Jones, 42, announced on May 27 that he was not going to seek reelection for Florida Senate District 34, which he had represented since 2022.

“I also told you that when I was ready to share what comes next, you would hear directly from me,” Jones said in a video released on X.

After U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson announced her retirement on May 29, Florida Rep. Ashley Gantt announced her campaign for Jones’s seat and released a statement saying Jones was seeking Wilson’s seat.

“As Congresswoman Wilson passes the torch and Senator Shevrin Jones announces his campaign for Congressional District 24, this moment also creates an opening, and I believe I am ready to fill it,” Gantt said in the statement.

Florida Democrats faced conflict after a Republican majority passed a redistricting map on April 29 and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law on May 4. U.S.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced on May 22 that she had decided not to run for reelection in the 25th Congressional District, but instead run in the 20th District. She faced backlash from Black Democrats.

On Tuesday, U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that he had not decided whether or not to endorse Wasserman Schultz, whom he praised for her “strong” track record.

“I think we all recognize the sensitivities of the moment in terms of an unprecedented Jim Crow-like assault on Black political representation that has been unleashed by the Supreme Court’s outrageous decision to gut the Voting Rights Act, and it’s an environment that all of us need to be sensitive to,” Jeffries said.

Before his official announcement, Jones also shared an Eventbrite invitation for the event at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday at Koinonia Worship Center, at 4900 W Hallandale Beach Boulevard, in Hollywood.

“I want you all to meet me where it all started ... the church where I was raised,” Jones said in the video.

The primary election is on Aug. 28, and the midterm election is Nov. 3. For more information about key election dates in Florida, visit this page.

VOTER GUIDE: Here is how to prepare for Florida’s Aug. 18 primary election

Interactive graphic on redistricting

Leer en español

County Chief Operating Officer Jimmy Morales and PortMiami Director Hydi Webb have resigned, the mayor’s office announced announced in a news release.

It comes one week after residents on Fisher Island sued a developer, asking a court to stop it from selling the fuel bunker without their written consent, claiming it’s in violation of a previous agreement.

They also argue that the county’s threat of eminent domain is unconstitutional. A separate federal lawsuit is also making its way through the court system.

The mayor’s office said the changes aren’t related to the lawsuit.

In a statement, Levine Cava said in part that she is “deeply grateful” to Morales and Webb “for their extraordinary service to Miami-Dade County and our residents.”

“Their leadership, integrity, and dedication have helped make our county stronger,” she said.

Local 10 News has requested copies of their resignation letters and and reached out to the developer seeking comment.

Chief Utilities and Regulatory Services Officer Roy Coley has been promoted to the position of deputy mayor, where he will oversee a number of county departments and facilities, including the airport and seaport.

Deputy Port Director Frederick Wong will serve as PortMiami’s interim director.

Read the lawsuit:

249080291 Complaint by Chris Gothner

The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., seeks to cement U.S. assistance for Ukraine by providing more than $1 billion in security and reconstruction aid. It would make another $8 billion available for Ukraine's defense through loans.

The vote could generate the second major foreign policy break this week in the House with President Donald Trump. It comes one day after the House for the first time approved a war powers resolution aimed at halting the U.S. military action against Iran.

Supporters were able to force action on the Ukraine bill by gathering 218 signatures on a discharge petition, a legislative tool that allows a majority of the House to effectively bypass leadership.

Once rarely successful, House members have used the petition tool this Congress to pass bills on releasing the government's files on Jeffrey Epstein and to extend health care subsidies to many of those who get health coverage through the Affordable Care Act, though the latter measure faltered in the Senate.

The first test vote on the Ukraine bill occurred Wednesday evening and supporters were able to advance the measure by a margin of 218-204. Six Republicans and an independent joined with every Democrat in supporting it.

Meeks said the vote is important so that the people of Ukraine know “that the United States of America is not going turn its back on them, that the people of Ukraine know that we will stand with them against Russia.”

“We can’t let them down,” Meeks said.

Lawmakers want to send a message

Supporters are hopeful that the House's passage of the Ukraine bill would put pressure on the Senate to do the same. But they also know that the Senate likely won't go along unless Trump gives the bill his endorsement.

“It's probably not going to get 60 votes in the Senate, but it's going to hopefully force the Senate to address the issue," said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., who signed the discharge petition and voted to advance the bill. “It's going to send a great message to the soldiers of Ukraine.”

He said the vote would also send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that “we do have a pulse here, that we do care about Ukraine and that we are going to utilize our authority to help them.”

As the war has dragged on, it's gotten more difficult for supporters of Ukraine in Congress to provide additional financial support to help Ukraine defend itself.

The U.S. has approved some $195 billion for the Ukraine response, according to the latest quarterly inspector general report for Operation Atlantic Resolve, with roughly a quarter of that going to replenish weapons stockpiles for the U.S. military. The last major legislation designed to bolster the Ukraine response occurred in April 2024, though modest amounts have since been included in annual appropriations bills.

Republican leaders are trying to stop the bill

Republican leaders have urged their members to oppose the legislation. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said there are good-faith negotiations between members of Congress and the White House to boost Ukraine. He described the negotiations as complicated.

“I think they are going to yield positive results, but you set that back if you pass legislation that doesn't go as far as the negotiations are going,” Scalise said.

The war that followed Russia’s full-scale invasion of its neighbor is more than four years old, with no end in sight. In recent days, both sides have sought an edge by launching long-range missile strikes.

U.S.-led peace efforts have fizzled out as the sides made no progress on key differences and after the war in Iran grabbed Washington’s attention. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by Trump but Putin refused.

Action in the Senate on Ukraine has revolved around a bill that would impose sweeping tariffs and secondary sanctions on countries that purchase Russia’s oil, gas, uranium and other exports, which are crucial to financing Russia’s military. But the bill has languished.

___

Associated Press congressional correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

Leer en español

U.S. CBP Air and Marine Operations, the U.S. Coast Guard, and “international partners” rescued 240 Haitian migrants in the Caribbean, according to Scott.

“The overcrowded vessel was taking on water and in danger of sinking,” Scott wrote. “Our personnel helped prevent what could have been a catastrophic loss of life while stopping yet another illegal migration attempt.”

Scott had a message for desperate migrants and traffickers: “Illegal maritime migration is dangerous, it is not worth the risk, and you will not gain entry into the US.”

Haitians have been experiencing a devastating crisis, as the United Nations estimates that over 1.4 million people have been displaced by gang violence.

In May, Monique Verdieux told the Associated Press that she was forced to flee her home in Port-au-Prince after she saw armed men burning her neighbors’ houses.

“I am now sleeping in the street,” Verdieux, 56, said.

The violence forced Doctors Without Borders to evacuate a hospital for three weeks in Cité Soleil, while there were dozens of gunshot victims.

More about Haiti

• New gang violence in Haiti displaces hundreds of people
• Sole player who lives in Haiti awaits US visa as his squad prepares for the World Cup in Florida

Según Scott, la División Aérea y Marítima de la CBP, la Guardia Costera de Estados Unidos y “socios internacionales” rescataron a 240 migrantes haitianos en el Caribe.

“La embarcación sobrecargada estaba haciendo agua y corría peligro de hundirse”, escribió Scott. “Nuestro personal ayudó a evitar lo que pudo haber sido una pérdida catastrófica de vidas mientras impedía otro intento de migración ilegal”.

Scott también envió un mensaje a los migrantes desesperados y a los traficantes de personas: “La migración marítima ilegal es peligrosa, no vale la pena correr el riesgo y no obtendrán entrada a Estados Unidos”.

Los haitianos han estado enfrentando una crisis devastadora, ya que las Naciones Unidas estiman que más de 1.4 millones de personas han sido desplazadas por la violencia de las pandillas.

En mayo, Monique Verdieux contó a The Associated Press que se vio obligada a huir de su hogar en Puerto Príncipe después de ver a hombres armados quemando las viviendas de sus vecinos.

“Ahora estoy durmiendo en la calle”, dijo Verdieux, de 56 años.

La violencia obligó a Médicos Sin Fronteras a evacuar durante tres semanas un hospital en Cité Soleil, mientras decenas de víctimas de disparos llegaban al lugar.

Más sobre Haití

• Nueva violencia de pandillas en Haití desplaza a cientos de personas
• Único jugador que vive en Haití espera visa de Estados Unidos mientras su selección se prepara para la Copa Mundial en Florida.

Leer en español

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies said they received a call at around 8:45 p.m. that a man later identified as Jamie Allan Koval, 38, had drank four Red Bull vodkas and “smoked two joints” and was trying to leave Kiki’s Sandbar, located at 183 Barry Ave. on Little Torch Key.

According to an arrest report, a deputy searching Big Pine Key spotted Koval’s pickup and pulled him over after seeing an unusual driving pattern.

Authorities said the deputy noticed that Koval smelled of alcohol and the girl, under his care, was not wearing a seat belt while in the back seat.

Suspecting he was under the influence, deputies said they asked Koval to participate in a field sobriety test, which he failed.

A deputy wrote in the arrest report that after being placed under arrest, Koval told him, from the backseat of the deputy’s cruiser, that “when he got out of jail he was going to sexually assault my wife” and “was going to get his son to sexually assault my daughter,” then threated to harm the deputy once they got to jail and his handcuffs came off.

Once at the jail, deputies said Koval admitted to being “under the influence of marijuana” and refused to take a breath test.

He now faces charges of DUI with person under 18 in the vehicle, resisting arrest, child neglect, threatening a law enforcement officer, threatening a law enforcement officer’s family and refusal to submit to a breath test.

As of Thursday afternoon, he was being held in MCSO’s Key West jail facility with no listed bond.

Records show he’s set to be arraigned in a Florida Keys courtroom on June 23.

Authorities said they put the girl “in (the) care of family members” and notified the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del condado Monroe informaron que recibieron una llamada alrededor de las 8:45 p.m. reportando que un hombre, posteriormente identificado como Jamie Allan Koval, de 38 años, había consumido cuatro vodkas con Red Bull y “fumado dos porros” y estaba intentando salir de Kiki’s Sandbar, ubicado en 183 Barry Ave., en Little Torch Key.

Según un informe de arresto, un agente que patrullaba Big Pine Key localizó la camioneta de Koval y lo detuvo tras observar un patrón inusual de conducción.

Las autoridades indicaron que el agente notó que Koval olía a alcohol y que la menor bajo su cuidado no llevaba puesto el cinturón de seguridad mientras viajaba en el asiento trasero.

Al sospechar que estaba bajo los efectos de sustancias, los agentes le pidieron a Koval que realizara una prueba de sobriedad de campo, la cual no aprobó.

Un agente escribió en el informe de arresto que, después de ser arrestado, Koval le dijo desde el asiento trasero de la patrulla que “cuando saliera de la cárcel iba a agredir sexualmente a mi esposa” y que “iba a hacer que su hijo agrediera sexualmente a mi hija”, además de amenazar con hacerle daño al agente una vez llegaran a la cárcel y le quitaran las esposas.

Una vez en la cárcel, los agentes indicaron que Koval admitió estar “bajo la influencia de marihuana” y se negó a someterse a una prueba de alcoholemia.

Ahora enfrenta cargos por conducir bajo los efectos del alcohol con una persona menor de 18 años en el vehículo, resistirse al arresto, negligencia infantil, amenazas contra un agente del orden público, amenazas contra familiares de un agente del orden público y negarse a someterse a una prueba de alcoholemia.

Hasta la tarde del jueves, permanecía detenido en la cárcel de Key West de la Oficina del Sheriff del condado Monroe sin una fianza establecida.

Los registros muestran que tiene programada una audiencia de instrucción de cargos en un tribunal de los Cayos de Florida el 23 de junio.

Las autoridades informaron que dejaron a la menor “bajo el cuidado de familiares” y notificaron al Departamento de Niños y Familias de Florida.

Agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward informaron que el hecho ocurrió poco antes de las 3:30 a.m. del 11 de abril en la cuadra 3000 de West Sample Road, en un área no incorporada a las afueras de Pompano Beach.

Los agentes indicaron que Sult President, de 47 años y residente de Pompano Beach, conducía una Nissan Pathfinder 2006 hacia el este por los carriles en dirección oeste en el paso elevado de Florida’s Turnpike cuando chocó de frente en el carril central contra una Hyundai Tucson 2025, causando la muerte de su conductor, Nicholas Addis.

Los paramédicos declararon muerto a Addis, de 36 años, en el lugar y trasladaron a President a un hospital con lesiones graves.

Los fiscales informaron en la corte que President tenía un nivel de alcohol en sangre de 0.23%, casi tres veces el límite legal, y los investigadores indicaron que conducía a velocidades de hasta 75 mph.

Desde entonces fue arrestado y trasladado al centro de detención North Broward Bureau en Pompano Beach, donde permanece encarcelado enfrentando cargos de homicidio vehicular, conducir bajo los efectos del alcohol causando una muerte, conducir bajo los efectos del alcohol con daños a una persona o propiedad y conducción temeraria, con una fianza total de $210,000 USD.

Si paga la fianza, un juez determinó que deberá portar dispositivos de monitoreo GPS y de alcohol, además de someterse a pruebas aleatorias. También deberá permanecer en el condado Broward, no podrá conducir y deberá entregar su pasaporte.

La oficina de la alcaldesa anunció en un comunicado de prensa la renuncia del director de Operaciones del Condado, Jimmy Morales, y de la directora de PortMiami, Hydi Webb.

La medida ocurre una semana después de que residentes de Fisher Island demandaran a un desarrollador, solicitando a un tribunal que impida la venta del depósito de combustible sin su consentimiento por escrito, argumentando que la transacción viola un acuerdo previo.

También sostienen que la amenaza del condado de recurrir a la expropiación es inconstitucional. Una demanda federal separada también continúa su curso en el sistema judicial.

Local 10 News está trabajando para preguntar a la oficina de la alcaldesa si la más reciente demanda tuvo alguna influencia en los cambios de liderazgo y también contactó al desarrollador para solicitar comentarios.

Mientras tanto, en un comunicado, Levine Cava dijo en parte que está “profundamente agradecida” con Morales y Webb “por su extraordinario servicio al condado Miami-Dade y a nuestros residentes”.

“Su liderazgo, integridad y dedicación han ayudado a fortalecer nuestro condado”, dijo.

Local 10 News solicitó copias de sus cartas de renuncia.

El director de Servicios Públicos y Regulatorios, Roy Coley, fue ascendido al cargo de vicealcalde, donde supervisará varios departamentos e instalaciones del condado, incluido el aeropuerto y el puerto marítimo.

El subdirector del puerto, Frederick Wong, se desempeñará como director interino de PortMiami.

Lea la demanda:

249080291 Complaint by Chris Gothner

It wasn’t his first significant project; it wasn’t even his first film with director Danny Boyle. And he was, in his words, fairly arrogant and cocksure at the time. But that kinetic film about four heroin addicts in late-1980s Scotland was and, 30 years later, remains defining — in his career, in the culture and in his understanding of what true artistic satisfaction can feel like.

“It’s very much in that early part of my career, and of course, even today, probably the most important piece of work that I was involved in, just because it had such a massive effect on my life. Not only because of what it did, but because of how it felt to make,” McGregor told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “It set the bar unknowingly high because it’s been quite hard to match ever since.”

Both McGregor and Boyle are a little wistful about the time, and what they made, on the eve of its 30th anniversary re-release. Starting Friday, a 4K digital restoration will be in theaters nationwide. Though “Trainspotting” was very much of its moment with its Britpop soundtrack, its Thatcher-era grit, its darkly comedic tone and shrewd blend of giddy highs and tragic lows, it’s also one that has stood the unforgiving test of time.

“You get kids coming up to you who are 17 who said they’d just seen it,” Boyle said. “I could be their grandfather … yet it still spoke to them.”

Putting Hollywood on hold

Boyle was a hot commodity after “Shallow Grave,” a 1994 black comedy about flatmates in Edinburgh starring McGregor, and Hollywood was calling. Literally. A peak-famous Sharon Stone cold-called him and asked if he’d want to come make a film with her. But he had his sights set on Irvine Welsh’s buzzy debut novel, teaming once again with screenwriter John Hodge and producer Andrew Macdonald.

The budget would be small, 1.5 million pounds or about $1.9 million, and the shoot would be quick and local. They didn’t know what they didn’t know: Boyle remembers asking his cinematographer, the late Brian Tufano, if they could use an anal probe camera for the “worst toilet in Scotland” scene.

“I remember him saying, ‘Well, Danny, yes, you can get that. But I’m not sure how Ewan and his family and agent will feel about that,’” Boyle said with a laugh. “He tempered my kind of extreme way of approaching this material.”

And somehow it all worked, driven by youthful energy, a bit of arrogance and a passionate commitment to the material.

‘It would have been a disaster if it had been done differently’

“‘Trainspotting’ had to be made that way,” said McGregor, who was 23 at the time. “It would have been a disaster if it had been done differently.”

For McGregor, at least part of the vitality came from the fact that they were shooting on film; money was going through the camera on every take.

“We shoot on these cards now, and it just doesn’t matter anymore,” McGregor said. “There’s no natural sort of like rhythm to filmmaking like there used to be then. … I think back to ‘Shallow Grave’ and ‘Trainspotting’ and it feels almost like a different job.”

Boyle too has been chasing that kind of innocence ever since. He said he might have come close on his upcoming film “Ink,” with Jack O’Connell.

“It was liberating not having enough money because you don’t have that limitation of thinking, oh, that’s going to be too extreme for the studio or for the audience reach we’re meant to have,” Boyle said. “You could make it so that if it didn’t work, you just, you know, sulk away with your tail between your legs and call back Sharon Stone and say ‘I was wrong.’”

The rock star moment

Like any film about drugs, there was a fair amount of discourse around its release. U.S. presidential candidate Bob Dole even denounced it, unseen, for romanticizing heroin during his campaign. But the film was in the conversation — and it had an enviable group of supporters, including Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker and Blur’s Damon Albarn, both of whom provided songs for the film.

After “Trainspotting” became a hit, life changed profoundly for McGregor. In London, he said, “it was madness.” At the time he was sharing a flat with his co-star Jonny Lee Miller, Jude Law and Sean Pertwee. When they’d go out to clubs, they felt like rock stars.

“There was a real energy around it,” McGregor said. “We were part of that, you see, the Blur and Oasis and Pulp and The Verve and all of that amazing music that was happening then. We were the sort of movie version of it, I guess, because Danny knew what he was doing with the soundtrack and because the novel was so huge and current and … and maybe because it was ours. It was British and it wasn’t pandering to America. We didn’t make it for America.”

An absolute love of cinema

Boyle hopes that audiences take a chance on “Trainspotting” in the theater, whether they're revisiting it or seeing it for the first time. It was, he said, made with an absolute love of cinema.

“It’s very indebted to ‘Goodfellas,’ which also has that feeling of: You are here to be absolutely assaulted by an experience,” Boyle said. “You know, you have given us your money and you’ve given us your time to be here for 90 minutes, two hours, whatever it is, and we promise, we promise to deliver everything to you that we can.”

“I absolutely expect something in the next couple of hours,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees concluded a three-game series with the Cleveland Guardians. “He went for more testing today just because he’s got edema there. So, they want to get (the most) specific images they can to try and see exactly what we have.”

Judge underwent a CT scan on Thursday morning and had an MRI earlier in the week when he met with a specialist. The bruise was first revealed when Judge underwent testing on the team’s off day on Monday.

“I’m obviously not a doctor, I don’t know how it all works, but there’s a lot of people involved in trying to make sure we get the right diagnosis," Boone said.

Judge was diagnosed with a stress fracture in one of his right ribs in March 2020. The injury occurred when he dove for a ball in September 2019, but Judge did not miss any time because of the 2020 season being delayed by the pandemic.

He is hitting .248 with 17 homers and 38 RBIs. The three-time AL MVP has one homer in his last 18 games since May 10 and ended an 11-game homer and RBI drought with a game-ending, two-run drive on May 24 against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Judge entered the game against Tampa Bay in a 1-for-24 slump that dropped his batting average to .246. He was hitless in 15 at-bats before singling in the first inning.

Judge won the batting title last season when he hit a career-high .331 with 53 homers and 114 RBIs in 152 games. He missed 10 games from July 26-Aug. 4 with a flexor strain in his right elbow that he sustained on a throw to home July 22 in Toronto. He underwent a plasma-rich injection and did not require offseason surgery.

When Judge was hurt last season, Giancarlo Stanton played 17 games in the outfield. Stanton has been out since April 24 with a strained right calf and started taking live at-bats on the field Wednesday, though he was ruled out for New York's upcoming road trip.

José Caballero started the first two games against Cleveland and has made four starts in right field since being acquired from Tampa Bay at the July 31 trade deadline. Max Schuemann made his first career start in right field Thursday.

Judge had started 52 of New York’s first 59 games in right field. Rookie Spencer Jones made four starts in right field before getting sent down May 22 and Cody Bellinger has started two games.

___

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

The decision marks another setback for Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes as she struggles to push the sprawling case through the courts. Mayes’ office said it will again present the case in its entirety to a grand jury rather than end the prosecution.

The ruling came after similar cases in Michigan and Georgia were dismissed by the courts and a special prosecutor dropped a federal case in late 2024 that charged Trump with conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. Cases related to the fake elector scheme remain in Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin.

A lower-court judge in Phoenix concluded in May that the case’s first grand jury hadn’t been shown the text of the Electoral Count Act, a 19th century law that governs the certification of presidential contests and was invoked by those charged in defending themselves.

Defense lawyers argued the law allowed for multiple slates of electors to be submitted to Congress in case the results were disputed, though it was amended in 2022 to specify that a state could put forward only one slate of electors and that it was the governor who would sign off.

There has been no movement in the Arizona case at the trial court level since mid-May.

Former President Joe Biden won Arizona in 2020 by 10,457 votes.

Leer en español

Those killed have since been identified by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office as Ryan Charles Whiten, 42; Melanie Lauren Hyer, 46; and their daughters, Savannah Whiten, 11, and Sienna Whiten, 8.

Ryan Whiten and Hyer had been divorced for years, records show.

According to investigators, Doral police officers responded to a home in the gated Doral Isles community Tuesday night after a concerned family friend requested a welfare check.

Authorities said officers entered the home and found all four dead. Police confirmed they all had stab wounds on their bodies.

MDSO homicide detectives have classified the case a murder-suicide, although authorities have not publicly identified which person they believe was responsible.

As the investigation continues, neighbors and parents in the community are struggling to come to terms with the killings.

“That is a tragedy,” said Anderina Zerpa, who lives nearby. “That is a worst nightmare for a parent,”

Zerpa said she was stunned to learn what happened so close to home.

“I live super close to their house and I didn’t even know,” she added.

Among those grieving is Doral Mayor Christi Fraga, who said she knew Hyer personally through their children’s school community.

“I had her almost every morning dropping off my child, my son,” Fraga said.

Fraga described Hyer as a parent who worked to bring families together.

“She’s the one that created the chat of all the moms to kind of go have lunches and stuff and get together and build a community around our kids,” she added.

Fraga said she hopes the family is remembered for the positive impact they had on those around them rather than the circumstances of their deaths.

“We want to remember them by their bubbly personalities, their beautiful smiles and pray for their souls, pray for their families and for everyone that surrounded them that this will impact,” she added.

A representative for Downtown Doral Charter Schools previously confirmed that Savannah and Sienna were students at the school, where grief counselors have been made available to students and staff.

Fraga has also encouraged anyone experiencing domestic violence or mental health challenges to seek help.

Resources are available through the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office’s domestic violence services program and the city of Doral’s mental health resources webpage.

MDSO Homicide Bureau detectives have taken over the investigation into the deaths.

Las víctimas fueron identificadas por la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade como Ryan Charles Whiten, de 42 años; Melanie Lauren Hyer, de 46; y sus hijas, Savannah Whiten, de 11 años, y Sienna Whiten, de 8.

Los registros muestran que Ryan Whiten y Hyer habían estado divorciados durante años.

Según los investigadores, agentes de la Policía de Doral respondieron el martes por la noche a una vivienda en la comunidad cerrada Doral Isles después de que un amigo de la familia, preocupado por su bienestar, solicitara una verificación.

Las autoridades informaron que los agentes ingresaron a la vivienda y encontraron a los cuatro fallecidos. La policía confirmó que todos presentaban heridas de arma blanca en sus cuerpos.

Los detectives de homicidios de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade han clasificado el caso como un homicidio-suicidio, aunque las autoridades no han identificado públicamente a la persona que consideran responsable.

Mientras la investigación continúa, vecinos y padres de familia de la comunidad luchan por asimilar los asesinatos.

“Eso es una tragedia”, dijo Anderina Zerpa, quien vive cerca. “Es la peor pesadilla para un padre”.

Zerpa dijo que quedó atónita al enterarse de lo ocurrido tan cerca de su hogar.

“Vivo súper cerca de su casa y ni siquiera lo sabía”, agregó.

Entre quienes lamentan la pérdida se encuentra la alcaldesa de Doral, Christi Fraga, quien dijo que conocía personalmente a Hyer a través de la comunidad escolar de sus hijos.

“La veía casi todas las mañanas cuando dejaba a mi hijo en la escuela”, dijo Fraga.

Fraga describió a Hyer como una madre que trabajaba para unir a las familias.

“Fue ella quien creó el chat de todas las mamás para organizar almuerzos, reuniones y construir una comunidad alrededor de nuestros hijos”, agregó.

Fraga dijo que espera que la familia sea recordada por el impacto positivo que tuvo en quienes los rodeaban y no por las circunstancias de sus muertes.

“Queremos recordarlos por sus personalidades alegres, sus hermosas sonrisas y orar por sus almas, por sus familias y por todos los que los rodeaban y que se verán afectados por esto”, añadió.

Un representante de Downtown Doral Charter Schools confirmó previamente que Savannah y Sienna eran estudiantes de la escuela, donde se han puesto a disposición consejeros de duelo para estudiantes y personal.

Fraga también alentó a cualquier persona que esté experimentando violencia doméstica o problemas de salud mental a buscar ayuda.

Hay recursos disponibles a través del programa de servicios para víctimas de violencia doméstica de la Fiscalía Estatal de Miami-Dade y de la página de recursos de salud mental de la ciudad de Doral.

Los detectives de la Oficina de Homicidios de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade han asumido la investigación de las muertes.

El incidente ocurrió poco después de las 12:30 a.m. del 25 de mayo en The Standard Cuisine & Cocktails, ubicado en 187 SE Mizner Blvd., en el centro comercial Royal Palm Plaza.

