2:53 p.m. EDT National News Headlines

An Israeli airstrike kills 18 members of a family in Gaza as mediators hope for a cease-fire

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — An Israeli airstrike in Gaza has killed at least 18 people, all from the same family. Saturday’s strike came hours after officials from the United States, Egypt and Qatar wrapped up two days of cease-fire talks and expressed optimism that a deal can be reached. They expect to work out implementation details next week in Cairo. Health authorities say the Palestinian death toll in the 10-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has passed 40,000. The fighting has devastated Gaza, where a case of polio has been confirmed a quarter-century after the disease was eradicated there.

The pro-Palestinian ‘uncommitted’ movement is at an impasse with top Democrats as the DNC begins

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Supporters of the “uncommitted” protest-vote movement sparked by dissatisfaction with President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war could play a large role in the Democratic National Convention, with raucous protests expected outside and potentially inside the Chicago arena. Kamala Harris and her campaign have spent weeks meeting with people involved in the movement in hopes of alleviating tensions. The meetings included a previously unreported sit-down between Harris and the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan. Many of the leaders in the “uncommitted” movement have expressed cautious optimism towards Harris’ campaign. But they maintain that she and the campaign haven’t met their demands before the convention. They include multiple speaking slots for movement members.

Hurricane Ernesto moves through Bermuda as a category 1 storm

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Hurricane Ernesto has made landfall on the tiny British Atlantic territory of Bermuda as residents continue to hunker down. The hurricane is now exhibiting a large rain-free center region that is just about to move past Bermuda, according to the National Hurricane Center. The eye has expanded and Ernesto has slowed down, though the second half of the storm is set to move over Bermuda Saturday afternoon. The wide category 1 storm has maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph). Hurricane-strength winds are expected to continue until Saturday afternoon, with tropical storm-strength winds continuing well into Sunday, the Bermuda government said.

Ex-Rep. George Santos expected to plead guilty to multiple counts in fraud case, AP source says

Former U.S. Rep. George Santos is expected to plead guilty to multiple counts in his federal fraud case, according to a person familiar with the matter. Santos, a Republican from New York, is expected to enter the plea at a court hearing planned for Monday on Long Island, the person said. The person could not publicly discuss details of the plea and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The court hearing was scheduled for Monday afternoon after prosecutors and Santos’ lawyers jointly requested one on Friday. They also sought and received a delay in certain pre-trial deadlines. The news comes just weeks before jury selection was set to begin on Sept. 9.

Immigrants prepare for new Biden protections with excitement and concern

MIAMI (AP) — A new Biden administration program will allow some spouses of U.S. citizens living in the U.S. illegally to gain legal status without leaving the country. As many as 500,000 people in the country without permanent legal status who are married to U.S. citizens may qualify under the program launching Monday. News of the program set off a flurry of activity nationwide as couples checked if they were eligible. Immigrant groups are trying to help people understand the policy and battle misinformation. But the excitement has been tempered with concern over whether the program will face legal challenges and what happens if Donald Trump becomes president. He’s pledged to deport millions of immigrants in the country illegally.

Trump is on tap to rally Pennsylvania voters near Biden’s native Scranton and counter Harris’ surge

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) — Donald Trump is on tap to rallying supporters in northeastern Pennsylvania. The event Saturday afternoon is in Wilkes-Barre, which is in a part of the pivotal battleground state where Trump hopes conservative, white working-class voters near President Joe Biden’s hometown will boost the Republican’s chances of winning back the White House. House. In earlier visits to nation’s No. 2 natural gas state, Trump has cited Democratic rival Kamala Harris’ past opposition to fracking, an oil and gas extraction process. Her campaign has tried to soften her stance, saying she wouldn’t ban fracking even though that was her position when she was seeking the 2020 nomination.

Tim Walz is returning to his home state where there’s a battle over a key Nebraska electoral vote

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Thousands of Nebraskans are turning out for native son Tim Walz on his first trip back to his home state since becoming the Democratic vice presidential nominee. Supporters are hoping Walz’s rural roots can help Democrats appeal to wide swaths of Republican strongholds where they’ve rarely been competitive in recent elections. But his appearance in Omaha on Saturday also reinforces the campaign’s interest in securing the one electoral vote that comes along with winning the swing congressional district that went for Joe Biden in 2020 and Barack Obama in 2008. Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance is expected to visit Omaha next week for a private fundraiser.

What to know as India’s medics and women protest the rape and killing of a doctor

NEW DELHI (AP) — Anger at the Indian government’s failure to deter rising violence against women has fueled protests by medics and women’s groups across Indian cities after a trainee doctor was raped and killed last week. On Saturday, medical workers began a countrywide strike. Police discovered the bloodied body of a 31-year-old trainee doctor on Aug. 9 at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in eastern Kolkata city. A police volunteer working at the hospital has been detained in connection with the crime. The protests — mostly led by women — demand a safer working environment.

Strategist who ran DeSantis’ ill-fated bid is working with Musk to help organize voters for Trump

Donald Trump’s campaign is largely leaving paid canvassing and get-out-the-vote efforts to outside groups like America PAC, funded in part by Elon Musk. To run the group, Musk has turned to veterans of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ failed presidential bid. DeSantis’ old campaign manager, Generra Peck, has close ties to Musk, according to people familiar with the matter. She is said to have overruled internal objections to have DeSantis launch his campaign by holding a conversation with Musk on what was then still called Twitter. The platform crashed repeatedly, spoiling the start of his campaign. That experience underscores the risks of the Trump campaign outsourcing a core function to a coterie of untested groups that operate independently.

Bird flu restrictions cause heartache for 4-H kids unable to show off livestock at fairs across US

EVART, Mich. (AP) — States across the country have implemented strict restrictions around livestock after an outbreak of avian influenza, commonly referred to as “bird flu.” The outbreak has spread to millions of poultry and nearly 200 dairy herds across 13 U.S. states since March. More than a dozen farmworkers have been infected this year, with all experiencing relatively mild symptoms. Michigan has been especially hard-hit by the virus, which led the state to order curbs on livestock exhibitions ahead of fair season. Some young people who have spent significant money and time over the past year preparing their dairy cows for competition have been unable to show them.