No. 6 Duke keeps its frequent perch as favorite in ACC race featuring No. 11 Louisville, No. 25 UNC

No. 6 Duke keeps its frequent perch as favorite in ACC race featuring No. 11 Louisville, No. 25 UNC

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

Jon Scheyer inherited a seemingly impossible task at Duke in following retired Hall of Fame coaching great Mike Krzyzewski. Yet the sixth-ranked Blue Devils have kept on winning.

They’re starting this year as Atlantic Coast Conference favorite again.

The Blue Devils are coming off a 35-win season that included reaching the Final Four, while the 38-year-old Scheyer became the first coach to twice win the ACC Tournament in his first three seasons. The Blue Devils lost all five starters from that team — including Associated Press national player of the year and No. 1 overall NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg — but added the No. 1-ranked recruiting class and stand as the preseason pick to win a league race featuring No. 11 Louisville and 25th-ranked rival North Carolina.

This is the 10th time in 13 years that Duke is the ACC favorite. Winning the ACC will depend on integrating a recruiting class headlined by power forward Cameron Boozer — 247Sports’ No. 3-ranked recruit — alongside returnees like Isaiah Evans and Maliq Brown.

“I think if you keep putting yourself in that position of being in that moment, being right there, it’s only a matter of time before you break through,” Scheyer said of the program’s status as frequent national-title contender. “And I feel that’s where our program is.”

The Cardinals lost to the Blue Devils in last year’s ACC final and reached March Madness in Pat Kelsey’s first season. It was quick rise from a two-year wilderness under Kenny Payne: 12 wins, 52 losses, a 5-35 record in ACC regular-season play.

Louisville is Duke’s top challenger, with Kelsey having retooled his roster through the transfer portal.

“We don’t talk about the past. We don’t talk about the future,” Kelsey said. “Our sole focus is excellence in the now.”

Top players

Darrion Williams helped Texas Tech reach the NCAA Elite Eight last year before declaring for the NBA draft. But the 6-foot-6 guard returned to college basketball for his senior season and transferred to N.C. State, where he is preseason ACC player of the year under new coach Will Wade.

The league returns two top-tier scorers in Notre Dame point guard Markus Burton (league-best 21.3 points) and Syracuse guard J.J. Starling (seventh at 17.8).

Top transfers

Beyond the Wolfpack’s Williams, the Cardinals added three of 247Sports’ top 20 transfers in Ryan Conwell, Isaac McKneely and Adrian Wooley — all 6-4 guards who shot better than 40% on 3-pointers last year.

Conwell averaged 16.5 points at Xavier and will play for his fourth school in as many seasons. McKneely averaged 14.4 points at Virginia, while Wooley (18.8) was Conference USA freshman of the year at Kennesaw State.

North Carolina added 7-footer Henri Veesaar, who left Arizona to join a Tar Heels team that desperately needs reliable frontcourt play.

Top freshmen

Boozer is one of six McDonald’s All-American freshmen, including Duke teammates in his brother Cayden (a point guard) and forward Nikolas Khamenia.

UNC will lean on forward Caleb Wilson, a two-way talent with athleticism and length. Wilson joins Boozer and Louisville point guard Mikel Brown Jr. as high-end NBA talents considered to be possible one-and-done prospects.

Notre Dame also landed a McDonald’s all-American in guard Jalen Haralson, the Fighting Irish’s highest-ranked prospect in the modern era.

New coaches

The league has four new coaches: Wade, Florida State’s Luke Loucks, Miami’s Jai Lucas and Virginia’s Ryan Odom.

The 42-year-old Wade is back in the power-conference ranks after his ouster from LSU amid NCAA trouble. He won big in two seasons at McNeese and replaces the fired Kevin Keatts.

Loucks, 35, arrives from years in the NBA to take over at his alma mater for longtime coach Leonard Hamilton.

Lucas, 36, left the Duke staff to take over the Hurricanes, who saw coach Jim Larrañaga step aside last December and finished out under interim coach Bill Courtney.

Odom, 51, takes over a Virginia program that lost longtime coach Tony Bennett to retirement shortly before last season. The former VCU coach grew up in Charlottesville around the program while his father, Dave, was an assistant in the 1980s.

