A license plate reader stands along the side of a road, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Stockdale, Texas. (AP Photo/David Goldman) The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious, The Associated Press has found. The predictive intelligence program has resulted in people being stopped,…
South African authorities say they are planning for multiple protests by local and international activists around this weekend’s Group of 20 world leaders summit in Johannesburg. South Africa has deployed 3,500 extra police officers and put the army on standby under its National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure. That body brings police, army and intelligence services together under one command to provide security for major events. Several groups have said they will launch protests against the two-day meeting of leaders from the richest and top emerging economies. South Africa says the protests will be allowed but will be confined to designated areas.
The PWHL enters its expansion era with new teams in Seattle and Vancouver, while one thing remains constant for a league preparing to open its third season on Friday. The Minnesota Frost are are the two-time defending Walter Cup champions, return much of their Kendall Coyne Schofield-captained veteran core and are ready to take on all challengers. With more expansion on the horizon, the eight-team PWHL will feature numerous subplots this season. Hilary Knight left Boston for Seattle, while Sarah Nurse is now in Vancouver. And if the past is a gauge, the four-team playoff bracket won’t be decided until the final day of the regular season in late April.
The Trump administration has revised a website to contradict the scientific consensus that vaccines don’t cause autism. The update to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage has outraged public health and autism experts. The Autism Science Foundation said the changes were anti-vaccine rhetoric. Decades of studies have shown no link between vaccines and autism. Former CDC officials have expressed concern, saying the agency’s information on vaccine safety can no longer be trusted. The change is the latest move by President Donald Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services to foster uncertainty about long-held scientific consensus.
President Donald Trump is once more targeting former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, and Trump is picking a political fight before next year’s elections. It’s reminiscent of a fight that Trump lost in his first term, when he and fellow Republicans tried but failed to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. This time, they’re focusing on subsidies that people use to help pay for their coverage. Those tax credits are set to expire Jan. 1. That could raise premiums at a time when voters say they’re worried about the cost of living. Trump says he wants to see money sent directly to consumers.
A new advertisement inside the Grand Central subway station is filling the air with a seasonal scent. The campaign for Bath & Body Works sees diffusers release visible bursts of vapor onto one platform with a gentle fragrance that riders liken to “pine” and “fabric softeners.” Rider Jerome Murray says it “smells better than the normal New York City tunnels that we normally smell here.” The Metropolitan Transportation Authority says this is the first ad campaign of its kind inside the transit network. Bath & Body Works estimates that 20 to 30 pounds of fragrance will have been dispersed when the campaign ends at the end of November.
The 76th annual National Book Awards have been presented by the nonprofit National Book Foundation, with winners including Rabih Alameddine for fiction, Patricia Smith for poetry, and Omar El Akkad for nonfiction. Hundreds of writers, publishers, editors and other industry professionals gathered Wednesday night to see the awards presented in downtown Manhattan. The event included honorary medals for writers George Saunders and Roxane Gay. Actor Jeff Hiller hosted, and Grammy winner Corinne Bailey Rae was the musical guest.
DULUTH, Minn. — Jess Worden, creator of the DoDuluth mobile event calendar, joined FOX 21 live on the morning show to highlight weekend events across Duluth. Click here for more information. Categories: Coffee Conversation, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News
Verizon is laying off over 13,000 employees as part of a major company reorientation. The cuts began on Thursday, according to a memo from CEO Dan Schulman. He says Verizon’s current cost structure limits investment, especially in customer experiences. Verizon had nearly 100,000 full-time employees at the end of last year. A spokesperson confirmed the layoffs account for about 20% of the company’s management workforce, which isn’t unionized. Schulman, who became CEO last month, has previously emphasized the need for aggressive transformation. Beyond the layoffs in its own workforce, the company also plans to reduce outsourced labor expenses.
GE Appliances says it has awarded more than $150 million in new contracts to U.S. suppliers as a result of its decision to shift production from China to Kentucky. It says the contracts range from $330,000 to $41 million, span 10 states and cover crucial segments of the supplier chain for washer and dryer production. The suppliers include U.S. Steel and family-owned companies. With the new contracts, GE Appliances says it’s increasing domestic spending on suppliers by 3.3%. The suppliers will support production of a combo washer/dryer and a lineup of front load washers. The production is moving from China to the company’s Appliance Park complex in Louisville.
