Strong turnout in France’s high-stakes elections as support for the far right grows
PARIS (AP) — Voters across mainland France are casting ballots in the first round of early parliamentary elections. The two-round vote could put France’s government in the hands of far-right parties for the first time since the Nazi era. The outcome could impact European financial markets, Western support for Ukraine and management of France’s nuclear arsenal. Many French voters are frustrated about inflation and other economic concerns and see President Emmanuel Macron’s leadership as out-of-touch. Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration National Rally party has tapped that discontent and led in preelection polls. A new coalition on the left also poses a challenge to the moderate Macron.
American and British voters share deep roots. In 2024, they distrust their own leaders, too
DARTFORD, England (AP) — British and American voters are going to the polls the same year for the first time in more than three decades. Voters in both places tell The Associated Press they distrust the candidates and their governments. They say years of scandal, lies and misinformation have drained the optimism and excitement they might have felt. They don’t like the personal attacks that define the rematch between U.S. President Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump. In the U.K., the July 4 vote is more about an overwhelming appetite for change after 14 years under the Conservatives. July 4 provides an apt snapshot of one of the world’s biggest democracies and the country that gave rise to it, 250 years after they split.
Should gun store sales get special credit card tracking? States split on mandating or prohibiting it
A new national divide is emerging among states over whether to track sales by gun stores. A California law taking effect Monday will require credit card networks to provide banks with special retail codes to assign to gun stores. Advocates hope it will help flag suspicious purchases and avert mass shootings. By contrast, new laws taking effect in Georgia, Iowa, Tennessee and Wyoming will prohibit the use of special gun shop codes in financial transactions. A total of 17 states have passed some sort of limit on category codes for gun retailers, while California has been joined by Colorado and New York.
Hurricane Beryl strengthens into a Category 4 storm as it nears the southeast Caribbean
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Beryl has strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm as it approaches the southeast Caribbean. The region began shutting down Sunday amid urgent pleas from government officials for people to take shelter. Hurricane warnings are in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned Beryl was “forecast to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge … as an extremely dangerous hurricane.” Beryl is located about 335 miles or 570 kilometers east-southeast of Barbados. It has maximum sustained winds of 130 mph or 215 kph and is moving west at 21 mph or 33 kph.
For India’s garbage pickers, a miserable and dangerous job made worse by extreme heat
JAMMU, India (AP) — As many as 4 million people in India scratch out a living searching through landfills for anything they can sell. These waste pickers endure a miserable job that is growing more dangerous as climate change leads to rising heat. In the northern city of Jammu, this summer’s temperatures have regularly surpassed 43 degrees Celsius, or about 110 Fahrenheit. It’s not just the heat that’s dangerous. Summer means more landfill fires that release dangerous fumes from burning items like plastics. And even ordinary decomposition of garbage rises along with heat, increasing methane and carbon dioxide emissions. One garbage picker in Jammu, 65-year-old Usmaan Shekh, hopes to earn the equivalent of $4 a day. If he doesn’t work, his family doesn’t eat.
A private call of top Democrats fuels more insider anger about Biden’s debate performance
NEW YORK (AP) — A sense of deep concern is growing among some Democratic officials that leaders inside Joe Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee are not taking seriously enough the impact of the president’s troubling debate performance. DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison did not acknowledge Biden’s weak showing or the avalanche of criticism that followed during a Saturday afternoon call with dozens of DNC members from across the country. Instead, the chief Biden ally offered a rosy assessment of the president’s path forward. Participants described the call as a one-sided conversation that ignored pervasive fears among the committee’s rank and file about Biden’s ability to win in November. The chat function was disabled and there were no questions allowed during the call.
Zelenskyy appeals to West to relax targeting limits for Ukraine as glide bombs hammer front line
DONETSK REGION, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Russia had dropped more than 800 glide bombs in Ukraine in the past week alone and appealed to Western countries to further relax targeting restrictions inside Russia. The appeal was made as drone footage from Ukraine’s military released Sunday has shown what appears to be dead bodies in a civilian area in the embattled town of Toretsk in the east of the country. The town in the war-torn Donetsk region has come under heavy Russian bombardment in recent days, prompting a scaled-up evacuation effort by Ukrainian rescue services.
Parties and protests mark the culmination of LGBTQ+ Pride month in NYC, San Francisco and beyond
NEW YORK (AP) — The monthlong celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride will reach its exuberant grand finale as multitudes of rainbow-laden revelers hit the streets for marquee parades in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and elsewhere across the globe. The wide-ranging festivities Sunday will function as both jubilant parties and political protests. This year, tensions over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza have colored the celebrations, exposing divisions within the community that is normally aligned on social issues. Pro-Palestinian activists have already disrupted several pride events held this month. A heavy security presence is expected as marchers take to the streets.
Summer hours are a perk small businesses can offer to workers to boost morale
NEW YORK (AP) — With summer having gotten off to a scorching start, workers across the country may be dreaming of a seaside escape or cutting out early to watch a movie in an air-conditioned theater. For some, that can be a reality. Summer hours – a reduced schedule on Fridays offered usually between Memorial Day and Labor Day – are one way that smaller businesses can stand out to prospective employees in a competitive talent marketplace. Small business owners also say that offering summer hours can help boost morale in the right circumstances.
Hungary’s populist Orbán to take over EU presidency as many issues hang in the balance
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — When Hungary takes over the helm of the European Union on July 1, many politicians in Brussels will have the same thing on their minds: whether populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will use the role to further his reputation as the bloc’s main spoiler. Orbán in recent years has seemed to relish opportunities to block, water down or delay key EU decisions. He’s routinely gone against the grain of most other leaders on issues like the war in Ukraine and relations with Russia and China. Now, with a vow to “Make Europe Great Again” during Hungary’s EU presidency, Orbán needs to strike a balance between his anti-EU rhetoric and achieving his policy priorities.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
