West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey speaks at the state capitol in Charleston, W.Va., Jan. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris Jackson, File)2025-08-16T18:02:35Z WASHINGTON (AP) Members of the West Virginia National Guard will be deployed the streets of the nations capital as part of the Trump administrations effort to overhaul policing in the District of Columbia through a federal crackdown on crime and homelessness.Gov. Patrick Morrisey, R-W.Va., announced Saturday that he was sending 300 to 400 members of his states National Guard to nearby Washington at the Republican administrations request. They will arrive in the District of Columbia along with equipment and specialized training services, his office said in a statement.West Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nations capital, Morrisey said. The men and women of our National Guard represent the best of our state, and this mission reflects our shared commitment to a strong and secure America. The move comes as federal agents and National Guard troops have begun to appear across the heavily Democratic city after Trumps executive order Monday frump federalizing local police forces and activating about 800 D.C. National Guard troops for his plan. Maj. Gen. James Seward, West Virginias adjutant general, said in a statement that members of the states National Guard stand ready to support our partners in the National Capital Region and that the Guards unique capabilities and preparedness make it an invaluable partner in this important undertaking. Federal agents have appeared in some of the citys most highly trafficked neighborhoods, garnering praise, pushback and alarm from local residents and leaders across the country.City leaders, who are obliged to cooperate with the presidents order under the federal laws that direct the districts local governance, have sought to work with the administration though have bristled at the scope of the presidents takeover. MATT BROWN Brown covers national politics, federal policy and democracy issues for The Associated Press. twitter instagram mailto MIKE PESOLI Pesoli is an Associated Press video journalist based in Washington, D.C. twitter mailto

President Donald Trump salutes as he walks Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-08-16T16:13:25Z In Alaska, President Vladimir Putin walked on a red carpet, shook hands and exchanged smiles with his American counterpart. Donald Trump ended the summit praising their relationship and calling Russia a big power ... No. 2 in the world, albeit admitting they didnt reach a deal on ending the war in Ukraine.By Saturday morning Moscow time, Trump appeared to have abandoned the idea of a ceasefire as a step toward peace - something he and Ukraine had pushed for months - in favor of pursuing a full-fledged Peace Agreement to end the war, echoing a long-held Kremlin position. The severe consequences he threatened against Moscow for continuing hostilities were nowhere in sight. On Ukraines battlefields, Russian troops slowly grinded on, with time on their side.The hastily arranged Alaska summit produced nothing for Mr. Trump and gave Mr. Putin most of what he was looking for, said Laurie Bristow, a former British ambassador to Russia. The summit spectaclePutins visit to Alaska was his first to the United States in 10 years and his first to a Western country since invading Ukraine in 2022 and plunging U.S.-Russia relations to the lowest point since the Cold War. Crippling sanctions followed, along with efforts to shun Russia on the global stage.In another major blow, the International Criminal Court in 2023 issued an arrest warrant against Putin on accusations of war crimes, casting a shadow on his foreign trips and contacts with other world leaders.Trumps return to the White House appeared to upend all that. He warmly greeted Putin, even clapping for him, on a red carpet as U.S. warplanes flew overhead as the world watched.The overflight was both a show of power and a gesture of welcome from the U.S. president to the Kremlin leader, shown off to a friend, said retired Col. Peer de Jong, a former aide to two French presidents and author of Putin, Lord of War. Russian officials and media reveled in the images of the pomp-filled reception and utmost respect that Putin received in Alaska. Putin has broken out of international isolation, returning to the world stage as one of two global leaders and wasnt in the least challenged by Trump, who ignored the arrest warrant for Putin from the ICC, Bristow told The Associated Press.For Putin, mission accomplishedPutin came to the Alaska summit with the principal goal of stalling any pressure on Russia to end the war, said Neil Melvin, director of international security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute. He will consider the summit outcome as mission accomplished.In recent months, Trump has pressed for a ceasefire, something Ukraine and its allies supported and insisted was a prerequisite for any peace talks. The Kremlin has pushed back, however, arguing its not interested in a temporary truce - only in a long-term peace agreement. Moscows official demands for peace so far have remained nonstarter for Kyiv: It wants Ukraine to cede four regions that Russia only partially occupies, along with the Crimean Peninsula, illegally annexed in 2014. Ukraine also must renounce its bid to join NATO and shrink its military, the Kremlin says. After Alaska, Trump appeared to echo the Kremlins position on a ceasefire, posting on social media that after he spoke to Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders, it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement, which would end the war, and not a mere Ceasefire Agreement, which often times do not hold up.In a statement after the Trump call, the European leaders did not address whether a peace deal was preferable to a ceasefire. The pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda described it as a huge diplomatic victory for Putin, whose forces will have time to make more territorial gains.The summit took place a week after a deadline Trump gave the Kremlin to stop the war or face additional sanctions on its exports of oil in the form of secondary tariffs on countries buying it. Trump already imposed those tariffs on India, and if applied to others, Russian revenues would probably be impacted very badly and very quickly, said Chris Weafer, CEO of Macro-Advisory Ltd. consultancy.In the days before Alaska, Trump also threatened unspecified very severe consequences if Putin does not agree to stop the war. But whether those consequences will materialize remains unclear. Asked about it in a post-summit interview with Fox News Channel, Trump said he doesnt need to think about that right now, and suggested he might revisit the idea in two weeks or three weeks or something. Alexandra Prokopenko of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center and a former adviser at the Russian Central Bank, posted on X that it was an important tactical victory for Putin that gives Moscow an opportunity to build alternatives and be prepared. More pressure on UkraineIn a statement after the summit, Putin claimed