Trump calls for prosecution of Democratic Alaska Senate candidate over spoiler candidate controversy
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — President Donald Trump called for the criminal prosecution of the Democratic candidate running for Senate in Alaska on Wednesday after revelations that her campaign appeared to be involved in recruiting a candidate with the same name as Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan.
The race is among a handful of Senate contests this year expected to determine control of the chamber. Trump had previously directed his Department of Justice to sue to block certification of the Senate race should Democrat Mary Peltola defeat Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan.
“I think they should be prosecuted,” the Republican president said about Peltola and the other Sullivan, responding to questions about a report in The New York Times. He earlier had posted on social media that “Peltola should suffer the Legal and Political consequences for what she has done.”
Sen. Sullivan, appearing Wednesday night on Fox News, pressed Peltola to “come clean.”
He said he would tell Alaskans to “look Mary Peltola in the eye and ask her, ‘Did you cheat?’ She won’t even answer that question.”
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Trump in Ohio and Obama in Georgia make closing stretch appeals to midterm voters in pivotal states
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio (AP) — Georgia Democrats rallied with former President Barack Obama Wednesday night, at the same time President Donald Trump was in Ohio attempting to energize his base, as both parties began crystallizing their closing messages ahead of next week's midterm elections.
Trump has been on a weekslong sprint around the country, doing 20-plus rallies this month alone while packing upcoming days with more travel. But as Americans confront record fuel prices, rising costs and an unpopular war in Iran, the president has been keeping his focus on states that he won handily two years ago.
“If you can get out to vote,” Trump told a raucous crowd in Chillicothe, south of Columbus, Ohio’s capital, “we’re going to have a tremendous victory.”
The last Democratic president to serve two terms, Obama is increasingly campaigning for his party and gleefully acting as a foil to Trump — including criticizing the Republican for spending too much time leading White House renovations and for becoming wealthier while in office.
He said Trump is “spending time supergluing gold medallions to the mantel in the Oval Office.”
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High-speed train collision kills at least 68 in Spain’s 2nd deadly rail crash this year
URDA, Spain (AP) — A high-speed train slammed into another that had stopped on the tracks Wednesday in Spain, killing at least 68 people and injuring dozens in the second deadly rail collision this year.
The regional government of Castilla La Mancha confirmed the death toll and said another 58 people were receiving medical treatment at hospitals. Rescue workers searched the wreckage through the day for survivors and bodies.
The collision came just nine months after another deadly crash involving high-speed trains operated by the same two companies in southern Spain in January.
“Today all of Spain is grieving,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said from the crash site, where he announced that his government would declare three days of mourning.
Sánchez called for increased safety measures to restore confidence in a high-speed rail system that was once a source of national pride.
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Netanyahu and top rival face postelection choices that could redefine Israeli politics
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israelis braced for perhaps weeks of political uncertainty Wednesday after an election that has challenged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s grip on power and raised the almost unthinkable possibility of some Jewish and Arab parties teaming up in an effort to unseat him.
Final election results could come as early as Thursday evening, though no clear winner is expected to emerge.
Arab-led parties made a historic showing, but it’s not clear if the other opponents of Netanyahu's far-right government would form a coalition with them to reach a majority of seats in parliament. Issues around the Palestinians and their descendants remain incredibly sensitive, and Israelis are already renewing a debate about the identity of the nation founded as a state for the Jewish people.
On Wednesday, Netanyahu warned against a “dangerous government” that might include Arab parties, whose constituents make up 20% of Israel’s population.
And even as it leads in the vote count, Netanyahu's Likud party claimed that Tuesday’s election was “stolen” by Arab parties and asked Israeli authorities to investigate. It did not provide specific evidence to support its claims. The elections committee has said that reports about irregularities were much lower than in previous elections.
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Federal Reserve keeps rates unchanged despite elevated inflation
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve kept its key rate unchanged Wednesday at about 3.9% despite stubbornly high inflation, as Chairman Kevin Warsh suggested its policies are already showing signs of having an impact.
The Fed said “inflation remains elevated” in the statement it released after its two-day meeting, and added that holding off on a rate increase allows “the accumulation of more information” that will inform the Fed's next steps.
The Fed raised its benchmark rate last month by a quarter-point for the first time in three years, defying President Donald Trump’s demands for rate cuts, in an effort to bring inflation back to its 2% target more quickly. The Fed is tasked by Congress to combat inflation, and it does so by lifting rates to slow borrowing and spending and reduce price increases.
While Warsh declined to provide much insight into what the Fed may do next, most economists still expect the central bank to hike its key rate another quarter-point at its next meeting Dec. 8-9. Wall Street investors now see the odds of an increase then at nearly 85%, according to CME Fedwatch.
“It's likely going to take one more (hike) from the Fed to get interest rates into restrictive territory,” where they can slow inflation, said Michael Reynolds, vice president for investment strategy at Glenmede, a wealth advisory firm.
