Blinken says some of Hamas’ proposed changes to a cease-fire plan in Gaza are workable and some not
BEIRUT (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says that mediators will keep trying to close an elusive cease-fire deal after Hamas proposed numerous changes to a U.S.-backed plan. He said Wednesday that some of the changes were “workable” and some not. The back-and-forth laid bare frustration over the difficulty of reaching an accord that can bring an end to eight months of war that has decimated Gaza, killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and left scores of Israeli hostages still languishing in militant captivity. Previous moments of optimism have been repeatedly dashed by the differences between the two sides.
Biden and Zelenskyy will sign security agreement between US and Ukraine when they meet at G7
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — The White House says President Joe Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will sign a bilateral security agreement between the U.S. and Ukraine on Thursday when they meet on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit, aiming to send signal to Russia of American resolve to supporting Kyiv. National security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters Wednesday the agreement would not commit U.S. troops directly to Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion — a red line drawn by Biden, who is fearful of being drawn into direct conflict between the nuclear-armed powers. Biden is heading to Italy for a meeting with his counterparts from the world’s leading democracies. The leaders have an urgency to get big things done.
Republicans stick to attacking criminal justice system, echoing Trump, after Hunter Biden conviction
PHOENIX (AP) — Republicans loyal to Donald Trump are largely echoing the former president’s claim that the Justice Department has treated President Joe Biden’s son with kid gloves while zealously prosecuting Trump. They used Hunter Biden’s conviction Tuesday for charges related to buying a gun while addicted to drugs to press unsubstantiated or debunked allegations that Joe Biden acted while vice president to advance his family members’ foreign business interests. Trump’s campaign issued a statement calling the verdict “nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family.”
AP-NORC poll: About half of US adults approve of Trump’s conviction, but views of him remain stable
NEW YORK (AP) — About half of U.S. adults approve of Donald Trump’s recent felony conviction, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The findings paint a picture of a nation with firmly entrenched opinions of the divisive former Republican president less than five months before Election Day. Overall views of Trump and Democratic President Joe Biden remain unchanged since before the guilty verdict in Trump’s New York hush money trial. But the survey shows some modest signs of vulnerability for Trump as he tries to become the first American with a felony record to win the presidency.
Russian warships reach Cuban waters ahead of military exercises in the Caribbean
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A fleet of Russian warships have reached Cuban waters ahead of planned military exercises in the Caribbean. Some see their deployment as a projection of Russia’s strength as tensions grow over Western support for Ukraine. The U.S. military expects the exercises will involve a handful of Russian ships and support vessels, which may also stop in Venezuela. Russia is a longtime ally of Venezuela and Cuba, and its warships and aircraft have periodically made forays into the Caribbean. But this mission comes less than two weeks after President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-provided weapons to strike inside Russia to protect Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
House moves to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for withholding Biden audio
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House is expected to vote on a resolution holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over audio of President Joe Biden’s interview in his classified documents case. It is a move that comes just weeks after the White House blocked release of the recording to lawmakers. The contempt action represents House Republicans’ latest and strongest rebuke of the Justice Department and of Garland’s leadership. And it’s playing out against the backdrop of an extraordinary conflict over the rule of law that has animated the presidential campaign. But it remains uncertain if House Speaker Mike Johnson can garner enough support on the floor to pass the contempt resolution as Republicans have the slimmest of majorities.
Supreme Court has a lot of work to do and little time to do it with a sizable case backlog
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has a lot of work left to do and little time to do it. The court is headed into its final few weeks with nearly half of the cases heard this year undecided, including ones that could reshape the law on everything from guns to abortion to social media. The justices are also still weighing whether former President Donald Trump is immune from criminal prosecution in the election interference case against him, more than a month after hearing arguments. The court has heard 61 cases but still has 29 cases to decide.
Faking an honest woman: Why Russia, China and Big Tech all use faux females to get clicks
WASHINGTON (AP) — When it comes to online scams and foreign disinformation, it pays to be female. Or at least to pretend to be. That’s according to research that shows that chatbots and fake social media accounts get more engagement when they have female personas. Researchers say that’s because people are more likely to view women as warm and approachable, and to see chatbots with feminine personas as more human than those posing as male. As a result, many chatbots are given a female personality, while groups linked to the Kremlin and China prefer fake accounts with female profile pictures to spread disinformation and propaganda.
Thefts of charging cables pose yet another obstacle to appeal of electric vehicles
DETROIT (AP) — Across the U.S., thieves have been targeting electric-vehicle charging stations, intent on stealing the cables, which contain copper wiring. The price of copper is near a record high on global markets, which means criminals stand to collect rising sums of cash from selling the material. The stolen cables often disable entire charging stations. Broken-down chargers have emerged as the latest obstacle for U.S. automakers in their effort to convert more Americans to EVs despite public anxiety about a scarcity of charging stations. If even finding a charging station doesn’t necessarily mean finding functioning cables, it becomes another reason for buyers to stick with gasoline-fueled or hybrid vehicles, at least for now.
Jerry West, a 3-time Hall of Fame selection and the inspiration for the NBA logo, dies at 86
Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, has died. The Los Angeles Clippers say West died Wednesday morning with his wife, Karen, by his side. He was 86. West was nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, and he won both NBA and Olympic titles. He was an All-Star in all 14 of his NBA seasons and won the 1972 championship with the Lakers. West was later the general manger of eight Lakers championship teams.
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