A Kettering Foundation-Gallup poll finds that about half of U.S. adults believe democracy is functioning “very” or “moderately” poorly in the United States, while only around one-quarter think it’s doing “very” or “moderately” well. This marks a sharp decline from several decades ago when majorities thought democracy was generally working the way it should. Alongside the widespread disappointment in how democracy is working, the poll also finds that few believe the country’s leaders are committed to democratic governance or think government decisions reflect the will of the people. The survey is part of a project initiated by Gallup and the Charles F. Kettering Foundation that studies how Americans experience democracy.
Washington National Cathedral is hosting a bipartisan show of respect and remembrance for Dick Cheney, the consequential and polarizing vice president who became an acidic scold of fellow Republican President Donald Trump. Trump has been publicly silent about Cheney’s Nov. 3 death and was not invited to the funeral Thursday. Two ex-presidents are coming. Republican George W. Bush is set to eulogize the man who served him as vice president, and Democrat Joe Biden plans to attend. Among others delivering tributes are Liz Cheney, the former vice president’s eldest daughter, and his longtime cardiologist, Jonathan Reiner.
By GERALD IMRAY and MOGOMOTSI MAGOME - Associated Press
South Africa’s president says the Group of 20 nations will make a joint declaration at the end of their summit in Johannesburg this weekend despite warnings against that from the United States. President Cyril Ramaphosa added the summit host country “will not be bullied” by the U.S. to issue a toned-down statement at the end of the meeting of world leaders. The U.S. is boycotting the first G20 summit in Africa over Trump’s claims that South Africa’s Black-led government is violently persecuting the Afrikaner white minority. A South African official has said the U.S. told South Africa there should be no leaders declaration at the end of the summit.
The family of enslaved potter David Drake — known as “Dave the Potter” — has reclaimed two rare stoneware jars he created in South Carolina before the Civil War in what experts call the first major U.S. art restitution case involving works made by an enslaved person. The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston returned the jars under an agreement finalized this month. The family has sold one back so it can remain on public view. For Drake’s descendants, the return offers both pride and grief as they reconnect with an ancestor whose signed vessels and poems defied laws barring enslaved people from literacy.
(credit: Northland FireWire) ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. — A semi tractor-trailer was destroyed in a fire on Wednesday. According to officials, at around 10:05 a.m. on Wednesday, crews responded to a report of a semi-trailer on fire near the 2200 block of North Highway 4. Colvin Township and Lakeland firefighters responded, and the trailer was deemed a total loss. No…
Starbucks’ union is expanding its week-old strike against the company. Starbucks Workers United said baristas from 30 more stores in 25 U.S. cities planned to join the strike Thursday, including stores in Cleveland; Memphis, Tennessee; Springfield, Missouri, and Albany, New York. That brings the total number of stores with striking workers to 95 in 65 cities. The strike began last Thursday on Starbucks’ Red Cup Day, which is typically one of its busiest days of the year. Starbucks said the strike has caused minimal disruption and Red Cup Day was the strongest in its history. The union is protesting the lack of progress in reaching a contract agreement with Starbucks.
K-pop is turning up in force at the United Nations climate talks in Brazil, with fans-turned-activists hosting protest and events to mobilize their millions-strong online community to back concrete climate actions. During the conference, known as COP30, costumed protests against fossil fuel funding featured characters from the popular “KPop Demon Hunters” movie, while panels attended by South Korean officials strategized how to engage the K-pop fanbase. The effort to mobilize for collective action mirrors a central message from host nation Brazil for the talks.
U.S. employers added a suprisingly solid 119,000 jobs in September, the government said, issuing a key economic report that had been delayed seven weeks by the federal government shutdown. The Labor Department also said Thursday that the unemployment rate rose to 4.4% from 4.3% in August. The increase in payrolls was more than double the 50,000 economists had forecast. But Labor Department revisions showed that jobs fell by 4,000 in August instead of increasing by 22,000 as originally reported.
By ILLIA NOVIKOV and AAMER MADHANI - Associated Press
The U.S. and Russia have reportedly drafted a peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, demanding major concessions from President Zelenskyy. According to sources, the plan includes Ukraine ceding territory to Russia, which Zelenskyy has ruled out. U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff has been working on the proposal for a month. European diplomats insist they must be consulted. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasizes the need for Ukrainian and European involvement. The plan has sparked concerns about its legality under Ukraine’s constitution and its popularity among Ukrainians.
