Israel-Hamas war latest: Hezbollah says it launched a drone attack on northern Israel

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah said it launched a drone attack early Monday on northern Israel that the Israeli military said wounded two Israeli troops. The violence came amid fears of an all-out regional war following the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran.

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah said it targeted a military base in northern Israel in response to “attacks and assassinations” by Israel in several villages in southern Lebanon. The attack did not appear to be the more intense retaliation that's expected from Iran and its allied militias.

Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged near-daily strikes for the past 10 months during the war in Gaza. But last week’s assassinations of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran’s capital and Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Beirut sent regional tensions soaring.

The head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened Israel on Monday over the assassination of Haniyeh, warning that Israel was “digging its own grave” with its actions against Hamas.

Israel's defense minister says the military is ready for a “swift transition to offense.”

Here’s the latest:

WASHINGTON — The White House said Monday that President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed by their national security team on U.S. military efforts to support Israel and U.S. military forces in case of another attack by Iran and its proxies.

The briefing included a discussion of diplomatic efforts to reduce regional tensions and finalize a possible agreement for a ceasefire and hostage release. Biden and Harris also received details about the attack on Al Asad Air Base in Iraq.

BAGHDAD — A base housing U.S. troops in western Iraq was targeted by a missile strike Monday, Iraqi and U.S. security officials said.

The U.S. military said in a statement that “initial indications” were that several U.S. personnel were injured. The extent of their injuries was not immediately clear.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on Ain al-Assad air base.

In recent weeks, Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have resumed launching attacks on bases housing U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria after a lull of several months after a strike on a base in Jordan killed three American soldiers in late January, prompting a series of retaliatory U.S. strikes.

Between October and January, an umbrella group calling itself the Islamic Resistance in Iraq had regularly claimed attacks that it said were in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in the war in Gaza and were aimed at pushing U.S. troops out of the region.

BEIRUT — The Israeli military says it has killed a local commander with an elite force of the militant Hezbollah group in a drone strike on south Lebanon.

The Israeli army said the Monday evening strike in the southern village of Ebaa killed Ali Jamaleddine Jawad whom it described as a local commander with Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force.

Lebanon’s state news agency reported earlier that a drone strike targeted a motorcycle in Ebba killing one person and wounding another.

Hezbollah later released a photo of Jawad confirming his death without giving details about his job within the group.

Since Hezbollah started attacking Israeli military posts along the border in early October, more than 500 people have been killed in Lebanon, most of them Hezbollah members.

UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. says it has fired nine staff members from its agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, after an internal investigation found they may have been involved in the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack against Israel.

The U.N, secretary-general’s office announced the move in a brief statement to journalists Monday. It did not elaborate on the UNRWA staffers’ likely role in the attack. It said the nine included seven staffers who were fired previously over the claims.

The U.N.’s internal watchdog has been investigating the agency since Israel in January accused 12 UNRWA staffers of being involved in the Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which militants killed 1,200 people and abducted some 250 others.

Israel’s allegations initially led top donor countries to suspend their funding for UNRWA, the main agency providing aid to Palestinians in Gaza amid the 10-month-old war there. That caused a cash crunch of about $450 million dollars. Since then, all donor countries except for the US have decided to resume funding.

JERUSALEM — A leading Israeli human rights group accused Israeli authorities of abusing and torturing Palestinian detainees in a report issued Monday, as scrutiny of Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners during the Israel-Hamas war mounts.

The group, B’Tselem, said it conducted interviews with 55 Palestinian inmates from Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem after their release. It said they described a list of abuses at the hands of Israeli prison guards including violence, sexual assault, starvation and sleep deprivation.

Israel’s prison service did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the report. The military denies abuse at the facilities under its auspices and says detainees are granted basic rights.

B’Tselem’s findings come a week after the United Nations human rights office issued its own report which detailed similar findings about the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli-run prisoners since the outbreak of the war.

Thirty of the inmates B’Tselem spoke with were from the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, 21 were from the Gaza Strip, while four others were Palestinian citizens of Israel, according to Monday’s report.

