AP-Newswatch

Israel’s military intelligence chief resigns over failure to prevent Hamas attack on Oct. 7

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The head of Israel’s military intelligence directorate has resigned over Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, the head of Israel’s military intelligence, becomes the first senior Israeli figure to step down over the failures surrounding Hamas’ attack, which triggered the war in Gaza. It could set the stage for more resignations. Haliva said in October that he shouldered the blame for not preventing the attack, which broke through Israel’s vaunted defenses. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not taken responsibility for the failures around the attack, saying he and other top officials will answer for their actions after the end of the war against Hamas.

Columbia cancels in-person classes as demonstrations sprout up on US campuses to protest Israel war

Columbia University has canceled in-person classes and police have arrested dozens of students at Yale University as tensions over the war in the Middle East continue to grow on U.S. college campuses. The moves at the Ivy League schools came hours hours before Monday evening’s start of the Jewish holiday of Passover. A New Haven, Connecticut, police spokesperson said about 45 protesters were arrested at Yale on Monday morning and charged with misdemeanor trespassing. All were being released on promises to appear in court later. Following arrests last week at Columbia, pro-Palestinian demonstrators set up encampments on other campuses around the country, including at the University of Michigan, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of North Carolina.

Local election workers fear threats to their safety as November nears. One group is trying to help

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A top concern for local election workers throughout the country this year is their own safety. A group formed after the 2020 presidential election is traveling the country helping them prepare for what could lie ahead and making sure they are connected to local law enforcement. The Associated Press was granted rare access to one recent session in northern Michigan. The threats and harassment stem from the false claims made repeatedly by former President Donald Trump since his loss in 2020. He already has been attacking some election officials this year. The drumbeat has contributed to an exodus of local election directors across the country.

Aid approval brings Ukraine closer to replenishing troops struggling to hold front lines

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Approval by the U.S. House of Representatives of a $61 billion package for Ukraine puts the country a step closer to getting an infusion of new firepower. But the clock is ticking. Russia is using all its might to achieve its most significant gains since the invasion by a May 9 deadline. In the meantime, Kyiv has no choice but to wait for replenishment after months of rationing ammunition. The Pentagon has said it could get weapons moving to Ukraine within days if the Senate and President Joe Biden give final approval to the plan. Experts and Ukrainian lawmakers say it could take weeks for the assistance to reach troops.

Toxic: How the search for the origins of COVID-19 turned politically poisonous

BEIJING (AP) — The Chinese government froze meaningful efforts to trace the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, despite publicly declaring that it supported an open scientific inquiry, an Associated Press investigation has found. The AP drew on thousands of pages of undisclosed emails and documents, leaked recordings and dozens of interviews that showed the freeze began far earlier than previously known — in the first weeks of the outbreak — and involved political and scientific infighting in China as much as international finger-pointing. That pattern continues to this day, with labs closed, collaborations shattered, foreign scientists forced out and Chinese researchers barred from leaving the country.

Satellite photos suggest Iran air defense radar struck in Isfahan during apparent Israeli attack

JERUSALEM (AP) — New satellite photos suggest an apparent Israeli retaliatory strike targeting Iran’s central city of Isfahan hit a radar system for a Russian-made air defense battery, contradicting repeated denials by officials in Tehran of any damage in the assault. The strike on an S-300 radar in what appears to have been a very limited strike by the Israelis would represent far more damage done than in the massive drone-and-missile attack Iran unleashed against Israel on April 13. That may be why Iranian officials up to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have been trying to dismiss discussing what the attack actually did on Iranian soil. The Associated Press analyzed images Monday from Planet Labs PBC of the damage.

Biden marks Earth Day by going after GOP, announcing $7 billion in federal solar power grants

TRIANGLE, Virginia (AP) — President Joe Biden is marking Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal grants to provide residential solar projects serving 900,000-plus households in low- and middle-income communities. He also criticized Republicans who want to gut his policies to address climate change. The Democrat plans to expand his New Deal-style American Climate Corps green jobs training program. Biden spoke at northern Virginia’s Prince William Forest Park on Monday. Biden’s latest environmental announcements come as he’s working to energize young voters for his reelection campaign. Senior administration officials say young Americans are keenly invested in the Biden climate agenda and want to help enact it.

Caitlin Clark’s early play in WNBA will be her tryout for a roster spot on US Olympic women’s team

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Caitlin Clark will have the start of her WNBA career to show the U.S. women’s basketball selection committee whether she deserves a spot on the Paris Olympic roster. Clark couldn’t attend the U.S. training camp this month in Cleveland during the Final Four because she was still playing with Iowa. Attending the camp wasn’t mandatory to make the team, but it certainly would have helped the NCAA all-time scoring leader show the selection committee whether she can hold her own against some of the best players in the world. The U.S. isn’t expected to name its roster for the Paris Games before June 1.