Según el teniente de la FHP Alex Camacho, el choque entre el camión de plataforma y un camión de carga ocurrió en los carriles en dirección sur de Okeechobee Road, en la intersección con Krome Avenue.

Camacho dijo que el camión de carga estaba detenido en una luz roja cuando un camión de plataforma amarillo se estrelló contra la parte trasera.

Las autoridades informaron que el conductor del camión de plataforma fue declarado muerto en la escena, mientras que el otro conductor no resultó herido.

Dos carriles en dirección sur de Okeechobee Road fueron cerrados tras la colisión.

Las identidades de las personas involucradas en el choque no fueron divulgadas de inmediato.

Leer en español

According to FHP Lt. Alex Camacho, the crash between the flatbed truck and a box truck occurred in the southbound lanes of Okeechobee Road, at the intersection with Krome Avenue.

Camacho said the box truck was stopped at a red light when a yellow flatbed truck crashed into the back of it.

The driver of the flatbed truck was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other driver was not injured, authorities said.

Two southbound lanes on Okeechobee Rd were closed after the collision.

The identities of those involved in the crash were not immediately released.

Online jail records show Kodak, whose real name is Bill Kapri, was arrested Thursday on charges of attempting to flee/elude law enforcement and resisting an officer without violence.

Kodak’s arrest comes a week after he was arrested in central Florida on a drug trafficking charge, stemming from a 2025 investigation.

It’s unclear why he allegedly fled from authorities in Broward, but Local 10 News has requested a copy of his arrest report.

In the central Florida case, Kodak, 28, faces a felony charge of trafficking in MDMA.

The arrest stems from a November 2025 investigation by Orlando police after officers responded to reports of gunfire near Children’s Safety Village on Fairvilla Road in Orlando.

According to the warrant, officers arrived to find several people gathered around two vehicles, including a BMW SUV and a Lamborghini SUV.

Police said officers smelled burnt cannabis coming from the BMW and conducted a search of the vehicle, where they found cannabis and a pink pill that tested positive for MDMA. During the investigation, Kodak, 28, who is currently living in Fort Lauderdale, approached officers and watched the search, the warrant states.

Investigators later searched the Lamborghini SUV and reported finding suspected narcotics, cash and firearms inside the vehicle.

According to the warrant, officers discovered a pink bag containing a substance later identified by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as MDMA, along with about $37,000 in cash and documents bearing Kodak’s name.

The warrant states investigators also compared items found inside the vehicle, including a bag and lighter, to images posted on Kodak’s Instagram accounts.

Authorities said FDLE officials later confirmed the substance recovered from the bag was MDMA, weighing approximately 25 grams.

The rapper and others at the scene denied that the bag was theirs, however when he was informed that there was money in the bag, Kodak tried multiple times to have officers hand him the cash, saying it belonged to his business, the warrant stated.

Based on the investigation, Orlando police sought a warrant charging Kodak with trafficking in MDMA between 14 and 200 grams.

As of Friday morning, Kodak was being held at the Broward County Main Jail.

He appeared in bond court later in the morning where a judge ordered that he be held on a $3,500 bond. If he posts bond, he will not be allowed to possess any firearms, weapons or ammunition.

No coffeehouse employees are affected, the company said. The cuts will impact employees in support functions like marketing, human resources and supply chain management. No international employees are affected for now, but Starbucks said it is also reviewing its corporate structure outside the U.S.

Starbucks said it’s also closing underused offices in Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago and other cities. The Seattle-based company recently announced that it's opening a corporate office in Nashville, Tennessee, that will employ up to 2,000 people within five years.

Starbucks expects to the moves to result in $400 million in restructuring charges, including $120 million in employee separation benefits.

Starbucks has been trying to reduce costs and complexity under Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol, who joined the company in 2024. Last year, the company laid off 2,000 corporate employees and closed hundreds of stores in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Niccol said last month that the simplified structure is helping the company innovate more quickly. Starbucks is also investing in its remaining stores to improve customers' experience. It plans to redesign 1,000 U.S. stores this year to give them a cozier, more comfortable feel, and it's also hiring baristas to ensure faster service during busy times.

The efforts appear to be paying off. In the January-March period, Starbucks said its U.S. same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, jumped 7%. Niccol called the quarter “the turn in our turnaround.”

“Our focus now is on sustaining our momentum and making our results repeatable and durable, all while delivering a healthy cost structure that supports profitable growth,” Niccol said during a conference call with investors. “It’s how we turn progress into consistent results.”

Local 10 News was outside the home in the 2300 block of Northwest 34^th Avenue as black soot covered the front entrance to the home.

A man who owns the home with his wife told Local 10’s Brett Knese that the fire erupted around 4:30 a.m.

“At about 4:30, 4:45, my wife heard a ‘pop,’” the homeowner said. “She said she had just went to the restroom and she heard a ‘pop.’ Of course, we didn’t think nothing about it. I said, ‘Let me go check it out.’ Walked in the den, the printer was the only thing burning. I tried to throw water on it. It did not help. Within five minutes, (all I saw) was flames and black smoke.”

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue officials said firefighters got the blaze under control about 20 minutes after arriving.

The homeowner said they have lived there for over 20 years and just finished some renovations to the interior of their home.

He said they are grateful to be able to walk away safe, but are devastated about the damage left behind.

The official cause of the fire remains under investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

The Red Cross is now assisting the displaced couple.

Monica Elfriede Witt, 47, was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2019 on charges of espionage, including transmitting national defense information to the government of Iran. She remains at large.

Witt “allegedly betrayed her oath to the Constitution more than a decade ago by defecting to Iran and providing the Iranian regime National Defense Information and likely continues to support their nefarious activities,” Daniel Wierzbicki, special agent in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division, said in a news release Wednesday.

“The FBI has not forgotten and believes that during this critical moment in Iran’s history, there is someone who knows something about her whereabouts.”

It wasn't immediately known why the FBI was bringing attention to Witt's case. The United States and Iran have been at war since Feb. 28.

Witt served in the Air Force between 1997 and 2008, where she was trained in the Farsi language and was deployed overseas on classified counterintelligence missions, including to the Middle East. She later found work as a Defense Department contractor.

The Texas native defected to Iran in 2013 after being invited to two all-expense-paid conferences in the country that the Justice Department says promoted anti-Western propaganda and condemned American moral standards.

Before that, Witt had been warned by the FBI about her activities, but told agents that she would not provide sensitive information about her work if she returned to Iran, prosecutors said.

According to the indictment, Witt placed at risk "sensitive and classified U.S. national defense information and programs,” the news release said.

“Witt allegedly intentionally provided information endangering U.S personnel and their families stationed abroad. She also allegedly conducted research on behalf of the Iranian regime to allow them to target her former colleagues in the U.S. government,” it said.

The pop-up skating experience is taking over the venue through June 14, offering themed nights, food and cocktails, and a mix of old-school and modern Miami culture.

“What we wanted to do was keep the authentic feel of a skating rink and keep it classic with the music,” said Alex Macis, chief operative creative for Bayskate Miami. “It’s how we grew up, it’s a culture that’s really dear to us.”

Bayskate co-founder Marcos Macis said the concept began a decade ago in Bayfront Park as a way to activate public spaces.

“It was an idea to activate public spaces,” he said. “For those who don’t understand the Miami skate culture, there is a deep-rooted skate culture in Miami. So it’s not a disco themed experience. It’s actually a Miami experience.”

The 20,000-square-foot air-conditioned space features rotating themes each night, including TropiBass on Thursdays, disco nights on Fridays, Miami freestyle on Saturdays and open-format skating on Sundays.

“So Thursday nights we have TropiBass, which is a Latin fusion and Miami bass type thing. On Fridays we have our disco night, on Saturday we have our Miami freestyle night and on Sunday it’s kind of an open format,” Marcos Macis said.

Organizers said the experience also includes food and drinks, including wood-fired pizza and margarita flights.

“You’re going to have quality food, quality cocktails, we have margarita flights, wood oven fired pizza,” Alex Macis said. “We’ve got a mix of old school and new school so it’s going to be a good experience.”

Bayskate runs Thursday through Sunday, with ticket prices starting around $25, according to organizers. A $100 season skate pass is also available.

“Ticket prices start at around $25, $15 for kids during the day,” Marcos Macis said.

The founders say the goal is to keep skating accessible for all ages and skill levels.

“The thing is roller skating when we grew up is always something that is so inclusive, regardless of age or gender everybody was enjoying themselves in the same spot,” Alex Macis said.

“Bring your family, friends, date night, couples, families. I think we have a little bit for everybody. Hope to see you soon,” he added.

Click here for more information on how you can purchase tickets or book a party.

1 package beef ramen

neutral oil for sauteing, like grapeseed or canola, as needed

6 ounce skirt steak, cut into thin strips

½ cup snow peas, ends trimmed, cut into 1/3rds

½ cup snap peas, ends trimmed, cut into 1/3rds

3 scallions, whites and light green, thinly sliced

For the sauce:

¼ cup Oyster sauce

¼ cup Soy sauce

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon Sesame oil

Cook the noodles in water until al dente, about 1 minute less than package instructions. Drain.

While the noodles cook, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat in a wok or tall-sided, large sauté pan. Sauté the beef for 1-2 minutes until it begins to caramelize. Add in the snow peas and snap peas and the cooked noodles. Stir to combine then add in the sauce. You can add a little of the flavoring packet to boost the flavor if desired. Sauté for 1-2 minutes to marry flavors. Add in the scallions and serve immediately.

The annual Legacy Ceremony was held at SEED School of Miami, a tuition-free boarding school with a 24-hour learning environment.

Graham was recognized for his work helping guide students in future projects. The SEED School is now 12 years old and has a 100% college acceptance rate.

Graham, who overcame many challenges growing up, said he quickly recognized how special the school is.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Local 10 News’ Clay Ferraro was at Miami Dade College’s North Campus for the first-ever Champions Gala.

The event honored middle school and lower school athletes with an awards show that had the feel of the Oscars.

Ferraro also delivered a speech to the athletes about the importance of youth sports in his life and the life of his family.

1 package shrimp ramen

neutral oil for sauteing, like grapeseed or canola, as needed

½ pound 16/20 shrimp, peeled and deveined

½ block firm tofu, drained and cubed

1 cup bean sprouts

4 scallions, whites and light green, thinly sliced

¼ cup salted roasted peanuts, lightly chopped

For the Pad Thai sauce:

¾ cup tamarind concentrate

¾ cup palm sugar, finely chopped

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup fish sauce

½ cup water

Prepare the Pad Thai sauce:

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the sauce and mix well.

Cooking the Pad Thai:

Cook the noodles according to package instructions, however, cook 1 minute less than advised.

While the noodles cook, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat in a wok or tall-sided, large sauté pan. Add the shrimp and sauté for 1-2 minutes until they start to turn pink. Add the cooked noodles, tofu, and bean sprouts into the wok. Stir to combine, add as much Pad Thai sauce as desired and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. You can add a little of the flavoring packet to boost the flavor if desired. Top the scallions and chopped peanuts. Serve immediately.

1 package chicken ramen

1-2 slices American cheese

scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish

jammy poached eggs, for serving (see recipe below)

Following the package of chicken ramen, cut cooking time by 1 minute. When ready, add 2 slices of American cheese and the scallions just after adding the chicken flavor packet and mix together. Add the jammy eggs cut in half (recipe below) and serve while piping hot.

For the jammy eggs:

4 eggs

large ice bath

Bring a large saucepan of water to a rapid boil. Carefully add the eggs to the boiling water. Set your timer for 7 minutes.

While the eggs are boiling, prepare your ice bath. Fill a large bowl with ⅔ ice and cover it with cold tap water. Set aside.

At the 7-minute mark exactly, carefully remove the eggs one by one with a slotted spoon. Transfer each egg immediately to the ice bath and allow the eggs to sit in the ice bath for about 5 minutes.

Carefully peel each egg.

Slice the peeled eggs in half. Marinate in the recipe below for up to an hour.

Optional marinade for the eggs:

2 tablepsoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Mix together until sugar is dissolved.

Leer en español

Witnesses said they heard a shooting shortly before 3 a.m., and a helicopter at about 5 a.m. near Royal Palm Boulevard and Riverside Drive.

Theresa Zuniga, who lives in the area, said she was scared when she heard the helicopter flying over.

“This place is very calm,” Zuniga said about her neighborhood.

Another resident, Samiir Syne, said it’s usually a safe area.

“It’s bizarre, I think it’s a safe area, and the fact that it was right there,” she said.

A man was fatally shot, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a spokesperson for the Coral Springs Police Department.

A white tent and a tarp covered a body near the garbage area of Coral Park East, a community of townhomes. Danny Raymonvil, who lives in the area, said he saw the man dead.

“It’s just unfortunate this person had to lose their life like that,” Raymonvil said.

According to neighbors, it took SWAT a few hours to find the possible shooter.

“They were pretty much trying to see if he’s in the building still, if he’s in this area,” said neighbor Storm Whittaker.

There was crime scene tape near the pool of a neighboring apartment building at the Coral Springs Tower Club community. There appeared to be an assault rifle in the water.

The Coral Springs Police Department announced that the nearby Somerset Academy will be “closed for the day” and asked the public to “avoid the area.”

Police told Local 10 News it has notified the family but has yet to release the man’s identity.

The victim’s family declined to speak.

Early morning report

Related social media

Location

On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis answered more questions about the future of the detention center, though he still did not give a definitive yes or no on whether it will shut down.

DeSantis defended Florida’s involvement in hosting the immigration facility in the middle of the Everglades.

“We did it because we were asked to do it and I’m happy that we saved Floridians from having to face 22,000, many of whom would have done, I think, some bad things,” DeSantis said. “Well, they may not always keep them. We always said it was going to be temporary. They haven’t told us they don’t want it anymore.”

The governor also made it clear he would prefer the federal government handle immigration enforcement entirely.

“I would rather not have anything to do with this,” DeSantis said. “I’d rather just have our laws enforced, our border secure and have the federal government handle 100% of it. That would be fine with me. I know if Florida didn’t stand up, this job wasn’t going to get done the way it needed to get done.”

Earlier Thursday morning, Local 10 News was exclusively there as detainee Justo Bentacourt reunited with his family after spending six months at the detention center.

Bentacourt said he has heard from staff inside the facility that the detention center will shut down.

“That’s what he said,” Bentacourt said. “I have to see it first before I say it’s closed and it never closes.”

Attempts to deport Bentacourt to both Cuba and Mexico failed because of his health condition. This week, a judge granted his release after he spent more than 180 days in detention.

“January 23rd, they were supposed to send me home,” Bentacourt said. “Cuba didn’t accept me. Mexico didn’t accept me. Why are you letting me stay over there -- for what? For nothing.”

Vendors paid by the state confirmed to Local 10 News that they have been notified the detention center will close next month to allow time for logistics and related operations to wrap up, with the goal of shutting it down before hurricane season.

Local 10 News reached out to the Federal Emergency Management Agency and received a statement attributed to a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson.

“FEMA is working closely with the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the State of Florida,” the statement said. “Reimbursement requests are in process. Updates will be provided as the process continues.”

Now, a child who was destined to end up in a wheelchair with possible heart and respiratory problems has the chance to be able to run and play.

That dream is a reality thanks to an innovative gene therapy, and one South Florida hospital is leading the way.

Nine-year-old Ka’Lee loves to climb and run and play outdoors, but when he was just a toddler, his mother, Carmen Stinnett, knew something wasn’t quite right.

“I knew because I have four children and they always met their milestones,” she said. “So I knew something was different. I knew something was wrong.”

That mother’s intuition led to a frightening diagnosis.

Ka’Lee has duchenne muscular dystrophy, a potentially deadly genetic disorder that causes patients, as they get older, to become weaker and lose their ability to walk.

But now there is hope for children like Ka’Lee in the form of a new therapy that restores some of the genes these children are missing.

It’s called ELEVIDYS, a one-time infusion with big results.

“With gene therapy, you are trying to correct the underlying gene problem,” said Dr. Migvis Monduy, of Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. “It’s not a cure for this particular disease, because the dystrophin gene is one of the bigger ones in the body. It’s too big to replace altogether.”

The gene therapy has been approved for children 4 years and older.

For Stinnett and Ka’Lee, a mother’s intuition, an early diagnosis, and innovative medical technology has been a winning combination.

“Before, he didn’t run. He runs now,” Stinnett said. “He walks a lot better; he has more stability. It’s really helped him a lot.

“I am happy and blessed. I was so happy he got the gene therapy. I was worried and concerned, but this has been life changing.”

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital was one of the first hospitals in the country to offer the therapy.

Monduy also said that because early diagnosis is vital, starting in 2027 in Florida, newborns will be tested for duchenne muscular dystrophy in the hospital.

Leer en español

Kristi House is a Miami-based non-profit that provides trauma-informed care to trafficking victims.

Miami-Dade County’s law enforcement community and prosecutors are gearing up for the FIFA World Cup and launching an awareness campaign.

“(We are) getting people to literally care about one another in society,” said Philippa King, Deputy CEO of It’s a Penalty.

Passengers flying into Miami International Airport on major carriers, including American Airlines, will see a video on their flight regarding trafficking safety.

“A young boy saw the film and called out,” said King. “One life we helped.”

A spokesperson for Uber said they are rolling out in-app resources and education material for drivers, another key group who can help in this multi-agency effort that includes front line workers from TSA, hotel and hospitality workers to stadium staff.

“Hotels can be exploited by traffickers who want to hide in the shadows,” said Glenn Sampert, general manager of InterContinental Miami by IHG.

Officials spoke about some of the signs to look out for, including women who defer to a man and seem overall attached to them and who don’t have access to paperwork or money to purchase items.

HOW TO REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY

Call: 305-349-7867 (305-FIX-STOP)

If you are in immediate danger, please call 911.

National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888

Text: 233733 (BEFREE)

humantraffickinghotline.org

National Center of Missing and Exploited Children

1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)

Cyber tip line: itsapenalty.org

Leer en español

Now they believe he is missing somewhere in the city, or nearby.

Miami Beach police have issued a missing persons advisory for Torres, who was believed to have stayed at a hotel near Harding Avenue and 73rd Street last week.

“He’s absolutely enamored with Miami,” said grandmother Michelle Lowe-Christensen. “As an autistic person, he becomes very fixated.”

Lowe-Christensen has been posting videos that have gone viral on TikTok about her missing grandson. She is now in South Florida to look for him.

She told Local 10 News that Torres left his job at a car wash early last week and booked a last-minute flight to Miami, after a layover in Denver.

When Torres did not arrive home where he lives with his father in Austin, and never answered phone calls, the family began tracking his phone. They said they also have access to his iMessages and his bank account.

The 18-year-old is high-functioning but trusting, the family said.

“He does not see fear. He sees all people as friendly,” Lowe-Christensen said.

They believe he went to Dadeland Mall on Friday and said bank records show he bought clothing.

Later in the evening, his phone pinged in the Brickell area, then in downtown Miami Saturday morning, Lowe-Christensen said.

The tracking apps then went dark.

Miami Beach police are asking anyone in the community who might have seen Torres to call them at 305-673-7900.

Leer en español

It happened Sunday afternoon in the area of Northeast 142nd Street and Sixth Avenue in North Miami.

Police said they arrived to the scene to find one man bleeding profusely from his hand while holding another man against a fence.

According to authorities, the man bleeding, Bryant Toletino, is the victim in this case.

He is even heard telling the suspect, 31-year-old Ariel Alvarez, not to act like the victim.

Police said Toletino was attacked by Alvarez with a machete.

Authorities said the victim was visiting a friend and Alvarez was outside the apartment. They knew each other from the neighborhood, cops said.

The two men were engaged in a conversation, and then, Toletino said Alvarez just lost it.

Police said Alvarez told them he was acting in self-defense, but they said surveillance video told another story.

Jail records show Alvarez is facing a felony charge of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

As of Thursday, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was listed as “to be set.” He was also placed on an immigration hold.

Leer en español

Authorities said 911 dispatchers received a call around 11:45 a.m. reporting that a man had been shot and was on his way to a hospital.

Deputies responded and located the victim north of Sheridan Street and 56th Avenue in Hollywood. Officials said the man was indeed suffering from a gunshot wound.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue personnel transported the victim to a local hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, authorities said.

According to investigators, the shooting may have occurred near Mary Saunders Park in West Park.

“It’s surprising. A very quiet neighborhood. BSO is already around here,” said a mother who was picking up her child from an afterschool program at the park hours after the incident.

Detectives with BSO’s Violent Crime Unit are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

No other details about the victim were immediately released.

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 654-493-8477.

The auction on eBay was intended to revive an event that Buffett hosted for more than two decades that raised $53 million for the GLIDE Foundation homeless charity in San Francisco. This year's auction that wrapped up Thursday night also raised month for Curry's Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation that he established with his wife, Ayesha.

The anonymous winner paid $9,000,100 to win a private lunch with Buffett and the Currys in the 95-year-old investor's hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, next month.

"We’re overwhelmed with gratitude for this opportunity, which reflects a shared belief that when different generations and institutions come together with purpose, we can create deeper and more lasting impact for the people who need it most,” the Currys said in a statement.

The Buffett auctions started in 2000 and continued every year until the pandemic prompted a couple years off. Starting in 2008, every winning bid for lunch with the investing giant topped $1 million. He discontinued the event after someone paid $19 million for a lunch in 2022.

A follow-up auction in 2024 raised $1.5 million for a lunch with software titan Marc Benioff, but that version of the event didn't last.

Buffett reached out to the Currys earlier this year to ask them to join the lunch auction this year. Curry missed 27 games this year before returning to help the Golden State Warriors down the stretch.

Buffett stepped down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway in January after six decades of leading the conglomerate. He remains chairman, but just sat through his first annual shareholder meeting — sitting in the audience instead of leading the event from stage.

Leer en español

• MDSO: Mother arrested after son, 6, shoots himself with her gun
• Miami Gardens man busted after depositing stolen checks worth over $50K
• After 6 months in Alligator Alcatraz, Miami-Dade father reunites with family
• Man accused of molesting girl, 12, on way to Miami Gardens school
• Mother, daughter facing felony charges for allegedly defrauding dental clinic both worked for: Cops
• Residents say they’re trapped in construction zone as Memorial Regional expansion grows
• South Florida officers sue Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, claiming details in ‘The Rip’ are too real
• Driver arrested following fatal crash on I-75 in Weston
• Miami-Dade teacher accused of kissing, groping male student
• One evacuated passenger tests positive for hantavirus and another develops symptoms on flight home

The report surfaced the same day CIA Director John Ratcliffe and other U.S. government delegates traveled to Cuba for a high-level meeting with Cuban officials.

Photos posted on the CIA’s X account showed Ratcliffe meeting with Cuban officials during the visit. Cuban authorities said they agreed to the meeting to reassure U.S. leaders that Cuba does not pose a threat to the United States.

For many in South Florida’s Cuban exile community, the reported indictment represents a long-awaited step toward accountability for the 1996 attack, which killed four members of the Miami-based humanitarian organization Brothers to the Rescue after Cuban military jets shot down two civilian aircraft over international waters.

“That’s a good step, but at the same time it doesn’t reconcile politically speaking that they are trying to engage with a regime at the same time that they are trying to indict their leader,” Cuban exile Ramon Saul Sanchez said.

Sanchez also urged caution until more details emerge about the U.S. delegation’s discussions with Cuban officials.

“Until we know all the details about the meeting, what was proposed to the given regime, what they answered -- we cannot categorically say this is going to be good,” Sanchez said.

The diplomatic outreach comes amid continued tension between Washington and Havana. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently accused the Cuban government of blocking humanitarian aid efforts.

“We’ve offered to distribute $100 million of humanitarian aid to the people through the church and the regime has denied it,” Rubio said in a recent interview with Fox News.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded by saying Cuba would not reject legitimate humanitarian assistance from the United States.

“If there is truly a willingness on the part of the United States government to provide aid in the amounts it announces, it will encounter no obstacles or ingratitude from Cuba,” Díaz-Canel said.

The developments also unfold as Cuba faces deepening economic and energy crises. Residents across the island continue to endure widespread blackouts and fuel shortages, prompting renewed protests in several communities.

Cuba’s Minister of Energy and Mining warned the country’s fuel reserves have nearly disappeared.

“Crude oil, fuel oil, of which we have absolutely none; diesel, of which we have absolutely none,” the minister said in remarks translated from Spanish. “The only thing we have is gas from our wells.”

Cuban officials said an oil shipment sent by Russia last month was the island’s only major fuel lifeline since January, but those reserves have now run out.

Sen. Bill Cassidy is running for a third term but first must overcome a Republican primary field that includes state Treasurer John Fleming and U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, who was endorsed by Trump in January.

The primary is the president’s latest opportunity to exact retribution from his perceived political enemies, including fellow Republicans he considers disloyal. Cassidy has been near the top of that list since his vote more than five years ago to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial following the insurrection by his supporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump was acquitted.

Louisiana is not among the states Democrats are targeting in their effort to retake the U.S. Senate. A Cassidy defeat in the primary would likely result in a Senate GOP caucus even more unified behind Trump and further demonstrate the strength of the president’s grip on the party.

Voters will also decide primary contests for state Supreme Court, Public Service Commission and state school board, along with five proposed state constitutional amendments.

Louisiana’s primaries for U.S. House were postponed after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state’s current congressional map, which includes a majority Black district that favors Democrats. U.S. House races will still appear on ballots, but any votes cast in those contests will not be counted.

In another key departure from previous Louisiana primaries, contenders in Saturday’s contests will run in separate party primaries, rather than in one jungle primary in which all candidates appear on the same ballot. State lawmakers adopted the new system for certain offices in 2024, but the law didn’t go into effect until 2026.

U.S. House races were originally slated to use the new primary system under the 2024 law, but state Republicans on Thursday adopted legislation to reinstate the jungle primary for U.S. House races, citing a compressed schedule after the Supreme Court decision. Just as in previous cycles, the jungle primary will be held on Nov. 3 alongside the general election.

East Baton Rouge Parish, home to Baton Rouge, and Jefferson and Orleans Parishes in the New Orleans area are the most populous in the state, but St. Tammany Parish, north of New Orleans along the Mississippi border, contributed the most votes in the 2016 and 2024 Republican presidential primaries.

Caddo Parish in the northwest, home to Shreveport, and Lafayette Parish also tend to play a bigger role in Republican primaries than in Democratic ones.

Trump narrowly won a four-way primary in 2016, powered in part by a large margin in Jefferson Parish and overcoming losses in East Baton Rouge and Caddo Parishes to Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. He swept the state eight years later in the 2024 primary against former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, who had dropped out of the race by the time of the primary but was still posting stronger-than-expected showings in other states.

Cassidy’s previous victories in 2014 and 2020 were under the old primary system, in which his main opposition on the ballot came from Democrats.

Here are some of the key facts about the election and data points the AP Decision Team will monitor as the votes are tallied:

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. local time (CT), which is 9 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for U.S. Senate, state Supreme Court, state Public Service Commission and state school board, as well as five statewide ballot measures.

Who gets to vote?

Registered party members may vote only in their own party’s primary. In other words, Democrats can’t vote in the Republican primary or vice versa. Independent or unaffiliated voters may participate in either primary. Voters registered with other parties may only vote on nonpartisan contests.

How many voters are there?

As of May 1, there were about 3 million registered voters in Louisiana. Registered Democrats and Republicans numbered about 1.1 million each, with registered Democrats at a slight advantage. About 813,000 voters were not registered with any party. The remainder were registered with other parties.

How many people actually vote?

Louisiana’s new primary system is closer in format to the 2024 presidential primaries than to previous state primaries. About 192,000 votes were cast in the Republican primary and about 167,000 in the Democratic contest. Each primary represented about 6% of registered voters.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

About 41% of the Republican primary vote and about 45% of the Democratic primary vote in 2024 was cast before primary day.

As of Thursday, about 255,000 ballots had already been cast in Saturday’s election, about 44% from Democrats and about 41% from Republicans.

When are early and absentee votes released?

Results from early and absentee voting are usually released by each parish in the first vote update, as separate totals from in-person Election Day vote results.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the 2024 general election, the AP first reported results at 9:32 p.m. ET, or 32 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 11:56 p.m. ET, with more than 99% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.

How do recounts work?

There are no automatic recounts in Louisiana, but a candidate may request and pay for a recount of absentee and early votes. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Saturday, there will be 42 days until the June 27 primary runoff if needed, 171 days until Nov. 3 general election and the rescheduled U.S. House jungle primaries and 210 days until the Dec. 12 runoff.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the 2026 election at https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/.

Ratcliffe met with Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, Interior Minister Lázaro Álvarez Casas and the head of Cuban intelligence services, and discussed intelligence cooperation, economic stability and security issues. A CIA official confirmed the meetings to the AP.

Ratcliffe was there “to personally deliver President Donald Trump’s message that the United States is prepared to seriously engage on economic and security issues, but only if Cuba makes fundamental changes,’’ the CIA official said.

An official statement from Cuba’s government noted that Thursday’s meeting “took place ... against a backdrop of complex bilateral relations.”

While the U.S. stressed that Cuba cannot continue to be a “safe haven for adversaries in the Western Hemisphere,” the Cuban delegation insisted that the island presents no threat to U.S. security. Cuban officials also took issue with the nation’s continued inclusion on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

Rodríguez Castro previously secretly met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the sidelines of a Caribbean Community summit in St. Kitts in February. While he’s never occupied a government post, he served as his grandfather’s bodyguard and later as head of Cuba’s equivalent of the Secret Service.

U.S. and Cuban officials also met earlier this year in Cuba. The ongoing meetings between U.S. and Cuban officials mark the first U.S. government flights to land in Cuba other than at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay since 2016.

Thursday’s meeting comes weeks after the Cuban government confirmed that it had recently met with U.S. officials on the island as tensions between the two sides remain high over the U.S. energy blockade of the Caribbean country and as Cuba’s power grid has collapsed and energy to its eastern provinces has been cut. The U.S. blockade of fuel to the island has heightened its economic woes, with reduced work hours and food spoilage as refrigerators stop working.

Earlier this week, the U.S. State Department reiterated that the U.S. will provide Cuba with $100 million in humanitarian assistance and support for satellite internet “if the Cuban regime will permit it.”

In late January, Trump threatened tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba. Though Trump also has threatened to intervene in the country, and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said recently that his country was prepared to fight if that should happen, sources told the AP earlier this month that military action is not imminent.

___

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

___

Tucker reported from Washington, D.C.

___

This version is corrected to show that the U.S. aid offer is $100 million.

At a Seattle sports bar on a recent Saturday night, hundreds of very tall people got to experience something rare: blending in. Women in their highest heels craned their necks to look at someone taller. Men who usually duck under doorways looked ordinary. For once, nobody had to explain why they don’t play basketball.

Welcome to Tall Tour, a traveling meetup drawing thousands across the United States to celebrate the one physical trait that has made them stand out — for good and ill. Since launching last summer, the tour has visited 19 cities, with crowds swelling from an initial 30 people in Tampa, Florida to some 4,000 in Orlando, according to organizers. Seattle drew around 750, they said.

“You’re walking around and there’s people your height and people taller than you when you thought you were just this giant freak,” said Tyler Bergantino, the tour’s 6-foot-9 founder who wears a size-16 shoe. “That’s something that I think is very healing for tall people.”

The concept emerged almost accidentally. Bergantino, 32, a former software salesman turned TikTok creator, posted a casual invitation on social media while traveling through Texas. He wanted content. Instead, he sparked a movement.