By JACK BROOK and SARA CLINE - Associated Press/Report for America
New Orleans is warily awaiting a monthslong federal crackdown to arrest thousands of immigrants. Around 250 federal agents are expected to arrive Friday in the city that is a beacon for tourists from around the globe seeking the delight and hedonism of the city’s famed Mardi Gras celebrations. Republican Governor Jeff Landry and other state officials have ratcheted up pressure on New Orleans to compel its cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, but Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick says her officers will not participate in the immigration crackdown. Her officers have long been shielded from immigration enforcement by longstanding federal oversight, but that consent decree ended Wednesday.
The U.N. atomic watchdog’s board of governors is demanding Iran fully cooperate and provide the agency’s inspectors with “precise information” about its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium, and also grant them access to the country’s nuclear sites. Nineteen countries on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-member board voted on Thursday to support the resolution, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-doors vote. Russia, China and Niger opposed it, while 12 countries abstained and one did not vote. The resolution was put forward by France, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States. A draft was seen by The Associated Press.
The U.S. feminist movement’s perpetual quest for gender equality has suffered notable setbacks during President Donald Trump’s second term. These include the dismantling of various nondiscrimination programs and the ouster of several high-ranking women in the military. Yet strikingly, outspoken women from the Catholic Church and the ranks of conservative evangelicals are engaging with gusto in ongoing political and social debates even as their faiths maintain longstanding rules against women serving as priests or senior pastors. Many of these women see these ministry barriers as a nonissue.
Natalie Paine, a French horn player in New Zealand’s navy, has been stationed in Antarctica on a military posting since October. She practices her music in one of the most remote places on Earth using a plastic instrument that won’t freeze to her fingers. Growing up in Adelaide, Australia, Paine dreamed of visiting Antarctica as a scientist but pursued music instead. Years later, she learned that New Zealand military members could be stationed there. After four years of unsuccessful applications, she finally landed a posting. Paine finds inspiration in the wild beauty around her, playing music in her limited free time.
The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious. The Associated Press has found that the predictive intelligence program has resulted in people being stopped, searched, and in some cases arrested. A network of cameras scans and records vehicle license plate information, and an algorithm flags vehicles deemed suspicious based on where they came from, where they were going, and which route they took. Federal agents in turn may then flag local law enforcement. The Border Patrol’s parent agency said they use license plate readers to help identify threats and disrupt criminal networks and are governed by “federal law and constitutional protections.”
President Donald Trump has signed a bill to release files on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The president and senior Republicans initially resisted the disclosure, but eventually bowed to political pressure. The legislation, signed Wednesday, requires the Justice Department to disclose all files related to Epstein, including details about his death in federal prison in 2019. The files must be released within 30 days, with some redactions allowed for ongoing investigations. Trump, who had been friends with Epstein, insists he was unaware of Epstein’s crimes and cut ties with him long ago.
By DAVID GOLDMAN and LAURAN NEERGAARD - Associated Press
Sometimes, the immune system runs amok and attacks the organ that makes us “us” — the brain. It’s called autoimmune encephalitis but one California man dubbed it his “year of unraveling.” Christy Morrill went for a bike ride with friends, stopping for lunch — and no one noticed anything wrong until Morrill’s wife asked how the outing went. He’d forgotten….
By SAMYA KULLAB and ISOBEL KOSHIW - Associated Press
Pressure is mounting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to take stronger action to show accountability in the face of a corruption scandal presenting the greatest threat to his government since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Zelenskyy has dismissed two top officials and imposed sanctions on close associates after government investigators revealed that $100 million had been embezzled from the country’s energy sector through kickbacks paid by contractors. But that hasn’t quieted the political storm. After more than three years of war in which Ukrainians face regular power outages, corruption in the energy sector isn’t sitting well with the public. Calls are growing for Zelenskyy to remove his chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, who many consider to be Ukraine’s de facto vice president.
DULUTH, Minn. — Four days after vandals tore through the Piedmont Youth Hockey Association’s main hub, the clean-up continues. Vandals caused significant damage at this community center, which serves as the home base for the Piedmont Youth Hockey Association. Paint on the floors, graffiti on the walls, broken glass, garbage, and toilet paper everywhere. A board member discovered all of…
LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP, Minn. — Lakewood Township’s supervising board hosted a meeting in order to engage with residents about the potential zoning change that the board is considering. The singular item on the agenda for the evening’s meeting was the discussing of the possibility of transferring the town’s local zoning control over to St. Louis County, with many of the town’s…
DULUTH, Minn. – A news release from AFSCME-represented workers at Community Action Duluth (CAD) says they will hold a news conference to raise concerns about Community Action Duluth. They say there is a “growing crisis” within the organization. The news release claims, “hostile working conditions, financial mismanagement, a newly-filed Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) against management, and the ongoing refusal by…
U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida has been indicted on charges accusing her of stealing federal disaster funds and using the money to aid her 2021 campaign, the Justice Department said Wednesday. The Democrat is accused of stealing Federal Emergency Management Agency funds that her family’s health care company had received through a federally funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract, federal prosecutors said. Some of the money was then used to fund her campaign through candidate contributions, prosecutors say. A phone message left at Cherfilus-McCormick’s Washington office was not immediately returned.