the two leaders had hammered out an understanding on Ukraine and warned Europe not to torpedo the nascent progress. But Trump said theres no deal until theres a deal.In his Fox interview, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be on Zelenskyy to get it done, but said there would also be some involvement from European nations.Zelenskyy will meet Trump at the White House on Monday. Both raised the possibility of a trilateral summit with Putin, but Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said it wasnt discussed in Alaska. The Kremlin has long maintained that Putin would only meet Zelenskyy in the final stages of peace talks.Trump now appears to be shifting responsibility towards Kyiv and Europe, while still keeping a role for himself, Tatiana Stanovaya of the Carnegie Russia and Eurasia Center wrote on X.Fiona Hill, a senior adviser on Russia in his first administration, told AP that Trump has met his match because Putin is a much bigger bully. Trump wants to be the negotiator of a big real estate deal between Russia and Ukraine, she said, but in his mind he can apply real pressure only to one said Kyiv.Hill said she expects Trump to tell Zelenskyy that youre really going to have to make a deal with Putin because Trump wants the conflict off his plate and is not prepared to put pressure on the Russian president.Far from the summit venue and its backdrop saying Pursuing Peace, Russia continued to bombard Ukraine and make incremental advances on the over 600-mile (1,000-kilometer) front.Russia fired a ballistic missile and 85 drones overnight. Ukraine shot down or intercepted 61 drones, its air force said. Front-line areas of Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Chernihiv were attacked.Russias Defense Ministry said it had taken control of the village of Kolodyazi in the Donetsk region, along with Vorone in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Ukraine did not comment on the claims. Russian forces are closing in on the strongholds of Pokrovsk and Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2022 but still only partially controls.Unless Mr. Putin is absolutely convinced that he cannot win militarily, the fighting is not going to stop, said Bristow, the former ambassador. Thats the big takeaway from the Anchorage summit. Associated Press writers John Leicester in Paris and Elise Morton and Pan Pylas in London contributed. DASHA LITVINOVA Litvinova is an Associated Press correspondent covering Russia, Belarus, Central Asia and the Caucasus. She is part of the team that covers the Russia-Ukraine war. She has covered Russia and the region for over a decade. twitter mailto EMMA BURROWS Burrows covers security, defense and intelligence for The Associated Press in Europe. She is based in London. twitter

Palestinians struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Gaza City, northern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)2025-08-16T14:54:54Z JERUSALEM (AP) An Israeli airstrike in Gaza killed a baby girl and her parents on Saturday, Nasser hospital officials and witnesses said, while families of hostages called for a nationwide day of stoppage in Israel to express growing frustration over 22 months of war.The babys body, wrapped in blue, was placed on those of her parents as Palestinians prayed over them. Motasem al-Batta, his wife and the girl were killed in their tent in the crowded Muwasi area.Two and a half months, what has she done? neighbor Fathi Shubeir asked, sweating as temperatures in the shattered territory soared above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius). They are civilians in an area designated safe.Israels military said it is dismantling Hamas military capabilities and takes precautions not to harm civilians. It said it couldnt comment on the strike without more details. Muwasi is one of the heavily populated areas in Gaza where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel plans to widen its coming military offensive. The mobilization of forces is expected to take weeks, and Israel may be using the threat to pressure Hamas into releasing more hostages taken in its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war. Families of hostages fear the coming offensive further endangers the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza, just 20 of them thought to remain alive. They and other Israelis were horrified by the recent release of videos showing emaciated hostages, speaking under duress, pleading for help and food. A group representing the families has urged Israelis into the streets on Sunday. Across the country, hundreds of citizen-led initiatives will pause daily life and join the most just and moral struggle: the struggle to bring all 50 hostages home, it said in a statement.The United Nations is warning that levels of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at their highest since the war began. Palestinians are drinking contaminated water as diseases spread, while some Israeli leaders continue to talk openly about the mass relocation of people from Gaza. Another 11 malnutrition-related deaths occurred in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the territorys Health Ministry said Saturday, with one child was among them. That brings malnutrition-related deaths during the war to 251. The U.N. and partners say getting aid into the territory of over 2 million people, and then on to distribution points, remains highly challenging with Israeli restrictions and pressure from crowds of hungry Palestinians.The U.N. human rights office says at least 1,760 people were killed while seeking aid between May 27 and Wednesday. It says 766 were killed along routes of supply convoys and 994 in the vicinity of non-U.N. militarized sites, a reference to the Israeli-backed and U.S.-supported Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which since May has been the primary distributor of aid in Gaza.The Hamas-led attack in 2023 killed around 1,200 people in Israel. Israels retaliatory offensive has killed 61,897 people in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, which does not specify how many were fighters or civilians but says around half were women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The U.N. and independent experts consider it the most reliable source on casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.___Follow APs war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

