Trump doubles down on US election attacks in his primetime speech

July 18, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump used a primetime address to the nation Thursday to elevate his yearslong push to raise doubts about the legitimacy of U.S. elections and dispute his 2020 loss in an appeal for more restrictive voting laws ahead of the midterms. Trump’s amplification of debunked theories about the election six years ago and his inability to accept his loss led to one of the darker moments in American history when a mob of his supporters led a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in the final days of his first term. Now back in power, Trump ...

Lawmakers demand answers after ‘bombshell’ report about ICE officer shooting in Maine

July 18, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic members of Congress are demanding answers about Homeland Security’s vetting and training of immigration enforcement agents after it was disclosed that the ICE officer involved in a deadly shooting this week in Maine had a history of mental health issues and ...

Lettuce at Taco Bell in five states confirmed as a source of diarrhea-causing parasite

July 18, 2026

ATLANTA (AP) — Federal health officials have identified lettuce from Mexico served at Taco Bell locations across five U.S. states as a source of a widespread outbreak of diarrhea-causing parasite cyclospora. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Thursday warned consumers not ...

US and Iran escalate strikes across Mideast; bridges and a water plant hit

July 18, 2026

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United States and Iran escalated their attacks across the Middle East on Friday, trading strikes aimed at infrastructure and military targets as their battle over the Strait of Hormuz intensified. The U.S. expanded its attacks against Iran by hitting more bridges and energy sites and collapsing a tower at a key Iranian port, following through on President Donald Trump’s threats to pressure Tehran to ease its chokehold on the waterway vital to world energy supplies. In response, Iran launched missiles into U.S.-allied nations in the Mideast, ...

Texas flooding surges from huge rainstorms as rescuers pull people from rising waters

July 17, 2026

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — Catastrophic flooding in Texas after days of pounding rain forced authorities to rescue dozens of people from rising waters before sunrise Thursday while many more fled to higher ground across a region still recovering from devastating floods just a year ago. The National Weather Service in San Antonio said a “large and deadly flood wave” was barreling down the same river wrecked by floods last summer when two dozen children and counselors were killed at Camp Mystic. Forecasters urgently warned “Move to higher ground now!” as rivers rose hour by hour, ...

Marines in Vietnam, 1969

July 17, 2026

AP Photo/Ghislain Bellorget Marine Lance Corporal David L. Cruz tunes into the latest on the Apollo moon shot on a helmet-mounted transistor radio while standing guard at Da Nang’s Marble Mountain, July 17, 1969. In background is a tall Buddhist figure which abound in many limestone caves ...