The attack on Paul Pelosi, notable deaths this week, and more of the week's top news

WASHINGTON (AP) — The intruder who attacked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband in their San Francisco home was searching for the Democratic leader, shouting "Where is Nancy, where is Nancy?" before assaulting Paul Pelosi with a hammer.

Those shouts were a chilling echo of the chants during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol, when rioters trying to stop Joe Biden's election searched menacingly through the halls for the speaker.

Paul Pelosi was attacked and severely beaten by an assailant who broke into the Pelosi home early Friday, police said. The intruder confronted him shouting for the speaker's whereabouts, according to another person briefed on the situation.

Keep scrolling for a collection of photos from the scene outside the Pelosi home

"The motive for this attack is still being determined," said San Francisco Police Chief William Scott at a press briefing.

The suspect was identified as David Depape, Scott said. He was in custody.

"Our officers observed Mr. Pelosi and the suspect both holding a hammer," Scott said. "The suspect pulled the hammer away from Mr. Pelosi and violently assaulted him with it. Our officers immediately tackled the suspect, disarmed him, took him into custody, requested emergency backup and rendered medical aid."

Scott said Depape was being charged with attempted homicide, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse aand other charges.

The 42-year-old man broke into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco home early Thursday, attacking the speaker's husband with a hammer just as police officials responded to the home.

Police responded to the 2:27 a.m. call. Both men were holding the hammer, he said.

The 82 year-old suffered blunt force injuries to his head and body, according to two people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing probe. He was admitted to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital for his injuries, the hospital confirmed. His condition was not immediately available.

Paul Pelosi was being treated by doctors for bruising, severe swelling and other injuries.

While the circumstances of the attack were unclear, the attack raised questions about the safety of members of Congress and their families. Threats to lawmakers are at an all-time high almost two years after the Capitol insurrection. The attack also came just 11 days ahead of midterm elections in which crime and public safety have emerged as top concerns among Americans.

In 2021, Capitol Police investigated around 9,600 threats made against members of Congress, and members have been physically attacked in recent years. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot in the head at an event outside a Tucson grocery store in 2011, and Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., was severely injured when a gunman opened fire on a Republican congressional baseball team practice in 2017.

Members of Congress have received additional dollars for security at their homes, but some have pushed for yet more protection as people have shown up at their homes and as members have received an increasing number of threatening communications.

Capitol Police, tasked with protecting congressional leaders, said Nancy Pelosi was with her protective detail in Washington at the time her husband was attacked.

Speaker Pelosi, who is second in the line of succession to the president, had just returned this week from a security conference in Europe and is due to keynote an advocacy event Saturday evening in Washington with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Capitol Police said the FBI and San Francisco police were also investigating. The suspect was in the custody of the San Francisco police.

Often at Nancy Pelosi's side during formal events in Washington, Paul Pelosi is a wealthy investor who largely remains on the West Coast. They have five adult children and many grandchildren. The two have been married 59 years.

Earlier this year, Paul Pelosi pleaded guilty to misdemeanor driving under the influence charges related to a May crash in California's wine country and was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation.

President Joe Biden and lawmakers from both parties reacted to the assault with shock and expressed their well wishes to the Pelosi family.

"What happened to Paul Pelosi was a dastardly act," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "I spoke with Speaker Pelosi earlier this morning and conveyed my deepest concern and heartfelt wishes to her husband and their family, and I wish him a speedy recovery."

"We have been to many events with the Pelosis over the last 2 decades and we've had lots of occasions to talk about both of our families and the challenges of being part of a political family. Thinking about the Pelosi family today," tweeted Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that President Joe Biden has also been in contact with Nancy Pelosi.

"The President is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi's whole family," Jean-Pierre said. "This morning he called Speaker Pelosi to express his support after this horrible attack. He is also very glad that a full recovery is expected. The president continues to condemn all violence, and asks that the family's desire for privacy be respected."

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on twitter, "Horrified and disgusted by the reports that Paul Pelosi was assaulted in his and Speaker Pelosi's home last night. Grateful to hear that Paul is on track to make a full recovery and that law enforcement including our stellar Capitol Police are on the case."

At the Capitol Democratic Sen. Pat Leahy of Vermont, who is third in line of succession, said he had known Paul Pelosi "forever." He said, "It's just horrible."

