The US fights to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as the UAE comes under attack in a test of Iran truce
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. military says it fired on Iranian forces and sank six small boats as it moved to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates, a key American ally, said it had come under attack from Iran on Monday, the first since a fragile ceasefire took hold in early April. The attacks appeared to be in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest efforts to reopen the strategic strait. The U.S. military said two American-flagged merchant ships had successfully transited the strait on Monday. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned early Tuesday on X that both the U.S. and the UAE “should be wary of being dragged back into quagmire.”
What to know as the US tries to open the Strait of Hormuz and a ceasefire wavers
The ceasefire in the Iran war faces its most critical moment yet as the United States begins efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, the U.S. launched "Project Freedom" to guide ships through the strait, calling it a humanitarian effort. Iran views this as a violation of the ceasefire. The U.S. says two U.S.-flagged ships have safely transited, but Iran warns that any foreign military force in the strait will be targeted. Already, the United Arab Emirates says it has come under attack for the first time since the early April ceasefire, and a British military monitor says two cargo vessels are ablaze.
Secret Service says suspect opened fire on them and was shot in exchange near Washington Monument
WASHINGTON (AP) — A man spotted carrying a gun near the White House complex was shot by law enforcement officers after he opened fire on them near the Washington Monument. That's according to Secret Service Deputy Director Matt Quinn, who said plainclothes agents spotted the man around 3:30 p.m. Monday in the area near the White House complex and saw the imprint of the weapon on him. The unidentified man attempted to flee when uniformed officers with the Secret Service approached him. Quinn said the man fired at the officers, who returned fire. The alleged gunman was transported to a local hospital, as was a minor who was shot but not seriously injured.
Supreme Court restores access to abortion pill mifepristone through telehealth, mail and pharmacies
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court has restored broad access to the abortion pill mifepristone, blocking a ruling that had threatened to upend one of the main ways abortion is provided across the nation. The order issued Monday allows women seeking abortions to obtain the pill at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor. Those rules had been in effect for several years until a federal appeals court imposed new restrictions last week. Most abortions are obtained with medication, normally mifepristone and a second drug, misoprostol. The availability of those drugs has made abortion accessible to women in states with bans. Louisiana sued, saying mifepristone’s availability undermined the ban there.
AP, Washington Post, Reuters and Minnesota Star Tribune among Pulitzer winners for 2025 work
NEW YORK (AP) — The Washington Post won the Pulitzer Prize for public service for scrutinizing the Trump administration’s sweeping, choppy cuts and changes to federal agencies. The Associated Press won the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for an investigation into mass surveillance tools and their impact in China. Reuters won the award Monday for reporting on U.S. President Donald Trump’s use of executive power. Spanning three years, thousands of pages of documents and numerous interviews, the AP project found that American companies help lay the foundations of the Chinese government’s system for monitoring and policing its citizens. Reuters’ work looked at how Trump has used the federal government to expand presidential authority and to try to punish his foes.
Southern state Republicans look to capitalize on Supreme Court ruling weakening Voting Rights Act
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Lawmakers in several southern states are meeting this week to consider redistricting plans in response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that weakened the Voting Rights Act. Republican Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey called legislators into a special session on Monday which could enable a new date for congressional primaries. Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee has announced a special session starting Tuesday to redraw the state's U.S. House districts. And Louisiana lawmakers also are in session to consider how to redraw districts after the Supreme Court struck down a majority Black district in the state.
Police search for suspects in Oklahoma shooting that sent at least 18 people to hospitals
EDMOND, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma police have made no arrests and are seeking suspects in connection with a mass shooting at a weekend party beside a lake. Authorities say at least 23 people were injured in the shooting Sunday night at Arcadia Lake, just north of Oklahoma City. Hospitals in the Oklahoma City area said they treated at least 18 people afterward. But it's unclear how many had been shot. Police said the violence erupted at an unsanctioned party jammed with young people at a public park near the lake. A witness says the shooting started after an argument broke out at the party.
A cruise ship is waiting for help after 3 people died in a suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A cruise ship with nearly 150 people is waiting for help off Cape Verde's coast in the Atlantic Ocean after three passengers died and three others were left seriously ill in a suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus. The World Health Organization and the ship's operator reported the deaths and illnesses. The MV Hondius was on a polar cruise from Argentina to Antarctica and several South Atlantic islands. A 70-year-old Dutch man was the first victim. His wife also died, after leaving the ship. The ship operator says the body of a third passenger who died is onboard. A British man tested positive and is critically ill in a South African hospital. A health official said the woman who died also tested positive, posthumously. Cape Verde said Monday it wasn't allowing the ship to dock.
A driver plows into people in a shopping area in Germany, killing 2
BERLIN (AP) — Authorities say a driver has plowed into people in a busy shopping area in the German city of Leipzig. Two people were killed, and the mayor said three others were seriously injured Monday afternoon in what officials believe was a deliberate rampage. An unspecified number of people sustained less serious injuries. The driver, a 33-year-old German citizen, was detained in the car. Police said he was a German-born resident of the Leipzig area. Prosecutors said he is under investigation on suspicion of murder and attempted murder.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have ended their 'It Ends With Us' dispute in a settlement
NEW YORK (AP) — Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have agreed to end their legal battle over the acrimonious production of their 2024 film “It Ends With Us.” The two sides settled their legal dispute on Monday ahead of a planned trial over Lively’s claims that Baldoni conspired with publicists to preemptively destroy her reputation after she privately accused him of sexually harassing her on the movie set. Baldoni directed the film and starred in it with Lively. He denied harassing her or orchestrating a smear campaign. Baldoni said the complaints about his behavior were made up by Lively as part of an effort to seize creative control of the movie.
