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Six of them were from Broward County and the seventh was from neighboring Palm Beach County.

According to arrest reports, detectives used various websites and apps in which they posed as teenage boys or girls, or, on one website, an “older cousin” pimping a 15-year-old girl.

The men they chatted with were directed to go to a hotel in Dania Beach, the reports state.

Fifty-year-old Ryan Thorpe Walker, whose address is listed as a post office and distribution facility in Oakland Park, is accused of trying meet a teenage boy, while Marco Ramirez Linares, 22, of Hollywood, is accused of offering $100 for sex with a teenage girl.

Some of the suspects lied about their ages, detectives said.

Deputies said Zubaer Ashar, 27, of Greenacres, said he was 17 and asked the purported “cousin” whether a 15-year-old girl he was offering $150 for sex with was “on birth control.”

Kyle Andrew Rosenthal, 32, of Coral Springs, said he was 30 when attempting to meet up with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, according to BSO.

At least two of the suspects acknowledged what they were doing could land them in jail, arrest reports state.

Deputies said when Grant Ryan Werner, 25, of Dania Beach, found out he was chatting with who he thought was a 15-year-old boy, he said, “Idkkk lol I’m low key ok with it but I don’t want to get in trouble.”

Authorities said Werner also told the purported teen, before the planned meetup, “yea haha I can Basically be charged as a pedofile (sic) lol.”

Deputies said Luis Chifundo Ortiz, 23, of Pembroke Pines, told who he thought was a 15-year-old boy, “Remember that you’re not legal” and, “You’re not 18+, so I have to be aware of that.”

A BSO news release states that the men arrested all face various charges, including “human trafficking of a minor, traveling to meet a minor, solicitation of a minor, possession of MDMA and violation of probation.”

According to BSO, deputies additionally said that during their operation, “ten victims were rescued and connected to critical resources such as shelter, medical care and counseling to help them rebuild their lives.”

“Additionally, one of the victims was identified as a teenage runaway from out of town,” the BSO news release states. “She was reunited with her family and offered extensive support services.”

Similar stings also recently took place in Miami-Dade County.

Officials in both counties have tied the stings to the FIFA World Cup. Local 10 News asked BSO about why the agency is increasing enforcement of this operation around the World Cup?”

“Any major event will draw in more crowds more visitors to our community and so that is the reason why law enforcement will proactively perform and conduct these investigations,” BSO spokesperson Miranda Grossman said.

There has been no direct connection, however, between the World Cup and any arrests.

All told, 321 diamonds, 56 sapphires, 13 emeralds and six rubies encrust the watch-sized gold ring presented this week to Bill White, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, to give to President Donald Trump.

“A very special thank you to my friends from Antwerp for the magnificent Freedom 250 ring,” Trump said in a prerecorded video message during an event marking America’s 250th birthday in Brussels.

Isidore Mörsel, president of the Antwerp World Diamond Center, or AWDC, gifted the ring on behalf of the centuries-old diamond community in the Belgian port city, a central node in the worldwide trade of the precious stones that found itself struggling last year under the weight of Trump’s sweeping trade war.

“May this ring serve as a lasting reminder that true partnership like the finest natural diamonds are formed under pressure, endure the test of time, and shine brightest when built on trust,” Mörsel said. The ring's interior is engraved with the phrase “Crafted in Antwerp for Donald John Trump.”

In dollar terms, the ring’s value pales beside gifts like the $400 million plane donated by Qatar that Trump ordered converted into a new Air Force One. But it’s a glitzy window into the role that ostentatious – and almost always gilded — gifts are playing by those seeking to curry favor with the U.S. president.

A White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the matter, said Thursday that the ring has not been presented to Trump yet.

The ring is latest in Trump's historic break with White House custom

The gift comes months after Belgium’s diamond industry won the removal of U.S. tariffs on diamond imports. In September, AWDC said it had “succeeded in securing a zero percent import tariff” on Antwerp’s annual export of more than $2 billion of polished diamonds to the U.S. A spokesperson for the group said on Thursday that the AWDC provided “input” to the European Commission as it negotiated with Trump on a broad deal on tariffs in 2025, but did not itself lobby the administration.

U.S. presidents have considerable discretion to accept gifts from domestic and foreign sources and may determine themselves whether a gift was meant for them personally or the nation. The exception is those from foreign governments, which are prohibited by the foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution without congressional assent, though presidents could use personal funds to reimburse the Treasury for the full value of an official gift if they wish to retain them.

Personal gifts are also supposed to be registered on the president’s annual financial disclosure. Trump’s 2025 disclosure, released this week, revealed a $250,000 gift of a sculpture depicting his triumphal gesture after surviving a 2024 assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, and tickets to 10 sporting events, including 10 to the upcoming World Cup final in New Jersey from FIFA’s Gianni Infantino, valued at a collective $15,000.

Four U.S. ethics experts told The Associated Press that Trump has broken with decades-old custom in the White House to avoid accepting such gifts.

The ring's value estimated at $25,000-$35,000

To forge the ring, the AWDC turned to David Gotlib, an Antwerp-based high-end jeweler whose cufflinks can sell for more than 15,000 euros ($17,000).

Neither AWDC nor Gotlib would provide a valuation of the ring, but two independent jewelers told AP they estimated the value between $25,000 and $35,000.

Paris- and London-based jewelry consultant Alexander Levinson calculated the cost at $25,928, while David Saad, a third-generation luxury jeweler in Canada, priced the ring between $33,000 and $35,000. Both said half the cost was in materials, half in labor.

After the ring was presented on a star-spangled stage in Brussels, musician Alexis Wilkins, the girlfriend of FBI Director Kash Patel, sang the U.S. national anthem to more than 8,000 people drinking Budweiser and bourbon from Tennessee and Kentucky.

White said he raised more than $5.5 million for the 250th anniversary event from corporate sponsors like defense industry titans Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, tech firms like Intel, Google and Meta, as well as the European chocolate companies Leonidas and Ferrero. AWDC said it contributed funds, too.

“The media was asking, ‘Why does it have to be so big?’” White said of the event. “Because we are the United States of America!”

Meanwhile, the fate of the ring is not currently clear.

On Wednesday, White posted a photo online of himself wearing the ring and giving a thumbs-up. The post has since been deleted.

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Officials said crews responded around 9:20 p.m. to the tracks just south of West Broward Boulevard after receiving reports that a woman had been hit by the train.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue and police officers arrived to find the woman dead at the scene.

The investigation is ongoing.

West Broward Boulevard was closed in both directions after the incident, but all lanes have since reopened.

Funcionarios informaron que los equipos de emergencia acudieron alrededor de las 9:20 p.m. a las vías ubicadas justo al sur de West Broward Boulevard, tras recibir reportes de que una mujer había sido impactada por el tren.

Bomberos y policías de Fort Lauderdale llegaron al lugar y encontraron a la mujer sin vida en la escena.

La investigación continúa.

West Broward Boulevard fue cerrado en ambas direcciones después del incidente, pero todos los carriles ya fueron reabiertos.

Registrarse es fácil y solo toma unos minutos, pero le da el poder de elegir quiénes nos representarán.

Sin importar cuál sea su preferencia política, el voto es lo que permite que nuestra democracia sobreviva. Si se mudó recientemente, cambió de nombre o no está seguro de estar registrado, tómese un momento para verificar su estatus y actualizar su información si es necesario.

No espere hasta que sea demasiado tarde. Marque en su calendario el 20 de julio, regístrese para votar y esté listo para participar el 18 de agosto.

Su voto es su voz. Asegúrese de que se escuche fuerte y claro.

Para más información, haga clic aquí para acceder a la Guía de Información para Votantes 2026 de Local 10.

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No matter what your preference is politically, voting is what allows our democracy to survive. If you’ve recently moved, changed your name, or aren’t sure if you’re registered, take a moment to check your status and update your information if needed.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Mark your calendar for July 20, register to vote, and be ready to do so on Aug. 18.

Your vote is your voice—make sure it’s heard loud and clear.

For more information, click here to access Local 10’s 2026 Voter Information Guide.

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Those assisting in recovery include Miami and Miami-Dade firefighters.

One of those firefighters is Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Maggie Castro, who spoke to Local 10 News via video call from Venezuela on Thursday. She’s in the country with Florida Task Force One‘s urban search and rescue team and assisting the U.S. Department of State.

She described difficult experiences in the country.

“We had one particular incident a couple of nights ago where we heard (victims) tapping and we were there for about eight hours working on this one site and we continued working until, unfortunately, we no longer heard the signs of life that had us start the mission,” she said. “(Their) son was there and he broke down crying, because he understood that we did try everything that we could. He was so grateful that we never gave up.

“We brought him closure, and that’s sometimes just as important, and sometimes that’s what we can hope, that we could bring these families, it’s such an honor to be able to do this with them.”

Castro described the scale of the destruction as unprecedented.

“The situation is dire,” she said. “The level of destruction is something that a lot of us have never seen before.”

Castro likened the sheer devastation it to another tragedy South Floridians are intimately familiar with.

“This is Surfside in so many different locations,” she said. “There’s just so many different levels of devastation. There are some (buildings) that are completely pancaked. There are some that are still leaning over. The buildings are very unstable. There are some that are partially collapsed with just giant pieces hanging over the top.”

Rescuers’ difficult work continues around the clock in Venezuela. Castro said it’s taken a physical and emotional toll for responders. But she and her colleagues have taken lessons learned from the Surfside collapse ― which became difficult to bear for rescuers ― to heart.

“A lot of advances in the mental health came out of Surfside, which I’m so happy for and it’s something that’s discussed openly in the environment,” she said. “We have little areas where the team can kind of just get together, grab something to eat, and you hear people checking in on each other, you hear people asking each other, ‘How you doing?’ ‘Hey, I heard you guys were out late last night, how was that?’ And everybody’s offering everyone opportunities to talk about what we’re seeing and what we’re doing.

“That’s all that it takes in this type of an environment, is for us to be able to lean on one another, be able to keep an eye on each other’s backs, and everybody is doing that. I have to say that I’m really so incredibly proud of the team, of the way that we’re supporting one another. It’s been really impressive to watch.”

Castro said the mission to save lives fuels their daily efforts.

“The people of Venezuela are so resilient and it’s so important to them to make sure they find all their loved ones, and watching them never give up and never hold back ― whether they’re trained to do this or not ― is something that’s so inspirational to our team.

“As long as we have signs of life, we are there with them.”

Entre quienes apoyan las labores de recuperación hay bomberos de Miami y Miami-Dade.

Una de ellas es Maggie Castro, del Departamento de Bomberos y Rescate de Miami-Dade, quien habló con Local 10 News por videollamada desde Venezuela el jueves. Castro se encuentra en el país con el equipo de búsqueda y rescate urbano Florida Task Force One y brinda apoyo al Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos.

Castro describió experiencias difíciles en el país.

“Tuvimos un incidente en particular hace un par de noches, en el que escuchamos a víctimas golpeando, y estuvimos allí unas ocho horas trabajando en ese sitio. Seguimos trabajando hasta que, lamentablemente, dejamos de escuchar las señales de vida que nos habían llevado a iniciar la misión”, dijo. “El hijo de esas personas estaba allí y se soltó a llorar, porque entendió que intentamos todo lo que pudimos. Estaba muy agradecido de que nunca nos diéramos por vencidos”.

“Le dimos un cierre, y a veces eso es igual de importante. A veces eso es lo que podemos esperar darles a estas familias, y es un honor poder hacerlo con ellas”.

Castro describió la magnitud de la destrucción como algo sin precedentes.

“La situación es crítica”, dijo. “El nivel de destrucción es algo que muchos de nosotros nunca habíamos visto”.

Castro comparó la devastación con otra tragedia que los residentes del sur de Florida conocen muy de cerca.

“Esto es Surfside en muchos lugares diferentes”, dijo. “Hay muchísimos niveles de devastación. Hay edificios que quedaron completamente aplastados. Hay otros que siguen inclinados. Las estructuras son muy inestables. Algunas están parcialmente colapsadas, con enormes piezas colgando desde la parte superior”.

El difícil trabajo de los rescatistas continúa día y noche en Venezuela. Castro dijo que la labor ha tenido un impacto físico y emocional en los equipos de respuesta. Sin embargo, ella y sus compañeros han tomado muy en cuenta las lecciones aprendidas tras el colapso de Surfside, que fue especialmente duro para los rescatistas.

“De Surfside surgieron muchos avances en materia de salud mental, algo que me alegra mucho y que ahora se habla abiertamente en este entorno”, dijo. “Tenemos pequeñas áreas donde el equipo puede reunirse, comer algo, y se escucha a la gente preguntándose cómo están, cuidándose entre sí: ‘¿Cómo estás?’, ‘Escuché que estuvieron trabajando hasta tarde anoche, ¿cómo les fue?’. Todos se están dando oportunidades para hablar sobre lo que estamos viendo y lo que estamos haciendo”.

“Eso es todo lo que se necesita en un entorno como este: poder apoyarnos unos a otros, estar pendientes unos de otros, y todos lo están haciendo. Tengo que decir que estoy increíblemente orgullosa del equipo y de la manera en que nos estamos apoyando. Ha sido realmente impresionante verlo”.

Castro dijo que la misión de salvar vidas impulsa sus esfuerzos diarios.

“El pueblo de Venezuela es muy resiliente y para ellos es muy importante asegurarse de encontrar a todos sus seres queridos. Verlos no rendirse nunca ni detenerse, estén o no entrenados para hacer esto, es algo que inspira muchísimo a nuestro equipo”.

“Mientras haya señales de vida, estaremos allí con ellos”.

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Taste the Gables is back, giving diners the opportunity to enjoy prix-fixe menus and exclusive dining deals at more than 75 restaurants throughout the city. The month-long event offers discounted multi-course meals, making it an affordable way to explore new restaurants or revisit local favorites before Miami Spice begins.

One participating restaurant, Beauty & The Butcher, is showcasing the same dishes it serves year-round rather than creating smaller portions or limited-time offerings for the event.

“Taste the Gables is an exceptional deal,” said Chef Jeremy Kermisch of Beauty & The Butcher.

Kermisch said guests can enjoy three courses for $60, including menu favorites like the restaurant’s signature pork chop, which normally sells for $49 on its own.

“We are not holding back on portion sizes or quality or a special menu,” Kermisch said. “Everything is on our current menu.”

The steakhouse’s Taste the Gables menu features hearty entrees such as steak served with duck fries, flavorful pork chops and decadent desserts.

For those craving Mexican cuisine, Talavera is also participating with a three-course menu featuring creative takes on traditional dishes. Lunch is available for $30, while dinner is offered for $45.

Italian restaurant Zucca is highlighting house-made pastas, fresh seafood and homemade tiramisu as part of its Taste the Gables menu. Three-course lunches start at $35, while dinner is priced at $55.

Chefs say the event is also an opportunity to introduce new customers to neighborhood favorites.

“Try us if you haven’t already,” Kermisch said. “We’ve been getting great feedback from the locals, but we always want more.”

Taste the Gables runs through the end of July at participating restaurants across Coral Gables. Diners can explore participating locations and special menus throughout the month.

Click here for a list of participating restaurants.

Taste the Gables está de regreso y ofrece a los comensales la oportunidad de disfrutar menús de precio fijo y promociones exclusivas en más de 75 restaurantes de la ciudad. El evento, que dura todo el mes, ofrece comidas de varios tiempos con descuento, una forma accesible de explorar nuevos restaurantes o volver a visitar los favoritos locales antes del inicio de Miami Spice.

Uno de los restaurantes participantes, Beauty & The Butcher, presenta los mismos platillos que sirve durante todo el año, en lugar de crear porciones más pequeñas u opciones especiales por tiempo limitado para el evento.

“Taste the Gables es una oferta excepcional”, dijo el chef Jeremy Kermisch, de Beauty & The Butcher.

Kermisch dijo que los clientes pueden disfrutar tres tiempos por 60 dólares, incluidos favoritos del menú como la chuleta de cerdo insignia del restaurante, que normalmente cuesta 49 dólares por sí sola.

“No estamos reduciendo el tamaño de las porciones ni la calidad, ni ofreciendo un menú especial”, dijo Kermisch. “Todo está en nuestro menú actual”.

El menú de Taste the Gables del steakhouse incluye platos principales abundantes, como carne servida con papas fritas con grasa de pato, sabrosas chuletas de cerdo y postres decadentes.

Para quienes buscan comida mexicana, Talavera también participa con un menú de tres tiempos que ofrece versiones creativas de platillos tradicionales. El almuerzo está disponible por 30 dólares, mientras que la cena se ofrece por 45 dólares.

El restaurante italiano Zucca destaca pastas hechas en casa, mariscos frescos y tiramisú casero como parte de su menú de Taste the Gables. Los almuerzos de tres tiempos comienzan en 35 dólares, mientras que la cena tiene un precio de 55 dólares.

Los chefs dicen que el evento también es una oportunidad para presentar los favoritos del vecindario a nuevos clientes.

“Pruébenos si aún no lo han hecho”, dijo Kermisch. “Hemos recibido muy buenos comentarios de los residentes locales, pero siempre queremos más”.

Taste the Gables se llevará a cabo hasta finales de julio en los restaurantes participantes de Coral Gables. Los comensales pueden explorar los establecimientos participantes y sus menús especiales durante todo el mes.

Haga clic aquí para ver la lista de restaurantes participantes.

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The world’s most active tropical basin, which churns out storms all year but is most active between May and October, is poised to deliver its most powerful storm of the year yet, as Typhoon Bavi rapidly intensifies and takes aim at the Mariana islands, including the U.S. territory of Guam and commonwealth islands to its north like Rota, Tinian, and Saipan by July 6 local time (July 5 eastern time).

The National Weather Service in Guam issued a Typhoon Watch late Friday for the entirety of the Marianas in anticipation of winds exceeding typhoon strength (74 mph or stronger) in the next two to three days.

The office warns winds could top 170 mph across the archipelago as Bavi makes its closest approach, and seas could reach nearly 50 feet.

A typhoon is simply the regional term for a hurricane in the western North Pacific (like pop is to soda). Hurricanes and typhoons are physically no different and spin in the same direction (counterclockwise).

A worrisome forecast

Even for the seasoned, hardened Marianas – no stranger to the most powerful storms on Earth – Bavi’s forecast is a cause for concern.

The typhoon was well on its way to super typhoon status early Friday and will likely reach Category 5 status in the next 6 to 12 hours.

Officially, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (the Department of Defense-operated hurricane center of the Pacific) is forecasting Bavi’s winds to top 175 mph as it approaches the Marianas in the coming days. This would rival Typhoon Sinlaku earlier this year as the strongest storm globally so far in 2026.

As of early Friday, roughly 60% of Google’s DeepMind machine learning-based ensemble system forecast Bavi’s intensity to top 180 mph.

Saipan, Tinian, and neighboring Guam are still recovering from Typhoon Sinlaku, which struck as a strong Category 4 equivalent typhoon back in April.

Although all islands in the Marianas will see impacts, Bavi’s center track will prove critical in the coming days, and small deviations could land the worst conditions anywhere from Guam to Saipan.

As of Friday evening local (Friday morning eastern time), the most likely track takes the center of Bavi about 75 miles north of Guam between Rota and Saipan, but Guam, Rota, Tinian, and Saipan are all within the average error this far out and should closely monitor forecasts this holiday weekend.

Bavi has the potential of being stronger than Sinlaku in April or even Mawar in May of 2023, the strongest typhoon to hit Guam since Super Typhoon Pongsona in December 2002.

Nothing brewing across the Atlantic

As we’ve covered in newsletters this week, the Atlantic is taking an extended holiday vacation. We don’t expect any new activity across the basin at least through mid-July.

La cuenca tropical más activa del mundo, que genera tormentas durante todo el año pero alcanza su mayor actividad entre mayo y octubre, se prepara para registrar la tormenta más poderosa del año hasta ahora, mientras el tifón Bavi se intensifica rápidamente y se dirige hacia las Islas Marianas, incluido el territorio estadounidense de Guam y las islas de la mancomunidad al norte, como Rota, Tinian y Saipán, para el 6 de julio, hora local, es decir, el 5 de julio, hora del este de Estados Unidos.

El Servicio Nacional de Meteorología en Guam emitió la noche del viernes una alerta por tifón para la totalidad de las Islas Marianas, ante la posibilidad de vientos con fuerza de tifón, de 74 mph o más, en los próximos dos a tres días.

La oficina advirtió que los vientos podrían superar las 170 mph en todo el archipiélago cuando Bavi alcance su punto más cercano, mientras que el oleaje podría llegar a casi 50 pies.

Un tifón es simplemente el término regional para referirse a un huracán en el Pacífico noroccidental, de forma similar a las diferencias entre palabras como pop y soda en inglés. Huracanes y tifones no son físicamente diferentes y giran en la misma dirección, en sentido contrario a las agujas del reloj.

Un pronóstico preocupante

Incluso para las experimentadas Islas Marianas, acostumbradas a algunas de las tormentas más poderosas del planeta, el pronóstico de Bavi genera preocupación.

El tifón ya avanzaba rápidamente hacia la categoría de supertifón la madrugada del viernes y probablemente alcanzará la categoría 5 en las próximas 6 a 12 horas.

Oficialmente, el Joint Typhoon Warning Center, el centro de huracanes del Pacífico operado por el Departamento de Defensa de Estados Unidos, pronostica que los vientos de Bavi superen las 175 mph mientras se acerca a las Marianas en los próximos días. Esto lo pondría al nivel del tifón Sinlaku, registrado a principios de este año, como la tormenta más intensa del mundo hasta ahora en 2026.

Hasta la madrugada del viernes, aproximadamente el 60% del sistema de predicción por conjunto basado en aprendizaje automático de DeepMind, de Google, pronosticaba que la intensidad de Bavi superaría las 180 mph.

Saipán, Tinian y la vecina Guam aún se recuperan del tifón Sinlaku, que impactó la región en abril como un tifón intenso equivalente a categoría 4.

Aunque todas las islas de las Marianas sentirán los efectos, la trayectoria del centro de Bavi será clave en los próximos días, y pequeñas desviaciones podrían llevar las peores condiciones a cualquier punto entre Guam y Saipán.

Hasta la tarde del viernes, hora local, es decir, la mañana del viernes, hora del este de Estados Unidos, la trayectoria más probable llevaba el centro de Bavi a unas 75 millas al norte de Guam, entre Rota y Saipán. Sin embargo, Guam, Rota, Tinian y Saipán se encuentran dentro del margen de error promedio a esta distancia, por lo que deberán seguir de cerca los pronósticos durante este fin de semana festivo.

Bavi tiene el potencial de ser más fuerte que Sinlaku en abril e incluso que Mawar en mayo de 2023, el tifón más intenso en impactar Guam desde el supertifón Pongsona, en diciembre de 2002.

Nada se desarrolla en el Atlántico

Como hemos informado en los boletines de esta semana, el Atlántico se está tomando unas largas vacaciones. No se espera nueva actividad en la cuenca al menos hasta mediados de julio.

Armando Fogaça, then 37, had been accused of hitting a Miami Beach police officer who had tried stopping him in 2025 and then fleeing onto the MacArthur Causeway.

Records show a jury acquitted him of hit-and-run, aggravated battery and reckless driving charges in February.

However, he was convicted of two misdemeanors: driving without a license and failing to obey a police officer.

On those charges, records show he received a 60-day jail sentence.

“Veíamos que hay muchos cadáveres sin identificar aún”, comentó López.

La carrera contrarreloj se vive en toda La Guaira, el estado de la costa norte de Venezuela más golpeado por los potentes terremotos consecutivos del 24 de junio, para identificar a los seres queridos antes de que sea demasiado tarde. Con al menos 2,295 personas fallecidas, Venezuela está desbordada de cadáveres que las autoridades tienen dificultades para recoger, identificar y preservar para que sus familiares los reclamen. Miles siguen desaparecidos.

José Antonio Toledo, el yerno de López, de 25 años, fue hallado bajo el edificio donde trabajaba como guardia de seguridad cuando ocurrieron los sismos. Los equipos trasladaron su cuerpo a un hospital local, donde el personal los rechazó porque no había espacio. Lo enviaron a otra instalación y, finalmente, lo trasladaron a un estacionamiento al aire libre.

Un médico forense ayudó a la familia a encontrarlo días después, el sábado. Pero, una vez que identificaron el cuerpo, no sabían qué hacer con él porque no podían pagar los 450 dólares que cobraba una funeraria.

Casi a la medianoche del sábado, López recibió la noticia de que la alcaldía les ofrecía un espacio gratuito en un cementerio local, pero tenían que actuar rápido para no perder el lugar. Una hora después, López y su hija subieron trabajosamente una colina que conducía al cementerio y enterraron a Toledo.

“Era una persona ejemplar, un niño que le gustaba ayudar a la gente”, expresó López.

Lo salvaron de una fosa común que muchos temen que llegue mientras buscan los cuerpos de sus seres queridos.

Se espera que el número de cuerpos hallados se dispare

El técnico forense Joel Mirabal ha trabajado siete días seguidos desde que se registraron los terremotos de magnitud 7.2 y 7.5.

El hombre, de 45 años, calcula que en el 60%-70% de los casos hay un familiar o un vecino disponible para identificar un cuerpo cuando él llega a recogerlo. Aun así, es una lucha, señaló, y muchos se apoyan en tatuajes, cicatrices o ropa conocida.

“No se parecen ni un 10% de lo que eran en vida”, dijo sobre las víctimas.

Si un cuerpo no puede ser identificado, pasa a especialistas forenses que trabajan en el puerto de La Guaira. Empresas privadas han donado grandes contenedores refrigerados para ayudar a preservar los restos, pero el número de muertos sigue aumentando.

“Obviamente, habrá que crear fosas comunes”, afirmó Mirabal. “El colapso es enorme, y los cuerpos están enterrados bajo muchas capas de escombros”.

Mirabal indicó que él y otros técnicos forenses prevén pasar hasta tres meses recogiendo cuerpos.

Recorren las zonas afectadas todos los días, guiados por equipos de rescate y civiles que han recuperado o avistado restos.

“Muchos de los rescates los hacen el pueblo”, explicó sobre los miles de venezolanos comunes que se han sumado al esfuerzo de recuperación.

Adiestrador de perros de profesión, que en su momento ayudó al gobierno a localizar drogas y personas desaparecidas, Mirabal encuentra consuelo en los 12 perros que lo esperan en casa, sin contar los cachorros. Una de sus favoritas es Mila, una joven pastora holandesa negra que se acostó a su lado el jueves mientras él descansaba.

“Aquí no es nada fácil ver el sufrimiento y la tragedia de tus congéneres”, manifestó.

Venezolanos hacen fila para tratar de identificar a sus seres queridos

El fin de semana, equipos trasladaron decenas de cuerpos recuperados de edificios derrumbados a un centro de salud administrado por el gobierno en la ciudad de La Guaira. Los dejaron en un estacionamiento sofocante hasta que las familias los identificaran, y trabajadores de funerarias estimaron que en un momento dado se mantuvieron allí más de 200 cuerpos.

El jueves, quienes perdieron a sus seres queridos esperaban afuera del puerto de La Guaira para identificar cuerpos que las autoridades siguen recogiendo en todo el estado costero. Autos, incluidos camiones y furgonetas de funerarias, formaron una fila frente a una morgue improvisada.

Uno de los que esperaba era Robert Rodríguez. Sentado sobre un bloque de concreto, abatido, con las piernas colgando, aguardaba a que su hija identificara el cuerpo de su yerno. Rafael Alvarado murió atrapado dentro de una tienda de comestibles donde trabajaba en el mostrador de charcutería.

“Él era su mejor amigo”, dijo Rodríguez mientras las lágrimas empapaban su mascarilla azul.

Rodríguez contó que la familia encontró a Alvarado entre los escombros el miércoles, y que su cuerpo fue liberado y trasladado al puerto el jueves.

“Vi sus zapatos y sabía que era él… Le dije ‘prepárate’”, en aviso a su hija.

Señaló que la familia planea cremar a Alvarado y esparcir sus cenizas en Isla de Margarita, de donde era él.

Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz joined local, state and federal public safety partners Wednesday to outline safety efforts and enforcement plans ahead of the Independence Day weekend, which coincides with the nation’s 250th birthday celebration.

During the news conference, Cordero-Stutz urged the public to avoid dangerous behaviors that can quickly turn celebrations into tragedies.

The sheriff reminded drivers not to get behind the wheel after drinking, encouraged boaters to use caution on the water and warned against firing guns into the air, noting that celebratory gunfire can have deadly consequences.

“As millions of Americans gather to mark this milestone, our shared responsibility in Miami-Dade County is to help ensure those celebrations are remembered for all the right reasons,” Cordero-Stutz said.

The sheriff’s office said deputies will be working alongside local, state and federal public safety agencies throughout the holiday weekend to help keep communities safe.

Authorities are encouraging anyone celebrating Independence Day to plan ahead by designating a sober driver, following boating safety guidelines and leaving fireworks and firearms to the professionals.

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Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner spoke first.

“As your governor, I will make Florida affordable. I will keep it safe. I’ll protect our environment and keep our state free,” Renner said.

He was followed by Lt. Gov. Jay Collins.

“The left, what do they want to see? They want to see the free State of Florida devolve. They want to see it break down and be soft on crime, soft on DEI,” Collins said.

Businessman and investor James Fishback addressed the crowd next.

“I am in this race to do two things: to preserve Governor DeSantis’ extraordinary legacy and to fight to make our state more affordable,” Fishback said.

The debate turned heated early on over building data centers in Florida.

“Hire me as governor and we will ban every data center in all 67 counties,” Fishback said.

Collins pushed back.

“James, let me ask you a question. How do you think the people in the cities and counties are going to feel about the state government coming in and taking control?” Collins asked.

As Fishback tried to respond, Collins continued.

“Let me finish talking, man. Please, come on. They want local leadership,” Collins said.

Renner also challenged Collins on the issue.

“You’ve said that it’s not possible for the state to regulate hyperscale data centers at the state level. Why do you believe that it is? If you believe that the state shouldn’t be involved, why did you sponsor a bill to give them permanent tax incentives at the expense of everybody watching tonight?” Renner asked.

“You’re misrepresenting,” Collins responded.

The candidates also addressed education in the state.

“Well, I’ll start by resetting the standards of what constitutes an A. Right now, it’s far too low,” Renner said.

“The teachers need a raise if they’re doing what is expected of them,” Fishback said.  

“We want the best for our kids,” Collins added. “I don’t want them to be just OK. We want them to be thought leaders, industry leaders.”

During a lightning round, the candidates also showed where they stand on other major issues.

El primero en intervenir fue el expresidente de la Cámara de Representantes de Florida, Paul Renner.

“Como gobernador, haré que Florida sea más asequible. Mantendré al estado seguro. Protegeré nuestro medio ambiente y preservaré nuestras libertades”, afirmó Renner.

Después tomó la palabra el vicegobernador de Florida, Jay Collins.

“La izquierda, ¿qué quiere? Quiere ver cómo el estado libre de Florida se deteriora. Quiere que se debilite, que sea indulgente con el crimen y con las políticas de diversidad, equidad e inclusión (DEI)”, dijo Collins.

Posteriormente habló el empresario e inversionista James Fishback.

“Estoy en esta contienda por dos razones: preservar el extraordinario legado del gobernador DeSantis y luchar para que nuestro estado sea más asequible”, señaló Fishback.

El debate subió rápidamente de tono cuando se abordó la construcción de centros de datos en Florida.

“Si me eligen gobernador, prohibiremos todos los centros de datos en los 67 condados del estado”, aseguró Fishback.

Collins rechazó la propuesta.

“James, déjame hacerte una pregunta. ¿Cómo crees que reaccionarán las ciudades y los condados si el gobierno estatal interviene para imponer esa decisión?”, preguntó Collins.

Mientras Fishback intentaba responder, Collins lo interrumpió.

“Déjame terminar de hablar, por favor. La gente quiere liderazgo local”, dijo.

Renner también cuestionó a Collins sobre ese tema.

“Has dicho que el estado no puede regular los centros de datos de gran escala. ¿Por qué lo crees? Y si piensas que el estado no debería intervenir, ¿por qué promoviste un proyecto de ley para otorgarles incentivos fiscales permanentes a costa de todos los que nos están viendo esta noche?”, preguntó Renner.

“Estás tergiversando mis palabras”, respondió Collins.

Los candidatos también debatieron sobre la educación en Florida.

“Yo comenzaría elevando los estándares para obtener una calificación de A. Actualmente son demasiado bajos”, dijo Renner.

“Los maestros merecen un aumento salarial si cumplen con lo que se espera de ellos”, afirmó Fishback.

“Queremos lo mejor para nuestros hijos”, agregó Collins. “No queremos que sean simplemente aceptables. Queremos que sean líderes de pensamiento y líderes en sus industrias”.

Durante una ronda de respuestas rápidas, los candidatos también expusieron su postura sobre otros temas de relevancia.

It wasn’t some toxic jab from a volatile actor to his director and co-star after a difficult shoot; They really have found a kind of magic in screaming at each other on screen, first in the Chinatown-ish “Missing Reel” episode of “The Studio,” in which Wilde plays a satirical version of herself as the crazed director, and then as a couple on the rocks in the acerbic chamber dramedy “The Invite,” which expands nationwide on July 10.

“There’s nothing precious about either of us really,” Wilde said. “There was, like, a permission speak — permission to scream — freely.”

Rogen, 44, and Wilde, 42, came up in the same class of sorts, with memorable roles on television, in the late 90s and early-aughts, that blossomed into movie stardom and, eventually, directing. But until recently, they’d only ever really crossed paths meaningfully once: At a table read for Judd Apatow’s slacker pregnancy comedy “Knocked Up” over 20 years ago. Wilde did not get the role, and they went their separate ways.

And perhaps it was for the best. “Knocked Up” might not have been the right use of Wilde and Rogen together. They seem to excel not as a traditional romantic comedy duo, but in a realm that’s more prickly, more abrasive.

In “The Invite,” tensions are already simmering between Joe (Rogen) and Angela (Wilde) when their more liberated upstairs neighbors, neighbors Pína (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), arrive for dinner, and stir things up over one booze, and a revelation-filled night.

Wilde and Rogen spoke to The Associated Press about how the cast got Wilde to act in the movie, studio productions and not taking casting too personally. Remarks have been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: You both have been in this business long enough that I’m sure if someone says they’re thinking about you for a role, it’s ultimately flattering, but is there a part of you that wonders “Oh, do you see me like this?”

WILDE: I loved the opportunity on “The Studio” to make fun of myself, like what a thrill, and to just make fun of this business in the most loving way. I loved getting to play in that world, but there was no part of me that was like, wait a minute, do you think I’m (expletive) insane?

ROGEN: Thank God.

WILDE: Did you feel offended that I wanted you to be a sexless dad?

ROGEN: A sexless sad man? No, I got it. I give that: Sexless sad dad.

WILDE: This role was like the best of Albert Brooks and a little bit of a ‘70s Richard Dreyfuss or maybe like ’80s Richard Dreyfuss. And I felt like there is a bit of Albert Brooks and Richard Dreyfuss in you, which is high praise.

ROGEN: Hey, I can only hope.

AP: Did the actors really gang up on Olivia to get her to act in this movie as well?

ROGEN: Very much so. We overtly pressured her to do it. We had a side text chain between us where we would strategize about how to do it and how to launch a multipronged attack on her to back her into doing it. Thank God it worked. And I just kept saying no to every other option she put on the table. I literally made it impossible to hire another person because everyone else you suggested I was like, “I don’t think they’d be good at this.”

WILDE: Meryl Streep?

ROGEN: Yeah, that wouldn’t work.

WILDE: It did take encouraging because I just for whatever reason had real impostor syndrome about it because I just revere them so much. I felt capable of directing this and holding it all in place and I really felt a strong connection to the story and everything that needed to happen to make it good but the idea of jumping in the ring was intimidating. I never would have suggested myself. I’d rather die than be like, “What if it was me, you guys?”

ROGEN: I’m the exact opposite, I’m always like, “We need a tighter shot of me, I don’t think we’re featuring me enough in all this.”

WILDE: It was the best experience of my career for every reason, but certainly as an actor. I’ve never had that much fun acting. And it made me think that maybe I don’t hate it.

AP: This was inspired by a Spanish movie that has been adapted in different languages too. Is there something uniquely American about this version?

WILDE: I think so. I think that there’s an attitude about marriage in American culture that is very much very reflective of our like, can do attitude, like you’re gonna do it and you’re just gonna stick to it and you’re going to grin and bear it. There’s an American energy to that that I think is part of what keeps people in really rough places and relationships for a long time and in this version of the story, in our version, these people, if they hadn’t been confronted with this evening that the movie’s about, would have just stayed in this kind of difficult conflict-ridden kind of passive-aggressive zone probably forever because they just aren’t people who like to give up. I also think there’s an American puritanical attitude toward sex in general that we are definitely dealing with in the movie, because it’s about people who haven’t talked about sex with each other in a way that they have desperately needed to for years.

ROGEN: Felt American to me, as a Canadian, the most sex-liberal people on the planet.

AP: Your last film (“Don’t Worry Darling”) was a studio production. What did you learn from that experience?

ROGEN: They would have been way more stressed out that the movie was completely rewritten in the weeks leading to shooting. They don't like that much.

WILDE: Working for a studio, you don’t get the opportunity to be as — this is like the most obvious statement on the planet — but typically, unless you’re Paul Thomas Anderson, I feel like you don’t get the opportunity to be as specific and, in some ways, hopefully a little bold. I think that we wouldn’t have had the same amount of creative ownership as a group and that was what made the experience so valuable. I’m very happy this wasn’t like a hundred billion dollar Sony movie.

ROGEN: We could have done it. We could find a way to spend it. You give me a budget, I will blow through it.

Deniz Goktas was detained Thursday for questioning at Istanbul’s main airport on his return from a trip abroad, days after prosecutors launched an investigation into his comedy show, which had been widely viewed online. He was formally arrested following questioning by prosecutors on Friday, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

The routine, recorded in Istanbul last month, drew some 9.5 million views after being uploaded to YouTube on June 24. The pro‑government newspaper Sabah said dozens of viewers were offended by jokes on religion and filed complaints, prompting the investigation.

During questioning, Goktas, 32, said he had no intention of degrading religious values or insulting the president, stressing that his approach was satirical.

Asked about a quip in which he described Erdogan as having evolved from a “shy dictator” to one “confident in his identity,” the comedian said the remark reflected a topic widely debated in Turkey, according to excerpts of his testimony published by the rights‑focused news portal Bianet.

Insulting the president is a criminal offense in Turkey, punishable by up to four years in prison.

Erdogan has consolidated power during more than two decades in office, and critics say he has steadily narrowed the space for free expression. Journalists and government critics frequently face investigation, detention or prosecution.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, Erdogan’s main political rival, has been imprisoned since March last year and is on trial on corruption charges. Hundreds of mayors and other officials from the main opposition party are also under prosecution over corruption allegations while the party's leader was deposed by a court order — moves critics say are aimed at neutralizing the party ahead of the next elections.

Erdogan’s government insists that Turkey’s courts are impartial and act independently of political pressure.

Dozens of people gathered at the courthouse in solidarity with the comedian on Friday, chanting anti‑government slogans, according to the opposition‑leaning newspaper Cumhuriyet.

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According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to an animal cruelty complaint just after 6 p.m. on Transylvania Avenue, where they found what appeared to be a small dachshund locked inside a Nissan SUV.

Investigators said the vehicle was not running, and the dog was “barking, panting heavily and appeared to be in distress.”

Deputies said they used a “vehicle-lock tool” to gain entry after determining the temperature inside the SUV appeared to exceed 100 degrees.

They said the dog was given water and moved into an air-conditioned environment. Witnesses told deputies the dog may have been left inside the vehicle for an hour or longer, according to MCSO officials.

Authorities identified the suspect as Iyahna Michelle Leon-Yancy.

According to investigators, Leon-Yancy told deputies that she “forgot the dog was inside the vehicle.”

Deputies said officials with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were notified and took custody of the dog.

Jail records show Leon-Yancy is facing one misdemeanor count of confining an animal without sufficient food or water.

Her bond amount wasn’t immediately released.

De acuerdo con la Oficina del Alguacil del condado de Monroe, los agentes respondieron poco después de las 6:00 p.m. a un reporte por presunto maltrato animal en Transylvania Avenue, donde encontraron lo que parecía ser un perro salchicha de pequeño encerrado en una camioneta Nissan.

Los investigadores señalaron que el vehículo estaba apagado y que el perro “ladraba, jadeaba intensamente y parecía estar en estado de angustia”.

Los agentes utilizaron una herramienta para abrir el vehículo después de determinar que la temperatura en el interior parecía superar los 100 grados Fahrenheit.

Posteriormente, el perro recibió agua y fue trasladado a un lugar con aire acondicionado. Testigos dijeron a las autoridades que el animal pudo haber permanecido dentro del vehículo durante una hora o más.

Las autoridades identificaron a la sospechosa como Iyahna Michelle Leon-Yancy.

Según los investigadores, Leon-Yancy declaró a los agentes que “olvidó que el perro estaba dentro del vehículo”.

Los agentes informaron que personal de la Sociedad para la Prevención de la Crueldad contra los Animales fue notificado y quedó a cargo del perro.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Leon-Yancy enfrenta un cargo menor por mantener a un animal encerrado sin suficiente alimento o agua.

El monto de su fianza no fue dado a conocer aún.

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Police said officers responded around 9:30 p.m. to the 2100 block of Northwest Third Avenue after receiving reports about a person who had been shot.

Miami Fire Rescue medics transported the man to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition.

Police continue to investigate the shooting.

No other details were immediately released.

Anyone with information is asked to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

La policía informó que los agentes acudieron alrededor de las 9:30 p.m. a la cuadra 2100 de Northwest Third Avenue, tras recibir reportes de una persona baleada.

Paramédicos del Departamento de Bomberos de Miami trasladaron al hombre al Centro de Trauma Ryder del Hospital Jackson Memorial en estado crítico.

La policía continúa investigando el tiroteo.

No se dieron a conocer más detalles de inmediato.

Cualquier persona con información puede llamar a Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

U.S. Gen. Alex Grynkewich urged Europeans to make more equipment available after the U.S. signaled on June 3 that it would no longer supply an aircraft carrier and support ships, aerial refueling planes and dozens of fighter jets, among other assets, to the continent.

He also began weighing back up plans in case of an attack against Europe.

The so-called NATO Force Model is the alliance’s Plan A for making forces from the 32 member nations available in times of peace, crisis or war. It sets out the military assets that commanders can call on in phases over the first six months of any conflict.

“In a matter of weeks, European Allies have largely filled the gaps left by U.S. reductions to the NATO Force Model,” Grynkewich said, days before President Donald Trump and his counterparts gather for a July 7-8 summit in Turkey, where force planning will be high on the agenda.

“And in those few areas where they haven’t, where they do not currently have a like capability to replace, we are looking at alternate capabilities with matching effect,” Grynkewich said. He provided no details.

In a decision that took many allies by surprise, the Pentagon informed its NATO allies that it would no longer provide as much as it focuses on potential threats elsewhere, notably from China in the Indo-Pacific region.

European allies and Canada scoured their inventories to see what could be offered should one of them come under attack. Britain, for example, has put a second aircraft carrier and F35 fighter jets on a higher level of readiness for use in emergencies.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has played down the impact of the Trump administration’s decision. He believes the United States would shift more resources to Europe should conflict arise, just as it did for the war on Iran.

“This is not about where forces and assets are currently located,” Rutte said last month. “It’s about who would do what if our defense plans were activated. So, let’s say in case of an Article 5 situation.”

Under NATO’s collective security guarantee — Article 5 of its founding treaty — the 32 allies pledge that an attack on one of them will be considered an attack on all. It does not oblige them to provide military support, although many likely would.

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The list of more than 130 new Florida laws includes legislation to rename an airport and a highway after President Donald Trump.

The new Commercial Service Airports law renames the Palm Beach International Airport to the President Donald J. Trump International Airport.

The new Transportation Facility Designations law defined the new President Donald J. Trump Highway as State Road 870, from State Road A1A or South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach County, continuing westward through Hendry and Lee counties, and Commercial Boulevard in Broward County. It also designates a portion of State Road 985, or Southwest 107th Avenue, in Miami-Dade County as the Charlie Kirk Memorial Avenue.

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The list also included legislation related to terrorist organizations, the environment, new technology, education, and safety.

Terrorism

The new Foreign Influence law limits ties with “foreign countries of concern,” expands criminal penalties related to “foreign terrorist organizations,” and bans pre-planned adoption agreements or surrogate contracts involving “countries of concern.”

The new Systems of Law and Terrorist Organizations law allows the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s chief of domestic security to designate “terrorist organizations.”

Public safety

The new Dangerous Crimes law, better known as Missy’s Law after 5-year-old murder victim Missy Mogle, includes “any violation related to computer pornography or child exploitation” and requires pre-trial detention regardless of the defendant’s plea.

The new Sexual Offenses law revises mandatory minimum sentences for convicted sex offenders, and increases penalties for knowingly soliciting, possessing, controlling, or intentionally viewing and creating child sexual abuse material.

The new Habitual Traffic Offender Designation law, better known as Isaiah’s Law, creates a new designation for drivers who get three or more convictions of driving without a valid license within five years.

The new Domestic Violence and Protective Injunctions law reclassifies penalties for committing a domestic violence offense if a person has a prior conviction for domestic violence.

The new Drowning Prevention law expands the Swimming Lesson Voucher Program and directs the Florida Department of Health to develop educational materials.

Education

The new School District Unimproved Real Property law requires an annual inventory of “unimproved” or vacant property for the Florida Department of Education. Without an agreement by July 1, 2027, the law requires districts to offer such properties to charter schools.

The new Athletics in Public K-12 law allows athletic coaches in high schools to make personal contributions of up to $15,000 annually to help support their players’ transportation, food, and recovery.

Environment

The new Prohibited Governmental Policies Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions law bans “net-zero” greenhouse gas emission policies.

The new Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances law directs the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to regulate Aqueous Film-Forming Foam, or AFFF, which is used for fire suppression.

The new Coastal Resiliency law bans cruise ship operations and dredging or filling within the Terra Ceia Aquatic Preserve near Manatee County, and it directs DEP to issue new permitting processes by Jan. 1.

New tech

The new Vertiports law allows the Florida Department of Transportation to fund 100% of the cost of projects at public vertiports that don’t have federal funds and 80% when federal funds are available.

The new Data Centers law empowers local governments with more control over the planning and land development of large-scale data centers, and it prohibits passing on the utility costs to residents or small businesses.

Safiullin, ranked No. 132, dealt with a knee injury last year but this week has eliminated two seeded opponents at the All England Club. He surprised 12th-seeded Andrey Rublev in the first round. Fonseca was seeded No. 24.

The 28-year-old Safiullin, a Wimbledon quarterfinalist in 2023, became emotional when he described his journey back.

“After the U.S. Open, I had to stop — for treating my injury,” he said in an on-court interview. “That time was super tough. Even let’s say half a year ago I didn’t know if I will be able to be back.”

Safiullin then paused and used his shirt to wipe away tears as fans applauded on No. 2 Court.

“I’m super happy to be back here,” he added.

Safiullin will face either Novak Djokovic or Arthur Rinderknech for a spot in the quarterfinals.

Djokovic and Rinderknech were playing on Centre Court. Later, defending champion Jannik Sinner faces Jenson Brooksby of the United States on No. 1 Court.

In the women's draw, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka plays Jelena Ostapenko later on Centre Court.

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

They would like to expand their farm's reach beyond their farm stand, but it's challenging. Like many small food producers, the Spears have sought financial assistance through federal programs. Some have been cut or significantly scaled back under the Trump Administration, including U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that helped tribal farmers.

Tribes relied on these programs to grow and distribute culturally-significant foods locally.

“When we go into these federal programs, we’re hoping that they’ll last long enough,” Cassius Spears said. “They usually start out with a good song and dance. And they’re going to last a long time. And then something happens where they get cut.”

Programs help state and tribal governments purchase local food

The Biden administration started two programs during the pandemic to help states and tribes purchase local food from nearby farmers for food banks and schools: the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS). These programs offered farmers, including tribal farmers, reliable markets for their products. Tribal governments received assistance to purchase food from local producers to distribute to tribal members.

This allowed tribes to get federal dollars directly to small-scale producers, said Carly Griffith Hotvedt, executive director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative and a member of Cherokee Nation. The Spears' farm provided food for a tribal farm in nearby Connecticut that used LFPA funds, after an agreement was signed in August 2022.

In some instances, tribes used those dollars to source culturally-significant foods for tribal members such as bison meat, certain types of berries and wild rice that were included as part of a food box distribution. For some low-income tribal members, it was the best way to access these types of foods, Hotvedt said.

“It wasn’t just commodity foods in that box. It was highly local, traditionally relevant, culturally relevant foods that were included,” Hotvedt said.

In March 2025, under the Trump administration, the Agriculture Department ended the two programs that provided more than $1 billion for schools and food banks, saying that they no longer aligned with the agency's goals.

Congress considers new funding for farmers

U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, and Sen. Jim Justice, a West Virginia Republican, introduced a bill they say takes the best from the two programs and creates a permanent grant program. It would allow state and tribal governments to buy local foods from local and regional producers to distribute to nearby hunger relief programs and schools.

Reed said he feared that when the USDA programs were cut, families across the country would have a more difficult time getting access to food. And, he said, the access wouldn't be to nutritious, freshly grown produce.

Reed said he’s hoping to get the legislation passed as part of the Farm Bill, the massive, multi-year law that governs agricultural and food programs. The House passed its version of the bill in April, and a Senate committee released its draft in late June. The House version also includes a bipartisan proposal for a permanent program modeled after the Local Food Purchase Assistance program. It would allow states, through the USDA, to establish cooperative agreements connecting local farmers and producers with local food distribution organizations.

Both proposals would set aside 10% of the program’s funding for tribes.

For a new program to succeed, Congress must include mandatory funding in order to help farmers better plan, purchase supplies and hire staff because they know they’re going to sell products through those programs, said Hannah Quigley, a policy specialist with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. The House version would require Congress to agree on funding annually, she added.

Reed said he's advocating for mandatory funding in the Senate because without it very little is funded these days, and because farms are under so much pressure economically. An optional program wouldn't help them as much, he said.

“We really want to punch through the existing obstacles for small farmers and Native American farmers,” he said.

Teaching the next generation about where food comes from

Dawn and Cassius Spears would like to see Indigenous producers prioritized when tribal entities purchase food. And they said they think having dedicated programs that Indigenous producers can access outside of their tribal government would help more Indigenous producers.

Under the canopy of one of her farm’s high tunnels at the start of this year's planting season, Dawn Spears carefully organized her tomato crop, separating the tiny plants before moving them to a field outside. The name of the 6-acre farm is an homage to the Narragansett name of the river that flows through town. It started as a small community garden and food sovereignty project.

One of her grandsons, 9-year-old Giizhig, walked in to ask if she needed help.

“Only if you want to,” Spears replied. “It’s always good to know how to do it, right?”

Teaching the next generation about where food comes from and how to grow responsibly is key for her. But her culture isn’t just about cultivating crops. It’s also about gathering foods they eat from the wild and being able to preserve and access land where those foods are.

She's working to protect the land around their farm as development grows with the hope of introducing native plants into that area that can be foraged for food. Federal funding programs can also help with securing access to land, she said.

“If you take a person away from the land that they come from, then it’s like they’re not whole,” she said. “We have to eat the food that’s naturally from that space that we come from.”

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McDermott reported from Providence, Rhode Island.

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Follow Joshua A. Bickel on Instagram, Bluesky and X @joshuabickel.

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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.

The match, which was the 44-year-old Williams’ first singles contest in nearly four years, had a peak of 2.1 million viewers despite being played on a Tuesday afternoon in the U.S, the network said Friday.

Williams was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia but showed she could be competitive with an opponent less than half her age after being away for so long.

The viewing figures were higher than for last year's men's semifinals, which averaged 1.3 million viewers on ESPN. Last year's men's final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz averaged nearly 2.9 million viewers.

Williams was given wild card invitations to play both singles and doubles at Wimbledon and it remains to be seen whether she will still play doubles with older sister Venus.

Serena announced on Wednesday that she tweaked her right knee toward the end of the first set against Joint.

For the entire day on Tuesday, ESPN’s Wimbledon coverage averaged 937,000 which was an increase of 55% compared to last year and the highest ever for a Day 2.

Overall, for Monday and Tuesday, it marked ESPN’s most-viewed first round for Wimbledon with an average of 734,000 viewers. Monday featured a five-set victory for defending champion Sinner and a four-set victory for seven-time champion Novak Djokovic.

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

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No one has heard from Chelsea Bonnell since she flew to Miami from Michigan by herself more than a month ago.

“Something doesn’t feel right, especially as a mother,” said Michelle Clauw, Chelsea’s mother. “We’re worried. It’s been hell.”

Clauw said Chelsea flew from her home in Michigan to Miami on May 24. She traveled alone on a one-way ticket.

Two days later, on May 26, security video showed Chelsea walking into a Publix in Jupiter.

But there has been no communication with her friends or family.

“I started contacting her around June 1, and her phone was off,” Clauw said. “I was like, ‘OK, maybe she needed a break.’”

On June 2, Chelsea’s debit card was used at a Dunkin’ in West Palm Beach.

But since then, there has been nothing.

There has been no contact, no activity on her debit card and no sign of Chelsea for nearly a month.

“It’s unexplainable,” Clauw said. “It hurts, and it’s killing me because this is not her. She would call one of us.”

After spending a month making calls from Michigan, Clauw and several family members are now in Palm Beach County.

They have been hanging missing person posters anywhere and everywhere and visiting businesses where Chelsea may have gone, but they have come up empty.

“It’s not like her, and we do fear that she may be with somebody that’s not allowing contact to us because this is just not her,” Clauw said. “I just want her back. I just want to know she’s OK.”

West Palm Beach police confirmed they have been in contact with police in Michigan. They are asking anyone with information about Chelsea’s whereabouts to come forward to law enforcement.

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Video showed the players boarding the buses. Fans were kept at a distance, making it difficult to see the players as they headed to practice.

Loyal Argentina fans came from all over to see the team.

One father and son, who had just been in Dallas to watch Argentina, are now in Miami. They came to get a glimpse of the players and hope to get a jersey signed at some point.

Fans shared what they were hoping to see.

“I hope they’re going to wave,” one fan said.

When asked if they had been surprised by the team, another fan said there was no pressure, so “you don’t know what he’s going to do now.”

Another fan, Bruno Martinez, said he wasn’t surprised by how well Argentina has looked.

“There are too many strong teams in the World Cup,” Martinez said. “If you want to beat Argentina, you need to fight a lot.”

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City Manager Rickelle Williams resigned from her position during Thursday’s commission meeting, but continued with the meeting as scheduled.

Deputy City Manager Christopher Cooper will serve as acting city manager, effective Friday.

During the meeting, Williams said that there is some good news for taxpayers in regards to the City Hall project.

“To deliver the project, we have now reduced about $50 million of the cost to bring that project to life,” Williams said.

The initial $267 million price tag has been reduced to about $217 million.

The proposal includes remodeling an existing office building at the 101 Tower site on Northeast First Street and Third Avenue or converting the pre-existing federal courthouse across the street into City Hall.

A third option is a high-rise office site at 1 East Broward in Fort Lauderdale.

The lower cost was made possible in part by reduced developer and design fees and restructuring the terms of the project’s overall payment schedule.

“We wanted to ensure we could outline a roadmap no matter what outcome and no matter what decision by the city commission would be revealed to us,” Williams said.

The old City Hall has been out of use for the past few years after sustaining extensive flood damage during record rainfall.

No matter which of the three options the City Commission ultimately approves, the new City Hall will incorporate key core principles, including being cost-effective, innovative and setting a standard for history and the arts.