Shorter schedule

The ACC will have an 18-game league slate, down from 20 games, as the league tries to reverse a downward trend of NCAA bids (four last year). The move is designed to give ACC teams two more spots to schedule quality nonconference matchups that could bolster postseason résumés. The ACC had moved to 20 games in 2019-20 with the arrival of the ESPN-partnered ACC Network.

Preseason picks

Champion: Duke; 2) Louisville; 3) UNC; 4) N.C. State; 5) Virginia; 6) SMU; 7) Clemson; 8) Miami; 9) Syracuse; 10) Notre Dame; 11) Wake Forest; 12) Virginia Tech; 13) Georgia Tech; 14) Pittsburgh; 15) FSU; 16) California; 17) Stanford; 18) Boston College.

Duke University study finds EVs quickly overcome their energy-intensive build to be cleaner than gas cars

Duke University study finds EVs quickly overcome their energy-intensive build to be cleaner than gas cars

By ALEXA ST. JOHN Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — Making electric vehicles and their batteries is a dirty process that uses a lot of energy. But a new study says that EVs quickly make up for that with less overall emissions through two years of use than a gas-powered vehicle.

The study also estimated that gas-powered vehicles cause at least twice as much environmental damage over their lifetimes as EVs, and said the benefits of EVs can be expected to increase in coming decades as clean sources of power, such as solar and wind, are brought onto the grid.

The work by researchers from Northern Arizona University and Duke University, published Wednesday in the journal PLOS Climate, offers insight into a transportation sector that makes up a big part of U.S. emissions. It also comes as some EV skeptics have raised concerns about whether the environmental impact of battery production, including mining, makes it worthwhile to switch to electric.

“While there is a bigger carbon footprint in the very short term because of the manufacturing process in creating the batteries for electric vehicles, very quickly you come out ahead in CO2 emissions by year three and then for all of the rest of the vehicle lifetime, you’re far ahead and so cumulatively much lower carbon footprint,” said Drew Shindell, an earth science professor at Duke University and study co-author.

What the researchers examined

The researchers evaluated several harmful air pollutants monitored by the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as emissions data, to compare the relative impact over time of EVs and internal combustion engines on air quality and climate change.

Their analysis said that EVs produce 30% higher carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline vehicles in their first two years. That can be attributed to the energy-intensive production and manufacturing processes involved in mining lithium for EV batteries.

They also sought to account for how the U.S. energy system might develop in coming years, assuming growth in clean energy. And they modeled four different scenarios for EV adoption, ranging from the lowest — a 31% share of vehicle sales — to the highest, 75% of sales, by 2050. (EV sales accounted for about 8% of new vehicle sales in the U.S. in 2024.)

The researchers said the average of those four models found that for each additional kilowatt hour of lithium-ion battery output, carbon dioxide emissions drop by an average of 220 kilograms (485 pounds) in 2030, and another 127 kilograms (280 pounds) in 2050.

The consistent decrease in CO2 emissions from EVs is “not only driven by the on-road vehicles, but also reduction that has been brought due to electricity production,” said lead author Pankaj Sadavarte, a postdoctoral researcher at Northern Arizona University.

Greg Keoleian, a University of Michigan professor of sustainable systems who wasn’t involved in the research, called it a “valuable study” that echoes other findings and “confirms the environmental and economic benefits” of EVs.

“Accelerating the adoption of battery electric vehicles is a key strategy for decarbonizing the transportation sector which will reduce future damages and costs of climate change,” he said.

Researchers take optimistic view of the grid’s future

Shindell, the Duke researcher, said the grid will evolve to have more solar and wind power.

“When you add a bunch of electric vehicles, nobody’s going to build new coal-fired power plants to run these things because coal is really expensive compared to renewables,” he said. “So the grid just overall becomes much cleaner in both the terms of carbon emissions for climate change, and for air pollution.”

Outside experts agreed — as long as the policy landscape supports it. That hasn’t been the case under President Donald Trump, who has worked to boost fossil fuels and restrain solar and wind power development.

“The great news is the rest of the world isn’t slowing down in terms of its embrace of this technology,” said Ellen Kennedy, principal for carbon-free transportation at RMI, a clean energy nonprofit. As for the U.S., she said, “I think it’s important to keep in mind states and local governments, there’s a lot that’s happening on those fronts.”

One thing the study didn’t address was recycling or disposal of batteries at the end of their life. Kennedy said battery recycling will improve, helping to address one of the environmental impacts of their production.

