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  • The Philly region is under a flood watch Tuesday and Wednesday with strong storms expected

    The Philly region is under a flood watch Tuesday and Wednesday with strong storms expected

    With over a half-foot of rain measured already, what has been Philadelphia’s wettest month since March 2024 is very likely to become significantly wetter.

    The National Weather Service has posted a flash flood watch effective from 8 a.m. Tuesday until 2 p.m. Wednesday for rain totals up to 3 inches, with downpours of 1 to 2 inches an hour possible.

    The national Storm Prediction Center on Tuesday morning listed a 15% chance of severe storms, those with wind gusts approaching 60 mph, for the entire region, with an outside shot of tornadoes. The Weather Prediction Center has a 40% chance of flooding downpours.

    Some appetizers — localized downpours — popped up Monday afternoon, prompting flood warnings for Philly and neighboring sections of Montgomery County, and parts of Gloucester and Atlantic Counties in New Jersey.

    Floodwaters swamped downtown Hammonton, Atlantic County, with “numerous” cars stranded on the roads, the weather service reported. The Pennypack Creek in Northeast Philly crested above “minor” flood stage.

    Moth-ball-size hail pelted Chestnut Hill, and hail twice that size was sighted in Williamstown, Gloucester County, and in the vicinity of Washington Crossing State Park on the Jersey side of the Delaware River.

    Storm coverage on Tuesday is expected to be far more extensive, and potentially more disruptive, with a “few tornadoes” possible, the weather service warned.

    Storm activity is likely to linger into Wednesday, said Mike Lee, meteorologist in the weather service’s Mount Holly office, with more showers in the forecasts for Thursday.

    What time the storms will arrive in Philly

    Late July still is very much the lottery-ball season for damaging downpours, and that again likely will be very much in evidence this week. Rainfall totals in the last 30 days have ranged from 137% of normal in Gloucester County to 79% of normal in Montgomery County, according to the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center.

    Thunderstorms are possible as early as midmorning, but expect “repeated rounds” during the afternoon, said Matt Benz, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.

    The highest probability for severe storms, those with wind gusts near 60 mph, would be in South Jersey and Delaware, although they could nose into Philly, said the weather service’s Lee.

    The storms could continue well into the night, and additional rains are expected Wednesday afternoon.

    The rain totals again are likely to vary widely; however, a general 1 to 2 inches is expected across the region.

    Whatever happened to the drought?

    It hasn’t gone anywhere — yet.

    All of New Jersey and Chester County remain under state-declared drought warnings. In the latest interagency U.S. Drought Monitor update, conditions in the entire region remain from “abnormally dry” to severe drought.

    All that may change by week’s end.

    Through Sunday, officially 6.37 inches of rain habr been measured at Philadelphia International Airport this month. That is the highest monthly precipitation total since March 2024.

    July’s rains have ended a run of 16 straight months of below-normal precipitation in Philly.

    Said Benz: “It’s an old saying that all droughts end on a flood. That’s kind of what we’re seeing right now.”

  • Lawmakers mourn Lindsey Graham ahead of his funeral at Washington National Cathedral

    Lawmakers mourn Lindsey Graham ahead of his funeral at Washington National Cathedral

    The body of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) arrived at the Capitol in Washington on Tuesday morning following his sudden death on July 11, as lawmakers from both parties gathered to commemorate his life.

    The ceremony in the Capitol Rotunda kicks off two days of mourning for Graham, who died at 71 after three decades in Congress, including more than 23 years in the Senate. A team of military body bearers brought his body into the Capitol in recognition of Graham’s service in the Air Force.

    A funeral service at which President Donald Trump is set to speak is scheduled Tuesday afternoon at Washington National Cathedral.

    Fox News host Sean Hannity and Emillie Roberts, one of Graham’s nieces, are also expected to speak at the funeral. Tony Perkins, a politically involved pastor who leads the Family Research Council; Marjorie Dannenfelser, a prominent antiabortion activist; and the Rev. Franklin Graham are scheduled to give readings.

    A second funeral service will be held Wednesday in Columbia, South Carolina, with a procession from the State House to First Baptist Church. Graham will be buried in a private ceremony in Pickens County.

    The Senate is preparing to take up legislation that Graham had championed to impose new sanctions on Russia and its allies to help Ukraine in its war effort. Graham worked for more than a year to pass the bill and announced the day before he died that the White House had agreed to support it.

    Sen. Darline Graham (R-South Carolina), Graham’s sister, whom South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) appointed to replace Graham in the Senate, introduced a revised version of the bill with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) days after taking office. The Senate is set Tuesday evening to take the first procedural vote on the legislation, renamed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026.

