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Hurricane Rafael has turned to the west after lashing Cuba, where it knocked out the country’s electrical grid , leaving its 10 million residents in the dark. Rafael had strengthened to a Category 3 hurricane before it made landfall in the Cuban province of Artemisa, and weakened to a Category 2 shortly after making landfall Wednesday afternoon. The storm is now about 195 miles west of Key West, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, moving northwest at 9 mph, the National Hurricane Center said at 7 a.m. ET. Rafael will continue to move away from western Cuba on Thursday and will weaken over the central Gulf of Mexico. “On the forecast track, Rafael is expected to move over the southern Gulf of Mexico for the next few days,” the National Hurricane Center said....

Desperate for answers on what went wrong on Election Day, finger-pointing among Democrats and media pundits has been swift. Many — in private — are holding President Joe Biden responsible . Others are blaming the operatives who have run the party’s last several campaigns. But some are pointing to an issue with far less power in American politics: transgender rights. “The Democrats have to stop pandering to the far left,” Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., told The New York Times on Wednesday. “I don’t want to discriminate against anybody, but I don’t think biological boys should be playing in girls’ sports.” Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., shared a similar view, telling the Times on Thursday: “Democrats spend way too much time trying not to offend anyone rather than bei...

There’s something that nearly all Dateline episodes have in common — someone is lying. It could be a murderer lying to police about an alibi, or a husband lying to his wife about an affair. Sometimes, it could be a detective lying to a suspect to get information. So we wanted to find out: How can you tell if someone is lying to you? On today’s episode of Dateline: True Crime Weekly , Andrea Canning spoke with former Secret Service agent, Evy Pompouras, who has conducted her fair share of polygraph exams, for some tips. You can listen to the full episode now, for free. Plus, read a transcript of their exchange below: Andrea Canning: Hey Evy. Thanks for coming back. Pompouras: Thanks for having me. Canning: People lie to each ot...

The bells of Notre Dame tolled in Paris on Friday for the first time since the 2019 fire that threatened to destroy the Parisian landmark. At the time of the fire, French President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild the iconic, 861-year-old structure within five years. "Five years ago, a promise: to rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral together," Macron said on X Friday . "Today, its bells are finally ringing thanks to the extraordinary work of so many of you." The video accompanying Macron's post appeared to show the installation and ringing of some of Notre Dame's bells. Notre Dame will reopen its doors in one month, with ceremonies and celebrations planned to begin Dec. 7. The landmark also boasts three new bells, one of which rang at the Stade de France at the...

Roving gangs on scooters attacked and beat Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam, the Dutch capital, overnight in an outburst of what authorities called antisemitic violence. Footage circulating on social media showed supporters of the Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer team being chased down and assaulted on Thursday night, with one video geolocated by NBC News to near Amsterdam's central station that showed fighting on the streets between the Israelis and their attackers. "Boys on scooters crossed the city in search of Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters," Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said. "It was a hit-and-run. Football fans were beaten and scared, after which the rioters quickly left again, fleeing the police force that was on the move en masse yesterday.” A separate video geolocated by NBC ...

When shopping for thoughtful, personalized gifts for the holidays, sometimes your budget doesn’t always align with your vision. Fortunately, there are plenty of exciting, useful gifts under $50 that are still meaningful and won’t cause you to overspend. Below, we highlight our favorite gift ideas for everyone on your list, including foodies, frequent travelers, beauty enthusiasts and fitness lovers. Best of all, none of them cost more than $50. SKIP AHEAD The best gifts under $50 in 2024 Selected. Our top picks Best overall Twing Acrylic Magnetic Frame $14.99 $20.16 Amazon Learn more Most useful gift Dorai ...

WASHINGTON — The Department of Justice on Friday charged an Iranian man in a murder-for-hire plot to assassinate then-candidate Donald Trump and two others in a plot to kill an American journalist critical of Tehran. Iran’s government directed these actors to “target our citizens, including President-elect Trump, on U.S. soil and abroad,” Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a news release. The department said the plot was part of Iran’s efforts to exact revenge for the death of Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani during the Trump administration. The three who were charged are Farhad Shakeri of Iran; Carlisle Rivera of Brooklyn, New York; and Jonathan Loadholt, of Staten Island, New York. According to the criminal c...

While I usually have a set list of people I do my holiday shopping for, a few extras always find their way onto my list, including people I don’t know well — a colleague, a family friend’s kid, my significant other’s cousin — the list can go on and on. I approach my gift ideas in two ways: I ask the closest person I know for a few hints at their interests and hobbies, or I generally think about the best gifts for her or him . If you’re in a similar situation, you can peruse my list of the best gifts for someone you don’t know. These items exclude gag gifts (if you don’t know the person well, it may be hard to gauge their sense of humor) and including giftable tech , self-care , travel and more. These should meet a variety of needs and lifesty...

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz vowed to protect his state from President-elect Donald Trump’s “hateful agenda” while delivering remarks in Eagan, Minnesota, on Friday afternoon. “The other side spent a lot of time campaigning and talking about and promising that they would leave things up to the states. Well, I’m willing to take them at their word for that,” said Walz, who was Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate on the Democratic ticket and whose second term as governor ends in 2027. “The moment they try and bring a hateful agenda in this state, I’m going to stand ready to stand up and fight,” said the 60-year-old governor as supporters applauded. “As long as I’m governor of Minnesota, we will protect a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions,” said Walz, part of a ref...

An 84-year-old man was arrested this week in connection with the slaying of a female hitchhiker 50 years ago in Wisconsin. Mary K. Schlais, 25, was found dead Feb. 15, 1974, at an intersection in Spring Brook, Wisconsin, the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office said. The Minneapolis, woman was killed while hitchhiking to an art show in Chicago, Sheriff Kevin Bygd said Friday. “This was a very bright lady who had a very bright future ahead of her,” he said. “Her life was taken away.” Although investigators worked the case for decades, chasing tips and collecting evidence, “no viable suspects were identified,” according to the sheriff’s office. But through forensic genetic genealogy, Bygd said investigators tracked down Jon Miller, 84, at his apartment in Owatonna, Minnesota. M...