Israeli forces killed four aid seekers traveling on Sunday through a military zone south of Gaza City an area regularly used by Palestinians trying to reach a food distribution point, a hospital and witnesses said.

The deaths add to the growing toll of Palestinians killed while seeking food, as parts of the Gaza Strip plunge into famine and Israels military ramps up activity in northern Gaza ahead of a planned offensive to seize its largest city.

Al-Awda Hospital and two eyewitnesses told The Associated Press that the four Palestinians were killed when troops opened fire on a crowd heading to a site run by the Israeli-backed American contractor Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, or GHF, in the Netzarim corridor area. It occurred hundreds of meters (yards) away from the site, the eyewitnesses said.

The gunfire was indiscriminate, Mohamed Abed, a father of two from the Bureij refugee camp, said, adding that while many fled some people fell to the ground after being shot.

RELATED STORY | Famine declared in Gaza City as Israel escalates fighting

Abed and Aymed Sayyad, another aid seeker among the crowd, said troops opened fire when a group near the front of the crowd pushed forward toward a distribution site before its scheduled opening.

Sayyad said he and others helped two people who were wounded by gunshots, one in his shoulder and the leg in his leg.

The Israeli military and GHF did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Malnutrition-related deaths

The four deaths are the latest in areas where U.N. convoys have been overwhelmed by looters and desperate crowds, and where people have been shot and killed while heading to sites run by the GHF.

More than 2,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 13,500 wounded while seeking aid at distribution points or along convoy routes used by the United Nations and other aid groups, according to Gazas Health Ministry.

The ministry said on Sunday that at least 62,686 Palestinians have been killed in the war, including missing people now confirmed dead by a special ministry judicial committee.

It said the number of malnutrition-related deaths rose by eight to 289 on Sunday. The deaths include a child, bringing the death toll among children to 115 since the war between Israel and Hamas began in 2023.

The health ministry does not say how many of those killed have been fighters or civilians but says around half have been women and children. It 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 war casualties. Israel disputes its figures but has not provided its own.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification the worlds leading authority on food crises said Friday that famine is happening in Gaza City, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, and could spread south to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of next month.

Aid groups have long warned that the war and months of Israeli restrictions on food and medical supplies entering Gaza are causing starvation. Israel has denied the existence of widespread hunger in Gaza, calling reports of starvation lies promoted by Hamas.

Non-stop explosions

In Jabaliya, the densely populated refugee camp just north of Gaza City, residents said they endured heavy explosions overnight. Days after Israels military announced it was intensifying its operations in the area and mobilizing tens of thousands of reservists to take the city, they said they were living in constant fear.

In the part of Gaza City where he and his family have sheltered since being displaced from a neighborhood on the citys southern edge, Ossama Matter said he had seen houses reduced to rubble and neighborhoods razed beyond recognition.

They want it like Rafah, he said, referring to a town in southern Gaza destroyed earlier in the war. There have been non-stop explosions and strikes in the past days.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Israel calls up 60,000 reserve troops, prepares for expanded Gaza City assault

While fleeing westward from Jabaliya, schoolteacher Salim Dhaher said he saw weaponized robots planting explosives as troops advanced from the opposite direction. As they set the stage for Israels push to seize the city, Dhaher said he feared it was part of a larger effort to forcibly remove Palestinians from the north.

The aim is clear, he said: To destroy everything above the ground, and force the transfer.

There has been little sign of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians evacuating south ahead of Israels invasion of Gaza City, which Israel says is still a Hamas stronghold. Many are exhausted by repeated displacements and unconvinced that any area including so-called humanitarian zones offers safety.

The military operation could begin within days in a region that threatens the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians, who are sheltering above an area Israel has invaded multiple times but still believes harbors a network of militant tunnels underground.

Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals but 50 remain inside Gaza, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive.

Russia accused Ukraine Sunday of launching drone attacks that sparked a fire at a nuclear power plant in its western Kursk region overnight, as Ukraine celebrated 34 years since its independence.

Russian officials said several power and energy facilities were targeted in the overnight strikes. The fire at the nuclear facility was quickly extinguished with no injuries reported, according to the plants press service on Telegram. While the attack damaged a transformer, radiation levels remained within normal ranges.

The United Nations nuclear watchdog said it was aware of media reports that a transformer at the plants had caught fire due to military activity, but hadnt received independent confirmation. It said its director-general, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said that every nuclear facility must be protected at all times.

Ukraine did not immediately comment on the alleged attack.

RELATED STORY | American company in Ukraine hit as Russia escalates attacks

Firefighters also responded to a blaze at the port of Ust-Luga in Russias Leningrad region, home to a major fuel export terminal. The regional governor said approximately 10 Ukrainian drones were shot down, with debris igniting the fire.

Russias Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 95 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight into Sunday.

Russia fired 72 drones and decoys, along with a cruise missile, into Ukraine overnight into Sunday, Ukraines air force said. Of these, 48 drones were shot down or jammed.

The incidents occurred as Ukraine marked independence day, commemorating its 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered remarks in a video address from Kyivs Independence Square, emphasizing the nations resolve.

We are building a Ukraine that will have enough strength and power to live in security and peace, Zelenskyy said, calling for a just peace.

What our future will be is up to us alone, he said, in a nod to the U.S.Russia summit in Alaska earlier in August, which many feared would leave Ukrainian and European interests sidelined.

And the world knows this. And the world respects this. It respects Ukraine. It perceives Ukraine as an equal, he said.

U.S. special envoy Keith Kellogg was in attendance at independence day celebrations in Kyiv, during which Zelenskyy awarded him the Ukrainian Order of Merit, of the 1st degree.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Kyiv on Sunday morning for meetings with Zelenskyy.

On this special day Ukraines Independence Day it is especially important for us to feel the support of our friends. And Canada has always stood by our side, wrote Andriy Yermak, Zelenskyys chief of staff.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Russia's largest drone strike since July targets Ukraine hours after Trump/Zelenskyy meeting

Norway announced significant new military aid Sunday, pledging about 7 billion kroner ($695 million) for air defense systems. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Norway and Germany are jointly funding two Patriot systems, including missiles, with Norway also helping procure air defense radar.

Pope Leo XIV prayed Sunday for peace in Ukraine as he marked the countrys independence day with a special appeal during his weekly noon blessing. He said the faithful were joining Ukrainians asking that the Lord give peace to their martyred country.

Leo also sent a telegram to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to mark independence day, which the Ukrainian leader posted on X along with similar notes from other world leaders.

In the letter, Leo assured his prayers for all Ukrainians who are suffering, and wrote: I implore the Lord to move the hearts of people of good will, that the clamor of arms may fall silent and give way to dialogue, opening the path to peace for the good of all.

Meanwhile, fighting continued on the front line in eastern Ukraine, where Russia claimed Saturday that its forces had seized two villages in the Donetsk region.

A bus carrying a junior high football team to a game crashed Saturday north of Pittsburgh, sending 21 of the 28 people on board to the hospital, officials said.

Twenty-five Aliquippa Junior High students and three adults were headed to a game in nearby Gibsonia. The crash occurred in Economy Borough, about 20 miles north of Pittsburgh.

