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Miami police said it happened on Tuesday around 4:25 p.m. near suspect Lourdes Maria Portugues’ home, located in the 1000 block of Northwest 18th Place in the city’s Little Havana neighborhood.

According to police, the United States Postal Service carrier, who is a Black woman, was walking her route when a child approached her to collect mail for their home.

That’s when police said Portugues, 34, yelled at the child, ‘Don’t talk to her, we don’t talk to n-----s.”

While the victim continued to deliver the mail, police said Portugues then picked up a hose from the front yard and sprayed the victim with water, which prompted the victim to call 911.

According to an arrest form, Portugues then collected her purse and got into her SUV, a silver Lincoln Nautilus, and tried to run over the mail carrier , causing her to take cover behind a parked car, before putting the SUV in reverse and driving toward her again.

After accelerating past the victim again, police said Portugues then made a U-turn at the end of the block and again drove toward her at a high rate of speed, causing “several witnesses and the victim all” to run “toward the sidewalk, away from the defendant’s vehicle to avoid being struck,” according to an arrest form.

That’s when authorities said Portugues parked in front of her home and yelled at the victim, “I’m going to shoot you, I have a gun inside my house” before going inside.

Police said a witness, who was identified as Portugues’ minor child, told officers that when Portugues went back inside, she “started to put bullets in a gun in her room,” according to an arrest form.

Responding officers said they found a pellet gun, along with rounds for the gun, inside Portugues’ room.

Officers also said that surveillance video and witness statements corroborated the victim’s account of how the events transpired.

Portugues is facing two felony charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon with prejudice. She is currently being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a bond listed as “to be set.”

The layoffs announced during a call with staff are the biggest in more than a decade at the U.K. national broadcaster.

"I know this creates real uncertainty, but we wanted to be open about the challenge,” interim Director-General Rhodri Talfan Davies said in a staff email.

Davies said that the reductions were driven by inflation, pressures to license fee and commercial income and a turbulent global economy.

The BBC said earlier this year that it faced “substantial financial pressures” and wanted to cut about a tenth of its budget by 2029. The bulk of the cuts are to be made in the next fiscal year beginning April 1, 2027.

The cuts come as former Google executive Matt Brittin is scheduled to take over as director-general next month.

He will fill the vacancy left after Tim Davie, and head of news Deborah Turness resigned over a misleading edit in a documentary about U.S. President Donald Trump’s speech on Jan. 6, 2021, before his followers stormed the U.S. Capitol.

Trump is suing the BBC for $10 billion for defamation.

The BBC is both a beloved and oft-criticized cultural institution funded by an annual license fee, which recently rose to 180 pounds ($244), paid by all U.K. households who watch live television or any BBC content.

Opponents of the fee, including rival commercial broadcasters, have grown louder in an era of digital streaming, when many people no longer have television sets or follow traditional television schedules.

The center-left Labour government has vowed to ensure that the BBC has “sustainable and fair” funding, but hasn't ruled out replacing the license fee with another funding model.

The BBC was founded in 1922 as a radio service to “inform, educate and entertain.” It now operates 15 U.K. national and regional television channels, several international channels, 10 national radio stations, dozens of local radio stations, the globe-spanning World Service radio and extensive digital output, including the iPlayer streaming service.

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If you happen to be at the Fort Lauderdale Flanigan’s late at night, you may have seen Tyler at his regular time, picking up his order like he does every single day.

Everyone has their favorite food spot they love to go to regularly, but Tyler has taken his go-to to the next level.

“We had this fantastic to-go customer that I found out yesterday, while I was in the office, that is kind of unique in that he has ordered 257 times in the last eight or nine months. And he orders at the same time, and orders the same thing,” Jimmy Flanigan said.

The Flanigan’s location in Fort Lauderdale crowned Tyler their most dedicated customer for his consistent daily order of the Flanigan’s burger.

And Jimmy Flanigan, the CEO of the iconic, family-owned food franchise, made it his personal mission to gift Tyler a special award for his loyalty.

“I made an offer to him for his loyal to-go business. And it was a couple days ago, and I told him, ‘Thank you very much, and I want to give you a $100 gift card.’ And ever since I’ve done that, I’ve been told that I didn’t give him nearly enough, and I’ve been told to give him everything from free lunch for life, to a gold-plated Rolls Royce,” Flanigan said.

So Flanigan upped his gift to Tyler, awarding him a $1,000 gift card and some extra merchandise for his achievement.

“This is just mind-blowing. I was not expecting this, to be honest with you,” Tyler said. “I got a text message. I was expecting to meet him, but just to get the merch and this -- this. You guys spoke. I appreciate everybody in the comments, and I really do thank everybody at Flanigan’s. This is amazing.”

And if you’re wondering why Flanigan’s? And why the same order every day?

Tyler says he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I like really good food and, unfortunately, when I get off after 10:30-11 o’clock at night, there’s not many places open,” he said. “But Flanigan’s has some of the best food in South Florida, so I’m very thankful that they’re open around the time I get out of work.”

And now with his new prize money, Tyler says he can’t wait to keep going. And the Flanigan’s staff will be waiting!

The one question Flanigan had for Tyler that so many others are probably wondering was what does he do with all those iconic, green Flanigan to-go cups?

Tyler says he has stored over 100 from his orders over the last few months, but he’s holding out for a special gold cup -- something Flanigan says he just might be able to make happen.

Page Six published photos of the reality star smiling as she arrived at Miami-Dade’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center late Wednesday morning, accompanied by her attorney, Jayne Weintraub.

Online jail records show she had a warrant out for her arrest and a bond of $5,000.

A March 19 court filing first obtained by Local 10 News states that Hochstein and her ex-boyfriend, Jody Glidden, 52, are each facing one count of interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications.

A description of the charges states that between March 12 and March 31, 2023, the two “unlawfully and intentionally” intercepted, tried to intercept, or tried to have someone else intercept “oral statements by Leonard Hochstein and those Leonard Hochstein spoke with.”

Records show Glidden was taken into custody Saturday. He has since been released from jail.

Leonard “Lenny” Hochstein, a prominent plastic surgeon in South Florida, is Lisa Hochstein’s ex-husband. They share two children.

According to a Page Six article from May 2023, Lenny Hochstein accused his ex-wife of planting a “listening device” on his car in an attempt to “monitor” his calls.

Lisa Hochstein denied the claims to Page Six.

Weintraub, Lisa Hochstein’s defense counsel, and attorneys Howard Srebnick and Frank Gaviria, Glidden’s defense counsel, released a joint statement to Local 10 News on Monday afternoon saying, “This matter is part of a contentious divorce proceeding and does not belong in criminal court.”

The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, meanwhile, told Local 10 News the warrant is currently under seal.

It's a clever way of connecting the past iconic musical theater show with its reimagined, cooler sister now playing at the Broadhurst Theatre. But there's an even more thrilling connection between these two shows:

That DJ? He starred in the original cast.

Ken Ard is making a triumphant return to Broadway after being away for 25 years in the same show where his career exploded in the early 1980s, now dancing with performers 40 years his junior.

“It’s amazing to have this full circle moment in my life,” he says from his dressing room. “I knew it was right for me then and I knew it was right for me now.”

‘The most spectacular reinvention’

Ard's return to “Cats” is a story of redemption and resilience, echoing the recovery of New York after the 2001 terror attacks. Ard lived close to ground zero, and the horror of that day left him with PTSD and dented his confidence. He went from an It boy to deeply shaken. “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” is his first Broadway show since the attacks.

“My first audition after 9/11, I burst into tears and left the room because I had no idea what to do or how to feel,” he recalls. “I just was not getting booked anymore. And before that I was getting booked all the time.”

Ard, who grew up in California, studied dance and tried his luck in New York, inspired by shows like “The Wiz” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and by performers like Ken Page and Andre De Shields, the latter who is now his co-star.

He made his Broadway debut in the chorus of “Marlow” in 1981, and “Cats” was his third show. “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” is actually his fourth production for Andrew Lloyd Webber, following “Starlight Express” and “Song and Dance.”

“His music does speak to me in a certain way,” he says. “There’s something about his shows that are whimsical and fun, and I guess I just have been able to fit into them.”

The original “Cats” — for which Ard played Macavity as well as Plato and Rumpus Cat — was a cultural phenomenon, attracting celebrities, soaring ticket sales and a devotion that's hard to explain. It was the “Hamilton” before “Hamilton.” Ard recalls meeting Diana Ross and Cary Grant.

Ard wasn't a big fan of the 2016 “Cats” revival — “It was a museum piece,” he says — or the 2019 movie — “a debacle,” he declares — so he didn't have much hope when he checked out “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” last year at the Perelman Performing Arts Center, which just happens to be at ground zero.

“I went in and I saw this show with my arms crossed, like, ‘What are they going to do with ’Cats?'” he says. “I had not gone back downtown in years and years and years. ‘Cats’ was what got me down there.”

What he saw was a show that transports viewers into the Black and Latino queer ballroom scene of Harlem, which was the inspiration for “Paris Is Burning” and later “Pose.”

“It’s really just the most spectacular reinvention of a show I have ever seen,” says Ard, who says he bawled his eyes out and returned to see it two more times. “All of that trauma was washed away by this show.”

No more peeling potatoes

The music remains the same — albeit with thumping house beats — but the show has a fabulous energy. It's directed by Zhailon Livingston and Bill Rauch, with choreography by Omari Wiles and Arturo Lyons.

The original musical — based on poems by T.S. Eliot — is about felines competing to get into kitty heaven. Ard says the new version is about people competing for a prize. “It makes so much sense,” he says. “It’s not your grandma’s ‘Cats.’”

When he heard it might transfer to Broadway, Ard reached out and was offered the now-enlarged role of DJ Griddlebone, the ball's sort of hype man, a trickster who pops up in various costumes and dances.

“Having Ken Ard in rehearsal was a magic portal to the original production,” Rauch says. “He gave us thrilling perspective on the original staging and the artists’ intentions from 45 years ago. At the same time, Ken was completely present in every sense of the word, helping us to shape our radically new revival.”

Ard calls the show a celebration of gay and trans joy without any preaching: “I think it’s going to introduce a whole new generation to ‘Cats’ and musical theater. People who haven’t seen themselves on stage are really going to be inspired.”

The show that changed his life once has now done it again. Ard had been working in corporate kitchens for the past decade but hopes his time peeling potatoes is done.

“I think those days are over, really,” he says. “I’m going to manifest that they are because, basically, I’ve been wanting to get back to Broadway ever since my last show.”

The deal begins next season and carries through 2034, covering his final five seasons of club control and his first three years he would have been eligible for free agency. The $150 million is guaranteed and the deal includes contract escalators for the final three seasons that could raise the value to a maximum of $160 million.

McGonigle will earn guaranteed salaries of $1 million in 2027, $7 million in 2028, $16 million in 2029, $21 million in 2030, $22 million in 2031 and $23 million in the 2032, 2033 and 2034 seasons.

The contract escalators could increase his 2032 maximum base salary to $25 million, his 2033 maximum to $26 million and his 2034 maximum to $28 million.

The deal includes a $14 million signing bonus and a $5 million bonus each time the contract is assigned to another major league team.

McGonigle, 21, had four hits in his major league debut, an 8-2 win at San Diego on March 26. He is hitting .311 with one homer and has a .417 on-base percentage. He has reached base in 13 consecutive starts and 15 of 16 games. He is one of only 10 players in the major leagues with more walks (11) than strikeouts (eight) among players with at least 11 walks.

The strong start has supported McGonigle's preseason ranking as one of the game's top prospects. He has started at third base and shortstop for the Tigers.

McGonigle was selected by the Tigers in the first round of the 2023 draft at No. 37 out of Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.

___

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

Nearly 200 organizations are urging the Trump administration and Puerto Rico ’s governor to restore $350 million in federal funding that was meant to finance the installation of rooftop solar and battery systems for 12,000 low-income families across the U.S. territory.

Many of the families have disabilities or medical conditions that require electricity. Concern is growing that the U.S. will abandon them as chronic power outages persist and the Atlantic hurricane season nears.

“For them in particular, whether they get a (solar) system or not is something that is really life or death,” Charlotte Gossett Navarro, Puerto Rico chief director for the Hispanic Federation, said in a phone interview.

The nonprofit group is among the organizations that signed a letter released Wednesday to Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

The Hispanic Federation is one of seven organizations that were going to help install the solar systems and educate families about their use. Some of those groups are now formally objecting to the cancellation of the funds or negotiating with the U.S. Department of Energy.

González has said that her administration “had no choice” because the federal government decided it would not give Puerto Rico those funds, which are expected to now be invested in the island's crumbling power grid, which was razed by Hurricane Maria in 2017 but was already deteriorated given a lack of investment and maintenance.

Not everyone can afford to install solar systems on the island of some 3.2 million people with a more than 40% poverty rate.

Gossett Navarro said they haven’t received any answers to pending questions about the funding as a May 9 deadline approaches, marking the end of the program that for some hasn’t even started.

Crews had already installed solar systems in more than 6,000 households as part of the program, but another 12,000 families now remain in limbo.

Among them is Yvette Rodríguez, 61, who needs a sleep apnea machine, and her husband, Luis Soler, a 67-year-old veteran and double amputee, who relies on an electric adjustable bed.

“There’s a big need for those solar panels,” said Rodríguez, who resides on the small Puerto Rican island of Culebra with her husband, who needs air conditioning because he has heart problems and lives in a region where heat warnings are common.

She also lamented that ongoing outages force them to throw out food.

“We’re affected economically in a big way because we have to spend what little money we have so that we can eat,” she said.

Also hit by the cut in federal funding is María Pérez, 80, and her 88-year-old husband. She has high blood pressure and heart problems that have led to several hospitalizations. She also has eyedrops for her cataracts that required refrigeration.

“I put them on ice, but it’s not the same,” she said. “They have us suffering with that money that they took away from us. It’s not fair.”

Pérez gets $364 a month via a Social Security check, but like many Puerto Ricans, her power bill is often the same amount.

Gabriela Joglar Burrowes, executive director of Puerto Rico’s Statewide Independent Living Council, was among those who signed the letter to González and Wright.

She said that having solar panels not only would have provided constant electricity, but also peace of mind.

“If you’re a person who depends on equipment like a ventilator, a dialysis machine or medicine that requires refrigeration, the lack of consistent energy represents a risk that could lead to even death,” she said.

Joglar Burrowes, who is disabled, said thousands of families had been waiting a long time for the solar systems and shouldn’t be forgotten. “It seems like sometimes we’re disposable, and we’re not,” she said.

Some of the 12,000 families have received the initial eligibility screening, while others have already received a home visit or started repairing their roofs in preparation for a solar system.

Most families live in rural communities, including mountainous towns like Adjuntas, Jayuya and Orocovis.

“It’s even more concerning,” said Gossett Navarro. “It’s hard to get out of the mountains when there’s a disaster.”

The U.S. Department of Energy states on its website that some people will get a system, but officials haven’t said who or when.

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According to an arrest report obtained Wednesday by Local 10 News, Blaine Kealoha Keoho, of Miami, is now facing a charge of burglary with assault or battery in connection with the incident that occurred on June 27, 2025.

North Miami police said Keoho entered City Hall, located at 776 NE 125^th St., just after noon that day and “erratically” and “unlawfully” entered an employee only area in the city clerk’s office that requires key code access.

Police said three employees were in the office at the time and a struggle ensued as they tried to keep Keoho from getting inside.

“I’ve got you now!” Keoho said as he held a pen in an “overhand manner,” according to the arrest report.

The report states that half of Keoho’s body was able to breach the doorway before the employees were able to force the door closed.

Keoho was later identified by the victims in a photo lineup, authorities said.

According to police, after Keoho was identified, a records check on Tuesday revealed that he was already being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center for an unrelated case in which he is charged with trespassing at an occupied structure or conveyance.

As of Wednesday morning, Keoho remained at TGK. Online jail records listed his bond as “to be set.”

Según un informe de arresto obtenido el miércoles por Local 10 News, Blaine Kealoha Keoho, de Miami, enfrenta un cargo de robo con asalto o agresión en relación con el incidente ocurrido el 27 de junio de 2025.

