The flap was over protocol and who should speak first: Sheriff Rosie-Cordero-Stutz or Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava.

Levine Cava’s chief of staff was heard saying that the mayor, in charge of both MIA and Miami-Dade Fire Rescue as the county’s chief executive, should speak first.

Cordero-Stutz wasn’t having it.

“I know what you believe,” she said. “This is public safety and I’m going first.”

(View the exchange in the video player above; both letters can be read at the bottom of the page)

Sheriff: Staffer’s request ‘not appropriate’

In a letter, dated Wednesday and made public on Thursday, Cordero-Stutz called the request “not appropriate” and something “that must not occur again,” saying that a “misunderstanding over our respective roles” should be resolved “now, calmly and in writing, rather than at the next incident.”

Cordero-Stutz told Levine Cava that she “had already delayed the Sheriff’s Office briefing so that you could arrive, be brought inside the perimeter my deputies had secured, and address the press,” which she said she did “deliberately and as a courtesy, because your presence was appropriate and I wanted the public to see the County’s leadership standing together.”

“What is not appropriate,” she said, “is a member of the Mayor’s staff attempting to direct the Sheriff at the scene of an incident the Sheriff commands, in front of the assembled media and the deputies under my command.

“I do not believe that reflected your instruction, and I am not writing to assign blame to a staff member. I am writing so that we agree, going forward, on where authority rests at an incident scene, so that no one on either of our staffs has to guess.”

Cordero-Stutz said that her office was responsible for the perimeter and investigation.

“Five people were dead inside a perimeter my deputies were holding, and the investigation was already underway,” she said. “The person who briefs the public first at such a scene is the officer responsible for it. That is not a question of protocol or seniority. It is a question of accuracy and accountability: the public is entitled to hear from the official who is answerable for what is being done.”

Cordero-Stutz went on to state that she believes the mayor, as “head of the County for emergency management purposes” per its charter, would only lead at such a scene if she declared a local state of emergency. It’s something Levine Cava would take issue with in a response.

The sheriff, in her letter, hinted at a rift between the two, saying the dustup pointed to a “larger issue” over the relatively-recent return of the county having an elected sheriff.

Before Cordero-Stutz took over in 2025 as the county’s first elected sheriff in decades, Levine Cava ultimately oversaw the preceding Miami-Dade Police Department.

Political labels weren’t used, but Levine Cava, a Democrat, openly supported the Republican Cordero-Stutz’s challenger in the 2024 election.

She said that “operational direction - of deputies, of scenes, of investigations, and of what the Sheriff says to the public about them - is not something the County retained, and it is not something a member of the Mayor’s staff can exercise by insisting on it at a podium.”

She continued by saying that “an assumption that the old structure survives will keep producing moments like Sunday’s until it is corrected, and the next one may come at a scene where the confusion has consequences.”

Cordero-Stutz proposed a protocol plan that stipulates that the sheriff leads communications at a “law enforcement incident,” the mayor leads county communications during a “declared state of local emergency” and that neither official’s staff directs the others.

Mayor responds: ‘Precisely the kind of emergency’ charter gives me ‘clear responsibility for’

Levine Cava hit back in a briefer response letter, also dated Wednesday.

“I want to be clear: This incident went well beyond a fire rescue and law enforcement response,” Levine Cava said, emphasizing the county’s ownership of MIA, which ended up being shut down for “an extended period on a holiday weekend, impacting tens of thousands of passengers.”

Levine Cava said the incident was “precisely the kind of emergency management event the Charter gives the Mayor clear responsibility for.”

“The Mayor, as the head of the County for emergency management purposes, has the authority to mobilize County resources and lead the County’s response to an event of this scale, pursuant to state and local law,” she wrote. “Not every emergency of this magnitude results in a formal declaration. But that does not diminish the County’s authority to act in those circumstances, nor the Sheriff’s.”

Levine Cava said both the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office and county agencies under her purview played complementary roles in the response.

She noted, “I did not instruct anyone on my staff to direct your deputies, and I do not believe any staff member intended to.”

“A member of my team sought to clarify the respective roles of each responding public safety agency during a multi-agency, multi-casualty incident on County property,” Levine Cava said. “Before the news conference, I joined senior County staff, County Commissioners and federal officials for an incident briefing and to coordinate the information that could appropriately be shared with the public.”

Both officials concluded their letters by agreeing that incidents of a similar magnitude require unified response.

But it appears they still differ on what a unified response ― at least as far as communications are concerned ― looks like.

Read the letters:

Suzanne Howland, the granddaughter of the man who helped build the iconic waterfront Art Deco building at 3500 Pan American Drive, said the structure must be preserved.

“My grandfather built this building: Fred Howland of Fred Howland Construction Company,” Howland said. “This is an iconic building, it must be preserved.”

The building was constructed in the 1930s as Pan American World Airways’ seaplane terminal and has operated as Miami City Hall since the 1950s.

“Significant because of its beauty, its location, its usage, its accessibility,” Howland said. “I think the beauty of this building, the artistry, the history, the symbolism, is so important.”

Rich Heisenbottle, a leading renovation architect who worked to restore the building, said the connection between Miami and Pan Am is forever intertwined in the building.

“And that international connection that Pan Am brought to Miami has helped us even today, that international connection is the reason we are the city we are today, the exciting, vibrant, multicultural city that we are,” Heisenbottle said.

Heisenbottle said that 10 years ago, the building “was in quite a bit of disarray.”

“What we did was uncover all the designs that were part of the Delano & Aldrich interior for Pan Am when it served as Pan Am’s terminal,” Heisenbottle said.

Several community members, historic preservation advocates and even former Miami Mayor Tomás Regalado gathered to support a resolution by District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo.

Deborah Stander, president of Hangar 5 Foundation, Inc., called the building, “arguably Miami’s most iconic building that speaks so directly to our city’s identity as an international gateway to the Americas.”

“This is literally the embodiment of the gateway — this is the gateway,” Stander said.

Regalado said Miami cannot keep erasing its history.

“The most important thing is that we have little history,” Regalado said. “We cannot keep erasing the history of Miami. We can’t keep giving away the history of our city. We are stewards of the history of Miami.”

The resolution would continue the historic building’s use as City Hall, home to regular City Commission meetings, instead of moving into the new administration building under construction at the soccer stadium site near Miami International Airport.

“You don’t have to abandon your past to build your future,” said Prado.

The item was backed by several of his colleagues.

District 4 Commissioner Ralph Rosado said the city of Miami does not always have the best history of preserving its cultural, historic and civic assets.

“Today is about letting the public know we very much want to preserve this building, a civic function associated with it, and that it should be here for the rest of time,” Rosado said. “Our concern is that a private operator would take this over, maybe doing renovations that are not in keeping with the history of Miami.

“We have seen it before, we want to make sure that we express our commitment to keeping this building here, keeping it for history.”

District 5 Commissioner Christine King said the goal is to preserve City Hall and not move commission meetings from the historic space to the new administration building farther west.

“We see all across the U.S. where cities preserve their historic spaces,” King said. “In Miami, we seem to want to tear it down and just be a modern city and everything new and sparkly. We are standing here with Commissioner Pardo so we continue to utilize this space for what it was meant for.

“We are standing in unity because we want to see this space preserved. We want to continue to have our commission meetings here. We want to show not only the city of Miami but the rest of the world that we care about our historic spaces as well.”

Pardo said the building represents Miami’s connection to the Caribbean and Latin America.

“This is where our leaders for 70 years debated our future, that is a tremendous legacy, this is the people’s place, where they come to speak and we want to make sure we honor that, where global leaders would come,” Pardo said. “There is nothing to replace this.”

The lone dissenter was District 1 Commissioner Miguel Gabela, who expressed concern about potential taxpayer duplication given that a new administration building is going up.

Pardo said those were valid concerns but that the city was still early enough in the process to make accommodations.

“I think those are very valid concerns, but we are still ahead enough in the process that we can make a lot of accommodations,” Pardo said.

The item passed 4-1, with Gabela voting no.

“Done and done, not moving, we are here,” Pardo said.

Natalia Curjeiras, the CEO of the Museum of Miami, a key stakeholder in telling the story of Miami, pitched commissioners on the idea of moving in.

“This is a historic gem, and we can have the ability to share the story of Miami and preserve this site for generations to come,” Curjeiras said.

Describing a “very, very preliminary” plan, Curjeiras said the museum proposed preserving the historic terminal while building a dedicated museum next it.

She said the museum “is better equipped than anyone else to preserve this site for future generations,” as a curator of Pan Am artifacts and other historic items and documents.

“There is no other place that has so many layers of our history,” Curjeiras said. “The fact that we can bring those artifacts to where that history happened is a really powerful thing.”

Curjeiras told Local 10 News that, in addition to commission meetings, the museum could help activate chambers with a range of community programming to lean into the civic space Pardo described as Miami’s “ancestral home.”

“And what we want to build is a civic campus, where our community can come, learn about our history, go to a commission meeting, or attend a public event, or walk around the bay and make sure our children, and the children of our children and have access to that and take pride in the access to that history of the place we call home,” she said.

As for the idea of constructing an adjacent building for the museum, Howland expressed concern about what that could look like.

“I would like to see evidence of that plan but it just seems to me, shooting from the hip, that it would be an obstruction interfering with the setting of this building,” Howland said. “That perhaps, visually, it wouldn’t be such a great thing, but hard to say until we see it, would like to see it, but I think this should remain in the visual isolation that it is for it to be appreciated.”

Curjeiras said any new museum building would have to be built at scale in a way that allows the Pan Am terminal to remain the visual focus.

“It could potentially be behind, aside, that has yet to be determined, that is a whole process that would have to take place,” she said. “So we will present an intent to the city where we can hopefully come up with a framework that would allow us to start a formal conversation about next steps.”

Pardo said he anticipates the city will likely receive public-private partnership pitches from others seeking to collaborate.

“We are all open to everything, we also have Pan Am Airways there, they are starting the new Pan American Airways, they were here making a pitch of wanting to potentially have this space for operations in the future,” Pardo said.

Pardo said ultimately, the biggest criterion for consideration is financial viability.

“For the city the biggest criteria is the financial viability of whoever comes in here with us,” Pardo said. “We want to make sure that they can pay their share, that we can keep maintaining the building, which only costs $295,000 a year to maintain so at least it is not a big weight on the budget it is well worth the money to keep City Hall here.”

Darnold was injured on Seattle's first series of Wednesday night's season-opening game against the New England Patriots. Darnold was sacked by New England's Dre’Mont Jones and shortly thereafter limped off the field. He did not return.

Backup Drew Lock replaced him and went 16 of 22 for 187 yards and a touchdown as the Seahawks rallied for a 13-10 victory.

Following the game, Macdonald said Darnold's hip was not fractured, but said he would undergo additional tests.

The coach updated Darnold's injury on a local Seattle radio show on Thursday. But he did not reveal whether he'd be ready for Seattle's game at Arizona on Sept. 20.

“The hip is intact, and it’s good,” Macdonald said. “It’s more like a muscle thing. So that’s good. So how long that is? We don’t know yet.”

Darnold, 29, did not miss a game last season as he led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title. He threw for 4,048 yards with 25 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in the regular season as Seattle won a franchise-record 14 games.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Eleven of 12 jurors were ready to clear Clancy of criminal responsibility last Friday, but their deadlock forced the judge to declare a mistrial, leaving the case unresolved.

Attorney Kevin Reddington's motion asked the same judge to acquit Clancy, which would prevent a second trial. Prosecutors have yet to say whether they'll seek to put the 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse on trial again, and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz did not respond to a phone message Thursday seeking comment.

Neither side disputed that Clancy strangled 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan Clancy in the family's home in 2023 before trying to end her own life. But her attorney said she was a loving mother in the grip of a rare condition called postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors argued she knew what she was doing.

The trial generated intense interest for weeks, drawing attention to maternal mental health after childbirth.

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

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Under Massachusetts law, prosecutors had to prove either that Clancy did not have a mental disease or defect or that, despite having one, she retained the substantial capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions or conform her conduct to the law.

Reddington argued in Thursday’s court filing that prosecutors proved neither, and asked Judge William Sullivan to consider the motion at a court conference scheduled for Sept. 29.

The defense attorney said none of the psychiatric experts, either called by the prosecution or defense, disputed that Clancy was suffering from a mental illness. “The testimony bears on which illness she had, not on whether she had one,” he wrote.

Prosecutors pointed to Clancy’s actions in the weeks, days and hours leading up to the killings — driving, planning a child’s birthday party, bringing her daughter to a doctor’s appointment — and her ability to perform other everyday tasks as evidence she was of sound mind when the killings took place.

“Competence at routine tasks,” Reddington argued Thursday, “during a crisis which every witness agreed was acute, is not proof of criminal responsibility beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The judge acknowledged during jury deliberations that the trial had been emotionally and physically exhausting for everyone. Much of the testimony was excruciating to hear, from the heartbreaking 911 call made by the children’s father who found their bodies, to the descriptions of how they died.

Clancy was brought to tears several times. At one point, the judge called a short break as Clancy’s loud sobs filled the courtroom while the children’s autopsy photos were shown. She remains paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from the home's second story, and is expected to stay at a psychiatric hospital until her case is resolved.

The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals became the ninth federal appeals court to reject the administration's mandatory detention policy — a key part of its mass deportation campaign. Two other appeals courts have upheld it, creating a split that greatly increases the odds that the U.S. Supreme Court will take up the issue.

The split also means immigrants in some parts of the country are getting bond hearings while those in other places, including Texas and Louisiana, face additional hurdles to seek release.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement it was “confident in its legal position regarding mandatory detention," noting it had recently asked the Supreme Court to take up the issue.

Under previous administrations, most noncitizens without a criminal record who were arrested inside the U.S. were allowed to seek a bond hearing while their immigration cases were pending. Mandatory detention was generally reserved for people arrested at the border.

Last July, immigration officials issued guidance expanding mandatory detention to immigrants in the U.S. interior. President Donald Trump's administration has argued that Congress changed immigration law in 1996 to allow mandatory detention beyond the border, but previous administrations didn’t enforce that provision.

“President Trump and Secretary Mullin are now enforcing the law as it was actually written to keep America safe,” Homeland Security said, referring to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

The 4th Circuit and most other federal appeals courts have rejected that interpretation.

“The government’s track record speaks for itself at this point,” said Michael K.T. Tan, deputy director of the ACLU's Immigrants’ Rights Project and lead attorney on the lawsuit before the 4th Circuit.

In a 2-1 decision, 4th Circuit Judges Barbara Keenan and Nicole Berner said Congress in 1996 would have provided greater clarity if it intended to allow the mandatory detention of millions of people. Keenan was nominated by President Barack Obama; Berner by President Joe Biden. Judge Allison Rushing, who was nominated by President Donald Trump, dissented.

Writing for the majority, Berner said the administration's policy would “implicate the constitutional due process rights of millions of noncitizens in our country, many of whom have lived, worked, and become integral parts of their communities, for years.”

“Mass detention of marginalized individuals without due process harkens back to some of the darkest moments in our country’s history,” she wrote.

She cited Japanese internment and the mass detention of Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s and said the Trump administration's policy was even more expansive than “those shameful and abhorrent past detentions.”

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According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the crash happened around 7:40 p.m. Sept. 2 near Northwest 51st Terrace and Northwest 33rd Avenue.

Deputies said they had conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle and confirmed during that stop that the driver, Luis Manuel Perez, 21, of Miami, had an outstanding warrant from the U.S. military, but he fled from them.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Army confirmed that Perez has been wanted for military desertion since February.

“As additional RID units responded to the area the driver entered a dead-end street,” an MDSO spokesperson told Local 10 News in an email last week. “After turning around, the driver ran a stop sign, colliding with a civilian vehicle causing it to flip. The impact caused the vehicles to subsequently collide with an unmarked MDSO vehicle occupied by an RID deputy who was in the area searching for the subject.”

A picture obtained by Local 10 shows the flipped vehicle. Perez can also be seen on the ground, in handcuffs.

The driver of the civilian vehicle, identified as Bahamian artist Stefan Germaine Davis, 55, was taken by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition, but he later died, authorities confirmed.

Deputies said Perez was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital to be evaluated, and the deputy was treated at the scene by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

“One of the police officers who was in the car, he came out and was shaking his arm,” neighbor Norman Bradley said. “His arm was kind of messed up.”

Perez was initially arrested on a charge of fleeing and eluding a police officer. Vehicular homicide was added to his charges this week.

As of Thursday afternoon, he remained held at the Metrowest Detention Center.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, el accidente ocurrió alrededor de las 7:40 p.m. del 2 de septiembre cerca de Northwest 51st Terrace y Northwest 33rd Avenue.

Los agentes dijeron que habían realizado una parada de tráfico a un vehículo y confirmaron durante esa parada que el conductor, Luis Manuel Perez, de 21 años y residente de Miami, tenía una orden de arresto pendiente del Ejército de Estados Unidos, pero huyó de ellos.

Un portavoz del Ejército de Estados Unidos confirmó que Perez ha sido buscado por deserción militar desde febrero.

“A medida que unidades adicionales de RID respondían al área, el conductor entró en una calle sin salida”, dijo un portavoz de MDSO a Local 10 News en un correo electrónico la semana pasada. “Después de dar la vuelta, el conductor se pasó una señal de alto y chocó contra un vehículo civil, provocando que volcara. El impacto hizo que posteriormente los vehículos chocaran contra un vehículo de MDSO sin identificación ocupado por un agente de RID que se encontraba en el área buscando al sujeto”.

Una fotografía obtenida por Local 10 muestra el vehículo volcado. También se puede ver a Perez en el suelo, esposado.

El conductor del vehículo civil, identificado como el artista bahameño Stefan Germaine Davis, de 55 años, fue trasladado por el Cuerpo de Bomberos de Miami-Dade al Centro de Trauma Ryder del Hospital Jackson Memorial en condición crítica, pero posteriormente murió, confirmaron las autoridades.

Los agentes dijeron que Perez fue detenido y trasladado a un hospital local para ser evaluado, mientras que el agente fue atendido en el lugar por el Cuerpo de Bomberos de Miami-Dade.

“Uno de los agentes de policía que estaba en el vehículo salió y estaba sacudiendo el brazo”, dijo el vecino Norman Bradley. “Tenía el brazo bastante lastimado”.

Perez fue arrestado inicialmente por un cargo de huir y evadir a un agente de policía. Esta semana se agregó a sus cargos el de homicidio vehicular.

Hasta la tarde del jueves, permanecía detenido en el Centro de Detención Metrowest.

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Local 10 has learned that subpoenas have been issued in a statewide prosecutor probe related to a review on the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

A spokesperson for Broward County said two members of the commission were issued subpoenas from the state attorney general’s office at county hall Wednesday.

Statement from the Broward Sheriff’s Office:

"At the request of Florida’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Broward Sheriff’s Office began serving subpoenas on Sept. 9, 2026, on the entire Broward County Commission, county administrator, deputy county administrator and… pic.twitter.com/inQbQRE08c

— Sheriff Gregory Tony, Ph.D. (@bsosherifftony) September 10, 2026

The subpoenas are reportedly related to the county’s exploration into a new police force at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades.

In May, Broward County commissioners held one of several scheduled workshops as they considered whether to start an in-house airport police agency in lieu of the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

BSO has patrolled Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport since 1996.

Several Florida airports, including those in Tampa, Sarasota and Fort Myers, have in-house police departments.

A company contracted by the county tells commissioners that airports that have their own departments have more control over day-to-day operations, and it is financially feasible, but many more studies need to be done.

Local 10 News has reached out to the state attorney general’s office.

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Charles Akim Williams was sentenced to nearly six ½ years in prison followed by 10 months of probation. A Miami-Dade County judge also ordered that he stay away from the victims.

In addition to pleading guilty to the 2025 cases, he also pleaded guilty to violating probation on a 2021 battery conviction. The battery charge was initially accompanied by lewd and lascivious charges that were later dropped.

Police confirmed that Williams had an open case in 2021 out of Miami-Dade County in which he was accused of molesting a 6-year-old boy.

The mother of one of the victims from the 2025 crimes addressed the court via Zoom Thursday, saying that she hopes Williams “gets what he deserves.”

In August 2025, Williams, then 27, was arrested on two counts of seducing or luring a child to engage in sexual conduct and one count of sexual performance by a child.

Authorities said the arrest followed an investigation in which a search warrant was obtained for Williams’ cellphone.

A forensic exam revealed a text conversation with a 13-year-old boy that included an image of the victim that was taken during a FaceTime call with Williams while the victim was showering on Feb. 20, 2025, according to an arrest report.

During a forensic interview at Kristi House, a children’s advocacy center, the victim told police that he had been texting with Williams for a couple of weeks, the report stated.

He told investigators that Williams, his former basketball coach, invited him to his home to play video games multiple times, but he declined, according to investigators.

Police said the victim also said Williams asked him on two occasions to send pictures of his private area, which he refused.

The victim said that while he was showering, he received a FaceTime call from his 13-year-old friend and Williams on Feb. 20, 2025, according to the report.

Police said the victim got out of the shower to pick up his phone that was on a dresser and returned to the shower, exposing himself to the camera.

He later learned his friend had taken a screenshot and sent it to Williams via text message, the report stated.

On Aug. 8, 2025, authorities said the victim identified the photo that showed his genitals while he was in the shower.

Local 10 reported on Williams back in February 2025 after he was arrested on accusations that he exposed himself to a victim on a FaceTime call and sent the victim a pornographic video of a man and woman having anal sex, asking the victim if he thought he could do that.

That victim told police that he got scared and hung up the phone when Williams exposed himself to him, according to authorities.

The boy said he had met Williams a couple of weeks prior to the incident through a 14-year-old friend at the Gibson Community Center.

In that earlier case, he was charged with lewd and lascivious exhibition on a child under 16, lewd and lascivious conduct on a child under 16, electronic transmission harmful to minors in state, promoting sexual performance by a child and tampering with an informant.

Local 10 News photojournalist Tim McFarland contributed to this report.

Charles Akim Williams fue sentenciado a casi seis años y medio de prisión, seguidos de 10 meses de libertad condicional. Un juez del condado de Miami-Dade también le ordenó mantenerse alejado de las víctimas.

Además de declararse culpable por los casos de 2025, también admitió haber violado la libertad condicional que cumplía por una condena de agresión de 2021. Originalmente, ese cargo de agresión estaba acompañado de acusaciones por actos lascivos, que posteriormente fueron retiradas.

La policía confirmó que Williams tenía un caso abierto de 2021 en el condado de Miami-Dade, en el que fue acusado de abusar sexualmente de un niño de 6 años.

La madre de una de las víctimas de los delitos de 2025 se dirigió al tribunal a través de Zoom el jueves y dijo que espera que Williams «reciba lo que se merece».

En agosto de 2025, Williams, quien entonces tenía 27 años, fue arrestado por dos cargos de seducir o atraer a un menor para involucrarlo en una conducta sexual y un cargo relacionado con una representación sexual de un menor.

Las autoridades señalaron que el arresto se produjo después de una investigación en la que se obtuvo una orden judicial para registrar el teléfono celular de Williams.

Según el informe de arresto, un análisis forense reveló una conversación por mensajes de texto con un niño de 13 años que incluía una imagen de la víctima, tomada durante una llamada de FaceTime con Williams mientras el menor se duchaba el 20 de febrero de 2025.

Durante una entrevista forense realizada en Kristi House, un centro de defensa y atención de menores, la víctima dijo a la policía que llevaba un par de semanas intercambiando mensajes de texto con Williams, según señala el informe.

El menor dijo a los investigadores que Williams, quien había sido su entrenador de básquetbol, lo invitó en varias ocasiones a su casa para jugar videojuegos, pero él rechazó las invitaciones.

La policía señaló que la víctima también afirmó que Williams le pidió en dos ocasiones que le enviara fotografías de sus partes íntimas, a lo que el menor se negó.

La víctima relató que mientras se duchaba recibió una llamada de FaceTime de su amigo de 13 años y de Williams el 20 de febrero de 2025, según el informe.

De acuerdo con la policía, el menor salió de la ducha para recoger su teléfono, que se encontraba sobre una cómoda, y regresó a la ducha, quedando desnudo frente a la cámara.

Posteriormente se enteró de que su amigo había tomado una captura de pantalla y se la había enviado a Williams mediante un mensaje de texto, señala el informe.

El 8 de agosto de 2025, las autoridades dijeron que la víctima identificó la fotografía en la que aparecía desnudo mientras se encontraba en la ducha.

Local 10 ya había informado sobre Williams en febrero de 2025, después de que fuera arrestado bajo acusaciones de haberse exhibido sexualmente ante otra víctima durante una llamada de FaceTime y de haberle enviado un video pornográfico de un hombre y una mujer manteniendo relaciones sexuales, preguntándole al menor si creía que podría hacer lo mismo.

Según las autoridades, esa víctima dijo a la policía que se asustó y colgó la llamada cuando Williams se exhibió ante él.

El menor señaló que había conocido a Williams un par de semanas antes del incidente, a través de un amigo de 14 años en el Gibson Community Center.

En ese caso anterior, Williams fue acusado de exhibición lasciva ante un menor de 16 años, conducta lasciva con un menor de 16 años, transmisión electrónica de material perjudicial para menores dentro del estado, promover una representación sexual de un menor y manipulación de un informante.

El fotoperiodista de Local 10 News, Tim McFarland, contribuyó a este reportaje.

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In verification data shared by former National Hurricane Center Branch Chief James Franklin, so far in 2026 Google DeepMind is besting all other publicly available hurricane forecast guidance for track prediction in the Atlantic, eastern Pacific, and central Pacific basins.

Through the first week of September DeepMind is also notably outpacing track predictions from the world-class forecasters at the National Hurricane Center by as much as 30% for a five-day forecast. This is the second year in a row that DeepMind has topped NHC’s human-refined forecasts at most lead times. The AI model has been especially prescient at longer time horizons – that is at 4 and 5 days out – compared to NHC and the former gold-standard Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project Corrected Consensus Approach or HCCA aid.

Meanwhile, DeepMind continues to put up an impressive performance in tropical cyclone intensity prediction this year, especially against the computationally demanding, high-fidelity hurricane models such as the HAFS suite which have become a mainstay of hurricane intensity forecasting in recent years.

While DeepMind is keeping pace with NHC’s official intensity forecast, it hasn’t shown as dramatic an outperformance as on the track forecast side. It’s been HCCA – an adaptive aid that leverages the best-performing models but corrects for their biases on the fly in real time – that’s having a banner year so far in the intensity forecast department.

And what about the famed Euro?

Franklin was quick to note that neither the famed physics-based European model nor its AI counterpart is in his season-to-date verification numbers. While the newer AI-based European model showed tremendous promise for track intensity last hurricane season – similar to DeepMind and better than the conventional Euro model – as we wrote back in June, it was absolutely atrocious in forecasting intensity, showing essentially negative skill (that is, worse than using a simple climatology).

Developers at the European Centre are aware of the AI’s model’s proclivity to vastly underestimate storm intensity and in August introduced a lightweight post-processing fix which in back tests for 2025 reduced the AI model’s tropical cyclone intensity error by a factor of three, which could make it a true DeepMind competitor if the correction carries forward operationally for future years.

For now, the correction is based only on the single-run (so-called deterministic) AI model and not the more useful AI ensembles that professional hurricane forecasters lean on. The European Centre is working to stress test and evaluate the correction on its AI ensembles with the goal of improving the Euro AI intensity forecasts. But for now – including this hurricane season – we should remain wary of underdone hurricane intensity forecasts from the Euro AI ensembles.

Jump around, jump around

One area where human forecasters routinely add value to the forecast is in forecast consistency. Whereas computer models can shift wildly from run-to-run – windshield-wipering back and forth every 6 or 12 hours – forecasters prefer gradual adjustments over time, something called continuity in forecast-speak.

Critical decisions with costly ramifications hinge on every forecast, so forecasters want to make sure when models shift, it’s an actual trend and not a short-term jump, before making big adjustments to the forecast. A steady, reliable forecast is easier to make decisions from than one that bounces around every 6 hours.

Similar to being a passenger on an airplane, you wouldn’t want your pilot to suddenly jerk the airplane up or down based on an unforeseen bout of turbulence. This could be dangerous for unprepared passengers on board. However, if the turbulence doesn’t relent or becomes significant, you’d expect the captain to gradually climb or descend to a more comfortable altitude, even if it meant a little more time in bumpy skies beforehand to confirm.

NHC knows it will sacrifice some forecast accuracy for consistency but also knows consistency matters when making challenging decisions like large scale evacuations ahead of a hurricane. NHC’s goal is to be the most accurate and most consistent among the forecasts.

Lowell showcasing NHC’s consistency

Hurricane Lowell that sideswiped Kauaʻi and Niʻihau in Hawaii and lashed parts of the state earlier this week is a good recent example of how even the best models can jump around. Its track shifted significantly east in the 72 hours leading up to its closest approach to Hawaii, putting the state’s westernmost islands suddenly in play for a direct hit from its dangerous core.

Though Google DeepMind had substantially lower track errors for Lowell than any nearest competitor, including NHC’s official forecast, it did initially jump around erratically – far more than NHC’s gradual shift eastward – as it finally settled on an eastward trend over the weekend.

“Ideally you want to get the correct track as soon as possible so that warnings can go up with ample lead time,” wrote James Franklin in a post on BlueSky Tuesday which accompanied his analyses. “But it looks to me like OFCL [the official NHC forecast] homed in…on the track [of Hurricane Lowell] faster than GDMI [Google DeepMind]…and with better timing consistency.”

The models are considered “raw” output for a reason and it’s left to the discretion of the human forecaster to not only interpret the output but massage the model forecast in a way that’s most useful for those whose lives and livelihood are at risk.

Tropical tumbleweeds at the peak

Today (September 10th) is the official peak of the hurricane season, the day on which you’re most likely to find a named storm across the Atlantic basin. Not only do we see no named storms looking across the Gulf, Caribbean, or wider Atlantic today, we see no tropical depressions or any tropical contenders on the near horizon.

A ribbon of record-setting wind shear for the time of year should shut down activity over the next week at least across the deep tropics.

The only suspect area any of our models show looking out the next few weeks is in the open subtropical Atlantic in a week or so. For now, odds are low but we’ll watch the trends to see if a real signal emerges in the days ahead. Regardless it’s not anything for us stateside to worry about.

Según los datos de verificación compartidos por James Franklin, exjefe de la División del Centro Nacional de Huracanes, en lo que va de 2026 Google DeepMind está superando a todas las demás guías de pronóstico de huracanes disponibles públicamente para la predicción de la trayectoria en las cuencas del Atlántico, el Pacífico oriental y el Pacífico central.

Durante la primera semana de septiembre, DeepMind también superó notablemente las predicciones de trayectoria de los expertos del Centro Nacional de Huracanes (NHC), llegando a superarlas en un 30 % en un pronóstico a cinco días. Este es el segundo año consecutivo en que DeepMind supera los pronósticos del NHC, elaborados por expertos humanos, en la mayoría de los plazos. El modelo de IA ha demostrado una precisión especialmente notable en horizontes temporales más largos (a 4 y 5 días vista) en comparación con el NHC y el anterior método de referencia, el Enfoque de Consenso Corregido del Proyecto de Mejora de Pronósticos de Huracanes (HCCA).

Mientras tanto, DeepMind continúa ofreciendo un rendimiento impresionante en la predicción de la intensidad de los ciclones tropicales este año, especialmente frente a los modelos de huracanes de alta fidelidad y gran capacidad de cálculo, como el conjunto de modelos HAFS, que se han convertido en un pilar fundamental de la predicción de la intensidad de los huracanes en los últimos años.

Si bien DeepMind mantiene el ritmo de las predicciones oficiales de intensidad del NHC, no ha mostrado un rendimiento tan superior como en las predicciones de trayectoria. Ha sido HCCA, una herramienta adaptativa que aprovecha los modelos con mejor rendimiento pero corrige sus sesgos en tiempo real, la que está teniendo un año excepcional en lo que respecta a las predicciones de intensidad.

¿Y qué hay del famoso euro?

Franklin se apresuró a señalar que ni el famoso modelo europeo basado en la física ni su contraparte de IA figuran en sus cifras de verificación de la temporada hasta la fecha. Si bien el modelo europeo más reciente basado en IA mostró un gran potencial para la intensidad de la trayectoria la temporada pasada de huracanes —similar a DeepMind y mejor que el modelo europeo convencional—, como escribimos en junio, fue absolutamente pésimo para pronosticar la intensidad, mostrando una habilidad esencialmente negativa (es decir, peor que usar una climatología simple).

Los desarrolladores del Centro Europeo son conscientes de la tendencia del modelo de IA a subestimar enormemente la intensidad de las tormentas y, en agosto, introdujeron una solución de posprocesamiento ligera que, en pruebas retrospectivas para 2025, redujo el error de intensidad de los ciclones tropicales del modelo de IA en un factor de tres, lo que podría convertirlo en un verdadero competidor de DeepMind si la corrección se mantiene operativamente para los años venideros.

Por ahora, la corrección se basa únicamente en el modelo de IA de ejecución única (denominado determinista) y no en los conjuntos de IA más útiles que utilizan los meteorólogos profesionales especializados en huracanes. El Centro Europeo está trabajando para someter a prueba y evaluar la corrección en sus conjuntos de IA con el objetivo de mejorar las predicciones de intensidad de huracanes de Euro AI. Sin embargo, por el momento —incluida esta temporada de huracanes— debemos mantenernos cautelosos ante las predicciones de intensidad de huracanes insuficientes que ofrecen los conjuntos de IA de Euro AI.

Salta, salta

Un aspecto en el que los pronosticadores humanos aportan valor de forma habitual a las predicciones es en la consistencia de las mismas. Mientras que los modelos informáticos pueden variar drásticamente de una ejecución a otra —como si cambiaran de rumbo cada 6 o 12 horas—, los pronosticadores prefieren ajustes graduales a lo largo del tiempo, lo que en el lenguaje de las predicciones se denomina continuidad.

