Good’s partner, Becca Good, and her brother Brent Ganger on behalf of her larger family, accused the government and Jonathan Ross, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer who shot into her SUV and killed her, of unjustified and excessive use of force.

The Jan. 7 shooting, captured on bystander video, was “the predictable and intended product” of the Trump administration’s crackdown on Somali and other immigrants in Minnesota dubbed Operation Metro Surge, according to one of the two lawsuits.

“She was the love of my life,” Becca Good said at a news conference announcing the lawsuits. “I’m here today because last January, the whole world had to watch as our entire universe was destroyed — as the sunshine who was my amazing Renee was robbed from us, from her children, and from her community.”

The lack of accountability stuns Good’s family

The killings of Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, and another U.S. citizen, Alex Pretti, in Minneapolis just weeks later sparked outrage across the country and calls to rein in immigration enforcement. At least 10 people have died in encounters with immigration officers during Trump’s second term.

The crackdown, a pillar of Trump’s second term, has prompted a slew of lawsuits filed by everyone from Chicago-area pastors to more than a dozen states and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Hundreds of protesters have been arrested, but few have been convicted of any crimes.

“What happened to Renee was completely senseless,” Ganger said. “And the fact that there’s been no accountability, no investigation, no expression of condolence, no change in policy is completely mind blowing.”

The lawsuits — one against the government, the other against Ross and officials including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, ex-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House border czar Tom Homan — seek unspecified damages for wrongful death, conspiracy and other violations.

“Our government has become a grave and mortal threat to its own citizens,” the family’s lawyer, Antonio Romanucci, told reporters.

The Justice Department has not responded to an email seeking comment.

Ross shot Good as she turned her car away from him

Renee Good was killed while driving with Becca on a street where masked federal immigration officers were conducting an enforcement operation. They had just dropped their 6-year-old son at school. Renee stopped their red SUV in the street and honked her horn to warn people about the operation while Becca got out and started recording video with her cellphone.

Bystander video shows Renee Good in the driver’s seat, her car blocking part of the road, as she repeatedly honks the horn. Two immigration officers get out of a truck, their faces covered, and one orders Good to get out of the car. She reverses briefly, then turns the steering wheel as an officer again demands: “Get out of the car.”

Almost simultaneously, Becca Good, standing in the street, shouts: “Drive, baby, drive!”

The officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and fires into the windshield. He lurches back as the car turns away from him. The officer, by then very close to the open window on the driver’s side, fires two more times, fatally shooting Renee Good, according to an analysis of the videos by The Associated Press and others.

Federal officials at the time said the officer acted in self-defense and that Good had engaged in “an act of domestic terrorism.”

Becca and Renee Good were not legally married, according to a family lawyer, but referred to one another as wives. They had only recently relocated to Minneapolis from Kansas City, Missouri.

“I don’t hate the people that took Renee from us,” Becca Good said.

“But what I want them to understand: Every single day they get to look at their children and their wives and their sisters and know what they took from our family. They took a mother away from her children. They know that. And they will carry it forever.”

Government tried to hide the truth, lawsuit says

The wrongful death lawsuit against the U.S. government seeks damages for “the immense suffering” Good endured in her final moments and her family’s “profound and permanent” loss.

The other lawsuit, against Ross and top federal immigration officials, paints Operation Metro Surge as a conspiracy to trample the civil rights of immigrants, and accuses the administration of targeting Becca instead of thoroughly investigating Good’s killing.

The government sought to hide evidence of what happened, it said, and officials worried that pursuing a civil rights investigation would undermine Trump’s claims that Good had tried to kill an officer.

The operation, the conspiracy lawsuit said, was a “carefully planned, coordinated effort” to make Somali and Hispanic immigrants “the object of aggression and abduction.” The crackdown used violence and the threat of arrest to intimidate neighbors and allies “who observed, documented and warned.”

Other defendants include: Corey Lewandowski, a Trump campaign manager who also served as one of Noem’s advisers; former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Todd Lyons; former U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino; and 10 unnamed federal agents.

The news conference announcing the lawsuits was held in the atrium of the University of St. Thomas School of Law, and dozens of law students looked on as the family and lawyers spoke.

“The time is absolutely now for accountability for the deep damage done by ICE and others,” Ganger said. “We will not be quiet. We will not go away.”

Lawsuits are ‘uphill battles’

Good’s lawyers acknowledged the complexity of the cases, and legal scholars said they could be challenging to win.

“They’re going to face significant uphill battles,” said Rachel Moran, a professor at the University of St. Thomas law school. “These are both complicated types of lawsuits, and so I can’t predict how they will play out. But I’m sure the government will have many, many types of responses to why the lawsuits should not go forward.”

But she noted the conspiracy lawsuit, in particular, could reveal many unknown details about the crackdown, including the involvement of some of the country’s top officials.

“Yes, ICE agents on the ground acted problematically, but that was at the behest, in many ways, of people very high up in the administration,” she said.

___

McCormack reported from Concord, New Hampshire.

In an ad, the campaign of U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican candidate, accused David Jolly, a former U.S. representative and the Democratic candidate, of wanting “government to take over hurricane insurance.”

The ad, first released on Sept. 8, defined “Jolly’s Hurricane Tax” as $1,000 per family annually.

On Thursday, in North Lauderdale, Jolly defended his policy, which includes converting the state’s hurricane catastrophe fund into Florida’s primary insurer for wind coverage to soften consumer impact.

Jolly said Donalds cited a Florida State University study that considered a 2024 Florida House proposal to have Citizens Property Insurance, the state-backed insurer, take over wind coverage.

The study also considered that Florida law would prompt an annual fee to bail out Citizens if it failed.

“There’s a $1,000 tax currently in the law. He is saying he will continue the law. The irony here is that Byron Donald is actually supporting a $1,000 hurricane tax by supporting the current law,” Jolly said.

Florida has the highest home insurance rate in the country after Oklahoma and Texas, according to Insurify. Availability and affordability remain a challenge. Jolly said he wants to cut bills by 60% to 70% by excluding hurricane and wind risk from policies.

“My model would fully replace the current law. My model would repeal a hurricane tax,” Jolly said. “That’s a level of dishonesty. A catastrophic fund is the most fiscally responsible way to deal with natural disasters because you prefund against the big storms.”

Donalds was campaigning on a “Bring down The Bill” plan, which promises to cut premiums by 20% and includes more tort reform and more hurricane-resistant construction.

Jolly said Donalds also had an ad falsely claiming he supports drilling in the Gulf, so he is releasing a new ad on Friday disputing that claim.

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According to records, Ross, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center at 6:10 a.m. on a battery by strangulation charge.

The 50-year-old’s arrest comes days after his now ex-girlfriend, Jazzma Kendrick, took to Instagram to publicly accuse him of physically abusing her.

Last weekend, Kendrick posted an Instagram Story, sharing a DM from a fan who told her, “I’m seeing what Rick is seeing your (sic) so gorgeous.”

Kendrick responded, “He saw a punching bag.”

An arrest report from the Miami Beach Police Department names the victim in the case only by the initials J.K.

According to the report, the victim went to the police department Tuesday to report a domestic violence incident that she said occurred on the morning of Aug. 28.

Police said the victim and Ross had been in a relationship for about a year and lived together at the time of the incident.

According to the report, the victim claimed that she was awakened by Ross on Aug. 28, as he was enraged that she had been tagged in a photo on Instagram.

Police said Ross questioned the victim, accused her of lying to him and then slapped her in the face.

The rapper then accused the victim of being involved with a man she claimed she was only friends with, authorities said.

According to the report, Ross followed the victim around as he questioned her and struck her each time she denied the accusations.

Police said Ross also struck the victim several times in the chest and choked her to the point that she couldn’t breathe by grabbing the collar of her hoodie and twisting it.

Authorities said the rapper then grabbed the victim by her ponytail and slammed her into a wall before striking her in the face as she was bent over, leaving her with a “busted lip.”

According to the report, Ross then pushed the victim to the floor of a bathroom, grabbed the shower head and tried to spray her with water.

The victim was able to escape from the bathroom and leave the home, authorities said.

According to the report, the victim returned to the property and waited for Ross to leave before she gathered her belongings and left again.

Police said the victim called a friend to pick her up, but surveillance video shows that the friend was turned away from the property.

According to the report, Ross surrendered himself at the police station Thursday morning and did not provide a statement about the incident.

He appeared in bond court later in the morning, where his attorney, Bradley Horenstein, asked for his release to be expediated because Ross is a “celebrity.”

“Mr. Roberts is a celebrity,” Horenstein told Judge Mindy Glazer.

“So what does that mean?” Glazer asked.

“I don’t know to whatever degree your honor can, but I’d ask that his release be expediated,” Horenstein said. “He’s in a red jumpsuit and for purposes of his safety. I don’t know what your honor can do.”

Glazer appeared to be less than impressed, saying she didn’t know who the rapper was but that he would “be treated fairly just like everybody else here.”

She ultimately granted him a $5,000 bond and he was released from jail shortly after. Glazer ordered him to stay away from the victim.

After posting bond, Ross addressed reporters outside TGK shortly after noon, saying he is “totally innocent” and plans to vacation to Dubai and Paris this weekend.

“First and foremost, I am totally innocent of these fabricated allegations made against me,” Ross said. “Now, I have an amazing team, such an amazing team … what my weekend looks like, I’ll be in Dubai tomorrow, Paris Saturday and I plan on having a bowl of rigatoni with heavy marinara Sunday."

Ross also denied the allegation when Local 10’s Jeff Derderian repeatedly asked him if he strangled the woman.

While Ross is originally from Mississippi, he grew up in Miami-Dade’s Carol City and has homes in Atlanta and Miami Beach’s Star Island.

He has had numerous hit songs over his career, including “Aston Martin Music” and “Hustlin’.”

Ross’ attorneys, Steve Sadow and Bradley Horenstein, released a statement Thursday evening on his behalf, saying he was being “wrongfully accused” and asking the public not to “prejudge” the case.

“William Roberts II, professionally known as Rick Ross, is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend whose true motivations are unclear,” the statement read. “The ex did not even file a police report until a month after the claimed incident allegedly took place. Mr. Roberts is innocent and has pled not guilty to the charges. He respectfully requests that his friends, fans and the general public not prejudge the situation and allow the judicial process to run its course.”

But Shevchenko pulled out nearly a month ago because of back and shoulder injuries and vacated the title to force a quick and major change of plans.

Now Silva will try to capture the title when as the top-ranked challenger the Brazilian faces No. 8 Wang Cong of China.

“We were preparing for Valentina strategically," Silva said through a Portuguese interpreter. "Sparring was based on Valentina. They were emulating Valentina and everything was focused on her, and I got the news that it wasn’t her. At that point, I was like, ‘Damn, that’s the fight that I’ve always wanted. That’s what I worked for. That’s what I was envisioning.’

"But at that moment, coaches just pivoted. Our entire strategy shifted and we right away started preparing. It was about early September, so about 30 days I had to prepare, and we started preparing for my current opponent.”

Silva (20-5-1) is a -205 or -210 favorite depending on the sportsbook to capture the championship over the 34-year-old Cong (10-1), who is relatively new to MMA.

Though the 29-year-old Silva has dreamed of owning the name atop a numbered UFC event, this is far from the type of leading matchup many fans wanted to see. How Cong was given the spot over higher-ranked challengers has drawn some criticism.

Cong defeated Shevchenko in a kickboxing event in 2015, and if no else believes in her ability to win Saturday, she is ready to make a statement. If Cong beats Silva, maybe that will lead to what she really wants — a shot at Shevchenko in the octagon. In that way, she and Silva are aligned.

“This fight is definitely going to be exciting," Cong said through an interpreter. "We’re going to use this performance to shut (the critics) up.”

Silva will take an exciting fight as long as she comes out the victor.

Before the exit of Shevchenko, regarded by many as the greatest ever in her weight class, Silva was the underdog taking on a decorated champion.

Now Silva is the first name on this card, and she doesn't take it for granted. Maybe this wasn't the way she played it out in her mind, but Silva isn't about to walk away from this opportunity.

“As soon as the fight announced it was not her, (Shevchenko) became a nonfactor for me," Silva said. "I have my eyes on Cong. She is the one I have to focus on.

"As far as having my name on the poster, being in the main event, it's incredible because that's what I've worked for. That's what I've always dreamed. That's what I envisioned throughout my life. Just to see and sign a poster with my face on it ... that's a dream becoming true. I'm absolutely ecstatic over it.

In the co-main event, bantamweight ninth-ranked challenger Deiveson Figueiredo (25-7-1) of Brazil faces No. 12 Payton Talbott (11-1), a Las Vegas native who fights out of Reno, Nevada.

___

See AP’s full sports coverage here

Robin Comfort said he drove his car through the flooded streets and quickly realized he shouldn’t have.

“Well I drove my car down the street and I shouldn’t have. There was too much water in it and just went into the engine I guess. Well I drove... to the engine I guess,” Comfort said.

Comfort had been waiting for assistance for a few hours.

He said he had been living in Pompano Beach and that it was barely raining when he left.

“I knew nothing about what but it was raining dogs and cats on the way in,” he said.

For some drivers, the flooding became an unexpected problem.

“You have this constant issue. Why hasn’t something happened about the flooding? Like you guys are aware of it,” one woman said as she waited for roadside assistance.

Resident Allie Scholey said they had never seen flooding like this before.

“Like I’ve never seen flooding like this and it’ll be here for hours so I guess I’m stuck inside,” Scholey said.

The flooding also caused problems for people traveling to and from work in the Victoria Park area.

And while some people were stuck, one man appeared to embrace the conditions, riding his motorcycle through the flooded streets.

And this man decided to ride the wave.

Ashton Hamed Ellaboudy, 51, of Richland, Washington, was arrested Thursday and is due to make his first court appearance Friday. Court records do not list an attorney available to speak on his behalf.

The FBI says Ellaboudy had a goal of helping the Houthis improve their communications capabilities and traveled last September to Yemen, where the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces are now engaged in renewed violence that has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands. The conflict began in 2014 when the Iran-backed rebels took over the capital, Sanaa, forcing the country’s government to settle into exile in Saudi Arabia.

Upon his return to the United States, authorities say, Ellaboudy told Customs and Border Protection officials that he was traveling back from Oman on a work trip and was part of a U.S. government mission to inspect defense facilities. But investigators interviewed Ellaboudy's supervisor, who reported having no knowledge of any international travel or of an Energy Department missile inspection program that Ellaboudy would have been part of, an FBI affidavit said.

Ellaboudy himself was recorded telling FBI informants, whom officials had introduced into the investigation, that he had to be smuggled into and out of Yemen and that he had hoped to reach the country's capital to make government-level connections, the affidavit says. He was ultimately unable to make it to Sanaa, the FBI said.

The FBI says investigators began looking into Ellaboudy after learning that he had purchased precursor chemicals commonly involved in the construction of homemade explosive devices, including acetone and sodium bisulfate, as well as parts used for drones.

During the course of the investigation, the FBI says, he communicated with multiple informants — including one who purported to be a Houthi colonel — and provided advice and assistance on communications equipment.

Ellaboudy is charged under a law that makes it a crime to provide material support to a group designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization, of which the Houthis are one.

“These allegations are so deeply disturbing that they almost defy imagination,” John Eisenberg, an assistant attorney general in charge of the Justice Department's National Security Division, said in a statement.

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, emerging from the gathering, said talks were constructive despite not reaching consensus on the issue, which is known as “excess capacity.”

“Nearly all countries agreed that this is an issue that required action. And nearly all countries agreed that our current system of trade remedies and responses is inadequate to solve this problem,” Greer said.

The White House has accused trading partners of producing a gamut of goods in quantities surpassing demand, claiming it sends prices downward and unfairly skews competition. The Trump administration views China as the leading offender, but has opened investigations into countries from Norway to Bangladesh.

Besides Chinese-made steel, the administration has claimed industries including autos, batteries, paper and semiconductors have been plagued by overproduction, causing the U.S. to lose ground to competitors.

The gathering in Milwaukee of representatives from the G20, which includes both the biggest industrialized countries and some emerging markets, bore no signs of a breakthrough on the biggest trade dispute of the moment, between the U.S. and Canada.

Animosity between the two countries have been growing since the summer, when President Donald Trump slapped 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian imports, leading Canada to promptly counterpunch with tariffs of its own. It further devolved this week, with Trump banning nearly $1 billion worth of Canadian imports, including alcoholic beverages, dairy products and motorcycles.

“The reality is there are a handful of outstanding issues that are quite difficult to resolve,” Greer said Thursday.

Canada is a seemingly unlikely target of Trump’s trade war. No country buys more from the United States than its northern neighbor, an ally long considered so close that the countries share an unprotected border.

Canadian trade minister Maninder Sidhu, pleaded for cooperation, saying: “You’re facing some of the same challenges that we’re facing. Let’s help each other and let’s work through something."

In other discussions at the meeting, trade leaders also failed to reach a deal on forced labor, an issue the Trump administration has used as a justification for double-digit tariffs on more than 60 countries. The breadth of the levies, which cover 99% of U.S. imports, suggests another motivation: replacing worldwide tariffs that Trump imposed last year only to see them struck down by the Supreme Court in February.

“Believe it or not, we have countries in the G20 that do not want to commit to having a prohibition on the import of goods made with forced labor,” Greer said. “At the end of the day, we all know forced labor is wrong, and it will distort our markets, and we won’t have it." ___

Sedensky reported from New York.

The Bears said in August that the franchise's “sole focus” for the construction of a new stadium and mixed-use development was on Hammond, Indiana. But the public confirmation of the conversation between Goodell and Pritzker indicates that Illinois remains in the mix.

The Bears also had been considering Arlington Heights — about 30 miles northwest of Chicago — as a potential location for an enclosed stadium.

Illinois Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, state Sen. Bill Cunningham and state Rep. Kam Buckner joined Pritzker at the meeting. As the president pro tempore of the Illinois Senate, Cunningham frequently serves as the body's presiding officer, and Buckner's district includes Soldier Field — the current home for the Bears.

Pat Ryan, a billionaire minority investor in the Bears and a member of the team's board of directors, also attended.

“The Governor’s Office has remained in conversation with the Bears about their plans in Illinois throughout the summer,” Pritzker's office said in a statement.

“The Governor and General Assembly leadership were glad to participate in a productive meeting focused on keeping the Bears in Illinois and protecting taxpayers.”

The NFL said in a release that it appreciated the opportunity to meet with Pritzker and the state legislators.

“Timely action is essential as the Bears work to find a long-term stadium solution for the club and their fans,” the league said.

A message was left by The Associated Press seeking comment from the team.

The Bears, a charter NFL franchise, have played in Illinois since the team’s founding in 1920 as the Decatur Staleys. They moved to Chicago in 1921 and called Wrigley Field home before they started playing at Soldier Field in September 1971.

The Bears’ lease runs through 2033, but they can pay a fee to break the lease early. Soldier Field is about 40 miles south of Halas Hall — the team’s headquarters in Lake Forest, Illinois — and Hammond is about 20 miles south of the team’s lakefront stadium.

The Bears ramped up their focus on Indiana after a proposal to provide financial incentives for the team to build its new home in Illinois stalled in the state legislature. A committee in the Indiana House of Representatives passed a bill in February that established a Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to finance, construct and lease a stadium.

The Illinois Senate passed a bill that would have cleared the way for Arlington Heights and Chicago to create local stadium authorities, creating a pathway for the Bears to avoid paying property taxes on a new stadium. But the House adjourned without taking up the measure on the last day of the state’s spring legislative session.

The Bears have been pursuing a new home for years, but the process has been hampered by repeated twists and turns.

The team announced in September 2021 that it had signed a purchase agreement for 326 acres of land in Arlington Heights. The $197 million deal with Churchill Downs Inc. was finalized in 2023.

In September 2022, the team unveiled a nearly $5 billion plan for Arlington Heights that called for an enclosed stadium that could host Super Bowls and Final Fours. The conceptual illustrations also provided for a year-round entertainment district with restaurants and shopping.

But the Bears shifted their focus toward building a new stadium next to Soldier Field after Kevin Warren was hired as team president in January 2023. The plan to transform Chicago’s Museum Campus got an enthusiastic endorsement from Mayor Brandon Johnson but a tepid reception from Pritzker and state legislators when it was announced in April 2024.

The team switched gears again in May 2025, announcing it had made “significant progress” with local leaders in Arlington Heights.

Amid lingering efforts to secure tax incentives in Illinois, along with as much as $855 million in public money for infrastructure at the Arlington Heights site, the Bears began to take a closer look at possible options in northwest Indiana.

Warren said in August that the team was “in regular, almost daily communication with the state of Indiana working on” the project. He called it “an excellent deal, a win-win partnership together.”

___

AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this report.

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Juan Carlos Chaidez, a detective with what was then the Miami-Dade Police Department who led the investigation, testified that his homicide team was first in the rotation to respond when the killings were reported on Nov. 13, 2012.

Chaidez told jurors the bodies of Gladys Machado, 29, and her daughters, 6-year-old Julia Padrino and 3-year-old Daniella Padrino, were found on the tiled floor of a walk-in closet in the master bedroom.

He described the smell inside the room as a combination of “bleach and the beginning of a decomposing body.”

The detective said investigators initially did not know what had happened to Machado’s 5-year-old son, Michael, who was not among the children found in the closet. Machado was the mother of three children, Chaidez testified. Investigators later learned Michael was safe and was with another family member when the killings occurred.

Among the evidence investigators found was a handmade family tree project belonging to Michael. Chaidez testified that the item was found in the trash next to an empty bottle of bleach.

The detective also testified that Machado was found nude and that her clothing had been discarded in the bedroom.

Prosecutors showed jurors a purple T-shirt identified as Machado’s. Chaidez testified that the shirt appeared to have been cut.

Chaidez also described what Alberto Sierra, then 28, told investigators when he was first brought in for questioning.

According to the detective, Sierra said he knew Machado had been seeing another man during their separation, which began in September. Sierra told him he had forgiven her and understood the circumstances, Chaidez testified, saying the separation was related to financial problems.

Sierra was unemployed at the time and told the detective he was unable to support the family financially, Chaidez testified. He said Sierra acknowledged selling street narcotics while looking for legal employment and hoped improving his financial situation would help bring his children back.

Under questioning, Chaidez said Sierra did not tell him he was unable to keep a job or that a brain injury prevented him from holding one.

The testimony also focused on Sierra’s demeanor while discussing the victims. Chaidez testified that Sierra remained calm when talking about his dead wife and did not become emotional when discussing his dead stepchildren.

At another point, the lead prosecutor asked whether Sierra had described himself as having a “broke brain” or “broken brain.” Chaidez testified that he had not.

The testimony adds to the evidence prosecutors are presenting as they seek to persuade jurors that the killings were especially “heinous, atrocious and cruel,” one of the factors relevant to the death penalty. Prosecutors also have argued the murders were committed in a “cold and calculated manner.”

Sierra, now 42, has pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and three counts of kidnapping in the killings. Prosecutors say Sierra suffocated Machado and her daughters with yellow plastic shopping bags.

Sierra also has admitted to cutting Machado’s clothing with a knife, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors have alleged that he sexually assaulted Machado and Julia after their deaths.

The penalty phase follows Sierra’s guilty pleas and will determine whether he receives a life sentence or the death penalty. The jury will hear evidence from both sides before making a recommendation on his sentence.

The new testimony came as the defense sought to give jurors a different context for Sierra’s behavior and cognitive functioning. Defense attorneys are asking jurors to consider the effects of a severe childhood brain injury on their client.

Defense attorneys, who are seeking a life sentence, have described Sierra’s mother as an immigrant from Cuba and said Sierra suffered a severe brain injury after being hit by a car at age 12, causing lasting changes to his personality and executive functioning.

Authorities say the man contacted Katie Miller at least 40 times over the course of several weeks, sometimes leaving disturbing voicemails and text messages about her and her husband, Stephen Miller, who serves as White House deputy chief of staff. He also sent messages to phone numbers for her parents, according to prosecutors.

John Anthony Proia III, 41, is charged with one count of cyberstalking. An attorney listed for him didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment on Thursday.

The court documents do not identify the victim by name, but a person familiar with the matter confirmed that it is Katie Miller. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss non-public parts of the investigation.

“Those who use technology to harass, intimidate or torment others should understand that attempts to anonymize their criminal conduct will not shield them from prosecution,” Leah Foley, the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, said in an emailed statement. “We will find you, and we will hold you accountable.”

The investigation contributed to upheaval inside the FBI’s Washington field office, where two top counterterrorism supervisors were recently reassigned by the office’s leader in part because of dissatisfaction over their handling of and approach to the Miller probe, according to multiple people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss non-public personnel changes.

Darren Cox, the assistant director in charge of the Washington office, said in a statement that the reassignments were not ordered by Director Kash Patel and that the moves were a personnel decision “based on our constant evaluation of mission needs. Any suggestion otherwise is false.”

Deputies arrested David Armeda at 2:25 p.m. on Wednesday at Macy’s at Dadeland Mall, at 7303 North Kendall Drive, according to a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office arrest report.

“He had in his possession multiple stolen credit cards with several different names,” a deputy wrote, adding that Armeda was “under the effects of methamphetamine,” according to the arrest report.

Surveillance videos showed Armeda stealing from mailboxes on July 31, at 9150 and 9120 Fontainebleau Boulevard, according to the MDSO arrest report. The U.S. Postal Service estimated Armeda caused damage to a mailbox valued at about $28,125.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Armeda at 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to inmate records.

Armeda faced three criminal charges in two new cases. He also had a warrant case while out on felony bond for attempted tampering with physical evidence and possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to use.

In the July case, he faced charges of criminal mischief of a $1,000 or more and knowingly removing or taking mail from a mail depository.

In the Wednesday case, he faced a charge of criminal use of personal identification information.

Avin Seetaram, also known as “Smalls,” was accused, along with 32-year-old HVAC business owner Somjeet Christopher Singh, also known as “Lil Chris,” in the November 2023 killing of airplane mechanic Suren Seetal, 36, of Miami.

Prosecutors alleged that outside of their day jobs, Singh and Seetal were both in the business of buying and selling fireworks. Singh, then 29, owed Seetal about $315,000 in relation to the fireworks business and the latter was starting to collect, so Singh sought out a hitman to kill Seetal, authorities said.

Prosecutors allege that Singh, of Coral Springs, gave Seetaram, then 24, $5,000 in cash and forgave $10,000 worth of his debt in order to hire a hitman to kill Seetal.

Seetaram would then turn around and pay Gavin Hunter, then 18, $5,000 to kill him, authorities said.

A July 2023 ambush attempt outside Seetal’s home failed, authorities said, leading the suspects to hatch a second plot, authorities said.

Court documents stated that on Nov. 4, Seetaram lured Seetal to the Dr. HVAC warehouse, located at 5441 NW 15th St. in Margate, by sending him a text of a key inside of a drawer. That’s where prosecutors said Hunter shot and killed him.

Cellphone and toll records from Nov. 4 placed Singh’s work van along Alligator Alley and Snake Road on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation in far western Broward County, prosecutors allege. Authorities would find Seetal’s body on the Seminole reservation Nov. 21, according to prosecutors.

Seetaram was convicted of several federal charges, including murder-for-hire conspiracy. Singh previously pleaded guilty to that charge, as well as other charges, including kidnapping and stalking resulting in death, getting a life sentence.

“This was not a spontaneous act of violence. It was a deliberate, persistent, and cold-blooded murder-for-hire scheme,” U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quinones said in a news release. “The defendants tracked Suren Seetal, sent armed men to kill him, tried again after the first attempt failed, and ultimately had him ambushed and murdered. They then paid the gunman and helped dispose of Seetal’s body in the Everglades.”

Federal court records show that Hunter, now 21, is set to go to trial on Jan. 4.

Officials said the incident happened at 1441 South Miami Road.

They said fire rescue crews responded to the scene, and one person was transported to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.

No other information about the incident was immediately available.

The 17 active and senior judges in the Western District of Washington unanimously named Roger Rogoff, a former judge and veteran prosecutor, U.S. attorney in July, after Trump failed to fill the post with a nominee confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

The president fired Rogoff less than an hour later. Rogoff sued, and in a ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Stanley Bastian found the termination unlawful and reinstated him.

Bastian noted that when presidents fail to fill a U.S. attorney post with a nominee confirmed by the Senate, federal law authorizes the judges of that district to appoint someone “until the vacancy is filled.”

“It does not say ‘until the president fires the person selected,’” Bastian said.

He concluded: “Mr. Roger Rogoff is the United States attorney for the Western District of Washington and has been the rightful holder of that office since July 15, 2026, when he took the oath of office.”

The Justice Department said in a written statement it disagreed with the decision and would appeal.

Rogoff is the latest in a series of judicially appointed U.S. attorneys to be ousted by the Trump administration, and he is believed to be the first to sue over the removal, setting up a direct legal battle over the issue.

Presidents normally appoint U.S. attorneys, the top federal prosecutor in each judicial district. The positions require Senate confirmation, except in temporary appointments, which can last up to 120 days. When temporary appointments expire before a nominee is confirmed, the judges in a judicial district can name a U.S. attorney.

But under Trump, the Justice Department has sought to leave unconfirmed prosecutors in their positions indefinitely, often through novel personnel maneuvers. Trump named Charles Neil Floyd, who previously served as an immigration judge, interim U.S. attorney in Seattle in October 2025 but never forwarded his nomination to the Senate.

When Floyd’s time as interim U.S. attorney expired, Trump simply shifted his title, a tactic the administration has also tried in other federal judicial districts: It named him first assistant U.S. attorney, while leaving the top post empty.

Trump last month nominated Pete Serrano, the first assistant U.S. attorney in eastern Washington, to be the U.S. attorney in Seattle. But Serrano has not been confirmed, and his nomination is opposed by Washington's senior Democratic senator, Patty Murray.

"Today’s ruling is an important victory for the rule of law and the people in Western Washington who deserve a U.S. attorney that answers to the law, not Donald Trump,” Murray said in a written statement Thursday.

Bastian is the chief judge in eastern Washington. He heard the case because the judges in western Washington were recused.

In December, Alina Habbaresigned as the top federal prosecutor for New Jersey after an appeals court said she had been serving in the post unlawfully.

Lindsey Halligan, who pursued indictments against a pair of Trump’s adversaries, left her position as an acting U.S. attorney in Virginia after a judge concluded her appointment was unlawful and that indictments she brought against James and former FBI Director James Comey must be dismissed.

The judges there named James Hundley, who had handled criminal and civil cases for more than 30 years, but the administration fired him. It also fired a court-appointed U.S. attorney in northern New York.

But he no longer claims to be an underdog.

“It would be so disingenuous to say you’re an underdog, ‘as he said from his penthouse,’” Stallone said during a recent interview, on a high floor of a luxury Manhattan hotel. ”Yeah. Come on. I am a lucky dog.”

Stallone, who turned 80 in July, is among the most successful movie stars and filmmakers in history. He has generated billions of dollars through such blockbuster franchises as “Rocky,” “Rambo” and “The Expendables” and portrayed some of the most memorable film characters. And he is still working, starring as mobster Dwight “The General” Manfredi in the Paramount+ series “Tulsa King.”

By choice and otherwise, Stallone has been reliving his early years as a struggling actor-writer who somehow convinced United Artists to back his modest story of a journeyman boxer’s shot at the heavyweight championship, and even allow him to play the lead despite having little acting experience. His memoir “Steps,” published Tuesday, arrives less than two months before a fictionalized and semi-authorized version of his story, Peter Farrelly’s “I Play Rocky,” arrives in theaters, with Anthony Ippolito in the starring role. (Farrelly spoke about the film with Stallone, who was otherwise uninvolved.)

“Rocky,” which beat out “Taxi Driver” and “All the President Men’s” among others to win the best picture Oscar, is one of those classic movies that only seem to benefit from the back story; Stallone’s own journey from the streets of Philadelphia to the Oscars stage echoes so well his character’s improbable rise.

As he writes in “Steps,” he was a hard-luck case, an unplanned and unwanted child who seemed to face endless discouragement right through the production of “Rocky,” when he feared every day on the set might be his last.

Stallone was in Manhattan to promote his book, but spends much of his time at the Palm Beach, Florida estate he shares with his wife, Jennifer Flavin. Even when — especially when — he’s talking about his rare fortune, Stallone speaks in a warm, rumbly, offhand manner, a kind of private street talk that suggests he doesn’t believe it all.

Last year, he was a Kennedy Center honoree, his award presented to him by President Donald Trump, who had previously named Stallone, Jon Voight and Mel Gibson his “ambassadors” from an otherwise liberal Hollywood. Stallone has called Trump “the second George Washington,” but he has contributed to both Republicans and Democrats and broken with conservatives by calling for stronger gun control laws. He also condemns war, including the Iran War, as a story of sending people into a “meat grinder while the military complex is making zillions of dollars.”