Economy Borough Police Chief Michael OBrien said he didnt have information on the medical status of those taken to hospitals.

OBrien said he understood the bus turned on its side during the crash but came back upright as the students were evacuating the vehicle.

The police chief said the crash occurred in a tough spot in the road. Its on a bad bend, OBrien said. Its being investigated now to determine what happened.

A Facebook page for the Aliquippa Junior High football team said each player was being evaluated and asked for a thought or prayer for each player or coach that was traveling this morning.

The end of an exemption on tariff duties for low-value packages coming into the United States is causing multiple international postal services to pause shipping as they await more clarity on the rule.

The exemption, known as the de minimis" exemption, allows packages worth less than $800 to come into the U.S. duty free. A total of 1.36 billion packages were sent in 2024 under this exemption, for goods worth $64.6 billion, according to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agency.

It is set to expire Friday. On Saturday, postal services around Europe announced that they are suspending the shipment of many packages to the United States amid confusion over new import duties.

Postal services in Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Italy said they will stop shipping most merchandise to the U.S. effective immediately. France and Austria will follow Monday.

The U.K.'s Royal Mail said it would halt shipments to the U.S. on Tuesday to allow time for those packages to arrive before duties kick in. Items originating in the U.K. worth over $100 including gifts to friends and family will incur a 10% duty, it said.

Key questions remain unresolved, particularly regarding how and by whom customs duties will be collected in the future, what additional data will be required, and how the data transmission to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection will be carried out, DHL, the largest shipping provider in Europe, said in a statement.

The company said starting Saturday it will no longer be able to accept and transport parcels and postal items containing goods from business customers destined for the US.

A trade framework agreed on by the U.S. and the European Union last month set a 15% tariff on the vast majority of products shipped from the EU. Packages under $800 will now also be subject to the tariff.

The U.S. duty-free exemption for goods originating from China ended in May as part of the Trump administration's efforts to curb American shoppers from ordering low-value Chinese goods. The exemption is being extended to shipments from around the world.

Many European postal services say they are pausing deliveries now because they cannot guarantee the goods will enter the U.S. before Aug. 29. They cite ambiguity about what kind of goods are covered by the new rules, and the lack of time to process their implications.

RELATED STORY | US and EU lock in tariff rates on autos, industrial goods

Postnord, the Nordic logistics company, and Italy's postal service announced similar suspensions effective Saturday.

In the absence of different instructions from US authorities ... Poste Italiane will be forced, like other European postal operators, to temporarily suspend acceptance of all shipments containing goods destined for the United States, starting August 23. Mail shipments not containing merchandise will continue to be accepted, Poste Italiane said Friday.

Shipping by services such as DHL Express remains possible, it added.

Bjrn Bergman, head of PostNords Group Brand and Communication, said the pause was unfortunate but necessary to ensure full compliance of the newly implemented rules.

In the Netherlands, PostNL spokesperson Wout Witteveen said the Trump administration is pressing ahead with the new duties despite U.S. authorities lacking a system to collect them. He said that PostNL is working closely with its U.S. counterparts to find a solution.

"If you have something to send to America, you should do it today, Witteveen told The Associated Press.

Austrian Post, Austrias leading logistics and postal service provider, stated that the last acceptance of commercial shipments to the U.S., including Puerto Rico, will take place Tuesday.

France's national postal service, La Poste, said the U.S. did not provide full details or allow enough time for the French postal service to prepare for new customs procedures.

Despite discussions with U.S. customs services, no time was provided to postal operators to re-organize and assure the necessary computer updates to conform to the new rules, it said in a statement.

PostEurop, an association of 51 European public postal operators, said that if no solution can be found by Aug. 29 all its members will likely follow suit.

The NFL joined the WNBA in having a sex toy thrown onto the field when someone tossed one during the Tennessee Titans' preseason finale on Friday night.

The neon green sex toy landed near the 6-yard line with about five minutes left in the Titans' win over the Minnesota Vikings. The teams were on the field with the Titans on offense near midfield when the object hit the field close to the Tennessee sideline.

It was picked up and given to a security guard.

RELATED STORY | Another sex toy gets thrown onto the court during a WNBA game

The Titans said they captured images of those responsible and reported the incident to the Metro Nashville Police Department.

Its the latest in a string of disturbances where similar toys were tossed at WNBA games, resulting in at least three arrests.

The Texas Senate gave final approval to a new, Republican-leaning congressional voting map early Saturday, sending it to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature.

President Donald Trump has pushed for the map to help the GOP maintain its slim majority in Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. It has five new districts that would favor Republicans.

Abbott, a Republican, is expected to quickly sign it into law, though Democrats have vowed to challenge it in court.

The effort by Trump and Texas Republican-majority Legislature prompted state Democrats to hold a two-week walkout and kicked off a wave of redistricting efforts across the country.

Democrats had prepared for a final show of resistance, with plans to push the Senate vote into the early morning hours in a last-ditch attempt to delay passage.

State Sen. Carol Alvarado, leader of the Senate Democratic caucus, announced on social media that she planned to filibuster the bill with a long speech and intended to speak for several hours. But just when she expected to start, the Senate broke for a long dinner break.

When members returned, Alvarado never had a chance to filibuster because Republicans accused her of breaking Senate rules by attempting to fundraise off the coming filibuster.

Sen. Charles Perry said it appears to be potentially unlawful, at least unethical, using state resources for a campaign purpose.

A spokesperson for Alvarado did not immediately respond to an email and phone call from The Associated Press.

Shutting down a filibuster over a fundraising email is unprecedented, Democratic Sen. Sarah Eckhardt said in a post on social media platform X. It exposes the hypocrisy of Republicans, who will turn around and raise millions off stealing Texans votes while silencing their voices.

The weekslong showdown has roiled the Texas Legislature, marked by a Democratic walkout and threats of arrest from Republicans. Much of the drama unfolded in the House, where the map ultimately passed on Wednesday.

RELATED STORY | Texas House votes to approve controversial redistricting maps following Democratic standoff

Democrats had already delayed the bill's passage during hours of debate, pressing Republican Sen. Phil King, the measures sponsor, on the proposal's legality, with many alleging that the redrawn districts violate the Voting Rights Act by diluting voters influence based on race.

King vehemently denied that accusation, saying, I had two goals in mind: That all maps would be legal and would be better for Republican congressional candidates in Texas.

There is extreme risk the Republican majority will be lost in the House if the map does not pass, King said.

The showdown has also inflamed a broader, state-by-state redistricting battle, with governors from both parties pledging to redraw congressional maps.

California Democrats approved legislation Thursday calling for a special election in November for residents to vote on a redrawn congressional map designed to help Democrats win five more House seats next year. Gov. Gavin Newsom quickly signed it.

This is not something six weeks ago that I ever imagined that Id be doing, Newsom said. This is a reaction to an assault on our democracy in Texas.

Californias map needs voter approval because, unlike in Texas, a nonpartisan commission normally draws the map to avoid the sort of political battle that is playing out.

On Friday, Abbott called Californias redistricting a joke and asserted that Texas new map is constitutional but Californias would be overturned.

