US charges Hamas leader, other militants in connection with Oct. 7 massacre in Israel
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� The Justice Department announced criminal charges Tuesday against Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and other senior militants in connection with the Oct. 7, 2023, rampage in Israel, marking the first effort by American law enforcement to formally call out the masterminds of the attack.
The seven-count criminal complaint filed in federal court in New York City includes charges such as conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death, conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals and conspiracy to finance terrorism. It also accuses Iran and Lebanon's Hezbollah of providing financial support, weapons, including rockets, and military supplies to Hamas for use in attacks.
The impact of the case may be mostly symbolic given that Sinwar is believed to be hiding in tunnels in Gaza and the Justice Department says three of the six defendants are believed now to be dead. But officials say additional actions are expected as part of a broader effort to target a militant group that the U.S. designated as a foreign terrorist organization in 1997 and that over the decades has been linked to a series of deadly attacks on Israel, including suicide bombings.
The complaint was originally filed under seal in February to give the U.S. time to try to take into custody then-Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and other defendants, but it was unsealed Tuesday after Haniyeh's death in July and other developments in the region lessened the need for secrecy, the Justice Department said.
"The charges unsealed today are just one part of our effort to target every aspect of Hamas鈥� operations,鈥� Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a video statement. 鈥淭hese actions will not be our last.鈥�
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Federal judge rejects Donald Trump's request to intervene in wake of hush money conviction
NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� A federal judge on Tuesday swiftly rejected Donald Trump鈥檚 request to intervene in his New York hush money criminal case, spurning the former president鈥檚 attempt at an end-run around the state court where he was convicted and is set to be sentenced in two weeks.
U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein鈥檚 ruling 鈥� just hours after Trump鈥檚 lawyers asked him to weigh the move 鈥� upends the Republican presidential nominee鈥檚 plan to move the case to federal court so that he could seek to have his conviction overturned in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court鈥檚 presidential immunity ruling.
Hellerstein, echoing his denial of Trump鈥檚 pretrial bid to move the case, said the defense failed to meet the high burden of proof for changing jurisdiction and that Trump's conviction for falsifying business records involved his personal life, not official actions that the Supreme Court ruled are immune from prosecution.
In a four-page ruling, Hellerstein wrote that nothing about the high court's July 1 ruling affected his previous conclusion that hush money payments at issue in Trump鈥檚 case 鈥渨ere private, unofficial acts, outside the bounds of executive authority.鈥�
Hellerstein sidestepped a defense complaint that Trump's state court trial had been plagued by 鈥渂ias, conflicts of interest, and appearances of impropriety," writing that he 鈥渄oes not have jurisdiction to hear Mr. Trump鈥檚 arguments concerning the propriety of the New York trial.鈥�
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Pope has packed first day in Indonesia with visits to president, clergy in test of stamina, health
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) 鈥� Pope Francis is opening his visit to Indonesia with a packed first day Wednesday, meeting political and religious leaders and setting a rigorous pace for an 11-day, four-nation trip through tropical Asia and Oceania that will test his stamina and health.
Francis鈥� first order of business was a meeting at the presidential palace with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, followed by his opening remarks before government authorities and the diplomatic corps. There, Francis is expected to press his hopes for continued interfaith harmony in a country with a tiny Catholic minority and the world's largest Muslim population.
In the afternoon, Francis meets with Indonesian clergy and nuns in Jakarta鈥檚 Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral for his traditional pep talk to the local church. Indonesia is home to the world's largest Catholic seminary and has long been a top source of priests and nuns for the Catholic Church, though their numbers today are not keeping pace with the growth in the overall Catholic population.
Francis' final appointment for the day was an encounter with schoolchildren who participate in after-school programs run by a foundation he has backed since his days as an Argentine archbishop.
Francis arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday to kick off the longest, farthest and most difficult trip of his pontificate given his myriad health problems. At 87, he uses a wheelchair, has regular bouts of bronchitis and has had multiple surgeries for intestinal problems.
