Despite his large lead in a crowded Republican primary field, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy says he does not know if Donald Trump is the “strongest” candidate to take on President Joe Biden in the 2024 election. In an interview on CNBC, Mr McCarthy said Mr Trump can beat Mr Biden but that he’s not sure another Republican couldn’t do better. Later in the day, the speaker appeared to walk back the remarks by telling Breitbart that the former president is “stronger today than he was in 2016”. On Monday night, bombshell audio revealed the former president apparently bragging about possessing still-classified military documents about Iran after he left the White House. In the recording, from a July 2021 meeting at Mr Trump’s Bedminster golf club and released by CNN, the former president is heard audibly shuffling the documents. Mr Trump took to Truth Social to fume about the tape, railing against “Deranged Special Prosecutor” Jack Smith and baselessly accusing the DOJ and FBI of leaking it. Meanwhile, Mr Trump’s co-defendant in the classified documents case, his aide Walt Nauta, has had his arraignment in Miami postponed after his flight was delayed by bad weather in New Jersey. Read More Trump fumes about ‘illegally leaked’ CNN tape of him boasting about classified documents Donald Trump countersues E Jean Carroll for defamation over rape claims Rudy Giuliani interviewed by special counsel over 2020 election interference attempts, says report Trump wants to keep 'communists' and ‘Marxists’ out of the US. Here’s what the law says Is Trump the best candidate to beat Biden? Kevin McCarthy says ‘I don’t know’

Max Verstappen clinched his third consecutive world title on Saturday when he finished second behind rookie Oscar Piastri in an incident-filled sprint race at...

After a weekend mass shooting in his state, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, returned to his familiar post-shooting refrain that it's not gun laws that are needed, but a focus on mental health.

Cleanup from a chemical spill and fire near Interstate 24 in Tennessee will take several days, after the interstate was shut down and nearby homes evacuated overnight on Thursday

IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 18, 2023--

Adin Ross, 'I want you to be as honest as possible'

Senegalese authorities on Monday brought home 37 migrants who were rescued off the coast of Cape Verde last week after their boat was stranded without fuel in the Atlantic Ocean for weeks.

Bhad Bhabie called out haters to 'get a grip on real life'

In a recent interview, Fetty Wap opened up about being in prison due to drug charges and his hope for a better future in the music industry

