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Qatar has halted its mediation efforts between Israel and Hamas, citing a lack of willingness from both sides to engage constructively, according to a diplomatic source briefed on the matter. Qatar’s participation hinged on both parties demonstrating real interest in resolving the conflict, according to the diplomat. Qatari officials, however, concluded that recent negotiation efforts have been more focused on optics than peace efforts. The diplomat noted that Qatar may resume its role if both sides reach an impasse and show genuine intent to negotiate. Under U.S. pressure, Qatari officials had warned Hamas ’ political bureau earlier that it was no longer welcome in the country amid frustration over stalled hostage and cease-fire negotiations with Israel , according ...

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s ambitious agenda could face pushback from an institution he has done much to shape: the Supreme Court. With a 6-3 conservative majority including three Trump appointees, the court has spent the last few years buffeted by criticism from the left. But if the justices stick true to their stated jurisprudential principles, the new administration could end up on the losing side at least some of the time, legal experts say. “I think if President Trump’s executive agencies tried to stretch the law beyond the breaking point in the same kind of way that the Biden administration has done then, yes, the courts will be a check on that power,” said John Malcolm, a lawyer at the Trump-allied Heritage Foundation. Brianne Gorod, a lawyer with the left-l...

WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump’s ambitious agenda could face pushback from an institution he has done much to shape: the Supreme Court. With a 6-3 conservative majority including three Trump appointees, the court has spent the last few years buffeted by criticism from the left. But if the justices stick true to their stated jurisprudential principles, the new administration could end up on the losing side at least some of the time, legal experts say. “I think if President Trump’s executive agencies tried to stretch the law beyond the breaking point in the same kind of way that the Biden administration has done then, yes, the courts will be a check on that power,” said John Malcolm, a lawyer at the Trump-allied Heritage Foundation. Brianne Gorod, a lawyer with the left-l...

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...