Keith Sonderling, who was confirmed 47-41, has been the acting secretary since April and has served in multiple roles within the department over the course of his career. He was picked for the job after the White House announced that Lori Chavez-DeRemer would be leaving her post to take a job in the private sector. Her exit followed multiple allegations that she had abused the power of her position.

Sonderling was a senior advisor in the department during Trump’s first term and later served as a Republican member of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He also taught about the laws the department enforces as an adjunct professor at George Washington University. He returned to the department in Trump’s second term and was confirmed as deputy secretary in March of last year.

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., said it was clear Sonderling was qualified for the position when the committee he chairs advanced his nomination to the full Senate.

“I’m confident that he will protect workers, help businesses create more jobs, and help workers navigate AI-driven changes in the workforce,” Cassidy said.

Democrats opposed Sonderling's confirmation, citing administration policies at the department they disagreed with, including management of some Department of Education grant programs at Labor. That’s been happening as Trump works to fulfill his campaign pledge to close the Department of Education entirely.

The Labor Department's mission is focused on administering federal labor laws to guarantee workers’ rights to fair, safe, and healthy working conditions.

“I fear any vote to confirm you is for more of the same: to strip overtime protections for our workers, to undercut our unions and to let giant corporations get away with robbery, literally,” Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said during Sonderling's confirmation hearing.

Video exclusively obtained by Local 10 News shows North Miami Beach police entering an apartment and finding four children home alone while their mother was away on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas, according to investigators.

Nathalie Belizaire, 29, was arrested Monday after returning to PortMiami from a cruise to the Bahamas. She faces four counts of child neglect without great bodily harm, jail records show.

Belizaire told reporters after leaving jail Tuesday night that arrangements had been made for someone to care for the children. She also accused the father of her youngest child of setting her up.

The father, speaking to Local 10 News by phone through a translator, gave a different account.

He said Belizaire contacted him Thursday and asked whether he could watch their 2-month-old daughter. He said he told her he could not and understood that she planned to ask her mother to care for the children.

The children have different fathers, according to police.

The father said he later contacted the grandmother and learned she did not have the children. He then went to the family’s apartment in the area of Northeast 15th Avenue and 170th Street.

He said he did not have a key but could see the children inside the apartment. Video he provided to Local 10 News shows the children apparently watching television inside.

Concerned about his infant daughter, he called police.

North Miami Beach police said officers responded Saturday and forced their way into the apartment. Officers reported finding four children, including the 2-month-old, inside. Some of the children were found “hiding” in a bathroom, according to the arrest report.

Police said Belizaire had left Friday and was expected to return Monday.

The mother was aboard the Carnival Conquest, a cruise ship that sailed from Miami to the Bahamas, according to authorities. Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies waited for her at PortMiami when the ship returned Monday, the arrest report states.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection held Belizaire before North Miami Beach police took her into custody, according to the report.

Belizaire’s public defender told a judge Tuesday that she denied the allegations.

During a hearing, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer questioned why the four children had been left alone.

“The poor kids were home alone,” Glazer said.

Glazer issued four stay-away orders and set Belizaire’s bond at $10,000. Miami-Dade County jail records show she was booked Monday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

The father said he did not intend to set Belizaire up and contacted police because he was concerned about his daughter.

He said he did not know who was caring for the other children after learning that their grandmother did not have them.

The case has since spread widely across social media, with questions about the circumstances surrounding the police call and Belizaire’s claim that someone was supposed to be watching the children.

Local 10 News reached out to Belizaire for comment Wednesday, but she declined to speak.

At the same time, record amounts of sargassum continue to wash ashore.

But what if one problem could help solve the other?

At the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School, scientists are racing to find a solution, finding an opportunity in all that waste.

“Sargassum is no longer just a nuisance. It has become a big problem with what to do with it,” said Dr. Daniel Benetti, director of aquaculture at the Rosenstiel School.

“Right now, it’s basically put to waste. And not only is it a waste, it’s loaded with, you know, all the arsenic and other heavy metals,” Benetti said.

Scientists are testing whether South Florida beach sargassum can become food — not for people, but for black soldier fly larvae.

“So this is our Black Soldier Fly experimental system,” said Dr. Julio Camperio.

“And the idea here is to see how the larvae react with the sargassum as a feed source,” Camperio said.

The two-year project is the brainchild of Camperio, who has been working with black soldier flies since 2017. Known as nature’s recyclers, they’re easy to raise and will eat just about anything.

“These larvae started about, I would say, the size of a rice grain, about 10 to 11 days ago. So they just live in the substrate and then they keep consuming what they need,” Camperio said.

Camperio feeds the larvae different blends of food waste and beach sargassum, tracking their growth to find the right mix.

But the larvae may be doing something even more important: detoxifying the arsenic often present in sargassum.

“They are either essentially transforming inorganic arsenic to organic, or they’re only accumulating the organic and defecating the inorganic,” Camperio said.

It’s a short but busy two-week life cycle for the larvae. Before they turn into flies, they’re harvested and become food themselves — fish food.

More than half the seafood we eat is now farm-raised, and those fish need to eat, too. The larvae raised here could one day feed farmed tilapia, turning sargassum into a new link in the food chain.

“We’re going to be 9 billion in a couple of decades. And the current practices of agriculture farming and fisheries won’t be enough,” Benetti said.

“To achieve the goal of feeding the world is to become more ecologically and economically efficient. And this is what is the drive behind the work that we’re doing,” Benetti said.

And even what the larvae leave behind doesn’t go to waste. Their molted skins and waste, known as frass, can become fertilizer. Here, it will be used to grow basil.

“The idea here is to basically provide the city of Miami potentially a new tool that we can use to set up systems where we can recycle sargassum,” Camperio said.

But first, the science.

Researchers still need to see how the tilapia and basil plants respond and, critically, whether any arsenic makes its way through.

If it works, this could be a game changer for how we deal with the tons of sargassum washing onto our shores.

“So instead of burying them in the sand or instead of bringing them to landfill we can put them in a mini black soldier fly farm and in two weeks, that waste will become inputs for other industries,” Camperio said.

“We’re just focusing on the science and the biology to kind of do the first stepping stones and see what direction to go,” he said.

“It could work and could make a difference,” Benetti said.

While still in the experimental stage, the University of Miami says the data shows it’s working. But the project can only make an impact if it’s scaled up.

Researchers have initial seed funding but are looking for private-sector investment toward an end goal of black soldier fly larva farms.

The race pits current mayor and lawyer Howard Weinberg against real estate broker Alberto Zaltzberg.

Weinberg, the incumbent Democrat, is serving his first four-year term. He faces no-party-affiliation challenger Zaltzberg in November.

Weinberg says his record on property taxes shows that he knows people are struggling with the cost of living in Aventura.

“We have one of the lowest property tax rates in all of Florida. If people look at their tax rate and I tell them it’s 1.72, there are cities where it’s 6,” Weinberg said.

Asked about keeping buildings and condominiums safe, Weinberg said the city has a strong inspection process.

“We have a very robust inspection system,” he said. “We get the reports, we read the reports, we send our inspectors out there.”

Weinberg said the first thing he would do if re-elected would directly affect residents’ wallets.

“There will never be an increase in our property tax rate as long as I’m your mayor,” Weinberg said. “It’s the very first promise I made. Promise made, promise kept.”

Zaltzberg, meanwhile, said Aventura has been his home for 15 years and he is ready to lead. If Zaltzberg wins, he would become Aventura’s first Latino mayor.

Asked how he would make buildings and condos as safe as possible, Zaltzberg said the city should take a more active role.

“The first thing the city can do is be more proactive with the inspections, create more control over the boards to do what they need to do,” he said.

Asked what he would do on his first day in office to give people relief in their wallets, Zaltzberg said the city’s spending and policies need review.

“We need to review all topics and listen to people on what we can cut or change,” he said.

Election Day is Nov. 3.

“Our investigators conducted surveillance, followed him, and in this case, were able to arrest him in the same yellow taxi cab just blocks away from where he committed his first crime,” Miami Beach police officer Christopher Bess said.

Police say taxi driver Reynoso Osias was working with 29-year-old Dasheona Ford, who would ride in the back of the taxi and target people who had too much to drink.

At least two victims, on separate occasions over the summer, told detectives their phones were stolen and money was fraudulently moved from their bank accounts using biometric information on their cellphones while they were intoxicated.

Osias appeared before a judge Wednesday and faced charges including kidnapping, organized scheme to defraud, unlawful use of a communications device and conspiracy for strong-armed robbery.

“Kidnapping organized scheme to defraud. Against the computer user. Unlawful use of a communications device,” the judge said.

“Conspiracy for strong armed robbery,” the judge added.

Ford, who was seen in a prior booking photo for unrelated crimes, is still on the run.

During Osias’ court appearance, the judge asked whether he owned his home and had money he could use to pay for a lawyer.

“You own your home?” the judge asked.

“Yes,” Osias said.

“You have money you could use to pay for a lawyer?” the judge asked.

“Yes,” Osias said.

The taxi driver’s arrest happened around 2 a.m. Tuesday as investigators believe he was targeting his next victim.

Police found eight iPhones underneath the driver’s seat of the taxi.

“Leads from victims, city cameras and license plate readers that we know are a little contentious in this state, but it helped us identify this driver and arrest him shortly thereafter,” Bess said.

Carter Eslick, 20, also received three years of supervised probation during a sentencing hearing in Coconino County Superior Court. Eslick had pleaded guilty to a felony hazing charge in the Jan. 31 death of Colin Daniel Martinez, 18, at an off-campus house.

An autopsy found Martinez died of alcohol poisoning with a blood-alcohol content of 0.425% — more than five times the state's legal limit for drivers 21 and over.

Martinez was among four Delta Tau Delta pledges who shared two bottles of vodka to ensure they vomited, according to court documents. Witnesses reported adjusting Martinez’s sleeping position and checking his pulse and breathing to look for signs of alcohol poisoning throughout the night, the documents said.

Coconino County Attorney Ammon Barker said no sentence can undo the harm to Martinez's family.

“My hope is that this case helps people understand the serious dangers of hazing and encourages them to speak up and intervene before another family experiences this kind of loss," Barker said in a statement.

The Associated Press left email and voice messages for Eslick’s attorney, Burges McCowan, seeking comment late Wednesday.

Eslick was the fraternity’s pledge master at the time and was responsible for welcoming new members. He’s no longer a student at NAU.

He could face additional jail time if he doesn't meet the conditions of probation, which include delivering 305 anti-hazing presentations and keeping the court updated on his progress.

Eslick can't use alcohol or drugs unless prescribed, and he must complete any treatment required after an assessment.

The university suspended the fraternity after Martinez’s death, and the national organization later closed the NAU chapter.

The Trump administration had granted visas, albeit with severe restrictions, to Iran’s president and foreign minister and their delegations to attend the annual meeting of world leaders despite the hostilities between the two countries.

While President Masoud Pezeshkian left New York a day after speaking at the United Nations last week, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had remained behind ostensibly to participate in indirect talks with the U.S. on opening the Strait of Hormuz, ending the conflict and resuming negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.

According to some accounts, Araghchi had planned to stay in New York until Wednesday.

After little progress was made in weekend meetings between Iranian and Qatari mediators, Rubio lost patience and told the Iranians on Monday that Araghchi and his delegation had to leave New York immediately, according to the two officials, who were familiar with the decision and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal administration process.

Rubio, according to one official, determined that the Iranians had “overstayed their welcome” and that since the high-level meetings at the U.N. were over, they should leave.

Ararghchi and his team departed New York very early Tuesday.

The Iranian U.N. delegation on Wednesday denied that they were ordered to leave.

“The Iranian delegation left New York on Monday evening, in accordance with the schedule that had also been communicated to the U.S. Department of State in advance on September 17,” the delegation wrote on its official X account. “Having achieved nothing, the State Department has resorted to propagating baseless and worthless news.”

Rubio’s decision was first reported by Axios.

Atlanta, which had lost in the first round in each of the last three seasons, will host Game 1 of the semifinals on Sunday against New York, which swept Minnesota to become the first No. 8 seed to eliminate a No. 1 seed in the league’s 30-year history.

Canada made 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions in the fourth quarter, and she added a jumper from the free-throw line on Atlanta's next trip for an 89-70 lead with 2:58 left.

Canada also had 11 assists and seven rebounds. Rhyne Howard finished with 15 points before fouling out with 6:03 left in the fourth quarter. Angel Reese also had 15 points and Naz Hillmon added 10.

Sonia Citron scored 25 points for Washington. Kiki Iriafen had 15 points and 16 rebounds and became the first player in franchise history to have a first-half double-double in a playoff game.

Atlanta led 41-28 with 1:26 left in the first half before Washington closed on a 7-0 run, capped by Citron's shot in the lane just before the buzzer. The Mystics were hurt by 11 first-half turnovers.

Washington went on a 14-2 run starting in the third quarter to get within 65-62. But Atlanta scored the next 13 points, capped by a 3-pointer by Canada, to rebuild a double-digit lead at 78-62.

The Mystics were making their first playoff appearance since winning the 2019 WNBA championship.

___

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

The team will play at Amerant Bank Field on the Nova Southeastern University campus, sharing the venue with the club’s Gainbridge Super League women’s team.

“Fort Lauderdale has a proud soccer history, and the supporters who built it deserve to be part of what comes next,” said Tommy Smith, founder and chairman of Fort Lauderdale United FC. “We want to carry that passion forward while giving a new generation its own team, traditions and memories.”

Aly Hassan will serve as general manager of the new men’s team while continuing to oversee Fort Lauderdale United FC’s women’s professional team.

“South Florida has always produced talent,” Hassan said. “Too often that talent had to leave home to find its next step. Now it doesn’t have to.”

The men’s team will give aspiring players a clear pathway to pursue professional soccer close to home. Starting at the youth level, Fort Lauderdale United FC’s development programs will prepare players to achieve their sporting dreams.

To learn more about Founding Membership and follow preparations for the inaugural men’s season, visit https://www.ftlutd.com/mens/about/ and follow @FTLUTD on social media.

“I trained that way for many years without becoming still enough to search within myself,” said Yuan, who founded a kung fu academy in central China in 2004.

“But as you gradually settle into stillness, you begin to understand what the scriptures mean by spirit,” he added. “You can begin to rediscover yourself.”

That process is known as “entering the Dao” in martial arts. It is a guiding principle at Yuan’s academy in the sacred Wudang Mountains, where disciplines like kung fu and tai chi draw on Taoist thought.

Practitioners like Yuan start by strengthening the body. As they progress, the mind becomes more resilient and willpower develops.

“The body is a vehicle or vessel within which the spirit resides,” Yuan said. “You therefore need a healthy body capable of carrying your spirit.”

A search for healing led to a deeper martial arts practice

Yuan began practicing martial arts in the 1980s. Boxing and the Chinese combat sport of sanda attracted him at first.

He heard of Wudang later that decade. As his body ached with rheumatism, Yuan read an article claiming Taoist practices could heal him. So he packed his bags and moved to the mountains. There he became acquainted with Taoist temples and embraced practices such as standing meditation.

He came to understand that movement and stillness are interconnected, rather than opposites. That physical activity can help practitioners quiet the body, allowing them to become calm and grounded.

“I slowly became interested and eventually I benefited from the practice myself,” Yuan said. “That process was very profound for me.”

Yuan now seeks to share that knowledge with local and foreign students enrolled in the three programs at his academy.

One is a five-year course offering in-depth martial arts training. The second is focused on health and well-being, helping adults exercise and cultivate their minds. The third is a summer camp for children seeking exercise during school breaks.

Taoism has a long history at Wudang

Chinese philosopher Laozi is believed to have passed on teachings foundational to Taoism to his first student more than 2,500 years ago. That disciple settled on the mountain and helped spread his master’s ideas.

“It did not develop into a collective religious faith until after the Qin and Han dynasties,” said Shu Chenghai, director of social education at Wudang Museum.

Wudang lay between present-day Xi’an and Luoyang, two major political centers in ancient China. That made it easier for practitioners to seek seclusion while remaining within reach of major population centers.

“The Taoist tradition was therefore never entirely about withdrawing from the world,” Shu said.

Wudang’s importance as a Taoist religious center came later. During the Tang era, prayers for rain at the mountain were believed to have been answered. Its standing continued to grow under subsequent rulers, reaching its height under Ming emperors.

Taoist philosophy shapes Chinese martial arts

Guo Xinyi is a Chinese student who began training at Yuan’s academy five years ago. She knew of his decades-long commitment to preserving and passing down traditional Taoist martial arts. That made her feel she could trust him.

Within Chinese martial arts, teachers like Yuan are known as “Shifu.” The closest English translation is “master.” But the Chinese term includes the character for “father.” Guo, therefore, thinks of Yuan not merely as a mentor, but as a father figure.

When she first came to his academy, she struggled with conflict with her parents. Her tai chi lessons, though, taught her to approach confrontation calmly.

“I invited Master Yuan to have tea and talk with us,” Guo said. “During that conversation, the conflict somehow seemed to dissolve almost invisibly.”

Yuan eased her father’s anxiety, tension and excessive concern for her, she said, adding that the conversation resembled a tai chi lesson.

“When we encounter conflict, our physical instinct is to resist or attack, to move forward and meet what is coming at us,” Guo said. “But tai chi does something different. First, you release tension. Then you sink. Only afterwards do you rise.”

Masters adapt training for today’s students

The number of students from China and abroad studying at Yuan’s academy has increased in recent years.

“In the past, most learners were middle-aged or elderly, but the student population has gradually become younger,” he said.

Among that younger generation is Jake Pinnick, an American practitioner who arrived at age 20 and, 16 years later, calls Wudang home.

Pinnick grew up in the U.S. watching kung fu movies and playing sports that relied on competition. What he found in China forever changed his life.

“I came here for martial arts, but I stayed because of this philosophy,” said Pinnick, who also became a martial arts master and recently opened his own academy in Wudang.

Yuan said teaching methods have evolved to adapt to younger generations.

Physical training is less demanding and corporal punishment has been eliminated. New ways of motivating students have been introduced instead. Among them is the chanting of slogans aimed at building physical and inner strength.

“Faith in your heart, light in your eyes, and a smile on your face,” is one his students' daily chants.

Routines at his academy vary depending on the program, but training can begin as early as 6 a.m. After breakfast, students practice fundamentals before splitting into groups for specific martial arts training. Their schedules also include theory classes and meditation.

Yuan believes learning in Wudang means immersing oneself in the Taoist culture that has shaped its martial arts tradition. That environment, he said, can help students cultivate harmony with nature, with others and within themselves.

“Consider how deeply this nourishes the human heart, mind and spirit,” he added. “If practicing martial arts can nourish you to such an extent, what more could you ask for?”

___

AP video journalist Wu Jia contributed to this report.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Since the school bus camera program came back online in May, more than 27,000 citations have been issued to drivers who failed to stop.

The buses are equipped with AI cameras that capture video from multiple angles. Each bus has nine cameras.

Local 10 obtained video showing drivers passing buses after the amber warning lights come on and the red lights begin flashing. In one video, children are seen in a crosswalk as a driver passes just inches from them. In another, children are in the road as a driver continues past the bus.

The fine for failing to stop is $225.

Before a citation is mailed, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office says human eyes review the entire video package. The agency says the program is about public safety and protecting children, not a “gotcha” campaign.

At $225 per ticket, roughly $6 million has been collected in about four months, though some violations are likely dismissed.

The program had previously been sidelined after some drivers were incorrectly billed.

The company that works with the school buses supplies the cameras and runs the program, with the revenue split between the company and the school district.

Deputies say two excuses they frequently hear from drivers are, “I didn’t know the bus had stopped” and “It wasn’t me.”

But with nine cameras on each bus, officials are working toward one goal: zero violations.

The White Sox used a big first inning and a three-run homer from Chase Meidroth to propel them to a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday to sweep their AL Wild Card Series.

“I’m proud of the guys and certainly happy for them as they’re probably the only ones in this country that believed that they could be in this spot," manager Will Venable said. “And they maintained that belief in the beginning of the season and went throughout the season maintaining that, and they made it happen. So it’s awesome to get to this point.”

It's the first time Chicago has won a playoff series since beating Houston in the World Series in 2005. Under the direction of Venable, the second-year skipper, and with a letter of support from Pope Leo XIV, the White Sox advanced to face AL Central champion Cleveland in the AL Division Series beginning Saturday in Cleveland.

“It means everything for our fans,” Meidroth said. “They have been incredible all year. So the main thing was getting back to Chicago for some postseason baseball, and so we’re really blessed that we get to do that.”

The White Sox, who lost 100 games in each of the last three seasons, are the only team in major league history to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons with a playoff berth.

The AL West-winning Astros went 81-81 to become the first team to reach the postseason without a winning record. Their recent playoff woes in Houston continued Wednesday as they dropped their ninth straight home playoff game in a ninth trip to the postseason in the last 10 years.

Chicago pounced on the Astros for four runs in the first inning a day after scoring three in the first two innings of a 6-3 win. Houston ace Hunter Brown was lifted after getting just two outs and wasn’t helped by a sloppy defense which committed two first-inning errors.

He was 6-0 with a 2.39 ERA in six career starts against the White Sox before Wednesday’s debacle.

The Astros clawed their way back into it with solo home runs from Jeremy Peña, Cam Smith and Jose Altuve to trail by 1 entering the sixth inning.

AJ Blubaugh, who opened Game 1, and Peter Lambert, pitching on two days’ rest, combined to retire the next 13 batters after Brown exited. Chicago’s next baserunner came when Lambert walked Andrew Benintendi to start the sixth and then walked Tristan Peters.

Bryan Abreu came in, and Meidroth smashed his fifth pitch off the wall in left field to push the lead to 7-3. He yelled on his entire trip around the bases to the delight of a patch of White Sox fans seated near the visitor’s dugout.

“I was looking for something middle up,” Meidroth said. “He’s had my number all year, really good fastball, so I got something middle up and I was able to cash in for the team. So, yeah, that was awesome.”

Houston faced boos for a second game in a row from an unusually thin crowd. It’s a second straight playoff trip where the Astros have been swept at home in the wild card after losing both games to Detroit in 2024.

Now they’ll face an uncertain future with manager Joe Espada’s contract set to expire at season’s end after general manager Dana Brown was fired last month.

“We fought back and we set our goal to win this division and we accomplished that,” Espada said. “We wanted to play deep in October. We came short on that. But just the way our guys stayed together and were able to get this far, extremely proud of our team.”

It was a disappointing series for Houston slugger and AL MVP-favorite Yordan Alvarez, who managed only a single with two strikeouts in eight at-bats in the series.

Altuve’s shot to the seats in left field in the fourth inning got the Astros within 4-3. It was the 28th postseason homer of his career, which is second in MLB history behind Manny Ramirez (29).

“We’re all sad,” Altuve said. “We wanted to go to the World Series and win it. But today is sorrow for the final day of the season."

The Astros had a shot to take the lead before Meidroth’s homer. They loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Anthony Kay retired Altuve on a fly out to end the inning.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Authorities reopened an investigation Monday as outrage built over a woman’s lawsuit filed Sept. 16 against the Chi Phi fraternity, the university and the seven students she says assaulted her. She told police in November 2024 that she was assaulted at the fraternity house the month before, and prosecutors decided at the time not to prosecute anyone.

The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they have been sexually assaulted. The woman’s lawsuit uses a pseudonym for her.

The Chi Phi chapter has been barred from campus, and its national organization said Wednesday that the Cornell chapter unanimously voted to remove the accused members from its rolls within days of the woman filing a police report. Cornell has said its investigation had led to some students being disciplined or expelled.

It's a horrifying but familiar story on many campuses, said Elizabeth Allan, a professor of higher education at the University of Maine and director of the school’s Hazing Prevention Research Lab. She said failed reforms show "how entrenched some of the behaviors are and that we need to take an approach that’s transformative.”

The university in Ithaca, New York, has rolled out reforms in response to hazing deaths, lawsuits and arrests in its Greek system.

In 2019, Cornell required Greek life chapters to hire independent event monitors and submit to random security spot checks, among other changes, after freshman Antonio Tsialas was found dead at the bottom of a gorge. His parents’ lawsuit said he and other fraternity pledges were hazed by being forced to drink dangerous amounts of alcohol.

Cornell has had fraternities — and problems — since its founding in 1865, said Adam McCready, a University of Connecticut associate professor who studies fraternities and sororities. One of the first confirmed hazing deaths happened at Cornell in the 1870s, he said.

Over time, the fraternities built what he described as “palatial mansions that dictate the social environment on campus.”

Fraternities have a long record of hazing and abuse cases

In 1997, a Cornell student alleged in a lawsuit that he suffered weeks of paddling and beatings. The following year, a half dozen Cornell students were arrested over allegations that a fraternity pledge was taken from his dorm room, blindfolded and bound with rope and duct tape.

In 2012, a fraternity was found guilty of hazing in the alcohol poisoning death of a Cornell student. After the death, Cornell University moved to eradicate risky pledging practices.

At the time, more than one quarter of Cornell students were members of fraternities and sororities. These students graduate and turn into donors, McCready said. “It can be a challenge to making change if there’s pressure not to do so,” McCready said.

In 2018, a fraternity chapter was placed on probation over a contest that members dubbed the Pig Roast in reference to the weight of the women they slept with.

Cornell again took steps to reign in fraternities, moving to ban hard liquor from chapter houses and require live-in advisers.

But in 2022, allegations of a sexual assault and students being drugged at off-campus housing affiliated with fraternities led Cornell to temporarily suspend fraternity parties. Fraternity leaders were supposed to use the time to "implement stronger health and safety plans,” the university had said.

The gang rape allegation followed two years later.

Advocates call for a stronger response

Cornell has said it is committed to implementing recommendations from a task force that launched last year on campus sexual assault. The university has also pointed to the expulsions and suspensions it implemented in the case.

But that is too little for advocates of sex crime victims.

The people the woman says gang raped her were allowed to write essays to Cornell “to mitigate their conduct,” the woman's lawsuit said. That's unacceptable, said Maha Ibrahim, a director at Equal Rights Advocates, a nonprofit that represents survivors.

“There's no schema where that’s an appropriate response to a gang rape,” Ibrahim said.

Allan said the case highlights a need to better understand what contributes to this kind of violence and misconduct, not just in groups, but communities, institutions and society.

“The lack of understanding around consent issues are broad-reaching and we have to be taking a public health approach to change behavior, change attitudes" in more sustainable ways, Allan said.

____

Leah Willingham in Boston contributed to this report.

____

The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

“Los glaciares alpinos no tienen ninguna posibilidad de sobrevivir a largo plazo en estas condiciones”, señalaron el servicio suizo de monitoreo de glaciares GLAMOS y la Academia Suiza de Ciencias en un comunicado difundido el jueves.

Los expertos indican que la tendencia ha empeorado en los últimos años: solo en los últimos cinco, el volumen de hielo en Suiza ha disminuido casi una quinta parte.

El informe da cuenta de las más recientes preocupaciones de que el calentamiento global causa estragos en Europa, el continente que se calienta más rápido en el mundo.

“El calentamiento que experimentamos ahora puede atribuirse al 100% al cambio climático antropogénico. Es así de simple”, afirmó Matthias Huss, quien dirige GLAMOS. “Sin las emisiones humanas o los combustibles fósiles, no tendríamos ningún calentamiento en este momento”.

La pérdida de volumen de hielo de este año continúa la tendencia

El retroceso récord del hielo glaciar en Suiza se produjo en 2022, cuando el calor del verano, las escasas nevadas invernales y una inusual capa de polvo rojizo arrastrado desde el Sahara oscurecieron los glaciares y provocaron que absorbieran más calor.

Huss explicó que la cobertura de nieve en invierno era importante por dos razones.

“Por un lado, protege el hielo desnudo contra el derretimiento. Cuanto más tiempo se mantiene la nieve, más tiempo se evita la pérdida de hielo antiguo”, explicó Huss en una entrevista en el Instituto Politécnico Federal ETHZ, donde es profesor de glaciología.

“Por otro lado, la nieve también es importante para generar nuevo alimento para el glaciar. Cuanta más nieve haya, mayor es el potencial de conservar parte de esa nieve a gran altitud y formar nuevo hielo”, agregó.

El gran deshielo en los legendarios Alpes europeos no es el único: expertos afirman que el calentamiento global ayudó a desestabilizar una ladera del Himalaya que colapsó en agosto y desató inundaciones catastróficas y mortales en Nepal. Los satélites han mostrado una vasta reducción de glaciares en lugares como Groenlandia y la Antártida durante el último medio siglo, aproximadamente.

La caída porcentual aumenta a medida que disminuye el volumen total de hielo

En Suiza, en términos absolutos, el volumen perdido ha sido menor que el de 2003, pero la disminución porcentual este año es mayor. Esto se debe a que el volumen total actual es aproximadamente un tercio del de hace 23 años. En aquel entonces, la pérdida relativa fue del 3,5% del volumen total de hielo en los glaciares suizos.

Este derretimiento acelerado del hielo ha tenido un impacto en Suiza: la pérdida de 2,2 billones de litros (581.000 millones de galones) de julio a septiembre equivale a cuatro veces el consumo anual de agua del país, de unos 9,1 millones de habitantes. Suiza obtiene más de la mitad de su electricidad de la energía hidroeléctrica.

Pero el impacto del derretimiento acelerado de los glaciares se extiende mucho más allá: Suiza es la torre de agua de Europa y alimenta algunos de los ríos más importantes del continente: el Danubio, el Po, el Rin y el Ródano.

