Trump says Elon Musk could face 'serious consequences' if he backs Democratic candidates

BRIDGEWATER, N.J. (AP) — Donald Trump is not backing off his battle with Elon Musk. The president said Saturday that he has no desire to repair the relationship and warning that Musk could face ‘serious consequences’ if he tries to help Democrats in upcoming elections. Trump's latest comments to NBC News Saturday come as Vice President JD Vance is trying to downplay the feud between the world's richest man and its most politically powerful. It started with Musk's opposition to Trump's massive tax and spending plan pending on Capitol Hill. A social media exchange between the two men this week grew increasingly personal. Other Republicans in recent days have urged the two men to mend fences.

Russian attacks on eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv kill 4, wound more than two dozen

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine says that a large Russian drone-and-missile attack has targeted the eastern city of Kharkiv, killing at least three people and injuring 21. Local Ukrainian officials said the attack on Saturday included deadly aerial glide bombs. Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia struck with 215 missiles and drones overnight, and Ukrainian air defenses shot down and neutralized 87 drones and seven missiles. Kharkiv’s mayor Ihor Terekhov said the barrage also damaged 18 apartment buildings and 13 private homes. The intense attacks over the past weeks have further dampened hopes the warring sides could reach a peace deal anytime soon — especially after Kyiv recently embarrassed the Kremlin with a surprising drone attack on military airfields deep inside Russia.

Israel retrieves the body of a Thai hostage as 95 people are reported killed in Gaza

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel says it has retrieved the body of a Thai hostage abducted into Gaza during the 2023 Hamas-led attack that sparked the war. Nattapong Pinta had come to Israel to work in agriculture. Thais were the largest group of foreigners held captive by Hamas militants. There are now 55 hostages remaining in Gaza. Israel says more than half are dead. Gaza's health ministry says that Israel's military offensive has killed at least 95 people including several children in the past 24 hours. And a new aid distribution foundation says it didn't feed people Saturday and blamed Hamas threats.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia is back in the US, charged with human smuggling as attorneys vow ongoing fight

The fight over the mistaken deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to El Salvador now returns to the U.S. court system. Abrego Garcia appeared Friday in court for the first time since he was expelled, facing new charges related to a large human smuggling operation. He was placed in federal custody in Tennessee after being brought back to the U.S. The Trump administration alleges that long before his deportation, Abrego Garcia smuggled thousands of people across the country who were living in the U.S. illegally.  Abrego Garcia’s wife and lawyers offer a much different story, saying the now 29-year-old had as a teenager fled local gangs that terrorized his family for a life in Maryland.

The 911 presidency: Trump flexes emergency powers in his second term

WASHINGTON (AP) — Call it the 911 presidency. Despite insisting that the United States has rebounded from calamity under his watch, President Donald Trump is harnessing emergency powers unlike any of his predecessors. Whether it’s leveling punishing tariffs, deploying troops to the border or sidelining environmental regulations, Trump has relied on rules and laws intended only for use in extraordinary circumstances like war and invasion. An analysis by The Associated Press shows that 20% of Trump’s 150 executive orders have included some kind of emergency declaration, a proportion that far exceed those issued by any other recent president during entire four-year terms.

Trump's big bill also seeks to undo the big bills of Biden and Obama

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chiseling away at President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Rolling back the green energy tax breaks central to President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. At its core, the Republican “big, beautiful bill” is more than just an extension of tax breaks approved during President Donald Trump’s first term at the White House. The package is an attempt to undo, little by little, the signature domestic achievements of the past two Democratic presidents. House Speaker Mike Johnson says Republicans are going “to do what we said we were going to do.” But the bill's spending cuts pointed at the Democratic-led programs are causing the most political turmoil.

Trump attends UFC championship fight in New Jersey, taking a break from Musk feud for cage fights

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — President Donald Trump walked out to a thunderous standing ovation just ahead of the start of the UFC pay-per-view card at the Prudential Center, putting his public feud with tech billionaire Elon Musk on hold to instead watch the fierce battles inside the cage. Trump was accompanied Saturday night by UFC President Dana White and the pair headed to their cageside seats to Kid Rock’s “American Bad Ass.” Trump and White did the same for UFC’s card last November at Madison Square Garden, only then they were joined by Musk. Trump shook hands with fans and supporters including retired boxing champion Mike Tyson

Trump deploys California National Guard to LA to quell protests despite the governor's objections

PARAMOUNT, Calif. (AP) — President Donald Trump is deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops despite the governor’s objections to Los Angeles, where protests led to clashes between immigration authorities and demonstrators. Confrontations broke out again for a second day on Saturday. The White House said in a statement on Saturday that he was deploying the Guardsmen to “address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester” in California. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, objected to the move and said in a post on X that the move from the Republican president was “purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.”

What it would take to convert a jet from Qatar into Air Force One to safely fly Trump

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump grew impatient with how long it was taking to finish new planes to serve as Air Force One, so he started to look for other options. He found one in a luxury jumbo jet that Qatar was willing to sell — and now may be turning into a divisive gift. Assuming legal issues around the transfer are resolved, the next question is how long it will take to refurbish the Boeing 747 for presidential travel. That could span years and cost billions of dollars, meaning he might not get to use the plane during his term. If he’s in a rush and wants to cut corners, it’s a matter of how much risk he’s willing to take.

Salmonella outbreak tied to eggs sickens dozens across 7 states

Federal health officials say a salmonella outbreak linked to a large egg recall has made dozens of people sick in seven states in the West and Midwest. On Friday, the August Egg Company recalled about 1.7 million brown organic and brown cage-free egg varieties distributed to grocery stores because of the potential for salmonella. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say 79 people have gotten a strain of salmonella that was linked to the eggs, and 21 people have been hospitalized. The recall covers Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington and Wyoming.