Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is on the defensive in Alaska, a state that has long been a GOP stronghold. He is facing Al Gross, a Democratic-backed independent whose career as a doctor and tale of killing a bear are central to his campaign as he and Sullivan fight over who best represents Alaskans. Across the country, Republicans are defending seats they once thought safe as Democrats seeking to defeat President Donald Trump pump money into races as they also work to reclaim control of the Senate. Gross says he would caucus with Democrats but has resisted Sullivan’s efforts to paint him as liberal.

The attorney representing eight Black former Iowa football players who allege racial discrimination during their time with the Hawkeyes said the university’s rejection of their demands, which included a payment of $20 million, is not the end of the matter. Civil rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons of Tulsa, Oklahoma, had stated the players’ demands in a 21-page letter to university officials dated Oct. 5.  In addition to $20 million, the players called for the firings of head football coach Kirk Ferentz, offensive line coach Brian Ferentz and athletic director Gary Barta. The university general counsel’s office says it won't give into the demands and that work had already begun to create a more welcoming environment for Black athletes. 

Jeff Bridges says he is being treated for lymphoma and his prognosis is good. The actor channeled his The Dude character from “The Big Lebowski” in a statement on social media about the diagnosis Monday evening. He said he understands the disease is serious and expressed gratitude to his family, friends and medical team. Bridges, the son of the late actors Lloyd and Dorothy Bridges, is a seven-time Oscar nominee known for his roles in “Starman,” “True Grit,” “The Last Picture Show” and many other films. He won an Academy Award in 2010 for “Crazy Heart” and was most recently nominated for playing a grizzled lawman in “Hell or High Water.”

Police in California have announced two arrests and the return of a pair of unique lizards that were stolen from a reptile shop last year. The Los Angeles Times reports the Long Beach Police Department says the two Australian lace monitor lizards were stolen from JTK Reptiles in Long Beach in November. The lizards can grow to be more than 6 feet long and were valued together at $75,000. Authorities say three people entered the store, broke into the cages holding the lizards and escaped to a waiting car. A police spokesman declined to say how detectives found the animals.

James Redford, a filmmaker, activist and son of actor Robert Redford, has died. He was 58. Robert Redford’s publicist, Cindi Berger, said in a statement Monday that his 84-year-old father is mourning with his family during this “difficult time.” His wife, Kyle, confirmed in an interview with The Salt Lake Tribune that her husband died Friday from bile-duct cancer in his liver. Kyle said her husband’s liver disease returned two years ago and the cancer was discovered in November last year while he awaited a liver transplant. She posted a slew of photos on Twitter including James, herself and their family. James battled with liver disease for more than 30 years.

A feared jump in coronavirus hospitalizations in California hasn't happened. But Gov. Gavin Newsom isn't going to change what he calls his “slow” and “stubborn” approach to reopening. Last month, the Newsom administration warned of a possible 89% increase in hospitalizations by the end of October. But since then, hospitalizations have fallen by about 15%. Newsom on Monday warned of a “decline in the rate of decline” of hospitalizations, He said the state saw a slight uptick in hospitalizations in the last week, and it's a reminder that continued vigilance is needed. 

Two marijuana trade organizations filed a lawsuit against the nation’s largest legal pot market over restrictions on stand-alone delivery services that have blocked them from obtaining licenses until 2025. The Superior Court lawsuit seeks to overturn Los Angeles rules enacted in July that postponed the availability of those licenses, even though broad legal sales began in January 2018.  Under the changes, those licenses are only available for so-called social-equity operators — including people, many of color, who were arrested for marijuana-related offenses. The lawsuit does not seek to limit licenses for social-equity applicants but wants to court to permit other businesses to apply.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A tsunami warning issued for parts of southern Alaska has been downgraded to a tsunami advisory.

Justice Department lawyers say President Donald Trump was addressing matters relating to his fitness for office when he claimed that a woman who said he raped her in a department store was lying and was politically motivated. The lawyers argued in papers in Manhattan federal court Monday that Trump should be replaced as the defendant in E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit by the Justice Department because he was acting in an official capacity when he commented. The lawyers were replying to arguments submitted by lawyers for Carroll, a media figure who hosted an advice show in the mid-1990s when she says she was attacked. Carroll’s lawyers say Trump can’t insult their client and then cite his job as reason to remove himself as a defendant.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says California won’t allow any distribution of new coronavirus vaccines in the nation’s most populous state until it is reviewed by the state’s own panel of experts. Newsom, a Democrat, said Monday that the state wants own independent review no matter who wins the presidential election next month. He named 11 doctors and scientists to review any rollout of vaccines by the federal government or vaccine developers. They hail from top California  universities and medical providers, along with state and local public health officials. The pledge raises the possibility that California residents might not receive a vaccine as distribution begins in other states.

