Maduro is declared winner in Venezuela’s presidential election as opposition claims it prevailed
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s opposition claimed victory in Sunday’s presidential election, setting up a showdown with the government, which earlier declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner. “The Venezuelans and the entire world know what happened,” opposition candidate Edmundo González said in his first remarks. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado made the announcement standing alongside González, whose margin of victory she said was “overwhelming.” The National Electoral Council, which is controlled by Maduro loyalists, earlier said Maduro had secured 51% of the vote to 44% for González. But it didn’t release the tallies from each of the 30,000 polling booths nationwide, promising only to do so in the “coming hours,” hampering the ability to verify the results.
Israel weighs response to Hezbollah after a rocket from Lebanon kills 12 youths on a soccer field
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The Middle East is bracing for a potential flare-up in violence a day after Israeli authorities said a rocket from Lebanon struck a soccer field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights and killed 12 children and teens. Saturday’s strike raised fears of a broader regional war between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which has denied a role in the attack. Israel is weighing its response. Iran warned Israel that a strong reaction will lead to “unprecedented consequences.” The White House National Security Council says it is working on a diplomatic solution to “end all attacks once and for all” in the border area between Israel and Lebanon.
Trump and Harris enter 99-day sprint to decide an election that has suddenly transformed
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) — Barely a week ago, a sense of inevitability loomed over the presidential election. But now, just 99 days before Election Day, a fundamentally new race is taking shape with new candidates, a new issue focus and a new outlook for both parties. Vice President Kamala Harris is smashing fundraising records, taking over social media and generating levels of excitement not seen since former President Barack Obama’s historic candidacy. On the other side, Republicans are fearful and frustrated as they struggle to accept the new reality that Donald Trump’s victory is no sure thing. The incredible speed with which the election was transformed over the last week is a stark reminder that, in the Trump era, little is certain and the conventional wisdom is often wrong.
Biden is pivoting to his legacy. He speaks Monday at the LBJ Presidential Library
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is paying a visit to the library of the last president to make the same difficult choice that he did to not seek reelection. Biden’s speech Monday at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, is designed to mark the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, enacted under President Lyndon Johnson. But the visit has taken on very different symbolism in the two weeks it took to reschedule it after Biden got COVID-19. Now Biden is out of the race. Vice President Kamala Harris is the likely Democratic nominee. And the president is focused not on his next four years, but on the legacy of his single term and the future of democracy.
Crews battle wildfires across the US West and fight to hold containment lines
FOREST RANCH, Calif. (AP) — Wildfires across the western United States and Canada have put millions of people under air quality alerts, as thousands of firefighters battle the flames, including the largest wildfire in California this year. The so-called Park Fire has scorched an area greater than the size of Los Angeles as of Sunday, contributing to poor air quality in a large swath of the Northwestern U.S. and western Canada. Although the sprawling blaze is only 12% contained, cooler temperatures and increased humidity over the next few days could help crews battle the fire, which has drawn comparisons to the 2018 Camp Fire that tore through the nearby community of Paradise.
Attorney for cartel leader ‘El Mayo’ Zambada says his client was kidnapped and brought to the US
HOUSTON (AP) — The lawyer of a powerful Mexican drug cartel leader who is now in U.S. custody is pushing back against claims that his client was tricked into flying into the country. The lawyer for Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada says his client was “forcibly kidnapped” by the son of JoaquĂn “El Chapo” Guzmán. Zambada was arrested after flying into an airport near El Paso, Texas, on Thursday. Frank Perez, Zambada’s attorney, says in a statement that his client was ambushed and forced onto a plane and brought to the U.S. against his will by JoaquĂn Guzmán LĂłpez, “El Chapo’s” son. A spokesperson for the U.S. Justice Department didn’t immediately reply to an email seeking comment on Perez’s claims.
Infants’ tongue-tie may be overdiagnosed and needlessly treated, American Academy of Pediatrics says
NEW YORK (AP) — A prominent doctors’ group worries that a condition in infants that can affect breastfeeding known as tongue-tie is being overdiagnosed in the U.S. and too often treated with unnecessary surgery. The American Academy of Pediatrics is the latest and largest medical society to sound an alarm about the increasing use of scissors or lasers to cut away some infants’ tongue tissue when breastfeeding is difficult. The academy’s new report was released Monday. It encourages pediatricians and other medical professionals to consider nonsurgical options for ankyloglossia. The report cites a study that suggests less than half of the kids with the characteristics of tongue-tie actually have trouble breastfeeding.
A manipulated video shared by Musk mimics Harris’ voice, raising concerns about AI in politics
NEW YORK (AP) — A manipulated video that mimics the voice of Vice President Kamala Harris saying things she did not say is raising concerns about the power of artificial intelligence to mislead just three months away from November’s elections. The video gained attention after tech billionaire Elon Musk shared it on his social media platform X on Friday. The video uses many of the same visuals as a real ad the Harris campaign released. But it swaps out the voice-over audio with a convincing impersonation. A Harris spokesperson referred to the video as “fake, manipulated lies.” AI experts and pro-democracy advocates say the video reveals shortcomings in how AI companies, social platforms and the federal government regulate use of AI in politics.
Paris Olympics Day 2: Simone Biles and LeBron James shine as Americans step up at the Games
PARIS (AP) — On the first sunny day of the Paris Olympics, the stars from the United States shined bright. Simone Biles and LeBron James dazzled, so did the U.S. women’s soccer team. Torri Huske grabbed some of the spotlight, and Haley Batten made a name for herself by earning a silver medal in mountain biking for the best finish ever by an American rider. Although it was French swimmer Léon Marchand who received the most boisterous cheers in crushing the field to win gold in the men’s 400-meter individual medley, the U.S. had a strong Sunday on Day 2 of the Games.
US women beat Germany 4-1 at Olympics and Canada tops France 2-1 amid drone-spying scandal
MARSEILLE, France (AP) — Sophia Smith scored a pair of goals to help the United States beat Germany 4-1 and advance to the quarterfinals at the Paris Olympics. Mallory Swanson and Lynn Williams also scored for the Americans. Canada’s Vanessa Gilles scored in the 12th minute of stoppage time to beat France 2-1 and keep alive its hopes of advancing. Australia produced a stunning comeback to beat Zambia 6-5 in Nice. Momoko Tanikawa scored deep in stoppage time to clinch Japan’s 2-1 comeback win over Brazil. World champion Spain beat Nigeria 1-0 to make it two wins from two in Group C. Colombia beat New Zealand 2-0 in Lyon.
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