8.8-magnitude earthquake causes tsunami in Russia and Japan, sets off warnings for Alaska and Hawaii

TOKYO (AP) — One of the world’s strongest earthquakes struck Russia’s Far East early Wednesday, an 8.8-magnitude temblor that caused a tsunami in the northern Pacific region and prompted warnings for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south toward New Zealand. Several locations advised evacuations, but no major injuries have been reported. Cars jammed streets and highways in Honolulu as the tsunami alerts coincided with the Tuesday afternoon rush-hour. Warning sirens blared as people moved to higher ground. Hawaii schools canceled after-school and evening activities. A tsunami of 1.6 feet was detected at a port in northern Japan, the highest so far. Russia and Japan reported no serious injuries.

The Latest: Tsunami hits Russia’s islands and Japan after 8.8-magnitude earthquake off Russia

A tsunami has hit coastal areas of Russia’s Kuril Islands and Japan’s large northern island of Hokkaido after a powerful, 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Russia early Wednesday. Warnings are also in place for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south toward New Zealand. The Japan Meteorological Agency says a tsunami as high as 40 centimeters has been detected in 16 locations as the waves moved south along the Pacific coast. Officials urged caution, saying bigger waves could come later. Damage and evacuations were reported in the Russian regions nearest the quake’s epicenter on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Gunman who killed 4 in NYC building blamed NFL for mental health issues and was targeting its office

NEW YORK (AP) — Police say a gunman who killed four people in a Manhattan skyscraper before taking his own life claimed to have a brain disease linked to contact sports and was trying to target the National Football League’s headquarters in the building. New York City Mayor Eric Adams says investigators believe the gunman wanted to get up to the NFL's offices on Monday but entered the wrong elevator. Police say Shane Tamura had a note in his wallet that suggested he had a grievance against the NFL and asked that his brain be studied. He played high school football in California but never played in the NFL.

Here's what to know about CTE, the brain disease the NYC shooter blamed for his mental health issues

BOSTON (AP) — The man who killed four people in the New York City skyscraper that is home to NFL headquarters carried a note blaming the league for his mental health problems. Shane Tamura played football in high school. He said in the three-page note found in his wallet that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that can’t be diagnosed until death, and implored those who found him to study his brain. CTE has been linked to concussions in contact sports. The disease has been diagnosed in more than 100 former NFL players and arisen as an existential threat to the United States’ most powerful pro sports league.

Victims of New York City shooting include a police officer and an executive at investment firm

A New York City police officer and an executive at an investment firm are among the four people killed by a gunman at a Manhattan office tower. Officer Didarul Islam was working a corporate security assignment at the midtown skyscraper Monday when he was killed. The building is home to the headquarters of the NFL and investment firm Blackstone. The firm has confirmed senior managing director Wesley LePatner was fatally shot. A labor union identified a security officer killed as Aland Etienne. The Rudin family, which owns the building and Rudin Management, said in a statement that one of their employees was a victim of the shootings. They did not disclose the person's name at the request of relatives.

Trump says Epstein 'stole' young women from Mar-a-Lago spa, including Virginia Giuffre

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says Jeffrey Epstein “stole” young women who worked at Mar-a-Lago, including Virginia Giuffre, one of the disgraced financier's most well-known accusers. Trump claims he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago after the incidents. The White House initially said Epstein was banned for acting like a “creep.” Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend, is willing to answer more questions from Congress if granted immunity, but the House Oversight Committee said it would reject the request. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence in a Florida federal prison.

Why there hasn't been a formal declaration of famine in Gaza

The leading international authority on food crises says the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza" and it predicts “widespread death” without immediate action. Yet this authority — the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC — stopped short Tuesday of formally declaring a famine. Even though Israel eased a 2 1/2-month blockade on the territory in May, aid groups say only a trickle of assistance is getting into the enclave and that Palestinians face catastrophic levels of hunger. Still, the IPC has not yet obtained data that would meet its threshold for declaring a famine in Gaza.

Palestinian death toll in Israel-Hamas war passes 60,000, Gaza Health Ministry says

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Gaza's Health Ministry says over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed in the 21-month Israel-Hamas war. Israeli strikes overnight killed more than two dozen people, mostly women and children, health officials said. Israel’s offensive, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, has destroyed vast areas of Gaza, displaced around 90% of the population and fueled a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Experts warned Tuesday that the territory of some 2 million Palestinians is on the brink of famine, as Israeli restrictions and a breakdown of security have made it nearly impossible to safely deliver aid.

Senate confirms Trump lawyer Emil Bove for appeals court, pushing past whistleblower claims

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has confirmed former Trump lawyer Emil Bove for a lifetime appointment as a federal appeals court judge. The 50-49 vote comes despite Democratic attempts to stop the nomination and whistleblower complaints against Bove. The most recent whistleblower to share evidence with Congress has not come forward publicly but recently provided an audio recording of Bove that contradicts some of his testimony at his confirmation hearing last month, according to two people familiar with the recording. The people requested anonymity because the whistleblower has not made the recording public.

Trump EPA moves to repeal landmark 'endangerment finding' that allows climate regulation

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration has proposed revoking a scientific finding that's long been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. The proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule rescinds a 2009 declaration that determined carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health. The “endangerment finding” is the legal underpinning of a host of climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the proposed rule change on a podcast ahead of an official announcement set for Tuesday in Indiana. Three former EPA leaders say Zeldin's proposal would endanger the lives of millions of Americans.