Nation and world at a glance
Mo. governor signs Trump-backed
bill to help strengthen GOP majority
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe has signed a new congressional map into law that gives Republicans an improved shot at winning an additional U.S. House seat.
The mid-decade redistricting is part of President Donald Trump’s plan to try to hold on to Republicans’ slim majority in next year’s congressional elections. But opponents are leading a referendum petition to try to force a statewide vote on the new map.
Republicans currently hold six of Missouri’s eight U.S. House seats. The revised map targets a district represented by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver by splitting off segments and stretching the remainder of the district into Republican-heavy rural areas.
Trump will speak at hastily called
meeting of top leaders of US military
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will be speaking at a hastily called meeting of top military leaders.
That word comes from a White House official. Hundreds of generals and admirals have been summoned, with little notice by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, for the gathering Tuesday at the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia.
The White House official was not authorized to discuss the president’s plans before a public announcement about his attendance and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Taliban release US citizen
from prison after pact on exchange
ISLAMABAD — The Taliban have freed a U.S. citizen from an Afghan prison.
That’s weeks after they announced an agreement with U.S. envoys on a prisoner exchange.
The Taliban’s deputy spokesperson on Sunday identified the man as Amir Amiri, but did not provide details on his detention.
An official familiar with the release said Amiri had been detained since December 2024 and is on his way back to the U.S. The official spoke anonymously, as they were not authorized to discuss details with the media. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed Amiri’s release.
Armed federal agents begin patrol in Chicago; troops en route to Portland
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Armed federal agents are patrolling Chicago’s downtown streets and President Donald Trump has called up 200 National Guard troops for deployment in Portland, Oregon. Both are the latest examples of creeping federal law enforcement presence in U.S. cities.
In Chicago on Sunday, dozens of armed federal agents walked the streets of some of Chicago’s most prominent tourist and shopping areas amid a surge of immigration enforcement that began this month.
Trump said on social media Saturday that he was directing the Department of War to “provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland.” Trump said the decision was necessary to protect U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities.
US, Israel work on plan for ceasefire;
Netanyahu and Trump to meet today
TEL AVIV, Israel — On the eve of meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel is working on a new ceasefire plan with the White House, but details are still being sorted out.
Netanyahu has come under heavy international pressure to end the war, especially during the ongoing offensive in Gaza City.
The death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has topped 66,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Netanyahu is heading to the White House for talks today with Trump as key Western allies recognize a Palestinian state.
Moldova voters choose to distance
themselves from Russia in key vote
CHISINAU, Moldova — Moldova’s pro-Western ruling party has taken a decisive lead to win a critical parliamentary election that was overshadowed by Russian interference claims.
The race was widely viewed as a geopolitical choice between a path to the European Union or a drift back into Moscow’s fold.
Polls closed locally at 9 p.m. Sunday or 1800 GMT. The Central Electoral Commission reported that more than 1.59 million or about 51.9% of eligible voters had cast ballots.
Transportation Department tightens
rules for noncitizen truck drivers
The U.S. Transportation Department has tightened requirements for noncitizens to get commercial driver’s licenses after fatal crashes that officials say were caused by immigrant truck drivers. The government announced the change over the weekend.
A nationwide commercial driver’s license audit began after officials say a driver in the country illegally made a U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed two people. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also threatened to revoke $160 million in federal funding for California because the state should never have issued 25% of 145 licenses that investigators reviewed.
The Associated Press
Schwarzenegger directs a band in a beer tent at Munich’s Oktoberfest
BERLIN (AP) — Arnold Schwarzenegger has taken up the baton at Munich’s Oktoberfest. The former California governor spontaneously conducted a live band and the singing crowd in a beer tent on Friday night. The Austrian-born star of “The Terminator” and “True Lies” clearly enjoyed himself. Afterward, he took selfies with the musicians, according to German news agency dpa. Schwarzenegger, dressed in traditional Bavarian attire, was accompanied by his partner Heather Milligan and his son, Christopher. He has visited the world’s largest folk festival in Bavaria several times in the past, dpa reported. Oktoberfest began on September 20 and ends October 5.
Nation and world at a glance
Nexstar, Sinclair bring Jimmy Kimmel
show back to local television stations
LOS ANGELES — Nexstar Media Group and Sinclair Broadcast Group have brought Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show back to their local TV stations.
This decision ended a dayslong TV blackout in dozens of U.S. cities, including Youngstown.
The blackout followed remarks Kimmel made about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing. The companies suspended the program on Sept. 17 over remarks the comedian made in the wake of conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s killing.
Disney-owned ABC suspended Kimmel the same day, following threats of potential repercussions from the Trump-appointed head of the Federal Communications Commission. Despite Disney’s decision to reinstate him Tuesday, Sinclair and Nexstar initially continued to preempt the show.
Facing isolation at UN, Netanyahu says Israel ‘must finish the job’
UNITED NATIONS — Surrounded by critics and protesters at the United Nations, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told fellow world leaders that Israel “must finish the job” against Hamas in Gaza.
He gave a defiant speech despite growing international isolation over his refusal to end the devastating war in Gaza and said Israel wouldn’t buckle under the pressure.
He spoke after dozens of delegates from multiple nations walked out of the U.N. General Assembly hall en masse as he began speaking. Responding to countries’ recent decisions to recognize Palestinian statehood, Netanyahu said it would encourage terrorism against Jews and others.
