AP-Newswatch

Beryl weakens to tropical depression after slamming into Texas as Category 1 hurricane

HOUSTON (AP) — After Hurricane Beryl slammed into Texas, knocking out power to nearly 3 million homes and businesses and killing at least three people it moved east and weakened to a tropical depression. The fast-moving tempest on Monday threatened to carve a harsh path over several more states in coming days. Officials warned it could take several days to restore power after Beryl came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane and toppled 10 transmission lines and knocked down trees that took down power lines. Beryl later weakened into a tropical storm and then a tropical depression.

Biden gets support from key lawmakers as he tells Democrats he won’t step aside after debate

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is standing firm against calls for him to drop his reelection candidacy and calling for an end to the intraparty drama that has torn apart Democrats since his dismal debate performance. Key lawmakers are expressing support for him to remain in the 2024 presidential race. Biden sent congressional Democrats an open letter aiming to silence their skepticism of his fitness to lead the country for another four years. He stressed that the party has “one job,” which is to defeat Donald Trump. After a week of false starts, a coordinated effort by Biden and his campaign to shore up Democratic support appears to be paying off, though he has by no means silenced his doubters.

The White House faces many questions about Biden’s health and medical history. Here are some answers

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has tried to address questions about President Joe Biden’s health. During a Monday news briefing, Jean-Pierre said the president has only seen a neurologist three times while in office, and those visits were in conjunction with his annual physicals. Biden’s terrible performance at the June 27 presidential debate has raised concerns about his age, health and ability to lead the federal government. Visitor logs show that Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist who has conducted research into Parkinson’s, went to the White House eight times over the past four months. Biden’s physician said in a letter late Monday that Cannard treated multiple patients at the White House for a wide array of neurological issues.

The plane is ready, the fundraisers are booked: Trump’s VP search comes down to its final days

NEW YORK (AP) — The future Republican vice presidential candidate’s plane is currently parked in an undisclosed hangar — an empty spot on its fuselage for where a decal featuring his or her name will soon be placed. Fundraisers have been planned. All that’s left: an announcement from former President Donald Trump unveiling his pick. Senior aides and longtime allies insist they still don’t know who the presumptive GOP nominee will choose to join him on the ticket — with many believing the choice is still in flux. “I haven’t made (a) final decision. But I have some ideas as to where we’re going,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News Channel’s Sean Hannity that aired Monday night.

Republicans move at Trump’s behest to change how they will oppose abortion

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Republican National Committee’s platform committee is adopting a policy document that reflects former President Donald Trump’s position — opposing a federal abortion ban and ceding limits to the states. It is the first time a national abortion ban has been omitted in 40 years. The move comes as Trump imposes his priorities on the committee as he seeks to steer clear of strict abortion language, even while taking credit for setting up the 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court. The new platform language relies on the Constitution’s 14th Amendment to say that states are “free to pass laws” concerning abortion.

Tourists still flock to Death Valley amid searing US heat wave blamed for several deaths

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Hundreds of Europeans touring the American West and adventurers from around the U.S. are still being drawn to Death Valley National Park, even though the desolate region known as one of the Earth’s hottest places is being punished by a dangerous heat wave blamed for a motorcyclist’s death over the weekend. Much of the country is sweltering in heat wave that has seen dozens of locations in the West and Pacific Northwest tie or break previous heat records. Record daily high temperatures in Oregon are suspected in four deaths reported in the Portland area.

Women gradually rise in Japanese politics but face deep challenges

TOKYO (AP) — Eight years ago Yuriko Koike became the first woman to lead Tokyo, beating her male predecessor. She won her third term Sunday and one of her closest rivals was a woman. Multiple women competing for a top political office is still rare in Japan. The country has a terrible global gender-equality ranking. But Koike’s win highlights a gradual rise in powerful female officials and a society more open to gender balance in politics. Politics in Japan is still overwhelmingly dominated by men even if a woman eventually becomes prime minister. And experts see a huge effort needed for equal representation.

Here’s what to know about Boeing agreeing to plead guilty to fraud in 737 Max crashes

Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to fraud to settle charges stemming from the crashes of two of its 737 Max jets. If a judge in Texas accepts the deal, Boeing won’t have to go on trial. The plea deal was disclosed in a court filing late Sunday. It’s not yet a sure thing, however. Relatives of some of the passengers who died in the Max crashes have indicated they will ask a federal judge to throw out the agreement. Under the deal, Boeing will pay another fine, bringing the total to $487.2 million, and be required to invest at least $455 million in making additional safety improvements.

The far right seemed to have a lock on France’s legislative elections. Here’s why it didn’t win

PARIS (AP) — French far-right leader Marine Le Pen appeared to be nearer to power than ever last week after her National Rally party triumphed in the opening round of legislative elections. It looked like an impressive opening position to possibly win or get close to an absolute parliamentary majority in the decisive runoff. But what Le Pen hoped would be a watershed victory turned into another setback. Although her party won more National Assembly seats than ever, it again hit a wall of voters who don’t believe the National Rally should govern France or has shed its links to racism, antisemitism and the country’s still painful World War II past of collaboration with Nazi Germany.

Judge decides Alec Baldwin’s role as co-producer not relevant to trial over fatal 2021 set shooting

A New Mexico judge has decided that actor Alec Baldwin’s role as co-producer isn’t relevant to the involuntary manslaughter trial over a fatal shooting on the set of the Western film “Rust.” The actor has appeared in court Monday for a pretrial hearing over a single charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a cinematographer. Halyna Hutchins was killed in October 2021 when a gun Baldwin was holding went off during a rehearsal. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty. The judge also decided to exclude as evidence a state workplace safety investigation the prosecution argued was incomplete.