Rubio says Trump's war against Iran not 'necessarily popular' but needed to stop a nuclear threat
HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. (AP) — Secretary of State Marco Rubio says President Donald Trump launched the war against Iran even if it wasn't “necessarily popular” to safeguard the world from the country’s nuclear ambitions. He wouldn't comment directly Sunday about the Republican wipeout in the midterm elections that followed the unpopularity of the Iran war and its impact on gasoline prices. Asked about Vice President JD Vance’s social media post last week that largely blamed the war for the Republican losses, Rubio told reporters that Trump “identified a very real threat” in Iran and worked to stop the Islamic Republic from pursuing a nuclear weapon. Rubio said that “confronting difficult challenges for the security of our country” isn’t “necessarily popular, but necessary.”
Nvidia investigates whether CEO Jensen Huang was targeted by Chinese spy with whom he had an affair
Nvidia's board of directors is opening an investigation into reports that CEO Jensen Huang was the “target of a foreign intelligence effort.” The announcement came after Huang acknowledged to the board that he had been intimate with a business executive whom, according to The New York Times, U.S. intelligence determined was gathering information for Beijing. The board said Sunday there's no reason to believe national security or Nvidia secrets were compromised. Nvidia has become a central player in the global race to develop artificial intelligence. The board says Huang supports the investigation and will remain CEO. Huang told employees in a letter he had been unfaithful to his wife and he apologized.
Trump and his Justice Department stand defiant as Democrats ready an investigative blitz
President Donald Trump and his Department of Justice are taking a combative stance toward Democrats after their victories in the midterm elections. The Republican administration is signaling that there's intense conflict to come as lawmakers prepare aggressive investigations into the executive branch next year. Trump set the tone by claiming on social media that investigative requests already made by Democrats are “extortion at the highest level, and they should be held accountable.” Attorney General Todd Blanche says criminal investigations of Democrats are possible. A leading House Democrat says members of his party aren't going to be intimidated.
Pope arrives in Argentina and tells Milei that people, not the economy, should come first
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has delivered a diplomatic but subtly strong critique of Argentine President Javier Milei’s austerity measures and libertarian agenda. Leo used his first public speech in Argentina to lay out a vision of governance, democracy and society sharply at odds with Milei’s. In his welcome speech, Leo said “The economy must serve the person, not the person the economy.” Leo’s visit to Argentina is by far the most politically delicate of his three-nation South American tour.
Collision between 2 trains in Egypt kills 7 and injures at least 125
AL-AYYAT, Egypt (AP) — Authorities say two trains collided south of Cairo, killing seven people and injuring at least 125 others. The crash happened Sunday in al-Ayyat district, in Giza province. A train traveling to Fayoum province crashed into the rear of a stationary train heading to Aswan. Investigators arrived at the site late Sunday. Train derailments and crashes are common in Egypt, with a history of mismanagement and poor maintenance. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi ordered a prompt investigation. Emergency teams and cranes were dispatched to clear the wreckage and restore services.
Police say the 24-year-old who fatally shot 6 people in a Krakow square has died in the hospital
KRAKOW, Poland (AP) — Police said the 24-year-old who opened fire in a city square in Poland, killing six people and wounding 15 on Saturday, died in the hospital Monday morning. The man had been in critical condition after police shot him to end the attack and had had several operations. The assailant drove through the square in the heart of Krakow’s Old Town on Saturday to start the attack. The square is a major tourist hub in the country’s second-largest city. Authorities also found the bodies of the assailant’s sister, mother and father at the man’s family home. They likely died from gunshot wounds.
Saudi Arabia turns to Syria for help as fighting with Houthis escalates
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria is preparing to send fighters to Saudi Arabia to support its escalating conflict with rebels in neighboring Yemen. A regional official and two Syrian officials say Syrian military advisers are already in Saudi Arabia, but that no fighters have been deployed to Yemen. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. Fighting intensified this summer in Yemen between Iranian-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces. Syria has a supply of battle-hardened fighters from its civil war, and the postwar Syrian government is closely aligned with Riyadh. Syria is also discussing joining a joint defense agreement with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan.
Democrats plan to push clean energy to lower bills and challenge Trump’s fossil fuel agenda
Some Democrats are promising to push for more clean energy to help tackle rising energy costs when they take control of Congress in January. But President Donald Trump says he'll use his veto power aggressively. With new majorities in the House and Senate after last week’s midterms, Democrats can set an agenda boosting clean energy and addressing climate change. Democrats can begin investigations and hold hearings into climate policy rollbacks and elimination of green energy grants, potentially trying to undo some administration moves and restore renewable energy incentives. Trump predicts that he and Democrats eventually will find ways to work together “after a couple of months of vetoes.”
Floods bring rare relief to US Southwest reservoirs as Lake Powell rises 20 feet
PHOENIX (AP) — Record rainfall in the U.S. Southwest is providing rare relief to the region's depleted reservoirs. Storms in October and November sent torrents of water through normally dry creeks and into reservoirs and rivers. Hundreds of people were evacuated, roads were washed out and cellphone service was knocked out in some spots. But it also gave an unexpected boost to water supplies across the region. That is especially needed amid a decades-long drought and following a lackluster winter that did little to recharge water supplies. Still, experts say the recent rain is not a long-term solution to the region's challenges.
Kyle Larson wins 2nd consecutive Cup Series title, becomes the 11th NASCAR driver with 3
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) — Kyle Larson is now a three-time NASCAR champion. Larson clinched his third Cup Series title in six years early in the 400-mile season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. Larson became the first back-to-back champion since Jimmie Johnson in 2010; Johnson won five in a row beginning in 2006. The 34-year-old Larson became the 11th driver in NASCAR history with three Cup titles, joining a list that includes seven-time champs Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Johnson. Jeff Gordon has four. Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough. Darrell Waltrip, Tony Stewart and Joey Logano also have three. Larson was the overwhelming favorite to hoist the Bill France Cup in Homestead long before the green flag dropped.
