Harris defends shifting from some liberal positions in first interview of presidential campaign
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday defended shifting away from her some of her more liberal positions in her first major television interview of her presidential campaign. But she insisted her “values have not changed,” even as she is “seeking consensus.” Sitting with her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris was asked about changes in her policies over the years, specifically her reversals on fracking and decriminalizing illegal border crossings. The CNN interview comes as voters are still trying to learn more about the Democratic ticket under an unusually compressed time frame. Joe Biden stepped down just five weeks ago.
Trump seeks to activate his base at Moms for Liberty gathering but risks alienating moderate voters
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is set to appear at the annual gathering of the group Moms for Liberty. The national nonprofit has spearheaded efforts to get mentions of LGBTQ+ identity and structural racism out of K-12 classrooms. The “fireside chat” with Trump on Friday night will serve to shore up his support with a key part of his base, conservatives who agree with him that parents should have a larger say in education. Yet the former president also runs the risk of alienating moderate voters who view Moms for Liberty’s activism as too extreme. Trump will first visit Johnstown, Pennsylvania, for a rally.
When the US left Kabul, these Americans tried to help Afghans left behind. It still haunts them
Three years ago, the U.S. military withdrew from Afghanistan when the last American plane departed Kabul. But for some Americans, that was not the end of the story. In the three years since, a smattering of volunteers in the United States have worked to get some of the nation’s Afghan allies out of the Taliban-controlled country and into new lives abroad. Sometimes they work alone. Sometimes the work has been frustrating and has affected their mental health. They see it as a duty for those left behind who helped Americans at great risk to their own safety. And, they say, they need to fill in where the U.S. government hasn’t.
Israel kills a top militant in its deadliest West Bank raids since the Gaza war began
TULKAREM, West Bank (AP) — The Israeli military says it has killed five more militants, including a local commander, in the occupied West Bank. The army has pressed ahead with what appears to be the deadliest military operation in the occupied territory since the start of the war in Gaza. Israel says the raids are aimed at preventing attacks. The raids have killed a total of 16 people, nearly all militants, since late Tuesday. The Palestinians see them as a widening of the war in Gaza aimed at perpetuating Israel’s decades-long military rule. The Islamic Jihad militant group confirmed that Mohammed Jaber, known as Abu Shujaa, was killed early Thursday.
Challenges of the Gaza humanitarian aid pier offer lessons for the US Army
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army commander in charge of the U.S. military’s Gaza pier project says the mission was the biggest “organizational leadership challenge” he has ever experienced. The service dealt with the wild combination of turbulent weather, security threats and sweeping personnel restrictions. Speaking to The Associated Press after much of the unit returned home, Col. Sam Miller said the Army learned a number of lessons during the four-month mission. A different senior Army official says one of the takeaways is that the service needs to train under more challenging conditions to be better prepared for bad weather and other issues they had to face.
10 years after Ferguson, Black students still are kicked out of school at higher rates
In the decade since Black Lives Matter, a spotlight has shined on inequity in education outcomes and, in particular, how exclusionary discipline disproportionately affects Black children. They are more likely to be suspended, missing crucial instructional time and falling behind, beginning a cycle that increasingly disconnects them from school. The past decade has seen some progress in lowering suspension rates for Black students. But massive disparities persist, according to a review of discipline data in key states by The Associated Press.
How one Brazilian judge could suspend Musk’s X in the coming hours
SAO PAULO (AP) — A Brazilian Supreme Court justice could shut down the local operation of X nationwide on Thursday if its billionaire owner Elon Musk doesn’t name a legal representative by this evening. Earlier this month, X removed its remaining legal representative in Brazil, saying that de Moraes had threatened her with arrest. On Wednesday, the Justice ordered the social media platform appointed a new representative within 24 hours, based on his interpretation that local legislation requires foreign companies to have legal representation to operate in the country.
Grand Canyon visitors move to hotels outside the park after unprecedented breaks in water pipeline
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Ariz. (AP) — Tourists with plans to stay at Grand Canyon National Park over Labor Day weekend were forced to move Thursday to accommodations outside the park. It marked the first day of sudden closures for overnight hotel stays after the park’s only water pipeline failed. The restrictions will run throughout the holiday, when hotels were near or at capacity. One hotel inside the park says it had to cancel nearly 1,000 reservations for the weekend. But the park will remain open during the day, and officials say hotels outside the park in the town of Tusayan won’t be affected.
Doctor charged in connection with Matthew Perry’s death to appear in court after plea deal
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A San Diego doctor charged as part of the investigation of the overdose death of Matthew Perry is expected to plead guilty in a federal court in Los Angeles. Dr. Mark Chavez is set to appear in front of a judge Friday. He has agreed to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. The “Friends” star died last year of an overdose of the powerful surgical anesthetic. Chavez and two others have pleaded guilty in the case and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors as they go after bigger targets, including the doctor Chavez admitted to working with to sell the drug to Perry.
No. 1 seeds Sinner, Swiatek move into the third round at the US Open; Alcaraz, Osaka eliminated
NEW YORK (AP) — Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner have flashed their No. 1 form with powerful performances that moved them into the third round of the U.S. Open. Carlos Alcaraz and Naomi Osaka couldn’t quite find the games that once had them on top of the rankings. Swiatek raced by Japanese qualifier Ena Shibahara 6-0, 6-1, finishing off the match in 65 minutes. It took the 2022 U.S. Open champion longer than that to play the second set of her first-round match, when she needed a tiebreaker that she eventually closed out in 72 minutes. Sinner downed Alex Michelsen 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 in 1 hour, 39 minutes.