“It created itself,” he said. “I can’t really take credit for it.”

Each stop follows a similar format: Tall people gather, take photos, share recommendations for shoe shopping and swap stories about hitting their heads on door frames and cramming into airplanes.

For many women, the night’s biggest draw is the speed dating component and the hope of meeting someone comfortable dating a taller woman — whether that means matching their height, exceeding it or simply being open to it. Many bonded over the shared challenge of navigating a dating culture that still favors petite women.

“Dating as a tall woman, you feel like you’re intimidating to people,” said 25-year-old Ksenia Protasenko, who's 6 feet tall. “There’s this association with you being a warrior type, but it’s not true. It’s tough to have your height as the first thing people notice about you because it feels like people are not really seeing any vulnerable parts of you.”

Protasenko said men often ask whether she plays basketball. She usually has a reply ready.

“I tell them, ‘Yeah, sure,’ even though I don’t,” she said. “Then I ask them if they play mini golf. That seems to straighten them right up.”

Crowning the royalty of the tall

The highlight comes when organizers crown the tallest man and woman in attendance. In Seattle, those titles went to a mother and son. Susan Mullendore, 44 and 6-foot-5, stood beside her son Grayson, 19 and 7 feet tall, as the crowd erupted.

“As a mom, just seeing Grayson having this experience meant the world to me,” Susan said. “To be able to be crowned with him was really special. It was nice to have our height celebrated.”

For Grayson, a college freshman, the evening offered something rare: a feeling of normalcy. When in public, he said, strangers make comments and photograph him without asking. “People think that because we’re tall they can say whatever they want or do whatever they want, like we’re zoo animals almost,” he said.

At Tall Tour, the dynamic flipped.

“It was insane to feel small for once,” he said, noting the event's 7-foot-3 and 7-foot-4 co-hosts known as the Tall Boys. “It was so surreal to be able to have a conversation and look people in the eyes.”

That commonality runs deeper than shoe size. Attendees describe a lifetime of social hyper vigilance — raising their voices a few pitches to sound less intimidating, slowing down around corners so they do not startle strangers, slouching to fit in.

“You’re hyper-fixated on making sure that people don’t see you as a threat,” Bergantino said.

Tall people often feel isolated and out of place, particularly around puberty he said, noting he reached 6-foot-9 at age 16. But at Tall Tour, people can finally feel what it’s like to fit in.

“It heals a portion of your inner child,” he said. “Everyone’s walls come down, and it’s like we’re all one family.”

Susan knows the feeling.

“Sometimes you just want to go through the airport and be left alone. And that doesn’t happen for us. We usually get a lot of whispers,” she said. “We get it. It’s shocking to see tall people. But sometimes it does get old.”

The challenges extend beyond social awkwardness. Finding clothes and shoes that fit can be a mission. Susan, who wears a size-14 shoe, orders clothes from a specialty brand in the United Kingdom. To fit in his dorm bed, Grayson added a mattress extender and three sheets of plywood for support. He still hangs off the edge.

What began as a meetup has become a fast-growing business

Bergantino quit his sales job two years ago and now runs Tall Tour full time with a small team that includes his brother, who handles video and social media, a chief executive officer and a chief operating officer.

Even celebrities have taken notice. Seven-foot-6 basketball player Mamadou Ndiaye attended the Los Angeles event and the team has been in contact with 7-foot-1 NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal.

Future plans include expanding speed dating, launching a fashion show featuring height-inclusive brands and models, and adding spinoffs such as Tall Tour at Sea. International stops in Canada, Dubai, London, Australia, the Netherlands and Japan are also on the wish list. Bergantino says he wants to build “the tall-person ecosystem” — advocacy for exit row seating, better clothing options and even a phone app.

For now, the reward comes in smaller moments, like watching women in heels celebrate the height that once caused shame.

“The most joy of the day comes from the Tall Queen when she gets her crown and everyone’s going crazy,” he said. “It gets me every time.”

___

Tall Tour will run through May with two more stops in Houston and Dallas, Texas. Follow Annika Hammerschlag on Instagram.

The Long Island Rail Road that serves New York City’s eastern suburbs has been negotiating for months on a new contract with labor officials representing locomotive engineers, machinists, signalmen and other train workers.

A strike was temporarily averted in September when President Donald Trump’s administration agreed to help. Those efforts ended without a deal, giving both sides 60 days — ending 12:01 a.m. Saturday — to again try to resolve their differences before the union was legally allowed to go on strike or the agency could lock out workers.

Five labor unions representing about half the train system’s 7,000-person workforce warned this week that Saturday’s deadline was approaching.

The LIRR is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, carrying about 250,000 customers each weekday. LIRR workers last went on strike in 1994, for about two days. Workers nearly walked out in 2014 before then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo reached a deal with unions.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which oversees the LIRR and other area transit systems, has said it will provide free but limited shuttle buses during the morning and afternoon rush hours. The agency says the shuttles will depart from designated LIRR train stations to subway stops in the New York City borough of Queens.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has urged LIRR riders to work from home, if possible, as the free shuttles are meant for essential workers and those who cannot telecommute. The Democrat, months earlier, slammed the LIRR unions for “greedy asks” that threaten to “destabilize the local economy.”

But there have been signs of progress in negotiations this week.

Months ago, the MTA had proposed to the unions a 9.5% wage increase over three years, in line with what the system’s other unionized workers have already agreed to. The unions, however, held out for another yearly salary increase of 6.5%, for a total raise of 16% over four years.

But following Wednesday’s closed door meetings, Gary Dellaverson, the MTA’s chief negotiator, said the agency offered the unions what it said would effectively amount to a 4.5% raise in the fourth year of the contract. That offer, he said, was in line with what federal officials had recommended and would come in the form of lump sum payments rather than wage increases, as the union sought.

“The difference between those two positions is not unbridgeable,” Dellaverson said in a news conference. “It is describable simply in terms of money. There are no longer any complexities involved with the parties.”

Kevin Sexton, a spokesperson for the unions, acknowledged Wednesday that there was “positive movement” toward a settlement but dismissed the notion that a deal was close as “far-fetched.”

“We would like to reach an agreement that reflects the rising cost of living,” he said. “Anything short of that amounts to a cut in real wages.”

Spokespersons for MTA didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment Thursday, but the union said the two sides were expected to continue talks later that night and reconvene Friday if there was still no deal.

Susanne Alberto, a personal trainer from Long Island, said she’s already made plans with her Manhattan clients to hold virtual sessions in the event of a shutdown.

She said the union likely has the upper hand, even if she believes raises should be based on job responsibilities and not made across the board.

“The MTA is going to cave, and they know that,” Alberto said. “Why don’t they just do it now instead of waiting until virtually millions of people get inconvenienced?”

Rob Udle, an electrician who takes the LIRR at least five days a week, said he’ll likely use his vacation days rather than navigate the “nightmare” of commuting into Manhattan if the rail service shuts down.

A union member, he sympathized with the unions’ affordability concerns, but said he didn’t agree with their strongarm tactics.

“I get it, the cost of living is going up and stuff like that,” Udle said while waiting at Penn Station for a train home. “But they shouldn’t hold everybody hostage to do it. There’s a better way. You’re affecting a lot of other people.”

___

The first reference to the rail system has been updated to correct to Long Island Rail Road, from Long Island Railroad.

___

Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo

The body of a fifth diver was recovered on Thursday, officials said.

The five divers, including an instructor, were believed to have been exploring the cave when they went missing, according to Maldivian presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef.

“The cave is so deep that divers even with the best equipment do not try to approach,” he said.

Italy’s Foreign Ministry said the five divers “apparently died while attempting to explore caves at a depth of 50 meters (164 feet)” in the Vaavu Atoll on Thursday. It added the circumstances of their death remain under investigation.

Maldivian authorities launched a major rescue operation after the incident on Thursday, deploying boats, aircraft and dive teams to search the area.

Rescuers recovered one body from about 60 meters (200 feet) below the surface on Thursday, and a first round of searches failed to locate the remaining four divers, who were thought to be inside the same cave, Maldivian officials said.

Search teams were preparing for a second dive Friday, and the Maldivian government was keeping Italian authorities informed. Italy’s ambassador was on a search vessel, and the Maldives may seek international assistance if needed.

The Italian foreign ministry did not provide information on the recovery of bodies. It said an Italian expert was assisting the coast guard and Maldivian vessels in the search operation on Friday.

It said officials planned a dive to evaluate access to the underwater cave, but rough weather conditions could delay the recovery.

The group had been on a morning dive near Alimathaa, and was reported missing after failing to surface by midday Thursday, according to initial reports. Conditions were described as unfavorable at the time, with a yellow weather alert in effect.

The Italian Embassy was in contact with the victims’ families and providing assistance.

___

Zampano reported from Rome. Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi and Krishan Francis in Colombo contributed to this report.

Although Starmer vowed to fight on after a bruising week in which one Cabinet member resigned, dozens of lawmakers called for the prime minister to quit and his new policy proposals were largely ignored, some observers believe it’s only a matter of time before he steps aside.

The message of the past week “is that Labour seems to have made up its mind that Keir Starmer is going to have to go,” said Tim Bale, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. “And he’s going to have to go reasonably quickly, and he’s going to have to be replaced by someone who can, unlike him, connect with the public.”

Cabinet resignation adds pressure on Starmer

Weeks of speculation about Starmer ’s future broke into open rebellion Thursday when Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned in preparation for a possible a leadership bid and the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, declared his intention to seek the top job. Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced she had cleared up a tax issue that forced her to resign from the Cabinet last year, thus freeing her up as well.

Starmer is under growing pressure to step down after Labour pe rformed dismally in local and regional elections last week, hemorrhaging votes to both the anti-immigrant Reform UK party on the right and Green Party on the left. The electoral drubbing cemented doubts among many party members about Starmer’s judgment, vision and leadership less than two years after he led Labour to a landslide victory.

But the potential contest to unseat him is on hold for now as Labour leaders wait to see if Burnham can win a special election for a seat in Parliament that would allow him to enter the race. That seat became available on Thursday when a Labour lawmaker resigned to make way for Burnham.

That election will be held in about five weeks. After that, Labour’s National Executive Committee will set the timetable for any leadership election. The most recent contest lasted three months.

The government’s borrowing costs rose Friday and the pound weakened on investor concern about continued disarray in Westminster. The pound has dropped 1.3% against the U.S dollar this week.

Starmer's supporters urge rivals to think again

Housing Secretary Steve Reed on Friday appealed to party members to step back from the brink of a divisive leadership contest that he said would prevent the government from tackling issues like the cost of living crisis and bolster the prospects of Reform UK.

“This weekend people just need to take a breath, look at what’s gone wrong this week, and come back next week ready to do what we said we’d do — country first, party second — and focus on delivering the change we were elected to deliver,” he told the BBC.

That plea came after a week of political jockeying that overshadowed everything else in Westminster.

The infighting reached a crescendo on Thursday morning when Streeting resigned. While praising Starmer’s “courage and statesmanship” in international affairs, Streeting said he had lost confidence in the prime minister’s leadership because of missteps on domestic issues.

“Where we need vision, we have a vacuum. Where we need direction, we have drift,” Streeting wrote in a stinging resignation letter.

“Leaders take responsibility, but too often that has meant other people falling on their swords,” he added. “You also need to listen to your colleagues, including backbenchers, and the heavy-handed approach to dissenting voices diminishes our politics.”

Opportunity knocks for the popular mayor of Greater Manchester

Streeting stopped short of putting himself forward as the best candidate to lead the party at the next general election, suggesting Starmer should step aside to allow a “broad” field of candidates to debate the future of the party.

That seemed to be a nod to Burnham, a former Cabinet minister who left Parliament in 2017 to run for mayor of Greater Manchester. Burnham has been looking for a way to return to the House of Commons so he can challenge Starmer for the top job.

Josh Simons, a Labour lawmaker from Northern England, provided that opening on Thursday by resigning his seat explicitly to make way for Burnham. But that was only the first step for Burnham. Before he can return to Westminster, Burnham must win a special election to represent Makerfield, a community where Reform UK posted strong results in last week’s local elections.

Burnham acknowledged those challenges on Thursday when he announced his candidacy for the seat.

“I truly do not take a single vote for granted and will work hard to regain the trust of people in the Makerfield constituency, many of whom have long supported our party but lost faith in recent times,” he said in a statement.

Longet's nephew, Bryan Longet, announced her death in a social media post on Thursday. “You have been a true inspiration in my life and you will always be," he wrote. "Another star in the sky. Thank you for everything, my aunt.”

Reached by phone by The Associated Press, he confirmed Longet had died but did not reveal the cause of her death.

Longet was a native Parisian who had been acting since childhood. She appeared in numerous TV shows, recorded such hit albums as “Claudine” and was widely known for the bossa nova-style ballad “Nothing to Lose,” a highlight of the 1968 movie “The Party” that starred Longet and Peter Sellers.

At the time, she was married to singer Andy Williams, whom she had met in the early '60s while dancing in a Las Vegas revue. But by the mid-1970s, she and Williams were divorced and she was living near Aspen, Colorado, with Sabich, who had competed for the United States in the 1968 Olympics.

On March 21, 1976, a day that would long be scrutinized, she shot him at their home with a Luger pistol that she would contend he had been showing her and fired accidentally. Sabich, 31, died of a single shot to his abdomen; Longet had accompanied him in the ambulance to the hospital.

Her trial in Aspen attracted worldwide attention. Williams was among those present, escorting her to and from the courthouse, paying for her legal fees and otherwise supporting his former wife and the mother of their three children.

“I thought it was unfair, I thought she was innocent, I thought it was an accident,” Williams told “CBS This Morning” in 2009.

Longet had been charged with reckless manslaughter, but law enforcement officials made such critical errors as taking a blood sample from Longet without a warrant. After four days of deliberation in January 1977, the jury found her guilty of negligent homicide. She was given two years’ probation, fined $250 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, eventually served on dates of her choosing.

Longet's career in entertainment was effectively over, though, and for a time she was the subject of mockery in popular culture, from a skit on “Saturday Night Live” to the Rolling Stones rocker “Claudine,” which featured a taunting refrain, “Claudine's back in jail again.” (The song was unreleased for decades).

Longet later married her defense attorney, Ron Austin, and lived with him in Aspen. After Sabich's family filed a $1.3 million lawsuit in 1977 against her, the two sides reached a settlement that barred Longet from ever discussing Sabich or the trial.

___

Associated Press writer Samuel Petrequin in London contributed to this report.

The cruise missile hit the nine-story corner apartment block Thursday during what the Ukrainian air force said was Russia’s biggest barrage on the country of the full-scale invasion. Emergency workers finished digging through the rubble searching for victims after more than a day, Zelenskyy said on X.

Crowds of grieving people — many of them children — streamed toward a makeshift memorial beneath a tree near the destroyed building.

Teenagers clutching bouquets arrived in groups and broke into tears as they approached the growing mound of flowers and stuffed toys beside photographs of the dead. A portrait of a girl in a school uniform, posed against a bright yellow backdrop, was among the photos.

Zelenskyy and other top government officials visited the site to pay tribute to the dead, as did Kyiv-based foreign diplomats.

Russia has hammered Ukraine with large-scale aerial attacks in the days since a May 9-11 ceasefire that U.S. President Donald Trump said he asked Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin to observe. Fighting continued over those 72 hours, although reportedly on a lesser scale.

This week’s attacks ran counter to recent suggestions from Trump and Putin that the war is close to ending.

The assault mostly targeted the Ukrainian capital, where 48 people were wounded, including two children, Zelenskyy said.

He said Moscow had launched more than 1,560 drones against Ukrainian population centers since Wednesday, adding that about 180 sites across the country were damaged, including more than 50 residential buildings.

Previously, the biggest Russian drone attack was on March 23-24 when Moscow’s forces fired nearly 1,000 drones and missiles at Ukraine. Thursday's death toll in Kyiv approached one from July 2024 that killed 32 civilians and injured another 85.

Russia reports a Ukrainian attack on Ryazan

Ukraine has also built up significant long-range capabilities, and Russia’s Defense Ministry said Friday that its air defenses downed 355 Ukrainian drones overnight in one of the largest barrages of the war. Several airports suspended flights overnight because of the attacks.

A Ukrainian drone struck Ryazan, a city about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southeast of Moscow, killed four people, including a child, regional Gov. Pavel Malkov said. Massive plumes of black smoke rose from a fire at an oil refinery. Ukraine has targeted Russian oil facilities to try to deny vital revenue for Moscow and rattle the Kremlin.

Ukrainian officials made no immediate comment on the Ryazan strike.

The cruise missile that hit the Kyiv apartment building was built in the second quarter of this year, Zelenskyy said, apparently after Ukrainian experts analyzed the wreckage.

“This means Russia is still importing the components, resources and equipment necessary for missile production in circumvention of global sanctions,” he said in another post on X late Thursday. “Stopping Russia’s sanctions evasion schemes must be a genuine priority for all our partners.”

Also on Friday, Russia and Ukraine swapped 205 prisoners of war, one of an occasional exchange.

Zelenskyy said it was the first phase of a planned swap of 1,000 POWs from each side. Some of the Ukrainians have been held by Russia since 2022 and fought in some of the war’s fiercest battles, he added.

Russia’s Defense Ministry confirmed the exchange and thanked the United Arab Emirates for helping to broker it.

___

Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

___

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

Mas —acostumbrado a los aplausos y a trabajar con artistas profesionales— ahora pasa sus días ofreciendo talleres gratuitos para niños y subalquilando un espacio de su casa para sobrevivir económicamente.

Como la mayoría de los cubanos, su día a día se ha visto sacudido por la crisis económica y el cerco petrolero impuesto por Estados Unidos y que se traducen en apagones, cortes de agua y escasez de alimentos y medicinas. Y, como muchos artistas, por la cancelación de espectáculos y la falta de presupuesto para la cultura.

Recientemente fue notificado de la suspensión de su contrato como profesor del Teatro Nacional de Cuba. Sin embargo, no se da por vencido.

“Me interesa mucho quedarme en Cuba”, dijo a The Associated Press mientras se preparaba para ir a ensayar en un taller sabatino con niños de una comunidad vulnerable. Si emigrara “perdería el contacto con esa ‘cubanía’, con ese público, con esa gente”.

El panorama para el arte cubano “es complejo y oscuro”, dijo a AP el ensayista y periodista especializado Michel Hernández. Los espacios culturales —baratos y mayoritariamente estatales— “se han depreciado mucho, los artistas tienen muy pocos lugares para actuar, algunos pocos privados adonde el acceso suele ser caro”.

A ello se suman, dijo Hernández, la ausencia de transporte, lo que limita la asistencia del público, y la migración o la retracción voluntaria de muchos creadores. Un fenómeno que afecta a bailarines como Mas pero también a músicos, cineastas y escritores.

Ante la crisis, reinventarse

El último sábado Mas cargó una bolsa verde con un pomo de agua para combatir el sol mañanero y se dirigió a la popular barriada de Coco Solo, en el municipio capitalino de Marianao, donde más de 30 niños y sus madres y abuelas lo esperaban ansiosos.

El bullicioso grupo se instaló en una esquina al aire libre con un parlante inalámbrico y allí los pequeños ensayaron durante una hora y media sus números musicales vestidos como abejas y otros disfraces. Un par de ellos bailaron breakdance.

Para Mas —a quien la Casa de la Cultura de Marianao le paga un modesto sueldo por ese trabajo— es importante estar ligado a su comunidad.

“Es llevarle a los niños el conocimiento del arte y sacarlos de esa realidad que ellos tienen de conflicto”, comentó. “En ese barrio pasan muchos problemas… hay prostitución, hay droga, hay una serie de incidencias que son negativas y ellos tienen por lo menos un momento de esparcimiento”.

Nacido en La Habana en 1965, Mas se formó como bailarín y coreógrafo a pesar de haber sido inicialmente discriminado por su sobrepeso. En 1996 debutó con su propia compañía, Danza Voluminosa, que dio cabida a bailarines cuyos cuerpos distaban mucho de la estética hegemónica. También se desempeñó como actor.

Para incrementar sus ingresos, ahora alquila un pequeño espacio de su casa para un negocio en el que se venden perfumes, artículos de librería y cotillón y él mismo vende cada fin de semana en la puerta de su vivienda ropa reciclada, vajilla o utensilios que ya no usa.

Pese al contexto, el coreógrafo ve una oportunidad en la crisis.

“Pienso que el país debe entrar en una evolución”, expresó. “Que nos demos una oportunidad todos de crear un país con nuevas ideas, con nuevos caminos".

Today, the 60-year-old dancer and choreographer from Havana is far from the big stages where he once thrived and rehearsed alongside professional artists. Instead, he spends his days conducting dance workshops and classes for children and coordinating performances within his community.

Like many Cubans navigating one of the island's worst economic crises in decades, Mas' daily life has been upended by persistent blackouts, water outages, soaring costs and a lack of transportation.

But for artists like him, the situation is a little worse, compounded by the cancellation of shows, a lack of production budgets and a mass exodus from the cultural sector. In fact, he was recently notified that his teaching contract with the National Theater of Cuba has been suspended.

“The outlook for the arts is complex and bleak,” said essayist and arts journalist Michel Hernández. He noted that Cuba’s cultural spaces — once affordable and state-run — have deteriorated significantly, leaving artists with few venues beyond a handful of expensive private spaces.

Yet, Mas won't give up.

“I am very interested in staying in Cuba,” he told The Associated Press on a recent Saturday as he prepared for a rehearsal with children from a nearby community. “Were I to emigrate, I would lose contact with that ‘Cubanness’ that exists here, with the audience, the people, the folks next door.”

Transforming a street corner into a dance stage

Born in Havana in 1965, Mas trained as a dancer and choreographer under the tutelage of Laura Alonso, a renowned ballerina, and Ramiro Guerra, the father of contemporary dance on the island. He also studied with the Cuban-American dancer and choreographer Lorna Burdsall, who encouraged him to persevere despite the discrimination he faced from dance schools because he weighed 160 kilograms (352 pounds).

He made his debut in 1996 with his own company, Danza Voluminosa (or Voluminous Dance), which remained active until 2024 and provided a home for dancers whose bodies diverged significantly from the industry’s prevailing aesthetic norms. He also worked as an actor and in 2025 he starred in “Cherri,” a fictional film based on his own life experiences.

These days, to supplement the modest income he makes working with children, Mas leases a small area of his home for business use and hosts weekend garage sales featuring curated recycled clothing, tableware and household goods.

Since his sister and teenage nephew relocated to Spain last year, he has lived alone and managed his expenses by shopping at a local farmers’ market just two blocks away. Conveniently, he also accesses subsidized medications at a state-run pharmacy directly across the street.

On a recent morning, water bottle in hand to ward off the heat, Mas walked six blocks to the lively Marianao district, where a crowd of 30 children and their mothers awaited his arrival.

The group suddenly transformed a street corner into a stage and for a full 90 minutes, the air filled with music as the little ones performed their songs and showed off their dance moves dressed as bees and other colorful characters.

Against all odds, Mas highlighted the importance of staying connected to his community.

“It’s about bringing the knowledge of art to these children and lifting them out of a reality defined by conflict,” he said.

___

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

The deaths and suspected cases have been recorded mainly in the Mongwalu and Rwampara health zones, the Africa Centres for Disease Control ​and Prevention said in a statement.

The Ebola virus is highly contagious and can be contracted through bodily fluids such as vomit, blood or semen. The disease it causes is rare, but severe and often fatal.

“Four deaths have been reported among laboratory-confirmed cases. Suspected cases have also been reported in Bunia, pending confirmation,” the agency said, referring to the capital of Ituri province, near the border with Uganda.

It said preliminary laboratory results had detected the Ebola virus in 13 of 20 samples. The results suggest a non-Ebola Zaire strain of the virus with sequencing ongoing to further characterize the strain, the agency said. The Ebola Zaire strain has been prominent in Congo's past outbreaks.

The World Health Organization said last year that Congo has a stockpile of treatments and some 2,000 doses of the Ervebo Ebola vaccine, However, the vaccine is effective against the Ebola Zaire strain of the virus, it said.

The Africa CDC said results confirming the strain in the new outbreak are expected within the 24 hours.

The latest outbreak comes around five months after Congo’s last Ebola outbreak was declared over after 43 deaths.

Ituri is in a remote eastern part of Congo characterized by poor road networks, and is more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the nation’s capital of Kinshasa.

Africa CDC said it is concerned about the risk of further spread due to intense population movement, mining-related mobility in Mongwalu, insecurity in affected areas, gaps in contact listing and control challenges.

The proximity of affected areas to Uganda and South Sudan also raises concerns, it said.

The agency said it is convening an urgent high-level coordination meeting Friday with health authorities from Congo, Uganda and South Sudan, together with key partners including U.N. agencies and other countries.

“The meeting will focus on immediate response priorities, cross-border coordination, surveillance, laboratory support, infection prevention and control, risk communication, safe and dignified burials, and resource mobilization,” it said.

Congo has seen more than a dozen Ebola outbreaks

This is the 17th outbreak in Congo since the disease first emerged in the country in 1976. An Ebola outbreak from 2018 to 2020 in eastern Congo killed more than 1,000 people. The WHO said that outbreak was characterized by the Ebola Zaire strain.

An earlier outbreak that swept across West Africa from 2014 to 2016 also killed more than 11,000 people.

The new outbreak will create more worry for the Central African country, which has been battling various armed groups in the east, including the M23 rebel group, which launched a rapid assault in January last year and has since occupied key cities.

Ituri in particular is also battling violence from the Allied Democratic Force, an Islamic State-linked militant group which has killed dozens there and in other parts of the east.

Congo, Africa's second-largest country by land area, often faces logistical challenges in responding to disease outbreaks. During last year's outbreak, which lasted three months, the World Health Organization initially faced significant challenges in delivering vaccines due to limited access and scarce funds.

Dr. Gabriel Nsakala, a professor of public health who has been involved in past Ebola outbreak responses in Congo, said the country and health workers on the ground have a high level of experience from past outbreaks, in addition to existing infrastructure such as laboratories.

“In terms of training, people already know what they can do. Now, the expertise and equipment need to be delivered quickly,” Nsakala added.

Captain and Liverpool defensive midfielder Wataru Endo and veteran fullback Yuto Nagatomo were included.

The 28-year-old Mitoma suffered a hamstring injury during Brighton’s 3-0 win over Wolves in the Premier League last weekend.

“The medical team assessed that it would be difficult for him to get back to fitness during the tournament,” Moriyasu said.

Monaco forward Takumi Minamino also missed out after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in December.

In 2022 in Qatar, Japan won its group after upset victories over Germany and Spain before losing in the round of 16 on penalties to eventual semifinalists Croatia.

Japan is on a five-match winning streak heading into its final pre-World Cup friendly against Iceland in Tokyo on May 31.

The streak started last October with a 3-2 win over Brazil in Tokyo when the home side came back from 2-0 down to beat the South Americans for the first time.

It was also the last time Japan conceded a goal. Japan also beat England 1-0 on March 31 at Wembley after defeating Scotland 1-0 at Glasgow three days earlier.

Japan qualified for its first World Cup at France in 1998 and co-hosted the event with South Korea in 2002. This year marks Japan's eighth World Cup tournament in a row.

___

Japan squad:

Goalkeepers: Zion Suzuki, Keisuke Osako, Tomoki Hayakawa.

Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Shogo Taniguchi, Ko Itakura, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Hiroki Ito, Ayumu Seko, Yukinari Sugawara, Junnosuke Suzuki.

Midfielders/forwards: Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Koki Ogawa, Daizen Maeda, Ritsu Doan, Ayase Ueda, Ao Tanaka, Keito Nakamura, Kaishu Sano, Takefusa Kubo, Yuito Suzuki, Kento Shiogai, Keisuke Goto.

___

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

A rocky start that wasn’t entirely Dobes’ fault, led to the goalie regaining his form and confidence. He stopped Buffalo's final 32 shots in a 6-3 win on Thursday night that gave Montreal a 3-2 lead in its second-round playoff series.

“I told him thank you for leaving me and trying to prove myself," Dobes said, referring to St. Louis. "That’s a big part, to have (the) trust of your coach, and I will never disrespect it. I appreciate it and the only thing I was trying to do just give some momentum back to the team and try to keep it tight, and it worked out.”

Game 6 is at Montreal on Saturday night.

Whatever struggles Dobes had to open a game in which the Sabres led 3-2 by the 10:15 mark of the first period, the 24-year-old from Czechia reassured his team he had rediscovered his groove.

That was particularly evident some four minutes into the second period in stopping Tage Thompson on a breakaway after the Sabres caught Montreal on a line change. Buffalo’s regular-season scoring leader drove in from the left wing, cut across the crease only to have Dobes stay with him and stop Thompson’s shot with his left pad.

Montreal responded with three goals over the final 12 minutes of the period in building a 5-3 lead.

“It was a huge save,” Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki said. “We never lost confidence in him. Everyone was struggling in that first period. And I just thought that was a big moment for us.”

For Dobes, who went 29-10-4 in his first full NHL regular season, the down-then-up outing was a lesson in not giving in to frustration. The goalie acknowledged he sagged after rookie Konsta Helenius beat him through the legs on Buffalo’s third goal.

“The one lesson I learned from today was just got to have a better body language for the boys — don’t let them know that I’m not feeling maybe my best,” Dobes said, noting he was reminded of that during a first-intermission discussion. Dobes has been Montreal's starter since the playoffs opened, and is now 7-5 in which he's allowed 28 goals.

St. Louis said it was goalie coach Marco Marciano’s decision to not pull Dobes.

“Ultimately, it’s probably my decision right? But I feel like the goalie position is probably the one position that I can help much,” said St. Louis, a former NHL forward. “So I try to stay out of it and not be emotionally driven, and being upset that we’re down.”

St. Louis described the conversation over the radio with Marciano, who was watching from the press box, as being brief.

“He said, 'No, keep him in.’ OK, let’s move on,” St. Louis said.

Forward Juraj Slafkovsky defended Dobes by saying Buffalo’s first goal pinballed in by deflecting off Sabres forward Jason Zucker and then a Montreal defender. And Dobes was screened when Josh Doan beat him to put Buffalo up 2-1.

“We didn’t help him there, but then he came back and he was in a game, and he was once again really good,” said Slafkovsky, who had three assists. “It’s just Marty trusting him. I think it’s huge for confidence of (Dobes). And we all trust him as well.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

In New Delhi, gasoline prices rose to 97.77 rupees ($1.17) a liter, while diesel climbed to 90.67 rupees ($1.09) a liter.

India imports about 90% of its oil and has been hit hard by rising energy prices and supply disruptions linked to the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. It had until now avoided raising retail fuel prices despite sharp increases in energy costs, making it one of the last major economies to pass higher crude prices on to consumers.

The price increases came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to adopt voluntary austerity measures.

Modi on Sunday called on people to work from home where possible, limit foreign travel and reduce purchases of gold. He described fuel conservation and saving foreign exchange as an act of “patriotism,” and encouraged greater use of public transportation, carpooling and lower fertilizer consumption.

Opposition leaders said Modi’s appeal came only after a key round of state elections had concluded, noting that fuel prices were kept unchanged during the campaign.

Manoj Kumar, a 48-year-old taxi driver in New Delhi, said the rise in fuel prices was adding to the strain on working-class people.

“For common people like us, even one rupee has great value. People work so hard from morning till evening just to make ends meet. The government is not seeing this," he said.

Earlier this week, India also raised import duties on gold and silver to 15% in an effort to curb demand for imports that drain foreign exchange reserves.