An elections official says a poll worker in Memphis, Tennessee, has been fired after turning away early voters who were wearing “Black Lives Matter” and “I Can’t Breathe” shirts. Shelby County Election Commission spokeswoman Suzanne Thompson says the worker was fired Friday after officials received a call from a witness at the Dave Wells Community Center in Memphis. Tennessee law does not allow voters to wear items with the name of a candidate or a political party on them in a polling place. But state law does not bar statements such as “Black Lives Matter.” Thompson said the poll worker thought the statements were tied to the Democratic Party.

A coronavirus outbreak has killed 10 residents in a nursing home in a northwestern Kansas county that already had proportionally the nation’s largest increase in cases over two weeks. The health department in Norton County reported Monday night that all 62 residents and an unspecified number of employees at the Andbe Home in Norton had tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The nursing home's outbreak came after more than 100 cases at the state’s prison in Norton. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Norton County had the largest number of new cases per 100,000 residents of any county in the U.S. for the two weeks ending Sunday.

San Francisco police say they made an arrest in the weekend assault of a Trump supporter and free speech rally organizer who lost two front teeth. San Francisco police said they arrested 35-year-old Adora Anderson of Watsonville in Oakland on Sunday. He was booked into the San Francisco jail on charges of mayhem with a hate crime enhancement. The organizer of the event, Philip Anderson of Team Save America, posted photos to social media of his bloody mouth with a front tooth missing and another hanging loosely. He said anti-fascist protesters attacked him “for no reason.” It was not immediately known if Adora Anderson had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf. 

Two decades after writing sketches about the 2000 election on “Saturday Night Live,” Adam McKay has produced the HBO documentary “537 Votes,” a rollicking account of the voter recount in Florida directed by Billy Corben and his producing partner Alfred Spellman. The film is a timely reminder of how valuable every vote can be. It recounts the events from a Miami perspective, opening with the saga of Elián González and tracing how the federal government’s handling of that crisis had enormous ramifications for the vital Cuban-American vote in Florida. All politics, as they say, is local. “537 Votes” debuts Wednesday on HBO and HBO Max.

A reported 7.4 magnitude earthquake off the Alaska Peninsula on Monday prompted tsunami warnings for a vast swath of communities. The warning was issued by the National Tsunami Warning Center, following an earthquake off Sand Point, Alaska. The Alaska Earthquake Center said the quake was widely felt in communities along the southern coast, including Sand Point, Chignik, Unalaska and the Kenai Peninsula. The Alaska Earthquake Center said a magnitude 5.2 aftershock was reported 11 minutes later, centered roughly in the same area. Public safety officials in King Cove sent out an alert urging residents in the coastal area to move inland to higher ground.

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Parts of southern Alaska are under a tsunami warning after a reported magnitude 7.4 earthquake off Sand Point, Alaska.

Influential Republican strategist Karl Rove is soliciting donations for an Ohio Supreme Court justice's reelection bid, signaling the stakes involved in controlling the battleground state’s high court when congressional maps are redrawn next year. This election determines whether the court retains a conservative majority. In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, Rove pleads with wealthy donors and Ohio law firms to support Republican Justice Judith French's campaign against state appeals court Judge Jennifer Brunner. Rove’s fundraising plea focuses on not wanting Republicans to yield power over redistricting to Democrats, whose own line-drawing effort has been joined by former President Barack Obama and his attorney general. 

A federal appeals court says a British socialite's testimony in a lawsuit brought over Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse activities can be made public. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled Monday regarding 2016 depositions by Ghislaine Maxwell. Her lawyers had appealed a judge's July ruling to allow release of the documents. The judge had concluded that there is a presumption of public access to deposition materials. A three-judge appeals panel that heard arguments last week concluded that Maxwell's arguments for secrecy were meritless. Maxwell is scheduled for trial next July on charges that she helped recruit girls for Epstein to abuse in the 1990s. She has pleaded not guilty and is held without bail.

ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Air Force Association's (AFA) CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education program announced today that Gannon University has become the program's newest sponsor.