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Former aide to 2 New York governors is charged with being an agent of the Chinese government
A former aide to two New York governors was charged Tuesday with acting as an illegal agent of the Chinese government who used her state positions to subtly advance Beijing鈥檚 agenda in exchange for financial benefits worth millions of dollars.
Linda Sun, who held numerous posts in New York state government, including deputy chief of staff for Gov. Kathy Hochul and deputy diversity officer for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was arrested Tuesday morning along with her husband, Chris Hu, at their $4 million home on Long Island.
Federal prosecutors said Sun, at the request of Chinese officials, blocked representatives of the Taiwanese government from having access to the governor's office and shaped New York governmental messaging to align with the priorities of the Chinese government, among other things.
In return, her husband got help for his business activities in China 鈥� a financial boost that prosecutors said allowed the couple to buy their multimillion-dollar property in Manhasset, New York, a condominium in Hawaii for $1.9 million, and luxury cars including a 2024 Ferrari, the indictment said.
Sun also received smaller gifts, the indictment said, including tickets to performances by a visiting Chinese orchestra and ballet groups and 鈥淣anjing-style salted ducks鈥� that were prepared by the personal chef of a Chinese government official and delivered to Sun鈥檚 parents鈥� home in New York.
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Russian missiles blast Ukrainian military academy and hospital, killing more than 50, officials say
POLTAVA, Ukraine (AP) 鈥� Two ballistic missiles blasted a military academy and nearby hospital Tuesday in Ukraine, killing more than 50 people and wounding more than 200 others, Ukrainian officials said, in one of the deadliest Russian strikes since the war began.
The missiles tore into the heart of the Poltava Military Institute of Communication's main building, causing several stories to collapse. It didn't take long for the smell of smoke and word of the deadly strike to spread through the central-eastern town.
鈥淧eople found themselves under the rubble. Many were saved,鈥� Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video posted on his Telegram channel. He ordered an investigation.
Shattered bricks were visible inside the closed gates of the institution, which was off-limits to the media, and small pools of blood could be seen just outside hours later. Field communications trucks were parked along the perimeter. Roads were covered in glass from shattered apartment windows.
鈥淚 heard explosions ... I was at home at that time. When I left the house, I realized that it was something evil and something bad," said Yevheniy Zemskyy, who arrived to volunteer his help. "I was worried about the children, the residents of Poltava. That鈥檚 why we are here today to help our city in any way we can.鈥�
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Harris to propose tenfold startup tax incentive increase she says will spur small business creation
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Vice President Kamala Harris plans to propose on Wednesday a tenfold increase in federal tax incentives for small business startup expenses, from $5,000 to $50,000, hoping to help spur a record 25 million new small business applications over her four-year term should she win the presidency in November.
She's set to unveil the plan during a campaign stop in the Portsmouth area of New Hampshire 鈥� marking a rare deviation from the Midwestern and Sunbelt battlegrounds the Democrat has focused on in her race against former Republican President Donald Trump.
A Harris campaign official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a policy plan that hadn't been released publicly, said Tuesday the change would cover the $40,000 it costs on average to start a business. The proposal would let new businesses wait to claim that deduction until they first turn a profit, to better maximize its impact lowering their taxes.
Such changes would likely require congressional approval. But a series of tax cuts approved during the Trump administration are set to expire at the end of next year, setting up a scenario where lawmakers may be ready to consider new tax policies. The proposal can help Harris show her support for entrepreneurs even as she's called for higher corporate tax rates.
Since President Joe Biden dropped his reelection bid and endorsed Harris in July, the vice president has focused on campaigning in the 鈥� blue wall 鈥� states of Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania that have been the centerpiece of Democratic campaigns that have won the White House in recent decades.
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What to know about delta-8 and other common vape shop drugs
They're sold in gas stations, vape shops, online and in other stores around the country in seemingly countless enticing forms: gummies, chocolate bars, chips. Their packaging lists things like delta-8 THC, micro- and macrodoses of 鈥減sychedelics鈥� and 鈥渘ootropics."