The Indian rupee has fallen to record lows in recent weeks as higher oil prices increased pressure on imports and foreign exchange reserves.

Meanwhile, India’s capital has become the first state to roll out austerity measures.

Authorities in New Delhi on Thursday announced fuel-saving measures, including mandatory work-from-home days for some government employees. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the 90-day campaign aims to reduce official fuel use and encourage people in the capital to rely more on public transportation instead of private vehicles.

Under the plan, employees whose work can be done remotely will work from home two days a week, while private companies are being encouraged to adopt similar measures voluntarily.

India has also accelerated ethanol blending in gasoline as part of its push to cut crude oil imports.

Most fuel stations across the country now sell gasoline blended with 20% ethanol, and the government has proposed expanding the use of fuels containing 85% — or even 100% — ethanol in compatible vehicles.

Energy experts said blending biofuel can help shield from global energy shocks but can lead to further stressing already depleting groundwater resources, encroach on land meant for food crops and impact older vehicles’ engines.

___

AP journalists Sibi Arasu in Bengaluru, India and Shonal Ganguly in New Delhi contributed to this report.

The Gulfstream long-range business jet carrying them from the Netherlands landed at RAAF Base Pearce outside the Western Australia state capital, Perth. The passengers, crew and a doctor who accompanied them were taken by bus to the nearby Bullsbrook quarantine facility.

Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said the government would implement one of world's strongest quarantine responses to the outbreak.

He said passengers of the cruise ship MV Hondius who returned to the United States and most European countries would spend a few days in a quarantine center before they were sent home.

"We have taken the decision to take a stronger approach to quarantine arrangements than that because we are determined to ensure there is no risk at all of any transmission of this virus into the Australian community,” Butler told reporters in his hometown of Adelaide.

The five Australians and one New Zealand citizen will spend the three-week quarantine period in the facility that had remained largely unused since it was built in 2022 is response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A decision had yet to be made on what precautions should be taken for the remainder of the 42-day period of potential incubation that the World Health Organization had identified, Butler said.

The six passengers all tested negative for the virus before they left the Netherlands, had been assessed by a doctor during the flight and would undergo more detailed health assessments at Bullsbrook, Butler said.

The MV Hondius ship was on a cruise from Argentina to the Antarctic and then to several isolated islands in the South Atlantic Ocean when the hantavirus outbreak was identified. Three people among the 11 cases from the ship have died.

With the evacuation of all passengers and many crew members completed, the MV Hondius is now sailing back to the Netherlands, where it will be cleaned and disinfected.

U.S. futures were down after Wall Street reached fresh records.

In early European trading, Britain's FTSE 100 traded 1.2% lower at 24,092.41. France's CAC 40 also fell 1.2% to 7,987.27, while Germany's DAX dropped 1.5% to 24,092.41.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 fell 2% to 61,409.29 after rising briefly earlier in the day. South Korea’s Kospi lost 6.1% to 7,493.18 on investors' profit-taking, after crossing the 8,000 mark for the first time and reaching 8,046.78, in part powered by excitement around the artificial intelligence boom.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was down 1.6% to 25,962.73, while the Shanghai Composite index fell 1% to 4,135.39.

Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.1% to 8,630.80.

Taiwan’s Taiex was 1.4% lower while India’s Sensex was up 0.1%.

Trump wrapped up his China visit on Friday after a series of meetings with Xi that touched on issues including U.S.-China trade, further economic cooperation and Taiwan. Investors are monitoring trade deal updates on areas such as American soybeans, beef and airplanes as Xi warned Trump that differences over Taiwan could lead to clashes and conflict.

While there is some optimism over U.S.-China relations, some analysts suggest any deals should be looked at with a sense of caution.

They recalled how a number of the promised projects and investments that came out of U.S.-China deals from Trump’s last China visit in 2017 did not end up materializing, as tensions between Washington and Beijing rose in the following years.

“Headline deals should be looked at with a healthy degree of skepticism,” wrote Leah Fahy and Julian Evans-Pritchard, China economists at Capital Economics, in a Friday note.

Trump also said in an interview that China could buy U.S. oil, more than a year after China effectively stopped buying crude oil from the United States following Trump’s imposition of hefty trade tariffs last year. Trump said Xi told him China “would like to be of help” in brokering an end to the Iran war.

Oil prices climbed more than 3% early Friday, as U.S.-Iran talks on permanently ending the Iran war stalled, and after a ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates was seized and another cargo ship near Oman was attacked.

Brent crude, the international standard, was 3.2% higher at $109.11 per barrel. It was trading at around $70 a barrel before the war in Iran started in late February.

Benchmark U.S. crude was up 3.7% to $104.94 per barrel.

Global energy flow has remained constrained with the Strait of Hormuz, crucial for global oil and gas transit, still largely closed and as the U.S. imposed a sea blockade on Iranian ports since last month. The White House said on Thursday after a bilateral meeting between Trump and Xi that both sides agreed the Strait of Hormuz must remain open.

On Thursday, Wall Street shares gained with the benchmark S&P 500 rising 0.8% to 7,501.24 and hitting an all-time high for a second consecutive day.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up more than 0.7% at 50,063.46, the first time it closed at above the 50,000 level since the Iran war. The technology-heavy Nasdaq composite climbed 0.9% to 26,635.22.

Shares of technology giant Cisco Systems jumped 13.4% following better-than-reported results and after the company said it was cutting fewer than 4,000 jobs. Nvidia rose 4.4% as investors’ hopes grew over updates on sales of its advanced H200 chips to Chinese firms as CEO Jensen Huang visited Beijing with Trump.

In other dealings, the U.S. dollar rose to 158.54 Japanese yen from 158.37 yen. The euro was trading at $1.1622, down from $1.1669.

___

AP Business Writer Stan Choe contributed to this report.

The village, al-Joura, was demolished by the Israeli military at the time. It has since vanished under neighborhoods of the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon and the grounds of a national park.

The neighborhood where Abu Hamam’s family ended up — and where he spent most of his life — now lies also largely in ruins. Buildings in the Shati Camp in the northern Gaza Strip have been razed and wrecked by Israeli bombardment and demolitions during the past 2½ years of war.

On Friday, Abu Hamam and millions of Palestinians mark the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, Arabic for “catastrophe,” referring to the mass expulsion and flight of some 750,000 Palestinians from what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. It’s the third commemoration of the Nakba since the war in Gaza began.

The 78-year-old Abu Hamam, one of a dwindling number of Nakba survivors, says the current war is an even greater catastrophe.

Israel’s military has pushed deep into Gaza, now controlling 60% of the territory, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday, during a Jerusalem Day celebration.

"Today it is 60%, tomorrow we will see, tomorrow we will see,” he told a cheering crowd in Jerusalem.

More than six months after an October ceasefire, Gaza’s more than 2 million people are now crammed into less than half of the 25-mile-long strip along the Mediterranean coast, surrounded by the Israeli-controlled zone.

“There is no country left,” Abu Hamam said, speaking next to his home, which was heavily damaged by Israeli shelling earlier in the war. “A square kilometer and a half extending from the sea, this is what we are living in … It’s indescribable, unbearable.”

What was the Nakba?

For Palestinians, the Nakba meant the loss of most of their homeland. Some 80% of the Palestinians who lived in the area that became Israel were driven from their homes by forces of the nascent state before and during the war. The fighting began when Arab armies attacked following Israel’s establishment as a home for Jews in the wake of the Holocaust. Palestinians who remained behind hold Israeli citizenship.

After the war, Israel refused to allow Palestinian refugees to return to ensure a Jewish majority within its borders. Palestinians became a seemingly permanent refugee community that now numbers some 6 million, with most living in refugee camps in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Gaza.

Around 530 Palestinian villages in what became Israel were destroyed, according to the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics.

Abu Hamam’s birth village was one of them. Al-Joura was seized by the Israeli military as it advanced against Egyptian forces in November 1948. Soldiers were ordered to destroy every home in al-Joura and neighboring villages to ensure their Palestinian populations couldn’t come back, according to military archives cited by Israeli historian Benny Morris.

Refugees swelled the population of the tiny patch of territory along the southern coast that became the Gaza Strip. They stayed in tent camps, run by a newly created U.N. agency for Palestinians, UNRWA, which provided aid and schooling. Those camps, like Abu Hamam’s Shati Camp, grew into dense urban neighborhoods over the decades, before many were flattened during the latest Gaza war by Israeli bombardment.

In Gaza, Palestinians live a new Nakba

The ancestors of Ne’man Abu Jarad and his wife, Majida, were already living in what would become the Gaza Strip in 1948. They both recall stories from their families about refugees streaming in by foot from areas further north, like the village Abu Hamam came from.

Though they avoided the original Nakba, there was no escaping from what Majida now calls “our Nakba.”

Their hometown has been wiped off the map. Over the past year, Israeli bulldozers and controlled detonations have razed nearly every building in the northern Gaza towns of Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun. A new Israeli military base stands about 700 meters (765 yards) from where the Abu Jarads’ house once stood, according to satellite photos.

Also gone is the southern Gaza city of Rafah, once home to a quarter million people, and other villages and neighborhoods located in the Israeli-held half of the Gaza Strip. The military says it is destroying positions used by Hamas and preparing the area for reconstruction. Satellite photos show nearly every structure reduced to rubble.

Over the last 31 months of war, the Abu Jarads and their six daughters have been displaced more than a dozen times as they fled Israeli bombardment and offensives. They currently live in a camp in the southern city of Khan Younis. Their tent offers little shelter from biting winter winds or summer heat, Majida said.

Their daughters have been out of school for over two years now.

“The Nakba of ’48, I don’t think it can be compared to our Nakba,” Majida said. “In ’48, they say people were displaced once and settled in one place, and they are still there until now. But our Nakba, honestly, is more severe because our displacement has happened multiple times. There is no stability.”

Around 90% of Gaza’s more than 2 million people have lost their homes, according to U.N. estimates, with most of them now sheltering in huge tent camps with rat infestations and pools of sewage. They are dependent on aid to survive.

Israel’s offensive has killed over 72,700 Palestinians, according to local health officials. It was triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that killed some 1,200 people. Militants also abducted 251 hostages.

In the northern West Bank, tens of thousands of Palestinians are entering their 15th month of displacement, after the Israeli military ordered them out of their refugee camps as it launched an operation it said was targeting militant groups.

Since then, troops have demolished or heavily damaged at least 850 structures across the refugee camps of Nur Shams, Jenin and Tulkarem, according to an analysis of satellite imagery by Human Rights Watch released in December.

Saving what was lost, again and again

The 1948 Nakba also brought the loss of Palestinians’ history, as those fleeing struggled to keep hold of the documents and possessions tying them to their homes.

One of the largest archives of Palestinian documents dating back to the Nakba belongs to UNRWA.

UNRWA staff members, who fled their offices in Gaza after Israel ordered the north evacuated, had to leave behind the agency’s extensive archive.

The staff then launched a mission to rescue the most crucial documents — birth, death and marriage certificates and refugee registration cards, according to Juliette Touma, a former senior UNRWA official.

Without those documents, Palestinians could lose their rights and refugee status. Staffers crammed their personal suitcases full of papers and carried them through checkpoints and out of the territory, Touma said.

The current war has cost Palestinians in Gaza what little remained of their personal histories. Majida’s parents’ home in Beit Hanoun was destroyed, and with it family photos.

“There is nothing left,” she said.

Abu Hamam, too, says everything has been lost.

“When this war came, it devoured trees, stones and people,” he said. “Entire families were erased from the civil registry. Hundreds of families are still buried under the rubble.”

___

Associated Press writer Ibrahim Hazboun in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Brett Howden scored his third short-handed goal of the playoffs and Shea Theodore got a power-play goal during a 3-0 first period for the Golden Knights, who reached the third round of the NHL postseason for the first time since they won their lone Stanley Cup championship in 2023 — and for the fifth time in this charmed expansion franchise’s nine seasons of existence.

“You go into it and you want to score first, especially being on the road,” said Theodore, an original member of the Knights after Anaheim traded him to Vegas in 2017. “I thought we responded well. We played great the first 15 minutes, and that's what we had to do. ... Just a veteran group. We had the right mindset coming in, and it was good to see the results.”

Marner played a role in all three of Vegas' first-period goals while raising his NHL-leading playoff point total to 18, and Game 5 overtime goal-scorer Dorofeyev put the game away with a huge third period. Carter Hart made 31 saves as the veteran-laden Golden Knights ended the upstart Ducks' first playoff appearance since 2018.

“It obviously feels great,” said Marner, who got labeled a playoff underachiever while his Toronto Maple Leafs never reached a conference final. “We worked extremely hard for all these little goals that we set throughout the year, and another one (is) achieved. But obviously the work just keeps getting harder and harder.”

Vegas will face an exponentially bigger challenge in the Colorado Avalanche, who won the Presidents' Trophy and then improved to 8-1 in the postseason on Wednesday by ousting Minnesota in five games.

Mikael Granlund scored a power-play goal for the Ducks, whose return from a seven-year playoff drought ended when their young roster was unable to match the veteran Knights’ playoff poise in three losses over the final four games.

Lukas Dostal stopped 16 shots for Anaheim, which couldn't overcome another poor first period in Game 6, ending their encouraging first season under coach Joel Quenneville.

“Vegas got better every single game,” Quenneville said. “They played well. They checked well. They deserved to win. Tonight was kind of what happened too many times this year, where we give up a couple of quick ones early, and it's a tough comeback against a team that knows how to play hockey.”

The Knights are 15-4-1 since John Tortorella replaced Cup-winning coach Bruce Cassidy on March 29, surging past the Ducks to claim the Pacific Division title before beating Utah and Anaheim in the first two playoff rounds.

The 67-year-old Tortorella refused to speak to the media after the game.

Marner set the tone for Game 6 very early: The Anaheim crowd hadn’t calmed down from the pregame festivities before William Karlsson found Marner behind the defense at the blue line. Marner fought off Jackson LaCombe while driving the net and somehow got turned around, only to flip a shot between his legs and past Dostal for his seventh goal of the postseason and fifth of the series.

“I just tried to make a move," Marner said. “Dostal had me covered, I thought, on the backhand, so I tried to do that move, and luckily it worked out.”

Eight minutes after Marner's opening goal, he found an unmarked Howden for his eighth goal and the Knights' NHL-best fourth short-handed goal of the postseason.

Theodore then got a long shot through Marner's screen and over Dostal's shoulder just 5 seconds into a power play, silencing Honda Center.

Troy Terry found Granlund for the Finn's fifth goal of the playoffs, in the second period, but Dorofeyev got his eighth goal of the postseason early in the third after John Carlson's giveaway. Dorofeyev added another with 6:28 to play, fooling Dostal with a sneaky shot and giving him five goals in the past four games.

Vegas played without suspended defenseman Brayden McNabb, whose illegal hit on Ryan Poehling in Game 5 injured and sidelined the Ducks’ penalty-killing forward indefinitely.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Just six months earlier, thousands of miles away, this same young man was pulling all-nighters to play Madden NFL on his Xbox at his home near Minneapolis. Sometimes he'd pause to snack on pizza rolls and Diet Coke, or check his texts for the next hangout at TopGolf or Buffalo Wild Wings.

Two separate worlds. Both are home to Jalue Dorje.

A typical American teen, he grew up loving rap music, video games and football. He is also an aspiring spiritual leader who, from an early age, was recognized by the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan Buddhist leaders as a reincarnated lama.

Now he’s 19. He graduated from high school last year and moved to northern India to join the Mindrolling Monastery, about 7,200 miles (11,500 kilometers) from his home in Columbia Heights. Recently, he came to Nepal to meet his parents, who flew from Minneapolis, and attended sacred rituals and teachings conducted by the abbot of Shechen Monastery.

Maroon and golden monastic robes had replaced his usual hoodies and sweatpants. But he still quoted from Drake (the rapper) and Shantideva (the 8th-century Indian monastic). And beneath his robes, he wore white Crocs decorated with Jibbitz charms of “The Simpsons.” He wore them often at Shechen Monastery, near the 1,500-year-old Boudhanath stupa, one of Tibetan Buddhism’s most sacred sites.

Each morning, he’d awake at dawn. After prayers, he walked from his hotel through crowded Kathmandu streets lined with fruits, incense and spices, dodging mopeds near the soaring white dome and spire of Boudhanath with its colorful Tibetan prayer flags and the painted, ever-watching eyes of the Buddha.

On a recent day, he strode to the monastery and took off his Crocs before entering a prayer hall reserved for monks with doctorates and lamas like himself. Incense wafted. The sound of ancient instruments — cymbals, bells and drums — punctuated the monastic chants.

Standing before three huge gold statues of the Buddha, Dorje bowed to Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, the monastery’s spiritual head, and presented him with a golden plate that symbolizes the entire universe, and a “khata” — a white Tibetan ceremonial scarf.

It was the first mandala, or offering, Dorje had made since his long journey to follow his predestined spiritual path. It was a moment, he says, when he realized how far he’d come.

“This is the real one, you know? We’re here and this is really happening,” he says. “I’m doing what the prophecy fulfilled.”

A reincarnation cycle dating to 1655

Since the Dalai Lama recognized him at age 2, Dorje had spent much of his life training to become a monk, memorizing sacred scriptures, practicing calligraphy, learning the Buddha’s teachings.

The process of identifying a lama is based on spiritual signs and visions. Dorje was four months old when he was identified by Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, a venerated master of Tibetan Buddhism. He was later confirmed by several lamas as the eighth Terchen Taksham Rinpoche — the first was born in 1655.

Jalue Dorje’s parents took him to meet the Dalai Lama in 2010 when Tibetan Buddhism's spiritual leader visited Wisconsin. The Dalai Lama cut a lock of Dorje’s hair in a ceremony. He advised the parents to let their son stay in the U.S. to perfect his English and then send him to a monastery.

“From my parents’ end, educating me was a really big one,” Dorje says. “They followed the words of his holiness; he laid the foundation, and they took that gamble.”

As a child, he often wondered why he couldn’t sleep later on weekends and watch cartoons like other kids. One day, it would pay off, his dad would tell him, “like planting a seed that one day would sprout.”

He remembered the early mornings of recitation and memorization. He recalled people who posted messages online doubting that he was a reincarnated lama, and how that troubled his parents. And how they both worked hard cleaning hotel rooms and doing laundry at hospitals while raising him.

“It wasn’t all rainbows and unicorns every day,” Dorje says. “We overcame a lot.”

Fluent in English and Tibetan, Dorje excelled in public school. Although he was officially enthroned as a lama in a 2019 ceremony in India, his parents let him stay in the U.S. until graduation.

Growing up, he kept a photo of the Dalai Lama in his room above DVD collections of “The Simpsons,” “South Park,” and “Family Guy,” next to the manga graphic novel series ″Buddha.”

On his bedside table, he kept a journal where he diagramed plays he’d like to try as a left guard with his school football team. On a wall in his living room he hung a poster with his senior year photo wearing sunglasses and his football uniform, touching thumb tips to index fingers in a meditation gesture.

He had a deal with his father, who would give him Pokémon cards in return for memorizing Buddhist scriptures. He collected hundreds, sometimes sneaking them in his robes at ceremonies. “I remember,” he says, “when I first learned my Tibetan ABCs, when I was able to recite it all by memory, my dad was so happy.”

A love of sports

The days were long. Every morning he awoke to recite sacred texts. Then school, followed by football practice. He returned home for tutoring on Tibetan history and Buddhism. At night, he practiced calligraphy or listened to rappers. When he got his license, he drove around listening to Taylor Swift.

What would he have been if not a spiritual leader? “Sports journalist would have been cool,” he says. He loves to write. An avid fan, he roots for the Atlanta Hawks in basketball, Real Madrid in soccer, and the Atlanta Falcons in football.

His favorite athlete is U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu: “She brings so much swagger, but it doesn’t overshadow the sports.” In high school, he wrote an award-winning story about Tibet for the student newspaper.

On the football field, his teammates praised his positivity; he reminded them to have fun and keep losses in perspective. But in the final game of his senior season, he shed tears, realizing it would likely be his last game ever.

He often helped with events representing the local Tibetan community. For his 18th birthday, more than 1,000 people gathered at the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota for the last party before joining the monastery in India.

Finding his groove

On the long plane ride, his mind wandered.

“I was like, ‘Dang! I’m missing the first week of NFL!’” He packed light: headphones, laptop, a fantasy football magazine and a book on Guru Rinpoche, the Indian Buddhist master who brought Tantric Buddhism to Tibet.

His parents flew with him to New Delhi and then drove north to Dehradun, near the Himalayan foothills, in the equivalent of a college dropoff. They bought him a larger bed. They painted his monastic room and erected a shrine where he could pray at dawn and dusk.

He is an only child, and his parents cried when saying goodbye. The farthest and longest that he'd gone from home on his own previously was a three-day camping trip in northern Minnesota.

“Everything leading up to this point in the history of all your lifetimes — the billions and billions of lifetimes you accumulated — leads to your family,” Dorje says. “To have such great parents is a result of a great past life’s merit. But not only past life merit, but the connection of karma — and love.”

Early on, his mother, Dechen Wangmo, worried about her then-toddler son during long prayer sessions.

“Would he be hungry? What if he fell asleep?” she recalled thinking. She kept worrying about him as a teenager: “He’s a tulku,” she says, using the Tibetan term for a reincarnated lama, “but he’s my son.”

To her relief, he thrived. While his friends attended history, science and literature classes in U.S. colleges, he took lessons on Buddhist philosophy, and practiced his calligraphy and chanting in India.

“He’s kind of found his groove at the monastery,” says Kate Thomas, one of his tutors in Minneapolis.

Becoming a ‘leader of peace’

Despite the 10-hour time difference, he kept in contact with friends back home through texts and WhatsApp. On time off, he built Legos, walked to an arcade to play the FIFA soccer video game and watched Marvel superhero films and NBA and NFL games on his laptop. He was especially psyched about the halftime Super Bowl show: “That was an incredible performance by Bad Bunny — I can ’t lie!”

It was his first time experiencing a life of asceticism, eating a daily ration of rice and lentils and washing his own clothes by hand. But he adjusted, getting along with monks from all over Asia, discussing spirituality, popular culture and sports.

“Dudes are dudes!” he says.

It was the first time that he was hanging out with other “tulkus' — reincarnated spiritual masters around his own age. Among them was Trulshik Yangsi Rinpoche, 13. He's believed to be the reincarnation of Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche — the Tibetan Buddhist master who first recognized Dorje as a tulku at four months old.

At the monastery, they bonded over their love of Tintin comics. Dorje became his English teacher.

“I think of him as my spiritual teacher,” Dorje said after sharing a meal with the younger lama. “I’m profoundly grateful that I get to repay my debt to the one who found me and improving his English.”

Yangsi Rinpoche smiled, then reflected: “He’s my best friend.”

Just hours after Dorje blessed thousands — including his parents — on the last day of the 12-day rituals, the family awoke before dawn to visit the ancient Maratika or Halesi Mahadev Caves, 100 miles (160 kilometers) southwest of Mount Everest. They drove for eight hours on dirt roads, crossing mountains and valleys, for a pilgrimage to caves sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists.

After exploring the caves in awe, Dorje sat cross-legged on the rocky ground next to his father, Dorje Tsegyal. They prayed together, as they had done almost daily since his childhood.

Following several years of contemplation and asceticism, Dorje hopes to return to the United States to teach in Minnesota’s Buddhist community at the Nyingmapa Taksham Buddhist Center. His goal: become “a leader of peace,” following the example of the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Gandhi.

It’s a long path that began soon after his birth. He feels ready. “This,” he says, “is just the beginning.”

__

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

That’s the mantra of a multiracial group of civil rights leaders and activists organizing opposition to a mostly white conservative alliance dismantling the Voting Rights Act and political districts that allowed Black and other nonwhite voters to choose more of their elected leaders for the last half-century.

“We have to respond as quickly as possible,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in an interview. “The real question,” Johnson told The Associated Press, “is how do we as a country really address the effort to shrink us backwards into a 1950s reality?”

Johnson’s 117-year-old association, which was at the forefront of legal and legislative fights for Black political rights in the 20th century, is among scores of groups coming together Saturday in Alabama for a rally and tribute to the Civil Rights Movement that helped bring about the 1965 Voting Rights Act. They plan events in Selma, where voting rights advocates were attacked by white law enforcement officers on Bloody Sunday, and Montgomery, where a rescheduled march concluded two weeks later.

Unlike 61 years ago, the Alabama events are not the pinnacle of a protracted movement. Instead, civil rights activists hope they serve as a catalyst for a renewed crusade after the U.S. Supreme Court, two weeks ago, further weakened the VRA by no longer allowing race to be considered in how congressional and other districts are drawn.

They acknowledge difficulty in countering a white-dominated conservative network entrenched in the White House, Capitol Hill, federal courts and many state legislatures of the Old Confederacy, where a majority of Black Americans still live.

The VRA “was the foundational nucleus of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Jared Evans of the Louisiana-based Power Coalition for Equity and Justice. “They’ve taken that from us,” he said, with the recent Louisiana v. Callais decision on congressional districts and the earlier Shelby v. Holder decision in 2013 that rolled back federal oversight of election procedures in states and localities with a history of discrimination.

Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock, who is senior pastor of Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. once preached, said from his pulpit that the result is “Jim Crow in new clothes.”

Warnock pointed to King and the last voting rights movement. “We need political power. We need economic power. We need personal power,” he said, assuring parishioners that “your adversaries know that your voice matters” because they're “bending over backwards” to diminish it.

Evans reached further back into history to say what must happen next.

“Our response must be and will be a second Reconstruction period,” Evans said.

Some Democrats want an answer from Congress

The ultimate goal, organizers said, is to win more elections, sway policy fights and protect diverse political representation at all levels.

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, a Black lawmaker who represents Selma, Alabama, said an immediate priority is to “reform and reintroduce” Democrats' flagship voting bill, the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act.

Sewell, whose seat ultimately could be threatened under redistricting, said Democrats want to “completely” eliminate partisan gerrymandering.

She also said the legislation would “bring back pre-clearance,” the requirement for certain federal approvals that the court struck down in Shelby.

“We need to come up with a modern-day formula for showing just how egregious the behavior of these state actors is,” Sewell said.

The Supreme Court ruled in Callais that states do not have to draw majority nonwhite districts under the Voting Rights Act and, in fact, should not consider race at all when drawing boundaries. By arguing that the law's remedies to combat discrimination had themselves become racist, the decision allows states to redraw heavily Black districts that have historically elected Democrats while arguing that the designs are based on party interests, not race.

President Donald Trump praised the decision as “a BIG WIN for Equal Protection under the Law, as it returns the Voting Rights Act to its Original Intent, which was to protect against intentional Racial Discrimination.”

Groups mobilized for redistricting sessions

Many of the same groups who’ll be in Alabama on Saturday have already gone to Southern statehouses, where white Republican lawmakers moved swiftly to redraw congressional districts after Callais.

Alabama and Louisiana lawmakers reverted to a single majority-Black district, each scrapping a second district that had been ordered by lower federal courts under now-reversed VRA interpretations. Tennessee lawmakers gutted a majority Black district by splitting greater Memphis into three different sprawling districts — itself an obvious racial gerrymander the court had previously forbidden, Evans said.

Anticipating the Callais outcome, Florida and Texas proceeded with redistricting before it came down. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a term-limited Republican, has called a June session to redraw congressional lines for the 2028 cycle. Mississippi and South Carolina have delayed the matter for now.

South Carolina state Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey was among the few white Republicans who pushed back against GOP redistricting plans. He said that not even pressure from Trump could sell him on disenfranchising Black South Carolinians instead of doing what's best for his state.

Other white conservatives are still talking openly about ousting Reps. Jim Clyburn and Bennie Thompson, the only Black U.S. House members from South Carolina and Mississippi, respectively.

Evans, the Louisiana activist, predicted the fight ahead won't just be about congressional representation.

“Look for them to go after state house and state senate seats — and then it will be the local level,” he said, adding that “it’s going to be an entire erasure of Black representation.”

The issue is more than a partisan Washington fight

Heavily minority districts drawn under the VRA before Callais nearly always elect Democrats. Black Americans have overwhelmingly aligned with the party since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, sparking a decades-long migration of most white Southern politicians to the Republicans. Latino and Hispanic voters still lean Democratic in most places as well.

The immediate fight shapes the midterm campaign scramble for control of the U.S. House during the final years of Trump’s presidency. Trump initially pushed Republican-run states to redistrict to protect the party's fragile House majority.

But Johnson, the NAACP leader, said all voters should see more than partisan warfare or a regional battle over race.

Beyond party allegiance, Johnson argued, white conservatives want to curtail a range of rights “depending on how you pray, depending on who you love,” while also pushing economic policies that punish workers across racial and ethnic lines. From legislation to the confirmation of federal judges who decide constitutional questions, those policy outcomes start with election results.

“It’s not a Black problem,” Johnson said. “That’s an American problem.”

There is no singular movement or leader yet

Evans, Johnson and others acknowledged the complexity in harnessing disparate organizations and galvanizing voters on issues like redistricting and gerrymandering. But they insist the brazen nature of Republicans' course has spurred engagement.

Johnson said he was on an organizing call in Mississippi this week that had 8,000 participants. Evans pointed to packed hallways in the state Capitols in Baton Rouge and Nashville, respectively.

The NAACP and allies have challenged new maps in multiple states, despite Callais. Many groups want to spur midterm turnout among Black voters, and others are disenchanted with white conservatives’ maneuvers in racially diverse places.

Johnson stressed the need for perseverance.

The 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision was seismic, with a unanimous court declaring segregated public schools unconstitutional and reversing 19th-century precedents denying Black Americans' fundamental rights.

But it took 17 years — and many more court battles — for it to be implemented in most Southern school districts. Fights over mandated student busing continued beyond the South. It was a decade after Brown before Congress and Johnson enacted the movement’s seminal laws.

There's no clear leader of a modern movement.

Johnson said it’s worth remembering that even with King at the helm before his assassination, “there was tension around strategy” in the 1950s and 1960s.

But even “through that tension, through many episodes, we were able to get directly in the right place.”

Grabbing viewers’ attention as one of 25 acts competing in quick succession in Saturday’s grand final in Vienna means pulling out all the stops, both musically and visually.

In the case of this year’s favorites to win, the Finnish duo of pop singer Pete Parkkonen and classical violinist Linda Lampenius, that involves jets of flame, a valuable 18th-century violin and a team of “ninjas” working to avert disaster.

The pair’s song “Liekinheitin,” or “Flamethrower,” is a favorite with both fans and betting markets with its melding of pop and classical influences — and its spectacular staging.

Here’s what it takes to create the eye-catching performance.

Permission to play

Parkkonen and Lampenius dub their sound “new pop with a classical touch." Their song of burning love is an explosion of energy in which Parkkonen’s passionate vocals act as counterpoint to Lampenius’ frenetic fiddling.

The Finnish delegation had to secure special permission for Lampenius to play live. Eurovision rules state that lead vocals must be performed live, but instruments are prerecorded, to help speed changeovers between songs.

Lampenius says “Flamethrower” was “written as a duet,” and both performers need to be live for it to work.

“It’s a woman and a man, it’s a female voice and a male voice. So I do all my lyrics through my violin, by playing, and you (Parkkonen) are singing it with words. But we are talking. We are (equally) as important, both of us.”

The pair were not certain when they arrived in Vienna that Eurovision organizers would allow the request. They were only given final approval after performing in front of an audience in a live rehearsal.

The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, said contest rules allow that “live audio capture of instruments may exceptionally be permitted where artistically justified.”

