According to an arrest report from the Sweetwater Police Department, officers responded on Feb. 27 to a warehouse at 1800 NW 129th Ave. after a semi-truck trailer loaded with approximately $105,000 in ES impact windows was reported stolen.

The report states that the victim told police the trailer had been parked behind the warehouse the previous day and was discovered missing the next morning.

Police said surveillance video showed that at about 7:50 p.m. on Feb. 26, two individuals wearing dark clothing arrived in a white Freightliner Cascadia, attached it to the trailer and drove away toward Northwest 129th Avenue.

Investigators later determined that a black Chevrolet Equinox bearing a Florida tag registered to Yudier Fabregat Martell was used to transport him to the scene and follow the stolen trailer as it entered Florida’s Turnpike from Northwest 41st Street.

Police said investigative findings indicated Fabregat Martell shared “the same physical characteristics” with one of the individuals captured on video.

Local 10 News obtained that video of the suspect taking off with the container that cops say filled with impact windows.

Authorities also determined that a cellphone associated with him was at the scene at the time of the theft.

Police said Fabregat Martell was taken into custody on Monday and transported to SPD’s general investigations unit for questioning.

After being advised of his Miranda rights, they said Fabregat Martell admitted to being present at the scene but told investigators he had been paid to drive there and did not know the purpose of the trip, according to the report.

Police said Fabregat Martell showed detectives a photo on his cellphone that he said was sent to him the day after the theft.

They said the photo depicted the stolen windows, based on shipping and product labels. Fabregat Martell told investigators he did not know who sent the image but believed “the message was related to the sale of the stolen merchandise,” the report states.

Police said Fabregat Martell denied knowledge of the crime and the surrounding circumstances before they ended the interview with him.

The business owner told Local 10’s Rosh Lowe he’s never seen anything like this in 28 years.

Jail records show Fabregat Martell is facing one count each of grand theft of cargo valued at $50,000 or more, third-degree grand theft of a vehicle, and dealing in stolen property.

As of Tuesday morning, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was listed at $70,000. He was also placed on house arrest and ordered to stay away from the victim and the victim’s business.

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According to investigators, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper was positioned in the center lane with emergency lights activated while assisting a disabled tractor-trailer.

A Road Ranger truck was parked behind the patrol vehicle with cones and other warning devices deployed to alert approaching drivers.

The trooper and the Road Ranger were in the process of closing travel lanes when authorities said a driver in a Hyundai Genesis SUV “failed to use due care” and crashed into the rear of the road ranger truck.

At the time of the crash, they said the road ranger was outside of his vehicle and suffered a broken thumb.

Authorities said the SUV driver had a small child inside the vehicle who was not in a child safety seat.

They said the road ranger, the SUV driver and the child were all transported to Broward Health with non-life-threatening injuries.

All northbound lanes of the Sawgrass Expressway at University Drive were closed as a result of the crash, with traffic being diverted off University Drive.

Earlier, Coral Springs Fire Rescue said the crash shut down northbound lanes between Sample Road and University Drive as crews worked to clear the scene.

Sky 10 was over the area around 1:45 p.m., where a damaged SUV, the Road Ranger truck and multiple emergency crews could be seen.

Drivers were urged to avoid the area.

No additional details have been released.

The global hitmakers will take over Hard Rock Stadium on Thursday, Dec. 3, marking one of the final stops on their massive 33-date North American tour.

The show at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens is expected to draw tens of thousands of fans, adding to the city’s growing reputation as a premier destination for major stadium concerts.

The tour kicks off June 26 in Denver and travels through major cities across the U.S. and Canada—including Chicago, Toronto, Los Angeles, Houston, and Las Vegas—before wrapping in Tampa on December 11.

The announcement follows a wave of excitement sparked by a surprise teaser the two artists dropped on Instagram last week, instantly generating buzz among fans eager to see the R&B icons share the stage.

Beyond the music, the tour will also have a philanthropic impact.

In partnership with Global Citizen, a new release from the tour states that $1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, supporting access to education for children worldwide.

Both artists are coming off historic runs.

Usher’s Past, Present, Future tour sold more than 1.1 million tickets across North America, while Chris Brown’s Breezy Bowl XX World Tour became the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo Black American male artist, earning nearly $300 million globally, according to a news release.

Ticket Information

Tickets go on sale to the general public on April 27 at 12 p.m. local time, with multiple presales happening the week prior.

Fans can purchase tickets by clicking here.

Not anymore.

Thanks to a variety of factors — especially money and technology — the MLB and NCAA versions of baseball have never been more similar. There's also been more movement between the two versions of the sport in recent years.

It's part of the reason Tony Vitello is now the manager of the San Francisco Giants despite never working or playing for a professional organization before he was hired — a first in MLB history. It's also a factor in why Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2025 barely one year after finishing a decorated college career at Wake Forest.

“The college game has definitely taken a bigger step toward the pro game — mainly because of the almighty dollar,” said Arizona State coach Willie Bloomquist, who played 14 big league seasons.

“Essentially what’s happened, the Power 4 Conferences are basically the minor leagues."

Athletics general manager David Forst — who selected Kurtz with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 draft — said the first baseman's quick rise through the minors made him realize how good college baseball had become. Kurtz needed just 210 plate appearances in the minors before dominating MLB pitching, batting .290 with 36 homers and 86 RBIs over 117 games in 2025.

“There’s no doubt that top-level college baseball is High-A or Double-A now. It’s really close,” Forst said. “I never would have imagined a player like Nick Kurtz coming to the big leagues for us 11 months after he was drafted.

“That was unthinkable when I first started doing this. The timeline is squashed because these guys are coming out of college so ready, so physically advanced. Some of them — frankly — don’t need the minor league at-bats they used to need.”

One reason the college game has improved so much is an influx of cash. Coaching salaries have exploded over the past few decades: LSU's Jay Johnson is at the top of the scale at more than $3 million per year while Mississippi State's Brian O'Connor is second at $2.9 million.

Those are outliers, but it's not uncommon for power conference coaches to make more than $1 million.

The highest paid MLB managers make around $8 million per season, but top assistants like pitching and hitting coaches usually make six figures.

The advent of NIL money has also made playing college baseball more lucrative, even if payouts lag well behind their football and basketball counterparts. There's also the fact that top-level NCAA programs are investing in technology.

“We have one of the better pitching labs on the West Coast,” Bloomquist said. “I think it would rival a lot of professional organizations. From a data standpoint, it’s all trickled down to the college level.”

After retiring as a player, Bloomquist worked in the Arizona Diamondbacks' front office before getting hired by the Sun Devils. His pitching coach — Jeremy Accardo — spent 18 years in professional baseball as a player and coach.

Bloomquist said that MLB teams have become more comfortable trusting NCAA programs to develop professional talent instead of taking the risk of drafting an unproven 18-year-old straight out of high school. He added that it's probably one of the reasons that MLB felt comfortable cutting 40 minor league affiliates back in 2020.

In the 2025 MLB draft, 56 college players were selected in the top 90 picks.

“These guys trust (college) programs,” Bloomquist said. “They say, ‘We’ll just watch them in college in three years at a Power 4 program, see how they development and then we'll go get them.’"

Georgia baseball coach Wes Johnson is another coach who has bounced between MLB and NCAA with success at both levels. He was hired as the pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins and had a strong 3 1/2-year run between 2019 and 2022 before going back to the college game. He helped develop 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes as LSU's pitching coach before landing the head job with the Bulldogs.

Johnson said there's little doubt that the college and pro games have never been more similar, but added that there are still real differences for players and coaches. The biggest is the schedule.

In college, the condensed schedule makes all 56 regular-season games feel huge. A three-game losing streak is the end of the world. In professional baseball, it's just a small bump in the road.

“With the Twins, we played 33 spring games, then played 162 in the season and then made the playoffs,” Johnson said. “It’s every day there. That's the hardest challenge you have when you go from college to the big leagues. We won 101 games in 2019 (in the regular season). That means we only lost 61 games.

"But that’s the most I’ve ever lost in my life in one year.”

Bloomquist agreed that the schedule is much different. He said age is a factor as well.

“There’s a different style in college than there is in professional baseball — to an extent that’s accurate," Bloomquist said. “There’s an intensity in college, motivating 18 to 20 year olds, as opposed to guys who are making $20 million. Can you relate to those guys in pro ball?”

San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman played in college at Cal State Fullerton before becoming a five-time Gold Glove winner the big leagues. Even though there are some differences — like many more native Spanish speakers in professional baseball — he wasn't worried about Vitello's transition.

“Winning baseball looks the same," Chapman said. "It’s pitching and defense, knowing how to run the bases and then managing personalities. He has a lot of experience with that.

“There will be a learning curve in some areas. You just can’t fully know how to run a Major League clubhouse unless you’ve been in one. But it’s not foreign to him. He’s a baseball guy.”

___

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

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According to an arrest report, investigators responded to an apartment in the 1800 block of Northeast 154th Street just before 6:30 p.m. and found the bloodied victim.

Police said they also saw Vincent Lenard Dukes, the victim’s roommate of six months, “standing inside with blood on his white T-shirt.”

Investigators said Dukes, angry over the groceries being left out, stabbed his roommate in the torso with a pair of scissors and then stabbed him with a knife in the left leg.

Police said Dukes admitted to getting into the argument. They said Dukes claimed that he stabbed his roommate after being kicked.

Officers arrested Dukes on a charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Dukes was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $5,000 bond.

Según un informe de arresto, los investigadores respondieron a un apartamento en la cuadra 1800 de Northeast 154th Street poco antes de las 6:30 p.m. y encontraron a la víctima ensangrentada.

La policía indicó que también vieron a Vincent Lenard Dukes, compañero de cuarto de la víctima durante seis meses, “de pie dentro con sangre en su camiseta blanca”.

Los investigadores dijeron que Dukes, molesto porque las compras fueron dejadas afuera, apuñaló a su compañero en el torso con unas tijeras y luego lo apuñaló con un cuchillo en la pierna izquierda.

La policía señaló que Dukes admitió haber tenido la discusión. Indicaron que Dukes afirmó que apuñaló a su compañero después de que este lo pateara.

Los agentes arrestaron a Dukes por un cargo de agresión agravada con arma mortal.

Hasta la tarde del martes, Dukes permanecía detenido en el Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center con una fianza de $5,000 USD.

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According to arrest documents made public on Tuesday, a concerned elementary school counselor called the Broward Sheriff’s Office on Thursday after seeing the second-grader come in “with two black eyes, a large contusion on her forehead, dried blood coming from her ears and multiple scratches on her arms and neck.”

Deputies said the girl told her counselor that her stepmother, Melirose Joncky, had inflicted the severe injuries, further saying that an arm injury for which she was in a cast was also caused by the 42-year-old.

According to a BSO arrest report, the girl told investigators that on Wednesday, Joncky “pushed her down to the ground, pulled her by her feet, and forced her onto her stomach” and while on the ground, “walked on her back, jumping up and down, causing her pain.”

Joncky, deputies said, then “grabbed the back of her head and slammed it into the floor, causing a large abrasion to her forehead.”

According to the report, the girl additionally said that Joncky “had used phone chargers to hit her, which she explained were the cause of the multiple lacerations on her arm, legs, back and face.”

The girl also told investigators that her stepmother “choked her to the point she was unable to breathe” and “has used a kitchen knife and a pot to hit her on her head.“

“Another form of punishment was to force an entire bottle of hot sauce into her mouth, as well as a mouthful of salt,” BSO Detective Vanessa Encina wrote in the report.

The girl was taken to Coral Springs Medical Center and later Broward Health Medical Center for treatment, deputies said. Doctors determined she suffered fractures to her ribs, as well as fractures on one of her arms and feet. According to the report, they also found scalp hematomas, a “large contusion to the forehead” and neck swelling.

Deputies said a forensic medical examination found “ligature marks consistent with a phone cord,” as well as marks near the girl’s genitals.

According to the report, the girl told detectives that Joncky would “scratch her” on her pubic area and “pour hot sauce on her injuries.”

Deputies arrested Joncky on aggravated child abuse and child neglect charges on Thursday.

On Friday, she appeared in Broward County court with the assistance of a Haitian Creole translator. Prosecutors asked her to be held without bond.

A prosecutor noted that Joncky “admitted to the detective that she was aware of all the injuries the victim was suffering when she dropped her off” at school.

Her attorney asked the judge to grant a bond “so that she can fight this case from the outside.”

“She made it clear that she’s denying these allegations,” her attorney said. “She’s innocent.”

The judge ultimately ordered Joncky held without bond.

“I’ve never read anything like this,” the judge said. “Based upon what’s alleged in (the report), I’ve got serious concerns for the safety of the victim.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, online records show that she remained locked up in the BSO Main Jail.

According to earnings filings published last week, 7-Eleven's North American operator plans to close 645 stores in the 2026 fiscal year — outpacing the 205 locations it forecasts it will open during that same time.

Seven & i Holdings Co., the Japan-based parent of the convenience chain, noted that these closures “include the conversion to wholesale fuel stores.” Financial documents show that 7-Eleven Inc. has steadily opened new wholesale fuel stores in North America over recent years, which accounted for more than 900 locations as of December 2025.

The company did not immediately explain the closures or specify which locations could be impacted. The Associated Press reached out for further information.

According to the company's website, there are over 86,000 7-Eleven stores across 19 countries today. 7-Eleven Inc., the brand’s North American operator based in Texas, oversees more than 13,000 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

The convenience giant has closed hundreds of underperforming locations over the years, and the latest cuts arrive as higher prices strain consumers worldwide. The U.S. and Israel's war against Iran has especially rattled energy markets, with drivers now facing soaring gas prices.

Consumers were facing stubborn inflation even before the war. In North America specifically, Seven & i noted in its April 9 report, “although the economy remained robust, personal consumption also began to soften" for the 2025 fiscal year — "particularly among low-income households, as inflation continued to weigh on spending."

Openings for Seven & i subsidiaries outside of North America are set to outpace the stores they’re closing — including Seven-Eleven Japan, which expects to close 350 stores and open 550 locations, per financial filings.

Seven & i expects its revenue to fall 9.4% for the current fiscal year, totaling a projected nearly 9.45 trillion yen (about $59.5 billion).

The company has been looking for new opportunities for growth, and last year outlined a wider transformation plan aimed at boosting its convenience store offerings. Among goals, Seven & i has said it would invest in more fresh food offerings and expand its “7NOW" delivery service.

The changes also arrive under new leadership. Stephen Hayes Dacus became Seven & i's CEO last spring.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program cancels loans for qualified public service workers after they've made a decade’s worth of payments. It has long been open to those who go to work for the government, public schools, fire and police departments, public hospitals and nonprofits. But last fall, President Donald Trump administration's wrote a new rule that empowered Education Secretary Linda McMahon to kick borrowers out of the program if they're employed by groups whose work is deemed to have a “substantial illegal purpose.”

Set to take effect in July, the rule is aimed primarily at organizations that work with immigrants and transgender youth.

On Tuesday, Democrats in both the Senate and House introduced resolutions to overturn the rule, calling it “a clear attempt to intimidate and punish certain organizations.” While the measure may get a vote, it's unlikely to pass.

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

Varias personas sufrieron lesiones leves en Kansas después de que las tormentas pasaran ahí el lunes, informaron autoridades. Tres personas resultaron con heridas menores en una zona rural del condado de Franklin, a unos 80 kilómetros (50 millas) al suroeste de Kansas City, según la policía. En Ottawa, una ciudad de unos 13.000 habitantes, las autoridades indicaron que hubo daños estructurales, pero no se registraron muertes ni heridos. También se dañaron líneas eléctricas y árboles, así como varios negocios, incluido uno en el que las paredes exteriores fueron derribadas.

Un equipo del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional inspeccionará los daños en el área de Ottawa el martes para determinar si un tornado pasó por allí, según Chelsea Picha, meteoróloga de la oficina del servicio meteorológico en Topeka.

En el vecino condado de Miami, dos personas reportaron lesiones leves, varias viviendas quedaron destruidas y vehículos recreativos y remolques de campamento volcaron, de acuerdo con la policía local. El suministro eléctrico en Hillsdale fue cortado hasta que la limpieza pudiera completarse de manera segura.

Tres tornados tocaron tierra en el sur de Minnesota, donde se reportaron algunos daños en granjas, según Jake Beitlich, meteorólogo de la oficina meteorológica local. También hubo reportes de granizo que causó daños a vehículos en la zona, agregó.

Un tornado tocó tierra cerca de Gilman, una localidad de unos 380 habitantes en el noroeste de Wisconsin, indicó Jeff Boyne, meteorólogo de la oficina del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional en La Crosse, Wisconsin, aunque precisó que los daños fueron menores. El servicio meteorológico seguía trabajando para determinar la clasificación del tornado. Las tormentas arrancaron el techo de una casa prefabricada en Steuben, una localidad de unos 120 habitantes en el suroeste de Wisconsin, explicó, pero no se han reportado heridos en el estado.

Varias escuelas en los alrededores del área de Madison se vieron obligadas a cerrar la mañana del martes debido a la falta de electricidad. Más de 25.000 clientes estaban sin suministro eléctrico en Wisconsin la mañana del martes, según poweroutage.us.

Los meteorólogos advirtieron sobre inundaciones en ríos y arroyos pequeños previstas hasta el final de la semana en la región de los Grandes Lagos superiores, con las lluvias más intensas esperadas durante la noche y hasta el miércoles, además de inundaciones repentinas dispersas.

En Michigan, la gobernadora Gretchen Whitmer declaró el estado de emergencia el viernes en el complejo de esclusas y represa de Cheboygan, ya que las nevadas récord de marzo y las lluvias recientes han elevado el nivel de agua. El lunes se estaban agregando más bombas para ayudar a empujar el agua hacia el lago Hurón. Hasta las 7 a. m. del martes, el nivel del agua estaba 19,5 centímetros (7,68 pulgadas) por debajo de la parte superior de la estructura, según un sitio web estatal.

___________________________________

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

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Mascherano said he made the decision to end his tenure as head coach, thanking the club for its trust, the staff for their work, and the players for helping create “unforgettable moments.”

He also expressed appreciation for the fans and said he will always remember the club’s first major title in 2025 and continue wishing Inter Miami success in the future.

“I would like to thank the Club for the trust they placed in me, every employee who is part of the organization for the collective effort, but especially the players, who made it possible for us to experience unforgettable moments,” Mascherano wrote in a statement. “I also want to thank the fans and La Familia, because none of this would have been possible without them.I will always carry with me the memory of our first star, and wherever I am, I will continue to wish the Club all the best moving forward.”

Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas said Mascherano will remain a key part of Inter Miami’s history, crediting him for his leadership during one of the most successful periods in club history, including MLS Cup success and a strong run at the FIFA Club World Cup. Mas said the club respects his decision and is grateful for his contributions.

In his first season, Mascherano led Inter Miami to one of its most successful campaigns, winning two major trophies, including its first MLS Cup title and the Eastern Conference championship.

The team set a league record with 101 goals across the regular season and playoffs and played 58 matches across all competitions in 2025.

Internationally, Inter Miami became the first MLS club to reach the knockout stage of the FIFA Club World Cup, the first Concacaf team to beat European opposition in an official international match, and the first U.S. team to win a game in the tournament.

The club also reached the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup and advanced to a second Leagues Cup final in three appearances.

Mascherano leaves alongside his coaching staff, who joined in January 2024.

A news release from the team states that Guillermo Hoyos will serve as interim head coach for upcoming matches.

Hoyos brings more than 20 years of coaching and playing experience across multiple countries, including Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Bolivia, Greece, and Cyprus, and has also worked in youth development at FC Barcelona. Since joining Inter Miami, he has overseen the club’s professional development pathway and served as sporting director.

The news release also states that Chief Soccer Officer Alberto Marrero will assume the duties of sporting director effective immediately.

Inter Miami is 3-3-1 on the season and sit third in the Eastern Conference with 12 points. Their next match is on Saturday as they face the Colorado Rapids at Empower Field at Mile High at 4:30 p.m.

Mascherano dijo que tomó la decisión de poner fin a su etapa como entrenador, agradeciendo al club por la confianza, al cuerpo técnico por su trabajo y a los jugadores por ayudar a crear “momentos inolvidables”.

También expresó su agradecimiento a los aficionados y señaló que siempre recordará el primer gran título del club en 2025 y continuará deseándole éxito a Inter Miami en el futuro.

“Quiero agradecer al club por la confianza que depositaron en mí, a cada empleado que forma parte de la organización por el esfuerzo colectivo, pero especialmente a los jugadores, que hicieron posible que viviéramos momentos inolvidables”, escribió Mascherano en un comunicado. “También quiero agradecer a los aficionados y a La Familia, porque nada de esto habría sido posible sin ellos. Siempre llevaré conmigo el recuerdo de nuestra primera estrella, y dondequiera que esté, seguiré deseándole lo mejor al club en el futuro”.

El copropietario de Inter Miami, Jorge Mas, dijo que Mascherano seguirá siendo una parte clave de la historia del club, atribuyéndole su liderazgo durante uno de los períodos más exitosos en la historia del equipo, incluyendo el éxito en la MLS Cup y una destacada participación en la Copa Mundial de Clubes de la FIFA. Mas indicó que el club respeta su decisión y agradece sus contribuciones.

En su primera temporada, Mascherano llevó a Inter Miami a una de sus campañas más exitosas, ganando dos títulos importantes, incluido su primer campeonato de la MLS Cup y el título de la Conferencia Este.

El equipo estableció un récord de liga con 101 goles entre la temporada regular y los playoffs y disputó 58 partidos en todas las competiciones en 2025.

A nivel internacional, Inter Miami se convirtió en el primer club de la MLS en alcanzar la fase eliminatoria de la Copa Mundial de Clubes de la FIFA, el primer equipo de Concacaf en vencer a un rival europeo en un partido internacional oficial y el primer equipo de Estados Unidos en ganar un partido en el torneo.

El club también llegó a las semifinales de la Concacaf Champions Cup y avanzó a una segunda final de la Leagues Cup en tres participaciones.

Mascherano se marcha junto a su cuerpo técnico, que se unió en enero de 2024.

Un comunicado del equipo señala que Guillermo Hoyos será el entrenador interino para los próximos partidos.

Hoyos cuenta con más de 20 años de experiencia como entrenador y jugador en varios países, incluidos Argentina, México, Chile, Bolivia, Grecia y Chipre, y también ha trabajado en el desarrollo juvenil en el FC Barcelona. Desde su llegada a Inter Miami, ha supervisado la ruta de desarrollo profesional del club y se desempeñaba como director deportivo.

El comunicado también indica que el director de fútbol, Alberto Marrero, asumirá las funciones de director deportivo con efecto inmediato.

Inter Miami tiene un récord de 3-3-1 en la temporada y se ubica en el tercer lugar de la Conferencia Este con 12 puntos. Su próximo partido será el sábado, cuando enfrenten al Colorado Rapids en el Empower Field at Mile High a las 4:30 p.m.

Según los documentos de detención que se hicieron públicos el martes, una consejera escolar de primaria, preocupada por la situación, llamó a la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Broward el jueves tras ver a la niña de segundo grado llegar con “dos ojos morados, una gran contusión en la frente, sangre seca que le salía de los oídos y múltiples arañazos en los brazos y el cuello”.

Los agentes dijeron que la niña le contó a su consejera que su madrastra, Melirose Joncky, le había infligido las graves lesiones, y añadieron que una lesión en el brazo por la que llevaba una escayola también fue causada por la mujer de 42 años.

Según un informe de arresto de la BSO, la niña declaró a los investigadores que el miércoles, Joncky “la empujó al suelo, la jaló de los pies y la obligó a tumbarse boca abajo” y, mientras estaba en el suelo, “caminó sobre su espalda, saltando arriba y abajo, causándole dolor”.

Según los agentes, Joncky “la agarró por la nuca y la estrelló contra el suelo, provocándole una gran abrasión en la frente”.

Según el informe, la niña también declaró que Joncky “había usado cargadores de teléfono para golpearla, lo que, según explicó, fue la causa de las múltiples laceraciones en su brazo, piernas, espalda y rostro”.

La niña también declaró a los investigadores que su madrastra “la estranguló hasta el punto de que no podía respirar” y que “utilizó un cuchillo de cocina y una olla para golpearla en la cabeza”.

“Otra forma de castigo consistía en obligarla a tragarse una botella entera de salsa picante, además de un puñado de sal”, escribió la detective Vanessa Encina de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Broward en el informe.

Según informaron los agentes, la niña fue trasladada al Centro Médico de Coral Springs y posteriormente al Centro Médico Broward Health para recibir tratamiento. Los médicos determinaron que sufrió fracturas en las costillas, así como fracturas en un brazo y en un pie.

Los agentes indicaron que un examen médico forense reveló “marcas de ligadura compatibles con un cable de teléfono”, así como marcas cerca de los genitales de la niña.

Según el informe, la niña declaró a los detectives que Joncky la “arañaba” en la zona púbica y le “echaba salsa picante en las heridas”.

El jueves, los agentes arrestaron a Joncky por cargos de abuso infantil agravado y negligencia infantil.

El viernes compareció ante el tribunal del condado de Broward con la ayuda de un traductor de criollo haitiano. La fiscalía solicitó que permaneciera detenida sin derecho a fianza.

Un fiscal señaló que Joncky “admitió ante el detective que era consciente de todas las lesiones que sufría la víctima cuando la dejó” en la escuela.

Su abogada solicitó al juez que le concediera la libertad bajo fianza “para que pueda defenderse en este caso desde fuera”.

“Dejó claro que niega estas acusaciones”, dijo su abogado. “Es inocente”.

Finalmente, el juez ordenó que Joncky permaneciera detenido sin derecho a fianza.

“Nunca había leído nada parecido”, dijo el juez. “Basándome en lo que se alega en (el informe), me preocupa seriamente la seguridad de la víctima”.

Según los registros en línea de este martes por la tarde, permanecía recluida en la cárcel principal de la BSO.

