Strike on Israeli Golan Heights kills 11 and threatens to spark a wider war. Hezbollah denies a role
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A rocket strike at a soccer field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights has killed at least 11 children and teens. It’s the deadliest strike on an Israeli target along the country’s northern border since the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah began. It raised fears of a broader regional war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is warning that Hezbollah “will pay a heavy price for this attack, one that it has not paid so far.” Hezbollah has rushed to deny any role. Netanyahu is hurrying home from the United States. Israel says 20 other people were wounded.
An Israeli airstrike hits a school sheltering people in Gaza, killing at least 30 including children
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli airstrikes have hit a school being used by displaced Palestinians in central Gaza and killed at least 30 people including seven children. Saturday’s attack occurred as negotiators prepare to meet international mediators on Sunday to discuss a proposed cease-fire. Thousands of people had been sheltering at the girls’ school in Deir al-Balah. Israel’s military said it targeted a Hamas command and control center used to store weapons and plan attacks. Hamas denied it. Meanwhile, Israel’s military has ordered another evacuation of part of a designated humanitarian zone in Gaza ahead of a planned strike on Khan Younis.
Trump and Vance team up to campaign in Minnesota, a state that hasn’t backed the GOP in 52 years
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) — Donald Trump has wrapped up his rally in Minnesota as the presidential campaign enters a critical final 100-day stretch. The rally in St. Cloud on Saturday also featured his running mate, JD Vance. The rally was a gamble for Trump that could potentially force Democrats to devote resources to a state they might otherwise ignore. But it could also be a risk for the Republican nominee if he focuses on reach states instead of more traditional battlegrounds. Trump continued a pattern of escalating attacks against his likely opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, on crime and immigration. Harris spent Saturday fundraising in Massachusetts.
Harris holds her first fundraiser as the likely Democratic nominee as donors open their wallets
PITTSFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris held her first fundraiser since becoming the Democrats’ likely White House nominee as she looks to build on a record week of contributions since President Joe Biden ended his campaign for reelection. Harris was in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on Saturday hoping to raise more than $1.4 million, according to her campaign, from an audience of hundreds at the Colonial Theatre. Supporters for the fundraiser included musician James Taylor and many of the state’s Democratic heavyweights, such as Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, former Gov. Deval Patrick and Rep. Richie Neal. Harris took in more than $100 million in donations in the first 48 hours after Biden quit the race.
‘Gen Z feels the Kamalove’: Youth-led progressive groups hope Harris will energize young voters
CHICAGO (AP) — Youth-led progressive organizations have warned for months that Joe Biden had a problem with young voters, pleading with the president to work more closely with them to refocus on the issues most important to younger generations or risk losing their votes. But that changed when Biden exited the race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. With Biden out of the race, many of these young leaders are now hoping Harris can overcome his faltering support among Gen Z and harness a new explosion of energy among young voters. On Friday, a coalition of 17 youth-led groups endorsed Harris.
Firefighters helped by cooler weather battle blaze that has scorched area size of Los Angeles
FOREST RANCH, Calif. (AP) — Thousands of firefighters battling a wildfire in northern California are getting some help from the weather just hours after the blaze exploded in size, scorching an area larger than Los Angeles. Officials said Saturday that cooler temperatures and an increase in humidity could help slow the Park Fire, the largest this year in California. Its intensity and dramatic spread led officials to make unwelcome comparisons to the monstrous Paradise fire in 2018, which killed 85 people and torched 11,000 homes. Paradise again is near the danger zone. The entire town was under an evacuation warning, one of several communities in Butte County.
US-Japan security talks focus on bolstering military cooperation amid rising China threat
TOKYO (AP) — Japanese and U.S. defense chiefs and top diplomats will meet in Tokyo on Sunday for security talks aimed at further bolstering their military cooperation, including by upgrading U.S. forces command and strengthening American-licensed missile production in Japan. The allies increasingly operate together amid a rising threat from China. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will join their Japanese counterparts, Yoko Kamikawa and Minoru Kihara, at the “2+2” security talks, to reaffirm their alliance following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the November presidential race. They will hold their first talks on the U.S. commitment to “extended deterrence,” which includes nuclear weapons.
In a show of growing ties, Russian warships make a new visit to Cuban waters
HAVANA (AP) — Three Russian warships have arrived in Cuban waters, Moscow’s second such maritime voyage in as many months in a reflection of deepening ties between Russia and Cuba. The naval group, consisting of a training ship, patrol frigate, and refueling tanker, is expected to remain docked in Cuba’s port of Havana until July 30. The Sunday arrival of the vessels comes mere weeks after another squadron of Russian warships, including a powerful nuclear-powered submarine, visited Havana as part of planned military exercises last month. American officials closely tracked the mid-June military exercises, saying that the four-vessel group posed no real threat.
Technology’s grip on modern life is pushing us down a dimly lit path of digital landmines
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — “Move fast and break things,” a high-tech mantra popularized 20 years ago by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, was supposed to be a rallying cry for game-changing innovation. It now seems more like an elegy for a society perched on a digital foundation too fragile to withstand a defective software program that was supposed to help protect computers. The worldwide technology meltdown unleashed late last week by a flawed update installed by cybersecurity specialist CrowdStrike illustrated the digital pitfalls looming in a culture that takes the magic of technology for granted until it implodes into a horror show exposing our ignorance.
Drag queens shine at Olympics opening, but ‘Last Supper’ tableau draws criticism
PARIS (AP) — In an unprecedented display of inclusivity, drag queens took center stage at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, showcasing the vibrant and influential role of the French LGBTQ+ community. But it also attracted criticism over a tableau reminiscent of “The Last Supper.” Among their bold performances was a scene seemed to evoke Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” featuring the drag queens and other performers in a configuration reminiscent of Jesus Christ and his apostles. This segment drew significant attention and backlash from religious conservatives. But “Drag Race France” winner Le Filip said the segment surprised them and made them proud.
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