Los expertos señalan que el “derretimiento extremo” que enfrentaron los glaciares de Suiza este año incluyó una disminución del espesor promedio de glaciares individuales de entre 2,5 y 4 metros (unos 8-13 pies), y una reducción de hasta 10 metros (33 pies) en la lengua de algunos glaciares.

Los equipos de expertos se han desplegado para evaluar la escorrentía y las grietas causadas por el agua que corre a través de los glaciares, en parte vertiendo tinte rojo en los arroyos para rastrear los flujos de agua.

Los glaciares Allalin, Clarident, Ródano y Aletsch —siendo Aletsch el más grande de los Alpes— fueron algunos de los que registraron el mayor derretimiento del que se tenga constancia este año.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

The Texas Department of Public Safety said in a statement that it received “credible information about an individual planning a violent attack" for Thursday in Austin.

The tip came in Tuesday evening, and SWAT officers made the arrest about 3 a.m. Wednesday at a residence in Converse, near San Antonio.

Benny Caldera Jr. could face charges including felony terroristic threat against a public servant, the DPS statement said. He was jailed and then released on a $75,000 bond, according to the online case docket.

Messages were left seeking comment from John Bunk, an attorney listed for Caldera.

Officials did not provide details about the alleged plot, citing the ongoing investigation.

DPS notified state lawmakers about the threat and arrest early Wednesday. The Capitol remained open during regular operating hours.

Texas Senate Secretary Patsy Spaw said in a notice that there will be increased security at the Capitol during the investigation.

Gov. Greg Abbott said the state DPS was assisted by the FBI in making the arrest.

"Texas will NOT tolerate threats of violence against our Capitol," the governor said in a statement on social media.

Es la primera protesta contra Fujimori en Lima, aunque en agosto han ocurrido paros regionales contra el gobierno en las regiones de Loreto y Ucayali, en especial por el alza de los precios de los combustibles.

El gobierno de Fujimori ha pedido al Congreso autorización para legislar por 120 días en más de 60 campos y aprobar medidas tributarias, laborales, penitenciarias, migratorias y económicas para promover el empleo, las pequeñas empresas, la inversión y el desarrollo productivo.

Pero los sindicatos han observado aspectos que podrían debilitar diversos derechos de los trabajadores. “Lo que este gobierno está buscando, dentro de ese paquete, es introducir medidas...para eliminar los topes a las tasas de interés bancarias, reducir los derechos de los trabajadores jóvenes y debilitar los derechos laborales”, dijo a The Associated Press Luis Solís, dirigente del sindicato de trabajadores del Ministerio de Transportes y Comunicaciones.

Entre los manifestantes había miembros del gremios textiles y de la construcción, entre otros.

Fujimori dijo el martes en la región Ica que el paquete de facultades legislativas solicitadas al Parlamento son "importantes" porque su gestión debe enfrentar el fenómeno climático El Niño —que ya se manifiesta en el norte del país con lluvias constantes— así como para luchar contra una ola delincuencial que no cesa.

La Cámara de Diputados aún no ha aprobado el pedido de facultades legislativas del gobierno.

En agosto, el gobierno de Fujimori declaró un estado de excepción por 60 días en Lima y el puerto del Callao para enfrentar al crimen. A inicios de septiembre Perú se sumó al Escudo de las Américas liderado por Estados Unidos para combatir la delincuencia transnacional.

Fujimori llegó al poder en julio tras prometer orden en un país azotado por las extorsiones y los asesinatos, principales preocupaciones en Perú, con 33 millones de habitantes. Las denuncias por extorsiones pasaron de 2.421 en 2019 a 26.734 en 2025, según datos oficiales.

Judge Dustin Howell said that the case against Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, 28, should proceed after prosecutors presented body-worn camera footage of the encounter in Austin, in which Garces Perez allegedly struck a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer with his driver's side mirror.

Garces Perez is charged with one count of assaulting, resisting and impeding a federal officer and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted. His case has sparked widespread outrage across the Texas capital city and brought renewed criticism from Democrats of President Donald Trump’s aggressive crackdown on immigration.

Garces Perez appeared in court in a wheelchair and wearing a sling on his arm

With a bullet still lodged in his back, Garces Perez appeared in court in a wheelchair. His attorneys said he still urgently needs medical care, 10 days after being shot. He also wore a sling on his arm and needed help putting on a headset to listen to a translation of the proceedings.

The defense called the charges against Garces Perez “retaliation” and argued that the camera footage was inconclusive because it didn't fully capture the moment when he allegedly tried to flee.

The hearing also included testimony from Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Rick Bazan, who signed the criminal complaint charging Garces Perez with assault. The defense argued that Bazan, whose agency is the investigative arm of ICE, could not confirm whether the ICE agent was actually hit by the car mirror since no federal investigators interviewed the agent directly. Bazan also couldn't explain why officer allegedly struck by the mirror was not wearing a body-worn camera.

Footage provided Wednesday in court shows officers pulling Garces Perez over Sept. 20 in Austin, where he was making deliveries for DoorDash.

The video showed Garces Perez giving officers his drivers license through a crack in his window and then asking in Spanish if he can park his car so that a relative could come retrieve it. The officer demanded Garces Perez get out of the car multiple times, to which he asked if he could park his own car so a family member could come retrieve it. After a back and forth, Garces Perez abruptly and rapidly drives off.

Prosecutors show video but not of the shooting itself

Prosecutors presented a video from cameras at a nearby business showing the ensuing high-speed chase through residential streets. The shooting itself was not captured on the footage shared in court.

The federal officer who shot Garces Perez wasn’t wearing a body-worn camera. The immigration officer who did have a camera was driving in a separate car and turned the camera off during the pursuit.

Garces Perez said he was struck by a law enforcement SUV and spun around before he was shot. Federal officers told investigators, however, that Garces Perez attempted to strike an officer with his car at the end of the chase before the unidentified officer fired his weapon.

The accusations against Garces Perez recall previous claims made by immigration agents after other high-profile shootings similarly accusing drivers of weaponizing their vehicles. In a handful of cases, the allegations have been undermined or walked back after the release of body-worn camera footage, drawing renewed scrutiny about the DHS’s reliance on vehicular stops to execute arrests.

The man's lawyer accuses ICE of denying him medical treatment

Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, one of Garces Perez's immigration attorneys, accused ICE of denying him medical treatment for his bullet wound.

“ICE’s conduct has been so egregious, that physicians, nurses, medical ethicists and health advocates have come together to demand his release,” she said outside court after the hearing.

Garces Perez entered the U.S. in 2024 using CBP One, a program begun under President Joe Biden that allowed migrants to schdule appointments with U.S. authorities to be considered for asylum. President Donald Trump ended the program on his first day back in office.

Garces Perez was an asylum seeker and had a valid work permit, according to his lawyer. She said a judge later issued a deportation order after Garces Perez missed an immigration court hearing because the notice had been sent to a former address.

Judge Howell said he denied Garces Perez bond on the basis that he could be a flight risk to Venezuela, where he has a child.

His attorneys have filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent his removal from the U.S.

___

Riddle reported from Los Angeles.

“Alpine glaciers have no chance of surviving in the long term under such conditions,” the GLAMOS Swiss glacier monitoring service and Swiss Academy of Sciences said in a statement released Thursday.

The trend has worsened in recent years: Over the past five years alone, the volume of ice in Switzerland has declined by nearly a fifth, the experts say.

The report testifies to the latest concerns that global warming is wreaking havoc on Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent.

“The warming that we are experiencing now can be attributed 100% to anthropogenic climate change. It’s as simple as that,” said Matthias Huss, who heads GLAMOS. “Without human emissions or fossil fuels we wouldn’t have any warming at the moment.”

This year’s ice volume loss continues trend

The record retreat of glacier ice in Switzerland came in 2022, when summer heat, low winter snowfall and an unusual smattering of reddish dust blown in from the Sahara darkened the glaciers and caused them to absorb more heat.

Huss said the snow cover in winter was important for two reasons.

“On the one hand, it protects the bare ice from melting. The longer you have snow, the longer you avoid the loss of old ice,” said Huss in an interview at the Federal Polytechnic Institute ETHZ, where he is a glaciology professor.

“On the other hand, the snow is important also for generating new food for the glacier. The more snow you have, the higher the potential to keep some of the snow at high elevation and to form new ice,” Huss added.

The great thaw in Europe’s legendary Alps is not alone: Experts say global warming helped to destabilize a Himalayan slope that collapsed in August and unleashed catastrophic and deadly flooding across Nepal. Satellites have shown vast shrinkage of glaciers in places like Greenland and Antarctica over the last half-century or so.

Percentage drop rises as overall ice volume falls

In Switzerland, in absolute terms, volume lost has been less than that in 2003, but the percentage decline this year is greater. That’s because the total volume today is roughly a third of that 23 years ago. Back then, the relative loss was 3.5% of total ice volume in Swiss glaciers.

Such accelerated ice melt has had an impact in Switzerland — the loss of 2.2 trillion liters (581 billion gallons) from July to September amounts to four times the annual consumption of water in the country of about 9.1 million people. Switzerland gets more than half of its electricity from hydropower.

But the impact of accelerated glacier melt ripples far beyond: Switzerland is the water tower of Europe, and feeds some of the continent’s most important rivers: The Danube, Po, Rhine and Rhone.

The experts say the “extreme melting” faced by Switzerland’s glaciers this year included a decline in the average thickness of individual glaciers between 2-1/2 to 4 meters (about 8-13 feet) — and a reduction of up 10 meters (33 feet) on the tongue of some glaciers.

The expert teams have fanned out to assess runoff and crevices caused by the running water through the glaciers, in part by dumping red dye into the streams to track the water flows.

The Allalin, Clarident, Rhone and Aletsch glaciers — Aletsch being the largest in the Alps — were among the glaciers to experience their biggest melt on record this year.

Leer en español

The university said $2 billion of Griffin’s gift will support the launch of Carnegie Mellon University Miami, a new campus planned for more than 35 acres in Wynwood.

Construction is slated to begin in 2027, with the first students expected to enroll in 2028, pending regulatory approvals.

Griffin bought the land for $1.1 billion from Moishe Mana.

Mana describes selling the land as a passing of the torch, but continuing the same mission.

A $3 billion bet on Florida.@CarnegieMellon and Ken Griffin just chose Miami for a new research university built around problems that matter: human health, national security, energy, and advanced manufacturing.@EducationFL is a partner in that effort. Great campuses don’t… https://t.co/xYNpDLef8h

— Henry Mack (@HenmackIII) September 30, 2026

He also calls it the largest land assemblage deal in Florida history.

Once completed, CMU said the Miami campus will support more than 3,500 undergraduate, master’s and PhD students, nearly 300 faculty members and more than 600 staff members.

“Wynwood’s reputation as the place to be is further strengthened by the addition of CMU’s Miami campus,” Miami Commissioner Christine King, who represents District 5, said in a statement to Local 10 News. “This marks the next chapter in Wynwood’s evolution and a significant moment for our Miami community. The institution will create new opportunities for partnerships, jobs, education, and economic growth. Wynwood has always been a place where creativity and new ideas thrive. CMU’s arrival ensures this spirit will endure for generations to come.”

The remaining $1 billion of Griffin’s gift will support Carnegie Mellon’s Pittsburgh campus. Half will provide flexible support for the university’s highest priorities, while $500 million will be invested in its School of Computer Science, which will be renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science.

According to CMU, the $3 billion contribution is the largest gift ever made by an individual in the history of higher education and is also Griffin’s largest-ever gift.

A new campus in Wynwood

CMU said its Miami campus will be designed differently from a traditional university, organizing education and research around major societal challenges rather than academic majors.

At launch, the university plans to focus on areas including human health and biological discovery, national security and strategic capabilities, energy and climate resilience, and advanced manufacturing and industrial transformation.

Interdisciplinary teams of students, researchers, industry leaders and government partners will work together on those challenges, according to the university. Humanities, arts and design will also be incorporated into the campus’ approach.

CMU said the Miami location will be developed as a comprehensive university campus where both education and research are central to its mission, rather than simply extending individual programs or research projects from its Pittsburgh campus.

Plans for the more than 35-acre Wynwood campus include space for industry research laboratories and venture studios, allowing students, faculty, industry and community partners to work alongside one another.

“We are deeply grateful to Ken Griffin for his extraordinary vision, partnership and belief in what Carnegie Mellon can achieve,” CMU President Farnam Jahanian said.

Jahanian said technological changes, including advances in artificial intelligence, require universities to rethink how students are educated, research is conducted and partnerships are formed.

“Together, we have an opportunity to extend the very qualities that have long distinguished Carnegie Mellon — our agility, creativity, interdisciplinary culture and relentless focus on impact — to build a new model for higher education that meets the urgency of this moment,” Jahanian said.

Griffin: Miami campus is a ‘generational opportunity’

Griffin said bringing Carnegie Mellon to Miami will place the city “at the heart of humanistic and scientific advancement” while expanding the university’s international reach.

“CMU Miami represents a generational opportunity to build a new center of research and intellectual life — one that will attract exceptional students, scholars, and researchers from across the globe and rank among the world’s most important academic institutions,” Griffin said.

He said the campus will also work to cultivate talent and knowledge that can launch new enterprises, contribute to Miami’s economy and community, and advance the country’s prosperity.

Griffin will also join Carnegie Mellon’s Board of Trustees.

Jahanian said the university intends to work with the Miami community as the project moves forward.

“Every great Carnegie Mellon story begins with partnership,” Jahanian said. “Our relationship with Pittsburgh has shaped CMU for more than a century, and we believe the connections we build in Miami will enrich both cities. We look forward to listening, learning and working alongside our neighbors to create new opportunities for collaboration, innovation and shared prosperity.”

The laws ban employers from using the technology to predict a worker's emotional state by using their biometric data, require employers to send written notices to workers if AI is responsible for mass layoffs and ban employers from relying on AI to decide to fire someone.

The Democratic governor also signed an executive order to require state agencies to continue to refer to the technology as “artificial intelligence” instead of the term “ super intelligence ” President Donald Trump recently ordered U.S. diplomats to use.

“AI should expand opportunity — not come at the expense of workers and families,” Newsom said in a statement. “As this technology reshapes the workplace, California is putting people at the center.”

He sharply criticized Trump at an hourlong event with reporters Wednesday for not passing comprehensive federal AI regulations at a time when industry leaders are warning about the technology’s risks. Trump said Tuesday that top tech leaders signed a voluntary accord to “self-police” AI development.

The governor signed a law this month requiring operators of AI chatbots to perform risk assessments before rolling them out and an executive order requiring the state to consult with experts to further improve oversight over the industry.

“We have to do a lot more in the absence of federal leadership,” Newsom said, leaving the door open for the possibility of calling lawmakers back for a special session to further tackle the issue.

The news conference came on Newsom's last day to sign or veto bills before he terms out in January. He started the event by signing a law creating a tax credit program aimed at helping local news organizations — including newspapers, digital outlets and TV stations — hire and retain journalists. Newsom criticized what he called Trump's assault on a free press, pointing to the president's barring of news organizations from the White House.

Newsom also spoke about the upcoming midterms, which will decide control of Congress. He involved himself early in that fight by leading Democrats last year in a redistricting battle to improve their chances of winning more House seats. He's said repeatedly that the stakes are high if his party doesn't succeed in November.

“There will not be a free and fair election in 2028 unless we take back the House of Representatives,” he said Wednesday.

Asked if he's set a deadline for himself to decide whether he'll run for president in 2028, Newsom hedged, saying “that moment will arrive when it arrives.”

Former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who, like Newsom, hails from the San Francisco Bay Area, has also said she’s considering running for the job in 2028. Newsom told CNN recently that he wouldn’t run for president if she entered the race. He said the two haven't spoken since that interview aired.

Newsom weighed in on a proposal to temporarily raise taxes on billionaires that will be on the ballot in November, which he's consistently opposed. He said he respects supporters of the measure, including Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who are committed to addressing income inequality in the country.

“He's spot on about the balance between the rich and the poor,” Newsom said. “On this issue, we fundamentally disagree.”

Newsom's remarks came hours before a gubernatorial debate between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton.

“You're going to ask me, ‘Are you going to watch the debate?’” he said. “No.”

The attorneys general of Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana contend that the laws in California, Massachusetts and New York undermine their abortion bans and their states' sovereignty. Federal regulations allow prescriptions for abortion pills to be made by telehealth and filled by mail, and the three GOP states want to keep the pills out and punish out-of-state providers for sending them.

“This is the first time we've seen a state or group of states suing other states to challenge the validity of shield laws,” said Mary Ziegler, a University of California, Davis, law professor and author of seven books on abortion law and history.

The Supreme Court can hear disputes between states directly, though it rarely does. If the top court weighs in, it could short-circuit existing lawsuits.

Louisiana and anti-abortion activists have been frustrated with a lack of federal action by President Donald Trump's administration against medication abortion. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration over its rules allowing mail-order prescriptions. The Supreme Court in May preserved access to abortion medications as that case plays out.

“We need and deserve the opportunity to be able to enforce our laws against those who have chosen, despite their knowledge of the illegality, to continue to foster abortion in our state,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said during a news conference with Murrill and Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin.

Thirteen states ban abortion in all stages of pregnancy, which the Supreme Court allowed in its 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Most Democratic-controlled states adopted abortion protections, including eight with laws intended to protect providers who prescribe abortion pills for patients in states with bans.

Louisiana and Texas have pursued criminal charges and civil claims against doctors based in New York and California. Officials in California and New York have refused to cooperate, citing their shield laws.

“Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas are asking the Supreme Court to let them impose their abortion bans on New York and punish our doctors for providing legal health care,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement Wednesday.

Ziegler said Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana would have a stronger case if they had first tried to get the highest court in one of the three other states to force its officials to cooperate. She also said the lawsuit's timing is odd — six weeks before November congressional midterm elections that could prove difficult for the GOP.

“This may be an example of the political incentives not being the same for state-level Republicans versus federal Republicans,” she said. “If you're running in a contested race, calling attention to abortion is not a great idea, but if you're Louisiana attorney general, you're not really in that position.”

But Rachel Rebouche, a University of Texas law professor, said suing other states has been a potential legal strategy for GOP states since the first shield laws were enacted.

“That it’s taken this long is kind of remarkable,” she said.

Even before Roe was overturned, abortion pills were the most common means of ending pregnancies in the U.S., and telehealth makes abortion available even where it's banned. The three GOP attorneys general said hundreds of patients in their states use pills to end pregnancies each month.

Also on Wednesday, Alabama, Arkansas and Louisiana filed a lawsuit against 30 out-of-state abortion pill providers and their officers, accusing them of false advertising and other misconduct harming patients in states with abortion bans.

FDA scientists have repeatedly found the regimen safe and effective, though the agency is now reviewing its rules.

Jurors began the day listening to the end of testimony from former first lady Martine Moise, as well as from one of her daughters.

Both of them survived the 2021 ambush to their home in Port-au-Prince.

A group of armed, ex-soldiers, mostly Colombians, entered the home, shooting and killing the president and injuring the first lady.

A doctor from Jackson Memorial Hospital said Martine Moise’s elbow was shattered, and had to be fused together.

A forensic pathologist who performed the president’s autopsy testified to his findings, showing x-rays and photographs of Jovenel Moise on the autopsy table.

There were audible groans and gasps in the courtroom as photos of Jovenel Moise’s various bullet wounds were shown, including ones to his chest, and to his head.

Some in the gallery held their hands over their mouths, shook their heads, or turned away.

The doctor testified as to the president’s cause of death, saying, “The heart was shattered, basically” from the “projectile of a firearm,” adding that he believes Jovenel Moise was shot in the head only after he was already dead.

Thursday, the first day of October 2026, is likely to offer more rain. Both morning and afternoon, showers and storms could soak the region. Regarding temperatures, lows are forecast in the mid-70s, highs in the mid-80s.

The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio and Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan, aims to prevent China’s auto industry from gaining a foothold in the U.S. market. It would ban the import, manufacture and sale of internet-connected vehicles, software and hardware linked to China or other foreign adversaries, including Russia and North Korea.

Chinese automakers are already effectively banned from selling or building vehicles in the U.S. under a policy put into place by the Biden administration, but senators are hoping to more permanently shut the door.

The summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump in Washington last week, which focused in part on trade between the world’s two largest economies, had given the legislation renewed momentum. Slotkin said nearly every senator was prepared to support it, and they had initially planned to seek passage last week without a formal roll call vote.

Senators delayed action to continue negotiations with the lone holdout, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who argued the legislation could unfairly sweep in Mercedes-Benz. The bill would bar vehicles made by companies with more than a 15% ownership stake from Chinese entities. Mercedes-Benz has nearly 20% passive Chinese ownership.

Supporters say they will try again after the elections. But the delay is a setback for bipartisan legislation that has drawn support from automakers and labor unions as Washington grapples with the growing global reach of China’s auto industry — and concerns about potential surveillance technology.

“It is literally a driving spy machine on wheels,” Slotkin said of Chinese vehicles. “All of that data and all of that information goes back to Beijing.”

Lawmakers see threat from Chinese EVs

Lawmakers and analysts have warned of dire consequences if Chinese EVs should become available in the U.S.

“I am concerned about what can happen to the U.S. automobile industry with the Chinese electric vehicles,” said Republican Sen. Steve Daines in an interview with The Associated Press before the Trump-Xi summit. “They are remarkable, high quality at a much lower cost. But it’s not fair if you have a product that is significantly subsidized by a government to be able to come into our market."

Chinese automakers have expanded rapidly overseas, competing aggressively on price and technology and putting pressure on established manufacturers in Europe and other markets. In the first eight months of this year, China’s exports of new-energy vehicles more than doubled from the previous year, shipping out more than 3.4 million vehicles, according to China Association of Automobile Manufactures.

Chinese automakers supplied 60% of global electric car sales in 2025, while European and North American automakers were each responsible for about 15% of global sales, according to IEA, or the International Energy Agency.

Their emergence has raised concerns in Detroit that allowing them into the U.S. could expose domestic automakers to a new source of lower-cost competition.

Trump, however, has at times taken a more welcoming approach to Chinese investment in the U.S. auto industry. Speaking at the Detroit Economic Club in January, he said he was open to Chinese automakers building factories in the United States as long as they employed American workers.

“If they want to come in and build the plant and hire you and hire your friends and your neighbors, that’s great. I love that,” Trump said. “Let China come in.”

That position has put Trump at odds with an unusual coalition of lawmakers, automakers and labor unions that has pushed to keep Chinese vehicles out of the U.S. market.

In April 2026, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said “no” when he was asked if Chinese EV makers such as BYD would come and set up joint ventures in the U.S.

But in early September, before he hosted China's Xi, Trump again said he would not oppose Chinese automakers building ​cars in the United States.

The White House didn’t respond to a request by AP regarding its stance on the bill.

What the bill would do

Slotkin and Moreno have framed their legislation around two threats: protecting the U.S. auto industry from heavily subsidized Chinese competitors and preventing technology embedded in connected vehicles from collecting sensitive data on Americans.

In July, Slotkin called Chinese cars “surveillance packages on wheels,” arguing that they could collect information on American drivers and sensitive sites and transmit it to Beijing. Moreno has said China’s auto industry “was built to destroy American manufacturing, gut the middle class, and undermine our national security.”

The bill would prohibit the import, manufacture, sale, resale or introduction into interstate commerce of connected vehicles and related software and hardware associated with China, Russia, Iran or North Korea. It would effectively write into law and expand restrictions that began under the Biden administration, making it harder for a future administration to reverse them.

But some are concerned that the 15% ownership cap could hurt companies with strong roots in the United States.

“We're not going to have the president of the United States sign a bill — nor would he — that bans Mercedes-Benz from the United States of America,” said Moreno, also mentioning companies like Volvo. “We have to figure out a way to manage all of that.”

James Lewis, a distinguished fellow with the tech policy program at the Center for European Policy Analysis, said the bill could return after the midterm elections, given the threat that Chinese carmakers pose to U.S. companies.

“China can make enough cars in a single year to supply the entire global demand. You don’t need any other countries to make cars with China in the picture,” Lewis said. “This is existential for the car companies.”

“Car companies care a lot. They’re very influential,” he said. “They’re deeply concerned about this.”

Sidelined since Sept. 16 by a strained right calf, Judge was not included on the roster for the AL Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox. He did not join teammates along the first-base line for introductions before the Yankees' 9-0 win in Tuesday's opener of the best-of-three series.

“I think he was getting treatment,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.

Judge ran in the outfield before Tuesday night's game and on Wednesday went to the ballpark of the Yankees' Double-A farm team to hit. He was due back at Yankee Stadium to watch Game 2 on Wednesday night.

If New York advances to a best-of-five Division Series against Tampa Bay, it would start Saturday.

“Probably too early to tell,” Boone said of Judge's potential availability.

A three-time AL MVP, Judge was limited to 66 games this season. The 34-year-old slugger hit .241 with 18 homers, 41 RBIs and an .871 OPS, including .174 with one homer and three RBIs in September.

Left-hander Ryan Weathers, sidelined with a left forearm flexor strain since Aug. 22, was to throw a bullpen at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.

Boone said right-hander Clarke Schmidt won't pitch again this year. The 30-year-old relieved on Sept. 16 at Minnesota in his first big league appearance since Tommy John surgery on July 11, 2025, then was put on the injured list with right biceps inflammation.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Hilton presented himself as a change agent, saying that years of Democratic dominance in Sacramento had diminished the state in business, education and quality of life. “We've got to try something different,” he said in the matchup on CNN.

Becerra depicted Hilton as President Donald Trump's handpicked choice for the job, and repeatedly invoked the president's name throughout the debate.

“You can hear Donald Trump” in Hilton's responses, he said at one point.

The debate played out just days before mail ballots are expected to begin arriving at homes in advance of the Nov. 3 general election. Looking to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, Hilton is appealing to voters who he says are desperate for change in a state known for its punishing cost of living, high taxes and long-running homeless crisis. Becerra is promising to bring down household costs, too, while continuing to push back against Trump’s agenda.

A September poll conducted by the University of California, Berkeley, Institute of Governmental Studies found that Becerra had a sizable lead over Hilton. A Republican has not won a statewide election in heavily Democratic California since 2006.

Hilton has been holding a steady string of public events to try to attract voters' attention, while Becerra has run a lower-key campaign.

He thanked CNN “for bringing Xavier out of hiding,” a dig at his rival as the debate got underway.

Hilton has Trump's endorsement, but that could be a liability at a time when the president's popularity has been sliding while voters grouse over climbing gas and grocery prices. Trump has had a long-strained relationship with California, where he was trounced in his three runs for the White House.

The two rivals emerged from a chaotic primary that saw former Democratic U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell exit the race — then announce he would leave Congress — following allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman twice, including when she worked for him, while billionaire Tom Steyer ran the most expensive political advertising campaign in the country in a losing effort for the Democratic nomination.

Hilton has vowed to bring down the price of gasoline to $3 a gallon, about half the current cost; cut in half residents’ utility bills, now among the nation’s highest; and eliminate state income taxes on the first $150,000 in earnings.

Becerra has been leaning into his long resume in government as he maneuvers to take charge of the state. He spent more than 35 years in state and federal office, including leadership roles in the U.S. House, as California’s attorney general, and as former President Joe Biden’s health secretary. “The governor’s office is not a place with training wheels,” he likes to say.

Leer en español

Aura Jean Rosello, the lead crime scene detective in the investigation, walked jurors through photographs and evidence collected after Gladys Machado, 29, and her daughters, 6-year-old Julia Padrino and 3-year-old Daniella Padrino, were found dead in a master bedroom closet on Nov. 13, 2012.

Rosello described documenting injuries on Machado’s body, including injuries to her foot and arm.

Jurors also saw blood stains on Gladys’ shirt, bra and leggings that crime scene technicians collected from the master bedroom.

During opening statements Tuesday, prosecutors said Sierra confessed to taking his clothes off with a knife.

Prosecutors also showed jurors photographs depicting the condition of the bodies after they had been left in the closet.

Prosecutors also showed jurors photographs depicting the condition of the bodies after they had been left in the closet.

When asked whether she was familiar with a particular character depicted on one of the evidence items, a bedsheet, Rosello answered, “Yes, Dora the Explorer.”

The testimony then turned to Machado’s face.

“Are you prepared to tell this jury what appears to be on her face?” a prosecutor asked.

“Ants,” Rosello replied.

Prosecutors have alleged that Alberto Sierra carved into Machado’s face with a knife so she would never be beautiful for another man.

Rosello also testified about Machado’s injuries and the restraints used on her.

“The injuries to the victim’s right hand and also the rag that was wrapped around” were among the evidence she described as jurors examined photographs showing that Machado’s arms had been tied behind her back.

“What is that on her?” a prosecutor asked.

“Alberto Sierra tattooed on her (left) shoulder blade,” said Rosello.

Sierra, 42, pleaded guilty in August to three counts of murder and three counts of kidnapping in the 2012 killings of Machado and her daughters.

Prosecutors say Sierra suffocated all three victims with yellow plastic Sedano’s shopping bags. They also allege that he sexually assaulted Machado and Julia after their deaths.

The jury is now weighing whether Sierra should receive a life sentence or the death penalty.

During opening statements Tuesday, prosecutors described the killings as “heinous, atrocious and cruel.”

The defense acknowledged the “horrific” nature of the evidence while asking jurors to consider Sierra’s background and the effects of a traumatic childhood brain injury on his personality and executive functioning.

Defense attorneys have said Sierra suffered a severe head injury in a childhood car accident that affected his cognitive functioning and personality.

The penalty phase is expected to continue with additional testimony and evidence before jurors make a recommendation on the sentence.

