AP-Newswatch

Mideast mediators strike hopeful note after talks in Doha

JERUSALEM (AP) — Mediators trying to end the Israel-Hamas war are expressing hope for an imminent deal. They said Friday that two days of talks had wrapped up in Qatar and that they plan to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting. Israel issued a vague statement saying it appreciated the mediators’ efforts. A statement from Hamas did not sound enthusiastic about the latest proposed deal to end the devastating 10-month war in Gaza and free Israeli hostages held in the territory. A cease-fire is seen as the best hope for heading off an even larger regional conflict.

Tennessee family’s lawsuit says video long kept from them shows police force, not drugs, killed son

A Tennessee mother whose son was having a seizure in his apartment says in a new lawsuit that police and paramedics subjected him to “inhumane acts of violence.” Instead of helping Austin Hunter Turner get medical care, the family says officers used deadly force and then covered it up. The federal lawsuit follows the publication of an investigation led by The Associated Press which unearthed police body-camera video of the encounter in Bristol, Tennessee, that made Turner’s parents doubt the official conclusion that a drug overdose killed their son. Officials in Bristol did not respond to requests for comment.

Hurricane Ernesto barrels toward Bermuda as wealthy British territory preps for storm

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Hurricane Ernesto is charging toward Bermuda as officials on the tiny British territory in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean prepare to open shelters and close government offices. The Category 2 storm was located 215 miles (345 kilometers) south-southwest of Bermuda on Friday. It had maximum sustained winds of 100 mph (155 kph) and was moving north-northeast at 14 mph (22 kph). Ernesto is expected to strengthen further before it passes near or over Bermuda on Saturday. Tropical storm conditions including strong winds and life-threatening floods are expected to start affecting Bermuda on Friday afternoon.

How Ferguson elevated the profile of the Justice Department’s civil rights enforcers

WASHINGTON (AP) — The investigations into Michael Brown’s death in Ferguson, Missouri 10 years ago catapulted the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division into the spotlight. It brought heightened publicity to a unit whose headline-making work since its 1957 creation included fighting for voting rights and prosecuting Los Angeles police officers in the beating of Rodney King. The Ferguson probes were among other high-profile investigations into police departments. That work fed a national dialogue on race and law enforcement and formed a legacy item of the Obama administration Justice Department before being largely abandoned under President Donald Trump. The investigations have since picked up.

Now that mpox is a global health emergency, will it trigger another pandemic?

LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization has declared the ongoing outbreaks of mpox in Congo and elsewhere in Africa to be a global emergency, requiring urgent action to curb the virus’ transmission. Sweden has since announced it had found the first case of a new form of mpox previously only seen in Africa, while other European health authorities warned more imported cases were likely. Mpox, also known as monkeypox, is spread primarily through close skin-to-skin contact with infected people or their soiled clothes or bedsheets.

Woman charged with trying to defraud Elvis Presley’s family through sale of Graceland

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Missouri woman has been arrested on charges alleging she orchestrated a scheme to fraudulently sell Elvis Presley’s Graceland property in Memphis. The Justice Department said Lisa Jeanine Findley of Kimberling City, Missouri is accused of scheming to steal the Presley family’s ownership interest in Graceland, falsely claiming that Presley’s daughter pledged the property as collateral for a loan she failed to pay before her death. An attorney for Findley, who used multiple aliases, was not listed in court documents and a telephone number was not immediately available in public records.

What is ketamine, the drug involved in Matthew Perry’s death?

Ketamine is the drug involved in the death of “Friends” star Matthew Perry and a powerful anesthetic approved by U.S. health regulators for use during surgery. It can be given as an intramuscular injection or by IV. The drug is a chemical cousin of the recreational drug PCP. Ketamine itself has been used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It can cause hallucinations and can impact breathing and the heart.