Hurricane Debby makes landfall in Florida as Category 1 storm and threatens catastrophic flooding
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Debby has made landfall in northern Florida as a Category 1 storm, bringing with it the potential for record-setting rains, catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Debby has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The storm made landfall Monday morning near Steinhatchee, a community of less than 1,000 residents in the Big Bend area of Florida’s Gulf Coast. The storm made landfall in one of the least populated areas of Florida, but forecasters warned heavy rain could spawn catastrophic flooding in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia. Nearly 214,000 customers were without power in Florida on Monday morning.
Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina resigns as widening unrest sees protesters storm her official residence
DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh’s prime minister has resigned and fled the country, after weeks of protests against a quota system for government jobs descended into violence and grew into a broader challenge to her 15-year rule. Thousands of demonstrators stormed her official residence and other buildings associated with her party and family on Monday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s departure threatens to create even more instability in the nation on India’s border that is already dealing with a series of crises, from high unemployment and corruption to climate change. After the embattled leader was seen on TV boarding a military helicopter with her sister, the country’s military chief sought to reassure a jittery nation that order would be restored.
Rally dates are set. Venues are chosen. The only thing missing for Harris’ blitz is her VP choice
WASHINGTON (AP) — The dates are set. The venues are chosen. The only thing missing from this week’s campaign blitz with Vice President Kamala Harris and her 2024 running mate is the name of that running mate. After a weekend spent interviewing finalists, Harris is set to decide as early as Monday on her choice before the two set off on a tour across key battleground states where they will introduce the new Democratic ticket to voters and highlight the states of the election. That means there’s not much time left for advocates for and against different picks to get in their final licks.
Dow drops 1,000 points, and Japanese stocks suffer worst crash since 1987 on U.S. economy worries
NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly everything on Wall Street is tumbling as fear about a slowing U.S. economy worsens and sets off another sell-off for financial markets around the world. The S&P 500 sank 3.1% in Monday morning trading. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,092 points, and the Nasdaq composite slid 3.6%. That followed a 12.4% plunge for Japan’s Nikkei 225, its worst day since 1987. Treasury yields pared their losses in the bond market after a report showed U.S. services businesses are continuing to grow. But worries are still high after Friday’s report showed U.S. employers pulled back on hiring last month by more than expected.
Israel-Hamas war latest: Hezbollah says it launched a drone attack on northern Israel
The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah says it launched a drone attack early Monday on northern Israel that the Israeli military said wounded two Israeli troops. The violence came amid fears of an all-out regional war following the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran. The attack did not appear to be the more intense retaliation that’s expected from Iran and its allied militias. The head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard has threatened Israel over the assassination of the Hamas leader, warning that Israel was “digging its own grave” with its actions.
UK prime minister talks of ‘standing army’ of police to deal with rioting across Britain
LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says a “standing army” of specialist police will be set up to deal with rioting and the justice system will be ramped up to deal with hundreds of arrests after violent disorder rocked cities across the nation over the past week. Starmer has held an urgent meeting with ministers and top law enforcement officials as he seeks to end violence and attacks on immigrants, mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. Starmer has called such attacks far-right thuggery. Misinformation spread online has whipped up anger over a stabbing rampage at a dance class that left three girls dead and many more wounded.
Focus on economy and answer the Harris ‘Freedom’ message: What GOP strategists think Trump should do
Republican strategists who have run campaigns against Donald Trump say they recognize what the former president is doing against Vice President Kamala Harris. Harris’ entry into the race after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid has changed basic assumptions about the campaign. Trump’s false attacks on Harris’ Black identity have top Republicans worried that Trump may lose a campaign they still see as favorable for him. They say he should focus on the economy and immigration. One former strategist for Florida Sen. Marco Rubio thinks Trump is road-testing messages and will eventually land on an effective attack line against Harris.
Voices across the globe express concern over increasing arrests in Venezuela after disputed election
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Voices across the globe are expressing concern over the growing number of arrests in Venezuela following last weekend’s disputed elections. Pope Francis said Venezuela is “living a critical situation” in his traditional homily Sunday at the Vatican. The remarks came hours after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced Saturday that the government has arrested 2,000 opponents. At a rally in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, Maduro pledged to detain more and send them to prison. A U.S. official said Sunday the Biden administration is concerned about the possibility of political instability if the arrests continue. The Pope appealed to all parties “to seek the truth, to avoid all kinds of violence.”
For female athletes of color, scrutiny around gender rules and identity is part of a long trend
PARIS (AP) — Female athletes of color have historically faced disproportionate scrutiny and discrimination when it comes to sex testing and false accusations that they are male or transgender. Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and Taiwanese boxer Lin Yu-Ting are the latest examples of women of color who have found themselves caught in a contentious debate around gender regulations and perceptions in sports. Historians and anthropologists say international sporting federations don’t tend to promote an understanding of diversity in sex and gender identity. They note that gender tests have often targeted female athletes of color who don’t conform to typically Western, white ideals of femininity.
Simone Biles finishes off her return to the Olympics with a silver on floor exercise
PARIS (AP) — American gymnast Simone Biles didn’t get the golden sendoff she hoped. Biles earned silver in the floor exercise finals on Monday after a routine that included a couple of costly steps out of bounds. Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade became the first gymnast to beat Biles in a floor final in a major international competition, posting a score of 14.166 that finished just ahead of Biles at 14.133. It was Biles’ 11th Olympic medal. Jordan Chiles, a longtime friend of Biles, earned the bronze.
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