The Pelosi home in the wealthy Pacific Heights neighborhood has been the scene of several protests in the past few years. After Nancy Pelosi was seen on video getting her hair done at a salon while many were shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, stylists protested outside with curling irons. Members of the Chinese community protested outside recently before Pelosi's trip to Taiwan. And during debates over the federal stimulus package protesters scrawled anarchy signs in black paint across the garage door, along with "cancel rent," and "we want everything." They left a pig's head on the driveway.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, was attacked and severely beaten by an assailant with a hammer who broke into their San Francisco home early Friday, according to people familiar with the investigation.

Pelosi, 82, suffered blunt force injuries to his head and body, according to two people who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing probe.

The attack was not random; the assailant specifically targeted the home, the people said. The assailant was in custody.

Pelosi was being treated by doctors for bruising, severe swelling and other injuries. Nancy Pelosi's spokesman Drew Hammill said he was expected to make a full recovery.

"The Speaker and her family are grateful to the first responders and medical professionals involved, and request privacy at this time," Hammill said in a statement.

While the circumstances of the attack are unclear, the attack raises questions about the safety of members of Congress and their families as threats to lawmakers are at an all-time high almost two years after the deadly Capitol insurrection. The attack also comes just 11 days ahead of midterm elections in which crime and public safety have emerged as top concerns among Americans.

In 2021, Capitol Police investigated around 9,600 threats made against members of Congress, and members have been violently attacked in recent years. Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot in the head at an event outside a Tucson grocery store in 2011, and Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., was severely injured when a gunman opened fire on a Republican congressional baseball team practice in 2017.

Members of Congress have received additional dollars for security at their homes, but some have pushed for more protection as people have showed up at their homes and as members have received an increasing number of threatening communications.

Capitol Police, tasked with protecting congressional leaders, said Nancy Pelosi was with her protective detail in Washington at the time her husband was attacked. She'd just returned this week from a security conference in Europe and is due to keynote an advocacy event Saturday evening with Vice President Kamala Harris.

Capitol Police said the FBI and San Francisco police were also investigating. The suspect is in the custody of the San Francisco police.

Often at Nancy Pelosi's side during formal events in Washington, Paul Pelosi is a wealthy investor who largely remains on the West Coast. They have five adult children and many grandchildren. The two have been married 59 years.

Earlier this year, Paul Pelosi pleaded guilty to misdemeanor driving under the influence charges related to a May crash in California's wine country and was sentenced to five days in jail and three years of probation.

President Joe Biden and lawmakers from both parties reacted to the assault with shock and expressed their well wishes to the Pelosi family.

"What happened to Paul Pelosi was a dastardly act," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "I spoke with Speaker Pelosi earlier this morning and conveyed my deepest concern and heartfelt wishes to her husband and their family, and I wish him a speedy recovery."

"We have been to many events with the Pelosis over the last 2 decades and we've had lots of occasions to talk about both of our families and the challenges of being part of a political family. Thinking about the Pelosi family today," tweeted Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that President Joe Biden has also been in contact with Nancy Pelosi.

"The President is praying for Paul Pelosi and for Speaker Pelosi's whole family," Jean-Pierre said. "This morning he called Speaker Pelosi to express his support after this horrible attack. He is also very glad that a full recovery is expected. The president continues to condemn all violence, and asks that the family's desire for privacy be respected."

The Pelosi home in the wealthy Pacific Heights neighborhood has been the scene of several protests in the past few years. After Nancy Pelosi was seen on video getting her hair done at a salon while many were shut down during the coronavirus pandemic, stylists protested outside with curling irons. Members of the Chinese community protested outside recently before Pelosi's trip to Taiwan. And during during debates over the federal stimulus package protesters scrawled anarchy signs in black paint across the garage door, along with "cancel rent," and "we want everything."

A look at Nancy Pelosi's career, in photos

CLEVELAND (AP) — Two men accused of stuffing five walleye with lead weights and fish fillets during a lucrative fishing tournament on Lake Erie pleaded not guilty to cheating and other charges on Wednesday.

Jacob Runyan, 42, of Broadview Heights, Ohio, and Chase Cominsky, 35, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania, made no comments during their brief court appearances in Cleveland. Their attorneys declined to comment about the case after the hearing.

Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor James Gutierrez also declined to comment, referring questions to a spokesperson.