La policía de North Miami indicó que Keoho ingresó al Ayuntamiento, ubicado en 776 NE 125th St., poco después del mediodía de ese día y entró de manera “errática” e “ilegal” a un área solo para empleados en la oficina del secretario municipal que requiere acceso con código.

La policía dijo que tres empleados estaban en la oficina en ese momento y se produjo un forcejeo mientras intentaban impedir que Keoho entrara.

“¡Ahora te tengo!”, dijo Keoho mientras sostenía un bolígrafo en posición elevada, según el informe de arresto.

El informe señala que la mitad del cuerpo de Keoho logró cruzar la puerta antes de que los empleados pudieran cerrarla.

Las autoridades indicaron que Keoho fue posteriormente identificado por las víctimas en una rueda fotográfica.

Según la policía, tras ser identificado, una verificación de registros el martes reveló que ya se encontraba detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight por un caso no relacionado en el que enfrenta un cargo por allanamiento de una estructura o transporte ocupado.

Hasta la mañana del miércoles, Keoho permanecía en TGK. Los registros en línea de la cárcel indicaban que su fianza está “por determinar”.

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There were .223 caliber rifle casings, 9 mm handgun casings, and .40 caliber handgun casings near where deputies found Kenneth Walters wounded along West Guava Street, according to the deputy’s arrest report.

A witness and “multiple confidential informants” identified Vernon “Hank” Kelson as the rifle-wielding shooter who “stood over” Walters and “fired” before fleeing on March 21, according to the arrest report.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel took Walters to Jackson South Medical Center, where he died at 10:40 p.m. on March 21.

A few days later, a medical examiner reported Walters’s cause of death was “multiple gunshot wounds to the torso and extremities,” and the manner of death was a homicide.

Deputies arrested Kelson, 25, of Coral Springs, shortly before 10:40 p.m. on Tuesday at the Broward County Main Jail in Fort Lauderdale, according to the deputy’s arrest report.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Kelson shortly before 11:45 p.m. on Tuesday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, according to inmate records.

Kelson appeared in Miami-Dade bond court on Wednesday morning. A judge denied him bail. He faced a second-degree murder with a firearm charge.

Kelson was out on probation, so he had a warrant case pending for a case of written threats to kill or cause bodily injury, use or display of a firearm while committing a felony, and openly carrying a weapon.

Local 10 News Assignment Editors Mercedes Cevallos and Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

Deputies’ flyer on the murder

Location

Había casquillos de rifle calibre .223, de pistola 9 mm y de pistola calibre .40 cerca de donde los agentes encontraron a Kenneth Walters herido a lo largo de West Guava Street, según el informe.

Un testigo y “múltiples informantes confidenciales” identificaron a Vernon “Hank” Kelson como el tirador con rifle que “se paró sobre” Walters y “disparó” antes de huir el 21 de marzo, según el informe de arresto.

Personal de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trasladó a Walters al Jackson South Medical Center, donde murió a las 10:40 p.m. del 21 de marzo.

Días después, un médico forense determinó que la causa de muerte de Walters fueron “múltiples heridas de bala en el torso y extremidades” y que la forma de muerte fue homicidio.

Los agentes arrestaron a Kelson, de 25 años y residente de Coral Springs, poco antes de las 10:40 p.m. del martes en la cárcel principal del condado Broward en Fort Lauderdale, según el informe.

Correcciones de Miami-Dade ingresó a Kelson poco antes de las 11:45 p.m. del martes en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, según los registros de reclusos.

Kelson compareció el miércoles por la mañana ante la corte de fianzas de Miami-Dade. Un juez le negó la fianza. Enfrenta un cargo de asesinato en segundo grado con arma de fuego.

Kelson estaba en libertad condicional, por lo que tenía un caso pendiente por amenazas escritas de matar o causar daño corporal, uso o exhibición de un arma de fuego durante la comisión de un delito grave y porte visible de arma.

Los editores de asignaciones de Local 10 News Mercedes Cevallos y Carson Merlo contribuyeron a este informe.

Difunden volante de agentes sobre asesinato

The incident, involving a hockey mask, a pair of scissors and an unwanted haircut, happened at VIP Gentlemen’s Club at 1221 Duval St., according to Key West police.

An arrest report states that Jeffrey Marshall Carroll, 44, of Columbia, Tennessee, “had caused issues” earlier “before leaving.”

The report states that Carroll had come in at around 6:20 that evening “for a dance session,” told one stripper “he didn’t want her services,” and then had a session with the eventual victim before leaving about 25 minutes later.

Police said Carroll then returned “shirtless with grey shorts, an orange hat, and wearing a hockey-style mask,” at around 10:10 p.m. Authorities said the stripper he rejected had been sitting on the club’s front porch and “began to take videos for her safety since he was blocking her way back into the establishment.”

The victim opened the door to have her co-worker come back inside, the report states.

Police said security footage then showed Carroll “grabbing (the victim) by her hair, appearing to pull a pair of scissors out of his back pocket, cutting (her) hair, then running out of the establishment with the scissors still in his hand.”

Authorities said the victim’s co-worker called police after hearing her screaming, believing she was seriously hurt. She wasn’t, according to the report, but “was obviously shaken up and emotional due to what had occurred.”

The report states that the victim told police that Carroll “had previously said, ‘I’m gonna take your life,’ before he left the property.”

Authorities said the strip club had a copy of Carroll’s license and officers found him in the area of Louisa and Simonton streets.

Police said Carroll refused to speak with officers. They said they also found “an amphetamine pill in his possession without the proper container” and the pair of black scissors.

The report indicates that he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time.

Officers arrested Carroll on felony charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with the intent to commit a felony and possession of a controlled substance.

Records show Carroll was being held in the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Key West jail facility with no listed bond. MCSO records list an April 23 arraignment date.

La policía de Miami informó que ocurrió el martes alrededor de las 4:25 p.m. cerca de la vivienda de la sospechosa Lourdes Maria Portugues, ubicada en la cuadra 1000 de Northwest 18th Place, en el vecindario de Little Havana.

Según la policía, la empleada del Servicio Postal de Estados Unidos, una mujer afroamericana, caminaba en su ruta cuando un menor se le acercó para recoger el correo de su vivienda.

En ese momento, Portugues, de 34 años, le gritó al menor: “No hables con ella, nosotros no hablamos con ne..”.

Mientras la víctima continuaba entregando el correo, la policía indicó que Portugues tomó una manguera del patio delantero y le lanzó agua, lo que llevó a la víctima a llamar al 911.

Según el informe de arresto, Portugues luego tomó su bolso, se subió a su SUV, un Lincoln Nautilus plateado, e intentó atropellar a la cartera, obligándola a resguardarse detrás de un vehículo estacionado, antes de poner el vehículo en reversa e intentar nuevamente embestirla.

Después de pasar junto a la víctima, la policía indicó que Portugues hizo un giro en U al final de la cuadra y volvió a conducir hacia ella a alta velocidad, provocando que “varios testigos y la víctima” corrieran “hacia la acera, alejándose del vehículo de la acusada para evitar ser atropellados”, según el informe.

Las autoridades dijeron que luego Portugues se estacionó frente a su casa y le gritó a la víctima: “Te voy a disparar, tengo un arma dentro de mi casa”, antes de entrar.

La policía indicó que un testigo, identificado como el hijo menor de Portugues, dijo a los agentes que cuando ella regresó a la casa, “comenzó a poner balas en un arma en su habitación”, según el informe.

Los agentes que respondieron dijeron que encontraron una pistola de aire comprimido, junto con municiones, dentro de la habitación de Portugues.

También señalaron que el video de vigilancia y las declaraciones de testigos corroboran la versión de la víctima sobre lo ocurrido.

Portugues enfrenta dos cargos por delito mayor de agresión agravada con un arma mortal con prejuicio. Actualmente permanece detenida en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza “por determinar”.

Israeli settlers had installed it overnight, according to video that Palestinian residents provided to The Associated Press. Palestinians say the improvised fence is just the latest attempt by settlers to expand control in part of the occupied West Bank where state-backed demolitions, arson and vandalism regularly occur and settler violence, at times lethal, is rarely prosecuted.

The villagers' plight was covered in the 2024 Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land," but the publicity has done little to stem the bloodshed or curb land grabs. They say Israel has used the cover of the Iran war to tighten its grip over the territory, as settler attacks surge and the military imposes additional wartime restrictions on movement, citing security.

Khalil Hathaleen, head of the village council and a member of the extended family that makes up much of Umm al-Khair’s population, said settlers were exploiting the war to seize land, cut down olive groves and raid nearby villages at night. “It was a good chance for settlers to do what they want, with no rules,” he said.

Like in Israel, Palestinian kids stayed home before last week's ceasefire, with the threat of falling missile debris leading schools to close.

Hajar, her brother Rashid and their classmates sat waiting Monday and Tuesday near Israeli flags, the barbed wire and newly felled trees as their parents and village leaders demanded they be allowed to pass. On Monday, the children were met by plumes of tear gas and sound grenades hurled by armed men in an unmarked white truck, including some uniformed soldiers, according to the video.

Israel’s military said troops used “riot dispersal means” outside Carmel, the settlement next to Umm al-Khair. It acknowledged that children were present but said the measures — which it didn't detail — were directed at adults in the area, not the children. The Har Hevron Regional Council, the settlements' local government in the area, did not respond to questions about the fence.

Bedouins and other villagers have been using the 3-kilometer (1.8-mile) path from the neighborhood of Khirbet Umm al-Khair to the village center for decades. “We are determined to keep it,” Khalil Hathaleen said.

The fence is just another way that Palestinian movement is being restricted as Israeli settlements multiply in the occupied West Bank. Palestinians say it follows a well-worn pattern in which settlers erect fences or claim farmland that Palestinians say is theirs, and then move to enforce this new reality with the backing of Israel’s military.

Hathaleen said Israeli forces sometimes restrain the settlers, but more often than not they defer to them.

“We are refused a solution,” he said.

The international community overwhelmingly considers the settlements illegal. Israel, meanwhile, views the territory as disputed and says its final status is subject to negotiations. The outposts are built without the permission of Israeli authorities, who sometimes dismantle them but other times turn a blind eye or even legalize them retroactively.

Hathaleen said the military's civil administration unit told Umm Al-Khair to divert students to another path. But parents said the alternate route is roughly twice as long and more dangerous, requiring them to pass near Carmel.

“We have deep concerns as parents and as residents that the (Israeli) occupation and soldiers will attack students,” said Al-Mutasim Hathaleen, another parent.

On Tuesday, some students got to school on buses that took the alternate route. But classrooms sat half-empty and the playground was deserted. There was no school on Wednesday due to Palestinian Authority cuts to teacher salaries in the area. But on Thursday, kids will try again to get to school on their regular route, Khalil Hathaleen said.

Testing the settlers' resolve could be risky.

Israeli officials and military leaders have recently sounded the alarm over intensifying violence and lawlessness by extremist settlers in the occupied West Bank, where arsons and deadly attacks have continued unabated. At least 35 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers across the territory in 2026. Settlers have killed eight Palestinians — an equal number to all of 2025.

The Israeli rights group B’Tselem, following the killing of a 23-year-old Palestinian man by a settler, said that what it called “daily unbridled violence” amounted to Israeli government policy, noting that many of those involved are army reservists.

“These militias are fully backed by the state of Israel and enjoy complete impunity for killing, assaulting and looting Palestinian residents,” it said.

___ Associated Press reporter Amer Abdeen contributed reporting from Umm Al-Khair, West Bank.

The legislation arose in a state that isn't necessarily a destination for the computer-stocked warehouses that power artificial intelligence, but a couple of proposals there generated intense community backlash and helped propel a measure quickly through the state's Democratic-controlled Legislature. Lawmakers on Tuesday approved sending the bill to Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat who is running for U.S. Senate.

It's the latest sign that increasingly stiff opposition at the local level is gaining a foothold higher up the political ladder. Tech giants and the data centers they are building have high-level support from President Donald Trump's administration and many governors, who see them as economic engines and essential for winning the artificial intelligence race with China, even as voters raise concerns about the enormous amount of power data centers use. Analysts also warn of the possibility of blackouts in the mid-Atlantic grid in the coming years.

Proposals to slap a moratorium on data centers have been introduced in at least a dozen states, but none have passed a legislative chamber.

Maine's legislation would institute a moratorium for more than a year on data centers above a certain size, and create a special council to help towns vet potential projects. Mills has not said whether she will sign the bill.

“It's not that there's no place for data centers in Maine,” said Democratic Rep. Melanie Sachs, who sponsored the measure. “Frankly, the tradeoffs have not been shown to be of benefit to our ratepayers, water usage or community benefit in terms of economic activity.”

Why Maine?

Despite Maine's relatively low profile among developers of massive data centers, called hyperscalers, supporters of the projects said the moratorium will still matter long into the future to all sorts of industries.

“It says that the state is willing to essentially put a blanket ban on you if it decides that you may be politically unfavorable,” said Dan Diorio of the Data Center Coalition, a trade association that includes tech companies and developers.

They said it could deter data center developers from going to Maine and deprive the state of a long-term economic development anchor that attracts other industries. It also means local builders and labor unions won't develop the skills necessary to build the facilities and might leave them lagging behind other states, they said.

“We think that these data centers could bring good jobs, good opportunities to these regions,” said Montana Towers, a policy analyst with the free market Maine Policy Institute. “And a lot of these concerns about them are luddite in nature.”

Nonetheless, several communities in Maine have raised concerns about a lack of transparency in potential data center projects. The Maine moratorium is largely about getting those communities to have input in the development process, said Joe Oliva, a spokesperson for the Maine Broadband Coalition, which supported the moratorium.

“If this is going to come, we want to be in early and often on the conversation," Oliva said.

Growing opposition

Since last summer, community opposition has become a serious concern for data center developers, with numerous municipalities defeating their proposals in planning and zoning board votes before packed rooms of angry residents.

A handful of counties and municipalities in the U.S. have imposed a moratorium, and some bills emerged in states where development is brisk such as Virginia, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Some bills died without action, like one in Georgia, a data center hotspot. Other states have explored other ways to rein in data centers, such as by imposing tougher standards around water and energy use, transparency and protection of ratepayers and communities.

In Ohio, residents are trying to bypass the Legislature and get a measure on the ballot in November that is designed to permanently ban hyperscale data centers. They'll need to gather more than 400,000 voter signatures by July 1 in what is perhaps the strictest measure of any under consideration.

Public officials, developers and other interests could otherwise “make this state a virtually unbroken field of data centers,” said Austin Baurichter, a Cincinnati-area lawyer who is helping organize the effort.

In South Dakota, a one-year moratorium bill failed in a state Senate committee amid opposition from power plant owners and data center developers. The governor also opposed it, telling senators that such planning is best done at the local level and that a statewide moratorium holds back municipalities that want a data center.

The sponsor, Republican Sen. Taffy Howard, told senators that “citizens are asking for this” and that the opponents are all lobbyists, "billion-dollar corporations" and government officials.

"Are you going to listen to the people or the paid lobbyists?” she asked.

___

Levy reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

___

Follow Patrick Whittle on X at https://x.com/pxwhittle and Marc Levy at https://x.com/timelywriter

After chastising Pope Leo XIV, Trump turned his ire on Meloni, long one of his closest European allies, for calling his papal broadside “unacceptable” and not backing the U.S.-Israel war on Iran.

“I thought she had courage,’’ Trump said in an interview with leading Italian daily Corriere della Sera. “I was wrong.”

Meloni has not directly responded to Trump’s attacks. But they may be to her advantage as she recovers from a decisive referendum defeat last month and as she seeks to dull the impact of the deeply unpopular Iran war, including higher energy prices.

“I actually think this is a godsend for her,’’ said Nathalie Tocci, a professor at Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe and the director of the International Affairs Institute. “Trump has become completely toxic across Europe, across much of the world, including Italy.”

Trump doubled down on Wednesday, saying their bond had frayed. “She’s been negative,” Trump told Fox News. “Anybody that turned us down to helping with this Iran situation, we do not have the same relationship.”

The Meloni-Trump arc

The only European Union leader invited to Trump’s second inauguration, Meloni was expected to leverage her strong ties with him once he returned to office 15 months ago. The two had a perceived natural alliance, with nationalistic tendencies and similarly hard-line stances on immigration.