Trump escalates retribution campaign
with threats against liberal groups
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump’s retribution campaign against his perceived political enemies has grown as his Justice Department brought criminal charges against a longtime foe and he expanded his efforts to classify certain liberal groups as “domestic terrorist organizations.”
Ex-FBI Director James Comey was indicted by a grand jury Thursday and accused of lying to Congress in a hastily brought case days after the Republican president publicly demanded action.
Hours earlier, Trump signed a memorandum directing his administration to target backers of what they dubbed “left-wing terrorism” as he alleged without evidence a vast conspiracy by nonprofit groups and activists to finance violent protests.
Trump says “it’s about justice.” Comey says he’s innocent.
Train stabbing spurs outcry over
black-on-white violence in US cities
After a Ukrainian woman who fled war in her homeland was stabbed to death on a commuter train in North Carolina, the alarming act of violence has ignited bitter racial and political rhetoric about crime victims and perpetrators in America.
The fatal attack last month, in which the alleged perpetrator was identified as a Black man, evoked such visceral reactions partly because it was caught on surveillance video that went viral online.
Rhetoric about the attack, including claims about “Black-on-white-crime,” has spread from social media and broadcast airwaves to the halls of Congress and the White House. But the data shows that in most U.S. communities, victims of violence and offenders are usually the same race or ethnicity.
Senate leader Thume still hopeful
government shutdown can be averted
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader John Thune is rejecting Democratic demands on health care as unserious but says a government shutdown is still “avoidable.”
Thune told The Associated Press in an interview he’s “a big believer that there’s always a way out.”
Thune said Democrats are going to have to “dial back” their demands to immediately extend health insurance subsidies and reverse the health care policies Republicans passed over the summer.
Absent that, the South Dakota Republican says, “we’re probably plunging forward toward the shutdown.”
Democrats have shown little evidence of pulling back on their threats.
Tropical cyclone threatens US;
Hurricane Humberto intensifies
MIAMI — Hurricane Humberto has intensified into a major Category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic while a disturbance dubbed Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine is striking the Caribbean and taking aim at the Southeast United States.
Humberto had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph Friday and the National Hurricane Center in Miami said it was expected to strengthen more. Humberto is churning well off the coasts of the northern Leeward Islands.
‘The potential tropical cyclone forced tropical storm warnings and watches in parts of the Bahamas. Forecasters say the system is on track to approach the Southeast U.S. by early next week. South Carolina’s governor issued a state of emergency Friday ahead of the storm.
The Associated Press
Nation and world at a glance
Trump signs executive order
supporting proposed TikTok deal
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order declaring that a proposed deal allowing TikTok to continue operating in the United States will be a qualified sale that meets national security concerns laid out by the law. ‘Much is still unknown about the actual arrangement, but Trump said Chinese leader Xi Jinping “gave us the go-ahead” to proceed with the deal. Any major change to the popular video platform could have a huge impact on how Americans — particularly young adults and teenagers — consume information online.
Texas man executed in baby killing;
Alabama man executed with gas
A Texas man has been executed for killing his girlfriend’s 13-month-old daughter in a torturous ordeal the couple said was part of an “exorcism” to expel a demon from the child’s body. Blaine Milam received a lethal injection Thursday evening at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. He was condemned for the 2008 hammer beating of Amora Carson at his East Texas trailer.
Alabama executed a man by nitrogen gas for the 1997 fatal shooting of a gas station employee. Geoffrey West was pronounced dead Thursday evening at William C. Holman Correctional Facility. West was convicted of capital murder in the killing of Margaret Parrish Berry. Prosecutors said West shot Berry in the head while robbing the gas station where she worked.
Trump to put import taxes on drugs,
kitchen cabinets, furniture, trucks
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is putting import taxes of 100% on pharmaceutical drugs, 50% on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, 30% on upholstered furniture and 25% on heavy trucks starting Wednesday.
Trump said Thursday on his social media site that foreign manufacturers of furniture and cabinetry were flooding the United States with their products and that tariffs must be applied “for National Security and other reasons.” Trump said that foreign-made heavy trucks and parts are hurting domestic producers.
Hegseth abruptly summons top
military commanders for meeting
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has summoned hundreds of generals and admirals to a base in northern Virginia for a sudden meeting next week.
The directive doesn’t offer a reason for the gathering next Tuesday of senior commanders of the one-star rank or higher and their top advisers. Confirmation comes from three people familiar with the matter who weren’t authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive plans and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Pentagon’s top spokesman confirms that Hegseth “will be addressing his senior military leaders early next week.” Vice President JD Vance argued that the media had turned it into a “big story.”
Human remains in Washington ID’d
WENATCHEE, Wash. — Authorities in Washington state said forensic tests confirm that the remains of a former soldier who was wanted for killing his three young daughters have been found.
They said the remains of Travis Decker were located in a remote wooded area of central Washington. Law enforcement teams had been looking for Decker for more than three months since his daughters were found dead at a campground in early June. Decker had failed to return the girls to their mother following a scheduled visit.
Palestinian president addresses UN
UNITED NATIONS — The Palestinian president is speaking over video to world leaders after the United States revoked his visa. He says his people reject the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and pledged that the militant group would have no role in governing Gaza after war ends and must hand over its weapons.
Mahmoud Abbas told the U.N. General Assembly that his country is still going through a nearly two-year war “in which our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip have been facing a war of genocide, destruction, starvation and displacement.” His speech came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heads to New York to give his own address in person on Friday.
The Associated Press
Nation and world at a glance
Trump to meet Xi in South Korea
before going to China early next year
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump says he’ll meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a regional summit taking place in October in South Korea and will visit China early next year.
