AP Top News at 2:07 a.m. EDT
AP Top News at 2:07 a.m. EDT
May 31, 2023 GMT
Ahead of House debt ceiling vote, Biden shores up Democrats and McCarthy scrambles for GOP support
WASHINGTON (AP) Hard-fought to the end, the debt ceiling and budget cuts package is heading toward a crucial U.S. House vote as President Joe Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy assemble a coalition of centrist Democrats and Republicans to push it to passage over fierce blowback from conservatives and some progressive dissent. Biden is sending top White House officials to meet early Wednesday at the Capitol to shore up support ahead of voting. McCarthy is working furiously to sell skeptical fellow Republicans, even fending off challenges to his leadership, in the rush to avert a potentially disastrous U.S. default. Despite deep disappointment from right-flank Republicans that the compromise falls short of the spending cuts they demanded, McCarthy insisted he would have the votes needed to ensure approval.
Ethnic Serbs in Kosovo gather again, threaten to take over northern municipality
ZVECAN, Kosovo (AP) Troops from the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo on Wednesday placed metal fences and barbed wire barriers in a northern town following clashes with ethnic Serbs that left 30 international soldiers wounded. Hundreds of ethnic Serbs began gathering in front of the city hall in Zvecan, 45 kilometers (28 miles) north of the capital, Pristina, in their repeated efforts to take over the offices of one of the municipalities where ethnic Albanian mayors took up their posts last week. NATO has decided to send 700 more troops to northern Kosovo to help quell violent protests after the clashes on Monday.
Moscow drone attack exposes Russias vulnerabilities, fuels criticism of military
A drone attack that targeted Moscow on Tuesday exposed glaring breaches in its air defenses and underlined the capitals vulnerability as more Russian soil comes under fire amid expectations of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. The attack, which lightly damaged three apartment buildings, angered Russias hawks, who scathingly criticized President Vladimir Putin and the military brass for failing to protect the heart of Kremlin power more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) from the front line. Five of the eight drones that took part in the raid were shot down, the Defense Ministry said, while three others were jammed and forced to veer off course.
China warns of artificial intelligence risks, calls for beefed-up national security measures
BEIJING (AP) Chinas ruling Communist Party is calling for beefed-up national security measures, highlighting the risks posed by advances in artificial intelligence. A meeting headed by party leader and President Xi Jinping on Tuesday urged dedicated efforts to safeguard political security and improve the security governance of internet data and artificial intelligence, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Xi, who is Chinas head of state, commander of the military and chair of the partys National Security Commission, called at the meeting for staying keenly aware of the complicated and challenging circumstances facing national security. China needs a new pattern of development with a new security architecture, Xinhua reported Xi as saying.
Victims of violent crime drive legislative change to state programs, pushing against barriers to aid
Vanessa Martinez was finishing preparations for her daughters second birthday in September 2021 when her ex-boyfriend broke into her Mesa, Arizona, condo and shot her in the head as she frantically tried to shield their three young children. Doctors had to remove a third of her skull, but Martinez survived. She left the hospital facing a fight for custody of her kids, whod been placed in state care after the attack. She needed a new place to live after much of the house was damaged in a standoff between police and her shooter. Her 4-year-old son needed trauma counseling. Arizona has a state safety net local victim compensation programs for victims of violent attacks like Martinez.
Who are the bride and groom in Jordans royal wedding?
Hes heir to the throne in one of the oldest monarchies in the Middle East and a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. Shes a Saudi architect with an aristocratic pedigree of her own. Crown Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, 28, and Rajwa Alseif, 29, are to be married on Thursday at a palace wedding in Jordan, a Western-allied monarchy that has been a bastion of stability for decades as Middle East turmoil has lapped at its borders. The families have not said how the couple met or provided any details about their courtship. They were formally engaged at a traditional Muslim ceremony in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, in August 2022 that was attended by senior members of Jordans royal family.
DeSantis looks to connect with voters during 1st full day of campaigning in Iowa
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) Ron DeSantis begins his first full day of presidential campaigning on Wednesday with a four-stop blitz through Iowa, trying to prioritize personally connecting with voters while proving he has the mettle to take on former President Donald Trump. The Florida governor has appearances in Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Pella and Cedar Rapids, packing in early events in the state whose caucuses kick off the GOP presidential primary voting. From there, he will head to New Hampshire on Thursday and South Carolina on Friday. At his Iowa kickoff event on Tuesday night with wife Casey, DeSantis was initially cautious while addressing an energetic crowd of roughly 500 gathered inside a suburban Des Moines church.
As Supreme Court considers affirmative action, colleges see few other ways to diversity goals
WASHINGTON (AP) As an alternative to affirmative action, colleges from California to Florida have tried a range of strategies to achieve the diversity they say is essential to their campuses. Many have given greater preference to low-income families. Others started admitting top students from every community in their state. But after years of experimentation often prompted by state-level bans on considering race in admissions theres no clear solution. In states requiring race-neutral policies, many colleges have seen enrollment drops among Black and Hispanic students, especially at selective colleges that historically have been mostly white. Now, as the Supreme Court decides the fate of affirmative action, colleges nationwide could soon face the same test, with some bracing for setbacks that could erase decades of progress on campus diversity.
North Korea spy satellite launch fails as rocket falls into the sea
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Koreas attempt to put the countrys first spy satellite into space failed Wednesday in a setback to leader Kim Jong Uns push to boost his military capabilities as tensions with the United States and South Korea rise. After an unusually quick admission of failure, North Korea vowed to conduct a second launch after learning what went wrong with its rocket liftoff. It sugg
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 at 4:15 am