Desde entonces, las autoridades arrestaron al sospechoso, Christian Ippolito.

La policía informó que Ippolito, de 24 años y residente de Lantana, sostuvo una discusión con una de las víctimas, a quien conocía, justo afuera del restaurante, sacó un arma de fuego de la cintura y realizó dos disparos contra la víctima.

Según la policía, uno de los disparos impactó a la víctima en el pecho, mientras que el otro ingresó al restaurante e hirió a un cliente en una pierna.

Los paramédicos trasladaron a ambas víctimas a un hospital cercano.

Las autoridades informaron posteriormente que la víctima que recibió el disparo en el pecho se encuentra en condición estable y que la víctima herida en la pierna fue dada de alta más tarde.

La policía indicó que Ippolito fue arrestado el miércoles y permanece encarcelado en la cárcel del condado Palm Beach enfrentando dos cargos de intento de asesinato en segundo grado con arma de fuego y un cargo por disparar contra una propiedad ocupada.

Los agentes de la Policía de Hollywood respondieron a una llamada al 911 alrededor de las 8 p.m. del miércoles después de que testigos en la zona costera observaran el cuerpo, al este del North Boardwalk y al sur de Hollywood North Beach Park.

“Vimos a dos pescadores y luego lo que parecía ser un cuerpo en la playa… Vimos cómo la arrastraban hacia la orilla… fue desalentador”, dijo Gianluca Fiore, un testigo.

Agentes de la Policía de Hollywood permanecieron dentro y fuera de la playa hasta altas horas de la noche, cerca de North Surf Road, entre las calles New Mexico y Thomas. La Oficina del Médico Forense del Condado Broward también investigaba el caso.

Los detectives solicitaron a cualquier persona con información sobre este u otros casos y que desee permanecer en el anonimato que llame a Broward County Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477.

Reporte relacionado: Policía: Cuerpo aparece en la orilla de Hollywood Beach

Ubicación

Trump noted the work to paint the shallow basin a deep shade, which he calls “American flag blue,” was completed on Wednesday. The administration said in a court filing it's set to be filled with water no later than Sunday.

As of early Thursday, there were still vehicles in the basin and no sign of water in it.

Trump has put the cost of the work on the pool at $1.5 million to $2 million, but records show at least $14.8 million worth of contracts has been awarded for the project. The president announced the work in April during an unrelated Oval Office appearance, saying he was inspired by complaints from a friend visiting from Germany who called the pool dark and disgusting.

The project is another way for Trump to leave his mark on the city, following the demolition of the White House East Wing to build a large ballroom and plans to build an arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

The reflecting pool, which is more than 2,000 feet (610 meters) long, was originally built in the 1920s. It sits between the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and is one of the most iconic sites in Washington. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously gave his “I Have a Dream” speech there in 1963.

The basin held about 6.5 million gallons of water — roughly as much as 10 Olympic-size swimming pools — before a 2012 renovation, according to the National Park Service. Under that earlier renovation, the pool was reengineered with a circulation and filtration system so that instead of using the city’s drinking water, it draws river water from the nearby Tidal Basin. Washington and its surrounding states are facing drought conditions.

Critics have said Trump, a Republican, is spending too much time and attention on his pet projects and not enough on issues that voters care about, like the cost of living, in the run-up to the November elections. Others have said he wants the reflecting pool to look more like a swimming pool.

Last month, a Washington-based nonprofit called the Cultural Landscape Foundation filed a suit asking a judge to force the Trump administration to stop work on the “dark grey” Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, saying the new paint color suggested a “theme park.”

An order in the case hasn't come yet, and on Wednesday the Trump administration notified the court the work was complete, with the basin set to be filled by Sunday.

A message seeking information from the Interior Department, which oversees the Park Service, wasn't immediately answered.

No, the most unpleasant part of descending into New York City's vast sewer system, according to former urban explorer Steve Duncan, was the cockroaches.

“They’re all over the place, crawling on walls, dropping down on you,” Duncan recalled this week. “They were the worst.”

Duncan, 48, who now lives in Maryland, reflected on his years documenting the muck-filled tunnels running under New York after surveillance videos captured small groups of people mysteriously entering and exiting the sewer system in Brooklyn and Queens in recent days.

Police say they’re still investigating the three incidents but don’t believe there’s any threat to the public. Officials stress that it is both illegal and dangerous to enter the city’s 7,400 miles (12,000 kilometers) of sewer pipes.

Duncan believes the groups were likely explorers like him, traversing the large, 19th century sewer mains that run underneath parts of the city.

These relatively cavernous spaces can exceed 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter — tall enough for most people to comfortably walk upright — and can feature handmade bricks and elegant arches, he said.

A number, including one near where one of the groups was spotted, trace the paths of naturally occurring waterways that once sustained New York, before industrialization fouled them and forced city builders to convert them to sewers, Duncan said.

“These old streams, they get put underground as cities grow up around them,” he explained. “It’s amazing how much this old natural environment is part of the city today.”

Going underground requires planning

The videos suggest that some of the groups spent up to three hours underground, a length of time that may seem unimaginable, but Duncan said passes quickly as sewer journeys require navigating slippery, humid environments and flowing water that could be a foot (30 centimeters) or deeper in places.

Duncan credits the groups with picking an optimal time for their excursions.

Heavy rainfall days earlier would have mostly cleared the system, and venturing into the tunnels in the early morning hours would mean waste flow would be noticeably less than during peak daytime hours.

“They did their research,” Duncan said.

But invisible dangers lurk in these pathogen-rich environments, he said, recounting how he'd landed in the hospital with badly infected extremities on two separate occasions, which eventually pushed him to retire.

Seasoned explorers will generally bring gas meters to check for dangerous levels of fumes, including potentially flammable hydrogen sulfide, which is produced by decomposition, Duncan said.

As to the smell of all that effluent, it’s not as overpowering as you’d think, Duncan said.

“If it’s a well-functioning sewer, it’s more like a barnyard, or compost pile smell,” he said. “But when it’s bad, it can smell like death.”

Subterranean explorers' motivation raises questions

Some residents have worried the mysterious explorers captured on video were up to something nefarious. Many were dressed in waterproof hip waders and equipped with headlamps and what appeared to be shovels and other tools.

“Sewers can serve as entry or exit points to buildings, and we have all seen movies in which criminals escape jail through a sewer,” offered Magued Iskander, an engineering professor at New York University. “There must be a reason beyond mere thrill to enter a dirty place like a sewer.”

Others have noted that police have nabbed underground treasure seekers from time to time.

Three men were charged just last year with burglary and other counts after they went searching for gold, jewelry and other valuables in a Brooklyn sewer. A decade earlier, police caught three others as they emerged from a maintenance hole, including a worker with the city Department of Environmental Protection, which manages the sewer system.

If anything, the viral videos underscore just how vulnerable some of the city’s vital infrastructure is, said David Sarni, a retired New York Police Department detective and professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan.

“Is this something that could be exploited by people who look to do harm?” he said. “You have to really take nothing for granted and always think, unfortunately, on that negative side.”

Duncan, who now works in real estate, said neither riches nor malice motivated him and many others of his generation of urban explorers.

On his trips into underground passages in New York, London, Paris and elsewhere during the early 2000s, he rarely found anything of value, save for the odd credit card or tattered wallet.

“These are terrifying places that take a lot of planning and dedication to explore safety,” Duncan said. “You don’t do all of these things for the tiny chance of finding a diamond earring.”

“The real reason is to see something new, or experience the city in a different way,” he continued. “That’s the real lure.”

___

Associated Press video journalist Joseph Frederick in New York contributed to this story.

___

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

Leer en español

Local 10 News also heard from Pembroke Pines Commissioner Jay Schwartz, who owns the flight school connected to the aircraft involved in the crash.

Investigators said a plane took off from North Perry Airport on May 29. Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft experienced engine failure, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing.

The plane crashed outside South Florida State Hospital.

A student pilot and a flight instructor were inside the overturned aircraft. Both were injured but survived, thanks in part to people who rushed to help.

“As I was driving South on University, going back home, I see this plane above me and it looked like it was losing altitude,” said Nathan Gansert, the good samaritan who helped.

According to a police report, the flight school company connected to the plane is Blue Sky, which is owned by Schwartz. The report also states that one of the survivors said the plane had been experiencing engine issues the day before the crash.

On Wednesday, city leaders honored Gansert for helping rescue the two people onboard.

Gansert said he was driving when he noticed a plane flying unusually low before it disappeared from view.

“I noticed I didn’t see it in the sky anymore,” Gansert said. “I turn the corner, turn the other corner and see tree branches on the ground. I see one of the girls start to climb out and I jumped out my car and ran over there and helped the other one. I did what I do best and I guess that being a human.”

Schwartz thanked Gansert during the ceremony.

“You saved our girls,” Schwartz said. “One of them is watching right now. It’s only been five nights. When things get better, we’re going to get together.”

Both survivors are expected to recover.

Leer en español

Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies said it happened at just before 3:30 a.m. on April 11 along the 3000 block of West Sample Road in an unincorporated area outside of Pompano Beach.

Deputies said Sult President, 47, of Pompano Beach, was driving in a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder, heading east in the westbound lanes on the overpass for Florida’s Turnpike when he hit a 2025 Hyundai Tucson head-on in the center lane, killing its driver, Nicholas Addis.

Medics pronounced Addis, 36, dead at the scene and took President to a hospital with serious injuries.

Addis is the son of former Coral Springs Mayor Vincent Boccard.

Prosecutors said in court that President had a blood alcohol level of 0.23%, nearly three times the legal limit, and investigators said he was driving up to 75 mph.

He has since been arrested and taken to the North Broward Bureau detention center in Pompano Beach, where he remains behind bars on charges of vehicular homicide, DUI resulting in death, DUI with damage to a person or property and reckless driving on a total bond of $210,000.

If he bonds out, a judge ruled he must wear GPS and alcohol monitoring devices and submit to random testing. He must also remain in Broward County, he cannot drive and he must surrender his passport.

Leer en español

According to Pembroke Pines police, officers detained the suspect, Zachary Mikolashek, 38, after serving an arrest warrant at a home in the Camden Portofino community, located in the area of Northwest 108^th Avenue and Third Street.

Neighbors told Local 10 News that Mikolashek is a military veteran who has been suffering from PTSD.

They said he was shooting aimlessly into the air two days ago.

Blink doorbell camera footage shows SWAT team members outside the home.

“He’s a human being that’s suffering from PTSD and, you know, unfortunately it got to this point,” one neighbor said. “He barricaded himself in there and they had to go and help him out. They were actually saying, ‘One veteran to the next, please come out. We don’t want to hurt you.’”

Another neighbor told Local 10 News that she heard the sound of what sounded like about five gunshots.

As officers were serving the warrant, they temporarily evacuated a family that lives next door to Mikolashek due to the presence of guns inside his home.

Police did not immediately confirm details about what led to Mikolashek’s arrest, but confirmed that he has been charged with burglary.

As of Thursday afternoon, Mikolashek was being held at the Broward County Main Jail. His bond had not yet been set.

Leer en español

It happened just after 12:30 a.m. on May 25 at The Standard Cuisine & Cocktails, located at 187 SE Mizner Blvd. in the Royal Palm Plaza shopping center.

Authorities have since taken the suspect, Christian Ippolito, into custody.

Police said Ippolito, 24, of Lantana, got into an argument with one of the victims ― whom he knew ― just outside the restaurant, pulled a gun from his waistband and fired two shots toward the victim.

One of the shots struck the victim in the chest while the other shot went into the restaurant and struck a patron in the leg, police said.

Medics rushed both victims to a nearby hospital.

Authorities have since said that the victim who was shot in the chest is in stable condition and the victim who was shot in the leg was later released from the hospital.

Police said Ippolito was taken into custody on Wednesday and remains behind bars at the Palm Beach County Jail on two charges of second-degree attempted murder with a firearm and one charge of shooting into an occupied dwelling.

Leer en español

Hollywood police officers responded to a 911 call at about 8 p.m. on Wednesday after ocean-side witnesses saw the body, east of the North Boardwalk and south of the Hollywood North Beach Park.

“We saw two fishermen and then what looked like a body on the beach ... We saw them drag her up ... it was disheartening,” Gianluca Fiore, a witness, said.

There were Hollywood police officers on and off the beach late into the night, near North Surf Road, between New Mexico and Thomas streets. The Broward County Medical Examiner’s Office was investigating.

“Hollywood police department and fire department did an amazing job at making sure that the body was treated with respect,“ Emilio Benitz, a witness who lives steps away from the North Boardwalk, said.

Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases who wants to remain anonymous to call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

Related report: Police: Body washes ashore on Hollywood Beach

Location

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate fell to 6.48% from 6.53% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. The average rate remains below 6.85%, where it was a year ago.

When mortgage rates decline they give homebuyers more purchasing power.

Rates have been mostly trending higher since the war with Iran began, disrupting the passage of tankers ferrying crude oil from the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide. That’s sent oil prices sharply higher — a key driver of inflation.

“This conflict is currently the main driver of still-high mortgage rates, as the oil shock ripples inflation fears throughout the global economy,” said Joel Berner, a senior economist at Realtor.com.

Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors’ expectations for the economy and inflation. They generally follow the trajectory of the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.

Expectations of higher oil prices as the war drags on have kept long-term bond yields elevated, causing mortgage rates to mostly trend higher.

The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury note was at 4.47% in midday trading Thursday on the bond market, up from 4.45% a week ago. It was just 3.97% in late February, before the war broke out.

As recently as late February, the average rate on a 30-year mortgage had slipped just under 6% for the first time since late 2022. It’s hasn’t fallen below that threshold since. Last week, it surged to its highest level since August 28, when it was 6.56%.

While average long-term mortgage rates remain lower than they were at this time last year, their mostly upward trajectory and uncertainty over how much higher they may go as bond markets react to the economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East have been a drag on the housing market.

Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat in April after declining from a year earlier in the first three months of the year, extending a nationwide housing slump that dates back to 2022 when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. The May existing home sales snapshot is due out next week.

Recent mortgage applications data are another sign that the upward trend in mortgage rates has many would-be homebuyers on hold.

Mortgage applications, which include loans to buy a home or refinance an existing mortgage, fell 2.5% last week for the third week in a row, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Applications for loans to buy a home remain modestly higher than last year's levels, but posted their slowest weekly pace since April.

Meanwhile, home loan refinancing applications softened as many homeowners eager to refinance hold out for lower rates.

Still, those homeowners also got some relief this week. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, often sought by borrowers refinancing a home loan, also eased. That average rate fell to 5.79% from 5.87% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.99%, Freddie Mac said.

Home shoppers who are undeterred by elevated mortgage rates are benefiting from buyer-friendly trends in many markets, including more properties for sale than a year ago and data showing that home listing prices have started falling.

The median price of U.S. homes listed for sale fell 2.4% last month from a year earlier, the steepest decline on data going back to 2017, according to Realtor.com.

Castillo, de 42 años, quien reemplaza al exjefe Edwin Lopez , comenzará su nuevo trabajo el 15 de junio, antes de una ceremonia formal de juramento el 17 de junio, según el anuncio de la ciudad.

La alcaldesa de Doral, Christi Fraga, emitió un comunicado en el que afirma que Castillo combinará “una vigilancia policial proactiva, tecnología moderna y una participación comunitaria significativa para lograr resultados reales”.

Fraga anunció la salida de López el 11 de mayo, tras su nombramiento como nuevo jefe de policía de Miami.

En un comunicado, Zeida Sardiñas , la administradora municipal, describió a Castillo como “un líder policial respetado en nuestra región que comprende a nuestra comunidad y ha trabajado junto a nuestro departamento a través de colaboraciones previas”.

Castillo comenzó su carrera en el Departamento de Policía de Miami Springs como auxiliar de servicio público en 2009. Este graduado de la Universidad Internacional de Florida ascendió de rango y fue ascendido a jefe el 1 de enero de 2025.

Miami Springs aún no había anunciado a su reemplazo.

Historias relacionadas

• Doral ofrece el puesto de jefe de policía al actual jefe de policía de Miami Springs, Matthew Castillo.
• Miami nombra a un “líder local” como nuevo jefe de policía

Esta noticia está en desarrollo.

Leer en español

Castillo, 42, who is replacing former Chief Edwin Lopez, starts his new job on June 15, before a formal swearing-in ceremony on June 17, according to the city’s announcement.

Doral Mayor Christi Fraga released a statement saying Castillo will be “combining proactive policing, modern technology, and meaningful community engagement to drive real results.”

Fraga announced Lopez’s departure on May 11 after his hire as Miami’s new police chief to lead over 1,100 sworn police officers. Doral has about 190 sworn police officers.

In a statement, Zeida Sardiñas, Doral’s city manager, described Castillo as “a respected law enforcement leader in our region who understands our community and has worked alongside our department through prior collaboration.”

Castillo started his career with the Miami Springs Police Department as a public service aide in 2009. The Florida International University graduate moved up the ranks and was promoted to chief on Jan. 1, 2025.

Miami Springs, a city department with more than 45 sworn police officers, had yet to announce Castillo’s replacement.

Related stories

• Doral offers police chief job to current Miami Springs Police Chief Matthew Castillo
• Miami names ‘homegrown leader’ as new police chief

This is a developing story.

Location

Local 10 News también conversó con el comisionado de Pembroke Pines, Jay Schwartz, propietario de la escuela de vuelo vinculada a la aeronave involucrada en el accidente.

Los investigadores informaron que una aeronave despegó de North Perry Airport el 29 de mayo. Poco después del despegue, la aeronave sufrió una falla de motor, lo que obligó al piloto a intentar un aterrizaje de emergencia.

La aeronave se estrelló en las afueras del South Florida State Hospital.

Un estudiante piloto y un instructor de vuelo se encontraban dentro de la aeronave volcada. Ambos resultaron heridos, pero sobrevivieron, en parte gracias a las personas que acudieron a ayudar.

“Mientras conducía hacia el sur por University, de regreso a casa, vi esta aeronave sobre mí y parecía que estaba perdiendo altitud”, dijo Nathan Gansert, el buen samaritano que ayudó.

Según un informe policial, la empresa de la escuela de vuelo vinculada a la aeronave es Blue Sky, propiedad de Schwartz. El informe también indica que uno de los sobrevivientes dijo que la aeronave había estado experimentando problemas de motor el día anterior al accidente.

El miércoles, líderes de la ciudad reconocieron a Gansert por ayudar a rescatar a las dos personas que iban a bordo.

Gansert dijo que conducía cuando notó una aeronave volando inusualmente bajo antes de que desapareciera de su vista.

“Me di cuenta de que ya no la veía en el cielo”, dijo Gansert. “Doblé una esquina, luego otra y vi ramas de árboles en el suelo. Vi a una de las jóvenes comenzar a salir y me bajé de mi auto y corrí hacia allí para ayudar a la otra. Hice lo que mejor sé hacer y supongo que eso es ser humano”.

Schwartz agradeció a Gansert durante la ceremonia.

“Salvaste a nuestras muchachas”, dijo Schwartz. “Una de ellas está viendo esto ahora mismo. Solo han pasado cinco noches. Cuando las cosas mejoren, vamos a reunirnos”.

Se espera que ambos sobrevivientes se recuperen.

A White House official said the administration will use authority under a Cold War-era national defense law to support 13 coal plants across the country and help build coal plants in Alaska and West Virginia — the first new U.S. coal plants since 2013. The money will also help restart a coal-fired power plant in Maryland and support construction of a long-delayed coal export terminal in Oakland, California.

Together, the announcements will support or create more than 14,000 jobs in coal, construction, rail and maritime industries, a White House official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details ahead of Trump’s expected announcement later Thursday at the White House.

Trump is expected to be joined Thursday by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin.

The announcement is the latest step by Trump to try to reverse the years-long decline in the U.S. coal industry. The administration said last fall it will open 13 million acres of federal lands for coal mining and provide $625 million to recommission or modernize coal-fired power plants. Trump issued executive orders soon after retaking office to try to revive coal, a reliable but polluting energy source that’s long been shrinking amid environmental regulations and competition from cheaper natural gas.

Bloomberg News first reported the new funds for coal.

Under Trump’s orders, the Energy Department has required fossil-fueled power plants in Michigan, Indiana, Colorado and Washington state to keep operating past their retirement dates to meet rising U.S. power demand amid growth in data centers, artificial intelligence and electric cars. The Energy Department has extended short-term orders to allow those efforts to continue, and has ordered oil and gas-fired plants in Maryland and Pennsylvania to run past scheduled retirement dates.

Wright has said the administration's use of emergency orders to keep aging coal-fired plants operating helped prevent major blackouts during brutally frigid weather that gripped most of country in late January and early February.

Environmental groups denounced the latest effort to boost coal, which comes as the Trump administration has clamped down on renewable energy, including freezing permits for offshore wind projects, ending clean energy tax credits and blocking wind and solar projects on federal lands.

“Propping up coal billionaires with taxpayer money is one more way for the Trump administration to put polluters first and put the rest of us at risk," said Kit Kennedy, managing director for power at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “What’s next, a taxpayer bailout to build new phone booths?”

Trump's order will result in higher electricity bills and dirtier air, Kennedy and other critics said. “The best thing for the air, the climate and our utility bills is to let these plants retire peacefully," she said.

Coal once provided more than half of U.S. electricity production, but its share dropped to about 15% in 2024, down from about 45% as recently as 2010. Natural gas provides about 43% of U.S. electricity, with the remainder from nuclear energy and renewables such as wind, solar and hydropower.

U.S. coal exports dropped during the first year of Trump’s second term, largely due to less coal being shipped to China after it imposed reciprocal tariffs on American products last year in response to broad tariffs announced by Trump, according to the Energy Information Administration. Global coal demand rose to record levels in recent years but is expected to flatten or decline in coming years, according the International Energy Agency.

It’s hard for U.S. companies to expand into new markets because there are plentiful reserves of coal around the globe.

Trump is expected to invoke the Defense Production ⁠Act, a 1950 law that grants presidents wide authority over national security-related industries.

___

Associated Press writer Matthew Brown in Billings Montana contributed to this report.

Without directly saying the idea was to replace Pride, the governors of Indiana and Tennessee rebranded June as Nuclear Family Month to celebrate units made up of “one husband, one wife and any biological, adopted or fostered children.”

In Alabama, it's Strong Families Month, intended to coincide with Father's Day. Gov. Kay Ivey's proclamation says fathers are “the head of the household” and “homes led by a father and mother provide children with the structure and discipline necessary to succeed throughout life.”

The governors of Utah and Arkansas deemed it Fidelity Month, which emphasizes fidelity to faith, country and family — without comment on how those families might be comprised.

Last week, Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders' X account posted a link to an article about her proclamation that declared, “Another Red State is Counter-Programming Pride Month.”

She and the other governors haven’t answered questions from The Associated Press about why their proclamations are all set in June.

The family focus for June has come on strong this year

Republican lawmakers in at least four other GOP-controlled states have introduced legislation this year calling for June to be Fidelity Month.

An organization pushing that concept was founded by Robert P. George, a Princeton University professor of jurisprudence who has long been a leader on conservative thought. His group did not respond to interview requests.

He told the National Catholic Register about the idea in 2023, saying “nobody gets a monopoly on a particular day or a particular month.”

June Pride celebrations, which often include parade, festivals and performances, began in 1970 to mark the first anniversary of the violent police raid on the Stonewall Inn, a New York City gay bar, and have since expanded to cities worldwide.

“You can call it whatever you want, but one thing you’re not going to do is take away our pride or take away our joy," said Jordan Braxton co-president of USA Prides.

Every Democratic president since Bill Clinton in 1999 has signed a Pride proclamation each year — and no Republican president has.

One of the few GOP governors who has proclaimed Pride is Utah's Spencer Cox, who did so in 2021, 2022 and 2023. In 2024, he deemed June a “Month of Bridge Building” before switching to Fidelity Month this year.

A poll released this week found that a two decade-long increase in acceptance of same-sex marriages and relationships has flattened — largely because more Republicans oppose them.

Conservatives say they're ‘reclaiming the culture’

Last year, U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, an Illinois Republican, introduced a resolution to make June Family Month — and to unrecognize Pride Month, saying “Americans are inundated with perverse Pride Month displays and events throughout the month of June that denigrate the nuclear family.” It never got a vote.

Some backers view the state measures as an opportunity for a cultural reset.

Kevin Roberts, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation, said in an interview that it's good to have the conservative recognitions because Pride celebrations “were going so far as to make it difficult to celebrate traditional marriage."

The resolution approved by Tennessee’s Legislature and governor does not mention Pride Month specifically, while saying the “nuclear family is under attack in our beloved State and nation.”

But Lakie Derrick, a conservative activist who authored the measure with a friend, said she did indeed target it to June to counter Pride Month, which she said “goes against” American values.

“We’re just reclaiming the culture, and there’s no better month to do that than in a month where the culture says we’re gonna celebrate something so opposite to what we know to be right,” Derrick said.

Marina Lowe, who leads legal and legislative affairs for the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Equality Utah, said that Pride Month is not the antithesis of other values-based recognitions. Many LGBTQ+ people also value faith and family, she said, so “I don’t think that these positions need to be in conflict with one another.”

In Wenatchee, Washington, a school’s Turning Point USA chapter was able to get Family Month banners posted on light poles that in the past had displayed rainbow flags during June. A local gay rights group, Out NCW, struck back by buying two billboards and passing out yard signs supporting Pride, its president, AJ Soto, said.

For some, this is why Pride Month exists

Josh Coleman, president of Central Alabama Pride, which has 42 events planned over two weeks, said the celebrations, which culminate with a parade on June 13 and festival June 14, won't be affected by the proclamation.

“It's not lost upon LGBTQ people when elected leaders don't recognize or value the visibility of the community,” he said. “That's why Pride started in the first place — to make sure the community had a community.”

Alex Richardson, chair of the board of directors at Indy Pride in Indianapolis, said he sees the governor's proclamation there as a “swipe.” But he also believes the events there this month are celebrating some of the things the governor supports.

“Sure, the governor's right, the nuclear family is worth celebrating,” Richardson said. “But I think so is the grandmother who raises her grandchildren, or the chosen family that shows up when a blended family can't, or won't, ... or the weird blended households that are held together by love and effort.”

___

Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Mulvihill from Haddonfield, New Jersey.

Leer en español

Rogerio Miranda De Souza, 49, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Wednesday night on a new charge of indecent exposure, according to jail records.

South Miami police said the incident related to his latest arrest occurred May 11 and involved a different female victim.

According to an arrest report, the victim was driving south on U.S. 1 near the 5700 block of South Dixie Highway when De Souza drove his gray Tesla “extremely close” to the driver’s side of the woman’s vehicle, at which time she saw that he had his penis exposed and was stroking it.

Police said De Souza continued to follow the victim, even driving through a red light to catch up to the woman who was trying to get away from him.

According to the report, the victim eventually lost sight of De Souza near the 11400 block of South Dixie Highway.

Police said the victim remained there until Pinecrest police officers arrived, but they told her she would need to report the incident to South Miami police since the alleged incident occurred in their jurisdiction.

According to the report, the victim did not want to file a police report at the time, but decided to come forward after learning that De Souza had been arrested for a similar incident.

Investigators said they were able to identify De Souza through the use of a license plate reader. Detectives later contacted his attorney, and De Souza surrendered to authorities Wednesday.

The arrest comes just weeks after De Souza appeared before a judge in a separate indecent exposure case.

In that incident, police said a woman reported being followed for nearly 30 minutes on May 15 after leaving a gym in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood. According to investigators, De Souza repeatedly drove around the woman’s vehicle, cut her off in traffic and, at one point, was seen touching himself while driving alongside her.

Police said the woman provided detectives with a license plate number that helped lead investigators to De Souza.

At the time of that arrest, detectives told Local 10 News they were investigating another case involving similar allegations. However, authorities have not confirmed whether the latest arrest is connected to that earlier investigation.

De Souza appeared in bond court Thursday morning and was ordered held on a $25,000 bond. If he posts bond, he will be placed on house arrest with a GPS monitor. He has also been ordered by a judge to stay away from the victims in both cases.

The suit filed Thursday in Bristol County Superior Court argues that Read's acquittal last June revealed “an embedded culture of bigotry, misogyny, systemic failures, and institutional rot at the very core of both organizations.” It alleges that the town and the police department were negligent in the hiring, training and supervision of officers and seeks damages for legal fees, lost income, emotional distress and reputational harm, among other claims.

The complaint devotes dozens of pages to former state trooper Michael Proctor and former Canton police Sgt. Sean Goode, citing texts, recordings and other communications that it says demonstrate racist, sexist and other derogatory remarks. Read's lawyers argue that those materials show both men were unfit to participate in the investigation and that their conduct reflected broader failures in oversight by state and local law enforcement.

In a statement on Thursday, State Police Superintendent Col. Geoffrey Noble called Proctor’s messages “racist, sexist and abhorrent” and said they supported his decision to fire the former trooper. Noble said the comments did not reflect the values of the department and pointed to changes that have been made since he became superintendent. He also noted that the investigation predated his tenure.

“These disturbing messages are entirely inconsistent with any basic standard of decency and certainly with the expectations of a Massachusetts State Trooper," Noble said, adding that agency officials are, "keenly aware of the ways in which this misconduct harmed the public trust on which our mission depends.”

The town of Canton and the Canton Police Department did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

Read walked out of court a free woman about a year ago after more than three years and two trials over the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, who was found on the suburban lawn of a fellow officer’s home after a night of heavy drinking during a snowstorm.

Prosecutors said Read hit O’Keefe with her SUV on the January 2022 night of a party, leaving him to die in a blizzard. Read faced charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene. The jury acquitted her of those charges, but convicted her of a lesser charge for drunken driving.

Her lawyers successfully defended her, painting a sinister picture of police misconduct and theorizing that O’Keefe was in fact killed by colleagues who then covered it up.

The trial centered in part on lead investigator Michael Proctor, whom defense attorneys described as biased against Read from the beginning. The Massachusetts State Police trial board found Proctor guilty of sending crude and defamatory text messages about Read while leading the investigation into her. He was fired and became a central figure for Read supporters who believe the investigation was tainted.

Goode was placed on leave in November 2025 when the town was notified about allegations of misconduct. He resigned earlier this week, according to news outlets.

Leer en español

Amanda Butler, an outreach coordinator with Broward County Animal Care, introduced Massimo during Local 10’s Adopt a Pet segment Thursday, describing him as an affectionate dog with a playful side.

Massimo arrived at the shelter as a stray and was never reclaimed.

Butler said he was initially scared and timid but has since become more relaxed and social.

Massimo enjoys playing with tennis balls, receiving attention and spending time lounging around, according to the shelter.

Broward County Animal Care said adoption fees are currently waived for pets at the shelter. Adopters are only required to pay a $25 pet registration fee. Dogs are spayed or neutered, vaccinated and microchipped before going home.

The shelter is also encouraging residents to attend a regional pet adoption event scheduled for June 20 at TY Park, located at 3300 N. Park Road in Hollywood.

Organizers say the Petco Love Mega Adoption Event will include adoptable pets from Broward County Animal Care, Miami-Dade Animal Services, the Humane Society of Broward County and Humane Society of Greater Miami. Adoption fees will be waived for participating pets.

Click here for more information on how you can adopt a pet.

Amanda Butler, coordinadora de alcance de Broward County Animal Care, presentó a Massimo durante el segmento Adopt a Pet de Local 10 el jueves y lo describió como un perro cariñoso con un lado juguetón.

Massimo llegó al refugio como un perro callejero y nunca fue reclamado.

Butler dijo que inicialmente estaba asustado y era tímido, pero desde entonces se ha vuelto más relajado y sociable.

Según el refugio, a Massimo le gusta jugar con pelotas de tenis, recibir atención y pasar tiempo descansando.

Broward County Animal Care informó que actualmente las tarifas de adopción están exentas para las mascotas del refugio. Los adoptantes solo deben pagar una tarifa de registro de mascota de $25 USD. Los perros son esterilizados o castrados, vacunados y reciben microchip antes de ir a casa.

El refugio también está alentando a los residentes a asistir a un evento regional de adopción de mascotas programado para el 20 de junio en TY Park, ubicado en 3300 N. Park Road en Hollywood.

Los organizadores informaron que el evento Petco Love Mega Adoption incluirá mascotas disponibles para adopción de Broward County Animal Care, Miami-Dade Animal Services, la Humane Society of Broward County y la Humane Society of Greater Miami. Las tarifas de adopción estarán exentas para las mascotas participantes.

Haga clic aquí para obtener más información sobre cómo adoptar una mascota.

Leer en español

Police said officers responded around 8 p.m. to a 911 call reporting a body near New Mexico Street.

The deceased was described as a white woman. Authorities have not yet identified the victim.

The Hollywood Police Department’s Homicide Unit is leading the investigation and working to determine the woman’s identity.

La policía informó que los agentes respondieron alrededor de las 8 p.m. a una llamada al 911 que reportaba un cuerpo cerca de New Mexico Street.

La fallecida fue descrita como una mujer blanca. Las autoridades aún no han identificado a la víctima.

La Unidad de Homicidios del Departamento de Policía de Hollywood lidera la investigación y trabaja para determinar la identidad de la mujer.

Leer en español

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a Missing Child Alert early Thursday for Rashaud Dixon, but canceled the alert hours later after confirming Dixon was found safe.

According to Homestead police, prior to being found, Dixon was last seen at about 3 p.m. Wednesday in the 2600 block of Southeast 12^th Road.

Police said Dixon contacted his mother at 9 p.m. and made “concerning statements” to her which promoted the endangered missing juvenile alert.

According to authorities, Dixon does not suffer from any medical conditions.

Police did not immediately confirm where he was found or why he left home.

Robert Mitchum played Cady in 1962 and Robert De Niro portrayed him in a chilling 1991 remake. Now it's time for Javier Bardem to slip into the menacing shoes of the cold-blooded murderer for a version on Apple TV. It debuts Friday with the first two episodes.

“It’s a great classic thriller, but each version so far is different in a way that reflects its time,” says showrunner Nick Antosca. “I wanted to do a new version that honored the classics that I love, but also is a nightmare for today.”

The 10-part series stars Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson as well-to-do lawyers in Savannah, Georgia, whose family gets upended by Bardem's revenge-seeking missile.

Exonerated after 17 years in prison in the killing of his pregnant wife, Cady infiltrates the couple's lives and those of their daughter and son. “You deserve a good life. I had a good life,” he tells them, menacingly. Each member of the family has a very exploitative secret.

Javier Bardem as Max

The American Film Institute ranks Max among the among the Top 50 greatest villains of all time, higher than Count Dracula, Freddy Krueger and Travis Bickle from “Taxi Driver,” another De Niro nightmare.

“This is a man who has lost it all and, so far, he has nothing else to lose," says Bardem. "He has all the time in the world to enjoy the revenge. He doesn’t seem to care about any external approval of anything or any kind. So he's unleashed.”

Antosca had the blessing of Martin Scorsese, who directed 1991’s “Cape Fear” and executive produces the Apple TV series alongside Steven Spielberg. “He was very generous and encouraging and like, ‘Try this. Try that. Don’t be afraid to get crazy,’” Antosca says of Scorsese.

Antosca looks forward and back, rooting his “Cape Fear” in 2026 — with TikTok, true crime podcasts, microdosing — but leaning on the instantly recognizable theme music from the 1962 movie by Bernard Herrmann and the 1991 version by Elmer Bernstein. There's even a cameo or two from one cast member from 1991.

“We think of the show sometimes as like a nightmare remix," Antosca says. “When I do an adaptation, I want it to feel like you watched the original and then you went to sleep and had a nightmare about it. So there’s new unexpected stuff that comes to it. There’s the visceral energy of the original that’s preserved, but maybe they’re in a different order or context and seen in a new light. So we had fun with it.”

So fans will return to key scenes in the 1991 film — like the psychological seduction of the daughter, or Max Cady doing pushups in the prison gym revealing his tattoos or him behaving badly in a movie theater — but they're made different.

“We also wanted to capture but not exactly copy some of the feverish energy that Scorsese brought cinematically. So there are a lot of camera moves and kinetic camera work, and we really gave ourselves permission to go nuts a little when the action gets heightened.”

Two movies and ‘The Simpsons’

It is a franchise that refuses to die, so to speak, with two movies and a TV show, not to mention being parodied on “The Simpsons” — the "Cape Feare” episode is a classic — and “Family Guy.”

Ten or so hours of plot runway gave Antosca a chance to slowly increase the tension on the family, as opposed to the movies, which are like two-hour runaway trains of terror.

“I wanted to pull back on some of the kind of brute force aspect of it and explore the creeping paranoia and sense of devastation of a family being picked apart," says Antosca. "That, to me, is the scariest thing.”

Wilson, who plays a dad fighting to stay connected to his rebellious teenage children and his spinning-out wife while also battling his own demons, says the longer running time means a deeper experience.

“Your family in turmoil — that’s really, I think, something that’s completely universal. And that’s the benefit of having 10 episodes to tell it and adding other characters and other storylines and seeing the kids' own storylines,” he says.

Setting it in 2026 also gave the series makers plenty of ways for Max to infiltrate his prey in ways he couldn't decades ago — cloned smartphones, drones, artificial intelligence and high-tech surveillance.

“Max is using surveillance in a much more highly technical and much more invasive way,” says Adams. “But that feeling of being watched, I think that’s a very timeless terror.”

Según la MDSO, la policía de Doral respondió a una vivienda en la comunidad cerrada Doral Isles en el área de Northwest 111th Court y 72nd Terrace poco después de las 7:30 p.m. tras recibir una llamada para verificar el bienestar de las personas que viven en la casa.

Las autoridades dijeron que los agentes ingresaron a la vivienda y encontraron a un hombre, una mujer y dos niñas que no respondían.

El personal de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue también respondió a la vivienda y declaró a los cuatro muertos en la escena.

Detectives de la Oficina de Homicidios de la MDSO han asumido la investigación de las muertes.

No se divulgaron de inmediato más detalles.

Según la policía de Pembroke Pines, los agentes detuvieron al sospechoso, Zachary Mikolashek, de 38 años, mientras ejecutaban una orden de arresto en una vivienda de la comunidad Camden Portofino, ubicada en el área de Northwest 108th Avenue y Third Street.

Vecinos dijeron a Local 10 News que Mikolashek es un veterano militar que ha estado sufriendo de trastorno de estrés postraumático (PTSD).

Indicaron que estuvo disparando al aire de manera indiscriminada hace dos días.

Imágenes captadas por una cámara de timbre Blink muestran a miembros del equipo SWAT fuera de la vivienda.

“Es un ser humano que está sufriendo de PTSD y, desafortunadamente, llegó a este punto”, dijo un vecino. “Se atrincheró allí y tuvieron que ayudarlo. De hecho, le estaban diciendo: ‘De un veterano a otro, por favor salga. No queremos hacerle daño’”.

Otra vecina dijo a Local 10 News que escuchó lo que parecían ser unos cinco disparos.

Mientras los agentes ejecutaban la orden, evacuaron temporalmente a una familia que vive junto a Mikolashek debido a la presencia de armas dentro de su vivienda.

La policía no confirmó de inmediato los detalles que llevaron al arresto de Mikolashek, pero sí confirmó que enfrenta un cargo de robo con allanamiento.

Leer en español

The bear was spotted swimming in a lake before running through a resident’s yard in Tradition’s Town Park community. Video of the sighting quickly caught the attention of neighbors.

“I think it’s kind of cool because I’m like an adrenaline junkie. I like that adrenaline. I like the chaos,” said resident Jeronimo Alonso.

For others, the encounter was a little more unsettling.

“It’s pretty crazy. It’s kind of close to home here,” said resident David Hoffman. “Seeing it swim through the lake and then go through the houses, you know, I’ve got a little pet at home. Kind of makes you think twice before you head outside.”

Officials say Florida black bears typically avoid people and usually move on if they can’t find an easy food source.

If you see a bear, officials advise giving it space, not approaching it and never trying to feed it. If you come face to face with a bear, stay calm, do not run and slowly back away while speaking in a calm, firm voice.

Police also recommend keeping pets on a short leash, as dogs can trigger defensive behavior from bears.

When asked how he would rank an alligator, panther and black bear from most frightening to least frightening, Hoffman put alligators at the top of the list.

“I’d say alligator. I’ve had experience with an alligator, so that definitely is scary there,” Hoffman said. “I live on the water and they come up there. The black bear, from what I hear, I don’t know much about them. From what I hear, they’re pretty docile.”

Officials say anyone who feels threatened by a bear, observes an injured or orphaned bear, or witnesses someone intentionally feeding or harming one should contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife alert hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922).

El oso fue visto nadando en un lago antes de correr por el patio de un residente en la comunidad Town Park de Tradition. Un video del avistamiento rápidamente llamó la atención de los vecinos.

“Creo que es bastante genial porque soy adicto a la adrenalina. Me gusta esa adrenalina. Me gusta el caos”, dijo el residente Jeronimo Alonso.

Para otros, el encuentro fue un poco más inquietante.

“Es una locura. Está bastante cerca de casa”, dijo el residente David Hoffman. “Verlo nadar por el lago y luego pasar entre las casas, ya sabes, tengo una mascota pequeña en casa. Te hace pensarlo dos veces antes de salir”.

Las autoridades dicen que los osos negros de Florida normalmente evitan a las personas y suelen seguir su camino si no encuentran una fuente fácil de alimento.

Si ve un oso, las autoridades recomiendan darle espacio, no acercarse y nunca intentar alimentarlo. Si se encuentra cara a cara con un oso, mantenga la calma, no corra y retroceda lentamente mientras habla con voz tranquila y firme.

La policía también recomienda mantener a las mascotas con una correa corta, ya que los perros pueden provocar comportamientos defensivos en los osos.

Cuando le preguntaron cómo clasificaría a un caimán, una pantera y un oso negro del más aterrador al menos aterrador, Hoffman colocó al caimán en el primer lugar de la lista.

“Diría que el caimán. He tenido experiencias con un caimán, así que definitivamente da miedo”, dijo Hoffman. “Vivo junto al agua y llegan hasta allí. Del oso negro, por lo que escucho, no sé mucho sobre ellos. Por lo que escucho, son bastante dóciles”.

Las autoridades indican que cualquier persona que se sienta amenazada por un oso, observe un oso herido o huérfano, o sea testigo de alguien alimentando o dañando intencionalmente a uno, debe comunicarse con la línea de alerta de la Comisión de Conservación de Pesca y Vida Silvestre de Florida al 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922).

The deal would resolve a criminal case filed in October that charged Bolton with 18 counts of either retaining or disseminating classified information, including diary-like notes from his time in government that officials say he shared with his family members as he was preparing a memoir about his time in office.

Under the agreement, Bolton would also face a $2.25 million fine, said the person, who insisted on anonymity to discuss a deal that had not been made public. Any prison sentence would be capped at five years, but the agreement allows for him to avoid time behind bars, though the punishment will ultimately be up to a judge.

The case against Bolton, filed weeks after prosecutors secured indictments against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, unfolded against the backdrop of concerns that the Justice Department was using its law enforcement powers to pursue perceived adversaries of President Donald Trump. The investigation burst into public view last August when FBI agents served search warrants at his Maryland hone and Washington office, but it had been well underway by the time Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

Wrote book critical of Trump

Bolton is a longtime fixture in Republican foreign policy circles who became known for his hawkish views on American power. He served for more than a year in Trump’s first administration before being fired in 2019 and publishing a critical book that portrayed the Republican president as deeply misinformed and painted an unflattering portrait of his leadership and decision-making.

Trump's administration fought unsuccessfully to block the publication of “The Room Where it Happened” on the grounds that the book risked disclosing classified information. The plea deal that Bolton will enter covers the notes he shared with relatives as opposed to information published in the tell-all book.

A rearraignment, which typically signals a plea agreement, is scheduled for June 26 in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland.

The Justice Department declined to comment.

The indictment's 18 counts carried a threat of a substantial prison sentence in the event of conviction.

Accused of sharing classified material with family members

Court documents alleged that he shared with two family members “diary-like” entries with information classified as high as top secret that he had learned from meetings with other U.S. government officials, from intelligence briefings or talks with foreign leaders. After sending one document, Bolton wrote in a message to his relatives, “None of which we talk about!!!” In response, one of his relatives wrote, “Shhhhh,” prosecutors said.

The indictment said that among the material shared was information about foreign adversaries that in some cases revealed details about sources and methods used by the U.S. government to collect intelligence. One document related to a foreign adversary’s plans for a missile launch, while another detailed U.S. government plans for covert action and included intelligence blaming an adversary for an attack, court papers say.

In a statement released after his indictment, Bolton described the charges as part of an “intensive effort” by Trump to intimidate his opponents, to ensure that he alone determines what is said about his conduct."

Bolton also served in the Department of Justice during President Ronald Reagan’s administration and was a State Department point person on arms control during George W. Bush’s presidency.

Bolton was nominated by Bush to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, but the strong supporter of the Iraq War was unable to win Senate confirmation. He resigned after serving 17 months through a recess appointment that allowed him to hold the job on a temporary basis without Senate approval.

Fired after foreign policy clashes with Trump

In 2018, Bolton was appointed to serve as Trump’s third national security adviser. His brief tenure was characterized by disputes with the president over North Korea, Iran and Ukraine.

Those rifts ultimately led to Bolton’s departure, with Trump announcing on social media in September 2019 that he had accepted Bolton’s resignation.

Bolton subsequently criticized Trump’s approach to foreign policy and government in his book, including by alleging that Trump directly tied providing military aid to Ukraine to that country’s willingness to conduct investigations into Joe Biden, who was soon to be Trump’s Democratic rival in the 2020 presidential election, and members of the Biden family.

Trump responded by slamming Bolton as a “washed-up guy” and a “crazy” warmonger who would have led the country into “World War Six.”

_____

Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed to this report.

Leer en español

The organizations said they will provide more than 4,500 tickets valued at $2.25 million to eligible veterans, military personnel, first responders and their families who live in or near World Cup host cities across the United States.

The tickets will be distributed through Vet Tix and 1st Tix and will be available for matches beginning with the second game played in the U.S.

The giveaway includes tickets for every stage of the tournament, from the group stage through the final.

“We are deeply grateful to partner with Bank of America and FIFA to help make 4,547 FIFA World Cup tickets available to the veteran, military and first responder communities we proudly serve,” said Vet Tix Founder, CEO, and U.S. Navy veteran Michael A. Focareto III in a news release.

According to organizers, 250 tickets will be reserved for U.S. Men’s National Team matches as part of celebrations marking America’s 250th anniversary.

Honorably discharged veterans and current military members can register through Vet Tix, while current and retired first responders — including law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, registered nurses and 911 dispatchers — can sign up through 1st Tix.

Eligibility will be verified through ID.me.

Members will receive email notifications when tickets become available in their area.

Las organizaciones informaron que proporcionarán más de 4,500 boletos valorados en $2.25 millones USD a veteranos elegibles, personal militar, socorristas y sus familias que viven en o cerca de ciudades anfitrionas de la Copa Mundial en Estados Unidos.

Los boletos serán distribuidos a través de Vet Tix y 1st Tix y estarán disponibles para partidos a partir del segundo juego disputado en Estados Unidos.

La entrega incluye boletos para todas las etapas del torneo, desde la fase de grupos hasta la final.

“Estamos profundamente agradecidos de asociarnos con Bank of America y la FIFA para ayudar a poner 4,547 boletos de la Copa Mundial de la FIFA a disposición de las comunidades de veteranos, militares y socorristas a las que servimos con orgullo”, dijo en un comunicado de prensa el fundador, director ejecutivo y veterano de la Marina de Estados Unidos de Vet Tix, Michael A. Focareto III.

Según los organizadores, 250 boletos serán reservados para los partidos de la Selección Masculina de Estados Unidos como parte de las celebraciones por el 250 aniversario del país.

Los veteranos dados de baja honorablemente y los miembros actuales de las fuerzas armadas pueden registrarse a través de Vet Tix, mientras que los socorristas actuales y retirados, incluidos agentes del orden, bomberos, personal de servicios médicos de emergencia (EMS), enfermeros registrados y operadores del 911, pueden inscribirse a través de 1st Tix.

La elegibilidad será verificada mediante ID.me.

Los miembros recibirán notificaciones por correo electrónico cuando los boletos estén disponibles en su área.

Leer en español

As development trends closer to Central America on the Pacific side, we’ll begin to see a Central American Gyre or CAG take shape by mid to late next week. As we discussed in Tuesday’s newsletter, these CAG events can be a conduit for early season tropical development in the Atlantic basin, as smaller lobes occasionally peel off from the parent circulation, often into the western Caribbean or southern Gulf.

Tropical development occurs with about half of all CAG events but can happen either on the Pacific or the Atlantic side. While the easternmost disturbance currently tagged for development off the Pacific side of Costa Rica will be part of this gyre system, our major global forecast models suggest the system’s leftover spin could pivot into the western Caribbean and southern Gulf by late next week, where conditions might support some slow organization into next weekend (weekend of June 13).

Both the European model ensemble system and the American GFS ensemble system indicate a decent signal for lower pressures and increasing storminess around or north of Mexico’s Yucatán in about a week.

It’s also worth noting that this will coincide with a window of relaxed wind shear in this region into next weekend, so we’ll keep an eye on the development trends in the models.

For now, it’s too far out to speculate on development and long-range models aren’t biting en masse just yet. Given the time of year, if anything tries to get going it will likely stay disorganized and sloppy. That said, it’s worth monitoring the influx of tropical storminess which could enhance heavy rainfall for parts of the Gulf Coast, including here in Florida.

In the meantime, we’ll close out the first full week of the hurricane season with no organized tropical activity in the Atlantic.

A medida que las tendencias de desarrollo se acerquen a Centroamérica en el lado del Pacífico, comenzaremos a observar la formación de un Giro Centroamericano (GCA) a mediados o finales de la próxima semana. Como comentamos en el boletín del martes, estos eventos de GCA pueden servir como vía para el desarrollo de ciclones tropicales a principios de temporada en la cuenca del Atlántico, ya que ocasionalmente se desprenden lóbulos más pequeños de la circulación principal, a menudo hacia el Caribe occidental o el sur del Golfo de México.

El desarrollo tropical se produce en aproximadamente la mitad de todos los eventos CAG, pero puede ocurrir tanto en el lado del Pacífico como en el del Atlántico. Si bien la perturbación más oriental actualmente identificada para su desarrollo frente a la costa del Pacífico de Costa Rica formará parte de este sistema de giros, nuestros principales modelos de pronóstico global sugieren que el giro remanente del sistema podría desplazarse hacia el Caribe occidental y el sur del Golfo a finales de la próxima semana, donde las condiciones podrían favorecer una organización lenta hasta el próximo fin de semana (fin de semana del 13 de junio).

Tanto el sistema de modelos europeo como el sistema de modelos estadounidense GFS indican una buena señal de presiones más bajas y un aumento de las tormentas en los alrededores o al norte de la península de Yucatán, en México, en aproximadamente una semana.

También cabe destacar que esto coincidirá con un periodo de baja cizalladura del viento en esta región hasta el próximo fin de semana, por lo que estaremos atentos a la evolución de los modelos.

Por ahora, es demasiado pronto para especular sobre su desarrollo y los modelos a largo plazo aún no son concluyentes. Dada la época del año, si algo intenta desarrollarse, probablemente seguirá siendo desorganizado e irregular. Dicho esto, conviene estar atentos a la llegada de tormentas tropicales, que podrían intensificar las lluvias en algunas zonas de la costa del Golfo, incluyendo Florida.

Mientras tanto, concluiremos la primera semana completa de la temporada de huracanes sin actividad tropical organizada en el Atlántico.

The 8-1 decision preserved one of the Federal Communications Commission's key tools, though the companies also won a concession from the Republican administration that could shift the regulatory landscape.

The appeal from telecommunications giants Verizon and AT&T challenged a combined $100 million in penalties imposed after the agency determined that the companies had failed to safeguard customer location data.

The companies argued that the FCC's process was unconstitutional because it gave them little opportunity to tell their side of the story in front of a jury.

The administration defended the fines are an essential regulatory tool. But the government also said companies did not have to pay the penalties right away, a regulatory shift in the companies' favor.

The Supreme Court agreed, affirming the FCC's power to order fines when challenges are still available.

“The orders at issue did not settle the carriers’ legal obligations because, stated simply, they did not create an obligation to pay,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority.

Justice Clarence Thomas, the lone dissenter, said he would have given the companies a clearer path to recouping the fines they already paid.

Other agencies use similar enforcement methods, so a sweeping victory for AT&T and Verizon could have had widespread effects, advocates said.

The environmental group Earthjustice applauded the ruling, saying it has direct implications for other agencies and a key energy-efficiency case.

“By rejecting this unsupported attack on agency authority, the Court’s decision safeguards the government’s ability to enforce laws that protect people, communities, and the environment," said Caroline Flynn, the group's Supreme Court counsel.