Trump and Xi had a lengthy phone call on Friday. In a Truth Social post, Trump said Xi would come to the United states and noted the leaders made progress on “the approval of the TikTok Deal” to allow the popular social media app to keep operating in the U.S.
Trump hasn’t given details on what was discussed about TikTok. A Chinese government statement says Xi urged the U.S. to avoid any trade restrictions but didn’t mention the visits.
Sudden heavy rain in Southern Calif.
unleashes mudslides; boy, 2, drowns
YUCAIPA, Calif. — Sudden heavy rain east of Los Angeles unleashed mudslides that plowed into homes and trapped drivers for hours on roadways while authorities say floodwaters swept away a vehicle carrying a father who was later rescued and his 2-year-old son who drowned.
Authorities say the mudslides affected Forest Falls, Oak Glen and Potato Canyon in San Bernardino County on Thursday.
A group of about 10 people traveling in at least six vehicles was stranded on state Route 38 near the San Bernardino National Forest.
The group was stuck for about 10 hours. No one was hurt or needed medical attention. The route was still closed as of Friday. The mudslides happened after heavy rain.
Gary Busey gets probation over
sexual offense at horror convention
CHERRY HILL, N.J. — Actor Gary Busey has been sentenced to two years probation for a sexual offense stemming from an appearance at a 2022 horror convention in New Jersey, according to court records.
The sentence was handed down Thursday during a virtual hearing in state court in Camden. Busey didn’t speak during the hearing.
The 81-year-old “Buddy Holly” star had pleaded guilty in July to a single count of criminal sexual contact for touching a woman’s buttocks “over clothing during an 8-10 second photo op.”
The actor had been accused of inappropriately touching at least three women at the Monster-Mania Convention at the DoubleTree Hotel in Cherry Hill, a South Jersey town and suburb of Philadelphia.
Frida Kahlo portrait could sell
for $60 million and shatter records
LONDON — A self-portrait by Frida Kahlo could set records when it is sold at auction in November. “El sueño (La cama)” has an estimated price of $40 million to $60 million.
It may surpass the highest price for a female artist’s work, currently $44.4 million for Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1.”
The painting, created in 1940, depicts Kahlo in a four-poster bed with a skeleton lying atop it. Sotheby’s expert Julian Dawes says it’s a psychological self-portrait by an artist at her peak. It’s part of a Nov. 8 sale featuring over 100 surrealist works. Interest in surrealism is rising, with the genre’s market share increasing significantly in recent years.
Day and night get equal billing
Monday as fall equinox arrives
Day and night will get equal time for a brief moment as the equinox arrives. The Earth will experience about the same amount of day and night on Monday when the autumnal equinox arrive.
From there, the Northern Hemisphere will plunge into fall as night gets ever longer, and the Southern Hemisphere will head to summer.
Solstices are the opposite. They happen in December and March, when the Earth is tilted most strongly toward or away from the sun, so day and night are very different lengths.
Cardi B releases highly anticipated
‘Am I the Drama?’ album on Friday
LOS ANGELES — Cardi B has made a splashy return with her sophomore album, “Am I the Drama?” released on Friday.
The album arrives as she announces her fourth pregnancy with NFL player Stefon Diggs and celebrates a recent courtroom victory. The 23-track project features collaborations with artists like Janet Jackson and Megan Thee Stallion.
Cardi B includes past hits like “Up” and “WAP,” sparking some online criticism. She defended the choice, saying those songs deserve a home. Alongside her music, Cardi B’s personal life, including her relationship with Diggs, continues to capture public attention.
Bad Bunny, Amy Poehler, Sabrina Carpenter to host new ‘SNL’ shows
NEW YORK — “Saturday Night Live” has announced its hosts for the start of its 51st season. Bad Bunny, Amy Poehler and Sabrina Carpenter will take the stage for the first three episodes.
Bad Bunny hosts on Oct. 4, with Doja Cat as the musical guest.
Amy Poehler hosts on Oct. 11, marking 50 years since the first “SNL” episode. Role Model will be the musical guest. Sabrina Carpenter will host and perform on Oct. 18.
The show also welcomes five new featured players following several cast departures. “SNL” recently won 12 Emmys.
The Associated Press
Nation and world at a glance
Grazer, a female bear who is the two-time defending champion in the popular online Fat Bear Week competition, is shown Sept. 27, 2024, in Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska. (M. Carenza/National Park Service via AP)
Vote in Fat Bear Week competition. Click hereTrump seeks emergency court order
to fire Federal Reserve’s Lisa Cook
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is asking the Supreme Court for an emergency order to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors.
The Republican turned to the high court Thursday after an appeals court refused to go along with his effort to oust Cook, who participated in Wednesday’s Fed vote cutting its key interest rate.
Trump wants to reshape the Fed’s seven-member governing board and strike a blow at its independence. Trump accuses Cook of mortgage fraud related to properties in Michigan and Georgia.
Trump’s administration says the president may reasonably determine interest rates “should not be set by a Governor who appears to have lied.” Cook denies lying and refuses to leave her post.
DC leaders defend crime-fighting efforts
to Congress as federal surge goes on
WASHINGTON — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser defended her policies on crime during a House committee hearing. Her appearance Thursday came during a federal law enforcement surge in the city and efforts by lawmakers to limit the local council’s control.
President Donald Trump federalized the city’s police force last month through an emergency order that has since expired. Federal agencies and the National Guard continue their operations. Bowser highlighted the city’s crime reduction achievements, acknowledging federal intervention.
