Blinken delivers some of the strongest US public criticism of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken has delivered some of the Biden administration’s strongest public criticism yet of Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza. America’s top diplomat said in two television interviews that Israeli tactics have meant “a horrible loss of life of innocent civilians” but have failed to neutralize Hamas leaders and fighters and could drive a lasting insurgency. He underscored that the United States believes Israeli forces should “get out of Gaza,” but also is waiting to see credible plans from Israel for security and governance in the territory after the war.
Israel pushes deeper into Rafah and battles a regrouping Hamas in northern Gaza
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces are battling Palestinian militants across Gaza, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it cleared months ago. Neighboring Egypt has issued its strongest objection yet to Israel’s growing offensive on the southern city of Rafah, saying it intends to formally join South Africa’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. Rafah is considered the last refuge in Gaza for more than a million civilians as well as Hamas’ last stronghold. Israel says it must invade to dismantle Hamas and return scores of hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump’s hush money trial
NEW YORK (AP) — Michael Cohen is the most central witness for prosecutors in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial. But Trump’s fixer-turned-foe is also as challenging a star witness as they come. He’s expected to take the stand on Monday and offer jurors an insider’s view of the dealings at the heart of the case. The now-disbarred lawyer has a long history with Trump and has become a relentless Trump critic. There are question’s about Cohen’s credibility. He’s pleaded guilty to lying to Congress and a bank, but recently claimed under oath that he wasn’t truthful even in admitting to some of those falsehoods. Prosecutors says he’s just one piece of their case against Trump.
Russian President Putin appoints Sergei Shoigu as secretary of Russia’s national security council
The Kremlin says Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree appointing Sergei Shoigu as secretary of Russia’s national security council, replacing Nikolai Patrushev. The appointment Sunday comes after Putin proposed to appoint Andrei Belousov as the country’s defense minister instead of Shoigu, who has served in the post for years. The reshuffle comes as Putin starts his fifth presidential term and as the war in Ukraine drags on for the third year.
NYC’s Rikers Island jail gets a kid-friendly visitation room ahead of Mother’s Day
NEW YORK (AP) — The women’s section of Rikers Island is getting a redesigned and more kid-friendly visitation room ahead of Mother’s Day. Prison officials say a colorful, interactive play room will improve bonding between jailed mothers and their children. The visitation hub was designed and installed by the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and replicates exhibitions at the museum’s home on the Upper West Side. Museum leaders say the exhibits teach preschool skills like communication, sharing and literacy. Only 370 of Rikers Island’s 6,000 jailed residents are women. Similar child-friendly exhibits are planned to be rolled out in men’s visitor centers on the island over the next year.
More US parents than ever have paid leave this Mother’s Day – but most still don’t
NEW YORK (AP) — More working U.S. parents than ever are celebrating their first Mother’s Day with hard-fought access to paid time off to care for newborns. But the majority still must forego pay to care for new babies or other loved ones, even as efforts to expand paid parental and family leave gain traction. Bipartisan groups in the U.S. Senate and House have revived efforts to expand paid leave to more workers, with momentum building to introduce legislation this year. In the absence of a federal law, 13 states plus the District of Columbia have adopted paid family and medical leave laws.
Flash floods in northern Afghanistan sweep away livelihoods, leaving hundreds dead and missing
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Victims of the devastating floods in northern Afghanistan are burying the dead and looking for the loved ones still missing. The U.N. food agency estimates that unusually heavy seasonal rains have left more than 300 people dead and over 1,000 houses destroyed, most of them in the northern province of Baghlan, which bore the brunt of the deluges Friday. Aid group Save the Children said about 600,000 people, half of them children, live in the five districts in Baghlan that have been severely impacted by the floods. The group said it sent a “clinic on wheels” with mobile health and child protection teams to support children and their families.
US aims to stay ahead of China in using AI to fly fighter jets, navigate without GPS and more
WASHINGTON (AP) — When two U.S. fighter jets recently faced off in a dogfight in California, only one was piloted by a human. The other was flown by AI, in a display of how far the U.S. military has come in its use of artificial intelligence. But it’s only a hint of the technology on the horizon. Among the new projects is one that could help the military keep operating and navigate by magnetic fields if a GPS satellite is attacked. But there are significant concerns, especially when it comes to whether AI-enabled weapons will be able to select and strike targets on their own.
Election deniers: West Virginia voters must pick from GOP candidates who still dispute 2020 outcome
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia Republican primary voters will have a hard time finding a major candidate on the ballot in any statewide race who openly acknowledges President Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election. Embracing or skirting the line on election denialism has become an unspoken check-off among Republicans running for governor and Congress in one of states most loyal to Donald Trump. The slate of candidates in Tuesday’s primary includes a convicted Jan. 6 insurrectionist as well as the sons of two GOP members of West Virginia’s congressional delegation.
Caitlin Clark, much like Larry Bird, the focus of talks about race and double standards in sports
WNBA rookie Caitlin Clark, like NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird was 45 years ago, is involuntarily the focus of discussions about race and her transition to professional basketball. She is – and from all indications is content with — just being another basketball player trying to win a title. And though Clark hasn’t said anything to fuel the Black-white narrative surrounding her, talks are about a double standard are being had. Still, the race-based debate over perceived slights to Black players or favoritism toward Clark is not going away as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft prepares for her first regular-season game.