Clinton accuses Trump of ‘degrading comments about Muslims’

ASHLAND, Ohio (AP) — Hillary Clinton said Sunday that Donald Trump repaid the “ultimate sacrifice” of a U.S. Army captain killed in Iraq with insults and degrading comments about Muslims, as the soldier’s bereaved father pressured Republican Party leaders to distance themselves from the GOP presidential nominee.

Clinton’s comments came after Trump refused to back down from his criticism of the Gold Star parents’ remarks.

“Am I not allowed to respond?” Trump had tweeted. “Hillary voted for the Iraq war, not me!”

It was the latest bitter rhetorical volley between the defiant Republican candidate, Clinton and the family of a fallen soldier since the two parties concluded their major conventions last week and the nation looked ahead to a close election this November.

Trump’s stand has once again left Republican leaders facing demands to denounce their party nominee and overshadowed Clinton’s campaign message with controversy.

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Trump backers claim shift in his immigration rhetoric

CLEVELAND (AP) — As he turns his attention to the general election, Donald Trump is signaling that he is ready to tone down his fiery rhetoric on illegal immigration — at least behind closed doors.

At the same time, Republican officials appear eager to push him in a more moderate direction, telling Hispanics that he has abandoned his divisive primary pledge to deport the estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally — even if Trump hasn’t said so publicly himself.

“Trump has already said that he will not do massive deportations,” Helen Aguirre Ferre, the Republican National Committee’s director of Hispanic communications, told reporters at a Spanish-language briefing at the party’s convention two weeks ago. Instead, she said, “he will focus on removing the violent undocumented who have criminal records and live in the country.”

It’s a statement that may come as a surprise to Trump’s legion of loyal followers, many of whom were first drawn to Trump because of his hard-line views on immigration and border security. Trump has vowed to build a wall along the length of the southern border and use a “deportation force” to track down and deport anyone in the country illegally.

“You’re going to have a deportation force, and you’re going to do it humanely,” Trump said in a TV interview last fall. He estimated in a separate interview that the process would take between 18 months to two years.

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10 Things to Know for Monday

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Monday:

1. CLINTON ACCUSES TRUMP OF ‘DEGRADING COMMENTS ABOUT MUSLIMS’

The GOP presidential candidate’s stance once again leaves Republican leaders facing demands to denounce their party nominee and overshadows his rival’s campaign message with controversy.

2. TRUMP BACKERS CLAIM SHIFT IN HIS IMMIGRATION RHETORIC

Republican officials appear eager to push their nominee in a more moderate direction, telling Hispanics that he has abandoned his divisive pledge to deport the estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally.

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Skydiver becomes first person to jump and land without chute

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After leaping from an airplane, Luke Aikins rocketed toward earth for two minutes, and then calmly flipped onto his back at the last second and landed in a 100-by-100-foot net in California.

Cheers rose from those who gathered at the Big Sky movie ranch on the outskirts of Simi Valley to watch the stunt, including his family.

The 42-year-old skydiver with more than 18,000 jumps made history as the first person to survive a leap without a parachute and land safely in a net.

As the audience erupted, Aikins quickly climbed out, walked over and hugged his wife, Monica, who had been watching from the ground with their 4-year-old son, Logan, and other family members.

“I’m almost levitating. It’s incredible,” the jubilant skydiver said, raising his hands over his head as his wife held their son, who dozed in her arms.

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NTSB: Balloon hit power lines before crashing, killing 16

LOCKHART, Texas (AP) — A hot air balloon hit high-tension power lines before crashing into a pasture in Central Texas, killing all 16 on board, according to federal authorities investigating the worst such disaster in U.S. history.

A power line was tripped at 7:42 a.m. Saturday, and the first call to 911 came a minute later, National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt said during a news conference. The crash site was near a row of high-tension power lines, and aerial photos showed an area of scorched land underneath.

“There is physical evidence to indicate that the balloon, or some component of the balloon, hit the physical wires themselves and not the tower,” Sumwalt said.

The NTSB will look at several factors including reports of foggy weather, but is concentrating first on gathering evidence such as witness statements.

The pilot was Skip Nichols, 49, according to Alan Lirette, who identified Nichols as his best friend, roommate and boss. Lirette said he helped launch the balloon. The NTSB has not yet publicly identified the pilot or the passengers.

