AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EDT

Hurricane Melissa bears down on Jamaica and threatens to be the island’s strongest recorded storm

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Hurricane Melissa intensified into a Category 5 storm Monday as it drew closer to Jamaica, where forecasters expected it to unleash catastrophic flooding, landslides and widespread damage. At that strength, it would be the strongest hurricane to hit the island since record-keeping began in 1851.

Blamed for seven deaths in the northern Caribbean as it headed toward the island, Melissa was on track to make landfall Tuesday in Jamaica before coming ashore in Cuba later in the day and then heading toward the Bahamas. It was not expected to affect the United States.

Anticipating the hardship in store for his country, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said, “I have been on my knees in prayer.”

Hanna Mcleod, a 23-year-old hotel receptionist in the Jamaican capital of Kingston, said she boarded up the windows at her home, where her husband and brother are staying. She stocked up on canned corned beef and mackerel and left candles and flashlights throughout the house.

“I just told them to keep the door closed,” she said. “I am definitely worried. This is actually the first time I’ll be experiencing this type of hurricane.”

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As the Atlantic Ocean warms, climate change is fueling Hurricane Melissa’s ferocity

The warming of the world’s oceans caused by climate change helped double Hurricane Melissa’s wind speed in less than 24 hours over the weekend, climate scientists said Monday.

Melissa is currently a Category 5 storm, the highest category, with sustained wind speeds of over 157 mph (252 kph). Melissa is forecast to make landfall in Jamaica on Tuesday before crossing Cuba and the Bahamas through Wednesday.

Scientists said this is the fourth storm in the Atlantic this year to undergo rapid intensification of its wind speed and power.

“That part of the Atlantic is extremely warm right now — around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), which is 2 to 3 degrees Celsius above normal,” said Akshay Deoras, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, in the United Kingdom. “And it’s not just the surface. The deeper layers of the ocean are also unusually warm, providing a vast reservoir of energy for the storm.”

Deoras, who has tracked the impact of climate change on weather phenomena for decades, said scientists are seeing storms intensify quickly.

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Federal food benefits and preschool aid to run dry starting Saturday if shutdown continues

Federal funds could begin running dry Saturday that help tens of millions of Americans to buy food for their families and send their toddlers to preschool if Congress doesn’t reach a deal by then to end the U.S. government shutdown.

Funding for another program that helps mothers care for their newborns could run out the following week.

Barring a resolution to the shutdown, the U.S. will have a gaping hole in its safety net, particularly for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries. Benefits under the program known as SNAP run dry starting Saturday.

Funding for a group of Head Start preschool programs and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known as WIC, also could run out soon.

Here’s a look at what would happen to each program.

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Trump praises Japan’s new prime minister, saying US is an ‘ally at the strongest level’

TOKYO (AP) — President Donald Trump began one of his busiest days of his Asia trip on Tuesday by warmly greeting the new Japanese prime minister, with plans to later speak to U.S. troops aboard an aircraft carrier and mingle with business leaders.

Although Trump is visiting one of America’s most steadfast allies in Asia, there’s no shortage of uncertainty while he’s there. Sanae Takaichi, who became the country’s first female prime minister only days ago, must solidify her relationship with Trump while defending her country’s economic interests. Trump is trying to nail down $550 billion in Japanese investment as part of a trade agreement.

As Trump and Takaichi met on Tuesday, they shook hands and he paid her a compliment: “That’s a very strong handshake.”

In return, Takaichi talked about watching the third game of the U.S. World Series before the event. She said Japan would give Washington 250 cherry trees next year to honor America’s 250th anniversary, as well as fireworks from Akita Prefecture for July 4 celebrations.

She used her early remarks to mention former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, her archconservative mentor who forged a strong bond with Trump during his first term through their shared interest of golf.

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Suspect in Charlie Kirk killing can wear street clothes in court amid ‘extraordinary’ attention

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The 22-year-old Utah man charged with killing Charlie Kirk can appear in court wearing street clothes but must be physically restrained due to security concerns, a judge ruled Monday.

Attorneys for Tyler Robinson argued images of him shackled and in jail clothing would spread widely in a case with extensive press coverage and public interest, which they said could prejudice future jurors.

Judge Tony Graf agreed to make some allowances to protect Robinson’s presumption of innocence before a trial, agreeing that the case has drawn “extraordinary” public and media attention.

“Mr. Robinson shall be dressed as one who is presumed innocent,” Graf said during a virtual court hearing.

Utah prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on a Utah college campus. They plan to seek the death penalty.

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Israel’s top diplomat says Turkish troops will have no role in Gaza force

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Israel will not allow Turkish troops to take part in an international force the United States has proposed to oversee the ceasefire agreement in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Israel’s top diplomat said Monday.

The 20-point deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump earlier this month calls for a force to monitor the ceasefire but does not mention which countries would provide troops.