Battle for the House waged via redistricting

On a national level, the partisan makeup of existing districts puts Democrats within three seats of a majority. The incumbent presidents party usually loses seats in the midterms.

The Texas redraw is already reshaping the 2026 race, with Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett, the dean of the state's congressional delegation, announcing Thursday that he will not seek reelection to his Austin-based seat if the new map takes effect. Under the proposed map, Doggett's district would overlap with that of another Democratic incumbent, Rep. Greg Casar.

RELATED STORY | Newsom signs Election Rigging Response Act in retaliation to Texas moves

The president has pushed other Republican-controlled states including Indiana and Missouri, to also revise their maps to add more winnable GOP seats. Ohio Republicans were also already scheduled to revise their maps to make them more partisan.

Republicans are not finished in the United States, Abbott said.

Redistricting typically occurs once a decade, immediately after a census. While some states have their own limitations, there is no national impediment to a state trying to redraw districts in the middle of the decade.

The U.S. Supreme Court has said the Constitution does not outlaw partisan gerrymandering, only using race to redraw district lines.

Fight fire with fire

More Democratic-run states have commission systems like Californias or other redistricting limits than Republican ones do, leaving the GOP with a freer hand to swiftly redraw maps. New York, for example, cannot draw new maps until 2028, and even then only with voter approval.

Republicans and some Democrats championed a 2008 ballot measure that established Californias nonpartisan redistricting commission, along with a 2010 one that extended its role to drawing congressional maps.

Both sides have shown concern over what the redistricting war could lead to.

California Assemblyman James Gallagher, the Republican minority leader, said Trump was wrong to push for new Republican seats elsewhere. But he warned that Newsoms approach, which the governor has dubbed fight fire with fire, is dangerous.

You move forward fighting fire with fire, and what happens? Gallagher asked. You burn it all down.

Lyle Menendez received the same recommendation as his brother Erik when he was denied parole Friday after serving decades in prison for the murder of their parents in 1989.

A panel of two commissioners denied Menendez parole for three years, after which he will be eligible again, in a case that continues to fascinate the public.

The brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion almost exactly 36 years ago on Aug. 20, 1989. While defense attorneys argued that the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers sought a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

A judge reduced their sentences in May, and they became immediately eligible for parole. The parole hearings marked the closest they have come to winning freedom since their convictions almost 30 years ago.

Erik Menendez, who is being held at the same prison in San Diego, was denied parole Thursday after commissioners determined his misbehavior in prison made him still a risk to public safety.

A day later, Lyle Menendez told the parole board details about the abuse he suffered under his parents. He cried, face reddened, while delivering his closing statement. He seemed to still want to protect his baby brother, telling commissioners he took sole responsibility for the murders.

I will never be able to make up for the harm and grief I caused everyone in my family," he said. I am so sorry to everyone, and I will be forever sorry.

The state corrections department chose a single reporter to watch the videoconference and share details with the rest of the press.

Lyle Menendez describes abuse

The panel began by asking how abuse impacted decision-making in his life.

The older brother described how his father physically abused him by choking, punching and hurting him using a belt.

I was the special son in my family. My brother was the castaway," he said. "The physical abuse was focused on me because I was more important to him, I felt.

He also said his mother also sexually abused him. He appeared uncomfortable discussing this with the panel, who asked why he didn't disclose his mother's abuse in a risk assessment conducted earlier this year.

Commissioners asked if one death made him more sorrowful than the other.

My mother. Because I loved her and couldnt imagine harming her in any way," he said. I think also I learned a lot after about her life, her childhood, reflecting on how much fear maybe she felt.

Later, he broke down in tears when recounting how they confronted their mother about Jose Menendez's abuse of his younger brother.

I couldnt wrap my mind around the fact that she knew," he said.

RELATED STORY | Board denies parole for Erik Menendez despite reduced sentence for his parents 1989 murders

Hearing focuses on crime, over achievements in prison

Lyle Menendez's parole lawyer, Heidi Rummel, was more outspoken during the hearing than the one for Erik Menendez on Thursday.

She quarreled with the commissioners over several lines of questioning and whether the panel had access to trial evidence in the case.

The panel asked Lyle Menendez whether the murders were planned, and about the brothers buying guns.

There was zero planning. There was no way to know it was going to happen Sunday, he said, referring to buying the guns as the biggest mistake."

I no longer believe that they were going to kill us in that moment, he said. "At the time, I had that honest belief.

Garland asked him about the sophistication of the web of lies and manipulation you demonstrated afterward," referring to having witnesses lie for them in court and attempts to destroy his father's will.

Menendez maintained that there was no plan, only that he was flailing in what was happening and didn't want to go to prison and be separated from his brother.

In closing, Rummel expressed frustration that the hearing spent almost no time on Menendez's achievements in prison or his efforts to build positive relationships with correctional staff. She noted he never touched drugs or alcohol inside.

How many people with an LWOP sentence come in front of this board with zero violence, despite getting attacked, getting bullied, and choose to do something different? she said.

More than a dozen of their relatives attended Fridays hearing via videoconference, but many did not testify citing privacy concerns after learning audio from Erik Menendez's hearing Thursday was published online.

I want my nephew to hear how much I love him, and believe in him," said his aunt, Teresita Menendez-Baralt. :Im very proud of him and I want him to come home."

Cellphones in prison

Similar to his brother's hearing the day before, the panel zeroed in on Menendez's use of cellphones in prison as recent as March 2025.

I had convinced myself that this wasnt a means that was harming anyone but myself in a rule violation," Menendez said.

He said correctional staff were monitoring his communications with his wife and family and selling them to tabloids, so he saw cellphones as a way to protect his privacy. There was a lot of stress in his marriage around the time he transferred to the prison in San Diego, and he wanted to stay in close touch with his wife, he said.

Commissioner Patrick Reardon applauded him for starting a prison beautification project and mentorship programs. However, he questioned if the cellphone violations tainted those accomplishments.

I would never call myself a model incarcerated person," Menendez said. I would say that Im a good person, that I spent my time helping people. ... Im the guy that officers will come to to resolve conflicts.

The panel noted that a psychologist found that Menendez is at very low risk for violence upon release.

According to previous court documents, Menendez has not gotten into any fights in his time in prison. He said nonviolence was a promise he made to his grandmother.

My life has been defined by extreme violence," he said. I wanted to be defined by something else.

The brothers still have a pending habeas corpus petition filed in May 2023 seeking a review of their convictions based on new evidence supporting their claims of sexual abuse by their father.

An explosion and fire Friday at an automotive supply company in southeast Louisiana sent flames into the air and a tower of thick black smoke billowed above rural communities, forcing nearby residents and an elementary school to evacuate.

Officials said no injuries have been reported in the fire at Smitty's Supply just north of the town of Roseland, but that everyone living within a one-mile radius must evacuate. Roseland, which is home to around 1,100 people, is about 50 miles northeast of Baton Rouge.

Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller said it's godsend that no one has been injured.

We are doing our best to protect people, structures and the environment, Miller told reporters during a news conference Friday afternoon, as crews reached their third hour of trying to extinguish the inferno.