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Defeated presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his family land in Miami after fleeing Brazil
MIAMI (AP) — Defeated Brazilian presidential candidate Flávio Bolsonaro and his family arrived in Miami on Wednesday after he refused to concede the election to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and fled the country.
In a circuitous journey, Bolsonaro left for Argentina on Tuesday with his wife and two daughters, then traveled to Ecuador, according to Argentine officials and flight data. The 45-year-old senator, a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, visited the White House in May, and the Trump administration approved U.S. visas for him and his family this week.
Bolsonaro’s father, Jair Bolsonaro, also fled to Florida after losing the 2022 presidential election to Lula before returning to Brazil three months later.
Flávio Bolsonaro is under investigation by Brazil’s Supreme Court, accused of corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. The court ordered him to hand over his regular and diplomatic passports by noon Tuesday. It remained unclear whether he complied, but allies said late Tuesday he also has an Italian passport.
On Wednesday, Bolsonaro issued his first comments on his flight in a statement on X, in which he called himself the victim of electoral fraud and political persecution, and again asked for the annulment of the Lula–Alckmin ticket.
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Conservative activists O'Keefe, Higby charged with unlawful voting in Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Conservative activists James O'Keefe and Cam Higby were charged Wednesday with unlawful voting and identity theft after a Minnesota prosecutor said they gave false names to poll workers during the state's primary election. The men recorded the exchanges for a video to expose what they say are vulnerabilities in the state's voting laws.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced the felony charges at a news conference. She said O'Keefe, 42, of West Palm Beach, Florida, and Higby, 26, of Covington, Washington, wore costumes and used the names of registered state voters while starting the “vouching” process in the Aug. 11 primary. The process provides a way for voters who lack proof of their current address to register and vote in their new precinct on the same day after a voter already registered in that precinct "vouches" for them.
Poll workers were suspicious and reported their behavior. Moriarty said the situation shows that “the system for identifying misconduct and responding to it functioned well during the primary.”
O'Keefe, who founded and later was ousted as leader of Project Veritas, came to notoriety by publishing undercover sting-style videos like the one made at the Minnesota polling places.
In a video and a written statement released Wednesday evening, O'Keefe said he and Higby had been acting as investigative journalists and that they never intended to complete the voucher process. He also said they were careful to say "the name is" rather than “my name is” when giving names to poll workers.
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Dolores Huerta, influential labor leader, feminist and civil rights icon, dies at 96
Dolores Huerta, the legendary labor organizer whose advocacy improved conditions for migrant farm workers in the nation’s fruit and vegetable fields and persuaded presidents to do more for women’s equality and immigrant rights, died Wednesday. She was 96.
Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers union with César Chavez, was celebrated for her enduring rallying cry “Sí, se puede!” — which translates to “Yes, it can be done!”
She died of cancer at her home in Bakersfield, California, surrounded by family, said Erik Olvera, a family spokesperson.
Well into her 90s, Huerta was marching in protests and encouraging activists to keep speaking out about race, poverty and LGBTQ+ and women’s rights.
“It seems like history continues to repeat itself,” she told The Associated Press in August. “You see what’s happening right now in our country, and we know that people have to stand up.”
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Cornell faculty to move forward with no-confidence vote over handling of sexual assault allegations
Cornell University faculty debated Wednesday over whether they had enough information to pass judgment on the school’s leadership over its handling of a woman’s report that she was gang raped at a fraternity house in 2024, with some professors urging patience and others arguing that years of institutional failures demanded action.
The discussion unfolded during a Faculty Senate meeting closed to the media, according to a recording obtained by The Associated Press. Faculty will now vote electronically on a proposed no-confidence resolution in Cornell’s administration through Nov. 6. The largely symbolic vote could pressure university trustees, who choose its leadership.
Some faculty struggled with the decision to speak publicly, sharing painful experiences of harassment and fears of professional retaliation.
Beth Frances Milles, a performing arts professor, Cornell graduate and parent, pleaded for civility after describing receiving messages from women who experienced sexual assault, including former classmates.
“I understand we have to take action,” she said. “There are so many things to talk about. Please, let’s talk about it together and not sneer at each other when we disagree.”
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Brewers beat the Rays 4-1 in Game 5 to win the first World Series title in franchise history
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The small-ball Milwaukee Brewers playing in the smallest market in the majors are World Series champions for the first time.
Hey, Milwaukee: grab a brat, raise a beer and prepare for that parade.
Young ace Jacob Misiorowski threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings, rookie Cooper Pratt had two more hits and two RBIs, and the Brewers beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 in Game 5 on Wednesday night to set off a long-awaited celebration among thousands of Brewers fans in attendance at Tropicana Field.
“It’s the best feeling ever. All of our fans are here. I know the city’s waited a long, long time for this,” Milwaukee captain Christian Yelich said. “We’re so happy to bring it home to them. I can’t wait to get back there and celebrate.”
Misiorowski allowed just two hits and left the game because of a right calf cramp. He got a standing ovation from the Brew-Crew fans, who took over the section behind Milwaukee’s dugout for the last three games.