In a post on X Wednesday afternoon, incumbent U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, who was appointed to the role by Gov. Ron DeSantis, said in part, “We must keep Florida out of the hands of a socialist.”

She added that she is the clear choice on Nov. 3.

“You’re going to have one side that I’m up against that wants to — and the platform says — defund the police, don’t fund our military, open up our border, noncitizen voting,” Moody said at a campaign rally. “I can go on and on.”

Moody’s challenger, State Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville, made a stop in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility in Miramar early Wednesday morning.

“She can say whatever she wants to say, but (on) Nov. 3, she’ll be calling me ‘senator,’” Nixon said. “I am someone who has been working in this community for the past nearly two decades across the state of Florida, advocating to ensure people have a good, decent quality of life.”

Local 10 News spoke with Nixon about her final push and how she is essentially tied with Moody in the Senate race, according to a St. Pete Polls survey.

“We’re tied in the polls, and that’s because we are out here doing the work,” Nixon said. “Ashley Moody won’t come speak with people. She won’t even debate me because she’s scared, because she’d have to speak to her record, which has been an epic failure. Ashley Moody does not have in-person town hall meetings.”

Nixon might even get a monetary push from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who endorsed her right after she won the primary last month.

“We are working things out,” Nixon said. “There are a lot of people who are frustrated all across the country that coming down and really want to support unseating Ashley Moody.”

Nixon says has accepted every single debate and she’s going to be calling for another debate in the next few weeks, asking for Moody to come and talk about her record.

A cellphone video captured the moments a BSO K-9 bit Friscot Jerome on the ankle as deputies shouted commands for him to get on his stomach.

One witness, who asked not to be identified, said Jerome approached him near northwest 12th Court and Second Avenue and asked if he wanted to buy a toolbox. The witness said he told Jerome he had no money, and that was when BSO deputies arrived.

“He was confused. He didn’t know what was going on,” the witness said.

Jerome’s aunt, Sheila Burke, said her nephew suffers from mental health issues and has not been the same since his mother suffered a massive stroke.

“He is down on the ground, you’re sicking dogs on him, you punching him,” Burke said. “I just had to stop watching it because that hurt me to my heart.”

According to an arrest form, deputies responded after a resident called 911 and allegedly found Jerome with his toolbox. The document says Jerome then threatened the resident with a box cutter.

Burke said that, regardless of what Jerome was accused of, the response was uncalled for.

BSO said in a statement that when K-9s are used to apprehend suspects, the suspect receives medical treatment, while the use of force is reported to supervisors and documented for administrative review.

Jerome faces charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, armed burglary and resisting arrest.

“Se le aplicará la medida administrativa de expulsión del país por atentar contra la seguridad nacional”, aseguró el conservador De la Espriella en la red social X. “Nuestra patria no puede ser escenario de injerencias extranjeras ni de actividades que amenacen su seguridad”, agregó.

Migración Colombia no se pronunció de inmediato y dijo a The Associated Press que informará sobre el caso próximamente.

El mandatario aseguró que informes de inteligencia relacionaron a Sergei Vagin, de 40 años, con presuntas actividades de espionaje, contactos con la guerrilla Ejército de Liberación Nacional y “actos vandálicos” durante las manifestaciones contra el gobierno en 2021.

El “paro nacional” de 2021 se convirtió en el ciclo de protestas antigubernamentales más grande de la historia reciente en el país. Nació por el descontento de una reforma fiscal que se impulsaba desde el gobierno y derivó en el reclamo por la desigualdad existente en el país. Decenas de personas perdieron la vida y se registraron daños en la infraestructura de las ciudades.

Vagin también enfrenta un proceso judicial en Colombia por presuntamente formar parte de una estructura dedicada a mover dinero entre Rusia y Colombia. De la Espriella indicó que se trató de un presunto fraude a plataformas de apuestas que movió alrededor de 1.600 millones de pesos (aproximadamente 478.300 dólares).

The high gas prices took center stage in Ohio on Wednesday, as lawmakers passed a 90-day state gas tax holiday with broad bipartisan support. Including Ohio, about one-third of U.S. states have implemented some form of fuel tax relief, with many taking action within the past week, according to an Associated Press review.

Some states have suspended their fuel taxes. Others have temporarily reduced taxes. And still more have targeted relief only to farmers, loggers and others who use a special type of diesel fuel.

The average price of regular gasoline stood at $4.43 a gallon on Wednesday, up roughly 50% since the war with Iran began, according to the AAA motor club. The average price of diesel was $6.41 a gallon — just a few cents shy of a record high set last week.

Here's what to know about states’ actions on fuel taxes:

Ohio governor's race at center of fuel tax action

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's office said he plans to sign legislation that will suspend the 38.5-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax and 47-cent-per-gallon diesel tax through the remainder of this year. The plan taps $725 million from the state's general fund to pay for roads and bridges typically funded by fuel taxes.

Republican legislative leaders scrambled to recall lawmakers to the Statehouse after Democratic gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton called for a gas tax holiday last week and rival Republican Vivek Ramaswamy announced a plan to do the same a few hours later. The two are locked in a closely fought contest to succeed DeWine, a term-limited Republican. Democrats criticized Ramaswamy for taking credit for Acton's idea, while Ramaswamy's allies said his plan had substance and Acton's consisted of “tweets.”

Ramaswamy's running mate, Rob McColley, is the Ohio Senate president. On Wednesday, McColley used a technical maneuver to quickly close debate on the measure, suggesting Democrats were preparing for nothing more than “theatrics.” Senate Democratic Leader Nickie Antonio said one proposal would have called for an end to the Iran war.

Republican state Sen. Michele Reynolds, a co-sponsor of the legislation, said it "will provide much-needed relief to Ohioans at a time when they are feeling the pressure of gas prices continuing to rise.”

In the House, Democratic state Rep. Allison Russo, a candidate for secretary of state, accused Republicans of an election-year “stunt” that will save Ohioans an average of $55 over the next three months.

Several states have already halted or reduced gas taxes

In March, Georgia became the first state to suspend its fuel taxes after the war in the Middle East sent prices spiraling. Republican Gov. Brian Kemp extended the tax break into June. More recently, he announced a 30-day resumption of the motor fuel tax holiday, which began Tuesday.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, has extended a fuel tax exemption multiple times since spring, with the current version running through Oct. 5.

A six-month, 6-cent reduction in Utah's fuel tax is in effect through the end of this year. Illinois and Kentucky have more modest fuel tax breaks in effect, delaying increases that were due to take effect in July.

Some states have relaxed diesel fuel regulations

In the past week, governors in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas all have taken steps to provide fuel tax relief for the agricultural industry amid the harvest season.

The executive orders target dyed diesel fuel, which is exempt from state taxes but normally can be used only for off-road machinery like tractors, logging equipment and irrigation pumps. The orders temporarily waive enforcement of those rules, allowing the tax-exempt diesel fuel to be used in vehicles driven on highways.

Some governors noted that reduced costs for transporting crops could affect grocery prices.

California ends restrictions on cheaper fuel blends

The Environmental Protection Agency allowed an annual switch to cheaper, winter-blended fuels beginning Sept. 1, a couple of weeks earlier than normal. The change could save up to 15 cents a gallon, according to data from the National Association of Convenience Stores.

But California sets its own stricter environmental fuel standards. In many parts of the state, summer-blended fuel is required through Oct. 31. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom ended the summer fuel requirement Monday, citing a recent state law that requires a reevaluation of regulations when retail gas prices rise substantially.

Fuel tax changes may have a delayed effect for consumers

State actions intended to provide relief from high fuel prices don't always have the effect some consumers expect. That's partly because fuel price volatility could cause costs to rise even as tax rates fall. But that's also because taxes typically are charged at the wholesale level, not at the retail pump.

“Customers expect the day that a gas tax holiday takes effect that the price at every pump will be reduced by that amount. But it’s way more complicated than that,” said Jeff Lenard, a spokesperson for the National Association of Convenience Stores.

“The costs and the changes happen further upstream," he said. "The retailer may also have product that has already been paid for with taxes that needs to be sold before you can acquire the new fuel that is not taxed and you can lower the price.”

___

Lieb reported from Jefferson City, Missouri.

Alec Bohm put Philadelphia ahead with a two-out homer in the 10th inning, and the Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 4-3 on Wednesday to force a decisive third game in their NL Wild Card Series.

The Phillies rallied with back-to-back homers from Kyle Schwarber and Harper in the eighth after trailing 3-1 in the seventh. Harper's homer made up for a crucial fielding mistake an inning earlier.

“I wasn’t not trying to hit a homer, I can tell you that,” Harper said with a smile.

Andrew Painter (1-0), a starter in the regular season, saved the Phillies’ beleaguered bullpen with three scoreless innings to close things out. Painter stranded two runners in the 10th when he struck out Dominic Smith with a successful ABS challenge.

Playing under traditional extra-inning rules that don't include automatic runners at second base like in the regular season, Bohm delivered his third career postseason home run, a 357-foot shot to right field off right-hander Didier Fuentes (0-1).

For Bohm, who has faced criticism during a rocky season in which he hit .249 and is facing free agency, the homer may have extended his time with the Phillies.

“I've been trying not to think about that,” Bohm said. “I really don't want the season to end.”

The Phillies will try to continue their postseason dominance over the Braves in Thursday's Game 3. Philadelphia beat Atlanta in the 1993 NLCS and the 2022 and 2023 NLDS.

In the seventh, Drake Baldwin's double glanced off Harper's glove in right field, driving in Sean Murphy to give Atlanta a 2-1 lead. Harper, who resumed playing the outfield late this season for the first time since 2022, got a poor jump and was leaping for the ball near the warning track. He was not charged with an error. Matt Olson added a sacrifice fly.

“I didn’t think he hit it very hard," Harper said. “I thought it was going to be a pop fly just right at me and then it kind of kept traveling. Obviously a ball I should have caught. ... And obviously I was hearing it pretty good from Braves and Phillies fans in the dugout, so got to show up in that situation.

“But how quickly can I turn the page and just get past that moment, knowing that I’m still coming up to the plate to hit and knowing that in the postseason, it doesn’t matter what you did the at-bat before, the inning before. It’s what you do in that moment.”

The Phillies pulled even with eighth-inning home runs by Schwarber and Harper off Dylan Lee, the winning pitcher in the Braves’ 5-3 opening win on Tuesday. Schwarber’s drive carried 447 feet and Harper followed with a 418-foot shot.

“Some big home runs late by some really good hitters,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “That’s what got us.”

Tyler Mahle allowed one run on six hits in seven innings for Atlanta. Cristopher Sánchez allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings for Philadelphia while throwing a career-high 116 pitches.

Painter gave up a one-out single to Mauricio Dubón in the 10th, then struck out Austin Riley before giving up a bloop single to Michael Harris II. Painter's 0-2 fastball to Smith was called inside by plate umpire Adam Beck, but Painter and catcher J.T. Realmuto immediately called for a robo-ump challenge. ABS confirmed the ball clipped the strike zone, the first time a postseason game has ended with a strike-zone appeal.

Atlanta's Ronald Acuña Jr. walked, stole second and then stole third with Edmundo Sosa not covering the bag before scoring on Olson’s single in the first.

Sánchez didn’t allow another hit until Sean Murphy doubled to center field with one out in the fifth.

Mahle kept pace, though he didn’t have a perfect inning until the fifth, when he struck out Schwarber and Harper. Sánchez issued an intentional walk to Acuña with two outs before Baldwin’s grounder to second base ended the inning.

Injury scare for Mahle

Weiss said the Braves had a major scare when Mahle felt an abdominal pull during his pregame warmup.

“We didn't know if he could make the start,” Weiss said, adding the scare came "right at game time when he came out of the bullpen.

“He ended up working through it and got better as the game went on. We were scrambling.”

Sosa leaves with injury

Sosa left the game after reaching on an infield single to open the ninth. He appeared to aggravate a leg injury and was replaced by pinch-runner Derek Hill. Phillies manager Don Mattingly said the injury did not appear to be serious.

Up next

Braves RHP Grant Holmes (10-6, 3.44) is expected to either start or pitch in bulk relief in Game 3 on Thursday against Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (7-12, 4.67).

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

The transcript, which has not been publicly released, raises new questions surrounding the local district attorney's decision not to prosecute anyone at the time.

In recent days, Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has maintained the woman's first account to police didn't include allegations that she was drugged, incapacitated beyond the ability to consent, or forced into sex. Yet, he also said he had reopened the investigation based on new information in the woman's lawsuit, which was filed this month.

Cornell has agreed to bring in outside lawyers to independently investigate how the university handled the woman's allegations, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday.

The woman initially went to Cornell's campus police about three weeks after the alleged attack that began on Oct. 19, 2024, then went back on Nov. 14 and 15, 2024, to be interviewed.

“Yes. It was coercion, yes,” she told a campus police officer, according to the transcript obtained by CBS. According to CBS News, she said she was “completely and totally incapacitated” before some of the sexual abuse.

The woman acknowledged she had been drinking alcohol and used drugs the night she visited the Chi Phi fraternity house in October 2024, and that she had gaps in her memory.

She also told police she was comfortable with an initial sexual encounter with two of the men, but not with what happened later, when other men began to enter the room.

“And then, of course, I was being hit at the same time. Physically hit very, very hard," she told police, according to the transcript. “I can say with 100% confidence I was raped," it said she told investigators.

The woman, identified only by the pseudonym Jane Doe in the lawsuit, filed a complaint Sept. 16 saying she was sexually assaulted at the Chi Phi fraternity house after being pressured into snorting ketamine, smoking marijuana and drinking alcohol. She became completely incapacitated while fraternity members were sexually assaulting her, she said.

Van Houten didn't immediately respond to emails and phone messages from The Associated Press on Wednesday, but he told CBS News he never saw the transcript of the woman's interview when his office declined to bring charges, and relied instead on a statement written by a campus police officer but signed by the accuser.

Van Houten has released a summary of that statement, with some of her direct quotes included. He has defended his office’s decision not to do additional investigation after the woman first came forward.

“There were no question marks. There was no additional need to find information because we had all of the information that the police collected from Jane Doe through her very detailed, very comprehensive statement that she provided,” Van Houten told CNN earlier this week.

Cornell University first publicly disclosed that it was investigating the woman's allegations on Nov. 8, 2024, the same day she first went to police. The school sent students an email warning them that a person had reported they had been sexually assaulted at a fraternity house and coerced into consuming drugs. Cornell suspended the Chi Phi fraternity the same day.

In another public statement to students in late November 2024, Cornell University President Michael Kotlikoff said campus police were investigating “deeply disturbing allegations of drug abuse and sexual violence” at the fraternity house.

Later, Cornell appointed a task force designed to address sexual assault on campus. But with the district attorney's decision not to pursue charges and the university's internal disciplinary investigation shielded from the public, attention on the matter waned.

Cornell said in a statement this week that it supported the decision to reopen the criminal investigation, adding that its own investigation had led to some students being disciplined or expelled. The Chi Phi chapter remains barred from campus, but the university has declined to release more information on discipline for individual students, citing privacy rules.

Earlier this week, Hochul called for a new investigation into the university's handling of the matter. In a post on social media Wednesday, she said she had spoken with Kotlikoff and he “agreed to bring in outside counsel for an independent investigation.” Cornell confirmed it had agreed but declined additional comment.

“This culture has to stop. And in New York, we’re going to do everything we can to stop it,” Hochul said.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said Wednesday that the cases are part of hundreds of voter fraud investigations underway across the country.

“These cases are complex to investigate,” Blanche said.

The Justice Department said the 10 defendants are foreign nationals who are living legally in the United States. Prosecutors allege they lied about their citizenship status to vote or register to vote in elections dating back to the 2022 midterms.

“There are hundreds of investigations that are ongoing across the country,” Blanche said.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that widespread voter fraud occurs in U.S. elections. This summer, Trump claimed that more than a quarter-million noncitizens were found on voter rolls in four states.

Since Trump returned to the White House last year, federal investigations have resulted in fewer than 100 people being charged with voter-related fraud offenses, according to the Justice Department. About 50 of those defendants are noncitizens.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the administration is investigating whether states failed to act on potential cases of illegal voting.

“We believe that some of these states maybe even knew about it and chose not to look into it, well, we are,” Mullin said.

The latest charges come as Republicans fight to maintain control of Congress in the November midterm elections.

Officials in Democratic-led states have pushed back against the administration’s efforts to examine voter rolls, accusing Trump of casting doubt on election systems.

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) criticized the administration’s approach.

“It’s more of an issue of DHS saying ‘we want to have people feel uncertain about a system that actually works,” Evers said.

The administration is also planning a major deployment of Justice Department personnel to polling places on Election Day.

The DOJ is expected to dispatch more than 1,000 election monitors across the country. Federal election observers are not new and are generally deployed to monitor compliance with federal election laws.

The planned deployment would represent a significant increase from the 2022 midterm elections, when fewer Justice Department officials were sent to polling locations.

Since the arrival of Caitlin Clark three years ago, everything that happens on and off the court involving Indiana gets magnified and scrutinized by fans, the media and even members of Congress. Clark is an exceptional player and the Fever are a good team, but a lot of the conversations are not about points, assists or wins.

The latest incident involved A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, who confronted a fan and shouted at him during her team's loss at Indiana in Game 2 of the teams' first-round playoff series. It happened only hours after Clark's name came up in a contentious congressional hearing in which former Donald Trump prosecutor Jack Smith was pressed by Republican senators about a basketball game he attended in 2024,

“There’s an infatuation with our team, and there’s an infatuation with some of our players, and there’s a lot of negativity that surrounds anything that’s different from what the fandom wants to see,” Indiana coach Stephanie White recently told ESPN. “And that is challenging as a coach to navigate.

“I think the vortex of everything that we deal with, with our team and our franchise, is definitely challenging,” White added. “It’s hard to escape it.”

Next up for her team is Thursday night's winner-take-all playoff game against the defending WNBA champion Aces. For Clark, it's the biggest basketball stage she's had in the U.S. since she her Iowa team lost to Angel Reese and LSU in the title game of the 2023 women's NCAA Tournament.

The Fever have drawn a series of off-the-court headlines

Indiana seems to consistently draw headlines for things that have nothing to do with the final score of a game.

— Aug. 6: Fans in Indiana also became a subplot at a Fever-Aces game. Jackie Young, a Las Vegas player who grew up in Indiana and played in college at Notre Dame, pointed out a fan courtside to security and two men were escorted to the back before being allowed to stay in the arena.

— Aug. 8: DiJonai Carrington was ejected after a hard foul on Sophie Cunningham, and Carrington ignited a firestorm after the foul with a social media post directed at the Fever in which she declared “WHITE PRIVILEGE.” White, who used to coach Carrington in Connecticut, initially downplayed the severity of the foul by her former player and was later booed by Fever fans. Indiana players defended their coach, calling the booing uncalled for.

— July: Cunningham said in an ESPN article that she was opposed to transgender girls and women competing in girls’ and women’s sports. That sparked a series of rallies at WNBA arenas.

— June 24: Alyssa Thomas hit Clark in the throat during a game between Phoenix and Indiana that resulted in a one-game suspension for the Mercury star. That play eventually led to a group of 11 Republican lawmakers sending a letter to WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert demanding the league take “accountability” for multiple attacks on Clark. The Fever said they had nothing to do with the letter being sent.

Clark's competitive edge

Clark is always at the top of the scouting report of opposing teams for her ability to impact a game. Teams devise schemes to limit her impact, which includes trying to restrict her movement.

That has led to created passionate debates about whether at times the physicality has crossed the line. Clark also tries to draw attention to it with demonstrative actions to get the attention of the referees.

Her actions are well-intentioned and all about winning, but emotions can run high on the court and in the stands during competition.

“Yeah, I think that’s just being a competitor, and like, that’s what’s fun. That’s what I love about it,” Clark said earlier this year when asked about her on-court celebrations. “I think that’s what gets the crowd into it too and gets my teammates hyped up. And I think there’s times I can probably find a little bit better of a balance because, like, doing all that is a little bit exhausting, too.

“I just love the game. I love being out there, and I love those moments and getting the crowd hype. And, you know, I think that just brings out the best in both teams.”

Fever and Clark spark record ratings

Clark has brought more viewers and fans to the WNBA. Her play on the court has been spectacular at times as she puts up numbers at a record pace. She stands out for her logo 3-pointers shots and pinpoint passes for assists.

She is a fierce competitor, and when she is on her game she lets fans and opponents know she feels impossible to guard — not unlike Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Diana Taurasi or Reggie Miller.

Let by Clark, the Fever have helped boost the WNBA to record ratings and attendance over the past three seasons. The first-round playoff opener against the Aces drew an average of 2.1 million viewers on ABC on Sunday, peaking at 2.6 million. That was the biggest audience ever for a WNBA playoff game on ABC and third most watched ever on an ESPN network — and the game went up against the NFL.

Prior to Clark’s arrival, the Fever were averaging just over 4,000 fans a game. This past season they were drawing over four times that, on average. Indiana has been the top road team in attendance all three years Clark has been in the league.

Clark is no stranger to drawing strong ratings. Her Iowa team played in the two highest-rated games in women's college basketball history during the Final Four in her senior year. The Hawkeyes' NCAA title game loss to South Carolina in 2024 drew an average of 18.7 million fans — outdrawing the men’s championship contest a day later.

The top five most watched WNBA games on the ESPN networks this year all involved the Fever.

___

See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina is linking his party even closer to the president, as Trump hits the trail to rally voters as Republicans try to boost what has been sluggish enthusiasm. Despite the prevalence of toss-up Senate races across the map, he said he remained confident Republicans can keep or even expand their Senate majority.

“Cash is king," Scott told reporters.

"President Trump and his agenda are on the ballot,” he said. “Knowing that they are going to invest completely in these races is incredibly helpful."

Republicans have watched their control of Congress come under increasing risk this November as voters reel from high gas and grocery prices largely stemming from the Iran war.

While the House, with its narrow majority of a few seats, has always been up for grabs, the Senate map is now expanding as once safe Republican-held strongholds are being contested.

Scott acknowledged that in Kansas, where newcomer Adam Hamilton is challenging GOP Sen. Roger Marshall, the race is closer than expected. He also said Republicans have “more work to do” if they hope to flip Georgia, where Republican Mike Collins is struggling to unseat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff.

But Scott said that during a private meeting Monday evening with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, she assured GOP senators they would have the resources needed heading into the final stretch of the election. "She said money would not be our problem,” he said.

MAGA Inc. and affiliated groups have already poured hundreds of millions in the race for the Senate, giving the GOP a cash advantage over Democrats.

Se prevé que Rachel, el nuevo huracán, se intensifique rápidamente y pueda alcanzar una gran magnitud, con vientos sostenidos que superarían los 178 km/h (111 mph). Sin embargo, la tormenta se encontraba a cientos de kilómetros (millas) mar adentro y no representaba ninguna amenaza para tierra.

En tanto, distintas partes de Nuevo México lucían cada vez menos como en los meses de sequía que vaciaron los embalses y provocaron que varios osos hambrientos deambularan por vecindarios en busca de comida.

“Hay mucha agua estancada en los campos y cerca de algunas viviendas”, afirmó Greg Lundeen, meteorólogo del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional refiriéndose a una zona donde el agua desbordó una pequeña presa.

El río Bravo, conocido en Estados Unidos como río Grande, que se había secado a lo largo de un extenso tramo del estado, ahora se desbordaba.

El patrón húmedo y tormentoso es coherente con un año de El Niño, con actividad de tormentas del Pacífico por encima del promedio.

El clima húmedo avanza lentamente hacia el este

Desde Colorado y a través de las Grandes Llanuras hasta Iowa, cayeron hasta 5 centímetros (2 pulgadas) de lluvia el martes, extendiéndose hasta el miércoles, y en algunas zonas se registraron cantidades aún mayores.

Se esperaban más tormentas en Texas y Oklahoma después de que una en Amarillo, Texas, inundó calles y generó un tornado la noche del martes. Los acumulados de tormenta en el área de Amarillo superaron las 3,5 pulgadas (9 centímetros).

El fenómeno meteorológico correspondía a los remanentes de sistemas tropicales, incluido el huracán Polo, un fenómeno de categoría 3 que tocó tierra durante la noche del lunes en la península de Baja California y luego más hacia el interior.

Los cuerpos de tres personas —dos niños de 3 y 15 años, y su madre— fueron hallados el domingo después de que la familia desapareció debido a la crecida de un río en la ciudad de Talpa de Allende, en el estado mexicano de Jalisco, antes de que Polo tocara tierra. El padre sigue desaparecido, según la agencia de Protección Civil del estado de Jalisco. También está desaparecido un turista debido al fuerte oleaje en Puerto Vallarta, pero la agencia afirma que ese caso tampoco está vinculado a Polo.

Rachel es el más reciente en una activa temporada de huracanes del Pacífico

Las autoridades mexicanas se mantienen en alerta en los estados de Michoacán, Colima y Jalisco debido al huracán Rachel.

En el estado de Jalisco, se cerraron escuelas el miércoles en 30 municipios como medida preventiva.

Rachel se ubicaba a unos 615 kilómetros (380 millas) al oeste de Lázaro Cárdenas, México, o a unos 350 kilómetros (220 millas) al suroeste de Cabo Corrientes, México. Sus vientos máximos sostenidos eran de alrededor de 140 km/h (85 mph), según un aviso del Centro Nacional de Huracanes, con sede en Miami.

El ciclón se desplazaba hacia el noroeste a 15 km/h (9 mph) y se pronosticaba que giraría hacia el oeste-noroeste y el oeste en los siguientes días de la semana, alejándose del territorio continental de México y pasando al sur de la península de Baja California.

El centro de huracanes indicó que el gobierno mexicano había suspendido todas las vigilancias y advertencias costeras. Pero advirtió sobre posibles acumulados aislados de lluvia de hasta 30 centímetros (12 pulgadas) y fuerte oleaje a lo largo de las costas de los estados de Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima y Jalisco.

Los vientos con fuerza de huracán se extendían hasta 35 kilómetros (25 millas) desde el centro de Rachel, y los vientos con fuerza de tormenta tropical se extendían hasta 260 kilómetros (160 millas).

En el océano Pacífico central, la tormenta tropical Nolo amenazaba con generar condiciones peligrosas para distintas partes del Monumento Nacional Marino Papahanaumokuakea, un área de conservación marina. La tormenta, que antes fue un huracán, provocó fuertes lluvias en varias partes de la Isla Grande de Hawái durante el fin de semana. Sus vientos máximos sostenidos se situaban cerca de (85 km/h (50 mph).

___

Fabiola Sánchez en Ciudad de México y Julie Walker en Nueva York contribuyeron a este despacho con información.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

It was an electric scene for fans at Truist Park — at least for those who decided to show up.

There has been a noticeable number of empty seats in Atlanta and Houston for day games during this week's Wild Card Series, with the Braves drawing 30,127 fans for Game 1 on Tuesday that started at 2 p.m. local time, well below the 41,108 capacity. The Astros announced that 34,011 fans attended Tuesday's 4 p.m. Game 1 at Daikin Park, also well below its 41,168-seat limit.

It's not the first time this has happened.

Since MLB permanently expanded the playoffs to a 12-team bracket in 2022, just six of 26 afternoon Wild Card Series games through Tuesday have reached or exceeded stadium capacity. Seven games failed to reach even 85% capacity. The Braves-Phillies game on Tuesday was 73.2% full, which is the lowest since the postseason expanded, according to research from Sportradar.

On Wednesday, the crowds were slightly better. Game 2 of the Braves-Phillies series had an announced crowd of 37,150 while Game 2 of the White Sox-Astros matchup had 36,015 in attendance.

The main issue for day games is obvious: It's hard for fans to attend day games during the week — particularly in late September and October — because people have to work and children are back in school. It doesn't help that those game times are announced with only a few days' notice.

Still, it's a less-than-ideal atmosphere for some of the most important contests of the year.

Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm shrugged off the smaller crowds before Wednesday's game, saying his team just wants to win games and advance.

“I don’t think anybody on our team is really focused on how many people are showing up here," Bohm said. "It’s just kind of -- I think, like you said, it’s a 2 o’clock game in the middle of the week, so I think that might have something to do with it.

“That doesn’t take away from what’s going on on the field and kind of the stakes of all that in our minds.”

All three ALWCS games in Cleveland last year between the Guardians and Detroit Tigers started at 1:08 p.m., and none drew more than 30,000 fans. The Tampa Bay Rays had just 19,704 for an ALWCS opener against Texas in 2023 that started at 3:08 p.m., the lowest attendance for a non-COVID MLB postseason game since the 1919 World Series.

MLB declined to comment on the attendance numbers, but the league spreads its wild-card games throughout the day on purpose so they have their own television window and capture the largest viewing audience possible. NBC is paying the league roughly $200 million per year to host “Sunday Night Baseball” and the Wild Card Series during a three-year deal agreed to last November.

The Astros fans who did attend Tuesday's game were in a bit of a foul mood, peppering the team with boos as they fell behind 5-0 by the fifth inning on the way to a 6-3 loss. Astros manager Joe Espada said he understood the fans' frustration but hoped for a better atmosphere on Wednesday.

“I do want our fans to know that we love them and we need them,” Espada said. “They’re part of what we are trying to accomplish here. They’re part of our family.”

___

AP Sports Writers Charles Odum in Atlanta and Kristie Rieken in Houston contributed to this story.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

La presidenta del máximo organismo electoral, Roxana Soriano, informó que, además de presidente y vicepresidente, se elegirán a los 60 diputados de la Asamblea Legislativa, así como decenas de cargos municipales, en una contienda en la que están habilitados para sufragar 6,5 millones de salvadoreños, entre ellos 982.000 en el extranjero.