A 20-year-old suburban Detroit woman who was declared dead only to be found alive at a funeral home in August has died at Children's Hospital in Detroit. Attorney Geoffrey Fieger says Timesha Beauchamp died Sunday. Beauchamp's family called 911 on Aug. 23 because she appeared to be struggling to breathe. A doctor who didn’t attend the scene pronounced Beauchamp deceased after one of the first responders reported by telephone that she had been unresponsive for 30 minutes and showed no signs of life. The state says funeral home staff saw Beauchamp's chest moving when they went to her Southfield home.

Excavation work is underway at two locations in a Tulsa cemetery for victims of a race massacre nearly 100 years ago. Oklahoma State Archeologist Kary Stackelbeck says a core sample was taken Monday at one location to help give researchers an idea of what lies beneath the soil. Both areas of interest are in the Oaklawn Cemetery in north Tulsa near where the massacre took place. A search for a mass grave in July ended without finding any remains, but researchers noted they are still confident that human remains will be discovered at the two sites being excavated this week.

A television station security guard accused of fatally shooting a pro-police demonstrator following opposing rallies has been charged with second-degree murder. The Denver’s district court clerk's office said the charges were filed against Matthew Dolloff early Monday in the death of 49-year-old Lee Keltner. Dolloff was protecting a KUSA-TV producer at the time of the incident. The next hearing is set for Wednesday morning. No attorney has been listed for Dolloff yet in court records. People convicted of second-degree murder face a mandatory sentence of between 16 and 48 years in prison.

Candidates in one of the nation’s most closely watched congressional races have used a joint virtual forum appearance to push back against attack ads in the bitterly fought campaign. The St. Louis Regional Chamber on Monday hosted the Missouri 2nd Congressional District forum via Zoom. Political experts rate the contest as a toss-up in a suburban district that could decide both the presidency and control of Congress. Schupp says that contrary to Wagner ads, she does not support defunding the police. Wagner defended herself against Schupp's attack ads, contending she has consistently supported maintaining health care coverage for preexisting conditions.

What has more letters than the alphabet? That’s easy: The post office. That joke sponsored by the letter A  is a highlight of the first original podcast from “Sesame Street,” featuring music, interactive games and Muppets galore. “The Sesame Street Podcast with Foley & Friends” is an offering on Audible that gives some screen-free educational entertainment to kids who may be having spotty school lessons during the coronavirus pandemic. The podcast is led by 6-year-old, exuberant Foley, “the sound-maker monster.” The podcast kicked off last week and there are 15 episodes, released Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Police in a Phoenix suburb are still searching for the person who opened fire on a crowd near food trucks, killing a 1-year-old boy and wounding several others. Mesa police confirmed the child died at a hospital Sunday, two days after the shooting. A police spokesman said Monday the other six shooting victims suffered non-life-threatening injuries. They include three children between 6 and 16 year old and three adults. According to investigators, someone in an SUV stopped in the roadway, shot into the crowd and sped off.

A monitor overseeing the handling of sexual abuse claims at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire, has resigned, accusing campus officials of thwarting his efforts and retaliating against him for doing his job. Jeffrey Maher was appointed as independent compliance overseer last year under an agreement with the attorney general’s office that subjected the school to up to five years of government oversight in lieu of criminal charges. The agreement followed an investigation that found credible evidence of abuse involving 20 former faculty members over several decades. A spokesperson for the school didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.

Officials in a northeastern Wisconsin county say a technical ballot misprint is most likely to delay the counting of some absentee ballots on Election Day. But, they reassured the public that all ballots will be counted. The misprint is a scratch on a timing mark at the edge of the ballot. Outagamie County Clerk Lori O'Bright says testing protocols caught the misprint and ballots are being replaced before in-person early voting begins Tuesday. The county asked the Wisconsin Elections Commission for additional time to count ballots. The commission meets to discuss the issue Tuesday. It's likely the county will take their request to the state Supreme Court. 

A Wisconsin judge has reimposed an order from Gov. Tony Evers’ administration limiting the number of people who can gather in bars, restaurants and other indoor places to 25% of capacity. The capacity limits order was issued Oct. 6 in the face of surging coronavirus cases in Wisconsin. But a judge blocked the order Oct. 14 after Tavern League of Wisconsin challenged it, arguing the order amounts to a “defacto closure” order for the bars and restaurants it represents. Barron County Judge James Babler on Monday declined the Tavern League's request to keep the ruling on hold while the lawsuit is pending. 

