Trump says Iran ceasefire is on ‘life support’ and proposes gas tax pause as strait stays closed

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump says the Iran ceasefire is on “life support” after he rejected Tehran’s latest proposal to end the war. Officials said the proposal included some concessions on Iran’s disputed nuclear program, but on Monday Trump dismissed it as “garbage.” The stalled diplomacy and recent exchanges of fire could tip the Middle East back into open warfare and prolong the worldwide energy crisis sparked by the conflict. Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and America’s blockade of Iranian ports are still in place. Trump said he would suspend the federal tax on gasoline to help Americans shoulder higher fuel prices caused by the war.

Passengers from virus-stricken cruise ship fly to home countries for monitoring

OMAHA, Nebraska (AP) — A French woman and an American have tested positive for the hantavirus as nations around the world repatriated passengers from a cruise ship hit by an outbreak and quarantine or isolate them. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said Monday that a French woman who tested positive for the hantavirus is in intensive care but stable at a Paris hospital. U.S. health officials said Monday that one of the 18 passengers flown from the MV Hondius cruise ship to the United States also tested positive for the hantavirus but is not showing any symptoms, while another had mild symptoms. The World Health Organization recommended close monitoring of the former passengers, and many countries quarantined them.

Man charged in White House correspondents’ dinner attack pleads not guilty

WASHINGTON (AP) — A California man accused of storming the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner while armed with guns and knives has pleaded not guilty to charges he attempted to kill President Donald Trump and fired a shotgun at a Secret Service officer. Cole Tomas Allen was handcuffed and shackled and wearing an orange jail uniform when he appeared in federal court for his arraignment Monday. Allen didn’t speak during the brief hearing. One of his attorneys entered the plea on his behalf. Allen’s lawyers are asking a judge to disqualify at least two top Justice Department officials from direct involvement in prosecuting him because they could be considered victims or witnesses in the case.

Trump-Xi summit comes with high stakes for Taiwan, the island democracy that China claims as its own

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has demonstrated greater ambivalence toward Taiwan in his second term. That’s raising questions about the Republican president’s commitment to maintaining American support for the self-ruled island ahead of next week’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In December, Trump authorized an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan but delayed its delivery and discussed the sale with Xi. Trump has criticized Taiwan for “stealing” America’s semiconductor business and pressured it to invest in U.S. tech sectors. Analysts say Xi might use the high-profile moment to urge Trump to loosen ties with Taiwan, which Beijing views as its breakaway province.

Heat stroke is suspected among 6 found dead in a shipping container at a rail yard near Texas border

LAREDO, Texas (AP) — A medical examiner believes heat stroke led to the deaths of six people thought to be immigrants found inside a shipping container at a Union Pacific rail yard in Laredo, Texas. Police in Laredo say workers discovered the bodies on Sunday during an inspection. The deceased include five men and one woman. Autopsies are planned, but the containers’ travel history is unknown. Laredo is a busy trade port on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Voter confusion and headaches for election officials follow hasty GOP push to redraw US House seats

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Republican state officials are confusing voters and creating logistical headaches for local election officials across the South by redistricting U.S. House seats as primary season is underway. It’s the latest fallout from an intensely partisan gerrymandering battle kicked off by President Donald Trump last year to protect the GOP’s slim House majority. Thousands of Louisiana residents have voted early for congressional candidates in what soon could be the wrong districts. With its primaries 10 days away, Alabama could postpone voting on U.S. House races. A new congressional map in Tennessee upended races underway for months. One voting rights attorney says chaos and mistakes permeating the administration of elections becomes a form of voter suppression.

Oil prices rise as the Iran war drags on, but US stocks inch toward more records

NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices are rising as the war with Iran threatens to drag on for longer, but U.S. stocks are nevertheless inching toward more records. The price for a barrel of Brent crude oil climbed 3.5% to top $104 Monday after President Donald Trump called Iran’s latest proposal to end their war totally unacceptable. The rejection keeps the two sides in an uneasy limbo, one that has already driven the price of Brent up from roughly $70 per barrel before the war. But the S&P 500 rose 0.3% from its record set Friday. The Dow added 56 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.2%.

Older Americans say it’s a good time to find a job. Younger people aren’t buying it, new poll finds

A new poll finds that younger Americans are more pessimistic than older ones about the state of the job market. This is a sudden reversal from just three years ago, when older Americans were more pessimistic. In the United States until 2023 and in many countries globally, young people tend to be more optimistic about the job market than older people. Gallup found that, typically, around the world, younger people are more likely by 10 percentage points than older ones to report their local job market is good. In the United States, younger people are 21 percentage points less likely to do so than older ones.

Pediatrics group issues new guidance on recess for the first time in 13 years

For the first time in more than a decade, a leading pediatricians group has put out new guidance about recess, saying it’s crucial for good health and good grades and should be part of the school day for students of all ages. The updated policy statement by the American Academy of Pediatrics comes after years of shrinking breaks between lessons and worsening children’s health. The group cites the latest research on why these breaks are essential for kids’ academic success and mental, physical, social and emotional growth. The guidance was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

Takeaways from AP’s profile of a Christian IVF doctor

IVF presents challenges for some anti-abortion Christians who believe life begins at fertilization. Dr. John Gordon is a Christian IVF doctor. He grew troubled over moral dilemmas in traditional IVF and now runs a faith-based fertility clinic in Knoxville, Tennessee. Rejoice Fertility clinic does not discard viable embryos, genetically test them, or donate them to science. Instead, it facilitates embryo adoptions and limits the number of embryos it helps create. Gordon’s approach resonates with patients who share his beliefs as debates grow over popular IVF treatments.