(AP) – Vice President JD Vance is set to address the Republican Jewish Coalition on Monday, offering a closely watched opportunity to reaffirm the Trump administration’s support for Israel and its commitment to combating antisemitism.

The appearance comes as Republican leaders work to strengthen ties with Jewish voters and conservative Jewish activists ahead of the midterm elections. It also gives Vance a chance to address questions about his approach to Israel, his criticism of some Israeli officials, and his association with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson.

The event is scheduled to take place behind closed doors, at a particularly sensitive moment for Jewish Americans and for the U.S.-Israel relationship. Antisemitism has become a growing concern across the political spectrum, while Republicans are emphasizing their support for Israel and accusing Democrats of becoming increasingly hostile toward the Jewish state.

At the same time, the Republican Party is confronting internal disagreements over the future of American policy toward Israel—and over how aggressively conservative leaders should respond to antisemitic voices on the right.

Vance has consistently expressed support for Israel, but his approach has sometimes been viewed as more skeptical and restrained than President Donald Trump’s. In June, Vance criticized members of Israel’s government for opposing Trump’s efforts to resolve the war with Iran.

“If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world,” Vance said.

The vice president also said in July that some Israeli officials had attempted to influence American public opinion in order to prolong the conflict and interfere with negotiations. Those comments have raised concerns among some conservative Jewish activists, who want the Republican Party to maintain a clear and unequivocal commitment to Israel.

Terry Platt, a Republican Jewish Coalition member from New York, said some members remain uncertain about Vance’s views.

“There’s a sentiment here of some discomfort over the vice president speaking. Some people are disappointed,” Platt said. “We’re confused about his true sentiments.”

Vance is widely regarded as a leading contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2028. His appearance Monday could therefore carry significance beyond the immediate debate over Israel policy, giving him an important platform to define his views before influential conservative Jewish donors and activists.

Another issue likely to draw attention is Vance’s failure to publicly sever ties with Carlson, who last year hosted antisemite Nick Fuentes in what critics described as a friendly interview. Some pro-Israel conservatives have said Vance must reject Carlson’s influence.

Bruce Pearl, the Auburn University men’s basketball coach and prominent pro-Israel conservative, said in June that continued ties between Vance and Carlson could damage the broader fight against antisemitism.

Republicans remain more supportive of Israel than Democrats overall, although younger Republicans are increasingly questioning whether the United States is too closely aligned with Israel. That generational divide has unsettled some Jewish conservatives.

Still, Republican leaders say their goal is clear: to ensure Jewish Americans have elected officials who openly stand with them and with Israel.

“We need a country where elected officials stand proudly with the Jewish community,” Representative Lisa McClain of Michigan said Sunday. “That is the work, and it begins before we leave this room.”

Monday’s speech will give Vance the opportunity to make that case directly—and to reassure conservative Jewish voters that support for Israel and opposition to antisemitism remain central Republican commitments.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The United Arab Emirates’ air force intercepted an Iranian drone over its territorial waters Monday, the Defense Ministry said, an attack that comes after the United States and Iran exchanged fire on the weekend, the first significant military action in a month.

During the lull in fighting, the U.S. has been ratcheting up economic pressure on Iran with the hope of forcing concessions out of Tehran, including reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz to shipping.

After the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, Iran established a chokehold on the strait, though which a fifth of the world’s traded oil passed in peacetime, slowing ship traffic to a trickle. As the fighting resumed, the price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, climbed above $90, up about 25% from the start of the war, presenting a growing problem for U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the midterm elections.

In a short statement, the Defense Ministry said it “dealt with” an Iranian drone that was detected over its waters approaching from Iran. There were no reports of damage.

The UAE Defense Ministry later issued a second statement denying a claim by the Iranian army that the Al Minhad Air Base in Dubai had been targeted, saying it was false.

The incident came after U.S. forces on Sunday struck Iranian rocket launchers on an Iranian island, breaking a lull in fighting in the war that has lasted more than six months.

Iran responded by launching missiles at U.S. sites in Jordan, which were intercepted.

Early Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said that Iran would “not hesitate to exercise the inherent right of legitimate defense and will respond decisively to any military aggression.”