The report included testimony from Sde Teiman, a shadowy desert military facility which most of the detainees from Gaza have passed through. The military is currently investigating alleged abuse against a detainee from Sde Teiman.

Over the past ten months, the number of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons has nearly doubled from just over 5,000 to almost 10,000, according to HaMoked, an Israeli rights group that regularly gathers figures from prison authorities. The rise has been partly fueled by an influx of some 1,500 detainees from Gaza, according to HaMoked’s figures

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and Jordanian King Abdullah II spoke Monday and discussed the possibility of an “immediate” cease-fire and hostage release deal involving Israel and the Palestinians in order to “de-escalate regional tensions,” the White House said in a statement.

Biden also congratulated the king on the birth of a baby girl, Iman, this past weekend to Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa.

CAIRO — Leaders in Egypt and Turkey are exhausting all avenues possible to prevent Israel’s war in Gaza from becoming a wider regional conflict, the Egyptian and Turkish foreign ministers said Monday at a joint press conference.

Badr Abdelatty, Egypt’s foreign and migration minister, said that he spoke with his counterpart Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s minister of foreign affairs, about the crisis in Gaza, the situation in Libya and Sudan, the situation in the Red Sea and the issues in Yemen.

Both ministers said they discussed important regional issues during their meeting this week, including fighting terrorism and ways to reduce tensions in the region, especially ones emerging from Israel’s war in Gaza.

Both countries share the same vision in achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and rejected recent assassinations in the region, including that of Hamas leader Ismail Hanyieh.

Abdelatty said that it’s important to achieve, not only discuss, the two-state solution and end Israeli occupation and aggression against Palestinians to bring stability to the region. He also warned against provocations emerging from the war in Gaza that could lead to miscalculations that would plunge the region into a full-scale war.

“I condemn Israel assassinating the main negotiator of the ceasefire talks, Ismael Haniyeh. We can conclude from this incident that Netanyahu doesn’t want peace. Netanyahu wants to burn the entire region,” said Fidan.

CAIRO — Turkey’s foreign minister has announced that his country will on Wednesday formally submit a request to intervene in the genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.

Hakan Fidan, whose country is among the fiercest critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza, made the comment in Cairo during a joint news conference with his Egyptian counterpart. Turkey in May had announced its intention to intervene in the case which was filed by South Africa.

During the news conference, Fidan praised Palestinians for their “constructive approach” in the peace negotiations while accusing Israel of undermining the efforts, citing the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh as evidence.

“Not satisfied with that, Israel has treacherously assassinated the chief negotiator of the ceasefire talks,” Fidan said. “This assassination has clearly shown that Netanyahu does not want peace.”

The Turkish minister also criticized the standing ovation that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received while delivering a speech in the U.S. Congress last month.

“The parliamentary podium is no place for war criminals. The only place for war criminals is the dock,” he said.”

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are scheduled to consult later Monday with the White House national security team. And Biden will speak with King Abdullah II of Jordan, whose foreign minister made a rare visit to Iran over the weekend.

The activity follows a weekend of outreach by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and others in the Biden administration to Western and Middle East allies and partners as the U.S. tries to prepare for any Iranian retaliation to the killing of Hamas' political leader in Tehran last week. Iran has blamed Israel.

Blinken on Sunday told foreign members in the Group of Seven economic powers that Iran’s response could come in as soon as 24 to 48 hours.

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran’s state news agency says the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, Sergei Shoigu, has arrived in Tehran for talks on bilateral and international issues.

The IRNA report did not elaborate, but Russia’s state Tass and RIA Novosti news agencies reported that Shoigu was scheduled to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian; secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Akbar Ahmadian; and chief of the Iranian military’s General Staff, Mohammad Bagheri.

Diplomatic efforts have increased after the assassination last week of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Iran has blamed Israel and vowed to retaliate.

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. defense official says the head of the U.S. Central Command, Gen. Eric Kurilla, is in the Middle East region.

The official wouldn’t say where specifically Kurilla is, but added that he “often visits the region to work and consult with regional partners.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss travel not yet made public.