Little information was available about the fire. Miller said that officials weren't yet sure what caused the fire, if there was a significant chemical risk or how long it may take fire crews to get the situation under control.

We are monitoring this situation closely. Please follow the guidance of your local officials, Gov. Jeff Landry posted on X. We are praying for everyones safety.

Video from WBRZ-TV shows vibrant orange flames leaping into the air beneath a cloud of smoke, and engulfing parts of Smittys Supply in Arcola, a small unincorporated community. Firefighters could be seen spraying arcs of water into the blaze.

Per the companys website, Smittys Supply delivers high performance lubricants and automotive parts, including oils, brake fluid, power steering fluid and antifreeze. Miller said approximately 400 people are employed at the property.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

RELATED STORY | Explosion at US Steel plant in Pennsylvania leaves 1 dead, dozens hurt

In addition to fire crews and law enforcement, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency were also on the scene. Miller said the federal agencies are monitoring the situation "to determine and guide us on what to do."

The Tangipahoa Parish School System posted on its Facebook page that the Office of Homeland Security recommended the evacuation of a nearby elementary school.

Buses were sent to shuttle students to the school board office in a nearby town.

President Donald Trump said that Intel has agreed to give the U.S. government a 10% stake in its business.

Speaking with reporters on Friday, Trump said the deal came out of a meeting last week with Intel CEO Lip Bu Tan which came days after the president called for Tan to resign over his past ties to China.

I said, I think it would be good having the United States as your partner, Trump said. He agreed, and theyve agreed to do it.

Intel did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the agreement.

The struggling Silicon Valley chipmaker has a market cap of just over $100 billion. The agreement comes just after Japanese technology giant SoftBank Group disclosed Monday that it is accumulating its 2% stake in Intel.

The official announcement is expected to come later Friday, according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak publicly ahead of an announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Whats happening?

The Trump administration has been in talks to secure a 10% stake in Intel in exchange for converting government grants that were pledged to Intel under President Joe Biden. If the deal is completed, the U.S. government would become one of Intels largest shareholders and blur the traditional lines separating the public sector and private sector in a country that remains the worlds largest economy.

Why would Trump do this?

In his second term, Trump has been leveraging his power to reprogram the operations of major computer chip companies. The administration is requiring Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, two companies whose chips are helping to power the craze around artificial intelligence, to pay a 15% commission on their sales of chips in China in exchange for export licenses.

Trumps interest in Intel is also being driven by his desire to boost chip production in the U.S., which has been a focal point of the trade war that he has been waging throughout the world. By lessening the countrys dependence on chips manufactured overseas, the president believes the U.S. will be better positioned to maintain its technological lead on China in the race to create artificial intelligence.

Didnt Trump want Intels CEO to quit?

Thats what the president said August 7 in an unequivocal post calling for Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan to resign less than five months after the Santa Clara, California, company hired him. The demand was triggered by reports raising national security concerns about Tans past investments in Chinese tech companies while he was a venture capitalist. But Trump backed off after Tan professed his allegiance to the U.S. in a public letter to Intel employees and went to the White House to meet with the president, who applauded the Intel CEO for having an amazing story.

RELATED STORY | Trump plans 100% tariff on computer chips, likely increasing electronics costs

Why would Intel do a deal?

The company isnt commenting about the possibility of the U.S. government becoming a major shareholder, but Intel may have little choice because it is currently dealing from a position of weakness. After enjoying decades of growth while its processors powered the personal computer boom, the company fell into a slump after missing the shift to the mobile computing era unleashed by the iPhones 2007 debut.

Intel has fallen even farther behind in recent years during an artificial intelligence craze that has been a boon for Nvidia and AMD. The company lost nearly $19 billion last year and another $3.7 billion in the first six months of this year, prompting Tan to undertake a cost-cutting spree. By the end of this year, Tan expects Intel to have about 75,000 workers, a 25% reduction from the end of last year.

Would this deal be unusual?

Although rare, its not unprecedented for the U.S. government to become a significant shareholder in a prominent company. One of the most notable instances occurred during the Great Recession in 2008 when the government injected nearly $50 billion into General Motors in return for a roughly 60% stake in the automaker at a time it was on the verge of bankruptcy. The government ended up with a roughly $10 billion loss after it sold its stock in GM.

Would the government run Intel?

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC during a Tuesday interview that the government has no intention of meddling in Intels business, and will have its hands tied by holding non-voting shares in the company. But some analysts wonder if the Trump administrations financial ties to Intel might prod more companies looking to curry favor with the president to increase their orders for the companys chips.

Canada is dropping retaliatory tariffs to match U.S. tariff exemptions for goods covered under the United States-Mexico-Canada trade pact, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Friday.

Carney said Canada will include the carve-out that the U.S. has on Canadian goods under the 2020 free trade deal that shields the vast majority of goods from the punishing duties.

Canada currently has the best trade deal with the United States. And while its different from what we had before, it's still better than that of any other country, Carney said.

Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on the phone Thursday, and Carney met with his Cabinet on Friday before making the announcement.

We had a very good call, Trump said Friday in the Oval Office. We are working on something. We want to be very good to Canada. I like Carney a lot. I think hes a very good person."

RELATED STORY | Tariffs put Walmart, Target and others in tough spot over pricing decisions

I am fighting for the United States, and Canada and Mexico have taken a lot of our business over the years, Trump said.

The move is designed to reset trade talks between the two countries. The USMCA is up for review in 2026, and Carney called the trade pact a unique advantage for Canada at a time when it is clear that the U.S. is charging for access to its market.

Carney said the commitment of the U.S. to the core of USMCA means the U.S. average tariff rate on Canadian goods remains one of its lowest, and that over 85% of Canada-U.S. trade continues to be free of tariffs.

Canadian and Mexican companies can claim preferential treatment under the USMCA.

Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau initially put on retaliatory tariffs in response to U.S. tariffs, but before the U.S. tariffs were applied the Trump administration exempted goods covered by the free trade deal.

Most imports from Canada and Mexico are still protected by the USMCA, but U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has said, I think the president is absolutely going to renegotiate USMCA.

Preserving the free trade pact will be critical for Canada and Mexico. More than 75% of Canadas exports go to the U.S. while more than 80% of Mexicos exports go there.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING | New economic indicators show the costs of Trump's tariffs are creeping into Americans' budgets

Trump has announced some sector-specific tariffs that do apply for Canada despite the USMCA known as 232 tariffs which are having an impact on the Canadian economy. There is a 50% tariff on steel and aluminum imports, for example.

Canada and the United States have reestablished free trade for the vast majority of our goods," Carney said. Canada will retain our tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos as we work intensively to resolve the issues there.

Carney previously rescinded Canada's plan to tax U.S. technology firms after Trump said he was suspending trade talks with Canada over those plans, which he called a direct and blatant attack on our country.

The prime minister disputed any notion that Canada is appeasing Trump, noting that Canada is matching what the U.S. is doing.

The president and I had a long conversation, Carney said. There is a review of the free trade agreement in the spring. We're starting our preparations.