A challenging time for EVs in the United States

The study comes at a notable time given the challenges that EVs face in the U.S.

EVs have seen more interest in recent years as an alternative to gas-powered cars and trucks — particularly as they become more affordable and charging infrastructure becomes more available.

But growth has slowed amid shifting federal policy toward EVs and an industry step back from ambitious EV production promises.

Former President Joe Biden set a target for 50% of all new vehicle sales in the U.S. to be electric by 2030. But Trump reversed that policy, and Congress has terminated federal tax credits for an EV purchase. The administration has also targeted vehicle pollution rules that would encourage greater uptake of EVs in the U.S., and the president has attempted to halt a nationwide EV charging buildout.

“The study is important to show how really misguided the current administration’s policies are,” Shindell said. “If we want to protect us from climate change and from the very clear and local damage from poor air quality, this is a really clear way to do it: Incentivize the switch from internal combustion engines to EVs.”

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Alexa St. John is an Associated Press climate reporter. Follow her on X: @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at [email protected].

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Read more of AP’s climate coverage.

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Federal Reserve cuts key rate as government shutdown clouds economic outlook

Federal Reserve cuts key rate as government shutdown clouds economic outlook

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated.

“Job gains have slowed this year, and the unemployment rate has edged up but remained low through August,” the Fed said in a statement issued Wednesday. “More recent indicators are consistent with these developments.” The government hasn’t issued unemployment data after August because of the shutdown. The Fed is watching private-sector figures instead.

Wednesday’s decision brings the Fed’s key rate down to about 3.9%, from about 4.1%. The central bank had cranked its rate to roughly 5.3% in 2023 and 2024 to combat the biggest inflation spike in four decades. Lower rates could, over time, reduce borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards, as well as for business loans.

The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without the economic signposts it typically relies on from the government, including monthly reports on jobs, inflation and consumer spending, which have been suspended because of the government shutdown. The Fed has signaled it may reduce its key rate again in December but the data drought raises the uncertainty around its next moves.

The Fed typically raises its short term rate to combat inflation, while it cuts rates to encourage borrowing and spending and shore up hiring. Right now its two goals are in conflict, so it is reducing borrowing costs to support the job market, while still keeping rates high enough to avoid stimulating the economy so much that it worsens inflation.

Speaking to reporters after the Fed’s announced its rate decision, Fed chair Jerome Powell said there were “strongly differing views about how to proceed in December” at the policy meeting and a further reduction in rates is not “a foregone conclusion.”

On Wednesday, the Fed also said it would stop reducing the size of its massive securities holdings, which it accumulated during the pandemic and after the 2008-2009 Great Recession. The change, to take effect Dec. 1, could over time slightly reduce longer-term interest rates on things like mortgages but won’t have much impact on consumer borrowing costs.

The Fed purchased nearly $5 trillion of Treasury securities and mortgage-backed bonds from 2020 to 2022 to stabilize financial markets during the pandemic and keep longer-term interest rates low. The bond-buying lifted its securities holdings to $9 trillion.

In the past three years, however, the Fed has reduced its holdings to about $6.6 trillion. To shrink its holdings, the Fed lets securities mature without replacing them, reducing bank reserves. In recent months, however, the reductions appeared to disrupt money markets, threatening to push up shorter-term interest rates.

Two of the 12 officials who vote on the Fed’s rate decisions dissented, but in different directions. Fed governor Stephen Miran dissented for the second straight meeting in favor of a half-point cut. Miran was appointed by President Donald Trump just before the central bank’s last meeting in September.

Jeffrey Schmid, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, voted against the move because he preferred no change to the Fed’s rate. Schmid has previously expressed concern that inflation remains too high.

Trump has repeatedly attacked Powell for not reducing borrowing costs more quickly. In South Korea early Wednesday he repeated his criticisms of the Fed chair.

“He’s out of there in another couple of months,” Trump said. Powell’s term ends in May. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed the administration is considering five people to replace Powell, and will decide by the end of this year.

Meanwhile, the government shutdown has interrupted economic data. September’s jobs report, scheduled to be released three weeks ago, is still postponed. This month’s hiring figures, to be released Nov. 7, will likely be delayed and may be less comprehensive when they are finally released. And the White House said last week that October’s inflation report may never be issued at all.

