AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EDT

Invited by Florida Sen. Rick Scott to speak at a GOP luncheon in the Capitol, Trump had signaled ahead of time that he would use the closed-door meeting to push senators to pass his proof-of-citizenship voting bill. But the conversation was more focused on Tuesday's vote to approve the war powers resolution, a mostly symbolic measure that allows Congress to rebuke the administration's military actions. The House passed its own version of the resolution earlier this month.

Trump had particular words for the four Republican senators who voted with Democrats on the measure — Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — after calling them “losers” on social media.

Most Republicans stayed quiet. But Cassidy, who lost re-election in his primary last month after Trump endorsed an opponent, stood up and defended his vote.

“I stood and said, ‘You have not told the American people what’s going on,’” Cassidy told reporters after the meeting. “This was supposed to last four weeks, it’s lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved.”

Back-to-back powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela, causing widespread damage

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Back-to-back powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday evening, causing widespread damage, collapsing buildings and sending panicked residents into the streets.

The 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes roiled the region, with buildings evacuated in cities and areas spread as far as Brazil’s Amazon about 1,700 kilometers (1,050 miles) away.

In a brief address to the nation late Wednesday, acting President Delcy Rodríguez said the earthquakes caused damages in several states, but she did not give any figures of homes and buildings damaged, injures or fatalities.

The earthquakes damaged the country’s main airport, Simón Bolívar International Airport, severely enough to lead to its closure, she said, adding that classes are being canceled for several days.

“We urge our population to remain calm,” Rodríguez said. “We urge unity.”

NATO's Trump whisperer meets the president in an effort to appease him before next month's summit

WASHINGTON (AP) — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte laid on the flattery with President Donald Trump on Wednesday, pressing the case for a military alliance that the volatile U.S. leader has sharply criticized as the Pentagon reviews the size of the U.S. military footprint in Europe.

Trump has repeatedly slammed NATO, arguing the U.S. carries more than its fair share of military spending. But his grievances have been louder since the Iran war, as he fumed over the fact that some member countries ignored his call to help him restart oil trade through the shuttered Strait of Hormuz.

“They weren’t too nice to us in our recent little military skirmish,” Trump said of NATO allies as he introduced Rutte during their Oval Office meeting.

Subsequently pressed on what key U.S. allies could do to get back on his good side, Trump responded, “Just be loyal."

“We don’t need their money — we don’t need anything,” the president added. “We have the most powerful military in the world by far. But I just want loyalty.”

Dispute over nuclear inspections shows how US and Iran are negotiating in public

TOKYO (AP) — The head of the U.N.'s nuclear agency said Wednesday that Iranian nuclear enrichment sites would be visited by his inspectors as part of the interim U.S.-Iran deal to reach an end to the war. An Iranian diplomat instead insisted any such visit would only come after a final deal.

The comments echoed contradictory remarks about nuclear inspections a day earlier from the U.S. and Iran. During the week since the two countries signed the deal, their leaders have repeatedly disagreed in public about what that document actually means.

International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Mariano Grossi on Wednesday acknowledged the “war of words” over Iran’s nuclear program. But the dueling narratives are playing out on several fronts, including Israel’s war with Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and how Tehran will spend billions of dollars once unfrozen.

Through the signing of the memorandum of understanding, the U.S. and Iran agreed to a 60-day period to iron out these and other details. Until that happens — during private talks — leaders from both countries will also continue to negotiate in public, raising the risks of derailing the shaky ceasefire in the region.

The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, a threat to the U.S.-Iran diplomacy, flared on Wednesday. Israel launched an airstrike that killed two people in southern Lebanon, the country’s state-run news agency said. It was Israel’s first airstrike on Lebanon since the latest ceasefire took effect on Saturday. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strike.

Trump turns America 250 kickoff into a campaign-style rally on the National Mall

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump formally kicked off celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary on Wednesday night by working to get the country excited again — about himself.

The president hosted a rally on Washington's National Mall, including a series of booming flyovers by stealth bombers, music from military bands, and Lee Greenwood singing “God Bless the USA.”

“There has never been anything like the United States of America, and together we are making it bigger and better and stronger and far more exceptional than ever before,” Trump said.

He said he'd restored the country to greatness, proclaiming, ”Nobody's laughing at us anymore."

As he does in all rally speeches, Trump championed his crackdown on the U.S.-Mexico border and opposition to transgender rights. However, perhaps in a nod to the anniversary celebrations, he was far less critical of Democrats than usual — at least to a point.

Trump-endorsed de la Espriella declared winner of Colombia’s presidential runoff election

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Conservative outsider Abelardo de la Espriella, a millionaire political neophyte, will be Colombia’s next president after electoral authorities on Wednesday declared him the winner of Sunday’s runoff election.