Las decisiones críticas con consecuencias costosas dependen de cada pronóstico, por lo que los analistas deben asegurarse de que, cuando los modelos cambian, se trate de una tendencia real y no de una fluctuación pasajera, antes de realizar ajustes importantes al pronóstico. Un pronóstico estable y confiable facilita la toma de decisiones en comparación con uno que fluctúa cada seis horas.

Al igual que un pasajero en un avión, nadie querría que el piloto hiciera movimientos bruscos de ascenso o descenso debido a una turbulencia imprevista. Esto podría ser peligroso para los pasajeros desprevenidos. Sin embargo, si la turbulencia persiste o se intensifica, se esperaría que el capitán ascendiera o descendiera gradualmente a una altitud más segura, incluso si eso implicara pasar un poco más de tiempo en cielos turbulentos para confirmarlo.

El NHC sabe que sacrificará algo de precisión en sus pronósticos en aras de la consistencia, pero también sabe que la consistencia es fundamental al tomar decisiones difíciles, como las evacuaciones a gran escala ante la llegada de un huracán. El objetivo del NHC es ofrecer los pronósticos más precisos y consistentes.

Lowell demuestra la consistencia del NHC.

El huracán Lowell, que rozó Kauaʻi y Niʻihau en Hawái y azotó partes del estado a principios de esta semana, es un buen ejemplo reciente de cómo incluso los mejores modelos pueden variar. Su trayectoria se desplazó significativamente hacia el este en las 72 horas previas a su máximo acercamiento a Hawái, lo que puso repentinamente a las islas más occidentales del estado en riesgo de recibir un impacto directo de su peligroso núcleo.

Aunque Google DeepMind registró errores de trayectoria sustancialmente menores para Lowell que cualquier competidor más cercano, incluido el pronóstico oficial del NHC, inicialmente mostró fluctuaciones erráticas, mucho mayores que el desplazamiento gradual hacia el este del NHC, hasta que finalmente se estabilizó en una tendencia hacia el este durante el fin de semana.

“Lo ideal es obtener la trayectoria correcta lo antes posible para que se puedan emitir alertas con suficiente antelación”, escribió James Franklin en una publicación en BlueSky el martes, que acompañaba sus análisis. “Pero me parece que OFCL [el pronóstico oficial del NHC] se centró en la trayectoria [del huracán Lowell] más rápido que GDMI [Google DeepMind]… y con mayor precisión temporal”.

Los modelos se consideran resultados “en bruto” por una razón, y queda a discreción del analista humano no solo interpretar los resultados, sino también adaptar la previsión del modelo de la manera más útil para aquellos cuyas vidas y medios de subsistencia están en riesgo.

Plantas rodadoras tropicales en su punto máximo

Hoy (10 de septiembre) es el punto álgido de la temporada de huracanes, el día en que es más probable encontrar una tormenta con nombre en la cuenca del Atlántico. Hoy no solo no se observan tormentas con nombre en el Golfo de México, el Caribe ni en el Atlántico en general, sino que tampoco se ven depresiones tropicales ni ningún otro sistema tropical en el horizonte cercano.

Una franja de cizalladura del viento sin precedentes para esta época del año debería paralizar la actividad durante la próxima semana, al menos, en toda la zona tropical profunda.

La única zona sospechosa que muestran nuestros modelos para las próximas semanas es el Atlántico subtropical abierto, dentro de una semana aproximadamente. Por ahora, las probabilidades son bajas, pero estaremos atentos a las tendencias para ver si surge alguna señal real en los próximos días. En cualquier caso, no es algo que deba preocuparnos en Estados Unidos.

McKenna West filed the emergency appeal Wednesday, widening a legal battle over surrogacy and abortion that has won the support of Republican officeholders and anti-abortion groups. West, who lives in Alaska, traveled to Dallas to give birth in August. Most abortions are banned in Texas.

West is asking the nation’s highest court to halt a California court order that recognizes Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar as the parents of the child whom she calls Gabriel and they call Rumi. West wants final custody or conservatorship because she believes the couple will not provide life-saving care, citing their request for an abortion at 23 weeks.

The boy was born Aug. 12 with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a life-threatening condition that prevents normal blood flow to the organ. He underwent surgery soon after he was born. The couple's attorney said in August that the newborn was in critical condition and appeared to be “suffering from potential complications.”

Surrogacy is not regulated on a federal level. Each state has its own laws, which can leave room for gaps in interpretation. The Supreme Court is not obliged to hear the case.

West is barred from any contact with the baby

Ahmed and Gilkar have not responded to the Supreme Court filing and attorneys for the couple did not respond to phone or email requests for comment. They have previously said West violated the surrogacy contract, and obtained a restraining order preventing West from seeing or holding the child.

Gilkar called West unstable during a hearing Aug. 25 in Dallas, telling the court she was trying to take their baby away.

“He’s our child,” Gilkar said, wiping away tears.

West and her attorneys argue Gilkar and Ahmed are not committed to guaranteeing the baby will undergo surgeries or “life-saving care.”

Both sides were publicly silent after the hearing last month and the case file was sealed, but West's Supreme Court filing says she lost her plea in Texas to win conservatorship of the child.

The Texas court granted full credit to the California judgment on Sept. 2, according to the filing.

West believes the baby's life is in danger

“The stakes of the decisions below are enormous,” the document says, adding that West should be recognized as the mother under Texas law. “But because of the unlawful California judgment, she has been dismissed with prejudice from the Texas proceedings and denied any information about or control over the medically fragile child.”

West believes Ahmed and Gilkar plan to put the baby into hospice care in California rather than let him undergo surgery that could save his life, according to the filing.

Without treatment, hypoplastic left heart syndrome can lead to death within days or weeks. Surgical repairs are not necessarily cures and additional surgeries or heart transplants may be needed, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The couple has said they will not provide any updates to West about the child's condition, the filing states.

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Wilder is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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This story has been corrected to show West’s filing was an appeal, not an order.

In recent weeks, new cases and deaths have declined in Ituri province, the outbreak’s epicenter, but risen sharply in neighboring North Kivu and Haut-Uele, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said at a weekly briefing.

According to the latest government figures released on Thursday, 6,843 cases have been reported, including 3,310 deaths. Ituri province remains the hardest-hit province, with more than 5,400 cases while North Kivu has reported over 1,000 cases since the outbreak was declared in May.

The outbreak in eastern Congo is spreading under extremely difficult conditions, fueled by insecurity, displacement, a health workers’ strike and intense population movements. The situation is particularly concerning at displacement sites, where residents already live in extremely precarious conditions.

The World Health Organization has said the outbreak remains out of control and is on track to surpass the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola outbreak, the deadliest on record, which killed more than 11,000 people, primarily in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

In North Kivu, new cases more than doubled to 381 in the latest three-week period, from 165 in the earlier period, Yap Boum, Africa CDC’s head of emergency preparedness and response, said Thursday.

The virus recently reached two more health zones in North Kivu, where fighting between government forces and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels, who control the provincial capital Goma, has complicated the response.

Last month, Congo began vaccinating health and other front-line workers with the Ervebo vaccine that was effective in past Ebola outbreaks caused by a different, more common type called Zaire.

Clinical trials are underway to find a licensed vaccine for the Bundibugyo virus.

The vaccination trials started in the eastern Tshopo, Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele provinces, Placide Mbala Kingebeni, Africa CDC’s director for research, clinical trials and innovation, said Thursday.

Kingebeni said the vaccination campaign initially targeted newly affected provinces to help prevent further spread. Vaccinations in Ituri are set to start next week, he added.

A key challenge is the limited supply of doses, said Kingebeni. Congo has received 70,000 doses so far.

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Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.

The dramatic ending to the formerly 16th-ranked Wolverines' 13-12 win over Western Michigan — with a disputed second on the clock that gave Bryce Underwood another chance to complete a Hail Mary — has been one of the most talked about topics in sports for nearly a week.

“That was a crazy game,” said Sooners linebacker Cole Sullivan, who transferred from Michigan after last season.

The conclusion and fallout from Michigan's last game has overshadowed, to some degree, how poorly it played in all three phases during coach Kyle Whittingham's debut with college football's winningest program.

“We got plenty to fix,” Whittingham said.

And not a lot of time.

The Wolverines, who fell out of the AP Top 25, are 6 1/2-point underdogs on Saturday at home against the Sooners in a Big Ten-SEC matchup.

Underwood walked out of the locker room and down the tunnel for last week's prime-time kickoff with a music and light show during his energetic entrance, slapping his helmet and pumping his right fist in a demonstrative display of emotion.

The closely watched quarterback, in his second season after being the nation's No. 1 recruit, got off to a great start with his arm and legs on a game-opening touchdown drive.

Underwood struggled for the rest of the game — his game-winning, 47-yard touchdown throw notwithstanding — and was often seen expressionless and speaking to no one on the sideline.

“I just feel like we’ve got to come out and dominate and be aggressive — how we were the first drive — every single play,” Underwood said. “We can’t get down, our energy can’t get down.”

When asked earlier this week how firmly entrenched Underwood is as Michigan's QB1, Whittingham said the sophomore has to improve to keep his job.

Underwood, who appears to be very active on social media, insisted later in the week that he was unaware of what Whittingham said about him.

“I didn't see that,” Underwood insisted. “It's cool.”

Underwood's seat could get hotter if he doesn't make better decisions and throw more accurately against the Sooners, especially if they shut down Michigan's running game as the Broncos of the Mid-American Conference did last week. Michigan's No. 2 quarterback is Tommy Carr, whose brother CJ is Notre Dame's quarterback and grandfathers are in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Western Michigan was also in control on offense against the Wolverines. In the second half, the Broncos had a 20-play touchdown drive that took nearly a quarter off the clock and possessed the ball more than twice as long as the Wolverines did.

Special teams contributed to Michigan's misery too, with Andrew Marsh losing a fumble on a punt return.

Making matters worse for Whittingham, his team was flagged nine times for 80 yards.

But the Wolverines' tepid performance didn't diminish Oklahoma coach Brent Venables' view of them.

“We’ve put Michigan in a great light like they deserve for a long time here for the last several months,” he said. “This isn’t the first week that we’ve been preparing and talking about Michigan and Georgia and Texas and many other teams that are on our schedule.”

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Así reaccionó Sheinbaum al ser consultada sobre la declaración que realizó el miércoles el secretario de Estado estadounidense, Marco Rubio, quien afirmó, durante una visita a Ecuador, que el combate a los cárteles de la droga en México “no es ni de lejos suficiente” y que Estados Unidos enfrentará “de una manera u otra” a las organizaciones criminales mexicanas.

En un nuevo contrapunteo con las autoridades estadounidenses, la mandataria reaccionó contra las afirmaciones de Rubio asegurando que “es parte de la campaña” de las elecciones intermedias que se realizarán en noviembre en Estados Unidos.

“México no es piñata de nadie”, afirmó Sheinbaum en su habitual conferencia matutina al exigir una vez más respeto del vecino del norte, y remató señalando que “nosotros no nos metemos en su elección, (y) ellos tampoco deberían usar a México en su elección”.

Durante una visita a Ecuador, como parte una gira por Suramérica, Rubio dijo a la prensa que México representa “un reto aún más grave” que otros países de la región debido al poder de los cárteles allí y señaló que el escenario “ideal” sería que Washington y el gobierno mexicano abordaran la situación en forma conjunta.

“A la larga esa amenaza tendrá que ser enfrentada de una manera u otra”, aseguró Rubio y añadió que "nuestra esperanza es hacerlo de manera cooperativa con las autoridades mexicanas”.

La administración de Sheinbaum se ha mostrado dispuesta a trabajar de manera coordinada con Washington para enfrentar a los cárteles, pero ha descartado cualquier intervención de las fuerzas estadounidenses en territorio mexicano.

La presidenta aprovechó para pedir a Estados Unidos que no intervenga en el proceso que se inicia esta semana en México para los comicios intermedios del próximo año en los que se elegirán una nueva Cámara de Diputados, los gobernadores de 17 de los 32 estados del país y cientos de autoridades y congresos locales.

Señaló que “nosotros no queremos que ellos definan o participen o haya injerencia en las elecciones que hay México”.

Sheinbaum también se mostró en desacuerdo con las cambiantes posturas de Estados Unidos sobre seguridad e indicó que “no puede ser que un día se reconozca los avances y que otro día ya no hay reconocimiento de avances y hay estas declaraciones”.

Pese a las críticas, la presidenta descartó la posibilidad de una disputa con Washington y reiteró que “hay que tener cabeza fría, aunque el corazón te diga otra cosa, porque nosotros tenemos que buscar siempre por responsabilidad una buena relación con Estados Unidos”. Dejó en claro, empero, que el límite es “nuestra soberanía… esa no es negociable”.

Diálogo comercial sin acuerdos

Sobre el encuentro remoto que tuvo el miércoles con el secretario de Comercio de Estados Unidos, Howard Lutnick, la mandataria solo comentó que le fue “bien” y que “vamos avanzando”, pero no dio detalles.

La reunión se dio en medio de la guerra comercial que mantienen Estados Unidos y Canadá que amenaza el futuro del tratado comercial que tienen ambos países con México (el T-MEC), el cual está en revisión desde julio.

Tras la reunión, el secretario mexicano de Economía, Marcelo Ebrard, anunció que el jueves viajaría nuevamente a Washington para seguir avanzando en las negociaciones que se realizan desde hace varios meses.

Sheinbaum dijo el miércoles, antes de reunirse con Lutnick, que México insistirá en que se “bajen los aranceles del acero, aluminio y autos porque además de que consideramos que es injusto, está afectando a nuestra economía”.

Las autoridades mexicanas han centrado sus esfuerzos en los últimos meses en lograr una disminución importante de los gravámenes de 10% que desde el año pasado Washington impuso a los productos mexicanos que no están cubiertos por el T-MEC, así como a los camiones medianos y pesados que tienen un impuesto de 25%. También está vigente un gravamen de 50% al acero y el aluminio y una cuota compensatoria del 17% al tomate mexicano.

The Ultimate Championship lived up to its vow to make track and field look different Thursday, the so-called “Day Before” celebration in advance of a first-of-its-kind meet that will feature trophies and $150,000 for all its winners, but no medals.

The day was highlighted by a red-carpet entrance and photo shoot for the athletes, a “draft” in which the 200-meter runners got to pick their lanes and, of course, an appearance by Usain Bolt — which instinctively means something big is happening on the track.

“I won a few world championships and it still doesn't add up to all the cash," Bolt said of the top prizes up for grabs in 27 events this week. “It incentivizes athletes to come out here and do their best. This is a job for them. I'm sad I missed out on it. But I'm happy for them.”

Nobody will feel too bad for Bolt, whose eight Olympic gold medals and 11 more at world championships made him a worldwide celebrity and multimillionaire, even though the wins themselves weren't worth all that much. And most of those who are showing up in Budapest this week have shoe or apparel contracts that help them pay the bills.

Still, the fact that it took until 2026 for track — the tentpole event of the Olympics and a sport that has produced so many indelible moments across time — to put together a $10 million prize pool when, for instance, the PGA Tour hands out $20 million eight times a year, didn't escape notice here.

“In every sport, every facet of life, we're always evolving,” said Joanna Hayes, a 2004 Olympic gold medalist who now coaches at UCLA and says a small contingent of her athletes still work side jobs to make ends meet. “And track is always last for, like, everything. But I think the idea is really cool."

And yes, this was a day to celebrate doing something different. The athletes played the part. On their way to the red carpet, they were greeted by hundreds of photographers who snapped glamour shots.

—Gabby Thomas came out in a matching white top and skirt with a sheer, gauzy jacket and stylish black sneakers.

—Melissa Jefferson-Wooden showed up wearing a floor-length ivory dress.

—Mondo Duplantis, the pole vaulter and part-time singer who wrote an anthem called “Gold” for these championships, wore a black suit with a maroon tie, a white pocket square and sunglasses.

—Ukrainian Olympic-champion high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh flashed a “peace” sign on her way out and painted her nails yellow to go with a lemonade-colored shirt and hat.

World Athletics made a point of making the entire day about content creation for the athletes, doing away with the Olympic world's strict regulations that limit that sort of activity at events like these.

“This is cool,” Mahuchikh said as she looked out on the grass painted black to give field athletes a special canvas on which to perform. “It's a different atmosphere for track. It looks like something special.”

To add to the vibe, organizers brought in the effervescent Olympic gold medalist Dawn Harper-Nelson to serve as an on-track host, and she promised “to blow your doors off” with her exploits and interviews from the field.

“It's bringing the attention to the sport that we begged for, that we wanted,” Harper-Nelson said. “Now, it's up for the athletes to do their part. You asked for it, and now the time has come.”

Mondo, Mahuchikh among those going for $150k in Friday's opening night

Among those vying for prizes Friday will be Duplantis and Mahuchikh, along with Masai Russell, who set the world record (12.09 seconds) in the 100 hurdles just two weeks ago.

Femke Broeders-Bol will run in her new event, an 800-meter semifinal.

The men's 5,000-meter final will give America's Cole Hocker and Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen the first of two chances to settle things on the track. After last week's Diamond League meet in Brussels, Ingebrigtsen, never one to hold back, called Hocker and his team “cowardly” for the way they used pacesetters in the 1,500.

Hocker and Ingebrigtsen are also entered in Sunday's 1,500, which means they both have a shot at walking out of Budapest with $300,000.

“It's definitely some good incentive,” said Thomas, whose 200-meter showdown with Jefferson-Wooden takes place Sunday.

Such a big prize pool was one way — maybe the only way — to bring such a celebrated group of athletes together in the even-numbered year between Summer Olympics, or what has long been considered an “off” year for track.

That's a label World Athletics President Seb Coe said he is eager to get rid of.

Holding a meet that mainly features Olympic and world champions along with top-ranked contenders, one that focuses on nonstop action and keeps elimination rounds at a minimum, and that even awards the last-place finisher $2,000, is certainly a start.

“But it's not just about the money,” said Letsile Tebogo, the Olympic champion and a favorite in the 200 meters now that Noah Lyles has pulled out with an injury and will be focusing solely on emcee duties and making the afterparty great.

“Some people do it for the money," Tebogo said. "But it's all about the experiences you want to have as an athlete.”

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https://apnews.com/sports

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History is honoring the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks this week with displays of dozens of rarely seen objects that tell the story of that day in often searingly personal terms.

The exhibit, which runs through Saturday, comes as the museum is under growing scrutiny by President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress over the manner in which it tells American history.

The Smithsonian began collecting items just months after the attacks and regularly displays some of them throughout the sprawling museum along the National Mall. But this week's exhibit is unique as the items are displayed on tables, rather than seen through glass. The museum's director, Anthea Hartig, said some of the items being shown this week are “so fragile they'll probably never go on display.”

The goal, she said, is to help visitors “both never forget, but also kind of reconnect" as a new generation emerges that didn't experience the attacks.

“This has truly slipped into history rather than being part of our memory landscape,” she said.

Some of the items, including a beeper belonging to an employee who worked on the 97th floor of the South Tower, harken back to office life at the turn of the century. A candy dispenser from the Pentagon includes melted chocolate.

The museum has faced conservative criticism since the White House released a report on Independence Day branding the museum's leadership as radical activists. Hartig faced two days of congressional hearings in July, where Republicans argued the museum should present a more unifying version of American history, prompting concern from historians that lawmakers and the White House were more interested in revisionism than accurate history.

Trump later ordered his administration to install signs in front of the museum telling visitors that some of the exhibits are inaccurate. More than a month later, such signs have not been installed.

In an interview, Hartig said the scrutiny didn't influence how the Sept. 11 exhibit came together.

“This museum exists as a repository, as a place of memory,” she said. “And so the current political moment is like many other political moments that we document. There’s different opinions and contestation over how we do our work.”

More change could be ahead after Lonnie Bunch announced his plans to step down as the leader of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian operates outside the executive branch and Bunch's successor will be chosen by a Board of Regents that includes Vice President JD Vance, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, a bipartisan group of lawmakers and so-called citizen regents.

Hartig acknowledged that “leadership transitions are always complicated.”

But, she said, “I wake up every day confident in Americans' ability to embrace the complexities of their past.”

The rapper and entrepreneur will MC the telecast live from Los Angeles on Sept. 27, marking the first time since 2017 that the VMAs have picked a location that's not in New York or New Jersey.

The VMAs are scheduled to air simultaneously from the Peacock Theater on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+.

Snoop Dogg is a 13-time VMAs nominee and has won three of the Moon Man awards. Snoop made his debut on the VMAs stage in 1994. In 1999, he closed the show with Dr. Dre and Eminem. He returned for a tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. and again for a performance with Eminem in 2022.

“MTV and the VMAs have been part of my story since the beginning,” he said in a statement. “Some of the biggest moments of my career happened on that stage and on MTV — they gave hip-hop a place to be loud, fearless and seen by the whole world. So to come back now and host the VMAs, all these years later, that’s a full-circle moment for me.”

Going into the night, Madonna has the most nominations with 11, including for video of the year for “Confessions II — The Film,” artist of the year and song of the year for “Bring Your Love.” Taylor Swift has nine nods, including artist of the year.

Madonna and Swift are followed by Ariana Grande and Sabrina Carpenter with seven nods each, as well as Bruno Mars, PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson with five. Nirvana will be honored with the Video Vanguard award.

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According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the hit-and-run crash near Northwest 117th Street and Northwest Seventh Avenue at approximately 8:40 p.m.

A Local 10 News crew was at the scene later in the evening as the e-bike was on the ground with debris scattered around it.

According to investigators, the driver of a 2009-2012 silver or grey Nissan Versa was traveling northbound on Northwest Seventh Avenue and approaching Northwest 117th Street when the driver made a left turn onto 117th Street.

The vehicle then struck the victims who were traveling on an e-bike along Northwest 117th Street, authorities said.

Deputies arrived and found both children unresponsive, lying in the roadway, according to MDSO.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue crews responded and transported both victims to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition. The girl later died from her injuries.

The victims’ identities have not been publicly released.

“I can only imagine how the parents feel in this situation,” an MDSO spokesperson said. “So we urge the community, please. If you’re a business owner in this area and you happen to have cameras, please review your cameras. If you were here by chance to witness what occurred, please give us a call.”

Detectives with the MDSO Traffic Homicide Unit have taken over the investigation.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information about the crash is urged to contact Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).

Rae said yes and replaced Lauren Snouffer, joining tenor Lawrence Brownlee and countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo on Wednesday night. She beamed as the audience applauded during curtain calls at the Academy of Music.

“It’s kind of a funny feeling,” Rae said. “It's almost like: What just happened? Or did we really do it?”

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote the opera in 1770 when he was just 14 and gave it the full title of “Mitridate, re di Ponto (king of Pontus).” Brownlee sang the title character, a tyrannical leader who spreads rumors of his death to discover if his sons are in love with his fiancée Aspasia. He tries to kill them all and eventually commits suicide.

Vacation had been planned

Rae was scheduled for a break between the July 18 world premiere of Jake Heggie's “The Judgment of Paris” at Festival Napa Valley and the Sept. 21 start of rehearsals for her role debut next month in Richard Strauss' "Salome" at the Seattle Opera. The 44-year-old had just one previous run as Aspasia, two performances with Brownlee at Boston Lyric Opera in September 2024.

“Mitridate” rehearsals started Aug. 13 and Snouffer's departure was decided last Thursday.

“Everything was a very collaborative decision-making process,” said Costanzo, starting his third season as the company's general director. "I don’t believe in being autonomous in those things unless it’s absolutely necessary and I think we just wanted to make sure that everyone was doing what was best for them.”

Bill Palant, Snouffer’s representative at Étude Arts, declined comment.

Michael Eberhard, Opera Philadelphia's director of casting and artistic administration, had given Rae a call Thursday morning inquiring if she might be available for the run, which included three performances through Sept. 13.

“I kind of had the impression that they wouldn’t need me,” Rae said.

Just in case, she took along her copy of the score to Wisconsin. When she got Eberhard's second call Thursday night asking whether she would commit, Rae said she needed to spend Friday with her dad, her first trip back home since her mother's death last spring.

Philadelphia didn't have cover singers and the company didn't think there was time to get a U.S. visa for a soprano to fly in from Europe. If Rae had said no, Costanzo said the company might have sought a young singer or as a last resort cut the character's four arias and one duet, leaving only Aspasia's recitative.

“It was a scary situation,” Costanzo said.

Delay in getting to Philadelphia

Rae booked flights Saturday with a connection in Detroit but a cancellation forced her to change planes in Minneapolis.

Rae walked into the Academy of Music just in time for Saturday night's orchestra dress rehearsal and had costume and wig fittings during breaks. Aspasia wore an off-white Oscar de la Renta pantsuit that set and costume designer Kaye Voyce bought on The RealReal online site.

“Anything you need, I'm here for you,” Brownlee remembered telling her. “Thank you for saving the show.”

Sunday included a two-hour musical rehearsal with conductor Corrado Rovaris followed by four hours with director Emma Griffin and assistant Colter Schoenfish. The final dress rehearsal was Monday night and she spent time Tuesday with Grant Loehnig, the opera company's head of music staff, to go over recitative that was different from the version she performed in Boston.

Rae said this switcheroo differed from when she sang the title role in Donizetti's “Lucia di Lammermoor” in 2012 at the Vienna State Opera after Diana Damrau and initial replacement Hibla Gerzmava both got sick.

“I've done jump-ins in the past, but they’ve always been for roles that I’ve done fairly often or at least did a big run of them where I felt like they were more — were part of my standard repertoire,” Rae said. “This one has been especially stressful just because it’s a Mozart opera, so there are lots of recitative and just all those words.”

Chores come along with chords

Rae was not living the glamorous life in the hours before opening night. Eberhard arranged housing at the ROOST Midtown hotel near the Academy of Music and for tofu to be delivered to Rae on Saturday night.

By Wednesday, Rae had a common concern before taking the stage.

"I don’t have all my normal singing things," she said. “I just had a little suitcase packed with three changes of clothing, and so I’m doing laundry right now in my apartment because I’ve literally run out of everything.”

"The abuse was ritualized, meticulously planned, and sadistic. ... Enduring sexual abuse was required to be a member of the Michigan Men’s Ice Hockey team,” attorney Michael Pitt said in a sex discrimination lawsuit filed Wednesday in federal court in Detroit.

The plaintiffs are 16 men who played at Michigan between 1984 and 2001. The lawsuit apparently grew out of conversations among several former teammates in 2024.

The university said the allegations are “disturbing,” but denies responsibility.

“To the extent any former student athlete engaged in hazing or other misconduct, they were violating university policy,” spokesperson Paul Corliss said in a written statement.

“The university first adopted an official anti-hazing policy in 1982. It was one of the first universities in the country to do so, and it has earned its standing as a leader in this area,” he said.

The 72-page document describes players being forced to consume excessive amounts of alcohol and eat live fish. A common allegation: They were forced to have hair around their genitals shaved by teammates. A player identified as John Doe 7 said he was taunted with a blowtorch while on a table.

The lawsuit says Red Berenson, who was coach from 1984 to 2017, was aware of the abuse and did not intervene.

John Doe 3 said he told Berenson that he didn't want to participate in the hazing. The coach coerced him by telling him to be a “Michigan Man” and a ”good teammate," according to the lawsuit.

Berenson, 86, declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press. He told MLive.com there was a “certain element of initiation” by the team's seniors, but no one had complained to him.

“Were there some mishaps? Were there some bad experiences? Possibly, but it wasn’t a matter of direction or encouragement from the coaching staff or from the administration,” Berenson, a former NHL player, said.

"When they say sexual, I’m guessing they’re stretching this,” he said.

Berenson announced the end of “freshman hazing” in 2012, mostly referring to first-year players being forced to carry equipment and eat team meals last. He made no mention of physical abuse but acknowledged “captains that got too carried away," according to news reports at the time.

The university could argue that the hockey players waited too long to file a lawsuit, a position it took in 2020 when former athletes sued over sexual misconduct committed decades earlier by a campus sports doctor. The university ultimately agreed to pay $490 million to settle claims by more than 1,000 people.

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Jail records show Jeremy Isiah Davis, 30, of Miami, was arrested Wednesday and is facing one count each of second-degree murder with a weapon, burglary of an occupied structure, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and criminal mischief.

Records show Miracle De Jesus Johnson, 19, of Miami Gardens, was arrested early Thursday morning and is facing a charge of accessory after the fact.

Officers with the Miami Police Department said the arrests stem from the July 2 shooting near Northwest Third Avenue and 22nd Street that left a man dead.

According to Davis’ arrest warrant, officers were dispatched to the area at approximately 9:29 p.m. after receiving reports of a man who had been shot.

When officers arrived, they found the victim, who has not been identified, “on the ground facedown with a gunshot wound to the upper torso,” the warrant states.

Authorities said Miami Fire Rescue medics transported the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he “succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at 9:49 p.m.”

An autopsy later determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the torso and ruled the manner of death a homicide, the warrant states.

Investigators said surveillance footage from MPD’s Real Time Crime Center captured the confrontation and shooting.

According to the warrant, the video showed the victim and Davis fighting near Northwest Third Avenue and Northwest 22nd Street. At some point, Davis approached the victim and pushed him several times, the warrant states.

Police said the victim then raised his cellphone to his ear. They said Davis then continued to approach the victim and tried to hit the phone out of his hand but missed.

They said as the victim backed away slowly, Davis pulled out a gun and shot the victim one time in the chest area.

The victim then ran eastbound on Northwest 22nd Street, while Davis fled westbound, according to the warrant.

Police said multiple witnesses were interviewed and corroborated what investigators saw on surveillance video, although those witnesses initially told police they had never met Davis and could not identify him.

Investigators said they eventually tracked Davis’ movements through multiple Real Time Crime Center cameras.

They said the video showed Davis fleeing the scene on an electric scooter after the shooting. At approximately 9:41 p.m., surveillance video from Manha Fresh Food, located at 3209 NW Seventh Ave., showed Davis entering the store on the scooter, according to the warrant.

Investigators said they used facial recognition technology on the video, which resulted in the identification of Davis.

Police also obtained cellphone data for a number they said was registered to Davis. According to the warrant, the data placed the phone at the scene of the homicide and later showed movements that investigators said were consistent with the surveillance footage of Davis fleeing the area.

The warrant also states that the cellphone number appeared repeatedly in call records involving the victim before the shooting, including a call approximately 13 minutes before the homicide.

A witness later came forward and provided police with a statement, according to the warrant. Police said that witness told investigators he had known Davis for several years and identified him in a photo as the person he saw fighting with the victim shortly before the shooting occurred.

Investigators said they also determined that Davis was a convicted felon. Records show he had previously been convicted in Miami-Dade County of burglary of an unoccupied conveyance while unarmed.

De Jesus Johnson’s arrest warrant also references surveillance footage from the night of the shooting.

According to that warrant, De Jesus Johnson was seen with Davis and the victim during the confrontation.

The warrant states she was “following and interacting with both parties during the entire incident.”

Police said after Davis allegedly shot the victim, De Jesus Johnson followed Davis as he walked away from the area.

They said surveillance footage from earlier that evening also showed Davis walking toward the area of the shooting with De Jesus Johnson.

As of Thursday morning, Davis was being held without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, while De Jesus Johnson was also being held at TGK on a $75,000 bond.

A motive for the shooting and additional details about the victim weren’t immediately released.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Jeremy Isiah Davis, de 30 años y residente de Miami, fue arrestado el miércoles y enfrenta un cargo de asesinato en segundo grado con un arma, allanamiento de una estructura ocupada, posesión de un arma de fuego por un delincuente convicto y daños a la propiedad.

Los registros muestran que Miracle De Jesus Johnson, de 19 años y residente de Miami Gardens, fue arrestada la madrugada del jueves y enfrenta un cargo de complicidad después del hecho.

Agentes del Departamento de Policía de Miami dijeron que los arrestos se derivan de la balacera del 2 de julio cerca de Northwest Third Avenue y 22nd Street que dejó a un hombre muerto.

Según la orden de arresto de Davis, los agentes fueron enviados al área aproximadamente a las 9:29 p.m. después de recibir reportes de un hombre que había recibido un disparo.

Cuando los agentes llegaron, encontraron a la víctima, quien no ha sido identificada, “boca abajo en el suelo con una herida de bala en la parte superior del torso”, señala la orden.

Las autoridades dijeron que paramédicos de Miami Fire Rescue trasladaron a la víctima al Jackson Memorial Hospital, donde “sucumbió a sus heridas y fue declarado muerto a las 9:49 p.m.”

Una autopsia determinó posteriormente que la causa de muerte fue una herida de bala en el torso y clasificó la muerte como homicidio, señala la orden.

Los investigadores dijeron que imágenes de vigilancia del Centro de Crimen en Tiempo Real de MPD captaron el enfrentamiento y la balacera.

Según la orden, el video mostró a la víctima y a Davis peleando cerca de Northwest Third Avenue y Northwest 22nd Street. En un momento, Davis se acercó a la víctima y la empujó varias veces, señala la orden.

La policía dijo que la víctima entonces levantó su teléfono celular hacia su oído. Dijeron que Davis continuó acercándose a la víctima e intentó golpear el teléfono para quitárselo de la mano, pero falló.

Dijeron que mientras la víctima retrocedía lentamente, Davis sacó un arma y le disparó una vez en el área del pecho.

La víctima luego corrió hacia el este por Northwest 22nd Street, mientras Davis huyó hacia el oeste, según la orden.

La policía dijo que varios testigos fueron entrevistados y corroboraron lo que los investigadores vieron en el video de vigilancia, aunque inicialmente esos testigos dijeron a la policía que nunca habían conocido a Davis y que no podían identificarlo.

Los investigadores dijeron que finalmente rastrearon los movimientos de Davis a través de varias cámaras del Centro de Crimen en Tiempo Real.

Dijeron que el video mostró a Davis huyendo de la escena en un scooter eléctrico después de la balacera. Aproximadamente a las 9:41 p.m., un video de vigilancia de Manha Fresh Food, ubicado en 3209 NW Seventh Ave., mostró a Davis entrando a la tienda en el scooter, según la orden.

Los investigadores dijeron que utilizaron tecnología de reconocimiento facial en el video, lo que permitió identificar a Davis.

