US paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S. That’s according to a senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, according to the official, with the focus of U.S. concern being the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban setting. More than 1 million civilians are sheltering in Rafah after evacuating other parts of Gaza amid Israel’s war on Hamas, which came after the militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
Israel seizes Gaza’s vital Rafah crossing, but the US says it isn’t the full invasion many fear
CAIRO (AP) — Israeli troops have seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing in what the White House described as a limited operation. Fears are mounting of a full-scale invasion of the city, and cease-fire talks with Hamas remain on a knife’s edge. The U.N. warned of a potential collapse of the flow of aid to Palestinians from the closure of Rafah and the other main crossing into Gaza at a time when officials say the northern part of the enclave is experiencing “full-blown famine.” The Israeli foray overnight into Tuesday came after hours of whiplash in the Israel-Hamas war. The militant group said Monday it accepted a cease-fire proposal that Israel insisted did not meet its core demands.
Inside the courtroom where Trump was forced to listen to Stormy Daniels
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump squirmed and scowled, shook his head and muttered as Stormy Daniels described the unexpected sex she says they had in a hotel nearly two decades ago. It was a story Daniels has told before. This time, Trump had no choice but to sit and listen. Years in the making, the in-person showdown between the former president and the porn actor happened Tuesday in a New York courtroom that has been the stage for Trump’s hush money trial. Trump denies her claims and has pleaded not guilty in the case. Trump is charged with falsifying business records related to a $130,000 payment to Daniels to keep quiet.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
MEULABOH, Indonesia (AP) — In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat that was carrying Rohingya refugees when it capsized off Indonesia. The U.N. says another 67 passengers, including at least 28 children, were killed. The Associated Press has interviewed eight surviving passengers who provided the first insights into what happened on board and why the boat capsized. They say the Indonesian captain and crew sexually assaulted four women and girls and grew angry when others refused to join the captain in his bedroom. Passengers say the captain then deliberately capsized the boat before fleeing with three crew members. Police say murder charges aren’t being considered. They’ve charged four people with people smuggling but haven’t found the captain.
After deadly Oklahoma tornado, storms bring twisters to the Midwest
DETROIT (AP) — Severe storms have battered parts of the Midwest, unleashing a curtain of heavy rain, gusty winds and tornadoes in the region. Tuesday’s severe weather outbreak comes a day after a deadly twister ripped through a small Oklahoma town and killed at least one person. Tornadoes were spotted after dark Tuesday in southwestern Michigan, northern Indiana and northwestern Ohio. Forecasters warn that the storms could stretch late into the night as portions of the three states are under a tornado watch. On Monday, powerful storms erupted across the central United States, bringing tornadoes to rural Oklahoma and large hail in parts of Kansas.
US, Australian and Philippine forces sink a ship during war drills in the disputed South China Sea
LAOAG, Philippines (AP) — Military forces from the United States, Australia, and the Philippines launched a barrage of high precision rockets and artillery as part of large scale war drills in the South China Sea that have antagonized Beijing. Military officials, diplomats and reporters watched the display of firepower from a hilltop above Laoag City on Wednesday. Washington and Beijing have been on a collision course over China’s increasingly assertive actions to defend its vast territorial claims in the South China Sea. In February last year, the Philippines approved a wider U.S. military presence in the archipelago. China opposed the move which puts US forces across the sea from Taiwan. The Philippines countered t has the right to defend its sovereignty and territorial interests.
Boy Scouts of America changing name to more inclusive Scouting America after years of woes
IRVING, Texas (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history. The Texas-based organization announced Tuesday that it will become Scouting America. It’s a significant shift for an organization that is seeking to move past the turmoil of bankruptcy and a flood of sexual abuse claims. The organization long steeped in tradition has made seismic changes in recent years, from allowing gay youth to welcoming girls into its ranks. CEO Roger Krone says the organization wants any youth in America to feel welcome. The name change to Scouting America will officially take effect next February for the organization’s 115th birthday.
Some colleges that had been permissive of pro-Palestinian protests begin taking a tougher stance
CHICAGO (AP) — Police in riot gear blocked access to the University of Chicago’s Quad early Tuesday. President Paul Alivisatos acknowledged the school’s role as a protector of freedom of speech but his message to the university community also took on an enough-is-enough stance. Just over 2,600 people have been arrested on the campuses of 50 colleges and universities since April 18, according to figures based on AP reporting and statements from universities and law enforcement agencies. Not all schools are taking such an approach. The president at Wesleyan University has commended the on-campus demonstration as an act of political expression.
Semi-automatic gun ban nixed in Colorado’s Democratic-controlled statehouse after historic progress
DENVER (AP) — Colorado’s Democratic-controlled Legislature has nixed a bill to ban the sale and transfer of semi-automatic firearms. The Colorado House passed the ban in a historic vote this year after roughly the same proposal was swiftly nixed last year. But some Senate Democrats are wary of such a proposal’s efficacy. They also worried it detracted from other more effective and less controversial gun control measures. That opposition in the Senate led one of the bill’s sponsors to request the legislation be put to rest Tuesday. It’s expected to be revived next year.
Transgender activists flood Utah tip line with hoax reports to block bathroom law enforcement
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Transgender activists have flooded a Utah tip line created to alert state officials to possible violations of a new bathroom law with thousands of hoax reports. The online portal already has received more than 10,000 submissions in its first week. The state auditor says none seem legitimate. Trans activists say the fake submissions are a form of peaceful protest meant to shield trans people who might be reported for possible violations. Their efforts mark the latest attempt by advocates to shut down or render unusable a government tip line that they argue sows division by encouraging residents to snitch on each other.