“I think we’re gonna end up with a wonderful building and something the city can be proud of for the next 30 years,” resident Mark Dickerman said.

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The investigation comes as birthright citizenship has returned to the national spotlight.

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court limited the ability of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions against President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship, while leaving broader constitutional questions unresolved. Trump has since called on Congress to address concerns about the practice.

Local 10 News first reported on the concierge service months ago.

The company, Have My Baby in Miami, promotes services for pregnant women around the world seeking to give birth in South Florida.

Its social media pages identify Dr. Wladimir Lorentz, a Miami pediatrician, as the creator of the service and encourage prospective clients by saying he “will love helping you be a mom in the United States.”

Texas Congressman Brandon Gill referenced the company while discussing birth tourism.

“Have My Baby in Miami — that’s the name of an actual company that’s facilitating birth tourism in the United States,” Gill said.

In a letter sent to Lorentz in May, the House Oversight Committee announced it had opened an investigation into the company.

The letter states, in part: “While it is not inherently illegal for a foreign traveler to give birth in the United States, willfully misrepresenting one’s intentions to enter the country on a temporary visitor visa is a violation of current law and considered visa fraud.”

Constitutional scholar at Florida International University’s College of Law Ediberto Roman says if Congress does act, it should focus on the enforcement of existing laws.

“Entering the United States solely for the purpose to have a child is contrary to our regulations,” Roman said. “It is circumventing our laws ... to come to the United States to basically have U.S. citizens born here.”

Local 10 News has repeatedly sought comment from Lorentz by phone, email and text but has not received a response.

On Wednesday, a Local 10 News crew went to Lorentz’s listed office in North Miami Beach. Staff members said he was not at the clinic, took the station’s contact information and asked the crew to leave.

The comedian, actress and creator returns as Mavis Beaumont for the third and final season of Netflix’s Survival of the Thickest, which premiered Thursday. Inspired by Buteau’s book of essays, the comedy follows Mavis, a plus-size Black stylist navigating love, friendship and a career in New York City’s fashion world.

Speaking with Local 10’s Alexis Frazier, Buteau said fans can expect the final season to deliver everything they’ve loved about the show.

“This final season you can expect, I mean, a whole lotta laughter,” Buteau said.

She described the new episodes as packed with “hijinks, friendship, sex, real life stuff,” promising an emotional and entertaining conclusion to Mavis’ story.

The final season picks up after the whirlwind events of the previous two installments, with Mavis embracing a fresh start in both her personal and professional life. While the series continues its signature humor, Buteau said it also isn’t afraid to push boundaries.

When asked whether there was a moment this season that surprised even her, Buteau responded with an enthusiastic “Yes,” adding that the show “takes it there” in the best possible way.

Beyond the comedy, Buteau said one of the series’ greatest achievements has been giving viewers someone they don’t often see leading a television comedy.

“It’s not only the world I live in, but it’s the world that I want to see on TV and in film,” she said.

The show has earned praise for centering a confident, successful plus-size Black woman pursuing her dreams while learning to balance romance, friendship and self-love.

Buteau admitted she didn’t initially realize how deeply the series would resonate with audiences.

“I knew what we were doing was good and entertaining, but I don’t think I knew how important it was, you know, until the first season aired,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh wow, people feel seen.’”

Over the course of three seasons, Buteau said the experience has also shaped her as a writer.

“I feel like my comedy evolves as I evolve as a human being,” she said. “I just feel like you have to be responsible with your words and intention.”

As for how Mavis’ journey comes to an end, Buteau couldn’t be happier.

Asked whether she liked where the characters ultimately landed, she laughed before answering, “I don’t like it... I love it.”

The final season also features several celebrity cameos, including Ice-T, Kandi Burruss and Wanda Sykes.

All episodes of the third and final season of Survival of the Thickest are now streaming on Netflix.

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Dashcam video shows the moment the crane went down at the site of a new YMCA building near Holiday Park.

“Right now, we’ve got two cranes coming out to try and lift this. And from speaking with the foremen, it’s very tricky because moving one part of the crane can make the other part flip off in the road and vice versa,” Fort Lauderdale Assistant Fire Chief Timothy Heiser said.

Video from the scene shows the crane on the ground as police and fire crews responded.

OSHA and building inspectors were called in as an investigation is underway to determine what caused the collapse.

Deputies confirmed no one was hurt.

President Donald Trump will travel to South Dakota to deliver a speech and watch fireworks at Mount Rushmore. And in a novel twist, there will be a ball drop in New York City's Times Square at midnight to usher in the July Fourth holiday with much the same revelry that is typically reserved for New Year’s Eve.

The sound of fighter jets on military flyovers reverberated across the nation's capital. In New York City, Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered his own address on the country’s 250th anniversary and cast America as a nation of contradictions “working each day towards the perfection in which it was conceived.”

“The frontier may be closed, we may have walked on the moon, but the work of fulfilling the values first enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, that work endures, and it belongs to us all," Mamdani said, sitting behind George Washington’s desk at City Hall and surrounded by a diverse group of recently naturalized citizens.

The activity culminates in the main event Saturday, when fireworks will erupt in communities across the U.S., along with backyard cookouts and block parties. Trump will deliver another speech at the National Mall in Washington before what is being billed as a historically massive fireworks show.

But for all the celebrations, there are also serious safety considerations as potentially record heat grips much of the Midwest and East Coast. Officials have warned those celebrating the holiday to stay hydrated and take air-conditioned breaks as needed.

Sky-high temperatures lead to cancellations and adjustments to the festivities

The heat has already affected some of the programming surrounding the holiday.

In Philadelphia, the city's Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade was canceled because of the weather.

In Washington, organizers of the Capitol Fourth concert banned the public from attending a Thursday rehearsal because of the heat. The concert Friday, a staple of Washington's Independence Day traditions, is on, but the gates will open to the public later than usual, at 7 p.m. EDT, an hour before the show. Organizers of celebrations in Washington on Saturday said they were adding water stations along with cooling resources and medical support.

From Boston to Norristown, Pennsylvania and Gettysburg National Military Park, plans were shifting to accommodate the soaring temperatures. Amtrak canceled some trains in the Northeast due to excessive heat that could affect the tracks.

The holiday is unfolding at a unique time in the U.S. The anniversary has served as an opportunity for the country to reflect on its history while also reminding it of the political polarization of the moment.

On a holiday of unity, there is an undercurrent of division

Even the celebrations themselves have not quite escaped the divide.

In New York, Mamdani, a Democrat, did not mention Trump by name, but parts of his speech appeared aimed at the president’s divisive rhetoric.

“For generation after generation, we have been told that when the world has sent its people to our shores, it has not sent its best,” Mamdani said in an apparent reference to an a common criticism from Trump. “Those ideals upon which our nation was built — they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them."

Freedom 250, an organization aligned with the White House, has come to rival America250, a bipartisan group founded by Congress a decade ago. Freedom 250 has organized much of the activity in Washington, including the Great American State Fair, which has gained attention for the relatively small crowds it has attracted. America250 is behind the ball drops unfolding in many cities, including New York, and will host a concert in Los Angeles on Saturday.

About 4 in 10 U.S. adults feel “proud” about the country’s 250th anniversary, according to an April survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Roughly 3 in 10 said “excited” describes their emotions.

Ahead of the holiday, auto technician Joe Fuqua-Bejarano, in Topeka, Kansas, sized up “what makes us awesome” as a people. It is clearly not the politics, in his view, but rather resilience.

“We’ve just all got to find unity somewhere, whether that’s in laughter or perseverance, and keep everybody cool,” he said from the fireworks stand where he is doing a booming business as a side hustle.

Christina Zhou, a 25-year-old research assistant from Cambridge, Massachusetts, said she would aim to “think about just things that are happening locally.”

“It feels a little bit more like within our own personal control," she said.

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Associated Press writers Steve Peoples and Anthony Izaguirre in New York, John Hanna in Topeka, Kan., Michael Casey in Cambridge, Mass., and Calvin Woodward in Washington contributed to this report.

The crash involved a pickup truck and an SUV.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said crews arrived to find one person trapped inside one of the vehicles, who they had to extricate.

First responders confirmed two people were transported by ground to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital. Their conditions have not been released.

The roadway was closed for hours Thursday, but all lanes have since reopened.

Northrop Grumman launched Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link spacecraft from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. The Pegasus rocket blasted off from the belly of a modified airplane, putting Link on course to reach and capture NASA’s Swift Observatory in about a month.

Launched in 2004, Swift is sinking faster than ever because of recent solar storms. NASA is paying $30 million for Katalyst to capture the telescope and boost its orbit so it can continue tracking some of the biggest explosions in the universe, like gamma ray bursts and exploding stars.

If all goes well, Swift could be back scanning the cosmos by September. Observations are currently on hold to preserve the telescope’s orbit as long as possible.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope could be a candidate for a similar salvage operation in a few years. It’s also slipping in altitude because of increased atmospheric drag caused by the sun’s outbursts.

The 1.6-ton (1.4-metric ton) Swift currently is circling 224 miles (360 kilometers) above Earth. Katalyst aims to raise the telescope’s altitude by 150 miles (240 kilometers), back to where it all began. Link’s thrusters will fire to boost Swift slowly, so there's no heavy jostling.

Katalyst threw the mission together in just nine months. NASA insisted on a rush job because the telescope will be too low to recover by the fall. Without a boost, it’s predicted to plunge to its demise in October.

Bad weather and technical issues caused a series of last-minute launch delays.

“This is a high-risk, high-reward mission,” Katalyst Space CEO Ghonhee Lee said ahead of liftoff. “The biggest danger was always we don’t launch anything and we let Swift burn up in the atmosphere. So we were always trying to avoid that risk, and our team has done that.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Hoffman, who won the Academy Award for best actor for his role in “Kramer vs. Kramer” (1979) and “Rain Man” (1988), will be honored for his outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema on the opening night Friday.

On Saturday, Hoffman will present “The Graduate,” his big movie from 1967 that earned him his first Academy Award nomination.

Binoche, who won an Oscar for best supporting actress in “The English Patient” (1996) and a number of other prizes, will receive the same award as Hoffman at the closing ceremony on July 11.

The festival will screen three of her movies: “Certified Copy” (2010), “Three Colors: Blue” (1993) and In-I in Motion (2025).

American cinematographer Robert Richardson, who is known for his work for directors Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, will be the third guest of the festival to receive the award.

Richardson, the three-time Oscar winner for best cinematography, will introduce his feature documentary portrait “Robert Richardson: The White Devil” on Saturday.

The grand jury of the festival, which takes place in the western Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary, will consider 12 movies for the top prize, the Crystal Globe.

Belgium rallied from 2-0 down to secure a dramatic 3-2 win, with a goal deep into extra time, on Wednesday and next faces the United States on Monday in Seattle.

Senegal led 2-0 with five minutes remaining but late goals by Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans pushed the round of 32 match into extra time. Tielemans then scored a penalty in the 125th minute.

Garcia was interviewed on television moments after the game. He said: “We know those teams, they lose their tactical structure toward the end of the match."

He then added: "We also knew that at 2-0 (up) they would do everything to protect their goal, which in my opinion is a grave mistake. Remind me when we're leading 2-0 not to do that."

Garcia's comments were perceived by some observers to be aimed at shortcomings of African soccer. The 62-year-old Frenchman posted a message on Instagram on Thursday night to clarify his words and said they were in no way a criticism of African teams.

“When I spoke of ‘those teams,’ I was referring to teams unaccustomed to managing a lead in high-level World Cup matches. My comments were by no means aimed at African teams," Garcia said.

"They could just as easily have applied to Asian, South American or European teams unfamiliar with that kind of pressure. As a less experienced coach myself, I learned the hard way that stopping play to defend a result at all costs is counterproductive.”

Statisticians Opta reminded Garcia of that by posting a message on X saying that, when he was coaching in French soccer, he lost three Ligue 1 matches after leading 2-0.

Garcia coached Lille to the league and French Cup double in 2011. He went on to lead Marseille and Lyon, as well as Roma and Napoli in Italy, before taking charge of Belgium in January last year. ___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

The police organization named Anastasiia Berezovska, who remains at large, in a Red Notice seeking her arrest on charges of attempted murder, placing an explosive device in a public place with criminal intent, and criminal conspiracy.

Monaco authorities haven’t identified any of the three people wounded in Monday’s explosion at an apartment building entrance but said they are a family and that they appear to have been specifically targeted.

Media reports named Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev as being among the wounded. He has said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship nearly a decade ago, and he was targeted by Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 for ties to Russia.

A woman and a child were also hurt. One of the victims is still in a life-threatening condition, prosecutors said Friday, also mentioning two other “collateral victims” who were slightly injured in the attack.

Investigators are also seeking to establish whether the suspect had accomplices or acted on behalf of someone else.

“The relative sophistication of the explosive device and the modus operandi suggest that the person who planted the device did not act alone,” Monaco’s deputy prosecutor, Morgan Raymond told a news conference.

He said the bomb was detonated from a distance, using a remote control, and its remains are being analyzed in neighboring France.

The attack shocked Monaco, a coastal playground for the rich and famous known for its tax-friendly incentives, royal family and Formula 1 Grand Prix. Its head of state, Prince Albert II, described the blast as “an odious act” and said all public services were mobilized to ensure security.

Prosecutors have not yet given a motive for the attack.

The Interpol notice says the suspect has a tattoo, possibly of a snake, on her right arm from the shoulder to the elbow. It says she was born in Ukraine, has dark hair, and speaks German.

Raymond said the suspect was initially identified as a heavily built person appearing to be male, wearing a dark long-sleeved top, light-colored shorts and a black bucket hat. A broader review of CCTV footage from previous days and testimony from a witness redirected the investigation toward a woman disguised as a man.

The Interpol Red Notice includes two photos of a woman wearing a white T-shirt with dark stripes, one of them in a street where she’s holding what appears to be some sort of electronic device, trailing a cable, in her left hand.

Two male individuals were taken into police custody as part of the investigation, but both were subsequently released.

Investigators also identified a rented vehicle fitted with German license plates used by the suspect in Monaco. The suspect’s escape route was traced, including the journey from France into Italy, and then across several European countries up to her country of residence. Raymond said that her last known address is in Germany, “a country with which judicial cooperation is particularly active.”

German police, including special forces, on Thursday searched the rented apartment near Frankfurt of a 39-year-old Ukrainian woman in connection with the investigation, police and prosecutors said in a statement Friday.

A vehicle used by the woman also was searched and secured, they added, and evidence will be handed over to authorities in Monaco. They said that the woman is on the run and they can’t give more details at present.

Ukraine is believed to have carried out attacks and targeted killings of Russian figures in the course of the war, although those attacks have largely been confined to Ukrainian or Russian territory.

In December 2024, Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for killing the head of nuclear, biological and chemical military protection forces for the Russian military.

Western intelligence officials have recently said that Russia has ramped up a campaign of targeted killings since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

A heat wave is expected to continue across the eastern and central U.S. through the end of the week, with peak heat indexes — which combine air temperature with humidity — between 100 F to 115 F (37.78 C to 46.11 C), according to the National Weather Service. High night temperatures will bring little relief and records could be broken.

Earlier this week, French players cooled off from temperatures that hit 90 F (32.22 C) with field sprinklers during their match against Sweden in New Jersey.

Concerns about extreme heat during the games in the U.S., Canada and Mexico have been growing for months, with some scientists saying that FIFA's heat safety guidelines are “inadequate” and “impossible to justify," even for heat acclimatized players. For spectators, that could mean games are slower and less intense.

The world has warmed roughly 1.26 F (0.7 C) in the last three decades since the U.S. last hosted the World Cup, according to the climate monitoring group Berkeley Earth. Global temperature increases intensify and make heat waves and other severe weather more common.

The humid heat engulfing the country, as well as parts of Canada, would've been “virtually impossible” without climate change, scientists with the World Weather Attribution said Friday.

The 2022 World Cup tournament in Qatar was moved from summer to winter because of the extreme heat threat, and last year, temperatures soared at the Club World Cup. The soccer players’ global union warned that extreme heat would likely be a bigger problem at this and the next World Cups.

One of the hottest World Cup games was in 1994 in Orlando, Florida, when temperatures hit 110 F (43.33 C).

Heat is a leading killer of athletes

Heat hits people from both their surroundings as well as while their bodies warm during exercise. That makes it harder to cool down when it's really hot and humid, said Bharat Venkat, director of the Heat Lab at the University of California, Los Angeles.

“So when you’re exerting yourself on a particularly hot day, the likelihood of experiencing heat related illness or even death is much higher,” he said.

Intense exercise on a sizzling day can lead to extreme fatigue, impaired performance, headache, irritability, nausea, dizziness, cramping and dehydration, all symptoms of exertional heat illness.

Exertional heat stroke requires immediate medical attention and is the third leading cause of death in athletes.

When the wet bulb globe temperature — which includes temperature, humidity, cloud cover and wind — reaches above about 95 F (35 C), people lose their ability to cool off quickly, said Ryan Calsbeek, professor of biological sciences at Dartmouth College, and "the physiological mechanisms just break down.”

Heat-induced confusion could also influence a player's decisions and could determine a match's outcome, he said.

Are FIFA's heat safety rules enough?

Mandatory three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half are to protect players, and referees, from extreme heat illness. But they've sparked criticism from different groups: some say they're interrupting the game’s flow and give coaches a chance to shift momentum in their team’s favor, while some scientists have said the breaks should be longer to allow players to meaningfully cool and rehydrate when heat is extreme.

Matches outdoors during peak heat hours have also been limited, and those expected in warmer windows are prioritized for covered stadiums, FIFA said.

FIFA's guidelines say a match could be postponed if the wet bulb globe temperature reaches 89.60 F (32 C). But that temperature is “so extreme that in the military, at our basic training facilities in America, if it reaches 32, it’s black flag and all training has to be canceled and stopped," said Douglas Casa, CEO of the University of Connecticut’s Korey Stringer Institute.

Temperatures are forecast over 100 F (37.78 C) during Saturday's game in Philadelphia. The player’s union FIFPRO, as well as the American College of Sports Medicine, has called for matches to be delayed at 82.40 F (28 C) for safety.

Players can train for heat stress during exercise

Guilherme Passos monitors and prepares Brazil’s national team for extreme heat as a sport scientist at the Brazilian Football Federation.

He's helped the team acclimate to the U.S. heat. “If you expose them straight to the hottest time of the day you can lose a bit of training quality," he said. They use saunas or hot baths as they heat train during the competition.

When Brazil hosted the World Cup in 2014, Passos said, players covered less distance and reduced high-speed running, and instead increased their technical and tactical precision.

“Soccer players are a really unique mix of athletic attributes," said Calsbeek. “They have to have extreme endurance and explosive speed. And then on top of that, they have to make really critical decisions. All of those different facets of the sport will be affected by the temperature."

But soccer players aren't the only ones at risk. Many soccer fans are drinking alcohol and watching the World Cup. In heat, doing that is risky. Cities and stadiums have increased access to shade, cooling areas and water, and medical personnel are stationed in FIFA Fan Festivals and around stadiums.

“People are going to be dehydrated, super excited, and not wanting to leave the match,” said Calsbeek. “We’re likely to see, in those extreme temperatures, spectators pay the price as well.”

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

The government this week introduced to Parliament amendments aimed at increasing powers of the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, Australia’s online safety watchdog, to enforce the ban on Australian children younger than 16 from holding accounts on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube that has been in place since December.

The amendments would have given Inman Grant power to demand documents as well as information from platforms about their efforts to exclude young children. She can currently only demand information.

But the conservative opposition Liberal Party and minor Australian Greens party referred the draft legislation Thursday to an eight-week Senate inquiry. The center-left Labor Party government does not hold a majority in the Senate.

“It is outrageous the delay because what the eSafety Commissioner has said very clearly is that that will allow the platforms to go and just delete a whole lot of material,” Albanese told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

“Whereas if it was passed yesterday, that would have been the date from which these demands could be made by the commissioner. So then fines can be issued,” he added.

The amendments would also give the commissioner power to demand information from third parties, including age assurance technology providers, to test claims made by platforms about how children continued to circumvent the ban.

The bill would double the maximum fine to 99 million Australian dollars ($68 million) for platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to exclude children.

Greens Sen. David Shoebridge, who has always opposed the social media ban, questioned why a fine that had never been issued needed to be doubled.

“Doubling penalties that they've never used doesn't seem to me to be a meaningful measure,” Shoebridge told Sky News Australia. “Is that really going to be the thing that keeps kids safe online?”

Opposition communications spokesperson Sen. Sarah Henderson said the amendments needed to be tougher.

“This is a social media ban which is failing; a half-baked law which is poorly designed, which was rushed, which is badly implemented and which is not working,” Henderson said.

“We will interrogate this bill properly and, frankly, I think the amendments before the Parliament need to be tougher,” she added.

Parliament passed the initial legislation with overwhelming support in 2024. The 10 targeted platforms were given more than a year to implement the ban.

Many countries who have implemented or are planning similar restrictions have been closely watching progress of Australia’s ban.

The government initially reported more than 5 million children had accounts removed, deactivated or restricted after the ban became law.

But eSafety reported in March that seven in 10 children who held accounts on restricted platforms on Dec. 10 when the ban took effect remained on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.

Inman Grant said in April she was considering court action against those platforms and YouTube, alleging they were not taking reasonable steps to exclude children.

She had been satisfied with progress made by the remaining restricted platforms: X, Kick, Reddit, Threads and Twitch.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said this week she had received monthly updates from eSafety since March and “we are not seeing improvements.”

Yet the anti-migration nationalist party is as polarizing as ever. Its meeting is expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters to the eastern city of Erfurt.

An established political force

Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is meeting to elect its leaders, which German parties do every two years. It will aim to put on a show of unity as it extends the terms of Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla, who have run the party together for four years.

In last year's national election, AfD achieved the best showing by a far-right party since World War II. Its second-place finish left it as the biggest opposition party nationally and the strongest political force in Germany's formerly communist east. Its support has since climbed above the 20.8% it won then, with recent assessments putting it in first place.

Weidel said recently that “2026 is a year of destiny for AfD.” Mainstream parties say they won’t work with it, a stance often known as a “firewall.”

But it hopes to win 40% of the vote or more in a state election Sept. 6 in the eastern region of Saxony-Anhalt. That could put it on course for an absolute majority or in a position where it might try to attract defectors, paving the way for its first state governor.

Another eastern state election follows two weeks later in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and AfD is optimistic there too.

A slice of power

“AfD is standing before the gates of power, to some extent,” said Albrecht von Lucke, a political expert who edits the magazine Blätter für deutsche und internationale Politik.

AfD's first head of a county administration was elected in 2023 in Thuringia, the state where Erfurt is located. No more have followed since, as enough voters rallied around mainstream candidates to prevent a repeat.

But leading a state administration would be a far bigger prize. Germany's 16 states have extensive powers, for example in running the education system and in overseeing security matters.

Opponents worry about the prospect of AfD replacing large numbers of civil servants if it governs Saxony-Anhalt, and about the possibility of confidential information ending up in far-right circles or even Russia. “An AfD interior minister would be a security risk,” Gregor Maier, Thuringia's center-left interior minister, told ARD television.

AfD rejects concerns about it running a state government. “We will prove that we can do it better, and that is exactly what the old parties are afraid of,” Chrupalla said this week at a rally in Berlin.

Von Lucke, however, said it would be “a huge challenge” for the party to show it can govern Saxony-Anhalt well, with internal conflicts likely. “A lot speaks for this not succeeding,” he said.

A government under pressure

AfD has been helped by the deep unpopularity of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's national coalition government, which took office 14 months ago with pledges to reform and turn around Germany’s economy, Europe’s biggest. It is now embarking on potentially painful change after a long period of economic stagnation, but has yet to persuade voters that it can produce results.

Merz has pleaded for patience.

“It is unrealistic always just to lament decline, mope and wait for a big bang,” he said at an industry meeting recently. “There isn't going to be one. We are in a reform process ... and we are moving forward in this process.”

“We want to show that solutions are possible from the political center of this country, that we also recognize the problems correctly,” he added.

But AfD has long become adept at harnessing discontent with issues well beyond its signature theme of curbing migration, which powered its rise in the mid-2010s.

It has been supportive of the Trump administration's general approach, while criticizing the war in Iran. It also has long called for lifting of sanctions against Russia and opposes weapons deliveries to Ukraine. Merz, Chrupalla said, “thinks he has to escalate against Russia, like in the Cold War. He should be building bridges.”

A party under scrutiny

AfD is locked in a battle with Germany's domestic intelligence agency over the latter's assessment of the party. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution announced last year that it was classifying AfD as a proven right-wing extremist group, but suspended the designation after a legal challenge. In February, a Cologne court said the agency can't use the designation while it considers the party's lawsuit in detail.

Some want to see the party banned, and protesters expected to turn out in force on Saturday and Sunday likely will underline those calls. But Germany's supreme court has set the bar for banning parties very high in the past.

Opponents of the idea are wary of handing AfD a victory by having a plea for a ban rejected after lengthy proceedings. Merz and conservative allies say the priority should be for the government to prove it can improve Germans' lives.

In a 2025 report issued on Tuesday, the intelligence agency said there were no indications that the party had backed off its problematic views.

“Many statements by the AfD and its representatives reflect an understanding of the nation that is based on ethnicity and ancestry and contradicts the understanding of the nation enshrined in Germany's constitution,” it said. It pointed to calls for the “remigration” of millions of people and to regular talk of an allegedly planned “great replacement” of the population.

AfD vehemently rejects accusations of extremism and argues the agency is being weaponized by mainstream parties.

___

Kerstin Sopke in Berlin contributed to this report.

“We saw a lot of bodies that had not yet been identified,” López said.

The rush is on across La Guaira, the state on Venezuela’s northern coast hardest hit by the powerful back-to-back June 24 earthquakes, to identify loved ones before it’s too late. With at least 2,295 people killed, Venezuela is overwhelmed with bodies that officials are struggling to collect, identify and preserve for loved ones to claim. Thousands are still missing.

José Antonio Toledo, López's 25-year-old son-in-law, was found under the building where he was working as a security guard when the quakes struck. Crews took his body to a local hospital, where staff turned them away because there was no space. The body was sent to another facility and eventually transferred to an open parking lot.

A forensic doctor helped the family find him days later, on Saturday. But once they identified his body, they didn’t know what to do with it because they couldn’t afford the $450 that a funeral home was charging.

At almost midnight on Saturday, López got word that the mayor’s office was offering them a free space at a local cemetery, but they had to move quickly to not lose the spot. An hour later, López and her daughter trudged up a hill leading to the cemetery and buried Toledo.

“He was an exemplary person, a boy who liked helping people,” López said.

They saved him from a mass grave that many fear is coming as they search for the bodies of their loved ones.

The number of bodies found is expected to soar

Forensic technician Joel Mirabal has worked for seven days straight since the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes struck.

The 45-year-old estimates that in 60% to 70% of cases, there’s a relative or neighbor available to identify a body when he comes to pick it up. Even so, it’s a struggle, he said, with many relying on tattoos, scars or familiar clothing.

“They don’t look even 10% like what they were in real life,” he said of the victims.

If a body cannot be identified, it goes to forensic specialists working at La Guaira seaport. Private companies have donated large cooling containers to help preserve the bodies, but the number of dead keeps growing.

“Obviously, mass graves will have to be created,” Mirabal said. “The collapse is massive, and the bodies are buried under many layers of debris.”

Mirabal said he and other forensic technicians anticipate spending up to three months collecting bodies.

They drive around the affected areas every day, led by rescue crews and civilians who have recovered or spotted bodies.

“Many of the rescues are carried out by the people,” he said of the thousands of ordinary Venezuelans who have pitched in for the recovery effort.

A dog trainer by profession who once helped the government locate drugs and missing people, Mirabal finds solace in the 12 dogs waiting for him at home, not counting the puppies. One of his favorites is Mila, a young black Dutch Shepherd who lay by his side on Thursday as he rested.

“It’s not easy at all to witness the suffering and tragedy of your fellow human beings,” he said.

