First Lady Melania Trump and Second Lady Usha Vance joined forces again to bring pre-Thanksgiving encouragement to military families.

Trump and Vance visited Alabama’s Fort Rucker, an Army installation, after making their first joint appearance of President Donald Trump’s second term at a Marine base last year.

Their outreach to military families follows the example set by the Joining Forces initiative, launched by First Lady Michelle Obama and then-Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden. Biden continued the effort after becoming First Lady during President Joe Biden’s administration.

“I want to take a moment to say thank you to one very important group of people: the families of America’s military,” said Trump, who wore an Army-green jacket. “Your role is profound.”

“While your loved ones are deployed, it is up to you to keep your family strong, keep your children safe and keep your homes full of love,” she continued. “This is a big responsibility.”

Trump then urged Americans to remember the sacrifices made by military families as Thanksgiving approaches.

“To every American watching us today, in a few weeks, you will be sitting around your Thanksgiving table in the warmth of your own home, surrounded by your loved ones, sharing a wonderful meal and perhaps enjoying a football game on television,” the First Lady said.

“Take a moment to think of America’s service people and the families with an open seat at their Thanksgiving table,” she added. “Those families are just as important in maintaining America’s elite status and in protecting our freedom.”

First Lady Melania Trump asked Americans to remember the sacrifices of military families during her appearance Thursday at Alabama’s Fort Rucker ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday

First Lady Melania Trump is pictured departing for Fort Rucker in Alabama on Thursday, where she addressed military families alongside Second Lady Usha Vance ahead of Thanksgiving

Second Lady Usha Vance, left, and First Lady Melania Trump, right, arrive in Dothan, Alabama, on Thursday for their joint appearance before military families at Fort Rucker

Second Lady Usha Vance introduced First Lady Melania Trump at Thursday’s event at Alabama’s Fort Rucker

Vance introduced the First Lady, describing her as a “wonderful travel companion, which goes without saying.”

She also highlighted Trump’s work on behalf of children.

Trump launched the Be Best initiative during the President’s first term. Under its umbrella, she has since led Fostering the Future and Fostering the Future Together, programs focused on improving the lives of young people in foster care and helping children navigate emerging technologies.

“I know that the First Lady shares my passion for giving children every opportunity to thrive, a cause she has made the central mission of her public life, and that inspires me every day,” Vance said.

Vance also praised Trump as a “powerful voice for peace,” pointing to her efforts to help secure a temporary ceasefire in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian city of Oleshky and reunite Ukrainian children with their families.

Last week, Trump hosted representatives from Ukraine and Russia at the White House as she pressed for a broader peace agreement.

On Thursday, however, the focus was on the children and parents of deployed service members.

“I know each of you has those quiet moments when you are on your own and you wish your loved one was home to help with homework, to be there to celebrate that winning touchdown, the birthdays, and, of course … bedtime,” Trump said.

First Lady Melania Trump is escorted from a helicopter after arriving Thursday at Fort Rucker in Alabama alongside Second Lady Usha Vance

First Lady Melania Trump, right, poses for a selfie during Thursday’s event at Fort Rucker in Alabama

First Lady Melania Trump waves to the crowd as she arrives Thursday at Fort Rucker, an Army base outside Dothan, Alabama

“The sacrifices of military families don’t make the headlines, but you are the foundation of the world’s most capable military,” she said.

“Visiting military bases is special to me,” Trump added.

The crowd responded with enthusiastic cheers for the two spouses.

Following their remarks, Trump and Vance visited Ellis D. Parker Elementary School, located on the base about 20 miles outside Dothan, Alabama.

According to the First Lady’s office, they met with kindergarten and first-grade students.

California Republican Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin said in an email that she will not seek another term, setting the stage for a major leadership transition after painful midterm losses further weakened the party’s influence in Sacramento.

Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Assemblyman Carl DeMaio are supporting outgoing state Sen. Tony Strickland, who is expected to announce his candidacy shortly, according to sources familiar with the discussions who spoke with The California Post.

Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for governor in this year’s election, told The Post that he would also support Strickland if he enters the race.

“Tony and I have worked closely together for years, and I strongly support anything he chooses to do,” Hilton said.

“As I’ve said since election night, one way or another, I’m fully committed to the long-term fight to turn California around, and I look forward very much to working with Tony on whatever he chooses to do.”

Strickland, who lost his reelection bid this month to represent Huntington Beach in the state Senate, served as chairman of Hilton’s gubernatorial campaign. He previously held seats in both the state Senate and Assembly, and later served as Huntington Beach’s mayor and a member of its City Council.

