Iran’s president apologizes for strikes on neighbors as missiles and drones still pound their cities
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s president has apologized to Gulf neighbors as Iranian missiles and drones hit the region, suggesting Tehran’s political leadership could not exercise full command over the Islamic Republic’s armed forces. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday he told the armed forces to stop attacking nearby countries unless Iran was attacked. He still rejected U.S. calls for “unconditional surrender.” Iranian strikes triggered sirens in Bahrain and disruptions in Dubai, while Saudi Arabia said it intercepted drones and a missile. U.S. officials have warned more intense bombing of Iran lies ahead.
Trump administration and Democrats at odds over risk to US weapons stockpiles from Iran war
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran have raised concerns among Democrats and others about diminishing American stockpiles of certain weapons. It illustrates a long-standing production problem that some experts say could present challenges if another conflict emerges. Missile defense systems are in high demand, particularly in Ukraine and Israel. Their use in Iran has worried some Democratic lawmakers about sufficient stockpiles. The Trump administration has repeatedly said American forces have all of the weapons they need to fight the war in Iran.
Trump will join grieving families for the return of soldiers killed in war in the Middle East
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to attend the dignified transfer for the six U.S. soldiers killed in the Middle East. On Saturday afternoon, Trump will join their mourning families at Delaware’s Dover Air Force Base as the soldiers’ remains return to the United States. The soldiers died last week in a drone strike on a command center in Kuwait. They served with the 103rd Sustainment Command, a logistics unit based in Des Moines, Iowa. Trump has said bearing witness to a dignified transfer is “the toughest thing I have to do” as president.
At least 8 killed in Ukraine’s Kharkiv as Russian missile hits apartment building
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian officials say that at least eight people, including two children, have been killed and 10 others have been wounded by a Russian missile strike on a five-story residential building in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Saturday’s attack and called for an international response. He said that Russia struck Ukraine overnight with 29 missiles and 480 drones, targeting energy facilities in Kyiv and other central regions and damage reported in at least seven other locations across the country. In Kharkiv, in Ukraine’s northeast, emergency workers were still combing the rubble in the morning, looking for survivors.
Videos show US citizen’s shooting death in Texas last year by federal immigration agent
WASHINGTON (AP) — Newly released videos showing the fatal shooting of a U.S. citizen by a federal immigration agent in Texas last year call into question assertions by the Department of Homeland Security that a driver intentionally rammed an agent with his car. The footage released Friday comes nearly a year after the death of 23-year-old Ruben Ray Martinez. His death was the earliest of at least six fatal shootings by federal agents since a nationwide immigration crackdown was launched in President Donald Trump’s second term. A friend who was riding in the car with Martinez told investigators the driver had not intended to harm federal officers but panicked because he feared getting arrested for driving while intoxicated.
Trump looks to turn attention to Western Hemisphere, at least for a moment, at a regional summit
DORAL, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to gather with Latin American leaders at his Miami-area golf club. The event Saturday comes as his administration is trying to demonstrate it remains committed to sharpening its focus on the Western Hemisphere even as it deals with crises elsewhere. The summit comes just two months after Trump ordered a military operation to capture Venezuela’s then-president, Nicolás Maduro. Looming even larger is Trump’s decision to join with Israel to launch a war on Iran one week ago. The leaders of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay, and Trinidad and Tobago are set to attend.
Iran war deaths could resurface Trump’s complicated history with military sacrifice
President Donald Trump will visit Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Saturday to view the dignified transfer for six soldiers killed during his war with Iran. It’s delicate for any president to watch the flag-draped transfer cases return home from overseas, a solemn event that honors the dead but shines a spotlight on the human costs of the president’s decisions. The visit could be an especially fraught moment for Trump, whose comments on military service and sacrifice have prompted some of the biggest controversies of his decade in politics.
As citizen voting bill stalls in US Senate, some states forge ahead
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Strict citizen voting requirements sought by President Donald Trump have stalled in the U.S. Senate. But Republicans in some states are pressing ahead with similar measures. Bills requiring people to show proof of citizenship to register to vote won final approval this week in South Dakota and Utah. A similar measure has passed the Florida House. And supporters in Michigan turned in 750,000 petition signatures this week to try to get a proof-of-citizenship measure on the November ballot. Federal law already requires people registering to vote to affirm they are U.S. citizens. But Trump contends more proof should be required.
Tornadoes kill 6 people in Michigan and Oklahoma as powerful storms hit nation’s midsection
Powerful storms that spawned tornadoes killed four people in Michigan and two in Oklahoma. Friday’s severe weather reduced homes to rubble, sent parts of roofs flying into the air and left a trail of debris hanging from power lines. Authorities in Michigan say three people were killed and 12 were injured near Union City, after an apparent tornado hit. About 50 miles southwest, Cass County officials say one person was killed and several injured after a tornado touched down. Officials say another tornado in Beggs, Oklahoma, near Tulsa killed two people. The National Weather Service says severe weather is expected to continue Saturday across the nation’s midsection.
NFL teams are becoming more willing to trade two first-round picks for elite defensive players
Defense wins championships. That’s why NFL teams are becoming more willing to part with valuable draft picks for elite defenders. Trading two first-rounders for a player has been rare with fewer than 20 such deals over the past 40 years. However, three of those have occurred in the past 6 1/2 months and each was for a superstar defensive player. Five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby became the latest premier talent traded for two ones when the Baltimore Ravens acquired the 28-year-old star from the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday night, two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Friday night.