AP-Newswatch

Israeli strikes kill at least 37 Palestinians, most in tents, near Gaza’s Rafah as offensive expands

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Renewed Israeli shelling and strikes have killed at least 37 people, most of them sheltering in tents, outside the southern Gaza city of Rafah. That’s according to witnesses, first responders and hospital officials. The overnight and on Tuesday pummeled the same area where strikes had triggered a deadly fire that swept through a camp for displaced Palestinian. The Israeli military says it is investigating Sunday’s strike that sparked the fire. A military spokesman says the munitions would have been too small to ignite a fire on their own, and the army is looking into the possibility that weapons were stored in the area causing secondary explosions.

Democrats plan to nominate Biden by virtual roll call to meet Ohio ballot deadline

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will be formally nominated as the Democratic presidential nominee through a virtual roll call ahead of the party’s official convention in Chicago in August — a maneuver that will allow Biden to appear on the ballot in Ohio this November. The issue is because the Democratic National Convention, where the president would otherwise be formally nominated, comes after Ohio’s ballot deadline of Aug. 7. The party’s convention is scheduled for Aug. 19-22. Ohio lawmakers have moved the deadline in the past for candidates of both parties, although they had not done so yet for Biden this year.

Pope apologizes after being quoted using vulgar term about gay men in talk about ban on gay priests

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has apologized after he was quoted using a vulgar term about gay men to reaffirm the Catholic Church’s ban on gay priests. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni issued a statement Tuesday acknowledging the media storm that erupted about Francis’ comments. They were delivered behind closed doors to Italian bishops on May 20.Italian media on Monday had quoted unnamed Italian bishops in reporting that Francis jokingly used the term “faggotness” while speaking in Italian during the encounter. He had used the term in reaffirming the Vatican’s ban on allowing gay men to enter seminaries and be ordained priests.

A look at Pope Francis’ comments about LGBTQ+ people

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis’ apology for using a vulgar term to refer to gay men was the latest comment to make headlines about the Catholic Church’s teachings on homosexuality. Francis has made a hallmark of reaching out to LGBTQ+ Catholics, but his 11-year pontificate has also seen plenty of problems arise over his informal way of speaking and his outreach, evidence of how fraught the issue is for the church.

Voter outreach groups targeted by new laws in several GOP-led states are struggling to do their work

WASHINGTON (AP) — Laws passed in several Republican-controlled states after the 2020 presidential election have criminalized much of the work done by voter outreach groups. Advocates are finding it difficult to adapt as they try to register and educate potential voters with just months to go before this year’s presidential election. In-person activities have been eliminated or severely cut back, and staffing has been reduced. Voting rights experts say it’s another tactic to strip access to the ballot box, especially for minority voters, who mostly benefit from third-party voter registration.

Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognize a Palestinian state as EU rift with Israel widens

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain, Norway and Ireland have formally recognized a Palestinian state in a coordinated effort that adds more pressure on Israel to soften its devastating response to last year’s Hamas attack. Dozens of countries have recognized a Palestinian state. But none of the major Western powers has done so. Israel condemned Tuesday’s recognitions that will have no immediate impact on the war in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz wrote on X that Sánchez’s government was “being complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes.”

Still hurting from violence, Mexican priests and families hope for peace ahead of elections

CHIHUAHUA, México (AP) — Ahead of upcoming presidential elections, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and frontrunner Claudia Sheinbaum have strongly rejected any criticism of the governing party’s security strategies. Organized crime, though, has long controlled swaths of Mexico through violence and corruption. Since the murder of two Jesuit priests in 2022, Catholic Church leaders have echoed the voices of victims still hurting from extortion, forced displacement and the killings of their loved ones. Now, ahead of the June 2 election, religious leaders and families alike yearn for peace and the government’s acknowledgement of their grief.

25 are dead across the US after weekend tornadoes. Texas is getting battered again

Damaging winds and hail have pelted north Texas as much of the U.S. recovers from severe weather that killed at least 25 people during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Widespread power outages were reported in the region that includes Dallas and Fort Worth. An early-season heat wave is adding to the misery. The weekend’s destructive storms caused deaths in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kentucky. A possible tornado damaged a high school and a half-dozen homes in Pennsylvania on Monday night. It has been a grim month of tornadoes and severe weather in the nation’s midsection.

Albert Ruddy, Oscar-winning producer of ‘The Godfather’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby,’ dies at 94

NEW YORK (AP) — “The Godfather” producer Albert S. Ruddy has died at 94. The Canadian-born producer and writer won Oscars for “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby,” developed the raucous prison-sports comedy “The Longest Yard” and helped create the hit sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes.” A spokesperson says Ruddy died Saturday at the UCLA Medical Center. Ruddy produced more than 30 movies and was on hand for the very top and the very bottom. “The Godfather” and “Million Dollar Baby” were box office hits and winners of best picture Oscars. But Ruddy also helped give us “Cannonball Run II” and “Megaforce,” nominees for Golden Raspberry awards for worst movie of the year.