“I do believe that you have to defend yourself. But to go on the offensive?” he says, adding that he would prefer not to be known as a ”political figure."

“I love the common architecture of trying to just survive. That’s noble,” he says. ”To be a politician, that’s a different animal.”

During his interview, he also talked about fate, insecurity and why he was probably better off for his unhappy childhood.

Questions and answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.

AP: Why write this book?

STALLONE: I was approached a few times (over the years) and the one thing I didn’t want to write about is my life. It’s this ambivalent roller coaster ride. It’s not always the most pleasurable ride. And I thought, ‘What am I known for?’ Pulling off this minor miracle in 1976, which falls under the heading of inspiration. That’s what I want to do. Because the character was an inspiration, I wanted to tell the people how it all came to be.

AP: How hard was it to relive some of those early memories?

STALLONE: It was very hard because I spent 50 years burying that stuff. And it’s like you come across a lost city, and you start to become your own spiritual archaeologist, digging down. And it’s not pretty. But I didn’t want this to be, ‘Oh, woe is me.’ Everyone has issues and a lot worse than me. I just wanted to touch on the essence because I still have this conundrum. If everything was really nice, maybe I wouldn’t be here, you know what I mean? If I didn’t have that insecurity which drives us. You know, insecurity is a great motivator.

AP: For people at your level of success, do you find they all have that sense of insecurity, that drive?

STALLONE: I think so — especially the ones that are desperate to do better and constantly pushing it. For example, I don’t have to do my dialogue for another month before we start “Tulsa King.” I’m up every morning at 5:00 o’clock, studying until literally it’s like breathing. Now, that’s probably insecurity, but that’s the way I approach it.

AP: When was the last time you actually watched “Rocky” in its entirety? Did you look at it while working on the book?

STALLONE: No, I didn’t. You know what I see. You’re sitting there and going through messages and somebody who’s 18 has put it on the internet or on TikTok. And how would this person relate to an 80-year-old guy? They’re not, though. They’re not relating to me. It’s that character.

AP: Young people know about Rocky.

STALLONE: In retrospect, that to me is the greatest gift. You know, you write something — I’m just trying to get some footage on myself. I’m just trying to write something really simple. I didn’t ever expect it to be in more than one or two theaters. So all this is a tsunami of good luck. It (‘Rocky’) tapped into something that I cannot take credit for.

AP: Writers talk a lot about how they learn how they think through the act of writing. Did you experience some of that while working on this book?

STALLONE: A lot of it, yeah.

AP: Like what?

STALLONE: I was thinking while I was working (on the book). “You were really at the end of your rope.” Nothing was working. I was 29 years old. And I had this epiphany, like in the backyard, pounding the soil, asking for spiritual help. I had always avoided it. And I had thought, you know, “To each his own.” I don’t want to rely upon some idol, god, symbol, anything. But maybe we need something that makes us believe in the invisible — faith. I had no faith. I was agnostic, and then it came literally back that night.

And that’s why I pay homage in the “Rocky” movie. The first scene is, you know, at “The Resurrection” (gym). It’s amazing we found that place. A boxing club called “The Resurrection.”

AP: You’ve described how the priests in Catholic school said it was necessary to suffer for your faith, and how you turned away from that. But look at what you put yourself through to make a movie.

STALLONE: It’s the way I’m built, I think. There are no free lunches. I’ve had back operations, neck surgeries, both shoulders, heart — you name it. And it’s all because ... you do it yourself. There was a necessity to feel it. You’re not going to be like the other guys. You’re going to do it, which is completely wrong (laughs).

AP: And now you have a movie about you, “I Play Rocky,” coming out.

STALLONE: How strange is this? A movie about me being in a movie.

AP: What did you think of it?

STALLONE: It’s fantastic. And the kid (Ippolito) did a great job. This is so odd. They usually do this when you’re dead and gone. It’s 50 years almost to the day when it came out and if he gets nominated ... It’s so surreal. I have to give Peter Farrelly, the director (credit). I never in a million years had any confidence this would work. But he said that to the everyday person, this is kind of a fantastic journey. Rocky is fiction, this is real. And that’s what people are holding on to.

Coach Stormy Wellington, a social media influencer who currently has over 1.6 million followers on her Instagram page, says six items — five Hermès handbags and a Chanel water bottle — were taken from her home back in August.

“I bought them over six years (ago) and all of them mean a lot to me,” Wellington told Local 10’s Rosh Lowe on Thursday. “So, if anybody has my bags or knows whereabouts of my bags, I will pay a reward to get my bags returned.”

Miramar police arrested a 31-year-old fashion stylist and accused him of first-degree grand theft involving property valued at more than $100,000.

According to an arrest report, Wellington told police she discovered the items were missing before leaving for a business trip. She later reported the theft to police.

Wellington told investigators she had asked the culprit to take one of her handbags to be professionally cleaned. She said six items were ultimately missing.

The items were valued at $271,938.60, according to the arrest report.

Police said the handbags were later located at a business in Aventura that resells authentic designer handbags and other luxury goods. According to the arrest report, the man had brought the items to the business as a loan.

But Wellington now says the man who was arrested is not the person who stole her belongings.

“That is not the gentleman that stole my bag,” Wellington said. “So now I got to go to the state attorney’s office and say, ‘Hey, you guys arrested the wrong guy,’”

Miramar police said they are looking into Wellington’s claim.

The arrested man’s attorney told the court that he does not know anything about this case.

Wellington said the person she believes is responsible was someone she once trusted and considered a friend and family member.

“Someone who I paid seven figures as an employee stole my bag and still telling people he’s going to bring them back,” she said.

Wellington said she has not recovered the items.

“I’m very frustrated because honestly, for me to have worked so hard and to be going through this, the best thing for me right now is to feel justice,” she said.

Anyone with information on the case is urged to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

Pike, sentenced to die for torturing and killing 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer in 1995, said as her scheduled lethal injection began that she was at peace.

Strapped to a gurney around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Pike, who was allowed to give a final statement, said she was leaving the world with love.

“I’m ready to be free,” she said. This is a happy day.”

Leaving prison in an ambulance, not a hearse

Pike, now 50, was 18 when she committed the murder and would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.

But instead she survived two doses of the pentobarbital meant to kill her. She left the prison in an ambulance instead of a hearse.

The Associated Press was among those who witnessed her failed execution. She was already strapped to the gurney, with IV inserted in her arm, when prison officials raised the curtain to the execution room at 7:27 p.m.

Her spiritual adviser was standing beside the gurney near her head. He spoke to her. They sang a song. The lyrics were not audible, but included repeating the phrase — "I love you.” The spiritual adviser stroked her forehead.

Minutes ticked by. She raised her head and looked around; she smiled. Then she said her arm was hurting and asked a prison official in the room if it was supposed to feel that way.

Ten minutes in, at 7:37 p.m., she sighed, the IV in her arm fed from a control room adjacent to the death chamber, separated by a ledge. At 7:41 p.m., a rock or paper weight about the size of a golf ball was placed on the ledge. Prison officials have not confirmed what it means, but its placement appeared to coincide with a direction in the protocol that says after the drugs are administered, a five-minute countdown begins until the curtain is closed.

At 7:46 p.m., officials closed the curtain, blocking the witnesses’ view of the death chamber. Pike’s spiritual adviser left the chamber and sat briefly with her attorney in the media witness room.

The curtain rose again three minutes later. The Tennessee lethal injection protocol calls for a second round of pentobarbital if the inmate is not deceased after the first round.

An hour-plus of what sounded like snoring

Her spiritual adviser returned to the chamber and stood beside Pike with his hands folded. Pike appeared to begin to lose consciousness at some point and started making a sound like snoring. She continued to do so for the next hour, a sign that she was alive long after she was expected to be dead.

Her head raised slightly off the gurney and turned to the side at about 7:56 p.m. She kept breathing.

Officials closed the curtain again at 8:06 p.m.

For the next 40 minutes, Pike could be heard from behind the curtain. She sounded like she was snoring, a rhythmic, regular breathing pattern.

Inside the prison, Pike's attorney, Randy Spivey, later told the media that at about 8:22 p.m. he demanded access to a telephone to contact other lawyers on the team. He said he demanded the execution be halted and that life-saving medical care be given to Pike. He said he received confirmation at about 8:50 p.m. that an ambulance was on the way.

At 8:53 p.m., an announcement came: “Will witnesses please exit the area.” The media was escorted out, and a prison spokesperson said she had no information to provide about what had happened.

Fire trucks and ambulances arrived in front of the prison at around 9:14 p.m. Pike’s attorneys later issued a statement that she had been taken to a hospital and was being treated, though they did not know the specifics of her condition. On Thursday afternoon, they said she was in critical condition receiving medical care.

Governor orders a review

The Tennessee Department of Correction issued a statement saying the department followed protocol.

“The lethal injection chemical in the protocol has consistently been effective, and the protocol does not allow for additional procedures beyond what was carried out this evening,” the agency wrote. “Christa Pike has been transported to an off-site medical facility.”

The agency has not said what went wrong. It was the second time this year that Tennessee has been unable to complete an execution, though in the other case, officials couldn’t find a suitable vein for an IV line so the drugs weren’t administered.

Gov. Bill Lee ordered a review and postponed another execution scheduled for later this year, calling what happened in the death chamber “deeply disturbing.”

Slemmer’s mother, May Martinez, had traveled to Nashville to see the sentence carried out.

"I didn’t get justice for my daughter,” Martinez told the AP by telephone.

“I watched the whole thing. She was awake," Martinez said. "She was moving her head, moving her feet. She was trying to sit up. Didn’t work the first time they gave her a shot. It didn’t work the second time so she’s in the hospital and alive.”

“This isn’t justice for Colleen.”

Florian Wirtz starred as Germany defeated Serbia 2-0 in Munich for Klopp’s first win at the third attempt — staving off an unwanted record.

Klopp was on the verge of becoming the first Germany coach not to win any of his first three games after opening with a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands last week before Sunday’s shock 1-0 defeat to Greece.

Derry Scherhant, Nick Woltemade and Serge Gnabry all missed good chances for Germany before Tom Bischof broke the deadlock in the 39th on the rebound after Wirtz struck the post.

Klopp sent on Cologne star Said El Mala for his debut after the break. Goalkeeper Jonas Urbig and Freiburg forward Scherhant were already making their Germany debuts.

But it was Wirtz who made it 2-0 from Maximilian Mittelstädt’s cross, taking it past a defender with his first touch and sending it inside the right post with his next.

Dutch leave it late again

Tijjani Reijnders scored late as the Netherlands fought back to draw 2-2 with Greece in the other Group A2 match — in Thessaloniki.

Fotis Ioannidis scored one goal and set up the other for Greece. Virgil van Dijk netted before the hour mark and Reijnders equalized in the 89th.

The Netherlands also needed a late equalizer against Germany.

Portugal moves on from Ronaldo

João Félix sealed Portugal’s 4-2 win over Denmark in Copenhagen, where the visitors were without Ronaldo after he walked out on the team the day before after an apparent rift with coach Jorge Jesus. It has fueled speculation it may be the end for the veteran star.

Gonçalo Ramos, who has taken the 41-year-old forward’s place, set up João Cancelo’s opener, then responded with Portugal’s second goal two minutes after Mikkel Damsgaard equalized in the 23rd.

Rasmus Højlund drew Denmark level again in the 53rd, only for Vitinha to restore Portugal’s lead with a near-post header to Bruno Fernandes’ free kick in the 67th.

Félix made sure of the win in the 87th.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Shili Chen and her husband Shouyong Zhang, both 77, appeared in court briefly to ask the judge for more time before entering formal pleas. They were both charged Wednesday with murder after authorities say they both shot their son-in-law, Jonathan McKinsey, to death Saturday in a public park. The killing came days before he and the couple’s daughter were set for a hearing in a bitter divorce and custody case.

Curtis Briggs, a court-appointed attorney assigned Thursday to Chen’s defense, said the court documents he has reviewed raised concerns that McKinsey was rageful and could not control his temper.

“Court documents show Mr. McKinsey was extremely violent and dangerous to his family,” he said.

Jennie Otis, a public defender representing Zhang, asked the judge on Thursday that he be medically evaluated, though she did not say for what. Otis declined to comment.

Both required Mandarin interpreters in the courtroom.

McKinsey, a 40-year-old gaming engineer for The New York Times, was killed in the parking lot of a sports complex in Dublin, a city east of San Francisco. A police sergeant was driving nearby and saw him on the ground as witnesses began calling 911 and pointing out the couple in their vehicle, who were still near the scene, Dublin Police Services said in a news release.

Police detained the couple as they were driving away in the parking lot and found a gun in Chen’s possession. Prosecutors said Zhang admitted to shooting McKinsey during a later interview, and another firearm was found in the car that he admitted to using during the crime. Prosecutors also said surveillance video was recovered showing both Chen and Zhang shooting the victim.

Court records show McKinsey’s killing came during a contentious divorce with his wife, Candice Jang, and a custody battle over the couple’s three young children. In petitions for restraining orders filed last year, the couple accused each other of physical, emotional and psychological abuse going back more than a decade. McKinsey, who is transgender, alleged that both Jang and her parents were verbally and physically abusive regarding a gender transition he underwent years ago.

McKinsey was arrested last October and charged with misdemeanor child abuse for allegedly hitting their oldest son. Police said he acknowledged having slapped the child. Prosecutors also charged him with endangering their youngest child after deputies responded to the family’s home to talk with him and found their 2-year-old had been left home alone, according to court documents.

McKinsey pleaded not guilty to the charges and alleged in court records that he had been set up by his wife, who had left the house without telling him the child was sleeping in a crib upstairs. He was released from jail on the condition that he complete 12 parenting classes. At the time of his killing, McKinsey was out on bail and had been trying to enter a mental health diversion program.

It was also in October that Jang obtained a domestic violence protection order against McKinsey.

Jang wrote a long list of alleged abuse by McKinsey in her filing, including an instance in 2010 when McKinsey allegedly had grabbed her by the forearms during an argument and caused her to hit the corner of a coffee table, fracturing a vertebra in her upper back. She also said that in 2023 she called the police to their home after McKinsey pushed their oldest son hard on the head. Jang also accused McKinsey of emotionally abusing her mother.

The Associated Press has been unable to reach Jang for comment.

Manager Stephen Vogt also announced on Thursday that Gavin Williams will get the start for Game 2 on Monday.

“They’ve been our two best pitchers. They’ve earned it and then some,” Vogt said before the Guardians held a workout and simulated game. “Just with how the last week went, how the rotation’s kind of set up, it puts them in the best positions for success.”

Ryan Merritt was the last Cleveland rookie pitcher to get a postseason start. He threw 4 1/3 shutout innings in Game 5 of the AL Championship Series against Toronto a decade ago.

Messick went 12-9 in 32 regular-season starts. His 2.56 ERA is the lowest by a rookie pitcher in a single season with a minimum of 30 starts since the Mets' Jon Matlack posted a 2.32 ERA in 1972 when he won NL Rookie of the Year.

It is also the lowest ERA by a Cleveland left-hander since Cliff Lee's 2.54 in 2008.

The 25-year old leads MLB qualified rookies in innings pitched (183 1/3), was second in strikeouts (191), tied for second in wins and ERA and fourth in opponent batting average (.212).

Vogt pointed to Messick's consistency as the most significant reason for starting the series opener.

“He’s taken the ball every time and given us a chance to win. Just the way he pitches, it just felt right to go with Parker,” he said.

This will be the fifth time Messick goes against the White Sox this season. He is 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA and has won his last two starts.

Messick's most recent outing against the White Sox was on Sept. 16, when he went six innings and allowed three runs in a 6-3 victory that sent the Guardians into first place in the AL Central.

Williams went 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA to lead the American League. He was second in the majors with 248 strikeouts.

The right-hander held opposing hitters to a .213 batting average, tied for seventh best in the majors.

“We saw Gavin respond really well with some extra days of rest. So all of that stuff kind of went into play (for the Game 1 and Game 2 decisions),” Vogt said.

With Chicago dispatching Houston in two games, the Guardians got a jump on preparing for their AL Central rival. The White Sox went 7-6 in the season series after Cleveland took 11 of 13 last season.

“What the White Sox have done this year has been really special. I give (general manager) Chris Getz and (manager) Will Venable a ton of credit for what they’ve done. It’s been fun to watch,” Vogt said. “I share this with Will all the time. We enjoy playing each other. They can pound the baseball and they’ve got some really good arms and their defense is good and their roster is very deep. They match up well. So we got our work cut out for us.”

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

The announcement follows a similar finding against the university's medical school and comes as President Donald Trump's administration ramps up scrutiny of colleges' processes for selecting students. The administration also has accused the UC Berkeley Law School and the medical school at the University of California, San Diego, of illegally discriminating against white and Asian applicants.

The UCLA School of Law said in a statement that it was committed to making admissions decisions in compliance with all applicable laws.

“Students are admitted through a comprehensive, merit-based review process that considers each applicant’s achievements and experiences,” the statement said. "We are confident in our process.”

Affirmative action in college admissions has been illegal since a 2023 Supreme Court ruling forbade it. The same ruling said colleges could continue to assess how applicants’ backgrounds might speak to broader characteristics, but Trump has accused colleges of using applicants’ personal statements and other proxies to consider race in admissions — which conservatives view as illegal discrimination.

The Justice Department's investigation found UCLA's law school discriminated against white and Asian American students by favoring Black and Hispanic applicants in its 2023, 2024 and 2025 incoming classes. Its analysis found the mean LSAT score was lower for admitted Black applicants than for admitted white applicants.

The department also said admissions staff at the law school instructed applicants during recruitment efforts, including one called the “Diversity Admissions Open House,” how to reveal their race in essays.

“Like many of its peer institutions, UCLA Law School runs a two-tiered admissions system whose academic bar for acceptance shifts up or down depending on the color of your skin,” said Harmeet Dhillon, head of the department’s Civil Rights Division, in a news release.

California voters ended affirmative action in college admissions in a 1997 ballot measure. In a brief filed in the Supreme Court case, the UC system said the change led to a precipitous drop in underrepresented minorities, especially at the system’s most selective campuses. The brief said UC went on to implement a range of race-neutral measures to increase diversity.

The Trump administration also has sued over the main UCLA campus’s response to allegations of antisemitic harassment. The administration's latest finding sets the stage for a voluntary resolution to bring UCLA into compliance with the Justice Department’s legal interpretation or, if none can be reached, potential legal action.

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

In an amended federal lawsuit filed Wednesday, Steve Bray, an Orange County businessperson and Christian philanthropist, accused Feucht of soliciting a $250,000 donation for a 2023 concert tour that had already been fully financed by the late Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA. A federal judge on Sept. 9 had dismissed the original lawsuit Bray brought, citing a lack of specific details and lack of evidence to support the fraud allegations. But he left a door open by giving the plaintiff 20 days to file an amended complaint with more specifics and proof.

According to court documents, Feucht met with Bray in his Anaheim office on March 6, 2023, seeking a donation for his Kingdom to Capitol Tour, which he planned to take to all 50 states. Bray said in the complaint that he agreed to fund five tour stops for a total of $250,000, but later discovered that Feucht’s entire concert tour had been fully funded.

In a statement issued via his spokesperson, Feucht said he “looks forward to this case being dismissed, just as the last one was.”

“Every dollar given to the Kingdom to the Capitol Tour was used for exactly that purpose – as we completed the historic effort of bringing LET US WORSHIP to all 50 U.S. state capitols throughout 2023-2024. We stand by the work, the mission, and the stewardship behind it. We’re grateful to all the donors who made this historic tour possible.”

On social media, he had celebrated the judge’s Sept. 9 dismissal as “a day of vindication.”

“Case Dismissed! Praise God!” Feucht wrote. “The TRUTH always prevails!”

Bray told The Associated Press on Thursday that he gave Feucht an opportunity to explain how he had used the $250,000 before serving him with the lawsuit. He said Feucht didn’t respond.

“I hate being in legal battles, but this was the last resort,” he said.

Bray said Feucht was persuasive during their meeting in 2023.

“Sean was leading worship and bringing people to the Lord and taking the church to the public square,” he said. “We thought if he’s out there, doing this, let’s help him. That’s how he represented his work and that’s what I believed the money was going for.”

Warren Cole Smith, president of MinistryWatch, a nonprofit accountability watchdog of the nation’s 1,000 largest Christian ministries, said Sean Feucht Ministries triggered red flags when it stopped filing Form 990s after 2020, at a time when its earnings skyrocketed — from $243,000 to $5 million over one year.

The tax forms, which are public record, describe how a nonprofit allocates its money. But religious organizations are not legally required to file Form 990s, and it is legal for pastors to take housing allowances to buy a home or pay rent.

Over the last year, Christian watchdog groups and several former associates have questioned the ministry amassing more than $7 million in real estate and whether ministry funds were mismanaged. These acquisitions ranged from upscale homes in Southern California and hunting properties in Montana to hundreds of acres in a scenic region known as the “Swiss Alps of Texas.”

Some former associates have also alleged that Feucht abused them emotionally and spiritually. Feucht has dismissed those accusations as being made by “disgruntled former volunteers.” He has also said recently that his ministry will continue acquiring real estate across the country.

Smith said he doesn’t believe that the lawsuit’s dismissal vindicates Feucht in any way.

“All our concerns about his ministry and the lack of accountability still stand,” he said.

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

Just four minutes before clearing the plane for landing, an air traffic controller had provided a wind advisory to a different flight, noting gusts of up to 25 mph (40 kph) from the south. But the controller “did not issue information about the wind" to the pilots of the Amazon cargo plane, the report said.

According to federal regulations, “both wind direction and velocity were required to be stated when authorizing use of a runway when a tail wind component exists,” the NTSB report said.

The preliminary report did not list a cause of the crash. The ongoing investigation could take more than a year to complete.

The plane’s operator, 21 Air, said in a written statement Thursday that safety is “a core focus” of its organization.

“We are reviewing the information in the NTSB preliminary report closely, alongside our own internal safety and operational protocols, and we will take all appropriate action to improve our safety based on the facts as they are established,” the company said.

The airplane, carrying packages of contact lenses for Amazon, came in fast after a flight from Puerto Rico and barreled roughly 1,200 feet (366 meters) past the end of the runway at Miami International Airport on Sept. 6. It smashed into a van carrying workers for a company that cleans airplanes. Five people who were in the van died. Two others in the van sustained serious injuries, as did the driver of a car that was hit by the plane. The two pilots had minor injuries.

A summary of cockpit voice recordings previously released by the NTSB said one of the pilots repeatedly warned his counterpart that they were going too fast as they approached for landing and after touchdown. But the fellow pilot never gave “a consistent verbal response” to the warnings, the NTSB has said. The two pilots had flown together for the first time just earlier that day, according to the preliminary NTSB report.

The cockpit audio recordings also captured a series of automated warnings from the plane about the speed of descent and the approaching terrain.

The plane was well down the runway when it touched down, reducing how much distance it had on the runway to stop. Experts have said strong winds from approaching storms could have created a tail wind that helped propel the plane forward.

The pilots may have tried to abort the landing. Data from the plane show its wheel brakes were applied then released as the engines throttled to “go-around” thrust values before the brakes again were applied with about 415 feet (126 meters) of runway remaining.

The plane ran off the pavement while still traveling at 130 mph (209 kph), then struck some airport equipment and the cleaning crew’s van before crashing through a perimeter fence, hitting a car on a public road and coming to rest with its nose in a parking lot fence, the preliminary report said.

After the crash, Amazon suspended its partnership with 21 Air, which operated the plane. The North Carolina carrier had flown packages for Amazon since 2024. The Boeing 767 that crashed was 32 years old and originally built to carry passengers. It was converted to a cargo plane in June 2016, the preliminary NTSB report said.

The Miami crash came less than a year after a UPS cargo plane crashed at Louisville’s Muhammad Ali International Airport after losing its engine while accelerating down the runway. That crash killed all three pilots and 12 people on the ground. Twenty-three more were injured.

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Associated Press transportation writer Josh Funk contributed from Omaha, Nebraska.

Her mother had breast cancer in 2022, so she got in the habit of doing self-exams. Last year, “Mari” pressed down with her fingers in the shower when she felt the lump that changed her life.

“I felt a small lump the size of about a marble on my left breast,” she said as TikTok user “MariXXaran.”

Mari said her health insurance company didn’t make it easy for her to schedule a mammogram after her primary care physician decided the lump she had found required one.

“We need to advocate for more screenings, for earlier screenings,” she said on TikTok.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which influences how insurers define coverage, recommends routine average-risk screening starting at age 40, but historically recommended starting at 50.

“Following a mammogram and ultrasound, there was obviously something found in both imaging, which is when my doctor decided that I needed to do a biopsy,” she said on TikTok.

“Mari” said the tumor in her left breast was larger than 2 inches, or about 6 centimeters. Healthcare providers took a tissue sample and examined it under a microscope.

She had felt the lump in mid-July 2025. Her diagnosis on Sept. 3, 2025: Triple-negative, an invasive type with cancerous cells that lack estrogen, progesterone, and HER2 protein receptors.

She said she dropped out of her graduate program after meeting with an oncologist.

“The first thing they will tell you is that your fertility could be affected. That was the toughest pill to swallow for me. I don’t remember crying much for the cancer, but it did hit me pretty hard when my doctor told me that I needed to look into options and that I needed to act quickly,” she said on TikTok.

Since cancer treatment can damage the ovaries, reduce egg counts, or induce early menopause, “Mari” started fertility treatment on Sept. 5, 2025. With the help of ovarian stimulation medications, her doctor was able to retrieve 13 unfertilized mature eggs and freeze them for future use.

“I am so grateful I was able to do that because my dream has always been to start a family,” she said on TikTok.

On Thursday, at 23, her treatment plan, so far, has included chemotherapy, surgery to remove both breasts, radiation, and immunotherapy, according to U-Health.

“I just hope that next year, in my second year since being diagnosed, my life is a lot different because right now I am really going through it,” she said on TikTok.

Breast cancer awareness: Facts to know

• Breast cancers in women under 40 are more likely to have features that can contribute to poorer prognoses and outcomes: larger tumor size, advanced tumor stage, negative hormone receptor status,
• The breast cancer incidence rate in women under 50 has been rising faster than in women over 50
• Rates of metastatic breast cancer in women under 40 have risen
• Women under 50 are now nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with cancer compared to men of the same ages

Source: The Breast Cancer Research Foundation

The National Capital Planning Commission on Thursday advanced the proposal for the screening facility, which the administration has said would be an improvement over temporary structures long used for security, such as tents and bicycle racks fashioned into barriers. The White House wants it open by July 2028, six months before President Donald Trump would finish out his second term.

The administration says the permanent facility, which it wants open by July 2028, will replace a series of temporary tents that have been used for years, improve security on the White House complex and enhance the experience for visitors.

The project — a collaboration of the Executive Office of the President, the U.S. Secret Service and the National Park Service, which manages the White House grounds — comes as security for Trump is a top concern. He has been the target of multiple assassination attempts, including two during the 2024 campaign and a third this past April as he attended a Washington dinner with White House journalists.

Those concerns were heightened in May after U.S. Secret Service officers fatally shot a man who opened fire near a White House security checkpoint.

The 33,000-square-foot (3,066-square-meter) facility, which will provide security screening for public tour participants, guests attending large events, staff and contractors going to the White House, would be built beneath Sherman Park, located southeast of the White House and directly south of the Treasury building.

The park had long been the place where White House tourists and guests lined up for security checks before clearing a series of trailer-like structures and walking to the East Wing entrance.

After Trump tore down the East Wing last fall to build a ballroom, visitors have been lining up near Lafayette Park, across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. An architect for the screening facility said Thursday that some of the design had been tweaked to match elements of the massive White House ballroom currently under construction where the East Wing used to stand.

The panel, which has oversight over the design of construction on federal land in Washington, granted initial approval for the facility's revised design earlier this year. Commission member Evan Cash suggested a tour of the site, to which other members agreed.

Part of that tour, members said, could include the White House ballroom site, where construction has been allowed to continue as lawsuits over it play out, under a ruling a month ago by a divided Supreme Court.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

The report is beginning to fill in gaps about what happened when the plane overshot the runway at Miami International Airport, killing five people.

The NTSB identified several factors leading up to the crash. One was that the plane’s thrust reversers did not deploy, while the speed brakes were also stowed when the pilot attempted to land.

Thrust reversers are critical for helping an airplane slow down and decelerate. The NTSB found they were not activated during the landing attempt, but it remains unconfirmed whether that was caused by a mechanical failure or pilot error.

The speed brakes were also retracted and locked in their stored position, meaning they were not deployed.

The pilot manually deployed the plane’s wheel brakes at a ground speed of about 168 mph.

About eight seconds later, the pilot attempted a go-around maneuver in an effort to get the plane back into the air and land again. At that point, the report says the airplane had only about 930 feet of runway remaining.

When the pilot attempted to reapply the wheel brakes, the plane had about 415 feet of runway left. The aircraft eventually overshot the runway while traveling about 130 mph, hitting and killing five people who were parked nearby.

Another detail in the report involves the flight crew’s experience. The captain earned his airline transport certificate in May, just a few months before the crash. He still had thousands of hours of flight experience.

The first officer earned his certificate in April of last year.

It remains to be confirmed whether the crash was completely the result of a mechanical failure or whether pilot error played a role.

The preliminary report also includes details about whether weather may have affected the crash, as well as more information from the wreckage scene.

The investigation is ongoing, and the NTSB is continuing to examine what happened that day.

During Clancy's first trial, which ended Sept. 4 with a deadlocked jury, her defense argued that she was not criminally responsible because of a mental disease, specifically a rare condition called postpartum psychosis. As such, the defense didn’t dispute that the 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse carried out the killings at her family's Massachusetts home in 2023.

However, in a hearing earlier this week, Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington tried to persuade the judge that prosecutors had not offered any proof that Clancy did it. Prosecutors argued there was plenty of evidence, calling Reddington’s claim “laughable.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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Prosecutors have yet to decide whether they will put the case in front of a jury for a second time. They could choose to retry her on first-degree murder charges or seek to try her only on lesser charges, including second-degree murder or manslaughter, or drop the case entirely.

In his ruling Thursday, Judge William Sullivan noted that for the purposes of his decision, he was required to analyze the evidence in the light most favorable to prosecutors — and that it was up to the jury, not the judge, to decide whether to believe expert witnesses for the defense who testified that Clancy was not responsible for her actions because of mental illness.

“There was evidence introduced, both physical and circumstantial, that would permit a rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt the elements of the charge of murder,” Sullivan wrote.

At the first trial, prosecutors acknowledged that Clancy had mental health problems that included months of treatment and a stay in a psychiatric hospital, but argued that she knew what she was doing when she strangled the children — the youngest just 8 months old — then tried to kill herself.

Sullivan had declared a mistrial with the jury split 11 to 1 in favor of acquitting Clancy of murder charges.

In Tuesday’s hearing, Reddington suggested the entire case “was based on speculation” and listed shortcomings in the prosecution's case. There was almost no police investigation, he claimed, and significant questions revolving around Clancy’s condition outside the night of the killings and her lack of memory of what happened.

At the trial, jurors heard testimony that Clancy said she heard voices instructing her to kill 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan Clancy. Her DNA was found on exercise bands used to strangle them. Before the trial, Reddington himself filed a motion in which he said Clancy was willing to stipulate, in writing, to her involvement in the children’s deaths.

“For the first time, the defendant is arguing that there is no evidence she did this,” Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham told the judge. “I’d suggest to you the entire record is voluminous as to information supporting the fact that she did this.”

Clancy remains charged with murder and is expected to stay at a psychiatric hospital until her case is resolved.

Clancy could have been sentenced to life in prison if convicted of murder. If acquitted, the judge could have ordered her confined to a mental health facility.

Her former husband, Patrick Clancy, who discovered the children's bodies, has said in interviews that he forgives her. The livestreamed trial generated intense public interest and drew attention to maternal mental health after childbirth.

The software vulnerability does not allow votes to be changed or cast doubt on election results, but it could let someone see how others voted. That's important because ballot secrecy is a fundamental right under the state constitution and violations could create an opening for legal challenges.

A lack of ballot secrecy also can increase the danger of coercion to vote a certain way by family members or employers.

Last week, the Georgia Republican Party and Republican National Committee asked the election board to require county election officials to collect and shuffle ballots at polling sites before they are cast. That would prevent anyone from linking voters to their ballots by determining the time their vote was cast, the two groups said.

Janelle King, one of four Republicans on the five-member board, said during a meeting Thursday that such a requirement would impose new burdens on county election officials, including possibly having to hire additional poll workers. She also raised concerns about ballots falling out during the shuffling process and then going uncounted.

“I just have some major concerns about whether or not we are creating more problems while we are trying to address a problem that is an important issue,” she said.