The libertarian-leaning New Civil Liberties Alliance was disappointed by the decision, but expected it to help other companies in the future. “In fact, it may even buttress their willingness to challenge future agency orders in federal court before paying any penalties,” said the alliance's president, Mark Chenoweth.

The Supreme Court’s conservative majority has sided against federal agencies and limited their power before. That includes overturning a decades-old decision that had given regulators an advantage in court and stripping another agency of a major tool in fighting securities fraud.

Leer en español

According to a June 3 inspection report from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Sanitation and Safety Specialist Timothy O’Neil found fresh rodent droppings in cabinets beneath various fountain drink dispensers and on shelves under the store’s coffee bar.

In the back room, the report states there was evidence of “newly caught rodents in traps” near a three-compartment sink. A separate citation documents a dead rodent found in a trap beneath that same sink near the office.

The inspection also noted that the back room and three-compartment sink area were already subject to a stop-use order from a previous inspection. According to the June 3 report, the original stop-use and stop-sale orders remained in effect from May 14, 2026, indicating state inspectors had previously documented conditions requiring corrective action.

Those findings prompted the state to issue a stop-use order covering all receiving areas of the establishment.

Under the order, the store at 10380 Royal Palm Blvd. cannot receive additional food deliveries until a state inspector issues a written release. A reinspection is scheduled on or about June 17.

Inspection records also state that a stop-sale order on exposed food items remains in effect until the infestation is eradicated. The report further warns that if evidence of pest infestation is observed during the next inspection, a stop-sale order covering all food products in the store will be issued.

The findings are significant because convenience stores have become an increasingly common source of food and beverages for consumers.

According to a GasBuddy survey of more than 500 customers, 56 percent of Americans purchase meals at a gas station or convenience store at least once a month.

Among adults ages 30 to 44, 25 percent reported doing so five or more times each month.

Inspectors cited the store for several additional violations, including a gap beneath a rear door that could allow rodents to enter, palm trees touching or overhanging the roof, rodent droppings on shelving beneath beverage machines and the coffee bar, the absence of a certified food protection manager certificate, employee food safety training deficiencies, and a plumbing connection that lacked required backflow prevention.

State records classify the inspection as requiring a reinspection because inspectors documented violations that pose a risk of foodborne illness.

The department directed the establishment to develop and implement a pest management control program and correct the violations before restrictions can be lifted.

Read the full food safety inspection report in the document below.

711 Inspection

Según un informe de inspección del 3 de junio del Departamento de Agricultura y Servicios al Consumidor de Florida, el especialista en saneamiento y seguridad Timothy O’Neil encontró excrementos frescos de roedores en gabinetes debajo de varias máquinas dispensadoras de bebidas y en estantes ubicados debajo de la barra de café de la tienda.

En la trastienda, el informe indica que había evidencia de “roedores recientemente atrapados en trampas” cerca de un fregadero de tres compartimentos. Otra infracción documenta un roedor muerto encontrado en una trampa debajo de ese mismo fregadero, cerca de la oficina.

La inspección también señaló que la trastienda y el área del fregadero de tres compartimentos ya estaban sujetas a una orden de suspensión de uso derivada de una inspección anterior. Según el informe del 3 de junio, las órdenes originales de suspensión de uso y suspensión de venta seguían vigentes desde el 14 de mayo de 2026, lo que indica que los inspectores estatales ya habían documentado anteriormente condiciones que requerían medidas correctivas.

Estos hallazgos llevaron al estado a emitir una orden de suspensión de uso que cubre todas las áreas de recepción de mercancía del establecimiento.

Bajo esta orden, la tienda ubicada en el 10380 de Royal Palm Blvd. no puede recibir entregas adicionales de alimentos hasta que un inspector estatal emita una autorización por escrito. Se programó una reinspección para alrededor del 17 de junio.

Los registros de inspección también indican que una orden de suspensión de venta sobre alimentos expuestos permanece vigente hasta que la infestación sea erradicada. El informe además advierte que, si se observa evidencia de infestación de plagas durante la próxima inspección, se emitirá una orden de suspensión de venta para todos los productos alimenticios de la tienda.

Los hallazgos son significativos porque las tiendas de conveniencia se han convertido en una fuente cada vez más común de alimentos y bebidas para los consumidores.

Según una encuesta de GasBuddy realizada a más de 500 clientes, el 56% de los estadounidenses compra comidas en una gasolinera o tienda de conveniencia al menos una vez al mes.

Entre los adultos de 30 a 44 años, el 25% reportó hacerlo cinco o más veces al mes.

Los inspectores citaron a la tienda por varias infracciones adicionales, entre ellas una abertura debajo de una puerta trasera que podría permitir el ingreso de roedores, palmeras que tocan o sobresalen sobre el techo, excrementos de roedores en estanterías debajo de máquinas de bebidas y de la barra de café, la ausencia de un certificado de gerente certificado en protección de alimentos, deficiencias en la capacitación de seguridad alimentaria de los empleados y una conexión de plomería que carecía del sistema requerido para prevenir el reflujo.

Los registros estatales clasifican la inspección como una que requiere reinspección debido a que los inspectores documentaron infracciones que representan un riesgo de enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos.

El departamento ordenó al establecimiento desarrollar e implementar un programa de control de plagas y corregir las infracciones antes de que puedan levantarse las restricciones.

Lea el informe completo de inspección de seguridad alimentaria en el documento a continuación.

The justices ruled unanimously against Ongkaruck Sripetch, who was sentenced to 21 months in prison after pleading guilty to selling unregistered securities as part of a scheme involving high-risk penny stocks. The Los Angeles resident had challenged a court order of disgorgement, to repay more than $3 million, including interest.

The issue in the case was whether the SEC had to prove that individual investors lost money as a result of buying the stocks. The Supreme Court ruled it did not.

It was enough to show that Sriptech turned a profit from illegal transactions and that “an investor may qualify as a victim of an offender's wrongdoing entitled to compensation,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the court.

Sripetch took part in fraudulent schemes involving at least 20 penny stock companies, Gorsuch wrote, citing court records. Some of those were “pump and dump" operations, in which Sripetch and others bought stocks, promoted them so that their share price rose and then promptly sold them, Gorsuch wrote.

Under federal law and prior Supreme Court rulings, the SEC may order disgorgement limited to the amount of illegally obtained profits in fraud cases. The money ordinarily must be returned to investors, when feasible.

___

Follow the AP’s coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court at https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at https://apnews.com/hub/us-securities-and-exchange-commission.

Leer en español

Those killed have since been identified by authorities as Ryan Charles Whiten, 42; Melanie Lauren Hyer, 46; Savannah Whiten, 11; and Sienna Whiten, 8.

According to MDSO, Doral police responded to a home in the gated Doral Isles community in the area of Northwest 111^th Court and 72^nd Terrace just after 7:30 p.m. after receiving a call from a family friend to check on the welfare of those who live there.

Authorities said officers entered the house and found four people who had stab wounds and were unresponsive.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel also responded to the home and pronounced all four dead at the scene.

Detectives said they believe the four were killed in a murder-suicide, but they have not identified which person they believe was the killer.

A representative for Downtown Doral Charter Schools confirmed that both girls were students there.

“Our community is mourning the loss of two of our beloved students. Our heartfelt sympathies are with their families, friends, faculty and staff at our schools. These students will be deeply missed,” the representative said in a statement. “To support our students and staff, the school has arranged to have grief counselors on campus and will continue to provide support as needed. We encourage parents to talk openly with their children and closely monitor their well-being. Parents with any concerns or in need of additional support should contact the school.”

Doral Mayor Christi Fraga released a statement on social media, saying the loss hits especially close to home as she personally knew Hyer.

“Our Doral community is heartbroken by the unimaginable tragedy that has impacted a local family and taken the lives of a mother and her two young daughters,” Fraga said in part. “As a mother, and as someone who personally knew and admired the loving and dedicated mother at the center of this tragedy, this loss feels especially close to home. My heart aches for their loved ones, classmates, teachers, friends, neighbors, and everyone grieving during this incredibly painful time.”

Fraga added, “This tragedy is also a painful reminder that we must continue having honest conversations about mental health, domestic violence, emotional wellness, and the importance of speaking up when something feels wrong.”

Parents who live nearby were also shaken to learn of the incident.

“I live super close to their house and I didn’t even know,” said parent Anderina Zerpa. “That is a tragedy. That is a worst nightmare for a parent.”

Court records obtained by Local 10 News show that Whiten and Hyer were divorced years ago.

“I cannot believe things like that, but sometimes people do that, and mental health is something that needs to be discussed,” said parent Areal Boveda.

Fraga shared the following resources for those experiencing domestic violence or mental health struggles:

• Miami-Dade Domestic Violence Hotline: 305-285-5900

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (7233)

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988

Resources can also be found on the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office website and the City of Doral website.

MDSO Homicide Bureau detectives have taken over the investigation into the deaths.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by C H R I S T I F R A G A (@christifraga)

El sospechoso, identificado por los agentes como Erick LaPlante, de 33 años, fue arrestado el martes por la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO).

Según el informe, la víctima y LaPlante mantuvieron una relación durante aproximadamente cuatro años, tienen un hijo en común y ocasionalmente vivían juntos para ayudar con el cuidado del menor.

Los investigadores dijeron que el incidente comenzó después de que la víctima regresó a casa tras llevar a su hijo mayor a la escuela y se quedó dormida junto a su bebé.

Según el informe, LaPlante la despertó y le exigió acceso a su teléfono celular.

Cuando ella se negó a desbloquearlo, LaPlante presuntamente sacó una pistola negra y le colocó el cañón en la boca, provocando que le entregara la contraseña por miedo, indica el informe.

Después de revisar el contenido del teléfono, LaPlante confrontó a la víctima por una conversación que encontró y la situación escaló a un ataque violento, según los investigadores.

El informe señala que LaPlante empujó a la víctima al suelo, la inmovilizó y presionó sus brazos contra el cuello de la mujer. Cuando la víctima dijo que tenía dificultades para respirar, LaPlante presuntamente respondió: “Bien”.

Las autoridades dijeron que luego LaPlante apuntó el arma contra la mujer y le preguntó repetidamente si había estado con otro hombre.

Según el informe, le dijo: “Dime por qué no debería matarte” antes de cargar una bala en la recámara y disparar el arma mientras ella estaba en el suelo.

Los investigadores dijeron que el disparo “casi no la alcanzó”.

Después de disparar, LaPlante presuntamente recogió el casquillo, se lo mostró a la víctima y le dijo: “¿Ves esto?” y “¿Ves que no estoy jugando?”, según el informe.

Las autoridades dijeron que luego golpeó repetidamente a la víctima en la cabeza con la pistola, la golpeó en distintas partes del cuerpo y la estranguló con las manos, dificultándole la respiración.

Posteriormente, la víctima dijo a los investigadores que sintió que estaba perdiendo el conocimiento, indica el informe.

Según el informe, LaPlante también exigió la llave del Tesla de la víctima y ella accedió por temor a sufrir más daños.

Más tarde, la hermana de la víctima llegó a la vivienda. Los investigadores dijeron que LaPlante le ordenó a la víctima que se limpiara el rostro y que no le contara a su hermana lo ocurrido.

Cuando LaPlante entró a ducharse, la víctima tomó a su hijo de 9 meses y huyó de la casa con ayuda de su hermana, quien posteriormente contactó a las autoridades, según el informe.

Las autoridades dijeron que la víctima sufrió una cortadura en el labio inferior, inflamación en la cabeza y el rostro, y rasguños visibles en el cuello.

Los investigadores señalaron que el bebé de la pareja estaba sobre la cama muy cerca del lugar donde ocurrió el presunto ataque, incluso cuando se realizó el disparo.

Los agentes dijeron que posteriormente localizaron y arrestaron a LaPlante. Según el informe, ejerció su derecho a guardar silencio.

Los registros carcelarios muestran que LaPlante enfrenta cargos que incluyen intento de asesinato grave con arma de fuego, robo a mano armada con arma de fuego o arma mortal, agresión por estrangulamiento, agresión agravada con arma de fuego, agresión agravada con arma mortal, negligencia infantil sin causar lesiones corporales graves y agresión.

Hasta el miércoles, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, donde su fianza figuraba como “pendiente de ser fijada”.

Leer en español

The suspect, identified by deputies as Erick LaPlante, 33, was arrested Tuesday by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

According to the report, the victim and LaPlante had previously been in a relationship for about four years, share a child together, and occasionally lived together to help with childcare.

Investigators said the incident began after the victim returned home from taking her older son to school and fell asleep with her infant son.

According to the report, LaPlante woke her up and demanded access to her cellphone.

When she refused to unlock it, LaPlante allegedly pulled out a black handgun and placed the barrel in her mouth, causing her to provide the password out of fear, the report states.

After reviewing the contents of the phone, LaPlante confronted the victim about a conversation he found and the situation escalated into a violent attack, according to investigators.

The report states LaPlante pushed the victim to the ground, pinned her down and pressed his arms against her neck. When the victim said she was having trouble breathing, LaPlante allegedly responded, “Good.”

Authorities said LaPlante then pointed the gun at the woman and repeatedly questioned whether she had been with another man.

According to the report, he told her, “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you,” before chambering a round and firing the gun while she was on the ground.

Investigators said the shot “nearly missed her.”

After firing the gun, LaPlante allegedly picked up the spent casing, showed it to the victim and told her, “You see this” and “You see, I’m not playing,” according to the report.

Authorities said he then repeatedly struck the victim in the head with the handgun, punched her throughout her body and choked her with his hands, impeding her breathing.

The victim later told investigators she felt as though she was losing consciousness, the report states.

According to the report, LaPlante also demanded the victim’s Tesla key and she complied out of fear of further harm.

The victim’s sister later arrived at the home. Investigators said LaPlante ordered the victim to clean her face and not tell her sister what had happened.

When LaPlante entered the shower, the victim grabbed her 9-month-old child and fled the home with assistance from her sister, who later contacted law enforcement, according to the report.

Authorities said the victim suffered a cut to her lower lip, swelling to her head and face and visible scratches on her neck.

Investigators noted that the couple’s infant child was on the bed in close proximity to the alleged attack, including when the gun was discharged.

Deputies said LaPlante was later located and taken into custody. According to the report, he invoked his right to remain silent.

Jail records show LaPlante is facing charges that include attempted felony murder with a firearm, armed robbery with a firearm or deadly weapon, battery by strangulation, aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, child neglect without great bodily harm and battery.

As of Wednesday, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was listed as “to be set.”

The roughly $70 billion bill to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol would end the blockade by Democrats who demanded policy changes after the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents in January. The bill would fund the agencies for three years, through the end of Trump’s term.

First, though, Republicans must beat back a potential gauntlet of amendments that Democrats plan to offer, including to try and permanently ban Trump's $1.776 billion settlement fund for allies who he believes have been politically persecuted. Democrats have said their first amendment Thursday morning will be to eliminate the fund and send the immigration spending bill back to committee.

Senate Republicans are using a complicated procedural maneuver to get around the filibuster and pass the budget legislation with no Democratic votes. But it has taken weeks to get the bill to the Senate floor as Republicans navigated various obstacles to passage created by Trump and the White House — including a $1 billion proposal for White House security that they eventually scrapped and fierce bipartisan backlash to the settlement fund.

“The thing we’re trying to do here is to keep the focus on funding for ICE and CBP,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday evening, after the Senate voted to start debating the legislation. “This was narrow and targeted from the very beginning and clean, and we’re trying to maintain it that way.”

But it's unclear if Republicans will have enough votes to fend off the Democratic amendments. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said this week that the fund would not move forward, and many GOP senators said Wednesday that they were satisfied with his remarks.

Yet Trump, who has been at odds with Senate Republicans in recent weeks, raised new doubts about the settlement’s future on Wednesday afternoon when he told reporters that the settlement is “very important” and said “I don’t know” whether it is dead or on hold.

“I’d have to ask the lawyers,” he said.

Democrats, Republicans plan to force votes on settlement

To pass legislation through the budget process called reconciliation, the Senate must first hold a long series of votes. Democrats are using that process to try and ban the settlement by law — and also kill the immigration spending bill.

After Trump’s comments about the fund, Schumer posted on X that “this is EXACTLY why” Democrats would be forcing votes to ban it.

Some Republicans also planned to try and put Blanche’s promise in writing. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has said he will offer an amendment to block any attempt at resurrecting the fund.

“We’ve got a sufficient number of Republicans who have been very clear they’ve got concerns there,” said Tillis.

ICE and Border Patrol money has been long fight

Democrats say any funding bill for the Homeland Security Department should place restraints on federal immigration authorities, including better identification for federal officers and more use of judicial warrants, among other asks.

After federal agents shot Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Trump agreed to a Democratic request that the Homeland Security bill be separated from a larger spending measure that became law. But bipartisan negotiations went nowhere, and the DHS funding lapsed in mid-February with no agreement on changes to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics.

Congress eventually funded the rest of the Homeland Security Department at the end of April with Democratic support. But ICE and Border Patrol remained without regular funding, and Republicans launched a new effort to pass three years of funding for those agencies with no Democratic votes.

Security money for Trump’s ballroom dropped

Work on the legislation was also delayed by Republican opposition to $1 billion in security funding for the White House, including for Trump’s new ballroom, that was added to the original bill.

Democrats and some Republicans questioned using taxpayer money for the massive project, and Republicans did not include it in the final bill when it was released on Wednesday.

Thune said he was working with his GOP conference to try and fight off any amendments and ensure he has enough votes for a simple majority to pass the bill in the 53-47 Senate.

“Keep in mind, we’ve got to keep them all together, make sure we’ve got 50 votes for it,” he said.

Republican House leaders said Wednesday they would like to clear the legislation before the end of the week, if the Senate can finish it. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., said that House leaders were having internal conversations about the schedule.

“We just need to make sure everybody’s there,” Scalise said.

Altarac was 18 when she left her native Sarajevo with her husband and traveled to Italy, France, Algeria, and Canada. She eventually moved to the U.S. in 1966.

Altarac, who has three daughters, seven grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and 17 great-great-grandchildren, was a guest of honor on Wednesday.

“It brings me such joy to see all of our efforts help these survivors reach 100 with dignity, with family, and surrounded by celebration,” said Masha Pearl, the executive director of The Blue Card Fund, a nonprofit organization that helps survivors.

Altarac, Hanna Gaon, and Leon Schagrin — the author of “The Horse Adjutant: A Boy’s Life during the Nazi Holocaust” — were among the nearly 130 guests at an early celebration on Wednesday of Holocaust Survivor Day at Temple Beth Emet in Cooper City.

The global celebration to honor the resilience of the survivors of the state-sponsored genocide of six million Jewish people between 1933 and 1945 has been observed annually on June 4 since 2021.

Schagrin, who was born in Grybów, Poland, turned 99 on Oct. 30. His memoir describes how he was forced to spend his childhood in ghettos and concentration camps, including Tarnów, Szebnia, and Auschwitz III.

The Blue Card Fund and Goodman Jewish Family Services of Broward County, a social services organization based in Davie, organized a busy itinerary that included a Medal of Honor ceremony, a student choir, and time for intergenerational dancing.

“You think about their stories, their perseverance, things they’ve experienced in their lives, the stories they could share, the stories they can tell,” said Randy Colman, the president and chief executive officer of Goodman JFS. “It’s important that we never forget and we always remember.”

Gaon, 88, also from Sarajevo, said her father was detained and held in a concentration camp in Croatia. She and her mother were in a labor camp before fleeing to the U.S. without him.

“They came to get my father in September of 1941,” Gaon said during the event.

Liliana Ferber, Betty Eisdorfer, Saul Dreier, David Elefant, Herman Haller, Rosa Lindenberg, Frances Gaspar, Altarac, and Schagrin, who turns 100 on Oct. 30, were inducted into the survivors’ Centenarian Club.

Ferber, who was born in Poland, is 100. She survived in a ghetto and in hiding, and her journey forced her to learn to speak five languages: Polish, Hebrew, German, French, and English.

Dreier, who was born in Poland, is 101. He is a drummer. He and his fellow survivor, Reuwen “Ruby” Sosnowicz, co-founded the Holocaust Survivor Band.

Elefant, who was born in Romania, is 101. He survived Auschwitz, Hirschberg, and Bunzlau. He lived in Israel and moved to the U.S. in 1984.

Haller, who was born in Germany, is 101. He survived Auschwitz, and the Death March to Breslau before U.S. soldiers freed him on April 11, 1945.

Eisdorfer, who was born in Germany, is 101. She credits the survival of her and her younger brother to a Kindertransport to England in 1939.

Lindenberg, who was born in Germany, is 102. She fled to Belgium after Kristallnacht and lived in England and New York.

Gaspar, who was born in Czechoslovakia, is 105. She survived in the Nazi’s Budapest ghetto. She lived in Israel and moved to the U.S. in 1957.

Related reports

• Holocaust survivor kept alive by several families in Poland wishes current world had less hatred
• Holocaust survivor in Weston shares journey out of Germany to hiding in France with nuns
• Holocaust survivors work on new project to educate future generations

Según la policía de Homestead, Rashaud Dixon fue visto por última vez alrededor de las 3 p.m. del miércoles en la cuadra 2600 de Southeast 12th Road.

La policía informó que Dixon se comunicó con su madre a las 9 p.m. e hizo “declaraciones preocupantes”, lo que motivó la emisión de la alerta por menor desaparecido en peligro.

Según las autoridades, Dixon no padece ninguna condición médica.

La policía describe a Dixon como un adolescente afroamericano de 5 pies y 10 pulgadas de estatura y aproximadamente 120 libras de peso. Tiene cabello negro, ojos marrones y no presenta tatuajes ni cicatrices visibles.

Fue visto por última vez vistiendo una camisa blanca, pantalones blancos y sandalias negras.

Cualquier persona con información sobre el paradero de Dixon debe comunicarse con el Departamento de Policía de Homestead al 305-247-1535 o con Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

Victoria Mboko, the 19-year-old Canadian ranked No. 9, revealed Thursday she would have the “honor” of playing with the 44-year-old Williams as wild-card entries at the Queen’s Club next week.

They practiced on the grass courts in west London on Thursday, with Williams seen hitting balls in a purple top and white pants.

“The Queen is back,” Mboko wrote in a post on Instagram alongside a picture of her standing next to Williams.

“An honor to share the court with one of the greatest athletes of all time this week,” Mboko added. “Even more excited to play doubles together! Tennis is pretty special.”

Speaking at the French Open last week, Mboko said of Williams: “I really look up to her. I mean, the fact that she even knows me is very exciting.”

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, stepped away from tennis in 2022. She has yet to say whether she plans to play at Wimbledon or the U.S. Open in 2026.

___

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

Según un memorando de cierre de la Fiscalía Estatal de Miami-Dade, el agente Wilfredo Ortega estaba “legalmente justificado” al disparar contra Kennedy Graham, quien agredió a Ortega y se resistió al arresto antes de huir del agente mientras portaba un arma de fuego.

La balacera ocurrió el 6 de noviembre de 2025 frente a un Walmart ubicado en el área de Southwest 211th Street y South Dixie Highway.

Según las autoridades, Ortega, quien patrullaba la zona en ese momento, fue alertado alrededor de las 7:15 a.m. sobre una persona dentro de la tienda que presuntamente estaba robando mercancía.

Los detectives dijeron que Graham, de 36 años, huyó del agente y que ambos se involucraron en un altercado físico justo afuera de las puertas principales de la tienda.

Un video de vigilancia muestra que Graham dejó caer una pistola negra durante el forcejeo con el agente y luego la recogió antes de volver a huir.

Posteriormente, Ortega disparó contra Graham, impactándolo.

Las autoridades informaron que Ortega le prestó asistencia a Graham hasta la llegada del personal de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.

Los paramédicos trasladaron a Graham a un hospital local, donde murió.

La alguacil de Miami-Dade, Rosie Cordero-Stutz, dijo a los medios después de la balacera que Graham tenía un “amplio historial criminal”.

A principios de este año, Local 10 News habló con la hermana de Graham, quien dijo que cree que la balacera no estuvo justificada. Afirmó que el video del incidente muestra a su hermano huyendo del agente y que no muestra claramente que estuviera portando un arma de fuego.

Leer en español

According to a closeout memo from the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, Deputy Wilfredo Ortega was “legally justified” in shooting Kennedy Graham, who battered Ortega and resisted arrest before fleeing from the deputy while holding a gun.

The shooting occurred back on Nov. 6, 2025, outside a Walmart in the area of Southwest 211th Street and South Dixie Highway.

According to authorities, Ortega, who was patrolling the area at the time, was alerted around 7:15 a.m. about a subject inside the store who was allegedly stealing merchandise.

Detectives said Graham, 36, ran away from the deputy, and the two got into a physical altercation just outside the store’s front doors.

Surveillance video shows that Graham dropped a black handgun during the struggle with the deputy and then picked it up before running away.

Ortega then fired at Graham, striking him.

Authorities said Ortega rendered aid to Graham until Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel arrived.

Paramedics transported Graham to a local hospital, where he died.

Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz told the media after the shooting that Graham had an “extensive criminal past.”

Earlier this year, Local 10 News spoke with Graham’s sister, who said she believes the shooting was unjustified. She said video of the incident shows her brother running away from the deputy and does not clearly show that he was carrying a gun.

The Literary Arts Fund, initiated by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and six other philanthropies, announced that $7.7 million would be distributed among 40 organizations in 19 states. Recipients of grants ranging from $40,000 to $500,000 include the National Book Foundation, which oversees the National Book Awards; the North Carolina Writers' Network; Graywolf Press, Copper Canyon Press and other publishers; and the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop.

The arts in general have faced cuts in federal support since President Donald Trump began his second term, although the fund was conceived before he took office. The fund’s managers are expected to give out at least $50 million over a 5-year period.

“Writers give voice to the human condition, helping us better understand ourselves and each other,” Jen Benka, the fund's executive director, said in a statement. “And central to millions of readers having access to their stories and poems are literary arts nonprofits, which work tirelessly to ensure literature continues to have a vital presence in our culture. As these organizations and publishers face a lack of funding, we encourage leaders who value literature to join us in supporting writers, books, and reading.”

The 49-year-old from Sacramento was wearing a scarf covering his face and latex gloves, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant said in a news release. He also had five cell phones: one with a 15-minute timer set to begin, a second with a message on the screen from another phone number saying, “we will be awaiting your call.”

Evidence photos released by prosecutors show a cardboard tube about the size of a toilet paper roll fitted with a green fuse. Bomb technicians tested the device. The powder and fuse “were determined to be viable and energetic,” Grant said.