But Italy was not spared the pain of Trump’s tariffs, and some may argue she has gotten little out of the relationship. When asked if they had spoken this month, Trump told Corriere, “No, not in a long time.''

After an uncomfortable appearance in the Oval Office a year ago when she avoided directly confronting Trump on tariffs, the distance grew over the Iran war. Meloni has stated Italy will not participate in the war and the country last month refused U.S. bombers the authorization to land at a pivotal air base in Sicily.

Meloni’s statement this week calling Trump's attack on the pope “unacceptable” was the most direct criticism of the president yet.

“It's been building up over time, not so much because she is moving away from him but because he has become increasingly unhinged,’’ Tocci said.

Alliance strained but standing

Cabinet minister Adolfo Urso, a member of Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy, said U.S.-Italy relations would not be shaken by the flap.

“Italy and the United States are allied countries and maintain their relationship and alliance within international institutions, starting obviously with the Atlantic Alliance,’’ he told Radio 24, adding that the church’s moral teachings “cannot crack relationships consecrated in alliances signed a few decades ago.”

Mariangela Zappia, president of the ISPI think tank and a former Italian ambassador to the U.S., said Trump’s “hot-blooded” reaction could be attributed to his frustration with Europe, not just Italy. Besides not getting support for the Iran war, Trump lost a strong ally with Viktor Orbán’s electoral defeat in the Hungarian elections this weekend.

Still, she said Trump's personal outburst aimed at Meloni should not be construed as damaging the alliance as a whole.

“Europe absolutely considers the United States its historic ally, but in some way wants to be involved in the decisions that are taken,’’ Zappia said.

Trump, on the other hand, is realizing “this European Union is not easy to dismantle,” she said. “We are different, we react differently. Some are clearly anti-Trump, some are pro-Trump but in the end, destroying the European project, separating us on the things on which we see as our future, that is very difficult.’’

Meloni focused on Italy

Meloni has sought to shore up support after the referendum loss, which became a de facto confidence test of her leadership. She made a two-day whirlwind solo tour of three Gulf states to shore up Italy’s gas and oil supply from the region during a growing energy crisis but returned home without any formal deals.

On Tuesday, she announced Italy would not automatically renew a defense agreement with Israel, after warning shots hit an Italian convoy that is part of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon, a move that analysts say is driven more by domestic politics than a strategic shift.

“The Gulf tour was a way to show public opinion that she was being proactive. The fact it didn’t actually lead to anything is beside the point,’’ Tocci said. The Israel move “substantively is rather meaningless because there is not much in this agreement but symbolically it helps because Israel has become just so unpopular in Italian public opinion.”

No matter what damage control she has done after the referendum loss, Roberto D’Alimonte, a professor at the LUISS school of government, predicts a difficult last year and a half of her mandate before elections due in 2027, largely due to the economic impact of the Iran war.

“People want to see their gas bills go down, not just see Meloni talk about gas. What matters are the bills you get every month,’’ he said.

This is the famed “Saturday Night Live” set at New York City's 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and Anitta is running through two new songs — “Choka Choka” featuring Shakira, and “Varias Quejas,” a Spanish-language version of an Olodum classic, a cultural group from Bahia, Brazil — during rehearsal last week.

Both songs are standouts from her forthcoming album, “Equilibrium,” an eclectic mix of Brazilian funk, samba, bossa nova, semba, reggae, electronic pop, Portuguese, Spanish and English — the kind of release that could only be made mainstream by Brazil’s most globally popular musician since Astrud Gilberto sang “The Girl From Ipanema” over six decades ago.

“I think this is the most Brazilian thing I've ever, ever done on television in America,” Anitta told The Associated Press in the NBC offices shortly thereafter.

And “Equilibrium?” “100% my most Brazilian album,” the artist born Larissa de Macedo Machado says. “I really wanted to do an album honoring my roots.”

An evolving sound

“Equilibrium” is a sonic jump from her last release, 2024's “Funk Generation.” That was a full-on tribute to Brazilian funk — what is frequently referred to as funk carioca or baile funk and is heard in working-class neighborhoods known as favelas around Rio de Janeiro. It's a combination of Brazilian rhythms, African and electronic music and rap that has been stigmatized like hip-hop and reggaetón before it. The genre still exists on “Equilibrium,” but so does a myriad sounds — and beliefs — from her homeland.

“Some of the songs are honoring some entities from Yoruba culture, from Orishas,” she says, referring to the religion that originated in West Africa and its divine spirits, like on the track “Nanã.” “One of the songs talks about God and how do I see God in life.”

It should come as no surprise to Anitta fans: In 2024, she released a music video for the song “Aceita,” which featured a video depicting rituals of the Afro-Brazilian faith Candomblé, sparking controversy in a country where religious intolerance is all too common. Elevating marginalized populations, religious groups and also women, residents of favelas, LGBTQ+ and Black people has always been a core feature of Anitta's public persona.

Going global by going home

Naturally, “Equilibrium” is also a full-on embrace of community. The album is stacked with Brazilian collaborators, like the rising songwriter Melly, Liniker's award-winning samba rock-and-then-some, the Brazilian reggae band Ponto de Equilíbrio and countless others. Even “Choka Choka,” the assertive single with Colombian superstar Shakira, is a love letter to Anitta's culture: The “She Wolf” singer performs in Portuguese.

“Anitta wanted to create something for Brazil, but with an international touch,” said “Choka Choka” co-producer Daramola in a press statement. Its Brazilian funk percussion “has a lot of energy, a lot of intensity. And who better to represent that sound than Anitta and Shakira?”

The song, like the rest of “Equilibrium,” seeks to deliver a universal message with regional sounds. Where she could've leaned into conventional, commercial music trends, she doubled down on what makes Anitta, Anitta instead. Clearly the world — and “Saturday Night Live” — are paying attention.

In the past, “If I wanted to reach certain audience, I would do more English or Spanish or whatever,” she says. “And I just think … I don't know if people are accepting better. I don’t care that much as I used to.”

She still sings in three languages, but Portuguese takes a front seat. That may be because this is the freest Anitta has sounded on record. Consider a song like the syrupy “Vai Dar Caô” featuring rapper Ebony and producer Papatinho, with its sample of DJ Mandrake and MC Tikão's “A Pedido,” built over a late-night-at-the-club interpolation of Art of Noise's 1984 New Age classic “Moments In Love.” Anitta's raps are earned show boasts, something that doesn't feel out of place next to the nylon-string classical guitars of a softer song, like “Ternura.”

On “Equilibrium,” specificity and storytelling is key. “The last song, we also bring a mantra from the God Tara, which is a female God, from another type of religion,” she says.

Anitta is referring to “Ouro,” a collaboration with the Brazilian duo Emanazul who describe their work as medicine music. She calls the song a “meditation.”

“I don’t want people to think this is one type of thinking, one direction. I like to join forces," she says. "I think that’s what this album is about: honoring Brazilian roots, honoring everything that I think can make us feel elevated.”

If she sounds self-actualized, that's because it is her ambition for the album. “I think the main message is, like, we are all one. We live in a planet, Mother Earth. It’s our home. We’re supposed to just live in harmony with each other, respect each other’s flavors, decisions, ways of communicating. We should be just, like, admiring our differences,” she says.

It's a deep message but one delivered in a pop package. “I think the album brings a lot of fun instruments, percussions, all that, but also brings like moments for us to … find the balance, the middle term, the middle way of doing things,” she smiles. “That’s the secret.”

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According to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue officials, the fire was reported at a building in the 600 block of Andrews Avenue.

Drivers are urged to seek alternate routes for the time being.

No other details about the fire were immediately released.

Attention drivers in Flagler Village: N Andrews Ave is blocked in both directions while FLFR works a high rise fire along the 600 block. Seek alternate routes north and south. pic.twitter.com/1ghhLQVeU2

— Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue (@FLFR411) April 15, 2026

Watch Local 10 News or refresh this page for updates.

Según funcionarios de Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, el incendio fue reportado en un edificio en la cuadra 600 de Andrews Avenue.

Se insta a los conductores a buscar rutas alternas por el momento.

No se dieron a conocer de inmediato más detalles sobre el incendio.

Attention drivers in Flagler Village: N Andrews Ave is blocked in both directions while FLFR works a high rise fire along the 600 block. Seek alternate routes north and south. pic.twitter.com/1ghhLQVeU2

— Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue (@FLFR411) April 15, 2026

The Mountain Hawks broke the first-inning record of 18 runs set by Princeton and matched by Air Force, both in 1974. Lehigh's 38 total runs were a Patriot League record and the most in a game between Division I teams since New Mexico State beat Texas Southern 38-6 in 2019.

Of Lehigh's 20 first-inning runs, 13 were scored consecutively on bases-loaded walks, hit by pitches or wild pitches. Owen Walewander's grand slam accounted for the final runs in the inning. Lehigh sent 23 men to the plate, three shy of the record for an inning.

Lehigh's Aidan Quinn was walked seven times, also a Division I record.

___

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

Kent Syverud, chancellor at Syracuse University, said he received the diagnosis after not feeling well last week.

“I am currently undergoing treatment at the University of Michigan. ... I am aware that I am one of many, many people who face a diagnosis like this — people who show up each day with courage,” Syverud said. “I take inspiration from all of them.”

Syverud was hired in January and was set to become president in May.

The University of Michigan's interim president, Domenico Grasso, will stay in the job while the school's governing board searches for another leader.

Instead of being president, Syverud will be a professor at Michigan's law school and serve as an adviser to the Board of Regents, the board said.

Santa Ono was university president until 2025, when he was in line to become the head of the University of Florida. But the move backfired when the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the state’s universities, voted 10-6 against him in June.

Political conservatives had criticized Ono for his past support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs and other initiatives they viewed as unacceptable liberal ideology.

On Wednesday, the pop superstar announced she'll release a new album, “Confessions on a Dance Floor: Part II,” on July 3 via Warner Records — 21 years after the original.

It's exciting for a number of reasons: The album is a sequel to her 2005 release, “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” and her first full-length in seven years, since 2019's “Madame X.” The Associated Press characterized the latter album as a misstep, however, the original “Confessions” has been widely regarded as a return to the top of her pop powers. The critically acclaimed release, which produced such hits as “Hung Up,” “Sorry,” “Get Together” and “Jump,” was dance-pop disco for a new era of clubgoers. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and won a Grammy for best electronic/dance album in 2006.

Madonna has previously teased a second “Confessions” work. In December 2024, she shared an Instagram video of herself in the studio with the original album's producer, Stuart Price.

In the official press announcement, Madonna shared a manifesto that she and Price had for the album.

“We must dance, celebrate, and pray with our bodies. These are things that we’ve been doing for thousands of years — they really are spiritual practices. After all, the dance floor is a ritualistic space. It’s a place where you connect — with your wounds, with your fragility. To rave is an art. It’s about pushing your limits and connecting to a community of like-minded people,” she wrote. “Sound, light, and vibration reshape our perceptions, pulling us into a trancelike state. The repetition of the bass, we don’t just hear it but we feel it. Altering our consciousness and dissolving ego and time.”

Si alguna vez has estado en el Flanigan’s de Fort Lauderdale tarde en la noche, es posible que hayas visto a Tyler a su hora habitual, recogiendo su pedido como lo hace todos los días.

Todos tienen su lugar favorito para comer al que les gusta ir con frecuencia, pero Tyler llevó esa rutina a otro nivel.

“Teníamos a este fantástico cliente de pedidos para llevar que descubrí ayer, mientras estaba en la oficina, que es único en el sentido de que ha ordenado 257 veces en los últimos ocho o nueve meses. Y ordena a la misma hora y pide lo mismo”, dijo Jimmy Flanigan.

El restaurante Flanigan’s en Fort Lauderdale nombró a Tyler como su cliente más dedicado por su pedido diario constante de la hamburguesa Flanigan’s.

Y Jimmy Flanigan, el director ejecutivo de la icónica cadena familiar, hizo de su misión personal darle un reconocimiento especial por su lealtad.

“Le hice una oferta por su fidelidad en pedidos para llevar. Fue hace unos días, y le dije: ‘Muchas gracias y quiero darte una tarjeta de regalo de $100 USD’. Y desde que hice eso, me han dicho que no le di lo suficiente, y me han sugerido darle desde almuerzo gratis de por vida hasta un Rolls Royce bañado en oro”, dijo Flanigan.

Por eso, Flanigan aumentó el regalo y le otorgó a Tyler una tarjeta de regalo de $1,000 USD y mercancía adicional por su logro.

“Esto es increíble. No lo esperaba, para ser honesto”, dijo Tyler. “Recibí un mensaje de texto. Esperaba conocerlo, pero solo recibir la mercancía y esto – esto. Ustedes hablaron. Agradezco a todos en los comentarios y realmente agradezco a todos en Flanigan’s. Esto es asombroso”.

Y si te preguntas por qué Flanigan’s y por qué el mismo pedido todos los días, Tyler dice que no lo cambiaría.

“Me gusta la buena comida y, desafortunadamente, cuando salgo después de las 10:30-11:00 de la noche, no hay muchos lugares abiertos”, dijo. “Pero Flanigan’s tiene de la mejor comida del sur de Florida, así que estoy muy agradecido de que estén abiertos cuando salgo del trabajo”.

Y ahora, con su nuevo premio, Tyler dice que no puede esperar para seguir con su rutina. ¡Y el personal de Flanigan’s estará esperándolo!

La única pregunta que Flanigan tenía para Tyler, y que muchos probablemente también se hacen, es qué hace con todos los icónicos vasos verdes de Flanigan’s para llevar.

Tyler dice que ha guardado más de 100 de sus pedidos en los últimos meses, pero espera conseguir un vaso dorado especial, algo que Flanigan dice que podría hacer realidad.

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In West Miami, voters cast their ballots for mayor and several city commission seats.

The mayoral race saw incumbent Eric Diaz-Padron face off against longtime former city manager Yolanda Aguilar.

Ultimately, Diaz-Padron won with 70.85% of the ballots cast.

The race for Commission Seat 1 went to Gustavo “Gus” Ceballos, who defeated George A. Lavin with 74.62% of the vote.

Seat 2’s election went to Juan M. Blanes with 71.46% of the vote. He defeated Fermin J. Belleau.

The race for Seat 4 was won by Victoria de la Torre with 70.79% of the votes, defeating Elsa Pelaez-Lopez.

Over in Bay Harbor Islands, voters selected a new town council member.

In that race, Elchonon Shagalov defeated Gustavo Ortega by a narrow margin of 54.73% of the votes to 45.27%.

En West Miami, los votantes emitieron sus votos para alcalde y varios escaños de la comisión municipal.

En la contienda por la alcaldía, el titular Eric Diaz-Padron se enfrentó a la ex administradora municipal Yolanda Aguilar.

Finalmente, Diaz-Padron ganó con el 70.85% de los votos emitidos.

La elección para el escaño 1 de la comisión fue para Gustavo “Gus” Ceballos, quien derrotó a George A. Lavin con el 74.62% de los votos.

El escaño 2 fue ganado por Juan M. Blanes con el 71.46% de los votos. Derrotó a Fermin J. Belleau.

La contienda por el escaño 4 fue ganada por Victoria de la Torre con el 70.79% de los votos, superando a Elsa Pelaez-Lopez.

En Bay Harbor Islands, los votantes eligieron a un nuevo miembro del concejo municipal.

En esa contienda, Elchonon Shagalov derrotó a Gustavo Ortega por un margen estrecho de 54.73% frente a 45.27% de los votos.

The next chance of rain will be just an isolated shower or two starting Friday into the weekend. A weak front will approach Florida and begin to stall out in our vicinity. This will give us a chance for more meaningful showers Monday and Tuesday next week.

Leo spoke to journalists aboard the papal plane en route to Cameroon as he continued his Africa visit. He made no mention of Trump’s latest social media post or the suggestion by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, that he should “be careful” when speaking about theology.

Leo took no questions. Rather, he focused on his just-concluded visit to Algeria and the teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo, the inspiration of his religious order and his own spirituality.

But Leo spoke in terms that suggested the Trump administration's criticism of the pope's calls for peace in the Iran war hadn't gone unnoticed.

