Robin Merrill said she was devastated to see the artwork, created in 2016 with a couple hundred people, replaced with gray paint.

“This is the color of their lifeless souls,” Merrill said. “Everyone who did this, that’s the color of their interior. It took away the life. It took away the color. Why? That represents them. That’s sick. And you know what? We’re coming back. You can’t do this.”

Abby Laughlin, owner of 600 Gallery, said she first noticed the changes last weekend and immediately called Merrill.

“I was very surprised to see it change so drastically,” Laughlin said. “It was a shock to the system. We kind of knew it was coming following the case that was happening.”

Last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis directed the Florida Department of Transportation to paint over colorful crosswalks across the state or risk losing state funding.

Merrill said her artwork predates the LGBTQ rainbow crosswalks that became the focus of the statewide debate. She said the project was part of a Safe Roads program funded by the Florida Department of Transportation.

“I studied that,” Merrill said. “I created these designs for that reason. Under a Bloomberg Study these came in as number three and number four in the nation for asphalt art in changing accidents, pedestrians bicycles, and cars.“

While Merrill criticized the state’s actions, she said she’s also frustrated with the City of Fort Lauderdale, accusing city leaders of failing to communicate with her.

Merrill said she is now preparing a lawsuit against the City of Fort Lauderdale and is also considering legal action against the state.

“What I would say is, you made a mistake, own it,” Merrill said. “And pay the penalty. And the penalty will be determined by law.”

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Police said Jerry Saint Vil, 26, fled before officers arrived at the Mobile gas station located at 16961 Miramar Pkwy.

According to police, Saint Vil is accused of stabbing 51-year-old Teofilo Vargas Paulino after an altercation.

Police said Vargas Paulino suffered serious injuries and was taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital, where he later died.

Alan Vargas, Vargas Paulino’s son, said his father was working at a nearby car wash along Miramar Parkway near Southwest 172nd Avenue when his dad’s life was cut short.

Authorities on Saturday confirmed that Saint Vil has been taken into custody thanks to what they called “outstanding investigative work” by the Miramar Police Department and their law enforcement partners.

Jail records show that he is facing one count of premeditated first-degree murder with a weapon and is being held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail.

Police have not released any details about what the victim and suspect were arguing about before the stabbing occurred.

Temperatures will remain warm in the middle 80s with feels like temperatures in the lower 90s.More rain is on the way come Sunday. We will watch for a few showers to start near the Keys with a better chance over the metro by the afternoon. It will be hot again with temperatures soaring into the lower 90s. Plan for unsettled conditions especially as we head into the beginning of the workweek.

The video shows the second-floor bedroom of the apartment where investigators say the teen emerged armed with a handgun before a deputy opened fire. Family members told Local 10 the room was covered in blood after the shooting.

Deputies said the shooting occurred shortly before 6 a.m. Friday at 785 81st St., where they were serving a search warrant related to alleged firearms violations involving the 17-year-old and an 18-year-old, according to MDSO.

Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said her deputies repeatedly identified themselves before entering the residence.

“We knocked on the door multiple times and identified ourselves,” Cordero-Stutz said. “Our SRT made entry into the residence at which time a subject exited his bedroom armed with a firearm.”

According to the sheriff, a deputy fired after believing his life was in danger. Authorities say the teen was pronounced dead at the scene.

Neighbors reported hearing multiple gunshots.

“I heard someone then some shots,” one neighbor told Local 10.

The teen’s mother, Yvonne Warner, questioned whether deadly force was necessary.

“Tell me, did they have to do this? No, they didn’t. Tell me why. Treat him like a person, not an animal,” Warner said.

Warner acknowledged her son’s criminal history but said he had recently begun turning his life around.

“From my heart, my baby was everything to me, but he has been in trouble,” Warner said. “He ain’t no saint, but he most definitely was on a different track. He starts school Aug. 13. He just came home from boot camp he’s been doing everything I ask him (to) around the house.”

Cordero-Stutz defended the deputy’s actions, saying the teen posed an immediate threat.

“Clearly this individual who was already in violation of the law in committing multiple felonies chose to exit armed,” Cordero-Stutz said.

Yvonne Warner believes the teen was her son, Darrell Young.

Authorities said both the 17-year-old and the 18-year-old named in the search warrant were on probation, registered gang members and wearing ankle monitors. The sheriff’s office said the warrant stemmed from firearms-related violations.

Jail records show that Young had previously been arrested on an attempted murder charge in Florida City. Records also show he faced separate weapons charges in 2024.

MDSO has not identified the deputy who fired the fatal shots or the individual who was fatally shot.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting, which is standard procedure in deputy-involved shootings.

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“Water safety is critical at all ages,” said Sheryl Woods, YMCA of South Florida president and chief executive officer.

The YMCA of South Florida and The Related Group, along with their partners, brought the Back to School Pool Party to a Cutler Bay neighborhood. They provided swim lessons, free gear and a new backpack before the start of the next school year for families in need.

“It’s really important for us to be able to provide something like this because it’s something that they are not able to go out and get and be able to pay for on their own,” said Marilyn Pascual, TRG Management co-president.

The event comes amid a tragic trend in Florida. Several children have died in drownings over the last few weeks, including two at different lakes behind Plantation homes, while two others drowned in backyard pools.

“Drowning is preventable,” Woods said. “We need adult supervision, number one. Adults should never let kids be in the pool without supervision.”

Data shows Florida leads the nation when it comes to child drownings, a statistic organizers hope to find a way to turn the tide.

“If you teach these children how to swim through attrition, they will teach their children how to swim,” Pascual said. “So it’s like an easy fix, and it’s such an easy fix. Why shouldn’t we do this?”

“La seguridad en el agua es fundamental para todas las edades”, dijo Sheryl Woods, presidenta y directora ejecutiva de YMCA of South Florida.

YMCA of South Florida y The Related Group, junto con sus socios, realizaron la fiesta de piscina “Back to School Pool Party” en un vecindario de Cutler Bay. Proporcionaron clases de natación, equipo gratuito y una mochila nueva antes del inicio del próximo año escolar para familias necesitadas.

“Es muy importante para nosotros poder ofrecer algo como esto porque es algo que ellos no pueden salir a conseguir ni pagar por su cuenta”, dijo Marilyn Pascual, copresidenta de TRG Management.

El evento se realiza en medio de una tendencia trágica en Florida. Varios niños han muerto por ahogamiento durante las últimas semanas, incluidos dos en diferentes lagos detrás de viviendas en Plantation, mientras que otros dos se ahogaron en piscinas de patios traseros.

“Los ahogamientos se pueden prevenir”, dijo Woods. “Necesitamos supervisión de un adulto, ante todo. Los adultos nunca deben permitir que los niños estén en la piscina sin supervisión”.

Los datos muestran que Florida lidera la nación en ahogamientos infantiles, una estadística que los organizadores esperan revertir.

“Si les enseñas a estos niños a nadar, con el paso del tiempo ellos les enseñarán a sus hijos a nadar”, dijo Pascual. “Así que es una solución sencilla, realmente muy sencilla. ¿Por qué no hacerlo?”

Police said some of the victims had life-threatening injuries. Firefighters and ambulances were out with many emergency staffers at the scene to attend to the victims.

In a post on X, police called on everyone to leave the site of the event immediately.

According to police, a white van had driven into the Tiergarten park, which was just off the route that the pride march had passed along earlier, and hit several people before colliding with a tree. Police could not say how many officers had been deployed to the scene but that it was “definitely a lot of police.” They said they were searching for suspects.

“We are conducting an intensive search for possible suspects,” police officer Florian Nath said on a short video released on the Berlin police account on X.

Hundreds of thousands of people had come to Berlin on Saturday to celebrate at Berlin’s pride parade, known in Germany as Christopher Street Day. It’s one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations.

The pride event in front of the city's iconic Brandenburg Gate in the downtown, near Tiergarten, was called off around 10:15 p.m. and a band’s performance on stage was interrupted. People were urged to go home and to avoid taking the route through the park.

Before the incident, people had celebrated peacefully, marching through the city for hours, dancing to loud music, and cheering the around 80 floats that participated in the parade.

Hocevar, who drives for Spire Motorsports, produced a fast lap of 186.598 mph. Suarez, his teammate, soon followed with a lap of 186.382 to give Chevrolet the top two starting spots on the 39-car starting grid. Reddick will start third in Sunday's race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's historic 2.5-mile oval.

For Hocevar, it was another magical moment.

“I haven’t won anything at Indy, even was looking at like a marathon or something just so I can get an award here — it doesn’t matter what,” Hocevar said. “It’s just really cool to get something here. I look out to the back stretch, behind this media center and there’s a parking lot with a bunch of rubber and that’s where I grew up racing."

The 23-year-old Hocevar has now won three career poles — the other two at Texas with one coming earlier this year. The Michigan native has one career victory, in April at Talladega, in his third full season on the NASCAR circuit.

He finished 12th and 10th the last two years, his only previous Brickyard starts.

Reddick had Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing team on top of the speed charts for most of the afternoon with a lap of 186.077 one day after he told reporters his car performed so poorly in practice it felt like he “had never raced here before.”

How important is qualifying at Indy?

“It's going to be a lot of it,” said Reddick, who won the 2022 Brickyard on Indy's road course and is trying to become the first driver to win on both courses. “We have seen, though, last year, right, Denny (Hamlin) had his issue in qualifying and still had a strong day, so it's possible. But you set yourself up for more track position, more stage points with clean execution on the weekend.”

Hocevar, Suarez and Reddick were the only drivers to top 186 mph on an unusually cool, overcast afternoon that produced significantly higher speeds than in Friday's lone practice session.

Sunday's race could take place in much different conditions with temperatures expected to rise.

Defending champion Bubba Wallace, who also races for Jordan's team, will start 29th after going 183.861. Hamlin, who has won three of NASCAR's four crown jewel races, starts fifth as he tries to capture his first Brickyard title with Joe Gibbs Racing.

And Ryan Blaney got an early edge on Todd Gilliland as the two finalists chase the $1 million In-Season Challenge prize. Blaney is starting 13th while Gilliland qualified 36th.

But Hocevar hopes to cash in, too, as he leads the field across the Yard of Bricks to start the race.

“Hopefully that can get us a good advantage,” Hocevar said. “The prestige of this place raises everybody's intensity, so you know everybody's trying a little bit more because they know how much it means to everybody. So, yeah, it's super important.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

While the Rams reported to training camp at Loyola Marymount University on Saturday, McVay said he has no idea whether one of the greatest defensive linemen in recent NFL history will decide to resume his career.

“If that is something that he wants to do, we’re going to try to be able to make that happen,” McVay said. “But I genuinely do not have an answer on whether he is or he isn’t. I know he’s preparing himself to be able to make that decision, and I know if he feels good, he’s going to be ready to rock. If not, he doesn’t owe us anything.”

McVay said Puka Nacua is expected to practice in training camp while the Rams work on the next contract for their All-Pro receiver, who is entering the final year of his rookie deal. The coach said NFL MVP Matthew Stafford is fully healthy, but still will sit out multiple practices in training camp as part of a modified preparation schedule to keep the 38-year-old quarterback fresh for the long season ahead.

The Rams also confirmed first-round pick Ty Simpson had formally signed his four-year, $25.4 million rookie contract as he begins a training camp competition with Stetson Bennett for the backup job behind Stafford.

But McVay was eager to talk about a player who wasn't reporting to the Loyola Marymount dorms — Donald, who anchored the Rams' defense for a decade before he retired somewhat abruptly in March 2024.

Donald apparently began to entertain the idea of a comeback early last month after the Rams acquired superstar pass rusher Myles Garrett in a trade with Cleveland. The prospect of lining up next to one of his few contemporary peers compelled the now-35-year-old Donald to begin an extensive workout program aimed at returning him to football shape.

“He is going through his process, and he is putting himself in a position to make a decision,” McVay said. “He's earned the right to be able to do that. ... He's very diligent. Anything that he does, he does all-in, and so he's going through a very strict regimen and process that's similar to what he did when he played. See how his body responds and feels, and then we'll see when we have more information whether or not we're going to give it a go, or whether or not he's going to continue to enjoy what he's been doing for the last couple of years.”

Donald hung it up nearly 2 1/2 years ago after a very successful decade spent entirely with the Rams in St. Louis and Los Angeles. He racked up a team-record 111 sacks as the heart of the Rams' defense, winning the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times while earning eight All-Pro selections and 10 Pro Bowl selections.

Donald led the Rams to a championship in the 2021-22 season, making the decisive defensive plays in both the NFC title game and the Super Bowl victory over Cincinnati in their home SoFi Stadium.

Donald has stayed close to the game and the Rams during his two years of retirement, living mostly in Los Angeles while regularly returning to his native Pittsburgh. The current Rams are eager to see whether they're about to add another star.

“I mean, him being the greatest of all time, I'm sure he'd have a pretty good impact, right?” defensive lineman Braden Fiske said. "It's only been two years, but if you've seen the (workout) videos, it doesn't seem like he's lost too much of where he's at. ... If that's what he chooses to do, I'm sure we'll be waiting for him. We're just letting him handle his process. That's totally on him. I don't want to be the pushy one. If it happens, great. If not, you know, we'll play some good football."

Fiske is among the linemen whose snap counts could be affected if Donald returns, but the Rams appear to be wholeheartedly excited about the prospect of adding Donald to a roster already considered to be among the Super Bowl favorites.

When asked if Donald's comeback decision might not be made until midseason, McVay reiterated that the Rams will support whatever Donald wants to do.

“I think if AD makes the decision to come back, he's going to want to play the whole year, just knowing how he is and the mindset that he has,” said left guard Steve Avila, who played with Donald as a rookie in 2023. “I don't think he'd be halfway in, halfway out with being part of the team, and that's just what you expect from someone as great as him.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Soto walked twice against Los Angeles Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki in Friday night’s 4-2 loss at Citi Field before being replaced by pinch-hitter Jorge Polanco in the sixth inning with the score tied at 1.

After the game, Mets interim manager Andy Green said Soto felt discomfort pushing off when running to second base. He had been nursing the nagging injury since returning from the All-Star break last week.

Soto is hitting .283 with 21 homers, 52 RBIs and an NL-best .947 OPS in 84 games this season. He missed 15 games from April 4-21 with a right calf strain, and the Mets went 3-12 without him — losing their last 12 games during that stretch.

Soto sat out Wednesday’s 4-3 loss at Milwaukee but was back in the lineup Friday after the Mets had a day off.

The lone All-Star for the last-place Mets this year, Soto exited the team’s first game after the break in the eighth inning on July 16 at Philadelphia. New York was off the following day, and he returned to the lineup as the designated hitter on Saturday and Sunday against the Phillies. He played left field Monday in Milwaukee and was the DH on Tuesday.

To replace Soto on the active roster, the Mets recalled corner infielder and outfielder Eric Wagaman from Triple-A Syracuse. Wagaman was hitting .162 with two homers and four RBIs in 21 major league games this season.

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This story corrects Soto's batting average and removes an incorrect reference to Bo Bichette grounding into a double play in the second inning Friday night. Bichette grounded into a double play in the third inning.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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Elida Isabella Espinoza was last seen near the 6100 block of Fillmore Street in Hollywood, according to the Hollywood Police Department.

Police said Espinoza has brown hair and brown eyes. Her clothing description and direction of travel were unknown.

Anyone who has seen Espinoza or has information about her whereabouts is urged to contact the HPD at 954-764-4357 or 911.

Elida Isabella Espinoza fue vista por última vez cerca de la cuadra 6100 de Fillmore Street en Hollywood, según el Departamento de Policía de Hollywood.

La Policía informó que Espinoza tiene cabello castaño y ojos marrones. Se desconoce la descripción de la ropa que vestía y la dirección en la que se dirigía.

Cualquier persona que haya visto a Espinoza o tenga información sobre su paradero debe comunicarse con el Departamento de Policía de Hollywood al 954-764-4357 o al 911.

La Policía informó que Jerry Saint Vil, de 26 años, huyó antes de que los agentes llegaran a la gasolinera Mobil ubicada en el 16961 de Miramar Parkway.

Según la Policía, Saint Vil está acusado de apuñalar a un hombre tras un altercado.

La víctima sufrió heridas graves y fue trasladada en helicóptero a un hospital cercano, donde posteriormente murió.

Cualquier persona que tenga información adicional debe comunicarse con el Departamento de Policía de Miramar o con Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477.

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Miami Gardens Councilwoman Michelle Powell hosted the second annual Back-to-School Physical Event Saturday at Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex, providing students with required physical exams for school enrollment and athletic participation.

“While supplies are amazing and kids need these tools, the most important thing is a healthy child ready to go back to school,” Powell said.

The event expanded this year to include EKG screenings for student athletes and vision screenings for children who have not had recent eye exams. Students participating in sports were able to complete athletic physicals required for competition.

Powell, a family physician, said the goal is to make sure students have access to health resources while helping families manage the costs of preparing for a new school year.

“A healthy child has a healthy mind and is the foundation for success,” she said.

Community partners, including the Black Nurses Association, Lions Club, Cultural Collective and local businesses, provided health services, supplies and resources for families. Students were also able to choose school supplies from an event “shopping mall” featuring backpacks, pencils and other items.

La concejal de Miami Gardens, Michelle Powell, organizó el sábado la segunda edición anual del Evento de Exámenes Físicos de Regreso a Clases en el Complejo Recreativo Betty T. Ferguson, donde brindó a los estudiantes los exámenes físicos requeridos para la inscripción escolar y la participación en actividades deportivas.

“Aunque los útiles son increíbles y los niños necesitan estas herramientas, lo más importante es que un niño esté sano y listo para regresar a clases”, dijo Powell.

El evento se amplió este año para incluir electrocardiogramas (EKG) para estudiantes atletas y evaluaciones de la vista para niños que no se han realizado exámenes visuales recientemente. Los estudiantes que participan en deportes pudieron completar los exámenes físicos deportivos requeridos para competir.

Powell, médica de familia, dijo que el objetivo es garantizar que los estudiantes tengan acceso a recursos de salud mientras ayuda a las familias a manejar los costos de prepararse para un nuevo año escolar.

“Un niño sano tiene una mente sana y es la base del éxito”, afirmó.

Socios comunitarios, entre ellos la Asociación de Enfermeras Negras, el Lions Club, Cultural Collective y empresas locales, ofrecieron servicios de salud, útiles y recursos para las familias. Los estudiantes también pudieron elegir útiles escolares en un “centro comercial” del evento, que ofrecía mochilas, lápices y otros artículos.

The two-car accident happened on July 14 in Palo Alto, leading to Shanahan being taken to the hospital. The other driver was not hospitalized. Palo Alto police Lt. Nicholas Martinez said there was no evidence that either driver was impaired and that both cooperated with police. No one was cited in the collision.

Niners general manager John Lynch said Shanahan sustained a concussion, along with a broken nose, broken ribs and an injured hand.

“Kyle is doing good,” Lynch said Saturday. “He’s got some bumps and bruises. He did suffer a concussion in the accident, has some lingering effects from that concussion.”

Lynch said Shanahan is going through the same type of protocol that players undergo after a concussion and that doctors would determine when he will be able to be back at full speed.

Lynch said Shanahan might be on the practice field when drills start on Sunday but won't run practice or team meetings until he is recovered.

“He’s a tremendous head coach, but this is bigger than that,” Lynch said. “This is about his well-being. We’re going to take the time necessary. And I think we’re very equipped to do that.”

The Niners will conduct their first practice on Sunday with assistant head coach/offensive line coach Chris Foerster running the team, along with coordinators Klay Kubiak, Raheem Morris and Brant Boyer.

Foerster has been on the 49ers' staff since 2019 and also worked under Shanahan in Washington as an offensive line coach when Shanahan was offensive coordinator.

Lynch didn't give a timeline for Shanahan's return but did say the team anticipates he will be back well before the season opener on Sept. 11 in Australia against the Los Angeles Rams.

Rams coach Sean McVay, who worked on the same staff as Shanahan in Washington from 2010-13, said he has talked to Shanahan since the crash and was thankful everyone involved was OK.

“I think any time that something like that happens, it shakes you up a little bit,” McVay said. "But most importantly, I’ve talked to him, my thoughts and prayers are with his family, and I know he’s got an incredible perspective on it all. Kyle is a stud. I have as much respect for him as anybody, and he’s a friend of mine and I love him, and I’m hoping that he’s going to have a great recovery.”

Shanahan is entering his 10th season as 49ers coach and is one of the most highly regarded coaches in the game for his offensive acumen. San Francisco has made two trips to the Super Bowl under his watch following the 2019 and 2023 seasons and made two additional appearances in the NFC title game in the 2021 and '22 seasons.

Shanahan has a 91-72 record in the regular season and playoffs for the 49ers, ranking third in franchise history in wins behind George Seifert (108) and Bill Walsh (102).

The team overcame significant injuries last season to finish 12-5 in the regular season and win a playoff game as Shanahan finished fifth in voting for the AP NFL Coach of the Year.

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AP Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

New York's championship run last month capped a season that extended an unprecedented run of NBA parity, with eight different franchises winning titles in the last eight seasons — Toronto in 2019, James and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, Milwaukee in 2021, Golden State in 2022, Denver in 2023, Boston in 2024, Oklahoma City in 2025 and now the Knicks.

There's at least a reasonable chance now that the run of new champions will continue in 2027, with reigning Western Conference champion San Antonio, Minnesota, Detroit, Cleveland, Miami — and, of course, Philadelphia now among the teams with the best odds right now of hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy next June.

A look at the teams and their odds, broken down by tiers:

The favorites

James' decision moved Philadelphia into the upper tier of favorites — but not the highest tier.

Most major sportsbooks and prediction markets are clear: Teams are going to have to get through Oklahoma City and San Antonio to get out of the West. The Thunder, as of Saturday — and a lot will likely change in the next 10 months or so — would still be considered a slight favorite to win the NBA title in 2027, barely ahead of the Spurs.

That shouldn't be a surprise: The Thunder are led by two-time Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and have a proven championship core, while the Spurs have unanimous Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama as the centerpiece of a young team that took huge strides in 2025-26 and should only get better.

Close to the top

This is the James impact: He's got Philadelphia right there with defending champion New York.

The Knicks and 76ers have the third- and fourth-best championship odds — in some order, depending on the site — according to most books and prediction markets.

The good news for the Knicks: They're right where they were entering last season, not quite the favorites but ahead of just about everybody in the league when it comes to title odds.

The good news for the 76ers: They're going to have their best entering-the-season odds since probably 2019-20.

At No. 5, Boston

Some of the Celtics' decisions this summer — particularly the trading of Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia — have faced serious criticism. Bettors don't seem to mind, perhaps mindful of how the Celtics exceeded many expectations last season.

Boston is firmly the No. 5 choice right now according to most books and markets, not quite there with the Thunder, Spurs, Knicks and 76ers, but leading the rest of the pack.

The next five (or six)

This is where things start to get muddled, and where books and markets tend to vary on that next tier — the teams with the sixth-best through 11th-best odds.

Denver, Toronto, Minnesota, Detroit and Cleveland are all jammed fairly close together. The only real rising team in that mix is Toronto, clearly based on the expectation that the Raptors will eventually close the trade for Kawhi Leonard and bring back the key to their 2019 title run.

The next team in the race for a top-10 preseason odds spot is Miami. Betting opinions seem to vary widely, though the one thing that is consistent is an expectation that the acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo to play alongside Bam Adebayo will get the Heat back into the playoffs.

The should-be-playoff-bound group

Even though the Lakers lost James, the odds still say that Luka Doncic's team will be playoff-bound next season. And bettors seem to think that 2025 NBA finalist Indiana, which played without Tyrese Haliburton this past season because of injury and plummeted to the bottom of the league, will return to the playoffs this season.

Houston and Golden State round out the top 15 in current odds, suggesting that the belief is those clubs are postseason-bound as well.

Not too far back from there: Atlanta, Orlando and Portland.

The hoping-for-play-in-berths tier

Washington will have Trae Young, Anthony Davis and Khris Middleton. Bettors expect the Wizards to be better — but aren't ready to put money on them being a playoff team yet.

The Wizards, with No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa, are in a cluster of teams that odds point to as possible play-in candidates, along with Phoenix, Charlotte, Dallas and Utah.

The long shots

Value bettors can find some very good odds right now on the clubs that books and markets aren't loving right now.

That group: the Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans, Chicago, Memphis, Milwaukee, Brooklyn and Sacramento.

A reminder — there's always a surprise. Charlotte was toward the bottom of most preseason odds lists this past season and won 44 games. The season before that, Detroit had some of the longest preseason odds in the league and also won 44 games.

As it stands now

Based solely on the average of where the books and markets were on Saturday — and again, none of this will matter when the games start counting in October — the playoff picture in the NBA next spring would look like this:

East playoff teams — New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, Miami, Indiana.

East play-in teams (but not in playoffs) — Atlanta, Indiana.

West playoff teams — Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver, Minnesota, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston, Golden State, Portland.

West play-in teams (but not in playoffs) — Phoenix, Dallas.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Team owner Robert Kraft said Saturday the star cornerback has been offered the highest contract in Patriots history.

“We love Christian Gonzalez. We love him as a player, as a person. That's why we've made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL,” Kraft said before the team's opening training camp practice. “Coincidentally, it's the highest contract in Patriots franchise history.”

Kraft didn't provide details on the offer. But Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie's four-year contract currently tops NFL cornerbacks with an average yearly value of approximately $31 million.

The Patriots picked up Gonzalez's fifth-year option in April, meaning he will make just over $18 million in the final year of his rookie deal in 2027. But he entered the offseason seeking long-term security beyond that.

He apparently will soon have it with this extension offer.

For his part, Gonzalez has been confident that something would be worked out with the club, while remaining a presence around the team.

After skipping voluntary offseason workouts last month, Gonzalez was present for New England’s three-day mandatory minicamp. He was back on the field for Saturday’s first training camp workout.

Gonzalez is easily the team’s most important player in the secondary, earning his first Pro Bowl selection last season after posting 69 tackles, 10 pass breakups and one tackle for a loss in 2025.

Fellow cornerback Marcus Jones said Friday that although he hadn't discussed details of the situation with Gonzalez, he was confident Gonzalez wants to remain in New England.

“Gonzo loves it here,” Jones said. “I know that for a fact.”

Mike Vrabel not worried about recent history of Super Bowl losers

The Patriots had a dream turnaround last season, going from 4-13 in 2024 to 14-3 last season and earning a spot in the Super Bowl. They came up short in their championship bid, falling 29-13 to Seattle. But it's left high expectations in Mike Vrabel's second season in New England.

Each of the past two Super Bowl losers — Kansas City in the 2024 season and San Francisco in the 2023 season — missed the playoffs the following year. Both finished with 6-11 records after their Super Bowl runs.

But that's the furthest thing from Vrabel's mind.

“The expectations always get higher,” Vrabel said. “Our job is to recreate the things that we did really well last year — the culture, the ability to win different ways and find ways to win and understand how to win and understand how to prepare. And we’re going to have a more difficult journey. That’s just how it goes each and every year. That’s what we’re expecting.”

Drake Maye begins work with new center Jared Wilson

For the third straight year, quarterback Drake Maye is working with a new starting center in camp.

He had multiple centers as a rookie in 2024 after David Andrews suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Maye had more continuity last season when Garrett Bradbury started all 17 regular-season games and the four playoff games.

But with Bradbury signing with Chicago this offseason, Maye will be breaking in Jared Wilson, who started 13 games at left guard as a rookie for the Patriots in 2025. It's not a huge transition for Wilson, who played 12 games at center as a junior at Georgia.

“Jared, he's natural there,” Maye said. “You get to know his little things and how he likes things, when he's going left and I'm going right — all the under center things and how he understands Mike's points. ... Me and you, it's our show. And I think he's done a great job.”

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Two lawsuits filed by small businesses are challenging Trump's sweeping tariffs announced Thursday that impose double-digit levies on 60 trading partners.

The tariffs, implemented under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 for what the Trump administration says is countries' failure to prevent imports produced by forced labor, cover 99% of U.S. imports. Critics say the goal is less to prevent forced-labor imports and more to replace the worldwide tariffs that Trump imposed last year that were struck down by the Supreme Court in February. They came just as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs — that had also been challenged in court — expired.

Educational toy company Learning Resources, which was part of the tariff lawsuit that won in the Supreme Court, filed a new suit along with several other small businesses in the Court of International Trade on Friday over the current round of tariffs.

The second lawsuit was filed by Burlap and Barrel, a New York-based spice company, and Collective Horology, a watch retailer based in Ventura, California. They are represented by Liberty Justice Center, a libertarian advocacy group.

Both lawsuits argue that the government didn't adequately establish its case against each specific economy or spell how the tariffs will eliminate the specified practice they are being levied for, as required by Section 301.

“Forced labor is morally indefensible, but an important objective does not give the government permission to ignore the law,” said Sara Albrecht, chairman and CEO of the Liberty Justice Center. “The administration allowed one global tariff to expire and immediately replaced it with another under a different statute. Changing the statute doesn’t change the law.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Experts say it might be tougher to successfully challenge the current round of tariffs than previous rounds. Trump used Section 301 to impose big tariffs on China in his first term, and they survived court challenges.

Unlike the Section 122 levies that expired Friday, “these tariffs will be with us for the long haul,’’ said lawyer Patrick Childress, a partner at Holland & Knight and a former U.S. trade official.

Even if countries enact the precise policies the U.S. wants, he said, they will still need to prove that they’re enforcing them to Washington’s satisfaction before the tariffs are removed. “This suggests that no short-term path for country-wide relief from the new Section 301 tariffs will be available.’’

Soldiers remained in the village of Tell, in the northern West Bank, where Friday's clashes were centered. Palestinians described searches that included raids of a hospital in the city of Nablus, one of the territory's most violent areas.

Palestinians in the West Bank have faced violence as Israel’s hard-line government, dominated by settler leaders and supporters, has overseen a surge in settlement construction over the past four years. The international community overwhelmingly considers the Israeli settlement construction illegal and an obstacle to peace.

Soldiers make arrest during raid at West Bank hospital

“More than 50 armed soldiers and officers stormed the hospital, terrifying the patients,” Ghassan Barkat, director of Nablus Specialty Hospital, told journalists. He said soldiers on Friday detained, bound and insulted staff and patients, raided hospital departments and arrested a seriously injured man, Ali Hussein Ali Ramadan.

“This should not happen in a healthcare institution,” said Barkat, adding that women and children were present.

An Israeli military statement did not mention the hospital, but it said over 300 locations were searched and what it described as affiliates of the Hamas militant group, arms traffickers, “terrorists” and others were detained.

The circumstances of Friday's events remained unclear, but Israeli media reports and interviews with local Palestinian officials suggested a group of settlers entered Tell and were confronted by residents fearful of an attack. The village is off-limits to Israelis as part of Area B under the 1993 Oslo Accords.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli soldiers shot and killed four Palestinians in Tell, while the military reported the deaths of two soldiers, one of them a settler in a local defense squad. Two other Israelis and four more Palestinians were wounded, health officials said.

The Israeli military on Saturday said it detained 11 suspects in Tell.

Over 80 Palestinians were arrested across the territory, said Amin Shuman, president of the Palestinian higher commission for the affairs of prisoners, calling them “an attempt to impose collective punitive measures and retaliatory policies” against Palestinian citizens after Friday’s events.

On Saturday, Israel's military said Israeli civilians and Palestinians threw rocks in a confrontation in the West Bank village of Susya, and the weapon of a soldier on leave was stolen but retrieved.

More than 700,000 Israelis live in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in 1967 and sought by the Palestinians for an independent state along with the Gaza Strip.

Israeli strikes kill at least 4 in Gaza

Israeli strikes on Saturday killed at least four Palestinians and wounded at least 15 others across Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials.

