Hollywood homicide detectives believe Garcia, now 21, tried to cover up his death with the help of the baby’s father, Anfernee Watts, according to police.

Watts’ mother contacted police to report that Garcia told her that he died while pinned between the bed frame and the mattress, according to an arrest warrant.

“You know, when you see someone, when they have passed? Like, it was like that,” Garcia told police officers on Wednesday as she confessed to accidentally smothering the baby, according to a police report.

The couple, who also has a 2-year-old child, appeared in court on Thursday in Broward County. A judge denied them bond.

Watts, 25, and Garcia “admitted to fabricating a story to present to law enforcement, placing the deceased baby back into the playpen in an effort to make it appear as though the baby died in his sleep," a police officer wrote, according to an arrest warrant.

A pediatrician reported the baby boy was in good health on July 28, according to the arrest warrant. The tragedy unfolded a few days later.

Watts told police officers that he had attended a job interview, but the alleged interviewee said that was false, according to the arrest warrant.

“She intentionally restrained the baby by tightly wrapping him in a blanket, securing a pacifier in his mouth, and strapping him into a car seat before placing him inside a bathtub and isolating him behind a closed door while loud music played,” and she “willfully ignored his distress and failed to check on him for several hours,” a detective wrote, according to a police report.

The couple allegedly tried "placing the deceased baby back into the playpen in an effort to make it appear as though the baby died in his sleep," a detective wrote, according to an arrest warrant.

Hollywood Fire Rescue personnel pronounced him dead on Aug. 1st, at a house in the 6600 block of Thomas Street, records show.

The Broward Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the baby’s manner of death to be a homicide by suffocation. The evidence also includes a video recorded by a Ring surveillance camera.

The U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force arrested the couple on Wednesday.

Corrections was holding Garcia without bond on Thursday evening at the North Broward Bureau, a detention center in Pompano Beach, and Watts at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale, according to inmate records.

Garcia and Watts are each facing five charges: Obstruction of a criminal investigation, aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect with great bodily harm, tampering with evidence, and willfully touching, removing, or disturbing a dead body, clothing, or surrounding items without authorization.

Watt’s mother has custody of their 2-year-old child.

Windy conditions will carry into Friday with sustained winds expected around 15 mph, gusts 25 to 30 mph. The day will offer a sun/cloud mix. A few showers could speed across the area. Near seasonable temperatures are forecast, lows around 70°F and highs close to 80°F.

The increase in emergency appeals by the Trump administration is “unprecedented in the court’s history,” she said in a speech at the University of Alabama School of Law.

The high court sided with the Trump administration in about two dozen decisions last year, often lifting the orders of lower court judges who found their policies were likely illegal on everything from immigration to steep federal funding cuts.

While designed to be short-term, those orders have largely allowed Trump to move ahead for now with key parts of his sweeping agenda.

The emergency docket, which is made up of appeals seeking quick intervention from the justices in cases that are still playing out in lower courts, is itself a source of disagreement among the justices. That spilled into public view when two other justices, liberal Ketanji Brown Jackson and conservative Brett Kavanaugh, publicly sparred over the emergency docket in an unusual exchange last month.

Sotomayor has disagreed with many of the decisions in Trump’s favor, but the conservatives who form the court's majority often reason that blocking those policies — or laws passed by Congress — causes legal harm that can’t be easily fixed, she said. It’s a bar that’s tough for the other side to overcome, even for plaintiffs like immigrants who could be newly exposed to deportation or states where schools are losing teacher-training funding.

“If you start with the presumption that there is irreparable harm to one side, then you’re going to have more grants of emergency relief. Because the other side is going to have a much harder time,” she said. “It has changed the paradigm on the court.”

Her comments provided a window into the Supreme Court decisions that are often released with little explanation. While many emergency docket orders have gone Trump's way, the court also struck down his sweeping tariffs, a central plank of his economic platform, after a longer process of full briefing and oral arguments.

The I-395/836/I-95 project, also known as “Connecting Miami,” began in 2019 and was originally expected to be finished by 2021. But the Florida Department of Transportation now says the project won’t be completed until late 2029.

The cost has also increased, rising from about $800 million to $866 million.

“To be quite honest, it’s unsurprising,” said Cathy Dos Santos with Miami’s Transit Alliance, a nonprofit advocating for expanded public transportation. “And in the worst way possible.”

Critics point not only to the timeline and rising cost of the massive project, but also to recent safety concerns.

Construction resumed this week after being paused last month when a worker fell to his death. Earlier this year, six other workers had to be rescued after falling from another structure at the site.

As signs at the construction area urge workers to prioritize quality, past legal issues have also raised questions.

Previous lawsuits reportedly cited concerns over defective concrete and even the design of what’s meant to be an iconic signature bridge.

One lawsuit, filed by the joint venture behind the project against insurers, alleged the initial bridge design was not viable because it could not withstand required wind forces. That lawsuit was later settled.

“As a taxpayer, this being a project that is directly funded by the money that you give back to the government -- that you ask them to be good stewards -- you should be concerned about the fact that there is a lack of clarity and transparency,” Dos Santos said.

Local 10 News asked the Florida Department of Transportation to explain the latest delay. The department did not respond.

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Daniel Curran was found dead at a building at Northeast 36th Street and North Ocean Boulevard on his 35th birthday.

His death comes after a domestic violence case against Curran where Trantalis, 72, cited previous incidents of threats and violence.

Prior to his death, modifications were being made to the injunction, as Trantalis felt his former partner was no longer a threat.

“I was shocked to receive this news this morning. We were on the path to a resolution, which would have gotten Danny the treatment he needed and led to the charges being dismissed,” Curran’s attorney, Philip C. Johnston, said in a statement to Local 10 News. “Danny was a very kind, sensitive person. After we modified the no contact order, I expressed my condolences to the mayor. He said he and Danny met last night and happily discussed future plans together. This is a profoundly sad situation.”

Trantalis issued a statement on Thursday following Curran’s death saying that he learned of it “with profound sorrow.”

“He was a loving individual, and my sympathies go out to his family,” Trantalis said. “Perhaps now, the pain he endured will subside. May he rest in peace.”

Related story: Here is a list of suicide prevention resources in South Florida

If you or a loved one are struggling, you can call the Suicide & Crisis lifeline at 988. It’s available 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Attorney Patrick Kolasinski said federal prosecutors have told him that Carlos Ivan Mendoza Hernandez is not under arrest, raising questions about why he was the target of an enforcement action. No one under that name from El Salvador is in ICE detention, according to the agency’s online detainee locator. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has not responded to inquiries about Kolasinki's statements.

Tuesday’s encounter was among a string of shootings during the Trump administration’s aggressive push to detain and deport immigrants in the country illegally, about which questions have been raised with federal immigration officials.

DHS has said ICE agents fired defensive shots at Mendoza when he tried to drive into them after he was pulled over on Tuesday. Officials said they were conducting an enforcement stop targeting Mendoza, 36, in Patterson, a city about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco. They described him as a suspected gang member wanted in El Salvador for questioning in connection to a murder.

Kolasinski told reporters that Mendoza was having difficulty speaking because he was shot in the jaw, but that he said he was never a member of a gang. Kolasinski said previously that his client has been stopped for minor traffic infractions but has no criminal record in the U.S. and is not the subject of an arrest warrant in El Salvador, where he was acquitted of murder.

Kolasinski said that the FBI was leading the investigation of the shooting and that ICE was not currently involved in Mendoza's case. The Department of Justice referred inquiries to the FBI, which said it couldn't comment on an active investigation.

Kolasinski said that agents fired on Mendoza while the car was stopped and he drove away to flee the gunfire. “He fled in a panic because he was being fired on," Kolasinski said. “He was not trying to hurt anyone ... he was just scared he was going to die.”

According to a Oct. 25, 2019 court document from a judge in El Salvador, Mendoza, who was 29 at the time, was acquitted after being accused of murder and ordered immediately released. The document lists 10 others who were convicted of various crimes from aggravated robbery to murder, and mentions at least one of them was a member of the 18th Street Gang. But there is no mention of Mendoza belonging to a gang or being accused of carrying out gang activity in the document.

In the California ICE shooting, dashcam footage obtained by KCRA-TV shows three officers standing around a vehicle stopped on the side of a road. One of the officers appears to be touching the driver-side window when the car begins to back up and turn, hitting a vehicle behind it. At least two of the agents have weapons drawn, pointing at the car. The driver then pulls forward toward where the men are standing and turns sharply, driving over the roadway median.

The video has no sound and it's unclear when the shots were fired or if words were said.

Mendoza’s fiancée was able to speak with him Wednesday before a surgery and again Thursday morning, Kolasinski said.

Kolasinski said Mendoza, a dual citizen of El Salvador and Mexico, came to the U.S. in 2019 but he said he did not know his legal status nor how he arrived to the country.

The attorney said his client works as a laborer to repair fire damage. He has a 2-year-old daughter and is engaged to a U.S. citizen, he said.

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Recordings of the call capture the urgency as a caller pleaded with dispatchers to force entry into the home.

“Tell them to break down the door by whatever means,” the caller said.

A dispatcher responded, “Ma’am, I understand. We’re worried about her. We’re trying to find her but we can’t just break down the door. We have to have a reason.”

Moments later, a man identified as the suspect’s uncle told the dispatcher, “I’m going to give you a reason. OK, my nephew — her husband — came to my house this morning and told me that he did something to her.”

“OK, her husband?” the dispatcher asked.

“I asked, is she alive? He said no,” the uncle replied.

Authorities say Metayer Bowen’s husband, Stephen Bowen, 40, faces charges of premeditated murder and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence in her killing.

Police found Metayer Bowen, 38, shot to death, her body wrapped in a comforter and a garbage bag, according to investigators.

The 911 call that prompted officers to the home was the sixth call for service at the residence since the couple moved there in August 2023, records show.

Previous calls included a disturbance, a theft, animal bites and another investigation, though details of those incidents have not been made public.

It remains unclear whether Metayer Bowen, who had been preparing to launch a congressional campaign, had confided in anyone about a potentially abusive relationship.

Advocates and lawmakers say the case underscores the dangers of escalating domestic violence and the importance of early intervention.

“What we see is that escalation happens between rounds of these different incidents of abuse. So the quicker we can get law enforcement to the scene to understand what the issue is, the more seriously we can deal with the perpetrator and the abuser,” said state Rep. Alexis Calatayud, a Miami Republican.

South Florida lawmakers have advanced bipartisan legislation aimed at strengthening protections for victims of domestic violence, including proposals to study a dedicated emergency number designed to discreetly summon help.

“You call that number — nobody picks up — if someone grabs the phone from you, there is no one on the other end for them to talk to,” said state Sen. Lori Berman, the Senate Democratic leader. “Then the police geolocate you like it’s an emergency panic button and then they come to your house.”

According to police, the boy, believed to be named Lucas or Legacy, was found at about 11 p.m. by a man, wandering around the area of Northwest Seventh Avenue and 17^th Street in the city’s Allapattah neighborhood.

“This was a good Samaritan that was sleeping in the streets, and he called us and gave us that information. You know, kudos to him. We don’t know what would have happened if he would have remained on the streets,” Miami police Officer Mike Vega said.

According to police, the boy has delayed speech, making it difficult for them to get information from him.

Police were able to locate the boy’s home, and arrested the mother after she said she didn’t know he was gone.

She could face charges, including child neglect.

Police say the boy’s school saw the flier and told police his name and where he lives.

The boy is now in the care of the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Las grabaciones de la llamada captan la urgencia del momento, mientras una persona suplicaba a los despachadores que forzaran la entrada a la vivienda.

“Dígales que tumben la puerta por cualquier medio”, dijo la persona que llamó.

Una operadora respondió: “Señora, entiendo… tratando de encontrarla — tenemos que tener una razón”.

Momentos después, un hombre identificado como el tío del sospechoso le dijo a la operadora: “Voy a darles una razón. OK, mi sobrino — el esposo de ella — vino a mi casa esta mañana y me dijo que hizo algo con ella”.

“OK, ¿su esposo?”, preguntó la operadora.

“Le pregunté si estaba viva. Él dijo que no”, respondió el tío.

Las autoridades dicen que Metayer Bowen, de 38 años, fue encontrada muerta a tiros, con su cuerpo envuelto en un edredón y una bolsa de basura, según los investigadores.

El esposo de Metayer Bowen, Stephen Bowen, de 40 años, enfrenta cargos de asesinato premeditado y de manipulación o fabricación de evidencia física en relación con su muerte.

La llamada al 911 que llevó a los agentes a la vivienda fue la sexta llamada de servicio en la residencia desde que la pareja se mudó allí en agosto de 2023, según los registros.

Las llamadas previas incluyeron una disputa, un robo, mordeduras de animales y otra investigación, aunque los detalles de esos incidentes no han sido hechos públicos.

Aún no está claro si Metayer Bowen, quien se preparaba para lanzar una campaña al Congreso, había confiado a alguien la existencia de una posible relación abusiva.

Defensores y legisladores dicen que el caso subraya los peligros de la escalada de la violencia doméstica y la importancia de la intervención temprana.

“Lo que vemos es que la escalada ocurre entre rondas de estos diferentes incidentes de abuso. Así que cuanto más rápido podamos lograr que la policía llegue a la escena para entender cuál es el problema, más seriamente podemos tratar al agresor”, dijo la representante estatal Alexis Calatayud, republicana de Miami.

Legisladores del sur de Florida han impulsado una legislación bipartidista destinada a fortalecer las protecciones para víctimas de violencia doméstica, incluyendo propuestas para estudiar un número de emergencia dedicado diseñado para solicitar ayuda de forma discreta.

“Llamas a ese número — nadie responde — si alguien te quita el teléfono, no hay nadie al otro lado para hablar con esa persona”, dijo la senadora estatal Lori Berman, líder demócrata del Senado. “Luego la policía te localiza como si fuera un botón de pánico de emergencia y entonces llegan a tu casa”.

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Police took Johnnie Sanders, 34, into custody on Monday at Uncle Hanks’ Hideaway restaurant.

“I didn’t care he made himself at home,” said restaurant owner Matthew Curtis.

According to police, Sanders was found inside the restaurant, located at 78 Canal St., late Monday night after authorities said he entered without permission while the business was clearly closed. Nobody was inside and the lights were off.

It wasn’t the first time he allegedly broke into it.

That was on Easter Sunday, when surveillance cameras captured Sanders entering the business and taking a set of spare keys before watching TV inside the restaurant for four hours despite it being closed and him not being welcome, according to Curtis.

The next evening, police said he returned, and that’s when he was taken into custody.

Police said that before his arrest, Sanders gave the spare keys to Curtis upon request.

As of Thursday afternoon, Sanders remained behind bars at the Metro West Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set” on two counts of burglary on an unoccupied structure.

La policía puso bajo custodia a Johnnie Sanders, de 34 años, el lunes en el restaurante Uncle Hanks’ Hideaway.

“Me daba igual, se sintió como en su casa”, dijo el propietario del restaurante, Matthew Curtis.

Según la policía, Sanders fue encontrado dentro del restaurante, ubicado en 78 Canal St., la noche del lunes, luego de que las autoridades señalaran que ingresó sin permiso mientras el negocio estaba claramente cerrado. No había nadie dentro y las luces estaban apagadas.

No era la primera vez que supuestamente irrumpía en el lugar.

Eso ocurrió el Domingo de Pascua, cuando cámaras de vigilancia captaron a Sanders entrando al negocio y tomando un juego de llaves de repuesto antes de ver televisión dentro del restaurante durante cuatro horas, a pesar de que estaba cerrado y de que no se le había autorizado el ingreso, según Curtis.

La noche siguiente, la policía dijo que regresó, y fue entonces cuando fue detenido.

La policía señaló que, antes de su arresto, Sanders entregó las llaves de repuesto a Curtis a solicitud del propietario.

Hasta la tarde del jueves, Sanders permanecía recluido en el centro correccional Metro West con una fianza “por fijar”, por dos cargos de robo a una estructura desocupada.

The ribbon-cutting marked the opening of a renovated building that will house NPR affiliate WYSO. It is a project funded in large part by Chappelle that keeps the station from relocating out of Yellow Springs at a time when local media outlets face mounting challenges.

“It’s like our lifeblood in the community,” Chappelle told The Associated Press about the station, recalling how its possible departure to nearby Dayton would have been “a crushing blow” for Yellow Springs.

More than 200 people gathered outside the former Union Schoolhouse, where Chappelle stood alongside his wife, mother, station leaders and village officials, including Yellow Springs Mayor Steve McQueen and Dayton Mayor Shenise Turner-Sloss, to celebrate the station’s new chapter.

The Union Schoolhouse was originally built in 1872 and once served as one of the village’s earliest integrated schools before later housing municipal offices and small businesses. After sitting vacant for years, it was purchased in 2020 by Chappelle’s real estate company, Iron Table Holdings.

The property has since been transformed into a modern, multiuse space, with WYSO occupying the lower floors, while Chappelle’s offices will be based on the top floor.

For Chappelle, the investment was as much about preservation as development.

“If you have the opportunity like I did, to invest in your community, then it’s one of the greatest investments I’ve ever made,” he said. “In some ways it feels dutiful. Other times I feel proud. ... but ultimately, I'm doing it because I want to, not because I have to.”

The move comes at a time when local media outlets across the country face shrinking resources, shifting audiences and increased competition from digital platforms.

Chappelle said stations like WYSO serve as a stabilizing force. He described it as “a beacon for sanity,” offering “a solid baseline of truth in context” in an increasingly fragmented information landscape.

“I grew up listening to WYSO since high school, and they’ve always been here connecting to the people,” said Mark Willis, a Yellow Springs resident. “They’re not out of a big city. They’re not subject to censorship by a sponsor. They tell the truth, they tell the stories, and it’s rare these days. To see them growing instead of shrinking is beautiful.”

Rather than simply donate funds, Chappelle financed the redevelopment of the building itself, allowing the station to remain locally rooted while maintaining editorial independence.

“Dave has never made a suggestion about our programming,” said Luke Dennis, general manager at WYSO. He said the new facility transforms how the station connects with the public, offering performance space, gathering areas and expanded capacity for programming.

“We belong to the community,” Dennis said.

Public radio stations in smaller markets have faced mounting pressure in recent years, from funding challenges to audience fragmentation.

Dennis said the investment positions WYSO differently. “We’re in a place of strength,” he said.

Yellow Springs has long been central to Chappelle’s life. Though he grew up in Maryland, he spent summers in the village, where his late father worked as the dean of students at Antioch College.

Now living on a 39-acre farm with his wife and their three children, Chappelle has become deeply embedded in the town. He has invested in local properties, opened a comedy club in the downtown area and hosted events that draw national attention, including performances in a nearby cornfield during the pandemic.

Chappelle has also taken an active role in local affairs, speaking at town meetings and supporting community initiatives.

As residents gathered and later filtered through the restored building, the moment marked more than a ribbon-cutting.

“I'm more determined and inspired that these institutions flourish and stay of the people,” Chappelle said after the ceremony. “The only way they can do that is the people supporting them. I'm hopeful more than worried."

U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman sided with The New York Times for the second time in a month. He had earlier said the Pentagon's new credential policy violated journalists’ constitutional rights to free speech and due process. On Thursday, he said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's team had tried to evade his March 20 ruling by putting in new rules that expel all reporters from the building unless guided by escorts.

“The department simply cannot reinstate an unlawful policy under the guise of taking ‘new’ action and expect the court to look the other way,” Friedman wrote.

Friedman had ordered Pentagon officials to reinstate the press credentials of seven Times reporters and stressed that his decision applies to “all regulated parties.”

Pentagon officials didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The Pentagon building serves as the headquarters for U.S. military operations.

A dispute brewing since October

Times attorney Theodore Boutrous said Thursday's ruling “powerfully vindicates both the Court’s authority and the First Amendment’s protections of independent journalism.”

In October, reporters from mainstream news outlets walked out of the building rather than agree to the new rules. The Times sued the Pentagon and Hegseth in December to challenge the policy.

President Donald Trump has fought against the press on several levels since returning to his second term, suing The Times and Wall Street Journal, and cutting funding for public radio and television because he did not like their coverage. At the same time, he frequently talks to the media and responds to reporters who call him on his cell phone.

In a series of briefings on the Iran War, Hegseth has frequently ignored or insulted legacy media reporters let in to cover the events, while concentrating on questions from friendly conservative media.

Times attorneys accused the Pentagon of violating the judge’s March 20 order, “both in letter and spirit” with its revised policy. The newspaper said that Pentagon was also trying to impose unprecedented rules dictating when reporters can offer anonymity to sources.

Friedman said that the access the Pentagon made available to permit holders “is not even close to as meaningful as the broad access” they previously had.

Government lawyers said the Pentagon’s revised policy fully complies with the judge’s directives. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell has said the administration would appeal Friedman’s March 20 decision.

The Pentagon Press Association, which includes Associated Press reporters, said the Pentagon’s interim policy preserves provisions that Friedman deemed to be unconstitutional while also adding new restrictions on credential holders.

“In effect," Justice Department attorneys wrote, “Plaintiffs ask this Court to expand the Order to prohibit the Department from ever addressing the security of the Pentagon through a press credentialing policy with conditions that may address similar topics or concerns as the enjoined conditions. The Order does not say that, and this Court should not read it to say that.”

Current Pentagon press corps agreed to policy

The current Pentagon press corps is comprised mostly of conservative outlets that agreed to the policy. Journalists from outlets that refused to consent to the new rules, including from the AP, have continued reporting on the military from outside the Pentagon.

Friedman, who was nominated to the bench by Democratic President Bill Clinton, said recent U.S. military operations in Venezuela and Iran underscore the need for public access to information about government activities.

“Those who drafted the First Amendment believed that the nation’s security requires a free press and an informed people and that such security is endangered by governmental suppression of political speech. That principle has preserved the nation’s security for almost 250 years. It must not be abandoned now,” the judge wrote last month.

Friedman said the challenged policy is clearly designed to weed out “disfavored journalists” and replace them with those who are “on board and willing to serve” the administration.

“That," he wrote, “is viewpoint discrimination, full stop.”

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Deputies said Roberta Walker, 51, of Washington, D.C., broke into a home in Hobe Sound by climbing through a bedroom window. They said she tried stealing the homeowner’s dog while it was in a crate, but not before the homeowner came home and confronted her.

“This is going to be, it’s one of these things that goes in the category of you can’t make this stuff up,” said Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek.

Authorities said Walker spent around a half hour trying to get inside the home.

“And for the next half an hour, she chipped away at an impact glass window in the back of the house with a rock and a little piece of metal,” said Budensiek. “Eventually (she) was able to compromise that window, at which point she crawled into the window.”

That was just the beginning of Walker’s confusing criminal acts.

“Nothing she did made sense,” said Budensiek. “Daytime burglary, spent a half an hour doing it, stayed in the house, drug a 90-pound dog outside, like, what are you going to do with a 90-pound dog? And then in broad daylight, stole a car.”

Following a large manhunt, Walker was arrested, and officials say they found jewelry in her vehicle from a second burglary.

Budensiek said Walker has a long criminal record, saying if convicted, these new charges carry harsh consequences.

“It’s significant because it’s a burglary of an occupied dwelling with damage over $1,000,” he said. “It’s actually a life felony. Now, do I think she’s going to get a life sentence? No. But she’s going to get a significant amount of time, especially with the criminal history that she has backing her up.”

In a nearly five-minute clip that is part of a longer interview scheduled to air on Sunday, journalist Kristen Welker asked Díaz-Canel if he would be “willing to step down if it meant saving Cuba. ”

Before answering, Díaz-Canel asked if she had ever posed that question to any other president in the world: “Is that a question from you, or is that coming from the State Department of the U.S. government?”

Díaz-Canel added: “In Cuba, the people who are in leadership position are not elected by the U.S. government, and they don’t have a mandate from the U.S. government. We have a free sovereign state.”

He said he became president not out of a “personal ambition or corporate ambition or even a party ambition,” but because of a mandate by the people.

“If the Cuban people understand that I am not fit for office, that I have no reason to be here, then I should not be holding this position of president, I will respond to them,” he said.

The interview comes as tensions between Cuba and the U.S. remain high despite both sides acknowledging talks, although no details have been shared.

Díaz-Canel accused the U.S. government of implementing a “hostile policy” against Cuba and said it has “no moral to demand anything from Cuba.”

He said the U.S. should recognize how much the policies have cost the Cuban people “and how much they have deprived the American people from a normal relationship with the Cuban people.”

Díaz-Canel noted that Cuba is interested in engaging in dialogue and discussing any topic without conditions, “not demanding changes from our political system as we are not demanding change from the American system, about which we have a number of doubts.”

Cuba blames a U.S. energy blockade for its deepening woes, with a lack of petroleum affecting the island’s health system, public transportation and the production of goods and services.

In late March, a Russian tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil arrived in Cuba, marking the island’s first oil shipment in three months. Russia has promised to send a second tanker.

Despite threatening tariffs in early January on countries that sell or provide oil to Cuba, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump allowed the tanker to proceed.

“Cuba’s finished,” Trump said at the time. “They have a bad regime. They have very bad and corrupt leadership and whether or not they get a boat of oil, it’s not going to matter.”