Rankin announced her decision in a letter to party delegates Wednesday. She defended her record on fundraising and organization while warning that competing groups and poorly coordinated efforts were limiting the party’s ability to win. KCRA was first to report her decision.

“After considerable reflection, I have decided that I will not seek reelection as Chairwoman of the California Republican Party,” Rankin wrote.

“The recent election results have reinforced something I have said consistently throughout my chairmanship: our future success depends not only on raising more money or working harder, but on fundamentally changing how we work together.”

DeMaio, who led the unsuccessful campaign for a state ballot measure imposing stricter voter ID requirements, and state GOP officials have clashed for years over how money should be raised and spent on candidates and ballot initiatives. A Strickland-led party, with backing from DeMaio and Hilton, could provide an opening to resolve those longstanding disputes.

Other potential candidates under discussion include former Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher, state party Treasurer Jack Guerrero and David Serpa, according to the source.

Rankin will remain in office through late February, when delegates are scheduled to elect her successor at the party’s convention in Sacramento.

The support building behind Strickland suggests the transition may leave established Republican figures in control rather than ushering in a complete overhaul. Rankin identified him as a possible successor in her letter.

“We have many talented leaders in our party, such as Tony Strickland, who can take up this mantle and lead the California Republican Party into the future,” Rankin wrote.

In her announcement, Rankin highlighted investments in the party’s infrastructure while offering a blunt assessment of its operations. She said that simply raising more money and working harder would not be sufficient.

“We must move beyond competing organizations and disconnected efforts toward a unified, coordinated strategy that puts winning ahead of everything else,” Rankin wrote.

Rankin said the party raised nearly $26 million during her tenure, broadened its donor base and strengthened ties with the White House, Republican National Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee.

She also credited her team with expanding statewide voter-data capabilities, developing new technology and establishing a volunteer program organized at the precinct level.

California’s delegation raised more than $800,000 at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas, Rankin wrote, calling it the largest fundraising total among state delegations.

Matt Klink, owner and president of Klink Campaigns, told The California Post that the GOP needs a “complete reboot and a better understanding of California voters” following what he described as a “disastrous 2026 election cycle.”

“Longtime one-party governance isn’t helping California — and that’s the opportunity for the GOP,” Klink said. “But that opportunity exists only if Republicans truly understand why they lost and are prepared to make meaningful changes going forward.”

A Philadelphia woman is facing criminal charges after police say she used a skateboard to strike a horse-carriage driver in Central Park while confronting the men over what she described as mistreatment of the animals.

The New York Police Department told News Media that Abigail Holbrook, 27, allegedly hit one man in the face and shoulder with a skateboard before punching another man in the face during Tuesday’s confrontation.

Officers were called to the area of 59th Street and West Drive after someone reported the incident to 911.

Police say Abigail Holbrook struck one of the men with her skateboard during the confrontation. (Ali Yildirim)

Video from the scene allegedly shows Holbrook holding the skateboard as she approaches and hits a man wearing a brown jacket.

During the confrontation, she can be heard claiming, “Horses do not do well in New York City, they are sensitive to light and noise and the people that use these horses are animal abusers.”

Holbrook is shown in a heated verbal confrontation with one of the horse-carriage drivers. (Ali Yildirim)

As the argument escalated, Holbrook turned toward the person filming and shouted, “Are you proud of this? Man behind the camera!”

The Transport Workers Union condemned the encounter, calling it “outrageous and unacceptable.”

Police have charged Abigail Holbrook in connection with the alleged assault of two horse-carriage drivers. (Ali Yildirim)

Alexander Kemp, administrative vice president of TWU Local 100, called for greater police visibility near horse-carriage stands throughout the park.

“We need a more visible police presence for our members at horse-carriage stands in the park to protect against these wackos,” Kemp said. “This is their place of work and people are coming just to harass and attack them. People deserve to be safe at work.”

Holbrook appears to move toward the individual recording the confrontation. (Ali Yildirim)

News Media has contacted Holbrook for comment.

A seemingly harmless click could give cybercriminals a path into your digital accounts.

Microsoft Outlook users are being urged to update their software after attackers began exploiting a security vulnerability that can expose credentials used to confirm a person’s identity.

Opening a specially modified message file in a vulnerable version of Outlook can force the application to connect to a network location controlled by attackers.

That connection may disclose authentication data, which criminals could exploit to impersonate victims or gain access to business systems and online accounts.

Microsoft issued a fix in its November 10 security release. However, computers remain exposed until the relevant Office update has been installed.