If the device had detonated next to a window on a pressurized aircraft flying above 10,000 feet (3 kilometers), Grant said, “it had the potential to damage the aircraft and cause a possible loss of cabin pressure.”

Before the device was removed from the airport, officers put a bomb blast suppression blanket over it and taped off the immediate area, according to the federal complaint against the man.

He was arrested Saturday and appeared in federal court in Sacramento on Wednesday. He is charged with unlawful possession of explosive material in an airport. The complaint also alleges he made “rambling” calls to the FBI in the months beforehand to report he was being threatened and intimidated.

His public defender, Meghan McLoughlin, said in an email to The Associated Press on Thursday that “there is often more to these cases than the government’s allegations, and that the criminal process will reveal” her client’s story as well.

It wasn't immediately known how extensively the man was searched at the Transportation Security Administration checkpoint. Last year, air travelers in the U.S. were no longer required to take off their shoes during security screenings. Screenings without shoes became a requirement in 2006, several years after “shoe bomber” Richard Reid’s failed 2001 attempt to take down a flight from Paris to Miami.

Most of the showers and thunderstorms will be pushed to the south by Saturday in the Florida Keys. Of course, it is the rainy season so by the end of the weekend, a few showers will start returning. Highs will be in the upper 80s which is very seasonable for this time of the year.

Rogerio Miranda De Souza, de 49 años, fue ingresado la noche del miércoles en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight por un nuevo cargo de exhibicionismo indecente, según los registros carcelarios.

La policía de South Miami informó que el incidente más reciente ocurrió el 23 de mayo a lo largo de la U.S. 1 cerca de Southwest 104th Street e involucró a una víctima diferente.

Los investigadores dijeron que pudieron identificar a De Souza mediante el uso de un lector de matrículas. Posteriormente, los detectives contactaron a su abogado y De Souza se entregó a las autoridades el miércoles.

El arresto ocurre apenas semanas después de que De Souza compareciera ante un juez en un caso separado de exhibicionismo indecente.

En ese incidente, la policía dijo que una mujer denunció haber sido seguida durante casi 30 minutos después de salir de un gimnasio en el vecindario Brickell de Miami. Según los investigadores, De Souza condujo repetidamente alrededor del vehículo de la mujer, le cerró el paso en el tráfico y, en un momento, fue visto tocándose mientras conducía junto a ella.

La policía indicó que la mujer proporcionó a los detectives un número de matrícula que ayudó a los investigadores a identificar a De Souza.

En el momento de ese arresto, los detectives dijeron a Local 10 News que estaban investigando otro caso con acusaciones similares. Sin embargo, las autoridades no han confirmado si el arresto más reciente está relacionado con esa investigación anterior.

De Souza permanecía bajo custodia la mañana del jueves y se esperaba que compareciera más tarde ese día ante un tribunal de fianzas.

La policía aún no ha divulgado detalles adicionales sobre el segundo caso.

Leer en español

It happened around 10:30 p.m. Sunday aboard Frontier Flight 3345, which was traveling from Puerto Rico to Chicago when it was forced to make an emergency landing at MIA, according to an arrest report from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.

According to the report, Juan Gabriel Reyes, of Chicago, Illinois, became disruptive during the flight, prompting crew members and passengers to intervene.

Investigators said witnesses told them that Reyes first attempted to open an exit door while the plane was in flight and told others he wanted to leave the plane.

The report states flight attendants stopped him and instructed him to return to his seat.

Deputies said Reyes allegedly ignored those instructions and walked toward the front of the plane, where he attempted to access the cockpit by “placing his hand on the door handle and shoving his shoulder aggressively on the pilot’s door.”

A flight attendant prevented him from gaining access, according to the report.

Investigators said after being allowed to use the restroom, Reyes attempted to urinate on the lavatory floor before being directed to take a seat elsewhere on the plane.

They said an off-duty Frontier flight attendant volunteered to sit in the same row as Reyes after he was relocated.

The report states the off-duty flight attendant later confronted Reyes after being alerted that Reyes was handling his belongings. As the flight attendant reached for his bag, Reyes allegedly grabbed him by the head and began choking him, deputies said.

According to authorities, several passengers stepped in to help the victim and remove Reyes.

Cellphone video shows flight attendants and passengers working together to restrain him as he resisted, the report states.

The flight was then diverted to MIA, where MDSO deputies boarded the plane and took Reyes into custody.

Passenger Josh Longwood, who was on that flight, told Local 10 News that he stepped in when the man started to get violent with another traveler.

“The guy tried to attack him and choke him and I was already ready for something to happen, so I instantly restrained him, put him in his row, laid him down, (and) tied him up with his seatbelt,” he said. “I did what I had to do to make sure everyone else was safe.”

FBI agents responded to the scene and assumed the federal investigation, according to the report. Authorities said Reyes was advised of his Miranda rights, but invoked them and did not provide a statement.

According to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, the case is being prosecuted at the federal level due to jurisdictional considerations.

Jail records show Reyes is facing one state charge of battery along with federal charges that include interference with flight crew members and attendants, and assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction.

Authoritiries said a federal criminal complaint has already been filed, and authorities placed a federal hold on Reyes at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He is expected to be transferred to the Federal Detention Center in Miami to face the federal proceedings.

If convicted on all charges, he could face up to 20 years in prison. Records show his bond is currently set at $20,000.

Marco Balich, fresh off the Olympics opening ceremony, which included a parade of athletes spread across four venues, said he was up to the challenge of producing three shows in three cities, with teams numbering 260 to 300 people in each city.

The ceremonies’ unifying theme will be “the celebration of sports, the passion for soccer, symbolized by the cup itself,” Balich said. “The idea is to narrate with three points of view and languages,” using design aesthetics representative of each culture.

In Canada, a mosaic will represent its multicultural identity. Mexico’s motif will be the traditional paper cutouts called papel picado, while the United States will have “a super shiny, glowing cup,” said Balich, who also produced the opening ceremony for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Balich called it a “very good sign” that Canada, Mexico and the U.S. were working together to host “a peaceful World Cup.”

“I think it’s very important that we stress the fact that the three nations are working together to host a very important and relevant championship, especially in this moment where there is so much controversy on the political side,’’ said Balich, founder of Balich Wonder Studios. “But the people are people, and they will get together and enjoy.”

Each ceremony will feature top artistic performances that tap into the national identity, but Balich said spectators shouldn’t expect a Super Bowl-style halftime extravaganza. Instead, the ceremonies will combine welcoming speeches, a parade of flags, the presentation of the match ball and about 30 minutes of musical entertainment.

“It’s a celebration of football, FIFA and the fact that, thanks to soccer, people get together in peace and harmony,” Balich said.

Each ceremony will be held about 90 minutes before game time, following a 25-minute player warm-up that organizers hope will prompt spectators to arrive early.

While the Super Bowl celebrates “a game that is only famous in the U.S., the rest of the world plays soccer, and has a passion that is shared,’’ Balich said.

The festivities launch on June 11 in Mexico City, ahead of the Mexico City-South Africa match, with a show featuring Latin rock band Maná, Colombian singer J Balvin and South African pop star Tyla.

They continue June 12 in Toronto ahead of the Canada-Bosnia and Herzegovina game, with Alanis Morissette and Michael Bublé headlining, before heading to Los Angeles Stadium later that day for the U.S.-Paraguay opener.

International stars will take the stage at Los Angeles Stadium, including Katy Perry, global pop star LISA, Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema, Brazilian pop artist Anitta, and hip-hop artist Future.

The Italian producer is enjoying the distinction of producing the two biggest sports ceremonies in the world this year — the 2026 Winter Games opening ceremony and 2026 World Cup — even as Italy sits out its third straight World Cup.

“It is very encouraging, actually, to compensate the sad news that Italy is not there this time,” Balich said, adding that Italy’s absence “which is a disaster for us, has also enabled us to be very impartial” in celebrating each country “in a similar way.”

___

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

Emilio Estefan has been tapped to contribute a new song, “Love Always Wins,” to the FIFA World Cup 2026 soundtrack.

Estefan wrote the song years ago, but its message remains relevant today.

As he has throughout his career, Estefan is also using the opportunity to show appreciation for Miami, a city that has played a major role in his success.

Turns out he might still hand over the Coupe des Mousquetaires to a fellow Italian after the men’s singles final on Sunday after being invited by Roland Garros to take care of the honors on the anniversary of his 1976 triumph.

Despite Sinner’s stunning loss in the second round, Italy is assured to have a player in the championship match since Flavio Cobolli will face compatriot Matteo Arnaldi in the semifinals on Friday.

Cobolli comes from the same tennis club in Rome as Panatta did. Panatta’s father was the caretaker at the Tennis Club Parioli.

Several years ago, Cobolli and his father and coach, Stefano, paid Panatta a visit at the club in Treviso, northern Italy, that Panatta created after his playing career.

“I told them he was going to be a great player,” Panatta said. “Of course, I didn’t realize it would be so soon.”

While Sinner came close last year when he had three match points in a five-set loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the final, no Italian man has raised the singles trophy in Paris since Panatta.

Panatta recently looked back on the 1976 tournament in an interview with The Associated Press.

Beating Borg

Panatta was the only man to beat Bjorn Borg twice at the French Open, in the fourth round in 1973 and in the quarterfinals in 1976. The only other time they met in Paris was in 1975 when Borg won in the semifinals and went on to claim the second of his six Roland Garros titles.

“I liked playing these clay-court specialists like Borg and (Guillermo) Vilas,” said Panatta, who beat Vilas in the Italian Open final just before winning the French Open. “I had a very varied game and attacked a lot and hit a lot of drop shots. I didn’t play like them.

“If two players play the same way, the stronger player always wins. I played with a different style and that probably bothered them.”

Sneaker emergency

Panatta beat two more clay-court specialists, Americans Eddie Dibbs and Harold Solomon, in the semifinals and final, respectively.

The final was a rematch of a controversial quarterfinal in Rome between Panatta and Solomon in which Solomon walked away while serving for the match after getting infuriated over a perceived missed call.

“He’s the one who made it an incident," Panatta said. “When you walk away, you’re responsible.”

Needless to say, both players were motivated for the rematch in the Paris final.

But Panatta had a problem when he realized that his doubles partner, Paolo Bertolucci, had mistakenly taken his tennis sneakers home with him.

“(Bertolucci) had to fly back from Rome the morning of the final with my sneakers,” Panatta said.

Fortunately, the sneakers arrived in time and Panatta again beat Solomon — this time by winning a fourth-set tiebreaker.

$30,000 winner's check

Panatta said he received $30,000 for his French Open title — about what players who lose in the first round of qualifying earn now.

He’s having a hard time wrapping his head around the current players’ protesting for a bigger share of tournament revenues.

“I don’t really know the reasons behind it,” Panatta said. “But it makes me laugh.”

Panatta recalls how players boycotted Wimbledon in 1973 after Croatian player Nikola Pilić was suspended.

“We didn’t do it for money," Panatta said. “We did it because of Pilić.”

Sinner's perfection

While Panatta pines for the old days when there were more players like him who employed serve-and-volley tactics, he still appreciates players like Sinner who push the limits of baseline tennis.

“When there’s excellence, it’s never boring,” Panatta said. “When someone performs near the limit of perfection, it’s inspiring.”

Sinner’s sense of humor

Panatta was also invited to participate in the trophy ceremony in Rome last month when Sinner became the first Italian man to win that title since Panatta in 1976.

During the ceremony, Sinner jokingly told the 75-year-old Panatta that obviously he’s too young to have seen him play and that “my parents probably hadn’t even gotten together yet” back then.

Panatta was amused by Sinner’s comment and said it showed that Sinner “has got a sense of humor.”

Like Panatta, who drove rally cars and speed boats after he retired from tennis, Sinner has a taste for speed and likes to race go-karts and watch Formula 1.

“I hope he races when he stops playing, too,” Panatta said.

Davis Cup

Panatta crowned his extraordinary 1976 season by leading Italy to the Davis Cup title with a win over Chile in Santiago that was played amid the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.

“That was when the Davis Cup was the real Davis Cup,” Panatta said. “It was worth just as much as a Grand Slam.”

So how does he distinguish his Italian Open, French Open and Davis Cup titles?

“Rome was the most sentimental because the Foro Italico was where I started to play tennis. Roland Garros was the most important one because it was a Grand Slam. And the Davis Cup was a team event and we had a team of players who knew each other since they were little kids,” Panatta said. “They were three entirely different emotions.”

___

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

Leer en español

Local 10 News spoke to a 64-year-old man from Massachusetts whose mother, who lives in South Florida, was recently targeted by scammers.

Her story was shared on Tuesday as authorities warned the public against similar scamming attempts.

That elderly woman thought she won a big prize, but her family became very concerned when they stated to see withdrawals from her account and then were told that she was going to meet someone with cash.

“She said it was $7 million, but it was actually $72 million and a Mercedes car (she thought she had won),” her son said.

That man, who did not wish to be identified for this story, flew to South Florida from Boston and followed his mother to make sure she wasn’t going back to the bank.

“I got really concerned because she had told my sister that she was meeting someone on Tuesday at noon, so I decided to hop on a plane,” he said. “And concurrent to that, my wife called the Coconut Creek police.”

He said he wanted to make sure that his mother wasn’t going to the bank.

“She was surprised I was there,” he said. “We did deal with a little bit of embarrassment and a little bit of forgetfulness.”

Meanwhile, he said the scammers are still trying to contact his mom, while officers said that is usually the case in these situations.

“There continue to be multiple calls on a daily basis from the number associated with the scamming,” he said.

That man is hoping that sharing his mother’s story will help keep the next person from being scammed.

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits for the week ending May 30 increased by 13,000 to 225,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s the most since early February, before the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran, but still a historically low level. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected 211,000 new applications.

Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

Despite historically low layoffs, the labor market seems to be mired in what economists call a “low-hire, low-fire” state. That’s kept the unemployment rate low at 4.3%, but left many of those out of work struggling to find new employment.

Though U.S. employers delivered a surprising 115,000 new jobs in April, the Iran war has injected a large degree of uncertainty about the broader U.S. economy and labor market.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which travels one-fifth of the world’s oil, remains closed. Since the beginning of the war in late February, oil prices have spiked about 50% and the average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. is now $4.24, up from less than $3 in late February. Besides hitting consumers’ pocketbooks, those higher costs can make businesses reluctant to hire.

Data from the U.S. government showed that inflation at the consumer level rose 3.8% from April 2025, the biggest jump in three years. Food prices are also up, but may not yet fully reflect rising energy costs due to the Iran war, analysts say.

Another recent report showed that wholesale prices shot up 6% from a year ago, the highest point in more than three years.

This comes at a time when U.S. inflation is already above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target. The Fed opted to leave its benchmark rate alone at its last meeting, citing economic uncertainty caused by instability in the Middle East and still-elevated inflation. Most analysts don’t expect the Fed to cut rates any time soon.

Lower interest rates can boost the economy and hiring, but also tend to stoke inflation, leading a number of Fed policymakers to say they are actually willing to consider an interest rate hike this year.

On top of that, the recent artificial intelligence boom and the investment required to develop it could alter or even replace some jobs.

Among the companies that have cut jobs recently are Verizon, UPS, Amazon, Disney, Starbucks and Walmart.

Weekly jobless aid applications have stabilized in a range mostly between 200,000 and 250,000 since the U.S. economy emerged from the pandemic recession. However, hiring began slowing about two years ago and tapered further in 2025 due to President Donald Trump’s erratic tariff rollouts, his purge of the federal workforce and the lingering effects of high interest rates meant to control inflation.

Employers added fewer than 200,000 jobs last year, compared with about 1.5 million in 2024, according to the data firm FactSet.

The government issues its May jobs report on Friday.

The Labor Department’s report Thursday showed that the four-week moving average of jobless claims, which softens some of the weekly volatility, rose by 6,500 to 214,750.

The total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the previous week ending May 23 fell by 8,000 to 1.78 million, in line with analyst forecasts.

The Hezbollah announcement came as Israeli strikes killed at least four people, according to local authorities, and a U.N. peacekeeper was killed in the crossfire.

Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem, in a written statement read on TV, called the negotiations “absurd, humiliating and insulting.” He said the agreement’s demand that Hezbollah fighters leave southern Lebanon under fire would mean “surrender, defeat and achieving the enemy’s goals.”

“What we are concerned about is an end to the aggression, ceasefire and Israel’s withdrawal,” he said, underscoring that Hezbollah has not made any commitment to stop fighting. “So long as our villages are not safe and are being bombed and destroyed and our people are killed," he said, northern Israel “will not be safe.”

Sirens sound after Netanyahu visit

Following Kassem’s statement, drone alert sirens sounded in several border communities in northern Israel, including Shlomi, a town where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several ministers had been meeting with local officials, his office said. Israeli media reported that Netanyahu left a short time before the alerts sounded.

The Israeli military later said the sirens were triggered by attempts to intercept several drones that hit near soldiers in southern Lebanon. No injuries were reported.

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, the Israeli military’s chief of staff, acknowledged Thursday that the ongoing war was straining northern Israeli towns living under the threat of Hezbollah fire. He said Israel’s operations in Iran and Lebanon had “created a new security reality,” by weakening Iran and Hezbollah “to an unprecedented degree.”

Lebanese troops began moving Thursday afternoon into the southern village of Dibbine, in coordination with U.N. peacekeepers, after Israeli forces left the area, which saw intense clashes in recent days, state-run media reported. It was the first time Israeli troops withdrew from an area in southern Lebanon since the latest Israel-Hezbollah war began about three months ago.

The fighting in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have seized large swaths of the south, threatens efforts to end the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit point for oil and gas. Its closure has jolted the world economy.

Iran has demanded that any lasting truce extend to Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces elections later this year, wants to press ahead with Israel’s offensive until Hezbollah no longer poses a threat.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who faced a rare rebuke from Congress on Wednesday, has sought to downplay the diplomatic deadlock and the failure of declared ceasefires to end the fighting. He told reporters that in the Middle East, "a ceasefire is when you’re shooting in a more moderate manner.”

Peacekeeper killed in crossfire

A Serbian peacekeeper was killed and two others were wounded when a mortar struck their location near Marjayoun, a Christian-majority town that has seen intense fighting, according to the U.N. mission in southern Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, and the Serbian Defense Ministry.

Israel later blamed Hezbollah for the firing that killed the U.N. peacekeeper, without offering evidence. Hezbollah and the U.N. did not immediately comment on who launched the shells.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said a drone strike killed a motorcyclist and wounded four people in the village of Maaroub. It said airstrikes on the village of Sohmor in the Bekaa Valley, in eastern Lebanon, killed three people and wounded others. It also reported airstrikes elsewhere in the south.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, which has warned people not to go into parts of southern Lebanon where it says it is striking Hezbollah facilities.

Fighting has raged despite declared ceasefires

Hezbollah resumed rocket fire days after Israel and the United States launched their surprise Feb. 28 attack on Iran, which backs Hezbollah. Before then, Israel had regularly carried out strikes in Lebanon against what it said were militant targets, often killing civilians, despite an earlier truce reached in 2024.

After Hezbollah's rocket and drone attacks resumed, Israeli troops seized around a fifth of Lebanon, pushing further into the country's south than at any time since the end of Israel’s 1982-2000 occupation.

In the southern city of Sidon, residents reacted to Wednesday's ceasefire announcement with skepticism, saying previous agreements had failed to stop the violence.

“Every few days a ceasefire is announced, but people keep getting killed,” said Mayada Hijazi.

“It’s all talk and no action,” said Salah Nassab. “We keep going back to our homes, and then we get displaced again, back and forth. We’re very tired."

More than 3,500 people have been killed in Lebanon, and over 1.2 million have been displaced. The fighting has killed 27 Israeli soldiers and three civilians.

Latest ceasefire came from ongoing Israeli-Lebanese talks

The latest declared ceasefire came about through U.S.-brokered talks between Israel and Lebanon's government, which accuses Hezbollah of dragging the country into war and had made efforts to disarm it before the latest hostilities.

The ceasefire agreement calls for Lebanon's armed forces to take control of security zones in Lebanon from which the militants would be banned.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Thursday called the new agreement "the last chance to enter a final and comprehensive ceasefire.” He said Lebanon was ready to implement the deal once he receives responses from relevant factions in Lebanon, including Hezbollah. The United States — and Trump himself — would determine how and when the deal is implemented, Aoun told journalists.

The agreement terms Hezbollah “an enemy" of Israel, the U.S. and Lebanon and calls for dismantling it. The government has promised to do so in the past but does not have the capabilities to disarm Hezbollah by force.

The latest agreement did not say when Israel would withdraw from southern Lebanon but said the U.S. would support the Lebanese army as it works to assert control in areas where Hezbollah has long wielded power.

Iran has demanded a durable Lebanon ceasefire

A top Iranian general on Thursday reiterated Tehran's demand for a full ceasefire in Lebanon and called for Israel to pull troops back to where they were when the wider war began. At that time, Israel held five strategic points along the border.

“Supporting the resistance in Lebanon is the duty of all of us, and eliminating Israel from the region is an achievable goal for Muslims,” Esmail Qaani, the head of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force, was quoted as saying by the semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies.

As diplomatic efforts have repeatedly faltered, Iran and the U.S. have traded fire in and around the Strait of Hormuz, which remains effectively closed. Before the war, around a fifth of the world's oil and gas, as well as large shipments of fertilizer and other goods, passed through the narrow waterway.

The U.S. has targeted what it says are Iranian threats to commercial shipping and its own forces, while Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on Gulf states hosting U.S. troops.

___ Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Metz from Ramallah, West Bank. Associated Press writers Malak Harb and Sarah El Deeb in Beirut and Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, contributed to this report.

In Florida, the average price for regular gas is $4.47. With summer travel on the horizon, Local 10 and Tropical Financial Credit Union are teaming up to bring drivers some relief.

“Right now, a lot of people across South Florida are feeling the pressure of everyday expenses, and even something as routine as filling up the gas tank can create real stress,” said Richard Shaw, Tropical Financial Credit Union President & CEO. “We wanted to do something simple but meaningful to help lighten the load, which is why we partnered with Local 10 on this gas card giveaway.”

All you have to do to sign up is complete the contest form below to be eligible to win a $100 fuel gift card. The deadline to enter is Sunday, May 31, at 11:59 p.m.

From June 1 through June 5, we will give away $2,500 in fuel gift cards to 25 Local 10 viewers. The winners will be chosen at random and five will be announced each day during our 6 a.m. newscast.

Sign up today for a chance to receive your “Prize at the Pump.”

“Even a little relief can make a difference, and we want people to know we’re here for them,” added Shaw.

June 1 winners:

• Bernard Hardge
• Dawn Cochran
• Alicia Gomez
• Nathaniel Jackson
• Carolina Guerrero

June 2 winners:

• Carol Burns
• Raul Sobrino
• Erik Von Dyck
• Imani Scott
• Karol Geimer

June 3 winners:

• Judson Walker
• Michelle Galanter
• Alain Perez
• Tywana Greene
• Noris Milian-Carpintero

June 4 winners:

• Calvin Brown
• John Nigro
• Frederick Arbour
• Michelle Laing
• Gayle McKeen

Meanwhile, former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the Justice Department that could allow him to avoid prison time, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.

Here's the latest:

American Airlines temporarily suspends some of its summer routes due to steep jet fuel costs

American Airlines is temporarily suspending some of its routes this summer, as steep jet fuel costs continue to strain carriers’ budgets amid the war with Iran.

In a statement, American said it had adjusted service for “select routes” in August and September — and that affected travelers would be offered alternative arrangements or refunds. The Texas-based airline cited elevated fuel costs, and maintained that these changes were in line with wider industry trends.

American also said that it was not cutting any of its routes indefinitely and that it was proud to “offer an industry-leading network with more flights than any other U.S. airline.”

Still, the summer suspensions could cause more headaches for travelers already facing fewer flights options and higher price tags across their budgets. Airlines around the world have canceled numerous flights or similarly trimmed schedules through the coming months — and many have are also hiking fees or cutting other perks in efforts to save money.

▶ Read more

Supreme Court sides with Trump administration on federal regulation of telecom companies

The Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration Thursday in a case about the power of federal regulators to enforce data privacy laws on telecommunications companies.

The 8-1 decision upheld one of the Federal Communications Commission’s key tools, though the companies also won a concession from the Republican administration that could shift the regulatory landscape.

The appeal from telecommunications giants Verizon and AT&T challenged a combined $100 million in penalties imposed after the agency determined the companies had failed to safeguard customer location data.

The companies argued that the FCC’s process was unconstitutional because it gave them little opportunity to tell their side of the story in front of a jury.

The administration defended the fines as an essential regulatory tool. But the government also said companies did not have to pay the penalties right away, a regulatory shift in the company’s favor.

The Supreme Court agreed.

▶ Read more

Ex-national security adviser John Bolton will plead guilty in classified information case: AP source

The former Trump administration national security adviser has agreed to plead guilty to a single count of retaining classified information under a deal with the Justice Department that could allow him to avoid prison time, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday.

The deal would resolve a criminal case filed in October that charged Bolton with 18 counts of either retaining or sharing diary-like notes with family members that officials said contained classified information as he was preparing a memoir of his time in government.

Under the agreement, Bolton would also face a $2.25 million fine, said the person, who insisted on anonymity to discuss a deal that hadn’t been made public. Any prison sentence would be capped at five years, but the agreement allows for him to avoid time behind bars, though the punishment will ultimately be up to a judge.

A rearraignment, which typically signals a plea agreement, is scheduled for June 26.

The Justice Department declined to comment.

▶ Read more

— Eric Tucker

Senate begins voting on bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol as Democrats try to derail it

The Senate is beginning a long series of votes Thursday on legislation to fund President Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies, moving toward passage of a three-year fix as Democrats have blocked the money for months in protest.

The roughly $70 billion bill to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol would end the blockade by Democrats who demanded policy changes after the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents in January. The bill would fund the agencies for three years, through the end of Trump’s term.

First, though, Republicans must beat back a potential gauntlet of amendments Democrats plan to offer, including to try and permanently ban Trump’s $1.776 billion settlement fund for allies who he believes have been politically persecuted. Democrats have said their first amendment Thursday morning will be to eliminate the fund and send the immigration spending bill back to committee.

▶ Read more

US jobless aid filings, a proxy for layoffs, hit highest level since Iran war began in February

The number of Americans filing for jobless aid hit their highest level in four months last week, but layoffs remain historically low despite ongoing economic uncertainty brought on by the war in Iran.