Lonna Drewes said during a news conference that the assault occurred at a hotel in Southern California. She said she had one glass of wine that evening and believes Swalwell drugged her before raping her. Swalwell dropped out of the California governor’s race on Sunday and said he would resign from Congress this week following earlier allegations of sexual assault from a different woman.

“I did not consent to any sexual activity,” Drewes said.

Attorney Sara Azari released a statement Tuesday on Swalwell's behalf saying he “categorically and unequivocally denies each and every allegation of sexual misconduct and assault that has been leveled against him." She pledged to "pursue every available legal remedy against those responsible for orchestrating this reprehensible campaign of lies.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of sexual assault. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-656-4673 for the national sexual assault hotline in the U.S.

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Drewes' allegation comes a day after Swalwell said he would resign from Congress following other allegations of sexual misconduct, including at least two other alleged incidents of nonconsensual sex. Other women have accused him of sending them inappropriate messages and nude photos. Swalwell denied the prior accusations of sexual assault but said he had made unspecified errors in judgment.

Drewes said she did not undergo a rape kit but disclosed the alleged assault to people close to her and documented it in her journal. She said she discussed the alleged rape during therapy sessions at a sexual assault center in Connecticut.

Attorney Lisa Bloom said those journal entries, along with text messages and photographs, will be included in the forthcoming report to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Drewes said she was working as a model and owned a fashion software company based in Beverly Hills when she met Swalwell. He offered to help her with connections to further her company and knew she had an interest in local politics.

She had met him twice before the night when she says he raped her. That night, the two met at a restaurant opening and were set to attend a political event, she said. On their way to the event, Drewes said Swalwell wanted to stop back at his hotel room to get some paperwork. By the time they reached the room, she said her limbs felt heavy and she felt like she had been drugged.

Swalwell raped her and later choked her, causing her to lose consciousness, she said.

In a letter read on the House floor, Swalwell said his resignation is effective as of 2 p.m. Tuesday.

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff and constituents for mistakes in judgment I have made in my past. I will fight the serious, false allegations made against me,” a clerk said in reading the letter. “However I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

Swalwell's abrupt downfall followed allegations published in the San Francisco Chronicle and later by CNN.

El Road Ranger fue trasladado al Broward Health North con heridas que no ponen en riesgo su vida, según Coral Springs Fire Rescue.

Además, un adulto y un bebé del otro vehículo involucrado en el accidente también fueron llevados al Broward Health North con lesiones que no ponen en peligro sus vidas.

Sky 10 sobrevoló la escena alrededor de la 1:45 p.m., mostrando un SUV dañado, un camión Road Ranger afectado y equipos de emergencia trabajando en el área.

Todos los carriles en dirección norte fueron cerrados entre Sample Road y University Drive mientras los equipos atendían la emergencia y despejaban la vía. Se recomendó a los conductores evitar el área.

No se dieron a conocer más detalles de inmediato sobre los involucrados.

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The pump has the capacity to handle nearly 11,000 gallons per minute, taking flood water out of the Durrs and Dorsey Riverbend neighborhoods while capturing debris and sediment, preventing pollutants and trash from entering adjacent waterways.

“We’re entering the rainy season,” Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Pam Beasley-Pittman said. “Whew. Thank you. We got this done.”

The pump, which Beasley-Pittman said will bring “faster drainage, safer streets and greater peace of mind for families and businesses,” also features a backup generator, an electrical building and a transformer pad on site.

Three years prior, the two neighborhoods were one of several in Fort Lauderdale left inundated after record-breaking rain.

“I’ve never seen so much water in my life,” Dorsey Riverbend resident Zachary Bailey said. “It was actually knee-deep.”

The pump project is just one of many the city plans to complete over the next decade.

“This project is just a milestone,” Fort Lauderdale City Manager Rickelle Williams said. “We have many more to go.”

It’s part of the “Fortify Lauderdale” initiative, which is being broken into two phases.

Crews have finished projects in two other low-lying neighborhoods: Edgewood and River Oaks.

Up next to complete phase one will be the Progresso, Victoria Park, Southeast Isles and Melrose Manors neighborhoods. Those projects are expected to be complete within three years.

By 2034, city officials say they hope to have projects done in more than a dozen more neighborhoods.

La bomba tiene la capacidad de manejar casi 11,000 galones por minuto, extrayendo el agua de inundación de los vecindarios Durrs y Dorsey Riverbend mientras captura escombros y sedimentos, evitando que contaminantes y basura ingresen a vías fluviales cercanas.

“Estamos entrando en la temporada de lluvias”, dijo la comisionada de Fort Lauderdale Pam Beasley-Pittman. “Uf. Gracias. Logramos completar esto”.

La bomba, que según Beasley-Pittman brindará “drenaje más rápido, calles más seguras y mayor tranquilidad para familias y negocios”, también cuenta con un generador de respaldo, un edificio eléctrico y una plataforma para transformador en el lugar.

Tres años antes, ambos vecindarios estuvieron entre varios en Fort Lauderdale que quedaron inundados tras lluvias récord.

“Nunca había visto tanta agua en mi vida”, dijo Zachary Bailey, residente de Dorsey Riverbend. “Llegaba hasta las rodillas”.

El proyecto de la bomba es solo uno de muchos que la ciudad planea completar en la próxima década.

“Este proyecto es solo un hito”, dijo la administradora de la ciudad de Fort Lauderdale, Rickelle Williams. “Tenemos muchos más por delante”.

Forma parte de la iniciativa “Fortify Lauderdale”, que se divide en dos fases.

Los equipos ya completaron proyectos en otros dos vecindarios de baja elevación: Edgewood y River Oaks.

Los próximos en completar la fase uno serán los vecindarios Progresso, Victoria Park, Southeast Isles y Melrose Manors. Se espera que esos proyectos estén terminados en un plazo de tres años.

Para 2034, funcionarios de la ciudad esperan haber completado proyectos en más de una docena de vecindarios adicionales.

Matt Floca, the performing arts institution's new executive director and chief operating officer, is leading a series of tours this month that show water damage and intrusion to expansion joints, marble slabs and exterior pavers. Participants are guided through the building's water and HVAC systems along with parking garages and loading docks that are said to be in need of repair.

The sessions began earlier this month while Congress was in recess and included staff for a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrats on Capitol Hill. A representative for Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser was also included on the tour.

Similar access has been provided for several corporate and individual donors and in the coming weeks, Floca is expected to provide tours for the lawmakers themselves and members of the media.

Assessing a suddenly controversial operation

Once one of Washington's relatively few apolitical spaces, the Kennedy Center has become a source of controversy during President Donald Trump's second term. Shortly after returning to office, Trump ousted the institution's previous leadership and replaced it with a handpicked board of directors.

The president's name was added to the building's facade and its programming took a Trump-friendly turn, serving as a venue for events such as the premiere of first lady Melania Trump's documentary, “Melania.”

Trump's move to shutter the building for two years starting in July, which was approved by the board last month, has spurred lawsuits and an outcry that the closure is merely a response to plunging sales as artists canceled Kennedy Center performances in droves.

The tours are intended to cut through that and show that the Kennedy Center, which began construction in 1965, is in genuine need of a fundamental update.

“As the July closure approaches, the Trump Kennedy Center is leading with transparency and making sure Congress and the public understand what’s at stake and why the work can’t wait,” Floca said in a statement.

In addition to staff for Schumer, Jeffries and Bowser, the recent tour included representatives for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., Sens. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Mark Warner, D-Va., Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. along with Reps. Sam Graves, R-Mo., and Rick Larsen, D-Wash.

By virtue of their positions, these lawmakers are ex officio members of the Kennedy Center's board. Kennedy Center spokesperson Roma Daravi said working with both parties was a “top priority” as the institution implements Trump's vision for the renovation.

None of the participants discussed the tour on the record.

Need for repairs is not disputed

Those who are arguing against the Kennedy Center's closure haven't disputed the need for routine maintenance and repairs. They say the more substantial changes Trump has hinted are in the works should go through the typical review process that governs many major projects in the nation’s capital.

Trump has suggested changes at the Kennedy Center could be so dramatic that the steel supporting the structure could be “ fully exposed.”

According to a lawsuit filed last month against Trump, the Kennedy Center and others in the administration, “Demolition, new construction, major reconstruction, major renovation, or major aesthetic transformation of the Kennedy Center would permanently destroy historic fabric, degrade the monumental core’s vistas and public grounds, and compromise the Kennedy Center’s memorial purpose and architectural integrity, causing permanent, irreversible harm that no subsequent remedy can fully undo."

The Kennedy Center is entering a critical period before its anticipated July closure, which will produce staff reductions.

In the meantime, the Kennedy Center is still hosting shows, including the musical “Chicago,” which Trump attended this month. Performances of “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” are on the calendar from June 18 through July 5. Comedian Bill Maher will be presented the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on June 28, just before the closure begins.

The Kennedy Center is part of Trump's broader effort to leave a lasting imprint on the Washington cityscape. He demolished the East Wing of the White House last year and wants to replace it with a ballroom, an effort that is also tangled in litigation.

The president also unveiled plans on Friday for an arch that would stand between the Lincoln Memorial in the east and Arlington National Cemetery toward the west and within a traffic circle connecting Washington with northern Virginia.

La líder progresista mexicana ha actuado de forma cuidadosa con Trump durante más de un año, respondiendo a provocaciones con un tono mesurado y atendiendo las solicitudes de Estados Unidos para endurecer las acciones contra los cárteles criminales más que sus predecesores, en un esfuerzo por contrarrestar amenazas de aranceles y de acción militar estadounidense contra las bandas.

Pero tras el aumento de muertes de ciudadanos mexicanos bajo custodia de agentes de inmigración y la decisión del gobierno de Trump de imponer un bloqueo energético a Cuba —un aliado clave de México—, Sheinbaum ha adoptado una postura más dura.

“Se apreció cierta elevación en el tono de la presidenta”, comentó Palmira Tapia, analista del Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas. “Hubo un cambio, que es más vocal la presidenta”.

Muertes bajo custodia del ICE

La crítica más reciente de Sheinbaum se produjo el martes, un día después de que el mexicano Alejandro Cabrera Clemente, de 49 años, murió en un centro de detención del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas (ICE, por sus siglas en inglés) en Luisiana, la decimoquinta muerte de un ciudadano mexicano bajo custodia en Estados Unidos en poco más de un año.

El gobierno de México calificó rápidamente las muertes de inaceptables y señaló que los centros de detención del ICE son “incompatibles con estándares de derechos humanos, y protección de la vida de las personas”.

Durante una conferencia de prensa el martes, Sheinbaum añadió que solicitó investigaciones sobre la muerte de los 15 migrantes, y ordenó a los cónsules mexicanos que visiten los centros de detención a diario.

Dijo que su gobierno plantearía las muertes de personas bajo custodia ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, y que consideraba la posibilidad de acudir a las Naciones Unidas. Su gobierno ya había dicho que presentaría un escrito legal en apoyo a una demanda de detenidos por las malas condiciones en los centros de detención.

“Vamos a defender a los mexicanos en todas las instancias”, afirmó Sheinbaum, y agregó que “hay muchos mexicanos que su único delito es no tener papeles”.

Las medidas del gobierno de Sheinbaum se suman al creciente rechazo en Estados Unidos a la aplicación de las políticas migratorias de Trump. Cerca de 6 de cada 10 adultos en Estados Unidos dicen que el mandatario “ha ido demasiado lejos” al enviar agentes federales de inmigración a ciudades estadounidenses, según una encuesta AP-NORC de febrero.

“El creciente descontento en torno a las actividades del ICE en Estados Unidos crea una plataforma más cómoda para que integrantes del gobierno mexicano expresen preocupaciones sobre el destino de los ciudadanos mexicanos”, señaló Carin Zissis, vicepresidenta de estrategia de contenido del Consejo de las Américas.

“Cabeza fría”

Sheinbaum ha mantenido lo que ha descrito como “cabeza fría” ante las provocaciones de Trump, quien ha ejercido más presión sobre América Latina que cualquier líder estadounidense en décadas. En apenas unos meses, el gobierno del republicano depuso al presidente de Venezuela, impuso un bloqueo petrolero a Cuba y amenazó con una intervención militar contra los cárteles mexicanos.

La mandataria mexicana debe equilibrar el mantenimiento de una relación sólida con Trump mientras subraya repetidamente la soberanía de México para satisfacer a su propia base. Sus mesuradas respuestas se asemejan más a las de una abogada que a las de la jefa del movimiento político populista más poderoso de México.

Su gobierno ha actuado con mayor dureza contra los cárteles que su predecesor y reforzó las relaciones comerciales de cara a las renegociaciones del Tratado entre Estados Unidos, México y Canadá, o T-MEC.

Aunque Trump ha lanzado pullas públicas contra Sheinbaum —en un momento dado, sugirió que los cárteles tienen mayor control sobre México que su gobierno—, también ha señalado periódicamente que su relación es cordial.

“Ella es realmente una buena persona, me cae muy bien”, dijo el mes pasado, antes de imitar a la líder mexicana con una voz aguda.

Diferencias por Cuba

Pero los cambios geopolíticos en la región, y el aumento de muertes en instalaciones del ICE, también han abierto la puerta para que Sheinbaum adopte una postura más firme.

El principal punto de fricción entre ambos gobiernos ha sido Cuba. La solidaridad con el adversario de Estados Unidos ha sido una piedra angular del carácter político de México desde la revolución cubana, que Fidel Castro, Ernesto “Ché” Guevara y un grupo de exiliados planearon célebremente mientras estaban en Ciudad de México. Es un tema particularmente sensible para su partido progresista Morena, cuyo fundador llevó a Sheinbaum al poder.

La relación encontró un obstáculo a finales de enero, cuando Trump anunció que impondría aranceles a cualquier país que envíe petróleo a Cuba. La medida afectó directamente a México, que durante años ha enviado petróleo a la isla.

Aunque Sheinbaum pausó a regañadientes los envíos de petróleo a Cuba, ha cuestionado constantemente la presión del gobierno de Trump por un cambio de régimen.

“Mexico tiene todo el derecho de enviar combustible ya sea por razones humanitarias o comerciales”, expresó Sheinbaum a inicios de la semana.

Ha descrito el bloqueo energético de Trump a Cuba como “injusto” y acusó al gobierno estadounidense de “estrangular” a los cubanos con sanciones. La líder mexicana ha enviado cargamentos de alimentos y otra ayuda, e incluso donó 1.000 dólares de su propio dinero a los esfuerzos de auxilio como un gesto simbólico.

“Este es un tema Rubicón para ella”, dijo Arturo Sarukhán, exembajador de México en Estados Unidos.

Aun así, las acciones de la líder mexicana han generado desaprobación en Washington.

Sheinbaum anunció recientemente que su país seguiría contando con médicos cubanos para trabajar en el país, distanciándose de otras naciones de Centroamérica y el Caribe que han cancelado sus programas ante la presión de Estados Unidos.

Esto fue recibido con amenazas veladas por parte del gobierno de Trump, que señaló las restricciones de visas impuestas a funcionarios centroamericanos con vínculos con lo que el secretario de Estado estadounidense, Marco Rubio, calificó como un “entramado de trabajo forzado”.

La Casa Blanca no comentó el martes sobre el endurecimiento de las posturas de Sheinbaum, ni sobre el aumento del número de muertes de ciudadanos mexicanos bajo custodia del ICE.

Mayor margen de maniobra

El tono más audaz que Sheinbaum adoptó en fechas recientes sugiere un cálculo de que su gobierno puede ofrecer resistencia en algunos frentes políticamente importantes, siempre y cuando también avance en el fortalecimiento del comercio y el cumplimiento de las solicitudes del gobierno de Trump en materia de seguridad y migración, dijo Zissis.

Al mismo tiempo, el alza de los precios de la energía debido a la guerra con Irán ha hecho que Estados Unidos dependa más de aliados en México, señalaron ella y otros analistas, lo que ha llevado a Washington a dar marcha atrás en cualquier medida drástica contra los cárteles mexicanos o Cuba, al menos en el corto plazo.

“Estamos en un momento en el que, debido a acontecimientos globales, enfrentamos distintas incertidumbres económicas. Eso le da a Estados Unidos y a México más razones para trabajar juntos”, sostuvo.

Al mismo tiempo, el exembajador Sarukhán dijo que Sheinbaum tendrá que tener cuidado de no poner en riesgo las próximas renegociaciones del T-MEC, para las cuales su gobierno ha hecho esfuerzos minuciosos para construir una base sólida.

“Lo que va a ser interesante de aquí en adelante es si puede seguir teniendo su pastel y comérselo también”, dijo Sarukhán.

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Weissert informó desde Washington D.C.

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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.

The storied studio will take the main stage at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas Tuesday for the annual CinemaCon convention and trade show. But this year is not just business as usual, with its pending acquisition by another legacy studio, Paramount, looming.

Filmmakers like Denis Villeneuve and J.J. Abrams are expected to make appearances to hype their upcoming films with Warner Bros. Villeneuve has “Dune: Part Three” arriving in December, and Abrams has a Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega sci-fi movie, “The Great Beyond” in November. The two filmmakers also share something beyond fall releases for the same studio: Unequivocal opposition to the merger. They were among the over 1,000 signers of an open letter published Monday to a website called BlocktheMerger.com. Some attendees at the convention have also been wearing #blockthemerger pins as well.

Greg Marcus, whose company's Marcus Theaters is the fourth largest theater circuit in the United States with 78 locations in 17 states told The Associated Press Monday that he was concerned as well for what it means for moviegoers and the price of tickets.

“The concentration of power at the studio level has allowed them to raise the cost of going to the movies to the consumer quite significantly,” Marcus said. “Our margins are no better. We’re not making more money. And yet the cost to the consumer has far outpaced inflation.”

Michael O’Leary, the president and CEO of the movie theater trade organization, reiterated his group’s opposition to the merger Tuesday morning.

“Consolidation results in fewer films being produced for movie theaters,” he said. “We believe this transaction will be harmful to exhibition, consumers and the entire industry.”

O'Leary told reporters that the decision is in the hands of regulators now.

Not everyone in the business of making and releasing movies is opposed to a Paramount owned Warner Bros. James Cameron is, in fact, a supporter. He also publicly opposed the idea of a Netflix owned Warner Bros. because of the possible implications for theaters. But he doesn't have the same fears with Paramount.

Speaking to the AP last week on behalf of the upcoming big screen concert film “Billie Eilish — Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D),” which is being released by Paramount, Cameron said “I’m a supporter of it, I know it’s controversial.”

Cameron worked with Paramount Skydance chair and CEO David Ellison closely on “Terminator: Dark Fate.” Ellison has promised to grow the combined Paramount-Warner Bros. slates to some 30 theatrical releases a year.

“I know David quite well. And I know that he really cares about movies. And he’s a natural born storyteller and thinks like almost an old school entrepreneurial producer that was a storyteller that loves storytelling and loved putting on spectacular shows,” Cameron said. “He’s the right man for the job to run a major studio, and now it looks like he’s going to have two of them, you know, swept under his leadership, which doesn’t bother me at all.”

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Agents are asking anyone with information about the shooting to come forward,

According to the FBI, the shooting occurred shortly before 7:30 p.m. on April 6.

“A large group of subjects assaulted a lone victim when one of the subjects produced a handgun and fired a single shot which struck the victim,” the FBI said in a news release. “After the shots were fired, the subjects then attempted to remove the wounded victim’s watch. The watch was not stolen.”

Offset, 34, whose real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, was hospitalized after the shooting, while fellow rapper Lil Tjay was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct-affray and operating in traffic without a valid license.

The 24-year-old Lil Tjay, whose real name is Tione Jayden Merritt, has not been charged in the shooting, which happened outside of the building’s valet area, and denied that any fight occurred between him and Offset.

“I don’t do no damn fightin‘,” Lil Tjay told media outlets as he walked out of the Fort Lauderdale jail.

He gave an expletive-laden account of what he said happened.

“That n---- shot me. That n---- shot me. That n---- is a rat. Cap n----,” Lil Tjay said. “Weirdos. Y’all gettin’ a good a-- interview.”

Offset has since been released from the hospital.

The FBI confirmed the suspects fled the scene in two Chevrolet SUV’s after the shooting -- a matte gray Tahoe and a black Suburban.

“The black Suburban fled the area towards Hollywood, Florida, while the Tahoe fled southbound towards Miami,” the news release stated.

Offset was part of the rap trio, Migos, before going out on his own.

The trio became known as one of the most popular hip-hop groups of all time. It broke out with the 2013 hit “Versace” and later earned Grammy nominations for best rap album with 2018’s “Culture,” while a track off it nabbed a nod for best rap performance.

Offset was once married to fellow rapper Cardi B, who he shares three children with. The two divorced in 2024.

Offset’s cousin, Takeoff, who was also part of the Migos group, was fatally shot in 2022.

Anyone with information about the Hard Rock shooting and those involved is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip on tips.fbi.gov.

The FBI noted that the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood is operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and “crimes committed on Indian land are subject to federal investigation.”

Los agentes están solicitando a cualquier persona con información sobre la balacera que se presente.

Según el FBI, la balacera ocurrió poco antes de las 7:30 p.m. del 6 de abril.

“Un gran grupo de sujetos agredió a una víctima que estaba sola cuando uno de los sujetos sacó un arma de fuego y disparó una sola vez, impactando a la víctima”, indicó el FBI en un comunicado. “Después de los disparos, los sujetos intentaron quitarle el reloj a la víctima herida. El reloj no fue robado.”

Offset, de 34 años, cuyo nombre real es Kiari Kendrell Cephus, fue hospitalizado tras la balacera, mientras que el también rapero Lil Tjay fue arrestado por cargos de alteración del orden público y operar en el tráfico sin una licencia válida.

Lil Tjay, de 24 años, cuyo nombre real es Tione Jayden Merritt, no ha sido acusado en la balacera, que ocurrió fuera del área de valet del edificio, y negó que hubiera ocurrido una pelea entre él y Offset.

“Yo no peleo nada de eso”, dijo Lil Tjay a medios de comunicación mientras salía de la cárcel de Fort Lauderdale.

Ofreció un relato con lenguaje obsceno de lo que, según él, ocurrió.

“Ese tipo me disparó. Ese tipo me disparó. Ese tipo es un soplón”, dijo Lil Tjay. “Raros. Ustedes están obteniendo una buena entrevista”.

Offset ya fue dado de alta del hospital.

El FBI confirmó que los sospechosos huyeron de la escena en dos SUV Chevrolet tras la balacera: una Tahoe gris mate y una Suburban negra.

“La Suburban negra huyó del área hacia Hollywood, Florida, mientras que la Tahoe se dirigió hacia el sur en dirección a Miami”, indicó el comunicado.

Offset formó parte del trío de rap Migos antes de continuar su carrera como solista.

El grupo se convirtió en uno de los más populares del hip-hop de todos los tiempos. Alcanzó notoriedad con el éxito “Versace” en 2013 y posteriormente obtuvo nominaciones al Grammy por mejor álbum de rap con “Culture” en 2018, mientras que una de sus canciones también fue nominada a mejor interpretación de rap.

Offset estuvo casado con la también rapera Cardi B, con quien tiene tres hijos. Ambos se divorciaron en 2024.

El primo de Offset, Takeoff, quien también formaba parte de Migos, murió en una balacera en 2022.

Cualquier persona con información sobre la balacera en el Hard Rock y los involucrados debe comunicarse con el FBI al 1-800-CALL-FBI o enviar información en tips.fbi.gov.

El FBI señaló que el Hard Rock Hotel & Casino en Hollywood es operado por la Tribu Seminole de Florida y que “los delitos cometidos en territorio indígena están sujetos a investigación federal.”

Sky 10 sobrevolaba la escena en North Krome Avenue y West Okeechobee Road a las 12:15 p.m., donde el vehículo quedó calcinado a un lado de la vía.

La carretera fue cerrada al tránsito.

Funcionarios de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue confirmaron que una persona fue trasladada en helicóptero al HCA Florida Kendall Hospital.

No se dieron a conocer más detalles de inmediato.

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Sky 10 was above the scene on North Krome Avenue and West Okeechobee Road at 12:15 p.m. as the vehicle was scorched on the side of the roadway.

The road was shut down to traffic.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials confirmed that one person was airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital.

No other details were immediately released.

Officers with the Florida City Police Department said they responded just after 10 p.m. to the area of Northwest 12th Street and Northwest Fifth Avenue after reports of a man who had been shot.

Police said they found the victim lying on the ground with gunshot wounds to his chest and hand. They said emergency responders provided aid at the scene before transporting him to Jackson South Medical Center for treatment.

According to an arrest report, investigators recovered two .40-caliber spent casings near the location of the shooting near the 400 block of Northwest 12th Street.

Detectives later learned that the suspect, Mendez Nerette, who the victim knew as “Zoe,” had traveled to Doral and contacted police there, stating he wanted to speak with investigators about the incident and turning over a gun he allegedly used in the shooting.

Police said Nerette waived his Miranda rights and gave a statement to detectives describing a confrontation that began at an abandoned apartment where he said he was gathering belongings.

Nerette claimed a man confronted him at a back door, accused him of breaking into a car, and struck him in the head with a baseball bat after telling him “you broke into my car and stole my stuff,” according to the report.

Police said Nerette told investigators that after fleeing and later returning to retrieve his belongings, he encountered the same man again, and the confrontation escalated a second time.

Nerette told officers he then fired two shots, striking the victim before running from the area, the report states.

Police said the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office was notified of the case.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Nerette was being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He was also ordered to have no contact with the victim.

Como parte de un acuerdo con la fiscalía, la exfuncionaria electa de 51 años se declaró culpable este martes de un cargo de hurto mayor en tercer grado en relación con un caso de corrupción de 2024 en el que las autoridades la acusaron de acumular alrededor de $100,000 USD en compras personales con una tarjeta de crédito del distrito.