In the southern city of Khan Younis, an airstrike killed a man and a woman, whose bodies were taken to Nasser Hospital, the hospital said.

In northern Gaza, a strike on a vehicle in the Jabaliya area killed one person and wounded two others, according to officials at Shifa Hospital, where the casualties were taken.

A strike on a motorbike in Gaza City’s Sheikh Radwan neighborhood killed the director of the area’s police force, according to the Interior Ministry and Shifa Hospital.

A strike in the central Gaza refugee camp of Nuseirat wounded three people, according to the Belgian field hospital, which received the casualties.

And Israeli drones struck the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central city of Deir al-Balah, wounding 10 people, the hospital said. Chaotic scenes unfolded as severely wounded men covered in blood were rushed into the hospital by bystanders.

Israel's military said it struck a member of Hamas' military wing near Al-Aqsa hospital, and that it struck members of the Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad military wings in the strikes on Nuseirat and Jabaliya. The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the other strikes. Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to that and other violations.

While the heaviest fighting has subsided since a fragile ceasefire took hold in October following two years of war between Israel and Hamas, Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes, killing at least 1,191 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

The ministry, part of the Hamas-led government, maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilians and militants but says women and children make up most of the dead.

Five Israeli soldiers have been killed since the ceasefire.

The Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas-led militants on Israel killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage, sparking the war. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,317 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

A heat dome, where atmospheric conditions trap heat, was forecast to create sustained high temperatures and accumulating discomfort. Meanwhile overnight lows were not expected to come down enough for people to have much chance to recover, allowing heat stress to build as the bad weather lingers, forecasters said. With the high humidity, it feels even worse.

The oppressive midsummer weather was forecast to affect a huge stretch of the country, from the desert Southwest to the Gulf Coast and reaching up into the Midwest and Great Plains. Some records around the Denver area could be broken, forecasters said, and temperatures were expected to be 10 F to 15 F (5.6 to 8.3 C) above normal.

“It looks like it is going to be pretty much stationary in that position as we go through the week,” said Bob Oravec, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

Hot weather changes plans and makes life harder for those who work outdoors

Places under a National Weather Service extreme heat warning included western Nebraska, where temperatures Saturday and Sunday were forecast to reach 108 F (42 C).

At the Museum of the Fur Trade near Chadron, Nebraska, there were fewer visitors than usual for this time of year. Fur hats and pelts in the gift shop were not selling so hot.

“I’m sure no one would be willing to wear it on a day like this,” museum employee Hannah Lovelace said. Loose-fitting, period-correct fabric shirts, on the other hand, remained popular sellers among folks headed to historical frontier reenactments called rendezvous, she said.

The region's heat was forecast to continue through the week, with temperatures topping 100 F (37 C) even in normally moderate areas of Montana and Wyoming.

Las Vegas was also expected to see near record-breaking highs. On Saturday, when temperatures reached around 114 F (45 C) in the valley, HVAC repair technician Kristian “Flaco” Santos spent hours outside fixing air conditioning units. His job involves climbing onto homeowners' roofs or in their attics, where temperatures can be 15 degrees warmer.

“It is brutal,” Santos said, adding that not everyone can work in the heat. “I’m not Superman, but I do, I do take care of myself when I’m in the heat.”

Santos wears long-sleeve shirts and hoodies to protect himself from the sun, drinks lots of water with electrolytes to stay hydrated and takes small breaks to cool down. He encouraged people who work outside to do the same.

“You want to get home to your family safe,” Santos said.

There might be some relief in the central U.S. toward next weekend, but even that might be temporary, Oravec said.

Some areas will be spared. The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast should avoid the extreme heat, as will much of the Pacific Northwest.

This is the latest miserable stretch of weather during a summer that has already had a lot of it. The eastern U.S. endured an unbearably hot early July that forced communities to cancel Independence Day celebrations and disrupted the country's 250th anniversary. Another heat wave in mid-July hit the Southwest and Great Plains.

It’s not just the United States: A June heat wave devastated Europe, with France recording at least 5,700 more deaths than usual.

On Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, fans for the Brickyard 400 will be offered water refill stations and places to get cool, and packed coolers will be allowed. In Denver, recreation centers will set aside areas for people to get out of the heat and in front of air conditioning.

In an already hot year, heat extremes are dangerous

Authorities warned that this heat dome will be dangerous. Children and older adults, along with people with medical conditions, are especially at risk of serious conditions including heat stroke. The basics are important: Seek out air conditioning or a cooling center, and make sure to drink enough water and limit time under the direct sun.

The weather will shift somewhat through the week, with the worst pockets of heat becoming particularly severe across Texas and parts of the Gulf Coast by Wednesday.

It can be difficult to know exactly how climate change contributes to particular events in real time. But rising carbon dioxide levels from burning fossil fuels makes it more likely that hotter weather becomes more frequent and extreme, said Andy Pershing, chief program officer at Climate Central, a climate change communications nonprofit.

“We are experiencing exactly what the climate models in the 1990s said we should experience now. That is more frequent, more severe heat waves, bigger temperature anomalies, more humidity, higher overnight temperatures,” Pershing said. “These are all part and parcel of the climate story.”

The continental U.S. endured the second-hottest first half of the year on record in 2026, according to average temperature tracking by the National Centers for Environmental Information. June itself was the 18th warmest.

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

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Mead Gruver in Fort Collins, Colorado, and Jessica Hill in Las Vegas contributed.

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One of the kittens currently looking for a home is Antonio, a 10-week-old kitten who was found in Broward County and brought to the shelter after the person who found him was unable to keep him.

Matthew Seligman with the Humane Society of Broward County said the shelter has many young cats available for adoption right now as community cats continue to have litters during the summer months.

Seligman also reminded residents about the importance of spaying and neutering pets to help reduce the number of homeless animals in the community.

The Humane Society of Broward County offers public spay and neuter services, though appointments are required and can fill up quickly.

Anyone interested in adopting Antonio or another kitten can visit the shelter and complete an application either in person or ahead of time.

Shelter staff say the process typically takes just a few minutes, and adopters can often take their new pet home the same day if the animal is already spayed or neutered.

Click here for more information on how you can adopt a pet.

Uno de los gatitos que actualmente busca un hogar es Antonio, un gatito de 10 semanas que fue encontrado en el condado Broward y llevado al refugio después de que la persona que lo encontró no pudiera quedarse con él.

Matthew Seligman, de la Sociedad Protectora de Animales del Condado Broward, dijo que el refugio tiene muchos gatos jóvenes disponibles para adopción en este momento, ya que los gatos comunitarios continúan teniendo camadas durante los meses de verano.

Seligman también recordó a los residentes la importancia de esterilizar y castrar a las mascotas para ayudar a reducir la cantidad de animales sin hogar en la comunidad.

La Sociedad Protectora de Animales del Condado Broward ofrece servicios públicos de esterilización y castración, aunque se requiere cita previa y los espacios suelen llenarse rápidamente.

Las personas interesadas en adoptar a Antonio o a otro gatito pueden visitar el refugio y completar una solicitud, ya sea en persona o con anticipación.

El personal del refugio indicó que el proceso generalmente toma solo unos minutos y que, con frecuencia, los adoptantes pueden llevarse a su nueva mascota a casa el mismo día si el animal ya fue esterilizado o castrado.

Haga clic aquí para obtener más información sobre cómo adoptar una mascota.

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The Coral Gables Police Department’s Crime Suppression Team said they arrested Felix Gomez without incident at a local motel where he was staying.

Investigators allege Gomez used a crowbar to “forcibly enter occupied residential buildings to commit theft.”

Jail records show he is facing 10 counts of burglary of an occupied dwelling.

In addition to the burglary charges, Gomez is also facing multiple petit theft charges tied to 10 separate cases.

Coral Gables police credited the department’s Crime Suppression Team with identifying and apprehending the suspect following its investigation into the burglaries.

As of Saturday morning, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was listed as “to be set.”

Anyone with information on the case is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 304-471-8477.

El Equipo de Supresión del Crimen del Departamento de Policía de Coral Gables informó que arrestó a Felix Gomez sin incidentes en un motel local donde se hospedaba.

Los investigadores alegan que Gomez utilizó una palanca para “ingresar por la fuerza a viviendas ocupadas con el propósito de cometer robos”.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que enfrenta 10 cargos por robo a vivienda ocupada.

Además de los cargos por robo a vivienda, Gomez también enfrenta múltiples cargos por hurto menor relacionados con 10 casos distintos.

La Policía de Coral Gables atribuyó al Equipo de Supresión del Crimen la identificación y captura del sospechoso tras la investigación de los robos.

Hasta la mañana del sábado, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, donde su fianza figuraba como “pendiente de ser fijada”.

Cualquier persona con información sobre el caso debe comunicarse con Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 304-471-8477.

That, in short, is how the Olympic gold medalist — slowed, then eventually stopped by an aching Achilles tendon — made it through a frustrating 2025 and turned it into a much more interesting and successful 2026.

“You are setting up to come back even better,” Thomas said of the change in mindset about being hurt. “And every time that I’ve had an injury, I’ve always come back stronger and better and faster. So that was what I was thinking, and then, just staying focused.”

The 29-year-old Thomas, who won the 200 meters at the Paris Games two years ago and is ramping up for a repeat attempt two years from now in Los Angeles, is not competing at this weekend's U.S. track championships in New York. She said it is not a signal that she is hurting.

In one of the interesting twists of 2026 — the middle year of the Olympic cycle that's always a little quirky for track — nationals did not fit into her Diamond League and international schedule. She's doing just fine there, with five sub-22 second runs this season, which gives her 20 for her career — the most by any woman at the distance.

She traveled to New York to cheer on some of her teammates sponsored by Toyota, which arranged this interview.

Among the highlights coming up for Thomas will be the World Athletics Ultimate Championships, where $150,000 first prizes are available, and more races at Athlos, the all-women league founded by Alexis Ohanian that is heading into its third year with a growing roster of runners, including Friday night's 100-meter champion, Sha'Carri Richardson.

Athlos' second meet of the year will be in October at Icahn Stadium on New York's Randall's Island, the same place where nationals are this weekend.

Thomas also is planning a wedding. Last spring, she got engaged to onetime Yale quarterback Spencer McManes (Thomas went to Harvard) and they'll get married in October at a location she did not divulge. Planning a wedding in the middle of track season?

“It’s not challenging,” she said. “I always say, you make time for what you care about and what you want to do, so if you love it, you’ll do it.”

She takes that mindset into her off-the-track life, where she still has plans for a career in women's health once the running stops. Thomas studied neurobiology and public health as an undergrad, then got a master's degree in public health at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.

“As a female athlete and really understanding the gaps in women’s healthcare and how underfunded and how undersuited it is, there’s a lot of room for improvement," Thomas said. “I see myself being a part of that and narrowing that gap quite naturally. I think I will have to go back to school. I would definitely welcome that.”

Through much of 2025, Thomas was vocal about combating a growing trend of online harassment of female athletes by bettors. Earlier this week, she went on social media and doubled down on that, saying only one demographic of people harass her, “and it's never women.”

Off the track, Thomas is reading a few books by Bell Hooks, a philosopher and author who wrote extensively about race and feminism, that have reminded one of the world's greatest sprinters that there's more to life than track. In a way, it might help explain how Thomas — healthy again — can be sitting out of nationals but still loving every minute of it.

“It’s so easy to get very, very involved and tied into track and to make that your identity, especially at my level,” she said. "It’s been a nice reminder to think about who I am off the track, what I love, who I want to be.”

Around the track

World 200-meter champion Noah Lyles showed no signs of fatigue when he won his first-round heat Saturday in 20.51 seconds. Just over 18 hours earlier, he took gold in the 100. Brandon Hicklin had the fastest time in 20.43.

Reigning world champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden posted the top time (22.50) in the opening round of the women's 200 race.

Both finals are Sunday.

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“We need people to call their senators,” said Paul Christian Namphy, an advocate from the Family Action Network Movement.

“This week we have been pushing a lot to get those votes. Hopefully we will get the support that we need,” said National Coordinator Arnoldo Diaz.

The advocates are urging Congress to pass legislation offering protections for TPS recipients, including Venezuelan TPS beneficiary Sedna Mercado, who said she recently met with lawmakers in Washington.

“It was really nice because it was bipartisan, Republicans and Democrats,” Mercado said. “We were able to tell them our stories and why we need protection from deportations.”

Advocates said uncertainty surrounding the program has left many recipients fearful.

“People have been driven underground because there is so much uncertainty,” Christian Namphy said.

“Our protection from deportation, as well as our work authorization and driver’s license privileges, are coming to an end, and it is an extremely cruel measure our administration has meted out against us with the help and complicity of the Supreme Court,” Christian Namphy said.

The Archdiocese of Miami said Friday it will have to terminate at least 40 employees at Catholic Health Services, one of its largest ministries, because of federal changes affecting TPS work authorization. Another 10 employees could also be affected pending a final review of their circumstances.

“It’s not just the Haitian community that is in fear, but the entire TPS community is in fear of losing their jobs or going to work and being arrested on the streets because everyone right now is at risk of deportation,” Diaz said.

Mercado said many families have stopped leaving their homes.

“I have a lot of friends and family that don’t go out of their houses, so they depend on DoorDash and Uber Eats to get their groceries. That is how impactful it is,” she said.

TPS provides work permits and protection from deportation after the government determines conditions in a designated country prevent its nationals from returning safely.

“You have Haiti, for instance. That country has some of the worst conditions right now in terms of crime, unemployment, everything, but they decided to terminate it,” Diaz said.

“We are working people. We strive to pay our taxes, to improve the economy and the community, and this is completely unjust. As you see what is happening to the Venezuelans today in a country facing an earthquake, it is inhuman to deport anyone to Haiti or Venezuela or any other TPS country,” Christian Namphy said.

Catholic Legal Services Managing Attorney Vanessa Joseph said the effects of the recent 6-3 Supreme Court ruling allowing the government to move forward with ending TPS for Haitians are being felt by recipients from other TPS-designated countries.

“A lot of people are going to be fearful because when the Supreme Court decided that they did not have the authority to review the government’s decision to terminate TPS, what they essentially allowed is the government to terminate people’s status, execute deportations, even while the lower court was going through its process,” Joseph said.

Asked whether the ruling makes TPS recipients from all designated countries feel under threat, Joseph responded, “Absolutely. I think everyone is feeling like they are susceptible to deportation at any point due to that decision.”

Calling the situation a “state of emergency,” advocates said Congress must act.

“What we need to do is stop those deportations and keep these families protected until conditions change in our countries,” Diaz said.

Joseph said a permanent immigration solution is needed.

“A pathway to residence is extremely important. A pathway to citizenship is even more important for many of these individuals,” she said.

Mercado said recipients also need more time.

“To make a permanent solution or even a solution for one year, because people need time to figure out what they are going to do with life,” she said.

The Archbishop of Miami plans to travel to Washington next week with a Haitian cardinal to meet with lawmakers on the issue.

Click on this link to see updates on Haitian TPS.

“Necesitamos que la gente llame a sus senadores”, dijo Paul Christian Namphy, defensor del Family Action Network Movement.

“Esta semana hemos estado impulsando con fuerza la obtención de esos votos. Esperamos conseguir el apoyo que necesitamos”, dijo el coordinador nacional Arnoldo Díaz.

Los defensores están instando al Congreso a aprobar legislación que otorgue protecciones a los beneficiarios del TPS, incluida la beneficiaria venezolana del TPS Sedna Mercado, quien dijo que recientemente se reunió con legisladores en Washington.

“Fue muy bueno porque fue bipartidista, con republicanos y demócratas”, dijo Mercado. “Pudimos contarles nuestras historias y explicarles por qué necesitamos protección contra las deportaciones”.

Los defensores señalaron que la incertidumbre en torno al programa ha dejado a muchos beneficiarios con temor.

“La gente se ha visto obligada a mantenerse en las sombras porque existe mucha incertidumbre”, dijo Christian Namphy.

“Nuestra protección contra la deportación, así como nuestra autorización de trabajo y los privilegios para obtener una licencia de conducir, están llegando a su fin, y es una medida extremadamente cruel que nuestra administración ha impuesto contra nosotros con la ayuda y complicidad de la Corte Suprema”, dijo Christian Namphy.

La Arquidiócesis de Miami informó el viernes que tendrá que despedir al menos a 40 empleados de Catholic Health Services, uno de sus ministerios más grandes, debido a los cambios federales que afectan la autorización de trabajo bajo el TPS. Otros 10 empleados también podrían verse afectados, a la espera de una revisión final de sus circunstancias.

“No solo la comunidad haitiana tiene miedo, sino toda la comunidad del TPS teme perder sus empleos o salir a trabajar y ser arrestada en las calles porque, en este momento, todos corren el riesgo de ser deportados”, dijo Díaz.

Mercado afirmó que muchas familias han dejado de salir de sus casas.

“Tengo muchos amigos y familiares que no salen de sus casas, así que dependen de DoorDash y Uber Eats para recibir sus alimentos. Ese es el impacto que esto tiene”, dijo.

El TPS otorga permisos de trabajo y protección contra la deportación después de que el gobierno determina que las condiciones en un país designado impiden que sus ciudadanos regresen de manera segura.

“Tenemos a Haití, por ejemplo. Ese país enfrenta algunas de las peores condiciones en este momento en términos de delincuencia, desempleo y de todo, pero decidieron poner fin al TPS”, dijo Díaz.

“Somos personas trabajadoras. Nos esforzamos por pagar nuestros impuestos, mejorar la economía y la comunidad, y esto es completamente injusto. Al ver lo que está ocurriendo hoy con los venezolanos en un país que enfrenta un terremoto, es inhumano deportar a cualquier persona a Haití, Venezuela o cualquier otro país con TPS”, dijo Christian Namphy.

La abogada gerente de Catholic Legal Services, Vanessa Joseph, dijo que los efectos del reciente fallo 6-3 de la Corte Suprema que permite al gobierno avanzar con la eliminación del TPS para los haitianos también están siendo sentidos por beneficiarios de otros países designados bajo el TPS.

“Muchas personas van a tener miedo porque, cuando la Corte Suprema decidió que no tenía autoridad para revisar la decisión del gobierno de poner fin al TPS, lo que esencialmente permitió fue que el gobierno pudiera cancelar el estatus de las personas y ejecutar deportaciones, incluso mientras el tribunal inferior continuaba con su proceso”, dijo Joseph.

Al ser consultada sobre si el fallo hace que los beneficiarios del TPS de todos los países designados se sientan amenazados, Joseph respondió: “Absolutamente. Creo que todos sienten que pueden ser deportados en cualquier momento debido a esa decisión”.

Al calificar la situación como un “estado de emergencia”, los defensores afirmaron que el Congreso debe actuar.

“Lo que necesitamos hacer es detener esas deportaciones y mantener protegidas a estas familias hasta que las condiciones cambien en nuestros países”, dijo Díaz.

Joseph señaló que se necesita una solución migratoria permanente.

“Un camino hacia la residencia es extremadamente importante. Un camino hacia la ciudadanía es aún más importante para muchas de estas personas”, dijo.

Mercado afirmó que los beneficiarios también necesitan más tiempo.

“Una solución permanente o incluso una solución por un año, porque la gente necesita tiempo para decidir qué va a hacer con su vida”, dijo.

El arzobispo de Miami tiene previsto viajar a Washington la próxima semana junto con un cardenal haitiano para reunirse con legisladores sobre este tema.

Haga clic en este enlace para ver las actualizaciones sobre el TPS para Haití.

Corey Ruiz, who is identified as Black or Latino in Wisconsin court records, was shot and killed by a Madison police officer on Wednesday after a brief scuffle at an intersection in the city's most liberal neighborhood just yards away from a popular 52-year-old food co-op.

It marks the third time since 2012 that Madison police have shot and killed someone in the same neighborhood. The shooting has sparked renewed calls for police reforms and forced the city to once again reckon with calls from the Black community to address racial justice issues.

Pressure from protesters, and sympathy for their cause, has also led to the cancellation or disruption of many of Madison's signature summertime events.

“Our community has spoken loud and clear: this is NOT business as usual,” Black activist Clyde Mayberry posted on Facebook on Friday amid a string of cancellations. “Your decisions have helped ensure that this city continues to acknowledge the pain, the loss, and the call for accountability.”

Protesters took to the streets hours after the shooting, disrupting a popular Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra outdoor concert at the state Capitol that attracts about 30,000 every week in the summer.

The scene captures a familiar divide in Madison, a city that is more diverse than the state overall but still 70% white. Protesters, many of whom were Black, stood over white concert attendees sitting at tables near the stage that cost as much as $1,800 to rent for the night.

Concert organizers canceled the event.

Threats of a protest on Thursday led the city to postpone the grand opening of a new public market, just a few blocks away from where the shooting occurred. A popular neighborhood festival near the shooting called AtwoodFest, scheduled to begin on Saturday, was also canceled in the face of potential protests.

“Our community and our Marquette neighbors witnessed another horrific officer-involved shooting just blocks from our festival grounds, leaving us in deep pain and justified anger,” organizers of the festival wrote. “In acknowledgment of what has happened far too often in our community and our country as a whole, this year’s AtwoodFest, themed ‘The Heartbeat of the Neighborhood,’ is canceled.”

And on Saturday, the popular downtown farmers market that attracts about 20,000 people each week around the Capitol building, shut down nearly four hours earlier than usual in solidarity with protesters.

“We mourn with our community,” market organizers posted on social media. “And we agree - business cannot proceed as usual.”

A handful of protesters showed up at the Capitol as vendors were breaking down their booths at around 10 a.m.

“No one should be thinking this is just another Saturday,” said Reba Bergmann, who sat with Lilly Nimmer holding a sign that said “Justice for Corey.”

“It's not life as normal,” Nimmer said. “We should be more mad. We should stand up for what we believe in.”

Charles Alt, 30, supported the decision to close down early.

“It's important to keep focus on the real tragedy, which is that someone got killed," said Alt, who was shopping at the market. "Missing some market time, that's sad, but that's not what's important.”

But Rodney Hathaway, who was visiting Madison from Milwaukee, was caught off guard by the market's early closure.

“It's ridiculous,” he said. “This is peoples' livelihoods. It's just unfortunate. We have such a short summer season for these people to sell their wares.”

Investigations into the shooting continue. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Ruiz family, said on Friday at a new conference in the Capitol that the officer who fired the shots should face criminal charges.

Madison Police Chief John Patterson, who is white, has tried to calm tensions, even allowing protesters to overtake a news conference that he was leading along with the mayor inside the police department's downtown headquarters on Thursday.

Patterson took questions from angry protesters, one of whom held a sign just feet away from the chief that said “corrupt cops deserve to die too.” After one protester hurled an insult at Patterson, the chief calmly responded, “I appreciate you being here.”

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The candidates are U.S. Rep. Jared E. Moskowitz, who represents Florida’s 23rd Congressional District, and Oliver A. Larkin.

According to campaign finance data submitted to the Federal Election Commission on June 30, Moskowitz, 45, is at the top of the list with more than $2.65 million in total receipts.

“Things are not affordable. People’s homes are not affordable,” Moskowitz said. “Their home insurance is not affordable, groceries are not affordable. Healthcare is not affordable.”

Moskowitz, who was born in Coral Springs, served as Parkland City commissioner from 2006 to 2012 and in the Florida House of Representatives from 2012 to 2019.

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Moskowitz as the director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management from 2019 to 2021. He has been representing Florida’s 23rd Congressional District since 2023.

“The majority of Democrats want someone who can win this seat and then make Hakeem Jeffries the speaker so we can get the gavel and hold the Trump administration accountable,” said Moskowitz, who earned degrees from George Washington University and Nova Southeastern University’s law school.

Larkin, 32, a union organizer, follows Moskowitz and five Republicans with more than $541,000 in total receipts, according to the campaign finance data.

“To be clear, I voted for Congressman Moskowitz, so I have been disappointed as many South Floridians have been,” said Larkin, who was born in California, grew up in Fort Lauderdale, and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of the South in Tennessee.

The Democratic Socialists of America, a New York-based political organization that seeks to dismantle capitalism, endorsed Larkin, who supports Medicare for All and universal childcare.

“Right now, nobody in the DSA has won a red seat. This is a red seat in the general election,” Moskowitz said about the endorsement.

The mail-in ballot request deadline is Aug. 6, the Democratic primary is Aug. 18, and the general election is Nov. 3.

Related stories

• Republican primary: 6 candidates seek to succeed Wasserman Schultz in Florida’s newly redrawn 25th Congressional District
• VOTER GUIDE: Here is how to prepare for Florida’s Aug. 18 primary election
• EDITORIAL: Take action now if you want to vote by mail

Related content on the web

• State Affairs: Florida GOP sues to block Libertarian in key House race
• Florida Politics: Uthmeier backs Scott Singer in crowded CD 25 Republican primary

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Los candidatos son el representante estadounidense Jared E. Moskowitz , que representa al distrito congresional número 23 de Florida, y Oliver A. Larkin.

Según los datos de financiación de campañas electorales presentados a la Comisión Federal Electoral el 30 de junio, Moskowitz, de 45 años, encabeza la lista con más de 2,65 millones de dólares en ingresos totales.

“Las cosas no son asequibles. Las casas de la gente no son asequibles”, dijo Moskowitz. “Su seguro de hogar no es asequible, los alimentos no son asequibles. La atención médica no es asequible”.

Moskowitz, nacida en Coral Springs, fue comisionada de la ciudad de Parkland desde 2006 hasta 2012 y miembro de la Cámara de Representantes de Florida desde 2012 hasta 2019.

El gobernador Ron DeSantis nombró a Moskowitz director de la División de Gestión de Emergencias de Florida desde 2019 hasta 2021. Ha representado al distrito congresional número 23 de Florida desde 2023.

“La mayoría de los demócratas quieren a alguien que pueda ganar este escaño y luego convertir a Hakeem Jeffries en presidente de la Cámara para que podamos tomar el control y exigirle cuentas a la administración Trump”, dijo Moskowitz, quien se graduó de la Universidad George Washington y de la facultad de derecho de la Universidad Nova Southeastern.

Larkin, de 32 años y organizador sindical, le sigue a Moskowitz y a otros cinco republicanos con más de 541.000 dólares en ingresos totales, según los datos de financiación de campañas .

“Para que quede claro, voté por el congresista Moskowitz, así que estoy decepcionado, al igual que muchos residentes del sur de Florida”, dijo Larkin, quien nació en California, creció en Fort Lauderdale y obtuvo una licenciatura en la Universidad del Sur en Tennessee.

Los Socialistas Democráticos de América, una organización política con sede en Nueva York que busca desmantelar el capitalismo, respaldaron a Larkin, quien apoya la atención médica universal y el cuidado infantil universal.

“En este momento, nadie en la DSA ha ganado un escaño republicano. Este es un escaño republicano en las elecciones generales”, dijo Moskowitz sobre el respaldo.

El plazo para solicitar el voto por correo finaliza el 6 de agosto, las primarias demócratas se celebrarán el 18 de agosto y las elecciones generales el 3 de noviembre.

Historias relacionadas

• Primarias republicanas: 6 candidatos buscan suceder a Wasserman Schultz en el recién rediseñado distrito congresional número 25 de Florida.
• GUÍA DEL VOTANTE:  Aquí le explicamos cómo prepararse para las elecciones primarias de Florida del 18 de agosto.
• EDITORIAL: Actúe ahora si desea votar por correo.

Contenido relacionado en la web

• Asuntos estatales: El Partido Republicano de Florida demanda para bloquear a un libertario en una contienda clave por la Cámara de Representantes.
• Política de Florida: Uthmeier apoya a Scott Singer en las reñidas primarias republicanas del Distrito 25.

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The candidates are Scott M. Singer, Daniel J. Franzese, George R. Moraitis, Raven Harrison, and Joe Kaufman, according to the Federal Election Commission. They had a heated debate during the GOP’s Sunshine State Showdown on June 27 in Hollywood.

Singer, 49, is the Republican at the top of the campaign finance list with more than $1.99 million in total receipts, according to the data submitted to the commission on June 30, records show.

“I’m a proud American, a proud Jewish Republican, and I’m going to appeal to swing voters that we need,” said Singer, a Georgetown Law grad who was born in Miami Beach and was a three-term Boca Raton mayor.

Franzese, who earned his MBA at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in 1989, follows Singer on the list with more than $1.47 million in total receipts, according to the data.

“I know from talking to voters that there’s a strong sentiment that that’s what they want to see this year,” Franzese, who was born in New York, said about his experience as a retired finance executive and a portfolio manager.

Moraitis, 55, a retired Lt. Comdr. in the U.S. Navy Reserve who was born in Fort Lauderdale, followed Singer and Franzese with more than $839,000 in total receipts, according to the data.

“I’m going to fight in Congress to reduce fraud, to reduce wasteful spending, and cut the size of the federal government,” said Moraitis, a real estate attorney who represented District 93 in the Florida House of Representatives from 2010 to 2018.

Harrison, a Temple University grad who was born in Texas, follows Moraitis with more than $778,000 in total receipts, according to the data.

“What’s happening is we have people who’ve been there for decades, and they kick the can down the road, which is why we need a reset and to get true representation into Congress and get things done,” said Harrison, a military spouse and mother of two.

Kaufman, a counter-terrorism expert known as the “Terrorist Hunter,” follows Harrison with more than $631,500 in total receipts, according to the data.

“My background is in national security and counterterrorism. I have been involved in the shutdown of terrorist charities and imprisoned terror-related individuals,” said Kaufman, a self-proclaimed defender of the U.S.–Israel alliance.

The mail-in ballot request deadline is Aug. 6, the Democratic primary is Aug. 18, and the general election is Nov. 3.

Related stories

• Democratic primary: 2 candidates seek to succeed Wasserman Schultz in Florida’s newly redrawn 25th Congressional District
• VOTER GUIDE: Here is how to prepare for Florida’s Aug. 18 primary election
• EDITORIAL: Take action now if you want to vote by mail

Related content on the web

• State Affairs: Florida GOP sues to block Libertarian in key House race
• Florida Politics: Uthmeier backs Scott Singer in crowded CD 25 Republican primary

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Según la Comisión Federal Electoral, los candidatos son Scott M. Singer, Daniel J. Franzese, George R. Moraitis, Raven Harrison y Joe Kaufman. Tuvieron un acalorado debate durante el encuentro republicano “Sunshine State Showdown” el 27 de junio en Hollywood.

Singer, de 49 años, es el republicano que encabeza la lista de financiación de campañas con más de 1,99 millones de dólares en ingresos totales, según los datos presentados a la comisión el 30 de junio, según muestran los registros.

“Soy un estadounidense orgulloso, un republicano judío orgulloso, y voy a apelar a los votantes indecisos que necesitamos”, dijo Singer, graduado de la Facultad de Derecho de Georgetown, nacido en Miami Beach y alcalde de Boca Ratón durante tres mandatos.

Franzese, quien obtuvo su MBA en la Wharton School de la Universidad de Pensilvania en 1989, sigue a Singer en la lista con más de 1,47 millones de dólares en ingresos totales, según los datos .

“Por lo que he hablado con los votantes, sé que existe un fuerte sentimiento de que eso es lo que quieren ver este año”, dijo Franzese, nacido en Nueva York, refiriéndose a su experiencia como ejecutivo financiero jubilado y gestor de cartera.

Moraitis, de 55 años, teniente comandante retirado de la Reserva de la Marina de los Estados Unidos, nacido en Fort Lauderdale, siguió a Singer y Franzese con más de 839.000 dólares en ingresos totales, según los datos .

“Voy a luchar en el Congreso para reducir el fraude, para reducir el gasto superfluo y para recortar el tamaño del gobierno federal”, dijo Moraitis, un abogado de bienes raíces que representó al Distrito 93 en la Cámara de Representantes de Florida de 2010 a 2018.

