By KIKI SIDERIS

Don’t let your Halloween pumpkin haunt the landfill this November.

More than 1 billion pounds of pumpkins rot in U.S. landfills each year after Halloween, according to the Department of Energy.

Yours doesn’t have to go to waste. Experts told us your pumpkins can be eaten, composted or even fed to animals. Here’s how.

Cooking with pumpkin waste

If you’re carving a jack-o’-lantern, don’t throw away the skin or innards — every part is edible.

After carving, you can cube the excess flesh — the thick part between the outer skin and the inner pulp that holds the seeds — for soups and stews, says Carleigh Bodrug, a chef known for cooking with common food scraps. You can also puree it and add a tablespoon to your dog’s dinner for extra nutrients. And pumpkin chunks can be frozen for future use.

“The seeds are a nutritional gold mine,” Bodrug said. They’re packed with protein, magnesium, zinc and healthy fats, according to a 2022 study in the journal Plants.

One of Bodrug’s recipes involves removing the seeds, rinsing and roasting them with cinnamon for a crunchy snack or salad topper. Then you can use the stringy guts to make a pumpkin puree for muffins. This version differs from canned purees in grocery stores — which typically use a different type of pumpkin or squash — because carving pumpkins have stringier innards and a milder flavor. A carving pumpkin’s guts can still be used for baking — you’ll just have to amp up the seasoning to boost the flavor.

If you don’t want to eat your pumpkins, you can donate them to a local farm, which might use them to feed pigs, chickens and other animals.

Edible parts should be collected while you’re carving and before it’s painted, decorated or left on your porch for weeks. Paint and wax aren’t food-safe, and bacteria and mold can grow on the skin in outdoor climates.

Once you’ve cooked what you can and donated what’s safe to feed, composting the rest is the easiest way to keep it out of the landfill.

“That way, even though they’re not safe to eat, they can still give back to the earth,” Bodrug said.

Composting at home or donating to a farm

Composting pumpkins keeps them out of methane-emitting landfills and turns them into nutrient-rich soil instead. You can do this at home or drop them off at a local farm, compost collection bin or drop-off site.

“A large percentage of what ends up going to the landfill is stuff that could have been composted,” said Dante Sclafani, compost coordinator at Queens County Farm in New York. “So even just cutting down something like pumpkins could really help curb how many garbage bags you’re putting out every week.”

Before composting, remove any candles, plastic, glitter, or other decorations — they can contaminate the compost. A little glitter or paint won’t ruin the pile, but it’s best to get it as clean as possible before tossing it in. Then, chop up the pumpkin in 1-inch pieces so it can break down easier.

“Pumpkins are full of water, so it’s important to maintain a good balance of dried leaves, wood chips, sawdust, shredded newspaper, cardboard, straw — anything that’s a dry organic material — in your compost bin,” Sclafani said. If you don’t maintain this balance, your compost might start to stink.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a healthy compost pile should include a mix of “greens” — like pumpkin scraps and food waste — and “browns” like dry leaves, straw or cardboard, in roughly a three-to-one ratio. That balance helps the pile break down faster and prevents odors.

And if your pumpkin’s been sitting on the porch all month? That’s actually ideal. “It’s never too far gone for compost,” Sclafani said. “Even if it’s mushy or moldy, that actually helps, because the fungus speeds up decomposition.”

“Composting anything organic is better than throwing it out because you’re not creating more refuse in landfills, you’re not creating methane gas,” said Laura Graney, the farm’s education director.

Graney said autumn on the farm is the perfect opportunity to teach kids about composting since it gives them a sense of power in the face of big environmental challenges.

“Even though they’re little, composting helps them feel like they can make a difference,” Graney said. “They take that message home to their families, and that’s how we spread the word.”

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The post FBI says shooter in deadly Michigan church attack was motivated by hatred toward the Mormon faith appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) The former Marine who opened fire in a Michigan church and set it ablaze last month was motivated by anti-religious beliefs against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the FBI confirmed Friday.

While friends of the gunman in the deadly shooting have said he harbored hatred for what is widely known as the Mormon church, the FBI had previously declined to specify the motivation behind the attack that left four people dead and the church burned to the ground, except to say it was a targeted" act of violence.

The gunman, Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, was killed by law enforcement responding to the shooting.

I am confirming this is a targeted act of violence believed to be motivated by the assailants anti-religious beliefs against the Mormon religious community, Jennifer Runyan, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit field office, said in a prerecorded video message. The agency declined to share further information on what led to its conclusion.

Sanford drove his pickup truck into the side of a Latter-day Saints chapel in Grand Blanc Township, 60 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Detroit, on Sunday, Sept. 28, and began shooting at congregants. Authorities have said he used gasoline as an accelerant to then light the church on fire.

Body camera footage released by Grand Blanc Township police shows an officer yelling, Drop the gun! Drop the gun! Drop it now! One of the officers tells another, Ive got your back, back here man. Yeah stay there. Shoot him!

The FBI said Friday that nine people were injured in the attack. The previous official count had been eight.

During our investigation, an additional individual was determined to be injured during the Grand Blanc critical incident, a spokesperson said in a statement.

The agency declined to comment Friday on the nature of the additional injury.

The four people who were killed have been identified through family and friends as Craig Hayden, William Pat Howard, John Bond and Thelma Armstrong.

Lisa Louis, who was in the chapel when her father, Hayden, was fatally shot, wrote in a letter that after looking into the shooter's eyes, she forgave him, with my heart."

Earlier this month, top church leaders preached a message of love and forgiveness in the wake of the attack while gathered for the faith's twice-annual general conference in its home state of Utah. Its members responded by raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in an online fundraiser for the gunman's family.

The church said it strengthened its security protocols for the conference and, days later, for the funeral of its oldest-ever president, who died a day before the Michigan shooting.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did not have a comment Friday.

Brandt Malone, a member of the faith who was attending services at a nearby church on the morning of the shooting, said the FBI's statement "did confirm some of our darkest fears that this attack was motivated by hatred.

This affects all believers of all religious traditions, and it hurts that there are those out there who are motivated by the darkest of feelings, he said.

Malone grew up attending events at the church where the attack occurred. He said local Latter-day Saints have been uplifted by an outpouring of love from the Grand Blanc Township community and other religious congregations.

Authorities have released little information about Sanford and the attack. People who knew him have said he began vocalizing anti-Mormon sentiments years ago after living in Utah, where he dated and broke up with a girlfriend who was a member of the faith. Sanford had moved to Utah after leaving the Marines and told his friends he had become addicted to methamphetamines.

An attorney acting as a spokesperson for Sanford's family did not immediately return a request for comment.

___

WASHINGTON (AP) — Multiple people who had been allegedly plotting a violent attack over the Halloween weekend were arrested Friday morning in Michigan, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a social media post.

Patel didn’t release further information about the arrests, but said more information would be coming.

Dearborn Police said in a social media post that the department was made aware that the FBI conducted operations in the city on Friday and assured residents that there is no threat to the community.

By CLAUDIA LAUER, Associated Press

A U.S. Senate investigation has uncovered dozens of credible reports of medical neglect and poor conditions in immigration detention centers nationwide — with detainees denied insulin, left without medical attention for days and forced to compete for clean water — raising scrutiny about how the government oversees its vast detention system.

The report released by Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Democrat from Georgia, is the second in a series of inquiries examining alleged human rights abuses in the immigration detention system. It builds on an August review that detailed mistreatment of children and pregnant women and draws from more than 500 reports of abuse and neglect collected between January and August.