Venezuelans wait in line to try to identify loved ones

Over the weekend, crews took dozens of bodies recovered from flattened buildings to a government-run health care facility in the city of La Guaira. They were left on a sweltering parking lot until families identified them, with funeral home workers estimating that more than 200 bodies were kept there at one point.

On Thursday, those who lost loved ones waited outside La Guaira seaport to identify bodies that authorities continue to pick up across the coastal state. Cars, including trucks and vans from funeral homes, formed a line outside a makeshift morgue.

Among those waiting was Robert Rodríguez. He sat on a concrete block, crestfallen, his legs dangling, waiting for his daughter to identify the body of his son-in-law. Rafael Alvarado died trapped inside a grocery store where he worked at the deli counter.

“He was her best friend,” Rodríguez said, referring to the couple as tears soaked his blue face mask.

Rodríguez said the family found Alvarado in the rubble on Wednesday, his body freed and transported to the port on Thursday.

“I saw his shoes and knew it was him,” Rodríguez said, adding that he warned his daughter. “I told her, ‘Prepare yourself.’”

He said the family plans to cremate Alvarado and scatter his ashes on Isla de Margarita, the Venezuelan island that was his home.

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Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

He's giving his harvest away rather than watching it rot as he's locked in a legal battle with a company that claims exclusive rights over the variety of white nectarine he grows. He's shared more than 100,000 pounds (45,359 kilograms) since Monday.

“It was really just a thought of not wasting a perfectly good product,” Mora said. “It does make a grower feel good, being able to share my fruit with people and see their immediate reaction that they love it. It’s a little bit of good in this tough situation that I’ve been dealing with.”

The legal dispute highlights the tension that can emerge between farmers and the plant breeders and large industrial food marketers that create new varieties of plants and obtain the exclusive rights to sell them.

Since 2023, the third-generation farmer in the agricultural community of Reedley in California's Central Valley has been fighting a lawsuit filed against him by Giumarra Brothers Fruit Co. The suit centers on the company’s claims of exclusivity over a variety of white nectarine and accusations that Mora broke their contract by selling the fruit to other packers. A trial has been scheduled for later this month.

“At its heart, this is a disagreement involving two written agreements, and it is being resolved the right way — in court and on the facts,” the company said in a statement emailed by one of its attorneys.

Mora has accused the company of unfair and fraudulent business practices.

Fruit patents are becoming more common

The fight centers on a white nectarine variety known as “Monalise,” which has a sweeter, less tart taste.

In its court filings, Giumarra says all rights to the Monalise variety are owned by Star Fruits Diffusion, a French company that works with plant breeding programs, while Giumarra holds the right to sublicense the variety for testing, production and sale. Star Fruits Diffusion did not respond to a request for comment.

Plant breeders, including universities, have long experimented with breeding new crop varieties, and some have become household names. Washington State University developed the Rainier cherry in the 1950s, while the University of Minnesota released the Honeycrisp apple in the 1990s. Both varieties are now in the public domain and can be grown and sold by anyone.

Fruit patents are becoming increasingly common, said Bradley Rickard, professor of food and agricultural economics at Cornell University. A patent allows a breeder to collect a royalty from the fruit trees it sells, the fruit that the trees produce, or both.

In 2010, more than a dozen apple growers sued the University of Minnesota for awarding exclusive rights to its SweeTango apple to an orchard that organized a cooperative of growers to market the variety. A settlement maintained the university's license agreement with the cooperative while also allowing more Minnesota orchards to lease the trees that bear the apple variety.

The white nectarine battle in California

California's Central Valley, stretching some 20,000 square miles (51,800 square kilometers), is an agricultural powerhouse that's estimated to produce 40% of the nation's fruits, nuts and other table foods, including most of its nectarines.

Court filings show Mora signed a sublicensing agreement with Giumarra in 2017 allowing him to grow and sell the Monalise. He entered a marketing agreement in 2019 requiring the fruit to be packed and sold through Giumarra. He said Giumarra recruited him to grow it.

Under the agreements, Mora was to pay Giumarra a royalty of $2.50 per tree and a 4% production royalty based off the gross sales of the fruit the trees produced, as well as a sales commission.

“They sold me hope and a big dream that I thought I could participate in with them," he said.

Mora alleges that up to half of the nectarines he provided to Giumarra in 2020 were thrown away, reducing his profits. The company disputes this, and the judge overseeing the case found that the statute of limitations for those claims had passed.

In 2022, Mora alleges the company sold his nectarines to Taiwan in violation of the contract, which states Giumarra will market and sell them in the U.S. and Canada. Giumarra also disputes that claim.

Mora later sought to terminate his relationship with Giumarra, and he sold his nectarines to another fruit packer in 2023. That's when Giumarra sued him for breach of contract, leading to his inability to sell the fruit at all while the court battle plays out.

Mora’s attorneys say Giumarra has not provided documents regarding its license to the nectarine variety. The company said in court filings the Monalise is not covered by a U.S. plant patent. Mora’s attorneys claim in court filings that “Giumarra promised and represented that the Nectarines were an ‘exclusive variety’ of fruit, and thus Giumarra held patents and related legal rights over these nectarines,” and that because it was exclusive, the fruit “would be sold for top dollar.”

Fresno County Superior Court Judge Jon Skiles in May ruled that Giumarra's breach of contract claim can go forward, saying that the agreement between Giumarra and Mora is valid whether there is a patent for the fruit or not.

“The sublicense agreement does not expressly state that its validity is dependent on the existence or issuance of a patent for the fruit,” he wrote.

He added that Giumarra “does not have to prove the existence of the underlying license agreement in order to prove that it has a valid contract with defendant regarding growing and selling the fruit."

Legal battles can discourage farmers

Mora said the yearslong litigation has left him feeling frustrated and defenseless. He also grows peaches and plums that are not subject to agreements with Giumarra, but he has lost a quarter of his income by not being able to sell his nectarine crop. Mora says he hopes his case results in more legal protections for growers, while Giumarra says it will let the evidence speak at trial.

“It's been discouraging to even want to go out and farm,” he said.

On Wednesday, locals wore T-shirts that read “No Nectarines Wasted” as they bagged up the free fruit, with some staying to help Mora serve the large crowds. He's raised more than $17,000 through a GoFundMe page.

“The only saving grace through all this is being able to share it with the public,” Mora said of his nectarines, “and having everybody enjoy it."

The Furka Pass, at an altitude of 2,431 meters (7,976 feet), is among Switzerland's highest Alpine passes and famous for its hairpin curves featured in the 1964 James Bond “Goldfinger” movie. But long before 007 actor Sean Connery filmed a harrowing car chase scene there, a steam train first traversed the steep and winding route in a continuous journey on July 3, 1926, kicking off a vital rail link between the regions of Uri and Valais in central Switzerland for decades.

In the early 1980s, a tunnel at the base of the Alps diverted rail traffic and prompted the closure of the historic mountain route until volunteers stepped in. Hundreds of them, nicknamed the railway's “pioneers,” have spent hours to restore, maintain and operate the historic tracks and trains so they run the same as a century ago.

The first section of the line reopened as a heritage railway in 1992, and the 18-kilometer (11-mile) track was ready for travel in 2010. The steam trains now operate exclusively as a tourist attraction in the summers between the stations of Realp and Oberwald, where visitors can hop aboard vintage carriages and marvel at the scenery of rivers, Alpine meadows and lush green pastures where patches of snow still linger.

Tourists last month enjoyed their trips through the German-speaking region aboard the “dampflokomotive.” Passenger Stephan Willareth called his journey “wonderful,” while Kurt Guldemann, a former employee of the Swiss railways, heralded the history of the machines.

Bernhard Lang, one of the many enthusiasts who volunteer to drive the vintage steam trains, said it can take years to master the skill.

“It’s something like a living machine, so you have to get kind of the feeling for it," he said. “To feel how it behaves, how it moves, how it smells, how it sounds.”

Jacob Kallert, a 21-year-old German transport engineering student and the youngest train manager, said it's important to listen to the locomotives.

“You hear every sound, you hear if everything is right," he said. “You can pretty much feel how it was then and how it is now.”

Volunteer Sergio Rovelli said anyone who has dedicated their time to the project gets hooked.

"We say, in German, that everyone who works here has the ‘Furka Virus, the Furka disease,’" he joked. “Once you come here, you like it, and you stay.”

A one-way ticket starts at 46 Swiss francs ($56.82) for a journey that lasts just under 2 1/2 hours. The anniversary celebration began Friday and continue through the weekend.

The future for the S&P 500 gained 0.3% while that for the Dow slipped 0.2%. U.S. markets will be closed Friday for the Independence Day holiday.

In European trading, Germany's DAX rose 0.4% to 25,667.73 and the CAC 40 in Paris edged 0.1% lower, to 8,471.19. Britain's FTSE 100 shed 0.4% to 10,613.55.

In Asia, South Korea's Kospi, which sank nearly 8% on Thursday, gained 5.8% to 8,088.34. Samsung Electronics, the country's biggest company and a major maker of computer chips, gained 8.2%, while its smaller rival SK Hynix jumped 10.9%.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 advanced 1.5% to 69,744.07. Chipmaker Tokyo Electron rose 0.4%, while memory maker Kioxia jumped 9.2%.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng climbed 1.3% to 23,350.03 and the Shanghai Composite index added 0.4% to 4,043.64.

Taiwan's Taiex edged 0.1% higher, while the Sensex in India rose 0.4%.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 picked up 1.4% to 8,844.40.

“Asian stocks found some footing after two bruising tech-led sessions, with the Korean market once again showing how quickly a stretched rubber band can snap back when everyone leans the same way,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

On Thursday, most U.S. stocks rose as the Dow snagged another record, gaining 1.1% to 52,900.07.

Drops for computer chip companies and other winners of the artificial-intelligence boom kept indexes mixed.

The S&P 500 finished the day virtually unchanged and edged up by less than 0.1%, even though seven out of every 10 stocks within the index rose. It closed at 7,483.24.

The Nasdaq composite dropped 0.8% to 25,382.67.

Stocks broadly got some help from a report showing U.S. employers added 57,000 jobs to their payrolls last month. That’s good for the economy, but it was also short of the 100,000 jobs that economists expected and a slowdown from May’s hiring pace.

The weaker-than-expected result could relieve pressure on inflation, which has been accelerating worldwide because of jumps in oil prices caused by the war with Iran. Now that oil prices are back below where they were before the war, if inflation slows in upcoming months, the Federal Reserve may feel less need to raise interest rates several times this year.

That would be a boon for investors, who tend to love lower interest rates because they make it less expensive for U.S. households and businesses to borrow money and spend. Lower rates also tend to push upward on prices for stocks and other investments.

Stocks of companies in the crypto industry were also strong after the price of bitcoin rose roughly 2%, a day after dropping near its lowest level since 2024. Robinhood Markets rose 3.8%, and Coinbase Global gained 3.9%. Bitcoin rose 0.9% early Friday.

Selling of computer chip companies' shares has weighed on indexes. They’ve come under pressure because of worries that their stock prices shot too high in the frenzy around AI and that all the spending on chips and data centers may not yield as much profit and productivity growth as hoped.

Memory maker Micron Technology erased an early gain to drop 5.5%, a day after plunging 10.6%. Nvidia fell 1.4%, and Lam Research sank 10.2%. They were some of the heaviest weights on the S&P 500 because they’ve grown so huge in size amid AI mania.

Nvidia has a total value of nearly $4.7 trillion, so its stock’s movements have more weight on the S&P 500 than any other.

In other trading early Friday, Brent crude, the international standard, shed less than 0.1% to $71.76 a barrel. U.S. benchmark crude gave up 0.2% to $68.48 a barrel.

The dollar rose to 161.14 Japanese yen from 161.11 yen. The euro rose to $1.1451 from $1.1431.

In June, the bellowing and blubbery 5-year-old mammal hauled himself onto land for his twice-yearly tour of beachside towns in southern Tasmania state after months of feeding at sea. That's posing problems now that he weighs as much as a small car and has a social media following more than double Tasmania’s human population.

His rampage through local infrastructure has claimed bent traffic bollards, a sign warning the public about seals and a fence that did not survive Neil’s attempt to vault it. The rest of the time he lies placidly any place he likes, which is sometimes the middle of the road, bringing towns he visits to a standstill.

But officials say their biggest concern is that Neil's popularity could lead to ill-advised human-seal encounters that are dangerous for both sides.

Neil is a bad boy with a long rap sheet

Neil, the only male elephant seal to visit Tasmania in years, has commanded an enthralled TikTok following of 1.4 million in part because he acts like kind of a jerk. During this visit to shore, his 12th, his crimes have included picking fights with parked cars and smashing through barriers erected to keep him off roads.

Those antics have prompted some online to hail Neil as a kind of anti-authoritarian hero. But experts say it's normal experimentation for a growing seal.

Juvenile male elephant seals need to practice for dominance battles in which adults rear up and crash their chests together as they compete for breeding opportunities, said Sophia Volzke, an elephant seal scientist based at the University of Tasmania in Hobart.

With no other juveniles to practice with, Neil can only rehearse on Toyotas.

Officials plead for fans to leave Neil alone

Local officials fear that Neil is the latest wild animal whose social media stardom has outgrown what’s good for him.

“Neil’s fame is a bit of a double-edged sword,” said Kris Carlyon from Tasmania’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment, at a news conference in Hobart on Thursday in which he asked the seal’s fans to give him privacy.

“We have had some pretty silly behavior, instances with people carrying their small babies up close to him and simply trying to get that shot for Instagram,” he said.

Officials have urged the public to refrain from identifying the town Neil is currently delighting or terrorizing, depending on who you speak to. They fear a disastrous encounter between the seal and an admirer could force rangers into a risky operation to move him elsewhere.

Carlyon also warned of worse. In a 2023 episode, a walrus known as Freya who drew huge crowds in Norway was euthanized after officials cited a growing risk to human safety.

“There is a risk here of essentially loving Neil to death,” Carlyon said.

Neil’s problems will get bigger as he does

It’s usual for seals to return biannually to the place they were born to rest, fast and shed fur. Many species roam inland during visits to shore, sometimes leading them into beachside towns.

What’s unusual about Neil is that he's the only male elephant seal hauling ashore in Tasmania.

Sub-Antarctic islands south of Tasmania are home to breeding populations of elephant seals and Neil’s mother would have arrived from one of them to give birth, Volzke said. Females have been spotted ashore in Tasmania before, but topping out at the size Neil reached when he was a year or two old, they don't cause the same kind of chaos, she added.

“Humans got rid of those animals and now maybe they are coming back and repopulating areas that they were previously seen in,” she said. “We do need to find a way to coexist.”

That could prove tricky for Neil, and for the rangers, police officers and security guards who follow in his wake. If he survives to adulthood, Neil could measure up to 5 meters (16 feet) in length and weigh triple what he does now.

However, about 90% of male elephant seals die before they reach a breeding age of around 10, Volzke said.

For now, Neil the seal is occupying a stretch of sidewalk, unmoving and unbothered. Sometimes he canoodles with an orange traffic cone, to the delight of his online followers. It isn't clear why he prefers that location, which he has returned to even after being ushered away by rangers.

“He’s obviously decided this puddle surrounded by bollards, which are horizontal at the moment, is his spot,” said Carlyon on Thursday.

His fans can relate. The locals have mixed feelings.

“He’s one of our biggest exports at the moment,” said Dale Creamer, a resident of the town that the seal is currently trashing, who has not been personally inconvenienced. “It’s Neil’s world and we’re just living in it.”

He has shrugged off the setback for one of the world’s leading oil-producing nations as “not critical,” dismissed ceasefire proposals and insisted the war will continue until his goals are met.

Putin has described the attacks on Russian energy as an effort by Ukraine to distract attention from its losses on the battlefield, although analysts say the advance of Russian forces has been stymied in recent months. The Russian leader appears to believe his government can keep the fuel crisis from eroding his authority and support for the war he launched more than four years ago.

The Russian military unleashed a massive 11-hour barrage on the Ukrainian capital overnight into Thursday morning that killed at least 30 people. It was one of the deadliest attacks on Kyiv since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.

Here's a deeper look at the latest exchange of strikes and Putin’s refusal to halt the fighting:

Gas shortages worsen in Russia as more oil facilities are hit

There have been more than 50 reported Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries and other energy facilities in Russia and occupied Crimea since March — a barrage Ukrainian leaders have said is intended to pressure Moscow to end the war.

At the very least, the attacks have brought the war home even more poignantly for millions of Russians, shattering Putin’s narrative of the conflict as something that doesn’t affect the lives of ordinary people in his country.

An estimated one-third of Russia’s refining capacity has been cut off, according to Chris Weafer, CEO of the consultancy Macro-Advisory. The attacks have inflicted lasting damage that will be costly to fix.

Despite significant air defenses protecting Russia's capital, a top refinery in Moscow has been hit twice. The second strike on June 18 set it ablaze, damaging key equipment that will reportedly take until the end of the year to repair.

With gasoline production in Russia reduced by roughly 17% to 850,000 barrels a day, according to government statistics, rationing has been introduced in many regions, and motorists have had to wait in line for hours to refuel.

In an effort to ease the fuel deficit, the government has allowed production of lower quality gasoline with higher sulfur content through the year's end.

Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014, has faced the worst fuel shortages. Gasoline sales to individuals have been periodically halted there altogether.

Putin downplays the impact of Ukrainian strikes

Putin chaired a meeting of government officials last weekend to discuss the fuel shortages.

In televised statements, he acknowledged the country was going through a “difficult period.” He pledged to accelerate repairs of energy facilities and said Russia would consider importing gasoline to help make up for what he described as “temporary” shortages. He also said Russia's arms industry will boost production of air defense systems to fend off future Ukrainian attacks.

Putin portrayed the Ukrainian strikes as an attempt to divide Russian society, halt Moscow's offensive and try to force the Kremlin into negotiations on “terms advantageous to our adversary.”

“We will not give them that chance,” he said.

While Putin said Ukraine's long-range strikes on Russian oil facilities “have absolutely no effect on the situation at the front,” Western military analysts say mid-range strikes on the Russian army in recent months have hampered military logistics and slowed the tempo of its advance, leaving the battlefield in a stalemate.

Putin claims Russian forces are still advancing across the roughly 1,000 kilometer-long (620 mile-long) front line. In an interview last weekend with state TV, Putin mentioned the names of small villages and even streets in Ukraine.

Putin dismisses Ukraine's ceasefire offers

The Russian president has responded to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's offer to meet by challenging him to come to Moscow, a non-starter to Ukraine.

Putin has rejected a truce that Kyiv and its Western allies have proposed. He says it would only give Ukrainian forces time to rest and regroup.

He has made any ceasefire conditional on Ukraine's withdrawal from the part of the Donetsk region it still controls, a demand rejected by Ukraine. Putin has said that a final peace deal must oblige Ukraine to abandon its bid to join NATO, reduce its military and protect Russian language and culture.

In last Sunday's interview, Putin claimed that Ukraine had offered to limit the fighting to the four regions that Russia annexed but never fully captured: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. He said he rejected the proposal because it would free up Ukrainian forces from other areas where Russian troops have made inroads and let them focus on fending off the Russian attacks in the four southeastern regions.

“Faced with a catastrophic shortage of personnel, the armed forces of Ukraine apparently believe this could be their salvation,” Putin said. “Saving the Kyiv regime is not part of our plans.”

The Kremlin said the offer was made via confidential channels; Ukrainian officials have not publicly discussed any such proposal.

Putin also dismissed a Ukrainian proposal to mutually halt strikes deep into each other's territory. Russian attacks deep into Ukraine are “much more powerful, sensitive and, frankly speaking, destructive,” he said.

In Thursday's deadly barrage on Kyiv, Russia once again hit residential areas even as it claimed to be targeting military sites. By contrast, the vast majority of Ukrainian strikes in Russia have hit oil facilities, weapons factories and other military targets.

A United Nations tally says more than 16,000 Ukrainian civilians have died in the war.

Zelenskyy on Friday again urged Ukraine’s allies to provide interceptors to counter Russia's ballistic missiles. “Day and night, the Russians strike ordinary civilian infrastructure, and terror is the only argument they have left for continuing the war,” he said.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

Portugal advanced to the round of 16 after a 2-1 win against Croatia at Toronto Stadium on Thursday.

That doesn't even begin to tell the story of the most dramatic of clashes that relentlessly swung back and forth and ended in the cruelest way for Croatia when Josko Gvardiol's would-be game-saving equalizer 13 minutes into added time was ruled out for offside after video review.

Croatia legend Luka Modrić, age 40 and likely playing for the last time at a World Cup, looked crestfallen at the final whistle.

The 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo lives to fight another day and couldn't hide his relief when just moments earlier he stood helplessly on the sidelines in anguish, believing Portugal had blown it.

Here's how it all happened:

The First Goal in Added Time

After 90 minutes of play, the electronic board signaled 10 minutes of added time, and it was difficult to imagine at that point just how much drama would be packed into the coming minutes.

At the 94-minute mark, Rafael Leao sends a curling cross, and substitute Gonçalo Ramos rises highest to meet it, powering a header beyond the dive of the Croatian goalkeeper.

Cue wild celebrations from Portugal’s players. They now had to just ride out the final minutes and advance to the next round.

Croatia Strikes Back

As the clock ticks into the 103rd minute, Croatia knows it is nearly out of time.

From the left wing, Ivan Perisic hits a right-footed, in-swinging cross into the box.

Igor Mantanovic makes the slightest of glances with his head — and this is crucial — to flick the ball on. It bounces off the thigh of Mario Palasic and rolls across the face of goal.

Gvardiol lunges and sends the ball crashing into the back of the net.

Now it’s time for Croatia’s players and fans to go crazy. Ronaldo, meanwhile, shakes his head in disbelief.

But wait ...

While celebrations are ongoing, replays show Palasic was in an offside position when the ball came to him. However, it hit Portugal defender Renato Veiga on the way, which raises the possibility of him being onside because a Portugal player made the last touch.

VAR quickly starts to review the footage. Croatia’s hopes lie in the hands of the video assistants.

Portugal’s staff, meanwhile, have seen replays on the sideline and are convinced it's offside.

The crucial question is whether Mantanovic actually made contact with the ball before it hit Veiga.

This is because Palasic was standing in an offside position when a Croatia player last played the ball forward.

Sensors inside the World Cup ball can detect the slightest of touches and Eskås was instructed to go to the sideline monitor where he confirmed contact by Mantanovic.

“Croatia player number 20 touched the ball ... final decision: offside,” he announced over the stadium speaker system.

Portugal’s players cheered as if they’d scored a goal. There were tears in the eyes of Croatia players. Perisic dropped to his knees. Modrić threw his hands in the air.

In fury, Croatia fans threw bottles onto the field, delaying the restart by a couple of minutes.

What happened up to that point ...

There was nothing to separate the teams after a first half that failed to catch fire, but that all changed after halftime with Perisic firing Croatia in front in the 53rd minute.

Leao almost leveled for Portugal with a long-range curling shot that came back off the bar. Ronaldo then thinks he has scored for the first time in a World Cup knockout game, but his is ruled out for marginal offside, something that would become a theme of the match.

Portugal makes lots of changes. Ronaldo stays on

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez makes four substitutions at once in an attempt to turn the game. Crucially, he keeps Ronaldo on despite the veteran forward's struggles to make an impact.

From a Portugal corner, giant defender Veiga tumbles to the ground under the challenge of Nikola Vlasic for a penalty. Ronaldo steps up to fire down the middle of the goal, level the game and finally score in the knockout round of the World Cup.

Heroic goalkeeping by Diogo Costa

Croatia, which reached the final and the semifinals of the last two World Cups, has a slew of chances. Portugal keeper Diogo Costa blocks Matteo Kovacic's long-range shot and then stops another effort from the same player. He then makes a sprawling save to block Igor Matanovic from close range.

Petar Sucic does beat Costa, but his celebrations are cut short by the offside flag.

In the 81st, Portugal made another change, taking off Ronaldo for what could have been the last appearance at the World Cup.

At some point after leaving the contest, Ronaldo donned a jersey of Diogo Jota, the former teammate who died in a car crash exactly one year ago. He and his teammates basked in the emotion of the win and thought of their dear friend.

Meanwhile, Croatian coach Zlatko Dalić was left wondering what could have been, and he had some harsh words for the video replay rules and decisions.

“All these decisions take the joy out of football. I’m not saying VAR can’t sometimes be of help, but it kills the emotion of the game. It kills everything within you. It kills what you are experiencing in the moment. Football should be fair. We’ve gone too far about VAR.”

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

With four months to go until November’s elections, it's still unclear how much MAGA Inc., the country's largest political war chest with $382 million in the bank as of last month, plans to spend on key races. The silence has persisted even as Senate Republican leaders have urged Trump’s team, both privately and publicly, to pick up the tab for the president’s decisions.

Front and center is Texas, where Trump successfully endorsed fiery conservative Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn, a choice that some Republicans grumble has turned a safe election into a toss-up that will drain resources away from other battlegrounds. Democratic nominee James Talarico, a state lawmaker, has made Paxton's history of corruption allegations a central target of his campaign.

“The president picked Paxton, and he’s got $350 million dollars," Cornyn recently told Semafor. “I think he can spend his money.”

Another challenge has emerged in North Carolina, where Sen. Thom Tillis declined to run for reelection after feuding with Trump last year over healthcare spending. Trump backed Michael Whatley, his former handpicked chair of the Republican National Committee, to run instead, and Democrats hope to flip the seat with former Gov. Roy Cooper.

Some in Republican campaign leadership are expecting MAGA Inc. to pitch in for Whatley in North Carolina, where the state’s several metro media markets can be pricey.

Republicans will likely be able to count on generous support from well-funded official party committees, which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled earlier this week should be allowed to make unlimited direct contributions to candidates’ campaigns. But even that sum falls short of what Trump has stockpiled in MAGA Inc. Even though the president is constitutionally barred from running again, he began raising money shortly after winning a second term, and he's regularly held fundraisers at his resort properties where tickets cost $1 million per person.

James Blair, the former White House political director who left his government job to coordinate the president's midterm efforts, was evasive in an interview with Sean Spicer, a former Republican spokesman who hosts a podcast.

“The president is going to expend substantial resources to win the midterms,” said Blair. “He cares deeply about the party winning.”

As a super PAC, MAGA Inc. can raise unlimited money from individuals and corporations. However, it is barred from coordinating with individual campaigns or national Republican committees, which adds to the sense of mystery surrounding its plans.

It’s been more than two months since Blair, along with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, pollster Tony Fabrizio and political adviser Chris LaCivita huddled at Washington’s Waldorf Astoria to discuss MAGA Inc.'s strategy.

The huddle was focused on assembling teams of vendors, such as advertisers, canvassing providers and digital media company leaders who had worked with the Trump team in key states during previous elections and who would be dispatched once plans were in place.

The president has spent much of the year waging a war of retribution against Republicans who have crossed him. He viewed Cornyn as insufficiently loyal, held a grudge against Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana for voting to convict him in an impeachment trial and assailed Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky as the “worst Republican Congressman in history." All of them lost their primaries to Trump-backed challengers.

Cornyn's loss weighs heavily on Senate Republicans, who suggest that Paxton could cost the party an extra $100 million to defend the seat.

Senate Leadership Fund, the principal super PAC aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, is still expected to spend money on advertising in Texas but not play a central role given its obligations elsewhere.

Democrats must net four seats to take the majority, and they see Alaska, Maine, North Carolina and Ohio as their best opportunities. The Senate Leadership Fund has already committed to spending $342 million across these four states, plus Iowa, Georgia, Michigan and New Hampshire.

When Paxton came to Washington after winning the nomination on May 26, he had a cordial meeting with Thune focused on moving forward together, according to people with knowledge of the conversation who were not authorized to speak publicly.

Later that day, Thune suggested that Trump should be putting up money for a candidate whom Senate Republicans hadn’t asked for.

“We will do what we need to do to make sure the state stays red," Thune told reporters. "But I’m certainly hopeful the president and the resources he can bring to bear will be engaged.”

