His country trained him to fight. Then he turned against it. More like him are doing the same
MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. (AP) — The number of U.S. service members and veterans who radicalize make up a tiny fraction of a percentage point of the millions and millions who have honorably served their country. But an Associated Press investigation has found that people with military backgrounds have been radicalizing at a faster rate than the general population. The investigation also found that extremist plots involving people with military backgrounds were more likely to involve weapons training or firearms than those plots that didn’t include someone with a military background. A Department of Defense official said it is “committed to understanding the root causes of extremism and ensuring that it does not gain a foothold within the Department.”
Harris and Trump say America tanks if they lose. So why the exuberance at their rallies?
Tune into a Donald Trump or Kamala Harris rally and you’ll hear a lot of grim talk. Trump pronounces his rivals evil and says they’re destroying the country. Harris calls Trump an existential threat to democracy and the foundations of American life. Yet their crowds are having a grand old time. They dance to the upbeat music, crack up at the jokes and soak up the candidate’s performance on stage. This seeming disconnect was on display in two rallies a day apart this week — Harris’ in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Trump’s in Atlanta. In a country tired of what politics has become, partisans are partying.
With time running out, Harris keeps focus on ‘blue wall’ states
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Kamala Harris is spending her week trying to shore up support in the “blue wall” states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. Her schedule reflects the Democratic nominee’s focus on her most likely path to victory over Republican candidate Donald Trump. Harris’ campaign says she’s not ceding ground in Sun Belt states like North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada even though most of her time is spent elsewhere. There’s only three weeks left for Harris and Trump to make their case to voters, and time is the most valuable resource for any candidate.
US long-range B-2 stealth bombers target underground bunkers of Yemen’s Houthi rebels
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. long-range B-2 stealth bombers launched airstrikes targeting underground bunkers used by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. It wasn’t immediately clear what damage was done in the strikes. However, it is incredibly rare for the B-2 Spirit to be used in the strikes targeting the Houthis, who have been attacking ships for months in the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the B-2 bombers targeted underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The U.S. gave no assessment of the damage from the strikes.
Middle East latest: An Israeli strike wounds 2 civilians, Syrian military says
Syria’s military says Israel carried out a strike in the coastal city of Latakia, wounding two civilians and damaging a military post. Israel regularly targets military sites in Syria linked to Iran and to Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group. It has escalated its campaign against Hezbollah in recent weeks, after a year of near-daily exchanges of cross-border fire. Lebanon says more than 2,300 people have been killed in the past year and 77% of public schools are out of service, either due to their use as shelters or their location in areas directly affected by the war.
Ukrainian president Zelenskyy heads to EU and NATO to seek backing for his ‘victory plan’
BRUSSELS (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is seeking support among European Union leaders for what he is calling his “victory plan” to end the devastating war with Russia. Zelenskyy will address European Union leaders holding a summit in Brussels on Thursday. Then, he’ll shuttle across town to meet with NATO defense ministers. The EU is a key supporter of Ukraine, a candidate member of the 27-nation bloc, as it wages a war against Russia’s invasion on the eastern edge of the continent. Zelenskyy outlined the five-point plan to Ukraine’s Parliament on Wednesday without disclosing confidential elements that have been presented in private to key allies, including the United States.
Death of ex-One Direction member Liam Payne at 31 sends shockwaves around the world
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Fans, music-industry figures and fellow musicians are paying tribute to former One Direction member Liam Payne. The singer died aged 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. Buenos Aires police said Payne fell from the third floor of the Casa Sur Hotel on Wednesday, resulting in “extremely serious injuries.” Medics confirmed his death on the spot. Payne was known as the tousle=headed, sensible one of the quintet that went from TV talent show “The X Factor” to a huge international following of swooning fans. After the band dissolved in 2016 he pursued a solo career. Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood, who performed with One Direction in 2014, said he was “shocked and saddened.”
McConnell called Trump ‘stupid” and ‘despicable’ in private after the 2020 election, a new book says
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said after the 2020 election that then-President Donald Trump was “stupid as well as being ill-tempered” and a “despicable human being.” That’s according to a new biography of McConnell that’ll be released this month. McConnell made the remarks in private as part of a series of personal oral histories that he made available to Michael Tackett, deputy Washington bureau chief of The Associated Press. Tackett’s book, “The Price of Power,” draws from almost three decades of McConnell’s recorded diaries and from several years of interviews with the normally reticent Kentucky Republican.
The Biden administration has now canceled loans for more than 1 million public workers
WASHINGTON (AP) — A student loan cancellation program for public workers has granted relief to more than 1 million Americans — up from just 7,000 who were approved before it was updated by the Biden administration two years ago. President Joe Biden announced the milestone on Thursday, saying his administration restored a promise to America’s teachers, firefighters, nurses and other public servants. He celebrated it even as his broader student loan plans remain halted by courts following legal challenges by Republican-led states. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program was created in 2007, but until recently the vast majority of applicants were rejected because of little-known rules.
A historically Black community grapples with lasting impacts after Baltimore bridge collapse
TURNER STATION, Md. (AP) — In the aftermath of the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse, residents of a historically Black community northeast of the city are facing an uncertain future. Many residents of this tiny peninsula had spent decades living in the shadow of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Now, some residents of Turner Station have seen their commute times increase drastically, making them question whether they can hold out until a new bridge is built. That could take several years. Others hope the massive construction project will help usher in a new chapter of revitalization for their struggling neighborhood, which was originally built to house Black steelworkers during segregation.