The latest findings document more than 80 credible cases of medical neglect and widespread complaints of inadequate food and water. Senate investigators say that points to systemic failures in federal detention oversight.

The report cites accounts from detainees, attorneys, advocates, news reports and at least one Department of Homeland Security employee, describing delays in medical care that, in some cases, proved life-threatening. One detainee reportedly suffered a heart attack after complaining of chest pain for days without treatment. Others said inhalers and asthma medication were withheld, or that detainees waited weeks for prescriptions to be filled.

A Homeland Security staff member assigned to one detention site told investigators that “ambulances have to come almost every day,” according to the report.

Ossoff said the findings reflect a deeper failure of oversight within federal immigration detention.

“Americans overwhelmingly demand and deserve secure borders. Americans also overwhelmingly oppose the abuse and neglect of detainees,” Ossoff told The Associated Press. “Every human being is entitled to dignity and humane treatment. That is why I have for years investigated and exposed abuses in prisons, jails, and detention centers, and that is why this work will continue.”

The medical reports also detailed how a diabetic detainee went without glucose monitoring or insulin for two days and became delirious before medical attention was given and that it took months for another detainee to receive medication to treat gastrointestinal issues.

Expired milk, foul water, scant food are reported

The Senate investigation also identified persistent complaints about food and water, including evidence drawn from court filings, depositions and interviews. Detainees described meals too small for adults, milk that was sometimes expired, and water that smelled foul or appeared to make children sick. At one Texas facility, a teenager said adults were forced to compete with children for bottles of clean water when staff left out only a few at a time.

The Associated Press asked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment on the report’s findings multiple times Wednesday and Thursday, but the agency did not provide a response. The Homeland Security Department previously criticized Ossoff’s first report in August, saying the allegations of detainees being abused were false and accusing him of trying to “score political points.”

Attorneys for some of those detained at facilities across the country said they’ve seen some of the issues with medical care and food firsthand.

Stephanie Alvarez-Jones, a Southeast regional attorney for the National Immigration Project, said one of the organization’s clients was denied a prescribed medical device while being detained at Angola’s Camp J facility in Louisiana in the last two months. The man, in his 60s, experienced stroke-like symptoms, including partial paralysis, and was eventually taken to the hospital, where he was transferred to an intensive care unit for several days.

Doctors there prescribed him a walker to help him move during his recovery, but Alvarez-Jones said the detention staff would not let him have it when he first returned and placed him in a segregation cell.

“He still could not walk by himself,” she said. “He still had paralysis on his left side.” She added: “He was not able to get up and get his food, to shower by himself or to use the bathroom without assistance. So he had to lay in soiled bedsheets because he wasn’t able to get up.”

Alvarez-Jones said the guards had insinuated to the man that they believed he was faking his illness. He was eventually given the choice of staying in the segregation cell and being allowed a walker, or returning to the general detainee population. She said he’s been relying on the help of others in the general population to eat and use the bathroom as he recovers.

The Baltimore field office is examined

Amelia Dagen, a senior attorney with the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, is working on a lawsuit against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations Baltimore Field Office as well as officials in charge of national immigration enforcement efforts.

Dagen said several of the organization’s clients have had to fight for access to medication at the Baltimore holding facility. Through the lawsuit, she said the government agency had to admit in the court record that it does not have a food vendor to provide three meals a day or any onsite medical staff at the facility that was initially only supposed to hold detainees for about 12 hours.

But since January and the various immigration enforcement actions, it’s much more likely that detainees are held for as much as a week in the Baltimore Hold Room.

“What we started hearing very quickly, maybe in February, was that the food they were being fed three times a day was incredibly inadequate,” Dagen said. “We would hear sometimes it would be a protein bar or sometimes just bread and water. There is very little nutritional value and very little variety. I mean, sometimes it was a military ration component, but just the rice and beans, not a full meal.”

Dagen said the detainees also have to ask for bottles of water and they aren’t always given. The ICE office has taken the stance that the sinks attached to the cell toilets are a continuous supply of water. But Dagen said the detainees complained the sink water has a bad taste.

“This is 100% a problem of their own making,” she said of the authorities. “These hold rooms were not used in this way prior to 2025. They are setting themselves these quotas, removing discretion to release people and trying to arrest numbers of people that are just impractical … fully knowing they don’t have the ability to hold these people.”

GENEVA (AP) — The U.N. human rights chief said Friday that U.S. military strikes against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean allegedly carrying illegal drugs from South America are “unacceptable” and must stop.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk called for an investigation into the strikes, in what appeared to mark the first such condemnation of its kind from a United Nations organization.

Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for Türk’s office, relayed his message on Friday at a regular U.N. briefing: “These attacks and their mounting human cost are unacceptable. The U.S. must halt such attacks and take all measures necessary to prevent the extrajudicial killing of people aboard these boats.”

She said Türk believed “airstrikes by the United States of America on boats in the Caribbean and in the Pacific violate international human rights law.”

President Donald Trump has justified the attacks on the boats as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States, but the campaign against drug cartels has been divisive among countries in the region.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday announced the latest U.S. military strike in the campaign, against a boat he said was carrying drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean. All four people aboard were killed. It was the 14th strike since the campaign began in early September, while the death toll has grown to at least 61.

Shamdasani noted the U.S. explanations of the efforts as an anti-drug and counter-terrorism campaign, but said countries have long agreed that the fight against illicit drug trafficking is a law-enforcement matter governed by “careful limits” placed on the use of lethal force.

Intentional use of lethal force is allowed only as a last resort against someone representing “an imminent threat to life,” she said. “Otherwise, it would amount to a violation of the right of life and constitute extrajudicial killings.”

The strikes are taking place “outside the context” of armed conflict or active hostilities, Shamdasani said.

By MARC LEVY, Associated Press

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) — Democrats and their allied groups are pouring in more money, cutting a fresh television ad with Gov. Josh Shapiro and sending in the national party chairman in the final week of campaigning for a Pennsylvania Supreme Court election, possible signs of concern for a race that could reshape the highest court in the largest presidential battleground.

Spending in the race is on track to exceed $15 million — far surpassing previous spending in what’s called a retention election — as Democrats try to blunt a late-emerging Republican campaign to oust three Democratic justices.

The outcome will have consequences for next year’s midterm election, the 2028 presidential race and the next decade’s congressional redistricting. The nation’s most populous swing state has a politically divided government that has left disputes over election laws and other major issues to the courts in recent years.

At issue in Tuesday’s election is whether the three justices will each serve another term, up to 10 years. They don’t face opponents and are not listed by party affiliation. The ballot merely asks voters to cast a yes-or-no vote.

Retention elections are supposed to be nonpartisan, but Christine Donohue, one of the justices running to remain the bench, said she’s “shocked at the partisan nature” of the election.

“This is extraordinarily unusual,” Donohue said in an interview on Wednesday. “I suppose that’s a sign of the times, though.”

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has a 5-2 Democratic majority, so an across-the-board loss for Democrats in Tuesday’s election could produce a 2-2 ideological split for two years. Political stalemate could likely prevent their seats from being filled until the next judicial election in 2027, potentially leaving the court unable to decide voting or election-related cases through next year’s midterm elections.

“It could lead to chaos,” Donohue said.