Trump has issued repeated broadsides this week against history’s first U.S.-born pope, accusing him of being weak on crime and a captive to the left, and asserting that Leo owed his papacy to Trump. Trump also posted, then took down, an artificial intelligence-generated, Christ-like image of himself that drew widespread condemnation, even from many supporters.

Overnight, Trump posted “Not good!!!” in response to a post citing social media posts by Leo before he was pope that were critical of Trump. And he wrote: “Will someone please tell Pope Leo that Iran has killed at least 42,000 innocent, completely unarmed, protesters in the last two months, and that for Iran to have a Nuclear Bomb is absolutely unacceptable.”

Leo drew attention to his visit Tuesday to Annaba, the ancient city of Hippo where St. Augustine, the theological and philosophical giant of the early church, lived as a bishop for more than 30 years.

“His writings, his teaching, his spirituality, his invitation to search for God and to search for truth is something that is very much needed today, a message that is very real for all of us today as believers in Jesus Christ, but for all people,” Leo said.

By going to Hippo, Leo said that he wanted to offer the church and the world a vision that St. Augustine offers in terms of seeking "unity among all peoples and respect for all people in spite of the differences.”

He recalled that the vast majority of Algerians are Muslim, but that they respect and honor St. Augustine as “one of the great sons of their land.” Such an attitude, he said, helps to build bridges between Christians and Muslims and promote dialogue.

And he recalled his visit to the Great Mosque of Algiers, where he stood in silent prayer.

“I think the visit to the mosque was significant to say that although we have different beliefs, we have different ways of worshiping, we have different ways of living, we can live together in peace,” he said.

“And so I think that to promote that kind of image is something which the world needs to hear today.”

While being on the receiving end of Trump's criticisms online, Leo pointed to the respectful way that the Algerian government had received him on the first-ever papal visit — with a full military airborne escort as his ITA Airways charter flew through Algeria's airspace.

“As you’ve seen, they’ve given us the full honor of an escort,” Leo said. “And it’s a sign of the goodness, of the generosity, of the respect that the Algerian people and the Algerian government have wished to show to the Holy See and to myself.”

Trump’s attacks on Leo began after the pope amplified criticism of war and asserted that God doesn’t bless those who drop bombs. Leo also called Trump’s threat to annihilate Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable.”

In a wild sequence, Ball avenged two critical mistakes just seconds earlier by scoring on a driving right-handed layup with 4.7 seconds left, and Charlotte prevailed after Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell’s layup attempt on the other of the court as time expired. That set off a wild celebration on the court involving players, coaches and fans as the team earned its first home playoff win in a decade.

Ball celebrated at midcourt, flexing after the winning layup. Local television station WBTV caught video of the hyped point guard delivering two seemingly playful blows at Hugo before embracing teammate Coby White in a bear hug. Hugo simply walked away.

Ball was the center of attention all night, and it remained uncertain if he could face disciplinary action from the league ahead of Charlotte's next play-in game on Friday night after it appeared he took a swipe at the leg of Bam Adebayo early in the second quarter, causing the Heat center to fall on his back.

Ball was not called for a foul and play continued. Adebayo did not return because of a lower back injury, playing just 11 minutes.

Afterward, Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said Ball should have been ejected.

Ball apologized after the game and said he was disoriented on the play after getting hit in the head seconds before on a drive to the basket.

The ninth-seeded Hornets play on the road against the loser of Wednesday’s night game between Orlando and Philadelphia as they look to snap a 10-year playoff drought.

“We drew up a good play, I feel like. Just orchestrated it and it worked," Ball said of the winning shot.

Ball was not asked about punching the mascot after the game; the video of it had not surfaced at that point.

“The crowd was amazing," Ball said of the sold-out crowd. "Everyone who came out today was real loud, so it was a good crowd.”

Charlotte was able to get to overtime after White hit an off-balanced 3-pointer from the corner with 10.8 seconds left to tie the game, and Miami's Tyler Herro missed a jumper at the end of regulation.

The Hornets surrendered a five-point lead in OT behind two Ball blunders.

After Herro drained a turnaround 3 in the corner, Ball turned the ball over at midcourt and then fouled Herro on a 3-point attempt. Herro made all three free throws to briefly give Miami a 126-125 lead, setting up Ball's theatrics on an inbounds play.

“We just stayed together throughout it all, it was an up-and-down game. But that’s what the play-in is about," Bridges said. "... We did a great job executing on offense, LaMelo did a great job getting a layup, and then we executed on defense on the other end.”

___

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

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According to deputies, Josiah K. Burrows was last seen April 8 in the 19100 block of Northeast Second Avenue.

Deputies said Burrows went to school that day and was dropped off at his usual bus stop after school, but hasn’t made contact with his family since.

They said he has, however, made contact with friends.

Deputies described Burrows as a Black male, who is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call MDSO at 305-715-3300, email u309125@mdso.com or call Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

Según los agentes, Josiah K. Burrows fue visto por última vez el 8 de abril en la cuadra 19100 de Northeast Second Avenue.

Los agentes indicaron que Burrows fue a la escuela ese día y fue dejado en su parada de autobús habitual después de clases, pero no ha tenido contacto con su familia desde entonces.

Sin embargo, señalaron que sí ha tenido contacto con amigos.

Los agentes describieron a Burrows como un joven afroamericano de 5 pies y 10 pulgadas de estatura y aproximadamente 130 libras de peso. Tiene cabello negro y ojos marrones.

Cualquier persona con información sobre su paradero debe llamar a la MDSO al 305-715-3300, enviar un correo a u309125@mdso.com o comunicarse con Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

Los agentes están solicitando a cualquier persona con información sobre la balacera que se presente.

Según el FBI, la balacera ocurrió poco antes de las 7:30 p.m. del 6 de abril.

“Un gran grupo de sujetos agredió a una víctima que estaba sola cuando uno de los sujetos sacó un arma de fuego y disparó una sola vez, impactando a la víctima”, indicó el FBI en un comunicado. “Después de los disparos, los sujetos intentaron quitarle el reloj a la víctima herida. El reloj no fue robado.”

Offset, de 34 años, cuyo nombre real es Kiari Kendrell Cephus, fue hospitalizado tras la balacera, mientras que el también rapero Lil Tjay fue arrestado por cargos de alteración del orden público y operar en el tráfico sin una licencia válida.

Lil Tjay, de 24 años, cuyo nombre real es Tione Jayden Merritt, no ha sido acusado en la balacera, que ocurrió fuera del área de valet del edificio, y negó que hubiera ocurrido una pelea entre él y Offset.

“Yo no peleo nada de eso”, dijo Lil Tjay a medios de comunicación mientras salía de la cárcel de Fort Lauderdale.

Ofreció un relato con lenguaje obsceno de lo que, según él, ocurrió.

“Ese tipo me disparó. Ese tipo me disparó. Ese tipo es un soplón”, dijo Lil Tjay. “Raros. Ustedes están obteniendo una buena entrevista”.

Offset ya fue dado de alta del hospital.

El FBI confirmó que los sospechosos huyeron de la escena en dos SUV Chevrolet tras la balacera: una Tahoe gris mate y una Suburban negra.

“La Suburban negra huyó del área hacia Hollywood, Florida, mientras que la Tahoe se dirigió hacia el sur en dirección a Miami”, indicó el comunicado.

Offset formó parte del trío de rap Migos antes de continuar su carrera como solista.

El grupo se convirtió en uno de los más populares del hip-hop de todos los tiempos. Alcanzó notoriedad con el éxito “Versace” en 2013 y posteriormente obtuvo nominaciones al Grammy por mejor álbum de rap con “Culture” en 2018, mientras que una de sus canciones también fue nominada a mejor interpretación de rap.

Offset estuvo casado con la también rapera Cardi B, con quien tiene tres hijos. Ambos se divorciaron en 2024.

El primo de Offset, Takeoff, quien también formaba parte de Migos, murió en una balacera en 2022.

Cualquier persona con información sobre la balacera en el Hard Rock y los involucrados debe comunicarse con el FBI al 1-800-CALL-FBI o enviar información en tips.fbi.gov.

El FBI señaló que el Hard Rock Hotel & Casino en Hollywood es operado por la Tribu Seminole de Florida y que “los delitos cometidos en territorio indígena están sujetos a investigación federal.”

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In Miami-Dade County, commissioners are demanding answers.

In Broward County, officials are working with the federal government on a plan to get rid of them.

Across South Florida, dozens of electric buses purchased with tens of millions of taxpayer dollars remain parked and out of service, more than a year after they were pulled from the road.

Right now, no one knows exactly what comes next.

In Miami-Dade, frustration is growing inside County Hall.

Roberto Gonzalez and Natalie Milian Orbis co-sponsored a resolution in January requiring the administration of Daniella Levine Cava to produce a detailed report outlining what went wrong with the county’s electric bus fleet and what the plan is moving forward.

The resolution gave the mayor 30 days to deliver that report.

That deadline has now come and gone.

No report has been publicly released.

“If these buses are not working efficiently, not out there saving the environment and not out there servicing the residents of Miami-Dade County, then we need to get that money back,” Gonzalez said.

Milian Orbis called the situation a red flag and said the county cannot afford to let millions of dollars sit idle without a plan.

“We need to have a plan. We cannot leave it by the wayside. We need to take action,” she said.

Mayor Levine Cava has acknowledged the failure.

“It is very sad. This is a sad story,” she said. “Obviously the wrong choice was made.”

She added that the county has worked to try to secure parts and repairs and said, “We are still hopeful we can still put them into service.”

In Broward County, the focus has shifted away from fixing the buses and toward getting rid of them.

Transit officials confirm they are working with the federal government to determine how to dispose of the fleet, a process required because federal grant money was used to purchase the vehicles.

Thirty-one electric buses are currently sitting in a remote section of a landfill off U.S. 27, each one costing roughly $1.1 million.

Coree Cuff Lonergan said the buses “continued to fail” and described the situation as “a deep disappointment.”

“We absolutely did our best to keep the buses on the road,” she said.

She also revealed that problems are not limited to Proterra buses.

“We did take delivery of two additional buses from a different manufacturer and they do not work either,” she said.

Lonergan said Broward is exploring whether any of the funding can be recovered.

“Are there any opportunities to get reimbursed or to recover any of the funds? Yes, absolutely,” she said.

For now, the county is waiting on federal approval before making its next move.

In Miami-Dade, the buses remain parked.

At the Homestead Air Reserve Base, rows of electric buses sit idle in what has become one of the most visible symbols of the problem. Sky 10 counted dozens of buses stored there.

Additional buses are stored at the Northeast Bus Facility near Miami Gardens Drive.

Together, they represent a significant public investment that is currently delivering no return.

Miami-Dade Transit confirms 69 Proterra buses were purchased at a cost of $61.8 million, including federal, state, and local surtax funding.

Just a few years ago, the rollout of these buses was celebrated.

In 2023, Mayor Levine Cava unveiled the new electric fleet, calling it the future of public transit and highlighting the environmental and cost-saving benefits.

The buses were manufactured by Proterra, which at the time was seen as a leader in electric transit technology.

Miami-Dade’s plan was to eventually transition its entire fleet to electric.

But problems quickly emerged.

The buses experienced repeated mechanical failures. They broke down frequently. Replacement parts became difficult and at times impossible to obtain.

Then Proterra filed for bankruptcy.

That left counties like Miami-Dade and Broward with fleets of specialized buses and no reliable way to maintain or repair them.

The issue extends beyond South Florida.

Proterra sold more than 1,300 electric buses across the United States and Canada. Transit agencies in cities such as Austin, Philadelphia, and Louisville are dealing with similar problems.

In Miami-Dade, commissioners are still waiting for a report that was due weeks ago.

In Broward, officials are waiting on the federal government before they can move forward with disposal or recovery.

Questions remain about the cost and reliability of electric transit fleets moving forward.

Miami Dade Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez has raised concerns about the financial reality, saying electric buses can be far more expensive to operate than diesel models. “It takes much more money to operate the electric one as opposed to the diesel one,” he said.

Still, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is standing by the county’s commitment to electrification. She said Miami-Dade plans to continue moving forward with electric buses, adding that she believes electric vehicles remain the future despite the current setbacks.

Levine Cava said a detailed report on the county’s electric bus fleet will be released to commissioners in the near future.

En el condado Miami-Dade, los comisionados exigen respuestas.

En el condado Broward, los funcionarios trabajan con el gobierno federal en un plan para deshacerse de ellos.

En todo el sur de Florida, decenas de autobuses eléctricos comprados con decenas de millones de dólares de los contribuyentes permanecen estacionados y fuera de servicio, más de un año después de que fueron retirados de circulación.

Por ahora, nadie sabe exactamente qué ocurrirá.

En Miami-Dade, la frustración crece dentro del gobierno del condado.

Roberto Gonzalez y Natalie Milian Orbis copatrocinaron una resolución en enero que exige a la administración de Daniella Levine Cava presentar un informe detallado que explique qué salió mal con la flota de autobuses eléctricos del condado y cuál es el plan a seguir.

La resolución dio a la alcaldesa 30 días para entregar ese informe.

Ese plazo ya venció.

No se ha publicado ningún informe.

“Si estos autobuses no están funcionando de manera eficiente, no están ahí afuera salvando el medio ambiente ni prestando servicio a los residentes de Miami-Dade, entonces necesitamos recuperar ese dinero”, dijo Gonzalez.

Milian Orbis calificó la situación como una señal de alerta y dijo que el condado no puede permitirse dejar millones de dólares sin uso y sin un plan.

“Necesitamos tener un plan. No podemos dejar esto de lado. Tenemos que tomar acción”, dijo.

La alcaldesa Levine Cava ha reconocido el fracaso.

“Es muy triste. Esta es una historia triste”, dijo. “Obviamente se tomó la decisión equivocada”.

Agregó que el condado ha trabajado para intentar asegurar piezas y reparaciones y afirmó: “Aún tenemos la esperanza de poder ponerlos en servicio”.

En el condado Broward, el enfoque ha cambiado de reparar los autobuses a deshacerse de ellos.

Funcionarios de transporte confirman que están trabajando con el gobierno federal para determinar cómo disponer de la flota, un proceso requerido debido a que se utilizaron fondos federales para comprar los vehículos.

Treinta y un autobuses eléctricos están actualmente en una sección remota de un vertedero cerca de la U.S. 27, cada uno con un costo aproximado de $1.1 millones USD.

Coree Cuff Lonergan dijo que los autobuses “continuaron fallando” y describió la situación como “una profunda decepción”.

“Hicimos absolutamente todo lo posible para mantener los autobuses en circulación”, dijo.

También reveló que los problemas no se limitan a los autobuses Proterra.

“Recibimos dos autobuses adicionales de otro fabricante y tampoco funcionan”, dijo.

Lonergan indicó que Broward está explorando si se puede recuperar parte del dinero.

“¿Existen oportunidades para ser reembolsados o recuperar parte de los fondos? Sí, absolutamente”, dijo.

Por ahora, el condado espera la aprobación federal antes de tomar su siguiente paso.

En Miami-Dade, los autobuses permanecen estacionados.

En la Base de Reserva Aérea de Homestead, filas de autobuses eléctricos permanecen fuera de servicio en lo que se ha convertido en uno de los símbolos más visibles del problema. Sky 10 contó decenas de autobuses almacenados allí.

Autobuses adicionales están almacenados en la instalación Northeast Bus Facility cerca de Miami Gardens Drive.

En conjunto, representan una inversión pública significativa que actualmente no genera retorno.

Miami-Dade Transit confirma que se compraron 69 autobuses Proterra a un costo de $61.8 millones USD, incluyendo fondos federales, estatales y recargos locales.

Hace apenas unos años, el lanzamiento de estos autobuses fue celebrado.

En 2023, la alcaldesa Levine Cava presentó la nueva flota eléctrica, calificándola como el futuro del transporte público y destacando sus beneficios ambientales y de ahorro de costos.

Los autobuses fueron fabricados por Proterra, que en ese momento era vista como líder en tecnología de transporte eléctrico.

El plan de Miami-Dade era eventualmente convertir toda su flota a eléctrica.

Pero los problemas surgieron rápidamente.

Los autobuses experimentaron fallas mecánicas repetidas. Se descomponían con frecuencia. Las piezas de repuesto se volvieron difíciles y, en ocasiones, imposibles de conseguir.