Los fiscales alegaron que Navarro utilizó la tarjeta oficial para comprar comida, comestibles, electrodomésticos, vacaciones y más.

Al menos dos de las compras resultaron inusuales: los investigadores dijeron que compró un par de “vientres de embarazo artificiales de silicona” tras una ruptura con su novio, en un aparente intento, cuando tenía 48 años, de convencerlo de que estaba embarazada, durante un período en el que lo seguía y acosaba.

Antes de la ruptura, las autoridades alegan que utilizó la tarjeta del distrito para comprar artículos para el negocio de batidos de su novio en Hollywood.

Como parte del acuerdo, los fiscales aceptaron retirar un cargo adicional de hurto mayor, además de dos cargos de fraude organizado. Bajo el acuerdo, fue sentenciada a 14 meses de prisión seguidos de libertad condicional.

También deberá pagar más de $101,000 USD en restitución.

Navarro no podrá postularse para un cargo público durante su período de libertad condicional de tres años, el cual puede finalizar a la mitad por buen comportamiento.

Las autoridades la detuvieron inmediatamente después de la audiencia judicial del martes.

La fiscal estatal de Miami-Dade, Katherine Fernandez Rundle, emitió un comunicado tras la declaración de culpabilidad el martes, señalando en parte que Navarro “ha admitido su culpabilidad y ha aceptado su sentencia” en lugar de “intentar evitar las consecuencias de sus acciones”.

“No hay duda de que yo y mi equipo de fiscales e investigadores de corrupción pública continuaremos asegurando que nuestro gobierno funcione para el pueblo de Miami-Dade, y no para el beneficio financiero de quienes ocupan cargos o posiciones”, dijo Fernandez Rundle.

Geoff Yang, chairman of the Masters competitions committee, issued a code-of-conduct warning to the Garcia on the fourth tee. The conduct policy was new to the Masters this year.

“I want to apologize for my actions Sunday at The Masters tournament,” Garcia said in a social media post. “I respect and value everything that The Masters and Augusta National Golf Club is to golf. I regret the way I acted and it has no place in our game. It doesn't reflect the respect and appreciation I have for The Masters, the patrons, tournament officials and golf fans around the world.”

Garcia, the 2017 champion, began with a bogey and then hit a weak fade on the par-5 second hole that was headed to the bunker. He recoiled his driver onto the tee, and then turned and slammed his club into the turf.

Without repairing the damage, Garcia then smacked his driver against a wooden bench holding a water cooler, and the head of the club was left dangling from the shaft.

Garcia declined to discuss what was said by the official, saying after his round, “I’m not going to tell you.” When asked about it again he replied, ”Next question."

He also did not apologize for his behavior after his closing 75 to finish in 52nd place among the 54 players who made the cut.

“Just obviously not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens,” Garcia said.

Garcia has not finished in the top 10 in the 29 majors he has played since beating Justin Rose in a playoff at Augusta National in 2017. He has missed the cut six times in eight appearances at the Masters since winning.

Asked about his record, Garcia said, “Bad golf.” When a reporter asked him to be more specific, Garcia said, “Bad shots.”

Garcia was disqualified in 2019 at the Saudi International for damaging greens in frustration. His antics over the years include angrily kicking off his shoe when he slipped during a tee shot at the World Match Play in 2001, and the shoe nearly struck an official.

He also spit into a cup during a World Golf Championship at Doral after three-putting.

The PGA Tour has been developing the code-of-conduct policy the last few years, and the Masters was the first tournament to put it into effect. The PGA Championship also be using it next month at Aronimink Golf Club.

After the warning, a second violation during the tournament is a two-shot penalty, while a third violation would mean disqualification.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Barely four months later, Mascherano is done with the club.

Mascherano is out as Inter Miami’s coach, the team announcing that stunning development on Tuesday with the club off to a 3-1-3 start and sitting in third place in MLS' Eastern Conference — but winless in its first two matches at its new stadium.

The team said Mascherano cited personal reasons, much like his predecessor, Gerardo “Tata” Martino, did in November 2024 when he stepped aside in the move that ultimately led to Mascherano joining the club and reuniting with Messi. Mascherano and Messi were teammates with Barcelona and Argentina's national team.

In Mascherano's place is another Argentine with ties to Barcelona — Guillermo Hoyos, who is credited, at least on some level, with discovering Messi at the Spanish club’s academy and predicting that he could become an all-time great.

“I would like to thank the club for the trust they placed in me, every employee who is part of the organization for the collective effort, but especially the players, who made it possible for us to experience unforgettable moments,” Mascherano said in remarks released by the team.

Mascherano's entire coaching staff has also left the club, though the team did not reveal any specifics as to why. Mascherano was 27-9-11 in 47 regular-season and playoff matches with Inter Miami.

“Javier will forever be part of this club’s history. ... We respect his decision and are deeply grateful for everything he contributed,” managing owner Jorge Mas said in comments released by the team. “Wishing him nothing but the very best in his professional and personal future.”

It is the latest in a line of surprising moves around the club in recent months, including Jordi Alba — another longtime Messi teammate — deciding to leave the final two years of his contract on the table and retire after last season. His retirement announcement came just days after the team held a retirement ceremony for another longtime Messi teammate, Sergio Busquets.

And now, Mascherano is out as well.

In barely over a year, he not only got the team its first MLS Cup but helped the Herons reach the knockout stage of the Club World Cup, the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the Leagues Cup final. The team clearly was disappointed by falling flat in the CONCACAF Champions Cup earlier this year — getting ousted in the round of 16 after making some offseason moves largely with that trophy in mind.

But even amid the frustration with not advancing in that tournament, few would have thought Mascherano's time with the club would soon be ending.

“I will always carry with me the memory of our first star, and wherever I am, I will continue to wish the club all the best moving forward,” Mascherano said. “I have no doubt that the club will continue to achieve success in the future.”

Hoyos and Messi have a relationship that goes back for more than 20 years.

Hoyos famously touted Messi as a potential all-time great back when the then shaggy-haired kid was playing for Barcelona's B team. Messi was 16 at the time, in the very earliest days of a career that would see him win eight Ballon d'Or trophies, the World Cup and four Champions League titles. Messi has referred to Hoyos in interviews over the years as a mentor of sorts.

Hoyos is Messi's coach now, though how long that'll be the case remains a bit unclear. As part of Tuesday's moves, the team also said chief soccer officer Alberto Marrero is assuming the duties of sporting director, filling the spot vacated by Hoyos.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

What was once a quieter, more exclusive space is now drawing a wider crowd — from beginners to seasoned players.

At the center of it all, is the Sunrise Center for Excellence in Chess. The program has expanded the game’s reach through tournaments, weekly open play and community events.

“What chess teaches is for you to just think one or two moves ahead in life,” said Sunrise Mayor Mike Ryan, who helped build the program with support from the city commission. “A lot of folks don’t know where to go to learn how to play. They’re scared to go find a teacher. So the city of Sunrise set up a free open play every Saturday morning, and we have instructors there.”

On a recent Saturday at the Sunrise Athletic Complex, that mission was playing out in real time — open play unfolding alongside a tournament, both drawing a steady crowd.

The junior players took the boards first.

Parents were escorted out of the gym, left to watch through the windows as the room sharpened and the focus set in.

“We’ve got to create some discipline for the parents as well,” Ryan said. “That they can’t help them. They have to let them go do their thing.”

The tournament is just one part of a broader effort to make chess more accessible and inviting.

Ryan said the idea grew out of his time with the PTA, where he saw both the benefits of the game and the barriers to entry — clubs that often drew in students who already knew how to play, leaving others out.

With backing from the city commission, the center was created to change that — offering a space where players of all levels can learn, compete and connect.

“It’s never been about trophies,” he said. “We’re going to measure our success by whether the students feel like they’re more confident. Are they more engaged? Are they going to become better architects, better lawyers, better doctors, better mayors? Smarter and prepared for life ... and that’s really been the focus.”

For players like Jacorey Bynum, that access has made a difference.

A local athlete, Bynum first discovered chess after showing up to play basketball and noticing games nearby. What began as curiosity turned into commitment — and eventually, a title as a National Master.

“It’s all about gameplan,” said Bynum. “Like at the start of the opening I know what I’m going to do and what I want to do.”

Parents say the appeal extends beyond competition — pointing to a space that’s diverse, welcoming and open to all.

Eric Kuhn said his children are learning that every move matters — and every mistake teaches.

To submit an idea for What Connects Us, email whatconnectsus@wplg.com.

The latest entrant is Olivia Troye, who was an aide to former Republican Vice President Mike Pence and has become a vocal critic of President Donald Trump. She announced Tuesday that she'll run in Virginia's newly created 7th Congressional District, joining an already crowded field.

Voters will decide April 21 whether to adopt a Democratic-drawn congressional map that could help the party win four more U.S. House seats, a rare and enticing prospect for ambitious Democrats.

“I just feel like we need people that are going to stand up and fight,” Troye said. “And I’m not seeing that right now, across the Democratic and Republican parties."

The proposed district where Troye wants to run was designed to be an easy general election win for Democrats, taking in territory that is now part of six different districts.

About a half-dozen Democrats have announced plans to run in the district if voters approve the new boundaries. They include Dorothy McAuliffe, Virginia's former first lady, and former federal prosecutor J.P. Cooney, who served as a deputy to special counsel Jack Smith and was fired by Trump.

The sprawling district would have a population center in the heavily Democratic northern Virginia suburbs of Washington and would stretch deep into rural areas that favor Republicans.

Crowded primaries also are shaping up in some of the other newly formed districts, though the 7th District has an unusually deep stable of prominent candidates.

Virginia is the latest state to push a partisan redistricting plan beforethe 2026 midterms, when Democrats are looking to gain the House majority and the power it would give them to stymie Trump’s agenda.

Virginia's map aims to give Democrats the edge in 10 of the state's 11 U.S. House districts, replacing the current map that elected a congressional delegation with six Democrats and five Republicans.

Trump instigated a redistricting arms race last year when he pressed Texas Republicans to adopt new boundaries aimed at giving Republicans as many as five new House seats there. California voters responded with a plan favoring Democrats. Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have adopted Republican-friendly maps.

Democrats in Maryland this week rejected a plan to adopt a map favoring their party, while Florida Republicans are pressing ahead with their own redistricting plan.

Federal investigators said that they are still searching for the suspects who assaulted Offset last Monday night outside of Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, just north of Miami. Throughout the assault, a single shot was fired into Offset's leg before an unsuccessful attempt to remove the rapper's watch, the statement said. Offset, who rose to fame as part of the influential hip-hop trio Migos, was hospitalized for a couple of days, but swiftly returned to the stage at a performance at a music festival at the University of Arkansas on Saturday.

The suspects fled the scene in two Chevrolet SUVs that went in separate directions: A black Suburban that fled towards Hollywood, Florida, and a Tahoe that fled southbound towards Miami.

Following the shooting, officers detained two people, but law enforcement hasn't shared evidence to directly tying either one to the shooting.

One of the people detained was rapper Lil Tjay, born Tione Jayden Merritt. He was arrested in connection with an altercation that occurred before the shooting, the Seminole Police Department in Florida said. He was charged with disorderly conduct and operating a vehicle without a valid license. His lawyer, Dawn M. Florio, told The Associated Press last week that Lil Tjay did not have a gun and was not charged with any weapons or gun-related crimes. He was swiftly released after posting bond.

Offset, born Kiari Kendrell Cephus, launched his career with Migos, one of the most popular hip-hop groups of all time. The Atlanta trio is celebrated for their rapid-fire triplet flow, an often-imitated delivery that changed the trajectory of trap.

The group had several multiplatinum selling singles, including “Bad and Boujee,” which went No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, “Stir Fry,” and “Narcos.” Migos released four full-length albums across their career.

More than three years ago, Offset’s cousin Takeoff, another member of Migos, was shot and killed at a Houston bowling alley.

“We want the World Cup to serve the people here, and not a cash cow for the few,” said Jonathan Alingu with Central Florida Jobs with Justice.

With matches less than 100 days away, dozens of labor and community groups gathered in downtown Miami on Tuesday, demanding answers from FIFA and the local host committee.

“For the past two years we have been trying to have a seat with the stakeholders so that the Miami host committee prioritizes human rights,” said Kris Beckford with the South Florida AFL-CIO.

Nearly 30 organizations, from labor unions to community advocates, rallied outside the Miami-Dade Government Center.

Their concerns centered on worker rights, fair pay and public safety.

Katherine Passley with Beyond the Bars says, “Mega events like this don’t just bring fans, they bring exploitation, they bring over policing, they bring systems that profit off of our most vulnerable.”

Advocates say they’ve met with organizers multiple times but claim little has changed.

“Right now, FIFA has said that host cities are expected to implement human rights protections, but expectations are not enforcement, and promises are not protection,” added Passley.

Immigration advocates added their voices, pointing to broader human rights concerns.

“When the games are being played, when there are events like the fan fest, there should be a suspension of the 287G agreements, at least while these events are happening, so that local police are not mandated to assist in this immigration enforcement,” said Thomas Kennedy with the Florida Immigrant Coalition.

With global attention soon heading to South Florida, organizers say they want transparency and real change.

“The door is open from us to the county and host committee to engage,” said Alingu.

Local 10 has reached out to FIFA for comment but has not yet received a response.

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The Florida Forest Service responded to the wildfire burning in Naples on Monday.

Officials said the fire erupted at about 9 a.m. at Picayune Park.

As of Tuesday morning, officials said the fire was 15% contained and had spread to 1,500 acres.

Footage captured from I-75 traffic cameras showed thick clouds of smoke billowing from the area.

This comes as Naples is under extreme drought conditions.

Officials are taking caution as windy conditions could cause the flames to spread.

Evacuation orders have been issued for about 150 residents in the area and shelters have been opened. Some horses were also evacuated from the area.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office said evacuations have been lifted for the Forest Glen community, but evacuation orders are still in place for Stable Way, Newman Drive, Barton Gilba Drive, Benfield Road and Le Buffs Road.

Officials warn people not to operate drones in the area as it “impedes the safety of the first responders and interferes with fire operations.”

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As part of a deal with prosecutors, the 51-year-old former elected official pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a third-degree grand theft charge in connection with a 2024 corruption case in which authorities accused her of racking up about $100,000 in personal purchases on a district credit card.

Prosecutors alleged Navarro used the official card to buy food, groceries, appliances, vacations and more.

At least two of the purchases veered into the bizarre: Investigators said she bought a pair of “artificial silicone pregnancy bellies” after a breakup with her boyfriend in an apparent attempt by the then-48-year-old to convince him she was expecting, during a period in which she followed and harassed him.

Before the breakup, authorities allege she used the district card to buy items for his Hollywood smoothie business.

As part of Navarro’s plea, prosecutors agreed to drop an additional grand theft charge, plus two organized fraud charges. Under the agreement, she’s sentenced to spend 14 months in prison followed by probation.

“I just accepted full responsibility for my actions,” she said in court. “I can now begin to put this behind me and serve the time that I have accepted to be able to repair and apologize sincerely to my entire community for all of my actions.”

She’ll also have to pay more than $101,000 in restitution.

Navarro’s three-year probation term can be terminated halfway through for good behavior. She’s prohibited from running for office ― but only during that term ― meaning it’s possible that South Florida hasn’t seen the last of Navarro in public office.

“This community is really embracing of those who recognize their wrongdoing and strive to do better,” Ben Kuehne, Navarro’s attorney, said. “We have seen many situations that are sad, but that turn into positives. We expect Lubby is going to be one of those situations.”

Authorities took Navarro into custody immediately after Tuesday’s court hearing.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle issued a statement after the plea Tuesday, saying in part that Navarro has “admitted her guilt and has accepted her sentence” instead of “seeking to avoid the consequences of her actions.”

“Let there be no doubt that I and my public corruption team of prosecutors and investigators will continue ensuring that our government operates for the people of Miami-Dade County, not for the financial benefit of those holding office or position,” Fernandez Rundle said.

If Navarro does want to run for office in the future, she’ll have to get her rights restored first as a convicted felon.

Kuehne said for now, Navarro will focus on completing her prison sentence and rehabilitation.

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The Parkway Middle School student, who appeared in juvenile court Tuesday morning, has been suspended from school until further notice.

The boy was in court with his father and is not being held in juvenile detention.

He is scheduled to appear in court again on May 18.

According to police, officers were called to the school, located at 3600 NW Fifth Court, at about 7:30 a.m. Monday after the school resource officer was notified by a school behavioral technician that a student had been displaying what appeared to be a weapon prior to boarding a school bus.

Police said the student was found running through school grounds when he arrived on campus, and he was detained by the school officer.

A handgun-style BB gun was then found in his backpack, authorities said.

Police said the student is facing charges of possession of a weapon on school grounds and possession of a BB gun by a minor under age 16.

According to BCPS, the student is also facing “appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with the Code Book for Student Conduct.”

BCPS confirmed that a tip from a student and parent led to the potentially dangerous discovery at the Lauderhill school.

Interim Principal Ackimo Charles said in a message to parents, in part, “We received information from a student and parent about a possible weapon on campus. We immediately placed our school on Lockdown and notified our School Resource Officer and security team, who safely handled the situation and confiscated the weapon.”

“He told me he was going to bring it to school, but I told him not to do it, but he still went ahead,” a student told Local 10 News. “And one of my other friends told him not to do it.”

After police got involved, the lockdown was lifted and school operations continued as normal.

Charles praised the student and parent who reported the weapon, saying that the idea of “see something, say something” worked in this particular situation.

Police confirmed no injuries were reported during the incident and there is “no ongoing threat to the school.”

Iran responded with threats on all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, taking aim at U.S.-allied countries.

At least two tankers approaching the strait Monday turned around soon after the U.S. blockade began, vessel tracker MarineTraffic said in a post on X.

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations agency said the blockade restricted “the entirety of the Iranian coastline, including ports and energy infrastructure.” Its notice to mariners said transit through the strait to or from non-Iranian places was not reported to be impeded though ships “may encounter military presence.”

The U.S. blockade and Iran’s threatened retaliation set up an extraordinary showdown that posed serious risks for the global economy and raised the specter that the ceasefire could collapse and the fighting could resume. Talks aimed at permanently ending the conflict — which began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran — failed to reach an agreement this past weekend.

Trump says the blockade has begun

“We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world because that’s what they’re doing,” Trump said of Iran at the White House, where he announced the blockade had started.

He suggested the U.S. remains willing to engage with Iran.

“I can tell you that we’ve been called by the other side,” Trump said, adding that “they want to work a deal.”

Discussions between the U.S. and Iran about a second round of in-person negotiations are underway, two U.S. officials and a person familiar with the development said Monday. A diplomat from one of the mediating countries said Tehran and Washington have agreed to more talks.

All four spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic negotiations.

Iran’s effective closure of the strait, through which a fifth of global oil transits in peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing, pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other basic goods far beyond the Middle East.

Before the U.S. blockade, Tehran had allowed some ships perceived as friendly to pass while charging considerable fees, leading to accusations it is holding the global economy hostage.

Some analysts are doubtful that the United States can restore normal shipping through force alone. And it’s not clear how the blockade will work or what the dangers might be to U.S. forces.

The question is essentially who can endure the most pain: Could a blockade make Iran’s economic situation untenable and force it to concede? Or will it drive global oil and other prices so high that Trump is forced to back down?

The blockade could have far-reaching effects

The U.S. military’s Central Command announced the blockade would be enforced “against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas” on the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

CENTCOM’s decision to allow ships traveling between non-Iranian ports to transit the strait was a step down from Trump’s earlier threat to blockade the waterway.

In a social media message, Trump said Iran’s navy had been “completely obliterated” but still had “fast attack ships.” Trump warned that “if any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED.”

Iran issued threats of its own.

“Security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or for NO ONE,” the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported Monday. “An Iranian military statement said: “NO PORT in the region will be safe.”

The threats halted the limited ship traffic that resumed in the strait since the ceasefire, according to a report from Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Marine trackers say over 40 commercial ships have crossed since the start of the ceasefire last week, down from 100 or more vessel passages per day before the war.

The blockade is intended to pressure Iran, which has exported millions of barrels of oil since the war began, much of it likely carried by so-called dark transits that evade Western sanctions and oversight.

But the effects will be felt far beyond Iran. The price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, hovered Monday just under $100 per barrel. It cost roughly $70 per barrel before the war.

Iran says ‘if you fight, we will fight’

Top-ranking Iranian officials threatened retaliation.

Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesperson for the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, dismissed U.S. the threat of a U.S. blockade as “more bluffing than reality.”

“It will make the current situation (Trump) is in more complicated and makes the market — which he is angry about — more turbulent,” he said in a post on X.

The Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, addressed Trump in a statement: “If you fight, we will fight.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, demanded compensation from five Middle Eastern countries — Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates — that Iran says violated international law by aiding the war effort against it, the Islamic Republic’s state-run media reported.

Legal experts are watching

U.S. military officials have offered few details about how the blockade will actually work.

The U.S. Navy has 16 warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in the Middle East, a defense official said. A second defense official said no American warships are in the Persian Gulf, which forms most of Iran’s coastline. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations.

Under international law, the blockade must be impartially enforced. Legal experts will also be watching to see if the U.S. allows humanitarian aid to reach Iran.

“How it is carried out will determine whether it is lawful or not,” said Todd Huntley, a retired Navy captain and director of Georgetown University’s national security law program.

Ceasefire holds after talks end without agreement

The blockade threat came after marathon U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Pakistan ended without an agreement on Saturday.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said the talks stalled after Iran refused to accept American terms on refraining from developing a nuclear weapon. Vance told FOX News Channel’s “Special Report” that some progress was made on nuclear issues, but he felt Iran’s negotiators couldn’t make a deal without approval from Tehran.

Iran has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful. However, it has pushed forward with steps that could give it the ability to build a nuclear weapon, including enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels and developing long-range missiles potentially capable of delivering a bomb.

Iran’s ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, said the main sticking points for Tehran were its nuclear program, war reparations and sanctions relief.

The ceasefire expires April 22. The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, 2,089 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed.

___

Corder reported from The Hague, Netherlands, Frankel from New York. Associated Press writers Melanie Lidman in Tel Aviv, Israel; Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations; Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee, Konstantin Toropin, Collin Binkley, Ben Finley and David Klepper in Washington; Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut; Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi; Jill Lawless in London; Ghaya Ben MBarek in Tunis, Tunisia; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.

As hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to celebrate the historic win by pro-European candidate Péter Magyar, music from some of Hungary's most popular — and most Orbán-critical — performers filled the air. Teenagers scaled Budapest’s iconic Chain Bridge and blasted revolutionary anthems by artists whose songs captured young people’s frustrations with the regime.

On the city’s trams, buses and subway cars, young people led chants and played AI-generated fan music dedicated to Magyar.

In front of Hungary's neo-Gothic parliament building, a group called “More Techno to Parliament!” celebrated Orbán's defeat with a rave.

Such scenes underscored the important role young people played in the push to end Orbán’s autocratic rule.

Before the election, a poll by 21 Research Center showed that 65% of voters under 30 supported Magyar's Tisza party, while only 14% backed Orbán, 62.

Marcell Szabó-Temple, a 26-year-old architect, grew up on the outskirts of Budapest in a family where adults didn’t talk about politics in front of the children. In the 2018 election — the first in which he could vote and which Orbán won easily — he felt ambivalent about the political process.

But then Szabó-Temple entered university and experienced a political awakening. Although he went to the country’s top engineering school, he said the state of higher education shocked him. Studying under what he described as an outdated curriculum in a crumbling building made him wonder: “Was this really all they could achieve in 12 years of governance? If so, we need something better.”

More difficulties were to come. In 2022, more than 20 Hungarian universities were disqualified from the European Union’s Erasmus exchange program as a consequence of an Orbán scheme to place control of universities in the hands of public foundations headed by political appointees.

Critics warned Orbán's move was an attempt to take control of academia and stifle critical thought. Many university students and leadership protested the overhaul, but it was carried out anyway.

No longer able to study abroad, and disenchanted by another overwhelming victory by Orbán in the 2022 election, Szabó-Temple said he felt “like the world went silent for the next few years.”

“I stopped caring about politics, again,” he said. “It was like being back in high school: I didn’t even want to hear the news.”

But when Magyar, 45, broke into Hungarian politics in 2024, Szabó-Temple felt a greater hope for change than he ever had before.

Once an insider in Orbán's Fidesz party, Magyar campaigned heavily on repairing Hungary's relationship with the EU, and restoring its Western orientation that had drifted increasingly close to Russia under Orbán.

He frequently addressed young people at hundreds of rallies held across the country during his campaign, urging them to take the country's future into their own hands.

Meanwhile, a new generation of musical stars, many of whom grew to fame on the internet, began producing more political content. While outlooks for young people looked increasingly dire due to economic crises and deep social divisions, the music became openly critical of Orbán’s regime.

Audiences broke out in anti-government chants during concerts at summer festivals. Government officials scolded young people for the signs of disrespect.

The musical movement reached its apex two days before the election when over 100,000 people packed a sprawling square in Budapest for a “system-breaking” concert. Over 50 artists performed, and urged young people to vote for change.

After Orbán's defeat, Szabó-Temple said he plans to move back to Hungary from Portugal, where he's on a work exchange.

“There was a growing sense among young people that if we can’t change the regime now, we might not want to live in Hungary for the rest of our lives. I certainly felt like that,” he said.

Like many of Hungary's youth, he has high expectations for Tisza.

“We put our faith in them and we expect them to deliver,” he said. “If they do, I will settle down and build a family in Hungary.”

___

Iván L. Nagy contributed.

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According to an arrest report obtained Tuesday by Local 10 News, the incident occurred Sunday at a Shell gas station located at 2414 N. Federal Highway.

Hanoi Lugo, 53, of Miami, was arrested later that night on a charge of firing a weapon in public or on residential property.