Lampenius had brought two violins just in case – a treasured Gagliano made in 1781 so live performance would “sound perfect,” and a cheaper instrument to use if she had to rely on playback. That would remove any risk to the Gagliano from the slightly hazardous staging.

Practice makes perfect

Lampenius and Parkkonen say they have been rehearsing for this moment since November. They won Finland’s national selection contest for Eurovision in February and say by now they have performed the song hundreds of times.

It is crucial to get it right. The performance builds to a climax that sees jets of flame spurt from a stage on which Lampenius, fanned by a leaf blower and wearing a flowing dress, is playing her precious violin.

Lampenius concedes it's “a bit scary when you think of it."

But she says she is secure in the knowledge she has black-clad stagehands who call themselves “ninjas” on hand to keep her dress away from the flames – an essential piece of the performance that goes unseen by viewers watching at home.

“They’re running with me – first one guy carrying my dress when I’m running, then the other one catching me during my run,” she said. “And he helps me also when I jump up on the stage and do the pirouette.”

For the striking final pose in which Lampenius perches atop chairs in high heels, violin aloft, Parkkonen combines singing with his role as a security spotter, there to catch her if she topples over.

“That’s my work,” the singer said.

Within weeks, the neighborhood was a ghost town and the playground was empty.

What prompted the mass exodus was a bungled message from the housing authority in Port Isabel, a South Texas community of 5,000 people, many of whom are immigrants working at hotels and restaurants on the beaches of nearby South Padre Island. The Port Isabel Housing Authority indicated a Trump administration proposal was about to take effect that would end housing assistance to families with at least one member in the country illegally. The events that followed provided a glimpse of what could happen in communities across the U.S. if the proposed rule is actually finalized.

“The impact was not limited to undocumented immigrants, but really to immigrants who are here legally as well as people within their families who are citizens,” Marie Claire Tran-Leung, senior staff attorney at National Housing Law Project, said.

For decades, families with at least one legal or eligible resident have been allowed to live in public housing provided those who are here illegally or are otherwise ineligible due to their immigration status pay a full, unsubsidized share of rent. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Department wants to reverse that.

Advocates estimate up to 80,000 people would be kicked out of their homes nationwide under the measure that is part of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. They include U.S. citizens, many of them children born in this country but whose parents were not.

A message from the Port Isabel Housing Authority

On Feb. 3, the Port Isabel Housing Authority sent residents a letter saying that the Trump administration wanted every household member to prove legal status within 30 days or face eviction. Three weeks later, the agency sent a note of “clarification” that no such proof was required.

It was already too late.

Half of residents living in Port Isabel public housing left within a month of receiving the first letter. The occupancy rate plunged from 91% in January to 43% in May, far below the national average of 94%.

The proposed rule from HUD still has not taken effect.

The housing authority gave no explanation for the initial misunderstanding and officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Rumors and panic

Fears about eviction and rumors that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement might get involved prompted panic among some residents.

“My kids and I spoke and wondered what we were going to do, but then we said it’s better to leave and avoid any retaliation,” a single mother from Mexico raising two teenagers who are U.S. citizens told The Associated Press. She, like other former residents, spoke on condition of anonymity due to fears of being deported.

She turned to legal service organizations that told her and others they could stay in public housing. But she and her children decided it was too risky and left their home of nearly a decade, finding an apartment within the same school district that costs about $500 more per month.

The move also added about 10 minutes to the commute to the island, where both the mother and her daughter work. The 18-year-old gets home from school at 4:30 p.m. and grabs a quick dinner before her mom drives her to a job that starts at 5 p.m. The daughter is a top student in her senior class and plans to go to college in the fall with help from scholarship offers, but she worries how her family will make ends meet. Her brother was laid off, and their mom underwent cancer treatment last year, depleting her energy and straining their finances.

Other families face even greater challenges.

A mother of three said she moved her family into a one-bedroom trailer home illegally parked between two other trailer homes. Her oldest son sleeps in the living room.

Another family of three sold beds and other furniture so they could squeeze into a small trailer home, only to find out the landlord wouldn't let them use the mailing address, affecting her children’s school and health insurance.

“Since we got the letter, everything changed from one day to the next. It wasn’t the same anymore. Before the letter, the kids were happy, playing outside,” the mother of two said.

A preview of a Trump administration proposal

The Trump administration proposed in February that any household with one ineligible resident would disqualify an entire family, estimating that 24,000 recipients were ineligible in 20,000 households.

“We have zero tolerance for pushing aside hardworking U.S. citizens while enabling others to exploit decades-old loopholes,” HUD Secretary Scott Turner said at the time.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which advocates for low-income families, estimates that 79,600 people could be forced to leave their homes, with a disproportionate impact on children and Latinos.

The rule drew more than 16,000 public comments, many of them critical, including from city leaders across the U.S.

For example, the New York City Council told HUD that an estimated 12% of city of households have at least one member who lacks legal status. Some 240,000 children are in those homes.

“This proposed rule will unequivocally lead to increased displacement, homelessness, poverty, and decreased educational and health outcomes,” the council wrote.

HUD is expected to publish a final version of the rule after considering public comments.

It is almost certain to face legal challenges.

___

Associated Press writers Michael Casey in Boston and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this story.

“The history of nature is made up of both extreme beauty and violence, volcanoes and butterflies, shifting tectonic plates and marsupials, the bones of the stegosaurus and the light of Milky Way,” the author and bookseller said Thursday night as she stood before hundreds at the Manhattan-based cultural institution museum and accepted the PEN/Audible Literary Service Award.

“To spend a day in this museum is to understand that the world had plenty of action before we got here, and it will continue to have plenty of action. And so, let us marvel that people still want to write books, and that we want to read them.”

Patchett and film producer Jason Blum were among the featured speakers and Amy Tan, Walter Isaacson and Rebecca Yarros among the table hosts for the fundraising dinner, which raised more than $2 million for the century-old literary and free expression organization. The gala took place as writers and journalists face persecution worldwide and after recent reports from PEN and the American Library Association documenting the continued surge in book bans in the U.S., with thousands of works being pulled from schools and libraries.

“First, they come for your freedom of expression. Without that freedom to raise your voice, it is much easier to strip away all of your other rights,” PEN co-CEO Summer Lopez said during her remarks. “We believe that hidden in the horrors of this moment is also an opportunity — to mobilize people and ignite a movement for free expression, here and everywhere."

Blum, the producer whose credits range from Jordan Peele's Oscar-nominated “Get Out” to such horror franchises as “Halloween” and “Paranormal Activity,” received PEN's Business Visionary award. He was introduced by the actor-singer Maya Hawke, who remembered him as a cherished childhood friend — he is her godfather — and an ongoing role model who “builds a safe and boundaried structure and then gives creatives freedom and control within that. Like a good father, or godfather.”

Blum wryly noted that horror films don't have a rich history of critical praise. He read off some of the insults he had come across, or alleged he came across: “For the young, the ignorant, and the idle" and “Extremely provocative of that sensation in the palate and throat which leads to nausea.”

But those remarks, he added, date back to the 19th century, and they were directed at the mass market sensation of the time — the novel.

“So all forms of storytelling, especially when they’re new and different, need protection from the forces of snobbery and suppression," he said.

The PEN gala, hosted by author-actor B.J. Novak, has long been a mix of star power and social causes. The Iranian writer-dissidents Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee and Ali Asadollahi were this year's recipients of the PEN/Barbery Freedom to Write Award, given to writers who have faced government harassment and imprisonment. PEN President Dinaw Mengestu, pointing out that neither was able to attend and that their absence was signified by two empty chairs, asked the audience to imagine a time of no empty chairs “on this stage or on any stage in this world.”

One of the night's longest ovations was given to the Tennessee-based activists Tatiana Silvas and Keri Lambert, whose anti-censorship Rutherford County Library Alliance has fought book bans in the Rutherford area. The library alliance was this year's winner of the PEN/Benenson Courage Award

“Libraries are not simply buildings filled with books. They are one of the few institutions that truly belong to everyone, regardless of age, income, background or beliefs,” Lambert said. “Defending libraries is really about defending democracy itself. A healthy community depends on informed citizens, open dialogue and the freedom to explore ideas. Libraries make all of that possible.”

En un video que difundió en su cuenta en la red social X, Sheinbaum indicó que Juan Carlos Carpio Fragoso, actual director de Finanzas de Pemex, asumirá como nuevo director general de la petrolera en reemplazo de Víctor Rodríguez, quien decidió separarse del cargo para retornar a sus actividades académicas. Rodríguez acordó lo anterior con la presidenta cuando ella comenzó su mandato en octubre de 2024.

El exdirector seguirá apoyando al gobierno desde el Instituto de Electricidad y Energías Limpias, precisó la mandataria.

La salida de Rodríguez se da un día después que la agencia calificadora de riesgo S&P Global Ratings degradó la perspectiva de Pemex y de la Comisión Federal de Electricidad, de estable a negativa.

La agencia ratificó la calificación crediticia de la petrolera, pero reconoció que su “estructura de capital es insostenible, dada su escasa liquidez y su elevado apalancamiento”.

Pemex cerró 2025 con una deuda de unos 84.500 millones de dólares, lo que representó un descenso de 13,4% en comparación con el año previo. La reducción de la pesada deuda de la petrolera tuvo que ver con los apoyos de cerca de 22.647 millones de dólares que le otorgó el año pasado la Secretaría de Hacienda para la recompra de deuda y la emisión de notas precapitalizadas.

En noviembre de 2024, Sheinbaum anunció un plan de “austeridad” para reducir los gastos de Pemex en unos 2.500 millones de dólares, ello mediante el recorte de costos y la eliminación de empresas filiales.

Desde hace años la empresa estatal ha enfrentado una complicada situación financiera, la cual ha golpeado los ingresos petroleros de México, que por décadas fueron fundamentales para el país y llegaron a representar cerca del 40% del presupuesto de egresos del gobierno federal.

La caída en la producción —que ronda actualmente 1,6 millones de barriles diarios— y las limitadas finanzas de Pemex hicieron que los aportes de la petrolera al presupuesto federal se ubicaran debajo de 15% durante 2025.

S&P anunció el pasado martes que cambió de estable a negativa la perspectiva crediticia de México ante el lento crecimiento económico y el aumento de la deuda pública del país, pero ratificó las calificaciones de crédito soberano en moneda extranjera y local.

“But the problem here is not the library,” attorney Gerald Greenberg said. “The problem here is your personal business for personal gain and that’s unlawful.”

Greenberg represents a group of Miami residents -- including a student, nearby neighbors and a nonprofit connected to Marvin Dunn -- suing over what they describe as a land giveaway.

The plaintiffs claim the land, owned by Miami-Dade College, was illegally gifted to President Donald Trump. The lawsuit cites the domestic emoluments clause of the U.S. Constitution.

“The domestic emoluments clause says the president can’t get gifts from states,” Greenberg said. “This is a quintessential gift from a state. Miami-Dade College transferred the land to the state of Florida and the state of Florida transferred the land to the president.”

The site next to Miami’s Freedom Tower is valued at around $67 million. But the lawsuit argues the land the project would sit on is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

In comments from March, Trump said the project would “most likely be a hotel.”

“It’s most likely going to be a hotel with a beautiful building underneath and a 747 Air Force One in the lobby, which is going to be a trick,” Trump said.

The 57-page lawsuit states the land “is no longer available to serve MDC’s student community and downtown Miami.”

Instead, the filing states, “the land will house a Trump hotel that brings riches to the president.”

When asked whether critics would view the lawsuit as politically motivated, Greenberg rejected the idea.

“Yeah, this isn’t a politically motivated lawsuit at all,” Greenberg said. “This is about giving public land to a private individual or in this case a president for his own private gain.”

On Friday they walked the grounds of Zhongnanhai, Xi's official residence, and had a working tea and lunch. During a series of meetings and events Thursday, the two discussed divisive issues such as the Iran war, trade, technology and Taiwan.

China has shown little public interest in getting more involved in solving the war in Iran. Xi also suggested differences over Taiwan could put his country and the U.S. on the path toward conflict. Threats of each side imposing steep tariffs also still loom.

Trump said Xi told him China wants to help negotiate an end to the war and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. China is the largest buyer of Iranian oil and Trump hopes Xi will use that leverage to prod Iran into a deal on U.S. terms. Trump also said Xi assured him that China wouldn’t provide Iran with military equipment.

Here's the latest:

Germany’s Merz worries about America’s ‘social climate’

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday said he wouldn’t recommend that his children work in the U.S. because of its “social climate.”

“I am a great admirer of America. My admiration isn’t growing at the moment,” he said during a panel discussion at the Catholic Congress in Wuerzburg, Germany. “So, I wouldn’t recommend to my children today that they go to the U.S., get an education there, and work there. Simply because of a social climate that has suddenly developed there.”

He added: “by the way, the question of what well-educated young people can achieve used to be answered very differently in America up until a year ago than it is today. Today, the best-educated in America have great difficulty finding a job.”

Trump says summit yielded a new Boeing deal for hundreds of planes

Trump told reporters on Air Force One that China would buy 200 planes from Boeing with the possibility of expanding the deal to 750 “if they do a good job with the 200, which I’m sure they will.”

The order would represent Boeing’s first major sale to China in nearly a decade, and it would mark a significant breakthrough for the plane maker in a market that was once central to its long-term growth.

China has high demand for new aircraft as they expand and modernize fleets, while giving Trump a high-profile win for his trade agenda.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg joined Trump on his trip to Beijing.

Trump also said China would purchase 400 to 450 engines from General Electric. He did not offer a more precise number.

Daughter of imprisoned pastor asked Trump to help free her father

Trump said Xi would consider the case of Ezra Jin Mingri of the Zion Church, who has been detained since October.

On Monday, Grace Jin Drexel, the pastor’s daughter, asked Trump to help bring back her father and other jailed activists on his trip to Beijing.

“We really plead the president will continue to raise the political prisoners, like my father, and like many of the family members here today, and bring them home,” she said. “We just would love for him to just be part of the family and, like, eat nice food with us and watch movies with us, and just, like, have a have, just live normal lives again.”

Putin set to visit Beijing ‘very soon,’ Kremlin says

The Kremlin said Thursday that President Vladimir Putin is set to visit China shortly.

Asked about a report that Putin is coming to China next Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the visit indeed will take place “very soon,” adding that Moscow and Beijing will announce its date.

Asked to comment on President Donald Trump’s visit to China, Peskov emphasized the importance of contacts between the world’s two biggest economies, adding that Russia expects to get firsthand information from China about its talks with the U.S. when Putin visits Beijing.

Trump still mulling US arms sale to Taiwan

President Donald Trump says he’s not yet made a determination on whether a major U.S. sale of arms to Taiwan can move forward, following his three-day visit to China.

Speaking to reporters as he flew back on Air Force One on Friday, Trump said he’d not decided on the sale, but added, “I will make a determination.”

The Trump administration has authorized the sale but it has yet to move forward. China opposes the deal and has suggested that Washington’s relationship with the self-governing island is the key factor in China-U.S. relations.

Trump brought up Jimmy Lai to Xi, but says it’s ‘a tough one’

Activist Jimmy Lai, a prominent critic of Beijing, was sentenced to 20 years in prison under a national security law in February in Hong Kong. His family and supporters hope Trump could help free the 78-year-old, who has spent over five years in custody.

“He told me that would be a tough one,” Trump said, referring to Xi.

Lai’s daughter Claire told The Associated Press that she was so grateful to Trump for the commitment shown to his father’s release.

“He has earned his reputation as liberating the unjustly detained and I am confident he and his administration will be the ones to free my father,” she said.

She said this is an opportunity for Xi to do “the only just and honorable thing” for a man who has given so much to Hong Kong and show a gesture of goodwill to the rest of the world.

Trump raised a potential nuclear deal between the U.S., Russia and China

Trump wants the three countries to sign a pact that would cap the number of nuclear warheads each one has in its arsenal.

China has previously been cool to entering such a pact. Beijing’s arsenal, according to Pentagon estimates, exceeds more than 600 operational nuclear warheads and is far from parity with the U.S. and Russia, which each are estimated to have more than 5,000 nuclear warheads.

But Trump suggested Xi was receptive to the idea when he raised it in their private talks.

“I got a very a positive response,” Trump said. “This is the beginning.”

The last nuclear arms pact, known as the New START treaty, between Russia and the United States expired in February, removing any caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century.

Analyst says the summit delivers a roadmap

George Chen, a partner at The Asia Group consultancy, said the summit felt like a political reality show at times and unfolded almost exactly as scripted, but it delivered symbolism, clarity and a roadmap for the months ahead.

Chen noted both sides have highlighted what they care about most: For Xi, Taiwan. For Trump, deals.

“The readouts from Beijing and the White House differ in tone and emphasis, but neither side contradicted the other’s account. That alone reflects a rare moment of mutual respect,” he said.

While the list of concrete deliverables remained limited for now, Chen said the most important development might be Xi and Trump having spent extended time together again.

“Personal rapport between leaders can shape the tone of an entire bilateral relationship,” he said.

However, Taiwan could feel uneasy after Xi warned the U.S. over it. Taipei will be watching closely for signs of Trump’s responses, he added.

Elon Musk replies to well-known Chinese dissident account on X

Elon Musk said his son is learning Chinese. The message in a public post on X Thursday quickly drew attention on Chinese social media and began to trend.

But what the state media outlets omitted was who Elon Musk responding to. He replied to Teacher Li, or Li Ying, whose X account posts news and videos submitted from users about uncensored news in China and has some two million followers.

Li himself noted the irony that Musk’s response to him was now trending on Weibo, which is managed by censors. He shared on Friday that many of the accounts that originally wrote up Musk’s comments have now deleted the posts.

A search on Weibo and local media showed that while the topic was still searchable, some websites had indeed deleted their coverage.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang takes food tour of Beijing

Jensen Huang is trying all of Beijing’s delicacies, the good and others which may be more of an acquired taste.

Huang was spotted by the public and local media at No. 69 Fangzhuanchang Noodles, for a bowl of “zhiangmian” -- a Beijing specialty that features noodles covered in a thick soybean-paste sauce mixed with vegetables and meat.

“It’s so good,” he said, as he dug into the bowl.

But it’s the “douzhi’er,” a fermented mung bean drink that’s slightly sour and gray-green in color, that made the Nvidia CEO wince. Videos of his reaction were trending on Weibo Friday afternoon. Huang then quickly reached for a sweet drink from Chinese beverage chain Mixue Bingcheng.

———

This post has been updated to reflect that douzhi’er is made with fermented mung beans and not soybeans.

Xi played up a new relationship status: ‘managed stability’

China said the two leaders agreed to a new vision for dealing with their relationship issues: “a constructive China-U.S. relationship of strategic stability.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the framework would shape ties for at least three years — the rest of Trump’s term — and would focus on cooperation, competition within proper limits, and managing differences.

The idea is “to keep the relationship on an even keel,” said Helena Legarda of the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.

George Chen, a partner at The Asia Group consultancy, said it can be seen as progress from the Biden era, which framed the relationship as a strategic competition.

Exuberant airport send-off for Trump at end of China visit

Schoolchildren dressed in some of Air Force One’s light blue and white colors waved American and Chinese flags in a coordinated movement as the U.S. president arrived to board the plane.

“Farewell, farewell,” they chanted. “Warm farewell!”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi saw a smiling Trump off at the airport.

Trump turned at the top of the stairs and pumped his fist and waved before entering the aircraft.

He didn’t speak again before departing for home.

Trump and Xi wrap up summit

Trump has boarded Air Force One for his flight out of China.

Trump and Xi both said they made progress in stabilizing U.S.-China relations. But deep differences persist.

The leaders spent a lot of time together the past two days.

They met for about two hours at the Great Hall of the People, toured the Temple of Heaven and attended a banquet on Thursday. On Friday they walked the grounds of Zhongnanhai and had a working tea and lunch.

China has nonetheless shown little public interest in getting more involved in solving the war in Iran.

Xi also suggested differences over Taiwan could put his country and the U.S. on the path toward conflict.

Threats of each side imposing steep tariffs also still loom.

Xi says ‘landmark’ visit deepened mutual trust

While little has been announced about any potential deals as Trump and Xi held a closed-door lunch in Zhongnanhai on Friday, Xi spoke of a positive turn between the two countries.

“This visit is a historic and landmark visit. Together, we affirmed the new position of a constructive, strategic and stable China-U.S. relationship,” the Chinese president said, according to a readout from CCTV.

“The visit is also beneficial to promoting mutual understanding, deepening trust in each other, and increasing the well-being of the people of both countries,” Xi said.

The Chinese leader said both countries should carry out the “important consensus” reached during Trump’s visit and keep the relationship on the right track.

Xi hosts Trump in venues with agricultural symbolism

Trump and Xi feasted on Chinese delicacies in the Chun’ou Zhai building in Xi’s presidential Zhongnanhai compound Friday.

The name of the historic building translates to “Spring Lotus Roots” and the structure carries farm-related significance: Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century would go there to admire the ancient Chinese “Five Cattle” painting every year after the imperial sacrifice to the god of agriculture.

The two leaders on Thursday also visited the Temple of Heaven, another venue with deep agrarian symbolism

as the imperial site for rituals for agricultural prosperity.

Trump has been expected to announce business deals with China in areas such as agricultural purchases, beef exports and aviation but no concrete announcements have been made yet.

Taiwan thanks US for ‘continued support’

Taiwan Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung thanked the U.S. on Friday for the support expressed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio the previous day.

Lin thanked the U.S. for “its continued support and valuing of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”

Rubio told NBC News on Thursday that U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged and it would be a “terrible mistake” for China to take Taiwan by force.

The U.S. is Taiwan’s biggest unofficial supporter and main supplier of arms for the island’s defense.

“As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to strengthen its self-defense capabilities,” Lin said.

Trump and Xi dine on a menu including stir-fried lobster balls

While folks outside their closed lunch chowed down on McDonalds, the menu for Trump and Xi was far more formal.

The two leaders had minced codfish in seafood soup, crispy and stir-fried lobster balls and pan-seared beef fillet stuffed with morel mushrooms, according to the White House.

They also ate kung pao chicken and scallops, braised seasonal greens, bamboo shoots, mushrooms and beans, as well as stewed beef in a bun and steamed pork and shrimp dumplings.

Dessert was chocolate brownies and fruits and ice cream. Coffee and tea also was served.

After lunch, Trump is not expected to make any more public appearances before heading to the airport to fly back to Washington.

Xi highlights centuries-old trees in Zhongnanhai garden tour

Before their closed-door lunch, Xi gave Trump a tour of Zhongnanhai, the former imperial gardens and now the seat of power.

“Zhongnanhai is where the CPC Central Committee and the State Council work, and it is also where I work and live,” Xi said. “After the founding of New China, Chinese leaders including Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai and others all lived here.”

In the highly manicured garden, the two men walked with their interpreters as they admired the greenery.

“All these trees are 200 to 300 years old. There’s a big one that’s about 400 years old,” Xi said as he pointed out specific trees to Trump, who expressed his admiration.

“There’s even one that’s 1,000 years old. It’s somewhere else,” Xi said.

Xi said he invited Trump to the quarters in response to the hospitality Trump showed by inviting him to Mar-A-Lago in 2017.

Mc-Beijing: While Trump eats fancy lunch, everyone else gets his favorite fast food

As Trump ate lunch inside Xi’s residence, the folks outside chowed down on McDonald’s.

The fast-food restaurant with the golden arches is one of Trump’s favorites. His White House chief of staff, Susie Wiles, recently said he eats McDonald’s every day.

Trump did a stint working out of a McDonald’s drive-thru window during his 2024 reelection campaign and more recently had a McDonald’s order delivered to the door of the Oval Office during an event contrived to highlight the elimination of taxes on tips to service industry workers.

Outside Xi’s residence, U.S. Embassy and White House staff ate their McDonald’s lunches in the parking lot.

Bags of McDonald’s food also were delivered to members of the White House press pool as they waited in vans for Trump to depart for the airport and the long trip back to Washington.

Reporters ask questions in China but Trump doesn’t take the bait

The U.S. president did something highly unusual for him over days of meetings with Xi: he held his tongue in front of the media.

Trump relishes taking reporters’ questions, often doing so nearly every day back home.

But Xi, like most members of senior Chinese leadership, refrains from press conferences.

In what might have been deference to Xi, Trump didn’t answer questions when reporters asked them while the pair toured the Temple of Heaven on Thursday.

And he didn’t do so again on Friday while walking with Xi at Zhongnanhai.

Trump’s relative silence even extended to posting on his social media site, where he was not as active as usual during his three-day Beijing swing.

Trump says ‘fantastic trade deals’ struck during ‘incredible’ visit

The White House so far hasn’t released details of any deals struck during Trump’s summit with Xi in Beijing.

Trump told Fox News about soybeans, airplanes and oil in an interview that followed his two-hour sit-down with Xi on Thursday.

Meeting with Xi again on Friday, Trump praised the visit as “incredible.”

He said “a lot of good has come of it,” including “some fantastic trade deals” that are “great for both countries.”

Trump says he and Xi discussed Iran

“We feel very similar about (how) we want it to end,” the president said of the U.S. and Israel’s war in Iran. “We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump added of both sides and the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed, “We want the straits open.”

He said of the conflict in Iran, “We want them to get it ended because it’s a crazy thing there. A little bit crazy. And it’s no good, it can’t happen.”

Trump and China’s leader had a working tea before heading into a closed-door lunch.

Xi promises to send rose seeds to Trump

Trump and Xi spent about 10 minutes walking Zhongnanhai’s gardens.

“These are the most beautiful roses anyone has ever seen,” Trump remarked while walking past green columns and archways.

Trump said the pair had struck “fantastic trade deals” without providing details.

Xi said he would send rose seeds to Trump.

Trump tore up the lawn around the White House Rose Garden last year to make room for a patio space reminiscent of his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

Trump also has said he would like more roses there, recently complaining that the White House’s garden “didn’t have too many roses.”

Trump and top aides have tea and lunch with Xi and his team

The White House shared the list of participants for the meetings.

Trump is joined by David Purdue, the U.S. ambassador to China; Secretary of State Marco Rubio; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

Xi is joined by Xie Feng, China’s ambassador to the United States; Cai Qi, a director of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China; Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi; Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Ma Zhaoxu and He Lifeng, vice premier of the State Council.

Montreal surged with a three-goal second period, and never led until Evans swept a loose puck over the goal line behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to put the Canadiens up 4-3 with 3:45 remaining. Suzuki then scored 10 seconds into a power-play opportunity by converting Juraj Slafkovsky’s one-handed pass from the end boards and beating Luukkonen through the legs with a shot from the lower right circle.

Cole Caufield, Josh Anderson, Ivan Demidov and Alexandre Texier also scored for Montreal, which will host Game 6 on Saturday night. Jakub Dobes allowed three goals on the first four shots he faced before finishing with 33 saves.

Josh Doan, Jason Zucker and rookie Konsta Helenius, appearing in his second career playoff game, scored for Buffalo.

Luukkonen allowed five goals on 23 shots, and was pulled after two periods -- the second time he’s been yanked this postseason. Alex Lyon mopped up in allowing a goal on three shots. Lyon is potentially in line to regain the starting duties after losing the job following a 6-2 loss in Game 3.

The Sabres have dropped two of three at home in the series, and were coming off a 3-2 win at Montreal on Tuesday.

Montreal finally got much-needed production from its top line, with Suzuki (goal, two assists), Slafkovsky (three assists) and Caufield getting on the scoresheet. The trio had combined for four goals and five assists in the first four games of the series.

Star defenseman Lane Hutson, meantime, had two assists to give him six in four outings.

Montreal is one win from advancing to the semifinal round of the playoffs for the first time since the Covid pandemic altered 2021 playoffs. The Canadiens eventually reached the Stanley Cup Final and lost to Tampa Bay in five games.

Buffalo and Montreal combined for five goals in the first 10:15, including Doan and Texier scoring nine seconds apart. The surge was capped by Helenius putting Buffalo up 3-2 with a shot from the top of the right circle that sneaked in through Dobes’ legs.

The five goals were scored in a span of 8:15, which ranks 11th on the playoff list of fastest between two teams.

Buffalo’s deficiencies continue being exposed. After allowing 12 goals in six games of their first-round series against Boston, the Sabres have allowed 21 already to Montreal — and 19 in the past four.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

On Thursday, the NFL released the full 2026 schedule, including dates and times, for all 32 teams across the league.

Miami will host eight regular season games at Hard Rock Stadium and will play nine road contests in 2026.

The Dolphins’ social media team announced the official schedule release in a video posted on X, featuring rapper Rick Ross.

Mr. Ross wants to see you.

The 2026-27 schedule is here 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/Qa3nRDQ57F

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) May 14, 2026

The Dolphins will begin their first season under head coach Jeff Hafley on Sept. 13 against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium at 4:25 p.m. ET.

It remains to be seen whether the Dolphins will face rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who grew up in Miami and was selected No. 1 overall in April’s draft.

Following the Raiders, the Dolphins will remain on the West Coast and visit Levi’s Stadium to play the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 20 at 4:25 p.m. ET.

Miami’s home opener at Hard Rock Stadium will be Sept. 27 at 1 p.m. ET against the Kansas City Chiefs, highlighted by three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes continues to rehab from a torn ACL in his left knee late last season, but the expectation is that he will be ready for Week 1.

The Dolphins will have an early bye week in 2026, with their off week falling on Oct. 18, one week after they host Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals at Hard Rock Stadium.

Miami is one of five teams to not have a primetime game in 2026, joining the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Raiders, and Tennessee Titans.

The Dolphins also announced their three opponents for the preseason schedule.

Miami will travel to Washington on Friday, Aug. 14, at 7 p.m. ET before hosting the New York Giants on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 4 p.m., and the Atlanta Falcons on Friday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium.

Fans can visit Dolphins.com and Ticketmaster.com/Dolphins to purchase single-game tickets, which are now on sale.

Here is the full Dolphins 2026 schedule:

• Week 1 at Las Vegas, Sept. 13, 4:25 p.m. ET

• Week 2 at San Francisco, Sept. 20, 4:25 p.m. ET

• Week 3 vs. Kansas City, Sept. 27, 1 p.m. ET

• Week 4 at Minnesota, Oct. 4, 4:05 p.m. ET

• Week 5 vs. Cincinnati, Oct. 11, 1 p.m. ET

• Week 6 Bye, Oct. 18

• Week 7 at New York Jets, Oct. 25, 1 p.m. ET

• Week 8 vs. New England, Nov. 1, 4:25 p.m. ET

• Week 9 vs. Detroit, Nov. 8, 1 p.m. ET

• Week 10 at Indianapolis, Nov. 15, 1 p.m. ET

• Week 11 at Buffalo, Nov. 22, 1 p.m. ET

• Week 12 vs. New York Jets, Nov. 29, 1 p.m. ET

• Week 13 at Denver, Dec. 6, 4:05 p.m. ET

• Week 14 vs. Chicago, Dec. 13, 1 p.m. ET

• Week 15 at Green Bay, Dec. 20, 1 p.m. ET

• Week 16 vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Dec. 27, 1 p.m. ET

• Week 17 vs. Buffalo, Jan. 3, 2027, 1 p.m. ET

• Week 18 at New England, (TBD Flex Game)

Quick nuggets on Dolphins 2026 schedule:

• It will be the third time in franchise history that the Dolphins play the Raiders to start a season (1966, 1975), including Miami’s first game as a franchise in 1966.