Before heading to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s summit in Kyrgyzstan with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who has favored a negotiated end to the conflict, stressed that Iran was not seeking war.

“But,” he said, “we will respond decisively to aggressors.”

The summit brings together a group billed as a counterweight to U.S. global influence, and includes Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pezeshkian was scheduled to meet with Putin on the sidelines on Tuesday.

Meantime, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was set to host meetings of the Group of 20 finance ministers in North Carolina on Monday and Tuesday, which come as Washington pressures other countries to help the U.S. economically isolate Iran.

The shifting strategy centers on threats to punish any country or entity that continues to conduct business with Tehran.

Trump stressed last week that he is “not in a hurry” to get Iran back to the negotiating table, and he continues making the case that the Islamic Republic’s leadership is on the ropes.

Appointments to Iran’s senior security leadership in the past month, however, have signaled Tehran’s defiance after weathering decades of sanctions as well as a lack of tolerance for dissent at home.

On Sunday, U.S. Central Command said it had struck Iranian launchers after observing forces with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. military said last week it had completed clearing sea mines from the waterway’s international shipping routes.

Semiofficial news outlets in Iran reported sounds of explosions near Larak island on the strait and the Revolutionary Guard said there had been casualties.

U.S. military officials disputed Iran’s claim that the latest American strikes were an act of aggression, calling them a “limited, precise action” against what they said were minelaying forces.

Iranian state television later showed what it said were ballistic missiles being fired at American bases in Jordan, and Jordan’s military said it intercepted eight that had entered its airspace.

A return to open conflict would be dangerous for the region, where Iran has targeted U.S. military bases and infrastructure in Gulf countries since the war began on Feb. 28.

The last time the U.S. military confirmed targeting Iran was on July 29, when it announced a “heavy wave of strikes” on dozens of Revolutionary Guard targets including coastal surveillance and defense sites.

Trump said on Aug. 1 he would order the military to hold off on new strikes at the urging of Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

(AP) – Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is bringing a message of economic growth, energy independence, and financial stability to the world’s largest economies this week, as the United States works to strengthen its position on trade, national security, and global debt.

Bessent is hosting meetings of Group of 20 finance ministers Monday and Tuesday in Asheville, North Carolina. The gathering comes as President Donald Trump’s administration presses allies and economic partners to help confront Iran, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The administration has also imposed aggressive tariffs on major trading partners, including Canada, as negotiations over trade and economic policy have broken down. At the same time, renewed hostilities with Iran have kept pressure on global energy markets and contributed to higher gas prices for consumers.

Bessent says the meetings will focus on areas where countries can find common ground, including economic growth, banking regulation, global financial imbalances, and debt relief for developing nations.

“The world has this mountain of debt, and we do have to grow our way out of it,” Bessent told The Associated Press.

He is also using the gathering to encourage other nations to support the administration’s strategy of applying economic pressure to Iran. The Treasury Department plans to impose sanctions on another Iranian bank, and Bessent says the United States is prepared to use what he called “financial violence if we have to.”

President Trump has warned Iran’s trading partners that they could face consequences for continuing to do business with Tehran. China, the largest buyer of Iranian oil, is a particular focus. Bessent said all options remain on the table, including possible sanctions against Beijing.

He rejected criticism that the administration is unwilling to confront China, calling that claim “a completely false narrative that the media picked up on.” Bessent said Washington and Beijing agree on the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Some former U.S. officials say the administration may face challenges persuading traditional allies to support its approach. Daniel Fried, a former assistant secretary of state during the George W. Bush administration, said the United States will need to consult more closely with partners.

The Trump administration argues that a tougher negotiating posture is necessary to protect American workers, strengthen national security, and secure better outcomes for the United States.

Asheville provides a symbolic setting for the talks. The city was devastated by Hurricane Helene in September 2024, a disaster that killed more than 250 people and caused nearly 80 billion dollars in damage across Florida and the Carolinas.

Bessent says the community’s recovery reflects the resilience and rebuilding that he wants the global economy to achieve through deregulation, energy independence, and growth.

PHOTO- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Asheville, N.C., Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

BANGKOK (AP) — Shares were mostly lower in Asia and U.S. futures also declined Monday on expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve may raise interest rates soon.