Las inscripciones de las candidaturas a presidente, vicepresidente y diputados se abren desde el jueves y se extenderán hasta el 19 de noviembre. De los diez partidos políticos convocados a participar en la contienda electoral, sólo cinco lo harán en la elección presidencial, según las autoridades electorales.

Bukele, un estrecho aliado del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump, buscará un tercer mandado después de que en julio de 2025 el Congreso, controlado por el partido oficialista Nuevas Ideas, ratificó las reformas a la Constitución para permitir la reelección presidencial indefinida y extender el mandato de cinco a seis años.

La reforma eliminó la segunda vuelta electoral, por lo que el candidato que obtenga el mayor número de votos se adjudicará la contienda, y estableció, además, una disposición transitoria para que el período presidencial más reciente de Bukele, el cual inició el 1 de junio de 2024 e iba a concluir el 1 de junio de 2029, finalice “anticipadamente” el 1 de junio de 2027, con el propósito de unificar las elecciones presidenciales, legislativas y municipales.

Nuevas Ideas ratificó en julio la candidatura de Bukele para los comicios del próximo año.

Bukele, quien ha impulsado en su gestión la guerra contra las pandillas, fue reelecto por primera vez en febrero de 2024 con el 84,65 % de los votos válidos luego de una resolución de la Sala de lo Constitucional de septiembre de 2021 que habilitó la reelección presidencial por una sola vez.

Marie-Célestin Karondwa, a local official with Congo’s ruling Union for Democracy and Social Progress party, was attacked Sunday at his home in Butembo, an Ebola hotspot in the eastern North Kivu province, after defending the government’s response efforts during a radio program, the party said.

“They beat him up and then set the house alight,” Sagesse Kavira, Karondwa’s granddaughter, told The Associated Press at his funeral on Wednesday. He later died from his injuries at a local hospital.

The killing follows a series of attacks on health workers and other responders as the Central African nation battles its 17th and deadliest Ebola outbreak, which has so far recorded over 8,000 cases including nearly 4,000 deaths.

Authorities this month launched a village-centered approach to fight the Ebola outbreak. But those efforts continue to face resistance from some residents who dismiss Ebola as a hoax amid a widespread distrust in the country’s government for various reasons, ranging from how it’s managed past Ebola outbreaks to chronic corruption.

Responders say skepticism about the disease has complicated efforts to work with residents, including in remote communities and emerging hot spots that already face shortages of medical supplies and healthcare workers.

The mistrust is particularly difficult to overcome in eastern Congo's rebel-controlled territories, where decades of conflict with rebels as well as human rights abuses have left many residents wary of outsiders and state authorities.

The local politician killed in Butembo had been using the radio show to call on the public to obey response measures, particularly social distancing and handwashing, Jean-Baptiste Katsongo Lwatswa, first federal vice-president of UDPS in Butembo, told the AP.

“That is believed to have provoked the anger of certain young people,” he said.

Enoch Muhindo Balimatangi, a resident of Butembo, said there's fear and mixed feelings about Ebola among locals. "Some say that the illness exists, while others refuse to accept that it does. That’s frightening!” he said.

A key challenge in slowing this particular outbreak is the absence of approved vaccines or treatments for the rare Bundibugyo virus that is causing it. Clinical trials for those are currently ongoing in Ituri province, the epicenter.

In its latest situation report, the World Health Organization warned the disease remains serious and there are “persistent challenges in timely case detection and access to early and adequate patient care.”

WHO has also said the outbreak continues to outpace efforts to track and slow it, and is on track to exceed the deadliest on record, West Africa’s regional outbreak between 2014 and 2016, which killed 11,000 people.

—-

Brennan reported from Dakar, Senegal. Justin Kabumba in Goma, Congo, contributed.

___

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

___

The Associated Press receives financial support for global health and development coverage in Africa from the Gates Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

In a Wednesday order, U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín ruled that the proposed consent decree was a “fair, reasonable, and good faith approach to address the competitive harms” alleged by the states' lawsuit. Paramount, which was bought by Skydance just last year, previously called the antitrust challenge the last hurdle ahead of closing its Warner merger.

The companies now expect to complete the deal on Oct. 6. Shortly after Martínez-Olguín's ruling Wednesday afternoon, Paramount also announced Ynon Kreiz — who is toy giant Mattel's current chief executive — will soon join as co-CEO alongside David Ellison.

In a statement, Ellison said Paramount's merger with Warner marks a “transformational moment for our industry” and that he and his new co-CEO will lead a business that is “creator-first, tech-forward and built to scale globally.”

A Paramount-Warner marriage will bring together two of Hollywood’s last five legacy studios. HBO Max, a library full of titles including “Harry Potter” and cable networks such as CNN will also find themselves under the same roof with CBS, the likes of the “Top Gun” franchise and the Paramount+ streaming service.

That further concentrates power in an industry already run by just a handful of major players. And many critics of the deal have decried the states' settlement, arguing the terms are too weak.

The final antitrust fight

Paramount touted clearances for its Warner acquisition from regulators worldwide over recent months, including the Trump administration's Justice Department in the U.S.

But in July, top prosecutors from 12 states — led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta — sued to block the merger altogether. They alleged a Paramount-Warner combination would “extinguish competition” in Hollywood and lead to fewer choices for consumers, particularly movie theatergoers and cable customers.

Last week, the states agreed to settle those claims through new commitments from Paramount, including pledges to increase film production in the U.S. over the next five years, grant millions of dollars to a fund aimed at supporting workers displaced by the merger and establish new editorial monitoring of CNN and CBS.

Martínez-Olguín didn't greenlight the terms right away — maintaining at a Thursday hearing that the court isn’t merely a “rubber stamp” on a settlement of this kind and that she, like many others, had questions. The judge granted outside critics of the settlement (including members of the Block The Merger coalition and the League of United Latin American Citizens) a brief window to share their opposition. She also instructed Paramount and the states to respond to concerns raised by Democratic Sen. Cory Booker.

By Wednesday's order, however, she concluded that the hopes for settlement terms to go further "do not rise to the level of legal violations upon which the Court can reject the parties’ negotiated resolution.”

The Writers Guild of America, which had filed its own suit shortly after the states in July, also reached a settlement agreement with Paramount last week — concluding that it couldn’t continue its legal fight alone.

Ongoing criticism of the deal

The Block the Merger coalition on Wednesday maintained the states' settlement was a “toothless” deal.

“In years to come, we’ll be able to point to this failure to put consumers over the monied interests of corporate consolidation as the tipping-point moment for media in this country," Block the Merger said in a statement. But, the group added, “if there is one discernible benefit to the approval of this corporate takeover, it’s that people are now wide awake and paying attention — and their anger is not going to fade away."

Before agreeing to settle, Bonta previously said the states would only consider “robust” structural remedies. The bulk of the eventual settlement outlined behavioral requirements, at least in the immediate future, with some potential “court enforceable” penalties if Paramount breaks promises down the road.

Even so, most of the company’s new commitments only last five years. Paula Blizzard, an attorney for California, said in Thursday's hearing that the states eventually settled on terms that didn’t “last forever” because the industry is changing — while immediate divestments, or even the complete blocking of the deal that they initially demanded, could open the door to further acquisitions.

Among those new commitments include a pledge from Paramount to increase spending on film production in the U.S. — by at least an additional $1.5 billion over the next five years — and promises to release at least 30 films each year, a figure Ellison already touted earlier in his quest for Warner.

The states’ settlement would require Paramount to distribute 30 films in theaters each year for the next two years — and 32 films in each of the three years after that. The fine print notes that only 50% of those movies would have to be “produced or jointly produced” by the combined company. If Paramount fails to meet these film outputs, the states say it will have to divest from Miramax Studios and pay $30 million for each missed film toward healthcare and retirement trust funds associated with the Writers Guild of America and other industry unions.

Paramount also agreed to commit $47.5 million to help fund training and career development for workers displaced by the merger, again over the next five years ($9.5 million each year).

Meanwhile, when it comes to cable, the states' settlement orders the company to negotiate deals for current Paramount-owned and Warner-owned basic cable channels separately over the next five years. If Paramount violates those terms, a court may order future divestments.

The company must also form a “News Editorial Independence Board” to monitor news operations at CBS and CNN within 180 days of completing its Warner acquisition. But critics point to editorial turmoil already seen at CBS under Skydance ownership — and aren’t convinced this new body will move the needle much.

Per court documents outlining the settlement’s terms, Paramount’s new editorial body will be made up of five “active or retired” journalists with at least 10 years of experience — all appointed by, and reporting to, the combined company’s board of directors for three-year terms. Beyond his CEO title, Ellison is Paramount’s current chairman and is set to remain in the top spot after the Warner acquisition closes.

While joining the rest of the states in the wider settlement, Colorado and Washington declined to sign off on the editorial board terms. And prosecutors like Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, who wanted a full divestiture of CNN and CBS, said last week he wished the deal could have gone further.

Including billions of dollars in debt, Paramount’s buyout of Warner is currently valued at about $111 billion based on outstanding shares.

Deputies with the Broward Sheriff’s Office said Travis Holloway was found suffering from gunshot wounds after they received a report of a shooting at about 8:30 p.m. on May 21, 2022, in the 2800 block of Northwest Fourth Street.

Deputies said they provided first aid to Holloway before he was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

They said detectives with BSO’s Homicide Unit and Crime Scene Unit are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting. No suspect has been identified at this time, according to authorities.

Investigators are asking anyone who may have information about the killing to call BSO Detective Kevin Nitsch at 954-321-4876 or submit information through the SaferWatch app.

Anonymous tips that lead to an arrest may qualify for a Broward Crime Stoppers reward of up to $5,000.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement removed the names of detainees with final removal orders from its Online Detainee Locator System on Sept. 15 in an apparent effort to speed up their deportations. The change, which ICE did not announce and has not explained, applies to more than 16,000 of the nearly 69,000 detainees who are in ICE custody.

The move has interfered with detainees' ability to challenge looming deportations by impeding access to their lawyers while devastating families who lost track of their loved ones, immigration lawyers say.

A coalition of more than 30 groups who advocate for noncitizens in the U.S. petitioned the U.N.’s Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances to declare the policy a violation of international law and to push for its end.

“A system with no transparency is a system with no accountability, and that should terrify all of us,” said Sarah Decker, an attorney at the Robert & Ethel Kennedy Human Rights Center, one of the petition's signatories. “Disappearing people into a network of remote detention sites, hiding their whereabouts, and cutting off their access to outside help is the definition of an enforced disappearance."

Separately, on Wednesday, more than 45 House Democrats led by Reps. Luz Rivas and Veronica Escobar urged ICE to restore the names to the locator, calling the practice of concealing them “contrary to foundational principles of the American legal system.”

ICE's parent agency denied Wednesday that its practices amount to disappearing people, saying all detainees “have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers.”

“The appropriate process due to an illegal alien with final deportation orders is removal, plain and simple,” the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement. “That said, DHS has a stringent law enforcement assessment in place that abides by due process under the U.S. Constitution.”

Detainees can typically call relatives if they have money in their commissary accounts, while calls to their legal representatives are supposed to be free.

Approximately 1.4 million people living in the U.S. are subject to final orders of removal. That typically means an immigration judge has ruled they should be deported and the decision has been upheld on appeal or not appealed. They still have several legal options to challenge their detention and deportation. Federal judges have ruled thousands of times that detainees should be released or granted bond hearings.

The petition to the U.N. said the policy has already “obstructed legal counsel from accessing their clients in detention, preventing interventions to seek immigration relief, challenge unconstitutional detention, and block unlawful deportations.”

It cited examples of several detainees, including a mother and 7-year-old daughter who were challenging their detention at a Texas facility but lost access to their lawyers as they faced deportation to Venezuela. Only after a judge ordered ICE to disclose their whereabouts did the agency do so, about 18 hours later, and release them from custody, the petition said.

One man reported intense stress and that the “darkest thoughts imaginable went through" his mind after the whereabouts of his elderly disabled mother were abruptly removed from the system, according to the petition.

The petition said ICE's online locator, launched in 2010, has become “an even more crucial tool” as President Donald Trump's administration has carried out a sweeping campaign to arrest and deport people who are in the country illegally. It noted that the U.N. working group had lobbied for the locator’s creation and its 2024 expansion to include people detained by the Border Patrol.

The petition asked the U.N. group to urge ICE to publicly list all detainees’ locations within an hour of their arrest and give detainees’ lawyers 24 hours’ notice before a transfer. The U.N. group, which was formed in 1980, helps families locate loved ones who have reportedly been subjected to enforced disappearance by government agents. It has five members and is currently chaired by Grazyna Baranowska of Poland.

The tournament, which featured eight teams in its inaugural edition, will include Inter Miami CF, Ajax, Inter Milan, Atlético de Madrid, Benfica, FC Barcelona, Palmeiras, Arsenal, Newell’s Old Boys, Flamengo, UE Cornellà, Manchester City, Boca Juniors, River Plate, Independiente del Valle and Chelsea.

Inter Miami CF will once again host the competition, with Inter Miami CF Stadium serving as the main venue.

“The Messi Cup was created so that the boys can enjoy a unique experience, both on and off the pitch, at a very important stage in their development, while also beginning to understand what it means to compete at the highest international level,” Lionel Messi said.

“We’re very happy to see the tournament continue to grow and to be able to bring together players from so many great clubs around the world so they can compete, share the experience and, above all, enjoy football,” he added.

“Growing from eight to sixteen clubs in our second year is an important milestone for the Messi Cup,” said Tim Pastore, CEO of 525 Rosario.

“Our goal is to earn a lasting place on the global youth football calendar and build a tournament that clubs value, young players aspire to compete in and fans around the world want to follow. That means continuing to raise the standard each year, both in the quality of the football and in how we deliver the tournament,” he added.

The tournament will be broadcast and streamed internationally across Disney+, ESPN+ and ESPN television channels, varying by territory.

The second edition is supported by Adidas, Novakid, Gatorade, Panini, Messi Fragrances, 433 and El Club de la Milanesa.

The competition schedule and further details will be announced at a later date.

In 2016, the island had only a pair of inbred wolves not having babies. So, between 2018 and 2019, Isle Royale National Park officials, with the help of researchers, brought 19 wolves onto the island in hopes of reestablishing the population.

A team of international researchers, including park officials, studied the transported wolves the first five years after their relocation to estimate their likelihood of survival and recently published the results in the journal Conservation Science and Practice.

They found the wolf population has a greater than 80% chance of lasting 20 years but will face complications from inbreeding and an island increasingly cut off from the mainland because of global warming.

Since the study period ended in 2023, the wolf population on the island has increased. A separate study on the island’s wolf and moose population led by Michigan Technological University researchers estimated that, as of last winter, 37 wolves lived there.

“The number of wolves that are currently on the island suggest that the population is doing OK,” said Sarah Hoy, one of the researchers who worked on the Michigan Tech study. “But I would say that issues with inbreeding and inbreeding depression are still an important concern for the population.”

To transport wolves in 2018 and 2019, researchers captured them in Minnesota, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and two Ontario locations — on the mainland and on Michipicoten Island, another island in Lake Superior.

They went out of their way to select nice-looking wolves — not too skinny, with both eyes, no lice or mange.

But a problem started early on that they didn’t expect: Two siblings became a couple. They were brought over from Michipicoten Island with their parents and four other siblings. That left 11 nonrelative wolves for them to potentially mate with.

“Given the availability of unrelated wolves, it is notable and unanticipated that these animals bonded shortly after translocation,” the study published in Conservation Science and Practice reads.

But perhaps it was the presence of the wolves they weren’t related to that brought the siblings closer together, researchers said: “For social animals, establishing new social bonds is stressful and familiarity likely reduces stress when acclimating to a new environment.”

The brother and sister couple went on to found one of three packs on the island and had at least 12 babies. At the conclusion of the study, researchers estimated the island had 27 wolves and believed all pups born during the experiment were related to the brother and sister couple, their siblings or their parents.

“We found that releasing socially bonded wolves facilitated pack formation; however, the numerical and social dominance of a family group may complicate the long-term genetic health of the population.”

Inbreeding is troubling, researchers said, because it likely contributed to the decline of the wolves on the island before new ones were introduced.

Wolves were thought to have arrived on Isle Royale in the 1940s by crossing an ice bridge from Canada. For decades, Isle Royale’s wolf population was relatively stable. Between 1960 and 2000, the island averaged 22 wolves at any given time.

Scientists think the ice bridge that would sometimes form in the colder months might have helped maintain some gene pool diversity on the 205-square-mile island — about 1.5 times the size of Detroit — as wolves could occasionally come over from the mainland and vice versa.

But throughout the 1900s, as the climate warmed, the likelihood that an ice bridge would form each year decreased. Eventually, so did the number of wolves on the island, down to the last pair in 2016.

It’s not entirely clear what happened to the wolf population prior to 2016. Disease was a known factor and the researchers think malnutrition and the adverse effects of long-term inbreeding, known as “inbreeding depression,” were also at play. Inbreeding — especially over time — can lead to smaller body size, weaker immune function, physical abnormalities and reduced fertility.

Since the reintroduction of the wolves on the island, the moose population has sharply declined, from around 2,000 in 2019 down to 524 this past winter, a reduction of about 75%, according to the Michigan Tech study. Plus, no moose calves were counted in the winter of 2026.

“While it’s great to see the wolf population doing well, it’s hard — although not unexpected — to see both the moose population and the forest struggling,” said Hoy, the Michigan Tech researcher, on the university’s website.

Hoy said the moose population is down as a result of the reintroduction of the wolves but also because moose were starving. When moose numbers were higher, between 2018 and 2021, they ate a lot of balsam fir tree saplings, a key food source for them in the winter. The balsam fir population has yet to bounce back.

While the moose population, a key food source for wolves, is going down, “visitor behavior has emerged as another important management concern,” said a statement from Mark Romanski, an Isle Royale National Park biologist who also worked on the wolf relocation study.

A press release sent from Isle Royale National Park in July said “a wolf has been spotted in the campground, sniffing and pawing at tents, dragging backpacks away from tents, and entering a tent.”

As a result, some campsites were temporarily closed on the island so that park staff could attempt to discourage the wolf from entering the area by “loudly shouting, stomping, clapping, sounding airhorns, and discharging paintball guns.”

In the summer of 2025, the park killed a wolf after it was causing similar issues.

Romanski told Bridge “park managers have strengthened food storage and waste-management requirements, installed 68 food storage lockers, closed campsites or areas when necessary, and used deterrents to reduce these interactions to protect both visitors and wildlife.”

___

This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

The crowds, led by the March by March group, had set a Sept. 30 deadline for those living illegally in South Africa to leave the country. The deadline wasn't recognized by the government and authorities.

With some brandishing traditional Zulu weapons and singing cultural songs, they marched through Durban’s streets. Police didn’t report any incidents of violence against foreigners during the protest.

A similar deadline set for June 30 sparked a mass repatriation of foreigners to their various African countries after attacks on immigrants. The governments of those nations arranged for the evacuation of their citizens.

Wednesday's demonstration was the latest protest in South Africa over the last few months. There have been reported attacks against some foreign nationals that have led to diplomatic tensions between the South African government and some African nations.

South African authorities also have reported the deportations of thousands of foreigners who were in the country illegally in recent months.

Earlier this month, Nigeria’s parliament indefinitely suspended official visits and engagements with South Africa over the immigration tensions.

For years, South Africa has attracted foreign nationals seeking economic opportunities from across the continent, including from nearby countries Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique and Malawi, and as far away as Nigeria, Ghana and Ethiopia.

Many blame migrants for the country’s high levels of unemployment, crime and pressure on public services.

“We were raising another concern about our porous borders and the fact that we have overstretched resources that are not enough to take care of us,” said Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, the leader of March and March.

The protests were meant to put more pressure on the government and called for more deportations of those who are in the country illegally, she said.

“The message we are sending today is that people are getting really, really fed up," she said. "We also hope that our government will take the cries of the people seriously, instead of trying to look good to the international world."

Protesters said that the demonstration was also meant to express outrage over the issue of femicide and gender-based violence in the country, which has recently been highlighted by the killing of at least 11 women in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg.

___

Mogomotsi Magome reported from Johannesburg.

Aura Jean Rosello, la detective principal de escena del crimen en la investigación, guió al jurado a través de las fotografías y pruebas recolectadas después de que Gladys Machado, de 29 años, y sus hijas, Julia Padrino, de 6, y Daniella Padrino, de 3, fueran encontradas muertas en el clóset de la habitación principal el 13 de noviembre de 2012.

Rosello describió cómo documentó las lesiones en el cuerpo de Machado, entre ellas heridas en un pie y un brazo.

Los fiscales también mostraron al jurado fotografías del estado en que quedaron los cuerpos tras permanecer en el clóset.

Cuando le preguntaron si reconocía a un personaje que aparecía en una de las pruebas, una sábana, Rosello respondió: “Sí, Dora la Exploradora”.

Luego, el testimonio se centró en el rostro de Machado.

“¿Está preparada para decirle al jurado qué parece haber en su cara?”, preguntó un fiscal.

“Hormigas”, respondió Rosello.

La Fiscalía sostiene que Alberto Sierra le hizo cortes en el rostro a Machado con un cuchillo para que nunca volviera a ser bella para otro hombre.

Rosello también declaró sobre las lesiones de Machado y las ataduras que se usaron con ella.

“Las lesiones en la mano derecha de la víctima y también el trapo que tenía enrollado” figuraban entre las pruebas que describió, mientras el jurado examinaba fotografías que mostraban que Machado tenía los brazos atados a la espalda.

“¿Qué es eso que tiene?”, preguntó un fiscal.

“‘Alberto Sierra’ tatuado en su omóplato izquierdo”, respondió Rosello.

Sierra, de 42 años, se declaró culpable en agosto de tres cargos de asesinato y tres de secuestro por la muerte de Machado y sus hijas en 2012.

La Fiscalía sostiene que Sierra asfixió a las tres víctimas con bolsas plásticas amarillas de supermercado Sedano’s. También alega que agredió sexualmente a Machado y a Julia después de muertas.

El jurado decide ahora si Sierra debe recibir cadena perpetua o la pena de muerte.

Durante los alegatos iniciales del martes, la Fiscalía describió los asesinatos como “especialmente abominables, atroces y crueles”.

La defensa reconoció el carácter “horrendo” de las pruebas, pero pidió al jurado que tome en cuenta el historial de Sierra y los efectos de una lesión cerebral traumática que sufrió de niño sobre su personalidad y sus funciones ejecutivas.

Los abogados defensores han dicho que Sierra sufrió una grave lesión en la cabeza en un accidente automovilístico cuando era niño, lo que afectó sus capacidades cognitivas y su personalidad.

Se espera que la fase de sentencia continúe con más testimonios y pruebas antes de que el jurado emita su recomendación sobre la condena.

It is not yet clear whether he will need surgery. Anthony was sidelined from early May to late August with an injury to the same hand.

“We did everything we could to be back this year and play, which we did,” Anthony said Wednesday in the tunnel outside the Red Sox clubhouse at Yankee Stadium before Game 2. "Going forward, we haven’t really even talked about it today."

Batting leadoff as Boston's designated hitter in his playoff debut Tuesday night, Anthony struck out in both of his at-bats against Cam Schlittler, then was removed for a pinch hitter with the Red Sox trailing by two runs in the sixth inning of a 9-0 loss.

Boston manager Chad Tracy said Anthony felt discomfort in his right hand after a couple of checked swings.

“After I came back, the hand was never really fully 100%," Anthony said. "For me it was to a point where it was tolerable and I was taking certain swings that were sketchy and I was still able to come back and recover enough to just be in there every single day. But ultimately I just took a few swings here recently where that wasn’t the case.”

The team sent Anthony to Boston in a car after the game. He arrived about 3 a.m. and had new MRIs on Wednesday morning.

“Additional damage to some muscles in his wrist that weren’t there before,” Tracy said.

The 22-year-old Anthony returned to Massachusetts because the medical staff there was familiar with his injury from earlier this season.

“My thoughts are kind of all over the place,” he said. “Feelings and emotions of, you work all this year to put yourself in a position to just be good enough to go in the playoffs and for this to happen, it just doesn’t feel real.”

Anthony wasn't sure whether the injury is something he'll have to manage going forward.

“Given the point where we were at this year and all the different things that I tried and the different shots that I took and the routes that I went, I think — never really rested a ton, right? — so I don’t necessarily know the answer to that,” he said. “Once we saw it today, it was more so about like, all right, this is what it is. You can’t go. It’s not in the team’s best interest for you to play tonight. So get back there. Root your guys on and be a good teammate. And then once, like I said, once we get past the series, it’ll be one of those things where we reassess regardless of what happens and kind of go from there.”

Anthony missed 101 games from May 5 to Aug. 29 with the earlier injury to his hand.

“There’s been periods of time since he’s come back where he’ll get a zinger and feel something. And then it dissipates and we’re good to go,” Tracy said. “That’s not been an uncommon occurrence since he’s come back. But yesterday, as you went through those two at-bats, it got worse.”

The club announced Anthony was diagnosed with a right hand strain, and Major League Baseball approved a Red Sox roster substitution. Anthony was replaced on the Wild Card Series roster by infielder Curtis Mead, obtained from Washington in late July for pitcher Connelly Early.

According to MLB rules, Anthony is ineligible to return until the American League Championship Series — if the Red Sox advance that far.

“I’ve been experiencing some things with the swings and the check-swings over the past six weeks. Last night just felt a little bit more intense, a little bit more worse than past swings that have been lingering a little bit longer than the ones I was used to,” Anthony said.

“It was just super alarming and it got to a point where it was tough to grip a bat. I knew then and there that this was a little bit more similar to the one earlier in the year. That’s why we decided to go get imaging."

Mead got hit by a pitch in his first game with the Red Sox at the Athletics on July 27 and was placed on the injured list with a broken left wrist. He hasn't played in the big leagues since.

Mead was on the bench for Game 2 against the Yankees. Jahmai Jones was set to hit leadoff as the DH with the Red Sox one loss from elimination, followed in the batting order by catcher Adley Rutschman, first baseman Willson Contreras, right fielder Wilyer Abreu, center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, third baseman Caleb Durbin, second baseman Nick Sogard, shortstop Trevor Story and left fielder Nate Eaton.

Sonny Gray was set to start on the mound for Boston against one of his former teams. Left-hander Max Fried was scheduled to pitch for New York.

One of baseball’s premier prospects when he debuted in the majors last year, Anthony batted .245 with five home runs, 15 RBIs and a .735 OPS in 55 games this season.

“Hopefully he’s going to be healthy for next year,” Abreu said. “It’s a big loss for us, but we still have to play the game and try to win the game today.”

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Denys Sienik, the chargé d’affaires at Ukraine’s embassy in Washington, said the top priority should be several Russian companies that are producing components for Russia’s version of Starlink, a satellite internet system that Moscow hopes to complete by the end of the year. The main firm setting up the network is already under U.S. sanctions but those producing the components for it are not.

Sienik said if Russia is able to complete the “constellation” of satellites for its project, it will be able to attack Ukraine at will with real-time information, which could prove devastating in the short term, particularly during the looming winter. Ukraine would also like to have access to Starlink services inside of Russia so that it can go after targets there, he said.

Ukraine also would like to see tougher measures against ships believed to be part of Russia’s ghost fleet, which are used to circumvent restrictions on selling oil, Sienik said.

The administration faces an Oct. 18 deadline to decide which Russian entities, if any, it will sanction under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, which Trump signed into law on Sept. 18.

In addition to those asks, Ukraine is also seeking administration and American industry condemnation of Russian attacks on American companies’ operations on Ukrainian soil, Sienik said.

Leer en español

The school is located at 16700 SW 48th Court.

Miramar Fire Rescue officials said crews were called to the school at approximately 11:15 a.m. after receiving a report of a “sick individual.”

According to a Broward County Public Schools spokesperson, a student dispersed pepper spray in a classroom Wednesday morning. The school immediately cleared the affected area, and fire rescue crews responded as a precaution to evaluate students and staff.

When firefighters arrived, they encountered a group of children who had been affected by the release of pepper spray in a classroom. The incident was upgraded to a mass-casualty incident, according to MFR.

Authorities said 26 students were triaged, with one student treated at the scene. No children were transported to the hospital.

Miramar police said several students experienced minor coughing and were evaluated by fire rescue crews as a precaution.

Police said there was no ongoing threat to the school community.

Miramar police said they were investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

The students and staff were then relocated to another classroom for the remainder of the day, according to the school district.

The BCPS spokesperson said the student responsible for dispersing the pepper spray is receiving “appropriate disciplinary consequences.”

No other details about the incident were immediately released

The AI giants and other tech companies in recent months have disclosed examples of their AI agents going beyond human instructions, finding their way onto the internet and hacking external websites.

An FTC spokesperson confirmed the investigation but declined further comment. The investigation was first reported by the New York Post, which said it has been underway for months.

Representatives for Anthropic and OpenAI did not immediately respond to messages for comment on Wednesday.

Concerns around the dangers powerful AI models may pose to humanity have led some of the top AI developers to call for a slowdown. The CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, said this month that the industry should slow its fast-moving development to give safety measures time to catch up. Without such a slowdown, Amodei warned that within six to 12 months AI could be capable of leading a swarm of agents that could take over the entire internet.

OpenAI, meanwhile, recently delayed the launch of its newest model this week over safety concerns.