According to the report, someone called 911 and reported that a Hispanic man carrying a gun strapped to his chest was yelling, “Get away from me!” before firing into the ground.

Police said officers were eventually able to locate Lugo, who was “yelling unintelligible comments at random passerby.”

Police said they ordered Lugo to show his hands, however he initially refused to comply, keeping his hands behind his back.

According to the report, Lugo eventually followed commands to show his hands and sit on the ground.

A loaded Glock was located in the west alleyway of the gas station, authorities said.

Police said the gas station owner said he did not witness the shooting, but did hear a single loud bang, which he believed to be a gunshot.

In addition to the Glock, officers also confiscated an assault rifle that was found in Lugo’s van, the report stated.

As of Tuesday morning, Lugo was being held at the Broward County Main Jail on a $5,000 bond.

A motive for Lugo’s alleged actions is unclear.

Según un informe de arresto obtenido el martes por Local 10 News, el incidente ocurrió el domingo en una gasolinera Shell ubicada en 2414 N. Federal Highway.

Hanoi Lugo, de 53 años y residente de Miami, fue arrestado esa misma noche por un cargo de disparar un arma en público o en una propiedad residencial.

De acuerdo con el informe, alguien llamó al 911 y reportó que un hombre hispano con un arma sujeta al pecho gritaba “¡Aléjense de mí!” antes de disparar al suelo.

La policía indicó que los agentes finalmente lograron ubicar a Lugo, quien estaba “gritando comentarios ininteligibles a transeúntes al azar”.

La policía dijo que los agentes le ordenaron mostrar las manos, pero inicialmente se negó a cumplir, manteniéndolas detrás de la espalda.

Según el informe, Lugo finalmente obedeció las órdenes de mostrar las manos y sentarse en el suelo.

Las autoridades informaron que una pistola Glock cargada fue localizada en un callejón al oeste de la gasolinera.

La policía indicó que el dueño de la gasolinera dijo que no presenció el tiroteo, pero sí escuchó un fuerte estruendo que creyó era un disparo.

Además de la Glock, los agentes también confiscaron un rifle de asalto que fue encontrado en la camioneta de Lugo, según el informe.

Hasta la mañana del martes, Lugo permanecía detenido en la cárcel principal del condado Broward con una fianza de $5,000 USD.

El motivo de las acciones de Lugo no está claro.

The world has buzzed at the extraordinary clash between the U.S.-born pope and the American president. Trump called Leo “weak” and captive to the “radical left’’ on social media this week, after the pope called Trump’s threats toward Iran “truly unacceptable.’’

At the Vatican, visitors had Leo’s back while he's away on a 10-day trip to Africa.

“It’s just ridiculous, because if the pope is not speaking about peace, and is not taking care about every people in the world, he’s not the pope,’’ said Joerg Soler, who was visiting the Vatican from Switzerland.

“It’s completely inappropriate,’’ said Mariella Acciaioli, a French tourist. “Things are getting too much. We need to mobilize everyone, especially our leaders, to deal with this behavior that is going beyond every limit.”

U.S. tourist Paul Sarauskas expressed disbelief at Trump’s unprecedented broadside, calling it "absurd.''

“I think he needs to keep his nose out of religion. He’s telling the pope what to do. He’s telling the pope how to do his job,’’ Sarauskas said. “Where the pope just wants to do good things, right? He wants to talk about peace, about helping other people, whereas the current administration is doing something completely opposite. They’re just tearing people apart. They’re talking about division and war and hate.”

Trump clearly expected the American pope to be “subservient” to the United States, said Italian journalist Massimo Franco, who has a new book, “Popes, Dollars and Wars,’’ about U.S.-Vatican relations.

“A pope must be a pope. He must respond to a wider community. And if he sees that Trump’s policy risks to give a distorted view of the United States, I think the pope is helping the United States as well, not just the United States, to find the right path,'' Franco said.

The Rev. Antonio Spadaro, a prominent Italian Jesuit theologian and undersecretary to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, said Trump’s fury “against a moral voice” shows that “the president is powerless.”

“He can’t bring the pope to the same terrain where he has brought everyone else, where he can dominate with language,’’ Spadaro told Italian Radio 24.”In this sense, the moral force of the church is evident. It is not a counter-power but a space in which power is being judged by criteria that power itself cannot control.”

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According to one arrest report, Miguel Gabriel Andres was part of “a group of individuals believed to be involved in ongoing motor vehicle thefts throughout the area involving Honda vehicles and air bags.”

Many of the thefts took place in Hialeah, according to arrest documents.

Andres, who has addresses in North Miami and Palmetto Bay, also faces charges out of Miami Gardens. Investigators with that city’s police department said that Broward County authorities, specifically Miramar police, are also investigating him.

Authorities said he would pull up in either a Nissan Altima or his mother’s Ford Explorer and break into vehicles. In the Miami Gardens case, he and his group are also accused of stealing a Honda.

Investigators said they’ve even caught Andres in the act, but he’s “fled several times” and managed to get away.

Authorities said just after 1:45 a.m. Monday, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper spotted the Explorer near Northeast 159th Street and Sixth Avenue, in Miami-Dade’s unincorporated Biscayne Gardens area, and pursued Andres for two blocks before stopping the SUV with a PIT maneuver.

Troopers said “Andres and two other occupants exited the vehicle” and then ran off. It’s not clear whether authorities were able to capture the two other occupants, but they did take Andres into custody.

Andres now faces more than a dozen charges, including multiple counts of burglary, grand theft and fleeing and eluding.

As of Tuesday, records show he was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a bond of nearly $60,000.

Según un informe de arresto, Miguel Gabriel Andres formaba parte de “un grupo de individuos presuntamente involucrados en robos continuos de vehículos en el área, particularmente de autos Honda y sus airbags”.

Muchos de los robos ocurrieron en Hialeah, según documentos de arresto.

Andres, quien tiene direcciones en North Miami y Palmetto Bay, también enfrenta cargos en Miami Gardens. Investigadores de ese departamento indicaron que autoridades del condado Broward, específicamente la policía de Miramar, también lo investigan.

Las autoridades dijeron que llegaba en un Nissan Altima o en una Ford Explorer de su madre y forzaba la entrada a los vehículos. En el caso de Miami Gardens, él y su grupo también están acusados de robar un Honda.

Los investigadores indicaron que incluso lo han sorprendido en el acto, pero “ha huido en varias ocasiones” y logró escapar.

Las autoridades informaron que poco después de la 1:45 a.m. del lunes, un agente de la Patrulla de Carreteras de Florida vio la Explorer cerca de Northeast 159th Street y Sixth Avenue, en el área no incorporada de Biscayne Gardens en Miami-Dade, y persiguió a Andres por dos cuadras antes de detener la SUV con una maniobra PIT.

Los agentes indicaron que “Andres y otros dos ocupantes salieron del vehículo” y luego huyeron corriendo. No está claro si las autoridades lograron capturar a los otros dos ocupantes, pero sí detuvieron a Andres.

Andres ahora enfrenta más de una docena de cargos, incluyendo múltiples cargos de robo a vehículo, hurto mayor y fuga para evadir a las autoridades.

Hasta el martes, los registros indican que permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza de casi $60,000 USD.

Crowder’s group hadn’t taken on individual clients before. The tiny policy and advocacy shop she had joined months earlier focused on researching and reforming the state’s criminal-justice system. But when a judge asked her to represent Kennard, she agreed. When he was released, the story ricocheted nationally. That case reshaped the organization’s trajectory.

It convinced Crowder that pairing policy research with direct legal work could unlock reforms that data alone had not.

In a state dominated by a Republican supermajority and long resistant to criminal justice reform, Alabama Appleseed has become one of the South’s most unexpectedly effective advocacy groups. While expanding its programs, it has kept its focus narrow, zeroing in on freeing older inmates who received harsh sentences for nonviolent crimes committed decades earlier. Personal stories gave its research a human face to engage lawmakers and supporters. And it built coalitions in unlikely places — persuading conservative lawmakers, faith leaders, and national funders that a small, locally rooted organization could have outsize impact.

Those choices transformed the group from a four-person research shop into a 10-person, $1.4 million organization supported by national grantmakers like the NFL. Part of the broader Appleseed Network of justice centers across the United States and Mexico, Alabama Appleseed was among the first to directly represent incarcerated people. It also runs reentry services, has won bipartisan policy changes, and has come within a few votes of passing sweeping sentencing reform — offering a model for how small nonprofits can influence large public systems.

“Alabama Appleseed is doing hard work in a hard system in a state where not everyone is pumped up about rehabilitation,” says Rachel Estes, director of outreach at Canterbury United Methodist Church, which partners with Appleseed clients through its Books to Prisons program. “In a state where it’s just not top of mind, they’ve done an excellent job of educating people, of advocating for people, and helping be a liaison of this really weird thing called incarceration and prison.”

A crisis and a pivot

A former crime reporter who later became a lawyer, Crowder spent years covering Alabama’s troubled prison system before deciding she “couldn’t sit on the sidelines anymore,” she says. She joined Alabama Appleseed in early 2019, when its annual budget was under $400,000 and its work centered on fines, fees, and racial disparities. Staff worked out of a rickety historic house in Montgomery. “There were opossums in the roof,” she says.

That same year, the U.S. Department of Justice released a scathing report detailing unconstitutional violence, corruption, and deadly conditions inside Alabama’s men’s prisons. The findings briefly opened a window that allowed for passage of several legislative reforms. But even some lawmakers who expressed outrage balked at meaningful sentencing reforms. For Crowder, it underscored the limits of a relying on a data-driven approach to policy change.

Crowder shifted the organization’s focus toward two goals: reducing the number of people entering prison and helping those serving extreme sentences get out.

In the past, Alabama Appleseed relied on other organizations for client stories. “We offered little more than putting their face and their terrible plight on the pages of a report,” Crowder said. “That always seemed exploitative to me.”

Taking individual cases filled a gap in legal services and gave the organization firsthand insight into how sentencing laws played out in real lives.

As more people were freed, letters poured in. Just as demand for help was growing, an unexpected opportunity arrived.

A boost from the NFL

In late 2019, the National Football League invited Appleseed to apply for funding and received a $100,000 grant to support reentry work in 2020 as part of the NFL's Inspire Change program, which started in 2017 as its social-justice platform and has helped steer more than $460 million in grants to nonprofits.

Crowder used the funds to hire another lawyer. Their next case was Ronald McKeithen, who had served 37 years for robbery. After his release, he joined Appleseed’s staff and now works on reentry support.

Today the organization has a full-time staff attorney, a part-time attorney, a case manager, a social worker, and a reentry team serving more than 30 formerly incarcerated people.

Other major funders, including Arnold Ventures, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Just Trust, have also supported Alabama Appleseed’s policy and sentencing-reform work.

Clare Graff, the NFL’s vice president of social responsibility, said the group’s scale never deterred the league. “It doesn’t much matter what the number is when the number is literally one individual’s freedom,” she said.

Lessons in focus — and restraint

By working directly with incarcerated clients, the organization learned that positive, relatable stories often persuade lawmakers more effectively than grim statistics.

But storytelling alone isn’t enough. “More people just need lawyers or reentry services. There needs to be a moment where the services available catch up to the stories,” she added.

Alabama Appleseed has also learned when not to be the messenger. Sometimes a pastor, a victim’s advocate, or a conservative lawmaker can make the case more effectively.

That discipline has helped the group win support from both parties and from Republican Gov. Kay Ivey. Twice, legislation it supported — a Second Chance Act, which would create a process for judges to review certain life-without-parole sentences — came within a few votes of passing.

Pragmatism has been central to its effectiveness, said Kevin Ring of Arnold Ventures. The organization works with anyone who can help move reform forward — prosecutors, victims’ advocates, faith leaders, and lawmakers from both parties. “They only want to see lives changed and saved,” he said.

A model beyond Alabama

Alabama Appleseed’s approach has influenced other affiliates in the Appleseed Network.

“They were one of the first ones to especially do the sort of client work that they do,” says Benet Magnuson, executive director of the Appleseed Foundation.

Within Alabama, Crowder is focused on expanding reentry support and preparing to revisit second-chance legislation.

With new support from the NFL, the group is collaborating with Appleseed centers in Oklahoma and Missouri to support women serving long sentences that are a result of abusive or coercive relationships.

Crowder says she’s learned to remain hopeful while focused on an issue littered with failures. “There are too many people talking about what’s wrong, what’s broken, what’s unjust. What sets Alabama Appleseed apart is: Yes, we identify all of those things — but then we step up and say, here’s how to make it better.”

_____

Eden Stiffman is a senior editor at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the full article. This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Según la policía, agentes fueron llamados a la escuela alrededor de las 7:30 a.m. después de que el oficial de recursos escolares fue notificado por un técnico de comportamiento escolar de que un estudiante había estado mostrando lo que parecía ser un arma antes de abordar un autobús hacia el campus.

La policía indicó que el estudiante fue visto corriendo por los terrenos escolares cuando llegó al campus, y fue detenido por el oficial escolar.

Luego, las autoridades encontraron una pistola de balines tipo pistola en su mochila.

La policía dijo que el estudiante enfrenta cargos por posesión de un arma en propiedad escolar y posesión de una pistola de balines por un menor de 16 años.

Según BCPS, el estudiante de Parkway Middle School también enfrenta “medidas disciplinarias apropiadas de acuerdo con el Código de Conducta Estudiantil”.

BCPS confirmó que una pista de un estudiante y un padre llevó al hallazgo potencialmente peligroso en la escuela de Lauderhill, ubicada en 3600 NW Fifth Court.

El director interino Ackimo Charles dijo en un mensaje a los padres, en parte, “Recibimos información de un estudiante y un padre sobre una posible arma en el campus. Inmediatamente pusimos la escuela en cierre de emergencia y notificamos a nuestro oficial de recursos escolares y al equipo de seguridad, quienes manejaron la situación de manera segura y confiscaron el arma”.

“Me dijo que la iba a llevar a la escuela, pero yo le dije que no lo hiciera, pero aun así lo hizo”, dijo un estudiante a Local 10 News. “Y uno de mis otros amigos también le dijo que no lo hiciera”.

Después de que la policía intervino, el cierre de emergencia fue levantado y las operaciones escolares continuaron con normalidad.

Charles elogió al estudiante y al padre que reportaron el arma, señalando que la idea de “si ves algo, di algo” funcionó en esta situación en particular.

La policía confirmó que no se reportaron heridos durante el incidente y que “no hay una amenaza en curso para la escuela”.

La edad y la identidad del estudiante no han sido reveladas.

The firings are the latest wave of terminations of employees involved in cases criticized by conservatives or because they were perceived as insufficiently loyal to President Donald Trump's agenda. The terminations came before the release of a report accusing the Biden administration of biased prosecutions under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act or “FACE Act."

“This Department will not tolerate a two-tiered system of justice,” Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, said in a statement. "No Department should conduct selective prosecution based on beliefs. The weaponization that happened under the Biden Administration will not happen again, as we restore integrity to our prosecutorial system.”

The report is the first released from the Justice Department's “Weaponization Working Group,” created by former Attorney General Pam Bondi to scrutinize the federal prosecutions of Trump and other cases criticized by conservatives.

Biden’s attorney general, Merrick Garland, and Jack Smith, the special counsel who prosecuted Trump, have said they followed only the facts, the evidence and the law in their decisions. Critics of the Trump administration say Bondi — who was fired by Trump this month — and Blanche are the ones who politicized the agency, with the norm-breaking actions that have stirred concern that the institution is being used as a tool to advance Trump’s personal and political agenda.

The Biden administration brought cases against dozens of defendants under the FACE Act, which makes it illegal to physically obstruct or use the threat of force to intimidate or interfere with a person seeking reproductive health services, and prohibits damaging property at abortion clinics and other centers. It was signed into law in 1994, when clinic protests and blockades were on the rise along with violence against abortion providers such as Dr. David Gunn, who was murdered.

The Trump administration alleges in the report that prosecutors under Biden often “ignored and downplayed” attacks against pregnancy resource centers or houses of worship, which are also protected under the law. It also claims that the Biden administration pushed for harsher sentences against anti-abortion activists than it did in cases against abortion-rights defendants. Trump last year pardoned anti-abortion activists convicted of blockading abortion clinic entrances, calling them “peaceful pro-life protesters.”

Kristen Clarke, who led the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division under Biden, defended the prosecutions, saying the attorneys "enforced the law even-handedly and put public safety at the center of this work.”

“The Civil Rights Division brought law enforcement leaders, crisis pregnancy center representatives, faith leaders, and reproductive health care staff together to address the real violence, threats of violence, and obstruction that too many people face in our country when it comes to reproductive health care," Clarke said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.

The firings are part of a broader personnel purge that has shaken career Justice Department lawyers generally insulated from changes in administrations thanks to long-recognized civil service protections.

Justice Connection, a network of former department employees, said the agency leadership’s “cruelty and hypocrisy are on full display in this report.”

“They insist on zealous advocacy by career staff in advancing the President’s priorities, while shaming and firing those who did just that in the prior administration,” Stacey Young, a former department lawyer who founded Justice Connection, said in a statement. "They’ve put career employees on notice: if they do their jobs, they face potential termination if future political leadership disagrees with the policy goals of prior leadership.”

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The shooting occurred around 9:15 p.m. Friday at CW Thomas Park, located near the 800 block of Northwest Second Street, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said the preliminary investigation revealed that the victim, Cardal Wyche, was shot following an altercation with several people.

BSO deputies and Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue crews said they responded to the scene and found Wyche suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.

Authorities said paramedics transported him to Broward Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 9:44 p.m.

Detectives are asking anyone with information about the shooting or those involved to contact BSO Homicide Detective Kevin White at 954-321-4215 or submit a tip through the SaferWatch app.

Anonymous tips can be provided to Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477, online at browardcrimestoppers.org, or by dialing **TIPS from any cellphone in the United States.

La balacera ocurrió alrededor de las 9:15 p.m. del viernes en el parque CW Thomas, ubicado cerca de la cuadra 800 de Northwest Second Street, según la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward.

Los investigadores indicaron que la investigación preliminar reveló que la víctima, Cardal Wyche, fue baleada tras un altercado con varias personas.

Agentes de BSO y equipos de rescate de bomberos del sheriff de Broward respondieron a la escena y encontraron a Wyche con una aparente herida de bala.

Las autoridades dijeron que los paramédicos lo trasladaron al Broward Health Medical Center, donde fue declarado muerto a las 9:44 p.m.

Los detectives solicitan a cualquier persona con información sobre la balacera o los involucrados que se comunique con el detective de homicidios de BSO Kevin White al 954-321-4215 o envíe una pista a través de la aplicación SaferWatch.

Las denuncias anónimas pueden hacerse a Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477, en línea en browardcrimestoppers.org o marcando **TIPS desde cualquier teléfono celular en Estados Unidos.

The end of Maryland's legislative session this week marked the demise of Democratic efforts to reshape the state's U.S. House districts. But Florida lawmakers are to begin a special session Monday for a Republican attempt at congressional redistricting. And Virginia voters are deciding Tuesday on a Democratic redistricting plan that could help the party win several additional House seats in this year's election.

Voting districts typically are redrawn once a decade, after each census. But President Donald Trump triggered an unusual round of mid-decade redistricting last year when he urged Texas Republicans to redraw House districts to give the GOP an edge in the midterm elections. California Democrats reciprocated, and redistricting efforts soon cascaded across states.

So far, Republicans believe they could win nine additional seats in states where they have redrawn congressional districts, while Democrats think they could gain six seats elsewhere because of redistricting. But that presumes past voting patterns hold in November. And that’s uncertain, especially since the party in power typically loses seats in the midterms and Trump faces negative approval ratings in polls.

Democrats need to gain just a few seats in November to wrest control of the House from Republicans, potentially allowing them to obstruct Trump’s agenda.

Where redistricting remains in play

Officials in more than a dozen states debated or floated redistricting proposals. The immediate focus is on two states — one led by Republicans, the other by Democrats.

Florida

Current map: eight Democrats, 20 Republicans

Proposed map: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has called a special legislative session to begin Monday on congressional redistricting. Republicans haven't yet publicly released a specific plan.

Challenges: The state constitution says districts cannot be drawn with intent to favor or disfavor a political party or incumbent.

Virginia

Current map: six Democrats, five Republicans

Proposed map: A new U.S. House map passed by the Democratic-led General Assembly could help Democrats win up to four additional seats. For the map to take effect, voters would have to approve a constitutional amendment allowing mid-decade redistricting. That amendment is on Tuesday's ballot.

Challenges: The state Supreme Court ruled the referendum can proceed, but it has yet to rule whether the effort is legal. The court is considering an appeal of a Tazewell County judge’s ruling that the amendment is invalid because lawmakers violated their own rules while passing it.

Where new House districts were approved

New U.S. House districts have been adopted in six states since last summer. Four took up redistricting voluntarily, one was required to by its state constitution and another did so under court order.

Texas

Current map: 13 Democrats, 25 Republicans

New map: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott signed a revised House map into law last August that could help Republicans win five additional seats.

Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in December cleared the way for the new districts to be used in this year’s elections. It put on hold a lower-court ruling that blocked the new map because it was “racially gerrymandered.”

California

Current map: 43 Democrats, nine Republicans

New map: Voters in November approved revised House districts drawn by the Democratic-led Legislature that could help Democrats win five additional seats.

Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in February allowed the new districts to be used in this year’s elections. It denied an appeal from Republicans and the Department of Justice, which claimed the districts impermissibly favor Hispanic voters.

Missouri

Current map: two Democrats, six Republicans

New map: Republican Gov. Mike Kehoe signed a revised House map into law last September that could help Republicans win an additional seat.

Challenges: A Cole County judge ruled the new map is in effect as election officials work to determine whether a referendum petition seeking a statewide vote complies with constitutional criteria and contains enough valid petition signatures. The Missouri Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit claiming mid-decade redistricting is illegal. It's scheduled to hear arguments in May on claims the new districts violate compactness requirements and should be placed on hold pending the potential referendum.

North Carolina

Current map: four Democrats, 10 Republicans

New map: The Republican-led General Assembly gave final approval in October to revised districts that could help Republicans win an additional seat.

Challenges: A federal court panel in November denied a request to block the revised districts from being used in the midterm elections.

Ohio

Current map: five Democrats, 10 Republicans

New map: A bipartisan panel composed primarily of Republicans voted in October to approve revised House districts that improve Republicans’ chances of winning two additional seats.

Challenges: None. The state constitution required new districts before the 2026 election, because Republicans had approved the prior map without sufficient Democratic support after the last census.

Utah

Current map: no Democrats, four Republicans

New map: A judge in November imposed revised House districts that could help Democrats win a seat. The court ruled that lawmakers had circumvented anti-gerrymandering standards passed by voters when adopting the prior map.

Challenges: A federal court panel and the state Supreme Court, in February, each rejected Republican challenges to the judicial map selection.

Where redistricting efforts were denied

Governors, lawmakers or partisan officials pushed for congressional redistricting in numerous states. In at least five states, those efforts gained some initial traction but ultimately fell short in either the legislature or court.

Maryland

Current map: seven Democrats, one Republican

Proposed map: The Democratic-led House in February passed a redistricting plan backed by Democratic Gov. Wes Moore that could help Democrats win an additional seat.

Challenges: The legislative session ended in April without the Democratic-led Senate voting on the redistricting plan. The state Senate president said there were concerns it could backfire on Democrats.

New York

Current map: 19 Democrats, seven Republicans

Proposed map: A judge in January ordered a state commission to draw new boundaries for the only congressional district in New York City represented by a Republican, ruling it unconstitutionally dilutes the votes of Black and Hispanic residents.

Challenges: The U.S. Supreme Court in March granted Republicans' request to halt the judge’s order, leaving the existing district lines in place for the 2026 election.

Indiana

Current map: two Democrats, seven Republicans

Proposed map: The Republican-led House passed a redistricting plan in December that would have improved Republicans’ chances of winning two additional seats.

Challenges: Despite pressure from Trump to adopt the new map, the Republican-led Senate rejected it in a bipartisan vote on Dec. 11.

Kansas

Current map: one Democrat, three Republicans

Proposed map: Some Republican lawmakers mounted an attempt to take up congressional redistricting.

Challenges: Lawmakers dropped a petition drive for a special session on congressional redistricting in November, after failing to gain enough support.

Illinois

Current map: 14 Democrats, three Republicans

Proposed map: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in October proposed a new U.S. House map that would improve Democrats’ chances of winning an additional seat.

Challenges: The Democratic-led General Assembly declined to take up redistricting, citing concerns about the effect on representation for Black residents.

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Authorities identified the suspect as Karen Barrios, of Hallandale Beach.

The crash happened just before 6:30 p.m. Saturday on Marina Mile Boulevard near the southbound Interstate 95 exit ramp, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators said a BSO sergeant was heading westbound on Marina Mile Boulevard when he observed the crash in the westbound lanes.

They said a white Buick, driven by Barrios, was stopped on the left side of the roadway with front-end damage, while a gray Jeep was against a wall on the right side, facing eastbound in the westbound lanes, with significant rear passenger-side damage.

The report states that sergeant briefly checked on Barrios, who indicated she was OK.

He then turned his attention to the occupants of the Jeep, who had visible injuries. Deputies said Barrios then fled the scene headed west without providing information or rendering aid.

Deputies said a second sergeant followed Barrios and located her shortly after in a parking lot in Dania Beach.

According to deputies, Barrios showed several signs of impairment, including “glassy eyes, slurred speech, and unsteadiness on her feet.”

Investigators determined the Jeep, carrying three people, was traveling westbound on Marina Mile Boulevard when Barrios exited the I-95 ramp and failed to yield the right-of-way.

Deputies said her car struck the rear passenger side of the Jeep, causing it to flip multiple times.

They said at least two people in the Jeep suffered multiple cuts. All three occupants told deputies they wished to press charges, the report states.

Deputies later detained Barrios and noted a “strong odor of alcoholic beverages coming from her breath.” They said she refused medical treatment and declined to perform field sobriety exercises at the scene.