Luego, Proterra se declaró en bancarrota.

Eso dejó a condados como Miami-Dade y Broward con flotas de autobuses especializados y sin una forma confiable de mantenerlos o repararlos.

El problema se extiende más allá del sur de Florida.

Proterra vendió más de 1,300 autobuses eléctricos en Estados Unidos y Canadá. Agencias de transporte en ciudades como Austin, Filadelfia y Louisville enfrentan problemas similares.

En Miami-Dade, los comisionados aún esperan un informe que debía entregarse hace semanas.

En Broward, los funcionarios esperan al gobierno federal antes de poder avanzar con la disposición o recuperación.

Persisten las dudas sobre el costo y la confiabilidad de las flotas de transporte eléctrico en el futuro.

El comisionado de Miami-Dade Roberto Gonzalez expresó preocupaciones sobre la realidad financiera, señalando que los autobuses eléctricos pueden ser mucho más costosos de operar que los modelos diésel. “Se necesita mucho más dinero para operar el eléctrico en comparación con el diésel”, dijo.

Aun así, la alcaldesa Daniella Levine Cava mantiene el compromiso del condado con la electrificación. Indicó que Miami-Dade planea continuar avanzando con autobuses eléctricos, y agregó que cree que los vehículos eléctricos siguen siendo el futuro a pesar de los contratiempos actuales.

Levine Cava dijo que un informe detallado sobre la flota de autobuses eléctricos del condado será entregado a los comisionados en un futuro cercano.

Authorities were just beginning to assess the damage left behind by Super Typhoon Sinlaku, which first hit the islands Tuesday night local time and continued with a barrage of fierce winds and relentless rains for hours Wednesday.

Power was out and many of the roads were impassible across Saipan, a U.S. territory that's the largest of the Mariana Islands and home to about 43,000 people, according to local officials.

The storm also battered Guam, another U.S. territory and the site of several American military bases, with tropical force winds.

The typhoon — the strongest tropical cyclone on Earth this year — was packing sustained winds of up to 150 mph (240 kph) when it made landfall on the islands, the National Weather Service said.

The monster storm still had winds of 125 mph (200 kph) late Wednesday night as it pulled away to the north from the islands of Saipan, Tinian and Rota, the weather service said. Sinlaku is expected start curving toward sparsely populated volcanic islands in the far northern Marianas.

It was still very windy and rainy roughly 24 hours after the typhoon rattled the islands, but much better than the previous night, said Jaden Sanchez, spokesperson for the Saipan mayor’s office.

Preliminary reports include a lot of flooding, uprooted trees and downed power lines, but no deaths, he said.

Images from Saipan showed residential lots littered with debris and mangled trees. Winds crumbled metal bleachers at a sports field.

Resident Dong Min Lee shot video of a car sitting on top of two others in his apartment building’s parking lot. The winds tore off part of his balcony railing.

The American Red Cross and its partners were sheltering more than 1,000 residents across Guam and the Northern Marians, agency spokesperson Stephanie Fox said.

___

Associated Press writers Jennifer Sinco Kelleher and Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu; and Gabriela Aoun Angueira in San Diego contributed to this report.

Ocurrió el martes por la tarde en el área de Southwest 16th Street y Fourth Avenue, en el vecindario Croissant Park de Fort Lauderdale.

Según Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, se trató de un choque entre dos vehículos que involucró un vehículo del USPS.

Las autoridades informaron que un empleado del USPS salió expulsado de su vehículo durante el accidente y fue trasladado de emergencia como trauma al Broward Health Medical Center.

El conductor del segundo vehículo también fue llevado al hospital para recibir tratamiento, con lesiones que no ponen en riesgo su vida, indicaron funcionarios.

Según el medio, el influencer, cuyo nombre real es Braden Peters, fue llevado a una sala de emergencias después de que su transmisión en vivo se cortara abruptamente.

Local 10 está trabajando para obtener el video de esa transmisión, pero en este, Peters aparentemente es visto hablando con una mujer joven en un bar de Miami mientras parecía estar bajo los efectos de alguna sustancia.

No estaba claro de inmediato qué sustancia o sustancias Peters pudo haber consumido antes de la presunta sobredosis.

La policía de Miami confirmó a Local 10 que fueron llamados para asistir a Miami Fire Rescue a las 8:46 p.m., sin embargo, el denunciante ya no estaba cuando llegaron.

Funcionarios de MFR dijeron que el individuo, a quien no identificaron, “posiblemente fue retirado en un vehículo” antes de que pudieran hacer contacto con él.

Peters parece haber sido dado de alta del hospital, ya que publicó en X la mañana del miércoles sobre el incidente.

“Acabo de llegar a casa, eso fue brutal”, escribió. “Todas las sustancias son solo una forma de sobrellevar para intentar sentirse neurotípico en público, pero obviamente esa no es una solución real. La peor parte de esta noche fue mi rostro descendiendo de la máscara de soporte vital.”

Hace unas dos semanas, Peters fue arrestado por la policía en Fort Lauderdale por una orden judicial del condado Osceola por agresión menor y conspiración para cometer agresión.

Times have “ radically changed," Hochul said, since 2019, when the state set a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030.

She's proposed giving the state years more to comply, saying pursuing that goal now by imposing planned fees on polluters would lead to crushing energy prices.

“I cannot in good conscience — knowing the moms and dads and the seniors and the families that are struggling, paying their bills now — I cannot do something I know at this very moment that’s going to raise those prices,” Hochul said at a recent rally.

Hochul, who is running for reelection this year, is among several Democratic leaders trying to balance the party’s traditional support for clean energy policies with the current political imperative to deliver “affordability” agendas.

Several states — particularly in the Northeast — are reassessing clean energy targets. Others are looking at shaving extra charges on utility bills that help fund efficiency programs.

The shifts have alarmed environmentalists, who call them shortsighted. They note that other states, including California, have remained committed to similar policies designed to lessen dependence on fossil fuels.

“She’s looking to, ultimately, keep New Yorkers on gas longer when it’s the very fuel that’s causing their bills to rise,” Liz Moran of the environmental group Earthjustice said of Hochul's proposals.

Hochul insists she isn’t abandoning efforts to fight climate change. But she and other Democrats complain that cuts to clean energy grants under President Donald Trump’s administration raised the cost of meeting state climate goals. The Republican president has been hostile to some clean energy sources, particularly offshore wind farms, which his administration has sought to block.

Affordability concerns edge out climate worries

Meanwhile, U.S. residential electricity prices rose 27% on average from 2019 to 2024, with some of the most pronounced increases in California and Northeast states, according to a study from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Analysts cite multiple reasons for higher prices, among them increased demand from data centers and the price of natural gas, which often is used to generate electricity.

Power bills were a key issue in the governors’ races won by Democrats last year in New Jersey and Virginia. And that was before the Iran war sent gasoline prices soaring.

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee has proposed pushing a 2033 deadline to reach 100% renewable energy sources to 2050, part of his plan to lower energy costs by $1 billion over five years.

Last year, Connecticut lowered its 40% renewable energy goal for 2030 to 29%. Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont said at the time that “electric bills are too damn high.”

Massachusetts and New Jersey are among the states looking at lowering charges on utility bills that help fund efficiency programs.

“It is hard to talk about climate at times, because everyone is very laser-focused on affordability and customer bills,” said Kyle Murray, Massachusetts program director for the Acadia Center. “So climate, while still important, is getting kind of pushed aside, unfortunately.”

Cap and invest in practice

One of New York's key mechanisms for reducing emissions was supposed to be a “cap-and-invest” system, in which polluters buy allowances for their emissions and the revenue is invested in things like clean technology and renewable energy.

In California, cap-and-invest is crucial to achieving goals that include reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. The state has used proceeds from cap-and-invest to direct billions of dollars to things like public transit and clean-vehicle incentives.

California regulators on Tuesday proposed cap-and-invest changes in response to concerns from lawmakers about electricity prices and economic worries from industry. Business incentives and electric bill relief would be increased under the proposals.

The program costs Californians an extra 24 cents a gallon at the pump and slightly more on their utility bills, though the state provides a regular “climate credit” on their bills, said Kyle Meng, associate professor of economics at UC Santa Barbara.

“When you make things more expensive, people conserve. It’s like Econ 101 and that’s the basic idea behind a cap-and-trade program,” Meng said.

New York officials, however, missed a 2024 deadline to create regulations detailing how such a system would work in their state. Without those rules in place, the system never launched. Environmentalists successfully sued the state over its failure to meet the deadline, which Hochul has mentioned in seeking a delay.

The governor’s new proposal, currently under consideration by legislative leaders, would give the state until 2030 to come up with regulations. And the state would set new targets for 2040 emissions levels.

Environmentalists dispute cost claims

If those deadlines are not moved, consumers will pay a cost, Hochul has said. Her administration estimates that implementing a cap-and-invest system now would pass along costs of more than $4,000 a year for some households.

Environmental advocates say the governor is estimating what an “extreme” version would cost, and that the analysis ignores the benefits of incentivizing polluters to move away from fossil fuels.

They also point to Washington, where voters in 2024 decided to keep that state’s cap-and-invest program by a wide margin.

“The sky has not fallen,” said Caitlin Krenn of Washington Conservation Action, “and the program is working as intended.”

Bruce Blakeman, a Republican county executive running for governor against Hochul, said he’d get rid of the state’s plan altogether if he wins this fall.

“Delaying the pain won’t make it disappear — it just leaves bigger bills down the road,” Blakeman said in a statement.

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According to the outlet, the influencer, whose real name is Braden Peters, was taken to an emergency room after his livestream was abruptly cut off.

Local 10 is working to obtain that livestream video, but in it, Peters is apparently seen speaking with a young woman at a bar in Miami while appearing to be under the influence.

It was not immediately clear which substance or substances Peters may have consumed prior to the alleged overdose.

Miami police confirmed to Local 10 that they were called to assist Miami Fire Rescue at 8:46 p.m., however the complainant was already gone when they arrived.

MFR officials said the individual, who they did not name, was “possibly rushed away in a vehicle” before they were able to make contact with him.

Peters appears to have been released from the hospital as he took to X Wednesday morning to talk about the ordeal.

“Just got home, that was brutal,” he wrote. “All of the substances are just a cope trying to feel neurotypical while being in public, but obviously that isn’t a real solution. The worst part of tonight was my face descending from the life support mask.”

About two weeks ago, Peters was arrested by police in Fort Lauderdale on a warrant out of Osceola County for misdemeanor battery and conspiracy to commit battery.

Two prosecutors and an investigator from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office were turned away on Tuesday by a building contractor and referred to Fed attorneys, one of the people said. The two people familiar with the visit spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation.

The visit indicates that the Trump administration is not backing down in its investigation of the Fed and its chair, Jerome Powell, even though the probe has delayed the confirmation of a new chair nominated by President Donald Trump. The investigation is focused on cost overruns and brief testimony about the project last summer by Powell. Trump confirmed in an interview that aired Wednesday on Fox Business that he wants to continue the probe.

Last month, during a closed-door hearing before a federal judge, a top deputy from Pirro’s office conceded that they hadn’t found any evidence of a crime in their investigation of the headquarters project.

Robert Hur, an attorney for the Federal Reserve board of governors, sent an email to Pirro’s prosecutors about their visit and their request for a “tour” to “check on progress” at the construction site. Hur’s email, which The Associated Press has viewed, noted that U.S. District Judge James Boasberg concluded that their interest in the Federal Reserve’s renovation project was “pretextual.”

“Should you wish to challenge that finding, the courts provide an avenue for you; it is not appropriate for you to try to circumvent it,” Hur wrote.

Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican who is a key member of the Senate Banking Committee, has vowed to vote against Kevin Warsh, Trump's nominee to replace Powell as Fed chair, until the investigation is dropped. With the committee closely divided on partisan lines, Tillis' opposition is enough to block Warsh.

The Banking panel said yesterday that it will hold a hearing on Warsh's nomination April 21.

Late Tuesday Tillis posted a link on social media to The Wall Street Journal’s article on the visit below an image of the Three Stooges and wrote, “The U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. at the crime scene.”

The investigation by Pirro’s office centers on an appearance by Powell before the Senate Banking Committee last June, when he was asked about cost overruns on the Fed’s extensive building renovations. The most recent estimates from the Fed suggest the current estimated cost of $2.5 billion is about $600 million higher than a 2022 estimate of $1.9 billion.

“It is probably corrupt, but what it really is, is incompetent,” Trump said Wednesday in his Fox Business interview. “Don't you think we have to find out what happened there?”

News of the unannounced visit by prosecutors comes as Trump has again threatened to fire Powell, if the Federal Reserve Chair decides to stay on the central bank's governing board after his term as chair expires next month.

“Well then I’ll have to fire him, OK?” Trump said Wednesday when reminded that Powell has said he won’t leave the Fed while the Justice Department investigates a $2.5 billion renovation project at the bank. Powell has also said he will remain as chair of the Fed's rate-setting committee until a replacement is confirmed by the Senate, following the precedent of previous chairs.

Trump has for months wanted to remove Powell as chair of the Fed, saying he has been too slow in orchestrating interest rate cuts that would give the U.S. economy a quick boost. Powell has said the investigation is a pretext to undermine the Fed's independence to set rates.

Powell's term as Fed governor expires May 15, but his term as a Fed board member lasts until January 2028.

Trump’s threat to fire Powell comes as the Supreme Court is weighing the president’s effort to remove another central bank governor, Lisa Cook. Lower courts have so far allowed Cook to remain in her job while her legal challenge to the firing continues. The Supreme Court also seemed likely to keep her on the Fed when the court heard arguments in January. A decision could come any time.

The issue in Cook’s case is whether allegations of mortgage fraud, which she has denied, is a sufficient reason to fire her or a mere pretext masking Trump’s desire to exert more control over U.S. interest rate policy.

The Supreme Court has allowed the firings of the heads of other governmental agencies at the president’s discretion, with no claim that they did anything wrong, while also signaling that it is approaching the independence of the nation’s central bank more cautiously, calling the Fed “a uniquely structured, quasi-private entity.”

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AP Writer Mark Sherman contributed to this report.

The prosecutor for the First Judicial Circuit on Monday announced the charge of second-degree manslaughter against Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky.

Prosecutors said that during an Aug. 21, 2024, surgery, which was scheduled to be a laparoscopic splenectomy, Shaknovsky removed the victim’s liver instead of his spleen. That resulted in “catastrophic blood loss and the patient’s death on the operating table,” law enforcement officials wrote in a press release, The patient was a 70-year-old man from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

“Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they lead, without fear or favor,” Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson said in a statement.

Available court records did not name an attorney for Shaknovsky.

Florida suspended Shaknovsky’s medical license after the surgery. Records show he voluntarily surrendered his medical license in Alabama after regulators moved to revoke his license.

The meeting announcement Wednesday follows repeated pledges by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to loosen regulations on peptides, which are often pitched as a quick way to build muscle, heal injuries or appear younger. There's little research behind those claims and most peptides have not been reviewed for safety by the FDA.

Kennedy has discussed using peptides for his own injuries. And some major supporters of his Make America Healthy Again movement are big proponents of them, including Gary Brecka, a self-described “longevity expert" who sells various peptide formulas through his website.

The FDA said in a federal notice Wednesday it will ask a panel of outside advisers to review seven peptides at a meeting in July, specifically whether they should be removed from a restrictive category reserved for risky, customized drugs. The peptides under discussion will include some of the most popular among influencers, such as BPC-157, which is marketed to heal injuries and reduce inflammation.

“The Wild West is about to become wilder,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, a former FDA official who now leads the Center for Science in the Public Interest. In an interview, Lurie said allowing peptides on the market without clinical testing poses a “profound threat” to FDA's decades-old system for vetting drugs.

“I don’t see why one would take the path of a proper drug approval if there is now this less rigorous, alternative path to market,” he said.

Under President Joe Biden, the FDA added nearly 20 of the most popular peptides to the federal list of substances that should not be produced by compounding pharmacies — businesses that mix medications that aren't available from drugmakers.

At the time, the FDA's panel of pharmacy advisers voted overwhelmingly that the peptides did not meet the criteria for a list of drugs that can be safely compounded. And FDA regulators agreed, saying later that the substances “present significant safety risks,” because most have not been extensively tested in humans.

