AP-Newswatch

Powerful storm kills 2 people and leaves 1.1 million without power in eastern US

WASHINGTON (AP) — At least two people have died, thousands of U.S. flights have been canceled and more than 1 million have lost power as destructively strong storms moved through the eastern U.S. Residents had been warned to stay indoors Monday. The threat of severe thunderstorms and tornados stretched from Alabama to New York. Officials say a 15-year-old boy was killed by a falling tree in South Carolina and a 28-year-old man was killed by lightning in Alabama. Homes and businesses in nearly a dozen states lost power as trees and power lines fell onto roads and homes. FlightAware says more than 2,600 U.S. flights have been canceled and nearly 7,900 delayed.

European scientists make it official. July was the hottest month on record by far

Now that July’s sizzling numbers are all in, the European climate monitoring organization made it official: July 2023 was Earth’s hottest month on record by a wide margin. July’s global average temperature of 16.95 degrees Celsius was a third of a degree Celsius (six tenths of a degree Fahrenheit) higher than the previous record set in 2019. That’s according to Tuesday’s calculations by Copernicus Climate Change Service, a division of the European Union’s space program. Normally global temperature records are broken by hundredths or a tenth of a degree, so this margin is unusual.

A proposed constitutional change before Ohio voters could determine abortion rights in the state

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s voters are deciding whether to make their state constitution harder to amend. A highly charged special election that has direct bearing on a November ballot question over abortion rights comes to a close Tuesday. If Issue 1 passes, the threshold for voters being able to change the state constitution would rise from a simple majority to 60%. That would make it difficult, if not impossible, for the fall proposal to succeed, based on polling figures. Voters in several states, even deeply conservative ones, have affirmed abortion rights since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, though usually with less than 60% of the vote.

South Korea evacuates thousands of Scouts from coastal campsite as tropical storm nears

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Carrying huge backpacks and water bottles, tens of thousands of Scouts began arriving at university dormitories, government and corporate training centers, and hotels around Seoul and other inland cities on Tuesday afternoon as the South Korean government evacuated the World Scout Jamboree ahead of a tropical storm. The South Korean government had scrambled to keep the 12-day gathering of Scouts going in the face of struggles with heat, hygiene and land use controversies, as thousands of British and American Scouts departed over the weekend. South Korean officials say the Jamboree will continue in the form of cultural events and activities, including a K-Pop concert in Seoul Friday.

Russian missiles kill 7 in Ukrainian city and Kyiv accuses Moscow of targeting rescue workers

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Officials say the death toll from Russian missile strikes that hit apartment buildings in an eastern Ukrainian city has climbed to seven, with 81 people injured. Two Russian missiles slammed into the downtown area of Pokrovsk in the eastern Donetsk region that is partially occupied by Russia, on Monday evening. Local officials said the missiles damaged apartment buildings, houses, a hotel, dining establishments, shops and administrative buildings. The Kremlin says its forces target only military assets and claim other damage is caused by debris from Ukrainian air defense weapons.

Biden will announce a historic Grand Canyon monument designation during his Arizona visit

TUSAYAN, Ariz. (AP) — President Joe Biden will use his visit to Arizona to formally announce a national monument designation for the greater Grand Canyon. National climate adviser Ali Zaidi confirms Biden is visiting the area Tuesday and is expected to announce plans to preserve more than 1,500 square miles just outside Grand Canyon National Park. This would be the Democratic president’s fifth monument designation. Representatives of various northern Arizona tribes have been invited to attend Biden’s remarks. Tribes and environmentalists have been advocating for increased protections on the land for decades. Mining companies and the areas that would benefit from their business have been vehemently opposed.

Bursting ice dam in Alaska highlights risks of glacial flooding around the globe

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The destruction that resulted from a glacial dam bursting in Alaska’s capital highlights the danger such flooding poses around the world. Authorities say several homes, including two condo buildings, have been condemned after the levels of the Mendenhall River in Juneau rose to unprecedented levels. Two homes fell into the river completely Saturday after an ice dam on the Mendenhall Glacier gave way, sending torrents of water downstream. Researchers say such glacial floods could threaten about 15 million people around the world.

Thousands of Los Angeles city workers walk off job for 24 hours alleging unfair labor practices

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Thousands of Los Angeles city employees, including sanitation workers, engineers and traffic officers, walked off the job for a 24-hour strike alleging unfair labor practices. Picket lines went up before dawn Tuesday at Los Angeles International Airport and other locations and a rally was planned for later in the day at City Hall. SEIU Local 721 said more than 11,000 workers are striking. The union said its members voted to authorize the walkout because the city has failed to bargain in good faith. Mayor Karen Bass disputed allegations of unfair labor practices and said the city is ready to negotiate.

Mourners in Ireland pay their respects to singer Sinead O’Connor at funeral procession

LONDON (AP) — Throngs of fans have gathered in singer Sinead O’Connor’s former hometown in Ireland to say goodbye following her funeral. O’Connor’s family invited the public to line the waterfront in Bray on Tuesday as her funeral procession passed by. An old VW camper van with rooftop speakers blasting a Bob Marley song led a hearse through a thick crowd of admirers. They tossed flowers on the car as it passed and clapped as it stopped briefly outside her former home. O’Connor was found unresponsive at her London home on July 26. Police have not said how she died, though they said her death was not suspicious.

Brazil has 1.7 million Indigenous people, near double the count from prior census, government says

BELEM, Brazil (AP) — The diminutive woman with a white feather headdress was standing on the stage of the majestic colonial theater in Brazil’s Amazon and addressing the crowd. Minister of Indigenous People Sonia Guajajara declared the day “the milestone of Indigenous participation,” then cited the national statistics institute’s freshly released census data that revealed the full scope of the nation’s Indigenous population: 1,693,535 people. While just 0.8% of Brazil’s population, the figure marks an 89% jump from the prior census, in 2010. “This a historic moment with that picture that the statistics agency has done,” she said on the eve of the two-day Amazon Summit in this city.