While the spending is far below the more than $100 million spent on a state Supreme Court election in Wisconsin earlier this year, it highlights how important these races have become for both parties because of the role state courts play in deciding redistricting disputes, lawsuits over voting and elections, and setting policy on hot-button issues such as abortion.

Donohue and the other justices up for retention, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht, were spending their final days of the campaign attending Democratic Party rallies and get-out-the-vote efforts. Ken Martin, the Democratic National Committee chairman, traveled across Pennsylvania to headline events on Wednesday and Thursday.

At a Lancaster County Democratic Party meeting Wednesday evening, Martin told a couple hundred people that Republicans were trying to steal power by buying court seats so they can enact right-wing policy through the courts.

“This isn’t just about Pennsylvania,” Martin told the crowd. “Because if they win here, you can bet your bottom dollar they bring this in every single state around the country. … This is about our democracy.”

Democrats and their allies were on course to outspend Republicans by a ratio of as much as 4-to-1 after a blitz of TV ads in the final weeks to counter a wave of Republican flyers and commercials.

The TV ads supporting the justices portray them as defenders of abortion rights, union rights and voting rights. Backing them are labor unions, trial lawyers and Planned Parenthood’s political arm.

While not all spending or financial sources have been disclosed publicly, groups linked to a network that typically spends campaign contributions from Pennsylvania’s richest man, securities billionaire Jeffrey Yass, so far has spent about $2 million, according to figures from AdImpact, which tracks advertising.

Democrats and their allies reported spending more than $7 million in October. The ACLU and Planned Parenthood are among left-leaning groups that have increased their spending late in the race as Democrats seek to counter a wave of Republican-aligned TV ads and flyers that launched in September, just before voters began casting mail ballots.

The blitz concerned Democrats. Lancaster County Democratic Party Chairman Tom O’Brien said party members were in “panic mode” as they worried about how the party would respond.

Particularly worrisome to Democrats was Republican messaging urging Democratic voters to “term limit” the justices by voting no. It was packaged with wording meant to convey sentiments typically expressed by Democrats, including “no kings” and “defend democracy.”

Democrats also realized that a major task was educating voters about what a retention election is. O’Brien and others said they are feeling better as canvassers have helped educate voters, and Democratic-aligned flyers and TV ads have flooded the state.

In an October TV ad running in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, Shapiro told viewers that the justices “have proven that we can count on them to protect a woman’s access to abortion and birth control, and stand up for all our freedoms.”

Democrats say they are satisfied with their voting-by-mail turnout in the weeks leading up to the final day of voting, but they are continuing their campaign push. On Saturday, Philadelphia labor leaders and Mayor Cherelle Parker will lead a half-day motorcade through the city to promote the justices’ campaigns.

Republicans’ most potent voice, President Donald Trump, has not waded into the election, although his name has occasionally been invoked. A Republican-aligned TV ad says, “On Nov. 4, you can help President Trump to term limit three woke Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices.”

State Republican Party Chairman Greg Rothman suggested that a “no” campaign is only natural.

“Retention shouldn’t be automatic,” he said. “Otherwise, why even have it?”

Rothman said he didn’t know whether the Republican effort would succeed but said voters already cynical about government could be motivated to vote “no.” A state government budget stalemate approaching its fifth month and the federal government shutdown could put voters in a mood to vote against any incumbent.

“Based on the Democratic Party response, and Shapiro cutting ads and all the money that trial lawyers and the national DNC is bringing in, that they must think we’re onto something,” Rothman said.

Follow Marc Levy on X at https://x.com/timelywriter

By STEPHEN GROVES, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate passed a resolution Thursday that would undo many of President Donald Trump’s tariffs around the globe, the latest note of displeasure at his trade tactics in Washington that came just as the president celebrated his negotiations with China as a success.

After a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea, Trump said he would cut tariffs on the Asian economic giant and China would, in turn, purchase 25 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans annually for the next three years. The Republican president claimed his trade negotiations would secure “prosperity and security to millions of Americans.”

But back in Washington, senators — several from Trump’s Republican Party — have demonstrated their dissent with Trump’s tariff tactics by passing a series of resolutions this week that would nullify the national emergencies that Trump has declared to justify the import taxes. Already this week, the Senate approved resolutions to end tariffs imposed on Brazil and Canada. While the legislative efforts are ultimately doomed, they exposed fault lines in the GOP.

The latest resolution, which would effectively end most of Trump’s tariff policies, passed on a 51-47 vote, with four Republicans joining with all Democrats.

Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who backed Democrats on the resolutions, credited Trump for decreasing the tariffs on China, but said the result is “still much higher than we’ve had.”

“It still will lead to increased prices,” he said.

The votes were orchestrated by Democrats using a decades-old law that allows Congress to nullify a presidential emergency. But House Republicans have instituted a new rule that allows the leadership to prevent such resolutions from coming up for a vote. Plus, Trump would surely veto legislation that inhibits his power over trade policy, meaning the legislation won’t ultimately take effect.

Democrats can force a vote but not a result

But Democrats have still been able to force the Senate to take up an uncomfortable topic for their Republican colleagues.

“American families are being squeezed by prices going up and up and up,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, in a floor speech. He added that “in many ways, red states in rural areas are being hit the hardest,” and pointed to economic strain being put on farmers and manufacturers.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said that Americans shouldn’t be fooled by Trump’s announcement.

“Donald Trump has folded, leaving American families and farmers and small businesses to deal with the wreckage from his blunders, from his erratic on again off again tariff policies,” said the New York Democrat.

How Republicans see Trump’s trade policy

Overall, there has been little movement among Republicans to oppose Trump’s import taxes publicly. A nearly identical resolution failed in April on a tied vote after Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was absent. On Thursday, McConnell and Paul, as well as Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, voted along with all Democrats to pass the resolution.

Those four Republicans helped advance similar resolutions this week to end the tariffs on Brazil and Canada. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, also voted in favor of the resolution applying to Brazil, but otherwise, GOP senators have held the line this week behind the president.

“I agree with my colleagues that tariffs should be more targeted to avoid harm to Americans,” said Sen. Mike Crapo, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, in a floor speech. Yet, he added that Trump’s negotiations “are bearing fruit” and praised his announcement that Beijing would allow the export of rare earth elements and start buying American soybeans again.

Republicans representing farm states were especially enthused by the announcement that China would be purchasing 25 million metric tons of soybeans annually, starting with 10 million metric tons for the rest of this year.

Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican, said the deal with China “absolutely” justifies Trump’s use of tariff threats to negotiate trade policy with other nations. He called the announcement “huge news” for Kansas farmers, but also acknowledged that they would still probably need financial help as they deal with the strain of losing their biggest customer for soybeans and sorghum.

“It’s not like you can snap your finger and send over $15 billion worth of sorghum and soybeans together overnight,” he said.

China had been the largest purchaser of U.S. soybeans until this year. It purchased almost 27 million metric tons in 2024, so Trump’s negotiated deal only guarantees to return soybean exports to China to less than their previous level.

Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican, called the purchase agreement a “start.”

Asked whether he agreed with Trump’s assessment that his meeting with Xi had been a runaway success, Cramer smiled and said the president “is nothing if not optimistic.”

STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — Mike Tirico, Maria Taylor, Ahmed Fareed and Noah Eagle will work multiple events in February as NBC broadcasts the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, Super Bowl 60 and the NBA All-Star Game.

