Nov 9, 2023 By Ap 6 min read

Taylor Swift’s Argentina concert takes political turn as presidential election nears

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Politics was suddenly a topic of conversation as thousands of Taylor Swift fans eagerly lined up for the superstar’s first-ever concert in Argentina. Swifties saw themselves surrounded by posters urging them to not vote in favor of right-wing populist Javier Milei in next week’s presidential election. “Swifties Don’t Vote Milei,” read some of the posters, using the term commonly used to describe fans of the 12-time Grammy winner.

Media watchdog says it was just ‘raising questions’ with insinuations about photographers and Hamas

The head of an Israeli media watchdog says it was simply ‘raising questions’ by wondering whether Palestinian photojournalists who documented the Oct. 7 attack on Israel had been tipped off in advance that it had happened. The report by HonestReporting had serious implications, though. Two Israeli politicians suggested the photojournalists should be killed. Several of the world’s biggest news organizations — CNN, The New York Times, The Associated Press and Reuters — issued statements denying that they knew about the attack ahead of time. HonestReporting describes itself as a group that combats media disinformation about Israel and Zionism.

Astronaut Frank Borman, commander of the first Apollo mission to the moon, has died at age 95

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — NASA astronaut Frank Borman, commander of the first Apollo mission to the moon, has died at age 95. NASA says Borman died Tuesday in Billings, Montana. In 1968, Borman and his two crewmates circled the moon 10 times, paving the way for the moon landing the next year. Borman and his two crewmates maneuvered into lunar orbit on Christmas Eve. They read from the Book of Genesis in a live telecast from the orbiter that night. After leaving NASA, Borman was the head of Eastern Airlines for a decade.

Wildlife refuge pond in Hawaii mysteriously turns bright pink. Drought may be to blame

HONOLULU (AP) — A pond in Hawaii has turned so bubble-gum pink it could be from the set of “Barbie.” The bizarre phenomenon is likely caused by drought. Scientists are warning visitors against entering the water or drinking it. U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff at the Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge on Maui have been monitoring the pond’s bright color since Oct. 30. Early indications point to halobacteria as the source of the color. They are organisms that thrive in bodies of water with high levels of salt. Right now the salinity inside the Kealia Pond outlet is twice the salinity of seawater.

Demonstrators brawl outside LA’s Museum of Tolerance after screening of Hamas attack video

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Police are investigating fights that erupted among pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrators on streets outside Los Angeles’ Museum of Tolerance after a private screening of video showing the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants. Police intervened to stop the Wednesday night clash but no arrests were made. The Los Angeles Times reports that 150 people attended the private screening of “Bearing Witness to the October 7th Massacre,” which includes graphic footage of the Hamas attacks compiled by the Israel Defense Forces. Days earlier, a Jewish man died from head injuries after a confrontation during demonstrations in suburban Thousand Oaks, northwest of Los Angeles. The death is under investigation and no arrests have been made.

Oakland A’s fans are sending MLB owners ‘Stay In Oakland’ boxes as Las Vegas vote nears

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A devoted group of Bay Area baseball fans are sending “Stay In Oakland” boxes to 15 Major League Baseball team owners, imploring them to vote no on the team’s planned relocation to Las Vegas. The group is targetting owners who could be swayed to vote against the proposed move during annual league meetings next week. The list includes Boston’s John Henry and the New York Yankees’ Hal Steinbrenner. The boxes contain green A’s caps, baseball cards featuring the owners’ likenesses and a note detailing why they should vote against Las Vegas.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak says he’s back home after having a minor stroke in Mexico

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak has told ABC News that he suffered a minor stroke while attending a business conference in Mexico City. In a text message Thursday Wozniak said he felt dizzy Wednesday morning, then experienced vertigo before going to the hospital where a MRI revealed he had had a “minor but real stroke.” Wozniak, 73, had been scheduled to speak at the World Business Forum in Mexico City, a two-day gathering billed as the world’s most important management event. Wozniak told the New York Times that he was released from the hospital Thursday and flew back to California.

Shohei Ohtani is donating 60,000 baseball gloves to Japanese schoolchildren

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Two-way star and coveted free agent Shohei Ohtani is donating about 60,000 baseball gloves to Japanese elementary schools. Ohtani announced Wednesday on Instagram that he’s donating the youth gloves to schools throughout Japan. He says the gloves will go to some 20,000 elementary schools and that he hopes “the kids can spend their days happily with a lot of energy through baseball.” The gloves Ohtani is donating are from New Balance, one of his corporate partners.

Iceland’s Blue Lagoon spa closes temporarily as earthquakes put area on alert for volcanic eruption

HUSAVIK, Iceland (AP) — The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, one of Iceland’s biggest tourist attractions, has closed temporarily as a swarm of earthquakes put the island nation’s most populated region on alert for a possible volcanic eruption. Guests rushed to leave the spa’s hotels in the early hours of Thursday, after they were rattled awake shortly before 1 a.m. by a magnitude 4.8 quake. It was the strongest to hit the region since the recent wave of seismic activity began on Oct. 25.  Bjarni Stefansson, a local taxi driver, described a scene of confusion when he arrived at the Retreat Hotel, where lava rocks had fallen on the roadway and the parking lot was jammed with 20 to 30 cabs.

Father of Liverpool striker Luis Díaz released after his kidnapping in Colombia by ELN guerrillas

BARRANCAS, Colombia (AP) — Colombia’s government has announced that the father of Liverpool striker Luis Díaz has been released by members of a guerrilla group who kidnapped him in northern Colombia. The release ends a 12-day ordeal for the family. Luis Manuel Díaz’s kidnapping on Oct. 28 in the small town of Barrancas had quickly drawn international attention and appeals for his release. The guerrilla group National Liberation Army, or ELN, acknowledged some of its members carried out the kidnapping but have said it was a mistake. The release was announced by the government’s delegation that currently is in peace negotiations with the ELN.