Many of the FDA advisers and internal staff who oversaw those decisions no longer work for the agency. The FDA's pharmacy panel currently has a number of vacancies, which Kennedy could fill before the July meeting.

At the FDA meeting in July, panelists will consider whether BPC-157, TB-500 and five other peptides should be permitted for routine compounding. The FDA notice cites several possible medical uses for the substances, such as using BPC-157 to treat ulcerative colitis.

Kennedy previewed the move in an interview with podcast host Joe Rogan. Both men have repeatedly spoken about peptides and claimed to have benefited from their use.

RFK Jr. claims personal benefit from peptides

“I’m a big fan of peptides,” Kennedy told Rogan. “I’ve used them myself and with really good effect on a couple of injuries.”

Given Kennedy's statements, Lurie said it was doubtful the drugs would receive real scrutiny from FDA.

“Everybody knows the outcome that the secretary wants,” Lurie said. “I don’t believe for one moment that what’s going on here is an honest investigation of whether these products should be compounded.”

Scott Brunner of the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding said the coming meeting will be the start of a “protracted process.” Even if the panel votes to make the peptides available, and FDA agrees, the agency will still have to draft and publish rules on the change, he noted.

Peptides are essentially the building blocks of more complex proteins. Inside the human body, peptides trigger hormones needed for growth, metabolism and healing.

In recent years peptides have become widely known through the blockbuster success of GLP-1 medications, which the FDA has approved for treating obesity and diabetes. Other FDA-approved peptides include insulin for diabetics and hormone-based drugs for several medical conditions.

But many of the peptides promoted online have never been approved, making them technically illegal to market as drugs. Several peptides, such as BPC-157 and TB-500, are banned by international sports authorities as doping substances.

But that has not stopped them from gaining a foothold in the burgeoning marketplace for new wellness hacks and alternative remedies.

In a related move, some dietary supplement makers have begun mixing peptides into capsules, protein powders and gummies. At a recent FDA meeting, the industry argued for expanding the federal definition of supplements to permit the use of newer ingredients like peptides in their products.

Safety risks were cited previously

When the FDA added a number of injectable peptides to its list of restricted substances in 2023, it cited safety risks including cancer and liver, kidney and heart problems.

That triggered pushback from wellness entrepreneurs, compounding pharmacies and their allies in Washington.

Last year several members of Congress, including Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, sent letters to Kennedy asking him to lift limits on peptide production.

The compounding industry has argued for years that FDA's restrictions have given rise to an illicit market of imported chemicals from China and other countries, which are not subject to U.S. drug standards.

Kennedy has echoed those concerns.

“With the gray market you have no idea if you’re getting a good product,” Kennedy told Rogan. “And a lot of this stuff that we’ve looked at is just very, very substandard.”

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

The possible change is alarming environmental advocates who say it would lead to more dangerous pollution spewing into communities, with fewer or no checks at the federal level. The plastics industry disputes that, saying it would clear up confusion while still controlling emissions.

The world is pumping millions of tons of plastic pollution into the environment every year. While dozens of countries and many environmental groups have urged caps on production, industry and several big oil-producing countries have resisted, arguing instead for improvements in reuse and recycling.

Chemical recycling uses heat or chemicals to break down plastics. The main method, a process known as pyrolysis, has long been regulated as incineration by the Clean Air Act. The EPA limits emissions from incinerators of nine air pollutants, including toxic particulates, heavy metals and dioxins.

The agency says a potential new rule could instead recognize pyrolysis as manufacturing.

The American Chemistry Council, an industry group, has long argued for such a change.

“The definition of incineration is to destroy it, right? You’re literally trying to make it go away,” said Ross Eisenberg, president of America’s Plastic Makers, who leads ACC’s plastics advocacy. “That’s not what they’re doing here. They are trying to preserve it and recover the materials, which is recycling, which is manufacturing.”

Judith Enck, a former EPA regional administrator who now heads up Beyond Plastics, opposes what she said would be a “much weaker level of environmental protection.”

“Chemical recycling companies know that if they want to operate, they need to get this essential Clean Air Act permit and they don’t like it,” she said. “They have spent decades trying to convince EPA to change the rules of the game. Republican and Democratic administrations have declined to do this. But they have hit the jackpot with the Trump administration.”

Alarm over changing how pyrolysis is regulated

The EPA regulates pyrolysis under section 129 of the act, which reduces air pollution from four categories of solid waste incineration units. The agency told The Associated Press that a final rule in 2005 that included “pyrolysis/combustion units” under that section was vague and caused confusion for the industry.

EPA said it's taking public comment for a potential rule that could recognize pyrolysis as manufacturing under a different section, 111, of the Clean Air Act.

John Walke, who leads the Natural Resources Defense Council’s national clean air advocacy, said Section 111 doesn't regulate as many pollutants as 129. He also argued that EPA's plan is skipping crucial steps in a lengthy, required rulemaking process.

Walke also said the EPA move would amount to the immediate deregulation of these facilities under the act. He said it would take several years to follow the legal process to regulate the industry under another section, leaving a gap where no federal emissions standards would apply.

“You could have a facility that was controlled on a Monday, preventing those hazardous air pollutants from being emitted into the atmosphere, and on Tuesday, the facility would have legal permission to turn off installed pollution controls to allow the unlimited release of hazardous air pollution into the same community that was better protected on Monday,” he said. “Why would they do that? Why would they turn off an installed pollution control device? Because it costs money to operate them.”

Eisenberg disputed that. He said other sections of the Clean Air Act would still apply, and facilities get state permits, so the emissions would still be controlled and surrounding communities would be safe. They are “so heavily regulated,” Eisenberg said.

Recycling rates for plastic waste are tiny

More than 90% of plastics aren't recycled, according to the American Chemistry Council. It promises that chemical, or advanced, recycling can change that. As a complement to traditional mechanical recycling, chemical recycling can help dramatically reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills while generating a diverse range of products, the ACC says.

The process breaks plastics down into liquid and gas to produce an oil-like mixture or basic chemicals, that can be used to make new plastics or fuels. It's like “unbaking a cake,” Eisenberg said.

Environmental groups say advanced recycling is waste disposal, not recycling, and a distraction from real solutions like producing and using less plastic.

There are six pyrolysis plants, operating in Ohio, Texas, North Carolina, Indiana and Georgia, plus one under construction in Arizona and another in West Virginia, and a small test project in Maryland, according to the American Chemistry Council. The ACC has been lobbying states and Congress to pass laws to regulate chemical recycling as manufacturing. Twenty-five states now do, and legislation is pending in Congress.

Despite that legislative success, Eisenberg said the number of proposals to build these plants has dwindled in recent years, in part because of the permitting process.

“I often ask people to take a step back,” he said. “Do you want more recycling? If the answer is yes, then we should do what we can to make sure that you can bring more recycling online.”

Eisenberg said they've made clear to the Trump administration that revising the Clean Air Act is a priority. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin toured ExxonMobil's Baytown, Texas, facility to see chemical recycling in person last year.

Critic says notice of possible change was buried

In March, the EPA published a notice requesting comment on a proposed rule to consolidate regulations for another type of incinerator, with a small section soliciting comment on removing the reference to pyrolysis. The EPA mentioned it at the end of its press release on air curtain incinerators, too.

Enck said it was a bombshell paragraph, buried in a rulemaking notice. The EPA dismissed the criticism, highlighting the press release.

At a public hearing last week, many people urged the EPA to keep pyrolysis units regulated as incinerators, including about a dozen speakers from the nonprofit Moms Clean Air Force. Kiya Stanford, the group's Georgia state organizer, said in her testimony that changing it “feels like a move to prioritize polluters over people,” offering the plastics industry a cheap way to make waste disappear from sight by spewing it into the air as toxic pollution.

The agency proposed a similar change in 2020, during President Donald Trump's first term. The Biden administration withdrew the proposed modification.

Walke said that if the EPA finalizes the rollback now, the NRDC would plan to challenge it in court.

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

House Democrats launched Wednesday what they call a task force to overhaul ethics rules and protect access to the ballot. They also want to highlight the Trump family's business dealings and the president's transformation of the federal government.

The task force, which will include a mix of progressive and moderate members, could become a central part of Democrats' messaging as they try to claw back control of Congress from Republicans.

Rep. Joe Morelle, top Democrat on the House Administration Committee and a longtime ally of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, will spearhead the effort. He said Jeffries “fears that we’re losing Americans' faith and trust in government and institutions” because so often "decisions are made based on the personal interests of the members or the president and with little regard for Americans.”

Morelle floated a ban on stock trading for all members of the executive branch, Congress and federal courts as a policy. He added that a code of ethics and term limits for Supreme Court justices were other possible proposals.

Democrats have frequently accused Trump's second term of being “the most corrupt administration in American history," a characterization the White House strenuously denies.

“President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public, which is why they overwhelmingly re-elected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media," said Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson.

Promises to clean up Washington are nothing new. Trump campaigned in 2016 and 2024 on a vow to “drain the swamp.” Democrats won back control of the House in 2018, at the midpoint of Trump's first term, with an anti-corruption message.

“I don’t know that we start with people’s trust. I certainly think that’s probably not the case,” said Morelle. “The question is, will we earn it? Can we earn it? And we’re prepared to place significant emphasis on this.”

Reps. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrats on the House Oversight and Judiciary committees, respectively, are on the task force.

So are Reps. Greg Casar, D-Texas, leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Brad Schneider, D-Ill., head of the moderate New Democrats.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., one of the caucus' most prominent members, is a member as well.

The group's regional and ideological diversity could ensure a broad base of support for the new initiative, or it could make it harder to find a unifying message and agenda.

“The challenge is almost there’s too much to do, and they are going to need to focus on a couple of things,” said Justin Florence, co-founder of Protect Democracy, a group that says it combats authoritarianism in the U.S. and is consulting with Democrats on their strategy.

The group believes the Hungarian elections offer a successful model.

“It just shows that this messaging has to be loud, it has to be colorful, it has to be engaging,” said Ben Raderstorf, a strategist with Protect Democracy, on how Orbán’s opponents spread their anti-corruption message. “It can’t just be staid hearings, it’s about breaking through attention cycles.”

While Democrats debated after the 2024 election whether their warnings that democracy was imperiled resonated with Americans, many in the party say Trump's actions have shifted public opinion.

Rep. Nikema Williams, D-Ga., one of the task force’s co-chairs, said the president is “actively meddling in our elections and attempting to impose a Jim Crow 2.0 era through intimidation and suppression." She vowed the task force will “hold Trump accountable for his corrupt schemes, expose them to the American people, and present the alternative they deserve.”

Anti-corruption groups are hoping the messaging effort will transfer to a meaningful plan to curb corruption in Washington.

“The hope is that it’s broad, and that it’s serious policymaking and not just talking points,” said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen, a watchdog group that has been in talks with the task force.

The goal, he said, is to address "not just the Trump administration’s extreme abuses, but the systemic rigging of the political process in Washington.”

The land’s transformation, documented through a network of cameras and sensors, offers a playbook for wetland restoration as cranberry farms see slimmer profits from New England to Wisconsin because of climate change and other factors. The crop requires cold winters and plenty of water, but warmer temperatures and longer droughts are challenging harvest seasons.

Settlers in Plymouth were among the first to farm this native New England crop, and since then cranberry farms have been passed down through families for centuries.

“For many of these farmers, it’s their life savings and what they want to pass on to their children,” Davenport says. “It’s very complicated.”

Land that Davenport sold for restoration, now known as Tidmarsh Wildlife Sanctuary, has set an example as the single largest freshwater restoration project in Massachusetts. Together with researchers, technologists and artists, she has created a living laboratory for wetland conservation science. The cameras and sensors provide live, publicly-available data showing how the land is recovering its natural biodiversity.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story is a collaboration between the MIT Graduate Program in Science Writing and The Associated Press.

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Scientists who studied the sanctuary and an adjacent town preserve that’s also on her former farmland have published peer-reviewed studies documenting the changes. Lessons learned at Tidmarsh also helped the state launch a cranberry bog restoration program to connect farmers with nonprofits, which will either buy the land to restore it or help them take on a restoration project themselves.

Nature lovers have found other creative uses for the data: Once, birdwatchers took audio data of a bird call from several microphones to triangulate a bird’s location. Some users play wetland sounds for ambience in their bedrooms or offices.

Restoring the land

To make restoration possible at Tidmarsh, over 20,000 native plant species were planted, several old dams removed and new waterways dug. Excavators sifted through sandy soil degraded by more than a century of cranberry production that formed a thick, hard layer over the natural freshwater wetlands the farms were built on.

Ecologists who believed cranberry farmland to be “ecologically dead” saw a wetland emerge instead. Within just a year of the restoration work that began in 2010, the sandy soil began to sprout.

A 2025 study of sites including the Foothills Preserve in Plymouth, land that was also once part of Davenport’s farm, by researchers at the Woodwell Climate Research Center and the University of Connecticut suggested the sand at Tidmarsh held long-dormant native seeds that just needed to be mixed with peat to germinate. Similarly, a 2021 study of Tidmarsh and other restored sites — including an earlier, smaller restoration in Plymouth known as Eel River Headwaters — found that water retention, soil health and microbial communities improved rapidly in just a few years.

“We discovered that former cranberry farms were actually highly restorable,” says Beth Lambert, director of the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration.

The results of the transformation are on display during tours given by Mass Audubon, the conservation organization that bought and manages most of the land at Tidmarsh. Kim Snyder, the group’s education coordinator, leads groups ranging from birdwatchers to schoolchildren on field trips.

“A lot of Plymouth residents who have been here a long time remember it as a cranberry farm,” Snyder says.

Setting an example

Lambert says Tidmarsh helped launch the state’s Cranberry Bog Restoration Program, which can provide technical assistance and connect farmers to federal funding and conservation-minded buyers. Today, the state has helped complete construction on nine restoration projects totaling around 500 acres (202 hectares) and 10 miles (16 kilometers) of stream habitat. And 11 additional projects spanning another 500 acres are currently in planning stages. Lambert says she aims to have restored another thousand acres in the next 10 to 15 years.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the number of retired cranberry farms in Massachusetts grew by about 40% between 2017 and 2022.

It’s not a given that farmers will choose to sell their lands for conservation purposes. They can sell to other buyers to develop. Or they could let the land languish, taking decades to return to a wild, productive ecosystem.

“If we don’t conserve, if we don’t protect these lands that … owners are walking away (from), we lose it forever,” Davenport says.

A now-retired filmmaker, Davenport believes that the more research on wetland restoration she supports, the more knowledge can be communicated to the public — which could inspire other restoration projects launching elsewhere.

That belief led her to create the Living Observatory, a nonprofit group that describes itself as a “learning collaborative” for researchers, artists and others to document how former cranberry farms recuperate.

Through the network of sensors — which monitor conditions from soil moisture to temperature — and live cameras, the Living Observatory created a trove of data on how to restore cranberry farms. The project’s website now houses data from multiple restoration sites in the state beyond Tidmarsh.

Gershon Dublon, a data and systems researcher and director of the board of the Living Observatory, said researchers were grateful for a fairly simple tool: a centralized place to access the data and add their own. After the success at Tidmarsh, ecologists from as far as the Amazon rainforest reached out to Living Observatory asking for their input on how to deploy a similar bespoke sensor network in their work, Dublon says.

Climate-resilient landscapes

Wetland restoration projects and the knowledge gained from them are important tools in the fight against climate change, says climate scientist Christopher Neill at the Woodwell Climate Center. Wetlands work as barriers that soak up water from floods and storms, Neill says. According to scientists, extreme precipitation is becoming more common in the Northeast.

At Tidmarsh, one example of that resilience is sphagnum moss growing next to a mile-long boardwalk. Snyder likes to tell visitors about its antimicrobial properties. The moss also absorbs and stores planet-warming carbon dioxide.

“It’s a great property to show … the scope of restoration work,” she says, smiling.

The changes at Tidmarsh give Davenport hope. Native pitcher plants grow in clusters in the wetlands. Insects drone over running brooks. Her boots sink on the mushy, wet ground. Those were sounds she never heard on the farm where she grew up.

