AP National

Associated Press ASPEN, Colorado (AP) — Ukraine’s defense minister said his country will find a way to withstand Russia’s invading forces even if Donald Trump wins a second term, jeopardizings vital U.S. support for its defense. Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reflected the diplomatic and military difficulty facing Ukraine as Trump and running mate JD Vance

Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Thousands of Nebraskans with felony convictions could be denied voting rights under an opinion from the state attorney general. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued an opinion Wednesday that says a law passed earlier this year to immediately restore the voting rights of people who’ve finished serving their felony

Associated Press BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The race for Louisiana’s new mostly Black congressional district is heating up as three candidates — including former congressman and longtime Democratic state Sen. Cleo Fields and former GOP lawmaker Elbert Guillory — officially submitted their political filings on Wednesday to run in the November election. Democrats are

WASHINGTON (AP) — NASA is canceling a water-seeking moon rover because of cost overruns and launch delays. The space agency announced the news Wednesday, days before the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. The Viper rover was supposed to launch in 2023 aboard a lander provided by Astrobotic Technology. But extra testing and

Associated Press EDINBURG, Texas (AP) — A prominent aid group along the U.S.-Mexico border asked a Texas judge on Wednesday to push back on a widening Republican-led investigation into nonprofits that help migrants, weeks after a separate court rejected efforts by the state to shutter an El Paso shelter. Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande

Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — The “tuna bond” scandal that shook Mozambique’s economy is washing into a U.S. court. Former Mozambican finance minister Manuel Chang is being tried on charges that he took bribes to secretly commit his country to huge loans that prosecutors say got looted. Chang has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy

Associated Press CONCORD, Mass. (AP) — Archeologists with the National Park Service say they have found musket balls that date back nearly 250 years and were fired during one of the first battles in the Revolutionary War. The five musket balls range in size from that of a pea to a marble. Colonial militia members

Associated Press BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts House and Senate negotiators have released a compromise version of a sweeping gun bill that supporters say builds on the state’s existing gun laws, including a crackdown on difficult-to-trace “ghost guns,” while safeguarding the rights of gun owners. The bill — which must be given final approval by both

Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The mother of a 3-year-old girl whose body was found in a San Francisco Bay Area recycling center over the weekend says she feared for her daughter’s well-being whenever the child was with her ex-husband, who authorities say died by suicide and is suspected in the child’s death. San

AP Diplomatic Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — In a relative rarity for presidential elections, both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have long records on foreign policy and clearly stated positions on many of the world’s hot spots. Trump’s allies at the Republican National Convention are expected to argue that Biden has weakened America’s

Associated Press JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — A federal judge has suspended the lease stemming from a 2022 oil and gas sale in Alaska’s Cook Inlet basin after finding problems with the environmental review it was based on. U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason ruled Tuesday that the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management failed in

TORONTO (AP) — Cleanup crews are working to get Canada’s largest city back to normal after a torrential downpour. Flooding in and around Toronto this week temporarily closed several major roads and left drivers stranded on Tuesday. Authorities say they rescued at least 14 people from flooding on the Don Valley Parkway. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Bob Menendez has shown no sign he will voluntarily resign from the Senate following his conviction on bribery charges, leaving Democratic senators contemplating an expulsion effort to force him from office. While Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, has six months remaining in his term, Democrats have made clear they

Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Attorneys for an inmate who’s spent 25 years on Georgia’s death row are accusing a prosecutor of hiding a deal that they say casts doubt on the credibility of a crucial trial witness. Warren King was sentenced to death in September 1998 after an Appling County jury convicted him

BEIJING (AP) — State media in China say that a fire at a shopping mall has killed 16 people in the southwestern Chinese city of Zigong. The official news agency Xinhua reported that firefighters and rescuers responded to the fire call shortly after 6 p.m. at the 14-story commercial building and that they pulled 75

Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a pair of misdemeanor charges stemming from a drug test at his New Mexico home in which he was accused of being hostile. Jones appeared seated next to his attorney as the pleas were entered on his behalf during

Associated Press LAS VEGAS (AP) — A Nevada justice of the peace who ran unsuccessfully for state treasurer in 2022 has been indicted on federal fraud charges. Michele Fiore is accused of using money donated for a memorial to two Las Vegas police officers killed on duty in 2014 for political campaign costs, rent and

Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee elections officials say any state registered voters among the thousands recently asked to prove their citizenship can stay on the voting rolls even if they don’t respond to the request. The American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee said last month it planned to sue the state over the

NANTUCKET, Mass. (AP) — The federal government has ordered an offshore wind developer off Nantucket Island to suspend operations after parts of a damaged turbine blade ended up littering beaches. Federal officials said Wednesday that operations at Vineyard Wind have been suspended until it can be determined whether the “blade failure” impacts other turbine blades.