Carolyn Roddy, who was appointed to the election board by the Republican Party, said she had previously opposed a similar proposal and did not see any reason to change her position.

She called the risk of coercion by family members or bosses a “small thing” that she didn’t think would affect the outcome of an election. The RNC proposal “does more harm than good,” she said, noting it would go into effect just days before early voting was set to begin.

Georgia is a presidential battleground state with one of the nation’s most closely watched U.S. Senate races this year. Early voting starts Oct. 13.

“I’m not saying that ballot secrecy is not important, but I think, ‘Cause no harm,’ is a great motto to take in this,” Roddy said.

Despite her criticism of the RNC's plan, Roddy said she also remains concerned that the software flaw has not been fixed.

Earlier this week, she and other Republican board members voted separately for a resolution that urges Georgia's secretary of state to upgrade voting software to address it and other vulnerabilities. The resolution also called on the board's executive director to seek help for the effort from the Trump administration.

The board's lone Democrat, Sara Ghazal, said it was too close to the midterm elections for a software update and that she opposed federal intervention in state elections. An election security expert, Ben Adida, told the board Thursday the state had already taken steps to reduce risks to the voting system and that a software update days ahead of a major election could cause bigger problems.

The ballot secrecy flaw in Georgia's voting system has received increased attention as Election Day has drawn closer. Under the state's system, ballots that display voters' choices and electronic ballot images created by the scanners that read them are randomized. But the equipment's software flaw allows them to be put back in the order they were cast, according to a report by researchers who discovered it in 2022.

With the use of other publicly available data, someone could determine the order in which people voted and then match them to the specific ballots they cast. Use of artificial intelligence could accelerate the process.

The board adjourned Thursday without taking a vote on the proposal by the RNC and the Georgia Republican Party, both of which did not immediately return requests for comment.

In remarks at a foreign policy forum, Putin accused the West and Europe of escalating tensions by talking about preparing for a war with Moscow in the coming years, conducting military drills in the Baltic Sea, and seizing Russian vessels.

His remarks followed Moscow's warning to NATO that it would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons to defend Kaliningrad should any members of the military alliance try to cut off the Baltic exclave from the rest of Russia.

Several Russian embassies in Europe this week issued statements that said Moscow has “information that NATO is preparing (an) air and naval blockade of Kaliningrad and (the) Kaliningrad region.”

They accused European leaders of “playing a dangerous game” by saying Russia might attack another country or ramp up a campaign of destabilizing attacks with drones and sabotage. Moscow has called the allegations absurd.

“There should be no mistake — Russia would be ready to use all its arsenal, including nuclear weapons, to defend its territory if NATO countries try to isolate (the) Kaliningrad region from the rest of the country,” the Russian Embassy in Ireland said in its statement on Tuesday.

Asked at the Valdai Club forum Thursday whether Russia was on the cusp of a war with NATO or whether both were trying to intimidate each other, Putin said: “It's not intimidation, it’s a response to an attempt to intimidate us.”

Putin said that “everything is written correctly” in the earlier warning to NATO.

“If it comes to a direct attack on the Russian Federation — in this case we mean Kaliningrad, or maybe some other territories — of course, inevitably and immediately the question of Russian Federation using all weapons at the disposal of our country will appear on the agenda,” he said.

Putin didn’t specify whether Moscow would use nuclear weapons but said it has arms that “no one else has” and would determine which to use in case of an attack.

NATO pushed back against Russian nuclear rhetoric

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart confirmed Wednesday that Russia had sent a written message to the U.S.-led military alliance. “We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric,” she said in a statement.

Hart insisted NATO is not targeting Kaliningrad and had sent a reply noting that “NATO is a defensive alliance and none of our activities or exercises pose a risk to any part of Russia.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Wednesday the bloc's response to the message was “short and concise."

“Basically what we said is, ‘Hey, listen, we are defensive alliance, and stop the nuclear threat. This is absolutely not called for and not helpful,’” Rutte told Euronews.

NATO's response also urged Russia to stop its “unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine,” now in its fifth year.

The Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad sits between NATO members Poland and Lithuania. It is home to Russia’s main Baltic navy base and other military assets, and nuclear-capable Iskander missiles are deployed there.

Western military officers have said that key military installations in Kaliningrad would be a likely first target should Russia ever attack any NATO ally.

NATO allies have conducted military exercises in the Baltic Sea region in recent months. More are planned in October. It launched Operation Baltic Sentry there last year to protect communication cables and pipelines.

On Aug. 18, NATO held an exercise over northern Poland and the Baltic region involving several aircraft, including an EA-37B Compass Call — a sophisticated American plane that can jam communications and radar, the U.S. Air Forces in Europe said.

Defense analysts believe the unannounced, large-scale exercise would not have been welcomed by the Kremlin.

Rutte urges continued focus on supporting Ukraine

European leaders and intelligence services have warned that Russia could be ready to strike at another country within a few years, especially if it wins its war on Ukraine.

Rutte told Euronews that Russia is trying “to divide us and lose the focus” on defending Ukraine.

“We will not,” he said, adding that the best way to respond is to provide Kyiv with more support.

“That’s the message. Calm, carry on, keep the support for Ukraine going. That’s how we deal with it," Rutte said.

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Associated Press reporter Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed.

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Authorities said the case against Renel Troutman, 24, came amid an investigation into a “criminal organization” operating within the MDCR system.

“The organization relied upon incarcerated participants, outside organizers, narcotics suppliers, couriers, financial intermediaries, bettors and compromised correctional employees to acquire, transport, introduce, distribute, and finance narcotics and contraband within MDCR facilities,” a federal criminal complaint states.

Troutman was one of those “compromised” jailers, authorities said.

‘5-8 of them thangs’: Jailer helped smuggle drug-laced paper, authorities say

According to the complaint, Troutman worked with an unnamed “principal outside organizer who coordinated narcotics quantities, pricing, deliveries, payments, wagers, and outstanding balances with inmates and outside associates, while communicating with correctional personnel concerning institutional access, timing, inmate movement, and concealment.”

Authorities said Troutman used his knowledge and access to help smuggle in narcotics-laced paper containing the synthetic cannabinoid K2.

They said text message evidence showed Troutman communicating with the organizer and messages “repeatedly referred to ‘papers,’ ‘sheets,’ ‘big s---s,’ “drops,’ ‘scrolls,’ quantities such as ‘5–8 of them thangs’ and ’16 for 35,’ and difficulty ‘fitting 3 in a glove.’”

At one point, authorities said Troutman discussed concealing a shipment within a Panda Express delivery after telling the organizer that his colleagues were “unlikely to open a plate of food.”

They said electronic payment records also tied the individual to Troutman and said the “communications occurred against the backdrop of laboratory-confirmed seizures of synthetic-cannabinoid-laced paper from” the group.

Two seizures mentioned in the complaint, on Feb. 26, 2025 and Aug. 7, 2025, netted sheets of narcotics-laced paper, each representing thousands of individual doses.

The complaint also states Troutman discussed keeping his “face clean” and instructed that messages be deleted after use.

‘Madden’ and ‘Fool’: Allegations include ties to inmate gambling operation

Authorities said he also participated in the organization’s “gambling and related financial operation involving incarcerated bettors” and evidence showed that he communicated with the organizer “concerning wagers, balances, payments, and collection activity.”

Agents said evidence showed Troutman sending the organizer “an accounting identifying outstanding balances of $300 associated with ‘Madden,’ $300 associated with ‘Fool,’ and $2,400 associated with another inmate.” Agents said the organizer sent information on “Fool,” an inmate, including “housing location, psychiatric classification, telephone access, and anticipated movement within MDCR,” in order to help Troutman find him in the jail.

Communications also showed that the two “continued placing and discussing new wagers, including Hard Rock Bet wagers, sports selections, wager amounts, live betting, profit targets, and recurring wagering profits,” according to the complaint.

‘Put a switch on that s---’: Texts show gun discussions, agents say

According to the complaint, messages also tied Troutman to “firearms activity,” including discussions about machine-gun-conversion devices referred to as “switches.”

In one instance, messages showed Troutman explaining that he had a “plug” for switches ― a source capable of supplying them.

“Investigators separately identified an exchange in which (Troutman) told (the organizer), ‘You know why I’m hitting your phone,’ followed by a communication referring to ‘guns,’” the complaint states.

In the complaint, investigators included a text message transcript in which they said Troutman texted the individual, “How imma be looking if a n---a play and try to come in the crib,” followed by three laughing emojis and a photo of Troutman holding a shotgun.

“Put a switch on that s---,” agents said the organizer replied.

According to the complaint, Troutman said he had a “plug” for handguns but “(I don’t know) one for shotguns.”

‘You’ve seen the picture’: What agents say C.O. told them

Authorities said they conducted a search warrant on Troutman’s home on Wednesday and took him into custody.

They said he admitted to learning about the organizer “through an inmate approximately a year and a half earlier and acknowledged using the Hard Rock Bet gambling platform” and “acknowledged his operational role in the Enterprise’s gambling activity.”

Troutman, agents said, “initially attempted to limit his explanation to ‘the bookie,’ but ultimately explained, ‘You can’t put a slip in or anything and you can’t bet without me,’” going on to admit that the organizer’s “Hard Rock account was unusable and that (he) could not wager without (Troutman), including when an inmate associate directed (Troutman) to have (the organizer) ‘put a ticket in.’”

They said Troutman’s explanation for communicating with said “inmate associate” was, “I talk to a lot of people while at work,” saying he did so “to pass the time.”

Authorities said when questioning him about the drugs, however, he tried to claim that messages referring to “sheets” pertained to betting slips.

However, agents said they confronted Troutman with messages regarding “the physical preparation of the ‘papers’ and ‘sheets,’” which “discussed whether the material was the correct size, whether it was too large or too small, its physical thickness, folding it smaller, and physically compressing it.”

“Among other statements, the communications included: ‘That’s good size,’ ‘(t)o(o) big or too small,’ ‘it’s hard to get this s--- real small these s---s kinda thick,’ ‘I can prolly go run it over a few times,’ and ‘Ima try to fold it one more time and go run it over,’” the complaint states.

Troutman then replied by saying the organizer was “trying to make it more than betting” and that he “tried to make (Troutman) ‘do things he doesn’t need to be doing.’”

“When investigators asked what kinds of things (the organizer) was trying to make him do, (Troutman) responded, ‘you’ve seen the picture,’” the complaint states.

Authorities said he departed from his betting explanation after being shown a text message from the organizer stating, “I can’t make that s--- no smaller bro the papers don’t bend that small.”

“I don’t think I should go into detail,” Troutman is accused of telling agents.

Agents concluded that Troutman’s “own admissions and explanations are consistent with the narcotics evidence developed during the investigation.”

Charges could lead to hefty prison term

He now faces federal charges of conspiracy to possess controlled substances with intent to distribute, Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right, conspiracy and racketeering promotion.

He could face decades in prison if convicted.

Troutman was initially booked into the Broward Sheriff’s Office Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale, but no longer appeared in BSO inmate records as of Thursday afternoon.

Records show his case is being prosecuted in Miami federal court. The federal court docket did not immediately list any upcoming appearances as of Thursday afternoon.

In a statement, an MDCR spokesperson confirmed Troutman’s arrest and said he “has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation.”

“MDCR takes matters involving employee conduct very seriously and remains committed to transparency, accountability, and maintaining the public’s trust,” the statement read. “The matter is currently under active investigation by the FBI and administrative review by MDCR. To protect the integrity of the investigation, MDCR is unable to provide additional details at this time.”

The agency spokesperson directed any further inquiries to the FBI.

Golden State's Gabby Williams finished second with 20 votes and Las Vegas star A’ja Wilson was third. Wilson won the award in 2022 and 2023 and shared the honor with Minnesota's Alanna Smith last year.

Reese, a three-time All-Star, helped the Dream advance to the WNBA playoff semifinals for the first time since 2018 in her first year with the franchise.

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

The 24-year-old Reese grabbed a league-high 12.1 rebounds a game, ranked third in the league with 1.8 steals a game in her third season and helped the Dream have the third-best defensive rating in the WNBA. The 6-foot-4 forward broke single-season league records with 521 rebounds and 206 offensive rebounds and set a WNBA record with 26 rebounds in a game.

Reese spent the first two years of her career in Chicago before going to the Dream in an offseason trade. She flourished in her new surroundings, once again leading the league in rebounding and emerging as one of the top defenders in the WNBA.

The Dream acquired her in a trade with the Sky in April for first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028.

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

The Braves announced the decision Thursday.

Veteran right-hander Aaron Nola is expected to start for the Phillies. Nola was 7-12 with a 4.67 ERA in the regular season.

Braves right-hander Grant Holmes (10-6, 3.44) is expected to pitch in bulk relief behind Kerr. On Sept. 25, Kerr threw three scoreless innings as the opener at Miami and Holmes allowed one run in four innings of a 3-0 loss.

Kerr, 32, was recalled by Atlanta on Aug. 16 and he made his first major league appearance in more than two years the following day. Kerr underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024 and didn’t pitch at all in 2025.

Kerr posted a 1.47 ERA in nine games with Atlanta.

The Phillies beat the Braves 4-3 in 10 innings on Wednesday to force the decisive game of the best-of-three series.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

In an interview, Moore, a Democrat, criticized President Donald Trump's meeting with AI executives at the White House this week as a “billionaire boys club." He was also critical of Congress for leaving Washington until after next month's midterms without addressing the rapidly evolving technology.

“The federal government has a unique leadership role that they have to play and that includes both the White House and Congress,” Moore said after speaking at an innovation conference in Baltimore. “In the absence of that, the governors cannot just sit on our hands.”

Moore is the chair of the National Governors Association this year and said his co-chair, Republican Gov. Mike Braun of Indiana, would partner with him in developing an AI framework. Other governors from both parties are planning to participate, Moore said.

Increasingly dire warnings from tech executives that AI could pose an existential threat to humanity have tested the ability of governments at all levels to respond nimbly to fast-moving developments. So far, states have been more active than the federal government, but their power is limited when it comes to dealing with a technology that spans the country and the globe.

In the past month, governors in Maryland, California, Illinois, Oregon and Virginia have issued executive orders or taken other steps intended to create some standards for the technology. Republicans have been among those taking action at the state level with governors including Spencer Cox of Utah and Greg Abbott of Texas cracking down on data center development.

However, the action has been much slower in Washington. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., hosted a briefing with lawmakers and experts last month and Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has launched an investigation into OpenAI. There has been little agreement, however, on a legislative response.

At the White House, Trump has dismissed AI fears as a “hoax” and emphasized the need to remain competitive with technology developed in China. He is one of the few prominent leaders who continues to boost data centers.

Trump and tech leaders signed a voluntary accord this week that he called “morally binding” and will include internal and external reviews. After meeting with the leaders, the president praised the industry for engaging in “tremendous self-policing.”

“Who in the room was advocating for more transparency or more regulatory guardrails?” Moore said of the White House meeting. “What the president did in no way, shape or form made me feel like what the governors are now doing was now unnecessary.”

The White House didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

The debate over responding to artificial intelligence could play an important role in the early stages of the next presidential campaign. Moore has said he's not running for president and is focused on this year's midterms, when he is on the ballot for reelection in Maryland.

Whoever enters the field could face scrutiny for past moves including support for data centers, which were once seen as economic booms for states but have since become broadly unpopular. Moore is among the governors who has become more critical of data centers, signing an executive order last month establishing new rules to govern them.

He has also called on state lawmakers to repeal a tax exemption that was passed before he took office.

In the interview, Moore acknowledged the “speed of this technology that is moving at such a rapid clip.” He said that elements of an AI executive order he signed in 2024 are “antiquated now.”

“The operations might move,” he said. “But my values will never move.”

The church's owner — a nonprofit formed by Roman Catholic priests — claims the Kentucky Supreme Court misconstrued a federal law and erroneously ruled against its plan to build a shrine on a residential plot that it bought for the project.

The nation's highest court will hear arguments in the coming months in its latest case involving religious rights.

The petitioners, Missionaries of Saint John the Baptist, argue that they have a right to build the shrine behind their church as part of their "religious mission." They say a federal law can, under certain circumstances, bar governments from implementing land use regulations that impose a “substantial burden” on religious expression.

The state's highest court concluded last December that a zoning board in Park Hills, Kentucky, a suburb of Cincinnati, lacked the authority to grant a variance allowing the church's owner to build the shrine on a residential tract.

The church group argues that the Kentucky Supreme Court's decision conflicts with U.S. Supreme Court precedent and other appellate rulings.

“The conflict among lower courts is deeply entrenched and widely acknowledged,” the group's lawyers wrote.

A neighborhood family, concerned that the project would exacerbate traffic problems, successfully challenged the zoning board's decision in state court. The family also opposed the group's Supreme Court petition, arguing there is no basis for the nation's highest court to intervene in the local zoning dispute.

The opponents say the church group knew that zoning ordinances barred it from building the shrine on neighboring residential land when it acquired the property. The opponents also argue that the group hasn't demonstrated why it couldn't build the shrine on church land.

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Follow the AP's coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

Rachel, ubicada a unos 390 kilómetros (245 millas) del extremo sur de la península de Baja California, continúa avanzando lentamente hacia el oeste, y se pronostica que se fortalecerá en el transcurso del próximo día antes de empezar a debilitarse el fin de semana.

Se prevé que Rachel genere un fuerte oleaje en las costas de México, advirtió el NHC. Los vientos máximos sostenidos eran de 195 km/h (120 mph) la tarde del jueves.

Las autoridades mexicanas dijeron el jueves que se mantienen en alerta debido a los pronósticos de lluvias muy intensas en los estados de Baja California Sur, Sinaloa y Jalisco, y la posibilidad de deslaves, aumento de los niveles de los ríos, desbordamiento de ríos e inundaciones en zonas bajas.

El Pacífico ha registrado una temporada de huracanes inusualmente activa, lo que los expertos han atribuido al fenómeno climático de El Niño, que ha alimentado sequías en México y Centroamérica e inundaciones en otras partes de la región. En el Pacífico, ha dado lugar a aguas más cálidas y patrones de viento que sirven de combustible para los huracanes.

Los remanentes de Polo empapan el centro de EEUU

Partes de Texas, Nebraska, Iowa y Missouri seguían bajo alerta por inundaciones la tarde del jueves, mientras los remanentes de Polo continuaban azotando la región.

El miércoles fue el día más lluvioso registrado en Lincoln, Nebraska, que recibió 15,4 centímetros (6,1 pulgadas) de lluvia, de acuerdo con la Oficina del Clima de la Universidad de Nebraska-Lincoln.

Más de 20.000 residentes en Texas estaban sin electricidad la tarde del jueves, de acuerdo con PowerOutage.us. Videos publicados en redes sociales mostraban inundaciones en Texas creando olas a lo largo de la Interestatal 35 en Denton. La ciudad de San Antonio instó a los residentes a evitar viajes innecesarios durante periodos de lluvia intensa.

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

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

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

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

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

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

The children have different fathers, according to police.

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

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

Concerned about his infant daughter, he called police.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The troop movement, which includes a third aircraft carrier, underscores the rapidly evolving dynamic of Trump's war against Iran as he ponders his next move, with midterm elections in the United States looming large and new signs that the nature of the conflict may be becoming more complex.

Trump has threatened that a post-midterm election escalation — despite his initial promises to Americans of a campaign that would last a matter of weeks — remains a viable option. Further complicating matters, Trump told reporters Thursday that early indications suggest that Iran is linked to the FlyDubai co-pilot who stabbed his captain and tried to crash an Israel-bound flight on Wednesday.

In an exchange with reporters at the White House, Trump raised the connection when asked by a reporter if there were any links between the pilot behind the attack and Tehran.

“I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is ‘yes,’ but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said, without offering details.

Trump added that if the link to Iran is established, the United States would retaliate. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed in a Fox News interview earlier Thursday that investigators believe the FlyDubai suspect underwent “Islamist, radical indoctrination” but did not provide further details.

“Oh, they’ll be hit very hard, don’t worry," Trump said. “You just ask them. They know what happened. They’ll be hit very hard.”

Thousands of US sailors and Marines head to the Middle East

Meanwhile, the group of ships now en route to the Middle East together carry over 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines.

It includes the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group, which recently deployed with the cruiser USS Chosin, and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group, which includes the USS John P. Murtha and USS Anchorage amphibious landing ships.

It could mean that three carriers are in the region as early as the end of October, according to the U.S. official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.

Given the personnel already in place in the Middle East, the move would bring the U.S. naval presence to an unusually high number of more than 20,000 sailors and Marines as well as hundreds of aircraft. The Navy previously had three carrier strike groups in the Middle East in April for the first time since 2003.

The carriers USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington are in the region now, along with the USS Boxer amphibious readiness group. The Washington is typically deployed to the Pacific Ocean, but it was moved to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose arduous deployment resulted in the crew being at sea for more than 260 days straight.

Trump explains why he rejected Iran's latest truce proposal

Trump, in a Time magazine interview published Thursday, also raised the prospects of new strikes, saying it is “possible” that he will ramp up bombing in Iran after the Nov. 3 elections in the United States.

When pressed, Trump said he could not go into further detail about his strategy.

“I can’t tell you that because look, you know, you’re asking, where are you going to bomb?” Trump said.

He said in the interview, conducted Monday, that he rejected the latest ceasefire proposal from Iran because “things that I wouldn’t have approved a year ago I wouldn’t have today.”

Trump cited as an example an offer from Iran to “open up" the Strait of Hormuz, the key energy shipping corridor, but said the overall proposal was “not good enough.”

The war shows signs of getting more complicated

Asked if the increasingly unpopular war would threaten Republican Party chances in November, Trump at first responded, “It’s possible.” But then he added, “It should help, because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”

The president said “100% of the people” oppose Iran having nuclear attack capabilities “including worldwide.”

“So, when you say it that way, it would help,” Trump added. “If you don’t say that, it could hurt.”

Yet, there's also growing concern that Tehran might be turning to asymmetrical tactics following the FlyDubai attack and another suspicious incident in the U.K.

Authorities believe that Iran might be looking to shift strategy just as the U.S. finds greater success in loosening Iran’s grip over the Strait of Hormuz and getting Gulf allies' oil to market, while a Navy blockade is shutting down Iran’s own oil exports.

British authorities announced on Thursday the arrest of a dual U.K.-Iranian national on suspicion of plotting a terror attack following a security incident at a U.S.-run military air base in England that British authorities have linked to Tehran.

The arrest of the 27-year-old man in Central London came after U.K. authorities arrested five men, all British nationals in their 20s and from London, in the early hours of Sunday on suspicion of explosives and terror offenses close to the RAF Fairford air base

The base has been used by American bombers to strike Iran. The suspects have since been released on bail.

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Madhani reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim and Will Weissert in Washington contributed to this report.

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All eastbound lanes of the Dolphin Expressway will close at Northwest 17th Avenue beginning at 10 p.m. Friday, and are expected to remain closed until 10 a.m. Saturday.

The closure will allow crews to safely place a reinforcing steel cage for a bridge support structure over the roadway.

Eastbound drivers will be directed to exit at Northwest 17th Avenue and continue south across Northwest Seventh Street. From there, drivers can turn left onto Southwest First Street, travel east and turn right onto South Miami Avenue before accessing ramps for northbound or southbound Interstate 95.

Drivers heading toward Biscayne Boulevard or the MacArthur Causeway can remain on Southwest First Street before turning left onto Biscayne Boulevard and connecting with the MacArthur Causeway entrance ramp at Northeast 11th Terrace.

Drivers traveling on Northwest 12th Avenue who want to reach the Dolphin Expressway eastbound, I-95, Biscayne Boulevard or the MacArthur Causeway can continue south on Northwest 12th Avenue before turning left onto Southwest First Street and following the designated detours.

Westbound lanes on the Dolphin Expressway also closing

Westbound SR 836 will also be affected Friday night.

Two westbound lanes will close beginning at 10 p.m., followed by a full closure of all westbound lanes between Northwest 12th and Northwest 17th avenues at 11 p.m.

The westbound closure is scheduled to remain in place until 8 a.m. Saturday.

Drivers will be directed to exit using the Northwest 12th Avenue ramp and turn left onto Northwest 12th Avenue. They can then turn right onto Northwest Seventh Street, followed by a right onto Northwest 17th Avenue, where they can continue north to reconnect with the Dolphin Expressway westbound lanes.

Drawbridge schedules temporarily changing

The construction will also result in a temporary change to the operating schedules for the Southwest First Street and West Flagler Street bridges over the Miami River.

On Saturday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., both bridges will open on the hour and half-hour.

Outside of that four-hour period, the bridges will follow their normal operating schedules.

Public vessels of the United States, tugs and tugs with tow, as well as vessels in distress, will be allowed to pass at any time.

The temporary bridge schedule change is being made in support of the Dolphin Expressway closure. The U.S. Coast Guard will also announce the change through its notices to mariners.

According to the Florida Department of Transportation, the work is part of the I-395/SR 836/I-95 Design-Build Project, which is intended to add capacity, improve traffic flow and safety, and improve access along the three highways.

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Trevor Jay Johnston, 39, of Landis, North Carolina, was arrested on Tuesday after arriving at FLL on a JetBlue flight from Punta Cana, according to court documents made public on Thursday.

Authorities said customs officers pulled Johnston aside for a border search of his belongings and devices and a search of his Samsung Galaxy cellphone revealed “numerous” disturbing files and chats on messaging app Telegram, along with “numerous payments” made by Johnston for the illicit content.

According to a federal criminal complaint, he also had a GIF of child sexual abuse material, as well as screenshots of advertisements offering images and videos for purchase, in his phone’s gallery.

The complaint states that Johnston admitted to “receiving and purchasing files” and said “he did it numerous times because of the ‘rush.’”

Johnston now faces two federal charges related to the possession and transportation of child sexual abuse material.

As of Thursday morning, he was being held in the Broward Sheriff’s Office Main Jail facility on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service.

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One of the changes involves license plate frames. Drivers could be pulled over if a frame covers the registration decal in the upper-right corner of the license plate or blocks the plate number.

Another new law strengthens penalties in certain animal cruelty cases. It is now a third-degree felony for an adult to commit aggravated animal cruelty in the presence of a minor or force a minor to commit an act of aggravated animal cruelty.

School safety and criminal penalties

A new school safety law makes it a second-degree felony to fire a weapon or firearm within 1,000 feet of a school.

House Bill 397 also creates a new criminal offense involving suspects who have been arrested and are released from custody before trial. The law applies when a suspect violates an order prohibiting contact with the alleged victim.

Changes for crashes and rental applications

Drivers involved in crashes will also see a change in the amount of estimated property damage that requires law enforcement involvement.

That threshold has increased from $500 to $2,000.

Another new law targets false information on rental applications.

It is now a third-degree felony to make a false statement about a person’s identity on a rental application, present counterfeit documents to a landlord or impersonate another person.

A memo sent to officers in ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division and obtained by The Associated Press warned they are not authorized to chase vehicles that fail to pull over under any circumstances. Instead, officers should take down the vehicles’ information for further investigation, according to the memo signed by ICE’s executive associate director Marcos D. Charles and dated Wednesday.

The new guidance comes after ICE-initiated vehicle stops have repeatedly escalated when drivers have refused to cooperate or tried to flee. ICE agents have fired their guns during more than a dozen such encounters since last year, killing at least four people and wounding several others.

President Donald Trump's administration has faced internal tension over how to handle traffic stops, which are seen as particularly high-risk encounters.

After fatal shootings of drivers in Maine and Texas in July, ICE officers were directed to temporarily pause most vehicle stops. But the next day, Trump went on social media to direct the agency to continue traffic stops, calling them “one of ICE’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools.”

ICE has faced intense pressure from the White House to deport more people who are in the country illegally, and its arrests have reached record numbers. At the same time, the agency's rapid hiring spree last year resulted in some poorly vetted and trained officers hitting the streets.

In a statement, ICE downplayed the significance of the memo, which said the new guidance was intended to replace and amend prior directives issued earlier this year, last year and in 2018.

“Occasionally, ICE leadership issues guidance reminders to law enforcement officers,” the statement said. “Vehicle stops and arrests of illegal aliens continue.”

The new memo outlines steps intended to improve the safety of vehicle stops for ICE officers, drivers they are targeting, their passengers and the public.

The memo told ICE’s field office directors that they must ensure vehicles used for traffic stops have lights and sirens that let the public know they are law enforcement vehicles when activated. All officers on the scenes of vehicle stops must wear and activate their body cameras, under the guidance.

In addition, only officers who have completed one of five specific agency training courses can conduct vehicle stops. Officers who have not completed the training courses can only participate in vehicle stops “in a support capacity” as passengers and cannot be the drivers of any of the vehicles involved.

The guidance says ICE officers can continue to use a controversial technique known as pinning, which is defined as “using a vehicle or physical barrier to trap or stop a car,” but only if they have received special training. Similarly, only trained officers can use spike strips that deflate tires to prevent drivers from fleeing.

The memo came the day that courtroom testimony highlighted ways in which two ICE officers involved in a vehicle stop, pursuit and shooting that wounded a delivery driver in Austin last month would not have complied with the new guidance.

During a bond hearing for Wilber Rafael Garces Perez, testimony showed that the officer who shot him wasn’t wearing a body-worn camera. The ICE officer who did have a camera was driving in a separate car and turned it off during the pursuit.

Prosecutors presented surveillance video that showed an ICE agent chasing Garces Perez at high speeds through residential streets after he fled an initial traffic stop.

Garces Perez faces federal assault charges after investigators say he struck an ICE officer with his driver’s side mirror. That officer then shot into Perez's vehicle, lodging a bullet in his back, officials say.

Attorneys for Garces Perez have called the charges against him “retaliation” and have argued that the camera footage was inconclusive because it didn’t fully capture the moment when he allegedly tried to flee.

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Associated Press reporter Anna Wilder contributed to this report from Austin, Texas.

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Inspectors found more than 30 live flies in various areas, along with food-contact areas in need of cleaning and improperly hot-held rice.

The Chipotle at 6290 S. Dixie Highway in Miami was ordered shut Sept. 29 and was allowed to re-open following a cleanup and re-inspection.

Records show the Chicken Guy in Davie was also ordered shut due to a flying insect issue.

**CHIPOTLE

6290 SOUTH DIXIE HIGHWAY

SOUTH MIAMI

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 9/29

5 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Live, small flying insects found. Observed 15+ live flies on single service items and soda syrup dispensers in kitchen outside of walk in cooler. Observed 1 live fly on wall in ware wash area. Observed 2 live flies at front counter area above POS system next to cold line. Observed 8 live flies in men & women’s restroom. Observed 1 live fly in women's restroom. Observed 6 live flies above and under soda fountain located in lobby.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed interior soiled prep across walk in.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed at front counter: white rice (125F - Hot Holding). As per operator, less than 2 hours.”

**CHICKEN GUY

4301 SOUTH UNIVERSITY DR.

DAVIE

ORDERED SHUT 9/30

9 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Presence of insects, rodents, or other pests. Observed approximately 10 ants crawling on and in a container of honey in the prep area. Operator disposed of the container of honey.”

“Live, small flying insects found. Observed approximately 6 small flying insects near the dishwashing area landing on clean dishes and walls. Observed approximately 20 small flying insects in the dry storage area landing in sealed packages of cereal and boxes of single service items. Observed approximately 15 small flying insects in the prep area landing on containers of spices, walls and tables. Observed approximately 5 small flying insects in the mop sink area landing on walls. Observed approximately 15 small flying insects at the front counter landing on registers, containers of ice cream toppings and boxes with bread.”

“Presence of insects, rodents, or other pests. Observed approximately 10 ants crawling on and in a container of honey in the prep area. Operator disposed of the container of honey.”

“Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Observed raw ground beef stored over ready to eat pepperoni and salami in the walk in cooler.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed walls by the triple sink and mop sink soiled.”

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Authorities said the case centers around Janet Risi Field, 66, of Pinecrest, the former CEO of Independent Purchasing Cooperative, a company based near Miami International Airport at 701 Waterford Way, and her brother Steven Louis Risi, 70, of Coral Gables. The two were indicted on Thursday, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

IPC, founded in part by Risi Field in 1996 and which she led until she was fired in December 2021, is the “the purchasing and services cooperative” for Subway franchisees and “managed the chain’s North American supply chain and negotiated with vendors to establish the prices franchisees paid for food, supplies and services,” authorities said.

Risi Field took advantage of this, according to the DOJ, “by entering into a secret arrangement with co-conspirators who acted as brokers for IPC vendors who supplied franchisees with goods and services, including deli meats, cheeses and cookies.”

“Under the arrangement, the brokers allegedly shared a portion of the fees generated from vendor contracts with Risi Field and members of her family,” a DOJ news release states. “Risi Field, her brother, and other family members allegedly used shell companies to conceal more than $60 million in illegal bribe and kickback payments.”