The cheating allegations surfaced Sept. 30 when Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament director Jason Fischer became suspicious because Runyan and Cominsky's fish were significantly heavier than walleye of that length typically are. An angry crowd at Gordon Park in Cleveland watched Fischer cut the walleye open and announce there were weights and fish fillets stuffed inside them.

An officer from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources confiscated the fish as evidence.

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Runyan and Cominsky were indicted earlier this month on felony charges of cheating, attempted grand theft, possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor charges of unlawfully owning wild animals.

Both were released Wednesday on personal bonds of $2,500.

The first place prize in the tournament totaled around $28,000.

More than 130 people have died after a century-old pedestrian bridge collapsed into a river in the western Indian state of Gujarat on Sunday evening.

Local media reports said over a hundred people plunged into the Machchu river when the pedestrian bridge in the state’s Morbi district collapsed. The colonial-era suspension bridge had reopened four days ago after renovation.

Officials said the 19th-century, colonial-era pedestrian bridge over the Machchu river in the state’s Morbi district collapsed because it could not handle the weight of the large crowd, as the Hindu festival season drew hundreds of people to the recently opened tourist attraction. The bridge had been closed for renovation for almost six months and was reopened just four days ago.

Elon Musk has taken control of Twitter and ousted the CEO, chief financial officer and the company’s general counsel, two people familiar with the deal said Thursday night.

The people wouldn’t say if all the paperwork for the deal, originally valued at $44 billion, had been signed or if the deal has closed. But they said Musk is in charge of the social media platform and has fired CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and General Counsel Vijaya Gadde. Neither person wanted to be identified because of the sensitive nature of the personnel moves.

The departures come just hours before a deadline set by a Delaware judge to finalize the deal on Friday. She threatened to schedule a trial if no agreement was reached.

Earlier in the day, Musk tried to soothe leery Twitter advertisers saying that he is buying the platform to help humanity and doesn’t want it to become a “free-for-all hellscape.”

The message appeared to be aimed at addressing concerns among advertisers — Twitter’s chief source of revenue — that Musk’s plans to promote free speech by cutting back on moderating content will open the floodgates to more online toxicity and drive away users.

Musk has previously expressed distaste for advertising and Twitter’s dependence on it, suggesting more emphasis on other business models such as paid subscriptions that won’t allow big corporations to dictate policy on how social media operates. But on Thursday, he assured advertisers he wants Twitter to be “the most respected advertising platform in the world.”

The note is a shift from Musk's position that Twitter is unfairly infringing on free speech rights by blocking misinformation or graphic content, said Pinar Yildirim, associate professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

This story is developing. Check later for more updates.

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March 14: Musk's Twitter stake tops 5%

March 24: Asking whether Twitter should change

April 29: Musk cashes out billions in Tesla stock

May 10: Musk says he would reinstate Trump's account

HOUSTON (AP) — Migos rapper Takeoff is dead after a shooting early Tuesday outside a bowling alley in Houston, a representative confirmed.

Takeoff — who was part of Migos along with Quavo and Offset — was 28.

Police responded shortly after 2:30 a.m. to reports of a shooting at 810 Billiards & Bowling, where dozens of people had gathered on a balcony outside of the bowling alley, which is on the third floor, police said. Officers discovered one man dead when they arrived.

Security guards who were in the area heard the shooting but did not see who did it, a police spokesperson said.

Two other people were injured and taken to hospitals in private vehicles, police said.

This is a breaking news update. AP’s earlier story follows below:

MIAMI — Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas will get the title of world’s largest cruise ship when it debuts sailing out of Miami in 2024, but that’s beside the point.

“It’s purposeful. It’s not like we start with each ship and we say, ‘OK, this one’s going to be the biggest in the world.’ That actually isn’t the purpose,” said Jay Schneider, chief product innovation officer for Royal Caribbean. “It really comes down to going through the creative process and the customer insight process to say what are we really seeking out to achieve?”

So while the 20-deck ship’s 250,800 gross tons and 1,198 feet in length bests the most recent Oasis-class ship and current world’s largest ship Wonder of the Seas’ 235,600 gross tons and 1,188-foot-length, Icon of the Seas will actually have less passenger capacity based on double occupancy — 5,610 compared to Wonder’s 5,734.

