Ahmad al-Sharaa, once detained by the U.S. for joining al-Qaida in Iraq, will be the first Syrian president to visit Washington since 1946. After leading a successful rebellion against Bashar Assad last December, al-Sharaa has worked to establish new international ties. On Monday, he is set to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington. Syria is expected to join the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group. Al-Sharaa aims to push for the full removal of remaining sanctions on Syria. The visit marks a significant shift in U.S.-Syria relations and could impact regional dynamics.

The Federal Aviation Administration has announced a 10% reduction in flight capacity across 40 major U.S. airports. This could strain air cargo as the holiday season approaches. FedEx and UPS have major hubs at affected airports, including Indianapolis, Memphis, and Louisville. The reduction impacts domestic flights, not global ones. Shipping companies like FedEx are adjusting plans to ensure shipments continue smoothly. Smaller, high-value goods are more likely to be transported by air. Experts say the supply chain could slow, but airlines have become adept at managing such disruptions. The impact should be manageable unless reductions deepen.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cyndi Lauper turned “True Colors” into a defiant call for courage and the music of Outkast, Soundgarden and the White Stripes brought waves of emotion Saturday night at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction…

Cyndi Lauper has turned “True Colors” into a powerful anthem at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. On Saturday, she led an all-star jam with artists like Chris Robinson and Bryan Adams to honor fellow Rock Hall inductee Joe Cocker. Lauper acknowledges the women who paved the way for her and those who follow. Salt-N-Pepa also celebrated women's power in music, performing hits like “Push It” and “What a Man.” Outkast doesn't perform together, but Big Boi and Andre 3000 share heartfelt speeches. Soundgarden's segment includes emotional tributes to Chris Cornell. The White Stripes and other rock legends received rousing tributes, making the night unforgettable.

Super Typhoon Fung-wong, the biggest storm to threaten the Philippines this year, has started battering the country’s northeastern coast ahead of landfall. The storm has knocked down power, forced the evacuation of more than a million people and prompted the defense chief to warn many others to evacuate to safety from high-risk villages before it’s too late. Fung-wong has a 994-mile-wide rain and wind band, which could cover two-thirds of the archipelago. It is approaching from the Pacific Sunday while the Philippines is still dealing with the devastation wrought by Typhoon Kalmaegi. That storm left at least 224 people dead in the central Philippines and later killed at least 5 in Vietnam.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has inducted its 2025 class, celebrating influential musicians and figures. The ceremony took place Saturday at Los Angeles' Peacock Theater, featuring tributes, speeches, and performances by artists like Soundgarden, Salt-N-Pepa, and Big Boi of Outkast. Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after their first release. This year's inductees include Outkast, Bad Company, Salt-N-Pepa, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, Soundgarden, Warren Zevon, Thom Bell, The White Stripes, Carole Kaye, Nicky Hopkins, and Lenny Waronker.

Illegal gold mining is growing in Ghana, one of the world's top gold producers. A weakening economy and high unemployment have pushed thousands of youth into illegal mining to chase elusive wealth. The government and environmental groups say the mining is contaminating rivers and other bodies. The country's president has even been under pressure to declare a state of emergency. In one community, a new task force of residents now patrols their forested region in search of illegal mining. They even carry out arrests. But their lack of supervision by security forces has raised concerns about potential abuse of power.

Federal and state health officials are investigating 13 cases in 10 U.S. states of infant botulism linked to baby formula that is being recalled. The Food and Drug Administration says ByHeart Inc. agreed to begin recalling two lots of the company’s Whole Nutrition Infant Formula. All 13 infants were hospitalized after consuming formula from the two lots. No deaths were reported. The formula is sold online and through major retailers. Infant botulism is caused by a bacterium that produces toxins in the large intestine. The cases occurred in Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.

Freshman Cam Ward had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Coen Carr scored 15 points and soared for seven rebounds and No. 22 Michigan State beat No. 14 Arkansas 69-66 in a matchup of Hall of Fame coaches. The Spartans grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and converted them into 18 points, a staple of Tom Izzo’s program for 31 seasons. John Calipari has highly touted freshmen Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas in his second season with the Razorbacks. Acuff had 16 points on 5 of 16 shooting points. Thomas scored 16 on 5 of 15 shooting.

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree has arrived in Manhattan, marking the start of New York City's holiday season. This year's tree is a 75-foot Norway spruce from East Greenbush, a suburb of Albany. It traveled about 150 miles on a flatbed truck to reach its new home. On Saturday workers used cranes to position the 11-ton tree at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The spruce will soon be decorated with over 50,000 LED lights and a Swarovski star. It will be lit Dec. 3 during a live TV broadcast. The tree was donated by Judy Russ and her family.

Week 11 of College Football is underway, with teams aware of their standings for the College Football Playoff. Texas Tech defeated BYU 29-7, taking the lead in the Big 12. Indiana narrowly avoided a loss against Penn State, winning 27-24 with a last-minute touchdown. Memphis lost to Tulane 38-32, potentially affecting their rankings. James Madison's win over Marshall could help them break into the AP Top 25. Key games include Texas A&M at Missouri, Oregon at Iowa, and Wake Forest at Virginia. The outcomes could significantly impact playoff hopes and rankings.

The Trump administration’s legal efforts to fight having to fully fund food stamps for millions of vulnerable Americans is creating an opening for Democrats eager to use the longest government shutdown in U.S. history to paint the president as callous and out of touch. The Supreme Court late Friday granted the administration’s emergency appeal to temporarily block a court order requiring them to fully fund SNAP food aid payments amid the shutdown. The legal maneuvering comes as both parties have tried to gain the political upper hand and blame the other for the shutdown as its impact is increasingly felt across the nation.

With SNAP benefits going out late, nonprofits are begging for pet food donations to prevent desperate owners from surrendering their dogs and cats to animal shelters. Nonprofits say it is common for owners to supplement their pet’s diet with human food purchased using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits. For other owners, SNAP frees up money to buy pet food. The situation is so dire that one Louisiana shelter is considering diverting money normally used on veterinary care to buy more pet food. Another Illinois nonprofit is pairing SNAP recipients with volunteers so they can shop together for human and pet food.

People in some U.S. states have started receiving their November SNAP benefits after delays caused by a legal battle over the government shutdown. But people in other states are still waiting. Some states acted quickly to issue full monthly SNAP benefits Friday, a day after a court ordered the Trump administration to make the funds available. On Friday night, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson temporarily paused that judicial order to allow time for the appeals court to decide on a more lasting halt. Some states had not moved quickly, because they were waiting for more guidance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Tens of thousands of Sudanese have fled to overcrowded camps to escape atrocities by a paramilitary force since it captured el-Fasher in the western Darfur region. An aid group reported this on Saturday, and the U.N. human rights chief warned that many others are still trapped. Since the Rapid Support Forces seized el-Fasher on Oct. 26, more than 16,200 people have fled to camps in Tawila. The RSF and the Sudanese army have been at war since April 2023. At least 40,000 people have been killed, and some 12 million people have been displaced.