The whole thing cost franchisees more than $80 million, a DOJ news release states.

Authorities accuse Risi Field of using the ill-gotten funds to make investments, remodel homes in Florida and North Carolina, buy hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry and pay for private club memberships, among other things.

Risi Field, prosecutors said, “caused a co-conspirator to fund a multimillion-dollar slush fund used to enrich herself and members of her family, including more than $420,000 paid to a Risi family personal assistant and more than $150,000 to Risi Field’s housekeeper and handyman.”

Additionally, authorities said Risi Field had a co-conspirator pay $8 million to settle a lawsuit from an ex-IPC contractor who had alleged that she maintained an inappropriate financial relationship with vendors and then hid the allegations and settlement from the IPC board.

Prosecutors accuse her and her brother of laundering millions through shell companies and controlled bank accounts, including $3.4 million used for her credit card bills and $1 million deposited into a joint account. Risi Field is accused of causing about $25 million in slush-fund payments, mainly benefiting herself and other co-conspirators.

Authorities said even after she was fired in 2021, IPC’s directors and Subway franchisees remained unaware of the scheme and Risi Field pocketed a $6 million severance payment.

Prosecutors said the siblings are both charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and two counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.

Risi Field also faces several counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The two are now facing the possibility of decades in federal prison. Court documents were not immediately available online in the federal docket.

Additionally, the two did not appear in federal, Miami-Dade or Broward jail records.

It was the third day of trial on eight charges for Sanon, 67, who was born in Haiti, was a University Eugenio Maria de Hostos medical student in the Dominican Republic, and went on to serve in the Florida Baptist Convention.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. McLaughlin called an FBI special agent, who responded to Moïse’s private residence in Pétion-Ville after the deadly raid that involved dozens of mercenaries during the early hours of July 7, 2021.

Martine Moïse, the then-first lady, was shot in the arm. She testified on Tuesday that she heard the mercenaries speaking Spanish. Most of them were former soldiers who had served in the Colombian military.

“I thought everything was over. That I lost everyone. When I saw my children, I regained strength,” Martine Moïse said in court through tears.

On July 11, 2021, Haitian Police Chief Léon Charles announced the arrest of Sanon, who had arrived in a private plane with private security in June at Port-au-Prince.

In May, Arcangel Pretel Ortiz, Antonio Intriago, Walter Veintemilla, and James Solages were convicted of the charges related to their role in recruiting the mercenaries. Eight co-conspirators pleaded guilty to related charges, including six who testified.

Pretel Ortiz, who was born in Colombia, and Intriago, who was born in Venezuela, co-owned Counter Terrorist Federal Academy, or CTFA, and Counter Terrorist Unit Security, or CTU Security, both based in Doral, according to prosecutors.

FBI Miami and HSI Miami investigated the cases, with assistance from the Department of State; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement; and the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

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• What to know as trials over the assassination of Haiti’s president resume in Miami

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Jail records show Brandon Marquez Flint, 33, is facing six new charges, including human trafficking involving a person younger than 18, deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution, sexual battery of a minor by an adult, sexual battery of a person ages 12 to 17 involving coercion or threats, delivering drug paraphernalia to a minor and contributing to the delinquency or dependency of a child.

According to a North Miami police, the new charges are tied to information provided to investigators by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force.

On Sept. 18, police said they were notified that a woman involved in a July 9 incident was being reported as a victim of human trafficking in North Miami.

The woman told investigators about a “planned home invasion robbery” that occurred July 9 at a rental home in the 800 block of Northeast 121st Street, according to the report.

Police initially responded to the home after a 911 call reporting a robbery. A woman who was at the home was identified as the caller and interviewed by investigators, according to the report.

The woman told police she had gone to the rental home to meet the victim of the July home invasion for a date.

According to the report, the woman later told investigators she did not know a robbery was going to take place.

Police said the victim of the home invasion robbery was a man who was paralyzed from the waist down and used a motorized scooter. According to an earlier arrest report, those involved in the robbery knew he was paralyzed and considered him an “easy lick,” which police said meant an easy robbery.

The victim said the co-defendant, whom police identified as Marianna Rocio Davila Luna, 26, drove to the rental home to collect money from the paralyzed man who was on the date with her. During the payment transaction, Davila Luna allegedly saw drugs and cash inside the residence and called Flint to tell him what she had seen, according to the report.

Police said Flint and Davila Luna then interrupted the date as the woman was leaving the home, and the planned robbery was carried out.

After leaving the scene and speaking with police, the woman later reunited with Flint and Davila Luna and saw the unidentified man who had participated in the robbery, according to the report. She told investigators she was called “stupid” and a “snitch” and was insulted for contacting police, the report states.

The woman also told investigators that she later learned the robbery had been planned, according to police.

Police said the woman described her relationship with Flint and Davila Luna as one involving “control, force, fear and coercion.” The woman alleged she had been forced to have sex with multiple men in exchange for cash payments or Cash App payments at a “trap house,” according to the report.

The same July 9 incident was the subject of an earlier arrest involving Flint and Jamarcus Brooks.

According to Brooks’ arrest report, investigators said the victim of the robbery was paralyzed from the waist down and used a motorized scooter. Police said Brooks entered the apartment while an armed man was present, forcibly removed the victim from the scooter, tied his hands with a white USB charging cable and dragged him into a bedroom.

Brooks was accused of stealing a bank bag containing about $2,000 before fleeing the residence.

Investigators later identified Flint, who police said goes by the nickname “Twin Twin,” as someone allegedly involved in planning the robbery. According to the earlier report, Brooks told investigators that the victim was known to have money and marijuana and that those involved knew he was paralyzed.

Investigators said they found communications between Brooks and a contact saved as “Twin Twin.” Police said the phone number was linked to Flint.

At about 3:17 a.m. on July 9, shortly before the robbery, Brooks sent Flint a message asking, “Let me know when she coming out?” according to the report. Police said Flint responded with a thumbs-up emoji at about 3:27 a.m.

The robbery occurred moments later as the woman was leaving the residence, according to police.

Later that day, Brooks sent Flint the address of the residence and another message referring to a person with “6ft long dreads” and a “mouth full of golds,” the report states.

Police said Brooks also told investigators that Flint and Flint’s girlfriend later picked him up after he fled the area because of the police response.

Records show Flint was arrested July 12 on charges of home invasion robbery and domestic battery in connection with the robbery that occurred earlier that month.

As of Thursday, Flint and Brooks remained held without bond at the Metrowest Detention Center. Davila Luna’s charges and bond information wasn’t immediately available.

Según las autoridades, el caso contra Renel Troutman, de 24 años, surgió en medio de una investigación sobre una “organización criminal” que operaba dentro del sistema de MDCR.

“La organización dependía de participantes encarcelados, organizadores externos, proveedores de narcóticos, mensajeros, intermediarios financieros, apostadores y empleados penitenciarios corruptos para adquirir, transportar, introducir, distribuir y financiar narcóticos y contrabando dentro de las instalaciones de MDCR”, señala una denuncia penal federal.

Troutman era uno de esos carceleros “corruptos”, según las autoridades.

“De 5 a 8 de esas vainas”: el carcelero ayudó a meter papel con drogas, según las autoridades

De acuerdo con la denuncia, Troutman trabajaba con un “organizador externo principal”, cuyo nombre no se revela, “que coordinaba con los reclusos y sus socios de afuera las cantidades de narcóticos, los precios, las entregas, los pagos, las apuestas y los saldos pendientes, mientras se comunicaba con personal penitenciario sobre el acceso a las instalaciones, los horarios, los traslados de reclusos y cómo esconder la mercancía”.

Las autoridades indicaron que Troutman usó su conocimiento y su acceso para ayudar a introducir papel impregnado con K2, un cannabinoide sintético.

Según las autoridades, los mensajes de texto muestran a Troutman comunicándose con el organizador, y en ellos se hablaba “una y otra vez de ‘papeles’, ‘hojas’, ‘m----s grandes’, ‘entregas’, ‘rollos’, de cantidades como ‘de 5 a 8 de esas vainas’ y ’16 por 35′, y de lo difícil que era ‘meter 3 en un guante’”.

En un momento dado, Troutman habló de esconder un cargamento en un pedido de Panda Express, después de decirle al organizador que era “poco probable” que sus compañeros “abrieran un plato de comida”, según las autoridades.

Agregaron que los registros de pagos electrónicos también vinculan a esa persona con Troutman, y que “las comunicaciones ocurrieron en paralelo a decomisos de papel impregnado con cannabinoides sintéticos” del grupo, confirmados por laboratorio.

En dos decomisos mencionados en la denuncia, el 26 de febrero y el 7 de agosto de 2025, se incautaron hojas de papel impregnadas con drogas, cada una equivalente a miles de dosis individuales.

La denuncia también señala que Troutman habló de mantener “la cara limpia” y pidió que se borraran los mensajes después de usarlos.

“Madden” y “Fool”: lo vinculan con una red de apuestas entre reclusos

Las autoridades afirmaron que Troutman también participaba en la “operación de apuestas y finanzas con apostadores encarcelados” de la organización, y que las pruebas muestran que se comunicaba con el organizador “sobre apuestas, saldos, pagos y cobros”.

Según los agentes, las pruebas muestran que Troutman le envió al organizador “unas cuentas con saldos pendientes de $300 a nombre de ‘Madden’, $300 a nombre de ‘Fool’ y $2,400 a nombre de otro recluso”. Los agentes indicaron que el organizador le mandó a Troutman información sobre “Fool”, un recluso, que incluía “su ubicación en la cárcel, su clasificación psiquiátrica, su acceso al teléfono y los traslados previstos dentro de MDCR”, para ayudarlo a encontrarlo.

De acuerdo con la denuncia, las comunicaciones también muestran que los dos “siguieron haciendo y comentando nuevas apuestas, entre ellas apuestas en Hard Rock Bet, selecciones deportivas, montos, apuestas en vivo, metas de ganancias y ganancias recurrentes”.

“Ponle un switch a esa m----”: los mensajes hablan de armas, según los agentes

Según la denuncia, los mensajes también vinculan a Troutman con “actividades relacionadas con armas de fuego”, incluidas conversaciones sobre dispositivos que convierten armas en ametralladoras, conocidos como “switches”.

En una ocasión, los mensajes muestran a Troutman explicando que tenía un “plug” para switches, es decir, alguien que podía conseguírselos.

“Por separado, los investigadores identificaron un intercambio en el que (Troutman) le dijo a (el organizador): ‘Tú sabes por qué te estoy escribiendo’, seguido de un mensaje en el que se mencionaban ‘armas’”, indica la denuncia.

Los investigadores incluyeron en la denuncia la transcripción de un mensaje en el que, según ellos, Troutman le escribió a esa persona: “Así es como me van a encontrar si algún n---a se pone a jugar y trata de meterse en la casa”, seguido de tres emojis de risa y una foto suya con una escopeta en la mano.

“Ponle un switch a esa m----”, respondió el organizador, según los agentes.

De acuerdo con la denuncia, Troutman dijo que tenía un “plug” para pistolas, pero que “(no conozco) uno para escopetas”.

“Ustedes vieron la foto”: lo que el oficial les dijo a los agentes

Las autoridades indicaron que el miércoles ejecutaron una orden de registro en la casa de Troutman y lo arrestaron.

Según los agentes, Troutman admitió que conoció al organizador “a través de un recluso hace aproximadamente un año y medio”, “reconoció que usaba la plataforma de apuestas Hard Rock Bet” y “admitió su papel operativo en las actividades de apuestas de la organización”.

Troutman, según los agentes, “al principio trató de limitar su explicación a ‘el corredor de apuestas’, pero al final explicó: ‘No puedes meter una apuesta ni nada, y no puedes apostar sin mí’”. Luego admitió que la cuenta de Hard Rock del organizador “no se podía usar” y que este “no podía apostar sin (Troutman)”, incluso cuando un recluso asociado le pidió a Troutman que el organizador “metiera un boleto”.

Según las autoridades, Troutman explicó que se comunicaba con ese “recluso asociado” porque “hablo con mucha gente en el trabajo”, y que lo hacía “para pasar el rato”.

Sin embargo, cuando lo interrogaron sobre las drogas, intentó alegar que los mensajes que mencionaban “hojas” se referían a boletos de apuestas, según las autoridades.

Los agentes dijeron que entonces le mostraron mensajes sobre “la preparación física de los ‘papeles’ y las ‘hojas’”, en los que “se discutía si el material tenía el tamaño correcto, si era muy grande o muy pequeño, su grosor, doblarlo más pequeño y comprimirlo”.

“Entre otras cosas, los mensajes decían: ‘Ese tamaño está bien’, ‘¿muy grande o muy pequeño?’, ‘cuesta mucho dejar esta m---- bien pequeña, estas m----s son medio gruesas’, ‘a lo mejor le paso por encima unas cuantas veces’ y ‘voy a tratar de doblarlo una vez más y pasarle por encima’”, señala la denuncia.

Troutman respondió entonces que el organizador “quería que fuera algo más que apuestas” y que intentaba que él “hiciera cosas que no debería estar haciendo”.

“Cuando los investigadores le preguntaron qué tipo de cosas (el organizador) intentaba que hiciera, (Troutman) respondió: ‘ustedes vieron la foto’”, indica la denuncia.

Según las autoridades, Troutman dejó de lado la explicación de las apuestas después de que le mostraran un mensaje del organizador que decía: “No puedo hacer esa m---- más chiquita, bro, los papeles no se doblan tanto”.

“No creo que deba entrar en detalles”, les habría dicho Troutman a los agentes.

Los agentes concluyeron que “sus propias admisiones y explicaciones coinciden con las pruebas sobre narcóticos reunidas durante la investigación”.

Podría enfrentar una larga condena

Troutman enfrenta cargos federales de conspiración para poseer sustancias controladas con intención de distribuirlas, extorsión bajo la Ley Hobbs amparándose en su cargo oficial, conspiración y promoción de actividades de crimen organizado.

Si lo declaran culpable, podría pasar décadas en prisión.

Troutman fue ingresado inicialmente en la cárcel principal de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward en Fort Lauderdale, pero el jueves en la tarde ya no aparecía en los registros de reclusos de BSO.

Los registros muestran que su caso se lleva en el tribunal federal de Miami. Hasta el jueves en la tarde, el registro del tribunal no mostraba audiencias próximas.

Local 10 News se comunicó con MDCR para pedir comentarios sobre el arresto de Troutman.

El restaurante cerró el 29 de septiembre y pudo reabrir tras corregir los problemas. Al día siguiente, el 30 de septiembre, los registros muestran que el Chicken Guy de Davie también recibió la orden de cierre por un problema de insectos voladores.

The documents, as described by The New York Times, trace the woman's shift from seeing the alleged encounter as a dismaying embarrassment to seeing it as a sexual assault — one she then reported to campus police, discussed with the university's internal investigators and is pursuing in a lawsuit filed in September. The case has roiled the Ivy League campus and has raised questions about why no criminal case was brought.

According to the Times’ report of records and statements gathered during the inquiry:

The day after the Oct. 19, 2024, party at the Chi Phi fraternity house, the woman got back to her room and told her roommates she'd taken ketamine — a powerful anesthetic sometimes used as a party drug — and had sex with multiple men. The roommates said that at that point, the woman didn't describe the events as rape or assault, but one roommate noted: “I don’t really remember her ever kind of citing that she had said yes to anything that occurred,” the newspaper reported.

Texts between accuser and one of the accused

The following day, the woman got a text message from one of the men she would later accuse in her sexual assault lawsuit. He texted that he “just wanted to apologize for how things went down the other night” and regretted that he and a fellow fraternity brother — also now a defendant in the woman's lawsuit — had been too intoxicated to “shut it down and kick people out before it got way out of hand.”

The woman texted back that “at the end of the day non of the sexual stuff was illegal” and that she had liked being with the two men.

But by Oct. 23, 2024, she was growing distraught that word of the episode had spread around campus. Soon, she saw a post in an online forum about campus Greek life that asserted that Chi Phi brothers had gang raped a sophomore and should be reported.

“That’s the first time I had ever heard the narrative change that I wasn’t a whore and that I was assaulted,” she later told investigators.

In the days after that post, her tone became more aggrieved — “how could you let this happen?” — as she kept communicating with the first Chi Phi brother who'd texted her after the party. Still, she planned to attend the fraternity's Halloween Party until she was disinvited.

On Nov. 3, 2024, she texted the man: “let’s be clear that 90% of what happened that night was not consensual,” saying she'd been given a lot of ketamine. While her memories were patchy, they included a humiliating, drug-laced sexual act, she wrote.

“I know that i told u i felt uncomfortable and i didn’t know anyone in the room,” she added.

She went to Cornell campus police five days later and spoke to them again on Nov. 14 and 15, 2024, telling them: “I can say with 100% confidence I was raped,” according to a report by CBS New York, which said it obtained a transcript of her police interview.

Cornell plans a forum Thursday night

Cornell's student government planned a public forum Thursday on sexual violence to allow students to demand “institutional accountability" and talk about their own experiences on campus.

Cornell has said it suspended the Chi Phi fraternity indefinitely and disciplined or expelled some students, but the university has declined to provide specifics, citing student privacy rules.

The local district attorney, Matthew Van Houten, declined at the time to bring any criminal charges, but this week said he would reopen the investigation based on new information in the woman’s lawsuit, which identifies her only by the pseudonym Jane Doe.

He has maintained the woman’s first account to police didn’t include allegations that she was drugged against her will, incapacitated beyond the ability to consent, or forced into sex. After CBS News this week revealed details from the police interview transcript, he told the network he'd never seen her detailed account and had relied instead on a statement written by a campus police officer and signed by the accuser.

She's suing seven men who she said participated in the assault, as well as the university, the fraternity, and others.

Lawyers for two of the men she is suing have denied they participated in a sexual assault. One said his client hadn't touched the woman or engaged in any drug use. Attempts by The Associated Press to reach the other men or their representatives have been unsuccessful.

Under pressure from the public and politicians, including Gov. Kathy Hochul, the private university agreed Wednesday to bring in outside lawyers to independently investigate how it handled the woman’s allegations.

Referee Allard Lindhout sent the players for a hydration break as soon as the balls bearing Palestinian flags landed on the grass with Ireland 1-0 up after 19 minutes played.

Troy Parrott had opened the scoring in the 12th with a brilliant individual goal despite facing three defenders. He played the ball through the legs of one defender and eluded two before shooting the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs.

The game resumed after a four-minute break, but there was another brief diversion when a man carrying a Palestinian flag tried running onto the field before being stopped by stewards.

Protest over, for now

At halftime, Irish broadcaster RTÉ published a statement from the “Stop the Game” initiative claiming responsibility for the tennis ball action and declaring it over.

Members of the group had also gathered before the game to oppose Ireland's matches against Israel because of Israel’s actions in Gaza. A small group displayed a Palestinian flag and banners in support of Ireland player Gavin Bazunu, who decided Saturday to boycott both of his team’s matches against Israel.

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign also organized a protest outside the stadium, as well as others around the country.

They’re calling for Ireland to boycott its remaining Nations League match against Israel — Ireland’s “home” game though it’s set to be played without any fans present in in Backa Topola, Serbia on Sunday.

The Football Association of Ireland moved the game to an neutral venue for “operational reasons” in June following widespread calls for a boycott. It also followed the FAI’s own motion the previous November calling on UEFA to ban Israel from club and international competitions.

The “Stop the Game” initiative, which on Wednesday issued an open letter to the squad and its coach Heimir Hallgrimsson asking them not to play on Sunday, has also asked the Irish government and FAI to cancel the game.

One game played already

Ireland already played Israel’s “home” game in Debrecen, Hungary last Sunday, when the Irish players wore black armbands and scored three first-half goals to win 3-0.

The players deliberated for hours Saturday on whether they should play at all after Bazunu informed the coach that morning that he wished to withdraw from both games.

FAI chief executive David Courell said the players voted and that a “a significant majority” were in favor of playing. Widespread reports suggested the vote was 14-8 in favor, excluding Bazunu, who had already departed.

Bazunu, Ireland’s reserve goalkeeper, was back in the squad for Austria’s visit.

Finn Azaz, whose mother has Israeli heritage, played from then start after being left out against Israel.

Parrott made it 2-0 before the break with a penalty, but Austria struck back in the second half through Alexander Prass and Michael Gregoritsch.

The Irish team has been coming under increasing pressure in Ireland, where affinity with Palestinians is strong, to boycott both games against Israel.

The FAI has resisted the calls, arguing the team could be hit with punishing sanctions by UEFA. Ireland is co-hosting the 2028 European Championship with England, Wales and Scotland.

Irish fans also threw tennis balls with Palestinian flags onto the field during Ireland’s friendly game against Qatar in Dublin in May.

___

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Arizona had asked the courts to delay the takeover while it appealed that decision and the appointment of former Ohio corrections director Annette Chambers-Smith to lead the effort. The state sought the delay from the Supreme Court after lower courts rejected by the request.

Over the past 14 years, Arizona has been dogged by complaints that its prison healthcare system was run shoddily and callously and that it repeatedly failed to improve a system found to have exposed prisoners to harm and preventable deaths.

Under a 2014 settlement, the state pledged to overhaul medical and healthcare services for prisoners but was soon accused of failing to make promised improvements. That led to more than $2 million in contempt-of-court fines and the eventual revocation of the agreement by U.S. District Judge Roslyn Silver, who said corrections officials had shown little interest in making required changes.

After a 2021 trial, Silver ruled against the state, issuing an injunction that required corrections authorities to address the constitutional violations. Earlier this year, she ordered the takeover after concluding the state hadn’t gotten a semblance of compliance with court-ordered changes and the U.S. Constitution after more than a decade of litigation. Silver found that prisoners remained exposed to grave threats of harm and suffering because of systematic deficiencies in their health care.

The Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Re-entry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday's decision.

In a statement, Corene Kendrick, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney who represents prisoners in the lawsuit, applauded the court's refusal to delay the takeover, also known as a receivership. She said Arizona fought accountability at every turn while prisoners suffered. “Today’s decision clears the way for a receiver to do what the state has failed to do for more than a decade,” Kendrick said.

In seeking a delay, Arizona’s attorneys said Silver adopted a drastic takeover remedy without first trying intermediate fixes to speed compliance. They also said the judge hadn't given the corrections department enough time to continue making progress and argued that the official appointed to run healthcare operations wouldn’t be politically accountable. They said the agency is committed to improving health care in prisons, has made significant progress since 2023 and that the prisoners won’t suffer harm if the start of the takeover were delayed by a few months.

Lawyers for prisoners said the state was minimizing its noncompliance, disputed its claim it had not been given enough time to comply after 14 years of litigation and said Silver had already tried less-intrusive remedies. They also said the state’s proposal of a months-long delay in the takeover “grievously minimizes” the harm prisoners face from the state’s inability to provide adequate care.

Complaints about health care in Arizona’s prisons have spanned both Republican and Democratic administrations.

The lawsuit was filed in 2012 during Republican Gov. Jan Brewer’s administration and continued under Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, when both contempt fines against the state were issued. Under Ryan Thornell, the corrections director in Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs administration, the department has complained that its progress in overhauling health care operations in recent years hasn’t been acknowledged.

The lawsuit over healthcare for incarcerated people covers Arizona’s nine state-run prisons but not the nearly 10,000 Arizona inmates held in private prisons.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Parole, which is appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott, rejected Amber Guyger's initial parole request in 2024, but approved her case over the objections of victim Botham Jean 's family the first time she was eligible to ask again.

Guyger, 38, was convicted of murder in the 2018 killing of 26-year-old Jean, an accountant from the Caribbean island nation of St. Lucia, who had been eating a bowl of ice cream when Guyger entered his home and shot him. Guyger was arrested three days after the shooting and was fired before her murder trial.

She had faced up to life in prison or as little as two years. Prosecutors initially asked the jury for a sentence of 28 years.

The shooting drew widespread attention because of the strange circumstances and because it was one in a string of shootings of Black men by white police officers. Guyger’s sentencing hearing also included a stunning courtroom scene when Jean’s brother and the Black judge presiding over the case embraced the sobbing Guyger.

At trial, Guyger said that after a long shift at work and still in uniform, she walked up to Jean’s apartment — which was on the fourth floor, directly above hers on the third — and found the door unlocked. She said she thought the apartment was her own and that Jean was an intruder when she drew her service weapon and entered.

Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt said Thursday that Jean's family “strongly opposed this parole.”

“They stood up again and again to ask that the full sentence be served. A 10-year sentence was already a fraction of what was lost. Releasing Ms. Guyger after seven years makes that loss feel even smaller in the eyes of the system. It is not smaller,” Merritt said.

In 2024, a jury ordered Guyger to pay Jean's family nearly $100 million in a federal civil trial.

In granting her release, the board said it reviewed a “plethora” of information in her case.

The board said Guyger's record did not include a documented pattern of violent or assaultive arrests or convictions, and showed she completed programs in her prison treatment plan to get and keep a job when she is released.

The board said the state prison system will determine when she is released. Texas Department of Criminal Justice officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday.

Guyger's legal defense team did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Dallas police said the department played no role in Guyger's request for parole or the decision to release her.

“The Dallas Police Department understands this decision may bring renewed attention and emotion surrounding the tragic death of Botham Jean. Our thoughts remain with the Jean family and all those impacted by his loss,” the department said.

De acuerdo con esos registros, Ross, cuyo nombre real es William Leonard Roberts, fue ingresado en el Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center a las 6:10 a.m. por un cargo de agresión con estrangulamiento.

El arresto del artista de 50 años se produce días después de que su ahora expareja, Jazzma Kendrick, lo acusara públicamente en Instagram de maltratarla físicamente.

El fin de semana pasado, Kendrick publicó una historia en Instagram con un mensaje directo de un seguidor que le decía: “Ya entiendo lo que Rick ve en ti, eres bellísima”.

Kendrick le respondió: “Él vio un saco de boxeo”.

Un informe de arresto del Departamento de Policía de Miami Beach identifica a la víctima solo con las iniciales J.K.

Según el informe, la mujer acudió el martes a la estación de policía para denunciar un incidente de violencia doméstica que, según dijo, ocurrió en la mañana del 28 de agosto.

La policía indicó que la víctima y Ross llevaban alrededor de un año de relación y vivían juntos cuando ocurrieron los hechos.

De acuerdo con el informe, la mujer aseguró que ese 28 de agosto Ross la despertó furioso porque la habían etiquetado en una foto en Instagram.

La policía detalló que Ross la interrogó, la acusó de mentirle y luego le dio una bofetada.

Después, el rapero la acusó de tener algo con un hombre que, según ella, era solo un amigo, informaron las autoridades.

Según el informe, Ross la siguió por la casa mientras la interrogaba y la golpeaba cada vez que ella negaba las acusaciones.

La policía señaló que Ross también le dio varios golpes en el pecho y la asfixió hasta dejarla sin poder respirar: la agarró por el cuello de la sudadera con capucha y lo retorció.

Las autoridades afirmaron que luego el rapero la agarró por la cola de caballo, la estrelló contra una pared y la golpeó en la cara mientras estaba agachada, lo que le dejó el labio partido.

Según el informe, Ross después la tiró al piso de un baño, agarró la regadera e intentó echarle agua.

La víctima logró salir del baño y escapar de la casa, indicaron las autoridades.

De acuerdo con el informe, la mujer regresó más tarde, esperó a que Ross se fuera y luego recogió sus pertenencias y volvió a marcharse.

La policía explicó que la víctima llamó a una amiga para que la recogiera, pero un video de vigilancia muestra que a esa persona no la dejaron entrar a la propiedad.

Según el informe, Ross se entregó el jueves en la mañana en la estación de policía y no hizo declaraciones sobre el incidente.

Horas después compareció en una audiencia de fianza, donde su abogado, Bradley Horenstein, pidió que se agilizara su liberación porque Ross es una “celebridad”.

“El señor Roberts es una celebridad”, le dijo Horenstein a la jueza Mindy Glazer.

“¿Y eso qué quiere decir?”, le preguntó Glazer.

“No sé hasta qué punto su señoría pueda hacerlo, pero le pido que se agilice su liberación”, insistió Horenstein. “Ya tiene puesto el uniforme rojo, y es por su seguridad. No sé qué pueda hacer su señoría”.

Glazer no pareció muy impresionada. Dijo que no sabía quién era el rapero, pero que lo iban a “tratar de manera justa, igual que a todos los que están aquí”.

Al final le concedió una fianza de $5,000, y Ross salió de la cárcel poco después. La jueza le ordenó mantenerse alejado de la víctima.

Tras pagar la fianza, Ross habló con los periodistas a las afueras de TGK poco después del mediodía. Aseguró que es “totalmente inocente” y dijo que este fin de semana piensa irse de vacaciones a Dubái y París.

“Ante todo, soy totalmente inocente de estas acusaciones inventadas en mi contra”, afirmó Ross. “Tengo un equipo increíble, de verdad increíble… Así va a ser mi fin de semana: mañana voy a estar en Dubái, el sábado en París y el domingo pienso comerme un plato de rigatoni con bastante salsa marinara”.

Aunque Ross es originario de Mississippi, creció en Carol City, en Miami-Dade, y tiene casas en Atlanta y en Star Island, en Miami Beach.

A lo largo de su carrera ha tenido numerosos éxitos, entre ellos “Aston Martin Music” y “Hustlin’”.

The university showcased the work of some of its most notable alumni, including the creators of CAPTCHA, the person credited with developing the hashtag and artist Andy Warhol.

The examples were presented to highlight the possibilities a Carnegie Mellon campus could bring to Miami, combining a focus on technology and innovation with an emphasis on the human side of those advances.

The event included remarks from Carnegie Mellon President Farnam Jahanian, Citadel CEO Ken Griffin and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Griffin is providing $3 billion to support the creation of the university’s Wynwood campus, one of the largest gifts in higher education history.

The planned 35-acre campus in Wynwood is expected to accommodate about 3,500 students and employ more than 900 faculty and staff, according to the university.

University officials say Miami’s entrepreneurial culture and openness to new ideas make the city a natural location for the campus. They also say the school will take a different approach to education, with students and faculty focused on addressing societal challenges through technology and innovation.

Jahanian said the Miami campus will be built specifically for the changing demands of innovation.

“CMU Miami will be designed from the ground up - for a new era of innovation,” he said.

DeSantis also highlighted the importance of technology and said Florida is well positioned to play a role in that future.

The governor said the university’s presence will have an impact on the state beyond the campus itself.

Construction is scheduled to begin next year, with the university expecting the campus to open as soon as 2028.

Según los registros de la cárcel, Brandon Marquez Flint, de 33 años, enfrenta seis nuevos cargos: trata de personas con una víctima menor de 18 años, vivir de las ganancias de la prostitución, agresión sexual de un adulto contra un menor, agresión sexual con coacción o amenazas contra una persona de entre 12 y 17 años, entregarle parafernalia de drogas a un menor y contribuir a la delincuencia o dependencia de un menor.

De acuerdo con la Policía de North Miami, los nuevos cargos se basan en información que el Grupo Especial contra la Trata de Personas de la Fiscalía Estatal de Miami-Dade les entregó a los investigadores.

La policía informó que el 18 de septiembre le notificaron que una mujer involucrada en un incidente ocurrido el 9 de julio había sido reportada como víctima de trata de personas en North Miami.

Según el informe, la mujer les habló a los investigadores de un “robo planificado” que ocurrió el 9 de julio en una casa de alquiler en la cuadra 800 de la calle 121 del noreste.

La policía acudió inicialmente a la vivienda tras una llamada al 911 que reportaba un robo. Los investigadores identificaron como autora de la llamada a una mujer que estaba en la casa y la entrevistaron, según el informe.

La mujer le contó a la policía que había ido a la casa de alquiler para tener una cita con el hombre que luego sería víctima del asalto.

De acuerdo con el informe, más tarde la mujer les dijo a los investigadores que no sabía que iba a ocurrir un robo.

La víctima contó que la coacusada, a quien la policía identificó como Marianna Rocio Davila Luna, de 26 años, llegó en auto a la casa para cobrarle al hombre con el que ella estaba en la cita. Durante ese pago, Davila Luna presuntamente vio drogas y dinero en efectivo dentro de la vivienda y llamó a Flint para contarle lo que había visto, según el informe.

La policía indicó que entonces se planeó el robo, que se llevó a cabo cuando la mujer salía de la casa.

Según el informe, después de irse del lugar y hablar con la policía, la mujer volvió a reunirse con Flint y Davila Luna, y vio al hombre no identificado que había participado en el robo. Les dijo a los investigadores que la llamaron “estúpida” y “soplona” y que la insultaron por haber contactado a la policía.

La mujer también contó a los investigadores que después se enteró de que el robo había sido planeado, según la policía.