Cuba produces only 40% of the fuel it consumes, and it stopped receiving key oil shipments from Venezuela after the U.S. attacked the South American country in early January and arrested its then leader.

Los agentes dijeron que Roberta Walker, de 51 años, de Washington, D.C., irrumpió en una casa en Hobe Sound al entrar por una ventana del dormitorio. Indicaron que intentó robar el perro del propietario mientras estaba en una jaula, pero el dueño llegó a su casa y la confrontó.

“Esto va a ser, es una de esas cosas que entran en la categoría de no te lo puedes inventar”, dijo el sheriff del condado de Martin, John Budensiek.

Las autoridades señalaron que Walker pasó alrededor de media hora intentando entrar a la vivienda.

“Y durante los siguientes 30 minutos, fue rompiendo una ventana de vidrio de impacto en la parte trasera de la casa con una piedra y un pequeño trozo de metal”, dijo Budensiek. “Eventualmente fue capaz de dañar esa ventana, momento en el cual se arrastró hacia el interior”.

Eso fue solo el comienzo de los confusos actos criminales de Walker.

“Nada de lo que hizo tenía sentido”, dijo Budensiek. “Un robo en pleno día, pasó media hora haciéndolo, se quedó dentro de la casa, sacó a rastras a un perro de 90 libras afuera, como, ¿qué vas a hacer con un perro de 90 libras? Y luego, a plena luz del día, robó un auto”.

Tras una gran persecución, Walker fue arrestada, y las autoridades dijeron que encontraron joyas en su vehículo provenientes de un segundo robo.

Budensiek dijo que Walker tiene un largo historial criminal y señaló que, si es condenada, estos nuevos cargos conllevan consecuencias severas.

“Es significativo porque es un robo a una vivienda ocupada con daños de más de 1,000 dólares”, dijo. “En realidad es un delito grave de cadena perpetua. Ahora, ¿creo que va a recibir cadena perpetua? No. Pero va a recibir una cantidad significativa de tiempo, especialmente con el historial criminal que tiene detrás”.

In a decision Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Michael Liburdi also denied Kalshi’s request for a ruling saying federal law trumps Arizona’s gambling laws. Liburdi said it's too early in the case for him to rule on that issue.

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office has charged Kalshi with 20 misdemeanor counts of wagering, alleging that the company accepted bets on political outcomes, college sports and individual player performance.

Arizona, the first state to file criminal charges against Kalshi, prohibits operating an unlicensed wagering business and betting on elections. The criminal charges mark a new front in a high-stakes legal battle over whether prediction markets should be subject to the same rules as gambling operations.

The Associated Press emailed Kalshi seeking comment on the decision. Attorney General Kris Mayes’ office declined to comment on Thursday.

An arraignment is scheduled Monday for Kalshi in Maricopa County Superior Court. The criminal case is being heard in county court because the company is charged with state criminal violations.

Kalshi, which maintains it’s a financial marketplace rather than a gambling operation, is pressing its civil claims in federal court, arguing that it should only have to answer to the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, not the state of Arizona.

Kalshi operates by allowing customers to buy and sell “Yes” or “No” contracts tied to the probable outcome of an event. It has said its product is different from gambling operations because Kalshi’s customers engage in “swaps” between one another instead of betting against the “house.”

In a lawsuit filed by Kalshi just days before prosecutors leveled the criminal charges, the company argued federal law trumps Arizona’s efforts to subject it to state statute. It also contends that shutting down its ability to offer event contracts would threaten its viability, undermine confidence in the integrity of its platform and cause other problems for the business.

The company said Arizona filed the charges to interfere with its lawsuit.

Lawyers for the state contend Kalshi has marketed itself as a platform for sports and election betting and Arizona should be able to enforce its gambling laws to hold Kalshi accountable for flouting state law.

Kalshi sued Arizona, Utah and Iowa in attempts to stop anticipated state actions against the platform. Other states have taken some form of legal action against Kalshi.

So far, the outcomes have been mixed. Federal and state judges in Nevada and Massachusetts, respectively, issued early rulings in favor of states looking to ban Kalshi and its competitor Polymarket from offering sports betting in their states. Elsewhere, federal judges in New Jersey and Tennessee have ruled in favor of Kalshi.

Earlier this month, the federal government filed lawsuits against Connecticut, Arizona and Illinois challenging the states' efforts to regulate prediction market operators.

The Trump administration has so far backed the platforms.

President Donald Trump’s eldest son is an adviser for both Kalshi and Polymarket and an investor in the latter. Trump’s social media platform Truth Social also is launching its own cryptocurrency-based prediction market called Truth Predict.

Advardo Dames, of the ​Royal Bahamas Police, spoke to Reuters Wednesday night and identified Brian Hooker, 59, as a suspect in the case, saying he was arrested at about 7:30 p.m. in Abaco, but is not formally charged at this time.

“He’s been taken into custody as a suspect. He’s been arrested,” Dames said.

Dames said Hooker is being questioned about what happened to his wife.

A Coast Guard spokesperson told The Associated Press late Wednesday that they have opened a criminal investigation into the case.

It wasn’t immediately clear if Hooker had an attorney.

Officials have said Lynette Hooker, 55, was traveling in an 8-foot motorboat from Hope Town to Elbow Cay on Saturday night, and that her husband, Brian Hooker, told authorities she fell overboard with the boat keys, causing the engine to turn off.

Authorities said Brian Hooker then paddled to shore and alerted someone about her disappearance early Sunday.

“Strong currents subsequently carried her away, and he lost sight of her,” police said in a statement issued Saturday.

Lynette Hooker’s mother, Darlene Hamlett, told The Associated Press late Wednesday that she was “glad to hear” about the arrest, but declined further comment, saying she was seeking more information.

Earlier on Wednesday, she said she wants to hear more from her son-in-law about how her daughter disappeared. The couple had been married for more than two decades and lived in Onsted, Michigan. Online records gave Brian Hooker’s age as 58, and the reason for the discrepancy wasn’t immediately clear.

“I’m going to be interested in what he says, because I haven’t heard from him in almost two days,” Hamlett said while on a six-hour drive back home from the Bahamian Consulate in Miami, where she secured a passport so she can fly to the Caribbean nation soon.

“Our family grew up on water and so Lynette her whole life has been near lakes, on boats, sailing and swimming,” Hamlett said. “It would be a miracle if (she’s rescued), but I’m still counting on one.”

Lynette Hooker’s daughter, Karli Aylesworth, told NBC News that it is unlikely her mother would “just fall” off the boat, saying she was an experienced sailor. The couple had been sailing for years and documented their voyages on social media under the moniker, “The Sailing Hookers.”

Aylesworth also told NBC that the couple’s relationship was volatile, and that they have a “history of not getting along, especially when they drink.”

She told WXYZ-TV she doubted her mother survived and was able to tread water that long, but hoped to find her to get closure.

On Wednesday morning, Brian Hooker wrote on Facebook that he is “heartbroken over the recent boat accident in unpredictable seas and high winds that caused my beloved Lynette to fall from our small dinghy near Elbow Cay in the Bahamas.”

“Despite desperate attempts to reach her, the winds and currents drove us further apart,” he wrote. “We continue to search for her and that is my sole focus.”

The U.S. Coast Guard has also joined the investigation and interviewed Aylesworth on Wednesday, according to her attorney, Ron Marienfeld.

“We are pleased to see it is being investigated, and hopefully more answers will come to give the family some closure,” Marienfeld said via email.

Bahamian police said search operations and investigative efforts remain active.

Local 10 News digital executive producer Amanda Batchelor contributed to this report.

Aden Perry escuchó llamados de ayuda de alguien que había conducido hacia un lago en Sunrise en abril de 2022.

Saltó para ayudar, pero nunca volvió a salir a la superficie, ya que tanto él como el conductor murieron.

“Es importante ser proactivos para salvar vidas”, dijo Sara Perry, madre de Aden Perry. “No pensé que viviría un día o una semana y aquí estoy. El 19 de abril se cumplirán cuatro años desde que ese accidente cambió mi mundo”.

Ahora, los seres queridos esperan convertir su tragedia en algo que pueda ayudar a garantizar que algo así no vuelva a ocurrir.

“No fue hasta perder a mi hijo que me di cuenta de que actualmente no había nada disponible en una emergencia de este tipo”, dijo Perry.

Desde entonces, Perry ha instalado más de 600 aros salvavidas, o salvavidas, a lo largo de vías fluviales en todo el sur de Florida e incluso hasta Carolina del Norte.

Cada uno tiene la última foto que Perry tomaría de su hijo y un mensaje de héroe, pero ella espera que transmitan el mensaje de “lanza, no te lances”.

“Cada cuerpo de agua tiene el potencial de una emergencia acuática y no importa lo buen nadador que seas”, dijo ella.

Perry agregó que los aros salvavidas ya han salvado vidas.

“Al tener estos aros salvavidas, es casi como si estuviéramos completando el trabajo que él comenzó esa noche”, dijo ella.

El legado de Aden también sigue vivo a través de eventos como carreras anuales de 5 kilómetros y la Fundación de Becas del Buen Samaritano Aden Perry, que ayuda a estudiantes que son inteligentes, motivados y desinteresados, como lo era Aden.

It was not immediately clear what was targeted. The Israeli military later claimed that Iran-backed Hezbollah had repositioned to residential and commercial areas far from the Shiite militia's usual sphere of influence on the city's southern outskirts, where the group's yellow flags appear on lampposts and Israeli evacuation orders have been in place for weeks.

The bombardment killed more than 300 people and wounded over 1,800 others, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry, with most of the casualties in Beirut and its southern suburbs. It marked the deadliest day in the past five weeks of the Israel-Hezbollah war.

The areas targeted in this wave of Israeli strikes included busy commercial strips, crowded residential neighborhoods and upscale districts along the city’s seafront — places that had felt somewhat removed from the violence of the war, save for the incessant buzz of Israeli drones and thunder of occasional explosions.

One deadly strike hit along Corniche al-Mazraa, a main artery of the city, razing an apartment building near a popular shop selling nuts and dried fruit and setting parked cars ablaze, some with drivers inside.

Another crashed into the hilly residential district of Tallet El Khayat, flattening a multi-story building near an upscale mall — among those killed, residents said, was an award-winning Arabic poet and her husband.

Yet another struck the seaside district of Ain el Tineh, pulverizing an apartment building also home to an exotic plant shop right near the speaker of parliament’s residence and overlooking the city’s only public beach.

Further strikes blew up apartments near a well-known chocolate shop in the mixed commercial and residential area of Mar Elias, wiped out part of a building that housed a snack shop and hair salon in the Caracas district, destroyed the lower floors of a building along Beirut’s coastal corniche and left smoldering ruins in the densely populated neighborhood of Basta near a school sheltering displaced people in an attack that killed, among others, a young mother and her two sons.

La Ley de Minas --que deroga otras dos normas de 1999 y 2015— establece amplias garantías jurídicas, incluida la posibilidad que “las dudas y controversias de cualquier naturaleza”, que no puedan ser resueltas amigablemente por las partes, podrán ser decididas por tribunales competentes de Venezuela o mediante mecanismos alternativos, incluyendo la “mediación y el arbitraje”.

El gobierno de la presidenta encargada Delcy Rodríguez espera que los cambios sirvan de garantía para las principales firmas mineras internacionales que han dudado en regresar al país.

Varias compañías, entre ellas la empresa minera canadiense Crystallex International Corporation, perdieron inversiones cuando el gobierno del ahora fallecido presidente Hugo Chávez cambió abruptamente las condiciones de sus operaciones en el país y posteriormente revocó su permiso de explotación. Varias otras empresas internacionales aún buscan compensación por proyectos expropiados y paralizados por el gobierno en las últimas dos décadas.

La nueva legislación, que entrará en vigor cuando el Tribunal Supremo se pronuncie acerca de la constitucionalidad de su carácter orgánico, sea promulgada por el Poder Ejecutivo y publicada en la Gaceta Oficial, se aprobó después de una operación militar estadounidense en Caracas que depuso y capturó al entonces presidente Nicolás Maduro el 3 de enero.

Rodríguez fue juramentada presidenta en funciones el 5 de enero. La entonces vicepresidenta era, de acuerdo con la Constitución, la primera en la línea de sucesión.

La ley deja en claro que los yacimientos mineros seguirán siendo propiedad del Estado venezolano, resalta insistentemente el oficialismo, en momentos que la administración del presidente Donald Trump abiertamente manifiesta su intención de ejercer un mayor control sobre los recursos naturales del país sudamericano.

El debate del proyecto de ley comenzó apenas cuatro días después de la visita del secretario de Interior estadounidense, Doug Burgum, con el propósito de ampliar los acuerdos en materia de energía y minería de ambos países.

Al final de la visita, el 5 de marzo, Rodríguez pidió a los legisladores “actuar con celeridad” para aprobar la ley. Burgum estuvo acompañado por representantes de más de dos docenas de empresas mineras y de minerales de Estados Unidos.

En febrero, el gobierno de Trump anunció su intención de crear un bloque comercial de minerales estratégicos con sus aliados y socios para defenderse del control de China en la cadena de suministro de estos minerales y tierras raras, esenciales para la industria electrónica, la fabricación de motores eléctricos, aviones militares, entre otros.

El 6 de marzo, Estados Unidos emitió una licencia que autoriza realizar transacciones con Minerven, la compañía estatal de extracción de oro. Según la licencia, las personas y empresas de Rusia, Irán, Corea del Norte y Cuba no están autorizadas a celebrar contratos con Minerven.

Además del petróleo, Venezuela es rica en oro, cobre, diamantes, coltán y otros metales preciosos, pero su explotación se concentra en zonas inseguras.

En ese sentido, Burgum manifestó que el gobierno de Venezuela dio garantías de seguridad a las compañías mineras interesadas en invertir en el país donde las zonas ricas en minerales han estado controladas por guerrilleros colombianos y otros grupos ilegales locales durante mucho tiempo.

La ley busca reproducir el modelo de la recién aprobada Ley de Hidrocarburos, que redujo drásticamente el rígido control estatal sobre las operaciones petroleras vigente en las últimas dos décadas y que abrió ampliamente el sector a la inversión extranjera.

En sintonía, el Departamento del Tesoro comenzó a flexibilizar las sanciones a los hidrocarburos venezolanos y amplió la capacidad de las compañías energéticas estadounidenses para operar en Venezuela.

Los gobiernos de Washington y Caracas también acordaron restablecer relaciones diplomáticas, rotas en 2019. Esas y otras medidas han sido adoptadas después del traslado de Maduro y su esposa a Nueva York para enfrentar cargos federales de tráfico de droga.

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Authorities say Corey Hutterli, 37, of Parkland, is accused of killing a man by throwing him off the balcony of a 25th floor apartment.

The incident occurred on Feb. 15 at the Akoya Condominium located at 6365 Collins Ave. on Mid-Beach.

According to an arrest report, the victim, who has been identified as Justin Zelin, called 911 at 10:22 p.m. and could be heard by dispatchers repeatedly saying “get away from me Sasha,” which police said was Hutterli’s nickname.

During the call, police said Zelin suddenly stopped communicating but the line remained open, where a struggle could be heard, as could Hutterli.

At 10:31 p.m., responding officers arrived to the building and went to the unit regarding the 911 call just as Hutterli was attempting to leave “in what appears to be an excited state” and was only wearing socks while “seen physically sweating and out of breath,” the report states.

Police said at first, Hutterli spontaneously began making statements to police, including, “What’s going on? Somebody, he freaked out, attacked me” and then later when officers asked where the victim was, Hutterli stated, “He went to the elevator man, what the f---, I’m all beat up” and then inquired “What is the situation? Did he jump?”

According to an arrest report, officers allowed Hutterli to call his mother, a conversation that was captured on body camera footage, and during the call police said Hutterli could be heard saying that he was leaving the apartment because Zelin told him to leave, but police noted that around nine minutes had passed from when Zelin was demanding Hutterli to leave during the 911 call to the moment officers arrived and Hutterli was still there, indicating he had time to leave.

Police said when officers reviewed surveillance footage, it showed Zelin striking the pavement outside the building at 10:30 p.m., meaning only one minute had passed from that moment to when officers arrived and Hutterli was seen trying to leave the apartment, despite the 911 call being made and the demand to leave being heard nine minutes prior.

After obtaining a search warrant, police said they found signs of a struggle inside the unit that led to the balcony, and that the balcony doors were left open. Police said they also found Hutterli’s sandals on the balcony and blood on the balcony railing, which officers said coincides with where Zelin’s body fell from.

During their search, police said they located Zelin’s cellphone that placed the 911 call on the bathroom floor, as well as pieces of Hutterli’s beard that were seen “scattered throughout the living room.”

When searching Hutterli’s personal items, police said they found more pieces of his beard hair inside his backpack “as if he was attempting to both retrieve and conceal evidence from the scene,” according to an arrest form, as well as a bag of Ketamine inside the pocket of a jacket that was also inside the backpack.

Ultimately, investigators said a combination of the 911 call, the evidence of a struggle that included the beard hair, a cut to Hutterli’s right thumb, scratches on his arm and the statements he made to police, they arrested him for second degree murder.

Hutterli’s attorney calls the case purely circumstantial.

“There is no eyewitness (to) any alleged act that causes the deceased death,” said attorney David Sobel. “No statements or admission for Mr. Hutterli acknowledging any criminal conduct, no direct evidence establishing how or by whom the fatal injuries were inflicted.”

Authorities said Hutterli was already out on felony bond. He is also facing charges of burglary with assault or battery, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

As of Thursday morning, Hutterli was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.”

El accidente ocurrió cerca de Powerline Road y la calle 12 del noroeste, según la policía de Fort Lauderdale.

La policía indicó que el sospechoso huyó cuando los oficiales intentaron detenerlo, lo que provocó una persecución que terminó cuando el sospechoso chocó contra un vehículo civil, causando que se volcara.

Dicen que Roberson, de 24 años, y los ocupantes del otro vehículo fueron trasladados al Broward Health Medical Center con lesiones menores.

La policía de Sunrise dijo que enfrenta un cargo por cada uno de los siguientes: robo con carjacking, agresión agravada a una mujer embarazada, obstrucción de la justicia, gran hurto de un vehículo, justicia penal, negligencia infantil, interferencia con la custodia de un menor.

La foto de registro de Robertson no estaba disponible de inmediato.

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The crash occurred near Powerline Road and Northwest 12th Street, according to Fort Lauderdale police.

Police said the suspect, Thomas Jamaine Roberson, fled when officers attempted a traffic stop, leading to a pursuit that ended when the suspect crashed into a civilian vehicle, causing it to overturn.

They said Roberson, 24, and the occupants of the other vehicle were taken to Broward Health Medical Center with minor injuries.

Sunrise police said he is facing one count each of robbery with carjacking, aggravated battery of a pregnant female, obstruction of justice, grand theft of a vehicle, criminal justice, child neglect, interfering with custody of a minor.

Robertson’s mugshot wasn’t immediately available.

Aden Perry heard calls for help from someone who had driven into a lake in Sunrise in April 2022.

He jumped in to help, but never came back up, as both he and the driver died.

“It’s important to be proactive to save lives,” said Sara Perry, Aden’s mother. “I didn’t think I’d live a day or a week and here I am. On April 19, it’ll mark four years since that accident changed my world.”

Now, loved ones are hoping to turn their tragedy into something that could help make sure something like this doesn’t happen again.

“It wasn’t until losing my son that I realized there was currently nothing available in such an emergency,” said Perry.

Since then, Perry has put up more than 600 life rings, or life preservers, along waterways across South Florida and even up into North Carolina.

Each one has the last picture Perry would ever take of her son, and a hero’s message but she hopes they send the message of “throw, don’t go.”

“Every body of water has the potential for a water emergency and it doesn’t matter how great a swimmer you are,” she said.

Perry added that the life rings have already saved lives.

“By having these life rings, it’s almost like we’re completing the job he started that night,” she said.

Aden’s legacy also lives on through events like annual 5Ks and the Aden Perry Good Samaritan Scholarship Foundation, which helps students who are smart, driven and selfless, like Aden was.

“To date, we’ve given well over $300,000 in scholarships,” said Perry. “He wanted to be a neurosurgeon, he wanted to make a difference, he really wanted to save lives.

“I miss him terribly. The work I do now is all for him, in his honor. He would be proud of me. He was my hero.”

The latest 5K will be held on Saturday at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, where Perry will give a $10,000 scholarship to a deserving student.

It’s one of the 16 scholarships she’s handing out.

All money collected from the 5K will go toward those scholarships.

It is the latest legislative initiative by acting President Delcy Rodríguez since the self-proclaimed socialist government that has ruled Venezuela for 26 years came under pressure from the Trump administration in January, when the U.S. military deposed then-President Nicolás Maduro.

The lengthy bill will now undergo a review by the country’s high court to determine if it is constitutional.

The bill regulates mineral rights, establishes small, medium and large-scale mining categories, and allows for independent arbitration of disputes, which foreign investors view as key to guard against the government seizing their assets. It also bans the president, vice president, ministers, governors and others from holding mining titles.

The bill is a “vehicle for the construction of future prosperity” and an “instrument that protects” mining workers across the country, National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez told lawmakers after the measure was approved.

The approval came a day after the acting president asked public and private sector workers, whose wages have long not allowed them to afford basic necessities, for patience as her government works to improve the country’s economy. She promised them a wage increase on May 1 but did not disclose the amount.

On Thursday, as workers protested for better wages in the capital, Caracas, Delcy Rodríguez arrived in Grenada on her first official international trip as acting president.

Two decades ago, many foreign firms in the mining and oil sectors saw their assets seized by the Venezuelan government. However, as crucial oil revenues plummeted, Maduro’s government in 2016 designated more than 10% of Venezuela’s territory as a mining development zone stretching across the central area of the country.

Since then, mining operations for gold, diamonds, copper and other minerals have proliferated. Many of these sites are informal, unlicensed mines operating under brutal conditions and the presence of criminal groups.

Homicides, human trafficking, fuel smuggling and other crimes are commonplace in mining areas, but ordinary Venezuelans continue to flock there in hopes of getting rich quick and escaping poverty.

Officials and members of the military take cuts from the illegal mining revenue in exchange for allowing the operation of mines.

“The mining and subsequent sale of gold has proven to be a lucrative financial scheme for some well-connected Venezuelans and senior officers within the National Bolivarian Armed Forces, which profits from charging criminal organizations for access and inputs, such as fuel,” the U.S. State Department reported to Congress last year.

“The estimated market value of gold mined in Venezuela is difficult to confirm, but well-respected sources estimate that it averaged $2.2 billion annually over the past five years.”

The newly approved bill sets royalties and taxes and caps mining concessions at 30 years, with the possibility of renewal. It also establishes prison penalties for those who participate in illegal activities and those who cause environmental damages, and allows for the seizure of illegally obtained minerals.

___

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

A su ingreso a la Sala de Vistas de la Corte Suprema de Justicia a donde fue su entrevista, decenas de activistas de la sociedad civil y particulares presentes se levantaron y le dieron la espalda durante los más de 20 minutos que duró su intervención. Su participación pública podría ser una de las últimas en lo que le queda de su mandato, que vence el mes próximo.

Al finalizar y ante preguntas de periodistas sobre por qué debería se reelegida con el aval del presidente Bernardo Arévalo, que por ley es a quién le corresponde elegir fiscal general y con quien mantiene diferencias, Porras dijo que cree en el estado de derecho guatemalteco, y que "cada autoridad debe de cumplir con su competencia sobre la base que le corresponde”.

En 2023, Porras intentó bloquear la llegada al poder de Arévalo, que ganó las elecciones en dos vueltas electorales. La fiscalía lo acusó de presunto fraude electoral, entre otros supuestos delitos, incluso llegó a secuestrar boletas electorales y le solicitó a un juez cancelar al partido político que llevó al poder.

Porras también fue cuestionada sobre la falta de resultados de algunas denuncias presentadas, incluyendo varias contra el anterior presidente Alejandro Giammattei, quién la nombró en el cargo y quien la reconocía como su amiga.

La fiscal defendió que ya había varios resultados en las investigaciones como extinción del dominio de propiedades, sin embargo, la fiscalía no ha accionado contra Giammattei ni allegados para que puedan rendir cuentas ante los tribunales respecto a las acusaciones.

“El Ministerio Público con mucha solvencia, ética, legalidad ha hecho su trabajo”, aseguró.

Sobre qué haría después de terminar su mandato en la fiscalía, Porras dijo que “mi plan es seguir trabajando por mi país”.

Se tiene previsto que la próxima semana la comisión que selecciona a los candidatos entregue un listado de seis al presidente Arévalo, para que decida quién será el próximo fiscal general por los próximos cuatro años.

Este año por lo menos c inco organismos del Estado guatemalteco renuevan liderazgos, entre ellos los diez magistrados —titulares y suplentes— de la Corte de Constitucionalidad; cinco jueces titulares y cinco suplentes del Tribunal Supremo Electoral (TSE); el jefe de la Contraloría General de Cuentas y el rector de la Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC).

El martes, la USAC reeligió a Walter Mazariegos como rector en medio de cuestionamientos de presunto fraude, mientras que estudiantes universitarios mantienen tomado el campus de la universidad, la única de carácter público en el país, para rechazar la reelección de Mazariegos. El jueves, la fiscalía realizaba diligencias judiciales en esa casa de estudios a raíz de la toma del campus por parte de los estudiantes.