The data drought raises risks for the Fed because it is widely expected to keep cutting rates in an effort to shore up growth and hiring. Yet should job gains pick up soon, the Fed may not detect the change. And if hiring rebounds after weak job gains during the summer, further rate cuts may not be justified.

Before the government shutdown cut off the flow of data Oct. 1, monthly hiring gains had weakened to an average of just 29,000 a month for the previous three months, according to the Labor Department’s data. The unemployment rate ticked up to a still-low 4.3% in August from 4.2% in July.

More recently, several large corporations have announced sweeping layoffs, including UPS, Amazon, and Target, which threatens to boost the unemployment rate if it continues.

Meanwhile, last week’s inflation report — released more than a week late because of the shutdown — showed that inflation remains elevated but isn’t accelerating and may not need higher interest rates to tame it.

The government’s first report on the economy’s growth in the July-September quarter was scheduled to be published on Thursday, but will be delayed, as will Friday’s report on consumer spending that also includes the Fed’s preferred inflation measure.

Fed officials say they are monitoring a range of other data, including some issued by the private sector, and don’t feel handicapped by the lack of government reports.

“Pigs in a Blanket”

“Pigs in a Blanket”

This recipe is a tried-and-true appetizer favorite. If you’re in the Halloween spirit, you can add candy eyes to turn them into the perfect mummy appetizer!

Ingredients

  • 1 package refrigerated crescent roll dough (8 triangles)
  • 8 hot dogs or cocktail sausages
  • Optional: 1 egg (for egg wash)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven
Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Prepare the dough
Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate it into triangles.

3. Wrap the hot dogs
Place one hot dog at the wide end of each triangle and roll up toward the point.

4. Bake
(Optional) brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds. Then, bake for 12–15 minutes, or until golden brown.

5. Serve them up!
Serve hot and enjoy with condiments of choice!

October 29th 2025

October 29th 2025

Thought of the Day

Photo by Getty Image

All things are difficult before they are easy.

Former Duke player Kyle Singler charged with assaulting girlfriend in Oklahoma

Former Duke player Kyle Singler charged with assaulting girlfriend in Oklahoma

By SEAN MURPHY Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Former Duke and Oklahoma City Thunder player Kyle Singler was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor assault in Oklahoma after his girlfriend told authorities he grabbed her head and shoved her to the ground.

Singler, 37, was arrested Thursday in the eastern Oklahoma town of Whitefield after someone called 911 to report Singler was chasing a woman outside a residence there. He was booked into the Haskell County jail and later released on $6,000 bond, jail records show.

Singler was charged Tuesday in Haskell County with one misdemeanor count of assault and battery in the presence of a child. Singler’s girlfriend told a sheriff’s deputy that Singler grabbed her by the head and shoved her to the ground, according to an arrest affidavit. Deputy Mitch Dobbs also reported he could observe finger outlines on the woman’s face and marks on her arm. The woman told Dobbs that Singler is the father of her young child, who was present during the incident, the affidavit states.

Dobbs reported Singler did not cooperate with authorities or give them a statement and appeared to be under the influence of narcotics.

Court and jail records don’t indicate whether Singler has an attorney. Singler’s former agent, Jason Ranne, said in an email he no longer represents Singler.

Singler’s arrest comes nearly a year after a cryptic Instagram post in which he said he feared for his life drew an outpouring of concern and support from former teammates and others.

Singler was on Duke’s 2010 national championship team and was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament.

He was the 33rd overall pick in the 2011 draft and started his career overseas before playing in the NBA. He played three seasons for the Detroit Pistons, who drafted him, and was on the All-Rookie second team in 2013. He played parts of four seasons for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

A North Carolina man is charged with 4 murder counts after telling authorities he killed his kids

A North Carolina man is charged with 4 murder counts after telling authorities he killed his kids

By ALLEN G. BREED, GARY D. ROBERTSON and JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press

ZEBULON, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man was charged Tuesday with four counts of murder after telling authorities that he had killed his children and after sheriff’s deputies found human remains in the trunk of a vehicle in his home’s garage.

Wellington Delano Dickens III, 38, was being held without bond in the Johnston County Jail, according to the county’s sheriff’s office and court records.

A North Carolina man who told authorities he had killed four of his children and that the bodies were in the trunk of a vehicle at his home has been charged with murder after sheriffs deputies found human remains in his garage. (AP Video)

Dickens had been charged earlier Tuesday in the death of one of his children, a sheriff’s office news release said. Three more murder counts were filed later in the day, records show.