“The quiet goal is, can we make a dent in the amount of land that’s put in conservation?” Davenport says.

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

She is a one-in-a-generation talent, and now Cardi B has joined the ranks of female MC’s that are considered some of the most influential in hip hop.

On Tuesday night, the award-winning rap star made a stop in South Florida.

She put on a show for thousands of fans at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise.

Despite it being seven years since her last headlining tour, Cardi B did not miss a beat.

Her set was a litany of jams that have become anthems.

Local 10’s Jason Carter was there, and his full report can be seen at the top of this page.

Florentino Antonio Diaz, 45, of Coral Gables, was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Tuesday.

According to prosecutors, in April of 2025, the autonomous municipal board representing 400 property owners in the 50 city-block Arts District switched banks.

Diaz, who was assigned to spearhead the transfer of funds, is accused of forging the vice chairman’s signature on a fraudulent letter asking the bank they were transferring funds from to deposit a final interest payment of more than $46,000 directly to him, then resigning from his position shortly after.

Then on June 11, a Miami Police Department Economic Crimes Unit detective contacted the State Attorney Office’s Public Corruption Unit Task Force and asked them to review the case “due to the political ties between the Wynwood BID and the city of Miami.”

Once the bank was made aware, it reimbursed the Wynwood BID for the full amount investigators say Diaz diverted.

They started to check other bank records and found other transactions Diaz initiated that “appeared irregular and indicative of potentially fraudulent activity.”

A total of 26 questionable wire transfers to Diaz’s bank account, totaling more than $146,000, were found, prosecutors said.

Diaz is also accused of pocketing a $9,000 accidental overpayment to its auditing firm.

As of Tuesday afternoon, he remained behind bars at TGK on a bond of $46,000.

The Wynwood BID released a statement to Local 10 News which can be read below.

The Wynwood Business Improvement District’s Board Chair and signatories identified financial discrepancies and called for an independent audit, which confirmed that approximately $192,000 in unauthorized financial transactions were done by a former employee. Upon discovery, the Wynwood BID Board immediately notified law enforcement and legal counsel. The matter was referred to the State Attorney’s office, and the individual no longer works for the Wynwood BID.

Approximately $46,000 has been recovered to date, and efforts to recover additional funds will continue through legal channels.

In response, the BID has implemented comprehensive new internal controls, including dual authorization requirements for all electronic payments, separation of transaction initiation and approval functions, independent monthly review of all payment activity by Board members, restricted bank access with multifactor authentication, and formalized financial policies across all disbursement processes.

Our board oversight worked as intended. When our leadership identified concerns, we took immediate action to investigate and address them. We’ve implemented strong safeguards to prevent this from happening again. All Wynwood BID programs and services, including safety, cleanliness, marketing, and economic development initiatives, continue without interruption. The organization remains financially sound and committed to our mission of serving the Wynwood community.

Wynwood Business Improvement District

ABOUT THE WYNWOOD BID

Since 2013, the Wynwood Business Improvement District, a municipal board of the City of Miami representing more than 400 property owners that comprise the 50-city-block Arts District, aims to build upon Wynwood’s role as a globally recognized center for arts, innovation and culture. It works to enhance security and sanitation services in the neighborhood, advocate for the betterment of the area, raise awareness of advancements being made, and plan for the future of Wynwood.

Click here for more information.

Click here to view a Wynwood BID map.

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“This has nothing to do with Sheriff Tony, who is doing a wonderful job,” said Broward Commissioner Lamar Fisher. “It’s just to look at the feasibility, and what it would be prudent to look at public safety in its total.”

Commissioners have already commissioned a feasibility study to look at launching in-house police departments at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades to replace BSO.

Fisher said 54% of Broward County’s budget is devoted to BSO for public safety.

“I think it’s a business decision that we need to look at, right?” he said. “When it continues to be 54, 55, 56, 57%, is there ways that we can cut costs and we can have more control at the end of the day?”

Attaching the fire rescue component to the ongoing law enforcement feasibility study as a cost-effective mechanism has been met with a favorable response among other county leaders publicly.

BSO assumed control of fire rescue in 2003 after it was previously operated by the county.

This new idea would give a layer of transparency since the county can’t dictate how dollars are spent.

By law, the sheriff’s office doesn’t have to disclose that information.

“By bringing it under, it obviously provides a different accountability when it comes back to Broward County. We specifically know what those costs would be,” said Fisher.

Fujimori, candidata por Fuerza Popular, encabezaba la votación con 16,98%, según el conteo preliminar de la Oficina Nacional de Procesos Electorales (ONPE). Esta es la cuarta vez que busca la presidencia la hija del fallecido expresidente Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000).

Sánchez —candidato del partido Juntos por el Perú, popular en las zonas rurales y socio político del encarcelado expresidente Pedro Castillo (2021-2022)— se ubicaba en segundo lugar con 12,04% de apoyo tras una campaña marcada por la alta dispersión del voto entre los 35 postulantes de los comicios del domingo.

En un muy cercano tercer lugar quedó López Aliaga, de Renovación Popular, con 11,90%.

Sánchez —exministro del expresidente Castillo— trepó en el conteo desde el cuarto lugar y llegó al segundo desplazando a López Aliaga y a Jorge Nieto Montesinos, quien estaba en tercer lugar y ahora pasó al cuarto con 11,09% de los votos.

Fujimori promete combatir la delincuencia con “mano dura” siguiendo el modelo del presidente salvadoreño Nayib Bukele e implantar jueces con el rostro cubierto como ocurrió durante el gobierno de su padre, condenado por asesinato y corrupción.

De otro lado, el exministro Sánchez propone renegociar los contratos mineros y de gas natural. Suele vestir un poncho y un sombrero campesino que, asegura, le regaló Castillo y afirma que si llega a la presidencia indultará al exmandatario condenado en 2025 a 11 años por conspiración para la rebelión.

Perú irá a un balotaje el 7 de junio porque ningún candidato ha logrado el 50% más uno de los votos válidos que exige la ley para ganar en primera vuelta. Pero los resultados tan ajustados en el el cómputo parcial no permiten aún determinar quiénes serán los contendientes.

La lentitud en el conteo, aunque mayor al promedio de los países de la región, también caracterizó a los últimos comicios presidenciales de Perú en 2021, cuando el 100% se alcanzó cinco días después de la votación.

La noche del martes López Aliaga pidió a las autoridades que anulen las elecciones por un supuesto fraude del que no presentó pruebas consistentes y les dio un plazo hasta el miércoles antes sus seguidores reunidos frente al Tribunal Electoral.

En tanto, Sánchez exhortó a sus partidarios a una posible movilización en caso de que haya indicios de no querer respetar el voto ciudadano. “Sin rollos ni narrativas de fraude... el voto andino, rural, amazónico del Perú profundo se va a respetar”, dijo. En esas zonas de Perú se concentra su caudal político.

Pero una misión de observación electoral de la Unión Europea descartó cualquier irregularidad en los comicios.

Nieto Montesinos cuestionó a sus rivales y sostuvo que “quien tiene acusaciones de fraude que las pruebe y si no las tiene que se calle la boca... porque le está haciendo daño al Perú y está generando más caos, incertidumbre y zozobra”.

Perú celebró los comicios en medio de una crisis política que ha provocado el desfile de ocho presidentes y tres Congresos en una década y un incremento de la delincuencia que los ciudadanos identifican como su mayor preocupación.

En el último quinquenio las denuncias por extorsión —un delito que ha provocado protestas y paralizaciones frecuentes del transporte público— se han quintuplicado, mientras los asesinatos se han duplicado, de acuerdo con datos oficiales.

Los peruanos también votaron para escoger a 130 diputados y 60 senadores de un Congreso bicameral en el que el Senado tiene amplios poderes.

It's Tax Day on Wednesday, the deadline for most Americans to file taxes, and the Trump administration says millions of people have already used new breaks such as no tax on tips and overtime, exemptions for interest on certain car loans, deductions for some seniors, and Trump Accounts for children’s savings.

More than 53 million filers claimed a deduction under one of those provisions from Republicans' massive tax and spending law, a Treasury official told reporters Tuesday before the deadline, with 6 million people claiming no tax on tips, 21 million claiming the overtime deduction and 30 million older Americans claiming the enhanced deduction.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the numbers, said the 2026 filing season was a success from the administration's perspective.

Still, the latest data comes as most Americans, or 7 in 10, still think their taxes are too high, according to recent polling, despite the passage of the Republican tax law which promised big savings for taxpayers.

As the tax season kicked off in January, the White House boasted that average refunds were projected to rise by at least $1,000. But currently, the average refund amount is $3,462, according to the latest IRS data, which is up 11% or about $350 from last tax year’s $3,116 average refund payment.

In an interview that aired on Wednesday, Trump claimed much bigger results. “People are getting refunds of $5,000, $8,000, $11,000 that they had no idea they were getting,” he told Fox Business News. “It’s turned out to be better -- as good or better than I said it would be.”

Treasury has shifted its messaging since January to tout that tax refunds this season are up 24% compared with the four-year average of refunds before President Donald Trump took office.

The White House has been trying to promote Trump's tax cuts as a way to get voters more enthusiastic about the way he's handling the economy ahead of November's midterm elections, but the message has been overshadowed for weeks by higher gas prices caused by the war in Iran.

The 2026 season comes as the IRS has gone through a leadership turnover and reduced its workforce by 27% over the past year through cuts brought on by the Department of Government Efficiency.

IRS CEO Frank Bisignano is set to testify in front of the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday.

In his public testimony to lawmakers, Bisignano planned to tout the IRS' implementation of the Republican tax law.

However, Democratic lawmakers zeroed in on IRS disclosures of confidential taxpayer information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of an agreement between ICE and the Department of Homeland Security to share information for the purpose of identifying and deporting people illegally in the U.S.

Although Israeli strikes on Beirut have eased since last week's shattering 10-minute bombardment without warning killed over 350 people across the country, southern Lebanon remains under attack.

The Israeli military has periodically issued warnings urging residents to flee wide swathes of southern Lebanon as it targets the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group, but tens of thousands of people have stayed — either because they don't want to leave their homes or because they have nowhere to go.

Tyre, too, is under Israeli evacuation order, but many displaced families had seen it as a refuge of last resort, removed from the heaviest clashes closer to the Israeli border. Increasingly, though, residents say nowhere even in Tyre feels safe.

Across the city, the war was visible in shattered buildings, mounds of rubble and debris-strewn streets. Residents moved cautiously along wreckage-lined roads.

Mourners gathered for the funeral of 19-year-old Ghadir Baalbaki, killed overnight in an Israeli drone strike just outside Tyre’s city center. It was not immediately clear who was targeted, but witnesses said Baalbaki had been sitting outside her house when the drone hit nearby.

“I hugged Ghadir because I thought she had fainted. I kept trying to wake her up," Mariam Hamoud, her aunt, recalled from the temporary graveyard where Baalbaki was buried. Many families can't return to home villages to bury their dead because they are too close to the front lines.

Baalbaki’s father, Mohammed Baalbaki, stood beside the grave in tears.

“We cannot adapt to life without her," he said.

Across southern Lebanon, Israeli forces said they had struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets over the past 24 hours. Hezbollah claimed rocket attacks on military targets in northern Israel and on Israeli forces in the town of Khiam near the border, which has seen intense fighting in recent weeks.

Tuesday's talks between Lebanon and Israel in Washington have drawn backlash from Hezbollah and its supporters.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah on Wednesday castigated Lebanese authorities for what he called the “disgraceful image” of direct negotiations with Israel “at a time when it is killing Lebanese people and committing massacres." He called on the government to hold a popular vote on the future of Hezbollah's arsenal rather than decide its fate in talks with Israel.

Lebanon's government seeks the disarmament of Hezbollah, but the group has long defied such efforts.

“If it truly wants to prove it reflects the aspirations of the Lebanese people, then (the government) should accept a public referendum. We are ready for a referendum on these choices,” Fadlallah told reporters, saying he expected the results to show that a majority of Lebanese people support Hezbollah's militant activities.

On the streets of Beirut, Lebanese were divided on the talks. Some agreed with Hezbollah that Israel can only be stopped through military force.

“These negotiations do not represent us … it’s as if they never existed," said Mustafa Alaa Al-Din, who was displaced from southern Lebanon.

Others welcomed the talks, expressing support for any initiative that promises to hasten the end of the war.

“The negotiations are more in our interest than in Israel’s interest because we are the ones whose country is being destroyed, we are the ones suffering losses,” said Mohamed Saad, a Beirut resident.

The latest Israel-Hezbollah war began when Hezbollah fired missiles across the border days after the U.S. and Israel launched their war on Iran. Israel responded with an intense aerial campaign and ground invasion.

At least 2,167 people have been killed in Israeli strikes, Lebanon's health ministry said Wednesday, including 260 women, 172 children and 91 medical workers. More than 1 million Lebanese have been displaced.

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Associated Press writers Fadi Tawil and Isabel DeBre in Beirut contributed to this report.

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It happened Tuesday afternoon in the area of Southwest 16th Street and Fourth Avenue in Fort Lauderdale’s Croissant Park neighborhood.

“It was no breaks or nothing, was just ‘kaboom,’” said resident Chris Gardella. “Because I was right here watching TV and, ‘kaboom.’ It’s enough to make me jump up and run out there.”

According to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, the accident was a two-vehicle crash involving a USPS vehicle and a Lexus sedan.

Authorities said a USPS employee was ejected from their vehicle and rushed to Broward Health Medical Center as a trauma alert.

“Hundreds of pieces of mail all over the street,” said Gardella. “It was crazy, because then he came flying right out the side window of the truck.”

The second vehicle’s driver was also taken to the hospital for treatment, with injuries considered non-life-threatening, officials said.

Snap Inc. said in a regulatory filing that the job cuts will cost about $95 million to $130 million in severance payments and related costs.

“The headcount reduction is designed to further streamline our operations and reallocate resources toward our highest-priority initiatives, leveraging increased operational efficiencies to accelerate our path toward net-income profitability," the company said in its filing.

Snap had 5,261 full-time employees as of Dec. 31, 2025, the company said in its latest annual report.

CEO Evan Spiegel said in a letter to staff that another 300 open roles would not be filled.

It's not the first time the Santa Monica, California-based company has eliminated jobs. In 2024, Snap cut 10% of its workforce, or about 530 employees.

Snap cut 3% of its staff in late 2023, and in 2022 it slashed its workforce by 20%.

Snapchat, which is popular with young people and known for its disappearing photos and videos, has 474 million users every day, on average, according to the annual report.

Snap said in its latest earnings report that its net loss in 2025 narrowed to $460 million, as revenue rose to $5.9 billion.

If you're worried that you still might not be able to finish your taxes in time, you also can file for an extension, which will give you until Oct. 15 to file.

Here's what you need to know about Wednesday's deadline — and a few tips to keep in mind.

What do I need to file my tax return?

Generally, every tax-filer needs the following at hand

— your Social Security number

— W-2 forms, if you're employed

— 1099-G forms, if you're unemployed

— 1099 forms, if you're self-employed

— Savings and investment records

— A sense of any eligible deductions, such as education expenses, medical bills or charitable donations.

— A sense of relevant tax credits, such as the child tax credit or a retirement savings contributions credit.

To find a more detailed document list, visit the IRS website.

Tax professionals recommend gathering all your documents in one place before you start your tax return — as well as having documents from the year prior, if your financial situation has changed drastically. Experts also suggest creating an identity protection PIN number with the IRS to guard against identity theft. Once you create a number, the IRS will require it to file your tax return.

How do I file for an extension?

If you run out of time to file your tax return, you can file for an extension to take more time by using your preferred tax software, with the IRS Free File tool, or via mail.

However, it’s important to remember that the extension is only to file your tax return, not to pay owed taxes. If you owe taxes, you should pay an estimated amount before the deadline to avoid paying penalties and interest. If you expect to receive a refund, you’ll still receive your money when you file your taxes.

The deadline to file for an extension is Wednesday, which will give you until Oct. 15 to file.

The IRS notes some taxpayers — including members of the military and people who live and work outside of the U.S. — get an automatic, two-month extension to file until June 15. But again, most payments are still due April 15.

How can I avoid mistakes filing my taxes?