    Graham’s funeral also coincides with Tuesday’s filing deadline in the Republican primary for his Senate seat.

    Darline Graham, whom Trump has endorsed, is running for the seat, along with Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry; former South Carolina governor Mark Sanford; and Mark Lynch, a businessman whom Graham defeated in the Republican primary in June, among others.

    Graham was the first sitting senator to die to since Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who died in 2023. Feinstein was 90 and had been ailing.

    Graham was a singular figure in the Senate. He was willing to work with Democrats even as he forged a close relationship with Trump. He was the Senate’s most aggressive foreign policy hawk, pushing Trump to take a harder line on Iran and Russia – but he won the respect of Democrats who vehemently disagreed with him.

    “I had a million disagreements with Lindsey on these very issues, but I kind of valued the fact that he always placed a real importance on the role of America in the world,” Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), a leading critic of the war in Iran that Graham strongly supported, told reporters Monday. “Fewer and fewer senators take that on as part of their job description.”

  • The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    The Phillies must go through the Dodgers. To do it they’ll need to find a lefty reliever at the trade deadline.

    Whatever the prediction models say about the Phillies’ chances to win the World Series — 5.8%, according to FanGraphs; 1.5%, from Baseball Reference — let’s agree on one thing.

    The road will probably run through the Dodgers.

    It’s not only that the two-time defending champs are playing at a 102-win pace. They’re also finally getting healthy. With Edwin Díaz and Kiké Hernández due to return this week and Blake Snell soon to follow, who needs the trade deadline?

    At last check, five of the Dodgers’ seven best healthy hitters bat from the left side. The thought of running through a gauntlet of Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Kyle Tucker, and Dalton Rushing in the late innings has made one lefty reliever especially popular in trade talks leading up to Monday’s 6 p.m. deadline.

    Remember the name: Adrián Morejón.

    It’s clear what the Phillies need at the trade deadline. Do they have the prospect capital to get it?

    “Everybody” is asking the Padres about Morejón,“ a major league source said, “especially in the National League.” The 27-year-old pending free agent has a fastball that averages 99.4 mph and a 27.4% strikeout rate to go with a 3.20 ERA.

    Oh, and he has allowed one homer to a left-handed hitter (old friend Mickey Moniak of the Rockies) in the last two seasons.

    As constituted, the Phillies are a tough matchup for the Dodgers, especially in a seven-game series, because of lefty starters Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo. Los Angeles gets considerably more production from the left side of the plate (.809 OPS) than the right (.720).

    But the Phillies’ best lefty reliever is José Alvarado, who has a 6.00 ERA despite allowing only one run in his last seven appearances. While team officials cite underlying metrics, such as batting average on balls in play (.412) and expected ERA (3.66), to claim that Alvarado has been unlucky, he also has given up a higher-than-usual rate of line drives and fly balls.

    Phillies lefty reliever José Alvarado entered the week with a 6.16 ERA in 44 appearances.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Tim Mayza, a groundball pitcher with his best strikeout rate (24.2%) since 2023, is the second lefty. He has an 8.68 ERA this month. Beyond that, Tanner Banks is out until at least mid-September with a strained left forearm.

    So, it would make sense for Morejón to top the Phillies’ list of deadline targets, though it remains unclear if he will even be available.

    The Padres are among the NL’s biggest underachievers, with a 53-53 record. But after sweeping the Marlins last weekend — aided by 2⅓ hitless innings from Morejón — they were two games out of a wild-card spot. And their last six games before the deadline are against the woeful Rockies and Giants.

    Phillies trade deadline preview: Bullpen is becoming a top priority, and maybe the Mets can provide answers

    With a good week, the Padres could buy — or stand pat, at least — and take their chances with Morejón and star closer Mason Miller at the back of the bullpen. If they stub their toe again, moving Morejón’s expiring contract could be among their first trades.

    The Mets have two veteran lefties who are eminently available. And Brooks Raley (2.09 ERA) and A.J. Minter (2.45) auditioned for scouts against the Dodgers last weekend.

    Raley, 38, got three outs, including Ohtani, on seven pitches in the seventh inning Sunday, two days after giving up back-to-back hits to Tucker and Teoscar Hernández and a sacrifice fly to Ohtani. Minter, 32, allowed a two-run homer to Tucker in the eighth inning Friday.

    Both lefties will get traded. But would the out-of-contention Mets deal them to a division rival?

    The Red Sox paid a high price last weekend to acquire righty-hitting infielder Curtis Mead from the Nationals.Rick Scuteri

    The price for right

    In a one-for-one swap of major leaguers last Saturday night, the Red Sox acquired infielder Curtis Mead from the Nationals for Connelly Early, a 24-year-old lefty starter with six pitches and five years of club control.