Porras no descartó una investigación a Mazariegos por los señalamientos de supuesto fraude.

“Everybody talks about Detroit, we owe our stuff to Detroit — first city that appreciated the band that I’m in,” Simmons said before cutting the ribbon at the new Rock & Brews in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Since opening their first location in Southern California in 2010, Simmons and Stanley have opened Rock & Brews in states from Washington to Florida.

“Our CEO is here, because he wants to go back in the kitchen and even bring it up a notch,” Simmons said in an interview. “You don’t want to keep the same old, same old. We got to kick it up, because people deserve the best. You wanted the best, you got the best — the hottest food in town.”

Simmons, 76, is the longtime bassist for Kiss. The face-painting rockers were inducted in 2014 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and were Kennedy Center honorees last year.

The New Yorkers long have had a soft spot for the Motor City. Not only is “Detroit Rock City” one of their best-known tunes, Kiss recorded part of their seminal live album “Alive!” at Cobo Arena.

Simmons, singer Stanley, the late guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss put out a few studio albums in the early 1970s without a lot of success. It wasn’t until 1975’s “Alive!” hit record stores that Kiss became, well, Kiss.

The band retired a few years ago from touring.

But Simmons was happy to be back on the road and in the Great Lakes State.

Indeed, Simmons said Thursday’s visit was a homecoming of sorts.

“Kiss really broke our rock-and-roll teeth in Detroit. Detroit accepted us way before New York and any other city,” he said, before doing a little impromptu singing: “You gotta lose your mind in Detroit Rock City.”

The American Library Association and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees said that they had reached an agreement with the Justice Department that will allow the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences to continue awarding grants and operating programs that support libraries and museums.

The White House referred questions to the Justice Department. The Civil Division of the Justice Department, which agreed to the settlement, did not immediately comment.

The two organizations filed a lawsuit last May, spearheaded by the group Democracy Forward, to stop the administration from gutting the IMLS after President Donald Trump signed a March 14 executive order that referred to it and several other federal agencies as “unnecessary.”

The measures that set in motion were part of a broader attempt by the administration to save money by slashing staff, grants and programs in the federal government.

Staff was subsequently placed on administrative leave with many receiving termination notices. The agency’s then acting director also began canceling grants and contracts and fired the members of the National Museum and Library Services Board.

“When the administration began shuttering IMLS last year, it set off a chain reaction. Libraries across the country started cutting hours, staff and services people rely on – after-school programs, support for job seekers and connection for older adults,” said American Library Association president Sam Helmick in a press statement.

The settlement said all reductions in force to the staff in 2025 have been rescinded and all employees who received them are authorized to return to work. IMLS will not issue any more RIFs in order “to effectuate” the purpose of the executive order, the settlement said.

Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, called the settlement a victory for every community that depends on libraries and museums.

The plaintiffs will file a joint stipulation of dismissal of the case without prejudice in seven days if the government adheres to terms of the agreement.

The settlement announcement comes three days after a federal judge in Rhode Island approved an administration request to withdraw its appeal of a federal district court opinion in a separate lawsuit filed by 21 attorneys general.

IMLS is the only federal agency tasked with providing funding for the nation’s libraries. It was established in 1996 by a Republican-led Congress and has a mission to “advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development.”

The institute combined the services of previous government agencies, including the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and the Institute of Museum Services.

It distributes thousands of grants nationwide, totaling in recent years to more than $200 million annually.

Shortly ahead of a fragile ceasefire agreement earlier this week, a new group of accounts on prediction market platform Polymarket made highly specific, well-timed trades betting there'd be an announcement about a halt in fighting for April 7. Some quickly pocketed awards, which amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits combined. Others are still awaiting payouts as an end to the deadly conflict still seems uncertain.

Regardless, the trades once again put the spotlight on a murky — and growing — world of speculative, 24/7 transactions now filling the internet. And some have raised questions about suspicious activity, including an anonymous Polymarket trader pocketing more than $400,000 following the U.S. military's capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January.

The timing and subjects of such trades have fueled concerns about potential insider trading — with calls increasing among lawmakers for investigations. Popular platforms, including Polymarket, have rolled out added guardrails in efforts to combat insider trading recently, but critics say it isn't enough.

Meanwhile, because prediction market wagers are categorized differently than traditional forms of gambling, tensions about government oversight have erupted. President Donald Trump's administration has already thrown its support behind company operators — and sued three states over their efforts to regulate them further.

Here's what we know:

How prediction markets work

The scope of topics involved in prediction markets can range immensely. Recently, there’s been a surge of wages on elections and sports games. But some users have also bet millions on things like a rumored — and ultimately unrealized — “secret finale” for the Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” whether the U.S. government will confirm the existence of extraterrestrial life and how much billionaire Elon Musk might post on social media this month.

In industry-speak, what someone buys or sells in a prediction market is called an “event contract.” They're typically advertised as “yes” or “no” wagers. And the price of one fluctuates between $0 and $1, reflecting what traders are collectively willing to pay based on a 0% to 100% chance of whether they think an event will occur.

The more likely traders think an event will occur, the more expensive that contract will become. And as those odds change over time, users can cash out early to make incremental profits, or try to avoid higher losses on what they’ve already invested.

Proponents of prediction markets argue putting money on the line leads to better forecasts and allow you to gauge public opinion as an alternative to polling. And some think there's value in monitoring prediction markets for potential news, particularly elections.

Still, prediction markets can also be wrong. People investing their money may be closely following certain events, but others could just be randomly guessing.

Who is behind all of the trading is also pretty unclear.

The companies running today's biggest platforms know who their customers are — as they collect personal information to verify identities and payments. But most users can trade under anonymous pseudonyms on public-facing websites, making it difficult for the world to tell who is profiting off many event contracts.

Critics also stress that the ease and speed of joining these 24/7 wagers leads to financial losses everyday, particularly harming users who may already struggle with gambling.

The major players

Polymarket is one of the largest prediction markets in the world. Users can fund event contracts through cryptocurrency, debit or credit cards and bank transfers.

Restrictions vary by country, but in the U.S., the reach of these markets has expanded rapidly over recent years, coinciding with shifting policies out of Washington.

While prediction markets have found backing from the Trump-controlled Commodity Futures Trading Commission, former President Joe Biden was more aggressive in cracking down. Following a 2022 settlement with the CFTC, Polymarket was barred from operating in the country. That changed under Trump late last year, when Polymarket announced it would be returning to the U.S. after receiving clearance from the commission. American-based users can now join a “waitlist” to access the platform.

Meanwhile, Polymarket’s top competitor, Kalshi, has been a federally-regulated exchange since 2020. The platform offers similar ways to buy and sell event contracts as Polymarket — and it currently allows event contracts on elections and sports nationwide. Kalshi won court approval just weeks before the 2024 election to let Americans put money on upcoming political races and began to host sports trading last year.

The space is now crowded with other big names. Major League Baseball inked a deal with Polymarket last month, following other partnerships in professional hockey and soccer. Meanwhile, sports betting giants DraftKings and FanDuel have launched their own prediction platforms. Trump’s social media site Truth Social has also promised to offer an in-platform prediction market through a partnership with Crypto.com — and one of the president’s sons, Donald Trump Jr., holds advisory roles at both Polymarket and Kalshi.

Last month, The Associated Press agreed to sell its U.S. elections data to Kalshi.

Loose regulation and calls for reform

Because they’re positioned as selling event contracts, prediction markets are regulated by the CFTC. That means they can avoid state-level restrictions or bans in place for traditional gambling and sports betting today.

“It’s a huge loophole,” said Karl Lockhart, an assistant professor of law at DePaul University who has studied this space. “You just have to comply with one set of regulations, rather than (rules from) each state around the country.”

Sports betting is taking center stage. There are a handful of big states — like California and Texas, for example — where sports betting is still illegal, but people can now wager on games, athlete trades and more through event contracts.

A growing number of states and tribes are trying to stop this. But the Trump administration has already pushed back, maintaining that the CFTC has the sole authority to regulate prediction markets. Many lawyers expect litigation to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Despite overseeing trillions of dollars for the overall U.S. derivatives market, the CFTC is much smaller than the Securities and Exchange Commission, which regulates the securities industry. And at the same time event contracts are growing rapidly on prediction market platforms, there have been sizeable workforce cuts and leadership departures. CFTC chairman Michael Selig is the sole member filling just one of five commissioner slots.

Meanwhile, Congress members from both sides of the aisle have introduced broad legislation for more guardrails in recent months. Soon after, Kalshi — which has maintained that it's always banned insider trading — quickly moved to bar political candidates from trading on their own campaigns, and preemptively block anyone involved in college or professional sports from contracts related to the sports they play or are employed by. Polymarket rewrote its rules to clearly say users cannot trade on contracts where they might possess confidential information, or could influence the outcome of an event.

The CFTC can also bar event contracts related to war, terrorism and assassinations, which experts say could put some prediction market trades — including those related to the Iran war — on added shaky ground, at least in the U.S. Lawmakers like Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff are seeking an outright ban of these kinds of trades.

Still, users might find ways to buy certain contracts while traveling abroad, or through connecting to different VPNs.

Daniel Curran fue encontrado sin vida en un edificio en Northeast 36th Street y North Ocean Boulevard en su cumpleaños número 35.

Su muerte se produce tras un caso de violencia doméstica contra Curran, en el que Trantalis, de 72 años, citó incidentes previos de amenazas y violencia.

Antes de su muerte, se estaban realizando modificaciones a la orden de restricción, ya que Trantalis consideraba que su ex pareja ya no representaba una amenaza.

“Me sorprendió recibir esta noticia esta mañana. Estábamos en camino a una resolución, lo que habría permitido que Danny recibiera el tratamiento que necesitaba y habría llevado a que los cargos fueran desestimados”, dijo el abogado de Curran, Philip C. Johnston, en un comunicado a Local 10 News. “Danny era una persona muy amable y sensible. Después de que modificamos la orden de no contacto, expresé mis condolencias al alcalde. Él dijo que él y Danny se reunieron anoche y conversaron con alegría sobre planes futuros juntos. Esta es una situación profundamente triste.”

Trantalis emitió un comunicado el jueves tras la muerte de Curran, diciendo que se enteró “con profundo pesar”.

“Era una persona amorosa, y mis condolencias van a su familia”, dijo Trantalis. “Quizá ahora, el dolor que sufrió se alivie. Que descanse en paz”.

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Greene made the catch, and Meadows landed on his back in a daze, barely moving with his hands pointed up and blood appearing on his face. After a few minutes, Meadows was able to sit up. Medical personnel slowly helped him stand and move toward a cart that was waiting to take him away.

“It's a terrible feeling. I still feel terrible,” Greene said after the game against Minnesota at Target Field. “He hit my head. I don't know where I hit him, to be honest, but I just really hope he's OK."

Meadows had a concussion, manager A.J. Hinch said after the Tigers lost 3-1 to the Twins and were swept in the four-game series. The collision caused Meadows to bite the inside of his mouth, which led to the bleeding.

“We’re going to get him checked out for everything, but this one worries me,” Hinch said.

Josh Bell led off the eighth inning for Minnesota with a shallow fly to left-center that Greene appeared to be calling for as he and Meadows ran toward the ball. Meadows tried slowing up and backing off at the last second. But his face appeared to slam against Greene's head, sending both players tumbling to the grass.

“It’s a perfect tweener, and you have two guys who like to go and get it,” catcher Jake Rogers said. “It’s a scary thing.”

Meadows has started 11 of 13 games in center field for the Tigers this season. Matt Vierling made the other two starts. Meadows went 0 for 3 on Thursday and is batting .250 with two extra-base hits.

The 26-year-old Meadows, who was a second-round draft pick by the Tigers in 2018, made his major league debut in 2023. He missed the first two months of last season with a nerve problem in his upper right arm. Then he missed more than a month with a shoulder injury and finished with a .215 average and a .621 OPS.

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

Within seconds, plumes of smoke were rising across Beirut’s skyline, from the coastal corniche, down to the city’s busiest intersection, up from one of its wealthiest neighborhoods and one of its poorest. Boom. Boom. Boom. We stopped counting. One staffer ran into the office from downstairs, her face white and lips trembling.

During the 10 years that Beirut has been my home, the Lebanese capital has lived through rounds of Israeli bombing, Israel’s detonation of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members and a devastating port explosion in 2020. But Wednesday was the first time it felt like the city had been left breathless.

In a span of 10 minutes, Israel says it hit 100 targets in Lebanon. Most were in Beirut. Over 300 people were killed, including more than 100 women, children and elderly. Late night TV shows said it rivaled one of the worst days during Israel’s 1982 invasion of Beirut — in August of that year, when roughly 300 people were killed over some 10 hours of bombardment.

Acrid smoke, frantic calls and looks of horror

Before Wednesday's bombardment, many Lebanese had hoped that a ceasefire announced hours earlier in the Iran war would bring a pause in the more than a month of fighting between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

It is still not clear what the targets were. Israel said it hit Hezbollah command and control centers, but the only Hezbollah official it reported killing was an aide to the group’s secretary general.

As bombs fell, panicked commuters got stuck in traffic while trying to rush home to move their families, unsure where Israel may hit next. Others made frantic calls on an overwhelmed communication network, looking for loved ones or yelling at relatives to pack up and leave. Confused drivers stared at the acrid black and white smoke billowing over the city, trying to determine which road to take.

In the stricken areas, the mayhem was on another level. People’s faces were covered in black soot. At one of Beirut’s busiest intersections, on Corniche al-Mazraa, an Associated Press photographer saw charred cars piled on top of each other. A body was crushed inside one.

In Mar Elias, one of Beirut’s main commercial streets, a blast raised dust and debris that hid the view of the entire block. Across the street, Sahar Charara was huddled in her apartment.

Ever since the 2020 port explosion, in which her two children suffered minor injuries, Charara has tried to protect herself from seeing the victims of violence — a sign of how years of accumulated heartbreaks have marked Lebanese. But when the dust cleared, she looked outside and saw the despair of an entire city on the face of an elderly woman frozen in place and screaming for minutes.

“There were so much horror and fear in her screaming,” said Charara.

When Charara left her apartment an hour later, she exchanged a few words with her neighbor whose shop was destroyed. The expression on her face was a “blank look of horror,” Charara said.

She learned later from her building’s doorman that another neighbor had fallen from the balcony and died from the impact.

Buildings crumble to the ground

A strike hit near the home of Nahida Khalil, close to the corniche. Then she saw smoke also coming from the direction of her brother’s building further up the street.

The next 15 minutes felt like an eternity as she tried to call her brother, with no answer. Finally, his wife responded, screaming that their building was hit. They had searched through the black smoke filling their apartment to find their three children. When they finally made it to the street, they saw half of their building had been leveled, and the other half was slowly tumbling down as rescuers searched for the missing.

“I lived through all the wars since 1975. I never felt this fear,” said Khalil, who has lived in the same building for decades. "These strikes are meant to terrorize ... and to spoil the ceasefire and cause division” between Lebanese.

A few hundred meters to the west of Charara’s building later in the day, motorists swerved and crossed paths, as they tried to evacuate Tallet al-Khayyat, one of the highest points in Beirut and home to some of the city’s classiest apartment buildings. One building crumbled to dust in seconds after being struck by an Israeli bomb; a resident described hearing the building’s stones grind before it collapsed.

By nightfall, people were still assessing the losses and damages – and trying to figure out where was safe. Some families spent the night sleeping in different rooms, figuring if overnight strikes hit, some would survive.

Rescue efforts went on through the night.

At Khalil’s family building in the Ain Mreisseh neighborhood, rescue workers' hopes were boosted after finding a 92-year-old man alive. But by daylight Thursday, they were still searching for four or five more bodies, they told the AP. A man whose 23-year-old daughter was among the missing stood on a mound of rubble and helped search.

The 101st strike

At hospitals, staff were still trying to identify dozens of bodies.

The last strike came shortly after midnight, hitting the southern suburbs of Beirut, which have been regularly hit during the war. Mohammed Mehdi’s barbershop, in operation for 30 years, was destroyed.

During the current war, he and his family fled their home in the neighborhood, Chiyah, and now sleep in a dentist clinic, near Khalil’s family building. But he made it a point to keep his barber shop open, going to it every day to meet friends, have coffee and give the occasional haircut. He shut down Wednesday as bombs starting falling across the city.

“They carried out 100 strikes. Ours was the 101st,” he said Thursday. He is mourning Lebanon’s dead from the day. “I am still in shock, and I don’t know where things are going. I lost my job and this loss may last for a while.”

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AP correspondent Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut contributed to this report.

But a lawyer for Live Nation insisted in Manhattan federal court that there is more competition than ever and the company plays fair amid a booming concert business across America.

The attorney, David Marriott, said the states failed to prove that Live Nation had acted as a monopolist.

“They can’t, and they didn’t,” he said.

The federal government led the civil claims case until it settled the lawsuit it brought in 2024 several weeks ago, saying it had won important concessions from Live Nation, particularly in the sale of tickets at dozens of the company's amphitheaters. The settlement delayed the trial for a week while states conducted mostly unsuccessful negotiations with Live Nation.

After closing arguments concluded, jurors were instructed on the law by Judge Arun Subramanian. They were expected to start deliberations Friday.

In his closing, attorney Jeffrey Kessler argued on behalf of the states that evidence has shown that the companies “violated antitrust laws and it is time to hold them accountable.”

He reminded jurors that since it was a civil trial, they only needed to find that the states had proven by a preponderance of the evidence — more than 50% — that Live Nation and Ticketmaster illegally wielded monopoly power.

Kessler labeled the company a “monopolistic bully” and said it had employed practices that “kept digging the moat around the monopoly castle in order to protect their market position.”

Live Nation's control of 86% of the market for concerts and 73% of the overall market when sports events are included, showed it had monopoly power, he said.

Marriott countered that Live Nation and Ticketmaster were merely reaping the fruits of decades of hard work that created the best products in the industry.

“We are the biggest entertainment company and ticketer in the country. We’re not hiding from that fact,” he said. “We are big. That is not against the laws in the United States. Success is not against the antitrust laws in the United States.”

Marriott also said the company tries to “outflank and outcompete” its competitors and the jury should not punish the company because the states had shown some communications in which employees who are “fierce competitors” talk about crushing the competition.

He defended the company decision not to immediately fire an employee who acknowledged from the witness stand that he had written a series of messages from late 2021 through early 2023 in which he mocked customers as “so stupid” and said the company was “robbing them blind, baby.”

“People say, sometimes, stupid stuff,” Marriott said, noting the comments were made about the price of lawn chairs and parking. “We don't condone that. But we also don't just ax somebody because they made a mistake years in the past.”

Meanwhile, he said, venues and artists are doing better than ever and fans are benefiting from a robust and thriving entertainment industry.

“Our job is to help venues and artists make money. We don’t make excuses for that,” Marriott said.

The 76ers are scheduled to play at the Rockets on Thursday night.

The team said further updates will be provided as appropriate.

The 76ers are currently eighth in the Eastern Conference and on track for a spot in the play-in tournament, though they are only one game behind sixth-place Toronto.

Embiid has been limited to 38 games this season, sidelined primarily by injury management in his knees.

He was held out against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday with “right oblique; injury management; (and) illness.” He has not played in both games of a back-to-back all season.

After missing Saturday's game, Embiid had 34 points and 12 rebounds in Philadelphia's 115-102 loss at San Antonio on Monday night.

Embiid, 32, is averaging 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds this season after playing in only 19 games in the 2024-25 season. He hasn't appeared in as many as 40 games in a regular season since 2022-23 when he was named MVP after averaging a career-high 33.1 points.

Embiid expressed his frustrations with Daryl Morey, the 76ers president of basketball operations, on Friday night for not allowing him to play in Washington last week.

“I was pissed off. I wanted to play basketball,” Embiid said. “I wasn’t allowed to play basketball, so I think this is more of a question of Daryl Morey or whoever makes the decisions.”

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

Preston Henry Tolth, 26, now will face trial on charges of carjacking and assault in relation to the 2021 disappearance of Ella Mae Begay. A trial date hasn't been set.

Under the agreement, Tolth would have been released on a sentence of three years of time served in exchange for acknowledging his role in the crime and pleading guilty to a single count of robbery.

Known as a gifted weaver of pictorial rugs, Ella Mae Begay was 62 years-old when she vanished from Sweetwater, Arizona, the small community on the northern part of the Navajo Nation where she was raised and later brought up her own three children.

Begay’s disappearance received national media attention and helped highlight the broader crisis of Indigenous people who go missing or are killed at disproportionate rates. Nearly five years after she disappeared, Begay has not been found.

The rare decision to reject a plea agreement followed anguished testimony from Begay's family members who told the court Tolth should not walk free without revealing Begay's location.

Seraphine Warren described her aunt as a warm and sweet person who opted for “hugs instead of handshakes," and implored the judge not to "give up on her" by accepting a plea agreement that Warren said offered no justice to the grieving family.

“Accountability is not time served,” Warren told the judge tearfully. “It’s about truth, and we still don’t have the truth.”

Gerald Begay, Ella Mae’s son, said, “I feel like the justice system has failed me.”

Tolth, whose father was dating Begay's sister, was identified as a person of interest within days of Begay's disappearance. He initially denied involvement but in a later interrogation, confessed to stealing Begay's truck with her in it, punching her repeatedly and leaving her on the side of the road.

Tolth was set to face trial in 2024, but a federal judge dealt prosecutors a major blow by ruling his confession inadmissible, saying Tolth had been unlawfully coerced by an FBI agent who lied about evidence that law enforcement had against him after Tolth had invoked his right to remain silent.

The U.S. Attorney's office for Arizona and Tolth's public defenders declined to comment on the judge's rejection of the plea agreement.

Tolth did not speak at Thursday's hearing. His attorney asked the judge to consider his unstable childhood and history of homelessness and substance abuse, calling his three years in federal custody a reasonable sentence.

A federal prosecutor said the suppression of Tolth's confession weakened the government's case and that the plea agreement would provide Begay's family with more certainty and finality than a trial with sparse evidence. Begay's family members disagree.

“We want to see this go to trial because we have nothing to lose,” Warren said. “If we lose, at least we fought.”

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Deputies said the bales appeared waterlogged and may have been in the area for some time.

They said the packages were turned over to MCSO’s narcotics division.

No other details were immediately released.

Los agentes dijeron que los paquetes parecían estar empapados y podrían haber estado en el área durante algún tiempo.

Dijeron que los paquetes fueron entregados a la división de narcóticos de la MCSO.

No se dieron a conocer otros detalles de inmediato.

In his Wednesday decision, U.S. District Judge Brian Murphy from Massachusetts said the Trump administration terminated the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) “without regard for the process delineated by Congress.”

The decision came at a time when hundreds of thousands of TPS holders from different nationalities are challenging the termination of their status at the federal courts. It represents the latest legal setback for the Trump's administration efforts to put an end to TPS as part of his hard-line immigration policy.

More than 1 million migrants from 17 countries were protected by TPS during President Joe Biden's administration. But the Department of Homeland Security has terminated the designation for 13 of those countries since President Donald Trump came to office for his second term in January 2025.

Venezuelans comprised the largest group of beneficiaries, followed by Haitians and Salvadorans.

On April 29, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments on the administration efforts to terminate TPS for 6,100 people from Syria and 350,000 from Haiti.

TPS was created by Congress in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters or civil strife, giving people authorization to work in increments of up to 18 months.

The Biden administration granted TPS to Ethiopians living in the U.S. in 2022, noting ​the need to protect them from armed conflict ⁠and humanitarian suffering. In April 2024, it was extended.

Under Trump’s administration, the Department of Homeland Security terminated TPS for Ethiopia in December 2025, saying that the country no longer met the conditions for its designation.

The judge said DHS disregarded the statutory procedures Congress enacted that govern TPS.

“Fundamental to this case — and indeed to our constitutional system — is the principle that the will of the President does not supersede that of Congress,” Murphy, who was appointed by Biden, said in his decision. “Presidential whims do not and cannot supplant agencies’ statutory obligations.”

After Murphy's decision, DHS reiterated that TPS is a temporary status.

DHS spokeswoman Lauren Bis said the ruling "is just the latest example of judicial activists trying to prevent President Trump from restoring integrity to America’s legal immigration system.”

Conine appeared to be hobbling after getting up, as manager Clayton McCullough and a member of the Marlins’ training staff came onto the field to check on him before all three walked off together.

Conine was replaced by Heriberto Hernández.

The team announced Conine’s injury as left knee discomfort.

After the win, McCullough met with reporters and announced that Conine has left hamstring discomfort.

McCullough didn’t say whether Conine will go on the injured list, which would require a corresponding roster move.

Conine was 0-for-2 Thursday, as his averaged dipped down to .273.

He had two hits Wednesday, including a towering two-run home run in the Marlins’ 7-4 win.

Last season, Conine dislocated his left shoulder against the Philadelphia Phillies, an injury that required surgery.

He missed most of the season before making a late return in September.

The Marlins (8-5) open a six-game road trip Friday at 6:40 p.m. ET against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

Los oficiales indicaron que respondieron alrededor de las 5:30 a.m. a un reporte de un posible suicidio en una vivienda cerca de la cuadra 900 de Northwest 11th Place, donde encontraron a una mujer muerta en el lugar tras sufrir una herida de bala en la cabeza.

