South Korean soldiers fire warning shots after North Korean troops intrude for a second time this month
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s military says soldiers fired warning shots to repel North Korean soldiers who temporarily crossed the rivals’ land border for the second time this month. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said around 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the military demarcation line Tuesday morning. It said the North Korean soldiers retreated after the South broadcasted warnings and fired warning shots. The South’s military has observed increased North Korean construction activities along their heavily armed border to install suspected anti-tank barriers, reinforce roads and plant landmines. The South says the work has continued despite several explosions caused by mines that killed or injured an unspecified number of North Korean soldiers.
Before his summit with North Korea’s Kim, Putin vows they’ll beat sanctions together
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin is thanking North Korea for supporting his actions in Ukraine and says the two countries would work together to overcome U.S.-led sanctions. The comments were published Tuesday as the Russian leader was heading to Pyongyang to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Their countries are deepening their alignment in the face of intensifying confrontations with Washington. Putin’s comments appeared on North Korean state media hours before Putin’s expected arrival amid international concerns about the two countries’ expanding military cooperation.
Tens of millions in the US remain under dangerous heat warnings
PHOENIX (AP) — Extreme heat alerts remain in effect for tens of millions of people in the United States as cities including Chicago break heat records. States in the Midwest started to bake Monday in the dangerous heat wave that was expected to stretch from Iowa to Maine into at least Friday. The mid-Atlantic and New England are likely to see highs in the 90s as the week progresses. Excessive humidity will make it feel even more oppressive. The U.S. last year saw the most heat waves since 1936. Officials are warning people to take precautions, such as drinking plenty of water and staying indoors.
Netanyahu dissolved his war Cabinet. How will that affect cease-fire efforts?
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu disbanded his war Cabinet, consolidating his influence over the Israel-Hamas war and likely diminishing the odds of a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip anytime soon. Netanyahu announced the step days after his chief political rival, Benny Gantz, withdrew from the three-member war Cabinet. Gantz, a retired general and member of parliament, was widely seen as a voice of moderation. Major wartime policies will now be solely decided by Netanyahu’s security Cabinet — a larger body that is dominated by hard-liners who oppose the U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal and want to press ahead with the war.
Biden will announce deportation protection and work permits for spouses of US citizens
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is planning to announce a sweeping new policy that would lift the threat of deportation for tens of thousands of people married to U.S. citizens. It’s an aggressive election-year action on immigration that had been sought by many Democrats. Biden is hosting a White House event Tuesday to celebrate the Obama-era directive that offered deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. He will announce the new program then, according to three people briefed on the White House plans. The policy will allow roughly 490,000 spouses of U.S. citizens an opportunity to apply for a “parole in place” program, which would shield them from deportations and offer them work permits if they have lived in the country for at least 10 years.
The politics of memes: How Biden and Trump are fighting each other on the internet
WASHINGTON (AP) — Both presidential campaigns this year have embraced digital memes, the lingua franca of social media. Democratic President Joe Biden’s campaign even recently posted a job seeking a manager of meme pages. With tens of millions of people using social media as a primary information source, the battle of memes could affect who wins in November. Many Americans say they’re not excited about the likely rematch between Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump. Growing digital habits make it harder to reach people through traditional spaces for political advertising like print publications or television.
Majority of Americans favor forgiving medical debt, AP-NORC poll finds
NEW YORK (AP) — Majorities of Americans favor forgiving all or some of an individual’s medical debt if the person is facing hardships. That’s according to a new poll from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey found that about half of Americans say it’s extremely or very important for the U.S. government to provide debt relief for those who have yet to pay off medical treatments. Although reducing student loan debt has been a focus for President Joe Biden, the poll found that Americans are more likely to say medical debt relief should be a government priority.
When violence and trauma visit American places, a complex question follows: Demolish, or press on?
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Parkland. Uvalde. Columbine. Sandy Hook. A supermarket in Buffalo. A church in South Carolina. A synagogue in Pittsburgh. When violence comes to a public place, as it does all too often in our era, a delicate question lingers afterward: What should be done with the buildings where blood was shed? This question has been answered differently over the years. In addition to intense emotion, other factors in the decision-making include whether a community can afford to rebuild, and whether the site might be a draw for people sympathetic to the crime that happened there. Ultimately, it’s a community decision that turns out differently in different places.
When colleges close, students are left scrambling. Some never go back to school
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — More colleges around the country have been closing as they cope with steep declines in enrollment. That’s a consequence of both changing demographics and the effects of the pandemic. The closures in recent years have left tens of thousands of students in limbo — and at increased risk of never finishing their degrees at all. Students at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts were thrown into panic mode two weeks ago, as they got the startling news that their school would be shutting down within days. Many students are not sure what they will do next.
Celtics win 18th NBA championship with 106-88 Game 5 victory over Dallas Mavericks
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum had 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds as the Celtics topped the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 to claim the franchise’s 18th championship, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history. Boston earned its latest title on the 16th anniversary of hoisting its last Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2008. It marks the 13th championship won this century by one of the city’s Big 4 professional sports franchises. Jaylen Brown added 21 points. Jrue Holiday finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Luka Doncic finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds for Dallas, which failed to extend the series after avoiding a sweep with a 38-point win in Game 4.
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