ROME (AP) — Italian border police are looking for a truck driver who is shown on a widely circulated video whipping female migrants after he found them in the back of his truck near the French border. According to authorities, smugglers loaded the 12 Eritrean women on his truck at a rest stop near the

Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — A European aid worker who was arrested two months ago in Central African Republic over spying allegations has begun a hunger strike to protest the conditions of his detention. Both his family and the Portuguese honorary consul spoke to The Associated Press. Martin Joseph Figueira is a consultant for

Associated Press DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Nine crew members were rescued and another died as teams searched for others after an oil tanker capsized this week off the coast of Oman, according to the country’s state news agency. The tanker, the MT Prestige Falcon, had 16 crewmembers on board, mostly Indians, when it

AP Soccer Writer Lionel Messi is facing calls to apologize for racist chants made by Argentina players after they won the Copa America on Sunday. An Argentinean government official said Messi, who is the team captain, and the president of the country’s soccer federation, Claudio Tapia, should apologize after a video was shared on social

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Navy has exonerated 256 Black sailors who were found to be unjustly punished in 1944 following a horrific port explosion that killed hundreds of service members and exposed racist double standards among the then-segregated ranks. On July 17, 1944, munitions being loaded onto a cargo ship detonated, causing

Associated Press BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is to visit Serbia later this week to discuss a tentative deal with the Balkan country for the controversial excavation of lithium, a critical substance in making batteries for electric vehicles. The largest carmaker in Europe, Germany, wants to secure lithium for its electric vehicle

ALTO, Ga. (AP) — Sheriff’s deputies serving a warrant in another county have shot and killed two people in northeast Georgia on Tuesday. The Forysth County Sheriff’s Office says deputies were serving an arrest warrant on a sex offender for violating his probation in the Banks County town of Alto. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation

WOBURN, Mass. (AP) — Two men have been sentenced for their role in an armed standoff on a busy Massachusetts highway in 2021 that lasted more than eight hours and caused traffic delays during a busy Fourth of July weekend. Jamhal Tavon Sanders Latimer was sentenced Tuesday to three to five years in Middlesex Superior

Associated Press/Report for America PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. (AP) — The newest Coppola family property, The All-Movie, will soon host production companies and tourists in Peachtree City, an Atlanta suburb. Francis Ford Coppola originally purchased the property for the production of his latest film, “Megalopolis,” and the hotel will open its doors on July 25. Since

BASS RIVER, N.J. (AP) — Heavy rain overnight has helped firefighters gain more control over a forest fire burning at a military bombing range in the New Jersey Pinelands. The New Jersey Forest Fire Service says half an inch of rain fell overnight at the Warren Grove Air to Ground Range. The range is a

Associated Press There’s a lot to be said for the work/play energy of a nice studio or other small apartment during the day. But how do you bring that energy down to get a good night’s sleep? With electronics, cookery, clothes and books all in one space, it can be a challenge to create a

Associated Press MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former Trump White House official Peter Navarro, released from prison Wednesday, condemned the Biden administration for what he called the “weaponization” of the justice system, even as he pledged to offer a message of national unity when he speaks to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. In his first interview

Associated Press TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarusian authorities have expanded visa-free travel for residents of 35 European countries, including members of the European Union and the United Kingdom, as part of authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko’s efforts to improve relations with the West. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said Lukashenko has approved temporary visa-free travel for citizens

MOSCOW (AP) — The emergencies ministry in Belarus says six people died in a heavy weekend storm that swept through much of the country. Officials said some cities are still experiencing problems with water and electricity. The ministry reported that 330 cities and villages were damaged in Sunday’s storm in the Brest, Gomel and Mogilev

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s Cabinet has approved legislation that would impose tougher penalties on people who break through airport perimeters. It’s a response to incidents such as disruptive protests by climate activists. The bill, which must still be passed by lawmakers, foresees punishment ranging up to a two-year prison sentence for people who intentionally intrude

Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — A new lawsuit says extending the six-year terms of Georgia’s elected public service commissioners violates the state constitution. Georgia WAND Education Fund and Georgia Conservation Voters Education Fund in a Wednesday lawsuit, are trying to overturn the law passed this year allowing the five Republicans to serve longer terms. The

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A former Philadelphia homicide detective accused of beating a murder suspect to obtain a confession and then lying about it in court has been convicted of obstruction and perjury charges. Prosecutors say they’ll seek a prison term for 53-year-old James Pitts when he’s sentenced Oct. 4. But the judge overseeing the case

