AP-Newswatch

Israel battles militants in Gaza’s main cities, with civilians trapped in the fighting

RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israeli forces are battling Palestinian militants in Gaza’s two largest cities. Civilians are still trapped in Monday’s fighting even after hundreds of thousands have fled to other parts of the besieged territory. Israel has pledged to keep fighting until it removes Hamas from power, dismantles its military capabilities and returns all of the hostages taken by militants during Hamas’ Oct. 7 surprise attack into Israel that ignited the war. The U.S. has provided unwavering diplomatic and military support for the campaign, even as it has urged Israel to minimize civilian casualties and further mass displacement. The war has killed thousands of Palestinian civilians and driven nearly 85% of the territory’s 2.3 million people from their homes.

Life in Russian-controlled areas of Ukraine is grim. People are fleeing through a dangerous corridor

SUMY, Ukraine (AP) — Since Russia invaded Ukraine, thousands of people have fled occupied regions of the country over myriad routes. Now, nearly two years into the war, the only place left to do so is “the corridor.” As refugees traipse along the 2-kilometer path in a no man’s land on the front line, the whir of artillery and the whine of drones echo in their ears. They are warned before they go that no one will be able to guarantee their safety as they cross. But for many, to stay is equally dangerous. An Associated Press investigation earlier this year found that thousands are being held without charge in Russian prisons and areas of the occupied territories. Some are tortured and killed.

Tennessee residents clean up after severe weekend storms killed 6 people and damaged neighborhoods

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Central Tennessee residents and emergency workers are digging out from devastating weekend storms that killed six people, toppled houses and cut power to tens of thousands. Government officials confirmed that three people died after a tornado struck Montgomery County north of Nashville near the Kentucky state line on Saturday afternoon. The Nashville Emergency Operation Center confirmed that three others were killed as a result of tornadoes in a neighborhood near downtown. Dozens more were hospitalized. Communities worked to begin repairing damaged houses with strewn debris. Other harrowing scenes included a tractor-trailer flipped on its side and insulation ripped out of building walls.

Trump says he won’t testify again at his New York fraud trial. He says he has nothing more to say

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump says he’s decided against testifying for a second time at his New York civil fraud trial. In a social media post Sunday, the former president said he “very successfully & conclusively” testified last month and saw no need to appear again. Trump had been expected to return to the witness stand Monday as the last big defense witness in the case, which threatens his real estate empire and cuts to the heart of his image as a successful businessman. In all capital letters, Trump said, “I have already testified to everything & have nothing more to say.” He was often defiant and combative when he testified last month.

Jury trial will decide how much Giuliani must pay election workers over false election fraud claims

WASHINGTON (AP) — Rudy Giuliani has arrived at Washington’s federal court for a trial to determine how much he might have to pay two Georgia election workers whom he falsely accused of fraud while pushing Donald Trump’s baseless claims after the 2020 election. The former New York City mayor has already been found liable in the defamation lawsuit brought by Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, who endured threats and harassment after they became the target of a conspiracy theory spread by Trump and his allies. The only issue to be determined at the trial is the amount of damages, if any, Giuliani must pay. It is beginning with jury selection.

Biden goes into 2024 with the economy getting stronger, but voters feel horrible about it

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden goes into next year’s election with a vexing challenge: Just as the U.S. economy is getting stronger, people are still feeling horrible about it. Pollsters and economists say there has never been as wide a gap between the underlying health of the economy and public perception. The divergence could be a decisive factor in whether the Democrat secures a second term next year. Republicans are seizing on the dissatisfaction to skewer Biden, while the White House is finding less success by trying to highlight economic progress.

Smugglers are bringing migrants to a remote Arizona border crossing, overwhelming US agents

LUKEVILLE, Ariz. (AP) — The U.S. Border Patrol says it is overwhelmed by a shift in human smuggling routes, with hundreds of migrants from faraway countries like Senegal, Bangladesh and China being dropped in a remote desert area in Arizona. The area around Lukeville is hours away by car to U.S. hospitals and migrant shelters. The U.S. government responded last week by indefinitely closing the crossing between Lukeville and Sonoyta, Mexico, to free officers assigned to the port to instead help agents apprehend migrants. Federal air marshals who provide security on commercial flights and even Federal Protective Service officers who guard U.S. government buildings also are being called on.

It’s a tough week for Rishi Sunak. He faces grilling on COVID decisions and revolt over Rwanda plan

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces one of the toughest weeks of his 13 months in office. On Monday he is being grilled by lawyers about his decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic while fending off a rebellion from lawmakers over his signature immigration policy. Sunak is being questioned under oath at a public inquiry into Britain’s handling of the pandemic. Sunak was Treasury chief at the time and backed a much-criticized scheme that encouraged people to eat in restaurants as the country emerged from lockdown. Meanwhile, Conservative lawmakers are debating whether to support legislation intended to salvage Sunak’s plan to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda. It faces a vote in Parliament on Tuesday.

Critics pan draft text at UN climate talks as watered down as COP28 nears its finale in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Countries moved closer to reaching what critics called a watered-down final deal Monday, avoiding calls from more than 100 countries to phase out planet-warming fossil fuels as United Nations climate talks in Dubai neared their culmination. A new draft released Monday afternoon on what’s known as the global stocktake — the part of talks that assesses where the world is with its climate goals and how it can reach them — called for countries to reduce “consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner.”

Teachers have been outed for moonlighting in adult content. Do they have legal recourse?

At a small rural Missouri high school, two English teachers shared a secret: Both were posting adult content on OnlyFans, the subscription-based website known for sexually explicit content. The site and others like it provide an opportunity for those willing to dabble in pornography to earn extra money — sometimes lots of it. The money is handy, especially in relatively low-paying fields like teaching. Many post the content anonymously while trying to maintain their day jobs. But some outed teachers and others in prominent fields have lost their jobs, raising questions about personal freedoms and how far employers can go to avoid stigma related to their employees’ after-hour activities.