House fire in Brooklyn kills 6 people and injures 7, more than 200 firefighters respond
NEW YORK (AP) — A fire in a two-story home in New York has killed six people and injured seven others. The city's fire department reports the blaze broke out early Thursday in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood. More than 200 first responders arrived at the scene, and the fire was controlled in about 3 hours. Four people died at the scene, while two others died later in the hospital. Those who were hurt suffered non-life-threatening injuries and included three firefighters. Fire marshals are investigating. A lithium-ion battery was found at the scene, but it's not known if that caused the fire.
Canadian authorities say multiple grizzlies may have attacked mother and daughter found dead
Authorities in British Columbia say more than one grizzly may have been involved in a bear attack that relatives say left a mother and daughter dead along the province’s central coast. One body was found Monday and the other the next day. Family members of the women reported them missing on Sunday. Efforts to capture the bear or bears involved continue. The attack comes nearly a year after a grizzly attack on a group of 20 elementary school students and teachers in the same area, which left one adult and three children badly hurt.
Bob Dylan comes knockin' on pope's door as Leo welcomes legend to Vatican
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Bob Dylan has come knockin’ on Pope Leo XIV’s door. The American singer-songwriter and poet visited with the American pope at the Vatican during a break between concert dates in Italy. The Vatican said the encounter was brief, with Leo giving Dylan a rosary and Dylan presenting the pope with a copy of his autobiography, “Chronicles: Volume One.” Leo had quoted from Dylan’s 1963 protest song “Go Away You Bomb” in his 2026 book “Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift.” Leo was warning against the race to rearm and the recourse to nuclear weapons and quoted the lyric “I hate you cause yer man-made and man-owned, an’ man-handled.”
NASA space telescope plunges to Earth after two decades studying cosmic explosions
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — One of NASA's premier space telescopes has plunged to Earth, ending its 22-year investigation of the universe's biggest explosions. The Swift Observatory's demise on Wednesday came less than three months after a long-shot rescue mission failed. The U.S. Space Force confirmed Swift's reentry near Indonesia after years of tracking its sinking orbit, the result of intense solar activity. NASA hired a private company to whip together an orbit-boosting effort. But the three-armed robotic craft ran into trouble following its July launch and came crashing down in September.
McDonald's plans new value bundles next year after US traffic falls in third quarter
McDonald’s plans to introduce new value-oriented meal bundles early next year after a disappointing third quarter that saw lower traffic at U.S. restaurants. McDonald’s Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski said Wednesday that the company recently began an eight-week test of mix-and-match and fixed-price bundles at 1,900 U.S. restaurants. Those bundles might feature a McChicken sandwich and small fries for $3.50, for example. But around 4,000 franchisees have decided not to wait for the test results and have launched meal bundles of their own, he said. McDonald's U.S. same-store sales fell 0.2% in the July-September period. It was the first retreat for McDonald’s since early 2025.
Ex-Prince Andrew called to testify in civil case, 1st royal in 156 years to get witness summons
LONDON (AP) — The former Prince Andrew has been called to testify as a witness in a civil fraud trial, marking what is believed to be the first time in more than 150 years that a member of the royal family has received a witness summons. British media reported on Wednesday that the summons comes after a judge at the High Court in London gave the green light last month for the former prince, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, to be called to testify about payments he allegedly received from the parties in the case. Mountbatten-Windsor may apply to have the summons set aside, so there is no guarantee he will testify.
A toast to a win? LeBron James takes a sip of wine after crashing into 76ers fan
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — At 41 years old and still playing at an elite level, some might say LeBron James is aging like a fine wine.Well, maybe having some wine during Monday’s contest helped his game, too.After coming up empty on a fastbreak, James crashed into a 76ers fan behind the basket and took a a sip of the fan’s wine during Philadelphia’s 126-107 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
Jury begins deliberating at Russell Brand's rape and sexual assault trial
LONDON (AP) — Jurors have started deliberating in Russell Brand's trial on charges of rape and sexual assault. After three weeks of evidence, the judge at London’s Southwark Crown Court instructed the jury to reach a unanimous decision. Brand, who is free on bail, has attended court daily with his wife. Six women accuse him of sexual misconduct between 1999 and 2009. Prosecutors claim Brand was a "sexual predator" during that time. Brand, 51, has pleaded not guilty, stating his encounters were consensual. His lawyer argued the claims were influenced by a 2023 documentary. Brand rose to fame in the early 2000s and now has a large online following.
Tony Butala, co-founder of Lettermen vocal group known for 'The Way You Look Tonight,' dies at 87
NEW YORK (AP) — Tony Butala, co-founder of the Grammy-nominated trio The Lettermen, has died at age 87. The band's media coordinator confirmed his death and shared a statement from the band expressing deep sadness and sending condolences to his family and friends. Butala died Sunday. Butala's career began in childhood, singing professionally by age 7. In the late ‘50s, he co-founded The Lettermen with Jim Pike and Bob Engemann. They became one of the most popular vocal groups of the 1960s, with hits like “The Way You Look Tonight” and “When I Fall in Love.” Butala was the last surviving member of the trio’s original lineup. In 2020, Butala and The Lettermen received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Sister June Carpenter, one of the few remaining Shakers, dies in Maine. She was 88
One of the last members of the only remaining community of the Shaker religious movement has died at 88. The Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village in Maine says Sister June Carpenter died Tuesday. Carpenter was one of three members left in the community, along with a novice. She was a trained librarian who organized the village's historical collections, making them accessible to researchers. The Shakers are a celibate Christian movement founded in the late 1700s. The movement has waned over the years, but the Shakers’ influence in the wider culture persists through the legacy of their artfully simple furniture and architecture. Carpenter was born in Boston in 1938 and joined Sabbathday as a member in 1989.