La policía también obtuvo datos de un teléfono celular correspondiente a un número que, según dijeron, estaba registrado a nombre de Davis. Según la orden, los datos ubicaron el teléfono en la escena del homicidio y posteriormente mostraron movimientos que, según los investigadores, coincidían con las imágenes de vigilancia de Davis huyendo del área.

La orden también señala que el número de teléfono celular aparecía repetidamente en los registros de llamadas relacionadas con la víctima antes de la balacera, incluida una llamada aproximadamente 13 minutos antes del homicidio.

Posteriormente, un testigo se presentó y dio una declaración a la policía, según la orden. La policía dijo que ese testigo contó a los investigadores que conocía a Davis desde hacía varios años y lo identificó en una fotografía como la persona que vio peleando con la víctima poco antes de que ocurriera la balacera.

Los investigadores dijeron que también determinaron que Davis era un delincuente convicto. Los registros muestran que anteriormente había sido condenado en el condado Miami-Dade por allanamiento de un vehículo desocupado mientras estaba desarmado.

La orden de arresto de De Jesus Johnson también hace referencia a imágenes de vigilancia de la noche de la balacera.

Según esa orden, De Jesus Johnson fue vista con Davis y la víctima durante el enfrentamiento.

La orden señala que ella estaba “siguiendo e interactuando con ambas partes durante todo el incidente”.

La policía dijo que después de que Davis presuntamente disparara contra la víctima, De Jesus Johnson siguió a Davis mientras este se alejaba del área.

Dijeron que imágenes de vigilancia tomadas más temprano esa noche también mostraron a Davis caminando hacia el área de la balacera con De Jesus Johnson.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, Davis permanecía detenido sin derecho a fianza en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, mientras De Jesus Johnson también permanecía detenida en TGK con una fianza de $75,000 USD.

El motivo de la balacera y detalles adicionales sobre la víctima no fueron divulgados de inmediato.

Economists and other political observers are voicing concerns about the potential effects on inflation and the national balance sheet. Taken together, it's a swift reaction that makes clear that Trump's dubious election-year gambit is likely little more than another grand promise from a politician with a long history of them.

“Donald Trump is a known liar. This is the biggest liar to ever serve in government. Period,” said Rep. Robert Garcia, a California Democrat who was in Dallas on Thursday as part of his party's effort to counter Republicans' midterm convention. “The dividend is not happening.”

Trump previously pledged to use savings from the Department of Government Efficiency and revenue from tariffs on foreign imports to distribute payments of $2,000 or more, but none of that came to pass.

His latest idea comes as the U.S. economy is reckoning with persistent inflation and rising interest rates, two forces that have politically undermined Republicans after previously helping them reclaim power from Democrats. Trump claimed the payments would be possible because of the economy’s strength, yet consumer sentiment is weak as gasoline prices are increasing because of the war with Iran and wages are struggling to keep pace with inflation.

A few of Trump's allies embraced the idea, including Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno, who said he would prepare legislation for the payments. But critics accused him of trying to buy votes at a time when Republicans are trying to maintain slim majorities in Congress.

“I don’t know about you all, but frankly I’m insulted by the notion that my vote this November could be bought for 5k,” Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican who is one of Trump's least favorite lawmakers, wrote on social media. “Not to mention the inflation this would cause.”

Rep. Ted Lieu, vice chairman of the House Democratic caucus, outright mocked the president.

“If Democrats flip the House and Senate everyone will get a $10,000 dividend, and a pony, and free ice cream for life,” he posted on social media. “(Folks can also choose free yogurt for life, because we’re Democrats after all).”

The president's proposal, unveiled in his nearly two-hour speech Wednesday night in Dallas, would carry a price tag exceeding $1.3 trillion if Congress were to authorize $5,000 payments to the nation's 270 million adults.

The Treasury already is running a current annual deficit approaching $1.8 trillion, and the total national debt topped $40 trillion this year. According to Treasury Department data, that interest expense for fiscal year 2026 will come to about $1.27 trillion, similar to the projected cost of Trump's idea.

The price tag prompts concerns about debt and inflation

Economists raised concerns about inflationary effects from such a large infusion of cash into the economy.

Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank, said Trump would be repeating the same policy mistake as his predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden.

As part of his 2021 pandemic relief package, Biden provided $1,400 payments to most Americans, which Strain had warned at the time would spark inflation.

“But Mr. Trump’s proposal would be worse than the Biden stimulus in the sense that in 2026 the economy already has an inflation problem,” Strain said, while Biden's policy was intended to shore up an economy disrupted by COVID-19.

“Trump would be pouring gasoline on lit inflationary embers and hoping it wouldn’t ignite,” Strain said.

At the center-left Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, senior policy director Marc Goldwein agreed with the comparison to Biden's policy and emphasized the potential impact on the deficit.

“The idea that we’ve had fiscal success is backwards and bordering on laughable,” he said. “We don’t have surpluses to give away.”

The financial markets appeared to be unimpressed by Trump’s promise. Interest rates on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note climbed above 4.9% in Thursday afternoon trading, meaning that the cost of mortgages and auto loans will likely rise in ways that hurt the middle class.

Trump allies are faced with their own arguments

Many Republicans, including from Trump's inner circle, are in a difficult spot after they’ve spent years blasting Biden and other Democrats for their spending.

As recently as last week, Vice President JD Vance and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent blamed Trump's predecessor when asked about current price levels and consumer concern.

In the White House briefing room, Vance said at once that he was not interested in assigning blame while in the same answer noting “how endemic inflation became during the Biden administration.”

Bessent told CNBC that Biden and his allies “torched the American people” with their approach. “Almost 50 percent of the great inflation came from the out-of-control spending that went on then,” he argued.

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, one of Trump's press secretaries during his first presidency, ran into the same conundrum Thursday — after the president's speech — when she shared on social media her appearance on Fox Business Channel.

“You do not build a strong economy by giving things away,” Sanders said.

“At the end of the day, though, somebody has to pick up the check,” she continued, “and it’s the taxpayers that will ultimately pay the price.”

Goldwein said ultimately that political and constitutional realities could spare the president.

“You never want to say it’s impossible,” he said. “But within the confines of the law, at least the law as everybody understands it, the president does not have legal authority to send people $5,000 per adult, and he needs Congress to pass a law.”

——-

Barrow reported from Atlanta.

“Hopefully he’s going to lose the Senate. He’s going to lose Congress. I hope so, and hold him accountable,” Ford said. "But we’ll see how that goes. We aren’t going to interfere in the U.S. election.”

Ford has emerged as one of Trump’s most outspoken Canadian critics, accusing him of trying to strip industry out of Ontario and move it south of the border as the two trade personal insults and threats.

Ford’s comments came two days after Washington escalated the dispute by banning some Canadian dairy products and motorcycles and most alcoholic beverages after Canadian retaliatory tariffs took effect on about $20 billion in U.S. goods. Trump also moved to shut Canadian products out of large, long-term U.S. government contracts.

“He’s not reliable at all,” Ford said. “He could make a deal today and then change his mind. And we’ve seen that over and over again."

Still, Ford said he believes Trump wants an agreement before the midterms and that Canada should return to negotiations as soon as possible.

“I truly believe President Trump wants a deal before the midterms,” Ford said. “I could be wrong, but I think it’s best that we sit down and get a deal.”

Carney said later Thursday that he remains in regular contact with Trump and had spoken with him “a couple of times” in the past few days about Ukraine, Iran and other global developments.

“We continue to have work with the United States. We can compartmentalize across this,” Carney said, adding that working together despite their trade dispute was part of the two countries’ responsibility.

Last year, Trump abruptly ended trade talks with Canada after Ford’s Ontario government aired an anti-tariff television ad in the United States using former President Ronald Reagan’s criticism of tariffs.

The feud has repeatedly turned personal. In an interview with The Associated Press last month, Ford mocked Trump for keeping a portrait of Reagan near his desk while pursuing tariffs Reagan had criticized, saying Reagan would be “throwing up on him from the picture if he knew what was going on.”

Trump described him as “the less charismatic, intelligent and overall unimpressive brother of the late, great, Rob Ford.”

Trump also signed an executive order directing the U.S. government to refer to Lake Ontario as “Lake America,” a name Canada does not recognize.

Ford said Thursday that Trump had unintentionally strengthened Canada by forcing it to reduce its dependence on the United States.

“The only two good things Donald Trump has ever done for Canada,” Ford said, were that “he woke us up” and “he united the country like I’ve never seen before.”

The South Kivu provincial government said in a press release that 19 girls and seven boys were killed, adding that the death toll could rise.

The spokesperson for rebel M23 group that controls the city, Lawrence Kanyuka, said earlier that 24 students were killed and 29 people were being treated at local medical facilities.

The fire started at a house before spreading to the two adjoining schools, local neighborhood administrator Moïse Lubala told The Associated Press.

He said several students were trapped inside Furaha secondary school and some suffocated.

A mix of boys and girls of different ages, students at Furaha and at Ujamaa primary school, were brought to the Nyamulagira BDOM health center in their school uniforms, nurse Ciza Jean-Baptiste told the AP.

Medical staff were struggling to keep track of the exact number of injured because there were so many, he said.

“The exit was too narrow, so some students began jumping through windows while others rushed toward the door. As everyone tried to force their way out, students were pushed over and trampled on,” said Lubala.

The cause of the fire is not known, but the neighborhood where the fire started is densely populated and most houses are made out of wood, according to Lubala.

Congo’s government struggles to exert control over the east of the country. M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, took control of Bukavu in February 2025. More than 100 armed groups are vying for control of eastern Congo’s trillions of dollars in mineral wealth that’s critical for much of the world’s technology.

Health services are under severe strain as the region grapples with the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history that has killed more than 3,300 people, with more than 6,800 confirmed cases recorded.

——

Justin Kabumba in Goma, Congo, and Jean-Yves Kamale in Kinshasa, Congo, contributed to this report.

The three-judge panel refused to lift a preliminary injunction against the order issued last week by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani. It prohibits the U.S. Postal Service from implementing Trump’s directive. The Postal Service has said it would not deliver ballots from states that did not pre-clear their envelope design with the federal government and submit a list of voters to an online portal, which has yet to be activated.

Election officials warn that it’s impossible to comply with those terms, especially with the first mail ballots arleady being sent out in Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin.

The panel of three judges nominated by former President Joe Biden agreed with the plaintiffs that the president does not have the power to regulate states’ election policy.

“Appellants have not made a strong showing that the district court erred in determining that the Final Rule is likely unlawful,” they wrote, a reference to a rule published by the Postal Service to implement Trump’s order.

The panel wrote that the Trump administration had done little to dispel arguments by many election officials that the changes would bring “chaos and widespread disenfranchisement.”

“Indeed, appellants have not even seriously challenged this aspect of the district court’s ruling, much less demonstrated why it is clearly erroneous,” the order states.

The government also hasn’t shown evidence of past fraud to justify the restrictions, the judges said.

A request for comment from the White House was not immediately returned.

The panel’s decision comes even as the Supreme Court is already considering the same case, which is part of a frenzied legal rush as states are beginning to send out mail ballots for this fall’s midterm elections. Democrats and civil rights groups in a separate lawsuit in Washington, D.C., also are trying to halt the executive order.

The 1st Circuit also had upheld a previous hold Talwani placed on the executive order. But that ruling was lifted by the Supreme Court in a procedural decision that did not determine whether the plan was constitutional.

The plaintiffs swiftly filed new lawsuits after the Postal Service finalized its rule governing mail ballots.

Job Listing: Operations Technician

WPLG, the powerhouse independent in Miami, has a full-time opening for a Broadcast Operations Technician.

Responsibilities include operation of television broadcast equipment with heavy emphasis on master control operations including Florical master control automation, MediaFiler program and commercial ingest, Asset Collector, ShowTimer, Pitch Blue and other edge servers, transmitter remote controls, Ross Xpressions and Ross MC 1 switchers. Experience switching live sports and news as well as handling a multi-channel environment is preferred. The successful candidate needs to have the ability to track multiple program streams constantly looking ahead for problems, as well as the ability to deal with exceptions as they arise and to communicate problems to managers and other departments. Duties also include the operation of Vinten camera robotics and audio mixing during productions. The preferred candidate should also have experience bringing in content from news crews. The position requires the candidate to be able to work all shifts including overnight, nights, weekends and early morning.

All the essential functions of this position are not necessarily described in this posting. Any offer of employment is conditional on successful completion of a background check, pre-employment physical exam, including drug screening, required reference checks and educational degree verification. The successful candidate must possess a valid Florida driver’s license.

Prefer applicants with at least one year or more experience in the above-mentioned areas along with strong on-air operations experience. Computer skills and the ability to work under pressure is a requirement.

***All of the essential functions of this position are not necessarily described in this posting.

***We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider all qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age gender, marital status, disability, matriculation or political affiliation. Any offer of employment is conditioned on successful completion of a pre-employment drug screen, investigative background check, employment/education verifications and reference checks. A valid driver’s license is required.

Please follow link below to apply for Operations Technician Position:

https://jobs.dayforcehcm.com/en-US/wplg/CANDIDATEPORTAL/jobs/9030

Send resume and Links to:

David Bromfield

dbromfield@wplg.com

No phone calls please

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LaToya Garland, 40, and Mikequisha Gordan, 36, were arrested following the incident near Northeast Seventh Avenue and Northeast 132nd Street, according to their arrest report from the North Miami Police Department.

Police said an officer responded to the intersection at approximately 6:29 p.m. after a Miami-Dade County Public Schools officer spotted the two children running down the street alone.

According to the arrest reports, the children told officers that they and their mothers had met at an apartment in the 600 block of Northeast 133rd Street.

Police said the children told officers that Garland and Gordan then forced them outside to play and locked the apartment door.

After becoming tired of playing, the children knocked on the door several times but received no response, according to the report.

Police said the children then became hungry and walked to a nearby Publix at 12855 NE Sixth Ave.

According to investigators, the children were unable to get food at the store and attempted to walk back to the apartment when the school district officer encountered them.

A neighbor told investigators she had seen the children playing at approximately 5:45 p.m. and had also seen one of the women at the apartment.

Officers went to the apartment at approximately 6:48 p.m. and repeatedly attempted to contact the people inside but received no response, the reports stated.

Police said the neighbor also called one of the women several times. Officers could hear the phone ringing inside the apartment, but no one answered, the arrest reports stated.

An employee of the property was eventually called to the scene.

According to the reports, officers explained that they were concerned the occupants could be experiencing a medical emergency and needed to enter the apartment to check on their well-being.

The employee allowed officers inside, where police said they found Garland and Gordan unconscious on a sofa in the living room.

Both women were breathing and had a pulse but were sluggish to respond to stimuli, according to their arrest reports.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded and determined both women were stable.

Police said the women appeared to be impaired by an unknown substance, though the reports do not identify what, if anything, they had consumed.

Garland and Gordan were arrested on charges of child abuse with no great bodily harm.

According to the reports, one of the women began vomiting in the back of a marked patrol vehicle at approximately 8:20 p.m.

Police said both Garland and Gordan were initially taken to the North Miami Police Department before being transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

As of Thursday afternoon, both women remained behind bars. Online jail records listed their bonds as “to be set.”

It's not the first time a TV show has moved an interview with Talarico to YouTube. The candidate's appearance on Stephen Colbert's show in February was moved online over network fears that it would violate regulatory guidance from the Federal Communications Commission on giving equal time to political candidates.

Talarico is in a tight race against Republican, Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, and has given Democrats hope of winning statewide in the otherwise GOP-dominated Lone Star State.

“For the whole 20+ years of our show, in fact, I’ve been interviewing Americans who are running for office with no problem,” said Kimmel on his Wednesday night show, the titular “Jimmy Kimmel Live."

“Something has changed,” he continued, suggesting that Trump's presidency was that something. “His FCC has threatened me, threatened our show, threatened our network, ABC, our affiliates our local stations, based on simple traditional editorial decisions, guest bookings it would seem they don’t like.”

The FCC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But Anna Gomez, the Commission's sole Democrat, said in a Thursday statement on social media that Kimmel's decision to keep the interview off-air “shows just how far this Administration’s campaign of censorship and control has gone.”

Gomez condemned the latest “intimidation” from her agency — and added that she hopes “courts will soon make clear that the FCC has no place dictating editorial choices or what viewers are allowed to see.”

In August, in a further escalation of its battle with the Trump administration, Disney-owned ABC sued the FCC on First Amendment grounds, saying the agency’s demand for early review of its broadcast licenses — years before they were set to expire — posed an “existential threat” to the network.

The FCC had ordered the review months earlier, citing the network’s diversity and inclusion practices as a reason, but the development came shortly after a joke by Kimmel — a long-outspoken Trump critic — had infuriated the president. In April, Trump and first lady Melania Trump called for ABC to fire Kimmel over a joke where the late-night comic described the first lady as having “the glow of an expectant widow.”

Kimmel didn’t elaborate further Wednesday on what grounds the FCC cited when the agency, as he put it, threatened the show over the Talarico interview. In the past, including with Talarico on Stephen Colbert's show, the contention has been over a requirement that broadcast stations give equal time to political candidates when they appear on-air.

The rule traditionally hasn't been applied to talk shows. But the Trump administration, through the FCC, announced in January that late-night and daytime hosts had to follow it.

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AP business writer Wyatte Grantham-Philips in Chicago contributed to this report.

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This story has been corrected to show that ABC sued the FCC in August, not April.

LaToya Garland, de 40 años, y Mikequisha Gordan, de 36, fueron arrestadas tras el incidente cerca de Northeast Seventh Avenue y Northeast 132nd Street, según su informe de arresto del Departamento de Policía de North Miami.

La policía dijo que un agente acudió a la intersección aproximadamente a las 6:29 p.m. después de que un agente de las Escuelas Públicas del Condado Miami-Dade viera a los dos niños corriendo solos por la calle.

Según los informes de arresto, los niños dijeron a los agentes que ellos y sus madres se habían reunido en un apartamento en la cuadra 600 de Northeast 133rd Street.

La policía dijo que los niños contaron a los agentes que Garland y Gordan luego los obligaron a salir a jugar y cerraron la puerta del apartamento con llave.

Después de cansarse de jugar, los niños tocaron la puerta varias veces, pero no recibieron respuesta, según el informe.

La policía dijo que los niños entonces sintieron hambre y caminaron hasta un Publix cercano en 12855 NE Sixth Ave.

Según los investigadores, los niños no pudieron conseguir comida en la tienda e intentaron regresar caminando al apartamento cuando el agente del distrito escolar los encontró.

Una vecina dijo a los investigadores que había visto a los niños jugando aproximadamente a las 5:45 p.m. y también había visto a una de las mujeres en el apartamento.

Los agentes fueron al apartamento aproximadamente a las 6:48 p.m. e intentaron repetidamente comunicarse con las personas que estaban dentro, pero no recibieron respuesta, señalan los informes.

La policía dijo que la vecina también llamó varias veces a una de las mujeres. Los agentes podían escuchar el teléfono sonando dentro del apartamento, pero nadie respondió, señalan los informes de arresto.

Finalmente, un empleado de la propiedad fue llamado al lugar.

Según los informes, los agentes explicaron que les preocupaba que los ocupantes pudieran estar sufriendo una emergencia médica y que necesitaban entrar al apartamento para verificar su bienestar.

El empleado permitió que los agentes entraran, donde la policía dijo que encontraron a Garland y Gordan inconscientes en un sofá de la sala.

Ambas mujeres respiraban y tenían pulso, pero respondían lentamente a los estímulos, según sus informes de arresto.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue acudió al lugar y determinó que ambas mujeres estaban estables.

La policía dijo que las mujeres parecían estar bajo los efectos de una sustancia desconocida, aunque los informes no identifican qué habían consumido, si es que habían consumido algo.

Garland y Gordan fueron arrestadas por cargos de abuso infantil sin lesiones corporales graves.

Según los informes, una de las mujeres comenzó a vomitar en la parte trasera de un vehículo policial identificado aproximadamente a las 8:20 p.m.

La policía dijo que Garland y Gordan fueron llevadas inicialmente al Departamento de Policía de North Miami antes de ser trasladadas al Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

Hasta la tarde del jueves, ambas mujeres permanecían tras las rejas. Los registros de la cárcel en línea indicaban que sus fianzas estaban “por determinar”.

Grúas rodeaban el avión mientras las cuadrillas trabajaban para comenzar a desmantelarlo.

Sky 10 sobrevoló la escena, donde todavía había escombros dispersos por el estacionamiento, el césped y parte de la pista.

La fecha y hora de la reubicación aún no han sido determinadas.

El traslado podría brindar cierto alivio a MIA y a los viajeros, ya que solo tres de las cuatro pistas del aeropuerto permanecen abiertas. Se han reportado decenas de retrasos mientras el aeropuerto continúa operando por debajo de su capacidad total.

La Junta Nacional de Seguridad en el Transporte (NTSB) dijo que los investigadores permanecerían en el aeropuerto durante aproximadamente una semana mientras realizan su investigación en el lugar.

El avión de carga de Amazon se encuentra en las etapas iniciales de ser desmantelado en partes para que pueda ser retirado de la pista de MIA, según un funcionario del aeropuerto.

Los trabajos se realizan días después de que el avión se saliera de la pista y chocara contra dos autos que estaban en su trayectoria, causando la muerte de cinco personas el domingo.

Ahora, los investigadores de la NTSB están revelando lo que se dijo dentro de la cabina, basándose en el audio recuperado de la grabadora de voz del avión.

Los investigadores dijeron que se escucha a uno de los pilotos advirtiendo que el avión viajaba demasiado rápido, más de un minuto antes de que la aeronave tocara la pista por primera vez.

Según los investigadores, ese piloto “hizo comentarios adicionales sobre la velocidad excesiva de la aeronave durante el resto de la grabación”, pero “no hubo una respuesta verbal consistente”.

La grabación de la cabina también registró alertas electrónicas que advertían que la aeronave estaba demasiado cerca del terreno.

Luego, cuando quedaban apenas 15 segundos de la grabación, uno de los pilotos pidió un intento de “go-around”, una maniobra para elevar nuevamente el avión y volver a intentar el aterrizaje.

Pero cinco segundos después, el avión se salió de la pista.

“Ese tipo de vacilación es mortal en una pista como esta”, dijo el experto en aviación Pablo Rojas.

Rojas dijo que la combinación de la velocidad del avión, la aplicación de los frenos, su liberación y posterior aplicación nuevamente, y la indecisión de la tripulación durante los últimos segundos fue crítica.

“Primero estaban intentando aterrizar, reducir la velocidad del avión, detenerlo, luego vacilaron y quizá intentaron hacer un go-around, es decir, acelerar nuevamente, luego hicieron otro cambio en su decisión, que fue intentar aterrizar de nuevo”, dijo.

Local 10 News también habló con un hombre que presenció el accidente.

“Estábamos dentro del almacén cuando escuchamos un ruido súper fuerte”, dijo el testigo Abraham Altamar.

Altamar dijo que se encontró con el piloto Jaime Felipe Silva Molina después de que el piloto escapara del avión en llamas.

“Estaba temblando, parecía estresado”, dijo Altamar.

Agregó: “Solo le pregunté si quería que llamara al 911, pero me dijo: “No, necesito tu teléfono para llamar a mi esposa””.

Altamar dijo que escuchó parte de esa llamada.

“Decía: “Oh, mi carrera, mi carrera se acabó””, dijo.

Ambos pilotos fueron entrevistados por la NTSB, pero todavía no se ha informado qué surgió de esas entrevistas.

Los investigadores también tienen más factores que considerar, incluidos los aspectos mecánicos del avión, las condiciones meteorológicas del domingo cuando ocurrió el accidente y el historial tanto de la aeronave como de su compañía.

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Según funcionarios, cinco personas murieron y otras cinco resultaron heridas cuando un Boeing 767-300 se salió de una pista en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Miami poco antes de las 2 p.m. del domingo y chocó contra una camioneta Ford E-150 Econoline blanca de 2012 y un Toyota Corolla Cross LE.

Según datos de la grabadora de voz de la cabina, uno de los pilotos advirtió que iban demasiado rápido más de un minuto antes de que el avión tocara la pista por primera vez.

Los funcionarios dijeron que ese piloto “hizo comentarios adicionales sobre la velocidad excesiva de la aeronave durante el resto de la grabación”, y agregaron que “no hubo una respuesta verbal consistente” a esas advertencias.

“Quince segundos antes del final de la grabación, los frenos fueron liberados a una velocidad sobre tierra de 120 nudos. Los aceleradores aumentaron a valores consistentes con el empuje de una maniobra de go-around”, dijo el martes Chihoon Shin, investigador principal de la NTSB.

La misma grabación de la cabina confirmó que, cuando quedaban apenas 15 segundos de la grabación, uno de los pilotos pidió un intento de go-around, y apenas cinco segundos después, el avión se salió de la pista.

El experto en aviación Pablo Rojas dijo que los datos parecen mostrar que la tripulación cambió de rumbo durante esos críticos segundos finales.

“Ese tipo de vacilación es mortal en una pista como esta”, dijo. “Primero estaban intentando aterrizar, reducir la velocidad del avión, detenerlo, luego vacilaron y quizá intentaron hacer un go-around, es decir, acelerar nuevamente, luego hicieron otro cambio en su decisión, que fue intentar aterrizar de nuevo”.

Ambos pilotos ya fueron entrevistados por la NTSB mientras los investigadores trabajan para determinar por qué el avión viajaba tan rápido y por qué el intento de go-around se produjo tan tarde.

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According to officials, five people were killed and five others were injured when a Boeing 767-300 overtook a runway at Miami International Airport shortly before 2 p.m. on Sunday and struck a white 2012 Ford E-150 Econoline van and a Toyota Corolla Cross LE.

According to data from the cockpit voice recorder, one pilot warned they were going too fast more than a minute before the plane first touched down on the runway.

Officials said that pilot “made additional comments regarding the aircraft’s excessive speed throughout the remainder of the recording” while adding “there was not a consistent verbal response” to those warnings.

“Fifteen seconds before the end of recording, brakes were released at a ground speed of 120 knots. Throttles increased to values consistent with go-around thrust,” NTSB lead investigator Chihoon Shin said Tuesday.

The same cockpit recording confirmed that with just 15 seconds left in the recording, one pilot called for a go-around attempt, and just five seconds later, the plane ran off the runway.

Aviation expert Pablo Rojas said the data appears to show the crew changing course in those critical final seconds.

“That kind of hesitation is deadly in a runway like this,” he said. “First they were trying to land, slow the plane down, bring it to a halt, then they hesitated and maybe tried to do a go-around, meaning speed up again, then they made another change in their decision which was to try to land again.”

Both pilots have now been interviewed by the NTSB as investigators work to determine why the plane was traveling so fast and why the go-around attempt came so late.

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Cranes surrounded the plane as crews worked to begin breaking it apart.

Sky 10 flew over the scene, where debris still scattered across the parking lot, grass and part of the runway.

The date and time for the relocation have not yet been determined.

The move could provide some relief for MIA and travelers, as only three of the airport’s four runways remain open. Dozens of delays have been reported as the airport continues to operate below full capacity.

The National Transportation Safety Board said investigators would be at the airport for about a week as they conduct their investigation on the ground.

The Amazon cargo plane is in the beginning stages of being broken into pieces so it can be relocated off MIA’s runway, according to an airport official.

The effort comes days after the plane overran the runway and struck two cars in its path, killing five people on Sunday.

Now, NTSB investigators are revealing what was said inside the cockpit, based on audio recovered from the plane’s voice recorder.

Investigators said one pilot is heard warning that the plane was traveling too fast, more than a minute before the aircraft first touched down on the runway.

According to investigators, that pilot “made additional comments regarding the aircraft’s excessive speed throughout the remainder of the recording” — but “There was not a consistent verbal response.”

The cockpit also recorded electronic alerts warning that the aircraft was too low to the terrain.

Then, with just 15 seconds left in the recording, one pilot called for a “go-around” attempt — an effort to lift the plane back into the air and retry the landing.

But five seconds later, the plane ran off the runway.

“That kind of hesitation is deadly in a runway like this,” said aviation expert Pablo Rojas.

Rojas said the combination of the plane’s speed, the brakes being applied, released and then reapplied, and the crew’s indecision in the final seconds was critical.

“First they were trying to land, slow the plane down, bring it to a halt, then they hesitated and maybe tried to do a go-around, meaning speed up again, then they made another change in their decision which was to try to land again,” he said”

Local 10 News also heard from a man who witnessed the crash.

“We were inside the warehouse when we heard a super loud noise,” witness Abraham Altamar said.

Altamar said he came across pilot Jaime Felipe Silva Molina after the pilot escaped the burning plane.

“He was shaking, he seemed stressed,” Altamar said.

He added: “I just asked him if he wanted me to call 911 but he’s like ‘no, I need your phone to call my wife.”’

Altamar said he overheard part of that call.

“He was like, oh my career, my career is over,” he said.

Both pilots were interviewed by the NTSB, but there is still no word on what came out of those interviews.

Investigators also have more to consider, including the mechanics of the plane, the weather conditions Sunday when the crash happened, and the history of both the aircraft and its company.

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“Cachi,” whose real name is Russell Dominique Brown, is facing multiple felony charges in Miami-Dade County.

An arrest report from the Miami Beach Police Department lists the crime location as 4441 Collins Ave. ― the address of the famed Fontainebleau hotel on Mid-Beach.

‘I don’t consider myself a pimp; I’m a life coach’

Miami Beach police said a 29-year-old victim told investigators that she met Brown, 36, of Lauderdale Lakes, while working at a Pompano Beach strip club in 2025.

Brown was a customer, they said, who “(threw) a lot of cash, which got her attention,” the report stated.

Authorities said he asked the victim to hang out, telling her, “I want to make your life better,” and the two began dating.

Brown was initially “charming, generous and charismatic,” police said, and he began inviting her to his house when he was alone “and they mostly stayed in his bedroom, that had a lock operated by a keypad on it.”

Eventually, police said the victim learned that there were four other women living there, “but they were working at the time.”

“When she noticed all the rooms had makeup vanities and there was a stripper pole in the house, she began to ask questions,” the MBPD report states.

Authorities said Brown explained to her who the women were.

“These are my b----es,” he said, according to police. “I don’t consider myself a pimp; I’m a life coach.”

Authorities said Brown told the victim he could help her start a business, get cosmetic procedures done, as well as a new car and luxury goods.

“He even told her they could have a Baby Cachi together one day,” the report states.

Police said Brown told the victim he “was a big deal in Miami.”

“The victim further explained that all the women living in the house were making money dancing in strip clubs and engaging in prostitution and all of their earnings were put on the money counter as soon as the women got home,” the report states. “(Brown) then would then use that money to pay for room rentals, vehicle rentals and essentials for the women.”

But Brown only made the payments when “he wanted to,” police said.

‘It began to feel like a cult’: A $1,000 daily ‘quota,’ violence and threats

Authorities said the victim began prostituting herself at Brown’s direction, in both Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

Brown set her prices and set a $1,000 daily “quota” for her, police said, “and when she made her quota she could go home to her daughter.”

“If the quota wasn’t made, she would stay and work more to keep him happy because she was afraid of what would happen if he wasn’t happy,” the report states.

Police said Brown, whom the victim knew to regularly be armed, “pushed and shoved” the victim and was “violent” with the other women. Additionally, they said he regularly threatened the victim.

“One of (Brown’s) most common threats was bringing up what happened to another known associate of his, who had testified against him in a bond revocation hearing,” the report states. “That woman was involved in a near-fatal car accident, and (Brown) would constantly say, ‘You see what I did to that b----? When you go against me, you see what happens?’”

Police said Brown would also “constantly tell the victim that he is a member of the Blood Gang and has people everywhere.”

“He also told her he is a Freemason,” the report states. “When the victim told him she didn’t know what that was, he told her to look it up, because he has people all over the place. The victim said he was always telling her he was powerful and to not make him show her how powerful he is.”

According to police, she said “on several occasions,” Brown would turn her phone off “when he was upset with her or he would have the car rental guy use the kill switch on the car she was driving so she couldn’t leave wherever she was.”

Authorities said Brown made music and the victim told detectives that his songs were “playing in his house constantly and it began to feel like a cult.”

“The victim stated all of the women working for (Brown) have tattoos that represent him, that include one of his monikers,” the report states. “The victim showed detectives a tattoo that (he) told her to get on her upper left thigh that says ‘Cachi 5 Queen.’ According to the victim, this tattoo represents that she is one of his girls and the number five to represent his allegiance to the Blood Gang.”

Ongoing criminal case, latest charges

Authorities said Brown committed these crimes while out on bond in a separate human trafficking case.

Brown, they said, “was absconded from custody after cutting off his court ordered ankle monitor.”

Records show Brown was arrested on a litany of charges, including human trafficking, aggravated battery and aggravated assault with a firearm, also by Miami Beach police, in 2021.

He has been jailed in Miami-Dade County since this April in connection with a warrant from that case, records show.

He was formally re-arrested on Wednesday while locked up in the Metrowest Detention Center, police said.

He now faces additional charges, including commercial sex trafficking, human trafficking with branding and deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution.

As of Thursday afternoon, he remained held without bond at the MWDC, records show.

Jacobs must pay a $1,000 fine plus court costs for the battery charge. Under an agreement with prosecutors, the criminal damage charge can be dismissed in a year if he fulfills terms that include staying out of trouble, avoiding the victim in this case, submitting to supervision, completing counseling and paying restitution to the victim.

“I fully understand the seriousness of the situation, and I take full responsibility,” Jacobs said during an appearance in a Brown County court.

Jacobs was arrested May 26, three days after Hobart-Lawrence police officers came to his Wisconsin home to investigate a disturbance. According to police, the woman told them that Jacobs grabbed her and threw her to the ground as she was trying to exit a garage door, causing her to hit her head. Police said Jacobs also took her phone from her while she was on the ground.

Police said they noticed redness on her face and neck and could feel a bump on the back of her head.

According to a criminal complaint, the woman’s statement was corroborated by surveillance footage from the camera system in the garage where the incident occurred.