• Overall, the Dolphins will play nine games against seven different playoff teams from 2025, which is tied for the third most in the NFL behind the Denver Broncos (10) and Seattle Seahawks (10).

• The Dolphins will play five of their nine games against 2025 playoff teams on the road.

• Former Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel returns to Hard Rock Stadium in Week 16 on Dec. 27 at 1 p.m. ET.

• Former Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returns to Hard Rock Stadium for the final exhibition game on Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. ET.

• Hafley, Dolphins general manager Jon-Eric Sullivan and quarterback Malik Willis return to Lambeau Field in Week 15, Dec. 20 at 1 p.m. ET.

They also made sure to poke plenty of fun at upcoming opponents, themselves and offseason flubs.

The Indianapolis Colts pointed the finger at themselves in their Simpsons’ cartoon. First, they referenced the long drought since their last win in Jacksonville along with Homer Simpson disappearing into the hedge for the team’s road game against the Jaguars.

The video also had Bart Simpson writing repeatedly on the chalkboard: “We will not include Tyreek Hill in these videos.”

The New York Jets went with a “ football is ART (craft blend)” approach mixing uniquely named daubs of paint colors to mix and draw out their opponents by the date.

Their season opener against the Titans features colors “Dolly Denim” and “Bachelorette Blush” for a team in a town known for Dolly Parton and bachelorette parties. Playing the Dolphins uses spray tan, del boca vista, major key and finkle — a reference to the Ray Finkle character in the 1994 movie “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" — and raspberry beret and minnetonka blue for the Vikings.

New Orleans used a “season forecast” approach that included people such Jim Cantore from The Weather Channel. The Los Angeles Rams tapped the movie “Napoleon Dynamite” for “A Dynamite schedule” reveal.

The Buccaneers went with a nod to the TV show “Baywatch" protecting Tampa Bay, while Las Vegas used Kirk Cousins and rookie Fernando Mendoza in the Raiders' take on the 2008 movie “Step Brothers.”

Pittsburgh went long with a video lasting more than 4 minutes, 36 seconds that leaned into local style, customs, food and “Pittsburghese” with “Ready to yinzify your DNA, n'at?" Actor Billy Gardell, a Pittsburgh native, walks a new security guard through it all with the schedule buried at the end.

Video game style

The Los Angeles Chargers went even longer using Halo Infinite for a reveal video lasting 6:12 and they opened with a post asking if they should make their schedule release video with the game spelling out “NO” with the words “yes.”

The Chargers reminded Baltimore of the Ravens backing out of their trade with the Raiders for Maxx Crosby.

They also made an apparent reference to Patriots coach Mike Vrabel's offseason in the headlines with a mention of "Next Photo Dump 1 Mile.”

Smells like a champion

The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks had actor Josh Lucas introducing the schedule in the form of a cologne commercial, with opponents having their own signature scents such as “Substation” for the San Francisco 49ers.

Short but sweet

Jacksonville took advantage of perhaps the most famous offseason haircut with quarterback Trevor Lawrence getting his long locks cut short on camera after introducing the Jaguars' schedule that then plays out on the screen edited down to less than 2 minutes.

Fan assistance

The Tennessee Titans went back to the streets quizzing random people in their schedule reveal in a twist to the team's 2023 schedule reveal. This time, the Titans went with “You never know who you'll see on the street” set to the Who song “Who Are You” asking random people if they were a big name with a specific opponent.

Artistic reveal tease

The Atlanta Falcons tapped the approach used by the social media account (at)ArtButMakeItSports to preview their schedule release. The Falcons had a thread Thursday morning using “Art but make it our 2026 opponents” featuring paintings for each team.

For the actual release, Atlanta went with a Falcons style “This is SportsCenter” series of commercials.

___

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

Following the trip, Trump said he had not yet made a determination on whether a major U.S. sale of arms to Taiwan can move forward. Speaking to reporters as he flew back on Air Force One, Trump said he’d not decided on the sale, but he added, “I will make a determination.”

Trump’s Republican administration has authorized the sale but it has yet to move forward. China opposes the deal and has suggested that Washington’s relationship with the self-governing island is the key factor in China-U.S. relations.

Trump said Xi told him that he was opposed to Taiwan’s independence. “I heard him out,” Trump said. “I didn’t make a comment.”

Trump also said he raised a potential three-way nuclear deal among the U.S., Russia and China. He wants each of the three countries to sign a pact that would cap the number of nuclear warheads in its arsenal. China has previously been cool to entering such a pact.

Beijing’s arsenal, according to Pentagon estimates, exceeds more than 600 operational nuclear warheads and is far from parity with the U.S. and Russia, which each are estimated to have more than 5,000 nuclear warheads. But Trump suggested Xi was receptive to the idea.

“I got a very a positive response,” Trump said. “This is the beginning.”

The last nuclear arms pact, known as the New START treaty, between Russia and the United States expired in February, removing any caps on the two largest atomic arsenals for the first time in more than a half-century. As the treaty was set to expire, Trump rejected a call by Russia to extend the two-country deal for another year and called for “a new, improved, and modernized” deal that includes China.

The Pentagon estimates China will have more than 1,000 operational nuclear warheads by 2030.

Xi welcomed Trump at his official residence, Zhongnanhai, on Friday for their final engagement of the summit before the U.S. leader’s return to Washington. The leaders took a short walk through the grounds that feature ancient trees and Chinese roses, and they strolled through a covered passageway with green columns and archways painted with birds and traditional Chinese mountain scenes.

Over tea and lunch, Trump and Xi — with top aides and translators in tow — huddled for nearly three hours of talks before the U.S. leader completed his three-day visit to China.

“It’s been really a great couple of days,” Trump told reporters.

Xi, for his part, called it a “milestone” visit. “We have established a new bilateral relationship, or rather a constructive, strategic, stable relationship,” he said.

But the optimistic outlook collides with some difficult truths about the thorniest issues between the two superpowers.

Beijing has shown little public interest in U.S. entreaties to get more involved in solving the conflict in Iran, even though Trump said in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity that Xi had in their conversations offered to help. In recent weeks, the U.S. State Department has accused Chinese firms of providing satellite imagery to the Iranian government and the Treasury Department has moved to target Chinese oil refineries accused of buying oil from Tehran, as well as shippers of the oil.

And the White House believes China can still do more to stem the flow of Chinese-made precursor chemicals into Mexico used to make illicit fentanyl that has wreaked havoc on many U.S. communities.

Xi, meanwhile, warned Trump during private talks that their differences on the self-ruled island of Taiwan, if handled poorly, could hurtle the world's dominant powers toward “clashes and even conflicts,” according to Chinese government officials.

Trump appeared impressed by the bucolic grounds, remarking the roses were the most beautiful he had ever seen. Xi promised to send him some rose seeds.

The compound is wrapped around two artificial lakes that had been built for the pleasure of emperors. Zhongnanhai is often compared to the White House, the Kremlin or South Korea’s Blue House. But unlike the other presidential residences, Zhongnanhai does not serve as the main venue for diplomatic visits. The invitation appeared to be an attempt by Xi to extend a personal touch to a U.S. leader who appreciates big gestures.

“I think he’s a warm person, actually. But he’s all business,” Trump said of Xi in the Fox News interview. “There’s no games.”

The Chinese government also bid farewell to Trump with great pomp.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi saw a smiling Trump off at the airport. And schoolchildren dressed in Air Force One's light blue and white colors waved American and Chinese flags in a coordinated movement as the U.S. president arrived to board the plane.

Taiwan remains the most important issue for China

Xi's sharp language on Taiwan loomed large over the visit, with Chinese government officials amplifying that differences on the self-ruled island pose the biggest risk to U.S.-Chinese relations.

But Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News that U.S. policy toward Taiwan was “unchanged” and cautioned that it would be “a terrible mistake” for China to try to take Taiwan by force. He also framed Xi's comments as standard practice.

“They always raise it on their side. We always make clear our position, and we move on to the other topics,” said Rubio, who was among senior aides to join Trump for the talks.

China in recent weeks has sought to put more focus on its view that Taiwan sits at the “core” of its interests and is key to ensuring a stable relationship with the U.S. Trump at moments has shown ambivalence toward Taiwan, raising speculation that he could be open to loosening ties with Taipei.

Trump has demanded Taiwan increase defense spending, and in December, the White House announced an $11 billion weapons package for Taiwan, the largest ever to the island democracy.

But the U.S. has yet to begin fulfilling the arms sales, and Trump had said he expected to discuss the matter with Xi in Beijing. He’s also groused that Taiwan “stole” America’s semiconductor business and called on Taiwan to pay the U.S. for protection.

China wants the Strait of Hormuz opened

The leaders agreed that the Strait of Hormuz — effectively closed since the start of the Iran conflict — needs to be reopened to support global energy demands About 20% of the world’s oil flowed through the strait before the war started on Feb. 28.

“We feel very similar about (how) we want it to end,” the president said with Xi at this side. “We don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon.”

White House officials say Xi was also opposed to any implementation of tolls on vessels crossing the strait and expressed interest in China potentially purchasing U.S. oil to reduce Chinese dependence on Gulf oil in the future.

Trump earlier this week had downplayed the importance of talks with Xi on the 11-week-old Iran war that has led to surging energy prices and threatens to plunge the global economy into recession if the conflict does not conclude soon.

Will Trump announce any major business deals?

The White House, ahead of the visit, insisted that Trump wouldn’t be making the trip without an eye toward securing results before he leaves, suggesting there could be announcements coming on trade.

Trump says some “fantastic trade deals” had been struck during the visit, but did not offer further details

The U.S. side had been hoping to nail down Chinese commitments to buy U.S. soybeans and beef. Trump told Fox News that Xi had indicated a commitment for China to buy 200 Boeing jets from the U.S.

___

Mistreanu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Huizhong Wu in Bangkok, Darlene Superville and Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report.

The Colombian superstar Shakira and Afrobeats icon Burna Boy have teamed up for “Dai Dai,” the official song for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

It's a mesh of their musical landscapes: Afrobeats and Latin rhythms, an undeniably global, multilingual pop track. In one verse, they name a number of the world's most famous soccer players and countries competing in this year's World Cup: “Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia,” Shakira cheers. “Mexico, Japan, Korea, Netherlands.”

After the first chorus, Shakira and Burna Boy take turns tackling their own verses, singing back and forth, before joining in a duet.

The song arrived shortly after it was announced that Shakira, Madonna and K-pop group BTS will co-headline the FIFA tournament's first-ever final halftime show on July 19 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York City. The lineup was curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin.

The show will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer.

Shakira first teased “Dai Dai” last week, sharing a minute-long teaser clip of her dancing in the center of the field of Maracaná Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. She included a snippet of the opening verse: “Here in this place / You belong,” she sang in English, a male voice harmonizing with her now identifiable as Burna Boy. “What broke you once / Made you strong.”

She is no stranger to World Cup anthems. Her song “Waka Waka (This Time For Africa)” was the official song of the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa and is widely regarded as one of the best.

It's also not uncommon for sponsors of the FIFA World Cup to release their own singles for the tournament. In March, Coca-Cola shared its own official anthem for the World Cup, a reimagination of Van Halen’s “Jump” that features Colombian singer J Balvin, drummer Travis Barker, pop/R&B singer Amber Mark and guitarist Steve Vai.

It is similarly multilingual: Balvin wrote a new verse in Spanish for the anthem, bringing in Brazilian funk and hip-hop to the classic rock staple. “‘Jump’ is not a fútbol song,” he told The Associated Press about the original track, using the Spanish word for soccer. “So that’s why I had to put the Latin love and passion for fútbol (in the lyrics).”

The World Cup is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and runs through June and July.

___

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

But Global Citizen is preparing for its most ambitious production yet: the first-ever FIFA World Cup halftime show on July 19, curated with help from Coldplay vocalist Chris Martin. Super Bowl-style performances — uncommon in soccer — will feature Madonna, Shakira and BTS. Also Thursday, Shakira released the official World Cup song “Dai Dai” featuring Afrobeats giant Burna Boy.

Organizers aim to direct the tournament's billions of projected viewers worldwide toward a humanitarian initiative launched alongside soccer's international governing body. Leveraging what Global Citizen founder Hugh Evans called the “complementary” unifying powers of soccer and music, the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund aims to raise $100 million for grassroots groups providing underserved children with access to education and sports.

“I hope that on the world’s biggest stage, finally, the importance of investing in education steals the show,” Shakira told the Global Citizen NOW summit in New York on Thursday. Later, she told The Associated Press in an interview that she wanted to help the “many children who are being left behind.”

"That should be our first concern,” Shakira said. “I’m so excited that finally we’re gonna use a global event like this one as a platform to discuss what’s most important: kids’ education.”

That push could be complicated, however, by the staggering cost of match attendance. A dollar from every World Cup ticket sale will go toward the education fund. But with tickets selling for four- to five-figures, not to mention the high price of travel and lodging, some host cities are lowering their attendance expectations.

Further complicating their message of unity is FIFA President Gianni Infantino's tightening connection to President Donald Trump, whose restrictive immigration policies and recent military pursuits amount to what critics consider an unwelcoming environment atypical of an international sporting event.

Infantino awarded FIFA’s new peace prize to Trump in December. Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter, was also appointed to the education fund's board.

Evans is not focused on politics, though. “I’m a pragmatist," he told the AP. “I’ve always believed that if we can do something so unbelievably positive, it has the potential to unite people at a time when the world needs it most.”

Thursday's Global Citizen NOW summit speakers emphasized their ability to build cross-sector support for causes like the education fund. The annual spring gathering draws entertainers, business executives and world leaders to discuss shared solutions to ending extreme poverty, oftentimes aligned with the United Nations’ ambitious list of “sustainable development goals” ranging from eliminating hunger to achieving gender equality.

They've raised $47 million so far for the education fund, according to a Thursday announcement at a Global Citizen summit in New York City. Corporate sponsors Bank of America, MetLife and Cisco put in $15 million between them, according to Evans. MetLife is donating an additional $5 for every video that fans post online of themselves juggling a soccer ball with the hashtag #FootworkForFutures.

Indian education entrepreneur Sunny Varkey and his Varkey Foundation contributed $3 million. Also being donated are ticket proceeds from The Weeknd’s high-grossing world tour as well as the joint tour recently announced by Usher and Chris Brown. Shakira announced Thursday she will donate 100% of her “Dai Dai” proceeds plus $1 from every ticket to her newly expanded tour in the United States.

Evans is now turning to heads of state for more financial support. He invited existing or future World Cup host countries to supplement funding.

“It has the potential to say to the whole world: We are global citizens... We’re all on this amazing planet together. Let’s solve the world’s biggest problems together," Evans said, adding that the move can foster a human approach rather than a “nationalistic” one.

Evans cited the 27 inaugural FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund grantees, released earlier this week, as inspiration. Among the recipients was Hit the Books, a Harlem-based nonprofit that uses mixed martial arts as the hook to provide students with additional educational resources.

The grants range from $50,000 to $250,000. Jhae Thompson, executive director of Hit the Books, said the support is meaningful because many nonprofits support hundreds of children on incredibly small budgets.

“What we are really leveraging is the foundation of what a young person needs in order to build character, to build discipline, to build confidence,” Thompson told the Global Citizen NOW audience.

Global Citizen has pursued partnerships in new regions as traditional actors including the U.S. cut their international aid budgets. That expansion includes the Middle East, represented by the addition of Mariam AlMheiri to their board.

AlMheiri, who heads the International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court of the United Arab Emirates, emphasized that “when you look at a football, everyone's happy" — a positive association she hopes will translate into support for the education fund.

Marcus Samuelsson, a multiple James Beard Award-winning chef and avid soccer fan, noted that this World Cup is spread across three different countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada. The tournament, he added, has expanded from its origins as a competition largely between South American and European nations to represent countries in Africa and Asia, too.

He hopes that wide geographic spread inspires curiosity about global issues.

““You start thinking about these countries. You maybe want to go there on vacation, maybe you want to go there, volunteer and help out. Whatever gets you going,” Samuelsson told AP. "And it can start by falling in love while watching them.”

___

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

Testigos dijeron que escucharon una balacera alrededor de las 3 a.m. y un helicóptero cerca de las 5 a.m. en el área de Royal Palm Boulevard y Riverside Drive.

Theresa Zuniga, quien vive en el área, dijo que sintió miedo al escuchar el helicóptero sobrevolando.

“Este lugar es muy tranquilo”, dijo Zuniga sobre su vecindario.

Una lona que la policía suele usar para cubrir un cuerpo estaba en el suelo en el estacionamiento del complejo de apartamentos Coral Park East.

El Departamento de Policía de Coral Springs anunció que la cercana Somerset Academy estará “cerrada por el día” y pidió al público “evitar el área”.

Esta es una noticia en desarrollo.

Reporte de la madrugada

Redes sociales relacionadas

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols didn’t rule from the bench on the plaintiffs’ request for an order blocking officials from implementing Trump’s March 31 order, his second related to elections since winning his second term in the White House. The case is one of multiple lawsuits filed to block the order on the grounds that only states and Congress, and not the president, are given power under the Constitution to decide how elections are run.

Trump's initial executive order to revamp elections by requiring documentary proof of citizenship, issued last year, was largely halted by multiplefederal judges on similar grounds. He issued his latest order only after the voting bill he backed stalled in Congress. The current legal fight comes as the country is in the midst of primary elections and election officials are preparing for the intricacies of holding the fall's midterm elections.

“I understand the time pressure here,” said Nichols, who questioned both sides but gave no clear indication of which way he's leaning.

The president can’t rewrite election rules to give himself and the Republican Party a partisan advantage, the plaintiffs’ attorneys said. They argued that the executive order’s requirements are illegal and designed to coerce states into limiting voter registration and ballot access.

“It is harming our clients every day in the middle of an election season,” said Orion Nevers, an attorney representing the NAACP.

Democrats are more likely to vote by mail. Since even before his 2020 loss, Trump has falsely implied there is mass fraud involved in the practice and fought to curtail it, even after his baseless claims led to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and were repeatedly debunked by audits and reviews, including some run by Republicans.

Since returning to office, Trump has said he wants Republicans to “take over” elections in Democratic areas and launched investigations of the 2020 vote.

His latest executive order calls on the Department of Homeland Security to make a list of eligible voters in each state and seeks to prohibit the U.S. Postal Service from sending absentee ballots to those not on each state’s approved list.

The administration is asking the judge to dismiss the plaintiffs’ claims. Justice Department attorney Stephen Pezzi on Thursday suggested that the litigation is premature, calling it “shadowboxing” for the plaintiffs to challenge a list that hasn’t yet been created.

“It’s a little hard to address these questions in the abstract,” Pezzi said.

Nichols, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, asked Pezzi why it would be lawful to disseminate the list to states.

“I think it would be the plaintiffs’ burden to explain why it’s unlawful,” Pezzi replied. “I don’t mean to be cute with that answer.”

Trump’s executive order requires federal agencies to compile a list of adults the U.S. government has purportedly “confirmed” to be U.S. citizens and to share it with each state at least 60 days before each federal election.

“There isn’t a way to lawfully compile it,” said Lalitha Madduri, an attorney for Democratic Party plaintiffs.

Danielle Lang, who represents the League of United Latin American Citizens, said the executive order is aimed at creating “the maximum amount of chaos and confusion” for local election officials.

“They need clear direction,” Lang said.

___

Riccardi reported from Denver.

He's hoping his name is still in the No. 1 spot on May 24.

The Mexican driver who finished second in 2022 and 2024 and third last year in IndyCar's biggest race of the season posted the fastest lap of the day on the third day of practice on Indy's 2.5-mile oval, going 227.308 mph. Four-time race winner Helio Castroneves, who tried his hand at Cup cars earlier this year, posted a 226.977.

“I like love the whole month, the practice days going into qualifying. The whole thing of qualifying on its own weekend, I love that," O'Ward said. “I really enjoy watching as well, and it's cool to see the big runs, big numbers and then going out there yourself and trying to beat that.”

The only thing that would be better than beating the competition in practice would be celebrating with a sip of milk after the 500.

But as O'Ward knows, Thursday's numbers don't mean much heading into qualifications Saturday and Sunday — or race day.

All 33 cars will have their power cranked up with a turbocharged boost Friday and before starting their four-lap qualifying runs Saturday.

Because of that, most teams used the six-hour practice session to work on qualifying runs, banking information on race-day setups and simply trying to get more answers about what works well and what won't during the race.

And the speeds were not nearly as quick as Wednesday when Conor Daly and defending Indy winner Alex Palou topped 228.

Only five drivers — O'Ward, Castroneves, Marcus Armstrong, Felix Rosenqvist and Alexander Rossi — hit 226.

“You couldn’t ask for better weather, not only in terms of the wind conditions, but the temperature, everything is just perfect,” Castroneves said as the Brazilian again tries to become Indy's first five-time winner. ”We know it’s going to be like this Saturday (in qualifying), but at the end of the day we felt comfortable. The starting point is one of the best balances I’ve had on qualifying weekend. We’ll see what we’ve got tomorrow.”

But speed was only part of Thursday's story.

Two-time race winner Takuma Sato posted the fastest non-tow speed at 223.828 while Team Penske teammates Scott McLaughlin and David Malukas were second and third in non-tow speeds at 223.738 and 223.391.

Rossi, the 2016 Indy winner, was the busiest driver of the day. He turned 68 laps less than 24 hours after his crew with Ed Carpenter Racing changed his engine.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Leer en español

In a statement released on Wednesday, the U.S. State Department accused the regime of refusing to accept the aid to distributed in coordination with the Catholic Church and other independent organizations.

“The United States continues to seek meaningful reforms to Cuba’s communist system, which has only served to enrich the elites and condemn the Cuban people to poverty,” a State Department spokesperson wrote in the statement.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel also released a statement on Wednesday about the failures of Cuba’s National Electric Energy System, or SEN.

“For today’s operations, a deficit of more than 2,000 MW is forecast during the peak nighttime demand period,” Díaz-Canel wrote. “This dramatic worsening has a single cause: the genocidal energy blockade to which the United States subjects our country.”

Díaz-Canel denounced President Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs against any nation that supplies Cuba with fuel and blamed “a small group of ultrarightists who have hijacked policy toward Cuba.”

Also on Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez used X to raise awareness about a group of Cuban protesters at San Miguel del Padrón, a municipality in Havana.

Giménez also shared a report about Carlos MacDonald, a political prisoner whose family fears he isn’t getting proper treatment after an alleged cancer diagnosis.

“From the United States Congress, we demand the immediate release of all political prisoners inside Cuba,” Giménez wrote on X.

Giménez also blamed the crisis on the island on corruption.

“The dictatorship in Havana denies the people the opportunity to receive more than $100 million in food directly distributed by the USA,” Giménez wrote on X. “The regime only wants to keep doing what it always does: steal the aid and profit by reselling it to the people.”

Related social media

The State Department is publicly restating the United States' generous offer to provide additional direct humanitarian assistance to the Cuban people.

The Cuban regime must decide whether to accept our offer or deny life-saving help for the Cuban people, who desperately need it.

— Department of State (@StateDept) May 13, 2026

#AHORA Cacerolazos en La Habana a pocas cuadras de la “Plaza de la Revolución”. Sin miedo.#Cuba pic.twitter.com/TB0QSG1aq3

— Cristian Crespo F. 🇨🇺 (@cristiancrespoj) May 13, 2026

⚠️⚠️#Urgente. Continúan llegando imágenes de las afueras del gobierno municipal de San Miguel del Padrón.

Protesta masiva de cubanos tocando cacerolas. pic.twitter.com/FUErLVA2L7

— Mag Jorge Castro🇨🇺 (@MagJorgeCastro) May 13, 2026

Attendeees aired concerns about what they described as systemic inequities affecting Black residents across Miami-Dade County.

Former state Sen. Dwight Bullard criticized elected officials and questioned the lack of advocacy for Black communities.

“Where is our strategic intervention as Black Floridians and Black Miamians irrespective of party affiliation,” Bullard said.

Residents also expressed frustration over voter apathy and what some called defeatist attitudes within the community.

“You tell me there was no African-American that has qualified to become a city manager?” Liberty City activist Sharon Frazier asked, criticizing recent hiring decisions for Miami’s city manager and police chief positions.

Speakers argued that qualified African Americans within local ranks were overlooked for those jobs.

Pierre Rutledge, who heads Miami-Dade’s Black Affairs Advisory Board, said leaders making hiring decisions “need to be fair and equitable.”

The town hall marked the board’s last official meeting after Florida’s new law targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs eliminated DEI standards affecting such boards and initiatives.

“There are elements of segregation that still exists within Miami-Dade County,” said attorney Stephen H. Johnson.

Johnson also pointed to what he described as institutional racism within Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, blaming it for the absence of Black cadets among the department’s newest recruits.

“When there is no voice to raise those points that it is allowed to persist — people just believe it’s natural,” he said. “This is how things have always been, so this is how things will always be.”

Attendees also raised concerns about Florida’s congressional district maps, including District 20, which some speakers said pack Black voters into a single district while reshaping neighboring districts.

The discussion included concerns that longtime U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz could potentially run in District 20 against Black Democratic candidates.

Christopher Simmons, principal of Care Elementary School in Overtown, said representation matters.

“When we don’t see representation for us, it is hurtful,” he said. “But we have got to be the change as well. We have to put ourselves in that position.”

Edward Busby Jr. was pronounced dead at 8:11 p.m. following a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, hours after the U.S. Supreme Court lifted a stay over his disabilities claims. The execution capped a series of last-minute legal efforts by Busby's attorneys seeking to spare his life.

Busby was condemned for the suffocation death of Laura Lee Crane, a retired professor from Texas Christian University. Prosecutors said she was abducted from a grocery store parking lot in January 2004 and left to suffocate in the trunk of her car with duct tape wrapped heavily around her face, covering her mouth and nose.

The execution was the 600th in Texas since it resumed carrying out the death penalty in 1982. Busby also was the fourth person executed this year in Texas and the 12th nationwide. Earlier Thursday, Oklahoma executed Raymond Johnson for killing his ex-girlfriend and her 7-month-old daughter nearly 20 years ago.

When asked by the warden if he had a final statement, Busby repeatedly apologized and asked for forgiveness.

“I am so sorry for what happened,” he said while strapped to the death chamber gurney. “Miss Crane was a lovely woman. I never meant anything bad to happen to her.” He said he wished he could “take it all back” and added he had “no right to get in that car.”

“I’ll take the blame if that helps."

He said he had surrendered his life to God and urged a sister, who was praying and watching through a window a short distance away, to find a church and “pick up your cross.”

"I’m here because this is the will of God,” he said before the injection got underway.

As the lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began flowing, he took a sharp breath, closed his eyes and gasped. Then he made snoring sounds that got progressively quieter. Within 40 seconds, all movement and sounds ceased. He was pronounced dead 38 minutes afterward.

Busby’s execution had been in doubt after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week issued a stay of execution to further review his claims of intellectual disability. But the Supreme Court overturned the stay Thursday at the request of the Texas Attorney General’s Office. The attorney general’s office had argued that similar appeals were previously rejected and were “meritless” and based on “conflicting evidence.”

Busby’s lawyers quickly sought another stay but it was denied by a lower court.

The Supreme Court in 2002 had barred the execution of intellectually disabled people. But it has given states some discretion to decide how to determine such disabilities.

Busby's attorneys had argued against putting him to death because a defense expert as well as one hired by the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted the case, both found he was intellectually disabled.

The district attorney’s office had previously recommended Busby’s sentence be reduced to life in prison. But the trial judge in Busby’s case disagreed with the findings of intellectual disability and in 2023 upheld the death sentence.

In a statement Wednesday, the district attorney's office said it requested Thursday's execution date because it believed that under current law Busy was not intellectually disabled.

Two other prior execution dates for Busby had been delayed by courts.

Prosecutors have said Busby and his co-defendant, Kathleen Latimer, abducted Crane in her car from a Fort Worth grocery store parking lot and later put in her vehicle’s trunk as they drove around. Prosecutors said she died in the trunk after suffocating from having 23 feet (7 meters) of duct tape wrapped over her entire face.

Busby was subsequently arrested in Oklahoma City driving Crane’s car and led authorities to her body in Oklahoma just north of the state line with Texas.

Latimer is in prison serving a life sentence for murder.

Bryan Mark Rigg, an author and historian who represented the Crane family as a witness to the execution, said they “neither support or oppose the death penalty. However, they are united in their respect for the rule of law.”

Rigg said as a child he was a student of Crane, who for decades helped children overcome learning disabilities and “was discarded in a field like a piece of trash.” He said the execution was not about vengeance but “accountability under the law and about remembering the life of an extraordinary educator.”

___

Lozano reported from Houston. Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://x.com/juanlozano70

The exchange at a highly anticipated summit in Beijing underscored just how far apart Trump and Xi still are on thorny issues, including the war in Iran, trade disputes and Washington’s relations with Taiwan, which is self-ruled but which China claims as part of its territory.

It also suggested that Trump’s three-day visit to China is likely to be longer on pageantry and symbolism than substantive political or economic breakthroughs.

The pair met for about two hours behind closed doors at the Great Hall of the People after an elaborate welcome ceremony featuring booming cannons, a band playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” and China’s national anthem, and hundreds of schoolchildren jumping and waving flowers and American and Chinese flags.

According to a post on X by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, Xi told Trump that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations.”

“If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” she wrote.

That comment followed a brief public exchange before the meeting began in which Trump told Xi: “You’re a great leader. Sometimes people don’t like me saying it, but I say it anyway, because it’s true.”

“It’s an honor to be your friend,” Trump said before promising that the U.S.-China relationship “is going to be better than ever before.”

Trump later told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an interview that Xi said during their conversations that he “would like to be of help” in negotiating an end to the Iran war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to oil shipments.

Xi was far more stark in his opening public remarks, expressing hope that the U.S. and China could avoid conflict and asking “whether the two countries can transcend the ‘Thucydides Trap’ and forge a new model for relations between major powers.”

That’s a term, popular in foreign policy studies, referring to the idea that when a rising power threatens to displace an established one, the result is often war. Xi has used the term for years, but using it as Trump offered optimism was noteworthy and foreshadowed his closed-door comments on Taiwan.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio later said U.S. policy toward Taiwan was “unchanged” but warned that it would be “a terrible mistake” for China to take Taiwan by force.

“They always raise it on their side. We always make clear our position, and we move on to the other topics,” Rubio, who is traveling with the president, said in an interview with NBC News.

Both emphasized the importance of China-US relations

After their meeting, Xi took Trump on a tour of the Temple of Heaven, then hosted a state banquet for him. The Chinese leader used his evening toast to note that he and Trump had kept U.S.-China relations “generally stable” in a turbulent world.

“Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand,” Xi said, referring to Trump’s political movement. “We can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world.”

In his toast, Trump said his visit had been “a great honor” punctuated by a “fantastic” day. He said matters “all good for the United States and China” were discussed.

Trump also said Xi would make a reciprocal visit to the White House on Sept. 24 — a date not previously announced.

The positive tone was reflected in the White House assessment of the earlier meetings, which said both leaders had touched on ways to enhance economic cooperation, including expanding market access for American businesses in China and increasing Chinese investment into U.S. industries.

The White House readout did not mention Taiwan directly, but, in relation to Iran, said both sides had agreed that the strait must remain open. The strait’s closure has stranded tankers and caused energy prices to spike, threatening global economic growth.

The war is dominating Trump’s domestic agenda and stoking fears about the prospect of a weakening U.S. economy as November’s midterm elections — when Republicans hope to maintain control of Congress — approach.