It says the U.S. would “work with Arab and international partners to develop a temporary International Stabilization Force” to deploy in Gaza. The force would train and provide support to “vetted Palestinian police forces” and will “consult with Jordan and Egypt, who have extensive experience in this field.”

The first phase of the ceasefire agreement is still being carried out, and focuses on the release of the remaining dead hostages in Gaza, in exchange for Palestinian bodies held by Israel.

Late Monday, the Israeli military said the remains of another hostage had been returned to Israel.

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Wisconsin Planned Parenthood resumes offering abortions after a nearly monthlong pause

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin resumed scheduling abortions on Monday after a nearly monthlong pause due to federal Medicaid funding cuts in President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill that took effect at the beginning of October.

Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin said it was able to resume scheduling abortions as of noon on Monday because it no longer fits the definition of a “prohibited entity” under the new federal law that took effect this month and can receive Medicaid funds.

The organization said it dropped its designation as an “essential community provider” as defined under the Affordable Care Act. Dropping the designation will not result in changes to the cost for abortions or other services or affect the organization’s funding, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin president and CEO Tanya Atkinson said.

“At this point, in all of our research and analysis, we really shouldn’t see much of an impact on patient access,” she said. “If relinquishing this does ultimately impact our bottom line, then we will have to understand what that path forward is.”

Abortion funding has been under attack across the U.S., particularly for affiliates of Planned Parenthood, the biggest provider. The abortion landscape has shifting frequently since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2022 that allowed states to ban abortion. Currently, 12 states do not allow it at any stage of pregnancy, with limited exceptions, and four more ban it after about six weeks’ gestation.

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Indiana governor calls a special session to redraw US House maps as redistricting battle spreads

The Republican governor of Indiana said Monday he’s scheduling a special session to redraw congressional boundaries after weeks of pressure to back President Donald Trump’s bid to add more winnable seats with midcycle redistricting.

Trump has pressed Republicans to draw new maps that give the party an easier path to maintain control of the House in the midterms. But Democrats have pushed back in some states, including Virginia, where a special session Monday marked a first step toward redistricting.

While Republicans in Texas, Missouri and North Carolina already have enacted new congressional districts, Indiana lawmakers have been hesitant. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun called for the General Assembly to convene Nov. 3 for the special session. It’s unclear whether enough of the GOP-majority Senate will back new maps.

Democrats only need to gain three seats to flip control of the U.S. House. Trump hopes redistricting can help avert historical trends, in which the president’s party typically loses seats in midterm elections.

Vice President JD Vance and Trump have met separately with Indiana Republicans, including Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, in recent months. Braun is a staunch Trump ally in a state the president won by 19 percentage points in 2024, but said previously he did not want to call a special session until he was certain lawmakers would back a new map.

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Big win in midterm vote for Argentina’s President Milei boosts markets and vindicates Trump

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Markets in Argentina rallied, the peso surged and government bonds jumped on Monday as President Javier Milei hailed his party’s resounding victory in midterm congressional elections as a mandate to press ahead with radical free-market reforms of Argentina’s long-troubled economy.

Investors regained confidence in the chronically depreciating peso they had been dumping in droves just last week to hedge against a Milei defeat. The currency surged more than 10% to trade at over 1,300 per dollar on Monday. Argentine stocks soared as much as 40% during the trading day and the country’s dollar-denominated bonds set to expire in 2035 rose more than 10 cents after markets opened.

The price movements following Milei’s party more than doubling its representation appeared to validate the Trump administration’s bet on its close ideological ally in South America.

“He had a lot of help from us,” U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters Monday on Air Force One, referring to his administration’s $40 billion in pledged support for Milei and threats to rescind the money if Milei lost the vote to Argentina’s left-leaning populists.

“He’s working against 100 years of bad policies, and he’s going to break them, thanks to support from the United States.”

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NBA starts review of policies after gambling-related arrests of Rozier, Billups

The NBA, in reaction to the arrests of Miami guard Terry Rozier and Portland coach Chauncey Billups last week for their alleged role in gambling schemes, has started a review of how the league can protect not just the integrity of the game but its players and coaches as well.

The league made those revelations in a memo sent to all 30 teams, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press.

“Given the spread of legal betting to the majority of U.S. states, the recurrence of integrity issues across sports, and the emergence of novel betting formats and markets, this is an opportune time to carefully reassess how sports betting should be regulated and how sports leagues can best protect themselves, their players, and their fans,” read the memo, sent by the NBA’s legal department.

Meanwhile, the quest for answers has reached lawmakers in Washington with the Senate on Monday following a request from a House committee last week in asking the NBA for information.

Sen. Ted Cruz, the Republican chairman of the Commerce Committee, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, the top Democrat on that panel, want information “about how the NBA investigated and handled these allegations as well as what steps the Association is taking to maintain the public’s trust.”