Headline News from The Associated Press
AP Headline News - Feb 26 2024 07:00 (EST)
"This is AP News, I'm Rita Folle Way." The group Human Rights Watch is pointing a finger at Israel. Israel has failed to comply with an order by the United Nations top court to provide urgently needed aid to desperate people in the Gaza Strip, according to Human Rights Watch. It cited a 30% drop in the daily average number of aid trucks entering Gaza in the weeks following the court's ruling. In the North, aid deliveries had to be suspended recently because of increasing chaos in the isolated part of the territory. Israel denies its restricting the entry of aid and has instead blamed humanitarian organizations operating inside Gaza. I'm Karen Shamas. A U.S. Air Force service member reportedly said he would no longer be complicit in genocide and set himself on fire yesterday outside the Israeli embassy in Washington. The man was critically injured, Israel denies genocide allegations, Pope Francis has mild flu symptoms, and he's canceled engagements this morning, remembering an Oklahoma teenager who died after a fight in a high school bathroom. An outpouring of love and support in cities around the country for an Oklahoma teenager next Benedict, who died the day after a fight in a Owaso High School bathroom. The non-binary student claimed to be a target of continued bullying. Vigils were held starting Friday and continuing through the weekend for the 16-year-old. Police say based on preliminary autopsy results, Benedict's death was not a result of injuries suffered in the fight. Benedict told police in a video, three girls were harassing them, so the 16-year-old sprayed them with water in the bathroom. That's when the attack happened. I'm Julie Walker. President Biden will meet with the top four leaders of Congress tomorrow. They'll talk about trying to avoid a government shutdown next month and an emergency aid package for Ukraine and Israel. This is AP News. What about the economy? Economic forecasters are rosy about the U.S. economy, and a new survey released by the National Association for Business Economics. Professional economists from universities, businesses, and investment firms are predicting a much better year than they were just a few months ago, with a forecast of 2.2 percent growth after inflation up from just 1.3 percent predicted in November. Economists also have more than doubled their estimates for the number of jobs gained across the economy this year. Ellen Zentner, chief U.S. economist at Morgan Stanley and the president of the NABE, said a wide range of factors are behind the 2024 upgrade, including spending by both the government and households. The U.S. job market and household spending have been resilient in the face of high interest rates that made mortgages and credit card bills more expensive. While prices are still higher than consumers would like, inflation has slowed enough that most of the surveyed forecasters expect interest rate cuts to begin by mid-June. I'm Jennifer King. And I'm Rita Folle, AP News. Fargo, the new virtual assistant from Wells Fargo, makes banking faster and easier. Like this. Fargo, what's my checking account routing number? And this. Fargo, turn off my debit card. And this. Fargo, what did I spend on groceries last month? And that's just the beginning. Do you, Fargo? You can. In the Wells Fargo mobile app, learn more at Wells Fargo dot com slash get Fargo. Terms and conditions apply, your mobile carriers availability and message and data rates may apply. Wells Fargo bank and AM member FDIC. Hello, Saver. Whether you're saving for that trip to the tropics or saving for an emergency, now is the time to take advantage of Wells Fargo's savings options. Wells Fargo offers savings accounts that can help you save towards your goals. So, what are you saving for? Visit a Wells Fargo branch or Wells Fargo dot com slash save to open a savings account today. Wells Fargo bank, NA member FDIC. (upbeat music)