A strike from Lebanon killed 12 youths. Could that spark war between Israel and Hezbollah?
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Middle East is bracing for a potential flare-up in violence after Israeli authorities said a rocket from Lebanon struck a soccer field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. It killed 12 children and teens in what the Israeli military called the deadliest attack on civilians since Oct. 7. The strike raised fears of a broader regional war between Israel and Hezbollah, which has denied a role. Any conflict could bring in Iran, which warned Israel that a strong reaction will lead to “unprecedented consequences.” Saturday’s attack came at a sensitive time. Israel and Hamas are negotiating a cease-fire proposal for Gaza.
Harris raised $200M in first week of White House campaign and signed up 170,000 volunteers
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has raised $200 million since she emerged as the likely Democratic presidential nominee last week. The campaign announced the eyepopping fundraising total on Sunday for Harris, saying about 66% of the donations come from first-time contributors in the 2024 election cycle. Over 170,000 volunteers also have signed up to help the Harris campaign with phone banking, canvassing and other get-out-the-vote efforts. Election Day is 100 days away. Campaign communications director Michael Tyler says Harris has momentum, but ultimately the election will be decided by “a small number of voters in just a few states.”
Firefighters helped by cooler weather battle blaze that has scorched area larger than Los Angeles
FOREST RANCH, Calif. (AP) — Thousands of firefighters battling a wildfire in northern California are getting some help from the weather just hours after the blaze exploded in size, scorching an area larger than Los Angeles. Officials said Saturday that cooler temperatures and an increase in humidity could help slow the Park Fire, the largest this year in California. Its intensity and dramatic spread led officials to make unwelcome comparisons to the monstrous Paradise fire in 2018, which killed 85 people and torched 11,000 homes. Paradise again is near the danger zone. The entire town was under an evacuation warning, one of several communities in Butte County.
Venezuelan election could lead to a seismic shift in politics or give President Maduro 6 more years
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelans are voting in a presidential election whose outcome will either lead to a seismic shift in politics or extend by six more years the policies that caused the world’s worst peacetime economic collapse. Whether it is President Nicolás Maduro who is chosen or his main opponent, former diplomat Edmundo González, Sunday’s election will have ripple effects throughout the Americas. That’s because government opponents and supporters alike have signaled their interest in emigrating if Maduro wins the election. More than 7.7 million people have already left the country. An estimated 17 million Venezuelans are eligible to vote.
Lawmakers from 6 countries say Beijing is pressuring them not to attend summit in Taiwan
BEIJING (AP) — Lawmakers from at least six countries say Chinese diplomats are pressuring them not to attend a China-focused summit in Taiwan. Politicians in Bolivia, Colombia, Slovakia, North Macedonia, Bosnia and one other Asian country that declined to be named, told The Associated Press they are getting texts, calls and urgent requests for meetings that would conflict with their plans to attend the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance conference, in what they describe as efforts to isolate the self-governed island. The IPAC, a group of hundreds of lawmakers from 35 countries concerned about how democracies approach Beijing, is set to start the summit on Monday in Taiwan and has long faced pressure from the Chinese government.
Mudslide kills 15 people near tourist site in China as rains from tropical storm Gaemi drench region
BEIJING (AP) — Chinese state media say 15 people were killed after a mudslide hit a homestay house in a mountainous tourist area as heavy rains drenched southeastern China. Six injured people were rescued after the Sunday morning mudslide. Elsewhere in China, a digital news outlet said a delivery person on a scooter was killed Saturday after being hit by a falling tree in Shanghai. The deaths were the first in China that appear linked to Typhoon Gaemi, which weakened to a tropical storm after making landfall on Thursday. Authorities in Taiwan say the death toll there has risen to 10.
Blood tests for Alzheimer’s may be coming to your doctor’s office. Here’s what to know
WASHINGTON (AP) — New research suggests certain blood tests could help doctors diagnose Alzheimer’s disease faster and more accurately. Confirming if someone’s memory problems really are caused by Alzheimer’s requires a brain scan or spinal tap to spot one culprit, sticky amyloid protein. Labs are offering tests to find clues in blood instead but they’re not yet widely used because it’s hard for doctors to tell which ones really work. A Swedish study found a certain test helped improve diagnosis without more costly follow-up procedures. Sunday’s findings, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, mark a step toward more use of blood testing.
Paris officials are confident water quality will improve to let Olympians swim in the Seine
PARIS (AP) — The swimming portion of a practice run for the Olympic triathlon has been canceled because of concerns about water quality in the Seine River. But officials said Sunday that they’re confident triathletes will be able to swim in the famed waterway during the actual events this coming week. The men’s triathlon is scheduled for Tuesday, while the women are set to compete Wednesday. The triathletes were supposed to have a chance to familiarize themselves with the course Sunday, but organizers said they nixed the swimming leg after representatives of World Triathlon, local authorities and others met to discuss water quality tests.
Can tech help solve the Los Angeles homeless crisis? Finding shelter may someday be a click away
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Can tech help solve Southern California’s homeless crisis? A Los Angeles nonprofit is developing software intended to revolutionize shelter and services in the nation’s epicenter of homelessness. Despite billions in spending, efforts to get people off the streets are being slowed by inefficient, outdated computer systems that often don’t work together and can contain error-ridden data. Better Angels United, founded by tech entrepreneur and philanthropist Adam Miller, has a team of tech experts building a mobile-friendly prototype for outreach workers. It is to be followed by systems for shelter operators and a comprehensive shelter bed database the region now lacks.
Simone Biles shakes off calf injury to dominate during Olympic gymnastics qualifying
PARIS (AP) — Simone Biles posted an all-around total of 59.566 during Olympic qualifying inside a packed and star-studded Bercy Arena despite complaining of a left calf injury that had her limping. Biles appeared to tweak the leg while warming up on floor exercise during the second rotation. She had the ankle taped and then returned to put on the kind of show-stopping performance that has long been her signature.
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