Trump says he has begun arrangements for face-to-face meeting between Putin and Ukraine’s Zelenskyy
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he has begun arrangements for a face-to-face meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a pathway to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Trump says he discussed the matter with Putin following lengthy talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders Monday at the White House. Trump said the bilateral meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders would be followed by three-way talks that he would also attend.
What to know about Zelenskyy’s meeting with Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump is set to host Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders at the White House to discuss how to end Russia’s three-year war in Ukraine. Months of U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting haven’t made headway. The stakes have risen since Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. After that summit, Trump abandoned the requirement of reaching a ceasefire in order to hold further talks. He aligned with Putin’s position that negotiations should focus on a long-term settlement instead. The presence of several European leaders at the talks in Washington shows how central the conflict and any settlement is to wider security questions on the continent.
Texas Democrats end walkout over redistricting as California prepares to retaliate
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Democrats have ended a two-week walkout that stalled efforts to redraw congressional districts as part of a national partisan brawl over President Donald Trump’s desire to reshape U.S. House maps to his advantage. And California Democrats took new steps Monday toward redrawing their own congressional boundaries. Democrats’ return to the Texas Capitol will allow Republicans in Austin to satisfy Trump’s demands. Texas Democrats credit their California colleagues’ retaliatory measures for allowing them to return. The tit-for-tat puts the nation’s two most populous states at the center of an expanding fight over control of Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump vows to change how elections are run. The US Constitution doesn’t give him that power
President Donald Trump is vowing more changes to the way elections are conducted in the U.S., but based on the Constitution there is little to nothing he can do on his own. He pledged on his social media site that he would do away with mail voting, which remains popular and is used by about one-third of all voters. He also wants to eliminate voting machines, some form of which are used in almost all of the country’s thousands of election jurisdictions. The Constitution makes the states the entities that determine the “time, place and manner” of elections while allowing Congress to “make” or “alter” rules for federal elections.
Mississippi becomes fourth state to send National Guard troops to DC in expanding federal crackdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Mississippi National Guard will deploy 200 troops to Washington as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing federal policing and immigration efforts in the nation’s capital. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement Monday that he has approved the deployment of approximately 200 troops to Washington, D.C. Reeves said that crime is out of control and “something must be done.” Mississippi joins three other GOP-led states that have pledged to deploy hundreds of National Guard members to the nation’s capital to bolster the Republican administration’s operation to overhaul policing in the Democratic-led city through a federal crackdown on crime and homelessness.
Texas declares measles outbreak over
Health officials in Texas have declared the state’s measles outbreak over. The virus sickened 762 people since late January. Nearly 100 were hospitalized and two children died. State health data shows that the last outbreak-related measles case in Texas was on July 1. The cases were linked to outbreaks in Canada and Mexico and jumped to other states in the U.S. Measles is prevented by vaccine. State officials say they will keep monitoring for new cases. They credit testing, vaccination, monitoring and education with helping to end the outbreak.
Hamas accepts an Arab ceasefire proposal on Gaza as Palestinian death toll passes 62,000
RAFAH, Egypt (AP) — Hamas says it has accepted a new proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire in Gaza that would still need Israel’s approval. Israel indicates its positions haven’t changed. Gaza’s Health Ministry meanwhile says the Palestinian death toll has passed 62,000 from 22 months of war. Israel announced plans to reoccupy Gaza City and other heavily populated areas after ceasefire talks appeared to break down last month. Those plans have sparked international outrage and infuriated many Israelis who fear for the remaining hostages taken in the 2023 attack that sparked the war. A widened military offensive will worsen the humanitarian crisis.
Hurricane Erin forces evacuations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks but expected to stay offshore
Hurricane Erin is forcing evacuations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks as it churns in the Atlantic where high winds and heavy rain are pelting the Turks and Caicos Islands and parts of the Bahamas. Forecasters are confident that Erin will away from the eastern U.S. and won’t make landfall. But they do predict the hurricane will churn up dangerous rip currents along North Carolina’s barrier islands and could swamp roads with waves of 15 feet. Tropical storm and surge watches were issued Monday for much of the state’s coastline. The storm intensified again to a Category 4 storm on Monday with 140 mph winds.
‘Ketamine Queen’ accused of selling fatal dose to Matthew Perry agrees to plead guilty
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman charged with selling Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him has agreed to plead guilty. Jasveen Sangha becomes the fifth and final defendant charged in the overdose death of the “Friends” star to strike a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. The deal means the 42-year-old will avoid a trial that had been planned for September. Prosecutors cast Sangha as a prolific drug dealer who was known to her customers as the “Ketamine Queen.” According to court documents she sold Perry 25 vials of ketamine four days before his death from an overdose of the drug.
No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Penn St each place 3 players on Associated Press preseason All-America first team
No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Penn State each had three players selected for the preseason AP All-America team. The Southeastern Conference had 12 players on the 27-man first team determined by media members on the AP Top 25 voting panel. Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Pittsburgh each had two players on the first team. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Florida center Jake Slaughter are returning first-team AP All-Americans. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik was the overwhelming preseason choice for first-team quarterback after throwing for 3,639 yards with 39 touchdowns and just six interceptions.