AP News Summary at 11:57 p.m. EDT

By The Associated Press

NATO military committee chair, others back Ukraine’s use of long range weapons to hit Russia

PRAGUE (AP) — The head of NATO’s military committee says that Ukraine has the solid legal and military right to strike deep inside Russia to gain combat advantage, reflecting the beliefs of a number of U.S. allies. Adm. Rob Bauer was speaking at the close of the committee’s annual meeting on Saturday, also attended by U.S. Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His comments come as the Biden administration balks at allowing Kyiv to do so using American-made weapons.

Dick Cheney was once vilified by Democrats. Now he’s backing Harris. Will it matter?

WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Vice President Dick Cheney is a career Republican still vilified by Democrats over the Iraq War. But his partisan loyalties were cast aside in extraordinary fashion when he endorsed Democrat Kamala Harris for the White House. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’s service in George W. Bush’s administration was roiled by debates over government eavesdropping and the firing of Democratic prosecutors. Yet he’s also backing Harris. The endorsements are part of a pattern of opposition to Trump from establishment Republicans who’ve long been criticized by Democrats, yet say they’re so alarmed by the prospect of Trump’s return to power that they’re voting against their own political party.

Federal judge temporarily blocks Biden administration rule to limit flaring of gas at oil wells

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A federal judge in North Dakota has temporarily blocked a new Biden administration rule aimed at reducing the venting and flaring of natural gas at oil wells. The Bismarck Tribune reports that Judge Daniel Traynor ruled Friday the five western states challenging the rule have shown they are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the regulation is arbitrary and capricious. North Dakota, Montana, Texas, Wyoming and Utah say the Bureau of Land Management overstepped its authority. The bureau says the rule is intended to reduce waste. Methane, the main component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas,

Tropical Storm Ileana makes landfall on Mexico’s Sinaloa coast after pounding Los Cabos

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Tropical Storm Ileana has made landfall on the coast of the Mexican state of Sinaloa a day after it pounded the resort-studded Los Cabos. The tropical storm formed Thursday off Mexico’s Pacific coast and was packing winds of of 40 mph (65 kph) as it moved ashore, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. It made landfall Saturday near the coastal city of Topolobampo. Forecasters say Ileana will churn over the coastal region of northern Sinaloa during the next several hours, and then move over the Gulf of California roughly parallel to the coast on Sunday, weakening into a tropical depression.

Funerals held for teen boy and math teacher killed in Georgia high school shooting

JEFFERSON, Ga. (AP) — A teenage student and a math teacher are being remembered at funerals that took place 10 days after they were killed in a mass shooting at a Georgia high school. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon for 14-year-old Mason Schermerhorn and teacher Cristina Irimie. A large crowd of mourners attended Schermerhorn’s memorial service at a civic center in Jefferson, Georgia. Family and friends gathered to say farewell to Irimie at a funeral home in nearby Buford. They were among four killed Sept. 4 when a gunman opened fire at Apalachee High School in Barrow County outside Atlanta. A 14-year-old student has been charged with murder.

An American activist killed by Israeli fire is buried in Turkey as Israel strikes Gaza

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — A Turkish-American activist who was killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank has been laid to rest in her hometown in Turkey with thousands lining the streets and anti-Israeli feelings in the country rising. A witness said that Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old woman from Seattle, was shot dead Sept. 6 by an Israeli soldier during a demonstration against Israeli West Bank settlements. Thousands of people lined the streets in the Turkish coastal town of Didim on the Aegean Sea on Saturday, as Eygi was buried in a coffin draped in a Turkish flag, which was taken from her family home. Israeli airstrikes meanwhile pounded central and southern Gaza overnight into Saturday, killing at least 14 people.

Death toll in Myanmar from Typhoon Yagi reaches 74. Dozens of other people are missing

BANGKOK (AP) — State-television in Myanmar says the death toll in the military-run country from flooding and landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi has reached at least 74. Dozens more are missing, The totals were announced Saturday. State media reported that the head of the ruling military council said that Myanmar is requesting relief aid from foreign countries. Typhoon Yagi earlier hit Vietnam, northern Thailand and Laos. The storm killed more than 260 people there and caused major damage. Efforts to tally casualties and damage and provide relief are complicated. Myanmar is in a state of civil war that began in 2021 after the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Venezuela says it arrested 6 foreigners allegedly involved in a plot to kill President Maduro

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Venezuelan officials say they’ve arrested six foreign nationals, including three Americans, accusing them of plotting to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro. On Saturday, Diosdado Cabello, the interior minister, announced the arrests on state television. Cabello claimed the individuals were part of a CIA-led plot to overthrow the government. He displayed images of rifles allegedly confiscated from the suspects. U.S. and Spanish officials have not commented on the arrests. The announcement followed U.S. sanctions on Maduro’s allies and Spain’s recognition of opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the election winner. Tensions have been rising between Venezuela and the U.S. since the disputed election. Maduro has consistently accused the U.S. of trying to overthrow him.

A look at Harvey Weinstein’s health and legal issues as he faces more criminal charges

NEW YORK (AP) — Disgraced ex-movie mogul Harvey Weinstein faces mounting legal and health troubles some seven years after scores of women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against him, helping launch the global #MeToo movement. On Thursday, Weinstein was indicted on additional sexual crimes charges in New York ahead of a retrial this fall. Earlier this year, his landmark 2020 rape conviction in New York was overturned by the state’s high court. The grand jury decision in the additional charges remains sealed until Weinstein is formally arraigned in court. Meanwhile, the 72-year-old remains hospitalized following emergency heart surgery. Here’s a recap of where things stand.

Change-of-plea hearings set in fraud case for owners of funeral home where 190 bodies found

DENVER (AP) — A federal judge has canceled an October trial date and set a change-of-plea hearing for the owners of a Colorado funeral home where authorities discovered 190 decaying bodies. Jon and Carie Hallford were indicted in April on fraud charges. They are accused of misspending nearly $900,000 in pandemic relief funds. The Hallfords filed statements Thursday with the federal court asking for a change-of-plea hearing to consider a proposed plea agreement. The judge granted their request to vacate the Oct. 15 trial date and scheduled the change-of-plea hearings for Oct. 24. They Hallfords also face separate charges in state court for for corpse abuse, money laundering, theft and forgery.