Dickens called 911 on Monday evening and told the operator he had killed his children, the sheriff’s statement said.

Johnston County deputies responded, and as Dickens had told them, his 3-year-old son was alive inside the residence on the outskirts of Zebulon, which is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Raleigh.

But Dickens also told deputies four of his other children were deceased inside the trunk of the vehicle inside the garage, the statement said.

The deputies discovered what the release described as “multiple bodies” in the trunk and said what were believed to be human remains inside had been there for a long time, the sheriff’s office said. The arrest warrants say authorities believe the victims were killed May 1.

The sheriff’s office said investigators believe Dickens killed three of his biological children, ages 6, 9 and 10, as well as his 18-year-old stepchild. Arrest warrants for three of the counts confirm the victims as 9, 10 and 18. The fourth arrest warrant provided no date of birth for the victim.

Court records show Dickens appeared before a judge Tuesday afternoon on the initial murder charge. Records showed he will be appointed an attorney, but a name was not immediately listed.

Dickens’ wife, Stephanie, died in April 2024, and Dickens said five children lived in their Zebulon home, according to court records from his wife’s estate. Her death came just over a year after Dickens’ father died when his car crashed into a box truck in Lee County, North Carolina, according to court records.

Dickens’ great uncle Charles Moore told WRAL-TV that Dickens was an Iraq War veteran. Moore said he hadn’t seen Dickens in about a year but that he seemed like he was doing fine.

A police cruiser with flashing lights blocked the road leading to Dickens’ address on Tuesday afternoon, with tents from the sheriff’s office and the State Bureau of Investigation erected in the driveway. The home sits in a recently built subdivision of one- and two-story houses. An old farmhouse sits not far from the subdivision’s entrance.

Some neighbors said they barely remembered seeing the family, especially after Dickens’ wife died. Miranda Dorta said she just saw the kids walk to and from the school bus, while neighbor Terry Fuller mowed their lawn a few times when the grass got high.

Although the subdivision’s oldest houses are only about 3 years old, it’s also a tight-knit neighborhood and many people could have helped if Dickens reached out, Fuller said.

“I’ve noticed the kids haven’t been out playing for quite some time, but hadn’t put two and two together. And I woke up to this this morning. It’s pretty awful,” Fuller said.

Previously known for its tobacco market and a railroad that came through town, Zebulon is quickly turning into a bedroom community of the Raleigh-Durham area.

Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina, and Collins from Columbia, South Carolina

Category 5 Hurricane Melissa brings flooding and catastrophic winds to Jamaica

Category 5 Hurricane Melissa brings flooding and catastrophic winds to Jamaica

By JOHN MYERS JR. and DÁNICA COTO Associated Press

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Heavy floodwaters swept across southwestern Jamaica, winds tore roofs off buildings and boulders tumbled into roads Tuesday as Hurricane Melissa came ashore as a catastrophic Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes on record.

Desmond McKenzie, deputy chairman of Jamaica’s Disaster Risk Management Council, urged people to seek shelter and stay indoors as the storm crosses the island.

“Jamaica, this is not the time to be brave,” he said.

Hurricane Melissa strengthened Tuesday as it crawled toward Jamaica, where officials and residents braced for catastrophic winds, flash flooding and landslides from the Category 5 storm, one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes in history. (AP/Matias Delacroix)

The streets in the capital, Kingston, remained largely empty as Melissa approached, save for the lone stray dog crossing puddles and a handful of people walking briskly under tree branches waving in a stiff wind.

The Jamaican government said it had done all it could to prepare as it warned of devastating damage from the strongest hurricane to hit the island since recordkeeping began 174 years ago.

“There is no infrastructure in the region that can withstand a Category 5,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness said. “The question now is the speed of recovery. That’s the challenge.”

Landslides, fallen trees and numerous power outages were reported as Melissa came ashore near New Hope, with officials in Jamaica cautioning that the cleanup and damage assessment could be slow. The storm is expected slice diagonally across the island and head for Cuba.

Massive wind damage is expected in Melissa’s core and Jamaica’s highest mountains could see gusts of up to 200 mph (322 kph), said Michael Brennan, director of the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

“It’s going to be a very dangerous scenario,” he said, warning that there would be “total building failures.”