President Donald Trump greets Russia's President Vladimir Putin Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-08-16T15:06:19Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) In Kyiv, Ukrainians living under near daily Russian bombardment watched with astonishment as their countrys most important ally rolled out a red carpet in Alaska for the man they blame for over three years of war, bloodshed and loss.Natalya Lypei, 66, a Kyiv resident, did a double-take. But the images flashing on her phone screen were real: U.S. President Donald Trump greeted Russian President Vladimir Putin warmly and clapped as the Russian leader approached him, after having been escorted into the country by four American fighter jets. Trump also ignored the arrest warrant issued for Putin by the International Criminal Court that has kept him mostly confined at home or in nations that are strong allies.How can you welcome a tyrant like that? she asked, echoing the thoughts of many Kyiv residents.The red carpet treatment, the lack of concrete decisions for Ukraine and, most significantly, neglecting the significance of sanctions a policy that could turn the tide in Kyivs favor have felt like a betrayal for Ukrainians who have borne enormous suffering in the almost three-and-a-half years since Russias full-scale invasion. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian servicemen, the countrys bravest and most skilled, have been killed and wounded, thousands of civilians have been killed in Russian strikes, and a fifth of the country is under occupation, severing families, properties and Ukraines territorial integrity. On Ukrainian social media, memes of Putin and Trump walking down a red carpet strewn with dead Ukrainian bodies were widely shared. Zelenskyy had anticipated the meeting would be a boon for Putin and that there would be very little in the way of results. Speaking to reporters in the days leading up to the meeting, he said it would end up being a public relations victory for the Russian leader. Above all else, he was seeking a photo on American soil Which he got in Fridays meeting. It was the first time in a decade that Putin had stepped foot in the U.S., ending international isolation spurred by the 2022 Ukraine invasion; in other words, it was a win. For Lypei, whose serviceman son was killed last year, it was like attending another funeral, a fresh loss. This time, her countrys hopes for a just peace.It hurts me a lot that my child died in a full-scale war, and today we saw a new funeral, she said. Her 34-year old son fought with Ukraines 79th Brigade and was killed in the Donetsk region, the very area Putin wants Ukraine to vacate as a condition for a truce. I do not wish anyone that sorrow, that sadness, those tears, she said. Natalya Cucil, 60, another Kyiv resident said she was surprised that Trump did not produce any results from the meeting, despite his stated efforts to end the war.There are no results and we dont know if there will be, although we always expect something and hope for it, she said.Pensioner Anatolii Kovalenko, 72, said no matter what was discussed between the two leaders, it is clear his countrys adversary has won in the sphere of public relations.Putin won this meeting 100%, he said. SAMYA KULLAB Kullab is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine since June 2023. Before that, she covered Iraq and the wider Middle East from her base in Baghdad since joining the AP in 2019. twitter instagram mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)2025-08-16T12:29:47Z ATLANTA (AP) Fight! Fight! Fight!Its not just Donald Trumps mantra anymore. As the Republican president pushes states to redraw their congressional districts to the GOPs advantage, Democrats have shown they are willing to go beyond words of outrage and use whatever power they do have to win.Democrats in the Texas Legislature started it off by delaying, for now, Republican efforts to expand the GOP majority in the states delegation and help preserve party control of the U.S. House through new districts in time for the 2026 midterm elections.Then multiple Democratic governors promised new districts in their own states to neutralize potential Republican gains in Washington. Their counter has been buoyed by national fundraising, media blitzes and public demonstrations, including rallies scheduled around the country Saturday.For everyone thats been asking, Where are the Democrats? -- well, here they are, said U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas, one of several Democrats who could be ousted under her states new maps. For everyone whos been asking, Where is the fight? well, here it is. There is no guarantee Democrats can prevent the Republican-powered redistricting, just as Democrats on Capitol Hill has not been able to stop Trumps moves. But its a notable turn for a party that, by its own leaders admissions, has honored conventional rules and bypassed bare-knuckled tactics. So far, progressive and establishment Democrats are aligned, uniting what has often been a fragmented opposition since Republicans led by Trump took control of the federal government with their election sweep in November. Leaders on the left say the approach gives them a more effective way to confront him. They can challenge his redistricting ploy with tangible moves as they also push back against the Republicans tax and spending law and press the case that he is shredding American democracy. Weve been imploring Democrats where they have power on the state and local level to flex that power, said Maurice Mitchell, who leads the Working Families Party at the left flank of mainstream U.S. politics. Theres been this overwrought talk about fighters and largely performative actions to suggest that theyre in the fight.This time, he said, Democrats are taking real risks in protecting all of our rights against an authoritarian president who only understands the fight. Pairing fiery talk with actionTexas made sense for Republicans as the place to start a redistricting scuffle. They dominate the Statehouse, and Gov. Greg Abbott is a Trump loyalist. But when the presidents allies announced a new political map intended to send five more Republicans to the U.S. House, state Democratic representatives fled Texas, denying the GOP the numbers to conduct business in the Legislature and approve the reworked districts.Those legislators surfaced in Illinois, New York, California and elsewhere, joined by governors, senators, state party chairs, other states legislators and activists. All promised action. The response was Trumpian. Govs. Gavin Newsom of California, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Kathy Hochul of New York welcomed Texas Democrats and pledged retaliatory redistricting. Pritzker mocked Abbott as a lackey who says yes, sir to Trump orders. Hochul dismissed Texas Republicans as lawbreaking cowboys. Newsoms press office directed all-caps social media posts at Trump, mimicking his signature sign off: THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.U.S. Rep. Al Green, another Texas Democrat who could lose his seat, called Trump egomaniacal. Yet many Democrats also claimed moral high ground, comparing their cause to the Civil Rights Movement.State Rep. Ramon Romero Jr., invoked another Texas Democrat, President Lyndon Johnson, who was willing to stand up and fight for civil rights laws in the 1960s. Then, with Texas bravado, Romero reached further into history: Were asking for help, maybe just as they did back in the days of the Alamo. Whatever it takesA recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that about 15% of Democrats own voters described the party using words like weak or apathetic. An additional 10% called it ineffective or disorganized.Beto ORourke, a former Texas congressman who is raising money to support Texas Democrats, has encouraged Democratic-run statehouses to redraw districts now rather than wait for GOP states to act. On Friday, California Democrats released a plan that would give the party an additional five U.S. House seats. It would require voter approval in a November election.Maximize Democratic Party advantage, ORourke said at a recent rally. You may say to yourself, Well, those arent the rules. There are no refs in this game. F--- the rules. ... Whatever it takes.Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin acknowledged the shift. This is not the Democratic Party of your grandfather, which would bring a pencil to a knife fight, he said.Andrew ONeill, an executive at the progressive group Indivisible, contrasted that response with the record-long speeches by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J. and the Democratic leader of the U.S. House, New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, in eviscerating Trump and his package of tax breaks and spending cuts. The left had its hair on fire cheering those moments, ONeill recalled, but were left even more frustrated in the aftermath.Trump still secured tax cuts for the wealthy, accelerated deportations and cut safety net programs, just as some of his controversial nominees were confirmed over vocal Democratic opposition.Now, ONeill said, there is some marriage of the rhetoric weve been seeing since Trumps inauguration with some actual action.ONeill looked back wistfully to the decision by Senate Democrats not to eliminate the filibuster when our side had the trifecta, so a simple majority could pass major legislation. Democratic President Joe Bidens attorney general, Merrick Garland, he said, was too timid in prosecuting Trump and top associates over the Capitol riot. In 2016, Democratic President Barack Obama opted against hardball as the Senates Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, refused to consider Obamas nomination of Garland to the Supreme Court.These unspoken rules of propriety, especially on the Democratic side, have created the conditions that enabled Trump, Mitchell said.Fighting on all frontsEven on redistricting, Democrats would have to ignore their previous good-government efforts and bypass independent commissions that draw boundaries in several states, including California. Party leaders and activists rationalize that the broader fights tie together piecemeal skirmishes that may not, by themselves, sway voters. Arguing that Trump diminishes democracy stirs people who already support Democrats, ONeill said. By contrast, he said, the GOP power grab, can be connected to unpopular policies that affect voters lives.Green noted that Trumps big package bill cleared the Senate by one vote and the House by a few, demonstrating why redistricting matters. U.S. Rep. Greg Casar of Texas said Democrats must make unseemly, short-term power plays so they can later pass legislation that bans gerrymandering nationwide ... bans super PACs (political action committees) and gets rid of that kind of big money and special interest that helped get us to this place. U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, added that a Democratic majority would wield subpoena power over Trumps administration. In the meantime, said U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, D-Texas, voters are grasping a stark reality.They say, Well, I dont know. Politics doesnt affect me, she said of constituents she meets. I say, Honey, it does If you dont do politics, politics will do you. BILL BARROW Bill Barrow covers U.S. politics. He is based in Atlanta. twitter mailto

President Donald Trump listens as Russia's President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference at Joint Base Elmendorf- Richardson, Friday, Aug. 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2025-08-16T06:48:07Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he will meet U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Monday after a Russia-U.S. summit ended without an agreement to stop the fighting in Ukraine after 3 1/2 years.In a reversal only few hours after meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said an overall peace agreement, and not a ceasefire, was the best way to end the war. That statement echoed Putins view that Russia is not interested in a temporary truce, and instead is seeking a long-term settlement that takes Moscows interests into account.Trump and Ukraines European allies had been calling for a ceasefire ahead of any negotiations.Zelenskyy, who was not invited to Alaska for the summit, said he held a long and substantive conversation with Trump early Saturday. He thanked him for an invitation to meet in person in Washington on Monday and said they would discuss all of the details regarding ending the killing and the war. It will be Zelenskyys first visit to the U.S. since Trump berated him publicly for being disrespectful during an extraordinary Oval Office meeting on Feb. 28. Trump, who also held calls with European leaders Saturday, confirmed the White House meeting and said that if all works out, we will then schedule a meeting with President Putin.Trump rolled out the red carpet on Friday for Putin, who was in the U.S. for the first time in a decade and since the start of his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But he gave little concrete detail afterward of what was discussed. On Saturday, he posted on social media that it went very well.Trump had warned ahead of the summit of very severe consequences for Russia if Putin doesnt agree to end the war. Zelenskyy seeks European involvementZelenskyy reiterated the importance of involving European leaders, who also were not at the summit.It is important that Europeans are involved at every stage to ensure reliable security guarantees together with America, he said. We also discussed positive signals from the American side regarding participation in guaranteeing Ukraines security.He didnt elaborate, but Zelenskyy previously has said that European partners put on hold a proposal to establish a foreign troop presence in Ukraine to deter future Russian aggression because it lacked an American backstop.Zelenskyy said he spoke to Trump one-on-one and then in a call with other European leaders. In total, the conversations lasted over 90 minutes.Trump puts onus on Zelenskyy and EuropeTrump said in Alaska that theres no deal until theres a deal, after Putin claimed the two leaders had hammered out an understanding on Ukraine and warned Europe not to torpedo the nascent progress. During an interview with Fox News Channel before returning to Washington, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be on Zelenskyy to get it done, but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. In a statement after speaking to Trump, major European leaders said they were ready to work with Trump and Zelenskyy toward a trilateral summit with European support. The statement by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the European Unions two top officials said that Ukraine must have ironclad security guarantees and welcomed U.S. readiness to provide them.It will be up to Ukraine to make decisions on its territory, they said. International borders must not be changed by force. They did not mention a ceasefire, which they had hoped for ahead of the summit.EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the harsh reality is that Russia has no intention of ending this war anytime soon, noting that Moscows forces launched new attacks on Ukraine even as the delegations met.Putin continues to drag out negotiations and hopes he gets away with it. He left Anchorage without making any commitments to end the killing, she said.Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the summit confirmed that while the U.S. and its allies are looking for ways to peace, Putin is still only interested in making the greatest possible territorial gains and restoring the Soviet empire. Ukrainian and Russian forces are fighting along a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Since spring, Russian troops have accelerated their gains, capturing the most territory since the opening stages of the war.Vladimir Putin came to the Alaska summit with the principal goal of stalling any pressure on Russia to end the war, said Neil Melvin, director of international security at the London-based Royal United Services Institute. He will consider the summit outcome as mission accomplished. Questions on a Trump, Zelenskyy and Putin meeting Zelenskyy voiced support for Trumps proposal for a trilateral meeting with the U.S. and Russia. He said that key issues can be discussed at the level of leaders, and a trilateral format is suitable for this.But Putins foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, said on Russian state television Saturday that a potential meeting of Trump, Putin and Zelenskyy has not been raised in U.S.-Russia discussions. The topic has not been touched upon yet, he said, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.Zelenskyy wrote on X that he told Trump that sanctions should be strengthened if there is no trilateral meeting or if Russia tries to evade an honest end to the war.Russian officials and media struck a largely positive tone, with some describing Fridays meeting as a symbolic end to Putins isolation in the West.Former President Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russias Security Council, praised the summit as a breakthrough in restoring high-level dialogue between Moscow and Washington, describing the talks as calm, without ultimatums and threats.Russian attacks on Ukraine continued overnight, using one ballistic missile and 85 Shahed drones, 61 of which were shot down, Ukraines air force said. Front-line areas of Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Chernihiv were attacked. Russias Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 29 Ukrainian drones over Russia and the Sea of Azov overnight.___Morton reported from London. Geir Moulson in Berlin and Emma Burrows in London ontributed. SAMYA KULLAB Kullab is an Associated Press reporter covering Ukraine since June 2023. Before that, she covered Iraq and the wider Middle East from her base in Baghdad since joining the AP in 2019. twitter instagram mailto

Cancelled and delayed Air Canada flights are seen on the departure board at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Dorval, Que., Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. (Christinne Muschi/The Canadian Press via AP)2025-08-16T05:15:34Z TORONTO (AP) Air Canada suspended all operations as more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike early Saturday after a deadline to reach a deal passed, leaving travelers around the world stranded and scrambling during the peak summer travel season.Canadian Union of Public Employees spokesman Hugh Pouliot confirmed the strike has started after no deal was reached, and the airline said shortly after that it would halt operations.A bitter contract fight between Canadas largest airline and the union representing 10,000 of its flight attendants escalated Friday as the union turned down the airlines request to enter into government-directed arbitration, which would eliminate its right to strike and allow a third-party mediator to decide the terms of a new contract. Flight attendants walk off the jobFlight attendants walked off the job around 1 a.m. EDT on Saturday. Around the same time, Air Canada said it would begin locking flight attendants out of airports. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu met with both the airline and union on Friday night and urged them to work harder to them to reach a deal once and for all.It is unacceptable that such little progress has been made. Canadians are counting on both parties to put forward their best efforts, Hajdu said in a statement posted on social media.Pouliot, the spokesman for the union, earlier said the union had a meeting with Hajdu and representatives from Air Canada earlier Friday evening.CUPE has engaged with the mediator to relay our willingness to continue bargaining despite the fact that Air Canada has not countered our last two offers since Tuesday, he said in a email. Were here to bargain a deal, not to go on strike. Travelers are in limboA complete shutdown will impact about 130,000 people a day, and some 25,000 Canadians a day may be stranded abroad. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day.Montreal resident Alex Laroche, 21, and his girlfriend had been saving since Christmas for their European vacation. Now their $8,000 trip with nonrefundable lodging is on the line as they wait to hear from Air Canada about the fate of their Saturday night flight to Nice, France.How long the airlines planes will be grounded remains to be seen, but Air Canada Chief Operating Officer Mark Nasr has said it could take up to a week to fully restart operations once a tentative deal is reached.Passengers whose travel is impacted will be eligible to request a full refund on the airlines website or mobile app, according to Air Canada.The airline said it would also offer alternative travel options through other Canadian and foreign airlines when possible. But it warned that it could not guarantee immediate rebooking because flights on other airlines are already full due to the summer travel peak.Laroche said he considered booking new flights with a different carrier, but he said most of them are nearly full and cost more than double the $3,000 they paid for their original tickets.At this point, its just a waiting game, he said.Laroche said he was initially upset over the unions decision to go on strike, but that he had a change of heart after reading about the key issues at the center of the contract negotiations, including the issue of wages.Their wage is barely livable, Laroche said. Sides say theyre far apart on payAir Canada and the Canadian Union of Public Employees have been in contract talks for about eight months, but they have yet to reach a tentative deal.Both sides say they remain far apart on the issue of pay and the unpaid work flight attendants do when planes arent in the air.The airlines latest offer included a 38% increase in total compensation, including benefits and pensions over four years, that it said would have made our flight attendants the best compensated in Canada. But the union pushed back, saying the proposed 8% raise in the first year didnt go far enough because of inflation. ___Associated Press airlines writer Rio Yamat reported from Las Vegas.