Lana Payne, president of Unifor, Canadas largest private sector union, characterized Carney's announcement as Canada backing down, and said the country shouldn't back down unless the U.S. drops all punitive tariffs.

Trumps attacks on auto, steel, aluminum, and forestry sectors are hurting Canadian workers in real time, she posted on social media. Walking back counter-tariffs isnt an olive branch. It only enables more U.S. aggression.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that National Guard troops patrolling the streets of Washington for President Donald Trump's law enforcement crackdown will be armed, the Pentagon said Friday.

The Defense Department didn't immediately offer any other details about the new development or why it was needed.

The step is an escalation in Trump's intervention into policing in the nation's capital and comes as nearly 2,000 National Guard members are stationed in the city, with the arrival this week of hundreds of troops from several Republican-led states.

RELATED STORY | Top White House officials turn to public appearances with troops as a tense Washington watches

The Pentagon and Army said last week that troops would not carry weapons.

The city had been informed about the intent for the National Guard to be armed, a person familiar with the conversations said earlier this week. The person was not authorized to disclose the plans and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

RELATED STORY | Trump thanks police and troops as DC crackdown on crime and immigration intensifies

Federal auto safety regulators are investigating why Tesla has repeatedly broken rules requiring it to quickly tell them about crashes involving its self-driving technology, a potentially significant development given the company's plans to put hundreds of thousands of driverless cars on U.S. roads over the next year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a filing on Thursday that Tesla's reports on "numerous" incidents involving its driver assistance and self-driving features were submitted far too late several months after the crashes instead of within five days as required.

The probe comes two months after the electric vehicle maker run by Elon Musk started a self-driving taxi service in Austin, Texas, with hopes of soon offering it nationwide. The company also hopes to send over-the-air software updates to millions of Teslas already on the road that will allow them to drive themselves.

RELATED STORY | Jury awards $329 million in case that blamed Tesla's Autopilot for deadly crash

Investors enthusiastic about such plans have kept Tesla stock aloft despite plunging sales and profits due to boycotts over Musk's support for U.S. President Donald Trump and far-right politicians in Europe.

The safety agency said the probe will focus on why Tesla took so long to report the crashes, whether the reports included all the necessary data and details and if there are crashes that the agency still doesn't know about.

Tesla did not respond to a request for comment, but the agency noted that the company has told it the delays were "due to an issue with Tesla's data collection," which Tesla says has now been fixed.

The new investigation follows another probe that began in October into potential problems with Tesla's self-driving technology in foggy weather and other low visibility conditions, which has been linked to several accidents, including one death. That probe involves 2.4 million Tesla vehicles.

The crash reporting rule for vehicles using Level 2 driver-assistance software, or those that require drivers to pay full attention to the road, was implemented in 2021. Since then, Tesla has reported 2,308 crashes when the software was used, the vast majority of the more than 2,600 reported by all automakers, according to agency data. The numbers are skewed by the fact that Tesla is by far the dominant maker of partial self-driving vehicles in the U.S.

RELATED STORY | Lawsuit against Tesla includes claim the automaker hid data after fatal crash

The company has been offering robotaxi rides in Austin to only a select group of riders, but said it will allow any paying customer to hail its cabs starting sometime in September, according to a Musk post on X earlier this month. Tesla has also begun allowing limited robotaxi service in San Francisco with a driver behind the wheel as a safety check to conform with California rules.

Investors in Tesla were initially cheered after Trump won the presidency in hopes he would reward his biggest financial backer, Musk, by getting safety regulators to go easier on the company. Now that isn't so certain given Musk's falling out with the president in recent months after Musk called Trump's budget bill an "abomination" that would add to U.S. debt and threatened to form a new political party.

Tesla stock fell less than 1% in afternoon trading on Thursday to $321.

The world's leading authority on food crises said Friday the Gaza Strip's largest city is gripped by famine, and that it is likely to spread across the territory without a ceasefire and an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC, said famine is occurring in Gaza City, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, and that it could spread south to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of next month.

The IPC determination comes after months of warnings by aid groups that Israel's restrictions of food and other aid into Gaza, and its military offensive, were causing high levels of starvation among Palestinian civilians, particularly children.

Gaza City offensive could exacerbate hunger

The grim milestone the first time the IPC has confirmed a famine in the Middle East is sure to ramp up international pressure on Israel, which has been in a brutal war with Hamas since the militant group's Oct. 7, 2023, attack. Israel says it plans to escalate the war soon by seizing Gaza City and other Hamas strongholds, which experts say will exacerbate the hunger crisis.

The IPC said hunger has been driven by fighting and the blockade of aid, and magnified by widespread displacement and the collapse of food production in Gaza, pushing hunger to life-threatening levels across the entire territory after 22 months of war.

More than half a million people in Gaza, about a quarter of the population, face catastrophic levels of hunger, and many are at risk of dying from malnutrition-related causes, the IPC report said. Last month, the IPC said the worst-case scenario of famine was unfolding in Gaza, but stopped short of an official determination.

Israel disputes report of famine

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied there is hunger in Gaza, calling reports of starvation lies promoted by Hamas. After the publication of images of emaciated children in Gaza and reports of hunger-related deaths, Israel announced measures to let more humanitarian aid in. Yet the U.N. and Palestinians in Gaza say what's entering is far below what's needed.

The Israeli military agency in charge of transferring aid to the territory rejected the report Friday, calling it false and biased. The agency, known as COGAT, rejected the claim that there was famine in Gaza and said that significant steps had been taken to expand the amount of aid entering the strip in recent weeks.

In a post on social media, Israel's ministry of foreign affairs also rejected the findings, saying the IPC report was based on Hamas lies." It said that more than 100,000 trucks of aid have entered Gaza since the start of the war, including a massive influx in recent weeks with staple foods.

A rapidly increasing number of people, especially young children, are dying preventable deaths from starvation and disease because Israel made starvation a core part of its campaign to control the strip, said Chris Newton, an analyst for the International Crisis Group.

Israels plan to escalate the war in Gaza City weeks after a warning that famine was beginning there demonstrates how intentional the famine is and how Israel wields starvation, he said.

Netanyahu says more military pressure is needed to achieve Israels goals of freeing the hostages held by Hamas and eliminating the militant group altogether.

How a famine is determined

Formal famine determinations are rare. The IPC has previously determined famines in Somalia in 2011, South Sudan in 2017 and 2020, and parts of Sudans western Darfur region last year.

The IPC says a famine exists in an area when all three of the following conditions are confirmed:

At least 20% of households have an extreme lack of food, or are essentially starving. At least 30% of children 6 months to 5 years old suffer from acute malnutrition or wasting, based on a weight-to-height measurement; or 15% of that age group suffer from acute malnutrition based on the circumference of their upper arm. And at least two people, or four children under 5, per 10,000 are dying daily due to starvation or the interaction of malnutrition and disease.

Israels offensive and its restrictions on access to Gaza have made collecting data difficult.

The data analyzed between July 1 and Aug. 15 showed clear evidence that thresholds for starvation and acute malnutrition have been reached. Gathering data for mortality has been harder, but the IPC said it is reasonable to conclude from the evidence that the necessary threshold has likely been reached.