De acuerdo con la policía, la mujer describió su relación con Flint y Davila Luna como una de “control, fuerza, miedo y coacción”. Según el informe, aseguró que la obligaban a tener relaciones sexuales con varios hombres a cambio de pagos en efectivo o por Cash App en una “trap house”, como se conoce a las casas donde se venden drogas.

Ese mismo incidente del 9 de julio ya había dado lugar a un arresto anterior de Flint y de Jamarcus Brooks.

Según el informe de arresto de Brooks, los investigadores indicaron que la víctima del robo estaba paralizada de la cintura para abajo y usaba un scooter motorizado. La policía señaló que Brooks entró al apartamento mientras había un hombre armado presente, sacó a la fuerza a la víctima del scooter, le amarró las manos con un cable blanco de cargador USB y la arrastró hasta un dormitorio.

Brooks fue acusado de robar una bolsa bancaria con unos $2,000 antes de huir de la vivienda.

Más adelante, los investigadores identificaron a Flint, a quien según la policía apodan “Twin Twin”, como una de las personas que presuntamente planearon el robo. De acuerdo con el informe anterior, Brooks les dijo a los investigadores que se sabía que la víctima tenía dinero y marihuana, y que los involucrados sabían que estaba paralizada.

Según el informe, Brooks también le dijo a la policía que la víctima sería un “golpe fácil”, es decir, un robo sencillo.

Los investigadores dijeron haber encontrado mensajes entre Brooks y un contacto guardado como “Twin Twin”. La policía indicó que ese número de teléfono estaba vinculado a Flint.

A eso de las 3:17 a.m. del 9 de julio, poco antes del robo, Brooks le escribió a Flint: “¿Me avisas cuando salga ella?”, según el informe. La policía señaló que Flint respondió con un emoji de pulgar arriba alrededor de las 3:27 a.m.

El robo ocurrió momentos después, cuando la mujer salía de la vivienda, según la policía.

Más tarde ese mismo día, Brooks le envió a Flint la dirección de la casa y otro mensaje en el que hablaba de una persona con “rastas de seis pies de largo” y “la boca llena de dientes de oro”, según el informe.

La policía indicó que Brooks también les dijo a los investigadores que Flint y su novia lo recogieron después de que él huyera de la zona por la llegada de la policía.

Los registros muestran que Flint fue arrestado el 12 de julio por cargos de robo con allanamiento de morada y violencia doméstica en relación con el robo ocurrido a principios de ese mes.

Hasta el jueves, Flint y Brooks seguían detenidos sin derecho a fianza en el Metrowest Detention Center. Los cargos de Davila Luna y la información sobre su fianza no estaban disponibles de inmediato.

Trevor Jay Johnston, de 39 años y residente de Landis, Carolina del Norte, fue arrestado el martes al llegar a FLL en un vuelo de JetBlue desde Punta Cana, según documentos judiciales que se hicieron públicos el jueves.

Las autoridades indicaron que los agentes de aduanas apartaron a Johnston para someter sus pertenencias y dispositivos a un registro fronterizo. Al revisar su celular Samsung Galaxy, encontraron “numerosos” archivos y conversaciones perturbadoras en la aplicación de mensajería Telegram, además de “numerosos pagos” que Johnston había hecho por ese contenido ilegal.

De acuerdo con una denuncia penal federal, en la galería del teléfono también había un GIF con material de abuso sexual infantil y capturas de pantalla de anuncios que ofrecían imágenes y videos a la venta.

Según la denuncia, Johnston admitió que “recibía y compraba archivos” y dijo que “lo había hecho muchas veces por la ‘adrenalina’”.

Johnston enfrenta ahora dos cargos federales relacionados con la posesión y el transporte de material de abuso sexual infantil.

Hasta el jueves en la mañana, permanecía en la cárcel principal de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward a disposición del Servicio de Alguaciles de EE.UU. (U.S. Marshals Service).

Un cliente residencial que consume 800 kilovatios-hora al mes sufrirá un aumento de la factura mensual alrededor de un 18%, de 229 a 271 dólares, según el Negociado de Energía de Puerto Rico, que aprobó el alza.

La nueva tarifa se mantendrá vigente hasta al menos el 31 de diciembre y se espera que eleve un costo de vida ya alto en la isla de 3,2 millones de habitantes, donde más del 40% de los residentes vive en la pobreza.

La nueva tarifa de 33,86 centavos de dólar por kWh supera con creces la tarifa promedio de 18,3 centavos por kWh para clientes residenciales en el territorio continental de Estados Unidos, según la Administración de Información Energética de Estados Unidos.

Luma Energy, que supervisa la transmisión y distribución de electricidad en Puerto Rico, había solicitado un aumento de más de 6 centavos por kWh, y subrayó que no generará ingresos adicionales para la empresa, sino que cubrirá un incremento de costos.

"Esta diferencia se debe a un mayor consumo de energía ante las altas temperaturas del verano, al alza en el costo del petróleo en todo el mundo por el conflicto en Medio Oriente, que limita el transporte de combustible y encarece el producto, al mayor uso de las baterías de los clientes y al uso de combustible más caro cuando las plantas de generación no producen suficiente energía”, señaló Luma en un comunicado.

El aumento se produce cuando los apagones persisten casi una década después que la red eléctrica de Puerto Rico quedara arrasada por el huracán María, cuando azotó la isla en 2017 como una poderosa tormenta de categoría 4, aunque la red ya era débil debido a décadas de falta de mantenimiento e inversión.

La semana pasada, un gran incendio que se desató en una subestación dejó a más de 200.000 clientes sin electricidad en el más reciente apagón que afectó la isla.

El Negociado de Energía indicó en un comunicado el miércoles que aprobó un aumento de 5,28 centavos de dólar por kWh para reducir la carga financiera sobre los clientes.

Precisó que no trasladó el costo de 17,6 millones de dólares asociado con lo que calificó como presuntos incumplimientos de New Fortress Energy para suministrar combustible de junio a agosto.

“Los costos de combustible no deben trasladarse automáticamente al consumidor por el solo hecho de haber sido incurridos o facturados”, manifestó el Negociado de Energía.

New Fortress Energy suministra gas natural a plantas de generación eléctrica en la costa norte de Puerto Rico. Actualmente, esas plantas están usando diésel —lo que eleva los costos— porque a un buque cargado con gas natural se le había impedido entrar a la bahía de San Juan desde hacía dos semanas debido a su tamaño. El caso fue a los tribunales, y un juez autorizó el jueves su entrada.

El Negociado de Energía explicó que investiga unos 19 millones de dólares que, según Luma, se pagaron por volúmenes de gas que funcionarios afirman que excedieron lo que Genera PR “finalmente necesitaba o podía recibir”. Genera PR supervisa la generación de electricidad en Puerto Rico.

El aumento ocurre cuando la administración de la gobernadora de Puerto Rico, Jenniffer González, impulsa la cancelación del contrato con Luma, con el caso actualmente trabado en los tribunales por demandas en curso.

A Luma y a Genera PR se les adjudicaron contratos mientras la Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica de Puerto Rico lucha por reestructurar su carga de deuda de más de 9.000 millones de dólares.

En 2024, el petróleo representó el 63% del uso total de energía de la isla; el gas natural, el 31%; el carbón, el 5%; y las energías renovables, el 1%, según la Administración de Información Energética de Estados Unidos.

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Ross, whose legal name is William Roberts II, surrendered at the Miami Beach Police Station, two days after the woman filed a report with police, officials said. Ross faces a felony charge of battery by strangulation, as well as a misdemeanor battery charge, according to online court records.

An attorney for Ross, 50, said in a statement that his client is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend whose true motivations are unclear.

“The ex did not even file a police report until a month after the claimed incident allegedly took place,” defense attorney Steve Sadow said in the statement. “Mr. Roberts is innocent and has pled not guilty to the charges. He respectfully requests that his friends, fans and the general public not prejudge the situation and allow the judicial process to run its course.”

Ross was released from jail on a $5,000 cash bond later Thursday, according to court records. An arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 22.

According to an arrest report, a woman told Miami Beach detectives that she had been living with Ross on Aug. 28, when he accused her of cheating on him and struck her multiple times. She said Ross also choked her with the collar of her shirt and slammed her into a wall. The woman said she was eventually able to leave the home and then returned later — after Ross left — to collect her belongings.

Ross pleaded no contest in 2017 to aggravated assault after he was accused of forcing a man into a guesthouse at his suburban-Atlanta mansion in 2015 and beating him with a handgun, according to Georgia court records. Under a first-offender program in Georgia, the court issued an order exonerating Ross of guilt on that felony count.

Ross is a longtime South Florida resident who gained prominence in 2006 with his debut single “Hustlin'.”

The rapper and entrepreneur helped put Miami on the musical map in the early 2000s, when most hip-hop fans looked to Atlanta and Houston as Southern rap headquarters. “Hustlin'" was certified platinum twice by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sparked a bidding war for Ross. He eventually signed with Def Jam Records, headed by Jay-Z.

Ross’ debut album, “Port of Miami,” also went platinum, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. It was the first in a series of chart-toppers, including 2008’s “Trilla” and 2009’s “Deeper Than Rap.” He has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards.

In 2008, he founded the influential label Maybach Music Group (MMG), boosting the careers of signees like Wale, Meek Mill and French Montana.

His most recent album, “Set In Stone,” was released in July.

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This story was first published Oct. 1, 2026. It was updated Oct. 1, 2026, to remove information about an unrelated prior case involving Rick Ross because details weren’t immediately clear. Updates of that previous case are included in this version.

Uno de los cambios tiene que ver con los marcos de las placas. La policía podrá detener a los conductores si el marco tapa la calcomanía de registro, ubicada en la esquina superior derecha de la placa, o si oculta el número de la placa.

Otra de las nuevas leyes endurece las penas en ciertos casos de crueldad animal. Ahora es un delito grave de tercer grado que un adulto cometa crueldad animal agravada frente a un menor o que obligue a un menor a cometerla.

Seguridad escolar y penas por delitos

Una nueva ley de seguridad escolar convierte en delito grave de segundo grado disparar un arma o un arma de fuego a menos de 1,000 pies de una escuela.

La ley HB 397 también crea un nuevo delito para los sospechosos que han sido arrestados y quedan en libertad antes del juicio. La norma se aplica cuando el sospechoso viola una orden que le prohíbe tener contacto con la presunta víctima.

Cambios en accidentes y solicitudes de alquiler

Los conductores que tengan un accidente también notarán un cambio en el monto de daños materiales estimados a partir del cual se requiere la intervención de la policía.

Ese límite subió de $500 a $2,000.

Otra ley nueva apunta contra la información falsa en las solicitudes de alquiler.

Ahora es un delito grave de tercer grado mentir sobre la identidad de una persona en una solicitud de alquiler, presentarle documentos falsificados a un arrendador o hacerse pasar por otra persona.

Tom Tiffany, the Republican congressman backed by President Donald Trump, has raised more than $26 million during the past two months, with $24 million-plus coming from just three people.

It has given Tiffany a big cash advantage, according to fundraising reports filed Wednesday. He pulled in twice as much money as Democrat David Crowley, the Milwaukee county executive, heading into the Nov. 3 election.

“We’re watching several billionaires here decide they want to play kingmaker in this race and the voters are the ones getting screwed out of this election,” said Nick Ramos, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, which tracks donations and spending in state races.

The bulk of Tiffany's money came from Diane Hendricks, Richard Uihlein and Liz Uihlein, who are longtime power players in Republican politics. Hendricks owns ABC Supply in Beloit, which sells roofing and building supplies. The Uihleins own Wisconsin-based Uline Corp., which sells boxes and other shipping supplies, and they live in Illinois.

Crowley, speaking to supporters on Wednesday night in Madison, said “Tiffany is willing to sell the state of Wisconsin, our precious state, to the highest bidder.”

Tiffany's campaign, when asked to respond, pointed to Crowley's fundraising in California this week with former Vice President Kamala Harris and the money that Crowley has accepted from the Wisconsin Democratic Party. The state party has taken in about $15.5 million in donations from billionaire Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, since 2019.

Crowley has raised about $12 million to date and benefited from nearly $3 million in transfers from the state party. Records show the party received $1 million each from Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Democratic megadonor Lynde Uihlein, who is Richard Uihlein's cousin, over the past two months.

Tiffany's campaign said Crowley is “fully embracing an agenda of higher taxes, soft-on-crime policies, and massive data centers all over Wisconsin.”

It's been a sensitive topic for Tiffany. Last week, after the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on billionaire donations to his campaign, Tiffany barred reporters from the newspaper from attending one of his events in Milwaukee.

The infusion of support from megadonors is possible under a 2015 state law that allows unlimited contributions to state political parties. Individuals cannot give more than $20,000 to a candidate, but parties can transfer as much as they want. Democrats have also utilized the law, but Tiffany’s heavy reliance on three megadonors for the majority of his fundraising is unlike anything ever seen before in Wisconsin.

A Marquette University Law School poll released Wednesday showed the race to be about even. The poll of 692 likely voters was conducted between Sept. 16 and Sept. 23.

Wisconsin is accustomed to extremely tight statewide elections. Five of the past seven presidential elections were decided by less than a percentage point. The past two races for governor, won by Democrat Tony Evers, were decided by 1.1 percentage point and 3.4 percentage points, respectively.

Evers is not seeking a third term, creating the first open race for governor in 16 years. Democrats are hoping to hang onto the office and flip control of the Legislature, which has been majority Republican since 2011.

Tiffany has been able to use the funding advantage to outspend Crowley on campaign advertising $40 million to $26 million, according to data compiled by AdImpact, which tracks media spending and ad buys.

Of the $43 million Tiffany has raised for the race to date, about $34 million has come from Wisconsin Republican Party transfers after the party received about $38 million from Hendricks and the Uihleins.

The Uihlein family is helping another way. Restoration of America PAC, which is funded by Richard Uihlein, has reported spending about $12.5 million to help Tiffany. It is one of several conservative groups spending on the race.

Twenty-one states, led by New York, are challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's power plant rule. The Democratic-led coalition also includes Pennsylvania's governor, the District of Columbia, New York City, Chicago and the city and county of Denver. They argue that “gutting one of the country’s most significant climate protections” will set the nation back decades and worsen the climate crisis.

The EPA announced last month it's revoking the Biden-era rule, and said it is taking a separate but related step to prevent future administrations from regulating climate pollution from power plants.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said the federal government is showing “callous disregard” for Americans’ health and the environment, and future generations will pay the price. Power plants that burn fossil fuels are a major source of planet-warming pollution.

“Dismantling these protections is a betrayal of American families, and the stakes are too high to allow this administration to once again put profits over people,” James said in a statement Thursday.

The EPA said Thursday it does not comment on pending litigation. However, it said in announcing the repeal that it would save the industry more than $300 billion in costs and help “unleash” American energy. EPA Assistant Administrator Aaron Szabo said in September that it will allow utilities to “make the best decision for the ratepayers based on cost and cost savings, instead of being required to shut down facilities.”

The coalition is petitioning the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to review the EPA's decision and strike down the repeal. It says the EPA unlawfully abandoned the pollution limits without properly considering reasonable alternatives or the enormous health and climate costs of allowing more pollution into the atmosphere. The coalition also told the EPA it intends to sue over the agency's failure to regulate pollution from many gas-fired power plants.

The suit comes as the Supreme Court prepares to hear a landmark case in which the city and county of Boulder, Colorado, are suing oil and gas companies to force them to help pay for damage caused by disasters linked to climate change.

The case is part of a wave of climate change litigation around the country and the world with billions of dollars at stake. The high court will hear the case on Monday, the first day of its new term.

The rule change for power plants, first proposed last year, represents a fundamental shift from efforts by Democratic Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama to address climate change and regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that trap the sun’s heat. Environmental groups say it will come at a cost to Americans’ health and further degrade the environment.

The separate rule proposed last month could prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. The proposal, expected to be made final next year, follows EPA’s action earlier this year revoking a scientific finding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.

Abre’ Conner, the NAACP’s director of environmental and climate justice, hailed the lawsuit.

“When the federal government retreats, our state and local elected officials have an obligation to step up,” Conner said. “We cannot allow the Trump administration to give passes to polluters when we know the outcome will mean our communities will suffer.”

The coalition includes the states of New York, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

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McDermott reported from Providence, R.I.

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

A person familiar with the ruling said the decision was made after officials did an in-game review and determined Wilson never left the court area while pointing and shouting at the fan. She wasn't ejected for that reason.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to publicly discuss the incident.

Wilson, a four-time MVP, said after the game that the fan had been shouting and pointing at her. She was called for a technical foul and the fan was escorted out of the court area, but later returned to see Indiana’s 99-89 season-saving victory.

The person also said that the fan didn’t violate the Fan Code of Conduct so was allowed to return to their seat.

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

Según las autoridades, el caso gira en torno a Janet Risi Field, de 66 años y residente de Pinecrest, exdirectora ejecutiva de Independent Purchasing Cooperative, una empresa con sede cerca del Aeropuerto Internacional de Miami, en el 701 de Waterford Way, y a su hermano Steven Louis Risi, de 70 años y residente de Coral Gables. Ambos fueron acusados formalmente el jueves, informó el Departamento de Justicia de EE.UU.

IPC, que Risi Field ayudó a fundar en 1996 y dirigió hasta que la despidieron en diciembre de 2021, es “la cooperativa de compras y servicios” de los franquiciados de Subway. Según las autoridades, la empresa “administraba la cadena de suministro de la marca en Norteamérica y negociaba con los proveedores los precios que los franquiciados pagaban por alimentos, suministros y servicios”.

De acuerdo con el Departamento de Justicia, Risi Field se aprovechó de esa posición “mediante un acuerdo secreto con cómplices que actuaban como intermediarios de los proveedores de IPC que abastecían a los franquiciados con productos y servicios, como fiambres, quesos y galletas”.

“Según la acusación, los intermediarios compartían con Risi Field y miembros de su familia una parte de las comisiones que generaban los contratos con proveedores”, señala un comunicado del Departamento de Justicia. “Presuntamente, Risi Field, su hermano y otros familiares usaron empresas fantasma para ocultar más de $60 millones en sobornos y comisiones ilegales”.

En total, el esquema les costó a los franquiciados más de $80 millones, según el comunicado.

Las autoridades acusan a Risi Field de usar ese dinero mal habido para hacer inversiones, remodelar casas en Florida y Carolina del Norte, comprar joyas por cientos de miles de dólares y pagar membresías en clubes privados, entre otras cosas.

Según la fiscalía, Risi Field “hizo que un cómplice financiara un fondo secreto multimillonario que utilizaba para enriquecerse ella y sus familiares, incluidos más de $420,000 pagados a un asistente personal de la familia Risi y más de $150,000 a su ama de llaves y a su encargado de mantenimiento”.

Además, las autoridades afirman que Risi Field hizo que un cómplice pagara $8 millones para resolver una demanda de un excontratista de IPC, quien alegaba que ella mantenía una relación financiera indebida con los proveedores. Luego, según la acusación, le ocultó esas denuncias y el acuerdo a la junta directiva de IPC.

La fiscalía acusa a los hermanos de lavar millones de dólares a través de empresas fantasma y cuentas bancarias bajo su control, incluidos $3.4 millones con los que se pagaron las tarjetas de crédito de ella y $1 millón depositado en una cuenta conjunta. A Risi Field también se le acusa de generar unos $25 millones en pagos desde el fondo secreto, que beneficiaron principalmente a ella y a otros cómplices.

Las autoridades señalaron que, incluso después de su despido en 2021, los directivos de IPC y los franquiciados de Subway seguían sin saber del esquema, y Risi Field se embolsó una indemnización de $6 millones.

Según la fiscalía, ambos hermanos enfrentan cargos de conspiración para cometer lavado de dinero y dos cargos por realizar transacciones monetarias con bienes derivados de actividades ilícitas específicas.

Risi Field enfrenta además varios cargos de fraude electrónico y de conspiración para cometer fraude electrónico.

Los dos podrían pasar décadas en una prisión federal. Los documentos judiciales no estaban disponibles de inmediato en el registro en línea del tribunal federal.

Tampoco aparecían en los registros de las cárceles federales ni de los condados Miami-Dade o Broward.

The 25-year-old man was arrested in central London on Thursday, and police have searched two properties in the U.K. capital, Counter Terrorism Policing said in a statement.

Five men, all British nationals in their 20s and from London, were arrested in the early hours of Sunday on suspicion of explosives and terror offenses close to the RAF Fairford air base, which has been used by American bombers to strike Iran. The suspects have since been released on bail.

Scores of residents were evacuated from their homes near the base as armed police officers and army bomb-disposal experts swooped on the rural area. Police later said they had found a quantity of an accelerant – gasoline – in three vans linked to the five suspects, but no explosives.

Vicki Evans, the senior national coordinator for counter terrorism policing, said the investigation “is hugely complex, and our specialist teams are interrogating multiple lines of inquiry.

“As we’ve made clear, we’re looking at all possible angles — including possible foreign state involvement,” she said.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the U.K. sees “strong indications” that Iran played a part in the incident. He did not provide details about what the suspects were planning or why the U.K. thinks Iran was involved.

Iran denies involvement. It has previously said that it considers any base used to attack its territory a legitimate target.

RAF Fairford, 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of London, has been used by American bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East, including this year’s war with Iran.

Top U.S. officials have criticized the decision to grant five suspects bail, with President Donald Trump saying “I wouldn’t have done that” and Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying a lot of people were “disturbed” by the move.

Trump said Thursday that “I was surprised they were released on bail."

“I have a lot of respect, however, for Scotland Yard. I think they know what they’re doing. But I was a little bit surprised,” Trump said as he left the White House to fly to Texas.

Burnham said authorities have the investigation under “the strongest grip and the closest control,” and British officials had been “talking to counterparts in the United States all week to explain what is happening here, how things are being done.”

The arrests came at a time of heightened tensions around the threat from hostile states, with British security services saying Russia and Iran have both used proxies to commit crimes on U.K. soil. British officials have said the number of national security cases involving activity by hostile states, including Iran, increased by 50% in the six months to December 2025.

U.K. officials say proxies linked to Iran have been behind a string of arsons and other attacks in Britain and other countries, many of them targeting the Jewish community and intended to sow fear. They have previously warned that Tehran could expand its targets in the U.K. if conflicts in the Middle East continue.

The president, who sat down with Time magazine for a 75-minute interview published Thursday, sidestepped multiple questions about Netanyahu's reelection bid. Israelis are set to vote Oct. 27, in the first national elections since the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

The absence of an endorsement is a setback for the Likud party politician, who has billed his tight ties to Trump as a selling point for keeping him in power.

“I can only say that I’m not involved in politics anymore,” responded Trump, when asked if Israelis should give Netanyahu another term.

The U.S. president is in fact ramping up his campaigning for Republicans in the November midterms, and has made a public flex of his political influence abroad on a scale that few if any U.S. presidents have exerted.

He has endorsed candidates like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in his unsuccessful bid for a fifth term, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Polish President Karol Nawrocki, as well as several Latin American leaders.

Trump's tepid comments sharply contrast with his more fulsome displays of support for Netanyahu in the past. In a 2019 campaign, Netanyahu purchased massive billboards picturing him with Trump and the message “Netanyahu. In Another League." Trump, in turn, highlighted the campaign ad in his own social media feeds.

Trump says Israeli leader is resilient

In the Time interview, Trump, however, didn't miss an opportunity to highlight his own record on Israel as the reporters made several attempts to get him to talk about Netanyahu, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, and his reelection battle.

Trump did note that Netanyahu has shown resilience over the course of his political career.

The Israeli leader is in the midst of a yearslong corruption trial, faced massive protests in 2023 after introducing a plan to restructure Israel’s judiciary and his image has been tarnished by his government's intelligence and security lapses ahead of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel.

Last November, Trump sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog asking him to pardon Netanyahu on the corruption charges and praised the prime minister as “a formidable and decisive War Time Prime Minister.”

“Well, people have written off Bibi many, many times, just like they’ve written off me many, many times," Trump said. "I wouldn’t underestimate Bibi.”

On Netanyahu’s most serious opponent, centrist Gadi Eisenkot, Trump said, “I don’t hear bad things about him.”

In June, before Eisenkot announced he was running, Trump said he would “most likely” endorse Netanyahu but that he would have to see who he was running against him first.

The US-Israeli relationship has become strained

Trump remains a popular figure in Israel.

During his first term, he lent unprecedented support to Israel’s claims to territory seized in war, including by moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.

The robust support continued in his second term, as he backed Israel’s actions in Gaza and joined it in bombing Iran. Netanyahu has been a frequent guest at the White House and frequently speaks to Trump on the phone.

The alliance has been particularly beneficial to Netanyahu, who has sought to tie himself to Trump to improve his image at home.

But there has been strain between the two leaders over the course of the seven-month Iran war.

Trump was critical of Israel’s decision to attack a critical Iranian gas field in the first weeks of the conflict. Trump in June called Netanyahu “crazy” and said that he was “a little bit perturbed” as Israel’s fighting with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon was holding back peace talks with Iran.

Netanyahu makes a risky move

In August, Netanyahu rejected Trump’s latest plan to advance the stalled ceasefire in Gaza, pushing back on the U.S. administration's call for Israel to withdraw from territory it controls in Gaza until Hamas has been disarmed.

With the move, Netanyahu rolled the dice on potentially angering Trump, who he has repeatedly said is the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.

Going along with Trump's plan could arguably be more perilous for Netanyahu’s reelection chances as the country remains deeply traumatized by the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that happened on his watch. Netanyahu's nationalistic base opposes concessions to the Palestinians.

—

Madhani reported from Jerusalem.

A residential customer that consumes 800 kilowatt-hours a month will see the monthly bill rise about 18%, from $229 to $271, according to Puerto Rico’s Energy Bureau, which approved the increase.

The new rate will remain in effect until at least Dec. 31 and is expected to drive up an already high cost of living on the island of 3.2 million people, where more than 40% of residents live in poverty.

The new rate of 33.86 cents per kWh far surpasses the average rate of 18.3 cents per kWh for residential customers in the U.S. mainland, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Luma Energy, which oversees the transmission and distribution of power in Puerto Rico, had requested an increase of more than six cents per kWh and stressed that it would not generate additional revenue for the company, but rather cover an increase in costs.

“The difference is driven by higher energy consumption due to high summer temperatures, rising global oil prices resulting from the conflict in the Middle East — which has constrained fuel transportation and increased costs — greater use of customer batteries, and the need to rely on more expensive fuel when power plants do not generate enough electricity,” Luma said in a statement.

The increase comes as outages persist nearly a decade after Puerto Rico’s power grid was razed by Hurricane Maria when it struck the island in 2017 as a powerful Category 4 storm, although the grid was already weak given a lack of maintenance and investment for decades.

Last week, a large fire that erupted at a substation left more than 200,000 customers without power in the latest outage to hit the island.

The Energy Bureau said in a statement late Wednesday that it approved an increase of 5.28 cents per kWh to reduce the financial burden on customers.

It noted that it did not pass along the cost of $17.6 million associated with what it called alleged failures by New Fortress Energy to supply fuel from June to August.

“Fuel costs must not be automatically passed on to the consumer simply because they were incurred or billed,” the Energy Bureau said.

New Fortress Energy supplies natural gas to power generation plants on Puerto Rico’s north coast. Currently, those plants are using diesel — driving up costs — because a vessel laden with a delivery of natural gas was blocked from entering the San Juan Bay for two weeks given its size. The case went to court, and a judge on Thursday authorized its entry.

The Energy Bureau said it also is investigating some $19 million that Luma said was paid for gas quantities that officials say exceeded what Genera PR “ultimately needed or could receive.” Genera PR oversees the generation of power in Puerto Rico.

The increase comes as the administration of Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González pushes to cancel the contract with Luma, with the case currently tied up in court with ongoing lawsuits.

Luma and Genera PR were awarded contracts as Puerto Rico’s state-owned Electric Power Authority struggles to restructure its more than $9 billion debt load.

In 2024, petroleum represented 63% of the island's overall energy use; natural gas accounted for 31%, coal 5% and renewables 1%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

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The storm, located about 245 miles (390 kilometers) off the southern tip of Baja California, is slowly continuing westward and expected to strengthen in the next day before weakening this weekend.

Rachel’s swells are expected to generate life-threatening surf off Mexico’s coast, the NHC warned. The maximum sustained winds were 120 miles per hour (139 kph) as of Thursday afternoon.

Mexican authorities said Thursday that they remain on alert because of forecasts of very heavy rain in the states of Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, and Jalisco, and the possibility of landslides, rising river levels, overflowing rivers and flooding in low-lying areas.

On Wednesday night, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico warned U.S. citizens in Cabos San Lucas, a popular vacation destination for Americans, of beach and port closures and deadly rip currents.

The Pacific has seen an unusually busy hurricane season, which experts have attributed to El Niño, which has fueled crippling droughts in Mexico and Central America and floods in other parts of the region. In the Pacific, it has resulted in warmer waters and wind patterns that act as fodder for hurricanes. Tropical Storm Nolo continued its northwest approach away from Hawaii on Thursday, though the National Weather Service said it could strengthen into a hurricane by the weekend.

Storm remnants drench central U.S.

Parts of Texas, Nebraska, Missouri and Iowa were still under flood watch Thursday afternoon as storm remnants continued to batter the region, flooding streets and neighborhoods and setting off water rescues.

Wednesday was the wettest day on record for Lincoln, Nebraska, which received 6.1 inches of rainfall, according to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Climate Office.

In Omaha, which received 4.7 inches of rain Wednesday, the fire department said it responded to 80 water rescues over a three-hour period ending early Thursday. Some floodwaters reached depths of 8 feet. Schools remained open, but many buses never made it out of flooded parking lots, prompting officials to ask parents to transport their students to school.

More than 20,000 residents in Texas were without power Thursday afternoon, according to PowerOutage.us. Videos posted on social media showed floodwaters in Texas creating waves along Interstate 35 in Denton. The city of San Antonio urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel during periods of heavy rain.

In Chicago, a wastewater treatment and stormwater management utility urged residents to conserve water use to prevent flooding and stormwater backup.

“We encourage everyone to conserve water when possible to create more capacity in our systems,” utility President Kari K. Steele said in a statement Wednesday.

In Kansas, Gov. Laura Kelly issued an emergency proclamation on Wednesday ahead of the storms that allows state resources to assist first responders in hard-hit communities.

“Hollywood isn’t creative enough to come up with stories like this!” said Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Although major questions remained unanswered on Thursday about the attacker and his motive, the story of ordinary passengers saving the FlyDubai flight from disaster has quickly become the stuff of legend.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warmly embraced plumber Yaniv Hayoun shortly after the passengers arrived in Tel Aviv late on Wednesday. He later posted a five-star review of Hayoun’s professional services, calling him “a hero who has saved many lives.”

“He can help you too — I highly recommend him!” Netanyahu added on X.

Hayoun was among several Israelis recommended for the Presidential Award for Civilian Heroism, while Indian Capt. Smit Machchhar was called “a HERO” by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

One met the prime minister wearing a bloody shirt

Many of the details emerged in a rush shortly after the passengers, most of them Israeli, landed back home to cheers and waving flags.

Hayoun, apologizing for his bloody shirt, within minutes was telling the prime minister and journalists what happened.

There had been little time for him and the others to think. Passengers screamed after spotting the copilot stabbing the captain, and the flight from Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, to the Israeli city of Tel Aviv began a steep dive. Some believed they were about to die.

A handful of Israelis reacted, hurtling up the aisle after the badly wounded captain managed to open the cockpit door. That was crucial, as cockpit doors are typically locked to prevent hijackings.

They had to struggle, Hayoun said, with the captain’s body resting against it.

The plumber seized the controls, just like in the movies

Hayoun said the copilot appeared to be trying to damage the plane’s controls. He grabbed the copilot, and others began struggling with the man.

Hayoun then tackled the controls. He had no training, but he remembered what he had seen in movies.

“I asked him, how did you know how to do that? And he said, ‘Well, I, I watched these air disaster films,’” Netanyahu told Fox News on Thursday.

It was not clear who among the passengers had security experience, though military service is compulsory for most men and women in Israel.

Soon, crew who had been traveling on the plane stepped in to stabilize it, issuing a mayday call and seeking a place to land.

"He managed to stabilize the plane by the skin of his teeth," another Israeli praised for intervening, Asaf Rajuan, told journalists. Aviation experts have marveled that the plane didn’t crash after a descent so sharp that the rudder was torn away.

A dentist treated the wounded pilot

The handful of Israeli passengers grappled with the copilot for several minutes before subduing him and binding his hands with the cord from a set of headphones.

One of them, Dr. Shota Musayev, a dentist, also attended to the captain, who appeared to have lost a lot of blood. “He was just praying the whole time and was in contact with me, and I was afraid we would really lose him,” Musayev said.