“It’s going to be an expensive race,” he added.

___

Associated Press White House correspondent Seung Min Kim contributed from Washington. Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding is slated to take place Friday at Madison Square Garden, where the couple's closest friends and family — and several hundred more — will attend what is expected to be an elaborate event inside the iconic New York venue.

Many of the details surrounding the pending nuptials are still unknown, but a city permit obtained by The Associated Press shows that Friday's wedding event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and could last until 4 a.m. the next morning.

A law enforcement official briefed on security plans had previously told the AP a smaller rehearsal dinner would be held Thursday night, and a tented area shielded guests from view as they were dropped off Thursday evening. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the events publicly.

The wedding is the latest development in the superstar singer and football player's relationship, which has continued to thrill and fascinate millions around the world — particularly the Swifties, the pop star’s enormous and ardent fan base — for the past three years ever since the pair first started dating.

Key questions remain over how Swift and Kelce have transformed MSG into a wedding venue fit for a billionaire and the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, as well as who may perform and who will officiate. Trucks and crews have been going in and out of the venue for days, setting up tents and whisking massive materials inside, setting off more speculation about MSG's makeover.

And while fans have seen Swift wear wedding dresses in plenty of music videos over the years, many also remain eager to see what looks she will unveil at the wedding.

Perhaps the biggest puzzle surrounds the selection of MSG. Swifties, commentators and the public have spent weeks debating the merits of the venue, some convincing themselves that it must be a smoke screen for the wedding to take place elsewhere. Others pointed to the arena's lack of windows and robust security, which would provide a rare opportunity for privacy for one of the most public couples in the world — and crucially, add another layer of protection.

New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch has repeatedly declined to confirm that Swift and Kelce’s wedding would take place Friday at MSG but has said the department will have appropriate resources at each major event over the weekend, including at the venue. Still, police tried to get in on the fun Friday morning, posting a social media video of one of its chiefs standing outside MSG with a bullhorn tossing out a handful of not-so-veiled references to Swift tracks, at one point saying “this weather feels like a cruel summer,” flicking at her song “Cruel Summer.”

The wedding is taking place during a jam-packed weekend even by New York's standards. It's the July Fourth weekend, where the city will be partake in celebrating the nation's 250th birthday. Separately, a parade of dozens of tall ships will take place on the Hudson River, and a World Cup game is scheduled in New Jersey. On top of everything, a massive heat wave is also coming to the northeast.

Earlier this week, Swift and Kelce donated $26 million to 20 local and national charities across the U.S. Many of the organizations were located in areas where the couple has deep ties, including Nashville, Tennessee; Los Angeles; Kansas City, Missouri; and New York.

Trump has frequently praised Erdogan, calling him a “hell of a leader” and a good friend. “I would not have gone for most people,” Trump said last week. “But he called me up. He said: ‘Please, I have it in Turkey. You got to be there. The United States has to be in there.’ And so I’m going out of respect to President Erdogan.”

Leveraging that respect has helped Erdogan avoid the disarray that Trump's absence would cause the alliance, particularly at a time when the Republican president has been repeatedly threatening to pull U.S. forces from Europe and scale back America’s role in NATO, unsettling allies. Trump has long rebuked other NATO countries over their defense spending and he claimed last year’s pledge to collectively boost it as a major personal win. More recently, he has clashed with alliance members for failing to back his war against Iran.

But Trump has sweetened the deal for Erdogan by also hinting that he could make news during his visit related to jet engines and the potential sale of F-35 fighter jets barred for years because of Turkey’s closeness with Moscow.

Trump's affinity for strongmen leaders has long made him an admirer of Erdogan, who amassed power in Turkey first as its prime minister and now in his 13th year as president.

“His relationship with Erdogan, which is pretty strong, is consistent with what seems to be a pattern of his preference,” said Philip Gordon, who served as national security adviser for Vice President Kamala Harris. “It has often been pointed out he seems to have better relationships with adversaries and autocrats, and he certainly says nicer things about them than with allies.”

Gordon, now at the Brookings Institution, added, “Erdogan is taking full advantage of it.”

Erdogan snubbed Biden but bets on Trump

Trump, who is expected to have a bilateral meeting with Erdogan on the sidelines of the NATO summit, will be the first U.S. president to visit Turkey since Democrat Barack Obama in 2015. By contrast, Democratic President Joe Biden kept Erdogan at arm's length over Turkey’s democratic backsliding and close ties to Russia.

Opposition parties and human rights organizations have accused Erdogan of undermining democracy and curbing freedom of expression. They say baseless investigations and prosecutions of human rights activists, journalists, opposition politicians and others remain a persistent problem in Turkey.

Soner Cagaptay of the Washington Institute said Erdogan and Trump “clicked” personally during Trump’s first term. When Biden extended an invitation in 2024 for Erdogan to visit the U.S. after Turkey endorsed Finland and Sweden’s NATO membership, Erdogan decided not to go.

“That was Erdogan’s way of signaling to Trump, ‘Hey, you are going to probably win the elections,'” Cagaptay said. “I think Trump saw that as a giant gesture.”

Trump signals steps toward jet sales for Turkey

During a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte last week, a reporter asked Trump whether he was taking “a big gift bag for Erdogan” on the trip, noting that Ankara wants F-110 jet engines and F-35 fighter jets.

“Yeah, I think so,” Trump responded. “Yeah, I’m going to probably do something that’s going to make him very happy.” Trump had also suggested September that the U.S. could soon start selling F-35s to Turkey.

Turkey was barred from the program in 2019, after it purchased Russian-made S-400 missile defense systems. U.S. officials have feared that Turkey’s use of the Russian system could enable Moscow to gather information on the F-35’s capabilities.

At the Oval Office meeting, Vice President JD Vance said Washington was exploring ways to sell ⁠Turkey the jets, emphasizing that any sale would ensure Turkey has complied with U.S. law. There is significant bipartisan opposition on Capitol Hill, including from influential Republicans such as Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to selling the F-35s to Turkey as long as Ankara is in possession of the Russian missile defense systems.

Meanwhile, the F-110 jet engines that Turkey is seeking to purchase would power its domestically produced KAAN fighter jets. The State Department last week took a step toward making those sales, sending key lawmakers a notice that it planned to bypass congressional opposition to more than $700 million of the jet engine sales to Ankara, according to two people granted anonymity to discuss details of a nonpublic notification.

“In this case, the State Department did not even attempt to justify its decision,” New York Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement last week. “It did not invoke any emergency authority, did not present a written rationale, and for months refused to make a good-faith effort to brief me on implications of the sale for the U.S.-Turkey relationship, Turkey’s continued possession of the Russian S-400 system, and other regional security concerns.”

The relationship between the U.S. and Turkey is thawing in other ways, too. Earlier this year, Trump's Department of Justice dropped a major case against Turkey’s state‑owned Halkbank, which had been accused of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions.

Erdogan lauds Trump's friendship and phone calls

When he returned to the White House for his second term, Trump appointed a close friend as ambassador to Turkey: Tom Barrack, a longtime ally who also served as the chairman of his inaugural committee. “Barrack is playing a crucial role as a facilitator in the relationship,” said Ahmet Kasim Han, a professor of international relations at Ankara’s TED University.

Erdogan and Trump have frequently held telephone calls to discuss Syria, Gaza and the wider Middle East, and Turkey joined Trump’s Board of Peace aimed at overseeing the ceasefire in Gaza. Trump claimed this month that he asked Erdogan to stay out of the war in Iran and that the Turkish leader complied, though there is no indication that Turkey had ever intended to get involved.

Trump expressed admiration for Erdogan even while standing beside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a joint news conference last year. Netanyahu, whose government is at odds with Ankara, had hoped to win Trump’s support for pushing back on Turkish influence in Syria, but instead found himself watching as Trump showered praises on Erdogan and urged Netanyahu to be “reasonable.”

Last year, after meeting with Trump at the NATO summit in The Hague, Erdogan told reporters that the U.S. president is quick to return his calls, an anecdote that illustrated their close ties.

“With my friend Trump, we are opening the door to a new era in Turkish‑American relations,” Erdogan said. “The process of telephone diplomacy between us has never exceeded 24 hours so far. When we call, the other side responds within 24 hours.”

___

Fraser reported from Ankara.

The news agency didn't give a cause of death but said the 70-year-old Lam had a cancer relapse last year and was admitted to MacKay Memorial Hospital in Taipei on Tuesday. He fell into a coma on Wednesday and died Thursday evening, according to the report.

Lam, who was the manager of Causeway Bay Books in Hong Kong, moved to Taipei in 2019 over fears of legal troubles and reopened the bookstore under the same name in the Taiwanese capital in 2020.

Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te offered his condolences in a Facebook post.

“The passing of Mr Lam Wing-kee is deeply saddening, but the courage he left behind would not fade,” Lai wrote. “Taiwan will remember that a Hong Kong bookstore worker once told us in the most ordinary yet most steadfast way how precious freedom is and reminded us that democracy requires the efforts of generation after generation to defend it.”

Lam was one of five people affiliated with Causeway Bay Books who disappeared in late 2015. The store sold books and magazines that were not available in mainland China, including some that purported to reveal secrets about the inside lives of Chinese leaders and the scandals surrounding them.

The disappearances raised concern about Beijing's growing reach into Hong Kong and the erosion of freedoms in the city, which is part of China but has its own legal system and laws.

One of the five, Gui Minhai, a publisher who was a part-owner of Causeway Bay Books, went missing from his holiday home in Thailand. He was sentenced in 2020 to 10 years in prison in China on a charge of illegally providing intelligence overseas.

In an act of defiance, Lam gave an explosive account of his experience in 2016 that contradicted official Chinese accounts of what happened to the five booksellers.

He said that he was seized by Chinese authorities in October 2015 after crossing the border from Hong Kong to the city of Shenzhen on China's mainland, and that he was blindfolded for a 13-hour train ride to the eastern city of Ningbo, where he was kept under 24-hour surveillance in a room for five months by rotating two-person teams.

Speaking to a packed news conference in Hong Kong, he said he was later forced to appear on Chinese television to confess to crimes.

Last month, Lam told the Central News Agency that he had temporarily closed the bookstore in Taipei because of his health and that he couldn't say when it might reopen. A man from Hong Kong, who did not give his name, left a white rose outside the entrance to the shop on Monday.

Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have further tightened control over the city, shutting down virtually all dissent, following massive anti-government protests in 2019.

Hong Kong police, acting under a 2024 national security law, arrested two people in June who reportedly own a bookstore. They are suspected of selling seditious publications and receiving funds from foreign political organizations, police said.

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Watson, 42, appeared in Miami-Dade court as part of a plea agreement stemming from the incident at Elevation Fitness.

According to arrest documents, Watson told responding officers he was working out when the victim approached him and said he wanted to fight. Investigators say surveillance video captured Watson beating the victim with his weightlifting belt during the altercation.

As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors offered Watson a sentence of 21 months in prison, including time already served, followed by seven years of probation and mental health treatment.

During Thursday’s hearing, Watson’s attorney argued the circumstances leading up to the fight were unusual.

“There’s been a lot that’s been argued in this case about stand your ground,” defense attorney Eric Clayman said. “What’s unique is you have an alleged victim that sought somebody out because of his presence online. This guy bought a plane ticket, came through New Jersey, showed up at the gym for the sole purpose of confronting Mr. Watson. That turned into something else.”

Watson is a convicted felon and is also facing multiple unrelated criminal charges in Broward County, including charges of felony battery, aggravated assault, witness tampering and allegations related to domestic violence involving his girlfriend.

Watson is scheduled to return to court on July 27 for sentencing in the Miami-Dade case.

The right-hander struck out seven and walked none through six innings, throwing 50 of his 69 pitches for strikes. The only baserunner for the Angels had come when Denzer Guzmán reached second on a throwing error by Mariners third baseman J.P. Crawford with two outs in the fourth.

Guzmán followed Schanuel with a single of his own in the seventh, but Miller got through the inning with a 1-0 lead.

The 27-year-old Miller took a 3-2 record and 1.97 ERA into the game. His season debut was delayed by a strained left oblique muscle sustained in spring training, but he joined the rotation in mid-May.

Angels rookie Walbert Ureña also had a no-hitter going through five innings, before Crawford led off the sixth with a double.

James Paxton pitched the most recent no-hitter for Seattle in a game at Toronto on May 8, 2018. Paxton was born and raised in Canada.

The Angels haven’t been no-hit since Sept. 11, 1999 — the longest active streak in the majors. In that game, they lost 7-0 at Minnesota, shut down by Twins left-hander Eric Milton.

___

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

Exclusive surveillance video obtained by Local 10 News shows the moment the car veered off Northwest 57th Avenue near 114th Street and into the water.

Hialeah Fire Rescue said the driver may have suffered a medical emergency before losing control of the vehicle. She was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center.

A nearby resident said he jumped into action moments after the crash, giving an officer a snorkel and mask to help search for possible passengers.

“Pretty shocking. This is the first time we’ve seen something like that,” the resident said. “I know right down the street we usually see car accidents, but that’s the minimum. This is the first time we’ve seen a vehicle in the canal.”

The driver’s condition was not immediately known.

La electricidad aún no se ha restablecido por completo en la Mancomunidad de las Islas Marianas del Norte, después de que el supertifón Sinlaku las azotara con vientos feroces y lluvias incesantes en abril. Algunas personas todavía viven en tiendas de campaña tras la destrucción de sus viviendas.

“Nos estamos preparando para pasar por todo esto otra vez", dijo Edwin Propst, un exlegislador que trabaja en la oficina del gobernador en Saipán. "Que esto pase ahora es terrible”.

Paul Stanko, meteorólogo del Servicio Meteorológico Nacional en Guam, indicó que se prevé que el tifón Bavi se convierta en supertifón entre la noche del domingo y las primeras horas del lunes, cuando se pronostica que llegue a las Marianas.

Un ciclón se convierte en supertifón cuando registra vientos máximos sostenidos de 241 kilómetros por hora (150 millas por hora) o más. Los supertifones equivalen a un ciclón de categoría 4 alta o de categoría 5, explicó Stanko.

El servicio meteorológico informó que Bavi se encontraba el viernes a 1.223 kilómetros (760 millas) al este de Guam, con vientos máximos sostenidos de 129 km/h (80 mph).

Stanko señaló que algunos residentes esperan que Guam reciba el impacto principal de Bavi.

“Eso es lo que en realidad esperamos, porque entonces Saipán no lo recibiría tan fuerte”, comentó Stanko.

Guam está ubicada al oeste de la Línea Internacional de Cambio de Fecha y alberga dos grandes bases militares de Estados Unidos.

Propst contó que los residentes estaban cubriendo las ventanas con madera contrachapada y almacenando combustible, porque tras Sinlaku hubo largas filas en las gasolineras durante semanas.

El reverendo Francis Hezel, pastor asistente de la iglesia católica Santa Bárbara en Dededo, Guam, dijo que espera que ninguna isla reciba el golpe principal de la tormenta. Pero añadió que no estaba demasiado preocupado, tras haber vivido numerosos tifones. Tenía la esperanza de que Bavi cambiara de rumbo.

“Ahora mismo el patrón se dirige hacia nosotros, pero esos patrones cambian”, señaló.

Aun así, trabajadores de la iglesia y residentes se estaban preparando.

“Esto se está convirtiendo en lo normal ahora: la preparación ante tifones”, dijo Hezel. “Está ocurriendo con más frecuencia”.

El fenómeno climático del Niño incrementa la actividad de la temporada de huracanes en el Pacífico. Expertos afirman que El Niño, un ciclo natural de calentamiento, debería calentar aún más un planeta que ya se está calentando por el efecto invernadero de la quema de combustibles fósiles y probablemente potenciará el clima extremo en todo el mundo.

Propst manifestó que, aunque se ha avanzado mucho en la recuperación tras Sinlaku, “todavía no hemos llegado del todo”.

“Unos meses más habrían venido bien”, añadió.

___

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

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Among them were Conch Heaven in northwest Miami-Dade, where inspectors reported live roaches, dozens of flies and mold-like buildup inside an ice machine.

The Villa Caribbean Shoppes in Miami Gardens, cited for a live roach, numerous flies and more than 100 dead flies inside an insect control device.

Chong’s Chinese Restaurant in Miami, where inspectors found temperature-abused food that was ordered thrown away after refrigeration problems.

Beijing Garden in Miami, where inspectors documented raw sewage backing up into the kitchen, a dead fly on food and other sanitation issues.

P.F. Chang’s in Fort Lauderdale, where live roaches were found in the kitchen.

Lona Cocina Tequileria in Fort Lauderdale, where inspectors reported live roaches behind and inside kitchen equipment.

All of the restaurants were allowed to re-open following an ordered cleanup and a successful re-inspection by state inspectors.

**CONCH HEAVEN

11275 NW 27TH AVE

NW MIAMI-DADE (WESTVIEW)

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 6/19

14 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed 4 live roaches under the preparation table in kitchen area. Observed 2 live roaches on the floor by triple sink. 12 live roaches under a box by shelf with clean pots and pans in kitchen area.”

“Live, small flying insects found observed approximately 20 live flies in dry storage area by walk in cooler.”

“Accumulation of black/green mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine/bin. Repeat Violation.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Grease on A/C vents.”

**THE VILLA

CARIBBEAN SHOPPES

19501 NW 2ND AVE.

MIAMI GARDENS

ORDERED SHUT 6/24

22 VIOLATIONS FOUND

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 10/13/25 (FLY AND ROACH ISSUE)

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed 1 live roach on top of reach in freezer in kitchen area.”

“Accumulation of dead or trapped birds, insects, rodents, or other pests, in control devices. Observed 100+ dead flies in bug zapper on top of reach in freezer inside if kitchen area.”

“Live, small flying insects found. Observed 11 live flies on wall and prep table where juice are made. Observed 10 live flies in kitchen area where onions are being prepared, landing on cases of food and table. Observed 10 live flies inside of pot where limes were used for juice on table in kitchen area.”

“Insect control device installed over food preparation area. Observed zapper on top of reach in freezer.”

“Floor area(s) covered with standing water. Observed in walk in and kitchen. Repeat Violation.”

**CHONG’S CHINESE RESTAURANT

1164 WEST FLAGLER ST.

MIAMI

ORDERED SHUT 6/23

25 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed 3 dead roaches. One in the floor of the kitchen and 2 inside storage cabinets by the bathroom area. Repeat Violation.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed wall soiled with accumulated grease throughout the kitchen area.”

“Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Observed dumplings (44 F - Cold Holding); sprouts (58 F - Cold Holding) shrimp (73 F - Cold Holding); sprouts (68 F - Cold Holding); shell eggs (72 F - Cold Holding); chicken (57 F - Cold Holding); beef (63 F - Cold Holding); pork (58 F - Cold Holding); noodles (55 F - Cold Holding); shrimp (55 F - Cold Holding); cabbage (62 F - Cold Holding) pasta (56 F - Cold Holding); shrimp (57 F - Cold Holding); sprouts (59 F - Cold Holding); ham (46 F - Cold Holding) . All foods were stored inside reach in coolers at the cook line and inside the walk in cooler. As per employee foods have been out of temperature for more than 4 hours.”

“Inadequate number/capacity of cold holding units to maintain time/temperature control for safety food at proper temperatures. Observed both reach in coolers at the cook line and the walk in cooler are not working properly.”

**BEIJING GARDEN

832 WEST FLAGLER ST.

MIAMI

ORDERED SHUT 6/23

27 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Observed a dead fly on pork ribs in preparation area.”

“Objectionable odors in dining area.”

“Sewage/wastewater backing up through floor drains. Observed under the 3 compartment sink/kitchen area.”

“Raw sewage on ground of establishment. Observed dirty water is not draining away and there is a huge amount of dirty water on the floor.”

“Improper sewage disposal at floor drains in kitchen and/or food preparation area.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Observed ceiling tiles at dining area and all around kitchen soiled. Repeat Violation.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed shelves soiled with food debris and grease at kitchen area. Repeat Violation.”

“Food stored on floor. Observed plastic bucket with salt stored on the floor in the kitchen. Repeat Violation.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed rice (71 F - Hot Holding) on preparation area in the kitchen. As per operator less than 1 hour. Repeat Violation.”

**P.F. CHANG’S

THE GALLERIA

2418 EAST SUNRISE BLVD.

FORT LAUDERDALE

ORDERED SHUT 6/23

5 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Approximately 5 live roaches found under the dish machine in the dish area 1 live roach found on a water line next to the fryer on the cook line. The one roach was exterminated and the area cleaned and sanitized.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Under the dishwasher/triple sink station table, food debris is built up between the wall and equipment.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. At the bar, the first soda gun nozzle was soiled.”

“Floor area(s) covered with standing water. At the cook line under the wok station and under the triple sink. The water was removed.”

**LONA COCINA TEQUILERIA

WESTIN FORT LAUDERDALE BEACH RESORT

321 NORTH FORT LAUDERDALE BEACH BLVD.

FORT LAUDERDALE

ORDERED SHUT 6/22

4 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. 3 live roaches found behind the double stacked oven in the prep kitchen. Approximately 15 live roaches found inside of a nonfunctioning oven used to store towels and extra pans on the cook line.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of food debris behind the prep area cooking equipment.”

Cleveland (46-42) rallied from a three-run deficit and trails Chicago (45-41) by less than a full percentage point atop the division standings.

Pinch-hitter David Fry launched a solo homer in the seventh that trimmed the Guardians' deficit to 5-4.

White Sox reliever Grant Taylor (4-2) walked Rhys Hoskins leading off the ninth. Kahlil Watson flied out to center before Rocchio pulled a 99 mph fastball down the right-field line for his sixth home run this season.

Tim Herrin (1-3) pitched a perfect inning for the win.

Travis Bazzana hit an RBI double and Rocchio drew a bases-loaded walk in the third to give Cleveland a 2-0 lead.

Sam Antonacci delivered an RBI double and scored on Kyle Teel's two-run double to put Chicago ahead 3-2 in the fifth.

Braden Montgomery doubled leading off the sixth and Chase Meidroth's two-run homer made it 5-2, chasing Guardians starter Slade Cecconi.

Daniel Espino, Shawn Armstrong and Herrin combined to allow one hit in four innings of scoreless relief.

Cleveland loaded the bases against reliever Sean Newcomb in the sixth and cut it to 5-3 on an RBI groundout by Chase DeLauter.

Fry connected off Brandon Eisert in the seventh for his second pinch-hit homer this year.

White Sox starter Davis Martin gave up two runs and six hits in 3 1/3 innings without striking out a batter. He walked five and threw only 37 of his 73 pitches for strikes.

Up next

White Sox LHP Anthony Kay (6-3, 4.50 ERA) faces Guardians RHP Gavin Williams (9-4, 3.81) on Friday night.

___

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

The country's theocracy expects to see millions flood the streets of the capital beginning Saturday in scenes reminiscent of the burial of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.

That could provide a boost for Iran's government, particularly as it tries to leverage its hold on the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations with the United States over a permanent end to the war, and as concern still lingers that Israel could attack yet again.

Despite that, a powerful general who leads Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard emerged publicly for the first time in months for the funeral. Other top government officials will also likely will be on hand alongside foreign dignitaries in a show of strength by Iran.

“As long as these people, who are chosen (by God), are on the field, we will definitely continue the same ‘no to humiliation’ policy that was founded by the Islamic Republic,” said Mohammad Hossein Rezaei, a volunteer preparing for the funeral Friday.

“We will continue our policy of pursuing independence, and decisions will be made inside the country, and the people will decide their own fate,” he said.

Caskets displayed in Tehran

Khamenei's flag-draped coffin sat at Tehran's Grand Mosalla alongside family members killed in the Israeli airstrike that came in the first moments of the war on Feb. 28.

The dead being honored include a son-in-law, his eldest daughter, a 14-month-old granddaughter and the wife of Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the previous leader who remains in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the attack.

Religious leaders and foreign dignitaries walked up to Khamenei’s casket as a military band played or a man sang prayers. Iran's Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian, key leaders in the country's civilian government, all paid their respects.

Video published by Iranian state media showed an earlier mourning ceremony Thursday night for Khamenei. The black-clad mourners, whom state media identified as coming from families of those who lost loved ones in the 12-day war in 2025 and the recent Iran war, threw scarves and other items for attendants to brush against the coffin, a common practice in Iran seen as a blessing.

Later, state media showed images of Khamenei’s casket draped by a red flag with white calligraphy reading “Ya Hussein,” a Shiite expression in remembrance of the 7th-century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson. It had been flying over the Imam Hussein golden-domed shrine in Karbala, Iraq. The flag also traditionally symbolizes both the spilled blood of someone unjustly killed and a call for vengeance.

Top general appears for first time in months

Photos published online by Iranian state media showed Gen. Ahmad Vahidi attending a meeting Thursday about the funeral of Khamenei, then sitting alongside his casket as Iran's theocracy held a smaller service for him Thursday night near the supreme leader's former home in downtown Tehran.

“They must know that the pure blood of our martyred imam will mark another turning point in the victories of beloved Islam across the global arena,” Vahidi told state television in comments aired Friday. “They will take to their graves the wish to see this nation surrender. This nation will rise higher day by day through this pure blood.”

Vahidi has become a major player in formulating Iran’s tough stance in negotiating a possible permanent end to the war with the United States, experts say. He had not been seen publicly since Feb. 8, weeks before the Iran war began. Israel killed top leaders in Iran’s military and government during the war, and has threatened the life of the new supreme leader as well. Vahidi is believed to be part of a small clique in direct contact with the younger Khamenei.

It remains unclear whether Khamenei will appear at his father's funeral. His father appeared in 1989 at Khomeini's funeral, weeping visibly, as he began his journey to lead Iran for decades with an iron fist while confronting the West.

Israel's repeated threats to kill Khamenei drew a warning from Iran's joint military command Thursday, which told Israel and the U.S. “to avoid any miscalculation" over the coming days.

Funeral to go on for days

Beginning Saturday, Iran will hold the dayslong funeral for Khamenei and his body will be transported to cities in both Iran and neighboring Iraq. Authorities plan to shut down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran as mourners commemorate the life of Khamenei.

In Tehran, images of the late Khamenei's fist could be seen in banners and in a giant statue in Enghelab Square, framed by what appeared to be ballistic missiles flying through the air. In his first message to the nation, read by a state television anchor, Mojtaba Khamenei said he saw his father’s body after his death with raised, clenched fist.

The banners read in Arabic, English and Farsi: “We must rise.”

“This fist is the clenched fist of all us Muslims,” taxi driver Jafar Javadi said. “The leader’s fist is a sign all our fists are clenched and they (the enemies) will be destroyed with these fists, God willing. We will continue chanting death to America and death to Israel with the same clenched fist.”

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Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.

The president signed the order in March. It directs U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Social Security Administration to create a “citizenship list” for each state and the Postal Service to limit mailed ballots to those on the lists.

The Postal Service filed a proposed rule to implement the order in late May. Since then, a federal judge has blocked Trump's executive order and barred agencies from implementing it, saying it was unconstitutional because only states and Congress — not the president — have the power to set election rules.

The letter sent Thursday was an effort organized by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and included eight other Democratic governors — from California, Connecticut, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Washington and Wisconsin. It cited the judge's ruling and asked that the Postal Service withdraw the rule it had proposed to fulfill Trump's order.

“Far from ensuring integrity in federal elections," they wrote in the six-page letter, “the Proposed Rule would undermine trust in elections, needlessly complicate voting processes, arbitrarily disenfranchise millions of eligible voters, and undermine states’ constitutional role in ensuring free and fair elections.”

The proposed rule would grant, they argued, “unilateral power to refuse to deliver their ballots if a state refuses to collaborate with President Trump’s unlawful directives.”

The Postal Service did not immediately respond to calls and emails seeking comment. It had filed the proposed rule in the Federal Register after a judge considering a separate lawsuit against Trump's executive order declined to block it because the administration — at that point — had not taken steps to implement it. The Democratic and civil rights groups that filed that lawsuit have appealed the ruling.