Harrison, graduado de la Universidad de Temple y nacido en Texas, le sigue a Moraitis con más de 778.000 dólares en ingresos totales, según los datos .

“Lo que está sucediendo es que tenemos personas que llevan décadas en el cargo y van posponiendo las cosas, por eso necesitamos un cambio radical y lograr una verdadera representación en el Congreso para que se hagan las cosas”, dijo Harrison, esposa de un militar y madre de dos hijos.

Kaufman, un experto en contraterrorismo conocido como el “Cazador de Terroristas”, le sigue a Harrison con más de 631.500 dólares en ingresos totales, según los datos .

“Mi experiencia se centra en la seguridad nacional y la lucha contra el terrorismo. He participado en el cierre de organizaciones benéficas terroristas y en el encarcelamiento de personas relacionadas con el terrorismo”, declaró Kaufman, autoproclamado defensor de la alianza entre Estados Unidos e Israel.

El plazo para solicitar el voto por correo finaliza el 6 de agosto, las primarias demócratas se celebrarán el 18 de agosto y las elecciones generales el 3 de noviembre.

Historias relacionadas

• Primarias demócratas: Dos candidatos buscan suceder a Wasserman Schultz en el recién rediseñado distrito congresional número 25 de Florida.
• GUÍA DEL VOTANTE:  Aquí le explicamos cómo prepararse para las elecciones primarias de Florida del 18 de agosto.
• EDITORIAL: Actúe ahora si desea votar por correo.

Contenido relacionado en la web

• Asuntos estatales: El Partido Republicano de Florida demanda para bloquear a un libertario en una contienda clave por la Cámara de Representantes.
• Política de Florida: Uthmeier apoya a Scott Singer en las reñidas primarias republicanas del Distrito 25.

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Según la Policía, el incidente fue reportado a las 7:27 a.m. en el área de Northeast Miami Avenue y la calle 80 Terrace.

La Policía informó que la víctima fue apuñalada durante un robo a mano armada en el que le robaron la cartera.

La víctima fue trasladada por paramédicos de Miami Fire Rescue al Centro de Trauma Ryder del Hospital Jackson Memorial. Su condición aún no ha sido divulgada.

Cualquier persona con información sobre el robo y el apuñalamiento debe llamar al Departamento de Policía de Miami o a Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

Antes de recibir su sentencia, Perez, quien se encontraba sentada en una silla de ruedas y con grilletes en las manos y los pies, ofreció una declaración ante el tribunal.

“Antes que nada, quiero expresar mis más sinceras condolencias y disculpas a la familia de Ezequiel. Esto fue un accidente por completo, su señoría. No soy una persona que haga este tipo de cosas a propósito. Desde que ocurrió ese accidente y le quitó la vida a ese joven, lo único en lo que puedo pensar es en cómo debe sentirse su madre”, dijo Perez antes de romper en llanto.

“Le pido a Dios que, por favor, me perdone porque me cuesta perdonarme a mí misma, ya que no puedo imaginar cómo se siente su madre”, agregó Perez mientras intentaba recomponerse.

Algunos familiares de Ezequiel Urrutia lloraron en la sala mientras Perez ofrecía su declaración.

Perez, de 46 años, se declaró culpable en marzo de homicidio por conducir bajo los efectos del alcohol y homicidio vehicular.

“Ella estuvo en el tribunal declarándose culpable de todos los cargos y, al hacerlo, pude ver que estaba bastante afectada y es comprensible”, dijo entonces a Local 10 News Frank Urrutia, padre de la víctima. “Seguimos devastados por la pérdida de nuestro hijo. Es algo que hemos tenido que soportar y encontrar la manera de seguir con nuestras vidas”.

Según las autoridades, Perez conducía bajo los efectos del alcohol y en sentido contrario por la autopista Turnpike de Florida, cerca de Red Road, en el condado Broward, el 9 de enero de 2025, antes de chocar contra el vehículo de Ezequiel Urrutia, lo que provocó la muerte del joven, conocido por sus amigos y seres queridos como Zeke.

Durante su declaración este viernes, Perez reconoció que había tomado medicamentos antes del choque.

Sus seres queridos dijeron que Ezequiel soñaba con convertirse en bombero y estaba a punto de terminar sus clases.

Después de que Perez hablara ante el tribunal este viernes, amigos y familiares de Ezequiel subieron al estrado para presentar sus declaraciones sobre el impacto que tuvo el crimen en las víctimas, incluida su novia, quien ofreció un emotivo testimonio sobre cómo su pérdida cambió su vida para siempre.

“No existe una sentencia que pueda devolvernos a Zeke o disminuir el dolor que llevaremos por el resto de nuestras vidas”, dijo Christina Diaz. “Pero sí existe una sentencia que puede hacer responsable a Sunshine Perez por las decisiones que tomó y ayudar a evitar que otra familia viva la misma pesadilla. Zeke merecía mucho más de lo que recibió. Merecía vivir la vida que le fue arrebatada. Siempre será recordado, profundamente amado y extrañado. Elijo creer que una parte de él sigue conmigo. Lo veo en los momentos hermosos de la vida cotidiana y eso es algo que Sunshine Perez nunca podrá quitarme”.

La familia de Ezequiel ha transformado su dolor en un propósito al crear un fondo de becas con el nombre de su hijo. Aseguran que están enfocados en ayudar a otras personas a seguir el sueño de su hijo de servir a los demás y marcar una diferencia.

Perez enfrenta una pena de hasta 34 años de prisión.

Whether you prefer a bold red, a crisp white or a refreshing rosé, each variety offers something different.

The primary differences come down to the types of grapes used and how long the grape skins remain in contact with the juice during fermentation. Those differences influence each wine’s color, flavor and body.

Wine is also often paired with different foods. Red wines typically complement heartier dishes, while white and rosé wines are commonly served with lighter fare such as seafood, salads and poultry.

When it comes to preferences, red wine remains the top choice for many Americans. According to Wine Business, nearly half of U.S. wine drinkers — about 49% — say red is their favorite. White wine follows at 36%, while rosé accounts for about 6% of preferences.

Of course, some wine enthusiasts prefer sparkling wines or Champagne for any occasion, proving there’s no wrong answer when it comes to what’s in your glass.

So, where do you stand? Are you reaching for a glass of red, white or rosé?

Let us know in the poll or comment section below.

Alrededor de 150 adolescentes, de entre 13 y 18 años, de Handy, una organización sin fines de lucro de Fort Lauderdale que brinda apoyo a jóvenes en situación de riesgo, hicieron pareja con agentes del Departamento de Policía de Fort Lauderdale y de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward para el evento anual “Shop With A Cop”.

Cada estudiante recibió una tarjeta de regalo de $100 USD para comprar ropa para el regreso a clases y otros artículos esenciales en TJ Maxx y Marshalls. Los participantes también recibieron mochilas llenas de útiles escolares para prepararse para el próximo año escolar.

Los organizadores señalaron que el evento está diseñado para aliviar la carga económica de las familias y, al mismo tiempo, fortalecer las relaciones entre los jóvenes y las fuerzas del orden.

Al pasar tiempo juntos haciendo compras, los agentes y los estudiantes tienen la oportunidad de generar confianza, establecer vínculos personales y fomentar interacciones positivas fuera de situaciones de emergencia.

El evento fue patrocinado por JM Family, TJ Maxx y la Community Police Relations Foundation.

Handy, una organización sin fines de lucro fundada en 1985, ha brindado apoyo a más de 50,000 jóvenes en situación de riesgo y a sus familias mediante programas enfocados en el desarrollo juvenil, la salud mental y el bienestar, la educación y el desarrollo profesional, así como la asistencia para vivienda.

Los organizadores indicaron que el objetivo es que cada estudiante comience el nuevo año escolar con confianza y preparado. Los agentes señalaron que el evento también les brinda la oportunidad de relacionarse con los jóvenes en un entorno positivo y mostrar otra faceta del trabajo policial.

Muchos de los estudiantes no perdieron tiempo en utilizar sus tarjetas de regalo de $100 USD y se fueron con ropa nueva, artículos esenciales para la escuela y mochilas llenas de útiles antes de regresar al inicio del año escolar.

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About 150 teenagers, ages 13 to 18, from Handy, a Fort Lauderdale nonprofit that serves at-promise youth, paired up with officers from the Fort Lauderdale Police Department and Broward Sheriff’s Office for the annual “Shop With A Cop” event.

Each student received a $100 gift card to shop for back-to-school clothing and other essentials at TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Participants also took home backpacks filled with school supplies to help prepare for the upcoming school year.

Organizers said the event is designed to ease the financial burden on families while also strengthening relationships between young people and law enforcement.

By spending one-on-one time shopping together, officers and students have the opportunity to build trust, make personal connections and foster positive interactions outside of emergency situations.

The event was sponsored by JM Family, TJ Maxx and the Community Police Relations Foundation.

Handy, a nonprofit founded in 1985, has served more than 50,000 at-promise youth and their families through programs focused on youth development, mental health and wellness, education and career development, and housing assistance.

Organizers say the goal is for every student to head into the new school year feeling confident and prepared. Officers say the event also gives them a chance to connect with young people in a positive setting and show a different side of policing.

Many of the students wasted no time putting their $100 gift cards to use, leaving with new clothes, school essentials and backpacks filled with supplies before heading back for the start of the school year.

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Bay Harbor Island police officers at the scene told Local 10’s Linnie Supall that three people were aboard one of the boats involved in the crash. They said all three individuals were taken to a nearby hospital with injuries. Authorities did not immediately release information about the victims or the severity of their injuries.

Authorities said crash happened around 1 a.m. near West Broadview Drive and 103rd Street.

By 9 a.m. Saturday, much of the area had been taped off as officers monitored one of the damaged boats, which remained partially submerged in Biscayne Bay. Only the boat’s overhead canopy frame was visible above the water.

The boat was tethered by a long cable to a police vehicle to help keep it afloat while crews worked at the scene.

One of the boats remained partially submerged in the bay Saturday morning, with only its overhead canopy frame clearly visible above the water. That boat has since been towed.

Police used a cable attached to the front of a patrol vehicle to stabilize the boat and keep it from sinking further while crews worked at the scene.

Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrived by boat, while another investigator arrived in a pickup truck.

Police said a second boat involved in the crash ended up at nearby Haulover Marina. Authorities have not said how many people were aboard that boat or whether anyone on board was injured.

Authorities said the FWC has taken the lead in the investigation into the crash.

No other details about the crash were immediately released.

Agentes de la Policía de Bay Harbor Islands en el lugar informaron a Linnie Supall, de Local 10, que tres personas viajaban a bordo de una de las embarcaciones involucradas en el choque. Indicaron que las tres fueron trasladadas a un hospital cercano con lesiones. Las autoridades no divulgaron de inmediato información sobre las víctimas ni la gravedad de sus heridas.

Las autoridades informaron que el choque ocurrió alrededor de la 1 a.m., cerca de West Broadview Drive y la calle 103.

Para las 9 a.m. del sábado, gran parte del área permanecía acordonada mientras los agentes vigilaban una de las embarcaciones dañadas, que seguía parcialmente sumergida en la bahía Biscayne. Solo la estructura del toldo sobresalía del agua.

La embarcación estaba asegurada con un largo cable a un vehículo policial para ayudar a mantenerla a flote mientras los equipos trabajaban en el lugar.

Una de las embarcaciones permanecía parcialmente sumergida en la bahía la mañana del sábado, con solo la estructura del toldo claramente visible sobre el agua. Desde entonces, la embarcación fue remolcada.

La Policía utilizó un cable sujeto a la parte delantera de una patrulla para estabilizar la embarcación y evitar que se hundiera más mientras los equipos trabajaban en el lugar.

Agentes de la Comisión de Conservación de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida (FWC) llegaron en una embarcación, mientras que otro investigador arribó en una camioneta.

La Policía informó que una segunda embarcación involucrada en el choque terminó en la cercana marina Haulover. Las autoridades no han informado cuántas personas viajaban en esa embarcación ni si alguien a bordo resultó herido.

Las autoridades indicaron que la FWC asumió la investigación del choque.

No se divulgaron de inmediato más detalles sobre el choque.

Nathan Matthews, 43, of Lincoln, Nebraska, died Friday, the federal Interior Department said in a release Saturday.

Meanwhile, several fierce wildfires in a summer of big ones continued burning across the western U.S.

One of the worst — and the one deemed top priority for firefighting efforts — was just a few miles (5 kilometers) north of Sisters, a central Oregon city of about 3,000 people.

Winds gusting up to 30 mph (50 kilometers per hour) threatened to push flames into new areas. Firefighters made progress keeping the fire in check, however, and officials were optimistic the city would be in the clear once the worst of the wind died down Sunday.

“It's going to take a while to put it out entirely. But as long as it stops moving, I think that’ll get people to relax a little bit,” Sisters Mayor Jennifer Letz said.

As of Saturday, the lightning-caused fire had burned about 40 square miles (105 square kilometers) and was 5% contained. About 30 people evacuated from areas north of Sisters were in a shelter at the local high school, with about as many more staying in recreational vehicles parked outside, Letz said.

The city wasn't in any immediate danger, and business was carrying on like usual, Letz said.

“We’re not necessarily asking everybody to come to Sisters. But it’s safe here,” said Letz.

Months of dry weather, a record lack of snow in some areas, hot spells and erratic winds have contributed to the blazes in Oregon, Washington, California, Colorado and elsewhere this summer.

In Canada, 926 fires were burning Saturday, including 82 deemed out of control, according to the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System.

About 300 aircraft and 5,300 people were involved in fighting the fires. They included 133 in northwestern Ontario alone, according to the province's Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services agency.

The biggest in Ontario had covered some 1,200 square miles (3,200 square kilometers).

The U.S. firefighter who died was among a group that had deployed tentlike emergency shelters to try to shield themselves when flames closed in June 27. Three of them died at the scene: Emily Barker, 38; Nick Hutcherson, 27; and Sydney Watson, 26.

They were part of a Helitack crew — a group that gets dropped by helicopter into remote areas to try to squelch new, rapidly expanding fires — that had been deployed in Mesa County, Colorado, west of the city of Grand Junction.

Matthews and another firefighter were taken for medical treatment. The Interior Department declined Saturday to discuss their treatment, Matthews' career or the surviving firefighter's current condition.

Watson, Hutcherson and Barker were honored at a memorial service earlier this month. Memorial arrangements for Matthews weren't yet announced.

“It's just so much work. I hate dropping any of it,” said Snyder, who operates Mex and Sons Ranch near Montrose, Colorado, with his family.

It took eight trips in three vehicles over nine hours in sweltering heat before the 800 cow-calf pairs finally had enough water to make it through to the next day — maybe two.

Hauling water across rugged landscapes has become a daily chore for many ranchers in the U.S. Rockies. They historically relied on snowmelt to sustain stock ponds, springs and creeks for livestock to drink throughout the summer, but this year's snowpack was the worst on record in the Upper Colorado River Basin, which includes Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. Human-caused climate change made the snow drought about 14 times more likely, a new study confirms.

Coping with the impacts of minimal snow and a so far lackluster monsoon season is requiring more time, money and stress from producers who are already struggling to maintain family legacies and meet America's demand for beef.

Finding water is a common challenge

Snyder and his brother Monte are adapting. Like many other ranchers, they shrunk their herd, bought hay to supplement what little they could grow, shuttled cows farther to reach grazable land, and are constantly monitoring whether wildfires are blowing their way. And now, they are hauling drinking water.

“If Mother Nature doesn't want to help out here, we're probably in a lot of trouble,” Snyder said.

Still, the Snyders count themselves lucky. A nearby landowner charges them to refill their 6,500-gallon (24,600-liter) water tanker from a reservoir. Late last week, he pulled up alongside another truck carrying a 3,000-gallon (11,360 liter) tank to water sheep.

Mark Ragsdale's phone rings off the hook with neighbors asking the same question: Where can I find water?

During the day, he works as the state's water commissioner for Norwood, where his cousin Snyder ranches. But morning, afternoon and evening, he is also hauling water to his small herd of 45 cow-calf pairs. He counts his luck that his solar-powered well is still producing and his herd is nearby.

His Dodge Ram's tires churned through a muddy depression on a dirt road on a recent morning water run — a welcome sign of the first monsoonal rain that arrived the night before.

“It's gonna take 10 years of above-normal (precipitation) to get back to what I consider normal,” Ragsdale said.

The good news about this drought

The good news is that this year's snow drought in the Upper Colorado River Basin was so severe, the odds of a repeat this bad in the near future is low, said Adrienne Marshall, assistant professor of geology at the Colorado School of Mines and lead author on the study. Still, multiple years of lesser droughts can compound, and the odds of an extreme snow drought grow each year as greenhouse gas emissions, the main driver of climate change, continue to rise, she explained.

The record-setting low snow, after years of drought, prompted the Brays to expand their water truck fleet this year. Lance Bray, who owns 500 head with his brother Zandon, bought a flatbed truck with more than 300,000 miles (482,800 kilometers) on it to haul a 2,600-gallon (9,842-liter) water tank. It's now their third flatbed dedicated for the chore.

Ranchers can apply for reimbursement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to cover above-normal costs to transport water and feed due to drought, but there's no getting back their time.

Drought takes a toll on ranchers

“I'm gonna fight like hell this year so I can turn around and fight like hell next year,” Zandon Bray said. He and his brother restarted the cattle operation two years after the 2018 drought season prompted their dad to sell the herd.

They love ranching and are trying to operate more sustainably, running fewer head than their father did when grass was more plentiful and nutritious. But the emotional toll grows heavier as each year passes without meaningful moisture.

“Sometimes it’s by 10 o’clock in the morning or by the end of the day, you’re just like, man, I can’t do this anymore,” Zandon Bray said.

The weight of water tanks on Stanford Salazar's trailer caused a tire blowout that obliterated the rim. He was already running late to his day job at the Jicarilla Apache planning office in northern New Mexico.

It has been five years since hauling stock water became a daily chore for Salazar. Few of his 14 ponds hold any water these days.

“With the changing of weather, we’re not getting big winters. We used to get 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) of snow in winter. Now we’re lucky to get a foot,” Salazar said.

In central Utah, Jeff Christensen is drilling two 500-foot (152-meter) deep wells he hopes will reduce his hauling chores. But first they need to reach the water table, which is lower now without as much snowmelt to refill it.

"I think they’re dang close to 20 grand a well now. So if we don’t hit water, we’re in trouble,” he said.

Half the cost is being covered with a grant from Utah's Grazing Improvement Program, which invests millions annually to create more sustainable, productive ranches.

“I spend the majority of my time on water," Christensen said. "I’m either hauling it, cussing the lack of it, or trying to find more of it.”

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

The cultural trend of so-called teen takeovers has popped up across the U.S. in recent years, influencing local policing and national politics. The events, often hyped online and captured in videos on social media, have led to shootings, theft and vandalism. City officials and police are concerned about an increase over the summer, and are under pressure to prevent similar gatherings or to punish those who participate.

Over the July 4 holiday weekend, several thousand young people converged in two spots in Raleigh, North Carolina, police said. Nine people, including an adult who was not part of the gatherings, were shot and wounded.

There were also takeovers in Pensacola, Florida, where a 19-year-old was shot and killed; and Newport Beach, California, where more than 400 were arrested after the police chief said teens launched “explosive mortars and other projectiles” at officers ordering them to disperse.

But Spann and other teens say that the events are largely misunderstood. They point to formal curfews or limits on group size at malls and movie theaters that have made it harder for teens to gather, exacerbating a feeling of disconnection they trace back to remote learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

How cities are tracking the social media trend

Communities and police across the country are trying to identify organizers, fine parents of those involved and impose curfews.

In Detroit, officials say they “thwarted" 19 gatherings so far this year by monitoring time and location changes as young people coordinated across social media, said Teferi Brent, director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood and Community Safety.

“We have eyes on all the behaviors and activities of those who have expressed interest in trying to take over and we have done a good job of being way ahead of the curve and being able to prevent a lot of these things,” Brent said.

Alderperson Jessie Fuentes, who chairs the Chicago City Council’s subcommittee on Youth Employment, said her office has tried to find solutions that don't rely exclusively on police and instead coordinate with parents and community members to prevent conflict or crimes.

Blue Island, a south Chicago suburb, has taken another tact: to fine parents or guardians and use the funds to cover clean up after events. That might include debris left behind or other damages like cars dented from scores of teens clambering over them while fleeing police.

Other places have taken harsher approaches, as in Florida, where state officials said prosecutors can apply racketeering laws, typically targeting criminal gangs or organized crime, if takeovers appear to be facilitated by “an organized network.”

But some have pushed back on the idea that the threat of harsh legal punishment could prevent the gatherings in the first place.

“What we know about adolescent brain development is that the stakes are not going to be what prevents a young person from engaging in risky behavior,” said Melissa Milchman, the executive director for the nonpartisan organization the Coalition for Juvenile Justice. Milchman added that mass arrests often ensnare those who are going for innocent fun without preventing others from breaking the law.

Teens say there aren't safe spaces for them to gather

For Spann, the recent media attention on the events has largely failed to capture the appeal to young people.

“You feel like a young person who has freedom, who’s not being held to something,” said Spann, who is Black. At the event he went to, he was able to catch up with people he hadn't seen since 8th grade.

He said that the events are a direct result of a cascade of school closures across Black neighborhoods over the past couple decades in Chicago. To deter people from gathering even at basketball courts, where there were sometimes fights, officials have removed the nets. Spann said that his mom, who grew up in the same neighborhood, frequently talks about how much easier it used to be to hang out outside without a fear of gun violence.

When Spann goes to malls in more affluent areas with his mostly Black group of friends, shoppers often stare and security guards question them. To avoid scrutiny, Spann and his friends sometimes sneak into outdoor shopping centers or areas downtown in smaller groups at staggered times.

By contrast, in the same spaces, Spann said, “If I’m with my white friends, I feel like I belong."

Despite the physical dangers that come with takeovers and the threat of getting a ticket or even arrested, the allure is strong, according to Jeffrey Bernstein, a psychologist and author.

“The kids still do it because they feel like it’s their second family,” which he said “really takes over as their primary sense of connection.”

“They’re getting things from their peers that they can’t get from their parents.”

Some cities have tried to meet that need head-on, instead of cracking down with law enforcement.

In St. Louis, officers have started to bring some teens to community centers instead of jails so their parents can pick them up, and in Baltimore, officials have tried leaning on public schools to provide alternative programming. In Chicago, Spann received a $11,000 grant from the city and partnering nonprofits to host an event for his peers at the end of the summer, in an effort to give his community more places to gather.

What cities are doing to address ‘teen takeovers’

In April, Daveion Page, a 16-year-old in Detroit, was bored. He turned to his phone, creating a post on social media promoting a teen takeover. Hundreds of teens soon flocked to a site downtown and fights broke out by the end of the night. At another takeover in May, a 14-year-old was shot and wounded.

After the Detroit event in April, Page told reporters that he didn't intend for the takeover he organized to result in violence.

“I just wanted to get out of the house, have fun, enjoy time with my family and my homeboys and my homegirls, too," said Page, who was flanked by Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield and other city officials at a news conference.

He told city officials that young people might respond if there were more safe places to gather.

Before the takeovers, there were already plans to use $1.5 million from the city’s budget for summer programming and to support violence prevention programs. In response to the takeovers, the city has launched an office of youth affairs, met and listened to students at schools, and created a youth advisory board comprised of teens and young adults.

“We have brought them to the table and made them a part of our structure in regards to identifying what the needs and concerns are of the young people in the city,” Brent said.

In Detroit, a late-night basketball league has formed as an alternative hangout spot for teens and young adults. Jerseys and sneakers are provided by the city.

“This league just helps me find something to do,” Cameron Chandler, 21, said while playing basketball at the recreation center.

He's never participated in a takeover, but recently after practice, he stumbled on one near his home.

“There were a lot of cops and some people got arrested,” Chandler said. “You just have to think, ‘that could easily be me.’”

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Riddle reported from Los Angeles. Williams reported from Detroit.

Cook according to package instructions, no need to rinse or soak!

Short Grain Rice like Arborio or carnaroli - Never soak or rinse this rice. You need to keep every part of the starch intact for the recipes using this type of rice (like risotto).

Brown Rice - My favorite way to cook this rice is like pasta. Gently boil the rice in salted water until tender then drain well and let rest. Be prepared - brown rice takes a while to cook, about 35-40 minutes.

Sushi Rice

Always rinse this rice until the water runs clear then drain well. My favorite way to make Sushi Rice is in a rice cooker, according to package instructions. To serve the Sushi rice, make a mixture with rice wine vinegar, granulated sugar, and salt (ratio of 1:3:3) combine and toss the rice with the mixture.

Coconut Rice

We used jasmine rice for this recipe. You can rinse this rice and drain it well but do not soak it. To make the coconut rice, we measured the rice according to package instructions. For the liquid, we substituted half chicken stock and half coconut milk instead of water. We also added a small piece of lemongrass (you can use lemon zest instead), a star anise and a pinch of salt. Cook according to package instructions with the substituted liquids and aromatics. We love to serve this with toasted coconut toasted on top.

Spiced Rice with Basmati

Rinse and drain the basmati rice well to remove excess starch. We sauteed a little minced onion in neutral oil, then toasted the rice and added warm spices like ground cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and a bay leaf. Use the rice to water (or stock/broth) ratio listed on the package and cook according to package instructions. Make sure to salt the liquid as well!

For those seeking to stay in office, particularly the newest members, it can be a tough sell.

“I only know a dysfunctional Congress,” said Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a freshman from Virginia.

The Democrat said it's best to campaign on his own record delivering for constituents, rather than on the performance of Congress, as his party tries to wrest control from the Republicans.

“It's virtually impossible to sell the performance of Congress to the American people because Congress is such an easy punching bag,” he said. “And this particular Congress has been ceding too much of its authority to the executive branch.”

He said, “I tell people to sell yourself and what you've tried to do.”

Yet Republican Rep. Brandon Gill, a freshman from Texas who has emerged as one of the party's rising figures, particularly on Trump's hard-line immigration enforcement agenda, argued there's plenty to show to voters back home.

“We've gotten a lot done,” he said

“Cutting taxes across the board, over $100 billion for border security, repealing half the Green New Deal, the biggest mandatory spending reform in history — pretty historic stuff,” he said.

“Everybody always wants Congress to move faster than it does, but we’ve been extremely productive.”

Midterm elections often become a referendum on the party in power

Control of Congress is often an afterthought in presidential election years when the White House is at stake. But in the midterms, when lawmakers face voters as they will this fall, the races largely become a referendum on the party in power.

Republicans have history against running against them, as the president's party often encounters losses during the midterm elections — a “thumping,” as George W. Bush put it, a “shellacking” as Barack Obama said — and a pendulum nation swings.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, who is about to embark on a cross-country trek to raise millions of dollars for his party and visit lawmakers' home districts, remains bullish that Republicans will not only keep their House majority control — but grow their numbers.

“This week we continued to deliver for the people, and we're going to continue that straight through the end of this year,” Johnson said after a flurry of legislating before sending lawmakers home for summer.

Republicans in a single day adopted a budget resolution seeking $95 billion for the Iran war and other priorities; advanced a $1 trillion Pentagon bill renaming it the Department of War; and approved legislation to clamp down on stock trading in Congress, all over Democratic objections.

“We're going to run through the tape,” Johnson said.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is in line to become House speaker if his party wins control, will launch “100 Days of Action” on Sunday as he works to take the majority and impose a check on Trump's White House.

“It's not going to be easy, right?” Jeffries told reporters. “No one's going to give it to us. We have to take it in a way that is consistent with the values of the American people.”

Control of Congress sets the agenda for the nation

With its 435 seats being contested, control of the House often narrows to the tiniest slice of the country.

Fewer than 20 seats are considered genuine toss-ups, according to analysts. The rest are considered safer seats, drawn with map lines designed to favor one party over the other — including new maps still being drawn to eliminate Black majority districts largely in the Deep South after a landmark Supreme Court decision gutting the Voting Rights Act.

Millions of dollars are being spent that will make the difference between a return of the GOP majority eyeing more budget cuts or a new Democratic agenda that is expected to launch vast oversight and investigations into the Trump administration.

Even as he openly pines for a normal Congress, Johnson believes the country needs a steady hand at the wheel as he partners with the White House on Trump’s priorities — and fend off Democratic investigations and the threat of impeachment.

“We are increasingly confident that we will hold and grow this majority in the House — and we must,” he said.

Democrats under Jeffries make the case that Trump and the Republicans in charge have done nothing for Americans struggling with high costs of living. Instead, they say Trump waged war against Iran that sent gas prices soaring, slapped tariffs on goods that are spiking prices, deported longtime immigrants and slashed health care and food aid as part of Trump's big tax cuts bill last summer.

“They're flailing all over the place,” Jeffries said.

Jeffries vowed that Democrats “will hold the crooks accountable” on a number of issues, including the Trump family's business dealings.

A throwback to communism or forward-looking new ideas

Johnson raises the specter of a mid-20th-century-style communist threat if Democrats win control with a new generation of far-left progressive candidates, some backed by the Democratic Socialists of America.

“We have been saying that this is an election that’s shaping up as a contest between common sense and crazy,” he said. Now, he said, it's “common sense versus communism.”

Jeffries brushes past such warnings as unserious. “House Democrats aren't a cult,” he said, a criticism his party often lobs at Trump's backers in Congress. “We're a coalition of people, public servants, who are committed to getting things done.”

One of the newest lawmakers, Rep. James Gallagher, R-Calif., said he's just trying to focus on the issues important to constituents back home.

“We're in a time where there's a lot of division, unfortunately,” he said. “And I think one key is like, Hey, trying to bring people together to solve problems for Americans, right?”

Around 30 people were injured in the crash between a civilian bus and an Interior Ministry bus on the desert highway, the SANA news agency cited a health ministry official as saying.

Syrian military helicopters were reported to be involved in the operation at the scene.

The cause of the collision was not immediately known.

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Prior to her sentencing, Perez, who was sitting in a wheelchair while shackled on her hands and feet, delivered a statement in court.

“First and foremost, I would like to express my sincere condolences and apologies to Ezequiel’s family. This was a complete accident, your honor. I am not a person who does things like this on purpose. Ever since that accident happened and it took that young man’s life, all I can think about is how his mother must feel,” Perez said before breaking down in tears.

“I ask God to please forgive me because I have trouble forgiving myself because I cannot imagine how his mother feels,” Perez added as she tried to compose herself.

Some relatives of Ezequiel Urrutia cried in court as Perez delivered her statement.

Perez, 46, pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide charges in March.

“She was at the courthouse pleading guilty to every charge, and in doing so I did see she was pretty shaken and understandably so,” the victim’s father, Frank Urrutia, told Local 10 News at the time. “We’re still devastated by the loss of our son. It’s something we’ve had to endure and figure out how to live our lives.”

According to authorities, Perez was driving drunk and going the wrong way on the Turnpike near Red Road in Broward County on Jan. 9, 2025, before crashing into Ezequiel Urrutia’s vehicle, killing the young man known to his friends and loved ones as Zeke.

During her statement Friday, Perez acknowledged that she took medication prior to the crash.

Loved ones said Ezequiel was a rookie firefighter and also worked as a paramedic.

After Perez spoke in court Friday, friends and family of Ezequiel’s took to the stand to deliver their victim impact statements, including his girlfriend, who gave emotional testimony about how the loss of him changed her life forever.