In video that Musayev shot and shared with The Associated Press, the captain lay on the floor of the cabin, saying his head was in pain.

Musayev later told journalists he and the other responders knew they'd had just seconds to act before a “critical event.”

But even with the copilot bound and subdued, they were scared that other attackers might be on the plane. They sent other people around the cabin to stand by.

“We didn’t know where we were going to land. Underneath us there was only desert. We were afraid that they were taking us to a hostile country,” Rajuan said. “We didn’t know who to trust. We didn’t know if the pilot was with us or not … We started suspecting the flight attendants, too.”

Finally, just about an hour after the plane issued a distress call, it made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia.

Now, investigators from across the region are working to understand what led to the attack. The copilot still has not been publicly identified.

As of Thursday evening, the world had not yet heard from the central hero, the captain, who India’s Embassy in the United Arab Emirates said was “in good health and recovering well.”

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Associated Press reporter Areej Hazboun in Jerusalem contributed.

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A previous version of this story was corrected to restore comments that an earlier version mistakenly said were Hayoun's.

The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 7.28% from 7.03% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday, the biggest leap in four years. A year ago, the average rate was 6.34%.

It is the sixth consecutive week that mortgage rates have increased.

The average rate is now the highest it’s been since Nov. 22, 2023, when it reached 7.29%, and it's not climbed this fast week-to-week since October 2022.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, often sought by borrowers refinancing a home loan, also climbed this week. That average rate increased to 6.60% from 6.42% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.55%.

Higher mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month to borrowers’ costs, limiting homebuyers’ purchasing power. As rates rise, that can also lead prospective home shoppers to delay buying.

In late February, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage briefly dipped to 5.98%, its lowest level going back to late 2022. The roughly 1 percentage point increase in the rate since then translates roughly into an additional $276 a month cost for a borrower financing a $400,000 home loan at the current average rate.

Depending on a borrower’s income, credit and other factors, they may qualify for a rate on a 30-year mortgage that is below or above the current average.

The housing market has been stuck in a rut this year in large part because of elevated mortgage rates, which have been climbing in the months since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

Mortgage rates are influenced by inflation, Federal Reserve policy and bond-market investors’ expectations for the economy, among other factors. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

Expectations of higher inflation amid surging oil prices have pushed up the 10-year Treasury yield, which was at 3.97% in late February, before the war began. It surged to 5.27% in midday trading on the bond market Thursday. That puts it roughly back to where it was in 2007, on the eve of the real estate-induced financial crisis.

High yields slow the overall economy by making it more expensive for everyone to borrow money, while undercutting prices for stocks and other investments.

The U.S. housing market has been in a slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat last year, stuck at a 30-year low.

Last month the National Association of Realtors said that existing home sales fell 2% in August from July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million units. That was their slowest annual pace in more than a year.

And many potential homeowners are now hitting the brakes.

Mortgage applications, which include loans to buy a home or refinance an existing mortgage, tumbled 6% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. This marks the fourth straight weekly drop.

Applications for loans to refinance existing mortgages also declined.

The elevated mortgage rates are driving more prospective homebuyers to adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs. Such loans, which typically offer lower initial interest rates than traditional 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages, accounted for more than 10% of all mortgage applications last week, MBA said.

The 21-year-old competitive Fortnite player, better known as Clix to his more than 8 million Twitch followers, already provides hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of gaming equipment through an annual holiday giveaway. Through his new holding company, launched Thursday, he is formalizing those efforts into the Dr3amin Access Fund.

Fortnite, one of the world's most popular video games, features last-one-standing showdowns where players hunt down each other's customizable avatars across an ever-shrinking map. Content creators have found loyal audiences by live streaming their exploits on platforms such as Twitch, the livestreaming platform owned by Amazon, and clipping the most eye-catching segments into viral short-form videos.

But the equipment needed to compete at higher levels is pricey — and getting pricier. The massive data center buildout has pushed up the costs of computers, graphics processors and memory chips. Conrod recommends a setup that can handle at least 120 frames per second for a GPU-intensive game such as Fortnite. And even sub-$500, entry-level PCs are becoming scarcer, according to Joost van Dreunen, a longtime games industry researcher and adjunct assistant professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business.

“Anybody who is starting up early in their career, anybody who is building their first PC, is having an increasingly difficult time finding hardware and components for it," he said.

Conrod understands the squeeze. His parents couldn't afford a “crazy gaming computer” when he started playing when he was five. As Fortnite took the gaming world by storm, with publisher Epic Games offering $100 million tournament prizes, Conrod said he had to make do with a “worst of the worst” computer running 30 frames per second.

After months spent begging his parents to help buy a roughly $1,600 computer, Conrod said, his dad wrote up a contract: the teenager would have three months to pay him back by working for his plumbing company throughout the summer.

Conrod ultimately needed just two weeks' worth of Fortnite earnings to honor the deal.

“If I never had that PC, if I never had access to that computer, this career — this setup that you see — would not be a thing," Conrod said, speaking from his Dallas bedroom where he streams to thousands of viewers for hours at a time.

By age 14, it was time for another conversation. He'd made nearly $200,000 through the Fortnite World Cup and felt he couldn't balance classes with his career. Waking up for middle school at 6 a.m. to then compete in tournaments at 6 p.m. left him exhausted. “You can't be tired when you're playing,” he explained. Reaction times, he said, have to be “crisp." After some hesitation, his parents agreed to let him go all-in on competitive gaming.

Esports is still a place where it's “very hard to make a living,” according to van Dreunen. The real money is clustered at the top, he said, and there's no “healthy” talent ecosystem. There's also the stigma — many people still don't view competitive gaming as a legitimate career, both he and Conrod emphasized.

Conrod hopes that by lifting the financial burden of buying a computer, he can get more parents to let their children test the professional limits of their hobby. “They also have to get good grades if they're in school,” he added, noting that he made the “still delusional but a little less delusional” move to drop out only when he'd won “a good amount of money.”

Full Box Inc., his new holding company, is inspired by MrBeast’s sprawling media empire, which houses the YouTube megastar’s food brands, production company and philanthropy. Full Box Inc. encompasses Clix’s clothing brand, clipping agency and game studio, among other endeavors.

He's still figuring out the funding model for the Dr3amin Access Fund. Some proceeds from his clothing brand will support the initiative. Other brands will have the opportunity to donate during his end-of-year giveaway, Clixmas. And he'll give some, too; last year he said he personally contributed about $100,000 as Clixmas gave away five custom PCs daily throughout the month of December.

Conrod got some proof of concept this past weekend. His team took fourth place — and $120,000 — among 50 duos at the Fortnite Global Championship in Belgium. Among his competitors was a gamer known online as Joshreyli. They'd met two years ago during the first-ever Clixmas when Conrod challenged his audience to eliminate him during a one-on-one match in exchange for a computer. Josh won, got the PC and has since earned six figures as a pro, according to Conrod.

“It’s like a full-circle moment of what helps me want to do more stuff like this,” Conrod said. "Those stories fire me up.”

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Fighting between Houthi rebels and government forces overnight stirred fears that the Iran-backed rebels may be advancing toward Taiz City in southwestern Yemen.

Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Thursday. Full coverage is available here.

US could have 3 carriers in the Mideast soon, official says

Three U.S. ships that together carry over 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines are heading to the Middle East, a U.S. official said.

That includes the recently deployed USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group. It could mean three carriers are in the region as early as the end of October, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.

That would be an unusually high U.S. naval presence of more than 20,000 sailors and Marines and hundreds of aircraft. It comes as the war with Iran stretches past seven months. The Navy previously had three carriers in the Middle East in April -- the first time since 2003.

The USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington are there now, along with the USS Boxer amphibious readiness group. The Pacific-based Washington had moved to the Middle East to relieve the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln.

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By Konstantin Toropin

Tanker hit in the Strait of Hormuz

A tanker was struck by an “unknown projectile” while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, according to the British military, which said it received the report from a third party. The attack resulted in a fire, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO) said, adding that the crew was reported safe.

UKMTO also did not identify the tanker and there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but Iranian forces have been regularly firing at vessels transiting the strait to maintain control over the crucial waterway.

Shipping has been disrupted and the strait virtually closed since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28. Before the war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed through the waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.

Trump says Iran's peace offer doesn't measure up

Trump said in a Time magazine interview published Thursday that he won't now accept proposals from Iran that “he wouldn't have approved a year ago.”

He left open the possibility of resuming bombing Iran after the Nov. 3 election. He refused to offer details, telling journalists, "I can’t tell you that because look, you know, you’re asking, where are you going to bomb?”

Trump rejects reports Israeli leader was warned about Hamas' Oct. 7 attack

The U.S. president told Time magazine that he only heard about those reports on the same day that the Sept. 28 interview was conducted with Time reporters, adding “I can't imagine this.”

Trump said had Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu been forewarned, “he would have done something about it" or "would have had people at least alert.”

An Israeli newspaper reported that Netanyahu was directly warned by the president of the United Arab Emirates that Hamas was planning a major offensive just days before the militant group attacked on Oct. 7, 2023.

Netanyahu strongly rejected the report.

US takes aim at Iran’s automotive and rail industries

The Trump administration on Thursday announced sanctions on Iran's automotive and rail industries in an attempt to get the country to capitulate, citing entities based in Indonesia, the UAE and Germany, among other countries.

Two of Iran’s largest auto manufacturers, Iran Khodro Co. and SAIPA Iranian Automobile Manufacturing Co., were sanctioned alongside several foreign companies that provide auto parts and raw materials.

The actions by the U.S. Treasury come as Trump officials highlight how Iran's currency has fallen to new record lows. The administration credits the continued erosion of the Iranian economy to its months-long economic campaign and has no plans to cease the financial penalties anytime soon even as negotiations between the two countries have restarted.

Fighting between Houthi rebels and government forces, Saudi Arabia

In Yemen, Iran-backed Houthi rebels clashed with government forces overnight into Thursday in residential neighborhoods in eastern Taiz, located about 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Mokha, which the Houthis seized last month. A main road linking Taiz and Aden was cut off due to the latest clashes, a local military official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorised to talk to the media.

Al-Thawra Hospital, located a few kilometers from the clashes, received six bodies and 35 wounded people Thursday, according to hospital manager Abdelrahman al-Sabry.

Renewed violence in Yemen has killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands. The Houthis captured the strategic city of Mokha and a number of Red Sea islands last month, extending their reach to the key maritime waterway of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. It was the Houthis’ biggest land grab in years and ended a 2022 ceasefire that largely stopped major fighting in Yemen’s 12-year civil war.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said that it intercepted two ballistic missiles over the cities of Jazan and Khamis Mushait, as well as four drones over Khamis Mushait. The statement did not specify when the attacks happened, nor who carried them out. However, Gen. Turki al-Maliki, the Saudi spokesman, said in a separate social media post that the country is continuing to take measures to "deter the terrorist Houthi militia."

Saudi Arabia also said Thursday the rebels targeted a power distribution station in the area of Medina two days earlier. The strike shut down a transformer, but didn't affect the power grid. The Houthis have yet to respond to the claim.

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By Marzouk al-Jaberi and Fatma Khaled

Iran admonishes U.K. for linking Tehran to air base sabotage plot

Iran's Foreign Ministry summoned Britain’s ambassador in Tehran on Thursday to “strongly protest” allegations by British Prime Minister Andy Burnham linking Iran to a sabotage plot at RAF Fairford, Iranian state television reported.

The ministry dismissed allegations that Iran was connected to the alleged plot as “baseless” and called on the British government to provide an official explanation and change its approach toward Iran.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had also posted on X that the U.K. was "barking up the wrong tree.”

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This report will be updated throughout the day as new developments emerge.

Administration officials argue the new requirement will help the federal government stop immigrants lacking permanent legal status from collecting federal benefits they are not eligible for, potentially saving taxpayers up to $2 billion. But taxpayer and privacy advocates say the data could be used to help find and deport those people.

“It could be used as an immigration enforcement tool and that is probably the reason why they are doing this,” said David Bier, director of immigration studies at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute.

Most Americans will see it as a new checkbox that gives the government even more information on taxpayers. But those living in the country illegally face a more complicated choice: Declare on a tax return that they are not authorized to live in the U.S. or lie on the return, which is a felony. Some may stop filing their taxes altogether.

“It’s dragging the IRS into this administration’s immigration policies,” said Nina Olson, executive director for the Center for Taxpayer Rights.

The IRS posted its draft 1040 form for 2026 in late August. It includes the question, “At the time you file your return, are you, and your spouse if filing jointly, a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or an alien lawfully authorized to work in the U.S.?" There are “Yes” or “No" checkboxes for both the filer and their spouse. A draft of a second form, known as Schedule 3-A used to claim refundable tax credits, asks a similar question.

The questions are not optional. Every tax filer must certify under penalty of law their immigration or citizenship status to the IRS to file their return.

The Treasury Department says the new question is meant to keep immigrants lacking permanent legal status from taking advantage of refundable tax credits, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit. These are credits for which low- and middle income workers and families may qualify that often result in a refund back to the taxpayer.

In a statement, a Treasury Department official said the information will be “subject to a variety of privacy, disclosure and other legal protections.” The statement did not say whether the information will be shared with immigration enforcement agencies.

Despite not being authorized to live and work in the U.S., immigrants that do not have permanent legal status do pay taxes. A 2024 report by the National Taxpayer Advocate found 3.8 million tax returns where a taxpayer used an Individual Tax Identification Number, or ITIN. While an ITIN can be issued for a variety of purposes, undocumented workers who cannot obtain a Social Security number are among those who use them.

IRS data show that taxpayers who filed those nearly 4 million returns paid $14.4 billion in income taxes and $6.5 billion in Social Security and Medicare taxes.

A valid Social Security Number, not an ITIN, is required to qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. The IRS checks Social Security Numbers against Social Security Administration records for each claim of the EITC.

Because of this process, Olson said she believes the new proposal is unnecessary.

“Your citizenship or residency status is not information the IRS needs to process a return. It’s not even information the IRS needs to process these tax credits,” she said. “The IRS already has Social Security data on taxpayers, as well as ITIN information. It already has what it needs to process a return.”

Immigrants lacking permanent legal status are generally not eligible for federal benefits after Congress overhauled federal welfare programs in the mid-1990s. A tax filer needs to be a U.S. citizen or a green card holder to claim the EITC or CTC, with some limited exceptions.

But some immigrants in the U.S. who presently qualify for some of these credits would not under the new policy. This would include people covered under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, those with temporary protected status and temporary workers in the country under H1-B visas.

The Trump administration argues in its proposal that the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, the law that governs who is eligible for benefit programs, should be applied to refundable tax credits as well. The research paper published this week estimates that 671,000 people, including 309,000 children, will lose the Earned Income Tax Credit under this policy. Another roughly 1.1 million people, including 574,000 children, will lose the Additional Child Tax Credit.

Most of the children that would lose eligibility to these credits are U.S. citizens, according to these researchers at Boston University, Columbia University and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, because one or more of their parents’ citizenship or immigration status.

The Trump administration has tried to use the IRS to implement its immigration policies before. Last year, the Treasury Department agreed to share confidential taxpayer information of immigrants with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for the purpose of identifying and deporting people.

The data-sharing agreement was halted by a federal judge, which found that it violated federal taxpayer privacy laws, and the halt remains in effect as the case works its way through the courts. However, before it was stopped, it was found that the IRS had already turned over the addresses of 47,000 people to ICE.

En un comunicado, la cancillería dijo que “Argentina rechaza que el Reino Unido caracterice el recurso argentino al arbitraje en el marco de la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar como un intento de ‘socavar’ los derechos de alguien”.

El comunicado sostuvo que el recurso al arbitraje busca “preservar los legítimos derechos del pueblo argentino sobre sus recursos naturales” y cuestionó a Gran Bretaña por no honrar la convención del mar e intentar imponer su interpretación “infundada” como una "verdad absoluta”.

El martes el gobierno de Milei dio un plazo de dos semanas a Londres para que detenga un proyecto petrolero en aguas del archipiélago que Argentina reclama desde 1833, y que los británicos llaman Falklands, bajo la amenaza de impulsar un arbitraje internacional para resolver el caso.

La británica Rockhopper Exploration y la israelí Navitas Petroleum Development and Production Limited desarrollan el yacimiento Sea Lion con el aval de las autoridades de las islas bajo dominio británico.

Uma Kumaran, subsecretaria parlamentaria de Estado, reaccionó en contra de la advertencia del gobierno de Milei y anunció en X que el gobierno británico le comunicó a la embajadora argentina Mariana Plaza “que los esfuerzos por obstaculizar la actividad económica lícita” en las islas son “intentos deliberados de socavar la prosperidad y la seguridad económica de un pueblo autónomo”.

La funcionaria a cargo en Gran Bretaña de la cartera de Territorios de Ultramar aseveró que la población de las islas puede gestionarse “sin intimidación" ni "coacción” y que está "en duda la fiabilidad de Argentina como socio del Reino Unido”.

Kumaran sostuvo que las actividades relacionadas con los hidrocarburos en la plataforma continental de Malvinas están reguladas por la legislación del archipiélago y se llevan a cabo en conformidad con el derecho internacional, incluida la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar.

La escalada entre ambos gobiernos comenzó en septiembre cuando Milei presentó un proyecto de ley para sancionar a petroleras que operan “ilegalmente” en Malvinas y anunció la instalación de una base naval en la provincia de Tierra del Fuego, el punto continental más cercano al archipiélago situado en el Atlántico sur.

Ese mismo mes una jueza federal argentina ordenó a las petroleras británica e israelí frenar el proyecto Sea Lion.

En 1982 Argentina y Gran Bretaña libraron una guerra por la soberanía del archipiélago que terminó con la victoria británica. En un referendo en 2013 los isleños votaron a favor de seguir siendo un territorio británico de ultramar.

Among them is Remy, a 5-year-old dog described by shelter staff as sweet, gentle and loving. Remy was surrendered after her family could no longer afford her care. She has allergies that are being managed with medicated baths and periodic injections from a veterinarian.

Remy is good with children and is calm around people, but the shelter recommends a meet-and-greet if she would be joining a home with another dog. She should not live with cats.

The shelter also has cats available for adoption, including Dakota, a playful 5-month-old kitten.

The Humane Society is hosting its first-ever Fall VIP After Dark mixer, focusing on dogs and cats that have been at the shelter for more than 30 days. Adoption fees for those VIP pets will be waived during the event.

Shelter officials are encouraging the community to attend and meet animals like Remy and the many other dogs and cats still waiting for a home.

Click here for more information if you would like to adopt a pet.

SpaceX launched commander Jessica Watkins and her crew for NASA after a three-week delay to fix their Dragon capsule’s leaking fuel system. Thick clouds threatened all morning to halt the countdown but in the end, the skies cleared enough to allow for a safe liftoff.

Although their stay at the International Space Station will last a long six months, the flight there promised to be the quickest yet for Elon Musk’s company: a mere eight-hour transit with an arrival well before bedtime.

With the late morning liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Watkins became the first Black woman to lead a crew to orbit. A geologist who worked with NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity a decade ago, Watkins is making her second trip to the space station following a lengthy stay in 2022.

“Thanks for an amazing ride,” Watkins radioed after reaching orbit.

The others are newcomers to space: NASA’s Luke Delaney, a retired Marine; Canada’s Joshua Kutryk, a colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force; and Russia’s Sergey Teteryatnikov, a former submariner. They will replace four astronauts who have been living at the orbiting laboratory since February.

This was the 13th crew launched by SpaceX for NASA, not counting 2020's test flight. All four embrace their Crew-13 designation that pays homage in their mission patch to Apollo 13. The harrowing 1970 moonshot ended with the astronauts’ safe return.

References to the number 13 abounded Thursday. Watkins and her crew rode to the launch pad in black Teslas bearing plates that read “Lucky 13.” What's more, they carried up a small crocheted golden dragon named Lucky with a four-leaf clover around its neck.

“We figured it wouldn't hurt to bring a little of our own luck just in case, but clearly we don't need it,” Watkins said from orbit, noting they were “four of the luckiest humans on or off planet Earth.”

Kutryk will become the fourth man to become a father while orbiting Earth. Wife Heather is due to give birth to their third child in late November. The Canadian Space Agency promises plenty of support for the entire family when the big day comes.

“A lot of life-changing things can happen over six months,” NASA manager Dana Weigel said on the eve of liftoff, noting that the space agency will do its best to keep Kutryk looped in to his family.

In 2004, NASA provided a radio link between space station astronaut Mike Fincke and his wife’s delivery room during the birth of their daughter. Five years later, Randy Bresnik, commander of next year’s Artemis III mission, dialed in to his wife’s hospital from orbit.

The happy news traveled more slowly for Austrian astronaut Franz Viehbock. His daughter was born a few hours after he launched to the Soviet Union’s Mir space station in 1991. He was not informed until the next day.

SpaceX, meanwhile, is on a roll. Three hours after Crew-13 blasted off, SpaceX launched a Falcon rocket from California with more than 100 mini satellites. Another Falcon was set to soar late Thursday night from Florida, with a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office. All this comes the same week that the company's massive Starship reached orbit for the first time.

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In 2027 — nearly six decades after King's title at the Foro Italico — the Rome clay-court event will finally award women the same amount of total prize money as men, as part a “major milestone” initiative that the WTA Tour announced Thursday.

The initiative means that all combined WTA 1000 events will award equal prize money for the first time. Besides the Italian Open, the holdouts had been the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open.

The other combined 1000 events in Indian Wells, California; Miami; Madrid and Beijing; as well as all four Grand Slams, already offer equal prize money.

“Achieving equal prize money across all combined WTA 1000 tournaments is a major milestone for tennis,” WTA chair Valerie Camillo said. “It demonstrates the WTA’s continued commitment to leading the sports industry in delivering our athletes competitive and financial equality and is a testament to the enduring nature of the founding vision of the WTA.”

The announcement comes at a time of financial difficulty for the WTA after it opted out of the final year of a three-year hosting arrangement with Saudi Arabia to move this year’s WTA Finals to Indian Wells, California. The tour's flagship event will then be played inside an NBA arena in Charlotte, North Carolina for the next three years.

In 2023, Italian Open organizers pledged to have equal prize money starting in 2025 but didn’t carry through on the promise.

The total men’s prize money this year in Rome was $9.6 million while the women got $8.3 million.

Alex Eala effect

Also announced for next year was an expanded WTA 250-level tournament in Manila, Philippines, amid massive interest surrounding home player Alex Eala, who is ranked 18th.

In January of this year, the Philippines hosted a WTA 125-level tournament. The 2027 event will be held in November at the end of the Asian swing.

Also, the number of annual WTA 500 level tournaments required for players ranked in the top 50 was reduced from six to four, resulting in a total base playing commitment of 14 WTA tournaments plus the four Grand Slams in 2027.

“The WTA is stepping up to deliver more for players and tournaments in 2027,” Camillo said. “We have listened to player feedback on the demands of the calendar and responded with a meaningful reduction in commitments."

The WTA relied heavily on its tour architecture council, a working group chaired by third-ranked Jessica Pegula.

“As players, we’re on the road most of the year, so having more flexibility in our schedules and commitments makes a real difference,” Pegula said. “The 2027 changes give us more ability to build our seasons around our own goals — competitively and personally. That’s an impactful step forward for players.”

The WTA said the updates “will be implemented as a one-year pilot" for 2027, allowing it to "evaluate the impact of the changes across the tour to inform decisions for 2028 and beyond.”

Also of note: three events in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar remain on the calendar for February after this year's WTA Finals were moved from Saudi Arabia to Indian Wells following concerns over military conflicts in the Middle East.

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See AP’s full tennis coverage here

The show came at an uneasy moment for luxury: cosmetics giant L’Oréal overtook Louis Vuitton owner LVMH as France’s most valuable listed company in September. And consultants forecast modest growth in personal luxury goods this year after two years of contraction.

Designer Chemena Kamali returned to Chloé’s archives for her spring-summer 2027 “Obsession” collection.

It was a personal declaration of affection for the house — and a test of how much decoration its promise of easy dressing could bear.

Luxury, ready to wear

Gaby Aghion founded Chloé in Paris in 1952, pioneering luxury ready-to-wear: finely made designer clothes sold ready-made, rather than couture created for individual clients.

The idea helped bridge exclusive dressmaking and mass production, offering luxury with less formality.

That inheritance sets a demanding standard: elaborate workmanship should not make the clothes look difficult to wear.

“I wanted something deeply personal — to return to things I love, the emotions they trigger in me,” Kamali said.

Broderie anglaise — embroidery punctuated by small decorative holes — appeared on crisp cotton and sheer organza.

Kamali traced the patterns to 19th-century needlework, while raised floral embroidery recalled the 1960s. Puffed sleeves, tiered ruffles and swinging tassels added volume and movement.

At times, flowers, lace and tassels competed within a single look.

The workmanship impressed, but the result could feel crowded: a lot of visible effort for clothes meant to suggest ease.

Lingerie offered a leaner proposition. Kamali cut away lace to create what she called “romantic harnesses,” framing exposed skin with delicate lines.

A metallic bust strap added a hard glint among the floating fabrics.

These pieces needed fewer flourishes to command attention.

Romance meets rainwear

The coats supplied the collection’s most convincing change of pace: reds and yellows interrupted the softer colors, while wide-brimmed hats pushed the proportions toward the theatrical.

Fishermen’s coats and capes provided the starting point.

Kamali layered transparent vinyl in smoky shades over her silhouettes, bringing sharper outlines to the collection’s softness.

Here, the contrast worked. Substantial outerwear gave the delicate clothes a counterweight, and the bold shapes carried the drama without requiring another layer of ornament.

Tailoring brought further definition. Kamali cited Chloé’s scalloped 1972 “Noël” tuxedo as a reference, revisiting the house’s history of adapting men’s suiting for women.

It offered a firmer framework for her romantic instincts, and her affection for Chloé was clear.

The strongest moments came when that familiarity produced a clear idea: a fisherman’s coat expanded to dramatic proportions, or lingerie stripped back to its outlines.

Those transformations gave the collection direction.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman ordered the dismissal of David Hearn’s case with “prejudice,” which would block U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office from refiling the felony charge against him. The judge ruled nearly a month after hearing attorneys’ arguments.

Hearn’s lawyers say Trump administration officials have continued to falsely accuse the Maryland resident of vandalizing the reflecting pool despite Pirro’s decision to drop the case on July 31. Trump responded by saying Pirro “choked” and “folded like an umbrella.”

Edelman said the case presents “exceptional circumstances” that warrant dismissing the case permanently. He agreed with defense attorneys that the government “shot first and asked questions later” by charging Hearn in a “a lightning-fast indictment process.”

“While the government wishes to hold open the possibility of the development of evidence that would support a future prosecution, its own representations make plain that such a possibility is theoretical at best, and more likely, is simply fanciful,” the judge wrote.

Permanently dismissing the case protects Hearn from prosecutors electing to revive the case under political pressure from Trump, the judge said.

“Although the prosecutors assigned to this case have deemed it meritless, the President of the United States has repeatedly disparaged them and pressured them to change course,” Edelman wrote.

In a court filing in July, Pirro said new evidence produced by the Interior Department showed Hearn wasn’t responsible for damage to the pool’s lining. Pirro’s office attributed the damage instead to a botched installation by a contractor as well as a rush to complete the project in time for this summer’s America 250 celebration in Washington.

Pirro’s admission was an embarrassing setback for the White House. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has backed Trump’s claims that vandals damaged the pool.

Hearn has said he was on a bike ride on June 19 when he reached in to examine the pool’s newly peeled coating and briefly touched a chunk attached to the side of the pool. But he said he obeyed a park worker’s command to let go of it.

Hearn was charged with one count of property destruction, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. His lawyers questioned whether prosecutors properly presented the grand jury with adequate evidence to support the charge and the amount of damage alleged by the government.

Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, competed in three Summer Olympics, earning his best finish, ninth, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee says on its website.

Trump, a Republican, appointed Pirro, a former Fox News host, to serve as the top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia. Edelman was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Barack Obama.

Hearn’s attorneys said the ruling is “a victory for the rule of law and for an innocent American seeking justice” and allows Hearn to “move forward with his life as he deserves.”

“This administration chose to pursue an unjust prosecution against Mr. Hearn. It should not get repeated chances to wield the power of criminal prosecution against someone who should never have been prosecuted,” the lawyers said in a statement.

Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon said armed men raided the community late Sunday, setting fire to homes and killing residents.

“It is still impossible to establish a definitive death toll due to access difficulties and communication problems,” he said.

Wails filled the air in Kenscoff as survivors found the bodies of friends and family strewn on the streets early Monday.

“They killed my son!” one woman kept yelling as people nearby tried to comfort her.

One man flung himself on the side of the road, head on his right arm as he cried on the ground. Nearby, people picked up the bodies of those killed, some wrapped in blood-spattered sheets.

Robert Jean recalled how he heard shooting before dawn and tried to rouse people from their sleep to escape being killed. He said he was frantically looking for his brother, who was killed: “I was calling to see if everyone was safe. I could not find my brother.”

Another Kenscoff resident blamed the government for the killings.

“If only we had a good police force that would have placed an armored truck here, what happened here would have been prevented,” said Verti Enold-Saint as he lifted a sheet over the body of his brother-in-law.

Farmer Mathurin Pierre, 41, told AP that he lost 14 loved ones and that an unknown number remain missing.

Massillon blamed the attack on members of Viv Ansanm, which the U.S. government designated as a foreign terrorist organization last year.

“They sowed chaos,” Massillon said.

He said gang members targeted a church and homes including those owned by Dr. Jean “Bill” Pape. He is a renowned doctor who runs a nongovernmental organization in Haiti that helps patients including those with HIV and tuberculosis.

Haiti’s Office of Citizen Protection issued a statement decrying the massacre, saying dozens of people, including “numerous” young Haitians, were killed.

Vladimir Paraison, director of Haiti’s National Police, visited the area and defended police officers as journalists pressed for answers.

“The police never lowered their arms,” he said. “Look at how many police officers are here; the response is in front of you.”

Jean Fritz Patterson Dorval, head of Port-au-Prince’s prosecutor’s office, also came under pressure. He said there are eight armored vehicles in Kenscoff, adding that “there are technical responses that only the mayor and the police can answer.”

No further details about the attack were available. A spokesperson for the U.N.-backed gang suppression force did not return a message seeking comment.

Haiti’s government issued a statement condemning what it called a heinous criminal attack. “Reinforcements are being deployed,” it said. “Kenscoff will not be abandoned.”

It said that security forces were ordered to pursue those responsible. “The population must remain confident,” the government said, adding that it would not back down.

Gangs control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince, the capital, with Viv Ansanm repeatedly targeting nearby Kenscoff.

Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across Haiti, where more than 3,100 people were reported killed from January to June and another 1,189 injured, according to U.N. statistics.

The attack comes less than a week after the U.S. government deported more than 160 people to the troubled Caribbean country for the first time since the Trump administration won a legal battle to end Temporary Protected Status for some 350,000 Haitians.

Haiti’s government has said some of the deportees included TPS holders. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Monday in a statement to the AP that those deported Friday included several gang members with criminal records ranging from assault to drug trafficking.

Haiti is scheduled to hold general elections for the first time in more than a decade on Dec. 13, and it has been registering voters in Port-au-Prince and beyond. Experts have warned it’s currently too dangerous to hold elections.

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Associated Press reporter Dánica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contributed.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

It is believed to be one of the largest mass kidnappings in Haiti in recent years, and one gang leader is threatening to kill the hostages if authorities kill any gang members as they try to secure the community nestled in the hills above Port-au-Prince.

Sunday’s attack on Kenscoff pierced the belief that security in the troubled Caribbean country was improving.

“This is a major political and security test, for the government, for the police and for the international mission,” said Romain Le Cour, head of the Haiti Observatory at the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

He said the threat of executing hostages is a trap: If forces don’t act, they’ve failed to protect them; if they do and hostages die, the gangs will blame the state.

Kenscoff resident Marc Paul, 42, said gangs kidnapped his brother, stepmother, stepfather and two cousins. He said his 16-year-old niece also was kidnapped and raped but was able to escape and has reunited with him.

“I had to run over bodies,” he said as he recalled how he fled the attack. “I can’t sleep knowing all these people died.”

Paul and his family had already lost their home to a previous gang attack in January 2025, but he said it was not as violent as Sunday’s attack. Paul was upset about the video the gangs posted: “My brother is probably going to die.”

A threat posted on social media

In a video posted on social media, the gang leader threatened Vladimir Paraison, director of Haiti’s National Police.

“Paraison, if any of our soldiers are hurt, I will kill all of them,” he said, referring to the hostages.

The gang member identified himself as Izo 2, a reference to Izo, or Johnson André, one of Haiti’s most powerful gang leaders.

Le Cour said Izo 2 is also known as “Didi” and leads the armed group in Kenscoff on behalf of and in coordination with Izo and other gang leaders.

Kenson Paul, the 17-year-old nephew of Marc Paul, said he managed to escape the attackers.

“They have not called us to let us know what they want,” he said of the gang. “I worry for my family’s life.”

Le Cour said the aim of Sunday’s attack could be to force Haiti’s police and the U.N.-backed gang suppression force to disperse even more of their limited resources.

“They don’t have enough personnel,” Le Cour said in a phone interview. “If you force them to deploy more troops, it would inevitably be at the expense of other areas.”

The attack might also just be a show of force and a message to Haiti’s government and police as the country prepares to hold general elections on Dec. 13 for the first time in more than a decade.

“This is a message to the government and the police that their claims of protection do not match reality,” Le Cour said. “The gangs are saying: when we choose to attack, we can, and we will succeed.”

Attacks on Kenscoff have escalated

The first major attack on Kenscoff occurred in January 2025, and since then, there have been sporadic attacks in the mountains surrounding the city center.

But Sunday’s attack was the largest yet. At least five of the 47 people killed were children, according to the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti, known as BINUH.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack on Tuesday, noting that 22 of the victims were reportedly executed in a church compound where they had sought shelter: “The relentless gang attacks on communities and the loss of lives underscore the alarming security conditions in Haiti,” he said.

Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon told The Associated Press on Tuesday that gangs set fire to 25 homes and killed two government employees including his cousin, who served as his security detail.

“The atrocity of this crime reminds us that we have to continue working stronger every day to bring peace to the community,” Massillon said. “I’m optimistic that the state will continue working to eradicate the gangs in Kenscoff.”

Gangs are coveting Kenscoff because it allows them to surround and control the upscale community of Pétion-Ville and alternate routes connecting Haiti’s capital to its southern region, said María Fernanda Arocha, a researcher with the nonprofit Armed Conflict Location & Event Data.

Between January and August this year, security operations had managed to reduce violence in Kenscoff by 66% prior to the attack, she said in a statement.

“While security forces have concentrated their efforts on operations aimed at regaining control in the central areas of Port-au-Prince, criminal groups have instead sought to expand into rural communities that are vulnerable due to the limited response capacity of the police, but which remain strategic hubs,” she added.

Haitians demand police protection

Some survivors accused the government of not providing enough protection prior to the attack, with Haiti’s National Police rejecting those accusations.

Le Cour said that if police and armored vehicles were indeed stationed in Kenscoff prior to the attack, then the assertion is concerning: “You let the gangs come in even if you had everything in place?”

Haiti’s National Police issued a statement Tuesday saying Paraison ordered an investigation to establish the truth about the attack “whether due to complicity or negligence.” He also ordered additional specialized units to the area, saying “It is an obligation to protect the civilian population.”

Armed men control an estimated 70% of Port-au-Prince and swaths of land in Haiti’s central region and beyond.

Gang violence has displaced a record 1.5 million people across Haiti, where more than 3,050 people were reported killed from January to June, according to U.N. statistics released Tuesday.

The U.N. noted that nearly 800 rapes were reported from April to June, with 87% of those cases representing collective rapes.

At least 81 people also were reported kidnapped during that time period, according to a new U.N. report.

“These figures represent only a portion of the total number of people kidnapped,” it stated. “In many cases, victims’ relatives do not report kidnappings to the police or service providers and choose to negotiate directly with the kidnappers, believing that this approach allows for a quicker release and avoids possible reprisals.”

The number of kidnappings reported from April to June represents a more than 40% increase compared with the previous quarter.

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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Ross, whose legal name is William Roberts II, faces a felony charge of battery by strangulation, as well as a misdemeanor battery charge, according to online court records.

An attorney for Ross, 50, said in a statement that Ross is being wrongfully accused by an ex-girlfriend whose true motivations are unclear.

“The ex did not even file a police report until a month after the claimed incident allegedly took place,” defense attorney Steve Sadow said in the statement. “Mr. Roberts is innocent and has pled not guilty to the charges. He respectfully requests that his friends, fans and the general public not prejudge the situation and allow the judicial process to run its course.”

Jail records showed that Ross was being held Thursday morning on $5,000 bail. An arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 22.

According to news reports, Ross pleaded no contest in 2017 to kidnapping and assault charges and was sentenced to probation after he and his bodyguard were accused of holding two groundskeepers against their will at Ross’ suburban Atlanta house. Ross was also accused of beating one of the men with a pistol, chipping his teeth and mangling his jaw.

The groundskeepers alleged that Ross stormed into his guest house, where they were living, and beat them with a gun. Ross disputed the beatings in a 2015 countersuit against the men, and said they weren’t supposed to be living on his property. He also alleged that the men were attempting to extort him.

Ross is a longtime South Florida resident who gained prominence in 2006 with his debut single “Hustlin.”

The rapper and entrepreneur helped put Miami on the map in the early 2000s, when most hip-hop fans looked to Atlanta and Houston as Southern rap headquarters. “Hustlin'" was certified platinum twice by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sparked a bidding war for Ross. He eventually signed with Def Jam Records, headed by Jay-Z.

Ross’ debut album, “Port of Miami,” also went platinum, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. It was the first in a series of chart-toppers, including 2008’s “Trilla” and 2009’s “Deeper Than Rap.” He has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards.

In 2008, he founded the influential label Maybach Music Group (MMG), boosting the careers of signees like Wale, Meek Mill and French Montana.

His most recent album, “Set In Stone,” was released in July.

The professional photographer he hired was friendly and supportive, he said, and he liked watching her work during the several hours they spent together. She shot some close-ups in her studio and then took outdoor images of Eil near the Seekonk River, one of his favorite spots in Providence, Rhode Island.

“There was so much emotion wrapped up in publishing this book, which I had worked on for over a decade,” Eil said of the 2024 shoot that helped launch his true-crime book about a doctor who prescribed massive amounts of opioid painkillers. “By the time I took these photos, it was near the end of that process. It was a moment to put my face on the book, and I liked how I looked in a place that I love.”

Headshots used on social media profiles, business websites and in other career contexts are like virtual handshakes, often introducing people to potential employers, collaborators or audiences long before an in-person meeting.

It's natural to want to feel good about your appearance in those pictures, but conveying the image you want to project is even more important, said Chris Gillett, a Houston-based photographer who specializes in headshots.

“It’s going to be a first impression, and the research on first impressions shows that they’re formed instantly and are sticky,” Gillett, a former attorney, said.

Even a millimeter shift in a smile or an eyebrow can change someone’s expression, he said. A smile should look authentic, while confidence is communicated through the eyes. The face should always be the focus; that's why Gillett prefers classic headshots — which show the head and shoulders — over portraits that feature folded arms or waistlines.

“It’s the simplest form of people photography, but it’s endlessly fascinating,” he said.

Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to creating and using headshots:

Make sure you’re recognizable

There’s no rule of thumb for how often to update your headshots, Gillett said. Just make sure they still look like you. A noticeable difference between a headshot and how you look in person can erode trust.

Heavily edited photos present the same hazard, said Emily Lauro, an area director for Goodwin Recruiting, a New Hampshire-based company that matches job seekers and employers.

“Look like you on your best professional day and not a completely different person,” Lauro said. “They’re not meant to be how photogenic you are. They’re meant to be your real likeness and image.”

Figure out what you’re trying to communicate

Gillett once did headshots for two young lawyers. One wanted to convey that she was tired of being underestimated. The other liked being underestimated because it could throw her opponents off guard.

“There’s no right answer to how you want to be perceived,” Gillett said. “The only wrong answer is leaving it up to chance.”

Your headshot should also align with your profession. A startup founder may want a photo that emphasizes innovation and energy, while a financial adviser may want to convey trustworthiness and reliability.

Know when and where to share headshots

It’s generally not a good idea to put a headshot on your resume, said Jenny Battershell, the director of marketing for Goodwin Recruiting.

Resume designs should be simple and straightforward, she said. Photos can confuse automated resume-tracking systems, which are designed to scan text.

Including a photo on a resume could also have unintended consequences. Battershell said Goodwin Recruiting works with employers to get them to recognize and overcome biases, but they can exist. She remembers one client who had a successful first interview by phone but was rejected when the employer saw the client’s unusual hair color during a second-round video interview.

Lauro said the absence of a photo or a less-than-stellar one on a LinkedIn page wouldn't deter her from working with a qualified job candidate.

“If someone is open to work and they don’t have a photo and their qualifications line up with the job, I’m reaching out to them anyway,” she said. “Some people are more social media savvy than others.”

Consider the pros and cons of AI-generated headshots

Artificial intelligence has made it easier and cheaper to obtain a headshot. ChatGPT can turn a selfie into a headshot with a few prompts. The website HeadshotPro uses AI to turn a few selfies into 30 headshots for $29. By comparison, Gillett charges $290 per sitting plus $295 for each headshot you pick.

AI-generated headshots may suffice for people who are short on time or money, but Gillett thinks the confidence that comes from learning to hold yourself in front of a camera is invaluable.

“I can make you look like the best version of yourself possible, but only you can make you better,” he said.

Headshots created with the help of AI may raise other issues. They can look heavily edited and unrealistic, Lauro said. You want a potential employer to focus on your experience and qualifications, not on whether your photo is authentic.

Eil said using an AI headshot would have robbed him of the experience of working with the local photographer who knew how to bring out his personality in her work. If cost is an issue, he suggested looking for a photography student or even a friend who might be willing to shoot some headshots. Professional headshots are also sometimes offered as a free perk at conferences.

“The AI thing just bums me out,” Eil said. “AI headshots tend to look uncanny and unnatural. Even if it was photorealistic, I wouldn’t have those warm memories of that day and this thing we produced together.”

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Share your stories and questions about workplace wellness at cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well

Rick Case Automotive Group is making it possible for hundreds of kids in our communities to take their very own bike out for a spin. You can be part of the magic.

Beginning today, Local 10 viewers can donate gently used bikes at any Rick Case Automotive Group dealership in Broward County. The bikes will be spruced up for kids to receive them just in time for the holidays.

“Life changes and kids grow up, so it’s quite common that families have bikes in the garage that their kids have outgrown,” said Rita Case, President and CEO of the Rick Case Automotive Group. “Bring them to us, so those bikes can be rejuvenated and passed along to kids who will continue to cherish them.”

For 45 years, Rick Case Bikes for Kids has impacted generations of young South Floridians. Since that time, the annual program has collected more than 124,000 bikes in Florida, Georgia and Ohio.

Through December 20, the bikes collected and refurbished will be given to kids and teens at the Boys & Girls Clubs, Habitat for Humanity, Women in Distress and other local charitable organizations, churches, synagogues and schools.

“A core childhood memory is learning to balance on two wheels for the first time and removing the training wheels,” added Case. “Every child deserves that sense of accomplishment, and every parent deserves that bonding experience.”

Bikes can be dropped off at the following Rick Case Automotive Group dealerships:

• Rick Case Honda / 15700 Rick Case Honda Way (I-75 at Griffin Road), Davie
• Rick Case Acura / 875 North State Road 7 (on 441 at Sunrise), Ft. Lauderdale
• Rick Case Hyundai / 925 North State Road 7 (on 441 at Sunrise), Ft. Lauderdale
• Rick Case Hyundai / 3550 Weston Road (I-75 Auto Row), Davie
• Rick Case Honda Cycles / 15701 Rick Case Honda Way (I-75 at Griffin Road), Davie
• Rick Case Alfa Romeo/Maserati / 3500 Weston Road (I-75 Auto Row), Davie
• Rick Case Volkswagen / 3520 Weston Road (1-75 Auto Row), Davie
• Rick Case Kia / 14500 W Sunrise Blvd, Sunrise (Sunrise at the Sawgrass Expressway)

The dealerships are open seven days a week. For specific hours and more information, visit RickCase.com.

Pike, who was sentenced to death for a 1995 murder, was taken to a hospital Wednesday night after surviving a double dose of the drug Tennessee uses to execute prisoners.

“We don’t have a sense of her prognosis or much update on her health at the moment,” attorney Randy Spivey said during a news conference. “But we know she is alive right now.”

The failed execution, which one death penalty expert described as unprecedented, led Republican Gov. Bill Lee to order a review, calling what happened “deeply disturbing” and indefinitely postponing Pike’s execution and another one that had been scheduled for this year. It also reignited the debate over the state’s execution procedures, including its single-drug lethal injections.

Spivey called the process cruel and torturous, saying he was “haunted” by watching and hearing Pike talking, singing and then snoring loudly during her more than 90 minutes in the death chamber. Her attorneys also said it was unclear if she might have suffered brain damage from being deprived of oxygen.

May Martinez, whose daughter was murdered by Pike and her boyfriend and who traveled to Nashville to watch the execution, was also upset.

“I didn’t get justice for my daughter,” Martinez told The Associated Press on Thursday.

“I watched the whole thing. She was awake. She was laughing. She was moving her head, moving her feet. She was trying to sit up,” Martinez said. “Didn’t work the first time they gave her a shot. It didn’t work the second time.”

A prolonged attempt ends in failure

It was not immediately clear what went wrong. Pike’s attorneys said there were a number of possibilities.

The execution team worked for an hour to administer the lethal drugs, said Spivey, who counted at least seven needles in her left arm.

During the struggle to locate a vein, Pike even suggested where they might find one, he said.

“Please try here, please try here,” Spivey recalled her saying. “She told them over and over, please try higher on my shoulder.”

At one point Pike asked prison officials if her arm was supposed to feel that way, though it’s unclear if it was after the first dose entered her body because officials don’t share that information.

Neither the initial nor the backup dose of pentobarbital worked. Pike was still snoring when the execution chamber’s microphone was cut off more than an hour into the attempt.

Another Pike attorney, Steve Ferrell, said she feared there would be complications because of a lifelong blood disorder that made it tough to get needles into her veins. “Throughout her life, she’s explained to us that she had trouble having blood drawn,” he said.

It was quite possible, Ferrell said, that the IV line didn't enter her vein properly and the drug was filling her arm instead of entering her bloodstream.

Lee said it appeared prison staff followed procedure.

Attorneys seek commutation

Pike's lawyers now want her death sentence to be commuted. Now age 50, she was sentenced to death for a murder she committed at 18. She would have been the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.

An appeals court had stopped her execution an hour before it was scheduled to begin Wednesday morning, but the U.S. Supreme Court overturned that stay hours later.

It was the second time this year that the state was unable to complete an execution. In the other case, officials couldn't find a suitable vein for an IV line so the drugs weren't administered

Pentobarbital, the barbiturate Tennessee uses for executions, has been used to carry out death sentences in multiple states and by the federal government. But concerns have been raised about the potential for “unnecessary pain and suffering.”

Dr. Ervin Yen, an Oklahoma City anesthesiologist who has no link to Pike's execution but has witnessed others, said it’s possible that if the prison staff was using a small vein, there could have been some burning, as mentioned by Pike’s attorneys.

“It just depends on the vein that you’re injecting it in and how fast you are injecting,” Yen said.

The state changed its execution method two years ago

In 2024, Tennessee switched from a three-drug series for lethal injections to a single drug, pentobarbital. That came about two years after the state abruptly halted the execution of Oscar Smith and acknowledged it had failed to ensure its lethal injection drugs had been tested properly.

Robin M. Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, said what Pike experienced is “singular and unparalleled” in that she survived long enough to be moved to a hospital.

Seven others have survived medical problems due to an execution team's failure to access a vein to administer lethal injection drugs, but no one has stayed alive after receiving the drugs used in executions, she said.

Executions in the U.S. have fallen sharply since the beginning of this century, but the number nearly doubled last year behind a record increase in Florida.

Pike would have been the 30th person executed in the U.S. this year.

Awake in the death chamber

Strapped to a gurney, Pike described herself as at peace and said “I’m ready to be free. ... This is a happy day.”

But she remained awake, and at one point she complained about a feeling in her arm.

An hour after officials first raised the curtains, witnesses reported that a second dose of pentobarbital was administered. Pike could still be heard snoring behind a closed curtain until the microphone was cut off almost 30 minutes later.

Her lawyers filed an emergency motion with the Tennessee Supreme Court seeking to immediately halt and stay the execution, saying she was in “unnecessary agony” and the procedure violated her right to be executed free of cruel and unusual punishment.

Pike acknowledged her role in the killing

Pike and her boyfriend were convicted of the fatal stabbing of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer, a classmate. The killing stoked fears of Satan worship because of a pentagram carved on Slemmer’s body.

She didn't dispute that she helped kill Slemmer, but supporters argued that her mental illness and allegations of severe sexual abuse should be considered. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder after the killing.

“It took me numerous years to even realize the gravity of what I’d done,” she once said.

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This story was updated to correct the spelling of Randy Spivey's last name.

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Associated Press writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, Ed White in Detroit, Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, Hallie Golden in Seattle, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City and John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, contributed.

Right on cue, we’ll be watching a strong fall front swing into the Gulf early next week before stalling out from Florida down into the lower stretches of the southwestern Gulf for later next week.

We first mentioned this area in Tuesday’s newsletter and forecast models have gradually perked up in their interest since. Development odds for Google’s bellwether 1,000-member AI-based DeepMind ensemble system – which has run a little hot for unformed disturbances so far this season – have crept up from around 20 to 30% on Tuesday to now just over 50%.

Similarly, the 100-member, traditional physics-based Euro ensemble is now up to around 30 to 40% in its development odds of at least a tropical storm strength system forming in the nook of the southern Gulf and Bay of Campeche from late next Wednesday through Friday.

Sloppy subtropical-like system?

It’s a little early to tease out specifics if something tries to form along the stalled front later next week, but in general the orientation and strength of the strong subtropical jet stream over the northern Gulf suggests this one won’t have an easy time at quick organization.

If anything, with the amount of wind shear in place, odds favor a sprawling, sloppy subtropical-like system – with storminess shunted off to the north and east – if something were to move into the central or northern Gulf by next weekend (weekend of October 10th).

Of course, with waters at record warmth for the time of year, it’s worth following the trends in the models to see if upper-level winds open up any window for something more.

At least for now, most scenarios don’t point to a strong system if development occurs, but we’re still 7 to 10 days out so it’s just something we’ll want to monitor – primarily for the northern Gulf Coast for the holiday weekend.

Quiet otherwise across the Atlantic

Other than storminess and low pressure along the stalled front next week in the Gulf, the rest of the Atlantic basin should stay quiet for the first part of the month.

The justices will consider whether immigrants who have been living in the U.S. have a right to a hearing to determine if they should remain detained while challenging their possible deportation.

The case will test a key pillar of the Trump administration’s hard-line immigration agenda.

Most appeals courts to have considered the issue have found that it violates federal law to detain immigrants, including those living in the U.S. illegally, without a bond hearing. Those decisions conflict with rulings by the 5th and 8th circuits, which held that immigrants accused of illegally entering and remaining in the U.S. must be detained while their deportation cases are pending.

The high court agreed to hear the case of Ricardo Aparecido Barbosa da Cunha, a citizen of Brazil. Authorities say he entered the United States illegally two decades ago and applied for asylum in 2016. He sought a bond hearing after an immigration judge determined that his detention was mandatory following his September 2025 arrest.

He has never been charged or convicted of a crime, his attorneys said. The court is expected to hear the case in the coming months.

President Donald Trump’s administration had urged the high court to take up a different but related case that involves the broader constitutional implications of the new policy.

Attorneys from the Republican administration argue the circuits’ split is “disrupting the orderly administration of immigration law.” They say the nation’s courts have been inundated with thousands of petitions filed by immigrants challenging the government’s legal interpretation.

“The result is an unworkable patchwork of inconsistent immigration enforcement, where aliens present without admission are subject to mandatory detention in some circuits but are entitled to bond hearings and often released in others,” lawyers for the administration wrote.

The plaintiffs are immigrants represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, which says hundreds of district court judges have joined most circuits in rejecting the Trump administration’s new reading of the statutes. Plaintiffs’ lawyers say the administration is trying to deny bond hearings for immigrants apprehended anywhere in the U.S. — no matter how long they’ve lived in the country — rather than limiting the restriction to noncitizens stopped at the border.

“Millions of noncitizens could be affected by the government’s new interpretation,” ACLU attorneys wrote.

The Trump administration says its new mandatory detention policy is legal under a 1996 immigration law. The policy change departs from the practices of prior administrations, which typically allowed most noncitizens without criminal records to request a bond hearing if they were arrested away from the border.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

Fewer storms are on the way tomorrow into the weekend. It will not be completely dry, but we will have a lot more dry time in between rounds. High temperatures will be warmer with the sunshine returning, so expect us to reach near 90°.

The first national school choice scholarship program, the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, will launch Jan. 1, establishing a taxpayer-funded incentive for families to choose private or homeschooling in participating states. Taxpayers who donate to an organization passing out the scholarships will receive a federal tax credit, a perk expected to further fuel the conservative school choice movement.

About 96% of children in those states should be eligible, according to the department. Children attending public schools could use the scholarships for extra learning expenses.

“Education freedom is the key to unlocking opportunity and success for our next generation of students,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a statement issued Thursday. The federal scholarship program, she said, will ensure “every child has access to the education they need, not one limited by ZIP code, family income, or government‑imposed barriers.”

School choice scholarships have been available for decades in conservative-led states and throughout the South, giving individual students taxpayer-funded grants ranging from a couple thousand dollars to more than $30,000 a year. In places where they are available to all students regardless of income, such as Florida and Arizona, the majority of students using the money were already in private or home school or were from affluent neighborhoods, an analysis by The Associated Press showed.

The federal program departs from most state programs by not forcing students to leave public school to qualify for a scholarship. Public school students could use the money for tutoring or special education therapies, although the Republican administration has not provided specific criteria for eligible expenses yet.

Regulators say they have set up the program in a way that will make it easier for poor students to apply, proposing to let students use proof of participation in a government assistance program in lieu of providing income documentation. Foster children would not have to provide any income verification when they apply, officials said.

Experiences with school choice scholarships in other states have shown barriers to using the programs go beyond paperwork hurdles. Many families often do not know scholarship programs exist. Federal officials have not said how they would tell taxpayers and students about the scholarships.

How the scholarship and tax credit will work

Taxpayers will have the chance to donate to a scholarship program in a participating state, even if they do not live there, starting Jan. 1. Individuals can donate up to $1,700 and receive a federal tax credit for the same amount in exchange. Federal officials propose a couple filing jointly could give as much as double that amount.

Scholarship organizations in each state would decide how much to grant to each child who applies, depending on available funds and student need. Children could qualify if they are in elementary through high school and their families earn up to three times the area's median income. For a family of four in Houston, for example, that equates to more than $300,000.

Scholarship recipients could use their funding to pay for religious or private school tuition, homeschooling costs, tutoring and special education therapies, books, computers and other expenses connected to enrollment or attendance, according to officials at the Treasury Department.

At least 30 states have opted in, and more may sign up

States could not turn to laws or regulations to narrow the uses for the scholarships or the type of organization that can grant them, federal officials said.

But states can choose whether to participate in the program.

According to the most recent Treasury Department list, as of mid-September these states are in for 2027: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Governors from Arizona, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Oregon have said their states will not join, with some arguing these programs divert resources from public schools.

More than two dozen states have yet to say what they will do. In New York, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul has been supportive, and the state is expected to sign up.

Governors deciding whether to participate face many competing objectives and interests. There is the opportunity to bring significant new education money to students who need extra support, such as tutoring or extra speech therapy that their public school does not provide. At the same time, large scholarship programs in states such as Florida and Arizona have accelerated a growing enrollment crisis in public schools.

Even so, the federal program is expected to bring taxpayer money for private school tuition to several states that have yet to embrace vouchers or education savings accounts.

Education advocates disagree on whether states should participate

In Massachusetts — a state with historically robust public school funding, caps on charter school expansion and no taxpayer funding for private school tuition — education advocates on both sides are lobbying the governor to take a stand and pushing the public to register their opinion.

The state’s association of school superintendents opposes the idea that districts should take advantage of the program by creating their own nonprofits to accept donations and distribute scholarships. Many big city school districts around the country already have their own foundations. In Massachusetts, where every municipality has its own district, the majority of the more than 300 school systems have no such entity.

“Districts face a significant disadvantage compared to the private school networks that already have elaborate fundraising and scholarship infrastructure in place,” reads the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents’ position paper. The group said requiring families to apply for scholarships and, in many cases, prove income eligibility were “bureaucratic hurdles that will certainly leave behind our most vulnerable families.”

On the other side, former Boston City Councilor and former public schoolteacher Annissa Essaibi George has argued Boston Public Schools faces severe budget shortfalls and needs new streams of income.

And besides, she argued in an op-ed published in a neighborhood newspaper: “Massachusetts taxpayers will be eligible to take advantage of this program whether the governor opts in or not. The only question is whether those dollars come back to Massachusetts children, or instead flow to students in states that moved faster.”

In just a few years, after donations from taxpayers pick up, the IRS and the Treasury Department predict the program will direct nearly $26 billion into as many 2.2 million scholarships each year.

The federal tax-credit scholarship program was signed into law last year by President Donald Trump as part of his signature tax breaks and spending cuts bill. The public has 60 days to comment on the Treasury Department's proposed regulations.

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Henry Mack (@HenmackIII) September 30, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

“What Ken is doing is monumental,” Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon, whose district covers Wynwood, said in a statement to Local 10. “$2 billion to establish Carnegie Mellon University Miami is another powerful affirmation of Miami’s continued growth as a center for education, innovation and opportunity. As more world-class universities choose to join our community, it proves that we’re doing something right.

“Investments like this should help connect our residents, particularly our young people, to education, research, careers and the economic opportunities being created around them. We welcome Carnegie Mellon to Miami and look forward to the lasting impact this institution can have on generations to come.”

A new campus in Wynwood

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Griffin: Miami campus is a ‘generational opportunity’

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

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

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

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

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

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

The demonstrations erupted in Paris-region schools last week and have snowballed, with police making hundreds of arrests in clashes with the young protesters. Authorities have reported many dozens of injuries, including from hurled objects but also, in some suspected cases, from police riot-control projectiles.

The protests are quickly blowing up as a hot topic in the election campaign to replace President Emmanuel Macron, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third consecutive term next May. They are also heightening pressure on the government beset by France's growing financial problems, and overshadowing the release on Thursday of its proposed cost-cutting budget for 2027.

At a Paris high school where students barricaded an entrance, 18-year-old Salama Gargouri said protesters want to target “overloaded schedules, the system, the teachers, people who don’t listen to us, the university application process.”

High school students in France often start classes at 8 a.m. and remain at school until late afternoon.

“Older people say, ‘Kids, go to school from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day.’ But you don’t know what that does mentally,” said Janna Tahari, another Paris high school student.

Arson, thrown projectiles and other violence on the margins of some protests have caused mounting injuries and recriminations. The interior minister has issued orders for police to break up blockades that prevent pupils from attending classes and to put a stop to violence and vandalism.

Juliette Estiville, a high school Spanish teacher, said that the repression of the protests led her to join the students.

“So, I’m here just to provide protection, to form a barrier between the police and the students,” she said. “And indeed, today went well, it’s going well, but I really think that the teachers who come to the blockades are really just there to protect our young people.”

Education Minister Edouard Geffray said Thursday's violence included a school set on fire and staff doused with gasoline. He said he issued instructions that classes be held remotely when blockades or damage to schools put students at risk.

"Violence will not deprive our students of their fundamental right to education,” Geffray said in a post on X.

Far-left presidential hopeful Jean-Luc Mélenchon has denounced the government response as repressive. His critics have accused Mélenchon's party of inciting violence and using the unrest to score points ahead of the presidential election.

The office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said he asked ministers to cancel any planned official trips in the coming days, to enable authorities and police to focus on dealing with the demonstrations.

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Samuel Petrequin in Paris contributed to this report

Is he done with Portugal? Or will he make peace with his coach and be back for the next international break?

There were few answers on Thursday, a day after the all-time leading scorer in men's international soccer decided to walk out on Portugal’s training camp in a decision announced a few hours after Jesus said the star forward would not start the game against Denmark in the Nations League.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo, who played in his sixth World Cup this year, only said that in due course he would “tell the Portuguese people the truth about the reasons” behind his departure.

The federation also gave few details, saying only that Ronaldo left the training camp and the rest of the team would remain focused on Thursday's game against Denmark.

There was already a new holder of Ronaldo’s famous No. 7 jersey, with Rafael Leão set to wear it on Thursday. Because of UEFA rules, Portugal had to assign the number to another player after Ronaldo left the roster. Other players have worn the No. 7 in Ronaldo's absence in the past.

In Portugal, the news of Ronaldo's departure fueled speculation that the country's biggest sporting star, who had already hinted that this is his last season in soccer, would not play again for the national team.

“Is this the end?” read Thursday's front-page headline of the JM newspaper based in Ronaldo's native Madeira.

“A sad farewell,” the Portuguese sports paper A Bola said.

“CR7 turns his back on the national team,” read the headline on the O Jogo newspaper.

Portuguese media also reported that Portugal Prime Minister Luís Montenegro got involved in the situation, having talked individually to Ronaldo, Jesus and soccer federation president Pedro Proença.

Possible suspension for Ronaldo?

Regardless of Ronaldo's and the federation's decisions going forward, the star player could possibly face a harsh punishment for leaving the training camp.

The federation's disciplinary regulations say that any player who “abandons or fails to appear” without justification at a training session, match or activity of the national teams, or any activity related to representing the federation, “shall be sanctioned with a suspension of one to six months,” in addition to a fine.

It says the “absence or abandonment shall result in the player’s automatic preventive suspension.”

Ronaldo did tell the federation that he was leaving, but it wasn't clear whether the decision would be considered justified in accordance with the federation's regulations.

Neither the federation nor Ronaldo's representatives immediately responded to requests for comment by The Associated Press on Thursday.

Next steps for the Portugal star

Ronaldo reportedly traveled to Madrid, his home for many years while playing for Real Madrid and where he usually stays when not playing with Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

His social media post offered few hints about what's next.

“Following the national team coach’s news conference, and after a conversation with the president of the Portuguese football federation, I decided to leave the national team’s training camp,” Ronaldo said.

He ended his message by saying that “now is the time to wish good luck to Portugal and to all my teammates.”

Many had been expecting Ronaldo to retire from the national team after the World Cup. And while confirmed he wouldn't appear at another World Cup, he vowed to continue playing and pursuing the milestone of 1,000 career goals. He currently stands at 979, with an international men's record of 146 goals coming for Portugal.

Ronaldo recently said that this Saudi Pro League season is likely to be the last of his professional career. Al-Nassr’s next match is Oct. 9.

Coach dismisses talk of a feud with Ronaldo

Jesus, who coached Ronaldo at Al-Nassr last season when they won the Saudi Arabian league title together, took over from Roberto Martínez after Portugal's round-of-16 elimination at the World Cup. He said Wednesday in the pre-game news conference that he was not planning to start Ronaldo in the Nations League match against Denmark. But he dismissed the notion there was a feud between him and Ronaldo, and said the player told him that he would accept any decision he would make.

“It seems like there was an issue between us, but there was no issue,” Jesus said before Ronaldo announced his decision to leave.

Ronaldo didn't play Sunday in Portugal’s 2-1 win over Norway. He hadn't trained with the rest of the group since, sparking widespread rumors about a possible spat with Jesus. The coach said Ronaldo would practice normally on Wednesday, but he ended up deciding to leave.

Jesus acknowledged that someone with the stature of Ronaldo deserved a different type of attention from coaches, but emphasized that the “rules are the same for everyone.”

Jesus admitted that he told Ronaldo that he would play at least a few minutes against Norway, but changed his mind because of the game's circumstances. He said he's the one making the team choices and "no player will ever make a decision for me.”

He said it was a mistake to send Ronaldo to warm up for as long as he did, and then not use him against Norway. Jesus added that “any player” would be upset about that.

Ronaldo started in Portugal’s 1-0 win over Wales last Thursday but was substituted in the 67th minute. On Tuesday, he posted on Instagram a photo of him wearing the kit accompanied by the country’s flag and a heart emoji.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

She got neither.

Wang Xiyu of China defeated Eala 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 in the semifinals on Thursday to set up a final against fellow Chinese Zhang Shuai. Zhang defeated Yuliya Putintseva of Kazakhstan 6-4, 6-2.

In addition to the loss, Eala could still face a $10,000 fine for withdrawing from the China Open in Beijing — a mandatory WTA 1000-level event — to represent the Philippines at the Asian Games.

“Yeah, of course — disappointed,” Eala said. "It’s hard right after the match. I will have to process the emotions and process the match.”

Eala led 5-0 in the first set, but Wang closed to 5-3 and seemed to gain an edge before Eala took the set.

“I think it happened — momentum shift happened,” Eala said. "Everyone’s constantly trying to find a way. So I think she played really well today.”

The 21-year-old described losing to the 85th-ranked Wang as a learning moment. Eala is ranked 18th and is one of the rising stars in the game.

“I just think I take away a great experience," Eala said ”Of course, some lessons that I have to process."

Eala defeated Wang 6-4, 6-3 on clay five months ago at the Italian Open, their only previous meeting.

It was different this time on a hard surface.

Both Eala and the other semifinal loser, Putintseva, were awarded bronze medals.

“First of all, I believed in myself and believed that I could do it,” the 25-year-old Wang said. "Step by step, I was able to beat her.”

In the final Wang faces Zhang, who is 37 and has been a mentor to many younger Chinese players. She has won two Grand Slam doubles titles and could land a berth in the Olympics by beating her younger student.

“Of course, this is definitely one of my motivations,” Wang said of the Olympics. “But I hope I can focus on every single point — every single strike of the ball.”

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SNTV video journalist Nicky Zhu contributed to this report.

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See full AP coverage of Asian sports here

The Labor Department said Thursday that initial jobless claims ticked down to 197,000 from a revised 198,000 the week before. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, dropped by 2,500 to 200,000.

Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them because they can be a sign of where the job market is headed. So far this year, claims have mostly stayed below 220,000 — historically low.

The American job market has remained sturdy despite higher energy prices that have squeezed businesses and consumers since the fighting with Iran began Feb. 28.

Layoffs are low. Businesses, remembering the labor shortages that followed the end of pandemic lockdowns, are reluctant to let go of staff. They’re hiring — but modestly by the standards of recent years.

So far this year, employers — companies, government agencies and nonprofits — have been adding an average of 80,000 jobs a month, including a surprising 162,000 in August. That is an improvement on a lackluster 2025 when monthly job creation averaged 9,700 as high interest rates and President Donald Trump’s unpredictable trade policies discouraged hiring.

The Labor Department will release the jobs report for September next week. It’s expected to show that employers added 90,000 jobs and that the unemployment rate remained low at 4.1%, according to a survey of forecasters by the data firm FactSet.

Hiring remains well below the 166,000 monthly jobs created, on average, in 2023 and 2024, and the 491,000 a month recorded during the 2021-2022 hiring boom that followed COVID-19 lockdowns.

Trump’s travel to Texas, followed by Oklahoma, kicks off what the president said will be a 32-day campaign blitz leading up to Nov. 3. Republicans in Texas are spending heavily to try to bolster state Attorney General Ken Paxton in a competitive Senate race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. In Oklahoma, Trump will campaign with Republican Mike Mazzei, who is running against Democratic state House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson in the race for governor.

Trump’s immigration policies, meanwhile, are finding renewed attention in the Supreme Court, which agreed Thursday to review his administration’s denial of bond hearings for immigrants during its sweeping crackdown. The justices will consider whether immigrants who have been living in the U.S. have a right to a hearing to determine if they should remain detained while challenging their possible deportation.

The Latest:

Trump boosts Paxton, who’s running against Talarico for US Senate in Texas

“I didn’t even know he was here,” Trump said on stage in Denton, Texas, referring to Paxton, the state’s attorney general. “The guy is the greatest attorney general in the United States of America.”

Paxton, whose candidacy is weighed down by past scandals, is in a competitive race against Talarico, even in Republican-dominated Texas. Trump appeared aware.

“We need Ken so badly and that’s why I’m here,” he said, standing in the Peterbilt Motors’ factory he was visiting to talk about American manufacturing. “I want to also say you build a nice truck.”

Trump begins speaking at Texas Peterbilt Motors’ factory

The president is visiting Denton, Texas, to pump up American manufacturing at the factory along with Republican midterm candidates.

Dennis Rodman spotted during Trump’s visit to Texas truck facility

As the president chatted and took pictures with workers at the facility, spotted nearby were various administration officials and the former NBA star.

Rodman, wearing sparkly black pants, did not offer any public comment. He made several high-profile visits to North Korea between 2013 and 2017 and developed a friendship with North Korea leader Kim Jong Un.

Trump was asked by reporters traveling with him why Rodman was there and if Rodman was trying to broker a peace deal with North Korea. Trump replied: “I can tell you this, we have a good relationship.”

He added, “As long as I’m here, you are not going to have any problems.”

State Department waives human rights restrictions on Egypt military aid and will release funds

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has waived a restriction on $320 million in military aid to Egypt that had been previously withheld over human rights concerns, citing Egypt’s help in dealing with Iran since the conflict began earlier this year.

The State Department said Thursday that Rubio signed off on the waiver “In the interest of U.S. national security.”

’The Secretary’s determination reflects the importance of Egypt to U.S. national security interests, and the concrete security cooperation Egypt provides to the United States,” the department said.

Granting a waiver to Egypt, which receives $1.3 billion in economic and military assistance from the United States annually, for the congressionally mandated human rights requirement has become routine for both Republican and Democratic administrations. The Biden administration, for example, last issued a waiver in September 2024, citing Egypt’s assistance in U.S. efforts to bring an end to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Hearing in White House media ban case set for Oct. 8

A federal judge who temporarily blocked the White House from banning three news outlets has scheduled a hearing next week for arguments on whether to extend the order while the case plays out.

In September, Trump abruptly banished CNN, MS NOW and Politico. CNN has also been removed twice in the last week as the network television outlet in the White House press pool. In solidarity, no other network television outlet filled the vacancy.

Last week, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a two-week temporary restraining order on Trump’s ban on the three organizations, which ordered their access restored. It expires on Oct. 8, which is when the hearing is scheduled.

Trump touches down in Texas

The president landed in Texas ahead of his visit to cut the ribbon on a new truck factory in Denton.

Trump spoke briefly to reporters, flanked by Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and Republican members of Congress from the state.

Asked about predictions that Republicans could lose control of Congress after November, Trump said his administration needed to better tout its accomplishments. He added that pollsters “didn’t know I was going to go campaigning all over the country, and I am.”

Trump has promised to travel to battleground states. But, so far, he’s concentrated on deeply red areas. After Texas, Trump was heading to Oklahoma later Thursday and planned to hit solidly Republican Alabama.

“I’m really doing it to say thank you,” Trump said of support for him in GOP-controlled areas.

Democrats want to penalize the White House for using taxpayer funds on Trump’s ads

The bill proposed by Sen. Patty Murray of Washington would reduce funding for the White House’s Office of Management and Budget by $20 million every time the administration violates a longstanding law that prevents the use of federal funds on “propaganda.”

“If the president is going to defy federal law to run propaganda celebrating himself—and his budget director is going to allow it—there must be consequences,” said Murray, the top Democrat on the Appropriations Committee.

The legislation backed by other Democrats on the committee comes after the administration tapped $20 million in Homeland Security funds to pay for the campaign-style ads glorifying Trump ahead of the midterm elections.

Pentagon doubles troop combat pay

The Pentagon says it is doubling the monthly bonus awarded to troops for serving in combat areas.

In a statement released Thursday, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that the Pentagon is increasing “hostile fire pay” from $225 per month to $450. The bonus is awarded to compensate troops who are facing enemy fire.

The Pentagon is also slightly increasing its “imminent danger pay” — a broader benefit that does not require a servicemember be under close to or facing enemy fire — from $225 per month to $275.

The statement noted that they are making the change to better reflect “the differences between serving in an area where danger is possible and facing hostile fire.”

States, cities sue Trump administration over repeal of rule that limits power plant pollution

States and cities are suing the Trump administration for repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from coal and natural gas power plants.

Twenty-one states, led by New York, challenged the Environmental Protection Agency’s power plant rule repeal Thursday. They were joined by Pennsylvania’s governor, the District of Columbia, New York City, Chicago and the city and county of Denver.

New York Attorney General Letitia James said the federal government is showing “callous disregard” for Americans’ health and the environment.

The EPA says it doesn’t comment on pending litigation. But the agency said last month in announcing the repeal that it would save the industry more than $300 billion in costs and help “unleash” American energy.

Panel OKs final design plans for White House screening facility

The National Capitol Planning Commission on Thursday approved the proposal Thursday after brief discussion of the underground facility to screen visitors.

The project got preliminary approval earlier this year from the federal commission that approves construction on federal land in Washington. The center beneath Sherman Park, which is located southeast of the White House and directly south of the Treasury building, marks the latest step in the Trump administration’s plan to overhaul the grounds.

An architect said Thursday some of the design had been tweaked to match plans for the massive White House ballroom currently under construction where the East Wing used to stand.

Governors to decide whether to join national scholarship program

More than two dozen undecided governors may soon say whether their states will participate in a new national scholarship for education expenses including private school tuition.

Many governors were waiting for the proposed rules released today by the Treasury Department for the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit to decide whether to sign up for the program launching January 1.

The federal program is expected to bring taxpayer money for private school tuition to several states that have yet to embrace vouchers or education savings accounts.

Treasury officials predict the program will direct nearly $26 billion into as many 2.2 million scholarships each year by 2030.

ICE tells officers to make traffic stops only if they have training

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers have been ordered not to engage in high-speed car chases and to make vehicle stops only if they have completed specific training, under new internal guidance issued after several drivers were shot in encounters with ICE.

A memo sent to officers in ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division and obtained by The Associated Press warned they are not authorized to chase vehicles that fail to pull over under any circumstances. Instead, officers should take down the vehicles’ information for further investigation, according to the memo signed by ICE’s executive associate director Marcos D. Charles and dated Wednesday.

The new guidance comes after ICE-initiated vehicle stops have repeatedly escalated when drivers have refused to cooperate or tried to flee. ICE agents have fired their guns during more than a dozen such encounters since last year, killing at least four people and wounding several others.

By Ryan J. Foley

White House removes CNN from Thursday’s pool coverage

The White House removed CNN from serving as the primary television outlet covering the president on Thursday, the latest action by the Trump administration to enforce a media ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico.

In solidarity, no other network television outlet filled the vacancy in Thursday’s White House pool. Thursday marked the second time in the last week that CNN has been prevented from participating in its White House pool duties.

In September, President Donald Trump abruptly banished CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House grounds. A judge issued a temporary ruling against the administration, ordering that the outlets be allowed at the White House. The administration has asked that the action be blocked until the case is resolved.

On Thursday, Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., attorney for the three outlets, reiterated his earlier statement.

“The White House is persisting in arbitrarily, unpredictably and inconsistently implementing the President’s unconstitutional ‘ban on the free press,’” Boutrous said.

Pentagon official tells senator the military has no plans to send troops to the polls

A high-ranking Pentagon official has told Democratic Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin that the military has no plans to send troops to the polls during November’s midterm elections, addressing concerns from Democrats that the Trump administration could use the military to interfere with the vote.

Wednesday’s letter to Slotkin came from Mark Ditlevson, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense. He said no plans exist to interfere with ballots or voting machines.

“The Department of War’s role in election security is limited, lawful, and strictly supportive of civil authorities,” he wrote. “Election administration and security remain the fundamental responsibility of state and local officials.”

Slotkin had asked both Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to confirm they won’t send troops to polling places. Caine had responded by Slotkin’s late August deadline, stating the military had no plans to do so.

New federal scholarship coming soon for private school and homeschooling

Nearly all schoolchildren in at least 30 states can apply for a new federal scholarship next year to help pay for private school, homeschooling and other educational expenses, according to regulations proposed Thursday by the Trump administration.

The first national school choice scholarship program, the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, will launch Jan. 1, establishing a taxpayer-funded incentive for families to choose private or homeschooling in participating states.

Taxpayers who donate to an organization passing out the scholarships will receive a federal tax credit, a perk expected to further fuel the conservative school choice movement.

About 96% of children in those states should be eligible, according to the department. Children attending public schools could use the scholarships for extra learning expenses.

Rubio to visit NATO allies Iceland, Greece and Portugal next week

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to NATO allies Iceland, Greece and Portugal next week for talks on defense cooperation, trade and energy security.

The State Department said Thursday that Rubio would visit Reykjavík, Athens, and Lisbon from Oct. 5-8 as the Trump administration continues to press for NATO members to boost their defense spending.

Iceland is a key member of an Arctic bloc of nations and is seen by the U.S. as critical to ensuring the high North region remains free of unwanted Russian and Chinese interference. Iceland recently took umbrage when President Trump posted a map on social media depicting the island covered with the U.S. flag, prompting concerns that his designs on Greenland had been expanded.

In Greece, the department said Rubio will be focused on trade and energy, as Greece is seen as a pivotal transit point for U.S. liquified natural gas shipments that the administration hopes to sell throughout Europe.

In Portugal, Rubio will concentrate on economic, and technology cooperation, the department said.

President Trump says Iran may be linked to the FlyDubai co-pilot who tried to crash an Israel-bound plane

The president was asked by reporters at the White House on Thursday whether he’d been briefed about any links between the pilot behind the attack and Tehran, and he said “We’re working on it right now.”

“I would say the answer, based on what I’m hearing, is yes, but we’re working on it right now,” Trump said. He did not offer details.

When asked if the U.S. would retaliate against Tehran if it was behind the attack, Trump said, “Oh they’ll be hit, very hard, don’t worry.”

“You just ask them,” he added. “They know what happened. They’ll be hit very hard.”

Trump gives himself an A+ despite dismal polling numbers

“I give us an A-plus on the government, on economics, on everything,” Trump told reporters Thursday at the White House. He claimed that inflation levels are now “really good” and predicted oil prices will fall soon.

A new AP-NORC poll finds that Americans are far less satisfied, with just 26% approving his handling of the overall economy, a new low. A majority of U.S. adults blamed Trump’s policies for high costs.

Trump gave himself high marks after being asked about recent complaints that his successes aren’t getting enough attention.

Trump has expressed frustration about messaging ahead of November’s midterm elections, saying on Wednesday that “we’re doing an extremely poor job of promotion and an extremely great job of running the country.”

Trump hosts Thune at the White House

Just before departing for Oklahoma and Texas on Thursday, the president met privately with Senate Majority Leader John Thune at the White House.

The meeting was confirmed by a person with knowledge of it, granted anonymity to discuss a private meeting.

Thune has sometimes been a foil for the president, especially as the longtime senator resists changes that Trump wants to make to how the Senate operates. But the two men talk regularly and both are campaigning aggressive for the GOP ahead of the Nov. 3 midterms.

By Seung Min Kim

Trump suggests Iran war ‘should help’ GOP in the midterms -- but says it is possible it hurts

Asked if the increasingly unpopular war would threaten his party’s chances in November, Trump at first responded, “It’s possible.” But then he added, “It should help, because Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.”

The president said “100 percent of the people” oppose Iran having nuclear attack capabilities “including worldwide.”

“So, when you say it that way, It would help,” Trump added. “If you don’t say that, it could hurt.”

US could have 3 carriers in the Mideast soon, official says

A group of ships that together carry over 7,000 sailors and 2,000 Marines are heading to the Middle East, a U.S. official said.

That includes the recently deployed USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and the USS Makin Island amphibious readiness group. It could mean three carriers are in the region as early as the end of October, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.

That would be an unusually high U.S. naval presence of more than 20,000 sailors and Marines and hundreds of aircraft. It comes as the war with Iran stretches past seven months. The Navy previously had three carriers in the Middle East in April -- the first time since 2003.

The USS George H.W. Bush and the USS George Washington are there now, along with the USS Boxer amphibious readiness group. The Pacific-based Washington had moved to the Middle East to relieve the long-deployed USS Abraham Lincoln.

By Konstantin Toropin

Trump is headed to Oklahoma to ‘thank’ voters

The president’s travel schedule in the coming days has been a bit of a curiosity: Why is he spending his time in deep red territory that should be easy political ground for Republicans?

Trump’s answer: He wants to thank the voters of Oklahoma for supporting him overwhelmingly in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 elections.

“I’ve won 87 out of 87 counties,” Trump said, inaccurately stating the number of counties in Oklahoma. He continued: “They’ve been just an unbelievable state.”

He insisted that “you have to give back, too” when a state supports someone in such large margins. Trump also noted that Oklahoma has a key governor’s race this year, and later got the number of counties in the state correct.

US takes aim at Iran’s automotive and rail industry in latest effort to get Tehran to capitulate

The Trump administration on Thursday targeted the remaining sector of Iran’s already heavily-sanctioned industrial infrastructure, singling out entities based in Indonesia, the UAE and Germany.

Among those sanctioned are two of Iran’s largest auto manufacturers, Iran Khodro Company and SAIPA Iranian Automobile Manufacturing Company, as well as several foreign auto industry supply providers and overseas companies in China and Germany that provide the country with source materials like mining and metals.

The actions by the U.S. Treasury come as Trump officials are touting the latest number coming out of Tehran this week, showing its currency falling to new record lows.

The administration credits the continued erosion of the Iranian economy to its months-long economic campaign and has no plans to cease the financial penalties anytime soon even as negotiations between the two countries have restarted.

Todos los carriles en dirección este del Dolphin Expressway cerrarán en la Northwest 17th Avenue a partir de las 10 p.m. del viernes, y se espera que permanezcan cerrados hasta las 10 a.m. del sábado.

El cierre permitirá a los trabajadores colocar de forma segura una estructura de acero de refuerzo para un soporte de puente sobre la autopista.

Los conductores que viajen hacia el este deberán salir en la Northwest 17th Avenue y seguir hacia el sur, cruzando la Northwest Seventh Street. Desde ahí, pueden girar a la izquierda en la Southwest First Street, avanzar hacia el este y girar a la derecha en South Miami Avenue para tomar las rampas de acceso a la Interestatal 95 en dirección norte o sur.

Quienes se dirijan a Biscayne Boulevard o al MacArthur Causeway pueden seguir por la Southwest First Street, girar a la izquierda en Biscayne Boulevard y tomar la rampa de entrada al MacArthur Causeway en la Northeast 11th Terrace.

Los conductores que circulen por la Northwest 12th Avenue y quieran llegar al Dolphin Expressway en dirección este, la I-95, Biscayne Boulevard o el MacArthur Causeway pueden seguir hacia el sur por la Northwest 12th Avenue, girar a la izquierda en la Southwest First Street y seguir los desvíos señalizados.

También cerrarán los carriles hacia el oeste

El tráfico en dirección oeste de la SR 836 también se verá afectado el viernes por la noche.

Dos carriles en dirección oeste cerrarán a partir de las 10 p.m., y a las 11 p.m. se cerrarán por completo todos los carriles en esa dirección entre la Northwest 12th Avenue y la Northwest 17th Avenue.

Está previsto que este cierre se mantenga hasta las 8 a.m. del sábado.

Los conductores serán desviados por la rampa de salida de la Northwest 12th Avenue, donde deberán girar a la izquierda. Luego pueden girar a la derecha en la Northwest Seventh Street y nuevamente a la derecha en la Northwest 17th Avenue, para seguir hacia el norte y volver a tomar el Dolphin Expressway en dirección oeste.

Cambio temporal en el horario de los puentes levadizos

Las obras también obligarán a modificar temporalmente el horario de funcionamiento de los puentes de la Southwest First Street y de West Flagler Street sobre el río Miami.

El sábado, de 6 a.m. a 10 a.m., ambos puentes se abrirán a la hora en punto y a la media hora.

Fuera de ese periodo de cuatro horas, los puentes funcionarán con su horario habitual.

Las embarcaciones públicas de Estados Unidos, los remolcadores, solos o con remolque, y las embarcaciones en peligro podrán pasar en cualquier momento.

El cambio temporal en el horario de los puentes se hace para apoyar el cierre del Dolphin Expressway. La Guardia Costera de EE.UU. también anunciará el cambio a través de sus avisos a los navegantes.

Según el Departamento de Transporte de Florida, las obras forman parte del proyecto de diseño y construcción I-395/SR 836/I-95, que busca aumentar la capacidad, mejorar el flujo del tráfico y la seguridad, y facilitar el acceso a lo largo de las tres autopistas.

Un video obtenido en exclusiva por Local 10 News muestra a agentes de la policía de North Miami Beach entrando a un apartamento y encontrando a cuatro niños solos en casa mientras su madre estaba en un crucero de tres días a las Bahamas, según los investigadores.

Nathalie Belizaire, de 29 años, fue arrestada el lunes al regresar a PortMiami de un crucero a las Bahamas. Según los registros de la cárcel, enfrenta cuatro cargos de negligencia infantil sin daño corporal grave.

Al salir de la cárcel el martes por la noche, Belizaire dijo a los periodistas que había hecho arreglos para que alguien cuidara a los niños. También acusó al padre de su hija menor de haberle tendido una trampa.

El padre, quien habló con Local 10 News por teléfono a través de un traductor, dio una versión distinta.

Dijo que Belizaire se comunicó con él el jueves para preguntarle si podía cuidar a la hija de ambos, de 2 meses. Según él, le respondió que no podía y entendió que ella pensaba pedirle a su madre que cuidara a los niños.

Según la policía, los niños son de padres distintos.

El padre contó que después se comunicó con la abuela y supo que ella no tenía a los niños. Entonces fue al apartamento de la familia, en la zona del Northeast 15th Avenue y la 170th Street.

Dijo que no tenía llave, pero podía ver a los niños dentro del apartamento. Un video que entregó a Local 10 News muestra a los niños, aparentemente, viendo televisión adentro.

Preocupado por su bebé, llamó a la policía.

La policía de North Miami Beach indicó que los agentes acudieron el sábado y entraron a la fuerza al apartamento. Según el informe de arresto, encontraron adentro a cuatro niños, entre ellos la bebé de 2 meses, y algunos estaban “escondidos” en un baño.

La policía dijo que Belizaire se había ido el viernes y tenía previsto regresar el lunes.

Según las autoridades, la madre viajaba a bordo del Carnival Conquest, un crucero que zarpó de Miami rumbo a las Bahamas. Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade la esperaron en PortMiami cuando el barco regresó el lunes, según el informe de arresto.

La Oficina de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de EE.UU. retuvo a Belizaire antes de que la policía de North Miami Beach la arrestara, según el informe.

El defensor público de Belizaire le dijo el martes a una jueza que su clienta niega las acusaciones.

Durante una audiencia, la jueza de circuito de Miami-Dade Mindy Glazer cuestionó por qué los cuatro niños habían quedado solos.

“Los pobres niños estaban solos en casa”, dijo Glazer.

Glazer emitió cuatro órdenes de alejamiento y fijó la fianza de Belizaire en $10,000. Según los registros de la cárcel del condado Miami-Dade, fue procesada el lunes en el centro correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

El padre dijo que no tenía intención de tenderle una trampa a Belizaire y que llamó a la policía porque estaba preocupado por su hija.

Añadió que no sabía quién estaba cuidando a los otros niños después de enterarse de que no estaban con su abuela.

Desde entonces, el caso se ha difundido ampliamente en redes sociales, con preguntas sobre las circunstancias de la llamada a la policía y sobre la afirmación de Belizaire de que alguien debía estar cuidando a los niños.

Local 10 News intentó comunicarse el miércoles con Belizaire para obtener sus comentarios, pero ella se negó a hablar.

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

Weinberg, the incumbent, is serving his first four-year term. He faces challenger Zaltzberg in November. Municipal elections in Aventura are non-partisan.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Election Day is Nov. 3.

Correction: An earlier version of this article and video erroneously referred to Weinberg as a Democrat and Zaltzberg as a Republican. We apologize for this error.

Experts say they’re increasingly seeing people use the plans for everyday expenses like groceries, bills, transportation and, sometimes rent.

“It has been very hard out there for a lot of people," said Sara Rathner, NerdWallet’s credit card expert. “It’s a tough job market, and it’s a rough economy, and the cost of the things that we buy every day has been going up, in some cases more than people’s incomes.”

Pay-in-four plans, which generally allow consumers to pay for purchases in four installments over six weeks, accounted for about half of the $160 billion in buy now, pay later spending last year, according to the study. Use of those plans has increased nearly 80% since 2023.

The rest of the plans were either longer- or shorter-term loans.

How consumers are using buy now pay later

When Elizabeth Brown first used buy now, pay later, she had just started living by herself and was earning a salary that made it hard to afford basic expenses. She would buy groceries and, once she got her paycheck, pay for them through buy now, pay later. Six years later, things haven’t changed much.

“I used buy now, pay later so I can have the furniture I need. I have groceries in my fridge because of it. I don’t necessarily feel shameful for using it because at the end it’s very beneficial to me at this point of my life,” said Brown, 26, of Columbia, South Carolina, who works as a clinical service member at an optical store.

Buy now, pay later products have evolved. Rent now, pay later services are one form, which break rent into multiple payments.

“It isn’t really just a convenience element anymore; it really is becoming a cash flow challenge,” said Mark Elliott, chief customer officer at Happen Bank, a financial services company formerly known as Lending Club.

Jordan Williams, 28, first used buy now, pay later to get concert tickets to Hozier. Then, when she experienced financial hardship after her daughter was born, she started leaning on it to pay for some of her groceries.

“There’s just not a lot of resources, and that makes me angry because this shouldn’t be something I have to do," said Williams, a lecturer and content creator from Greensboro, North Carolina. "We should be able to just afford groceries. I feel angry and then I feel embarrassed.”

For a long time, Williams felt ashamed about having to use buy now, pay later for basic expenses. She now feels less alone after talking with other people who also have debt.

If you're going to use buy now, pay later plans, here are some expert recommendations:

Read the fine print

The most well-known buy now, pay later product is pay-in-four, where you can pay back what you owe in four payments, one every two weeks, with a 0% annual percentage rate, or APR. However, not every buy now, pay later loan has the same terms. Before you commit to buying something using buy now, pay later, Ed deHaan, a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, recommends that you read your contract carefully.

“So-called buy now, pay later products are popping up that are not good deals at all," deHaan said. "Some of them charge hefty fees, both upfront and if you miss a payment."

In general, if you miss a buy now, pay later payment, you can face fees, interest or the possibility of being banned from using the services in the future.

Know how it impacts your credit score

In the past, buy now, pay later loans didn’t impact your credit score, but that has changed. Buy now, pay later agencies now report credit lending activity to one of the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

“Entering into a buy now, pay later plan for now isn’t going to affect your credit in any way, but missing a payment can, so that’s where you really want to be careful,” Rathner said.

Credit reporting depends on the company and its policies. For example, both Affirm and Klarna report to Experian and TransUnion. Afterpay does not report to any credit bureau.

Only borrow what you can pay back

Before purchasing something with buy now, pay later, deHaan recommends pausing to consider whether it’s an amount you can pay back.

“The general advice for credit is that it's very easy to spend and hard to pay off," deHaan said. “And most of us, many of us, are not good at making good predictions about what we will be able to pay in the future.”

When using buy now, pay later, Brown set herself a limit of $100 a month across payments, and she avoids signing up for payments every two weeks and instead chooses the monthly payment options.

Avoid stacking plans

As with credit cards, you can sign up for multiple buy now, pay later plans. These loans can quickly balloon until they become unmanageable. If you don’t want to risk snowballing into debt, avoid stacking buy-now, pay later loans, said Carla Sanchez-Adams, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center.

“Avoid multiple purchases because then it gets really hard to track, especially if they’re with different companies,” Sanchez-Adams said.

If you have to utilize multiple loans, make sure you keep track of the payment amounts and dates so you avoid late fees, she added.

Seek out additional resources

Looking into additional resources such as food banks, SNAP or hardship help programs in your area can be helpful, Rathner said.

“If you are stretched thin for affording food and going into debt to do so, it could be time to seek out additional help," she said. “So this is hopefully less of a struggle for you and your family while you’re going through this difficult time.”

Seek help from a nonprofit credit counseling agency

If you've reached a point where you have too many buy now, pay later loans and maybe some credit card debt too, it might be time to seek help from a credit counseling agency. Two well-known resources for finding nonprofit credit counseling agencies are the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and the Financial Counseling Association of America. Both can help you connect with certified agencies and counselors.

“You have financial stress, you have work stress, you have family stress," Rathner said. “Get help with the financial stress because that can help you feel more in control of this area of your life. And it can help take one step at a time toward paying down your debts and feeling more in control.”

——

The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

Democratic Majority for Israel is calling on the party to continue providing security and military assistance to the country while supporting a negotiated path to statehood for both Israelis and Palestinians and a future for Gaza that doesn't include Hamas.

It notably does not insist on unyielding support for Israel, acknowledging that “Israel’s security does not require support for every decision made by an Israeli government.” The document also calls on Israel to “act decisively against settler threats, intimidation, and violence.”

The framework is being released at a sensitive moment for Democrats following a primary season in which voters from New York to Michigan embraced candidates who backed positions including ending military aid to Israel. If Democrats retake control of the U.S. House or Senate in next month's elections, these candidates could play a significant role in shaping the debate over America's posture toward Israel.

The issue could also play a prominent role in the early stages of the next presidential campaign, which could begin shortly after the midterms.

Democratic Majority for Israel's chief executive, Brian Romick, said his goal is to provide a “helpful guide for our mainstream Democratic candidates on how to engage with a complicated issue.”

“It's important to remind Democrats and Americans that there's value in the U.S.-Israel relationship,” he said. “We thought it was important to kind of lay out a forward-looking vision.”

The question is whether such a framework will go very far in shaping the views of Democrats, who are increasingly skeptical of Israel.

About 58% of Democrats said the U.S. is “too supportive” of the Israelis, according to a June survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, up from 45% in January 2024. Roughly half of Democrats believe that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians during the war with Hamas, an accusation Israel rejects.

Former Obama administration chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who has argued Democrats need to return to the political center ahead of launching a potential presidential bid, went to Israel in July and delivered a blistering speech warning the country was at risk of becoming a “territorial pariah.” He specifically called out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has closely aligned himself with President Donald Trump, a Republican.

Emanuel, who's also a former congressman, Chicago mayor and U.S. ambassador, blamed Netanyahu for driving Israel to a “dead end,” emboldened by poor decisions from American leaders.

The framework from Democratic Majority for Israel takes a less strident view on Netanyahu, who faces another election this month. “Support for Israel,” the group argued, “transcends any one Israeli government.”

The group took a similarly long view on military and security assistance for Israel, arguing it shouldn't be stopped now even as it acknowledged the possibility of change in the future.

“Over time, and by mutual agreement, today’s partnership should be capable of evolving beyond the traditional assistance framework toward an increasingly reciprocal relationship centered on joint investment, innovation, and technological advantage,” the framework reads. “The objective should be to build the partnership both countries will need to confront the threats and seize the opportunities of the coming decades.”

In a statement, Emanuel said the framework “is right to put regional stability, Israel’s security, and Palestinian self-determination in the same conversation.”

“None succeeds on its own,” he said. “The next step is to make the Arab states full partners in building a credible path to Palestinian sovereignty and Israeli security — and to be clear that America’s support for Israel does not mean silence when its government makes choices that undermine both.”

Daniel Shapiro, the former U.S. ambassador to Israel under President Barack Obama, acknowledged “strong, passionate views” over the relationship between the two countries.

“Clearly, not everyone will agree with every aspect” of the framework, he said. “But I think there’s a lot there that many Democrats would find speaks to them.”

Trantalis discussed the measure Wednesday during Fort Lauderdale’s 2026 State of the City address at The Parker, where he also highlighted the city’s investments in public safety, infrastructure and quality of life.

According to the city, the proposed amendment would increase property tax exemptions and impose controls on local government spending.

The city said homesteaded homeowners would pay less in property taxes under the measure, while local governments would receive less revenue to pay for services.

Trantalis emphasized that the city is not advocating for or against the amendment, but said residents should understand what it could mean before casting their ballots.

“As mayor, it is not my role to tell you how to vote,” Trantalis said. “But I believe I have a duty to help educate the public and ensure you understand what is being proposed.”

The mayor encouraged residents to learn more about the amendment and its potential effects and to participate in the November election.

Trantalis highlights city investments

During his State of the City address, Trantalis also pointed to projects and services supported through Fort Lauderdale’s budget.

Over the past year, the city opened a new police headquarters, moved forward with major drainage projects, resurfaced more than 10 miles of roads and repaired or replaced more than 22 miles of sidewalks, according to the city.

Fort Lauderdale has also continued improvements to its parks, while the new Prospect Lake Clean Water Center is scheduled to officially open Oct. 15.

The city said it has expanded public safety initiatives and invested in affordable housing while continuing work related to homelessness, transportation and the protection of Fort Lauderdale’s waterways.

Fort Lauderdale also adopted a budget without raising its property tax rate for the 20th consecutive year, according to the city. The city said it continues to maintain a AAA bond rating and has established a new Emergency Reserve Fund and updated its Financial Integrity Principles.

“Our results are real and measurable,” Trantalis said. “We strengthened the foundations of our city with generational investments that will serve our residents for decades to come.”

Trantalis closed his address by emphasizing the long-term impact of decisions being made today.

“We have built a stronger foundation,” he said. “A foundation that is ready for whatever challenges lie ahead. A foundation that will support new opportunities, new ideas and new generations.”