Los hallazgos iniciales indicaban que no se sospechaba de un acto delictivo, pero la policía informó que el caso ha sido reclasificado como un “posible homicidio” a medida que se revisa más información.

No se han divulgado de inmediato más detalles sobre la víctima ni sobre posibles sospechosos.

Cualquier persona con información sobre el caso debe comunicarse con Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477.

The Trump administration proposed easing standards for monitoring and protecting groundwater near some coal ash sites, and rolling back rules that require the cleanup of entire coal properties rather than just the sites where ash was dumped. The revisions would also make it easier to reuse coal ash for other purposes.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the proposal reflects the agency's "commitment to restoring American energy dominance, strengthening cooperative federalism, and accommodating unique circumstances at certain (coal) facilities.”

Burning coal produces tremendous amounts of ash, a waste product that contains heavy metals such as mercury, lead and cobalt. If not stored properly, coal ash can contaminate groundwater. Coal plants are often situated on the banks of rivers or other waterways, with waste ash sitting nearby.

Opponents say the proposal, which grants states and other regulators the ability to grant exemptions from national standards, may open the door for companies to leave coal ash sitting in groundwater.

The Biden-era EPA in 2022, for example, rebuffed the Gen. James Gavin Power Plant in southern Ohio for trying to close a coal ash disposal site that the agency said was in contact with groundwater. In January 2025, with Trump back in the White House, coal industry entities asked Zeldin to revise the agency's stance on the issue.

“Opening the door to leaving ash in groundwater undermines one of the central protections of this rule, and that's essentially what this does,” said Nick Torrey, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, a nonprofit.

The agency’s proposal does state that an owner would be required to ensure that the ash “poses no reasonable probability of adverse effects on human health and the environment.”

The Biden-era coal ash protections also required the cleanup of places like the Michigan City Generating Station in Indiana, by Lake Michigan. Local activists are worried about the land created at the site, which is composed in part of coal ash. The 2024 rules set deadlines for cleanup.

At Michigan City and many other sites, standards to clean up the coal ash used to make land would be eliminated under the agency's proposal.

The proposed rule also seeks to lift restrictions on the use of coal ash — called “beneficial use” by the EPA — in secondary materials such as cement and as structural fill.

The agency also said that industry and others have said the health risks from coal ash were overstated in previous EPA assessments. Federal officials said the estimated cost savings were more than enough to justify the proposed changes.

The owners of Gavin Power Plant declined to comment. The owners of Michigan City Generating Station did not immediately comment.

The Utility Solid Waste Activities Group “appreciates EPA’s efforts to address the significant challenges our members are facing in implementing” the existing regulations, John Mavretich, executive director of the industry association, said in a statement.

He added the group “supports changes that move away from the existing ‘one-size-fits-all’ framework and incorporate site-specific flexibility, an approach that is common in other environmental programs.”

The genesis of these rules and current context

The EPA first set standards for coal ash during the Obama administration. They included requirements for companies to line new storage sites, monitor water and close leaky ponds, often requiring the material to be moved elsewhere. In 2024, then-President Joe Biden’s administration eliminated exemptions that had been granted to some older coal ash sites.

The move is the latest in a series of Trump administration efforts to weaken clean air and water standards as part of regulatory relief for the fossil fuel industry. It's also in line with Republican President Donald Trump's efforts to boost U.S. coal and suppress cleaner alternatives, all the while declaring a “national energy emergency.”

The coal industry has argued that a host of stringent rules that raise the cost of operating a coal plant prematurely push them into retirement.

A coalition of coal and energy associations wrote last year: “EPA's recent unprecedented expansion of the federal (coal ash) regulations has needlessly diverted funds from the power sector's efforts to meet the Nation's growing energy needs; increased costs for power companies and consumers without corresponding benefits to public health or the environment."

Disasters first prompted the EPA to regulate coal ash. The agency started looking into the problem after a dike failed in Tennessee in 2008, spreading coal ash over 300 acres or 120 hectares and forcing a massive cleanup. Workers involved in that effort said the ash exposure caused cancers. In 2014, tens of thousands of tons spilled in North Carolina.

“The Trump administration just took a sledgehammer to the health protections in place for toxic coal pollution," said Lisa Evans, senior counsel at environmental group Earthjustice. "This is yet another handout to the coal power industry at the expense of our health, water, and wallets."

In other moves, the EPA earlier this year weakened limits on mercury and other toxic emissions from coal-fired power plants. The Trump administration has also halted the planned shutdown of several coal plants, citing the need for consistent power during major storms or periods of high demand, and arguing that without it, the grid would be less reliable.

___

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

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Officers said they responded around 5:30 a.m. to a report of a possible suicide at an apartment near the 900 block of Northwest 11th Place, where they found a woman dead at the scene after suffering a gunshot wound to the head.

Initial findings indicated no foul play was suspected, but police said the case has since been reclassified as a “possible homicide” as more information is reviewed.

No other details about the victim or possible suspect or suspects were immediately released.

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

The official, who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday, said the investigation is “about affordability for consumers and creating an even playing field for providers.”

The investigation was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The NFL has not received a notification that the league is being investigated, according to two other people with knowledge of the situation. Those people spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak on possible legal matters.

The investigation comes amid increasing federal scrutiny of the amount of money fans are paying to watch sports on television. The Federal Communications Commission, for example, is seeking public comments on the ongoing shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services.

The NFL said in a statement Thursday that over 87% of its games are available on broadcast television, including all that are played in a team's local market.

“The NFL’s media distribution model is the most fan and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry. The 2025 season was our most viewed since 1989 and reflects the strength of the NFL distribution model and its wide availability to all fans,” the league said in its statement.

Utah Sen. Mike Lee, chair of the Senate judiciary subcommittee on antitrust, competition policy, and consumer rights, wrote a letter to the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission on March 3 urging them to review whether the NFL’s distribution methods are in line with the Sports Broadcasting Act, which grants limited antitrust immunity to allow teams to collectively license game broadcasts to national networks.

“The modern distribution environment differs substantially from the conditions that precipitated this exemption. Instead of a small number of free broadcast networks, the NFL now licenses games simultaneously to subscription streaming platforms, premium cable networks, and technology companies operating under different business models,” the Republican senator wrote. “To the extent collectively licensed game packages are placed behind subscription paywalls, these arrangements may no longer align with the statutory concept of sponsored telecasting or the consumer-access rationale underlying the antitrust exemption.”

Lee said in his letter that football fans spent almost $1,000 on cable and streaming subscriptions. Forbes estimated the cost of watching every NFL game via streaming last season at $765.

The NFL aired games last season on CBS, NBC, ABC/ESPN/ESPN+, Fox, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube TV.

The league averages nearly $11 billion per season in revenue from its media deals. That could increase since the sale of Paramount to Skydance Media allows the league to renegotiate its deal with CBS.

The rights deals go through 2033 with most outlets and 2034 with ESPN. The league has an opt-out clause after the 2029 season, which it is likely to exercise since 83 of the top 100 broadcasts last year were NFL games, according to Nielsen.

The Sports Broadcasting Act exemption passed in 1961 applies only to broadcast television. Courts have ruled in the past that it does not apply to other media, including cable, satellite and streaming.

The law includes a rule allowing blackouts of local games, which still applies to out-of-market packages sold by the league. The NFL ended local TV blackouts, which applied to games within 75 miles of a team’s market if they did not sell out 72 hours before kickoff, after the 2014 season.

Last year, the House Judiciary Committee requested briefings from the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB on whether antitrust exemptions should still be granted for coordinating their broadcast television rights.

All four of the major North American professional sports leagues have deals with streaming platforms.

In 2024, a jury in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles ruled the NFL violated antitrust laws in distributing out-of-market Sunday afternoon games on a premium subscription service and awarded $4.7 billion in damages.

A federal judge overturned the verdict in the class-action lawsuit because the testimony of two witnesses for the subscribers had flawed methodologies and should have been excluded.

The lawsuit covered 2.4 million residential subscribers and 48,000 businesses in the United States who paid for the “Sunday Ticket” package on DirecTV of out-of-market games from the 2011 through 2022 seasons.

Because damages can be tripled under federal antitrust laws, the NFL could have been liable for $14,121,779,833.92.

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

Springs walked Giancarlo Stanton after catcher Austin Wynns lost an ABS challenge on the previous pitch that was called a ball. On his 84th pitch, Rice hit an 83 mph slider for a clean single to right field.

The A's held a 1-0 lead when Springs allowed Rice's hit.

Springs allowed two baserunners in the third and ended the inning by getting a called third strike on Aaron Judge with his changeup. He ended the fifth by getting José Caballero on a flyball to deep left field.

In the sixth, Springs won an ABS challenge that resulted in a called third strike to Ryan McMahon. He ended the sixth at 73 pitches after Judge softly grounded out to third.

The A’s have thrown 13 no-hitters in franchise history. The last was achieved by Mike Fiers on May 7, 2019, in Oakland against the Cincinnati Reds.

The Yankees have been no-hit eight times in team history. The last was a combined no-hitter by Houston’s Cristian Javier, Hector Neris and Ryan Pressly on June 25, 2022, at Yankee Stadium.

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

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Surveillance video shows four masked burglars using a U.S. Postal Service arrow key on Tuesday to steal from mailboxes in a mail room at a gated community in Davie, according to police.

After the burglary at 4901 Shalimar Lane, the four men fled in a gray 2018 BMW X3, drove through a gate, struck a police patrol car, and drove back inside the complex, according to Davie police.

After parking the BMW X3, the four men jumped out and took off running, according to a Davie police officer’s arrest report.

Guston Malheur, Jamsley Jean, and Tyroneian Lee were arrested at 5158 South University Drive, and Emannuel Mondelus was arrested nearby along South University Drive, according to police.

Police officers reported recovering about $10,000 in stolen personal checks.

Malheur, 20, faced seven charges: Wearing a mask while committing a felony, a first-degree felony; resisting arrest with violence, a third-degree felony; grand theft of $10,000 or more, a third-degree felony; unlawful possession of personal identification, a third-degree felony; possession of burglary tools with intent to use, a third-degree felony; criminal mischief, a first-degree misdemeanor; and resisting an officer without violence, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Mondelus, 21, faced eight charges: Resisting arrest with violence, unarmed burglary of an unoccupied structure, grand theft of $10,000 or more, unlawful possession of personal identification, criminal mischief, resisting arrest without violence, possession of burglary tools with intent to use, and wearing a mask while committing a felony.

Jean, 22, faced nine charges: Criminal mischief, unlawful possession of personal identification, possession of burglary tools with intent to use, resisting an officer without violence, grand theft of $10,000 or more, burglary of an unoccupied structure while unarmed, resisting arrest with violence, probation violation, and wearing a mask while committing a felony.

Lee, 31, faced nine charges: Wearing a mask while committing a felony, resisting arrest without violence, resisting arrest with violence, possession of burglary tools with intent to use, burglary of an unoccupied structure, grand theft, criminal mischief, unlawful possession of personal identification, and giving a false identification to a law enforcement officer.

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

Un video de vigilancia muestra a cuatro hombres con máscaras usando una llave maestra del Servicio Postal de EE. UU. el martes para robar en buzones en una sala de correo dentro de una comunidad cerrada en Davie, según la policía.

Tras el robo en 4901 Shalimar Lane, los cuatro hombres huyeron en un BMW X3 gris modelo 2018, atravesaron una puerta, impactaron un patrullero y regresaron al interior del complejo, según la policía de Davie.

Después de estacionar el BMW X3, los cuatro hombres salieron corriendo, de acuerdo con el reporte de arresto de un agente.

Guston Malheur, Jamsley Jean y Tyroneian Lee fueron arrestados en 5158 South University Drive, y Emannuel Mondelus fue detenido cerca de South University Drive, según la policía.

Los agentes informaron que recuperaron aproximadamente $10,000 USD en cheques personales robados.

Malheur, de 20 años, enfrenta siete cargos: uso de máscara durante la comisión de un delito grave, delito grave de primer grado; resistencia al arresto con violencia, delito grave de tercer grado; robo mayor de $10,000 USD o más, delito grave de tercer grado; posesión ilegal de identificación personal, delito grave de tercer grado; posesión de herramientas de robo con intención de uso, delito grave de tercer grado; daño criminal, delito menor de primer grado; y resistencia a un agente sin violencia, delito menor de primer grado.

Mondelus, de 21 años, enfrenta ocho cargos: resistencia al arresto con violencia, robo con fuerza sin arma en una estructura desocupada, robo mayor de $10,000 USD o más, posesión ilegal de identificación personal, daño criminal, resistencia al arresto sin violencia, posesión de herramientas de robo con intención de uso y uso de máscara durante la comisión de un delito grave.

Jean, de 22 años, enfrentó nueve cargos: daño criminal, posesión ilegal de identificación personal, posesión de herramientas para robo con intención de usarlas, resistencia a un agente sin violencia, gran hurto de $10,000 USD o más, robo de una estructura desocupada sin estar armado, resistencia al arresto con violencia, violación de libertad condicional y uso de una máscara mientras cometía un delito grave.

Lee, de 31 años, enfrentó nueve cargos: uso de una máscara mientras cometía un delito grave, resistencia al arresto sin violencia, resistencia al arresto con violencia, posesión de herramientas para robo con intención de usarlas, robo de una estructura desocupada, gran hurto, daño criminal, posesión ilegal de identificación personal y dar una identificación falsa a un agente de la ley.

Members of the board of regents had said little publicly until Thursday about the surprise dismissal Tuesday of Jay Rothman as head of the 165,000-student university system. Regents voted unanimously with no public discussion to fire Rothman after a closed-door meeting.

Rothman told The Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday that he was kept in the dark about why he was being fired and his dismissal “blindsided” him.

But two regents who testified at a state Senate committee hearing on Thursday said Rothman knew more than he is letting on. They also said there were “substantial” reasons for his being fired, and Rothman was aware of them.

“That decision was not made lightly,” Regent President Amy Bogost said. “It was not political. It was not retaliatory. It was unanimous. ... We made a difficult decision for the right reasons, and I firmly stand by it.”

Republican lawmakers upset over Rothman's surprise firing called the public hearing to question regents about the reasons behind the move.

Rothman lacked urgency to address critical issues like AI, was not fully aligned with the board, tried to limit public board discussions and open records, limited board members’ interactions with lawmakers and took credit for accomplishments that were part of a “massive team effort,” Regent Timothy Nixon said.

Nixon also said he has been pushing for the UW system to justify why it has 579 employees, something he said Rothman did not address.

Rothman “doesn’t want to upset either the Legislature, the governor or the faculty or anybody else,” Nixon testified. “He didn’t want to upset the apple cart and, quite frankly, I think the apple cart needs some upsetting."

Regents also told lawmakers that Rothman could waive his right to confidentiality over personnel decisions if he chose, but he knows that means board members could share more than they can now. Instead, Rothman is using that confidentiality as a shield to craft a narrative “that is deliberately one-sided" and harming he university, Bogost said.

“That is not a search for truth,” she said. “That is strategy. ... To do the media circuit that he’s on denigrates our great universities, and that makes me sad."

Nixon said the way Rothman’s departure was handled, including the rejected offer that he retire or resign, is similar to what is done for CEOs of large corporations.

“This is no different than moving on to a new quarterback, no matter what you thought of the previous quarterback and what they did," Nixon said.

Here is a timeline of some significant events in the hostilities between the two:

1982: Israel invades Lebanon in an offensive against the Palestinian Liberation Organization and allied groups. Hezbollah is formed, with Iranian backing and based on the Iran's Islamic Revolution model, to fight Israel’s ensuing occupation of southern Lebanon. It launches a guerilla war against Israel.

1992: Hezbollah leader Abbas Mousawi is killed by an Israeli helicopter attack. His successor is Hassan Nasrallah, who will lead the group for the next three decades.

1996: Israel launches an offensive aiming to push Hezbollah north of the Litani River, some 30 km (20 miles) from the border. Israeli artillery shelling on a United Nations compound housing hundreds of displaced people in Qana kills at least 100 civilians and wounds scores more.

2000: After a long war of attrition, Israel withdraws its forces from southern Lebanon, which is heralded around the Arab world as a major victory for Hezbollah.

2006: Hezbollah fighters ambush an Israeli patrol, killing three Israeli soldiers and taking two hostage in a cross-border raid, sparking a monthlong war between Hezbollah and Israel that ends in a draw. Israeli bombardment razes villages and residential blocks in southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs, a scorched-earth approach that is dubbed the “Dahiyeh Doctrine.”

2008: Imad Mughniyeh, Hezbollah’s military chief, is killed when a bomb planted in his car exploded in Damascus. The assassination is blamed on Israel.

2012: Hezbollah enters the Syrian civil war in support of then-President Bashar Assad. In the years that follow, Israel begins periodically carrying out airstrikes in Syria targeting Iranian and Hezbollah facilities and officials or weapons shipments that it said were bound for Hezbollah. Israel still avoided carrying out strikes on Hezbollah on Lebanese territory during this period.

OCT. 8, 2023: One day after the Hamas-led attack in southern Israel sparks the war in Gaza, Hezbollah fires missiles across the border. Israel responds with airstrikes and shelling and the two enter into a low-level conflict that initially remains mainly confined to the border area.

SEPT. 17, 2024: Israel launches an attack in Lebanon using remotely-triggered explosive-laden pagers issued to Hezbollah fighters and civilian employees. A day later, a similar attack targets walkie-talkies. The attacks kill dozens of people and maim thousands, most of them Hezbollah members but also including women and children.

SEPT. 27, 2024: Hassan Nasrallah is killed in a series of massive airstrikes in Beirut's southern suburbs.

NOV. 27, 2024: A U.S.-brokered ceasefire nominally ends the Israel-Hezbollah war. Israel continues to carry out regular strikes in Lebanon that it says aim to stop Hezbollah from rebuilding.

MARCH 2, 2025: Two days after Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran, triggering a wide-reaching war in the Middle East, Hezbollah launches missiles toward Israel. It says the salvo is in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and for “repeated Israeli aggressions” in Lebanon.

On Wednesday, The Associated Press reported that at least 50 brand new accounts on Polymarket placed substantial bets on a U.S.-Iran ceasefire in the hours, even minutes, before President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire late Tuesday on social media. These were the sole bets made on Polymarket through these accounts.

In January, an anonymous Polymarket user made a $400,000 profit by betting that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro would be out of office, hours before Maduro was captured. In the hours before the start of the Iran war, another account made roughly $550,000 in a series of trades effectively betting that the U.S. would strike Iran and that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be removed from office.

Such prescient wagers have raised eyebrows — and accusations that prediction markets are ripe for insider trading. And the issue goes beyond these three geopolitical events, according to at least one report. Researchers at Harvard University released a paper last month where, using public blockchain data, they estimated that $143 million in profits have been made on Polymarket by individuals who potentially had insider information about events ranging from Taylor Swift's engagement to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize last year.

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y who sits on the House Financial Services Committee as well as the subcommittee on digital assets and financial technology, sent a letter Thursday to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission demanding the regulator review and investigate these well-timed trades. The CFTC regulates the derivatives markets, which includes prediction markets.

“This pattern raises serious concerns that certain market participants may have had access to material nonpublic information regarding a market-moving geopolitical event,” Torres wrote. The letter was shared exclusively with The AP.

“What is the statistical likelihood that of anyone other than an insider trader placing a winning bet 12 minutes before a market-moving presidential announcement,” Torres said in an interview with AP. “There are two answers: God, or an insider trader. And something tells me that God it not placing bets around Donald Trump’s posts on Truth Social. "

Prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket allow their users to bet on everything from whether it will rain in Phoenix, Arizona next week to whether the Federal Reserve will raise or lower interest rates.

At this time, U.S. residents have limited access to Polymarket, which was banned from the U.S. in 2022. The company has moved to reenter the country by acquiring a CFTC-licensed exchange and clearinghouse, giving it a legal pathway to start offering contracts domestically. The company has begun a limited rollout in the U.S.

Polymarket also operates a separate, crypto-based platform offshore that remains outside U.S. jurisdiction. That platform accounts for most of its activity.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, sent a letter to Polymarket on Thursday demanding the company explain why it continues to allow trades on war and violence as well as whether the company is making any efforts to keep insiders from trading on the platform.

“Polymarket has become an illicit market to sell and exploit national security secrets unlike any in history, and by extension a potential honeypot for foreign intelligence services watching for those same suspicious bets and wagers,” Blumenthal wrote.

Republicans have also criticized these platforms and called for bans on these sorts of bets. There are at least two bills pending in Congress co-signed by both parties, one in the House and one in the Senate.

“We don’t want to imagine a world where America’s adversaries use prediction markets to anticipate our next move,” said Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, after the release of the AP’s findings on the ceasefire wagers.

Polymarket did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The stakes are high for both Kalshi and Polymarket as they seek approval to operate in the U.S. and nationwide, particularly in the lucrative sports betting market.

Kalshi, which is already regulated in the U.S., and its executives have a goal of making the company the nation's dominant prediction market. Kalshi has also leaned heavily into sports, which critics have said effectively makes it a sports betting platform that dabbles in event-based contracts on the side. Both companies have also announced partnerships with sports teams and even news organizations to broaden their reach as well. The AP has an agreement to sell U.S. elections data to Kalshi.

The competition also carries political overtones. Donald Trump Jr. is an investor in Polymarket through his venture capital firm, 1789 Capital, and separately serves as a paid strategic adviser to Kalshi.

Reading an extraordinary statement at the White House, Melania Trump said she and her attorneys were fighting back against “unfound and baseless lies” in regards to her connections to the late financier, a convicted sex offender who leveraged connections to the rich, powerful and famous to recruit his victims and cover up his crimes.

“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” she said. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”

The seemingly out-of-the-blue message came as her husband, President Donald Trump, and his administration had finally seemed to move past more than a year of controversy surrounding Epstein, especially as the Iran war had become all-consuming in Washington. The first lady’s comments almost assuredly served to push the story back into the political spotlight even as the president urged the public and media to move on from the case.

The White House used its X account to reshare a video posted by the first lady's office of Melania Trump reading her statement. White House officials did not respond to requests for comment on whether the president had prior knowledge of the first lady's comments.

First lady calls for a congressional hearing for Epstein victims

The first lady spoke for about five minutes, reading her statement in the Grand Foyer, then walked away without taking questions. She did not go into detail on the accusations against her but said they came from “individuals and entities looking to cause damage to my good name.” She added that they were financially and politically motivated.

Melania Trump also called on Congress to hold a public hearing centered on survivors of Epstein’s crimes, with a chance to testify before lawmakers and have their stories entered into the congressional record.

“Each and every woman should have her day to tell her story in public if she wishes,” she said. “Then, and only then, we will have the truth.”

Two of Epstein's accusers, Maria and Annie Farmer, reacted to the first lady's comments by saying, “What we want is accountability, transparency, and justice.”

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican and onetime fierce Trump supporter who resigned from Congress after a public falling out with the president, posted on X, “I am grateful to the First Lady for her brave statement today about Epstein and his victims.”

Democrats jumped on Melania Trump's comments, saying they agreed with her call for a congressional hearing. In a social media post, Rep. Robert Garcia, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee that is investigating Epstein, called on the Republican chair of the committee, Rep. James Comer, to schedule a public hearing “immediately.”

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who sponsored a bill prompting the release of millions of Epstein documents, turned attention back to the Justice Department, saying it's the attorney general's job to bring in survivors for testimony. In a social media post, Massie, who has pressed for more arrests in the Epstein case, ended a social media post with a call to “PROSECUTE!”

Questions about Epstein's reach have loomed over the administration and divided Republicans, driving a wedge into Trump's MAGA base as some pressed for the government to release more files and prosecute figures linked to the financier.

The issue has dogged Trump and fractured some of his alliances, including the one with Greene, who was once among Trump's most reliable supporters in Congress. Trump dismissed the issue as a “Democrat hoax” but later signed a bill to release files from Epstein's case.

It was not immediately clear what prompted the first lady to revive the issue now. She noted that several individuals and organizations have had to apologize for their “lies about me.” Of the examples she cited, the most recent was in October.

In that case, book publisher HarperCollins UK apologized to the first lady and retracted passages from a book suggesting Epstein played a role in introducing her and Donald Trump.

Melania Trump mentioned her husband several times in her comments. She said Epstein did not introduce her to Trump and that she met her future husband at a New York City party in 1998.

Email to Maxwell was 'trivial’

The first lady brought Epstein back to the forefront months after federal authorities released millions of pages of documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the law enacted after months of public and political pressure that requires the government to open its files on the late financier and his confidant and onetime girlfriend, Maxwell.

Lawmakers complained when the Justice Department made only a limited release last month, but officials said more time was needed to review additional documents that were discovered and to ensure no sensitive information about victims was released.

Melania Trump said in her statement that she was not friends with Epstein or his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, but was in overlapping social circles in New York and Florida. She described an email reply she sent to Maxwell as “casual correspondence” without elaborating.

“My polite reply to her email doesn’t amount to anything more than a trivial note,” she said.