“There is no sentence that will bring Zeke back or reduce the pain that we will carry for the rest of our lives,” Christina Diaz said. “But there is a sentence that can hold Sunshine Perez accountable for the choices she made and help prevent another family from living the same nightmare. Zeke deserves so much more than any he was given. He deserves to live a life that was stolen from him. He will always be remembered, deeply loved and missed. I choose to believe that a part of him is still with me. I see him in beautiful moments of everyday life and that is one thing that Sunshine Perez can never take away from me.”

Frank Urrutia told the court, “In a single moment, Sunshine Perez put an end to everything, everything. Absolutely no words can fully describe what it felt like when two Florida Highway Patrol detectives came knocking on my front door, oh man. It was terrible. No words can describe it. None.”

Ezequiel’s mother, Tiffany, asked the judge “with everything I have left” to give Perez the maximum sentence.

“Zeke meant the world to me, every dream for the future included him,” she said. “Every milestone in his life was tied to watching him grow to the incredible young man he became.”

Ezequiel’s family has turned their pain into purpose, creating a scholarship fund in their son’s name. They say they’re focused on helping others follow their son’s dream of serving others and making a difference.

Perez faced up to 34 years in prison. The judge sentenced her to five and 15 year consecutive sentences, with multiple special conditions afterward, including a restriction on driving.

After the judge handed down Perez’s sentence, Ezequiel’s family members told Local 10 News that they were at peace.

And with peak travel season underway, millions of people may have to contend with this disorienting condition, which can cause sleep disturbances, daytime tiredness, headaches and nasty gastrointestinal symptoms.

But you can minimize the effects of jet lag — and not just by adjusting your sleep-wake schedule. What and how you eat and drink can make a difference too.

Jet lag occurs when your body’s biological clock is out of sync with the time zone you find yourself in. Usually, environmental cues such as sunrises and sunsets help set your internal clock. But when you cross time zones, it may take a few days for your body to adjust.

“I’ve personally experienced pretty severe jet lag before,” during two European trips, said Tara Schmidt, a registered dietitian at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “It really kind of ruined the first few days of my vacation.”

Eat on the local schedule at your destination

While symptoms of jet lag vary, digestive problems such as bloating, constipation or diarrhea are not uncommon, said Joanne Slavin, a nutrition expert at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

One way to minimize jet lag is to begin gradually shifting the timing of your meals as you get ready for travel. Schmidt suggested first moving them by 15 minutes, then a half hour, then an hour closer to the destination time zone.

Then, after you get where you're going, eat when the locals eat.

If it’s morning, have breakfast. A hearty one aligned with your new time zone can help you recover from jet lag, a 2023 study co-authored by Northwestern University researchers suggests.

As the day goes on, keep to the same schedule, having lunch and dinner at times appropriate for the location.

“Immediately go on your new schedule,” Slavin said.

To avoid stomachaches, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advises keeping meals smaller just before and during travel. Schmidt said this is particularly important in the early days of a trip.

“Smaller meals tend to be more easily tolerated for people, especially if you have a sensitive stomach or maybe are dealing with some of those GI discomforts,” Schmidt said.

Later in the trip, she said, you may be able to ease into eating more at one sitting. Just be mindful about foods that you might not be used to, especially greasy or high-fat items.

“Enjoying a meal abroad is so fun, especially when you’re experiencing a new culture, a new food,” she said.

Watch what you drink on vacation

It’s also best to skip that glass of wine or pint of beer.

“As fun as it is sometimes when we travel, we really do endorse avoiding alcohol because alcohol is such a huge sleep disruptor,” Schmidt said.

Another pro tip: Use caffeine strategically. If you normally have a cup of coffee or tea in the morning, it’s fine to do that while traveling. But don’t have caffeine so late in the day that it will keep you up. And be aware that both caffeine and alcohol can make you more dehydrated.

“Dehydration can certainly worsen fatigue and those perceived jet lag symptoms,” Schmidt said.

Drink water before, during and after your flight to combat the effects of dry cabin air. At your destination, eight glasses of water a day is a good, easy-to-remember goal, but keep in mind that some people may need more fluids, others less, depending on things like weather and exercise. Cleveland Clinic experts suggest choosing bottled water if you have any questions about water safety.

When the trip is over, get back to your normal schedule

Experts say how and what you consume while traveling is only part of the equation for minimizing jet lag. But these changes complement the better known tips for adjusting your sleep schedule to the new time zone.

When your vacation begins winding down, the advice is much the same for sleep and eating: Ease back into your normal schedule and try to fully resume it at home.

“The sooner you get back to it, to all of your habits,” Slavin said, “the better off you’re going to be.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Jack, 50, scouts an app for deals at her local supermarket before she buys groceries. When she reaches the store, she looks in the weekly circular for coupons she might have missed. If shelf prices look too high, she tries to find lower prices someplace else.

“The apples went up here, the ones I eat, so now I’m not going to get them here,” Jack said as she pushed a cart into a Stop & Shop near her home in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Couponing, comparison shopping and cutting back on favorite foods are new habits for her and millions of other Americans as they absorb the biggest jump in grocery prices in a half-century. Buying food to eat at home has gotten 33% more expensive since the beginning of 2019, according to government figures.

With a conflict in the Middle East creating more price pressures, the cost of filling refrigerators, freezers and pantries has made affordability a central issue in the fall midterm elections.

Residents of four urban areas where food inflation has exceeded the national average shared how steadily rising prices are changing the way they shop. They described hunting for discounts, switching to store brands and feeling grateful for food banks. Some are buying less meat and skipping nonessentials like cookies. Others are buying less food overall.

Meat becomes a luxury for a family in Texas, the nation's top beef producer

Beef epitomizes out-of-control grocery prices for many Americans. The price of a pound of ground beef reached $6.82 in June, which is 79% more than at the beginning of 2019, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Ada Torres, 60, who lives 45 miles northeast of Houston in Cleveland, Texas, is one of the people no longer buying it. She does the grocery shopping and cooking for the home she shares with her daughter and three grandchildren.

“Prices are sky-high. One hundred dollars’ worth of groceries these days is nothing,” Torres said.

Chicken and cold cuts are the family's main source of animal protein now that fresh meat is a luxury, she said. Her grandchildren, ages 12, 15 and 16, miss eating lasagna with ground beef, beef fajitas and steak with plantain chips.

Torres' daughter is the family’s main provider. Her work for a mobile car-washing service dwindles during the rainy season; the family only can afford one full meal a day, Torres said.

Shopping outside Boston takes research and multiple stores

Apral Jack, a care provider and part-time Amazon worker, has fewer mouths to feed now that her three daughters are adults. But she spends more cautiously than she once did.

Instead of shopping at Whole Foods, she builds her weekly menu around discounts and digital coupons.

“Typically, I’ll try to pick the meals based on that. So like chicken fajitas: there was a three-day sale on chicken” Jack said.

Nabisco Ginger Snaps and Nilla Wafers are off her shopping list. Jack won't buy store brand replacements. To her, they don't taste the same.

Three generations share food pantry eggs and produce to get by in San Francisco

San Francisco has a reputation as foodie city. Food preoccupies 33-year-old Jack Chang for other reasons. The self-employed barber has three young children and a partner who is unemployed.

"Since I have five mouths I have to feed, basically — and then sometimes my mom, too — it’s a lot on me financially,” Chang said.

Their family is not one that goes out for boba milk teas or artisanal ice cream. They visit a Japanese entertainment center with $1 ice cream cones. Milk is the only organic product they consume.

“I look at my credit card every month and I’m like, ‘Wow, how am I going to pay this?’ So I’m a little behind on bills, honestly,” Chang said.

When their 4-year-old daughter’s preschool has leftover meat or bread, Chang's partner, Tina Chhous, offers to take it. Chhous also receives monthly food assistance through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

“Without that, I don’t know what I would do,” Chang said.

Chang's 77-year-old mother, Lien, receives SNAP aid, too, and visits two food banks each week. She shares the canned food, eggs and produce she gets with the rest of the family.

Prices in the Honolulu area keep a pastry chef from shopping and eating local

High grocery bills come with living in Hawaii. The state gets nearly all its food from cargo ships that have traveled thousands of miles, making prices vulnerable to oil market spikes.

Local products also got costlier this year. The cost of shipping goods between the Hawaiian Islands skyrocketed amid rising fuel prices tied to the Iran conflict.

Amanda Tabadero, 28, a pastry chef on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, remembers buying Maui-grown strawberries and blueberries for $7.99 per pound in 2024. Now that they cost $11, she buys berries from California or Mexico at Costco for $5 when she bakes.

Tabadero also doubts she will buy lychee again anytime soon. Kaimana lychee, the variety grown in Hawaii, mostly comes from the Big Island. Tabadero said an iced coffee and a bag of fruit she recently purchased in Honolulu's Chinatown came to $30.

“It makes me sad,” Tabadero said. “I want to use local stuff.”

___

This report is a collaboration between The Associated Press and The Lexington Observer in Massachusetts, La Esquina in Texas and Honolulu Civil Beat in Hawaii. AP Video Journalist Terry Chea contributed from San Francisco.

While most of the storms have missed much of South Florida over the past few weeks, we’re more likely to see them over the next several days as upper-level steering winds have shifted to the west, pushing storms toward our beaches.

A couple of inches of rain could accumulate quickly near some of the stronger storms, causing street flooding in poor-drainage neighborhoods.

We’ll see highs in the middle 90s, with the heat index approaching 105 degrees before those cooling storms arrive.

In the tropics, conditions remain quiet through the end of the month, but be prepared because we’re heading into a typically more active part of the hurricane season over the next few weeks.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, the Houthis’ military spokesperson, said in a prerecorded statement that the attack targeted facilities in the Red Sea cities of Yanbu and Jizan that belong to Aramco, the world’s largest oil company.

Saudi Arabia's civil defense said alerts sounded multiple times early Saturday in both cities, but the kingdom didn't comment further.

There were no reported strikes overnight in Iran, in an apparent break from nearly two weeks of consecutive nights of U.S. attacks.

Red Sea escalation further threatens global shipping

The Houthis have said they would close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping in retaliation for the kingdom’s blockade on Yemen and a recent attack on the international airport in Yemen’s rebel-held capital, Sanaa.

“Nothing short of ending the aggression and lifting the blockade, otherwise, it’s all illusion and mirage," Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi-led Supreme Political Council governing rebel-controlled territories in Yemen, said of what it would take for the Houthis to not blockade the Bab-El-Mandeb.

That strait, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is a vital shipping chokepoint connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Around 12% of the world’s trade, including a quarter of its container traffic, passes through the narrows.

The Houthis targeted two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea this week. In response, Saudi Arabia struck Hodeida, the Saudi-led coalition opposing the rebels said Saturday. The strikes late Friday hit the port and the state-run telecommunications corporation, injuring two people, said Anees al-Asbahi, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry.

The Saudi-led coalition said it didn’t hit the port but struck “legitimate military targets” in Hodeida province that “were linked to threats to commercial vessels in the Red Sea.”

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, called for “diplomacy and dialogue” to solve the Yemen conflict without “military confrontations” in an interview published Saturday by the state-run newspaper called Iran.

Iran condemns Ukrainian attack on commercial vessel

“Iran had a peaceful night,” Hossein Kermanpour, a spokesperson for Iran's Health Ministry, posted on X. U.S. Central Command didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Unlike the previous 13 nights, it didn't announce new strikes.

But Iran's foreign ministry condemned what it called a Ukrainian attack Saturday on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, saying one person was killed and another was hurt and calling it an act of aggression.

In a separate statement, Araghchi said he spoke with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas about it and that Tehran demanded a response. Ukraine's diplomatic representative to Iran was summoned, Iranian state media reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier said on X that Ukraine “achieved very strong results with long‑range strikes in the Caspian Sea — including vessels used in military cargo shipments involving Iran.”

While efforts at mediation between the U.S. and Iran continue, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to travel to the United States next week and meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday, his office said Friday. They last met in Washington in February, weeks before they launched the war.

Over 7,000 people have been killed, including in Lebanon

A tenuous ceasefire that halted major operations for weeks has seemed to unravel this month. The U.S. accused Iran of striking three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and responded by striking dozens of targets in Iran, which retaliated by firing at U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states.

The U.S. military has renewed its blockade of Iran’s ports. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has advised residents of neighboring countries to stay away from bases with U.S. troops.

The war has killed more than 3,400 people in Iran, according to its Health Ministry. Eighteen U.S. service members, 24 civilians in Israel and smaller numbers of civilians including foreign workers and mariners have been reportedly killed across the region.

In Lebanon, more than 4,000 people have been killed since Iran-backed Hezbollah militants fired at Israel in support of the Islamic Republic two days after the war began and Israel responded with strikes and ground forces. Thirty-eight Israeli troops have also died.

___

Dell'Orto reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press reporter Cara Anna in Lowville, New York, contributed to this report.

A lengthy and bruising process ended swiftly and decisively on Friday, when a large majority of the court’s 125 member states voted to remove Karim Khan from his post.

The British barrister was accused of sexual misconduct with a female aide, as outlined by the AP in a series of stories, allegations he has steadfastly denied. According to documents seen by the AP, Khan engaged in a sexual relationship with the woman and tried to prevent her from pursuing her allegations.

Khan's removal comes at a time when the court is already facing daunting challenges, including a campaign by the United States to “dismantle” the ICC, which was established to prosecute people responsible for humanity’s worst crimes.

Supporters of the court are looking forward

Several countries where the ICC has open investigations met together on the sidelines of the event on Friday to discuss the ways out of any potential impasses created by Khan’s removal, according to three senior diplomatic officials familiar with the discussions.

One of the officials said a number of states began planning for how to move forward before the final votes were tallied.

“Whether Khan is removed or not, we must bring everyone back together,” the official said. They all spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.

The vote was surprisingly clear

A special session at U.N. headquarters in New York was scheduled to take all of Friday. Instead, a morning motion that would have made it harder to oust Khan failed and diplomats quickly moved forward to vote on removal, several hours ahead of schedule, according to three diplomats familiar with the proceedings.

Iva Vukusic, a researcher at Utrecht University who has been following the process, said she was surprised by how decisive it was. “The numbers indicate that there is more agreement than previously thought,” she told the AP.

Khan’s ouster comes at an already difficult time

The decision comes at a time when the global tribunal is under enormous pressure. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last week that Washington was launching a “sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty.”

Hours after Friday’s vote, Venezuela announced it would withdraw from the court, saying its work reflects a “demonstrated geographical bias.” Félix Plasencia, the country’s foreign affairs minister, made the announcement in a statement.

Trump’s administration already has brought sanctions against Khan and a dozen other ICC staff in retaliation for investigations into Israeli officials in Gaza and U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan.

The allegations became entwined with the court’s investigation into the war in Gaza, with Khan’s supporters arguing that the warrants the court has issued for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, were at stake.

Palestinian representatives were quick to push back on that narrative. “The vote by the Assembly of States Parties to remove the Prosecutor was not a political proxy vote on any Situation before the ICC,” Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands Ammar Hijazi said in a statement.

Khan’s removal will have no immediate impact on the arrest warrants which can only be withdrawn by ICC judges.

The work of the court will continue

Khan’s two deputy prosecutors have helmed the office since he stepped down in May 2025. In a statement, the office of the prosecutor said the pair will continue with its “leadership, management and administration,” until a new chief is selected.

It is not clear yet when member states will be able to decide on Khan’s replacement. His election in 2021 took nearly 18 months and drew criticism from civil society groups over the lack of stringent background checks on the candidates to ensure they met the requirement of “high moral character.”

There may be more legal proceedings to come

The removal vote may not be the end of the process for Khan. He intends to “challenge the lawfulness and fairness of the decision through all available legal mechanisms,” attorney Tayab Ali said in a statement.

There is no appeals process for his removal but all ICC staff are entitled to bring complaints to a special labor tribunal based in Geneva.

Khan’s lawyers criticized the process leading to his ouster, complaining that he was blocked from addressing the session Friday and arguing the regulations had been rewritten to disadvantage him.

On Monday, lawyers and investigators will return to the court’s headquarters in The Hague with at least some clarity about the future. “I hope now the court can move on and focus on its core work of dealing with cases,” Vukusic said.

Rockets, because the cost of food eaten at home zoomed up in the aftermath of the pandemic. Feathers, because once prices rise, they’re slow to come down.

That’s been frustrating for Americans hit with the sharpest increase in grocery prices in 50 years. While food price inflation peaked in 2022, when prices jumped 11.4%, prices have not reversed course. An acceleration in flation after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran has prolonged the aggravation.

“I think the public is coming to grips with, ‘Well, I’m hearing inflation has slowed, but things aren’t getting any cheaper.’ It has to be deflation for prices to go down, and that’s very rare,” said Matt Hamory, who leads the global grocery practice at the consulting company AlixPartners.

Prices for food at home are expected to rise 2.7% across the country this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Friday. That's higher than the grocery inflation shoppers saw in 2024 and 2025 but close to the historical average of 2.6%.

It's the compounding effect of the post-pandemic price shocks that consumers are still feeling, and they're reacting to them in ways that could have repercussions for the U.S. economy.

A recent study by the consulting firm Bain & Co. and the market research company NielsenIQ said the number of items purchased at U.S. grocery stores declined in the second half of last year and dropped more sharply starting in February of this year. The study said high gas prices, rising GLP-1 usage and cuts in the number of people receiving government food aid are all affecting grocery spending.

Consumers are also looking for deals and shopping around to find them. In the second quarter of this year, discounters like Costco, Walmart and Aldi took market share away from traditional grocers like Kroger and Albertsons, according to Numerator, a market research firm.

Many U.S. shoppers are also replacing name-brand products with store brands to save money. Total sales of store brands at supermarkets, drugstores and other retailers grew to a record $282.8 billion last year, the Private Label Manufacturers Association said.

“Now that this option becomes available, why would I go back? You have the convenience, it’s the same, but my cost is 40% less and it’s a brand that I know and trust,” said Sean Hooper, a senior solution principal at Relex Solutions, a retail and grocery consulting firm.

Prices rocketed up for lots of reasons in the wake of the pandemic, from the war in Ukraine to a highly contagious bird flu that pushed retail egg prices to record highs last year. And when prices rocket upward — whether for food, gas or other items — consumers can count on a slow, downy descent.

For one thing, retailers are reluctant to lower prices on inventory they ordered when wholesale prices were high, said Jared Bernstein, a senior policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy who served as chair of President Joe Biden’s Council of Economic Advisers.

Stores and food companies also want to maximize their profits and were reluctant to give up some of the sales gains they saw after the pandemic, Bernstein said. PepsiCo hiked its prices by double-digit percentages for eight straight quarters in 2022 and 2023, for example, citing higher ingredient and packaging costs. After customer demand faltered, the company began lowering prices on some snacks last year.

Customer behavior also can contribute to prices staying elevated. When prices spike, people shop around for lower ones. But consumers often stop deal hunting when they see prices coming down, giving retailers less incentive to lower prices even further.

“There’s less competitive force on the feather side of the mountain,” Bernstein said.

In some cases, grocery inflation is the result of long-term issues with no quick fix. Consider the average price of coffee, which has risen 54% in U.S. cities since 2019, according to government data. Climate issues — including drought in Vietnam, heavy rain in Indonesia and hot, dry weather in Brazil — are blamed for reducing coffee yields and driving up global prices.

In other cases, there are clearer causes and simpler fixes. For example, U.S. consumers paid 19.5% more for fresh tomatoes in June compared to a year earlier due to a 17% import tax the Trump administration placed on fresh tomatoes from Mexico. Coffee was subject to a tariff for most of 2025 as well, but the duty was eventually removed.

Hamory said the feather may be starting to fall as big retailers invest in price cuts. In early July, Walmart said it was rolling back prices on ground beef, corn, red cherries, ice cream, potato chips and Coca-Cola and Pepsi products. Target also cut prices on some foods in March.

“If the big guys are really investing, saying, ‘That’s what I need to do to get right with my customer,' that will force others in the market to act," Hamory said. “It’s just in the process of starting, but that’s a thing we could be seeing.”

The number of confirmed cases of Ebola in Congo has reached 2,973, including 1,309 deaths, according to government data released on Friday in what authorities say is the fastest-growing outbreak on record.

The Elikya Ebola Treatment Center in Bunia, Ituri province, came to a standstill after doctors, nurses and security staff stopped work.

About a hundred health workers protested outside the treatment center on Saturday. They said the unpaid bonuses were undermining morale and disrupting patient care, and called on Congolese authorities to resolve the backpay so they could resume their work.

“We need to be paid, because in the meantime the disease is spreading at the treatment center,” Martin Bolombi, one of the health workers on strike said.

“I’ve already had five people die who are still inside there. A solution must be found for us,” he added.

In a statement issued Friday, staff said they had unanimously voted to strike until “concrete solutions” were found to resolve “two months of unpaid performance bonuses.”

The strike comes a day after Congo's Prime Minister Judith Suminwa came to Ituri, touring major treatment hubs, in Rwampara and Mongbwalu, to assess the outbreak response. During her visit in Mongbwalu, she faced urgent demands from healthcare personnel protesting payment issues.

Dr. Adelard Lufungula, operations manager for the Ebola response, said Saturday the payment issue is “being resolved,” with workers now paid via mobile money instead of cash, and that the backlog “should be cleared" in the coming days.

Last week, health workers at Bunia General Hospital, the region’s largest medical center, had already gone on strike over unpaid salaries. Some told The Associated Press they had not received any payment since they started work at the onset of the outbreak.

The World Health Organization says more than 100 healthcare workers have been infected since the beginning of the outbreak.

The Central African nation has been battling the Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus since May 15. A total of 766 patients remain in isolation or in hospitals, while 540 have recovered so far, according to data from Congo’s Ministry of Health.

The eastern province of Ituri accounts for nearly 90% of confirmed cases.

The outbreak continues to spread faster than health officials can track despite an expanding response. A key challenge is that patient zero has yet to be identified in the outbreak while displacement from armed conflict and illegal mining in the region have made it difficult to trace thousands who have come in contact with infected individuals.

The response is also hampered by a funding gap, attacks on health centers, an ongoing conflict in eastern Congo and mistrust among local communities.

There is also a lack of approved vaccines or treatments for the Bundibugyo virus, unlike the more common Zaire virus for which there is a vaccine and which was responsible for most of Congo’s past 16 outbreaks of the disease.

Enrollment in a highly anticipated study of two possible Ebola treatments recently started in Ituri.

WHO says the global risk of the outbreak spreading outside Central Africa is low, noting that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person rather than through the air, making it much harder to spread than respiratory viruses.

___

Associated Press writer Saleh Mwanamilongo in Bonn, Germany, contributed to this report.

Jack scouts an app for deals at her local supermarket before she buys groceries. When she reaches the store, she grabs the weekly circular to look for coupons she might have missed. If the shelf prices look too high, she scratches items off her list or tries to find lower prices someplace else.

“The apples went up here, the ones I eat, so now I’m not going to get them here. I’ll go to Market Basket, where I can get them cheaper,” Jack, 50, said as she pushed a cart into a Stop & Shop near her home in Lexington, Massachusetts.

Couponing, comparison shopping and cutting back on favorite foods are new habits for her and millions of other Americans as they absorb the biggest jump in grocery prices in a half-century. Buying food to eat at home has gotten 33% more expensive in U.S. cities since the beginning of 2019, according to government figures. In the 7 1/2 years before that, prices rose 6.4%.

The historic increase happened for numerous reasons. The coronavirus pandemic snarled supply chains and raised labor and transportation costs. Droughts, hurricanes and diseases like bird flu drove down production. Tariffs raised prices on foreign products like coffee, tomatoes and chocolate. Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine disrupted oil and fertilizer supplies.

With a fresh conflict in the Middle East accelerating food price inflation again this year, the cost of filling their refrigerators, freezers and pantries has become a frustration for Americans and made affordability a central issue in the fall midterm elections.

By some measures, Americans are better equipped to handle the higher prices, if only slightly. The average weekly earnings of people with full-time jobs job have gone up a bit faster than the cost of groceries since 2019, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But consumers have long memories when it comes to food shopping, and they know their dollars aren’t going as far as they used to, said Jared Bernstein, a senior policy fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy.

Wages grew much more quickly than grocery prices before the pandemic, Bernstein said. Even if a typical worker's paycheck still outpaces supermarket receipts by a small margin, consumers may feel stressed and aggrieved because other costs, like housing and electricity, have climbed significantly as well, he said.

“People have a well-honed sense of those prices, just as much as gas and maybe more so,” Bernstein, who served as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under former President Joe Biden, said. “You need groceries to live.”

An economic indicator like median wages does not capture the capacity of family budgets to accommodate additional price hikes. Americans spent an average of 12.9% of their pretax incomes on eating out and at home in 2024, but the share was 33% for the one-fifth of U.S. households with the lowest earnings, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Prices also can vary substantially by region. In St. Louis, food for home use cost 2% more in June compared to a year earlier; in San Francisco, it was 6%, the consumer price index showed.

In interviews, residents of four urban areas where food price inflation has exceeded the national average shared how steadily rising prices are changing the way they shop. They described hunting for discounts, switching brands and feeling grateful for food banks. Some are more cautious about buying nonessentials like takeout coffee. Others are buying less meat or less food overall.

“It’s almost like a strategy, a household strategy, where financial pressure just hasn’t disappeared, so consumers are really developing their own playbook on how to navigate it,” said Sally Lyons Wyatt, a global executive vice president at market research company Circana.

Meat has become a luxury for a family in Texas, the nation's top beef producer

Beef epitomizes out-of-control grocery prices for many Americans. The price of a pound of ground beef reached $6.82 in June, which is 79% more than at the beginning of 2019, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Contributing factors include a shrinking U.S. cattle herd, drought in the West, and the costs of feed and fuel.

Demand for ground beef is falling as a result, according to market research company NielsenIQ. Ada Torres, 60, is one of the people no longer buying it: with five pounds of ground beef costing almost $20, meat has become a luxury for her family of five, she said.

Torres lives 45 miles northeast of Houston in Cleveland, Texas, where she shares a home with her 36-year-old daughter and three grandchildren. Her daughter, who works for a mobile car-washing service, is the family's main provider. Torres does the grocery shopping and cooking.

“Prices are sky-high. One hundred dollars’ worth of groceries these days is nothing. Maybe you can bring home seven family-size items, if you manage to find a good deal,” she said.

Swapping Goya canned beans and Hunt’s tomato sauce for products from Walmart’s Great Value range is one way Torres tries to cut costs. Chicken and cold cuts are now the family’s main source of animal protein, she said.

Torres worries that too much deli meat will be bad for the health of her grandchildren, ages 12, 15 and 16. They miss beef dishes that were once staples on their table, like lasagna with ground beef, beef fajitas and steak with plantain chips, she said.

Torres' daughter's work dwindles during the rainy season in Texas, and the family only can afford one complete meal a day. Breakfast and dinner consist of simple fare like eggs and generic cereals.

Shopping outside Boston takes research, multiple stores and chicken recipes

Apral Jack's grocery-shopping trips included going to Whole Foods until recently. She liked the selection and has fewer mouths to feed now that her three daughters are adults.

“I don’t have to worry about buying for them anymore,” Jack said with a smile, noting that her days of loading up a cart at Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club are in the past.

But she spends more cautiously than she once did. She buys steak only if she can get it at a discount. Her weekly menu planning starts at home with an app that displays special offers and digital coupons. She builds her shopping list around what's on sale.

“Typically, I’ll try to pick the meals based on that. So like chicken fajitas: there was a three-day sale on chicken. I’ll sauté chicken with vegetables and rice,” Jack said.

Her list includes fewer canned goods. Nabisco’s Ginger Snaps and Nilla Wafers are off it completely because she thinks they cost too much. She doesn't buy store-brand replacements; to Jack, they don't taste the same.

Matt Hamory, who leads the global grocery practice at the consulting company AlixPartners, said consumers generally have an amount they’re comfortable spending on food each week. They will go to a more expensive store or splurge on a treat if prices fall below that. But if prices seem unreasonable or the economic outlook is uncertain, they’ll look for cheaper alternatives or cut back.

“I’m going to spend $250 a week, so if I’m shopping at Stop & Shop and they’re getting more expensive, then I’ll start splitting my trips with cheaper places and eventually maybe I’ll lose Stop & Shop entirely,” Hamory said.

Three generations stretch their dollars and share canned food, eggs and produce to get by in San Francisco

San Francisco has a reputation as a great city for foodies. Food preoccupies 33-year-old Jack Chang for other reasons. The self-employed barber has three young children and a partner who is unemployed. The money he makes cutting hair five or six days a week sometimes doesn't go far enough.

"Since I have five mouths I have to feed, basically — and then sometimes my mom, too — it’s a lot on me financially,” Chang said.

They are not a family that goes out for boba milk teas or artisanal ice cream, both of which abound in San Francisco. They visit Round 1 Bowling & Arcade, a Japanese entertainment center with $1 ice cream cones.

Like a lot of Bay Area residents, Chang has felt surrounded by rising costs in the last year. The rent for his barbershop increased 10% as he was losing clients laid off from their tech jobs, he said. He bought a used minivan, so now he has a monthly car payment.

“I look at my credit card every month and I’m like, ‘Wow, how am I going to pay this?’ So I’m a little behind on bills, honestly,” Chang said.

Chang and his partner, Tina Chhous, try to economize by buying generic brands of food and medicine. They buy organic milk but otherwise stick to conventional products.

When their 4-year-old daughter’s preschool has leftover lunch items like meat or bread, Chhous offers to take it. She also receives monthly food assistance through the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

“Without that, I don’t know what I would do,” Chang said.

Fewer people have the same buffer after the Trump administration tightened SNAP eligibility requirements last year. As of April, 37 million Americans were enrolled in the program, a 12% decline from a year earlier, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Chang's 77-year-old mother, Lien, receives SNAP aid, too, and visits two different food banks each week. She shares the canned food, eggs and produce she gets with the rest of the family.

Chang loves doting on his children, and acknowledges that money would be less worrisome if he were single.

“But I try to be optimistic and do what I have to do in order to support my family," he said. "Failure is not an option for me.”

Prices in the Honolulu area keep a pastry chef from shopping and eating local

High grocery bills come with living in Hawaii. The state gets nearly all its food from cargo ships that have traveled thousands of miles, making prices and the selection at stores vulnerable to oil market spikes.

Prices for local products also took an upswing this year. The cost of shipping goods between the Hawaiian Islands has skyrocketed amid rising fuel prices tied to the Iran conflict and financial instability within the company that has a near-monopoly on interisland shipping.

Amanda Tabadero, 28, a pastry chef from Kāneʻohe, a community on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, remembers buying Maui-grown strawberries and blueberries for $7.99 per pound in 2024. Now that they cost $11, she buys berries grown in California or Mexico at Costco for $5 when she needs a bulk supply for baking.

Tabadero also doubts she will buy lychee fruit again anytime soon. Kaimana lychee, the variety grown in Hawaii, mostly comes from the Big Island. Tabadero said an iced coffee and a bag of lychee she recently bought in the Chinatown section of Honolulu came to $30.

“It makes me sad,” Tabadero said. “I want to use local stuff.”

One of her favorite sweets is butter mochi, a chewy dessert made from rice flour. But even that simple recipe has gotten harder to make. One essential ingredient, milk, now costs $9 a gallon at a locally owned supermarket chain, Tabadero said.

“Foodland is not affordable” for locals, she said, referring to the chain known for its poke and which has a central Honolulu location that is popular with tourists. Tabadero has switched to shopping at Target or Times Supermarket, another Hawaii-based chain.

At home, where she lives with her parents and younger sister, three cats and a dog, making dinner has required adjustments. Chuck roast for Hawaii-style beef stew, a local staple, crept up last year to roughly $10 a pound from $7.99 or less before the pandemic. Unless she snags a $5 Friday deal at Safeway, “we do have to find substitutes, even if we’re craving it,” Tabadero said.