The executive order also met pushback from postal workers, with the president of the American Postal Workers union, Jonathan Smith, previously saying that their job was not to “verify voter eligibility” but to “move mail from one destination to the next."

It was the second executive order seeking oversight of elections that Trump has signed since returning to office. The centerpiece of his first order, which also has been blocked by the courts, sought to require people to show documented proof of citizenship to register to vote.

Both orders revolve around Trump's targeting of voting by noncitizens, which studies and investigations by state and local authorities have shown to be rare. Trump also has fixated on voting by mail as a source of fraud, even though he also uses the method.

There is no indication of any widespread problems with mail voting, which has gained in popularity among Democrats and Republicans alike. A report by the Brookings Institution published in 2025 found that the number of cases of mail voting fraud was minuscule — about four cases per 10 million mail ballots.

Ramos headed in the winner as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in a wild finish that also included a Croatian goal disallowed for offside just before the final whistle in a World Cup round of 32 match on Thursday night.

The game featured a matchup of 40-somethings — Ronaldo, in his sixth World Cup, and Croatia's Luka Modrić, making his fifth bid for a tournament title.

Ronaldo tied things up in the 68th minute on a penalty kick that gave the megastar his first knockout stage goal at the World Cup before being subbed out in the 81st minute.

“I never felt any of that (fear),” he said. “Yes, nervous. But as always, you have to be very positive for things to go well.”

Still, it was Ramos who gave Portugal the victory and a berth in the round of 16.

“I love that type of moment, I love that type of games,” he said. “I want to play every game like that.”

Portugal moves on to face Spain on Monday.

“First half we dominated the game. In second half after the goal we get a little bit panic, but this is football,” Ronaldo said. “After the penalty, I think it was a little bit better for us. We created a few chances and I think at the end of the day we deserved to win the match.”

In a postgame interview with Fox, Ronaldo proudly turned around to show that he was wearing a Diogo Jota jersey and his No. 21, one year after his teammate died in a car crash. “We knew this before the game. It was a so special moment. We speak today to our group, the coincidence of life. It’s unbelievable.”

Things got weird after Ramos scored. With Portugal and its fans still enthralled with his goal, Croatia thought it had tied things up 2-2 in the very last moments. But after a 2 1/2-minute delay, Mario Pasalic was called offside as VAR ruled no goal. Croatia fans threw bottles on the field and whistled in protest.

Croatia midfielder Petar Sucic said, “the referee said he didn’t see (anyone) touch the ball, he said that he had a sensor in that ball,” that caused the offside ruling. “For me, it's a regular goal.”

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said it was, indeed, the chip in the ball that triggered the decision.

“I need to tell them (Croatia fans) the message is very clear: The balls now have a chip, and it’s very clear that’s why the VAR intervened," he said. "It's not a subjective opinion."

Croatia opened the scoring in the 53rd minute when Ivan Perisic scored off a cross from Josip Sanisic.

Ronaldo, booed loudly by Croatia fans every time he touched the ball, got his chance from the spot after Nikola Vlasic was called for a holding foul inside the box. Portugal’s megastar hitched his step and converted down the middle as the goalkeeper went to his right.

Modrić led Croatia to second- and third-place finishes in 2018 and 2022, and the match carried the weight of the two aging stars each trying to realize the dream of winning the World Cup. Modrić is 40.

The men, who were teammates at Real Madrid, shared a few smiles and an embrace ahead of the coin toss before the match. The two met on the pitch after the match, hugged and exchanged a few words.

“I played with Luka so many years,” Ronaldo said. "We’re nearly the same age. I think he’s a legend of football. He’s still a legend of football.”

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalić said this was “probably” Modrić's last World Cup, but added, "only God knows what will happen in the next four years. We’ll see. We’ll talk about it in Croatia.”

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Lexie Linderman is a student in John Curley Center for Sports Journalism at Penn State.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

Simón hasn't allowed a goal in 519 consecutive minutes across the past two World Cups. He broke the record set in 1990 by famed Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga, who recorded 517 straight scoreless minutes and five consecutive clean sheets in his home World Cup.

The 29-year-old Athletic Bilbao mainstay isn't the most famous goalkeeper in this competition — or even on his own team — but Simón's outstanding play at the back of Spain's superb defense has launched him into the World Cup record books.

Spain has yet to allow a goal at this World Cup, and its Basque backstop has only had to make four saves — none against Austria, which got none of its five shots on target.

“I feel proud of him,” Spain coach Luis De La Fuente said. “I feel like he is a member of my family. I’m very happy for him.”

Simón has been Spain's first choice in net for most of the past half-decade, keeping the job despite roster competition from David Raya and Joan Garcia, the championship-winning goalkeepers in two of Europe's four biggest leagues. Simón has spent his club career on smaller stages with Bilbao, which only reached the Champions League for the first time in his career last season.

Simón owes his international success to his stellar results and to his tight bond with De La Fuente, who has largely resisted calls to give more playing time to his goalkeeping options with more accomplished club careers.

Simón and De La Fuente have been bonded since 2015, when the coach and his 18-year-old keeper won the European Under-19 championship in Greece. They stayed together in Spain's youth system and then reunited in early 2023, when De La Fuente took over the senior national team and promptly embarked on one of the most successful stretches in Spain's proud history.

Under De La Fuente, Spain has just one loss in 37 competitive matches, going unbeaten in its last 35 straight — a streak which includes a loss on penalties to Portugal in the 2025 Nations League. Spain has won the 2023 Nations League and the 2024 European Championship with Simón in net, and now it has won a World Cup knockout match for the first time in 16 years.

Simón and Spain allowed just three goals in four matches at the 2022 Qatar World Cup, but still went home early. Simón's shutout streak started during Spain's 2-1 loss to Japan, and it continued through a scoreless draw with Morocco, which ultimately knocked out Spain by converting three of its four penalties against Simón.

In North America, nobody has been able to beat Simón — and only Uruguay has managed more than one shot on goal among Spain's four opponents.

“(Simón) played a very big role in the victory, but it’s not just about individuals,” De La Fuente said after beating Austria. “It’s about the whole group coming together for that defensive effort.”

Early in the second half against Austria, Simón also surpassed the Spanish record scoreless streak posted by Iker Casillas across the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

His play has been more than enough to hold off two accomplished challengers as Spain moves forward to the round of 16.

Raya is widely considered one of the world's best goalkeepers after winning three consecutive Golden Glove awards at Arsenal for leading the Premier League in clean sheets. He also backstopped the Gunners to their first Premier League title since 2004 and the Champions League final this year — only to go back to a reserve role for Spain.

García is one of the world's top young talents at the position after seizing Barca's starting job last season, but he's also likely to spend this World Cup as a spectator.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

The U.S. match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday night was the most-watched soccer telecast in English language history with more than 24.4 million viewers, according to Fox Sports.

The peak audience was 31.8 million.

The United States won the game 2-0 in Santa Clara, California, to advance to the round of 16, marking its first knockout win since 2002.

The match topped the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Final telecast in which 22.3 million viewers on English-language TV tuned in.

By comparison, the most-watched Super Bowl of all time came in 2025 when an average of 127.7 million viewers watched the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs across FOX, FOX Deportes, Telemundo, and Tubi. The peak average audience of 137.7 million viewers during the second quarter.

The most-watched combined U.S. audience during the World Cup so far was Mexico-Ecuador game with 29.3 million viewers overall.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said recent statements by President Donald Trump on social media that major renovations would begin Sept. 1 on the East Potomac Golf Links raised her concerns. She also noted the course plans displayed when he visited the course Sunday made clear that the administration was further along than had been publicly acknowledged.

Reyes made no formal decision on the case Thursday, saying that after speaking to the attorney representing the government, they seemed to be operating within the legal framework for approval.

“I’m just not there yet,” she said in not taking action. “I’m not going to assume the agency is going to act in bad faith.”

Plaintiffs want the administration to halt its plans

Reyes gave the two sides two weeks to work on language that would give her and the plaintiffs assurances that they would not suddenly learn in the “middle of the night” that there were bulldozers at the course “chopping down cherry trees.”′

The judge’s comments came after a request for a hearing from the plaintiffs suing the administration to stop its plans. The court filing said this most recent request for legal intervention resulted from recent visits by Trump to several places around the capital that he has been renovating and altering.

Trump, an avid golfer, posted about the visit to the course on social media, “When completed, this Course will have the ability to host Major Golf Tournaments, including The U.S. Open, The Ryder Cup, The PGA Championship, and other top PGA Tour events.” It’s unclear when the course could host any major tournaments, as locations are chosen several years ahead of the events.

The visit included the presence of extensive plans by course designer Tom Fazio, who accompanied Trump. Reyes said it was hard to believe someone who makes “millions” designing golf courses would have designed a proposal and escorted Trump “out of the goodness of his heart.”

Michael Robertson, the Justice Department lawyer representing the government, said Fazio had not been hired or designated by the Interior Department to design the course and said the process would still be open to other plans. He called the plans that had been seen “conceptual.”

Robertson also told Reyes repeatedly that there was still a lengthy process to undergo that would include signoffs from various planning organizations, the National Capital Planning Commission and the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. Reyes noted the Planning Commission is filled with Trump allies who have already approved a number of his pet projects, including the White House ballroom and the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

Golf course lawsuit is latest challenge to Trump’s capital projects

The course renovation is only one of the controversies surrounding it. The course has also been used as a dumping ground for debris from the demolition of the East Wing of the White House, which Trump ordered torn down in preparation for the construction of a ballroom.

Reyes said she needed to see evidence from the plaintiffs that the debris poses a danger to people and the environment before she would consider any action there, such as order the debris' removal.

The golf course lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal battles that have sought to challenge Trump’s extraordinary efforts to put his mark on public spaces in the nation’s capital.

Reyes made reference to those projects repeatedly when she emphasized that she wanted to avoid the administration’s habit of proceeding with work faster than the judicial system could stop it. “I don’t want a destroyed East Wing, a destroyed reflecting pool” before knowing the work was approved, she said.

The 106-year-old public course has been embroiled in the lawsuit since February. The complaint, against the Department of the Interior, says the Trump administration’s reconstruction of East Potomac Park — which includes the East Potomac Golf Course — would violate the congressional act that created the park in 1897.

The plaintiffs in the lawsuit, the DC Preservation League, sought an emergency stop in May because of similar concerns that work was expected to begin immediately on the course.

Cink was the only player to make five birdies on the back nine at Scioto Country Club on Thursday, shooting a 3-under 67 for a share of the first-round lead in the U.S. Senior Open with Charlie Wi.

Cink struggled on the front nine, shooting a 2-over 37, but found momentum once he made the turn.

“I’ve been off for a little while, and I started like I’ve been off for a little while. I had to prove it to myself again that I could play decent golf a certain way,” Cink said. “The back nine was really nice. I actually could have shot quite a bit lower on the back nine. I missed three very reasonably like inside — right around 10 feet or less birdie putts.”

The 53-year-old Cink has four wins in nine PGA Tour Champions starts this year, including the Senior PGA Championship and the Tradition. The last player to win the Senior PGA, Tradition and U.S. Senior Open in the same year was Jack Nicklaus in 1991. Scioto, the Donald Ross course hosting its third U.S. Senior Open, is where Nicklaus learned to play the game.

Simon Griffiths, Freddie Jacobson and George McNeill were tied for third at 68. Defending champion Padraig Harrington was among a group of 10 players at 69.

“Of course it’s tough, we know that, so once you get through that, the golf course itself is playing nicely,” Harrington said.

Cink is also attempting to become the fifth player to win the event after being runner-up the previous year. Fred Funk was the last to do it in 2009.

Cink was part of the seventh afternoon group to tee off from the first hole and played in the toughest conditions of the day, when the temperature reached 95 degrees midway through his round and a heat index of 103 according to the National Weather Service.

“The heat is a factor for sure. It affects your focus and your energy level. Sometimes even the simplest shots just kind of -- it’s easy to fall asleep at the wheel when the conditions are like that,” he said.

Cink tied Wi with a birdie on the par-4 18th. Cink's tee shot found one of the bunkers on the left hand side, but he got a great lie. His second shot landed within 2 feet near the front of the hole, and made for an easy putt.

Wi was at even par through his first 11 holes before his string of birdies on holes three through seven holes. Wi made a double bogey on the par-4 eighth before ending his round with a par.

Wi thought his best shot came on the par-3 fourth, when he hit his tee shot within a couple feet with a 5-iron on the 205-yard hole.

“I hit the ball pretty solid today, made a couple of putts. It was a hot day. I just made sure that I stayed in the ballgame, meaning like mentally, because you could easily lose it out there,” he said.

Wi’s run of bridies ended on the eighth hole when his second shot went left and into the water near the green. He is the 14th player in the 46-year history of the Senior Open to have at least five straight birdies in a round. The last time it happened was in 2022 when Thongchai Jaidee birdied Nos. 5-9 at the Saucon Valley Country Club's Old Course in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, during the third round.

The 54-year old South Korean player has nine worldwide professional victories — including five on the Korean Tour — but none on the PGA Tour or Champions circuit.

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

Dirigentes cívicos de la región de Santa Cruz, al oriente de Bolivia y la más próspera del país, interpusieron la querella contra el exgobernante (2006-2019), el dirigente del sindicato de trabajadores, Mario Argollo y el representante de campesinos aymaras, Vicente Salazar, informó Agustín Zambrana, vicepresidente del comité cívico de Santa Cruz.

“Ellos son los cabecillas del terrorismo en Bolivia… se tiene que hacer una investigación seria”, dijo Zambrana. “No es persecución, no es revanchismo, es justicia lo que queremos para que se acabe la cultura de deshacer a Bolivia y quedar impunes”, agregó.

De acuerdo con reportes de prensa y abogados del comité cívico la fiscal de Santa Cruz, Karina Lijerón, informó al juez que se abre preliminarmente la investigación bajo los presuntos delitos de alzamientos armados contra la seguridad y soberanía del Estado, terrorismo, atentado contra la seguridad de los medios de transporte y asociación delictuosa.

The Associated Press se comunicó con la oficina de la Fiscalía sin poder obtener de momento una versión al respecto.

Morales, quien se ha refugiado en su bastión de el Chapare, en el centro del país, para evitar declarar en un caso por presunto abuso de una menor cuando era presidente, negó en conferencia de prensa que avaló los bloqueos, los cuales ocasionaron desabastecimientos de insumos médicos y alimentos principalmente en las ciudades de La Paz y El Alto.

Unas 14 personas fallecieron, varias de ellas por falta de atención médica, y el conflicto generó millonarias pérdidas al sector productivo en medio de una crisis económica, según las autoridades.

“Decidimos marcha pacífica de Caracollo (en la región sureña de Oruro) a La Paz, una semana de marcha, y no se aprobó bloqueo de caminos”, aseguró Morales el jueves. “Todo esto es político”, agregó.

El presidente Rodrigo Paz declaró estado de excepción el 20 de junio y, posteriormente, sectores afines a Morales dieron una pausa en las protestas a pedido del exgobernante. Paz asumió el cargo en noviembre terminando con los casi 20 años de gobierno de izquierda de Morales y Luis Arce (2020-2025).

Then one day last May the retired insurance executive made a discovery of his own while sifting through the letters of an 18th-century Royal Navy captain.

There, attached to a report on the capture of the American privateer Dalton on Christmas Eve 1776, was an enclosure identified only as “another paper.” Carefully unfolding the document, Scurr stopped when he saw the word “Declaration” printed across the top.

“I thought, oh, right, OK, this is definitely a Declaration of Independence,'' he told The Associated Press. “How exciting is this?’’

The document spreads the news of independence

Researchers at the National Archives have since identified the document as a rare early copy of America’s founding document, printed just days after the original was signed on July 4, 1776, to spread the news that 13 rebellious North American colonies had severed ties with Britain.

It is one of just 11 original copies of the so-called Exeter printing of the declaration that are known to exist, and the only one identified outside the United States, the National Archives said on Thursday as it unveiled the find ahead of this weekend's 250th anniversary of American independence. This version was printed in Exeter, New Hampshire, July 16 to 19, 1776.

But it isn’t just the age of t he document that makes it important. It is also the fact that it was captured from a ship under the direction of the recently formed Continental Congress, with orders signed by its president, John Hancock, said Amanda Bevan, head of the National Archives’ project to catalog the correspondence of Royal Navy captains during the American Revolution.

While the public has heard about the dreadful conditions faced by the Continental Army at places like Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, little attention has been given to the Americans who went to sea to disrupt British trade and battle the mighty Royal Navy, Bevan said.

Discovery offers a nod to what was at stake

Finding a copy of the Declaration of Independence on board ship also suggests how it might have been used, Bevan said. She believes the Dalton’s captain would have read out his orders, as was customary, and also the declaration itself.

“They know why they’re fighting, but this puts it in a language which makes it greater than them,’’ Bevan said. “They’re not fighting because they’re aggrieved in particular. They’re fighting for an ideal. And I think that just to find the declaration in a theater of war where people are committing themselves to fight for their country on the wide ocean is really something special.”

As a privateer, the 18-gun Dalton was a privately owned vessel that fought under the auspices of the Continental Congress to supplement the tiny navy of the new nation.

Captain Thomas Fitzherbert, commander of the 64-gun HMS Raisonnable, chased the Dalton for seven hours on Christmas Eve 1776 before capturing her off the coast of Portugal. The Dalton’s 120-man crew was imprisoned in Plymouth, England, under harsh conditions.

Charles Hebert, who was just 19 when he was captured, described hunger, illness and repeated punishment in the journals he kept during more than two years of captivity before his release in a prisoner exchange.

Despite it all, many survived.

The joy of discovery is shared by Americans

Historians in the United States are also excited about the National Archives’ discovery.

This copy of the Declaration of Independence provides a direct link to the Dalton’s captain, who carried news of American independence to the world, said Matthew Skic, director of collections and exhibitions at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.

“It’s not just a document, it’s an artifact,” he said. “It’s a tangible connection to the past, because holding that piece of paper in the archivist’s hand today is a way to transport us back to 1776. The baton being passed, in a way.”

The discovery is also proof that there’s still more for historians to uncover, Skic said.

“Even though 250 years has gone by, we still do not know everything about the American Revolution, and there are still finds left to be discovered.”

Seis de ellos eran del condado de Broward y el séptimo del vecino condado de Palm Beach.

Según los informes de detención, los detectives utilizaron varios sitios web y aplicaciones en los que se hicieron pasar por chicos o chicas adolescentes, o, en un sitio web, por un “primo mayor” que explotaba sexualmente a una niña de 15 años.

Según los informes, a los hombres con los que conversaron se les indicó que se dirigieran a un hotel en Dania Beach.

Ryan Thorpe Walker, de cincuenta años, cuya dirección figura como una oficina de correos y centro de distribución en Oakland Park, está acusado de intentar reunirse con un adolescente, mientras que Marco Ramirez Linares, de 22 años y residente de Hollywood, está acusado de ofrecer 100 dólares a cambio de sexo con una adolescente.

Según los detectives, algunos de los sospechosos mintieron sobre su edad.

Según los agentes, Zubaer Ashar, de 27 años y residente de Greenacres, dijo tener 17 años y le preguntó a su supuesto “primo” si una chica de 15 años a la que le ofrecía 150 dólares por tener relaciones sexuales con ella “tomaba anticonceptivos”.

Kyle Andrew Rosenthal, de 32 años y residente de Coral Springs, declaró que tenía 30 años cuando intentó reunirse con quien creía que era una niña de 14 años, según la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Broward (BSO).

Según los informes de detención, al menos dos de los sospechosos reconocieron que lo que estaban haciendo podría llevarlos a la cárcel.

Los agentes dijeron que cuando Grant Ryan Werner, de 25 años y residente de Dania Beach, se dio cuenta de que estaba chateando con quien creía que era un chico de 15 años, dijo: “No sé, jajaja, en el fondo no me molesta, pero no quiero meterme en problemas”.

Las autoridades dijeron que Werner también le dijo al supuesto adolescente, antes del encuentro planeado, “sí, jaja, básicamente puedo ser acusado de pedófilo (sic) lol”.

Según los agentes, Luis Chifundo Ortiz, de 23 años y residente de Pembroke Pines, le dijo a quien creía que era un chico de 15 años: “Recuerda que no eres mayor de edad” y “No tienes 18 años o más, así que tengo que tenerlo en cuenta”.

Un comunicado de prensa de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Broward (BSO, por sus siglas en inglés) indica que los hombres arrestados enfrentan diversos cargos, entre ellos “trata de personas de un menor, viajar para encontrarse con un menor, solicitar servicios sexuales a un menor, posesión de MDMA e incumplimiento de la libertad condicional”.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Broward (BSO, por sus siglas en inglés), los agentes también indicaron que durante la operación, “diez víctimas fueron rescatadas y conectadas con recursos esenciales como refugio, atención médica y asesoramiento para ayudarlas a reconstruir sus vidas”.

“Además, una de las víctimas fue identificada como una adolescente que se había escapado de casa y provenía de otra ciudad”, indica el comunicado de prensa de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Broward (BSO). “Se reunió con su familia y se le ofrecieron amplios servicios de apoyo”.

Operaciones similares también tuvieron lugar recientemente en el condado de Miami-Dade .

La investigación surge mientras la ciudadanía por nacimiento vuelve a estar en el centro del debate nacional.

Esta semana, la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos limitó la capacidad de los tribunales inferiores para emitir órdenes judiciales de alcance nacional contra la orden ejecutiva del presidente Donald Trump que busca restringir la ciudadanía por nacimiento, mientras dejó sin resolver cuestiones constitucionales más amplias. Desde entonces, Trump ha instado al Congreso a abordar las preocupaciones sobre esta práctica.

Local 10 News informó por primera vez sobre este servicio de conserjería hace varios meses.

La empresa, Have My Baby in Miami, promociona servicios para mujeres embarazadas de todo el mundo que buscan dar a luz en el sur de Florida.

Sus páginas en redes sociales identifican al Dr. Wladimir Lorentz, pediatra de Miami, como el creador del servicio y animan a las posibles clientas al afirmar que “estará encantado de ayudarla a convertirse en madre en Estados Unidos”.

El congresista por Texas Brandon Gill hizo referencia a la empresa al hablar sobre el turismo de parto.

“Have My Baby in Miami, ese es el nombre de una empresa real que está facilitando el turismo de parto en Estados Unidos”, dijo Gill.

En una carta enviada a Lorentz en mayo, el Comité de Supervisión de la Cámara de Representantes anunció que había abierto una investigación sobre la empresa.

La carta señala, en parte: “Si bien no es inherentemente ilegal que una extranjera dé a luz en Estados Unidos, tergiversar deliberadamente sus intenciones para ingresar al país con una visa temporal de visitante constituye una violación de la ley vigente y se considera fraude de visa”.

Local 10 News ha intentado en repetidas ocasiones obtener comentarios de Lorentz por teléfono, correo electrónico y mensajes de texto, pero no ha recibido respuesta.

El miércoles, un equipo de Local 10 News acudió a la oficina de Lorentz registrada en North Miami Beach. El personal indicó que el médico no se encontraba en la clínica, tomó la información de contacto de la estación y pidió al equipo que se retirara.

Ana Lorena Delgadillo y Aua Baldé, expertas del Grupo de Trabajo, se refirieron en conferencia de prensa al trabajo realizado durante la visita, que incluyó reuniones con el presidente guatemalteco, Bernardo Arévalo, organizaciones no gubernamentales y familiares de las víctimas.

Las expertas explicaron que aunque el gobierno de Arévalo ha dado muestras de avances con proyectos como el Plan de Reparación y Dignificación de las Víctimas del Conflicto Armado Interno en Guatemala y un mecanismo de búsqueda de desaparecidos de ese conflicto y del fenómeno de la migración, aún no hay acceso a archivos militares ni instalaciones, una de las deudas a las víctimas que acusan a la institución armada de haber sido los ejecutores de sus familiares.

Delgadillo relató que como parte de su trabajo realizaron una visita al destacamento militar ubicado en Petén, al norte del país y fronterizo con México, y que en el lugar los militares no permitieron hacer un recorrido por las instalaciones.

“Según las entrevistas a víctimas, (el ejército) se ubica como uno de los principales perpetradores de atrocidades (durante la guerra); la sorpresa fue que en el lugar se están llevando a cabo construcciones donde podría haber restos de víctimas”, señaló Delgadillo.

Baldé explicó que se trata de construcciones recientes de viviendas para personal militar realizadas sin protocolos de conservación del lugar y que solicitaron al gobierno guatemalteco detener la construcción.

Durante 36 años, entre 1960 y 1996, Guatemala vivió un conflicto armado entre el ejército y grupos guerrilleros que según informes de la verdad dejaron unos 200.000 muertos y 45.000 desaparecidos. Los informes también revelaron que el ejército y grupos paramilitares fueron responsables del 93% de los crímenes, el otro 7% se lo atribuyen a la guerrilla.

“Nos tocó el corazón ver el tremendo maltrato que han tenido las víctimas, no solamente hubo un abandono, encima las criminalizaron, las persiguen y algunas hasta las desaparecieron por hacer la búsqueda (de sus familiares)”, dijo Delgadillo de origen mexicano.

La experta reconoció la resiliencia de los familiares de las víctimas y de organizaciones de la sociedad civil que a 30 años de finalizado el conflicto aún mantienen la búsqueda de sus familiares.

“(Durante años) se abandonó a las comunidades dejándolas además sin acceso a servicios básicos, salud, salud mental y siguen dando una gran batalla porque se sepa la verdad y encontrar a los desaparecidos”, dijo Delgadillo.

Las expertas explicaron que, tras la firma de los Acuerdos de Paz que pusieron fin a la guerra, se crearon instituciones de paz, pero que en los pasados gobiernos de Jimmy Morales (2016-2020) y Alejandro Giammattei (2020-2024) las mismas se desmantelaron.

Delgadillo atribuyó a varios factores el dejar sin apoyo a las víctimas, como la llegada al poder de actores “antidemocráticos”, la influencia que ha tenido el poder militar, económico en las instituciones y "un ánimo negacionista de querer ocultar lo que ocurrió en el conflicto armado y que hubo genocidio, esto ha dejado huellas profundas”, acotó.

El grupo que en febrero denunció que la exfiscal Consuelo Porras podría estar involucrada en presuntas adopciones irregulares en el país, durante la época del conflicto, dijo que la exfiscal también desmanteló la fiscalía y que durante su gestión “estaba más enfocada a la defensa de los victimarios que de las víctimas”.

El grupo que también mantiene interés en la desaparición de personas por la migración reclamó que instituciones del Estado guatemalteco como la cancillería, el registro de personas o la Dirección de Migración no tengan coordinaciones para centralizar información sobre migrantes desaparecidos y que además la fiscalía no reciba denuncian por migrantes desaparecidos.

El grupo presentará su informe final sobre sus hallazgos en la 66ta sesión del Consejo de Derechos Humanos de Naciones Unidas en septiembre de 2027. La presidencia guatemalteca no se pronunció de inmediato sobre el resumen dado por las expertas.

Un video mostró a los jugadores abordando los autobuses. Los aficionados fueron mantenidos a distancia, lo que dificultó ver a los jugadores mientras se dirigían al entrenamiento.

Fieles seguidores de Argentina llegaron desde distintos lugares para ver al equipo.

Un padre y su hijo, que acababan de estar en Dallas para ver jugar a Argentina, ahora están en Miami. Fueron con la esperanza de ver de cerca a los jugadores y conseguir que, en algún momento, les firmaran una camiseta.

Los aficionados compartieron lo que esperaban ver.

“Espero que nos saluden”, dijo un aficionado.

Al ser consultado sobre si el equipo lo había sorprendido, otro aficionado dijo que no había presión, por lo que “no sabes qué va a hacer ahora”.

Otro aficionado, Bruno Martínez, dijo que no le sorprendía el buen desempeño que ha mostrado Argentina.

“Hay demasiados equipos fuertes en la Copa del Mundo”, dijo Martínez. “Si quieres vencer a Argentina, tienes que luchar mucho; tienes que luchar, luchar mucho”.

Nadie ha tenido noticias de Chelsea Bonnell desde que viajó sola de Michigan a Miami hace más de un mes.

