New talks are 'last chance' for Iran to forge a deal and avoid escalation of US strikes, Trump says
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says new talks with Iran are the “last chance” for Tehran to forge a deal and avoid an escalation of U.S. strikes on the country. Trump said in the Oval Office on Monday he expects to have an idea relatively soon about how negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and address the United States’ concerns about Iran's nuclear program. The Republican president says, “The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearization.” Trump says that ”will take a little while.”
GOP holdouts say they will back Blanche's attorney general nomination after striking deal over fund
WASHINGTON (AP) — Two Republican senators who threatened to block acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s bid to lead the Justice Department say they will vote to advance his nomination. The announcement Monday ends an impasse over plans to create a fund to compensate allies of President Donald Trump. The statement from Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis came after Blanche issued an order late Sunday formally rescinding the $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who believe they were unfairly prosecuted by the Justice Department. Cornyn and Tillis had said they would not support Blanche’s nomination without written confirmation that the fund is dead.
25 states sue over Trump's new tariffs, calling them 'pretext' to replace his old ones
WASHINGTON (AP) — Twenty-five states sued the Trump administration Monday over its latest tariffs, calling them a pretext for replacing import taxes the Supreme Court struck down in February. The United States last month imposed double-digit tariffs on 59 countries and the European Union, charging that they had not done enough to crack down on imports produced by forced labor. The new tariffs took effect just as the clock ran out on temporary tariffs President Donald Trump had turned to after the Supreme Court defeat. “After losing at the Supreme Court, the administration is once again trying to illegally raise taxes on families and businesses with a new round of tariffs,” said New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Washington state fires destroy hundreds of buildings and force Spokane-area residents to evacuate
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Authorities say they’ve arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of starting one of the devastating wildfires burning around Spokane, Washington. The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office said Monday they arrested Aaron F. Farinacci for arson. He’s accused of starting the Old Trails Fire. Several fires are burning in the area. They’ve destroyed at least 700 structures and forced more than 60,000 people to evacuate. The fire sparked on Saturday.
Michigan reports the first 2 US deaths related to a diarrhea-causing parasite
DETROIT (AP) — State health officials say two people have died in the cyclospora outbreak in Michigan. They are the first confirmed deaths in the U.S. related to the microscopic parasite. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that both had underlying health conditions that may have been impacted by the intestinal illness and dehydration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says cyclospora is a microscopic, spherical parasite that commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” The parasite spreads through feces. In the past, people have been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to contaminated irrigation water.
Authorities seek a motive in the mass shooting at an Idaho In-N-Out Burger
Investigators are trying to determine what led a 24-year-old man to open fire at an Idaho fast-food restaurant , in an attack that left three people dead and seven others wounded before authorities say he killed himself. Police Chief Matthew Hicks said Sunday that investigators are confident that the gunman, identified as Chad Williams, acted alone in the shooting Saturday at an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls. Hicks says an off-duty state trooper and a civilian fired on the attacker and diverted him from the restaurant. He also says Williams’ family is cooperating fully with the investigation.
Hundreds of migrant children are stranded in Spain's Ceuta after mass crossing
CEUTA, Spain (AP) — The girl made it through the waves to Spanish territory. Her little brother drowned in the Mediterranean. Their mother disappeared in the chaos when tens of thousands of people surged through the breakwater to leave Morocco behind. The tragic story of a 17-year-old from Tangier is representative of the plight of many of the more than 800 minors who four days after the collective push by migrants into Ceuta face an uncertain future. Some 860 minors remain in Ceuta while most of the 60,000 people who came across last week have gone back.
Trump says Pirro 'folded like an umbrella' in bid to drop Reflecting Pool vandalism charges
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro “choked” and “folded like an umbrella” in moving to drop charges against a former Olympian accused of vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Trump ducked questions Monday about whether he'd fire Pirro but kept up his drumbeat of criticism toward her. The move to dismiss charges against David Hearn was an embarrassing setback for the Justice Department and marked a rare moment during Trump’s second term of an aide or political appointee openly defying him. Trump first posted about the development on social media over the weekend, saying, “I disagree 100% with Jeanine Pirro.” Hours after his comments Monday, Pirro was spotted at the White House.
US stocks rally near a record as falling oil prices ease Wall Street's worries about inflation
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied to the edge of their all-time high after easing oil prices helped calm Wall Street’s worries that inflation could get even worse. The S&P 500 jumped 1.5% Monday and is just 0.1% below its record set earlier this summer. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.3% to an all-time high, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 2.1%. Brent crude's price fell 4.7% after President Donald Trump said he would hold off on ordering new strikes against Iran. That helped Treasury yields to fall in the bond market. Stocks of airlines and other companies with big fuel bills rallied.
MLB trade deadline: Red Sox, Phillies, Padres are the biggest buyers at the buzzer
The Boston Red Sox and Philadelphia Phillies took big swings Monday ahead of baseball’s trade deadline, with the Red Sox adding three-time All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman a few hours after the Phillies picked up three-time batting champion Luis Arraez. The pair of aggressive moves highlighted a hectic day of swaps, featuring dozens of deals in the hours leading up to Monday’s 6 p.m. EDT deadline. Among Monday’s other fireworks: the Houston Astros added veteran outfielder Daulton Varsho from Toronto in exchange for right-hander Spencer Arrighetti, and the Chicago Cubs got pitcher Clay Holmes from the New York Mets.
