Israel calls on famine-stricken Gaza City residents to move to safe zone as it expands operations

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel's army has urged Palestinians in Gaza City to move to a designated humanitarian area in the south. This comes as the military expands operations in the famine-stricken city. Parts of Gaza City are already marked as "red zones," with evacuation orders in place. Aid groups warn that a large-scale evacuation could worsen the humanitarian crisis. The army has declared Muwasi, a makeshift tent camp, a humanitarian area and ordered people to leave. Israeli forces have struck humanitarian areas throughout the war, including Muwasi, which they previously declared a safe zone, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

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.

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.

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.

States move to protect vaccines in the face of attempts to remove mandates

The widening debate over vaccine mandates in the U.S. and recent moves to get rid of them for schoolchildren in Florida are pushing some states to take steps to protect vaccines for children and adults. Massachusetts said this week that insurance carriers will be required to cover vaccinations recommended by the state's health department. Democratic governors in Washington, Oregon and California announced that they have created an alliance to establish their own recommendations for who should receive vaccines. Also this week Colorado and Pennsylvania took action to protect the availability of COVID-19 vaccines for their residents.

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.

Chicago's Mexican Independence Day celebrations shadowed by Trump’s threats for the city

CHICAGO (AP) — President Donald Trump’s plan to dispatch National Guard troops and immigration agents into Chicago has put many Latino residents on edge. Some people are carrying their U.S. passports. Others are considering whether to openly celebrate the upcoming Mexican Independence Day. Vianney Alarcon said she expects people to be targeted regardless of their legal status. But in an act of defiance, she said she’ll be taking part in the festivities, while bringing along her passport. Alejandro Vences became a U.S. citizen this year. He said that gives him some comfort. Still, he said the anxiety is palpable in his heavily Mexican neighborhood of Pilsen.

An earthquake in Afghanistan’s east wipes out homes, generations and livelihoods

JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP) — A devastating earthquake in Afghanistan's east has destroyed homes, generations and livelihoods. Survivors are too fearful to return to the mountains of Kunar Province, where remote and rugged terrain has defied rescue and relief efforts by Taliban authorities and aid agencies. The death toll from Sunday night's disaster exceeds 2,000, although this figure could rise as more bodies are recovered from villages that were razed to the ground and are now piles of rubble. The U.N. estimates that the quake has affected up to 500,000 people across several provinces.

LGBTQ+ Catholics make Holy Year pilgrimage to Rome and celebrate a new sense of acceptance

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Hundreds of LGBTQ+ Catholics and their families have made a Holy Year pilgrimage to Rome. They are celebrating a new level of acceptance in the Catholic Church after long feeling shunned, and they are crediting Pope Francis with the change. The vice president of the Italian bishops conference, Bishop Franceseco Savino, celebrated Mass for the pilgrims Saturday in a packed Chiesa del Gesu, the main Jesuit church in Rome. Several LGBTQ+ groups signed up to participate in the pilgrimage, which was listed in the Vatican’s official calendar of events for the Holy Year.

Herbert outduels Mahomes to help the Chargers beat the Chiefs 27-21 in Brazil

Justin Herbert threw for three touchdowns, leading the Los Angeles Chargers to a 27-21 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Friday night in Sao Paulo. The win snaps a seven-game losing streak against the Chiefs. The game, streamed on YouTube, marks the NFL's second in South America. Herbert's performance includes a crucial 19-yard run late in the game. The Chiefs struggle to make big plays in the first half, trailing 13-6. Injuries impact both teams, with the Chiefs losing receiver Xavier Worthy early and the Chargers' Denzel Perryman leaving in the third quarter.