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Wind gusts and humidity are helping to fuel wildfires burning across the Northeast. A whopping 27 million people from New York to Massachusetts are under fire alerts Saturday afternoon. Cities under fire alerts include New York City and Boston, where wind gusts up to 35 mph and relative humidity of around 25% to 30% is expected. Vegetation in the area also remains very dry, with this region of the country about 6 to 8 inches behind on rainfall since Sept. 1. A cold front is expected to pass through the region Sunday, bringing up to 1 inch of rain. A brush fire in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park burned overnight Friday into Saturday after about 2 acres of dry vegetation ignited during heavy wind gusts, the New York City Fire Department said on X . Firefighters worked overnight to e...

WASHINGTON — As a candidate, Donald Trump promised to relieve consumers of high interest rates. As president, doing so will likely be a slow process largely outside of his control. Trump repeatedly said during the campaign that he would bring down interest rates without elaborating on how. He has suggested the president should have a say in determining rates set by the Federal Reserve and publicly berated the central bank and its chairman, Jerome Powell, for not lowering rates sooner. But while Trump has put a lot of emphasis on the Federal Reserve as a way to reduce the interest paid by consumers or businesses, the rates on mortgages and other longer-term loans are outside of any one person’s or institution’s control. Instead, those rates are largely determined by the bond market, w...

President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump will meet at the White House on Wednesday morning, officials announced on Saturday. The two will meet in the Oval Office at 11 a.m. that day, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. The announcement comes four days after Trump was projected to win the presidential election, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the days following her loss, both Biden and Harris committed to a peaceful transfer of power. At her concession speech at Howard University in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, the vice president told supporters, “Earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his victory....

President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump will meet at the White House on Wednesday morning, the White House announced on Saturday. The two will meet in the Oval Office at 11 a.m. that day, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. The announcement comes four days since Trump was projected to win the presidential election, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris. The Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In the days following her loss, both Biden and Harris committed to a peaceful transfer of power. At her concession speech at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, the vice president told supporters, "earlier today, I spoke with President-elect Trump and congratulated him on his vic...

“Barbie” painted the town pink in 2023, and now “Wicked” is upping the ante by adding a splash of green. Universal ’s theatrical retelling of the famed Broadway musical is creating buzz ahead of its Nov. 22 release with hundreds of merchandise offerings from dozens of retail partners. The green-and-pink barrage is part of Universal’s marketing strategy for the film and could bring a welcome boost to the retail industry just in time for the crucial holiday period. These “Wicked” collaborations cross the spectrum from apparel, accessories, footwear, beauty and costumes all the way to home decor, toys and even one-of-a-kind cars. The collections range in price points as well, offering consumers affordable and luxury options to show off their love of all things “Wicked.” Tar...

WASHINGTON — Tech mogul Elon Musk briefly joined President-elect Donald Trump 's phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the matter. Musk, who campaigned for Trump in the final weeks of the 2024 race, was not scheduled to be on the call but walked into the room and greeted Zelenskyy, according to the source. He was not part of a substantive conversation between the two leaders, the person said. Neither Zelenskyy nor Trump had previously disclosed that Musk was on the call. Axios first reported his participation, which was confirmed by other outlets. Trump transition team officials declined requests for comment Friday. Neither Musk nor the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington, D.C., immediately respon...

Pesto is growing up! After reaching stardom in September, the king penguin chick is beginning to shed his brown feathers in exchange for new waterproof ones as he transitions into adulthood. Pesto, who lives at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium in Australia, is nearing the final stages of his first molt. It’s a crucial phase in a king penguin’s life because it signifies the start of independence as they prepare to leave the colony, according to the aquarium. King penguin chicks experience their first molt around 10 months old and the process can last up to six weeks, per the aquarium. Since molting requires baby chicks to use a lot of energy, the animals often lose weight as they form their new, sleek feathers. “As Pesto sheds his juvenile feathers and develops his ...

South Korea’s military said North Korea disrupted GPS signals from border areas for the second-straight day on Saturday, affecting an unspecified number of flights and vessel operations. Tensions between the rival Koreas have escalated as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un flaunts his advancing nuclear and missile program and engages in electronic and psychological warfare, such as flying thousands of balloons to drop trash and anti-South Korean propaganda leaflets in the South. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said North Korean operations to manipulate GPS signals were detected from around the western border city of Kaesong and the nearby city of Haeju on Friday and Saturday, and said the activities disrupted dozens of civilian aircraft and several vessels. W...

Qatari officials have warned Hamas ’ political bureau that it was no longer welcome in the country amid frustration over stalled hostage and cease-fire negotiations with Israel , according to a senior U.S. administration official and two diplomats briefed on the matter. “Qatar has become increasingly frustrated with a lack of progress toward a cease-fire by both Hamas and Israel ,” one of the diplomats told NBC News Saturday morning. “Hamas has been told that if this continues then Qatar cannot continue to host them,” they said. Later, a diplomat added that Qatar had informed the Israelis and Hamas that "as long as there is a refusal to negotiate a deal in good faith, they cannot continue to mediate. As a consequence, the Hamas political office no longer serve...