On Feb. 8, Tirico will handle play-by-play in a Super Bowl for the first time after being the pregame host in 2022. After the Super Bowl postgame, he will host “Primetime in Milan” from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Tirico, who will be hosting NBC’s primetime Olympic coverage for the fifth time, will begin hosting from Italy on Feb. 10 until the conclusion of the games on Feb. 22.

Tirico will also be part of NBC’s debut of “Sunday Night Basketball” on Feb. 1 when he calls the Los Angeles Lakers-New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden.

Taylor will be the lead host of the Super Bowl pregame for the first time. On Feb. 7, she will be the primetime host of Olympics coverage and then will be the late-night host from Italy beginning on Feb. 10. This will be the fourth Olympics assignment for Taylor, who joined NBC in 2021.

Taylor will also host the debut of “Basketball Night in America” on Feb. 1.

Fareed will anchor the NBA All-Star Weekend coverage from Inglewood, California, Feb. 13-15 as well as being the daytime host of Olympics coverage on Feb. 7.

Eagle will call his first NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15 as well as All-Star Saturday. He will also be part of the Super Bowl pregame and has NBA games on Feb. 1 (Oklahoma City at Denver) and Feb. 22 (Boston at Los Angeles Lakers).

Today show co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin will also be part of Olympics coverage. Guthrie will host the Opening Ceremony with Terry Gannon Feb. 6 and then “Primetime in Milan” on Feb. 9. Melvin has the Late Night show from Feb. 7-9.

By STEVE PEOPLES, AP National Political Writer

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Democrat Abigail Spanberger is more eager to talk about struggling soybean farmers than President Donald Trump’s attack on American institutions. She plays down the historic nature of her campaign for Virginia governor and avoids making big, bold promises about what she will accomplish if elected.

Yet some believe the moderate approach — others call it boring — that the former congresswoman and CIA case officer has taken heading into Tuesday’s election holds the key to the Democratic Party’s national revival.

“Don’t promise things you know you can’t deliver,” Spanberger said aboard her bus campaigning this week to be the state’s first female governor. It was a sober warning to Democratic leaders across the country — New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani and former President Joe Biden among them.

It may be an underwhelming message for the millions of angry voters who have flocked to anti-Donald Trump protests in recent weeks demanding that Democratic leaders take bold action to fight the Republican’s norm-busting presidency. But as the Democratic Party searches for an effective message and messengers in the wake of last fall’s Election Day drubbing, Spanberger is offering a pragmatic focus on economic concerns and a toned-down pledge to address Trump’s most damaging policies, when possible.

That tack is in line with a growing group of Democratic governors, top party operatives and Mikie Sherrill, the New Jersey congresswoman and former Navy helicopter pilot who is the only other Democratic gubernatorial hopeful on the ballot next week. They are betting big that a centrist message aimed at voters’ economic concerns will deliver victory where an intense focus on stopping Trump from unraveling American democracy failed in 2024.

The Republican nominees in Virginia and New Jersey, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Trump-endorsed former business owner and state legislator Jack Ciattarelli, have tried to paint their Democratic opponents as out-of-touch liberals more concerned about transgender rights and immigrants who are in the United States illegally than they are about the safety of school children.

That playbook worked for Trump in the last presidential election. But given the national security backgrounds of Spanberger and Sherrill, it is unclear whether that will work Tuesday.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has campaigned alongside Spanberger and Sherrill over the past week, noted that both candidates have focused on rising costs while offering a clear contrast to the chaos that has consumed Trump’s Washington. It’s largely the same approach that Shapiro has taken as he gears up for a 2026 reelection campaign in the swing state before a possible 2028 presidential bid.

“The lesson is winning,” Shapiro said when asked about whether the approach reflects lessons learned from Democrats’ struggles in 2024.

Democratic divisions loom

The Democratic Party is far from united on how to move forward.

Just as Spanberger and Sherrill embrace moderation, progressive leaders such as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have lined up behind Mamdani, who is also on the ballot Tuesday. The self-described democratic socialist has called for government-run grocery stores, free public transit and rent freezes, among other policies that may be difficult to enact if he wins.

Mamdani is in an increasingly caustic race with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani.

“The socialists want to take over the Democratic Party,” Cuomo said in a weekend radio interview. “He wins, book airline tickets for Florida now.”

But some Democratic voters, even some who came out to hear Spanberger’s message in Virginia this week, say they are excited about Mamdani.

Mikal Blount, a 31-year-old commercial window cleaner, joined dozens of voters at a Norfolk restaurant on Sunday to see Spanberger. He said he is impressed by her bipartisan approach and experience in law enforcement, but he also hopes Mamdani wins and emerges as a national star.

“It’s OK to have moderates create common ground and progressives who are down to fight,” he said, expressing frustration with his party’s leaders in Washington. “I’m like what are we doing? We’re not hitting back. MAGA Republicans aren’t holding back, so why are we?” — referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement.

Spanberger was less enthusiastic about Mamdani’s emergence.

In an interview, Spanberger said she fears his approach could push people away from the party, but not necessarily because of his most controversial policies, even those she disagrees with. She sees it as a matter of telling the truth.

“We should always, always, always, dream big. It’s not a focus on, just do little things,” she said. “But if he’s making promises that he can’t keep to people who are struggling to put food on the table for their kids or to pay their bus fare to get to their second job of the day, then what’s the long term impact on the people who put their faith in somebody?”

Spanberger offered a similar criticism of Biden’s campaign promises to cancel student debt.

“We wonder why people are like, ‘Oh, I’m tired of voting for the Democrats.’” she said. “If you were to talk to people about canceling debt, a number of people will express some level of, ‘He didn’t do what he said he was going to do.’ Well, he was never going to be able to do that, right?”

A move to the middle

A collection of Democratic operatives released a report this week, “Deciding to Win: Toward a Common Sense Renewal of the Democratic Party,” that effectively endorses Spanberger’s approach.

The report features input from top advisers to Biden, former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris. It calls on Democratic candidates to reject progressive purity tests and talk less about democracy, climate change and far-left cultural priorities and more about health care, the cost of living and public safety.

Veteran Democratic operative Jesse Ferguson, who provided input, said Spanberger is doing well because she’s “able to connect the pain from Washington to the pockets in Virginia.”

“Trump’s authoritarianism will fail — not because we convince people it’s authoritarian, but because we show them it’s expensive,” Ferguson said.

Spanberger has not attended any of the “No Kings” protests that have featured millions of anti-Trump voters concerned with the threat he poses to U.S. democracy. She rarely said his name on a statewide bus tour this week that took her from Virginia’s affluent suburbs in the north to its military base communities on the Eastern Shore and the Appalachian hills in the rural southwest.

“I feel like if I say it too much, it’s like Beetlejuice. He’s gonna show up,” Spanberger joked.

This election, she said, is more about the struggles of everyday voters than Trump’s attack on democracy.

“When we win, it’s repudiation of the policies that are harming Virginia, whether it’s the shutdown, DOGE, or tariffs,” Spanberger said. “Like one guy like is single-handedly crushing Virginia soybean farmers, like one guy is single-handedly raising input costs for fertilizer and for farm equipment.”

Another topic Spanberger does not mention much: the possibility of becoming the first woman elected governor in Virginia.

“I’m delighted that we will have a woman governor. I’m delighted by the fact that when the next generation of candidates step forward, it’s not, ‘Oh, do you think a woman can win?’” she said. “It’s very significant to other people. But I don’t want to ever make the race about me.”

