AP-Newswatch

Hunter Biden’s exes are called as witnesses in his federal gun trial to detail his drug use

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Hunter Biden’s ex-wife and a former girlfriend have been called to testify in his federal gun trial as prosecutors seek to show the depths of his drug problem, which they say was still going on when he filled out a form to buy a firearm. His ex-girlfriend was also called to the stand. Testimony began with an FBI agent whose job was to establish that Hunter Biden had a drug problem when he purchased the gun in October 2018. First lady Jill Biden went to court for the third consecutive day Wednesday, ahead of her trip to France to meet President Joe Biden, who was in Europe to mark the anniversary of D-Day.

Putin warns Germany that use of its weapons by Ukraine to strike Russia will mark ‘dangerous step’

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Germany that use of its weapons by Ukraine to strike targets in Russia would mark a “dangerous step.” Germany joined the United States recently in authorizing Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they are supplying. Putin said Wednesday that the deliveries of German tanks to Ukraine came as a shock to many in Russia. He said: “Now if they use missiles to strike facilities on the Russian territory it will completely ruin Russian-German relations.”

Ukraine uses US weapons to strike inside Russia, according to a senator and a Western official

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukraine has used U.S weapons to attack inside Russia in recent days. That’s according to a U.S. senator and a Western official familiar with the matter. The weapons were used under recently approved guidance from President Joe Biden allowing American arms to be used to strike inside Russia for the limited purpose of defending Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, a member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, confirmed the strikes with U.S. weapons, but didn’t say how he was briefed. Ukrainian officials had stepped up calls on the U.S. to allow Kyiv’s forces to defend themselves against attacks originating from Russian territory.

Will Biden’s new border measures be enough to change voters’ minds?

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is trying to address a major liability for his reelection campaign by taking executive action to significantly restrict asylum. But it’s unclear whether the Democratic president’s efforts will be enough to change the minds of voters who have increasingly voiced alarm over his handling of the U.S.-Mexico border. Former President Donald Trump and his Republican campaign have seized on the issue. Biden has shifted far to the right on immigration issues since his winning campaign four years ago. Many Democrats acknowledge Biden now faces a wholly different political reality. But some Democrats have accused him of betraying Democratic priorities.

Life as a teen without social media isn’t easy. These families are navigating adolescence offline

WESTPORT, Conn. (AP) — The damaging consequences of social media are increasingly well documented, so some parents are trying to raise their children with restrictions or blanket bans on social media use. Teenagers themselves are aware that too much social media is bad for them, and some are initiating their own social media “cleanses” because of the toll it takes on mental health and grades. But it is hard to be a teenager today without social media. Teens who don’t use social media say they miss out on a lot of drama, but they also miss information they need for clubs and classes.

Gunman captured after shootout outside US Embassy in Lebanon

AUKAR, Lebanon (AP) — The Lebanese military said that its solidiers shot and captured a gunman who attacked the U.S. embassy near Beirut after a shootout that injured an embassy security guard. The attack took place Wednesday as tensions continued to simmer in the tiny Mediterranean country, where months of fighting between Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops has displaced thousands along the border. Local media reported that there was a gunfight involving at least one attacker and lasting almost half an hour. A Lebanese security official and two judicial officials familiar with the case said the gunman appeared to be a lone attacker.

Israeli nationalists march through Palestinian area of Jerusalem, some chanting ‘Death to Arabs’

JERUSALEM (AP) — Thousands of mostly ultranationalist Israelis are taking part in an annual march through a dense Palestinian neighborhood of Jerusalem’s Old City. It’s an event that often sees racist chants and brawls. Jerusalem, the epicenter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has been mostly calm throughout the Israel-Hamas war, but Wednesday’s march could ignite widespread tensions, as it did three years ago, when it helped set off an 11-day war in Gaza. The annual march commemorates “Jerusalem Day,” which marks Israel’s capture of east Jerusalem, including the Old City and its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators arrested at Stanford University after occupying president’s office

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Stanford University says 13 people have been arrested when law enforcement removed pro-Palestinian demonstrators who occupied a building that houses the university president and provost offices. The school said there was damage inside and outside the building, and an officer was lightly injured. The takeover occurred around sunrise Wednesday. Within about three hours officers had broken into the building and began making arrests. The Stanford Daily, a student newspaper, says one of its reporters is among those taken into custody. More than 3,130 people have been arrested on the campuses of 65 colleges and universities across the U.S. Students demand their universities stop doing business with Israel or companies that support its war efforts in Gaza.

What will become of The Epoch Times with its chief financial officer accused of money laundering?

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal prosecutors this week arrested the chief financial officer of The Epoch Times and said he directed millions of dollars gained through criminal schemes to the company and himself. The arrest cast a spotlight on a little-known news organization that has largely lived in the shadows between its founding in 2020 and a transformation during the Trump administration. Started by adherents to Falun Gong and fiercely opposed to the Chinese government, experts say the Epoch Times saw Trump as someone who could advance their cause and also make it financially more successful. Going from $4 million in revenue in 2016 to nearly $128 million five years later likely caught the eye of authorities.

In France, D-Day evokes both the joys of liberation and the pain of Normandy’s 20,000 civilian dead

CARENTAN-LES-MARAIS, France (AP) — The 80th anniversary this week of D-Day brings mixed emotions for French survivors of the Battle of Normandy. They remain grateful for their liberation from Nazi occupation in World War II but cannot forget its steep cost in French lives. Some 20,000 Normandy civilians were killed in the June 6, 1944, Allied invasion and as the landing forces fought inland. Soldiers from the United States and other Allied nations are remembered for their exploits, kindness and sacrifices. One Normandy survivor who was 6 in 1944 says, “They will always be gods to me.” But also seared into survivors’ memories are Allied bombing raids that pulverized Normandy communities.