Among the documents released by the Justice Department was a brief email from 2002 with the sender and recipient blacked out. It begins, “Dear G!” and ends “Love, Melania,” and compliments the recipient on a magazine article about “JE.”

“I know you are very busy flying all over the world,” it says. “How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY.”

That email was sent the same month that a New York Magazine article was published about Epstein in which Trump called the financier a “terrific guy.”

Among other documents released was an image from Epstein’s home showing a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers. In that image, inside a drawer among other photos, was a photograph of Trump, alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Maxwell.

Epstein killed himself in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in New York. Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

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This story has been corrected to show Melania Trump called her correspondence with Maxwell “trivial,” not a “trifle.”

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Associated Press writers Stephen Groves in Washington and Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister in New York contributed to this report.

Noa-Lynn van Leuven of the Netherlands spoke out Thursday when the Darts Regulation Authority's new policy took effect.

"Apparently, I just got retired — not by choice, but because I’m no longer allowed to compete,” Van Leuven said in a video on her Instagram account.

The 29-year-old van Leuven had competed in the Women's Series of the Professional Darts Corporation. In 2024, she became the first transgender woman to play at the PDC World Darts Championship.

“I’ve worked so damn hard for years just to get here. I showed up, I competed. I respected the sport every game, every single day,” van Leuven said. “And now, with just one decision, I’m being told I don’t belong anymore. This isn’t just about me. This is another huge hit for the trans community.”

She will still be eligible for open PDC events.

It's not clear what van Leuven's legal options are, but in a written message with the video she added: “This isn’t the end. I’m just going back to the drawing board. I’m not done fighting.”

The DRA said in a statement Thursday that it began a review of its policies in 2025. It included commissioning a report from “an academic developmental biologist who has published several papers on sex and categories in sport. The DRA has also considered extensive legal advice.”

“As a result of its review, the DRA is satisfied that to achieve fair competition in darts, only biological females should be eligible to compete in women’s tournaments regulated by DRA Rules,” it said.

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

He'll be without teammate Jaylen Brown, though, as the Celtics ruled him out of their showdown against the New York Knicks with left Achilles tendinitis.

The Celtics will lock up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a victory, a position that many thought was unrealistic because they would be playing for at least most of the season without Tatum.

He was hurt last May 12 in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals when he fell to the court in the fourth quarter of a Knicks victory. New York went on to win the series, ending the Celtics’ championship reign.

Tatum went through the Celtics' morning shootaround at MSG on Thursday and told reporters afterward that he felt “nervousness, anxiousness. All the things you probably would expect.”

Asked how he would get through it, he added: “I think it's just deciding to face the challenge head-on and put my uniform on.”

Tatum returned March 6 and has played in 15 games, averaging 21.6 points and 9.8 rebounds. He said after the Celtics' home victory over Charlotte on Tuesday that he wasn't “thrilled to go back and play” at Madison Square Garden.

“Last time I played there, obviously, it was a traumatic experience for me,” he added.

Brown helped carry the Celtics through Tatum's absence with a superb season. The All-Star is averaging 28.8 points in 70 games.

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

In the 17-minute video posted Wednesday, the Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets tell how Lt. Col. Brandon Shah lunged at the shooter during the March 12 incident at the Norfolk school, placing himself between the gunman and the class.

Cadet Jah-Ire Urtarte said Shah, who was shot and did not survive, saved lives that day.

“If he didn’t lunge at him, you know, I wouldn’t be here right now,” he said. “There’s a possibility he could’ve turned his gun and I could’ve been next.”

The shooter, Army National Guard veteran Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, also died. He had pleaded guilty in 2016 to attempting to aid the Islamic State and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. He was on supervised release at the time of the attack.

The students say Jalloh walked into their classroom and nervously asked if it was an ROTC class. When someone confirmed that, they say he pulled a pistol from his waist, shouted 'Allahu akbar,’ and fired toward Shah.

Students dived for cover. As Shah struggled with Jalloh, Cadet Louis Ancheta said he pulled out his pocket knife, moved toward them and was hit in the chest by a round.

“It really didn’t feel like it hit me,” he said, pointing toward his sternum. “It felt like a graze. After that, I’m like, `I can keep on going.' ”

When Shah got the man turned around, Ancheta said he took action with the folding tactical knife that most cadets carry with them.

“So, I just go in there, just start stabbing him,” he said. “As I’m stabbing, other cadets jump in.”

Cadet Jeremy Rawlinson said he took out his knife, too, to help stop the threat.

Despite having several people on top of him, Jalloh still had the gun. Cadet Wesley Myers said he made that his priority, squeezing his fingers between Jalloh's hand and the weapon to pry it away and clear the final round from the chamber.

With the shooter disarmed, the cadets said they turned their attention to the wounded: Cadet Samuel Reineberg found a gunshot wound to Shah’s upper right thigh. Rawlinson handed him his belt for a tourniquet.

“On an instant, we switched over to doing combat care,” Rawlinson said.

Myers went to Ancheta.

“It’s different when it’s not a mannequin and it’s your friend,” Myers said. “So, myself and another cadet pull him to the side and lay him on his back and begin performing first aid.”

Ancheta said he asked them to call his mother.

He received the Purple Heart — one of several cadets awarded medals for their response.

They praised Shah for taking action to protect them and for preparing them for the moment.

“So, he got to see all the training that he and the rest of Cadre had been giving us for the past years. He got to see us instantly do that in action,” Rawlinson said. “He got see right then and there, like, hey, these guys didn’t panic. They immediately switched over."

Shah attended Old Dominion University as an ROTC student, according to his biography on the university’s website, and had returned in 2022 as a leader for the program. In the Army, Shah had flown helicopters over Iraq, Afghanistan and Eastern Europe as a pilot.

Two days before the shooting, Shah had told cadets not to wear their uniforms around campus as a precaution, another cadet previously told The Associated Press.

“Because of all the situation that’s happening with Iran and all of that stuff in the Middle East,” said Cadet Brandon Rebolledo, who was in the nearby ROTC building when the shooting occurred. “To make sure that we did not become a target and to make sure that we were keeping a low profile.”

The students say Shah was the real hero that day.

“So, he has a saying: 'Be bold, be quick, be gone,’ ” Rawlinson said.

Added Cadet Oshea Bego: “Col. Shah really set that example for what it means, not just as a warrior, leader and soldier, but also just as a human being.”

Los agentes de la Policía Nacional se habían apostado desde temprano en calles y avenidas del centro de Caracas para impedir el paso de los manifestantes, quienes en parte de la ruta lograron superar en varias ocasiones las barreras. Pero los bloqueos fueron reforzados y la mayoría de los manifestantes apenas pudo acercarse a unos dos kilómetros de la casa de gobierno de Miraflores.

Los manifestantes exigían un aumento de salarios y pensiones dignas al gobierno de la presidenta encargada Delcy Rodríguez luego de más de cuatro años sin incrementos del salario mínimo.

No hubo de inmediato reportes de heridos o detenidos en los forcejeos entre policías y manifestantes.

La marcha fue convocada por sindicalistas y estudiantes universitarios antes de que en la víspera la presidenta pidiese paciencia a los trabajadores de los sectores público y privado, cuyos salarios durante cerca de tres lustros no les han permitido cubrir sus necesidades básicas, mientras su gobierno trabaja para mejorar la economía del país.

Rodríguez prometió a los trabajadores un aumento salarial el 1 de mayo. No reveló el monto, pero explicó que se implementaría de manera tal que se evite un repunte inflacionario como el que siguió al último incremento del salario mínimo.

“Ese incremento, como lo hemos señalado, será un incremento responsable”, afirmó la mandataria encargada. “Conforme tengamos y Venezuela goce de más recursos que permitan la sostenibilidad de la mejora salarial y del ingreso de los trabajadores, seguiremos avanzando por ese camino”, aseveró. Muchos trabajadores del sector público subsisten con aproximadamente 160 dólares al mes, mientras que el año pasado un empleado promedio del sector privado ganaba alrededor de 237 dólares mensuales, de acuerdo con el Observatorio Venezolano de Finanzas, un organismo independiente.

El salario mínimo mensual de Venezuela de 130 bolívares (menos de un dólar al tipo de cambio oficial) no ha aumentado desde 2022, lo que lo sitúa muy por debajo del umbral de pobreza extrema de tres dólares al día establecido por el Banco Mundial y Naciones Unidas.

Muchos venezolanos tienen dos o más empleos para mejorar sus ingresos, mientras el precio de una canasta básica de alimentos supera los 500 dólares mensuales, según el Observatorio.

Como ha sido habitual en Venezuela en las últimas dos décadas de gobiernos autoproclamados socialistas, el jueves también hubo una marcha organizada por el gobernante Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela que se desarrolló cerca de la protesta de los trabajadores. No se registraron incidentes entre los manifestantes.

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An arrest report describes the dispute between Eugene Janode Witherspoon, 46, and the victim as “verbal” but doesn’t say what it was about. Deputies said it happened Tuesday morning outside Mazie’s Soul Food Restaurant at 7525 NW 22nd Ave. in the county’s Gladeview area.

But investigators with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said it ramped up when Witherspoon went to the victim’s home in the 7300 block of Northwest 20th Court at around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday, approached him as he was walking in with his girlfriend and opened fire three times, hitting him in the leg.

Deputies said the victim returned fire and Witherspoon, who lives in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood, fled. Detectives said they found 11 shell casings at the scene.

Medics took the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Police said he told detectives he doesn’t know Witherspoon, but has seen him in the neighborhood “multiple times.”

According to the arrest report, deputies found Witherspoon later that evening walking on Northwest 22nd Avenue. They said he was wearing the same sneakers that he was in CCTV footage depicting the shooting.

Investigators said Witherspoon admitted to shooting the victim and getting rid of the gun, though he wouldn’t say where he dumped it.

A records check revealed Witherspoon’s sex offender status, stemming from a 1999 conviction for lewd and lascivious battery on a child under 16.

Deputies arrested Witherspoon on charges of attempted first-degree murder and felon in possession of a firearm and took him to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

His bond was listed in Miami-Dade jail records as “to be set” as of Thursday morning.

Irán y Estados Unidos —que hicieron sendas declaraciones de victoria tras el anuncio del alto el fuego— parecieron tratar de presionarse mutuamente. Agencias de noticias semioficiales en Irán sugirieron que las fuerzas iraníes han minado el estrecho de Ormuz, una vía fluvial crucial para el petróleo que Teherán ha cerrado. Por su parte, el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump advirtió que las fuerzas de Estados Unidos golpearán a Irán aún más fuerte que antes si no cumple el acuerdo.

Y hubo desacuerdo sobre si el pacto de alto el fuego incluía una pausa en los combates entre Israel y el grupo político-paramilitar Hezbollah. Israel perpetró ataques aéreos contra Beirut el miércoles, el día más mortífero en Líbano desde que comenzó la guerra el 28 de febrero.

También persistían preguntas sobre qué pasará con la reserva de uranio enriquecido de Irán en el centro de las tensiones, cómo y cuándo se reanudará el tráfico normal a través del estrecho, y qué ocurre con la capacidad de Irán para lanzar ataques con misiles en el futuro y apoyar a aliados armados en la región.

Israel promete seguir atacando a Hezbollah en Líbano

En una publicación en redes sociales, el presidente del Parlamento iraní Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf advirtió el jueves que los continuos ataques de Israel contra Hezbollah, grupo respaldado por Irán, en Líbano traerán “costos explícitos y respuestas FUERTES”.

Se ha hablado de Qalibaf como un posible negociador que podría reunirse con el vicepresidente estadounidense JD Vance el fin de semana en Islamabad. La Casa Blanca anunció que Vance encabezará la delegación para las conversaciones que comienzan el sábado.

Irán subrayó que Israel estaba violando el acuerdo de alto el fuego. El primer ministro israelí Benjamin Netanyahu y Trump han aseverado que no es así.

Netanyahu dijo que Israel seguirá atacando a Hezbollah “con fuerza, precisión y determinación”.

El Ministerio de Salud de Líbano informó que al menos 203 personas murieron y más de 1.000 resultaron heridas el miércoles en ataques israelíes en el centro de Beirut y otras zonas de Líbano que, según Israel, tenían como objetivo a Hezbollah, que se sumó a la guerra en apoyo de Teherán.

Israel aseveró el jueves que mató a Ali Yusuf Harshi, un asistente del líder de Hezbollah, Naim Kassem. Hezbollah no ha respondido a una solicitud de comentarios.

Un centro de estudios con sede en Nueva York advirtió que el alto el fuego “pende al borde del colapso”.

“Incluso si Líbano estaba formalmente fuera del acuerdo, era probable que la magnitud de los ataques de Israel se considerara una escalada de todas formas”, escribió Soufan Center en un análisis. “Los ataques de Israel pueden entenderse tanto como un esfuerzo por abrir una brecha entre Irán y sus aliados como como una respuesta a haber sido presuntamente marginado de las discusiones originales del alto el fuego”.

La Agencia Nacional de Noticias, administrada por el estado libanés, reportó que un ataque israelí durante la noche había matado al menos a siete personas en el sur de Líbano. El ejército israelí negó haber cometido el ataque.

Precios del crudo siguen altos ante incertidumbre sobre el estrecho

Agencias de noticias semioficiales en Irán publicaron el jueves un gráfico que deja entrever que la Guardia Revolucionaria del país colocó minas marinas en el estrecho de Ormuz durante la guerra —un mensaje que quizá pretende presionar a Estados Unidos.

El gráfico, difundido por la agencia de noticias ISNA, así como por Tasnim, mostraba un gran círculo con la etiqueta “zona de peligro” en farsi sobre la ruta que los barcos toman para atravesar el estrecho, por el que antes pasaba el 20% de todo el petróleo y gas natural comercializados.

Pocos barcos se han atrevido a transitar por el estrecho desde que comenzó la guerra luego que varias embarcaciones fueran atacados, e Irán amenazó con ir contra cualquiera que se considere que esté vinculado con Estados Unidos o Israel. Los buques parecían seguir evitando el estrecho incluso después del alto el fuego.

El gráfico sugería que los buques viajan por aguas más cercanas al territorio continental de Irán, cerca de la isla de Larak, una ruta que, según se observó, tomaron algunos navíos durante la guerra. Estaba fechado del 28 de febrero hasta el 9 de abril, y no queda claro si la Guardia Revolucionaria había retirado alguna mina desde entonces.

El viceministro iraní de Relaciones Exteriores, Saeed Khatibzadeh, dijo a la BBC que su país permitirá que los barcos pasen por el estrecho de acuerdo con las “normas internacionales y el derecho internacional” una vez que Estados Unidos ponga fin a su “agresión” en Oriente Medio e Israel deje de atacar Líbano.

El jefe de la principal compañía petrolera de Emiratos Árabes Unidos, Sultan al-Jaber, explicó que unos 230 barcos cargados de petróleo estaban esperando para atravesar el estrecho y se les debe permitir “navegar este corredor sin condiciones”.

El cierre de facto del estrecho ha hecho que los precios del petróleo se disparen —afectando el costo de la gasolina, los alimentos y otros productos básicos mucho más allá de Oriente Medio. Los precios del petróleo cayeron el miércoles con la noticia del alto el fuego, pero comenzaron a subir de nuevo a medida que crecía la incertidumbre sobre el acuerdo.

El precio al contado del crudo Brent, el referente internacional, rondaba los 98 dólares el jueves, un alza de alrededor del 35% desde que comenzó la guerra.

Entre los puntos a abordar en las conversaciones figura si se permitirá a Irán formalizar un sistema de cobro a los barcos por usar el estrecho. Eso trastocará décadas de libre tránsito a través de lo que se ha tratado como una vía fluvial internacional.

Se desconoce el destino que tendrá el uranio enriquecido iraní

El destino de los programas de misiles y nuclear de Irán — cuya eliminación fueron objetivos importantes para Estados Unidos e Israel al ir a la guerra— también seguía sin estar claro. Estados Unidos insiste en que Irán nunca debe poder construir armas nucleares y quiere retirar la reserva de uranio altamente enriquecido de Teherán, que podría usarse para construirlas. Irán insiste en que su programa es pacífico.

Trump dijo el miércoles que Estados Unidos trabajará con Irán para retirar el uranio, que fue enterrado en los ataques de Estados Unidos e Israel del año pasado, aunque Irán no lo confirmó. En una versión del acuerdo de alto el fuego que Irán publicó, afirmó que se le permitirá seguir con el enriquecimiento.

El jefe de la agencia nuclear de Irán, Mohammad Eslami, dijo el jueves que proteger el derecho de Teherán a enriquecer uranio es “necesario” para cualquier conversación de alto el fuego.

Trump advirtió que los buques de guerra y tropas de Estados Unidos permanecerán alrededor de Irán “hasta que el ACUERDO REAL alcanzado se cumpla plenamente”.

Un delincuente sexual registrado le disparó a otro hombre en la pierna horas después de discutir con la víctima afuera de un restaurante en el noroeste de Miami-Dade, provocando un tiroteo, dijeron agentes.

Un reporte de arresto describe la disputa entre Eugene Janode Witherspoon, de 46 años, y la víctima como “verbal”, pero no detalla de qué se trataba. Los agentes dijeron que ocurrió el martes por la mañana afuera de Mazie’s Soul Food Restaurant, ubicado en 7525 NW 22nd Ave. en el área de Gladeview del condado.

Pero investigadores de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade dijeron que la situación se intensificó cuando Witherspoon fue a la casa de la víctima en la cuadra 7300 de Northwest 20th Court alrededor de las 12:45 a.m. del miércoles, se le acercó mientras entraba con su novia y abrió fuego tres veces, hiriéndolo en la pierna.

Los agentes dijeron que la víctima respondió al fuego y que Witherspoon, quien vive en el vecindario Liberty City de Miami, huyó. Detectives dijeron que encontraron 11 casquillos de bala en la escena.

Paramédicos llevaron a la víctima al Hospital Jackson Memorial. La policía dijo que el hombre declaró a los detectives que no conoce a Witherspoon, pero que lo ha visto en el vecindario “varias veces”.

Según el reporte de arresto, los agentes encontraron a Witherspoon más tarde esa noche caminando por Northwest 22nd Avenue. Dijeron que llevaba las mismas zapatillas que aparecían en imágenes de cámaras de seguridad que captaron el tiroteo.

Investigadores dijeron que Witherspoon admitió haber disparado contra la víctima y deshacerse del arma, aunque no dijo dónde la abandonó.

Una verificación de registros reveló el estatus de delincuente sexual de Witherspoon, derivado de una condena en 1999 por conducta lasciva y lasciva agravada contra un menor de 16 años.

Los agentes arrestaron a Witherspoon por cargos de intento de asesinato en primer grado y posesión de arma de fuego por un delincuente, y lo trasladaron al Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

Su fianza figuraba en los registros de la cárcel de Miami-Dade como “por establecer” hasta la mañana del jueves.

The settlement in principle was reached with Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Pte Ltd, owner and operator of the M/V Dali, Attorney General Anthony Brown said. The settlement resolves a portion of the state's claims arising from the ship's March 26, 2024, crash into the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

“For two years, Maryland workers, families, and communities have carried the weight of a disaster that should never have happened," Brown said in a news release. It did not give details of the settlement.

The attorney general noted that the Dali's crash into the bridge "disrupted the Port of Baltimore, devastated livelihoods, and sent economic shockwaves across our State that are still being felt today.”

“Our work is not finished, but this settlement is an important step toward making Maryland whole," Brown said.

The companies confirmed in a joint statement that significant progress has been made in resolving claims. Within the past week, the statement said, they have reached “two pivotal settlement agreements with the State of Maryland and ACE American Insurance Company that underscore their commitment to a reasonable and structured outcome to this unfortunate incident.”

The $350 million settlement with the insurance company matched the amount ACE paid to Maryland, an amount that represented the limit of the state's policy.

“These agreements represent a significant step towards resolving the complex litigation surrounding this event and Owners and Managers remain open to negotiating in good faith to reach equitable settlements with other involved parties holding meritorious claims,” the joint statement said.

The Maryland Transportation Authority late last year estimated the price range of a new bridge alone to be between $4.3 billion and $5.2 billion, with an anticipated open-to-traffic date in late 2030.

The settlement does not resolve any claims the state may have against the shipbuilder, Hyundai, the attorney general's office said.

The ship was leaving Baltimore for Sri Lanka when its steering failed because of a power loss. Six men on a road crew, who were filling potholes during an overnight shift, fell to their deaths when the bridge collapsed.

The state’s claims, filed in federal court in Maryland in September 2024, alleged that the disaster was the result of negligence, mismanagement, and the reckless operation of a vessel that was not seaworthy and should never have left port.

The state sought damages on behalf of its agencies for the destruction of the bridge, harm to the Patapsco River and surrounding environment, lost revenues, and the wide-ranging economic losses sustained by Maryland and its residents.

The collapse brought shipping at the Port of Baltimore to a complete halt, disrupted the livelihoods of thousands of workers, rerouted traffic through communities already bearing disproportionate burdens, and triggered economic ripple effects still being felt across the state, the attorney general's office noted.

The bridge, a longstanding Baltimore landmark, was a vital piece of transportation infrastructure that allowed drivers to easily bypass downtown. The original 1.6-mile (2.6-kilometer) steel span took five years to construct and opened to traffic in 1977. It was particularly important for the city’s port operations.

Tony Cavallaro sued the state Department of Environmental Conservation after officers met him with a warrant in the driveway of his home in the Buffalo suburb of Hamburg in March 2024. The officers sedated the 12-foot (3.6-meter), 750-pound (340-kilogram) alligator and drove him away in a van.

Albert, who lived in an indoor swimming pool, eventually ended up in a sanctuary in Texas.

Cavallaro sued over the state's denial of a license to keep Albert. But the 66-year-old said Thursday that the legal action had consumed his life for two years. With no quick end in sight, he decided last month that he couldn't deal with the exhausting battle anymore.

“They were never going to give me this alligator back, and it was going to cost me a ton more money. Another year and a half — at least — of stress,” Cavallaro said in a phone interview.

Cavallaro’s license to keep Albert had expired in 2021, according to the department. But even if it had been renewed, Cavallaro had let other people pet the alligator and even get in the pool with him, providing grounds for the removal under the rules for keeping animals classified as dangerous, the agency said after the seizure.

The seized alligator had blindness in both eyes and spinal complications, among other health issues, according to the state.

Cavallaro has insisted that Albert was “just a big baby” who had never shown signs of aggression. He bought the alligator at an Ohio reptile show when it was two months old and considered him an “emotional support animal.”

Cavallaro said he has not seen Albert since the animal was taken away, though he has seen photographs.

“I’m not at peace. I don’t think I ever will be,” he said. “I’m very angry about the whole thing.”

It was full of sediment, probably from some construction upstream, the retired geology professor reasoned. Maher didn’t think much of it until hours later when his son alerted him to a mishap that was quickly becoming the talk of the town.

A patch of Pacific Street the size of a sand volleyball court had collapsed into the earth, swallowing a silver Ram pickup truck and a maroon Jeep Cherokee. The sediment Maher noticed in the creek had washed out from under the road, creating a massive void that the cars fell into.

“I was sorry I wasn’t still teaching,” Maher said. “I would’ve probably spent (time) in class saying, ‘Look, here’s the relevance. Here’s geology in action. Here’s a sinkhole.’”

Videos of the moment the road gave way quickly racked up millions of views from all over the world. But most Omaha sinkholes don’t go viral.

Over the last five years, city work crews reported more than 2,100 “cave-ins,” ranging from small dips in the pavement to gaping chasms like the Pacific Street sinkhole. Though most are minor, Omaha sees more cave-ins than several other Midwestern cities, according to a Flatwater Free Press analysis.

The city’s susceptibility to sinkholes comes from its soil, geologists say. Much of Omaha sits atop a fine-grained sediment called loess (pronounced “luss”) that can be easily carried away by water, leaving behind gaps underground.

“It’s great for growing corn, but terrible for building roads,” said City Engineer Austin Rowser.

More or loess

The sinkholes that typically attract online virality and dominate the pages of geology textbooks don’t happen in Nebraska.

That’s because the state is one of only a few that doesn’t appear to have much karst topography. Dissolvable bedrock makes places such as the Missouri Ozarks and Florida’s “Sinkhole Alley” more susceptible to massive sinkholes, said Matt Joeckel, Nebraska’s state geologist and a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

By contrast, Omaha’s sinkholes are generally shallower and often result from human-made infrastructure interacting with the fine-grained sediment that blankets eastern Nebraska, geologists said.

“We’re not going to have a situation in which a giant sinkhole suddenly appears … and continues to grow and eat up a neighborhood,” Joeckel said.

When a pipe breaks or a sewer leaks, water can carry away loess or fill dirt underground. Omaha’s hilly topography aids that movement, said Maher, who taught at University of Nebraska at Omaha for four decades.

Rowser, the city engineer, theorized that the Pacific Street sinkhole started months before as a small leak in a Metropolitan Utilities District water main that found its way into the storm sewer, creating a small void that went undetected. Eventually, the water pushed enough dirt into the sewer to create the huge cavity that collapsed under the weight of two vehicles on Feb. 24, Rowser said.

MUD has challenged the city’s explanation, contending that the city’s damaged storm sewer was responsible for the sinkhole and that the water main broke after the road collapse.