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has stripped references to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack from court papers and punished two federal prosecutors who filed the document seeking prison time at sentencing Thursday for a man arrested with guns and ammunition near former President Barack Obama’s home.

The prosecutors from the U.S. attorney’s office in the District of Columbia were locked out of their government devices and told they were being put on leave Wednesday morning shortly after they filed a sentencing memorandum describing the crowd of President Donald Trump supporters who attacked the Capitol as a “mob of rioters,” according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss personnel issues.

Later Wednesday, the Justice Department replaced the court filing with an updated version that stripped references to the Jan. 6 riot. The new filing also no longer included a reference to the fact that Trump posted on social media what he claimed was Obama’s address on the same day that the defendant, Taylor Taranto, was arrested in the former president’s neighborhood.

It’s the latest move by the Justice Department to discipline attorneys tied to the massive Jan. 6 prosecution and represents an extraordinary effort by the government to erase the history of the riot that left more than 100 police officers injured.

Trump himself for years has worked to downplay the violence and paint as victims the rioters who stormed the Capitol and sent lawmakers running into hiding as they met to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election victory. Since Trump’s sweeping Jan. 6 pardons in January, his administration has fired or demoted numerous attorneys involved in the largest investigation in Justice Department history.

The Justice Department declined to comment on Thursday.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, said her office would not comment on personnel decisions, but added: “We have and will continue to vigorously pursue justice against those who commit or threaten violence without regard to the political party of the offender or the target.”

Prosecutors are seeking more than two years in prison for Taranto when he is sentenced Thursday in federal court in Washington. He was convicted in May for illegally possessing two guns and roughly 500 rounds of ammunition in Obama’s neighborhood in June 2023. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, also convicted Taranto of recording himself making a hoax threat to bomb a government building in Maryland.

The defense argued at trial that the video showed Taranto was merely joking in an “avant-garde” manner, and that he believes he is a “journalist and, to some extent, a comedian.”

Taranto, a Navy veteran from Pasco, Washington, was separately charged with four misdemeanors related to the Capitol attack before Trump’s sweeping clemency order erased his case. He was captured on video at the entrance of the Speaker’s Lobby in the House around the time that a rioter, Ashli Babbitt, was fatally shot by an officer as she tried to climb through the broken window of a barricaded door.

The prosecutors overseeing Taranto’s case were not told why they were being put on leave, the person familiar with the matter said. Two new prosecutors, including the head of the criminal division for the office, entered the case and submitted the new brief on Wednesday. ABC News first reported that the prosecutors, Samuel White and Carlos Valdivia, had been placed on leave.

Trump’s pardons in January released from prison people caught on camera viciously attacking police as well as leaders of far-right extremist groups convicted of orchestrating violent plots to stop the peaceful transfer of power after his 2020 election loss. Those pardoned include more than 250 people who were convicted of assault charges, some having attacked police with makeshift weapons such as flagpoles, a hockey stick and a crutch.

In January, then-acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove ordered the firings of about two dozen prosecutors who had been hired for temporary assignments to support the Jan. 6 cases, but were moved into permanent roles after Trump’s presidential win in November.

And in June, the department fired two attorneys who worked as supervisors overseeing the Jan. 6 prosecutions in the U.S. attorney’s office in the District of Columbia, as well as a line attorney who prosecuted cases stemming from the Capitol attack.

CHICAGO (AP) — A Democratic congressional candidate in Illinois has been indicted along with five others over blocking vehicles during protests outside a federal immigration enforcement building in suburban Chicago, according to court documents.

The indictment, filed last week by a special grand jury, accuses Kat Abughazaleh of blocking a federal agent outside the detention center.

“This is a political prosecution and a gross attempt to silence dissent, a right protected under the First Amendment. This case is a major push by the Trump administration to criminalize protest and punish anyone who speaks out against them,” Abughazaleh said in a video posted to BlueSky.

By BEN FINLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s decision to shift the nation’s most advanced aircraft carrier to South America in his campaign against drug cartels is pulling the ship out of the Mediterranean Sea at a time when a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been threatened by new strikes in Gaza.

The U.S. is set to be in the fairly unusual position of having only a single aircraft carrier deployed and none in the waters off both Europe and the Middle East. The change is especially stark after the U.S. joined Israeli strikes on Iran in June and has engaged in some of the most intense combat operations since World War II against Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

Aircraft carriers, with their thousands of sailors and dozens of warplanes, have long been recognized as one of the ultimate signifiers of U.S. military might and the nation’s foreign policy priorities. There have been five carrier deployments to the Middle East since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, including two carriers in the region at multiple points this year and last.

The new orders for the USS Gerald R. Ford illustrate the Trump administration’s increasing focus on the Western Hemisphere and mark a major escalation of firepower as the U.S. military ramps up fatal strikes on alleged drug boats. With a buildup of warships, aircraft and troops already in the region, Trump himself has signaled what could be next.

Speaking from another aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, in its home port of Japan, Trump noted the U.S. attacks at sea and reiterated that “now we’ll stop the drugs coming in by land.”

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies and a retired Marine colonel, questioned how long the Ford would be able to remain in South America, when only three of the 11 U.S. aircraft carriers are typically out to sea.

“It’s such a powerful and scarce resource, there will be a lot of pressure to do something or send it elsewhere,” Cancian said. “You can imagine the peace negotiations breaking down in the eastern Mediterranean or something happening with Iran.”

The USS Nimitz also is deployed but is heading home from the South China Sea to the West Coast before being decommissioned. It recently lost two aircraft — a fighter jet and a helicopter — in separate crashes that are under investigation. A third carrier, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, is not deployed but is conducting exercises off the coast of San Diego.

The shift is happening just as violence has flared up again in Gaza despite a ceasefire that Trump helped broker after two years of war. The Israeli army launched a barrage of attacks Tuesday as tensions with Hamas grew two weeks into the fragile ceasefire.

Carrier’s move adds pressure on Venezuela

Meanwhile, the U.S. military’s growing presence near Venezuela and its 13 fatal strikes on alleged drug boats have stoked fears that Trump could try to topple authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro, who faces charges of narcoterrorism in the U.S.

In response to questions about the speculation, Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted Saturday that the U.S. is taking part in a counterdrug operation. And he again accused Maduro’s government of participating in the shipment of narcotics.

“This is a very serious problem for the hemisphere, and a very destabilizing one,” Rubio said. “And that has to be addressed.”

Maduro said in a recent national broadcast that the Trump administration is manufacturing a war against him.

“They are fabricating an extravagant narrative, a vulgar, criminal and totally fake one,” Maduro added. “Venezuela is a country that does not produce cocaine leaves.”

Experts say the U.S. forces in the region aren’t large enough for an invasion. But they could help push out Maduro — and possibly plunge the nation into chaos.

“There’s a really high potential for violence and instability,” according to Geoff Ramsey, an expert on U.S. policy toward Venezuela who is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. If Maduro loses power, he said Venezuela could “devolve into a Libya-style meltdown that could last years.”

Land strikes are ‘a real possibility’

The Ford strike group, which includes five destroyers, will add to an unusually large U.S. military buildup in the waters off Venezuela. The Navy already has eight warships in the region — three destroyers, three amphibious assault ships, a cruiser and a smaller littoral combat ship that’s designed for coastal waters. It was not clear if all five of the destroyers in the Ford strike group would make the journey.

