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HOUSTON, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Tropical Storm Olga has formed in the Gulf of Mexico and coastal flooding is possible across portions of the northern Gulf coast, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Friday.

The NHC said that gale-force winds associated with Olga and its remnants should spread over portions of the northern Gulf coast Friday night and Saturday morning. The storm is expected to produce heavy rain across the Central Gulf coast in Louisiana into the Lower Mississippi Valley through Saturday morning.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — When President Donald Trump talks about how his policies are helping African Americans, he almost always mentions a new law that has allowed thousands of non-violent offenders to gain early release from federal prison.

He made the pitch again Friday at a criminal justice conference in South Carolina. And then he sought common ground with African Americans by saying he has had his own brush with a justice system that many say treats blacks and other people of color unfairly.

WASHINGTON (AP) — For only the fourth time in U.S. history, the House of Representatives has started a presidential impeachment inquiry. House committees are trying to determine if President Donald Trump violated his oath of office by asking a foreign country to investigate a political opponent.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Howling winds that fueled destructive wildfires across California began to die down Friday, but residents in the northern part of the state braced for another round of power outages aimed at preventing what are expected to be the strongest gusts in years from sparking more blazes this weekend.

USA  (AP) — The spotlight of presidential primary politics shines brightest on Iowa and New Hampshire. But for Joe Biden, there’s an even more important venue in the opening weeks of Democrats’ 2020 nominating fight: South Carolina.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris is pulling out of a South Carolina criminal justice forum over organizers’ handling of President Donald Trump’s appearance.

Soon after her announcement, the mayor of South Carolina’s capital city, Columbia, and a co-host of the event said he was organizing an alternative forum at Benedict College, a historically black college, for any candidates who wished to participate, with Harris’ campaign confirming she would be among them.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kevin McAleenan, the acting Homeland Security secretary, is challenging a subpoena to appear before a congressional committee to discuss terrorism threats to the U.S. on the day before he’s set to leave office.

Kevin McAleenan sent a letter to House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson on Friday saying he was surprised and disappointed to get the subpoena a day earlier. McAleenan had suggested that the department’s top intelligence officer testify in his stead.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) — Chris Parker is the type of Virginian whom Democrats hope to get to the polls next month to help them flip the legislature and usher in a wave of stricter gun laws.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s company said Friday it is exploring the sale of its landmark Washington hotel after nearly three years of ethics complaints and lawsuits accusing him of trying to profit off the presidency.

The Trump Organization says it will consider offers to buy out the 60-year lease on the Trump International Hotel, which since opening in late 2016 has become a magnet for lobbyists and diplomats looking to gain favor with the administration.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration reported a river of red ink Friday.

The federal deficit for the 2019 budget year surged 26% from 2018 to $984.4 billion — its highest point in seven years. The gap is widely expected to top $1 trillion in the current budget year and likely remain there for the next decade.

The year-over-year widening in the deficit reflected such factors as revenue lost from the 2017 Trump tax cut and a budget deal that added billions in spending for military and domestic programs.