How Biden and Trump are taking very different approaches to preparing for next week’s debate
NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden is beginning an intense period of private debate preparations at Camp David. The Democrat’s trip comes as officials in both major political parties scramble to set expectations for what may be the most consequential presidential debate in decades. Biden’s team notes he cannot afford an underwhelming performance against Donald Trump on June 27 in Atlanta. Trump’s allies are pushing the Republican to stay focused on his governing plans but expect him to be tested by pointed questions about his unrelenting focus on election fraud and his legal baggage. Strategists on both sides agree on one thing: Nearly four months before Election Day, the political stakes could not be higher.
Russia-North Korea pact could dent China’s influence, but Beijing still holds sway over both
BEIJING (AP) — China appears to be keeping its distance as Russia and North Korea move closer to each other with a new defense pact that could tilt the balance of power among the three authoritarian states. Experts say the Chinese leadership likely is fretting the potential loss of influence over North Korea and how that could increase instability on the Korean Peninsula. Beijing so far has not commented on the deal and only reiterated boilerplate statements that it seeks to uphold peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and advance a political settlement of the North-South divide.
Navigating through darkness: Ukraine’s emergency blackouts return after Russia pounds infrastructure
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine is experiencing rolling blackouts as Russia intensified strikes targeting energy infrastructure over the past three months. Residents and businesses of Kyiv are adapting to the absence of electricity using generators, power banks and flashlights and even recalculating their bathroom visits. Heavy damage inflicted to country’s power system has left millions feeling uncertain about Ukraine’s ability to meet the national electricity demand when the cold season returns.
The Latest | Armenia recognizes a Palestinian state, as malnutrition spreads among children in Gaza
Armenia said it would recognize a Palestinian state, prompting Israel to summon its ambassador for what the Foreign Ministry described as a “severe reprimand.” Dozens of countries have recognized a Palestinian state, though none of the major Western powers has done so. Palestinians believe the recognitions confer international legitimacy on their struggle, especially amid international outrage over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The head of a major hospital in north Gaza said his staff have seen some 250 children suffering from malnutrition, with numbers rising daily due to acute food shortages.
Motion after motion puts Trump Florida case in slow motion as 3-day hearing begins
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — The federal judge presiding over the classified documents case against former President Donald Trump is hearing arguments Friday on a long-shot defense effort to get the indictment thrown out on grounds that the prosecutor who brought the charges was illegally appointed. The arguments Friday over the legality of special counsel Jack Smith’s appointment kick off a three-day hearing that is set to continue next week and bring further delays to a criminal case that had been scheduled for trial last month but has been snarled by a pileup of unresolved legal disputes. The trial date has been indefinitely canceled.
Here’s the landscape 2 years after the Supreme Court overturned a national right to abortion
Two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the debate over abortion access is playing out in elections and the courts. The 2022 ruling has opened the door for implementing bans in most GOP-controlled states, and some of those bans are being litigated. One study has found the number of abortions by the end of 2023 was higher per month than it was before the court ruling. But the patterns are different, with many of them involving out-of-state travel or abortion pills shipped into states with bans. Abortion is on the ballot in four states this year and may be on the ballot in several more.
Historic flooding in southern China kills 47, with more floods feared in coming days
BEIJING (AP) — At least 47 people have died as downpours in southern China’s Guangdong province caused historic flooding and slides, state media reported Friday, while authorities warned of more extreme weather in other parts of the country. State broadcaster CCTV said Friday afternoon that another 38 people were confirmed dead in the jurisdiction of Meizhou city, adding to nine others previously reported dead elsewhere in Meizhou. Heavy rains caused landslides, floods and mudslides that severely damaged eight townships in Pingyuan County, where the latest deaths were reported, CCTV said. The previous day, CCTV reported four deaths in Meizhou’s Meixian district, and five in Jiaoling County.
As millions sweat out the heat wave, blocks of lake ice keep these campers cool
SQUAM LAKE, N.H. (AP) — A heat wave is moving closer to the breaking point from the Midwest to New England, but there’s no immediate relief in sight for much of the rest of the country. The National Weather Service says the heat and humidity could send heat index readings above 100 degrees in many locations, possibly breaking all-time records. At one campground in New Hampshire, guests were keeping cool using blocks of ice harvested months earlier from a frozen lake. They were packed in sawdust until now, a tradition workers have kept for more than a century. The Weather Service predicts another scorching weekend elsewhere, with triple-digit highs in California and Arizona.
Gene therapy may cure rare diseases. But drugmakers have few incentives, leaving families desperate
The promise of gene therapy looms large for families dealing with rare, genetic disorders. Such treatments offer the possibility of one-time cures. But families and researchers worry such therapies will remain out of reach. About 350 million people worldwide suffer from rare diseases, most of which are genetic. But the individual disorders affect relatively few people. So there’s little commercial incentive to develop or bring these treatments to market. Scientists say this dynamic threatens to curb research and progress across the nascent field. Scientists, patients and families are scrambling for solutions, often turning to charitable organizations, patient groups and governments.
Should young kids have smartphones? These parents in Europe linked arms and said no
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Parents across Europe are rallying to make it normal for young kids to live smartphone-free. From Spain to Ireland and Britain, groups are ballooning on chat groups like WhatsApp and agreeing to link arms and refuse to buy children younger than 12 smartphones. Some say they shouldn’t have the devices until ages 14 or 16. In Spain, a messaging group on the topic grew to 10,000 parents. In Gravestones, Ireland, parents last year signed voluntary pledges to refrain from buying their children smartphones. In Britain, one WhatsApp group of parents devoted to giving their kids smartphone-free childhoods in three weeks drew likeminded parents from every British county.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
