At least 11 people have been reported dead across the Caribbean as a powerful storm is expected to regain hurricane strength this weekend while crossing the Gulf of Mexico towards Texas. In response, officials have urged coastal communities to prepare for potential impacts and have issued preemptive disaster declarations for 39 counties.

In a significant legal development, the Kansas Supreme Court reaffirmed the state's abortion protections by rejecting two proposed anti-abortion laws. One of the rejected laws aimed to ban a common second-trimester procedure, while the other sought to impose stricter regulations on abortion providers compared to other healthcare professionals. Justice Eric Rosen emphasized that the state constitution protects a fundamental right to personal autonomy, which includes a pregnant person's right to terminate a pregnancy.

In the realm of politics, Donald Trump's legal team has requested a pause in the classified documents case against him in Florida. This request follows a recent Supreme Court ruling that grants presidents broad immunity for official acts. Trump's lawyers argue that a pause would help mitigate adverse consequences to the presidency stemming from what they describe as an unconstitutional investigation and prosecution. This filing comes shortly after a judge in New York agreed to delay sentencing in Trump's hush money trial while considering the implications of the court's decision.

On the international front, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made headlines with his unannounced visit to Moscow, becoming the first European leader to meet with President Vladimir Putin since 2022. Orban's visit follows his recent trip to Kyiv, where he urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept a ceasefire. European leaders criticized Orban's Moscow trip as an act of appeasement rather than genuine diplomacy. After their meeting, Putin reiterated his conditions for a ceasefire, demanding that Ukraine withdraw its forces from four regions claimed by Russia.

In the Middle East, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas appear to be gaining momentum after weeks of stagnation. Israel confirmed that a senior official held initial meetings with mediators in Doha, although they acknowledged existing gaps between the parties. This development follows Hamas's submission of amendments to a three-phase proposal supported by Israel, the U.S., and other nations, with talks set to resume next week. Meanwhile, Palestinian authorities reported that an Israeli raid and airstrike in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin resulted in the deaths of seven individuals, four of whom were claimed to be members of a militant group.