A U.S. Navy submarine also is operating in the broader area of South America and is capable of launching cruise missiles. The U.S. military also sent a squadron of F-35B Lightning II fighter jets to an airstrip in Puerto Rico and recently flew a pair of supersonic, heavy bombers up to the coast of Venezuela.

The administration says the military has killed at least 57 people in the strikes against vessels accused of transporting drugs. Trump has declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants because of narcotics flowing into the country and said the U.S. is in an “armed conflict” with them, relying on the same legal authority used by the Bush administration after 9/11.

Lawmakers from both political parties have expressed concerns about Trump’s lack of congressional approval and unwillingness to provide details about the attacks. Others, such as Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham, believe the president has all the authority he needs.

The South Carolina Republican said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that land strikes in Venezuela are “a real possibility.”

“We’re not going to sit on the sidelines and watch boats full of drugs come to our country,” Graham said. “We’re going to blow them up and kill the people that want to poison America, and we’re now going to expand operations, I think, to the land.”

By MARI YAMAGUCHI

TOKYO (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday welcomed Japan’s determination to accelerate its ongoing military buildup and defense spending.

During a visit to Japan, Hegseth said he hopes to see those pledges implemented as soon as possible, noting China’s increasingly assertive military activity.

“The threats we face are real, and they are urgent. China’s unprecedented military buildup and its aggressive military actions speak for themselves,” he said. “Make no mistake about it, our alliance is critical to deterring Chinese military aggression, to responding to regional contingencies, and keeping our countries safe.”

Hegseth said he was “glad” to see Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi — speaking alongside U.S. President Donald Trump this week — make a commitment to increase Japan’s defense spending, calling it “wonderful.”

He said the U.S. government had not demanded Japan’s spending increase.

His comment comes a day after Takaichi, who became prime minister only last week, explained to Trump during their first summit that her government will raise Japan’s defense spending to 2% of its gross national product by March, two years ahead of initially planned. Japan also plans to revise its ongoing national security strategy several years ahead of schedule.

“It’s an important step forward, and one that we hope would be implemented and believe will be as soon as possible,” Hegseth told a joint news conference after holding talks with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. “The result, through our shared strength, will deter threats.”

“We’re going to invest now and invest quickly while we still have time,” Hegseth said.

Koizumi welcomed the agreement between the two governments to move up deliveries of U.S.-made Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM, though he did not give further details.

Japan is seeking to create a more self-sufficient military as a deterrence against China’s increasingly assertive military activity in the region, and has concentrated on defense buildup on its southwestern islands. Japan also has concerns about the rising tensions caused by North Korea and Russia.

Japan has already moved up a planned deployment of its medium and long-range missiles such as Tomahawk and Japanese-made Tupe-12 anti-ship missiles.

These efforts mark a historic shift from Japan’s longstanding policy of limiting use of force to self-defense only under a pacifist Constitution written after World War II.

It made a major break from that policy under the 2022 security strategy that calls for more offensive roles for Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and easing restrictions on arms exports. The Takaichi government is also seeking to further relax weapons transfers.

By MATT BROWN, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — When he was elected the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee in June, Rep. Robert Garcia at once gained a powerful perch and a pressing problem.

Colleagues elected Garcia with a mandate to hold President Donald Trump’s administration to account. He’d pitched himself as an energetic personality who cared about good governance and accountability. But with Democrats locked out of power, he had few tools available to carry out his mission besides strongly worded letters to federal agencies and speeches during committee hearings.

Then came a renewed burst of public attention to the case of Jeffrey Epstein and Trump’s vow to release documents related to the late sex trafficker. As Republicans faced mounting public pressure from conservative activists and voters after Trump backtracked on that promise, Garcia saw an opening.

“If he can betray the American public about this, he can betray and lie to the public about anything,” Garcia said in an interview with The Associated Press. “It all goes together. The Epstein files case shines a light on how Donald Trump is only out for himself.”

How Democrats staged an ambush on Epstein issue

Garcia in July coordinated Oversight Democrats to force a surprise vote on subpoenaing the Justice Department for documents related to Epstein — and it worked. Republicans narrowly backed the subpoenas at a subcommittee hearing. Democrats similarly pushed Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., in August to subpoena the executors of the Epstein estate for documents.

Garcia dismissed the first tranche of more than 33,000 documents from the Justice Department in September as inadequate, mostly public information that lacked a “client list” of Epstein’s purported associates.

The Epstein estate, meanwhile, provided a book of messages compiled for Epstein’s 50th birthday. That book contained a poem and alleged signature from Trump with a sexually suggestive drawing. Democrats immediately published the page online and pointed to it as reason to investigate Trump’s involvement in Epstein’s activities. The estate has shared more information since, including Epstein’s flight logs, personal schedules and financial ledgers.

The burst of attention gave Democrats, still grappling with their party’s failure in last year’s election and divided on a path forward, a jolt of energy and potential blueprint for navigating Trump’s second term.

“I think you’re going to see us take that kind of aggressive approach in the work that we have ahead,” Garcia said.

Commanding the spotlight

The Oversight Committee, led by Comer, is one of the most powerful in Congress, with broad leeway to investigate nearly anything. Lawmakers have long used the panel’s clout to command attention and investigate scandals inside and outside the government.

Garcia has sought to use his position as the committee’s ranking Democrat to weave his party’s disparate stances on Trump, affordability, corruption and democracy into a single message. Oversight Democrats have also sought information on the treatment of U.S. citizens by the Department of Homeland Security, gifts and payments to administration officials and the administration’s response to natural disasters.

“I continue to think this is the most corrupt administration in American history, and we have a huge responsibility to investigate that corruption and to also try to make government work better for working people,” Garcia said.

Garcia has also been a critic of House Speaker Mike Johnson’s decision to delay the swearing in of Adelita Grijalva, a Democratic congresswoman-elect from Arizona. Johnson says Grijalva can’t be sworn in until the government shutdown ends and legislative work resumes in the House. But Garcia and other Democrats say Johnson’s real aim is to delay a vote on legislation that would broaden the subpoena for the Epstein files.

As Democrats revamp their media strategy, Garcia has encouraged Oversight Democrats to engage in new digital media to boost the party’s message. He’s also been meeting with government reform groups to craft legislation around transparency that they hope to put in front of voters next year.

“I think on oversight we have a responsibility to gather the information and then to put it out to the court of public opinion, especially in front of Trump’s voters,” he said.

A fraught relationship with the Republican majority

Oversight hearings have devolved into shouting matches repeatedly during this Congress, reflecting the near-total breakdown of bipartisan relations on the committee.

Comer, the Republican chair, said it was “appalling” for Democrats to release the Birthday Book sketch and accused them of engaging in “cherry-picking documents and politicizing information” to imply without evidence that Trump was involved in Epstein’s actions.

Comer has largely directed the Republican majority to investigate issues that dovetail with the Trump administration’s priorities, like the state of crime in cities and states across the country, former President Joe Biden’s age and alleged misconduct by nonprofit organizations and government agencies. Garcia has opted to focus on the Trump family and Democrats’ priorities rather than respond to GOP investigations.

“If we’re going to actually save this democracy and restore the American public’s trust and move forward post-Trump’s presidency, we have to take on the current grift that this man is doing on the country,” Garcia said.