The IPC warned that a third of Gazas population could face catastrophic levels of hunger by the end of September, and that this is probably an undercount.

Alex de Waal, author of Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine and executive director of the World Peace Foundation, said that had Israel allowed the IPC better access to collect data, a famine might have been determined months ago, which would have raised global awareness sooner.

Sadly, it seems that its necessary for experts to shout famine! before the world takes notice, by which time it is too late, he said.

Israel has restricted aid to varying degrees throughout the war. In March, it cut off the entry of all goods, including fuel, food and medicine, to pressure Hamas to free hostages.

Israel eased those restrictions in May and says theres currently no limit on how many aid trucks can enter Gaza. But it also pushed ahead with a new U.S.-backed aid delivery system that requires Palestinians to travel long distances and pass through Israeli military lines to get aid.

The traditional, U.N.-led aid providers say deliveries have been hampered by Israeli military restrictions and incidents of looting, while criminals and hungry crowds overwhelm entering convoys.

Witnesses, health officials and the U.N. rights office say hundreds of people have been killed by Israeli forces while seeking aid from both providers, while Israel says it has only fired warning shots and that the toll is exaggerated.

A parent in Gaza City watches his children waste away

On the eve of the war, Gaza City was home to some 700,000 people, about the population of Washington.

Throughout the conflict, it has been the focus of regular Israeli bombardment and ground operations. Several neighborhoods have been almost completely destroyed. Hundreds of thousands fled under Israeli evacuation orders at the start of the war but many returned during a ceasefire earlier this year.

Doctors and nurses in Gaza in recent weeks have seen rising numbers of visibly malnourished patients.

Kirsty Blacka, an Australian emergency nurse who worked in Gaza City's Al-Quds hospital through June, said emaciated men with no preexisting conditions were coming in looking like teenagers because they were starving.

She said the lack of food has been compounded by contaminated water causing diarrhea and infections, and that diseases are harder to recover from when people are malnourished.

If Israel evacuates people from the city ahead of its new offensive, thousands will be too weak to leave, said Blacka. Because of the starvation it will put extra strain on already depleted bodies and will lead to the death of many of the Palestinians, she said.

Families in Gaza City say they're watching their loved ones waste away.

Yousef Sbeteh's two teenage children were injured by shrapnel during an Israeli airstrike in June and have spent the last two months in the hospital. While there, they've both lost weight because there hasn't been enough food, he said, adding that he can't afford to buy more because prices at markets have soared. Doctors say the teenagers had no preexisting conditions.

His 15-year-old daughter Aya lost nearly 20 kilograms (44 pounds), or about 30% of her body weight, according to her doctors. Her 17-year-old brother Ahmad has lost about 15 kilograms (33 pounds). The lack of nutritional supplements and healthy food is slowing their recovery, doctors say.

Doctors say she needs protein, meat and fish, Sbeteh said while sitting beside his frail daughter. But I can't provide that now.

President Donald Trump took a field trip Thursday to the U.S. Park Police operations facility in Washington, where he addressed about 300 National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officials and praised his military crackdown on crime and immigration in the city.

WATCH | Pres. Trump expected to patrol DC streets with federal agents

Pres. Trump expected to patrol DC streets with federal agents

The White House said there have been 630 arrests, including 251 people who are in the country illegally, since Aug. 7, when Trump began ordering federal agents into the city. Trump has been ratcheting up the intensity since then, seizing control of the D.C. police department on Aug. 11 and deploying more National Guard troops, mostly from Republican-led states.

Trump suggested that operations in Washington could be drawn out and serve as a model for others around the country.

Were going to make it safe, and were going to go on to other places, but were going to stay here for a while, he said.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | DC police chief boosts cooperation with ICE as part of Trump's federal takeover

Soldiers have been largely stationed in downtown areas, such as monuments on the National Mall and transit stations. However, federal agents are operating more widely through the city. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledged the proliferation of traffic checkpoints Thursday.

The surge of federal officers is allowing for different types of deployments, more frequent types of deployments, like checkpoints, Bowser said.

A crowd of people gathered outside a municipal office building to protest Trump's crackdown, waving signs and cheering speakers who denounced the president's plans. Their numbers swelled into the hundreds until police closed off nearby streets. When the rally ended, many remained to dance and listen to music.

In other neighborhoods Thursday evening, residents banged pots and pans on rooftops, front steps and street corners.

A federal judge on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction halting further expansion of an immigration detention center built in the middle of the Florida Everglades and dubbed Alligator Alcatraz that advocates said violated environmental laws.

U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams' injunction formalized a temporary halt she had ordered two weeks ago as witnesses continued to testify in a multiday hearing to determine whether construction should end until the ultimate resolution of the case.

The judge said that she expected the population of the facility to decline within 60 days through the transferring of the detainees to other facilities, and once that happened, fencing, lighting and generators should be removed.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Judge dismisses part of lawsuit over Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention center

President Donald Trump toured the facility last month and suggested it could be a model for future lockups nationwide as his administration races to expand the infrastructure necessary for increasing deportations.

Environmental groups and the Miccosukee Tribe had argued that further construction and operations should be stopped until federal and state officials complied with environmental laws. Their lawsuit claims the project threatens environmentally sensitive wetlands that are home to protected plants and animals and would reverse billions of dollars worth of environmental restoration.

Attorneys for the state and federal governments argued that, although the detention center would be holding federal detainees, the construction and operation of the facility was entirely under the state of Florida, meaning the federal environmental law didnt apply.

The judge has said the detention facility was, at a minimum, a joint partnership between the state and federal government.

The detention center was quickly built almost two months ago at a lightly used, single-runway training airport in the middle of the Everglades. It currently holds several hundred detainees but was designed to eventually hold up to 3,000 detainees in temporary tent structures.

RELATED STORY | 'Alligator Alcatraz' 2.0: Second migrant detention center planned in Florida Everglades

Inside the compounds large white tents, rows of bunkbeds are surrounded by chain-link cages. People held there say worms turn up in the food, toilets dont flush and flood floors with fecal waste, while mosquitoes and other insects are everywhere. At times the air conditioners abruptly shut off in the sweltering heat. Detainees are said to go days without showering or getting prescription medicine, and can only speak to lawyers and loved ones by phone.

Witnesses for the environmental groups testified during the hearing that at least 20 acres (8 hectares) of asphalt had been added to the site since the Florida Division of Emergency Management began construction. They said additional paving could lead to an increase in water runoff to the adjacent wetlands, spread harmful chemicals into the Everglades and reduce the habitat for endangered Florida panthers.

Amy Castaneda, the Miccosukee Tribes water resource director, testified that nutrient runoff from the detention center could flow into tribal lands, changing vegetation growth. That could lead to fish kills and block humans and wildlife from moving throughout certain areas, she said.

Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles executive director David Kerner testified that the federal government doesnt tell the state where to detain immigrants, and that the Everglades facility was built to alleviate overcrowding at federal immigration detention facilities, as well as state and county facilities with agreements to hold federal immigration detainees.

