20 Palestinians killed at Gaza aid distribution site, says Israeli-backed aid group

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An American aid organization in Gaza says 20 Palestinians were killed at a distribution site in Khan Younis. The Gaza Humanitarian Fund said 19 died in a stampede, and one was fatally stabbed on Wednesday. The group accuses Hamas of spreading panic but provides no evidence. The United Nations reports 875 Palestinians have died near aid sites since May. Meanwhile, hospital officials say Israeli strikes killed 41 others, including 11 children. Israel claims its strikes target Hamas infrastructure, accusing the group of hiding among civilians. Gaza faces a severe humanitarian crisis, with over 2 million residents struggling amid ongoing conflict and blockades.

Trump promotes energy and tech investments at a summit in Pennsylvania

PITTSBURGH (AP) — President Donald Trump is touting tens of billions of dollars of energy and tech investments at a new summit focusing on energy and innovation. At the event Tuesday in Pittsburgh helmed by Republican Sen. David McCormick, Trump boasted of a “true golden age for America” in energy policy and artificial intelligence. Pennsylvania is a swing state critical to Trump's wins in 2016 and 2024, and is at the forefront of his energy agenda. In a panel discussion, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the Trump administration won't let the U.S. lose the artificial intelligence race. Participating companies at the conference included Blackstone, Bridgewater, SoftBank, Amazon Web Services and ExxonMobil.

The US sends third-country deportees to the small African kingdom of Eswatini

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The United States says it has sent five men to the small African nation of Eswatini in an expansion of the Trump administration’s third-country deportation program. The U.S. has already deported eight men to another African nation, South Sudan, after the Supreme Court lifted restrictions on sending people to countries where they have no ties. In a post on X, Homeland Security Department Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin says the men, who are citizens of Vietnam, Cuba, Yemen and Laos, have arrived in Eswatini on a plane.

Russia launches new attacks on Ukraine with the countdown to a US peace deadline underway

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Officials say Russian weapons pounded Ukrainian cities overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, injuring at least 15 people in an attack that mostly targeted energy infrastructure. The latest bombardment in Russia’s escalating aerial campaign against civilian areas came ahead of a Sept. 2 deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for the Kremlin to reach a peace deal in the three-year war, under the threat of possible severe Washington sanctions if it doesn’t. No date has yet been publicly set for a possible third round of direct peace talks between delegations from Russia and Ukraine. Two previous rounds delivered no progress apart from prisoner swaps.

Trump to put tariffs of over 10% on smaller nations, including those in Africa and the Caribbean

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he plans to place tariffs of over 10% on smaller countries, including nations in Africa and the Caribbean. “We’ll probably set one tariff for all of them,” Trump said Tuesday, adding that it could be “a little over 10% tariff” on goods from at least 100 nations. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick interjected that the nations with goods being taxed at these rates would be in Africa and the Caribbean, places that generally do relatively modest levels of trade with the U.S. and would be relatively insignificant for addressing Trump’s goals of reducing trade imbalances with the rest of the world.

Federal grand jury indicts man accused of killing former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted the man accused of fatally shooting a prominent Minnesota state representative and her husband and seriously wounding a state senator and his wife. The indictment handed up Tuesday lists murder, stalking and firearms charges against Vance Boelter. The murder counts in the deaths of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband could carry the federal death penalty. Boelter is accused of going to the lawmakers’ homes June 14 disguised as a police officer in a fake squad car with lists of other Democratic officials as potential targets.

Israel threatens to escalate involvement in Syria as a ceasefire collapses

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Clashes have intensified in Syria after a ceasefire between government forces and Druze armed groups broke down. Syria's Defense Ministry accuses Druze militias of violating the agreement in Sweida province, prompting military retaliation. Reports of extrajudicial killings, looting, and civilian casualties have emerged. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates over 250 deaths since Monday including civilians and soldiers. Meanwhile, Israel has launched airstrikes on Syrian forces, citing a commitment to protect the Druze minority. Israeli leaders have warned of escalating responses if Syrian forces remain near the border.

A lockout is looming over MLB in December 2026, with a salary cap fight possibly at the center

ATLANTA (AP) — Major League Baseball faces a potential lockout in December 2026. Players and management have long clashed over salary cap proposals, a format that union head Tony Clark criticizes as harmful to competition and player salary guarantees. Commissioner Rob Manfred argues the cap could address payroll disparities as MLB also tries to deal with declining revenue from regional sports networks. Teams like the Dodgers and Mets have pushed payrolls to record levels, highlighting disparity. Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement expires in December 2026, and past negotiations have led to nine work stoppages.

2 dead in New Jersey after floodwaters carry away vehicle during heavy rains that hit Northeast

NEW YORK (AP) — Authorities say two people in New Jersey were killed after their vehicle was swept up in floodwaters during a storm that moved across the U.S. Northeast overnight. Authorities said Tuesday their names haven't been released yet. Meanwhile, York City’s subway system is fully operational following overnight heavy rains. But some roads in New Jersey and Pennsylvania remained closed and there were dozens of flight delays and cancelations at area airports, including 159 total cancelations at Newark Liberty Airport.

With Epstein conspiracy theories, Trump faces a crisis of his own making

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump’s strategy has been to downplay the uproar over the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case as his supporters demand the Justice Department release much-hyped records in the investigation. Trump claimed Tuesday without citing evidence there are credibility issues with the unreleased documents. Speaking to reporters, he also called the case “pretty boring” and said he didn't understand the fascination with it. Trump's problem is the nothing-to-see-here approach doesn’t work for those who've learned from him they must not give up until the government’s secrets are exposed. Last week, the Justice Department and the FBI walked back the notion there's an Epstein client list of elites who participated in the New York financier’s trafficking of underage girls.