Birders going ‘cuckoo’ after unexpected sighting in New York City area

Birders going ‘cuckoo’ after unexpected sighting in New York City area

A bird sighting on New York’s Long Island has avian enthusiasts flocking to the region in the hopes of spotting a feathered friend who has never been seen before in the state. The common cuckoo is typically found from Europe to Japan, with the majority of the population wintering in Africa. But one was recently spotted in Riverhead on the north shore of Long Island. Once the bird was confirmed as a common cuckoo, birders quickly shared the news in their online communities. The bird has since been spotted more than 200 times. It’s not clear how or why the bird ended up there.… Continue Reading

Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba pick up the pieces after Melissa’s destruction

Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba pick up the pieces after Melissa’s destruction

SANTIAGO DE CUBA, Cuba (AP) — Communities across the northern Caribbean are dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. In Jamaica, emergency relief efforts are underway as residents clear roads and assess damage. The storm has left many without homes, power or communication. Authorities have confirmed at least four deaths, and thousands remain in shelters. In Cuba, heavy equipment is clearing roads and the military is assisting isolated communities. No deaths have been reported there but significant damage has occurred. In Haiti, dozens were dead or missing after catastrophic flooding. The storm tied records for Atlantic hurricanes making landfall when it hit Jamaica.… Continue Reading

Trump cuts tariffs on China after meeting Xi in South Korea

Trump cuts tariffs on China after meeting Xi in South Korea

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking. Trump’s aggressive use of tariffs since returning to the White House for a second term combined with China’s retaliatory limits on exports of rare earth elements gave the meeting newfound urgency. Trump told reporters he decided to reduce the current rate from 57% after the talks. Xi said Washington and Beijing would work to finalize their agreements to provide “peace of mind” to both countries and the rest of the world, according to a report on the meeting carried by Chinese state media.… Continue Reading

Federal Reserve cuts key rate as government shutdown clouds economic outlook

Federal Reserve cuts key rate as government shutdown clouds economic outlook

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated. The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without the economic signposts it typically relies on from the government, including monthly reports on jobs, inflation and consumer spending, which have been suspended because of the government shutdown. The Fed has signaled it may reduce its key rate again in December but the data drought raises the uncertainty around its next moves.… Continue Reading

Category 5 Hurricane Melissa brings flooding and catastrophic winds to Jamaica

Category 5 Hurricane Melissa brings flooding and catastrophic winds to Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Hurricane Melissa has hit southwestern Jamaica as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, causing heavy flooding and wind damage. Melissa made landfall Tuesday in southwestern Jamaica with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph. Officials warned of devastating damage and urged residents to seek shelter as the hurricane crossed the island. Melissa’s winds tied records for the strongest Atlantic storm on landfall. The storm is expected to move toward Cuba, where authorities prepared for evacuations. The hurricane has already caused seven deaths in the Caribbean. Relief efforts are underway, with supplies and emergency services ready to assist.… Continue Reading

Trump praises Japan’s new prime minister, saying US is an ‘ally at the strongest level’

Trump praises Japan’s new prime minister, saying US is an ‘ally at the strongest level’

TOKYO (AP) — President Donald Trump began one of his busiest days of his Asia trip on Tuesday by warmly greeting the new Japanese prime minister. He plans to later speak to U.S. troops aboard an aircraft carrier and mingle with business leaders. Sanae Takaichi became Japan’s first female prime minister just days ago and aims to strengthen ties with Trump while defending Japan’s economic interests. Trump seeks $550 billion in Japanese investment to reduce U.S. tariffs. He arrived in Tokyo on Monday after attending a summit in Malaysia. There, he celebrated a ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia. Meanwhile, tensions between the U.S. and China appear to be cooling, with a trade deal possibly in the works. Trump plans to leave for South Korea on Wednesday.… Continue Reading

Trump administration posts notice that no federal food aid will go out Nov. 1

Trump administration posts notice that no federal food aid will go out Nov. 1

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has posted a notice on its website saying federal food aid will not go out Nov. 1 as the government shutdown drags on. The cutoff would expand the impact of the impasse to some of the Americans most in need unless a resolution is found in just a few days. The notice comes after the Trump administration said it will not tap roughly $5 billion in contingency funds to keep the benefits flowing into November. The Trump administration blames Democrats, who say they won’t agree to reopen the government until Republicans negotiate with them on extending expiring subsidies under the Affordable Care Act.… Continue Reading

Melissa strengthens into a Category 4 hurricane, threatening catastrophic flooding in Jamaica, Haiti

Melissa strengthens into a Category 4 hurricane, threatening catastrophic flooding in Jamaica, Haiti

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Hurricane Melissa has strengthened into a major Category 4 hurricane, with the possibility of intensifying to a Category 5 storm Sunday night, unleashing torrential rain and threatening to cause catastrophic flooding in the northern Caribbean, including Haiti and Jamaica. Melissa became a hurricane on Saturday and then intensified rapidly into a major storm. Melissa — with maximum sustained winds of 140 miles per hour — is expected to drop torrential rains of up to 30 inches on Jamaica and southern Hispaniola — Haiti and the Dominican Republic — according to the hurricane center. Some areas may see as much as 40 inches of rain.… Continue Reading

Supreme Court will consider whether people who regularly smoke pot can legally own guns

Supreme Court will consider whether people who regularly smoke pot can legally own guns

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will consider whether people who regularly smoke marijuana can legally own guns, the latest firearm case to come before the court since its 2022 decision expanding gun rights. The high court agreed to hear the case Monday. President Donald Trump’s administration is asking the justices to revive a case against a Texas man charged with a felony because he allegedly had a gun in his home and acknowledged being a regular pot user. Defense attorneys got the charge tossed out after an appeals court largely struck down a law that bans guns from users of illegal drugs under the high court’s more expansive view of the Second Amendment.… Continue Reading

US envoys arrive in Israel to shore up the Gaza truce after violence flares

US envoys arrive in Israel to shore up the Gaza truce after violence flares

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Two of U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoys traveled to Israel to shore up the tenuous ceasefire that’s holding in Gaza, a day after the fragile deal faced its first major flareup. On Sunday, Israel had threatened to halt aid transfers, and its forces killed dozens in strikes after accusing Hamas militants of killing two soldiers. By Monday, an Israeli security official said the delivery of food and other humanitarian aid into Gaza would resume through multiple crossings after Israeli inspection. It was not immediately clear if the flow of aid had restarted. The U.S.-proposed truce aims to end two years of war, but tensions remain high.… Continue Reading

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