The United States and allies have been preparing to defend Israel from an expected counterstrike from Iran and its allies and prevent a wider regional conflict after the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran. Iran and its allies have blamed Israel and threatened retaliation.

— Lolita Baldor

JERUSALEM — Israel’s defense minister says the military is prepared for a “swift transition to offense” as the country braces for an Iranian attack after the killing of Hamas’ political leader in Tehran.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke Monday at a briefing with air force officials. “We must be prepared for anything – including a swift transition to offense," he said.

Iran has said it is planning to respond with “power and decisiveness” to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh last week, which it blamed on Israel. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility. The escalating threats have raised fears of an all-out war in the Middle East.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Palestinian officials say an Israeli airstrike has killed five members of Gaza’s Hamas-run police force who were securing an aid convoy. Another two policemen were wounded in Monday’s strike, according to records at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central town of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken.

Hamas has ruled Gaza since seizing power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. It operates a police force numbering in the tens of thousands that provided a high degree of public security before the war. But the police have largely disappeared as Israel has targeted them with airstrikes, contributing to the collapse of law and order and hindering aid delivery to the enclave.

Israel does not differentiate between Hamas’ armed wing and its government. It says it is committed to destroying both after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that ignited the war. It also accuses Hamas of hijacking aid for its own purposes.

Aid groups say they have struggled to deliver desperately needed food and supplies because of Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting and the collapse of public order.

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — A Palestinian official says Israel has returned more than 80 bodies to the Gaza Strip.

The identities of the deceased and the cause of death were not immediately known.

Over the course of its nearly 10-month offensive in Gaza, the military has exhumed remains as it searches for the bodies of hostages taken in Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which ignited the war.

Weam Fares, a spokesperson for the Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, says 84 bodies were handed over at the Kerem Shalom crossing on Monday and were taken directly for burial. The hospital did not provide further details.

The Israeli military did not respond to a request for comment.

Associated Press reporters saw the bodies being brought to a cemetery in a container truck belonging to a private company. They were buried in a mass grave.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said it was not involved in the transfer.

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military says Palestinian militants fired at least 15 projectiles into Israel from Gaza, and first responders say one person was lightly wounded.

Rocket and mortar attacks from Gaza have dwindled as Israel has waged its massive offensive there in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. But militants are still able to regularly fire short-range projectiles on Israeli communities and army bases near the border.

Most rockets fired from Gaza are intercepted or fall in open areas, and they rarely cause casualties or damage. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue service says one person was lightly wounded in Monday’s barrage.

Israel has vowed to continue the war until it has eliminated Hamas’ military and governing capabilities.

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran has vowed to respond with “power and decisiveness” to the targeted killing of Hamas’ top political leader, which it blamed on Israel.

The killing of Ismail Haniyeh in a Tehran explosion last week has raised fears of a major retaliatory attack and the outbreak of a wider war pitting Israel and the United States against Iran and allied armed groups across the Middle East.

Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said Monday that Iran has “the intrinsic right to provide for its own security and punish the aggressor,” and “will definitely take serious deterrent action with power and decisiveness.” He said it would be acting in accordance with international law and the right of self-defense.

He added, however, that Iran “is not after intensifying tension in the region.” He urged the international community to support Iran in punishing Israel.

On Saturday, Iran said a short-range projectile was behind the killing of Haniyeh, who was in Iran to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Iran says Israel carried out the attack with U.S. support and has vowed to avenge it. Israel has not said whether it was involved.

JERUSALEM — An Israeli airstrike killed an official in the Hamas-run government in Gaza who Israel said was also involved in militant activities.

Hamas confirmed that Abdel-Fattah al-Zariai was killed alongside his mother in an airstrike on Sunday. In a statement of mourning, it identified him as the undersecretary of its Economy Ministry and said he had held other “honorable positions” without referring to any militant role.

The Israeli military identified him as the economy minister and said he also worked in the manufacturing department of Hamas’ armed wing. It said he was involved in seizing humanitarian aid that entered Gaza and distributing it for militant purposes, without providing evidence.

