Federal efforts over alleged noncitizen voting escalate with California arrests | First Thing

Good morning. The US Department of Justice has charged ۲۸ green card holders in California, accusing them of fraudulently registering to vote and casting illegal ballots. The arrests – ۱۱ people are in custody – mark the latest escalation in federal efforts against alleged noncitizen voting.

The crackdown comes days after the DOJ sued California to block the state from tabulating certain ballots in November’s midterms. California’s secretary of state, Shirley Weber, called the demands “outrageous”, pointing out that federal officials have spent months making “vague and unsubstantiated allegations”. Democrats and voting rights groups say the administration is laying the groundwork to sow doubt over November’s election results.

France imposes partial curfews in several cities, including parts of Paris

Partial curfews have been issued for a number of French cities, including parts of Paris, after the government admitted police had “lost control” during violent weekend protests. The interior minister, Laurent Nuñez, said intelligence had suggested there would be ۲۰۰,۰۰۰ demonstrators around France. In the event, there were more than ۵۰۰,۰۰۰.

The protests follow weeks of demonstrations by high school students. Public buildings including a town hall were attacked and set ablaze and an estimated ۲,۰۰۰ shops were ransacked and looted, authorities have said.

• What has Donald Trump said about the French protests? At a rally in Kansas Trump described France as a once-great nation that had been “conquered, looted, and burned to the ground by migrants, jihadists, and communists”. Earlier in the day, Trump repeated his baseless claim that migrants had “taken over” France, and also claimed that “Paris is going to be a Muslim city very soon”. Muslims make up ۱۰-۱۵% of the population of the capital.

Zelenskyy claims US deliberately delaying interceptor missile deliveries to Kyiv

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said the US is deliberately delaying deliveries of interceptor missiles to Ukraine, deepening a public spat with Trump. Speaking to US senators on Monday, the Ukrainian president claimed that “the Pentagon is delaying the delivery of missiles” already paid for by European countries, with the shipment awaiting the signature of the US secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth.

• What is happening to Ukrainians who have ended up in the US? More than ۱۰۰,۰۰۰ people from Ukraine can stay without immediate risk of deportation, the Department of Homeland Security said. Their right to stay in the US was set to expire on Monday. The DHS said a further announcement “will be made at the appropriate time”. The temporary reprieve also applied to about ۱,۸۰۰ Sudanese nationals.

Israeli police detain ۱۰ people in rare raid against West Bank settlers

Israeli police have detained ۱۰ people in a rare raid against settlers, after a weekend of extreme violence in the occupied West Bank including an attack on US photojournalist Heidi Levine which she described as an “attempted lynching”. Israeli militants armed with sticks and iron bars also attacked a group of European diplomats and Palestinians harvesting olives.

The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, questioned the accounts, ignoring extensive evidence and referencing an “alleged attack” on Levine. His response drew a furious international reaction, including from the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. Israeli police said they had detained ۱۰ people connected with the attacks and the construction of an illegal outpost.

In other news …

• The Mississippi attorney general has announced that the police shooting of a one-year-old as he sat in his mother’s lap “was justified”. The statement came four months after Kohen Wiley was killed in Senatobia, Mississippi.

• Voters in Canada’s Alberta have overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to begin a process toward independence, the national broadcaster CBC has projected.

• Australian MP Helen Haines has lost a leg after an alleged vehicle attack. Surgeons are said to be fighting to save the other. A man has been charged over the incident.

• Federal immigration agents broke the arm of a US citizen in what a Democratic congressman said was a “brutal attack” during a confrontation with protesters in California.

• The Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in Massachusetts announced the suspension of his campaign. The move came hours after Shawn Oliver was arrested in a suspected drunk-driving crash.

Stat of the day: Colorado wildlife overpass cut vehicle-animal collisions by ۹۱%, report finds

Elk, bear, frogs and other animals have used the overpass, which connects ۳۹,۰۰۰ acres of habitat, since its completion ۱۰ months ago over the I-۲۵.

Culture Pick: The Simpsons gives Apu a new voice as actor Sunil Malhotra replaces Hank Azaria

It has been eight years since the character last spoke, but now convenience store owner Apu Nahasapeemapetilon a new voice – Sunil Malhotra. He said “Bringing Apu back feels like a reclamation.” Apu was originally voiced by actor Hank Azaria, who – along with the producers of the show – was criticised for the portrayal of the character.

Don’t miss this: In ruby-red Kansas, Trump contemplates the possibility of a Democratic win in the state

The US president came out to Kansas in support of Senator Roger Marshall, who is facing an unexpectedly strong challenge from Democrat Adam Hamilton. David Smith went to Park City for the Guardian to read the mood on the ground.

… or this: Hollywood AI-listers – is the technology ready to rival flesh-and-blood film stars?

As a freaky Val Kilmer doppelganger stars in a new western and faux starlet Tilly Norwood is set for her feature debut, Phil Hoad discovers that experts are split on whether mainstream adoption is a long way down the line – or just around the corner.

Climate check: Melting Ron DeSantis statue unveiled to call out his inaction on climate crisis

The environmentalists behind the melting statue described it as a fitting monument to DeSantis’s eight years as Florida governor, during which time he has consistently opposed any legislation to curb planet-heating emissions. The statue, in Tallahassee, was cast from solid gallium, a metal that melts at ۸۵.۶F (۲۹.۸C), so that the image of DeSantis soon gave way to that of a skull.

Last Thing: Black bear breaks into California library to raid snacks and eat jar of honey

A bear broke into the Mammoth Lakes branch of the Mono county free libraries just after ۶am, and reportedly raided the staff snack supply, browsed the new releases, and then went on its merry way. The video is a joy – albeit with the reminder that black bears are wild animals and should never be approached or fed, and they can’t read.

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