“We are providing more space for people than we’ve ever done before, so even though we take great pride that the Oasis class was the most space, this ship is designed to give more space to everybody both in public spaces as well as in staterooms,” Schneider said.

The size of the rooms among 28 categories, and the expected growth of family traveling, though, means Icon of the Seas’ maximum capacity of 7,600 exceeds Wonder’s 7,084.

“Every stateroom except interiors is bigger than any other stateroom that we’ve had before,” he said. “They are bigger but are laid out in a unique and creative way that we’ve never done before.”

He said the line didn’t want to compromise on venue space, though.

“So you’ll find facades that are open for the first time in a grand way,” he said. “You’ll find connectivity between decks that we’ve never done before, and a lot of that design and ingenuity came from this notion of giving people more space. As you kind of put the pieces and parts together, you suddenly find yourself with a fairly large footprint.”

That footprint, while similar to the Oasis class, allowed designers more room to play with familiar spaces such as the Royal Promenade, the open-air Central Park and what will be the largest exclusive area for suite guests to date for the line covering three decks.

But it’s the new spaces that have ship designers excited, and company officials detailed some, but not all, of the ship’s new features in a media preview at its headquarters in Miami this week, including a virtual 3-D tour of the spaces at its Innovation Lab.

What is that dome?

The most iconic feature of Icon of the Seas is the massive geodesic dome that lords over the bow of the ship’s top decks. This is the AquaDome, and the centerpiece of what’s inside is familiar to Royal fans as it’s home to the new version of the AquaTheater where diving and aerialist performances will take place in the evening, but now in a controlled atmosphere that allows for more digital lighting and other special effects including the addition of four robotic arms to the production stage.

Throughout the day, a 55-foot-tall waterfall will flow as cruisers can enjoy dining and get wraparound views through the glass enclosure. The space’s bars and restaurants will allow for even more people to view the shows at night.

Where’s the Boardwalk?

The migration of the AquaTheater to the top deck means it’s no longer at the aft of the ship at the end of The Boardwalk neighborhood like on Oasis-class vessels. The Jersey shore-inspired space makes way to a more whimsical neighborhood called Surfside that targets families. Don’t worry, though, the Zoltar fortune telling machine will find a home somewhere, officials promised.

There’s also still a carousel, but instead of classic amusement park horses, people will get to ride on a narwhal, an octopus, a giraffe or in a VW bus among other choices. Surfside is also still home to the Sugar Beach ice cream and candy venue — perfect for the target demographic of 6 and under — but it’s also designed to keep mom and dad happy so they can relax in a pool, lounge and bar while the kids run around Splashaway Bay. It’s also adjacent to an arcade, the kids Adventure Ocean club and teen spaces.

“Surfside is specifically designed for young families,” said Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley. “We think that once we get that message out to that demographic that we’ll see a lot more new-to-cruise coming to Icon.”

It includes the line’s largest, and most expensive suite on board, the three-story Ultimate Family Townhouse, that has its own slide, and private access to Surfside.

How many water slides does this thing have?

It used to be Royal Caribbean didn’t deal in water slides, but now they’re a signature fixture, especially on Oasis class, which all have three intense options. Icon of the Seas has doubled that, offering six slides on two towers for what will be the largest water park at sea called Category 6.

“We’ve called the classic Oasis-class The Perfect Storm,” Schneider said. “We’ve used storm metaphors. We kind of had this a-ha moment of you know we had six waterslides and so if you think of this storm experience and Royal creating experiences the world has never seen before, it’s kind of a Cat 6 experience.”

It’s the prime offering of a neighborhood called Thrill Island that includes the free-fall slides Pressure Drop and Frightening Bolt; Storm Surge and Hurricane Hunter, which is the first family raft slide for the line that can sport four riders per raft; and a pair of mat racer slides called Storm Chasers.

“We’ve given ourselves a generous space reservation,” Schneider said. “We didn’t want to make it feel like it was congested. So one of the things we studied very carefully as a company was the flow of guests throughout Thrill Island. ... We don’t want to wait a very long time so we’re very cautious of how many slides we needed, how long people would have to wait.”

As a full neighborhood, Thrill Island will allow for more space as well, so families can base their time there while people enjoy the water park and other features of the neighborhood including a feature not for the faint of heart.

What sort of zip line is that?