China is the largest purchaser of Iranian oil, and Rubio said in an interview with Fox News that Trump would make the case for Beijing to exert its influence on Iran, noting that administration officials would underscore that “economies are melting down because of this crisis,” which means consumers are “buying less Chinese product.”

It’s not clear if Trump persuaded Xi to wield his influence. The White House instead said Xi opposed any implementation of tolls on vessels crossing the strait — as Iran has proposed — and expressed interest in China potentially purchasing more U.S. oil to reduce Chinese dependence on Gulf oil in the future.

When asked Thursday at a congressional hearing whether China is providing intelligence to Iran to help it target U.S. forces, Adm. Brad Cooper, head of U.S. Central Command, would not discuss intelligence but said the Iranian military “is largely made up of Russian and Chinese equipment.”

Taiwan issues remain contentious

Xi’s warning about Taiwan reflects China’s displeasure with a U.S. plan to sell weapons to the island. The Trump administration has approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, but has yet to begin fulfilling it.

The U.S. has a longstanding commitment to help the island defend itself if attacked, but Trump has shown greater ambivalence toward Taiwan, fueling speculation about whether the president could be persuaded to dial back American support.

Taiwan said after the Xi-Trump meeting that it was grateful for Washington’s “long-term support.”

“The government views all actions that contribute to regional stability and the management of potential risks from authoritarian expansion positively,” Michelle Lee, a spokesperson for Taiwan’s premier, told reporters. She added that the U.S. “has also repeatedly reiterated its firm and clear position of support for Taiwan.”

US still hopes to secure trade wins

The White House has insisted that Trump would not be making the trip without an eye toward securing concrete results, suggesting there could be coming announcements on trade.

That likely includes a Chinese commitment to buy U.S. soybeans, beef and aircraft. Trump told Fox News that Xi had indicated a commitment to buying 200 jets from Boeing.

Trump administration officials also want to work toward establishing a board of trade with China to address commercial differences between the countries.

Trump and Xi discussed trade on Thursday, with Xi saying that China’s door of opportunity will open wider. Xi also met with a collection of U.S. business leaders who accompanied Trump.

The U.S. and China reached a trade truce last year that calmed each side’s threats to impose steep tariffs on the other. The White House says there have been ongoing discussions and mutual interest in extending the agreement.

The leaders also discussed further stemming the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals into the United States and increasing Chinese purchases of U.S. agricultural products, according to the White House.

___

Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Darlene Superville and Michelle L. Price in Washington, Simina Mistreanu in Bangkok and Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

Leer en español

Ihab Sulaiman was accused of mail theft on Monday in Miami-Dade County, according to Michael Soto, a spokesman for the United States Postal Service.

Sulaiman, 53, was arrested on Wednesday near Westchester and accused of unlawful possession of five or more identifications, according to a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office deputy’s arrest report.

Investigators found Sulaiman in a parked gray Chevrolet with mail addressed to different people near Southwest 71 Court and 19 Street, according to the arrest report.

Sulaiman was also facing charges of possession of “suspected” crystal meth, Xanax, MDMA, and marijuana, and of possession of drug paraphernalia, records show.

Surveillance video shows the recent mail theft at the Midway Gardens community, where mail had already been stolen back in February.

“We have had checks stolen, we have had property stolen, we have had credit cards stolen,” Arturo Abraeu, the homeowners’ association president at Midway Gardens, told Local 10 News on Wednesday. “As soon as we saw someone was caught, everyone was so relieved about it.”

The video shows that the thief wasn’t working alone. After throwing the stolen mail into a white sports utility vehicle, he sat in the back seat, and the driver fled.

Local 10 News Senior Assignment Editor Frine Gomez and Reporter Roy Ramos contributed to this report.

Related story: Video shows man wanted for mail thefts in Miami-Dade

Details from the arrest report

Investigators reported finding an “unopened letter from the Internal Revenue service,” an “unopened letter from Citi American Airlines AAdvantage.” an “unopened letter from T-Mobile,” an “unopened Xfinity electronic service request letter,” an “unopened Bank of America credit card letter,” and an “unopened Interamerican Bank letter,” according to the arrest report.

Investigators also reported finding an “opened Fidelity Investments letter containing account information,” an “opened Netcredit from CCBank letter,” and an “opened Pershing LLC / Janus investment fund letter.

In the suspect’s wallet, investigators found six credit cards that did not belong to him, including a Capital One Visa card with the name of a woman and two American Express credit cards.

Investigators say Sulaiman is beleved to have targeted numerous communities in South Florida.

“Thats one story, but I’m certain with this individual there are many,” said Mary Faraldo, a resident of Glenvar Heights. “This is someone who should be put away and should serve a harsh penalty.”

As of Thursday, Sulaiman remains behind bars on a $23,000 bond. If he posts bond, he will remain on house arrest and will have a curfew from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and more arrests could follow.

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

Mirlande Moltimer, 49, changed her plea in the high-profile case tied to the death of Deonte Atwell, who investigators said was starved to death at his home on Christmas Day in 2023.

Atwell weighed just 7 pounds when first responders found him, according to investigators. Prosecutors previously alleged the child was tortured as part of what they believed was a scheme to defraud Medicaid.

During Thursday’s hearing, Broward Circuit Judge Peter Holden asked Moltimer whether she was under the influence before accepting her plea.

“Miss Moltimer, I know you’re in custody, but at this time are you under the influence of any drugs, alcohol or medication?” Holden asked.

“No judge,” Moltimer replied.

Moments later, Holden addressed one of the charges against her.

“Count 15 ma’am, murder in the third degree felony, how do you wish to plead, guilty or no contest?” he asked.

“Guilty,” Moltimer responded softly.

Moltimer was among several people arrested in 2024 in connection with the case, including the child’s mother, Michelle Doe; the boy’s adult brother; his grandfather; and a nurse. Investigators said Moltimer owned a Medicare provider company connected to the allegations.

At one point during the hearing, the judge warned Moltimer about the severity of the possible punishment.

“If my math is correct, that’s 65 years of prison in Florida state that you’re looking at — do you understand that — it’s maximum penalty,” Holden said.

The plea agreement means Moltimer will not face that maximum sentence in state prison. However, she still must serve federal prison time tied to previous convictions connected to the case, followed by seven years of reporting probation.

The nonbinding memorandum of understanding among the Rays, Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa outlines the costs of a stadium, which would include $967 million of tax dollars. Elected officials for the city and county are expected to vote on the deal at separate meetings next week.

“The Rays respectfully but resolutely encourage Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa to approve the MOU and make possible a Forever Home for our community’s Tampa Bay Rays, breathe new life into the Dale Mabry Campus of Hillsborough College, and create a new privately financed neighborhood that will be an inviting and inclusive destination to work, live, learn, and play," Rays CEO Ken Babby said in a statement.

The Rays ownership reached an agreement earlier this year with Hillsborough College to build the stadium and mixed-use entertainment district on the college campus and to renovate some of the college's buildings. The property is located next to the New York Yankees’ spring training facility and across a highway from Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Rays have said they hope to have the new stadium built within three years.

Since the team took the field in 1998, the Rays have played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, except for moving home games to the Yankees' Steinbrenner Field in 2025 following hurricane damage at the Trop. The Rays lease runs through at least the 2028 season. The team returned to the Trop last month for the start of this season.

A proposed $1.3 billion redevelopment deal for a new ballpark adjacent to the Trop fell through last year, raising new questions about the future of the team, which was bought last September by Patrick Zalupski’s ownership group.

___

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

Leer en español

Readon’s release comes as New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church is publicly welcoming him back.

A flyer circulating online advertises a “Readon Returns” worship service scheduled for Sunday from 8:45 a.m. to 10 a.m. at 2801 NW 170th St. in Miami Gardens. The flyer features Readon in a suit alongside the words “Readon Returns” and identifies him as “Pastor Eric Readon.”

Court records show Readon pleaded guilty in June 2025 to exploitation of an elderly person after prosecutors accused him of illegally taking control of Fuller’s home and selling it without Fuller realizing what had happened. Fuller, who was in his late 70s at the time the investigation began, had trusted Readon as a pastor and spiritual adviser.

The case drew widespread attention after Local 10 News began investigating allegations that Fuller had effectively lost ownership of his longtime home while under Readon’s influence.

Reporting over several years detailed allegations that documents transferring the property had been signed and that the home was later sold, leaving Fuller without the house he believed he still owned.

As part of a negotiated plea agreement, Readon was sentenced to 364 days in jail, followed by 15 years of probation. He was also ordered to pay $180,000 in restitution to Fuller.

Readon surrendered on July 15, 2025, to begin serving the sentence. Because jail inmates can receive credit for time served and gain-time reductions, his release at this point, after serving 303 days of a 364-day sentence, is consistent with the sentence imposed.

During earlier court proceedings, prosecutors argued that Readon used his position of trust to financially exploit Fuller. Readon later attempted to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming his attorney pressured him into accepting the deal and failed to properly prepare the case for trial.

That effort was rejected by Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Christine Hernández, who ruled that the evidence showed Readon knowingly and voluntarily accepted the plea agreement. Hernández pointed to extensive communication between Readon and his attorney before the plea and said the evidence did not support claims that he had been forced into the deal.

The judge also noted that Readon told the court during his plea hearing that he understood the agreement and that no one had threatened or pressured him into taking it.

Now, following his release, Readon appears poised to return to ministry.

The church flyer promoting Sunday’s service lists the Northwest 170th Street address associated with New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church in Miami Gardens and encourages worshippers to attend the event marking Readon’s return.

It remains unclear what formal role Readon will have at the church moving forward or whether any conditions of his probation restrict his activities. It is also unclear how much of the court-ordered restitution to Fuller has been paid.

La liberación de Readon ocurre mientras la iglesia New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church le da públicamente la bienvenida de regreso.

Un volante que circula en internet anuncia un servicio religioso “Readon Returns” programado para el domingo de 8:45 a.m. a 10 a.m. en 2801 NW 170th St. en Miami Gardens. El volante muestra a Readon usando un traje junto a las palabras “Readon Returns” y lo identifica como “Pastor Eric Readon”.

Los registros judiciales muestran que Readon se declaró culpable en junio de 2025 de explotación de una persona mayor después de que fiscales lo acusaran de tomar ilegalmente el control de la casa de Fuller y venderla sin que Fuller se diera cuenta de lo ocurrido. Fuller, quien tenía casi 80 años cuando comenzó la investigación, confiaba en Readon como pastor y asesor espiritual.

El caso atrajo amplia atención después de que Local 10 News comenzara a investigar las acusaciones de que Fuller efectivamente perdió la propiedad de su casa de muchos años mientras estaba bajo la influencia de Readon.

Los reportes durante varios años detallaron acusaciones de que se firmaron documentos transfiriendo la propiedad y que la casa fue vendida posteriormente, dejando a Fuller sin la vivienda que creía seguir poseyendo.

Como parte de un acuerdo negociado, Readon fue condenado a 364 días de cárcel, seguidos de 15 años de libertad condicional. También se le ordenó pagar $180,000 USD en restitución a Fuller.

Readon se entregó el 15 de julio de 2025 para comenzar a cumplir la condena. Debido a que los reclusos pueden recibir crédito por tiempo cumplido y reducciones de condena, su liberación en este momento, después de cumplir 303 días de una sentencia de 364 días, es consistente con la condena impuesta.

Durante procedimientos judiciales anteriores, los fiscales argumentaron que Readon utilizó su posición de confianza para explotar financieramente a Fuller. Más adelante, Readon intentó retirar su declaración de culpabilidad alegando que su abogado lo presionó para aceptar el acuerdo y no preparó adecuadamente el caso para juicio.

Ese intento fue rechazado por la jueza del circuito de Miami-Dade Christine Hernández, quien determinó que la evidencia demostraba que Readon aceptó el acuerdo de culpabilidad de manera consciente y voluntaria. Hernández señaló extensas comunicaciones entre Readon y su abogado antes del acuerdo y dijo que la evidencia no respaldaba las acusaciones de que había sido obligado a aceptarlo.

La jueza también señaló que Readon le dijo al tribunal durante la audiencia de declaración de culpabilidad que entendía el acuerdo y que nadie lo había amenazado ni presionado para aceptarlo.

Ahora, tras su liberación, Readon parece estar listo para regresar al ministerio.

El volante de la iglesia promoviendo el servicio del domingo incluye la dirección de Northwest 170th Street asociada con New Beginning Missionary Baptist Church en Miami Gardens e invita a los fieles a asistir al evento que marca el regreso de Readon.

No está claro qué rol formal tendrá Readon en la iglesia en adelante ni si alguna condición de su libertad condicional restringe sus actividades. Tampoco está claro cuánto de la restitución ordenada por el tribunal a Fuller ha sido pagada.

Edwards, serving his second term in the House, said he welcomed the inquiry and planned to fully cooperate with the committee.

“I am confident the investigation will expose the facts, not politically motivated fiction,” Edwards said.

The investigation follows an Axios report stating that three sources told the publication that they witnessed conduct by Edwards toward two female staffers in their 20s that they described as inappropriate. The sources said Edwards’ behavior crossed professional boundaries and created an uncomfortable work environment. Axios said the sources were granted anonymity to protect against retaliation.

The Ethics Committee said in its investigation announcement that it would make no further public comment on the matter and that disclosing the review does not, by itself, indicate that any violation occurred.

The committee's investigation comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of lawmakers’ behavior toward female staffers following the resignations of Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell and Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales. Both were facing calls for their expulsion before they stepped down.

Republican U.S. Rep. Max Miller filed a defamation lawsuit against Emily Moreno, his one-time spouse, on Wednesday in Cleveland, citing “the considerable reputational and financial harm” caused to him by her accusations that he was “a violent and abusive husband and father.”

Miller, a two-term congressman up for reelection this fall, alleges that Moreno, her attorney Andrew Zashin and his law firm have engaged in a defamatory campaign against him by spreading knowingly false information about him to media outlets including The Daily Mail, a British tabloid, and the New York Post. The action contends that the resulting damage to his reputation undermines his chances of reelection.

Those outlets have “circulation measured in the tens of millions of print and online readership,” the complaint states, and their articles have been read, viewed or discussed by Miller's constituents, his congressional colleagues, ”his political supporters and donors, the media, and the general public.”

The suit seeks compensatory damages in excess of $25,000, punitive damages sufficient to deter future similar conduct and attorney's fees.

“Congressman Miller is seeking to hold those responsible accountable and to obtain damages for the significant personal, professional, and political harm that he has suffered,” his spokesman said in a statement.

Zashin declined comment.

The incident brings to mind a similar situation that played out as Miller, a White House aide to President Donald Trump during the Republican's first term, made his first run for Congress in 2021.

Miller's former girlfriend, one-time White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, raised allegations in her book and in a Washington Post op-ed at the time that a former White House staffer later identified as Miller had physically abused her while they were dating. Miller responded by filing a defamation lawsuit against her. He voluntarily dismissed the suit with prejudice in August 2023, just before the case was set to go to trial.

Moreno’s spokesperson, Stefan Mychajliw, cited the earlier lawsuit in a statement Thursday.

“Mr. Miller is upset because he’s tried to silence Emily Moreno the same way he silenced Stephanie Grisham — and Emily won’t let him," he said, suggesting Miller is "running the same playbook against a woman with photographs of her bruises and burns.” He added, “Mr. Miller will not silence Ms. Moreno.”

Miller married Emily Moreno in 2022. They had a daughter in 2023.

He filed for divorce in August 2024, as her father, Bernie, was making a successful run for U.S. Senate backed by Trump. The abuse allegations — most recently, Moreno said Miller threw boiling water at her, an allegation he denies — come amid a messy custody battle that has included Miller seeking a restraining order against his ex-wife and subpoenaing the senator to testify. The divorce was finalized last June.

Miller's spokesperson provided documentation that several allegations that he had abused his daughter were investigated by the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services and deemed unsubstantiated.

Amid the drama, Democrat Brian Poindexter, a five-term local councilman and union ironworker, is looking to oust Miller and flip Ohio's 7th Congressional District in November.

“We can disagree on all sorts of things, but we’ve got to have something in common or we don’t have a country,” Thomas said at a judicial conference near Miami. “These documents, our founding documents, our founding history, whether we think it’s perfect or it shouldn’t be amended, or we might disagree about how far it goes, but we can say this is something that we all treasure.”

Thomas' remarks came in response to an interview with one of his former Supreme Court clerks, Kasdin Mitchell, who was nominated this month by President Donald Trump to serve on the federal bench in Dallas.

Thomas — who recently became the second longest-serving justice in Supreme Court history — looked back on his upbringing in the segregated South and his more than three decades on the high court.

But he gave no indication that, at age 77, he is looking to retire anytime soon and give President Trump the opportunity to further cement his influence on the Supreme Court and nominate his fourth justice, the most of any president in almost a century.

“Justice Marshall said you take a job for life, you do it for life,” referring to Thurgood Marshall, the Supreme Court's first African American justice, who Thomas replaced on the high court.

But he said his long tenure had given him a unique perspective on the cynicism that pervades so much of society and contributes to Americans' distrust in government.

He spoke about the example set by his grandfather, the son of a freed slave with barely any formal education, to describe his judicial philosophy in a limited form of government.

“One of the rods in this society versus so many of the others where the rights are parceled down by a government is that we were taught from the cradle that we were equal in God’s eyes, that was self-evident," said Thomas. "If you look at Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King or Abraham Lincoln, they all speak in terms of these transcendent rights beyond the ability of man to take away even though man had the power to infringe upon them.”

Kristi House es una organización sin fines de lucro con sede en Miami que brinda atención informada sobre trauma a víctimas de trata de personas.

La comunidad de agencias del orden y fiscales del condado Miami-Dade se está preparando para la Copa Mundial de la FIFA y lanzando una campaña de concienciación.

“(Estamos) logrando que las personas literalmente se preocupen unas por otras en la sociedad”, dijo Philippa King, subdirectora ejecutiva de It’s a Penalty.

Los pasajeros que lleguen al Aeropuerto Internacional de Miami en importantes aerolíneas, incluyendo American Airlines, verán un video durante su vuelo sobre seguridad relacionada con la trata de personas.

“Un joven vio el video y pidió ayuda”, dijo King. “Ayudamos a salvar una vida”.

Un portavoz de Uber dijo que están implementando recursos dentro de la aplicación y material educativo para conductores, otro grupo clave que puede ayudar en este esfuerzo multisectorial que incluye trabajadores de primera línea de la TSA, empleados de hoteles y hospitalidad y personal de estadios.

“Los hoteles pueden ser explotados por traficantes que quieren esconderse en las sombras”, dijo Glenn Sampert, gerente general del InterContinental Miami by IHG.

Los funcionarios hablaron sobre algunas de las señales de alerta que deben observarse, incluyendo mujeres que dependen de un hombre y parecen estar muy ligadas a ellos y que no tienen acceso a documentos o dinero para comprar artículos.

CÓMO REPORTAR ACTIVIDAD SOSPECHOSA

Llame: 305-349-7867 (305-FIX-STOP)

Si está en peligro inmediato, llame al 911.

Línea Nacional contra la Trata de Personas: 1-888-373-7888

Texto: 233733 (BEFREE)

humantraffickinghotline.org

Centro Nacional para Niños Desaparecidos y Explotados

1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678)

CyberTipline: https://itsapenalty.org/na2026/usa/miami/

Leer en español

According to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officials, the man, who was in his 70s, was working in a tree in the 700 block of Northeast 15th Court when the incident occurred.

First responders transported him to Broward Health Medical Center as a trauma alert, where he later died from his injuries.

No other details about the victim were immediately released.

The verdict, reached Wednesday after a trial in federal court in Chicago, resolves one of the last remaining wrongful death lawsuits filed in connection with the disaster that killed all 157 people aboard Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302.

Samya Stumo, who grew up in Sheffield, Massachusetts, had recently joined a nonprofit focused on strengthening health systems in developing countries. A 2015 graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, she was traveling to Uganda for what would have been her first major project with the organization when the plane crashed minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa on March 10, 2019.

A spokesperson for UMass after the crash described her as someone known “for engaging others by earning their respect, friendship and trust.”

Jurors awarded $21 million for the pain and suffering and emotional distress that Stumo experienced aboard the doomed flight, $16.5 million for the loss of companionship suffered by her family and $12 million for their grief, according to attorneys representing her estate.

“We are gratified for the opportunity to try the compensatory damages case," attorneys Shanin Specter and Elizabeth Crawford said in a statement Wednesday evening announcing the verdict.

It is the second verdict tied to the crash. Boeing has reached confidential pre-trial settlements in most of the dozens of wrongful death lawsuits filed in connection with the Ethiopian Airlines disaster and a similar 737 Max crash five months earlier off the coast of Indonesia that together killed 346 people.

The fatal crashes became a defining crisis for Boeing and the 737 Max program. Investigators found that a flight-control system repeatedly forced the nose of the then-new planes downward based on faulty readings from a single sensor, and pilots in both crashes were unable to regain control.

The verdict follows a November 2025 jury award of $28.45 million to the family of Shikha Garg, a United Nations environmental consultant who also died in the 2019 crash. That case marked the first civil jury trial stemming from the disaster, with jurors similarly tasked only with calculating damages because Boeing has accepted liability.

“We are deeply sorry to all who lost loved ones on Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302. While we have resolved nearly all of these claims through settlements, families are entitled to pursue their claims through the court process, and we respect their right to do so," a Boeing spokesperson said Thursday in a statement.

The Ethiopian Airlines crash prompted a worldwide grounding of the 737 Max that lasted more than a year and triggered multiple investigations into Boeing’s safety culture and regulatory oversight.

Federal prosecutors later charged Boeing with misleading regulators about the Max's flight-control system, though in November, the federal judge in Texas overseeing the long-running criminal case approved a Justice Department request to dismiss it. Prosecutors reached an agreement with Boeing, requiring the company to invest an additional $1 billion in fines, family compensation and safety improvements.

Stumo’s family has been among the most outspoken relatives seeking accountability from Boeing and changes to federal aviation oversight. Her father, Michael Stumo, has publicly pressed Boeing, regulators and Congress over what families viewed as failures that allowed the 737 Max to keep flying after the first crash off the coast of Indonesia.

The court’s order allows women seeking abortions to continue obtaining the drug, mifepristone, at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor. Access is likely to remain uninterrupted at least until into next year as the case plays out, including a potential appeal to the high court.

The justices granted emergency requests from makers of mifepristone, who are appealing a federal appeals court ruling that would require women to see a doctor in person and halt delivery of mifepristone through the mail. The federal Food and Drug Administration, which first approved mifepristone for use in abortion in 2000, stopped requiring in-person visits five years ago.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented, with Thomas writing that the two companies, Danco Laboratories and GenBioPro, are not entitled to the court's action to spare them “lost profits from their criminal enterprise.”

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

Earlier this week, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned after months of criticism from Trump’s political allies, including abortion opponents.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and similarly aligned groups had called on Trump to fire Makary over the slow pace of the mifepristone review.

The court is dealing with its latest abortion controversy four years after its conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade and allowed more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.

The case before the court stems from a lawsuit Louisiana filed to roll back the Food and Drug Administration’s rules on how mifepristone can be prescribed. The state claims that the policy undermines the ban there, and it questions the safety of the drug, which has repeatedly been deemed safe and effective by FDA scientists.

Alito, who wrote the opinion overturning Roe, agreed that the state's efforts have been thwarted by medical providers and private organizations that mail the pills to women in Louisiana, despite the abortion ban. Danco and GenBioPro “are obviously aware of what is going on yet nevertheless supply the drug and reap profits from its felonious use in Louisiana,” he wrote.

Thomas said those who mail the pills are in violation of the Comstock Act, a 19th-century law that has long gone unenforced and bans mailing any “article, instrument, substance, drug, medicine, or thing which is advertised or described in a manner calculated to lead another to use or apply it for producing abortion.”

Lower courts concluded that Louisiana is likely to prevail, and a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that mail access and telehealth visits should be suspended while the case plays out.

The drug is most often used for abortion in combination with another drug, misoprostol. Medication abortions accounted for nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. in 2023, the last year for which statistics are available.

Telehealth prescribers were prepared to switch to sending abortion patients a regimen that uses only misoprostol.

While Thursday’s ruling keeps the status quo in place for now, abortion-rights advocates warn that the case isn’t settled forever.

“We are relieved that access to mifepristone remains protected for now, but this should never have been on the table in the first place,” Serra Sippel, executive director of The Brigid Alliance, which helps coordinate and fund travel and other logistics to assist women traveling for abortion, said in a statement. “Patients and providers should not be forced to wait on court rulings to know whether people can access critical health care.”

The decision is “extremely disappointing” but not a defeat, said Gavin Oxley, a spokesperson for the anti-abortion advocacy group Americans United for Life. “The Supreme Court still has the opportunity to hear the case in full and bring justice to Louisiana,” he said.

The current dispute is similar to one that reached the court three years ago, when the justices blocked a 5th Circuit ruling in a suit filed by anti-abortion doctors and kept mifepristone widely available, over dissents from Alito and Thomas.

Then, in 2024, the high court unanimously dismissed the doctors’ suit, reasoning they did not have the legal right, or standing, to sue.

In the current dispute, mainstream medical groups, the pharmaceutical industry and Democratic members of Congress have weighed in cautioning the court against limiting access to the drug. Pharmaceutical companies said a ruling for abortion opponents would upend the drug approval process.

Debate over the safety of mifepristone has churned for more than 25 years. The FDA has eased a number of restrictions initially placed on the drug, including who can prescribe it, how it is dispensed and what kinds of safety complications must be reported.

Despite those determinations, anti-abortion groups have filed a series of petitions and lawsuits against the agency, generally alleging that it violated federal law by overlooking safety issues with the pill.

Trump’s administration has been unusually quiet at the Supreme Court. It declined to file a written brief recommending what the court should do, even though federal regulations are at issue.

The case puts the administration in a difficult place. Trump has relied on the political support of anti-abortion groups but has also seen ballot question and poll results that show Americans generally support abortion rights.

Both sides took the administration’s silence as an implicit endorsement of the appellate ruling.

___

Associated Press writer Ali Swenson contributed to this report from New York. Mulvihill reported from Haddonfield, N.J.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court.

Ratcliffe se reunió con Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, el ministro del Interior, Lázaro Álvarez Casas, y el jefe de los servicios de inteligencia cubanos, y abordaron temas de cooperación en materia de inteligencia, estabilidad económica y seguridad. Un funcionario de la CIA confirmó las reuniones a The Associated Press.

Ratcliffe estuvo allí “para transmitir personalmente el mensaje del presidente Donald Trump de que Estados Unidos está dispuesto a colaborar seriamente en temas económicos y de seguridad, pero solo si Cuba realiza cambios fundamentales”, declaró el funcionario de la CIA.

Un comunicado oficial de la isla caribeña, en tanto, indicó que el encuentro tuvo lugar “en un contexto caracterizado por la complejidad de las relaciones bilaterales” y en “aras de contribuir a un diálogo político”.

Las administraciones de ambos países han reconocido que mantienen conversaciones luego de un radical incremento de las tensiones binacionales y la imposición de un cerco energético por parte de Estados Unidos, considerada la más dura de las medidas dispuestas recientemente por el presidente Trump para presionar a un cambio político en Cuba.

Mientras Estados Unidos recalcó que Cuba no puede seguir siendo un “refugio seguro para adversarios en el hemisferio occidental”, la delegación cubana en la reunión con el director de la CIA insistió en que la isla no representa ninguna amenaza para la seguridad estadounidense. Los funcionarios cubanos también cuestionaron la continua inclusión del país en la lista estadounidense de países patrocinadores del terrorismo.

Rodríguez Castro se reunió previamente en secreto con el secretario de Estado estadounidense, Marco Rubio, en el marco de una cumbre de la Comunidad del Caribe en San Cristóbal y Nieves en febrero. Si bien nunca ha ocupado un cargo gubernamental, fue guardaespaldas de su abuelo y posteriormente jefe del equivalente cubano del Servicio Secreto.

La reunión del jueves se produce semanas después de que el gobierno cubano confirmara haberse reunido recientemente con funcionarios estadounidenses en la isla, en medio de las tensiones entre ambos países.

La tensión persiste debido al bloqueo energético estadounidense contra Cuba, país caribeño, y al colapso de su red eléctrica, que ha provocado el corte del suministro a sus provincias orientales. El bloqueo estadounidense de combustible a la isla ha agravado sus problemas económicos, con reducción de las horas de trabajo y deterioro de los alimentos debido a la avería de los refrigeradores.

A principios de esta semana, el Departamento de Estado estadounidense reiteró que proporcionará a Cuba 100 millones de dólares en ayuda humanitaria y apoyo para internet satelital “si el régimen cubano lo permite”.

“Aún tomando en cuenta la incongruencia de la aparente generosidad de parte de quien somete al pueblo cubano a un castigo colectivo por medio de la guerra económica, el gobierno cubano no tiene como práctica rechazar ayuda extranjera que se ofrece de buena fe”, expresó el canciller Bruno Rodríguez el jueves en su cuenta de X.

————-

Tucker reportó desde Washington DC.

Legislation passed unanimously by the Senate on Thursday would allow Capitol Police officers to apply to extend their service until age 62, while a bill passed by the House earlier this year would allow them to serve until age 65. That would raise the current age from 60 for officers who apply for waivers to work beyond the legal forced retirement age of 57 or after 20 years of service, whichever comes later.

Raising the age could help the Capitol Police force stem personnel shortages, which Chief Michael Sullivan told Congress earlier this year “span all operational units.”

“We have 300 officers right now that could say I’m done, I’m ready to walk away,” Sullivan told House, appropriators in March, as officers hit their age limit or 20 years of service. “That would be catastrophic for us.”

California Sen. Alex Padilla, the top Democrat on the Senate Rules Committee, authored the bipartisan bill with Senate Rules Committee Chairman Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. Padilla said the legislation is a modest step as increased security measures are put in place to address the rise in threats.

By keeping older officers on the force, Padilla said, “we’re talking about officers who have served for a long, long time and have a tremendous amount of institutional memory, experience and expertise."

“After bicameral and bipartisan discussions, I hope to see this measure signed into law,” Padilla said.

Nearly 60 sworn officers are already working on a retirement waiver, according to the House Administration Committee, more than double the size of a typical USCP recruitment class.

“No officer should be forced to retire when they can still do the job,” said Republican Rep. Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, the chairman of that panel.

Capitol Police has struggled to maintain officers

The Capitol Police has made improvements across the board since widespread security failures on Jan. 6, 2021, when the force was overwhelmed by thousands of President Donald Trump’s supporters who swarmed the grounds and broke into the building as they violently protested his defeat. Many officers left the department afterward, and retention and budget struggles remain.

The department’s budget request this year topped $1 billion for the first time as department leaders look to hire more officers and better protect members. Sullivan told lawmakers that the department has around 1,250 uniformed officers and needs 150 more to staff every post without paying overtime.

“I’m concerned with the overtime that we put on our folks every single day,” Sullivan said in the March oversight hearing. “There’s drafts on a consistent basis and it pushes the men and women that we have to the limit.”

Funding for the department’s protective intelligence, which protects members, is “very slim,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said a number of officers have left the force for other federal agencies that have better benefits.

“There’s nothing keeping folks here,” he said.

Huge spike in lawmaker threats taxes police force

Part of the reason for the shortages is the increased need for member protection. Threats against lawmakers have more than doubled in the last five years.

According to the department, almost 15,000 threats were investigated against members of Congress in 2025, a 58 percent increase from 2024. Sullivan said that the number of threats in 2026 is on track to be even higher.