___

This report is a collaboration between The Associated Press and The Lexington Observer in Massachusetts, La Esquina in Texas and Honolulu Civil Beat in Hawaii. AP Video Journalist Terry Chea contributed from San Francisco.

The younger Bolsonaro still seeks a running mate and does not enjoy the support of centrist parties as his father did. Few Brazilian political heavyweights were in attendance, in another sign of his troubles forming an alliance against Lula ahead of the October election .

The 45-year-old senator's popular stepmother, Michelle Bolsonaro, a leader for many evangelical voters, was one of the notable absences among about 500 people cheering him on in Sao Paulo. Recently, the two exchanged criticism in public. She spoke Saturday in a recorded video in which she mentioned the anointed candidate just once.

Milei and Netanyahu express support

Still, Flávio Bolsonaro managed to bring in Argentina's President Javier Milei, displayed a short video of support from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and now eyes more international endorsements from several members of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration.

Milei said Brazil needs to get rid of what he called “the Lula risk” of keeping progressive politics for another four years in Latin America's most powerful economy.

But absences were notable. The former president cannot make public addresses as he serves his 27-year sentence over a coup attempt, so a video featured an artificial intelligence-created version of Jair Bolsonaro.

Flávio Bolsonaro did not disclose much about his plans for the presidency if he wins. He tearfully paid tribute to his father, now under house arrest, and raised his voice against Lula.

“You are going to put this presidential sash on me next year,” said Bolsonaro, who also accused Brazil's Supreme Court of persecuting his family. “This is more than a party convention. This is the beginning of the toughest battles of our life. A fight between good and evil.”

Search for a running mate continues

Bolsonaro has failed to recruit a high-profile female running mate after attempts to lure former Agriculture Minister Tereza Cristina.

Her Popular Party, which has a stronghold in Congress and was key for Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency, was not expected to field a presidential candidate. Its distancing from the younger Bolsonaro has been surprising.

“That's not necessarily bad for us,” lawmaker Zé Trovao told journalists before the convention began. “We can have a more ideological campaign and when time comes it will be them coming to us, having to agree to our agenda if they want to get rid of Lula and the Workers Party.”

Flávio Bolsonaro “has faced a problem each week, sometimes two problems,” said political consultant Thomas Traumann, based in Rio de Janeiro. "So far he has been on the defensive, saying the campaign only starts in August.”

Lula’s Workers’ Party will confirm the 80-year-old’s reelection bid in a convention on Aug. 2, also in Sao Paulo, a key battleground in the election.

Flávio Bolsonaro faces an uphill battle

Many of the troubles Bolsonaro has faced are self-inflicted. Support to his bid started to wane in May after he admitted he had requested millions of dollars from jailed banker Daniel Vorcaro to pay for a film about his father's life. The revelation shocked many allies.

Bolsonaro then visited the White House and the U.S. State Department days later expecting to get a Trump boost, but now many voters, business leaders and politicians blame him for the U.S. government imposing new tariffs on Brazilian exports of up to 37.5% as of Friday.

Even as most of Brazil was watching the World Cup on TV, Bolsonaro faced another blow: His stepmother recorded a video to say he was being disrespectful to her in a phone conversation.

Then last week, Bolsonaro drew criticism after repeating debunked claims on the reliability of Brazil’s electronic voting system, echoing those that led the country’s top court to rule his father ineligible.

As the convention was being prepared, the senator and his stepmother made amends. Bolsonaro made the first move in a live broadcast in which he apologized and added he is being “disproportionally persecuted" by others, as his father was.

Michelle Bolsonaro accepted Sen. Bolsonaro's apology on Friday, in what could be a first move of reconciliation within the family as the campaign begins.

“Let's sit down, let's talk, let's adjust details and together we will get a big army of people who do good to rescue our Brazil," she said in a video published on Friday.

Traumann, the political analyst, said Bolsonaro at the convention will have a much tougher time appealing to moderates than he did when he started his bid in December.

“He was showing himself as the moderate Bolsonaro, the one who took COVID vaccines, who is kind to his two daughters,” Traumann said. “He has lost voters who are against the Workers' Party, but are also more moderate. Now he has the radical core of his campaign, and his attempt now is to stop that group from leaving him too.”

___ Associated Press journalist Lucas Dumphreys in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report.

Dharmendra Pradhan announced his resignation in a post on X, handing a major victory to the youth movement that spearheaded nationwide demonstrations, sit-ins and hunger strikes. His resignation marks the first significant concession by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to one of the most visible waves of public dissent it has faced in recent years.

The government has rarely yielded to sustained public pressure during Modi's more than 12 years in office. The most notable exception came in 2021, when it was forced to withdraw controversial farm laws after a yearlong farmers’ protest.

The "Cockroach'" movement began more than a month ago after allegations of leaks in some of India’s biggest entrance exams. It started as a call for education reforms but grew into a broader protest over unemployment, government accountability and economic opportunities. Students, professionals, families and activists joined rallies in New Delhi and other cities across India.

Following Pradhan’s resignation, movement organizers called off the protests, saying the government had accepted their remaining demands. Those included broader reforms to India’s education system, compensation for families of students who died by suicide following exam paper leaks, and a commitment that no legal action would be taken against those who participated in the protests.

“We urge everyone to peacefully withdraw from protest sites,” Ashutosh Ranka. spokesperson of the Cockroach Janta Party, which launched the protest movement, said at a news briefing in New Delhi.

News of Pradhan’s resignation sparked celebrations among the thousands of protesters who have camped at New Delhi’s protest site for more than a month. Many embraced each other and waved the Indian flag.

Prachi Kumar, a corporate employee who joined the protests, said Pradhan’s resignation was necessary to restore accountability in the education system.

“This had to be done. Someone must be held accountable,” she said.

The Cockroach Janta Party declared victory following the resignation, writing on X: “DEMOCRACY WINS!”

The demonstrations became one of the most persistent challenges to Modi’s government in recent years, with thousands returning to the streets even after police used tear gas and batons to disperse marchers.

Tensions escalated on Monday when police moved to disperse thousands of protesters marching toward Parliament. Several students were injured in the crackdown, intensifying anger among demonstrators.

Modi’s government had earlier sought to ease tensions by announcing fast-track courts for cases involving exam paper leaks and saying it would introduce legislation to strengthen measures against cheating and corruption in the examination system. The measures failed to satisfy protesters, who said they did not address government accountability.

Opposition parties, which rallied behind the protests, said Pradhan’s resignation showed the government had bowed to sustained public pressure.

Rahul Gandhi, India’s main opposition leader in Parliament, called it a “major step toward revamping our education system”.

The strikes followed a major Russian attack on Friday near Kyiv that killed at least 10 people and wounded around 100 others, part of a relentless cycle of tit-for-tat attacks that dims the potential of reaching a diplomatic end to Russia's more than 4-year-old invasion of its neighbor.

The exchange comes as Ukraine’s successful drome attacks have stalled the Russian army’s advances in an expanded campaign by Kyiv inside Russia that has been hitting high-profile targets, causing fuel shortages and piling pressure on Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Four children were among 12 people killed in the attack on the resorts in Zaporizhzhia, Yevgeny Balitsky, the Kremlin-installed regional head, said, adding that 19 others were wounded.

Ukraine did not immediately comment.

Sumy regional head Oleh Hryhorov said on Saturday three people were killed when a large fire broke out after a Russian drone struck a “civilian facility,” adding that the victims were drivers for private Ukrainian postal and courier service Nova Poshta.

Russia’s defense ministry said it attacked a “storage and launch site” for Ukrainian drones in the Sumy region.

In Zaporizhzhia, in southeastern Ukraine, a Russian drone attack late Friday hit a shopping center, causing a fire that spread over a 500-square-meter area and injuring several people, regional head Ivan Fedorov said.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned in his evening address on Friday that intelligence assessments indicated that Russia was preparing missiles for a large attack, saying there were indications that this could happen in the next 48 hours.

Ukraine keeps targeting oil facilities

A Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire in the grounds of the Tyumen Oil Refinery, in western Siberia, Tyumen regional Gov. Aleksandr Moor said on Saturday.

Writing on X Saturday, Zelenskyy confirmed the hit on the Tyumen plant, along with a logistics facility in Yekaterinburg and a fuel and lubricants warehouse in Rostov-on-Don.

Ukraine’s long-range drone technology has evolved during the war, posing a problem for Russia, whose huge land mass is hard to protect fully.

Kyiv’s forces have targeted Russian oil facilities, causing fuel shortages and embarrassing President Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy to meet Trump in Washington

U.S. President Donald Trump and Zelenskyy plan to meet on Tuesday in Washington, a White House official said on Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss Trump’s schedule before it is announced.

Kyiv did not immediately comment on the meeting, although Zelenskyy said in his Friday address that Kyiv was “preparing for a meeting with the President of the United States and his team.”

A memorial service in Washington for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, one of Kyiv’s staunchest supporters, is slated for Tuesday.

Romania shoots down second drone in 2 days

Romania’s defense ministry said on Saturday its forces had “safely shot down” a drone that breached its airspace in an “unpopulated area” near the Ukrainian border. The drone was “shot down by a Romanian pilot from an F-16 aircraft,” President Nicușor Dan said in a post on Facebook.

Saturday’s interception came after a drone was shot down around Padina, northeast of the Romanian capital, Bucharest, on Friday.

A series of drone incursions by Russia and Ukraine have hit Romania and other NATO members since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In June, a Ukrainian maritime drone exploded at the Black Sea port of Constanta, while three other sea drones exploded outside the port. No one was hurt.

A Russian drone that was part of an attack on Ukraine in May went astray and struck an apartment building in eastern Romania, injuring two people.

The latest wildfires in southern Europe this week have displaced more than 250,000 people, including some 70,000 people who were evacuated in central Spain. One man died in Manises, the municipality reported on its Facebook page, the first death so far in the blazes.

In France, the giant A400M transporter swooped in low, its long plume of ochre-colored retardant trailing over drought-hit woodlands in the southwest as fire crews on the ground fought flames that authorities feared could spread toward the wine region city of Bordeaux.

Race organizers and the Paris police department announced a truncated 21st and final stage on Sunday for the three-week Tour, France's most famous annual sporting event, reflecting the immense strain that two large fires in the southwest are causing for emergency services.

Tour riders will race Sunday inside Paris, rather than starting from Thoiry, west of the capital, on a circuit of 89 kilometers (55 miles) — down by a third from the 133-kilometer (82.5-mile) route that had been planned. Part of the race's security detail will instead “reinforce the response efforts in the areas affected by the wildfires,” according to the statement announcing the ”exceptional measures made necessary by the situation."

Shifting winds raise concerns for Bordeaux

With winds expected to shift in a west-to-east direction on Saturday afternoon, potentially driving flames closer to Bordeaux, fire crews and authorities were digging trenches, using retardants and taking other blaze-blocking steps, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said, predicting a “long and very difficult” battle.

He said the fire was about 30 kilometers (20 miles) west of the city and lost some of its intensity overnight. The prefect of the Gironde region that includes Bordeaux said the blaze grew into “a firestorm" on Friday after igniting earlier this week and cautioned that it “remains dangerous" even though firefighters were making progress.

The government mobilized soldiers to join fire crews and was rushing in 1.5 million face masks to protect against choking smoke.

Authorities ordered people between the fire and Bordeaux to evacuate, including from parts of the city’s western suburbs and other towns and villages.

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu described the fires as unprecedented and said the Gironde blaze became so strong on Friday that it had begun generating its own winds. Firefighting teams were being reinforced with the addition of hundreds of soldiers and breathing masks to filter out potentially noxious smoke particles were being rushed to those exposed, Lecornu said.

In Bordeaux, authorities took in thousands of evacuees, offering them food and shelter in an exhibition center, and the city’s mayor said it could be equipped to welcome as many as 10,000 people if that became necessary. The city's airport said it remained open but that its bus and tram services were suspended.

Evacuation orders were sent with special alerts to mobile phones, instructing people to leave, Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas said. She said the fire had destroyed about 140 homes in the region.

The magnitude of the wildfires caught authorities off guard

The French military A400M transport plane, specially converted for fire-fighting, was a heavyweight new tool in the battle. It joined at least 18 other water- and retardant-dropping aircraft and helicopters that Nunez said were deployed in the Gironde region, working in rotation in the smoke-filled skies.

The virulence of the French and Spanish wildfires, fueled by high temperatures and the long-term effects of climate change, caught fire crews and authorities off guard.

Firefighters in Spain said the blazes spread so fast and violently that they could not be tackled head on. In France, some people even fled by boat when flames swept through touristic towns on the Atlantic coast.

“We’ve never seen anything like this,” said Javier Organista, a resident of El Tiemblo, west of Madrid, where fire charred a famed chestnut grove. “When we saw the flames coming into our town, surrounding us, leaving us with practically no way out, all the neighbors joined together to try to stop its advance.”

“It’s just really sad,” he said.

Climate change supercharges fires

Spain deployed 2,600 firefighters, police and other emergency personnel to two blazes west of Madrid, backed by 19 water-dumping aircraft and helicopters.

France deployed 1,400 firefighters to the Gironde fire and hundreds of others to another wildfire further south in the Landes region. Dozens of firefighters suffered injuries, authorities said amid panic scenes with townsfolk fleeing by car and police went door to door to tell people to leave.

Successive heat waves that hit unusually early and hard this year, baking Europe with record-shattering high temperatures, have turned forests and scrublands into tinderboxes.

Fires have burned 130,000 hectares of forest already this year in Spain, up from an annual average of 100,000 hectares over the past decade, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Saturday as he visited a command post west of Madrid.

He said more favorable weather Saturday offered “a window of opportunity” for fire crews to bring the blazes under control. Madrid's regional government said the fires decreased in intensity as winds and temperatures dropped.

The fatality reported on Saturday occurred in Manises, part of the wildfire-affected region of Valencia.

Other European nations were helping, with Italy, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Slovakia, Germany and Switzerland already providing or expected to deploy water-dumping planes and helicopters to the Spanish and French fire fronts.

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Leicester reported from Paris. Associated Press journalists Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal; Manu Fernandez in El Tiemblo, Spain; and Joseph Wilson in Barcelona contributed.

Punch was abandoned by his mother after his birth a year ago Sunday, presumably because of exhaustion. Zookeepers nursed him and gave him the toy to develop his gripping ability, something newborn macaques need to survive.

Punch is no longer a plump baby with the plushie and he's hard to distinguish from other monkeys as he mingles and plays with them at an enclosure at the Ichikawa City Zoological and Botanical Garden.

He still attracts big crowds, and has received some 2,500 birthday cards from inside and outside Japan, said Takashi Yasunaga, head of the zoo. Many of the cards and other messages fill the walls at an indoor Punch birthday exhibit where visitors can also view video chronicling Punch from his earliest days.

“As Punch was trying very hard struggling to live each day, his two keepers did everything they can while other staff watched over him,” Yasunaga said, recalling the past year. “It was extremely hot when Punch was born. The memory is still clear to me as the hot season returns."

In mid-January, after six months of special care by his keepers, Punch was placed into the zoo’s monkey enclosure to join some 50 other monkeys — a challenge that led to his fame.

In February, images of Punch with his toy posted by the zoo on social media immediately became a sensation and drove tens of thousand of visitors to the zoo, half of them from overseas, Yasunaga said.

When other monkeys shooed the baby away, Punch rushed back to the toy orangutan, hugging it for comfort. Fans cheered him with a #HangInTherePunch tag on social media.

It was not just the cuteness factor of seeing Punch with his toy, but also his lone struggle to be gradually accepted by others that struck a chord, fans say.

Kumi Ishizawa, a Kobe resident who was at the birthday exhibit, said she found Punch on social media earlier this year. From then on, overcoming her illness to come see him had become her goal.

“He moved me ... I kept on telling myself that I'm going to get well and come visit to see Punch," said Ishizawa, who has since recovered and dropped by the zoo after wrapping up a business trip. “And here I am, I made it. I'm very happy I could finally see him in person."

Yeye Lights, a longtime resident in the city, had never visited the zoo until she became a Punch fan and now has an annual visitor pass. She was hooked by Punch after her daughter in the Philippines told her about the monkey.

“I have a cake for Punch-kun, I'm celebrating with my friends,” Lights said, using an affectionate Japanese honorific for boys. She thanked the monkey's two carers for taking good care of him.

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Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo.

The UNESCO meetings in Busan, which continue through next Wednesday, are reviewing dozens of other nominations, including the D-Day landing beaches in France, Mount Olympus in Greece and the ancient Japanese capitals of Asuka-Fujiwara.

The Okefenokee Swamp boasts impressive biodiversity

The Okefenokee Swamp is regarded as one of the world’s largest freshwater ecosystems, encompassing a vast network of wetlands that supports exceptional biodiversity and serves as the source of two major rivers. Its largely undisturbed peat beds preserve a 5,000-year record of environmental change, making the swamp both a globally significant natural habitat and a valuable source of information on long-term environmental change, according to a UNESCO description.

While the World Heritage designation places the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge alongside iconic U.S. landmarks such as the Grand Canyon, some locals have opposed the listing, fearing it would increase U.N. involvement in managing the site.

“We accept this inscription not as a finish line, but as a commitment to keep the Okefenokee wild, resilient, and thriving for generations to come,” said Kim Bednarek, executive director of the nonprofit Okefenokee Swamp Park that’s worked with the U.S. government on the refuge’s nomination package.

A Thai 13th-century Buddhist temple with unique architecture makes the list

Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, a 13th-century Buddhist temple in southern Thailand known for its 78-meter (255-foot) stupa and distinctive architecture, was also inscribed on the World Heritage List, becoming Thailand’s ninth site.

UNESCO has described the temple as an outstanding example of Theravada Buddhist architecture that remains a living place of worship, preserving religious traditions that draw large gatherings of devotees. The temple was first proposed to UNESCO in 2012, and has gone through more than a decade of preparation to meet the nomination requirements.

While the World Heritage listing is expected to dramatically increase visitors to the temple, Kanop Ketchart, mayor of Nakhon Si Thammarat City, said officials are prepared to address potential infrastructure and capacity challenges.

“We have prepared our infrastructure, buffer zoning and evacuation plan to fit all the requirements of UNESCO,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press this month. “More importantly, the people are getting used to all this process for almost 10 years. So they are very much looking forward to (it).”

Religious, environmental and historic sites join the World Heritage List

Sarnath, an ancient Buddhist site in the northern Indian city of Varanasi, was another Asian religious location newly added to the World Heritage List. Recognized as the sacred location where the Buddha delivered his first sermon, the site’s architectural and archaeological properties remain deeply significant despite periods of decline and revival, UNESCO said.

The committee also decided to expand the World Heritage listing of the South Korean “getbol” tidal flats with four additional coastal wetlands in Seosan, Goheung, Muan and Yeosu in the country’s west. UNESCO had previously inscribed four other South Korean tidal flats in 2021 for their biodiversity and crucial role as a stopover for migratory birds.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said the expanded designation of the tidal flats “reaffirms the importance of international cooperation for the conservation of the Yellow Sea ecosystem and the East Asian-Australasian Flyway,” a major migratory bird route that stretches from the Arctic through Asia to Australia and New Zealand.

Centuries-old handicraft porcelain industry sites in the eastern Chinese city of Jingdezhen were another new addition to the World Heritage List. The sites trace the evolution of handcrafted porcelain production in China from the 10th to the 19th centuries, showcasing innovations that helped make Jingdezhen a leading center for fine porcelain, with its blue-and-white porcelain becoming a global symbol of Chinese craftsmanship, according to UNESCO.

The Indian Ocean island nation of Comoros secured its first World Heritage listing after the committee inscribed six historic towns dating to the 11th century that later emerged as the principal urban centers of the country’s sultanates. UNESCO says the towns reflect centuries of cultural exchange through Indian Ocean trade networks while preserving distinctive urban traditions shaped by African, Arab and Islamic influences.

As thousands of demonstrators take to the streets in the Indian capital, they are waging a parallel campaign online, flooding social media with memes, parody videos and self-deprecating jokes.

In doing so, they are also beating Narendra Modi — the powerful but image-conscious prime minister — at his own game.

Modi built his political brand through social media. Now protesters are using that same platform to mock his administration, ridicule pro-government television news coverage, transform confrontation with police into viral content and seize control of the online narrative.

The campaign has taken the protests demanding accountability and education reforms beyond the streets, broadening its reach and intensifying pressure on a government wary of appearing to yield to a rapidly growing youth movement.

Humor has become a form of protest

The “Cockroach” movement’s digital campaign has been largely powered by humor.

Clashes with police have become viral content. Videos showed protesters joking about keeping their Strava streaks alive — a reference to the fitness tracking app used by runners — as they ran from police baton charges. Others edited footage of themselves dodging police barricades to mimic the popular endless runner mobile game Subway Surfers.

Some women have borrowed influencer culture, posting “get ready with me” videos before marches and “fit check” posts featuring helmets, goggles and other homemade protest gear. Other protesters have created spoof videos mocking pro-government television anchors and their dramatic style of broadcasts that have labeled the protesters “anti-national” and “foreign-funded conspirators.”

The Associated Press interviewed several protesters, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from authorities.

One 25-year-old protester said the memes are more than comic relief; they’re a way of coping. She sees them as a generational trait.

Unlike older generations, who learned to endure hardship, hers has little patience for “simply putting up with it," she said.

“If our phone data runs out, we can’t even bear that. So we’re definitely not going to tolerate this,” she said, referring to Monday’s police crackdown on protesters in the capital.

Protesters lean on meme culture

The street protests erupted a month ago, fueled by anger over a string of exam scandals, including the illegal sharing of entrance exams for the national medical program. Young people say the scandals have jeopardized their futures and eroded trust in the education system. Protesters blame Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and demand his resignation, but the demonstrations have since expanded into a wider anger over government accountability, spreading to other cities.

Much of that expansion has been driven by the Cockroach Janta Party, a satirical group that started the movement two months ago. Through memes, humor and satire, it has given younger Indians a new way to express their frustration with the government and helped turn a single-issue campaign into a broader youth movement.

At the main protest site in New Delhi, that influence is hard to miss.

Some protesters march in Spider-Man masks and Batman costumes, carrying tongue-in-cheek placards. Other protest signs echo the irreverent tone of social media, with memes and pop culture references woven into the demonstrations.

One poster featuring the education minister asked: “When will AI take his job?” Another captured the movement’s spirit with the slogan: “Every joke is a (tiny) revolution.”

Some slogans and posters have taken on an overtly profane and risqué tone.

A 23-year-old student said the protesters were simply speaking the language of their generation.

“We find speeches boring, we are the summary generation. We have a habit of consuming things in a short span of time, so we are using the same ways to put our message across,” she said.

The jokes now target the prime minister

For Modi, who is entering his 13th year in office, the protests present an unusual challenge. His image is built on strength and decisiveness, but he risks alienating young people if he responds too forcefully. Nearly half India’s population is under 25, making young voters one of the country’s most influential electoral groups.

But the protests have broken a long-standing taboo: mocking Modi himself.

Jokes about Modi were rare during earlier protests, when his government was criticized for suppressing dissent. But now, even he has become a target of taunts.

Modi’s gestures, pauses and mannerisms have been turned into viral edits that turn his own words into political jokes.

When Modi released a late-night, selfie-style video Thursday addressing the protesters, he promised swift legal action against those responsible for leaking academic or job exams. But many internet users edited the clip with parody voice-overs and references to his past promises they said had gone unfulfilled.

One video went particularly viral. Modi’s original address began with him referring to the protesters as “friends.” A parody video kept that opening, and abruptly cut to three young girls staring into the camera and responding: “No, we are not.”

A 21-year-old student said there is no better way to challenge Modi than by using social media that helped build his political brand.

“We’re just answering him in his language,” he said.

Roads near the 1,084-kilometer-long (673-mile-long) border are covered for long distances by anti-drone netting. The surrounding landscape is dominated by rows of razor wire and concrete anti-tank barriers known as “dragon’s teeth.”

The Associated Press visited parts of the border in northern Ukraine earlier this month, following a rise in tensions between the two countries; Ukraine demanded that Belarus shut down communications relay stations Russia had installed to boost the range of its drones attacking Ukrainian cities.

Belarus obliged, according to Ukraine, and rhetoric between the two governments has eased since then. While Ukrainian officials say they see no signs of a Russian troop buildup in Belarus, they are determined to strengthen their border against any possible threat.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly said he has no plans for his troops to enter the war unless his country is attacked. Still, people living near the border say the possibility of Belarus becoming more involved in Russia’s war remains a source of anxiety.

For many residents, the extensive defenses are both a reminder of the early days of the war and a source of reassurance that Ukraine is preparing for any future scenarios.

Ukrainian border guards patrol the area around the clock using armored vehicles, drones and other surveillance systems. Ukrainian officials say the addition of more defenses will remain a priority well into the future because Belarus is Russia's closest military ally.

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Associated Press journalist Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed.

Jackson replaces Graham Platner, who won the Democratic primary in June but withdrew from the race earlier this month following an allegation of sexual assault that Platner has denied. Maine Democrats met Saturday to choose a new Senate nominee to face Collins.

Support coalesced around Jackson, a former Maine Senate president and fifth-generation logger from rural northern Maine who campaigned alongside Platner during a failed bid for governor and was a favorite among progressives to replace him.

“When the people in power refuse to listen, you have to organize, you have to stand in solidarity, together. And you have to make them listen,” Jackson said during a speech at the last-minute nominating convention.

Democrats view Maine as the party’s best opportunity to flip a Senate seat this year because it's a competitive race in a state President Donald Trump lost in 2024. But defeating Collins won’t be easy. The five-term incumbent holds a fundraising advantage, while Jackson will have less than four months to sell himself to voters.

Republicans immediately launched an ad campaign against Jackson, accusing him of having a volatile temper and linking him to Platner. The Senate Leadership Fund, Republicans' super PAC, said it is committed to spending over $42 million against Jackson.

Collins has described Jackson as a ‘Bernie Bro’

Jackson, 58, will need to convince the state’s large independent voting bloc that it’s time to replace Collins, 73. Republicans have called Jackson too extreme for Maine voters, and Collins said earlier this week that she knows Jackson well and that his positions are “clearly” in line with socialism.

"Troy Jackson will attempt to sell Mainers a multi-trillion dollar bill of goods based on rhetoric that will make everything sound free, but in reality would be paid for by middle and lower income workers,” said Collins’ campaign spokesperson, Shawn Roderick.

Both Jackson and Collins are from northern Maine, where traditional industries such as potato farming and timber harvesting are vital parts of the economy. Both will make the case over the next few months that they are the right leader to protect those industries, along with lobster fishing and tourism.

Collins noted that Jackson ran U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ first presidential campaign in Maine, adding “He’s a Bernie Bro.”

Asked by reporters about that description, Jackson said, "I don’t really care. What I am is a guy from northern Maine that’s a logger.”

He said he would attack Collins on what he described as her record of supporting tax cuts for the wealthy and failing to protect health care.

Jackson needs to scramble to make up a fundraising gulf against the incumbent, who has been raising money for months. Federal filings show she has raised more than $16 million so far. Jackson’s campaign this week said he raised more than $1 million since jumping into the Senate race.

Maine is an important piece of Democrats’ effort to win the Senate

Democrats have a narrow path to take back the Senate in November and it’s highly unlikely they can do it without a win in Maine. In addition, they need victories in competitive races in North Carolina, Alaska and Ohio, and they need to hang on to the seats they already have. That includes open Senate seats in Michigan and Minnesota, where Democratic incumbents are retiring.

Maine’s Democratic primary was one of the early contests where progressives took on establishment-backed Democrats. While Platner faced several controversies during his campaign, he easily outlasted Gov. Janet Mills, who was backed by Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer but dropped out before the June 9 primary.

Platner had backing from Sanders as well as Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. That support disintegrated after the sexual assault allegation early this month.

Republicans began making the case Saturday that Jackson is too close to Platner. Jackson is “a Platner apologist, a radical Bernie Bro, and a walking red flag displaying all the warning signs of the early days of the Platner campaign,” RNC spokesperson Kristen Cianci said in a statement.

Jackson told reporters Saturday that he has not been in touch with Platner and is building a new movement. He didn't mention Platner from the stage during his two addresses to Democratic delegates on Saturday, but said the campaign was “bigger than any one person.”

Jackson overwhelmingly won delegates' support

The Maine Democratic Party scrambled to choose a new nominee after Platner, who sailed to victory in the Democratic primary in June, was accused by a former girlfriend of sexually assaulting her in 2021. Platner denies the allegation, but quit the race after key supporters called on him to withdraw.

Maine law gave the state party authority to choose a replacement and required a new nominee to be named by Monday — 101 days before the Nov. 3 election.

Maine Democrats' never-before-used process of voting on a new nominee involved hundreds of Democratic delegates gathering in Bangor, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) north of Portland. The delegates were elected at county party meetings last weekend, and Jackson scored an easy victory over just one opponent.

He first ran for office as a Republican in 2000 when he sought a seat inside Maine’s House of Representatives. He lost, but won two years later when he ran as an independent. He switched to the Democratic Party in 2004, and eventually became the Maine Senate president before leaving the statehouse in 2024.

He came in third while running for governor in this year’s Democratic primary, but had the backing of Platner and Our Revolution, the political organization founded by Sanders. Once Platner dropped out on July 10, a flood of former governor candidates — including Jackson — jumped to try to take his place. But by July 19, most had abandoned their bids, with Jackson emerging as the clear favorite.

Jackson received early support from progressives who had backed Platner before he dropped out. Our Revolution initially backed Jackson for governor and Platner for Senate. When Platner left the race, the group rallied behind Jackson.

He has supported progressive positions such as Medicare for All. He also has called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, whose presence in Maine has been hotly debated since an agent killed a driver in the state earlier this month.

Jackson acknowledged the disappointment of Platner’s supporters and the need to win them over for the general election.

“I agree there are people that are still very frustrated and angry what happened. I understand that,” he said to reporters. “All I’m trying to do is explain to them that his campaign was about the issues.”

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Associated Press writer Joey Cappelletti and video journalist Nathan Ellgren in Washington contributed to this report.

They were teenage phenoms who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated (back when magazines were cool) and both prodigies were No. 1 overall draft picks straight out of high school.

When Harper earned his first chance at testing free agency, there was only one city, one contract that was right for him.

Philadelphia.

It took a few years, but Harper has some company on the short list of top elite athletes who have signed in Philadelphia.

Harper and the Phillies.

Pete Rose and Kyle Schwarber and the Phillies.

Saquon Barkley and Reggie White and the Eagles.

In the greatest July signature in Philadelphia since 1776, James has followed Harper from free agency to Philly when he rocked the NBA and signed a two-year deal for the bargain-basement price of $8 million total — only a smidge more per season than first-round pick Labaron Philon Jr. will earn — that stamped the Sixers as the most compelling team in the league this season.

Keeping tabs on the ballyhooed deal is Harper.

“He’s going to have a great couple of years here, and obviously everyone’s going to expect him to win a championship here like everywhere else," Harper said. “So nothing new for him. He’s had all the pressure since he was in high school or younger than that.”

Here's the difference between James and all the superstars in the city that played before him.

He's LeBron James.

Meaning, his reach is so beyond the court — from fame around the globe to his bank account to the cash register to pop culture — that there is no fair comparison. He is No. 4 on Forbes' real-time list of wealthiest athletes at $1.4 billon, so his pay cut may not even be noticed in the ledger book. James has commercials and movie roles, and endorsement deals that alone would outearn every single player on the Sixers.

Joel Embiid, league MVP and two-time scoring champion. He's not LeBron.

Jaylen Brown, NBA Finals MVP and champion, He's not LeBron.

Tyrese Maxey, an All-Star and the real franchise player in Philly. He's not LeBron.

