exodus of agents left the Secret Service unprepared for 2024
WASHINGTON — In November, Michael Ebey, a Secret Service special agent, found himself working another 12-hour shift. Like so many before, it was grueling.
Ports Rush to Reopen After First Major Strike in Decades Is Suspended
Hours after a longshoremen’s union on the East and Gulf coasts agreed to suspend its strike, major ports rushed to reopen Friday and get cargo to businesses that have spent the last few days racked with fear over lost sales.
Pandemic startups are thriving, and helping to fuel the economy
Hector Xu was on track for a career in academia when the pandemic upended his plans.
Chilean scientists develop reversible dog neutering vaccine
SANTIAGO — Findley is a lucky dog. The small white and brown Chilean terrier is one of the first dogs in the world to get neutered without having to go under the knife.
Supreme Court lets Biden plans on mercury and methane move forward
The Supreme Court said on Friday that it would not stop the Biden administration from enforcing rules to reduce emissions of two pollutants: mercury, a hazardous neurotoxin, and methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
US port workers and operators reach deal to end East Coast strike immediately
U.S. dock workers and port operators have reached a tentative deal that will immediately end a crippling three-day strike that has shut down shipping on the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast, the two sides said in a statement on Thursday.
New NATO chief Rutte reaffirms support for Ukraine on Kyiv trip
NATO chief Mark Rutte told Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “your security matters for ours” on Thursday during his first visit to Kyiv since becoming the alliance’s secretary-general.
Melania Trump, whose husband helped end Roe, signals support for abortion rights
Melania Trump, the former first lady, said in a video Thursday that there was “no room for compromise” on a woman’s right to “individual freedom,” a day after a reported excerpt from her coming memoir said she supported abortion rights.
When the North Carolina mountains become hurricane alley
When the warnings first arrived, days before the remnants of Hurricane Helene, Kimberly Moody took note of what was said — and what wasn’t. The storm was going to be bad, that much was clear. But no one said she needed to start packing.