U.S. applications for unemployment benefits for the week ending May 30 increased by 13,000 to 225,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That’s the most since early February, before the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran, but still a historically low level. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expected 211,000 new applications.

Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered a proxy for U.S. layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the job market.

Despite historically low layoffs, the labor market seems to be mired in what economists call a “low-hire, low-fire” state. That’s kept the unemployment rate low at 4.3%, but left many of those out of work struggling to find new employment.

▶ Read more

Trump officials went after dozens of colleges. Now they’re rewriting the rules for all of academia

A year ago, the White House was unleashing a blitz on higher education. At one campus after another, Trump officials opened investigations and cut federal funding unless schools fell in line with the Republican president’s political agenda.

Now, after a campaign that put dozens of universities under investigation, Trump’s administration is taking a wider approach, moving to rewrite the federal rules that govern all of higher education. Demands that were being pressed on individual schools are being written into the fine print for thousands of U.S. universities.

“We’re coming over the higher education system and course correcting,” Nicholas Kent, undersecretary for the Education Department, said in an Associated Press interview. Unlike investigations that target individual campuses, he said the new tactic has power “to affect 6,000 institutions.”

The shift comes after federal judges blocked Trump’s administration from making crippling cuts at Harvard and the University of California, Los Angeles. It also follows a mass exodus in civil rights lawyers who traditionally guide investigations against universities. Still, Trump hasn’t backed down from his campaign to end what he calls “wokeness” run amok in academia.

▶ Read more

Buffalo named Donald Trump for his golden locks is a sensation at a Bangladesh zoo

With his shock of golden hair and trim 700-kilogram (1,500-pound) build, Donald Trump has been drawing crowds from across Bangladesh since he arrived at the national zoo last week.

The rare albino buffalo became a sensation when a farmer noticed that his blond tuft of hair resembled the distinctive locks of the U.S. president. After a video of the pale horned mammal went viral on social media, large numbers of people started showing up at the farm outside Dhaka to see him for themselves.

The animal was originally meant to be slaughtered for the Muslim festival of sacrifice. But citing security concerns, the government ordered him transferred to the zoo in the capital, where large crowds are now braving sweltering heat to see him.

“There is a resemblance to Donald Trump in its eyes, hairstyle, and skin color,” said Mohammed Nasim, a student in Dhaka. “And just as Donald Trump has a distinctive personality and lifestyle, this buffalo, after going viral, is now living a similar kind of life, enjoying a lot of attention and special treatment.”

▶ Read more

Trump slams the 4 Republicans who voted in favor of war powers resolution

The president says the symbolic House vote approving a war powers resolution that would halt the U.S. military action against Iran, was “meaningless.”

Still, Trump is livid that four House Republicans joined the Democrats in supporting the resolution.

“The Democrats are fueled by Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Trump said in a post on his social media site. “They would rather have our Country fail than give me another, of many, victories. The four Republicans, that’s a whole other story - They’re GRANDSTANDERS! They should be ashamed of themselves.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent refuses to say whether Trump remains exempt from IRS audits

Bessent refused to say Wednesday whether Trump and his family would still get immunity from IRS audits after the administration abandoned plans for a $1.776 billion compensation fund that would have benefited the president’s allies.

“There’s continuing litigation, and I’m unable to comment on ongoing litigation,” Bessent told lawmakers at the Senate Finance Committee hearing.

It was a frustrating answer for Democratic lawmakers looking to get answers from Bessent at a hearing ostensibly focused on the Treasury Department’s budget and came a day after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche seemed to indicate that the portion of the settlement dealing with the IRS audit immunity would still be in effect for the Republican president.

After several failed attempts to get Bessent to answer, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said, “It’s been very clear you’re dodging this and you’re trying to use it as an excuse. It’s just outrageous on behalf of the American public.”

▶ Read more

Trump says he'll nominate Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general

Trump said Wednesday that he will nominate Todd Blanche to serve as attorney general, tapping his former personal lawyer who has aggressively pursued the Republican president’s agenda while leading the Justice Department in an acting role.

Trump said at a dinner at the White House that he plans to nominate Blanche formally on Thursday, according to a video of the event posted on social media by a White House aide.

“We are going to make him permanent attorney general,” Trump said at the Rose Garden event.

Blanche was brought into the Justice Department as deputy attorney general and was elevated after Bondi’s ousting over her failed efforts to prosecute Trump’s perceived political opponents. Blanche insisted he wasn’t auditioning for the permanent post but made clear through splashy moves since taking the reins his intent on proving his loyalty to Trump.

▶ Read more

Senate begins voting on funding immigration enforcement after Trump’s settlement fund is dropped

The Republican-led Senate is moving forward with legislation to fund immigration enforcement agencies after forcing the Trump administration to say it will drop its settlement fund for political allies and stripping a separate proposal for White House security from the bill.

The Senate voted 53-46 on Wednesday to begin debate on the roughly $70 billion bill to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. The legislation was delayed for weeks as Republican senators navigated the various obstacles to passage created by President Donald Trump and the White House, but they are now moving quickly to pass it after paring it back to its original form.

“Right now, the goal is to get the base bill across the finish line,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Still, Republicans will need to find enough votes to beat back multiple amendments that Democrats — and some Republicans — say they will offer to permanently ban Trump’s $1.776 billion settlement fund.

▶ Read more

With Trump in a holding pattern on Iran war, allies and critics worry he risks getting boxed in

Trump is facing warnings from foes and allies alike that he’s getting boxed in on the Iran war, a conflict he sold as a brief military incursion but that has since settled into a holding pattern.

It’s been nearly a week since U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire in the conflict by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program that required Trump’s sign off.

But Trump has called for unspecified changes to the agreement and Iranian officials — perhaps calculating that he is reluctant to restart the bombardment after burning through key weapons systems — are showing no signs they’ll give in to new demands.

A series of strikes by the U.S. and Iran this week has raised fresh concern that the ceasefire could collapse. Trump on Wednesday downplayed the significance.

There’s growing concern inside the administration and among key advisers and allies that Trump now finds himself in a bind, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the administration’s internal deliberations.

▶ Read more

— Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee

House approves war powers resolution to halt military action against Iran in a rebuke of Trump

The House for the first time Wednesday approved a war powers resolution that would halt the U.S. military action against Iran, defying Trump, as a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats to end the three-month-long conflict that has reordered politics at home and abroad.

House Speaker Mike Johnson had tried to prevent an outcome that would show the mounting opposition to the war, abruptly shutting down floor action two weeks ago when the resolution was on the verge of approval. But displeasure has only grown as the conflict drags on and as Trump struggles to negotiate a plan for peace.

“Enough is enough,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who led the effort.

“It is time for the president to do the right thing,” he said. “The people are tired of suffering because of his war of choice — suffering at the gas pump, suffering at the supermarkets.”

▶ Read more

“Her passing marks the loss of a leading figure of French culture and an artist devoted to freedom, whose work carried a universal message and earned her immense international acclaim,” the French presidency said in a statement.

President Emmanuel Macron and his wife “pay tribute to a remarkable artist who transformed an Iranian childhood into a universal fable,” the statement said.

News broadcaster BFM TV and other French media reported Satrapi has “died of sadness” a little over a year after the death of her husband, Swedish film producer and actor Mattias Ripa, according to a statement from people close to the artist.

The French Academy of Fine Arts, of which she was a member, expressed its deep sadness in a social media statement, paying tribute to “a passionate advocate for cinema and film education” who earlier this year created a foundation to help international students come to Paris to study film.

Satrapi is best-known for her monochrome autobiographical comic book and film “Persepolis,” a coming-of-age tale set against the Islamic Revolution in her native Iran.

“Persepolis” won the Film Critics Grand Prix at the Cannes Festival in 2007 and the César Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2008, in addition to being nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2008 Oscars.

The film, which details her life in Tehran as the willful daughter of intellectual Marxists, is a reminder that Iranians are just like everyone else, Satrapi told The Associated Press in a 2007 interview in Cannes.

“What we wanted to say is, if these people scare you, look closer: They have parents, they have lovers, they have hope, they have stories," she said.

Iranian authorities at the time protested the movie’s inclusion at Cannes, sending a letter to the French Embassy in Tehran.

Satrapi was born on Nov. 22, 1969, in Rasht, Iran, but her parents sent her to Vienna, Austria, in 1983 to finish her studies because of the extremism in their country following the 1979 Revolution that brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power.

But Satrapi, who found Austria hostile and who desperately missed her parents, returned to Iran in 1989 to attend Tehran University, where she earned a degree in visual communications.

By the time she graduated, Satrapi decided she finally was ready to leave Iran and accept the opportunities her parents had been so desperate to give her a decade before. In 1994 she moved to France. She studied in Strasbourg and later moved to Paris.

Her graphic novels also include “Broderies” (“Embroideries”) and “Poulet aux prunes” (“Chicken with plums”), which also was adapted into a film. As a filmmaker, she has directed several works including “La Bande des Jotas” (“The Gang of Jotas”) and “Radioactive” (“Madame Curie”), a biography about the Polish physicist Marie Curie.

Satrapi in 2023 coordinated the book “Femme, vie, liberté” (“Woman, Life, Freedom”) together with a group of artists and academics to illustrate the revolts that occurred in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini in 2022 at the hands of the so-called “morality police.” The work denounces the repression and lack of human rights that Iranian society, especially women, suffers at the hands of the Iranian regime, the foundation said.

Satrapi was elected member of the French Academy of Fine Arts in 2024. She also was offered France's highest award, the Legion of Honor, that same year but declined it, arguing France was not doing enough to support Iranian people fighting for democracy.

“Supporting the women’s revolution in Iran cannot be reduced to photos or speeches,” she wrote in a January 2025 letter to French authorities. “When people are fighting for democracy, we should support them.”

In 2024, Satrapi won the Princess of Asturias Foundation award in Spain for communication and humanities. The organization said she was “an essential voice in the defense of human rights and freedom.” The judges described her as “a symbol of civic engagement led by women."

Satrapi's husband died in April 2025 at 53. On her Instagram page, only one message was left in a series of posts: “Because I have lost the love of my life.”

Now, after a campaign that put dozens of universities under investigation, President Donald Trump's administration is taking a wider approach, moving to rewrite the federal rules that govern all of higher education. Demands that were being pressed on individual schools are being written into the fine print for thousands of U.S. universities.

“We’re coming over the higher education system and course correcting,” Nicholas Kent, undersecretary for the Education Department, said in an Associated Press interview. Unlike investigations that target individual campuses, he said the new tactic has power “to affect 6,000 institutions.”

The shift comes after federal judges blocked Trump's administration from making crippling cuts at Harvard and the University of California, Los Angeles. It also follows a mass exodus in civil rights lawyers who traditionally guide investigations against universities. Still, Trump hasn’t backed down from his campaign to end what he calls “wokeness” run amok in academia.

Through regulation, the administration is going after many of the same targets it hammered with investigations — diversity, equity and inclusion policies, transgender athletes, antisemitism and a variety of practices perceived as anti-white discrimination.

Several US agencies propose new rules

One new rule being proposed by the Education Department would overhaul the system that decides which colleges can receive federal money, known as the accreditation process. Among other changes, the proposal would require accreditors to make sure colleges have “intellectual diversity,” a veiled call for more conservative voices.

Many people in higher education are alarmed by a proposal from the Office of Management and Budget that would order agencies to ensure federal grants “advance the President’s policy priorities.” Trump officials would verify that grants aren't used to promote DEI, “anti-American values” or anything denying “the sex binary in humans," according to the proposal issued last week. An OMB spokesperson said the rule aims to promote transparency.

Another proposal from the General Services Administration would require federal grant recipients, including universities and their contractors, to certify they don't have DEI policies deemed unlawful by the administration.

At least 11 new rules have been proposed at the Education Department, including one aimed at “streamlining the process” to cut money for schools that violate the Trump administration's interpretation of civil rights law.

Making federal rules can take months of debate in humdrum bureaucratic processes. But unlike earlier strategies that tested the limits of White House power, the rulemaking process is a widely accepted route to establish federal policy into law — without needing to go through Congress.

Some in higher education welcome the change. Unlike last year's attacks, the new approach opens the door for a conversation, said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, which represents college and university presidents.

“We’re playing a game that has rules and referees, and that’s good,” said Mitchell, a former Education Department official under President Barack Obama, a Democrat. “It gives us an opportunity to talk about where we might agree with the administration. That was impossible to do when these were just straight-on attacks.”

The administration launches fewer new investigations

Meantime, the Education and Justice departments have announced fewer higher-education investigations, issuing news releases on roughly a dozen at U.S. universities so far this year. In the same span last year, they announced more than 70, according to an AP analysis. The exact number of new investigations is unclear — a public database has not been updated since January 2025.

Kent said the Education Department will continue to open investigations as needed, describing it as using a “scalpel to cut out the bad.” But he said colleges have started to come to heel on the administration’s priorities.

“Folks realize that it’s a new day and that we’re paying attention,” Kent said.

The vast majority of the investigations opened last year are still open. The White House struck deals with Columbia, Brown and a handful of other campuses, but most cases are unresolved with no public update in months.

Catherine Lhamon, who led the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights under President Joe Biden, a Democrat, said the barrage of investigations amounted to “performance art” that grabbed attention but had little impact. After pushback from schools, she said, the Trump administration is backing off.

“It stopped putting itself in a position to lose,” said Lhamon, who now leads the Edley Center on Law and Democracy at the University of California, Berkeley.

Still, some fights have intensified. The White House has doubled down on battles with Harvard and UCLA after federal judges blocked the administration from cutting off research funding from the campuses.

The Justice Department has sued Harvard and UCLA four times since February, alleging that both campuses tolerated antisemitism and that Harvard refused to release admissions data sought by the administration. Leaders of both universities say they have worked to fight antisemitism.

Admissions cases become a top priority

A White House official said the investigative slowdown is also the result of a mounting focus on college admissions. The administration has been building cases against colleges accused of considering race in admissions decisions even after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action. Those investigations can take more time because they require large data collections, said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal strategy.

Some of those cases are now coming to bear.

The Justice Department recently concluded that medical schools at Yale and UCLA discriminated against white and Asian American students by allegedly favoring Black and Latino applicants. The universities have defended their admissions processes, saying they were rigorous and based on merit.

Trump officials are taking a hard-line approach against any use of race in admissions, clashing with colleges that invite students to discuss their race in application essays. In its 2023 decision, the Supreme Court said nothing stops schools from considering how applicants’ race speaks to broader qualities.

“We are making sure," Kent said, “that we are elevating our best and our brightest and that we’re not putting the thumb on the scale because of somebody’s skin color.”

Higher education has already been changed

Facing last year’s blitz, many campuses quietly made changes to avoid scrutiny. Some closed DEI offices. The NCAA moved to limit transgender athletes. Universities from UCLA to Columbia tightened campus protest rules after pro-Palestinian demonstrations were the subject of federal investigations.

Research has been scaled back as top schools face continued funding cuts.

In the classroom, there’s been a chilling effect as professors fear that what they say or teach could attract federal attention, said Todd Wolfson, president of the American Association of University Professors.

Still, he’s optimistic the balance of power is shifting in universities' favor. Students and faculty members on several campuses built pressure to reject a White House invitation last fall to sign on to aspects of Trump’s agenda in exchange for favorable access to research funding, he said. The AAUP has brought several lawsuits against the administration, including one that stopped funding cuts at UCLA.

“The sector is getting its feet under it, and it’s only getting stronger,” Wolfson said. “I can promise you that we will fight them tooth and nail.”

___

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

Leer en español

However, the man’s attorney told Local 10 News that Christian Quintero is an active service member and that he provided documentation in court Wednesday proving that he was at U.S. Marine Corps Camp Lejeune in North Carolina at the time of the alleged incident.

According to an arrest report from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Quintero was taken into custody Tuesday at the MDSO Kendall District Station and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

The investigation began after an alleged incident on Feb. 10 near Southwest 48th Street and Southwest 107th Avenue.

Investigators said a teenage witness told detectives that he was riding an electric bicycle with a friend around 3:30 p.m. when he blew a kiss toward a woman sitting inside a white Toyota Camry.

The teen said the male driver of the vehicle, later identified by detectives as Quintero, became enraged and began following and harassing both teens while cursing at them.

The teen who blew the kiss told investigators he was able to evade the vehicle, but his friend was not.

During the encounter, the teen recorded video footage that captured the vehicle and its Florida license plate, according to the report.

When detectives later interviewed the other teen, he corroborated his friend’s account and provided additional details.

According to the arrest report, the second teen said the driver followed closely behind him before he stopped his electric bicycle.

The report states the driver then approached him in the vehicle, rolled down a window, pointed a handgun at him and asked, “Where’s your boy?”

The teen told investigators he feared for his life during the confrontation.

According to the report, the teen also said the driver exited the vehicle at one point and claimed, “I’m a cop.”

Investigators traced the license plate captured in the video to a vehicle registered to another man, Juan Quintero Sanchez, 49, but further investigation revealed that Christian Quintero lives at the same address as the vehicle owner and matched the physical description provided by the victim, authorities said.

According to the report, the victim identified Christian Quintero in a photo lineup on April 15.

Detectives also reviewed the video provided by the victim’s friend, which reportedly showed the Toyota Camry following both teenagers. Investigators said the footage also showed two occupants inside the vehicle, including a driver who appeared to be Christian Quintero and a white female passenger.

Christian Quintero was taken into custody Tuesday on charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and falsely impersonating a police officer.

According to the arrest report, he declined to speak with detectives following his arrest.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Christian Quintero remained at TGK on a $7,500 bond.

Local 10 News is reaching out to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office to see whether they plan to drop charges as Quintero’s attorney maintains that this is a case of mistaken identity.

The Venice Biennale opened its most chaotic and contested edition in recent memory on May 9, with the prestigious Golden Lion yanked from contention after the jury quit in protest of Israel’s and Russia’s participation. The week of previews leading up to the public opening was characterized by loud protests outside the Israeli and Russian pavilions.

Instead of jury awards, the Biennale announced voting by visitors to the two main venues, the Giardini and the Arsenale, for two awards recognizing the best national pavilion and best participant in the main show, titled “In Minor Keys,” curated according to a plan by the late Koyo Kouoh. The awards are to be made public on the Biennale's closing day, Nov. 22.

The protest letter made public on Wednesday said that the voting process “lacked transparency and accountability,” and complained that the Biennale had not responded to the artists' first request to remove their names, made on May 20. It was also signed by curators and commissioners.

The artists said that they were beginning steps toward legal action.

In response to a request for comment, the Biennale furnished a May 28 letter to the artists, curators and commissioners saying that they would keep all of the names on the ballot “to guarantee all visitors have the freedom of expression,” but said none of the signatories would be considered for the prizes.

The protest letter called the procedure “a waste of time” by asking visitors “to cast votes that cannot be counted.”

The jury in its resignation announcement singled out Russia and Israel, citing investigations by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Signatories seeking to be removed from visitor prize contention include some 70 artists participating in the main show and nearly 40 national pavilions, including those of Iceland, Norway and Denmark, which have led the call to have Russia barred from returning to the Biennale for the first time since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

They also include Austrian artist Florentina Holzinger, whose exhibition features recycled waste water from portable toilets outside the Austrian Pavilion, has been one of the most popular of the Biennale.

Rudrendra Tandon, a senior official in India’s foreign ministry, said the talks held in New Delhi focused on strengthening energy cooperation. He said Venezuela had become India’s third-largest crude oil supplier in recent weeks.

Tandon said India is “aggressively seeking new sources of crude oil and energy to strengthen its energy security,” adding that Venezuela represents an “opportunity and is very much part of our plans.”

Modi and Rodriguez also explored opportunities for Indian companies to invest in Venezuela's sectors including mining, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals and automobiles, he said.

The meeting comes as India has increased imports of Venezuelan crude in recent months, making the South American country a more important supplier for the world’s third-largest oil importer.

India imports about 90% of its oil. Around half of those supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route effectively closed by the Iran war.

Rodriguez also met India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on Thursday and is scheduled to hold talks with Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. She is also expected to visit facilities in India’s energy, pharmaceutical and automobile sectors.

Jess Asato, a legislator with the governing Labour Party, says someone used Grok to create fake images of her in a bikini without her consent in January after she criticized the spread of deepfake pornography online.

She filed a claim Wednesday at the High Court in London, citing misuse of private information under the Data Protection Act.

She is seeking damages and says she wants to create a precedent that companies can be held liable for the design of their AI systems.

“Nobody would be able to walk up to me in the street and strip me and put me in a bikini, and I don’t see why anybody should be able to do that to me online, because the feeling, while it is not quite the same, is very similar,” she said. “It is like somebody has digitally stripped me without my consent.”

Asato said she hopes others will join the claim.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he supports Asato's legal action "100%.”

“Jess Asato is absolutely right in the action that she is taking," Starmer told reporters. “Disgusting images were created in her particular case by Grok.”

Following an international outcry against deepfake pornography, Musk’s company said in January it would no longer allow Grok users to edit images of real people to remove their clothing.

A law passed last year in the U.K. made it illegal to create or request a non-consensual deepfake image of an adult. But Asato says xAI should be held accountable for harm that has already been done.

“Once the damage is done, the damage is done,” she said. “If you think about any other products, like a car, for example, that might have been manufactured with a fault, it doesn’t matter if, you know, the cars get recalled and the faults are fixed and no more harm is done.”

In January, American writer Ashley St. Clair, mother of Musk’s son Romulus, filed a lawsuit against xAI in New York. She alleges that explicit images of her were generated by AI chatbot Grok, including one in which she was underage.

xAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

The new funding announced Thursday pushes French Gates’ donations for women’s health over $600 million in the past two years.

French Gates told The Associated Press in an interview that women’s health is the cornerstone of the work she does through Pivotal, the group of organizations she founded to handle her philanthropy and investments. “It’s just blaringly obvious that women’s health is fundamental — she has to be well to do well in life,” French Gates said.

Since 2024, when she stepped away from The Gates Foundation, which she founded with her now ex-husband Bill Gates and built into one of the world’s largest private funders of health care, French Gates has honed her approach to supporting women.

This latest round of funding reflects an increasingly strategic approach to areas she feels are underfunded. It includes a $40 million donation to Co-Impact for an initiative that embeds mental health support into maternal and primary care, especially in Africa. And French Gates hopes her $10 million donation to the Menopause Society to improve menopause care in the United States, by educating healthcare practitioners and expanding outreach in areas where care is limited, will encourage other funders to begin working on the issue.

According to the World Economic Forum, even though women make up half the population, the health issues that specifically affect them only get 2% of private healthcare funds. The lack of funding has resulted in a lack of products and services dedicated to treating them.

“The role of philanthropy, in my opinion, is to look at some of these societal problems that have been left behind, and shine light on them, show ways of making progress so you can then crowd in other donors and ultimately crowd in government funding,” she said. “Part of what I’m doing here, I hope, is sending a signal to say, ‘This is really important. Let’s do something about it.’ And my hope is that I’ll be able to get others who will join me.”

Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of The Menopause Society and director of The Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health, said the United States currently has about 6,000 counties where patients have critically low access to menopause-competent clinicians. She said the donation will allow The Menopause Society to offer its educational resources to more areas of the country that need them.

“Menopause remains one of the most overlooked and underserved areas in medicine, and The Menopause Society believes women deserve better,” Faubion said. “We’re ready to make those changes with the support of donors like Pivotal.”

Research into menopause treatments was already underfunded, even before recent medical research cuts made by President Donald Trump’s administration went into effect.

“I think philanthropy is going to fill a greater role than it ever has in the past because we are just not going to have the same type of government funding that we’ve had before,” she said. “Funding is hard to come by these days – much, much harder than it was before. And the need hasn’t gone away. We still have to do the research somehow.”

Faubion said the substantial size of French Gates’ gift is important, but the attention it brings may be even more crucial.

“It shows that somebody like Melinda Gates and Pivotal feel that this is an important issue,” Faubion said. “It will illuminate the gaps that are still there… and it makes people not only aware, but maybe motivated to take some action.”

For French Gates, bringing more attention to these women’s issues is nearly as important as increasing the funding for them.

“I want women’s health issues to not be invisible,” she said. “I don’t want the default to be that women are expected to deal with pain and suffering. I want them to be seen for what they’re going through, their real life experiences, and have those issues addressed so they can live their very best lives."

______

The Associated Press receives financial support for news coverage of women in the workforce and in statehouses from Melinda French Gates’ organization, Pivotal.

_______

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.

In exclusive interviews with The Associated Press during a team camp in Turkey, two members of Iran’s squad described how the conflict is affecting its World Cup preparations.

“Well, to be honest, it’s not easy,” said Saeid Ezatolahi, a 29-year-old midfielder who also played for Iran in the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

“That’s going to be my third World Cup. So for me and some of the other players, it might be easier to manage these kind of things,” he said in English on the sidelines of a training session on Wednesday. “But at the end ... it is going to be difficult for us because at the same time, we are following the news in our country and the political things, of course, can affect the mind of the players and the people."

The Iran team has spent more than two weeks in Turkey, mostly practicing at the coastal resort Antalya, and some went to the capital Ankara to submit visa applications at the U.S. embassy. Media access to their World Cup preparations has been limited, and the players rarely speak to international journalists.

Iran will be based in Mexico during the World Cup

The team is set to travel to Mexico this weekend after receiving visas from the Mexican embassy in Ankara. The team said Thursday that the process of obtaining entry permits had been finalized for all members of the squad. Problems with visa processing meant Iran's World Cup training base was moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, on Mexico's border with California.

Iran will play its first two games near Los Angeles, which has a large Iranian community, many of whom oppose the current government.

“So for sure, we are expecting to have a lot fans during our games at the stadium," Ezatolahi said. "And this is going to be a lot pressure for us because the expectation is going be high. I just wish we can make them proud and show them that Iranians, they are prepared for every hard job in the world,” he said.

Mohammad Ghorbani, 24, is going to his first World Cup for Iran.

“It’s true that we are facing special circumstances right now but we are football players and we have to play, practice, and prepare ourselves for the competitions we have ahead,” the Abu Dhabi-based player told the AP in Farsi.

“On the other hand, we know that our people have been going through a lot of difficulties throughout the war, and we are going there for them, to get the best results for their joy and the joy of the people of our country.”

The U.S. and Israel launched its war against Iran on Feb. 28, killing its supreme leader and other top officials. Iran responded with strikes targeting Israel, U.S. forces and the Gulf Arab states. It also has maintained a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, imperiling global energy supplies.

Despite a nominal ceasefire being in place, Iran and the U.S. have yet to negotiate a permanent end to the war and attacks continue in the region.