Pope Leo XIV waves as he arrives to hold a Pentecost vigil in St. Peter's Square at The Vatican, Saturday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)2025-08-16T05:02:20Z VATICAN CITY (AP) When Pope Leo XIV surprised tens of thousands of young people at a recent Holy Year celebration with an impromptu popemobile romp around St. Peters Square, it almost seemed as if some of the informal spontaneity that characterized Pope Francis 12-year papacy had returned to the Vatican.But the message Leo delivered that night was all his own: In seamless English, Spanish and Italian, Leo told the young people that they were the salt of the Earth, the light of the world. He urged them to spread their hope, faith in Christ and their cries of peace wherever they go.As Robert Prevost marks his 100th day as Pope Leo this weekend, the contours of his pontificate have begun to come into relief, primarily where he shows continuity with Francis and where he signals change. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that after 12 sometimes turbulent years under Francis, a certain calm and reserve have returned to the papacy. Leo seems eager above all to avoid polemics or making the papacy about himself, and wants instead to focus on Christ and peace.That seems exactly what many Catholic faithful want, and may respond to what todays church needs. Hes been very direct and forthright but hes not doing spontaneous press hits, said Kevin Hughes, chair of theology and religious studies at Leos alma mater, Villanova University. Leo has a different style than Francis, and that has brought relief to many, Hughes said in a telephone interview. Even those who really loved Pope Francis always kind of held their breath a little bit: You didnt know what was going to come out next or what he was going to do, Hughes said. An effort to avoid polemicsLeo has certainly gone out of his way in his first 100 days to try to heal divisions that deepened during Francis pontificate, offering messages of unity and avoiding controversy at almost every turn. Even his signature issue confronting the promise and peril posed by artificial intelligence is something that conservatives and progressives alike agree is important. Francis emphasis on caring for the environment and migrants often alienated conservatives.Closer to home, Leo offered the Holy See bureaucracy a reassuring, conciliatory message after Francis occasionally authoritarian style rubbed some in the Vatican the wrong way.Popes come and go, but the Curia remains, Leo told Vatican officials soon after his May 8 election. Continuity with Francis is still undeniableLeo, though, has cemented Francis environmental legacy by celebrating the first-ever ecologically inspired Mass. He has furthered that legacy by giving the go-ahead for the Vatican to turn a 430-hectare (1,000-acre) field north of Rome into a vast solar farm that should generate enough electricity to meet Vatican Citys needs and turn it into the worlds first carbon-neutral state.He has fine-tuned financial transparency regulations that Francis initiated, tweaked some other decrees to give them consistency and logic, and confirmed Francis in deciding to declare one of the 19th centurys most influential saints, John Henry Newman, a doctor of the church.But he hasnt granted any sit-down, tell-all interviews or made headline-grabbing, off-the-cuff comments like his predecessor did. He hasnt made any major appointments, including to fill his old job, or taken any big trips. In marking the 80th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki last week, he had a chance to match Francis novel declaration that the mere possession of nuclear weapons was immoral. But he didnt. Compared to President Donald Trump, the other American world leader who took office in 2025 with a flurry of Sharpie-penned executive decrees, Leo has eased into his new job slowly, deliberately and quietly, almost trying not to draw attention to himself.At 69, he seems to know that he has time on his side, and that after Francis revolutionary papacy, the church might need a bit of a breather. One Vatican official who knows Leo said he expects his papacy will have the effect of a calming rain on the church. Maria Isabel Ibarcena Cuarite, a Peruvian member of a Catholic charismatic group, said it was precisely Leos quiet emphasis on church traditions, its sacraments and love of Christ, that drew her and upward of 1 million young people to Rome for a special Jubilee week this month. Ibarcena said Francis had confused young people like herself with his outreach to LGBTQ+ Catholics and approval of blessings for same-sex couples. Such gestures went beyond what a pope was supposed to do and what the church taught, she thought.Leo, she said, has emphasized that marriage is a sacrament between men and woman. Francis was ambiguous, but he is firm, she said. An Augustinian popeFrom his very first appearance on the loggia of St. Peters Basilica, Leo has insisted he is first and foremost a son of St. Augustine. It was a reference to the fifth century theological and devotional giant of early Christianity, St. Augustine of Hippo, who inspired the 13th century religious Augustinian order as a community of mendicant friars.Like the other big mendicant orders of the early church the Franciscans, Dominicans and Carmelites the Augustinians spread across Christian Europe over the centuries. Today, Augustinian spirituality is rooted in a deep interior life of prayer, living in community, and journeying together in search of truth in God.In nearly every speech or homily since his May 8 election, Leo has cited Augustine in one way or another.I see a kind of Augustinian flavor in the way that hes presenting all these things, said Hughes, the theology professor who is an Augustine scholar.Leo joined the Augustinians after graduating from Augustinian-run Villanova, outside Philadelphia, and was twice elected its prior general. He has visited the Augustinian headquarters outside St. Peters a few times since his election, and some wonder if he will invite some brothers to live with him in the Apostolic Palace to recreate the spirit of Augustinian community life there.A missionary pope in the image of FrancisLeo is also very much a product of the Francis papacy. Francis named Prevost bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, in 2014 and then moved him to head one of the most important Vatican jobs in 2023 vetting bishop nominations. In retrospect, it seems Francis had his eye on Prevost as a possible successor.Given Francis stump speech before the 2013 conclave that elected him pope, the