Another iconic feature of Royal Caribbean ships is the company logo, the crown and anchor, propped up for all to see on the side of the ship. For Icon of the Seas, the feature is the largest in the fleet with one on either side of the vessel. On one side, though, you might just hear some people screaming because they chose to go on an adventure trail of sorts called the Crown’s Edge.

“I’ll tell you what it’s not. It’s not a ropes course,” Schneider said. “It’s not a zip line. It’s really a never-been-done-before experience.”

Thrill seekers may enjoy the key part of the experience, or not.

“So you’ll harness up in kind of a unique harness, tethered. ... There’s a series of obstacle-esque sort of experiences you can kind of move around because you’re tethered in case you do fall, and then you walk out, and then as you get to the end, just to mess with you we will drop the floor out from underneath you and you will then — we’ll call it fly for a better way to say it.”

This all happens 154 feet over the open ocean.

“You choose to go on the experience. You can’t skip this. You can skip it by not doing it,” he said. “This is a one-way experience.”

Are there people drinking in the pool?

The ship features seven pools on board including four in a terraced neighborhood called Chill Island. One of those named the Swim & Tonic will be the line’s first ever swim-up bar at sea.

It’s adjacent to the largest pool on a cruise ship, the Royal Bay Pool, and a margarita glass hot tub, one of nine whirlpools on board, among the Caribbean-themed pool deck with a variety of lounging options that’s been rolled out to other ships in the fleet. It will also be home to some of the Lime & Coconut bars, of which there are four shipwide.

“We really talk about this mantra of water, water everywhere,” Schneider said. “We’ve really tried to redefine as many pools as possible facing outward — glass facades that give you vast, breathtaking views of the ocean — and really driving that connection to the water.”

One of the other unique pools on board is in a different neighborhood called The Hideaway, home to a suspended infinity pool 135 feet above the ocean along with a multi-level sun terrace, more whirlpools and bar.

What don’t we know yet?

Of the eight neighborhoods on board, five are new — Surfside, AquaDome, Chill Island, Thrill Island and The Hideaway while Central Park, The Royal Promenade and the Suite Neighborhood exist on other ships in the fleet. Just what features will be offered up in some of those spaces though, have yet to be revealed.

One item that’s been partially revealed is something the line calls The Pearl, which is a 36-by-95-foot window smack dab in the middle of the ship that acts as the first place people will see when they get on board, and is the centerpiece to the Royal Promenade.

“As we think of the arrival experience, all of our ships have what you would call a mic drop arrival moment. We set up to create that. We wanted to create a mic drop, jaw-dropping arrival experience,” Schneider said. “So that is both in the location and position of The Pearl. The experience and expanse you see as you walk onto the ship, as you come through the airlock, you see the beauty of The Pearl, and so it serves a lot of different purposes.”

Schneider, though, teased that the details of one of those purposes is under wraps for now.

“I keep telling people it will be the largest kinetic experience on the planet,” he said. “We’re not really talking about what that means but if you google the word ‘kinetic’ it will kind of give you a sense of where we’re heading. And there’s a Starbucks as you walk in. That’s important.”

What he did give is that the space will change for all seven days of the sailing in some manner and play into travelers’ emotions.

The ship is slated to begin seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean voyages from PortMiami on Jan. 28, 2024, but will arrive to Florida in December 2023. Sailings are open for booking beginning Oct. 25 at royalcaribbean.com.

It’s the first of three announced ships in the Icon class with the next two set to be delivered in 2025 and 2026. It’s first in the line to be powered by liquefied natural gas, which is a cleaner burning fuel that’s part of an industry-wide effort to reduce carbon emissions.

“This is our first in class in 10 years,” Schneider said. “So when you take first in class, with 23 [food & beverage] venues, 15 new kinds of experiences that we’ve never done before, new neighborhoods ... the orchestration and choreography of that, we’re going to knock out of the park, so we’re taking our time to make this is the most amazing vacation experience.”

Details about those features, though, will be rolled out over the next year as construction continues at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland with the ship’s float out — aka its first taste of water — expected in December and sea trials not until next summer.

“You only saw about 20% of Icon,” said Bayley. “One of the challenges of Icon is there is a lot to talk about, and over the coming months, we’re going to reveal more and more of the elements and components and experiences of Icon ... There’s a few things that we have that are really top secret.”

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