Iran is in Group G with New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt

Iran's team is not required to enter the United States until June 14, one day before its first match against New Zealand at the Los Angeles Rams’ stadium in Inglewood.

Iran returns to Inglewood to face Belgium on June 21 and completes Group G in Seattle, against Egypt on June 26.

"I’m really proud to be part of my national team,” said Ezatolahi, whose career has taken him to play for clubs in Spain, Russia, England, Belgium, Denmark, Qatar and now Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

“We need to clear up our minds and be fresh because our target and our duty is to fight for our people, to represent our country and to show how good we are,” he said.

Ghorbani agreed, saying the team wants to bring joy to Iranians.

“The best message I can give right now is that the Iranian team is showing what it means to be a team,” he said. “We are showing that we are one team under one flag that can bring joy to our whole country, and to show the power of Iranian players and Iranian people to the world.”

___

AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.

___

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

The nine people were killed in at least four separate strikes in Gaza City, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the bodies. The hospital said the victims included two women and two children.

Footage of one of the strikes showed a massive hole in an upper floor in what appeared to be a residential apartment building. The blast blew holes through interior walls and scattered blood-stained belongings across the room and into the street.

“They say the war has stopped, but the war has not stopped,” said Walid Shbeir, the uncle of one of the men killed in the strikes, as family members sobbed over the bodies of the victims at the hospital. “Every night there is killing, and we have martyrs. Every night, in the morning, in the evening, and at night, this killing is continuous for us.”

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes. Last week, Israel killed the top Hamas military leader, two weeks after strikes that killed his predecessor.

The fatalities were the latest in the coastal enclave since an October ceasefire deal attempted to halt a more than two-year war between Israel and the Palestinian militant Hamas group in Gaza. While the heaviest fighting has subsided, the shaky ceasefire has seen almost daily Israeli fire.

Israeli forces have carried out repeated airstrikes and frequently fire on Palestinians near military-held zones, killing more than 936 since the ceasefire took effect, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government, is generally seen as reliable by United Nations agencies and independent experts. It does not give a breakdown of civilian and militant deaths.

Militants have carried out shooting attacks on troops, and Israel says its strikes are in response to violations of the truce or threats to its troops. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire.

Israel launched its offensive in Gaza in response to Hamas' October 2023 attack that killed some 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. __ Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman contributed from Tel Aviv, Israel.

The fire started late Wednesday at the home in Anguruwatota town. Fifty-one residents were rescued, police spokesman Fredrick Wootler said. He said people with mental illnesses were also housed there.

The director of the home was arrested on suspicion of causing deaths through negligence. He appeared before a court and was ordered to be detained for a week while an investigation is underway.

Associated Press footage showed the building gutted with its charred furniture and equipment. Bodies lay nearby.

Local television channel Hiru showed image of firefighters, police and residents trying to contain the raging fire. Those rescued were assisted by police and soldiers in boarding buses to a safe location.

Chathura Mihudum, director of the National Secretariat for Elders, said the facility was not registered as a nursing home and had been warned to follow laws and guidelines.

He said it was overcrowded with beds for just about 15 people in a space where 71 people were living.

Government officials had previously visited the institution and had instructed the management to follow laws, he said, without elaborating.

Makki, 47, who cooks Lebanese dishes like couscous stews and traditional kibbeh balls in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn Heights, immigrated to Michigan in 1990. But her heart never left her childhood village of Bint Jbeil, now one of the hardest-hit areas in southern Lebanon.

Nearly every Lebanese American has felt the impact of the latest round of fighting, which has displaced more than 1 million people — roughly one in every six Lebanese — and killed more than 3,500 people. It’s Israel’s deepest invasion into Lebanon in more than a quarter-century.

“I was thinking, ‘What can I do for other people?’” Makki said. “So I used my business.”

Even with the rising cost of living in the U.S., she said, “the money I can spare personally, I’ve been sending it to family.”

In areas like metro Detroit, where Arabic signs adorn restaurants, coffee houses and bakeries on bustling suburban avenues, a sense of grief has blanketed the war-weary community as they watch the crisis unfold thousands of miles away.

Like Makki, many grapple with guilt and hopelessness. It’s not easy to help loved ones who are unwilling or unable to leave their country and face a worsening economic crisis.

“Honestly it’s hard. Like, what do you say?” Makki said. “They’re going to ask me what I’m doing. Let’s say I’m at work. They lost their jobs. Let’s say I tell them I’m home. They lost their homes.”

The global diaspora has shaped Lebanon

Lebanese immigration to the U.S. dates to the late 1800s. Roughly 625,000 Lebanese Americans live here now, according to census data, though some estimates put the number closer to 1.4 million.

Opinions about the Lebanese government, Hezbollah and Israel vary among the diaspora as they do in Lebanon, where views are heavily influenced by religious affiliation. The population there is about equally split between Sunni Muslim, Shiite Muslim and Christian denominations, along with a smaller Druze community.

Despite their differences, the global diaspora remains deeply connected to their home country, in part through billions of dollars sent back each year.

“There is really no Lebanese homeland without the Lebanese diaspora,” Edward Curtis, director of Arabic Studies at Indiana University, said.

A population who relies on each other

Lebanese Americans often rally around common causes, like during the 2024 U.S. presidential election for the “ uncommitted movement ” protesting U.S. support for Israel’s war in Gaza, or to condemn the Michigan synagogue attack carried out by a Lebanese man in March.

“When they see suffering in Lebanon, people’s immediate reaction ... is for the community to come together, raise funds, raise money, and try to help everybody as much as they can,” Akram Khater, director of Lebanese Diaspora Studies at North Carolina State University, said.

Most rely on one another, rather than looking to Washington for help.

Curtis said many Lebanese Americans have grown disillusioned with U.S. politics, instead seeking to “celebrate Lebanese life when other peoples are threatening its death.”

Maya Attoui, whose parents still live in Beirut, is organizing a metro Detroit fundraiser to support Lebanon and raise awareness about the conflict. She said she doesn’t have enough money to spare to support her numerous relatives, but hopes an event with activities and speakers will generate far more funds.

“We don’t feel like talking, we don’t feel like cooking in our houses,” Attoui said. “We’re just 24/7 on the phone or on the news. Our heart is really melting and breaking because of whatever we see.”

A financial lifeline

Although people send remittances to countries all over the world, Lebanon is particularly dependent on its vast diaspora. The country’s economy has been shredded in recent years, to the point where the U.S. dollar is gradually becoming the de facto currency.

Makki visited Lebanon in February and saw how much prices had risen. Where $200 used to cover a car rental and a hotel room, this time it barely paid for a dinner out.

Some people crowdsource funds online. There are established relief organizations, but most prefer to send money directly to loved ones.

Makki doesn't want to send more than $10,000 in total, to avoid appearing suspicious. After that, she laughed, “Maybe take it there myself?”

Nadia Bryant, 37, of Troy, Michigan, has been sending money to her half sisters in Lebanon, who are in temporary housing after their village of Ayta ash-Shab was invaded by Israeli forces.

Rather than spending the money on themselves, Bryant said, her sisters used it to help orphaned children.

“They’re such righteous people,” Bryant said. “They are not even trying to take the money and get themselves a better house or anything. They’re like, ‘Oh, we have shelter, but this person needs a mattress.’”

Over WhatsApp, her sister sent her a photo of a steaming teapot over a fire amid the strewn debris of what had been their home. The caption read: “Best cup of tea since 9 october 2023.”

“I don’t even ask, ‘How are you?’ That feels so stupid to me,” Bryant said. “I ask, you know, ‘What does today look like,’ or ‘Where are you today?’”

Attoui, the fundraiser organizer, has tried to convince her family to move to the U.S. multiple times since she came in 2006. They don't want to leave. Regardless, the U.S. stopped processing immigrant visas to Lebanese nationals in late January.

“I have all my aunts and my cousins over there,” she said. “So like, how many people can you bring here?”

Last month, along with nine other young boys, he flew to Mexico to represent Brazil in the Street Child World Cup, a tournament with teams from 30 countries composed of boys from impoverished backgrounds, organized ahead of this year’s FIFA World Cup.

“I never could have imagined that one day this would happen, that I would represent my country, doing what I most love — playing soccer — in another country,” said Gonçalves, who is 18. The Brazil team went undefeated and won the tournament, enhancing the thrill of the experience.

Like many Brazilians, Gonçalves and his teammates grew up kicking a ball around and closely following members of the Seleção, Brazil’s national soccer team. They dream of one day becoming professional soccer players like their heroes.

The project has already changed their lives, they say.

Beyond being the gateway to climatic moments, the Street Child United Brazil project in the Penha complex of favelas allows participants to at least momentarily escape from everyday life marked by deprivation and violence, fostering a sense of safety, belonging and hope.

The initiative began in 2014, when Brazil hosted the FIFA World Cup. Today, some 100 youths take part in the year-round training sessions that take place four days a week. The project welcomes girls and boys aged 6 and above.

Playing soccer represents “love, passion, the realization of dreams,” said Ryan Mercedes, a 17-year-old who also went to Mexico. “When we enter the field, it’s time for us to have fun and be happy.”

But soccer enthusiast Rafael Gomes says that the reality of life in the favela has sometimes caught up with them. The soccer fans have had to at least once interrupt a game due to a police operation in the favela.

“We were training when all of a sudden there were shots, we had to run and stay in the corners,” said Gomes.

Last year, more than 120 people died in a deadly police operation in Penha and the neighboring Alemao complex of favelas targeting members of the criminal group Red Command.

The drug-trafficking group — which the Trump administration recently decided to classify as a foreign terrorist organization — controls parts of the favela. It represents a temptation for minors who might be drawn to crime as a quick way of making cash.

Drica Santos, a coordinator for the project, says that the organization aims to offer an alternative to that way of life.

“If the project didn’t exist, we would have lost a lot of lives,” said Santos. “We’re not going to save everyone, but the greatest number of children that we manage to save — that don’t get involved in drug-trafficking — that will already be our victory.”

Carlos Cassiano da Silva, a community leader in the favela, says that parents are grateful for the project because they know that their children will be occupied for a certain amount of time and stay out of trouble.

The initiative also casts Penha in a good light, da Silva added. “Many people aren’t used to seeing Penha in a positive manner, they don’t know of the good things we have here too,” he said.

As the World Cup approaches, Gonçalves said he hoped that the Seleção would follow in his teammates' footsteps and bring back the trophy.

“We did our part. Now it’s up to the Brazilian national team,” Gonçalves said.

___

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

No official casualty figures were immediately available from the violence that prompted calls for restraint from the United Nations and the United States as the government and opposition traded blame for the violence.

Residents reported heavy gunfire and explosions as fighting broke out in several neighborhoods Wednesday.

“We heard heavy weapons fire, and people were fleeing their homes,” said Abdullahi Mohamed, who lives in the city's Howlwadaag district. “Many families left the area looking for safer places.”

The clashes underscore growing political tensions as disputes over Somalia's elections and the constitution have increasingly strained relations between the government and opposition leaders. Somalia is also fighting al-Shabab militants while seeking to strengthen state institutions with support from international partners.

Several buildings were hit by heavy gunfire and mortar shells during the clashes, with some catching fire.

Gunfire subsided on Thursday afternoon following mediation efforts led by the director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency, who visited the area and held talks with former Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire. The discussions reportedly led to an agreement to halt the fighting.

Opposition figures say the rally planned for later Thursday was intended to protest what they call constitutional violations and efforts by President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud to extend his tenure. The government has rejected those allegations.

On Thursday morning, there were signs of mobilization on the streets, but a heavy security presence remained in place with police patrolling major roads.

Mogadishu police said the violence stemmed from “organized attacks” carried out by armed militias.

“The incidents were not the organization of peaceful public demonstrations, but rather coordinated armed acts that directly threatened the security, order and stability of the capital,” the police said in a statement.

State security forces repelled attacks on their positions and launched investigations to identify those responsible for organizing, financing and carrying out the violence, police said.

Opposition leaders accused security forces of attacking residences linked to former Prime Minister Khaire and former President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed.

“We are under attack,” Khaire said in a statement. “For the second time in less than 24 hours, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has directed armed forces against our peaceful gatherings.”

Traditional elders, politicians, and community leaders were meeting at Khaire's residence when the attack occurred, he said. The government disputed that account.

The U.N. expressed alarm over the clashes. Secretary-General António Guterres said the violence resulted in deaths, injuries to civilians, and damage to critical infrastructure.

“The Secretary-General strongly condemns all acts of violence and incitement to violence undertaken for political advantage,” he said in a statement. Guterres also called on all parties to exercise restraint, protect civilians and resolve political differences through dialogue.

The U.S. also voiced concern over the fighting. The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu described the violence as “reckless” and urged Somali leaders to seek a peaceful resolution.

“Somali leaders on all sides have a responsibility to preserve stability and resolve differences through peaceful means,” the embassy said. “Actions taken in the coming hours and days may have lasting consequences for Somalia’s security, unity, and future.”

Khaire accused Mohamud of deploying state security forces against political opponents and alleged that troops trained and equipped by international partners to fight the al-Shabab extremist group had been used against opposition figures.

Dawa Sherpa was last seen around May 29 descending the mountain, but he did not reach base camp even though his client did. The pair were among the last climbers on the mountain as the climbing season came to an end and the route was dismantled.

Dawa was located by a cleaning crew Thursday morning as he was crawling down the snowy slopes around the Khumbu Icefall, just above base camp, said Pemba Sherpa of 8K Expeditions, which coordinated the search.

He was quickly carried down to safety and given food and water. A rescue helicopter flew him to HAMS Hospital in Kathmandu, where his wife and daughter, who already had begun funeral rituals for him, were waiting.

"We first heard that he was still alive on the local news and from a person we know who called with the news that ... he is being brought down," said his wife, Damu Sherpa.

Though Dawa had been missing since last week, there was a delay in organizing a search team. No reasons were given for the delay, but when helicopters were finally sent to look for him, they could not find him.

His family had given up hope. Dawa’s teenage daughter, Mendo Lhamu Sherpa, said they were on the second day of a funeral ritual, which lasts for several days.

“When we first heard about it (the rescue), we could not be sure if that person was indeed our father,” Mendo Lhamu said. “So to be certain we asked for photos to be sent and then only we were sure and very happy.”

The team that spotted him was part of the Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee, which lays the ladders and ropes on the route at the start of each climbing season and then removes the equipment and cleans up the site after climbers have left.

Dawa was last seen at spot called Yellow Band above the Camp 3, which is located at 7,200 meters (23,622 feet). The base camp is at 5,300 meters (17,388 feet).

Dawa, 52, works for a small Kathmandu-based company called Himalayan Traverse, and he was guiding a Polish climber. He comes from the town of Okhaldhunga, south of Everest.

Nepal's mountaineering community has hailed Dawa's survival as miraculous.

“This is nothing short of a miracle surviving so many days on the mountains facing such harsh condition,” said Ang Tshering Sherpa, a leading figure in the community.

“Sherpas are built tough growing up in the mountains,” Ang Tshering said. “If there was someone else in his place they might not have survived.”

Members of the Sherpa community were mostly yak herders and traders living deep within the Himalayas until Nepal opened its borders in the 1950s. Their stamina and familiarity with the mountains quickly made them sought-after guides and porters, eventually allowing them to dominate the Himalyan climbing business.

More than 1,000 climbers and their guides scaled Everest this May, which was the busiest climbing season ever on the world's highest mountain. It began late because of a massive ice block on the route just above the base camp that took about two weeks to clear.

The 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) high peak was first climbed on May 29, 1953, by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay.

López Obrador, que por años afirmó que se retiraría de la política al término de su sexenio en septiembre de 2024, reapareció con una amplia carta que publicó en las redes sociales en la que salió en defensa de su sucesora e hija política, Claudia Sheinbaum, en medio de las tensiones que han surgido en las últimas semanas entre México y Washington.

El pronunciamiento del expresidente se da tres días después del discurso que ofreció Sheinbaum en un evento en la capital en el que endureció su posición por los procesos que iniciaron autoridades estadounidenses contra diez funcionarios mexicanos, entre ellos el gobernador oficialista del estado de Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha.

Ante decenas de miles de seguidores, la mandataria insinuó que detrás de las acciones contra los diez funcionarios mexicanos habría el interés de afectar los comicios que se realizarán en México el próximo año.

La fiscalía de Nueva York acusó en abril a Rocha, al alcalde de la capital de Sinaloa, Juan de Dios Gámez, y a otros ocho funcionarios activos y retirados de cooperar con el Cártel de Sinaloa, y solicitó la detención preventiva con fines de extradición.

Rocha y Gámez – ambos militantes de Morena - se separaron temporalmente de sus cargos para facilitar la investigación, mientras los exsecretarios de Seguridad y Finanzas del gobierno de Sinaloa, Gerardo Mérida y Enrique Díaz, se entregaron a mediados de mayo a las autoridades estadounidenses.

El proceso contra los diez funcionarios desató una crisis que golpeó a la administración de Sheinbaum y al partido gobernante Morena.

Las acusaciones se dieron a conocer poco después de la controversia que surgió por la muerte de dos agentes de la CIA quienes fallecieron el 19 de abril en un accidente automovilístico en el estado fronterizo de Chihuahua. El caso también generó fricciones entre los dos vecinos.

Contra el intervencionismo

“No me extraña que en la embestida del gobierno de Estados Unidos contra el de México se utilicen las prácticas intervencionistas y nada escrupulosas”, afirmó López Obrador en una carta de cinco páginas en la que aseguró que esas acciones buscan “debilitar” a Morena y “fortalecer a la oposición de derecha” mexicana.

El exmandatario, cuyo sexenio coincidió con el primer mandato de Trump, dijo que le llamaba la atención el “sorprendente cambio” de actitud del estadounidense frente a México en el último año, y recordó que en el pasado resolvieron varios asuntos mediante el “diálogo argumentado y sin confrontación”.

Como ejemplo de ello citó el controversial caso del general Salvador Cienfuegos, exsecretario de Defensa mexicano que fue detenido temporalmente en Estados Unidos en 2020 acusado de participar en una red de tráfico de drogas, y que fue enviado a México, donde fue exonerado.

“¿Por qué cambió tanto, en pocos años el presidente Trump?”, se preguntó el expresidente, y atribuyó el cambio a sus “falsos amigos y consejeros internos y de exterior que los han estado embarcando en viles siniestras aventuras”.

“Por el bien de todos, que regrese el otro Trump”, finalizó el político izquierdista su carta instando al estadounidense a que “rectifique” y que “mande al c… a las rémoras que lo rodean y lo azuzan”.

A pesar de los reclamos que hizo el fin de semana a Washington, Sheinbaum exculpó el lunes a Trump de la ofensiva contra México y responsabilizó de esas acciones a la “ultraderecha” de Estados Unidos.

China has hit lawmakers from other countries with sanctions related to contact with Taiwan before, but it's the first time for New Zealand parliamentarians, the government in Wellington said. Beijing has been increasing pressure in recent years on the democratically governed island that it claims as its own territory.

Two lawmakers reached by the AP on Thursday rejected the demand for an apology, while the other two could not be immediately reached. New Zealand's government said it would express concern about the travel bans to Beijing.

Beijing views visits to Taiwan as threats to sovereignty

The elected officials visited Taipei in May, as New Zealand parliamentarians have done “for decades,” a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement.

Beijing says Taipei has no right to conduct foreign relations and views visits by foreign lawmakers to the island as defying China’s claims of sovereignty over it. Taiwan, in practice, is self-ruled.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Thursday confirmed the sanctions.

“We urge the relevant people to sincerely respect China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and strictly abide by the One China principle,” Mao said during a regular briefing in Beijing. “Anyone who crosses the red line on the Taiwan question must pay the price.”

China had a particularly forceful response to a visit to Taiwan by former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in 2022. Beijing had banned her from visiting China, and also launched large-scale live-fire military exercises around Taiwan.

Peters' spokesperson said the officials' visit was “not inconsistent with New Zealand’s One China policy," which includes acknowledgment of Beijing's claim that Taiwan is a province of China. New Zealand is not among the 12 nations worldwide that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan's government.

4 New Zealand officials banned for a year

Emails sent to the lawmakers by New Zealand's Parliamentary Service, and seen by the AP, said that Beijing's embassy in Wellington had asked for a message to be conveyed to the four officials that they were banned from China, Macau and Hong Kong for one year.

The ban might be rescinded if the lawmakers in question apologized for visiting Taiwan, the email said.

“China has consistently opposed visits to China’s Taiwan region by members of the legislatures of countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, including New Zealand, and this case is no exception," a spokesperson for China's embassy in Wellington said in a statement posted to its website Thursday. “The New Zealand side should not be surprised.”

New Zealand officials in Beijing and Wellington would discuss the matter with China “in order to express concern at this departure from past practice and to better understand it,” Peters' spokesperson said. Lawmakers in New Zealand decide individually whether to join delegations traveling abroad and such visits usually include representatives from multiple political parties.

Lawmaker Laura McClure from the libertarian ACT party said that the “demand” for an apology was “frankly insulting” and she wouldn't give one.

Duncan Webb, from the center-left Labour Party, said New Zealand valued democratic institutions and the right to engage with partners abroad.

“If the cost of doing that is to be excluded from China for a year, I will pay that price,” Webb said in an email.

New Zealand and China have generally had good relations

Relations between Wellington and Beijing have in recent years been largely positive. China is New Zealand's largest trading partner and was the first Western country to sign a free trade deal with Beijing.

In New Zealand's nearest neighboring country, Australia, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Thursday that her government too would express concerns about the lawmakers' bans to Beijing and to China's mission in Canberra.

“We agree with the principle expressed by New Zealand that members of parliament, including the Australian Parliament, are free to make their own decisions about their travel independent of government,” she told a Senate committee in Canberra on Thursday.

“Placing pressure on parliamentarians is not appropriate,” she added.

___

Associated Press writers E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing, Huizhong Wu in Bangkok and Rod McGuirk in Melbourne contributed to this story.

Police told relatives of the victims they would not be allowed to visit a cemetery in Beijing on the anniversary of the crackdown 37 years ago, a person with knowledge of the matter said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of retribution.

Relatives from a group called Tiananmen Mothers visited the graves for more than 30 years, reading memorial statements while police kept watch, Amnesty International said.

Hundreds of people, and possibly thousands, were killed in 1989 as troops advanced through crowds that were trying to stop the military from reaching the protesters on Tiananmen Square, a vast plaza in the center of the Chinese capital. The decision by the Communist Party leadership to send in the military was a pivotal moment in China's modern history, determining that the market reform that transformed the country into the world's second largest economy would not be coupled with political liberalization.

Rubio says censorship can't erase the past

In Hong Kong, police stepped up security Thursday at or near a park where a massive candlelight vigil lit up the night every year until a clampdown following major anti-government protests in 2019. A handful of people showed up in the evening. Officers allowed some to go freely — including a man holding flowers and an activist who said she bowed 37 times.

Police said in a statement that seven people were stopped and searched on suspicion of being disorderly in public as of 11:30 p.m. They were taken away for further investigation before being allowed to leave, police said, without naming them.

Activist Chan Po-ying, who held a yellow paper flower, was among those taken away by police vans as journalists watched.

The U.S., the EU and Britain posted messages on social media marking the anniversary. “No amount of censorship can erase the past,” a statement from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio read. “Those who sacrificed to uphold their unalienable rights of free expression and peaceful assembly will be vindicated someday.” Rows of electronic candles lit up the windows of the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning dismissed Rubio's words as a smear on her nation’s political system. “We urge the U.S. side to ... stop using so-called democracy and human rights as a pretext to interfere in China’s internal affairs,” she said.

The chairs of the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China also issued a statement, saying the Chinese Communist Party “can censor history; it cannot silence memory.”

On Thursday, a number of U.S. lawmakers, former student leaders from the 1989 movement and their supporters gathered on the U.S. Capitol Hill to commemorate the anniversary. Among them was Arthur Liu, father of the Olympic figure skating champion Alysa Liu and a former student leader. He urged the public to remember the movement and not to forget those who are still in jail for their pro-democracy activism stemming from the Tiananmen days.

Tiananmen Mothers calls crackdown a crime

Tiananmen Mothers issued an annual appeal for justice ahead of this year's anniversary. The statement, signed by 107 people, demanded full disclosure of what happened, compensation for the victims and their families and the pursuit of legal accountability for those responsible.

“The sacrifice of our family members is an indelible pain etched in our hearts. Our tears have run dry, grief is buried deep within, what remains is eternal remembrance of our family members and hatred for the crime of massacring the people,” Zhang Xianling, a member of the group, said in a video message posted on Facebook — which is blocked in China.

Amnesty said it is deeply troubling that China's suppression of the commemoration appears to be escalating. “Banning the relatives of people killed in the Tiananmen crackdown from visiting their loved ones’ graves is a heartless act by the Chinese authorities," Sarah Brooks, the organization's deputy director for Asia, said in a statement.

The Beijing Public Security Bureau did not respond to a faxed request for comment.

Hong Kong has banned an annual vigil

Authorities in Hong Kong have banned the vigil since 2020, at first citing the COVID-19 pandemic. Simon Ng, a past participant, walked around the nearby Causeway Bay shopping district to mark the anniversary. “There are some things I can neither forget nor let go, so I have to come and take a walk,” he said.

Three of the organizers of the vigil have been charged under a 2020 national security law. One pleaded guilty, which may result in a lesser sentence. The other two have been tried and are awaiting a verdict.

One of them, lawyer Chow Hang-tung, said in an online post published last weekend that she would go on a 37-hour hunger strike in prison. “Behind the glitter of power and dictatorship lies the blood and broken dreams of ordinary people. For in amnesia lies the demise of democracy,” she wrote.

Derek Chu, a former district councilor, said on Instagram that he visited Chow on Thursday and told her he would also stop eating for 37 hours in support. He added that a shop he runs is giving out LED candles that can be used to remember the victims.

An annual vigil was held in Taiwan, but a driving thunderstorm reduced turnout to about 200 people. China, which claims the self-governing island as its territory, sanctioned four New Zealand lawmakers on Thursday to protest their recent visit to Taiwan.

___

Leung reported from Hong Kong. AP video journalist Taijing Wu in Taipei, Taiwan and reporter Didi Tang in Washington D.C. contributed to this report.

The Obama Presidential Center opens to the general public on Juneteenth after a celebratory dedication in Chicago with dignitaries. But tens of thousands of people — friends and family of museum staff, students and journalists — have already been offered a sneak peek of the nearly 20-acre campus as crews finish final art installations and landscaping.

