AP News Summary at 6:17 am EDT

Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant loses external power

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The head of the UN nuclear watchdog agency says Ukraine’s biggest nuclear plant has lost all external power needed for vital safety systems for the second time in five days. International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi on Wednesday called it a “deeply worrying development.” The warning from Grossi came amid a flurry of developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine on Wednesday. Ukraine’s military command said its forces recaptured five settlements in the southern Kherson region. Russia’s top domestic security agency said meanwhile that eight people had been arrested in connection with the weekend Crimea bridge blast.

Biden vows ‘consequences’ for Saudis after OPEC+ cuts output

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden says there will be “consequences” for Saudi Arabia as his administration begins reevaluating the US relationship with the kingdom. That’s after the Riyadh-led OPEC+ alliance of oil-producing nations announced it would cut oil production. Biden said in a CNN interview Tuesday that he was weighing action against the Saudis but declined to detail potential next steps. The OPEC+ production cut is expected to help Russia pad its coffers as it continues its nearly eight-month war in Ukraine. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Rep. Ro Khanna of California have introduced legislation that would immediately pause all US arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

US mulls Ukrainian-type parole for Venezuelan migrants

SAN DIEGO (AP) — US officials say the Biden administration is developing plans for Venezuelans with sponsors to be granted parole to enter the United States, similar to how Ukrainians have been admitted after Russia’s invasion. The plan is being designed to deal with Venezuelans suddenly becoming the second-largest nationality at US border after Mexicans. Three officials described outlines of the plan on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press, emphasizing that talks were fluid and subject to change. Two officials say Mexico may accept Venezuelans who cross the US border illegally and are expelled under a rule designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

To hold House, Democrats eye GOP-held districts won by Biden

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A congressional district in Michigan that includes Grand Rapids hasn’t had a Democratic House member in decades. But the region has turned bluer in recent years, and new congressional maps have converted it from a district that backed Donald Trump for president in 2020 to one that Joe Biden would have carried instead. The district is just one of 14 nationwide that are Republican-held but that Biden would have won under new maps. As Democrats brace for midterm losses that could cost them control of the House, they hope flipping Republican-held districts can make up ground lost elsewhere.

Protests galvanize Iranians abroad in hope, worry and unity

LONDON (AP) — As anti-government protests roil cities and towns in Iran for a fourth week, tens of thousands of Iranians living abroad have marched on the streets of Europe, North America and beyond in support of what many believe to be a watershed moment for their home country. From those who fled in the 1980s after Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution to a younger generation of Iranians born and bred in Western capitals, many in the diaspora community say they feel an unprecedented unity of purpose and affinity with the demonstrations at home over the death of a 22-year-old woman detained by Iran’s morality police. Many agree that these protests feel different because they challenge the fundamentals of the Islamic Republic.

LA Council faces uncertainty amid furor over racist remarks

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles City Council is mired in uncertainty. President Joe Biden is calling for three members to resign after a recording surfaced of them participating in a meeting in which racist language was used to mock their colleagues. Three current or former members have been indicted or pleaded guilty to corruption charges. It’s possible resignations could create new vacancies. It’s not known if the Council can assemble the required 10 members — out of 15 total — to conduct business Wednesday. Raphael Sonenshein — who heads the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles — calls the situation chaotic.

EXPLAINER: What next in the Florida school shooter trial?

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The jurors who will decide whether Florida school shooter is sentenced to death or life without parole are about to begin deliberations. The seven-man, five-woman panel are expected to start their discussions Wednesday. They will determine whether the 24-year-old Cruz should die for the 2018 murder of 17 people at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. For them to recommend a death sentence, they must unanimously agree. If one person votes for life, that will be his sentence. Prosecutors argued that Cruz committed an evil crime where death is the only appropriate punishment. Cruz’s attorneys argued that his birth mother’s excessive drinking left him with brain damage that put him on the path to murder.

Belarus army would likely have little impact in Ukraine war

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Statements made this week by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko have reignited fears that his army could join Russian forces in the war against Ukraine. But the authoritarian leader appears reluctant to lend his troops to the war effort despite perceived pressure from Moscow. And analysts say troops from Minsk are likely to have little impact. Lukashenko announced this week that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to create a joint “regional grouping of troops” and that several thousand Russian soldiers will be stationed in Belarus.

Observer: No matter who climbs Beijing’s ranks, Xi rules

BEIJING (AP) — For decades, Chinese journalist Ho Pin has made accurate predictions about who would ascend into the ranks of China’s leadership. But this year, just weeks before Beijing reveals its next generation of leaders, Ho says there’s little point. He says Xi has consolidated power to such a degree that no matter who is promoted, they will all have to obey Xi’s rule. That’s a sharp contrast from an earlier era, he says, when political factions jockeyed for control. Though Xi’s power has certain advantages, Ho says, he also worries Xi could become a lifelong dictator.

477 whales stranding in ‘heartbreaking’ New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Some 477 pilot whales have died after stranding themselves on two remote New Zealand beaches over recent days, officials say. None of the stranded whales could be refloated and all either died naturally or were euthanized in a “heartbreaking” loss. That’s according to Daren Grover, the general manager of Project Jonah, a nonprofit group that helps rescue whales. The whales beached themselves on the Chatham Islands, which are home to about 600 people and located about 500 miles east of New Zealand’s main islands. Scientists don’t know exactly what causes the whales to beach, although it appears their location systems can get confused by gently sloping sandy beaches.