French voters propel far-right National Rally to strong lead in first-round legislative elections
PARIS (AP) — French voters have propelled the far-right National Rally to a strong lead in first-round legislative elections and plunged the country into political uncertainty. That’s according to polling projections. French President Emmanuel Macron, who called the surprise elections just three weeks ago, urged voters to rally against the far right. Projections by polling agencies suggest the National Rally stands a good chance of winning a majority in the lower house of parliament for the first time, with an estimated one-third of the first-round vote. That’s nearly double their 18% in the first round in 2022.
American and British voters share deep roots. In 2024, they distrust their own leaders, too
DARTFORD, England (AP) — British and American voters are going to the polls the same year for the first time in more than three decades. Voters in both places tell The Associated Press they distrust the candidates and their governments. They say years of scandal, lies and misinformation have drained the optimism and excitement they might have felt. They don’t like the personal attacks that define the rematch between U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump. In the U.K., the July 4 vote is more about an overwhelming appetite for change after 14 years under the Conservatives. July 4 provides an apt snapshot of one of the world’s biggest democracies and the country that gave rise to it, 250 years after they split.
Should gun store sales get special credit card tracking? States split on mandating or prohibiting it
A new national divide is emerging among states over whether to track sales by gun stores. A California law taking effect Monday will require credit card networks to provide banks with special retail codes to assign to gun stores. Advocates hope it will help flag suspicious purchases and avert mass shootings. By contrast, new laws taking effect in Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee and Wyoming will prohibit the use of special gun shop codes in financial transactions. A total of 17 states have passed some sort of limit on category codes for gun retailers, while California has been joined by Colorado and New York.
Hurricane Beryl strengthens into a Category 4 storm as it nears the southeast Caribbean
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Beryl has strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm as it approaches the southeast Caribbean. The region began shutting down Sunday amid urgent pleas from government officials for people to take shelter. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned Beryl was “forecast to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge … as an extremely dangerous hurricane.” Beryl was located about 310 miles (500 kilometers) east-southeast of Barbados. It had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph) and was moving west at 21 mph (33 kph). It is a compact storm, with hurricane-force winds extending 15 miles (30 kilometers) from its center.
Summer hours are a perk small businesses can offer to workers to boost morale
NEW YORK (AP) — With summer having gotten off to a scorching start, workers across the country may be dreaming of a seaside escape or cutting out early to watch a movie in an air-conditioned theater. For some, that can be a reality. Summer hours – a reduced schedule on Fridays offered usually between Memorial Day and Labor Day – are one way that smaller businesses can stand out to prospective employees in a competitive talent marketplace. Small business owners also say that offering summer hours can help boost morale in the right circumstances.
For India’s garbage pickers, a miserable and dangerous job made worse by extreme heat
JAMMU, India (AP) — As many as 4 million people in India scratch out a living searching through landfills for anything they can sell. These waste pickers endure a miserable job that is growing more dangerous as climate change leads to rising heat. In the northern city of Jammu, this summer’s temperatures have regularly surpassed 43 degrees Celsius, or about 110 Fahrenheit. It’s not just the heat that’s dangerous. Summer means more landfill fires that release dangerous fumes from burning items like plastics. And even ordinary decomposition of garbage rises along with heat, increasing methane and carbon dioxide emissions. One garbage picker in Jammu, 65-year-old Usmaan Shekh, hopes to earn the equivalent of $4 a day. If he doesn’t work, his family doesn’t eat.
Parties and protests mark the culmination of LGBTQ+ Pride month in NYC, San Francisco and beyond
NEW YORK (AP) — The monthlong celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride will reach its exuberant grand finale as multitudes of rainbow-laden revelers hit the streets for marquee parades in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and elsewhere across the globe. The wide-ranging festivities Sunday will function as both jubilant parties and political protests. This year, tensions over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza have colored the celebrations, exposing divisions within the community that is normally aligned on social issues. Pro-Palestinian activists have already disrupted several pride events held this month. A heavy security presence is expected as marchers take to the streets.
Zelenskyy appeals to West to relax targeting limits for Ukraine as glide bombs hammer front line
DONETSK REGION, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia dropped more than 800 glide bombs in Ukraine in the past week alone and appealed to Western countries to further relax targeting restrictions inside Russia. The appeal was made as drone footage from Ukraine’s military released Sunday shows what appears to be bodies in a civilian area in the embattled town of Toretsk in the east of the country. The town in the war-torn Donetsk region has come under heavy Russian bombardment in recent days, prompting a scaled-up evacuation effort by Ukrainian rescue services. Ukraine is still struggling to stabilize parts of its front line after desperately needed military assistance was approved by the United States in April.
How will Louisiana’s new Ten Commandments classroom requirement be funded and enforced?
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — As a legal battle ensues over a new Louisiana law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms, the details of exactly how the mandate will be implemented and enforced remain unclear. Unless a court overturns the legislation, teachers and school officials have a little more than five months until they are required to have a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in every public school K-12 and state-funded university classroom. Supporters say donations will pay for the thousands of posters needed, while critics argue the law is an unfunded mandate that could burden schools. The law is seen as part of a nationwide conservative push to incorporate religion into classrooms.
Kin, community demand accountability for fatal NY police shooting of 13-year-old boy
Relatives of a 13-year-old boy who was shot and killed by police in central New York are demanding justice. Members of their immigrant community from Myanmar aimed Sunday to press local officials for accountability. The state attorney general is investigating the shooting of Nyah Mway. Utica police tackled him to the ground and then shot him after a foot chase Friday. Police have released body camera video that showed a youth appearing to aim an object at them before they took him to the ground. Police say it was a BB gun that looked like an actual firearm. Police say Nyah Mway and another 13-year-old boy were stopped because they fit descriptions of suspects in an armed robbery Thursday. At a vigil Saturday, attendees questioned officials’ account of the shooting.
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