Hurricane Melissa’s 185 mph (295 kph) winds and 892 millibars of central pressure tied two records for the strongest Atlantic storm on landfall. The pressure — the key measurement meteorologists use — ties 1935’s Labor Day hurricane in Florida. The wind speed ties the 1935 hurricane and 2019’s Hurricane Dorian, said hurricane scientists Phil Klotzbach of Colorado State University and Brian McNoldy of the University of Miami.

“It’s been a remarkable just a beast of a storm,” Klotzbach told The Associated Press.

Jamaica prepares for the aftermath

On Tuesday afternoon, Melissa had top sustained winds of 165 mph (270 kph) and was moving north-northeast at 8 mph (13 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane was centered about 20 miles (35 kilometers) south-southwest of Montego Bay, Jamaica, and about 230 miles (370 kilometers) southwest of Guantánamo, Cuba.

A life-threatening storm surge of up to 13 feet (4 meters) is expected across southern Jamaica, with officials concerned about the impact on some hospitals along the coastline. Health Minister Christopher Tufton said some patients were relocated from the ground floor to the second floor, “and (we) hope that will suffice for any surge that will take place.”

One man called a local radio station and said he urgently needed to help a woman in western Jamaica who had gone into labor as the storm prepared to make landfall. The show’s host pleaded with listeners to let the man know the safest hospital for the woman before an obstetrician called in to provide detailed directions on how to deliver a baby, if necessary.

Colin Bogle, a Mercy Corps adviser based near Kingston, said most families are sheltering in place despite the government ordering evacuations in flood-prone communities. He was sheltering with his grandmother in Portmore, where everything went dark earlier in the morning after a loud explosion.

“The noise is relentless,” he said. “People are anxious and just trying to hold on until the storm passes.”

McKenzie said the government was prepared for rescues immediately after the storm passes through: “We have boats, helicopters, you name it.”

The storm already was blamed for seven deaths in the Caribbean, including three in Jamaica, three in Haiti and one in the Dominican Republic, where another person remains missing.

More than 240,000 customers were without power before landfall and about one-fourth of the telecommunications system was offline, said Darryl Vaz, transport and energy minister. He said crews will clean and run tests at the island’s two main international airports Wednesday in hopes of receiving emergency relief flights as early as Thursday.

U.N. agencies and dozens of nonprofits had food, medicine and other essential supplies positioned as they awaited a distribution rush after the storm.

Matthew Samuda, Jamaica’s water and environment minister, said he had more than 50 generators available to deploy after the storm, but warned people to set aside clean water and use it sparingly.

“Every drop will count,” he said.

Melissa takes aim at Cuba

Melissa was expected to make landfall in eastern Cuba late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain were forecast in areas, along with a significant storm surge along the coast.

Authorities in eastern Holguín province prepared to evacuate more than 200,000 people Tuesday and evacuated a similar number of people earlier from the town of Banes.

Reports on social media and state television showed blue and white buses ferrying evacuees to shelter early Tuesday. Families clutched babies and belongings and elderly people steadied themselves with canes as they disembarked.

“This phenomenon is very dangerous,” Deputy Prime Minister Eduardo Martínez said in a statement. “It is unprecedented.”

Cuban officials said Monday that they would evacuate more than 600,000 people from the region, including Santiago, the island’s second-largest city.

Melissa also has drenched the southern regions of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with a tropical storm warning still in effect for Haiti. The hurricane was forecast to turn northeast and strike the southeast Bahamas by Wednesday evening.

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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Associated Press writers Geir Moulson in Berlin, Andrea Rodríguez in Havana and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.

Apple Cinnamon Donuts

Apple Cinnamon Donuts

This simple recipe for apple cinnamon donuts has just the right amount of sugar, spice and everything nice. They’re perfect for breakfast, dessert, or just treating yourself.

Ingredients

  • Donuts:
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil (or melted butter)
  • ½ cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 tsp lemon juice)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 small apple, peeled and finely grated (about ½ cup)
  • Cinnamon Sugar Coating:
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a donut pan.

2. Mix dry ingredients
In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

3. Mix wet ingredients
In another bowl, whisk the egg, brown sugar, applesauce, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla until smooth.

4. Combine the mixtures
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined, then fold in grated apple.

5. Bake
Spoon or pipe the batter into the donut wells (about ¾ full), then bake the donuts for 10–12 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed.