According to the report, Barrios told deputies she is “blind in both eyes,” later clarifying she has partial vision issues and said she suffers from seizures if she does not take her medication, though she reported not having a seizure at the time of the crash.

Deputies said she later participated in a sobriety test but showed multiple signs of impairment, including losing balance, missing heel-to-toe steps, and making an improper turn.

Barrios was taken into custody and transported to BSO’s breath alcohol testing center, though her blood alcohol level was not listed in the report.

Jail records show she is facing one count of DUI, three counts of DUI causing damage to property or injury, and one count of hit-and-run involving serious bodily injury.

As of Tuesday morning, she was not listed as an inmate in the Broward County Main Jail.

Las autoridades identificaron a la sospechosa como Karen Barrios, de Hallandale Beach.

El choque ocurrió poco antes de las 6:30 p.m. del sábado en Marina Mile Boulevard, cerca de la rampa de salida hacia el sur de la Interestatal 95, según la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward.

Los investigadores indicaron que un sargento de BSO se dirigía hacia el oeste por Marina Mile Boulevard cuando observó el accidente en los carriles en esa dirección.

Señalaron que un Buick blanco, conducido por Barrios, estaba detenido en el lado izquierdo de la vía con daños en la parte delantera, mientras que un Jeep gris estaba contra un muro en el lado derecho, orientado hacia el este en los carriles hacia el oeste, con daños significativos en la parte trasera del lado del pasajero.

El informe indica que el sargento verificó brevemente el estado de Barrios, quien dijo que estaba bien.

Luego dirigió su atención a los ocupantes del Jeep, quienes presentaban lesiones visibles. Los agentes dijeron que Barrios huyó de la escena hacia el oeste sin proporcionar información ni prestar ayuda.

Los agentes indicaron que un segundo sargento siguió a Barrios y la localizó poco después en un estacionamiento en Dania Beach.

Según los agentes, Barrios mostraba varios signos de deterioro, incluyendo “ojos vidriosos, habla arrastrada e inestabilidad al caminar”.

Los investigadores determinaron que el Jeep, con tres personas a bordo, circulaba hacia el oeste por Marina Mile Boulevard cuando Barrios salió de la rampa de la I-95 y no cedió el derecho de paso.

Los agentes dijeron que su vehículo impactó la parte trasera del lado del pasajero del Jeep, provocando que volcara varias veces.

Indicaron que al menos dos personas en el Jeep sufrieron múltiples cortaduras. Los tres ocupantes dijeron a los agentes que deseaban presentar cargos, según el informe.

Posteriormente, los agentes detuvieron a Barrios y notaron un “fuerte olor a bebidas alcohólicas en su aliento”. Indicaron que ella rechazó tratamiento médico y se negó a realizar pruebas de sobriedad en el lugar.

Según el informe, Barrios dijo a los agentes que está “ciega de ambos ojos”, aclarando después que tiene problemas de visión parcial y que sufre convulsiones si no toma su medicamento, aunque indicó que no tuvo una convulsión en el momento del choque.

Los agentes señalaron que luego participó en una prueba de sobriedad, pero mostró múltiples signos de deterioro, incluyendo pérdida de equilibrio, fallas al caminar talón con punta y un giro incorrecto.

Barrios fue puesta bajo custodia y trasladada al centro de pruebas de alcoholemia de BSO, aunque su nivel de alcohol en sangre no fue incluido en el informe.

Los registros de la cárcel indican que enfrenta un cargo de DUI, tres cargos de DUI causando daños a la propiedad o lesiones, y un cargo de fuga tras un accidente con lesiones corporales graves.

Hasta la mañana del martes, no aparecía como reclusa en la cárcel principal del condado Broward.

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According to an arrest warrant, the incident happened March 8.

Fort Lauderdale police said officers working in the area were alerted about a possible altercation and a man who was bleeding from the head.

Police said the officers then made contact with two men, one of whom was “bleeding profusely from his head and was covered in blood,” and the other who had a cut to his left arm.

According to the warrant, one of the victims told officers that a man had purposefully poured liquor on a woman so he and his friends tried to intervene on her behalf.

The victim said the suspect, later identified by police as Alex Elhaouli, of Garden City, Michigan, struck his friend over the head with a Grey Goose bottle, causing the glass bottle to shatter and cause severe lacerations to the victim.

According to the warrant, Elhaouli sliced the other man on the left forearm with the bottle, causing a deep cut.

Both victims were transported to Broward Health Medical Center, where they received stitches.

A third victim approached an officer a short time later and said he was also cut by the glass bottle on his chest, authorities said. That victim went to the hospital on his own, where he also received stitches, police confirmed.

Police said a fourth victim sustained a small cut to his neck, but did not require medical attention.

Elhaouli was arrested Sunday on three counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

Elhaouli was not appearing in the online Broward jail database on Tuesday.

Según una orden de arresto, el incidente ocurrió el 8 de marzo.

La policía de Fort Lauderdale indicó que agentes que trabajaban en el área fueron alertados sobre un posible altercado y un hombre que sangraba de la cabeza.

La policía dijo que los agentes hicieron contacto con dos hombres, uno de los cuales estaba “sangrando profusamente de la cabeza y cubierto de sangre”, y otro que tenía una cortada en el brazo izquierdo.

De acuerdo con la orden, una de las víctimas dijo a los agentes que un hombre vertió licor intencionalmente sobre una mujer, por lo que él y sus amigos intentaron intervenir en su defensa.

La víctima indicó que el sospechoso, posteriormente identificado por la policía como Alex Elhaouli, de Garden City, Michigan, golpeó a su amigo en la cabeza con una botella de Grey Goose, provocando que la botella de vidrio se rompiera y causara laceraciones severas.

Según la orden, Elhaouli también cortó al otro hombre en el antebrazo izquierdo con la botella, provocándole una herida profunda.

Ambas víctimas fueron trasladadas al Broward Health Medical Center, donde recibieron puntos de sutura.

Una tercera víctima se acercó a un agente poco después y dijo que también fue cortada por la botella de vidrio en el pecho, informaron las autoridades. Esa víctima acudió al hospital por su cuenta, donde también recibió puntos, confirmó la policía.

La policía indicó que una cuarta víctima sufrió un pequeño corte en el cuello, pero no requirió atención médica.

Elhaouli fue arrestado el domingo y enfrenta tres cargos de agresión agravada con un arma mortal.

Elhaouli no aparecía en la base de datos en línea de la cárcel de Broward el martes.

The progressive Mexican leader has walked a careful line with Trump for more than a year, addressing provocations with a measured tone and meeting U.S. requests to crack down on criminal cartels more so than her predecessors, in an effort to offset threats of tariffs and U.S. military action against the gangs.

But in the wake of mounting deaths of Mexican citizens in custody of immigration officials and the Trump administration’s decision to impose an energy blockade on Cuba — a key Mexican ally — Sheinbaum has taken a harder line.

“We’ve seen the president raise her tone,” said Palmira Tapia, an analyst for Mexico’s Center for Economic Research and Teaching. “There’s been a shift, and we’ve seen Sheinbaum be more vocal than before.”

Deaths in ICE custody

Sheinbaum's latest rebuke came on Tuesday, a day after 49-year-old Mexican citizen Alejandro Cabrera Clemente died in a detention center in Louisiana of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, the fifteenth death of a Mexican citizen in U.S. custody in little over a year.

Mexico's government quickly called the deaths “unacceptable” and the ICE detention centers "incompatible with human rights standards and the protection of life.”

During a Tuesday press briefing Sheinbaum added that she requested investigations into the deaths of the 15 migrants, and instructed Mexican consulates to visit detention centers daily.

She said her government would raise the deaths in detention centers to Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and was considering appealing to the United Nations. Her government already said it would support lawsuits in the U.S. filed by detainees over poor conditions.

“We are going to defend Mexicans at every level,” Sheinbaum said, adding that “there are many Mexicans whose only crime is not having papers.”

The moves by Sheinbaum's government come on top of mounting disapproval in the U.S. of Trump's immigration enforcement. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say Trump has “gone too far” in sending federal immigration agents into American cities, according to a February AP-NORC poll.

“Growing dissatisfaction around ICE activities in the United States creates a more comfortable platform for members of the Mexican government to raise concerns about the fate of Mexican citizens,” said Carin Zissis, vice president of content strategy for the Council of the Americas.

A ‘cool head’

Sheinbaum has maintained what she has described as a “cool head” to provocations by Trump, who has exerted more pressure on Latin America than any U.S. leader in decades. In just a few months, the Trump administration deposed Venezuela's president, imposed an oil blockade on Cuba and threatened military intervention against Mexican cartels.

She has to balance maintaining a strong relationship with Trump while repeatedly stressing Mexico's sovereignty to appease her own base. Her measured responses resemble that of a lawyer rather than the head of Mexico’s most powerful populist political movement.

Her government has come down harder on cartels than her predecessor and bolstered trade relations ahead of renegotiations of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, free trade agreement.

While Trump has taken public jabs at Sheinbaum — at one point suggesting cartels have greater control over Mexico than her government — he's also regularly made nods to their amicable relationship.

“She is really a nice person, I like her a lot,” he said last month, proceeding to imitate the Mexican leader in a high voice.

Divide over Cuba

But shifting geopolitics in the region, and the mounting deaths in ICE facilities, have also opened the door for Sheinbaum to take a firmer stance.

The main point of contention between the two governments has been Cuba. Solidarity with the U.S. adversary has been a cornerstone of Mexico’s political ethos since the Cuban revolution, which Fidel Castro, Ernesto “Che” Guevara and a group of exiles famously planned while in Mexico City. It's a particular sticking point with her progressive Morena party, whose founder ushered Sheinbaum into office.

The relationship hit a hurdle in late January, when Trump announced he would slap tariffs on any country that sends oil to Cuba. The move directly impacted Mexico, which for years has shipped oil to Cuba.

While Sheinbaum reluctantly paused oil shipments to Cuba, she has continued to challenge the Trump administration's push for regime change.

“Mexico has every right to send fuel, whether for humanitarian or commercial reasons,” Sheinbaum said earlier this week.

She has described Trump's energy blockade of Cuba as “unjust” and accused the U.S. government of “suffocating” Cubans with sanctions. The Mexican leader has sent shipments of food and other aid, and even donated $1,000 of her own money to relief efforts in a symbolic gesture.

“This is a Rubicon issue for her," said Arturo Sarukhan, former Mexican ambassador to the U.S.

Even then, the moves by the Mexican leader have raised eyebrows in Washington.

Sheinbaum recently announced that her country would continue to have Cuban doctors work in the country, diverging from other nations in Central America and the Caribbean that have ended their programs in the face of U.S. pressure.

It was met with veiled threats from the Trump administration, which pointed to visa restrictions imposed on Central American officials with ties to what U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to as a “forced labor scheme.”

The White House offered no comment on Tuesday about Sheinbaum's tougher stances, nor did it comment on the rising number of deaths of Mexican nationals in ICE custody.

Greater leverage

Sheinbaum's recently bolder tone suggests a calculation that her administration can push back on some politically important fronts as long as they also are making progress on strengthening trade and meeting Trump administration requests on security and migration, Zissis said.

At the same time, surging energy prices due to the Iran war have made the U.S. more dependent on allies in Mexico, she and other analysts said, prompting Washington to walk back from any drastic moves against Mexican cartels or Cuba, at least in the short term.

”We’re at a moment where, due to global events, we’re facing different economic uncertainties. That gives the U.S. and Mexico more reason to work together," she said.

At the same time, former Mexican ambassador Sarukhan said that Sheinbaum will have to be careful not to put at risk upcoming USMCA renegotiations, for which her government has made painstaking efforts to build a strong foundation.

"What’s going to be interesting going forward is whether she can continue to have her cake and eat it too,” Sarukhan said.

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Weissert reported from Washington D.C.

“Smith,” “Johnson,” “Williams,” “Brown," and Jones,” remained the top five last names in the United States in 2020, as they were in 2010, according to a tally from the last U.S. head count. Most of the fastest-growing last names from 2010 to 2020 were Asian, according to the Census Bureau.

The top three of those were “Zhang,” “Liu,” and “Wang.”

Rounding out the top 10 most common last names in 2020 were “Garcia,” “Miller,” “Rodriguez,” “Davis,” and “Martinez.” The only change from 2010 was “Rodriguez” which jumped ahead of “Davis” for the No. 8 spot.

The Census Bureau has tallied counts of the most common last names in each once-a-decade head count since the 1990 Census. The 2020 Census was the first since 1990 to provide data on first names, although the Social Security Administration keeps a count of the most popular male and female first names for babies each year.

The Census tally showed that the most popular male first names at the start of this decade were “Michael,” “John,” “James,” “David,” and “Robert,” while the most common female first names were “Mary,” “Maria,” “Jennifer,” “Elizabeth,” and “Patricia.”

Not too much has changed since 1990. Back then, the most popular male first names were “James,” “John,” “Robert,” “Michael,” and “William.” The most popular female first names were “Mary,” “Patricia,” “Linda,” “Barbara,” and “Elizabeth.”

Unlike the Social Security Administration's count, the Census Bureau's tally includes everyone, not just newborns.

“The names people choose are a function of what they are exposed to, so culture certainly plays a role, but so does social influence,” said Jonah Berger, a professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania. “People are constantly exposed to names of others around them, and that can shape not only which names they like, but also which ones they avoid.”

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Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social.

Authorities in Kansas reported several people with minor injuries after storms passed through on Monday. Three people were left with minor injuries in rural Franklin County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Kansas City, according to the sheriff’s office. In Ottawa, a city of about 13,000 people, officials said there was structural damage, but there were no deaths or injuries. Power lines and trees were damaged, as well as several businesses, including one where outside walls were gone.

A National Weather Service survey team will assess damage in the Ottawa area on Tuesday to determine whether a tornado passed through there, according to Chelsea Picha, a meteorologist with the weather service’s office in Topeka.

In neighboring Miami County, two people reported minor injuries, several homes were destroyed and recreational vehicles and campers were overturned, according to the sheriff’s office. Power lines were de-energized in Hillsdale until cleanup could be safely completed, the sheriff’s office said.

Three tornadoes touched down in southern Minnesota, where some damage to farms was reported, according to Jake Beitlich, a meteorologist in the Twin Cities office. There were also reports of baseball-sized hail that caused damage to vehicles in the area, he said.

A tornado touched down near Gilman, a village of about 380 people in northwestern Wisconsin, said Jeff Boyne, a meteorologist in the National Weather Service’s La Crosse, Wisconsin, office, but he said the damage was minor. The weather service was still working to determine the tornado’s rating. The storms peeled the roof off a manufactured home in Steuben, a village of about 120 people in southwestern Wisconsin, he said, but there have been no reports of any injuries in the state.

A number of schools around the Madison area were forced to close Tuesday morning due to lack of power. More than 25,000 customers were without power in Wisconsin on Tuesday morning, according to poweroutage.us.

Forecasters warned of significant river and small stream flooding expected through the end of the week in the Upper Great Lakes with the heaviest rainfall expected overnight into Wednesday with scattered flash flooding.

In Michigan, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared a state of emergency Friday at the Cheboygan Lock and Dam Complex as record snowfall in March and the recent rain have elevated water levels. More pumps were being added to help push water toward Lake Huron on Monday. As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, the water level was 7.68 inches (19.5 centimeters) below the top of the structure, according to a state website.

The resolution to a months-long worry in western Pennsylvania about the paper's shutdown comes at a difficult moment for the American newspaper industry, which has shed jobs, resources and sometimes entire companies due to the upending of the traditional revenue model by the internet at the beginning of this century.

The Post-Gazette dates its ancestry to 1786, the first newspaper to open west of the Allegheny Mountains, and its closure would have left Pittsburgh as the nation’s largest community without a city-based paper.

"For us to be a vibrant, strong city, as we are, it’s imperative that we have a newspaper that demonstrates that,” said Jay Costa, the top-ranking Democrat in the Pennsylvania state Senate, whose district encompasses about half of Pittsburgh.

Operations to continue in Pittsburgh

The Post-Gazette's owners, Block Communications, said the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, which publishes the digital Baltimore Banner, had agreed to buy its assets. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The Post-Gazette said the new owners would continue to print the newspaper on two days, Thursday and Sunday, and would operate a website on the other days.

The newspaper had been due to close on May 3.

“We are committed to working with exceptional journalists, along with civic and business leaders across the region, to build a new future for local journalism in Western Pennsylvania,” said Bob Cohn, CEO of the Venetoulis Institute. “We are clear-eyed about the task ahead. We have learned in Maryland that this work takes time, discipline and investment.”

The institute, which opened the Banner in 2022, said it has appointed David Shribman, who was executive editor of the Post-Gazette from 2003 to 2019, to its board of directors.

The Post-Gazette won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in 2018 under Shribman, but it has been mired in labor strife in recent years.

Block Communications announced in January that it would shut down the newspaper, on the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear its appeal of a lawsuit regarding health benefits to formerly striking workers.

More hope, but more questions too

The Banner, despite being so young, has also won a Pulitzer Prize for its reporting. In a difficult time for the news business, the Banner has grown to have 79,500 paid subscribers.

“I'm more hopeful now for the future of the Post-Gazette than I was yesterday,” said Steve Mellon, a longtime photographer at the newspaper. Employees worried that the newspaper would be sold to a hedge fund known stripping assets of media companies, instead of a nonprofit committed to local journalism.

But he said there are still many questions, such as how many staff members will stay on with new ownership and how much Venetoulis would be willing to invest in a newspaper that has been losing money. Mellon and some other journalists at the newspaper have been exploring starting a co-op news website, and he's not sure what will happen with those plans.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, a newspaper based in a Pittsburgh suburb, had been planning to add staff in Pittsburgh and begin publishing a weekend city edition the week after the Post-Gazette was set to close. Its CEO, Jennifer Bertetto, said Tuesday that those plans would not change as a result of its rival's sale.

Andrew Conte, a journalism professor at Pittsburgh's Point Park University who's been active in encouraging small news organizations in the community, said the sale offers a challenge to people in the region: To what extent will they support local journalism? “It's really in their hands,” he said.

Sara Innamorato, the executive of Allegheny County, where Pittsburgh is located, called the paper a cornerstone of the region’s civic life for generations. Innamorato said in a written statement that the “transition to a nonprofit model represents an opportunity to strengthen independent, community-centered reporting and ensure residents continue to have access to the information they need to stay engaged and informed.”

She said a strong local news source is essential to a healthy democracy, “and that must include supporting the journalists and workers who make this work possible with good-paying, family-sustaining jobs.”

Both Block and Venetoulis described their deal as reflecting “a shared commitment to sustaining local journalism in Pittsburgh.”

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Associated Press journalists Mark Scolforo and Rebecca Boone contributed.

Sze, a highly regarded poet and translator, said in a statement Tuesday that he plans to travel the country with his project “Words Bridging Worlds,” which will include readings, discussions and workshops.

“I am excited to embark on taking my signature project, ‘Words Bridging Worlds,’ to multiple cities to celebrate poetry and poetry in translation, and where people can use the book to try translating poems from another language into English,” he said.

Sze, 75, began his first term as poet laureate last fall, during a time of upheaval at the library. President Donald Trump had fired Hayden a few months earlier, part of his battle against what he calls “woke” culture in government institutions. Trump has also pushed the Smithsonian Institution to avoid “divisive narratives,” and forced out the leadership at the Kennedy Center while adding his name to the center's building, leading many performers to call off planned appearances. The center will close for repairs this summer.

But since Hayden's departure, the Library of Congress has mostly remained out of the news and continued to hold traditional events such as the National Book Festival. The White House named then-Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as the acting librarian, but the library's announcements about each of Sze's appointments identify longtime library official Robert Randolph Newlen as acting librarian.

“Arthur Sze is opening the world of poetry by giving us a unique view of his process of writing and translating poetry — and challenging students and the public to try writing and translating poetry as well,” Newlen said in a statement Tuesday.

Laureates, who are expected to avoid political commentary, have a mission to "raise the national consciousness to a greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry,” according to the library's website. Sze's predecessors include Joy Harjo, Robert Pinsky and Billy Collins.

Sze's poetry collections include “Sight Lines,” winner of the National Book Award, and “Compass Rose,” a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. “Transient Worlds,” in which Sze highlights poetry in translation, was published Tuesday.

Chief Judge James Boasberg abused his discretion in forging ahead with criminal contempt proceedings stemming from the March 2025 deportation flights, according to the majority opinion by a three-judge panel from U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The ruling is the latest twist in a yearlong legal saga that has became a flashpoint in President Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign. The White House has portrayed Boasberg as a biased judge who overstepped his authority.

Trump’s administration has a “clear and indisputable” right to the termination of the contempt proceedings, Circuit Judge Neomi Rao wrote in the court’s majority opinion.

“The legal error at the heart of these criminal contempt proceedings demonstrates why further investigation by the district court is an abuse of discretion,” Rao wrote. “Criminal contempt is available only for the violation of an order that is clear and specific. (Boasberg's March 2025 order) did not clearly and specifically bar the government from transferring plaintiffs into Salvadoran custody.”

Lawyers for the deported migrants will ask the full circuit court to review the panel’s decision, according to plaintiffs' attorney Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union. Gelernt said the majority opinion is “a blow to the rule of law.”

“Our system is built on the executive branch, including the president, respecting court orders. In this case there is no longer any question that the Trump administration willfully violated the court’s order,” Gelernt said in a statement.

Rao was nominated by Trump, a Republican. Boasberg, chief judge of the district court in Washington, D.C., was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama.

On March 15, 2025, Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order barring the administration from transferring a group of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under an 18th century law. After the order was entered, two planeloads of migrants protected by the order departed from the U.S. on their way to El Salvador, where they were locked up in one of the world's most violent prisons. The administration said then- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was responsible for the transfer decision.

Boasberg has said the Trump administration may have acted in bad faith by trying to rush Venezuelan migrants out of the country in defiance of his order. He said he gave the administration “ample opportunity to rectify or explain their actions” but concluded that “none of their responses has been satisfactory.”

Last year, the Justice Department filed a misconduct complaint accusing Boasberg of making improper public comments about Trump and his administration. Trump has called for impeaching Boasberg. In a rare rebuke, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts publicly rejected calls for Boasberg's impeachment.

The case is assigned to Rao and Circuit Judges Justin Walker and J. Michelle Childs. Walker, also a Trump nominee, wrote a separate opinion concurring with Rao's. Childs, who was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden, dissented from the majority.

Childs said the court's majority has trampled on Boasberg's authority “in a way that will affect not only these contempt proceedings but will also echo in future proceedings against all litigants.”

“Now, any litigant can argue, based on their preferred interpretation of a court’s order, that they did not commit contempt before contempt findings are even made,” Childs wrote in her 80-page dissent.

The USSF said Crocker was leaving to pursue an unidentified international soccer opportunity, and a person familiar with the decision, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Crocker's new job was not announced, said he will work in Saudi Arabia. His hiring by Saudis was first reported by Fox.

Crocker's departure was a surprise, given the U.S. is co-host of the World Cup starting June 11 and the contract of men’s coach Mauricio Pochettino ends after the tournament. The USSF next month will open its 200-acre, 17-field training center and office complex in Fayetteville, Georgia, an Atlanta suburb.

Dan Helfrich, hired as the U.S. federation's chief operating officer in November, “will provide executive oversight and support across the federation’s sporting operations,” the USSF said in a statement. Helfrich will work with assistant sporting director Oguchi Onyewu — a former national team defender — and Tracey Kevins, head of development for the women’s youth national team.

Crocker, 51, was hired by the USSF in April 2023 after serving as Southampton's director of football since February 2020.

Crocker oversaw the decisions to rehire Gregg Berhalter as men's coach in June 2023, to fire Berhalter in July 2024 after first-round elimination at the Copa America and to hire Pochettino that September.

He also made the recommendation to hire Emma Hayes as women's national team coach starting in the spring of 2024. Hayes led the women's team to the Olympic gold medal.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

El primer juicio por la muerte del astro, iniciado en marzo de 2025, fue declarado nulo dos meses después al descubrirse la conducta indebida de la jueza Julieta Makintach —uno de los miembros del tribunal—, quien participaba clandestinamente en la realización de un documental sobre el proceso judicial. Makintach terminó siendo destituida como jueza.

Siete profesionales de la salud se sientan por segunda vez en el banquillo de los acusados señalados de tener algún grado de responsabilidad penal en el fallecimiento de Maradona por un ataque cardiaco el 25 de noviembre de 2020, mientras cumplía una internación domiciliaria en una casa situada en las afueras de Buenos Aires. Allí el exfutbolista, entonces de 60 años, intentaba recuperarse de una cirugía practicada dos semanas antes en una clínica para removerle un hematoma subdural.

En la exposición de los cargos el fiscal Patricio Ferrari dijo que, entre el 11 y 25 de noviembre de 2020, Maradona “que no se hallaba en pleno uso de sus facultades mentales”, fue derivado a una rehabilitación bajo “una internación domiciliaria, un sanatorio en la casa y eso es precisamente lo que no pasó”.

Ferrari sostuvo que en esa vivienda “un grupo de improvisados incumplieron todos los deberes a su cargo” como profesionales de la salud, incurrieron “en todo tipo de omisiones” y “abandonaron a su suerte a Diego Armando Maradona condenándolo a la muerte”.

“Diego Armando Maradona fue asesinado el 25 de noviembre de 2020 en una casa del barrio San Andrés, en Benavídez. Sí, asesinado”, afirmó por su lado Fernando Burlando, abogado de Dalma y Giannina Maradona —hijas mayores del exfutbolista y parte querellante—.

Los abogados defensores sostienen en tanto que el capitán de la selección que conquistó el Mundial de 1986 sufría de un cuadro clínico complejo y que no hubo delito alguno.