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan summoned a senior Afghan diplomat to strongly protest a deadly militant attack that left eight soldiers dead in the northwest bordering Afghanistan, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. A bomber rammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the ouster wall of an army housing complex on Monday in the city of Bannu in the

Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish parliamentary commission has begun debating a contentious bill to manage the country’s substantial stray dog population. Animal rights advocates fear the measure could result in a mass culling and are calling for its withdrawal. An estimated 4 million stray animals wander Turkey’s streets and rural areas. While

Associated Press MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) — Many farms, from buzzy vertical farming startups to traditional specialty crop growers, are marketing greenhouses as a way to shelter crops from climate extremes. They promise fresh produce closer to cities that won’t be harmed by drought, flooding or storms. But that promise overlooks the experience of the workers

Associated Press MOREHEAD, Ky. (AP) — To harvest tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, to clip herbs, to prune and propagate succulents, people work in oppressive heat and humidity. Some wring out shirts soaked with sweat. Some contend with headaches, dizziness and nausea. Some collapse. Some hover on the brink of exhaustion, backs straining, breathing heavily. Many

Associated Press SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A movie armorer has asked a judge to dismiss her involuntary manslaughter conviction or convene a new trial in the shooting death of a cinematographer by actor Alec Baldwin, alleging suppression of evidence and misconduct by the prosecution. In a court filing Tuesday, defense counsel for armorer Hannah

Chronicle of Philanthropy In the early 1980s, soon after graduating from college, Roy Cockrum was trying to make it as an actor in New York. He was hanging on by his fingernails, getting paid $40 a show for two supporting roles in the off-Broadway comedy “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom.” Then, in 2014, at age 58,

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech government says South Korea’s KHNP has won a lucrative public tender to build at least two nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic as the country tries to become more energy independent and wean itself off fossil fuels. Prime Minister Petr Fiala says the bid by the Korean company was better

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Accountability Committee issued a subpoena Wednesday to the Secret Service director compelling her to appear before the committee on Monday for what is scheduled to be the first congressional hearing into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. And even before

Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine and Russia have exchanged 95 prisoners of war each, three weeks after their last swap and as part of what have been occasional agreements to send captured troops home. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the Russian Defense Ministry reported the exchange Wednesday. The POW swap was the 54th

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Cyprus’ defense minister says plans are in motion to build a major naval base on the east Mediterranean island nation’s southern coast capable of hosting large ships from European Union countries and other nations to carry out a variety of missions including humanitarian aid deliveries to the tumultuous Middle East region.

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — More than 25 human rights groups are calling on the president of Uzbekistan to veto a proposed law that would allow foreigners to be deported or blocked from entry if they are deemed undesirable for a wide array of reasons including insulting the country. The legislation was passed by the lower

Associated Press DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Interpol has announced the outcome of a global operation targeting West African organized crime groups across five continents in 21 countries. The agency said Tuesday that police arrested 300 people, seized $3 million and blocked 720 bank accounts during “Operation Jackal III,” which ran from 10 April to 3

Associated Press BEIRUT (AP) — Shiite Muslims in Lebanon and Iraq are commemorating Ashoura, marking the 7th-century death of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein, while paying tribute to Palestinians as the Israel-Hamas war has entered its 10th month and tensions heighten between Hezbollah and the Israeli military. The rift between Islam’s two main sects deepened after

BERLIN (AP) — A German court has convicted a businessman of delivering electronic components to Russian firms associated with the production of military equipment, and sentenced him to six years and nine months in prison. The defendant, a German-Russian dual citizen, was convicted on Wednesday of violating export laws. The court also ordered the confiscation

Associated Press SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs says he’s running for lieutenant governor of California. Tubbs garnered widespread attention when he was elected mayor of his hometown in 2016 at just 26 years old. Tubbs launched a privately funded program that paid poor people $500 a month with no restrictions on

HELSINKI (AP) — Swedish police say the two bodies found in a burnt Danish-registered car in the city of Malmo during the weekend haven’t been identified yet and they are currently unable to confirm whether the victims are two British citizens reported missing. A police spokesman told the Swedish news agency, TT, “We can neither

Associated Press LONDON (AP) — Inflation in the U.K. held steady at the Bank of England’s target rate of 2% in June. The Office for National Statistics said Wednesday that the largest upward contribution came from restaurants and hotels, with some economists attributing the increases to Taylor Swift’s tour of the U.K. The biggest downward

SYDNEY (AP) — Papua New Guinea’s sidelined Petroleum Minister, Jimmy Maladina, will appear in a Sydney court in March to fight a charge of assaulting a woman during a domestic dispute. The 58-year-old appeared in the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday to have a hearing date set over the assault that allegedly occurred in