WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Manchin, the centrist Democrat from West Virginia, announced Thursday he will not run for re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2024. But the retirement announcement sounded more like the launch of a new campaign: the lawmaker said he's not done with public service and outlined his frustrations with the two major political parties. Manchin has previously said he would consider running for president with No Labels, a potential third-party effort to put forward centrist candidates to challenge President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. In a video posted to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Manchin said feels he has accomplished what he set out to do for the people of West Virginia and does not plan to run for his seat again. "But what I will be doing is traveling the country and speaking out to see if there's an interest in creating a movement to mobilize the middle and bring Americans together," he said.

Manchin's decision will make it harder for the Democratic Party to hold onto his West Virginia Senate seat next year but not really because he was definitely going to lose anyway.

The video chat service that randomly paired strangers gained a reputation as a realm for sexual predators.

For many years now, Israelis have been told that the biggest threat to the survival of the Jewish state is the Islamic Republic of Iran's quest to obtain nuclear weapons. But another long-term trend could be eroding the foundations of Israel’s security: a generational decline in western voters’ support and sympathy for the Jewish state.

The senator debuted his significant other at the most charming of spots: the stage of the GOP primary debate.

All the candidates failed, but they failed in different ways.

Two people died Tuesday while participating in a third week of protests against a controversial government mining contract in Panama, officials confirmed. One person was arrested in connection with the incident, Panama’s attorney general said on the social network X, formerly Twitter. Officials did not say how the demonstrators died while blocking a road in the east of the country, but local reports suggested they were shot by a driver attempting to get past the protest. A video circulating on social media appeared to show the alleged attacker carrying a gun and removing a tire from the road blockade, while a body lies on the road nearby. The deaths followed local reports that a demonstrator was run over and killed Nov. 1 by a foreigner attempting to cross a roadblock during a protest in the west of the country. The contract, given final approval Oct. 20, allows the local subsidiary of Canadian mining company First Quantum Minerals to continue operating an open-pit copper mine in a richly biodiverse jungle west of the capital for the next 20 years — with the possibility of extending for a further 20 years if the mine remains productive.

Former City Manager Al Zelinka left to take care of his ailing mother, and will be replaced by Huntington Beach Police Chief Eric Parra.

Drug reformers had low hopes for a Biden White House. A law-and-order hard-liner as a senator, Biden was routinely ridiculed on the 2020 campaign trail for refusing to adapt to changing attitudes about drug use. But his October 2022 declaration that a half-century of federal marijuana prohibition was a “failed approach” is the most pro-reform statement from a sitting president. Biden’s accompanying executive order for federal health regulators to “expeditiously” reevaluate the way the country regulates marijuana culminated with an Aug. 29 recommendation from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) that the drug be reclassified as a Schedule 3 controlled substance. The recommendation is the federal government’s first admission that marijuana has medicinal value. Legal experts say the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has no choice but to codify the recommendation, which would immediately relieve cannabis operators from Section 280E of the IRS code. Section 280E prohibits plant-touching businesses from taking normal business deductions on federal tax returns. Given that the recommendation appeared less than a year after the review process was launched, it is a clear indicator that the White House is taking drug-policy reform seriously. A second Biden term, if it materializes, might trend toward interstate marijuana commerce and federal legalization, observers say.

Scavengers Reign animates the horror of a sci-fi habitat pushing back against humanity.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg “ignored” top executives who called for bolder actions and more resources to protect users, especially kids and teens, even as the company faced mounting scrutiny over its safety practices, a newly unredacted legal complaint alleges. Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, and Instagram head Adam Mosseri in 2021 directly urged their fellow executives, including Zuckerberg, to devote more staff and resources to address bullying, harassment and suicide prevention, according to an updated 102-page complaint filed this week by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell (D). Campbell is one of 42 attorneys general who last month filed lawsuits accusing Meta of endangering children by building addictive features into its popular social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook. According to the new court filing, Clegg passed the request for resources to Zuckerberg, calling for “additional investment to strengthen our position” in the area. Zuckerberg “ignored Clegg’s request for months,” the complaint alleges, even as “Meta’s leadership continued to espouse the need to invest in well-being.” Eventually, Meta chief financial officer Susan Li shot down the proposal, saying that staffing at the company was too “constrained,” according to the filing.

The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled against a petition seeking to keep former President Donald Trump off the state's 2024 primary ballot, but did not outright reject a subsequent challenge regarding the general election.

Day-to-day tasks in his fast-paced environment – such as researching scientific topics, gathering sources and producing thorough presentations to clients – suddenly became a breeze. The only catch: Matt and his colleague had to keep their use of ChatGPT a closely guarded secret. They accessed the tool covertly, mostly on working-from-home days.

A Cruise disaster deflates the robotaxi hype once again

A giant plume of black smoke from the fire prompted officials in San Jacinto County to urge those near the plant to shelter indoors and turn off HVAC systems.

The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department issued a statement Tuesday after one former and three current Sheriff’s Department employees killed themselves Monday. A source close to the investigation indicated the deaths are believed to be unrelated. Department officials refused to answer questions Monday afternoon after news of the death of Cmdr. Darren Harris was posted to […]

Joe Biden’s party has had a very strong year at the ballot box. More importantly, Republicans ate shit last night.

The election results were a blow to Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who spent heavily in hopes of creating a majority for his party in both houses of the legislature.

Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear was projected to win reelection in Kentucky, according to Decision Desk HQ, fending off a challenge from his former President Trump-backed Republican challenger.

Ohio issue 1 and issue 2 results: Voters are projected to add abortion rights to their constitution