Oil prices surged about 3% after U.S. forces struck Iranian rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz, marking their first military action in a month. The Trump administration just days earlier had shifted its focus to economic pressure, and a return to open conflict would be dangerous for the region.

Brent crude, the international standard, was up 2.9% at $90.61 per barrel early Monday. U.S. benchmark crude oil jumped 2.7% to $85.66 per barrel.

“The Middle East had finally gone quiet enough for oil traders to start sanding some of the war premium out of crude. Then Sunday arrived, with a reminder that quiet in the Strait of Hormuz is not the same as peace,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

Markets in Asia fell following a speech Friday by Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh that reinforced expectations the U.S. central bank will do what is needed, such as raising rates, to bring inflation down despite possible short-term pain for the economy.

The futures for the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.3%.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 lost 0.4% to 66,164.66, while the Kospi in South Korea declined 0.5% to 6,757.67.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.4% to 25,479.52 and the Shanghai Composite index gained 0.4% to 3,967.94.

Shares in e-commerce and fast fashion giant Shein are due to begin trading in Hong Kong on Tuesday in the city’s biggest initial public offering this year, part of a trend toward big Chinese-founded companies raising funds in Chinese markets.

An official survey released Monday showed Chinese factory activity remained in contraction for a second straight month in August, though there were slight improvements in some areas such as new export orders and production.

Elsewhere in the region, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.2% to 9,076.80.

Taiwan’s Taiex fell 0.4% and the Sensex in India slipped 0.6%.

On Friday, the S&P 500 fell 0.2% and the Dow industrials dipped by less than 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.5%.

In what is seen as a big move for the bond market, the yield on the two-year Treasury, which closely tracks expectations about Fed moves, jumped to 4.35% from 4.22% just before Warsh’s speech at an annual economic symposium held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Worries had grown that his tough talk about getting inflation down to the Fed’s 2% target may be just that. The Fed could hike short-term interest rates to get price increases under control, but it could also be reluctant to do so because that would slow the economy and hurt prices for investments.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who appointed Warsh, has emphasized he wants lower interest rates.

Warsh was adamant again on Friday that he wants to give financial markets fewer clues about what the Fed plans to do with rates for its two jobs of keeping inflation low and the job market strong. But he also said “short-term interest rates are the predominant tool” for the Fed to do its job.

Longer-term yields also rose following some initial zigzags, but not by as much as shorter-term yields. The 10-year Treasury yield climbed to 4.72% from 4.67% late Thursday, and the 30-year Treasury yield got to 5.21% from 5.19%.

Yields for longer-term bonds have risen this summer, in part because of worries that inflation will remain high.

In other dealings early Monday, the U.S. dollar fell to 159.85 Japanese yen from 160.10 yen. It has rebounded after a rare coordinated intervention by the U.S. Treasury and Japanese regulators in late July.

The euro rose to $1.1588 from $1.1580.

By Crispian Balmer and Angelo Amante

ROME, Aug 31 (Reuters) – In a country famed for political instability, Giorgia Meloni is poised to lead Italy’s longest-lasting government since World War Two, overtaking a record of 1,412 consecutive days set by Silvio Berlusconi in 2005. 

Meloni, who has tempered her populist instincts with pragmatism since taking power in October 2022, plans a rally on Friday, September 4 to celebrate the milestone, framing the durability of her coalition as one of its crowning achievements.

After cycling through 68 governments in 80 years, Italy has proved much steadier during a period of global conflict than France, which has had five prime ministers since the autumn of 2022, while Britain has got through four.

But just as Italy has shaken off its reputation for volatility, opinion polls suggest that the 2027 parliamentary elections could usher in a more fragmented and potentially less stable political landscape.

“There is a genuine risk that we could return to the worst kind of a splintered parliament next time around,” said Roberto D’Alimonte, a professor of Italian politics at Rome’s Luiss university.

While Berlusconi’s single-term record is about to be eclipsed, he will remain the longest-serving Italian prime minister overall, with a tenure of about nine years over four terms between 1994 and 2011.

BUDGET DISCIPLINE 

Worried about the prospect of renewed political turbulence, coalition allies are quick to tout the dividends of four years of uninterrupted rule.

