Russia says Wagner private army, with help from Russian troops, seized Bakhmut
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia’s defense ministry says forces of the Wagner private army, with the support of Russian troops, have seized the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. The ministry statement on the Telegram channel early Sunday came about eight hours after a similar claim by Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin. Ukrainian authorities at that time said fighting for Bakhmut was continuing. The eight-month battle for the city in eastern Ukraine is the longest and probably most bloody of the conflict in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy at center of last day of high-level diplomacy as G7 looks to punish Russia
HIROSHIMA, Japan (AP) — World leaders ratcheted up pressure Sunday on Russia for its war against Ukraine, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the center of a swirl of diplomacy on the final day of the Group of Seven summit of rich-world democracies. Zelenskyy’s in-person attendance at one of the world’s premier diplomatic gatherings is meant to galvanize attention on his nation’s 15-month fight against Russia. G7 nations have unveiled a slew of new sanctions and other measures meant to punish Moscow and hamper its war-fighting abilities. The G7 leaders have faced a balancing act as they look to address a raft of global worries demanding urgent attention, including climate change, AI, poverty and economic instability, nuclear proliferation and, above all, the war in Ukraine.
Baffert back from ban, wins Preakness with National Treasure after another horse euthanized
BALTIMORE (AP) — Bob Baffert’s National Treasure has won the Preakness Stakes, hours after another of the Hall of Famer’s horses was euthanized on the track with a racing injury. The sport was already facing questions after a tumultuous leadup to the Kentucky Derby that included seven horses dying of various causes over a 10-day span at Churchill Downs. Derby winner Mage finished third in the Preakness. His defeat means there will not be a Triple Crown winner for a fifth consecutive year. Blazing Sevens finished second by a head. Baffert won the Preakness for a record eighth time.
End of an era? GOP walkout shows political chasm where ‘The Oregon Way’ once meant bipartisan trust
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — The political divide affecting the United States is hitting Oregon hard. The Legislature is in gridlock and Republican senators are in a prolonged walkout. Oregonians are wistfully recalling “The Oregon Way,” when politicians of different stripes forged agreements for the common good. The gridlock in the state Capitol in Salem comes as Oregon grapples with homelessness, mental health issues, a fetid open-air drug market in Portland and gun violence in the state’s main city. Some businesses are fleeing, including REI. The boycott threatens to derail hundreds of pending bills, approval of a biennial state budget and the boycotters’ own political futures.
Many transgender health bills came from a handful of far-right interest groups, AP finds
Legislation to restrict gender-affirming care is often pre-written and shopped out by a handful of interest groups. So-called model legislation has been used in statehouses for decades. Critics say model legislation allows a handful of far-right groups to create a false narrative around gender-affirming care for minors that is based on distorted science. Political observers say Republicans’ recent focus on such legislation is a “wedge issue” to motivate their voting base. The AP obtained the texts of more than 130 bills in 40 state legislatures and analyzed them for similarities to model bills peddled by the groups Do No Harm and the Family Research Council.
Lawyer who quit Trump legal team cites disagreements with Trump adviser as basis for departure
WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer who quit Donald Trump’s legal team this past week is attributing his decision to strategy disagreements with a close adviser to the former president. Timothy Parlatore, who had been a key lawyer for Trump in a Justice Department special counsel investigation into the potential mishandling of classified documents at his Florida estate, told CNN in an interview on Saturday that there were “certain individuals that made defending the president much harder than it needed to be.” In a statement responding to Parlatore’s comments, a Trump spokesman said Parlatore’s “statements regarding current members of the legal team are unfounded and categorically false.”
2024 Republican hopefuls rush to defend Marine who put NYC subway rider in fatal chokehold
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential hopefuls have rushed to support Daniel Penny, a white U.S. Marine veteran who was caught on video pinning an agitated Black subway passenger to the floor in a fatal chokehold. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged the nation to show Penny that “America’s got his back.” Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley called for New York’s governor to pardon Penny, and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy donated $10,000 to his legal defense fund. Top Republicans have tried to make rising crime rates a political liability for Democrats. Democrats and racial justice advocates counter that GOP messaging around restoring “law and order” plays on deep-seated racism.
Debt limit standoff brings tough talk, little action as Biden, world leaders watch for progress
WASHINGTON (AP) — Debt limit talks between the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy hung over the weekend with tough talk but little action. President Joe Biden and world leaders watched from afar, hoping high-stakes negotiations would make progress on avoiding a potentially catastrophic federal default. In a sign of a renewed bargaining session, food was brought to the negotiating room at the Capitol on Saturday morning, only to be carted away hours later. The White House said McCarthy’s latest offer took a “big step back.” McCarthy said it was the White House that was “moving backward.” Talks could resume Sunday. Biden is attending a meeting of global leaders in Japan and on Saturday he tried to reassure them that the United States would not default.
Warring factions in Sudan agree to temporary ceasefire, say US-Saudi mediators
WASHINGTON (AP) — Sudan’s warring factions have agreed to a new short-term ceasefire after several previous attempts to broker a truce that holds have failed. Meeting in the Saudi port city of Jeddah, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces signed off on a seven-day ceasefire that is due to take effect on Monday 9:45 p.m. local time in Sudan, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia said Saturday in a joint statement. The talks in Jeddah had previously produced an agreement between the two sides on protecting civilians and easing the flow of humanitarian assistance to those affected by the conflict. But, earlier ceasefire deals have foundered amid accusations by both of violations.
Scorsese debuts ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ in Cannes to thunderous applause
CANNES, France (AP) — Martin Scorsese unveiled “Killers of the Flower Moon” in Cannes on Saturday, debuting a sweeping American epic about greed and exploitation on the bloody plains of an Osage Nation reservation in 1920s Oklahoma. Scorsese’s latest is one of his most ambitious. Adapting David Grann’s nonfiction bestseller, it stretches nearly three and a half hours and cost Apple $200 million to make. Nothing has been more anticipated at this year’s Cannes than this high-budget premiere. The red carpet drew a wide spectrum of stars, including actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro. Apple CEO Tim Cook also attended.
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