“I think it’s pretty cool to have one of the greatest basketball players ever to play, in the same city,” Phillies shortstop Trea Turner said. "So I’m excited for those who haven’t gotten a chance to see him play.”

Here are the CliffsNotes:

James is a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP and a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

He also is coming off a season when he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. For his career, he has averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.

“He’s played in big markets before,” Harper said. “He knows exactly what he needs to do.”

Harper has largely lived up to the 13-year, $330 million contract he signed ahead of the 2019 season when he spurned the Washington Nationals for the Phillies and owned the richest contract in baseball history. He led the Phillies to the 2022 World Series, won the NL MVP in 2021 and helped win back-to-back NL East titles.

But he's 0-for-October.

Barkley rushed for more than 2,000 yards in his first season with the Eagles and led them to a Super Bowl championship.

Rose was the missing piece to help Hall of Famers Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton win the World Series in 1980. It was the first World Series title in franchise history.

The 76ers have seemed to wait almost as long for a parade down Broad Street.

They have won titles in Philadelphia in 1967 and 1983 and have failed to advance out of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs since 2001.

And yet somehow, one of the most famous athletes — strike that, people! — walking and dunking on the face of the Earth decided he wanted to play in Philadelphia.

“I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family,” James wrote Friday on social media. “What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning.”

James celebrated his decision on Instagram with a career highlight reel set to Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares,” the adopted sports anthem of city teams blasted ad nauseam throughout the sports complex.

The video ends with the lyric, “hold up, wait a minute. Y’all thought I was finished?” and cuts to a 76ers logo.

James isn't finished — even if his best isn't yet to come.

He won NBA titles at each of his three previous stops — Cleveland, Miami and the Los Angeles Lakers — and could become the first player ever to win a title with four teams.

The countdown to opening night is on.

The stakes have really never been higher for the franchise. If the Sixers can't win with the Beatles shirt — LeBron & Embiid & Brown & Maxey — can they ever?

Get ready, everyone.

And skip the advice.

James doesn't need any tips on surviving the deep fryer of fandom in Philly.

“He can do whatever the hell he wants,” Harper said. "But the city loves a winner. So win.”

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

More people are watching. More are investing. Salaries for many players are higher than ever. But mounting turmoil and discord have been a part of this transformative period that has featured a landmark collective bargaining agreement, league expansion and skyrocketing player recognition.

It seems to have reached a new flashpoint, as discussions about race, gender and sexuality made headlines ahead of Saturday’s WNBA All-Star Game. Race-driven conversations resurfaced after an incident between Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, while players continued to voice frustrations with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert and leadership over what they say is a lack of protection from social media harassment and divisive remarks.

“It is a moment to be celebrated without a doubt,” said Ketra Armstrong, sport management professor and director of the Center for Race and Ethnicity in Sport at the University of Michigan. “We want to celebrate what’s great. But sometimes, the progress can overshadow, still, where the perils are.”

Issues of race, gender and representation have been an undercurrent throughout the league's history. Debates over those issues have grown as women's sports have exploded. And they remain a challenge that shape the WNBA's — and most other pro sports leagues, for that matter — public and online discourse.

“This is what a sports league" is, said David Berri, sports economist and economics professor at Southern Utah University. He cited the NFL’s Rooney Rule as an example. “If a sports league is going to get attention, you’re going to get attention for these things as well.”

Growth has magnified broader cultural debates

Contentious conversations also spread to issues of transgender athletes and harassment.

WNBA veteran Brianna Turner said on social media this week that her former team, the Fever, fired a male employee last season for sexual harassment. Turner, who was with Indiana last season but now plays for Las Vegas, said Indiana players were encouraged not to discuss the firing.

Turner’s comments came as she defended transgender athletes days after Indiana forward Sophie Cunningham spoke on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports.

“I got a lot of negative feedback about me hating trans. And I’m like, ‘I never once said that,’” Cunningham was quoted as saying in a story published by ESPN. “I think that I am here to extend love. But I also think with that love is truth, being honest. And I want to protect young girls in a locker room, or young girls in sport who shouldn’t have to go against biological men.”

The WNBA’s conversations about race were thrust back into the spotlight after Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello was suspended one game for referring to Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese as a “protected species.”

The comment, picked up by the broadcast after Reese drew a foul on Toronto player Nyara Sabally, quickly drew criticism.

Brondello, a former player who has won two WNBA titles, is Australian. The “protected species” phrase is used in Australian sports to express frustration over a lack of calls against a player. However, in the U.S., the phrase suggests that someone isn’t human and could be seen as derogatory toward Black people. Brondello later apologized. Reese accepted, saying she appreciated the league’s swift action.

“It’s a much bigger platform now. Everything that happens is news,” Berri said. “There were hard fouls 10 years ago. Nobody paid any attention to that. It ends up being because of the coverage now, everything gets magnified ... which is good. I mean, this is what we wanted.”

‘A lot to celebrate,’ but race still matters

Clark has repeatedly attempted to downplay the noise surrounding her, but she has become a springboard for projections far beyond the game itself.

“It’s basketball," she said in a recent ESPN interview. "When I walk out of the locker room I shouldn’t be fearful of what the conversation is going to be. It’s emotionally exhausting. It’s draining. It makes your shoulders tense because people don’t want to talk about the basketball. They just want to stir it up and make something else.”

The WNBA retroactively assessed Thomas a flagrant foul and suspended her one game after the veteran made contact with her fist to Clark’s throat in a June 24 matchup.

The play, which Thomas has said was an accident, gained widespread attention and ignited debates over officiating, with coaches, pundits and lawmakers weighing in on whether the league needs to take action about physical play involving Clark.

Thomas, who is Black and in her 12th WNBA season, said after the incident she had received death threats, part of increased online vitriol players have faced in recent years. Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces recently posted a message from a man that included a racial slur. And Engelbert this week met with a pair of player committees to discuss what more can be done to protect players from online harassment.

Since she entered the league, Clark and her WNBA peers have become proxies for long-standing American issues — from race, gender and sexual orientation to who receives attention and who doesn't.

“There’s a lot to celebrate,” Armstrong said, “but race still matters. Race will always matter. It just depends on how we make it matter.”

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Kaepernick and rock star Bruce Springsteen were honored Friday night with the ACLU Ralph Ellison Award for Defenders of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties in the Arts, Business, Science and Sports. The honor comes a decade after Kaepernick knelt during the national anthem in protest against police violence and racial inequality.

“We know our civil liberties are under attack, we know humanity is under attack, education is under attack. They are trying to encroach on our rights, encroach on our dignity, encroach on the future that we want to build together,” Kaepernick said in his acceptance speech. “When we look back at this moment, it will not be the speeches that change the direction of history. It's going to be whether we decided: Are we going to build the schools or not? Are we going to defend the rights of others, or are we going to watch? Are we going to build community together, or are we going to stand in isolation?

“The consequences of these decisions are going to be the reality that the future generations inherit.”

Kaepernick was joined in protest by teammate Eric Reid and others, but he also drew criticism from politicians, team owners and other players. Kaepernick and Reid filed collusion grievances against the NFL in 2017, saying they were blacklisted. They reached a settlement in 2019.

“He demonstrated in real time the price America too often exacts from those who challenge racial injustice," said Deborah Archer, the ACLU's president. “His peaceful protest was met with extraordinary personal sacrifice. He lost the career he spent his life building. He became the target of criticism, hostility and relentless public attack, and yet he never retreated.”

Springsteen — who closed the event with a solo rendition of “Streets of Minneapolis” — and Kaepernick were honored as part of an awards ceremony hosted by actress Laverne Cox.

“It's important for us to recognize all of the people who are contributing to the fight to protect civil rights and civil liberties,” Archer said. “Those folks — actors, athletes — these folks have all shown up in incredibly powerful ways.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Crews have been able to build some containment lines around the Akawa Butte Fire, which is burning near Sisters, a town about 22 miles (35 kilometers) northwest of Bend. Started by lightning on July 16, the fire has scorched 42 square miles (109 square kilometers) and destroyed two homes.

It has been designated as the nation’s top priority wildfire because of its proximity to people. The designation will allow officials to tap into resources from other states and other countries, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek said Friday.

Strong winds and low humidity were expected later Friday and Saturday and could lead to increased fire activity, officials warned. They urged residents to be prepared to evacuate if necessary.

The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning in central Oregon through Saturday, which means conditions such as low humidity, warm temperatures and strong winds can create an extreme wildfire risk.

The most critical period for Sisters, a town of 3,800 people about 3 miles (5 kilometers) south of the fire, will be the next 24 to 48 hours, said Sisters Mayor Jennifer Letz. She said about half of the town's population has been told to be ready to leave if needed.

“If we can get through this weekend, we will probably be in a good position moving forward. But right now, we do have the north half of the city under orders to be prepared, to have a plan, to get their things together," she said.

There are more than 1,000 firefighters battling the blaze and more are expected to join them to help strengthen and expand containment lines. The blaze has shown extreme fire behavior, including 200-foot (61-meter) flame heights and a pyrocumulus cloud that generated its own lightning, Kotek said.

“This is all-hands-on-deck here in Oregon,” she said.

It’s not Oregon’s only significant wildfire, making this an especially challenging period for emergency responders, she said.

There are dozens more fires burning across the state, choking the air in Oregon and sending smoke across the country. Kotek said every available firefighter and firefighting resource is being used in the field.

The biggest blaze is the Rowe Creek Complex which has destroyed 300 square miles (777 square kilometers) since being sparked by lightning on July 15. It was nearly 30% contained on Friday.

Firefighters have made progress on the northern portion of the blaze, where they have built containment lines, but strong winds fueled the fire and it expanded on its southern end after spot fires jumped containment lines, said Thadd Niebel, an operations chief with the U.S. Forest Service.

Crews were being reassigned to the southern portion of the blaze to strengthen containment lines and protect homes and other buildings ahead of winds forecast to reach 20 mph (32 kph), Niebel said.

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Rodriguez reported from San Francisco.

The multi-day event features R&B and soul performances, parties and a variety of live events throughout the weekend.

Guests arrived early at the Miami Beach Bandshell ahead of the opening night’s festivities.

Before the kickoff, Studio 10 spoke with this year’s hosts and artists, who shared why they say Miami Takeover is the place to be this weekend.

Fans at Comic-Con International were ecstatic with his response Friday. A crowd at the expo's massive Hall H stood to cheer and applaud as the 73-year-old actor — long absent from Hollywood — joined a panel to promote his return as Dark Helmet in “Spaceballs: The New One," the long-awaited sequel to the 1987 cult classic.

When his name was first announced, Moranis hid in the crowd under his character's extra large helmet as soldiers from the film used an oversized comb to search for the actor.

“This came along at the right time,” said Moranis of the film, set for release next April. “It just felt like this is it. … It is the best decision I ever made. It’s like family to me.”

Moranis and Daphne Zuniga were joined on stage by director Josh Greenbaum, writer and actor Josh Gad, writers Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, along with new cast members Keke Palmer and Lewis Pullman. Pullman and Palmer’s character descriptions have not been revealed.

“It was so funny that I kept being like, ‘Oh my God! Can you believe they said that?’” said Palmer about first reading the script.

Pullman says he was hesitant to join the film having grown up with it and watching his father Bill Pullman’s performance as Lone Starr.

“I read it and I was like, 'Damn it. This is so good. … This is one of the funniest scripts I’ve ever read.' I rarely laugh out loud when I’m reading scripts," Pullman said. "I would be a fool. It would be weird if I didn’t do it.”

Mel Brooks and Bill Pullman were not in attendance but greeted fans via prerecorded video.

Fans were shown behind-the-scenes footage of Brooks recording lines inside a vocal booth and reuniting with Bill Pullman and Zuniga, and a sneak peak at a teaser trailer.

Gad confirmed to fans that he was playing a mawg, but not John Candy’s character from the original, Barf. Gad said the new film would honor Candy and other original cast members who have since died, including Joan Rivers, Dom DeLuise and Dick Van Patten.

The team poked fun at the “cinematic universe” film timelines popularized by Marvel Studios with a parody displayed across Hall H's wrap-around screens showcasing imagined sequels in more than 11 phases of “The Almighty Schwartz Saga."

The subject of trade rumors as he approaches free agency, the two-time defending AL Cy Young winner pitched out of a seventh-inning jam before walking off the mound to a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd of 40,638.

Skubal returned for the eighth inning with 89 pitches, but was replaced by Brenan Hanifee after retiring Carter Jensen. He left to another ovation, having given up four hits and two walks in his 61st win for the Tigers.

Kenley Jansen pitched the ninth for his 12th save as the Tigers (50-54) improved to 28-16 since June 1. They are four wins away from reaching .500 for the first time since May 4.

Detroit scored twice in the first off Royals opener Beck Way (1-1), but Noah Cameron followed with seven shutout innings.

Way struggled in the first, allowing a pair of singles before hitting Dillon Dingler to load the bases. Riley Greene hit a long fly to left, but Isaac Collins reached above the fence to steal a grand slam. Colt Keith scored on the play, and Hao-Yu Lee made it 2-0 with an RBI single.

The Royals got two runners to start the third, and Tyler Tolbert bunted them to second and third. Skubal, though, struck out Carter Jensen and Lane Thomas to end the inning.

Skubal almost repeated the feat in the fourth, striking out Vinnie Pasquantino with one out and a runner on third, but Nick Loftin made it 2-1 with an RBI double to left.

A two-out double by Michael Massey gave the Royals on second and third with two out in the seventh, but Tolbert flew out to end the inning.

Salvador Perez, who needs one homer to break George Brett's franchise record of 317, couldn't make it happen on the 43rd anniversary of Brett's Pine Tar Game homer against the New York Yankees.

Up next

Tigers RHP Casey Mize (4-6. 2.79) was set to start opposite RHP Michael Wacha (5-7. 3.66) on Saturday.

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The 26-year-old Richardson got off to a slow start but quickly made up time, finishing in 10.77 seconds to breeze past training partner Kayla White and win by 0.13 seconds at Icahn Stadium.

“It feels phenomenal to be back in a better place — healthy, mentally, physically, emotionally," Richardson, who battled injuries last year, said in an interview with Peacock after the race. “It shows that hard work pays off."

Lyles, the reigning Olympic champion, was trailing early but quickly caught up to the field — and then blew right by them. He matched his personal-best time by finishing in 9.79 seconds. The 32-year-old Ronnie Baker took second and Kenny Bednarek finished third.

“I did what I do,” Lyles said in a postrace interview. “There’s no better rush than (winning). It’s my natural high. That’s my vice. Winning, running fast, that feeling of flying, that feeling of being better than everybody in the world — you can't get that around here, only around me.”

Lyles celebrated after the race by signing a trading card with his image on it. He planned to give it to a “special fan,” he said. This was his third national title in the 100.

It's been quite a stretch for Lyles, who got married in April. He also recently attended a FIFA World Cup game, where he posed for photos with Jamaican great Usain Bolt.

Lyles is gearing up for world championships next season and then the 2028 LA Olympics.

“Shoot, I was just playing around this year," Lyles said. “I’m scared for y’all next year. I am real scared. Because you all ain’t going to have this nice Noah who goes around and just thinks that it’s all lollygagging and good. Next year I've got plans. I got places to run fast."

Richardson stuck around for the men’s race, sitting on the grass with her spikes off as her partner, Christian Coleman, competed. Coleman was fourth.

She's rounding into the form that led to a gold medal in the 100 at the 2023 world championships and silver at the 2024 Paris Games.

“Just really remembering who I am and just knowing that consistency and just being determined to be better," said Richardson, who won her third 100 national title.

Erin Marsh used a strong 800-meter race to eclipse Timara Chapman by 38 points to win the heptathlon. Marsh, the sister of Philadelphia All-Star outfielder Brandon Marsh, finished with 6,059 points.

Garrett Scantling edged Kyle Garland by 95 points to take the decathlon crown. Euphenie Andre won the women's triple jump, Tyus Wilson took the men's high jump title and Annette Echikunwoke the women's hammer throw. Nick Christie won the men's race walk half marathon and Lauren Harris the women's race.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Fudd, the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft by Dallas, scored 30 points in the finals to top Portland's Bridget Carleton.

“I was shocked, that’s crazy to be the first is definitely an honor,” Fudd said of being the first rookie to win.

Fudd's 30-point effort was tied for the second-most ever, equaling Sabrina Ionescu and Allie Quigley's total. Ionescu holds the record, scoring 37 points in 2023.

Fudd hit her first six shots in the finals to get into rhythm. Carleton, from the expansion Fire, had 29 points in the opening round, but struggled in the finals, scoring 19 points.

Fresh off her victory, Fudd issued a playful request for a rematch with Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry. The two had a 3-point competition when Fudd went to his camp when she was in high school.

“I mean Steph if you’re listening, I'm asking for a rematch,” Fudd said.

The 3-point competition capped off the Friday night festivities. Elena Delle Donne, Shakira Austin and high schooler Jezelle Banks led team Washington to the Shooting Stars championship to tipoff the action. The trio scored 31 points to edge Seattle’s three in the finals, with Banks hitting two of the 4-point shots from just inside halfcourt to put the team over the top.

“She carried. She carried,” Austin said of Banks. “You could just tell in her energy, like as soon as we started, like it was confidence and I think that showed in how she hit those tough shots.”

In the 3-point competition, Carleton had a stellar first-round, scoring 29 points. She hit 13 of her first 16 shots. Fudd also had a great opening round, scoring 24 points. She made four of her final five shots. That carried over to the finals.

Carleton’s hot shooting in the opening round brought the crowd, which included Jayson Tatum, Russell Westbrook, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Dwyane Wade and Sheryl Swoopes, to its feet.

Other players in 3-point contest were Atlanta’s Rhyne Howard, who scored 20 points, Golden State’s Janelle Salaun, who had 19 points; Toronto’s Marina Mabrey, who had 18 and Minnesota’s Natisha Heideman, who had 17.

In the Shooting Stars competition, Seattle had 24 points to finish as runner-up after missing all of the team’s 4-point shots.

This was the first year that the contest was conducted. A skills competition was done in previous All-Star weekends. The format was a two-round, timed shooting competition in which teams had 70 seconds to score as many points as possible from seven shooting locations around the court. The competition featured shots ranging from a layup to the 4-pointer.

Washington had the highest score in the preliminary round, posting 35 points. Once again, Banks hit 4-point shots to help her team reach the championship round.

Seattle’s squad needed to beat the 20 points that the Detroit/Dallas team put up to advance to the finals. High schooler Tatianna Griffin hit two of the 4-point shots to help Seattle reach the finals. Minnesota finished in fourth with 19 points with a team of Courtney Williams, Rebbekah Brunson and Ryan Carter.

Detroit/Dallas had former Shock great Deanna Nolan, Wings All-Star Jessica Shepard and high schooler Morghan Reckley.

The new CBA gave Fudd $20,000 for winning the 3-point contest and each participant received $10,000. That’s about eight-times last season’s prize money.

Each shooting stars winner received $15,000. Each competitor, not including the high school players, will receive $7,500. Last year, the winners of the skills contest each received $2,575 from the WNBA.

In addition Aflac, like it has the past two years, gave extra money to the winners. Fudd took home $40,000 for winning the 3-point contest. Carleton received $30,000 for finishing second and Howard got $15,000 for placing third.

Team Washington got $40,000 from Aflac with Seattle receiving $32,500 and Dallas $12,500.

___

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

The statement contradicts repeated assertions by Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other officials that the projects were canceled because they did not adequately advance the nation’s energy needs or had other problems that made them a poor investment of taxpayer dollars.

Democrats and environmental groups seized on the court filing Friday, saying the administration had “weaponized” the federal government to kill good jobs and punish working families because of their political views.

Democrats say what was ‘obvious’ has now been acknowledged

“This administration has now admitted in court what has long been obvious: it terminated nearly 300 cost-cutting energy projects for no reason other than the fact that the states they were in did not vote for the president in the 2024 election,” said Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio and Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state. Both are high-ranking Democrats on the House and Senate Appropriations committees, respectively.

“Weaponizing the federal government like this is outright un-American, and it’s hardworking families already struggling with sky-high costs who are suffering the consequences of this corrupt abuse of power,” Kaptur and Murray said.

They called on congressional Republicans to join them in holding the Trump administration "accountable for the President’s failure to look out for all Americans.”

The Energy Department announced last October that 321 funding awards across 223 projects were terminated, saying that after review, they “did not adequately advance the nation’s energy needs or were not economically viable."

The cuts, part of broader attacks from President Donald Trump on climate programs and clean energy funding, slashed federal support for projects to build battery plants, develop hydrogen technology, upgrade the electric grid and capture carbon dioxide emissions.

Russell Vought, the White House budget director, highlighted the cutbacks in a social media post, saying money “to fuel the Left’s climate agenda is being cancelled.”

The Energy Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Projects from many states were cut

Projects that were cut were located in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont and Washington state. All 16 targeted states supported Harris, but Wright said the cuts were “business decisions" based on whether the projects were a good use of taxpayer money or not.

The cuts were immediately challenged in court, and more than two dozen Democratic members of Congress, led by California Sens. Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, wrote a letter to the Energy Department's acting inspector general requesting a formal investigation. The department's internal watchdog launched an investigation in December.

Government lawyers had p reviously confirmed in a court filing late last year that the selection of grants in fact “was influenced by whether a grantee’s address was located in a State that tends to elect ... Democratic candidates in state and national elections (so-called “Blue States”).”

That filing came in a separate suit filed by clean energy groups and the city of St. Paul, Minnesota, over the canceled funding. The most recent admission came in a case called Thakur v. Trump that’s been ongoing since last spring. Federal lawyers acknowledged that they used keywords related to diversity, gender, vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 to screen for projects that ran afoul of the Trump administration’s priorities.

Holly Bender, chief program officer for the Sierra Club, said the latest court filing shows “the Trump administration is brazenly admitting to a vindictive approach to cancelling much-needed energy infrastructure that ignores the job losses, air pollution and increasing bills that people are experiencing everywhere.”

Instead of “building the energy projects we desperately need,” billions of American taxpayer dollars are “going to line the pockets of a small handful of fossil fuel company CEOs,” Bender said, citing nearly $3 billion pledged by the Trump administration to cancel offshore wind projects in favor of fossil fuel projects such as natural gas and coal.

Trump described a mutually beneficial relationship and praised Delcy Rodríguez, who has served as the acting president since Nicolás Maduro’s capture on Jan. 3, as “doing a fantastic job.”

Trump also said that presidential elections will not happen anytime soon.

“They are not ready yet for the elections, but at some point, they will be, and we are going to be standing right on top of it,” Trump said during the news conference in the Oval Office.

U.S. Secretary Marco Rubio has said elections are part of a three-phase plan for stabilization, recovery, and transition.

“The amount of money being made by Venezuela now is more than they have ever made before, and we are taking a lot also, you know, for our efforts,” Trump said during the question-and-answer segment of the conference.

On oil sales, Rubio has said that the U.S. is committed to strict financial oversight, ensuring deposits into U.S. Treasury-controlled accounts, and disbursing only after approving monthly government budgets.

“That money will then be handled in such a way that we will control how it is disbursed in a way that benefits the Venezuelan people, not corruption, not the regime, so we have a lot of leverage to move on the stabilization front,” Rubio said in January.

Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, the opposition leader, traveled to Panama after the 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck northern Venezuela on June 24. She was unable to travel to Caracas.

“Even though I cannot be there physically, I am with each of you — with every family still grieving those they lost, and with those who continue to seek answers,” Machado said in Spanish on Friday.

The Trump administration continued to assist the Venezuelan victims of the earthquakes, as the official death toll increased to 5,069 people on Friday, and there were 190 collapsed buildings. The World Bank recently estimated $19.6 billion in damages.

Trump said he was hopeful and “a lot of progress has been made” since “the amount of oil coming out of Venezuela, even before the big companies, you know Exxon, all the big companies there ... looking at it, they are going there.”

Trump also said he was “very popular” in Venezuela.

“For a long time, I’ve known their country and, you know, I owned the Miss Universe pageant and Miss Venezuela always did very well in that pageant, so I know something about the country,” Trump said about owning the Miss Universe organization from 1996 to 2015.

Venezuelan women won the Miss Universe crown seven times from 1979 to 2013. Trump also described Venezuelans as “great people.”

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Nos tenemos. Durante ya un mes nos sostuvimos, nos alentamos, nos consolamos. Dejamos el alma y muchos, también sus manos.
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— María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) July 24, 2026

The administration announced tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on 60 economies late Thursday, saying the countries had failed to adequately enforce a ban on goods made with forced labor.

The new tariffs took effect just as stopgap levies Trump imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court expired at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

Countries object to what they call unfounded labor claims

Australian Trade Minister Don Farrell rejected claims linking Australia, a major exporter of beef, gold and copper, to modern slavery and raising the tariff on its exports to the U.S. to 12.5% from the 10% level imposed after Trump’s “Liberation Day” hikes last year.

“We believe that amongst all of the countries in the world Australia does take the issue of slavery, modern slavery, seriously, and will continue to do that,” Farrell told reporters in Adelaide.

Australia believes the higher tariffs are “completely unjustified and we will continue to lobby the United States Trade Representative to remove all tariffs on Australian goods,” Farrell said.

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the tariffs on his country, also subject to a 12.5% import duty, were “extremely disappointing,” unjustified and harmful to trade.

A U.S. investigation serving as the basis for the tariffs did not provide meaningful evidence to support allegations of forced labor.

“Tariffs are not the way — they drive up costs and uncertainty for businesses,” he wrote on X.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas questioned the U.S. stance in comments on Channel News Asia.

“If you compare our labor laws to the ones of the United States, I mean we have, people have paid vacations, we have very good conditions, labor conditions for our employees, so it’s not really grounded,” Kallas said.

Also facing a 12.5% tariff, Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry said it would “continue to engage the USTR (United States Trade Representative) to explore options.”

Some hope to forestall the new tariffs

Japan likewise protested the 12.5% tariff imposed on its exports, noting Tokyo had been reassured by the Trump administration that there would be no more tariffs on top of an earlier agreement on a 10% U.S. import duty.

“Our understanding is both sides are still committed to that,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said.

“It is regrettable that the measure imposes tariffs on the grounds of non-existence of measures banning imports of goods made by forced labor, even though Japan’s industry and trade are in line with international rules,” Kihara said.

South Korea’s trade ministry said the announcement eased some uncertainty over U.S. trade policy, but noted that a Section 301 investigation into alleged Korean excess production continues.

The combined duties on South Korean exports should not exceed 15%, the ministry said in a statement.

Thailand noted it is subject to the new 12.5% tariff by the U.S. under the forced labor provision, but the measure exempts around 2,120 items, representing more than half the value of Thai goods exported to the U.S.

China opposes unilateral tariffs in ‘all forms’

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it “opposes all forms of unilateral tariffs” in response to the new 12.5% tariffs.

“Tariff wars and trade wars do not serve any parties’ interests,” ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press conference.

Trade tensions have clouded relations between China and the U.S., two of the world’s biggest economies, as Trump’s hefty “Liberation Day” tariffs resulted in a sharp drop in Chinese exports to the U.S.

Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who agreed to set up new boards of trade and investment at their mid-May meeting in Beijing, are expected to meet again in September.

Some Chinese exporters say, however, the impacts are limited as the latest U.S. tariffs on China remain at lower levels than last year’s rates, which were initially 34%.

“Of course it’d be best if they (the tariffs) are not there,” said Richard Chan, manager of Golden Arts Gifts & Decor, which manufactures Christmas trees and decorations in the southern Chinese city of Dongguan and supplies globally to those including Walmart.

Golden Arts’ share of sales to the U.S., however, already have fallen as U.S. tariffs added more uncertainty. They have pivoted more to Europe, which now accounts for roughly 70% of their sales, Chan said.

The latest import duties might stick

Wendy Cutler, a former senior U.S. trade official, said the latest round of tariffs involved “few surprises” since they range just between 10% and 12.5%.

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office spent four months investigating the basis for those tariffs to meet legal requirements under Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974.

“Time will tell whether the third attempt to impose tariffs is the charm and this action stands up to legal challenges,” said Cutler, senior vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.

These duties are less likely than earlier ones to be overruled by U.S. courts, she said.

Further tariffs may be coming in the fall related to alleged structural excess capacity of trading partners, she noted.

Experts say these tariffs may be less disruptive

Washington has generally tended to engage in increased trade friction, William Bratton of BNP Paribas said in a research note Friday.

“On the positive side, however, these tariffs are lower than the earlier (Emergency Powers Act) ‘reciprocal’ tariffs and appear to exempt a substantial proportion of Asia’s current trade flows with the U.S.,” he said.

The Trump administration has made tariff exceptions, however, including imported goods that the U.S. does not produce, Cutler noted.

“This should reduce the impact of these duties. Nevertheless, they will contribute to higher prices both for end consumers and businesses importing inputs and machinery,” she said.

Immediate pushback, legal and political

There was immediate pushback, both legally, and politically.

The Liberty Justice Center, a libertarian advocacy group that successfully challenged earlier Trump tariffs, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York, challenging the double-digit import taxes that Trump imposed Friday.

The group called the new tariffs a pretext to allow Trump to maintain a wall of tariffs around the U.S. economy after the Supreme Court struck down big global taxes he’d imposed last year.

“The administration allowed one global tariff to expire and immediately replaced it with another under a different statute,” said Sara Albrecht, chair of the center. “Changing the statute doesn’t change the law. Every tariff authority has limits, and every administration must respect them.”

Her group represented businesses that successfully challenged Trump’s 2025 global tariffs.

Rep. Linda Sanchez, a California Democrat questioned the reasons for the latest slew of tariffs.

“If he was serious, he would not be applying the same tariff rate to China, one of the worst forced labor abusers in the world, as he does to countries like Australia,” she said. “Then again, unlike China, Australia doesn’t manufacture any Trump corporation products.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said Americans will be the ones paying for the new tariffs.

“Instead of continuing his disastrous tariff scheme, the president must put the American people first and revoke these harmful policies that are making everyday Americans’ lives flat-out unaffordable,” Gillibrand said. ”At home in New York and across the country, people are struggling, and they need relief.”

___

Chan reported from Hong Kong. Associated Press writers Tong-hyung Kim in Seoul, South Korea, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Grant Peck in Bangkok and Ken Moritsugu in Beijing, as well as AP Economics Writer in Washington, and AP Business Writer Michelle Chapman in New York, contributed to this report.

Biden's attorneys filed the notice of voluntary dismissal less than a week after a divided panel of appeals court judges rejected his bid to block the material's release. Biden could have petitioned the Supreme Court to intervene or asked for a rehearing by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

In a 2-1 ruling on Monday, a three-judge panel from the circuit court found a “substantial” public interest in disclosing the material that Biden wants to keep under wraps. The panel had suspended its decision until Aug. 3 to allow more time for Biden to consider his appellate options.

Circuit Judge Florence Pan wrote a dissenting opinion in which she said Biden has shown a “substantial privacy interest” in keeping the material hidden. The appeal also was heard by D.C. Circuit Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan and Judge Gregory Katsas.

Pan was nominated to the court by Biden, a Democrat. Srinivasan was nominated by President Barack Obama, also a Democrat. Katsas was nominated by President Donald Trump, a Republican.

Mark Zwonitzer, who worked with Biden on two memoirs, 2007’s “Promises to Keep” and 2017’s “Promise Me, Dad,” interviewed him at his home in 2016 and 2017. Biden’s lawyers say the conversations were candid, personal and intended to remain private.

The recordings were obtained by special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents from his time as a senator from Delaware and as Obama’s vice president. Republicans in Congress demanded the material after Hur declined to file charges against the then-president.

Biden sued and sought an injunction to prevent the Justice Department under Trump from releasing the recordings to Congress and the conservative Heritage Foundation. The department previously argued that the recordings were exempt from disclosure under public records law.