then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio essentially described Prevost in identifying the churchs mission today: He said the church was called to go outside of itself and go to the peripheries, not just geographic but also the existential peripheries. Prevost, who hails from Chicago, spent his adult life as a missionary in Peru, eventually becoming bishop of Chiclayo.He is the incarnation of the unity of difference, because he comes from the center, but he lives in the peripheries, said Emilce Cuda, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.Cuda said during a recent conference hosted by Georgetown University that Leo encapsulated in word and gesture the type of missionary church Francis promoted.That said, for all Leo owes to Bergoglio, the two didnt necessarily get along.Prevost has recounted that at one point when he was the Augustinian superior, the then-archbishop of Buenos Aires expressed interest in assigning an Augustinian priest to a specific job in his archdiocese.And I, as prior general, said I understand, Your Eminence, but hes got to do something else and so I transferred him somewhere else, Prevost told parishioners in his home state of Illinois in 2024.Prevost said he naively thought the Francis wouldnt remember him after his 2013 election, and that regardless hell never appoint me bishop due to the disagreement.Bergoglio not only made him bishop, he laid the groundwork for Prevost to succeed him as pope, the first North American pope following the first South American.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. NICOLE WINFIELD Winfield has been on the Vatican beat since 2001, covering the papacies of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and the Francis pontificate and traveling the world with them.

A sculpture of Thomas Edison stands at the entrance to the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, in Fort Myers, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)2025-08-16T04:08:52Z FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) Thomas Edison and Henry Ford are famous for their innovations in electricity generation and automobiles respectively, but they were also at the forefront of a massively popular trend in Florida: Rich people from up north spending the cold winter months in the Sunshine State.Edison first visited Fort Myers in 1885 after a doctor suggested spending time in Floridas warmer climate for health reasons, and he built a house along the Caloosahatchee River the next year. Ford made many visits to southwest Florida to see Edison and purchased the property next door in 1916.Southwest Florida became their vacation spot, Edison and Ford Winter Estates marketing director Lisa Wilson said. Edison spent most of the year in New Jersey, while Ford lived in Michigan.They came down here to escape the cold like many snowbirds do today. But they worked when they were here, so it wasnt just vacation time, Wilson said. Stay up to date with the latest U.S. news by signing up to our WhatsApp channel. Before spring breakersFort Myers was basically a group of farmers living in an abandoned military fort, using tallow lamps for light, when Edison first visited, Edison and Ford Winter Estates historian Isaac Hunter said.The following year after he built his home, he had a generator installed across the street, Hunter said. There were about 350 residents, almost all of them came over to the property to watch the lights get turned on.While Edison never powered the rest of the city, his illuminated home gave neighbors an appetite for electricity, Hunter said. About a decade later, a local business man bought a generator for his canning plant and eventually develop a rudimentary grid to power the city. Edisons first connection to Ford came in 1891, when Ford was working as an engineer at the Edison Illuminating Company in Detroit, Hunter said. The job involved no direct contact with Edison, but they eventually met at a meeting in 1896. Ford left the company to further develop his automobile designs, but his admiration for Edison continued. Henry Ford was a huge fan of Thomas Edison, and as he started to work on automobiles and become a bigger, bigger name in the world, he continued to contact Thomas Edison, write letters, ask him advice, Hunter said.They became friends in 1914, when Edison invited Ford and his family to Fort Myers.Friends and neighborsAs Edison, Ford and another visitor, naturalist John Burroughs, were getting acquainted in southwest Florida, they decided to go on a camping trip, setting off into the Everglades in a parade of Fords Model Ts.There werent roads. The Tamiami Trail, Alligator Alley did not exist in 1914, Hunter said. So theyre driving through Florida wilderness. They got about halfway out. Marshland, forest, they were miserable.They finished their camping trip at Edisons estate. The trip may not have been a complete success, but it began a decade-long tradition of trips throughout the U.S. and led to Ford buying the property next door to Edison in 1916.Harvey Firestone, founder of Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, later joined Edison, Ford and Burroughs, and the quartet became known as the Vagabonds. The trips gave the industrialists a chance to discuss business and eventually reach the conclusion that the U.S. needed its own source of rubber. Where the rubber meets the roadBesides the obvious use of rubber in tires, it was used in practically all industrial manufacturing.All of these gentlemen, they used rubber every single day, Hunter said.The U.S. at the time had been purchasing latex and other botanical rubber supplies from overseas, but the disruption of that supply caused by World War I demonstrated how important it was for the U.S. to have its own source. And since rubber was made out of plants, Edison, Ford and Firestone concluded that southwest Florida would be an ideal place to grow and test many different plants.They opened the Edison Botanical Research Laboratory in 1927 and tested over 17,000 different samples of rubber plants, Hunter said.Edison eventually settled on goldenrod as the best natural source of latex. He envisioned farmers planting and harvesting the crop, but this never happened. Edison passed away in 1931, and the the lab shut down a few years later, around the time a petroleum-based synthetic rubber was developed, Hunter said.This process, especially in the 30s, was cheaper, faster, and it really took up the rubber production of the United States, Hunter said. A lasting legacyEdisons widow deeded his Florida property to the city of Fort Myers for public use in 1947 for $1, and it was opened for tours a short time later.The neighboring Ford property was sold and occupied as a private residence for several decades until the city bought it in 1988. A nonprofit organization took over administration of the entire property in 2003 and oversaw a $14 million restoration project.Thomas Edison and Henry Ford really put this city on the map, and today its an international tourist destination, Wilson said.Visitors can explore a museum featuring some of Edisons 1,093 patents, including the phonograph and the incandescent light bulb, along with the research lab and gardens.