Locked in a chicken-and-egg dispute, the city and MUD have filed claims against each other for the cost of repairs.

Omaha has averaged more than 400 cave-ins annually since 2021, according to a Flatwater analysis of Public Works data.

Many appeared only as slight dips in a road or sidewalk. The city ordered barricades for about 40% of cave-ins indicating some kind of hazard at the surface, Rowser said.

Omaha sees far more sinkholes in warmer months than colder ones — frozen soil doesn’t erode as easily, Rowser noted. That differentiates them from potholes, which typically form as moisture seeps into cracks in pavement during freeze-thaw cycles in late winter and early spring.

UNO geology professor Ashlee Dere isn’t surprised that Omaha sees so many cave-ins given its soil type, human-altered topography and aging infrastructure.

“It’s surprising in that it doesn’t cause more problems,” Dere said.

The city has seen memorable sinkholes over the years, including a collapse on St. Mary’s Avenue that swallowed a car and injured its driver in 2014. Another downtown sinkhole that sucked half of a garbage truck into 16th Street last year is still being repaired following a yearlong dispute between the city and a property owner.

But Omaha drivers shouldn’t worry about their car falling into a sinkhole since the chance of it happening is so low, Rowser said.

The two unlucky drivers who were suddenly plunged into Pacific Street emerged unharmed.

Even though the risk of injury is minimal, local engineers need to keep in mind that they’re building on soil that can erode rapidly, Joeckel said.

Beneath the surface

Every cave-in must be checked out to prevent sinkholes from forming, and in Omaha, that duty falls to Public Works crews.

When the city gets a cave-in report, an employee investigates the scene to find the root cause, Rowser said.

Injecting colored dye into a hole or crack in the pavement is usually the first step, he said.

If workers can see the dye in the sewer water downstream, it means water and sediment are likely leaking into the sewer. Sending a camera down next allows them to trace the water’s path and find where it’s entering. Then, they can repair the sewer and stop the leak.

When the dye doesn’t show up in the sewer, an animal burrow or dead tree root might be the cause of the cave-in. Workers then use a special concrete to fill in the gap.

Reported cave-ins have decreased in recent years from more than 500 in 2021 to about 340 last year, but as Omaha’s underground infrastructure ages, it could put the city at greater risk of sinkholes, geologists said.

In recent weeks, the city has explored new ways to diagnose problems underground, Rowser said. Fiber optic cables may be able to detect leaks in water lines and alert the city, he said.

Joeckel, the state geologist, said conducting certain geological surveys could illuminate where water is concentrated and identify potential trouble spots.

“It would be great if you could see what was going on below the surface before something happened,” Joeckel said.

Rowser said he’s not sure what would have raised red flags on Pacific Street before the sinkhole appeared. City workers did a dye test late last year while investigating some settlement at the surface, but it didn’t show the sewer had been breached.

After the collapse, construction crews worked rapidly to repair pipes and fill in the square of missing road.

The street reopened to drivers just nine days after it closed, but by then, the sinkhole had become world famous. The New York Times, USA Today and Fox News wrote articles on it, and international outlets from Belgium to Vietnam published video footage of the incident.

The sinkhole owes its internet popularity to the UNO security camera that recorded the dramatic moment, Rowser said.

“If a picture’s worth a thousand words, I don’t know what a video is worth,” Rowser said. “It’s got to be a lot more.”

But the clip’s virality speaks to something about how humans are wired, too, Maher said.“I suspect it has to do with the psychology of how we are intrigued by the unexpected,” Maher said. “It’s unexpected that the ground that is so solid and firm beneath your feet just gives way.”

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

That is by far the most among conferences, largely because the Big Ten swept the national championships — Michigan won the men's and UCLA the women's — and had Illinois advance to the men's Final Four.

The NCAA, which has multibillion-dollar broadcast deals for the two tournaments, since 1991 has rewarded conferences for their number of tournament bids and how far those teams advance in the men’s tournament. A similar system for the women’s tournament began in 2025.

The dollars are piling up:

— For this year's tournaments, nine men's teams and 12 women's teams from the Big Ten combined to make at least $69.4 million, with $63 million coming from the men's side.

— The Southeastern Conference, which had 10 teams in each tournament, totaled at least $56.2 million ($50.4 million for men, $5.8 million for women).

— Distributions will total at least $42.9 million for the Big 12, $34.2 million for the Atlantic Coast Conference and $22.2 million for the Big East.

The NCAA sends payments directly to the conferences, which distribute the money among their teams according to their policies. Payments for the 2026 tournament will begin in April 2027.

How the NCAA pays tournament teams is based on ‘units’

Teams in each tournament earn what's known as a “unit” for making the field of 68 and an additional unit for each round in which it appears. The national champion is awarded an extra unit. The value of a unit increases each year. A portion of revenue from the tournaments' broadcast agreements are directed to distribution payments, 24% for the men and 41% for the women.

The estimated value of a unit for the 2026 men’s tournament will be about $350,000, an NCAA spokeswoman said, and that amount will be paid annually for six years. So a single unit earned in 2026 would have a total value of at least $2.1 million over those six years and probably more because Division I distribution funds — including the basketball funds — are scheduled to increase each year, typically by 2.9%.

For the women's tournament, full funding for units earned will be achieved in 2027. Payments for each unit earned will be made for three years rather than six. The unit value was $75,000 for 2026 and will decrease to about $63,000 next year as part of the NCAA’s formula for getting the fund fully up and running. Using $63,000 as an estimate for the 2028 value, a single unit earned in 2026 would be worth at least $201,000 by the time it is paid off over three years.

Breaking down the money from 2026 March Madness

The Big Ten's nine teams in the men's tournament appeared in 29 games. Michigan earned $14.7 million for the conference by playing in six games and receiving a seventh unit for winning the championship. Illinois earned five units for making the Final Four ($10.5 million) and Iowa and Purdue four apiece for reaching the Elite Eight ($8.4 million each).

The Big Ten landed 12 teams in the women's tournament, and they combined to play in 31 games. UCLA earned just over $1.4 million by playing in six games and receiving an extra unit for winning the championship. Michigan's four games earned $804,000 and Minnesota's three earned $603,000.

The championships in men's and women's basketball continued what's been a banner 2025-26 for the Big Ten. Indiana won the conference's third straight College Football Playoff, and other national championships have been won in men's wrestling (Penn State), women's ice hockey (Wisconsin), men's water polo (UCLA), men's soccer (Washington) and field hockey (Northwestern).

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

A court ruling this week in a lawsuit the Louisiana attorney general brought against Trump's Food and Drug Administration cast a spotlight on the simmering tension. The judge said the state has a strong case while declining to block telehealth prescriptions to the pill mifepristone for now.

Anti-abortion groups are pushing the FDA to move faster with a review that they hope will result in restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone, including blocking its prescribing via telehealth platforms. The administration says the work takes time.

The groups have focused mostly on the health agency and not the Republican president whose three U.S. Supreme Court appointees were instrumental in the 2022 ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed the state bans in the first place. But the administration's requests in the Louisiana lawsuit and similar ones elsewhere to delay rulings until it finishes a review have sparked anger for some activists.

“The stall tactics are beyond frustrating,” Kristi Hamrick, a spokesperson for Students for Life of America, said in an interview. Hamrick said the administration could also block the pills from being mailed by changing its interpretation of a 19th century law and enforcing it.

A judge opened the door to pushing the administration

U.S. District Judge David Joseph, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, gave a mixed ruling Tuesday in a case brought by Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and a woman who says her boyfriend coerced her into taking mifepristone to end a pregnancy.

Their overall aim is to roll back FDA rules that have made the pills more accessible. Murrill, like officials in other states that have filed similar lawsuits, contends that the availability of the pills via online providers takes the teeth out of the bans in the 13 states that bar abortion at all stages of pregnancy, with limited exceptions.

Surveys of abortion providers have suggested that its availability through telehealth is a reason the number of abortions in the U.S. has not dropped since the overturn of Roe. While state abortion bans include prohibitions on abortion using the pills, some Democratic-controlled states have adopted laws that seek to protect medical providers who prescribe them over telehealth and mail the pills to states with bans. Those so-called shield laws are being tested through civil and criminal cases.

In the Louisiana case, Joseph declined to grant Murrill's request to block telehealth prescriptions to the pills while the case moves through the courts. But he said he could do that eventually and the plaintiffs in the case are likely to succeed on the merits of their arguments because the state has demonstrated it's suffered “irreparable harm.”

He also ordered the FDA to report to him within six months on the status of its review of the drug.

On Wednesday, Murrill filed a notice that she's taking the case to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in hopes of forcing faster action.

The politics aren't simple

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, an influential conservative voice who is also a former Louisiana lawmaker, applauded Murrill's step.

He said people he meets are often shocked to learn that the number of abortions has not dropped since the 2022 Supreme Court ruling.

“Bewilderment sets in,” he said. “We’re already seeing an enthusiasm gap between the parties. What the Republicans do not need is a dampening of enthusiasm in their base.”

He's hoping the administration will restrict abortion pills rather than risk losing support from conservative, anti-abortion voters in November's midterm elections.

Other groups are being more cautions.

Madison LaClare, director of federal government affairs at National Right to Life, said her group trusts the administration to review mifepristone. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, avoided harsh words for the president: “The Trump-Vance administration has an important opportunity right now to prioritize women’s safety,” she said in a statement.

Still, recent electoral results suggest that voters seeking to keep abortion available have the political momentum. Since Roe was overturned, abortion has been on the ballot directly in 17 states. Voters have sided with the abortion-rights side in 14 of those questions.

“There seems to be an emerging consensus in the country that people don’t want to ban abortion,” said Rachel Rebouche, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law who studies abortion.

The FDA says it's working on it

In a statement Wednesday in response to questions from The Associated Press, the FDA said it's reviewing the safety of mifepristone, “including the collection of robust and timely data, evaluation of data integrity, and implementation of the analyses, validation, and peer-review.”

After that, the agency said, it will decide whether to make changes to the rules about how the drug can be prescribed.

It said this kind of study can take a year or more to complete by academics but the agency is trying to move faster than that. A spokesperson did not answer questions about when the work began.

Mifepristone has been a political priority for anti-abortion activists and their allies in Congress since Trump returned to office last year. In his January 2025 confirmation hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was repeatedly asked about the drug by Republican lawmakers and said the president had requested a safety review.

Frustration over signs that the FDA isn't prioritizing curbing abortions flared last fall when the FDA approved an additional generic version of mifepristone.

The drug is most often used for abortion in combination with another drug, misoprostol.

Mifepristone was approved in 2000 as a safe and effective way to end early pregnancies.

Because of rare cases of excessive bleeding, the FDA initially imposed strict limits on who could prescribe and distribute the pill — only specially certified physicians and only after an in-person appointment where the person would receive the pill.

Both those requirements were dropped during the COVID years. At the time, FDA officials said that after more than 20 years of monitoring mifepristone use, and reviewing dozens of studies involving thousands of women, it was clear that women could safely use the pill without direct supervision.

The Postal Service also wants to increase postage rates, including raising the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 78 cents to 82 cents. USPS filed notice Friday with regulators, who still need to approve the changes.

The step taken by the Postal Board of Governors to forgo the pension payments is meant to preserve cash and liquidity due to the Postal Service's "ongoing, severe financial crisis," Postal Service Chief Financial Officer Luke Grossmann said in an internal message to USPS employees. Officials have warned the USPS is on course to run out of cash by around February 2027.

Despite the suspension of employer contributions, effective Friday, current and future retirees will not be immediately impacted, Grossman said.

“The risk to the Postal Service and the American public from insufficient liquidity for postal operations dramatically outweighs any longer-term risk to the pension funds from not making the currently due payments,” he said in the statement. USPS deferred payments in 2011 during another financial crisis.

The Postal Service said it will continue transmitting employees’ retirement contributions to the federal Office of Personnel Management, along with Thrift Savings Plan contributions, including employer automatic and matching funds, and will also maintain its employer contributions to Social Security.

Brian Renfroe, president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, said the temporary suspension of annuity payments is “not ideal" but it doesn't immediately impact his members, who he said understand the Postal Service's financial challenges.

“Given a menu of options, none of which are overall positive, they would certainly prefer the Postal Service making a move like this as opposed to something that immediately impacts them or immediately impacts in a negative way the service that we provide to the American people," Renfroe said.

Ninety-nine percent of career USPS employees are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System.

In a related matter, the Postal Regulatory Commission on Thursday granted the Postal Service a temporary, multi-year waiver allowing it to redirect billions of dollars in revenue previously earmarked for retiree benefits, providing “some breathing room and flexibility” to execute contingency plans and avoid running out of cash.

Last month, Postmaster General David Steiner told The Associated Press and later a congressional committee that the 250-year-old service needs to have a decades-old $15 billion cap on borrowing raised to $34.5 billion so the independent agency can have access to more cash.

“That will buy us the time to make the fixes we need to make, and we can sail on down the road,” he told the AP. Steiner has called for other changes as well, including greater flexibility in how retirement funds are invested, changes to pension obligation methodology and the authority for USPS to raise postage prices high enough to cover losses.

Renfroe said this latest move to pause employer contributions is the “direct result of continued inaction by Congress" to fix such "legislative restraints" placed on the Postal Service.

Keep Us Posted, an advocacy group representing consumers, catalogs, greeting card publishers and others, has urged Congress to ensure any rate increases would be limited to once a year. The group also wants to ensure six-day-a-week mail service remains and that USPS regulators have greater control over any service changes.

USPS said the proposed price increases requested Thursday, which also affect postcards and international letters, will still make rates among the most affordable in the world. The Postal Service relies mostly on the sale of postage, products and services to finance its operations.

The Postal Service has seen annual volume plummet from about 220 billion pieces in 2006 to about 110 billion today as more people pay bills and communicate online.

USPS’s net losses for the 2025 fiscal year totaled $9 billion, even though total operating revenue increased by $916 million or 1.2%, due largely to its Ground Advantage shipping service. Net losses in fiscal year 2024 were $9.5 billion.

Xander Schauffele's tee shot on the par-5 eighth hole Thursday at Augusta National appeared to come to rest in somebody's merchandise bag, just a few feet to the left of the fairway. Schauffele used a tee to mark the spot, removed the ball and then handed off the bag to a woman in a pink and white outfit.

He was able to play on without penalty and made par.

Schauffele finished the front nine in 1 under, but he had his shaky moments. His tee shot on the par-4 ninth ended up in some pine straw and his second shot found a bunker. Then he splashed out to within inches of the hole.

___

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

“Como un ‘boom’, como un choque”, dijo la testigo Nikki Clark. “Es terrible. Es malo”.

La policía de Plantation identificó al conductor como Tommy Duwayne Dennis, de 56 años, quien era buscado en relación con un robo a banco.

Los investigadores dicen que poco antes de las 4:30 p.m. del miércoles, Dennis entró a un TD Bank en State Road 7 y le entregó a un empleado una nota exigiendo dinero. Tras obtener el efectivo, se fue, según las autoridades.

Con la ayuda de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward y otras agencias, la policía de Plantation indicó que más tarde los investigadores encontraron el vehículo de escape del sospechoso en Fort Lauderdale, y fue entonces cuando comenzó la persecución.

Sky 10 sobrevoló la persecución hasta el final.

El Departamento de Policía de Plantation señaló que la persecución fue un esfuerzo coordinado.

Durante la persecución, se vio a un agente lanzar ponchallantas en la vía. En un momento, el conductor ignoró un área de construcción, atravesó una barrera y continuó.

El Kia rojo también fue visto conduciendo en sentido contrario en una zona escolar.

La persecución terminó tras una maniobra PIT, cuando el Kia se estrelló contra un muro. Los oficiales luego se acercaron con armas desenfundadas.

El sospechoso se entregó con las manos en alto.

Posteriormente fue trasladado al hospital por paramédicos para evaluación.

De regreso en el banco, las autoridades indicaron que el FBI acudió para asistir a los detectives de la policía de Plantation.

El FBI investigará el robo al banco.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Dennis fue arrestado en septiembre de 2024 por cargos de robo sin arma de fuego y robo con allanamiento con agresión o golpiza.

En ese caso, agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward indicaron que Dennis entró a una tienda O’Reilly Auto Parts en un área no incorporada del condado Broward y exigió dinero de la caja registradora.

Las autoridades señalaron que Dennis “negó haber exigido dinero, afirmando en cambio que fue detrás del mostrador para buscar ayuda debido a cómo se sentía”.

Los cargos, la fianza y la foto policial de Dennis en el caso del robo al banco, la persecución policial y su arresto del miércoles no fueron divulgados de inmediato.

The three-time Grammy Award winner will make her debut as MC for the awards on June 7 at its familiar home of Radio City Music Hall.

“It is the honor of an entire lifetime to host a night celebrating the literal hardest working people in showbiz,” Pink said in a statement. “Broadway has shaped my life and how I put my own shows together — it is a community that is supportive, and inclusive, and full of talent and love. These people give magic every single day, and I cannot wait to celebrate them with the entire world.”

While Pink hasn't yet made an appearance on Broadway, she has had 15 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including four No. 1s — like “Raise Your Glass” and “Just Give Me a Reason” — and is known for her acrobatic, ceiling-swinging live sets.

Tony Award executive producers Raj Kapoor, Sarah Levine Hall and Jack Sussman in a statement hailed Pink as “a fearless artist whose powerhouse voice, electrifying stage presence, and undeniable authenticity embody the very spirit of live performance and theatre.”

The 2026 awards will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+. Getting buzz from appearing on the telecast can dictate a show’s future, both on Broadway and on tour.

Last year's show — hosted by “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo — drew 4.85 million viewers to CBS, its largest broadcast audience in six years, according to Nielsen data. CBS also said the awards show drew its largest streaming audience on Paramount+ but did not disclose those viewership numbers.

The awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

Según el detective de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, Argemis “AC” Colome, los agentes respondieron al área de la calle 184 del suroeste y la avenida 122 alrededor de las 7:05 p.m. por una parada de tráfico relacionada con un sospechoso buscado.

“De acuerdo con información preliminar, cuando los agentes intentaron detener al conductor, el sujeto huyó del lugar, golpeando a varios agentes”, dijo Colome en un correo electrónico a Local 10 News. “Se inició una persecución que concluyó cerca de la autopista Florida Turnpike y la calle 40 del suroeste”.

Un informe de arresto identifica al conductor de un Hyundai Sonata blanco 2024 como Ryelee Mason Emery-Gonzalez, de 18 años y residente de Miami, quien fue reconocido por agentes en el lugar de la parada de tráfico inicial como sospechoso buscado en relación con un incidente previo de fuga para evadir a la policía.

Los agentes indicaron que se le dieron múltiples órdenes a Emery-Gonzalez para que saliera del vehículo, pero se negó a obedecer.

Según el informe, dos agentes introdujeron sus brazos por la ventana del lado del conductor en un intento de sacarlo del auto, momento en el que aceleró hacia adelante, golpeando a ambos en los brazos con el vehículo.

Otro agente que se encontraba del lado del pasajero saltó hacia atrás para evitar ser atropellado, señala el informe.

De acuerdo con el reporte, Emery-Gonzalez huyó del lugar y fue visto por agentes “excediendo la velocidad, sin detenerse en múltiples semáforos en rojo y conduciendo en sentido contrario”.

Los agentes indicaron que finalmente perdió el control del vehículo y se estrelló contra una barandilla en los carriles en dirección norte de la autopista Florida Turnpike, a la altura de la salida de la calle 40 del suroeste.

Luego salió del vehículo e intentó huir a pie, pero fue detenido por los agentes, según el informe.

Las autoridades indicaron que continuó resistiéndose, tensando los brazos y negándose a colocar las manos detrás de la espalda.

Finalmente fue puesto bajo custodia tras un breve forcejeo, indicaron las autoridades.

Según el informe, dentro del vehículo se encontró una bolsa plástica verde con gomitas presuntamente con THC y dos cajas verdes con vaporizadores que también contenían presunto THC.

Emery-Gonzalez fue arrestado por cargos de agresión agravada contra un agente del orden, asalto agravado contra un agente del orden, fuga para evadir a la policía, posesión de sustancia controlada y resistencia a un agente sin violencia.

Según los agentes, otro adolescente, Dangelo Infante, de 15 años, quien estaba en el asiento trasero del vehículo, también fue arrestado por presuntamente resistirse a los agentes al tensar los brazos y negarse a colocar las manos detrás de la espalda mientras intentaban detenerlo durante la investigación.

Su informe de arresto indica que en el bolsillo de su pantalón se encontró un vaporizador rosado que se cree contenía THC. Las autoridades también indicaron que se hallaron dos cajas con vaporizadores con presunto THC dentro de una mochila en el asiento trasero, junto a donde estaba sentado.

Infante fue arrestado por cargos de posesión de sustancia controlada y resistencia a un agente sin violencia.

Colome confirmó que los dos agentes que fueron impactados por el vehículo sufrieron lesiones leves y fueron atendidos en el lugar.

No se reportaron otras personas heridas.

De acuerdo con la policía, el menor, llamado Lucas o Legacy, fue encontrado alrededor de las 11 p.m., deambulando en el área de la avenida 7 del noroeste y la calle 17, en el vecindario de Allapattah.

“Fue un buen samaritano quien nos llamó; el niño estaba durmiendo en la calle y él nos alertó. No sabemos qué habría pasado si hubiera permanecido allí”, dijo el oficial de policía de Miami, Mike Vega.

Según la policía, el menor tiene retraso en el habla, lo que dificulta obtener información de él.

Las autoridades no han podido localizar a los padres o tutores del niño y señalan que nadie en el área ha reportado a un menor como desaparecido.

El niño se encuentra ahora bajo el cuidado del Departamento de Niños y Familias de Florida.

Cualquier persona con información sobre su identidad o la de sus tutores debe llamar a la Unidad de Víctimas Especiales del Departamento de Policía de Miami al 305-603-6300.

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According to Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Detective Argemis “AC” Colome, deputies responded to the area of Southwest 184^th Street and 122^nd Avenue at about 7:05 p.m. in reference to a traffic stop involving a wanted subject.

“According to preliminary information, as deputies attempted to detain the driver, the subject fled the scene, striking multiple deputies,” Colome said in an email to Local 10 News. “A pursuit ensued and concluded near the Florida Turnpike and SW 40 Street.”

An arrest report identifies the driver of the white 2024 Hyundai Sonata as Ryelee Mason Emery-Gonzalez, 18, of Miami, who was recognized by deputies at the scene of the initial traffic stop as a suspect wanted in connection with a previous “fleeing and eluding incident.”

Deputies said multiple orders were given to Emery-Gonzalez to get out of the vehicle, but he refused to comply.

According to the report, two deputies reached through the driver’s side window in an attempt to remove Emery-Gonzalez from the car, at which time he accelerated forward, striking the two deputies in their arms with the vehicle.

Another deputy who was reaching into the passenger side jumped backward to avoid being hit, the report stated.

According to the report, Emery-Gonzalez fled the scene and was observed by deputies “speeding, failing to stop at multiple red lights and driving on the opposite side of traffic.”

Deputies said Emery-Gonzalez eventually lost control of the car and crashed into a guardrail in the northbound lanes of Florida’s Turnpike at the Southwest 40^th Street exit.

He then jumped out of the car and tried to run away, but was apprehended by deputies, the report stated.

Deputies said he continued to resist by tensing his arms and refusing to place his hands behind his back.

He was eventually taken into custody after a brief struggle, authorities said.

According to the report, a green plastic bag containing suspected THC gummies and two green boxes containing suspected THC vape pens were found inside the car.

Emery-Gonzalez was arrested on charges of aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, fleeing and eluding police, possession of a controlled substance, and resisting an officer without violence.

According to deputies, another teen, Dangelo Infante, 15, who was in the backseat of the car was also arrested for allegedly resisting deputies by tensing his arms and refusing to place his hands behind his back as they were trying to detain him during the investigation.

His arrest report states that a pink vape pen, believed to contain THC, was found in his pants pocket. Two boxes containing suspected THC vape pens were also found inside a backpack in the back seat next to where he was sitting, authorities said.

Infante was arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance and resisting an officer without violence.

Colome confirmed that the two deputies who were struck by the vehicle sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene.

No other injuries were reported.

As the next-to-last day of their flight dawned Thursday, humanity's first lunar explorers in more than half a century were less than 150,000 miles (240,000 kilometers) from home with the odometer clicking down.

“We have to get back. There’s so much data that you’ve seen already, but all the good stuff is coming back with us. There are so many more pictures, so many more stories," said pilot Victor Glover, adding that "riding a fireball through the atmosphere is profound as well.”

Being cut off from all of humanity for nearly an hour while behind the moon was especially “surreal,” according to commander Reid Wiseman.

“There’s a lot that our brains have to process ... and it is a true gift," Wiseman said late Wednesday during the crew's first news conference since before liftoff.

While out of contact behind the moon Monday, Wiseman, Glover, Christina Koch and Canada's Jeremy Hansen became the most distant humans ever, clocking in at a record 252,756 miles (406,771 kilometers) from Earth before heading back. As they emerged from behind the moon, they experienced a wondrous total solar eclipse as the orb blocked the sun from their perspective.

Launching from Florida on April 1 diminished the amount of illumination on the lunar far side, Glover noted, but the eclipse was the consolation prize “and it was one of the greatest gifts.”

