WILKES-BARRE — Six years ago, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Ben Bradlee Jr. wrote a book about Luzerne County’s role in electing Donald Trump president in 2016. Read moreBradlee, who wrote book about Luzerne County's role in Trump's 2016 win, visits Wilkes-Barre to back Harris

Melania Trump has revealed her support for abortion rights ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir. Her stated position exposes a stark contrast with her husband, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, on the crucial election issue. Kamala Harris' campaign said in response: “Sadly for the women across America, Mrs. Trump’s husband firmly disagrees with her and is the reason that more than one in three American women live under a Trump Abortion Ban that threatens their health, their freedom, and their lives." A majority of Americans support abortion rights, and Donald Trump has struggled to find a consistent message on abortion since the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Read moreMelania Trump says she supports abortion rights, putting her at odds with the GOP

The United Nations peacekeeping chief says U.N. peacekeepers are staying in their positions on Lebanon’s southern border despite Israel’s request to vacate some areas before it launched its ground operation. Jean-Pierre LaCroix told reporters Thursday that the commander and liaison officers from the U.N. force also are in constant contact with their counterparts in the Israeli and Lebanese militaries. He called that key to protecting the U.N.’s more than 10,000 peacekeepers. He says the U.N. force is “the only channel of communications between the parties.” It was created to oversee the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon after Israel’s 1978 invasion. The U.N. expanded its mission following the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah. Read moreUN peacekeepers stay on Lebanon's border despite Israeli ground incursion

Vice President Kamala Harris has rallied side-by-side with Republican Liz Cheney in the birthplace of the modern Republican Party. The two women on Thursday delivered a double-barreled denunciation of GOP nominee Donald Trump as a threat to democracy. Cheney is one of Trump's fiercest Republican critics, and she urged the crowd to "reject the depraved cruelty of Donald Trump.” The event in Wisconsin was designed to get under Trump's skin and reach moderate voters. Trump appeared Thursday in Saginaw County, Michigan, a crucial swing area in the state where Democrat Joe Biden barely won four years ago. Read moreHarris campaigns with Liz Cheney at the GOP's birthplace while Trump rallies in Michigan

North Korea says leader Kim Jong Un has threatened to use nuclear weapons and destroy South Korea permanently if provoked. South Korea’s leader had warned earlier this week that Kim’s regime would collapse if he attempted to use nuclear arms. The exchange of such rhetoric between the rival Koreas is not new, but animosities are heightened over the North’s recent disclosure of a nuclear facility and its continuation of missile tests. State media reported Friday that Kim said while visiting a special forces unit that his military “would use without hesitation all the offensive forces it has possessed, including nuclear weapons,” if South Korea attempts to use armed forces encroaching upon the sovereignty of North Korea. Read moreNorth Korea's Kim threatens to destroy South Korea with nuclear strikes if provoked

The union representing 45,000 striking U.S. dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports has reached a deal to suspend a three-day strike until Jan. 15 to provide time to negotiate a new contract. The International Longshoremen’s Association is to resume working immediately. The temporary end to the strike came after the union and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, which represents ports and shipping companies, reached a tentative agreement on wages. That's according to a joint statement from the union and ports. A person briefed on the agreement said the ports sweetened their wage offer from about 50% over six years to 62%. The person didn’t want to be identified because the agreement is tentative. Read moreDockworkers' union to suspend strike until Jan. 15 to allow time to negotiate new contract

The Savannah Bananas are taking their baseball hijinks to the gridiron in 2025. Team owner Jesse Cole says the barnstorming squad will bring its freewheeling version of the game known as Banana Ball to Clemson’s 81,000-seat Memorial Stadium on April 26. The Bananas also will host games at a pair of NFL stadiums next year. They will play at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, the 69,000-seat home of the Tennessee Titans, on May 10. That will be followed by a game at 75,000-seat Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, home of the Carolina Panthers, on June 7. Cole is promising “some of the biggest crowds in baseball history to see Banana Ball.” Read moreThe Savannah Bananas are heading to the gridiron in 2025, including Clemson's Death Valley

Prosecutors in Los Angeles say they are reviewing new evidence in the case of the Menendez brothers to determine whether they should be serving life sentences for killing their parents in their Beverly Hills mansion more than 35 years ago. Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón said during a news conference Thursday that attorneys for 53-year-old Erik Menendez and his 56-year-old brother, Lyle Menendez, have asked a court to vacate their conviction. A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 29.  The brothers were given life sentences for fatally shooting their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in 1989. The case has gained new attention in recent weeks after Netflix began streaming the true-crime drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.” Read moreLos Angeles prosecutors to review new evidence in Menendez brothers' 1996 murder conviction

U.S.-arranged flights have brought about 250 Americans and their relatives out of Lebanon this week during escalated fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. That's as thousands of Americans still there face airstrikes and diminishing commercial flights. In Washington, White House officials met with two top Arab American officials to discuss U.S. efforts to help American citizens leave Lebanon. The Pentagon says no evacuation is being considered right now. The State Department has been telling Americans for almost a year not to travel to Lebanon and advising Americans to leave the country on commercial flights for months. Some Americans said their relatives who are U.S. citizens or green-card holders have been struggling to get seats on flights out of Lebanon. Read moreUS arranges flights to bring Americans out of Lebanon as others seek escape

Caitlin Clark has been named WNBA Rookie of the Year in a near-unanimous vote. A national panel of sportswriters and sportscasters gave the Indiana Fever guard 66 of 67 votes. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese received the other vote. Clark, the No. 1 overall pick from Iowa, averaged 19.2 points and a league-best 8.4 assists per game while helping the WNBA set attendance records and garner mainstream attention. She struggled a bit early in the season, but found her groove and was an All-Star starter. She led the Fever to the playoffs and a 20-20 record after a 1-8 start. Read moreIndiana Fever star Caitlin Clark a near-unanimous choice as WNBA's Rookie of the Year

Three former Memphis police officers have been convicted in the 2023 fatal beating of Tyre Nichols, but were acquitted of the harshest charges they faced. Nichols' death sparked national protests and calls for broad changes in policing. Jurors deliberated for about six hours before coming back Thursday with the mixed verdict for Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith. All of them were convicted of witness tampering related to the cover-up of the beating. But Bean and Smith were acquitted of civil rights charges. Haley was acquitted of violating Nichols’ civil rights causing death, but convicted of the lesser charge of violating his civil rights causing bodily injury. Read moreMixed verdict for 3 Memphis officers convicted in Tyre Nichols' fatal beating