Committee chair Rep. James Comer criticized D.C.’s crime policies, blaming them for high juvenile crime rates. The hearing followed the House’s approval of major criminal justice reforms.
Gunman kills 2 at Israeli crossing
between West Bank and Jordan
JERUSALEM — Officials say a Jordanian aid truck driver opened fire and killed two people at an Israeli-run border crossing in the occupied West Bank on Thursday.
The Israeli military also says four soldiers were killed in the southern Gaza Strip and that a drone struck near the southern Israeli city of Eilat. Israeli medics say that two men, around 60 and 20 years old, were killed in the shooting at the border crossing.
The military said the attacker had been “neutralized,” without elaborating. Jordan’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack and identified the shooter as a man in his late 50s who it said had been driving aid trucks bound for Gaza for three months.
Judge blocks Trump administration
from deporting Guatemalan children
WASHINGTON — A judge is blocking the Trump administration from immediately deporting Guatemalan migrant children who came to the U.S. alone back to their home country.
The Thursday decision by U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly comes after the Republican administration’s Labor Day weekend attempt to remove Guatemalan migrant children who were living in government shelters and foster care.
Immigration and children’s advocates immediately sued to prevent the children’s removal, arguing that many of these children were fleeing abuse or violence and the government was bypassing longstanding legal procedures meant to protect them. Kelly’s decision extends a temporary order while the case plays out.
Strikes, demonstrations, protests
target cuts to services in France
PARIS — Protesters have hit France with transport strikes, demonstrations and blockades that are targeting the Paris Metro subway and other sectors. The action on Thursday opposed President Emmanuel Macron’s plans to cut funding for public services.
Protests took place in Paris and nationwide. Major trade unions are pushing for the abandonment of proposed budget cuts, social welfare freezes and other measures. These cuts are aimed at reducing France’s massive deficit. They have triggered the collapse of previous governments. The government has deployed about 80,000 police officers to maintain order. Regional rail lines and the Paris Metro are expected to be severely impacted.
RFK Jr.’s panel recommending
restrictions on MMRV vaccine
ATLANTA — U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine advisory committee is recommending new restrictions on the MMRV vaccine. The panel advises against giving the combination shot, which protects against chickenpox, measles, mumps and rubella, before age 4. Instead, children should receive separate vaccines. Experts say the decision, made Thursday, raises concerns about public confidence and access to vaccines. The committee also discussed hepatitis B shots for newborns. The committee plans to address the hepatitis B shots and COVID-19 vaccine recommendations today.
Cast your vote in Fat Bear Week contest
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The annual Fat Bear Week featuring gluttonous brown bears at Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve is back.
Online voting for the fattest juvenile bear began Thursday. The main event starts Tuesday, when organizers pit 12 of some of the largest brown bears on the planet against each other in a single-elimination, bracket-style tournament online. People can vote at fatbearweek.org after watching livestreams featuring the bears at explore.org. The contest started in 2014, and drew only about 1,700 votes from dedicated bear cam viewers. But the event has exploded online, and more than 1 million votes were cast last year.
The Associated Press
Nation and world at a glance
Israeli military begins Gaza offensive
JERUSALEM — Israel has launched its offensive in Gaza City, vowing to overwhelm a city already in ruins from nearly two years of war. Vehicles strapped with mattresses and other belongings clogged a coastal road as thousands of Palestinians fled Tuesday.
Hundreds of thousands more remain. The operation into the largest Palestinian city further escalates a conflict that has roiled the Middle East and likely pushes any ceasefire farther out of reach. The military wouldn’t offer a time line for the offensive, but Israeli media suggested it could take months. It says it aims to “destroy Hamas’ military infrastructure.”
FBI chief Patel clashes with Dems
WASHINGTON — FBI Director Kash Patel defended his record and pushed back on criticism that he has politicized law enforcement. The appearance Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee was the first oversight hearing of Patel’s young but tumultuous tenure.
It provided a high-stakes platform for him to try to demonstrate that he is the right person to lead the FBI at a time of internal upheaval and mounting concerns about political violence after the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Patel boasted that the man suspected in Kirk’s killing was arrested within 33 hours, but acknowledged he should have been more careful in a statement about the investigation.
FDA warns Hims & Hers over ads
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday sent letters to Hims & Hers and dozens of other companies, ordering them to halt “false and misleading” statements about their medications. It’s the first time regulators have gone after online prescribing services, which don’t typically fall under FDA authority. The FDA says that Hims must drop language comparing its compounded drugs to brands like Wegovy, which are approved by the FDA.
Trump sues New York Times for $15B
NEW YORK — The New York Times says President Donald Trump’s $15 billion defamation lawsuit against the newspaper and four of its journalists is meritless and an attempt to discourage independent reporting.
Court documents show the lawsuit was filed Monday in federal court in Florida. It names several articles and one book written by two of the publication’s journalists and published in the lead-up to the 2024 election, saying they are part of a decades-long pattern of “intentional and malicious defamation” against Trump. It follows lawsuits Trump has filed against ABC News and CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” both of which were settled out of court by the news organizations’ parent companies. Trump also has filed a lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal.
The Associated Press
Nation and world at a glance
Rubio visits Israel to show support
before debate on Palestinian state
JERUSALEM — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Israel Sunday as it intensifies attacks on northern Gaza.
Rubio’s two-day visit aims to show support for Israel, which faces isolation before a U.N. debate on a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes this recognition.