Hamas seized power in Gaza in 2007 in a week of deadly clashes with forces loyal to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority and dominated by the secular Fatah party.

Hamas established its own government with ministries and tens of thousands of civil servants who provided public services. It also operated a police force.

The government has largely melted away in the war triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into Israel, but the militant group still exerts control on the ground.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard threatened Israel on Monday after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Gen. Hossein Salami, speaking to journalists at an event, warned that Israel was “digging its own grave” with its actions in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and that it is suspected of carrying out Haniyeh’s killing.

“When they receive a blow, they will notice they are making mistakes. They are making mistakes all the time,” Salami said in his speech at the Day of the Journalists event. “They will see the result of their mistake. They will see when, how and where they will get their response.”

Salami also touched on a long-held suspicions about an Israeli assassination program targeting Iran’s nuclear scientists amid concerns over the country’s atomic program. Iran now enriches uranium closer than ever to weapons-grade levels, but maintains its program is peaceful. U.S. intelligence services don’t believe Iran is actively pursuing the bomb, but a nuclear-armed Tehran remains a top fear for Israel.

“Israel is the cradle of terrorism and it has been created out of killing and murder,” he said. “They think they can kill the nuclear scientists of another country and impede that country’s path toward peaceful nuclear technology. They think that by killing the leader of a resistance group ... in another country will give them more time to live.”

He added: “They are just digging their own grave."

BEIRUT — Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency says an Israeli drone strike near a cemetery in a southern village killed two people, including a paramedic.

The agency did not give further details about the Monday morning strike in the village of Meissa al-Jabal. It said one of the dead was a member of the Islamic Risala Scout Association paramedic group. The group identified the member killed as Mohammed Fawzi Hamadi.

Tensions in the region have risen sharply since last week after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut killed Fouad Shukur, a top commander with the militant Hezbollah group.

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed that the group will retaliate against Israel.

MELBOURNE, Australia — The Australian government on Monday elevated the nation’s terrorism threat alert level from “possible” to “probable,” citing concerns about increasing radicalization among young people and community tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.

It is the first time the threat level has been elevated to the midpoint of the five-tier National Terrorism Threat Advisory System since November 2022. The level had been “probable” the previous eight years.

But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese added that while government officials think the current climate makes terrorism an increased danger, they didn’t know of any specific threats.

“I want to reassure Australians probable does not mean inevitable, and it does not mean there is intelligence about an imminent threat or danger,” Albanese told reporters.

He said the government was acting on the advice of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, the nation’s main domestic spy agency known as ASIO.

“The advice that we’ve received is that more Australians are embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies and it is our responsibility to be vigilant,” Albanese said.

TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel is already in a “multi-front war” with Iran and its proxies, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting Sunday, as the United States and allies prepared to defend Israel from an expected counterstrike and prevent an even more destructive regional conflict.

Tensions have soared following nearly 10 months of war in Gaza and the killing last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran. Iran and its allies have blamed Israel and threatened retaliation. Hamas says it has begun discussions on choosing a new leader.

Netanyahu said Israel was ready for any scenario. Jordan’s foreign minister was making a rare trip to Iran as part of diplomatic efforts — “We want the escalation to end,” Ayman Safadi said — while the Pentagon has moved significant assets to the region.

FILE - The symbol of the United Nations is displayed outside the Secretariat Building, Feb. 28, 2022, at United Nations Headquarters. On Monday, Aug. 5, 2024, the U.N. announced that it fired nine staff members from its agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, after an internal investigation found they may have been involved in the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Vehicles drive past a huge banner showing the late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, left, who was killed in an assassination last week, joining hands with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. Iran has vowed to respond with "power and decisiveness" to the targeted killing of Hamas' top political leader, which it blamed on Israel. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

A poster of the late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in an assassination last week, hangs on a mosque building in downtown Tehran, Iran, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. Iran has vowed to respond with "power and decisiveness" to the targeted killing of Hamas' top political leader, which it blamed on Israel. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Passengers whose flights were cancelled, wait at the departure terminal of Rafik Hariri International Airport, in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. Turkey and Japan became the latest countries to urge their citizens to leave Lebanon amid rising tensions with Israel following last week's airstrike in Beirut that killed a top Hezbollah military commander. Fears of an escalation in the simmering conflict between Hezbollah and Israel have prompted some airlines to cancel flights to Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

