Atlantic hurricane season comes to an end, leaving widespread damage

(AP) — The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season comes to a close Saturday, bringing an end to a season that saw 11 hurricanes compared to the average seven, billions of dollars in damage and deaths and destruction hundreds of miles from where storms came ashore on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Hurricane Beryl became the first Category 4 hurricane to form in the month of June, slamming into the island of Carriacou in Grenada. In September, Hurricane Helene caused catastrophic damage across the southeastern U.S. and was the deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Katrina in 2005. In October, Hurricane Milton’s wind speeds hit a screaming 180 mph, making it one of the strongest ever recorded in the Gulf of Mexico.

Supreme Court will hear arguments over TN ban on gender-affirming care for minors

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on the constitutionality of Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender minors. The case being heard Wednesday will have a national impact because at least 25 other states have adopted similar laws in recent years. The fight over whether transgender adolescents can access puberty blockers and hormonal treatments is part of a broader effort to regulate the lives of transgender people, including which sports competitions they can join and which bathrooms they can use. Trump backed a national ban on such care as part of his 2024 campaign in which he demeaned and mocked transgender people.

Wisconsin election chair certifies Trump’s victory in teleconference

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s election commission leader has quietly certified Donald Trump’s victory in the battleground state, a departure from the chaos that surrounded the 2020 election results. Commission Chairperson Ann Jacobs certified results during a Zoom meeting on Friday that show Trump won the state with 1,697,626 votes compared to Democrat Kamala Harris’ 1,668,229 votes. The certification was routine compared with 2020, when Trump challenged Joe Biden’s victory in the state. Trump demanded and got a recount in Dane and Milwaukee counties, the state’s two Democratic strongholds, but the results still showed Biden won the state by about 21,000 votes.

Deputy kills shooter after being fired at in West Virginia, officials say

BOLT, W.Va. (AP) — Authorities say a West Virginia sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a person on Friday who fired at him as he was responding to a 911 call. The individual who died hasn’t been identified by the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office. Officials say law enforcement responded to a residence in Bolt at around 9 a.m. on Friday after receiving a 911 call reporting a mentally disturbed person with a gun. Authorities say the first deputy to arrive was immediately fired at and returned fire, killing the shooter. The officer was transported to a local hospital where he is being treated for a gunshot wound that was not life-threatening.