To update, open an Office app such as Word, select File, choose Account, then select Update Options and Update Now.

In some older versions of Outlook, the account section may be labelled Office Account instead.

Because this repair is distributed through Office, checking Windows Update by itself will not confirm that the Outlook vulnerability has been fixed. 

Outlook users are being urged to install the latest Office update after hackers began exploiting a flaw capable of exposing identity-verification data

The flaw is already being exploited, turning the alert into an immediate security warning rather than a hypothetical risk.

NHS England’s cybersecurity advisory says Microsoft has confirmed attacks are taking place. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has also added the vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. 

The issue stems from a missing warning that should normally notify users before Outlook connects to potentially dangerous external content.

Until the patch is installed, users should avoid opening unexpected attachments and message files, even when they appear to have been sent by someone they know.

Anyone uncertain about a file should contact the supposed sender using a separate, trusted communication channel before opening it.

Applying the update removes this specific weakness, but Microsoft’s release does not guarantee that every vulnerable device has already received it.

Some computers may have installed the patch automatically, while others still require action from the user or an organisation’s IT team.

If the Update Now option is missing, Microsoft advises selecting Enable Updates first.

A maliciously crafted Outlook message file can prompt a connection to an attacker-controlled network location

Users should save any open work and follow instructions to close Office applications if prompted, allowing the installation to complete.

On a business computer, the absence of update controls may indicate that the device is managed by the employer’s IT department.

In that case, users should contact the help desk and verify that the Office security patch has been deployed. 

Without the missing warning, a person opening the booby-trapped file may receive no clear indication that sensitive authentication data is being sent to an outside location.

The exposed information is known as an NTLMv2 hash. It is used as part of the process Windows services rely on to verify a user’s identity.

Although it is not a plain-text version of a password, attackers may still be able to misuse the hash to impersonate its owner.

The impact depends on the victim’s permissions and the security measures protecting their accounts and network.

On a work device, a compromised digital identity could provide attackers with an entry point to systems holding confidential company information.

The documented attack requires the victim to open a specially crafted message file. Simply receiving a regular email does not trigger the same attack.

Microsoft’s broader November security package fixes more than 1,000 vulnerabilities across its products, including additional flaws that could enable malicious code to run. 

Windows users should also open Settings, select Windows Update and check for available patches, then complete any restart the system requests.

That step is important, but it should be carried out alongside the Office update check, not used as a substitute for it.

The Outlook vulnerability is identified as CVE-2026-124194, the reference number IT teams can use to locate the relevant security advisory and patch.

Authorities say a semi-truck driver was speeding and had YouTube playing while behind the wheel when he slammed into a family of five, killing a mother and two children.

Olga Sorbalo, 35, and her children, Luis, 8, and Samir, 4, died Monday as the family traveled to the airport to return home to Vancouver, Washington, after visiting relatives in Kansas City, according to The Kansas City Star.

Olga’s husband, Liviu, and the couple’s youngest child were taken to a hospital in critical condition.

Semi-truck driver Eldar Skander, 39, struck the family’s Honda Odyssey at “a high rate of speed,” setting off a chain-reaction crash involving three other vehicles, court documents state. Investigators found “no signs of emergency braking by the semi-truck.”

A responding investigator “grabbed an electronic tablet off the [truck’s] floorboard that was open to the YouTube application,” according to the documents.

“The tablet had Velcro that matched the Velcro on the center dashboard of the semi-truck cabin that was viewable by the driver.”

Skander, a Chicago resident who suffered only minor injuries, is a Ukrainian national who entered the United States illegally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement said. The agency announced that he is being held on an immigration detainer.

“ANOTHER BIDEN-RELEASED ILLEGAL ALIEN INVOLVED IN CRASH THAT KILLED THREE AMERICANS,” ICE said in a statement.

“Reckless open-border policies have resulted in countless preventable tragedies.

“Three more innocent American lives were lost. Two children who will never get to grow up, and a mother who will never get to watch them grow. These deaths were tragic and preventable. No other family should have to endure this loss.

“This is our WHY.”

Skander faces three counts of first-degree involuntary manslaughter. Authorities had not immediately determined when he entered the United States.

An online fundraiser for the surviving members of the Sorbalo family had collected more than $160,000 by Thursday.

“Liviu Sorbalo lost his beloved wife and two precious young children. This heartbreaking loss has left their entire family, relatives, friends, and church community in deep sorrow,” the fundraiser states. It adds that Olga was the daughter of a church minister in Vancouver.

“No amount of money can replace the lives that have been lost, but together we can help ease the financial burden and surround this family with love and care.”