An Israeli shelling hits an area in Lebanon next to the Israeli-Lebanese border at the Galilee region as seen from the Israel-annexed Golan Heights, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Passengers whose flights were cancelled, wait at the departure terminal ground of Rafik Hariri International Airport, in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. Turkey and Japan became the latest countries to urge their citizens to leave Lebanon amid rising tensions with Israel following last week's airstrike in Beirut that killed a top Hezbollah military commander. Fears of an escalation in the simmering conflict between Hezbollah and Israel have prompted some airlines to cancel flights to Lebanon. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, attends the state memorial for Ze'ev Jabotinsky, at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (Naama Grynbaum/Pool Photo via AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, sits with Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, left, and President Isaac Herzog, center right, at the state memorial for Ze'ev Jabotinsky, at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (Naama Grynbaum/Pool Photo via AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the state memorial for Ze'ev Jabotinsky, at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (Naama Grynbaum/Pool Photo via AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the state memorial for Ze'ev Jabotinsky, at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (Naama Grynbaum/Pool Photo via AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the state memorial for Ze'ev Jabotinsky, at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (Naama Grynbaum/Pool Photo via AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, walks with President Isaac Herzog, center right, at the state memorial for Ze'ev Jabotinsky, at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem, Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024. (Naama Grynbaum/Pool Photo via AP)

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. Find the AP’s top photos of the day in Today’s Photo Collection. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.

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NEW/DEVELOPING

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Adds: VENEZUELA-UNITED-STATES; MURDOCH-FAMILY-PROBATE; ELECTION-2024-PENSYLVANIA-BALLOT; HAITIAN-IMMIGRANTS-SPRINGFIELD; FINANCIAL-MARKETS; ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-CRYPTO; ELECTION 2024-REPUBLICANS-GEORGIA; DEA-CHINA CLOSURES; OSPREY HERO; MUSK-X-ASSASSINATION POST; FAVRE-SHARPE-LAWSUIT.

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ONLY ON AP

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PHILANTHROPY-WARREN-BUFFETT — When the legendary businessman and leader of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, eventually passes away, the next generation of Buffetts — Howard, Susie and Peter — are poised to become one of the most powerful forces in philanthropy. But it wasn’t always going to be that way. Buffett announced in June that he would donate his remaining fortune to a charitable trust managed by his children when he dies — instead of giving it to the Gates Foundation. By Thalia Beaty and Josh Funk. SENT: 1,160 words, photos. With PHILANTHROPY-WARREN-BUFFETT-FOUNDATIONS — The next generation of Buffetts is poised to become one of the biggest forces in philanthropy (sent).

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TOP STORIES

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ELECTION 2024-TRUMP — The man suspected in an apparent assassination attempt targeting Donald Trump camped outside a golf course with food and a rifle for nearly 12 hours, lying in wait for the former president before a Secret Service agent thwarted the potential attack and opened fire, according to court documents. By Stephany Matat, Eric Tucker, Terry Spencer, Alanna Durkin Richer and Colleen Long. SENT: 1,030 words, photos, video, audio. With ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-SUSPECT — Man accused of trying to kill Trump wrote a book urging Iran to assassinate the ex-president; ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-SECURITY — Apparent attempt on Trump’s life raises questions about how it could have happened again; ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-THINGS-TO-KNOW; ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-THE-LATEST (sent).

HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS-SPRINGFIELD — Ohio state police will help protect schools in a city at the center of a political furor over Haitian migrants, the governor announced, while local officials canceled an annual celebration of cultural diversity in the fallout over former President Donald Trump’s false claims about pet-eating. By Patrick Aftoora Orsagos and Michael Rubinkam. SENT: 760 words, photo.

PIPELINE-FIRE — A massive fire involving a liquified natural gas pipeline is shooting a towering pillar of flame for hours over suburban Houston as first-responders evacuated a surrounding neighborhood and tried to keep more nearby homes from catching fire. By Juan A. Lozano. SENT: 660 words, photos, audio, map.

ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-CRYPTO — Donald Trump is expected to announce the launch of his new cryptocurrency platform, called World Liberty Financial, on social media platform X. By Fatima Hussein. UPCOMING: 300 words, photo after 8 p.m. event.

ELECTION-2024-BALLOT DECEPTION — Several little-known pro-Trump candidates are running for Congress in key races as independents, and an Associated Press review finds they were recruited and backed by the same shadowy group. For the past year, the Patriots Run Project has recruited the candidates to enter key swing districts where they could siphon votes from Republicans in races that will help determine which party controls the House next year. By Ryan J. Foley and Brian Slodysko. SENT: 2,130 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,080 words is also available.

CIVICS-GOES-TO-COLLEGE — Surveys show that a third of American adults can’t name the three branches of the federal government. One found that 10% of college graduates think TV’s “Judge Judy” serves on the U.S. Supreme Court. Many people think it’s time for a new push for civics instruction in college. By National Writers Allen G. Breed and Tim Sullivan. SENT: 1,390 words, photos, video. This is the Tuesday Spotlight. With CIVICS-GOES-TO-COLLEGE-QUIZ (sent).

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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IMMIGRATION-HOSPITALS — Texas hospitals who are enrolled in state health plans, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program will start asking patients’ immigration status in November. Florida has had a similar law since 2023. Neither state will report immigration status answers to law enforcement. Doctors and advocate groups in Florida say people were scared to get treatment at hospitals and clinics but that the fear is subsiding thanks to education campaigns telling people they don’t have to provide their status. By Valerie Gonzalez, Gisela Salomon and Devi Shastri. SENT: 1,040 words, photo.

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MORE NEWS

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MUSIC-JANE'S ADDICTION FIGHT — Alternative rock band Jane’s Addiction has scuttled its latest tour following an onstage scuffle between lead singer Perry Farrell and guitarist Dave Navarro. SENT: 250 words, photos, video.

MUSK-X-ASSASSINATION POST — Elon Musk deletes post about Harris and Biden assassination after widespread criticism. SENT: 410 words, photo.

FAVRE-SHARPE-LAWSUIT — An appeals court won’t revive Brett Favre’s defamation lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe. SENT: 350 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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ELECTION 2024-TRUMP THE DAY — Sunday was to be a day of relative rest for Donald Trump, a rare breather this deep into a presidential campaign. Aside from sounding off on social media, golf was on the agenda. Then the Secret Service spotted the muzzle of a rifle sticking out of a fence in bushes at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club, and everything changed. SENT: 950 words, photos.

ELECTION 2024-REPUBLICANS-GEORGIA — Sen. JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp headline the Georgia Faith and Freedom Coalition’s dinner. UPCOMING: 400 words, photos after 6 p.m. event.

DEA-CHINA CLOSURES — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is closing two of its offices in China, a move that comes even as the agency struggles to disrupt the flow of precursor chemicals from the country that have fueled a fentanyl epidemic. SENT: 990 words, photos.

OSPREY HERO — The Marine Corps presented their highest noncombat medal to the parents of Cpl. Spencer Collart, who died last year after his V-22 Osprey crashed in Australia. SENT: 430 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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TROPICAL-WEATHER — Heavy winds and rains from a storm in the Atlantic that wasn’t quite organized enough to get a name has hit a stretch of the southeastern U.S. coast. SENT: 510 words, photos audio.

TITANIC TOURIST SUB — The lead engineer for an experimental submersible that imploded en route to the wreck of the Titanic has testified that he felt pressured to get the vessel ready to dive and refused to pilot it. SENT: 940 words, photos, video.

BETTING ON ELECTIONS — Allowing people to bet on the outcome of U.S. elections poses a great risk that some will try to manipulate the betting markets, which could cause more harm to the already fragile confidence voters have in the integrity of results, according to a federal agency that wants the bets to be banned. SENT: 540 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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MIDEAST-TENSIONS — Salvagers have successfully towed a Greek-flagged oil tanker ablaze for weeks after attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels to a safe area without any oil spill, a European Union naval mission says. SENT: 680 words, photo. With MIDEAST-TENSIONS-THE LATEST — Israeli airstrikes kill 16 in Gaza, including four children, Palestinians say (sent).