DULUTH, Minn. — The 38th annual Festival of Trees fundraising event took place at the DECC over the weekend of Nov. 15, wrapping up with a strong attendance and a successful outcome. Organized by the women’s volunteer and leadership training organization, the Junior League of Duluth, the event featured more than 170 vendors, including retail shops and nonprofits. The festival…
The 2025 Country Music Association Awards are here. Ella Langley, Megan Moroney and Lainey Wilson lead this year’s nominations with six nods each. There’s a lot of stiff competition. Wilson is competing for the night’s top prize, entertainer of the year, against Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen, last year’s winner in the category. The legendary Vince Gill will be presented with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. Shaboozey, Luke Combs, BigXThaPlug and more will perform. The 59th annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena at 8 p.m. Eastern and 7 p.m. Central on ABC. It will become available to stream the next day on Hulu.
The Trump administration has once again extended the life of a Michigan coal-fired power plant. The J.H. Campbell power plant was supposed to close last May as the utility Consumers Energy makes a transition to cleaner sources of electricity. But the U.S. Energy Department has ordered it to stay open for at least another 90 days. The administration says there are “emergency conditions” that require it to keep producing electricity in the central U.S. Critics scoff at that claim. Environmental groups and Michigan’s attorney general have gone to court to try to overturn orders keeping the plant online.
President Donald Trump says he’s turning his attention to helping find an end to the brutal civil war in Sudan. Trump made the declaration on Wednesday after he said he was urged to action by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Trump claims to have ended several wars since returning to office and has openly lobbied for the Nobel Peace Prize. But he admitted he hadn’t given a lot of thought to the fighting in Sudan until he spoke in detail about the civil war with the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia during their White House talks on Tuesday. Trump said he was determined to work with Middle East leaders to end the two-year-old war.
Jaxson Dart continues to progress through concussion protocol, and New York Giants interim coach Mike Kafka said the rookie quarterback is trending toward playing Sunday at Detroit as long as there are no setbacks. Dart missed the game last weekend after getting concussed Nov. 9 in a loss to Chicago. Kafka said Dart would go through a non-contact practice Wednesday, but would not reveal whether he or veteran Jameis Winston would get snaps with the first-team offense. Kafka confirmed the plan is for Winston to serve as the backup against the Lions if Dart is cleared to start.
Yann LeCun, a pioneer in artificial intelligence, has announced he will leave his role as Meta’s chief AI scientist at the end of the year. He plans to start a new company focused on advanced AI research. This research aims to develop AI that can understand the physical world, have memory, reason, and plan complex actions. Meta will partner with the new startup, with some research overlapping with its commercial interests. LeCun joined Facebook in 2013 and co-founded Meta’s AI research division. He also teaches part-time at New York University and won the Turing Award in 2019.
WISCONSIN. — Former Wisconsin State lawmaker Fred Clark is running for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. That district is currently held by republican representative Tom Tiffany, who is running for Wisconsin governor in 2026. Clark is a democrat, he’s lived and worked in Wisconsin for 35 years as a forester and small business owner. As for past politics, he was a…
By DAVID A. LIEB and GEOFF MULVIHILL - Associated Press
SNAP food benefits are flowing again after a pause during the federal government shutdown. But the clock is about to start on a policy that imposes work requirements on more beneficiaries. Many people are already barred from receiving the food aid for more than three months every three years if they’re not working, volunteering or taking classes. That requirement is about to kick in for people ages 55 through 64, those with children ages 14 to 18 and other groups. It comes as President Donald Trump’s administration is portraying the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as rife with fraud.
