Netanyahu says he won’t agree to a deal that ends the war in Gaza, testing the latest truce proposal
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The viability of a U.S.-backed proposal to wind down the 8-month-long war in Gaza has been cast into doubt after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would only agree to a “partial” cease-fire deal that would not end the war. His comments, made in an interview with a pro-Netanyahu Israeli TV channel late Sunday, sparked an uproar from families of hostages held by Hamas. Netanyahu’s comments did not deviate dramatically from what he has said previously about his terms for a deal. But they come at a sensitive time and could represent another setback for mediators trying to end the war.
With another setback for cease-fire talks, worries of full-scale war for Israel and Lebanon escalate
BEIRUT (AP) — The prospect of a full-scale war between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia terrifies people on both sides of the border. But some see it as an inevitable fallout from Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza, particularly as cease-fire negotiations have faltered. Such a war could be the most destructive either side has ever experienced. Israel and Hezbollah each have lessons from their last war, in 2006. That monthlong conflict ended in a draw. They’ve also had nearly nine months to prepare for another war, even as the United States tries to prevent a widening of the conflict that could drag it into a confrontation with Iran.
Is Trump shielded from criminal charges as an ex-president? A nation awaits word from Supreme Court
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will soon confront a perfect storm mostly of its own making: a trio of decisions stemming directly from the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack. Within days of each other, if not hours, the justices are expected to rule on whether Donald Trump has immunity from criminal charges over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and whether the Republican’s supporters who stormed the Capitol can be prosecuted for obstructing an official proceeding. The court also will decide whether former Trump adviser Steve Bannon can stay out of prison while he appeals his contempt of Congress conviction for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the Capitol attack.
Trump has spent months painting Biden as incompetent. Now he’s changing his tone before the debate
NEW YORK (AP) — After months of casting President Joe Biden as a senile shell of a man incapable of putting two sentences together, Donald Trump has changed his tune. As he prepares to face Biden in their first debate of the general election this week in Atlanta, the former president and presumptive GOP nominee and his campaign are trying to adjust expectations amid concerns that the bar has been set so low for Biden that he is sure to exceed it. The effort to recalibrate expectations underscores the stakes for both men in a race that has appeared largely static for months.
Lawsuit challenges new Louisiana law requiring classrooms to display the Ten Commandments
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Civil liberties groups have filed a lawsuit challenging Louisiana’s new law mandating that the Ten Commandments must be displayed in every public school classroom. Plaintiffs in the suit filed Monday include parents of Louisiana public school children, represented by attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Opponents argue that the law is a violation of separation of church and state and that the display will isolate students, especially those who are not Christian. Proponents say the measure is not solely religious and has historical significance. In the language of the law, the Ten Commandments are “foundational documents of our state and national government.”
What’s causing the devastating flooding in the Midwest?
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Heavy rains have caused record-setting flooding in parts of Iowa and South Dakota. The floods have forced evacuations and some basic services are disrupted. Lots of rain late last week fell on already-wet soil and flooded rivers. Rivers are likely to crest early this week and then flow into the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and cause them to swell, too. Heavy rain and flooding are not unusual in the region this time of the year. But climate change is increasing the amount of moisture the atmosphere can hold and leading to some wetter rain events.
Prosecutor in classified documents case clashes with judge over request to restrict Trump’s speech
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A federal prosecutor in the classified documents case of Donald Trump has clashed with the judge as he faced skeptical questioning over a request to bar the former president from making threatening comments about law enforcement agents involved in the investigation. Prosecutor David Harbach, a member of special counsel Jack Smith’s team, encountered immediate pushback from U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, whose handling of the case has generated intense scrutiny. The judge questioned Harbach about how she could fashion an order that did not run afoul of Trump’s First Amendment rights and whether prosecutors could prove a direct link between Trump’s comments and actions that might then follow.
Mass shootings across the US mark the first weekend of summer
The first weekend of summer brought a tragic yet familiar pattern for American cities wracked by gun violence. Mass shootings over the weekend left dozens dead or wounded at a party in Alabama, an entertainment district in Ohio and a grocery in Arkansas. It was the second straight weekend that saw an outbreak of mass shootings and across the U.S. It all left mayors in several cities marred by the shootings pleadings for help from the state and federal governments. Police in Montgomery, Alabama, say hundreds of rounds were fired at a crowded party early Sunday where nine people were wounded.
Music record labels sue AI song-generators Suno and Udio for copyright infringement
BOSTON (AP) — Big record companies are suing artificial intelligence song-generators Suno and Udio for copyright infringement. They are alleging that the AI music startups are exploiting the recorded works of artists from Chuck Berry to Mariah Carey. The Recording Industry Association of America announced the lawsuits Monday brought by labels including Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Records. RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier says the music industry is already collaborating with responsible AI developers but says Suno and Udio are unlicensed services that copy an artist’s life’s work and exploit it for their own profit without consent or pay.
Young gay Latinos see a rising share of new HIV cases, leading to a call for targeted funding
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is years into an initiative to end the nation’s HIV epidemic by pumping hundreds of millions of dollars annually into certain states, counties and U.S. territories with the highest infection rates. African Americans continue to have the highest HIV rates in the United States overall. But a KFF Health News-Associated Press analysis shows Latinos made up the largest share of new HIV diagnoses and infections among gay and bisexual men in 2022 compared with other racial and ethnic groups. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says “HIV disparities are not inevitable.” Latino health policy advocates want the feds to declare a public health emergency in hopes of directing more money to prevention and treatment.
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