Under the 55-year-old federal environmental law, federal agencies should have examined how the detention centers construction would impact the environment, identified ways to minimize the impact and followed other procedural rules such as allowing public comment, according to the environmental groups and the tribe.

It makes no difference that the detention center holding hundreds of detainees was built by the state of Florida since federal agencies have authority over immigration, the suit said.

Attorneys for federal and state agencies have asked Williams to dismiss or transfer the injunction request, saying the lawsuit was filed in the wrong jurisdiction. Williams ruled Thursday that her court was the proper venue.

The lawsuits were being heard as Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis administration apparently was preparing to build a second immigration detention center at a Florida National Guard training center in north Florida.

A second lawsuit brought by civil rights groups says detainees constitutional rights are being violated since they are barred from meeting lawyers, are being held without any charges, and a federal immigration court has canceled bond hearings. A federal judge in Miami this week dismissed part of the lawsuit and transferred the remaining case to a different jurisdiction.

Erik Menendez was denied parole Thursday after serving decades in prison for murdering his parents with his older brother in 1989.

A panel of California commissioners denied Menendez parole for three years, after which he will be eligible again, in a case that continues to fascinate the public. A parole hearing for his brother Lyle Menendez, who is being held at the same prison in San Diego, is scheduled for Friday morning.

The two commissioners determined that Menendez should not be freed after an all-day hearing during which they questioned him about why he committed the crime and violated prison rules.

The brothers became eligible for parole after a judge reduced their sentences in May from life without parole to 50 years to life.

The parole hearings marked the closest they've been to winning freedom from prison since their convictions almost 30 years ago for murdering their parents.

The brothers were sentenced to life in prison in 1996 for fatally shooting their father, Jose Menendez, and mother, Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills mansion in 1989. While defense attorneys argued that the brothers acted out of self-defense after years of sexual abuse by their father, prosecutors said the brothers sought a multimillion-dollar inheritance.

A judge reduced their sentences in May, and they became immediately eligible for parole.

Erik Menendez made his case to two parole commissioners, offering his most detailed account in years of how he was raised, why he made the choices he did, and how he transformed in prison. He noted the hearing fell almost exactly 36 years after he killed his parents on Aug. 20, 1989.

Today is August 21st. Today is the day that all of my victims learned my parents were dead. So today is the anniversary of their trauma journey," he said, referring to his family members.

The state corrections department chose a single reporter to watch the videoconference and share details with the rest of the press.

Erik Menendez's prison record

Menendez, gray-haired and spectacled, sat in front of a computer screen wearing a blue T-shirt over a white long-sleeve shirt in a photo shared by officials.

The panel of commissioners scrutinized every rules violation and fight on his lengthy prison record, including allegations that he worked with a prison gang, bought drugs, used cellphones and helped with a tax scam.

He told commissioners that since he had no hope of ever getting out then, he prioritized protecting himself over following the rules. Then last fall, LA prosecutors asked a judge to resentence him and his brother opening the door to parole.

In November of 2024, now the consequences mattered," Menendez said. "Now the consequences meant I was destroying my life.

A particular sticking point for the commissioners was his use of cellphones.

What I got in terms of the phone and my connection with the outside world was far greater than the consequences of me getting caught with the phone," Menendez said.

The board also brought up his earliest encounters with the law, when he committed two burglaries in high school.

I was not raised with a moral foundation, he said. I was raised to lie, to cheat, to steal in the sense, an abstract way.

The panel asked about details like why he used a fake ID to purchase the guns he and Lyle Menendez used to kill their parents, who acted first and why they killed their mother if their father was the main abuser.

Commissioner Robert Barton asked: You do see that there were other choices at that point?

When I look back at the person I was then and what I believed about the world and my parents, running away was inconceivable," Menendez said. "Running away meant death.

His transformation behind bars

Erik Menendez's parole attorney, Heidi Rummel, emphasized 2013 as the turning point for her client.

He found his faith. He became accountable to his higher power. He found sobriety and made a promise to his mother on her birthday, Rummel said. Has he been perfect since 2013? No. But he has been remarkable."

Commissioner Rachel Stern also applauded him for starting a group to take care of older and disabled inmates.

Since the brothers reunited, they have been serious accountability partners" for each other. At the same time, he said he's become better at setting boundaries with Lyle Menendez, and they tend to do different programming.

More than a dozen of their relatives, who have advocated for the brothers release for months, delivered emotional statements at Thursdays hearing via videoconference.

Seeing my crimes through my familys eyes has been a huge part of my evolution and my growth, Menendez said. Just seeing the pain and the suffering. Understanding the magnitude of what Ive done, the generational impact.

His aunt Teresita Menendez-Baralt, who is Jose Menendezs sister, said she has fully forgiven him. She noted that she is dying from Stage 4 cancer and wishes to welcome him into her home.

Erik carries himself with kindness, integrity and strength that comes from patience and grace," she said.

One relative promised to the parole board that she would house him in Colorado, where he can spend time with his family and enjoying nature.

The board brushed off prosecutor's questions

LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said ahead of the parole hearings that he opposes parole for the brothers because of their lack of insight, comparing them to Sirhan Sirhan, who assassinated presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom denied him parole in January 2022 because of his deficient insight.

During the hearing, LA prosecutor Habib Balian asked Menendez about his and his brothers' attempts to ask witnesses to lie in court on their behalf, and if the brothers staged the killings as a mafia hit. Commissioners largely dismissed the questions, saying they were not retrying the case.

In closing statements, Balian questioned whether Menendez was truly reformed or saying what commissioners wanted to hear.

When one continues to diminish their responsibility for a crime and continues to make the same false excuses that theyve made for 30-plus years, one is still that same dangerous person that they were when they shotgunned their parents, Balian said.

What happens next

Lyle Menendez is set to appear over videoconference Friday for his parole hearing from the same prison in San Diego.

The case has captured the attention of true crime enthusiasts for decades and spawned documentaries, television specials and dramatizations. The Netflix drama Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story " and a documentary released in 2024 have been credited for bringing new attention to the brothers.

Greater recognition of the brothers as victims of sexual abuse has also helped mobilize support for their release. Some supporters have flown to Los Angeles to hold rallies and attend court hearings.

California lawmakers passed a legislative package Thursday advancing a partisan redistricting plan aimed at winning Democrats five more U.S. House seats in the 2026 elections.

Lawmakers voted mostly along party lines after hours of debate. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the legislation later Thursday.

Republicans, who have filed a lawsuit and called for a federal investigation into the plan, promised to keep fighting to stop it.

The legislation is a response by Democrats seeking to neutralize Texas Republicans push to adopt a new congressional map favoring the GOP at the urging of President Donald Trump. Californias vote comes a day after the Texas House approved a map to create five more winnable districts for Republicans.

Democrats have made the issue about more than maps, tying it explicitly to the fate of democracy in the country. Voters will have the ultimate say in November.

Many states, including Texas, give legislators the power to draw maps. California relies on an independent commission that is supposed to be nonpartisan and would need permission from voters to implement the new map.

If approved, the map would replace the existing one through 2030. Then the commission would take back mapmaking power after the next census.

