North America

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kevin McAleenan, the acting Homeland Security secretary, is challenging a subpoena to appear before a congressional committee to discuss terrorism threats to the U.S. on the day before he’s set to leave office.

Kevin McAleenan sent a letter to House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson on Friday saying he was surprised and disappointed to get the subpoena a day earlier. McAleenan had suggested that the department’s top intelligence officer testify in his stead.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Chris Parker is the type of Virginian whom Democrats hope to get to the polls next month to help them flip the legislature and usher in a wave of stricter gun laws.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s company said Friday it is exploring the sale of its landmark Washington hotel after nearly three years of ethics complaints and lawsuits accusing him of trying to profit off the presidency.

The Trump Organization says it will consider offers to buy out the 60-year lease on the Trump International Hotel, which since opening in late 2016 has become a magnet for lobbyists and diplomats looking to gain favor with the administration.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration reported a river of red ink Friday.

The federal deficit for the 2019 budget year surged 26% from 2018 to $984.4 billion — its highest point in seven years. The gap is widely expected to top $1 trillion in the current budget year and likely remain there for the next decade.

The year-over-year widening in the deficit reflected such factors as revenue lost from the 2017 Trump tax cut and a budget deal that added billions in spending for military and domestic programs.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Pentagon awarded Microsoft a $10 billion cloud computing contract , snubbing early front-runner Amazon, whose competitive bid drew criticism from President Donald Trump and its business rivals.

Bidding for the huge project, known as Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, or JEDI, pitted leading tech titans Microsoft, Amazon, Oracle and IBM against one another.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A wildfire in California wine country that may have been caused by a high-voltage transmission line called into question Pacific Gas & Electric’s strategy of selectively cutting off power in windy weather to prevent blazes and could force it to resort to even bigger blackouts affecting millions as early as this weekend.

The repeated shut-offs and the prospect of longer and more widespread ones brought anger down on the utility from the governor and ordinary customers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge on Friday ordered the Justice Department to give the House secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, handing a victory to Democrats as they gather evidence for the impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump.

In a ruling that also affirmed the legality of the impeachment inquiry itself, U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell ordered the department to turn over the materials by Oct. 30. A Justice Department spokeswoman said it was reviewing the decision. The administration can appeal.

NEW YORK, Oct 25 (APP): Leading Pakistani cricketer Sana Mir and six other trailblazing women from Asian countries were honoured with the 2019 Asia Society Game Changers award at a glittering ceremony here on Thursday night in recognition of their transformative impact in Asia and beyond.

“Sana Mir is first and foremost a true champion in her field, she’s also a champion for millions of girls and young women on the field and off,” Ambassador Chan Heng Chee, Asia Society Co-Chairperson, said while presenting her with the award.

GEYSERVILLE (California, US), Oct 25 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A fast-moving wildfire roared through California wine country Thursday, prompting evacuations and destroying structures as authorities warned of the imminent danger of more fires across much of the state.

The Kincade fire in a rural area of Sonoma County kicked up Wednesday night, quickly growing from a blaze of a few hundred acres into an uncontained 4,000-hectare inferno, California fire and law enforcement officials said.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Thursday called for greater humanitarian assistance throughout Syria, lifting economic sanctions and promoting the return of refugees and displaced persons.

The Syrian crisis has dragged on for many years and must be addressed in a holistic and integrated manner, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council in a meeting on the situation in the Middle East.