After Democrats made another attempt at a surprise committee vote — this time to subpoena the head of the Federal Communications Commission for comments about the suspension of late-night TV host Jimmy Kimmel — Comer and Garcia brokered a bipartisan invitation for FCC Chair Brendan Carr to testify on a range of issues.

But Comer, a close Trump ally, also called Garcia “a real big drama queen,” after which Garcia accused him of being homophobic.

Garcia says his identity as a gay immigrant and naturalized citizen has influenced his leadership style and outlook on the country, especially as the Trump administration pursues its hardline immigration agenda.

“I always say that immigrants who are naturalized are some of the most patriotic people we have in this country, because we all have to fight for those rights that many folks are born with,” said Garcia, who became a U.S. citizen in his 20s. “It built a drive to try and make this country better and that drives me in my oversight work.”

By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — After waiting more than four decades to clear his name in a friend’s 1980 killing, Subramanyam Vedam was set to walk free from a Pennsylvania prison this month.

Vedam and Thomas Kinser were the 19-year-old children of Penn State University faculty. Vedam was the last person seen with Kinser and was twice convicted of killing him, despite a lack of witnesses or motive.

In August, a judge threw out the conviction after Vedam’s lawyers found new ballistics evidence that prosecutors had never disclosed.

As his sister prepared to bring him home on Oct. 3, the thin, white-haired Vedam was instead taken into federal custody over a 1999 deportation order. The 64-year-old, who legally came to the U.S. from India when he was 9 months old, now faces another daunting legal fight.

Amid the Trump Administration’s focus on mass deportations, Vedam’s lawyers must persuade an immigration court that a 1980s drug conviction should be outweighed by the years he wrongly spent in prison. For a time, immigration law allowed people who had reformed their lives to seek such waivers. Vedam never pursued it then because of the murder conviction.

“He was someone who’s suffered a profound injustice,” said immigration lawyer Ava Benach. “(And) those 43 years aren’t a blank slate. He lived a remarkable experience in prison.”

Vedam earned several degrees behind bars, tutored hundreds of fellow inmates and went nearly half a century with just a single infraction, involving rice brought in from the outside.

His lawyers hope immigration judges will consider the totality of his case. The administration, in a brief filed Friday, opposes the effort. So Vedam remains at an 1,800-bed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in central Pennsylvania.

“Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S,” a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said in an email about the case.

‘Mr. Vedam, where were you born?’

After his initial conviction was thrown out, Vedam faced an unusual set of questions at his 1988 retrial.

“Mr. Vedam, where were you born?” Centre County District Attorney Ray Gricar asked. “How frequently would you go back to India?

“During your teenage years, did you ever get into meditation?”

Gopal Balachandran, the Penn State law professor who won the reversal, believes the questions were designed to alienate him from the all-white jury, which returned a second guilty verdict.

The Vedams were among the first Indian families in the area known as “Happy Valley,” where his father had come as a postdoctoral fellow in 1956. An older daughter was born in State College, but “Subu,” as he was known, was born when the family was back in India in 1961.

They returned to State College for good before his first birthday, and became the family that welcomed new members of the Indian diaspora to town.

“They were fully engaged. My father loved the university. My mother was a librarian, and she helped start the library,” said the sister, Saraswathi Vedam, 68, a midwifery professor in Vancouver, British Columbia.

While she left for college in Massachusetts, Subu became swept up in the counterculture of the late 1970s, growing his hair long and dabbling in drugs while taking classes at Penn State.

One day in December 1980, Vedem asked Kinser for a ride to nearby Lewisburg to buy drugs. Kinser was never seen again, although his van was found outside his apartment. Nine months later, hikers found his body in a wooded area miles away.

Vedam was detained on drug charges while police investigated, and was ultimately charged with murder. He was convicted in 1983 and sentenced to life without parole. To resolve the drug case, he pleaded no contest to four counts of selling LSD and a theft charge. The 1988 retrial offered no reprieve from his situation.

Although the defense long questioned the ballistics evidence in the case, the jury, which heard that Vedam had bought a .25-caliber gun from someone, never heard that an FBI report suggested the bullet wound was too small to have been fired from that gun. Balachandran only found that report as he dug into the case in 2023.

After hearings on the issue, a Centre County judge threw out the conviction and the district attorney decided this month not to retry the case.

Trump officials oppose the petition

Benach, the immigration lawyer, often represents clients trying to stay in the U.S. despite an earlier infraction. Still, she finds the Vedam case “truly extraordinary” given the constitutional violations involved.

“Forty-three years of wrongful imprisonment more than makes up for the possession with intent to distribute LSD when he was 20 years old,” she said.

Vedam could spend several more months in custody before the Board of Immigration Appeals decides whether to reopen the case. ICE officials, in a brief Friday, said the clock ran out years ago.

“He has provided no evidence nor argument to show he has been diligent in pursuing his rights as it pertains to his immigration status,” Katherine B. Frisch, an assistant chief counsel, wrote.

Saraswathi Vedam is saddened by the latest delay, but said her brother remains patient.

“He, more than anybody else, knows that sometimes things don’t make sense,” she said. “You have to just stay the course and keep hoping that truth and justice and compassion and kindness will win.”

DETROIT (AP) — Detroit voters will choose a new mayor Tuesday in the city’s first open-seat mayoral race in a dozen years.

City Council President Mary Sheffield and Triumph Church pastor Solomon Kinloch, both Democrats, will face off for the city’s top job after placing first and second in the Aug. 5 nonpartisan primary. The winner will replace outgoing three-term Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running for governor of Michigan as an independent.

The city faces a vastly different situation than it did when Duggan was first elected in 2013. In July of that year, it became the largest U.S. city ever to file for bankruptcy. The city now has a budget surplus, 12 years of balanced budgets and projected economic growth for the next five years. Homicides and violent crimes are down, while the city’s population has increased for the second consecutive year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Still, the next mayor will face numerous challenges, including a shortage of affordable housing and vast economic disparities along racial lines.

Sheffield has led the field in fundraising throughout the campaign. As of the August primary, her campaign fund more than doubled that of her eight competitors combined.

In the general election, she has far outraised and outspent Kinloch. As of Oct. 19, her campaign had spent more than $1.8 million on her campaign and had roughly $772,000 in the bank. By that same point, Kinloch had spent about $160,000 on the race and had less than $11,000 remaining in the bank.

Since receiving more than 50% of the vote in the August primary, Sheffield has picked up key endorsements from Duggan, as well as from two of her former primary opponents, former city council president Saunteel Jenkins and city council member Fred Durhal. Jenkins received 16% of the primary vote, narrowly losing a spot on the general election ballot to Kinloch, who received about 17%. Durhal received about 3% of the vote.

The Detroit electorate is overwhelmingly Democratic. In the 2024 presidential election, voters in the city supported Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump by about a 9-1 ratio.

The election takes place as the nation’s largest cities face an unprecedented level of federal intervention, with President Trump deploying or threatening to deploy National Guard troops and federal officers to at least 10 American cities, including Los Angeles, Washington, Baltimore, Memphis, New Orleans, Chicago and Portland, Oregon, among others.

At a September rally in Howell, Michigan, Vice President JD Vance sent a public message to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer that the administration is “happy” to send the National Guard to Detroit. “All you gotta do is ask,” he said.

The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

Michigan’s mandatory recount law does not apply to Detroit’s mayoral race. Instead, candidates may request and pay for a recount, with the payment refunded if the recount changes the outcome. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

What to expect on Tuesday:

How late are polls open?

Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The AP will provide vote results and declare the winner in Detroit’s mayoral race.

Who gets to vote?

Any voter registered in Detroit may participate in the mayoral general election.

What do turnout and advance vote look like?

There were more than 518,000 registered voters in Detroit as of the August mayoral primary.

Turnout in that primary was about 17% of registered voters. About 32% of mayoral primary voters cast their ballots in person, while the remaining 68% voted early in person or by absentee ballot.

Turnout in the 2021 mayoral general election was about 19% of registered voters, with about 67% of voters casting early or absentee ballots.

As of Monday, nearly 45,000 ballots had been cast in Detroit before Election Day.

How long does vote counting usually take?

In the August primary, the AP first reported results at 8:32 p.m. ET, or 32 minutes after polls closed. The vote tabulation ended for the night at 4:30 a.m. ET, with 100% of votes counted.

Are we there yet?

As of Tuesday, there will be 364 days until the 2026 midterm elections and 1,099 days until the 2028 general election.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2025 election at https://apnews.com/projects/election-results-2025/.

This article was written by AP Reporter Robert Yoon

 

The post AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Detroit on Election Day appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday confirmed the names of five candidates to replace Jerome Powell as chair of the powerful Federal Reserve next year.

On an Air Force One flight to Asia with President Donald Trump, Bessent said he would engage in a second round of interviews in the coming weeks and present a “good slate” of candidates to Trump “right after Thanksgiving.” Trump said he expected to decide on Powell’s replacement by the end of this year.

The five people under consideration are: Federal Reserve governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman; former Fed governor Kevin Warsh; White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett; and Rick Rieder, senior managing director at asset manager BlackRock.

The names suggest that no matter who is picked, there will likely be big changes coming to the Federal Reserve next year. Bessent, who is leading the search for Powell’s replacement, last month published extensive criticisms of the Fed and some of the policies it has pursued from the Great Financial Crisis of 2008-2009 to the pandemic.

Trump on Monday, meanwhile, repeated his long-standing attacks on Powell, charging that he has been too slow to cut interest rates.

“We have a person that’s not at all smart right now,” Trump said, referring to Powell. “He should have been much lower, much sooner.” The Fed is expected to lower its key rate Wednesday for the second time this year.

Trump’s goal of selecting a new chair by the end of this year could reflect some of the tricky elements surrounding Powell’s status. His term as chair ends next May, but he could remain on the Fed’s board as one of seven governors until January 2028, an unusual but not entirely unprecedented step. Such a move would deprive Trump of an opportunity to nominate another governor for several years.

Still, current governor Stephen Miran was appointed by Trump Sept. 16 to finish an unexpired term that ends next Jan. 31. Trump could nominate his candidate to replace Powell for that seat, and then elevate that person to chair in May after Powell steps down.

Hassett is currently the chair of the National Economic Council at the White House and was also a top Trump adviser in the president’s first term, and a frequent defender of the administration’s policies on television. His longtime loyalty to the president could give him an edge, some Fed watchers say.

Warsh is a former economic advisor in the George W. Bush administration and was appointed to the Fed’s governing board in 2006 at age 35, making him the youngest Fed governor in history. He left the board in 2011. Warsh is now a fellow at the Hoover Institution and a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Waller was appointed to the Fed by Trump in 2020, and quickly established himself as an independent voice. He began pushing for rate cuts in July and dissented at that meeting in favor of a quarter-point cut, when the Fed decided to leave its key rate unchanged. But he voted to reduce rates just a quarter-point in September, along with 10 other Fed officials, while Miran dissented in favor of a half-point.

Michelle Bowman is the Fed’s vice chair of supervision, making her the nation’s top banking regulator. She was appointed by Trump in 2018, and before that was Kansas’ state bank commissioner. Bowman also dissented in favor a rate cut in July, then voted with her colleagues last month for a quarter-point reduction.

Rieder has the most financial markets experience of any of the candidates and has worked for Wall Street firms since 1987. Rieder joined BlackRock in 2009. His focus is in fixed income and he oversees the management of roughly $2.4 trillion in assets.

Bessent has set out a wide-ranging critique of the Fed while interviewing for Powell’s replacement. In particular, he has criticized the central bank for continuing unconventional policies, such as purchasing Treasury bonds in order to lower longer-term interest rates, long after after such steps were justified, in his view, by emergency conditions.

“It is essential the Fed commit to scaling back its distortionary impact on markets,” Bessent wrote. “It also likely requires an honest, independent, and nonpartisan review of the entire institution and all of its activities.”

Bessent’s criticisms aren’t entirely new, but they have gained greater traction in the wake of the 2021-22 inflation surge. The Fed is mandated by Congress to seek stable prices as well as maximum employment.

Bessent’s critiques have also inevitably been tangled up with Trump’s insistent calls for lower interest rates, which have threatened the Fed’s independence from day-to-day politics. Trump has also taken the unprecedented step of trying to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook, a Biden appointee, to open another seat on the board for him to fill.

Cook has sued to keep her seat and the Supreme Court has allowed Cook to remain on the board while it considers the case.

Trump’s attacks on the central bank have left some longtime Fed critics skeptical of the Trump administration’s approach.

Peter Conti-Brown, a Fed historian and professor of financial regulation at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, cautioned against placing “loyalists” on the Fed “who are there to push the president’s narrative.”

“Those are the ones that we want as his advisers and spokespeople and his lawyers, not his central bankers,” he said.

By RIO YAMAT

A shortage of air traffic controllers caused more flight disruptions Monday around the country as controllers braced for their first full missing paycheck during the federal government shutdown.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported staffing-related delays on Monday afternoon averaging about 20 minutes at the airport in Dallas and about 40 minutes at both Newark Liberty International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. The delays in Austin followed a brief ground stop at the airport, meaning flights were held at their originating airports until the FAA lifted the stop around 4:15 p.m. local time.

The FAA also warned of staffing issues at a facility in Jacksonville, Florida, that could cause some problems.

Just last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had predicted that travelers would start to see more flights delayed and canceled as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the shutdown, which is nearing the one-month mark.

During a weekend appearance on the Fox News program “Sunday Morning Futures,” Duffy said more controllers were calling in sick as money worries compound the stress of an already challenging job.

“And that’s a sign that the controllers are wearing thin,” Duffy said.

Earlier Monday, flights were also briefly delayed at Los Angeles International Airport, one of the busiest in the world. The disruptions emerged a day after the FAA had issued a temporary ground stop at LAX for about two hours due to a shortage of controllers. Aviation analytics firm Cirium said about 72% of the flights scheduled Sunday at LAX took off within 15 minutes of their scheduled departure times.

Most controllers are continuing to work mandatory overtime six days a week during the shutdown without pay, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association said Monday. That leaves little time for a side job unless controllers call in sick to the FAA.

Union members were expected to gather Tuesday at major airports across the U.S., including in New York City and Atlanta, to pass out leaflets to passengers detailing how the shutdown is negatively impacting the national aviation system and the workers who keep it running safely. The action coincides with controllers’ first full missing paycheck since the shutdown began.

Some U.S. airports have stepped in to provide food donations and other support for federal aviation employees working without pay, including controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents.

Before the shutdown, the FAA was already dealing with a shortage of about 3,000 air traffic controllers. Nick Daniels, president of NATCA, has said the agency had reached “the lowest staffing we’ve had in decades of only 10,800.”