    At first blush, three rival scouts said Boston overpaid.

    But it also appears to be indicative of the market for right-handed bats, with demand far surpassing supply. Mike Trout and Byron Buxton don’t seem inclined to waive no-trade protection; the Orioles have pending free agent Taylor Ward and a losing record but remain in wild-card contention. The Reds were listening on Spencer Steer before putting him on the injured list with a sprained wrist that may end his season.

    The Phillies still need a right-handed bat. Let’s take an early dive into some options before the trade deadline.

    Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni told reporters he was “not really expecting to consider anything for Curtis” until the Sox came with a “pretty darn aggressive” offer. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said it was “incredibly uncomfortable” to deal Early but called it a “need-for-need-type trade.”

    There isn’t a team that needs a right-handed bat more than the Phillies, last in the majors in on-base percentage (.280) and OPS (.640) from the right side of the plate.

    One option: the Royals’ Lane Thomas, who hits lefties and would be a platoon option with Brandon Marsh or perhaps Gabriel Rincones Jr. The Phillies looked into Thomas two years ago before he got traded to the Guardians.

    The Phillies had a scout in San Francisco over the weekend. The Giants are reportedly open to moving Heliot Ramos, more of an everyday solution. But given that he’d come with three years of club control, an overpay might be required to land the 2024 All-Star.

    Mets righty Clay Holmes is scheduled to make his second minor-league start Tuesday night in his return from a leg fracture.Jessie Alcheh

    Searching for Holmes

    With rain in the forecast Tuesday in the Northeast, the Mets relocated righty Clay Holmes’ minor-league rehab start to a low-A game in Florida.

    It will be heavily scouted.

    The Phillies dispatched a scout to Syracuse, N.Y., last week for Holmes’ first start in his recovery from a fracture in his right leg. If he’s healthy, the 33-year-old closer-turned-starter could help the Phillies in the rotation in the final two months of the regular season before possibly shifting to a late-inning role in the postseason.

    ‘The game is where it needs to be’: Bryce Harper wants compromise (and no salary cap) to keep sport thriving

    Giants lefty Robbie Ray (1.71 ERA in his last 10 starts) and Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (4.51 ERA) could also be on the move. Like Holmes, they are pending free agents.

    Two rival team officials theorized that the Phillies could reduce the prospect return for a pitcher such as Ray or Gausman by taking on the remainder of the salary. Both are owed about $8 million through the end of the season.

  • LeBron James has been working out with Tyrese Maxey for years. Is this their first time as teammates?

    LeBron James has been working out with Tyrese Maxey for years. Is this their first time as teammates?

    LeBron James isn’t waiting to get to work with his new teammates.

    On Monday morning, basketball trainer Chris Johnson posted a slideshow of James and Tyrese Maxey working out together, which appears to be from a recent session.

    On Friday, it was announced that James would be signing a $4 million contract with the Sixers for this season, with a player option for the next. The move was officially announced by the Sixers on Monday.

    While James and Maxey will get to share the court this upcoming season, the two have a well-documented relationship off the court. The Kentucky alum is represented by Rich Paul, a longtime friend of James who built the Klutch Sports agency with LeBron as his very first client. Since getting drafted in 2020, Maxey and James have worked out together on many occasions.

    James has also thrown significant praise the 25-year-old’s way.

    “Every morning, 5 a.m., we’re in the gym, 5:30, whatever, in the gym. And you just see his dedication,” James said in January on the Mind the Game podcast, which he hosts alongside two-time MVP Steve Nash. “Shows up on time, on target, every single day. A guy who just loves the game and is taking full advantage of the opportunity in Philly.”

    There are plenty of reasons to believe that Maxey’s presence was a large factor in James signing in Philadelphia. At the onset of free agency, Paul sat with Max Kellerman on their Game Over podcast to break down James’ prospective landing spots across a whiteboard. With little information available, many fans heavily parsed every detail of the whiteboard for potential clues.

    What stood out most was that Tyrese Maxey was the only player to have a star next to his name.

    Maxey’s actions proved that James’ supposed desire to team up with the two-time All-Star was not one-sided. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Maxey and Joel Embiid were both instrumental in recruiting James.

    Following the signing, Maxey took to TikTok to express his excitement. “I’m like Coach Cal,” the caption read, referring to longtime college head coach John Calipari, who recruited Maxey to Kentucky.

  • Trump’s war on the media is really a war on the truth | Editorial

    Trump’s war on the media is really a war on the truth | Editorial

    Donald Trump’s attacks on the media are really a war on the public’s right to know.

    His goal is to delegitimize critical reporting that exposes the chaos, corruption, and incompetence within his administration, distract from reality, energize his base, and establish himself as the sole arbiter of the truth.

    The problem is the president is a habitual liar. He has told tens of thousands of mistruths during his time in public office, and bends the facts to fit his skewed version of events.

    In his second term, this warped version of reality is virtually guaranteed. Trump has surrounded himself with pathetic yes-men who do whatever he demands and tell him what he wants to hear. The absurd theater of fawning bureaucrats praising the president during cabinet meetings resembles a spoof of a George Orwell novel.

    Trump declared the U.S. won the war in Iran in March, and again in April, May, and June, but the fighting continues. He claims the economy is great, but nearly half of all Americans said they are worse off financially. He continues to falsely claim the 2020 election was stolen, and spread repeated lies about the upcoming midterm election.

    But facts are stubborn. So rather than confront the truth, Trump tries to discredit the media. He labels stories that portray him in a negative light as “fake news.”

    The president has long called the media the “enemy of the people” — a phrase used by dictators, including Josef Stalin and Adolf Hitler.

    What John Fetterman forgot about his U.S. Senate seat | Editorial

    Trump’s response to stories that expose his misdeeds — like dodging taxes — is to file a lawsuit. He has sued the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and other media companies.

    Most of Trump’s suits get thrown out. But some media companies have capitulated. Paramount paid Trump $16 million to settle a lawsuit against 60 Minutes that legal observers said was frivolous. ABC paid $15 million to settle a defamation suit that was also considered weak.

    After constant complaints by Trump, Paramount-owned CBS canceled Stephen Colbert’s comedy show, which frequently poked fun at the president.

    More recently, Trump threatened to revoke the broadcast licenses of ABC and NBC over petty issues, such as not showing his embarrassing speech claiming election fraud.

    At the president’s urging, the Federal Communications Commission is reviewing the license held by the Philadelphia ABC affiliate known as WPVI, or 6abc. The public has until Wednesday to express comments about the effort, which appears to be a clear attack on the First Amendment.

    Krasner’s office is accused of lying and cutting corners to win exonerations — and the wrongly convicted could pay the steepest price | Editorial

    The Times has been a frequent target of Trump’s. After the paper reported on security problems involving the $400 million airplane the Qatari government gifted to Trump, the U.S. Department of Justice subpoenaed the journalists who broke the story to intimidate the free press and chill leaks within the administration.

    The subpoenas were withdrawn just before Trump was set to speak at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner — where he continued his attacks on the news media.

    Of course, the media is as imperfect as the men and women who work in it. But the founders understood that the free press plays a vital role in democracy by informing the public, holding leaders accountable, and providing a forum for debate.

    That is why the First Amendment — which guarantees freedom of speech, freedom to protest, and freedom of religion — remains a cornerstone of our democracy and civil society.

    But Trump’s attacks on the media have helped erode public trust in journalism, accelerated partisan divides, and reduced faith in democratic institutions.

    Amid all the confusion, Trump has enriched himself while the country has become divided and weakened.

    The independent press will do its best to report the truth, but it is up to voters to hold those in power accountable.

  • The Small Business Administration is offering new grants and up to $10 million in financing

    The Small Business Administration is offering new grants and up to $10 million in financing

    Despite a significant reduction in its staffing, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has been sharply focused this year on reorganizing internally, going after COVID fraud, and — of high importance to many small businesses — providing more financial resources, particularly grants, guarantees, and loans.

    For example, the agency is offering new supply chain grants. Launched last week, these grants — a total of 20 for up to $500,000 each — are targeted at helping small businesses address supply chain constraints and increase production.

    Companies and nonprofits can apply if they are eligible in a variety of industries that deliver technical assistance, industry engagement, supplier development, or similar services so that small businesses can reshore more of their purchasing or manufacturing.

    The deadline for proposal submissions is Aug. 7.

    Increased loan availability to $10 million

    The SBA offers various loan and loan guarantee options, with its two most popular being the Section 7(a) and Section 504 programs. These programs can help fund equipment, property, and other capital costs — including the purchase of a business — through guaranteed loans made available by their network of qualified financial institutions.

    Each program allows a maximum of $5 million in financing, but this month the agency announced it will allow qualified borrowers to combine the programs to create a maximum $10 million in potential financing.

    Sherwood Robbins, who runs Seedcopa, a firm specializing in SBA financing that has offices in Exton and Wilmington, says he’s very optimistic about the program.

    “Just about any business or industry can benefit from this new way to combine the SBA 504 and SBA 7(a) loan programs,” he said. “When used correctly and for the right projects, small businesses now get access to larger loan limits across the two SBA loan programs for their growth and expansion.”

    Grocery and manufacturing guarantee loans

    In March, the SBA said that it was making a special effort to provide financing for small businesses that produce, process, distribute, and sell food by increasing the loan guarantee they offer to their member banks issuing loans for up to 90% from the current 75% level.

    That same month, the agency said that it would provide the same additional guarantees for small manufacturers to help them expand facilities, hire workers, and increase production.

    In addition, the SBA recently expanded its International Trade Loan eligibility to include small businesses across the food supply chain, including those in the agriculture, production, and logistics industries.

    “Being able to do 90% financing versus 80% or 75% financing lets businesses hold on to that critical cash so that they can invest in other parts of their business,” said Tom Pretty, head of SBA Lending at TD Bank, which has dozens of locations in the area. “Because of the SBA guarantee, a lender may be able to lend more aggressively against accounts receivable, inventory or other assets and provide a larger line to help a customer grow more quickly.”

    Manufacturing grants

    In May, the agency announced the availability of up to $50 million in grants to as many as 10 eligible applicant organizations. The grants could go toward training, technical assistance, and support “they need to grow, reshore critical supply chains, and help secure America’s position as a global manufacturing powerhouse for generations to come,” said SBA administrator Kelly Loeffler.

    Under this program, eligible U.S. small businesses in industries such as aerospace, industrial machinery and equipment, construction equipment, metal fabrication, and robotics would get access to free business courses, hands-on training, and one-on-one consulting. The deadline for this year’s program was June, but the program will likely be back, so watch for opportunities to apply.

    New working capital loans

    The agency announced last year that it would provide new working capital loans to eligible companies under its existing 7(a) program that could be used for financing receivables and other working capital needs beyond the program’s traditional objective of financing equipment and property.

    The working capital loans come at a higher interest rate than a traditional 7(a) loan but are still much lower than what most credit cards and private lenders charge. In February the agency announced that $150 million in credit was extended under the new program.

    Pretty advises his customers to use these loans when borrowing needs fluctuate or they are taking on large contracts where funding can help with payroll, inventory, and other costs.

    “Unlike a standard 7(a) term loan, the working-capital program revolves, so the business draws funds as needed and pays interest only on the amount being used,” he said. “It’s like having a credit-card limit without remaining fully borrowed all the time.”

    Your business may be eligible for these programs, so it’s important to discuss with people who are familiar with what would best for you. This can include an SBA banker, an expert from SCORE, or a local Small Business Development Center office.

    “When used correctly for the right projects, small businesses can really benefit by getting access to these programs for their growth and expansion,” Robbins said.

  • France evacuates 4,000 people as heat threatens wildfire fight

    France evacuates 4,000 people as heat threatens wildfire fight

    LEGE-CAP FERRET, France — French authorities ordered nearly 4,000 people evacuated Tuesday from tourist sites on France’s Atlantic coast as returning heat threatened firefighters’ fragile hold on a vast wildfire west of Bordeaux.

    The order underscored a wildfire emergency of exceptional scale across southwestern Europe.

    Fires in France and Spain have forced roughly 330,000 people to evacuate. Spain braced for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with several blazes still out of control, including its largest on record.

    Firefighters held the French blaze in check through a calm night, bringing flare-ups near coastal dunes under control and keeping the burned area unchanged at 162 square miles.

    Authorities described the Gironde fire as stabilized, not fixed, meaning it could still spread again as temperatures rose and humidity fell.

    The precautionary evacuation order covered campsites, holiday villages, tourist residences and leisure parks around the resort of Lacanau, including Lacanau Ocean and both shores of Lacanau lake, Gironde regional authorities said.

    “We are at a point of fragility,” Eric Brocardi, spokesperson for France’s national firefighters federation, told BFMTV on Tuesday. “We will continue attacking this fire despite the forecast rise in temperatures.”

    France’s national weather service placed Gironde under a yellow heat warning from midday Tuesday, forecasting inland temperatures of 33 to 35 Celsius (91 to 95 Fahrenheit). Southeast winds were expected across Gironde, with westerly sea breezes along the coast.

    More than 448 square miles have burned across France this year, according to the Interior Ministry.

    Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating at more than twice the global average, according to the European Union’s Copernicus climate service and the World Meteorological Organization.

    Western Europe recorded its hottest June on record, with extreme heat and widespread dryness contributing to the spread and intensification of fires in France and Spain, Copernicus said.

    The Gironde blaze has been raging since last week and has proven wildly unpredictable, transforming at times into a self-feeding firestorm. It has burned an area four times the size of Paris and prompted the evacuation of 220,000 people.

    Officials warned that smoldering vegetation, rising temperatures and falling humidity could produce fresh outbreaks along the vast perimeter.

    Military engineers and forest-fire prevention crews resumed work early Tuesday on firebreaks designed to prevent the flames from spreading. Authorities said 103 kilometers (64 miles) of firebreaks had been completed.

    A total of 93 firefighters have been injured, the prefecture said.

    The A63 highway remained partly closed, while rail traffic south of Bordeaux was suspended except on the route toward Toulouse.

    Thousands return as second fire stops advancing

    In neighboring Landes, thousands of evacuees were allowed home after a separate wildfire stopped advancing. The fire had displaced more than 30,000 residents and vacationers.

    “The fire is fixed, which is good news in the Landes,” French President Emmanuel Macron said Monday evening. Regional authorities said that meant its advance had been stopped and there were no new fire starts.

    About 15,000 people were authorized to return home Monday night in Sanguinet, Parentis-en-Born and some parts of Biscarrosse.

    Residents of Biscarrosse’s aviation village and a large campground were among those allowed back, although several other neighborhoods remained inaccessible.

    The return marked a significant step for communities evacuated as flames swept through forests and tourist areas during the height of the summer vacation season.

    Authorities warned that the Landes fire was not extinguished.

    Residual hot spots, wind and drought could cause flare-ups, and surveillance and damping-down operations were expected to continue for days or possibly weeks.

    Spain braces for worsening conditions

    Hundreds of firefighters backed by military emergency brigades and water-dropping aircraft continued battling several major wildfires in Spain.

    Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said Tuesday that nonstop work through the night left him “reasonably positive,” but warned that conditions could deteriorate as temperatures rose again.

    Spain’s national weather service said the country was bracing for its fourth heat wave of the summer, with temperatures expected to exceed 104 F in some areas.

    Authorities have evacuated about 79,000 people and ordered another 30,000 to remain in their homes. The government declared a national emergency over the fires.

    The greatest concern remained two large fires that had at times come close to merging into a single blaze in wooded hills about an hour’s drive west of Madrid.

    Another fire in the eastern province of Castellón also forced mass evacuations.

    A fire burning through hilly, rural terrain in Ávila, west of Madrid, has become Spain’s largest on record, scorching more than 193 square miles, the government said.

    “Look at how the valley is burned. Look at the houses, the people,” said David Gonzalez, a 48-year-old gardener who used his van to deliver supplies to firefighters in Ávila.

    “We are feeling a lot of anger and helplessness. It’s something inhuman,” he said.

    Fires have burned 590 square miles this year in Spain, Ecology Minister Sara Aagesen said.

    Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for a national pact to fight wildfires, saying climate change is making them worse.

  • US looks to boost anti-China spending worldwide by hundreds of millions, documents say

    US looks to boost anti-China spending worldwide by hundreds of millions, documents say

    WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is preparing to ramp up funding by hundreds of millions of dollars for programs designed to counter China’s growing influence around the world, after it had put a halt to many of those initiatives last year during a flurry of budget and personnel cuts.

    The administration notified Congress late last week that it intends to spend $175.8 million to replace outdated and aging undersea telecommunications cables in the Caribbean and Central America to prevent China from moving in. The Associated Press obtained a copy of the notification on Monday.

    The administration has expressed deep concern about China’s activities in the Americas, pushing back on Chinese ownership of ports at either end of the Panama Canal, infrastructure projects funded by China’s Belt and Road initiative in the region, and Chinese investment in the telecommunications sector.

    A State Department official said China’s economic activities in the Western Hemisphere pose risks to U.S. national security and prosperity. The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly to the subject and spoke on condition of anonymity, said China’s offerings may seem cheaper but in the end wind up being more expensive due to cost overruns, hidden maintenance fees and poor performance.

    The underseas cable funding appears to be part of a broader push to restore support for initiatives aimed at blunting Chinese influence globally that would cost many hundreds of millions of dollars more. That is even as President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping put on a show of cooperation and Xi prepares to visit the U.S. this fall.

    US weighs wider spending to counter China globally

    The State Department is considering spending nearly half a billion dollars more on programs aimed at China throughout the Western Hemisphere, Africa and Asia, according to an internal State Department document obtained by AP.

    “The United States must respond to the CCP’s growing economic, technological, and diplomatic leverage around the world which undermines our national interests,” the document says, using the acronym for the Chinese Communist Party.