Expectativas

La audiencia que comenzó el martes en un tribunal de la localidad bonaerense de San Isidro estuvo rodeada de una gran atención mediática luego del escándalo en que quedó envuelta Makintach, quien integraba junto a otros dos magistrados el tribunal que estaba a cargo del proceso en 2025.

En esta ocasión, tres jueces distintos estarán a cargo del debate y llevarán a cabo dos audiencias por semana, por lo que se prevé que el proceso se prolongue varios meses.

Con rostros serios y expresiones que mostraban una gran tensión, familiares del exfutbolista se sentaron en los bancos más cercanos al estrado donde se encontraban los magistrados.

Algunos fanáticos de Maradona se apostaron en las inmediaciones de la sede judicial con banderas y carteles en apoyo a su ídolo.

Acusados e imputaciones

La fiscalía sostiene que durante la internación médica en la vivienda alquilada por Maradona los profesionales acusados no lo atendieron adecuadamente.

Entre los principales imputados están el neurocirujano Leopoldo Luque, la psiquiatra Agustina Cosachov y el psicólogo Carlos Díaz; además están siendo juzgados los médicos Nancy Forlini y Pedro Di Spagna; Mariano Perroni, representante de la empresa que ofrecía el servicio de enfermería, y el enfermero Ricardo Almirón. Todos ellos cumplieron algún papel en la internación domiciliaria del exfutbolista.

Están acusados de homicidio simple por dolo eventual, que es cuando el victimario sabe que su conducta puede ocasionar un daño, pese a lo cual continúa con la acción. Se castiga con una pena máxima de 25 años de prisión.

Vadim Mischanchuk, abogado de la psiquiatra imputada, hizo referencia a los problemas de adicción que tenía el exfutbolista y subrayó que no estaba considerado “incapaz”. “El encargado de la salud del señor Diego Maradona era el propio Diego Maradona, que tomaba decisiones y, en el marco de sus patologías ya conocidas, tomaba decisiones algunas correctas y otras incorrectas”.

Los defensores de Luque sostuvieron por su lado que la fiscalía es inconsistente y remarcaron que Maradona murió de un infarto, no de un cuadro de deterioro progresivo que se generó en sus últimos días de vida. Aseguraron que si el exfutbolista estuviera vivo pediría “que no condenen” al neurocirujano imputado.

The negligence case centers on seven medical professionals accused of failing to provide adequate care in the weeks leading up to Maradona’s death five years ago at a home outside Buenos Aires. Maradona, widely regarded as one of the greatest soccer players of all time, died at age 60 from cardiac arrest while recovering from a procedure to treat a blood clot on his brain.

The seven defendants are charged with culpable homicide, a crime similar to involuntary manslaughter, which alleges that the accused were aware that their reckless conduct posed a risk and failed to prevent it. If convicted, they face prison sentences ranging from eight to 25 years.

“Maradona was abandoned to his fate, condemned to death,” said Patricio Ferrari, one of the prosecutors. He added that with the evidence, the judges “will see that the defendants were a group of ill-prepared professionals” who “did nothing to prevent Maradona from dying.”

Among those on trial are physician Leopoldo Luque, Maradona’s personal doctor during the final years of his life, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and psychologist Carlos Díaz.

Defense attorneys argue that the captain of Argentina’s 1986 World Cup-winning team suffered from multiple serious medical conditions and that no crime was committed.

Maradona had suffered a series of medical problems, some because of an excess of drug and alcohol consumption. He was reportedly near death in 2000 and 2004.

"Beyond the factual, medical and scientific issues, there is also a matter arising from the autopsy. The defense will prove that, unfortunately, Mr. Maradona’s death was the result of a progressive deterioration of his health that at one point simply gave out,” said Vadim Mischanchuk, Cosachov's attorney.

Hearings will take place twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Slightly less than 100 witnesses are expected to testify, including family members, people close to the former player, medical professionals and police officers.

Judges Alberto Gaig, Alberto Ortolani and Pablo Rolón are expected to deliver a verdict in early June.

“Diego was murdered,” Fernando Burlando, attorney for Maradona's two eldest daughters and plaintiffs in the case, Dalma and Giannina, said on Tuesday. He added that the defendants “pushed him toward death” and that “Diego had thousands of chances to live.”

The initial trial ended in a mistrial last May after Julieta Makintach, one of the three judges overseeing the proceedings, stepped down following criticism over her participation in a documentary about the case.

Makintach withdrew after prosecutors presented footage showing her featured prominently in the documentary “Divine Justice,” which covered events from the aftermath of Maradona’s death, when allegations and suspicions of foul play first emerged, through the start of the trial.

“I present my resignation with serenity, without renouncing the right to exercise my defense in the appropriate arenas,” Makintach wrote in a letter sent to judicial authorities in June.

Maradona died on Nov. 25, 2020, weeks after undergoing surgery for a subdural hematoma. He had been admitted earlier that month to a clinic in La Plata, suffering from anemia and dehydration, before being transferred to Clinica Olivos, where he underwent the procedure. After being discharged on Nov. 11, he moved to a home outside Buenos Aires, where he remained under medical supervision.

A 20-member medical panel appointed to investigate Maradona’s death released a report in 2021, where they accused Maradona’s medical team of acting in an “inappropriate, deficient and reckless manner,” leaving him in agony and without help for more than 12 hours before his death.

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Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

It was Key's third straight winning season. Even so, the 9-4 finish felt incomplete after the program's first 8-0 start since 1966. The Yellow Jackets fell short of their goals of competing for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and playing in the College Football Playoff.

Key added 19 players through the transfer portal and has used spring practice to reload behind new offensive coordinator George Godsey and new defensive coordinator Jason Semore. Georgia Tech's spring game is scheduled for Saturday.

Georgia Tech fell out of the AP Top 25 by losing four of its last five games, including its last three to Pittsburgh, Georgia and BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Key still landed a new five-year contract. He then turned to the transfer portal to strengthen Georgia Tech's roster in hopes of a better finish in 2026.

One of Georgia Tech's most notable additions was Indiana backup quarterback Alberto Mendoza, who announced his transfer decision less than 24 hours after winning a national championship.

Mendoza could take over as the Yellow Jackets' starter after he backed up his older brother, Fernando Mendoza, who is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in next week's NFL draft. Georgia Tech is looking to replace dual-threat star Haynes King.

The younger Mendoza completed 18 of 24 passes for five touchdowns and an interception and ran for 190 yards and a touchdown as a redshirt freshman in 2025.

Mendoza is competing with Graham Knowles, Cole Bergeron, Grady Adamson and Ben Guthrie this spring.

“None of those guys have really played a lot of meaningful game reps,” Key said. “So it’s a developmental position for us right now. ... I think it’s a good room, but I think Alberto has a chance to be a good player for us this year. He’s also going to make mistakes. That’s why you have to be able to run the football. That’s where you have be able take pressure off of a quarterback.”

Former Alabama and Michigan running back Justice Haynes also could start in Georgia Tech's new-look offense under Godsey, the former Baltimore Ravens tight ends coach. Haynes said Godsey was a reason he chose Georgia Tech.

“I knew he was going to bring a pro style offense,” Haynes said of Godsey. “Him being in the league for so long and the pedigree that he has, and I know what coach Key’s about, just being an O-line guy. I know he’s going to want to run the ball, but I know he is going to want to be explosive in everything he does.”

Haynes' father is former Georgia and NFL running back Verron Haynes.

Key believes Georgia Tech needed more size and he added nine offensive and defensive linemen through the portal, including five listed at more than 300 pounds. There are three tight ends in the class of transfers, including Gabe Harris, who previously played at Michigan and New Mexico State.

Key did much of his portal shopping from the Southeastern Conference bin. He added former Alabama defensive end Noah Carter, former Auburn offensive lineman Favour Edwin, former Alabama offensive lineman Joseph Ionata and former Alabama cornerback and wide receiver Jaylen Mbakwe.

Key has led the Yellow Jackets to a 27-20 record in three-plus seasons, including eight games as interim head coach in 2022. He was named the permanent head coach for the 2023 season.

___

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La derechista Keiko Fujimori y el ultraconservador Rafael López Aliaga lideraban el martes el lento conteo al computarse el 75% de los sufragios.

Fujimori se mantenía primera con 16,88%, según el cómputo preliminar de la Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE), pero ese respaldo es insuficiente para asegurarle una victoria en primera vuelta para la que la ley exige el 50% más uno del total de los votos válidos.

López Aliaga, candidato del partido Renovación Popular y exalcalde de Lima, se ubicaba en segundo lugar con 12,81% de apoyo tras una campaña marcada por la alta dispersión del voto.

En un cercano tercer lugar estaba Jorge Nieto Montesinos con 11,87% y con chances matemáticas de ingresar a la segunda vuelta prevista para el 7 de junio.

La lentitud en el conteo, aunque mayor al promedio de los países de la región, también caracterizó a los últimos comicios presidenciales de Perú en 2021, cuando el 100% se alcanzó cinco días después de la votación.

El Tribunal Electoral ordenó el domingo continuar el lunes la votación para 52.561 personas que no habían podido sufragar porque las boletas no llegaron a una decena de colegios en Lima. El lunes también hubo votaciones en Orlando y Paterson, Estados Unidos.

Esta es la cuarta vez que busca la presidencia la candidata de Fuerza Popular e hija del fallecido expresidente Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000). Durante la campaña la dirigente política prometió combatir la delincuencia con las Fuerzas Armadas y construir nuevas cárceles.

Perú celebró los comicios en medio de una crisis política que ha provocado el desfile de ocho presidentes y tres Congresos en una década y un incremento de la delincuencia que los ciudadanos identifican como su mayor preocupación.

En el último quinquenio las denuncias por extorsión —un delito que ha provocado protestas y paralizaciones frecuentes del transporte público— se han quintuplicado, mientras los asesinatos se han duplicado, de acuerdo con datos oficiales.

Los peruanos también votaron para escoger a 130 diputados y 60 senadores de un Congreso bicameral en el que el Senado tiene amplios poderes.

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Its marine unit had just finished patrol when they said an unexpected “dock inspector” showed up -- a manatee!

Officers caught the manatee drinking fresh water flowing from the boat while crews waited for it to move along.

For safety reasons, police say they did not dock the boat until the manatee swam away.

The Florida manatee is a native species found in many waterways across the Sunshine State, and according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there are only 8,350 left.

The threatened species is “considered one of the state’s keystone species whose behavior can alert researchers to the environmental and habitat changes that may otherwise go unnoticed in Florida’s waterways for extended periods of time,” the FWC stated on its website.

To report a distressed or dead manatee, call the FWC at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922). Cellphone users may also call #FWC or *FWC.

Su unidad marina acababa de terminar una patrulla cuando, según dijeron, apareció un inesperado “inspector del muelle”: un manatí.

Los agentes captaron al manatí bebiendo agua dulce que fluía desde la embarcación mientras esperaban a que se alejara.

Por razones de seguridad, la policía indicó que no atracaron el bote hasta que el manatí se alejó nadando.

El manatí de Florida es una especie nativa que se encuentra en muchas vías acuáticas del estado y, según la Comisión de Conservación de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida (FWC), solo quedan 8,350.

La especie amenazada es “considerada una de las especies clave del estado cuyo comportamiento puede alertar a los investigadores sobre cambios ambientales y de hábitat que de otro modo podrían pasar desapercibidos en las vías acuáticas de Florida durante períodos prolongados”, indicó la FWC en su sitio web.

Para reportar un manatí en peligro o muerto, llame a la FWC al 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922). Los usuarios de teléfonos celulares también pueden llamar a #FWC o *FWC.

The 30-second message features a variety of voters, among them a busy farmer and a flight attendant, explaining why they cast their ballots by mail. Sponsored by the 200,000-member American Postal Workers Union, the advertising campaign announced Tuesday will begin airing this week in Ohio, where Union Army soldiers during the Civil War cast the first mail ballots in 1864. It will then move to other states.

The ad ends with the message: “Vote by mail — keep it, protect it, expand it.” It comes two weeks after Trump signed an executive order that seeks to create a nationwide list of verified eligible voters and subsequently bar postal workers from sending absentee ballots to those who are not on each state’s approved list.

The order was met swiftly with lawsuits and opposition from postal workers. The National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association said USPS is “not equipped or authorized to decide who is or is not entitled to vote” and pushing it into such a role “risks politicizing one of the nation’s most trusted public institutions.” The union also said it threatens confidence in the mail and in elections.

Messages were left seeking comment from the White House and the Postal Service.

Jonathan Smith, president of American Postal Workers, said his union's TV ad was produced before Trump's executive order was issued, not in response to it. An executive order on elections that Trump signed last year also targeted mail ballots by seeking to require they be returned by Election Day, even though more than a dozen states allow a grace period.

Smith said the union wants to encourage people to continue voting by mail. But he expressed concern about the potential ramifications of requiring postal workers to determine who should receive an absentee ballot and who should not.

“It is our position that it is not the job of the postal workers to verify voter eligibility," he said. "It is our job to move mail from one destination to the next. He added: “We do not want to be politicized.”

Trump's latest election executive order is already facing lawsuits by various groups, including Democrats in Washington who argue that the Constitution empowers states and Congress, not the president, to set election rules.

Trump, who as recently as last month voted by mail, has publicly bashed mail voting as a source of fraud and is pushing Congress to curtail it through sweeping legislation. Mail voting has existed for more than a century and had steadily been increasing in popularity in both Democratic- and Republican-led states until 2020, when Trump started to target the method, levying baseless claims of mass fraud. It has now becomes less popular among Republicans.

A report by the Brookings Institution published in 2025 found that cases of mail voting fraud occurred in only a tiny fraction of total mail ballots cast — about four cases out of every 10 million mail ballots.

The TV ad is intended to be a direct message to voters, not the president.

“Our message is to America: Vote by mail is efficient, it’s safe, and it’s successful. Period,” Smith said. “This is educating the American people that you can use vote by mail and you can be guaranteed that your voice will be heard and your vote will be counted.”

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A March 19 court filing states that Glidden, 52, and Hochstein, 43, are each facing one count of interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications.

A description of the charges states that between March 12 and March 31, 2023, the two “unlawfully and intentionally” intercepted, tried to intercept, or tried to have someone else intercept “oral statements by Leonard Hochstein and those Leonard Hochstein spoke with.”

Records show Glidden was taken into custody Saturday. He no longer appeared in the online jail database on Monday.

Leonard “Lenny” Hochstein, a prominent plastic surgeon in South Florida, is Lisa Hochstein’s ex-husband. They share two children.

According to a Page Six article from May 2023, Lenny Hochstein accused his ex-wife of planting a “listening device” on his car in an attempt to “monitor” his calls.

Lisa Hochstein denied the claims to Page Six.

Attorney Jayne Weintraub, Hochstein’s defense counsel, and attorneys Howard Srebnick and Frank Gaviria, Glidden’s defense counsel, released a joint statement to Local 10 News on Monday afternoon saying, “This matter is part of a contentious divorce proceeding and does not belong in criminal court.”

The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, meanwhile, told Local 10 News the warrant is currently under seal.

Un documento judicial del 19 de marzo indica que Glidden, de 52 años, y Hochstein, de 43, enfrentan cada uno un cargo por interceptación de comunicaciones telefónicas, orales o electrónicas.

La descripción de los cargos señala que entre el 12 y el 31 de marzo de 2023, ambos “de manera ilegal e intencional” interceptaron, intentaron interceptar o intentaron que otra persona interceptara “declaraciones orales de Leonard Hochstein y de las personas con las que Leonard Hochstein hablaba”.

Los registros muestran que Glidden fue detenido el sábado. Para el lunes, ya no aparecía en la base de datos en línea de la cárcel.

Leonard “Lenny” Hochstein, un reconocido cirujano plástico del sur de Florida, es el ex esposo de Lisa Hochstein. Ambos comparten dos hijos.

Según un artículo de Page Six de mayo de 2023, Lenny Hochstein acusó a su ex esposa de colocar un “dispositivo de escucha” en su vehículo en un intento de “monitorear” sus llamadas.

Lisa Hochstein negó las acusaciones a Page Six.

La abogada Jayne Weintraub, representante legal de Hochstein, y los abogados Howard Srebnick y Frank Gaviria, defensa de Glidden, emitieron una declaración conjunta a Local 10 News el lunes por la tarde en la que indicaron: “Este asunto es parte de un proceso de divorcio contencioso y no pertenece a un tribunal penal”.

Por su parte, la Oficina del Fiscal Estatal de Miami-Dade informó a Local 10 News que la orden judicial se encuentra actualmente bajo reserva.

“Este caso nos ha estado atormentando desde el año en que llegué”, dijo.

Fue el 6 de abril de 2024 cuando Onyxia Delinos, de 26 años, estaba trotando delante de su grupo cerca de Miramar Parkway y la avenida 184 del suroeste, cuando de repente fue atropellada por un vehículo cuyo conductor huyó de la escena.

Delinos sufrió una lesión grave en la cabeza que cambió su vida para siempre. Desde entonces requirió atención las 24 horas, pero la semana pasada falleció.

“Lo que aún no hemos recibido es esa llamada clave, esa llamada clave que nos va a ayudar”, dijo Moss.

La policía de Miramar indicó que continúa investigando activamente el caso y sigue varias pistas, pero lo que ha dificultado la investigación es que no hubo testigos ni cámaras de vigilancia en el área.

La policía dijo que tampoco han encontrado un vehículo con daños relacionados con el atropello.

“En este momento es difícil decir qué tan cerca estamos, porque no tenemos esa llamada clave”, dijo Moss. “Creo que cuando la tengamos, podremos decir: ‘Sí, esto es definitivamente’. Porque hemos tenido pistas en el pasado”.

El esposo de Delinos, Roosevelt, está devastado.

En un mensaje de texto a Local 10 News, escribió: “No tengo palabras para describir lo que siento. Perdí a mi esposa dos veces y la persona aún sigue ahí afuera”.

Las autoridades están ofreciendo una recompensa de $15,000 USD por información que conduzca a un arresto.

“Si tiene información, por favor, haga esa llamada”, dijo Moss.

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Cellphone video obtained by Local 10 News shows the panic and chaos after the shooting that occurred around 1:30 a.m. Sunday outside the Five Stars Banquet Hall in Sunrise.

Friends of the victim identified him as Kendrick English.

A candlelight vigil was held for English on Monday night.

Delarno Barrett, who said he’s known English for years, is heartbroken over his death.

“It’s unreal, I can’t believe (it). I’m dazed right now,” Barrett said.

According to Sunrise police, a birthday party was being held at the banquet hall along Oakland Park Boulevard at the time. English, who is a quadriplegic, was trying to get inside when he was met at the door by 26-year-old Francisco Navarro Sanchez, who was working as a security guard, authorities said.

An arrest form says English was denied entry and there was a verbal argument.

English left and returned for a second time, at which point investigators said English swore at him and Sanchez pulled out a gun and fired multiple rounds.

Witnesses said five shots were fired, according to authorities.

English died at an area hospital.

“He’s defenseless, he can’t harm nobody,” said Barrett.

Sanchez went before a Broward County judge on Monday, facing a murder charge.

English went through so much in life after overcoming odds following a football accident as a teenager.

Local 10 News first met English in 1995 following the accident that left him paralyzed. He played for Stranahan High School.

We caught up with him nine years later when he received a specially equipped van so that he could drive.

“I’ve been looking forward to having my own independence and being able to go from point A to point B alone,” he said at the time.

Those who knew and loved English are trying to make sense of this tragedy.

“How can we explain this? It hurts,” Barrett said.

Sanchez remains behind bars at the Broward County Main Jail after being denied bond.

Un video de celular obtenido por Local 10 News muestra el pánico y el caos tras la balacera que ocurrió alrededor de la 1:30 a.m. del domingo afuera del Five Stars Banquet Hall en Sunrise.

Amigos de la víctima lo identificaron como Kendrick English.

El lunes por la noche se realizó una vigilia con velas en honor a English.

Delarno Barrett, quien dijo conocer a English desde hace años, está devastado por su muerte.

“Es irreal, no lo puedo creer. Estoy aturdido en este momento”, dijo Barrett.

Según la policía de Sunrise, en ese momento se celebraba una fiesta de cumpleaños en el salón de eventos ubicado en Oakland Park Boulevard. English, quien es cuadripléjico, intentaba entrar cuando fue recibido en la puerta por Francisco Navarro Sanchez, de 26 años, quien trabajaba como guardia de seguridad, indicaron las autoridades.

Un informe de arresto indica que a English se le negó la entrada y hubo una discusión verbal.

English se fue y regresó por segunda vez, momento en el que, según los investigadores, insultó a Sanchez, quien sacó un arma y disparó múltiples veces.

Testigos dijeron que se realizaron cinco disparos, según las autoridades.

English murió en un hospital del área.

“Está indefenso, no puede hacerle daño a nadie”, dijo Barrett.

Sanchez compareció ante un juez del condado Broward el lunes, enfrentando un cargo de asesinato.

English pasó por mucho en la vida tras superar grandes dificultades luego de un accidente de fútbol cuando era adolescente.

Local 10 News conoció por primera vez a English en 1995 tras el accidente que lo dejó paralizado. Jugaba para Stranahan High School.

Nueve años después volvimos a verlo cuando recibió una camioneta especialmente adaptada para poder conducir.

“Había estado esperando tener mi propia independencia y poder ir del punto A al punto B por mi cuenta”, dijo en ese momento.

Quienes conocían y amaban a English intentan comprender esta tragedia.

“¿Cómo explicamos esto? Duele”, dijo Barrett.

Sanchez permanece detenido en la cárcel principal del condado Broward sin derecho a fianza.

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According to authorities, deputies responded to the scene of a traffic crash shortly before midnight in the area of Northwest 19^th Avenue and 77^th Street.

After arriving, deputies discovered that the victim had been stabbed at a nearby location before being struck by a vehicle.

Deputies said the driver remained at the scene.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel transported the victim to a local hospital. His condition has not been released.

Deputies said they did not immediately have a description of the person who stabbed the victim.

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

Según las autoridades, agentes respondieron a la escena de un accidente de tránsito poco antes de la medianoche en el área de la avenida 19 del noroeste y la calle 77.

Al llegar, los agentes descubrieron que la víctima había sido apuñalada en un lugar cercano antes de ser atropellada por un vehículo.

Los agentes indicaron que el conductor permaneció en la escena.

Personal de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trasladó a la víctima a un hospital local. Su condición no ha sido revelada.

Los agentes dijeron que no tenían de inmediato una descripción de la persona que apuñaló a la víctima.

Cualquier persona con información debe llamar a Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

Coel, taking a break from writing her upcoming BBC-HBO series “First Day on Earth” in Ghana, turned up at McKellen’s house in London to go over the script with him and screenwriter Ed Solomon.

“I walked into your house,” Coel recalls in an interview alongside McKellen. “I knew who you were. You were like, ‘Hello! What are you? What are you then?’”

“You looked interesting and beautiful,” says McKellen, smiling. “And you are.”

On-screen chemistry can be elusive, especially when two characters are intended to be diametric opposites. In “The Christophers,” McKellen stars as the artist Julian Sklar, a David Hockney-like star who hasn’t painted in years and now spends much of his days grousing in his disheveled townhouse while filming personalized videos that trade on his celebrity. Coel, the creative force behind “I May Destroy You,” plays Lori Butler, an art restorer hired to be Julian’s assistant with the tacit task, while she’s there, of forging additional paintings of “the Christophers,” Julian’s most famous and highly lucrative series.

The movie, crafty and charming, is almost entirely a two-hander. It belongs to McKellen and Coel and the charged interplay between them. They are bitter foes, scheming co-conspirators and fellow artists weighing the erratic value of their work.

As screen presences and cultural figures, McKellen, 86, and Coel, 38, could hardly be more different. McKellen, a titan of Shakespeare, Gandalf of the big screen, is more than twice the age of Coel, the multihyphenate whose autobiography-tinged work has made her a voice of a much different generation.

Yet in “The Christophers,” they make one of the more memorable on-screen pairs in years, matching McKellen's warm grandiosity with Coel's cool cunning. (The difference in cheekbones, alone, is vast.) And as they showed on a recent day in downtown New York, they are also now great chums. If “The Christophers” is about two artists from wildly different backgrounds finding an understanding, its stars have gone a few steps further.

“We’re a bit silly about each other,” grants McKellen.

“Yes, we are,” agrees Coel. “It’s morning kisses. It’s cuddles. It’s ‘Oh should we have a nap?’ We buddied up very much.”

Soderbergh on ‘where life starts’

Steven Soderbergh, the restless, mercurial director of “Out of Sight,” “Ocean’s Eleven” and “Black Bag,” has found himself increasingly focused, he says, on distilling something to its absolute essence. “The Christophers,” which Soderbergh kick-started by throwing a few ideas at Solomon, was conceived with an old-fashioned set up.

“Two people in a room together is where life starts,” says Soderbergh.

His guiding principle in shooting “The Christophers” was not to interfere with the magnetism of his lead performers. Soderbergh serves as his own cameraman, making him essentially the third player in every scene.

“There’s something about the two of them together that adds up to more than the two of them,” the director says. “My job was to be sure I’m in the right place, always, to capture it and not indulge in any kind of trickery that would distract or diminish what they’re doing. So you have to be secure in the material and the performers and not try to tart it up because you’re worried about boring people.”

While McKellen and Coel's differences might be glaring, the two quickly found common ground.

“Guess what we’ve got in common,” McKellen says. “We’re neighbors.”

Both McKellen and Coel live in East London, about a 15 minute walk from each other. McKellen remembers being curious about the nearby Catholic school Coel attended as a girl.

“I promise you I’ve longed to look inside there,” McKellen says. “I wonder who those kids are?”

“Maybe I’ve been on the bus when you’ve been walking past,” says Coel, smiling.

Unanswered questions

They are also both, in their own way, novices when it comes to film acting. Coel has only appeared in a handful of movies; her last one was “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” a big-budget experience she’s said she wasn’t ready for. McKellen, of course, has acted in many more films — among them “Gods and Monsters,” the “X-Men” films and “Mr. Holmes.” But he begins every movie by asking his directors how to act in front of a camera.

