No injuries reported after fire at North Augusta residence Monday

Leaders of three large public school systems strongly denied allegations that they let antisemitism run rampant. They told a congressional panel Wednesday that they’re fighting it with education and, when necessary, discipline. As part of a series of hearings on antisemitism, a House Education and Workforce subcommittee sought testimony from leaders of New York City Public Schools, the Berkeley Unified School District in California and the Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland. It’s the first of the hearings to focus on K-12 education, and it comes amid a wave of pro-Palestinian student protests that have washed across dozens of U.S. universities and a growing number of high schools. Read moreK-12 school leaders reject allegations that they let antisemitism run rampant

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has confirmed the U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns the country was approaching a decision to launch a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S. Confirmed Wednesday, the shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, with the focus of U.S. concern being the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban setting. More than 1 million civilians are sheltering in Rafah after evacuating other parts of Gaza amid Israel’s war on Hamas, which came after the militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7. Read morePentagon chief confirms US has paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion