U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. declined the plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the parcel exchange, saying they failed to prove it would worsen ecological risks to a Gulf Coast region already transformed by billionaire Elon Musk’s rocket operations.

In June, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved moving forward with the deal with SpaceX, which would surrender 683 acres (276 hectares) the company owns in exchange for the federal land in the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge. The 103,000-acre (41,700-hectare) refuge spans four counties along the Texas border and is home to animal habitats and historical landmarks.

Maps show the land SpaceX would acquire would be closer to the company's launchpad near the U.S.-Mexico border.

The swap amounts to a gift of public lands to SpaceX, “clearing the way for bulldozers to tear into this wildlife refuge as soon as next week and turn a public treasure into a private payday,” said Laiken Jordahl, a spokesperson with the Center for Biological Diversity, which filed the lawsuit alongside other opponents including tribal groups. Jordahl said Monday that the litigation will continue even as the exchange goes forward.

“This court order is not the final word. These lands hold incredible spiritual, historical and conservation value for the people and wildlife of South Texas. We won’t stop fighting to keep this irreplaceable public wildlife refuge safe from SpaceX bulldozers,” Jordahl said in a statement.

The lawsuit asks the federal court to halt the exchange, which has worried SpaceX opponents in the area who have long criticized the company's expanding footprint over lost access to beaches and concerns over exploding rockets.

The Fish and Wildlife Service didn’t respond to a request for comment on Monday’s decision. Previously, a spokesperson had said the agency does not comment on ongoing litigation.

The agency issued a final environmental assessment report in June that determined the exchange would cause no significant impact to the area. The report said the federal government believed the acquisition would represent a “net conservation benefit” and provide “substantial long-term conservation value and improving landscape-scale habitat connectivity across refuges in South Texas.”

The judge said that the plaintiffs offered “relatively weak” evidence of environmental harm.

“While they rightfully argue that the preservation of wildlife and historical lands furthers the public interest, they present no evidence demonstrating that the Property will suffer aesthetic, environmental, cultural, or historical degradation during the pendency of this lawsuit,” Rodriguez wrote in his ruling.

In addition, the judge said a preliminary injunction would result in modifications to SpaceX’s development plans, “placing additional hardship on the company’s ability to meet milestones and contractual obligations.”

SpaceX did not return an email seeking comment on the judge's ruling.

The space exploration company first broke ground in Texas more than a decade ago and has expanded rapidly, so much that SpaceX employees last year voted to incorporate their own local government called Starbase.

Tuesday will offer more of the same: soaking storms, particularly during the afternoon. Localized flooding will continue to be the main concern.

Temperatures are expected to be near seasonable, lows in the mid and upper 70s, highs in the upper 80s to 90°F.

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Ultimately Fay fell just short of the 74 mph hurricane threshold, topping out as a 70 mph tropical storm Sunday night before quickly crumbling to a curtain of wind shear early Monday.

Fay was poorly forecast or missed entirely by our major forecast models late last week. Models mostly keyed in on the disturbance designated Invest 98L over the central Atlantic last week – which we discussed in detail in this newsletter much of last week – while either downplaying or overlooking the potential development of the low-pressure system that became Fay southwest of the Azores.

The National Hurricane Center didn’t first include the disturbance in its outlook until Friday morning – only 24 hours before it formed – and with low odds that sharply rose during the day Friday.

Fay finds a window

Fay formed almost as far north and east as we’ve recorded an Atlantic named storm in September, in a part of the basin that’s historically hostile to tropical development this time of year.

But waters in the area where Fay formed are at record warmth for the time of year and, with a narrow window of light upper-level winds, Fay made the most of its short stint as a tropical system.

Forecast models historically struggle with initially non-tropical systems like Fay that form in the far corners of the North Atlantic and outside of the traditional tropical belt. Back in September 2012, the system that was forecast to top out as a 40 mph Tropical Storm Michael over the open middle Atlantic became 115 mph Category 3 major Hurricane Michael (different from 2018’s catastrophic Hurricane Michael that struck the Florida panhandle) less than three days later.

It’s a good reminder that while hurricane forecasts are one of the best success stories in all of predictive sciences, forecast models can still miss in dramatic fashion, especially for unconventional situations or during seasons that don’t behave like others in the historical record.

Upcoming nor’easter with a small chance of turning tropical

An area of low pressure that’s expected to develop along a stalled cold front over the western Atlantic later this week will drift westward toward the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S. as it strengthens into the weekend.

While the exact track of the low-pressure is still uncertain, the difference in high pressure over Central Canada and the intensifying low to the southeast over the western Atlantic will crank up winds and whip up seas along the Eastern Seaboard from the Outer Banks of North Carolina to New England from Thursday through Saturday. This could produce a prolonged nor’easter-like event for the region, with strong, gusty winds above 40 mph, multiple cycles of coastal flooding, coastal erosion, and periods of heavy rain depending on the eventual track of the low-pressure system.

For now, the system looks to stay non-tropical, but there’s a small chance (~20% chance) its core warms enough so that it transitions to a tropical system later this week into the weekend. Both the AI models and traditional, physics-based models agree on this low probability scenario so it’s something to follow. Regardless, it shouldn’t appreciably change the impacts expected for the coast later this week.

The annual high-level gathering at the U.N. General Assembly will also be consumed with major wars in Iran, Gaza, Ukraine,Sudan, Congo and Myanmar and a persisting question: Can the leaders do anything to end them?

And what can they do about the relentless rise of global warming threatening the future of the planet, the growing inequalities within and among nations, and shocks to the global economy as blocked shipping routes and supply chains increase the cost of living and slow growth?

The future of the United Nations will also definitely be on the agenda. At 81, its powers are still the victorious nations from World War II, not the 21st century’s major global players. The U.N.’s 193 member nations have agreed to a wide-ranging reform package that includes updating key institutions such as the powerful U.N. Security Council, where the U.S., Russia, China, Britain and France hold inordinate sway because of their veto power. Reform, however, is easier said than implemented.

Behind the scenes, there will be speculation about who will lead the United Nations next. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ second five-year term ends Dec. 31 and no clear successor has emerged.

This meeting is still pivotal

There is still no question that the U.N. remains THE gathering place for its 193 member nations and their leaders. Some 130 heads of state and government are expected to speak at the General Assembly starting Tuesday along with dozens of ministers.

Among the headliners will be U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emanuel Macron. Both will speak Tuesday after Guterres’ opening “state of the world” address. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian speak Wednesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — whom New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani wanted arrested for his treatment of Palestinians in Gaza until he learned he has no such authority — will address the assembly on Thursday. For a second year, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas won’t be coming to the U.N. because the U.S. has refused to give him a visa. He will nonetheless address the assembly by video the same day.

The United States, under its agreement with the U.N. to host the organization, is required to allow diplomats from all member nations to attend meetings.

Equally telling is who else isn’t coming. China’s President Xi Jinping is meeting Trump in Washington on Wednesday, yet he is skipping — some diplomats say snubbing — the U.N. gathering and sending a vice president instead. Russian President Vladimir Putin isn’t coming either, and Indian President Narendra Modi has backed out.

France’s U.N. ambassador, Jerome Bonnafont, said it is “extremely critical” for world leaders this week to support the U.N. as the place where the world’s nations meet — especially at a time of such polarization.

“We believe in multilateralism,” he said, ”and we believe that the high-level week is the occasion for countries in the world to reaffirm that they prefer cooperation and dialogue to confrontation.”

United Nations has not had a great year

There is no doubt it’s been a tough year for the world body. It has been pushed to the sidelines when it comes to its key responsibility of ensuring international peace and security and trying to end major conflicts in the Mideast and Ukraine. The U.S. failure to pay billions of dollars in outstanding arrears has left the organization’s finances in rocky shape.

But veteran U.N. watcher Richard Gowan, the International Crisis Group’s global issues and institutions program director, says 2025 was even worse.

A year ago, he said, people were contemplating that Trump would use his U.N. speech to announce that the United States would leave the world organization. Trump didn’t announce a pullout last September and the U.N. muddled through the past 12 months with financial troubles that forced cutbacks to its peacekeeping operations and humanitarian aid.

In recent days, the U.S. paid $725 million of its dues to the U.N.’s regular operating budget for this year, enough to keep the Trump administration from losing its vote in the General Assembly. The payment was a strong indication Trump will keep the U.S. in the United Nations.

The U.N. is no longer “in freefall,” Gowan said, but it “is stuck in an open-ended or permanent crisis.” Put more graphically, he said, “The U.N. may not be in emergency care like it was last year, but it does seem to be trapped in a trauma center for the foreseeable future.”

Former U.N. deputy secretary-general Mark Malloch-Brown, a United Nations Foundation board member, said, “While the world still trusts the U.N., the global public is eager for change.”

AI is pushing toward the center of the agenda

The future of artificial intelligence has pushed to the forefront of global concerns, with its speeding advances and the dawning recognition that there are no industry controls, let alone any global guardrails for a technology that has many advantages but also many disadvantages and unknowns.

Days before the global gathering, leaders of three major AI companies warned about the technology getting out of human control and called for a pause, but Trump dismissed their concerns as “a hoax,” and urged continued advances to keep the U.S. ahead of China.

The U.N. Security Council added a high-level meeting on AI to its agenda on Wednesday afternoon, a sign of the growing apprehension and need to address the issue. It was already slated to hold a high-level meeting on Ukraine with Zelenskyy on Wednesday morning.

For the U.N. chief, this will be his last assembly meeting with global leaders. He previewed his speech last week, telling U.N. reporters that power is shifting in “an era of deep uncertainty.”

“At a time when the world faces three existential threats,” he said, “international cooperation is more necessary than ever.”

Others will be vying for the spotlight on issues from rising sea levels and funding education to the fight for gender equality. Hundreds of private meetings will also convene in U.N. cubicles, hotels, diplomatic missions and restaurants.

Esther Brimmer, a senior fellow in global governance at the Council on Foreign Relations and former U.S. assistant secretary of state for international organization affairs in the Obama administration, said in-person meetings can help countries hash out ideas that get implemented months later.

She called the situation in 2026 “much more serious and complex than in decades past.”

“With that said, I’m also not without hope as well,” Brimmer said. “Over the past decades we’ve learned a lot about international cooperation.”

___

Edith M. Lederer has covered international affairs for The Associated Press for more than a half century.

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Rep. Robert Garcia, Rep. Bennie Thompson and Rep. Maxwell Frost shared photographs from the report showing dirty and overflowing restrooms, along with detainees they say are forced to sleep on the concrete floor or in chains.

The report also states, “Whistleblowers warn that, among other abuses, ICE is detaining people, including men, women, families, and elderly people with chronic medical conditions for days to weeks in abusive and life-threatening conditions, including overcrowded cells, prolonged shackling, inadequate access to medical care and hygiene, insufficient food, and limited to no legal access.”

Garcia is the ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

He released a statement, which read:

“The Trump Administration is trying to cover up these disgusting and unsafe conditions and escape accountability, while countless lives are put in danger. ICE must immediately put an end to this inhumane treatment and give us answers on this horrific situation.”

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz made a surprise visit to the Miramar facility in July and said she saw detainees in conditions she wouldn’t wish upon her worst enemies.

El representante Robert Garcia, el representante Bennie Thompson y el representante Maxwell Frost compartieron fotografías del informe que muestran baños sucios y desbordados, junto con detenidos que, según ellos, son obligados a dormir en el piso de concreto o encadenados.

El informe también afirma: “Los denunciantes advierten que, entre otros abusos, ICE está deteniendo a personas, incluidos hombres, mujeres, familias y personas de edad avanzada con enfermedades crónicas, durante días o semanas en condiciones abusivas y potencialmente mortales, incluidas celdas abarrotadas, uso prolongado de grilletes, acceso inadecuado a atención médica e higiene, alimentos insuficientes y acceso legal limitado o inexistente”.

Garcia es el miembro demócrata de mayor rango del Comité de Supervisión y Reforma Gubernamental de la Cámara de Representantes.

Garcia emitió un comunicado que decía:

“La Administración Trump está tratando de encubrir estas condiciones repugnantes e inseguras y evadir la rendición de cuentas, mientras innumerables vidas son puestas en peligro. ICE debe poner fin inmediatamente a este trato inhumano y darnos respuestas sobre esta horrible situación”.

La representante Debbie Wasserman Schultz realizó una visita sorpresa a la instalación de Miramar en julio y dijo que vio a detenidos en condiciones que no le desearía ni a sus peores enemigos.

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The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help identifying the man, who was captured on surveillance video behind the Sunshine Flea Market on Aug. 25.

“Several months ago, we started hearing rumblings that there may be somebody out there killing community cats,” said Jan Steele with Palm Beach Animal Care & Control.

At first, animal control officials needed evidence.

That came last month when a cat was brought in dead from a gunshot wound, which was confirmed during a necropsy.

“Not long after that, we had another cat in the general vicinity that was shot and this time the cat was alive,” Steele said.

Surveillance video captures man near cat colony

Surveillance video from behind the Sunshine Flea Market shows a man wearing a blue shirt and jeans riding into the area on a bicycle.

The man appears to be wearing a spotlight on his head and holding what appears to be a gun.

“We see a cat run past, we know that there are cats in that green swale area and we know he was shooting in that area,” Steele said.

People who feed cats in the area said there is an established community cat colony behind the flea market.

Gabriella Gluck, with Furry Friends Humane, said the intentional nature of the attacks is particularly concerning.

“Someone who is intentionally going out and harming animals or having malice towards animals -- it’s very disturbing, it’s sad, we want to make sure it doesn’t happen to another animal,” Gluck said.

Cat undergoes emergency amputation

Furry Friends Humane took in the black cat that survived the shooting and named her Zoe.

The gunshot shattered her shoulder, requiring emergency surgery to amputate her front left limb.

Lacey Wiles, who is fostering Zoe, said the circumstances surrounding the shooting make the case especially shocking.

“This was not protecting your property, this wasn’t protecting another animal, a pet of your own. This was absolutely nothing of that nature. This was just seeking out an animal with intent to harm and that’s what I think makes this so shocking,” Wiles said.

Zoe, an outdoor community cat, must now adjust to living inside because of her amputation.

“Zoe obviously has come in to us injured and she is an outside community cat, so her entire world has just changed because now due to the amputation, she’s no longer an animal we would consider able to thrive and live her life outside,” Wiles said.

Wiles is now working to socialize Zoe, who is unfamiliar with humans and living within four walls.

Reward increases to $10,000

Authorities and animal advocates hope someone will recognize the man seen in the surveillance video.

Furry Friends Humane said an outpouring of support from the community helped increase the reward for information to $10,000.

“After we posted that video, we got so much community support that some of our longtime donors reached out and said, ‘Hey, we want to help,’ and we were actually able to double the reward to $10,000,” Gluck said.

Officials are also urging people not to use artificial intelligence filters to alter the surveillance images. According to authorities, online efforts using AI filters have impeded the investigation and wasted time and resources.

Investigators believe there may be more victims.

“We know that there were more, we just don’t have the proof of how many more,” Steele said.

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who recognizes the man captured on surveillance video to come forward.

“Because we want every animal in Palm Beach County to live a humane and loving life, it’s really important for us to catch whoever is doing this,” Steele said.

Anyone who recognizes the man in the surveillance video is asked to contact PBSO’s Animal Crimes Unit at animalcruelty@pbso.org or the PBCACC at https://secure.co.palm-beach.fl.us/PSD.ACC.AnimalCruelty/.

La Oficina del Sheriff del Condado Palm Beach está pidiendo la ayuda del público para identificar al hombre, quien fue captado en un video de vigilancia detrás del Sunshine Flea Market el 25 de agosto.

“Hace varios meses, comenzamos a escuchar rumores de que podría haber alguien matando gatos comunitarios”, dijo Jan Steele, de Palm Beach Animal Care & Control.

Al principio, los funcionarios de control de animales necesitaban pruebas.

Estas llegaron el mes pasado cuando un gato fue llevado muerto por una herida de bala, lo cual fue confirmado durante una necropsia.

“No mucho después de eso, tuvimos otro gato en los alrededores al que le dispararon y esta vez el gato estaba vivo”, dijo Steele.

Video de vigilancia capta a hombre cerca de colonia de gatos

Un video de vigilancia de la parte trasera del Sunshine Flea Market muestra a un hombre vestido con una camisa azul y jeans entrando al área en una bicicleta.

El hombre parece llevar una luz en la cabeza y sostener lo que parece ser un arma.

“Vemos a un gato pasar corriendo, sabemos que hay gatos en esa zona verde de drenaje y sabemos que él estaba disparando en esa área”, dijo Steele.

Personas que alimentan a los gatos en el área dijeron que existe una colonia establecida de gatos comunitarios detrás del mercado de pulgas.

Gabriella Gluck, de Furry Friends Humane, dijo que la naturaleza intencional de los ataques es particularmente preocupante.

“Alguien que intencionalmente sale a lastimar animales o tiene malicia hacia los animales, es muy perturbador, es triste, queremos asegurarnos de que no le suceda a otro animal”, dijo Gluck.

Gata es sometida a amputación de emergencia

Furry Friends Humane recibió a la gata negra que sobrevivió al disparo y la llamó Zoe.

El disparo le destrozó el hombro, lo que requirió una cirugía de emergencia para amputarle la extremidad delantera izquierda.

Lacey Wiles, quien tiene a Zoe bajo cuidado temporal, dijo que las circunstancias en torno al disparo hacen que el caso sea especialmente impactante.

“Esto no fue para proteger su propiedad, esto no fue para proteger a otro animal, una mascota propia. Esto no fue absolutamente nada de esa naturaleza. Esto fue simplemente buscar a un animal con la intención de hacerle daño y eso es lo que creo que hace que esto sea tan impactante”, dijo Wiles.

Zoe, una gata comunitaria que vivía al aire libre, ahora debe adaptarse a vivir dentro de una vivienda debido a su amputación.

“Zoe obviamente llegó a nosotros herida y es una gata comunitaria que vive al aire libre, así que todo su mundo acaba de cambiar porque ahora, debido a la amputación, ya no es un animal que consideraríamos capaz de prosperar y vivir su vida al aire libre”, dijo Wiles.

Wiles ahora trabaja para socializar a Zoe, quien no está familiarizada con los humanos ni con vivir entre cuatro paredes.

Recompensa aumenta a $10,000 USD

Las autoridades y defensores de los animales esperan que alguien reconozca al hombre visto en el video de vigilancia.

Furry Friends Humane dijo que una gran muestra de apoyo de la comunidad ayudó a aumentar a $10,000 USD la recompensa por información.

“Después de que publicamos ese video, recibimos tanto apoyo de la comunidad que algunos de nuestros donantes de muchos años se comunicaron y dijeron, “Oigan, queremos ayudar”, y de hecho pudimos duplicar la recompensa a $10,000 USD”, dijo Gluck.

Los funcionarios también instan a las personas a no utilizar filtros de inteligencia artificial para alterar las imágenes de vigilancia. Según las autoridades, los esfuerzos en internet utilizando filtros de IA han obstaculizado la investigación y desperdiciado tiempo y recursos.

Los investigadores creen que podría haber más víctimas.

“Sabemos que hubo más, simplemente no tenemos pruebas de cuántas más”, dijo Steele.

La Oficina del Sheriff del Condado Palm Beach está pidiendo a cualquier persona que reconozca al hombre captado en el video de vigilancia que se presente.

“Debido a que queremos que todos los animales en el condado Palm Beach tengan una vida humana y llena de cariño, es realmente importante para nosotros atrapar a quien esté haciendo esto”, dijo Steele.

A cualquier persona que reconozca al hombre en el video de vigilancia se le pide que se comunique con la Unidad de Delitos contra Animales de la PBSO en animalcruelty@pbso.org o con PBCACC en https://secure.co.palm-beach.fl.us/PSD.ACC.AnimalCruelty/.

A three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Missouri should use the new Republican-drawn U.S. House districts in the November election, just as the state did in its August primary. To revert to its prior districts for the general election would violate the U.S. Constitution, the appeals judges said.

The appeals panel directed a lower court judge to issue a permanent injunction against using anything other than the map favored by Trump. But the ruling has no immediate impact. That’s because the panel also ordered the judge to delay the effect of the order for one week to allow time for an appeal.

Opponents of the new map said Monday that they will file an emergency appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court already has twice sided against the Trump-backed map and had blocked enforcement of a lower court order favoring the map pending a potential appeal and eventual decision by the high court.

Missouri currently is set to run its November election with the same congressional districts it used in 2024 and 2022, following prior decisions by both the Missouri Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Local elections officials already have sent absentee ballots to overseas citizens and military voters using those districts. State law requires absentee ballots to be available to all other voters by Tuesday. Once voters have cast a ballot, they cannot be given another one — even if the district boundaries have changed.

To try to change districts at this late date would be “practically impossible” and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Missouri Association of County Clerks and Election Authorities told appeals judges in a legal filing.

But an attorney representing Republicans who sued — including U.S. Rep. Bob Onder and state Sen. Rick Brattin, a congressional candidate — suggested during arguments last Thursday that there still is time to revert to the Trump-backed map.

The appeals panel agreed, pointing to other cases in which courts have ordered changes after absentee ballots already had been distributed to overseas citizens and military voters.

“The Constitution does not permit Missouri to use a different congressional district map in the November 2026 general election than it used in the August 2026 primary election,” the appeals panel wrote in its decision.

The panel consists of Judge James Loken, an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush, and two appointees of Trump — Judges David Stras and Justin Smith. Prior to his June appointment, Smith was an attorney who represented Trump as he unsuccessfully appealed a $5 million jury verdict in a lawsuit filed by the writer E. Jean Carroll to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The group People Not Politicians, which spearheaded a referendum petition to put the new map to a statewide vote on the November ballot, said it will appeal the latest decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.”

“Ballots have been printed, and Missourians have already voted. Thousands more will vote before this order seeks to take effect,” Richard von Glahn, executive director of People Not Politicians Missouri, said in a statement. “Officials should stop wasting taxpayers’ money on pointless legal action and instead focus on administering our elections.”

There was that one loss in Australia when the matches were so late in the year that the U.S. players spent most of their time online shopping for the holidays until they realized they were in a hole so deep there was no way out except to suffer a big loss.

That was 26 years ago. Three of the 24 players in this Presidents Cup weren't even born the last time — the only time — the Internationals won.

Should anyone expect Medinah to be different?

“It's the elephant in the room you have to address,” U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker said. “Just because these last teams have been successful doesn't mean we're going to be successful. We have to reset the bar for our team, tell them we have a standard to play to and we're 0-0. These 12 guys have accomplished nothing. We're going to hammer that into them.”

Each edition of the Presidents Cup brings new hope for the Internationals, a team that draws players from every continent except Europe. The depth favors the Americans, with all but two of their players inside the top 25 in the world ranking.

The exceptions are Patrick Cantlay (No. 28), who has proven to be their best clutch player in these team competitions; and Jackson Koivun, the 21-year-old who three months ago was helping Auburn to another NCAA title.

Koivun, the No. 1 amateur in the world, won in his third start on the PGA Tour as a pro and Snedeker found him too compelling to pass up. Koivun becomes the first player since Jordan Spieth in 2013 to start a year without a PGA Tour card and end it with the Presidents Cup.

The thinking was similar to when Europe chose Ludvig Aberg, who went from college to the Ryder Cup without ever having played in a major. Europe figured he would be part of every team for years to come and it was good to give him a taste.

Snedeker bristled at the idea that the Presidents Cup would be a good experience for Koivun for the Ryder Cup in 2027 and beyond.

“Our job as captain and vice captains for the Presidents Cup it put the best 12 players on the field,” Snedeker said. “To sit there and think this is a training session is laughable. I've worked 14 months for this opportunity. I'm not going to put somebody in a situation that's not going to help our team win. I feel he gives us a better chance to win.”

The highest-ranked player for Geoff Ogilvy's team is Si Woo Kim, who rose to No. 14 in the world by becoming the first player to earn $10 million in a PGA Tour season without winning. Among the four rookies on his team is 39-year-old Ryan Fox, the New Zealander who showed his mettle when he won the British Open with a birdie on the last hole.

And then there's Adam Scott, who ties a Presidents Cup record held by Phil Mickelson by playing for the 12th time. The Australian has yet to be on the winning side. His debut in 2003 was in South Africa when it ended in a tie.

“I've been given another chance. It might be the last one,” the 46-year-old Scott said. “I'm more excited this year than previously.”

The biggest hurdle for Ogilvy, the 2006 U.S. Open champion, and his International team is history. It came down to the final match in South Korea in 2015, and in Virginia in 2005. Far too often it has been an American runaway.

“Clearly winning something for the first time — the first time in a very long time — it's probably more difficult than if you're winning all the time,” Ogilvy said. “But we're getting closer all the time.”

Perhaps one advantage for the Internationals is playing at Medinah. They have never won on American soil, but it was Ogilvy's design company (OCM) that was chosen to renovate the course.

Nine players this week were at Medinah for the 2019 BMW Championship. Snedeker and three of his assistants were at the 2012 Ryder Cup. But this is an entirely different Medinah, and no one knows it better than the guy who designed it.

“We have an advantage right now,” Ogilvy said two weeks ago when he announced his captain's picks. "By the time we get to Thursday morning, I think the advantage will be gone. Professional golfers are very good at learning a golf course.

“Hopefully there will be a little advantage. The boys will get a little shot of confidence because their captain built the course,” he said. “It could be more psychological than real. But we'll see.”

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See AP’s full golf coverage here

In a motion filed Friday but made public Monday, Clancy's lawyer asked the court to question juror Michael Desronvil about his alleged use of a cellphone during deliberations, his truthfulness on a questionnaire that prospective jurors filled out before the trial began and his truthfulness when jurors were questioned by the judge a day before the trial ended.

Among other things, lawyer Kevin Reddington asked the court to obtain a record of any calls or texts Desronvil made between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on each day the jury deliberated. Phone use during deliberations is prohibited in the state.

The judge declared a mistrial Sept. 4 after the jury insisted it couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict, despite days of trying. Eleven of 12 jurors were ready to clear Clancy of criminal responsibility, with the majority feeling that she was in the grip of a rare condition called postpartum psychosis when she strangled her kids.

But Desronvil sided with the prosecutors, who had argued that Clancy knew what she was doing.

Desronvil hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with his service on the jury, though some other jurors complained that he was inflexible in his opinion that Clancy was guilty. In a statement released by his lawyer last week, Desronvil said he “didn’t have any doubts.”

Prosecutors have yet to say whether they plan on putting Clancy on trial again. She remains charged with murder and is in a psychiatric hospital until her case is resolved.

In another motion on Monday, another lawyer for Clancy, Martin Weinberg, asked the judge to take the unusual step of dismissing the criminal case, rather than putting on a new trial, on the grounds that a mistrial shouldn't have been declared in the first place.

Weinberg argued that the judge should have replaced Desronvil with an alternate during the deliberations after the jury foreperson complained he was refusing to listen to the law on reasonable doubt.

“Contrary to the court’s stated believe at the time, it did have viable choices other than declaring a mistrial,” Weinberg wrote.

A spokesperson for Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz would not comment on the motions.

At the trial, jurors heard from psychologists and clinicians who treated Clancy for several months before the killings, when she was suffering from worsening mental health problems that emerged after the birth of her youngest child. She was released from a psychiatric hospital less than three weeks before she killed her children.

Miami Fire Rescue informó que sus equipos fueron enviados alrededor de la 1:52 a.m. a la cuadra 3700 de Northwest 23rd Court tras recibir un reporte sobre una persona con una “aparente herida de bala”.

El adolescente fue trasladado al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital en “estado extremadamente crítico”.

El joven murió posteriormente a causa de sus heridas la noche del sábado.

Las autoridades informaron que una mujer de 45 años también fue trasladada al Jackson Memorial Hospital para ser evaluada. Miami Fire Rescue indicó que no presentaba lesiones reportadas.

La policía cerró Northwest 23rd Court cerca de 38th Street mientras agentes y detectives investigaban. Varias patrullas de la Policía de Miami podían verse en el lugar con las luces de emergencia encendidas, mientras cinta policial rodeaba una vivienda en la que los investigadores parecían estar concentrando su atención.

Investigadores de la escena del crimen también fueron vistos entrando y saliendo del área con equipo. En el lugar también se observó una bolsa transparente para evidencias que contenía lo que parecía ser un arma de fuego.

Vecinos dijeron a Local 10 News que escucharon múltiples disparos, seguidos de gritos y del sonido de personas corriendo por la zona.

Un vecino dijo haber escuchado unos siete disparos. Otro señaló que las cámaras de seguridad habían captado actividad en el área, pero posteriormente afirmó que las imágenes habían sido eliminadas y que no podía compartirlas.

La investigación continuaba activa la noche del sábado y la policía no había revelado de inmediato más detalles sobre lo que provocó el tiroteo.

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Authorities said two people were found dead inside a home located at 8330 Pine Drive.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, a 911 call came in at 7:12 a.m. reporting two people has been found unresponsive at the home.

The address is located within the campus of Children’s Harbor, which provides transitional housing for young adults aging out of foster care.

Children’s Harbor President Theresa Kennedy told Local 10 News’ Liane Morejon phone that the unit in question does not belong to the company and is owned and managed by the city of Pembroke Pines.

According to BSO, officers with the Pembroke Pines Police Department arrived to the unit and found two people who were pronounced dead.

Pembroke Pines police requested assistance from BSO, which is now the lead department in the investigation.

BSO described the investigation as an isolated incident and added that there are no threats to the community at this time.

A neighbor told Local 10 News they heard gunshots overnight.

“I just heard boom boom boom and I thought, ‘Well, that’s not thunder,’” said Nori Selina. “I came out at 7 and police said two people were inside deceased.”

Authorities have yet to release the identities of the people who were found deceased.

“It’s two people, the guy just comes outside and smokes cigarettes,” said Selina. “They just said hi, no problems before. This is crazy.”

Local 10 has also reached out to the city manager of Pembroke Pines for more information.

Burnham told reporters as he flew to the United Nations General Assembly in New York that he had agreed the Royal Air Force will provide air-to-air refueling of Saudi planes. The agreement is for a matter of weeks, but Burnham said it will be kept under review.

The conflict between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has reignited, with Houthis aiming missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia, including one that targeted Riyadh on Saturday before being intercepted. The Houthis also declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, attacking Saudi-linked vessels and oil facilities inside the kingdom, the world’s top oil exporter.

The Houthis advanced inside Yemen earlier this month, seizing the crucial port city of Mokha and key Red Sea islands allowing them to better monitor shipping traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb, through which some 12% of world trade normally passes.

Burnham said he was “acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region, because of course Saudi Arabia has been experiencing attack, is looking at potential further disruption, and we need to keep those pathways (for oil) open.”

Britain has condemned the Houthi attacks and said the U.K. will “work with partners to support regional stability, protect civilians and support humanitarian access.”

U.K. officials had previously declined to comment on “operational matters” but noted that Britain and Saudi Arabia have a close defense partnership.

The U.S., which bombed the Houthis under the Biden and Trump administrations, has shown no interest in getting involved military this time around.

U.K. officials say the agreement will start in the coming days, and involve one RAF Voyager refueling Saudi planes on “defensive” missions.

The Associated Press reported last week that Saudi Arabia has asked its allies, including France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt to deploy air-defense support to the region to help defend against missiles and drones fired by Houthis and other Iran-backed groups on the kingdom.

Las autoridades dijeron que dos personas fueron encontradas muertas dentro de una vivienda ubicada en 8330 Pine Drive.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward, se recibió una llamada al 911 a las 7:12 a.m. reportando que dos personas habían sido encontradas inconscientes en la vivienda.

La dirección está ubicada dentro del campus de Children”s Harbor, que proporciona vivienda de transición para adultos jóvenes que dejan el sistema de cuidado de crianza.

La presidenta de Children”s Harbor, Theresa Kennedy, dijo por teléfono a Liane Morejon de Local 10 News que la unidad en cuestión no pertenece a la compañía y es propiedad y está administrada por la ciudad de Pembroke Pines.

Según la BSO, agentes del Departamento de Policía de Pembroke Pines llegaron a la unidad y encontraron a dos personas que fueron declaradas muertas.

La policía de Pembroke Pines solicitó asistencia de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward, que ahora está a cargo de la investigación.

La BSO describió la investigación como un incidente aislado y agregó que no existen amenazas para la comunidad en este momento.

Un vecino dijo a Local 10 News que escuchó disparos durante la noche.

“Solo escuché boom boom boom y pensé, “Bueno, eso no es un trueno””, dijo Nori Selina. “Salí a las 7 y la policía dijo que dos personas estaban muertas adentro”.

Las autoridades aún no han divulgado las identidades de las personas que fueron encontradas muertas.

“Son dos personas, el hombre solo sale y fuma cigarrillos”, dijo Selina. “Solo decían hola, no había problemas antes. Esto es una locura”.

Local 10 también se comunicó con el administrador de la ciudad de Pembroke Pines para obtener más información.

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Miami Fire Rescue officials said crews were dispatched at about 1:52 a.m. Saturday to the 3700 block of Northwest 23rd Court for a report of a person with an “alleged gunshot wound.”

They said the boy was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in “extremely critical condition.”

The boy died from his injuries Saturday night.

Authorities said a 45-year-old woman was also transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital for evaluation, but first responders said she had no reported injuries.

On Sunday, Local 10’s Bridgette Matter caught up with a man who witnessed the shooting.

The man, who cannot speak because of a medical condition, showed Matter where the shooting took place and confirmed the teenagers were drinking in the backyard of a home.

He claims someone started shooting and pointed to multiple bullet holes in a nearby fence.

He became emotional while trying to describe the tragedy he witnessed.

Police closed Northwest 23rd Court near 38th Street as officers and detectives investigated. Several Miami police cruisers were spotted at the scene with emergency lights flashing, while police tape surrounded a home investigators appeared to be focusing on.

Crime scene investigators were also seen entering and leaving the area with equipment. A clear evidence bag containing what appeared to be a gun was also visible at the scene.

Neighbors told Local 10 News they heard multiple gunshots followed by yelling and the sound of people running through the area.

One neighbor said he heard about seven gunshots. Another said security-camera footage captured activity in the area, but he later claimed that footage had been deleted and could not be shared.

The investigation remains active, though police have not released additional details about what led to the shooting.

Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

El Congreso está debatiendo cómo se distribuirá el presupuesto general estatal para 2027 propuesto por el gobierno de De la Espriella que incluye recortes para el tribunal y el Ministerio de las Culturas, entre otros.

“Es asfixia”: reclama el tribunal

Alejandro Ramelli, presidente de la Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz (JEP), como se denomina el tribunal, dijo a la prensa que el gobierno pretende desfinanciarlo para dejarlo inoperante en la práctica.

“Claro que hay una desfinanciación, claro que hay una asfixia... quieren dejar un cascarón vacío, que no funcione para nada", advirtió Ramelli.

La JEP juzga los crímenes de guerra y lesa humanidad cometidos en cinco décadas de conflicto interno con la guerrilla Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), disuelta hace una década tras firmar un acuerdo de paz. También juzga a exmilitares y civiles que cometieron crímenes.

De la Espriella, quien dijo durante la campaña que haría todo lo que estuviera a su alcance para desmontar el tribunal, apoya una iniciativa de un congresista oficialista para quitarle 100.000 millones de pesos (31,6 millones de dólares) y trasladarlos a la justicia ordinaria alegando que el tribunal tiene suficiente presupuesto para operar por lo que considera un acto de “responsabilidad fiscal” la transferencia.

El presidente del tribunal advirtió que con esta medida Colombia “desconoce un acuerdo internacional” con la Corte Penal Internacional con la que se comprometió a no cerrar la JEP, no modificarla, ni desfinanciarla.

“No es un problema sólo económico... nosotros seguiremos trabajando con lo que tengamos, pero no vamos a poder seguir dando resultados, eso va a ser imposible y sería un grave error histórico”, aseguró Ramelli al sostener que se afectaría el derecho de las víctimas a la justicia.

El presidente del tribunal resaltó los resultados de la JEP, incluida la imputación el lunes a cinco excomandantes guerrilleros acusados de abuso sexual y violencia de género, así como el cumplimiento de sanciones restaurativas —que incluyen buscar desaparecidos— con las que fueron sentenciados los miembros de la última cúpula de las FARC por miles de secuestros.

Las sanciones, en su mayoría, no implican la cárcel sino la participación de los condenados en proyectos que buscan reparar el daño causado, lo que para algunos sectores críticos es sinónimo de impunidad.

“Se precariza la cultura”, advierten artistas

También el lunes cerca de 250 artistas protestaron en Bogotá frente a las instalaciones del Ministerio de las Culturas por considerar que el gobierno los está desfinanciando.

Duvan Prado, un actor de 36 años, dijo a The Associated Press que los artistas exigen que se instale una mesa de diálogo para discutir con el gobierno las “decisiones arbitrarias” que “precarizan la cultura”.

“Bajar el presupuesto en más del 30% es directamente afectar los procesos que se han venido desarrollando... por más de 27 años, eliminando el Programa Nacional de Estímulos, además de los reconocimientos y premios que se daban a artistas”, explicó Prado, quien considera que los ha afectado el “desorden administrativo” que venía desde el gobierno anterior.

La ministra del área, Paola Holguín, dijo que el país enfrenta restricciones fiscales por lo que defendió el recorte de presupuesto e indicó que hay un “rezago” de pagos pendientes que agrava la situación.

Yasmín Piedrahíta, una gestora cultural que participó en la protesta, advirtió que el actual gobierno pretende “acabar con el Ministerio de Cultura y disolverlo en otros tantos ministerios más”, como parte de su plan de austeridad.

Estados Unidos bloqueó la venta de armas al país centroamericano en 1978 debido a las masacres que ocurrieron contra la población civil. Los informes de la verdad responsabilizaron al ejército y a grupos paramilitares del 97% de las muertes durante el conflicto (1960-1996).

El presidente guatemalteco Bernardo Arévalo asistió a la entrega del armamento y refirió en conferencia de prensa que “las razones por las que se decretó el embargo de venta de material militar en su momento fue por violaciones a los derechos humanos que eran cometidos en el marco del enfrentamiento armado".

Aseguró que el país ha venido reconstruyendo su democracia y que en ese marco las fuerzas armadas han pasado por un proceso de "redefinición, reconversión y transformación”.

“El ejército de hoy es fundamentalmente distinto del ejército de 1978”, dijo Arévalo y afirmó que “esas condiciones ya estaban superadas”.

El ministro de Defensa, Henry Sáenz, explicó que la decisión de Estados Unidos de venderle armas al ejército guatemalteco era el resultado de la confianza ganada como país y que las armas serían usadas para el combate contra el narcotráfico, especialmente en el departamento de Petén, fronterizo con México, una zona tomada por el crimen organizado, según las autoridades.

El armamento consiste en fusiles M4, el mismo que utilizan los marines estadounidenses, armas de alta gama que tiene un alcance de 600 metros con ráfagas de 700 a 905 disparos por minuto, según los expertos.

En diciembre de 2025 varios militares resultaron heridos en un estallido de violencia entre dos comunidades en el occidente de Guatemala, que incluyó un ataque a un destacamento militar y una comisaría.

En mayo pasado, el ejército repelió un ataque en la frontera con Honduras, donde varios hombres armados que se desplazaban en vehículos todo terreno intentaron ingresar al territorio guatemalteco en el municipio de Esquipulas, del departamento de Chiquimula, pero fueron repelidos tras un intercambio de disparos.

Mientras que en agosto, el Grupo de trabajo de Naciones Unidas sobre desapariciones forzadas pidió al gobierno guatemalteco que su ejército tuviera más apertura de sus archivos sobre lo ocurrido durante la guerra, así como a no realizar construcciones en sus instalaciones porque víctimas del conflicto habían denunciado que allí habían fosas clandestinas.

A surveillance video shows Josuan Delgado and Brian Lores stealing at 12:15 p.m. on Aug. 26, from the Publix Supermarket at 1657 North Hiatus Road, according to the Pembroke Pines Police Department.

Surveillance videos also showed Delgado and Lores, both 23, stealing about $30,660 worth of LEGO toys from several Target stores in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, according to law enforcement.

Inmate records show Miami-Dade corrections had been holding Delgado, a felon with 2025 convictions, and Lores since Sept. 10. They were both at the Metrowest Detention Center on Monday afternoon.

MIAMI-DADE CASES

There were three cases in August and three in September in Miami, Miami Lakes, Westchester, Aventura, and Kendall West. These involved more than $15,250 of stolen LEGO toys, according to Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputies.

Deputies accused Lores and Delgado of stealing about $2,660 in toys on Aug. 5 at 7795 SW 40 St., in Westchester, and returning to steal about $3,070 in toys on Aug. 16 from the same store.

Lores and Delgado stole about $1,170 in toys on Aug. 19 at 15005 SW 88 St., in Kendall West, and about $4,090 on Sept. 6, at 5601 NW 183 St., in Miami Lakes, according to MDSO deputies.

Lores and Delgado stole about $3,760 in toys on Sept. 9 at 21265 Biscayne Boulevard in Aventura, according to a deputy’s arrest report.

Miami police officers accused Lores and Delgado of stealing about $3,290 in toys on Sept. 4 at 3825 NW Seventh St., near the West Flagler area.

MIAMI-DADE CHARGES

As of Monday, Miami-Dade prosecutors had filed three felony cases against Lores and two felony cases against Delgado, also known as Josuan Delagdogordillo, records show.

On Sept. 11, prosecutors filed third-degree grand theft charges against Lores and Delgado in the Sept. 4 case with MPD, and retail theft charges against both in the Aug. 6 case with MDSO.

On Sept. 18, prosecutors filed a third-degree grand theft charge against Lores in a case with MDSO.

Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Carmen Cabarga was set to preside over the new cases.

MIAMI-DADE CONVICTIONS

Last year, Delgado had two cases with the Hialeah Police Department and the MDSO.

In the MDSO case, Delgado was convicted of fleeing and eluding police felony, a reckless driving misdemeanor, and a tag misdemeanor charge.

In the HPD case, Delgado was convicted of a felony charge of uttering a forged instrument.

In both cases, Cabarga sentenced Delgado to a two-year probation that was supposed to end on Oct. 22, 2027.

Related story: 2 men accused in $30K Target theft spree involving Lego sets across Miami-Dade, Broward counties

Related social media

UPDATE (9/18/26): Both suspects have been identified and are currently in custody. Thank you to the public for your assistance. https://t.co/nXaRsXcrvU

— Pembroke Pines PD (@PPinesPD) September 18, 2026

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

On Monday, the issue headed for the courts as CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued the administration over being barred from the White House and, they contend, denied their First Amendment rights. CNN was banned from its scheduled pool duty for the day — and the pool announced that it was canceling its coverage of Trump.

“Effective today, there would be no network pool coverage of the president's events,” the television pool of five broadcasters wrote in an email to its subscribers. "This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place.”

But the pool is a proxy for the wider fight over whether the president, or anyone, can control the content of news reports — a type of free speech, pillar of American democracy. The developments marked an extraordinary escalation in Trump's ongoing efforts — from the courts to the Pentagon to the White House — to restrict news reporters and outlets that he finds insufficiently supportive.

Again and again during Trump’s second presidential term, his irritation has focused on the rotating group of reporters who cover the president as representatives of the larger press corps. The practice ensures coverage can be disseminated broadly since not all journalists can be with the president at any given time due to space constraints.

But the pool also is an institution steeped in tradition and anchored in the Constitution's guarantee of a free press. The relationship between elected American leaders and the journalists who hold them accountable is designed to be adversarial. That's essential for knowing what the president and his administration are — or are not — doing in the United States' name, with taxpayer money.

Here's a look at various aspects of the White House pool.

There may be constitutional issues at play

CNN is one of the major news networks, including ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC, that are part of a TV pool managed by the networks' editorial leaders. The networks rotate coverage of presidential events. On Friday, Trump said he was barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House due to what he called unfavorable coverage and “fake news,” and threatened that more such media bans could be coming.

Reporters from all three were denied entrance to the White House grounds the next day. On Monday, the three outlets said they've notified the administration that they will file a lawsuit saying their First Amendment rights had been violated. The complaint also contends that the abrupt confiscation of access violated the networks' Fifth Amendment right to due process.

Also Monday, CNN was scheduled to travel with the president to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, but a scheduling email from the White House did not name the network. A responding email from the pool said there would be no replacement for CNN — pushback to any notion that the White House can decide who is in the pool and who is out.

The pool follows the president

The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights states that the government “shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press.” The Trump administration has long insisted that nobody has the right to ask the president questions, especially in the White House — and that goes for members of the pool, whom the president routinely insults in personal terms.

The White House press pool is group of news outlets that ideally are almost everywhere the president goes: in the Oval Office, at state dinners, on Air Force One, in the motorcade, and when the president goes golfing or biking. It is also always on standby in case something happens in the world about which the president needs to speak to the nation.

Last year, the Trump White House upended a decades-long tradition of an independent association of journalists selecting members of the pool. The White House now picks and chooses which members of the media make up the pool, and they almost always select journalists who are outwardly favorable to Trump as part of the mix.

The pool distributes in-person reports and imagery to the broader corps covering the president. When a “pooled” event is over, the print, television and radio poolers share written notes, video and audio with everyone else who is interested.

Traditionally, the White House press pool represents every media format and daily includes The Associated Press and other wire-service writers, the AP and other outlets' photographers, a television crew, a radio correspondent and writers for print and online publications.

The pool was in President John F. Kennedy’s motorcade in Dallas when he was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. That allowed for firsthand accounts of the event as conspiracy theories spread, an example of why independent reporting is critical to understanding what is happening around the president.

Presidents and reporters have an inherently adversarial relationship

Trump is famous for courting reporters even as he publicly criticizes them. And he’s not the first to try to go around traditional outlets.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt had his fireside chats over the radio as some of the nation’s biggest newspapers took issue with government expansion under the New Deal. More recently, television and social media have provided similar workarounds.

In 1798, John Adams signed the Sedition Act, which made it a crime for citizens to “print, utter, or publish ... any false, scandalous, and malicious writing” about the government and used it to jail journalists, according to the National Archives. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson threatened to end presidential briefings with reporters, resulting in the creation of what became the White House Correspondents’ Association that exists today.

Stanley Shew-A-Tjon, 76, and his wife are raising their four grandchildren in a two-bedroom house. With two adults and four children in the home, he said covering basic expenses has become difficult.

“Two adults and four grandchildren in a 2-bedroom house. We’re trying to get out, but it’s not easy because we are both retired living on a fixed income,” Shew-A-Tjon said.

Their grocery bill has also climbed, going from about $250 a month for him and his wife to more than $600, he said.

That’s why Shew-A-Tjon visits The Pantry of Broward every month.

“When I was informed about The Pantry, it was a blessing, because they do provide necessary things,” he said.

The Pantry of Broward opened in 2008 with a focus on serving seniors. The organization serves about 600 seniors each month.

“From North to South, we take care of everyone who needs to be able to supplement their income by way of our food help,” said Maureen Luna, CEO of The Pantry of Broward.

Shew-A-Tjon’s story is shared by other grandparents raising grandchildren. Thomasina Smith-Brown adopted three grandchildren and also relies on the pantry.

“They saved us — literally saved us — from being hungry,” Smith-Brown said.

The pantry provides a variety of food, including fresh and shelf-stable items.

“I can make an eggplant lasagna and have a salad with it,” Smith-Brown said.

She said she didn’t expect the variety of food available.

“They provide so many different varieties of food that we didn’t expect to be that blessed and it has been a real, real blessing,” she said.

The Pantry of Broward recently received boxes of fresh and shelf-stable food from Publix as part of the annual Food for Thought program, which raises awareness about hunger in South Florida.

“We have bread. We have produce. We have everything that’s going to go right into the box and right into the community and help The Pantry of Broward serve the residents here,” said Lindsey Willis, a Publix media relations manager.

The pantry also relies on partnerships to continue providing food to the community.

“The partnerships with people like Publix and others are absolutely crucial to our success,” Luna said. “We are here all year long and we could use help.”

The Pantry of Broward also delivers groceries to seniors who cannot physically pick up their food.

The nonprofit is also building a 90-unit senior housing development called The Lofts in Fort Lauderdale’s historic Sistrunk District. The pantry will be located on the first floor of the building, which is slated to open in early 2028.

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According to the Hallandale Beach Police Department, officers responded to the 200 block of 11th Avenue on Saturday morning in regard to incident that occurred the night before.

Upon arrival, officers said they met with the victim who told them they met the suspect at a night club and the two traveled together to an address in Hallandale Beach where the alleged crimes occurred.

Investigators said they were able to identify Bar Alon as the suspect in the case.

Alon is now facing three charges of sexual battery on a victim 18 years or older by a person 18 years or older and an additional charge for cocaine possession.

As of Monday afternoon, he was being held at the North Broward Bureau jail without bond.

Según el Departamento de Policía de Hallandale Beach, agentes acudieron a la cuadra 200 de 11th Avenue el sábado por la mañana en relación con un incidente ocurrido la noche anterior.

Al llegar, los agentes dijeron que se reunieron con la víctima, quien les dijo que conoció al sospechoso en un club nocturno y que ambos viajaron juntos a una dirección en Hallandale Beach, donde ocurrieron los presuntos delitos.

Los investigadores dijeron que pudieron identificar a Bar Alon como el sospechoso en el caso.

Alon ahora enfrenta tres cargos de agresión sexual contra una víctima de 18 años o más por parte de una persona de 18 años o más y un cargo adicional por posesión de cocaína.

Hasta la tarde del lunes, permanecía detenido en la cárcel North Broward Bureau sin derecho a fianza.

The Dodgers are once again among the best teams in the big leagues, and they'll have several challengers in October, including the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays. All three teams could finish the regular season with 100 wins or more. Los Angeles is there even though four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani’s health is a concern.

The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves have also clinched spots in the postseason. The Yankees' three-time MVP Aaron Judge is dealing with a right calf strain that will keep him on the injured list until at least the final day of the regular season.

The regular season ends this Sunday, and while the 12-team playoff field appears mostly set, there are a few long-shot contenders for the postseason, and specific matchups are in flux.

Here's some of what to watch as the season comes to a close.

Here's who can clinch a playoff spot Monday

No team can clinch a playoff spot on Monday with most of the league getting a day off.

There is one important game in the American League, where the Toronto Blue Jays travel to face the Baltimore Orioles. The Blue Jays are hanging on the fringe of the AL race, starting the day three games back of the final wild-card spot.

AL race is murky while NL is more defined

There's quite a bit of mediocrity in the AL Central and West divisions this season, which has led to some fascinating pennant races and could lead to a sub-.500 team making the postseason.

The Cleveland Guardians (81-75) have a narrow advantage over the Chicago White Sox (80-76) in the AL Central while the Texas Rangers (78-78) are just ahead of the Houston Astros (77-79) in the AL West.

Over in the National League, the playoff bracket is close to set.

The Chicago Cubs (87-69), San Diego Padres (87-69) and Philadelphia Phillies (86-70) are jockeying for position in the wild-card race but will almost certainly make the postseason. The only team within shouting distance is the Arizona Diamondbacks (82-74), who are four games back.

MVP races, stats to watch

MLB's major awards probably won't have much drama this season.

Both MVP races have strong favorites with Chicago's Pete Crow-Armstrong running away with the NL honor while Houston's Yordan Alvarez is the probable choice in the AL, though Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero has also had a fantastic season. Alvarez still has a shot at a rare Triple Crown. He leads the AL in batting average at .313 but his 40 homers are one behind Caminero and his 99 RBIs are six back of Baltimore's Pete Alonso.

For the Cy Young Award, Milwaukee flame thrower Jacob Misiorowski and New York ace Cam Schlittler are the favorites in the NL and AL, respectively.

The Rookie of the Year races also look set with Cincinnati's Sal Stewart and his 110-RBI season the leader in the NL and Detroit's Kevin McGonigle the favorite in the AL.

What is the MLB playoff format?

There are 12 teams that qualify for MLB’s postseason, including six teams from both the AL and NL. The three division winners in each league get seeds No. 1 through No. 3, ranked by win-loss record. Then the three wild-card teams get seeds No. 4 through No. 6, also ranked by win-loss record.

The top two teams with the best record in both the AL and NL automatically advance to the Division Series. The other eight teams play in the Wild Card Series, which is a best-of-three format beginning on Tuesday, Sept. 30. In both the AL and NL, the No. 6 seed will travel to face the No. 3 seed while the No. 5 seed goes to No. 4. The higher seed hosts all three games.

The winners then advance to the best-of-five Division Series, followed by the best-of-seven League Championship Series and a best-of-seven World Series between the winners of the AL and NL.

What is the MLB postseason schedule?

Wild Card Round: Sept. 29-Oct. 1 (NBC/Peacock)

Division Series: Oct. 3-10 (AL on TBS, NL on FOX/FS1)

Championship Series: Oct. 11-20 (AL on TBS, NL on FOX/FS1)

World Series: Oct. 23-31 (FOX)

Who are the favorites to win the World Series?

The Dodgers (+220) are the favorites to capture a third straight World Series title while the Brewers (+600), Yankees (+800) and Rays (+800) are viewed as the top contenders.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Commanders coach Dan Quinn said he might have an update on Daniels on Thursday or Friday but declined to share a timeline for the quarterback's return to play.

“He had imaging done (on Monday),” Quinn said. “He’ll see specialists early this week, Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ll go through the process from there. ... Until we go through that process, I’d be guessing to give you any (timeline).”

The injury during Sunday's loss at Dallas came on a broken play at the end of the first half. Daniels took a snap under center, and left guard Chris Paul stepped on the quarterback's foot as he backed away from the line of scrimmage. Daniels used his non-throwing arm to brace his fall and perhaps keep the play going, but in doing so he injured the elbow.

“The freak ones like this, it’s hard to explain,” Quinn said. “I loved everything about the first half, how he was playing, what we did. ... Total surprise to see it.”

A similar thing happened last November, when Daniels used his left arm to brace himself and dislocated his elbow against Seattle. He returned from that injury just over a month later, only to aggravate the problem and miss the rest of the season.

Quinn said Monday there was no discussion of Daniels undergoing surgery when he first sustained the injury last year, or of him wearing a protective brace.

“Hindsight is awesome,” Quinn said. “I wish we had it on all things.”

The Commanders now turn to the veteran Mariota, who is set to start Sunday's home opener against Seattle. Quinn said he and general manager Adam Peters have not discussed adding another veteran to the quarterback room. Rookie seventh-round pick Athan Kaliakmanis has served as the emergency No. 3 QB in Washington's first two games.

Mariota made eight starts for Washington in 2025 with Daniels sidelined, going 2-6. The veteran completed 11 of 16 passes for 111 yards and a touchdown during Sunday's 37-20 loss to the Cowboys.

“There’s nobody easier to rally around than (Mariota),” Quinn said. “When you ask anybody on our team who some of our greatest leaders are, whether it’s on or off the field, Marcus is somebody that constantly comes up.”

Quinn later said he doesn't anticipate new offensive coordinator David Blough needing to change his system much with Mariota taking over.

“The biggest thing is: What do you want to feature with Marcus that you didn’t with Jayden?” Quinn said. “It won’t be exactly the same, but fortunately there will be a lot of similarities.”

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Sarah Santiago, 17, is charged as an adult with three counts of murder by aiding and abetting and one count of conspiracy. Prosecutors say she helped California teens Cain Clark and Caleb Vazquez, who shot and killed three people at the Islamic Center of San Diego on May 18 before killing themselves.

Prosecutors in North Carolina allege Santiago agreed in advance to record and distribute a livestream of the attack made by the shooters and to disseminate their white-supremacist writings. She is also accused of buying a patch bearing a white-supremacist symbol and sending it to one of the gunmen to wear during the attack.

But prosecutors have yet to provide information about how or on what dates Santiago allegedly communicated with the shooters, or give details about the alleged agreement to record and disseminate the livestream, her attorney, Alan Doorasamy, said during a court hearing Monday.

Doorasamy filed a formal request for the information — known as a “bill of particulars” — on Friday, and the judge scheduled a hearing Wednesday on the motion. The motion does not seek to force the prosecutor's office to turn over actual evidence, but rather to provide more information clarifying the allegations against Santiago.

Prosecutors have not yet responded to Doorasamy's request. The Forsyth County District Attorney's Office did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday.

“She needs to know why she was arrested," Doorasamy told The Associated Press in comments outside the courthouse Monday. “She's a child. Of course she's very scared and she's worried, but she's done nothing wrong."

Santiago was arrested late last month and is being held without bail. Under North Carolina law, the aiding-and-abetting charges — in the event of a conviction — carry the same penalties as if the defendant had committed the attack.

Clark, 17, and Vazquez, 18, stormed the Islamic Center on May 18 before being driven back outside by a security guard who exchanged gunfire with them as he initiated a lockdown, helping to protect 140 children just steps away.

The pair killed the guard, Amin Abdullah, and two other men before taking their own lives in a nearby vehicle. They left behind rambling writings full of vitriol against a wide range of people, and cited the shooter who killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019, as one of the models for their violence.

Clark and Vazquez also planned subsequent attacks on two other targets: a Jewish temple and Black students at a high school, authorities said. Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill credited the guard and other victims at the mosque with saving countless lives.

In a written statement, the Vazquez family said Caleb Vazquez was on the autism spectrum and had grown to resent parts of his identity. The family said it believed those factors, combined with exposure to hateful rhetoric online, contributed to his radicalization.

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Associated Press reporter Gene Johnson in Seattle contributed to this report.

El informe es el primer vistazo íntimo a las vidas de los deportados, quienes han rechazado hablar extensamente con periodistas porque temen por su seguridad. La violencia de las pandillas está en aumento y el hambre y la pobreza se agravan.

Estados Unidos ha deportado a más de 470 personas a Haití desde julio, entre ellas, varias que perdieron el Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS, por sus siglas en inglés), que les había permitido vivir y trabajar legalmente en Estados Unidos.

El principal aeropuerto internacional de Puerto Príncipe se considera demasiado peligroso debido a la persistente violencia de las pandillas, por lo que los vuelos de deportación aterrizan en la ciudad norteña de Cap-Haitien. El alcalde Michel Saint-Croix declaró a Human Rights Watch que la población de la ciudad se ha triplicado a más de 1 millón en los últimos dos años, tras recibir a deportados y a haitianos que huyen de la violencia en otras partes del país.

La llegada de los deportados ha tensionado los recursos, ya de por sí limitados. Funcionarios haitianos de migración indicaron que el gobierno de Estados Unidos les comunicó que planeaba enviar hasta dos vuelos de deportación por semana, cada uno con unas 200 personas, según el informe.

Los deportados comparten detalles de sus vidas

Human Rights Watch entrevistó a 44 deportados, así como a funcionarios haitianos e internacionales.

Los deportados relataron que pasaron horas sin comida ni agua y días sin bañarse ni cambiarse de ropa mientras estuvieron retenidos en centros de detención migratoria en Estados Unidos. Afirmaron que sus pertenencias, incluidos documentos oficiales y dinero, no les fueron devueltas cuando llegaron a Haití.

Hasta el momento, ni el Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas ni el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos (ICE y DHS, respectivamente, por sus siglas en inglés) han respondido a una solicitud de comentarios.

El grupo defensor de derechos revisó las listas de pasajeros de dos vuelos de deportación en agosto. Ninguna de ellas contenía información sobre el estatus migratorio de los deportados ni los motivos de su expulsión.

La mayoría de los 44 deportados entrevistados dijo que había huido del deterioro de la seguridad y de las crisis humanitarias en Haití y se había establecido en estados de Estados Unidos, como Florida, Nueva York, Indiana y Ohio. Encontraron trabajo en sectores como la construcción, la atención médica y la fabricación.

Muchos dijeron que eran de Puerto Príncipe o de zonas aledañas, donde hombres armados controlan aproximadamente el 70% de la capital. Otros afirmaron que eran de la región de Artibonite, que está bajo ataque de pandillas violentas.

Los deportados vivieron en Estados Unidos entre dos y 14 años antes de ser enviados de regreso a Haití. Entre ellos había un hombre no identificado de 38 años que contó que había vivido en Florida desde diciembre de 2019 y que trabajó en el mismo hotel durante más de seis años.

Su esposa y su hijo de 5 años, quien es ciudadano de Estados Unidos, permanecen en Florida, según el informe.

“Trabajé para que él pudiera crecer sin el miedo, la violencia y la incertidumbre que yo había conocido en Haití”, dijo el hombre, según el informe.

Él y varios deportados más dijeron que tenían Estatus de Protección Temporal, aunque el grupo defensor de derechos señaló que no pudo verificar de manera independiente esas afirmaciones.

Una mujer de 47 años dijo que había vivido en Miami con su esposo, ciudadano de Estados Unidos, y que fue arrestada cuando acudió a una entrevista para solicitar la residencia permanente.

“Una vez detenidos, la mayoría de los entrevistados dijo que las autoridades no les permitieron contactar a sus abogados ni comparecer ante un juez de inmigración, mientras que muchos recibieron poca o ninguna información sobre sus solicitudes de asilo pendientes, los motivos de su detención o cómo podían impugnar su deportación”, indicó Human Rights Watch.

Otra deportada era una estudiante de auxiliar de enfermería de 24 años que solicitó asilo después de huir de Haití en 2023, tras el ataque de pandillas a su comunidad.

La violencia, el hambre y la pobreza persisten

Al menos 19.380 personas fueron reportadas como asesinadas en todo Haití entre enero de 2023 y junio de 2026, según las Naciones Unidas.

El hambre y la pobreza también se agravan mientras la policía haitiana y una misión respaldada por la ONU luchan por contener la violencia de las pandillas. Se espera que más de 253.000 niños de entre seis meses y 5 años sufran desnutrición aguda en los próximos meses, según un nuevo informe del gobierno de Haití y de agencias entre las que está la UNICEF.

“Estados Unidos está devolviendo a personas, algunas con solicitudes de asilo pendientes, a un país que no tiene la capacidad de protegerlas de la violencia, y mucho menos de ayudarlas a encontrar comida y refugio”, afirmó Nathalye Cotrino, investigadora principal para las Américas en Human Rights Watch. “El gobierno de Estados Unidos debería detener de inmediato estas expulsiones”.

A los deportados que llegan a Haití se les da una comida sencilla, una bebida y unos 77 dólares en efectivo.

“Después de registrarse, los deportados fueron abandonados a su suerte, y muchos no sabían qué hacer ni adónde ir después”, se indica en el informe.

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

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed Monday that Murray will be back in the starting lineup for the game against the Buccaneers, after Carson Wentz relieved him in the season opener against Green Bay and started in his place at Chicago on Sunday.

Murray’s debut for Minnesota on Sept. 13 lasted just 11 plays, before a hit to the side of his head from the lowered shoulder of Packers safety Javon Bullard forced him out of the game with a concussion.

Wentz helped the Vikings come back to beat the Packers 39-22 by closing that game with 29 consecutive points and made enough key throws to complement a dominant defense and a productive running game in the rain in a 9-3 win over the Bears. Wentz went 23 for 39 for 276 yards and three touchdowns over two games, taking six sacks with no turnovers.

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in an online post that the primary and backup lines were fixed by Monday evening and all airports in the Northeast are operating again. But significant delays are expected to continue through the rest of the day.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled at the Newark, LaGuardia, Kennedy and Philadelphia airports.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

Hundreds of flights were canceled in the U.S. Northeast due to technical problems at a key regional air traffic control center, hitting every major airport in the New York City area for several hours Monday.

The primary communications line failed at a key Federal Aviation Administration facility in Philadelphia and the backup fiber optic line was inadvertently severed by railroad construction workers. That left controllers without radar or communications.

The outage affected flights to and from Kennedy, LaGuardia, Newark and Philadelphia airports.

By Monday evening, flights were resuming at all those airports. However, significant delays were expected through the rest of the day. Some airlines were allowing customers to change flights without charge. The FAA advised travelers to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

The outage happened just as President Donald Trump and numerous foreign leaders were flying into New York City for the United Nations General Assembly.

The technical problems stem from the same Federal Aviation Administration facility in Philadelphia that caused numerous disruptions at Newark Liberty International Airport in the spring of 2025.

Regional control centers like these have two lines that carry radar and communications data in and out: the primary and the backup. The FAA said a circuit on the primary failed Monday morning, and when the system tried to switch to the backup, workers discovered that the fiber optic line had been cut.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said an Amtrak construction crew was to blame, but Amtrak pointed to a New Jersey Transit construction crew that was working in the area between Newark and New Brunswick, New Jersey.

FAA administrator Bryan Bedford told reporters that the agency was working to restore the primary connection as soon as possible by installing a new circuit on the primary line, while also working to repair the backup fiber optic line. He said it’s not clear how long that will take. Verizon said its technicians are working to restore service as soon as possible.

“That fiber break is probably 13 hours to repair. It’s massive,” Bedford said, according to a video posted online by a CBS transportation reporter. He said that the FAA may be able to install a new circuit to get the primary line working again even before the fiber line is fixed.

The primary circuit that failed is due to be replaced as part of the overhaul of the nation’s air traffic control system.

Also Monday, the FAA began testing a new computer system that uses AI to help predict schedule conflicts and weather issues to help air traffic controllers reroute traffic. But that system is initially being tested only in the Washington, D.C., area, so it did not appear to be linked to the outages.

El Centro Nacional de Huracanes, con sede en Miami, indicó que Polo podría causar lluvias intensas, fuerte oleaje y vientos con fuerza de tormenta tropical a partes de México desde la noche del martes hasta primeras horas del miércoles.

Polo se desplazaba hacia el este el lunes. Pero los meteorólogos señalaron en un aviso que, hacia la noche del martes, dará un “giro brusco” hacia el oeste-noroeste o noroeste. Se esperaba que el huracán avanzara a lo largo de la costa del oeste de México, pero que permaneciera mar adentro.

El centro de Polo se ubicaba a unos 435 kilómetros (270 millas) al sur-sureste de Manzanillo, México, y a 306 kilómetros (190 millas) al sur-suroeste de Zihuatanejo, México. Los vientos máximos sostenidos eran de 129 km/h (80 mph).

El pronóstico preveía de 10 a 20 centímetros (4 a 8 pulgadas) de lluvia, con acumulados aislados cercanos a 30 centímetros (12 pulgadas), en zonas costeras de los estados mexicanos de Guerrero y Michoacán hasta el jueves. Eran posibles inundaciones y deslaves.

Más al oeste en el océano Pacífico, la tormenta tropical Odalys estaba lejos de tierra, pero se esperaba que se convirtiera en huracán a mediados de semana.

Odalys registraba el lunes vientos máximos sostenidos de 72 km/h (45 mph). Se encontraba a poco más de 2.253 kilómetros (1.400 millas) al oeste-suroeste del extremo sur de la península mexicana de Baja California. Se movía hacia el noroeste a 19 km/h (12 mph).

En el océano Atlántico, la tormenta tropical Fay se debilitaba. Los vientos máximos bajaron a 80 km/h (50 mph) y Fay estaba a 692 kilómetros (430 millas) al suroeste de las Azores.

Aún no se han formado huracanes en el Atlántico en 2026, y este año ha establecido un récord por el periodo más largo en que una temporada ha comenzado sin un huracán. Los efectos de El Niño de este año aplastan las tormentas antes que despeguen.

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

A light drizzle fell on the South Lawn as Trump used oversized gold scissors to cut a red, white and blue ribbon. He then exchanged handshakes with officials and some members of a construction crew wearing green smocks and hard hats — seeking to portray business as usual.

If he had words to mark the occasion, however, it was impossible to hear them over the noise of his waiting helicopter. Normally, TV network crews work to capture clearer audio.

Trump didn't answer reporters' shouted questions before climbing aboard Marine One on his way to New York. Instead, he wrote on his social media site, “We are just leaving the White House Lawn on the maiden voyage from the newly built, and very beautiful, Heliport!”

MS Now, Politico and CNN have sued after Trump announced Friday that he was banning them from covering the White House in a clear escalation of Trump’s long-running efforts — in the courts and through administrative action — to restrict news coverage he finds objectionable.

CNN normally participates in a five-network rotation that provides pooled footage of daily events at the White House. When the network was barred from taking its assigned turn on Monday, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News agreed collectively to the extraordinary step of skipping Trump's helipad ceremony.

Trump has long crowed about how the new helipad — featuring extensive granite that he boasts will have a “million-year life,” as well as a large insignia reading the “Seal of the President of the United States” — would impress Chinese President Xi Jinping, who arrives Wednesday for a state visit.

He's been focused on wowing Xi even as he decried Democrats as communists in an attempt to help Republicans retain control of Congress in upcoming midterm elections. But his effort to curb access for media outlets to the White House has overshadowed Trump's pet building projects and Xi's visit.

Igniting constitutional questions over media access also eclipsed the reason Trump was lifting off from the helipad — the annual trip to attend the United Nations General Assembly beginning on Tuesday.

Speaking later to reporters in New York after meeting with the city's mayor, Zohran Mamdani, Trump tried again to shrug off the lack of network TV coverage of his movements.

“It’s interesting because they said they were gonna boycott me. But they never boycott me,” the president said, before adding, “I think that these outlets have an obligation to be fair.”

Whether Trump’s work will be long-lasting is unclear

The president has spent large swaths of his second term focused on building projects even as his administration struggles to find a way out of the ongoing war in Iran. Trump's approval ratings have sunk with only about six weeks before Election Day, where voters are increasingly worried about inflation and a potentially weakening economy.

His successor in the Oval Office could move to undo much of his renovation work at the White House. And, in line with Trump's assertions that the new helipad granite could last a million years, the president has made other grand pronouncements about his prowess with renovation projects that quickly fell flat.

He said the refurbishing of the Lincoln Memorial’s Reflecting Pool would last a century, only for the paint to fade and its liner to peel away in chunks just days after it was laid.

The helipad work began in June. Trump also ripped out the original Tennessee flagstone along the West Wing’s colonnade and replaced it with black granite. He similarly refurbished the traditional walkway from the White House’s diplomatic entrance with white granite, along with a portion of the asphalt driveway around the South Lawn.

Trump rushed to finish the project before Xi arrives and has argued that visiting dignitaries will be dazzled by the project — despite Marine One being the only aircraft that lands so close to the White House.

The president says the improvement was required since Vietnam War-era choppers that long had been used as Marine One are being replaced by modern ones that are too powerful to land on the White House lawn without damaging the lawn's grass. Trump has spent months repeatedly talking about grass as a way to promote his various building plans, even though many of the construction projects required ripping up turf.

Trump said in July that the helipad project would be privately funded and estimated its cost at up to $6 million. Additional changes, including extensive efforts to level the ground around the helipad, have made calculating the exact expenditure difficult.

Trump relishes the role of builder-in-chief

The once storied South Lawn has become a major construction site this year. In June, Trump erected a fighting cage and temporary arena for a UFC fight marking his 80th birthday. Then, crews got down to work on the helipad.

Trump says Sikorsky Aircraft — a subsidiary of defense contracting giant Lockheed Martin — would be paying for the helipad, since the company made the newer, larger helicopters. In his online post, Trump thanked Lockheed Martin's CEO.

Some of Trump’s projects have relied on public money, even when the president initially suggested otherwise.

When crews originally demolished the White House’s East Wing to make room for Trump’s $400 million ballroom, the president said it would be paid for by private donors. But his administration later sought $1 billion from Congress to make security improvements to the structure.

The pilots were the only people on board and were employed by the contract aircraft company Precision. One of the pilots was Greg King, who used to work for the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection and fought several wildland fires in that state before moving to Precision, said agency spokesperson Emery Johnson.

King's close relatives work at the agency and gave their permission to release his name, Johnson said. The identity of the second pilot has not yet been released.

At least 14 people have died while helping with wildfires in the U.S. this year, the most since 2022 when 25 deaths were recorded, according to government reports. In August, two helicopter pilots died while helping fight a fire in Utah and a helicopter pilot in Colorado crashed into a reservoir.

Details about the circumstances surrounding Sunday's crash were not immediately released. It will be investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.

The Super Puma helicopter had been using a water bucket to help suppress the fire when it went down near a lake, said Benjamin Cossel, a spokesperson with the Federal Complex Incident Management Team overseeing the firefighting response.

The Alaska forestry and fire agency called the deaths a devastating loss for the entire wildland firefighting community.

“Greg was a dedicated aviator and a dear friend to many of us. We are mourning both pilots who bravely supported firefighting efforts, and our hearts go out to their families,” the agency statement said.

Precision wrote on social media that the company was “struggling to find the words.”

“We ask for privacy and compassion for their families and our team as we grieve this tremendous loss,” the statement said.

Roughly 580 people are fighting the Dome Fire, which started Sept. 15 near Wawona, California, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. It's burning on about 4.7 square miles (12.3 square kilometers) and is about 15% contained.

The crash site was southeast of Ostrander Lake, which is roughly 7 miles (11 kilometers) northeast of Wawona and roughly 9 miles (14 kilometers) south of Yosemite’s iconic El Capitan.

Other firefighters who have died this month include one in Oklahoma who suffered a medical emergency while fighting a wildfire, and another in Oregon who was hit by a tree that broke while he was cutting it in Mt. Hood National Forest.

Also in August, a wildfire officer was killed in Oklahoma after getting trapped while evacuating a burning building in a wildland fire; a firefighter died following a medical emergency during a wildfire in Minnesota; and a bulldozer operator got overrun by flames in Oregon.

In June, four firefighters got trapped in a fire in western Colorado. ___ Associated Press correspondent Matthew Brown contributed from Billings, Montana.

With Rivers now insisting that his Hall of Fame coaching career is over, the time seemed right for him to join NBC.

The network announced on Monday that Rivers will be an analyst on games this season across NBC, Peacock and NBCSN, along with the possibility for some studio work.

“I honestly can say I’m absolutely retired,” Rivers said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “I had a long run. It ended up in the (Naismith) Hall of Fame (earlier this year) and I am so thankful that I was able to coach and played as long as I did. For the first time, I can focus on giving TV my 100% attention, which I’m really looking forward to.

“I think I’ve always been pretty honest. I’ve always celebrated the game in general, but told the truth. I don’t think anyone has ever had a problem with honesty and the way you tell the truth. There are always times where you offend people because of the truth, but I’ve never really worried about that.”

Rivers is sixth on the NBA's career coaching list in wins (1,194) and games (2,059). In nine seasons with Boston, he led the Celtics to the NBA title in 2008 and returned to the finals two years later. Along with Boston and Orlando, Rivers coached the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia and Milwaukee.

This will not mark the first time Rivers has worked with NBC. He was a studio analyst during the 2012 London Games and got to do other sports beside basketball, including handball.

“We couldn’t be happier to have him back on the NBC Sports team,” NBC sports executive producer and president Sam Flood said in a statement about Rivers. “Having led the Celtics to the 2008 NBA title with nearly four decades of NBA experience between coaching and playing, we are excited to add another Hall of Famer to our roster.”

Rivers was with Turner Sports for three years (1996-99) before beginning his coaching career with the Orlando Magic. He also had two stints with ESPN/ABC in 2003-04 and 2023. That included being on the top announcing team with Mike Breen and Doris Burke for the first couple months of the 2023-24 season before taking the Bucks job in January 2024.

“I don’t take a lot of breaks in my life. I’ve always been around the game and this is a way of keeping me there,” Rivers said. “When you think about it, I’ve played, I’ve coached, I’ve been in front office, I’ve done TV, I’ve done about everything you can do in our game. And that gives me an interesting perspective and hopefully I can share that with the viewers.”

Rivers also coached five players who became NBC analysts and played against Reggie Miller, NBC's lead analyst. Rivers, a point guard, played on four teams during his 12-year career.

He coached his son, Austin, and Jamal Crawford with the Clippers; Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady in Orlando; and Brian Scalabrine with Boston.

One of the funnier moments last season was Austin Rivers trying to interview his dad before a Milwaukee-Cleveland game.

“With this opportunity, one of the things I thought was I’d love to work with Austin. That would be a lot of fun to be able to work with him," Doc Rivers said. "It’s funny when you think about half the staff, I’ve either coached or been the father. I had a fight with Reggie, which is even funnier. So it’s pretty cool how connected I am to all the talent.”

NBC's coverage begins with three games on opening night, Oct. 20 — including Boston at Detroit and Oklahoma City vs. San Antonio. The marquee game that night will be the New York Knicks beginning their defense of the franchise's first NBA title since 1973 when they host Philadelphia in LeBron James' 76ers debut.

“When you add Giannis (Antetokounmpo) going to Miami, LeBron going to Philadelphia, Indiana getting healthy, Cleveland a whole year now with (James) Harden and (Donovan) Mitchell. The East is going to be rough this year. I mean, it’s very, very much top heavy in the East and it’ll be an interesting conference,” Rivers said. "The West, the top two teams are still the top two teams, San Antonio and Oklahoma. There’s two interesting teams. The Lakers, because they have Luka (Doncic) and Denver because they have (Nikola) Jokic, right? You can’t discount those teams.

"I think the much-watched team of the year will be Minnesota. It could go unbelievably well where (LaMelo) Ball and Ant (Anthony Edwards) figure it out and they play well or they could struggle. I mean, we just don’t know, but that’s a lot of talent on one team."

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See AP’s full NBA coverage here

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Donalds, 46, is married to U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican running for Florida governor with President Donald Trump’s endorsement.

“Here in South Florida, it’s not having enough seats for the demand for school choice, we’re heading that all over, but here it’s especially acute,” Erika Donalds, a mother of three, said. “The best schools have waitlists. Families feel like they don’t have enough transportation to access some of the other options.”

Madeline Pumariega, the president of Miami Dade College, helped to organize the event at CasaCuba, a restaurant at 5859 SW 73 St. Florida Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez was among the event’s guests.

Erika Donalds, a certified public accountant, is the founder and chair of the Education Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit organization, and Optima Ed, a Naples-based company that supports virtual reality in education.

Erika Donalds is also a member of Moms for Liberty, a far-right organization that supports parental rights in public education. She is set to speak at the Broward Women’s Republican Club’s ticketed event at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Jay’s Steakhouse, at 441 NE Third Ave., in Fort Lauderdale.

Byron Donalds is running against David Jolly, the Democrat who is campaigning for Florida governor. Jolly recently announced he doesn’t plan to debate his opponent.

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• This Week in South Florida: Henry Mack, Florida’s commissioner of education, talks about AI guidelines

Donalds, de 46 años, está casada con el representante federal Byron Donalds, el republicano que se postula para gobernador de Florida con el respaldo del presidente Donald Trump.

“Aquí en el sur de Florida, no hay suficientes cupos para satisfacer la demanda de elección escolar, estamos escuchando eso en todas partes, pero aquí es especialmente grave”, dijo Erika Donalds, madre de tres hijos. “Las mejores escuelas tienen listas de espera. Las familias sienten que no tienen suficiente transporte para acceder a algunas de las otras opciones”.

Madeline Pumariega, presidenta de Miami Dade College, ayudó a organizar el evento en CasaCuba, un restaurante ubicado en 5859 SW 73 St. La senadora de Florida Ana Maria Rodriguez estuvo entre los invitados al evento.

Erika Donalds, contadora pública certificada, es fundadora y presidenta de Education Freedom Foundation, una organización sin fines de lucro, y de Optima Ed, una empresa con sede en Naples que apoya el uso de la realidad virtual en la educación.

Erika Donalds también es miembro de Moms for Liberty, una organización de extrema derecha que apoya los derechos de los padres en la educación pública. Está previsto que hable en un evento con entrada del Broward Women’s Republican Club a las 6:30 p.m. del miércoles en Jay’s Steakhouse, ubicado en 441 NE Third Ave., en Fort Lauderdale.

Byron Donalds se postula contra David Jolly, el demócrata que hace campaña para gobernador de Florida. Jolly anunció recientemente que no planea debatir con su oponente.

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• This Week in South Florida: Henry Mack, comisionado de Educación de Florida, habla sobre directrices para la inteligencia artificial

“I just don’t see that you can finish outside the top 30 multiple times and have a shot,” Blaney said last week. “It’s just going to be too much to make up.”

Three days later, Blaney finished 33rd at Bristol Motor Speedway, the second consecutive finish outside the top 30 for the 2023 Cup Series champion. Blaney has plummeted from second to sixth in the standings since the Chase began, and his frustrations boiled over in a fight with Carson Hocevar, who bumped Blaney into a crash that ended a promising Bristol race after the Team Penske star led a race-high 202 laps.

“I understand why he’s upset,” Hocevar said. “That’s probably his championship. I’d probably be mad, too.”

During the playoff system that existed the past 12 seasons, Bristol was a cutoff race in which four drivers were eliminated from title contention, and the points were reset for the rest of the field.

In the Chase reintroduced by NASCAR this season, all 16 drivers remain mathematically eligible for the title but without a points reset — which leaves Blaney already on the fringe of contention.

He trails leader Kyle Larson by 51 points, which is more than double his deficit to open the Chase.

Meanwhile, Larson and Bristol winner Joey Logano are headed in the other direction by averaging more than 50 points per race since the Chase started.

Larson has erased a 55-point deficit to take a one-point lead on top-seeded Denny Hamlin heading into a stretch of three 1.5-mile ovals where Larson has excelled. He has three wins apiece at Kansas Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the next two tracks on the Cup circuit.

“It’s good, but there’s still so much racing left,” Larson said after a second at Bristol marked his third top five in a row (including a Gateway victory that snapped a 51-race win drought ). “Just got to keep having good consistent days. We’re going to some good tracks for us, but it could easily change a lot in the upcoming weeks. We’ve just got to keep plugging away.”

Logano, who started the Chase ranked ninth with a 65-point deficit, has surged to third and trails by 16 points.

“It was a big hole that we dug ourselves, and trying to make that up on the best teams, it’s really hard to do that,” Logano said. “We’ve done a tremendous job, but it goes to show how quickly it can go the other way. You’ve got to get hot at the right time and take advantage of the cars when you have them.”

Logano and crew chief Paul Wolfe set a weekly goal of averaging 40 points during the Chase to have a shot at winning the championship.

In the first iteration of the Chase from 2004-13, the 10 Cup champions averaged a seventh-place finish over the final 10 races. But with the 2017 introduction of stages, two predetermined sections during every race in which the top 10 are awarded points, there is a greater emphasis on running well from green to checkered flag.

Wolfe said the stage points make it possible to make up ground more quickly as Larson (38 stage points) and Logano (37) have shown in the past three races.

“When a team gets hot, and they’re able to win stages, run up front and win a race or two, you can close that gap pretty quick,” Wolfe said. “Maybe quicker than all of us anticipated when these playoffs started.”

Another way to close the gap is by winning. The value of a first-place finish was increased by 15 points this year, and the three Chase victories belong to three of the top four drivers in the standings (Larson, Logano and Darlington winner Christopher Bell).

“I think you’re going to have to win multiple races in the Chase to just keep up,” Blaney said.

Blaney and Hocevar won't be penalized for fight

NASCAR announced Monday afternoon that there would be no penalties for Blaney and Hocevar, but a further review will determine any punishment for crew members involved in the incident. Competition executives will meet Tuesday for a weekly postrace debrief that includes penalty discussions.

“We’re not going to encourage fighting, but what we are going to encourage is passion,” NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said in an appearance on Kevin Harvick’s podcast Monday. “Blaney’s showing his passion, showing his fire.”

Hocevar said NASCAR would “lose ticket sales” if he was penalized for punching Blaney.

“I would have to think not,” he said. “I kind of have to defend myself at some point.”

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Jason Eaton faces up to life in prison in the November 2023 attack in Burlington, which paralyzed Hisham Awartani from the waist down and wounded his friends, Tahseen Aliahmad and Kinnan Abdalhamid.

The men, all 20 at the time, had been visiting Awartani’s grandmother for Thanksgiving. They were smoking cigarettes and speaking a mix of English and Arabic as they walked near the University of Vermont campus after dusk. Two of them were wearing traditional Palestinian scarves known as keffiyehs.

The jury deliberated for several hours before reaching its verdict after a weeklong trial that saw testimony from the three men, who recounted how their stroll ended in bloodshed, and defense and prosecution psychiatric experts who offered differing views of Eaton's mental health and criminal culpability.

Eaton, 51, stared ahead blankly as the verdict was read, standing alongside his lawyers — public defenders whom he tried to fire last week over his concerns that his defense hadn’t been “adequately presented.” Judge John Pacht, who blocked Eaton’s midtrial bid to act as his own lawyer, ordered him jailed pending sentencing, which has yet to be scheduled.

Awartani and Aliahmad watched from the front row of the courtroom gallery, smiling and hugging people around them.

“The verdict cannot undo what happened or erase the trauma our families still carry, but it affirms something fundamental: Jason Eaton is responsible for what he did,” Awartani’s mother, Elizabeth Price, told reporters afterward.

Eaton claimed he was acting on orders from the CIA and Mossad

Eaton had pleaded not guilty but did not dispute that he was the shooter. He claimed that the CIA and Mossad transmitted their orders via FM radio and that God was commanding him to protect his Jewish neighbors. His lawyers had urged jurors to find him not guilty by reason of insanity, an outcome that would’ve spared him from prison but could have required that he undergo mental health treatment.

Eaton's lawyers, Margaret Jansch and Joshua O’Hara, said he had struggled with mental health issues his whole life, including diagnoses of attention deficit, post-traumatic stress, bipolar, depression and borderline personality disorders, culminating in a psychotic break after losing his job at a credit union two weeks before the shooting.

Prosecutor Sarah George countered that Eaton was a narcissist but not legally insane. He had a grandiose sense of self-importance and lacked empathy but was fully aware of the criminality of his conduct, George said in a closing argument. He appeared nervous when police arrived at his door, repeatedly asked for a lawyer and hasn't claimed to have received any other messages directing his actions, she said.

Eaton told officers that he had a shotgun in his apartment, but didn't disclose that he had other weapons, including a Ruger .380-caliber handgun that was found in a bedroom dresser and that crime lab testing concluded was used in the shooting, said George, the Chittenden County state’s attorney.

Victim’s mother says Eaton should’ve been charged with hate crimes

The shooting, weeks after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, shook Burlington, and reverberated in the West Bank, where the three wounded men grew up and became friends as schoolmates in Ramallah before moving to the U.S. for college. It spawned calls for a hate crime investigation.

But no hate crime charges were filed as questions persisted about whether anti-Palestinian animus, an altered mental state or something else had compelled Eaton to open fire. After the verdict, Awartani’s mother said Eaton's hateful rhetoric, aired at the trial, had made it clear why he targeted her son.

Days after the shooting, George said in her closing argument, Eaton had told his lawyers that he wished Awartani’s grandmother had warned him that the men were “going to dress up like terrorists” and trek through his neighborhood.

“Or see, if grandma had said to them, you know, maybe now’s not a great time to wear that thing on your head," George said, paraphrasing Eaton's remarks. “You know, things are a little tense when you’ve got American hostages over in Palestine, and we’re trying to get them back."

“They were not the words of a man confused about who he shot or why,” Elizabeth Price said. “They were the words a man who saw three young men speaking the language of their childhood and wearing what made them feel closer to their far away families and homes and decided to kill them because of his own prejudices.”

Victims recounted how a peaceful walk ended in bloodshed

Awartani testified last week that he first noticed Eaton standing on a porch as they approached the apartment house where he lived. Within seconds, Awartani said, Eaton was off the porch and walking toward them. His face was expressionless and he didn’t say anything. As Eaton got to about 5 to 10 feet (1.5 to 3 meters) away, “he pulled out a handgun and started shooting at us,” Awartani said.

Abdalhamid, a student at Haverford College near Philadelphia, said he fled and hid behind another home after seeing Aliahmad fall to the ground. He said he only realized later when he sat down that he had also been wounded.

Awartani, who was studying at Brown University in Rhode Island at the time, was shot in the chest and the bullet ricocheted off his scapula, causing paraplegia in his spinal cord. Aliahmad, who was a student at Trinity College in Connecticut, was struck in the collarbone, and Abdalhamid was shot in the right buttock.

Jacob Pyne, who lived in a different apartment in the same house as Eaton, testified that he heard four to six gunshots, followed by footsteps going up the stairs of the apartment house. He said he ran outside and heard two men speaking, one of whom was more vocal and yelling, “I’ve been shot, help me.” He then brought the men blankets and called 911.

Eaton didn't testify. In an opening statement last week, O’Hara told jurors that Eaton claimed he started receiving messages while listening to a local NPR affiliate. At first, the messages were encouraging and validating, the lawyer said, but subsequent messages turned dark, insisting that Eaton “has to go out and shoot somebody.”

Meritage Hospitality Group, which operates 314 Wendy’s restaurants in 15 states, said in a statement last week it intends to keep operating its restaurants and paying its 9,000 employees during the bankruptcy process.

Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Meritage filed its bankruptcy petition in federal court in western Michigan on Sept. 17. According to court documents, Wendy’s filed a notice of termination of the company’s franchise agreement “effective immediately” on Sept. 16.

Wendy’s claims Meritage owes $27.4 million in royalties and fees and $119.5 million in continuous operations fees, which companies charge to franchisees when they close locations, according to court filings. Meritage closed 60 underperforming Wendy’s locations late last year as part of a restructuring.

Asked for comment Monday on Meritage, Wendy’s said its focus is “strengthening the long-term health of the brand.”

“We worked with this franchise organization and its lenders for more than a year to find a sustainable path forward,” the company said. “Ultimately, based on these circumstances, we determined that termination was the appropriate course of action.”

Wendy's shares were up 1% in afternoon trading Monday.

Michigan is Meritage’s largest market, with 54 Wendy’s locations there as well as five Morning Belle and Blue Porch Bar & Grill restaurants. The company also runs 44 Wendy’s in both Georgia and Florida; 29 Wendy’s in Connecticut; 24 Wendy’s in Tennessee; 23 Wendy’s in Oklahoma and less than 20 Wendy’s each in Arkansas, Indiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Virginia.

Dublin, Ohio-based Wendy’s has been struggling for several years with outdated stores, high beef prices and stiff competition. It closed 240 restaurants in 2024 and said earlier this year that it planned to shutter up to 358 locations this year.

Wendy's same-store U.S. sales fell 7% in its most recent quarter.

“Wendy's is an iconic brand with exceptional assets. Today we are clearly not performing at our potential,” Wendy's President and CEO Bob Wright said in a statement last month. Wright joined Wendy's in May after previously serving as the CEO of Potbelly.

But among terms of Monday’s agreement announced by California Attorney General Rob Bonta — who led the states' case — Paramount pledged to increase film production in the U.S., commit millions of dollars to a fund aimed at supporting workers who are displaced by the merger and establish monitoring of editorial independence of the company’s news operations.

The settlement still needs a final sign-off by a judge. Bonta said Monday's agreement was about “protecting people’s careers, the lives they’ve built here in California, the livelihoods their families rely on" — but he maintained it was not a vote in support of the merger.

“I don’t think these two companies should merge," Bonta said in a Monday press conference. “But that’s not something that we are focused on with our resolution here.”

Paramount CEO David Ellison welcomed the settlement, which he said marked “complete clearance for this merger." He added that "bringing Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery together will build that stronger Hollywood, creating expanded opportunity for our people and even more great entertainment for audiences around the world.”

The coalition of states — including entertainment heavyweights like California and New York — sued to block the merger in July, alleging a Paramount-Warner combo would “extinguish competition” and lead to fewer choices for consumers, particularly movie theatergoers and cable customers across the U.S.

The Writers Guild of America also filed suit, and both challenges were headed toward a full antitrust trial set to kick off in March. The WGA separately confirmed Monday that it settled its case, too.

“We continue to believe the merger will cause damage to writers and the industry at large," the guild said in a statement. “Now that the Attorneys General have settled with Paramount, however, as a nonprofit, the WGA must contend with the reality of forging ahead alone, with no backing from government enforcers, with a complex antitrust lawsuit that would cost millions of dollars to pursue through trial.”

The union added that Paramount had agreed to prohibit writer layoffs at CBS News for five years and to pay $17.5 million to WGA's health fund, along with attorneys’ fees from the litigation.

Paramount previously agreed to delay its transaction well into next year so the challenges could make their way through court. It then quickly called for a settlement — arguing that it had satisfied all regulatory clearances worldwide (including from the Trump administration’s Justice Department ), saying that the states' lawsuit, in particular, was its “final obstacle.”

As reports of the states reaching a settlement with Paramount emerged Monday, critics decried the deal — while warning of what further consolidation could mean in an industry already controlled by just a few major players.

“Today, billionaires have yet again bribed, censored, and bullied their way to the top,” Alvaro Bedoya, senior adviser at the American Economic Liberties Project and a former commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, said in a statement. “Layoffs will follow. People from L.A. to Atlanta will lose their jobs, small businesses will lose their contracts, your cable bill and movie ticket will be even more expensive.”

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AP Writers Sophie Austin in Sacramento contributed. Sisak reported from New York.

Cuban Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Fernandez de Cossio made a surreal statement yesterday, claiming that everyone at the top of the Cuban government leadership get, on average, two hours of electricity per day.

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We know that most of Cuba’s inner circle of power have generators or solar panels that provide them electricity around the clock each day.

What Fernandez de Cossio does not admit is that the electrical problem has been caused by the Cuban government not being able to fix the outdated electrical plans that are the cause of the problem.

Sept. 18: Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar breaks with Trump over immigration policy

After supporting President Donald Trump’s policy on immigration, Republican Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar issued a video yesterday criticizing Trump.

The Department of Homeland Security was quickly to react and say that the Trump administration will continue enforcing the policy.

We need to ask ourselves whether Salazar’s change of heart has to do more with political survival since she faces a tough race in the midterm elections this coming November from well known South Floridian Eliott Rodriguez (D).

Sept. 17: Cuba is not Venezuela

A new poll recently done by FIU, inside Venezuela and Cuba, show how different the situations are for U.S. foreign policy.

The poll shows that 90% of Venezuelans want free and democratic elections this year, which I do not believe the current Interim President Delcy Rodriguez will agree to. I’m also sure that she will use Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s plan of “stabilization, recovery, and transition phase” to say that the first stage has not been fully accomplished. There was no timetable put on the plan.

The case of Cuba is very different. The population wants their economic and social needs met before political reforms, which goes to my argument that Cuba has a very short history of democratic governments.

So to remind our local members of Congress. To say that “we must return Cuba to democracy” will not happen anytime soon.

Sept. 16: Rubio’s latest actions on Cuba

Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently sent more humanitarian aid to Cuba, and it is being distributed by the non-governmental organization (NGO) associated with the Catholic Church, Caritas of Cuba.

At the same time, Rubio warned international banks and businesses not to collaborate with any Cuban business entities that have been sanctioned by the U.S.

Secretary Rubio also called for the Cuban government to change and become a democracy.

By now, we should understand that changing governments like Cuba, which have been under totalitarian control, is not easy and will take time. Especially countries like Cuba that, in their political history, have had unsustainable democratic governments.

Sept. 15: Cuba becomes a betting market for U.S. prediction markets

Cuba has become a betting market in the USA.

The betting site Polymarket shows how people in the U.S. are betting on everything from the removal of Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel from power to when and if the U.S. will invade Cuba or make an economic agreement with Cuba.

The last prediction is whether the U.S. will go and get indicted Cuban leader Raúl Castro.

Sept. 10: Russia denies Cuba full membership in BRICS

BRICS is an organization of 11 emerging economies around the world. The organization works to influence their global importance and reshape economic governance.

The membership includes Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Partner nations include Belarus, Cuba, Nigeria and Thailand.

The Russians turned down Cuba for full membership into the organization because of Cuba’s poor economic conditions and poor predictions by economists moving forward.

Sept. 9: Cuba and the U.S. stuck in diplomatic rhetoric

Cuba’s Brigadier General Emir Mesa Corona, who is in charge of personal security at the Ministry of Interior, sent a strong message to the U.S. not to even think of trying to kidnap Raul Castro or anyone in Cuba’s government or they will face serious consequences.

At the same time, Cuba’s Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parilla admitted that backroom negotiations with the U.S. continue but the U.S. will not soften their positions. Cuba wants the economic embargo lifted while the U.S. wants regime change.

Sept. 8: Blind passion for Cuban politics leads to a political circus between Miami, Havana and DC

As a little boy growing up in Miami, I remember when every presidential candidate from both political parties would come to campaign in Miami and promised that if elected, they would work to see a “Free Cuba.” They would end their speeches with “Viva Cuba Libre.” Local politicians representing different municipalities in Miami-Dade would talk about U.S. foreign policy towards Cuba like they controlled it, and yet, they had nothing to do with it within their scope of responsibilities. But it got them the votes they needed to be elected and remain in power, while political leaders in Cuba continued to blame everything wrong on the island on the U.S. economic embargo, or as they call it, “the blockade.”

On Jan. 3, the U.S. military captured Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela with the assistance of their current Interim President Delcy Rodriguez and brought him to the U.S. to face justice. Shortly thereafter, President Donald Trump announced that Cuba would be next.

The Trump administration began to sanction Cuban organizations and individuals of the government in an attempt to squeeze them out of power. So far, they are still in power. The Cuban government began to prepare for a U.S. invasion. To this date, it has not happened and probably never will.

On May 20, the U.S. Justice Department indicted Raul Castro for the downing of the Brothers to the Rescue planes in 1996 in a theater-like political rally at the Freedom Tower in downtown Miami. So far nothing has happened and nothing is going to happen. There is no Delcy Rodriguez in Cuba. A week ago, many media outlets across Miami reported, based on sources from inside the island, that Raul Castro was gravely ill. This past weekend, Raul reappeared surrounded by Cuba’s military elite.

Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the three Cuban-American members of Congress from South Florida had announced that by the end of 2026, Cuba would fall. Now it has been pushed back to 2029. Furthermore, Rubio recently said that the problem in dealing with Cuba is the Helms-Burton Law (Senator Jesse Helms and Richard Burton, both Republicans) that was enacted by Congress in 1996, also with the hard work of the late Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart and signed into law by Democratic President Bill Clinton.

The three Cuban-American members of Congress made it clear that the goal was to return Cuba to democracy. What democracy? Cuba did not have a democratic government before Fidel Castro took power. How much do they really know about Cuban history? Or is it just a play on words and empty promises?

So as time passes each day, the Cuban-American community is beginning to ask itself, what is really going on in D.C.?

It would not surprise me that in the near future the Trump organizations would negotiate to buy the empty Melia Hotels in Cuba and put the Trump name on them. After all, we now own a big chunk of Venezuelan oil and there was no regime change as promised.

Will we ever learn? How much longer are we going to be blind by our passion?

Sept 6: Raul Castro makes public appearance

After much speculation about Cuba’s Raul Castro being close to death, the Cuban leader showed up at a military event yesterday accompanied by his grandson, Raulito, and Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel.

Sept 3: Raul Castro stable, according to sources

Sources in Cuba say Raul Castro, 95, is stable despite reports about his declining health. According to sources, retired General Abelardo Colome Ibarra, known as “ El Fury,” is currently in worse condition. Colome Ibarra was head of the Ministry of the Interior and highly respected by the Castro brothers and the Cuban military.

Sept 3: President Trump’s hands are tied with regard to Cuba, Rubio says

After months of saying Cuba would be next, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today that the president’s hands are tied because of the Helms Burton Law which requires no normalization between the U.S. and Cuba unless there is regime change and a move towards a democratic government.

Even if Raul Castro was to die in the near future, I do not expect regime change.

Only the U.S. can change the Helms-Burton Law and I don’t expect that to happen anytime in the near future or after the mid-term elections.

Sept. 2: Children in Cuba start new school year amid more challenges than any other year before

Children in Cuba started the new school year Tuesday facing a lack of supplies, books, uniforms and teachers, and buildings that are falling apart, along with a lack of food to feed the children.

According to the Cuban minister of education, this will be a very challenging year unlike any others.

Cuban education was once one of the big accomplishments of the revolution. However, it was also used to indoctrinate the students in an ideology that no one on the island nation believes anymore.

Sept. 1: Raul Castro hospitalized, sources say

Reliable sources inside Cuba have informed me this afternoon that Raul Castro has been hospitalized. We need to be careful and not to over speculate what might happen until further notice.

Dr. Andy S. Gomez is Local 10’s Cuba Analyst. Gomez is considered one of the leading scholars on Cuba. He worked in higher education for 32 years before retiring from the University of Miami in 2012.

El viceministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba, Carlos Fernández de Cossío, hizo ayer una declaración surrealista, afirmando que todos los altos dirigentes del gobierno cubano reciben, en promedio, dos horas de electricidad al día.

Sabemos que la mayoría del círculo interno de poder de Cuba tiene generadores o paneles solares que les proporcionan electricidad las 24 horas del día.

Lo que Fernández de Cossío no admite es que el problema eléctrico ha sido causado por la incapacidad del gobierno cubano de reparar las obsoletas plantas eléctricas que son la causa del problema.

18 de septiembre: Congresista republicana María Elvira Salazar rompe con Trump por política migratoria

Después de apoyar la política migratoria del presidente Donald Trump, la congresista republicana María Elvira Salazar publicó ayer un video criticando a Trump.

El Departamento de Seguridad Nacional reaccionó rápidamente y dijo que la administración Trump continuará aplicando la política.

Debemos preguntarnos si el cambio de postura de Salazar tiene más que ver con su supervivencia política, ya que enfrenta una difícil contienda en las elecciones de mitad de mandato de este próximo noviembre contra el conocido residente del sur de Florida Eliott Rodriguez (D).

17 de septiembre: Cuba no es Venezuela

Una nueva encuesta realizada recientemente por FIU dentro de Venezuela y Cuba muestra lo diferentes que son las situaciones para la política exterior de Estados Unidos.

La encuesta muestra que el 90% de los venezolanos quiere elecciones libres y democráticas este año, algo que no creo que la actual presidenta interina Delcy Rodríguez acepte. También estoy seguro de que utilizará el plan del secretario de Estado Marco Rubio de “estabilización, recuperación y fase de transición” para decir que la primera etapa no se ha completado por completo. No se estableció un cronograma para el plan.

El caso de Cuba es muy diferente. La población quiere que sus necesidades económicas y sociales sean atendidas antes de las reformas políticas, lo que respalda mi argumento de que Cuba tiene una historia muy corta de gobiernos democráticos.

Así que, como recordatorio para nuestros miembros locales del Congreso. Decir que “debemos devolver a Cuba a la democracia” no sucederá pronto.

16 de septiembre: Últimas acciones de Rubio sobre Cuba

El secretario de Estado Marco Rubio envió recientemente más ayuda humanitaria a Cuba, y está siendo distribuida por la organización no gubernamental (ONG) asociada con la Iglesia Católica, Cáritas de Cuba.

Al mismo tiempo, Rubio advirtió a bancos y empresas internacionales que no colaboren con ninguna entidad empresarial cubana que haya sido sancionada por Estados Unidos.

El secretario Rubio también pidió que el gobierno cubano cambie y se convierta en una democracia.

A estas alturas, deberíamos entender que cambiar gobiernos como el de Cuba, que han estado bajo control totalitario, no es fácil y llevará tiempo. Especialmente en países como Cuba que, en su historia política, han tenido gobiernos democráticos insostenibles.

15 de septiembre: Cuba se convierte en mercado de apuestas para mercados de predicción de Estados Unidos

Cuba se ha convertido en un mercado de apuestas en Estados Unidos.

El sitio de apuestas Polymarket muestra cómo personas en Estados Unidos están apostando por todo, desde la salida del poder del presidente de Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, hasta cuándo y si Estados Unidos invadirá Cuba o llegará a un acuerdo económico con Cuba.

La última predicción es si Estados Unidos irá a buscar al líder cubano acusado Raúl Castro.

10 de septiembre: Rusia niega a Cuba membresía plena en BRICS

BRICS es una organización de 11 economías emergentes de todo el mundo. La organización trabaja para aumentar su importancia global y reformar la gobernanza económica.

Entre sus miembros se encuentran Brasil, China, Egipto, Etiopía, India, Indonesia, Irán, Rusia, Arabia Saudita, Sudáfrica y los Emiratos Árabes Unidos.

Entre las naciones asociadas se encuentran Bielorrusia, Cuba, Nigeria y Tailandia.

Los rusos rechazaron la membresía plena de Cuba en la organización debido a las malas condiciones económicas del país y a las negativas proyecciones de los economistas para el futuro.

9 de septiembre: Cuba y Estados Unidos estancados en retórica diplomática

El general de brigada cubano Emir Mesa Corona, encargado de la seguridad personal en el Ministerio del Interior, envió un fuerte mensaje a Estados Unidos para que ni siquiera piense en intentar secuestrar a Raúl Castro o a cualquier integrante del gobierno cubano, o enfrentarán graves consecuencias.

Al mismo tiempo, el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, admitió que continúan las negociaciones tras bastidores con Estados Unidos, pero que Estados Unidos no suavizará sus posiciones. Cuba quiere que se levante el embargo económico, mientras que Estados Unidos quiere un cambio de régimen.

8 de septiembre: Pasión ciega por la política cubana conduce a un circo político entre Miami, La Habana y DC

Cuando era un niño que crecía en Miami, recuerdo cuando todos los candidatos presidenciales de ambos partidos políticos venían a hacer campaña en Miami y prometían que, si eran elegidos, trabajarían para ver una “Cuba Libre”. Terminaban sus discursos con “Viva Cuba Libre”. Políticos locales que representaban a diferentes municipios de Miami-Dade hablaban sobre la política exterior de Estados Unidos hacia Cuba como si la controlaran y, sin embargo, no tenía nada que ver con el alcance de sus responsabilidades. Pero eso les daba los votos que necesitaban para ser elegidos y permanecer en el poder, mientras que los líderes políticos de Cuba continuaban culpando de todo lo que estaba mal en la isla al embargo económico de Estados Unidos, o como ellos lo llaman, “el bloqueo”.

El 3 de enero, las fuerzas armadas de Estados Unidos capturaron a Nicolás Maduro en Venezuela con la ayuda de su actual presidenta interina, Delcy Rodríguez, y lo llevaron a Estados Unidos para enfrentar a la justicia. Poco después, el presidente Donald Trump anunció que Cuba sería la próxima.

La administración Trump comenzó a sancionar a organizaciones cubanas y a individuos del gobierno en un intento por sacarlos del poder. Hasta ahora, siguen en el poder. El gobierno cubano comenzó a prepararse para una invasión estadounidense. Hasta la fecha, no ha ocurrido y probablemente nunca ocurrirá.

El 20 de mayo, el Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos acusó formalmente a Raúl Castro por el derribo de los aviones de Hermanos al Rescate en 1996 durante un mitin político con apariencia teatral en la Freedom Tower, en el centro de Miami. Hasta ahora no ha sucedido nada y no va a suceder nada. No hay una Delcy Rodríguez en Cuba. Hace una semana, muchos medios de comunicación de Miami informaron, basándose en fuentes dentro de la isla, que Raúl Castro estaba gravemente enfermo. Este pasado fin de semana, Raúl reapareció rodeado de la élite militar de Cuba.

Trump, el secretario de Estado Marco Rubio y los tres miembros cubanoamericanos del Congreso del sur de Florida habían anunciado que para finales de 2026, Cuba caería. Ahora se ha aplazado hasta 2029. Además, Rubio dijo recientemente que el problema para tratar con Cuba es la Ley Helms-Burton (el senador Jesse Helms y Richard Burton, ambos republicanos), que fue promulgada por el Congreso en 1996, también con el arduo trabajo del fallecido congresista Lincoln Díaz-Balart y firmada como ley por el presidente demócrata Bill Clinton.

Los tres miembros cubanoamericanos del Congreso dejaron claro que el objetivo era devolver a Cuba a la democracia. ¿Qué democracia? Cuba no tenía un gobierno democrático antes de que Fidel Castro llegara al poder. ¿Cuánto saben realmente sobre la historia cubana? ¿O es solo un juego de palabras y promesas vacías?

Así que, a medida que pasan los días, la comunidad cubanoamericana comienza a preguntarse, ¿qué está pasando realmente en D.C.?

No me sorprendería que en un futuro cercano las organizaciones Trump negociaran la compra de los hoteles Meliá vacíos en Cuba y les pusieran el nombre Trump. Después de todo, ahora poseemos una gran parte del petróleo venezolano y no hubo un cambio de régimen como se prometió.

¿Aprenderemos alguna vez? ¿Cuánto tiempo más vamos a estar cegados por nuestra pasión?

6 de septiembre: Raúl Castro hace aparición pública

Después de mucha especulación sobre que Raúl Castro, de Cuba, estaba cerca de morir, el líder cubano apareció ayer en un evento militar acompañado por su nieto, Raulito, y el presidente de Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel.

3 de septiembre: Raúl Castro está estable, según fuentes

Fuentes en Cuba dicen que Raúl Castro, de 95 años, está estable a pesar de los reportes sobre el deterioro de su salud. Según las fuentes, el general retirado Abelardo Colomé Ibarra, conocido como “El Fury”, se encuentra actualmente en peores condiciones. Colomé Ibarra fue jefe del Ministerio del Interior y era muy respetado por los hermanos Castro y las fuerzas armadas cubanas.

3 de septiembre: Presidente Trump tiene las manos atadas con respecto a Cuba, dice Rubio

Después de meses diciendo que Cuba sería la próxima, el secretario de Estado Marco Rubio dijo hoy que el presidente tiene las manos atadas debido a la Ley Helms-Burton, que exige que no haya normalización entre Estados Unidos y Cuba a menos que haya un cambio de régimen y un avance hacia un gobierno democrático.

Incluso si Raúl Castro muriera en un futuro cercano, no espero un cambio de régimen.

Solo Estados Unidos puede cambiar la Ley Helms-Burton y no espero que eso suceda pronto ni después de las elecciones de mitad de mandato.

2 de septiembre: Niños en Cuba comienzan nuevo año escolar en medio de más desafíos que cualquier otro año anterior

Los niños en Cuba comenzaron el martes el nuevo año escolar enfrentando falta de suministros, libros, uniformes y maestros, además de edificios que se están deteriorando y falta de alimentos para alimentar a los niños.

Según la ministra de Educación de Cuba, este será un año muy difícil, diferente a cualquier otro.

La educación cubana fue alguna vez uno de los grandes logros de la revolución. Sin embargo, también fue utilizada para adoctrinar a los estudiantes en una ideología en la que ya nadie en la nación insular cree.

1 de septiembre: Raúl Castro hospitalizado, dicen fuentes

Fuentes confiables dentro de Cuba me informaron esta tarde que Raúl Castro ha sido hospitalizado. Debemos ser cuidadosos y no especular demasiado sobre lo que podría suceder hasta nuevo aviso.

El Dr. Andy S. Gomez es analista de Cuba de Local 10. Gomez es considerado uno de los principales expertos sobre Cuba. Trabajó en educación superior durante 32 años antes de retirarse de la Universidad de Miami en 2012.

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The shooter described the person who died as “an intruder” at 4606 NW 5th Ave., according to Officer Kenia Fallat, a spokeswoman for the Miami Police Department.

“The individual was pronounced deceased on scene by Miami Fire Rescue. One person is currently being questioned in connection with the incident,” Fallat wrote in a statement.

A crime scene forensics van was parked on Northwest Fifth Avenue, between 46th and 47th streets.

Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases to call Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477 to remain anonymous.

Location

Local 10 News Senior Assignment Editor Frine Gomez and Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

La persona que disparó describió a la persona que murió como “un intruso” en 4606 NW 5th Ave., según la oficial Kenia Fallat, portavoz del Departamento de Policía de Miami.

“La persona fue declarada muerta en el lugar por Miami Fire Rescue. Una persona está siendo interrogada actualmente en relación con el incidente”, escribió Fallat en un comunicado.

Una camioneta de análisis forense de la escena del crimen estaba estacionada en Northwest Fifth Avenue, entre las calles 46 y 47.

Los detectives pidieron a cualquier persona que tenga información sobre este u otros casos que llame a Miami-Dade County Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477 para permanecer en el anonimato.

Ubicación

Según funcionarios de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, el choque fue reportado en el área de Northwest 67th Avenue y 202nd Street.

Agentes de Miami-Dade y policías de Miramar acudieron al lugar.

Un video captado por Local 10 muestra daños extensos en la parte delantera del Kia después del choque, mientras que la llanta delantera del lado del pasajero se desprendió del vehículo.

Hubo un impacto mínimo en el tráfico de la zona después del choque de un solo vehículo.

No se dieron a conocer de inmediato más detalles.

Speaking by phone during a news conference, Wilber Rafael Garces Perez said doctors didn’t remove the bullet because it’s near his spine. He said ICE pressed for him to be released quickly from the hospital so it could move him to a detention center. He said he had received no pain medication or treatment there, and had slept on the floor, before eventually being given a “pill” by a nurse on Monday.

Perez, 28, was making a DoorDash delivery in Austin on Sunday when his car was “sideswiped” twice by ICE officers in an unmarked truck, immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch told reporters Monday. He was taken to a hospital, she said, but was released later Sunday into ICE custody with the bullet still inside him.

Perez said ICE officers didn’t ask him to stop or turn on any flashing lights until after they had sideswiped him. He said he did a U-turn and was trying to park when the officers rammed his car and shot him in the back of the neck.

“I am not doing well due to the gunshot wound, and I have not received the medical attention that I require,” Perez said, speaking in Spanish over the phone as a member of his attorney's staff translated during the news conference.

Perez was being detained at the South Texas ICE Processing Center in Pearsall, about 130 miles (209 kilometers) southwest of Austin, Lincoln-Goldfinch said. She said Perez told her in a prior phone call that he was being interrogated.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, has released little information and has not said what prompted the shooting. In a statement early Monday, the department said it was investigating the shooting of a Venezuelan man in the U.S. illegally who “had a final order of removal.”

Homeland Security did not immediately respond to email messages seeking further comment on the shooting.

Perez entered the U.S. legally in 2024 after using CBP One, a program begun under President Joe Biden that set up appointments with U.S. authorities to be considered for asylum, Lincoln-Goldfinch said. President Donald Trump ended the program on his first day in office.

Perez's attorneys said he was an asylum seeker and had a valid work permit, Lincoln-Goldfinch said. She said a judge issued a deportation order for Perez after he missed a hearing in immigration court because the hearing notice was sent to a former address.

“Not that being out of status would justify any of this at all,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said of the shooting in a social media post.

The shooting occurred amid a surge in ICE enforcement across the U.S. during Trump's second term. During the summer, it reported more than 50,000 monthly arrests in July and August — a first for the agency.

Immigration officers have come under intense scrutiny amid a series of shootings during the crackdown. At least four people have been fatally shot by federal officers during immigration enforcement operations this year.

Local advocates, leaders of the civil rights group the League of United Latin American Citizens and two Democratic congressmen who represent parts of Austin called during the news conference for the creation of an independent body to review use-of-force incidents by ICE and refer suspected crimes to prosecutors.

They also urged Congress to ban ICE officers from making traffic stops, saying the officers are undertrained and too quick to resort to violence.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, has said he wants local police to have a role in investigating the shooting. Watson said it wouldn’t be appropriate for ICE to investigate on its own.

The area beneath an overpass where a large crowd of protesters had gathered Sunday near the shooting scene was quiet Monday. Trash-filled plastic bags were left below concrete pylons marked with anti-ICE graffiti.

Amid discarded police tape, people left candles, flowers and a sign that read “Justice for Wilber.”

___

Associated Press journalist Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed.

ICE removed those detainees from its online detainee locator system on Sept. 15, according to three current and former ICE officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the change. Several lawyers contacted by The Associated Press confirmed their clients vanished from the system this week, and the American Immigration Lawyers Association warned its members about the situation Friday.

The move represents a stark departure from previous practice and highlights the hardline nature of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, leaving thousands of detainees exceedingly hard to trace and potentially unable to exercise all of their legal options.

The practice, which applies to detainees who have received final orders of removal from an immigration court, could speed deportations by making last-minute legal challenges harder to pursue, immigration lawyers said. Nearly 16,000 people who were arrested and booked into ICE detention in July were subject to final removal orders, more than a third of the overall bookings, according to ICE data obtained by the Deportation Data Project based at U.C. Berkeley and UCLA.

The practice does not apply to detainees held at a detention facility in Adelanto, California or at temporary holding facilities in Minneapolis, New York City or suburban Chicago, the sources said. Judges have ordered ICE to list detainees in those facilities in the online locator promptly upon their arrival, as part of litigation over their detention practices.

Lawyers and relatives distressed by lack of information on detainees

The effort to hide their locations adds to the ways in which the Trump administration has made life harder for detainees and their families as it has increased pressure on them to waive appeals and agree to deportation.

ICE did not publicize the move and in a statement issued to the AP, the agency did not confirm or deny it. The statement said detainees with final removal orders were being prioritized for deportation, even as ICE faces a “historic number of injunctions” from courts stopping individual removals.

As a result of the change, lawyers and relatives lost track of their clients and loved ones without explanation, which is especially concerning because detainees are frequently moved to new facilities before deportation, said Greg Chen, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

“Families are freaking out because they think the person has been deported and they don’t know where the person might be,” he said. “On the attorney side, this has serious implications for the ability to contact their client. It certainly has implications about how it will interfere with the attorney-client relationship.”

The Department of Homeland Security, ICE's parent agency, has argued that people who are subject to final removal orders have received due process. That usually means an immigration judge has ordered their removal after a hearing, including cases when immigrants fail to show up, and the decision was affirmed on appeal or not appealed.

Detainees with final removal orders still have options to appeal

Still, those detainees have options to challenge their detention and removal, including seeking to reopen the case or by bringing what’s known as a habeas petition asking a judge to release them on constitutional grounds. Federal judges have granted thousands of rulings ordering that detainees be released or granted bond hearings.

ICE detention facilities held more than 65,000 people as of early July, the most recent available data. Around 30% of them likely have final removal orders, said Michelle Mendez, legal director at the National Immigration Project.

More people have been issued final removal orders after failing to show up for hearings in recent months because the administration's immigration courts have taken steps to make it harder to participate and to reopen such cases, she said.

“To me, it’s just another iteration of disappearing people,” she said. “Why would we do that in the United States of America? It’s something we’d hear about in another country and be concerned about individual rights and due process.”

Some with final removal orders also have legal protections against deportation to their countries of origin based on the likelihood they would be tortured or persecuted. Many of them are facing removal to third-party countries where they have no ties and their disappearance in ICE's system will make legal challenges harder, lawyers said.

Lawyers say clients have vanished from ICE locator system

ICE initiated the online detainee locator system in 2010 to allow relatives, lawyers and the public to search for people in custody. Previously they had to call ICE regional offices or individual facilities to try to track them down.

Many advocates and lawmakers have complained that the system updates too slowly and contains too much inaccurate or missing information, allowing ICE to shield the locations of detainees for days or weeks. Minors, people who have been held by U.S. Customs and Border Protection for less than 48 hours, and detainees who are being transported are not in the system, among others.

But the exclusion of detainees with final removal orders has no apparent parallel, several immigration lawyers said. Atenas Burrola Estrada, a deputy program director with the Amica Center for Immigrant Rights, said that “every single one of our clients who has a final order has disappeared from the locator,” including 17 in all as of Monday.

Among those disappeared from the locator system are eight Somali men being detained at the U.S. military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, according to one of their attorneys, My Khanh Ngo, of the American Civil Liberties Union. She said the change could make it “nearly impossible” for people to challenge their removals in some cases.

“If you can't find your client, don't know what's happening to your client, you can't get that information to the court to stop their removal,” she said.

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According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials, the crash was reported in the area of Northwest 67^th Avenue and 202^nd Street.

Miami-Dade deputies and Miramar police officers responded to the scene.

Video taken by Local 10 shows extensive front-end damage to the Kia after the crash as the front passenger-side tire was dislodged from the vehicle.

There was minimal impact to traffic in the area after the single-vehicle crash.

No other details were immediately released.

Gilbert, miembro fundador de la banda de pop-punk que se formó cuando tenía 17 años en Coral Springs en 1997, había anunciado que fue diagnosticado por primera vez con cáncer de hígado en 2021.

Gilbert había compartido información sobre su diagnóstico de feocromocitoma metastásico, que comenzó en las glándulas suprarrenales y se propagó a sus pulmones y huesos.

A principios de este año, Gilbert también fue diagnosticado con cáncer cerebral. En Instagram, compartió que había tocado en un concierto el 20 de febrero en Nashville y fue hospitalizado el 23 de febrero.

“Me llevaron a la sala de emergencias, donde una tomografía computarizada mostró que habían aparecido tres nuevos tumores en mi cerebro. El 27 de febrero me sometí con éxito a una cirugía cerebral y desde entonces me he estado recuperando en el hospital”, escribió Gilbert el 23 de marzo en Instagram.

El domingo, un portavoz divulgó un comunicado firmado por Cimorelli y sus compañeros de banda Jordan Pundik e Ian Grushka.

“Gilbert murió pacíficamente mientras dormía. Dejó este mundo rodeado de amigos y familiares y dio sus últimos suspiros con su esposa y su madre a su lado, tal como deseaba”, escribió un portavoz en un comunicado también firmado por Cimorelli y sus compañeros de banda Jordan Pundik e Ian Grushka.

El portavoz agregó que los visitantes llenaron el vestíbulo del hospital de un momento a otro.

“Fue un músico legendario, pero su logro favorito fue ser esposo y padre. Sus mayores sueños se hicieron realidad”, escribió el portavoz.

Mark Hoppus, de Blink-182 y sobreviviente de cáncer, también divulgó un comunicado.

“Chad era el mejor amigo de cada persona que conocía. La fuerza más positiva y creativa en cualquier lugar al que entraba. Durante estos últimos años, luchó contra su enfermedad con el alma de un guerrero alegre y valiente. Con dignidad, amor y gratitud. Nunca se quejó ni una sola vez, solo seguía diciendo lo afortunado que era. Por todo”, escribió Hoppus. “Hoy perdimos a uno de los buenos, y el mundo no será el mismo”.

A Gilbert también le sobrevive su hija Lily, de cuatro años.

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A man died, and another man was injured after a shooting at about 3:30 a.m. on Sunday at Carefree Cove, a gated community of manufactured homes.

Witnesses said the BSO’s response to the crime scene in the area of Northwest 32nd Avenue and 37th Street included a helicopter and patrol cars.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue personnel also responded and took the man injured to the Broward Health Medical Center, where he remained on Monday.

BSFR personnel did not rescue the man who died after arriving at a hospital, according to deputies.

Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases who wants to remain anonymous to call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

Location

Un hombre murió y otro resultó herido después de una balacera alrededor de las 3:30 a.m. del domingo en Carefree Cove, una comunidad cerrada de casas prefabricadas.

Testigos dijeron que la respuesta de la BSO a la escena del crimen en el área de Northwest 32nd Avenue y 37th Street incluyó un helicóptero y patrullas.

Personal de Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue también acudió al lugar y trasladó al hombre herido al Broward Health Medical Center, donde permanecía el lunes.

El personal de BSFR no logró salvar al hombre que murió después de llegar a un hospital, según los agentes.

Los detectives pidieron a cualquier persona que tenga información sobre este u otros casos y quiera permanecer en el anonimato que llame a Broward County Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477.

Ubicación

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Gilbert, a founding member of the pop-punk band that formed when he was 17 in Coral Springs in 1997, had announced he was first diagnosed with liver cancer in 2021.

Gilbert had shared about his diagnosis of metastatic pheochromocytoma, which started in the adrenal glands and spread to his lungs and bones.

Earlier this year, Gilbert was also diagnosed with brain cancer. On Instagram, he shared he had played a show on Feb. 20 in Nashville and was hospitalized on Feb. 23.

“I was taken to the ER where a CT scan showed 3 new tumors had appeared in my brain. On 2/27 I had successful brain surgery and have been recovering in the hospital since,” Gilbert wrote on March 23rd on Instagram.

On Sunday, a spokesperson released a statement signed by Cimorelli and his bandmates Jordan Pundik and Ian Grushka.

“Gilbert passed away peacefully in his sleep. He left this world surrounded by friends and family and took his final breaths with his wife and mother by his side, just as he wished,” a spokesperson wrote in a statement also signed by Cimorelli and his bandmates Jordan Pundik and Ian Grushka.

The spokesperson added that visitors crowded the hospital lobby at a moment’s notice.

“He was a legendary musician, but his favorite accomplishment was being a husband and father. His biggest dreams came true,” the spokesperson wrote.

Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, a cancer survivor, also released a statement.

“Chad was the best friend to every person he met. The most positive and creative force in any room he walked into. These past years, he fought his sickness with the soul of a joyous, courageous warrior. With dignity, love, and gratitude. He never complained once, only kept saying how lucky he was. For everything,” Hoppus wrote. “Today we lost a good one, and the world won’t be the same.”

Gilbert is also survived by his four-year-old daughter, Lily.

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The partners — 60 in total, according to Monday's announcement — include frontier AI labs, corporations, philanthropies and others already working to expand the number of languages available in AI tools that the Gates Foundation believes could combat global inequality. The coalition aims to reach more than 3 billion people over five years by better coordinating existing efforts.

It's work that must continue “full speed ahead," according to Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman, even as some of the largest AI companies urge their industry to slow down development of advanced models. Governments must regulate the impacts on cybersecurity or children's development, he said, while they extend AI's humanitarian applications to poor communities currently “shut out” from the technology.

“Even if AI was frozen right now — which I don’t expect and I am not calling for — we would want to be building these language sets and making them usable with the tools that we have available right now,” Suzman told The Associated Press.

The collaboration follows last week's Goalkeepers report, where the foundation committed $1 billion toward AI-focused efforts to improve health outcomes, upgrade educational tools and inform small farmers' practices around the world. Unrepresentative language data could lead a model to mistranslate a pregnant Malawi woman saying her “water has broken” into the direct English that she'd “thrown away water," the report warned.

The “original sin” is that many AI tools were trained on language data scraped from the internet, according to Mozilla Data Collective CEO E.M. Lewis-Jong, whose company was incubated by the Mozilla Foundation and is now a subsidiary of the not-for-profit Mozilla.org. The data-sharing platform seeks to help communities upload cultural and linguistic data sets on their own terms rather than have that data taken from the web without their explicit consent.

“The internet is not a representative space,” she said. “Why would you think that you were going to get a culturally diverse and representative system out of something that was predominantly trained on Reddit?”

Details such as the coalition’s governance are still getting hammered out, according to Suzman. A secretariat will track each signatory’s commitments and the Gates Foundation may nudge partners to fill larger gaps when necessary.

Google, a member of the coalition, has been funding an effort to collect more than 150,000 hours of audio across every district in India. Known as Project Vaani, the push underscores the need to gather speech data on dialects within languages, according to Google senior vice president James Manyika. To get there, he said, Google is working with local partners to record speech in the field.

Anthropic, whose CEO published an essay calling for industrywide cooperation on decelerating advancements, was already working with the foundation to speed up vaccine developments and bolster its chatbot’s data set of local crops. Elizabeth Kelly, the head of beneficial deployments at Anthropic, acknowledged the company's products “lag in many African languages in particular."

“We’re acutely aware that we can’t achieve any of the benefits we want to see in terms of improving patient outcomes or improving literacy and numeracy for students across the globe unless we actually get this language piece right," she said.

___

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits 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. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Desde el sábado el diésel se vende a precio internacional tras más de 20 años de subsidio, lo que provocaba al Estado una carga fiscal más de 2.000 millones de dólares anuales en medio de la peor crisis económica en 40 años. La eliminación del subsidio fue un requisito del Fondo Monetario Internacional (FMI) para otorgar a Bolivia un préstamo por 1.900 millones de dólares, según el ministro de Economía, Christian Morales.

Transportistas, campesinos, integrantes de la Central Obrera Boliviana (COB) y trabajadores informales preparan reuniones para definir las “medidas de presión” contra el gobierno mientras rige hasta fin de año el estado de excepción que decretó el presidente Rodrigo Paz para controlar las protestas de 53 días con cortes de ruta que asfixiaron a La Paz y otras ciudades entre junio y julio.

El retiro del subsidio ha tenido un efecto inmediato, desaparecieron las kilométricas filas y las esperas de hasta tres días para comprar el combustible. En contrapartida, los precios de los alimentos —que ya estaban altos— se incrementaron el fin de semana en los mercados.

“Ya no alcanza la plata, ya no sabemos cómo más estirar el dinero. Mucha gente no sabe qué hacer para comprar alimentos”, dijo a The Associated Press el ama de casa Sandra López. “Verduras y frutas volverán a subir porque la nueva carga recién llegará desde el martes”, agregó la vendedora Dionisia Calle.

Mientras tanto, Paz arribó a Estados Unidos para un encuentro con el secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, y reuniones con organismos multilaterales para "acelerar la llegada de inversiones para la recuperación económica”, dijo el portavoz José Luis Gálvez. Sus ministros están enfocados en promover reuniones y acuerdos para desactivar las protestas, acotó.

El mandatario centroderechista heredó problemas acumulados durante dos décadas de gobiernos de izquierda, entre ellos la caída en la producción de gas natural, la reducción de la generación de divisas, dificultades para importar productos, inflación y un creciente malestar social.

Sin embargo, Paz es criticado por opositores por mantener a la petrolera estatal a cargo de la venta de hidrocarburos y por algunos escándalos en sus 10 meses de gestión.

"La demora en tomar medidas, la falta de previsión y las decisiones cambiantes del gobierno generan mayor incertidumbre”, dijo el expresidente Jorge Quiroga (2001-2002).

Para el analista Francesco Zaratti el recorte del subsidio era necesario y obliga a vivir “con la verdad y no en la ficción", pero a la vez aplicar “medidas de compensación para la población más vulnerable”.

The hybrid series features a family of law enforcement officers — one an FBI agent, one a U.S. marshal, two in the Secret Service and one in the Department of Justice — whose work and home life overlap dramatically.

It sounds like what you get when “Quantico” is mixed with “Gossip Girl” and that's not too far from what Safran has concocted. He worked on both those series and has channeled them into a heady network mix. Plus, he's added a little French farce.

“You’re going to watch a case unfold every week by very capable people who are in an area or areas of law enforcement that you may have seen before, but you’re also going to go home with them and see how they take that work home with them, how it impacts their family life, how it impacts their relationships,” he says.

Who stars and how does it work?

“Line of Fire,” debuting Monday, stars Peter Krause and Hope Davis as the on-again, off-again couple at the heart of the high-achieving, slightly dysfunctional Hollingsworth family.

The fundamentals are not dissimilar to CBS's long-running series “Blue Bloods,” about a multi-generational family of New York City cops and their assistant district attorney sister. But while the fictional Reagan family would do seemingly anything for one another, one of the Hollingsworth family's three children describes them as “a family full of people who will stop at nothing to protect literal strangers but are unable to stop hurting each other.”

An early scene in the pilot episodes shows mom demanding that her daughter introduce the family to her new boyfriend — while both women stand over a fresh crime scene with two corpses.

“I think it’s really hard these days to set boundaries, even when we do set aside time," says Safran. "If you’re out with your partner, or you’re out with friends, the conversation really often tends to center around work because we’ve lost the art of going out and seeing where the night takes you or where the day takes you.”

Each week will have its own case — pulling in two or more family members — while there are also long-term arcs, like questions around an old assassination attempt on the president and which killer is leaving little origami cranes at crime scenes. By the end of the first show, a deadly conspiracy is revealed that will echo throughout the series.

Unfortunately for them, this family is destined to be in each other's faces. “It’s a family business,” says the mom to one of her sons during a tense moment. “If you didn’t want to join it, you could have gone to art school.”

Peter Krause and Jenna Bush Hager

After his beloved fire captain Bobby Nash was killed last year in a shocking twist on ABC's “9-1-1,” Krause was lured back to the small screen by Safran's scripts.

The “Parenthood,” “Sports Night” and “Six Feet Under” alum says he wasn't thinking about doing another network show but, as his credits suggest, he enjoys being part of a TV family. This time, there was a lot of family intrigue.

“The fun of it for me is the concealment, that within their jobs they have to conceal things from each other and sometimes they don’t," says Krause. "Sometimes they’ll cross a line to share information with each other, which is fun.”

The cast also includes Kat Cunning, Tommy O’Brien and Taylor Bloom as the three Hollingsworth children. Guest stars include Sam Waterston, Campbell Scott and Chris Chalk.

Safran says that while he was writing the family dynamic, he was inspired by the song “Stay” by Samantha Barks, with the lyric “Don’t come too close and don’t go too far.”

One of the show's champions is someone who spent a lot of time under Secret Service protection — Jenna Bush Hager, co-host of “Today” and daughter of former President George W. Bush. Hager is an executive producer.

“She’s really been an invaluable resource. She’s talked to the writers, she’s come to set,” says Safran. “She’s just so positive and her energy is so infectious and great.”

Hager helped Safran pick what became “Line of Fire” from a number of ideas he was kicking around. He says he's always been interested in procedurals but forever wondered about the characters' nonwork life.

“You don’t see their home lives and I really wanted to explore that. When you watch the ‘Chicago’ shows or the ‘Law & Order’ universe, at least for me, I’m digging for pieces and clues about the characters behind their job,” he says.

Safran also gets to explore ways the work-life divide can get messed up, like how the Hollingsworth's mother is someone who is suspicious of everyone — good for tracking down fugitives — but that isn't very helpful when meeting her kids' new friends.

“It goes both ways,” he says. “We bring home to work, but we bring work to home in the worst ways, too.”

Los explosivos detonaron en la madrugada en una zona rural del municipio de la Macarena, en el departamento de Meta, causando la muerte de los tres soldados y heridas a otros cuatro militares.

El ejército señaló de manera preliminar como responsable al Bloque Jorge Suárez Briceño, una disidencia de las FARC que persistió en armas pese al acuerdo de paz firmado hace una década con el Estado.

La disidencia comandada por Alexander Díaz Mendoza, alias “Calarcá”, ha sido declarada objetivo militar por el presidente conservador Abelardo de la Espriella, quien cerró todas las mesas de negociación de paz que había abierto su predecesor, el progresista Gustavo Petro (2022-2026).

De la Espriella ha advertido a los grupos armados ilegales que se sometan a la justicia voluntariamente o que actuará con “mano de hierro” incrementando las operaciones militares en su contra.

El ejército indicó que en paralelo fueron heridos otros dos soldados en Vistahermosa, otro municipio de Meta, con explosivos y disparos con armas de largo alcance.

Los soldados heridos en Vistahermosa fueron trasladados a un centro médico cercano y serán remitidos a un hospital de más alto nivel, mientras se adelanta la extracción por vía aérea de los heridos en La Macarena, indicó el ejército.

En definitiva, Fay se quedó a las puertas de alcanzar el umbral de huracán de 119 km/h, llegando a ser una tormenta tropical de 113 km/h el domingo por la noche antes de disiparse rápidamente en una cortina de cizalladura del viento a primera hora del lunes

Los principales modelos de predicción de finales de la semana pasada no predijeron correctamente la llegada de Fay, o directamente la pasaron por alto. La mayoría de los modelos se centraron en la perturbación denominada Invest 98L sobre el Atlántico central la semana pasada —que analizamos en detalle en este boletín durante gran parte de la semana—, mientras que restaron importancia o pasaron por alto el posible desarrollo del sistema de baja presión que se convirtió en Fay al suroeste de las Azores.

El Centro Nacional de Huracanes no incluyó la perturbación en su pronóstico hasta el viernes por la mañana, solo 24 horas antes de que se formara, y con bajas probabilidades que aumentaron drásticamente durante el día del viernes.

Fay encuentra una ventana

Fay se formó casi tan al norte y al este como la última vez que registramos una tormenta tropical con nombre en el Atlántico en septiembre, en una parte de la cuenca que históricamente es hostil al desarrollo de ciclones tropicales en esta época del año.

Pero las aguas en la zona donde se formó Fay registraron temperaturas récord para esta época del año y, gracias a un breve periodo de vientos suaves en las capas altas de la atmósfera, Fay aprovechó al máximo su corta duración como sistema tropical.

Históricamente, los modelos de pronóstico tienen dificultades con sistemas inicialmente no tropicales como Fay, que se forman en los rincones más remotos del Atlántico Norte y fuera del cinturón tropical tradicional. En septiembre de 2012, el sistema que se pronosticaba que alcanzaría su máxima intensidad como la tormenta tropical Michael, con vientos de 64 km/h, sobre el Atlántico medio abierto, se convirtió en el huracán Michael, de categoría 3, con vientos de 185 km/h (diferente del catastrófico huracán Michael de 2018 que azotó el noroeste de Florida) menos de tres días después.

Es un buen recordatorio de que, si bien los pronósticos de huracanes son uno de los mayores éxitos en todas las ciencias predictivas, los modelos de pronóstico aún pueden fallar estrepitosamente, especialmente en situaciones poco convencionales o durante temporadas que no se comportan como otras registradas históricamente.

Se avecina una tormenta del noreste con una pequeña probabilidad de convertirse en tropical.

Se espera que una zona de baja presión que se desarrollará a lo largo de un frente frío estacionario sobre el Atlántico occidental a finales de esta semana se desplace hacia el oeste, en dirección al Atlántico Medio y el noreste de Estados Unidos, a medida que se intensifique durante el fin de semana.

Aunque la trayectoria exacta de la baja presión aún es incierta, la diferencia entre la alta presión sobre el centro de Canadá y la baja presión que se intensifica al sureste sobre el Atlántico occidental provocará fuertes vientos y oleaje intenso a lo largo de la costa este, desde los Outer Banks de Carolina del Norte hasta Nueva Inglaterra, desde el jueves hasta el sábado. Esto podría generar un fenómeno meteorológico prolongado similar a una tormenta del noreste en la región, con fuertes ráfagas de viento superiores a 64 km/h, múltiples ciclos de inundaciones costeras, erosión costera y periodos de lluvias intensas, dependiendo de la trayectoria final del sistema de baja presión.

Por ahora, el sistema parece mantenerse fuera de los trópicos, pero existe una pequeña probabilidad (aproximadamente un 20%) de que su núcleo se caliente lo suficiente como para transformarse en un sistema tropical a finales de esta semana y durante el fin de semana. Tanto los modelos de IA como los modelos tradicionales basados ​​en la física coinciden en este escenario de baja probabilidad, por lo que conviene seguirlo de cerca. En cualquier caso, no debería alterar significativamente los impactos previstos en la costa a finales de esta semana.

Susan Collins, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, said in an interview with The Associated Press that she agreed with the Fed's decision Wednesday to lift its benchmark interest rate by a quarter-point to about 3.9%. She also expects that the Fed will keep rates unchanged next year, she added.

“I did not see the inflation progress I was hoping to see,” she said. “Geopolitical developments suggest that we could continue to see additional pressures push on the energy side.

“There were reasons to see an increased likelihood of some of the scenarios in which inflation gets stuck above 2%,” she added, referring to the Fed's 2% inflation target, which it has not hit for more than five years.

Collins was the second Fed official Monday to outline their thinking about rates, along with Austan Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Fed, who spoke earlier in London and then addressed a roundtable of reporters. Both spoke about inflation pressures arising from supply shocks, such as the war in Iran, as well as from solid business and consumer spending.

Businesses may pass on higher costs

Neither Collins nor Goolsbee have a vote on the Fed's rate decisions this year, but they participate in the meetings where rate changes are discussed. Goolsbee will have a vote next year, while Collins will have a vote in 2028.

Collins also said that businesses in her district, which includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont, continue to express concern about high costs. Many of those companies expect they may have to pass rising costs on to their customers, which could push up measured inflation.

Stubborn inflation may require 'pain'

Goolsbee, for his part, said that the central bank may have to cause economic pain in the form of higher unemployment to combat stubbornly high inflation.

Goolsbee said that the Fed is facing a series of persistent supply shocks that have driven up inflation, including higher oil prices from the Iran war and tariffs. Typically, Goolsbee noted, the central bank would essentially wait for such shocks to fade and inflation to fall on its own rather than raise borrowing costs.

But faced with an ongoing series of persistent supply shocks, the Fed now has little choice but to hike rates, Goolsbee said. The increases are needed to lower consumer and business demand to a level consistent with reduced supply, he added, which should bring inflation back to the Fed's 2% target.

“The only way to bring inflation down is to raise rates and narrow the gap between supply and demand,” he said in a written copy of his remarks. “Forcing inflation back to target in the short run means pushing employment below target. ... In the short run, supply shocks force a difficult trade-off” between the Fed's goals of low inflation and maximum employment.

“It’s going to be painful,” Goolsbee said in later to reporters. “It would necessarily be painful.”

Warsh suggested higher rates won't hurt hiring

Goolsbee's comments contradict Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh's remarks last Wednesday at a news conference that took place after the Fed lifted its key interest rate for the first time in three years to about 3.9%.

“I don’t believe that we need to do harm to the labor markets to achieve our objective,” Warsh said last week.

The Fed generally fights inflation by raising interest rates to cool borrowing and spending. Historically, such rate hikes have often slowed growth and have even led to recessions.

Yet in 2022-2023, the Fed sharply raised interest rates and inflation did decline, without a significant rise in unemployment or economic slowdown.

Goolsbee also suggested while speaking with reporters that the Fed may need to implement more than just the one additional rate hike later this year that policymakers, as a group, forecast last week.

There are signs that surging investment in data centers for AI are also pushing up inflation, he said, suggesting that strong demand is playing a role, as well as the supply shock from oil.

If inflation mostly comes from supply shocks, then just one more rate hike could be sufficient, Goolsbee told reporters.

“And if we get evidence that convinces us that it’s coming from demand, then it likely would not be enough,” he said.

Tiffany Yearty conoce esa sensación de primera mano. Ahora, a través de su organización sin fines de lucro Birthday Boxes for Good, está ayudando a otros padres a asegurarse de que sus hijos tengan algo que celebrar.

Cada caja de cumpleaños cuesta alrededor de $35 USD y se financia mediante donaciones, socios comunitarios y, cuando es necesario, del propio bolsillo de Yearty.

Antes de que Yearty fuera conocida entre las familias como la “Señora de las Cajas de Cumpleaños”, era una madre con dificultades económicas que intentaba mantener a su propio hijo.

“Cuando tuve a mi primer hijo en 2017, vivía en Florida Central y tuve que regresar a casa debido a problemas económicos”, dijo Yearty. “Llegó la Navidad y no pude comprarle nada”.

Sus padres intervinieron para ayudar esa Navidad, pero Yearty dijo que nunca olvidó cómo se sintió.

“Para mí como madre, pensaba: este es mi primer bebé. Se supone que debería poder celebrarlo, pero no puedo”, dijo. “Las emociones son como culpa, sientes enojo, sientes vergüenza”.

Años después, Yearty se unió a un grupo de Facebook para padres y comenzó a ver solicitudes de familias que necesitaban ayuda. Eso le recordó una idea que había tenido durante su propia época difícil.

“Formaba parte de un grupo de padres en Facebook, y ahí fue donde comencé a ver las solicitudes de ayuda”, dijo Yearty. “Y entonces recordé la idea que tuve en 2017. Es hora de enfocarme. Realmente quiero que esto suceda. Y años después, aquí estamos”.

Birthday Boxes for Good crea cajas de cumpleaños personalizadas para niños y adolescentes cuyas familias atraviesan dificultades económicas.

“Es toda una fiesta de cumpleaños dentro de una caja”, dijo Yearty.

Las cajas incluyen artículos para hornear, decoraciones y un regalo, dando a las familias lo que necesitan para organizar una celebración de cumpleaños.

Para Tiffany Cordero, madre de nueve hijos y con dos cumpleaños este mes, las cajas proporcionan una ayuda muy necesaria.

“He estado tratando de asegurarme de que cada uno tenga un buen cumpleaños”, dijo Cordero. “Y normalmente los dos últimos, que son en diciembre, porque está la Navidad, se vuelve muy, muy difícil”.

Cordero dijo que la presión económica puede volverse abrumadora.

“Trato de no llorar porque es abrumador”, dijo. “Así que es muy bueno que me hayan presentado con ella, porque al menos sé que en cada cumpleaños tendrán algo. Incluso si no viene de mí”.

Para Yearty, ayudar a padres como Cordero es algo personal.

“Quería ser la persona que yo necesitaba cuando estaba pasando por momentos difíciles y tenía que elegir entre pagar una factura o comprar un juguete para mi hijo”, dijo Yearty.

“Cuando puedo ayudar a los padres, veo un reflejo de mí misma en ellos porque siento que me convierto en la persona que necesitaba cuando estaba en su lugar”, agregó.

Birthday Boxes for Good actualmente ayuda a familias en todo el condado Miami-Dade mediante referencias de organizaciones sin fines de lucro, refugios y organizaciones de cuidado temporal.

La organización está aceptando donaciones, incluidos juguetes, artículos para cumpleaños y cajas. También está buscando voluntarios, a quienes Yearty llama el “Equipo de Celebración”. Los estudiantes pueden obtener horas de servicio voluntario ayudando.

Haga clic aquí para obtener información sobre cómo participar o solicitar una caja de cumpleaños.

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Tiffany Yearty knows that feeling firsthand. Now, through her nonprofit Birthday Boxes for Good, she is helping other parents make sure their children have something to celebrate.

Each birthday box costs about $35 to put together and is funded through donations, community partners and, when necessary, Yearty’s own pocket.

Before Yearty became known to families as the “Birthday Box Lady,” she was a mother struggling financially and trying to provide for her own son.

“When I had my firstborn child in 2017, I lived in Central Florida and had to move back home because of finances,” Yearty said. “Christmas came around and I could not get him anything.”

Her parents stepped in to help that Christmas, but Yearty said she never forgot how it felt.

“For me as a parent, I’m like, this is my first born baby. I’m supposed to be able to celebrate him but I can’t,” she said. “The emotions are like guilt, you feel anger, you feel shame.”

Years later, Yearty joined a Facebook group for parents and began seeing requests from families who needed help. It reminded her of an idea she had during her own difficult time.

“I was a part of a parent group on Facebook, and that’s where I started seeing the request for help,” Yearty said. “And then I remembered in 2017 the idea I had. It’s time to focus. I really want this to happen. And years later, here we are.”

Birthday Boxes for Good creates curated birthday boxes for children and teenagers whose families are experiencing financial hardship.

“It’s an entire birthday party in the box,” Yearty said.

The boxes include baking supplies, decorations and a gift, giving families what they need to put together a birthday celebration.

For Tiffany Cordero, a mother of nine with two birthdays this month, the boxes provide some much-needed help.

“I’ve been trying to make sure each one has a good birthday,” Cordero said. “And normally the last two, which is in December, ‘cause it’s got Christmas, it gets very, very hard.”

Cordero said the financial pressure can become overwhelming.

“I be trying not to cry, because it be overwhelming,” she said. “So it’s very cool that I got introduced to her, because at least I know each birthday they will have something. Even if it doesn’t come from me.”

For Yearty, helping parents like Cordero is personal.

“I wanted to be the person I needed when I was going through hard times and having to choose between paying a bill or getting a toy for my kid,” Yearty said.

“When I’m able to give to parents, I see a reflection of myself in them because I feel like I become the person I needed when I was in their shoes,” she added.

Birthday Boxes for Good currently serves families across Miami-Dade County through referrals from nonprofits, shelters and foster organizations.

The organization is accepting donations, including toys, birthday supplies and boxes. It is also looking for volunteers, whom Yearty calls the “Celebration Crew.” Students can earn volunteer hours by helping.

Click here for information on how to get involved or to request a birthday box.

Los Dolphins abrieron el partido con un ataque de pases cortos que tuvo como protagonista al corredor De’Von Achane, pero la serie terminó sin puntos cuando el pateador Riley Patterson falló por la derecha un intento de gol de campo de 51 yardas.

Los 49ers aprovecharon rápidamente el fallo.

Brock Purdy utilizó una jugada de engaño para encontrar al receptor Mike Evans, quien realizó una recepción de 10 yardas manteniendo los pies dentro del campo para conseguir un primero y diez. Más tarde, Purdy conectó con el corredor Christian McCaffrey, quien rompió una tacleada del esquinero novato Chris Johnson para preparar un primero y gol. McCaffrey luego anotó con una carrera de una yarda para darle a San Francisco una ventaja de 7-0.

Miami fue creativo en su siguiente posesión, utilizando al fullback DJ Hernandez para convertir una situación de tercera oportunidad y pocas yardas. Los Dolphins volvieron a involucrar a Achane en el juego de pases cortos, pero la línea defensiva de San Francisco obligó al quarterback Malik Willis a salir del bolsillo en tercera oportunidad, dentro del territorio de los 49ers. Miami se conformó con un gol de campo, con Patterson acertando desde 28 yardas para reducir la desventaja a 7-3.

Purdy utilizó sus piernas en la siguiente serie ofensiva de San Francisco para evadir la presión antes de lanzar campo abajo al receptor DeMarcus Robinson. Más tarde, Purdy utilizó un engaño de jugada antes de correr para un touchdown de dos yardas, ampliando la ventaja de los 49ers a 14-3.

Los Dolphins respondieron con una serie en la que Willis utilizó su movilidad para conectar con los receptores Malik Washington y Caleb Douglas y conseguir primeros y diez. Pero Miami nuevamente no logró llegar a la zona de anotación. Después de una penalización por sujetar contra el guardia de primera ronda Kadyn Proctor, los Dolphins se conformaron con otro gol de campo de Patterson y se fueron al medio tiempo perdiendo 14-6.

Miami volvió a avanzar hasta territorio de San Francisco en el tercer cuarto, pero no pudo finalizar la serie con un touchdown.

Los 49ers pasaron inmediatamente al ataque para comenzar la segunda mitad. En la primera jugada, Purdy utilizó un engaño de jugada para encontrar al ala cerrada George Kittle para una ganancia de 40 yardas. Unas jugadas después, Purdy volvió a encontrar a Kittle tras un error de cobertura de Willie Gay Jr., ampliando la ventaja de San Francisco a 21-6.

Los 49ers continuaron imponiéndose en la batalla física en la línea de golpeo. La defensa de San Francisco colapsó repetidamente el bolsillo y el safety Marques Sigle derribó a Willis para la tercera captura de quarterback de los 49ers en el partido.

Purdy agregó entonces su tercer touchdown del día, lanzando un pase de anotación de seis yardas al fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Purdy terminó con dos pases de touchdown y un touchdown por tierra.

Los problemas de Miami continuaron cuando el pateador de despeje Bradley Pinion dejó caer el centro, dándole a San Francisco la posesión en la yarda 28 de los Dolphins.

En la siguiente jugada, Purdy colocó un pase preciso para Evans, quien ganó 28 yardas. McCaffrey terminó la corta serie con su segunda carrera de touchdown de una yarda, poniendo a San Francisco arriba 35-6.

Kittle agregó más tarde en el partido una recepción de 26 yardas por el centro mientras los 49ers continuaban moviendo el balón con eficacia.

Los Dolphins no pudieron encontrar mucho ritmo ofensivo, con penalizaciones costosas y la incapacidad de mantener las series ofensivas contribuyendo a la abultada derrota. Miami, que tiene uno de los planteles más jóvenes de la liga, tuvo dificultades para igualar la fortaleza física de San Francisco.

Purdy completó 20 de 22 pases para 287 yardas y dos touchdowns, además de sumar una anotación por tierra sin lanzar una intercepción. Mac Jones ingresó como relevo al final del partido.

Kittle lideró a los 49ers con cuatro recepciones para 80 yardas y un touchdown. McCaffrey agregó dos touchdowns por tierra mientras continuaba fortaleciendo su trayectoria profesional.

Willis sí logró conectar un pase profundo con el receptor Ryan Miller para un touchdown de 77 yardas. Fue el primer touchdown de Miami en el partido y uno de los pocos puntos positivos de la ofensiva.

En general, Miami consiguió más oportunidades para Achane, pero el juego terrestre siguió siendo inconsistente. Willis también tuvo dificultades para llevar a su equipo a la zona de anotación de manera constante por segunda semana consecutiva y fue capturado cuatro veces.

El ex quarterback de los Dolphins Ryan Fitzpatrick dijo recientemente en un podcast que si Miami no derrotaba a los Las Vegas Raiders en la Semana 1, los Dolphins no ganarían ningún partido en toda la temporada. Miami perdió ante los Raiders en el primer partido y enfrentará un calendario complicado mientras intenta demostrar que sus críticos están equivocados.

Próximos partidos

Miami (0-2) recibe a Kansas City el próximo domingo.

San Francisco (2-0) visita a Arizona (1-1) el próximo domingo.

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The Dolphins opened the game with a short passing attack that featured running back De’Von Achane, but the drive ended without points when kicker Riley Patterson missed a 51-yard field-goal attempt wide right.

The 49ers quickly capitalized on the miss.

Brock Purdy used play-action to find wide receiver Mike Evans for a 10-yard toe-tap catch and a first down. Purdy later connected with running back Christian McCaffrey, who broke a tackle by rookie cornerback Chris Johnson to set up first-and-goal. McCaffrey then scored on a 1-yard run to give San Francisco a 7-0 lead.

Miami got creative on its next possession, using fullback DJ Hernandez to convert a third-and-short situation. The Dolphins again worked Achane into the short passing game, but San Francisco’s defensive line flushed quarterback Malik Willis from the pocket on third down deep in 49ers territory. Miami settled for a field goal, with Patterson connecting from 28 yards to cut the deficit to 7-3.

Purdy used his legs on San Francisco’s next drive to evade pressure before throwing downfield to wide receiver DeMarcus Robinson. Purdy later used a play-action fake before scrambling for a 2-yard touchdown, extending the 49ers’ lead to 14-3.

The Dolphins answered with a drive in which Willis used his mobility to connect with wide receivers Malik Washington and Caleb Douglas for first downs. But Miami again failed to reach the end zone. After a holding penalty on first-round guard Kadyn Proctor, the Dolphins settled for another Patterson field goal and went into halftime trailing 14-6.

Miami moved into San Francisco territory again in the third quarter but could not finish the drive with a touchdown.

The 49ers immediately went on the attack to begin the second half. On the first play, Purdy used play-action to find tight end George Kittle for a 40-yard gain. A few plays later, Purdy found Kittle again after a blown coverage by Willie Gay Jr., pushing San Francisco’s lead to 21-6.

The 49ers continued to win the physical battle at the line of scrimmage. San Francisco’s defense repeatedly collapsed the pocket, and safety Marques Sigle brought down Willis for the 49ers’ third sack of the game.

Purdy then added his third touchdown of the day, throwing a 6-yard touchdown pass to fullback Kyle Juszczyk. Purdy finished with two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown.

Miami’s problems continued when punter Bradley Pinion fumbled the snap, giving San Francisco possession at the Dolphins’ 28-yard line.

On the next play, Purdy dropped a pass into the bucket for Evans, who gained 28 yards. McCaffrey finished the short drive with his second 1-yard touchdown run, putting San Francisco ahead 35-6.

Kittle added a 26-yard reception over the middle later in the game as the 49ers continued to move the ball effectively.

The Dolphins could not find much rhythm offensively, with costly penalties and an inability to sustain drives contributing to the lopsided loss. Miami, which has one of the youngest rosters in the league, struggled to match San Francisco’s physicality.

Purdy completed 20 of 22 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing score without throwing an interception. Mac Jones entered in relief late in the game.

Kittle led the 49ers with four catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. McCaffrey added two rushing touchdowns as he continued to build his career résumé.

Willis did connect on a deep ball to wide receiver Ryan Miller for a 77-yard touchdown pass. It was Miami’s first touchdown of the game and one of the only bright spots on offense.

Overall, Miami did get more opportunities for Achane, but the running game remained inconsistent. Willis also struggled to get his team in the end zone consistently for the second consecutive week and was sacked four times.

Former Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick recently said on a podcast that if Miami did not beat the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1, the Dolphins would not win a game all season. Miami lost to the Raiders in the opener and will face a challenging schedule as it tries to prove its doubters wrong.

Up Next

Miami (0-2) hosts Kansas City next Sunday.

San Francisco (2-0) visits Arizona (1-1) next Sunday.

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On Friday, people were forced to push a car that was stuck in the flood waters near the intersection of Southeast 10th Street and Second Avenue.

The president of Meadowbrook Lakes Condominiums said severe flooding has been an issue for years, and he says it’s past time for the city to help out.

“The damage of people driving too fast to houses or condos and cars is crazy,” said condo president Tom Heyen.

He said the issue came to a head in April of 2023, when 45 first floor units were ruined by flooding.

It was an estimated $6 million loss after all the units needed to be renovated, which also kept residents out of their homes for at least seven months.

Some never returned.

“Just frustration because I’ve been battling with the city for two, three years,” said Heyen.

Dania Beach has a stormwater master plan aimed to keep the rainwater away from homes, but Heyen said the project hasn’t made its way over to his neighborhood.

Until then, when heavy rain is in the forecast, he wants the road outside the complex blocked off to through traffic so vehicles don’t push waves of floodwater toward homes.

“To keep people from roaring through here and causing waves and damage,” Heyen said.

El viernes, varias personas se vieron obligadas a empujar un automóvil que quedó atascado en las aguas de la inundación cerca de la intersección de Southeast 10th Street y Second Avenue.

El presidente de Meadowbrook Lakes Condominiums dijo que las graves inundaciones han sido un problema durante años y asegura que ya es hora de que la ciudad ayude.

“Los daños causados por personas que conducen demasiado rápido a casas o condominios y automóviles son una locura”, dijo el presidente del condominio, Tom Heyen.

Dijo que el problema llegó a un punto crítico en abril de 2023, cuando 45 unidades del primer piso quedaron destruidas por las inundaciones.

Se estimó una pérdida de $6 millones USD después de que todas las unidades necesitaran ser renovadas, lo que también mantuvo a los residentes fuera de sus hogares durante al menos siete meses.

Algunos nunca regresaron.

“Simplemente frustración porque he estado luchando con la ciudad durante dos, tres años”, dijo Heyen.

Dania Beach cuenta con un plan maestro de aguas pluviales destinado a mantener el agua de lluvia alejada de las viviendas, pero Heyen dijo que el proyecto aún no ha llegado a su vecindario.

Hasta entonces, cuando se pronostiquen fuertes lluvias, quiere que la carretera frente al complejo sea cerrada al tráfico de paso para que los vehículos no empujen olas de agua de las inundaciones hacia las viviendas.

“Para evitar que la gente pase a toda velocidad por aquí y provoque olas y daños”, dijo Heyen.

With the winners to be announced at a ceremony in London on Oct. 26, clubs and players have been campaigning actively for the prestigious award.

During a recent interview with France Football, which organizes the trophy, Mbappé said he believes he can win it this year.

The Real Madrid striker also compared himself with Dembélé, who won the accolade last year. When told that 10 years ago only a few observers would have thought that Dembélé would win the Ballon d'Or before him, Mbappé replied:

“But he has always been seen as a talented player. I, on the other hand, have always been seen as the chosen one. I was at the top right away, from a very young age. He had a different journey, with injuries, but he has caught up really well!”

Mbappé's comments reportedly created tensions between the pair. Both players were set to gather Monday for a France training camp ahead of upcoming Nations League matches, and Mbappé said their relationship remains unchanged.

“I’ve already spoken to him about it, and there’s no tension,” he told L'Equipe during an interview in connection with his role as an ambassador for the brand On. “He’s a friend. I don’t think there’s really any problem regarding that. I’m very relaxed about it.”

After claiming a second straight Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain last season, Dembélé has a chance to retain the Ballon d’Or.

Dembélé and Mbappé both played for France at the World Cup, where their team lost to eventual champion Spain in the semifinals. Although it’s difficult to win the accolade without a major trophy, Mbappé made history when he overtook Lionel Messi for the most all-time World Cup goals (22), in fewer games.

___

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Un video obtenido por Local 10 muestra la embarcación, identificada como “Promiscuous”, completamente envuelta en llamas. El fuego parecía concentrarse en la parte trasera del catamarán.

El incendio ocurrió en la cuadra 100 de Hendricks Isles, en Fort Lauderdale. Según los bomberos, residentes de la zona reportaron el fuego alrededor de las 6:05 a.m.

Una densa columna de humo podía verse a varios kilómetros de distancia mientras los equipos de emergencia acudían al lugar.

Residentes dijeron a Local 10 que se despertaron al notar un pequeño incendio que se propagó en cuestión de segundos. En un momento dado, aseguraron haber escuchado lo que parecía ser una explosión mientras las llamas consumían la embarcación.

Casi 20 unidades de Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue respondieron a la emergencia, según las autoridades.

Videos grabados en el lugar muestran a los bomberos utilizando herramientas para abrir partes de la embarcación y llegar a zonas donde el fuego seguía activo.

Según residentes, el “Promiscuous” estaba a la venta por aproximadamente un millón de dólares.

No se reportaron heridos.

Las autoridades continúan investigando la causa del incendio.

Una residente dijo que escuchó los disparos desde el interior de su vivienda.

“Estábamos todos sentados en la casa y de repente escuchamos disparos muy fuertes. Era como ‘¡pum, pum, pum!’, y nos preguntamos: ‘¿Qué está pasando afuera?’. Hay mucho movimiento, parece que está ocurriendo algo grande”, dijo.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward dijeron que el tiroteo dejó a un hombre hospitalizado con una herida de bala. Un segundo hombre fue trasladado de emergencia al hospital por una persona que se encontraba en el lugar cuando se produjeron los disparos. Ese hombre murió posteriormente a causa de sus heridas.

También se observó a agentes escoltando a un hombre esposado hacia una ambulancia. Los equipos de emergencia atendieron una lesión que tenía en una mano antes de que fuera colocado en una patrulla y trasladado para ser interrogado.

Otra residente describió su sorpresa al enterarse de lo ocurrido.

“Salimos y la policía que estaba aquí nos dijo que dos personas habían recibido disparos, y nosotros dijimos: ‘¡¿Qué?!’”, relató.

Mientras los agentes trabajaban en el lugar, se pidió a los residentes que permanecieran afuera mientras los investigadores continuaban con sus labores.

Las identidades de ambos hombres aún no han sido reveladas.

Leer en español

In Miami, China Express was ordered shut after inspectors found dozens of rodent droppings, including beneath an air-conditioning unit and near the back exit. A follow-up inspection the next day still found additional droppings. And in Deerfield Beach, Pizzapiez was ordered shut after inspectors found rodent droppings on a package of pasta, on a box of single-service containers and throughout the kitchen.

Below are all the places recently ordered shut and some of their violations.

All the places mentioned were allowed to re-open following an ordered cleanup and then a re-inspection.

**CHINA EXPRESS

5301 NE 2ND AVENUE

MIAMI

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 9/16

27 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed approximately 20 rodent droppings under AC unit. Observed approximately 20 rodent droppings by back exit door hallway. Observed approximately 12 rodent droppings by storage under sugar container. Observed approximately 6 rodent droppings under storage by hallway.”

“Employee began working with food, handling clean equipment or utensils, or touching unwrapped single-service items without first washing hands. Observed employee started working handling SS bowls without wash hands. Coached employee to wash hands properly.”

“Employee touched bare body part and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Observed employee touching face and proceeded to cooked beef at stove. Coached employee to wash hands.” Repeat Violation

“Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Observed raw shell eggs stored over cooked chicken at reach in cooler across three compartment sink.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed pikliz (58F - Cold Holding) at front counter table.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed cooked chicken wing (112F - Hot Holding); fried rice (125F - Hot Holding); fries (99F - Hot Holding) at front counter steam table. As per manager less than one hour. Manager reheated products. Recheck cooked chicken wing (182F - Reheating); fries (159F - Reheating).”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed food container with sugar heavily soiled across cook line.”

“Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed towels stored inside hand sink front counter.” Warning

“Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair. Observed ceiling tile in disrepair above three compartment sink.” Warning

“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Observed ceiling tiles soiled and dusty throughout all establishment.” Warning

“Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable. Observed cutting board at prep table across three compartment sink.” Warning

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed two dead roaches by dry storage under sugar containers across bathrooms. Observed two dead roaches by AC unit storage.” Warning

“Equipment in poor repair. Observed reach in cooler in disrepair across mop sink.” Warning

“Exterior door has a gap at the threshold that opens to the outside. Observed at back door.” Repeat Violation — Warning

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Observed floor under fryers heavily soiled with accumulation of grease. Observed floor soiled under three compartment sink.”

“Observed floor soiled with breading by breading table machine. Observed fryers exterior heavily soiled.” Warning

“Floor tiles missing and/or in disrepair. Observed tiles in disrepair by entrance door and by three compartment sink floor tiles in disrepair.” Warning

“Food stored on floor. Observed cooking oil container stored at floor by back exit door. Observed rice container stored on floor by storage hallway and sugar container stored on floor by cook line.” Warning

“Hole in or other damage to wall. Observed by hallway and bathroom.” Repeat Violation — Warning

“In-use wet wiping cloth/towel used under cutting board. Observed by prep table across three compartment sink.” Warning

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed fryers heavily soiled. Observed breading table machine soiled across three compartment sink.” Warning

“Outer openings not protected with self-closing doors. Observed front door entrance open during inspection.” Warning

“Reach-in cooler interior/shelves have accumulation of soil residues. Across cook line.” Repeat Violation — Warning

“Standing water or very slow draining water in handwash sink, three-compartment sink, or mop sink. Observed hand sink water slow draining front counter.” Warning

“Unclean building components, attachments or fixtures. Observed camera installed by ceilings heavily dusty.” Warning

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed wall soiled and dusty by front counter. Observed wall soiled behind fryers.” Warning

“Wet wiping cloth not stored in sanitizing solution between uses. Observed by prep table and cook line.” Warning

“Working containers of food removed from original container not identified by common name. Observed sugar container not labeled by storage across bathroom.” Warning

FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION 9/17

“Observed approximately 10 rodent droppings under AC unit. Observed approximately 7 rodent droppings by back exit door hallway. Observed approximately 3 rodent droppings under storage by hallway bathroom.”

**AU BON GOUT TAKE OUT RESTAURANT

5273 NORTH DIXIE HIGHWAY

POMPANO BEACH

ORDERED SHUT 9/15

15 VIOLATIONS FOUND

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 4/1/24 (ROACH ISSUE)

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 3/21/18 (ROACH ISSUE)

“Accumulation of dead or trapped birds, insects, rodents, or other pests, in control devices. 1. Observed one dead rodent behind oven at cookline in kitchen.”

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. 1. Observed approximately 100 rodent droppings in oven at cookline in kitchen. 2. Observed approximately 75 rodent droppings scattered on floors at cookline and in prep area in kitchen. 3. Observed approximately 75 rodent droppings inside pots stored cleans, on paper bags and cardboard boxes at front counter, and on floor around reach in coolers in storage area. 4. Observed 9 rodent droppings on floor inside walk in cooler. 5. Observed 1 rodent droppings scattered on top of microwave on storage rack in kitchen.”

“Ceiling tiles and vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance in kitchen.”

“Interior of oven and microwave oven in kitchen has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris.”

“Plumbing system in disrepair. Observed hand sink faucet hanging loose at hand sink in kitchen.”

“Employee handled soiled equipment or utensils and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Observed employee cleaning inside of oven at cookline then handing cleaned utensils to stir food at cookline without first hand washing.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. 1. Observed Rice (62F - Hot Holding) under no temperature control on counter in kitchen. Cooked less than one hour ago per operator.”

“Employee washed hands in a sink other than an approved handwash sink. Observed employee washing hands in triple sink.”

“No soap provided at handwash sink in kitchen.”

**PITA FRESH

7758 N. KENDALL DR.

KENDALL

ORDERED SHUT 9/16

13 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Observed walk in cooler with ambient temp of 49F, the following TCS foods stored inside: raw chicken (55F - Cold Holding); cut tomato (50F - Cold Holding); tzatziki (48F - Cold Holding); shredded lettuce (47F - Cold Holding); gyro meat (50F - Cold Holding). Observed reach in across flat top with ambient temp of 45F, the following TCS foods stored inside: tzatziki (52F - Cold Holding); cut tomato (56F - Cold Holding); shredded lettuce (49F - Cold Holding). Observed cooler across gyro cooker with ambient temp if 68F, the following TCS foods stored inside: chickpeas (60F - Cold Holding); cut tomato (49F - Cold Holding); hummus (55F - Cold Holding); feta (49F - Cold Holding). Observed no equipment on site to properly maintain cold holding temperatures of at least 43F.’

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed knife magnet soiled.” Repeat Violation

“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Observed dust accumulation to vents in kitchen.” Repeat Violation

“Cold holding equipment not maintained in good repair. Do not store time/temperature control for safety food in this unit until the unit is repaired. Observed walk in cooler with ambient temp of 49F, the following TCS foods stored inside: raw chicken (55F - Cold Holding); cut tomato (50F - Cold Holding); tzatziki (48F - Cold Holding); shredded lettuce (47F - Cold Holding); gyro meat (50F - Cold Holding). Observed reach in across flat top with ambient temp of 45F, the following TCS foods stored inside: tzatziki (52F - Cold Holding); cut tomato (56F - Cold Holding); shredded lettuce (49F - Cold Holding). Observed cooler across gyro cooker with ambient temp if 68F, the following TCS foods stored inside: chickpeas (60F - Cold Holding); cut tomato (49F - Cold Holding); hummus (55F - Cold Holding); feta (49F - Cold Holding).”

“Inadequate number/capacity of cold holding units to maintain time/temperature control for safety food at proper temperatures. Observed all coolers in establishment not maintaining temperature of at least 43F. Observed walk in with temp of 48F, observed both reach in coolers with ambient temps of 45F and 68F.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair. Observed water damage to tiles in kitchen.” Repeat Violation.

**PIZZAPIEZ

614 SE 10TH ST

DEERFIELD BEACH

ORDERED SHUT 9/15

12 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. 1. Observed 1 dropping on package of pasta in kitchen. 2. Observed 1 rodent droppings on box of single serve containers on storage rack in kitchen. 3. Observed approximately 15 rodent droppings in front of walk in cooler, under storage racks, and prep tables in kitchen.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. 1. Hood filters at cookline in kitchen. 2. Door gaskets at three door reach in cooler opposite cookline in kitchen.”

“Assorted Pizza slices, Time/temperature control for safety food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking. Operator time marked 2:30p-6:30p.”

“No soap provided at handwash sink in kitchen.”

**CT CANTINA AND TAQUERIA

DANIA POINTE

176 N. DANIA POINTE DR.

DANIA BEACH

ORDERED SHUT 9/16

14 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Live, small flying insects found. Approximately 1 small live flying insect at cook line on open bag of tortillas. Approximately 50 small live flying insects on bags of onions at prep area. Approximately 15 small live flying insects at dish washing area landing on shelves and dishes. Approximately 4 small live flying insects in customer dining room landing on tables. Discussed with operator to eliminate all flying insects and clean and sanitize areas.”

“Food being cooled by nonapproved method as evidenced by inadequate rate of cooling during time of inspection. In reach at cook line cut lettuce (56F - Ambient Cooling) at 1:20 since 12:30 to 55F at 2:00, at this current rate of cool on product will not reach 41F within 4 hours, discussed with operator who placed bag of ice on product. In walk in cooler large covered metal pan raw ground pork (55F - Cooling) at 1:20 since 12:00 to 53F at 1:40, at this current rate product will not reach 41F within 4 hours, discussed with operator who separated products into separate pans to allow adequate air flow cooling.”

Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. In reach in cooler at soda expo line house made tomato salsa (52F - Cold Holding) per operator product not portioned or prepared today and held in unit for over 6 hours, see stop sale.

“Dish machine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength. Discontinue use of dish machine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dish machine is repaired and sanitizing properly. Dishwasher (Chlorine 0ppm) operator ran machine multiple times and at retest Dishwasher (Chlorine 100ppm)”

“Floor area(s) covered with standing water. Multiple areas of kitchen and walk in cooler standing water on floor, discussed with operator to clean and sanitize.”

“Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Employee handled trash can and after without wash he hands employee placed on gloves and handled tortilla, discussed with operator who educated employee, discarded tortilla and washed hands.”

“Handwash sink not accessible for employee use at all times. At dish washing area hand washing sink filled with dirty dishes, discussed with operator who removed dishes.”

“No soap provided at handwash sink. No soap provided at hand washing sink end of cook line, discussed with operator who provided soap.”

**VALE FOOD COMPANY

420 N. FEDERAL HIGHWAY

FORT LAUDERDALE

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 9/15

7 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Live, small flying insects found. Approximately 25 live small flying insects landing on the wall and TVs above the front serving line and expo station. 2 live small flying insects landing on aluminum to go containers on the top shelf of the cook line window. Approximately 5 live small flying insects landing on the walls of the mop sink Approximately 20 small flying insects landing on the single service item boxes in the corner by the dish area and dry storage room.”

“In-use utensil in non-time/temperature control for safety food not stored with handle above top of food within a closed container. In the bin of granola, the handle was buried.”

“Handwash sink removed from food preparation/dishwashing area. Must be reinstalled in the same location where removed. At the front counter.”

**RIVERSIDE MARKET PLANTATION

6900 CYPRESS ROAD

PLANTATION

ORDERED SHUT 9/9

7 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Live, small flying insects found. Observed approximately 50 small flying insects at the bar landing in beer taps, counter tops and clean cups.”

“Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed handwashing sink used to stored cups.”

En Miami, se ordenó el cierre de China Express después de que los inspectores encontraran decenas de excrementos de roedores, incluso debajo de una unidad de aire acondicionado y cerca de la salida trasera. Una inspección de seguimiento al día siguiente reveló aún más excrementos. En Deerfield Beach, se ordenó el cierre de Pizzapiez después de que los inspectores encontraran excrementos de roedores en un paquete de pasta, en una caja de envases individuales y en toda la cocina.

A continuación se muestran todos los lugares que han sido clausurados recientemente y algunas de sus infracciones.

Todos los lugares mencionados pudieron reabrir tras una limpieza ordenada y una posterior reinspección.

**CHINA EXPRESS

5301 NE 2ND AVENUE

MIAMI

INSPECCIÓN BASADA EN UNA DENUNCIA

ORDEN DE CIERRE 16/9

Se detectaron 27 infracciones.

Se detectó actividad de roedores, evidenciada por los excrementos encontrados. Se observaron aproximadamente 20 excrementos debajo de la unidad de aire acondicionado. Se observaron aproximadamente 20 excrementos junto a la puerta de salida trasera del pasillo. Se observaron aproximadamente 12 excrementos junto al almacén, debajo del recipiente de azúcar. Se observaron aproximadamente 6 excrementos debajo del almacén junto al pasillo.

“El empleado comenzó a manipular alimentos, equipos o utensilios limpios, o a tocar artículos desechables sin envolver sin lavarse las manos previamente. Se observó que el empleado comenzó a manipular tazones de acero inoxidable sin lavarse las manos. Se le indicó al empleado que se lavara las manos correctamente.”

“El empleado tocó una parte del cuerpo sin protección y luego preparó alimentos, manipuló equipo o utensilios limpios o tocó artículos desechables sin envolver sin lavarse las manos. Se observó al empleado tocándose la cara y luego cocinando carne en la estufa. Se le indicó al empleado que se lavara las manos.” Infracción reiterada

“Alimentos crudos de origen animal almacenados encima de alimentos listos para el consumo o sin la separación adecuada de estos. Se observaron huevos crudos con cáscara almacenados encima de pollo cocido en un refrigerador ubicado frente a un fregadero de tres compartimentos.”

“Control de tiempo/temperatura para garantizar la seguridad de los alimentos refrigerados a más de 41 grados Fahrenheit. Se observó pikliz (58 °F - Refrigeración) en la mesa del mostrador.”

“Control de tiempo/temperatura para alimentos seguros, excepto asados ​​de carne enteros, mantenidos calientes a menos de 135 grados Fahrenheit. Se observaron alitas de pollo cocidas (112 °F - Mantenimiento en caliente); arroz frito (125 °F - Mantenimiento en caliente); papas fritas (99 °F - Mantenimiento en caliente) en la mesa de vapor del mostrador. Según el gerente, menos de una hora. El gerente recalentó los productos. Volver a verificar las alitas de pollo cocidas (182 °F - Recalentando); papas fritas (159 °F - Recalentando).”

“Superficie en contacto con alimentos sucia con restos de comida, una sustancia similar al moho o una sustancia viscosa. Se observó un recipiente de alimentos con azúcar muy sucia en la zona de cocción.”

“El lavamanos se utiliza para fines distintos al lavado de manos. Se observaron toallas guardadas dentro del mostrador del lavamanos.” Advertencia

“El techo/las baldosas del techo presentan daños o están en mal estado. Se observó que las baldosas del techo estaban en mal estado sobre el fregadero de tres compartimentos.” Advertencia

“Techo/baldosas/rejillas de ventilación sucias con restos de comida acumulados, grasa, polvo o una sustancia similar al moho. Se observaron baldosas de techo sucias y polvorientas en todo el establecimiento.” Advertencia

“La tabla de cortar tiene marcas de cortes y ya no se puede limpiar. Se observó la tabla de cortar en la mesa de preparación, frente al fregadero de tres compartimentos.” Advertencia

“Cucarachas muertas en las instalaciones. Se observaron dos cucarachas muertas cerca del almacén de productos secos debajo de los recipientes de azúcar en los baños. Se observaron dos cucarachas muertas cerca del almacén de la unidad de aire acondicionado.” Advertencia

“Equipo en mal estado. Se observó refrigerador vertical en mal estado frente al fregadero para fregar.” Advertencia

“La puerta exterior tiene una abertura en el umbral que da al exterior. Observado en la puerta trasera.” Infracción reiterada: advertencia.

“El suelo está sucio/tiene acumulación de residuos. Se observó que el suelo debajo de las freidoras estaba muy sucio con acumulación de grasa. Se observó que el suelo estaba sucio debajo del fregadero de tres compartimentos.”

“Se observó el suelo sucio con rebozado procedente de la máquina de rebozado. Se observó el exterior de las freidoras muy sucio.” Advertencia

“Faltan baldosas en el suelo o están deterioradas. Se observaron baldosas deterioradas junto a la puerta de entrada y junto al fregadero de tres compartimentos.” Advertencia

“Alimentos almacenados en el suelo. Se observó un recipiente de aceite de cocina almacenado en el suelo junto a la puerta de salida trasera. Se observó un recipiente de arroz almacenado en el suelo junto al pasillo de almacenamiento y un recipiente de azúcar almacenado en el suelo junto a la línea de cocción.” Advertencia

“Agujero u otro daño en la pared. Observado en el pasillo y el baño.” Infracción reiterada: advertencia.

“Paño/toalla húmeda en uso debajo de la tabla de cortar. Observado en la mesa de preparación sobre el fregadero de tres compartimentos.” Advertencia

“Superficie que no entra en contacto con alimentos sucia con grasa, restos de comida, suciedad, lodo o polvo. Se observaron freidoras muy sucias. Se observó la máquina de la mesa de empanizado sucia hasta el fregadero de tres compartimentos.” Advertencia

“Las aberturas exteriores no están protegidas con puertas de cierre automático. Se observó la puerta de entrada principal abierta durante la inspección.” Advertencia

“El interior/estantes del refrigerador presentan acumulación de residuos de tierra. En toda la línea de cocción.” Infracción reiterada: advertencia.

“Agua estancada o drenaje muy lento en el lavamanos, fregadero de tres compartimentos o fregadero para fregonas. Se observó que el agua del lavamanos drenaba lentamente en el mostrador frontal.” Advertencia

“Componentes, accesorios o instalaciones del edificio sucios. Se observó que la cámara instalada cerca de los techos estaba muy polvorienta.” Advertencia

“Pared sucia con grasa acumulada, restos de comida y/o polvo. Se observó pared sucia y polvorienta junto al mostrador. Se observó pared sucia detrás de las freidoras.” Advertencia

“El paño húmedo no se guarda en solución desinfectante entre usos. Observado en la mesa de preparación y en la línea de cocción.” Advertencia

“Se encontraron recipientes de alimentos en funcionamiento, retirados de sus envases originales, sin identificar por su nombre común. Se observó un recipiente de azúcar sin etiquetar junto al área de almacenamiento en el baño.” Advertencia

INSPECCIÓN DE SEGUIMIENTO 17/9

Se observaron aproximadamente 10 excrementos de roedores debajo de la unidad de aire acondicionado. Se observaron aproximadamente 7 excrementos de roedores junto a la puerta de salida trasera del pasillo. Se observaron aproximadamente 3 excrementos de roedores debajo del área de almacenamiento junto al baño del pasillo.

**RESTAURANTE DE COMIDA PARA LLEVAR AU BON GOUT

5273 CARRETERA NORTH DIXIE

PLAYA DE POMPANO

ORDEN DE CIERRE 15/9

Se detectaron 15 infracciones.

TAMBIÉN SE ORDENÓ EL CIERRE EL 1/4/24 (PROBLEMA DE CUCARACHAS)

TAMBIÉN SE ORDENÓ SU CIERRE EL 21/3/18 (PROBLEMA DE CUCARACHAS )

“Acumulación de aves, insectos, roedores u otras plagas muertas o atrapadas en dispositivos de control. 1. Se observó un roedor muerto detrás del horno en la zona de cocción de la cocina.”

Se detectó actividad de roedores, evidenciada por los excrementos encontrados. 1. Se observaron aproximadamente 100 excrementos de roedores en el horno de la zona de cocción de la cocina. 2. Se observaron aproximadamente 75 excrementos de roedores esparcidos por el suelo de la zona de cocción y del área de preparación de la cocina. 3. Se observaron aproximadamente 75 excrementos de roedores dentro de las ollas limpias, en bolsas de papel y cajas de cartón del mostrador, y en el suelo alrededor de los refrigeradores en el área de almacenamiento. 4. Se observaron 9 excrementos de roedores en el suelo dentro de la cámara frigorífica. 5. Se observó 1 excremento de roedor esparcido sobre el microondas en el estante de almacenamiento de la cocina.

“Baldosas del techo y rejillas de ventilación sucias con restos de comida acumulados, grasa, polvo o una sustancia similar al moho en la cocina.”

“El interior del horno y del microondas de la cocina presenta acumulación de una sustancia negra/grasa/restos de comida.”

“Sistema de fontanería en mal estado. Se observó que el grifo del lavamanos estaba suelto en la cocina.”

“El empleado manipuló equipo o utensilios sucios y luego participó en la preparación de alimentos, manipuló equipo o utensilios limpios o tocó artículos desechables sin envolver sin lavarse las manos. Se observó al empleado limpiando el interior del horno en la línea de cocción y luego pasando utensilios limpios para remover la comida en la línea de cocción sin lavarse las manos previamente.”

“Control de tiempo/temperatura para alimentos seguros, excepto asados ​​de carne enteros, mantenidos calientes a menos de 135 grados Fahrenheit. 1. Se observó arroz (62 °F - mantenido caliente) sin control de temperatura sobre el mostrador de la cocina. Cocinado hace menos de una hora, según el operador.”

“El empleado se lavó las manos en un lavabo distinto al lavabo autorizado. Se observó al empleado lavándose las manos en un lavabo triple.”

“No hay jabón en el lavamanos de la cocina.”

**PITA FRESH

7758 N. KENDALL DR.

KENDALL

ORDEN DE CIERRE 16/9

Se detectaron 13 infracciones.

“Se emitió una orden de suspensión de venta en alimentos con control de tiempo/temperatura para la seguridad alimentaria debido al abuso de temperatura. Se observó una cámara frigorífica con una temperatura ambiente de 49 °F, con los siguientes alimentos TCS almacenados en su interior: pollo crudo (55 °F - Mantenimiento en frío); tomate cortado (50 °F - Mantenimiento en frío); tzatziki (48 °F - Mantenimiento en frío); lechuga rallada (47 °F - Mantenimiento en frío); carne de gyros (50 °F - Mantenimiento en frío). Se observó un refrigerador de acceso frontal con una temperatura ambiente de 45 °F, con los siguientes alimentos TCS almacenados en su interior: tzatziki (52 °F - Mantenimiento en frío); tomate cortado (56 °F - Mantenimiento en frío); lechuga rallada (49 °F - Mantenimiento en frío). Se observó un refrigerador frente a una cocina de gyros con una temperatura ambiente de 68 °F, con los siguientes alimentos TCS almacenados en su interior: garbanzos (60 °F - Mantenimiento en frío); tomate cortado (49 °F - Mantenimiento en frío); hummus (55 °F - Mantenimiento en frío); queso feta (49 °F - Mantenimiento en frío). No se observó ningún equipo en el sitio para mantener adecuadamente las temperaturas de mantenimiento en frío de al menos 43 grados Fahrenheit.

“Superficie en contacto con alimentos sucia con restos de comida, una sustancia similar al moho o una sustancia viscosa. Se observó que el imán del cuchillo estaba sucio.” Infracción reiterada

“Techo/baldosas/rejillas de ventilación sucias con restos de comida acumulados, grasa, polvo o una sustancia similar al moho. Se observó acumulación de polvo en las rejillas de ventilación de la cocina.” Infracción reiterada

“El equipo de refrigeración no se mantiene en buen estado. No almacene alimentos que requieren control de tiempo/temperatura para su seguridad en esta unidad hasta que se repare. Se observó una cámara frigorífica con una temperatura ambiente de 49 °F, con los siguientes alimentos TCS almacenados en su interior: pollo crudo (55 °F - Refrigeración); tomate cortado (50 °F - Refrigeración); tzatziki (48 °F - Refrigeración); lechuga rallada (47 °F - Refrigeración); carne de gyros (50 °F - Refrigeración). Se observó un refrigerador de acceso frontal con una temperatura ambiente de 45 °F, con los siguientes alimentos TCS almacenados en su interior: tzatziki (52 °F - Refrigeración); tomate cortado (56 °F - Refrigeración); lechuga rallada (49 °F - Refrigeración). Se observó un refrigerador frente a una cocina de gyros con una temperatura ambiente de 68 °F, con los siguientes alimentos TCS almacenados en su interior: garbanzos (60 °F - Refrigeración); tomate cortado (49 °F - Refrigeración); hummus (55 °F - Refrigeración); queso feta (49 °F - Refrigeración). Tenencia)."

“Número/capacidad insuficiente de unidades de refrigeración para mantener el control de tiempo/temperatura para la seguridad alimentaria a las temperaturas adecuadas. Se observó que todos los refrigeradores del establecimiento no mantenían una temperatura de al menos 43 °F. Se observó una cámara frigorífica con una temperatura de 48 °F, y ambos refrigeradores verticales con temperaturas ambiente de 45 °F y 68 °F.”

“El techo/las baldosas del techo presentan daños o están en mal estado. Se observaron daños por agua en las baldosas de la cocina.” Infracción reiterada.

**PIZZAPIEZ

614 SE 10TH ST

PLAYA DEERFIELD

ORDEN DE CIERRE 15/9

Se detectaron 12 infracciones.

Se detectó actividad de roedores, evidenciada por los excrementos encontrados. 1. Se observó un excremento en un paquete de pasta en la cocina. 2. Se observó un excremento de roedor en una caja de envases individuales en el estante de almacenamiento de la cocina. 3. Se observaron aproximadamente 15 excrementos de roedores frente a la cámara frigorífica, debajo de los estantes de almacenamiento y en las mesas de preparación de la cocina.

“Superficie que no entra en contacto con alimentos sucia con grasa, restos de comida, suciedad, lodo o polvo. 1. Filtros de campana extractora en la zona de cocción de la cocina. 2. Juntas de las puertas del refrigerador de tres puertas situado frente a la zona de cocción de la cocina.”

“Porciones de pizza surtidas, alimento que requiere control de tiempo/temperatura para su seguridad, identificado en el procedimiento escrito como un alimento mantenido en espera de forma controlada por motivos de salud pública, no tiene marcación horaria. El operador marcó la hora de 14:30 a 18:30.”

“No hay jabón en el lavamanos de la cocina.”

**CT CANTINA AND TAQUERIA

DANIA POINTE

176 N. DANIA POINTE DR.

Playa Dania

ORDEN DE CIERRE 16/9

Se detectaron 14 infracciones.

Se encontraron insectos voladores pequeños vivos. Aproximadamente 1 insecto volador pequeño vivo en la línea de cocción, sobre una bolsa abierta de tortillas. Aproximadamente 50 insectos voladores pequeños vivos en bolsas de cebollas en el área de preparación. Aproximadamente 15 insectos voladores pequeños vivos en el área de lavado de platos, posándose en estantes y platos. Aproximadamente 4 insectos voladores pequeños vivos en el comedor de clientes, posándose en las mesas. Se habló con el operador para eliminar todos los insectos voladores y limpiar y desinfectar las áreas.

“Los alimentos se enfriaban mediante un método no aprobado, como lo demuestra la velocidad de enfriamiento inadecuada durante la inspección. En la línea de cocción, la lechuga cortada (56 °F - Enfriamiento Ambiente) se enfrió a la 1:20 desde las 12:30 hasta los 55 °F a las 2:00. A esta velocidad de enfriamiento, el producto no alcanzará los 41 °F en 4 horas, según se comentó con el operario que colocó una bolsa de hielo sobre el producto. En la cámara frigorífica, la carne de cerdo molida cruda en una bandeja metálica grande con tapa (55 °F - Enfriamiento) se enfrió a la 1:20 desde las 12:00 hasta los 53 °F a la 1:40. A esta velocidad, el producto no alcanzará los 41 °F en 4 horas, según se comentó con el operario que separó los productos en bandejas individuales para permitir un flujo de aire adecuado para el enfriamiento.”

Se emitió una orden de cese de venta para alimentos que requieren control de tiempo/temperatura para su seguridad debido a un manejo inadecuado de la temperatura. Los alimentos que requieren control de tiempo/temperatura para su seguridad se mantuvieron refrigerados a más de 41 grados Fahrenheit. En el refrigerador de la línea de dispensación de refrescos, la salsa de tomate casera (52 °F - Mantenimiento en frío) según el operador, producto que no fue porcionado ni preparado hoy y se mantuvo en la unidad por más de 6 horas, ver orden de cese de venta.

“El desinfectante de cloro del lavavajillas no tiene la concentración mínima adecuada. Suspenda el uso del lavavajillas para desinfectar y configure la desinfección manual hasta que el lavavajillas sea reparado y desinfecte correctamente. El operario del lavavajillas (cloro 0 ppm) puso en marcha la máquina varias veces y en la segunda prueba el lavavajillas (cloro 100 ppm)”

“El suelo presenta agua estancada. Varias zonas de la cocina y la cámara frigorífica tienen agua estancada en el suelo; se habló con el operario para que procediera a su limpieza y desinfección.”

“El empleado no se lavó las manos antes de ponerse los guantes para comenzar una tarea que implicaba manipular alimentos. El empleado manipuló un cubo de basura y, sin lavarse las manos, se puso los guantes y manipuló una tortilla. El operador habló con el empleado, quien le explicó la situación, desechó la tortilla y se lavó las manos.”

“El lavamanos no está disponible para el uso de los empleados en todo momento. En el área de lavado de platos, el lavamanos está lleno de platos sucios; se habló con el encargado, quien retiró los platos.”

“No se proporciona jabón en el lavamanos. No se proporciona jabón en el lavamanos al final de la línea de cocción; se habló con el operador que proporcionó el jabón.”

**VALE FOOD COMPANY

420 N. CARRETERA FEDERAL

FORT LAUDERDALE

INSPECCIÓN BASADA EN UNA DENUNCIA

ORDEN DE CIERRE 15/9

7 VIOLACIONES DETECTADAS

Se encontraron insectos voladores pequeños vivos. Aproximadamente 25 insectos voladores pequeños vivos se posaron en la pared y los televisores encima de la línea de servicio y la estación de exposición. Dos insectos voladores pequeños vivos se posaron en los recipientes de aluminio para llevar en el estante superior de la ventana de la línea de cocina. Aproximadamente cinco insectos voladores pequeños vivos se posaron en las paredes del fregadero de fregar. Aproximadamente 20 insectos voladores pequeños se posaron en las cajas de artículos individuales en la esquina junto al área de lavado de platos y el almacén de productos secos.

“Utensilio en uso en alimentos que no requieren control de tiempo/temperatura para su seguridad, almacenados con el mango por encima del contenido del recipiente cerrado. En el recipiente de granola, el mango estaba enterrado.”

“El lavamanos se ha retirado del área de preparación de alimentos y lavado de vajilla. Debe reinstalarse en el mismo lugar donde se retiró, junto al mostrador principal.”

**RIVERSIDE MARKET PLANTATION

6900 CYPRESS ROAD

PLANTACIÓN

ORDEN DE CIERRE 9/9

7 VIOLACIONES DETECTADAS

“Se encontraron pequeños insectos voladores vivos. Se observaron aproximadamente 50 pequeños insectos voladores en el bar, posándose en los grifos de cerveza, las encimeras y los vasos limpios.”

“El lavamanos se utiliza para fines distintos al lavado de manos. Se observó que el lavamanos se utilizaba para guardar vasos.”

With six games left in a somewhat strange season, the 78-78 Rangers have a one-game lead over Houston. They have stayed near the top of the division all year, never trailing by more than three games or ahead by more than two.

“A weird one for sure," first baseman Jake Burger said. “The positive side is we've been in the race the entire time. ... We've kind of held our head above water, even if it’s just barely at times. We’ve given ourselves a chance to do something special, and that’s all you can ask for out of a team.”

The Rangers haven't been to the playoffs since winning their only World Series title in 2023, when they were a wild card after Houston matched them at 90-72 on the final day of the regular season. The Astros had the division tiebreaker then, and do again this year when there might not be an available wild-card spot for a second AL West team.

“We’re in position to make the playoffs. It doesn’t matter what the record is, that’s the goal,” first-year Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “So if you would have told me that this date in spring training that you had a chance to get into the playoffs, I would have signed up for it.”

It's a good thing Texas is in the American League

With their .500 record, the Rangers would already be eliminated from playoff contention in the National League.

They went into their off day Monday eight games behind Philadelphia, the NL's third wild card, and far behind division winners Milwaukee (20 games), the Los Angeles Dodgers (18) and Atlanta (14).

The Rangers have been close to top of AL West all season

No big league team has stayed within such a tight margin of their division lead like the five-game gap for Texas. The league average between biggest leads and biggest deficits is nearly 16 1/2, with Houston (nine) and Minnesota (9 1/2) the only other teams under 10.

“The good part is we haven't gotten too far away,” right fielder Brandon Nimmo said. “I feel like we're playing good baseball, and if you can get your foot in the door, then that's a dangerous thing.”

Nimmo was on the Mets in 2024 when they overcame a 22-33 start and being 17 1/2 games out of the division lead. They made the playoffs with a late comeback win in the opener of a makeup doubleheader at Atlanta a day after every other team had finished the regular season.

New York then won the NL Wild Card and NL Division Series before losing the NL Championship Series in six games to the now two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers.

“Most of the time it’s just better to be the hot team,” Nimmo said.

Texas has also stayed close to even

The Rangers have never been too far from .500 this year after going 81-81 last season, the only break-even record for the franchise that began as the Washington Senators in 1961 and moved to Texas in 1972.

The low mark was six games under at 25-31 on May 28, when all five AL West teams had losing records. Texas was last three games over .500 at 55-52 on July 28.

Even with a loss Sunday in their series finale against Toronto, the Rangers have won nine of 13 games. They had been first alone in the AL West only one day since the end of July before passing Houston on Saturday.

Texas, which won its last division title 10 years ago, missed a chance for a two-game lead when the Astros were swept by Atlanta on Sunday in their final home series.

The Rangers open a a three-game home series against the Mets on Tuesday, then play three games at Minnesota. Houston has two games in Seattle, then four against the Athletics.

“It doesn't matter what the macro view of it has looked like. We’re in the micro moments of making or breaking a season,” Burger said. “As far as we’re concerned, we’re playing playoff baseball, backs-against-the-wall type mentality. It doesn’t matter what the record was the first 140 games.”

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AP Sports Writer Schuyler Dixon contributed to this report.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

We will have a chance for storms all week, although later this week we should see fewer of them with some drier air trying to sneak in. This could lower humidity slightly for next weekend, but it won’t be much.

Polo could bring heavy rain, rough surf and tropical-storm-force winds to parts of Mexico late Tuesday into early Wednesday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.

On Monday, Polo was moving east. But forecasters said it would make a “sharp turn” in a west-northwest or northwest direction by late Tuesday, according to an advisory. The hurricane was expected to travel along the coast of western Mexico but stay offshore.

Polo was centered about 270 miles (435 kilometers) south-southeast of Manzanillo, Mexico, and 190 miles (306 kilometers) south-southwest of Zihuatanejo, Mexico. Maximum sustained winds were 80 mph (129 kph).

The forecast called for 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) of rain, with isolated totals near 12 inches (30 centimeters), across coastal portions of the Mexican states of Guerrero and Michoacán through Thursday. Flooding and mudslides were possible.

Farther west in the Pacific Ocean, Tropical Storm Odalys was far from land but expected to become a hurricane by midweek.

Odalys had maximum sustained winds Monday of 45 mph (72 kph). It was located just over 1,400 miles (2,253 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula. It was moving northwest at 12 mph (19 kph).

In the Atlantic Ocean, Tropical Storm Fay was weakening. Top winds were down to 50 mph (80 kph) and Fay was 430 miles (692 kilometers) southwest of the Azores.

No Atlantic hurricanes have formed yet this year, and this year has set a record for the longest a season has begun without a hurricane. The effects of this year's El Nino crush storms before they get going.

A different boom, in artificial intelligence and the power-and-water-hungry data centers behind it, could both worsen and solve some of these issues, a paradox world and business leaders will struggle with this week.

Every year as top government officials attend the United Nations General Assembly and business executives flock to New York Climate Week sessions, global warming generates lots of talk but little action.

This time two new forces — the rise of AI and data centers, as well as higher fossil fuel prices from wars in Iran and Ukraine — should change the discussion, experts and activists said. That's on top of climate-driven disasters recently reaching new levels of destruction in Asia.

“Patient Earth is not well,” said Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany. “We are not only putting the stability, the resilience, and the life support systems on Earth at risk, we are very close to pushing ourselves across thresholds that can lead to irreversible, unmanageable outcomes.”

A new report released Monday by the institute's Planetary Boundaries Science Lab found that the world has breached seven of nine science-determined planetary boundaries for a healthy globe.

United Kingdom Secretary of State Edward Miliband said that transitioning to cleaner and renewable energy is now a “national security imperative.”

The climate breakdown “must be an issue for foreign ministers and prime ministers. As well as energy and climate ministers. The security community, not just the activist community. The generals, not just the green campaigners,” he said.

Rising prices drive concerns

Climate change is “driving up food prices and wider inflation” and fossil fuel dependence is hitting billions of people around the world at the fuel pump, said U.N. climate chief Simon Stiell on Monday.

Rising prices have sparked protests in Asia and Africa, which were hit first and hardest by energy shortages due to the Iran war. In the U.S., consumer confidence is plunging and gas prices have reached record highs.

The Iran war energy shock has cost U.S. consumers more than $100 billion in higher fuel prices, Stiell said.

There are two parallel climate stories playing out at the moment, explained Mohamed Adow, director of Power Shift Africa. The first story is extremely hopeful, with renewable energy booming, technology improving and the economics of clean energy making more and more sense. The second story is terrifying, with climate impacts accelerating faster than political and financial systems can respond, Adow said.

“New York needs to bring those two stories together,” he said.

AI and data centers take the limelight

The environmental footprint of AI and data centers is “very much a hot topic,” said Helen Clarkson, CEO of the nonprofit Climate Group, which organizes New York Climate Week.

Attendees have so far expressed both hopes and fears for the future of AI and its role in combating climate change, she said.

“ Energy-guzzling artificial intelligence is driving up planet-heating pollution from coal, oil and gas while ratcheting up energy costs for households and businesses,” said Stiell with the U.N. “AI leaders are now on thin ice when it comes to license to operate, and sinking deep underwater when it comes to public support.”

On the other hand, Eva Riesenhuber, the head of sustainability at the German automation company Siemens, and Evelyn Wang, vice president for energy and climate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said AI is too important to humanity and will help tackle climate change.

Data centers adding to climate and water problems “is not forever,” according to Wang, who told The Associated Press that data centers are five years away from being water neutral and about a decade away from no longer adding to planet-warming emissions.

Acknowledging these concerns, Riesenhuber said “we are racing to mitigate this as fast as possible because we are hooked on the intelligence, and we do need the intelligence to design the future that this planet needs.”

There will be several AI-related protests throughout New York Climate Week.

Turkey, which is running UN climate negotiations this November, recently announced a new pledge for nations to join to manage the powering and deployment of AI, though no further details were offered.

The AI issue may mean construction in people’s backyards, which reaches those who are less worried about climate change, according to Jennifer Morgan, an analyst at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, who said that AI is becoming more vilified in climate talks than the fossil fuel industry.

World leaders to discuss renewable rollout

The world can still meet its 2023 goal of tripling renewable power capacity by the end of the decade, but it must move much faster, according to a new report released Monday.

Despite record growth in renewables last year, the world must build more renewable power capacity from 2026 to 2030 than in all previous years combined, stated the report by the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Global Renewables Alliance and Turkey.

The amount of renewable power added globally peaked at 693 gigawatts in 2025, about half the installed power in the U.S., IRENA found. At the same time, there was a sharp rebound of fossil fuels when compared to 2024 driven by China adding coal power.

“The journey so far on renewables is remarkable,” Rockström said.

Unfortunately, Rockström said, renewables are meeting a growing demand for electricity but not “bending the curve” to reduce oil, coal or gas use — which is necessary to cut carbon pollution and meet climate targets.

Paradoxically, military action waged by U.S. President Donald Trump in Venezuela and Iran and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Ukraine — both big fossil fuel advocates — have caused oil and gas shortages that have driven up prices, spurring countries to switch to renewables faster, he explained.

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Associated Press reporter Anton L. Delgado in New York contributed to this report.

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

“They just are sneaky,” said Tanner, who lives in Salt Lake City. “I purchased a handful of these and then somehow I've collected ones I've never purchased, and I don't really know where they've come from.”

Reusable totes are intended as durable alternatives to single-use plastic bags. But it's easy to accumulate too many, from freebies at events to giveaways at the grocery store.

The environmental impact of a reusable bag is relatively small, so ending up with a sizable stash isn't a significant problem. Still, paring down can declutter cupboards and lead to a smaller collection that'll actually get used. As for the excess, donate to food banks and thrift stores.

“You don’t want an entire closet of reusable bags,” said sustainability scientist Shelie Miller with the University of Michigan. “You want well-loved reusable items, and that’s really what gives the environmental benefit.”

Reusable bags are helpful but can accumulate

Single-use plastic grocery bags aren't meant to last. They become urban tumbleweeds or break down in the environment, releasing harmful microplastics. Single-use plastic shopping bags are banned across 12 U.S. states, and several more cities and towns have instituted their own initiatives, including bag taxes.

As a result, many people stock up on reusable bags made from canvas, cloth or thicker plastic. A few solid, durable bags used for errands or groceries can stand the test of time. Environmental economist Kimberly Oremus uses hers for up to a decade. But whether we intend to or not, additional bags of various shapes and sizes worm their way into our homes.

Just like any product, reusable bags require energy and resources to make — like the water that’s used to grow cotton. Researchers have found that the number of times a bag needs to be reused to offset the environmental cost of its production varies widely based on what the bag is made of.

There isn't a magic number of uses to strive for, but durable bags that look and feel thicker tend to accrue more environmental debt than flimsy plastic totes and need to be reused more times to pay it off.

Reusables “are generally good for the environment, with the caveat that they have to be reused,” said Miller.

Save your best reusables and donate the rest

The simplest way to cut down on a reusable bag supply is to avoid getting new ones. But life gets in the way, and people get stuck at the store empty-handed. When Oremus forgets to bring a reusable bag to the store, she asks the employees if they have any empty cardboard boxes for her to use.

“If you forget it, it's not the end of the world,” Oremus said. She tries to use her reusable bags until they can't be used anymore, then donates the scraps to textile recycling centers.

If you've already accumulated a crowded kitchen cupboard, save the best and give away the rest.

Home organizer Tanner tells clients to pick out their favorites and assign a job to each. Reserve one bag for library books, a handful for groceries and another for packed lunches. After using one, put it back where it came from — be it the trunk of a car or inside a purse — so it's ready for the next use.

As for the extras, give some to a friend or offload a larger amount by donating. Reusable bags generally can't be recycled through curbside programs.

Tanner brings her extras to thrift stores. Other stores or food banks may also accept donations.

Las Vegas Books accepts reusable bag donations to hand out when customers at the used book store in Nevada need one. Burbank Animal Shelter in California uses larger totes for food, toys and other pet care supplies.

The Community FoodBank of New Jersey has collected reusable bags since 2022 for neighbors who visit their food pantries. They welcome bag donations as long as the items are reasonably clean and not ripped.

“They're always something that our pantries need, and that we have available on hand whenever we can,” said the organization's president, Elizabeth McCarthy.

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The Associated Press’ health and science coverage receives financial support from the AP Fund for Journalism and 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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According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, someone called 911 around 7 p.m. to report a possible stabbing near the 200 block of Northwest 14th Street.

Deputies responded and made contact with a man suffering from a stab wound. Pompano Beach Fire Rescue also responded and transported the victim to an area hospital. His injuries were listed as non-life-threatening.

According to investigators, the victim was involved in an altercation with a woman when the stabbing occurred.

On Sunday, deputies arrested Felisha Fisher, 37, on charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon domestic violence and pretrial release condition violation for domestic violence.

BSO’s Special Victims and Crime Scene units are investigating.

Meanwhile, Trump will meet with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani when Trump travels to the city for the upcoming U.N. General Assembly. The meeting is scheduled for Monday and at Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence. The two will discuss issues affecting the city and New Yorkers. The White House confirmed the meeting will take place but did not offer more details.

Here's the latest:

Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson draws jabs from opponent for post that linked high costs to Iran war

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who is in a competitive race for Iowa’s open Senate seat, linked high costs to the Iran war in a post Monday. Iowans “shouldn’t have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran,” she said in the post on X, Hinson called for actions to lower costs “ASAP” and a “successful and immediate end” to the war.

The post promptly received pushback from Hinson’s opponent in the race for retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat. Democrat Josh Turek said on X that “it’s easy to send a tweet” and criticized Hinson for her votes against a war powers resolution to halt President Donald Trump’s ability to continue military action without lawmakers’ approval.

Two of Hinson’s colleagues in the Iowa delegation, Reps. Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, voted for the resolution last week after previously voting against it. In statements, both pointed to high costs and said they could no longer support an open-ended war. Hinson did not join them.

Vance says CNN, MS NOW and Politico lost their “special access” to the White House but are not banned

Speaking with reporters accompanying him on a campaign trip to North Carolina, Vance said the three news outlets can still report on the White House and talk to people in the administration or outside of government.

He argued that Trump’s decision was about “basic fairness” and is not a violation of the constitutional right to free speech and freedom of the press.

Trump attributed the ban to reporting he described as “fake news.” Vance said the reporting is “effectively far left propaganda.”

“It’s about basic fairness,” Vance said. “They can still report. They still have the access to free speech. They’re just not going to get an office in the White House anymore.”

The White House has deactivated access badges for journalists for the three organizations, meaning they cannot get onto the grounds to file reports. Reporters for MS NOW and CNN have been filming their live shots from street corners near the White House.

Rubio kicks off shortened UNGA week with a flurry of meetings

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has begun a truncated visit to New York for the annual U.N. General Assembly session, with a flurry of meetings before President Donald Trump arrives.

Rubio began Monday by ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange and then headed immediately into talks with Bolivia’s president and then a three-way meeting with the Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers. Later he is to see the Italian foreign minister, meet with his counterparts from Arctic nations and then hold talks with Kenya’s president and Iraq’s prime minister.

Rubio will depart New York on Wednesday, much earlier than either he or his predecessors have done in the past, in order to return to Washington for Trump’s summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Illinois governor says he's lost 80 pounds with GLP-1 medication

Gov. JB Pritzker disclosed his regimen in a series of interviews this weekend. The Democrat has long struggled with his weight and turned to the new medications after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

Pritzker’s girth has led him to be regularly mocked by President Trump. He now says he’s lost 80 pounds (36 kilograms) on the medication.

A possible 2028 presidential candidate, Pritzker said his health has always been on his mind since his father died of a heart attack at age 39. He’s stepped up his exercise routine after the diabetes diagnosis as well.

Trump has been more aggressive toward the media in his second term

The president and his Republican administration have upped the ante and punished certain media outlets. Trump has also lashed out at individual reporters in person or over social media, sometimes in strikingly personal terms — insulting them in briefings or in his recent speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

Melania Trump and China’s first lady to visit the Smithsonian

Melania Trump’s office says she and Peng Liyuan, the wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, will visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art on Thursday.

The visit will take place while President Trump and Xi meet at the White House.

The museum holds one of North America’s largest and most comprehensive collections of Asian art, according to its website.

Xi will be in Washington later this week on a state visit to the United States.

A grand arrival ceremony for him at the White House on Thursday will end with a military flyover featuring a B-2 Spirit and four F-22 Raptors, according to a detailed rundown from the first lady’s office of White House plans for Xi’s visit.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico sue over denied White House access, citing the First Amendment

CNN, MS NOW and Politico on Monday sued President Donald Trump’s administration after they were barred from covering the White House, saying the selective ban was “a blatant violation” of the First Amendment.

The administration’s announcement of the bans Friday and the White House’s subsequent actions over the weekend represented a clear escalation of Trump’s long-running efforts — in the courts and through administrative action — to restrict news coverage he finds objectionable. They were also the latest test of First Amendment protections in the United States, where the government is constitutionally forbidden from restricting the press.

The Constitution, the banned news outlets said in their lawsuit, “does not allow a president or any other government official to deprive the press of their First Amendment rights and liberty and property interests with no notice or process based solely on his dislike of the content of their reporting.”

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In a social media post, Trump says he’s attacking ‘FAKE NEWS’

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the news outlets’ lawsuit, which was expected to be filed later in the morning. But on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote Monday morning that he cherished what he called a free press.

“The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish,” the president said in his post. “It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America. It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW!”

On Monday morning, the banned news outlets were reporting from outside the White House

They were at an intersection just outside the White House complex.

Also Monday, CNN was removed from its pool duties, which are shared by the major networks. It had been scheduled to cover the president’s trip to New York. In an email, the TV pool, which consists of the five major networks, wrote that there would be no replacement coverage following the White House actions.

Trump shattered Canada’s old US relationship. Carney is building a new one in Europe

For nearly four decades, Canada built its economy around closer integration with the United States. President Trump has turned that dependence into leverage, imposing tariffs, threatening Canada’s sovereignty and openly seeking to pull Canadian industrial production south.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has moved on. Rather than return to trade talks or wait for the next U.S. president to restore the old relationship, he’s urgently building a future in which Canada is less dependent on America.

Last week, Carney embraced the prospect of Canada becoming the European Union’s first associate member, not as a step toward full membership, but as a way to reduce Canada’s dependence on any single country without ceding control over its own decisions.

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White House Correspondents’ Association president calls for news outlets’ access to be restored

“The implications extend beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future,” Jacqui Heinrich said. “The American people, through a free and independent press, must be able to scrutinize those elected to power, regardless of whether government officials view it favorably.”

US futures climb as oil prices drop and investors await expected Trump-Xi meeting

The meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping this week in Washington could cover trade, artificial intelligence and geopolitics.

Futures for the S&P 500 gained 0.7% on Monday, while those for the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.8%. Nasdaq futures climbed 1.1%.

Oil prices fell more than 3% Monday as vessel traffic and energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz picked up, although the Strait has remained largely closed and uncertainty persisted over U.S.-Iran tensions. Saudi Arabia on Saturday confirmed that Yemen’s Houthi rebels tried to attack its capital with a ballistic missile, the first targeting of Riyadh since the escalation in fighting with the Tehran-backed rebels that’s opened a new front in the Iran war.

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Trump decries Democrats as ‘communists,’ even as he looks to impress China’s communist leader

Communism, President Donald Trump says, is the greatest threat the U.S. has ever faced.

This summer, citing similarly grave concerns, he took the rare step of delivering a primetime address to the nation, accusing China of “sinister election meddling” in 2020 and reviving his yearslong push to dispute his loss in that year’s election.

Even as Trump seeks to decry Democrats as communists ahead of November’s midterm elections, he's rolling out the red carpet this week for Chinese President Xi Jinping, the leader of the world’s most powerful communist country.

The state visit comes as the president himself has increasingly directed his administration to take large stakes in private companies to try to stimulate the economy — something even some Republicans decry as corporate socialism.

The contradictions between Trump’s words and actions risk muddying Republican attack lines on Democrats.

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Trump and Mamdani plan to meet in New York during the president’s upcoming UN visit

Trump will meet with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani when Trump travels to the city for the upcoming U.N. General Assembly.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday and at Gracie Mansion, the official mayoral residence, according to Anna Bahr, Mamdani’s communications director.

Bahr said the two will discuss issues affecting the city and New Yorkers. The White House confirmed the meeting will take place but did not offer more details.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist who upset former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary before winning the general election in November, has been a favorite and frequent political foil for Republicans.

But Trump has often been warm to Mamdani and seemed charmed by the young mayor. Their first meeting after Mamdani’s election was quite cordial, with Trump saying at the White House that the then-mayor-elect would “surprise some conservative people.” The Republican president had called Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” during the 2025 campaign.

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CNN, MS NOW, Politico say they’ve notified Trump they’re suing over denied White House access

CNN, MS NOW and Politico said Monday they’ve notified President Donald Trump’s administration that they’re filing a lawsuit over being denied White House access.

Reporters from the three major news organizations were blocked from the White House on Saturday, a day after Trump said he was barring them because of reporting he found to be “fake news.”

The actions were a clear escalation of Trump’s long-running efforts — in the courts and through administrative action — to restrict news coverage by journalists he finds objectionable and were the latest test of First Amendment protections in the United States. Trump had said Friday he would ban all three outlets because of coverage he disliked.

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It’s an especially notable destination for the former vice president. Michigan was one of seven battlegrounds she lost to Donald Trump two years ago, and it's now one of six states that will start Democrats' next presidential nominating process. Harris has additional rallies scheduled in Nevada and Georgia, two other key places on the political map.

Her campaigning could serve to solidify or undermine her status as a potential Democratic front-runner. Although she's one of the nation's best-known politicians and a barrier-breaking figure, there are others eager to turn the page after she failed to defeat Trump when she replaced President Joe Biden on the top of the ticket.

“I think she’s run her course,” said Barry Goodman, a Democratic National Committee member from Michigan who raised money for Biden and then Harris. “I just don’t think her running again would be the right thing for America moving forward.”

Some Democratic candidates, especially in places Trump won handily, have curtly dismissed any possibility of campaigning with Harris. “No thanks,” Iowa gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand told Politico. “Let’s move on. We need some new leadership.”

But plenty of Democrats, including some influential Black women who helped convince Biden to select Harris as his running mate in 2020, said she has more than earned the space to consider her options without being rushed or pilloried. Underscoring her unique position, California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently told CNN that he would not seek the nomination if Harris does.

“Kamala isn’t under any deadline to run for anything,” said Donna Brazile, a former Democratic National Committee chair who managed Al Gore’s presidential campaign in 2000. She called it a “waste of time” to relitigate Harris’s truncated 2024 campaign and said any White House hopefuls “should follow Kamala’s lead and get out there" by trying to help midterm candidates.

Harris has not announced any upcoming trips to South Carolina, where Democrats will hold their first primary. Antjuan Seawright, a political consultant in the state, said she could make a strong case for herself but another campaign would need to look and sound different.

“She’s going to have to admit that she was wrong about some things,” he said.

Michigan presents risk and opportunity

Harris has painful political history in Michigan. During the 2024 campaign, the state's prominent Arab American communities were outraged over Biden's support for Israel's military operations in Gaza, and they were disappointed when Harris did not break with him after she became the party's nominee.

El-Sayed, on the other hand, is an outspoken critic of Israel who has described the war as a genocide against Palestinians, an accusation rejected by Israel. He's been viewed warily by some Jewish voters, which he's tried to address by apologizing for some past controversial comments.

El-Sayed told MSNOW that "there were some hurt feelings” in Michigan over the 2024 election, with some Black voters feeling like Arab Americans didn't do enough to help Harris.

With the former vice president coming to visit, he said it's a chance "to bring communities together that have often been torn apart by recent events.”

Their joint appearance will be closely scrutinized for other reasons too. Harris has a strained relationship with the party's progressive wing, which includes El-Sayed, and El-Sayed is eager to solidify establishment support during his campaign against Republican nominee Mike Rogers, a former congressman.

“We can build together on the areas of agreement, and we can come to understand each other far better on the areas where we might have seen eye to eye, and I think her coming into town will help us to do that,” El-Sayed said.

Harris' political travel has been light compared to potential presidential candidates like Pete Buttigieg, who ran in 2020 before serving as Biden’s transportation secretary. He recently visited South Carolina and he's been stumping for other Democrats in the midterms.

Harris went to South Carolina in the spring, but for smaller, local party events. She recently spoke on an organizing call aimed at registering and turning out 1 million more Black voters.

“There’s value in doing a lot of stuff behind the scenes instead of being front and center, especially for her," said Bre Maxwell, a Democratic National Committee member from South Carolina. She said there's little benefit for Harris to insert herself into news cycles knowing “she’s still a target of Donald Trump right now.”

Jaime Harrison, a South Carolinian who served as national party chair when Biden and Harris were in the White House, said the former vice president’s stature affords her the advantage of time that other potential candidates will not have.

“Many of these folks who do get in quickly would love to have that type of name ID, would love to have that type of network, to have that type of email list,” Harrison said.

Harris herself has said multiple times, including in an Associated Press interview last year, that she feels no rush to decide her next move. “Right now – midterms, midterms, midterms,” she told Megan Rapinoe on a recent podcast. Harris spokesman Eduardo Negrón declined comment when asked about her timeline.

Harris' other campaign events this fall include stops for Nevada’s Democratic candidate for governor, Aaron Ford, and Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, who has generated 2028 chatter of his own as he seeks reelection.

“She is certainly being strategic,” said Seawright, the South Carolina political consultant.

He noted that Harris’ tour for her campaign memoir, “107 Days,” hit virtually every major Southern city in states where Black voters hold strong sway in presidential primaries that come early in the nominating process.

Meanwhile, Goodman said he’s heard no evidence that Harris is working the party’s top donor network. Harrison said he hasn’t heard from her since last December.

Past campaigns offer Harris lessons

Harris first ran for president in the 2020 cycle, when she was a U.S. senator from California. But she dropped out late in 2019, before any primary votes were cast.

Some progressives saw the former prosecutor as part of a criminal justice establishment that disproportionately imprisons Black men. Some moderates saw her as another San Francisco liberal.

Biden chose Harris as his running mate, and she became the first woman and Black person to serve as vice president.

When Biden dropped his reelection bid after a disastrous debate performance, Harris generated visible enthusiasm, drawing crowds that rivaled or exceeded Trump’s. She delivered a convention address and debate performance that most analysts lauded.

But she could not distance herself from Biden on inflation or immigration. Harris infamously told friendly interviewers on “The View” that she couldn’t think of anything she’d have done differently than Biden. Trump hammered her with advertisements exploiting her support for transgender rights, saying “Kamala is for they/them. President Trump is for you."

If she runs again, Seawright said, Harris would need to emphasize moderate positions and "be willing to say, you know, ‘I’ve rethought some things.’” Voters, he said, “reward that kind of authenticity and humility.”

Harrison argued it would be easier for Harris to articulate her own agenda than when “she was a sitting vice president, somebody else’s No. 2.” But, he warned, she would also have to shed the pomp and circumstance of the vice presidency, not just its political burdens.

“You can’t act like a sitting vice president, standing up on that stage,” he said. “I’d tell her she has to run hard, just as hard as everybody else, working every rope line, taking every selfie.”

Unlike Biden's handoff to her in 2024, Harrison said, “This is going to be the wild, wild west.”

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Barrow reported from Atlanta. Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

The Vatican on Monday published the detailed itinerary for Leo’s first visit to Latin America as pope. The Nov. 6-17 trip will be a homecoming for the U.S.-born pontiff who also has Peruvian citizenship and spent two decades there as a priest and bishop.

As he showed during his four-nation Africa trip in April, the 71-year-old Leo has no qualms about covering vast distances and working late into the night when he’s on the road. In all, he’ll clock just over 31,000 kilometers (19,000 miles) of flight time during the trip, nearly double the 17,000 km (10,000 miles) he traveled in Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea.

The visit begins in Uruguay, whose secular identity is so deeply rooted that Christmas is officially Family Day and Holy Week is Tourism Week. His itinerary includes a stop at a parish in Casavalle, a poor neighborhood on the outskirts of the capital plagued by drug trafficking and gang violence.

The Uruguay stop will also put Leo in place to mark an important Catholic feast day Nov. 8, associated with the country’s patron saint, Our Lady of the Thirty-Three.

Francis never traveled back to Argentina once he became pope

After Uruguay, Leo arrives in Argentina where government officials said Monday they expect 7 million people to turn out. Francis, who died in 2025, confounded friends and foes alike by never returning to his native land, after he left for Rome for the 2013 conclave that elected him pope.

He had been a divisive figure back home, both as Jesuit superior and archbishop of Buenos Aires, and apparently wanted to avoid fueling the country’s polemics by not giving the ruling party at any given time the political benefits that come with a pope visit.

In Buenos Aires, Leo will meet libertarian President Javier Milei, who once called Francis “the representative of evil on Earth.” Milei’s sweeping spending cuts have strained relations with Argentine church leaders, who have criticized his government for putting economic orthodoxy ahead of the needs of the poor.

On Nov. 9, Leo will visit the Don Orione care home in Claypole, south of Buenos Aires, a Catholic institution founded in 1935 that houses more than 300 people with disabilities. The stop carries political overtones as cuts to disability funding have become a flashpoint in Milei’s austerity program.

At a press conference Monday, Argentine officials were asked how Milei’s spending cuts squared with the church’s emphasis on social justice. Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said there were “no fundamental differences” between the government and the Catholic Church, citing Milei’s opposition to abortion and saying he had cut poverty in half.

Leo will also celebrate his first Mass in Argentina at Buenos Aires’ Monumento de los Españoles, where St. John Paul II led prayers on June 12, 1982, during Argentina’s war with Britain over the Falkland Islands. John Paul, who also came in 1987, was the first and last pope to visit.

Leo returns to his roots in Peru

The highlight of Leo’s trip will certainly be his return to Peru and especially his diocese of Chiclayo, where he'll celebrate Mass in all his old stomping grounds. The former Robert Prevost was bishop of Chiclayo from 2014-2023, when Francis brought him to the Vatican to head the office for bishops.

On the night of his election, Leo gave a shoutout in Spanish to his “beloved diocese of Chiclayo,” from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica, and his return trip makes clear he wants to revisit the churches and schools where he developed deep relationships as bishop.

He'll celebrate Mass at the Pampas de Pimentel, a 300-hectare (740-acre) expanse facing the Pacific Ocean where an estimated 1 million people are expected to gather. He'll also pray at a much smaller but meaningful chapel dedicated to St. Oscar Romero, beloved among the working class and poor for defending them against repression by El Salvador's army.

The chapel's reconstruction was spearheaded during Leo's time as bishop of Chiclayo, and its complete renovation was later achieved through the efforts of the Rev. Edgar Rimaycuna, the pope’s personal secretary who joined him in Rome and is now ubiquitous by his side.

Leo will meet with popular groups in Cusco, in the Peruvian Andes. Cusco was the capital of the Inca empire, an important city of Spanish colonial rule and today remains an important cultural destination with ruins including Machu Picchu. He'll celebrate Mass and pray in Cusco's main square, where in 1781 the Indigenous hero Túpac Amaru II was quartered following the most significant rebellion against the Spanish during the colonial era.

That same day, Nov. 15, he’ll also honor Peru’s Indigenous peoples by traveling to Pucallpa, in Peru’s Amazon, to celebrate Mass.

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DeBre contributed from Buenos Aires; Briceño contributed from Lima, Peru.

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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.

Officials in the court's host country, the Netherlands, have been notified that the sanctions are imminent and are looking at ways to help the tribunal keep operating, including paying staff, protecting witnesses and maintaining the detention facility, diplomatic and government officials with knowledge of the briefings told The Associated Press. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

Washington has already sanctioned more than a dozen current and former staff members, including half of the court’s sitting judges, in what U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described as a “sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court.”

The U.S. and Israel have strongly objected to the court's arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the war in Gaza. The U.S. also has opposed investigations into its military actions in Afghanistan.

Like Russia, China, India and Israel, the United States is among countries that have never joined the panel, with Washington citing fears of politically motivated prosecutions of its military. The court currently has 125 member states.

The sanctions could prevent the court from accessing financial and IT services, and even paying its U.S. employees. When the court’s former chief prosecutor was sanctioned in 2025, he lost access to his Microsoft email, his bank accounts were frozen and he was barred from entering the United States.

According to two sources familiar with the situation, U.S. officials warned their Dutch counterparts that sanctions would be levied as early as Monday and encouraged the court’s host state to withdraw from the institution.

Two U.S. officials told the AP that more ICC sanctions may be coming, but stressed that the scale and scope of the penalties had not yet been finalized and that no announcement is expected this week. The officials were not authorized to comment publicly on the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The ICC was established in The Hague in 2002 as the court of last resort to prosecute individuals responsible for the world’s most heinous atrocities: war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression. It takes on cases when nations are unable or unwilling to prosecute crimes on their territory.

U.S. officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment. “The Trump Administration has been clear: the International Criminal Court is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement when announcing sanctions on the court president last month. “We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty.”

The ICC has been preparing for months for the possibility of sanctions. Earlier this year, the court migrated off Microsoft products onto a German software provider, according to three ICC staff members who were not authorized to speak on the record. The tribunal has also changed insurance and other financial providers to companies without a footprint in the United States, they said.

Dutch and court officials are hoping for a six-month grace period before the sanctions come into effect, arguing that the institution needs time to sever itself from American companies, which could face huge financial penalties if they are found to be in violation.

Beyond migrating to European-based alternatives, the Netherlands and the European Union have few options to protect the institution.

The EU “blocking statute” can be used to protect European court staff by preventing European companies from complying with the U.S. measures, though it’s unclear whether the statute would shield the ICC itself, because it’s an international body, not a European one. EU citizens are entitled to a basic bank account, but that doesn’t provide access to credit cards or U.S. payment facilities.

A small but growing number of the global tribunal’s member states have announced plans to leave the institution in recent months, including Venezuela and Chad.

Chad specifically cited the United States in its decision to withdraw. Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul said in a statement that during a phone call with a U.S. official in July, “the American side expressed its concerns regarding the functioning of this institution and requested that Chad reconsider” its membership.

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Associated Press journalists Lorne Cook in Brussels and Matt Lee in New York contributed to this report.

The acquisition of The Turf was described by Wrexham’s ownership — fronted by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac — as a “continuation of the strategy to protect the future of the club and its interests by ring fencing key areas related to the life of the club.”

It was inside The Turf where Wrexham AFC was founded in 1864, when the pub was called the Turf Hotel. It has a central role in the TV docuseries that is into its fifth season and has helped to make Wrexham a popular club around the world.

The deal for The Turf “allows for the preservation of the history and traditions of the historic public house that is inexorably linked to the Racecourse Ground and Wrexham AFC Football Club,” the club said in a statement, and incorporates it with the club and the stadium under a single ownership.

Reynolds and Mac have regularly been filmed in The Turf alongside other celebrity actors like Will Ferrell and Paul Rudd, while Prince William once went behind the bar to pour a pint.

The pub’s landlord, Wayne Jones, has become a celebrity in his own right owing to his frequent appearances in TV series and Wrexham said he will continue to run The Turf on a day-to-day basis.

“I look forward to continue running The Turf,” Jones said, “and bringing its unique mix of history, atmosphere and sometimes Hollywood stardust to the next generation of Wrexham fans and locals alike.”

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Thanks to President Donald Trump, “there’s more money in our pockets,” the registered Republican said. The Iran war might have spiked gas prices, but Gonzalez is still confident that the U.S. economy is getting stronger.

The Jackpot Bar & Grill, located about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from the Las Vegas Strip, is in the heart of Nevada's 3rd Congressional District, where Democratic Rep. Susie Lee is trying to fend off a challenge from Republican candidate Marty O’Donnell. The state has the highest concentration of tipped workers in the country because its economy is driven by the hospitality and tourism industries, making Trump's “no tax on tips” policy a critical part of his party's midterm pitch here.

The question for Nevada voters is whether they're seeing more benefit from lower taxes or more pain from the country's economic troubles, such as energy costs and declining tourism.

Lee’s district is a top target for the Republican Party in its fight to maintain control of the House. With a mix of working-class and high-income neighborhoods, it’s the most competitive of Nevada's four congressional seats. In 2024, both Lee and Trump won the district.

Lee has held the seat since 2019, campaigning as a moderate and highlighting her bipartisan record. O’Donnell, a composer known for his work on the “Halo” video game series, became his party's nominee this year with help from Trump and a $3 million personal loan.

The race has caught the attention of Trump-aligned super PACs. Safety and Affordability, an offshoot of MAGA Inc., committed this month to spending almost $3.2 million on advertising to help O’Donnell, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. The total effectively matches the $3.1 million O’Donnell’s campaign has already spent on advertising reservations through November.

The heavy commitment puts pro-O’Donnell forces ahead by more than $1 million in the ad spending race in the district, where Lee’s campaign has spent $2.9 million and the Democratic House leadership super PAC House Majority Fund has put in $2.3 million.

Nevada is the birthplace of ‘no tax on tips’

Trump first announced his policy proposal at a June 2024 campaign event in Nevada, and he has repeatedly said that he was inspired by a Las Vegas server who suggested the idea.

“So we’re eating, and this beautiful young lady walks over, and I said, ‘How are you doing, everything good?’” Trump said in August. “'Sir, they’re taxing me to death.' I said, ‘Really? What are they taxing?’ ‘They’re taxing my tips. Sir, they should have no tax on tips.’”

The proposal was included in a sweeping package of tax breaks, social-services cuts and immigration enforcement that Trump signed into law last year.

O'Donnell has centered his attack against Lee for her vote against that bill.

“When she had an opportunity to vote for things that would actually help the people of the district, she said no,” O’Donnell told The Associated Press.

Lee attributed her vote to what she says were harmful and unpopular policies in the package. She also noted that the “no tax on tips” part of the legislation expires at the end of 2028.

"More importantly, they came at the cost of cutting Medicaid and SNAP and healthcare,” Lee told the AP at a recent canvassing launch in Las Vegas.

She and other Nevada Democrats support a separate proposal that would make permanent “no tax on tips” while also fixing what they say are issues with the current policy.

Slump in tourism lessens ‘no tax on tips’ impact

Lee said the tax cut isn't helping because tourism is falling off.

“When people are feeling the pinch at home all across this country, the first thing they cut is their trip to Vegas,” Lee said.

Nevada’s tourism fell 7.5% from 2024 to 2025, according to Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority CEO and President Steve Hill. Las Vegas hosted the Super Bowl and the second annual Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2024.

At a recent economic forum, Hill said high rollers are continuing to visit the city but lower-income visitors are not. The number of international visitors has also dropped significantly, especially Canadians who watched Trump feud with their country over trade and other issues.

O'Donnell said Las Vegas tourism is on the “comeback.” He said Trump's tariffs served as a necessary way to negotiate with countries “that have been absolutely ripping us off.”

The composer blames the high cost of living on Democrats. He recently told a crowd at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas that one good job used to be enough to raise a family, buy a house and “live a comfortable, fulfilling life while getting ahead.”

“Somewhere along the way, that deal got broken,” he said. “Now many need two incomes just to tread water, and we’re still digging our way out of Biden’s inflation crisis.”

Nevada's powerful labor unions are backing Lee

While O'Donnell has help from Republicans' national war chest, Lee has the support of the political powerhouse that is the Culinary Workers Union, representing 60,000 hospitality workers in Nevada.

Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge said the current “no tax on tips" policy brings some relief but is “deeply flawed.” A married couple filing jointly can deduct only up to $25,000 of their tipped income, Pappageorge said. The policy also does not apply to automatic gratuities that are charged to large parties, he said. Lee and other Nevada Democrats want to fix that, he said.

“There's a history of our Democrats here fighting for fair taxation,” Pappageorge said.

On a recent weekend in Lee's district about 50 days before the election, members from the Culinary Union, the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations knocked on voters' doors, hoping to sway those still undecided.

Paul Peterman, president of the local chapter of the National Association of Letter Carriers, wearing a blue union T-shirt, a lanyard and shorts, walked to union households, carrying flyers supporting Lee and other Democrats. He asked a resident who he planned to vote for. “All Republican,” said the man, hidden behind his screen door. Peterman asked if he could leave a non-Republican flyer, and the man said, “No.”

“Sorry to bother you,” Peterman said as the door closed.

At the next door, the voter identified as an independent but said he'd vote for Lee. A voter at another house said who he plans to vote for was private. Nobody answered at the next few doors.

Peterman has been canvassing these neighborhoods for years, describing it as important union work.

“It sends a message that we’re all united, and you also need every hand on deck, too, to be successful in what you want to achieve,” Peterman said.

Ireland’s Data Protection Commission said its investigation found Google did not lawfully or fairly process location data in users’ Web & App Activity, a Google setting that tracks browsing and search history, and in their Location History, a service that maps places they've been with their mobile phones.

Regulators also found the company failed to be lawful, fair and transparent when it processed personal data in its Location Accuracy feature in the Android mobile operating system.

Ireland is the lead regulator for Google in the 27-nation EU because the U.S. tech giant's European headquarters is based in Dublin.

The investigation, which opened six years ago, examined how Google applied the EU privacy rule book, known as the General Data Protection Regulation, from the time it took effect in 2018 until February 2020.

“This case centers around historical policies that have since been updated," Google said in a statement. "From 2019 onwards, we’ve significantly evolved our practices and launched robust tools that make managing location data simple.”

Regulators said that location data is a type of personal data that's collected by Google and can be used to infer someone's location.

“Location data can bring both benefits and harms to individuals,” Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said. "It can greatly enhance the utility of online services, but it can also reveal a significant amount of information about an individual, including information that is inherently private."

It's the fourth biggest EU privacy fine issued by the Irish watchdog, which has previously handed out bigger fines to TikTok and Meta, including a 1.2 billion euro fine for Meta.

The regulator said it still has three other ongoing privacy investigations involving Google.

Proske, who co-founded the scrappy company in 2014, is making her Met debut in the highest-profile assignment imaginable: opening the season directing a new production of Verdi’s “Macbeth” with an all-star cast.

The job came her way less than a year ago after another director bowed out. Planning for new productions typically starts two or more years in advance.

“I was aware of Louisa’s success at Heartbeat, and she had been on my radar,” Met general manager Peter Gelb said. “In terms of who was available on relatively short notice, Louisa was an obvious choice.”

As Proske recalled her conversation with Gelb, “He said, ‘Can you do it very, very fast? The design was due yesterday.’”

“I said it’s a big challenge,” she added. “But I love impossible challenges.”

Impossible challenges are nothing new for Proske

She had plenty of those at Heartbeat, which developed a reputation for reimagining the classics in eye-opening ways while operating on a shoestring budget.

Luckily she was able to recruit partners she had already worked with: costume designer Montana Levi Blanco and set designer Jon Bausor — both with previous Met experience — and choreographer Jorrell Lawyer-Jefferson. “That sealed the deal,” she said.

It also helped that Proske was intimately familiar with the Shakespeare play, having written her thesis on it at the University of Cambridge.

Now for the past few weeks, she has put her knowledge and imagination to work, immersing her cast — which includes a contingent of dancing witches — in what she calls “a terrifying tale for terrifying times.”

A Met newcomer who took charge like a veteran

And if she felt any trepidation about taking on such a huge challenge at a huge house, it wasn’t apparent in rehearsal.

“If this had been my first outing with the Met, I would have guessed that she’d been working here for at least a few years,” said baritone Quinn Kelsey, who portrays Macbeth. “She doesn’t come in there like a drill sergeant, but when she needs everyone’s attention, she gets it.

“It’s obvious she’s excited,” he said, “and wanting to show us all these wonderful ideas she’s come up with for us to portray our characters.”

Kelsey heads a cast that includes soprano Lise Davidsen as Lady Macbeth, tenor Freddie De Tommaso as Macduff, and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green as Banquo. Met music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts the orchestra and chorus in the production, which opens Tuesday and runs for 10 performances. The Saturday matinee on Oct. 17 will be broadcast live to movie theaters around the world.

‘Macbeth’ shows a society in collapse

To Proske the opera is about “the corrupt lust for power, the disintegration of the society, the slide into tyranny, all things that I think Shakespeare wrote very acutely about.

“I think it expresses the agony of living in times that you don’t really understand anymore,” she continued. “That it only takes three steps for all guardrails to be gone, the world descending into total savagery and bloodshed. And I do think this is a very current sentiment.”

She has taken inspiration from Verdi’s remark that the story has three major characters: Macbeth, Lady Macbeth — and the witches, who in this production act as what Proske called “greedy voyeurs of the Macbeths’ descent into crime and bloodshed.”

“Sometimes they just lurk in the shadows, and you have a sense that they’re there,” she said. “Almost like insects, or mold, they sort of creep through the walls, more and more invading those spaces as rules are broken and values transgressed.”

Bausor’s set suggests a modern war-torn landscape, with a false proscenium like a giant concrete wall with a huge hole blasted through it and rubble piled at the sides. Within the gap, scenes in the castle and on the battlefield play out on the revolving turntable.

In contrast, Blanco’s costumes evoke Shakespeare’s era, with plush robes, gowns and tunics. “To me there’s something exciting about these grand clothes from Renaissance England,” Proske said. “How they speak about power.”

Keeping true to the values of Heartbeat Opera

Despite the bigger budget and the bigger stage, Proske has aimed to bring the same values to the Met that flourish at Heartbeat.

“The core of Heartbeat was always the desire for exact, inventive, visceral storytelling,” she said. “So I feel like that was my playground and my deep passion for the first years of being an opera director, and it’s where I cut my teeth and developed a whole vision of what opera can be.”

She left the company in 2021 and returned to her native Germany, where she spent four seasons directing at Oper Halle in the northeastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. More recently, she has been freelancing in Europe and the U.S.

Her old friends at Heartbeat have watched her rise with pride.

Jacob Ashworth, the company’s artistic director, said he laughs when some fans ask if he isn’t disappointed by Proske’s move uptown. “There have been people who say, ‘But isn’t the Met the enemy?’” he said. “Of course we don’t think that at all.

“In this business it’s the downtown renegades and radical companies that toss out the ideas that then eventually trickle up to the big companies,” Ashworth said. “So it’s kind of fun when the actual people also trickle up.”

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This story has been updated to correct that Proske left Heartbeat Opera in 2021, not 2018.

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups good quality buttermilk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet ingredients. Gently whisk together the ingredients. Do not overmix but don’t leave lumps either.

Heat a waffle iron. Brush with a little oil or use cooking spray. Pour the batter into the waffle iron and spread it out a little to try and prevent overflow. Cook until golden.

Serve with your favorite toppings. (We served our waffles with chocolate ganache, whipped cream and dried raspberries.

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

¾ cup diced yellow onion, small diced

3 cups of your favorite tomato sauce

heavy pinch oregano

heavy pinch crushed chili flakes

1 teaspoon salt, if desired

6 eggs

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ bunch basil

We served our eggs with thinly sliced and toasted Italian bread.

In a large skillet over medium-low heat, add the oil. Cook the onion and garlic until soft. Add the tomato sauce, oregano and chili flake. Season if needed.

When hot, crack an egg in a small bowl; using a spoon make a well in the sauce and pour in the cracked egg. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for about 4 minutes or until the whites are just set.

Remove from the heat and top with parmesan cheese and basil.

Serve with toasted bread.

Five months later, diGenova has left his position without charging a single case, clouding the future of an investigation that has animated right-wing commentators eager to prove an ill-defined theory of a “deep state” conspiracy to take down the Republican president.

Justice Department officials are pressing forward despite diGenova's departure, with a flurry of subpoenas to former law enforcement and intelligence officials expected to yield grand jury testimony in the weeks ahead at the Fort Pierce, Florida, home court of a favored Trump-appointed federal judge.

Yet whether anyone ultimately will be charged, and for what, remains an open question. Investigators face not only legal hurdles and personnel upheaval but an impatient White House after more than a year of fits and starts.

The investigation known familiarly as the “grand conspiracy” case is the clearest example yet of the Trump administration’s efforts to leverage law enforcement powers to enact retribution on the president’s adversaries. The tumult that has defined the probe exposes a familiar gap between White House demands for speedy action and the Justice Department's ability to craft the president's litany of grievances into a prosecutable case.

DiGenova's departure injects fresh uncertainty into the investigation

The investigation has always been a tough task, aiming to knit together separate FBI probes of Trump — including related to Russian election interference and his retention of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida — into a coherent narrative of a government conspiracy. Prior efforts to investigate the investigators have failed to uncover the kind of criminal misconduct the conspiracy probe aims to prove.

“The idea of connecting all those different investigations into one single conspiracy, there's no basis for that,” retired federal prosecutor Randall Eliason said. “Then, maybe more importantly, there's no basis for an allegation that any one of them was actually a criminal act against Trump. They've all been verified and upheld in one way or another.”

If the mandate is unusual, so, too, was the person picked to lead it.

DiGenova, who's 81, was a top prosecutor in President Ronald Reagan’s administration but had been out of government for decades. He made headlines in 2020 after he said a cybersecurity official who attested to the legitimacy of the election Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden should be “drawn and quartered.” DiGenova apologized after being sued.

A prominent booster of the theory that Trump was victimized by a “deep state” conspiracy, diGenova was appointed in April shortly after Trump ousted Pam Bondi as attorney general after she struggled to prosecute his foes.

The appointment was heralded by Trump allies who regard the probe as a long-awaited reckoning for former officials they believe wronged the president. Attorney General Todd Blanche, who took the reins of the department after Bondi's firing, also trumpeted diGenova's arrival, writing on social media: “Welcome to the fight, Joe!”

By Sept. 10, diGenova was gone amid Trump administration frustration with the pace and management of the probe. His parting comments suggested he didn't see a pathway for imminent indictments.

“If you want indictments where there’s no evidence, you have an ethical problem,” he told the New York Post.

DiGenova told The Associated Press those comments were taken out of context, adding: “There’s plenty of evidence in all of these cases to prove the theories of prosecution. It just takes time to get there, and some people want to get there a little faster than others — and you can’t do that.”

DiGenova was sworn in days after a career national security prosecutor, Maria Medetis Long, was removed from the investigative team after conveying concerns about an investigation into former CIA Director John Brennan.

A lawyer for Brennan has seized on the upheaval, pointing to the departures as proof that prosecutors who have assessed the evidence have been unpersuaded and pushed aside by a Justice Department angling for indictments at all costs.

“I’ve spent decades in and around the Justice Department. I’ve never even conceived of a situation like this,” attorney Ken Wainstein said, in which the Justice Department is “blatantly trying to frame somebody for a crime that is complete fiction.”

He made the comments to a judge last week as he put prosecutors on notice that he intended to attack any indictment of Brennan on the grounds of vindictive prosecution.

The Justice Department has not announced a replacement for diGenova, but a team of prosecutors and agents remains at work, including Kurt Olsen, an attorney who unsuccessfully pushed the Justice Department in 2020 to back Trump's false election fraud claims.

Trump has long cast himself as the victim of a ‘deep state’ conspiracy

As the Justice Department reeled last year from the bungled handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, officials eager to change the topic announced a new investigation and a directive from Bondi, then the attorney general, to present evidence before a grand jury.

The topic was hardly a surprise to anyone tracking Trump's grievances.

The president has long been infuriated by a U.S. intelligence community assessment that found that Russia interfered on his behalf in the 2016 election, including by stealing politically damaging Democratic emails and orchestrating their release through WikiLeaks, and spent much of his first term shadowed by an investigation into whether his campaign had colluded with Moscow.

A 2019 Justice Department special counsel report described wide-ranging Russian interference but found insufficient evidence to prove a criminal conspiracy between Russia and the Trump campaign.

Subsequent investigations by an inspector general and Justice Department prosecutors identified errors by FBI agents but found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by senior law enforcement officials nor proof of an anti-Trump conspiracy.

Frustrated by those outcomes, Trump has amplified his demands for retribution, calls the Justice Department heeded by directing that prosecutors use a grand jury. A team in Florida was assigned to hunt for a conspiracy.

Potential targets of the conspiracy investigation are unclear, though lawyers for Brennan have said they’ve been informed he's one, with prosecutors examining whether he misled Congress during testimony about the intelligence community assessment. Brennan and his attorneys deny that allegation.

Investigators have drilled into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe, with witnesses asked about the preparation of the intelligence community assessment and what's called the “Steele dossier,” a collection of research files about Trump and Russia compiled by a former British spy that included salacious rumors and unproven assertions.

Subpoenas for records or testimony have been issued during the course of the investigation to a broad array of former FBI and intelligence officials involved in the Russia case, including ex-national intelligence director James Clapper and Brennan, who was recently summoned to appear before the grand jury on Oct. 15.

The Justice Department, meanwhile, has sought interviews with law enforcement officials involved in the 2022 FBI search for classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. The search underpinned an indictment of Trump that was ultimately dismissed by Aileen Cannon, a Trump-appointed jurist whose Fort Pierce court is where the Justice Department anchored its investigation — a move Wainstein has called “judge-shopping.”

Despite the investigation's turmoil, there's no reason to expect the Justice Department to back down given the political pressures, said John Fishwick Jr., a former U.S. attorney in Virginia.

“President Trump wants action in certain cases, and this seems to be one of them,” he said.

Polo had maximum sustained winds near 40 mph (65 kph) and was forecast to strengthen rapidly over the next few days, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

Polo was expected to become a major hurricane by midweek.

Polo was moving toward the east-northeast near 5 mph (7 kph). A turn toward the east was expected Tuesday and a sharp turn toward the north and northwest on Wednesday.

Heavy rain was forecast for the Mexican states of Michoacán, Colima and Jalisco through Thursday.

Polo was centered about 270 miles (435 kilometers) south of Manzanillo, Mexico, and 270 miles (435 kilometers) southwest of Zihuatanejo, Mexico.

A tropical storm also formed Sunday in the northern Atlantic Ocean, and another in the Pacific, but both were far from land.

Tropical Storm Fay had maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110 kph) and was centered about 385 miles (620 kilometers) southwest of the Azores. It was near hurricane strength but was forecast to weaken.

Tropical Storm Odalys was far southwest of Mexico, about 1,350 miles (2,170 kilometers) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California.

It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (85 kph) and was expected to strengthen into a hurricane in the next day or so.

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Video obtained by Local 10 shows the boat, named the “Promiscuous,” fully engulfed in flames. The fire appeared to be concentrated toward the stern.

The fire unfolded in the 100 block of Hendricks Isles in Fort Lauderdale. According to fire rescue officials, residents called in the fire around 6:05 a.m.

Smoke could be seen billowing into the air for miles as crews rushed to the scene.

Residents told Local 10 they woke up to a small fire that grew within seconds. At one point, they said they heard what sounded like an explosion as the boat was consumed by flames.

Nearly 20 Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue units responded, according to officials.

Video from the scene shows crews using tools to cut into the boat and access hot spots that continued to smolder.

According to residents, the “Promiscuous” was up for sale for about $1 million.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

“White House access is a privilege — not a right,” the administration posted on X.

The extraordinary ban of the three news outlets' reporters, which began over the weekend, represented a clear escalation of Trump’s long-running efforts — in the courts and through administrative action — to restrict news coverage he finds objectionable or, in his words, “fake news.” They were also the latest test of First Amendment protections in the United States, where the government is constitutionally forbidden from restricting the press.

The Constitution, the banned news outlets said in their lawsuit, “does not allow a president or any other government official to deprive the press of their First Amendment rights and liberty and property interests with no notice or process based solely on his dislike of the content of their reporting.”

The three outlets filed the joint lawsuit two days after their reporters were blocked from the White House and prevented from doing their jobs. The reporters' entry badges were disabled on Saturday, a day after Trump had suddenly announced he was barring the outlets because of reporting he considered “fake news.”

Monday brought a lawsuit and new reporting locations for the outlets

On Monday morning, the banned TV networks were reporting from an intersection just outside the White House complex. CNN, meanwhile, was removed from its pool duties, which are shared by the five major networks. It had been scheduled to cover the president's trip to New York for the U.N. General Assembly. In an email to members, the TV pool wrote there would be no replacement coverage following the White House actions.

“Effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President,” said the email, seen by The Associated Press. “This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place."

CNN's chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, explained on air that this meant: “When the president does anything today, there will be no TV camera with the president that is broadcasting and sharing this footage" to the viewing public.

The White House did not respond directly to a request for comment on the lawsuit. But in a news release, it said of the three banned outlets: “The First Amendment protects their right to publish; it does not entitle them to a hard pass, briefing room seat, or place in the press pool.”

On his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that he “cherished” a free press.

“The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish,” the president said in his post. “It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America. It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW!”

Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, argued that Trump’s decision was about “basic fairness” and not a violation of the right to free speech. Vance told reporters that the journalism of the three outlets is “effectively far-left propaganda," and said they were still allowed to report — just not to have offices in the White House.

Trump has been more aggressive toward the media in his second term

In his second term, Trump and his Republican administration have upped the ante and punished certain media outlets. Trump has also lashed out at individual reporters in person or over social media, sometimes in strikingly personal terms — insulting them in briefings or in his recent speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.

“This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes,” the outlets said in a joint statement posted early Monday on X. "Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public's right to independent journalism free from government interference.”

In the joint complaint, accompanied by a separate request for a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of the bans, the outlets said: “This ban could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles.”

They said they're being banned from doing their jobs at the White House “for one simple reason: (Trump) dislikes the content of the coverage of him and his administration.”

“But the Constitution does not allow a president or any other government official to deprive the press of their First Amendment rights and liberty and property interests with no notice or process based solely on his dislike of the content of their reporting.”

In legal terms, that’s known as “viewpoint discrimination” — the government singling out specific media outlets for the content of what they say or publish. That legal principle is at issue in many of the court cases around Trump’s treatment of the media and would likely be at play this time.

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, called the White House move "an attack both on press freedom and the public’s right to independent information about the government.”

"The president’s decision to bar news organizations from the White House for the content of their reporting is a flagrant violation of the First Amendment,” said Jaffer, whose institute is filing a brief to support the lawsuit. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, whom Trump nominated during his first term in the White House.

Reporters were barred Saturday

On Saturday, White House reporters from the two cable networks — Betsy Klein of CNN and Akayla Gardner of MS NOW — went live to report they’d been turned away, their press badges deactivated, when arriving for their jobs at the White House. Soon after, Politico said its White House reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also denied entry and had her badge confiscated.

The WHCA’s president, Jacqui Heinrich, called on the Trump administration to immediately restore the three outlets’ access.

“The implications extend beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future,” Heinrich said.

The current showdown follows the president’s decision last year to bar AP reporters from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other events in retaliation for the news outlet’s decision not to follow his lead in changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico, which lies partially in Mexican and other waters. The AP said it would note when appropriate that Trump had ordered it renamed the “Gulf of America.”

The AP filed suit and the case is ongoing. Since returning to office, Trump has pursued other legal action against a variety of different outlets, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and the BBC. His administration is also involved in a long-simmering confrontation involving ABC over renewal of its broadcast licenses.

Over the weekend, the AP expressed solidarity with the banned news outlets.

“No news organization — or person — should be retaliated against by the government over the words they use,” said a statement from the news cooperative.

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Associated Press reporter Michael Kunzelman contributed to this story.

That head-to-head could come even earlier in next year's swimming world championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Yu took the 200-meter individual medley in 2 minutes, 6.10 seconds in the Tokyo Olympic pool. That is just off the world record of 2:05.70 held by McIntosh. Yu also won the 200 butterfly on Sunday, and she'll swim the 400 IM later in the week.

She said winning never gets old.

“I felt the same. I’m just as excited today,” Yu said. “The result reflects all the hard work I’ve put in during training with my coaching team.”

She said she got many congratulatory messages after Sunday's victory, but she had to keep her focus.

“I don’t want to get too confident,” she said. “I’ll just keep working hard.”

McIntosh won three gold medals in the Paris Olympics in 2024, all in the same races that Yu contests. McIntosh also holds the world marks in all of those events: the 200 fly (2:01.65), the 200 IM (2:05.70) and the 400 IM (4:23,65).

As a 12-year-old at the World Championships a year ago in Singapore, Yu finished fourth in her three events, and won a bronze medal in a relay.

She made more headlines earlier this year when she defeated American Regan Smith in the 200 fly in a meet in China. Smith was the silver medalist in the event in the 2024 Olympics.

Asian Games officials said it was unclear if Yu is the youngest gold-medal winner at the event, which dates from 1951 in New Delhi, because records are incomplete.

She's not even the youngest contestant entered this time. That is believed to be 11-year-old Yuki Kurihara, who competes for Japan in esports.

China's dominance in swimming in Asia

China won six of the seven gold medals on Sunday, It was not quite as commanding on Monday, but still won gold in five of seven events. In the 100 breaststroke, China's Dong Zhihao and Shin Ohashi of Japan tied with the same first-place time (58.64).

China won 28 gold medals in swimming in the Asian Games three years ago in Hangzhou, China, with South Korea getting six and Japan with five. It looks set to at least match that mark.

Siobhan Haughey of Hong Kong, the two-time Olympic silver medalist in the 100 and 200 free, repeated her Asian Games titles in the 200 free.

“I am very happy to win another gold medal,” she said. “That’s a really precious moment. Just happy to be here.”

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See full AP coverage of Asian sports here

Kadeem Hardison still hears about that impact nearly four decades later.

“I’m learning that every day still,” said Hardison, who played the mathematically gifted, flip-shade-wearing Dwayne Wayne. He said people would approach him, saying they went to college because of the show, became engineers because of him or even gained the confidence to pursue relationships after watching Dwayne and Whitley Gilbert’s famously winding romance.

Now a new generation is discovering Hillman College, including some of the original actors bringing it back to life. The 10-episode sequel series premieres Sept. 24 on Netflix.

Cornell Young IV, one of six young stars leading the series, played college football in Missouri and said his own college decision was largely driven by which schools recruited him. But after filming the series at historically Black colleges and universities — Clark Atlanta, Spelman College and Morehouse — in Atlanta, Young found himself reconsidering the path he took.

“I wish I would have been more like, ‘Yo, here go my tape. Like, I’m trying to come here,’” said Young, who plays Shaquille Johnson, the son of original character Ron Johnson.

The sequel follows Deborah Wayne (Maleah Joi Moon), the youngest daughter of Dwayne and Whitley, as she begins her freshman year at Hillman. The new class also includes Rashida Duvall (Alijah Kai), Amir Rodale (Jordan Aaron Hall), Hazel Henry (Kennedi Reece) and Kojo Achebe (Chibuikem Uche).

Young said being immersed in an HBCU environment offered something he hadn’t fully understood before: a place where students could feel “protected,” “covered” and “seen” while figuring out who they wanted to become.

The Hillman effect

The original “A Different World,” a spinoff of “The Cosby Show,” premiered in 1987 and ran for six seasons. Set at the fictional Hillman College, the series introduced many viewers to HBCU life while tackling subjects ranging from apartheid and HIV/AIDS to racism and sexual assault.

The sequel's creator and showrunner, Felicia Pride, grew up among the viewers the original series reached. She remembers watching it with her family on Thursday nights and becoming captivated by a step-show episode. As a young dancer who had never seen stepping, she recorded it on a VCR and repeatedly played it back until she learned the routine.

“That changed something in me, being able to see myself on screen,” Pride said.

Nearly 40 years later, she wants to create the possibility of that kind of recognition for someone else. She wants the new Hillman to speak just as directly to the generation entering college now.

The sequel takes on social media and the pressures of living digitally, along with isolation, immigration, campus safety, sexual orientation and sexual health. Pride said conversations with young people repeatedly revealed how technology can leave them feeling connected and disconnected at the same time.

Some of Hillman’s concerns remain unchanged. The series also explores grief, heartbreak, friendship and the uncertainty of figuring out who you are away from home.

“The timing was so perfect now for the show to come back to be a connecting force for us,” Pride said.

Creating their own ‘Different World’

The new cast is less interested in recreating the old Hillman than making this one recognizable to their generation.

For Moon, that starts with Deborah. She studied what she called the “beautiful flaws” of Dwayne and Whitley but resisted simply blending their personalities together.

“These are big shoes to fill,” Moon said.

She wanted Deborah to stand on her own — an original character whose flaws, impulses and experiences reflect what it means to be a young Black woman coming of age now.

For Reece, that includes the constant comparison fostered by social media. She said young women are growing up with greater pressure around appearance because images of other people, and opportunities to measure themselves against them, are always within reach.

Kai sees another side of this generation’s experience: more freedom for Black women to define how they present themselves. She said there is greater room to experiment with hair, fashion, color and texture rather than conform to ideas of what others consider palatable.

She brought some of that sensibility to Rashida herself, contributing ideas for the character’s nails and changing hairstyles.

Together, their characters are not intended to offer a single definition of young Black womanhood.

The experience is “both universal, but not a monolith,” Moon said.

Can the new Hillman create its own legacy?

Hardison knows the new cast will be measured against the one that came before. He thinks that misses the point.

“Let the kids cook,” he said.

Hardison stressed that the new “A Different World” is a sequel, not a reboot. He likened comparing the two casts to comparing Michael Jordan and LeBron James — different generations playing under different circumstances.

For all the reverence surrounding the original today, Hardison remembers that it took time to become the show people now celebrate. The series underwent a major creative shift after its first season, when Debbie Allen became executive producer.

“Our first season was trash, yo,” Hardison said with a laugh. “Let the kids have some time and give them some grace.”

That may be harder to come by in today's television business.

The original had more than 20 episodes in most seasons and years to develop its characters. The new series has 10 episodes to establish itself in an entertainment landscape where streaming services, social media, YouTube and other platforms are constantly competing for attention.

“We have to do well out the gate,” Pride said. “The times that we’re in are much more unforgiving.”

For Pride, that leaves little room for a slow start.

“We don’t have the benefit of, you know, growing with the show and the show figuring itself out,” she said. “So I hope people show up. I hope they watch it together.”

The relentless daily attacks underscore the lack of significant progress in diplomatic efforts to end the fighting more than four years after Russia invaded its neighbor.

There is no sign the war is abating as world leaders gather this week at the U.N. General Assembly. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he expects to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump at the annual event in New York. Russian President Vladimir Putin is not due to attend.

Trump on Monday called the war “ridiculous” and said Moscow had “unfortunately lost control” of its diesel oil production as Ukraine targets Russian refineries with long-range drones.

“A large number of (Russian) diesel refineries have been blown up and are, at least temporarily, out of commission,” he said in a social media post.

Earlier this month, Trump urged Zelenskyy to halt the refinery strikes, saying the attacks are causing a global shortage and price spikes.

Zelenskyy responded to Trump in a post on X, noting that Kyiv has offered “dozens of diplomatic proposals on how to end this war with dignity, guarantee security, and prevent new Russian invasions.”

“Ukraine’s energy sector, critical infrastructure, and our food exports must stop being targets for Russia, and this will lead to matching de-escalation steps on our part,” he said.

European leaders, fearing Moscow has malicious intentions on their continent, are keen to put further pressure on Putin to withdraw from Ukraine, but the Russian leader has given no indication he is ready to give up his goals.

Russia hits apartment blocks and a shopping mall, officials say

The Russian bombardment of Zaporizhzhia late Sunday hit apartment blocks, a university and a shopping mall, among other sites, and wounded five people, Zelenskyy said on social media Monday.

Russia also struck nine other regions of Ukraine, he said.

A Russian drone struck a home in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on Monday, killing a 45-year-old woman and seriously injuring her 13-year-old son, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.

“Russia is not backing down from its escalation and is sending many signals that it is ready to expand the war,” Zelenskyy said. “At the U.N. General Assembly, we will discuss how we can achieve peace through joint efforts.”

The Russian military overnight targeted Ukrainian logistics hubs, warehouses and ports, among other military-related sites, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement Monday.

The attacks came after Ukraine launched a huge swarm of drones at Russia from Saturday to Sunday, including hundreds aimed at Moscow, as voters turned out for the third and last day of a carefully orchestrated parliamentary election.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Monday that its air defenses overnight downed 244 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and the waters of the Black Sea.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s air force said Monday it shot down or suppressed 148 Russian drones in an overnight attack.

Moldova reports another drone incursion

During the aerial barrages, drones have repeatedly strayed into neighboring countries, unnerving leaders who are wary of Russia and fear being dragged into conflict.

Moldova’s Ministry of Defense said Monday that part of the country's airspace in the north was temporarily closed overnight after surveillance systems detected an “aerial object” entering its national airspace shortly after midnight.

In recent weeks, Moldova’s airspace has been violated multiple times, and drone debris has been found on its territory. With electronic jamming knocking drones off course, it was not clear whether the drones were Russian or Ukrainian, though officials have often singled out Moscow for blame.

Moldova’s pro-Western President Maia Sandu has repeatedly condemned Russia for its war on Ukraine, and earlier this month said Moscow’s “brutal war is reaching our border” following Russian strikes along Moldova’s frontier with Ukraine.

Drone incursions into Romania’s airspace have also increased significantly.

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AP reporters Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England, and Seun Min Kim in Washington contributed to this story.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

AI Film Production Limited is suing Wilson in the New South Wales state Supreme Court alleging she undermined and blocked the release of the film, causing the Britain-based production company financial and reputational damage.

The film's release was shelved in 2024, after Wilson fell out with co-producers Amanda Ghost, her husband Greg Cameron and Vince Holden. It was eventually released in April this year.

The star of the “Pitch Perfect” films and “Bridesmaids” won a defamation suit in the Federal Court in Sydney in July. That suit had been brought by the star of the “The Deb,” Australian actor Charlotte MacInnes.

Wilson’s social media posts in July 2024 are at the center of both suits.

The three AI Film co-producers alleged Wilson accused them of inappropriate behavior conduct toward MacInnes, embezzling money and trying to block the film's release.

They said that Wilson and her company Camp Sugar Productions breached consumer law concerning misleading conduct and breached various contracts by making allegedly defamatory statements about them to her 11 million Instagram followers.

Wilson was accused of preventing the film's release by undermining negotiations with potential distributors and threatening an injunction against showing the film in Australia.

AI Film is seeking unspecified damages as well as an apology from Wilson for misleading and deceptive conduct. AI Film is also seeking corrective advertising.

In a cross-claim, Wilson and Camp Sugar alleged the three co-producers' involvement in the film was marked by “a troubling pattern of illicit egregious behaviors, including theft, bullying and sexual misconduct.”

Wilson said that Ghost broke verbal agreements over writing credits and a soundtrack album deal. Wilson also alleged Cameron and Holden embezzled 900,000 Australian dollars ($642,000) from a joint venture company set up to make the movie.

Wilson sat at the back of the courtroom on Monday and frequently typed on her phone as her lawyer Dauid Sibtain questioned the first witness, Holden.

The hearing was adjourned until Tuesday.

In the previous federal court case, MacInnes had alleged Wilson defamed her or breached her confidence in four social media posts from September 2024 to July 2025, by falsely suggesting she had withdrawn a sexual harassment complaint against Ghost to advance her career.

MacInnes denied ever making such a complaint, but a judge ruled that none of Wilson’s posts were defamatory.

The lions were discovered Friday in the Ndutu part of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, according to the conservation group overseeing the site.

“Preliminary findings suggest the animals may have died after ingesting poison,” the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority said in a statement.

An investigation is underway to establish the definitive cause of the deaths inside the area where wildlife including lions, elephants and black rhinos live in proximity with semi-nomadic Maasai pastoralists.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies lions as vulnerable and says their numbers are declining. Threats facing the species include habitat loss, declining prey populations and human-wildlife conflict.

Welcome to raccoon boot camp, where the goal is to help sick or injured animals learn to survive in the south Mississippi wilderness — a skill set they would have learned from their mothers, most of whom died or were separated from their kits by storms, traffic accidents or other traumatic events.

It's a challenge that's left Woodside Wildlife Rescue’s founder, Paula Woodside, with cuts from scared, defensive raccoons and their sharp claws, and when she isn’t able to save a kit, emotional scars too.

“When these babies come in, and they’re so desperate, it’s heartbreaking,” said Woodside, who most days is covered in sweat from caring for the animals in the Mississippi heat, and dirt from curious kits crawling up her legs and onto her shoulders. “It’s really important for them to get a little bit of a head start.”

Wildlife rescue staff teach the raccoons by example

Woodside, a former U.S. merchant mariner, opened the rescue in 2019 after she helped rehabilitate a baby raccoon found aboard her ship. The rescue in the coastal city of Pass Christian typically raises dozens of kits each year, 76 so far this year, alongside other indigenous wildlife.

City animal control and citizens call Woodside, or the rescue’s director, Raquel Priest, when they find a raccoon in need of saving. Together, they attempt to reunite the kits with their mothers, if they can find them, or bring the kits to the rescue.

The youngest raccoons will spend a few weeks mostly indoors being bottle-fed by rehabbers until they’re vaccinated for diseases carried by cat colonies and dogs and are ready to move to outdoor pens.

Though the kits stay close to their adoptive human parents, they’re eventually allowed to roam free during the day on the rescue’s rural 20-acre (8-hectare) property, a sprawling mix of meadows and thick forest spotted with ponds and a nearby river. Thanks to that setting, Woodside and Priest can take their troops on learning excursions, a luxury many wildlife rescues don't have, Woodside said.

Woodside and Priest teach by example. They hide worms in the dirt to show the kits how to dig for food, and break open pine cones or acorns to reveal the seeds inside. The raccoons' eyes light up when they encounter a new tasty food, and they run to show their discovery to their rehabbers before hurrying back to fend off other kits who might try to steal their find.

Where a drill sergeant might yell, ‘Attention!,’ Priest and Woodside give a shrill trilling sound, mimicking the raccoon call for danger, that sends the kits running up trees to safety. A short whistle lets the troops know the coast is clear.

The kits also practice fishing in shallow pools, their uncoordinated paws tentatively patting the water until they're quick enough to snag a snack. A live quail hunt provides hunting experience. While these are skills raccoons would likely learn on their own, Woodside’s staff hopes the training gives the kits a greater chance of survival.

On the property's pond, the raccoons learn to swim, a critical skill in hurricane-prone south Mississippi. The rehabbers take to kayaks and encourage the kits to swim back and forth. They also take trips to the deep woods, where kits learn to run from tree to tree to avoid being seen by birds of prey and to have a quick escape route from snakes or other dangers on the ground.

Raccoons graduate to ‘Pomp and Circumstance Marches’

For their final lesson, a volunteer — who isn't Woodside or Priest — traps the raccoons in cages, scaring them enough to encourage them to avoid traps and humans. The experience helps the young raccoons wean themselves from their human rescuers, a process Priest said naturally occurs as they mature.

When a group of kits is ready for release, about six months after their rescue, Woodside and Priest host a graduation ceremony. They play Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance Marches,” and read a roll call of each graduating kit's name.

A reverend then blesses their journey as they're released onto a different section of the rescue's forest-covered property. For kits that die in care, the staff holds a second ceremony to bless and scatter their ashes.

“It's like watching your children leave home,” Priest said. “It's important to see them prosper and go and be the mischievous creatures they were meant to be.”

With over 95% of the vote counted, the top Kremlin party, United Russia, stands to get more than three-fourths of the seats in the lower house, the State Duma, a record high.

It was the first parliamentary election since President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and the first to include residents of four regions of that country that were seized and illegally annexed by Moscow later that year. At a polling station in the Russian-held part of the Donetsk region, voters dropped their ballots in a box under the gaze of an armed Russian soldier.

Voting also was held in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. Kyiv denounced the voting in those regions as illegal.

The government was “able to carry out the campaign and the voting the way it wanted, with the most optimal output,” said Tatyana Stanovaya of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in an online commentary.

The election followed a crackdown on dissent

The Kremlin wanted the balloting to underline public support for its military action in Ukraine, and it sought to avoid any political risks by stamping out even the slightest sign of dissent.

A massive state media campaign and tight control over the vote allowed the Kremlin to maintain and even strengthen its political dominance despite economic troubles and long-range Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries and warehouses belonging to top online retailers that brought the conflict home for millions.

Preliminary results indicated that United Russia would get 355 out of 450 Duma seats, according to the Central Election Commission. It polled just under 58% of the vote for the 225 seats apportioned by parties, and also won 208 single-seat races filling the other half of the chamber.

Several smaller parties representing the “systemic opposition” that vote in sync with the Kremlin's wishes on all key issues are set to fill most of the remaining seats. Just a handful will go to candidates who ran without a party affiliation.

The balloting was spread over three days from Friday to Sunday to boost turnout, which exceeded 59%, the highest for a parliamentary election in over a decade.

Electronic balloting was available in many regions and encouraged by authorities. Critics argued that it made it easier for the government to control the outcome.

Final results will be announced Friday.

Criticism of the war was silenced

The liberal Yabloko party, the only registered political entity that dared to publicly criticize the war, was removed from the ballot last month by Russia’s Supreme Court, and only had a few dozen candidates in the single-seat races.

Additionally, some anti-war politicians were imprisoned or forced to flee abroad ahead of the campaign.

Preliminary results indicated that no Yabloko candidates won a seat. Despite the failure, Yabloko pointed out that five of its candidates in Moscow came second in their races with more than 10% of the vote each. It was a sign that “demands for peace and freedom enjoy significant support,” said Ivan Bolshakov, head of the party's analytical center.

Yabloko and the Communist Party, which has criticized some aspects of government policy but carefully avoided any criticism of Putin, said many of their observers were turned away from polling stations.

Russia didn’t invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with the Foreign Ministry accusing the group of “double standards” for its criticism of the country. OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons said the decision was a breach of Russia’s commitments as a member of the organization.

The election came amid Ukrainian attacks

The election took place against the backdrop of incessant Ukrainian drone attacks. On Sunday, Russia's Defense Ministry reported that it downed 1,110 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 450 drones were downed while approaching the city in what he described as “the largest ever” attack on the capital in a failed attempt to disrupt the vote, which damaged an oil refinery and a residential building.

Three people were killed in the wider Moscow region, Gov. Andrei Vorobyov said, and the Health Ministry reported 38 others were injured and received medical treatment.

Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes over the summer pounded oil refineries, triggering a widespread fuel crisis, and set ablaze sprawling warehouses of online retailers Wildberries and Ozon.

“Putin, of course, will interpret United Russia's results as confirmation of the (public) support of the war, even though it is not the case: The overall demand for ending the war is growing,” said Stanovaya of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

“The main question is: What now? There are great concerns about mobilization, new repressions, harsher measures, and escalation," she wrote.

“I partially agree that Putin may perceive the election results as a green light for ‘anything for the victory,' but I think the role of the elections here is greatly exaggerated," she added. "Everything depends much more on the military situation, the American factor (I don’t believe new negotiations will work out), and the overall picture, where everyone is escalating.”

Now Britain’s prime minister is about to hold his first meeting with the U.S. president, with Ukraine, the risks and opportunities of artificial intelligence and the soaring cost of conflict in the Middle East dominating his agenda.

In a sign of the stark decisions facing the neophyte prime minister who took office just two months ago, Burnham announced Monday that he would send a Royal Air Force plane to help Saudi Arabia repel attacks from Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The U.K. says the plane will refuel Saudi planes during “defensive” missions.

Burnham told reporters en route to New York, where he will meet Tuesday with Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, that he is “acting to secure the interests of Britain and the wider region.”

He said Britain wants to see an end to the conflict in the region “as quickly as possible and we stand ready to play our part.”

The conflict between the Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has reignited, with Houthis aiming missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia, including one that targeted Riyadh on Saturday before being intercepted. The Houthis also declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, attacking Saudi-linked vessels and oil facilities inside the kingdom, the world’s top oil exporter.

Burnham is set to address the annual gathering of world leaders on Tuesday, setting out his vision of Britain’s place in an increasingly fractured and perilous world.

Burnham’s only other foreign trip since taking office in July was to Kyiv, and he has said he will urge Trump to send interceptor missiles to bolster Ukraine’s air defenses ahead of another winter of war.

The British government also wants to discuss ways to restore free movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, largely blocked since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran in February. The closure of the key route has sent oil prices spiking, complicating Burnham’s efforts to jump-start Britain’s sluggish economy and ease the cost of living.

Burnham says he’ll seek common ground

Like many Labour Party politicians, Burnham was strongly critical of Trump in the past. In 2017, Burnham, as the mayor of Greater Manchester, said the president wouldn’t be welcome in the city. Two years later he said he would refuse to meet Trump if he visited.

On Monday he said he would seek “common ground” with Trump, adding that the two men had “found a connection” during two phone calls since Burnham replaced Keir Starmer at the helm of the center-left governing party.

Trump has called Burnham “a nice guy,” but has also recently needled U.K. officials by expressing support for Irish unification and musing about the future of the Falkland Islands that are claimed by both Britain and Argentina.

Starmer went out of his way to flatter Trump, presenting him in the Oval Office in February 2025 with an invitation from King Charles III for an unprecedented second state visit to the U.K.

British officials felt Starmer’s approach was vindicated when the U.K. struck a trade deal with the Trump administration. But Trump soured on Starmer over his refusal to join the Iran war. The president also has repeatedly criticized the U.K.’s immigration and green-energy policies, urging the country to open more of the North Sea up to oil drilling.

Burnham is expected to announce a decision soon about whether to approve new oil and gas fields off Scotland.

U.K. officials also are braced for criticism of Britain’s ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and efforts to regulate big American technology firms.

“Burnham has a bit of a tightrope to walk,” said Olivia O’Sullivan, director of the U.K. in the World program at the Chatham House think tank.

“He’ll want to build rapport. He’ll want to impress upon Trump and the U.S. administration the European line on Ukraine and the need for continued support to Ukraine. And he’ll probably want to use the rest of his time at the U.N. General Assembly to highlight the U.K. government’s ongoing concerns about Gaza” and Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

“But he’ll want to avoid that becoming a bone of contention with the U.S. government,” she said.

Middle powers look to build stronger alliances

Trump’s threats to seize Greenland alarmed the U.K. and other European allies earlier this year, and Burnham was among leaders expressing relief at the announcement of a deal between Greenland, Denmark and the U.S. to bolster the American military presence there but keep the Arctic island under Danish control.

Trump has other, more high-profile, international meetings this week, including one at the White House with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Burnham’s trip comes as middle-sized powers, led most vocally by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, try to forge closer alliances in the face of Trump’s “America first” foreign policy. Burnham’s government wants Britain to be bolder on the world stage, and to restore some of the ties with Europe severed when the U.K. left the European Union in 2020.

At the U.N., Burnham will host a meeting on reviving hopes of a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, alongside Carney, French President Emmanuel Macron, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

In his speech, he said he would set out his vision of the U.K. as an “honest broker” when it comes to balancing the risks and opportunities of AI, which he plans to make the focus of Britain’s presidency of the G20 group of nations in 2027.

“We have obviously the closest of relationships with the U.S. We have that deepening relationship with Europe. But also I’ve spoken to President Xi and we’ve maintained a strong dialogue with China,” he said. “So we are, I think, uniquely positioned to play a leadership role on AI and it’s very clear to me that the G20 presidency gives us that opportunity.”

Pope Leo XIV is expected to make a similar appeal to protect life when he visits France this weekend and also prays at Lourdes. One of Christianity’s most-visited pilgrimage destinations is especially popular for sick people because of its association with miraculous cures.

Leo’s message will likely land differently, since France’s National Assembly in 2024 enshrined abortion as a constitutional right and recently gave final approval to a bill allowing adults with incurable illnesses to receive lethal medication. It was the culmination of years of debate over end-of-life care in France and comes as other countries in Europe and the Americas have increasingly legalized assisted dying, though British lawmakers recently voted down a bill allowing it.

Catholic teaching holds that life must be defended from conception until natural death. It insists that chronically ill patients, including those in vegetative states, must receive “ordinary” care such as hydration and nutrition, but that “extraordinary” or disproportionate care can be suspended if it is only prolonging a precarious and painful life.

With Leo’s blessing, French bishops decided the official motto of his trip would be “That the world may have life,” suggesting that protecting human life and human dignity will be an overarching theme of the visit.

Leo has emphasized the need to protect the dignity of all human life, from immigrants to the sick and unborn, most significantly in his inaugural encyclical on safeguarding human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence.

Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, president of the bishops’ conference, said he expected Leo would raise the issue. “We already know that the question of life and respect for life — not only from an ethical standpoint, but in many ways — is at the heart of the pope’s message and aligns very closely with the message of the Gospel.”

A secular but Catholic country

France is a traditionally Catholic country, but adheres to a strict form of secularism in public life based on a 1905 law separating church and state.

And like many countries in the once-traditionally Christian West, France has seen the influence of the Catholic Church wane amid secularizing trends and the impact of the clergy sexual abuse scandal on its credibility.

Yet French bishops have expressed astonishment at the level of interest in the pope’s Sept. 25-28 visit and say they expect 1 million people will see him. Due to larger-than-expected crowds, organizers lengthened the perimeter for Leo's main Mass at the central Place de la Concorde, extending the site beyond the 1.9-kilometer (1.2-mile) length of the Champs-Elysees where he'll parade down in his popemobile.

Leo elicited a similar level of interest in secular Spain in June, where he received a seven-minute standing ovation after his speech to the Spanish Parliament.

“I think nobody many months ago or a few months ago would have imagined” the level of interest, said Sister Nathalie Becquart, a top Vatican official from France. “But they see what happened in Spain.”

Like Spain, France has seen a trend of new adult baptisms in recent years, particularly among conservative young adults, many of whom are attracted to more traditional forms of worship including the old Latin Mass.

More than 13,000 adults were baptized at Easter this year in France, where the number of adult baptisms has more than tripled since 2016, the French bishops’ conference reported. Leo will meet with some of these new converts in a special audience.

But experts caution these numbers don't counteract the overall generational trend of the children of practicing French Catholics no longer going to Mass or baptizing their babies.

In 1980, there were 513,000 baptisms in France; in 2024, a total of 186,000. “The new phenomenon of adult baptisms is put into perspective; in fact, it represents only a very modest rebound,” said Christian Marquant, a traditionalist Catholic who blames the secularizing crisis in the French church on the modernizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council.

AI and peace also on Leo's itinerary

Leo is bookending his trip to France with two events to broaden his message to an international audience. On Day 1, he visits UNESCO to speak about artificial intelligence and the value of education and art.

In his AI encyclical “Magnificent Humanity,” Leo called for robust AI regulation and for developers to slow down — a stance they have recently taken as a group. Leo's position on AI has put him at odds with the Trump administration, which has encouraged AI innovation so the U.S. can compete with and surpass China.

The visit to UNESCO by the American pope is significant, given the Trump administration has once again announced it is withdrawing from the U.N. cultural agency, part of its broader retreat from international organizations.

On his final day, Sept. 28, Leo will visit the northern French city of Metz, the birthplace of Robert Schuman, one of the founding fathers of European integration.

Leo will participate in a meeting with other faith leaders and then speak at a European conference on peace, at a time of war in Ukraine and beyond.

Clergy sexual abuse on the agenda

The Vatican took the unusual step of announcing ahead of time that Leo would meet with victims of clergy sexual abuse while in France. The gathering of seven survivors includes one who was an adult when abused, a recognition of the new frontier of the abuse crisis facing the church.

The French church has endured a brutal reckoning with its legacy of abuse. An independent report in 2021 estimated 330,000 children had been abused over 70 years by some 3,000 priests and church workers.

Despite criticism of the report's methodology and conclusions, French bishops nevertheless put in place an independent system of compensation for victims that to date has recommended the church pay out more than 20 million euros.

In Lourdes, Leo will be reminded of a prickly abuse case inherited from Pope Francis.

The façade of one of the Lourdes basilicas was designed by the Rev. Marko Rupnik, one of the Catholic Church’s most famous mosaic artists.

Rupnik is currently on trial in a Vatican court, accused by more than two dozen women of having psychologically, spiritually and sexually abused them starting in the 1990s, including during the creation of his artworks.

His case was covered up for three decades by his Jesuit superiors, and even Francis was suspected of having protected his fellow Jesuit. Amid a media outcry, Francis in 2024 ordered a canonical trial, which is ongoing.

The Rupnik case posed the question of what to do with his mosaics, which adorn basilicas around the world.

In 2024, Lourdes Bishop Jean-Marc Micas decided to no longer illuminate the façade of the Notre Dame du Rosaire Basilica at night. He subsequently ordered the decorated doors covered, and more recently decided to cover the façade’s mosaics entirely. He reasoned that abuse victims who come to Lourdes for healing shouldn't be forced to see them.

Since some of the abuse was allegedly committed during the creation of the mosaics, “it is impossible to separate the work of art from the abuse,” said Laura Sgro, attorney for five women who accused Rupnik and have welcomed Micas' decision to cover the mosaics.

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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.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said the explosion occurred during an unspecified operation near the military demarcation line in the western section of the border buffer zone, commonly known as the DMZ.

The cause of the blast was not immediately clear, the ministry said.

South Korean officials did not say whether it was possible the explosion was caused by a land mine planted by North Korea, which has added mines, anti-tank barriers and other front line fortifications in recent months as relations between the war-divided rivals have sharply deteriorated. Seoul’s Defense Ministry didn’t immediately respond when asked by The Associated Press whether the incident prompted the military to enhance border security.

Two of the officers were airlifted from the site by helicopter, while the third was transported by land before being airlifted, according to the ministry. The officers are being treated at a military hospital near the capital Seoul.

The DMZ, which is 248 kilometers (155 miles) long and 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) wide, is one of the world’s most heavily armed borders. An estimated 2 million mines are peppered inside and near the border, which also is guarded by barbed wire fences, tank traps and combat troops on both sides. The zone is a legacy of the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, which ended with an armistice but not a peace treaty.

Tensions have increased along the border

North Korea has dialed up animosity with a run of military displays this month, including short-range ballistic missile launches on Sunday, live-fire missile and artillery exercises, and the commissioning of a new warship, as leader Kim Jong Un flaunts his growing nuclear program despite U.S. calls to revive diplomacy.

There have been growing concerns in South Korea about increased activity by North Korean soldiers near the military demarcation line as the North strengthens its border defenses during prolonged tensions between the countries. The South Korean military has not officially confirmed media reports that North Korean soldiers crossed the demarcation line more than 20 times during front line operations in August alone.

The South’s military fired warning shots to repel some 10 North Korean soldiers who crossed the demarcation line at the eastern section of the DMZ in April 2025. The North Korean soldiers retreated after the South broadcast audio warnings and fired the shots and there were no clashes. In June 2024, North Korean troops crossed the border three times, prompting South Korea to fire warning shots.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in recent years has suspended virtually all cooperation and diplomacy with South Korea while declaring Seoul as his most hostile enemy during a stalemate in his larger nuclear negotiations with Washington.

North Korean mines in past years have occasionally washed down a swollen river into South Korea, killing or injuring civilians. In August 2015, land mine blasts maimed two South Korean soldiers and caused tensions between the two Koreas to flare.

Minutes after polls closed on Sunday, the unpopular Merz said he planned to stay on as leader of both Germany and his center-right party, and said that he would push through reforms to Europe’s biggest economy.

Hours later, final results underlined the extent of what Merz conceded was a “disaster” in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, an eastern region on the Baltic Sea coast. His center-right Christian Democratic Union fell just below the 5% of the vote needed to keep seats in the regional parliament, the first time that has happened in 77 years of modern Germany’s federal republic, after losing more than half its support. The far-right Alternative for Germany finished as the strongest party.

In Sunday's other election, the CDU dropped to second place in Berlin behind the hard-left Left Party, which is in pole position to lead the next city government — though Merz’s party could, depending on how coalition talks go, still retain city hall.

But after days of speculation about Merz's future, there were no prominent public calls Monday for his departure and no sign of a challenge. The chancellor said no one raised any “personnel questions” in party leadership meetings Sunday or Monday.

“It is the historic task of the (governing) coalition here in Berlin and the political center as a whole to make our country fit for the coming years,” Merz said. “Extremists suggest that there are easy solutions. But everyone who has ever governed knows there are no easy solutions.”

At the same time, he acknowledged that the CDU needs to work on its profile. He said that it “no longer has satisfactory answers to too many questions, and we will and must change that.”

A far-right party gains again

Neither of the states that voted Sunday is a political heavyweight. The CDU's 2023 win in Berlin was its only one in the past 25 years in the capital, which has tended to lean left. The party was already weak in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

But the results added to the headwinds Merz faces after a stinging defeat by the far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AfD, two weeks ago in Saxony-Anhalt, another region in the formerly communist east, damaged his authority and set off speculation that he might be replaced.

While AfD was the strongest party in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the center-left Social Democrats — the junior party in Merz's national governing coalition — were fairly close behind after a campaign focused squarely on the state governor, Manuela Schwesig, as a bulwark against the far right. That polarization helped squeeze other mainstream parties, including the CDU.

A left-leaning three-party coalition under Schwesig would have a majority in the new regional legislature.

Questions over how Germany should be reformed

Schwesig and others in the governing parties have cast doubt on aspects of the federal government's reform agenda, which is meant to bolster a chronically sluggish economy. The reform plans include a potentially painful overhaul of the creaking pension system and of the healthcare system. A proposal to scrap a rule allowing people who have paid pension contributions for 45 years to retire early without taking a financial hit has drawn particular criticism.

The Social Democrats' national leaders said Monday that they stand by the coalition. But they made clear that they will seek at least some changes to the plans.

Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil, who is also the finance minister, said that “saying we will ignore what voters told us in three state elections won't work.”

“We need reforms, but these reforms must be fair and they need support in the population,” he said. The party's other co-leader, Labor Minister Bärbel Bas, said the plans need a “reality check” and a “fairness check,” but that she was optimistic of finding solutions on the pension system reform, the most controversial plan.

“There would be nothing more lethal than letting this coalition break apart over some technical question,” Bas said.

Merz said he wouldn't speculate about “where we must make corrections.”

There are at least no more electoral tests this year. However, five state elections are scheduled next year, three of them in April.

They include one in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, currently led by a prominent CDU figure often cited as a possible successor to Merz, Hendrik Wüst. None of the five elections is in the east, where AfD is strongest.

Looking forward, much will depend on the CDU's influential regional leaders. But there was no sign of a challenge to Merz Monday from them or others.

“You get the feeling that the stronger figures are trying to stay away from Berlin at the moment,” Thomas Poguntke, a longtime political science professor at the Heinrich Heine University in Duesseldorf, told Phoenix television.

“Swapping out a leadership figure wouldn't achieve so terribly much now,” he added, but the chancellor has made avoidable mistakes in the past, “and the government's handicraft simply must improve.”