The Paralympic Games kicked off with a bang in Paris, France, on Wednesday, with the event's first-ever outdoor opening ceremony.
The big picture: Some 4,400 athletes will compete in 549 medal events across 22 sports during the Games, which run from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8. TeamUSA has topped the medal table at nine Paralympic Games — more than any other country.
Telegram CEO Pavel Durov's arrest in France this weekend and charges issued Wednesday have put the platform's content moderation policies and its creator's role in them back in the spotlight.
Why it matters: The case could become a free speech rallying cry while setting a precedent for other social media executives.
The U.S. State Department and the Department of Treasury on Wednesday announcednew sanctions against an Israeli non-governmental organization that operates in the occupied West Bank for its support of violence by extremist settlers against Palestinian civilians.
Why it matters: The organization "Hashomer Yosh" has been funded and supported in recent years by the Israeli government.
The U.S. has positioned about 18 warships including two aircraft carriers in and around the Middle East as it seeks to deter Iran and its proxies from conducting attacks that could evolve into all-out war with Israel.
The big picture: This is a frantic year for the U.S. Navy. Some of the vessels operating in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have been combating the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels for months, while more Navy and Air Force assets are being brought in now as a show of force.
There "was an incident" when former President Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery this week, a spokesperson for the cemetery in Virginia said Tuesday evening, without elaborating further.
The big picture: The Trump campaign denies claims made in an NPR report that two aides "had a verbal and physical altercation" with a cemetery official who tried to stop the GOP presidential nominee's staffers from "filming and photographing in a section where recent U.S. casualties are buried."
The detection of 21 cases of the insect-borne Oropouche virus disease, also known as "sloth fever," in U.S. travelers returning from Cuba has prompted health officials to issue a warning.
Why it matters: "Recent reports of outbreaks in areas without previous endemic transmission, fatal cases, and vertical transmission associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes have raised concerns about human health risks," per a CDC report issued Tuesday on the virus that's infected thousands in South America and the Caribbean.
Travis King, the U.S. Army soldier who crossed into North Korea from South Korea before being returned home, will plead guilty to desertion and four other charges, his lawyer said Monday.
The big picture: King "will take responsibility for his conduct and enter a guilty plea," per a statement posted to X by his attorney Franklin Rosenblatt.
1. Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia ignored a summons yesterday to appear before the attorney general's office, amid fears it would be used as an excuse to detain him. He's been summoned again today.
Attorney General Tarek William Saab, who has beensanctioned for corruption by the U.S. and others, wantsGonzález to provide a statement on his role in calling for public protests, which have led to hundreds of arrests.
The protests are against the alleged results of the July 28 election, in which President Nicolás Maduro was declared winner of a third term without any proof.
Yesterday an opposition-aligned member of the electoral commission, which is allied with Maduro, was quoted by The New York Times as admitting there's no evidence Maduro won.
Atheyna Bylon with her Olympic medal and her police medals. Source: via Telemundo
Olympic boxer Atheyna Bylon of Panama is adding major job promotion to the list of her recent accomplishments.
State of play: Bylon, who won silver in the middleweight category at Paris 2024, was named first sergeant in Panama's police in recognition of her work on- and off-duty.
She was also Panama's first woman to medal in the Olympics.
What they're saying: "Being the first Panamanian women medalist means a lot, because it's a measure of all the sacrifices made for it. It's proof that us women can make it ... I even think I can prove myself even further," Bylon tells Telemundo.
What was oncea segregated school for Mexican American students in West Texas is now a national park.
Why it matters: The Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas,is only the second national park site in the country dedicated to modern Latino history and explores a chapter of our American story that many people do not know about, says Kyle Groetzinger of theNational Parks Conservation Association.
Israeli special forces rescued a hostage held by Hamas in the southern Gaza strip, Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Israeli officials say they think the successful operation will put pressure on Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar to agree to a hostage-release and ceasefire deal.
A coalition of advocacy groups is warning Latinos about how they could be impacted by Project 2025, the right-wing policy map supported by many of Trump's top advisers.
Why it matters: Project 2025 aims to limit Medicaid, relax environmental protections, shrink the social safety net and shutter the U.S. Department of Education — key issues for Latino voters who will have a decisive role in the presidential elections.
Telegram has long been a hotbed for cybercriminal gangs boasting about their attacks and looking to recruit new members.
Why it matters: Telegram CEO Pavel Durov's arrest over the weekend has put a spotlight on what policies Telegram does — and doesn't — have to deter cybercriminals and extremist groups who use its platform.
Rural and suburban areas in the United States are seeing higher rates of police shootings than urban areas, according to a study reviewed by Axios.
Why it matters: The analysis by Vanderbilt University counters the widespread belief that killings by police are mainly an urban problem — and suggests that many police shootings in rural and suburban areas often go unreported and unnoticed.