While acknowledging anxiety over Friday's return, NASA Associate Administrator Amit Kshatriya said the crew's "expressions of love and devotion to family” have warmed hearts worldwide and served as “a great example of why we go and do these missions.”

”If you can’t take love to the stars, then what are we doing?" he said. "That’s why we send humans instead of robots sometimes, that’s why we have that firsthand witness.”

Friday's reentry and Pacific splashdown off the coast of San Diego — as dynamic and dangerous as liftoff — now topped everyone's minds. The recovery ship, USS John P. Murtha, was already at sea, with a squadron of military planes and helicopters poised to join the operation.

It's the first time that NASA and the Defense Department have teamed up for a lunar crew's reentry since Apollo 17 in 1972. Their Orion capsule will come screaming back, hitting the atmosphere at a predicted 34,965 feet (10,657 meters) per second — or 23,840 mph (38,367 kph) — not a record but still mind-bogglingly fast.

Flight director Jeff Radigan said the capsule must nail the reentry angle within a single degree.

“Let’s not beat around the bush. We have to hit that angle correctly — otherwise we’re not going to have a successful reentry,” he said.

Mission Control will be paying close attention to how the capsule's heat shield holds up. During the only other Orion test flight to the moon — in 2022 without a crew — the heat shield suffered considerably more damage than expected from the 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,760 degrees Celsius) of reentry.

Instead of replacing Artemis II's heat shield, which would have forced another lengthy delay, NASA tweaked the capsule's descent through the atmosphere to reduce the blisteringly hot exposure. Next year's Artemis III and beyond will fly with redesigned heat shields.

Artemis III will see astronauts practice docking their capsule with a lunar lander or two in orbit around Earth. Artemis IV in 2028 will attempt to land two astronauts near the moon's south pole, setting the stage for what NASA hopes will be a sustainable lunar base.

NASA officials have been loath to provide their risk assessment numbers for the nearly 10-day mission, acknowledging launch and entry as the biggest threats.

“We’re down to the wire now,” said NASA's Lakiesha Hawkins. "We’re down to the end of the mission, and obviously getting the crew back home and getting them landed safely, is a significant part of the risk that’s still in front of us.”

___

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

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“Like a ‘boom,’ like a crash,” said witness Nikki Clark. “It’s terrible. It’s bad.”

Plantation police identified the driver as 56-year-old Tommy Duwayne Dennis, who was wanted in connection with a bank robbery.

Investigators say just before 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dennis went into a TD Bank on State Road 7, and gave an employee a note, demanding money. After getting the cash, he left, authorities said.

With help from the Broward Sheriff’s Office and other agencies, Plantation police say investigators later found the suspect’s getaway vehicle in Fort Lauderdale -- and that’s when the chase started.

Sky 10 was flying above the pursuit until the end.

The Plantation Police Department says the chase was a coordinated effort.

During the pursuit, an officer was seen throwing spike strips onto the road. At one point, the driver disregarded a construction area, drove through a barrier and kept going.

The red Kia was also seen driving the wrong way in a school zone.

The chase ended after a PIT maneuver, when the Kia crashed into a cement wall outside of a home in Lauderhill. Officers then rushed in with guns drawn.

The suspect surrendered with his hands in the air.

He was later taken to the hospital by paramedics for evaluation.

Back at the bank, officials say the FBI responded to assist Plantation police detectives.

The FBI will investigate the bank robbery.

Jail records show that Dennis was arrested in September 2024 on charges of robbery without a firearm and burglary with assault or battery.

In that case, deputies with the Broward Sheriff’s Office said Dennis walked into an O’Reilly Auto Parts store in unincorporated Broward County and demanded money from the cash register.

Authorities said Dennis “denied demanding money, claiming instead that he went behind the counter to get some help due to the way he felt.”

Dennis’ charges, bond and mugshot in the Wednesday bank robbery, police chase and arrest were not immediately released.

The new law will target social media platforms that enable the user to create profiles, interact with others and share content, such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

Once the legislation is enacted, social media platforms will be responsible for reverifying the ages of all users in the country to exclude those who are 15 years or under. Authorities say the state’s role will be limited to ensuring that social media platforms comply with the new law and will take action in case of any reported violations.

Violations will be reported to the authorities of the country in which the social media platform is based or to the EU’s executive arm. Penalties include fines of up to 6% of a company’s global turnover, daily fines until compliance or restrictions on operations.

In a video posted on social media on Wednesday, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis took his message directly to kids, saying that the ban is for their own good because parents and young people themselves have confided in him that endless hours on social media platforms induce, stress, anxiety and sleeplessness.

“Now I’m certain that many young ones will be angry. If I was at your age, perhaps I’d feel the same way too. But our role, my role isn’t always to be pleasant,” Mitsotakis said.

“If something makes us feel more anxious or worse, lesser than who we really are, then it’s perhaps best that we put a stop to it.”

The Greek prime minister said the new law isn’t intended to keep young people away from technology but to protect them from the “addictive design of certain platforms and their profit model that’s grounded in how long you spend in front of a mobile phone screen that denies you your innocence and freedom.”

Mitsotakis said the new law is expected to be introduced this summer and put in to effect on the first day of the new year.

Greece is following the example of France which earlier this year instituted its own social media ban on kids 15 and under.

It a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Mitsotakis urged for a “unified European framework” by the end of the year to complement national initiatives to protect minors.

The Greek leader proposed an EU-wide social media ban for young people 15 and younger, a standardized age verification mechanism, obligating platforms to reverify the age of users every two years and establishing a body for member states and the commission to assess incidents and quickly impose penalties.

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Gina Ortega was last seen between 7:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the 2500 block of Coral Springs Drive, police said.

They said Ortega is 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs about 145 pounds, and has brown eyes.

Investigators said she does not have a vehicle and is believed to be traveling on foot in an unknown direction.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Coral Springs Police Department at 954-344-1800.

Gina Ortega fue vista por última vez entre las 7:30 a.m. y las 2:30 p.m. en la cuadra 2500 de Coral Springs Drive, dijeron las autoridades.

Dijeron que Ortega mide 5 pies y 2 pulgadas, pesa alrededor de 145 libras y tiene ojos marrones.

Los investigadores dijeron que no tiene vehículo y se cree que se desplaza a pie en una dirección desconocida.

Cualquier persona con información debe comunicarse con el Departamento de Policía de Coral Springs al 954-344-1800.

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In court was Jason Banegas, 22, who shot and killed Hollywood Police Officer Yandy Chirino in October 2021.

The courtroom was full of Hollywood police officers, showing support for Chirino and his family.

No witnesses spoke for either side, but Banegas was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole.

Jurors previously recommended the life sentence for Banegas instead of the death penalty.

“We respect the jury’s decision, but we’re grateful for the judge’s decision today,” said Hollywood Police Department Chief Jeff Delvin. “We can all take a little comfort in knowing that he’s never gonna take a breath of free air again.”

Chirino was 28 years old when he was fatally shot while responding to call regarding a suspicious person along the 400 block of North Hills Drive in Hollywood.

Video footage captured from that night showed Banegas, who was 18 years old at the time, checking car doors to see if they were unlocked.

There was a struggle between Banegas and Chirino, with the former shooting the latter twice in the face while resisting arrest, police said.

Chirino joined HPD in 2017. Delvin said the department is focused on supporting his family.

En la corte estuvo Jason Banegas, de 22 años, quien disparó y mató al agente de policía de Hollywood Yandy Chirino en octubre de 2021.

La sala estaba llena de agentes de policía de Hollywood, mostrando su apoyo a Chirino y a su familia.

Ningún testigo habló por ninguna de las partes, pero Banegas fue condenado a cadena perpetua sin posibilidad de libertad condicional.

Previamente, el jurado había recomendado la cadena perpetua en lugar de la pena de muerte.

“Respetamos la decisión del jurado, pero agradecemos la decisión del juez hoy”, dijo el jefe del Departamento de Policía de Hollywood, Jeff Delvin. “Todos podemos encontrar algo de consuelo al saber que nunca volverá a respirar aire libre”.

Chirino tenía 28 años cuando fue asesinado a tiros mientras respondía a una llamada sobre una persona sospechosa en la cuadra 400 de North Hills Drive, en Hollywood.

Imágenes de video de esa noche mostraron a Banegas, quien tenía 18 años en ese momento, revisando puertas de vehículos para ver si estaban abiertas.

Según la policía, hubo un forcejeo entre Banegas y Chirino, durante el cual el primero le disparó dos veces en el rostro mientras se resistía al arresto.

Chirino se unió al departamento en 2017. Delvin indicó que la agencia está enfocada en apoyar a su familia.

Brina, que pesa alrededor de 45 libras, fue encontrada como extraviada, por lo que se sabe poco sobre su historia. El personal indica que es “muy dulce y cariñosa”, disfruta estar cerca de las personas y necesita compañía constante.

A pesar de su tamaño, Brina suele comportarse como un perro más pequeño, subiéndose al regazo y buscando afecto continuamente. Es obediente, se comporta bien en viajes en auto y es considerada una buena opción incluso para dueños primerizos. Además, no reacciona negativamente a otros perros.

Funcionarios de Servicios de Animales señalan que Brina sería una compañera ideal, especialmente para alguien que busca una mascota tranquila y afectuosa.

El refugio también destaca a Coco, una mezcla de bulldog americano más joven y enérgica, como mascota de la semana. Indican que es juguetona y dulce, pero que se beneficiaría de una introducción gradual a otras mascotas.

Servicios de Animales de Miami-Dade informa que más de 500 perros están actualmente en espera de un hogar e insta al público a considerar la adopción.

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

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Brina, who weighs about 45 pounds, was found as a stray, so little is known about her background. Staff say she is “the snuggliest, cuddliest girl” who enjoys being close to people and thrives on companionship.

Despite her size, Brina often acts like a much smaller dog, happily climbing into laps and seeking constant affection. She is well-behaved, does well on car rides and is considered a good fit even for first-time pet owners. She also is not reactive to other dogs.

Animal Services officials say Brina would make an ideal companion, especially for someone looking for a relaxed, affectionate pet.

The shelter is also featuring Coco, a younger, more energetic American bulldog mix, as a pet of the week. Officials say Coco is playful and sweet but would benefit from slow introductions to other pets.

Miami-Dade Animal Services says more than 500 dogs are currently waiting for homes and encourages the public to consider adoption.

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

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The 43rd annual Miami Film Festival is officially underway, bringing hundreds of films around the world right here to South Florida.

Local 10’s Alexis Frazier sat down with Lauren Cohen, the festival’s director of programming, to give viewers a preview of what to expect.

She spoke about one specific film that is generating a lot of hype.

“We have 160 films from 45 countries. And one of the things I’m excited about this year is this is our largest made in Miami program. The Mecca is one of the films that we’re so excited about,” Cohen said.

The documentary is about Traz Powell Stadium, the birthplace of more NFL players than any other stadium in the country.

Nicanson Guerrier is the director and writer of the film.

“It means so much to have the world premiere at the Miami Film Festival because this is for Miami, by Miami, so there’s no other festival that would make sense for it to debut at,” Guerrier said.

The film is voiced by legendary stadium announcer Mr. William Wilcox, who’s been there for over four decades.

“The Mecca” is one of 12 feature films competing this year.

Frazier asked Cohen how it feels to be the “start of a lot of people’s careers.”

“That’s one of the most gratifying things about this job. I think part of what I view my job as is finding a way to blend star power, people who have already made their careers and are well known, with up-and-coming filmmakers while supporting local film and local talent. This is the next group of filmmakers and people we’re going to see everywhere,” Cohen said.

The festival kicks off today and runs through April 19. The world premiere of “The Mecca” will take place this Sunday in downtown Miami.

There’s even more to experience, including a 25th anniversary celebration of “The Princess Diaries” at Vizcaya.

Click here for more information on the event.

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate dropped to 6.37% from 6.46% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the rate averaged 6.62%.

This week’s decline in rates follows five straight increases. When mortgage rates rise, they can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for home shoppers, limiting what they can afford to buy.

The average rate is now back to roughly where it was two weeks ago.

Meanwhile, borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also eased this week. That average rate dropped to 5.74% from 5.77% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.82%, Freddie Mac said.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation.

Only six weeks ago, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage had dropped to just under 6% for the first time since late 2022, an encouraging move for home shoppers just as the spring homebuying season was about to begin. But then the war with Iran began, sending oil prices surging higher and stoking worries about higher inflation.

Those expectations of higher inflation helped push up the yield on 10-year U.S. Treasury bonds, which banks use as a guide to pricing home loans.

The 10-year Treasury yield was at 4.28% in midday trading on the bond market Thursday, down slightly from 4.3% a week ago. The yield was at just 3.97% in late February, before the war with Iran broke out.

Higher inflation could also keep the Fed from cutting interest rates. The central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, but its decisions to raise or lower its short-term rate are watched closely by bond investors and can ultimately affect the yield on 10-year Treasurys.

Bond yields began to ease this week after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire, but any relief to mortgage rates may prove short-lived, said Jiayi Xu, an economist at Realtor.com.

“Until a more permanent resolution emerges, the fog of uncertainty is unlikely to fully lift from the housing market,” Xu said.

The U.S. housing market has been in a slump since 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat last year, stuck at a 30-year low. They have remained sluggish so far this year, declining in January and February versus a year earlier.

While mortgage rates are down slightly from a year ago, their recent upward trend has discouraged some would-be homebuyers and homeowners seeking to refinance their home loan to a lower rate.

Mortgage applications overall fell 0.8% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Further mortgage rate increases threaten to put a damper on home sales during what’s traditionally the busiest time of the year for the housing market.

El 43º Festival de Cine de Miami ya está en marcha y trae consigo cientos de películas de todo el mundo al sur de Florida.

Alexis Frazier, de Local 10, conversó con Lauren Cohen, directora de programación del festival, para ofrecer un adelanto de lo que se puede esperar.

Cohen habló sobre una película en particular que está generando gran expectativa.

“Tenemos 160 películas de 45 países. Y una de las cosas que me entusiasma este año es que este es nuestro programa más grande hecho en Miami. ‘The Mecca’ es una de las películas que más nos entusiasman”, dijo Cohen.

El documental trata sobre el Traz Powell Stadium, cuna de más jugadores de la NFL que cualquier otro estadio en el país.

Nicanson Guerrier es el director y guionista de la película.

“Significa mucho tener el estreno mundial en el Festival de Cine de Miami porque esto es para Miami, hecho por Miami, así que no hay otro festival más adecuado para su debut”, dijo Guerrier.

La película cuenta con la narración del legendario anunciador del estadio, William Wilcox, quien ha estado allí por más de cuatro décadas.

“The Mecca” es una de las 12 películas que compiten este año.

Frazier le preguntó a Cohen cómo se siente ser el “inicio de la carrera de muchas personas”.

“Es una de las cosas más gratificantes de este trabajo. Parte de cómo veo mi labor es encontrar una manera de combinar figuras consolidadas, personas que ya han hecho su carrera y son reconocidas, con cineastas emergentes, mientras apoyamos el cine y el talento local. Este es el próximo grupo de cineastas y personas que veremos en todas partes”, dijo Cohen.

El festival comienza hoy y se extiende hasta el 19 de abril. El estreno mundial de “The Mecca” se realizará este domingo en el centro de Miami.

También habrá más actividades, incluida una celebración por el 25º aniversario de “The Princess Diaries” en Vizcaya.

Haga clic aquí para más información sobre el evento.

She was deep in grief when an advertisement for a New Kids on the Block fan cruise caught her attention. She ended up among the thousands of fans who set sail on a four-day cruise with the boy band on board. They performed intimate concerts and other events were organized for their supporters to mingle. Straub decided then and there it was perfect setting for her next book.

“For the first time, I had the whole idea,” said the author of “Modern Lovers,” “All Adults Here” and “The Vacationers.” “I knew it was a book. I could write it and I would have the time of my life doing it.”

The result was “American Fantasy,” released Tuesday. Her protagonist is Annie, a newly single empty-nester who agrees to embark on a fan cruise for a '90s boy band and ends up forming a connection with one of its members.

Straub spoke with The Associated Press about her new book. Responses have been condensed for clarity and brevity.

AP: Why build your story around a fan cruise?

STRAUB: My everyday life is quite small. I walk the same loop, from my bookstore to my kid's school and home. When I leave that, I'm reminded there's a great big world out there. The cruise in particular struck me as novelistic from the get-go. You have a certain number of people trapped together in a small space for a certain number of days. That's a novel right there.

AP: What did you think when you got there?

STRAUB: I went in feeling like an observer. A fan, but really an observer, because it all felt so foreign. Pretty quickly, I realized I wasn't any better than anyone else there. I eavesdropped on everything and knew 100% of the New Kids references they were talking about. What impressed me was how much these women had spent so much time and energy planning their experience. They wore costumes, decorated the doors of their cabins and made gifts for each other. These were middle-aged women who had given themselves the gift of doing something purely for their own pleasure. I had never seen anything quite like it.

AP: Your main character, Annie, is 50 and going through a divorce. Why put her at that crossroads?

STRAUB: I have so many women friends who have made enormous changes between 40 and 55. They have changed careers, gone back to school, moved across the country, gotten divorced and gotten remarried. I grew up thinking of middle age as a downward slope. That's just not true. We are all still making choices and doing things for the first time. I wanted to spend time with a character who was in that struggle of realizing that and ultimately able to embrace it.

AP: What other research did you do for the book?

STRAUB: I got to know Joe McIntyre from the New Kids. He is smart and funny, and introspective. I wanted to know what it's like to be a middle-aged man who has had this life, and a relationship with these other men who you’ve known for 40 years, whether you love them or hate them, you’re like truly stuck in this work environment. You are yoked to these other men for your entire life. What does that feel like? How does it feel to have these kinds of fans? How it feels to grow up in the public eye? And I was able to ask him all these questions. He was so generous with me.

AP: You and your husband co-own the Brooklyn bookstores Books Are Magic. What have you learned about the publishing world as a bookseller?

STRAUB: In an alternate world, I would be able to say, the things that are selling the most right now are murdery thrillers with this kind of protagonist or, you know, romantasy with dragons or whatever, so I'm going to do that. But, that’s not how writing works, you know? If I’ve learned anything, it is that the best book you can write is always the one that is most personal and most authentic to you. And so, alas, I’ve yet to have a dragon in one of my books.

There are free resources for those who are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

Here is a list:

• Call or text 988
• Call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678 to reach a trained counselor familiar with the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ community.
• Call or text 1-800-985-5990 and press 2 to speak to a trained counselor in Spanish
• Text 838255 to connect with a trained counselor familiar with the challenges faced by military veterans.
• Text Home for English or Hola for Spanish to 74141 to get help from the Crisis Text Line
• Use the TransLifeline hotline at 1-877-565-8860
• Use the chat at 988lifeline.org
• Use the Veterans’ Crisis Chat Line

Here are the APA’s tips to help someone who is experiencing suicidal ideations

• Ask someone you are concerned about if they’re thinking about suicide.
• Be there for them. This could be by phone or in person.
• Keep them safe. Reduce access to lethal means for those at risk.
• Help them connect with ongoing support.
• Follow up. Give them a call or visit. Send a text or an email to let them know that you are still present.
• Join the #BeThe1To Save a Life campaign

Here is the APA’s list of warning signs:

• Talking or writing about death, or feeling hopeless, helpless, or worthless, no reason for living, or saying things like “It would be better if I wasn’t here” or “I want out.”
• Alcohol or drug abuse.
• Withdrawal from friends, family, and community.
• Reckless behavior.
• Dramatic mood changes.

Here is the APA’s list of risk factors:

• Previous suicidal behavior
• Family history of suicide loss
• Mental health conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, personality disorders, eating disorders, and substance abuse
• Access to firearms or prescription medications
• History of trauma or abuse
• Chronic physical illness, including chronic pain
• Exposure to the suicidal behavior of others
• Ongoing social isolation, rejection, victimization, discrimination, systemic racism, and historical trauma.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Suicide is preventable

Related links

• More on suicide prevention from the CDC
• CDC tips for managing stress
• Mental health: Caring for yourself and others

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Both thefts happened on April 1, authorities said.

Miami-Dade deputies said Carlos Arturo Cardozo Soto, 31, of Coconut Grove, first went into Lululemon at around 5 p.m. and put more than $700 in clothes in two Abercrombie & Fitch bags, removing the anti-shoplifting devices in the process.

Six minutes later, authorities said he went into the Alo store and put more than $2,200 worth of clothes in the same bags and walked out.

Cardozo was able to flee the mall as a deputy tried to stop him, an arrest report states.

He was taken into custody on Wednesday at his apartment on Southwest 27th Avenue.

Facing charges including grand theft, petit theft and use of an antishoplifting device, Cardozo was being held in the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $6,000 bond as of Thursday morning.

But the Colombian national may not be leaving jail for a while: Records show he has an immigration hold and an unspecified out-of-state fugitive warrant.

Ambos robos ocurrieron el 1 de abril, informaron las autoridades.

Agentes de Miami-Dade indicaron que Carlos Arturo Cardozo Soto, de 31 años y residente de Coconut Grove, primero ingresó a Lululemon alrededor de las 5 p.m. y colocó más de $700 USD en ropa en dos bolsas de Abercrombie & Fitch, retirando los dispositivos antirrobo en el proceso.

Seis minutos después, las autoridades dijeron que entró a la tienda Alo y colocó más de $2,200 USD en ropa en las mismas bolsas y salió del lugar.

Según el informe de arresto, Cardozo logró huir del centro comercial cuando un agente intentó detenerlo.

Fue detenido el miércoles en su apartamento en la avenida 27 del suroeste.

Enfrenta cargos que incluyen hurto mayor, hurto menor y uso de dispositivo antirrobo, y permanecía detenido en el Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center con una fianza de $6,000 USD hasta la mañana del jueves.

Sin embargo, el ciudadano colombiano podría no salir de la cárcel por un tiempo: los registros muestran que tiene una retención migratoria y una orden de captura pendiente fuera del estado.

Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said the fund will downgrade its forecast for the world economy next week.

“Had it not been for this shock, we would have been upgrading global growth,” Georgieva said in remarks before next week's IMF-World Bank spring meetings. "But now, even our most hopeful scenario involves a growth downgrade.''

The world economy had proved resilient in the face of President Donald Trump's decision to impose sweeping taxes last year on imports from most the world's countries. In January, the 191-country IMF had upgraded the global growth outlook to 3.3% and was poised to do so again when its new forecasts came out next Tuesday.

But the war, which began Feb. 28, changed everything. The conflict has driven up the price of oil and natural gas; damaged oil refineries, tanker terminals and other energy infrastructure; disrupted shipments of fertilizer the world's farmers depend on; and damaged the confidence of businesses and consumers.

The United States and Iran announced Tuesday they'd reached a ceasefire — after Trump warned that otherwise "a whole civilization will die tonight.''

Still, Georgieva said Thursday that "growth will be slower — even if the new peace is durable.''

Sub-Saharan Africa and small island countries are most vulnerable to the energy shock, Georgieva said. Around the world, governments have only a limited ability to support their economies with spending increases and tax cuts because their debts are already so high.

She noted that many countries have taken steps to limit the damage from the energy shock such as urging or requiring people to work from home; encouraging more use of public transportation; and limiting travel by public officials.

Georgieva pleaded that policymakers “be careful not to make things worse'' with ”go-it-alone'' moves such as limiting exports and imposing price controls. "Don’t pour gasoline on the fire,'' she said.

Las autoridades informaron que Corey Hutterli, de 37 años y residente de Parkland, está acusado de matar a un hombre al lanzarlo desde el balcón de un apartamento en el piso 25.

El incidente ocurrió el 15 de febrero en el condominio Akoya, ubicado en 6365 Collins Ave., en la zona de Mid-Beach de Miami Beach.

Según un informe de arresto, la víctima llamó al 911 a las 10:22 p.m. y se le escuchaba decir repetidamente “aléjate de mí, Sasha”, apodo que, según la policía, corresponde a Hutterli.

Durante la llamada, la víctima dejó de comunicarse repentinamente, pero la línea permaneció abierta, donde se podía escuchar un forcejeo, así como la voz de Hutterli.

A las 10:31 p.m., los oficiales llegaron al edificio y se dirigieron al apartamento relacionado con la llamada, justo cuando Hutterli intentaba salir “en lo que parecía un estado alterado”, vistiendo solo medias y “visiblemente sudoroso y sin aliento”, indica el informe.

La policía indicó que, en un inicio, Hutterli comenzó a hacer declaraciones espontáneas, incluyendo: “¿Qué está pasando? Alguien, se volvió loco, me atacó” y luego, cuando los oficiales preguntaron por la víctima, respondió: “Se fue al elevador, ¿qué carajo?, estoy todo golpeado”, y posteriormente preguntó: “¿Cuál es la situación? ¿Saltó?”

Según el informe, los oficiales le permitieron llamar a su madre, conversación que fue captada por cámaras corporales, en la que se le escucha decir que se estaba yendo del apartamento porque la víctima le pidió que se fuera. Sin embargo, la policía señaló que habían pasado alrededor de nueve minutos desde que la víctima le exigía que se fuera durante la llamada al 911 hasta la llegada de los oficiales, lo que indica que tuvo tiempo para irse.

