At Porsha Williams’ Wedding, Daughter PJ Was an Adorable Flower Girl in a Hot Pink Dress

USA TODAY
Trump wants to close the Education Department. It's far easier said than done.
Donald Trump has repeatedly said he wants to close the federal Education Department. But dismantling the agency wouldn't be easy.
USA TODAY
Trump pardons for Jan. 6 rioters could reinvigorate America's far-right extremism
Trump has promised to pardon Jan. 6 insurrectionists. Experts said that would send a strong signal of support to America's far-right movement.
AFP
Iran hangs man 'for second time' after previous execution halted: NGO
Iran hanged a 26-year-old man for a second time Wednesday months after a previous execution was halted half a minute in, an NGO said."Ahmad Alizadeh, a talented student, was hanged for the second time on charges of murder, which he denied and claimed he confessed to under torture," said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam, denouncing the "execution machine of the Iranian regime".
USA TODAY
How will a Trump presidency reshape US public health? A look at his plans.
In August, Trump said he wouldn't rule out taking away access to mifepristone, which was also mentioned by the policy blueprint Project 2025.
Reuters
Biden, Trump to meet at White House for transition talks after Harris defeat
President Joe Biden will host President-elect Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday for a meeting designed to demonstrate a smooth transition between administrations despite Trump's team not yet having signed documents to start the handover process. Biden, who initially ran against Trump in the 2024 election before stepping aside and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee, will welcome the former and future president into the Oval Office, a traditional courtesy by outgoing presidents that Trump, a Republican, did not extend to Biden in 2020 when he won.
USA TODAY
He failed as a service dog. But that didn't stop him from joining the police force
Licorice, a 7-year-old phantom golden doodle, is one of a growing number of therapy dogs in police departments improving officers' lives.
USA TODAY
Winter could bring blizzards, nor'easters, bomb cyclones: What to know
Ready or not, news about winter storms, blizzards, nor'easters, bomb cyclones and lake-effect snow is around the corner.
Politico
The Mitch McConnell Era Is Over. Here’s What Might Come Next.
No matter who wins the race for Senate GOP leader, change is coming.
Reuters
Lebanon awaits truce proposals after US envoy expresses hope
Lebanon is awaiting concrete ceasefire proposals, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was quoted as saying on Wednesday, after a senior U.S. official said he saw "a shot" at a truce soon in the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The Israeli military struck the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut for a second consecutive day, after pounding the area with airstrikes on Tuesday. Smoke rose over Beirut.
AFP
US vows 'firm' response to N.Korea deployment in Ukraine conflict
US top diplomat Antony Blinken warned Wednesday that the deployment of North Korean troops alongside Russian forces fighting on the Ukrainian border demanded a "firm response".Addressing reporters alongside NATO chief Mark Rutte, Blinken said they had discussed the fact North Korean forces have been "injected into the battle, and now, quite literally, in combat which demands and will get a firm response."
Associated Press
Middle East latest: 3 young siblings killed in Gaza as Israeli strikes leave 6 dead in Lebanon
An Israeli strike on a home in northern Gaza killed three siblings aged 6 and under, among at least six people killed in airstrikes in the war-ravaged territory, Palestinian medics said. In Lebanon, an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building south of Beirut on Wednesday killed at least six people and wounded 15, the Health Ministry said. The Biden administration said Tuesday it won’t limit weapons transfers to Israel because it has made limited progress in increasing the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
AFP
Indonesians drill for disaster before tsunami anniversary
Hundreds of Indonesians fled for higher ground Wednesday as they ran through disaster drills in the region worst hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami ahead of its 20th anniversary next month."We must ensure the next generation remains informed, prepared, and resilient," Ardito Kodijat, a UNESCO official and head of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Centre, told AFP. "Ensuring community preparedness requires regular drills."
AFP
Journalist says his detention removed Guatemala's 'mask of democracy'
A prominent Guatemalan journalist and corruption critic, declared a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, says that his time in prison allowed him to strip away his country's "mask of democracy.""I had more impact in two years in prison than in 30 years of journalism, because we stripped away the mask of democracy," he added.
Associated Press
Japanese regulators disqualify a reactor under post-Fukushima safety standards for the first time
Japan's nuclear watchdog on Wednesday formally disqualified a reactor in the country's north-central region for a restart, the first rejection under safety standards that were reinforced after the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The decision is a setback for Japan as it seeks to accelerate reactor restarts to maximize nuclear power. The Nuclear Regulation Authority at a regular meeting Wednesday announced the Tsuruga No. 2 reactor is “unfit” as its operator failed to address safety risks stemming from possible active faults underneath it.
AFP
Triumphant Trump returns to White House to meet Biden
Donald Trump will make a triumphant return to the White House to meet President Joe Biden Wednesday, in the Republican's first visit since departing amid a cloud of scandal nearly four years ago.Then-president Barack Obama had welcomed Trump to the White House when the tycoon won the 2016 election.
Reuters
Qatar's Emir to visit Turkey on Thursday, Turkish minister says
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will visit Turkey on Thursday for high-level meetings, Turkey's trade minister said on Wednesday, after Doha said at the weekend it stalled its Gaza mediation efforts for now. Some analysts believe Turkey, despite strained ties with Israel, could play some role in mediation since it does not deem the Palestinian militant group Hamas a terrorist group, and some of its political officials regularly visit Turkey. At the weekend, Qatar said it had told Hamas and Israel it will stall efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until they show willingness and seriousness.
Associated Press
US says it intends to shore up support for Ukraine until Trump takes office
President Joe Biden intends to bolster U.S. military support to Ukraine in the final months of his administration, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, after Russia launched a sophisticated missile and drone attack on Kyiv. The U.S. will “continue to shore up everything we’re doing for Ukraine to make sure that it can effectively defend itself against this Russian aggression,” Blinken told reporters at NATO headquarters, before planned meetings with allied envoys and Ukrainian officials. Blinken warned that North Korea’s decision to send its troops into combat operations alongside Russian forces “demands and will get a firm response.”
AFP
Nearly half of tropical coral species face extinction: report
Almost half of all warm-water species of coral are threatened with extinction -- and climate change is the chief culprit, a new report said on Wednesday.The updated assessment of the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species looked at reef-building corals, which live in warm, shallow waters in tropical areas.
AFP
Stark warning on emissions as leaders split on climate goals at COP29
Global leaders offered competing views on how to tackle climate change at UN-led talks Wednesday as a new report warned the world must reach carbon neutrality much sooner than planned.The report came as leaders gathered in Azerbaijan for COP29 climate talks aimed at reaching a deal on boosting funding to help poorer nations adapt to climate shocks and transition to cleaner energy.
Reuters
China showcases its latest military hardware, and ambitions, at Zhuhai
The Chinese military hardware on display at the country's largest air show in Zhuhai illustrates its ambitions, and in some cases may show breakthroughs in capability, experts say. Among the systems showcased were the latest variant of China's J-35A stealth fighter, its larger J-20 stealth fighter, a stealthy drone designated the CH-7 and the HQ-19 air defence system. There was also an electronic warfare variant of the J-15 naval fighter, in addition to dozens of different munitions.

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