AP-Newswatch

Hamas says it’s studying Gaza cease-fire proposal, but appears to rule out key provisions

BEIRUT (AP) — Hamas officials say the group is studying a proposed cease-fire deal that would include prolonged pauses in fighting in Gaza and swaps of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners, but at the same time appeared to rule out some of its key components. A senior Hamas official in Beirut said the group remains committed to its initial demands for a permanent cease-fire. The official also said the group seeks the release of thousands of Palestinian security prisoners, including those serving life sentences. He mentioned two by name, including Marwan Barghouti. Barghouti is a popular Palestinian uprising leader seen as a unifying figure. The comments on the prisoners were the most detailed demands yet to be raised by the group in public.

Half of US adults say Israel has gone too far in war in Gaza, AP-NORC poll shows

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll shows half of U.S. adults believe Israel’s war in Gaza has “gone too far.” The poll by The Associated Press and the NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found growing disapproval among Republicans and political independents for Israel’s conduct of its military offensive in Gaza. And notably for President Joe Biden, about 7 out of 10 young people in Biden’s Democratic Party disapprove of his approach to the conflict. Overall, 31% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s handling of the conflict, including just 46% of Democrats. The U.S. has become increasingly isolated in its support of Israel as the Palestinian death toll rises.

The US didn’t just avoid a recession — it’s adding hundreds of thousands of new jobs

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s employers delivered a stunning burst of hiring to begin 2024, adding 353,000 jobs in January in the latest sign of the economy’s continuing ability to shrug off the highest interest rates in two decades. Last month’s job gain — roughly twice what economists had predicted — topped the December gain of 333,000, a figure that was itself revised sharply higher. The unemployment rate stayed at 3.7%, just above a half-century low. Wages rose unexpectedly fast in January, too. The latest gains showcased employers’ willingness to keep hiring to meet steady consumer spending. It comes as the intensifying presidential campaign is pivoting in no small part on views of President Joe Biden’s economic stewardship.

Biden will attend the return home of 3 US troops killed in Jordan, who he says ‘risked it all’

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will join grieving families at Dover Air Force Base in a dignified transfer to honor three American service members killed in a drone attack in Jordan last weekend. The solemn ritual taking place Friday in Delaware has become relatively uncommon in recent years as the U.S. has withdrawn from conflicts abroad. The deaths were the first U.S. fatalities blamed on Iran-backed militia groups in the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began. The service members killed Sunday were from Georgia. Biden vowed Thursday to never forget their sacrifice to the nation and said they “risked it all.”

Biden is left with few choices as immigration takes center stage in American politics

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Almost immediately after Joe Biden walked into the Oval Office on his first day as president, he began rolling back his predecessor’s immigration policies, which he’d assailed throughout the 2020 campaign as inhumane. A lot has changed in three years. Biden now sounds increasingly like ex-President Donald Trump, pressing Congress for asylum restrictions that would’ve been unthinkable when he took office. Biden is doing it under pressure not just from Republicans but from fellow Democrats, including elected officials in cities thousands of miles from the U.S.-Mexico border who are feeling the effects of asylum seekers arriving in record numbers. The influx has strained social services in cities including New York, Chicago and Denver.

Haley insists she’s staying in the GOP race. Here’s how that could cause problems for Trump

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Nikki Haley’s path to the Republican presidential nomination is rapidly shrinking. But Haley vows to stay in the race indefinitely. And the harder Haley fights, the more Republican officials fear she may hurt Donald Trump’s long-term prospects in the all-but-certain general election against Democratic President Joe Biden. Trump allies describe Haley’s continued presence as a distraction, a drain on resources and a source of frustration. They also worry Trump’s preoccupation with Haley and his frequently calling her “birdbrain” might further alienate moderate voters and suburban women. In practical terms, the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential primary season has barely begun. But after decisive wins in Iowa and New Hampshire, Trump’s grip on the nomination has never been stronger.

It’s so cold and snowy in Alaska that fuel oil is thickening and roofs are collapsing

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Much of Alaska has plunged into a deep freeze, with temperatures colder than minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit in recent days in some places. Anchorage is seeing some of its coldest temperatures in years and the mayor of the state’s largest city has opened warming facilities for people who are homeless or don’t have reliable heating. The extreme cold in some places has caused heating fuel to thicken, affecting heating systems. And the roofs of at least two businesses in Anchorage collapsed under the weight of the snow. To the south, the state capital of Juneau set a new January snowfall record of 6.4 feet.

Tesla recalling nearly 2.2M vehicles for software update to fix warning lights that are too small

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla is recalling nearly all of the vehicles it has sold in the U.S. because some warning lights on the instrument panel are too small. Documents posted Friday by U.S. safety regulators say the recall will be done with an online software update. It covers the 2012 through 2023 Model S, the 2016 through 2023 Model X, the 2017 through 2023 Model 3, the 2019 through 2024 Model Y and the 2024 Cybertruck. The agency says in the documents that the brake, park and antilock brake warning lights have a smaller font size than required by federal safety standards. That can make critical safety information hard to read, increasing the risk of a crash. Tesla has already started releasing the software update.

Punxsutawney Phil predicts an early spring at Groundhog Day festivities

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) — Punxsutawney Phil has forecasted an early spring from the largest and best-known Groundhog Day celebration in the United States at an overcast Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania. The annual event was held shortly after sunrise on Friday. It’s a tongue-in-cheek ritual in which Phil’s handlers reveal whether the groundhog has seen his shadow. This year, they say the rodent did not see his shadow and that will usher in early springlike weather. They say when he does see his shadow, that presages six more weeks of winter. Phil predicts more winter far more often than he sees an early spring. A federal agency took a look at his record last year and put his accuracy rate at about 40%.

Taylor Swift could make it to the Super Bowl from Tokyo. Finding private jet parking, that’s tricky.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — If Taylor Swift is jetting from her upcoming concert in Tokyo to Las Vegas to see boyfriend Travis Kelce play in the Super Bowl, she’d better already have a place to park her plane. Officials at Harry Reid International Airport and the FAA say space for aircraft parking in and around Las Vegas has been spoken for. Four airports in the area have a combined 475 parking spots. By comparison, the Phoenix area where the Super Bowl was played in 2023 had 1,100 and all sold out. Pilots flying into Las Vegas still might be able to drop passengers off and park at other airports in the region.