U.S. President Donald Trump is upset with Netanyahu for an Israeli strike in Doha without U.S. notification. Rubio and Trump met with Qatar’s prime minister on Friday to discuss the situation. The attack has hindered ceasefire efforts and hostage releases before the U.N. General Assembly session.
Pope Leo marvels at ‘huge learning curve’ as he marks his 70th birthday
ROME — Pope Leo XIV has marveled at the “huge learning curve” he has taken on as pontiff and likened some aspects of the job to jumping “in on the deep end of the pool very quickly.”
Those comments were contained in excerpts of an interview released Sunday on his 70th birthday.
The interview was conducted by Vatican correspondent Elise Ann Allen for her forthcoming biography of Leo, whom she knew as a bishop in Peru. Excerpts were published Sunday on Allen’s Catholic news site Crux, and in the El Comercio daily of Peru.
Trump administration renews push
to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook
President Donald Trump’s administration has renewed its request to fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors.
The administration filed a response to a federal appeals court on Sunday, arguing against Cook’s legal reasons for staying on the job. This move came ahead of the central bank’s vote on interest rates. Cook, the first black woman to serve as a Fed governor, has been accused of mortgage fraud, which she denies. A federal judge ruled her removal illegal, but the administration appealed. This marks the first time a president has tried to fire a Fed governor.
Political leaders confront security
concerns and fear after assassination
MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Some political leaders are canceling public appearances after Charlie Kirk’s killing.
thers are relying on a large police presence to keep them safe. And still others insist that the assassination that shook the nation last week won’t have any impact on their plans.
Elected officials at every level and in both parties are grappling with tough choices as they move deeper into an election season in which the prospect of further violence lingers.
And as they weigh risks to their personal safety, Democrats and Republicans are being forced to confront their own feelings of grief, anger and fear.
Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade apologizes
for urging execution of mentally ill
Fox News host Brian Kilmeade has apologized for advocating the execution of mentally ill homeless people. His earlier remarks, made on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday, began receiving wide circulation online over the weekend.
On Sunday, Kilmeade called his remarks callous. Kilmeade and Fox colleagues had been discussing the August murder of a woman in North Carolina, for which a mentally ill homeless man was arrested. Fox host Lawrence Jones said such homeless people who don’t accept public services offered to them should be jailed. Kilmeade responded that they should be given an “involuntary lethal injection, or something.” He added: “Just kill ’em.”
The Associated Press
Nation and world at a glance
States take steps to ease access
to COVID-19 vaccines as wait begins
The governors of Arizona, Illinois, Maine and North Carolina have signed orders intended to make COVID-19 vaccines available in pharmacies for people without individual prescriptions.
At least a dozen states have taken similar steps this month as this season’s version of the vaccine becomes available and a federal advisory council has not recommended yearly shots for nearly everyone as it did in previous years.
Nearly all the governors taking action are Democrats. But the pharmacy chain CVS says most states have existing policies that allow access to the shots anyway.
UN assembly votes overwhelmingly
to back 2-state solution in Mideast
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to support a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. It also urges Israel to commit to a Palestinian state, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vehemently opposes.
The 193-member world body approved a nonbinding resolution endorsing the “New York Declaration,” which sets out a phased plan to end the nearly 80-year conflict.
The vote on Friday was 142-10 with 12 abstentions. The nearly two-year war in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict are expected to be at the top of the agenda of world leaders at their annual gathering at the General Assembly starting on Sept. 22.
Schumer warns of a shutdown
over GOP’s stand on health care
WASHINGTON — Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is willing to risk a government shutdown at the end of the month if Republicans don’t accept Democratic demands on health care.
Schumer tells The Associated Press he and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries oppose any legislation that doesn’t include key health care provisions and a commitment not to roll them back.
Schumer argues the country is in a different place than it was earlier this year, when he argued against a shutdown. The New York senator weathered backlash from fellow Democrats in March when he voted with Republicans to keep the government open.
President Donald Trump said Friday Republicans should not “even bother” negotiating with Democrats.
Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh says no one has too much power
WACO, Texas — Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh says the genius of the American system of government is that no one should have too much power. That’s even as Kavanaugh and other conservatives on the high court face criticism for deferring repeatedly to President Donald Trump.
Kavanaugh says the framers of the Constitution were set on avoiding the concentration of power. Kavanaugh said Thursday at an event honoring his onetime boss Kenneth Starr that “no one person or group of people should have too much power in our system.”
Rise of AI tools forces schools to
reconsider what counts as cheating
High school and college educators say that student use of artificial intelligence has become so widespread that they need to rethink how to assign and assess students.
Many teachers have shifted all writing to the classroom. Some are returning to pen and paper exams to avoid cheating.
As the new school year gets underway, educators say it’s clear that AI is transforming how students learn and study and how teachers teach. But it is also creating new confusion over what constitutes cheating. Students say they often turn to AI with good intentions for things like brainstorming or editing help but sometimes it’s hard to know where to draw the line.
Russia and Belarus launch joint
military operation called ‘Zapad 2025‘
Russia and Belarus have launched a long-planned joint military exercise involving thousands of troops that has raised concern in the West. The exercise, dubbed “Zapad 2025,” or “West 2025,” started Friday and will last through Tuesday. It is intended to showcase close defense ties between Moscow and Minsk, as well as Russia’s military might while it fights its 3½-year-old war in neighboring Ukraine.
The maneuvers follow Wednesday’s incursion of Russian drones into Polish airspace, which fueled longstanding fears that the hostilities in Ukraine could trigger a wider conflict.