The department has overhauled its security measures for members, boosting security for lawmakers and their families in districts around the country, and is working with local police departments that it reimburses. A January report said the force has seen an increase in reporting after a new center was launched two years ago to receive and process threat reports.

Lawmakers in both parties receive a “wide range of threats,” the report said.

All of that requires more personnel and experience, Sullivan said.

“While we focus on those individuals at the beginning of their career, we also need to focus on that experience that’s at the end of their career,” he told lawmakers.

Según funcionarios de Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, la víctima, un hombre de unos 70 años, trabajaba en un árbol en la cuadra 700 de Northeast 15th Court cuando ocurrió el incidente.

Los rescatistas trasladaron a la víctima al Broward Health Medical Center como alerta de trauma. Su condición exacta aún no ha sido divulgada.

Ihab Sulaiman fue acusado de robo de correo el lunes en el condado Miami-Dade, según Michael Soto, portavoz del Servicio Postal de Estados Unidos.

Sulaiman, de 53 años, fue arrestado el miércoles cerca de Westchester y acusado de posesión ilegal de cinco o más identificaciones, según un reporte de arresto de un agente de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade.

Los investigadores encontraron a Sulaiman dentro de un Chevrolet gris estacionado con correspondencia dirigida a diferentes personas cerca de Southwest 71 Court y 19 Street, según el reporte de arresto.

Sulaiman también enfrentaba cargos por posesión de metanfetamina cristalina “sospechosa”, Xanax, MDMA y marihuana, además de posesión de parafernalia de drogas, muestran los registros.

Un video de vigilancia muestra el reciente robo de correo en la comunidad Midway Gardens, donde ya habían robado correspondencia en febrero.

“Hemos tenido cheques robados, hemos tenido propiedad robada, hemos tenido tarjetas de crédito robadas”, dijo Arturo Abraeu, presidente de la asociación de propietarios de Midway Gardens, a Local 10 News el miércoles.

El video muestra que el ladrón no actuaba solo. Después de lanzar el correo robado dentro de una camioneta SUV blanca, se sentó en el asiento trasero y el conductor huyó.

La editora sénior de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Frine Gomez, y el reportero Roy Ramos contribuyeron a este reporte.

Historia relacionada: Video muestra a hombre buscado por robos de correo en Miami-Dade

Detalles del reporte de arresto

Los investigadores reportaron haber encontrado una “carta sin abrir del Servicio de Impuestos Internos”, una “carta sin abrir de Citi American Airlines AAdvantage”, una “carta sin abrir de T-Mobile”, una “carta sin abrir de solicitud de servicio electrónico de Xfinity”, una “carta sin abrir de tarjeta de crédito de Bank of America” y una “carta sin abrir de Interamerican Bank”, según el reporte de arresto.

Los investigadores también reportaron haber encontrado una “carta abierta de Fidelity Investments con información de cuenta”, una “carta abierta de Netcredit de CCBank” y una “carta abierta de fondo de inversión Pershing LLC / Janus”.

Dentro de la billetera del sospechoso, los investigadores encontraron seis tarjetas de crédito que no le pertenecían, incluyendo una tarjeta Visa Capital One con el nombre de una mujer y dos tarjetas American Express.

Familiares de Jonathan Torres, un joven autista de 18 años de Texas, dicen que le encantaba la idea y el atractivo de Miami.

Ahora creen que está desaparecido en algún lugar de la ciudad o sus alrededores.

La Policía de Miami Beach emitió una alerta de persona desaparecida para Torres, quien presuntamente se hospedó en un hotel cerca de Harding Avenue y 73rd Street la semana pasada.

“Está absolutamente enamorado de Miami”, dijo su abuela Michelle Lowe-Christensen. “Como persona autista, se obsesiona mucho”.

Lowe-Christensen está publicando videos que se han vuelto virales en TikTok sobre su nieto desaparecido. Ahora se encuentra en el sur de Florida para buscarlo.

Dijo a Local 10 News que Torres dejó su trabajo en un lavadero de autos a principios de la semana pasada y reservó un vuelo de último minuto a Miami, después de una escala en Denver.

Cuando Torres no llegó a la casa donde vive con su padre en Austin y nunca respondió llamadas telefónicas, la familia comenzó a rastrear su teléfono. Dijeron que también tienen acceso a sus iMessages y a su cuenta bancaria.

La familia dijo que el joven de 18 años es funcionalmente independiente, pero muy confiado.

“No siente miedo. Ve a todas las personas como amigables”, dijo Lowe-Christensen.

Creen que fue al Dadeland Mall el viernes y dijeron que los registros bancarios muestran que compró ropa.

Más tarde en la noche, su teléfono registró ubicación en el área de Brickell y luego en Downtown Miami la mañana del sábado, dijo Lowe-Christensen.

Las aplicaciones de rastreo dejaron de funcionar después de eso.

La Policía de Miami Beach pide a cualquier persona de la comunidad que reconozca a Torres que llame al (305) 673-7900.

Ocurrió el domingo en la tarde en el área de Northeast 142nd Street y Sixth Avenue en North Miami.

La policía dijo que llegó al lugar y encontró a un hombre sangrando profusamente de una mano mientras sujetaba a otro hombre contra una cerca.

Según las autoridades, el hombre que sangraba, Bryant Toletino, es la víctima en este caso.

Incluso se le escucha diciéndole al sospechoso, Ariel Alvarez, de 31 años, que no actuara como la víctima.

La policía dijo que Toletino fue atacado por Alvarez con un machete.

Las autoridades dijeron que la víctima estaba visitando a un amigo y Alvarez estaba afuera del apartamento. Ambos se conocían del vecindario, dijeron los agentes.

Los dos hombres estaban conversando y luego Toletino dijo que Alvarez simplemente perdió el control.

La policía dijo que Alvarez les dijo que actuó en defensa propia, pero indicaron que el video de vigilancia contó otra historia.

Alvarez ahora enfrenta un cargo grave de agresión agravada con un arma mortal.

He struggled mightily off the tee, a recipe for trouble at Aronimink. He was tentative over his putts, with three misses from the 7-foot range that could have made him feel a lot better.

The result was a 4-over 74 that left McIlroy chasing the wrong kind of history as the Masters champion goes for the second leg of the calendar Grand Slam. Not since the late Payne Stewart in 1989 has a player started the PGA Championship with a 74 and gone on to win.

The question by a PGA of America moderator when it was over sounded innocuous: “How would you describe your opening round?” The response was one word. A four-letter stinky word.

McIlroy had said earlier this week at Aronimink that “strategy off the tee is pretty nonexistent. It's basically bash driver down there and then figure it out from there."

He never quite figured it out Thursday.

McIlroy was hanging around par for so much of the day, right there with Jordan Spieth and Jon Rahm in his group, not bad golf given the testing conditions at Aronimink.

But he started missing fairways — a lot of them.

His lone bogey on his front nine came on the opening hole from the right rough — he managed to only get that scooting down the fairway. But the miss to the right on the par-4 fourth (his 13th of the day) cost him another bogey. He holed a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fifth. All was well.

And then it wasn't.

“I missed the fairway right on 4, the fairway right on 6, the fairway right on 7, fairway right on 9,” he said. "From there, it’s hard. I didn’t have great angles, either. Then obviously you start missing it just off the edges of these greens, it gets tricky.

“I just got on that bogey train at the end.”

McIlroy also opened with a 74 at Quail Hollow in the PGA Championship last year, his first round as the Masters champion. The frustrations were different. A year ago, he was irritated about learning the face of his driver had become too thin to conform to regulations (and then even more irritated when the news was leaked to the media without context).

This was simply a weakness in his game he thought he had corrected.

“I’m just not driving the ball well enough. It’s been a problem all year for the most part,” McIlroy said. “I miss it right, and then I want to try to correct it. And then I’ll overdo it, and I’ll miss it left. It’s a little bit of back and forth that way. So that’s pretty frustrating, especially when I pride myself on driving the ball well.”

He hit only five of the 14 fairways. He was in the short grass on No. 1 after making the turn. He played from the rough the rest of the round. McIlroy was in the hay right of the seventh hole and could only manage to hack that across the fairway into more rough on the left, leaving him 15 feet for par that he didn't convert.

His final hole was the par-5 ninth, another drive that sailed right. From there, he put it in the worst spot — a bunker 67 yards from the pin — and barely got that onto the green, leaving him 70 feet a way for birdie. He ran that 8 feet by and missed it coming back.

As for that blister causing problems, McIlroy offered another one-word answer: “No.”

This was about his driver, mainly, which McIlroy felt good about after his final round Sunday in the Truist Championship, and the 12 holes of practice at Aronimink he played this week.

“I honestly thought I’d figured it out,” he said. “Just once I get under the gun, it just seems like it starts to go a little bit wayward on me.”

___

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

During his nearly 30 years behind bars, Glossip came so close to execution multiple times that he was served “last meals” on three separate occasions in 2015. He has long insisted he is innocent in the murder of his former boss, Oklahoma motel owner Barry Van Treese. The U.S. Supreme Court threw out his conviction and death sentence last year.

Here is a look at key events in Glossip's case and appeals.

Jan. 7, 1997: Barry Van Treese is beaten to death at an Oklahoma City motel that he owned. Two of his employees, Justin Sneed and Richard Glossip, are soon arrested in connection with the killing.

Aug. 14, 1998: Glossip is convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Prosecutors argue at his trial that Van Treese was killed in a murder-for-hire scheme. Motel handyman Sneed testified that he killed their boss after Glossip promised to pay him $10,000.

July 17, 2001: The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals throws out Glossip's murder conviction and orders him a new trial.

Aug. 27, 2004: Glossip is sentenced to death again after second trial ends with a new murder conviction.

April 29, 2014: Oklahoma uses the surgical sedative midazolam for the first time during the execution of Clayton Lockett, who writhes and groans on the gurney. The execution process gets halted, but Lockett dies 43 minutes later. The state later blames an improperly placed intravenous line, not the new drug mix.

Nov. 20, 2014: Glossip’s scheduled execution is delayed to allow Oklahoma to obtain drugs and train staff on a new protocol.

Jan. 28, 2015: After Glossip has been served what is supposed to be his final meal, the U.S. Supreme Court halts his execution and those of two other Oklahoma prisoners while considering their legal challenge to the state's use of midazolam in executions.

June 29, 2015: A divided U.S. Supreme Court upholds Oklahoma’s use of midazolam during executions.

Sept. 15, 2015: For the second time, Glossip is served what is supposed to be his last meal: chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and a dinner roll, fish and chips, a bacon cheeseburger and a strawberry malt.

Sept. 16, 2015: Hours before Glossip is scheduled for execution, the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals grants him a two-week reprieve to review claims of new evidence supporting his innocence.

Sept. 29, 2015: For the third time, Glossip is served what is supposed to be his final meal: a medium pizza, two orders of fish and chips, a bacon cheeseburger and a strawberry malt.

Sept. 30, 2015: Prison officials are preparing to execute Glossip when Oklahoma's governor stays the procedure because one of the lethal drugs being used didn't match the state's execution protocol.

Oct. 2, 2015: The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals, at the request of the state's attorney general, puts all executions on indefinite hold as officials review Oklahoma's execution procedures.

Feb. 13, 2020: Oklahoma announces plans to resume executions using a three-drug lethal injection protocol.

May 5, 2023: The U.S. Supreme Court again halts Glossip's execution, set for May 18, at the urging of Oklahoma's Republican attorney general, who has concluded Glossip's trial was “unfair and unreliable.”

Feb. 25, 2025: The U.S. Supreme Court throws out Glossip's murder conviction and death sentence, ruling prosecutors violated his right to a fair trial by allowing Sneed, their key witness, to give testimony they knew was false.

June 9, 2025: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond says he plans to try Glossip again for murder. While agreeing his previous trial was unfair, Drummond says he doesn't believe Glossip is innocent.

May 14, 2026: An Oklahoma judge orders a $500,000 bond for Glossip, granting him a chance to leave jail while awaiting trial. Hours later, Glossip walks out of an Oklahoma City jail.

___

Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.

La policía usó gases lacrimógenos para dispersar a los mineros que habían intentado ingresar por la fuerza a la plaza que alberga al Palacio de Gobierno. Los mineros respondieron detonando pequeñas cargas de dinamita en la segunda semana de protestas de diferentes sectores.

Miles de mineros llegaron hasta el centro de La Paz en reclamo de mayores áreas de trabajo y combustible y explosivos, entre otras exigencias, pero con el correr de las horas comenzaron a corear consignas pidiendo la renuncia del mandatario.

Paralelamente, maestros públicos de las zonas rurales lanzaron piedras y causaron destrozos en el Ministerio de Educación exigiendo aumentos a sus salarios. La policia también usó gases lacrimógenos para dispersarlos.

La Paz ha quedado aislada por los bloqueos y marchas.

Las protestas comenzaron por los campesinos e indígenas que reclamaban la derogación de una ley que permitía hipotecar sus tierras. La noche del miércoles el presidente promulgó una norma que anuló esa ley y pidió que se levanten las manifestaciones.

Por su parte, la Central Obrera de Bolivia (COB) — que en un inicio reclamaba un aumento de salarios— se sumó al pedido de renuncia del mandatario, al que acusa de no dar respuesta a la crisis.

Por la misma razón protestan campesinos aymaras conocidos como Ponchos Rojos que bloquean desde hace días carreteras y que la víspera protagonizaron una masiva marcha hacia la vecina ciudad de El Alto.

Por la noche, el vocero gubernamental José Luis Gálvez aseguró en conferencia de prensa que el mandatario no renunciará y explicó que ante pedidos de un estado de excepción el gobierno utilizaría “esas prerrogativas cuando sean pertinentes para garantizar la paz social”.

El gobierno acusa al expresidente Evo Morales (2006-2019) de estar detrás de las protestas y que están siendo financiadas por el narcotráfico.

Morales rechazó la acusación en su cuenta de X y aseguró que mientras “no se atiendan las demandas estructurales como combustible, comida, e inflación no se frenará la sublevación”.

Agregó que “los indignados están motivados por su conciencia social y por la bronca contra un gobierno que traicionó a sus electores y a la patria... Bolivia vive una rebelión de la gente que inclusive rebasó, inclusive, a sus dirigentes”.

El martes un grupo de seguidores de Morales, el primer presidente indígena de Bolivia, inició una marcha desde la localidad de Caracollo, a unos 190 kilómetros de La Paz, luego de conocerse una segunda orden de detención librada contra el exmandatario para que responda ante la justicia por el presunto abuso de una menor cuando ejerció el poder.

Mientras, la Iglesia católica convocó a los sectores y al gobierno a dialogar y se ofreció para mediar. Además de llamar a los protestantes a que en los puntos de bloqueo establezcan pausas humanitarias que permitan el paso de ambulancias, transporte público, alimentos, medicamentos, combustibles y de personas que necesitan atención o deben trasladarse por razones urgentes ante la escasez de alimentos.

El gobierno lamentó y responsabilizó a los bloqueos por la muerte de dos mujeres, una ciudadana oriunda de Belice y una boliviana, por falta de atención médica.

Paz asumió hace seis meses tras casi 20 años de gobiernos de izquierda, heredando la peor crisis económica en 40 años. Entre sus primeras medidas anticrisis levantó la subvención a los combustibles y el precio de la gasolina aumentó el doble impactando el costo de vida de los bolivianos.

DeChambeau wasn't sure how to play that shot, telling officials, “I'm so confused right now.”

Confused by the lie, confounded by the course, DeChambeau is on the brink of missing the cut of his second straight major following his breakdown at the Masters.

DeChambeau, a two-time U.S. Open champion, was a disaster in his opening round at Aronimink Golf Club and shot a 6-over 76, about six weeks after Amen Corner put him through the wringer again at the Masters.

Take the eighth hole at Aronimink.

DeChambeau flubbed a pitch from the rough so badly that the ball landed short of the green and rolled right back to his feet on the closely mown area around the putting surface.

The initials on his yardage book seemed to sum up DeChambeau's day.

B.A.D.

This 76 is his worst score to par ever in the PGA Championship. This is the fifth time he shot 4-over or higher in the first round of a major. He made the cut in two instances, the 2018 U.S. Open and 2021 Masters.

His round over, DeChambeau headed straight to the scoring tent, and he then stormed through the parking lot and to the driving range.

DeChambeau pounded ball after ball, stopping after most shots to review his form on the mobile phone video shot by a member of his team. He did not speak to the media.

DeChambeau, one of the main players in LIV Golf, might not rush to add video from the range or the bulk of his shots at Aronimink to his YouTube channel. He's a hit on the platform, registering millions of views while he pals around on the course with Stephen Curry, Adam Sandler and Kevin Hart, and his Break 50 series has helped him earn more than 2.7 million subscribers and growing to his channel.

The good times haven't extended to the majors.

He's missed the cut in three of his last five Masters and is going to need a terrific rebound on Friday to have any shot at spending the weekend in suburban Philadelphia.

What hasn't faded is his popularity.

Not even his much-derided and debated departure to LIV has dampened the enthusiasm for DeChambeau and his lethal driver. His tee shot on No. 4 seemed to fly as high as the Goodyear Blimp that flew overhead the hole and had fans rooting him on — "He smoked that thing!" — as he walked to find his ball.

He averaged nearly 336 yards on his drives, yet the short game failed him.

On the 11th hole, he tapped a putt that rolled and rolled and rolled some more until it landed almost off the green. DeChambeau finished with one of his six bogeys on the round, including a double-bogey on eight.

DeChambeau had a bit of a wait on No. 8 for the group ahead of him to finish. He folded his arms, stared straight ahead and could only search for answers. He snacked on beef jerky but not even a quick snack could help him snap into a successful end to this hole.

Funny thing, DeChambeau actually two-putted after his ball found the bottom stair of the staircase off the second hole and he saved par.

He couldn't save much else, though he finished the round with his lone birdie of the day on the par-5 ninth.

DeChambeau is in the final year of his LIV contract and the rival league to the PGA Tour faces a murky future now that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund has pulled its financial backing. Even if the league doesn't fold, could it find another investor willing to scrape up the cash needed to keep a talent like DeChambeau?

DeChambeau said earlier this month that “egos would need to get dropped” by the PGA Tour and LIV officials if there was going to be reconciliation in the golf world.

DeChambeau, who won LIV Golf events in Singapore and South Africa earlier this year, could simply step back and focus on social media content and playing the four majors if he fails to re-sign with LIV or find a path back to the PGA.

Ratings for the LIV Tour have been anemic, meaning most people see DeChambeau four times a year — at the majors.

DeChambeau gears his content toward a younger audience, and Aronimink fans packed the tee box area and lined the ropes rows deep to catch a rare glimpse of him in the Northeast, though one grumbled after the end of the round, “I hope he can fist bump better than he can play golf.”

His future in limbo, DeChambeau could find himself with two extra days to film content for his YouTube channel — he posted a PGA practice round to social media — if he can't figure out a way into the weekend.

___

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

Riddle, who transferred to Georgia from East Carolina ahead of the upcoming season, was observed weaving through traffic at roughly 95 miles per hour on Friday night in an SUV, according to the report. Glynn County police officers stopped Riddle and noted nervous behavior and an odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.

The report detailed Riddle's compliance as police discovered a bag inside a backpack containing “a large amount of multicolored packaging, some with a leafy substance stating marijuana, and some containing vapes stating THC.”

Riddle was charged with two felony counts related to marijuana and controlled substances, according to the report.

The Glynn County Police Department didn't immediately respond to an information request from The Associated Press.

“We are aware of the charges and are actively gathering additional information," a spokesperson for the football team told the AP. "As this is an ongoing legal matter, we will not be providing further comment at this time."

Riddle had 133 total tackles, 10 pass deflections, and six interceptions, including one pick-six, over two seasons at East Carolina.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

In a letter to a lawyer for Yale, Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for civil rights, said a DOJ investigation found that Black and Hispanic students have a much higher chance of admission to the medical school than white or Asian students, despite having lower grade-point averages and lower test scores.

“Yale has continued its race-based admissions program despite the Supreme Court and the public’s clear mandate for reform,” Dhillon said in a statement. “This Department will continue to shed light on these illegal practices, and demand that institutions of higher education comply with federal law.”

The university replied in a statement that its School of Medicine “is confident in the rigorous admissions process we follow,” and it will review the Justice Department letter.

“The students admitted to Yale School of Medicine demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and personal commitment; its program of medical education encourages curiosity and critical thinking, and its graduates go on to become leaders in clinical care, research, and public service,” the school said.

Since President Donald Trump returned to office last year, his administration has been putting pressure on universities to stop using race as a basis for admission, which conservatives view as illegal discrimination. And a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 2023 banned the use of affirmative action in college admissions, in cases involving Harvard and the University of North Carolina.

Last week, the Justice Department notified the University of California, Los Angeles, that its medical school illegally considered race in admissions.

In the letter to Yale, Dhillon alleged the New Haven, Connecticut, school was violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination and said the DOJ is seeking to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement with the university. She also noted in the letter that the agency has the authority to take the school to court to enforce Title VI if it cannot obtain compliance through voluntary means.

The DOJ cited differences in grade-point averages and standardized test scores as evidence of racial preferences in the incoming classes of 2023, 2024 and 2025. In Yale’s most recent class, Black students had a median GPA of 3.88 and a median MCAT score in the 95th percentile, compared to Asian students who had a median GPA of 3.98 and white students with a 3.97 median GPA. Both Asian and white students of that class had median MCAT scores in the 100th percentile.

“Based on our preliminary review of the applicant-level data, Yale’s use of race resulted in a Black applicant being as much as 29 times higher odds of getting an interview for admission than an equally strong Asian applicant with similar academic credentials,” Dhillon's letter said.

The Justice Department also described Yale’s use of a holistic admissions process as a means for the school to consider race.

The letter also cited Yale’s amicus brief in the Student for Fair Admissions lawsuit that led to the 2023 Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, where the school said it would not be able to maintain diverse classes without explicit consideration of race. The department said the fact that Yale was able to maintain similarly diverse classes despite that brief as evidence that the school had engaged in race discrimination.

Dhillon wrote that the lack of any change in Yale's admissions outcomes after the Supreme Court ruling showed "a willful failure to comply with that decision.”

In March, a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration policy that requires higher education institutions to collect data showing they aren’t considering race in admissions.

____

Associated Press writer Annie Ma in Washington contributed to this report.

Las autoridades dijeron que operadores del 911 recibieron una llamada alrededor de las 11:45 a.m. reportando que un hombre había sido baleado y se dirigía hacia un hospital.

Agentes respondieron y localizaron a la víctima al norte de Sheridan Street y 56th Avenue en Hollywood. Funcionarios dijeron que el hombre sufría una herida de bala.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue trasladó a la víctima a un hospital local con heridas que no fueron consideradas de gravedad, dijeron las autoridades.

Según los investigadores, la balacera pudo haber ocurrido cerca de Mary Saunders Park en West Park.

Detectives de la Unidad de Crímenes Violentos de BSO investigan las circunstancias de la balacera.

No se divulgaron de inmediato más detalles sobre la víctima.

Cualquier persona con información sobre la balacera debe llamar a Broward Crime Stoppers al 654-493-8477.

In the span of 22 seconds during overtime of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, Harden did all this for the Cleveland Cavaliers — made a free throw, missed a free throw, blocked a shot, got a rebound and threw the ball away.

None of it seemed to faze him, which is quintessential Harden.

“He never wavered,” Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson said. “He has a bad game, good game, you can’t even tell. So, I think his mentality — he’s seen so much, been through so many of these series — he’s a heck of a leader.”

This is why Cleveland made the decision to go get Harden in a trade three months ago. He was going to make them better, tougher, more playoff-ready. The numbers, to this point, say they're on to something.

Thanks largely to the bearded man who has been to the playoffs in each of his 17 NBA seasons, they're one win away from the East finals. They could get there with a win over the Pistons in Game 6 of their series on Friday night, in Cleveland. It bears noting that Harden's three best games of the series have been the last three games — all of them wins by the Cavaliers.

“He's a pro's pro,” Cavaliers guard Max Strus said after the Game 5 win, one where Harden led the Cavaliers with 30 points despite missing seven of his final eight shots from the field during the fourth quarter and overtime.

“He shows up every single day," Strus said. "He puts (an) amount of work in. You don’t become one of the best players the game has ever seen without showing up every single day. I think that’s one thing that I’ve noticed from him is the consistency, whether that’s in the weight room, whether that’s in taking care of your body, whether it’s in getting shots up. He’s a Hall of Famer in that regard and that’s why he is who he is — because he consistently puts in the work.”

The numbers show how Harden has so much value to the Cavaliers. In these playoffs, they are:

— 5-1 when he scores at least 22 points (2-4 otherwise).

— 4-0 when he shoots at least 44% (3-5 otherwise).

— 5-0 when he has at least seven field goals (2-5 otherwise).

— 6-1 when he has at least three 3-pointers (1-4 otherwise).

Has it always been smooth? It has not. Harden still turns the ball over often, although that's sometimes a misunderstood stat because the guys with the ball in their hands more than others are simply going to turn it over more than most people. He's three points away from tying Stephen Curry for 10th on the all-time playoff scoring list (which is good), and one turnover away from tying Shaquille O'Neal for the second-most giveaways in the playoffs in this format that goes back to 1984 (which is not so good).

In fairness, Harden is judged differently than many players. It comes with the territory — 17 years in the league, 17 playoff appearances, extremely well-paid, extremely well-decorated when it comes to awards, and zero NBA titles. But also, in the interest of fairness, he's finding ways to make things work with Cleveland despite being put in a role very different than the one he's been playing for some time.

“This is new for me. I’ve only been here two and a half months,” Harden said. “So, the things that we are going through is all new.”

He's had to be a second option in Cleveland, the Robin to Donovan Mitchell's Batman. Such adjustments are not easy to make. Harden has been trying to do so seamlessly ever since the trade happened — and Cleveland is one win away from the NBA's final four for the first time since 2018 (and in the non-LeBron James era, the first time since 1992).

“I think we’re building in the right direction,” Harden said. “And throughout that process, there’s going to be some times where we don’t look as great, but I think overall we've all got the right mindset of wanting to help each other be better. And I think we’re finding that.”

___

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

It is the latest step that President Donald Trump's administration has taken to pull back regulations on coal mining and coal-fired power and empower fossil fuels as a primary energy source to feed the rapid growth of artificial intelligence data centers.

In its proposed rule, the EPA said a 2024 rule under President Joe Biden misjudged the effectiveness and cost of the regulation, and had the effect of shutting down coal-fired power plants at a time when energy demand is spiking.

Changing the rule is critical to making electricity more affordable and reliable, while advancing the economy, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement.

“The AI and data center revolution is creating an electricity and baseload power demand that cannot be met under the overly restrictive policies of past administrations,” Zeldin said. “The Trump EPA will continue doing its part to address these burdensome regulations on the coal-fired power plant sector that hold American communities back from the new opportunities presented by this new 21st century energy reality.”

In 2024, the EPA strengthened wastewater rules over coal-fired power plants that keep coal ash — a byproduct of burning coal — in unlined, uncovered dumps that leach toxic heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic and selenium into groundwater.

In the rule, the EPA required plant owners to report whether the groundwater was contaminated and, if so, pump and treat the contaminated groundwater before discharging it into streams and rivers, Thom Cmar, an attorney for environmental advocacy group Earthjustice, said.

The EPA initially had given power plant owners until Dec. 31, 2029, to meet the new limits.

The EPA said the rule proposed Thursday, if finalized, would reduce power generation costs by as much as $1.1 billion a year. Coal and power industry trade associations cheered the EPA's move. Environmental groups slammed it as a public health danger and giveaway to the coal-power industry.

Earthjustice said the lakes, rivers and other waterways that will see more pollution as a result of the EPA’s proposal are often sources of drinking water that tens of millions of people rely on. Coal-fired power plants are by far one of the largest sources of toxic pollutants in America’s rivers, lakes and streams, Earthjustice said.

“This plan would eliminate safeguards on hundreds of millions of pounds of wastewater with neurotoxins and cancer-causing contaminants. It would allow coal power plants to avoid cleaning up contamination that threatens our drinking water sources," Cmar said.

The proposal unveiled Thursday would exempt contaminated groundwater seeping into waterways from the mandatory treatment requirements, Earthjustice said. Power plant owners would only be required to treat the contaminated groundwater if they were already complying with the 2024 rule to pump it to the surface to treat it, Earthjustice said.

States could, however, still investigate whether power plants are polluting the groundwater and, if they are, try to force owners to treat the polluted groundwater under federal clean water laws, Cmar said.

“The problem is, at the state level, many states are reluctant to use that tool that they all have to hold up the permitting process and force the companies to do an adequate job of documenting and limiting the pollution,” Cmar said.

The EPA said dozens of coal-fired power plants — likely up to 104 — are polluting groundwater through the uncontrolled runoff. It found seven plants were complying with the rule to pump and treat the groundwater, it said.

The EPA had estimated in 2024 that its new rule that year would reduce pollutant discharges by 660 to 672 million pounds per year, provide $3.2 billion in public health benefits each year and especially benefit “low-income communities and communities of color that are disproportionately impacted by pollution from coal-fired power plants.”

It had projected that electricity bills for the average residential household would increase by less than $3.50 per year.

___

Follow Marc Levy at http://twitter.com/timelywriter

That's unnerving workers across sectors, with many fearing what the rapid adoption of AI will mean for their job prospects. Even if AI isn't replacing people directly, some businesses have announced reductions as they redirect money to the technology or tout new ways to streamline operations — raising alarm about what might be left over for payrolls and future openings.

But corporate explanations are often very vague. AI is rarely the sole reason companies cite when taking layoffs, with most still pointing to wider corporate restructuring or macroeconomic headwinds. Some executives have also suggested that, while they’re making cuts to move around resources now, AI and its demand could open up new roles down the road. Still, it’s hard to know if that’s the real driver or just the message a business wants to tell Wall Street.

Regardless, here are some companies that have announced layoffs recently while at least nodding to the role of AI along the way.

Cisco

On Wednesday, Cisco Systems announced plans to cut under 4,000 jobs, or about 5% of its workforce. The announcement arrived the same day the tech giant unveiled record revenue for its third fiscal quarter, amid soaring demand for its AI tools and infrastructure.

CEO Chunk Robbins told employees in a memo that “the companies that will win in the AI era will be those with focus, urgency, and the discipline to continuously shift investment" — and that meant “making hard decisions.” But he said Cisco would also help employees impacted by the cuts find new opportunities, “whether internal or external.”

Block

Financial services provider Block in February moved to lay off more than 4,000 of its 10,000 plus employees. And the parent of payment platforms like Square and Cash App was vocal about reconfiguring to capitalize on AI.

“The core thesis is simple. Intelligence tools have changed what it means to build and run a company,” CEO Jack Dorsey said in a letter to shareholders at the time. “A significantly smaller team, using the tools we’re building, can do more and do it better."

Dow

Not only tech companies have pointed to AI when initiating layoffs. In January, chemicals maker Dow, Inc. announced plans to cut about 4,500 jobs — as part of broader push to “streamline” operations. That included putting more emphasis on AI and automation.

Pinterest

Also in January, Pinterest said it would lay off under 15% of its workforce as the company pivots more of its money to AI. The image-sharing platform said the cuts were part of broader “transformation initiatives” — which included reallocating the company’s resources to AI-focused roles and prioritizing AI-powered products.

Lufthansa Group

Last fall, Lufthansa Group said it would shed 4,000 jobs by 2030 — pointing to the adoption of AI, digitalization and consolidating work among member airlines.