    Many of those proposed programs are designed to “reclaim diplomatic leverage” through investments in areas where the U.S. had previously been spending money but stopped as the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, carried out deep cuts to government budgets and personnel last year.

    Those cuts, which dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development and eliminated several hundred diplomatic posts worldwide, also affected previously approved projects, including some aimed at countering China.

    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that China’s cooperation with other regions “is not about wooing or rivaling anyone, but about safeguarding world peace, promoting global development, upholding international order and building a community with a shared future for humanity.”

    A senior U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss future administration plans, confirmed the Trump administration’s intent to boost funding on countering China but could not speak to specifics. The official acknowledged discussions of large-scale projects but said many were still in the discussion phase.

    Congress told about undersea cable project to keep China away

    The program described to Congress on Friday is called the “Countering CCP Control of Caribbean and Central America Undersea Cables project.”

    It will “fund the installation of strategically selected undersea cable infrastructure” and support foreign governments in partnering with private sector undersea cable installers, according to the notification. The money will “support replacement of outdated undersea telecommunications cables in the Caribbean and Central America region with secure, U.S. and trusted alternatives,” it said.

    Even as it pursues the war with Iran and peace efforts in Gaza and Lebanon, the Trump administration has put a focus on the Western Hemisphere, capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year, ramping up pressure on Cuba’s socialist government in the months since and imposing severe sanctions on the government in Nicaragua.

    Under the new program, funding is anticipated to be given to or in support of undersea cable projects benefiting El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Haiti, the document said. The U.S. has tenuous ties with Nicaragua and would not be working with the government there.

    Lin said undersea cables benefit people globally and that China is ready to work with the rest of the world to promote their construction and protection.

    “Turning it into a political or security issue will only disrupt international market rules and threaten global digital connectivity and cybersecurity, which serves no one’s interests,” he said in Beijing.

    Other anti-China efforts could focus on cyber and critical minerals

    At the same time, the administration has drawn up plans to spend more than $340 million for over 50 specific anti-China projects around the world, including many in the Western Hemisphere, according to the internal State Department document outlining various proposals.

    The administration notified Congress in May that it had spent several hundred million dollars in counter-China funding from the 2024 budget that was approved by the Biden administration. However, many other projects funded for 2024 and 2025 had been put on hold.

    Among the plans to be resurrected are the creation of security operations centers in Argentina and Belize to monitor Chinese threats to critical infrastructure and cyber platforms throughout the region. Also coming back would be initiatives to protect Ecuador, Jamaica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay from alleged Chinese attempts to infiltrate port operations and illegally exploit offshore fishing and critical minerals extraction.

    More broadly, the proposal, which is still under consideration, would work against Chinese influence in the selection of a successor to the Dalai Lama “by developing proprietary technology to ensure secure communications and information collection.” It also would go after international support for China’s space program and push back against Chinese firms seeking to export surveillance and censorship technology.

    The document did not describe the initiatives in detail.

    Trump is expected to meet with Xi in September around the time of the annual U.N. General Assembly gathering of world leaders in New York. To prepare for that meeting, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi last week at a regional security conference in the Philippines.

    Trump has oscillated between anger and elation with Xi, whom the U.S. leader has sought to cultivate as an ally even while China pursues goals antithetical to many of his administration’s. The ultimate impact of the proposed new programs won’t be known for many months or years.

  • Zelenskyy will visit Trump at the White House before Sen. Graham’s funeral

    Zelenskyy will visit Trump at the White House before Sen. Graham’s funeral

    WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet Tuesday ahead of Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral, their second sit-down this month and after a far-right activist with the U.S. president’s ear had a widely publicized change of heart on Russia’s war against Ukraine.

    Trump is set to welcome Zelenskyy to the White House as the Ukrainian leader travels to Washington to honor Graham, whose final act as a public official was visiting Kyiv and securing an agreement on a package of sanctions that seek to punish countries that purchase Russian oil, gas and other exports.

    Zelenskyy posted on X early Tuesday that he had arrived in the U.S. and listed the goals for his visit.

    “Our schedule includes meetings with President Trump, his team, and those who can support our defense,” the Ukrainian leader said. ”Our number one priority is anti-ballistic defense and strategic cooperation with America. Peace needs to be brought closer.”

    Zelenskyy is now being bolstered by an unusual source: Laura Loomer, known primarily for her incendiary social media posts and her influence with the president. Traveling through Ukraine, Loomer has witnessed Moscow’s barrage firsthand and interviewed Zelenskyy while admitting she was “bamboozled by Russian propaganda.”