Volunteers checking sea turtle nests on a South Carolina beach came upon a rare sight: a white sea turtle hatchling crawling across the sand. The town of Kiawah Island posted on its Facebook page that the Kiawah Island Turtle Patrol found a lone white baby sea turtle on Sunday. Photos show a tiny turtle that's a creamy white color rather than the more typical gray or green of a sea turtle. The town says the hatchling is believed to have a genetic condition called leucism, which causes animals to have reduced pigmentation. A conservation group says such animals typically have a hard time surviving because of a lack of camouflage.

The number of passengers screened for flights in the U.S. topped one million in a day for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic outbreak last March, but it’s still about 60% fewer air travelers than this time last year. The Transportation Security Administration said Sunday’s one million-plus passenger screenings were the most since before March 17. For perspective, 2.6 million passengers were screened on the same Sunday one year ago. On several days in early April after the pandemic broadsided the U.S. economy, fewer than 100,000 people were screened to board planes. 

Comedian John Oliver made a secret trip to Connecticut last week to help cut the ribbon on a new sign naming the city's sewage treatment plant in his honor.  Danbury’s City Council voted earlier this month to rename the sewage plant “The John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant,” following a tongue-in-cheek battle that began with an expletive-filled rant against the city on HBO’s “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” in August. Oliver shared a video of the ribbon-cutting  on his show Sunday saying the plant takes takes the worst that humanity can produce, and transforms it into something that we can live with.

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Epsilon forms in the central Atlantic, the latest in a very active hurricane season.

A California woman who was missing for about two weeks in Zion National Park in Utah has been found. Park officials said 38-year-old Holly Suzanne Courtier was found Sunday by search and rescue crews after park rangers received a tip that she was seen in the park. They didn't say where she was found or anything about her condition or what had happened. Courtier has now been reunited with her family. Authorities say crews began the search after Courtier did not show up for her scheduled pickup in the park by a private shuttle on Oct. 6. 

Los Angeles police say a sexual assault suspect has been arrested on the Paramount Pictures studio lot in Hollywood after a confrontation with officers. Police say the incident began late Sunday when officers from the city of Fullerton attempted to detain the suspect and he pulled a knife. The officers used a Taser and requested assistance from Los Angeles police, who fired so-called less-lethal munitions that were ineffective. The LAPD says there was also an officer-involved shooting before the suspect ran onto the lot and barricaded himself inside a building. Officers took the suspect into custody early Monday and he was hospitalized. 

As remote schooling swept the nation, parents realized that many kids lacked desks at home. So they got busy building, collecting and donating them in their communities. People like Mitch Couch of California, sanding and sawing with a driveway full of more than a dozen simple desks for giveaway. In Nebraska, Marcus Holley has churned out about 150 and counting after raising some $8,000 for materials online. And in Maryland, Jessica Berrellez and her husband launched a Facebook group that mobilized a small army of furniture-building volunteers. They and others are giving students across the country workspaces to call their own.

A new tropical depression has formed over the central Atlantic, the latest in a very active hurricane season. The depression has maximum sustained winds near 35 mph Monday morning. But the U.S. National Hurricane Center says gradual strengthening is expected and the depression could become a tropical storm later in the day or overnight and be near hurricane strength by Thursday. The depression is centered about 720 miles southeast of Bermuda. If the depression becomes a tropical storm, it would be named Epsilon. This year’s hurricane season has had so many storms that the Hurricane Center has turned to the Greek alphabet for storm names after running out of official names.

Two guitars owned, played and partly designed by the late Eddie Van Halen will be going up for auction. Julien's Auctions announced Monday that a 2004 EVH Charvel Art Series electric guitar and a customized electric guitar Van Halen built at his home studio with his guitar tech will be among the items for sale at the Beverly Hills auction that starts Dec. 5. Each instrument is expected to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000. The auction was already in the works when the guitar legend and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee died of cancer on Oct. 6 at age 65. 

LAS VEGAS, Nev., Oct. 19, 2020 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — “Can you handle the heat?” That is the question Ori’Zaba’s Scratch Mexican Grill is asking their fans when they order the new Pebre Salsa Picante. Ori’Zaba’s has added the new scratch made salsa to their existing menu for a limited time.

