Trump begins planning for Putin-Zelenskyy meeting while affirming US help with security guarantees

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has started arranging a meeting between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On Monday, Trump said the U.S. would support European security guarantees to prevent future invasions. Details are still evolving, but European leaders express cautious optimism about Trump's efforts after their meeting at the White House. French President Emmanuel Macron highlighted the U.S. commitment to security guarantees as a key outcome. Trump spoke with Putin during the talks with Zelenskyy and European leaders. Concerns remain that Trump might pressure Ukraine into concessions. Zelenskyy emphasized the need for U.S. involvement in security guarantees for Ukraine.

Takeaways from Trump's meeting with Zelenskyy and Europeans: Praise, security talks, more meetings

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says the U.S. could support a European force in Ukraine to maintain a lasting peace in Russia's war. On Monday, Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and top European leaders at the White House to energize diplomatic efforts following his summit Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Following the talks, Trump said he would work to arrange a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin. Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for support from allies and European leaders also heaped praise on Trump for his efforts to end the fighting. The tone and style of the meetings was far different than when Ukraine’s president was hounded out of the Oval Office in February.

What to know about powerful Hurricane Erin as it heads past the US East Coast

Island communities off the coast of North Carolina are bracing for flooding ahead of Hurricane Erin, the year’s first Atlantic hurricane. The storm intensified to a Category 4 with 140 mph winds early Monday, lashing the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm is unlikely to make direct landfall in the United States. However, authorities on some islands along North Carolina’s Outer Banks have issued evacuation orders. They warn that roads could be swamped by 15-foot waves. Coastal flooding is expected to begin Tuesday and continue through Thursday.

Hurricane Erin's massive waves threaten to isolate North Carolina's Outer Banks

Hurricane Erin is expected to impact the Outer Banks in North Carolina, sending massive waves crashing into the islands. Officials have ordered evacuations for Hatteras and Ocracoke islands, anticipating damage to the NC 12 highway, which connects the islands to the mainland. Residents are used to isolation, but vacationers are not. The Outer Banks are vulnerable due to rising sea levels and erosion, Despite these challenges, many residents cherish the unique lifestyle and community on the island. The area generates significant tourism revenue, so the cycle of repair and maintenance continues.

Years after abuse reports, ex-coach at renowned US gymnastics academy is arrested by FBI

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A coach at a center in Iowa that has trained Olympic champions is facing allegations that he abused young female gymnasts and secretly photographed others undressing at a prior job in Mississippi. Sean Gardner, who coached at Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, has been temporarily barred from all contact with USA Gymnastics since July 2022 due to unspecified allegations of misconduct. He has not been charged criminally while a police investigation continues. But three years after abuse allegations were reported to police and he was removed from USA Gymnastics, the FBI arrested him last week on a federal child pornography charge. He has been ordered detained pending further proceedings in Mississippi.

Democrats get police escorts to prevent a new redistricting walkout as California moves to retaliate

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Democrats have ended a two-week walkout that stalled efforts to redraw congressional districts as part of a national partisan brawl over President Donald Trump’s desire to reshape U.S. House maps to his advantage. Now they're being shadowed by law enforcement offices to prevent a repeat. And California Democrats took new steps Monday toward redrawing their own congressional boundaries. Democrats' return to the Texas Capitol will allow Republicans in Austin to satisfy Trump's demands. Texas Democrats credit their California colleagues' retaliatory measures for allowing their return. The nation’s two most populous states are at the center of an expanding fight over control of Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

A ship with hundreds of tons of food aid for Gaza nears an Israeli port after leaving Cyprus

LIMASSOL, Cyprus (AP) — A ship loaded with 1,200 tons of food supplies for Gaza is approaching the Israeli port of Ashdod. It's expected to dock on Tuesday as part of renewed efforts to alleviate the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. The Panamanian-flagged ship is loaded with 52 containers carrying aid such as flour, pasta, rice, baby food and canned goods. Israeli customs officials had screened it at Cyprus' main port of Limassol for security reasons. Some 700 tons of the aid are from Cyprus, purchased with money donated by the United Arab Emirates to a fund set up last year for donors to help with seaborne aid.

Trump vows to change how elections are run. The US Constitution doesn't give him that power

President Donald Trump is vowing more changes to the way elections are conducted in the U.S., but based on the Constitution there is little to nothing he can do on his own. He pledged on his social media site that he would do away with mail voting, which remains popular and is used by about one-third of all voters. He also wants to eliminate voting machines, some form of which are used in almost all of the country’s thousands of election jurisdictions. The Constitution makes the states the entities that determine the “time, place and manner” of elections while allowing Congress to “make” or “alter” rules for federal elections.

3 more GOP governors authorize deployment of National Guard troops as part of Trump show of force

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three more Republican governors have authorized the deployment of National Guard troops to Washington. It's part of President Donald Trump’s escalating show of force that he says is designed to crack down on crime and boost immigration enforcement in the nation’s capital. The announcements Monday by Mississippi, Tennessee and Louisiana brought the number of state troops detailed to the president’s effort to more than 1,100 — and the number of states to six. Governors from the states said they were responding to requests from the Trump administration. It was not immediately clear why the administration requested additional military support. About 800 troops have already been called up from the Washington, D.C., guard.

Texas declares measles outbreak over

Health officials in Texas have declared the state's measles outbreak over. The virus sickened 762 people since late January. Nearly 100 were hospitalized and two children died. State health data shows that the last outbreak-related measles case in Texas was on July 1. The cases were linked to outbreaks in Canada and Mexico and jumped to other states in the U.S. Measles is prevented by vaccine. State officials say they will keep monitoring for new cases. They credit testing, vaccination, monitoring and education with helping to end the outbreak.