The roughly $850 million project covers the political and personal realms of the nation’s first Black president. Campaign memorabilia and presidential artifacts are displayed in the admission-based museum tower while public spaces of the sprawling campus feature other things important to Obama: a new library, basketball court and picnic area with grills.

“This is a safe space for people to come and, yes, reflect on the historic moments of this presidency and the campaigns, but also to come together as a community to think about what change you can bring to your own neighborhood,” Josh Harris, the Obama Foundation’s vice president of public engagement, said during a recent tour with The Associated Press.

Here’s a closer look at the top attractions of the campus that is expected to draw as many as 1 million visitors annually.

President for a day

Obama's presidential museum will be the first fully digital museum of its kind. There will be no official papers on display. Instead, visitors will experience high-tech and hands-on exhibits spanning the campaigns, key moments of Obama's presidency and life at the White House.

One of the largest attractions is a life-sized replica of the Oval Office.

On a recent day, a stream of visitors, including schoolchildren, walked through the circular room, stopping to sit behind the desk and pose for pictures. The top drawer holds a copy of a handwritten letter from his predecessor, President George W. Bush, and Obama’s beloved BlackBerry phone.

“We want to make sure that people from all walks of life have the opportunity to sit behind the Resolute Desk,” said Harris. “You think about the possibilities that if a young organizer from the South Side of Chicago can be president, you can be president too."

Other sections of the museum detail the Affordable Care Act, immigration policies, and smaller moments such as when Obama unexpectedly sang during a 2015 eulogy for those killed in a South Carolina church shooting. A large television screen plays a clip of Obama singing “Amazing Grace.”

Peppered throughout are areas for personal reflection, which museum organizers say is key.

“We're passing that baton and inviting people to bring change home, however change may be defined, both small or large,” said Louise Bernard, the museum's director.

Touching iconic ballgowns

When Obama touted the museum’s contents at its groundbreaking in 2021, he predicted one of the top draws.

“We want this center to be more than a static museum or a source of archival research,” Obama joked at the site. “It won’t just be a collection of campaign memorabilia or Michelle’s ballgowns, although I know everybody will come see those.”

Roughly a dozen outfits on mannequins are behind glass, including a black and red dress designed by Narciso Rodriguez that the former first lady wore on Election Night in 2008 in Chicago.

Visitors will also get a chance to touch swatches of the fabrics, including the rose gold chain mail Atelier Versace evening gown she wore at her final state dinner in 2016.

Obama’s personal touches

The museum’s location is near where Barack Obama started his political career, taught law at the University of Chicago and where the family lived. Michelle Obama also grew up on the South Side.

A lifelong basketball lover, Obama requested a glass-paneled, professional grade basketball court to be used for community programs.

The former first lady designed a garden, where lettuce and strawberry plants are sprouting. There are also charcoal grills available for public use — an element that Obama envisioned when he pitched the plan in community meetings nearly a decade ago.

“President Obama always talked about his feelings of being in Chicago and one of his memorable moments was grilling in the park,” Harris said.

The Obamas' design tastes and love of history are also evident.

The museum campus features dozens of commissioned works of art while different parts of the campus are named after prominent figures. The central “John Lewis Plaza,” named for the late congressman and Civil Rights leader, is designed as a public gathering spot.

Inside a new Chicago Public Library branch, a 70-foot (21-meter) mural depicts literary figures, including Walt Whitman and James Baldwin. At the center, Toni Morrison reads to a boy wearing an orange shirt, representing a young Obama.

The presidential reading room features thousands of books chosen by the Obamas, ranging from presidential biographies to best-selling fiction. One of Obama's favorite parts are two high-backed chairs with blue, yellow and black stripes. They were selected by the former president as top-notch reading chairs similar to ones he has at home.

Pricey admission with free options

Tickets are $30, the highest of any U.S. presidential museum or library. Next on the list is the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in California, where tickets are $29.

Obama Foundation leaders say the prices are justified for the state-of-the-art facility.

Tickets at the adjacent Griffin Museum of Science and Industry are $25.95. In downstate Illinois, tickets to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield cost $15.

Along with free days and discounts for Illinois residents, Obama Foundation officials also argue that most of the campus is free, with only four floors of the museum tower requiring tickets.

Anyone can walk the campus, use the playground, library, sledding hill or grilling area. The tower's top floor, which feature panoramic views of the nation's third-largest city, is also free.

“The idea behind this institution, this campus, was to make it accessible to as many people as possible,” Harris said.

He wasn't gone for long.

And by the fourth quarter, all that was forgotten.

Brunson won the NBA's clutch player award in 2025, and in case anyone forgot why, he provided a series of reminders in a scintillating final 7 1/2 minutes that helped the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 105-95 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.

He scored 30 points in the game, 13 in that final stretch — outscoring the Spurs by himself in those game-deciding minutes.

“He’s a tremendous player that’s skilled, picks his spots, knows his angles, shoots contested shots without being sped up,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s a phenomenal player. We just got to keep making him work. Again, he had a phenomenal game. He got going.”

The numbers from that final burst, which started with 7:37 left and the game tied at 86:

— Brunson shot 5 for 9, while the Spurs shot 2 for 11.

— Brunson outscored the Spurs 13-9 by himself, the Knicks outscored them 19-9 as a team.

— He went on a personal 8-0 run to give New York a 94-86 lead, and when the Spurs answered with a 9-0 run for a 95-94 edge, Brunson delivered a corner 3-pointer that put the Knicks on top for good.

— The Spurs never scored again.

“I think we know what we have to do,” Brunson said. “I think we are a pretty together group. Be able to trust each other and still have each other’s back and know that we just have to keep chipping away, chipping away. It’s just a credit to the mentality that we have as a team.”

The Knicks have won 12 straight games, just the third team to do that in a single postseason. The other two — San Antonio in 1999 (in a finals against New York) and Golden State in 2017 — became NBA champions.

If the Knicks are going to get there, they likely need Brunson at his best. And when he came back from that locker room — well, it wasn't quite a Willis Reed moment for New York, but made Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns feel better about things right away.

“When we all saw him limp off, we were worried not only because he’s Jalen Brunson but more because he’s our brother and we are a family in our locker room,” Towns said. “But when we were on the court and I saw him walking back out to the bench, it was a relief feeling just to know he’s safe.”

And while many of those games have been glittery blowouts during this New York win streak, there's been some gritty comebacks as well. Wednesday's game was the third in these playoffs where the Knicks erased a double-digit deficit to win. They were down by 22 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against Cleveland, down 12 in Game 3 of the East semis against Philadelphia, and down 14 to the Spurs.

“It’s a position we obviously don’t want to be in but it’s always a next-play mentality,” Brunson said. “We have to control the things that we can control and our team is going to go on runs. Things are going to happen and somehow we bounce back. We continue to find a way and just kind of keep chipping away. We knew one play was not going to bring us all the way back but we just kept chipping away.”

___

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

Until the ending.

The French star had 26 points in his finals debut, though had to work for all of them — misfiring on 15 of his 21 shots from the field, some of them even hitting the top of the backboard, and seeing waves of New York defenders all game long. The worst part of all for Wembanyama, the best defensive player in the game, was seeing the Knicks score the game's final 11 points and steal away home-court advantage with a 105-95 victory.

“I was bad tonight," Wembanyama said. “It's not more complicated than that.”

He said it calmly, without panic, very matter-of-factly. The Spurs lost a game. The series isn't over. He's not worried, yet.

“I would say that he definitely holds himself accountable,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “I expect he’ll learn a lot of things from tonight’s game and come out with a good approach in Game 2.”

There's been a history of that for both Wembanyama and the Spurs. They lost home-court advantage to Portland in Round 1 before winning the final three games of that series, lost home-court again to Minnesota in Round 2 after dropping Game 1, and didn't even have the home-court edge against Oklahoma City in the Western Conference finals — a series where San Antonio trailed 2-1 and 3-2 before prevailing.

Then again, they're playing a Knicks team that hasn't lost since April. And it's now June. New York is 12-0 in its last 12 games, and the Spurs now have to try and beat them in four of the next six to win this title.

“Obviously, we’ve been down in a series before,” Wembanyama said. “Never in the finals, obviously. But I’m not kicking myself about anything really. I’m not worried the slightest.”

It's not a question if he can bounce back, or if the finals lights are too bright. Wembanyama has handled everything that has been thrown his way since he entered the NBA three years ago — even the scare that came last year when his season ended early because of deep vein thrombosis — with what would appear to be ease.

Beating the Knicks won't be easy. But Wembanyama finding a way to play better on Friday in Game 2, that's to be expected.

“Players come along every once in a while that, in addition to having this incredible skill, love the promotional side of it and want to play that role for the league,” Commissioner Adam Silver said of Wembanyama before the game. “We saw the role he played at All-Star, even leading the other young players, saying, let’s take this seriously, this really matters.”

Even going back to the years when the NBA was waiting for Wembanyama, Silver has never wanted to say if he or the league has an expectation for him. The reasoning is simple: There was, and is, enough pressure on Wembanyama. Silver, to his credit, hasn't added to it.

“He came in highly touted. He was somebody who even before he came into the NBA was blowing up the internet in terms of his highlights,” Silver said. “Did I have a specific expectation in terms of numbers of years it would take him to get to the finals? No. But I would say, just trying to be an objective observer, he’s ahead of any timeline that people had in mind.”

That may be true. He's just not ahead in the series. And Friday's test will be a big one.

“We’re all confident,” Spurs guard Dylan Harper said. “I feel like that is kind of who he is. He never backs down from the moment. He always kind of steps up and meets it.”

___

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

Speaking in response to a question from The Associated Press during a meeting with heads of international news agencies, Putin acknowledged the damage from Ukrainian drone attacks, and vowed to bolster its air defenses to respond to them.

Hours before the opening of an international economic forum in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, a Ukrainian drone attack set ablaze an oil terminal in the city and also hit a naval base just outside Putin’s hometown.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — A massive black cloud rising above the St. Petersburg skyline from a Ukrainian drone strike set a gloomy tone for the opening of President Vladimir Putin's annual showcase of Russia's economic achievements.

With Putin set to arrive Thursday in his hometown that is hosting the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Ukrainian attack a day earlier that set an oil terminal ablaze was another embarrassing blow to his efforts to minimize the impact of the 4-year-old conflict and cast it as a distant event with no effect on Russian daily life.

The attack, which also targeted a naval base near Russia's second-largest city on the Gulf of Finland, underlined Ukraine’s growing capability to hit deep inside its neighbor and demonstrated that even the heavily protected city where Putin was born is increasingly vulnerable.

Scores of flights were delayed or diverted at St. Petersburg’s airport and authorities cut cellphone internet service to try to prevent drone attacks.

Putin had scaled down Russia's annual Victory Day parade on May 9, fearing Ukrainian drone strikes. Days later, a massive drone attack on Moscow’s suburbs killed three and showed the capital’s vulnerability.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia's forces were pressing inside Ukraine “in order to prevent such attacks” like the one on St. Petersburg. He noted that “systematic” strikes on Kyiv that Russia threatened last week are underway.

On Tuesday, Russia hit Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles, killing 23 and wounding 151 others.

Putin has used the forum to showcase his country's economic advances and encourage foreign investment. Often styled as the Russian version of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, it usually draws tens of thousands of delegates from around the world.

While Western officials and business people have stayed away from the forum after Putin sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, Russia has sought to attract more guests from other regions to underline its declared goal of promoting a "multipolar world.”

Saudi Arabia, which is a special guest this year, has sent a large delegation. The presidents of Uzbekistan and Tanzania and China’s vice president also are attending. A U.S. official, Rodney Mims Cook Jr., head of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, will attend the event for the first time in years.

Russia’s economic outlook has clouded as the initial boost from massive military spending has fizzled. The government has raised taxes and increased domestic borrowing to keep its budget deficit under control.

Putin is expected to minimize Russia’s economic problems during his forum appearance, but the Ukrainian attack on St. Petersburg's port about 15 kilometers (about 9 miles) from the forum’s venue have underlined the growing challenges posed by the conflict.

Hours before the forum opened Wednesday, Ukrainian drones also hit the Kronstadt naval base on an island in the Gulf of Finland, the home of Russia’s Baltic Fleet since Peter the Great founded St. Petersburg. While most of the fleet has moved to Russia’s Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad, Kronstadt retains its symbolic importance as the seat of the country's naval glory, with its historic cathedral and old fortifications.

The amount of money involved in building and maintaining artificial intelligence models, the pursuit of artificial general intelligence that can surpass humans at many tasks, and widespread AI adoption all have led to an air of excitement around the technology that has helped lift the stock market to record highs.

“These companies are now burning through cash to win the AI race, and public equity is the cheapest source available, particularly in a rising interest rate environment,” said Michael Field, chief equity analyst at Morningstar.

But amid the billions — even trillions — at stake, worries about an AI bubble are looming in the background. Some experts fear tech companies and venture capitalists are pouring too much money into a still-nascent and unproven technology.

For now, though, the market shows no signs of a slowdown. Here's a look at some of the biggest AI-focused companies.

SpaceX

Elon Musk’s SpaceX was valued at $800 billion last year, but its value grew to $1.25 trillion after the space exploration company merged in February with Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI. Now, SpaceX plans an IPO that could become one of the biggest stock sales ever — even though the company is currently losing billions of dollars a year. SpaceX lost $2.6 billion from operations last year on $18.7 billion in revenue, according to a May regulatory filing, and the losses kept piling up at the start of this year. xAI, which features the Grok chatbot, lost $6.4 billion in operations last year, according to a company document.

Musk got SpaceX to buy xAI earlier this year despite protests from some SpaceX investors that it was a bailout and unethical given that he was a controlling shareholder in both.

SpaceX said on Wednesday it plans to raise up to $75 billion when it goes public this month, setting the stage for the largest-ever stock market debut and putting Musk on course to becoming the world’s first trillionaire. An offering of that size would easily break the record for the largest IPO, which was set by Saudi Aramco in 2019 when the oil giant went public and raised $26 billion.

Anthropic

Anthropic, the maker of the Claude chatbot, was formed in 2021 by ex-OpenAI leaders. It was recently valued at $965 billion, making it one of the world’s most valuable startups. It has been a meteoric rise for what was once a little-known research laboratory. The San Francisco-based company is moving toward going public on Wall Street, announcing June 1 that it has submitted a confidential filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed IPO.

Anthropic has said it is making annualized revenue of $47 billion from selling its technology to people and organizations using Claude to write code and do other work and personal tasks on their behalf.

OpenAI

The maker of ChatGPT began in 2015 as a nonprofit dedicated to developing AI for the common good. It is now a company valued at $852 billion planning an IPO as soon as this fall.

While OpenAI may have helped set off the current AI boom, Anthropic’s meteoric rise and Claude’s growing popularity have left the ChatGPT maker playing catch-up.

In an unsuccessful lawsuit against OpenAI and its top executives, Elon Musk, an OpenAI co-founder, claimed the company diverted from its founding mission to make more money. OpenAI had countered that Musk was simply seeking a bigger slice of the company. OpenAI has not yet reported filing initial IPO paperwork with the SEC.

Several AI heavyweights are already public companies

Google designed the Gemini AI assistant in response to a competitive threat posed by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which came out in late 2022. Gemini AI models are integrated into Google search and other products such as Maps. The market value of Alphabet, Google's Mountain View, California-based parent company, was $4.54 trillion at the beginning of June, up from $2.3 trillion a year earlier. That growth is a sign that Alphabet’s spending spree on AI is producing dividends so far, despite investor worries about some of its peers' massive AI investments.

Meta's AI push has meant integrating its assistant, Llama, into all aspects of its business, including advertising and consumer-facing tools such as a digital assistant that can help with daily tasks, as well as image and video creation. Unlike many rival models, Llama is open source, meaning it is largely available to the public and to developers. Meta AI is available as a standalone app and it is integrated into the Menlo Park, California-based company's smart glasses. Meta's market value as of early June was $1.55 trillion, down from $1.76 trillion a year earlier amid investor concerns about the company's massive AI spending.

Microsoft, which went public 40 years ago, likely would have been running behind in the AI race were it not for a timely multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI. Microsoft provided the computing power and financial backing that helped OpenAI build ChatGPT. In turn, Microsoft was able to use the same technical foundation to power its own AI assistant, now called Copilot. The once-exclusive partnership has since evolved as both companies look to other partners to advance their AI ambitions.

It's been nearly a week since U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative agreement to extend the ceasefire in the conflict by 60 days and start a new round of talks on Iran’s nuclear program that required Trump's signoff.

But Trump has called for unspecified changes to the agreement and Iranian officials — perhaps calculating that the Republican president is reluctant to restart the bombardment after burning through key weapons systems — are showing no signs they'll give in to new demands.

A series of strikes by the U.S. and Iran this week has raised fresh concern the ceasefire could collapse. Trump on Wednesday downplayed the significance.

“It’s a different part of the world," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "You know, I’d say in that part of the world, a ceasefire is when you’re shooting in a more moderate manner.”

The shaky moment follows repeated claims by Trump since a 14-day ceasefire was agreed to on April 7 — following 38 days of U.S. and Israel bombing of Iran — that a deal is just days away and the Iranian side is begging to come to a settlement. Trump on Wednesday said it was possible something could come together “over the weekend.”

Without an interim settlement in place to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, global energy prices remain elevated and are adding to anxieties around the world about the impact of rising costs spurred by the 3-month-old conflict on the cost of food, fuel and other goods.

After a string of reports this week that Iran was shutting down talks, Trump told CNBC he "couldn't care less” if the negotiations had bogged down and even mused they had become “boring.”

There's anxiety Trump is getting boxed in

There's growing concern inside the administration and among key advisers and allies that Trump now finds himself in a bind, according to a U.S. official and another person familiar with the administration’s internal deliberations, both of whom spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations.

He's buffeted by Democrats seizing on oil prices and warnings from hawkish members of his base that an early exit from the conflict would amount to capitulation.

Trump is privately hearing from other Republican lawmakers as well as Pentagon officials and Gulf allies that a return to the bombing campaign is a bad idea.

Those advising against returning to military action note the U.S. has burned through munitions at too fast a rate. It could take three years to replenish some key weapons systems.

Meanwhile, Gulf allies are worried Iran will retaliate against them and their critical infrastructure and energy interests and further set back their economies.

At the same time, Trump has bristled at the idea of accepting a deal that resembles the 2015 nuclear agreement brokered by Democrat Barack Obama's administration, which restricted Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for lifting international economic sanctions.

Trump during his first term abandoned the pact, which he said had failed to permanently stop Iran’s nuclear program, ignored Iran’s ballistic-missile development and did not penalize Iran for supporting militant proxy groups across the Middle East.

Now, Trump, according to those familiar with internal deliberations, has made clear he feels strongly he can't make “a bad deal” and is acutely aware he's at risk of tarnishing his legacy if he missteps.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly dismissed the notion Trump has been boxed in or there's any concern within the administration about the pace of talks.

Trump resisted Israel push for Lebanon bombings

Israeli and hawkish allies in Washington have made the case to Trump that a deal at this point would amount to unconditional surrender, urging him to ratchet up economic pressure on Iran and back Israel's assault on the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.

But Trump earlier this week in a heated call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded Israel stand down, and on Wednesday, Israel and Lebanon said they agreed to renew a ceasefire. Hezbollah was not part of the Israel-Lebanon talks, which have been held at the ambassadorial level in Washington since the beginning of last month, and the militant group has denounced the agreement.

Remaining in the current status quo with Tehran — neither a full resumption of hostilities nor sealing an interim agreement to restart nuclear talks — is a situation Iran appears better poised to exploit, argued Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the hawkish Washington think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Despite being the weaker party, Iran appears to be calculating that the longer the holding pattern lasts, the better the chances are it can “box in” Trump, he added.

“Either way, Tehran appears more resolute than ever to not provide Trump with a victory image, hence why it isn’t budging on the battlefield or negotiating table,” Taleblu said.

Holding pattern isn't helpful for Republicans on the ballot

At the same time, Democrats are trying to capitalize on Trump's handling of the unpopular war ahead of November's midterm elections. The House of Representatives on Wednesday for the first time passed a symbolic resolution calling for a halt in military action against Iran, with four Republican lawmakers joining Democrats in the rebuke of Trump’s war.

The president has dismissed the House vote as “meaningless."

“The Democrats are fueled by Trump Derangement Syndrome,” Trump fumed in a social media post. “The four Republicans, that’s a whole other story - They’re GRANDSTANDERS! They should be ashamed of themselves.”

During hours of hearings on Capitol Hill on Tuesday and Wednesday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Democrats laced into Trump for discounting the economic impact of the conflict on Americans and for failing to anticipate Iran would shutter the Strait.

In one tense exchange, New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker pointed to the unsteady ceasefire as a sign Iran has the upper hand.

“We are the strongest nation on the planet Earth, and we’re in a stalemate with Iran,” Booker said. “And now we’re begging to get back into a deal that you all trashed in the first place.”

Rubio dismissed the criticism, underscoring that Iran has been placed on its heels with the strikes, which have taken out multiple layers of senior leadership and left Iran's economy in shambles.

“There’s no one begging,” Rubio responded. “I don’t know where you’re getting this perception that Iran is stronger.”

Another Democrat, Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, homed in on Trump's comments last month that voter anxiety about the cost of living was “not even a little bit” of a motivating factor for him to reach a deal to end the war.

The president continues to downplay the rising costs for Americans at the pump and predict that gas prices would fall sharply after the conflict ends.

Christopher Borick, the director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion in Pennsylvania, said that Democrats running in swing districts around the country are already zeroing in on Trump's rhetoric on the war's impact on Americans' pocketbooks.

“There's significant risk in having this thing drag on for Republicans,” Borick said. “But for Republicans in some of these tough swing districts, there's a case to be made to rip the bandage off now, get some easing in the oil markets and hope there's enough time for voters to turn the page.”

___

Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri in New York and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

To create more affordable housing and additional income, commissioners say some residents have even been using RVs as rental properties.

Daniel Castillo isn’t one of them, but he has two RVs. He said a Miramar code enforcement officer told him that he couldn’t have an RV in front of the house.

“I told him that I sold it and the RV is going to be leaving the property,” Castillo said.

Miramar Commissioner Yvette Colbourne was the first to propose a measure to add new parking restrictions on RVs in residential zones.

“This is a quality of life issue for our residents, so they have brought it to us,” Colbourne told commissioners.

Miramar Police Chief Delrish Moss and his leadership focused on dozens of parked RVs that officials say should not be hooked up to sewer lines.

Mayor Wayne M. Messam, Vice Mayor Carson “Eddy” Edwards, and Commissioners Maxwell B. Chambers and Avril Cherasard have expressed support.

The ordinance’s first reading passed on April 22. The second reading was on May 20. It was set to continue after the commission meets at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at City Hall, at 2300 Civic Center Place.

Related document: Agenda for commission meeting

The ordinance

The S&P 500 added 0.3% a day after dropping from its all-time high and coming just short of its longest winning streak in three decades. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 925 points, or 1.8%, as of 12:34 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.2% lower.

A clear majority of stocks on Wall Street climbed, including 3 out of every 4 in the S&P 500. They got a boost from a 2.8% drop for the price of Brent crude oil to $95.10 per barrel. That gave back a chunk of its rise this week caused by the latest flare-ups of fighting between Iran and the United States and its allies.

The expectation on Wall Street seems to be that the United States and Iran will ultimately agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tankers. That would hopefully improve the flow of crude, lower oil's price and remove some of the upward pressure on inflation that's hurting the world. Such hopes, along with strong profit reports from U.S. companies, helped launch the S&P 500 on a nine-day winning streak that ended Wednesday.

Elanco Animal Health rose 2%, and Zoetis, which sells animal vaccines, climbed 3.8% on expectations for stronger profits after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed Wednesday that the New World screwworm fly has reached south Texas. It's the first time in decades that the parasite with flesh-eating larvae has threatened the nation’s cattle industry.

Toro added 2.1% after the seller of mowers and other equipment became the latest U.S. company to deliver better profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Richard Olson said Toro saw strong demand across its products, and the company raised its forecasts for revenue and profit over its full fiscal year.

Several other companies also joined the long list of those topping analysts’ profit expectations, but many nevertheless dropped, particularly in the high-flying technology industry.

Broadcom sank 14.7%, even though both profit and revenue for the chip company surpassed analysts’ expectations. CEO Hock Tan said its AI semiconductor revenue more than doubled to $10.8 billion during the quarter and that demand is only getting bigger. He is forecasting AI semiconductor growth to top 200% in the current quarter.

Investors, though, may have been expecting even more after Broadcom’s stock came into the day with a 38.5% surge for the year so far. That towered over the already strong 10.3% rise for the S&P 500 index, and Broadcom has grown to become Wall Street’s sixth-biggest stock and one of its most influential.

Analysts have been saying AI stocks may have run too high, becoming too expensive, and that the broad U.S. stock market may be set for a slowdown following an unrelenting streak of nine straight winning weeks for the S&P 500, its longest since 2023.

Other AI winners likewise gave back some of their big gains. Micron Technology, the latest company to see its total value top $1 trillion because of AI euphoria, fell 6.5%.

CrowdStrike Holdings dropped 6.1% even though the cybersecurity company’s profit and revenue for the latest quarter topped analysts’ expectations. CEO George Kurtz said the latest quarter was when “the worlds of cybersecurity and frontier AI collided,” and the company said it’s splitting its stock to make its share price more affordable.

But its stock came into the day with a 59.5% surge for the year so far. And analysts said it beat forecasts for some financial measures by less than it usually does.

Outside of tech, PVH Corp., the company behind the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands, tumbled 21.5% even though it also beat Wall Street’s first-quarter sales and profit targets. CEO Stefan Larsson warned that it’s feeling “the prolonged effects of the Middle East conflict, which is putting pressure on” customers in the region.

In the bond market, Treasury yields eased with oil prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.46% from 4.49% late Wednesday. That can lessen the pressure on not only stock prices but also the economy in general.

Easier interest rates can help smaller companies in particular because many need to borrow money to grow. The Russell 2000 index of the smallest U.S. stocks jumped 1.2%

Reports on the U.S. economy, meanwhile, came in mixed. One said that slightly more U.S. workers applied for unemployment benefits last week, which could indicate a slowdown in the relatively solid U.S. job market. Another report said that productivity for U.S. workers improved by less during the first three months of the year than economists expected.

In stock markets abroad, indexes ticked higher in Europe following a weaker finish in Asia.

South Korea’s Kospi fell 1.8%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng dropped 1.5% and Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 1.4% for some of the larger losses.

___

AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.