These substances are often sold through legal loopholes, despite concerns about potential health risks and a lack of oversight of how they're produced. And in the absence of federal rules, many states have banned or have tried to ban delta-8 THC.
Legal but under-regulated drugs are easy to come by, but experts say there are still a lot of uncertainties. Here's what to know.
Drug laws are often specific to the substance, so federal and state regulators are left chasing the newest chemical concoction.
Delta-8 THC exploded in popularity under the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, more commonly known as the Farm Bill. Under that law, hemp products and the cannabinoids that could be made from them were classified as distinct from marijuana.
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Condoms can't be trusted and boys don't cry in Catholic Paraguay's first sex ed program
ASUNCI脫N, Paraguay (AP) 鈥� Ahead of her 15th birthday, Diana Zalazar's body had gotten so big she could no longer squeeze into the dress she bought for her quincea帽era to celebrate her passage into womanhood in Paraguay.
Her mother sought help from a doctor, who suspected that growing inside of the 14-year-old Catholic choir girl could be a giant tumor. Next thing Zalazar knew, a gynecologist was wiping down the probe she鈥檇 applied to her belly and informing her that she was in her sixth month of pregnancy.
It made no sense to Zalazar, who had recently had sex for the first time without realizing it could make her pregnant.
In Catholic Paraguay, which has the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in South America, many young mothers explained their teen pregnancies to The Associated Press as the result of growing up in a country where parents avoid the birds and the bees talk at all costs and national sex education is indistinguishable from a hygiene lesson.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 decide to become a mother," Zalazar said. "I didn鈥檛 have a chance to choose because I didn鈥檛 have the knowledge.鈥�
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US Open: Navarro's first Grand Slam semifinal will be against Sabalenka. Taylor Fritz wins, too
NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Emma Navarro's first Grand Slam semifinal will come at the U.S. Open against Aryna Sabalenka, someone trying to win her second major trophy of the year and third overall.
Navarro, an American who is seeded 13th, used a stunning turnaround to grab the last six games of her quarterfinal against Paula Badosa for a 6-2, 7-5 victory at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday, following up her upset of defending champion Coco Gauff.
鈥淪ometimes you鈥檙e out in the court, and you can kind of picture yourself playing a third set. When I was out there, I didn鈥檛 picture myself playing a third set,鈥� despite being down 5-1 in the second, Navarro said. 鈥淚 felt like ... I could come back and do it in two.鈥�
Sure did.
There was no such drama in No. 2 Sabalenka's 6-1, 6-2 win against No. 7 Zheng Qinwen, the gold medalist at the Paris Olympics last month, in a rematch of Sabalenka's victory in the Australian Open final.
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This fall, Hollywood tries to balance box office with the ballot box
NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Three weeks after the U.S. presidential election in November, Ridley Scott will present his latest big-screen opus. 鈥淕ladiator II鈥� returns the prodigious filmmaker to ancient Rome for a story about a power, the survival of Rome and the fate of democracy.
鈥淗opefully,鈥� Scott says, 鈥渋t will be a good omen.鈥�
This fall, Hollywood will be trying 鈥� with everything from swaggering historical epics like 鈥淕ladiator II鈥� to the high-seas adventure of 鈥淢oana 2鈥� 鈥� to capture the nation鈥檚 attention at a time when much of it will be directed at the polls.
Already, Hollywood has played a co-starring role in the election. The Democratic Convention in August was packed with stars like Oprah Winfrey. Republican vice-presidential candidate, JD Vance, was first introduced to many by the 2020 big-screen adaptation of his 鈥淗illbilly Elegy.鈥� And it was George Clooney, who this month stars in the Apple Studios film 鈥淲olfs鈥� alongside Brad Pitt, who was one of the most prominent voices to urge President Joe Biden to step down from the race.
Hollywood, famously progressive, has always had to strike a balance between the liberal leanings of the majority of its creatives with the big-tent demands of pop culture. In recent years, that鈥檚 grown increasingly tricky.
The Associated Press