“And they’ve never given me an answer,” says McKellen. “Martin Mann, John Schlesinger, Bill Condon, Peter Jackson, now Soderbergh.”

Coel is confused. “Are you tricking them with this question?”

“No, it’s a genuine question,” McKellen replies. “There must be a technique for acting in front of the camera. All I know is what I’ve heard Michael Caine say in chat show interviews.”

Caine’s advice was technical; in close-up, talk to the eye closer to the camera. And Kenneth Branagh once gave him a note: “Don’t move your head so much.” But as an actor most home on the stage, the camera remains mystifying to McKellen.

“Having done so much theater where the audience is present, you can hear the audience. You can detect when they’re bored, when they’re excited,” McKellen says. “You’re controlling them in a sense. You’re the master of ceremonies. They’re there. Making a film, they’re not there. The real audience doesn’t get there until the actors have gone on to the next job or died.”

Coel offers that she was once told not to blink.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?” McKellen says with mock offense.

‘The cheekiest artistry’

The life of an artist — the craft, the compensation, the legacy — is at the forefront of “The Christophers.” Julian, nearing the end of his life, is pondering what he’s leaving behind. The subject of the Christophers paintings relates to a long-ago relationship that prompts Julian to remark: “That’s the thing, isn’t it? To linger in the minds of others.” For a performer whose presence has loomed so large for so many, it’s a poignant line.

“It’s been the greatest delight of my life to know that there are people in whose minds my work has lingered,” says McKellen. “Sometimes at the stage door you’ll meet a couple of my age and they’ll say, ’We just wanted to let you know we had our first date when we saw you play Romeo at Stratford in 1976. And I said, ‘Are you still together?’ ‘Yes.’ (McKellen sighs with great relief.) But to be part of people’s lives who you’ve never met, what a feeling.”

Coel is at a different point in her career, still awakening to the thrill of acting. She loves it, she says. “This is the cheekiest artistry,” Coel says, grinning.

McKellen leans back and reconsiders.

“I just had a thought that you’d be very good at playing Julian Sklar, my part in the film. And I’d have a crack at playing your part.”

Coel laughs. “I love that. Swap? Well it kind of happens in a way, doesn’t it?

“It does, actually,” McKellen agrees. “They do overlap.”

“How fab,” says Coel.

Officials with the district said that the lockdown at Parkway Middle School, located at 3600 NW Fifth Court in Lauderhill, was the result of a weapon on campus.

Police said it appears to be the result of an accidental activation of a safety alert.

Some of the confusion can possibly be blamed on the type of weapon. Students told Local 10 News that it involved a BB gun.

Some students initially thought it was a drill.

“It was on lockdown for like the whole first period,” one student said.

But the seriousness of the situation became evident as the day went on.

Broward County Public Schools confirmed that a tip from a student and parent led to a potentially dangerous discovery.

Interim Principal Ackimo Charles said in a message to parents, in part, “We received information from a student and parent about a possible weapon on campus. We immediately placed our school on Lockdown and notified our School Resource Officer and security team, who safely handled the situation and confiscated the weapon.”

“He told me he was going to bring it to school, but I told him not to do it, but he still went ahead,” another student said. “And one of my other friends told him not to do it.”

After police got involved, the lockdown was lifted and school operations continued as normal.

Charles praised the student and parent who actually stepped in to say something, saying that the idea of “see something, say something” worked in this particular situation.

The center of the Super Typhoon Sinlaku pounded the Northern Mariana Islands early Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

It's the strongest tropical typhoon on Earth so far this year and was packing sustained winds of up to 150 mph (240 kph) that were likely to bring widespread power outages to the islands, home to roughly 50,000 people.

Some areas already were seeing extensive flooding.

“It’s hitting us hard,” Mayor Ramon “RB” Jose Blas Camacho of Saipan, told The Associated Press late Tuesday. “It’s so difficult for us to respond with this heavy rain, heavy wind to rescue people. Objects are just flying left and right.”

Camacho said some people have been rescued. He said trees were thrown about and wooden and tin structures had collapsed. He said he hoped the glass door to his office doesn't break.

“It’s already bending. That’s how powerful this is,” he said.

Farther south, in Guam, a U.S. territory with several U.S. military installations and about 170,000 residents, tropical force winds and torrential rainfall were leading to flash flooding, the weather service said.

The monster storm slowed to a crawl as it approached the islands, raising fears that the fierce winds won’t go away quickly and worsen its impact.

“This is not going to be an easy night for anyone across Tinian or Saipan. This is going to be a loud night,” said Landon Aydlett, a meteorologist with the weather service. Many “will wake up to a different island,” he said during a Facebook video broadcast.

Saipan is the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands. The worst of the storm was hitting hit during darkness and was expected to last for hours until at least daybreak Wednesday, the weather service said.

Camacho was concerned about the slow speed of the storm.

“That’s the scary part, ” He said, saying “it's better to speed up so it can just exit.”

About 50,000 people live on the Northern Mariana Islands, with most on Saipan, known for its laid-back resorts, snorkeling and golf as well as the capital.

While it’s expected to weaken slightly over the next few days, Sinlaku was crossing the islands as a Category 4 typhoon.

In Guam, where Typhoon Mawar knocked out power for days in 2023, U.S. military officials warned personnel to shelter in place. The military controls about one-third of the land on the island, a critical hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific.

Before turning toward Guam and the Northern Marianas, the storm left significant damage to the outer islands and atolls of Chuuk in the Federated States of Micronesia, Aydlett said from his weather service station on Guam.

Glen Hunter, who grew up on Saipan, has weathered numerous typhoons.

“We sit in what they call ‘Typhoon Alley,’” he said early Tuesday after waking up to strong gusts and seeing downed trees.

For the most part, residents live in sturdy, fully concrete homes and those in substandard wooden houses with tin roofs tend to stay with family or in government shelters, he said.

Tourism-dependent Saipan — the site of one of World War II’s bloodiest battles in the Pacific — was still recovering from 2018's Super Typhoon Yutu when the coronavirus pandemic hit in 2020, he said. The economy has yet to rebound, Hunter said.

President Donald Trump has approved emergency disaster declarations for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, allowing for additional help with emergency services.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it was coordinating support across multiple agencies, dispatching nearly 100 FEMA staff as well as other personnel.

A super typhoon is a name given to the strongest tropical cyclones. Monitored by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center in Guam, super typhoons are the equivalent of Category 4 or 5 hurricanes in the Atlantic, with winds of at least 150 mph (240 kph). There have been more than 300 super typhoons identified over the past 80 years.

Typhoons and super typhoons are “very common” in the Pacific, but the peak season is similar to the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from summer to fall, said Jason Nicholls, AccuWeather’s lead international forecaster.

“As we’ve seen this year, you can get tropical systems in the West Pacific any time of year,” Nicholls said. “But getting them in April is a little unusual.”

___

Associated Press reporters Gabriela Aoun Angueira in San Diego; Jennifer Sinco Kelleher in Honolulu and Seth Borenstein in Washington contributed to this report.

"A lot,” the coach said.

After a 6-21 start, the Clippers have scrapped their way into the play-in tournament. They finished 42-40, extending their NBA-best active streak of consecutive winning seasons to 15. They're the first team in league history to be 15 or more games under .500 and still end with a winning record.

“Usually a team deals with adversity maybe once or twice throughout a season,” Lue said, “but not five or six times.”

The Clippers host Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in a play-in game Wednesday night. The winner moves on to an elimination game Friday. The loser goes home for the summer.

“Pretty remarkable turnaround,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “I know Ty well. One of his strengths is just staying the course and really keeping the guys on an even keel, and that’s not easy to do when you’re 6-21.”

The Clippers' woes weren't just on the court.

Kawhi Leonard and the team remain the subject of a league investigation that began last September into whether the Clippers circumvented the NBA's salary cap to pay Leonard as part of an endorsement deal with a now-bankrupt sponsor. There's no timetable for the outside law firm looking into the matter to wrap up.

The Clippers have said they welcome the investigation and have denied any wrongdoing.

“It doesn’t impact anything we do on a daily basis,” Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said in February. “We know it’s out there, we know at some point there’ll be a decision made.”

The starting lineup took a blow in the early weeks of the season when Bradley Beal suffered a season-ending fracture that required surgery.

After warmly welcoming Chris Paul back to the franchise last fall, the team banished him in December.

He was sent home from a road trip in a sudden move. The 40-year-old future Hall of Fame point guard had aimed to retire with the Clippers after his 21st NBA season.

Then came the February trade deadline, and the Clippers shed their label as the league's oldest team by trading away 36-year-old James Harden and longtime fan favorite Ivica Zubac.

At times, it seemed the upheaval would overshadow their hosting of All-Star weekend at their 2-year-old arena.

Lue credited his players' resiliency for their ability to withstand a roller-coaster season.

“To not give up, not give in, it just shows a lot about the guys in the locker room that care to what they bring every single day,” he said.

Kerr compared the Clippers’ resurgence to the 1977-78 Seattle SuperSonics, who began with a dismal 5-17 mark that got their coach fired and under new coach Lenny Wilkens finished 47-35. They reached the NBA Finals that season before winning the franchise’s only championship the following year.

No one is predicting that kind of playoff run for the Clippers, but they've already survived an improbable set of circumstances.

“We always knew we were a better team that what we were showing,” veteran Brook Lopez said, “but to go out there and prove it, it’s a nice little honor.”

___

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

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin defended his coalition government by saying it had acted to end the “destructive blockade which threatened to cause much deeper damage."

The 92-78 vote in support of the government preserved his leadership. If the confidence vote failed, his government would have been forced to resign and Parliament would have either elected a new prime minister or called a general election.

Protests began April 7 with slow-moving convoys clogging roadways. They grew as word spread on social media as truckers, farmers and taxi and bus operators blocked key infrastructure and the main thoroughfare in the capital, Dublin.

Demonstrators called for price caps or tax cuts to alleviate soaring fuel costs they said would drive people out of business.

After the vote, a crowd of protesters gathered outside the Dáil, the parliament building in Dublin, chanted “sell out” and “get them out.”

Opposition politicians blasted Martin for failing to respond sooner to the protests, criticized the aid package he offered as insufficient and said the government was failing to tackle the broader cost-of-living crisis in Ireland.

Sinn Fein Leader Mary Lou McDonald said it was brazen of the coalition to bring the confidence vote after abandoning struggling, hardworking people.

“Beyond your bubble people see a government out of touch,” McDonald said. “It is your own arrogance, your lack of judgment, your lack of any empathy that has left people with no conclusion other than this: Your time is up.”

Social Democrats, Labour, People Before Profit, Aontu, The Green Party and Independent Ireland supported the vote against the government.

The protests reflect the deep concern voters around the world have about living expenses since the inflation spikes that followed the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war in Iran has exacerbated fears after gas and diesel prices have risen steeply.

Cost of living was the top issue for Irish voters in 2024 that put Martin and Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris back into a power-sharing government shored up with help of several independents.

Martin defended the tax cuts the government was offering as the largest in Europe to help cope with fuel prices that have soared after the U.S.-Israel war on Iran led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital channel for the world’s oil.

“The basic core claim that we are doing nothing and are falling behind other countries is simply untrue,” Martin said.

Martin led a motion to support his coalition made up mainly of the center-right Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parties ahead of a no-confidence vote brought by Sinn Fein, the largest opposition party.

One of Martin's junior ministers, Michael Healy-Rae, an independent from Kerry, surprised his peers by saying he would vote against the government and resign because it had let down the people.

“I’ve always looked at myself as a gauge of the people of rural Ireland," he said. “When I met tractor men, lorry men, farmers and when they were telling me how unhappy they were, the leader of the country should have listened.”

Martin said the government can learn from the protests, but defended the response by police and military to clear roadblocks at the country's sole oil refinery at Whitegate in County Cork and at several depots. They caused more than a third of gas pumps to run dry.

“We had to clear Whitegate and the ports because we export about 90% of everything we make in this country,” Martin said. “The ports are the lifeblood of economy, and if the ports were blockaded for any length of time, people would have lost jobs, part-time production would have ceased, and it would have been very, very serious."

The demonstrations were tolerated until the weekend, when police used pepper spray in clashes with some protesters and an army truck knocked down a log barricade at the Galway port. Some protesters said they achieved their goal in getting the government to compromise.

Lawmakers were also scheduled to vote Tuesday on the fuel support package amounting to 505 million euros ($595 million) that Martin said will ease some cost-of-living pressures.

The package would include direct payments to truckers and school bus operators and fuel subsidies for agricultural and fishing industries. The relief measure would follow a 250 million euro tax break approved three weeks ago.

Electoral authorities continued the count for a third straight day after the failure to deliver ballots to voting centers forced authorities to extend voting into Monday.

With 75% of ballots tallied, official results on Tuesday showed Keiko Fujimori, the conservative daughter of a disgraced former president, leading the count with 16.8% of support, while Rafael López Aliaga, the ultraconservative former mayor of Peru’s capital, Lima, earned 12.8%.

Jorge Nieto Montesinos held a close third place with 11.87% of the vote, maintaining a narrow mathematical chance of reaching the June 7 runoff.

The sluggish pace of the count mirrored Peru’s 2021 presidential election, a contest where final tallies weren't completed until five days after the polls closed.

A presidential candidate needs more than 50% of votes to win outright. The two candidates with the most votes will advance to the runoff. The winner will be Peru’s ninth president in just 10 years.

The election has been mired with logistical issues that left thousands of people in the country and abroad unable to cast ballots. That prompted authorities to allow more than 52,000 residents of Lima to vote on Monday. The extension, announced after vote counting had begun Sunday evening, also covered Peruvians registered to vote in Orlando, Florida, and Paterson, New Jersey.

“I’m fed up,” Iris Valle, 56, said as she waited to vote Monday at a public school in Lima. She feared that her employer would cut her pay for not showing up early, because she had to meet her voting obligation.

Voting is mandatory for Peruvians from the ages of 18 to 70. Failure to do so comes with a fine of up to $32.

The election took place amid a surge in violent crime and corruption that has fueled widespread discontent among voters, who largely view candidates as dishonest and unprepared for the presidency.

Peru’s economy, however, has defied both the crime surge and the political instability stemming from a revolving door of presidents, having had three since October alone. Aided by its status as one of the world’s largest copper producers, the country posted more than 3% growth in 2024 and 2025. Though that’s lower than the 5%-6% annual growth it saw in the 2000s.

Will Freeman, a fellow for Latin American Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, explained that the independence of the country’s central bank has also contributed to economic growth.

“Although Peru has had all these presidents, it has had only one central bank president since the mid-2000s, Julio Velarde,” Freeman said. “He’s been a real source of stability and given investors some confidence that there is an institutional core that remains from one presidency to the next in Peru.”

Still, Freeman warned, Peru can't afford to be complacent as current growth is lower than the 5%-6% annual rates the country saw in the 2000s and recent congressional decisions point to “a more conservative economic populism.”

In her fourth bid for the presidency, Fujimori has promised to crack down on crime with an iron fist, but she has also defended laws that experts say make it difficult to prosecute criminals. The laws, which her party backed in recent years, eliminated preliminary detention in certain cases and raised the threshold for seizing criminal assets.

If elected, she has said that judges presiding over criminal cases will be anonymous and prisoners will have to work to earn their food.

Meanwhile, López Aliaga has proposed building prisons in the country’s Amazon region, allowing judges to conceal their identities and expelling foreigners who are living illegally in Peru.

Voters were also asked to choose the members of a bicameral Congress for the first time in more than 30 years, following recent legislative reforms that concentrate significant power in the new upper chamber.

___

Regina Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela.

___

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it hits consumers — rose 0.5% from February and 4% from March 2025. The year-over-year gains was the biggest in more than three years. Energy prices surged 8.5% from February.

Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core producer prices rose a modest 0.1% from February and 3.8% from a year earlier. The gains in wholesale prices were smaller than economists had forecast.

The surge in prices complicates the work of the inflation fighters at the Federal Reserve, who have faced intense pressure from President Donald Trump to lower their benchmark interest rate. But some Fed policymakers are inclined to raise rates instead, as higher energy costs increase the inflation threat.

Food prices, which will most certainly be front and center in next year's midterm elections, fell by 0.3% in March after surging by 2.4% in the previous month.

Wholesale prices can offer an early look at where consumer inflation might be headed. Economists also watch it because some of its components, notably measures of health care and financial services, flow into the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge — the personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, price index.

The most recent peek at inflation in the U.S. validates a recent shift by the U.S. Federal Reserve to intensify its focus on rising costs, wrote Carl Weinberg, the chief economist at High Frequency Economics.

“The decline in food prices is overdue, and welcome news for everyone,” Weinberg said Tuesday. “Food price increases are at the core of political arguments over affordability.”

The Labor Department reported last week that soaring gasoline prices pushed consumer prices up 3.3% last month from a year earlier, the biggest year-over-year increase since May 2024. Compared to February, March consumer prices jumped 0.9%, biggest gain in nearly four years.

The war in Iran and soaring energy prices will lead to an annual decline in oil demand for the first time since the pandemic, when billions of people were trying to live in isolation, according to a forecast Tuesday by the International Energy Agency.

The agency, formed after the 1974 oil crisis, said that oil demand is expected to decrease by an average of 80,000 barrels a day this year, a sharp revision from the increase of 850,000 barrels a day that it had forecast before the war began.

The drop-off in March was particularly severe because of attacks on energy infrastructure and the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the IEA, which expects a decline in demand of 1.5 million barrels in the current quarter.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters Tuesday that “a small bit of economic pain for a few weeks is worth taking off the incalculable tail risk of the either a nuclear Iran or a nuclear Iran that uses that weapon.”

“So the conflict will end, prices will come down, and then headline inflation will come down, and with that, gasoline prices will come down," Bessent said. "We’ve seen them edging back down in the past 10 days.”

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. has declined about 3 cents in that time span but it remains well above $4 per gallon, and costs about 30% more per gallon than it did at this time last year.

And there is no definitive end date for the conflict. Washington enacted its blockade of Iranian ports this week while Tehran threatened to strike targets across the region. Diplomats on Tuesday continued attempts to arrange a new round of peace talks between the United States and Iran.

_____

AP Reporters Michelle Chapman in New York City, and Fatima Hussein, in Washington, contributed to this report.

The campaign of attacks on vessels that the Trump administration says are trafficking drugs in Latin American waters has persisted for more than seven months and continues even as the military has been preoccupied for more than six weeks with the Iran war.

It was the second day in a row that U.S. Southern Command announced a strike on social media. It said Sunday that it blew up two boats in the eastern Pacific on Saturday, killing a total of five people and leaving one survivor. It was not immediately clear what happened to that person.

With the latest attack Monday, at least 170 people have been killed in the boat strikes since the effort began in early September, months ahead of the U.S. raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.

U.S. Southern Command repeated previous statements by saying it had targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. It posted a video on X showing a small boat floating in the water before a huge blast hits it and smoke is seen pouring from the vessel.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

Trump on Monday appeared to reference the tactic of boat strikes in Latin America while issuing new threats against Tehran as a blockade of Iranian ports took effect.

“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“For all those who crave a good page turner, this is one wild ride of a story that carries equal parts wit and wisdom,” Winfrey said in a statement Tuesday. “I learned so much about Stoicism — I laughed out loud for real. And underneath the humor there was always something tender … a quiet truth about relationships, identity, and what it means to find peace with yourself.”

Semple, whose new book was published this week, is best known for such bestsellers as “Today Will Be Different” and “Where’d You Go, Bernadette.” Her interview with Winfrey was taped for the “Oprah Book Club Podcast,” which can be seen through Winfrey's YouTube channel.

“To authors, ‘to get the call’ means one thing: Oprah has phoned out of the blue and made you a book club pick,” Semple said in a statement. “Truth is, I should have been prepared, considering the countless hours I’d spent in fantasyland imagining it happening to me … before scolding myself that it was an honor bestowed on other, more serious writers. When, while tidying the kitchen, I heard her voice for the first time, I hit the ceiling in bewildered, grateful, joy. I’m still there.”

The approach sharply differs from much of Europe’s prevailing attitudes on immigration in which governments are trying to reduce the number of arrivals and step up deportations, and contrasts with the harsh immigration policies of the Trump administration.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez hailed the measure as “an act of justice and a necessity." He reiterated his government's position that people who already live and work in the country of 50 million people should “do so under equal conditions” and pay taxes.

“We recognize rights, but we also demand obligations,” Sánchez wrote on social media.

The government estimates that half a million people living in the shadows of Spanish society could be eligible to apply; analysts say the number is likely higher. Spanish think tank Funcas estimates there are roughly 840,000 migrants living in Spain without authorization.

Spain's population has risen sharply in recent years to include around 10 million people who were born outside the country, or one in every five residents. Many are from Colombia, Venezuela and Morocco.

Immigrants from Latin America and African countries work in key sectors including agriculture, tourism and the service sector.

Those who meet certain conditions can now apply for a one-year residency and work permit, Migration Minister Elma Saiz said, adding that migrants could begin applying in person on April 20 and online on Thursday. The window to apply will close June 30.

Immigrants must have arrived in Spain before Jan. 1 and must prove that they have been living in the country for at least five months. That can be done by presenting “public or private” documents, Saiz said. Applicants must also show that they have no criminal record, the government said.

After a year, the migrants will be eligible to apply for other work or residency permits.

Major questions remain about how Spain's government will handle the expected amount of paperwork within the short timeframe.

A Spanish union representing immigration officers demanded more resources on Tuesday, warning that the government is not prepared to meet the challenge.

Migrants will be able to apply in-person in 60 social security offices, 371 post offices and five immigration offices across Spain, the government said.

It's not the first time that Spain granted amnesty to immigrants who are in the country illegally. It did so six times between 1986 and 2005, including under conservative governments.

Spain's opposition Popular Party slammed the measure, with party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo calling it unsafe and unsustainable. His center-right party carried out two previous mass legalizations of migrants in the early 2000s.

The Sánchez government's measure was fast-tracked via a decree that amends immigration laws. By doing it that way, the government was able to bypass parliament, where it lacks a majority and where a previous amnesty attempt stalled.

Saiz lauded the measure as a way that Spain, which has been among the fastest-growing European Union economies for two years, can continue to expand.

“Our prosperity is demonstrably linked to our management of migration and the contributions of foreign workers,” she said. “Their contribution allows us to grow economically, generate employment and wealth, and maintain our welfare system.

But three months later, the entire Harris family was absolutely devastated when their brand new family member took a terrible turn.

“He was drooling at the mouth, bubbling at the mouth. It was just heartbreaking, it was horrifying,” said Scott Harris.

The family’s Siberian husky named Bodhi had gotten into a case of rat poison.

They immediately called poison control.

“We explained to the woman what had happened and she said, ‘Yeah, that’s a 15-pack package,’” said Harris. “So I had found three of the disks, thrown them away. Apparently he had eaten 12.”

One disk has enough toxin to kill a 25-pound puppy like Bodhi.

“This is bromethalin, there’s no cure for it,” said Harris. “It’s a poison that creates inflammation in the brain and the brain swells -- neurological damage that it creates -- and she said, ‘There’s no cure.’”

Unlike rodenticide that does have a cure, this dose of deadly toxins is expected to be terminal.

“It’s absolute death,” said Harris. “This dog is exhibiting the symptoms. He has so much poison in his system, there’s no way. Anything we do now is just going to be torturing him.”

After following their veterinarian’s orders, they fed Bodhi more than 100 active charcoal tablets, but the poison was still causing seizures and symptoms of neurological damage.

So they made the painful decision to euthanize their 4-month-old puppy.

“I was convinced that this was just a downhill slope and anything we did beyond euthanizing was just inhumane, was going to be torturing the poor puppy,” said Harris.

But behind the scenes, a rescue group was ready to take a chance on the beautiful blue-eyed baby.

Rebecca Landerman, with Rescue Dog Network, thought there was a fighting chance, so she lined up a foster family.

“The first night he came he was definitely not great,” said foster parent Martine Lebel. “He was not doing well, he had a hard time keeping his eyes open, he just kept falling on the side.”

Bodhi was sent to the ICU for 36 hours to receive fluids and a drug to reduce the swelling of his brain.

And then he had an unbelievable bounce back.

Bodhi was happy, healthy and healed!

“As a dog owner, to have your dog brought back from the dead, because they thought their dog was dead,” said Landerman.

That led to an emotional family reunion.

Nobody could comprehend how the dog that had eaten enough poison to kill a human somehow had survived.

“I still don’t know what to think,” said Harris. “I’m ready to change his name to Ghost, and the crazy thing is it all happened around Easter, so we’re like, this dog is being reborn.”

Hialeah police arrested Tanaijah Leanna Mason, 18, of West Park, for crimes that occurred back in March.

According to police, Mason was with two other women on March 5 inside the Sedanos supermarket located at 3950 W. 12th Ave. when they took approximately $1,500 worth of baby formula without paying.

Authorities said on the same day, Mason tried stealing another $1,500 worth of formula from a Publix in Hialeah, but when the women were stopped, they took off.

Four days later, police in North Miami Beach said a group of four women pulled off a similar crime at a Target located at 14705 Biscayne Boulevard.

On Friday, police said Mason was discovered to already be in custody “for arrests matching this exact same MO throughout Miami-Dade County” and that “similar cases involving the same group of females has also been reported in Broward County,” according to an arrest form.

An additional case out of Miramar is under investigation, but police cannot confirm if the crimes were committed by the same group.

Wang Hao, Tesla's vice president, said the Shanghai facilities, like other Tesla factories, will contribute after the company enters an era of robots.

Wang, who also serves as president of Tesla China, told reporters on a government-organized tour of one of its Shanghai factories that CEO Elon Musk once noted having production at scale is a critical challenge in manufacturing humanoid robots.

