AP-Newswatch

Gunman in Trump assassination attempt saw rally as ‘target of opportunity,’ FBI official says

WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior FBI official says the gunman in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump searched online for events of both Trump and President Joe Biden and saw the Pennsylvania campaign rally where he opened fire last month as a “target of opportunity.” Kevin Rojek is the FBI’s top agent in Pittsburgh. He said Wednesday that Thomas Matthew Crooks, who shot at Trump before being killed by the Secret Service at the July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, did extensive research for an attack before the shooting and had looked at any number of events or targets. FBI officials say they had yet to uncover a motive despite conducting nearly 1,000 interviews in their investigation.

Supreme Court rebuffs Biden administration plea to restore multibillion-dollar student debt plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is keeping on hold the latest multibillion-dollar student debt relief plan from the Biden administration, while multiple lawsuits make their way through lower courts .The justices on Wednesday rejected an administration request to put most of it back into effect. It was blocked by 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. In an unsigned order, the court said it expects the appeals court to issue a fuller decision on the plan “with appropriate dispatch.” The Education Department is seeking to provide a faster path to loan cancellation, and reduce monthly income-based repayments. Cost estimates of the new SAVE plan vary from $276 billion to $475 billion.

Israeli forces launch a big operation in the West Bank and kill at least 10 militants

AL-FARAA REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank (AP) — Israel has launched a major military operation in the occupied West Bank that has killed at least 10 Hamas militants. Israel said on Wednesday the operation is aimed at preventing attacks on Israeli civilians. Palestinian health officials say the operations into Jenin and Tulkarem have blocked access to hospitals and ripped up roads and infrastructure. Israel has carried out near-daily raids across the West Bank since Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack out of Gaza triggered the ongoing war there. The Palestinian Health Ministry says over 600 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the war in Gaza began.

Maduro opponents take to streets to revive protests disputing Venezuelan election results

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro are taking to the streets in an attempt to revive protests against him following last month’s disputed election. The demonstrations Wednesday in the capital, Caracas, come exactly a month after the fraught July 28 vote in which Maduro was declared the winner despite strong evidence that opposition candidate Edmundo González won by a nearly 2-to-1 margin. In weeks of on-again, off-again demonstrations, the opposition’s rallying cry has been constant but so far ineffective. Opponents are demanding that election officials publish results from each polling station that they say would expose Maduro’s attempts to steal the election.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov’s various citizenships add to the mystery of his detention

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Over more than a decade, the founder and CEO of the messaging app Telegram has amassed various different citizenships. That’s only added to the mystery surrounding his detention in France. Those passports provided Pavel Durov protection after he created and ran Telegram as a self-proclaimed free-speech absolutist. Durov has passports from Russia, France, the United Arab Emirates, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. He was freed from French custody Wednesday after being arrested Saturday at Paris-Le Bourget Airport. Allegations include that his platform is being used for child sexual abuse material and drug trafficking, fraud and abetting organized crime transactions.

Crews work to restore power to more than 300,000 Michigan homes, businesses after storms

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (AP) — Crews for two of Michigan’s largest utilities are working to restore power to more than 300,000 homes and businesses and hundreds of schools amid hot, muggy conditions after severe storms toppled trees and limbs and snapped power poles. DTE Energy says 350 schools in its Michigan service territory had no power as of Wednesday morning. Severe storms also toppled trees in the Chicago area, damaging homes and automobiles Tuesday night after two days of heat that set a record high of 99 degrees Tuesday at O’Hare International Airport. Severe thunderstorms were expected Wednesday across the Ohio Valley, the northern mid-Atlantic coast and parts of both North Dakota and South Dakota.

All eyes are on Nvidia as it prepares to report its earnings. Here’s what to expect

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nvidia has led the artificial intelligence boom to become one of the stock market’s biggest companies, as tech giants continue to spend heavily on the company’s chips and data centers needed to train and operate their AI systems. Nvidia continues to lead the pack on Wall Street as it prepares to release its latest financial results Wednesday. Nvidia’s specialized chips are key components that help power different forms of AI, including the latest generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

What’s hot in theaters? Old movies — and some that aren’t so old

NEW YORK (AP) — Look at almost any movie theater marquee right now and you’ll probably see not just new titles but a smattering of older films, too. At a time when nearly everything is available at home with a few clicks, nothing is surging on the big screen as much as yesterday’s movies. Repertory cinema, once the home of the arthouse, is now in the multiplex, too. Sometimes, the ticket sales can be eye-popping. In the last two weeks, the beloved stop-motion Laika Studios film “Coraline” has grossed more than $25 million — a staggering sum for a 15-year-old movie. This fall will see anniversary releases of “Shaun of the Dead,” “Paris, Texas,” “Whiplash,” “Hoop Dreams,” “Interstellar” and many more.

Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova knocked out in the second round of the US Open

NEW YORK (AP) — Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova has been knocked out of the U.S. Open in the second round. She was defeated Wednesday by Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-4, 7-5. The No. 8-seeded Krejcikova won her second Grand Slam singles title this summer but then didn’t play any matches after the Paris Olympics. She acknowledged last week not knowing where her level of play was. Ruse, who played her way into the main draw through the qualifying tournament, fought back from a 5-3 deficit in the second set to win the final four games. She advanced to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time and will play No. 26 seed Paula Badosa, who eliminated American Taylor Townsend 6-3, 7-5.