The Pentagon also will launch an effort to study the future of warfare that will be led in part by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Hegseth said. The Defense Department will create an Office of Religious Affairs and plans to build a new base for the first time in 40 years, he added.

Hegseth made the announcements to junior officers and enlisted leaders at the Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia — the second year in a row that he has given such an address. But this time, the U.S. military is seven months into a war with Iran with no clear end in sight, has captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and killed more than 200 people in strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats in Latin America, among other actions worldwide.

The speech is not a usual fixture among Pentagon leaders. While Hegseth’s predecessors have regularly addressed troops and top officers, they have traditionally done so in small or private settings.

The Pentagon chief, however, again led with how he has drastically retooled the U.S. military by targeting what he calls “woke” culture — through a rollback of diversity programs, a review of ground combat units with female troops and a new screening program for “testosterone deficiency” among male personnel — as well as attacks on the media for the coverage of the military.

Hegseth announces a new drone-focused warfare command

The Pentagon chief announced the intention to create a new four-star command to oversee the rollout of autonomous and robotic capabilities in what he called “the fastest peacetime shift in modern military history.”

He acknowledged that “the pace of war is changing faster than the process to support it.” Iran commonly uses cheap drones, including those that have killed U.S. troops during the seven-month war. Hegseth pointed to Ukraine's pioneering use of drones to combat Russian forces — something American forces have learned from firsthand.

“Ukraine’s lesson is not that one type of drone wins wars, but rather the need for a purpose-built system that maximizes the ability to adapt,” Hegseth said.

However, a U.S. Army unit based in Europe that specialized in drone warfare was ordered recently to end its efforts and return to being a traditional infantry battalion.

A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers subsequently asked the Army to explain the order, given that the world’s battlefields are rapidly evolving and military tactics increasingly rely on uncrewed systems to fight.

The plans for a drone command come as the U.S. is in a stalemate with Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy shipping corridor. The war has forced American forces in the region to expend hundreds of expensive missile interceptors to defend against Iran’s missile and drone attacks, which have still managed to kill and wound U.S. troops.

Hegseth repeated claims that the U.S. military has destroyed Iran's navy, air force and defense systems as well as many of its leaders and its industrial base. But Tehran has continued intermittently to launch drone and missile attacks against at U.S. or allied bases, while maintaining its ability to strike commercial and military ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

During his speech, Hegseth touted the Trump administration’s major investments in the defense industry and push for contractors to speed up their work to expand the nation’s weapons arsenals. But experts say U.S. military contractors will need at least three years to replenish stockpiles of key weapons systems used heavily in the Iran war.

Hegseth faces questions from lawmakers over cuts to general ranks

Hegseth said he directed the military services to double the 10% reduction he ordered last spring for roughly 800 flag and general officer positions, to a 20% decrease to be completed by Jan. 1, 2027.

“I call it accountability and long overdue,” he said.

Some members of Congress have criticized the war and the drawdown of munitions stockpiles, while calling the latest cuts to the general ranks a “purge” that will take years to rebuild.

“He’s got some kind of like deep-seated grievance about leadership in the military,” said Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., a former Navy combat pilot who has been critical of Hegseth. “He’s purging a generation of great leaders of the military, and it’s going to take a generation to recover from it.”

Republican Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he wanted to understand Hegseth’s reasoning.

“If it’s simply a matter of eliminating a very heavy top, there may be some validity to it, but I want to see it first,” Rounds said.

Musk and Gingrich to lead a study of future warfare

In innovating the next wave of weapons systems, Hegseth announced an effort to study the future of warfare led by Musk, Gingrich and Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Anduril Industries.

Hegseth said the work “will be focused on discovering, developing and fielding the weapons and systems that our children and our grandchildren will need in their lifetimes.” He pointed to the need to dominate "any future battlefield, from under the Earth to beyond the moon.”

This month, the U.S. confirmed for the first time that it had deployed weapons in space, a remarkable revelation after previous warnings about countries such as Russia possibly weaponizing a global frontier long agreed in treaties to be used for only peaceful purposes.

Among the other announcements was the unveiling of a plan to build a new military base, with Hegseth inviting all 50 states to compete for the chance to play host to 15,000 to 25,000 service members. He also announced a plan to make every military base self-powered.

___

Finley reported from Washington, and Kinnard from Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.

An ambitious club with a fabulously wealthy new owner was in a hurry to reshape the landscape of global soccer's richest and most popular league, according to the bombshell findings of an independent investigatory panel that were released Tuesday. The only problem was that the sport's governing bodies have rules to restrict teams from spending far beyond what they earn, no matter how wealthy their owners might be.

According to the Premier League, City set up complex schemes to disguise that it was unfairly being bankrolled by its owner, the Abu Dhabi United Group, or ADUG, from 2009-18 — nine years in which it established itself as a powerhouse.

Leaked emails published in 2018 led to a lengthy investigation and hearing into alleged financial misconduct, which resulted in the new findings in what many view as the biggest scandal in the league's history.

City, which has dominated English soccer for more than a decade by spending exorbitantly on superstar players and hiring top coaches, was found “guilty” of almost all of the more than 100 “charges” against it and now faces punishment that could be as severe as expulsion from the league. The club has always denied wrongdoing and has said it will appeal.

A money trail reveals the ‘sham’

In its lengthy list of allegations against City, which accompanied the investigation findings, the Premier League recounted how the storied club, which had seen better days on the pitch and was losing money, was sold in 2008 to ADUG. The private investment company is “ultimately owned by” Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the United Arab Emirates' ruling family, according to the report.

By the 2009-10 season, City realized it was in line to suffer financial losses for years, including what would have been the biggest loss ever by a Premier League club. The only way to fund its planned expenditure "would be by ADUG continuing to provide very significant sums," the league alleged.

City set up “sham” commercial deals — the report uses the term eight times — with Abu Dhabi-based companies that were priced “well above” fair market value and structured in a way that meant the bulk of the payments were covered by the club's owner, the panel found.

The panel described this as City's “Disguised Funding Scheme” and said it was broken down into two parts. Team sponsors paid a “base sum” that amounted to “only a fraction” of the recorded sponsorship fee. The remaining amount, which was far bigger and was dubbed the “tagged sum," would be "payable by (and was in fact paid) by ADUG.”

City occasionally “tweaked” its scheme to “reduce the likelihood of difficult questions being asked," according to the panel.

Figures show the alleged tagged sums grew over the period in question, rising to 134.73 million pounds ($179 million at current exchange rates) in 2017-18.

City's defense

The club said the Premier League misunderstood how its Abu Dhabi-based sponsorship was funded.

It said sponsors had from “time to time” applied for and been granted financial assistance from the Abu Dhabi government to help pay sponsorship fees.

The panel rejected that explanation as untrue and concluded it had been “concocted well after the event in an attempt to obscure and conceal the realities of the Disguised Funding Scheme.”

Over the nine years, it found Abu Dhabi sponsors only paid 119.25 million pounds ($158.4 million) of the 949.94 million pounds ($1.26 billion) stated in club accounts. ADUG paid the remaining 830.69 million pounds ($1.1 billion).

As an example of the alleged machinations, the report pointed to May of 2013, when it said City needed to plug a shortfall of 9.9 million pounds ($13.15 million) or it would have been in breach of financial rules.

“In a matter of days, without AD Sponsors even being approached, a number of modified AD Sponsor Agreements were generated," the report alleges, referring to Abu Dhabi sponsors and noting that the "shortfall was thus ‘plugged.'”

During the nine years in question, City signed top players such as Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne, as well as the renowned managers Roberto Mancini and Pep Guardiola. It won three Premier League titles, including the first of Guardiola’s six, and a slew of other trophies. And by finishing at or near the top of the table, City qualified for the Champions League — a financial windfall for any team — in eight of the nine seasons.

‘Little more than a front’

The report also detailed the so-called Fordham Agreement, which investigators said was a vehicle set up to buy the image rights of City players from the club at artificially inflated prices, but was “in reality little more than a front.”

The arrangement was actually just a way for owner funds to be paid into the club “in a manner that concealed their true origin” and “pretend” it was operating income, according to the report. It also allowed City to “remove operating expenses from its financial statements” and use owner funds to “meet what were in reality Club liabilities."

The result was wrongly recorded operating income of 24.5 million pounds ($32.5 million) and wrongly excluded operating expenses of 49.414 million pounds ($65.58 million), the panel found.

There were separate deals that allege some salaries were supplemented by the owner and occasionally described as consultancy agreements.

The names of the people involved are redacted, but three instances were valued in total at 16.76 million pounds ($22.25 million).

A damning verdict

The hearing over 42 days in 2024 was “extremely hard fought on both sides,” and “No stone was left unturned,” the panel wrote.

It included 27 witnesses, more than 700 pages of witness statements and about 7,000 pages of transcripts. Key documents ran into “many tens of thousands of pages.”

According to the panel, evidence given on behalf of City by a number of important factual witnesses was “false in a number of key respects,” and certain witnesses gave evidence “that they knew to be untrue and so had been dishonest.”

The Premier League said City's conduct amounted to “extremely serious, significant, sustained and intentional or reckless breaches” of its rules “critical to the proper and fair operation” of the league.

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

___

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

European soccer body UEFA has led calls to remove its long-time former employee Infantino either before or at the FIFA election in March, because of his failed proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

The Swiss federation also cited concern Wednesday for the integrity of competitions after pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump not to impose a mandatory one-game ban on the World Cup co-host nation's forward Folarin Balogun from a round of 16 game against Belgium earlier this year.

Citing the need for credibility, transparency, accountability and effective statutory bodies, the Swiss federation said they were “essential to have trust in the governance of international football and in the integrity of FIFA.”

These conditions were no longer fulfilled since June when it first pledged support for Infantino, the Swiss federation said.

Infantino had seemed set to win a fourth and final term in office through 2031 unopposed until his secretive plan to create a commercial subsidiary company was revealed by media reports on July 28. The plan was dropped within days amid a global backlash.

UEFA is set to meet with its 55 member federations next week in Berlin to work toward finding a candidate to challenge Infantino by a Nov. 18 deadline to enter the contest. The vote by 211 FIFA member federations is on March 18 in Rabat, Morocco.

___

See AP’s full soccer coverage her

Her case began with vocabulary: the same animals are “sea life” when people marvel at them and “seafood” when they order.

“Who makes that decision?” she said backstage.

Of the industry that stocks the menu, she was blunter: “It’s war. We’re at war with the oceans.”

For one piece of fish on a plate, she said, the nets bring up dolphins and octopuses, and most of the catch goes back over the side dead.

Through the greenery, models walked to PJ Harvey’s “Down by the Water,” a murder ballad that keeps its promise.

Juliette Binoche sat near Lopez. On the runway, Karlie Kloss and Miranda Kerr came dressed in waves.

Suits that swim

The clothes made the case more gently.

The palette ran seafoam, sage, coral, blush and chocolate, and the tailoring — schooled under Savile Row’s Edward Sexton — loosened until it moved like water.

Drawstrings threaded through oversized blazers, a rain-jacket trick smuggled into office clothes.

The back-on-trend peplums were everywhere — and rounded softly at the hip.

Sheer layers left bandeaus and brief-cut shorts in the open, on the season’s underwear-as-outerwear tide.

Sport, her other signature, answered back: second-skin leggings under boxy technical jackets and airbrushed dolphins mid-leap across T-shirts.

Kloss’ minidress had small waves curling over one shoulder; Kerr’s seafoam gown was cinched in a knot at the waist.

For evening, gowns wound around the torso and dropped in unbroken columns, after Madame Grès, with ruffles breaking like surf at the hems.

“It’s really, really important to want to wear the clothes,” McCartney said. “For me, that’s the main thing.”

Message in a bottle

The house called the ready-to-wear 100% responsible: recycled cotton denim, organic cotton and silk, and a black pigment grown from algae rather than refined from oil.

Older fronts are better supplied: the certified wool she uses is traced back to the farm, and since 2026 she has knitted with Brewed Protein, a wool alternative fermented by Japanese biotech firm Spiber.

A week before the show, McCartney co-founded The Climate Pledge Fashion Coalition with Amazon and the forest nonprofit Canopy, pooling the orders of more than 60 companies so such materials can reach factory scale.

She bought back LVMH’s minority stake in her label last year, but still advises its chief, Bernard Arnault.

“I’m advising him on so many things in sustainability,” she said.

McCartney took her bow in jeans, a white T-shirt and a roomy blazer, thumbs up, and was gone.

Backstage, when the questions finally drifted from oceans to hemlines, she asked one of her own: “You mean you want to talk about the clothes?”

After 25 years, they are still her best argument.

Leer en español

The report outlined showed dirty and overflowing restrooms, along with detainees who whistleblowers claimed are forced to sleep on the concrete floor or in chains.

Wasserman Schultz said conditions at the facility, located at 2805 SW 145th Ave., remain disgusting, but in some ways have improved.

She said the overcrowding has dramatically decreased from 70 to a room to about 20 people and toilets are also working.

She said she also didn’t see an overflowing of sewage, as documented in previously-released photos.

However, the congresswoman said many of the rooms remain filthy and healthcare is nonexistent in the facility.

Despite over 100 people being held at the facility, there isn’t a single nurse or a doctor, Wasserman Schultz said, and any sick inmates have to be sent to a nearby hospital.

Showers for men are also rare, she said.

And despite a court order that says the facility cannot hold people longer than 12 hours, Wasserman Schultz said detainees told her personally several have been there for nearly a week.

She said constant pressure from people and organizations to resolve the conditions led to several issues being resolved due to the continuous pressure.

“This treatment is unconstitutional torture. I mean, that is what this treatment is: unconstitutional torture. They are making a mockery of our laws,” Wasserman Schultz said. “A court order, right now, prohibits them from holding people for more than 12 hours. They acknowledged essentially they are holding people for more than 12 hours. They ― I asked detainees ― and there were detainees that said that they had been there for days."

Wasserman Schultz said detainees are being sent to other ICE facilities around the country to further be processed, further taking them away from their families locally.

She said she and other officials plan to continue putting pressure on the facility until conditions improve further.

Leer en español

Records show Dylan Hugh Long, a 21-year-old senior originally from Lloyd Harbor, New York, was taken into custody on the UM campus on two felony charges on Tuesday morning.

According to an arrest report from the South Miami Police Department, Long’s roommate “discovered a hidden camera device emitting a blue light inside the middle compartment of his nightstand” on the morning of Sept. 12 and confronted Long, “who denied any involvement with the device.”

But police said the victim later “further examined the device and connected it to a power source, allowing him to access the files stored on it” and saw “multiple video files depicting Long operating and testing the same recording device prior to or during its use.”

Authorities said Long later texted the victim and convened a meeting between all of the roommates.

“During the meeting, Long was questioned about the device and initially denied any involvement,” the SMPD report states. “After several minutes of questioning, Long admitted that the concealed camera belonged to him and that he had placed it inside (his roommate’s) private bedroom. Long stated that he placed the device inside the bedroom because (the victim) had not responded to his text messages.”

Authorities said Long’s roommates kicked him out and the victim later found 49 video files on the device, some of which were corrupted, but after reviewing the usable files, the victim found “multiple recordings of himself inside his private bedroom, including recordings depicting him traveling to and from the shower without his knowledge or consent.”

Police said they went to the UM campus on Tuesday to take Long in for questioning. They said Long admitted to placing the camera “because he wanted to confirm that (his roommate) was reading his text messages.”

Detectives arrested Long on charges of video voyeurism and burglary. He appeared in bond court on Wednesday morning.

“This is an argument that happened between roommates and then turned a little different,” his attorney said over Zoom.

Long was ordered to stay away from the victim and the home, near Southwest 63rd Avenue and 62nd Terrace, save for a one-time visit with a police officer to retrieve his belongings.

Records show he was given a $3,500 bond and was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Tuesday morning.

The bill, proponents argue, would cut down the arduous timeline for getting big energy projects off the ground at a time when demand is rising because of mushrooming data centers for artificial intelligence. The bill would ensure AI data centers are forced to pay for the increased electricity they use and would mark a significant change to a landmark environmental law that critics say slows the process of building energy projects.

Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, called the bill “a major step toward making it faster and more efficient and easier to build infrastructure projects” of all types while maintaining important environmental protections.

Vote on the bill won't happen until after the midterms

“The American people sent us here to do big things. This is a big thing. It’s monumental and it’s legacy-setting,” Capito said at a news conference at the Capitol where she was joined by Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah and Democratic Sens. Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island. The four senators lead the chamber's energy and environment panels.

Heinrich said the bill “will mean more energy on the grid, more good-paying jobs, and lower electricity costs for families and businesses. And as data centers drive demand for more power, it will ensure they pay their fair share of the grid upgrades they require — not leave that bill to American families.”

A vote on the bill won’t happen until after the midterm elections — reflecting the fraught political reality as elections loom that could change partisan control of both chambers. But the bill represents a rare instance of bipartisanship over the country’s energy policy as lawmakers from both parties agree on the need to build new energy projects of all types.

Lee, who chairs the energy committee, said he is confident the bill will be approved in a lame-duck session in November, noting its bipartisan support and encouragement from business and environmental groups.

Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the environment panel, also was hopeful but said Democrats were still seeking clarity on how the bill will prevent President Donald Trump's administration from blocking wind and solar projects.

He and Heinrich, the top energy Democrat, have decried what they call Trump's “reckless and vindictive assault on wind energy” that includes repeated actions to block large-scale wind projects under construction off the East Coast. The administration suspended five offshore wind projects in December, citing unspecified national security concerns.

The projects later moved forward after federal judges intervened. A federal judge also struck down Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects early in his second term.

Brad Campbell, president of the Conservation Law Foundation, an environmental advocacy group, panned the deal, saying it “appears to adopt a fossil fuel industry wish-list.” He said the bill could roll back protections for clean water and endangered species, limit judicial review and curtail the power of the Environmental Protection Agency and states to consider impacts of energy projects.

Drew Maloney, president and CEO of the Edison Electric Institute, which represents for-profit utilities, said he was encouraged by provisions to streamline environmental permitting and “create project certainty.” The group is reviewing the transmission provisions to see how they affect efforts to deliver electricity to its 250 million customers, he said.

In a statement, the White House said the bill would “deliver transformative policies to lower Americans’ energy and housing costs, drive new construction and investment in American infrastructure, and create American jobs.”

Trump's wind opposition played a role in delaying a deal

Trump's opposition to wind power has been a consistent stumbling block to a deal on permitting reform, which Democrats say can only go forward if the administration agrees to allow previously approved projects to move forward.

Trump recently offered to ease his administration’s holdup on renewable energy projects, in part to entice Democrats to agree to a permitting deal. But it was unclear how long the offer would last and whether it would change after the election results are known.

Whitehouse called the administration's proposal reasonable but said the overall issue remains “unresolved.”

Manish Bapna, president and CEO of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said his group was studying the bill’s details, but said: “Ensuring the agreement puts an end to the Trump administration’s war on clean energy — the cheapest and fastest sources of energy — will be a necessary element to any deal.”

Capito was confident such obstacles can be overcome.

Both parties recognize that for far too long, “America has had a permitting system filled with delays, expenses, red tape, uncertainty,'' she said. “Too long, too expensive. And we’ve seen projects that should be finished more quickly (take) decades” to complete.

The Senate bill would limit legal challenges under the National Environmental Policy Act, a bedrock environmental law that requires federal agencies to consider a project’s possible environmental impacts before it is approved. The law has increasingly been blamed for stalling projects of all types.

Challenges under the National Historic Preservation Act also would be restricted. The law protects Native American cultural treasures and other important artifacts.

The bill would ease siting of interstate transmission lines and strengthen the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s authority to review major projects at the same time as state reviews, helping needed projects move through the overall permitting process more quickly.

The bill also would require data centers to pay for all associated transmission costs, preventing costs from being passed on to families or businesses.

___

Associated Press writer Jennifer McDermott contributed from Providence, R.I.

Leer en español

The month did manage to scrounge up four named storms – Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo, and Hanna. The only noteworthy of these tropical storms was Fay, which lasted longer than any other storm so far this season and flirted with becoming the season’s first hurricane late on Sept. 21.

Though officially Fay’s winds topped out at 70 mph – 4 mph shy of the threshold for a hurricane – an instrument profiler from the very high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar or SAR aboard a Canadian Space Agency satellite estimated winds on its northwest side of around 84 mph around 4:30 p.m. ET on Sept. 20.

SAR is known to have a high bias in its wind estimates (roughly 75% of SAR wind estimates are higher than what’s estimated by NHC from aircraft reconnaissance), but this is the kind of data NHC will comb through in the off season to, if necessary, revise its real-time estimates.

The best traditional satellite wind estimate algorithms at the time suggested maximum winds of around 70 mph but the SAR reading came during a noticeable gap in those AI-driven estimates. If we’re able to make it through the rest of the season with no hurricanes (still a big if), it’ll be interesting to see whether NHC nudges Fay’s winds up to hurricane strength in its post-season assessment.

Hanna on its last leg but is pesky Fay trying to stage a third comeback?

Hanna had a heavy haircut overnight and has been reduced to a naked, low-level swirl of clouds over the open North Atlantic. Its leftover spin is expected to move harmlessly over the open seas without redeveloping this week.

Meanwhile, Fay was declared dead by NHC Tuesday afternoon but is doing its best to mount a third comeback, with repeated rounds of thunderstorms firing near its remnant circulation. Whether zombie Fay returns or not, it’s no threat to anyone outside of passerby ships in the area.

Keeping an eye on the southern Gulf for late next week

As we previewed in Tuesday’s newsletter, a strong fall cold front will dig through the southern U.S. early next week before stalling over Florida and the Gulf later in the week.

Long range models continue to suggest a low chance (around 20%) of tropical or subtropical mischief headed into next weekend (the weekend of Oct. 9) from the tail of this front. Both the AI models and traditional physics-based models are hinting at this.

We’ll have to wait and see what the trends look like in the coming days, but the subtropical jet stream will be kicking over the northern Gulf late next week, which means anything that does try to develop would have some impediments if it moved northward toward the U.S.

For now, it’s nothing to worry about but something we’ll follow.

Leer en español

Police identified the driver as 48-year-old Reynoso Osias, who was arrested Tuesday in the 700 block of Washington Avenue.

According to the Miami Beach Police Department, the investigation began after a strong-arm robbery near 11th Street and Washington Avenue on June 14.

The victim told detectives that after leaving a nightclub, a woman, later identified by investigators as 29-year-old Dasheona Ford, approached him, stole his iPhone and ran to a waiting yellow cab.

City surveillance video captured Ford entering the taxi, police said. Police said minutes later, cameras showed Ford getting out of the vehicle, approaching another person who appeared visibly intoxicated and removing a cellphone from the man’s pocket.

Detectives reviewed city surveillance footage, body-worn camera video and cellphone records and ultimately identified Osias as the taxi driver, according to police.

Investigators said they also obtained evidence connecting Osias to the stolen phones and fraudulent financial transactions.

Investigation expands after second incident

Police said their investigation expanded following another incident on June 28 involving another intoxicated victim. Police said the victim’s cellphone was stolen and money was also withdrawn from his bank accounts.

Surveillance footage showed the victim entering the same cab as the initial victim, according to police.

The victim later told detectives that he had no memory of entering the vehicle and had not hailed or requested a taxi. Investigators said they also connected Osias to that incident.

Miami Beach robbery detectives located Osias on Tuesday in the 700 block of Washington Avenue and took him into custody.

During a search of the taxi, detectives found eight Apple iPhones inside a plastic bag beneath the driver’s seat, police said.

“This arrest reflects outstanding, methodical police work by our detectives,” Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne A. Jones said in a statement. “The allegations are particularly concerning because they involve individuals in vulnerable conditions. We will continue to pursue those who target our residents and visitors and hold them accountable.”

Osias faces multiple felony charges, including kidnapping, conspiracy to commit strong-arm robbery, organized scheme to defraud, offenses against computer users and unlawful use of a communications device, according to police.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Osias was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Online jail records listed his total bond as “to be set.”

The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with additional information is urged to contact the Miami Beach Police Department at 305-673-7900. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

La policía identificó al conductor como Reynoso Osias, de 48 años, quien fue arrestado el martes en la cuadra 700 de Washington Avenue.

Según el Departamento de Policía de Miami Beach, la investigación comenzó tras un robo a la fuerza ocurrido el 14 de junio cerca de la 11th Street y Washington Avenue.

La víctima contó a los detectives que, al salir de una discoteca, una mujer, identificada después por los investigadores como Dasheona Ford, de 29 años, se le acercó, le robó su iPhone y corrió hacia un taxi amarillo que la esperaba.

Las cámaras de vigilancia de la ciudad captaron a Ford subiéndose al taxi, según la policía. Minutos después, las cámaras la mostraron bajándose del vehículo, acercándose a otra persona que parecía visiblemente ebria y sacándole un celular del bolsillo, indicó la policía.

Según la policía, los detectives revisaron videos de vigilancia de la ciudad, imágenes de cámaras corporales y registros telefónicos, y finalmente identificaron a Osias como el taxista.

Los investigadores dijeron que también obtuvieron pruebas que vinculan a Osias con los teléfonos robados y con transacciones financieras fraudulentas.

La investigación se amplía tras un segundo incidente

La policía indicó que la investigación se amplió tras otro incidente ocurrido el 28 de junio, en el que otra víctima en estado de ebriedad perdió su celular y, además, le retiraron dinero de sus cuentas bancarias.

Según la policía, videos de vigilancia mostraron a esa víctima subiéndose al mismo taxi que la primera.

La víctima dijo después a los detectives que no recordaba haberse subido al vehículo y que no había llamado ni pedido un taxi. Los investigadores dijeron que también vincularon a Osias con ese incidente.

Detectives de la unidad de robos de Miami Beach localizaron a Osias el martes en la cuadra 700 de Washington Avenue y lo arrestaron.

Al registrar el taxi, los detectives encontraron ocho iPhones dentro de una bolsa plástica debajo del asiento del conductor, según la policía.

“Este arresto refleja un trabajo policial excelente y metódico de nuestros detectives”, dijo en un comunicado el jefe de la policía de Miami Beach, Wayne A. Jones. “Las acusaciones son especialmente preocupantes porque involucran a personas en condiciones vulnerables. Seguiremos persiguiendo a quienes se aprovechan de nuestros residentes y visitantes, y haremos que rindan cuentas”.

Según la policía, Osias enfrenta varios cargos graves, entre ellos secuestro, conspiración para cometer robo a la fuerza, esquema organizado para defraudar, delitos contra usuarios de computadoras y uso ilegal de un dispositivo de comunicación.

Hasta el miércoles por la tarde, Osias permanecía detenido en el centro correccional Turner Guilford Knight. Según los registros de la cárcel en internet, su fianza total aún no había sido fijada.

La investigación continúa. Se pide a cualquier persona con información que se comunique con el Departamento de Policía de Miami Beach al 305-673-7900. Para dejar información de forma anónima, se puede llamar a Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

The punches will come later, on Dec. 11 in Cardiff when the two former two-time world champions square off for the first time, and on UK soil to boot.

“Ten years in the making,” Joshua said at a press conference in London, the first time the two fighters squared off since the fight was announced last week. “We’re here now … it had to happen at some stage and there’s no better time than now.”

It is being billed as the biggest fight in British boxing history. The only question is whether it comes too late to settle the dispute over who is the better fighter.

Fury is 38 and has come out of retirement a handful of times already. Joshua turns 37 in two weeks and his only fights since losing his IBF world title clash with Daniel Dubois in 2024 were against YouTuber Jake Paul and Kristian Prenga.

“People say is it too late? (Expletive) too late,” Fury said. ”It’s the icing on the cake.”

Both men praised Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority and president of the Saudi Boxing Federation, for finally making the fight happen.

Alalshikh said he wanted to stage it at Wembley Stadium in London but settled for Cardiff because he couldn’t get permission to have the iconic venue stay open until 2 a.m.

“In the end, Wales delivered,” Alalshikh said. “And still it is UK.”

The prize money for the fight has not been announced, but British media reports have put the collective purse at close to $200 million.

"They’re getting extremely well paid.” said Frank Warren, the promoter in Fury's camp.

Tickets go on sale Oct. 9.

And the fighters are saving their heavy punches for the big event. The press conference was mostly full of smiles and laughter as the two exchanged a few verbal barbs about a famous sparring session more than 10 years ago, when Joshua was still an amateur.

A few hundred fans had been granted tickets and a vast majority were loudly in Joshua’s camp.

But it was Fury who did most of the talking, although he mainly had good things to say about his opponent.

“He’s been a role model and a poster boy for British boxing for years. I find myself defending my archrival to fans I meet in the street,” Fury said. “That aside, obviously we’re here to fight, and fight we will.”

That’s all boxing fans — especially in Britain — have wanted to see for so long.

“I know in pubs, people have had proper fights about who’s going to win between me and Tyson,” Joshua said. “I know family members have fell out with each other about who’s going to win … I’m just happy to be here, fighting, and fulfilling my destiny before I depart this world.”

Fury also pointed out the vastly contrasting physiques and styles of the two fighters.

“I stand here today as the most awkwardly built world heavyweight champion in the history of sport,” Fury said. “I’m a bald, fat, bearded, ugly, slow and ponderous, all of the above.”

At which point Joshua cut in: “It’s true.”

Fury then continued: “And we’ve got this guy here. He’s carved in stone like an Olympian, from marble. But every time he gets cracked on the jaw he falls over.”

Fury had less nice things to say about Eddie Hearn, the promoter in Joshua's camp, and briefly tried to stoke a bit of animosity by making fun of his ring opponent having referred to himself as “the landlord” in the buildup.