Authorities say police fatally shot a suspect accused of shooting a Tennessee officer during a traffic stop. East Ridge police say Corporal Terry Prescott was wounded Sunday afternoon after stopping a red Dodge Challenger. Police Chief Stan Allen said the suspect was identified as 43-year-old Christopher J. Kitts, who fired several shots at Prescott’s patrol car and then fled. The Georgia State Patrol later located the deserted Challenger across the state line in a subdivision in Rossville. Police say multiple law enforcement agencies conducted an extensive search and found Kitts, who engaged officers several times with gunfire before he was fatally shot. Prescott is recovering in a hospital.

Ballots cast by people who vote early but die before Election Day are sometimes cited as proof of voter fraud, but in many states they're perfectly legal. Seventeen states prohibit counting ballots cast by someone who subsequently dies before the election, but 10 states specifically allow it. Questions over whether ballots will count if someone votes early but dies before Election Day are especially pressing this year, amid a coronavirus outbreak that has been especially perilous for older Americans. People 85 years and older represent nearly one in three deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S.

BEDFORD HILLS, N.Y., Oct. 19, 2020 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Ultimate Auto Body, an auto body repair company in Bedford Hills, New York, is pleased to announce that they have recently updated their website. This was to ensure that the website is up-to-date, can easily be navigated, and is mobi…

SALEM, Mass., Oct. 19, 2020 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Earlier this year, Rosaleen Doherty & Jay Kenney, co-owners of Right at Home Boston and North based in Salem, Massachusetts, were honored by the Right at Home national organization with the 2019 Highest Annual Multi-Territory Revenue Aw…

Seven years after his death to cancer at age 18, a Minnesota singer-songwriter has returned to the top of the iTunes chart. The Star Tribune reports that “Clouds” by Zach Sobiech took over iTunes’ No. 1 slot Sunday, two days after the movie of the same name based on his life premiered on Disney+. The single first topped the iTunes chart in 2013 shortly after the Stillwater-area teenager’s death. He had been diagnosed with bone cancer four years earlier. The YouTube video of the song has been viewed more than 15 million times. 

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Oct. 19, 2020 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Chipman Relocation & Logistics Sacramento – a Full-Service Mover, Storage and Logistics Company, and Move For Hunger – a national hunger relief non-profit organization, announce a local Thanksgiving food drive that will fight hung…

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 19, 2020 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Appvance, the inventor and leader in AI (Artificial Intelligence)-driven testing technology announced today that it has formed a strategic partnership with Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting and b…

Florida begins in-person early voting in much of the state with the Trump campaign trying to cut into an early advantage Democrats have posted in mail-in votes in the key swing state. With its 29 electoral votes, Florida is crucial to both candidates but especially so for President Donald Trump. A Florida loss would make it nearly impossible for Trump to reach the 270 electoral votes needed to retain the White House over former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden. Under state law, counties can offer early voting starting Monday and many do, including Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and other population centers. The latest a county can start early voting is Saturday.

Trading individual stocks is almost always a loser’s game, but there’s no denying the lure of the possibility of big, quick profits. Since the market crash in March, a trading mania has hit individual stocks — and many of the traders are novices. It’s easier than ever to trade, and the pandemic has given many of us more time to do it. If you’ve been sitting on the sidelines wondering if you should at least try trading individual stocks, the answer is no. If you want to benefit from the stock market, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds are a safer choice.

Candidates in the special election for the U.S. Senate seat held by Georgia Republican Kelly Loeffler are set to square off in their first debate Monday afternoon. Loeffler faces a large field including Democrat Raphael Warnock and fellow Republican Doug Collins in a race for the seat she was appointed to 10 months ago. The debate is being held virtually, with candidates joining by video from separate locations because of the coronavirus pandemic. Loeffler has been running to the far right while trying to fend off the challenge from Collins, while Warnock has largely consolidated support among Democrats.

A lawsuit seeking to prevent Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam from removing an enormous statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Richmond is set for trial. The plaintiffs filed suit after Northam ordered the removal of the statue in June amid the outcry and unrest caused by the death of George Floyd in police custody. It was not immediately clear if the judge would rule from the bench Monday. But no matter his decision, the case could take more time to unwind. It is widely expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court of Virginia.  

Commercial beekeeping is a challenge in in the best of times, with bee deaths a frequent problem, often attributed to stressors such as parasites and agricultural chemicals. Beekeepers James Cook and Samantha Jones decided to start their own business this year anyway. Then the coronavirus hit, posing even more obstacles. Determined to make it work, they've just finished their first honey season as business owners. They are exhausted and in debt, having taken on loans to get the business up and running – but also excited.