State, US officials monitor

critics of immigration raids

NEW ORLEANS — State and federal authorities are monitoring online criticism and protests against the immigration crackdown in New Orleans.

Records reviewed by The Associated Press show the state’s fusion center is tracking message boards for threats to agents and compiling updates on public sentiment. Officials have released few details about the arrests made as part of the operation called the “Catahoula Crunch.”

Local leaders are calling for transparency, saying they’ve been kept in the dark. Immigration authorities claim the sweeps target “criminal illegal aliens,” but records show less than a third of those arrested had criminal records.

Senator supports release of

video of 2nd strike on ship

The Republican who leads the Senate Intelligence Committee says a video of a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean that killed two survivors of the initial attack shows “nothing remarkable.”

Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton says he would not oppose its public release if the Pentagon were to declassify it.

Cotton is partially aligning himself with President Donald Trump and top Democrats in favor of releasing the video of the Sept. 2 attack. But he is splitting with Democrats over whether military personnel acted lawfully in carrying out a second strike to kill the two survivors. Cotton spoke Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Democratic governors urge focus on pocketbook issues

PHOENIX — Democratic governors who met over the weekend in Arizona say the party must focus on affordability in next year’s midterm elections. They aim to build on wins last month in governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia by addressing everyday concerns such as housing prices, rent and grocery costs. The strategy seeks to unite Democrats across the ideological spectrum while confronting President Donald Trump’s policies. Yet there are risks if economic conditions change for the better or if Democrats fail to deliver on their promises. Governor’s offices will be up for election in 36 states next year.

Trump: Zelenskyy not ready to accept US plan to end war

KYIV, Ukraine — President Donald Trump is claiming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “isn’t ready” to sign off on a U.S-authored peace proposal aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war.

Trump was critical of Zelenskyy after U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks aimed at trying to narrow differences on the U.S. administration’s proposal.

But in an exchange with reporters on Sunday, Trump suggested the Ukrainian leader is holding up the talks from moving forward.

The president told reporters: “Russia is, I believe, fine with it, but I’m not sure that Zelenskyy’s fine with it. His people love it it. But he isn’t ready.”

Judge deals setback for

effort to indict Comey anew

WASHINGTON — A federal judge has dealt a setback to Justice Department efforts to seek a new indictment against former FBI Director James Comey.

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly has temporarily barred prosecutors from using evidence they’d relied on when they initially secured criminal charges.

The ruling doesn’t preclude the government from trying again soon to indict Comey. But it does suggest prosecutors may have to do that without citing communications between Comey and a close friend and associate, Columbia University law professor Daniel Richman. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment Sunday.

African leader condemns

foiled coup attempt in Benin

COTONOU, Benin — Benin President Patrice Talon has condemned an attempted coup that was foiled by the African country’s army in his first public comments since sporadic gunfire was heard in parts of the administrative capital, Cotonou.

A group of soldiers appeared on Benin’s state TV Sunday to announce the dissolution of the government in an apparent coup. Later, Interior Minister Alassane Seidou announced in a video on Facebook that the attempted coup had been “foiled,” but Talon, whose location was unclear, had not commented.

The Associated Press