AP News Summary at 12:23 p.m. EDT (2024)

Hunter Biden's ex-wife is called as a witness in his federal gun trial

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Hunter Biden’s ex-wife has been called to testify in his federal gun trial as prosecutors seek to show the depths of his drug problem, which they say was still going on when he filled out a form to buy a firearm. First lady Jill Biden went to court for the third consecutive day Wednesday to support her son, ahead of her trip to France to meet President Joe Biden, who was in Europe to mark the anniversary of D-Day. Testimony began with an FBI agent whose job was to establish that Hunter Biden had a drug problem when he purchased the gun in October 2018.

Will Biden's new border measures be enough to change voters' minds?

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is trying to address a major liability for his reelection campaign by taking executive action to significantly restrict asylum. But it’s unclear whether his efforts will be enough to change the minds of voters who have increasingly voiced alarm over his handling of the border. Former President Donald Trump and his campaign have seized on the issue. Biden has shifted far to the right on immigration issues since his winning campaign four years ago. Many Democrats acknowledge Biden now faces a wholly different political reality. But some in his party have accused him of betraying Democratic priorities.

Life as a teen without social media isn't easy. These families are navigating adolescence offline

WESTPORT, Conn. (AP) — The damaging consequences of social media are increasingly well documented, so some parents are trying to raise their children with restrictions or blanket bans on social media use. Teenagers themselves are aware that too much social media is bad for them, and some are initiating their own social media “cleanses” because of the toll it takes on mental health and grades. But it is hard to be a teenager today without social media. Teens who don't use social media say they miss out on a lot of drama, but they also miss information they need for clubs and classes.

Gunman captured after shootout outside US Embassy in Lebanon

AUKAR, Lebanon (AP) — The Lebanese military said that its solidiers shot and captured a gunman who attacked the U.S. embassy near Beirut after a shootout that injured an embassy security guard. The attack took place Wednesday as tensions continued to simmer in the tiny Mediterranean country, where months of fighting between Hezbollah militants and Israeli troops has displaced thousands along the border. Local media reported that there was a gunfight involving at least one attacker and lasting almost half an hour. A Lebanese security official and two judicial officials familiar with the case said the gunman appeared to be a lone attacker.

In a West Bank refugee camp, Israel's raids fuel the militancy it tries to stamp out

NUR SHAMS REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank (AP) — An Israeli army raid in April set off a near three-day gunbattle with Palestinian militants. By the time it was over, homes had been blasted to rubble and many residents had fled. The raid wasn’t in Gaza, where Israel is at war with Hamas, but more than 60 miles away in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the West Bank — a territory that has been under Israeli military rule for over a half-century. The persistence of Palestinian militancy in the West Bank and its surge since the war in Gaza began show the limits of Israel’s military might as the decades-old conflict grinds on with little prospect of a political settlement.

Biden will mark D-Day anniversary in France as Western alliances face threats at home and abroad

PARIS (AP) — U.S. President Joe Biden is in France for the 80th anniversary of D-Day and will join other world leaders to commemorate the invasion that helped bring an end to World War II. Biden arrived in Paris on Wednesday at a time when the Western alliances that were forged in that era are being threatened in the United States and overseas. Some allies fear Donald Trump threatens to upend American commitments if he wins another term in the White House. In addition, Russia has recently gained ground in its invasion of Ukraine, where Western military support has struggled to keep up with Moscow's offensive.

In France, D-Day evokes both the joys of liberation and the pain of Normandy's 20,000 civilian dead

CARENTAN-LES-MARAIS, France (AP) — The 80th anniversary this week of D-Day brings mixed emotions for French survivors of the Battle of Normandy. They remain grateful for their liberation from Nazi occupation in World War II but cannot forget its steep cost in French lives. Some 20,000 Normandy civilians were killed in the June 6, 1944, Allied invasion and as the landing forces fought inland. Soldiers from the United States and other Allied nations are remembered for their exploits, kindness and sacrifices. One Normandy survivor who was 6 in 1944 says, "They will always be gods to me.” But also seared into survivors' memories are Allied bombing raids that pulverized Normandy communities.

India's Modi is known for charging hard. After a lackluster election, he may have to adapt his style

NEW DELHI (AP) — Since coming to power a decade ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been known for big, bold and often snap decisions. He’s found them easy to execute thanks to the brute majority he enjoyed in India’s lower house of parliament. In his expected next term as prime minister, he will need a coalition to govern after results announced Wednesday showed his Hindu nationalist party fell short of a majority. That may mean that Modi will have to adapt to a style of governance he has little experience with, or desire for.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators arrested after occupying Stanford University president's office

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Pro-Palestinian demonstrators have been arrested after briefly occupying a building that houses the offices of Stanford University’s president and provost. The takeover occurred around sunrise Wednesday and law enforcement officers arrived quickly. A university statement says 13 people have been arrested and the building has been cleared. The university says there is extensive damage to the interior and exterior of the building, but no other campus operations have been affected. The campus newspaper, The Stanford Daily, reports that one of its reporters is among those taken into custody.

Boeing launches NASA astronauts for the first time after years of delays

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Boeing has launched astronauts for the first time after years of delays. Two NASA test pilots blasted off aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Wednesday. They’re headed to the International Space Station for a weeklong stay. It was their third launch attempt, coming after a pair of rocket-related delays. Starliner’s first test flight without a crew in 2019 failed to reach the space station, so Boeing had to repeat it. Then the company had to fix a slew of capsule problems. SpaceX has been launching astronauts since 2020, but NASA wants a backup taxi service.

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