Israeli fire again kills Gaza aid-seekers as US envoy meets with hostages' families

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Witnesses and health workers say Israeli forces opened fire near two aid distribution sites run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as crowds of hungry Palestinians sought food. They say at least 10 people were killed Saturday. That's a day after U.S. officials visited a GHF site and the U.S. ambassador called the troubled system “an incredible feat.” Nearly a week has passed since Israel announced humanitarian pauses and airdrops meant to get more food to Gaza’s over 2 million people. Israel is under international pressure amid scenes of starving children. The United Nations says far too little aid still comes in.

It's Trump's economy now. The latest financial numbers offer some warning signs

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's economic policies are facing scrutiny as weak indicators emerge. Job gains are dwindling, inflation is rising and growth has slowed compared to last year. More than six months into his term, Trump's tariffs and tax changes have reshaped the economy. On Friday, a bleak jobs report showed a decline in manufacturing jobs, and Trump fired the head of the agency responsible for the data. Critics warn that Trump's aggressive use of tariffs and tax changes could backfire. The White House, however, remains optimistic, claiming the best is yet to come.

From Laos to Brazil, Trump's tariffs leave a lot of losers. But even the winners will pay a price

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s tariff onslaught this week left a lot of losers – from small, poor countries like Laos and Algeria to wealthy U.S. trading partners like Canada and Switzerland. They’re now facing hefty taxes – tariffs – on the products they export to the United States. What’s unclear is whether there will ultimately be any winners – even in the United States, the intended beneficiary of Trump’s protectionist policies. Trump’s trade war has pushed the average U.S. tariff from 2.5% at the start of 2025 to 18.3% now, the highest since 1934, according to the Budget Lab at Yale University. One expert at the New York Law School said that “in many respects, everybody’s a loser here.’’

Limited options for Democrats to retaliate if Texas Republicans redraw congressional map

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some Republican-controlled states are moving to redraw legislative maps to pad their party's narrow House majority in Washington. They're acting at President Donald Trump's urging, and that's forced Democrats to rethink their embrace of a nonpartisan approach to line-drawing. In many Democratic-controlled states, independent commissions rather than the state legislature handle redistricting. That means Democrats have few options to match Republicans, who are redrawing the congressional map in Texas to carve out as many as five new winnable seats for the GOP. That could be enough to prevent Democrats from winning back the majority in the midterm elections near year.

DeSantis set a Florida record for executions. It's driving a national increase

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Under Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida has executed more people so far this year than any other state, setting a new state record. Across the country, more people have been executed in the first seven months of this year than in all of 2024. Florida's increase is putting the country on track to surpass 2015’s total of 28 executions. Little is publicly known about how the governor decides whose death warrant to sign and when. DeSantis has said he takes capital cases “very seriously” and that for some crimes, “the only appropriate punishment is the death penalty.”

Pope Leo XIV urges over 1 million Catholic young people to spread faith and enthusiasm

ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV has urged over a million Catholic youths to spread their faith and enthusiasm as they return to 150 countries. This call came during a Mass on Sunday, closing a weeklong event for young Catholics. The gathering, part of the Jubilee of Youth, saw participants camping in fields southeast of Rome. The Vatican reported more than a million attendees, including 7,000 priests and 450 bishops. Despite rain, spirits remained high. Sadly, two young pilgrims died, and a third was hospitalized. The event is part of the Holy Year, expected to draw millions to the Vatican.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires brings unhealthy air to large swaths of the Midwest

Smoke from Canadian wildfires hovered over several Midwestern states Saturday, bringing warnings of unhealthy air. Air quality alerts were in effect in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as eastern Nebraska and parts of Indiana and Illinois. Forecasters said the smoky skies would remain for much of the day. People with lung disease, heart disease, children, older adults and pregnant women are most susceptible to the poor breathing conditions and are advised to stay indoors.

College isn't in the plans for many rural students despite stepped-up recruiting efforts

PERRY, N.Y. (AP) — America’s rural high school students are less likely to go to college than their urban and suburban peers. Students in the most sparsely populated regions often face obstacles to attending college, including having to travel far to get to campus, a lack of public transportation, and inconsistent broadband access that limits access to online courses and financial aid. Family dynamics also often factor in, including a lack of exposure to college because parents didn’t attend and an underlying doubt about the value of a college degree and curriculum. Some colleges have stepped up efforts to recruit rural students.

What to know if you're at risk of having your wages garnished over student loan debt

NEW YORK (AP) — Millions of student borrowers could begin having their wages garnished as soon as this summer. That's according to estimates from credit bureau TransUnion. The company predicts that by August roughly 3 million borrowers could move into default, meaning they’re 270 days past due on payments. At that point, loan holders are at risk of having 15% of their pay docked by the government, with the money going toward the outstanding debt. There has been no clear indication of when wage garnishment will start.

History delayed by rain! The MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol suspended for Braves and Reds

BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — The MLB Speedway Classic has been suspended by rain. The Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds started the first MLB regular-season game in the state of Tennessee after a 2-hour, 17-minute rain delay before the first pitch. Then another rain delay in the first inning led to the game being pushed to Sunday afternoon at Bristol Motor Speedway. This racetrack is called “The Last Great Colosseum.” Organizers threw a big party mixing NASCAR themes with baseball with star Tim McGraw performing. Players for both teams stood in the back of pickup trucks and rode around the half-mile bullring racetrack. But rain had the final say.