NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams return to Earth after 9 months stuck in space
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams have returned to Earth after being stuck in space for more than nine months. Their SpaceX capsule parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico early Tuesday evening, just hours after departing the International Space Station. The splashdown brought their space saga to an end. It all began with a bungled Boeing test flight last year. The two expected to be gone a week or so after launching on Boeing’s new Starliner capsule. So many problems cropped up that NASA ordered Starliner back empty and reassigned Williams and Wilmore to SpaceX for the ride home.
Netanyahu says Israeli strikes across Gaza that killed hundreds are 'only the beginning'
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel has launched airstrikes across the Gaza Strip that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says are “only the beginning” and “a necessary condition for freeing hostages.” The territory’s Health Ministry said the airstrikes killed at least 400 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Tuesday's surprise bombardment shattered a ceasefire in place since January and threatened to fully reignite the 17-month-old war. Netanyahu ordered the strikes after Hamas refused Israeli demands to change the ceasefire agreement. The White House said it had been consulted and voiced support for Israel’s actions. A senior Hamas official said Netanyahu’s decision to return to war amounts to a “death sentence” for the remaining hostages.
Trump and Putin agree to an immediate ceasefire for energy infrastructure in Ukraine conflict
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to an immediate pause in strikes against energy infrastructure in the Ukraine war. The White House described it as the first step in a “movement to peace” that it hopes will eventually include a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea and a full and lasting end to the fighting. The White House said negotiations would begin immediately on those steps. But there's no indication Putin has backed away from his conditions, fiercely opposed by Kyiv, to consider a broader peace deal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukraine is open to any proposals that lead to a sustainable and just peace, but stressed the need for full transparency in discussions.
Judge rules DOGE's USAID dismantling likely violates the Constitution
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development likely violated the Constitution in an order that blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from making further cuts to the agency. U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang ordered the Trump administration to restore email and computer access to all employees of USAID, including those who were placed on administrative leave. The lawsuit singled out Musk as a defendant covered by the preliminary injunction. Lawyers for USAID employees and contractors had requested the order.
Unredacted JFK assassination files released, sending history buffs hunting for new clues
DALLAS (AP) — Unredacted documents related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy have been released following an order by President Donald Trump shortly after he took office. The documents were posted on the website of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration on Tuesday evening. The vast majority of the National Archives' collection of over 6 million pages of records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts related to the assassination have previously been released.
Presidents of Congo and Rwanda meet in Qatar to discuss the insurgency in eastern Congo
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The presidents of Congo and Rwanda have met in Qatar for their first direct talks since Rwandan-backed M23 rebels seized two major cities in mineral-rich eastern Congo earlier this year. The three governments say Qatar mediated the meeting Tuesday between Congo’s President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame to discuss the insurgency. Congo and Rwanda reaffirmed their commitment to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire. But they gave no word on how the ceasefire would be implemented after an earlier attempt to bring Congo’s government and M23 leaders together for ceasefire negotiations failed.
Roberts rejects Trump's call for impeaching judge who ruled against his deportation plans
WASHINGTON (AP) — Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is rejecting calls for impeaching federal judges after President Donald Trump demanded the removal of a judge who ruled against his deportation plans. “For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision,” Roberts said in a rare statement. The flashpoint for the latest controversy was deportations of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, which is being paid by the U.S. to imprison them. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg had issued an order blocking the deportation flights.
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from banning transgender people from military service
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has blocked enforcement of President Donald Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from serving in the U.S. military. Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., ruled Tuesday that Trump’s order to exclude transgender troops from military service likely violates their constitutional rights. The judge issued a preliminary injunction requested by attorneys for six transgender people who are active-duty service members and two others seeking to join the military. She delayed her order until Friday to give the administration time to appeal.
Another raw pet food recall is tied to illness and death in cats
A pet food company has recalled one lot of its raw chicken pet food after it was linked to bird flu infections detected in two cats and suspected in a third in New York City. Savage Pet, of El Cajon, California, issued this week’s recall. It says the pet food was distributed in California, Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington state. It's the latest recall tied to products contaminated with H5N1 bird flu that sickened and killed cats in several states. The virus has raced through poultry and cattle in the U.S. and infected at least 70 people since last year. Veterinary experts say pet owners should avoid feeding their animals raw milk or raw pet food.
Johni Broome of Auburn, Cooper Flagg of Duke unanimous picks to lead the AP All-America team
Johni Broome of Auburn and Cooper Flagg of Duke are unanimous first-team selections for The Associated Press men's college basketball All-America team. Broome and Flagg were joined on the first team by Alabama star Mark Sears, Purdue’s Braden Smith and Walter Clayton Jr. of Florida. Broome is the first Auburn player to be a first-team All-American, while Flagg is the 19th player from Duke to earn such recognition. JT Toppin, Kam Jones, John Tonje, PJ Haggerty and RJ Luis Jr. were second-team picks, and Ryan Kalkbrenner, Zakai Zeigler, Eric Dixon, LJ Cryer and Hunter Dickinson were third-team selections.
