US and Iran launch airstrikes after Trump blames Tehran for downing Army helicopter
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military launched airstrikes and Iran retaliated following the crash of an Army helicopter near the Strait of Hormuz that U.S. President Donald Trump blamed on the Islamic Republic. Iran launched attacks Wednesday morning in Bahrain and Kuwait, which both sounded alerts and fired air defenses in response. Iran also said it targeted an air base in Jordan hosting U.S. forces, which was not immediately acknowledged by American or Jordanian officials. The war that started Feb. 28 has shaken the global economy, and officials have been unable to turn the April ceasefire into a deal to permanently end the conflict.
The Latest: Platner clinches Democratic nomination for US Senate in Maine
Voters across Maine, Nevada, South Carolina and North Dakota have cast their ballots in another day of primary elections in America. Much of the political world was focused on Maine’s high-stakes U.S. Senate contest even though the results weren't in question. Neither Republican incumbent Sen. Susan Collins nor Democratic challenger Graham Platner faced serious opposition for their party’s nomination. Elsewhere, President Donald Trump’s clout within his party was being tested anew in states like South Carolina and Nevada, where he’s endorsed his favored candidates. Democrats hope to build momentum in Nevada in their broader push to reclaim key governor’s seats.
Graham Platner wins the Democratic primary for US Senate in Maine, will face GOP Sen. Susan Collins
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Graham Platner has won the Maine Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, setting up a high-stakes race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Platner is an oyster farmer and former chair of the planning board in the small town of Sullivan, has little political experience. But he has drawn hundreds of people to rallies around the state. He also has faced a series of controversies that have been the focus of GOP attacks. Democrats see Maine as a top opportunity to flip a GOP-held seat. It is the only state with a competitive Senate race where voters supported Democrat Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in 2024. Collins is the only Republican senator from New England.
Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton will face off in California governor’s race
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The November race to determine California’s next governor will pit a Democrat promising to cement the state’s status as a stronghold of liberal policies against a Republican pledging to dramatically reverse course. Democrat Xavier Becerra is a former state attorney general and U.S. health secretary. He says he is prepared to take on big challenges, including fights with President Donald Trump. Republican Steve Hilton is a conservative commentator backed by Trump. Hilton says he would bring much-needed change after more than 15 years of Democratic governance.
House passes $70B bill to fund immigration enforcement for 3 years, sending to Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have passed a nearly $70 billion bill to fund immigration enforcement agencies for the next three years and the rest of President Donald Trump's term in office. The bill now goes to Trump who is expected to sign it into law Wednesday. Democrats oppose the measure, with Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries saying the money would further fund Trump's “violent mass deportation machine.” Meanwhile, Republicans said they were fulfilling their duty to safeguard the nation and support the men and women charged with enforcing the law. The funding comes on top of the nearly $140 billion that the Republican-controlled Congress gave ICE and Customs and Border Protection last year as part of Trump’s massive tax and spending cuts bill.
Cuba's top envoy to US calls Trump's sanctions on Cuban leaders a 'pretext' for military action
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cuba’s top diplomat to the United States says recent sanctions targeting the island's leadership and the indictment of former President Raúl Castro are a “pretext” for the Trump administration to persuade the American people to support a U.S. military intervention in Cuba. In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera complained bitterly that the U.S. is targeting Cuban civilians with its decades-old embargo and new blockade of energy shipments to the island. She described the situation as “a war without bombs.” Trump has been threatening military action in Cuba for months, while his energy blockade has choked off fuel shipments.
Largest ICE detention facility wasted millions and put detainees at risk, report finds
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new report alleges that mismanagement at a massive Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Texas produced unsafe conditions that contributed to detainees’ deaths and suffering even as millions of tax dollars were wasted on contractors. The U.S. Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday documents serious problems at Camp East Montana, a tent facility at Fort Bliss in El Paso where three detainees have died in little more than six months. The report found that key evidence in one of those deaths was “missing or destroyed.” It also found that ICE rushed to open the camp before construction was complete and failed to conduct required oversight to ensure detainees were held in sanitary conditions and receiving adequate medical care.
Texas teen who fatally stabbed track athlete at school meet found guilty and sentenced to prison
MCKINNEY, Texas (AP) — A Texas teenager who fatally stabbed a 17-year-old athlete from a rival track team has been found guilty of murder. Jurors on Tuesday convicted 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony and sentenced him to 35 years in prison in the death of Austin Metcalf. The killing last year stunned the booming Dallas suburb of Frisco. Both teens attended different schools there. Prosecutors accused Anthony of egging on a confrontation after being asked to leave the tent of Metcalf's team. Anthony’s attorney claimed the stabbing was self-defense. The case drew wide attention, in part because of social media posts about race. Anthony is Black. Metcalf was white. But prosecutors and defense attorneys said the case had nothing to do with race.
Judge bars Alabama nitrogen gas execution, says method is unconstitutionally cruel
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge has permanently blocked Alabama from executing an inmate with nitrogen gas, declaring the method violates the ban on cruel and unusual punishment. U.S. District Judge Emily C. Marks issued the decision after an appeals court reversed her earlier ruling. Jeffery Lee was scheduled for execution Thursday. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office is appealing the decision. Marks noted the state has other execution methods, like lethal injection and the electric chair. She also mentioned the state could switch to a firing squad, which Lee prefers. Lee was convicted of capital murder in 1998.
Pope's youth rally in Spain gets raw, with frank discussion of depression and domestic violence
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Pope Leo XIV is presiding over a youth rally in Barcelona. It's notable for its frank discussion of depression, domestic violence and “toxic” family relationships. The American pope is urging young people to persevere in their faith when times are dark. The event featured several nods to Catalan culture, including a demonstration of the region’s famed human tower acrobats, known as castellers. Leo also spoke in Catalan, more than initially foreseen.
