Israeli airstrike hits Beirut and kills 1 person in escalating tensions with Hezbollah
BEIRUT (AP) — Israel has carried out a rare strike on Beirut, killing at least one person and raising the stakes in the escalating tensions with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The Israeli military says the strike targeted the militant commander allegedly behind the deaths of 12 youths in a weekend rocket attack on the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights. Israel has blamed the rocket attack on the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which has denied any role. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency says Tuesday’s strike was carried out with a drone that launched three rockets, and that it killed one woman and wounded several other people. It was not immediately clear if the intended target of the strike was hurt.
Criticism mounts against Venezuela’s Maduro and the electoral council that declared him a victor
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Criticism of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro is mounting after electoral authorities declared him the victor in a presidential election that the opposition claims to have won by a landslide. Thousands of ardent opposition supporters gathered Tuesday outside the United Nations’ offices in the capital, Caracas, to celebrate what they say was an electoral victory by opposition candidate Edmundo González. Maduro’s allies meanwhile appeared on national television to accuse opposition leaders of being fascists. The opposition says it has obtained more than 84% of Sunday’s voter precinct tally sheets, and that they show González won more than double Maduro’s votes. The opposition is urging its supporters to remain calm and gather peacefully.
The Democratic contest to be Harris’ running mate will likely be decided in the next week
AMBLER, Pa. (AP) — Democratic governors and other officials under consideration to be Kamala Harris’ vice presidential running mate are practicing a time-honored tradition in presidential campaigns. They’re walking the line between open self-promotion and loyal advocacy for the potential boss in what amounts to unofficial auditions. Three people familiar with the vice president’s plans said Tuesday that she and her yet-to-be-named running mate would begin traveling to battleground states next week — suggesting that a decision could be coming soon. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro campaigned for Harris on Monday outside Philadelphia, and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear campaigned over the weekend in Georgia. Harris is said to also be considering Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, among others.
Trump says he ‘probably’ will debate Harris but can ‘make a case for not.’ Her team says he’s scared
NEW YORK (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign says former President Donald Trump is scared to debate her. Trump has backed away from his earlier commitment to debate Harris, telling Fox News Channel on Monday night he “probably” will debate but “can also make a case for not doing it.” The Republican ex-president had been willing to debate President Joe Biden when Biden was the Democratic nominee. But with Harris poised to take Biden’s place, Trump has been questioning the terms of the debate he agreed to with Biden. Harris’ campaign says it’s clear Trump is scared he’d have to “defend his running mate’s weird attacks on women or his own calls to end elections in America.”
Acting Secret Service director says he’s ‘ashamed’ after the Trump assassination attempt
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Secret Service’s acting director has told lawmakers he considered it indefensible that the roof used by the gunman in the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump was unsecured. He also says it’s regrettable that local law enforcement had not advised his agency that a gunman had been spotted on a nearby roof. Acting director Ronald Rowe also testified that he recently visited the shooting site and laid down on the roof of the building where shots were fired in order to evaluate the gunman’s line of sight during the July 13 shooting in Butler, Pennsylvania.
Project 2025 director leaves Heritage Foundation after Democratic attacks and Trump criticism
NEW YORK (AP) — The director of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 vision for a complete overhaul of the federal government has stepped down. Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts says the group is sticking to its original timeline and Paul Dans’ exit comes after the project “completed exactly what it set out to do.” But the news comes after former President Donald Trump has increasingly disavowed and criticized Project 2025, prompting speculation that his campaign forced the exit. Democrats have made Project 2025 a key election-year cudgel, pointing to the ultraconservative policy blueprint as a glimpse into how extreme another Trump administration could be.
Simone Biles and Team USA earn ‘redemption’ by powering to Olympic gold in women’s gymnastics
PARIS (AP) — “The Redemption Tour” ended in a familiar spot for Simone Biles: atop the Olympic podium. The American gymnastics star and her singular brilliance powered a dominant U.S. women’s team in the finals inside a raucous Bercy Arena. With Biles at her show-stopping best, the Americans’ total of 171.296 was well clear of Italy and Brazil and the exclamation point of a yearlong run in which Biles has cemented her legacy as the greatest ever in her sport and among the best in the history of the Olympics.
Police clash with an unruly crowd gathered near the site of UK stabbing attack that killed 3 girls
LONDON (AP) — Police have clashed with an unruly crowd outside a mosque in northwest England near where three girls were stabbed to death in a dance class. A crowd, some in masks, hurled bottles and stones at police Tuesday. The violence came shortly after a peaceful vigil was attended by hundreds in the center of Southport to mourn the victims of the stabbings. Officers in riot gear policed the area amid chants of “No surrender!” and “English till I die!” Firecrackers exploded, sirens wailed and helicopter hovered overhead amid the chaos.
Investigation finds at least 973 Native American children died in US government boarding schools
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — A federal investigation has found that at least 973 Native American children perished in the U.S. government’s abusive boarding school system over a 150-year period. Interior Department officials released the findings Tuesday and called on the government to apologize for the schools. Officials say the deaths were caused by sickness, accidents and abuse. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland says the schools isolated thousands of children from their families and denied them their identities as Native Americans. Former students at the schools, which operated until the 1960s, previously shared their experiences during a series of listening sessions that highlighted the harsh and often degrading treatment they endured.
Meta agrees to $1.4B settlement with Texas in privacy lawsuit over facial recognition
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Officials say Meta has agreed to a $1.4 billion settlement with Texas in a privacy lawsuit over allegations that the tech giant used biometric data of users without their permission. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Tuesday that the settlement is the largest secured by a single state. A judge in 2021 approved a $650 million settlement with the company, formerly known as Facebook, over similar allegations of users in Illinois. Meta says in a statement that the company is pleased to resolve the matter. The Texas lawsuit said that Meta was in violation of a state laws that prohibits capturing or selling a resident’s biometric information, such as their face or fingerprint, without their consent.
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