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan. ————————————- TOP STORIES ————————————- RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Defenders of Ukraine’s city of Bakhmut are keeping up the pressure even though Russian forces declared victory there after the longest, deadliest battle of the war so far. The ongoing defense gives commanders in Moscow another thing to think about ahead of an anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. By Mstyslav Chernov and Jamey Keaten. SENT: 970 words, photos. INDIA-TRAIN-DERAILMENT — With rescue work finished, authorities began clearing the mangled wreckage of two passenger trains that derailed in eastern India, killing more than 300 people and injuring hundreds in one of the country’s deadliest rail accidents in decades, officials say. By Rafiq Maqbool and Ashok Sharma. SENT: 540 words, photos, video. With INDIA-TRAIN DERAILMENT-SAFETY CONCERNS — India’s deadly train crash renews questions over safety as government pushes railway upgrade (sent). JIMMY-CARTER-THE-KINGS — Jimmy Carter is now 98 years old as he receives hospice care. His fellow Georgian, Martin Luther King Jr., would have been 94. The two men never met during all their time in Atlanta. But the Rev. Bernice King tells The Associated Press that Carter has been a “courageous” and “principled” figure who built on her father’s work, advancing the King family’s vision of racial equality and human rights. By Bill Barrow. SENT: 1,310 words, photos. BRITAIN-PRINCE-HARRY-LEGAL-CASES — Prince Harry is going where other British royals haven’t for over a century: to a courtroom witness stand. The Duke of Sussex is set to testify in the first of his five pending legal cases largely centered around battles with British tabloids. Opening statements are scheduled Monday in his case. By Brian Melley. SENT: 1,190 words, photos. MARIJUANA-UNSOLD-HARVEST — New York’s fledgling marijuana market doesn’t have enough licensed retailers to sell the 300,000 pounds of cannabis grown by farmers in the state. Farmers can only legally sell their product in a dozen licensed dispensaries statewide, and they’re feeling a financial pinch as another growing season gets underway. By Michael Hill. SENT: 960 words, photos. OPEC-OIL-PRICES — The major oil-producing countries led by Saudi Arabia and Russia are wrestling with whether to make another cut in supply to the global economy as the OPEC+ alliance struggles to prop up sagging oil prices that have been a boon to U.S. drivers and helped ease inflation worldwide. By David McHugh. SENT: 840 words, photos. ————————————————————————- MORE ON RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR ———————————————————————- RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-MARIUPOL-FILM — The award-winning film “20 Days in Mariupol” made its premiere in Ukraine, seen for the first time by some of the Ukrainian medics and first responders who were chronicled in the documentary about how Russian forces bombed and blasted their way into the southeastern port city last year. SENT: 550 words, photos. —————————— MORE NEWS —————————— CAPITOL-CHILDREN'S CHOIR — Videos of a children’s choir singing the national anthem in the U.S. Capitol, only to be unceremoniously cut off by federal authorities, spread across social media on Friday. Capitol Police say singers from Rushingbrook Children’s Choir from Greenville, South Carolina, were stopped May 26 because of a miscommunication. SENT: 720 words, photos, video. ALASKA-BODIES ON BOAT — Police in Juneau, Alaska, say three people were found dead over the course of three days on board a vessel anchored offshore. Police say the use of controlled substances may have contributed to the deaths. SENT: 150 words. PAKISTAN — The Pakistani Taliban or TTP claimed responsibility for an attack in northwest Pakistan that left two soldiers and two militants dead. SENT: 170 words. IMMIGRATION-MIGRANT-FLIGHTS — Sixteen Venezuelan and Colombian migrants who entered the country through Texas were flown to California by chartered plane and dropped off outside a church in Sacramento, Gov. Gavin Newsom and migrant rights advocates say. SENT: 310 words. ————————————————————- WASHINGTON/ POLITICS ———————————————————— ELECTION-2024-WISCONSIN-POLITICS — Wisconsin Republicans still reeling from an April election that saw conservatives lose majority control of the state Supreme Court for the first time in 15 years hope to use their upcoming state convention to unify and refocus on the 2024 presidential race in which Wisconsin will once again be a battleground. SENT: 900 words, photos. ELECTION 2024-HALEY — Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley suggested in an interview that United States forces “need to align” with non-European countries including Russia to enhance global security, a remark her campaign characterized as a gaffe. SENT: 750 words, photos. ———————- NATIONAL ———————- STADIUM-PUBLIC-FUNDING — Gov. Joe Lombardo wants to help build Major League Baseball’s smallest ballpark, arguing that the worst team in baseball can boost Las Vegas, a city striving to call itself a sports mecca. SENT: 1,070 words, photos. MISSOURI-EXECUTION — A federal appeals court has vacated a stay of execution for a Missouri inmate who is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday for his role in the deaths of two jailers. SENT: 260 words, photo. FLORIDA-SHOPLIFTING-FIRE — A Florida woman faces charges of aggravated child neglect and arson after her car became engulfed in flames while she was allegedly shoplifting at a mall, according to an arrest report. SENT: 280 words. ————————————- INTERNATIONAL ————————————— ASIA-DEFENSE — China’s defense minister defended sailing a warship across the path of an American destroyer and Canadian frigate transiting the Taiwan Strait, telling a gathering of some of the world’s top defense officials in Singapore on Sunday that such so-called “freedom of navigation” patrols are a provocation to China. SENT: 920 words, photos. CHINA-TIANANMEN-ANNIVERSARY — China tightened already strict access to Tiananmen Square in central Beijing on Sunday, the anniversary of 1989 pro-democracy protests. In Hong Kong, which had been the last Chinese-controlled territory to hold commemorations, eight people, including activists and artists, were detained on the eve of the 34th anniversary of the crackdown, a move underscording the city’s shrinking room for freedom of expression. SENT: 720 words. KOREAS-TENSIONS — The influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed again to push for a second attempt to launch a spy satellite as she lambasted a U.N. Security Council meeting over the North’s first, failed launch. SENT: 640 words, photos. POLAND-DEMOCRACY MARCH — Poland’s largest opposition party is leading a march meant to mobilize voters against the right-wing government, which it accuses of eroding democracy and following Hungary and Turkey down the path to autocracy. SENT: 610 words, photos. SERBIA-SHOOTINGS-PROTESTS — Thousands of people have rallied for a fifth time in a month after two mass shootings in Serbia that shook the nation, even as the country’s populist president rejected any responsibility and ignored their demands to step down. SENT: 540 words, photos. CANADA-WILDFIRES — Officials in Canada’s Atlantic Coast province Nova Scotia said a wildfire that forced thousands of residents from their homes over the past week is now largely contained because of rain. SENT: 370 words, photos. EGYPT-SUEZ-CANAL — A tanker transporting crude oil broke down in a single-lane part of Egypt’s Suez Cana, briefly disrupting traffic in the global waterway, Egyptian authorities say. SENT: 340 words. MEXICO-ELECTIONS — Mexicans in two states, including the country’s most populous, will elect new governors, having only known single-party rule for nearly a century. SENT: 300 words, photos. ———————— SPORTS ————————— HKN--STANLEY CUP — Zach Whitecloud scored from long range with just over 13 minutes left, after Adin Hill made arguably the best save of the playoffs, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Florida Panthers 5-2 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. SENT: 460 words, photos. BKN--NBA FINALS-PREVIEW — For the Miami Heat, shooting at Denver’s 5,280 feet of mile-high altitude during Game 1 of the NBA Finals wasn’t a problem. Not shooting from the foul line 15 feet away from the rim was. The Heat made NBA history by shooting only two free throws in Game 1 as Denver struck first in the title series with a 104-93 win. It was the fewest free throw attempts ever by a team in a playoff game and makes one of the adjustments for Game 2 simple to forecast: Expect Miami to go into attack mode. But the Nuggets say they can get much better as well. SENT: 800 words, photos. TEN--FRENCH OPEN — American Coco Gauff rallied from a tough opening set to beat Mirra Andreeva of Russia in an all-teen showdown in the third round of the French Open on Saturday. Experience eventually told as the 19-year-old Gauff, who was the runner-up at Roland Garros last year, prevailed 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-1, sealing the result with a cross-court backhand winner. SENT: 900 words, photos. ——————————— HOW TO REACH US ——————————— At the Nerve Center, Vincent K. Willis can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide China tightens access to Tiananmen Square on anniversary of 1989 pro-democracy protests Ukraine piles on pressure after Russia declares victory in Bakhmut With oil prices slumping, OPEC+ producers weigh more production cuts

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has stopped in a far eastern Russian city to see a factory that builds the country’s most advanced fighter jets on his extended trip that hints at his interest in sophisticated weaponry

The US Treasury secretary's trip to Beijing comes as tensions between the two countries remain high.