Good morning, I'm Siddharth filling in for Sarah Naffa.
In the news today: Israel remembers Oct. 7 attacks as violence in the Middle East spirals; Milton strengthens to a Category 2 hurricane; and some Republicans are skeptical about Turning Point. Also, how a British climber and her American companion were rescued in the Himalayas. |
People visit the site of the Nova music festival near Kibbutz Reim, southern Israel, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) |
A scarred Israel marks one year since Hamas’ attack as war in Gaza rages on |
Israelis held vigils and somber ceremonies to mark a year since the Oct. 7 Hamas’ attack. The cross-border attack caught Israel unprepared, shattered its sense of security and shook its faith in its leaders and the military. Its aftershocks still ripple one year later. For the dozens of hostages still in captivity, there is no end in sight to their struggle. Border communities have been upended and tens of thousands displaced. Soldiers are being killed in Gaza and Lebanon. Israel faces ongoing international criticism over its wartime conduct, with two world courts examining its actions. Read more.
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At 6:29 a.m. local time — the exact minute Hamas launched its attack — the families of those killed at the Nova music festival, joined by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, gathered at the site where almost 400 revelers were gunned down and from where many others were taken hostage. At 6:31 a.m., four projectiles were launched from Gaza, the Israeli military said, setting off air raid sirens in Tel Aviv, as well as closer to the Gaza border. The ceremony was not disrupted.
In Gaza, which is still buckling under the weight of the ongoing war, no formal commemorative event is planned. More than 41,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and most of the territory’s 2.3 million population has been displaced. The massive destruction and displacement are a constant reminder of the retaliatory Israeli assault on the territory, which has no end in sight.
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Marking the moment Hamas' attack began a year ago, the families of hostages still held in Gaza — about 100, a third of whom are said to be dead — gathered near Benjamin Netanyahu's Jerusalem residence and stood during a two-minute siren. A group representing the families announced that another captive was dead. Idan Shtivi, 28, was snatched from the Nova music festival and was believed to be alive. Israeli media reported he was killed during the attack and his body was taken into Gaza.
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Florida gears up for what could be its biggest evacuation in years |
Hurricane Milton has strengthened to a Category 3 storm as it heads toward major population centers including Tampa and Orlando. This comes as the St. Petersburg-Tampa Bay area is still cleaning up extensive damage from Hurricane Helene and its powerful storm surge. Read more.
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Hurricane Milton grew into a major hurricane over the southern Gulf of Mexico as storm surge and hurricane watches for parts of Florida and a hurricane warning for the Mexican coast were issued, the National Hurricane Center said.
While forecast models vary widely, the most likely path suggests Milton could make landfall Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area and remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida into the Atlantic Ocean. That would largely spare other southeastern states ravaged by Hurricane Helene.
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About 7 million people were urged to evacuate Florida in 2017 as Hurricane Irma bore down on the state. The exodus jammed freeways, led to hourslong lines at gas stations that still had fuel and left evacuees frustrated and, in some cases, vowing never to evacuate again. Building on lessons learned, Florida is staging emergency fuel for gas vehicles and charging stations for electric vehicles along evacuation routes, officials said.
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Many Republicans are skeptical of Turning Point's ability to get out the vote |
Donald Trump has blessed the conservative organization to help lead his get-out-the-vote effort, and local party officials ought to use the group's new voter mobilization app. Both prospects terrify fellow Republicans. The decision by Trump to rely on untested groups such as Turning Point could have sweeping implications for November’s election. Read more.
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Turning Point has sought to lead an effort to remake the GOP’s get-out-the-vote effort based on the theory that there are thousands of Trump supporters who rarely vote but could be persuaded to in this year’s election. The difference of just a few thousand votes in battleground states could mean victory or defeat for candidates up and down the ballot. It’s also a risky move that dismisses independent voters, a small but significant portion of the electorate.
The AP obtained an unvarnished look at how Turning Point is promoting its strategy by obtaining several recordings of presentations made by its representatives to state and local Republican officials. In those presentations, operatives honed in on churchgoers and hunters, citing statistics that purport to show how few of each group cast ballots in 2020.
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Turning Point soared to prominence after Donald Trump’s 2016 win and earned a reputation for hosting glitzy events, cultivating hard-right influencers and raising prodigious sums of money while enriching the group’s leaders. They’ve had far less success helping Republicans win.
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A seagull sits on a light pole in the Inner Harbor, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Rob Carr) |
How to make sure your windows are safer for birds this time of year
We can spend a lot of time observing nature up close – When will my tomatoes turn red? What’s eating my hosta? What’s that white stuff on my peonies? – and we react as needed to ensure our plants survive and thrive. But there are other, sometimes overlooked, garden residents that need our help, too: birds.
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AP Buyline: Prime's Big Deal Days are back |
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The October sequel to Prime Day is here, so we've rounded up the absolute best bargains to be had in fashion, tech, beauty, fitness, mattresses and more. Find them here. |
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This content is created by AP Buyline in accordance with AP’s editorial guidelines and is supervised and edited by AP staff. |
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Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Siddharth
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Please let us know what you think of this newsletter. You can sign up for more and invite a friend here. For news in real time visit APNews.com. - Siddharth
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