Biden appealed after U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, a Trump nominee, ruled in June that the public interest in the material outweighed whatever privacy rights Biden had.

Towering 407 feet (124 meters), Starship soared from the company’s base at the southern tip of Texas. NASA monitored the space-skimming flight, a critical step toward using the Starship as a lunar lander for moon crews.

The hourlong journey ended with a splashdown so soft that the spacecraft remained afloat in the Indian Ocean as the SpaceX webcast drew to a close, drawing cheers from employees back at the launch site.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX had replaced six of the 33 engines on the first-stage booster after some of them failed to ignite last week, resulting in a last-second launch abort. The previous Starship flight in May also experienced engine trouble, which prevented the booster from making a controlled return.

This time, all of the engines fired at liftoff, but not enough of them lit back up for the booster's return, causing it to descend too fast and slam into the Gulf of Mexico. The spacecraft continued soaring eastward, popping out the Starlinks one by one 124 miles (200 kilometers) up before reentering.

It was the 13th flight of the world’s biggest and most powerful rocket, and the second this year of the new version dubbed V3. Like the previous demo, neither the booster nor spacecraft was meant to be saved, instead plunging into the sea.

The stainless steel, retro-looking spacecraft hovered upright over the Indian Ocean before lowering into the water, more than 10,000 miles (16,000 kilometers) from where the flight began.

It was the best reentry yet, according to SpaceX, with the intact booster floating amid just a few flames. Previous flights ended with the spacecraft engulfed in flames and exploding at splashdown — or rupturing in midair.

“We're really pumped about this,” said SpaceX engineer Kate Tice, calling it “lucky flight 13.”

The Starlinks accomplished all their jobs before reentering over the Indian Ocean.

After being ejected from the Starship’s Pez-like dispenser, the Starlinks had just 20 minutes to communicate via lasers and radio before reentering. SpaceX said its engineers made contact and even downloaded data from each one. With more than 10,000 Starlinks currently providing internet, SpaceX boasts the world’s largest satellite constellation.

Six of the newly launched Starlinks carried cameras that photographed Starship’s heat shield at flight's end, beaming back amazingly crisp shots even as the spacecraft bobbed in the ocean. The heat shield was also equipped with sensors to measure the extreme pressure placed on the spacecraft during launch. Most of the heat shield’s thermal tiles were black, but some were deliberately painted white to simulate missing tiles, part of an experiment to test the shield’s robustness.

"We got all the heat shield data we needed and then some!" Musk said on X.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman offered congratulations. “Excited for what will be learned from this mission,” Isaacman noted on X.

SpaceX wants to make sure Starship’s heat shield can withstand the heat of entry before trying to return it to the Starbase launch pad near the Texas-Mexico border. The company already has used a pair of giant mechanical arms at the pad to capture a Starship booster. The company plans to do the same with the actual spacecraft, which is designed to be totally reusable.

NASA needs Starship to wrap up testing and reach orbit soon so the Artemis III astronauts — three Americans and one Italian — can practice docking their capsule with it next year.

Starship is also the vehicle with which Musk intends to build a city on Mars. He's already booking tourist trips to Mars, as well as the moon.

The latest test flight was delayed first by the July 16 launch abort, then again on Thursday by thick clouds from Tropical Storm Bertha.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Trump's move follows a report released July 4 by his Domestic Policy Council saying leaders of the Smithsonian and its National Museum of American History don't tell history “in a way that is inspiring, unifying, and worthy of our great republic.”

The president lacks authority to quickly fire the Smithsonian leadership or to order changes to exhibits, so his executive order targets the sidewalks out front, which are maintained by the National Park Service. His executive order calls for signs telling visitors about the White House report and directing them to resources for what he calls “accurate information regarding America’s history.” It also calls for a temporary exhibit that corrects information he deems inaccurate.

Smithsonian officials declined to comment on Trump's order.

Anthea M. Hartig, director of the American history museum, pushed back on the White House report during congressional hearings this week.

“As we continue to fact check the report, we unwaveringly attest that it does not fairly or accurately characterize the full body of work at the museum,” she told lawmakers. “There is always room for improvement. But I also know the beauty and the inspiration and the expertise that lies in our collections, our exhibits, and our programming.”

The Smithsonian operates outside the executive branch and museum directors report to Secretary Lonnie Bunch, who is subject to oversight from a Board of Regents.

Trump’s escalating effort to force changes at the Smithsonian marks the Republican president’s latest move to transform cultural pillars of society, such as universities and art, that he considers out of step with conservative sensibilities. Trump had himself installed as chairman of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with the aim of overhauling programming, and his handpicked board voted to add his name to the building, only to have a federal judge later order the signs to be removed.

Trump has also imposed changes on historical sites beyond Washington, including in Philadelphia, where the administration won a court ruling last week allowing it to reinstall interpretive panels that critics say whitewash the history of slavery at the site of President George Washington’s home. Advocates, academics and officials have been concerned for months that the version that complies with Trump’s order could give a history that plays down the pain in the nation’s past in favor of a more triumphant view.

Trump in March revealed his intention to force changes at the Smithsonian Institution with an executive order that targeted funding for programs that advanced “divisive narratives” and “improper ideology.”

A stray shower is not out of the question for Miami-Dade/Broward or the Keys Friday night.

Saturday morning may feature spotty showers or storms along the east coast. More scattered showers and storms are expected to develop during the afternoon.

Sunday will get off to a mostly dry start. Daytime heating will breed afternoon storms!

Temperatures will make a run for the low and mid 90s both days -- factor in humidity and it will feel like 100+°F.

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According to police, the incident was reported at 7:27 a.m. in the area of Northeast Miami Avenue and 80^th Terrace.

Miami Fire Rescue personnel took the victim, who is in his 60s, to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, police said.

Anyone with information about the robbery and stabbing is asked to call the Miami Police Department or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

En una orden de arresto, la policía presentó un caso basado en pruebas circunstanciales contra Alejandro Leon Jr. y Samantha Angelina Feliz. Indicó que el cuerpo de su bebé, identificada como “Angelina”, aún no ha sido encontrado, pero que los indicios, incluida evidencia de ADN en manchas de sangre, apuntan a que la menor murió.

La policía de Rockingham, Carolina del Norte, arrestó el miércoles a Leon, de 21 años, y a Feliz, de 20. Ambos enfrentarán múltiples cargos, incluido homicidio involuntario, cuando sean trasladados de regreso al sur de Florida.

Las autoridades informaron que la investigación comenzó después de que un familiar se comunicó con el Departamento de Policía de Hollywood en julio de 2025 para reportar que no había visto a la niña desde febrero de ese año y que la pareja había hecho declaraciones inquietantes asegurando que Angelina “era parte de una estafa y negaban haber tenido un bebé”.

Un familiar que se reunió con Feliz en un parque de Hollywood en marzo de 2025 dijo a los investigadores que, al preguntarle por Angelina, ella respondió: “¿Qué bebé? No hay ningún bebé”.

“Desde entonces, Feliz ha afirmado que nunca hubo un bebé, que el bebé era un engaño y que estaba estafando a todos para obtener dinero”, señala la orden de arresto del Departamento de Policía de Hollywood.

Sin embargo, la policía indicó que la pareja hacía referencia a la niña en mensajes de texto anteriores y que se habían tomado fotografías en las que Feliz aparecía visiblemente embarazada. Además, las autoridades informaron que ambos tomaron fotografías y videos con Angelina después de su nacimiento, el cual se cree ocurrió en la vivienda sin que se emitiera un certificado de nacimiento.

Las autoridades señalaron que la última fotografía de Angelina fue tomada el 5 de enero de 2025. La bebé lucía “visiblemente enferma y desnutrida”.

“En esta última fotografía, la víctima no muestra signos de vida”, indicó la policía sobre la imagen.

En un momento de la investigación, agentes del Departamento de Policía de Lantana, en el condado Palm Beach, localizaron y entrevistaron a la pareja, y ambos sostuvieron que “Feliz nunca estuvo embarazada y nunca dio a luz a un bebé”.

“También afirmaron que la historia fue inventada con la esperanza de que sus familias sintieran lástima por ellos y les dieran dinero”, escribió la detective del Departamento de Policía de Hollywood, Nancie Toler. “Durante la entrevista, Feliz indicó que existían numerosos mensajes de texto entre ella, Leon y familiares hablando del embarazo y de cómo ella había inventado toda la historia”.

La policía informó que Feliz afirmó haber estado “usando un vientre falso de embarazo para aparentar que estaba embarazada” como parte de la supuesta “estafa”.

“Además, durante dichas entrevistas, tanto Feliz como Leon dijeron que las autoridades nunca encontrarían un ‘registro’ de ningún bebé”, escribió Toler. “Feliz también insinuó que la bebé pertenecía a una adicta al crack y que ellos solo la estaban cuidando”.

Las autoridades informaron que un registro en una unidad de almacenamiento en Hollywood, donde se cree que la pareja vivió en algún momento, permitió encontrar “ropa de bebé, una prueba de embarazo positiva Clearblue Easy, una pistola semiautomática negra, lo que parecía ser una toalla con manchas de sangre, tres cuadernos con anotaciones sobre una revelación de género y un baby shower, además de múltiples dispositivos electrónicos”.

Los resultados del laboratorio criminalístico “indicaron la presencia de sangre en la ropa y las toallas del bebé”, y las pruebas de ADN demostraron que “provenía de un hijo biológico de Leon y Feliz”, señala la orden.

En la orden, Toler escribió que, desde el reporte inicial, las autoridades intentaron sin éxito localizar a Feliz y Leon.

“Además, durante el curso de esta investigación, las autoridades intentaron localizar los restos de la víctima utilizando perros especializados en la detección de cadáveres en las antiguas residencias de Leon y Feliz; sin embargo, todas las búsquedas dieron resultados negativos”, escribió la detective.

Toler presentó los fundamentos de los cargos de la siguiente manera:

Después de que las autoridades emitieran una orden de arresto, la pareja enfrentará cargos por homicidio involuntario agravado de un menor, alteración o fabricación de evidencia física, no reportar una muerte a la oficina del médico forense, proporcionar información falsa sobre un menor desaparecido y presentar denuncias falsas ante las autoridades durante una investigación.

La policía solicita a cualquier persona con información sobre el caso que se comunique con Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477.

Grados, de 65 años, nació dentro de una familia dedicada al bordado de banderas peruanas de colores rojo y blanco, pero también de mantos para vírgenes católicas populares, sombreros que usan los obispos en la semana santa y vestimentas de los sacerdotes durante la misa.

“Mi papá ha hecho bandas para 11 presidentes” durante 66 años, recordó Grados mientras ensartaba un hilo dorado dentro de una aguja.

Desde 2016, cuando reemplazó a su padre, Grados ha elaborado bandas para casi una decena de mandatarios. “Los presidentes no eran reemplazables como ahora”, comentó en referencia a la extensa crisis política que ha generado el cambio frecuente de mandatarios y que no cesó ni con la pandemia del coronavirus que mató a 217.000 en Perú.

Fujimori —de perfil conservador e hija del fallecido y condenado expresidente Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000)— se convertirá en la segunda mujer en gobernar Perú, pero la primera en llegar al poder en unas elecciones. El 7 de junio venció en un ajustado balotaje al progresista Roberto Sánchez por casi 50.000 votos.

La dirigente política llega al poder en medio del alza del crimen, que es la mayor preocupación social, y el hartazgo de los peruanos por la crónica inestabilidad política en el país sudamericano.

Desde 2016, cuando asumió la presidencia Pedro Kuczynski (2016-2018), Perú ingresó en una crisis política por el enfrentamiento entre el Congreso —liderado por el partido de Fujimori— y los diversos líderes del Ejecutivo que nunca obtuvieron una mayoría parlamentaria.

En esta década han gobernado ocho presidentes, en vez de los dos que fueron los elegidos en comicios democráticos.

El último a cargo del gobierno es el presidente interino José María Balcázar, un parlamentario al que el Congreso colocó en febrero y entregará el poder a Fujimori.

En ese intermedio de casi una década han gobernado Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-2018) quien renunció en medio de una investigación por presunta corrupción, Martín Vizcarra (2018-2020) destituido en 2020, Manuel Merino que dimitió tras seis días por protestas en 2020 que dejaron dos muertos y Francisco Sagasti quien encabezó un gobierno de transición (2020-2021).

La inestabilidad continuó con Pedro Castillo (2021-2022), destituido tras intentar disolver el Congreso en 2022, Dina Boluarte (2022-2025), cuyo gobierno estuvo marcado por protestas con 50 civiles muertos y terminó con su destitución, José Jerí (2025-2026) que gobernó cuatro meses y Balcázar.

Todos estos cambios de presidentes han provocado días febriles de labor en el taller de Grados. La banda que cuelga desde el hombro izquierdo de cada presidente hasta su muslo derecho se confecciona con satén de seda rojo y blanco, así como hilos metálicos bañados en oro. “Una de las cosas que más nos enorgullece es hacer este símbolo del poder”, comentó Grados quien estudió psicología, pero se dedicó al bordado.

La banda que el presidente saliente Balcázar entregará a Fujimori será una que ha sido prestada por el Parlamento para la ocasión debido a que cada mandatario se lleva su propia banda a casa, indicó Grados.

En 1950 su padre, que también se llamaba Dante, recibió el primer encargo de elaborar una banda presidencial para Manuel Odría (1948-1956), un militar que gobernaba desde 1948 tras ejecutar un golpe de estado, pero que en 1950 convocó y ganó las elecciones presidenciales luego de apresar al único candidato rival.

Desde esa época, la familia Grados comenzó a elaborar esos símbolos presidenciales en su taller ubicado en el casco urbano y más antiguo de Lima, fundado en 1532 por el español Francisco Pizarro y que casi tres siglos después se transformó en la capital de Perú, cuando empezó la república en 1821.

Raul Morales, 51, allegedly yelled the Arabic phrase “Allahu akbar” while attacking the two men Thursday on Manhattan's Upper West Side, according to police accounts of what witnesses told them.

Morales was initially arrested Friday on hate crime charges related to the Jewish man but not the other. He was arraigned later that day and charged with attempted murder and assault as hate crimes related to both victims.

As Morales was led out of a police station Friday evening, he shouted about seeking justice for someone. When reporters asked about the stabbings, he responded that he was “gonna talk about it” as he was ushered into a police car.

Morales' court-appointed attorney did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment late Friday.

The stabbings happened about two blocks apart Thursday afternoon, police said. Both victims were taken to a hospital and were expected to survive. They were in stable condition Friday, state Attorney General Letitia James said at a morning news conference with other officials and community leaders.

According to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, Morales approached the Asian man from behind and stabbed him with a knife “without provocation." Then, after walking four blocks away, he stabbed the Jewish man wearing a kippah with a screwdriver, prosecutors said.

A witness followed Morales as he fled to the apartment he was staying at, prosecutors said.

The Jewish victim was attacked just after leaving a nearby synagogue, called the Jewish Center, Rabbi Yosie Levine said.

“He was just trying to pray at his synagogue, and now we’re the ones praying for his recovery,” Levine said.

The Asian American Foundation, a New York-based advocacy group, said in a statement the attacks “underscore the persistent safety challenges” and mistreatment — from harassment to physical assault — facing Asian Americans in the city.

“We demand continued, meaningful investment in community safety and hate prevention that protects everyone,” the group said in a statement.

The charges Morales faces carry a consecutive total of 40 years in prison, prosecutors said. His next court appearance is scheduled for July 30.

Hate crimes in New York City have been on the rise in recent years, while overall violent crime rates have dropped, according to police data. Tisch said in April that more than half of all confirmed hate crimes in the city so far this year targeted Jewish people. Estimates of the size of the city's Jewish community vary, but it's far less than half the overall population.

“We are undeniably being disproportionately targeted, again and again and again,” City Comptroller Mark Levine said at the Friday morning news conference, where he also told Asian Americans: “We stand in outrage with you.”

James and Levine are Democrats.

Según MDSO, el tiroteo ocurrió en el 785 de 81st Street.

La sheriff confirmó a los periodistas que los agentes ejecutaban una orden de registro en la residencia en relación con violaciones a las leyes de armas de fuego por parte de un joven de 17 años y otro de 18.

Cordero Stutz dijo que el joven de 17 años salió de una habitación cuando llegaron los agentes, blandiendo un arma, momento en el que un agente le disparó y lo mató.

“Estos dos sujetos tienen amplios antecedentes penales por violaciones a las leyes de armas de fuego. Actualmente están en libertad condicional, son pandilleros registrados y llevan grilletes electrónicos en el tobillo”, dijo Cordero Stutz. “Las órdenes de registro son siempre una de las acciones más peligrosas que enfrentamos nosotros y todas las fuerzas del orden”.

Los agentes no identificaron de inmediato a los dos sospechosos ni al agente involucrado en el tiroteo.

“El joven negro de 17 años que falleció fue procesado como adulto y tiene múltiples delitos graves en su historial criminal”, afirmó la sheriff.

Se espera que el Departamento de Policía de Florida (FDLE) investigue el tiroteo.

Rafael Andres, de 61 años, fue declarado culpable en 2014 por el asesinato de Yvette Farinas, de 31 años, ocurrido en 2005.

Los detectives dijeron que Andres golpeó, apuñaló y estranguló a Farinas con un cable eléctrico antes de incendiar su vivienda.

Según The Miami Herald, Andres había sido contratado para realizar trabajos de remodelación en el efficiency donde Farinas vivía con su novio.

En 2015, Andres fue condenado a pena de muerte, pero un fallo de la Corte Suprema de Florida anuló esa sentencia.

Durante el último año, un jurado escuchó los argumentos de la fase de sentencia y nuevamente recomendó la pena de muerte.

El juez del condado Miami-Dade Zachary James tuvo la decisión final este viernes y podía optar por no seguir la recomendación del jurado. Sin embargo, el juez respaldó la recomendación y condenó nuevamente a Andres a la pena de muerte.

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According to MDSO, the shooting happened at 785 81^st St.

The sheriff confirmed to reporters that deputies were serving a search warrant at the residence in connection with possession of firearms violations by a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old.

Cordero Stutz said the 17-year-old came out of a bedroom when deputies arrived, waving a gun, at which time a deputy fired at the teen, killing him.

“These two subjects have extensive criminal pasts for firearms violations. They are currently on probation, they are registered gang members and are wearing ankle monitors,” Cordero Stutz said. “Search warrants are always one of our most dangerous actions that we and all law enforcement face.”

Deputies did not immediately identify the two suspects or the deputy involved in the shooting.

“The 17-year-old Black male who is deceased is an adjudicated adult with multiple felonious histories on his criminal record,” the sheriff said.

Yvonne Warner believes the teen was her son, Darrell Young.

“From my heart, my baby was everything to me, but he has been in trouble,” Warner said. “He ain’t no saint, but he most definitely was on a different track. He starts school Aug. 13. He just came home from boot camp he’s been doing everything I ask him (to) around the house.”

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is expected to investigate the shooting.

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Rafael Andres, 62, was convicted in 2014 of the 2005 murder of Yvette Farinas, 31.

Detectives said Andres beat, stabbed and strangled Farinas with an electrical cord before setting her home on fire.

According to The Miami Herald, Andres had been hired to do renovations at the efficiency Farinas lived in with her boyfriend.

In 2015, Andres was sentenced to death, but a Florida Supreme Court ruling overturned his sentence.

Within the last year, a jury heard sentencing phase arguments and once again recommended the death penalty.

Miami-Dade County Judge Zachary James on Friday had the final say and could have chosen to override the jury’s recommendation. But the judge followed the jury’s recommendation and sent Andres back to death row.

For Rene Azcarreta, the journey to this punishment goes back decades.

Andres killed his mother, Linda Azcarreta, back in 1987 -- a killing Andres only served 18 months in prison for.

“I was 7 years old. So I come home and I see her and she had already passed on,” Rene Azcarreta said.

The judge cited Linda Azcarreta’s death as an important aggravating factor to justify his death sentence for Farinas’s murder.

“The aggregator reflects the prior conviction. The defendant served his sentence and then committed the new felony decades later,” James said.

As Andres awaits his execution date, the families of his two victims will live on, forever linked.

“I love the Farinas (family). They’re the best people,” Rene Azcarreta said. “They lost a daughter, but gained a son. So we have that connection.”

“ @KingJames hey bro hope you’re having a good day...... Want to join us in philly?? Peace," Embiid wrote.

His recruitment skills were on point and James — the four-time NBA champion and career scoring leader — will join Embiid in a startling turn of events on the Philadelphia 76ers.

Ok, fine, just a short 12 years after the July 1, 2014, post.

The 76ers expect James to be worth the wait and hope he can win an NBA championship in Philadelphia much as he did in his previous three stops in Cleveland, Miami and with the Los Angeles Lakers.

The 76ers are used to playing the long game. The franchise hasn't won an NBA championship since 1983, when Julius Erving still soared and a year before James was born.

Certainly not as dominant as he was in his MVP heyday, LeBron James is still, well LeBron James and his addition should lift any team mired in the NBA mucky middle such as the Sixers into contention.

Throw him into in a lineup that includes a league MVP in Embiid, All-Stars Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown, and promising second-year standout VJ Edgecombe, and it's no shock the Sixers moved up few a few pegs Friday on the betting board and into the short list of favorites for an NBA title.

Just not the favorite.

James is again chasing a ring and his arrival on a two-year deal for the veterans' minimum of about $3.9 million per season shook up the Sixers and put the Eastern Conference on notice — yes, even the NBA champion Knicks — that a real championship contender might finally emerge in Philly.

The 76ers won the offseason

Here they come, team of the year?

The Sixers earned straight A's on their summer school report card even before James said he would sign with team.

The Sixers fired team president Daryl Morey and replaced him with longtime Cleveland executive Mike Gansey, who came out swinging for the fences in his first month on the job. He pulled off the shocker of a trade with Boston that landed them Brown — the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, a five-time All-Star and the league’s fourth-leading scorer this past season.

It's difficult to fathom that an oft-injured Embiid — who won Olympic gold with James — and Maxey alone would have been enough to coax James to Philadelphia.

But adding a stud like Brown?

Brown surely played a key deciding factor in James' decision — his “last” one, he says — and now the Sixers boast perhaps the top starting five in the NBA.

And boy, what a bargain.

There are some caveats, of course.

James turns 42 in December and there are a lot of miles on those legs. James battled injuries last season and played in only 60 games. Embiid has never been reliable with only 57 combined games played the last two seasons, and the Sixers have churned through a slew of imported stars over the last decade — James Harden, Jimmy Butler, Paul George — and still haven't advanced out of the second round since 2001.

There's only one ball and a lot of talent that has the resume to command it.

But with apologies to Wilt Chamberlain, many, many apologies, James becomes the most accomplished player to ever wear a 76ers uniform.

He won't be alone in that No. 23 uniform — Fanatics sold out almost instantly of his jerseys on Friday.

It’s also a big win for front office boss Bob Myers, who openly pitched for James to sign in Philadelphia on his agent’s podcast and won four championships as a Golden State Warriors executive.

The balance of power shifts in the East. Not by much

The Sixers ended their season with a second-round sweep to Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and the NBA champion Knicks.

The Knicks are still the team to beat. By talent, by virtue of winning it all and, at least out of the East, the betting favorite to again reach the NBA Finals.

The Knicks have largely stayed pat while other hopeful contenders went for major moves.

The Heat — hey, when exactly is that presser? — like their chances after they traded with Milwaukee for Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time MVP was the latest on a long list of superstar acquisitions made since Pat Riley arrived to take over as team president in 1995.

Much like the Sixers before they acquired Brown, the Heat are a two-star team with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Antetokounmpo, Adebayo and James would have made them a new Big 3, much like when James won titles in Miami with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Toronto is hopeful for a resolution to their held-up trade with the Los Angeles Clippers that should land them Kawhi Leonard. The trade is on hold pending the outcome of the NBA’s investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules.

It's a bad day for Cleveland

The Cavaliers would have loved a sentimental third tour with James and have the franchise's greatest player eventually retire in Cleveland.

James instead left the Cavaliers in a lurch, and they have to hope they can re-sign 36-year-old James Harden as part of a lineup that includes Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell.

They will be projected to finish behind the Knicks and 76ers in the East.

Don't forget, Detroit won 60 games last season and would like to prove its early playoff exit was a part of the growing pains of a contender.

LeBron's legacy

Look, James' legacy is set and not even a flameout in Philly is going to change his indelible stamp on the game from the court to the cash register.

There is one major mark he could hit should he send the Sixers on a parade route down Broad Street. He would become the first player to win NBA titles with four teams.

Sixers coach Nick Nurse turned 59 on Friday and there's no better professional gift he could have received than LeBron James.

Purchased on a discount rack.

Look for LeBron on opening night in New York. Look for LeBron on a Christmas game in Philadelphia. Look for LeBron to keep Sixers' tickets sky high on the secondary market even on nights when Embiid sits.

Look for the ride of a lifetime in Philadelphia where the franchise wants to reach the sky again just like it did with Dr. J.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

Miles, 17, of Knoxville, Tennessee, is one of more than 500 incoming first-year students at Howard who learned this week that they have been unenrolled from the prestigious, historically Black Washington, D.C., university and no longer have spots for the upcoming fall semester that begins Aug. 17.

Many have taken to social media — some in tears — to share their stories. Some posts have gone viral.

After Miles learned she had been unenrolled, her mother, Kendra Miles, said the school's automated system would not allow the family to enroll in a payment plan because the amount that was owed made them ineligible to sign up.

“I’ve reached out since we got the email (Wednesday). I've emailed, literally, everybody," Kendra Miles said. “I emailed her adviser. He responded and said it wasn't a mistake and there was nothing they could do.”

On Friday, Howard confirmed in an email that the school sent notifications to “502 first-time-in-college students whose accounts did not reflect the required enrollment and financial obligations by the previously communicated deadlines."

Starting in March, the unenrolled students began receiving specific communications about enrollment requirements, payment expectations and deadlines via email and orientation sessions, the school said.

“The university recognizes that timing differences may have occurred between when financial aid was reflected and when charges were finalized,” Howard said in the email. “Students who believe their account did not accurately reflect their financial standing at the deadline should contact the Bursar’s Office. Each case will be reviewed individually to determine whether adjustments or reinstatement are appropriate.”

Howard, one of about 100 historically Black colleges and universities in the United States, had an undergraduate enrollment last fall of about 11,000. The average annual tuition for undergraduate students living on campus is about $38,000. Housing costs are about $13,600.

Colleges try to walk a fine line

Robert Kelchen, a professor of higher education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, said colleges generally try to walk a fine line in making sure students can enroll, but also making sure students pay their bills.

Howard “either had students who owed a lot of money and they didn’t think a lot of students would pay, or potentially, they have a really big incoming class and they can replace those students,” Kelchen said.

Laverne Mickens coaches students and their families on how to apply for college scholarships. Mickens said that she answered more than 400 emails Wednesday and Thursday from students and families impacted by the enrollment situation at Howard. She said most of them were strangers and they were “frantic and crying.”

Students and parents are upset

“People are devastated,” said Mickens who runs The Scholarship College Mama LLC, which is not affiliated with Howard. “Parents are saying: ‘Can you help us? Howard unenrolled us.’ ”

A'Zariah Miles, who plans to major in biology, chose Howard over other schools that accepted her. Now, she is worried that it is too deep into the summer to enroll elsewhere.

“Everybody’s housing is booked, or I can’t enroll because it’s too late or I missed orientation,” she said. “I've been trying to continue to have hope with Howard, but I don't really have that much time before school starts and I don't really want to have a gap year.”

Like Miles and others, Saniah Collins learned Wednesday that she no longer was enrolled at Howard.

“My mom is part of a parent group chat,” said Collins, 17, of Atlanta. “That day we learned that a lot of students were getting unenrolled."

Collins received an email from the school Wednesday afternoon that said a July 10 deadline to pay her tuition balance or make payment arrangements had passed and the school no longer could hold her place.

But Collins said she was also told by an adviser that most of her balance for the fall semester was paid. She's not giving up.

“I worked like crazy to get into this school,” Collins said. “Howard has been my everything. My whole senior year, my whole summer I worked consistently on scholarships. We tried to make ourselves 10 steps ahead to make sure we were on the right page.”

Given that HBCUs are seen as caring and nurturing places for Black students, the mass removal of students from Howard’s fall enrollment is a bad look for the school, said Marybeth Gasman, an expert in higher education at Rutgers University.

“If it were me and it was over 500 students, I wouldn’t have done it in one day,” Gasman said. “I would have also done the due diligence of going through each one. Now, they are going to have to go back and do that.”

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Williams is as member of AP’s Race & Ethnicity team. He reported from Detroit.

Mahomes said Friday he visited earlier this week with Dr. Dan Cooper, the Dallas-based orthopedic surgeon who performed the operation, and that he met all the benchmarks necessary to report to Missouri Western State University on time.

The Chiefs begin practice Saturday for rookies, quarterbacks and players coming off injuries. Full-squad work begins next week.

None of those players is more important than Mahomes, who hurt his knee late in a loss to the Chargers in December. He underwent surgery immediately afterward, and rather than spend the offseason at his Texas home like usual, Mahomes toiled away at the Chiefs' practice facility, pushing forward with his rehab so he would be ready to go by the late-July start of camp.

“It was always the goal to be able to practice when I got to training camp. We kind of hit that step," Mahomes said. “Now, it's about building and keep getting better and better, so when the regular season comes around, I can be available.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Mahomes was fully cleared — no limitations at all — but that he would evaluate the cornerstone of the franchise on a daily basis. Whether he participates in any of the Chiefs' preseason games remains to be seen.

The preseason opener against the Rams is Aug. 15. But the far more important date is Sept. 14, when the Chiefs welcome the AFC West-champion Broncos to Arrowhead Stadium for a marquee Monday night showdown in Week 1.

“We'll see about games and all that once we get there,” Reid said, “but right now, we're just taking it day by day.”

Mahomes, who signed a lucrative restructured contract in June that will tie him to the Chiefs through the 2033 season, plans to wear a brace on his left knee, much like he did while recovering from an injury in college, in part because it doesn't really bother him.

But other than that, he plans to participate in camp just like he has for the past decade.

“Like, I'm a competitor,” Mahomes said, “so gameday, I'm going to want to be out there. But I understand the process of getting myself ready to play in the regular season is more important (than the preseason). But we'll see. I mean, the coaches and doctors will kind of make that decision for me, but I'll prepare myself like I'm going to play. And then if I'm just doing a very hard warmup, I'll take that as serious as playing in the preseason game. It's just a couple of weeks away, but it feels like a long ways away.”

Not nearly as long as it probably felt in December, when Mahomes was rehabbing largely by himself. He got some advice from Tom Brady and former teammate Tyrann Mathieu, who overcame similar injuries in their careers, about how to proceed, and then he found an unexpected virtual workout buddy in Eagles tight end Zach Ertz.

Ertz also tore his ACL last December, and the two would send each other videos of themselves doing deadlifts, sprints and agility, each trying to upstage the other as they progressed through the long, difficult days of the rehab process.

“They all said, ‘Stay on top of it,’” Mahomes said. “I mean, it's a long process. I remember sitting on the table and watching us play those last few games, how much it hurt me. But I knew that if I continue to work, I can be at this spot where I get cleared for practice, and now I'm trying to get to that spot where I'm cleared to play for the regular season.”

Notes: DT Omarr Norman-Lott is likely to begin camp on the physically unable-to-perform list after tearing his right ACL in October, Reid said. “Big guys with ACLs, it takes a little time to come back," he said. ... WR Rashee Rice was cleared to practice after surgery in May to clean up debris in his right knee. ... CB Mansoor Delane, the Chiefs' first-round pick, was undergoing physicals Friday and Reid is hopeful that he will be on the practice field soon. He hurt his shoulder during offseason workouts.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Thomas Goldstein, who also published a popular blog about the nation's highest court, had asked U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby to spare him from a prison sentence. Instead, the judge sentenced Goldstein to five years of supervised release after his prison term and ordered him to pay over $3.1 million in restitution, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Maryland.

