AP-Newswatch

House Speaker McCarthy is back to square one as the Senate pushes ahead to avert a federal shutdown

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate is marching ahead with a bipartisan approach to prevent a government shutdown. But on the House side, Speaker Kevin McCarthy is back to square one. The Republican leader laid out his strategy Wednesday behind closed doors. He asked hard-right Republicans to do what they’ve said they’d never do, and pass their own temporary measure to keep the government open. A House test vote is set for Friday, one day before the shutdown deadline. Their plan would cut spending by 8% and toughen border security. The Senate bill would fund the government, adding $6 billion for Ukraine aid and $6 billion for U.S. disaster relief.

Republicans face growing urgency to stop Trump as they enter the second presidential debate

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Republicans are meeting for their second presidential debate as top rivals seek to blunt the momentum of Donald Trump. The former president is so confident that he will continue to cruise through the party’s primary that he’s again forgoing sharing a stage with his competitors. Seven GOP White House candidates are squaring off at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California for a debate Wednesday sponsored by Fox Business. Rather than attend, Trump will be in Detroit, delivering a primetime speech that will compete for airtime with the debate and take place before a crowd of current and former union members.

Trump heads to Michigan to compete with Biden for union votes while his GOP challengers debate

DETROIT (AP) — Former President Donald Trump will be in battleground Michigan working to win over blue-collar voters in the midst of an autoworkers’ strike. Trump’s trip on Wednesday comes as his Republican challengers gather onstage in California for their second primary debate. Trump’s visit also comes a day after President Joe Biden became the first sitting president in U.S. history to walk a picket line as he joined United Auto Workers in Detroit. The dueling appearances underscore what will likely be a chief dynamic of the 2024 general election, which is increasingly looking like a rematch between Trump and Biden.

US secures the release of the soldier who crossed into North Korea 2 months ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says the American soldier who sprinted into North Korea across the heavily fortified border between the Koreas two months ago has been released into U.S. custody. Pvt. Travis King’s release was secured with the help of ally Sweden and rival China. Earlier Wednesday, North Korea said it would expel Pvt. King. The announcement has surprised some observers who expected the North to drag out his detention in the hopes of squeezing concessions from Washington at a time of high tensions between the rivals. King’s expulsion almost certainly does not end his troubles. His fate remains uncertain, having been declared AWOL by the U.S. government.

US Sen. Bob Menendez pleads not guilty to pocketing bribes in a wide-ranging corruption case

NEW YORK (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey will address his Democratic colleagues on Thursday as calls grow for Menendez to resign over federal bribery charges. Schumer hasn’t said that Menendez should step down, although more than half of the Democrats in the Senate have done so. Menendez pleaded not guilty Wednesday in New York to federal charges alleging he accepted bribes in exchange for exerting his political influence to secretly advance Egyptian interests and do favors for local businessmen. Menendez’s wife and two businessmen named in the indictment also pleaded not guilty. Menendez was released on a $100,000 bond. His wife, Nadine, and the other co-defendants were also freed pending trial.

Over 50 arrested after mobs ransacked Philadelphia stores. Dozens of liquor outlets are shut down

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Dozens of people face criminal charges after authorities said groups of thieves working together smashed their way into stores in several areas of Philadelphia and fled with merchandise. Police made at least 52 arrests. The Philadelphia district attorney’s office said Wednesday at least 30 people have been charged so far. The ransacking followed an earlier peaceful protest over a judge’s decision to dismiss murder and other charges against a Philadelphia police officer who shot and killed a driver through a rolled-up window. Interim Police Commissioner John Stanford says the ransacking wasn’t connected to the protest and called the groups “criminal opportunists.”

An old car tire, burnt trees and a utility pole may be key in finding how the Maui wildfire spread

Melted remains of an old car tire. Two burned trees. A stump of an abandoned utility pole. These are among the pieces of evidence investigators are examining as they seek to solve the mystery of last month’s Maui wildfire: How did a small fire sparked by downed power lines and declared extinguished flare up again hours later into a devastating inferno? The answer may lie in an overgrown gully beneath Hawaiian Electric Co. power lines and something that harbored smoldering embers from the first fire and rekindled into a wall of flame that destroyed the town of Lahaina and killed at least 97 people.

US allows Israeli citizens to travel to US visa-free as Israel joins a select group of countries

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has admitted Israel into a select group of countries whose citizens are allowed to travel to the United States without getting a visa in advance. The decision was announced Wednesday in Washington. It comes despite U.S. concerns about the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinian Americans. The agreement is a major accomplishment for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who’s sparred frequently with the Biden administration. Under the waiver program, as of Nov. 30, Israelis will be able to travel to the U.S. for business or leisure purposes for up to 90 days without a visa simply by registering with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

Auto workers union to announce plans on Friday to expand strike in contract dispute with companies

DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union says it will announce on Friday how it plans to expand its strike against Detroit’s three automakers. The union says President Shawn Fain will make the announcement at 10 a.m. Eastern time in a video appearance addressing union members. The union went on strike Sept. 14 when it couldn’t reach agreements on new contracts with Ford, General Motors and Jeep maker Stellantis. At first it targeted one assembly plant from each company, and last week it added 38 parts distribution centers run by GM and Stellantis. Ford was spared the second escalation because talks with the union were progressing.

Late-night TV shows announce their return after Hollywood writers strike ends

NEW YORK (AP) — TV’s late-night hosts planned to return to their regular evening sketches and monologues as the flow of topical humor is set to return after five silent months due to the just-ended Hollywood writers strike. “Real Time with Bill Maher” will be back on the air Friday. The hosts of NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “Late Night with Seth Meyers,” ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” on CBS announced they’d also return, all by Monday. “Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver will return to the air Sunday. Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” will return Oct. 16.