AP News Summary at 12:31 pm EDT

Ukraine sees more widespread strikes, gets Western backing

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces have carpeted Ukraine with a fresh barrage of missiles and ammunition-carrying drones. The bombardment on Tuesday came a day after strikes across the country killed at least 19 people in what the UN human rights office described as a “particularly shocking” attack that could amount to war crimes. Air raid warnings sounded throughout Ukraine in the morning and sent some residents back into bomb shelters. Russia’s widespread attacks retaliated for a weekend explosion that damaged a bridge linking Russia to the Crimean Peninsula. After Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the Group of Seven industrial powers, the G-7 leaders said their countries “will stand firmly with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

Prosecutors drop charges against Adnan Syed in ‘Serial’ case

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Prosecutors have dropped charges against Adnan Syed in the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee, a case that was chronicled in the first season of the hit podcast “Serial.” Emily Witty, a spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, confirmed in an email Tuesday that the office had dropped the charges. Syed served more than 20 years in prison for the strangling of his ex-girlfriend, Lee, who was 18 at the time. The “Serial” podcast’s focus on the case revealed little-known evidence and attracted millions of listeners, shattering podcast-streaming and downloading records. A judge last month overturned Syed’s murder conviction and ordered him released, ruling that the state had violated its legal obligation to share evidence that could have bolstered Syed’s defense.

Families bid farewell as Thai massacre victims are cremated

UTHAI SAWAN, Thailand (AP) — Hundreds of mourners and families of victims of last week’s massacre at a day care center in northeastern Thailand have bid farewell to their loved ones who were cremated in rows of makeshift furnaces. Thirty-six people including 24 children lost their lives last Thursday when a former policeman, who was fired from his job earlier this year for using drugs, barged into the day care center in the town of Uthai Sawan to shoot and stab children and their caregivers . The police sergeant then took his own life in the biggest mass killing by an individual in Thailand’s history. The town’s Buddhist abbot says the ceremonies for most of the victims were held jointly to spare families from having to wait long hours for successive cremations.

Conservative PACs inject millions into local school races

In the run-up to the midterm elections, a growing number of conservative groups are turning their attention to often-ignored school board races. Their aim is to put conservatives in control of more school systems to scale back teachings on race and sexuality. The efforts gained steam last year amid parents’ frustrations with pandemic policies, but as those issues fade they’re now galvanizing around culture divisions. Groups including the 1776 Project PAC are ramping up spending on local races, and other groups are backing local candidates for the first time. Democrats have countered with their own campaigns portraying Republicans as extremists who want to ban books and rewrite history.

Fetterman, Oz vie for Black voters in close Pa. Senate race

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Pennsylvania Senate candidates Dr. Mehmet Oz and John Fetterman are fighting hard for Black voters who might make the difference in their close race. It’s a voting bloc that traditionally lines up solidly behind Democrats. But some community activists worry that the party hasn’t come up with a unified message for candidates and hasn’t done enough to ensure turnout. Fetterman is touting his past work to free people who may have been imprisoned unjustly. Oz and Republicans are seeking to tie Fetterman to increases in crime and violence. In a close race, peeling off just a few black voters—or an absence of enthusiasm—could make the difference.

Trump lawyer who vouchered for documents meets with FBI

WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer for former president Donald Trump who signed a letter stating that a “diligent search” for classified records had been conducted and that all such documents had been given back to the government has spoken with the FBI. That’s according to a person familiar with the matter, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The person says Christina Bobb federal investigators during Friday’s interview that she had not told drafted the letter but that another Trump lawyer who she said actually prepared it had asked her to sign it in her role as a designated custodian for Trump’s records. NBC News first reported the interview.

Kremlin war hawks demand more devastating strikes on Ukraine

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Moscow’s barrage of missile strikes on cities across Ukraine has elicited celebratory comments from Russian officials and pro-Kremlin pundits. Russian nationalist commentators in recent weeks had actively criticized the Russian military for a series of embarrassing setbacks on the battlefield. They lauded Monday’s large-scale attack as an appropriate and long-awaited response to Kyiv’s successful counteroffensives and a weekend attack on a bridge between Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula. Many of them argued that Moscow should keep up the intensity of the strikes in order to win the war. Some analysts suggested that President Vladimir Putin was becoming a hostage of his allies’ views on how the military campaign in Ukraine should unfold.

6 tips you can use to help improve your credit score

NEW YORK (AP) — Credit scores are complicated, so the process of improving them can look different for everyone. Experts have some tips for how you can get started if you need to improve your credit score. The first step is knowing what your score is and what’s showing in your credit report. If you have credit cards, you should use them, but not max them out. If you can’t pay off your card every month, even small payments will help improve your score. And if you don’t have a credit history, you can start safe with secured cards that help you avoid overspending.

Comedians sue over drug search program at Atlanta airport

ATLANTA (AP) — Comedians Eric André and Clayton English are challenging a police program at the Atlanta airport they say violates the constitutional rights of airline passengers. They say the program particularly targets Black passengers through racial profiling and coercive searches. Lawyers for the two men filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in Atlanta alleging they were racially profiled and illegally stopped by Clayton County police at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The men say officers singled them out during separate stops months apart because they are Black and grilled them about drugs as other passengers watched. Clayton County police say the stops are random and consensual.

MLB Playoffs: Judge, Verlander join fray as 8 teams remain

Major League Baseball’s first foray into a best-of-three wild-card round provided its share of memorable moments. A 15-inning, 432-pitch game. A seven-run comeback win. Joe Musgrove’s ears. Now it’s on to the division series, which is business as usual with a best-of-five format. The four matchups are Braves-Phillies, Padres-Dodgers, Mariners-Astros and Guardians-Yankees and all of them begin Tuesday. The Astros, Yankees, Braves and Dodgers got to rest and watch the wild-card drama round from home, thanks to superior regular-season records.