Wang said he believes the Shanghai manufacturing arm “is a golden key to solving this challenge," but did not specify how the operation will support the company's robotic business.

Musk has urged investors to focus less on car sales and more on what he considers a bright artificial intelligence future of robotaxis ferrying millions in cars without drivers, or even steering wheels, and robots watering plants and taking care of elderly parents.

Musk earlier underlined that shift by announcing Tesla had decided to end production of two older car models, S and X, in the second quarter and convert a Fremont, California, factory to instead produce its Optimus robots.

London-based technology research and advisory group Omdia said Tesla shipped fewer than 500 general-purpose embodied, intelligent robots in 2025. Still, the company is among the vendors that showcased industry-leading advancements in AI capabilities, its report said.

Tesla entered the mainland Chinese market in 2013 and the factory Wang spoke at delivered the company's first made-in-China vehicles in late 2019. The factory delivered 851,000 electric vehicles in 2025, accounting for more than half of Tesla's total global deliveries that year.

A separate factory began production in Shanghai in 2025, marking the firm's launch of commercial energy storage manufacturing in China.

___

Leung reported from Hong Kong. Video producer Olivia Zhang contributed to this report.

In fact, a new Fox News poll indicates people are more upset about taxes than they were last year. The findings from the survey, which was conducted in late March, are another sign that Americans are on edge about their personal finances as the U.S. experiences a spike in inflation and sluggish economic growth. Other polling finds that frustration goes beyond personal tax obligations, with many believing that wealthy people and corporations are not paying their fair share, while others worry about government waste.

The surveys come after Trump and Republicans passed a massive tax and spending cut bill last year. The legislation enacted a range of tax breaks, including a boosted child tax credit and new tax deductions for tips and overtime. Tax refunds are up this season, and many households are expected to see more income from the Republicans' tax legislation, but the Congressional Budget Office estimated it will ultimately give the largest benefits to the richest Americans.

Republicans have touted the law as evidence that they are making life more affordable for working families. But polling shows that many Americans may not be feeling the benefits, especially as their tax refunds get eaten up by higher prices.

Most say taxes are too high

About 7 in 10 registered voters say the taxes they pay are “too high,” according to the Fox News poll. That’s up from about 6 in 10 last year. The poll shows heightened concern among very liberal voters and Democratic men, but there has also been a sizable increase among groups that Republicans want to court ahead of the midterm elections, such as moderates, rural voters and white voters without a college degree.

Discontent about taxes has been rising for the past few years. Recent polling from Gallup, conducted in March, found about 6 in 10 U.S. adults say the amount of federal income tax they have to pay is “too high,” a finding that’s been largely consistent in the annual poll since 2023. That’s approaching the level of unhappiness found in Gallup’s polling from the 1980s through the 1990s, before President George W. Bush's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.

Now, about half of Democrats and about 6 in 10 Republicans say their federal income taxes are too high. Republicans tend to view their tax bill more negatively than Democrats, but Gallup’s polling shows that this gap often shrinks when a Republican is president.

Many believe the rich aren’t paying enough in taxes

Most Americans are troubled by the belief that some wealthy people and corporations don’t pay their fair share of taxes, according to a Pew Research Center poll conducted in January. About 6 in 10 Americans said each of those notions bothers them “a lot,” a measure that is largely unchanged in recent years.

By contrast, only about 4 in 10 U.S. adults in that poll said the amount they personally pay in taxes bothers them a lot.

About 8 in 10 Democrats are bothered “a lot” by the feeling that some corporations and rich people aren’t paying their fair share, the Pew survey found, compared to about 4 in 10 Republicans. Government spending is a bigger issue for Republicans, according to the Fox News poll, which found that 75% of registered voters — and a similar share of Republican voters — say “almost all” or “a great deal” of government funding is wasteful and inefficient.

That points to a perception problem for many Americans. Even if their own tax bill is manageable, the idea that the wealthy are underpaying — or that the government is wasting their dollars — bothers many. About half of Americans, 49%, in the Gallup poll say the income tax they will pay this year is “not fair,” which is in line with the record high from 2023.

Broad unhappiness with Trump’s tax approach

Americans’ tax frustration was rising before Trump re-entered the White House, but it’s still a problem for the president's party — especially if Americans are not feeling the relief that he promised.

The Fox News poll found that about 6 in 10 registered voters, 64%, say they disapprove of how Trump is handling taxes, up from 53% last April. Disapproval has risen most sharply among independents, but also among Democrats and Republicans.

This aligns with a broader feeling that Trump isn’t doing enough to address inflation. Most Americans said Trump had hurt the cost of living “a lot” or “a little” in his second term, according to an AP-NORC poll conducted in January. Roughly 9 in 10 Democrats and about 6 in 10 independents said Trump has had a negative impact on the cost of living.

——-

This story has been updated to correct that less than half of Republicans, 43%, said Trump has helped the cost of living, while 33% said he hasn't made a difference and only 23% said he has hurt it.

___

The Fox News poll was conducted among 1,001 registered voters from March 20-23. The Gallup poll was conducted among 1,000 U.S. adults from March 2-18. The Pew Research Center poll was conducted among 8,512 U.S. adults from Jan. 20-26. The AP-NORC Poll was conducted among 1,203 U.S. adults from Jan 8-11.

Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union announced on social media that it won a tentative agreement with “major gains” including raises and more hours. The district announced that an agreement in principle had been reached with SEIU Local 99 allowing schools to be open Tuesday and they would work to finalize the details of a tentative agreement.

SEIU Local 99 said the tentative deal also included protections against subcontracting, stopped IT layoffs and increased staffing. SEIU Local 99 told members to report to work as usual on Tuesday and thanked its fellow unions and the Los Angeles community, saying the “victory belongs to ALL of us.”

Teachers, principals and staff had been prepared to walk out for a strike if the deal was not reached. Unions representing teachers and principals reached tentative contract agreements with nation’s second-largest school district over the weekend.

All three unions that represent about 70,000 workers across the Los Angeles Unified School District had pledged to go on strike if any of the three did not reach a tentative agreement.

The three unions have never gone on strike at the same time — administrators have remained on duty during previous teacher walkouts to help keep schools open. That was the case in 2023 when Local 99 workers went on strike and teachers joined them for three days. About 150 of the district's 1,000 schools remained open.

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“How do I check that it’s not a hoax?” said Ari Hodara, 58, after organizers called him following the draw at Christie’s auction house in the French capital.

Hodara described himself as an art amateur fond of Picasso and said he bought his ticket over the weekend after finding out about the charity raffle by chance during a meal in a restaurant.

“First, I will tell the news to my wife, who has yet to return from work,” said Hodara, a sales engineer. “And at first, I think I’ll take advantage of it and keep it.”

The third iteration of the “1 Picasso for 100 euros” lottery was for Picasso’s “Head of a Woman,” a portrait of Picasso’s longtime muse and partner Dora Maar. The gouache-on-paper was painted by the artist in 1941.

The online draw offered the chance to win a $1 million portrait by the Spanish artist in aid of Alzheimer’s research.

Organizers said all 120,000 tickets were sold worldwide, netting 12 million euros ($14 million). Of that, 1 million euros will be paid to the Opera Gallery, an international art dealership that owned the painting.

Gilles Dyan, the gallery founder, said he offered a preferential price for the painting, with the public price at 1.45 million euros.

The first raffle in 2013 saw a Pennsylvania man who worked at a fire-sprinkler business win “Man in the Opera Hat,” which the Spanish master painted in 1914 during his Cubist period.

The oil-on-canvas “Still Life” was raffled off in 2020 and won by Claudia Borgogno, an accountant in Italy whose son bought her the ticket as a Christmas present.

Painted in 1921, that painting was purchased for the raffle from billionaire art collector David Nahmad, who argued in an interview with The Associated Press that Picasso would have approved of his work being raffled. Picasso died in 1973.

The Alzheimer Research Foundation, the charity raffle’s organizer, is based in one of Paris’ leading public hospitals and says it has become France’s leading private financier of Alzheimer-related medical research since its founding in 2004.

Organizers said the two previous Picasso raffles raised a total of more than 10 million euros for cultural work in Lebanon and water and hygiene programs in Africa.

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter hailed what he called a convergence of opinion about removing Hezbollah’s influence from Lebanon, saying he was encouraged by a “wonderful exchange" of more than two hours.

“The Lebanese government made it very clear that they will no longer be occupied by Hezbollah," he said. "Iran has been weakened. Hezbollah is dramatically weakened. This is an opportunity.”

Hezbollah opposed the direct talks and was not represented, appearing to step up its fire on northern Israel as they began. After the discussions, there was no immediate comment from the Lebanese side, which was represented by ambassador to Washington Nada Hamadeh Moawad.

Despite Hezbollah’s outright rejection, the talks are a major step for two countries with no diplomatic relations that have been officially at war since Israel’s inception in 1948. The latest round of fighting was sparked by Hezbollah firing rockets into northern Israel on March 2, days after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, Hezbollah’s key ally and patron.

Hezbollah pushes back as Lebanese government hopes for end to war

Rubio said the Trump administration was “very happy” to facilitate the talks, while noting that “we understand we’re working against decades of history and complexities” that will not be quickly resolved.

“But we can begin to move forward with a framework where something can happen — something very positive, something very permanent — so that the people of Lebanon can have the kind of future they deserve, and so that the people of Israel can live without fear,” Rubio said.

The Lebanese government hopes the talks will pave the way to an end to the war. While Iran has set ending the wars in Lebanon and the region as a condition for talks with the U.S., Lebanon insists on representing itself.

Hezbollah and other critics maintain that Lebanon’s government lacks leverage and that it should instead back Iran’s position. Wafiq Safa, a high-ranking member of the militant group’s political council, told The Associated Press that it will not abide by any agreements that are made during the talks.

On the day of the discussions, incoming fire triggered nonstop drone and rocket alert sirens in Israeli communities near the Lebanese border. Hezbollah so far on Tuesday has claimed 24 attacks on northern Israel and on Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.

At least 2,124 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the Health Ministry said, including hundreds of women and children. More than 1 million people are displaced. The deadliest day of the war took place last week, when Israel launched 100 airstrikes across Lebanon in 10 minutes, including in the heart of the capital, killing over 350 people.

The Israeli military has invaded southern Lebanon, a move some Israeli officials have said aims to create a “security zone” from the border to the Litani River, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) to the north.

Israel’s defense minister says hundreds of thousands of people uprooted from southern Lebanon will not be allowed to return home until the area is demilitarized and Israel believes its northern communities are safe. Hezbollah, though weakened in its last war with Israel that ended in November 2024, still fires drones, rockets and artillery daily into northern Israel and on ground troops inside Lebanon.

Hezbollah enjoys wide influence in Beirut’s southern suburbs, as well as large swaths of the country’s southern and eastern provinces. Hezbollah-allied politicians hold two Cabinet minister positions, though the group’s ties have soured with Lebanon’s top political authorities, who have been critical of Hezbollah’s decision to enter the war last month and who have since criminalized the group’s military activities in the country.

First Israel-Lebanon talks in more than 30 years

The talks are the first between Israel and Lebanon since 1993. Both countries have relied on indirect communication, often brokered by the United States or UNIFIL, the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s top political authorities, critical of Hezbollah’s decision to fire rockets toward Israel on March 2 in solidarity with Iran, quickly proposed direct talks in a bid to stop the escalation, hoping that Israel would not launch its ground invasion.

Israel did not respond positively until last week, after its deadly bombardment hit several crowded commercial and residential areas in Beirut, sparking an international outcry and triggering threats by Iran that it would end the ceasefire with the United States and Israel.

Lebanese officials have pushed for a truce, which Israel has ruled out. Israel has, however, halted strikes on Lebanon's capital following the bombardment.

“Israel’s destruction of Lebanese territories is not the solution, nor will it yield any results,” Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday. He came to power vowing to disarm non-state groups including Hezbollah. “Diplomatic solutions have consistently proven to be the most effective means of resolving armed conflicts globally.”

Foreign Minister Gideon Saar on Tuesday denied having disputes with Lebanon and said “the problem is Hezbollah.”

Hezbollah wants a return to the 2024 agreement under which talks were conducted indirectly with the U.S., France and UNIFIL as mediators.

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Chehayeb reported from Beirut. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations and Toqa Ezzidin in Cairo contributed to this report.

“We have proposed to Germany a bilateral drone deal covering various types of drones, missiles, software and modern defense systems. Our teams are starting concrete work,” Zelenskyy said at a joint news conference with Chancellor Friedrich Merz during a visit to Berlin.

Merz said that Germany’s commitment to supporting Kyiv's war effort is “a very clear signal” to Russia.

“We will not waver in our efforts to defend Ukraine,” he said.

U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war on its neighbor have recently petered out as the Iran war grips the Trump administration’s attention, although Tammy Bruce, the deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that Washington “will continue to push for a negotiated and durable end” to the war.

Russia has occupied about 20% of Ukraine so far. That includes the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized in 2014.

Weapon production funding

Ukraine has the capacity to produce twice as much military equipment as it's currently deploying, but lacks funding to step up production, according to Zelenskyy.

“We simply don’t have enough money,” he said.

A key to unlocking that potential lies in obtaining a promised loan of 90 billion euros ($106 billion) from the European Union, which had been held up by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, but his impending departure from office after a weekend election could now free up the money.

Ukraine needs those funds “urgently,” Merz said.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, who accompanied Zelenskyy to Berlin, said Germany and Ukraine agreed a defense package valued at 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion). The agreement is “a massive boost” for Ukraine's air defense against Russian barrages, Fedorov said on X, allowing Kyiv to buy “several hundred” American-made Patriot missiles.

After Berlin, Zelenskyy was due to visit Norway, another important financial and military ally, while defense leaders from the 50-plus partner nations who regularly gather to coordinate weapons aid for Kyiv will hold an online meeting Wednesday, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said.

Ukrainian troop shortfall

Kyiv is heavily reliant on U.S. intelligence for targeting inside Russia and needs more sophisticated American-made air defense systems to stop Russian missile attacks on its power grid. If the Iran war drags on, it could erode vital U.S. support for Kyiv, Zelenskyy fears.

Furthermore, the Ukrainian army is short-handed, facing around 200,000 troop desertions and draft-dodging by around 2 million people, Fedorov said in January.

Germany will help Kyiv facilitate the return home of Ukrainian men of military age, Merz said.

“We need rapid, tangible progress here,” he said.

Domestically developed unmanned platforms are playing a vital role in holding back Russia's invasion. Ukraine makes air and sea drones, missiles that have reached around 1,750 kilometers (1,000 miles) into Russia, as well as battlefield robots that help make up for its troop shortage.

Ukraine has been approached about security cooperation, especially battle-tested drone production, by eight Middle East and Gulf countries, as well as Turkey, Iraq and countries in Southeast Asia and Africa, Zelenskyy said on Monday.

Ukraine reportedly posts battlefield successes

Despite its handicaps, Western analysts and officials say Ukraine has in recent months recorded battlefield successes against Russia’s bigger army, disrupting a spring offensive started by Russia amid improving weather, as fields dry out and new foliage on tree lines offers more cover.

Meanwhile, the long-range drones and missiles that Kyiv designs and produces are repeatedly striking oil facilities and manufacturing plants deep inside Russia.

Ukraine “is in a much better place than it has been at any stage in this horrific war,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb said at the Brookings Institution in Washington on Monday.

Ukraine “is on top from a military perspective,” Stubb said, noting that last month Ukraine fired more drones and missiles at Russia than vice versa.

Moscow has also claimed progress on the battlefield. Independent verification of each side’s claims wasn't possible.

Russian attacks on Ukraine kill 5 civilians

Meanwhile, a Russian missile attack on the eastern Ukraine city of Dnipro killed four people and left 21 hospitalized with injuries, 10 of them in serious condition, regional authorities said Tuesday.

The city’s attorney general’s office said the victims, all civilians, were driving or walking past the scene of the strike in the city, 485 kilometers (300 miles) southeast of Kyiv.

Elsewhere, a 52-year-old woman was killed in a Russian drone strike in the southern city of Kherson that also left one man seriously wounded, authorities said.

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Hanna Arhirova reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Derek Gatopoulos contributed to this report from Kyiv.

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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

The Dutch are one of the tournament's great nearly men, having lost back-to-back finals in 1974 and '78 and then again in 2010.

The Netherlands has been drawn against Sweden, Japan and Tunisia in Group F.

They will be favorites to advance as group winners, but there are potential pitfalls — not least in the form of Japan, which stunned Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup.

The Netherlands

The creators of so-called “total football” in the 1970s, the Netherlands has always been easy on the eye, but it has never been enough to get it over the line at a World Cup.

Coach Ronald Koeman — in his second spell in charge of the national team — is hoping to end his country's wait.

He won major honors with the Netherlands as a player when lifting the European Championship in 1988 and he was a runner-up in the Nations League in 2019 in his last spell in charge.

The Netherlands can call on Premier League stars like Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, Tijjani Reijnders and Cody Gakpo, but perhaps lacks some of the top-tier talent of previous generations.

Japan

Japan is competing at its eighth straight World Cup and aiming to advance beyond the group stage for the third tournament in a row.

It was first team to qualify for this year's event, other than the three host nations, securing its place with three games to spare.

It produced two of the biggest upset at the last World Cup in Qatar when beating Germany and Spain in the group phase, but it has never progressed beyond the round of 16.

The majority of Japan's national team plays in Europe, including Bayern Munich defender Hiroki Ito and Brighton forward Kaoru Mitoma.

Sweden

The Swedes advanced via the back door — needing all the help they could get to make the playoffs.

Finishing bottom of its qualifying group after failing to win any games, it was only Sweden's performances in the 2024-2025 Nations League that secured its place in the playoffs.

Under new coach Graham Potter, who was looking to revive his career after being fired by Chelsea and West Ham in recent years, the Swedes overcame Ukraine and Poland in the playoffs to advance.

Sweden's troubles in qualifying were unexpected considering it boasts two of Europe's top strikers in Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres.

Other top players include Lucas Bergvall and Anthony Elanga.

Sweden, a runner-up in 1958, will have fond memories of the United States, having reached the semifinals when the World Cup was last hosted by America in 1994.

Tunisia

Tunisia is aiming to advance from the group phase for the first time in its seventh appearance at the World Cup.

It came close to breaking that streak four years ago in Qatar when finishing third in its group by beating defending champion France 1-0 and drawing with Denmark.

Coach Sabri Lamouchi was hired to replace Sami Trabelsi after Tunisia's disappointing early exit from the African Cup of Nations at the round of 16 stage.

The 21-year-old Khalil Ayari joined Paris Saint-Germain this season and recently made his breakthrough into the national team.

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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

The 18-year-old attacker, armed with a shotgun, fired randomly inside a vocational high school in Siverek, Sanliurfa province. He later killed himself with the same shotgun after being “cornered by police,” Gov. Hasan Sildak said.

The attack left 10 students, four teachers, a canteen employee and a police officer hurt, Sildak said. While most of them were being treated in Siverek, five of the teachers and students were transferred to a hospital in the provincial capital because their conditions were more serious, the governor said.

The motive for the attack remains unclear. School shootings are rare in Turkey.

The attacker did not have a criminal record, Sildak said. The school had been declared safe and no permanent police officer was assigned to protect it, he added, calling the shooting an “isolated incident.”

NTV television and other media reports said the assailant had threatened an attack on the school on social media prior to the shooting.

One student told the state-run Anadolu Agency that he and a friend jumped out of their classroom window to flee the attacker.

“He suddenly entered the classroom and fired. He fired four or five times. Two people were hit. He then went into the next classroom,” Anadolu quoted Omer Furkan Sayar as saying. “We first threw ourselves to the ground and then two of us jumped out of the window.”

Sayar continued: “He didn't say anything, he entered and started to shoot directly.”

Earlier, media reports said all students were evacuated and police special operations units were deployed after the assailant refused to surrender.

“The individual was cornered inside the building through police intervention and died after shooting himself," Sildak told reporters, adding that a “comprehensive” investigation into the shooting would be carried out.

Video footage showed dozens of students running out of the school toward the gate and onto the street.

Atletico is at home to defend its 2-0 win from the first leg and try to make it to the last four of the European competition for the first time in nearly a decade.

Before last week's first leg, Barcelona beat Atletico 2-1 in Madrid in a Spanish league game on April 4. The teams had already met twice in the Copa del Rey semifinals, when Atletico won 4-0 at home and then advanced to the final despite a 3-0 loss in Barcelona in the second leg.

Atletico last made it to the semifinals in 2017. Barcelona lost to Inter Milan in last year's last four.

Coach Diego Simeone has not ruled out Jan Oblak’s return even though the goalkeeper hasn’t played since March 10 because of a muscle injury. He has been practicing with the squad for the last few days and is expected to be fit to play.

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick has not ruled out midfielder Frenkie de Jong making his first start after a long absence because of a hamstring injury.

Whichever team advances on Tuesday will face Arsenal or Sporting Lisbon in the semifinals. Arsenal won the first leg 1-0 in Lisbon last week. Their second leg in England is on Wednesday.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

U.S. President Donald Trump said a second round of talks could happen "over the next two days," telling the New York Post the negotiations could be held again in the capital of Pakistan.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres concurred, saying it’s “highly probable” that talks will restart. He cited a meeting he had with Pakistan’s deputy prime minister, Ishaq Dar.

Meanwhile in Washington, the first direct talks in decades between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the U.S. concluded on a positive note, according to Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.

Leiter, who was the only diplomat to speak after the two-hour talks, said the two countries are “on the same side of the equation” in “liberating Lebanon” from Hezbollah. Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and the country remains deeply divided over diplomatic engagement with Israel.

First round of talks failed to end conflict

An initial round of talks aimed at permanently ending the U.S.-Iran conflict failed to produce an agreement last weekend. The White House said Iran’s nuclear ambitions were a central sticking point.

A U.S. official said Tuesday that fresh talks with Iran were still under discussion and that nothing has been scheduled. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss sensitive negotiations.

Though the ceasefire appeared to hold, the showdown over the Strait of Hormuz risked reigniting hostilities and deepening the regional war's economic fallout.

The war, now in its seventh week, has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian infrastructure across the region.

The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.

Tankers turned around after blockade took effect

The blockade is intended to pressure Iran, which has exported millions of barrels of oil, mostly to Asia, since the war began. Much of it has likely been carried by so-called dark transits that evade sanctions and oversight, providing cash flow that’s been vital to keeping Iran running.

Both the nature of enforcement and the extent to which ships will comply remained unclear during the first full day of the blockade Tuesday. Tankers approaching the strait Monday turned around shortly after it took effect, though one reversed course again and transited the waterway.

The tanker Rich Starry had been waiting off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, according to shipping data firm Lloyd’s List, which cited data from the energy cargo-tracking firm Vortexa. It was not immediately clear whether the tanker had earlier docked in Iran. Yet it was listed by the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control as linked to Iranian shipping.

Lloyd’s List, citing ship registry and tracking data, reported that the vessel is owned by a Chinese shipping company and ultimately bound for China.

U.S. Central Command said no ships made it past the blockade in the first 24 hours, while six merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Chinese tankers will not be allowed passage through the strait. "So they're not going to be able to get their oil,” he told reporters Tuesday on the sidelines of IMF-World Bank meetings.

In rare public criticism seemingly directed at Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping said nations should “oppose the world’s retrogression to the law of the jungle.” Speaking during a reception for the Spanish prime minister, Xi said nations should work to “jointly safeguard genuine multilateralism.”

Since the start of the war, Iran has curtailed maritime traffic, with most commercial vessels avoiding the waterway.

Iran’s effective closure of the strait, through which a fifth of global oil transits in peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing, pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other basic goods far beyond the Middle East.

Trump said Monday that Iran's control of the strait amounted to blackmail and extortion as the U.S. blockade took effect. He said in a social media post that Iran’s navy had been "completely obliterated,” but it still had “fast attack ships.”

He warned that “if any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED."

Iran threatened to retaliate against Persian Gulf ports if attacked.

“If you fight, we will fight," Iran's parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said in a statement addressed to Trump.

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will co-chair a conference Friday for nations willing to deploy warships to escort oil tankers and container ships through the strait. The deployment will happen “when security conditions allow,” Macron’s office said Tuesday.

Israel and Lebanon conclude talks

The talks in Washington between Israel and Lebanon were expected to be preliminary, focused on setting parameters rather than resolving core issues.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is facilitating the talks, downplayed expectations for any immediate agreement. He called the talks a “historic opportunity” but said the process was “working against decades of history and complexities” that will not be quickly resolved.

Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S, said after the talks that both countries saw eye-to-eye in several areas.

“The Lebanese government made it very clear that they will no longer be occupied by Hezbollah, and Iran has been weakened. Hezbollah is dramatically weakened,” Leiter said. “This is an opportunity.”

There was no immediate comment from Lebanese officials after the talks in Washington

After the ceasefire in Iran, Israel pressed ahead with its air and ground campaign, insisting that the truce does not apply to fighting in Lebanon. It has, however, halted strikes in the country’s capital since April 8, after a deadly bombardment that hit several crowded commercial and residential areas in central Beirut and killed more than 350 people in one day.

The deaths sparked an international outcry and threats by Iran that it would end the ceasefire. Overall, the fighting has killed more than 2,100 people and displacing in excess of 1 million others, according to Lebanese authorities.

Lebanese officials have pushed for a ceasefire. Israel has framed the negotiations around Hezbollah’s disarmament and a potential peace deal, without publicly committing to halting hostilities or withdrawing its forces.

Israel wants Lebanon’s government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah, much as was envisaged in a November 2024 ceasefire. But the militant group has survived efforts to curb its strength for decades and said on Monday that it will not abide by any agreements that may result from the talks.

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Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee, Fatima Hussein, Collin Binkley and Konstantin Toporin in Washington, Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Toqa Ezzidin in Cairo, Natalie Melzer in Jerusalem, and Edith Lederer and Farnoush Amiri at the United Nations contributed to this report.