DULUTH, Minn.– Inspired by recent difficulties with snap benefits and expensive cost of living, Western Bank in Duluth is ‘banking on kindness’ At both the Hermantown, and West Duluth locations, Western Bank is collecting any and all pet supplies and money for this fundraiser. The mission is to help prevent surrenders resulting from hardships. Happy Tails Animal Hospital in Superior…
Target’s third-quarter profit tumbled as the retailer struggles to lure shoppers that are being pressed by stubbornly high inflation. The Minneapolis company said Wednesday that it expects its sales slump to extend through the critical holiday shopping season. Investors have punished Target’s stock recently, sending it down 43% over the past year. Shares slipped in premarket trading.
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and HOLLY RAMER - Associated Press
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers is retreating from his most prominent public roles. Summers severed ties Wednesday with OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, and other organizations over recently released emails showing he maintained a friendly relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile, Harvard University reopened an investigation into connections between the former Harvard president and Epstein, and Summers appeared before an economics class that he teaches there. Summers has been regarded as a leading voice on the U.S. economy. He was also affiliated with multiple think tanks, research centers and media organizations. Several of them confirmed that those affiliations have ended.
George Thorogood DULUTH, Min. – George Thorogood & The Destroyers are hitting the road for more shows in 2026, one of them is coming to Duluth. The show is scheduled for Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 7:30pm at the DECC Symphony Hall. He told FOX21 that he wants the fans dancing and laughing at the concert, “Get up and boogie!”…
NEW YORK (AP) — Target’s third-quarter profit tumbled as the retailer struggles to lure shoppers that are being pressed by stubbornly high inflation. The Minneapolis company said Wednesday that it expects its sales slump to extend through the critical holiday shopping season. The company also announced that it’s planning to invest another billion dollars next year to remodel stores, build…
Shedeur Sanders will make his first NFL start on Sunday in Las Vegas as the Browns turn to the high-profile quarterback while fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel recovers from a concussion. Sanders replaced an injured Gabriel for the second half of last week’s 23-16 loss to Baltimore. It was a shaky debut as Sanders, who was drafted by Cleveland in the fifth round, completed just 4 of 16 passes with an interception. He also was sacked twice and fumbled once. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said Wednesday that Gabriel remains in concussion protocol. Sanders will be the 42nd quarterback to start for Cleveland since 1999.
By SETH BORENSTEIN, MELINA WALLING and ANTON L. DELGADO - Associated Press
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are jumping into the United Nations climate talks as they get to crunch time. Their goal is to find compromises before a self-imposed deadline on Wednesday. Experts say their joint presence signals serious intent. The talks, known as COP30, are taking place near the Amazon. Key issues include toughening climate plans, distributing $300 billion in climate aid, and phasing out fossil fuels. Lula is advocating for a new international fund to protect tropical forests.
NASA is unveiling close-up pictures of the interstellar comet that’s making a quick one-and-done tour of our solar system. Discovered over the summer, the comet known as 3I/Atlas is only the third confirmed object to visit from another star. It zipped harmlessly past Mars last month. Several NASA spacecraft at and near the red planet zoomed in on the comet as it passed just 18 million miles away. The closest the comet will come to Earth is 167 million miles in mid-December. Then it will hightail it back into interstellar space, never to return.
Health officials say at least 31 babies in 15 states have been treated for botulism as an outbreak tied to ByHeart formula continues to grow. Investigators in at least three states said the formula remains on some store shelves, despite a Nov. 11 recall of all products nationwide. Businesses and consumers should remain alert and should not sell or feed the formula to babies. Infant botulism is a potentially deadly illness causes by a type of bacteria that produces a toxin in babies’ guts. Symptoms can take up to 30 days to develop. The illness requires immediate medical attention.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a longtime loyalist of President Donald Trump, joined other Republicans outside the Capitol with several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, before Congress voted to force the Justice Department to release files related to the convicted sex offender. The Epstein Files Transparency Act, once signed into law, would require the release, within 30…
Archaeologists have identified more than a dozen ancient canoes that Indigenous people apparently left behind in a prehistoric parking lot along a Wisconsin lakeshore. The Wisconsin Historical Society announced Wednesday that archaeologists have identified 16 canoes submerged in the lake bed of Lake Mendota in Madison. The discoveries began in 2021 when researchers uncovered the remains of a 1,200-year-old canoe in the lake. The following year they discovered a 3,000-year-old canoe, a 4,500-year-old canoe under it, as well as another 2,000-year-old canoe next to it. The oldest canoe of the 16 the society has now mapped is about 5,200 years old. Maritime archaeologist Tamara Thomsen says the canoes were positioned near a network of indigenous trials.