European leaders described it as a deliberate provocation, forcing NATO allies to confront a potential threat in its airspace for the first time.
At least 193 killed in two boating
accidents this week in Congo
KINSHASA, Congo — Authorities and state media in Congo say that two separate boat accidents this week in northwestern Congo killed at least 193 people dead and left scores missing, authorities and state media reported Friday
The accidents happened about 150 kilometers apart in the Equateur province. One boat with nearly 500 passengers caught fire and capsized Thursday evening along the Congo River in the province’s Lukolela territory, Congo’s humanitarian affairs ministry said in a report. The report said 209 survivors were rescued following the accident, involving a whaleboat near the village of Malange in Lukolela territory.
The Associated Press
Nation and world at a glance
Planned Parenthood can be denied
Medicaid funds, appeals court rules
BOSTON — A U.S. appeals court panel has allowed President Donald Trump’s administration to block Medicaid fund to Planned Parenthood while legal challenges continue.
Planned Parenthood said Thursday’s ruling means that more than 1.1 million patients can’t use their Medicaid insurance at its health centers.
A federal judge in July ruled Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funding as the nation’s largest abortion provider fights Trump’s administration over efforts to defund the organization in his signature tax legislation.
Judge temporarily blocks US effort
to remove dozens of immigrant kids
TUCSON, Ariz. — An Arizona judge has extended a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration’s effort to remove Guatemalan and Honduran children living in shelters or foster care after coming to the U.S. alone.
The judge issued the decision from the bench Thursday. The administration was temporarily stopped from removing Guatemalan children over the Labor Day weekend.
Lawyers for the children say their clients fear going home, and that the government is not following laws designed to protect migrant children. The Trump administration says it was trying to reunite the children with their families back home at the behest of the Guatemalan government.
Bolsonaro sentenced to more than 27 years in prison for coup attempt
BRASILIA, Brazil — A panel of Brazilian Supreme Court justices has sentenced former president Jair Bolsonaro to 27 years and three months in prison after convicting him of attempting a coup to remain in office despite his 2022 electoral defeat.
Bolsonaro is under house arrest in Brasilia. He can appeal the sentence.
Four of the five justices reviewing the case in the panel found the far-right politician guilty on five counts.
U.S. President Donald Trump said hours later that he was “very unhappy” with the conviction. Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House, he said he always found Bolsonaro to be “outstanding.”
US Naval Academy on lockdown
following reports of threats
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Officials said the United States Naval Academy in Maryland was on lockdown Thursday night as law enforcement responded to reports of threats made to the military school.
The spokesperson for the base that hosts the academy said the military academy in Annapolis was working with local law enforcement on Thursday to respond to the reports of threats.
Lt. Naweed Lemar said, “The base is on lockdown out of an abundance of caution.”
Police were near Bancroft Hall, which houses midshipmen in its more than 1,600 dorm rooms.
NC lawmakers likely to seek tougher
pretrial release laws after stabbing
RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina’s Republican legislative leaders are pushing for stricter pretrial release laws after a Ukrainian refugee was fatally stabbed on a Charlotte train.
The proposed package is likely to advance at the General Assembly later this month and in part aims to reduce discretion for magistrates in criminal cases. Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Destin Hall outlined the package on Thursday.
It may include restarting the death penalty and blocking cashless bail for people with violent felony convictions. The stabbing suspect has a criminal history and was released earlier this year on a misdemeanor charge. Any approved legislation would go to Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s desk.
Judge issues nationwide block
on Head Start enrollment ban
A federal judge has issued a nationwide block on a Trump administration directive that prevented children in the U.S. illegally from enrolling in Head Start, a federally funded preschool program.
Head Start associations in several states filed suit against the policy change by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The ruling by a federal judge in Washington state on Thursday comes after a coalition of 21 Democratic attorney generals succeeded in temporarily halting the policy’s implementation within their own states.
With the new ruling, the policy is now on hold across the country.
S. Korean workers detained in raid
at battery plant heading back home
ATLANTA — A plane carrying more than 300 workers from South Korea who were detained during an immigration raid on an electric vehicle battery factory in Georgia last week has left Atlanta bound for South Korea.
The workers had been held at an immigration detention center in southeast Georgia and were bused to Atlanta on Thursday for their flight, which is expected to land in South Korea this afternoon.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the detainees released by U.S. authorities included 316 Koreans, 10 Chinese nationals, three Japanese nationals and one Indonesian.
They were among about 475 workers detained during the raid last week.
The Associated Press
Nation and world at a glance
New Chicago immigration campaign
prompts much confusion and anxiety
CHICAGO — The Department of Homeland Security is trumpeting the start of a new immigration operation in Chicago that’s stirring up fresh confusion and anxiety. The latest effort targets people without legal permission to live in the U.S. who have criminal records but it appeared separate from a promised surge of immigration agents or National Guard deployment President Donald Trump has promised for two weeks.
Adding to the confusion was a handful of immigration arrests over the weekend in Chicago, which activated the city’s vocal activist network and worries that it was the start of something bigger.
Supreme Court lifts restrictions on
sweeping immigration raids in LA
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is clearing the way for federal agents to conduct sweeping immigration operations in Los Angeles, another victory for President Donald Trump at the high court. The justices Monday lifted a restraining order from a judge who found patrols were conducting indiscriminate arrests in LA.