Deputy Foreign Minister Edmondo Cirielli, of Meloni’s Brothers of Italy party, said the government had kept deficits and debt under control, while adding 1.2 million workers to the jobs market, pushing unemployment to under 6%.

“The record figures on employment and unemployment are indisputable,” he told Reuters.

Analysts broadly agree that Meloni’s strongest achievement has been restoring confidence in Italy’s shaky public finances, blighted by a hefty debt mountain.

Lorenzo Codogno, a former chief economist at the Treasury and now head of LC Macro Advisors, said the cabinet had convinced investors it was committed to budget discipline and had curtailed costly policies of past administrations, notably the “Superbonus” home renovation scheme.

“In terms of fiscal responsibility, I think the government has done a decent job. In terms of promoting growth and reforming the economy, not much has been done,” he said.

Little effort was made to shake up an inefficient public administration, the health service and education system, while all the government’s institutional reforms, including handing more powers to the prime minister, have floundered.

“Part of the reason Meloni has been able to stay in power for four years is that she did not try to change much or upset voters,” said Lorenzo Pregliasco, head of YouTrend pollster.

“This is perhaps the most sobering lesson we can draw from this period.”

LOSING TRUMP

While ducking ambitious change, Meloni focused on law and order, boosting police powers and cracking down on irregular immigration — a key electoral pledge — cutting the number of new arrivals to 66,316 last year from 157,651 in 2023.

“There has been the paradigm shift imposed by Giorgia Meloni in the management of illegal immigration,” Francesco Filini, the head of Brothers of Italy’s policy programme, told Reuters, saying much of Europe was now looking to emulate her. 

Although she has forged good relations with many European leaders, Meloni’s standing abroad has been bruised by the collapse of her once-close ties with Donald Trump after the U.S. president accused her in April of lacking courage and letting the United States down in its war with Iran. 

The diplomatic setback, which destroyed any pretence that Meloni could serve as a bridge between Europe and Washington, came within weeks of a stinging domestic defeat, when Italians rejected her flagship judicial reform in a referendum.

The loss punctured the aura of invincibility that had surrounded Meloni’s coalition, and while her party remains the most popular in Italy, the standing of her main allies — most notably the far-right League — has dropped steadily.

With time running out, the government has embarked on one last-gasp legislative push, seeking to redraw the electoral law by introducing a system that would give a majority bonus to any bloc winning more than 42% of the vote. 

Critics say the change is designed to strengthen the conservative bloc’s chances of staying in power. Meloni says it is aimed at providing renewed stability, whoever wins.

NEW PARTY DISRUPTS OUTLOOK

However, the political landscape has changed since the law was devised, thanks to the emergence of a new far-right party led by an ex-general, Roberto Vannacci, who has tapped into anxieties over immigration, security and cultural change with language that is markedly blunter than Meloni’s.

A poll published by BiDiMedia on August 26 put the coalition partners on just 38.5%, while the broad centre-left camp, which is deeply divided over foreign policy and prone to relentless infighting, is hovering close to the vital 42% threshold. 

Support for Vannacci has surged to 8%, suggesting he could win it for Meloni, if she agreed to bring him into her alliance.

That would be a risky move which might alienate moderate voters and alarm EU allies concerned by Vannacci’s extremism. Alternatively, she could hope for an inconclusive vote and seek a post-election pact with Vannacci to give her a working majority.

Either way, the path to another stable government appears narrower than before. The opposition is disunited, while Vannacci’s rise risks turning a previously disciplined conservative alliance into a more fractious bloc.

“The markets have liked stability and got used to it, but this is Italy, it won’t last for ever,” said Codogno.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

ROME, Aug 31 (Reuters) – Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government took office in October 2022 and will become the longest-serving administration in the history of the Italian Republic on September 4.

Here are some of the main legislative efforts undertaken by her coalition, which have achieved varied results.

JUDICIAL REFORM

One of its flagship initiatives sought to revamp Italy’s fiercely independent judiciary. Because this involved a change to the constitution, it went to a referendum, which the government lost decisively in March.

PREMIERSHIP

The government said it would introduce the direct election of the prime minister by voters. Meloni called this the “mother of all reforms”, however it has not progressed after initial approval in the Senate in June 2024. Critics said it could trigger political chaos and undermine the role of the president. The reform will not be enacted before the next elections.