Jacobs was charged in late August and the NFL subsequently placed him on the commissioner’s exempt list, which prevents the three-time Pro Bowl running back from playing or practicing but allows him to keep receiving a paycheck. Players on the commissioner’s exempt list may be allowed at team facilities for meetings, individual workouts, therapy and rehabilitation and other non-football activities.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said Thursday that the league is monitoring the case, which is being reviewed under the league personal conduct policy, and Jacobs remains on the exempt list. The Packers had no immediate comment.

Jacobs could face a league suspension.

David Chesnoff, one of the lawyers representing Jacobs, said the running back already has begun counseling.

“This plea reflects Josh’s acknowledgement of his actions and his acceptance of responsibility for these actions," Chesnoff said. “There are significant consequences for Josh, and he intends to meet all the requirements the court imposes under these negotiations.”

According to the criminal complaint, Jacobs’ girlfriend told police she had been looking through Jacobs’ phone and saw he was talking to other women, and that she threw his phone in anger without breaking it. She told police that Jacobs had her phone and she told him he could look through it.

Police said the woman indicated she tried to retrieve her phone from Jacobs, but he grabbed her arm. They left the home in separate vehicles but eventually returned, and the woman later grabbed a second phone from a duffle bag. That led to the events in which she was trying to exit a garage door.

Jacobs entered his plea three days before the Packers open the season at Minnesota.

He is coming off a 2025 season during which he rushed for 929 yards and 13 touchdowns. That followed a 2024 season in which he ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns while earning his third Pro Bowl selection.

Green Bay has no other running backs who rushed for more than 106 yards last season.

The only other running backs currently on Green Bay’s 53-man roster are MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks and Kaleb Johnson. The Packers acquired Johnson from Pittsburgh the day that Jacobs was placed on the commissioner's exempt list.

Lloyd is a 2024 third-round pick who has played just one game over the last two seasons due to a variety of injuries, but he is healthy now.

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See AP’s full NFL coverage here

“Cachi”, cuyo verdadero nombre es Russell Dominique Brown, enfrenta múltiples cargos por delitos graves en el condado Miami-Dade.

Un informe de arresto del Departamento de Policía de Miami Beach indica que el lugar del delito fue 4441 Collins Ave., la dirección del famoso hotel Fontainebleau en Mid-Beach.

“No me considero un proxeneta; soy un coach de vida”

La policía de Miami Beach dijo que una víctima de 29 años contó a los investigadores que conoció a Brown, de 36 años y residente de Lauderdale Lakes, mientras trabajaba en un club de striptease de Pompano Beach en 2025.

Brown era un cliente que “arrojaba mucho dinero en efectivo, lo que llamó su atención”, señala el informe.

Las autoridades dijeron que él le pidió a la víctima que saliera con él, diciéndole: “Quiero mejorar tu vida”, y ambos comenzaron una relación.

Brown inicialmente era “encantador, generoso y carismático”, dijo la policía, y comenzó a invitarla a su casa cuando estaba solo “y permanecían principalmente en su dormitorio, que tenía una cerradura operada mediante un teclado”.

Finalmente, la policía dijo que la víctima se enteró de que había otras cuatro mujeres viviendo allí, “pero estaban trabajando en ese momento”.

“Cuando notó que todas las habitaciones tenían tocadores de maquillaje y que había un tubo de striptease en la casa, comenzó a hacer preguntas”, señala el informe de MBPD.

Las autoridades dijeron que Brown le explicó quiénes eran las mujeres.

“Estas son mis p––s”, dijo, según la policía. “No me considero un proxeneta; soy un coach de vida”.

Las autoridades dijeron que Brown le aseguró a la víctima que podía ayudarla a iniciar un negocio, hacerse procedimientos cosméticos, así como conseguir un auto nuevo y artículos de lujo.

“Incluso le dijo que algún día podrían tener un Baby Cachi juntos”, señala el informe.

La policía dijo que Brown le dijo a la víctima que él “era alguien importante en Miami”.

“La víctima explicó además que todas las mujeres que vivían en la casa ganaban dinero bailando en clubes de striptease y ejerciendo la prostitución, y todas sus ganancias eran colocadas en el contador de dinero tan pronto como las mujeres llegaban a casa”, señala el informe. “Brown luego usaba ese dinero para pagar el alquiler de habitaciones, vehículos y artículos esenciales para las mujeres”.

Pero Brown solo hacía los pagos cuando “él quería”, dijo la policía.

“Comenzó a sentirse como una secta”: una “cuota” diaria de $1,000 USD, violencia y amenazas

Las autoridades dijeron que la víctima comenzó a prostituirse bajo las órdenes de Brown, tanto en los condados Broward como Miami-Dade.

Brown fijaba sus precios y estableció una “cuota” diaria de $1,000 USD para ella, dijo la policía, “y cuando alcanzaba su cuota podía ir a casa con su hija”.

“Si no alcanzaba la cuota, se quedaba y trabajaba más para mantenerlo contento porque tenía miedo de lo que sucedería si él no estaba contento”, señala el informe.

La policía dijo que Brown, quien según la víctima regularmente estaba armado, “empujaba” a la víctima y era “violento” con las otras mujeres. Además, dijeron que amenazaba regularmente a la víctima.

“Una de las amenazas más comunes de Brown era mencionar lo que le sucedió a otra conocida asociada suya, quien había testificado en su contra en una audiencia de revocación de fianza”, señala el informe. “Esa mujer estuvo involucrada en un accidente automovilístico casi fatal, y Brown decía constantemente: “¿Ves lo que le hice a esa p––? Cuando te pones en mi contra, ¿ves lo que pasa?””

La policía dijo que Brown también “le decía constantemente a la víctima que es miembro de la pandilla Blood y que tiene gente en todas partes”.

“También le dijo que es masón”, señala el informe. “Cuando la víctima le dijo que no sabía qué era eso, él le dijo que lo buscara, porque tiene gente por todas partes. La víctima dijo que él siempre le decía que era poderoso y que no lo obligara a demostrarle cuán poderoso es”.

Según la policía, ella dijo que “en varias ocasiones”, Brown le apagaba el teléfono “cuando estaba molesto con ella o hacía que el hombre que alquilaba el auto utilizara el interruptor de apagado del vehículo que ella conducía para que no pudiera irse del lugar donde estuviera”.

Las autoridades dijeron que Brown hacía música y la víctima contó a los detectives que sus canciones “sonaban constantemente en su casa y comenzó a sentirse como una secta”.

“La víctima declaró que todas las mujeres que trabajan para Brown tienen tatuajes que lo representan, que incluyen uno de sus apodos”, señala el informe. “La víctima mostró a los detectives un tatuaje que él le dijo que se hiciera en la parte superior del muslo izquierdo que dice “Cachi 5 Queen”. Según la víctima, este tatuaje representa que ella es una de sus mujeres y el número cinco representa su lealtad a la pandilla Blood”.

Caso penal en curso, cargos más recientes

Las autoridades dijeron que Brown cometió estos delitos mientras estaba en libertad bajo fianza por un caso separado de tráfico de personas.

Brown, dijeron, “se fugó de la custodia después de quitarse el monitor de tobillo ordenado por el tribunal”.

Los registros muestran que Brown fue arrestado por numerosos cargos, incluidos tráfico de personas, agresión agravada y asalto agravado con un arma de fuego, también por la policía de Miami Beach, en 2021.

Permanece encarcelado en el condado Miami-Dade desde abril en relación con una orden de arresto de ese caso, muestran los registros.

Fue arrestado formalmente de nuevo el miércoles mientras estaba recluido en el Centro de Detención Metrowest, dijo la policía.

Ahora enfrenta cargos adicionales, incluidos tráfico sexual comercial, tráfico de personas con marcación y obtener sustento de las ganancias de la prostitución.

Hasta la tarde del jueves, permanecía detenido sin derecho a fianza en el MWDC, muestran los registros.

The case started as an investigation into an armed robbery.

In one clip, Anthony Gordon is seen staring down the barrel of a firearm as an armed robber, whose name remains unknown, threatens him.

“You are ready to die?” the man asks.

The armed robber then appears to leave with his arms full of items.

At the Miami Gardens home, Gordon’s girlfriend, Danette Young, is also seen. Police say Young ran to a neighbor for help. That neighbor shot and killed the gun-wielding man.

In another clip, Gordon returns to the home. A closer look at the video shows him carrying items in his hands.

Police would later execute a search warrant at the home and show during a court hearing what they say they found: millions of dollars in cash and illegal drugs.

Investigators said the amount of drugs was enough to charge Gordon and Young with drug trafficking.

Gordon’s defense team says the allegations have gone too far.

Defense attorney Jonathan Jordan told Local 10 News in a statement that his client was the victim of a home invasion robbery in which he almost lost his life.

“Our defense of our client is just beginning. Evidence is still coming out showing how Mr. Gordon was the clear victim of a home invasion robbery where he almost lost his own life. As far as narcotics and weapons that were discovered inside the home, many questions remain about who owned them, who had access to them, and what evidence exists pointing to which of the multiple occupants that lived there even knew of the presence of the contraband. We look forward to seeing all of the evidence and vigorously defending Mr. Gordon in allegations that have simply gone too far.”

Defense attorney Jonathan Jordan

During a court hearing, a question was raised about whether firearms were found near fentanyl.

Jordan also questioned who owned the narcotics and weapons found inside the home, who had access to them and what evidence exists showing which of the multiple occupants knew about the contraband.

Because multiple people lived in the home at the time, Jordan said questions remain about the evidence.

Gordon and Young are now also facing federal charges. Their defense attorney said the pair are in federal detention ahead of Friday morning’s arraignment for the federal charges.

Court records also show they have a court hearing related to the filed state charges at the Richard Gerstein Justice Building Thursday morning.

Local 10 se enteró de que se han emitido citaciones en una investigación de la fiscalía estatal relacionada con una revisión de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward.

Un portavoz del Condado Broward dijo que dos miembros de la comisión recibieron citaciones de la oficina del fiscal general del estado en la sede del condado el miércoles.

Según se informa, las citaciones están relacionadas con la evaluación del condado sobre la creación de una nueva fuerza policial en el Aeropuerto Internacional de Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood y Port Everglades.

En mayo, los comisionados del Condado Broward realizaron uno de varios talleres programados mientras consideraban si crear una agencia policial interna para el aeropuerto en lugar de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward.

BSO ha patrullado el Aeropuerto Internacional de Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood desde 1996.

Varios aeropuertos de Florida, incluidos los de Tampa, Sarasota y Fort Myers, tienen departamentos de policía propios.

Una compañía contratada por el condado dijo a los comisionados que los aeropuertos que tienen sus propios departamentos cuentan con mayor control sobre las operaciones diarias y que es financieramente viable, pero es necesario realizar muchos más estudios.

Local 10 News se ha comunicado con la oficina del fiscal general del estado.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade respondieron al accidente con fuga cerca de Northwest 117th Street y Northwest Seventh Avenue aproximadamente a las 8:40 p.m.

Un equipo de Local 10 News estuvo en el lugar más tarde esa noche, donde lo que parecía ser una bicicleta eléctrica estaba en el suelo con escombros esparcidos a su alrededor.

Según los investigadores, un conductor desconocido viajaba hacia el norte por Northwest Seventh Avenue y se acercaba a Northwest 117th Street cuando giró a la izquierda hacia 117th Street.

El vehículo luego atropelló a las víctimas, quienes viajaban en bicicleta por Northwest 117th Street, dijeron las autoridades.

Los agentes llegaron y encontraron a ambos menores inconscientes, tendidos en la vía, según la MDSO.

Equipos de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue respondieron y trasladaron a ambas víctimas al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital en condición crítica.

Las edades de las víctimas aún no han sido divulgadas.

Detectives de la Unidad de Homicidios de Tránsito de la MDSO asumieron la investigación.

Las autoridades no proporcionaron una descripción del conductor ni del vehículo involucrado.

La investigación continúa en curso.

Cualquier persona que tenga información sobre el accidente debe comunicarse con Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-TIPS (8477).

Grospiron's decision to step down is the latest setback for organizers of the French Alps Olympics. A replacement was not immediately named.

Grospiron had been appointed only last year — after French biathlon star Martin Fourcade withdrew his candidacy despite being seen as the front-runner for the job.

Instability continued under Grospiron's leadership at the helm of an Olympic hosting project that started behind schedule when conceived in 2023.

When the French Alps was formally picked on the eve of the 2024 Paris Summer Games, it already was on the tightest timeline of any modern Olympic host with essential government sign-offs still pending and taken on trust.

“His decision to step down from the presidency is part of a deliberate, organized and fully assumed transition, in the interests of the project and its governance,” the organizing committee said.

Before Grospiron's exit, the 2030 French Alps Olympics had lost their chief executive officer following weeks of internal turmoil in February. Cyril Linette was at loggerheads with Grospiron when he left amid growing tensions and against a backdrop of several resignations, culminating in open conflict between the pair.

Since a formal handover from the International Olympic Committee in February in Milan, the next Winter Games also dropped Nice as the main host city amid a venue dispute when a far-right mayor was elected. Confirming a completely new host city — as Lyon was earlier this year by the IOC executive board — less than four years from the opening ceremony also is unprecedented.

French organizers said an extraordinary general meeting on Sept. 14 will help organize the interim period pending the appointment of a new president.

“We thank Mr. Grospiron for his crucial work in laying the foundations for the success of the Alps 2030 Games," the IOC said in a statement. “Under his stewardship, the organization has developed a vision for engaging and exciting Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”

The IOC maintained its confidence in the 2030 Games.

“The economic fundamentals of the project are solid, with the first sponsor onboard and others expected to join soon. The project also benefits from the development of a robust venue masterplan,” the IOC said, adding that it will "continue working in close collaboration with the organizing committee."

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AP Winter Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. will be celebrated at a Feb. 5 dinner and tribute concert at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. The gala will feature other musicians performing U2’s catalogue, with the honorees typically capping the evening with a brief performance. The lineup of performers will be announced later.

For the first time in the event’s 36-year history, individual tickets for the concert portion of the night will be available to the public. As a result, there will be fewer guests seated at traditional tables, which will cost more than individual concert tickets.

Money raised from the event will support MusiCares, which helps music professionals in need of personal, financial or medical assistance.

U2 has supported many causes since forming 50 years ago in Dublin, including global health, disaster response, addiction recovery, mental health and access to music education. MusiCares honored Bono individually in 2003.

The event is moving from its usual home at the Los Angeles Convention Center because it will be undergoing renovations and hosting pre-Super Bowl-related activities.

U2 joins such previous honorees as Mariah Carey, Grateful Dead, Jon Bon Jovi, Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson, Aerosmith, Dolly Parton, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.

The band has had a slew of hits over the years, including two No. 1 songs: “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”

Rubio planea reunirse con la nueva presidenta peruana, Keiko Fujimori, tras haberse entrevistado con los líderes de Colombia y Ecuador, ambos alineados con Trump, para afianzar la cooperación en la lucha contra los narcotraficantes y la reducción de la migración ilegal.

Trump y Rubio, en particular, han priorizado que el hemisferio occidental adopte una postura cada vez más dura contra el “narcoterrorismo”, con ataques militares contra presuntos narcotraficantes.

Desde acciones unilaterales de Estados Unidos contra embarcaciones presuntamente usadas para traficar droga en aguas internacionales del mar Caribe y el océano Pacífico oriental, hasta operaciones conjuntas, principalmente con Ecuador, en sus aguas territoriales, en tres ocasiones las fuerzas de Estados Unidos han detenido y destruido esta semana embarcaciones que, según afirman, transportaban narcóticos.

El gobierno de Trump ha conformado una coalición de países afines en América Latina para llevar a cabo operaciones militares conjuntas contra los cárteles de la droga, a la que Colombia se sumó recientemente bajo el gobierno del nuevo presidente Abelardo de la Espriella y a la que podría incorporarse Perú con Fujimori.

Al igual que sus homólogos en Colombia y Ecuador, Fujimori ha priorizado la lucha contra el crimen en Perú, especialmente delitos como la extorsión y el asesinato. Los reportes de extorsión aumentaron de 2.421 en 2019 a 26.734 en 2025, según datos oficiales.

A finales de agosto, Perú declaró un estado de emergencia de 60 días en Lima y el puerto del Callao debido al aumento de la delincuencia y creó un comité de funcionarios para coordinar a la policía. También declaró el estado de emergencia en cinco prisiones, con el objetivo de controlar el acceso y prevenir fugas.

El canciller peruano, Carlos Espá, manifestó antes de la reunión con Rubio y Fujimori que esperaban conversar sobre cómo fortalecer la relación bilateral, especialmente en temas de “seguridad y defensa y la lucha contra el crimen organizado transnacional, que tanto daño hace a nuestro país”.

Perú es uno de los principales productores de cocaína del mundo, según la Administración para el Control de Drogas de Estados Unidos (DEA, por sus siglas en inglés). Es el segundo mayor cultivador de hoja de coca —la materia prima de la cocaína—, solo detrás de Colombia, de acuerdo con la Oficina de las Naciones Unidas contra la Droga y el Delito.

El gobierno de Trump ha centrado su atención en el hemisferio occidental aun mientras lanzaba una guerra contra Irán. El republicano ha hablado en numerosas ocasiones de volver a invocar la Doctrina Monroe del siglo XIX, que afirma la primacía de Estados Unidos en las Américas, con énfasis en las drogas, la migración y, no menos importante, en contrarrestar la creciente influencia china en la región.

La embajada de China en Perú señaló el martes que el “hemisferio occidental no es el ‘patio trasero’ de nadie”, en un comunicado donde no se mencionó a Rubio, pero que se emitió en la víspera de su visita. China indicó que los países latinoamericanos tienen el “derecho soberano de elegir libremente a sus socios” y expresó su disposición a trabajar con Perú y otros países de la región.

Perú también ha tenido una larga historia de lidiar con insurgencias de izquierda y todavía cuenta con un número considerable de personas simpatizantes de esas causas.

Rubio llegó a Lima tarde el miércoles, y cientos de personas protestaron en la capital, coreando “fuera yanquis del Perú”, mientras miembros del Partido Comunista agitaban banderas rojas y una pancarta con el rostro de Rubio.

“Marco Rubio ha llegado hoy al Perú y lo que quiere es que Perú sea su colonia”, declaró Carmen Espinoza a The Associated Press. “Por eso estamos aquí protestando, rechazando la visita de un enemigo del Perú”.

La manifestación fue pacífica y estuvo vigilada por agentes de policía que buscaban prevenir cualquier posible alteración.

Soledad Lozano, una de las manifestantes, dijo que Perú “no es el patio trasero de ningún país del mundo” y sostuvo que los peruanos deberían decidir “con quiénes nos aliamos y qué acuerdos definimos”.

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Suarez informó desde Bogotá, Colombia.

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

The film was made by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the Israeli filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land." “NAZA” was shot in secret on rooftops in Tel Aviv across three years and its subjects’ identities are obscured, with digital alterations of their voices and appearances.

The film’s title references an Israeli military acronym used as a shorthand for civilian casualties, including men, women and children.

Testimony from Israeli military insiders

The subjects in the film detail the surveillance systems and remote bombing involved in the Israeli military's operation, which they say uses artificial intelligence to identify potential Hamas targets and bomb their homes and apartments often knowing that families are inside.

“We just told these officers and soldiers, please describe to us what you did,” Abraham said in a news conference Thursday. “Of course there were other questions that arose but the principal question was a question of detail — sketch it for us, we want to know how it worked. And sometimes just asking the question, you get answers.”

“NAZA” builds on reporting between 2023 and 2025 published by the Israeli-Palestinian +972 Magazine, the Hebrew-language outlet Local Call and The Guardian. Szor spoke about the purpose of making a film with information that has already been reported and published.

“We felt that there is still some sort of importance to take those testimonies and put it in a film,” Szor said. “It’s different to hear, actually, the people who designed and operated those systems talk about it in front of a camera, and sketch it, show it.”

“NAZA” was produced by The Guardian and filmmakers behind “The Zone of Interest." It is the only documentary competing for the Golden Lion award, and one of two with a female director. It was a late add to the festival, which producer James Wilson said was at their request, in part to allow them to finish the anonymization of their subjects.

Keeping the focus on the victims, not the subjects

The film doesn’t dwell on what motivated their subjects to speak. Abraham noted that some expressed remorse, some didn’t; some deliberately spoke in Hebrew, some spoke out of indifference and pride. The filmmakers and producers were inspired by “The Zone of Interest” filmmaker Jonathan Glazer’s note that in his film the victims are out of the frame, but never out of mind.

“We felt that by focusing too much on these feelings of remorse or guilt that exist, we would be taking away from the core of the film,” Abraham said. “And the core of the film is a system of killing that has killed more than 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza — estimates say the real number is much higher — the way it worked and the way the world allowed it to happen. This is the heart of what we want to do.”

Wilson also spoke about the antisemitism accusations that are sometimes thrown at projects critiquing the actions of the Israeli government.

“I myself actually don’t think there are any connections with Judaism or Jewishness and the policies of the Israeli government,” Wilson said.

Bearing witness, from ‘No Other Land’ to ‘NAZA’

Abraham and Szor were two of the four directors of the 2025 best documentary winner “No Other Land,” the story of Palestinian activists fighting to protect their communities from demolition by the Israeli military. A collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, it was made between 2019 and 2023, wrapping production days before Hamas launched its deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that started the war in Gaza.

On that day, Hamas-led militants attacked Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 as hostages. In Israel’s ensuing offensive, more than 73,422 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.

“The killing of civilians in Gaza is ongoing,” Abraham said. “Just this week while we were at the festival there was a seven-year-old girl killed with her father in their car … what we are showing is something that is very much ongoing.”

“I think our film is showing that this is not some mistake. It’s not an accident. It’s something very, very systemic,” he added. “And this should have been apparent to everyone, I think, from the start. But we are showing it from the inside, with insider testimony.”

The ongoing conflict is top of mind at the Venice Film Festival

The areas Israel controls in Gaza have been mostly destroyed and depopulated. Most of the territory’s 2 million Palestinians are in areas that remain under Hamas control.

Israel has continued striking Gaza, saying it’s targeting Hamas and its infrastructure. Israel blames Hamas for the heavy civilian casualties in Gaza, saying the militant group operates in residential areas and uses civilians as human shields.

The military has acknowledged using artificial intelligence to help identify targets, but maintains no strike is carried out without human involvement. “When it comes to ‘pressing the red button,’ only a person can do it,” said an Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity pending a formal statement from the army.

The war was top of mind at last year’s festival as well, where thousands gathered for a large pro-Palestinian protest in hopes of redirecting the spotlight from the movie stars to the real world. The subject was also prominent in the program: Kaouther Ben Hania’s “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” about the death of a 6-year-old girl attempting to flee Gaza City with her family, won the festival’s Silver Lion award.

Ben Hania is part of the Maggie Gyllenhaal-led jury that will be selecting the award winners at the festival. Winners will be announced on Sept. 12.

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Louise Dixon contributed to this report from Venice, Italy.

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For ongoing coverage of the 2026 Venice Film Festival, visit: https://apnews.com/hub/venice-film-festival

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

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

Partner nations include Belarus, Cuba, Nigeria and Thailand.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sept 6: Raul Castro makes public appearance

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

Sept 3: Raul Castro stable, according to sources

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sept. 1: Raul Castro hospitalized, sources say

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

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

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Lyle, 20, had been accused of fleeing from police after an officer said he initially clocked him driving 92 mph in a 65-mph zone on the Sawgrass Expressway on July 10.

Authorities accused Lyle of accelerating to speeds of approximately 130 mph or greater while trying to get away from police.

Lyle was initially arrested on charges of fleeing and eluding at a high speed and reckless driving.

The felony charge has now been dropped, and Lyle is facing a misdemeanor reckless driving charge.

According to an arrest warrant previously obtained by Local 10 News, the incident happened July 10 on the northbound Sawgrass Expressway, just north of Sunrise Boulevard.

An officer conducting traffic enforcement shortly after 7 p.m. said he saw a gray BMW X5 M-Series rapidly approaching from behind and clocked it traveling 92 mph in a posted 65-mph zone.

The officer activated his emergency lights and siren, but Lyle allegedly failed to stop and accelerated.

According to the warrant, the BMW reached speeds of approximately 130 mph or greater while traveling through heavy Friday evening traffic.

Police accused Lyle of following other vehicles at extremely short distances, making rapid and unsafe lane changes and weaving through occupied lanes.

As the BMW approached West Oakland Park Boulevard, Lyle allegedly drove onto the outside shoulder to pass other vehicles before swerving back into traffic.

The officer eventually stopped trying to catch the BMW because of its speed, traffic conditions and the danger posed to other drivers, according to the warrant.

Police said the officer continued watching the vehicle from a safe distance before seeing it exit the Sawgrass Expressway onto eastbound West Commercial Boulevard.

Investigators later used license plate reader information and surveillance video from near Lyle’s Sunrise home as part of their investigation.

Lyle was arrested Aug. 13 and released the same day after posting a $55,000 bond, according to information previously provided by the Broward State Attorney’s Office.

Following his arrest, a University of Miami spokesperson told Local 10 News in an email, “We are aware of an incident involving student-athlete Jordan Lyle. As due legal process runs its course, we will have no further comment at this time.”

Lyle, a Fort Lauderdale native, started at running back in Miami’s 2025 season opener against Notre Dame before suffering a leg injury that sidelined him for most of the season.

He played in six games, carrying the ball 35 times for 108 yards and scoring one touchdown against Stanford.

Lyle, de 20 años, había sido acusado de huir de la policía después de que un agente dijera que inicialmente lo detectó conduciendo a 92 mph en una zona de 65 mph en Sawgrass Expressway el 10 de julio.

Las autoridades acusaron a Lyle de acelerar hasta aproximadamente 130 mph o más mientras intentaba escapar de la policía.

Lyle fue arrestado inicialmente por cargos de huir y evadir a alta velocidad y conducción imprudente.

El cargo grave ahora ha sido retirado y Lyle enfrenta un cargo menor de conducción imprudente.

Según una orden de arresto obtenida anteriormente por Local 10 News, el incidente ocurrió el 10 de julio en Sawgrass Expressway en dirección norte, justo al norte de Sunrise Boulevard.

Un agente que realizaba labores de control de tránsito poco después de las 7 p.m. dijo que vio una BMW X5 M-Series gris acercándose rápidamente desde atrás y la detectó viajando a 92 mph en una zona con límite de velocidad de 65 mph.

El agente activó las luces de emergencia y la sirena, pero Lyle presuntamente no se detuvo y aceleró.

Según la orden, la BMW alcanzó velocidades de aproximadamente 130 mph o más mientras circulaba entre el tráfico pesado de la tarde del viernes.

La policía acusó a Lyle de seguir a otros vehículos a distancias extremadamente cortas, realizar cambios de carril rápidos e inseguros y zigzaguear entre carriles ocupados.

Cuando la BMW se acercaba a West Oakland Park Boulevard, Lyle presuntamente condujo por el arcén exterior para adelantar a otros vehículos antes de regresar bruscamente al tráfico.

El agente finalmente dejó de intentar alcanzar la BMW debido a su velocidad, las condiciones del tráfico y el peligro que representaba para otros conductores, según la orden.

La policía dijo que el agente continuó observando el vehículo desde una distancia segura antes de verlo salir de Sawgrass Expressway hacia West Commercial Boulevard en dirección este.

Los investigadores posteriormente utilizaron información de lectores de matrículas y videos de vigilancia de las inmediaciones de la vivienda de Lyle en Sunrise como parte de su investigación.

Lyle fue arrestado el 13 de agosto y liberado ese mismo día después de pagar una fianza de $55,000 USD, según información proporcionada anteriormente por la Fiscalía Estatal de Broward.

Tras su arresto, un portavoz de la Universidad de Miami dijo a Local 10 News en un correo electrónico: “Estamos al tanto de un incidente que involucra al estudiante atleta Jordan Lyle. Mientras el debido proceso legal sigue su curso, no haremos más comentarios en este momento”.

Lyle, originario de Fort Lauderdale, fue titular como corredor en el partido inaugural de la temporada 2025 de Miami contra Notre Dame antes de sufrir una lesión en la pierna que lo dejó fuera durante la mayor parte de la temporada.

Jugó en seis partidos, corrió con el balón 35 veces para 108 yardas y anotó un touchdown contra Stanford.

La policía dijo que Pierce Hoempler tuvo una pelea física con su vecino, Hector Rivera, afuera de un edificio de apartamentos en noviembre de 2023, y lo inmovilizó en el césped.

Cuando los dos hijos de Rivera acudieron en su ayuda, la policía dice que Hoempler, quien entonces tenía 33 años, les disparó a los tres y los mató.

Familiares identificaron a las víctimas como Hector, Frankie y Jeremy Rivera.

Imágenes de una cámara corporal obtenidas por Local 10 News muestran el arresto de Hoempler.

Según la policía, la mortal balacera triple ocurrió en la cuadra 12000 de Northeast Fifth Avenue, justo al sur de 123rd Street.

En el video, Hoempler intentó alegar defensa propia, sin embargo, fue detenido y se ordenó que permaneciera encarcelado sin derecho a fianza.

Se espera que sea sentenciado el próximo mes.

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Police said Pierce Hoempler got into a physical fight with his neighbor, Hector Rivera, outside an apartment building in November 2023, and pinned him down on the lawn.

When Rivera’s two sons came to his aid, police say Hoempler, then 33, shot all three of them, killing them.

Relatives identified the victims as Hector, Frankie and Jeremy Rivera.

Body camera footage obtained by Local 10 News shows Hoempler’s arrest.

According to police, the deadly triple shooting happened in the 12000 block of Northeast Fifth Avenue, just south of 123rd Street.

In the video, Hoempler attempted to make a self-defense claim, however he was taken into custody and was ordered jailed without bond.

He is expected to be sentenced next month.

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Police arrested Magdaleno Medina, 73, and Cesar Valdes, 89, at a home in the 1700 block of Northwest 19th Street on Wednesday. That home served as the drug den, they said, and was the pair’s listed address.

According to the Miami Police Department, detectives did an undercover cocaine buy at the home in August. Medina, police said, sold an undercover agent a baggie of cocaine for $60.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, a SWAT team conducted a raid at the home.

An MPD report states that investigators found more than 140 grams of cocaine and nearly 1,300 grams of marijuana.

Authorities said they also found a .38 caliber revolver and more than a dozen rounds.

Both men were taken into custody on several felony charges, including armed cocaine trafficking, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a place for the purpose of trafficking cocaine.

The Cuban nationals also face Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds, according to jail records.

La policía arrestó a Magdaleno Medina, de 73 años, y Cesar Valdes, de 89, en una vivienda en la cuadra 1700 de Northwest 19th Street el miércoles. Esa vivienda funcionaba como guarida de drogas, dijeron las autoridades, y figuraba como la dirección de ambos.

Según el Departamento de Policía de Miami, detectives realizaron una compra encubierta de cocaína en la vivienda en agosto. Medina, dijo la policía, vendió a un agente encubierto una bolsa de cocaína por $60 USD.

Luego, la tarde del miércoles, un equipo SWAT realizó un allanamiento en la vivienda.

Un reporte de la MPD señala que los investigadores encontraron más de 140 gramos de cocaína y casi 1,300 gramos de marihuana.

Las autoridades dijeron que también encontraron un revólver calibre .38 y más de una docena de municiones.

Ambos hombres fueron detenidos por varios cargos graves, incluidos tráfico de cocaína con arma, posesión de un arma de fuego por parte de un delincuente convicto y posesión de un lugar con el propósito de traficar cocaína.

Los ciudadanos cubanos también tienen órdenes de retención del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas, según los registros de la cárcel.

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Officers with the Sweetwater Police Department took Ariel Galindo into custody on Wednesday morning at his home in Hialeah.

According to investigators, Galindo previously worked at USA Co., a courier service located at 10900 NW 21st St. Sweetwater, but they were advised by the owner of the business that he had been fired for failing to show up to work two days in a row.

On Sept. 4, the same day Galindo was fired, he returned to the business in a white Chevrolet Equinox and, after putting on a face covering, entered the warehouse and removed two boxes that contained about 30 iPads worth $12,400, police said.

Police said that was confirmed to investigators by both eyewitnesses and surveillance footage, with employees and the businesses owner positively identifying Galindo as the suspect seen taking the boxes.

Detectives later learned that Galindo sold five of the stolen iPads at the PayMore pawn shop located at 16847 NW 67th Ave. in Hialeah around two hours after the initial theft took place, according to an arrest form.

As of Thursday morning, Galindo was being held at Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on burglary and grand theft charges, with his bond listed as “to be set.”

Shelter officials said Coco came from a household with about 20 dogs and may have been used for breeding. She has spent very little time outdoors and is nervous around loud noises, cars and unfamiliar surroundings.

Despite her anxiety, Coco is described as a sweet dog who enjoys affection. She will need help with house training and would likely do best in a calm home where she can be the only pet.

Shelter staff recommend consistency and a regular schedule to help Coco adjust and learn to go outside. She appears to be comfortable using wee-wee pads.

Those interested in adopting Coco can learn more about her and other animals available at the HSBC by clicking here.

Agentes del Departamento de Policía de Sweetwater detuvieron a Ariel Galindo la mañana del miércoles en su vivienda en Hialeah.

Según los investigadores, Galindo trabajaba anteriormente en USA Co., un servicio de mensajería ubicado en 10900 NW 21st St. en Sweetwater, pero el propietario del negocio les informó que había sido despedido por no presentarse a trabajar durante dos días consecutivos.

El 4 de septiembre, el mismo día en que Galindo fue despedido, regresó al negocio en una Chevrolet Equinox blanca y, después de cubrirse el rostro, entró al almacén y sacó dos cajas que contenían unos 30 iPads valorados en $12,400 USD, dijo la policía.

La policía dijo que esto fue confirmado a los investigadores tanto por testigos presenciales como por imágenes de vigilancia, y empleados y el propietario del negocio identificaron positivamente a Galindo como el sospechoso visto llevándose las cajas.

Los detectives se enteraron posteriormente de que Galindo vendió cinco de los iPads robados en la casa de empeño PayMore, ubicada en 16847 NW 67th Ave. en Hialeah, aproximadamente dos horas después de que ocurriera el robo inicial, según un formulario de arresto.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, Galindo permanecía detenido en el Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center por cargos de robo y hurto mayor, con su fianza indicada como “por determinar”.

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Isabella Jewels Castillo was arrested by the Hollywood Police Department in connection with the May 5 incident at Mint Jewelers By Boodaddy Diamonds, located at 4907 Sheridan St., according to an arrest report obtained by Local 10.

Police said the store’s owner reported that a woman, later identified as Castillo, attempted to purchase an Oyster Perpetual Rolex valued at about $8,000 using a credit card and a Georgia driver’s license bearing a different name.

When an officer asked Castillo whether the name on the driver’s license was hers, she initially said “yes” but then identified herself as Isabella Castillo, according to the report.

Police said Castillo acknowledged knowing that the credit card and driver’s license were fraudulent. She told investigators that she received the documents from a man she met at the Liv nightclub in Miami, according to the report.

The report states that Castillo claimed the man told her she could use the credit card to go shopping. She told police she communicated with him only through Snapchat under the username “Paperpapi11” and did not know his real name, according to the report.

The report states that the jewelry store owner also told police that about 30 minutes before Castillo arrived, another woman had come into the store and attempted a similar Rolex purchase. The activity raised the owner’s suspicions, and he called 911, police said.

Investigators said they called the person whose name appeared on the Georgia driver’s license. That woman told police she had never authorized anyone to use her identity or driver’s license information, according to the report.

Police said they also contacted the credit card holder, who said he had not given anyone permission to use the card and wanted to pursue charges against Castillo.

A records check showed Castillo had a history of grand theft, although the arrest report did not provide additional details about those cases, police said.

Jail records show Castillo is facing one count each of grand theft of less than $10,000, larceny of a credit card and fraudulent impersonation or possession of identification belonging to another person without consent.

As of Thursday morning, she was being held at the Broward County Main Jail on a $10,000 bond.

Isabella Jewels Castillo fue arrestada por el Departamento de Policía de Hollywood en relación con el incidente del 5 de mayo en Mint Jewelers By Boodaddy Diamonds, ubicado en 4907 Sheridan St., según un reporte de arresto obtenido por Local 10.

La policía dijo que el propietario de la tienda reportó que una mujer, posteriormente identificada como Castillo, intentó comprar un Rolex Oyster Perpetual valorado en aproximadamente $8,000 USD utilizando una tarjeta de crédito y una licencia de conducir de Georgia con un nombre diferente.

Cuando un agente le preguntó a Castillo si el nombre que aparecía en la licencia de conducir era el suyo, inicialmente respondió “sí”, pero luego se identificó como Isabella Castillo, según el reporte.

La policía dijo que Castillo reconoció saber que la tarjeta de crédito y la licencia de conducir eran fraudulentas. Ella dijo a los investigadores que recibió los documentos de un hombre que conoció en la discoteca Liv en Miami, según el reporte.

El reporte señala que Castillo afirmó que el hombre le dijo que podía usar la tarjeta de crédito para ir de compras. Ella dijo a la policía que se comunicaba con él únicamente a través de Snapchat bajo el nombre de usuario “Paperpapi11” y que no conocía su verdadero nombre, según el reporte.

El reporte señala que el propietario de la joyería también dijo a la policía que unos 30 minutos antes de que Castillo llegara, otra mujer había entrado a la tienda e intentado realizar una compra similar de un Rolex. La actividad despertó las sospechas del propietario, quien llamó al 911, dijo la policía.

Los investigadores dijeron que llamaron a la persona cuyo nombre aparecía en la licencia de conducir de Georgia. Esa mujer dijo a la policía que nunca había autorizado a nadie a usar su identidad ni la información de su licencia de conducir, según el reporte.

La policía dijo que también contactó al titular de la tarjeta de crédito, quien afirmó que no había dado permiso a nadie para usar la tarjeta y que quería presentar cargos contra Castillo.

Una revisión de registros mostró que Castillo tenía antecedentes de hurto mayor, aunque el reporte de arresto no proporcionó detalles adicionales sobre esos casos, dijo la policía.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Castillo enfrenta un cargo de hurto mayor de menos de $10,000 USD, un cargo de robo de una tarjeta de crédito y un cargo de suplantación fraudulenta o posesión de identificación perteneciente a otra persona sin consentimiento.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, permanecía detenida en la cárcel principal del condado Broward con una fianza de $10,000 USD.

Frontman Caleb Followill was working on new music last spring and about to join his bandmates on a European tour when he broke his foot playing with his kids one night before bed.

“I thought I was in better shape than I was and so I was going to hurdle the couch to make the epic tag,” he says, laughing. Instead, he got a foot caught in the couch, stumbled and went down. “It was a gnarly, gnarly break.”

Followill was upset, feeling he was letting everyone down. After a few days of wallowing in self-pity, he picked up a guitar. What came out surprised him: It was stripped bare, like the music that he and his drummer brother Nathan had written before there was a four-time Grammy Award-winning Kings of Leon.

So out went the four or five electric-leaning songs that he and the band had been exploring. In quickly came a clutch of new stripped-down tunes, more melancholic than bombastic, about gratitude and family. The 13-track album is called “O My Beloved” and it's out Nov. 6.

“The songs just took on a different meaning, and so all the songs that we had been working on, they no longer were as attractive to me,” says Caleb Followill. “I feel like just the whole temperature changed around us. And we realized that we’re going to make something a little more significant.”

What did the rest of the band think? They had to change course, too, after all. “I’m happy with the direction,” says Nathan Followill. “I think it might be my kids' favorite record.”

The first single is a scene of domestic bliss

The first single, “My Whole World,” out Thursday, is a perfect taste of the way the band was now leaning. It poured out of Caleb Followill after the whole tag accident.

While he and bandmates — brothers Nathan and Jared and cousin Matthew Followill — called off their European tour, and Caleb's family was preparing for a cruise, he was glancing at their countdown on the wall when these words came out: “29 days 'till our ship comes in/We’ll be together again.”

“My Whole World” is a scene of domestic bliss — with references to “peanut butter pie” and a “pin oak tree” and tossing a football around while babies coo. “I’m grateful / Each day for / My whole world,” he sings. A video for the single features old home footage of the boys growing up — Christmas mornings, goofing around and swimming holes.

Caleb Followill says he was nervous to debut the acoustic-led song to the other guys, in part because he didn't normally play his guitar that way and because the lyrics made him emotional.

“I wasn’t in control of it. The words were just coming out,” he says. He thought of his mom dying and all the feelings he had put aside as a busy dad and rock and roller for the past quarter century.

“We have already surpassed anything we ever imagined we could do and we’ve built something that’s so beautiful,” he says. “So, as opposed to having a 25-year anniversary where we kind of put out the greatest hits or something, I thought, wouldn’t it be beautiful to make an album that is looking back on all of the things that we’ve done and appreciating how we got here?”

Bassist Jared Followill says the band was free to explore this new direction since the new album would be the first time they would be producing themselves.

“The songs just really started to pile up one after another and it became apparent that there could be something there and let’s just dive in,” he says. “No hesitation from us.”

‘O My Beloved’ includes song inspired by childhood

One album highlight is the joyful, laid-back “KOYSAR” for “Kick Off Your Shoes and Run,” in which Caleb Followill uses his childhood memories of romping around with his siblings to inspire his own kids.

“Kick off your shoes and run/Don’t let them turn you away/Your life is better when/You have something to say,” he sings.

“All I could picture was our childhood, running through sprinklers and my kids and those little simple moments,” he says. “You’re always trying to teach your kids something, and I feel the best way to do that is through your experience and through the mistakes that you’ve made and how you’ve gotten to where you are.”

On “Such a Pretty Thing,” he writes tenderly about a high school sweetheart, singing, “I like to lay in the light of the moon/And think about the summer that I had with you.”

“That was the kind of songs that we wanted to write, and then we started the band and kind of went a different direction. But on this album, I feel like we kind of got back to that,” says Caleb Followill. “We finally got to do it on album 10.”

The title track is unconventional, too. It's a musical interlude that has the title on it, a tiny, lo-fi slice of Caleb Followill singing and playing captured on a smartphone in the wet and cold outside the band's Nashville studio with the sound of a train rumbling by.

“It turned out really, really cool and so we kept it,” says Jared Followill.

The promise comes after Trump pledged Wednesday to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections and as affordability has become a central issue for voters heading into November.

“The relief begins with refunding everyone who was overcharged and the rebates are going out in just a few weeks,” President Donald Trump said in a recorded address released on the White House X account Thursday. Enrollees who can expect refunds are those who do not receive premium assistance.

Critics called the move a “gimmick” that doesn’t represent a plan for addressing soaring healthcare costs.

Trump in his address accused former President Joe Biden’s administration of “gross mismanagement” of ACA funds, without providing evidence, and said that the Biden administration collected user fees from insurance companies that consumers paid through higher premiums.

In a fact sheet, the White House claimed that Biden's administration “accumulated a significant surplus of funds that were not used to benefit the Americans who paid these higher premiums.” It said the rebates would be sent out beginning next month.

Challenging Trump’s claim that the Biden administration mismanaged funds, Cynthia Cox, a vice president and director of the ACA program at the healthcare research nonprofit KFF, said it’s entirely possible that the funds Trump has promised came from fees collected during Trump’s first term. His first administration collected more user fees from insurers than it spent, resulting in an estimated $1 billion in unspent funds, according to KFF analysis.

It is unclear whether the $500 rebate represents what each enrollee may have overpaid, where the money for the rebates would come from and whether it requires congressional approval for disbursement.

Trump’s announcement comes as the price of ACA insurance has skyrocketed for many Americans during his own second term. The Trump administration opposed extending COVID-era subsidies that had helped offset the costs of health insurance for most enrollees during Biden’s term.

After the Republican-led Congress allowed the subsidies to expire this year, premiums doubled or tripled for many enrollees, prompting millions to downgrade their plans or exit the program entirely.

Cox said Trump's plan “does not appear to be helping the people who lost coverage because they could not afford to continue purchasing insurance."

Brad Woodhouse, a Democratic strategist and executive director of advocacy group Protect Our Care, called the rebate plan “an absolute joke” in a statement.

“Since Republicans took away tax credits from working families, millions of people have seen their monthly premiums rise by hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars,” Woodhouse said. "At a time when people are scraping by to keep up with the high cost of groceries, rent, and health care, this $500 gimmick won’t even begin to dig them out of the hole that Trump and Republicans created.”

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and a White House official declined to comment, referring instead back to the fact sheet.

Roughly 19 million people receive insurance through the Affordable Care Act exchange.

Standing next to new Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori, Rubio told reporters that while the U.S. has “the capacity to act unilaterally," it would rather work with its allies because that is “the most effective way to do it."

His comments came shortly after Fujimori announced that Peru had joined the “Shield of the Americas," a U.S.-led coalition of like-minded countries in the region to carry out joint military operations against drug cartels. Colombia, where Rubio also stopped this week, also recently joined the group under new President Abelardo de la Espriella.

“We’re not going to do anything that our partners don’t ask us to do," Rubio said Thursday. “We don’t want to do less than what you ask of us, but we’re not going to do more than what you ask of us.”

Rubio wraps up trip to visit Trump-friendly leaders in South America

During his fifth trip to Latin America to further cement the Trump administration’s security partnerships with conservative leaders, Rubio this week acknowledged an evolving U.S. strategy to combating drug trafficking in Latin American waters. He said the administration would be working with allied countries and aligning with their laws but also insisted the military will “still blow up ships if need be” and the approach would “a strike-by-strike or operation-by-operation determination.”

After his comments Wednesday, the U.S. military said it carried out another deadly strike against those it called “narcoterrorists” operating a boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing three people. Recently, the military has been carrying out joint operations mainly with Ecuador in its territorial waters, where people have been removed from vessels accused of aiding drug trafficking and transferred to Ecuadorian authorities.

Rubio also visited Colombia and Ecuador this week as part of a tour of Trump-friendly, conservative-led countries as the administration steps up its counternarcotics and immigration efforts throughout the Western Hemisphere. Reestablishing U.S. dominance in the region has been a priority for the Trump administration.

Fujimori said Thursday alongside Rubio that “a new era in relations between Peru and the United States is beginning.” She emphasized that Peru’s “sovereignty remains intact” and said the country would continue trading with nations in Asia and Europe.

Peru joins US coalition to fight drug trafficking in the Americas

Fujimori said Peru’s entry into the Shield of the Americas group “will allow us to obtain information more quickly and act decisively” against cross-border crime. She noted that the United States helped Peru combat drug trafficking in the 1990s, adding that “we have already shown what two countries can achieve by working together.”

Like her counterparts in Colombia and Ecuador, Fujimori has prioritized the fight against crime in Peru, especially crimes such as extortion and murder. Reports of extortion rose from 2,421 in 2019 to 26,734 in 2025, according to official data.

At the end of August, Peru declared a 60-day state of emergency in Lima and the port of Callao due to the rise in crime and created a committee of officials to coordinate the police. It also declared a state of emergency in five prisons, seeking to control access and prevent escapes.

Peru is one of the world’s leading producers of cocaine, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. It is the second-largest cultivator of coca leaf — the raw material for cocaine — only after Colombia, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Trump's administration has put a focus on the Western Hemisphere even as it has launched a war against Iran. Trump has spoken numerous times of reinvoking the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine, asserting U.S. primacy in the Americas with a focus on drugs, migration and not least countering growing Chinese influence in the region.

The Chinese Embassy in Peru said Tuesday that the “Western Hemisphere is nobody’s ‘backyard,’” in a statement that did not name Rubio but was issued on the eve of his visit. China noted that Latin American countries have the “sovereign right to freely choose their partners” and expressed its willingness to work with Peru and other countries in the region.

Peru also has had a long history of dealing with left-wing insurgencies and still has a sizable number of people sympathetic to such causes.

As Rubio arrived in Lima late Wednesday, hundreds of people protested in Lima, chanting “Yankees out of Peru,” and members of the Communist Party waved red flags and a banner with Rubio’s face.

“Marco Rubio arrived in Peru today, and what he wants is for Peru to be his colony," Carmen Espinoza told The Associated Press. “That’s why we’re here protesting, rejecting the visit of an enemy of Peru.”

The demonstration was peaceful and was monitored by police officers who sought to prevent any potential disturbances.

Soledad Lozano, one of the protesters, said Peru “is not the backyard of any country in the world” and argued that Peruvians should decide “with whom we ally ourselves and what agreements we make.”

___

Suarez reported from Bogota, Colombia. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri in New York and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

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According to BSO, Jamisha Shamari Sylvain is accused of falsely identifying herself as a caregiver to gain access to elderly victims and steal their money and financial information.

The investigation into Sylvain began in October 2025, when detectives received a report that an elderly man was being exploited by an unknown woman at the B’nai B’rith apartments in Deerfield Beach.

Detectives said the woman posed as a caregiver and convinced the man to allow her into his apartment.

Once inside, Sylvain allegedly gained access to the victim’s bank card and made multiple withdrawals totaling $1,600, according to BSO.

Investigators identified Sylvain as the suspect and subsequently learned of several similar incidents.

According to detectives, Sylvain allegedly pretended to be a professional caregiver and convinced vulnerable victims she was authorized to enter their apartments. In some cases, investigators said she claimed to be a new caregiver assigned by the victim’s health insurance company.

Once inside, Sylvain allegedly stole debit cards and told victims she needed their personal banking information.

Arrested in 2025, released in May

A coordinated investigation involving BSO and several Deerfield Beach units led authorities to obtain an arrest warrant for Sylvain.

She was located and booked into the BSO Main Jail on Dec. 19, 2025.

According to BSO, the charges against her included occupied burglary, elderly exploitation, criminal use of personal identification information, theft of a credit card and grand theft involving a victim 65 or older.

Sylvain was released from jail in May 2026.

Since her release, Deerfield Beach detectives have identified at least two new cases in which they said Sylvain used a similar ruse to gain the trust of elderly victims.

In one of the new cases, investigators said Sylvain targeted a victim at The Pointe at Deerfield Beach Senior Living.

This time, BSO said she allegedly pretended to be the building manager before stealing a debit card, credit cards and cash.

Detectives are now asking for the public’s help finding Sylvain while warning residents about the tactics she is accused of using.

BSO offers tips to protect elderly residents

BSO is urging residents to verify the identity, credentials and references of caregivers and aides before allowing them into a home or giving them access to finances.

Authorities also recommend regularly reviewing bank statements and credit reports for unfamiliar activity and involving a trusted friend or family member before providing financial information if a request or situation appears suspicious.

BSO also encourages victims to report suspicious activity as quickly as possible, saying early reporting may help prevent further losses.

The investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone living in BSO’s jurisdiction who believes they or someone they know may have been the victim of a similar scam is asked to call BSO’s non-emergency number at 954-764-HELP (4357).

Según la BSO, Jamisha Shamari Sylvain está acusada de identificarse falsamente como cuidadora para obtener acceso a víctimas de edad avanzada y robar su dinero e información financiera.

La investigación sobre Sylvain comenzó en octubre de 2025, cuando los detectives recibieron un reporte de que un hombre de edad avanzada estaba siendo explotado por una mujer desconocida en los apartamentos B”nai B”rith en Deerfield Beach.

Los detectives dijeron que la mujer se hizo pasar por cuidadora y convenció al hombre de que le permitiera entrar a su apartamento.

Una vez dentro, Sylvain presuntamente obtuvo acceso a la tarjeta bancaria de la víctima e hizo múltiples retiros por un total de $1,600 USD, según la BSO.

Los investigadores identificaron a Sylvain como la sospechosa y posteriormente se enteraron de varios incidentes similares.

Según los detectives, Sylvain presuntamente fingió ser una cuidadora profesional y convenció a víctimas vulnerables de que estaba autorizada a entrar a sus apartamentos. En algunos casos, los investigadores dijeron que afirmó ser una nueva cuidadora asignada por la compañía de seguro médico de la víctima.

Una vez dentro, Sylvain presuntamente robó tarjetas de débito y les dijo a las víctimas que necesitaba su información bancaria personal.

Arrestada en 2025, liberada en mayo

Una investigación coordinada que involucró a la BSO y varias unidades de Deerfield Beach llevó a las autoridades a obtener una orden de arresto contra Sylvain.

Fue localizada e ingresada en la cárcel principal de la BSO el 19 de diciembre de 2025.

Según la BSO, los cargos en su contra incluyeron robo en vivienda ocupada, explotación de personas de edad avanzada, uso delictivo de información de identificación personal, robo de una tarjeta de crédito y hurto mayor que involucró a una víctima de 65 años o más.

Sylvain fue liberada de la cárcel en mayo de 2026.

Desde su liberación, detectives de Deerfield Beach han identificado al menos dos nuevos casos en los que dijeron que Sylvain utilizó un engaño similar para ganarse la confianza de víctimas de edad avanzada.

En uno de los nuevos casos, los investigadores dijeron que Sylvain atacó a una víctima en The Pointe at Deerfield Beach Senior Living.

Esta vez, la BSO dijo que presuntamente fingió ser la administradora del edificio antes de robar una tarjeta de débito, tarjetas de crédito y dinero en efectivo.

Los detectives ahora piden la ayuda del público para encontrar a Sylvain mientras advierten a los residentes sobre las tácticas que está acusada de utilizar.

BSO ofrece consejos para proteger a residentes de edad avanzada

La BSO insta a los residentes a verificar la identidad, credenciales y referencias de cuidadores y asistentes antes de permitirles entrar a una vivienda o darles acceso a las finanzas.

Las autoridades también recomiendan revisar regularmente los estados de cuenta bancarios y reportes de crédito para detectar actividades desconocidas e involucrar a un amigo o familiar de confianza antes de proporcionar información financiera si una solicitud o situación parece sospechosa.

La BSO también alienta a las víctimas a reportar actividades sospechosas lo antes posible, señalando que un reporte temprano puede ayudar a prevenir pérdidas adicionales.

La investigación continúa en curso.

Cualquier persona que viva en la jurisdicción de la BSO y crea que ella o alguien que conoce pudo haber sido víctima de una estafa similar debe llamar al número de la BSO para casos que no sean de emergencia al 954-764-HELP (4357).

FIFA has yet to officially announce which country will host the biggest match of the biggest event in soccer. And even though the 2026 edition just finished with Spain winning the title this summer, Moroccan and Spanish officials are staking their claim on the next final.

The tussle over the soccer match also comes with Spain still reeling from a massive border crossing by tens of thousands of migrants who pushed through the frontier from Morocco into the north African Spanish enclave in late July.

One big game for two proud countries

The head of Moroccan soccer boasted that his country had it locked up on Thursday.

“The city of Benslimane will host the World Cup final. Hate it or love it, and if anyone wants to talk on top of that, let them talk,” Moroccan federation president Fouzi Lakjaa told a political rally.

“The city is Benslimane, the Hassan II stadium is the stadium, and I hope that Morocco will be playing it,” he added.

This week, the head of the Spanish soccer federation, Rafael Louzán, insisted it was Spain that deserved the game, while acknowledging that it has not been guaranteed that honor.

“We all signed to accept the candidacy … it’s too bad that, regarding the final, it wasn’t made clear, totally clear, where it is to be played,” Louzán said. “Spain, as world champion both in men’s and women’s soccer, must host the final.”

European soccer officials believe that the sprawling, multi-nation 2030 event, which includes Portugal and even a handful of games in South America, should be considered a European event with the final on the continent.

In a request for comment by the Associated Press on Thursday, FIFA said its decision will be made “in due course."

Infantino has found support in Morocco

The dispute over the final comes with Infantino under intense pressure after UEFA, the umbrella organization of European soccer federations, led a successful revolt to scuttle his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.

By contrast, six Arab nation federations, including Morocco’s, have backed him since that fiasco.

The King Hassan II Stadium near Casablanca is being built in Benslimane, on the outskirts of Casablanca. It is planned to seat 115,000 spectators. Spain can offer the home stadiums of Real Madrid or Barcelona as potential sites for the final.

Infantino has recently made two trips to Morocco, meeting with King Mohammed VI during annual celebrations of his ascent to the throne in July and then holding a FIFA crisis meeting there in August.

World Cup final spat among other tensions

When confirmed three years ago, the joint candidacy between Spain, Portugal and Morocco looked like a perfect event to bridge Europe and Africa and strengthen bonds between the western Mediterranean neighbors.

But the dispute over the final comes with diplomatic tensions between Madrid and Rabat already frayed over who was responsible when tens of thousands of mostly Moroccans driven by posts on social media pushed into the small Spanish enclave of Ceuta that borders Morocco. Spain's prime minister said 140 people died in the crossing.

Spain’s government has been under political pressure at home to get tough on Morocco, which it has said acted in good faith in the border crisis. Spanish police assessments couldn’t rule out complicity by Moroccan security forces but said that it was unlikely the Moroccan government had intentionally orchestrated it.

___

Wilson reported from Barcelona, Spain. AP sports writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva, Switzerland, contributed.

___

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

U.S. Magistrate Lauren Louis denied a defense motion for release, meaning the Tates will remain jailed during what could be a monthslong extradition process. The Tates failed to demonstrate that they do not present a flight risk or danger to the community or that special circumstances warrant their release, Louis said in her ruling.

“Having failed to meet these three factors, Respondents’ Motion for Release Pending Extradition Proceedings is DENIED,” she said in the ruling.

The Tates’ attorneys decry the decision

The Tates’ legal team said in a statement that the decision to keep them in custody creates a legal contradiction. The brothers are being detained in the United States because of a British extradition request while simultaneously being required to defend themselves against charges in Romania, the statement said.

“They are now facing an extraordinary situation in which they are being held thousands of miles from Romania while Romanian proceedings continue, deadlines approach, an additional indictment is said to be imminent and their own Romanian lawyer says he cannot properly prepare,” the lawyers said.

“No serious person can pretend that this can be reviewed properly through occasional conversations from a federal detention center in another country.”

The attorneys said they are considering whether to appeal the judge’s decision.

The Tates have become among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities with their promotion of wealth, male dominance and misogyny through their social media empire. Prosecutors say the brothers are a flight risk because they appear to have money and have bragged about multiple passports.

The brothers face charges in multiple countries

During a hearing last month in Miami, the brothers denied criminal accusations spanning several countries, blasted their critics and described their brash online personas as characters and not their true personalities. The Tates said they exaggerate their claims of wealth to boost their clout on social media.

The new allegations are the latest in the Tates’ long-running international legal saga spanning the U.S., Britain and Romania. They have been held at the Federal Detention Center in Miami since making a brief court appearance two days after their July 18 arrest.

Lawyers for the Tates asked the judge to allow them to be freed from custody at least until an extradition hearing can be held on their U.K. rape and trafficking charges.

They have repeatedly argued that Britain’s request is out of line because their criminal case in Romania is going first. Romanian officials have let the brothers remain free until the proceedings conclude, and they have not tried to flee and are complying with all court restrictions. Earlier this month, Romanian prosecutors indicted the brothers on additional charges.

Andrew Tate is banned from some social platforms

Andrew Tate, 39, and Tristan Tate, 38, are dual U.S.-British citizens known for their social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny.

Andrew Tate is a former professional kickboxer and self-described misogynist who has amassed more than 10 million followers, most of them boys and young men, on X. He has been banned from platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram for violating hate speech guidelines.

He also runs an online academy where he says he teaches young men how to get rich and attract women. Tristan Tate is also a former kickboxer.

The brothers are avid supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump.

The takeover gives Iran another potential point of leverage in its war with the U.S., analysts said, if the Houthis use their presence in Mokha to ramp up threats or attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

Mokha is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a waterway that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and through which about 12% of the world’s goods are typically shipped.

The Bab el-Mandeb's importance to global oil supplies has grown since shipping through the nearby Strait of Hormuz has been impeded by Iran during its war with the United States and Israel.

The Houthis kept mostly to the sidelines when the Iran war began, but over the summer the rebels increased attacks against Yemen's internationally recognized government and declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia, which supports it. While the Houthis have their own reasons for fighting the Saudis, the conflict also serves Iran’s interests by ramping up pressure on the American-allied oil producer as Tehran seeks leverage against the U.S.

The Houthis' takeover of Mokha was confirmed to The Associated Press by Ahmed Baash, a commander with the National Resistance Forces allied with Yemen’s government, and Hazam al-Assad, a member of the Houthis’ political bureau.

The Houthis' advance threatens a return to full-scale civil war

Mokha represents the Houthis' biggest territorial gain since a truce was signed in 2022 to end a civil war that began more than a decade ago. A return to full-scale civil war would be devastating for the Yemeni people and potentially for world energy supplies.

Shipping through the Bab al Mandeb has fallen by about 60% since the Houthis began attacking ships there in late 2023, prompting many companies to abandon the route. It briefly increased this year as Saudi Arabia sought alternatives to Hormuz; Saudi oil shipments were redirected via pipeline to the Red Sea port at Yanbu, but “renewed Houthi threats have curtailed” that activity, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

Residents of Mokha told AP that Houthi forces could be seen throughout the city Thursday and that markets were shuttered. Mokha was long held by forces aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

Mokha resident Amin al-Mohammdi said the Houthis had fanned out across intersections. He said roads from the west coast leading to Mokha were closed and shops were shuttered. Resident Mohamed Salem reported seeing vehicles belonging to Houthi forces in the streets.

Residents of Mokha flee to the south

Three doctors told the AP they fled a Mokha hospital after it was seized by the Houthis. The doctors spoke on condition of anonymity, citing fears for their safety. They said other residents were fleeing south, toward the city of Aden, which is controlled by the Saudi-backed forces.

The Houthis recently made advances in the western province of Taiz, where Mokha is located, according to Ahmed al-Mawazi, a trooper with the Yemeni armed forces, and Abdel Kader al-Sharabi, a member of the Saudi-backed forces supporting the Yemeni government.

Both said the rebels had seized control of the al-Shaqira area in Taiz, an important supply route for Yemeni government forces in south Hodeida.

The mountainous terrain around Taiz gives the Houthis a strategic area overlooking Yemen’s west coast, said Baraa Shiban, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London. The Houthis could potentially make shipping in the Red Sea more hazardous by laying mines in the water, similar to what Iran’s Revolutionary Guard did in the Strait of Hormuz, Shiban said.

The Houthis’ advance on Mokha potentially gives Iran leverage in its negotiations with the U.S., said Farea al-Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House specializing in Yemen and the Gulf.

Yemen seeks international help to thwart the Houthis

In a letter to the United Nations Security Council, Yemen’s Foreign Minister Afrah al-Zouba said the Houthis’ territorial gains could lead to instability across the country and region, and she called for international action to thwart the rebel group.

That sentiment was echoed by the special envoy for Yemen at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on Thursday. The international community must address this “new and more dangerous phase – one whose consequences, if left unchecked, will not stay within Yemen’s borders,” said the envoy, Hans Grundberg.

Yemeni government forces have launched airstrikes targeting Houthi reinforcements west of Taiz, several residents of Mokha said, and the Yemeni government military has urged civilians to avoid roads between Taiz and Mokha.

Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV claimed that Saudi-backed forces launched 40 airstrikes in recent hours in Taiz, Jawf, Hodeida and Marib provinces. The AP couldn’t independently verify the claim. There was no immediate comment from the government forces.

The Houthis have been at war with Yemen’s government since 2014, when the rebels swept down from their mountainous heartland and seized much of northern and central Yemen. Saudi Arabia entered the war the following year on behalf of the government. ___

Khaled reported from Cairo. AP journalist David McHugh in Frankfurt, Germany, and Edith Lederer at the United Nations, contributed.

Existing home sales fell 2% last month from July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.98 million units, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. This is the third straight monthly decline.

Sales also fell 1.2% compared with August last year. The latest sales tally is just shy of the 4 million pace economists were expecting, according to FactSet.

“It’s not a surprise home sales and mortgage rates move in the opposite direction and we have seen mortgage rates rising, rising, rising from February,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist.

Home sales have been mostly hovering close to a 4-million annual pace going back to 2023, far short of the historic norm that is closer to 5.2-million. The last time the annual sales pace came in below 4 million was June 2025.

Despite the latest pullback, existing U.S. home sales are running 1.6% higher through the first eight months of this year than they were in the same stretch of 2025, NAR said.

The housing market has been stymied in large part by rising borrowing costs, as mortgage rates have marched higher in the months since the war between the U.S. and Iran started in late February. Expectations of higher inflation amid surging oil prices have pushed up the long-term bond yields that lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans, driving mortgage rates higher.

The average rate on the benchmark 30-year mortgage hit 6.76% this week, its highest level in more than 14 months. It briefly dipped below 6% before the war started.

Yun noted that rate could soon reach 7%, given that mortgage rates tend to follow moves in the 10-year Treasury yield, which is at levels not seen since late 2023. The yield was at 4.92% on the bond market as of Thursday morning.

Even as sales slowed, home prices continued to rise nationally last month. The U.S. median sales price increased 1.6% in August from a year earlier to $429,100, an all-time high for the month of August based on data going back to 1999, NAR said. Home prices have risen on an annual basis for 38 months in a row.

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.

Years of soaring home prices, especially in the early part of this decade when rock-bottom mortgage rates fueled a buying frenzy, have left many would-be homebuyers frozen out of the market. And a chronic shortage of homes for sale nationally, due partly to years of below-average new home construction, has helped prop up home prices even in a multiyear sales slump.

Many of the homes purchased last month likely went under contract in July and June, when the average rate on a 30-year mortgage ranged from 6.43% to 6.66%.

Regionally, sales fell last month from July in the Northeast, Midwest and South. Sales were flat in the West. Prices, meanwhile, continued to rise in the Northeast faster than the rest of the country, climbing 4.3% from August last year amid a shortage of homes on the market relative to other regions.

The sales slowdown is leading to unsold properties sitting on the market longer, helping boost the number of available homes.

Although home inventory levels remain well below historical norms, there were 1.62 million unsold homes at the end of last month, up 3.2% from July and up 5.9% from August last year, NAR said. That’s still short of the roughly 2 million homes for sale that was typical before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, August’s month-end inventory translates to a 4.9-months’ supply at the current sales pace. That’s the highest level in over 10 years. Traditionally, a 4- to 6-month supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.

The increase in homes for sale gives home shoppers who can afford to buy at current mortgage rates or pay all cash a wider selection and potentially, more leverage in negotiating better sales terms.

In August, the national median home listing price fell 1.2% from a year earlier, while roughly 20% of listings had their initial price lowered, according to Realtor.com.

First-time buyers accounted for 30% of home purchases last month, up from 29% in July and 28% in August last year, NAR said. Historically, first-time buyers make up closer to 40% of home sales.

Affordability remains a primary concern for home shoppers, as home prices, mortgage rates, property taxes and insurance costs are now significantly higher than a few years ago, noted Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union.

The trends are also putting pressure on homeowners eager to sell.

“It’s not a good time to sell your home,” Long said. “Americans are hitting the pause button on homebuying.”

“Although I lived here for many, many years before I became a citizen and had a green card, citizenship suddenly made me feel a sense of being part of it (the U.S.) that was deeper than before. And I think there's something similar about this (award),” said the 79-year-old Rushdie, a native of Mumbai (then Bombay) who emigrated to England in his teens and now lives in New York City with his wife and fellow author, Rachel Eliza Griffiths.

“I remember somebody told me that when Ray(mond) Carver got some major American award, he described himself as being ‘out there in literature now.’ And I thought, ‘Maybe I’m out there in American literature now,'” Rushdie added, speaking during a recent Zoom interview.

Longtime friend and fellow author (and Indian immigrant) Kiran Desai will present Rushdie his medal at this fall's National Book Awards ceremony in Manhattan on Nov. 18, when prizes in five competitive categories will be handed out. Rushdie is the 39th winner of the award for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, presented by the nonprofit National Book Foundation. And he is just the fourth born outside of the U.S., following Canada native Saul Bellow, Isabel Allende of Chile and Swedish-born Art Spiegelman.

At the November ceremony, the foundation also will honor the pediatrician-literacy activist Perri Klass, this year's recipient of the Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. Previous winners include Maya Angelou, Terry Gross and Roxane Gay. One very famous promoter of books and literacy, Dolly Parton, was offered the award several times in recent years, but turned it down.

“She graciously declined each time saying that she didn’t need the recognition,” the foundation's executive director, Ruth Dickey, told The Associated Press. Parton died last month at age 80.

Remember him for his books

Rushdie, asked if he thinks often about his legacy, invoked his late friend Martin Amis and said he'd like to leave behind a shelf full of books with his own name on it. Rushdie has published more than 20, including the Booker Prize-winning “Midnight's Children,” often ranked among the greatest contemporary novels. Many will inevitably remember him for the 1988 novel “The Satanic Verses,” in which references to the Prophet Muhammad led to protests from Muslims worldwide and a fatwa from Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini calling for the author's death.

Rushdie had appeared out of danger in recent years until he was stabbed repeatedly onstage in 2022, during a literary festival in western New York. A state jury found the assailant, Hadi Matar, guilty of attempted murder. A federal jury found him guilty of transnational terrorism and providing material support to Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group in Lebanon. Rushdie has since published a memoir about the attack, “Knife,” and the story collection “The Eleventh Hour.”

Rushdie's one competitive National Book Award nomination came in 2024, for “Knife.” (“Midnight's Children” and other earlier books were released before Rushdie was eligible.) “Knife” is the basis for an Alex Gibney documentary of the same name about the author that is coming out Sept. 17.

“Salman Rushdie’s sweeping body of work is a celebration of literature’s power to shape narratives, build bridges, and form connections beyond borders, generations, and identities,” Dickey said in a statement Thursday. “Rushdie’s novels and short story collections are set across real and imagined landscapes, and his writing thrives in its specificity—offering readers access to unflinchingly honest stories that are culturally, politically, and geographically varied.”

His life unfolds in three chapters

The author sees himself as a city writer and his life as a three-part story: South Asia, London and New York. The fatwa forced him into hiding for years and even gave him the reputation for being “reclusive.” But he is the most public and cosmopolitan of writers, at home in urban areas and large gatherings, inspired by the conflict, diversity and unpredictability of metropolitan areas.

Much of Rushdie's work has been set outside of the U.S. — “Midnight's Children” is one of the defining novels of postcolonial India, and “The Satanic Verses” is based in London and India, among other locations. But Rushdie says that being an “American” writer doesn't mean only setting your books in this country. He places himself in a long tradition of immigrant writers, whether Bellow or such younger authors as Jhumpa Lahiri and Yiyun Li.

“I was an immigrant writer in England, and now I’m an immigrant writer in America,” he says. “American writers come from everywhere, right? ... There's a long list. There’s Vietnamese writers and African writers. And I think that’s been enormously enriching of American literature in my time.”

Yaraisi Santiso Morejón presentó la demanda tras la muerte de su esposo, Yoel Rodríguez Naranjo, de 53 años, quien murió en el accidente.

Según la demanda, el vuelo 7598 de Amazon Air aterrizó en MIA el domingo antes de salirse de la pista 30 e impactar vehículos dentro y cerca de la propiedad del aeropuerto, entre ellos la van que conducía Rodríguez Naranjo.

La demanda nombra como demandados a Amazon Inc. y Amazon Air Cargo, junto con 21 Air LLC y otras empresas relacionadas con la operación de la aeronave, los arrendadores del avión y los pilotos Joseph Carroll y Jaime Felipe Silva Molina.

La demanda alega que una serie de fallas contribuyeron al accidente, entre ellas error del piloto, entrenamiento inadecuado y el uso de una aeronave de 32 años de antigüedad.

El fundador de Morgan & Morgan, John Morgan, expresó en un comunicado el miércoles que sus condolencias están con Yaraisi y su familia, así como con todos los afectados por lo que consideran una tragedia que se pudo haber evitado. Agregó que nadie debería perder a un ser querido de esta manera y que la presentación de la demanda es apenas el comienzo de su lucha por conseguir justicia y responsabilidad por la muerte del señor Naranjo.

El abogado Mike Morgan indicó que la firma sostiene que el accidente no fue un “accidente extraño”, sino un “desastre previsible y evitable”.

Morgan dijo que lo que ya han descubierto apunta a una serie de fallas por parte de quienes piloteaban el avión, las empresas que lo pusieron a volar y los sistemas que se suponía debían evitar precisamente este tipo de tragedia, y añadió que Yaraisi merece respuestas y justicia, y que su intención es conseguirle ambas.

La demanda fue presentada en el Tribunal de Circuito del Onceavo Circuito Judicial del condado de Miami-Dade.

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Still, it’s unclear whether the state will decide to drop the second-degree attempted murder case.

Attorney Richard L. Cooper, who is representing the alleged victim, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, told Local 10 News that his client has “forgiven” Brown and “does not wish to participate” in his prosecution.

“After considerable reflection, prayer, and consultation with his family and counsel, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu has made the deeply personal decision to forgive Antonio Brown for the events that occurred in Miami in May 2025,” Cooper said in part, adding that “For Mr. Nantambu, forgiveness does not diminish the seriousness of what occurred. It means refusing to allow anger or resentment to dictate how he moves forward.”

Brown’s attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, told ESPN he and Brown now hope that the state will grant his motion to dismiss the case.

Eiglarsh has previously asked the judge overseeing the case to dismiss the attempted murder charge against Brown, citing Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, saying his client acted in self-defense during the violent confrontation outside an underground boxing event on May 16, 2025.

Eiglarsh also claimed that Nantambu has a documented history of violence toward Brown and intended to attack him again during last year’s incident.

Surveillance video obtained by Local 10 News shows the moments leading up to the shooting just before midnight.

In footage from a courtyard parking area around 11:55 p.m., Brown is seen punching a man, triggering a fight that draws in multiple people. The video shows the confrontation escalating into a three-on-one situation against the man before security intervenes. Brown can then be seen kicking a security guard as the scene is broken up.

Additional surveillance video from a nearby garage shows the man re-entering the camera’s view moments later. Authorities allege that at this point Brown retrieved a gun from a vehicle parked nearby. As the man is pushed away from the area, Brown is seen jogging toward the corner, allegedly holding a gun. At approximately 11:56 p.m., people in the video react as gunshots are heard.

Roughly a minute later, Brown is seen walking back into the area, followed by security guards with their weapons drawn. By 11:58 p.m., Brown is escorted out in handcuffs.

Police body camera footage from the scene shows officers telling Brown he was being detained, not arrested. In the video, Brown says he was injured after being pulled by security and insists he did nothing wrong.

Brown was not arrested the night of the incident because police said they were unable to locate a victim at the scene. An arrest warrant was issued the following month, in June, while Brown was in Dubai. U.S. Marshals later took him into custody overseas and returned him to Miami-Dade County.

According to the arrest warrant, Nantambu told investigators that bullets allegedly fired by Brown grazed his neck. Brown’s attorney maintains Nantambu has a history of attacking Brown and posed an imminent threat during the May 2025 confrontation, forming the basis of the self-defense claim.

Aun así, no está claro si el estado decidirá retirar el caso de intento de asesinato en segundo grado.

El abogado Richard L. Cooper, quien representa a la presunta víctima, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu, dijo a Local 10 News que su cliente ha “perdonado” a Brown y “no desea participar” en su proceso judicial.

“Después de una considerable reflexión, oración y consultas con su familia y abogado, Zul-Qarnain Kwame Nantambu ha tomado la decisión profundamente personal de perdonar a Antonio Brown por los hechos ocurridos en Miami en mayo de 2025”, dijo Cooper en parte, y agregó que “Para el Sr. Nantambu, el perdón no disminuye la gravedad de lo ocurrido. Significa negarse a permitir que la ira o el resentimiento dicten cómo sigue adelante”.

El abogado de Brown, Mark Eiglarsh, dijo a ESPN que él y Brown ahora esperan que el estado conceda su moción para desestimar el caso.

Eiglarsh había pedido anteriormente al juez que supervisa el caso que desestime el cargo de intento de asesinato contra Brown, citando la ley Stand Your Ground de Florida y afirmando que su cliente actuó en defensa propia durante el violento enfrentamiento afuera de un evento clandestino de boxeo el 16 de mayo de 2025.

Eiglarsh también afirmó que Nantambu tiene un historial documentado de violencia contra Brown y tenía la intención de atacarlo nuevamente durante el incidente del año pasado.

Un video de vigilancia obtenido por Local 10 News muestra los momentos previos a la balacera poco antes de la medianoche.

En imágenes de un área de estacionamiento en un patio alrededor de las 11:55 p.m., se ve a Brown golpeando a un hombre, lo que desencadena una pelea en la que participan varias personas. El video muestra cómo el enfrentamiento escala a una situación de tres contra uno contra el hombre antes de que intervenga la seguridad. Luego se puede ver a Brown pateando a un guardia de seguridad mientras se disuelve el altercado.

Otro video de vigilancia de un garaje cercano muestra al hombre volviendo a aparecer ante la cámara momentos después. Las autoridades alegan que en ese momento Brown sacó un arma de un vehículo estacionado cerca. Mientras el hombre es alejado del área, se ve a Brown trotando hacia la esquina, presuntamente sosteniendo un arma. Aproximadamente a las 11:56 p.m., las personas que aparecen en el video reaccionan mientras se escuchan disparos.

Aproximadamente un minuto después, se ve a Brown caminando de regreso al área, seguido por guardias de seguridad con sus armas desenfundadas. Para las 11:58 p.m., Brown es escoltado fuera del lugar esposado.

Las imágenes de la cámara corporal de la policía en el lugar muestran a los agentes diciéndole a Brown que estaba siendo detenido, no arrestado. En el video, Brown dice que resultó herido después de ser sujetado por seguridad e insiste en que no hizo nada malo.

Brown no fue arrestado la noche del incidente porque la policía dijo que no pudo localizar a una víctima en el lugar. Una orden de arresto fue emitida el mes siguiente, en junio, mientras Brown estaba en Dubái. Los alguaciles federales de Estados Unidos posteriormente lo detuvieron en el extranjero y lo regresaron al condado Miami-Dade.

Según la orden de arresto, Nantambu dijo a los investigadores que las balas presuntamente disparadas por Brown le rozaron el cuello. El abogado de Brown sostiene que Nantambu tiene un historial de ataques contra Brown y representaba una amenaza inminente durante el enfrentamiento de mayo de 2025, lo que constituye la base del argumento de defensa propia.

Also among top nominees: Kacey Musgraves and Ben West with five nominations each, Cody Johnson, Chris Stapleton and Stephen Wilson Jr. with four nominations each, and Dave Clauss, Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson with three nominations each.

Joining Langley in competing for the night’s highest honor — CMA entertainer of the year — will be Johnson, Stapleton, Combs and Wilson, who is aiming for a repeat.

Langley's “Be Her” and “Choosin’ Texas” both nabbed nominations for single of the year, along with Taylor Swift's “I Knew It, I Knew You” from the movie “Toy Story 5,” Wilson's “Somewhere Over Laredo” and Johnson's “The Fall.” Producer-writer Jack Antonoff got his first nomination in the single of the year category as producer of Swift's song.

In February, Langley became the only woman to simultaneously hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay charts, all thanks to “Choosin’ Texas,” co-written with Lambert. Langley also won all seven of her nominations at the 2026 ACM Awards.

Nominated for album of the year are Langley’s “Dandelion,” Zach Top's “Ain’t In It For My Health,” Musgraves' “Middle of Nowhere,” Parker McCollum's self-titled album and Combs' “The Way I Am.” Song of the year nominees are “Be Her,” “Beautiful Things,” “Choosin’ Texas,” “Dry Spell” and “Gary.”

Lambert, whose 14 CMA awards are more than any other woman, co-produced Langley’s “Dandelion” album and co-wrote “Choosin’ Texas.” Langley will appear on Lambert's upcoming album “Crisco,” featured on the opening song “Snakeskin Boots.”

Lambert said Thursday in an interview that although she has earned a haul of CMAs over the years, this year is special because of the work she did on “Dandelion.”

“This time’s a little different because I get to be nominated as a producer, which has never happened before. So I’m really excited about that,” she said.

Last year, Wilson, who hosted and performed at the CMAs, took home the entertainer of the year award, as well as album of the year. Male vocalist of the year went to Johnson, and Brooks & Dunn won vocal duo of the year. Wilson will return as host this year.

The vocal group of the year category this year includes Lady A, Little Big Town, Midland, Old Dominion and The Red Clay Strays. New artist of the year candidates are Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Emily Ann Roberts, Tucker Wetmore and Wilson.

Female vocalist of the year nominations pit Lambert and Langley against Megan Moroney, Musgraves and Wilson. (Lambert has now passed Reba McEntire with the most female vocalist of the year nominations all-time with 19.) The male counterpart has Combs, Johnson, Stapleton, Top and Wilson.

The prizes are nominated and voted on by more than 7,000 members of the Country Music Association, which includes music executives, artists, publicists, songwriters and other industry professionals. The 60th annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 18 on ABC and Disney+, and the next day on Hulu.

The five-year commitment aims to cut the maternal mortality rate in the United States in half by 2031.

“For millions of moms in America, maternal health is bad and getting worse,” Olivia Walton told The Associated Press in an interview. “There’s just so much bipartisan consensus around wanting to fix this. I really think the political will is there and part of our job is to help surface that with an information campaign.”

According to the most recent data available, the United States has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among wealthy nations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 688 people died in 2024 during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth. The maternal mortality rate rose to 19 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2024, up from 18.6 the year before.

Improving data collection and accelerating hospitals’ reporting of deaths is an important pillar of the new Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America initiative, Walton said. The most recent state-level data on maternal mortality is still from 2022, with annual totals based on provisional data available through 2024.

“You can’t fix what you can’t measure,” she said, adding that the Waltons' nonprofit Heartland Forward partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in May to collect more data on maternal and infant health outcomes from 220 hospitals around the country called the Perinatal Improvement Collaborative.

The U.S. maternal mortality issue is ‘eminently solvable’

Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America President Dr. Neel Shah said that, unlike many medical issues, maternal mortality is “eminently solvable.”

“The biggest cause of suffering isn’t a lack of knowledge,” he said. “It’s a lack of execution on the knowledge… This is a matter of will.”

The initiative will focus on expanding access to maternal health in rural areas, training midwives and expanding postpartum care, and helping states use strategies that have proved successful, Shah said. He points out that California has managed to reduce its maternal rate by half by combining strategies with investments. He said New Jersey, which previously ranked 47th among states in maternal mortality, has improved its outcomes by focusing on the cities where the needs are greatest.

Walton said states are “in the driver’s seat” for making changes to maternal and infant healthcare, in part because about 40% of births are paid for by Medicaid.

“I’ve got blue-state solutions of what works, red-state solutions of what works, and purple-state solutions of what works,” she said. “It’s really possible.”

Using the $100 million initiative to generate more funding

For that reason, Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America plans to fund these care improvements by focusing on states. Walton plans to use the $100 million commitment as a way to encourage state governments to match the nonprofit’s investment. She hopes that corporations and other funders also contribute to the cause.

“Taking on risk and going first is a great use of philanthropic capital,” she said. “The goal is to prove that this works and then have state funding take it over.”

The focus on states, however, doesn’t mean the initiative won’t seek federal solutions as well.

Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies America is supporting bipartisan Congressional legislation, including the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act and the NIH IMPROVE Act, which would expand access to maternal care.

“It’s unacceptable that in 2026 in the U.S., maternal mortality rates are moving in the wrong direction," Republican Sen. Katie Britt, of Alabama, said in a statement. “It’s imperative we work together across both the public and private sectors to reverse this alarming trend.”

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, of New Jersey, said poor maternal health outcomes don’t just hurt families.

“The economic consequences are equally alarming,” Booker said in a statement, estimating a cost of $165 billion each year.

Walton said the issue is a personal one for her and her husband, Tom, grandson of Walmart founder Sam Walton, who live in Arkansas.

“I’m a mom myself and I just had three kids in the last eight years,” she said. "I live in a state with the worst maternal mortality in the country.”

However, she also believes the issue has broad, national implications.

“I have an overarching belief that if you take care of mom, she’ll take care of everything else,” Walton said. “Healthy moms lead to healthy families. Healthy families lead to healthy communities. Healthy communities lead to a healthy economy.”

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Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

But six years after buying the house, she still can’t be sure that her tap water is lead-free because she doesn't know what material was used for the pipe that runs under her front yard and connects to the city water supply. Dunkirk is nearly two years behind schedule on an inventory that would give Pilgrim and other residents that information.

Dunkirk, which supplies water to about 5,000 homes and businesses, is one of more than 1,300 public water systems cited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to meet an October 2024 deadline to hand in an inventory of the water lines that could be leaching the heavy metal into Americans' drinking water, an Associated Press analysis of the agency’s enforcement data shows.

Roughly 6,300 water systems serving 3.8 million Americans have still not submitted a required list of how many lead service lines remain in use.

Those inventories are critical for cities to replace all lead pipes by an upcoming 10-year deadline. Failing to document the lines also means residents won't know if their homes have a potential source of lead exposure.

Pilgrim, a special education teacher who has fostered teenagers, had been educated on the dangers of lead, especially in paint. The colon cancer survivor's concerns extended to her drinking water.

“I just thought there was some stuff in the water that might not be great,” she said.

Officials with the city of Dunkirk did not respond to requests for comment.

Lead pipes are abundant across New York and many communities around the country with older infrastructure. The city of Buffalo’s data shows 45% of its service lines — which connect homes and businesses to the water supply — are made of lead, the third-highest rate of any major city. The city of Fredonia, which neighbors Dunkirk, reported 28%.

Lead is a priority under Trump administration

Lead is a neurotoxin that can stunt children’s development, lower IQ scores and increase blood pressure in adults. Roughly 4 million homes and businesses are still connected to water utilities via lead pipes, according to the EPA’s latest estimate.

How much lead is entering the building depends on factors like the water chemistry and the pipe's condition, but lead service lines remain the most significant source of the heavy metal, according to the EPA.

The EPA has touted its work on lead lines as a key environmental win. About three-quarters of the drinking water enforcement orders issued by the EPA since President Donald Trump’s return to office were related to missing inventories.

Most water systems with missing inventories are small — 84% provide drinking water to fewer than 500 people, the AP analysis shows. Many are small housing developments, mobile home parks or schools.

The EPA said it turned to enforcement only after efforts to help water systems comply were unsuccessful. Utilities need the inventories to prepare for a 2027 deadline requiring most drinking water providers to replace their lead lines within 10 years, the agency said. The Trump administration has also defended that aggressive deadline, enacted under Biden, in court.

Rob Hayes, a senior director with Environmental Advocates of New York, said it is a rare environmental regulation the Trump administration has not sought to scrap.

“It speaks to the universal popularity of getting lead out of drinking water,” he said.

Inventories are not easy

About 3,500 water systems reported they don’t know what their service lines are made of. One in five service lines nationwide were reported as having unknown materials.

Many utilities are racing to identify unknown pipes by next year, when they must begin replacing them.

In Chicago, home to the most lead lines of any city in the country, crews are working block-by-block, digging up the pipes that branch off from the utility's main line. The city still doesn't know the material of close to one in 10 service lines. So in those cases, crews may have to excavate them to check the material, said Patrick Schwer, the city's water quality director.

“We are digging through every single piece of information that we have associated with every single service line trying to find any indications of the material,” he said. “We’re scouring millions of work orders, trying to pull at little threads of information.”

Lead pipes for public water date as far back as the late 1800s and were prevalent all the way to the 1950s. Lead was a preferred material at the time because it was resistant to corrosion, and as a result, the original lines remain in use decades later.

Chicago advises residents with unknown lines to assume they are made of lead if their building predates 1986, when it was banned under the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act.

Records of the installations were often lost, incomplete or illegible. Lapses in recordkeeping have made it difficult for some utilities to complete their inventories, said Joshua Klainberg, senior vice president with the New York League of Conservation Voters.

Still, Klainberg said, leaving residents in the dark about whether they should take precautions by not submitting an inventory at all is “unforgivable.” Even an incomplete inventory can alert people they may have a lead service line, allowing them to take precautions such as running the tap, using filters — the highest-quality of which can remove most lead — and cooking only with cold water, he said.

Limited funds for replacements

For utilities, not knowing what is in the ground will carry an even stiffer consequence beginning in 2027. Starting then, they are required to replace 10% of lead water pipes each year, usually with copper or plastic pipes. But lines made of unidentified materials will be included in that target, said Erica Galante-Johnson, a lead policy analyst with the Environmental Policy Innovation Center.

“The more unknowns, the more lines a system needs to replace every year,” Galante-Johnson said.

And each replacement is expensive, usually costing between $8,000 and $15,000, according to EPIC.

In Chicago's case, “the city is actively going after every single dollar that we can,” from the federal and state governments, Schwer said. The city still needs to replace about 393,000 lead service lines.

Most funding for identifying and replacing lead pipes comes from the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, with states distributing it. This is the final year of dedicated federal funding for lead projects, though previously allocated money will continue flowing to communities.

Water systems without an inventory will fall even further behind as national efforts shift toward replacements, Hayes said.

“If they can’t even get an inventory together, how the heck are they going to get the resources and the manpower and the kind of coordination between governments together to actually get workers out on the street and dig these pipes out of the ground?” he said.

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

Scientists from the German Aerospace Center’s Institute of Space Research reported Thursday that Mercury’s shrinkage may be 30% greater than previously believed — a loss in diameter of as much as 14 miles (23 kilometers). That’s significant for a planet barely 3,000 miles (4,900 kilometers) across.

Mercury’s rough surface, continually reshaped by debris hurled from impact craters, may have hidden the true extent of the loss, according to the researchers whose findings appear in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

The news comes one week after a pair of European and Japanese spacecraft shed its cruising platform and advanced toward Mercury. Known as BepiColombo, the linked craft are expected to enter orbit around Mercury in November before splitting up for a fuller survey.

BepiColombo’s laser instrument should confirm how much Mercury is withering as a result of internal cooling, said Gaku Nishiyama, the study’s lead author who is taking part in the space mission.

The shrinkage could be even more than his team is estimating based on measurements from NASA’s Messenger spacecraft in the 2010s. Only one other spacecraft has ever visited Mercury, NASA’s Mariner 10 in the 1970s.

Our solar system’s smallest and innermost planet has been shrinking ever since its formation 4.5 billion years ago. Its hot iron core — oversized for such a small world — cools and contracts along with the mantle and crust, tightening the surface like a girdle to fit its new slimmer self.

Nishiyama and his team compared maps showing faults and other geologic signs of contraction at Mercury with newer maps highlighting surface roughness. They discovered that the roughest patches exhibited fewer shrinkage wrinkles. The missing wrinkles could be buried under impact debris, they said.

After accounting for these obscured regions, the researchers provided a fresh take on Mercury’s shrinkage that could shed light on other contracting worlds, said Nishiyama, who is affiliated with Hokkaido University in Japan.

“We are quite excited,” Nishiyama said in an email, adding that it feels like “we are approaching the reality of Mercury’s evolution.”

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

In sworn statements provided to Local 10 News from an ongoing Department of Labor dispute, pilot Karl Seuring and his attorney accuse 21 Air of not giving pilots enough time off between flights and creating unusually-long checklists.

“He filed the complaint with OSHA and he went to a hearing on that and lost. The next step procedurally taking it to the next level is the trial that was held in 2023,” said attorney Mike Anello. “We are awaiting the judge’s ruling.”

Official records show 21 Air was founded in 2014 in North Carolina. No one would speak to Local 10 from their office in northwest Miami-Dade County.

According to transcripts, Anello told a judge that Seuring found the “operation under that checklist made it more likely that airplane[s] using that list would suffer an accident, some type of tragic event.”

Another former pilot raised concerns as well.

In an email obtained by Local 10, retired pilot Don Helmig wrote to majority owner Jim Crane, “After three months, everywhere I looked there are issues.”

Anello said he was “sad” to hear the news of Sunday’s fatal crash at MIA.

“I was surprised to see that involved the same company that’s on the other side of our lawsuit,” he said. “And I hope everyone just lets the process play out.”

In a statement posted to its website, 21 Air said that the company is “devastated by the accident involving one of our aircraft…We are cooperating fully with the National Transportation Safety Board, the Federal Aviation Administration, and local authorities.”

Voters approved a $100 million bond for the project in 2019. The new three-story, 191,000-square-foot headquarters on Broward Boulevard replaces an 80-year-old building and is now home to a department of more than 700 personnel.

“This is one of the most significant investments Fort Lauderdale has ever made in public safety,” Mayor Dean Trantalis said during a Wednesday morning tour of the new facility.

The headquarters features updated technology, expanded operational space and dedicated areas for training, public meetings and community engagement. It also includes a gun range.

Getting the project to the finish line wasn’t easy. Engineers had to address design flaws that caused the original construction to crack and bend. Repairs and reinforcement eventually allowed the project to move forward.

“Getting us to this day took persistence,” Trantalis said.

Police Chief Bill Schultz said the new headquarters represents more than just a building.

“This is more than just a structure,” Schultz said. “This is a symbol of what happens when a community believes in its police department and when a department never stops believing in its mission.”

The new facility can withstand a Category 5 hurricane.

The Labor Department’s producer price index — which captures inflation before it reaches consumers — rose 5.4% in August from a year ago, up from 4.8% in July, the government said Thursday. Annual wholesale inflation peaked this year at 5.9% in May after the Iran conflict raised energy costs. On a monthly basis, wholesale prices increased 0.4% from July to August, after a 0.1% increase the previous month.

Inflation has shown some signs of easing in recent months but is still high, frustrating consumers who are struggling with more expensive gas, groceries, clothing and other essentials. U.S. oil prices topped $100 a barrel Thursday on renewed fighting in the Middle East, while President Donald Trump has intensified a trade war with Canada, a sign tariffs still could push up costs. Rising prices pose a political problem for the Trump administration and Republicans running in the midterm elections.

In a striking acknowledgment Wednesday, Trump said that oil prices likely won’t come down until after U.S. midterm elections, but added that prices will fall immediately after Nov. 3.

“Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to take a little bit longer than the midterm.”

The cost for a regular gallon of gasoline has soared 44% since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in late February, according to data from the AAA. Diesel, which is used in manufacturing, shipping and transportation, and can have an outsized role in producer and consumer prices, has rocketed 59% higher in that same time frame.

Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 0.2% from July to August, the same as the previous month. Compared with a year ago, core prices rose 4.6%, up from 4.2% in July.

Energy prices were a big driver of last month's increase as fighting in the Middle East flared. The wholesale price of diesel soared 24.1% just from July to August. It has risen nearly 78% from a year earlier. Diesel fuel is used in large cargo trucks for shipping goods all over the country, and could make groceries, clothes and other items more expensive. Shipping prices rose 2.3% just last month.

Other items that jumped in price include airfares, hospital care, and electronic components, which have been lifted by rampant spending on AI data centers. Food prices ticked up just 0.1% last month, a potential signal that grocery costs could cool. Electric utility prices declined, too.

Thursday's figures will come under particularly close scrutiny because they could help determine whether the Federal Reserve raises its short-term interest rate at a policy meeting next week. Data from the producer price index helps calculate the Fed's preferred inflation measure, which will be released Sept. 30.

Airfares, hospital care and physician services all grew more expensive last month, with airfares jumping 4.2%. Those measures are all included in the Fed's preferred gauge and their increases could make a rate hike more likely.

With wholesale inflation “still looking relatively hot, the Fed seems likely to hike this year even if it doesn’t pull the trigger this month,” wrote Stephen Brown, chief North America economist for Capital Economics.

Even more important is Friday’s consumer price index report, the government’s highest-profile inflation release. Figures from that report are also used to compile the Fed’s preferred measure of costs. Economists believe that report could show core prices cooled in August. Some Fed officials have said that if Friday’s CPI is high, they would lean toward a rate hike at the central bank’s meeting next week. But if it comes in relatively low — as it did in June and July — they would support keeping rates on hold.

The Fed’s main goals are supporting maximum employment and combating inflation by keeping prices stable. It raises borrowing costs to cool spending and slow inflation.

Fed chair Kevin Warsh said in a high-profile speech late last month that the central bank needs to be “confident that underlying inflation is moving” to its 2% objective. “Otherwise, we have work to do,” comments that have led many economists to expect a rate hike next week.

Yet last Thursday, Fed governor Christopher Waller, echoing some other Fed officials, suggested that if Friday’s inflation report shows price increases cooling, then he would support keeping rates where they are. Waller is one of the 12 officials who vote on each Fed rate decision.

Another key concern for the Fed is whether inflation is driven mostly by one-time factors such as more expensive oil and gas, or if higher prices are spreading more broadly through the economy. Warsh noted in his remarks two weeks ago that more than half the 199 categories of goods and services the government tracks have recorded price increases of at least 3% compared with a year ago, an unusually high number.

According to the Miami Gardens Police Department, K-9 officers responded to a business alarm in the 200 block of Northwest 195th Street at approximately 9:35 p.m. Monday.

Police said a K-9 officer opened the rear door of her patrol vehicle, where K-9 Gael was located.

Once the door opened, the 2-year-old dog exited the vehicle and immediately ran eastbound across Northwest Second Avenue, according to police.

The officer attempted to recall Gael, but police said the K-9 did not respond to the commands.

All available Miami Gardens police patrol units began searching for Gael, with assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit. Despite the extensive search, officers were initially unable to locate the dog.

Ahie Smith lives right down the street and described the police scene all around his house on Monday night.

“They were just riding, circling, putting a light on my yard,” he said. “Helicopters riding around, riding around for hours ... I stepped out to see what was going on. It looked kind of crazy.”

Police provided an update Tuesday, saying investigators had obtained surveillance video showing Gael being struck by a vehicle after running from the location.

Despite being hit, Gael continued traveling eastbound, according to police.

The extent of Gael’s injuries are unclear. Police said the dog was wearing a black collar that reads “Mama says I’m special” at the time it ran off.

Miami Gardens police officers are canvassing the surrounding area and continuing to search for the missing K-9 when they’re not responding to calls.

“We’re still going to be canvassing until we receive some type of answer,” Miami Gardens police spokeswoman Diana Delgado said.

Delgado said the department is hoping the community will step up to help locate Gael.

“All of our our canines are very, very special to our department,” she said. “They are all trained to the best of their capacity, and with the best trainers, and right now we’re all devastated that we are unable to locate Gael.”

Filings for benefits dipped to 206,000 last week from a revised 207,000 the week before, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out week-to-week volatility, also fell modestly to 206,000.

Claims for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs, and economists watch them because they can be a sign of where the job market is headed. For the past year, claims have mostly stayed within a historically low range of 200,000 to 230,000 a week.

The American job market has remained sturdy despite higher gasoline prices that have squeezed businesses and consumers since the fighting with Iran began Feb. 28.

Layoffs are low. Businesses, remembering the labor shortages that followed the end of pandemic lockdowns, are reluctant to let go of staff. They're hiring — but modestly by the standards of recent years.

So far this year, employers — companies, government agencies and nonprofits — have been adding an average 80,000 jobs a month, including a surprising 162,000 in August. That is an improvement on a dismal 2025 when monthly job creation averaged less than 10,000 as high interest rates and President Donald Trump's erratic trade policies discouraged hiring.

But it remains well below the 166,000 monthly jobs created, on average, in 2023 and 2024, let alone the 491,000 a month recorded during the 2021-2022 hiring boom that followed COVID-19 lockdowns.

The FFF said the executive committee decision was unanimous.

The FIFA presidential election is scheduled for March.

“Whilst support had initially been given to the FIFA president, who was then the sole candidate for his own succession, the conditions for that support are no longer met,” the FFF said.

“A series of events directly involving FIFA’s governance and its president, and in direct conflict with the fundamental principles of good governance and the values of football, occurred after the FFF expressed its support on June 29.”

The French cited Infantino's plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity for $4.2 billion. FIFA withdrew the proposal on Aug. 1, just days after it was made public, following intense pushback.

“Today, whilst this project has been definitively abandoned thanks to a concerted response within UEFA in conjunction with several other confederations, the issue of FIFA’s governance cannot be considered resolved,” the FFF insisted. It added Infantino's recent initiatives have "seriously damaged the image and unity of football."

UEFA has led the calls for Infantino to go, saying it lost confidence in him and previously threatened to boycott FIFA tournaments, including the World Cup. Several national associations, including England, have withdrawn support for Infantino’s re-election.

FIFA said on Sunday that Infantino plans to stand again in next year’s elections for a final term in office through 2031.

The FFF called for a far-reaching reform of FIFA's governance and said it will launch consultations with leading French and international figures.

“The aim of these consultations," it said, “will be to foster collective reflection and to draw up proposals for a far-reaching transformation of FIFA’s governance, with a view to restoring confidence, enhancing transparency and ensuring the independence and exemplary conduct of world football’s governing body.”

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

The central bank for the 21 EU member countries that use the euro currency raised its benchmark rate by a quarter percentage point to 2.50% at a meeting held in Berlin, away from the bank’s Frankfurt headquarters.

Bank President Christine Lagarde said at her news conference that “the conflict in the Middle East continues to generate inflation pressures, and inflation is set to remain well above target for an extended period.”

“The outlook remains highly uncertain, with risks to the upside for inflation and to the downside for economic growth,” she said, adding that the bank would make future rate decisions meeting by meeting based on incoming data. She said the central bank would not commit to any particular path for rates before seeing the data.

The bank last raised rates at its June 11 meeting, then hit pause at its July 23 session.

Inflation concerns are also weighing on the U.S. Federal Reserve, whose rate-setters next meet Sept. 15-16. Fed Chair Kevin Warsh has said the bank may have “more work to do” to contain U.S. inflation of 3.7%.

High energy prices are one reason eurozone inflation came in at 3.3% in August, above the bank’s target of 2%. Oil prices have risen above $100 per barrel due to threats against traffic that typically moves through the Strait of Hormuz. Rate decisions are complicated by the fact that it’s impossible to say how long the obstruction of shipping and high oil prices will last.

Higher rates cool inflation by making it more expensive to borrow and buy things, from houses to new factories. That reduces demand for goods and eases pressure on prices. The ECB benchmarks affect banks first, and through them lending rates throughout the economy.

