AP-Newswatch

Republican convention focuses on immigration a day after a bandaged Trump makes triumphant entrance

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Republican National Convention is resuming with a focus on immigration. The issue is central to former President Donald Trump’s political brand that helped endear him to the GOP base when he began his first campaign in 2015. Meanwhile, one of Trump’s top GOP primary rivals will take the stage Tuesday night, the latest signal the party is solidifying its fight to take on President Joe Biden in November. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley will speak in TV primetime. Trump appeared triumphantly at the convention’s opening night Monday with a bandage over his right ear, two days after surviving an attempted assassination. Sen. JD Vance, his choice for vice president, is to speak Wednesday night, Trump at the final session Thursday night in Milwaukee.

JD Vance is a relative political unknown. He’s been asked to help Donald Trump avenge his 2020 loss

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Ohio Sen. JD Vance is supposed to help Donald Trump win the Midwest this fall. But almost immediately after he was announced as Trump’s vice presidential pick on Monday, one thing became clear: The 39-year-old Republican with less than two years in Congress is barely known among many Republicans even in the swing states Trump hopes he’ll deliver. Trump’s team has less than four months to strengthen Vance’s profile. Already, a collection of political foes is working to fill the information void with a series of attacks seizing on Vance’s inexperience in government, his nationalist views and his history of condemning Trump himself.

A dam fails in Illinois after heavy rains and tornadoes sweep the Midwest

CHICAGO (AP) — Officials say that a dam has failed near a small community in southern Illinois and that first responders are in the flooded area making sure everyone got out safely. There were no reports of injuries Tuesday after heavy rains in the community of Nashville southeast of St. Louis. Officials say emergency crews were sent to one home where a woman reported water up to her waist inside the house. Officials had earlier said about 300 people were in the evacuation zone near the Nashville City Reservoir. The rest of the town of 3,000 was not in imminent danger.

Israeli military says it will begin drafting ultra-Orthodox men. That could rattle the government

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military says it will begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men on Sunday. The step could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and trigger more large protests in the community. The announcement follows a landmark Supreme Court order for young religious men to begin enlisting for military services. Under long-standing political arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men had been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men. The system created widespread resentment among the general public in Israel, especially after more than nine months of war against Hamas militants in Gaza. The court ruled that the system of exemptions was discriminatory.

Jury in Sen. Bob Menendez bribery trial has reached a verdict, to be read in court soon

NEW YORK (AP) — A court spokesperson says the jury in Sen. Bob Menendez bribery trial says it has reached a verdict, which will be announced in court soon. The New Jersey Democrat is accused of accepting bribes of cash, gold and a luxury car from three businessmen and acting as a foreign agent for Egypt. Prosecutors say Menendez abused his power to protect allies from criminal investigations and enrich associates through acts that included helping Egypt access millions in U.S. military aid. Menendez insists he never took a bribe and that he always put U.S. interests first. He said gold bars found in his home belonged to his wife.

Six people are found dead in a hotel in downtown Bangkok, with poisoning a possibility

BANGKOK (AP) — Police in Thailand say the bodies of six people were found in a luxury hotel in downtown Bangkok, with poisoning a possibility. Police identified the dead as two Vietnamese Americans and four Vietnamese nationals. They say there were no signs of a struggle and the bodies were found foaming at the mouth in a room at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel. Bangkok’s police chief says the residents of the room were supposed to have checked out earlier Tuesday, and their bodies were discovered by a maid who went to investigate after they failed to do so. He says there were beverages in the room that had been consumed and the room was locked from the inside.

Amazon Prime Day is a big event for scammers, experts warn

NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon Prime Day is here. And experts are reminding consumers to be wary of scams. Deceptions such as phony emails from people impersonating online retailers like Amazon are nothing new. But the Better Business Bureau says phishing attempts increase amid the heavy spending seen during significant sales events. Amazon’s two days of discounts for Prime members start on Tuesday. The Better Business Bureau advises consumers to watch out for lookalike websites, too-good-to-be-true social media ads, and unsolicited emails or calls. A spokesperson for the organization that because Prime Day is a huge moment on the retail calendar, “it represents an enormous opportunity for a scammer, con artist or even just an unethical business or organization.”

Educators wonder how to teach the writings of Alice Munro in wake of daughter’s revelations

NEW YORK (AP) — For decades, Robert Lecker has read, taught and written about Alice Munro, the Nobel laureate from Canada renowned for her short stories. A longtime professor at McGill University in Montreal, and author of a critical study of Munro, he has thought of her as the “jewel” in the crown of Canadian literature. But since learning that Munro declined to leave her husband after he had sexually assaulted and harassed her daughter, Lecker now wonders how to teach her work, or if he should even try. Other educated face similar dilemmas.

Will the Seine be clean enough by the Olympics? Not even the experts know yet

PARIS (AP) — With the Paris Olympics less than two weeks away, a question hangs over the Games: Will the Seine River be clean enough for athletes to swim in it? Triathlon and marathon swimming are scheduled to take place in the Seine, where has been illegal to swim for nearly a century due to pollution levels. Paris invested $1.5 billion in building infrastructure to catch more stormwater when it rains, but with the Games quickly approaching, it’s unclear whether those efforts will have paid off in time.