Cuts at Meta and other big names arrive amid broader AI ramp-up

While perhaps not explicitly mentioning or tying the technology to recent layoff announcements, a host of other big names — including Meta, Microsoft and Amazon — are also cutting thousands of jobs while investing billions of dollars toward AI.

Meta, for example, plans to lay off about 8,000 workers, or about 10% of its workforce, starting next week. When announcing the cuts last month, the Facebook owner more broadly cited the need to offset certain investments and broader efficiency.

Still, the move arrives as Meta continues to ramp up spending on AI infrastructure and highly-paid AI expert hires. And earlier this year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said 2026 will be when, “AI starts to dramatically change the way that we work.”

El Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos (INDEC) reportó el jueves una inflación de 2,6% en el cuarto mes del año y una variación interanual de 32,4%. En lo que va de 2026, los precios acumulan un alza de 12,3%.

En marzo el Índice de Precios al Consumidor (IPC) había marcado 3,4% mensual, el más alto en un año, y una variación interanual de 32,6%.

El nuevo dato es la primera buena noticia que recibe el mandatario ultraliberal para su plan de ajuste anti-inflacionario desde que en julio pasado (1,9%)el IPC empezó a subir a ritmo constante.

“Retornando a la normalidad”, celebró el mandatario tras conocerse el dato oficial. Destacó que “la inflación retoma el sendero decreciente” a pesar de la oposición y sectores del empresariado disgustados por la apertura económica que permitió un aluvión de importaciones, a los que acusó de boicotear su programa económico.

Según el INDEC, el rubro de mayor impacto el IPC de abril fue Transporte (4,4%), en el marco de proceso de corrección de tarifas de servicios públicos a partir de un recorte en los subsidios. En cambio, alimentos y bebidas no alcohólicas (1,5%) registraron las menores variaciones.

El último Relevamiento de Expectativas de Mercado (REM) que publica el Banco Central prevé que la desaceleración de precios continuará en mayo

En un informe de política monetaria que realiza el Banco Central, se estima que en mayo continuará la tendencia hacia una desaceleración de la inflación, en gran medida por una estabilización del precio de la carne, que en los primeros meses del año registró subas promedio del 20%.

Sin embargo, la autoridad monetaria advirtió sobre “la incertidumbre global que puede traducirse en una mayor presión inflacionaria internacional”.

Now, as Powell steps down from the post after eight tumultuous years, the U.S. economy is transformed: Inflation soared after the pandemic and has remained above the Fed's 2% target for more than five years, angering voters and making rents, cars, and groceries harder to afford. The Fed's key short-term rate rose to a two-decade high in 2023, even as unemployment fell to a half-century low.

Along the way, Powell shrugged off relentless personal attacks from President Donald Trump that began just months after his appointment. But in January, he pushed back against an unprecedented legal investigation by the Justice Department, becoming one of the few top officials in Washington to stand up to the Trump White House.

Powell said he will continue serving on the governing board until he is confident the Fed’s independence is truly restored. His success at protecting the central bank from day-to-day politics will be a key part of his legacy.

“It is not an unblemished record, but in an extremely challenging context, he’s performed exceedingly well," said David Wilcox, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and director of research at Bloomberg Economics. “And my overall assessment is that the country has been lucky indeed to have him as chair.”

Unlike many of his predecessors, Powell, 73, is not a trained economist, but a lawyer who also worked in finance before joining the Fed's board of governors in 2012. Unassuming in public and private, Powell often introduces himself as “Jay” and would display his guitar-playing skills, honed as a student busking through Europe, at the Fed's holiday parties.

‘Transitory’ inflation proved persistent

An inescapable part of Powell's legacy will be the post-pandemic inflation surge, when consumer prices rose by a four-decade high of 9.1% in June 2022.

Overall prices are now 27% higher than just before the pandemic six years ago, a staggering change for a country that had experienced little inflation for generations. Prices rose just 10% in the six years before the pandemic. Groceries are 30% more expensive than six years ago, after they rose just 3.6% in the six years preceding COVID.

Powell and other Fed officials — and indeed most economists — initially said the inflationary surge was “transitory,” a result of supply chain snarls brought about by the pandemic, as COVID shut down factories and slowed ports around the world.

Their immediate priority was supporting the economy in a crisis.

In two moves in March 2020, they slashed their benchmark interest rate by 1.5 percentage points to near zero. The Fed also bought large amounts of Treasury debt and government-backed mortgage securities to reduce longer-term interest rates and took other steps to pour money into the financial system to keep credit markets functioning during pandemic chaos.

In April 2020, Powell said that the Fed would "continue to use these powers forcefully, proactively, and aggressively until we are confident that we are solidly on the road to recovery.''

Even as inflation zoomed past the Fed's 2% target in 2021, the central bank kept its key interest rate near zero until March 2022, when inflation hit 6.9%, according to the Fed's preferred measure.

The Fed's delay in raising rates was largely informed by a traditional economic view that inflation, stemming from a supply shock, would be temporary and if a central bank cranked up borrowing costs to fight it, the higher rates would just harm the economy and lift unemployment even as the supply crunch faded.

Misreading tea leaves

Meanwhile, the Trump and Biden administrations pumped about $5 trillion in government spending into the economy, in the form of multiple stimulus checks, support for small businesses, and other aid. The flow of dollars fueled a spending spike just as supply chains were unable to deliver on the demand.

By keeping its key rate near zero for so long, Powell's critics charge, the Fed contributed to that excess spending and worsened inflation.

“Even though there was all the evidence there in the data that aggregate demand was going through the roof, they still said it was a transitory supply shock,” said Mickey Levy, a former top economist at Bank of America and a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution. “The Fed contributed to that inflation and completely misread the tea leaves.”

As inflation began to spread into items such as apartment rents and surveys showed Americans increasingly worried it would last, Powell pivoted and oversaw the sharpest increase in interest rates since the early 1980s to combat the price spike.

Still, many leading economists, including former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers, worried that defeating inflation would require a recession and a sharp increase in unemployment. Instead, inflation dropped to 2.3% by September 2024, according to the Fed's preferred measure, nearly reaching its 2% target.

By reducing inflation without a sharp economic downturn, Powell largely achieved an elusive “soft landing." Inflation then moved higher after Trump imposed sweeping tariffs last April.

Focusing on unemployment

Fighting inflation was a sharp shift for a Fed chair that began his term more focused on the Fed's mandate to pursue maximum employment. Before the pandemic, Powell often lauded the benefits of a strong job market for disadvantaged workers, winning plaudits from many progressive economists.

Yet some economists argue the Fed's focus on employment contributed to its delayed response to post-COVID inflation. In an August 2021 speech, Powell said the then-elevated unemployment rate of 5.4% was a reason to avoid hiking rates too early.

Still, many analysts defend Powell's support for the maximum employment mandate. Julia Coronado, president of MacroPolicy Perspectives and a former Fed economist, said Powell was right to keep rates low before the pandemic, even as unemployment steadily declined, because there were no signs inflation was worsening.

“If you can actually push a little harder for a little longer with no consequences for inflation, then you should damn well do it,” she said. “He was absolutely right about that. He’s still right about that.”

For his part, Powell said in late April that “overweighting the employment market” had nothing to do with the inflation spike.

“It was a global shock that happened essentially very, very similarly all over the world,” he said.

Fighting for Fed independence

Last July, in an image that will likely prove the most enduring of his time as Fed chair, Powell and Trump stood before cameras in hard hats at the site of the Fed's extensive $2.5 billion building renovation, which Trump had criticized as excessive.

Trump claimed the project would cost even more -- $3.1 billion — and showed Powell a paper listing the costs. Powell took out his reading glasses and corrected the president, on camera, by noting that he had included a third building that had already been renovated.

It was emblematic of Powell's willingness to push back against Trump's unprecedented attacks. Economists have long supported an independent Fed because it allows the central bank to take difficult steps — such as sharply raising interest rates to combat inflation — that politicians often oppose because they can be painful.

Powell benefited from strong relationship-building with Congress. Research by University of Maryland economist Thomas Drechsel has found that Powell met with senators more than twice as often as his two predecessors, with the meetings evenly split between both parties.

During one visit, Powell even endeared himself to North Carolina Republican Sen. Thom Tillis' dog, a move that paid huge dividends. Tillis essentially blocked Senate approval of Kevin Warsh, Trump's pick to replace Powell, until the investigation of the building project was dropped. The Justice Department eventually gave up on its probe.

Even those who fault Powell on some policy decisions credit him for defending the Fed.

“The big plus is the way he has protected central bank independence,” said Don Kohn, a former vice chair of the Fed. “That is the most important thing for the future of the Federal Reserve and for protecting the public interest in having an independent central bank.”

Powell hasn't said when he may leave the Fed, though he could remain on the governing board until January 2028.

“You want people to ... set interest rates to benefit the general public," Powell said at his last news conference, "and focus only on that and ignore political considerations. This isn’t bipartisan, this is nonpartisan.”

____

AP Economics Writer Paul Wiseman in Washington contributed to this story.

Activists claim too many tree removal permits are being granted in order to fast-track development. City officials, however, insist nothing has changed.

At a recent City of Miami Historic and Environmental Preservation Board meeting, frustrated residents voiced concerns over what they described as a growing loss of legacy canopy trees across the city.

“The madness needs to stop,” one resident said. “I’m wondering if developers have some special hatred toward mature trees?”

Others pointed to what they called a constant issue of clear-cutting lots and cutting down large trees.

“We’ve seen this just rampant onslaught of tree slaughter,” another activist said.

Critics say the removals are happening throughout Miami, from Coconut Grove to Morningside.

“In the past six months, we’ve definitely seen an increase, and people are extremely angry,” said Jessica Johnson, a Morningside resident.

Among the examples cited by activists: a row of mature royal palm trees cut down at 1401 Brickell and four legacy native mahogany trees in Edgewater that were permitted for removal by the city despite being in the public right of way.

“And it seems like they’re on a murder spree right now,” said Edgewater resident Lindsay Cain.

Sandy Moise, conservation co-chair for the Sierra Club Miami Group, said the justification for some removals is construction activity.

“And the reason given is that trees are conflicting with construction activities,” Moise said.

Videos posted to social media documenting tree removals have fueled outrage among activists.

“It truly is a tree travesty,” Moise said. “We are losing so many of our specimen-sized trees.”

Moise and other activists accuse the city of quietly bending and reinterpreting Chapter 17 -- the ordinance meant to protect trees -- in order to speed up development projects.

“They’re failing to enforce our code,” Moise said. “They’re failing to implement the policies that are required of our code, and we’re not having it anymore. We’re fed up.”

City officials pushed back against those claims.

“That is not the case,” said Miami District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo.

Pardo acknowledged the optics can look bad amid a wave of development and visible tree removals, particularly involving palms, but denied any internal changes to Chapter 17.

“Absolutely not,” Pardo said when asked whether there had been backroom changes to expedite tree removals. “There’s been no changes that I’m aware of.”

While officials say the code itself has not changed, city staff acknowledged there has been a directive to make the permitting process easier.

“And so they come in and they sit with the reviewer on the spot, regardless what division,” said Shawn Smith, acting chief of environmental resources for the City of Miami.

Smith said the process still follows Chapter 17 requirements.

“It’s not an approval. You conduct your review just as if there were any other review,” Smith said. “We still go through the same process. We still follow Chapter 17.”

Asked whether the city is moving at a faster clip, Smith said, “Not in regard to approval.”

Activists argue the growing number of permits tells a different story. They created a public dashboard called Miami Tree Canopy Watch to track open permits across the city. According to activists, there are currently 223 open permits.

Pardo said those numbers alone are misleading.

“If you’re only looking at those data points, it’s misleading, because we’re also planting a lot of trees, relocating a lot of trees,” Pardo said. “Something could be slated for removal, and it could be something completely different that the resident isn’t aware of.”

Still, activists and environmental experts warn the stakes are high as South Florida faces increasing heat driven by climate change.

“Trees are protecting us from the increasing heat that we’re experiencing in South Florida,” said Chris Baraloto, associate director of the FIU Institute of Environment and professor of biological sciences. “By removing those trees, we will feel the urban heat island effect even more.”

Pardo said the city is committed to preserving the canopy and pointed to a legacy banyan tree that will become the center piece for a newly redesigned Kirk Munroe Park.

“We do everything from actually relocating trees to other areas to make sure the ones that can be relocated,” Pardo said. “If they can’t be relocated, we ask for mitigation, where usually it’s two times the existing level of tree removal.”

Critics argue replacing mature trees with saplings is not enough.

“What we’re effectively doing is taking out a tree, and even if we’re following our current mitigation, we’re replacing it with this,” Baraloto said. “Is this commensurate value with that? Certainly not.”

Ian Wogan, owner of Tree Sources, warned the long-term impacts could become more noticeable citywide.

“If we scale that up to the city level, we’re going to start feeling urban heat,” Wogan said.

Wogan said Miami has an obligation to prioritize trees and nature-based solutions as critical infrastructure.

“Not for ourselves, but for the generations to come,” he said.

More than 1,200 signatures have been added to an action alert email addressed to Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins and city commissioners calling for a moratorium on all non-emergency tree removal permits until any proposed policy changes to Chapter 17 are publicly reviewed.

Meanwhile, the long-awaited tree committee is expected to go before commissioners Thursday for approval, giving residents a voice in the future of Chapter 17 and Miami’s tree protections.

Franklyn Jones, quien vive en Fort Lauderdale, cumplió 17 años en febrero. Timothy Flowers, quien vive en Coral Springs, cumplió 17 años en septiembre.

El jueves, autoridades correccionales los trasladaron del centro de detención juvenil en Broward al de Miami-Dade, muestran los registros.

“Mediante métodos investigativos, [un detective del Departamento de Policía de Miami Beach] obtuvo evidencia forense digital que reveló que [los adolescentes] estaban involucrados”, escribió un detective sobre un BMW X7 negro modelo 2025 que fue robado el 10 de febrero de una casa en Prairie Avenue, según la orden judicial.

Un BMW M4 fue reportado robado el 16 de abril en Coral Gables, según una orden de arresto.

El Equipo de Captura Criminal del Sur de Florida observó a los dos adolescentes, quienes eran pasajeros en un BMW 330i plateado, en Boca Ratón, robando una matrícula de un Ford y colocándola en el BMW M4 robado, según las órdenes de arresto.

Los agentes reportaron haber visto a Jones “desbloquear el vehículo usando una llave y comenzar a entrar”, según una orden judicial.

Los investigadores sorprendieron a Jones, Flowers y a otras tres personas que intentaron huir, pero finalmente fueron arrestados y llevados a la división de crímenes violentos de la Oficina del Sheriff de Palm Beach, según la orden de arresto.

Jones y Flowers enfrentan cargos de hurto mayor y allanamiento de una vivienda ocupada.

Leer en español

Franklyn Jones, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, turned 17 in February. Timothy Flowers, who lives in Coral Springs, turned 17 in September.

On Thursday, corrections transferred them from the juvenile detention center in Broward to the one in Miami-Dade, records show.

“Through investigative means [a Miami Beach Police Department detective] obtained digital forensic evidence which revealed [the teens] to be involved,” a detective wrote about a black 2025 BMW X7 that was stolen on Feb. 10 from a house along Prairie Avenue, according to the warrant.

A BMW M4 was reported stolen on April 16 in Coral Gables, according to an arrest warrant.

The South Florida Criminal Apprehension Team witnessed the two teens, who were passengers in a silver BMW 330i, in Boca Raton, stealing a license plate from a Ford and placing it on the stolen BMW M4, according to the arrest warrants.

Agents reported seeing Jones “unlock the vehicle using a key and begin to enter it,” according to a warrant.

The investigators surprised Jones, Flowers, and three others who tried to get away, but were eventually arrested and taken to the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office violent crimes division, according to the arrest warrant.

Jones and Flowers face charges of grand theft and burglary of an occupied dwelling.

Higgo arrived on the first tee box at what he estimated to be 30 seconds after his listed tee time and was assessed a two-stroke penalty. His first swing of the championship turned out to be his third because of the penalty.

The South African still managed a 1-under 69, even though he could only wonder how easily that could have been a 67, the low score of the morning wave.

“I was there on time,” Higgo said. “But the rule is if you’re one second late, you’re late.”

Due to tee off at Aronimink Golf Club at 7:18 a.m., he was told as he arrived he had been penalized. The rules state a golfer must be on the tee box and ready to play at the assigned time, regardless of the order. He was third to play.

Higgo said it's the first time he's been penalized for being late to the tee box. The good news? If he had been five minutes late, he would have been disqualified.

“It wasn’t a surprise,” he said. “I was late. I mean, my caddie was yelling at me to get to the tee.”

The 27-year-old kept his composure and went on to “par” the opening hole, but his 4 became a 6.

“Obviously, it wasn’t great,” he said of being penalized. “I knew that I firstly had to get a driver, and I have to hit a tee shot. It was OK. I just kind of focused on what I need to do. ... I wasn’t going to give up and shoot 80. There was only one thing that I could do, and that was make birdies and pars and hit it where I wanted to hit it.”

Higgo said the whole episode made him focus on making birdies in the first round. He did just that, finishing with four birdies and a bogey for a 69.

He attempted to argue his case to officials after the round, to no avail. He even had the support of his playing partners. He said he believed he was within the time limit, yet conceded he might have been a bit tardy and grudgingly accepted his fate.

He attributed it to his casual approach to being late, though he's not the type who arrives 10 minutes early. He said he could have added time for his walk from the range to the putting green and ultimately the first tee.

“I was obviously too casual,” he said.

Higgo managed to erase the two-stroke penalty on the front nine. He rolled in a birdie putt from about 35 feet on the par-4 third hole and made a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-5 ninth to get back to even par.

After a bogey at the 10th, Higgo made birdie on the two par-3 holes on the back nine, with a 27-foot putt at the 14th and hitting to just over 5 feet and making the putt at the 17th.

“I played great, made a lot of good swings, made some good putts,” said Higgo, who has two PGA Tour victories and six international wins. “Did everything that I could do.”

___

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

Fouls are up so far in the first week of the WNBA season with teams averaging 21.6 fouls — that's up just under two per game from the same point last year (19.9). That number dropped over the course of the year with 17.5 fouls on average per game for each team.

“Fouls are up. I don't think if we are going to get rid of rough play that we saw in previous seasons there is any other outcome other than at the beginning fouls will be up," said Monty McCutchen, who is the head of WNBA officiating, on a Zoom call with The Associated Press. "That's a fairly safe assumption.”

The increased fouls aren’t really leading a major increase in free throws with 21.9 being attempted this season to 21.4 last year at this point. By the end of the year, 18.2 free throws were attempted by each team on average.

The WNBA formed an officiating task force in the offseason as part of the “state of the game” group that included players and coaches. The hope was to clean up some of the league’s growing concerns around physicality.

“What came out of our meetings was we didn’t really change any rules or change an interpretation,” said Sue Blauch, who is the head of referee performance and development for the WNBA. “When we drilled down to the nitty gritty, it came down to we needed to strictly enforce our current guidelines. So that’s what you’re seeing more of. A more stricter enforcement of freedom of movement. That will allow the game to open up and the players to showcase their talents.”

McCutchen said the taskforce spent many hours discussing what players, coaches and the league wanted from officials.

“That amount of hours gives clarity to Sue on the day-to-day portion for teaching our staff," he said. "There will be some over calibration when we try to impart freedom of movement. I think we’ve experienced a little bit of that.”

McCutchen said the officiating group will continue to meet frequently to make sure that “our alignment can become finer and finer as we move into our best parts of our season.”

Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve is on the task force and knows it will take a little bit of time to get everyone on the same page.

“Obviously, we’ll continue to work with the league on getting right because we’re not the only team sitting here wondering why everything is a foul,” she said.

Increased fouls also lead to longer games. The New York Liberty’s overtime win over Washington went for 2 hours, 41 minutes.

“It disrupts everyone’s flow,” Liberty star Breanna Stewart said. “This game was 2 hours and 41 minutes long. That’s insane. … I know it’s going to take time of, like, figuring out what’s the standard of what’s going to be called, but there’s calls that are being called that are unnecessary on both sides, and then there’s no flow.”

Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale also noticed a difference so far.

“I guess we just have to adapt, because that’s going to happen," she said. "It’s been a long time since I had three fouls in the first half and almost fouling out. I guess show our hands and see what we can do.”

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark got a technical foul during the team's win over Los Angeles on Wednesday night. After the game, she praised the officials for their efforts.

“I think the refs are doing a tremendous job. I deserved the technical they gave me. But it’s great for the game," she said. 'They’re going to keep the hands off; they’re going to make the play be good. Obviously they called a lot of fouls tonight but it’s going to even out. So, you’ve got to give them credit. They’re doing the right thing.”

___

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

The deportation of Adriana Maria Quiroz Zapata “was likely illegal,” U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon ruled Wednesday.

Zapata, 55, who has diabetes and a thyroid condition, “has been sent to a country that refused to accept her because they cannot provide sufficient medical care,” the ruling said. “As a result, she faces a daily risk of medical complications, up to and including death.”

Black spots began to grow on Zapata’s back and foot while she was in detention, her skin started to peel and her nails blackened, according to a declaration that Zapata submitted in court, and which was provided to the AP by her lawyer.

“She’s not doing well and does worry that she’s going to die,” her lawyer, Lauren O’Neal, said.

Zapata entered the U.S. from Mexico in August 2024 and was taken into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody. Since being deported, she has lived in a hotel in Kinshasa, Congo’s capital. The hotel gates are locked, O’Neal said. Zapata and other deportees are rarely allowed out, and only with supervision, she said.

Zapata was among thousands of immigrants living legally in the U.S., waiting for rulings on asylum claims, when they were suddenly issued deportation decrees that ordered them expelled to countries where most had no connections.

More than 15,000 third-country deportation orders were issued in the White House push for ever more immigrant expulsions, advocacy groups say, though only a fraction of the orders have been carried out.

Few details are known about the agreements to accept these deportees, though the U.S. has signed them with a range of countries, including Ecuador, Honduras, Uganda, Cameroon and Congo. Advocacy groups estimate only a couple of hundred third-country deportations, at most, have been carried out.

Esa fue la última comunicación que mantuvo desde el pueblo San José El Hueyate en el sureño estado de Chiapas, uno de los puntos de la ruta marítima considerada una de las más peligrosas usadas por los traficantes y donde la joven desapareció junto a otros 39 migrantes de Cuba, Honduras y Ecuador.

Este mes su madre, Isis Pérez, llegó a ese mismo poblado cerca de la frontera con Guatemala para realizar tareas de búsqueda junto a otros familiares de los desaparecidos.

Los familiares recorrieron el muelle de San José El Hueyate, una pequeña comunidad pesquera y turística de apenas 953 habitantes con casas de hormigón, techos de palma y calles sin pavimentar. Subieron a una lancha para navegar por la costa del Pacífico y preguntaron a comerciantes y residentes por pistas sobre sus familiares.

Nadie pudo darles información, pero muchos pobladores sí recordaron que antes de que Donald Trump asumiera su segundo mandato se veían vehículos cargados de migrantes que luego eran llevados en lanchas por el mar.

Ese flujo migratorio se desplomó el año pasado cuando Estados Unidos empezó con las detenciones de migrantes en su territorio y las deportaciones a sus países de origen o a terceras naciones.

Los familiares —que llegaron a Chiapas apoyados por la Red Regional de Familias Migrantes— también recorrieron albergues, centros penitenciarios y plazas públicas en la frontera con Guatemala, una zona que se disputan los Cárteles de Sinaloa y Jalisco Nueva Generación.

“Como familiares vivimos un tormento, una angustia y deseamos encontrarles”, dijo el hondureño Óscar Hernández, quien también llegó al pueblo de Chiapas para intentar localizar a su hermano.

Ricardo Antonio Hernández Barahona, de 33 años, había quedado desempleado tras trabajar durante siete años como repartidor en una empresa de alimentos que se vio obligada a cerrar por la extorsión del crimen organizado en Honduras. La necesidad de obtener ingresos para mantener a su esposa y sus dos hijos lo empujó a ir en busca del sueño americano, pero desapareció en el trayecto.

Cruzar por el mar

Según un informe de la Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM), desde 2021 se han identificado varios puertos marítimos utilizados por los traficantes de migrantes: se embarcan en pequeñas lanchas con doble motor en Puerto de Ocós, Guatemala; hacen escalas para recargar combustible y abastecerse de alimentos en Puerto Madero, San José, Barra de Zacapulco y Paredón, en Chiapas, y desembarcan en Salina Cruz o Huatulco, en Oaxaca, desde donde siguen por tierra hacia el norte.

De acuerdo con el Proyecto Migrantes Desaparecidos de la OIM, en la ruta desde Sudamérica hacia Estados Unidos se ha registrado la desaparición o deceso de 11.475 migrantes desde 2014. Más de la mitad ocurrieron en México.

Los 40 migrantes que desaparecieron a fines de 2024 estaban apurados por llegar a Estados Unidos antes de que Trump asumiera su segundo mandato y diera marcha atrás a la política migratoria más flexible de su antecesor demócrata Joe Biden.

Entre los desaparecidos estaban los cubanos Meiling Álvarez Bravo, de 41 años, y su hijo Samei Armando Reyes Álvarez, de 15.

“El 21 de diciembre (de 2024) a las ocho de la mañana me dijo que iban a desayunar porque ya iban a cruzar para el DF en una barca”, relató Julia Margarita Bravo Díaz, su madre y abuela.

Su hija y su nieto habían viajado vía aérea desde Cuba a Nicaragua y de ahí por tierra por Honduras y Guatemala hasta llegar a México, pero al inicio del periplo no sabían que los llevarían por mar hacia la frontera sur de Estados Unidos.

El ecuatoriano José Antonio Quindil también llegó a San José El Hueyate en busca de su hijo Jefferson Stalin Quindil Guanoquiza, de 18 años.

El albañil de 50 años contó que ya en una ocasión había hecho desistir al joven de su idea de emigrar, pero que en cuanto cumplió la mayoría de edad no pudo frenar sus aspiraciones por una vida mejor. Su hijo, uno de los 40 desaparecidos, había pagado 3.000 dólares por el viaje que nunca completó.

Entre julio y noviembre de 2025 la Secretaría de Marina (Semar) de México informó el rescate de 22 migrantes, seis de ellos al naufragar en alta mar y 16 en tierra mientras esperaban embarcar en el sureño estado de Chiapas.

En marzo pasado, la Semar informó que en coordinación con su contraparte de Guatemala habían reforzado la vigilancia en alta mar para combatir el tráfico de sustancias ilícitas y el movimiento irregular de migrantes hacia Norteamérica.

La decisión posterga por dos días más el anuncio de los resultados de la primera vuelta luego que el Tribunal aseguró a fines de abril que los resultados se iban a conocer el viernes. Las autoridades aseguran que están resolviendo estos días un número elevado de actas electorales impugnadas por los partidos en disputa.

El presidente del Tribunal, Roberto Burneo, indicó en una declaración ante la prensa que el proceso electoral peruano sigue en curso y que durante la mañana del domingo 17 de mayo se “procederá a proclamar las fórmulas que pasarán a la segunda vuelta”.

Según las autoridades electorales, contabilizadas el 99,982% de las actas de votación presidencial, la conservadora Keiko Fujimori, del partido Fuerza Popular, lideraba el jueves el conteo de votos con 17,179%, seguida del nacionalista Roberto Sánchez, de Juntos por el Perú, con 12,030% y apenas detrás el ultraconservador Rafael López Aliaga, de Renovación Popular, con 11,905%.

Las autoridades indicaron que tras anunciar los dos finalistas del balotaje se realizarán de inmediato las pruebas en color de las boletas de votación con sus rostros y símbolos para luego empezar la impresión.

Fujimori tiene su pase asegurado a la segunda vuelta, pero Sánchez y López Aliaga se disputan voto a voto el segundo lugar, según el lento conteo oficial electoral.

López Aliaga reclama que en Perú hubo un "fraude único en el mundo", pero no ha mostrado pruebas, también ha protestado junto a miles de seguidores frente a las oficinas del Tribunal y ha insultado repetidas veces al presidente del Tribunal. El ultraconservador ha indicado que desconocerá los resultados electorales.

La misión electoral de la Unión Europea ha indicado que no existen pruebas de fraude en Perú.

El partido de López Aliaga anunció el jueves en un comunicado que desde el Parlamento se compromete a “luchar para desmantelar” a las autoridades electorales, a las que calificó de “organización criminal”, por “poner en riesgo la democracia y la libertad”.

De acuerdo a la ley peruana, quien salga elegido asumirá el poder por cinco años el 28 de julio de 2026.

Newsom is eager to safeguard programs that have defined his tenure as the leader of the nation’s most populous state and one of the world’s largest economies. As he gears up for a possible presidential run in 2028, Newsom is promoting the budget as fiscally responsible because it protects California's progressive programs while also builds up the state's rainy day funds — a pointed rebuke to critics who say the state spends more than it has. The state’s spending has grown more than $100 billion since 2020, according to the legislative budget analysts.

“We’re cutting deficits. But we’re not cutting corners,” Newsom said.

Newsom can’t seek a third term and will leave office in January.

Revenues, driven mostly by the booming stock market and artificial intelligence industry, are $16.5 billion higher than projections in January, according to Newsom's office. That will help the state avoid a $2.9 billion deficit Newsom projected in January, guarantee no budget hole next year and cut the shortfall the following year in half, his office said.

It is a welcoming change for the state where revenues have not kept up with spending. California faced tens of billions in budget deficits several years in a row, forcing painful cuts last year such as a rollback on a promise to provide free health to low-income immigrants without legal status. Nonpartisan budget analysts projected the state will see budget holes upward of $20 billion each year in the next few years.

Still, Democrats are bracing for federal funding cuts and new costs for the state in healthcare and the impacts of high costs on everything from gas to energy because of the war in Iran. State officials repeatedly said California can't backfill all the federal monies.

Newsom used his presentation to blast President Donald Trump and his policies. Trump “doesn’t particularly give a damn about the financial situation of the average American," Newsom said.

The May budget proposal will officially kick off the final stretch of negotiations between Newsom and Democrats in the Legislature, who have to pass a spending plan by the end of June.

State lawmakers this year have pitched several proposals to increase taxes on corporations to help with budget problems, but Newsom has largely opposed the idea, arguing such proposals could drive businesses and wealthy people away. He has instead proposed to cut fees for new small businesses and limit some tax credits that could generate $850 million a year starting 2027. He is against a ballot initiative for a one-time tax on billionaires that will likely go before voters in November.

He also proposed to increase the monthly premiums for adult patients without legal status in the state-funded healthcare program, up to $50 from $30. The premiums were part of last year budget set to take effect July 2027 for adults under 60 years old. Newsom estimated the change would save the state $427 million in the first year of implementation. But Democratic lawmakers will likely fight against it.

California has a progressive tax system that relies on rich people, meaning it gets about half its revenues from just 1% of the population. When the economy is good, rich people pay more in taxes and revenues can soar quickly. When the economy is bad, they pay less and revenues can drop just as fast.

The state could also see a revenue boost from expected upcoming initial public offerings by several major AI companies, which are expected to be the largest IPOs in history. But legislative budget experts warned last year of a potential AI bubble that could worsen the state's finances.

Newsom’s Thursday proposal also includes a $300 million plan to backfill some of the loss of government-sponsored health subsidies, a $5 billion education grant for teacher training and $100 million to help Los Angeles-area homeowners rebuild after the devastating wildfires last year.