Pelosi holds open option of another term as House Dem leader
With control of the House still hanging in the balance, Speaker Nancy Pelosi is staying mum on her future plans. But she says congressional colleagues are urging her to seek another term as Democratic leader following a strong showing in the midterm elections. Appearing in Sunday news shows, Pelosi said Democrats are “still alive” in their fight to win the chamber and that she will make a decision on whether to run for House leadership in the next couple weeks. Pelosi says her decision will be affected by family following last month’s attack on her husband, but “also my colleagues.” She cited a need to move forward “in a very unified way” heading into the 2024 presidential campaign season.
Trump wanted IRS investigations of foes, top aide says
While in office, President Donald Trump repeatedly told John F. Kelly, his second White House chief of staff, that he wanted a number of his perceived political enemies to be investigated by the IRS, Kelly said. Kelly said that Trump’s demands were part of a broader pattern of him trying to use the Justice Department and his authority as president against people who had been critical of him, including seeking to revoke the security clearances of former top intelligence officials. Kelly said that among those Trump said “we ought to investigate” and “get the IRS on” were former FBI Director James B. Comey and his deputy, Andrew G. McCabe.
A 10-year-old got a tattoo. His mother was arrested.
Last month, a 10-year-old boy walked into the nurse’s office of his elementary school in Highland, New York, and asked for some Vaseline. He wanted to rub it onto his new tattoo — a rendering of his name in block letters on the inside of his forearm. The nurse called police. The boy had gotten the tattoo with his mother’s permission from a neighbor. While some states have no minimum age for receiving a tattoo if a parent allows it, New York state forbids anyone younger than 18 from getting tattooed with or without parental consent. Last month, both the tattoo artist, Austin Smith, 20, and the boy’s mother, Crystal Thomas, 33, were arrested.
How droughts in Mexico could shape the future of the beer industry
As droughts become more severe around the world, brewers have landed at the center of the climate fight in Mexico. Heineken, Anheuser-Busch InBev and Constellation Brands all operate plants in northern states that capitalize on proximity to the United States. Overall, Mexican brewers sold more than $5 billion worth of beer abroad last year, making Mexico the top global exporter of the beverage, according to the World Bank. Yet in July, eight of Mexico’s 32 states experienced moderate to extreme drought. In response, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico said in August that he would end beer production in the north and send it to the more water-rich south.
Kherson celebrates Russian exit yet faces huge rebuilding
Residents of Kherson are celebrating for a third straight day the end of Russia’s eight-month occupation of the southern Ukrainian city. Yet even as they rejoice, authorities are taking stock of the huge extent of the damage left behind by the Kremlin’s retreating forces. A jubilant crowd gathered in Kherson’s main square Sunday, despite the distant thumps of artillery fire that could be heard as Ukrainian forces pressed on to push out Moscow’s invasion force. Kherson, however, still lacks electricity and running water and has shortages of food and medicine. Residents said Russian troops plundered the city, carting away loot as they withdrew last week.
Bomb rocks avenue in heart of Istanbul; 6 dead, dozens hurt
A bomb has rocked a bustling pedestrian avenue in the heart of Istanbul, killing six people and wounding several dozen. Panicked people fled the fiery blast or huddled in cafes and shops. Emergency vehicles rushed to the scene on Istiklal Avenue. That’s a popular thoroughfare lined with shops and restaurants that leads to the iconic Taksim Square. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the blast a “treacherous attack” and said its perpetrators would be punished. He did not say who was behind the attack but said it had the “smell of terror” without offering details. Turkey was hit by a string of deadly bombings between 2015 and 2017.
By wire sources
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