House keys carry symbolic weight for Gaza families repeatedly displaced by war
MUWASI, Gaza Strip (AP) — Over nine months of war between Israel and Hamas, Palestinian families in Gaza have been uprooted repeatedly, driven back and forth across the territory to escape the fighting. Each time has meant a wrenching move to a new location and a series of crowded, temporary shelters. These displaced families don’t know when they’ll be allowed to return home, but they are determined not to let their house keys become keepsakes. One Palestinian man whose family has been uprooted four times said: “If my house key becomes just a memory with me moving forward, then I don’t want to live anymore.”
Biden looks to make the case at the NATO summit that he is still up for the job
WASHINGTON (AP) — NATO leaders are gathering in Washington this week as the military alliance confronts the prospect of the return of NATO skeptic Donald Trump to the White House. The summit kicks off Tuesday and heads of state will work to shore up transatlantic support for Ukraine in its battle against Russia. But for host President Joe Biden, it’s just as much about demonstrating he’s capable of meeting the grinding demands of the presidency for four more years. The president said his work at the summit would be a good way to judge his continued ability to do the job. His reelection campaign has been in a tailspin following a disastrous June 27 debate performance against Trump.
Trump returns to campaign trail with VP deadline nearing amid calls for Biden to withdraw
MIAMI (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is getting back on the campaign trail. He is rallying voters Tuesday at his flagship golf resort in the Miami suburb of Doral in a celebratory mood as Democrats face tough calls over President Joe Biden’s reelection chances. Trump is nearing a deadline of his own to announce his running mate but appears in no rush. Much of the attention is still centered on questions about Biden’s ability to govern for another four-year term after some Democrats started calling for him to step down as the nominee following his dismal debate performance.
Support for legal abortion has risen since Supreme Court eliminated protections, AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll finds that a solid majority of Americans oppose a federal abortion ban and that a rising number appear to support access to abortions for any reason. The findings from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey highlight a politically perilous situation for candidates who oppose abortion rights as the November election draws closer. Around six in ten Americans think a person should be able to obtain a legal abortion in their state for any reason, underscoring that views toward abortion may be getting more permissive in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade two years ago.
Tourists still flock to Death Valley amid searing US heat wave blamed for several deaths
DEATH VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of Europeans touring the American West and adventurers from around the U.S. are still being drawn to Death Valley National Park, even though the desolate region known as one of the Earth’s hottest places is being punished by a dangerous heat wave blamed for a motorcyclist’s death over the weekend. Much of the country is sweltering in heat wave that has seen dozens of locations in the West and Pacific Northwest tie or break previous heat records. Record daily high temperatures in Oregon are suspected in four deaths reported in the Portland area.
Some power restored in Houston after Hurricane Beryl, while storm spawns tornadoes as it moves east
HOUSTON (AP) — Power has started to come back for some of the millions of homes and businesses left in the dark when Hurricane Beryl slammed into the Houston area. The weakened storm, meanwhile, has moved east, spawning suspected tornadoes and causing more damage. The storm killed several people in Texas Monday and at least one person in Louisiana. After a peak Monday of more than 2.7 million customers around Houston without power, the numbers began improving to more than 2.4 million by Monday night. Beryl has since weakened into a tropical depression that unleashed suspected Louisiana and warning for tornadoes in Arkansas.
Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial begins with jury selection
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — Alec Baldwin’s trial in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer is about to begin. Jury selection starts Tuesday in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the actor’s trial on a charge of involuntary manslaughter that could get him 18 months in prison. The judge and attorneys in the case say they expect the 12 jurors will be seated in one day and opening statements can begin on Wednesday. Jurors will be tasked with deciding whether Baldwin committed a felony when a gun he was pointing at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during a rehearsal for the film “Rust” went off and killed her in 2021.
Here’s what to know about Boeing agreeing to plead guilty to fraud in 737 Max crashes
Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to fraud to settle charges stemming from the crashes of two of its 737 Max jets. If a judge in Texas accepts the deal, Boeing won’t have to go on trial. The plea deal was disclosed in a court filing late Sunday. It’s not yet a sure thing, however. Relatives of some of the passengers who died in the Max crashes have indicated they will ask a federal judge to throw out the agreement. Under the deal, Boeing will pay another fine, bringing the total to $487.2 million, and be required to invest at least $455 million in making additional safety improvements.
The far right seemed to have a lock on France’s legislative elections. Here’s why it didn’t win
PARIS (AP) — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen appeared to be nearer to power than ever last week after her National Rally party triumphed in the opening round of legislative elections. It looked like an impressive opening position to possibly win or get close to an absolute parliamentary majority in the decisive runoff. But what Le Pen hoped would be a watershed victory turned into another setback. Although her party won more National Assembly seats than ever, it again hit a wall of voters who don’t believe the National Rally should govern France or has shed its links to racism, antisemitism and the country’s still painful World War II past of collaboration with Nazi Germany.
Women gradually rise in Japanese politics but face deep challenges
TOKYO (AP) — Eight years ago Yuriko Koike became the first woman to lead Tokyo, beating her male predecessor. She won her third term Sunday and one of her closest rivals was a woman. Multiple women competing for a top political office is still rare in Japan. The country has a terrible global gender-equality ranking. But Koike’s win highlights a gradual rise in powerful female officials and a society more open to gender balance in politics. Politics in Japan is still overwhelmingly dominated by men even if a woman eventually becomes prime minister. And experts see a huge effort needed for equal representation.
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