“Now it’s come time to collect the rent, and I’m not (expletive) paying,” Fury said. “Because I’m No. 1.”

The two fighters also bickered over why Fury's name is first in the “Fury vs. Joshua” promotional material for the bout — which will be shown on Netflix — and whether the fight should be staged in Britain.

But they never seemed close to getting physical as they squared up on stage, and Fury is already preparing to take his opponent out for a beer after the bout.

“I don't know if you're a a drinking man, but I hope that after this fight we can have a pint of Guinness together. Win, lose or draw," Fury said. "Have a fight first, then have a beer. How does that sound?"

Replied Joshua: “I don't know if I can trust you.”

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Shili Chen and Shouyong Zhang, both 77, were briefly in court Wednesday for an arraignment on the charges that was postponed until Thursday. Jennie Otis, a public defender representing Zhang, declined to comment. Chen told the judge through an interpreter that she didn’t have the money to hire an attorney. A public defender will be assigned to her case Thursday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Diane Meier told her.

Jonathan McKinsey, a 40-year-old gaming engineer for The New York Times, was shot to death in the parking lot of a sports complex in Dublin, east of San Francisco. A police sergeant was driving nearby and saw him on the ground as witnesses began calling 911 and pointing out the couple in their vehicle, who were still near the scene, Dublin Police Services said in a news release.

Police detained the couple as they were driving away in the parking lot and found a gun in Chen's possession. Prosecutors said Zhang admitted to shooting McKinsey during a later interview, and another firearm was found in the car that he admitted to using during the crime.

Prosecutors also said surveillance video was recovered showing both Chen and Zhang shooting the victim.

Chen and Zhang's murder charges included additional allegations of lying in wait and using a firearm.

Court records show McKinsey's killing came during a contentious divorce with Jang and a custody battle over the couple's three young children. In petitions for restraining orders filed last year, the couple accused each other of physical, emotional and psychological abuse going back more than a decade. McKinsey, who is transgender, alleged that both Jang and her parents were verbally and physically abusive regarding a gender transition he underwent years ago.

In his petition for a protection order, McKinsey alleged that Chen had directed anti-LGBTQ slurs at him and his oldest child.

He also accused Jang of being physically and emotionally abusive during medical procedures related to his transition. He alleged Zhang punched him in the chest while he was recovering from double mastectomy surgery.

Victim had been charged with misdemeanor child abuse

McKinsey was arrested last October and charged with misdemeanor child abuse for allegedly hitting their oldest son. Police said he acknowledged having slapped the child. Prosecutors also charged him with endangering their youngest child after deputies responded to the family’s home to talk with him and found their 2-year-old had been left home alone, according to court documents.

McKinsey pleaded not guilty to the charges and alleged in court records that he had been set up by his wife, who had left the house without telling him the child was sleeping in a crib upstairs. He was released from jail on the condition that he complete 12 parenting classes. At the time of his killing, McKinsey was out on bail and had been trying to enter a mental health diversion program.

It was also in October that Jang obtained a domestic violence protection order against McKinsey.

Jang said in her filing that in 2010 McKinsey had grabbed her by the forearms during one argument and caused her to hit the corner of a coffee table, fracturing a vertebra in her upper back. She also said that in 2023 she called the police to their home after McKinsey pushed their oldest son hard on the head. Jang also accused McKinsey of emotionally abusing her mother.

Victim filed a competing protective order request

McKinsey in December filed his own request for domestic violence protection against Jang, alleging years of abuse that included her hitting him in the head with a frying pan. He later filed for divorce and sought more time with the three children, noting that he had been limited to two hours of supervised visits per week since last fall, Alameda County court documents show.

In late August, McKinsey was granted unsupervised visits in public twice a week.

The killing occurred a week before a hearing was scheduled in McKinsey and Jang’s divorce case. The couple had been married since July 2011.

McKinsey joined The New York Times in January 2023. He was director of engineering for New York Times Games and based in the San Francisco Bay Area, the paper said. A spokesperson declined to comment further.

Leer en español

According to a Homestead Police Department arrest report, detectives responded to a home in the 1000 block of Northwest Ninth Street around 2:20 a.m. Tuesday.

Police identified the suspects as brothers, Yonelfy Elionai Diaz, 21, and Roibyn Diaz Gonzalez, 30.

According to the report, a Miami-Dade fire investigator determined the fire was arson in nature and that a possible accelerant had been used. Samples were collected and submitted to a laboratory for additional testing.

Investigators said four vehicles, a side-by-side and a portion of the home sustained extensive damage.

The owner of two of the damaged vehicles told detectives that two days before the fire, he had been involved in an incident with his ex-wife’s two brothers after dropping off their four children at her home.

According to the report, the victim told police that during the Sunday evening confrontation, Roibyn Diaz Gonzalez threw a wrench at the side-by-side he was driving.

That incident was documented by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office as an aggravated assault, according to the arrest report.

The victim told investigators that because of the circumstances, he suspected his ex-wife’s two brothers were involved in the fire.

Surveillance video captures explosions, 2 men running

Investigators said a surveillance camera on Northwest Ninth Street captured the fire.

According to the report, the video showed multiple explosions followed by two men running away. One of the men appeared to have his back on fire as he ran before getting into a silver sedan.

Police said both men then fled westbound on Northwest Ninth Street.

Additional surveillance cameras captured the vehicle traveling north on Northwest 12th Avenue with its headlights off before heading west on Northwest Ninth Court toward Northwest 14th Avenue, the report states.

Investigators said license plate readers identified the vehicle as a silver Toyota Corolla registered to the sister of Roibyn Diaz Gonzalez and Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez.

Later that afternoon, detectives located a white dually truck and conducted a traffic stop near Southwest 244th Street and Southwest 187th Avenue.

According to the report, Roibyn Diaz Gonzalez was driving the truck and was arrested in connection with an unrelated incident.

Online jail records show he faces a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and was also out on felony bond for domestic violence at the time of his arrest.

While Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez’s arrest report also lists Roibyn as a suspect in the arson investigation, it’s unclear why he isn’t facing charges in that case at this time.

According to the arrest report, the brothers’ sister arrived at the scene of the traffic stop, followed shortly afterward by Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez, who police said came to pick up the truck, which belonged to him.

Detectives immediately noticed what appeared to be injuries on Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez, according to the report.

Police said he had blisters on his hands, the hair on both of his eyelashes appeared burned, and he had redness above his right eyelash and on his nose.

Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez agreed to go to the police station to speak with investigators, the report states.

During the interview, detectives asked him to remove his hoodie and observed what they described as a large burn injury on his left arm.

According to police, Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez was given multiple opportunities to explain how he suffered the injury but he declined to provide an explanation or disclose any involvement in the fire.

Meanwhile, police said they located the Corolla abandoned near Northeast Second Street and North Krome Avenue.

Investigators said the front passenger seat appeared to have burn stains. The vehicle was secured, sealed and towed.

Based on what investigators described as the totality of the circumstances, including Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez’s injuries and their consistency with burns sustained from fire, police arrested him on a first-degree arson charge.

As of Wednesday afternoon, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Online jail records listed his bond as “to be set.”

Roibyn Diaz Gonzalez was also being held at TGK and his bond was also listed as “to be set.”

Leer en español

The incident occurred on Monday afternoon along the 18000 block of South Dixie Highway in Palmetto Bay.

According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the victim, who is a 15-year-old girl, and her mother were involved in an argument over the teen having run away the previous weekend.

Deputies said the victim advised the argument intensified once her mother’s live-in boyfriend, identified as Ulisses Gutierrez, got involved.

According to an arrest report, Gutierrez “grabbed the victim by her neck with both hands and squeezed hard, impeding her breathing for a few seconds” before he “pushed her into the laundry room closet door and pushed her to the ground twice.”

Deputies said the victim was left with red marks on her neck and an abrasion on her face.

Investigators at the scene spoke to Gutierrez. They said he denied all the allegations made by the victim, but he could not provide an explanation as to where her injuries came from.

Gutierrez was charged with one felony count of child abuse with no great bodily harm. As of Wednesday morning, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.”

Leer en español

According to the Davie Police Department, officers responded to a single-vehicle crash near the intersection of Hiatus Road and Orange Drive on Friday.

Police said officers found a blue Ford F-150 that had crashed into a guardrail, knocking over a power line, and Jordan Nelson behind the wheel.

A responding officer noted in Nelson’s arrest report that the officer “was immediately met with the strong smell associated with an alcoholic beverage which emanated from his facial area, especially as he spoke,” while adding that Nelson’s “eyes were red and glossy, and he was slurring his speech.”

Officers said Nelson, 36, agreed to perform field sobriety tests, which he did not pass, and his blood alcohol level was measured at 0.173% and 0.163%, both of which are more than twice the legal limit of 0.08%.

Nelson has since been charged with DUI, DUI with injury or property damage and DUI with blood alcohol level above 0.15%.

He is listed as one of four candidates running for Davie’s District 3 town council seat.

The cigarette is not an invention of the United States. And while Marlboro is a top-selling international brand, more than 100 countries make cigarettes. The largest manufacturer is in China.

But U.S. ingenuity drastically altered the global tobacco industry. And American culture embraced it in the 20th century, making it — for a time — a symbol of stylish adulthood in U.S. movies and media, and omnipresent in bars, restaurants, airplanes and even hospitals.

Smoking became “a right of passage for many young people,” and by the 1950s nearly half of U.S. adults smoked, says K. Michael Cummings, a tobacco history scholar at the Medical University of South Carolina.

“I remember making ashtrays for my parents for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifts,” says Cummings, 73. “I remember giving cartons of cigarettes as Christmas gifts. I mean, smoking was so common. It was just part of Americana.”

Early versions of cigarettes can be traced back thousands of years to the Mayans. But hand-rolling each cigarette was time-consuming and labor intensive.

That changed in the 1880s, when a Virginia inventor named John Bansack invented an automated cigarette-rolling machine that could make smokes 50 times faster. Early tobacco magnate James Buchanan Duke invested in the technology, and used it — along with the development of more palatable tobacco blends — to build the cigarette business into a major American industry.

Cigarettes were clearly addictive, and the idea that smoking could kill was long suspected. Automaker Henry Ford warned against cigarettes in the 1910s, putting out a brochure in 1914 that called them “little white slavers” and argued they were habit-forming bad for health, and were associated with bad morals.

A watershed moment came in 1964 with an authoritative U.S. surgeon general report that said smoking causes illness and death, helping to lead the way to warning labels on cigarette packs, bans on cigarette commercials, and restrictions on where people could light up.

The dangers of smoking began to sink in to the public consciousness, though it took decades for smoking rates to plummet to the historically low levels they're at now. The chain-smoking writer Kurt Vonnegut Jr., who favored Pall Malls, in 1968 penned that “the public health authorities never mention the main reason many Americans have for smoking heavily, which is that smoking is a fairly sure, fairly honorable form of suicide.”

___

Part of a recurring series, “American Objects,” marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. For more American objects, click here. For more stories on the anniversary, click here.

El incidente ocurrió el lunes por la tarde en la cuadra 18000 de South Dixie Highway, en Palmetto Bay.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, la víctima, una adolescente de 15 años, y su madre discutían porque la joven se había escapado de casa el fin de semana anterior.

Los agentes indicaron que, según la víctima, la discusión se intensificó cuando intervino el novio de su madre, con quien vive, identificado como Ulisses Gutierrez.

De acuerdo con un informe de arresto, Gutierrez “agarró a la víctima por el cuello con ambas manos y apretó con fuerza, impidiéndole respirar por unos segundos”, antes de “empujarla contra la puerta del armario del cuarto de lavado y tirarla al suelo dos veces”.

Los agentes dijeron que la víctima quedó con marcas rojas en el cuello y un raspón en la cara.

Los investigadores hablaron con Gutierrez en el lugar. Según ellos, negó todas las acusaciones de la víctima, pero no pudo explicar cómo se produjeron sus lesiones.

Gutierrez fue acusado de un cargo grave de abuso infantil sin daño corporal grave. Hasta el miércoles por la mañana, permanecía detenido en el centro correccional Turner Guilford Knight, con la fianza aún por fijar.

Según los registros, Dylan Hugh Long, de 21 años, estudiante de último año y originario de Lloyd Harbor, Nueva York, fue arrestado el martes por la mañana en el campus de UM por dos cargos graves.

De acuerdo con un informe de arresto del Departamento de Policía de South Miami, el compañero de Long “descubrió un dispositivo con una cámara oculta que emitía una luz azul dentro del compartimento central de su mesa de noche” la mañana del 12 de septiembre y confrontó a Long, “quien negó tener algo que ver con el dispositivo”.

Pero, según la policía, la víctima luego “examinó más a fondo el dispositivo y lo conectó a una fuente de energía, lo que le permitió acceder a los archivos guardados”, y vio “varios archivos de video en los que aparecía Long manipulando y probando ese mismo aparato de grabación antes o durante su uso”.

Las autoridades dijeron que Long le escribió después a la víctima y convocó una reunión con todos los compañeros de vivienda.

“Durante la reunión, se le preguntó a Long por el dispositivo y al principio negó cualquier participación”, señala el informe de la policía de South Miami. “Tras varios minutos de preguntas, Long admitió que la cámara oculta era suya y que la había colocado dentro de la habitación privada de su compañero. Long dijo que colocó el dispositivo en la habitación porque la víctima no había respondido a sus mensajes de texto”.

Según las autoridades, los compañeros de Long lo echaron de la casa, y la víctima encontró después 49 archivos de video en el dispositivo. Algunos estaban dañados, pero al revisar los que se podían ver, la víctima encontró “varias grabaciones de sí mismo dentro de su habitación privada, incluidas grabaciones en las que se le ve yendo y viniendo de la ducha sin su conocimiento ni consentimiento”.

La policía dijo que acudió el martes al campus de UM para llevar a Long a interrogatorio. Según los agentes, Long admitió haber colocado la cámara “porque quería confirmar que su compañero estaba leyendo sus mensajes de texto”.

Los detectives arrestaron a Long por cargos de voyerismo por video y allanamiento. Compareció el miércoles por la mañana ante el tribunal de fianzas.

“Esta es una discusión que ocurrió entre compañeros de cuarto y que luego tomó un giro un poco distinto”, dijo su abogado por Zoom.

A Long se le ordenó mantenerse alejado de la víctima y de la casa, ubicada cerca de la Southwest 63rd Avenue y la 62nd Terrace, salvo por una única visita acompañado de un agente de policía para recoger sus pertenencias.

Según los registros, Long fue ingresado el martes en el centro correccional Turner Guilford Knight, y el miércoles se le fijó una fianza de $3,500.

The new hurricane, Rachel, is expected to develop rapidly and could become a major one with sustained winds topping 111 mph (178 kph). The storm was hundreds of miles offshore, however, and posed no threat to land.

Parts of New Mexico, meanwhile, looked less and less like the months of drought that dried up reservoirs and caused hungry bears to roam into neighborhoods in search of food.

“There’s a lot of standing water in the fields and near some homes,” National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Lundeen said of one area where water overtopped a minor dam.

Floodwaters threatened the state's famous chile crop at harvest time. And the Rio Grande that ran dry through a long stretch of the state was overflowing.

The damp and stormy pattern is consistent with an El Niño year of above average Pacific storm activity.

Soggy weather slogs off to the east

From Colorado and across the Great Plains to Iowa, as much as 2 inches (5 centimeters) of rain fell Tuesday and into Wednesday, with some areas seeing even more.

More storms were expected in Texas and Oklahoma after one in Amarillo, Texas, flooded streets and spawned a tornado Tuesday night. Storm totals in the Amarillo area topped 3.5 inches (9 centimeters).

The weather was the remnant of tropical systems including Hurricane Polo, a Category 3 hurricane that made landfall overnight Monday on the Baja California peninsula and then farther inshore.

In southern New Mexico, ongoing rain threatened to rot red chiles as the harvest wraps up. Mold and disease will put stress on the plants in the field, said Preston Mitchell, a Hatch Chile Association board member.

“There will be nobody picking chile for at least five or six days,” Mitchell said. “All these growers whose fields were flooded, everything’s toast. Everything that’s out there is done.”

But most of about 100 people who sought refuge from potential flooding in chile-growing Dona Ana County were headed home from shelters Wednesday, county officials said.

As the weather cleared, water stopped spilling over an earthen flood-control structure in the area that held without failing.

Acting Gov. Howie Morales declared a state of emergency that made $3.75 million available through local governments to help affected people get temporary housing, healthcare, food and transportation.

Rachel is the latest in a busy Pacific hurricane season

Mexican authorities remain on alert in the states of Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco due to Hurricane Rachel.

In the state of Jalisco, schools were closed Wednesday in 30 municipalities as a precautionary measure.

Rachel was located about 185 miles (300 kilometers) southwest of Cabo Corrientes, Mexico, or about 310 miles (495 kilometers) south-southeast of Cabo San Luas. Its maximum sustained winds were around 85 mph (140 kph), according to an advisory from the Miami-based National Hurricane Center.

The cyclone was moving northwest at 8 mph (13 kph) and was forecast to turn toward the west-northwest and west later this week, moving away from mainland Mexico and passing south of the Baja California peninsula.

The hurricane center said the Mexican government had discontinued all coastal watches and warnings. But it warned of possible isolated rainfall totals of up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) and heavy surf along the coasts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco states.

In Jalisco, the bodies of three people -- two children ages 3 and 15, and their mother -- were found Sunday after the family went missing due to a river flooding in the city of Talpa de Allende, before Polo made landfall. The father is still missing, according to the Jalisco State Civil Protection agency. A tourist also is missing due to strong waves in Puerto Vallarta, but the agency says that case is not linked to Polo either.

In the central Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Nolo threatened dangerous conditions for parts of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a marine conservation area. Formerly a hurricane, the storm drenched parts of Hawaii’s Big Island over the weekend. Its maximum sustained winds were near 50 mph (85 kph).

___

Mikella Schuettler and Wufei Yu in Phoenix, Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Fabiola Sanchez in Mexico City and Julie Walker in New York City contributed reporting.

The complaint alleges the seven judges — nominated by Democrats and Republican presidents — violated judicial ethics by speaking to The New York Times about their experience dealing with a flood of cases during last winter’s Operation Metro Surge crackdown that led to thousands of arrests in the Twin Cities.

The complaint escalates the department's battle with the federal judiciary, which has halted administration priorities, dismissed high-profile prosecutions and accused government lawyers in some cases of failing to comply with court orders.

The department is demanding that the judges recuse themselves from all criminal or civil cases involving the Department of Homeland Security, Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters, because of what he described as “obvious bias they have shown" in their remarks to the newspaper.

“When we have a situation like we have now, where you have a judge, a couple of judges, just not only violating the canons in our view, but also showing bias in what they’re saying, we have no choice but to act to defend not only our prosecutors, but also DHS,” Blanche said.

The judge at the center of the story, Patrick Schiltz, accused the government in January of failing to comply with nearly 100 court orders. He said in a ruling that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a part of DHS, "is not a law unto itself.”

Schiltz, who was nominated by Republican President George W. Bush and served as a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, told the newspaper that what happened in Minnesota's federal court last winter “created a grave threat to the rule of law.”

In a statement Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Minnesota court said legal experts have confirmed that the judges were acting “well within the ethical rules that apply to federal judges” in speaking to the newspaper. Schiltz also said in a statement that his comments did not violate any ethical rules.

“Indeed, in February of this year, the Committee on Codes of Conduct issued an advisory opinion to emphasize that federal judges" may speak or write "on core judiciary matters such as advocacy for the rule of law and judicial independence,'" Schiltz said in a statement. “That is exactly what I did."

The complaint was filed with the chief judge of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which oversees federal judges in Minnesota.

The Republican administration has railed against what it describes as “activist judges” who officials say are intent on thwarting Trump’s agenda. Yet some of the most critical and unfavorable court rulings have come from judges nominated by Trump and other Republican presidents.

El informe mostraba baños sucios y desbordados, además de detenidos que, según los denunciantes, se ven obligados a dormir en el piso de concreto o encadenados.

Wasserman Schultz dijo que las condiciones en el centro, ubicado en el 2805 SW 145th Ave., siguen siendo repugnantes, aunque en algunos aspectos han mejorado.

Según explicó, el hacinamiento se redujo de forma drástica, de 70 personas por sala a unas 20, y los inodoros ya funcionan.

Añadió que tampoco vio aguas residuales desbordadas, como se documentó en fotos publicadas anteriormente.

Sin embargo, la congresista afirmó que muchas de las salas siguen estando sucias y que en el centro no existe atención médica.

Aunque en el lugar hay más de 100 personas detenidas, no hay ni una sola enfermera ni un médico, dijo Wasserman Schultz, y cualquier detenido enfermo tiene que ser enviado a un hospital cercano.

También dijo que los hombres rara vez pueden ducharse.

Y aunque una orden judicial establece que el centro no puede retener a nadie por más de 12 horas, Wasserman Schultz aseguró que varios detenidos le dijeron personalmente que llevaban allí casi una semana.

Según la congresista, la presión constante de ciudadanos y organizaciones para mejorar las condiciones permitió resolver varios de los problemas.

“Este trato es tortura inconstitucional. Eso es lo que es este trato: tortura inconstitucional. Se están burlando de nuestras leyes”, dijo Wasserman Schultz. “En este momento, una orden judicial les prohíbe retener a personas por más de 12 horas. En esencia, reconocieron que las están reteniendo por más de 12 horas. Les pregunté a los detenidos, y hubo detenidos que dijeron que llevaban allí varios días”.

Wasserman Schultz dijo que los detenidos están siendo enviados a otros centros de ICE en todo el país para continuar con su procesamiento, lo que los aleja aún más de sus familias en la zona.

Afirmó que ella y otros funcionarios seguirán presionando al centro hasta que las condiciones mejoren aún más.

Passengers, many of them Israelis, feared for their lives as the FlyDubai aircraft lost half its altitude in about a minute.

As Israel scrambled fighter jets out of concern for a possible hijacking, a passenger and crew member burst into the cockpit to subdue the attacker, enabling other crew members to gain control of the aircraft, which landed safely in Saudi Arabia.

It was not clear what motivated Wednesday's attack.

The terrifying flight occurred just days before the anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that launched the war in Gaza. It has rekindled anxieties about airline security and focused attention on an unsettling question: Are pilots a significant threat to the flying public's safety?

Here’s what we know — and don’t know — about what happened on FlyDubai flight FZ1073:

A fight, an alert and a rapid descent

The distress call came at 8:44 a.m. local time, about two and a half hours after the flight with about 170 passengers left Dubai and headed to Tel Aviv.

The captain and first officer had been fighting in the cockpit after one stabbed the other and tried to crash the aircraft, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The aircraft swiftly lost altitude — dropping from 33,000 feet to 17,000 feet (around 10,000 meters to 5,100 meters) in the span of about a minute. It then circled close to the Jordanian border before landing in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, about an hour later.

A person who heard the flight’s communications with air traffic control described the plane being turned away by Saudi Arabia and Jordan before eventually landing in Tabuk, while passengers screamed in the background. The person who heard the communications spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Aviation experts said they were surprised that the plane did not crash after a descent so extreme that most of the rudder was ripped off the tail.

Both pilots suffered injuries that required hospital treatment, according to a statement from Tabuk's Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport. Netanyahu said Saudi Arabia had arrested one of the pilots.

A plane carrying passengers from the flight landed Wednesday evening in Israel.

Passengers and crew wrest control

A passenger and a crew member managed to enter the cockpit, enabling other crew members to fly the plane to a safe landing, according to Netanyahu, who cited a passenger he had spoken to.

The cockpit door on all aircraft is locked during flight for security reasons — a measure that became the industry standard after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, in which hijackers broke into the cockpits of four domestic flights in the United States.

Netanyahu said on X that the pilot who had been stabbed opened the cockpit door, which "enabled passengers and crew to overpower the attacker — preventing a catastrophic mid-air disaster.”

What security checks do pilots undergo?

One question surrounding this incident is how anyone on the aircraft — especially a pilot — was able to get a knife onboard. It's unclear how big the knife was that was used in the attack.

Pilots undergo rigorous screening, including passing through metal detectors, at checkpoints at all airports. It's also standard for airlines to vet their pilots' background for criminal and employment history, their physical and mental health, as well as having them undergo intelligence and security screening.

Israel has some of the most stringent airline security measures worldwide. Passengers on Israel-bound flights regularly are taken aside for questioning and baggage searches after passing through normal airport security. It's unclear whether the pilots of the FlyDubai flight had been screened as vigorously.

There have been extremely rare occasions when airline security protocols fail. In 2015, the co-pilot of Germanwings Flight 9525 locked the captain out of the cockpit and deliberately set the plane on a collision course with a mountainside, killing all 150 people aboard.

Según un informe de arresto del Departamento de Policía de Homestead, los detectives acudieron alrededor de las 2:20 a.m. del martes a una casa en la cuadra 1000 del Northwest Ninth Street.

La policía identificó a los sospechosos como los hermanos Yonelfy Elionai Diaz, de 21 años, y Roibyn Diaz Gonzalez, de 30.

De acuerdo con el informe, un investigador de incendios de Miami-Dade determinó que el fuego fue intencional y que posiblemente se usó un acelerante. Se tomaron muestras que fueron enviadas a un laboratorio para más análisis.

Los investigadores indicaron que cuatro vehículos, un side-by-side y parte de la casa sufrieron daños considerables.

El dueño de dos de los vehículos dañados les dijo a los detectives que, dos días antes del incendio, había tenido un altercado con los dos hermanos de su exesposa después de dejar a sus cuatro hijos en la casa de ella.

Según el informe, la víctima contó a la policía que, durante el enfrentamiento del domingo por la noche, Roibyn Diaz Gonzalez le lanzó una llave inglesa al side-by-side que él manejaba.

Ese incidente fue documentado por la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade como una agresión agravada, según el informe de arresto.

La víctima dijo a los investigadores que, por las circunstancias, sospechaba que los dos hermanos de su exesposa estaban involucrados en el incendio.

Video de vigilancia capta explosiones y a dos hombres huyendo

Los investigadores dijeron que una cámara de vigilancia en el Northwest Ninth Street captó el incendio.

Según el informe, el video muestra varias explosiones seguidas de dos hombres que huyen corriendo. Uno de ellos parecía tener la espalda en llamas mientras corría, antes de subirse a un sedán plateado.

La policía indicó que ambos hombres huyeron luego hacia el oeste por el Northwest Ninth Street.

Otras cámaras de vigilancia captaron el vehículo circulando hacia el norte por la Northwest 12th Avenue con las luces apagadas, antes de girar hacia el oeste por el Northwest Ninth Court en dirección a la Northwest 14th Avenue, según el informe.

Los investigadores dijeron que los lectores de placas identificaron el vehículo como un Toyota Corolla plateado registrado a nombre de la hermana de Roibyn Diaz Gonzalez y Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez.

Esa misma tarde, los detectives localizaron una camioneta blanca de doble rueda trasera (tipo dually) y la detuvieron cerca de la Southwest 244th Street y la Southwest 187th Avenue.

Según el informe, Roibyn Diaz Gonzalez iba al volante y fue arrestado en relación con un incidente distinto.

Según los registros de la cárcel en internet, enfrenta un cargo de agresión agravada con arma mortal y, al momento de su arresto, estaba en libertad bajo fianza por un delito grave de violencia doméstica.

Aunque el informe de arresto de Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez también menciona a Roibyn como sospechoso en la investigación del incendio, no está claro por qué por ahora no enfrenta cargos en ese caso.

De acuerdo con el informe de arresto, la hermana de ambos llegó al lugar donde se detuvo la camioneta, y poco después llegó Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez, quien, según la policía, fue a recoger la camioneta porque era suya.

Los detectives notaron de inmediato lo que parecían ser lesiones en Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez, según el informe.

La policía indicó que tenía ampollas en las manos, las pestañas de ambos ojos parecían chamuscadas y tenía enrojecimiento sobre el ojo derecho y en la nariz.

Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez aceptó ir a la estación de policía para hablar con los investigadores, según el informe.

Durante la entrevista, los detectives le pidieron que se quitara la sudadera con capucha y observaron lo que describieron como una quemadura grande en el brazo izquierdo.

Según la policía, Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez tuvo varias oportunidades para explicar cómo se había herido, pero se negó a dar una explicación o a admitir cualquier participación en el incendio.

Mientras tanto, la policía encontró el Corolla abandonado cerca del Northeast Second Street y la North Krome Avenue.

Los investigadores dijeron que el asiento del pasajero delantero parecía tener manchas de quemaduras. El vehículo fue asegurado, sellado y remolcado.

Con base en lo que los investigadores describieron como el conjunto de las circunstancias, incluidas las lesiones de Yonelfy Diaz Gonzalez y su coincidencia con quemaduras causadas por fuego, la policía lo arrestó por un cargo de incendio intencional en primer grado.

Hasta el miércoles por la tarde, permanecía detenido en el centro correccional Turner Guilford Knight. Según los registros de la cárcel en internet, su fianza aún no había sido fijada.

Roibyn Diaz Gonzalez también estaba detenido en el mismo centro correccional, y su fianza tampoco había sido fijada.

La escuela está ubicada en el 16700 SW 48th Court.

Según Miramar Fire Rescue, los equipos fueron llamados a la escuela alrededor de las 11:15 a.m. tras recibir el reporte de una “persona enferma”.

Al llegar, los bomberos encontraron a un grupo de estudiantes afectados por el gas pimienta liberado en un aula. El incidente pasó a considerarse un incidente con múltiples víctimas, según Miramar Fire Rescue.