Chelsea ha estado desaparecida por más de un mes.

“Algo no se siente bien, especialmente como madre”, dijo Michelle Clauw, madre de Chelsea. “Estamos preocupados. Ha sido un infierno”.

Clauw dijo que Chelsea viajó desde su casa en Michigan a Miami el 24 de mayo. Viajó sola con un boleto solo de ida.

Dos días después, el 26 de mayo, un video de seguridad mostró a Chelsea entrando a un Publix en Jupiter.

Pero desde entonces no ha tenido comunicación con sus amigos ni con su familia.

“Empecé a comunicarme con ella alrededor del 1 de junio y su teléfono estaba apagado”, dijo Clauw. “Pensé: “Está bien, tal vez necesitaba un descanso””.

El 2 de junio, la tarjeta de débito de Chelsea fue utilizada en un Dunkin’ en West Palm Beach.

Pero desde entonces no ha habido nada.

No ha habido contacto, actividad en su tarjeta de débito ni rastro de Chelsea durante casi un mes.

“No tiene explicación”, dijo Clauw. “Duele y me está matando porque ella no es así. Ella nos habría llamado a alguno de nosotros”.

Después de pasar un mes haciendo llamadas desde Michigan, Clauw y varios familiares ahora se encuentran en el condado Palm Beach.

Han colocado carteles de persona desaparecida en todos los lugares posibles y han visitado negocios a los que Chelsea pudo haber ido, pero no han encontrado ninguna pista.

“Ella no es así y tememos que pueda estar con alguien que no le permita comunicarse con nosotros porque esta simplemente no es ella”, dijo Clauw. “Solo quiero que regrese. Solo quiero saber que está bien”.

La Policía de West Palm Beach confirmó que ha estado en contacto con las autoridades de Michigan. Pide a cualquier persona que tenga información sobre el paradero de Chelsea que se comunique con las autoridades.

La administradora municipal, Rickelle Williams, dijo que hay buenas noticias para los contribuyentes.

“Para llevar a cabo el proyecto, ahora hemos reducido aproximadamente $50,000,000 USD del costo para hacerlo realidad”, dijo Williams.

El costo inicial de $267,000,000 USD se redujo a aproximadamente $217,000,000 USD.

La propuesta incluye remodelar un edificio de oficinas existente en el sitio de la Torre 101, ubicado en Northeast First Street y Third Avenue, o convertir el antiguo tribunal federal, ubicado al otro lado de la calle, en el nuevo Ayuntamiento.

Una tercera opción es un edificio de oficinas de gran altura en 1 East Broward, en Fort Lauderdale.

La reducción del costo fue posible, en parte, gracias a la disminución de los honorarios de los desarrolladores y diseñadores, así como a la reestructuración de las condiciones del calendario general de pagos del proyecto.

“Queríamos asegurarnos de poder trazar una hoja de ruta sin importar el resultado ni la decisión que tomara la Comisión de la Ciudad”, dijo Williams.

El antiguo Ayuntamiento ha permanecido fuera de servicio durante los últimos años después de sufrir graves daños por las inundaciones causadas por las lluvias récord.

Sin importar cuál de las tres opciones apruebe finalmente la Comisión de la Ciudad, el nuevo Ayuntamiento incorporará principios fundamentales, entre ellos ser rentable, innovador y establecer un referente para la historia y las artes.

A court record shows the video was submitted as evidence in federal court in Dallas, where Pooh Shiesty and eight others have been indicted on kidnapping and extortion charges. Prosecutors say the victims were robbed at gunpoint after traveling to the city to discuss Pooh Shiesty's recording contract with Mane's 1017 Records.

The victims have only been referred to by their initials in court documents. One, R.D., is described as the owner of 1017 Records. Mane's legal name is Radric Delantic Davis. The song “Crash Dummy,” which Gucci Mane released this spring, includes the lyrics: “I thought it was a business meeting, but it was a set up.”

The court document was filed by prosecutors in response to a motion Pooh Shiesty filed last month proposing home confinement, arguing that the evidence against him did not warrant keeping him in custody pending trial, as was ordered by a judge in April.

But prosecutors said in their filing that the motion from Pooh Shiesty, whose legal name is Lontrell Williams Jr., should be denied and that evidence against him was “extraordinarily strong.”

Prosecutors said they have the cooperation of all five victims and witnesses in the case and cellphone location data. There is also surveillance video placing the defendants at the scene, according to prosecutors, in addition to the video of the owner of 1017 Records being forced to declare that Pooh Shiesty was “dropped” from his label.

Prosecutors said in the filing that just before that video was made, Pooh Shiesty produced a printed contractual release for the record label owner to sign. The man initially refused but signed after Pooh Shiesty allegedly pointed an AK-style pistol his head.

Prosecutors also said BIG30, whose legal name is Rodney Wright, recorded the video with his cellphone while another defendant blocked the door holding a firearm that resembled an AK-47 style rifle.

According to prosecutors, Pooh Shiesty robbed the record label owner of about $450,000 worth of items including his wedding band, a watch, a pair of earrings and cash.

Prosecutors have said that at the time of the alleged confrontation, Pooh Shiesty was on home confinement for a prior firearms conspiracy conviction out of Florida and was required to wear an electronic monitoring device.

Attorneys for Pooh Shiesty and BIG30 did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Thursday.

Gucci Mane is widely regarded as one of the pioneers of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta rappers T.I. and Jeezy. He emerged in the mid-2000s with his breakout single “Icy” and went on to build a vast catalog.

Joseph’s colleagues are now responding with concern.

Calling his conduct “egregious,” members of the House Ethics Committee said he ignored requests and subpoenas to testify and produce documents as it followed a web of potentially illegal donations involving then-U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, D-Florida.

Joseph chairs a political committee with Cherfilus-McCormick’s brother and is alleged to have funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars from an oil company executive doing business with the Haitian government.

The contempt report said Joseph refused to comply, despite extensions and accommodations, and did not offer justification for that failure.

Last spring, the interim results of an unrelated internal city investigation found Joseph’s actions put the city at “legal, financial and ethical risk,” documenting questionable spending and interfering with North Miami Beach employees.

North Miami Beach Commissioner Lynn Su called Joseph being held in contempt of Congress “deeply concerning.”

“Public officials have a responsibility to respect the legal process, cooperate with lawful oversight and uphold the public’s trust,” she said.

Meanwhile, Commissioner Fortuna Smukler said that Joseph “needs to stop trying to ruin the reputation of people and that of the city, and he needs to look in the mirror.”

Joseph, in an email to Local 10 News late on Thursday afternoon, commented on the matter, calling the Ethics Committee report “inaccurate” and saying that he was not served subpoenas in the way he had asked to be served.

He said he contacted his attorneys to have the committee “rescind their report and recommendation.”

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The man was identified by the Broward Sheriff’s Office as Bart Diguglielmo, of Lauderhill.

According to BSO, the shooting was reported just before 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of the Walmart, located at 7900 W. McNab Road.

Deputies and North Lauderdale Fire Rescue medics responded to the scene and found Diguglielmo suffering from a gunshot wound, authorities said.

Deputies said paramedics transported Diguglielmo to Broward Health Medical Center, where he died.

Local 10 exclusively obtained video showing the moments that the fatal shooting occurred.

According to BSO, Diguglielmo and a woman had gotten into an argument over a parking space prior to the shooting.

Deputies said the woman remained at the scene after the shooting and claimed she shot Diguglielmo in self-defense.

Detectives confirmed that the woman was detained for questioning and is cooperating in the investigation.

The victim’s daughter, who asked to be identified only as Amanda, was in tears as she described her father during a Zoom interview with Local 10 News, calling him a “good man” who previously served in the military.

She told Local 10’s Rosh Lowe that nobody “deserves to lose their life over a parking spot.”

Amanda told Lowe that she was “hesitant to do the interview,” but said she wanted her dad “to be remembered for who he was and not who the media is portraying him to be.”

“I heard one news site say it was over a parking spot,” Amanda said. “Another says it was because my dad was making some type of advance towards the woman, which I will completely debunk because my dad is not that person. He’s not perfect, but not someone that would do this to this extreme.”

Amanda said she had been estranged from her dad for many years, but they had recently been working on repairing their relationship.

Detectives said upon the completion of the investigation, the case will be presented to the Broward County State Attorney’s Office to determine whether criminal charges will be filed against the woman who shot Diguglielmo.

The woman’s identity has not been released.

A BSO spokesperson told Local 10 News that the agency has not received any updates and “the case will be presented to the Broward County State Attorney’s Office to determine if criminal charges will be filed.”

A memo obtained Thursday by The Associated Press calls for the FBI to “surge” 260 investigative analysts and staff operations specialists to the effort, which it described as a “priority investigation.”

It said each of them is to conduct a check of an estimated 708 records by July 17. While the memo does not describe the investigation, people familiar with the matter who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal decision-making confirmed the request was to help with the Georgia 2020 election investigation.

FBI agents in January seized hundreds of boxes containing ballots and other documents related to the 2020 election in Georgia’s most populous county, which is heavily Democratic and includes most of the city of Atlanta. A Fulton County spokesperson declined to comment citing a pending investigation. The contents of the memo were first reported by MS NOW.

President Donald Trump and his allies have made false claims that widespread election fraud cost him the 2020 election. Georgia’s votes in the 2020 presidential race were counted three times, including once by hand, and each count affirmed Democrat Joe Biden’s win.

The Justice Department has previously said it is investigating “irregularities that occurred during the 2020 presidential election in the County."

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Durkin Richer and Tucker reported from Washington.

Even coach Mauricio Pochettino, who was born in Argentina and lives in Spain, got in on the act after Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, belting out the words to Denver's anthem as he hugged his players and staff members.

“Country Roads” cowriter Bill Danoff told The Associated Press that he's honored that the U.S. team has embraced the song, and that Denver, who died in a plane crash in 1997, would have relished watching the most recent match.

“It was such an exciting game — they were down a player with a red card, but they still won,” said Danoff, who has started to become more of a soccer fan in recent weeks, partially due to the “Country Roads” connection. “I thought, ‘Gee, I wish John was still here.’ John got super excited about stuff like that, and it would have been fun to watch that game with him.”

The John Denver estate told the AP that it is “thrilled” by the song’s latest revival at the World Cup, saying “Country Roads” has endured because its message transcends geography, and that its “simple, clear, and relatable” lyrics make it perfect for a sing-along.

“Everyone knows what ‘Take me home to the place I belong’ is about,” the estate said Thursday. “It’s not limited to West Virginia.”

Here’s how a song inspired by a Maryland drive became a World Cup anthem.

The song has its origins in Maryland, not West Virginia

Despite the lyrics' heartfelt embrace of West Virginia, Danoff has said the inspiration for the song came from a drive he and his then-wife, cowriter Taffy Nivert, took along Maryland's winding Clopper Road to attend a family reunion in Gaithersburg, some 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of the West Virginia border.

“I just started thinking, country roads, I started thinking of me growing up in western New England and going on all these small roads,” Danoff told Washington's WRC-TV in 2020. “It didn’t have anything to do with Maryland or anyplace.”

At the time, Danoff hadn't spent considerable time in West Virginia. He was familiar, though, with Appalachian music broadcast from Wheeling, West Virginia's famous WWVA radio station, which he listened to while growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts. Danoff said he was also inspired by the West Virginia-born actor Chris Sarandon, as well as the West Virginian members of a commune who would frequently attend his gigs.

Danoff said he and Nivert were planning to try to sell the song to Johnny Cash, but when they played an unfinished version one night in their apartment for their friend John Denver, the singer-songwriter convinced them to let him record it instead. The song, released in 1971, turned into Denver's biggest hit and has been a mainstay for decades.

“I don’t know all of the ways that song must have touched people, but I’m grateful that I have somehow been able to say something that has meaning for others,” Denver wrote years later.

‘Country Roads’ finds a new stage at the World Cup

According to The Athletic, FIFA officials added “Country Roads” to its postgame playlist options in hopes of creating a shared moment between the U.S. team and its supporters.

It made its debut at the end of the U.S.'s second match as the players celebrated their 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle. The song was an immediate hit both inside the stadium and on social media, as fans embraced the scenes of U.S. players waving to fans as they sang the lyrics.

“You could feel the connection with the fans,” midfielder Weston McKennie told reporters after the match.

John Denver's song didn't get quite the same reception on June 25 at Los Angeles Stadium, as it came after a deflating, though insignificant, last-minute U.S. loss to Turkey.

But it came back in force Wednesday evening in Santa Clara, California, as the U.S. defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina to advance to the round of 16. Perhaps none were more enthusiastic than midfielders McKennie and Sebastian Berhalter, who swung their arms wildly as they wandered around the field while singing to the fans.

During matches not involving the U.S. team, the song has frequently been played during hydration breaks and has also been met with roaring approval from fans who, moments previously, had been booing the start of each hydration break.

‘Country Roads’ has long been a sports staple

It’s hardly the first time that “Country Roads,” has been used by sports fans. It has long been a mainstay at West Virginia University football games, where Mountaineer fans serenade the team after its home victories.

It's even found a home in Europe, where fans have been singing it during the NFL's annual visit to Germany since the first game in Munich in 2022. Fans there were used to singing the song during Oktoberfest celebrations.

And, in the English Premier League, Manchester United supporters years ago tweaked the words to sing about their own “home” — Old Trafford stadium.

England’s players have their own sing-along

While “Country Roads” is the U.S.'s unofficial anthem, the England national team during this tournament has similarly adopted Oasis' “Wonderwall.”

Standing in a line, arms around each other’s shoulders, the English players sang the 1995 hit after their 4-2 opening victory against Croatia, something that captain Harry Kane said was “one of my favorite ever moments in an England shirt.”

The team has been repeating the post-match tradition after each match since.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

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The shooting happened on Saturday afternoon outside a McDonald’s located along the 800 block of West Hallandale Beach Boulevard.

According to police, the family arrived to the restaurant and the girl’s mother went inside to pick up food. Remaining inside the vehicle was the victim, her father and two other children ages 2 and 5.

That’s when police said an altercation began in the parking lot, leading to Ralph N-Kosi Blue III, 18, opening fire on another person but striking the vehicle several times instead.

Police said Blue was an employee at the McDonald’s.

Bullets struck two people inside the vehicle; the 11-year-old girl and her father.

According to a GoFundMe page, the girl was shot in the head and had surgery, now receiving specialized medical care while facing a long road to recover.

Her father was shot in the leg and has since been released from the hospital, according to the page.

Police said the incident between Blue and another man had originated outside of Hallandale Beach.

Blue has since been charged with two counts of aggravated battery and two counts of aggravated assault.

La balacera ocurrió la tarde del sábado afuera de un McDonald’s ubicado en la cuadra 800 de West Hallandale Beach Boulevard.

Según la Policía, la familia llegó al restaurante y la madre de la niña entró para recoger la comida. Dentro del vehículo permanecían la víctima, su padre y otros dos niños de 2 y 5 años.

Fue entonces cuando, según la Policía, comenzó un altercado en el estacionamiento, lo que llevó a Ralph N-Kosi Blue III, de 18 años, a abrir fuego contra otra persona, pero en su lugar impactó el vehículo varias veces.

La Policía informó que Blue era empleado del McDonald’s.

Las balas alcanzaron a dos personas que estaban dentro del vehículo: la niña de 11 años y su padre.

Según una página de GoFundMe, la niña recibió un disparo en la cabeza y fue sometida a una cirugía. Ahora recibe atención médica especializada mientras enfrenta un largo proceso de recuperación.

Su padre recibió un disparo en la pierna y desde entonces fue dado de alta del hospital, según la página.

La Policía informó que el incidente entre Blue y otro hombre se originó fuera de Hallandale Beach.

Blue fue acusado de dos cargos de agresión agravada con lesiones y dos cargos de agresión agravada.

Andrés Fernández, padre de Lucy Fernández, de 17 años, quien murió en un accidente de navegación que derivó en un juicio contra el magnate inmobiliario George Pino, posteriormente absuelto, habló el jueves durante una conferencia de prensa sobre la importancia de la seguridad náutica.

Fernández desempeñó un papel clave en la creación de un grupo de trabajo integral sobre seguridad náutica tras la muerte de su hija durante el fin de semana del Día del Trabajo en 2022.

El objetivo es hacer que disfrutar en el agua sea una experiencia más segura para todos.

Algunos de los consejos que compartió Fernández fueron no consumir alcohol si se es el capitán de la embarcación y asegurarse de que haya chalecos salvavidas para todas las personas a bordo.

Fernández también fue una de las principales voces impulsoras de la aprobación de la Ley de Lucy, promulgada en junio de 2025, que aumenta las sanciones para las personas que operan una embarcación de manera imprudente.

Watson, de 42 años, compareció ante un tribunal de Miami-Dade como parte de un acuerdo de culpabilidad relacionado con el incidente ocurrido en Elevation Fitness.

Según los documentos de arresto, Watson dijo a los agentes que acudieron al lugar que estaba entrenando cuando la víctima se le acercó y le dijo que quería pelear. Los investigadores afirman que un video de vigilancia captó a Watson golpeando a la víctima con su cinturón de levantamiento de pesas durante el altercado.

Como parte del acuerdo de culpabilidad, los fiscales ofrecieron a Watson una sentencia de 21 meses de prisión, incluido el tiempo que ya ha cumplido, seguida de siete años de libertad condicional y tratamiento de salud mental.

Durante la audiencia del jueves, el abogado de Watson argumentó que las circunstancias que llevaron a la pelea fueron inusuales.

“En este caso se ha debatido mucho sobre la ley “Stand Your Ground””, dijo el abogado defensor Eric Clemmon. “Lo inusual es que hay una presunta víctima que buscó a alguien por su presencia en internet. Este hombre compró un boleto de avión, viajó desde Nueva Jersey y fue al gimnasio con el único propósito de enfrentar al señor Watson. Eso terminó convirtiéndose en otra cosa”.

Watson es un delincuente convicto y también enfrenta múltiples cargos penales no relacionados en el condado Broward, entre ellos agresión grave, agresión agravada, manipulación de testigos y acusaciones relacionadas con violencia doméstica contra su novia.

Watson tiene previsto regresar a la corte el 27 de julio para la lectura de su sentencia en el caso de Miami-Dade.

The 16-count indictment against Republican Liz Murrill, handed up by a New Orleans grand jury, charges Louisiana’s first female attorney general with intimidation and malfeasance. At the center of the case are deepening rifts between state leaders in Louisiana, which is heavily Republican, and Democrats who control the state’s most prominent city.

Republican Gov. Jeff Landry promised a swift pardon, saying Murrill would not have her reputation tarnished by an “Orleans Kangaroo court.” Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat, was among those who had accused the state’s top law enforcement official in May of making threats against public officials.

Murrill called the case against her “retaliatory, meritless, and unconstitutional." Late Thursday, Murrill said she had filed for an emergency stay with the Louisiana Supreme Court.

“I will not back down. I will continue enforcing the law, fighting corruption, and doing the job the people of Louisiana elected me to do,” she wrote on X.

For months, political tensions intensified between Louisiana Republicans and New Orleans officials over a new law that abolished a court clerk office won by an exoneree, Calvin Duncan, who spent nearly three decades in prison. The change consolidated that job with another clerk's office, which Republican supporters said would make the local judicial system more efficient.

The change was staunchly opposed by New Orleans leaders, and in May, the city council set a special election that would have given Duncan a chance to win the newly combined job. Murrill responded by warning local officials in letters that they could lose their offices for violating state “usurper” laws, which forbid support for an unauthorized officeholder.

“We’re very interested in elected officials in New Orleans not being intimidated or threatened by letter or any other way,” special prosecutor Laurie White told reporters.

Bond set for Louisiana attorney general

Bond for Murrill was set at $400,000 on Thursday, according to court records.

Landry said he was ordering state police to investigate what he called “alleged improprieties” of the grand jury and those who ran it.

“The criminal justice system is a circus at its finest in Orleans and we will not have any of that!” he wrote on X.

The Republican Attorneys General Association said that making statements to local officials — in writing — was simply “issuing a legal opinion and warning public officials about the law” as part of her official duties. It called the indictment “as outrageous as it is dangerous.”

Moreno, who was elected in January and was defiant after Murrill sent the letters, on Thursday called it a “matter for the courts” and did not directly address the allegations.

“My focus, as always, remains on fulfilling the responsibilities the people of New Orleans elected me to carry out,” Moreno said.

Elected clerk says state targeted him

Duncan has said he believes state officials were retaliating against him in eliminating the job he won with 68% of the vote. Murrill and Landry have long refused to acknowledge his innocence, though he’s listed on the National Registry of Exonerations.

Republicans have said the change was not personal and supporters have noted that the offices of criminal and civil clerks of courts are combined in other parishes.

Duncan was a jailhouse lawyer who later graduated from law school. He founded a nonprofit dedicated to expanding incarcerated people’s access to the court system and was the driving force behind a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended nonunanimous jury convictions.

Duncan spent more than 28 years in prison over a fatal shooting during a robbery in 1981.

The night before a 2011 hearing to consider new evidence, prosecutors offered to reduce Duncan’s sentence to the time he’d already served in prison if he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and armed robbery. Duncan took the deal and was freed but didn’t give up on clearing his name.

In 2021, a judge agreed that Duncan had been unjustly convicted and vacated his sentence altogether. Landry and Murrill have pointed to the 2011 plea deal in objecting to Duncan calling himself exonerated.

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Associated Press reporter Jack Brook in New Orleans contributed.

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Grieving father Andres Fernandez ― whose 17-year-old daughter, Lucy, was killed during a boating accident that led to a trial for now-acquitted real estate mogul George Pino ― spoke about the importance of boating safety during a press conference on Thursday.

“We want them to just recognize that it is a beautiful thing to do with friends and family, but they need to realize that there is danger, and that at a moment’s notice something could happen,” said Fernandez.

Fernandez played a major role in a comprehensive boating safety task force after his daughter’s death on Labor Day weekend in 2022.

The goal is to make having fun on the water a safer experience for all involved.

Fernandez said despite the passing of time, the hole in your heart doesn’t close.

“We never thought that this could happen to us and, you know, it’s living proof that it can,” said Fernandez. “We’re just so blessed that I get to say her name every day, and I love that.”

Some tips Fernandez and first responders reminded the public about were not drinking alcohol if you’re the captain and making sure there are life jackets for everyone on board.

Fernandez was also a driving voice in the passing of Lucy’s Law, which was signed into law in June 2025, which increases penalties for people who are reckless while operating a vessel on the water.

As for the acquittal of Pino in connection with the boat crash that claimed his daughter’s life, Fernandez said he is disappointed, but respects the jury’s decision.

“We are obviously, you know, disappointed,” he said. “We don’t necessarily agree with the verdict, however, we respect the jury and we respect the jury’s role.”

When the knockout rounds finally arrived Thursday, this star-studded team turned on its full talent and served notice that Spain can be just as good as everybody thought — and it's probably getting better.

Mikel Oyarzabal scored two goals and Spain beat Austria 3-0 for its first World Cup victory in a knockout match since winning the title in 2010.

Pedro Porro added a goal in the second half as La Roja put on its most impressive performance of the tournament while demonstrating offensive creativity and defensive rigor throughout its vaunted lineup.

“The great teams step up when it’s needed,” Spain coach Luis De La Fuente said. “We played a great match. We came close to perfection, but we must keep improving.”

While Oyarzabal, fullback Marc Cucurella and winger Lamine Yamal all had sensational moments in attack, Spain also has yet to allow a goal at this year's World Cup. Austria failed to get a shot on target, so Unai Simón didn't have to make a save while keeping his fourth consecutive clean sheet and setting a World Cup record with 519 consecutive shutout minutes dating back to the last tournament in Qatar.

Everybody in a red shirt was happy after a dominant day in the Los Angeles area — but nobody was satisfied, either.

“I’m happy to have helped the team for us to go through another round,” Oyarzabal said. “Now just rest and get ready for the next one. It was a complicated match. We knew that it was going to be difficult against a very physical team, but we had a very good day and played a good match.”

La Roja will next face Portugal, a 2-1 winner over Croatia, in Dallas on Monday in the round of 16.

Yamal had four of Spain’s 10 shots on goal while getting wild cheers from the pro-Spanish sellout crowd at SoFi Stadium. The 18-year-old Barcelona sensation played his longest stretch of the tournament before coming off in the 85th minute, moments after Austria defender David Alaba deflected Yamal’s hard shot off the goal line.

Spain got its marquee offense from Oyarzabal, the Real Sociedad captain who has four goals at this year's World Cup by opening the scoring in the 36th minute and clinching the victory in the 89th. Cucurella had assists on both of Oyarzabal's goals, demonstrating an excellent connection from the left side.

“Our only focus is to remain thinking that we need to exceed our own expectations,” De La Fuente said. “Today’s match is just the prelude to what’s next, because in the next match we will try to play even better. We have wonderful players. Their behavior, their attitude, their talent is insurmountable.”

Goalkeeper Alexander Schlager made six saves in an outstanding performance for Austria, which reached the knockout rounds of its first World Cup since 1998 by squeaking out a late draw with an injury-time goal against Algeria. Coach Ralf Rangnick’s team hasn’t won a knockout match at the World Cup since 1954.

“I cannot remember any unforced error they made,” Rangnick said of Spain. “I think they showed us their best performance. I would dare to say we did not only meet the European champion, but possibly the next world champion. If you want to win it, you need to win against Spain. But if we had a lucky punch, we could have had a chance.”

Spain is firmly back in World Cup contention for the first time since winning it all in South Africa 16 years ago. La Roja lost two knockout matches and got eliminated in the group stage over the past three World Cups.

But Spain is now unbeaten 35 straight competitive matches since March 2023. La Roja won the 2023 Nations League and the 2024 European Championship in that stretch, but also lost the 2025 Nations League final on penalties to Portugal.

Following a cautious start against Austria, Spain unleashed its full attack after the first-half hydration break. Three minutes after Schlager made a diving fingertip save on Oyarzabal’s low shot, the Spain player came unmarked in the penalty area and coolly converted Cucurella's pass.

Spain kept up its pressure after halftime, playing some of its most creative soccer of the tournament. It was rewarded when Álex Baena broke in on the left side and lifted a pass to an unmarked Porro, who banged home an emphatic header for his first international goal.

“People have their opinions, (but) we’ve been doing our job since Day 1," Porro said. "We believe in ourselves, and whatever people on the outside say is fair enough.”

Oyarzabal wrapped it up by converting another sharp pass from Cucurella.

Simón has only had to make four saves in his four straight shutouts. His World Cup shutout streak of 519 minutes broke the tournament record set by Italy great Walter Zenga at the 1990 World Cup in Italy.

Marko Arnautović came on as a second-half substitute for Austria. Rangnick said afterward that the 37-year-old striker had played his final international match.

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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

TJ Friedl also went deep for Cincinnati as the Reds beat the Brewers for the first time in seven attempts this season. Garrett Mitchell homered for Milwaukee.

The game featured two of baseball's best and hardest-throwing pitchers in Burns and Misiorowski. Burns (10-1) earned the win by giving up two runs and four hits. Burns is the only Reds pitcher since at least 1900 to open a season by allowing two runs or fewer in 15 of his first 17 starts.

Misiorowski (9-4) struck out 10 and walked none in five innings while reaching a peak velocity of 103.8 mph, but the five runs he allowed matched a career high. Only one of the runs was earned.

The most recent time Misiorowski allowed five runs came on Aug. 15 of last season, when he lasted only 1 1/3 innings in a 10-8 victory at Cincinnati.

Misiorowski had gone 8-1 with an 0.54 ERA over his last 10 starts.

Stewart put Cincinnati ahead for good in the first inning by hitting his 17th homer, a 402-foot solo shot on a 102.3-mph fastball. According to MLB.com, it was the eighth-fastest pitch to result in a homer since the pitch tracking era began in 2008.

Cincinnati extended its lead to 5-0 by scoring four unearned runs in the fourth inning.