The businessman and lawyer, whose ventures include a clothing line, wine and rum brands, and a restaurant, earned U.S. President Donald Trump’s endorsement despite never having run for office. He defeated progressive lawmaker Iván Cepeda by 1 percentage point, or more than 251,000 votes.

The result effectively was an indictment of outgoing President Gustavo Petro’s government, whose policies Cepeda had promised to continue, including a largely failed effort to establish dialogue with multiple armed groups.

Electoral authorities published all but a fraction of the vote count hours after polls closed Sunday. Petro and Cepeda did not accept those results, with the latter saying he would wait for a recount to do so. Authorities finished the recount before declaring de la Espriella’s victory.

De la Espriella’s win adds Colombia to a growing list of countries that have turned to political outsiders in search for solutions to complex social, security and economic challenges.

Rural area in Northern California jolted by its biggest quake since 1940

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A rural area of Northern California experienced its strongest earthquake since 1940 on Wednesday morning, causing some injuries but no immediate reports of major damage, officials said.

The epicenter of the quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.6, was about 7 miles (12 kilometers) northwest of the agricultural town of Willits, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was widely felt, including in the coastal city of Fort Bragg. The initial quake was centered inland about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Fort Bragg at 8:10 a.m. PT, and the USGS said it was about 5 miles (8 kilometers) deep.

The area in Mendocino County dotted with small, agricultural towns is 140 miles (225 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco.

Heather Rose, a Mendocino County spokesperson, said that hospitals had reported some injuries but that she had no details on their nature or extent. She said officials plan to meet later Wednesday when more information could be released.

Power outages are affecting more than 6,000 residents of six towns near the epicenter, the Mendocino County Executive Office said in a statement. The office encouraged people to stay off the highways and roads to allow work crews to inspect for damage and make repairs.

A member of the cultlike Zizians group is charged in the killings of her parents in Pennsylvania

A member of the cultlike group known as Zizians has been charged with murder in the shooting of her parents at their Pennsylvania home on her 30th birthday, and a prosecutor said Wednesday she wasn't acting alone.

Delaware County District Attorney Tanner Rouse said evidence from a neighbor’s doorbell camera, ballistics and analysis of cellphone records have left investigators certain Michelle Zajko is at least partly responsible for the deaths of her parents, Rita and Richard. They were shot in her childhood playroom on New Year’s Eve 2022, surrounded by her old dolls and toys.

"At this time we do not know who her co-conspirators were, but we are very certain that Michelle Zajko was in the home and arranged for the death of her parents,” Rouse said.

The new charges against Zajko, who has been jailed in Maryland on other charges since February 2025, include murder, burglary and conspiracy charges in her parents’ deaths. She has denied killing them, and in court filings suggested her father might have killed her mother and himself.

“I didn’t murder my parents,” she wrote in an April 2025 “ Open Letter to the World” that her attorney sent to The Associated Press.

Camp Mystic files for bankruptcy after catastrophic Texas floods killed 28 people at the girls' camp

DALLAS (AP) — Camp Mystic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization on Wednesday, nearly a year after catastrophic floods killed 25 campers and two teenage counselors at the Christian camp for girls along the Guadalupe River in Texas.

Camp Mystic has been under increasing pressure since the July 4 disaster. Owners had planned to reopen the Texas Hill Country camp this summer for its 100th anniversary but reversed course in April amid outrage from victims’ families and lawmakers. Victims' families filed lawsuits accusing the camp of failing to protect the girls as the powerful floodwaters approached.

Camp Mystic’s owner, Richard Eastland, also died in the flood.

The camp listed its debt at more than $10 million, according to the filing made in federal bankruptcy court in Houston. An attorney for Camp Mystic has not responded to an email and a phone message seeking comment.

“Bankruptcy will not stop all responsible parties from being held accountable,” Paul Yetter, a lawyer who represents multiple families of campers and counselors who died at Camp Mystic, said in a statement. “These innocent girls deserve justice.”

World Cup what to know: US faces decisions for final group-stage game against winless Turkey

The United States returns to the pitch for its final World Cup group-stage game with some decisions to make.

The Americans have already won Group D to lock up a spot in the knockout stage and will face winless Turkey in Inglewood, California, on Thursday.

Christian Pulisic returned to training after missing a 2-0 win over Australia, but coach Mauricio Pochettino has to decide how much to use his star player in a game that's meaningless in the standings and the knockout stage right around the corner.

There are similar decisions to make with Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson. They're all on yellow cards and would miss the first knockout round game if they picked up a second against Turkey.

The U.S. has won consecutive World Cup matches for the first time since 1930. Its six goals in the first two matches are one short of the team record for a World Cup.