Goldstein, 56, of Chevy Chase, Maryland, co-founded SCOTUSblog and argued over 40 cases before the Supreme Court before retiring in 2023 at age 52. He was a member of Democrat Al Gore's legal team in the Supreme Court litigation over the 2000 election ultimately won by Republican President George W. Bush.

Many friends and colleagues didn’t know the extent of Goldstein’s gambling until his January 2025 indictment, which sent shock waves through the legal community in Washington, D.C.

A jury found Goldstein guilty of 12 of 16 counts, including eight felonies, after a six-week trial that ended in February. Jurors convicted him of one count of tax evasion, four counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, four counts of willfully failing to pay taxes and three counts of mortgage fraud.

The trial in Greenbelt, Maryland, included testimony by “Spider-Man” star Tobey Maguire, an avid poker player who enlisted Goldstein’s help in recovering a gambling debt from a billionaire.

Prosecutors recommended a prison sentence of just over eight years for Goldstein. They say he concealed more than $25 million in income between 2016 and 2023, depriving the federal government of over $9.5 million in unpaid taxes.

“His motivation was singular: pure, unrelenting greed,” prosecutors wrote. “Whether funneling gambling income through offshore bank accounts, shaving millions off his true law firm income, or lying to his lenders, Goldstein’s crimes always sought to advance and maintain his exorbitant lifestyle, replete with Bentleys, globe-trotting vacations, and a $200,000 watch.”

Goldstein's attorneys argued that sparing him from prison would allow him to repay debts and address his severe addiction to gambling. He maintains that his conduct, while self-destructive, wasn't illegal.

“He should be retiring with significant life savings or, if he wanted to, continuing to practice law at the highest levels," defense lawyers wrote. "Instead, he has spent many years gambling with money he didn’t have, and gambling away money that he won, to the detriment of himself and his loved ones.”

Prosecutors say Goldstein diverted money from his law firm to pay gambling debts and falsely deducting gambling debts as business expenses. Goldstein also was accused of lying to IRS agents and hiding his gambling debts from his accountants, employees and mortgage lenders. He omitted a $15 million gambling debt from mortgage loan applications while looking for a new home in Washington, D.C., with his wife in 2021, his indictment alleges.

Goldstein, who testified at his trial, said he repeatedly instructed his law firm’s staff and accountants to correctly characterize his personal expenses. In a 2014 email, he told a firm employee that “we always play completely by the rules.”

Goldstein spent years gambling money he didn’t have, his lawyers say.

“He is not wealthy enough to sustain the losses of the billionaires he has played against, and he is not good enough at poker to win at the rate of professionals,” they wrote.

Prosecutors say Goldstein's crimes were motivated by “pure, uninhibited greed” and his “obvious disdain for the tax system.”

“We can and should expect more from every attorney and officer of the court — let alone one of Goldstein’s status,” they wrote.

The 98 people had illnesses that started between Nov. 21 and June 30, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. No deaths have been reported, but 26 people have been hospitalized.

Investigators have determined that shell eggs recalled by Midwest Poultry Services are a likely source of the germ, but the Indiana-based company doesn’t account for all the illnesses.

Midwest Poultry previously recalled eggs produced and distributed from farms in Texas between June 6 and July 3. The eggs were sold under several brand names and have sell-by or best-by dates between July 20 and Aug. 17.

Among the stores that received the recalled eggs were Kroger stores in Texas and Louisiana and Brookshire Grocery stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Mississippi.

Samples collected by Midwest Poultry at farms in Texas tested positive for salmonella, and genetic testing showed that some samples match the bacteria strain that sickened people, federal officials said.

Consumers should check their refrigerators for recalled eggs and throw them away or return them to stores for a refund.

Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration and stomach cramps. Most people who get sick recover within a week. Infections can be severe in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, who may require hospitalization.

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Among the violations: mold growing on food, cooked chicken contaminated by flies, rodent and roach activity, food kept at unsafe temperatures, mold-like buildup inside an ice machine, unsanitary kitchen conditions, and one business operating without running water.

No restaurants in the Florida Keys were ordered shut last week. All of the establishments later reopened after an ordered cleanup and passing a follow-up inspection.

**ANDREAS CAFETERIA & COFFEE SHOP

16679 NE 19TH AVENUE

NORTH MIAMI BEACH

ORDERED SHUT 7/13

11 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed 20+ rodent droppings on the floor at the front counter behind hand washing sink.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed 1 dead roach on the floor by the entrance of the bathroom in the kitchen.”

“Worn, torn and/or soiled floors/carpeting. Observed floor soiled in the kitchen hallway. Observed floor around the hot water heater and bathroom soiled. Observed front counter floor behind handwashing sinks heavily soiled.”

“Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Observed raw shell egg (52F - Cold Holding) stored in the walk in cooler overnight. Stop sale issued. Repeat Violation.”

“Required employee training expired for some employees.”

**QUATES MEXICAN RESTAURANT

3701 NORTH ANDREWS AVE.

OAKLAND PARK

ORDERED SHUT 7/16

14 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Food with mold-like growth. Cooked pork stored in walk in cooler with mold like growth. Stop Sale”

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed approximately 1 live roach behind wall mounted internet router on wall in ware washing area. Observed approximately 3 live roaches inside of gasket of cook line flip top cooler on cook line in kitchen. Observed approximately 2 live roaches inside of control panel on top of dish machine in ware washing area. Observed 1 live roach on ground under three compartment sink in kitchen.”

“Roach excrement and/or droppings present. Observed accumulation of roach excrement around wall mounted internet router on wall in ware washing area.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed 3 dead roach on ground in prep area next to kitchen area. Observed 1 dead roach in hand wash sink in prep area Observed 3 dead roaches on ground in walk in cooler. Observed 2 dead roaches on ground under storage rack in kitchen Observed approximately 10 dead roaches in control device located behind ansul tank on wall on cook line in kitchen Observed 1 dead roach on ground at front counter not in kitchen Observed 1 dead roach inside of 2 door stainless reach in cooler in kitchen. Observed 2 dead roaches inside of door frame/on hinge at 2 door stainless reach in cooler in kitchen. Observed approximately 5 dead roaches inside of control panel on top of dish machine.”

“Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. cooked beef (47F); cooked rice (49F); refried beans (48F); cooked white rice (48F); raw chicken (47F). Per operator items have been in unit overnight.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. oven: cooked rice (120F-130F - Hot Holding) being held inside of oven with no temperature control. Operator states rice was reheated approximately 1.5 hours ago, operator reheated to 165F and put in steam table. Repeat Violation.”

“Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable. Cook line cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable Repeat Violation.”

“Interior of microwave has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris.”

“Food manager certification expired.”

“Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. Multiple items stored in prep area hand wash sink.”

RE-INSPECTION 7/17

“Observed approximately 9 live roaches in establishment.”

“Observed approximately 5 dead roaches in establishment.”

**ASAHI RESTAURANT

9240 WEST COMMERCIAL BLVD.

SUNRISE

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 7/15

20 VIOLATIONS FOUND

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 4/28/25 (ROACH ISSUE)

“Food contaminated by live flying insects . See stop sale. Observed 4 live flying insects at food preparation station landing on precooked chicken.”

“Live, small flying insects found. -Observed 4 live flying insects at food preparation station landing on precooked chicken. -Observed approximately 10 live flying insects in dishwashing area landing on clean food containers and food preparation table. -Observed 5 live flying insects in storage area landing on container with cornstarch. -Observed 2 live flying insects at cook line landing on in-used cutting board.”

“Accumulation of dead or trapped birds, insects, rodents, or other pests, in control devices. Observed accumulation of dead flying insects on fly traps in kitchen.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed walls throughout kitchen soiled with accumulation of black mold like substances and old food residues.”

“Employee washed hands with no soap.”

“Employee washed hands in a sink other than an approved handwash sink. Observed employee wash his hands at dishwashing machine sprayer and then continue to engage in food preparation without changing.”

“Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed food container stored inside hand wash sink next to cook line.”

**EL RANCHO BAKERY AND RESTAURANT

6023 KIMBERLY BLVD.

NORTH LAUDERDALE

ORDERED SHUT 7/15

19 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. 1 live roach on dry storage rack next to cans of corn at end of cook line next to exit door. 5 live roaches seen crawling in the crease of wall behind chest freezer in ware washing area. 1 live roach under shelf where dry beans are stored at the end of cook line next to exit door.”

“Dead roaches on premises. One dead roach under dry storage rack next to exit door.”

“Cooked/heated time/temperature control for safety food not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within 6 hours. Observed in walk in cooler , two buckets of black beans cooling covered overnight in deep bucket , cooked beans container #1 (51F - Cooling ),container #2 (52F - Cooling). Per operator items were held in unit overnight exceeding 6 hours. See stop sale.”

“Cooked/heated time/temperature control for safety food not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 70 degrees Fahrenheit within two hours and from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within six hours. See stop sale. Cooked/heated time/temperature control for safety food not cooled from 135 degrees Fahrenheit to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within 6 hours. Observed in walk in cooler , two deep buckets of black beans cooling covered overnight cooked beans container #1 (51F - Cooling ), container #2 (52F - Cooling). Per operator items were held in unit overnight exceeding 6 hours.”

“Employee began working with food, handling clean equipment or utensils, or touching unwrapped single-service items without first washing hands. Observed operator came to work, put on gloves and went to cook line to start making orders without washing hands. Educated operator on proper hand washing procedures . Operator washed hands and put on new pair of gloves.”

“No currently certified food service manager on duty with four or more employees engaged in food preparation/handling.”

“Proof of required state approved employee training not available for some employees.”

**LAS CARNITAS LATIN CUISINE

3305 NORTH FEDERAL HIGHWAY

POMPANO BEACH

ORDERED SHUT 7/17

12 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Dead roaches on premises. 1. One dead roach observed under clean utensil rack in ware washing area. 2. Approximately 30 dead roaches observed on glue board monitor under microwave at front counter.”

“Live, small flying insects found 1. Observed approximately 20 live, small flying insects resting on wall around dish machine in ware washing area. 2. Observed 2 live, small flying insects resting on breadcrumbs container at storage rack in kitchen. 3. Observed 2 live, small flying insects resting on wall next to cookline in kitchen. 4. Observed 1 live, small flying insects resting on cup stored on top of microwave at front counter. 5. Observed 4 live, small flying insects resting on shelf and on single service Styrofoam food containers in kitchen. 6. Observed 6 live, small flying insects resting inside cabinet space for and on bottled drink mixes at front counter.”

“Interior of microwave has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris opposite cookline in kitchen.”

“Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine.”

“Ceiling tiles and vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance in kitchen.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. 1. Observed on door gaskets at both three door reach in coolers opposite cookline in kitchen. Repeat Violation.”

**SWEET BUBBLE

20505 S. DIXIE HIGHWAY

CUTLER BAY

ORDERED SHUT 7/16

11 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Live, small flying insects found observed 5 live flies flying around the booth and landing on 3 compartment sink and clean equipment.”

“Food-contact surfaces not sanitized after cleaning, before use. Do not use equipment/utensils not properly sanitized. At the time of the inspection there is not running water at the 3 compartment sink. As per employee they run out of water since last week. Establishment has been closed since Monday.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Observed under 3 compartment sink.”

“Establishment operating with no potable running water. Observed establishment does not have water at the time of the inspection. As per employee the establishment has not running water since last Sunday.”

“No running water at three-compartment sink. Observed not running water at the time of the inspection. As per operator since last Sunday. Establishment has been closed since Sunday. They opened today.”

“Water with a temperature of least 85 degrees Fahrenheit not provided/shut off at employee handwash sink. Observed there is not cold neither hot water at the hand wash sink at the time of the inspection.”

El canciller venezolano, Félix Plasencia, indicó en X que el país sudamericano comunicó al secretario general de Naciones Unidas, António Guterres, la decisión de “denunciar el Estatuto de Roma e iniciar su retiro definitivo de la CPI, conforme al Artículo 127”.

El anuncio se produjo más de siete meses después que la Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela, de abrumadora mayoría oficialista, aprobó por unanimidad una ley para derogar el instrumento legal que hace casi 26 años ratificó la adhesión al Estatuto de Roma —constitutivo de la CPI— en un primer paso para retirar al país de ese tribunal.

“Venezuela considera que la actuación de la Corte responde a un sesgo geográfico demostrado, que ha concentrado su labor de manera desproporcionada en países africanos y latinoamericanos, en detrimento del Sur Global”, dijo Plasencia en un comunicado. “Este patrón revela una justicia internacional que, lejos de aplicarse con equidad, ha sido instrumentalizada para profundizar las desigualdades entre los pueblos y desconocer su derecho a la autodeterminación y a la soberanía”.

El canciller consideró que el tribunal “ha puesto sus mecanismos al servicio de intereses ajenos a la justicia y a los pueblos que dice proteger”. Sostuvo que Venezuela rechaza “esta dimensión de lawfare” —en alusión al uso mal intencionado de las leyes y de los tribunales como arma política— “que perpetúa la persecución contra el pueblo venezolano y agrava las desigualdades que la justicia internacional debería corregir”.

Además reafirmó el compromiso del gobierno con una justicia equitativa y “respetuosa de la soberanía”.

Venezuela ratificó el Estatuto de Roma en junio de 2000 durante el mandato del entonces presidente Hugo Chávez (1999-2013). La CPI ejerce jurisdicción sobre los crímenes cometidos en el territorio de Venezuela o por sus nacionales a partir del 1 de julio de 2002.

La CPI es un tribunal de última instancia que investiga crímenes de guerra, de lesa humanidad y otros delitos graves cuando las naciones no pueden o no quieren hacerlo, un sistema conocido como complementariedad.

El artículo 127 del Estatuto de Roma establece los pasos que un Estado miembro debe seguir si desea retirarse de ese tribunal. Debe informar al secretario general de las Naciones Unidas y el retiro entra en vigor un año después de la recepción de la notificación. Anunciar la retirada, sin embargo, no libera al país de sus deberes bajo el tratado.

Cruces de Maduro con la fiscalía de la CPI

El ahora depuesto presidente Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026) acusó a la Fiscalía de la CPI de “desentenderse” de sus deberes luego de que el fiscal adjunto de La Haya, Mame Mandiaye Niang, anunciara en diciembre pasado el cierre de su oficina en Caracas.

En 2023 el gobierno de Maduro y la Fiscalía de la CPI acordaron abrir una oficina en Venezuela con el propósito de facilitar la investigación de presuntos crímenes de lesa humanidad que pesa sobre la administración de Maduro por la actuación de la fuerza pública en las protestas de 2017.

El fiscal adjunto de la CPI indicó que se tomó la decisión de cerrar la oficina por una falta de “progreso real” en la “complementariedad” con el gobierno venezolano. Ese recinto permitía a la organización trabajar de manera más cercana con las autoridades del país.

La Fiscalía de la CPI resaltó que la investigación “permanece activa” y un equipo de esa instancia judicial seguirá trabajando desde La Haya.

La CPI tiene una investigación abierta sobre la violencia que siguió a los comicios venezolanos de 2017, pero por ahora no ha emitido ninguna orden de detención.

El ahora exfiscal jefe del tribunal mundial, Karim Khan, anunció a fines de 2021 que abriría una investigación tras una prolongada pesquisa preliminar y una solicitud de investigación formal presentada en 2018 por Argentina, Canadá, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay y Perú.

Khan, también el viernes, fue destituido de su cargo. Fue la primera vez que un fiscal jefe es removido de su puesto.

Khan fue apartado temporalmente de sus funciones en la CPI en junio pasado, a la espera de la votación del viernes, después de que un informe del comité ejecutivo del órgano de supervisión del tribunal concluyera que había incurrido en “conducta indebida grave”.

“They not only tackled him, not only tased him, not only kicked him, but you saw they shot him three times in his head and other parts of his body,” Crump said.

He spoke at an emotional news conference with Ruiz's mother, siblings and 13-year-old daughter, Kah’liyah Aliomar.

Ruiz, 38, was killed on a busy city street Wednesday, just a couple of blocks away from his daughter's home and along the route she walks to school. Police say Ruiz pulled a knife during a struggle with four officers, injuring one of them. That officer then fired the shots, according to police. All four officers have been placed on administrative leave pending a state investigation, and the officer who fired the shots has not yet been identified.

Aliomar cried as she described learning of her father’s death.

“My heart was broken and hurt so much knowing I can’t see my father anymore,” she said.

His mother Elsa Ruiz said she never imagined she would have to bury her son.

“He was my love. He loved his daughter, he loved his family. He did not deserve to be taken out like that. They took my baby from me,” she said, sobbing.

The family promised to seek justice for Ruiz’s death, which Crump called an unjustified “execution.”

“Anytime there is excessive use of force, there should be accountability,” Crump said. He said it was “shocking on every level.”

The shooting was captured on cellphone video that was widely shared online, though Madison Police Chief John Patterson cautioned Thursday that the video did not show the altercation from the police officers’ perspective.

But unlike nearly every other similarly sized city, Madison doesn’t require its police to use body-worn cameras, so there is no footage from the officers’ perspective. Over the last decade city officials have repeatedly debated adopting the cameras — at times creating subcommittees and doing studies on the idea — but local officials have primarily blamed budget concerns and political inertia for the ongoing stalemate.

Another common source of opposition, identified in a 2021 feasibility study, came from community groups worried the cameras would be used to surveil and criminalize marginalized groups. Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said Thursday that she expects the new budget that takes effect in January to include funding for body-worn cameras.

“Thank God there was video,” Crump said. “If there wasn’t video, imagine what the narrative would have been.”

Wisconsin court records show Ruiz had been in and out of jail over the past decade for mostly misdemeanor offenses including disorderly conduct, drug possession, auto theft, battery and invasion of privacy. He was also convicted of felonies including possession of cocaine and marijuana, robbery, strangulation, resisting an officer and causing bodily harm.

“People are saying he’s a criminal. So what? He had a family, he had me,” Aliomar said, breaking down into tears.

Police said they were at the street to investigate reports that someone was trying to enter parked cars, something Crump said amounted to only the suspicion of a low-level property crime.

“I need somebody to help me understand why they felt it was OK to execute my brother based on no facts at all,” Veronica Ruiz said. “I hope everyone continues to support and come together and find justice for him.”

The police chief has released few details about the shooting. Patterson said Thursday that a Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation probe must run its course. A separate investigation by the city’s independent police monitor is also underway.

“The situation was clearly dangerous,” Patterson said, and that he did not know the extent of the knife injuries sustained by the officer. He also said he wanted transparency and accountability in the investigation.

The killing sparked protests, calls for justice from elected officials and anger from a community where police have killed three people in the same neighborhood since 2012.

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This story has been updated to correct that Corey Ruiz's daughter's last name is Aliomar, not Ruiz.

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Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.

Ambas cancillerías acordaron que en una primera etapa reactivarán las relaciones consulares, como paso inicial a la reanudación plena de los vínculos bilaterales y para “asegurar la protección y los servicios consulares en favor de sus connacionales que residen en ambos países hermanos”.

El 30 de julio de 2024, Venezuela rompió relaciones con Perú porque Lima reconoció al entonces candidato opositor Edmundo González como presidente electo en los comicios de ese mes frente al entonces mandatario Nicolás Maduro, quien fue depuesto a inicios de año por fuerzas militares de Estados Unidos y llevado a ese país para enfrentar acusaciones de narcotráfico. Su vicepresidenta, Delcy Rodríguez, asumió como mandataria interina del país sudamericano.

El canciller peruano de esa época, Javier González-Olaechea, había indicado que Maduro deseaba “por la vía de una dictadura perpetuarse en el poder” tras realizar un “fraude” en los comicios de ese año.

Perú informó en 2024 que, tras la ruptura de relaciones con Venezuela, Brasil se iba a encargar de proteger los intereses de Perú en Venezuela así como la cooperación consular para los peruanos en ese país además de custodiar los locales diplomáticos peruanos, sus bienes y archivos.

La agencia de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados (ACNUR) dijo en 2022 que los venezolanos en Perú constituyen casi el 3,5% de la población de unos 33 millones y que Lima —donde hay 1,1 millón de venezolanos— es la primera ciudad del mundo en cantidad de personas venezolanas desplazadas.

El representante de ACNUR en Perú, Federico Agusti, señaló en abril de 2022 que “si Lima estuviera en Venezuela sería la tercera ciudad de Venezuela con el mayor número de venezolanos”.

Paramount said in a filing Friday that it won't close its Warner buyout until either a court ruling is made on the states' claims or June 1, 2027. The agreement comes just days after U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín granted a temporary restraining order to freeze the transaction for weeks, noting that the states had raised some “serious questions” and made a strong case about the merger's potential to “substantially lessen competition.”

Paramount and the states have also agreed to cancel an preliminary injunction hearing that was set for Aug. 3. The states’ case in now headed down the path toward a larger antitrust trial.

Both sides touted the delay as a victory.

The result was “exactly what we have sought from the outset: a direct path to a trial based on the evidence," Paramount said in a statement. The company, which was bought by Skydance just last year, added that it looked forward to proving its transaction is “good for competition, good for consumers, and good for creators.”

Meanwhile, California Attorney General Rob Bonta — who is leading the states' case — called the delay great news for audiences, movie theaters and entertainment and media workers nationwide.

“Our argument against this illegal merger is straightforward: When too few corporations have too much power in markets central to American life, it makes things more expensive, and it makes things worse,” Bonta said in a statement. He added that the states were eager to see their challenge through court and ensure the Paramount-Warner combo "never sees the light of day.”

The Writers Guild of America has also filed a lawsuit seeking to block the merger, arguing that the deal would cause specific harm to movie and TV writers. The delay will give more time for that case to make its way through court, too.

States argue merger would harm Hollywood competition

A Warner-Paramount tie-up would bring together two of the last five legacy studios in Hollywood and a host of TV networks that include CNN. Warner’s HBO Max streaming service and fan favorite titles like “Harry Potter” would come under the same roof as Paramount-owned CBS and the Paramount+ streaming service, which includes titles like “Top Gun."

Last week, the 12 states — which, beyond California, also include entertainment heavyweights like New York — sued to block the buyout, alleging that such a combination would “extinguish competition” in Hollywood and lead to fewer choices for consumers, particularly moviegoers and cable customers.

Paramount has repeatedly called the states' claims meritless and not reflective of the current industry. The company points to tech and streaming giants’ growing reach across the entertainment industry and argues the merger would help it compete with bigger rivals like Netflix (which once wanted to buy much of Warner’s business itself) and others “who have harmed the market for theatrical exhibition.”

The states' complaint doesn’t focus specifically on streaming. It alleges that the merger violates the Clayton Act — a key federal antitrust law — due to anticipated reach across three markets: theatrical movie distribution, theater releases of bigger blockbusters and the licensing of basic cable channels.

Trump administration says deal would benefit consumers

The challenge by the states — all of which have Democratic attorneys general — notably contrasts with the Trump administration’s effective greenlight of the deal. The U.S. Justice Department announced in June that it wouldn’t challenge the merger, and instead released an unusually long statement ruling that a Paramount-Warner tie up would bring “benefits for American consumers and workers.”

The Justice Department maintained that its review wasn’t political. But critics have raised their eyebrows — and pointed to Republican President Donald Trump’s close relationship with the billionaire family of Paramount CEO David Ellison. Many eyes are also on Warner assets like CNN, a network that has long attracted ire from Trump and members of his administration, particularly in light of editorial turmoil at Paramount-owned CBS following Skydance's takeover.

Friday's delay “materially reduces the near-term concern that a politicized Paramount would control CNN during the 2026 midterms,” noted Mike Proulx, vice president and research director at Forrester.

Still, there is uncertainty farther down the road.

“I’ve said from the start that anyone who thinks they know how this deal ends should think again," Proulx wrote. “What we know is that the path to either outcome just got longer, messier, and likely more expensive.”

The now monthslong delay could become very costly for Paramount. The company previously pledged to start paying Warner shareholders added “ticking fee” compensation amounting to about $7 million per day if the deal wasn’t closed by Sept. 30.

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

Beyond the U.S., Paramount has also touted regulatory clearances in countries like Canada, China and Australia. The European Union also gave the deal its blessing, conditional on company commitments to adjust film distribution partnerships there. Meanwhile, ongoing reviews continue in the U.K., which has separately suggested it may intervene.

He's hoping to put Roger Penske back in victory lane at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and he'd like to add a second crown jewel win to his resume. At the same time, he's chasing a $1 million pay day — if he finishes ahead of surprise finalist Todd Gilliland in NASCAR's second In-Season Challenge.

Blaney's solution is to simplify matters by sweeping both titles Sunday with one amazing Brickyard 400.

“We obviously understand what we're going for with the In-Season Challenge,” Blaney said before Friday's short practice. “But at the same time, you're trying to win the race. That's the big one here — and trying to win for Roger at this place is incredibly important in our race shop and to everyone on this team. So I've looked at it as like, just go try to run the best race you can and focus on that.”

Blaney heads into race weekend as the favorite in the final round of the challenge. The 2023 Cup champion has strung together 11 consecutive finishes of 11th or better, a feat he's achieved in 17 of 21 races this season. Two weeks ago in Atlanta he captured his second win of the year.

Now the Ohio-born Blaney returns to the Midwest ranked third in points, 19 behind Tyler Reddick, the 2022 Brickyard 200 champ who is trying to become the first Cup driver to win on the track's road course and the historic 2.5-mile oval that will be used Sunday.

Reddick said he wasn't sure if team owner Michael Jordan would attend the race.

Gilliland, meanwhile, has struggled lately. His eighth-place finish at North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, was his first top 10 in 13 races, and the 26-year-old enters the weekend 23rd in points, though he's continued to do just enough to keep advancing through the challenge rounds.

But facing his toughest test yet, Gilliland seems to be adopting a “Hoosiers”-like attitude.

“We've caught a lot of lucky breaks. We've barely been skating by all these rounds,” the Front Row Motorsports driver said. “But now that we're here, yeah, it feels a bit more real and you never know, right? Four hundred miles, anything can happen. So we're just going to go give our best effort and try not to think about what it would be like if we won.”

Neither finalist was near the top of Friday's leaderboard, though.

Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing posted the fastest lap of the day at 183.512 mph, leading Toyota to a top-five sweep. John Hunter Nemechek of Legacy Motor Club was second at 183.180, followed by Ty Gibbs, Bell's teammate; Erik Jones, Nemechek's teammate; and Denny Hamlin of JGR, who still needs a Brickyard win to capture the fourth and final crown jewel title with time running shot on the 45-year-old's career.

“I've got a couple shots in this left, so I think more desperate," Hamlin said when asked about his level of desire to win at Indy. “I'm certainly willing to take a small risk here on a restart, whatever it might be, on strategy, something to give us a real shot to win because this is like the Daytona 500.”

Gilliland and Blaney, who sat side by side at microphones Friday, view the Brickyard similarly even though they know fans will be watching the race inside the race just as closely as the final charge across the Yard of Bricks.

In practice, Blaney also had the advantage. He was ninth on the speed chart at 182.526, the top speed of the Ford drivers. Gilliland, who also drives a Ford, was 28th at 180.712.

Will that make a difference Sunday?

“We beat them here last year so I don't know why we can't do it again,” said Gilliland, who finished sixth — one spot ahead of Blaney in 2025 at Indy. “But, yeah, overall, I think it's fair to say we're big underdogs. At the same time, anything can happen.”

Even, perhaps, Blaney's highly coveted sweep.

“I got knocked out in the first round last year in Atlanta so it was nice to kind of go be part of it, see you racing every single week and go through the gauntlet,” he said. “So nice to end it here at Indy. I think it's a great place to end it, an amazing race track. It will be exciting.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed July 7 when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers chased his white work van through the streets, then shot him through the window in front of his work crew, including his brother.

Salgado Araujo’s sons read from prepared remarks at a Houston hearing with Democratic members of Congress. The sons' voices often choked with emotion as they described their father as a humble and hardworking family man. He lived without legal status in the U.S. for 35 years, ran a homebuilding business and had never been in trouble with the law.

“He didn’t need anybody to know his name,” Lorenzo Salgado Araujo Jr. told the hearing, held by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. “He worked hard to protect and provide for our family, to put me and my siblings through college. He taught us that good things come to those that work hard.”

The Department of Homeland Security said shortly after the shooting that Salgado Araujo had rammed his van into the immigration vehicles chasing him, then “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer,” and that the officer fired in self-defense. The officers were not wearing body cameras.

Passengers in Salgado Araujo’s van describe a different version of events

At least two of the passengers in the van have disputed the government's account, saying the officers crashed into the van and were safely on the sides of the vehicle, never in danger of being struck, when the officer fired. All three passengers in the van were arrested and remain in immigration detention. One of them is Salgado Araujo’s brother, Victor, whose account of the killing is not public because his petition for release is sealed.

Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare told the hearing that DHS, which oversees ICE, has ignored his requests for information and evidence, including the name of the officer who fired the fatal shot.

Nevertheless, he said, his office was making “significant progress.” He declined to discuss specific evidence or speculate on when his office’s investigation would end.

Salgado Araujo’s sons said their father would have never run from officers, who were driving unmarked vehicles, if he’d known who they were. They had talked as a family about what they would do if he encountered ICE, and they said he believed he would find a way to get back home to them.

Salgado Araujo’s sons describe an excruciating wait for information

They said he was a man of routine. The day he was killed started as most did: He woke up before dawn, his wife cooked him a hearty breakfast, then he said goodbye to her and their dog. He got into his white van, said a prayer and left before 6 a.m. to pick up his crew.

Ronaldo Salgado said his mother called him around 7 a.m. to say something bad had happened. He saw a Facebook post about an encounter with immigration officers and rushed to the scene. He was there for hours, he said, begging officers and neighbors for information, even asking one homeowner to climb onto her roof to survey the scene.

Then a Facebook video appeared.

“I learned again from a Facebook post that our dad had been shot,” he told the hearing. “Not because I could see him, but because I could hear his voice on videos posted online crying for help.”

He rushed to the hospital. More hours passed before Democratic U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia demanded answers, and they learned he was dead.

Garcia said the Democratic delegation has sent multiple letters to DHS and ICE about the shooting and has received no response. The delegation also invited representatives of the department and the administration to attend the hearing, and they declined.

An email sent to DHS by The Associated Press seeking comment Friday was not immediately returned.

The FBI executed a search warrant on the van, alleging that officers saw several small bags inside filled with a white substance that appeared to be methamphetamine. Salgado Araujo's sons said the insinuation that their father was involved in drug trafficking was “absurd.” The substance, the family said, was a salt mixture that the crew used as electrolytes to stay hydrated while working under the blazing sun.

Teare, the district attorney, said later Friday on the social platform X that the substance tested negative for any illegal drugs.

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo Jr. called what happened to them “a kafkaesque nightmare.” They said they mourned not only for their father but also for the families of others killed by immigration officers, including Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a 26-year-old who was shot in Maine days after their father.

The sons say they want justice

The sons called on Congress to make sure justice is served.

Salgado Araujo Jr. asked people to imagine what the brothers were experiencing by picturing a loved one “pinned to the ground in pain and yelling out in desperate need of help.”

“Picture the anger and helplessness of watching that person bleed out through a video on your phone. What would you do after?” he said. “How would you cope with the feeling of losing your protector, your role model, your mother’s loving partner, your grandmother’s little boy?”

He added, “That feeling you feel right now is only a fraction of what my family and I have felt these past 17 days.”