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell speaks at the police headquarters in New Orleans, Feb. 2, 2022. (Chris Granger/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP, File)2025-08-16T04:03:02Z NEW ORLEANS (AP) Months before New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was set to leave office because of term limits, she has been indicted in what prosecutors allege was a yearslong scheme to conceal a romantic relationship with her bodyguard.Prosecutors say bodyguard Jeffrey Vappie was being paid as if he was working when he and Cantrell were really alone in apartments and visiting vineyards, hiding their communication by sending encrypted messages through WhatsApp and then deleting them. Although the pair have said their relationship was strictly professional, the indictment described it as personal and intimate.The first female mayor in New Orleans 300-year history has been charged with conspiracy, fraud and obstruction. Vappie was already facing charges of wire fraud and making false statements. He has pleaded not guilty. A grand jury returned an 18-count indictment Friday that added Cantrell to the case. The City of New Orleans said in a statement that it was aware of the indictment and that the mayors attorney was reviewing it. Cantrell hasnt sent out a message on her official social media feed on X since July 15, when she said the city was experiencing historic declines in crime. She and her remaining allies have said that she has been unfairly targeted as a Black woman and held to a different standard than male officials.Here are things to know about the mayor and the indictment: Vineyard trips and alone time with bodyguard The indictment paints a detailed picture of Cantrell and her bodyguard traveling to vineyards and spending time alone in apartments at the same time it says Vappie was being paid as if he was working.Vappie reminisced in a WhatsApp exchange cited in the indictment about joining Cantrell in Scotland in October 2021, saying that was where it all started.Cantrell had told local reporters she needed a security detail due to COVID, saying her travel accommodations were a matter of safety, not of luxury. The following year, instead of Cantrell attending a conference in Miami, authorities said the pair rendezvoused on Marthas Vineyard. Vappies travel to the island was covered by the city to attend a separate conference. The times when we are truly (traveling) is what spoils me the most, the mayor wrote to him that month.That same year, they also visited several California wineries, according to the indictment. After a trusted staff member posted a photo of the three of them on social media, one of Cantrells associates asked them to remove it.They met in an apartment while Vappie claimed to be on duty, and Cantrell arranged for him to attend 14 trips, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson said. The trips, he added, were described by her as times when they were truly alone.In all, New Orleans taxpayers paid more than $70,000 for Vappies travel, Simpson said.The pair used WhatsApp for more than 15,000 messages, including efforts to delete evidence, make false statements to FBI agents, and ultimately to commit perjury before a federal grand jury, he said. A turbulent second term as mayorCantrell, a Democrat, won a historic election in 2017 by portraying herself as a candidate for the people and not of the citys political class. Her mayoral tenure started strong with her securing tens of millions of dollars for city infrastructure improvements and taking decisive steps during the pandemic. There wasnt strong opposition to her 2021 election for a second term.But it was around that time that the wheels started to come off her administration. After Hurricane Ida pounded south Louisiana in 2021, residents were left without trash collection for weeks, while crime rates were surging.Meanwhile, Cantrell drew criticism for taking first-class trips abroad at the citys expense, violating a policy that requires city employees to use cheaper fares. She eventually agreed to repay the difference. A WVUE television investigation also found she was using a city-owned apartment as a part-time residence.Cantrell survived a recall campaign launched in 2022 by disgruntled Black Democrats and largely funded by wealthy white Republicans. She is also among more than 100 people brought up on corruption charges in Louisiana in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans two decades ago, said Rafael Goyeneche, a former prosecutor who is president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, a watchdog group that provided photographs and information to federal authorities in the latest case.New Orleans long history of corruption cases Although Cantrell is New Orleans first mayor to be charged while in office, this is far from the first corruption case to impact the city.Public corruption has crippled us for years and years, Simpson said. And this is extremely significant.In 2014, former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin was sentenced to a decade in prison for bribery, money laundering, fraud and tax crimes. The charges relate to actions during his two terms as mayor from 2002 to 2010. He was released early in 2020 during the pandemic. In 2022, Rodney J. Jack Strain, a former Louisiana sheriff, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a federal bribery conviction. He also received four life sentences for earlier convictions for raping boys. After serving five terms, he admitted he used his authority as sheriff to steer profits from a $1 million work-release contract to himself, his family and two deputies.G. Thomas Porteous Jr., a federal judge from New Orleans, was impeached and removed from the bench after the U.S. Senate in 2010 determined he took money from attorneys and bail bondsmen and lied in a personal bankruptcy filing, among other offenses. He never faced criminal charges as a result of the probe, which ran from 1999 to 2007. He died in 2021. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site