DIFFERENTIATED AUTONOMY

The law grants greater powers to the regions and has been aggressively promoted by the far-right coalition League party. The legislation was approved in 2024, but the Constitutional Court subsequently struck down key parts of it. The legislation is now in limbo, but the League has said the problems will be resolved before the next election.

IMMIGRATION

The government tightened asylum and anti-smuggling rules, struck migration agreements with North African states and expanded repatriations. However, its flagship scheme, building two detention centres in Albania, was delayed by legal challenges and is now operating mainly as a repatriation facility for migrants already transferred from Italy, not as the offshore asylum-processing system originally promoted by Meloni.

SECURITY AND LAW AND ORDER

Meloni’s government has been particularly active on security, repeatedly responding to high-profile incidents with tougher laws and penalties. Measures have included new offences targeting illegal raves, stricter anti-smuggling rules after a migrant shipwreck, tougher penalties for wildfire arson, youth crime and a sweeping 2025 security decree covering protests, prison riots, squatting and other public-order offences.

TAX AND WELFARE

Meloni has pursued a targeted tax-cutting agenda: reducing income tax bands to three from four and pushing measures to benefit the self-employed. However, Italy’s total tax burden has barely changed over the past four years, with some tax cuts counterbalanced by tighter limits on deductions for higher-income taxpayers. The government abolished a “Citizens’ Income” welfare scheme, replacing it with more restrictive benefits and stricter work requirements. Figures show it also reduced tax evasion by promoting the use of digital payments.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

ROME, Aug 31 (Reuters) – Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is due to set a record as leading Italy’s longest-serving administration on September 4. Yet the country’s revolving-door cabinets have often masked a more stable political system than first meets the eye.

Below are some facts and figures about Italy’s post-war governments:

HOW MANY GOVERNMENTS AND PRIME MINISTERS?

Meloni’s administration is Italy’s 68th government since 1946, led by the country’s 31st prime minister of the republican era. Unlike in some countries, a new government is said to have been created after a major cabinet reshuffle, even if the prime minister remains the same. 

AVERAGE LIFESPAN

Across the 80 years from the formation of Alcide De Gasperi’s government in July 1946 to Meloni’s record in 2026, the average cabinet has lasted roughly 14 months. The figure varies according to methodology: calculating only the period from a government’s swearing-in to its resignation produces a shorter average, because outgoing cabinets often remain in office in a caretaker capacity.

THE SHORTEST AND THE LONGEST

The briefest tenure was Amintore Fanfani’s first government, which lasted 22 days in 1954. Before Meloni, only four administrations lasted more than 1,000 days: Silvio Berlusconi’s 2nd government (1,412 days, from 2001 to 2005), Berlusconi’s 4th government (1,287 days, 2008 to 2011), Bettino Craxi (1,093 days, 1983 to 1986) and Matteo Renzi (1,024 days, 2014 to 2016). Altogether, Berlusconi served about nine years over four terms.

WHY SO MANY SHORT-LIVED GOVERNMENTS?

Italy’s post-war system combined proportional representation, which encouraged a fragmented party landscape, with coalition governments vulnerable to disputes. The constitution also requires a government to retain the confidence of both the lower house and the Senate — two houses with equal powers, giving small coalition partners considerable leverage. 

However, the turnover did not always mean a wholesale change of political direction. During much of the post-war era, the Christian Democrats remained at the centre of power, while prime ministers and coalition formulas revolved around them. 

Despite frequent changes of government, nine of Italy’s 18 post-war legislatures ran broadly to the end of their normal five-year term, while five lasted for four years.

ELECTORAL LAWS: A FREQUENTLY CHANGING RULEBOOK

Italy has deployed three different electoral systems in general elections in the past 22 years, with Meloni promising to introduce a fourth ahead of the 2027 vote, saying it will bring greater stability.

(Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

Novak Djokovic loses in opening round of US Open for first time, falling in 5 sets to Mariano Navone

NEW YORK (AP) — Novak Djokovic grinded through physical and internal ailments, made one mistake after another and could not find what it took to beat a feisty, younger opponent who was not intimidated under the lights against tennis’ most decorated player. The 39-year-old is out of the U.S. Open after a first-round defeat to Mariano Navone on Sunday night, losing 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in a five-set marathon that lasted four hours and 36 minutes. It was the longest opening match of a Grand Slam in Djokovic’s career and became his earliest exit in one in two decades, dating to the 2006 Australian Open.

Aaron Donald ends his 2 1/2-year retirement and returns to the Los Angeles Rams

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aaron Donald has returned to the Los Angeles Rams, ending his retirement after 2 1/2 years. The Rams announced the 35-year-old Donald’s decision following several weeks of discussion, preparation and contemplation for the star defensive lineman. Donald became one of the greatest defensive players of his era during his first 10 seasons spent entirely with the Rams in St. Louis and Los Angeles. He won three AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards while earning 10 Pro Bowl selections, eight All-Pro selections and a Super Bowl ring before he retired somewhat abruptly in March 2024.

Scottie Scheffler captures another FedEx Cup and moves past Tiger Woods in PGA Tour career earnings

ATLANTA (AP) — Scottie Scheffler is the FedEx Cup champion for the second time. His victory Sunday in the Tour Championship also moves him past Tiger Woods atop the PGA Tour career earnings list. Scheffler began the final round three shots behind Viktor Hovland. He caught Hovland in four holes, took the lead for the first time on the 13th and the Norwegian couldn’t catch the No. 1 player in the world. Scheffler won for the third time this season and ended any debate about who had the best year on tour. Scheffler also won the FedEx Cup in 2024.

Novak Djokovic out in US Open 1st round for the first time. Pegula, Medvedev, Kostyuk among winners

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Open’s Sunday start gives some players a chance to get a nice head start. For Novak Djokovic, it turned into a stunning head start back to the airport. The 24-time Grand Slam champion was knocked out in the first round of the U.S. Open for the first time, beaten by Mariano Navone of Argentina 7-6 (5), 5-7, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. Djokovic was 19-0 in the U.S. Open first round and hadn’t lost his opening match in any major since the 2006 Australian Open. But the No. 4 seed and four-time champion in Flushing Meadows looked every bit of his 39 years.

Venus Williams bows out of her 26th US Open with a 1st-round loss to Sofia Kenin

NEW YORK (AP) — Venus Williams had her 26th U.S. Open appearance delayed until after midnight. Then the 46-year-old lost in straight sets in what could be her final singles match at a Grand Slam, if not her illustrious career. Williams was beaten 6-2, 7-6 (6) by fellow American wild card Sofia Kenin early Monday morning at Arthur Ashe Stadium. At 12:13 a.m., it was the latest start to a match in U.S. Open history. It was also the latest first-round finish, men’s or women’s.

Scottie Scheffler moves past a Tiger Woods money standard that stood for nearly 26 years

ATLANTA (AP) — Scottie Scheffler not only is the FedEx Cup champion for a second time. He now leads the PGA Tour in career earnings at just over $130 million. Tiger Woods had held the mark for nearly 26 years. Scheffler has said it’s not a fair comparison because of the big money in golf today. And he says Woods is the reason prize money started going up in the first place. The PGA Tour had 15 tournaments on the schedule worth at least $20 million in prize money this year. Woods never played for a $10 million purse in his peak years.

Odell Beckham Jr. comes full circle by making the New York Giants’ 53-man roster

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. has made the New York Giants’ 53-man roster. The 33-year-old rejoined the team that drafted him in June after being out of the NFL all last season. Beckham last played in a game on Dec. 8, 2024 with Miami. He made seven catches for 76 yards in three preseason games and got better as training camp progressed. A season-ending knee injury to Calvin Austin opened the door for Beckham and return specialist Braxton Berrios to emerge at a crowded position. Beckham said it would mean everything for him to make the team.

Packers’ Josh Jacobs placed on commissioner’s exempt list while he faces misdemeanor charges

Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs has been placed on the NFL commissioner’s exempt list while two misdemeanor charges against him are pending. The move prevents him from practicing or attending games. Jacobs may be present at the club’s facility on a reasonable basis for meetings, individual workouts, therapy and rehabilitation and other permitted non-football activities upon request and with the club’s permission. Jacobs is facing charges of battery and criminal damage to property stemming from what police described as a physical confrontation with his girlfriend. Jacobs’ lawyers say the allegations will be address in court, not in the media.