Las autoridades informaron que 26 estudiantes fueron evaluados y que uno recibió atención en el lugar. Ningún niño tuvo que ser trasladado al hospital.

La policía de Miramar indicó que varios estudiantes tuvieron tos leve y fueron revisados por los equipos de bomberos como medida de precaución.

La policía aseguró que no existe ninguna amenaza para la comunidad escolar.

La policía de Miramar informó que investiga las circunstancias del incidente.

Las autoridades no dieron de inmediato más detalles sobre cómo se liberó el gas pimienta ni sobre si alguien enfrentará medidas disciplinarias o cargos penales.

He says his old team did not do much to try to keep him when he left in free agency for Baltimore.

“They shipped me out,” he said Wednesday, before walking that back a little. “No, I don't want to say it like that. It's always love. But no, they didn't offer nothing at all. ... It was bittersweet. I knew the writing was on the wall throughout that season, and they were ready to move on. Good things don't last forever, so it was time for me to find a new home.”

Tennessee was 6-11 in 2023, Henry's final season there. He turned 30 in January 2024. It's hard to know what it would have taken for him to stay, but joining a contending team in Baltimore has been great for him.

Henry rushed for 1,167 yards in his final season with the Titans, but he averaged a career-low 4.17 yards per carry. His first two full seasons with the Ravens: 1,921 yards in 2024 and 1,595 in 2025 — with a career-high 5.91 yards per carry in '24 and 5.2 last season.

Baltimore hosts Tennessee on Sunday. It's the first time the teams have met since Henry's move.

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

A variety of missteps by the Fed's Board of Governors and staff inflated the cost of the $2.4 billion renovation, the Fed’s inspector general said. The board did not secure a comprehensive cost estimate at the beginning of the project, nor did it nail down a maximum overall cost, a step that could have forced the building contractor to absorb the impact of inflation, the IG said in a 120-page report. Prices spiked after construction began in 2022.

“Our review found that the Board has not effectively managed and executed its ... contract and repeatedly deviated from its cost-management provisions,” the report said.

The building project became a high-profile flashpoint in the Trump administration’s efforts to pressure the Fed into cutting its key interest rate. President Donald Trump even visited the construction site last July, when then-Chairman Jerome Powell corrected Trump’s estimate of the project’s expected costs as the two stood in hard hats before TV cameras.

Criticism of the project also mounted in Congress, leading Powell to request in July 2025 that the inspector general, Michael Horowitz, investigate the renovation.

The building project then became the focus of a criminal investigation by Trump’s Justice Department, specifically into whether Powell had committed perjury during brief testimony about the renovation before a Senate committee. That investigation was dropped in April after a judge quashed subpoenas issued by Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Pirro said then she would await the outcome of the inspector general’s investigation before deciding whether to take any further action.

“At no point during our evaluation did we find reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of federal criminal law had occurred requiring a referral to the U.S. Attorney General,” the IG’s report said.

Tim Lauer, a spokesperson for Pirro's office, said the report is under review.

Powell's term as chair ended in May, but he took the highly unusual step of remaining on the board as one of seven governors. His term as a governor lasts until January 2028. Powell said earlier this year he would remain on the board at least until he is convinced that Pirro's investigation is done. By keeping his seat, Powell has also prevented the Trump administration from filling another spot on the board.

Trump on Wednesday afternoon seized on the report to renew his call for Powell to resign from the Fed.

“He can’t manage a Building, and he certainly shouldn’t be allowed to manage his High Interest Rate Policy,” Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social. “And no, I do not want this Building named after President Donald J. Trump, ME!”

Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee and a frequent critic of Powell's, said the report “confirmed that Trump lapdogs U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro and Attorney General Todd Blanche have no basis to restart the President’s witch hunt against former Fed Chair Jerome Powell.”

Current Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh, who took office last May, welcomed the IG’s findings in a letter and said the General Services Administration, a federal agency that oversees most government buildings, would take on a consulting role with the Fed to help oversee the project.

He also said the Fed would engage an independent auditor to evaluate the building project and all its costs. The Fed, with the GSA, will review all the project's contracts and “pursue appropriate remedies,” including seeking reimbursement for any work paid for but not performed, the letter said.

The report said that the construction costs to renovate two Fed buildings more than doubled from an original estimate of $921 million in February 2020 to $2.018 billion by December 2024. Construction is expected to last until December 2027, long past its originally slated completion date of mid-2024.

Some aspects of the project that were criticized by the Trump administration and Republican members of Congress for being luxurious — water fountains, private elevators and marble facades — were not significant drivers of the excessive costs of the project, the report said.

Instead, the IG said that a design change by the Fed in 2023 from a mostly open workspace to one with mostly closed office space caused a significant delay in the project's design. It also delayed the Fed from seeking a maximum cost ceiling for the project at that time.

The Fed has long blamed a range of factors for the cost overruns, including a spike in inflation that occurred as the economy emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic, unexpected expenses such as asbestos remediation, and additional demands from review agencies. For example, Trump appointees to a planning commission from his first term pushed the Fed to add more marble to the exterior of the renovated buildings, in keeping with Trump's preference for classical architecture.

The report said those factors all played a role, but added that they “do not account for the effect of key project management and contract execution decisions” that effectively transformed the contract to "a cost-plus reimbursement contract with a pay-as-you-go approach.”

“Inflation does not change the Fed’s responsibility to manage its resources prudently and be accountable to Congress,” Sen. Tim Scott, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee and a South Carolina Republican, said.

Tinkler Mendez rescheduled the hearing at the Richard E. Gerstein Justice Building to Oct. 28, saying the request had just come across her desk, and she is in the middle of a capital sentencing case and has not had sufficient time to review the agreement.

“The only litigation I’ve had on this case to date has been request to travel, as well as regular status (hearings),” she said. “But I am just not up to speed enough to move forward with a change of plea.”

The plea agreement was offered by prosecutors after more than 10 1/2 months of litigation, according to Brown’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh.

“They made him an offer he couldn’t refuse,” Eiglarsh said in a statement to Local 10 News.

Under the agreement, Brown would plead no contest to aggravated assault with a firearm and would receive three years of probation with the potential of early termination.

“It’s a setback because it’s another moment my client has an ankle monitor on and doesn’t have closure,” Eiglarsh said after Tinkler Mendez declined to make a decision on the plea deal Wednesday. “The decision to accept the plea is thoroughly in the hands of the judge and I presume she will accept it. That said, this was carefully negotiated with the state.”

While the former NFL star had no words for Local 10 after the hearing, his appearance was bizarre as he placed a mask on his head moments after stepping out of court.

Brown currently faces a charge that carries a potential 30-year prison sentence, including a 20-year mandatory minimum sentence, according to his attorney.

The case stems from a May 2025 incident at a boxing event in Miami’s Little Haiti neighborhood.

Brown is accused of grabbing a gun from a staff member and firing two shots at a man, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, who he had been involved in a brawl with. A bullet was said to have grazed the man’s neck.

City of Miami police officers handcuffed and escorted Brown away following the incident, but he was not charged until months later.

After the shooting, Brown took to social media and alleged that the man was trying to steal his jewelry and harm him.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office ultimately charged Brown with attempted second-degree murder with a firearm.

Eiglarsh has previously argued that the case was overcharged and said Brown had a strong self-defense case.

“This case is clearly overcharged as an attempted second-degree murder,” Eiglarsh said in November 2025. “Even the judge said at worst we’re talking about aggravated assault. Secondly, we have a strong self-defense case.”

Brown previously pleaded not guilty after being extradited to the United States from the Middle East.

At the time, his legal team disputed the suggestion that Brown had fled to Dubai.

“He didn’t flee to Dubai, he has ongoing business in Dubai,” his attorney said during a previous bond court appearance.

Earlier this month, Nantambu’s attorney told reporters that his client no longer wished to “participate” in Brown’s prosecution.

“We want the best for Antonio,” Nantambu said after Wednesday’s hearing. “We want him to get the healing that he needs and he can speak that into the free world.”

According to Eiglarsh, Brown has now decided that resolving the case is in the best interest of himself and his family.

“Antonio is ready to put this behind him, continue to focus on his children, rebuild his professional opportunities, and move forward with his life,” Eiglarsh said. “He has fought this case for more than ten and a half months. Now, he has an opportunity for something that has become increasingly important to him and his family: closure.”

He was with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palace of Versailles in June at a signing ceremony for a business summit.

Al Mubarak, 50, also is a UAE special envoy to China, and welcomed Xi Jinping to the club when the Chinese leader visited England in 2015.

Why the head of an English soccer club — albeit one of the wealthiest, most successful and now highly controversial — should be a key player at such political events is easily explained.

Al Mubarak, the public face of the 2023 Champions League winner now embroiled in one of soccer's biggest scandals, is a member of the ruling elite in Abu Dhabi — part of the United Arab Emirates — and the head of a $385 billion sovereign wealth fund.

His family has a long tradition of public service that he has continued with a long list of roles serving his nation's interests, including as a strategy advisor to its president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, known as MBZ, and a board member of both Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company.

Before entering European soccer, Al Mubarak was a key liaison with F1 when the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix joined the circuit.

When Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, now a deputy prime minister of the UAE, bought the long-time underachieving soccer club in 2008, Al Mubarak was installed as chairman to oversee what became a turnaround that was barely believable to an older generation of fans.

The story of sporting and financial success was, according to the verdict by an investigatory panel, too good to be true.

While under Al Mubarak's leadership, Man Ci

ty was found to have broken financial rules

The Premier League announced Tuesday that its most successful club over the past 15 seasons, and current standings leader, systematically broke financial monitoring rules for years.

An independent panel of judges appointed by the league said City orchestrated “sham” contracts with commercial partners to disguise secret funding of more than 830 million pounds ($1.1 billion) by the Abu Dhabi ownership between 2009-18. Club witnesses also gave evidence “they knew to be untrue."

That money helped pay high-value transfer fees and wages for players, some signed from City’s biggest rivals, that fueled the club’s trophy-laden rise to become a European power.

For City it was a virtuous circle: winning titles led to earning more prize money and building a global brand that led to attracting more of the world’s best players, like today’s superstar goal scorer Erling Haaland.

Al Mubarak held firm when the story of the judgment leaked

The devastating judgment, which City can appeal, said the club broke Premier League rules designed to keep clubs financially stable and secure, and which rivals like Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United complied with.

Reports of the pending verdict leaked Friday to The Athletic, and the club responded a day later with a statement from Al Mubarak.

“Here’s what I said to my family,” he said. “The Premier League process still has a long way to run, and our confidence and intent in proving the Club’s innocence is just as strong as when this began.”

Al Mubarak says the club represents Abu Dhabi's values

In a rare interview in 2009, with British daily The Guardian, he spoke of City as representing Abu Dhabi's values. "These are loyalty, commitment, discipline, long-term thinking, respect, appreciation of history.”

“This is showing the world the true essence of who Abu Dhabi is and what Abu Dhabi is about,” he said.

Al Mubarak was an elegant, articulate embodiment of a project many saw as an extension of Abu Dhabi soft power as much as a sheikh’s personal investment. He also is chairman of City Football Group, the global network of 12 clubs anchored by Man City that includes New York City FC.

A graduate in economics from Tufts University near Boston, he oversees the Mubadala wealth fund among a slew of key government positions.

His family suffered personal tragedy in public service

Al Mubarak's father, Khalifa Al Mubarak, was a diplomat who served as the UAE’s ambassador to France.

He was assassinated in Paris in February 1984, shot on a street outside his residence close to the Eiffel Tower. Khaldoon Al Mubarak was 8. The killing was linked to the Abu Nidal Organization, a violent group calling for Israel's destruction.

Gulf media has reported that the young Khaldoon was mentored by the royal family in the wake of his father's death. In 2018 a street in Abu Dhabi was renamed for the slain diplomat.

Hacked emails revealed the malfeasance

As Man City's finances and compliance with soccer's rules came under more scrutiny, including by UEFA investigations judged in 2014 and 2020, Al Mubarak's public comments were limited to end-of-season interviews filmed and conducted by the club's own staff.

A landmark UEFA case in 2020 — won by City on an appeal that overturned a two-year ban from the Champions League — and the Premier League case were sparked by internal club emails and documents obtained by a hacker-whistleblower.

They were published in a series of articles by German magazine Der Spiegel in November 2018, that gave insight into the City chairman's resolve for a legal battle.

In 2014, when UEFA's then-general secretary, now FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, was in talks with Man City about settling a rules breach with a fine, the club's lawyer Simon Cliff sent an email with a line yet to be forgotten.

“Khaldoon said," Cliff wrote, "he would rather spend 30 million on the 50 best lawyers in the world to sue them for the next 10 years.”

___

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The indictment against 36-year-old Ivanna Lisette Ortiz of Orlando was unsealed Wednesday by a Los Angeles County judge.

Ortiz, appearing in court wearing yellow jail clothes, spoke only to her attorney, who entered a not guilty plea for her. The judge then ordered her held on $2.6 million bail.

The move came a day after another judge ruled that Ortiz is mentally competent to stand trial. The secret grand jury proceedings were held as Ortiz was undergoing months of psychiatric evaluation. The jurors returned their indictment June 18, but it was kept under wraps for three months until the judge ruled on her competency. Now, a case that appeared stalled — possibly permanently — is on a fast track to trial.

No one was injured in the March 8 shooting. Authorities allege Ortiz drove a Tesla up to the gates of the Beverly Hills-area property of the singing superstar and her rap star partner, A$AP Rocky, pointed an AR-15 style rifle out the window and fired at least 20 rounds toward the property and the neighboring house.

“This is a person who wanted to kill Rihanna,” Deputy District Attorney Alexander Bott said outside court. “Everyone else was collateral damage.”

Bullets tore through the Airstream trailer, according to a police report. Shots also struck the wall of their home's nursery, where their three small children were with their nanny. Rihanna’s mother and several staffers also were in the home, and authorities say she also fired shots toward a neighbor's house.

Both Rihanna and her mother, Monica Fenty, testified to the grand jury, as did Hollywood agent Tracey Jacobs, the owner of the neighboring house who was home at the time and is listed among the victims in the indictment.

Their testimony remains under seal but will become public in about two weeks unless the defense seeks to keep them secret and the judge agrees.

Rihanna told investigators just after the shooting that she “suddenly heard approximately ten loud sounds like something banging on metal,” and pulled Rocky out of a bed and onto the ground. She said she opened curtains and saw bullet marks in the windshield right in front of where she had been standing.

Deputy Public Defender Derek Dillman, Ortiz's attorney, did not speak to reporters outside the courtroom, and a message seeking comment from the public defender's office on the indictment was not immediately answered. Other than her not guilty pleas, her lawyers have not publicly addressed the charges, saying only that they would work to defend her rights.

Investigators said that on the day of her arrest, Ortiz told them: “I wasn’t attempting murder.”

Ortiz was charged with very similar counts in March. The new indictment supersedes those charges. The secret grand jury proceedings allow prosecutors to skip California’s preliminary hearing process, where evidence must be presented publicly to see if a trial is merited.

The indictment also charges Ortiz with 10 counts of assault with an assault weapon — one for each of the people on the two properties — and three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or camper. It names the couple's three children Rza, Riot and Rocki, all under age 5, as victims. The assault weapon counts carry a stiffer sentence than the original charges of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Ortiz was the registered owner of the rifle, which she obtained in Florida, authorities said.

She could get life in prison if convicted of all counts.

Reports have been sealed on the psychiatric evaluations that paused the case shortly after it began, and there was no public discussion of the details of her mental state.

Prosecutors have not said anything about a motive or cited any connection between Rihanna and Ortiz, a longtime licensed speech pathologist. But in videos posted on Facebook and YouTube in the months before the shooting, Ortiz made increasingly angry comments on Rihanna that sometimes took the form of threats, at one point calling her a “devil.”

A nine-time Grammy Award winner, Rihanna has had 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “We Found Love,” “Work,” “Umbrella” and “Disturbia.”

Leer en español

Firefighters responded to the area of Northwest Ninth Street and 10th Avenue just after 2 a.m., where they encountered massive flames.

The fire has since been extinguished, but a side-by-side, four other vehicles and a portion of the home were damaged.

Firefighters said the blaze started with the ATV, though it remains unclear what caused it to catch fire.

Police officers later confirmed to Local 10 News that an arson investigation was underway.

Security footage shows one of the vehicles bursting into flames.

“I thought it was going to explode because there was, like, at least three cars over there that caught on fire at the same time, so we were just, you know, worried that it might be a bigger thing,” neighbor Hilda Palma said. “But I was also worried because since the house was already on fire as well, I didn’t know if there were people in there, because the front of the door was getting on fire.”

No injuries were reported.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials took canisters of evidence from the vehicles to see if this could have been a case of arson.

The official cause of the fire, however, remains under investigation.

They are automated license plate readers that snap pictures of passing cars and keep a database that police officers can search through.

Advocates say the cameras can help solve crimes, find stolen cars and track missing people, but there are those who feel there are privacy concerns.

Earlier this month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered all flock cameras and other license plate readers to be removed from state highways.

The next day, Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz not only did that, but went further and suspended its entire program.

The day after, so did Pembroke Pines.

Right as you enter the city of Hollywood, just as you pass the Welcome to Hollywood sign, you’re greeted by a flock camera.

It’s right near the intersection of Pembroke Road and South Park Road.

Several South Florida mayors, including Miami Beach, Sunny Isles Beach and Aventura, asked the governor to reconsider his order, signing a letter and noting the cameras have solved crimes while worrying that no transition plan could put public safety at risk.

Miramar has dozens of cameras, including one near the intersection of Miramar Parkway and Southwest 64th Avenue.

So does Fort Lauderdale, where last month police said someone damaged two cameras.

The city of Miami’s newly passed budget gives police nearly $150,000 in what’s being called “investigative tech” upgrades.

Watchdogs fear that’s going toward flock cameras.

DeFlock, an open-source project tracking cameras around the country, lists thousands in South Florida, most of them flock cameras.

Federal lawmakers are looking into concerns they can make mistakes.

Lindsey Isaacs was wrongfully arrested and jailed for 13 days in Central Florida after a camera mistakenly identified her as a driver involved in a fatal hit-and-run.

She testified during a U.S. Senate hearing last week.

“I was placed in solitary confinement for approximately three and a half days,” she said.

The gunfire erupted at approximately 9:53 p.m. in the area of the 600 block of Northwest Fifth Avenue.

According to the Miami Police Department, officers responded to the scene in reference to a Shot Spotter alert.

Upon arrival, police said they found two men who had been shot.

Miami Fire Rescue officials said the men’s ages ranged between 20 and 30, and both were listed in serious and critical condition.

Both men were rushed by MFR crews to the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Dispatch audio obtained by Local 10 News indicates that one of the men was shot in the knee and the other man was struck multiple times, including in the head and body.

Local 10 News cameras captured police appearing to focus part of their investigation on a white Mercedes-Benz sedan that appeared to have a bullet hole in the windshield.

It wasn’t until around 4 a.m. that the Mercedes and a black Lexis IS sedan were towed away from the scene.

Investigators said they are working to determine the circumstances that led up to the shooting.

Police did not say whether they were seeking any suspects or persons of interest.

Mediante un decreto firmado por el conservador presidente Rodrigo Paz se establecieron “las condiciones de importación y comercialización de la gasolina de aviación grado 100, con la finalidad de garantizar el abastecimiento de combustibles en el mercado interno”.

Con esta medida, el combustible de aviación pasará a venderse a precio de mercado. Antes del decreto, el precio fijado para ese carburante era de aproximadamente 90 centavos de dólar el litro.

La disposición se enmarca en las reformas económicas que emprende la administración de Paz para enfrentar la peor crisis económica en 40 años, entre las cuales destaca la eliminación total de los subsidios a los combustibles, considerada una de las principales causas del déficit.

Hace dos semanas se retiró el 100% de la subvención al diésel, cuyo precio ahora fluctuará según el mercado internacional. Por su parte, la gasolina mantendrá el subsidio hasta fin de año y se definirán nuevas medidas en enero del próximo año.

Los ajustes —sobre todo en el costo del diésel— han generado gran descontento, principalmente en el transporte de carga. Según cifras del gobierno, el 20% del transporte utiliza diésel y este incremento ya ha provocado un alza en los precios de los alimentos.

Actualmente Bolivia importa el 80% del diésel y el 50% de la gasolina que consume.

El gobierno argumentó que busca ordenar la economía y reorientar los recursos de la subvención hacia nuevas obras públicas. Entre tanto, diversos sectores, como los transportistas, comerciantes y maestros, han manifestado su firme rechazo.

Paz enviará ley de electricidad al Congreso

Poco después el mandatario informó en un evento público que en el transcurso del día enviará un proyecto de ley de electricidad a la Asamblea Legislativa con el que se busca dejar la dependencia del gas para generar electricidad mediante el reemplazo gradual a las energías renovables no convencionales.

Este es el segundo proyecto de ley que envía al Congreso. El proyecto de ley de inversiones fue el primero que presentó en agosto, enmarcado dentro de un paquete de medidas legislativas con el que el gobierno aspira enfrentar la crisis económica. El Legislativo aún no lo ha aprobado.

“Aquí hay energía, hay gas, tenemos electricidad, tenemos capacidad de poner la energía para que sus empresas se puedan instalar y con eso generar empleo, generar desarrollo de las diferentes instancias”, señaló el gobernante.

In a statement, the Home Office said the so-called “one in, one out” deal is “no longer processing new cases."

Under the plan, people who arrived in the U.K. after making the dangerous crossing across the Channel could be detained and returned to France in exchange for an equivalent number of asylum seekers who applied through a safe and legal route.

As part of the deal, some 1,500 individuals have returned to France while a tad fewer have been transferred to the U.K. The deal was intended to last three years though there was a clause allowing the parties to end it earlier.

“We continue to work with France to relentlessly tackle small boat crossings, and we’ve made real progress," the Home Office said in a statement.

Though the scheme is no longer active, the Home Office said deportation flights will continue in the coming weeks for those who have already been detained.

The backdrop currently is very different to last year. The number of people making the crossing has fallen sharply this year to a five-year low for a variety of reasons, including increased police patrols and enhanced surveillance in northern France. So far this year, around 19,000 people have made the crossing, down about 40% on the same time last year.

The danger of crossings was illustrated Monday when a 10-year-old child and two women died, apparently trampled to death on a boat packed with more than 100 people.

Cooperation on stopping the boats stalled after the U.K.’s acrimonious split from the European Union in 2020, but in the past few years the U.K. and France have struck several agreements to get a handle on the issue.

Small boat crossings have become a potent political issue in the U.K. in recent years. Anger at the seeming inability of successive governments to get a handle on the issue has been behind a series of demonstrations and riots and has fueled the rise of the hard-right Reform UK party.

A total of 31 migrants, most of whom were Iraqi Kurds, died in November 2021 when their boat sank.

Fourteen people, including two who remain at large, had been on trial since Sept. 8. One of them was acquitted. They were accused of organizing the crossing of a small boat that was unfit for navigation on the open sea, was overloaded and lacked appropriate life jackets.

Emmanuel Daoud, a lawyer for victims’ families, said that “when it costs the lives of 31 people and the sea becomes a cemetery, there is a price, and the court said that the price they had to pay was justice and prison time.”

Meanwhile, an investigation into seven military personnel who have been indicted for failing to assist the shipwreck survivors is still underway.

Following an alert from a fishing vessel about bodies in the water off the coast of Calais, French authorities recovered 27 bodies, including two teenagers and a child. Four others weren't recovered.

The court said that the trial highlighted the dramatic consequences of the methods used by smugglers driven by greed “profiting from the vulnerability of exile candidates.”

Court documents said that one of the survivors told investigators that he had taken part in an earlier failed attempt to cross the Channel with 53 other migrants. They were brought back to French shores by rescue teams.

He said that his family in Iraq funded his passage, having paid $3,200, according to the documents.

He said that the same smugglers’ network organized the second attempt on Nov. 24 when the small boat sank. After it was prepared in a wooded area, the gray boat equipped with a 40 CV outboard motor was launched. The migrants, wearing life jackets provided by the smugglers, set out to sea at around 10 p.m. local time.

Four hours later, the boat began to deflate, and with the motor having stopped, it drifted at the mercy of the currents. Some passengers then wanted to return to France, while others wanted to reach England and several people who spoke English tried to contact emergency services.

___

Nicolas Vaux-Montagny reported from Saint-Etienne, France.

Burnham said U.K. and U.S. officials are carrying out a “complex and serious” investigation into how and why five men and three vans were near the perimeter of RAF Fairford, a base that has been used by American bombers striking Iran during this year's war.

Five British men in their 20s were arrested Sunday on suspicion of explosives offenses and planning an act of terror, before being released on bail a day later. Police say they found a quantity of an accelerant – gasoline – in the vans, but no explosives.

Burnham did not provide details about what the suspects were planning or why the U.K. thinks Iran was involved. He said he would “update people more in due course.”

“There are strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford, but of course it remains an ongoing, complex, and serious police investigation,” Burnham told the BBC in one of a series of interviews with British broadcasters. “And of course, we are working closely with our colleagues in the United States of America.”

Iran has denied involvement in the incident. It has previously said that it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.

The base 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of London has been used by American bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East, including this year’s war with Iran.

Top U.S. officials have criticized the decision to grant the suspects bail, with President Donald Trump saying “I wouldn’t have done that" and Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying a lot of people were “disturbed” by the move.

Burnham said authorities have the investigation under “the strongest grip and the closest control,” and British officials had been “talking to counterparts in the United States all week to explain what is happening here, how things are being done.”

“I have complete confidence in the way British security services are handling this,” he told the BBC.

Laurence Taylor, the head of British counterterror policing, said Tuesday that the suspects remain under investigation and the decision to grant bail was grounded in “experience and strategy.”

He said a line of inquiry is whether the suspected offenses were committed by “proxies or individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.”

The arrests came at a time of heightened tensions around the threat from hostile states, with British security services saying Russia and Iran have both used proxies to commit crimes on U.K. soil. British officials have said the number of national security cases involving activity by hostile states, including Iran, increased by 50% in the six months to December 2025.

U.K. officials also say proxies linked to Iran have been behind a string of arsons and other attacks in the U.K. and other countries, many of them targeting the Jewish community and intended to sow fear. They have previously warned that Tehran could expand its targets in the U.K. if conflicts in the Middle East continue.

Noem, who was tasked with leading President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown from January 2025 to March 2026 and previously served as South Dakota's governor, is seeking a divorce from Bryon Noem in their home state. The two married in May 1992 and have three children.

The filing, made in April but posted online on Monday, comes after questions arose earlier this year about the nature of Kristi Noem's relationship with a top adviser. The complaint, filed in Hamlin County, notes “irreconcilable differences” as grounds for the divorce.

In a statement, Kristi Noem's attorney confirmed she has filed for divorce and said she will reserve further comments for the legal process. Lawyers for Bryon Noem did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A day before Noem was ousted from her post in Trump's cabinet, members of Congress questioned her about an alleged extramarital affair with Corey Lewandowski, a special government employee and one of the secretary’s lead advisers. He was Trump’s first campaign manager in 2016 and appeared to play an outsized role in Noem's department, even though his position was supposed to have a limit on days worked.

Noem denied the allegations that they were having an affair, dismissing them as “tabloid garbage.”

Once a close ally to Trump, Noem became a liability for the Republican president as questions arose over her conduct following the shooting deaths of two protesters in Minneapolis at the hands of immigration officers. Noem characterized both Renee Good and Alex Pretti as aggressors, contradicting videos from the scene and descriptions of their deaths from bystanders. She also faced criticism from fellow Republicans for her spending at her department.

Trump nominated Markwayne Mullin, then a U.S. senator from Oklahoma, in Noem's place and made her a special envoy for The Shield of the Americas, a new security initiative focused on the Western Hemisphere.

___

Schoenbaum reported from Salt Lake City, Utah.

Teams averaged 29,589 for 2,425 dates, a 0.4% increase from the average of 29,471 last year, when attendance totaled 71.4 million. MLB attendance has risen in four straight seasons for the first time since 2004-07.

Thirteen teams had increases and 17 dropped.

Tampa Bay had the biggest increase, up 628,255 to 1,414,975 as the Rays won the AL East for the first time since 2021. The Rays spent 2025 at Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees’ spring training ballpark, while damage to their stadium from Hurricane Milton was repaired. Steinbrenner Field's capacity for the Rays was 10,046, and they drew up to 28,055 this year at the Trop.

Five clubs topped 3 million, down from six last year and matching 2024. There were eight in 2023.

The two-time World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers led the sport with a team-record 4,034,219, an average of 49,805.

The Chicago White Sox, who earned an AL wild card this year by finishing with an 84-78 record following three straight 100-loss seasons, rose 540,687 to 1,986,425.

Toronto, coming off an AL pennant in 2025, increased 488,943 to 3,338,878, and Seattle, which came within one win of reaching its first World Series in 2025, rose 345,745 to 2,883,798.

The New York Mets, who entered the season with the sport's highest payroll, had the biggest decline, a 472,450 drop to 2,712,120. The Mets had a 12-game losing streak in April and finished last in the NL East for the first time since 2003.

Houston fell 255,759 to 2,472,118 despite winning the AL West title — with an 81-81 record that was the poorest for a first-place team. Kansas City dropped 221,703 to 1,527,098 and Arizona, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Colorado and Philadelphia all experienced decreases of 100,000 to 200,000.

The Athletics, based for a second season at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, California, before a planned move to a new Las Vegas ballpark in 2028, drew a major league-low attendance of 799,240 and average of 9,867. They played six games at Las Vegas Ballpark, another minor league stadium, and averaged 9,983 in West Sacramento and 8,451 in Las Vegas.