AFGHANISTAN-TALIBAN-POLIO — The Taliban have suspended polio vaccination campaigns in Afghanistan, the U.N. says. It’s a devastating setback for polio eradication, since the virus is one of the world’s most infectious and any unvaccinated groups of children where the virus is spreading could undo years of progress. SENT: 640 words, photos.

CENTRAL EUROPE-FLOODS — Exceptionally heavy rainfall pounding Central Europe has prompted deadly flooding in the region, with four new deaths reported in Poland and one each in Czech Republic and Romania. SENT: 620 words, photos, video, audio.

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BUSINESS/ TECH

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FINANCIAL-MARKETS — The Dow Jones Industrial Average set a record after a quiet day of trading, as Wall Street geared up for the most anticipated meeting of the Federal Reserve in years. By Business Writer Stan Choe. SENT: 780 words, photo, audio.

FEDERAL-RESERVE — American consumers and home buyers, business people and political leaders have been waiting for months for what the Federal Reserve is poised to announce this week: That it’s cutting its key interest rate from a two-decade peak. By Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.

VENEZUELA-UNITED-STATES — Venezuela’s main opposition coalition called on the U.S. to cancel the licenses that allow Chevron and other energy companies to operate in the South American country to pressure President Nicolás Maduro to negotiate a transition from power. SENT: 630 words, photos.

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WELLNESS

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BE WELL-MENOPAUSE-DENTAL — Menopause is well-known for causing hot flashes and night sweats for many women. But the list of menopause maladies can also include dental problems. By Science Writer Laura Ungar. SENT: 620 words, photo.

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HEALTH/SCIENCE

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PREGNANCY-BRAIN CHANGES — Neuroscientist Liz Chrastil got the unique chance to see how her brain changed while she was pregnant and share what she learned in a new study that offers the first detailed map of a woman’s brain throughout gestation. By Science Writer Laura Ungar. SENT: 550 words, photo.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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OBIT-TITO JACKSON — Tito Jackson, one of the brothers who made up the beloved pop group the Jackson 5, has died. He was 70. Jackson was the third of nine children, including global superstars Michael and Janet, and was part of a music-making family whose songs have sold hundreds of millions of copies. SENT: 880 words, photos, audio.

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SPORTS

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IOC PRESIDENT-ELECTION — Two former Olympic champions are in the race to be the next IOC president. So is a prince of a Middle East kingdom and the son of a former president. The global leaders of cycling, gymnastics and skiing also are in play. By Sports Writer Graham Dunbar. SENT: 870 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Jerome Minerva can be reached at 800-845-8450, ext. 1600. For photos, ext. 1900. For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.

Jessica Gunning, left, winner of the awards for outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie, and outstanding limited or anthology series for "Baby Reindeer", and Richard Gadd, winner of the awards for outstanding lead actor in a limited or anthology series or movie, and outstanding limited or anthology series for "Baby Reindeer", pose in the press room during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Anna Sawai, left, winner of the award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for "Shogun", and Hiroyuki Sanada, winner of the awards for outstanding lead actor in a drama series, and outstanding drama series for "Shogun" pose in the press room during the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Youth participate in a Defense of Religious Freedom march at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. The march seeks to bring attention to religious intolerance in the country. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Faithful from various religions participate in the Defense of Religious Freedom march at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. The march seeks to bring attention to religious intolerance in the country. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

FILE - Firetrucks are seen around a building as scorched trees smolder during the Bridge Fire in Wrightwood, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

Israeli security forces stand guard near the scene of a stabbing attack at Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)

Ryan Wesley Routh holds up a banner during a rally in central Kyiv, Ukraine on Saturday April 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Alex Babenko)

Police crime scene vehicles are seen at Trump International Golf Club after police closed off the area following the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in West Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Terry Renna)