Palou wins his record-tying 4th consecutive IndyCar season championship

WEST ALLIS, Wis (AP) — Alex Palou won his record-tying fourth consecutive IndyCar season championship with a 10th-place finish Sunday night in the resumption of a rain-delayed race at the Milwaukee Mile. The 29-year-old from Barcelona, Spain, added to yet another dominating year for himself and Chip Ganassi Racing. Palou’s four consecutive championships match the record set by Sebastien Bourdais from 2004-07. He becomes just the third driver to win five titles, with A.J. Foyt winning seven and Scott Dixon six. It’s also a record-setting 18th title won by a Ganassi driver, one more than Team Penske. In 17 races this season, Palou has six wins, 12 top-five finishes and 14 top-10 results.

Curaçao wins its 2nd Little League World Series, beating Nevada 11-2 behind De Windt and De Lanoi

SOUTH WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (AP) — Juriënsly De Windt and Shardijon De Lanoi each drove in three runs, and Curaçao won its second Little League World Series title, beating Nevada 11-2 in the championship game. De Windt started on the mound and allowed two runs, one earned, in three innings. Giendry Ryan and Steven Felix were nearly flawless in relief with four strikeouts over the final three innings for the tiny island nation, which previously won the tournament in 2004. Curaçao had advanced to the finals by winning the international title in 2005, 2019, 2022 and 2023. Nevada also was the runner-up last year, falling to Taiwan in the championship game.

MOESER, Germany (AP) — An election in eastern Germany on Sunday could produce the first far-right state governor in the country’s post-World War II history as Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his unpopular national government struggle to dispel what he calls “widespread moroseness.”

Several polls show a large lead for the anti-migration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, ahead of the election to the state legislature in Saxony-Anhalt. Taking control of a state government would be the biggest prize in the party’s 13-year history, a political shock to Germany and at least a symbolic blow to Merz.

“If AfD wins the election and forms the government, that would be kind of breaking a taboo in Germany,” said Wolfgang Merkel, a political science professor with the WBZ Berlin Social Science Center. Modern Germany so far has been “an exception” in Europe in having no radical right-wing party governing at the national, state or big-city level, he added.

Merz’s center-right Christian Democratic Union has led Saxony-Anhalt, a region west of Berlin that’s among the country’s less prosperous and is home to 2.1 million of Germany’s 83.5 million people, since 2002. But it faces strong headwinds.

In last year’s national election, AfD achieved the best postwar showing by a far-right party, with 20.8% of the vote. It became Germany’s biggest opposition party.

It was stronger in the ex-communist east, including Saxony-Anhalt. And with Merz’s government struggling to convince voters it can turn around a stubbornly slow economy, it has gained in national polls as it harnesses discontent with issues beyond its signature theme of curbing migration.

In Saxony-Anhalt, AfD is seeking an absolute majority in the state legislature. That would overcome the so-called “firewall” of mainstream parties’ refusal to work with AfD, whose regional branch is one of several classified by the domestic intelligence agency as a proven right-wing extremist group. AfD vehemently rejects accusations of extremism.

AfD’s campaign slogan is “Everything is possible.”

“This is a historic opportunity that we have here in Saxony-Anhalt,” its candidate for governor, Ulrich Siegmund, told The Associated Press at a campaign event in the small town of Moeser, where supporters lined up to meet the charismatic 35-year-old over beer and sausages. “We will write history here.”

Among his top priorities, Siegmund lists “the deportation of people who are illegal, a deportation offensive and above all dropping the incentives for why people come here and exploit our social system.” He wants to initiate a long process to withdraw Saxony-Anhalt from the regional public broadcaster, citing concerns about “disinformation.”

AfD’s first and so far only head of a county administration was elected in 2023 in neighboring Thuringia state. A state administration would be a far bigger prize, fueling the party’s ambitions of further gains and one day governing at the national level.

Germany’s 16 states have extensive powers, for example in overseeing security matters and running the education system.

