AP News Summary: 11:49 a.m. EDT | National News

Arson attacks cause travel chaos before start of Olympics in Paris, thwarting athletes’ travel

PARIS (AP) — French officials says high-speed lines have been hit by arson attacks that heavily disrupted traffic hours before the opening of the high-risk Olympics opening ceremony. Rail operator SNCF said lines in the west, north and east of France were affected. French officials condemned the attacks as “criminal actions,” though they said there was no sign of a direct link to the Games. Prosecutors in Paris opened a national investigation, saying the crimes could carry sentences of 10 to 20 years.

Paris Olympics off to rough start, with sabotaged trains and weather dampening mood before opening

PARIS (AP) — The Paris Olympics are getting off to a rough start. Suspected acts of sabotage targeted France’s flagship high-speed rail network and cloudy skies with light drizzle are hanging over the French capital ahead of its promised spectacular opening ceremony on Friday evening. It is a day of utmost importance for France and its capital. Dozens of heads of state and government are in town for the Olympic opening and a global audience is tuning in. But French authorities are scrambling to deal with widespread rail disruptions. They blamed coordinated overnight sabotage attacks targeting high-speed train lines. Overcast skies over Paris are further dampening the mood.

Barack and Michelle Obama endorse Kamala Harris, giving her expected but crucial support

ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama have endorsed Kamala Harris in her White House bid, giving the vice president the expected but still crucial backing of the nation’s two most popular Democrats. The endorsement was announced Friday in a video showing Harris accepting a joint phone call from the former first couple. It comes as Harris builds momentum as the party’s likely nominee after President Joe Biden’s decision to end his reelection bid and endorse her against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump. Harris thanks the Obamas for their backing and says she looks forward to campaigning with them ahead of the Nov. 5 Election Day.

Harris tries to thread the needle on Gaza after meeting with Netanyahu

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris met with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to talk about the war in Gaza. The conversation Thursday came days after she launched her White House campaign, forcing Harris to confront one of the most divisive issues within the Democratic Party. Harris did not deviate from President Joe Biden’s approach to the conflict, but she placed a heavier emphasis on alleviating Palestinian suffering. In a separate statement, Harris criticized protesters who ripped down American flags and spray-painted pro-Hamas messages while Netanyahu spoke on Capitol Hill.

Netanyahu will meet Trump at Mar-a-Lago, mending a yearslong rift

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is due to talk face-to-face with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time in nearly four years. In Friday’s meeting at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump will seek to mend ties that were damaged at the end of his presidency and cast himself as an ally and statesman. Trump’s meeting could help sharpen efforts by fellow Republicans to portray themselves as the party most loyal to Israel. For Netanyahu, repairing relations with Trump is an imperative given the prospect he may again become president of the United States, Israel’s main arms supplier and protector.

Wounded in a strike that killed her family, a 2-year-old joins Gaza’s ranks of thousands of orphans

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Two-year-old Siwar Abdel-Hadi is the lone survivor in her family after an Israeli airstrike on her home in central Gaza killed her parents and three siblings. Siwar was left with burns on her face, collapsed lungs and shrapnel wounds. She joins the ranks of thousands of orphans left by Israel’s campaign of bombardment and offensives. Like other families, Siwar’s extended relatives are now trying to figure out how to raise her as they struggle to get by with their own children in the deprivations of the war.

US arrests 2 leaders of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel: ‘El Mayo’ Zambada and son of ‘El Chapo’

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department says Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a longtime leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of another infamous cartel leader, have been arrested by authorities in Texas. Zambada has been a leader of the powerful cartel for decades alongside Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. His is known for running the cartel’s smuggling operations while keeping a lower profile. A Mexican federal official told The Associated Press that Zambada and Guzmán López arrived on a private plane and turned themselves in to U.S. authorities. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter,

Recall of Boar’s Head deli meats announced during investigation of listeria outbreak

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. health officials have announced a recall of some Boar’s Head liverwurst and other deli meats as they investigate a listeria outbreak. The outbreak has sickened nearly three dozen people and caused two deaths. The Agriculture Department announced Friday that Boar’s Head has recalled liverwurst because it may be tainted with the listeria bacteria. The company is also recalling other deli meats produced on the same line and on the same day as the liverwurst. Testing is underway to determine whether the company’s products are linked to the outbreak.

People flee Idaho town through a tunnel of fire and smoke as Western wildfires spread

Multiple communities in Idaho have been evacuated after lightning strikes sparked fast-moving wildfires. Videos posted to social media include a man fleeing the town of Juliaetta, driving past a building and trees engulfed in flames as a tunnel of smoke rises over the roadway. As that and other blazes scorch the Pacific Northwest, authorities say a Northern California wildfire that has tripled in size in one day was started by a man who pushed a burning car into a gully. Officials say they have arrested a 42-year-old man who will be arraigned Monday.

For Ukrainian athletes, joy mixes with sorrow at the Paris Olympics

PARIS (AP) — For Ukrainian competitors in Paris for the Olympics, joy goes hand in hand with sorrow. Athletes are striving to enjoy the dream of competing at one of the world’s most prestigious sports events while carrying the burden of the war back home. Ukrainian badminton player Polina Buhrova says she experiences a mix of emotions while trying to enjoy her first Olympics but getting upset reading the news from Ukraine. She says she’s ready to show “how strong we are.” Fencer Olga Kharlan says preparing for the Games was especially challenging because she had to train abroad due to Russia’s war and had not seen her family in a long time.

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