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Turning back on Trump, Koch network focuses on Senate

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Billionaire industrialist Charles Koch declared Sunday that his expansive political network would not support Donald Trump, questioning whether the Republican presidential nominee believes in free markets.

During an exclusive gathering with some of the nation’s most powerful Republican donors, the 80-year-old conservative icon also dismissed any suggestion he might support Democrat Hillary Clinton as “a blood libel.”

“At this point I can’t support either candidate, but I’m certainly not going to support Hillary,” Koch told hundreds of donors gathered for a weekend retreat in a luxury hotel at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.

With Election Day just three months away, Koch and his chief lieutenants openly refused to support the Republican presidential nominee, focusing their tremendous resources instead on helping the GOP win competitive Senate contests in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Details on Koch’s decision emerged Sunday, the second day of a three-day gathering for donors who promise to give at least $100,000 each year to the various groups backed by the Koch brothers’ Freedom Partners — a network of education, policy and political entities that aim to promote a smaller, less intrusive government.

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Officials: 1 dead, 3 hospitalized in Austin shooting

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A shooting in a crowded entertainment district in downtown Austin early Sunday caused a chaotic scene, leaving one woman dead and three others wounded and police searching for a suspect.

Austin police say they want to question a 24-year-old possibly armed man in the overnight shootings. Police are circulating a photograph of a man described in a statement as a “person of interest.”

Austin Police Chief of Staff Brian Manley says police received reports of gunshots in crowded Sixth Street Entertainment District shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday, and found that five people had been shot.

“It was a very chaotic scene,” Manley said. “A lot of people running in different directions with all the gunshots coming out.”

One woman was pronounced dead at the scene, and three other women were taken to University Medical Center Brackenridge with injuries that were serious, but not life-threatening. Manley said another victim declined to be transported to the hospital.

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Pope to young on Poland trip: Believe ‘in a new humanity’

KRAKOW, Poland (AP) — Pope Francis told young people who flocked by the hundreds of thousands to his words Sunday that they need to “believe in a new humanity” stronger than evil, and cautioned against concluding that one religion is more violent than others.

Organizers of the Catholic jamboree known as World Youth Day estimated 1.5 million youths attended his Mass at a meadow near Krakow, many of them having camped out in sleeping bags from a vigil service of prayer, singing and dance performances the previous evening.

The jamboree, meant to infuse young Catholics with fresh passion for their religion, was the main reason Francis came to Poland on a five-trip, which also took him to the former Nazi Auschwitz death camp, where he prayed in silence and reflected on what he called “so much cruelty,” and to a church in Krakow, where he prayed that God protect the world from the “devastating wave” of terrorism.

Extremist violence was on his mind when he set out last week, the day after extremists rushed into a church in the French countryside and murdered the elderly priest there, slitting his throat, as he was celebrating Mass.

Flying back to Rome Sunday night from Krakow, he was asked by reporters why he has never used the word “Islam” when denouncing terrorist attacks.

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Alba calls for end to gun violence at Teen Choice Awards

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The boisterous revelry of the Teen Choice Awards momentarily took on a somber tone Sunday when Jessica Alba called for an end to gun violence with a group of teenagers.

The actress was joined on stage at the fan-favorite ceremony by a group of teens related to the victims of shootings in such places as San Bernardino, California; Newton, Connecticut; and Orlando, Florida. She asked viewers to tweet the hashtag #StopTheViolence.

“It keeps happening, and it has to stop,” Alba said.

It was otherwise business as usual at the Teen Choice Awards as co-hosts John Cena and Victoria Justice engaged in goofy stunts and helped hand out surfboard-shaped trophies in categories honoring film, TV, music and social media.

Justin Timberlake was bestowed with the ceremony’s version of a lifetime achievement award. The singer-actor used his moment in the spotlight to honor late boxer Muhammad Ali and impart wisdom to the young crowd gathered at the Forum in Inglewood, California.

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Jimmy Walker wins a marathon at the PGA Championship

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. (AP) — Jimmy Walker did everything required of a major champion on the longest final day in 64 years at a PGA Championship.

And then Jason Day made him do a little bit more.

Walker was standing over an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-5 17th hole Sunday when he heard a roar that caused him to twice back off the putt. It was Day, the defending champion and world’s No. 1 player, down to his last chance and delivering with a 2-iron that landed in front of the pin and stopped 15 feet away for eagle.

Walker answered, like he had done all day, with a birdie for a three-shot lead.

Moments later, another roar.