In Saxony-Anhalt, AfD wants to allow home schooling, which so far isn’t permitted in Germany. It pledges to ban schools from officially raising the rainbow flag and ensure they fly the national flag. It opposes taxpayers’ money being “given away” to Ukraine and says it would push to lift sanctions against Russia, but that isn’t a matter state governments can decide.

“No one here needs to be afraid, quite the contrary,” Siegmund said. “Every honest person in Saxony-Anhalt will benefit from an AfD-led government.”

Siegmund’s main opponent, incumbent governor Sven Schulze from Merz’s CDU, told the AP at his party’s offices in Magdeburg, the state capital, that AfD “wants the past back” and the state would face “isolation” with AfD in power.

He pointed to major progress made in strengthening Saxony-Anhalt’s economy and bringing down unemployment since Germany was reunited in 1990. The far right, he said, effectively “doesn’t want to have anyone here who was born abroad and lives and works here.” With many immigrants working in hospitals and companies, for example, that would be “a huge problem for Saxony-Anhalt,” he said.

“AfD does one thing — it describes problems,” said Schulze, who said that he won’t work with the party and his own CDU is “100%” behind him. “But it never has a solution for a problem.”

AfD’s chances of governing are uncertain even if it does become by far the strongest party. If it doesn’t win an absolute majority, Merkel said he doesn’t see it governing for lack of any potential coalition partner.

That likely would leave Schulze trying to cobble together some kind of alliance with multiple smaller parties to his left. That would leave many people saying that “they are clinging to power,” Merkel said.

It remains unclear how an AfD victory in Saxony-Anhalt would affect the national government, particularly if Merz’s CDU and its coalition partners, the center-left Social Democrats, fare poorly in elections Sept. 20 in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, another eastern state.

Merkel said he believes Saxony-Anhalt is too small to have “any particular impact.” But a significant loss of votes would amplify a narrative that the traditional big parties are in decline.

Merz’s government needs to prove its ability to reform Germany and so far lacks “visible successes,” Merkel added, noting that “when the economy isn’t running, basically all areas of politics are infected.”

Merz sought to spread optimism after his Cabinet met last week to underline its determination to push through reforms.

“We must get out of this climate of glumness and anger,” he said. “Together, we must shake off this widespread moroseness that has long paralyzed our country.”

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Hak Ja Han, the 83-year-old leader of the Unification Church, was sentenced to two years in prison on Monday for bribing the wife of ousted conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol and other corruption charges.

The Seoul Central District Court convicted Han, widow of church founder Sun Myung Moon, of violating the political funds acts, bribery and embezzling church funds, according to the court’s public affairs office.

A team of investigators led by special prosecutor Min Joong-ki earlier requested a 13-year prison term for Han. Both Han and Min’s team have one week to appeal.

Han earlier denied the allegations. She is the top leader of the Unification Church, officially called the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, which her husband founded in 1954.

On Monday, the Seoul court sentenced a church official to six months in prison and gave two other church officials suspended terms over their involvement in Han’s case.

Last year, Han was arrested and charged with giving then-first lady Kim Keon Hee luxury goods in 2022 when Yoon was in office. She was also charged with giving conservative lawmaker Kweon Seong-dong, a Yoon loyalist, 100 million won ($73,000) months before Yoon’s inauguration.

In January, Kim received a 20-month prison term at the Seoul Central District Court for receiving gifts including a Graff diamond necklace and a Chanel bag from the Unification Church, which sought political favors in return.

In April, an appeals court increased her sentence to four years in prison by convicting her of additional charges including receiving another Chanel bag from the church and stock price manipulation.

The presidential couple suffered a dramatic fall from grace after Yoon’s imposition of martial law in late 2024 that led to his impeachment and eventual removal from office. In February, Yoon was sentenced to life in prison for rebellion in connection with his martial law enforcement.

On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon abruptly imposed martial law and sent troops and police officers to the National Assembly, saying he aimed to eliminate “anti-state forces” and “shameless North Korea sympathizers.” The martial law lasted six hours as he was forced to lift it after the assembly unanimously voted it down.

Yoon has defended his action, calling it a desperate attempt to draw public support for his fight against the liberal opposition Democratic Party that obstructed his agenda.