RELATED STORY | Texas lawmakers ready to vote on maps to give GOP stronger edge in US house

Democrats currently hold 43 of Californias 52 U.S. House seat

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. APs earlier story follows below.

SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) The national tit-for-tat redistricting battle entered its next phase Thursday as California Democrats launched their final legislative push to redraw their congressional map to add up to five winnable seats for their party, a direct counter to the Texas House's approval of a new map to create more conservative-leaning seats in that state.

California's Democratic-controlled Legislature opened debate on a package to revise the map and place it in front of voters for final approval in a special November election. The election is necessary because California Democrats must override their state's voter-approved nonpartisan commission that drew the existing congressional map.

We dont want this fight and we didnt choose this fight, but with our democracy on the line, we will not run away from this fight, Democratic Assemblyman Marc Berman said to kick off debate.

Gov. Gavin Newsom engineered the high-risk strategy in response to President Donald Trump's own brinkmanship. Trump pushed Texas Republicans to reopen the legislative maps they passed in 2021 to squeeze out up to five new GOP seats to help the party stave off a midterm defeat in 2026.

California Assemblyman James Gallagher, the Republican minority leader, said Trump was wrong to push for new Republican seats elsewhere, contending he was just responding to Democratic gerrymandering in other states. But he warned that Newsom's approach, which the governor has dubbed fight fire with fire, was dangerous.

You move forward fighting fire with fire and what happens? Gallagher asked. You burn it all down.

In Texas, passage by the Republican-controlled state Senate and the signature of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott are now all that's needed to make the maps official.

California faces a more uncertain route. Democrats must use their legislative supermajority to pass the map by a two-third margin. Then they must schedule the special election that Newsom must approve by Friday to meet ballot deadlines.

Texas Democratic lawmakers, vastly outnumbered in that state's Legislature, delayed approval of the new map by 15 days by leaving Texas this month in protest. They were assigned round-the-clock police monitoring upon their return to ensure they attended Wednesdays session.

That session ended with an 88-52 party-line vote approving the map. Democrats have also vowed to challenge the new Texas map in court and complained that Republicans made the political power move before passing legislation responding to deadly floods that swept the state last month.

A battle for the US House control waged via redistricting

In a sign of Democrats stiffening redistricting resolve, former President Barack Obama has backed Newsoms bid to redraw the California map, saying it was a necessary step to stave off the GOPs Texas move.

I think that approach is a smart, measured approach, Obama said Tuesday during a fundraiser for the Democratic Partys main redistricting arm.

The incumbent presidents party usually loses congressional seats in the midterm election. On a national level, the partisan makeup of existing districts puts Democrats within three seats of a majority.

Trump is going beyond Texas as he tries to ensure Republicans maintain their House majority. Hes pushed Republican leaders in states such as Indiana and Missouri to pursue redistricting. Ohio Republicans were already revising their map before Texas moved. Democrats, meanwhile, are mulling reopening Marylands and New Yorks maps.

However, more Democratic-run states have commission systems like Californias or other redistricting limits than Republican ones do, leaving the GOP with a freer hand to swiftly redraw maps. New York, for example, cant draw new maps until 2028, and even then, only with voter approval.

Texas Republicans openly said they were acting in their partys interest. State Rep. Todd Hunter, who wrote the legislation creating the new map, noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed politicians to redraw districts for nakedly partisan purposes.

Because the Supreme Court has blessed purely partisan gerrymandering, the only way opponents can stop the new Texas map would be by arguing it violates the Voting Rights Act requirement to keep minority communities together so they can select representatives of their choice.

Rapper Lil Nas X was arrested and briefly taken to a hospital for a suspected overdose Thursday after Los Angeles police say he charged at officers responding to a report of a naked man walking on a busy boulevard.

Lil Nas X, whose legal name is Montero Lamar Hill, was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor obstructing an officer and was being held in jail.

Officers found him walking on the normally very busy Ventura Boulevard in the Studio City neighborhood shortly before 6 a.m., Los Angeles police spokesman Officer Charles Miller said.

After charging at arriving police, he was taken into custody, but the officers, suspecting a drug overdose, took him to a hospital first, Miller said. There was no further word on his condition, but he was released from the hospital and taken to jail after just a few hours.

Video obtained by TMZ appeared to show him on the street wearing only underwear and boots.

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He was being held at Valley Jail in Van Nuys, near where the police found him.

Messages to Lil Nas X representatives seeking comment were not immediately answered.

The 26-year-old rapper and singer from Atlanta is best known for his huge hit from 2018, Old Town Road, which merged country and hip-hop. It spent a record 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Known for his genre-bending, innovating sounds and style, his first full studio album, 2021's Montero, went to No. 2 on the Billboard album chart and was nominated for a Grammy for album of the year.

A federal judge ruled Thursday that President Donald Trump's former lawyer, Alina Habba, has been unlawfully serving as the top federal prosecutor in New Jersey.

The court, saying the administration used "a novel series of legal and personnel moves," held that Habba's term as the interim U.S. attorney ended in July, and the Trump administration's maneuvers to keep her in the role without getting confirmation from the U.S. Senate didn't follow procedures required by federal law.

"Faced with the question of whether Ms. Habba is lawfully performing the functions and duties of the office of the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, I conclude that she is not," Chief U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann wrote.

Brann said he's putting his order on hold pending an appeal.

A message seeking comment was sent to Habba's office on Thursday. The Justice Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Brann's decision comes in response to a filing on behalf of New Jersey defendants challenging Habba's tenure and the charges she was prosecuting against them. They sought to block the charges against them, arguing that Habba didn't have the authority to prosecute the case after her 120-day term as interim U.S. attorney expired in July.

The defendants' motion to block Habba, a onetime White House adviser to President Donald Trump and his former personal defense attorney, is another high-profile chapter in her short tenure.

RELATED STORY | Trump picks his personal defense attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president

She made headlines when Trump named her U.S. attorney for New Jersey in March. She said the state could "turn red," a rare, overt political expression from a prosecutor, and said she planned to investigate the state's Democratic governor and attorney general.

She then brought a trespassing charge, which was eventually dropped, against Newark Mayor Ras Baraka stemming from his visit to a federal immigration detention center. Habba later charged Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver with assault stemming from the same incident, a rare federal criminal case against a sitting member of Congress other than for corruption. She denies the charges and has pleaded not guilty.

Volatility over her tenure unfolded in late July when the four-month temporary appointment was coming to a close, and it became clear that she would not get support from home state Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim, both Democrats, effectively torpedoing her chances of Senate approval.

The president withdrew her nomination. Around the same time, federal judges in New Jersey exercised their power under the law to replace Habba with a career prosecutor when Habba's temporary appointment lapsed, but Attorney General Pam Bondi fired that prosecutor and renamed Habba as acting U.S. attorney.

The Justice Department has said in filings that the judges acted prematurely and that the executive has the authority to appoint his preferred candidate to enforce federal laws in the state.

Trump had formally nominated Habba as his pick for U.S. attorney on July 1, but Booker and Kim's opposition meant that under long-standing Senate practice known as senatorial courtesy, the nomination would stall out.

A handful of other Trump picks for U.S. attorney are facing a similar circumstance.