The ECB's move was “a hike to stay ahead of the curve, demonstrating the ECB’s high level of vigilance, and an attempt to prevent higher energy prices from feeding through to the broader economy,” Carsten Brzeski, global head of macro at ING bank, wrote in an email.

Also, Trump has pledged to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections. The dubious promise would likely cost more than $1 trillion and require congressional approval, and would further exacerbate the country’s nearly $1.8 trillion annual budget deficit and inflation concerns.

An appeals court on Thursday upheld a block on Trump’s executive order limiting mail voting. The Supreme Court is already considering the same case, reflecting the frenzied legal rush as states are send out mail ballots for the midterm elections. The plan would prohibit the Postal Service from delivering mail ballots from states that don’t get pre-approval for envelope design and submit a list of voters.

Trump also said Wednesday that oil prices that have surged because of the Iran war likely won’t come down until after U.S. midterm elections. The comments were a striking acknowledgment from Trump about the conflict as his Republican administration faces mounting pressure to address high gas prices as the war in Iran grinds on with no conclusion in sight.

Here's the latest:

Some protesters march near GOP convention site

With chants of “say it loud, say it clear, Donald Trump’s not welcome here,” the demonstrators marched Thursday down streets near the American Airlines Center.

But before the protesters could get too close to the site of the Republican’s midterm convention, police stopped them. There’s been a heavy security presence around the convention venue and many nearby roads are closed.

The group held up signs, including some reading: “Vote Blue” and “I’m Against Trump’s Deportation Agenda.”

A few counterprotesters shadowed the group nearby.

Smithsonian marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 with display of rare artifacts

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is honoring the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks this week with displays of dozens of rarely seen objects that tell the story of that day in often searing personal terms.

Among them are seat belts from doomed United Airlines Flight 93, a purse and wallet recovered from the World Trade Center site, and also the telephone at the desk of then U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson’ when his wife, Barbara, called from one of the hijacked planes.

The exhibit runs through Saturday, and it comes as the museum is under growing scrutiny by Trump and Republicans in Congress over the manner in which it tells American history.

Trump meets with Medal of Honor recipients

The president met with recipients of the highest military honor on Thursday during a visit to the National Medal of Honor Museum.

President Trump called the site “an American treasure dedicated to the best and bravest warriors in our country.”

After meeting with military veterans and giving remarks, Trump signed a new bill calling for the creation of a Medal of Honor monument on the National Mall in Washington. The bipartisan bill cleared Congress in August.

Trump stopped by the museum in Arlington, Texas, between events at the Republican midterm convention underway in Dallas. The museum opened last year and honors the more than 3,500 service members who received the award.

Senate majority leader headlines fundraiser for Ken Paxton, Texas Senate candidate

Senate Majority Leader John Thune headlined a fundraiser for Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton in Dallas on Thursday.

The move is intended to help the candidate he and other Senate leadership opposed to be the GOP’s 2026 standard-bearer in the state. The event was confirmed by a Republican familiar with the event who was not permitted to discuss it because it was a private event.

It was unclear how much money Paxton was expected to raise from Thursday’s event. But he has trailed markedly in fundraising with Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico in the campaign’s final weeks.

Speaking Wednesday to the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas, Paxton made his own fundraising pitch to those watching on TV, telling them, “I need your prayers, your votes and your support.”

House Democrats say they’re about more than just criticizing Trump

U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove said working-class struggles in her Los Angeles district keep her focused on more than just blasting the president.

She said Thursday in Dallas that fellow Democrats “have an action recovery plan for the American people, and we are 100% committed to ... bring the cost of living down.”

Jason Crow, her House colleague from Colorado, said it’s time “to stop the bleeding.”

He said House Democrats, if they gain the majority in the chamber, would be able to put a check on Trump’s trade wars, reverse Republicans’ Medicaid cuts and take other actions in support of their positions.

Even if a Democratic House majority could not get legislation signed by the Republican Trump, there’s another key role Democrats say they could play: oversight of the president and his administration.

The delegation in Dallas said it plans to dig into the Trump family’s business dealings and examine how they’ve seen their wealth climb significantly since the president’s return to the White House.

“We will have both the power of the purse and the power of the gavel,” said Kamlager-Dove.

Canada’s prime minister says he and Trump have spoken even as their trade war escalates

The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney said Thursday that the conversations with Trump occurred in “recent days” and involved Ukraine, Iran and other global developments.

“We continue to have work with the United States. We can compartmentalize across this,” Carney said. The contact comes after another escalation in the U.S.-Canada trade war.

Washington this week banned some Canadian alcoholic beverages and some dairy products and motorcycles after Canadian retaliatory tariffs took effect on about $20 billion in U.S. goods. Trump also moved to exclude Canadian products from large, long-term U.S. government contracts.

Trade talks collapsed last month, but Carney said Canada remains open to an agreement.

“Canada is always ready to strike a fair deal,” he said.

Missouri election officials ordered to use 2022 congressional map in November

Missouri’s Republican secretary of state Denny Hoskins has ordered local election authorities to use the 2022 congressional map instead of a congressional map backed by President Donald Trump.

Hoskins announced the change in a statement following a decision Thursday by the U.S. Supreme Court rejecting the map backed by Trump. The map favored by Trump was drawn in a bid to help Republicans gain an additional U.S. House seat. But that has led to weeks of legal wrangling.

It’s all part of a pitched court battle that has created confusion for voters and others shortly before ballots begin going out for the November elections.

Vice President Vance raises $2M on the sidelines of the Republicans' Dallas convention

The vice president, who also serves as the Republican National Committee’s finance chair, brought in a big haul for the party on Thursday at a fundraiser in Dallas. That’s according to a person familiar with the event who was not authorized to speak publicly.

JD Vance has been raising millions for the party since last year in the role.

The position also puts him front of the GOP’s key donors who could be vital if he launches a 2028 presidential campaign.

House Democrats descend on Dallas to blast Trump’s two-day ‘party’

Leading House Democrats are in Texas blasting the Republicans’ midterm convention as an opulent spectacle for an out-of-touch president.

“As Donald Trump and J.D. Vance party away for two days, the average American family can’t afford the groceries,” said Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California. “Donald Trump does not care about the average American family or about affordability.”

That has been a theme of Democratic responses this week.

The Democrats have been juxtaposing big donors paying for access to Trump with rising prices of fuel, groceries and other consumer goods.

“We’re the Truth Brigade, and the American people are tired of the lies,” said Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, another California Democrat.

Democratic U.S. Rep Jason Crow of Colorado said Trump’s midterm convention is a “fantasy land” that is especially offensive now that the U.S. is six months into the president’s war in Iran. Crow is a military veteran, having served in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army officer.

Voting and civil rights groups sue to keep ICE away from polls

The lawsuit cites a statute dating back to the Civil War that forbids armed federal officers from approaching voting sites. It says that law conflicts with Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin’s statement earlier this month that ICE Agents could appear at polls in November in response to specific threats or while pursuing suspects.

The groups, and the city of Denver, which also joined the suit, ask that a federal judge in Washington forbid the department from sending agents to polling places.

Democrats have long worried that Trump will send ICE to polls to try to scare voters away in November. Several Trump administration officials have denied this would happen, though some of the president’s allies have openly called for him to take that step.

Trump administration silence has 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants hoping they’re protected

A deadline for the Trump administration to decide whether about 200,000 immigrants from El Salvador can remain protected from deportation has passed without any public announcement, raising hopes among many for another six-month extension while also sowing confusion.

The Department of Homeland Security has been quiet about its plans, leaving attorneys and advocates scrambling to decipher what might happen next to Salvadorans who’ve been raising families in the U.S. for decades.

On Thursday, Homeland Security issued a statement saying the department would make an announcement “at an appropriate time” and that Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador would stay in effect until then. The department issued the same statement during Wednesday’s deadline.

“Let’s be clear: this is not an official extension or decision by DHS as to the fate of TPS for El Salvador,” Ben Johnson, who directs the American Immigration Lawyers Association, posted Wednesday on social media. The Trump administration is leaving TPS holders, their families and their employers in limbo, he said.

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Trump promises $500 Obamacare rebate checks for 1M enrollees in 30 states

It would be for those whom the White House alleges were overcharged by the Biden administration for exchange fees.

The promise comes after Trump pledged Wednesday to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections and as affordability has become a central issue for voters heading into November.

“The relief begins with refunding everyone who was overcharged and the rebates are going out in just a few weeks,” Trump said in a recorded address released on the White House X account Thursday.

In a fact sheet, the White House claimed former President Joe Biden’s administration “accumulated a significant surplus of funds that were not used to benefit the Americans who paid these higher premiums.”

It’s unclear where the money for the rebates would come from and whether it requires congressional approval for disbursement.

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US Supreme Court decision appears to clear the way for Missouri to use the old map

There were no noted dissents in the brief order.

It comes after a pitched court battle shortly before ballots begin going out for the November elections. The new map was drawn to help Republicans gain an additional seat.

The Supreme Court order came hours after a federal judge allowed Missouri’s top court to proceed with a contempt hearing against Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins. Missouri’s battle over its congressional districts has spanned more than a year and spawned confusion over which districts will be in place for voters.

US Supreme Court again rejects push to use Trump-backed congressional map in Missouri

The U.S. Supreme Court again rejected a push to use Missouri congressional maps backed by President Trump on Thursday, a loss for Republicans trying to maintain control of the House in the fast-approaching midterm elections.

The decision appears to clear the way for use of the old maps.

It comes after a pitched court battle shortly before ballots begin going out for the pivotal November elections. The maps were drawn to help Republicans gain an additional U.S. House seat.

It’s the second time the high court has refused to intervene to keep the Trump-backed maps in place.

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‘Dividend’ is the latest in a long tradition of presidents taking branding liberties

Trump’s “dividend” payments wouldn’t be true dividends. But he’s not the first politician to use labels that stretch the realities of certain policies.

Franklin Roosevelt called Social Security an “old-age insurance system.” But insurance involves premium payments from policy holders financing claims to those same customers. In Social Security, existing workers’ taxes are immediately paid out to older beneficiaries.

Barack Obama pitched his 2009 economic “stimulus bill.” Most of it was tax cuts and direct aid to state governments after the 2008 financial crash. It was more a stabilizing effort than a stimulus.

Republicans call the estate tax, adopted under Democrat Woodrow Wilson, the “death tax” and often suggest it applies broadly. The current exemption is $15 million ($30 million per couple), meaning only inheritances above that are assessed. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that fewer than 1 out of 1,000 deaths yield any federal estate tax.

Jump in oil prices comes as hopes fade that US and Iran may reach a deal soon on Strait of Hormuz

That would fully reopen the strait and allow oil tankers to freely exit the Persian Gulf. President Trump said Wednesday that oil prices likely won’t come down until after the U.S. midterm elections in November.

The jump has pushed the price of a gallon of regular gasoline to an average of nearly $4.28 across the United States, according to AAA. That’s up nearly 34% from a year earlier and is not only costing people more at the pump but also through higher prices for all kinds of products that move by truck to store shelves.

Trump’s chosen ‘dividend’ branding doesn’t fit the usual definition

Investopedia, a leading online source of information about the financial markets, defines “dividends” as “periodic payments made to shareholders from corporate profits.”

That doesn’t apply to direct payments or indirect payments (such as tax credits) from the U.S. Treasury Department to taxpayers. The government is not a for-profit enterprise. Furthermore, the treasury has run an annual deficit every year since 2002 — the first fiscal year following President George W. Bush’s first tax cuts. Since there’s no surplus to divide, that means any payouts would have to be backed by debt instruments that would add to the federal operating deficit and total debt.

The current year’s deficit stands at about $1.8 trillion. The total debt surpassed $40 trillion earlier this year.

Investopedia, meanwhile, also says this about dividend payments: “They can make a stock more attractive to investors but may also signal that a company isn’t doing enough to generate better returns.”

Republicans showcase their ‘big beautiful bill’ to voters, but the law’s impact has been mixed

Working to keep the majority in Congress, Republicans at the midterm convention in Dallas are showcasing their chief legislative accomplishment — the sweeping package of tax breaks, social service cuts and immigration enforcement President Trump signed into law.

A year on, what’s known as the One Big Beautiful Bill — or, the “Big Ugly Bill,” as Democrats call it — has produced mixed results. Millions of people have received enhanced tax breaks, while millions are also losing access to federal food aid and health care. More immigrants are being arrested, many deported, some dying during the process.

House Speaker Mike Johnson calls it the kind of “common sense” governing that Republicans plan to do more of, if voters return them to power.

“Shamefully, not one Democrat voted for it,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., said Wednesday during the convention’s opening night.

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One Republican senator seems to like Trump’s ‘dividend’ idea

Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, who’s attending the GOP midterm convention as he seeks his second term, is among the Republicans embracing Trump’s proposed payout to American adults.

“Comment how you will spend your $5,000 Trump Dividend when Republicans win in November,” he posted on X, eliciting mostly positive responses from his online followers.

Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since the 1932 wave election in the Great Depression. But Marshall faces a surprisingly energetic challenge for reelection from Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton, pastor of the nation’s largest United Methodist congregation.

Marshall did not expound on the cost of Trump’s idea or how it should be carried out legally. The president doesn’t have appropriations power under the Constitution. That power rests with Congress.

US oil jumps above $100 and stock futures slump

The price of U.S. crude oil rose above $100 for the first time Thursday since May with no end in sight in the U.S.-Iran war.

The price for Brent crude, the international standard, rose above $105 a barrel. U.S. stock futures fell, with the S&P 500 down 0.5% and the Nasdaq off by 1.1%.

A report showed that inflation in the U.S. remains stubbornly high on the wholesale level.

Meanwhile, the European Central Bank raised its key interest rate by one-quarter point to try to tame inflation in the European Union. Stock indexes in Europe fell, with Germany’s DAX down 0.7%.

Market in Asia closed lower with the exception of Japan.

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Americans’ individual share of the US debt payments equals 3/4 of Trump’s ‘dividend’ payment

The theoretical $5,000 payments Trump pitched would mean money going directly in Americans’ wallets. But Americans’ also are on the hook for an indirect outlay that’s almost as much: interest payments on the U.S. debt.

The national debt recently crossed the $40 trillion mark. Each year, the federal government pays interest to the investors who’ve financed that debt.

According to Treasury Department data, that interest expense for fiscal year 2026 will come to about $1.27 trillion. Using the Census Bureau’s 2026 population estimate of 340.3 million people, that comes to a per capita share of $3,732 or almost three-quarters of the payout Trump pitched.

Federal judge allows contempt hearing in Missouri redistricting dispute

A federal judge has allowed Missouri’s top court to proceed with a contempt hearing Thursday for Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in a tense and twisting legal battle over whether new congressional districts supported by President Trump can be used in the November election.

Missouri’s top court previously ordered Hoskins not to use a Trump-backed map in the general election. But U.S. District Judge Stephen Clark on Tuesday barred Hoskins from using anything other than the new map Trump supports.

The state Supreme Court then ordered Hoskins to appear for a contempt hearing Thursday for not following its orders.

State attorneys representing Hoskins had asked Clark to halt the contempt hearing. But Clark declined to do so.

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GOP donor doesn’t like Trump’s proposed $5,000 checks

Joe Lonsdale, a prominent Republican donor and activist, is among the Trump allies panning the president’s latest promise to send money directly to Americans.

“I am hugely in favor of winning the midterms, and love much about this (administration),” he wrote on X, “but am strongly against bread and circus bribes.”

Democrats say Trump’s ‘bizarre’ convention is a distraction from his faltering presidency

It’s not just Republicans descending on Dallas for the midterm convention — Democrats are there too as they try to convince voters that the reality of Donald Trump’s second presidency doesn’t match the spectacle of his made-for-TV event.

“This bizarre Republican midterm convention here can’t paper over the fact that Republicans have done nothing to earn your vote,” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a potential 2028 presidential contender, said Wednesday morning.

Besides Pritzker, several leading House Democrats were traveling to Dallas for events, as well. And Texas Democrats hope the spotlight on the state ends up benefiting their candidates.

James Talarico, a Texas state lawmaker who's running against state Attorney General Ken Paxton in a closely watched Senate race, held a food drive Wednesday at Friendship West Baptist Church in Dallas. He compared volunteers’ work with Republicans’ festivities.

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Trump says oil prices that spiked because of Iran war likely won’t come down until after midterms

Trump said Wednesday that oil prices that have surged because of the Iran war likely won’t come down until after U.S. midterm elections.

Oil prices on Wednesday jumped more than 3%, pushing international Brent crude past the $100 threshold for the first time since July as salvos between the U.S. and Iran escalated.

“Right after the election, oil prices are going to be tumbling downward,” Trump said. “I think it’s going to take a little bit longer than the midterm.”

The comments were a striking acknowledgment from Trump about the conflict as his Republican administration faces mounting pressure to address high gas prices as the war in Iran grinds on with no conclusion in sight.

Trump, in an exchange with reporters before traveling to Dallas for the midterm Republican convention, added that he believes Iran will finally relent after the pivotal elections are held in the U.S.

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Trump, hoping to salvage midterms, makes dubious pledge to give every US adult $5,000 if GOP wins

President Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to send every American adult $5,000 if Republicans retain control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, an extraordinary gambit to reverse his party’s sagging fortunes in November.

The dubious promise would likely cost more than $1 trillion and require congressional approval, and would further exacerbate the country’s nearly $1.8 trillion annual budget deficit and concerns about inflation.

“If the Republicans win, you win with us and you get $5,000,” Trump said during the GOP’s midterm convention in Dallas. “It will be called the Trump Dividend.”

He likened the payments to a corporation’s distributions to shareholders, citing “our tremendous strength and success economically.”

Within an hour, Vice President JD Vance appeared to try to walk back Trump’s proposal — at least in part — by suggesting the dividend payments would not go to the wealthy. Vance suggested it could be paid for by U.S. tariff revenues, though the suggested payment dwarfs what the U.S. has taken in through the protectionist measures.

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The Supreme Court's decision marked a defining moment in a pitched legal battle that has lasted nearly a year and caused confusion for voters. Citing the court's latest action, Missouri's chief election official directed local authorities to use U.S. House districts passed in 2022, as the state’s highest court had ordered.

The Trump administration had urged courts to allow use of the president’s preferred map, drawn at his request last year.

The decision means Missouri could run the November general election with different U.S. House districts than were used in the August primary — an extremely rare situation that could switch the candidate choices for more than a million potential voters, or nearly 1 in 4 voters statewide, according to an Associated Press estimate.

No Supreme Court justices publicly dissented from the brief order. It did not detail the court’s legal reasoning, as is typical in emergency appeals.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Missouri's highest court scrutinizes secretary of state’s actions

Earlier Thursday, Missouri's top court convened a hearing on whether to hold Republican Secretary of State Denny Hoskins in contempt for not following its orders to use the districts passed after the last census. Hoskins had instead told local election authorities to use the new Trump-backed map, pointing to a competing order from a federal judge on Tuesday that forbade him from using anything other than the new districts.

Missouri Supreme Court judges, while questioning a state attorney representing Hoskins, repeatedly pressed for Hoskins to send out guidance Thursday to use the 2022 version of the congressional districts.

“We’re in a precarious situation,” Chief Justice W. Brent Powell said.

Hoskins sat silently in the center of the courtroom’s front row and left without answering reporters’ questions. But Hoskins later released a statement acknowledging the U.S. Supreme Court decision, saying “my Office is directing local election authorities to use the 2022 congressional map.”

Missouri voters could face significantly different districts

Outside the court, progressive activist Keith Rose stood in the rain protesting Hoskins’ legal maneuverings to try to use the Trump-backed map. Rose, who helped gather petition signatures to put the new map to a statewide vote, said he hopes the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Thursday ends the uncertainty.

“We need some finality. We need to focus on the real issues that Missourians care about,” Rose said.

Candidates who won Missouri’s August primary already have been certified for the November ballot according to the number of the district they won. But those districts could substantially change shape.

The 5th Congressional District encompasses only the Kansas City area under the 2022 map that Republican lawmakers passed after the last census. Under the revised map backed by Trump, portions are shed to neighboring districts and the remainder is stretched into rural Republican areas. About 59% of the potential voters are new to the district under that version, according to an AP estimate.

Some other states that have switched congressional districts after their primaries have redone their primary votes. Alabama held a new primary in August under revised districts when the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a change to occur after voting in the original May primary.

In Missouri’s case, however, no court has suggested redoing the primary.

The redistricting battle began over a year ago

Missouri’s battle over its congressional districts has spanned more than a year and spawned confusion over which districts will be in place for voters.

It was the second Republican-led state, after Texas, to enact new districts after Trump urged Republicans last year to redraw House districts to their advantage ahead of the midterm elections.

The revised districts target a Kansas City-based seat held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas City, aiming to help Republicans win seven of the state’s eight House seats in the midterm elections.

Redistricting opponents collected hundreds of thousands of petition signatures seeking to force a statewide vote on the new districts. They submitted the signatures in December. But Hoskins waited until August — on the same day as Missouri’s primary — to reject the petition. Hoskins asserted that a referendum petition could not be used for congressional redistricting.

The delay allowed Missouri to use the new districts in its August primary. Cleaver was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. State Sen. Rick Brattin won the Republican primary for the right to challenge Cleaver. Brattin was among those suing in federal court to try to prevent the state from reverting to the prior districts.

Republican state officials have argued it would violate voters’ federal rights to switch districts before the general election.

But the Missouri Supreme Court last week ordered Hoskins to put the redistricting referendum on the November ballot, which he did. It also ruled that the new districts never became law and instead were suspended retroactively to the December petition submission. The court barred Hoskins from using the new map and said the old map — passed by Republican lawmakers in 2022 after the last census — must be used in the November election.

The state then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to block the state court decision. Justice Brett Kavanaugh rejected the request.

The group People Not Politicians Missouri, which sponsored the redistricting referendum, applauded the Supreme Court decisions that left the state court ruling in place.

“The law is the law, the Missouri constitution is clear as was the Missouri Supreme Court,” said Executive Director Richard von Glahn. “The courts have settled this, now it’s up to Missouri voters to finish the job and vote NO on Proposition A.”

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Whitehurst reported from Washington. Associated Press journalist Hannah Recht contributed from Washington.

A year on, what's known as the One Big Beautiful Bill — or, the “Big Ugly Bill,” as Democrats call it — has produced mixed results. Millions of people have received enhanced tax breaks, while millions are also losing access to federal food aid and health care. More immigrants are being arrested, many deported, some dying during the process.

House Speaker Mike Johnson calls it the kind of “common sense” governing that Republicans plan to do more of, if voters return them to power.

“Shamefully, not one Democrat voted for it,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., said Wednesday during the convention's opening night.

Here's a look at what the big bill has accomplished, over the objections of Democrats.

Tax breaks for millions

Millions of taxpayers enjoyed tax benefits this year they might not even realize they received — the continuation of policies from Trump's first term, in 2017, that were set to expire at the end of 2025 if Congress had failed to act.

The legislation extended those Trump tax breaks and added new ones, including no taxes on tips, overtime pay and certain auto loan interest payments. There's a larger standard deduction, a bigger child tax credit and an extra deduction for many seniors, as well as new Trump accounts for children.

“Let me hear you if you’re benefiting from those tax cuts President Trump fought for,” Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said at the convention.

Cheers rippled through the audience.

All told, some 7.5 million filers claimed no tax on tipped income, 29 million people claimed no tax on overtime and 35 million took the enhanced senior deduction, the Treasury Department said. Nearly 40 million families claimed the bigger child tax credit.

But the flow of the tax breaks has been uneven, with larger gains at the upper incomes.

Garrett Watson, vice president of federal tax policy at the nonpartisan Tax Foundation, said people may not feel the tax cuts, which averaged $2,300, “because it's just continuing what was already the case.”

Actual refunds were up by about $350 on average, the foundation said, about an 11% increase.

“It was avoiding a tax hike,” he said, which is different from “here’s additional relief.”

Those gains have been largely offset by costs from Trump's tariffs and other policies, he said.

Cuts to SNAP food aid and healthcare

A centerpiece of the bill brought substantive changes to the nation's federal food assistance and healthcare programs, with stricter new work requirements for many people who receive aid.

The shifts are set to chisel more than $1 trillion from the programs as fewer people are enrolled, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

So far, 4 million fewer people are receiving food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, according to federal data compiled by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a think tank in Washington.

SNAP participation rates have dropped in every state, and more than 800,000 children are no longer receiving the aid in at least 13 states with publicly accessible data, according to the think tank.

While SNAP has always required certain people to work as part of receiving the aid, the Republicans extended the requirement to more people, including older Americans through age 64 who are able-bodied and without young children.

The Medicaid health program has not had such a work requirement, and will soon face one as part of the big bill.

While a few states have begun imposing the Medicaid work requirement this year, most will launch in 2027. The CBO has estimated more than 7 million people will be without health insurance from the Medicaid changes. The bill adds a $50 billion fund to help rural hospitals handle the cuts.

Republicans said their goal has been to root out what they call waste, fraud and abuse in the food aid and healthcare programs and get people back to work. Recipients are required to work, do community service or enroll in education programs for 80 hours a month.

Advocates for the programs say many of those who can work already do, relying on the aid to help make ends meet.

All told, the tax breaks and program cuts add up to fewer resources for poorer people — and more for those in the upper incomes.

“Resources will decrease for households toward the bottom of the income distribution," the budget office said, “whereas resources will increase for households in the middle and toward the top of the income distribution.”

There's more money for the Pentagon and deportations

The package provided some $350 billion for the Defense and Homeland Security departments, supercharging agency budgets.

The Pentagon's $150 billion boost is funding a range of projects, though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth returned to Capitol Hill this summer seeking additional money to help pay for the war against Iran.

Homeland Security was given some $175 billion in the big bill, largely to support Trump's immigration enforcement and deportation agenda.

Immigration arrests surged to a high of nearly 50,000 in July, as Homeland Security redoubled its efforts following a slowdown in the aftermath of the deaths of two Americans, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by law enforcement while protesting the federal enforcement actions in Minneapolis.

Then in August, Homeland Security said it set another record, nearly 51,000 immigration arrests.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been on a hiring spree, while state and local police departments are also tapping additional funds to partner with ICE.

Deficits rise and debt hits a milestone

The big bill is expected to increase the nation's deficit by $3.4 trillion over the decade, according to a CBO analysis.

Tax revenues are projected to fall by $4.5 trillion, thanks to the tax breaks, offset partly by a $1.1 trillion reduction in spending, largely to the food and healthcare programs.

The nation's annual deficits are hovering at nearly $2 trillion, and the accumulated U.S. debt now stands at $40 trillion, a milestone.

“The era of gentle diplomatic pleasantries and calculated silence, which has been misinterpreted as tacit consent, has come to an end,” protest leader Sondhi Limthongkul, a media mogul and political activist, told the crowd while reading from an open letter to Israel’s ambassador to Thailand, Alona Fisher-Kamm.

Recent incidents drawing public scrutiny in Thailand have involved tourists of several nationalities, but one of the highest profile cases was of an Israeli tourist who was convicted of threatening a zoo owner and then deported.

Fisher-Kamm met Tuesday with Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow to address concerns and discuss possible solutions.

Sondhi said the embassy and Israeli government should understand “generosity must never be mistaken for weakness, hospitality does not equate to submission to exploitation and courtesy is not an open license for anyone to act with impunity on our sovereign soil.”

In a video message posted to Facebook on Thursday following the morning protest, Israeli embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Rami Teplitskiy said they are not ignoring news and negative sentiments about Israeli tourists in Thailand.

“The embassy will continue to work hard to foster sustainable friendship and ensure everyone enjoys Thailand with mutual respect,” he said in a message delivered in Hebrew with English and Thai subtitles.

The relevant agencies in both countries are working to resolve the issues together and Israeli visitors to Thailand will receive official travel guidance asking them to respect Thai laws and culture, Teplitskiy said.

Protesters call for respect of Thai culture and laws

Sondhi, who founded a protest movement that led to the 2006 ouster of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, voiced a litany of complaints against Israelis in Thailand, including violations of domestic laws, creating public disturbances and showing disrespect for local traditions and cultures.

Thailand's economy is heavily dependent on tourism, but also has implemented new measures to ensure visitors respect the country's norms. The government also has cracked down on foreigners who overstay visas or seek to circumvent property-ownership regulations, while also shortening visa-free stays.

Israeli visitors last year generated about $1.2 billion of Thailand's $48 billion in income derived from tourism. More than 277,000 Israelis visited Thailand in the first eight months of 2026, up about 7% over the same period last year, according to Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports.

High profile cases include Israelis, French and Italians

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul last week ordered the deportation of an Israeli man who was convicted of threatening a zoo owner on the resort island of Koh Samui. The zoo had displayed a Palestinian flag.

The case was the first use of new regulations designed to ease the deportation of foreigners who break Thai laws or show “undesirable behavior.”

The French citizen who owned the zoo also had been accused of causing several other unrelated disturbances and was ordered to be deported days later.

While there has been a focus on Israelis, a confrontation in July between a Thai woman and a group of boisterous Italian students on a Bangkok train was caught on video and went viral, sparking widespread anger against the visitors. The Italian embassy intervened and posted an apology video from the group.

Israeli ambassador proposes guidance for Thailand visitors

The Jerusalem Post reported that Fisher-Kamm, the Israeli ambassador, acknowledged the concerns during the meeting with Sihasak and proposed issuing a “do's and don'ts” document for Israeli travelers, which was a demand by protesters on Thursday.

The Thai foreign minister said after the meeting that Thailand felt it could not “stand idly by” if visitors are acting detrimentally toward the country or people.

“Thailand is a country that welcomes tourists, but at the same time, our hospitality doesn’t mean that tourists, regardless of their nationality, can do whatever they want in Thailand,” Sihasak told reporters in Bangkok.

The Israeli embassy told The Associated Press on Wednesday it takes the concerns seriously and has provided practical guidance about Thailand to Israeli communities, adding that those who violate the laws should face appropriate consequences.

Public attention, however, may be disproportionate to the scale of incidents involving Israeli citizens and should not be taken as a representation of all Israelis in Thailand, the embassy said.

Chabad of Thailand, the country’s branch of an Orthodox Jewish movement that was mentioned by name in the open letter by protesters, said it had no immediate comment on the demonstration or the letter.

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David Rising in Bangkok and Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, contributed to this report.

They spent the first night denouncing Democrats as extremists before Trump capped Wednesday with a speech saying the choice this election is “very, very simple” and making the outlandish promise of $5,000 to each American adult, if his party wins.

Such a proposal could cost more than $1 trillion at a time when the nation faces a record $40 trillion debt and even some Republicans balked at the idea of tying direct payments to election results. Joe Lonsdale, a prominent donor and activist who supports much of what Trump has done in office, said on X that he is “strongly against bread and circus bribes.”

Thursday's lineup is expected to feature many of the same themes and includes a keynote from Vice President JD Vance and closing remarks from Trump.

Republicans are trying to overcome voters' concerns about the economy and the war with Iran, and many still see solidarity with Trump as their best shot at winning in November despite the president's low approval ratings.

“The midterms are not supposed to be won by the sitting president,” Trump acknowledged during a lengthy primetime speech.

But he predicted this one will be “something very special,” and encouraged voters to cast their ballots as if they were voting for him.

“Pretend I’m on the ballot,” he said.

A roster of Republican lawmakers, some of them the most electorally endangered in the country, took their turns Wednesday echoing warnings that tax cuts and immigration enforcement are all at risk if Democrats win. Many others skipped the confab altogether, and the party is competing for attention with another American institution, the National Football League, which started its season this week.

Democrats, holding their own events around the city, portrayed the Republicans as out of touch with voters' concerns about high prices and the ethics of the Trump administration.

“We want to ensure that people can actually live their lives, be able to work, have access to healthcare,” said Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, “and the president’s more interested in sending bizarre, deranged social media posts and having his party in Dallas.”

They're showcasing accomplishments and warning of what's to come

Vance’s keynote will be closely watched for any hints about his political aspirations. The vice president has demurred on whether he will run for president in 2028, but he’s widely expected to pursue a campaign as the heir to Trump’s political movement.

The vice president, who also serves as the Republican National Committee’s finance chair, raised $2 million for the party earlier Thursday at a fundraiser in Dallas, according to a person familiar with the event who was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The second night of the convention is expected to delve deeply into what House Speaker Mike Johnson calls the “Contrast for America," as Republicans showcase what they call their “Big Beautiful Bill” of tax breaks and spending cuts, and warn of a future if Democrats take control.

The campaign slogan is a throwback to an earlier era, when another Republican leader, Newt Gingrich, offered a Contract with America. This time, rather than presenting a detailed list of priorities, Republicans are drawing a contrast with the Democrats, who they contend are too far left and would focus on investigating the Trump administration.

“This is what we're talking about when we say common sense versus crazy communists,” said Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., warning of impeachments ahead if Republicans stay home.

“Are you going to let that happen?” he asked.

Many in the crowd, filled with MAGA gear and cowboy hats, roared back, “No!”

Republicans have been quick to portray all Democrats as in line with their most liberal candidates, particularly a new generation, some backed by the Democratic Socialists of America. Still, one Democrat, outlier Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, joined by video address, saying he would always reject extremes.

Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota, the House GOP Whip, roused the crowd by angrily name-checking incumbent Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar from Minneapolis and Senate Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, along with New York City’s Mayor Zohran Mamdani, three of the nation’s most prominent Muslim politicians.

“If you're not happy here, then get the hell out,” he said.

Trump hopes the convention will help GOP buck historical trends

With the Republican majorities in the House and Senate both at risk this fall, the president’s agenda for his final two years in office is also at stake. The margins in Congress are expected to be narrow, with a few seats in a shrunken map of competitive races determining the outcome.

Presidents past have acknowledged their midterm losses — Barack Obama called his 2010 setbacks a “shellacking,” George W. Bush labeled his a “thumping.”

But Trump often refuses to accept defeat, including his false claims that he, rather than Joe Biden, won the 2020 election. One of the many people he pardoned for their actions in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, former Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes, appeared at the convention.

Trump on Wednesday said that in this election, “all that matters is that we are united."

He predicted that “the great American majority is going to stand up and continue to Make America Great Again. And we will make our voices heard, perhaps like never before.”