The order barred agents from stopping people solely based on their race, language, job or location. The plaintiffs included U.S. citizens swept up in immigration stops. Justice Brett Kavanaugh says the lower-court judge went too far in restricting how agents can carry out brief stops for questioning. In a dissenting opinion, Justice Sonia Sotomayor says people were thrown to the ground and handcuffed because of their looks and accents.
Rupert Murdoch’s family reaches
deal on who will control media empire
Rupert Murdoch’s family has reached a deal on control of his media empire after his death. The agreement ensures no change in direction at Fox News, a popular network for President Donald Trump and conservatives. The deal creates a trust giving control of Fox Corp. to Lachlan Murdoch, Rupert’s chosen heir, along with his younger sisters Grace and Chloe. Lachlan’s three older siblings, Prudence MacLeod, Elisabeth Murdoch and James Murdoch, give up any claims to control of Fox and receive stock currently valued at $3.3 billion. The new trust will be in place until 2050, according to terms of the deal.
Attorney says detained Korean
Hyundai workers had special skills
SAVANNAH, Ga. — An immigration attorney says many South Korean workers detained in a U.S. immigration raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia were brought in for highly specialized work that Americans aren’t trained to perform. Atlanta attorney Charles Kuck represents four South Koreans who were among 475 workers rounded up in the raid last week west of Savannah, They included 300 Korean nationals, and Kuck most had come for short-term jobs installing equipment for producing electric vehicle batteries. The detentions have caused confusion, shock and a sense of betrayal among many people in South Korea, a key U.S. ally.
Freight train slams into a bus
outside Mexico City killing at least 10
ATLACOMULCO, Mexico — Authorities in Mexico say a train has collided with a double-decker bus northwest of Mexico City, killing at least 10 people and injuring 55. The accident took place early Monday in the town of Atlacomulco. The state of Mexico’s civil defense agency said via X that authorities were still working the site of the accident, in an industrial area.
No details were immediately given about how it occurred.
One video circulated on social platforms showed the bus in heavy traffic slowly moving across the train tracks when the fast-moving train suddenly appeared out of frame, ramming the bus at its midpoint.
Suspect in attempted Trump shooting
apologizes to his potential jurors
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — The man charged with trying to assassinate Donald Trump while he played golf last year in South Florida stood before a group of potential jurors in a Florida courtroom and said he was “sorry for bringing you all in here.” Ryan Routh is representing himself in the trial that began Monday in the federal courthouse in Fort Pierce, Florida. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon approved Routh’s request to represent himself but insisted on standby counsel. Jury selection started Monday, with three batches of 60 jurors arriving at the federal courtroom in Fort Pierce. Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer, and several firearm violations.
The Associated Press
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Nation and world at a glance
600 military lawyers OK’d
to be immigration judges
WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has approved sending up to 600 military lawyers to the Justice Department to serve as temporary immigration judges, according to a memo reviewed by The Associated Press.
The military will begin sending groups of 150 attorneys — both military and civilians — to the Justice Department “as soon as practicable,” and the military services should have the first round of people identified by next week, according to the Aug. 27 memo.
The effort comes as the Trump administration more regularly turns to the military as it cracks down on illegal immigration through ramped-up arrests and deportations. Its growing role in the push includes troops patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border, National Guard members being sent into U.S. cities to support immigration enforcement efforts, housing people awaiting deportation on military bases and using military aircraft to carry out deportations.
House committee releases
Justice files in Epstein case
WASHINGTON — The House Oversight Committee on Tuesday publicly posted the files it has received from the Justice Department on the sex-trafficking investigations into Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, responding to mounting pressure in Congress to force more disclosure in the case.
Still, the files mostly contain information that was already publicly known or available. The folders — posted on Google Drive — contained hundreds of image files of years-old court filings related to Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 as he faced charges for sexually abusing teenage girls, and Maxwell, who is serving a lengthy prison sentence for assisting him.
The files also included video appearing to be body cam footage from police searches as well as recordings and summaries of law enforcement interviews with victims detailing the abuse.
Space Command to move from Colorado to Alabama
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that U.S. Space Command will be located in Alabama, reversing a Biden-era decision to keep it at its temporary headquarters in Colorado.
The long-expected decision from Trump caps a four-year tug of war between two states and opposing administrations about where to locate U.S. Space Command, an intense fight because the headquarters would be a significant boon to the local economy. Alabama and Colorado have long battled to claim Space Command, with elected officials from both states asserting their state is the better location.
“The U.S. Space Command headquarters will move to the beautiful locale of a a called Huntsville, Alabama, forever to be known from this point forward as Rocket City,” said Trump, repeating a nickname the city has used for decades already because of its early role in NASA and the U.S. space program. “We had a lot of competition for this and Alabama’s getting it,” added the president, flanked in the Oval Office by Republican members of Alabama’s congressional delegation.
Israel mobilizes reservists
for start of Gaza offensive
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel began mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists and repeated evacuation warnings on Tuesday as part of its plan to widen its offensive in Gaza City, which has sparked opposition domestically and condemnation abroad.
The call-up, which was announced last month, comes as ground and air forces press forward and pursue more targets in northern and central Gaza, striking parts of Zeitoun and Shijaiyah — two western Gaza City neighborhoods that Israeli forces have repeatedly invaded during the nearly two-year war against Hamas militants.
Zeitoun, once Gaza City’s largest neighborhood with markets, schools and clinics, has been transformed over the past month, with streets being emptied and buildings reduced to rubble.
The Associated Press
as it becomes what Israel’s military last week called a ” dangerous combat zone.”