    Loomer said she spoke to Trump after she met with Zelenskyy in Ukraine last week, and she also expects to meet with the U.S. president once she returns from her trip.

    “It’s looking good for Ukraine, right?” Loomer said during an interview with The Associated Press. “Going into this meeting next week at the Oval Office is looking pretty good.”

    Ahead of the meeting, Zelenskyy has also warned that Russia has been aiding Iran as the war persists by capturing satellite imagery of U.S. bases in the Gulf region that later appear in Iran. The Ukrainian president also asserted that there was a “clear correlation” between Russia’s images and subsequent Iranian strikes.

    “The purpose is clear,” Zelenskyy said earlier this month. “None of us in the world should turn a blind eye to one very simple fact: Evil always seeks ways to make things worse and spread further.”

    On Monday, Trump downplayed any impact of potential Russian assistance for Iran.

    “I don’t think they’ve been doing it, certainly not at a high level,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Michigan. “And if they have, it has been very un-impactful.”

    Still, he said he would raise the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    Zelenskyy has a busy itinerary during his latest visit to Washington. In addition to his White House meeting, Zelenskyy will head to the Capitol to meet with senators on Tuesday evening after Graham’s funeral at Washington National Cathedral, according to a person with knowledge of the meeting who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

    Republican leadership is hoping to advance Graham’s sanctions legislation this week, although the Senate is juggling several other priorities before lawmakers leave Washington for the August recess.

    The bill has dozens of backers from both parties and is seen as the main policy tribute to Graham, who died unexpectedly this month from a tear in his aorta. It imposes tariffs on goods from the world’s top five purchasers of Russia oil or natural gas, including China and India.

    The legislation also includes sanctions against Putin, senior Russian political and military leaders, and Russian financial institutions and energy projects.

    Trump met with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit earlier this month in Ankara, Turkey, and announced that the U.S. will give Ukraine a license to make Patriot air defense systems, a long-running request from Kyiv in order to counter Russian missile attacks.

    The air defense systems are expensive to make and are in high demand. Noting that he and Zelenskyy have “actually developed a good relationship,” Trump said the U.S. will help Ukraine produce the Patriots and that the country would be able to produce them “pretty quickly.”

  • Democrat’s TV ad targets data centers in drive to oust Republican from swing Pennsylvania House seat

    Democrat’s TV ad targets data centers in drive to oust Republican from swing Pennsylvania House seat

    HARRISBURG — Democrat Paige Cognetti is taking a shot at artificial intelligence data centers in her challenge to freshman Republican Rep. Rob Bresnahan, saying “we’re not for sale” in a new TV ad in a swing Pennsylvania congressional district where communities are fighting data center projects.

    The race between Cognetti, the mayor of Scranton, and Bresnahan is considered one of the Democratic Party’s best opportunities to pick up a seat in the November election in its bid to take control of the U.S. House and block President Donald Trump’s agenda.

    Cognetti is airing the ad in a district that’s been buffeted by AI data center projects and as the opposition to data centers that has upended races for local offices across the country is spreading to top-of-the-ticket contests.

    Speaking to the camera, Cognetti invokes the region’s industrial heritage as a coal and shale gas powerhouse, saying, “Big companies have come before, taken what they wanted and left us with their mess to clean up. Now it’s data centers.”

    She then criticizes the secrecy that developers often use to veil details of projects from the public, the tax breaks developers often get from states and the rising electric bills that have hit the mid-Atlantic region to satisfy the growing energy demand of data centers, which house rows of computers for storing, processing and transmitting data.

    “Big Tech needs to pay their own way. Not hide behind NDAs. No tax breaks. Don’t raise our electric bills, don’t poison our water. And hire local, union labor,” Cognetti says.

    If not, “then get out,” she says. “This is our home. We are not for sale.”

    Trump has made data centers a top priority to help the U.S. compete against China for AI superiority.

    However, communities across the U.S. have fought many of the projects, including in northeastern Pennsylvania, where complexes of data centers and new high-voltage transmission lines are planned. Fights between communities and developers have landed in court.

    The 30-second ad will run on broadcast TV channels, cable and digital platforms, Cognetti’s campaign said. It is costing about $200,000 for the initial run of two weeks.

    Bresnahan has introduced legislation called the Local Control Protection Act, which he says would put limits on a corporation’s right to sue over local zoning decisions denying an application to build a data center.

    “We should never let billion-dollar corporations supersede the voices of those who live in the community,” Bresnahan said in a statement accompanying the bill’s introduction in June.

    The bill has yet to move out of committee or gain a cosponsor.

    Republicans have made protecting Bresnahan a high priority. Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance visited the district last year.