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This story has been updated to correct the name of the donor and activist to Joe Lonsdale, not Joe Londsdale.

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Mascaro reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Jill Colvin, Thomas Beaumont and Jamie Stengle in Dallas, Will Weissert, Steven Sloan, and Aamer Madhani in Washington, JJ Cooper in Phoenix, Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa, and Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia, contributed to this report.

The U.S. will play the winner of the Spain-Australia game on Saturday in the medal round. France played China and Belgium played host Germany in the other quarterfinal matchups.

The Americans have now won 34 consecutive games in the tournament dating to a loss to Russia in the 2006 World Cup semifinals. The U.S. has made every medal round since 1983 when the format changed to have medal rounds.

It was a record-breaking performance for the U.S. The 108 points was the most by any team ever in a quarterfinal. The U.S. had 31 assists, again the most in this round.

“When that ball is moving, we want to get the best possible shot,” said Kahleah Copper, who had 10 points. “We want to make sure everybody gets involved. Everyone here on this roster, we know what they’re doing on their respective (WNBA) teams. But you come here, you sacrifice a little bit of that.”

Copper said the players were always looking to turn good scoring opportunities into great ones. The Americans did just that.

The U.S. was off and running early against Hungary, jumping out to a 36-12 lead after the first quarter. The Americans were constantly pounding the ball inside and converting turnovers into easy layups. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese showed their growing chemistry on the court, finishing the quarter with a nifty pick and roll just before the buzzer. Collier had 10 points in the first 10 minutes.

The offense was sizzling early on as the Americans hit 20 of their first 26 shots (77%), including five of six 3-point attempts to race to a 50-18 lead with 6 minutes left in the first half. The Americans led 59-30 at the break — the highest scoring first half in team history in a knockout game at the event according to FIBA.

The Americans got a little scare when Sonia Citron had to leave in the third quarter when she was hit in the nose by a Hungary player's hand by accident. Citron returned to start the fourth quarter.

Clark finished with 10 points and nine assists, just missing out on her second double-double of the tournament.

The U.S. was also solid on defense. They contained Hungary's top scorer Dorka Juhasz, who plays for the Minnesota Lynx. She came into the game averaging 15.3 points and 11 rebounds in the tournament. She missed her first seven shots and didn't get her first basket until 2:26 was left in the half. She finished the game with two points on 1 of 12 shooting.

Hungary came away with its best finish ever in the World Cup by reaching the quarterfinals for the first time. Hungary was fifth in the 1957 tournament but back then it was a round robin with no medal rounds.

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

A new Ipsos poll finds that about half of U.S. adults name the 9/11 attacks in an open-ended question about the most important historic occurrences in their lifetimes. That's despite other momentous events that have happened since then, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the elections of Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

The polling points to the enduring legacy of 9/11, even as many Americans today are too young to have experienced or comprehended the event a quarter century ago. Ipsos found that the vast majority of Americans remember where they were when they heard about the attacks, and about two-thirds of Americans say it impacted the country “a great deal.” Separate polling from Gallup finds about 3 in 10 U.S. adults say they permanently changed the way they live their lives because of the attacks.

Despite the widespread impact, the Ipsos poll finds relatively few Americans will be marking the anniversary in some way. Only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults plans to do something to commemorate Friday's 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Kevin Noel, 51, remembers watching the catastrophe unfold after he got out of a subway station to head to work near the World Trade Center that morning. To this day, the smell of the deadly inferno comes back to him whenever he’s in the area. He views 9/11 as the most historic event he’s lived through and believes “we’re going to be remembering this for the rest of history.” He plans to reflect on it privately on Friday.

“Every Sept. 11, I just — it’s a traumatic day for me where I just go silent,” Noel said.

The 9/11 attacks top the list of historic events in many Americans’ lifetime

For Americans who can remember the Sept. 11 attacks, they were a defining moment.

When U.S. adults were asked to list up to five of the most important historic events in their lifetime in the open-ended question -- where respondents answered in their own words -- the Sept. 11 attacks overshadowed the much more recent COVID-19 pandemic, which 31% of U.S. adults mentioned.

Other events, including the elections of Trump and Obama, space expeditions and the fall of the Berlin Wall, were cited by many Americans as defining moments. For Americans 65 and older, the most frequently mentioned events were the Sept. 11 attacks, followed by President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, space expeditions and the Vietnam War.

Clara Kiel, 88, says World War II had more impact on her life personally, as it hung over her childhood and she knew people who served. But she recalls the shock of watching 9/11 happen on TV from her living room. She also plans to take a moment to reflect privately on the 25th anniversary.

“It always seems like there’s something in history that changes the way people think," said Kiel, a retired secretary in Onamia, Minnesota. “9/11 did it for the generation that grew up through that.”

For younger Americans under 35, COVID-19 is more prominent. About half of U.S. adults under 35 say the pandemic was among the most impactful events of their lifetime, while about one-third mention 9/11. A significant share of younger adults were not born when the attacks happened, or were too young to remember where they were at the time.

About 6 in 10 adults who were born after the attacks say they first learned about 9/11 in a class or through schoolwork, according to a Pew Research Center poll conducted in August.

Californian Kainoa Ilac, 18, who's heading to college in Los Angeles, learned about the attacks from his parents, who are history teachers.

“I think that I and a lot of my peers in my generation still feel the effects of that day,” from airport security to awareness of the government’s ability to monitor communications, he said.

Americans overwhelmingly say the 9/11 attacks impacted the country

About 9 in 10 Americans say the attacks on Sept. 11 impacted the United States “a great deal” or “quite a bit,” according to Ipsos. Roughly 7 in 10 say it had at least “quite a bit” of impact on the world, and about 6 in 10 say it had a significant impact on their generation. Closer to 3 in 10 say it impacted their family or them personally.

Americans ages 50 and older are especially likely to say the attacks affected them personally.

Among the roughly 1 in 10 Americans who plan to mark the day, about 7 in 10 say they will participate in a moment of silence, and most, 56%, will display an American flag.

Lakesha Crowell remembers 9/11 in detail, including where she was sitting in her sophomore world history class in Meridian, Mississippi, when the teacher disclosed that two planes had hit New York’s World Trade Center. She recalls the security changes, the economic fallout, the way some people around her began looking differently upon foreigners, and the sense of vigilance at both individual and national levels.

“It affected us a lot, because it changed our way of living, and it changed our way of thinking,” said Crowell, 40.

Confidence in government’s ability to protect Americans from terrorism is down

Americans are divided on whether the country has become safer from foreign attacks since 9/11.

The Ipsos poll found about one-third of U.S. adults say the country is “more safe,” and a similar share say it is “less safe.” The remaining one-third, roughly, say the U.S. is about as safe as it was before the attacks.

Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say the country has become safer.

Recent Gallup polling found most U.S. adults, 55%, have “a great deal” or “a fair amount” of confidence in the U.S. government to protect its citizens from future acts of terrorism. That faith was at its highest, 88%, in polling conducted in the days after the 9/11 attack. It has ticked down over the 25-year trend, but the most recent measure is among the lowest recorded, similar to a poll conducted just after a deadly 2015 mass shooting in southern California.

Additionally, about one-third say they are “very” or “somewhat” worried that they or someone in their family will become a victim of terrorism. That’s down from about 6 in 10 who said that in the days following Sept. 11, 2001.

David Bronkhurst, a 49-year-old in Bloomingdale, New Jersey, recalls that after the attacks, his then-partner volunteered at the World Trade Center disaster site, handing out supplies to rescue and recovery workers, and some friends changed career paths to join the fire department. Other friends on the city’s police force died from cancers after they were exposed to toxins from the ash and dust at ground zero, he said.

He plans to attend an annual candlelight procession from a neighboring town to his own.

Bronkhurst doesn’t consider the country safer now than it was before the attacks — but he doesn’t worry too much that terrorism might strike him or his family. “You can’t go through life being scared," he said.

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Peltz reported from New York.

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The Ipsos poll of 1,013 adults was conducted Aug. 21-23 using a sample drawn from Ipsos's probability-based KnowledgePanel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.

En la isla de Kauai, la tormenta dañó complejos turísticos frente al mar, dejó sin electricidad a la población y destrozó carreteras. Y en Lanai, un puerto de carga que suministra gran parte de los alimentos y el combustible a los 3.300 residentes de la isla estaba inoperable, detalló el gobernador del estado.

Probablemente se necesitarán dos semanas para reparar el puerto de Lanai, dijeron funcionarios del Departamento de Transporte del estado. Se estaba planificando otras opciones para llevar suministros a la isla.

Lowell rozó las islas durante las horas nocturnas del martes con vientos dañinos que se extendieron mucho más allá del centro del huracán, que se mantuvo mar adentro.

Aunque ha sido una temporada de huracanes del Atlántico relativamente tranquila, ha habido cuatro huracanes en el Pacífico desde principios de agosto. Una nueva tormenta tropical se formó el jueves.

En Hawai, los primeros en responder en el extremo sur de Kauai encontraron el miércoles el cuerpo de un hombre de 74 años cerca de la costa. Las autoridades creen que su muerte estuvo relacionada con la marejada ciclónica, de acuerdo con la policía.

El gobernador de Hawai, Josh Green, dijo que otro hombre murió en Oahu cuando un árbol grande cayó sobre su tienda de campaña el lunes durante la tormenta. El hombre no tenía hogar y vivía en un parque, agregó.

Gobernador de Hawai pide a Trump emitir declaración de desastre

El gobernador demócrata pidió el miércoles al presidente Donald Trump que emita una declaración de desastre mayor para acelerar la ayuda federal para los condados Kauai y Maui.

“No podemos esperar a que cada carretera dañada, poste de servicios públicos, puerto e instalación pública tenga asignado un valor en dólares antes de pedir al gobierno federal que actúe”, resaltó Green al hacer la solicitud.

Lowell dejó sin electricidad a muchos de los 73.000 residentes de Kauai el martes, pero el servicio se estaba restableciendo, y la Cooperativa de Servicios Públicos de la Isla de Kauai informó al día siguiente que la electricidad había vuelto en tres hospitales. En toda la isla, poco menos de 16.000 clientes estaban sin electricidad el jueves, según poweroutage.us.

Imágenes de la destrucción mostraron que la tormenta voló ventanas de apartamentos en la planta baja, derribó líneas eléctricas y arrojó rocas de lava a las carreteras.

El gobernador dijo que la destrucción general de la infraestructura, los negocios y las viviendas de Hawai podría ser comparable a la del huracán Iniki —una tormenta de categoría 4 que azotó Kauai en 1992 y causó 3.000 millones de dólares en daños.

Desde entonces, Lowell fue degradado a tormenta tropical y se desplazaba hacia el oeste sobre aguas abiertas.

Nueva tormenta se forma en el Pacífico

La tormenta tropical Norbert se formó el jueves en el océano Pacífico y no representaba una amenaza para tierra, informaron los meteorólogos.

El Centro Nacional de Huracanes de Estados Unidos, con sede en Miami, indicó que la tormenta se encontraba a unos 1.102 kilómetros (685 millas) al suroeste del extremo sur de la península de Baja California, en México. Tenía vientos máximos sostenidos de 64 km/h (40 mph) y se desplazaba hacia el oeste.

El centro señaló que no había alertas ni avisos costeros en vigor. Se pronosticó un fortalecimiento gradual durante los próximos días.

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

But travel scams have become more sophisticated, and scammers using new artificial intelligence tools have become better at creating fake websites and using stolen data to their advantage, said Florent Silve, an executive at Engine, a corporate travel management platform.

“What used to look like a fake website now becomes much harder to spot by consumers,” Silve said.

According to a Federal Trade Commission report published in June, Americans last year reported losing $3.5 billion to scams in which impostors contacted them through text, email, phone, social media and search engines, though those weren't all travel scams. Nearly 1 in 3 fraud reports were about impostor scams, making it the most reported fraud category.

Travel scams can happen before you even hop on a plane, with scammers posing as your hotel or airline to take advantage of the fact that you're expecting to receive communications from those companies.

“In the past, people were like ‘Oh if I receive a scam that is completely out of place, that's how I know it’s a scam.’ But now, the most dangerous scams don’t look suspicious; they look expected,” said Iskander Sanchez-Rola, a scam expert for Norton, a cybersecurity company.

If you’re planning a trip soon, here are some expert recommendations to stay safe from travel scams:

Beware of reservation hijacking

A new common travel scam is reservation hijacking, Sanchez-Rola said. In this scam, imposters send you an email or text, pretending to be your hotel. They pretend that something went wrong, such as a failed payment, and say you need to take immediate action.

What makes these scams particularly difficult to spot is that scammers often use real information to make you believe they are legit, Sanchez-Rola said. Scammers target hotel systems by phishing hotel staff to get login credentials and then accessing legitimate information from hotels or booking services. Using this information, scammers send you an email with your actual reservation dates or the exact cost of your hotel stay, hoping to convince you they're with the company you used to make the reservation.

“The main thing is that this isn’t a fake booking confirmation, it’s a real reservation that is weaponized against you," Sanchez-Rola said.

If you encounter this type of scam, Sanchez-Rola recommends that you don’t rush to make a payment through the provided link and instead call your hotel directly. Don’t call the number attached to the email or text you received because it might have come from the scammer. Instead, go to the official hotel website and call the number listed there.

Be wary of flight cancellation notifications

Another popular scam involves flight cancellations, Sanchez-Rola said. Scammers contact you with an urgent message saying your flight has been canceled or delayed, then pretend to help you rebook your flight for an additional cost.

“You're going to a place, and one day before that happens, they tell you that the flight was canceled," Sanchez-Rola said. “So in that moment, there is an inherent urgency.”

If you receive a text saying that your flight has been canceled, don’t panic. First, go directly to your airline’s portal and verify the information. If you need to rebook your flight, do so directly with the airline or third-party booking system you originally used. Above all, don’t click on any links sent to you through a text message, Sanchez-Rola said.

To help keep yourself safe from being scammed in the first place, don't post photos of your plane tickets and other travel documents on social media. Even if you cover your flight number with emojis, the ticket can reveal more than you think.

“The QR codes or the barcodes that are there include a lot of information," Sanchez-Rola said. “Sometimes they even include information about returning flights.”

Beware of QR codes

In recent years, QR codes have become a popular way to pay your bill at your restaurant table. This may be convenient, but it can also make you a target for scams, said Alissa Abdullah, Mastercard’s deputy chief security officer. Scammers paste a new code overlapping the restaurant’s code and direct customers to a fraudulent payment system.

“You may be sitting at a coffee shop and have a real QR code with a fake one that’s a sticker laid right on top,” Abdullah said.

If you’re suspicious of the payment page or notice a sticker laid on top of another at a restaurant, Abdullah recommends that you speak with a staff member and find a different way to pay, such as cash or a credit card.

Be careful when using public Wi-Fi

It’s very common to connect to a public Wi-Fi network to find your way around a new city or download your plane tickets at the airport. While free Wi-Fi can help during travel, it also carries some cybersecurity risks.

“Sometimes cyber criminals will create a network that looks close to the name of a legit network to dupe you into logging onto their network,” said Brian Cute, chief executive officer and director of the capacity and resilience program at Global Cyber Alliance, a nonprofit focused on reducing cyber risk.

If you access a scammer’s network, they can steal personal information, damage your system, or gain remote access to your devices. If you need to use public Wi-Fi, Cute recommends that you stick to basic searches, like how to get to your hotel, rather than accessing websites such as your bank or email.

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The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

On the island of Kauai, the storm damaged oceanfront resorts, knocked out power and ripped apart roads, while on Lanai, a cargo port that supplies much of the food and fuel to the island's 3,300 residents was inoperable, the state's governor said.

It will likely take two weeks to repair Lanai's harbor, state Transportation Department officials said. Planning was underway on other options to get supplies to the island.

Lowell brushed by the islands in the overnight hours Tuesday with damaging winds that extended well beyond the hurricane's center, which stayed offshore.

While it has been a relatively quiet Atlantic hurricane season, there have been four hurricanes in the Pacific since the beginning of August. A new tropical storm formed on Thursday.

In Hawaii, first responders on Kauai's south end found the body of a 74-year-old man on Wednesday near the shoreline. Authorities believe his death was related to the storm surge, police said.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said another man was killed on Oahu when a large tree fell on his tent Monday during the storm. The man was homeless and living in a park, he said.

Hawaii's governor asks Trump to declare a disaster

The Democratic governor on Wednesday asked President Donald Trump to issue a major disaster declaration to expedite federal help for Kauai and Maui counties.

“We cannot wait for every damaged road, utility pole, harbor and public facility to be assigned a dollar value before asking the federal government to act,” Green said in making the request.

Lowell knocked out power to many of Kauai's 73,000 residents on Tuesday but electricity was being restored, with the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative saying the following day that power was back on at three hospitals. Across the island, just under 16,000 customers were without power Thursday, according to poweroutage.us.

Images of the destruction showed that the storm blew out windows of ground floor apartments, downed power lines and tossed lava rocks onto roadways.

The governor said the overall destruction to Hawaii's infrastructure, businesses and homes may be comparable to that of Hurricane Iniki — a Category 4 storm that walloped Kauai in 1992 and caused $3 billion in damage.

Lowell has since been downgraded to a tropical storm and was moving westward over open water.

A new storm forms in the Pacific

Tropical Storm Norbert formed Thursday in the Pacific but wasn't threatening land, forecasters said.

The storm was about 685 miles (1,102 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula of Mexico, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (64 kph) and was moving west.

There were no coastal watches or warnings in effect, the center said. Some gradual strengthening was forecast over the coming days.

The ship was being repaired in the Beihai Shipbuilding Co. at the port of Qingdao, a major shipping hub on the northeastern Chinese coast. A photo released by Xinhua news agency identified the ship as the Ocean Melody, which sails under a Liberian flag, according to the tracking website VesselFinder.

A total of 42 people had been on the vessel, and 12 of them were safely evacuated, Xinhua reported. Five were injured and taken to the hospital, and they remained in a stable condition.

The fire started around 11 a.m. Thursday and was extinguished by 2:30 p.m. local time. Videos online showed workers on the ship attempting to put out the fire.

China’s President Xi Jinping issued “important instructions” to urgently conduct rescues of missing people on the ship, Xinhua said, adding that Premier Li Qiang called for “trapped” people to be rescued.

Xi also called for ensuring “preventive measures are thoroughly implemented” and “resolutely prevent major and catastrophic accidents.”

Beihai Shipbuilding is part of the state-controlled China State Shipbuilding Corporation, the world’s largest shipbuilder. Its main businesses include shipbuilding and ship repairing, according to Beihai Shipbuilding’s website.

Roma had missed seven Champions League seasons since reaching the last 16 in 2018-19, while Fenerbahce was last in Europe's top-tier competition in the 2008-09 campaign.

Roma took the lead on Bryan Cristante's low shot from outside the box in the 39th minute. Fenerbahce left back Archie Brown moved into a center forward position and looked like a natural striker as he flicked the ball over the goalkeeper to level the score in the 48th. Nathan Aké headed against the bar late on with a chance to win the game for Fenerbahce.

United States full back Sergiño Dest scored for PSV Eindhoven off a low cross in a 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk after Gleiker Mendoza had opened the scoring for the Ukrainian team.

Bayern and Manchester United kick off later

Six-time winner Bayern Munich hosts last season’s surprise package Bodø/Glimt, and upstart Como makes its debut against Leipzig.

Bodø/Glimt is coming off a run to the last 16 that included victories over Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Inter Milan. The tiny Norwegian club has already come through two rounds of qualifying to reach the league phase again.

With 14 goals in 13 matches last season, Bayern striker Harry Kane finished second only to Kylian Mbappé (15) in last season's scoring chart. Bayern was eliminated by eventual champion Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals.

Cesc Fabregas' Como finished fourth ahead of Juventus and AC Milan last season to claim Serie A’s final Champions League spot with a high-pressing brand of soccer that is uncommon in Italy.

Having played in the fourth division of Italian soccer just seven years ago, it’s the first time in Como’s 119-year history that it has qualified for a continental competition.

Also, three-time winner Manchester United marks its Champions League return after two years out by hosting Azerbaijani debutant Sabah, which came through three rounds of qualifying and a playoff to make it this far.

Slavia Prague plays Lens in the other late match.

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See AP’s full soccer coverage here

State coastal officials voted Wednesday to allow a plan to build the United States' largest kelp farm 6 miles (10 kilometers) off the Southern California coast to move forward as the Trump administration seeks to ramp up aquaculture in the Pacific Ocean.

Ocean Rainforest, which is based in the Faroe Islands in Northern Europe, is planning to grow giant kelp on a roughly 3-square-mile (7.8-square-kilometer) stretch of federal waters to develop products to boost soil and plant health in California’s avocado farms and strawberry fields. Some environmentalists are concerned that the lines used to grow seaweed could tangle whales and that increased boat traffic will disrupt an expanse of ocean that has been wild.

Ocean Rainforest said it plans to gradually build up the sea farm over a decade and could harvest as much as 6,000 tons of kelp at full capacity, ramping up a U.S. seaweed industry that lags behind Asia despite the country's extensive coastlines. The plan is to harvest kelp and process it in the port city of Ventura about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.

“Let’s start in our backyard,” Douglas Bush, Ocean Rainforest's director of California operations, said in a recent interview. “Let’s grow the seaweed here, let’s process here in California, let’s use it in California farms.”

Farm part of push for aquaculture

The proposal to grow kelp off Ventura County comes as the Trump administration seeks to promote commercial aquaculture. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration last year designated 13 areas totaling 33 square miles (85 square kilometers) for the development of aquaculture off California and Texas. The plan is part of a 2020 push to develop the U.S. seafood industry.

It also comes as the market for seaweed has been growing for uses ranging from restaurant dishes to pet food. Dozens of farms are cultivating different types of seaweed in New England, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. A World Bank report in 2023 estimated seaweed markets could grow another $11.8 billion by 2030.

Some environmental groups backed the California project, noting seaweed can help absorb carbon dioxide from warming ocean waters and restore habitat while feeding off ocean nutrients.

Environmentalists raise questions

But some raised questions about the impact of hundreds of boat trips a year to maintain and harvest the seaweed and the potential for whales migrating or feeding in the area to get tangled in lines stretching up from the sea floor, or tethered to buoys, to grow the kelp. Ocean Rainforest said no whales got tangled in taut lines during a two-year demo project.

“This is our blue Serengeti. This is a very wild place,” said Geoff Shester, director of fishery innovation at the ocean conservation group Oceana. “It’s like you might as well put a bunch of industrial data centers in Yosemite National Park.”

Cassidy Teufel, deputy director at the coastal commission, said during a review of the project that seaweed farms use taut, rigid lines, not the loose fishing lines that are a leading cause of whale entanglements. The farm will be located further offshore where there's a lower density of marine mammals, Teufel said.

It is possible the project will draw fish, and sportfishing will be permitted in the area, Teufel said. Some commercial fishing will be displaced, and Ocean Rainforest and fishermen said they are working on an industry support fund.

Under U.S. law, California officials have a say over projects built on federal properties that will affect the state’s coast. The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously to let the kelp farm move forward with conditions including a phased approach. Ocean Rainforest will initially build in a smaller area and face periodic reviews by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the commission's director before expanding to full capacity.

With the decision, Ocean Rainforest said it has the major approvals needed for the project. Construction could begin in 2027.

The region around Ventura is known for growing strawberries, avocados and other crops.

Ted Travers, chief operating officer of the avocado farm Simpatica, said he was eager to see kelp-based products for agriculture developed on the West Coast. He said in a letter to the commission that all the kelp currently used for agricultural purposes comes from the Atlantic Ocean, “which is financially and environmentally impractical.”

Ventura and port officials welcomed the project as a way to bring new industry and jobs to the city of 100,000 people.

They'll have only about 36 hours in Melbourne between their 15-hour flights, but coach Sean McVay remains confident this unusual itinerary provides the Rams' best chance to open the regular season with a difficult win over the San Francisco 49ers.

“We’re well-rested. We feel good,” McVay said Thursday after the Rams' brief practice at Marvel Stadium, the retractable-roof venue just 3 1/2 kilometers from the game venue, the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

McVay added that many of his players “got to sleep through the night" on their journey from Los Angeles. "Guys were comfortable, and they seemed fresh. Get a good rest tonight, and be ready to rock tomorrow.”

Before the Rams face the 49ers at the 100,000-seat MCG in a game that kicks off at 10:35 a.m. local time, they spent their sole off-day in Melbourne resting, going through a light workout and attempting to get a slight flavor of the cosmopolitan city hosting the NFL's first regular-season game in Australia.

It's only a fraction of the experience enjoyed by the Niners, who have been in Australia for over a week. But the Rams decided months ago to eschew the fun parts of an international trip to focus on continuity, keeping their body clocks on California time and minimizing the distractions of international travel.

“Obviously, we would love to have the opportunity to connect with the fans out here a little bit more, but we did what we could (today), getting out and trying some coffee and getting out on the streets,” receiver Davante Adams said. “We had a chance to meet and see some of the fans, so we did as much as we could with our travel schedule.”

The Rams' strategy hasn't been well-received in Australia, where many fans expected more face time with a team attempting to build a support base as one of the NFL clubs designated for promotion in the country. McVay and the Rams' front office have heard the criticism, but it hasn't affected their belief in a travel strategy they first used last season for a game in London — albeit a much shorter trip from the U.S. East Coast than this journey across the Pacific.

“We wouldn’t do anything if we didn’t think it was best for our players,” McVay said. “I’m not saying we have all the answers, but we wanted to keep our guys in a normal rhythm and routine as long as possible, and we feel like (the plan) is going to be something that suits us well.”

Stafford knows the Rams' wisdom will be retroactively judged by how well they play against their NFC West archrivals. San Francisco has won 11 of the clubs' 19 meetings during the parallel coaching careers of McVay and Kyle Shanahan — and even though the Rams have won four of the last five, that loss was an embarrassing home upset handed out by a Niners roster missing most of its best players.

“It’s going to boil down to, how good do we feel tomorrow? I think we’re all going to feel really good. We’re excited to start a new season with a bunch of new guys, and go out there and attack the game. ... I think guys will be tired at the right time, and be ready to rock and roll in the morning.”

And if the Rams win again with their late travel strategy, Adams won't be surprised if other teams copy McVay's innovation in the future — just as they've done with so many aspects of his offensive schemes.

“They probably should," Adams said. “If it works, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's what they say.”

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The Department of Homeland Security has been quiet about its plans, leaving attorneys and advocates scrambling to decipher what might happen next to Salvadorans who have been raising families in the U.S. for decades.

On Thursday, Homeland Security issued a statement saying the department would make an announcement “at an appropriate time” and that Temporary Protected Status for El Salvador would stay in effect until then. The department issued the same statement Wednesday.

“Let’s be clear: this is not an official extension or decision by DHS as to the fate of TPS for El Salvador,” Ben Johnson, who directs the American Immigration Lawyers Association, posted Wednesday on social media. The Trump administration is leaving TPS holders, their families and their employers in limbo, he said.

Some attorneys are cautioning that the administration could eliminate the protections without making a public statement, or announce a decision at any time.

Living in limbo after all these years

The absence of an announcement has raised hopes that Salvadoran immigrants might be spared the fates of hundreds of thousands of immigrants from other countries whose protected status has ended during President Donald Trump’s second term. But the lack of clarity is also harrowing.

“Facing this uncertainty is frustrating and painful," said Doris Landaverde, who was 21 when she crossed the U.S. border illegally in December 2000, seeking better job opportunities. A few months later, she obtained TPS status and has worked legally ever since, mostly cleaning at Harvard University, she said.

Now a 47-year-old single mother, Ladaverde said she and her two U.S.-born daughters all consider this country home. The housing and health care of these American citizens depends on her income, and without TPS she could lose her job, she said.

"We have lived here legally for decades, and that is hard to erase,” she said. “I feel angry; we have done everything we were told to do legally.”

More than 1 million people now subject to deportation

In Trump’s second term, Homeland Security has ended TPS for more than 1 million people from more than a dozen countries, including Venezuela, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Afghanistan and Syria. In addition to the Salvadorans, about 103,000 people, from Ukraine, Sudan and Lebanon, remain protected from deportation under TPS.

The Trump administration notched a major victory when the Supreme Court ruled in June that it acted within its authority by ending TPS for about 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians.

Tom Homan, Trump’s “border czar” who has advocated for ending TPS, said Tuesday that the El Salvador decision rests with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

“If it expires, it’s up to the secretary,” Homan said. “Temporary protected status means temporary. Let’s face it, El Salvador is a much safer country than it’s ever been now with a new president up there.”

Congress created temporary protections in 1990

TPS was created by Congress in 1990 to prevent deportations to countries suffering from natural disasters or civil strife.

TPS allows people already in the country to remain, with work permits, for renewable periods of up to 18 months, if the homeland security secretary determines conditions are unsafe for their return. Under immigration law, the status is automatically extended for six months if the government takes no action.

It was granted to El Salvador following two devastating 2001 earthquakes that left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Just before leaving office, President Joe Biden extended it for El Salvador for 18 months, expiring Sept. 9, 2026.

Will Trump make an exception for his ally?

El Salvador, once one of the most violent places in the world due to organized crime, has become one of the safest countries in the Americas since Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele cracked down on gang members in 2022. But human rights advocates have denounced mass and arbitrary arrests, torture, and disappearances in its prison system.

Bukele has supported Trump’s deportation campaign and his government was among the first to receive deportees, holding them in a mega prison known as CECOT. But mass deportations of his own citizens from the U.S. could shock El Salvador's economy. Salvadorans in the U.S. sent home $9.9 billion in remittances last year, representing 24% of El Salvador's gross domestic product, its central bank said.

Trump and Bukele have met twice in Washington since last April. In 2019, during the first Trump administration, Bukele asked Trump to extend TPS. Bukele has not said publicly if he has requested another extension.

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Associated Press contributors include Rebecca Santana in Washington and Rodrique Ngowi in Boston.

In a smash-and-grab at another French museum, three masked robbers stole 27 pieces of jewelry valued at more than 4.5 million euros (US$5.2 million), busting through two doors to break in.

Those thefts took place in July. This week, thieves sliced through a fence and climbed through the window of a museum on the French Riviera and fled with two paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir. They abandoned two other artworks by the Impressionist master as they made their escape.

The rash of the robberies, coming on the heels of last year's stunning jewel heist in France's most famous and most visited museum, the Louvre, show how the country is both blessed and cursed by its troves of treasure accumulated over centuries of conquest, creativity and having money to spend on art.

France's passion for paintings, sculptures, ancient artifacts and other valuables and curios is a source of national pride and identity. Thousands of museums that house collections big and small help transmit France's love of culture and history from one generation to the next. The biggest also draw millions of tourists who pump money into the French economy.

But keeping all that wealth safe is costly and difficult. Criminals see museums as soft targets. The brazen and agonizing theft of 88 million euros ($102 million) worth of crown jewels from display cases in the Louvre's Apollo gallery served as a wake-up call. But it was only the most shocking example of broader threats to museums, and not just in France.

“When the jewels of a French king disappear, to be melted down because of the price of gold, it is tragic. It breaks everyone’s heart,” said Guillaume Poitrinal, president of a foundation that funds the renovation and protection of French cultural sites, the Fondation du patrimoine.

“We need to make it more difficult to steal works of art and objects that are part of France’s cultural heritage and belong to all French people. That is absolutely essential. And to achieve that, we need to invest,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The Renoir heist took just minutes

Before dawn Tuesday, two robbers made off with “Portrait of Madame Colonna Romano” and “Young Woman at the Well.” They dropped ’’Portrait of Madame Pichon” and “Coco Reading” as they fled through the garden of the Renoir Museum in Cagnes-sur-Mer.

They cut through a fence with an electric knife or saw and entered the museum through the ground floor, said Bryan Masson, mayor of the town between Cannes and Nice on the Mediterranean coast.

The heist took under three minutes. Masson estimated the artworks' value at 9 million euros ($10.5 million). Offloading well-known, stolen art is impossible through legitimate channels, so the paintings could prove to be worth little or nothing for the thieves.

European police agency Europol says museum heists are becoming more violent, with sledgehammers, axes, crowbars and even explosives used for break-ins and to smash display cases.

Thieves also are increasingly targeting museum items with gold and other precious metals that can be melted down and with gemstones that can be removed and sold, the agency said in a report in August. Criminals believe “museum security measures are less robust than those in jewelry stores,” it said.

The ancient necklace stolen July 24 from the museum in Châtillon-sur-Seine, eastern France, was crafted from nearly half a kilo (a pound) of gold.

A record 10 burglaries targeted French and other European museums this summer, according to Jean-Christophe Castelain, director of Le Journal des Arts, a bimonthly revue of the art world.

“Eight of those 10 involved jewelry, coins or antique objects that can easily be melted down,” he said.

A distraught museum director shares her pain

The Lalique Museum in Wingen-sur-Moder, further east near France's border with Germany, has not reopened since the July 5 theft of jewelry there from six display cases busted open with sledgehammers and hammers. The public museum celebrates 19th-century jeweler and glassmaker René Lalique and his successors.

The pain is still raw for its director, Véronique Brumm Schaich. Her voice cracked with emotion during an interview. The museum is seeking 200,000 euros ($233,000) for security upgrades.

“Robbers’ tactics are evolving,” she said. “The recent examples show that we are not the only ones who need to go further in our efforts.”

Because of government budget squeezes, it's not yet clear how much funding will come from public coffers, she said. The museum is also collecting private donations, because “these are things that are extremely expensive,” she said.

“These are difficult times,” she said. “A burglary never comes at a good time, but this one came at an especially bad time.”

Some of the funding that the Fondation du patrimoine provides, including for museums, comes from a national lottery. To help boost museum revenues, the foundation is also launching a pass that will grant subscribers access to 500 museums, monuments and châteaux.

“France is a country where we love passing the buck,” said Poitrinal, the foundation president. “People say it is the state’s responsibility or the city’s responsibility. I say it's quite simple: it is everyone’s responsibility.”

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Associated Press journalists Catherine Gaschka and Alex Turnbull in Paris contributed.