Miami dropped from 28th to 29th in attendance at 1,231,018.

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

A sometimes-overlooked element of the bill designed to regulate name-image-likeness payments and myriad other problems in college sports is the protections it offers the smaller, non-revenue-generating “Olympic” sports. Hundreds of thousands of athletes across the country play these sports in college, and their talent leads to hundreds of medals for the U.S.

Exhibit A: Of the 257 U.S. athletes who won medals at the Paris Olympics two years ago, 184 had roots in an NCAA program.

That's why, at the urging of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the bill includes language requiring most college programs, which devote the lion's share of their resources to football and basketball, to maintain the same number of scholarships and roster spots for Olympic sports as they had in the 2024-25 school year.

Another element of the bill adds a $27 million “retention pool” to the revenue-sharing cap schools are allowed to pay to athletes; $5 million of that has to be spent on women’s and Olympic sports.

While not a foolproof solution — some schools could ask for waivers and others could shift numbers around among different sports to dilute their investments — Olympic insiders believe the bill offers a sustainable remedy for what they consider a likely move away from non-revenue sports if schools are left to their own devices.

“The sky is not falling, but we're not going back to what used to be” whether the bill becomes law or not, Sarah Hirshland, the CEO of the USOPC, said last week at the annual USOPC Assembly. “We're not in a state of panic about Team USA not being able to compete in Los Angeles. But there are some things that really need to be fixed.”

With House passage uncertain, Olympic leaders study other solutions

Against that backdrop, leaders at the USOPC know that even if the bill passes the House, where it faces a steep climb, they need to plan for a future in which college programs cut Olympic sports to make ends meet.

A report released within the last month by the bill's co-sponsor, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said that since 2023, which is when the so-called “arms race” to obtain football and basketball talent shifted into high gear, colleges have eliminated more than 100 women’s and Olympic sports programs.

“I feel for the athletic directors because many of them are trying to run a business but they don't know what tomorrow is, and that makes it really difficult for long-term planning," said Rocky Harris, the USOPC's chief of sport and athlete services. “If you can't do long-term planning, you can't run a good business. And if they can't run a good business, then that impacts Olympics sports directly.”

Cantwell has cited the peril Olympic and women's sports face as the key reason she got involved in crafting the legislation.

The connection between, say, a starting quarterback's NIL haul and the U.S. gold medal count in LA two years from now exists because the U.S. government, unlike most governments around the globe, doesn't bankroll the Olympics or its pipeline. That leaves the task to the nation's grassroots sports organizations and, eventually, the U.S. college system, where football underwrites everything.

“I don't think people understand the connection between the money that's made by football and the success of our Olympic system,” said Cody Campbell, the billionaire from Texas Tech who has aired ads during Saturday college football games supporting the legislation.

LA Games should give participation a boost, but will colleges play along?

Harris, who led USA Triathlon before coming to the USOPC, said the push to make women's triathlon an “emerging sport” at the NCAA level was intended to give young girls a chance “to dream about doing triathlon.”

“Maybe they couldn't see themselves as Olympians, but many of them could see themselves as a college athlete and I knew that would drive our plan," Harris said.

Without college programs, Harris says, the potential elite athletes in a sport move on to other things. If those programs do exist that's how a pipeline begins.

In many ways, the doubts about the future of the Olympic movement come at a time when the United States should be preparing for an upswing in participation with the LA Olympics less than two years away. Hirshland cited numbers that showed participation in some Olympic sports grew between 25% and 35% after the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, the last time the Summer Games were held on U.S. soil.

“I'm still bullish that LA will actually accelerate that,” Hirshland said. “We're not going to see flat. We're going to see growth in the desire to do sports some people might have never contemplated.”

But where will the kids who discover fencing or wrestling or track during the LA Games play in college?

The thinking around the USOPC offices is that there will always be programs.

Oregon, for example, has always been a bastion for distance runners and probably won't do anything to detract from its iconic track program. Iowa's wrestling program has produced 24 national titles over the years.

What grabs more attention was the move Stanford made in 2020, when, citing financial pressures from the pandemic, it announced it was axing 11 varsity sports. Less than a year later, and under pressure from alumni and boosters, it reversed those decisions.

Still, if a deep-pocketed school like Stanford that had won 25 straight Directors' Cups — awarded for the overall strongest results across all collegiate sports — could cut programs because of financial pressure, then what school couldn't? Stanford's new athletic director, John Donahoe, was recently appointed to the USOPC's Collegiate Advisory Council, replacing his predecessor on The Farm, Bernard Muir.

Even if the bill passes and schools are required to maintain their numbers, the provision lapses in nine years at the biggest schools and four years at mid-sized universities, which is why the USOPC is doing work now.

Hirshland said she thinks there will be “more customization and differentiation, sport to sport,” based on what makes sense at each university.

“I'd like to believe our education system will remained anchored in sports," she said. “But if it doesn't, I'm confident there will be systems that emerge to pick up that demand and provide the experiences for people who want them. Our job is is to drive interest and ensure the infrastructure, and we're focused on both.”

___

Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here.

In a notice published Wednesday in the Federal Register, the State Department said it was amending its International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR, so that Syria no longer was among the nations subject to a policy of denial for licenses and other approvals needed for the sale of U.S. weapons and munitions.

The change effective Thursday means that arms sales requests from Syria will now be considered on a case-by-case basis.

President Donald Trump acted last year to ease economic sanctions on Syria that had been in place for decades during now-ousted President Bashar Assad’s rule. In August, Secretary of State Marco Rubio rescinded Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, helping paving the way for the latest step in drawing closer to the current government.

The State Department has also announced plans to reopen the U.S. Embassy in Damascus. It has been closed for 14 years.

With Syria’s removal from the ITAR blacklist, only seven countries remain subject to the policy of denial for licenses for U.S. arms exports: Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea and Venezuela.

Syria’s interim president, former rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, overthrew the Assad government nearly two years ago and has embarked on a policy of change that has impressed the Trump administration. His moves have led to hopes of eventual stability in a country that was wracked by civil war and the Islamic State insurgency that engulfed northeast and western Iraq for years.

Wednesday’s withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq may mean that the Syrian government plays a greater role in preventing an IS resurgence.

Nelson succeeds Michael Baiamonte, who retired after 35 years as the voice of the Heat. Nelson becomes the third public address announcer in franchise history.

His first appearance behind the microphone is scheduled for Oct. 6 during the Heat’s annual Red, White and Pink Game, the team’s preseason scrimmage.

Nelson currently serves as president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami and the Florida Keys, a position he has held since 2006. During his tenure, he has overseen the organization’s mentoring and fundraising efforts and helped guide the agency to Agency of the Year honors in 2021.

The organization also received four consecutive National Pinnacle Awards from 2019 through 2022. Nelson has more than three decades of experience in nonprofit leadership.

Michael McCullough, the Heat’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, said Nelson’s distinctive voice and style stood out during the selection process.

“Gale brings a unique style and his very distinctive voice to the PA announcer position,” McCullough said. “We were intrigued right from the start when we heard Gale, and we knew he could be exactly what we were looking for.”

Nelson was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and grew up in Toledo, Ohio.

He earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on corporate finance from the University of Toledo and a master’s degree in management and administration of educational programs from Nova Southeastern University.

Nelson said he hopes to honor Baiamonte’s legacy while bringing his own personality to the role.

“I look forward to continuing the legacy that Michael Biamonte left at the Heat and creating my own journey with the organization,” Nelson said. “I am humbled and excited for Heat Nation to see who Gale is and showcase my personality and style that I will bring to the microphone this season.”

The Miami Heat begin their preseason at 7 p.m. Saturday when they face the Toronto Raptors at the Scotiabank Arena. Fans can watch that game on WPLG Local 10.

And don’t forget, you can also watch the majority of the Miami Heat’s regular season games, at least 68, on Local 10 next season as WPLG Local 10 and the Heat announced a newly expanded media rights agreement, making Local 10 the home of HEAT basketball across South Florida! CLICK HERE for more information on how to watch!

Heat fans can also call 786-777-4375 for more information on how to purchase tickets for the 2026-2027 season.

Introducing our new PA voice... Gale Nelson 🗣️

Meet Gale - https://t.co/4hYWTyyESe pic.twitter.com/LGs2AoRGC6

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) September 30, 2026

Según el Departamento de Policía de Davie, los agentes acudieron el viernes a un accidente de un solo vehículo cerca de la intersección de Hiatus Road y Orange Drive.

La policía indicó que los agentes encontraron una camioneta Ford F-150 azul que se había estrellado contra una baranda de protección y derribado un tendido eléctrico, con Jordan Nelson al volante.

En el informe de arresto, uno de los agentes que respondió al llamado escribió que de inmediato percibió “un fuerte olor asociado a bebidas alcohólicas que salía de su cara, especialmente cuando hablaba”, y agregó que Nelson tenía “los ojos rojos y vidriosos, y arrastraba las palabras”.

Según los agentes, Nelson, de 36 años, aceptó hacer las pruebas de sobriedad en el lugar, pero no las pasó. Su nivel de alcohol en la sangre fue de 0.173% y 0.163%, ambos más del doble del límite legal de 0.08%.

Nelson fue acusado de manejar bajo la influencia (DUI), DUI con lesiones o daños a la propiedad, y DUI con un nivel de alcohol en la sangre superior a 0.15%.

Figura como uno de los cuatro candidatos que aspiran al escaño del Distrito 3 del concejo municipal de Davie.

Aun así, el mes logró reunir cuatro tormentas con nombre: Edouard, Fay, Gonzalo y Hanna. La única destacable fue Fay, que ha durado más que cualquier otra tormenta en lo que va de temporada y estuvo muy cerca de convertirse en el primer huracán del año a última hora del 21 de septiembre.

Oficialmente, los vientos de Fay alcanzaron un máximo de 70 mph, 4 mph por debajo del umbral de huracán. Sin embargo, el radar de apertura sintética (SAR), un instrumento de altísima resolución a bordo de un satélite de la Agencia Espacial Canadiense, estimó vientos de alrededor de 84 mph en su lado noroeste cerca de las 4:30 p.m., hora del Este, del 20 de septiembre.

Se sabe que el SAR tiende a sobreestimar los vientos: aproximadamente el 75% de sus estimaciones son más altas que las que calcula el Centro Nacional de Huracanes (NHC) a partir de los vuelos de reconocimiento. Pero este es precisamente el tipo de datos que el NHC revisa a fondo fuera de temporada para corregir, si hace falta, sus estimaciones en tiempo real.

Los mejores algoritmos tradicionales de estimación de vientos por satélite disponibles en ese momento indicaban vientos máximos de unas 70 mph, pero la lectura del SAR se produjo justo en un vacío notable de esas estimaciones basadas en inteligencia artificial. Si logramos terminar la temporada sin huracanes, algo que todavía está por verse, será interesante ver si el NHC eleva los vientos de Fay a fuerza de huracán en su evaluación final.

Hanna se despide, pero ¿intenta Fay un tercer regreso?

Hanna perdió buena parte de su estructura durante la noche y quedó reducida a un remolino de nubes bajas, sin tormentas, sobre el Atlántico Norte abierto. Se espera que su giro remanente se desplace sobre mar abierto sin volver a desarrollarse esta semana.

Mientras tanto, el NHC dio por muerta a Fay el martes por la tarde, pero la tormenta está haciendo todo lo posible por resurgir por tercera vez, con repetidas rondas de tormentas eléctricas cerca de su circulación remanente. Regrese o no esta Fay “zombi”, no representa una amenaza para nadie, salvo para los barcos que pasen por la zona.

Atentos al sur del Golfo a fines de la próxima semana

Como adelantamos en el boletín del martes, un fuerte frente frío de otoño avanzará por el sur de Estados Unidos a principios de la próxima semana, antes de estancarse sobre Florida y el Golfo más adelante.

Los modelos de largo plazo siguen apuntando a una baja probabilidad, de alrededor del 20%, de que se forme algún sistema tropical o subtropical en el extremo de este frente de cara al próximo fin de semana, el del 9 de octubre. Tanto los modelos de inteligencia artificial como los modelos tradicionales basados en la física muestran indicios de ello.

Habrá que esperar a ver cómo evolucionan las tendencias en los próximos días, pero la corriente en chorro subtropical estará activa sobre el norte del Golfo a fines de la próxima semana. Eso significa que cualquier sistema que intente formarse encontraría obstáculos si se desplazara hacia el norte, en dirección a Estados Unidos.

Por ahora no hay nada de qué preocuparse, pero es algo a lo que le daremos seguimiento.

Saphier, a radiologist and former Fox News Channel contributor, was advanced out of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on a 12 to 11 vote to serve as surgeon general after she was grilled at her confirmation hearing earlier this month about her stance on childhood vaccines.

She expressed support for vaccines and told lawmakers she didn’t believe they cause autism. The Trump administration has sought to revisit claims about a link between vaccines and autism, although widespread scientific consensus and decades of studies have firmly concluded there is none.

Timothy Westlake, who was nominated to serve as assistant secretary for mental health and substance use at the Department of Health and Human Services was also advanced out of committee on the same en bloc vote.

It was not immediately clear when the officials would face a full Senate vote for their confirmation but they are expected to be approved.

During her confirmation hearing, Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy pressed Saphier to declare whether she believed there was a link between vaccines and autism. Saphier responded that she does “not believe childhood vaccines cause autism,” adding that “the MMR vaccine is our greatest tool for combating measles,” in response to a question by Cassidy over whether parents should give children that shot.

MMR stands for measles, mumps and rubella, and the president recently called for the shots to be spaced out, against the guidance of medical groups.

The surgeon general position carries limited policymaking power but serves as a loud megaphone as the nation’s top communicator to Americans on public health issues.

Cassidy, who led the inquiry into Saphier's views on vaccines, ultimately voted in support of her nomination.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, the ranking member of the Senate HELP committee, said ahead of Saphier's vote that he would vote down her nomination because in part Saphier “has questioned the need for the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, when the data science has been clear.”

“We need a surgeon general who will tell the truth about vaccines, not someone who misleads the public,” Sanders said. At her confirmation hearing, Saphier said the universal birth dose of hepatitis B was safe and effective.

Chris Klomp, who was nominated to serve as deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, was advanced out of the Senate Finance Committee last week on a 15 to 12 vote. He was questioned during the same hearing as Saphier about his duties associated with the role as the current chief counselor of the Department of Health and Human Services under the leadership of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as well as about his vaccine stance.

In protesting Klomp's nomination at the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden said Klomp “tried to create the impression that he will be the adult in the room on vaccines. Yet, as we sit here today, the vaccine chaos that we’ve come to expect from Robert Kennedy’s HHS continues.”

The announcement on plans for the national park, made in two court filings late Tuesday, gave no details on what the government may do. In August, the Republican administration initiated a pause on construction-related activity in the park as it engaged in outreach efforts to opponents of the project. The pause ends Wednesday.

Customs and Border Protection is “actively considering adjustments" to the work "that would reduce its scope and avoid or minimize potential impacts, based on input received from the National Park Service and other stakeholders,” the government said in the court filing.

The agency said it will make a final decision the first week in October and will take “several weeks” after that announcement before any “ground-disturbing work” starts.

After intense opposition from environmentalists and local residents and business owners, CBP backed off plans this year to build a 30-foot-tall bollard wall through the park. But its intention to move forward with other measures such as a new road, lights, vehicle barriers and technology did not quell local resistance.

After bulldozers were spotted in August clearing land in Big Bend, CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott announced a pause on all activity there and it was later expanded to the area upstream of the park. The agency has said it was only carrying out design and planning work, not full-scale construction activities.

Opponents of the border project called on the administration Wednesday to continue the pause while coming up with a new plan.

Bob Krumenaker, head of Keep Big Bend Wild and a former NPS superintendent at the park, said in a statement that the Border Patrol already works with the park service and local sheriffs to operate an “effective surveillance system” in Big Bend that includes ground sensors and patrols. The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks said building in the park would be “mutilating an extraordinary landscape.”

The project is part of a $46 billion plan by the administration to line the U.S.-Mexico border with steel bollard walls, vehicle barriers and surveillance technology to deter migrants and smugglers.

The government has also paused work on a 61-mile piece of land stretching north of the national park along the Rio Grande River, most of which is owned by private landowners. In that area, the government plans to build a 30-foot-tall steel bollard wall designed to prevent people on foot from crossing, roads and various types of surveillance technology where appropriate, according to the court filing.

CBP has started building the wall in a West Texas part of the broader Big Bend region, but has run into intense opposition there, including from landowners challenging the project in court.

Also in the court filing Tuesday, the government suggested it was facing resistance in getting permission from landowners to survey and build on their property and would be referring some cases to the Department of Justice to pursue condemnation.

The government also detailed efforts it had made to meet with people potentially affected by Big Bend projects and shared with them incidents of cartel-related violence that concerned the Border Patrol.

The administration has been pushing forward with the border wall projects that have long been a key part of President Donald Trump's vision for border security. The agency said it is building 12 miles (19 kilometers) of wall per week.

But lining up against the work are private landowners, Native American tribes, environmental groups and others who question the necessity and cost of the project at a time when illegal immigration has fallen dramatically. Opponents also have accused the government of damaging Native American sites and sensitive ecology locations in its rush to finish construction.

Júnior, 59, is running for Congress for the first time. But until Oct. 4, he is Plínio Trump, channeling U.S. President Donald Trump with his hairstyle, long orange tie, firm handshake and even his stride.

“(Trump) is likeable, iconic," Plínio Trump told The Associated Press late Monday after campaigning in Juiz de Fora, a city of 570,000 residents 180 kilometers (111 miles) west of Rio de Janeiro. "Few people sneered at me. Most people smile and hug me."

Candidates like Plínio Trump are part of a Brazilian tradition that spans nearly eight decades. Whether called protest candidates or joke candidates, they bring a surreal element to congressional elections. To run, they must belong to one of Brazil's 30 political parties and meet the same eligibility requirements as other candidates, including the country's clean-record rules.

This year, a few hundred of those are among more than 7,800 candidates running for a seat in Congress, with even more running for state legislatures.

Paradoxically, while these entertaining figures can attract voters disillusioned with traditional politics, the ballots cast for them also add to their parties' total under Brazil's electoral system. More votes for joke candidates can translate into more seats in Congress — and more public funds for the very apparatus that protest voters are trying to reject.

‘Barack Obama’ and ’Mick Jagger' enter the race

Trump is not the only U.S. politician with admirers in Brazil’s congressional race.

Henrique Barack Obama, born Cláudio Henrique dos Anjos, has even loftier ambitions. After previous runs for office in Rio de Janeiro, he is seeking one of the two Senate seats at stake in the Federal District, home to Brazil’s capital, Brasilia. But even those who have seen him up close acknowledge that the 57-year-old bears little resemblance to the former U.S. president.

“It is more about his posture,” said Claudio Santos, 33, who knows the Brazilian Obama from his time in Rio. “He also likes the attention that the name brings, obviously. When he wasn't running for office, he would pose as Obama during Flamengo soccer games.”

Another novelty candidate, Mick Jagger, whose real name is Walcy Calixto Vieira, is again running for a seat in the legislature of the central state of Goias. He is no rock'n'roll frontman, but a 66-year-old carpenter with shaggy hair and brow-skimming bangs.

Other candidates skip celebrity impersonations and opt instead for catchy aliases. “Tsunami Grandmother,” whose real name is Scheile Aparecida Soares Brandão, is seeking a seat in the Minas Gerais state legislature. “Who Who," born Francisco das Chagas Costa Oliveira, is running for the legislature in the northeastern state of Piaui.

“Lonely Boy,” or Marcelo da Rosa, is a truck driver from Parana state seeking a seat in Congress, and then there is Severino Cardoso Sobrinho, better known as Samurai Taxi Driver, a nunchaku master featured in Instagram videos who is running for the state legislature in Pernambuco, the home state of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

A tradition dating back to the 1950s

Brazil's tradition of novelty candidates dates back to 1959, when roughly 100,000 voters in São Paulo wrote the name of Cacareco, a female rhinoceros from the city zoo, on their paper ballots in a city council election. Electoral authorities later invalidated the votes.

Such political stunts disappeared during Brazil’s military dictatorship from 1964 to 1985. But the country's return to national elections in 1989 featured one of its most memorable presidential candidates: Dr. Enéas Carneiro, a respected cardiologist who delivered rapid-fire, complex speeches in 15-second radio and television spots. Many Brazilians found his breathless delivery hilarious.

“My name is Enéas!” he shouted into the camera at the end of every ad. Carneiro pulled in 360,000 votes in Brazil’s first direct presidential election since 1960.

Five years later, with voters still angered with the corruption scandal that led to President Fernando Collor’s impeachment, Carneiro finished third, drawing 4.6 million votes behind Lula and eventual winner Fernando Henrique Cardoso.

The movement reached a new high in 2010, when Tiririca, a circus clown and comedian, won a congressional seat for São Paulo with more than 1.3 million votes. His campaign slogans included, “It can’t get any worse” and, “What does a federal congressman do? I really don’t know. Vote for me and I will find out for you!”

Francisco Everardo Oliveira Silva, nicknamed Tiririca by his mother for looking perpetually angry as a child, served four consecutive terms. He is seeking a fifth, representing his native Ceara state in Brazil’s northeast. In 2022, he secured 70,000 votes to retain his job.

Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper university in São Paulo, said candidates like Tiririca punch above their weight because of Brazil’s proportional representation system. Votes for candidates go to their party and are then distributed proportionally.

“Some of these candidates have enough votes to win their own seats, but others just add 1,000 or 2,000 votes to their parties. They don’t get seats, but they help their parties secure a bigger slice of Congress and public funds,” Melo said. “Nowadays, we see many more of these bizarre candidates because traditional political leadership is decomposing. People who would normally fill these roles are opting out of institutional politics.”

As Plínio Trump wrapped up campaigning in Juiz de Fora and prepared to return to Varginha — a city 400 kilometers (248 miles) west of Rio de Janeiro nationally famous for its alleged UFO landing site — he acknowledged that his decision to campaign as the U.S. president goes beyond physical resemblance.

“We have few options on the right in Brazil,” he said. “For me, Trump is a right-wing reference.”

____

Savarese reported from São Paulo.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Could he actually start against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium? Maybe.

Washington coach Dan Quinn said Wednesday it’s “too early to call” if Daniels, who was injured in Week 2 against the Dallas Cowboys, would return after missing last week's game against the Seattle Seahawks.

“But as we’re working through the week, he’ll get more reps,” Quinn said at a news conference after the team arrived in the U.K. “As we get into Thursday and Friday, we’ll see what that load looks like.

“By Friday we’ll have a definite determination of where we’re at,” Quinn continued. “Until then, we’ll work and start the process, but it would be too early to call.”

Marcus Mariota started last week and threw three touchdown passes in the 33-31 win over defending champion Seattle.

The Commanders' session Wednesday was described by Quinn as a light “jog-through” not in pads. Were it a regular practice, Daniels would have officially been “limited,” the coach explained.

Daniels did some light footwork and passing drills, as well as taking snaps under center and simulating a handoff with the ball in his left, non-throwing hand — all with a big, restrictive brace holding his elbow at an angle.

It's the second elbow dislocation for Daniels, who missed most of the second half of last season with the same injury.

“Any athlete would probably tell you when you are going through something a second time, there’s a known of what the road looks like," Quinn said. "We just don’t know yet.

“We’re not going to put him out there before he’s ready,” he continued. “Him being back on the field is like, man that’s a good step for us, and then we’ll take it from there.”

Mariota on Daniels: ‘This is his team’

Mariota, who also filled in for Daniels in Washington's game last season in Madrid, is preparing to start again Sunday. He grew up playing soccer so competing at the home of a Premier League club will be “kind of a cool moment, so I’m looking forward to it.”

But the veteran, in his 12th NFL season, made it clear who QB1 is.

“They’re going make a collective decision that is best for Jayden, and we are going to support that,” Mariota said. “At the end of the day, I think if he’s healthy and he can play — he should play. This is his team.”

He described Daniels, who didn't speak to the media, as being in “good spirits” and “comfortable with where he's at.”

The Commanders lost to the Miami Dolphins 16-13 in overtime last season at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium, home of Real Madrid.

Should I stay or should I go now?

Sunday’s game offers another contrast in the sports science debate about when to arrive in a country for an international game.

The Commanders are in town two days before the Colts — a significant but not huge difference.

A year ago, the Los Angeles Rams landed in London just 30 hours before kickoff against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had arrived Tuesday of that week. The Rams then routed the Jags 35-7 at Wembley Stadium.

The Rams took a similar approach for their season opener in Melbourne, Australia, against the San Francisco 49ers, who choose to go Down Under a week in advance. The Niners prevailed 27-7.

The Colts beat the Houston Texans 19-17 last Sunday, ending a nine-game losing streak.

Nice digs

NFL teams typically stay in fancy hotels located far from central London. The Commanders are at The Grove, a luxury hotel 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of the city, and it includes a practice field.

If Quinn or his players get bored with football, they can book horse riding lessons, pumpkin picking or an afternoon tea. Tiger Woods won an event at the hotel's golf course in 2006. They could also do a tour at the nearby Warner Bros. Studio.

“I hope I can go see Big Ben or something,” defensive tackle Daron Payne said.

Injury updates

Running back Rachaad White was still dealing with a shoulder injury and did not practice Wednesday. “He needs more treatment and time and rehab on it,” Quinn said. The Commanders signed veteran RB Austin Ekeler on Monday.

G Sam Cosmi (concussion protocol) and S Nick Cross (internal injury) did not travel to London.

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Bednar, who has coached the Avalanche to a 445–262–75 record during his tenure, led the team to a Stanley Cup title in 2022 behind a nucleus that included Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog.

“We love Bedsy. We've said that for a long time — he’s a great coach, great human, the right coach for this group,” Landeskog said Wednesday morning before the team opened the season against the Los Angeles Kings. “We know he’s as hungry as we are, and that’s a big part of it. Happy for him.”

The team gave Bednar a vote of confidence in the offseason after being swept in the Western Conference Final. Bednar said leading into training camp they were in discussions to get an extension completed. It's the second big deal the Avalanche completed over the summer as the team also locked up Makar, a two-time Norris Trophy winner, to the richest deal in league history.

“We obviously have full trust in him,” said Makar, who signed a signed a $163.2 million, eight-year extension that kicks in next season. “For us to have stability like that as a team and to know the direction that we feel comfortable in and confident that we can find success in is great.”

Bednar was hired in August 2016 following the resignation of coach Patrick Roy. The 54-year-old Bednar is currently the second-longest tenured coach in the NHL, trailing only Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“Jared has done an outstanding job over the last decade, and there’s no doubt in my mind he’s the best coach for this group," Joe Sakic, the Avalanche's president of hockey operations/general manager, said in a statement. "He commands the room and has complete confidence of the players. We’re excited to continue to have him in charge, and we believe that his presence maximizes the team’s potential while this core group is intact.”

Bednar brings a sense of calm to the bench, which his players appreciate. The team has been to the playoffs in every season but one under Bednar — his first, in 2016-17, when the team went 22-56-4. He's the 13th head coach (14th occasion) in league history to take the same organization to the postseason in at least nine straight seasons.

“I'm ecstatic," Bednar said. “Nice to be sticking around.”

He had his concerns after his rookie NHL head coaching season.

“The most worried I’ve been is after year one, because it was so bad,” Bednar said. “I put a lot of thought into what I do, how I coach, the way we operate, and I do the best job I possibly can. I’m at peace with that. I don’t really think about the term I have on my contract or don’t have on my contract, it's just going out and doing the best you can to help this team win.”

His team was the Presidents' Trophy winner last year with a franchise-best 121 points and is expected to be another strong Cup contender this season.

“At the end of the day, we have to go out and perform and do the job,” Landeskog said. "I think Bedsy is the right man for us behind the bench. He's always done a good job for us.”

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Según la policía, su madre, Nathalie Belizaire, había zarpado el viernes a bordo del Carnival Conquest en un viaje de tres días de Miami a las Bahamas.

El jefe de la policía de North Miami Beach, Juan Pinillos, dijo que los niños estuvieron solos durante al menos 48 horas.

“Cualquiera que tenga hijos sabe que una bebé de dos meses necesita muchísima atención”, dijo Pinillos.

Los agentes informaron que tuvieron que entrar a la fuerza al apartamento, en la zona del Northeast 15th Avenue y la 170th Street, donde encontraron a los cuatro niños “escondidos” en el baño.

“Solo agradecemos que no les haya pasado nada peor a esos niños”, dijo el martes por la mañana en la corte la jueza de circuito del condado Miami-Dade Mindy Glazer.

Agentes de la Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de EE.UU., de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade y de la policía de North Miami Beach esperaban a Belizaire, de 29 años, cuando regresó el lunes a PortMiami.

“La arrestaron cuando bajaba del crucero”, dijo Glazer.

Según los registros de reclusos, Belizaire fue procesada a la 1:25 p.m. del lunes en el centro correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

“Sean responsables. Dejar a un bebé solo, desatendido y sin supervisión es un delito grave”, advirtió Pinillos.

El martes, la Fiscalía presentó un caso por delito grave contra Belizaire, quien enfrenta cuatro cargos de negligencia infantil sin daño corporal grave. Glazer emitió cuatro órdenes de alejamiento y le fijó una fianza de $10,000.

Al salir de la cárcel el martes por la noche, Belizaire negó los cargos y aseguró que los niños debían estar bajo la supervisión de su padre.

La jueza de circuito del condado Miami-Dade Marisa Tinkler Mendez presidirá el caso.