Iran warns the US against attacks on its oil tankers and other ships but ceasefire appears to hold
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's Revolutionary Guard navy has warned of a “heavy assault” on one of the U.S. bases in the region if Iranian oil tankers or commercial vessels are attacked. Iranian state TV reported the warning a day after the U.S. struck two Iranian oil tankers. Meanwhile, Bahrain says it has arrested dozens linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. The Persian Gulf country hosts the U.S. Navy’s regional headquarters. Britain is deploying a warship to the Middle East to protect commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz once hostilities end. Diplomacy continues as several countries call for a sustainable agreement to end the war.
Israeli drone strikes near Beirut kill 4 and southern airstrikes kill at least 13
BEIRUT (AP) — Three Israeli drone strikes on vehicles south of Beirut have killed four people. A series of airstrikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 13, including a man and his 12-year-old daughter, according to state media and the Health Ministry. The strikes on Saturday mark another escalation since a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah went into effect on April 17. Both sides have continued daily attacks despite the truce. The Health Ministry denounced the violence, calling it a violation of international humanitarian law. Lebanon and Israel have been in a state of war since 1948, with talks scheduled in Washington starting Thursday.
WHO head seeks to reassure residents of Spanish island where hantavirus-stricken ship is headed
TENERIFE, Spain (AP) — The head of the World Health Organization is seeking to reassure residents of the Spanish island of Tenerife worried about the anticipated arrival there of a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship. He issued a direct message to them Saturday stressing that the virus is “not another COVID.” The MV Hondius has more than 140 passengers and crew on board. It is headed to Spain’s Canary Islands, off the coast of West Africa. It is expected to arrive at the island of Tenerife early Sunday. Once there, the passengers and some crew will disembark. Officials say no one on the ship is currently showing symptoms of hantavirus.
Experts wonder 'Where is the CDC?' as a hantavirus outbreak unfolds on a cruise ship
NEW YORK (AP) — Public health experts are questioning the U.S. government's response to the hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship that involves Americans. President Donald Trump says “we seem to have things under very good control.” But experts and former government health officials say the response by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been feeble compared with how it dealt with similar outbreaks in the past. They say the CDC’s diminished role in the hantavirus outbreak is an indicator that the agency is no longer the force in international health or the protector of domestic health that it once was.
Tennessee redistricting plan splits Memphis neighbors and reshapes midterms as other states follow
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A new congressional map in Tennessee splits the majority-Black city of Memphis into three districts. The move by the Republican-controlled legislature follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that weakened parts of the landmark Voting Rights Act. And it may serve as an early example of how states may eliminate long-required majority-minority districts before the November elections. Republican-led states across the South are now taking steps to eliminate majority-Black districts. Memphis residents are concerned about being divided into new districts that include communities hundreds of miles away from their neighbors and about what it may mean for their representation in national politics.
President of Parks and Rec? Trump asserts authority over public spaces in DC
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is making significant changes to the nation's capital as he focuses on renovations and new projects. This week, he reviewed the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool that he's ordered repainted in "American flag blue." Trump has also proposed transforming East Potomac Park into a high-end golf course. Preservation advocates are concerned, and a federal judge has warned against excessive tree removal. Trump plans to have the Eisenhower Executive Office Building painted white at a cost to taxpayers of $7.5 million. Critics say these District of Columbia projects distract from pressing issues such as economic instability and military actions. Trump is undeterred.
Rejecting church and state separation is on the wish list for Trump's religious liberty commission
President Donald Trump's Religious Liberty Commission is preparing to make recommendations after more than a year of hearings. Commissioners have spoken about their wish lists for what they want to see in the report. They reflect the perspectives of the commission's largely conservative evangelical and Catholic membership. One idea is to increase avenues for religious expression in public schools and other public settings. Another is making public money more available to religious organizations. And there's a push for allowing for religious-based exemptions from regulations and classroom lessons. The commission's chair has repeatedly said "there is no separation of church and state.”
Person dies after being hit by Frontier Airlines plane that was taking off at Denver airport
A person has been killed after being struck by a plane on the runway at Denver International Airport during takeoff. The Frontier Airlines flight from Denver to Los Angeles reported the incident late Friday night. Frontier Airlines stated that smoke was reported in the cabin, leading pilots to abort takeoff. Passengers were evacuated via slides and taken to the terminal. According to the airline, the Airbus A321 carried 224 passengers and seven crew members. The National Transportation Safety Board has been notified, and the runway will stay closed during the investigation.
Bobby Cox, manager of Braves' teams that ruled National League and won 1995 World Series, dies at 84
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame manager Bobby Cox has died. Cox died Saturday in Marietta, Georgia, according to the Braves. Cox had a stroke in 2019. Cox managed the Braves to prominence during the 1990s and the team’s first championship in 1995. He took over a last-place team in June of 1990 and the next season led the Braves to a worst-to-first finish. Atlanta lost in the World Series to Minnesota in seven games. That was the start of a record 14 consecutive division titles. He managed the Braves for 25 years, retired after the 2010 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014. Bobby Cox was 84 years old.
Moscow marks Victory Day with a scaled down Red Square parade under tight security
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed confidence in a victory in Ukraine during a military parade in Moscow marking the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Security was tight Saturday as Putin and foreign leaders attended the event. The parade took place without tanks or heavy weapons, a first in nearly two decades. Officials cited the “current operational situation” for the change, although a U.S.-brokered ceasefire eased concerns about Ukrainian disruptions. Putin used the occasion to rally support for military action in Ukraine, emphasizing Russia's moral strength and unity.
