AP-Newswatch

US and Ukraine near an economic deal with mineral rights but no security promise, officials say

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Three senior Ukrainian officials say that Ukraine and the U.S. have reached an agreement on a framework for a broad economic deal that would include access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. The officials, who were familiar with the matter, spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. One of them said that Kyiv hopes that signing the agreement will ensure the continued flow of U.S. military support that the country urgently needs. President Trump called it “a very big deal,” adding that it could be worth a trillion dollars.

House GOP pushes ‘big’ budget resolution to passage

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans have muscled their budget blueprint to passage, with a push from President Donald Trump. The vote late Tuesday evening is a crucial step toward delivering what he’s called his “big, beautiful bill,” with $4.5 trillion in tax breaks and $2 trillion in spending cuts. It kickstarts a weeks-long process to draft the details and merge it with the Senate’s package. The vote was 217-215 with all Democrats opposed. 

Fired cybersecurity chief for Veterans Affairs site warns that health and financial data is at risk

BOSTON (AP) — A fired federal employee who oversaw cybersecurity at a flagship website for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is warning that sensitive financial and health data could be compromised. Jonathan Kamens led cybersecurity efforts for VA.gov and was fired this month. Dozens of his colleagues from the U.S. Digital Service were fired the same day. Kamens says he’s concerned he won’t be replaced amid the massive downsizing of the federal government. He said banking and other information is used on the VA site and is at risk. The VA says the loss of one employee won’t affect operations and that many others also focus on cybersecurity.

The White House says it ‘will determine’ which news outlets cover Trump, rotating traditional ones

The White House says its officials “will determine” which news outlets cover President Donald Trump. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that the changes would rotate some traditional outlets from the group and include some streaming services. She cast the change as a modernization of the press pool, saying the move would restore “access back to the American people” who elected Trump.

Pope Francis’ friends around Rome pray for him as he fights pneumonia

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was a frequent visitor to Rome long before he became pope. Now his favorite shops and artisans are pulling for him as he battles double pneumonia. His optician says that “the pope is by now a friend, a beloved person for me, not a customer. I am praying for his recovery.” Francis’s visits there have drawn crowds. The Argentine pope also once invited the owner of an Argentine gelato lab to visit with his family. Francis has lamented that he can’t walk around freely as he did before becoming pope. But the connections he has made are lasting.

Southwest Airlines flight abruptly rises to avoid another plane crossing Chicago runway

CHICAGO (AP) — Pilots on a Southwest Airlines flight attempting to land at Chicago’s Midway Airport were forced to climb back into the sky to avoid another aircraft crossing the runway. Airport webcam video posted to X shows the Southwest plane approaching a runway just before 9 a.m. Tuesday before its nose abruptly pulls up. A smaller jet is seen crossing the runway that the passenger plane was set to use. Southwest Airlines says Flight 2504 from Omaha, Nebraska, safely landed after the crew performed a precautionary go-around to avoid a possible conflict with another aircraft that entered the runway. The Federal Aviation Administration says the second plane, a business jet, entered the runway without authorization.

Liberal party leadership candidates in Canada debate who is best to deal with Trump

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — The four candidates vying to become the next leader of Canada’s Liberal party have made the case during a debate why they are best suited to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump. Former central banker Mark Carney, former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, former government House leader Karina Gould and former Montreal-area Member of Parliament Frank Baylis all agreed on Tuesday night that Trump’s tariff threats pose a danger to Canada’s sovereignty. Carney, who is considered the frontrunner to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said his experience dealing with financial crises as the former governor of both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England gives him an advantage.

A mystery illness in Congo has killed more than 50 people hours after they felt sick

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Health experts say an unknown illness first discovered in three children who ate a bat has rapidly killed more than 50 people in northwestern Congo over the past five weeks. A medical director of a regional monitory center says the interval between the onset of symptoms – which include fever, vomiting and internal bleeding – and death has been 48 hours in most cases and “that’s what’s really worrying.” These “hemorrhagic fever” symptoms are commonly linked to known deadly viruses, such as Ebola, dengue, Marburg and yellow fever, but researchers have ruled these out based on tests of more than a dozen samples collected so far. The latest disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo began on Jan. 21, with 419 cases recorded and 53 deaths.

Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury retires after 20 WNBA seasons, 3 titles and 6 Olympic golds

PHOENIX (AP) — Diana Taurasi is retiring after 20 seasons, ending one of the greatest careers in women’s basketball history. The WNBA’s career scoring leader and a three-time league champion, Taurasi announced her retirement on Tuesday in an interview with Time magazine. The Phoenix Mercury — the only WNBA team she played for — also confirmed her decision. The 42-year-old won her sixth Olympic gold medal at the Paris Games and finishes her WNBA career with 10,646 points, nearly 3,000 more than second-place Tina Charles. She led UConn to three consecutive national titles and kept winning after the Mercury selected her No. 1 overall in the 2004 WNBA draft.