Bolivian general arrested after apparent failed coup attempt as government faces new crisis
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — Armored vehicles rammed into the doors of Bolivia’s government palace Wednesday as President Luis Arce said the country faced an attempted coup and urged people to mobilize. He called for “democracy to be respected” in a message on his X account. Hours later, Arce announced new heads of the army, navy and air force amid the roar of supporters. The new army head ordered soldiers back to their barracks, and soon after troops and armored vehicles pulled back. Hours later, the Bolivian general who appeared to be behind the rebellion, Juan José Zúñiga, was arrested after the attorney general opened an investigation.
How the Biden-Trump debate could change the trajectory of the 2024 campaign
ATLANTA (AP) — Both President Joe Biden and his Republican rival, Donald Trump, hope to jolt a campaign that many voters are just beginning to watch. Thursday’s debate in Atlanta offers unparalleled opportunities for both candidates to try to shape the political narrative. For Biden, the debate gives him the chance to reassure voters that, at 81, he’s capable of guiding the U.S. through a range of challenges. The 78-year-old Trump, meanwhile, could use the moment to try to move past his recent felony conviction in New York. Their performances have the potential to alter the trajectory of the election.
FACT FOCUS: Here’s a look at the false claims you might hear during tonight’s presidential debate
From former President Donald Trump’s false claims of a failing economy and skyrocketing crime to President Joe Biden’s misrepresentation of inflation and gas prices at the start of his term, The Associated Press examines false and misleading statements made by the candidates as they prepare to face off in a debate Thursday night.
First candidate drops out of Iran presidential election, due to take place Friday amid voter apathy
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A candidate in Iran’s presidential election has withdrawn from the race, becoming the first to back out in order for hard-liners to coalesce around a unity candidate in the vote to replace the late President Ebrahim Raisi. Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi dropped his candidacy and urged other candidates to do the same “so that the front of the revolution will be strengthened.” Such withdrawals are common in the final hours of an Iranian presidential election, particularly in the last 24 hours before the vote is held when campaigns enter a mandatory quiet period without rallies. Ghazizadeh Hasehmi’s decision leaves five other candidates still in the race. Analysts and experts broadly see the race at the moment as a three-way contest between two hard-liners and a reformist candidate.
In the searing heat of the Gaza summer, Palestinians are surrounded by sewage and garbage
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — Children trudge through water contaminated with sewage and scale growing mounds of garbage in Gaza’s tent camps for displaced families. People relieve themselves in burlap-covered pits, with nowhere nearby to wash their hands. Gaza’s ability to dispose of garbage, treat sewage and deliver clean water is virtually decimated by eight months of war between Israel and Hamas. Aid groups say it’s made grim living conditions worse and raised health risks for hundreds of thousands of people deprived of adequate shelter, food and medicine. Hepatitis A cases are rising. Doctors fear a cholera outbreak is likely. Israeli authorities say they are engaging in efforts to improve the “hygiene situation.” But relief can’t come soon enough.
What is the federal law at the center of the Supreme Court’s latest abortion case?
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court appears ready to release an opinion that will allow doctors in Idaho to perform abortions to stabilize patients at least for now, despite the state’s strict abortion ban. The federal law has shaped emergency care over the last 40 years because it requires emergency rooms to stabilize patients with medical emergencies. It is a bipartisan law that was passed decades ago because doctors were dumping patients in bad condition in public hospitals. Doctors and the Biden administration have said that stabilizing treatment for pregnant patients may include terminating a pregnancy in rare, but dire, circumstances.
7 in 10 Americans think Supreme Court justices put ideology over impartiality: AP-NORC poll
WASHINGTON (AP) — As the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on a major case involving former President Donald Trump, 7 in 10 Americans think its justices are more likely to shape the law to fit their own ideology, rather than serving as neutral arbiters of government authority. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It found that less than one-third of U.S. adults think the justices are more likely to provide an independent check on other branches of government by being fair and impartial. Confidence in the Supreme Court remains low. Rank-and-file Republicans as well aren’t giving the justices a ringing endorsement.
Former Honduran president sentenced to 45 years for helping traffickers get tons of cocaine into US
NEW YORK (AP) — Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández has been sentenced to 45 years in prison and fined $8 million for enabling drug traffickers to use his military and national police force to help get tons of cocaine into the United States. The 55-year-old was sentenced in New York on Wednesday after a jury convicted him in March. His two-week trial in federal court was closely followed in his home country. Hernández was arrested at his home in Tegucigalpa, the Honduran capital, three months after leaving office in 2022 and was extradited to the U.S. Prosecutors say Hernández worked with drug traffickers as long ago as 2004, taking millions of dollars in bribes.
Few have flood insurance to help recover from devastating Midwest storms
SOUTH SIOUX CITY, Neb. (AP) — Many Midwestern homeowners hit by bad flooding this week do not have flood insurance. Data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency shows that the government has issued only about 26,500 policies across Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. Because bad floods are rare, many don’t realize they are at risk and need insurance. Others worry about the price. The lack of flood insurance will make it harder for some to recover and rebuild. There is help for the uninsured for basic needs like temporary housing, but they are generally less generous than insurance.
Nevada judge denies release of ex-gang leader ahead of trial in 1996 killing of Tupac Shakur
LAS VEGAS (AP) — An ailing former Los Angeles-area gang leader will stay in jail ahead of his trial in the 1996 killing of music legend Tupac Shakur in Las Vegas. A Nevada judge ruled Wednesday that she couldn’t determine if funds for Duane “Keffe D” Davis’ release were obtained legally — and that they didn’t hinge on a TV or movie deal. Davis has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder. His trial is scheduled for Nov. 4. Davis told the judge during a hearing Tuesday that he has cancer and wanted to post $750,000 bond and be released on house arrest pending trial. A Nevada law prohibits convicted killers from profiting from their crime.