Marathon US-Israel meeting produces optimism but no firm commitment to American plan for Gaza
JERUSALEM (AP) — A marathon meeting between U.S. negotiator Jared Kushner and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu left the fate of the Gaza ceasefire unclear. Officials signaled moderate optimism after Monday's talks but offered no concrete commitment by Israel to the latest US-proposed plan. American negotiators appeared to acquiesce to Israeli demands that Hamas disarmament must come before any reconstruction of the devastated Palestinian enclave. They did not publicly signal that Israel had made any commitments to withdraw its troops from the 60% of Gaza they currently occupy. That’s a major sticking point in the plan.
The 60-day deadline for an Iran peace deal is expiring. Here's where things stand
The 60-day deadline for an agreement to end the Iran war and resolve the dispute over its nuclear program is expiring. An interim agreement reached in June has collapsed, and Washington and Tehran are even further apart than they were then. Talks appear to be mostly indirect through mediators and have focused on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The crucial waterway for global energy has been largely closed by Iranian attacks on shipping. Iran has issued far-reaching demands for opening it, while the U.S. appears to be banking on economic pressure to get Tehran to back down. Fighting flared in July and could resume at any time.
Trump administration briefly pauses contentious border project in Texas' Big Bend National Park
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration says it is temporarily pausing construction of a controversial border construction project in the Big Bend National Park while the head of the agency tasked with building the wall visits Texas to do an “on-the-ground evaluation.” The project through the national park in southern Texas has faced fierce bipartisan opposition by critics who say it is marring a pristine environmental area and that the region’s rugged and remote terrain already serves as a deterrent to migrants and smugglers. Rodney Scott, who heads Customs and Border Protection which is tasked with building the wall, said in an announcement on X Monday that he was visiting Texas to do an evaluation.
ICE pitches legal insurance to help shield local officers who make immigration arrests
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is pitching a plan to help shield local police officers who make immigration arrests from possible financial consequences if they are accused of on-duty misconduct. A planning document released Friday says the agency is proposing to subsidize liability insurance for state and local officers who are trained and deputized to enforce federal immigration laws. ICE’s partnerships with local departments have soared since President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year and may get an additional boost with liability insurance by removing a hurdle that has made some local police departments reluctant to join. The Associated Press is the first to report on this insurance proposal.
Hayden Panettiere, who starred in ‘Heroes’ and ‘Nashville,’ dies at 36
Hayden Panettiere has died at age 36. The actor starred in television series including “Heroes” and “Nashville.” Police in Greenville, South Carolina, say Panettiere was found unresponsive at an apartment complex on Sunday. They say an autopsy found no signs of trauma and her death remains under investigation. Panettiere’s father announced the actor’s death in a statement provided to ABC News. Panettiere had a prolific career dating to 1996. She appeared in “Remember the Titans” and voiced Dot in the Disney animated movie “A Bug’s Life.” Her role as a superpowered cheerleader in “Heroes” propelled her to fame two decades ago.
Luigi Mangione’s state murder trial postponed indefinitely amid double jeopardy fight
NEW YORK (AP) — Luigi Mangione’s state murder trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson has been postponed indefinitely. His lawyers are seeking to have the case dismissed on double jeopardy grounds after Mangione pleaded guilty to federal charges last week. Judge Gregory Carro issued an order Monday canceling the Sept. 8 trial and giving the Manhattan District Attorney's office until Oct. 9 to respond. A hearing is set for Dec. 10. Mangione admitted to stalking and killing Thompson in 2024. Federal prosecutors are seeking life in prison, though guidelines suggest 24 to 30 years. Mangione's lawyers argue he's being punished twice for the same conduct.
US school vaccination rates inch down yet again and exemptions reach record high
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates have declined again, with exemptions reaching a record high. Federal data released Monday shows 4.2% of children are exempted from vaccine requirements, up from 3.6% the previous year. This marks the fourth consecutive year of rising exemption rates, mostly due to nonmedical reasons. Experts blame confusion in vaccination recommendations. The CDC reports a slight drop in measles-mumps-rubella shots, and that vaccination rates for polio and other diseases also are falling. The U.S. is experiencing its worst measles year since 1991. Some state health officials are urging parents to vaccinate their children as schools can be hot spots for outbreaks.
Flooding risk remains as storms move from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A deadly stretch of unsettled weather is continuing with thunderstorms, heavy rain and flash flooding an ongoing threat from the Midwest to the mid-Atlantic. The National Weather Service said repeated rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms would continue for one more day before a cold front sweeps the weather pattern off the East Coast Tuesday. Meanwhile, flash flood warnings were issued in parts of West Virginia, where one person died and residents were already cleaning up from a weekend deluge of rain. In Indiana, days of storms have left at least seven people dead. Elsewhere, high heat continues to scorch much of the South and Southwest.
A dispute about fact vs. fiction at the trial over Tupac Shakur's 1996 killing in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The trial has begun in Las Vegas for a man accused of orchestrating the killing of Tupac Shakur. A prosecutor told jurors during opening statements Monday that while few have been willing to speak about the 1996 shooting, Duane “Keffe D” Davis is the “one person who has a hard time being silent.” Davis was charged with murder nearly 30 years after the drive-by shooting. Prosecutors say he provided the gun to the person who killed Shakur. Davis published a tell-all memoir in 2019 that revived the cold case. His attorney argues the book was fictionalized to make a profit Davis has pleaded not guilty.
Ohio State and Oregon are 1-2 in the AP preseason Top 25, SEC leads conferences with 9 ranked teams
Ohio State and Oregon give the Big Ten Conference the top two teams in The Associated Press Top 25 preseason rankings for the first time in 65 years. The Buckeyes received 40 first-place votes in the poll of 69 media members. Oregon was No. 1 on 14 ballots. Ohio State is now tied with Alabama for second most preseason No. 1 rankings behind Oklahoma’s 10. Oregon has its highest preseason ranking in program history. Georgia, Notre Dame and Texas round out the top five. Defending national champion Indiana is No. 6 and followed by Miami, Texas A&M, Mississippi and Oklahoma.