La policía indicó que al revisar videos de vigilancia, se observa a la víctima impactar contra el pavimento a las 10:30 p.m., es decir, solo un minuto antes de que los oficiales llegaran y vieran a Hutterli intentando salir del apartamento, a pesar de que la llamada al 911 se había realizado nueve minutos antes.

Tras obtener una orden de registro, las autoridades encontraron señales de un forcejeo dentro de la unidad que conducía al balcón, cuyas puertas estaban abiertas. También hallaron sandalias de Hutterli en el balcón y sangre en la barandilla, lo que coincide con el lugar desde donde cayó la víctima.

Durante la inspección, los agentes localizaron el teléfono de la víctima —desde donde se hizo la llamada al 911— en el piso del baño, así como fragmentos de la barba de Hutterli “esparcidos por la sala”.

Al revisar las pertenencias de Hutterli, los agentes encontraron más fragmentos de su barba dentro de su mochila, “como si intentara recuperar y ocultar evidencia”, además de una bolsa con ketamina en el bolsillo de una chaqueta dentro de la mochila.

Finalmente, los investigadores indicaron que, con base en la llamada al 911, la evidencia del forcejeo —incluyendo los fragmentos de barba—, una herida en el pulgar derecho de Hutterli, rasguños en su brazo y sus declaraciones a la policía, fue arrestado por asesinato en segundo grado.

Las autoridades indicaron que Hutterli ya se encontraba en libertad bajo fianza por un delito grave. También enfrenta cargos por robo con allanamiento con agresión o golpiza, posesión de sustancia controlada y posesión de parafernalia de drogas.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, Hutterli permanecía detenido en el Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, con la fianza aún por determinar.

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CSU hurricane researchers are predicting 13 named storms (tropical storms and/or hurricanes) in 2026, 6 hurricanes, and 2 Category 3, 4, or 5 hurricanes with maximum winds of at least 111 mph.

The team’s forecast is below the 30-year seasonal average of 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 Category 3 or stronger hurricanes.

Overall tropical activity for the Atlantic as measured by the Accumulated Cyclone Energy or ACE is forecast to be at its lowest level since 2015.

The April forecast is the first below-average hurricane season outlook the CSU team has issued since 2023 and the lowest activity they’ve predicted since 2019. Forecasters note that their April outlook has lower skill than subsequent outlooks issued in June, July, and August. Despite below average April outlooks in 2023 and 2019, for example, both hurricane seasons ended with above average activity.

It’s worth noting that seasonal forecasts cannot pinpoint when or where a hurricane might strike and coastal residents shouldn’t change their preparations based on seasonal outlooks.

“Coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for them,” cautions CSU’s hurricane research team.

A supercharged El Niño for the ages?

The culprit tilting CSU’s initial hurricane season outlook to suppressed Atlantic storm activity is a banner El Niño heralded by long-range computer models for the peak months of the hurricane season in August, September, and October.

El Niño conditions occur when waters straddling the equator in the eastern Pacific Ocean are abnormally warm. This pool of unusually warm water in the equatorial Pacific alters atmospheric patterns, often sending storm-slicing wind shear and sinking air into the tropical Atlantic, tamping down would-be hurricanes. In general, the stronger the El Niño, the higher the hurricane kryptonite for the Atlantic.

Since last fall, waters surrounding the equator in the eastern Pacific have been cooler than average, with La Niña conditions – the counterpart to El Niño – peaking during the winter months.

Those abnormally cool waters in the region scientists monitor for La Niña and El Niño are in the process of quickly retreating, to be replaced by much warmer waters lurking below the ocean surface.

A pair of strong tropical systems on either side of the equator in the western Pacific this week – once Category 5 equivalent Maila to the south and the large circulation around soon-to-be Sinlaku to the north – will funnel an intense burst of west-to-east flowing winds along the equator, countering the cooling effect of the routine east-to-west flowing trade winds, sloshing a well of well of warm water toward the central and eastern and Pacific.

Computer models suggest the pronounced westerly wind burst from these twin western Pacific storms could hasten a transition to El Niño in the weeks and months ahead. In fact, one of our leading long-range models is advertising an aggressive warm up culminating in the strongest El Niño in at least 50 years by this fall, rivaling or eclipsing the mammoth, so-called “Super” El Niños of 2015, 1997, and 1982.

These previous Super El Niños were also preceded by similar twin cyclone westerly wind bursts or significant springtime tropical activity in the western Pacific which research finds can incite extreme El Niños.

April is a notoriously difficult month to predict future El Niño conditions – so much so that it’s been termed the Spring Predictability Barrier – so it’s worth approaching these extreme forecast scenarios with some skepticism. That said, multiple seasonal forecast models, including the North American Multi-Model Ensemble have been increasingly bullish on a strong El Niño emerging while federal forecasters suggest 80% odds of El Niño conditions by the peak months of the hurricane season.

Why this El Niño will probably affect hurricane season differently than the last

The last strong El Niño came back at the end of 2023.

At the start of the 2023 hurricane season, I wrote about the tug-of-war between the developing El Niño and near-record warm tropical Atlantic waters. At the time, I indicated the warmth of the Atlantic might counteract the otherwise quieting effects on the Atlantic hurricane season of the blockbuster El Niño advertised by forecast models.

As it turns out, 2023 was a very active hurricane season with 20 named storms despite the presence of a strong El Niño during the peak of the season.

Unlike 2023, 2026 is starting with a substantially cooler tropical Atlantic.

The relative warmth of the Atlantic compared to the eastern equatorial Pacific matters a lot and long-range models continue to show a tepid Atlantic into the peak of the season as waters in the eastern Pacific sizzle.

If these forecasts verify, it would portend an uphill battle for developing storms in the Atlantic this hurricane season.

Don’t let the below average forecasts fool you

As we’ve learned in the past, bad, destructive hurricanes still happen in down El Niño years.

The 1965 hurricane season saw a strong El Niño in the Pacific and below average hurricane activity in the Atlantic. The season recorded only one major (Category 3 or stronger) hurricane, but that storm was Billion Dollar Betsy, the first-ever billion-dollar storm that wreaked havoc on South Florida and southern Louisiana.

Regardless of the seasonal forecast, prepare this year as you would for any hurricane season. Have a plan and always be ready for your one.

Los investigadores de huracanes de CSU pronostican 13 tormentas con nombre (tormentas tropicales y/o huracanes) en 2026, seis huracanes y dos huracanes de categoría 3, 4 o 5 con vientos máximos de al menos 111 mph.

El pronóstico del equipo está por debajo del promedio estacional de 30 años, que es de 14 tormentas con nombre, siete huracanes y tres huracanes de categoría 3 o superior.

La actividad tropical en el Atlántico, medida por la Energía Ciclónica Acumulada (ACE), se prevé en su nivel más bajo desde 2015.

El pronóstico de abril es el primero por debajo del promedio que emite el equipo de CSU desde 2023 y el nivel de actividad más bajo que han proyectado desde 2019. Los meteorólogos señalan que el pronóstico de abril tiene menor precisión que los emitidos en junio, julio y agosto. A pesar de pronósticos por debajo del promedio en abril de 2023 y 2019, ambas temporadas terminaron con actividad superior al promedio.

Cabe destacar que los pronósticos estacionales no pueden determinar cuándo o dónde impactará un huracán, y los residentes costeros no deben cambiar sus preparativos basándose en estas proyecciones.

“Se recuerda a los residentes costeros que basta con que un huracán toque tierra para que sea una temporada activa para ellos”, advirtió el equipo de investigación de huracanes de CSU.

¿Un fenómeno de El Niño intensificado?

El factor que inclina este primer pronóstico de CSU hacia una menor actividad en el Atlántico es un posible El Niño fuerte, anticipado por modelos de largo plazo para los meses pico de la temporada de huracanes: agosto, septiembre y octubre.

Las condiciones de El Niño ocurren cuando las aguas cerca del ecuador en el océano Pacífico oriental están anormalmente cálidas. Esta masa de agua cálida altera los patrones atmosféricos, generando cizalladura del viento y aire descendente en el Atlántico tropical, lo que tiende a debilitar la formación de huracanes. En general, mientras más fuerte es El Niño, mayor es su efecto inhibidor sobre los huracanes en el Atlántico.

Desde el otoño pasado, las aguas cercanas al ecuador en el Pacífico oriental han estado más frías de lo normal, con condiciones de La Niña —el fenómeno opuesto a El Niño— alcanzando su punto máximo durante los meses de invierno.

Esas aguas anormalmente frías en la región que los científicos monitorean para La Niña y El Niño están retrocediendo rápidamente, para ser reemplazadas por aguas mucho más cálidas que se encuentran debajo de la superficie del océano.

Un par de sistemas tropicales intensos a ambos lados del ecuador en el Pacífico occidental esta semana —Maila, equivalente a categoría 5 al sur, y la amplia circulación del sistema que pronto será Sinlaku al norte— impulsarán una fuerte ráfaga de vientos de oeste a este a lo largo del ecuador, contrarrestando el efecto de enfriamiento de los vientos alisios que soplan de este a oeste, desplazando una masa de agua cálida hacia el Pacífico central y oriental.

Los modelos computarizados sugieren que esta marcada ráfaga de vientos del oeste generada por estos dos sistemas en el Pacífico occidental podría acelerar la transición hacia El Niño en las próximas semanas y meses. De hecho, uno de los principales modelos de largo plazo proyecta un calentamiento intenso que culminaría en el El Niño más fuerte en al menos 50 años para este otoño, rivalizando o incluso superando los llamados “súper” El Niño de 2015, 1997 y 1982.

Estos “súper” El Niño del pasado también fueron precedidos por ráfagas de vientos del oeste generadas por ciclones gemelos o por una actividad tropical significativa en primavera en el Pacífico occidental, lo que, según investigaciones, puede detonar eventos extremos de El Niño.

Abril es un mes particularmente difícil para predecir futuras condiciones de El Niño —tanto que se le conoce como la “barrera de predictibilidad de primavera”—, por lo que estos escenarios extremos deben tomarse con cautela. Aun así, múltiples modelos de pronóstico estacional, incluido el Ensamble Multimodelo de América del Norte, han mostrado una tendencia creciente hacia la formación de un El Niño fuerte, mientras que los pronosticadores federales estiman un 80% de probabilidad de condiciones de El Niño durante los meses pico de la temporada de huracanes.

Por qué este El Niño probablemente afectará de manera distinta la temporada de huracanes que el anterior

El último El Niño fuerte se desarrolló a finales de 2023.

Al inicio de la temporada de huracanes de 2023, se analizaba la pugna entre el desarrollo de El Niño y las temperaturas casi récord del Atlántico tropical. En ese momento, se indicó que el calor del Atlántico podría contrarrestar los efectos que normalmente reducen la actividad ciclónica asociados a un El Niño intenso proyectado por los modelos.

Como resultado, 2023 fue una temporada de huracanes muy activa, con 20 tormentas con nombre, a pesar de la presencia de un fuerte El Niño durante el pico de la temporada.

A diferencia de 2023, el 2026 comienza con un Atlántico tropical considerablemente más frío.

La temperatura relativa del Atlántico en comparación con el Pacífico ecuatorial oriental es un factor clave, y los modelos de largo plazo continúan mostrando un Atlántico más templado durante el pico de la temporada, mientras las aguas del Pacífico oriental se calientan significativamente.

Si estos pronósticos se cumplen, anticipan un panorama más difícil para el desarrollo de tormentas en el Atlántico durante esta temporada de huracanes.

No se deje engañar por los pronósticos por debajo del promedio.

Como se ha visto en el pasado, huracanes destructivos pueden ocurrir incluso en años con El Niño.

La temporada de 1965 registró un fuerte El Niño en el Pacífico y una actividad por debajo del promedio en el Atlántico. Solo se formó un huracán mayor (categoría 3 o superior), pero ese fue Betsy, la primera tormenta en causar daños por mil millones de dólares, que provocó gran devastación en el sur de Florida y el sur de Luisiana.

Independientemente del pronóstico estacional, prepárese este año como lo haría en cualquier temporada de huracanes. Tenga un plan y esté siempre listo para el que le pueda afectar.

Woods was arrested March 27 on suspicion of driving under the influence after his Land Rover struck a trailer and flipped onto its side along a residential street. Florida authorities determined him to be impaired when they found two painkiller pills in his pocket. Woods also refused to submit to a urine test and was briefly jailed.

"You know," Player said Thursday, “it's very easy — the human being is so critical of everything. If I or any of you in this room had the pain that Tiger Woods had — think of the excruciating pain that this man has been going through for a long time.

“Do I blame him for taking medicine? Hell, no. He has sleep deprivation,” Player continued. “Do I blame him for taking something to help him sleep? No. But I don't think he should drive a car. When you're taking that medicine, it's dangerous when you're driving a car, same as it's dangerous when you look at your cellphone in a car.”

The 90-year-old Player spoke about Woods after helping to hit the honorary tee shots to start the first round of the Masters.

Known for his fastidious diet and fitness regimen, Player went so far as to admit he no longer drives himself these days.

“So I think all he's got to do is just not drive a car, and get a chauffeur,” Player said. “My reflexes, I think, are as good as when I was 20, but I don't drive anymore. I get a chauffer. I think that's the answer to it.”

Woods, a five-time Masters champion, said last week he would be missing the tournament at Augusta National for the second straight year so that he could seek treatment at an undisclosed facility outside of the U.S., and “prioritize my well-being and work toward lasting recovery.”

The announcement came hours after he pleaded not guilty to a DUI charge in connection with the crash.

Woods' injury list over the last 14 years is a long one. He had reconstructive knee surgery in 2008, four back surgeries from 2014-17, and he was previously arrested in 2017 for taking what he called a bad mix of painkillers that resulted in him falling asleep behind the wheel of a running car.

Four years ago, Woods’s right leg and ankle were crushed when his speeding SUV ran over a median and toppled down a hillside on a coastal road in Los Angeles. He also had surgery on his Achilles tendon and a seventh back surgery last year.

“My heart goes out for him,” Player said. “There’s nothing worse than living in pain every day of your life. You can’t think of anything worse. I just hope he can get it all sorted out because he’s such an asset to golf and has done so much for the game.”

Just about everyone at Augusta National this week has expressed sympathy for Woods, but many players — including Jason Day — also agreed with Player that he should not have been behind the wheel of a car.

“He’s just a human being like everyone else, and we have struggles,” Day said. “It’s unfortunate. The only thing that I don’t understand is that it’s a little bit selfish of him to drive and put other people in harm’s way, as well.”

Day, a former No. 1, called Woods his “hero," and said the reasons he began playing golf were Woods and the Masters.

“It’s hard to see him go through what he’s going through, and especially under the microscope. It must be hard to be who he is and have everything, everyone look on, kind of down on him,” Day said. "Some people want him to fail. Some people obviously want him to succeed. It’s really difficult for me to go through that and watch him, and I know that he’s getting the help now, which is good. I’m just hoping he comes out on the other side and is better.”

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

Un agente disparó contra Karen Ivette Gomez, quien empuñaba un cuchillo dentro de una vivienda alrededor de las 4:05 p.m. del 7 de febrero en el área de la calle 189 del noroeste y la avenida 55, según la MDSO.

La hija de Gomez, entre lágrimas, llamó al 911 para reportar que tenía miedo porque su madre estaba en el baño con un cuchillo, según el audio de la llamada también divulgado por la MDSO.

“Independientemente del resultado, mi compromiso es claro: ser transparente con nuestra comunidad, mantener los más altos estándares y seguir trabajando cada día para ganar y mantener su confianza”, dijo la sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz en un comunicado.

El Departamento de Cumplimiento de la Ley de Florida ha estado investigando la balacera desde entonces.

“Déjeme ayudarla. Tenemos a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue afuera”, le dijo un agente a Gomez tras ingresar a la vivienda y ubicarse fuera del baño, según el video publicado.

Gomez no obedeció las órdenes del agente de salir.

“Ya no hay ayuda; no puedo con esto más”, dijo Gomez, según el video.

Los agentes derribaron la puerta. Había sangre en el suelo. Los agentes cerca de la puerta le apuntaban con un taser y un arma de fuego.

“Suelte el cuchillo”, le dijo un agente a Gomez, quien respondió “¡No!”.

Un agente disparó contra Gomez en dos ocasiones, según la MDSO. Las autoridades indicaron que ella se había cortado ambas muñecas.

Gomez murió en el hospital. Tenía 52 años.

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The astronauts spent Wednesday completing final tests and preparing for re-entry, including daily exercise routines and testing special garments designed to help maintain blood pressure and circulation as they readjust to Earth’s gravity.

The crew captured a stunning view of the Milky Way, showing a glowing ribbon of stars and filaments -- a rare glimpse of our home galaxy from deep space.

Earlier this week, they set a record for the farthest humans have traveled from Earth and witnessed a total solar eclipse from behind the moon.

NASA officials say the flight is a test mission, with all data collected helping to inform future Artemis missions.

In preparation for the splashdown, the crew and flight control teams are securing equipment and installing seats to ensure a smooth re-entry. Astronauts will also take time to manually pilot the spacecraft.

NASA is targeting a Friday night splashdown off the coast of San Diego.

The legislation, approved by the Senate in February, was passed with 137 votes in favor, 111 against and three abstentions.

According to mining sector estimates, the new regulatory framework could unlock over $30 billion in investments over the next decade. Approximately 70% of those funds are slated for new copper, gold and silver projects.

Milei is expected to sign the legislation in the coming days.

On his X account, Milei shared a statement from his party hailing the new framework as a “significant improvement” that will help “strike a balance between environmental protection and economic development, moving away from an approach that tended to stifle investment, job creation and growth.”

Environmental advocates are shifting to legal action to prevent the law from taking effect.

Groups including Greenpeace and the Environment and Natural Resources Foundation are organizing a public class-action lawsuit describing the bill’s passage as a flawed process that dismissed public concerns over water safety.

“If they refuse to listen in Congress, they will be forced to listen in the courts,” the organizations said in a statement, urging citizens to join a lawsuit that argues the reform threatens water access and the fragile ecosystems surrounding glaciers.

Opposition lawmakers have labeled the legislation unconstitutional, contending that it rolls back essential environmental protections.

Mining Secretary Luis Lucero told a local radio station that the previous regulation featured “absolute prohibitions without room for exceptions or environmental impact studies.” He noted that the rigid rules and imprecise definitions of “protected areas” discouraged investment in large-scale mining projects, which typically require investments of up to $3 billion.

In 2010, Argentina passed a landmark law banning all mining activity on glaciers and within periglacial zones — areas of frozen ground that act as vital water regulators.

The most significant shift in the Milei administration’s reform is a narrowing of these protections. Under the new framework, only glaciers and land forms with “specific hydrological functions” would be shielded, with each province responsible for making that determination.

Argentina is home to 16,968 glaciers distributed across the Andes Mountain Range and the South Atlantic Islands, covering a total surface area of ​​8,484 square kilometers (3,276 square miles).

Glaciology experts have warned that climate change is already causing glaciers to retreat at an accelerated pace. Scientists caution that weakening these protections could jeopardize water security in arid regions and deplete the reserves that sustain river flows.

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

Los astronautas pasaron el miércoles completando pruebas finales y preparándose para la reentrada, incluyendo rutinas diarias de ejercicio y la prueba de prendas especiales diseñadas para ayudar a mantener la presión arterial y la circulación mientras se readaptan a la gravedad terrestre.

La tripulación captó una impresionante vista de la Vía Láctea, mostrando una brillante franja de estrellas y filamentos, una rara vista de nuestra galaxia desde el espacio profundo.

A principios de esta semana, establecieron un récord por la mayor distancia que han viajado humanos desde la Tierra y presenciaron un eclipse solar total desde detrás de la Luna.

Funcionarios de la NASA indicaron que el vuelo es una misión de prueba, y que todos los datos recopilados ayudarán a orientar futuras misiones Artemis.

En preparación para el amerizaje, la tripulación y los equipos de control de vuelo están asegurando el equipo e instalando asientos para garantizar una reentrada sin contratiempos. Los astronautas también dedicarán tiempo a pilotar manualmente la nave.

La NASA prevé un amerizaje la noche del viernes frente a la costa de San Diego.

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A deputy shot Karen Ivette Gomez, who was wielding a knife inside a home at about 4:05 p.m. on Feb. 7 in the area of Northwest 189th Street and 55th Avenue, according to MDSO.

Gomez’s tearful daughter called 911 to report that she was scared because her mother was in the bathroom with a knife, according to the audio of a 911 call that was also released by MDSO.

“Regardless of the outcome, my commitment is clear, to be transparent with our community, to hold ourselves to the highest standards, and to continue working every day to earn and maintain your trust,” Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz said in a statement.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement has been investigating the shooting since.

“Let me come help you. We have Miami-Dade Fire Rescue outside,” a deputy told Gomez after entering the home and standing outside the bathroom, according to the video released.

Gomez did not follow the deputy’s orders to walk outside.

“There is no more help; I can’t with this anymore,” Gomez said, according to the video.

Deputies knocked down the door. There was blood on the floor. Deputies near the door were pointing at her with a Taser and a firearm.

“Drop the knife,” a deputy told Gomez, who responded with a “No!”

A deputy shot at Gomez twice, according to MDSO. She had cut both of her wrists, authorities said.

Gomez died at the hospital. She was 52.

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The coverage will be less than what we’ve seen lately, but keep the umbrella with you since you might be in the wrong place at the wrong times with some of these downpours rolling through in spots.

High pressure building in from the Carolinas will push drier air in our direction, but the high is strong, resulting in windy weather taking over heading into the weekend.

The rip current risk will remain very high into at least early next week, so if you’re looking to enjoy that weekend sunshine be sure to stay out of the water!

It looks dry from the weekend into much of next week as the typical South Florida dry season makes a noticeable return.

CLICK HERE for the latest forecast from Local 10’s Weather Authority.

“Fue como un gran impacto para todos porque puede pasar muy rápido”, dijo la compañera Alexandra Izquierdo.

Un creciente memorial marca ahora el lugar del accidente, donde seres queridos se han reunido con flores, derramando lágrimas y tratando de asimilar la dolorosa realidad.

Mateo Dávila, de 17 años, y Alessia Tucci, de 16, murieron en el accidente.

“No lo podía creer. No quería creerlo”, dijo el compañero Rubin Abreu.

El novio y la novia eran estudiantes de Downtown Doral Charter Upper School. La policía indicó que el martes por la noche viajaban hacia el sur por la avenida 87 del noroeste, cerca de Downtown Doral, cuando su sedán Kia se salió de la vía, chocó contra un poste y se incendió.

Familiares y amigos permanecieron en el lugar durante horas, incluso después de que el vehículo fue retirado.

“Estaba en silencio, muy silencioso. Todos estaban llorando. Nadie hablaba. Fue muy triste”, dijo otro compañero.

Los compañeros continuaron rindiendo homenaje el miércoles.

Mateo era un destacado jugador de baloncesto. Alessia, conocida como Ale, era una nadadora sobresaliente. Su equipo dijo que ambos adolescentes estaban “llenos de felicidad, humildad y mucho amor para dar”.

La escuela también emitió un comunicado en honor a ambos.

“Estos estudiantes dejaron una huella duradera en todos los que los conocieron y serán profundamente extrañados”.

Se ha creado una página de GoFundMe para ayudar a ambas familias con los gastos funerarios y de consejería.

La cobertura será menor a la observada en días recientes, pero se recomienda llevar paraguas, ya que algunos aguaceros podrían presentarse de forma aislada.

Un sistema de alta presión que avanza desde las Carolinas empujará aire más seco hacia la región, aunque su intensidad provocará condiciones ventosas de cara al fin de semana.

El riesgo de corrientes de resaca continuará siendo muy alto al menos hasta principios de la próxima semana, por lo que si planea disfrutar del sol durante el fin de semana, se recomienda mantenerse fuera del agua.

Se anticipa un clima seco desde el fin de semana y durante gran parte de la próxima semana, con el regreso de la temporada seca típica del sur de Florida.

Haga click aquí para el pronóstico más reciente de la Autoridad del Tiempo de Local 10.

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“It was, like, a big shock to everyone because it could happen so quickly,” said classmate Alexandra Izquierdo.

A growing memorial now marks the crash site, where loved ones have gathered with flowers, shedding tears and trying to cope with the painful reality.

Seventeen-year-old Mateo Dávila and 16-year-old Alessia Tucci passed away in the crash.

“I was in disbelief. I didn’t want to believe it,” said classmate Rubin Abreu.

The boyfriend and girlfriend were students at Downtown Doral Charter Upper School. Police say Tuesday evening, they were traveling south on Northwest 87th Avenue near Downtown Doral when their Kia sedan veered off the road, slammed into a pole and burst into flames.

Family and friends remained at the scene for hours, even after the vehicle was removed.

“It was silent, real silent. Everyone was crying. No one was talking. It was really sad,” another classmate said.

Classmates continued to pay their respects Wednesday.

Mateo was a star basketball player. Alessia, who went by Ale, was a standout swimmer. Her team said both teens were “full of happiness, humility and a lot of love to give.”

The school also released a statement honoring the two.

“These students left a lasting impact on everyone who knew them, and they will be deeply missed.”

A GoFundMe page has been created to help both families with funeral and counseling expenses.