US says two American-flagged merchant vessels have transited the Strait of Hormuz
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military’s Central Command says two American-flagged merchant ships have “successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz." It said Monday that Navy guided-missile destroyers in the Persian Gulf are helping to restore commercial shipping traffic. The statement on X said the destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz “in support of Project Freedom” and that the merchant ships are ” safely headed on their journey.” It did not say when the Navy ships arrived or when the merchant vessels departed.
European leaders see Trump's troop drawdown from Germany as new proof they must go it alone
YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — European leaders say President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Germany is fresh proof that Europe must take care of its own security. The Pentagon announced last week that 5,000 troops would leave, but Trump said the number would be higher. The move surprised many, and comes amid tensions with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. European leaders, including Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, emphasized the need for Europe to take more responsibility. NATO is seeking clarity on the decision, while European nations have increased defense spending in response to Trump's threats over the past year.
2 US service members missing after military exercises in Morocco
CASABLANCA, Morocco (AP) — Two U.S. service members are missing in southwestern Morocco after participating in military exercises, according to the United States Africa Command. The soldiers went missing during a recreational hike, not during training. The incident happened Saturday near the Cap Draa Training Area. A search and rescue operation involving the U.S., Morocco, and other countries is underway. The search team includes helicopters, ships, and mountain rescue units. The ongoing African Lion exercise, which began in April, involves over 7,000 personnel from more than 30 nations. This annual event is the largest U.S. joint military exercise in Africa.
Agent hit by buckshot from the gun of man charged in correspondents' dinner attack, prosecutor says
WASHINGTON (AP) — Authorities have determined that buckshot from the gun of the man charged with trying to storm the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner in an attempt to kill President Donald Trump struck a Secret Service agent. That word comes from the federal prosecutor overseeing the investigation. Jeanine Pirro said last week there was no evidence the agent was hit by friendly fire during the incident at a Washington hotel on April 25. But the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia went beyond that Sunday in saying a shot from one of Cole Tomas Allen's weapons hit the officer’s bullet-resistant vest. Allen was injured during the attack but wasn't shot. The officer survived.
A suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus on a cruise ship in the Atlantic kills 3 people
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The World Health Organization says that a suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has killed three people and sickened at least three others. The U.N. health agency, in a statement to The Associated Press on Sunday, said an investigation was ongoing but that at least one case of hantavirus had been confirmed. One of the patients was in intensive care in a South African hospital, the U.N.’s health agency said. The company that runs the cruise said it was trying to evacuate two crew members who were sick and still onboard. The outbreak happened on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius cruise ship.
Shooting at a lakeside party near Oklahoma City sends at least 13 people to hospitals
EDMOND, Okla. (AP) — Police and hospital officials say a shooting at a party at a lake near Oklahoma City has sent at least 13 people to hospitals. Edmond police spokesperson Emily Ward says authorities received reports of shots being fired at a gathering of young people near Arcadia Lake at about 9 p.m. Sunday. She says victims were in “various conditions.” Arcadia Lake is located around 13 miles north of Oklahoma City in Edmond, a city of about 100,000. The lake is an artificial reservoir used for flood control that is also popular for picnicking, camping, fishing and water sports.
Rudy Giuliani hospitalized in critical condition, his spokesman says
NEW YORK (AP) — A spokesman for Rudolph Giuliani says the ex-mayor of New York City and former Trump adviser is in critical but stable condition at a hospital. Spokesman Ted Goodman didn’t say what sent the 81-year-old to the hospital or how long he’s been there. Goodman on Sunday asked for prayers for the former mayor. Giuliani earned the “America’s Mayor” nickname for helping unite the nation following the Sept. 11 attacks. In recent years he became a divisive figure after serving as an adviser and personal lawyer for President Donald Trump.
1,500 beagles will get new lives, warm laps after release from research facility
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The first of 1,500 beagles being removed from a Wisconsin dog breeding and research business are adjusting to their new lives as animal welfare groups move them to shelters to prepare them for adoption. Ridglan Farms in rural Blue Mounds was the site of a violent clash last month between activists trying to break in and police who repelled them with tear gas and pepper spray. But the Big Dog Ranch Rescue and the Center for a Humane Economy had already been working for months to purchase the animals and find them better homes.
Trump keeps us up in the air with his hints of what’s coming in a new batch of UFO files
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is promising to release new UFO records that he says will be “very interesting.” He says the files will be coming “very soon” after he directed the Pentagon to share documents related to UFOs and extraterrestrial life. That directive came even with the Pentagon already years into a process to declassify materials related to UFOs. Congress ordered the effort in 2022. The president's interest has been embraced by a small group of Republicans in Congress who say the Pentagon has failed to provide transparency around mysterious aircraft reported near U.S. military installations.
Did the founders create a Christian nation? No, but religion did shape their thinking
There’s long been debate over the intentions of America’s founders about the role of religion. That’s been turbocharged with the approaching 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July Fourth. Some Christian activists are redoubling claims that the United States had a Christian founding. But scholars note that there’s no established religion in the Constitution and some of the most influential founders weren't Christian. But most of them also weren’t deists or anti-religious skeptics. The founders believed in prayer and that God was helping the revolutionary cause. Scholars say they created a sort of free market in which American religion has thrived to this day.