6. Coat the donuts and enjoy!
Let the donuts cool for 5 minutes. Then, mix the cinnamon and sugar together. Next, brush each donut lightly with melted butter and dip in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Then, you’re ready to enjoy these delicious fall treats!

Trump praises Japan’s new prime minister, saying US is an ‘ally at the strongest level’

Trump praises Japan’s new prime minister, saying US is an ‘ally at the strongest level’

By JOSH BOAK and CHRIS MEGERIAN Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — President Donald Trump began one of his busiest days of his Asia trip on Tuesday by warmly greeting the new Japanese prime minister, with plans to later speak to U.S. troops aboard an aircraft carrier and mingle with business leaders.

Although Trump is visiting one of America’s most steadfast allies in Asia, there’s no shortage of uncertainty while he’s there. Sanae Takaichi, who became the country’s first female prime minister only days ago, must solidify her relationship with Trump while defending her country’s economic interests. Trump is trying to nail down $550 billion in Japanese investment as part of a trade agreement.

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Japan’s newly elected Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo during one of the busiest days of his Asia trip on Tuesday. He told Takaichi that the US is an “ally at the strongest level” of Japan.

As Trump and Takaichi met on Tuesday, they shook hands and he paid her a compliment: “That’s a very strong handshake.”

In return, Takaichi talked about watching the third game of the U.S. World Series before the event. She said Japan would give Washington 250 cherry trees next year to honor America’s 250th anniversary, as well as fireworks from Akita Prefecture for July 4 celebrations.

She used her early remarks to mention former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, her archconservative mentor who forged a strong bond with Trump during his first term through their shared interest of golf.

“As a matter of fact, Prime Minister Abe often told me about your dynamic diplomacy,” she said.

Trump called her role as Japan’s first woman prime minister as a “big deal,” putting an emphasis on the U.S. commitment to Japan. While the president in the past has publicly scolded his foreign counterparts, he had nothing but praise for Takaichi.

“Anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there,” Trump said. “We are an ally at the strongest level.”

Takaichi is primed for a charm offensive, including a potential purchase of Ford F-150 trucks. Reporters arriving for the event were hustled past a gold-hued Ford F-150 as well as what appeared to be white American-made Toyota vehicles parked outside the Akasaka Palace, which is Tokyo’s guest house for visiting foreign leaders.

Trump has often complained that Japan doesn’t buy American vehicles, which are often too wide to be practical on narrow Japanese streets.

Both leaders signed the implementation of an agreement for the “golden age” of their nations’ alliance. When the document was held up after signing, it ran to less than one page and reaffirmed the earlier framework by which the U.S. would tax goods imported from Japan at 15% and the creation of a $550 billion fund for Japan to invest in the U.S.

Trump and Takaichi then signed a second agreement, this one laying out a U.S.-Japan framework for securing the supply of critical minerals and rare earths. That agreement suggested that some of the investment dollars would go to the development of rare earths needed for advanced technologies.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Takaichi would be nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. The two leaders also met with people whose family members were abducted by North Korea.

The Japanese delegation made the strategic choice to serve American beef and rice during a working lunch that was mixed with Japanese ingredients, where the two leaders also discussed efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Although Trump has focused his foreign policy toward Asia around tariffs and trade, he’s also speaking aboard the USS George Washington, an aircraft carrier docked at an American naval base near Tokyo.

Trump arrived in Tokyo on Monday, when he met with the emperor in a ceremonial visit. He was previously in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he participated in the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The gathering was an opportunity for Trump to celebrate an expanded ceasefire agreement between Thailand and Cambodia, which skirmished along their disputed border earlier this year. Trump had pressured them to stop fighting by threatening to withhold trade agreements.

There were also signs that tensions between the U.S. and China were cooling ahead of a planned meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which is expected to take place in South Korea later this week. Top negotiators from each country said a trade deal was coming together, which could prevent a potentially damaging confrontation between the world’s two largest economies.

Details were scarce, and it was unclear how much any agreement would resolve long-standing issues, or if it would return the relationship to the status quo before recent confrontations. China has restructured the export of rare earth elements that are critical for high-tech manufacturing, and Trump responded by threatening tariffs that even he admits would be unsustainable.

Trump is scheduled to leave Wednesday for South Korea, which is hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

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Megerian reported from Seoul, South Korea. Mayuko Ono and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

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