JJ Bleday led off with a bunt and reached safely when first baseman Jake Bauers dropped the bare-handed throw from third baseman David Hamilton. Bleday scored on Noelvi Marte’s one-out single.

The Reds had two on with two outs when Trevino stepped to the plate. Trevino fell behind 0-2 before working the count full and hitting his first homer since June 8, 2025.

Trevino went 3 for 4 to improve his batting average from .192 to .232.

Cincinnati's Sam Moll, Tejay Antone and Brock Burke didn’t allow a baserunner in three innings of relief.

Up next

Reds: Return home to face the Baltimore Orioles. Friday's scheduled starters are Cincinnati's Brady Singer (3-7, 5.12 ERA) and Baltimore's Trevor Rodgers (5-7, 4.99).

Brewers: Begin a season-high, 11-game trip at Arizona. Friday's starting pitchers are Milwaukee's Kyle Harrison (8-1, 2.57) and Arizona's José Cabrera (0-1, 3.60).

___

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

Elvia and Todd Malcolm were in Telos Township, Maine, about an hour or so from their home in Lincoln, when they saw a female moose along the edge of a wooded area before she turned down a side road.

“I said to Elvia, I said, ‘Grab your phone because you’re going to get a chance to get a picture of a moose,'” Todd Malcolm told The Associated Press.

They parked their truck to watch the moose and noticed she seemed agitated and was grunting as if calling to a calf.

Suddenly, the calf and bear charged out of the trees heading straight toward them. Todd Malcolm said there was no doubt in his mind that the bear would catch the calf and decided not to let nature take its course that day.

“I put the truck in drive and I just stepped on the gas,” he said, explaining that he wasn't trying to hurt the bear, just trying to put the truck between the bear and the calf. “I knew what I had to do and I just did it.”

The bear jumped to the side and streaked off, Todd Malcolm said, “Boom, gone, right in the woods."

His wife was happy and relieved they were able to intervene.

“My heart was racing because I did not want to witness the bear catching the calf,” she said. “As soon as the calf got past the truck and we were able to get the bear to give up the chase, I looked up the road and saw that they were together, the mom and the calf.”

Once the excitement was over, Elvia Malcolm started looking through the photos on her phone and was amazed to see that some clear action shots of the chase.

"I really thought I probably got like a bug on the windshield when I started to look at them,” she said. “I took them through the front windshield of the truck. I wasn’t outside the truck. No way was I getting outside the truck.”

After making sure that the mother moose and calf were reunited and safe, the Malcolms continued to their fishing spot where they caught some brook trout.

Powell was one of scores of Taylor Swift fans and inquisitive passersby who braved the New York City heat Thursday to satiate their curiosity about what many are calling the wedding of the century and the American equivalent of royal nuptials.

The couple are "literally the king and queen of America,” said Kristen Donohue, who stopped by the area surrounding Madison Square Garden Thursday with a fellow Swiftie co-worker on their lunch break.

A law enforcement official briefed on the security plans confirmed to The Associated Press Wednesday that Swift and Kelce will have their wedding at Madison Square Garden on Friday night with a smaller rehearsal dinner planned for Thursday night.

The couple themselves have been mum on the wedding details. Neither has confirmed the festivities will happen on the bustling and hot weekend that coincides with World Cup matches and Fourth of July celebrations. A representative for Swift has not responded to multiple inquiries, including on Thursday.

About 100 guests began arriving at the famed venue at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday — when temperatures were still near the triple digits. The event was for a “pre party celebration,” according to a copy of a city permit obtained by The AP. Heavy security was in place as black sport utility vehicles drove into a large tent to drop off passengers, who then walked through a tented area into the arena.

Several fans stopped by in passing or even made trips to midtown Manhattan expressly to scope out the scene hours before those expected arrivals.

Crews have been seen unloading equipment from trucks this week — much of it covered or obscured — and barricades have been placed near the perimeter of the arena. The aesthetic details of what will happen beyond the loading docks have been shrouded in mystery.

Madison Square Garden sits next to New York Penn Station, one of the nation’s busiest transportation hubs, so it is naturally a lively area on any day. But Thursday afternoon, people lingered longer than usual as they passed through, and there was an increased police presence in the area.

Rachel Latchford and Linda Solano, nurses in a hospital in central Pennsylvania, made the trip to New York to see a Broadway show this weekend, but they said they had to go “see what all the buzz is about," Latchford said. “We’re going to the wedding, baby,” Solano joked on a FaceTime call with a friend.

Latchford acknowledged the heavy police presence, but she said she felt “very protected” and added that “there's been police all over the city this week with Fourth of July.”

A large tent was erected Thursday on 31st Street outside of an entrance to the arena. Tarps were hung to cover the walkway, so the couple and their guests will presumably be blocked from view as they enter and exit. In one spot where glass windows offered a peak inside, pink curtains were hung around 5 p.m., completely obscuring any of the exclusive happenings indoors.

By 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, 31st Street was completely closed off to pedestrians between 7th and 8th avenues. Some disappointed fans lingered near the barricades and boundaries police had set up and were enforcing. They were still hoping to see anything from their limited vantage point.

While many there earlier on Thursday were keeping their eyes peeled for any decor, florals or anything that could give them a sense of what and who might be inside the arena this weekend, much of the motivation to be there for fans was purely out of excitement for Swift herself.

“She's just so important in everyone's life,” said Alyssa Heinen, who was outside the arena Thursday afternoon. “We grew up with Taylor Swift, and just seeing her now find love — I feel like it's inspiring to so many women. It's so nice to see her so happy.”

“When they started dating, it was super exciting and cute and adorable,” said Brittany McCusker, who was with her colleague Donohue on their scouting mission. “It’s really amazing that they don’t have to broadcast anything, they can have it super private. I really respect that, but it’s a bummer that we don’t get to see it too.”

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Associated Press journalist Ted Shaffrey contributed.

The arrest numbers, obtained from a person familiar with the information who spoke anonymously to discuss data that has not been publicly released, comes after the agency shifted its approach from high-profile arrest sweeps in major American cities to quieter ways to reach President Donald Trump's deportation goals.

The figures indicate that while the administration is no longer cracking down on individual cities, the arrests continue and are surging.

The total number of arrests during the five-day period starting Friday and ending Tuesday translates into roughly 2,000 arrests per day. It was not clear where the arrests had taken place.

The spike in arrests was first reported by The New York Times.

“Since Day One, DHS law enforcement has been delivering on President Trump’s promise to the American people to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, gang members, and terrorists,” said the Department of Homeland Security in a statement. “Our message is clear: if you come to our country illegally, we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you.”

The arrests news also comes as the number of people entered into ICE detention facilities climbed in June to roughly 39,000 after hovering around 30,000 per month since February, according to information obtained by The Associated Press.

ICE doesn't publicly release arrest data, making exact comparisons with previous periods difficult. But according to data provided to UC Berkeley’s Deportation Data Project and analyzed by The Associated Press, 2,000 arrests per day would mark a sharp increase over previous periods.

December had the most ICE arrests since the beginning of the Trump administration, and that month only averaged 1,283 arrests per day nationwide.

In January, at a time when the administration flooded the streets of Minneapolis and surrounding regions with hundreds of immigration enforcement officers, arrests averaged about 1,212 per day across the country.

But Minneapolis proved to be a turning point in the Trump administration's mass deportations agenda after two American citizens were killed by immigration officers while protesting the crackdown in Minneapolis.

Border Czar Tom Homan started drawing down the number of officers in Minnesota as the agency stepped back from the flashy surge operations that had been common during the tenure of then- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Operations under Noem headed by former Border Patrol Chief Gregory Bovino were marked by frequent clashes between immigration enforcement officers and protesters, in footage that was often splashed across the Department's social media channels.

In February, immigration arrests fell to 1,057 a day, according to information from the Deportation Data Project. The Project sued through the Freedom of Information Act to obtain the ICE arrests data and it is only current through February.

After Noem was fired, her successor at Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, suggested he'd be taking a more low-profile approach to immigration enforcement and he aimed to get the department out of the headlines. But Mullin was expected to adopt Trump's priorities on immigration.

Neighbors of the family in tiny Hamden, employees at local stores where they shopped and even the investigators who responded to the scene have been left to wonder that aloud and to themselves, and the limited information shared by investigators doesn't offer a full answer.

The children weren't enrolled in school, the family moved around over the past two decades, and neighbors said they’d never spotted the kids. The children remained mostly confined to a small room in the house, investigators said, under deplorable conditions.

“Right under our noses and nobody was able to help them sooner,” said Emily Collins, 27, owner of VC Farm & Floral in nearby McArthur, as she lamented how the case goes against the grain of the tight-knit community.

“It’s just crazy with all the wonderful things going on in our little Hallmark town and this is what puts us on the radar. It’s really sad,” said the mother of three, who pulled out her chalk and decorated the sidewalk in front of her shop with bright flowers and stars drawn for the Fourth of July to cheer herself up.

Authorities said they had gone to the home Tuesday on an unrelated investigation and discovered the children — ages 1 1/2 to 18 years old — some of whom were unable to speak.

Seven were taken to hospitals, including one who was in critical condition, investigators said. Their current conditions weren't immediately known Thursday. Child welfare officials have temporary custody of the children.

Lawyers: Let the case ‘play out’

Four people who are the children’s parents and grandparents were arrested on child endangerment charges. Gary Siders Jr., 36, Gary Siders, 73, Elizabeth Siders, 33, and Christina Siders, 67, pleaded not guilty to child endangerment. Bond was set at $300,000 each.

The children's mother, Elizabeth Siders, married their father Gary Siders Jr. when she was 15, and all of the children are theirs, her attorney, Thomas Stolly, told The Associated Press. She was “crying and exhausted” when he met with her on Thursday, Stolly said.

“In fact, my client's first question to me when I walked into the jail and introduced myself was about her kids. She asked if her children were OK, she asked if I knew where they were, and she asked when she’d be able to see them again,” Stolly said.

He wasn’t able to answer those questions, “but I thought it was telling that her first concern was not, ‘When can I get out of jail,’ but was ‘Are my children OK.’”

Stolly said his client told him that all of the children were born in area hospitals and she considers herself a full-time mom. She left high school after the 11th grade, he said, and Gary Siders Jr. was driving for Door Dash and looking for another job, he said.

Stolly said the prosecutor’s office has not yet shared their evidence with him, but so far he hasn’t seen anything that supports Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson’s description of the family as “pure evil.”

“Evil requires malice, and I did not see any malice in Elizabeth,” Stolly said.

He added: “I think that this is more so a case of isolation than a case of evil, and I think that there’s an important distinction there. Because if that’s all you know -- and you have to think someone at 15 years old doesn’t know a whole lot about being an adult, about being a mother, about being a wife — and that’s been your worldview for the past 17 or 18 years, you get shaped by that.”

Stolly said Elizabeth didn't characterize herself as a victim, but “I think it may be too early to actually determine what was going on there.”

“While the headlines may be sensational, there’s a real human component to this and so I would ask people to give this process time to play out,” Stolly said.

An attorney for the elder Siders also urged the public to wait before passing judgment.

“We ask that the community at large, as well as anyone who might have an interest in this case, to take a deep breath, step back, and let the case play out and the facts play out,” Dorian Baum told The Associated Press.

Attorneys for Siders Jr. and Christina Siders declined to comment.

Little traffic on home’s rural road

A man who lives three houses down from the Siders family said he had seen “no kids at all” there.

“It’s a sad situation,” said Joseph Stewart, 60, who has lived in the “quiet neighborhood” for six years.

Authorities wouldn’t publicly share the nature of the other investigation that led them to the house Tuesday. However, court records show a warrant was issued for Siders Jr. that day on misdemeanor indecent exposure charges related to alleged incidents on four days in May. He has pleaded not guilty.

On Thursday, windows and doors at the formerly wide-open home, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of Columbus, had been boarded up. Police tape and piles of refuse remained.

The previous day, a door was ajar and heaps of trash and children’s toys were visible inside. A wood deck and the backyard were filled with discarded tires, a high chair and other debris.

The house sits on a road tucked alongside a steep railroad embankment, where tracks carry rumbling trains to a rail yard in the village of fewer than 1,000 residents. The closest neighbors are separated by trees and thick brush, but the house is easily visible from the road.

Kids not seen in schools

Investigators said members of the family had moved around southern Ohio over the past two decades and that it looks like they avoided creating a medical or governmental paper trail. The Vinton County Local School District, the only district in the area, said it has no records indicating that any of the children were ever enrolled.

“These folks were pretty good at hiding these kids,” Wilson, the state attorney general, said Wednesday.

The children’s absence from school, and the apparent lack of regular visits with medical professionals, likely contributed to keeping the dire situation unknown, said Jacqueline Yahn, an associate professor at Ohio University.

“When kids are isolated or not participating, you don’t have someone who’s trained to know the clues,” said Yahn, who specializes in rural education and poverty. “A well-check is called that for a reason: They’re checking for well-being and development.”

Investigators were reviewing whether the family was reported to any children’s services agencies in the past.

The children spent most of their time in a room that was roughly 12 feet by 12 feet (3.5 meters by 3.5 meters), according to investigators, who noted that human waste was all around.

“They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible,” Wilson said.

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Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press reporter Ed White in Detroit contributed.

He’s 39 and is a 24-time Grand Slam champion who now plays only sparingly.

So he’s better positioned than almost anyone else to analyze what Serena Williams — a seven-time Wimbledon singles champion just like he is — must have been feeling after losing at the All England Club earlier this week in the first singles match that she played in nearly four years.

“People always expect you to play at your best because they’re used to seeing you dominate the sport for many years,” Djokovic said. “She’s 44. She has two children. Coming back, it’s normal that she still is not at her best in terms of movement. She hasn’t played a match in so many years. People need to cool off a little bit with judgment and criticism and everything. Let’s just enjoy the greatness, who she is, what she represents to the sport.”

Williams was beaten 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 by 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia in the first round on Tuesday but showed she could be competitive with an opponent less than half her age after being away for so long.

Williams still cranked out serves faster than 120 mph and dictated points with her heavy groundstrokes. But movement was an issue and the 87th-ranked Joint was able to win more of the big points by hitting beyond the reach of the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.

“Her wanting to give it a try and just come back is an incredible gift for our sport," Djokovic said. "I think people sometimes — I don’t know why — they don’t appreciate that enough. They just start to speculate, judge or whatever. It’s like, ‘Hey, guys, enjoy. You have the greatest ever to come play for you, to bring more attention to your sport.’

“I really support Serena. Always have. Hopefully she’s going to play more,” Djokovic added.

Williams was given wild card invitations to play both singles and doubles at Wimbledon and it remains to be seen whether she will still play doubles with older sister Venus.

Williams announced on Wednesday that she tweaked her right knee toward the end of the first set against Joint. She said she still hopes to play doubles but the Williams’ sisters opener against Colombia’s Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra of Argentina was only the remaining first-round match not on the schedule for Friday. There's is still a possibility they could play Saturday.

At last year’s U.S. Open, Djokovic publicly challenged Serena to return.

“When somebody challenges her, she never refuses. So I challenge Serena: Come back on the tour next year,” Djokovic said in 2025.

Now, Djokovic wants to see Serena play this year’s U.S. Open.

“I hope for the sake of tennis and all of us that we be able to see her more,” Djokovic said. “I assume that U.S. Open is somewhere where she would like to play. Playing in her home Slam would be amazing for her and for everyone else.”

Djokovic won his second-round match against Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets Wednesday night on Centre Court — 24 hours after watching Serena’s match on the same court on TV.

“What she’s doing is incredible. Epic,” Djokovic said. “I’ve always been a fan of Serena. I’m sure she wanted and expected to at least win one match or more. Knowing how competitive she is, the mind of a champion that she has, she’s not happy with just showing up on the court. She wants to win.”

Lindsey Vonn wasn't expecting Serena to 'show all her cards'

Lindsey Vonn, another 40-plus athlete who recently made a comeback, struggled at times in her first season back on the World Cup skiing circuit after nearly six years of retirement.

But Vonn was the top World Cup downhiller last season at age 41 until her horrific crash at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February left her with a severely fractured left leg.

Vonn attended Serena's comeback in doubles at Queen's last month and last week told The Associated Press ahead of Williams' singles return, “I would expect for her to play well but not show all her cards yet.”

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

“The Tale of KAHO” is the Japanese author's first full-length novel featuring a lone woman protagonist, according to Shinchosha Publishing Co.

“Kaho, a picture book author, is just an average young woman. But truly bizarre things start happening around her,” Murakami said in a brief message posted on the publisher’s campaign website. “I wrote this novel as I put myself in her shoes.”

His statement drew the attention of many fans, because most of Murakami's protagonists are young or middle-aged men.

“I'm excited about finding out how the story evolves around a female main character,” said Naoyuki Yamano, the first customer to buy the new Murakami novel.

Initially, the novel started as a short story titled “Kaho,” which Murakami rehearsed at a book reading event two years ago at Waseda University, his alma mater in Tokyo, with Mieko Kawakami, a renowned female author and fan of his work. The story was published in the June 2024 edition of Shincho magazine.

Takumi Hashimoto, a 33-year old office worker who attended the launch event with three fellow members of a Murakami book reading club, said he hopes to read a story from a female protagonist’s perspective and find out how the story evolved from a series of magazine stories into a full-length novel.

His companion, Mizuki Shirota, 33, said she was struck by the way Murakami portrayed the female protagonist’s emotions in the magazine version.

“The story was written in a way that makes you very aware of lookism, or how I, as a woman, am perceived by men ... there were parts that I even felt startled a bit," Shirota said. “So I want to read that again in the book."

Beaming and in all smiles, the group headed to a coffee shop open all night to immediately start reading the book.

One day, 26-year-old Kaho goes on a blind date arranged by her book editor. Over dinner, her date tells her that, although he has dated a number of women, “I’ve never seen one as ugly as you.” Baffled rather than outraged, curious Kaho tries to uncover the meaning of his words. Soon, bizarre things begin happening to her, including encounters with other mysterious characters, such as an anteater and a jaguar.

Murakami has since released three subsequent “Kaho” stories in Shincho magazine, most recently in the March edition. He weaves the four stories into a 352-page new novel with four chapters: “Kaho and the Motorcycle Man,” “The Anteater of Musashi-sakai,” “Kaho and the Termite Queen” and “The Guardian Angel, Elephant Egg and Scarlett Johansson.”

The magazine version of the first “Kaho” story has been published in English in The New Yorker, but the novel for now is available only in Japanese. Translation plans have not been disclosed.

The new book comes out three years after his previous novel, “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” which follows a male protagonist navigating love, loss and the boundaries between real and subconscious worlds.

Las víctimas fueron identificadas como Mesilien Pierre, de 36 años, y Wilford White, de 68.

El sospechoso, Gregory DaSilva, de 26 años, fue arrestado el martes y enfrenta dos cargos de asesinato premeditado y un cargo de agresión agravada con un arma mortal.

La Policía de Lauderhill informó que los apuñalamientos ocurrieron alrededor de las 11:15 a.m. del martes en la cuadra 5300 de Northwest 19th Street.

Los investigadores dijeron que un agente fue inicialmente abordado por un hombre que reportó que alguien armado con un cuchillo había intentado atacarlo.

Posteriormente, los agentes localizaron a un sospechoso que coincidía con la descripción, pero la Policía indicó que huyó hacia un vecindario residencial cercano.

Mientras los agentes buscaban al sospechoso, los investigadores informaron que recibieron una llamada al 911 sobre un hombre con aparentes heridas de arma blanca. Mientras recorrían el vecindario, los agentes confirmaron que encontraron a una segunda víctima de apuñalamiento.

La Policía indicó que una de las víctimas fue declarada muerta en el lugar, mientras que la otra falleció después de ser trasladada a un hospital cercano.

Vecinos dijeron a Local 10 que una de las víctimas estaba leyendo la Biblia momentos antes de ser atacada. También indicaron que White utilizaba una silla de ruedas y no pudo escapar.

Hasta la tarde del jueves, DaSilva permanecía detenido sin derecho a fianza.

The high court rebuffed an emergency appeal from Catherine Herridge. The veteran investigative reporter has been held in civil contempt as part of a lawsuit that scientist Yanping Chen filed against the government over the leak.

Chief Justice John Roberts previously put a short-term hold on the fine as the court considered the appeal. On Thursday, the court said it was denying Herridge's bid to stay the fine. Justice Brett Kavanaugh supported granting the application for a stay, the court said.

Herridge published a series for Fox News in 2017 that examined Chen’s ties to the Chinese military and raised questions about whether the scientist was using a professional school she founded in Virginia to help the Chinese government get information about American servicemembers.

Fox News Media expressed disappointment in the decision.

“Protecting the confidentiality of journalistic sourcing and the integrity of the newsgathering process is fundamental to a free and functioning democracy. While we are deeply disappointed by the Court’s decision, our commitment to defending these critical First Amendment principles remains unwavering and we will be reviewing our options to further fight this injustice," the network said in a statement.

Herridge’s attorneys did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The stories relied on what Chen’s lawyers say were items leaked from the probe into statements she made on immigration forms related to work on a Chinese astronaut program.

Those include snippets of an FBI document summarizing an interview conducted during the investigation, personal photographs, and information taken from her immigration and naturalization forms and from an internal FBI PowerPoint presentation, according to court documents.

The six-year probe never resulted in charges against Chen, and in 2018 she sued the FBI and the Justice Department.

Her suit said that both her personal and professional life were upended amid a wave of negative media attention after the leak, leading to hate mail and death threats. She accused the government of violating the Privacy Act, which prohibits the public disclosure of private information about individuals without their consent.

A judge ordered Herridge to answer questions about her source or sources in a deposition with Chen’s lawyers. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper in Washington ruled that Chen’s need to know for the sake of her lawsuit overcame Herridge’s right to shield her source.

Herridge was interviewed under oath but declined to answer questions about her sources. The judge eventually held her in contempt, and the fine was set to begin after the order was upheld by an appeals court panel.

The case has been closely watched by media advocates, who say forcing journalists to betray a promise of confidentiality could make sources think twice before providing information to reporters that could expose government wrongdoing.

“Journalists facing contempt should not have to muster large payments to the court while they seek to vindicate First Amendment rights," said Bruce Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. "And forcing them to betray source confidences always has a harmful impact on the free flow of information to the public.”

Chen’s lawyers say they have exhausted other ways to identify the leaker, and the identity is key to making their case that the Privacy Act was violated. Attorney Andrew Phillips said they hope Thursday's decision will help bring the matter to a close.

“Dr. Chen, like any other American citizen, is entitled to discover the identity of the federal official(s) who abused their access to an American’s private information and leaked it to cause her harm. That type of corrupt, unlawful conduct is exactly what the Privacy Act was designed to address," he said.

Herridge reported for Fox News and CBS News before recently becoming an independent journalist.

Brown — the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, a five-time All-Star and the league’s fourth-leading scorer this past season — is getting traded by the Celtics to the Sixers, a person with knowledge of the deal’s terms said Wednesday.

Boston is getting Paul George, along with a slew of draft capital that could become two first-round picks and two second-round picks, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade does not yet have the required league approvals.

“I’m still processing how this all went down,” Brown wrote on social media Thursday. "I’m excited and disappointed at the same time. I earned my respect from this city. I never asked for shortcuts or special treatment. I simply showed up every day, put my head down, and accepted every challenge.

The relationships I built here, the battles we fought together, the championship we brought to this city, and the connection I shared with the fans, I’ll carry on with me."

Jayson Tatum missed most of this past season while recovering from an Achilles tendon tear that happened during the 2025 playoffs, meaning Brown had to carry even more of the load for Boston — and he wound up with career-best averages of 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.

It seemed, though, that Brown has felt underappreciated, especially after it became known that Boston had included him in trade talks with Milwaukee when Giannis Antetokounmpo was on the market.

“Saying goodbye isn’t easy when you’ve invested your heart into something,” Brown wrote.

The Sixers have another star to pair with two-time NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid — and the true franchise cornerstones in All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and second-year standout VJ Edgecombe — after new team president of basketball operations Mike Gansey pulled off a whale of a move in his first month on the job.

“I’m excited for what’s ahead and grateful for the opportunity to join Philadelphia,” Brown wrote. "Every city has its own identity, its own passion, and its own expectation. I respect that, and I’m looking forward to earning that respect the only way I know how, through the work.

"Philly — throw the ball up let’s get it!"

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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.

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

El miércoles marcó el inicio de Julio sin Plástico, una campaña que anima a las personas a reducir el uso de plásticos. El condado Miami-Dade se une al esfuerzo con una nueva iniciativa.

El condado Miami-Dade inauguró su primera estación de hidratación Hope en la estación Government Center del Metrorail, en el centro de Miami, donde ofrece agua fría, filtrada y gratuita a cualquier persona que quiera rellenar una botella reutilizable.

“Esto realmente va a cambiar la cultura. Estoy segura de que veremos a más personas utilizando estas estaciones y diciendo no a las botellas de agua de plástico”, dijo la alcaldesa de Miami-Dade, Daniella Levine Cava.

El objetivo es incentivar a las personas a cambiar a botellas reutilizables y rechazar las de plástico para ayudar a reducir la enorme cantidad de desechos plásticos que terminan en el medio ambiente.

“Es muy fácil. Colocas tu botella, sale agua fría, filtrada y gratuita. Toda nuestra idea es que, si estas estaciones son más accesibles, más atractivas y más fáciles de usar, todos serán más sostenibles. No hay necesidad de una botella de plástico si hay estaciones Hope en todas partes”, dijo Cristina Gnecco, cofundadora y directora de operaciones de Hope Hydration.

El fundador y director ejecutivo de Hope Hydration, Jorge Richardson, dijo que la inauguración de la estación antes del inicio de Julio sin Plástico fue intencional.

Julio sin Plástico es un movimiento mundial que anima a las personas a reducir sus desechos plásticos, una decisión reutilizable a la vez.

“No necesitamos que unas pocas personas lo hagan de manera perfecta. Necesitamos que muchas personas lo intenten, y así es como realmente comenzaremos a generar un efecto multiplicador”, dijo Maddie Kaufman, directora de programas de Debris Free Oceans.

La idea es comenzar con pequeños cambios, eliminando un hábito relacionado con el plástico de la vida diaria.

“Se necesitan unas dos semanas para crear un hábito. Así que dedica dos semanas a intentar crear un hábito con un solo artículo”, dijo Kaufman.

La necesidad de actuar nunca ha sido mayor.

“Es una cifra alarmante. Sí, estamos en modo de crisis”, dijo Marcus Eriksen, cofundador y director de investigación del Instituto 5 Gyres.

Cada año, aproximadamente ocho millones de toneladas métricas de plástico llegan al océano, sumándose a los más de 171 billones de partículas de plástico que ya existen allí. Se proyecta que la producción de plástico se duplicará durante los próximos 25 años.

“Recogemos más de 20,000 libras de basura por día durante el Día Internacional de Limpieza de Costas. Nuestros vertederos se están llenando de plástico. Nuestros cuerpos se están llenando de plástico”, dijo Kaufman.

Los defensores de esta causa afirman que el reciclaje, por sí solo, no resolverá el problema. A nivel mundial, solo el 9 % del plástico se recicla, y aseguran que la única solución es rechazar el plástico siempre que sea posible.

Debido a que la ley de Florida impide que los gobiernos locales regulen la mayoría de los plásticos de un solo uso, gran parte de la responsabilidad recae en los consumidores.

Programas como Plastic Free Miami Beach y Plastic Free 305 ayudan a los consumidores a tomar mejores decisiones al destacar a los negocios que han reducido significativamente el uso de envases plásticos y artículos desechables.

“El 73 % de los visitantes, turistas y consumidores quieren gastar su dinero en negocios sostenibles y en sus productos”, dijo Cynthia Seymour, del Distrito de Mejoramiento Comercial de Coconut Grove.

Hope Hydration planea instalar 15 estaciones más en todo el condado Miami-Dade, en parques públicos y otros espacios del condado. El objetivo es expandirse a 250 estaciones durante el próximo año, para que sea más fácil, gratuito y conveniente dejar de comprar agua embotellada en envases de plástico y utilizar botellas reutilizables.