Judge blocks Trump administration’s ending of legal protections for 1.1M Venezuelans and Haitians
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from ending temporary legal protections that have granted more than 1 million people from Haiti and Venezuela the right to live and work in the United States. The ruling Friday by U.S. District Judge Edward Chen of San Francisco for the plaintiffs means 600,000 Venezuelans whose temporary protections expired in April or whose protections were about to expire Sept. 10 have status to stay and work in the United States. It also keeps protections for about 500,000 Haitians. Chen said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s actions in terminating and vacating three extensions granted by the previous administration exceeded her statutory authority and were arbitrary and capricious.
AP reporting calls into question why and how Israel attacked a Gaza hospital
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Associated Press reporting into an Israeli attack that killed 22 people at a Gaza Strip hospital, including five journalists, raises questions about Israel’s rationale for the attack and the way it was carried out. Among those killed was Mariam Dagga, who worked for AP and other news organizations. The military struck a position known as a journalists’ gathering point, based on its conclusion that a camera was being used by Hamas to observe Israeli forces nearby because it had a towel draped over it, along with other unspecified intelligence. AP has gathered new evidence indicating the camera in question actually belonged to a Reuters video journalist who routinely covered his equipment with a white cloth to protect it from the sun.
Toddler evacuated from Gaza with rare disease recovers from malnutrition in Italian hospital
NAPLES, Italy (AP) — A Palestinian toddler is recovering after being evacuated from Gaza to a hospital in Italy for treatment of severe malnutrition worsened by a genetic metabolic disease. Little Shamm Qudeih was emaciated when she arrived last month. Since then, the toddler has gained more than a kilogram on a new diet. Just weeks ago, she was all skin and bones as she clung to her mother in a hospital in southern Gaza. A striking photo of her was taken by Associated Press freelance journalist Mariam Dagga just days before the child left Gaza. It was one of Dagga’s last images before she was killed in an Israeli strike on the same hospital.
Trump’s job market promises fall flat as hiring collapses and inflation ticks up
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. job market has gone from healthy to lethargic during President Donald Trump’s first seven months back in the White House. Friday’s jobs report showed employers added a mere 22,000 jobs in August, as the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.3%. Factories and construction firms shed workers. The new data exposed the widening gap between the booming economy Trump promised and the more anemic reality of what he’s managed to deliver so far. The White House prides itself on operating at a breakneck speed, but it’s now asking the American people for patience, with Trump saying better job numbers might be a year away.
Trump executive order aims to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War. He criticized the previous name as “woke” and said the new name is “more appropriate.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, now referred to as the “secretary of war,” emphasized a shift to “maximum lethality.” The change requires congressional approval, but Trump plans limited rebranding efforts to save money. This move is part of a broader effort to reshape the U.S. military and challenge progressive ideology. Supporters in Congress are proposing legislation to formalize the name change.
Trump says US will host next year’s G20 summit at his Florida golf club but he won’t make money
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says the U.S. will host next year’s Group of 20 summit at his golf club in southern Florida. In his first term, Trump tried to host a separate global summit at the club, located in Doral, but backed down after criticism from his own party about the propriety of doing so. On Friday, though, Trump argued it was “the best location” for the high-stakes international gathering and insisted his family’s business “will not make any money on it.” The president has nonetheless prided himself in blurring the line between domestic and global policy and generating profits for the Trump brand.
Homeland security official says 475 people were detained during an immigration raid in Georgia
ELLABELL, Ga. (AP) — U.S. immigration officials say some 475 people were detained during an immigration raid at a sprawling Georgia site where South Korean auto company Hyundai manufactures electric vehicles. South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jaewoong described the number of detained South Koreans as “large,” though he did not provide an exact figure. No charges were immediately announced. Officials from Homeland Security Investigations say the raid resulted from a monthslong investigation into allegations of illegal hiring at the site and was the largest single-site enforcement operation in the agency’s two-decade history.
Pentagon-funded research at colleges has aided the Chinese military, a House GOP report says
WASHINGTON (AP) — A congressional investigation finds the Pentagon has funded research involving collaboration with Chinese entities linked to China’s defense sector. Many of these entities are blacklisted by the U.S. government. The report by House Republicans on the Select Committee on China warns that U.S. technological know-how is being diverted to modernize China’s military. Friday’s report highlights concerns about the Defense Department’s research policies, which it says have allowed foreign adversaries to exploit American research. Committee Chairman Rep. John Moolenaar has proposed a bill to prohibit defense funding for projects involving problematic Chinese entities. Beijing has said that science and tech cooperation is mutually beneficial and helps the two sides cope with global challenges.
For some, a COVID-19 vaccine means jumping through hoops or hitting the road
The debut of updated COVID-19 vaccines has gotten off to a clunky start in many states. Limits on who can get the shots and prescription requirements are confusing customers and leaving some worried about whether they will get protection. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has insisted that everyone who wants a shot can get one, but he also told a Senate committee hearing that access “depends on the states.” Some places are working to improve that access. But it may take time for restrictions to ease and for vaccine seekers to adjust to how the system works now.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams says he won’t quit the race and is the only one who can beat Mamdani
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams has said again that he won’t end his reelection campaign. During a hastily convened news conference Friday, Adams stressed that he will remain in the race as reports swirl that he’s been approached about possibly taking a job in the Trump administration. He told reporters “I am running for reelection” and vowed to defeat the Democratic nominee, Zohran Mamdani. The mayor has spent the week fending off news reports that intermediaries for President Donald Trump have contacted people in his orbit to talk about whether he would consider abandoning his campaign to take a federal job.