Israel says Gaza City is still a Hamas stronghold where the militants have a vast tunnel network, despite multiple incursions throughout the war. It’s also one of the last refuges in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of civilians are sheltering, facing the twin threats of combat and famine.
Some reservists are refusing to serve again, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of prolonging the war for political purposes instead of reaching a hostage deal with Hamas. Netanyahu has said that the war will continue until all the hostages are returned and Hamas surrenders.
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Rescuers race to find Afghan quake survivors as death toll passes 1,400
JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP) — The United Nations warned of an exponential rise in casualties from a major earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, as the Taliban said the death toll passed 1,400 on Tuesday, with more than 3,000 people injured.
The figures provided by Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid were just for the province of Kunar.
Sunday night’s powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck several provinces, causing extensive damage. It flattened villages and trapped people under the rubble of homes constructed mostly of mud bricks and wood that were unable to withstand the shock.
Rough terrain is hampering rescue and relief efforts, forcing Taliban authorities to air-drop dozens of commandos to evacuate the injured from places where helicopters cannot land.
Aid agency Save the Children said one of its teams walked for over 12 miles (19 kilometers) to reach villages cut off by rock falls, carrying medical equipment on their backs with the help of community members.
Nation and world at a glance
Rudy Giuliani hurt in New Hampshire
automobile crash, spokesperson says
A spokesperson for Rudy Giuliani says the former New York City mayor is recovering from a fractured vertebra and other injuries following a weekend car crash in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire State Police said a rented Ford Bronco driven by Giuliani’s spokesperson Ted Goodman was struck from behind by a Honda HR-V driven by a 19-year-old woman Saturday evening.
Giuliani’s head of security Michael Ragusa said in a statement Sunday on X that the 81-year-old ex-mayor was taken to a nearby trauma center for treatment of a fractured vertebra, multiple lacerations and injuries to his left arm and lower leg.
State police said they are investigating the crash and no charges have been filed.
Dems see crime as major problem,
but party struggles to address it
WASHINGTON — A new AP-NORC poll finds that while most Democrats disapprove of how Trump is handling the issue, a large majority, 68%, see crime as a “major problem” in large cities.
That’s despite the fact that statistics show crime, overall, is down across the nation.
The findings underscore the challenge facing Democratic leaders. They must thread the needle between criticizing Trump’s policies, which are deeply unpopular among their base, while at the same time not dismissing widespread concerns about safety, which are amplified in many news sources and in online forums like Facebook and the popular NextDoor app.
That could create a vulnerability for the party heading into next year’s midterm elections, but the party is working to address it.
PBS, NPR stations struggle with
Trump-fueled public funding cuts
NEW YORK — A month after Congress voted to strip public media of public money, PBS and NPR stations are working to cope — and survive.
More than 500 radio and television stations are affected, and while some have issues in common, most have problems and strategies unique to their own area. For example, the PBS station in Spokane, Washington, has turned to viewers for emergency donations, but a significant part of their membership is from Canada, and many are already angry with the U.S. because of President Donald Trump’s drive to make the country the 51st state.
Many stations are heartened by the way viewers are responding, and different ideas to save money are emerging.
Israel kills Hamas spokesperson
as cabinet meets on expanding war
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — The Israeli military says it has killed the longtime spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing.
The announcement was made Sunday as the country’s security cabinet met to discuss the expanding offensive in some of Gaza’s most populated areas.
An official who spoke on condition of anonymity told The Associated Press there were no plans to discuss negotiations for a ceasefire at the meeting.
Israel has killed many of Hamas’ military and political leaders as it attempts to dismantle the group’s military capacity and prevent an attack like the one in 2023 that sparked the war.
Health officials in Gaza reported more deaths from Israeli strikes and hunger.
Flotilla leaves Barcelona in biggest
try to break Israeli blockade of Gaza
BARCELONA, Spain — A flotilla of ships has set sail from Barcelona to the Gaza Strip with humanitarian aid and activists on board.
This effort aims to break the long Israeli blockade of the Palestinian territory by sea.
Israel has stepped up its offensive on Gaza City, limiting food and basic supplies. Food experts warned earlier this month that the city was in famine.
The Global Sumud Flotilla is carrying essential supplies and demands safe passage. T
he convoy includes about 20 boats and delegations from 44 countries.
Activists including Greta Thunberg are participating.
Norway to buy British subs in move
to counter Russia’s sea operations
LONDON (AP) — Norway has agreed to buy at least five new British anti-submarine ships in a deal valued at 10 billion pounds ($13.5 billion) as the two nations deepen their cooperation to counter Russian operations in the seas along NATO’s northern flank. The two countries said Sunday that Britain will supply Norway with the Type 26 frigates, creating a joint force of eight British and at least five Norwegian ships that will operate jointly in Northern Europe. The ships are built by a group of companies led by U.K.-based BAE Systems.
Suspect arrested in killing of
Parliament leader in Ukraine
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian officials have arrested a suspect in the shooting death of former parliament speaker Andriy Parubiy.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the arrest on Sunday, following the incident in Lviv. No details about the suspect or motive have been released. Zelenskyy stated that investigative actions are ongoing and has instructed that information be presented to the public.
Parubiy, 54, was a prominent pro-Western politician. He participated in Ukraine’s Orange Revolution in 2004 and led volunteer units during the Maidan protests in 2014. He served as parliament speaker from 2016 to 2019.
The Associated Press
National News
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Fire truck in LaGuardia crash lacked equipment needed to trigger runway warning system
Supreme Court considers revival of restrictive immigration asylum policy
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