Many people fear getting in trouble with the IRS if they make a mistake. To avoid common errors:

— Double check your name on your Social Security card.

You'll want to make sure the name on your tax return matches what's on your Social Security card. Some people may have taken a new last name after marriage, for example, but if that hasn't been updated with the Social Security Administration yet, the IRS notes you'll need to use your former name to avoid delays.

And if you get a W-2 from an employer with a name that no longer matches your Social Security card, the IRS says you should contact your employer to fix it.

— Search for tax statements if you've opted out of paper mail.

While many important tax documents are still sent out on physical paper, people increasingly are opting out of snail mail these days. If you're not seeing it in your mailbox, check your online accounts.

“If you didn’t get anything in the mail doesn’t mean that there isn’t an information document out there that you need to be aware of and report accordingly,” Tom O’Saben, director of tax content and government relations at the National Association of Tax Professionals, previously told The Associated Press.

— Report all of your income.

If you had more than one job in 2025, you need the W-2 forms for each.

What resources are available?

For those who made $89,000 or less last year, IRS Free File offers free guided tax preparation that does the math for you. And if you have questions while working on your tax forms, the IRS also offers an interactive tax assistant tool.

Beyond TurboTax and H&R Block, taxpayers can also hire licensed professionals, such as certified public accountants. The IRS offers a directory of tax preparers across the United States.

The IRS also funds two types of programs that offer free tax help: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly program (TCE). People who earn $69,000 or less a year, those who have a disability, and those who speak limited English all qualify for the VITA program. Those who are 60 or older qualify for the TCE program. The IRS has a site for locating organizations that host VITA and TCE clinics.

If you have a tax problem, there are also clinics around the country that can help you resolve these issues. Generally, these tax clinics also offer services in other languages such as Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese.

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AP Business Writer Wyatte Grantham-Philips contributed to this report.

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The Associated Press receives support from Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

What was once a quieter, more exclusive space is now drawing a wider crowd — from beginners to seasoned players.

At the center of it all, is the Sunrise Center for Excellence in Chess. The program has expanded the game’s reach through tournaments, weekly open play and community events.

“What chess teaches is for you to just think one or two moves ahead in life,” said Sunrise Mayor Mike Ryan, who helped build the program with support from the city commission. “A lot of folks don’t know where to go to learn how to play. They’re scared to go find a teacher. So the city of Sunrise set up a free open play every Saturday morning, and we have instructors there.”

On a recent Saturday at the Sunrise Athletic Complex, that mission was playing out in real time — open play unfolding alongside a tournament, both drawing a steady crowd.

The junior players took the boards first.

Parents were escorted out of the gym, left to watch through the windows as the room sharpened and the focus set in.

“We’ve got to create some discipline for the parents as well,” Ryan said. “That they can’t help them. They have to let them go do their thing.”

The tournament is just one part of a broader effort to make chess more accessible and inviting.

Ryan said the idea grew out of his time with the PTA, where he saw both the benefits of the game and the barriers to entry — clubs that often drew in students who already knew how to play, leaving others out.

With backing from the city commission, the center was created to change that — offering a space where players of all levels can learn, compete and connect.

“It’s never been about trophies,” he said. “We’re going to measure our success by whether the students feel like they’re more confident. Are they more engaged? Are they going to become better architects, better lawyers, better doctors, better mayors? Smarter and prepared for life ... and that’s really been the focus.”

For players like Jacorey Bynum, that access has made a difference.

A local athlete, Bynum first discovered chess after showing up to play basketball and noticing games nearby. What began as curiosity turned into commitment — and eventually, a title as a National Master.

“It’s all about gameplan,” said Bynum. “Like at the start of the opening I know what I’m going to do and what I want to do.”

Parents say the appeal extends beyond competition — pointing to a space that’s diverse, welcoming and open to all.

Eric Kuhn said his children are learning that every move matters — and every mistake teaches.

To submit an idea for What Connects Us, email whatconnectsus@wplg.com.

Organizers of the Global Sumud Flotilla say that more than 70 boats and 1,000 people from around the world will participate, with campaigners saying it's the biggest civilian-led mobilization of its kind against Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territory.

Nearly 40 boats were leaving Barcelona while the rest will join the fleet from other ports along the Mediterranean as they sail eastward, according to Thiago Ávila, one of the flotilla's leaders who spoke at a news conference in Barcelona on Sunday during a symbolic send-off event. Bad weather had forced organizers to delay their departure, which was originally planned for April 12.

As attention has turned to the Iran war, activists hope that their latest mission will revive attention to the plight of Palestinians living in Gaza.

“We sail because governments have failed,” said Saif Abukeshek, a Palestinian activist and member of the flotilla's global steering committee.

“They want a society that feels helpless, that cannot act, that cannot mobilize," Abukeshek said on Sunday. “We refuse to be that society.”

Last week, Gaza marked six months since a ceasefire made the most intense fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militants stop. Yet Israeli attacks have killed more than 700 people in the six months since the ceasefire, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Much of the ceasefire work remains to be done, from disarming Hamas and ending its rule to deploying an international stabilization force and beginning vast reconstruction. Around 2 million Gaza residents are still living in ruins with shortages of food and medicine, and only limited aid entering through a single, Israeli-controlled border post.

Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007. Israel says the blockade is needed to prevent Hamas from importing arms, while critics say it amounts to collective punishment of Gaza’s Palestinian population.

The Global Sumud Flotilla's latest efforts come less than a year after another attempt was foiled by Israeli authorities.

Last fall, dozens of boats sailed close to Gaza, with one even crossing the 12-nautical-mile line (22-kilometer line) marking the divide from international waters to territorial waters off Gaza. But they were all ultimately intercepted and seized or turned away.

Those sailing last year, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, were arrested, imprisoned and deported by Israel. They claimed Israeli authorities abused them while in detention, accusations that Israeli authorities denied.

Their interception at sea had been broadcast live by onboard cameras, sparking worldwide protests at the time. But attention on Gaza has since waned, with eyes focused now on the latest Iran war upending the Middle East and roiling global markets.

Organizers hope this mission will bring back attention to the conditions of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, which was ravaged by the Israel-Hamas war. More than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war in Gaza began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage.

Greenpeace Spain and migrant rescue group Open Arms, which have committed their two large vessels to sail alongside the smaller flotilla boats, are among those supporting the flotilla.

“We sail because the people of Gaza have a right to exist and to breathe and to thrive on their land,” said Eva Saldaña, head of Greenpeace Spain.

The 14-year-old gunman was killed. He arrived at the school armed with guns believed to belong to his father, a retired police officer, Kahramanmaras provincial Gov. Mukerrem Unluer said. He was carrying five firearms and seven magazines.

The motive of the attack wasn't immediately known. It was not clear whether the gunman was killed by police or killed himself.

Six of the 13 people wounded were in serious condition, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said.

The attack came a day after 16 people, mostly students, were wounded when a former student opened fire at a high school in nearby Sanliurfa province. The assailant later killed himself.

Until this week, school shootings were rare in Turkey.

State-run broadcaster, TRT, identified the latest shooter as Isa Aras Mersinli and said his father was detained for questioning.

Turkish authorities imposed a ban on the broadcast of “traumatic” images from the shooting, warning media organizations to limit coverage to statements from officials.

Parents rushed to the school in Kahramanmaras’ Onikisubat district after hearing reports of an armed attack, NTV television reported.

A Democratic victory in the Democratic-leaning district would further narrow the slim majority Republicans hold in the chamber.

The major party nominees to replace Sherrill are Democrat Analilia Mejia, a longtime progressive organizer and former Labor Department official, and Republican Joe Hathaway, a member of the Randolph Township Council.

Mejia, who had the early backing of progressive stalwarts U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, narrowly won the Feb. 5 Democratic special primary against a crowded field that included former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski and former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way. Malinowski was attempting a comeback after losing a neighboring House seat in 2022.

Hathaway ran unopposed for the Republican nomination.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas War and support for Israel has been a major issue in the campaign. A super PAC affiliated with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent more than $2.3 million to defeat Malinowski, who had questioned providing unconditional aid to the Israeli government. During a primary campaign forum, Mejia was the only candidate to indicate she believes Israel committed genocide in Gaza. She has also called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a war criminal. Hathaway has said the U.S. should stand “ in lockstep ” with Israel and opposes putting conditions on aid to an ally.

Mejia had raised about $1.1 million for the special primary and special election and had about $374,000 in her campaign account as of March 27. Hathaway had raised about $525,000 for his campaign and had about $109,000 in the bank.

Democrats have held an advantage in general elections in the district. Sherrill won reelection in 2024 with about 57% of the vote, while Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris carried the district with 53% at the top of the ballot.

More than half of the district’s 588 precincts are in Morris County, with about 39% in Essex County and 9% in Passaic County. The district’s portion of Essex County is heavily Democratic: Harris carried the area with 64% in 2024. President Donald Trump narrowly won the district’s share of Morris County by about one percentage point. He carried the district’s small portion of Passaic County with about 57% of its vote.

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

New Jersey does not have automatic recounts, but candidates and voters may request and pay for them, with the cost refunded if the outcome changes. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

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

When do polls close?

Polls close at 8 p.m. ET.

What’s on the ballot?

The AP will provide vote results and declare a winner in the special congressional election in the 11th District. In addition to the candidates named on the ballot, voters also have a write-in option.

Who gets to vote?

Any voter registered in the 11th District may participate in the special election.

What do turnout and advance vote look like?

As of April 1, there were about 603,000 registered voters in the 11th Congressional District. Of those, about 230,000 were Democrats, about 165,000 were Republicans and about 204,000 were not affiliated with any party. The remainder were registered with various minor parties.

More than 68,000 ballots were cast in the Feb. 5 Democratic special primary and about 16,000 in the Republican contest.

About 394,000 votes were cast in the 2024 general election, with nearly half cast before Election Day.

As of Monday, about 54,000 votes had already been cast, including about 34,000 from Democrats, about 13,000 from Republicans and more than 7,000 from unaffiliated voters.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

In the Feb. 5 special primary, the AP first reported results at 8:04 p.m. ET, or four minutes after polls closed. The last update of the night was at 10:30 p.m. ET with about 91% of total votes counted. The AP called the race at 5:34 p.m. on Feb. 12.

When are early and absentee voting results released?

All counties in New Jersey release most or all the results from early and absentee voting in the first vote update of the night, before any in-person Election Day results are released.

Are we there yet?

As of Thursday, there will be 201 days until this seat is up again in the 2026 midterm elections.

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

The first lady began working on foster care issues after President Donald Trump's first term in office ended in 2021. Her trip to the branch of government at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue follows a similar and successful lobbying effort last year for Congress to send legislation to the president to protect women and children from online sexual exploitation.

The visit also comes a week after Melania Trump's surprise on-camera statement at the White House in which she denied ties to Jeffrey Epstein and knowledge of his crimes, and urged Congress to hold a hearing for his victims. She also demanded an end to “lies” linking her to the late financier and convicted sex offender.

The first lady said on social media that she looked forward to working with Congress to “advance new legislation designed to protect and empower individuals from the foster care community.” Their shared mission, she said, is "to strengthen America’s next generation.”

She was meeting Wednesday afternoon with members of the House Ways and Means Committee, and people who were in foster care.

Republican and Democratic members of the committee have introduced several bills to update the Chafee foster care program to improve outcomes for young people aging out of the foster care system. The measures would increase their access to housing, education and workforce training programs, among other things, to help them succeed in the transition to adulthood and independence.

The program provides support to foster youth and former foster youth, ages 14 to 21, as they leave the system. The committee said the bipartisan proposals would be the most significant update since the Chafee program was created in 1999.

The Government Accountability Office published a report in January 2025 detailing how states were returning millions of dollars in unused Chafee program funds to the federal government, despite unmet needs of foster youth.

Last November, President Trump created the “Fostering the Future” program by executive order to have federal entities, nonprofits, educational institutions and the private sector work together to improve career and educational opportunities for children raised in foster care.

The first lady, who joined her husband in the Oval Office for the executive order signing, separately spearheads a broader “Fostering the Future” initiative that is part of the “Be Best” child-focused campaign she launched during his first presidential term. The program offers scholarships to current and former foster youth.

Last month, she hosted a similarly themed summit with counterparts from more than 40 countries and called on them to work together to improve access to education and technology for children around the world.

In March 2025, Melania Trump used her first public appearance after resuming the role of first lady to join a Capitol Hill roundtable discussion of the Take It Down Act. President Trump signed the bill into law two months later, making it a federal crime to knowingly publish or threaten to publish intimate images without a person’s consent.

Last week, Melania Trump and the White House separately called attention to the first conviction under the new law after an Ohio man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to cybercrimes that included real and AI-generated sexually explicit images and threats of violence to numerous victims.

Meyer was minister of defense from 1991 to 1992 under the white minority government of former President F.W. De Klerk’s National Party. He later was a chief negotiator in the negotiations that brought an end to apartheid and led to the election of Nelson Mandela as the country’s first Black and democratically elected leader in 1994. Meyer served in Mandela’s cabinet as constitutional development minister from 1994 to 1996.

Meyer's appointment comes during a period of strained relations between South Africa and U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, which expelled former Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool following his criticism of Trump.

The fallout put pressure on Ramaphosa to appoint an ambassador who would be acceptable to the Trump administration while relations remain tense.

Trump has targeted South Africa and cut all financial assistance after accusing the government of allowing a “white genocide” against the white Afrikaner minority group, claiming they were being racially targeted and killed. Trump implemented a program offering migration and asylum to white Afrikaners who feel persecuted in South Africa.

“I can confirm that President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Mr Roelf Meyer as South Africa’s Ambassador to the US,” Ramaphosa's spokesman Vincent Magwenya said in a message to The Associated Press.

The appointment of Meyer, himself an Afrikaner, comes a week after Ramaphosa accepted Leo Brent Bozell III as the new U.S. ambassador to South Africa.

Bozell, a conservative activist appointed by Trump, started on a tense footing after he was summoned by South Africa's foreign ministry in March. Speaking at a meeting of business leaders, Bozell challenged the South African government over its diplomatic ties with Iran and affirmative action laws that he said advance opportunities for Black people ahead of other races.

Professor John Stremlau, a U.S.-Africa relations expert at the University of the Witwatersrand, called Meyer “the right person, at the right time.”

“He is an excellent and experienced negotiator who not only negotiated in South Africa, but has brokered agreements elsewhere in various other places under very difficult circumstances," Stremlau said, adding that Meyer needs to “stabilize the relationship” between the nations.

“But it will be difficult for him because Trump’s executive orders last year laid out a racist agenda against South Africa’s Black majority, cutting all financial assistance to them and offering refugee status to Afrikaners,” Stremlau said.

The two nations also are at odds over South Africa's decision to pursue an International Court of Justice case accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

Trump boycotted the G20 Leaders Summit hosted by South Africa in 2025 and has not invited South Africa to the G20 meetings being hosted by the U.S. in Miami in December.

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The Parkway Middle School student, who appeared in juvenile court Tuesday morning, has been suspended from school until further notice and was ordered to stay away from the campus.

The boy was in court with his father and is not being held in juvenile detention.

He is scheduled to appear in court again on May 18.

According to police, officers were called to the school, located at 3600 NW Fifth Court, at about 7:30 a.m. Monday after the school resource officer was notified by a school behavioral technician that a student had been displaying what appeared to be a weapon prior to boarding a school bus.

Police said the student was found running through school grounds when he arrived on campus, and he was detained by the school officer.

A handgun-style BB gun was then found in his backpack, authorities said.

Police said the student is facing charges of possession of a weapon on school grounds and possession of a BB gun by a minor under age 16.

According to BCPS, the student is also facing “appropriate disciplinary measures in accordance with the Code Book for Student Conduct.”

BCPS confirmed that a tip from a student and parent led to the potentially dangerous discovery at the Lauderhill school.

Ackimo Charles, who is listed as “intern principal” of elementary and 8^th grade on the school website, said in a message to parents, in part, “We received information from a student and parent about a possible weapon on campus. We immediately placed our school on Lockdown and notified our School Resource Officer and security team, who safely handled the situation and confiscated the weapon.”

“He told me he was going to bring it to school, but I told him not to do it, but he still went ahead,” a student told Local 10 News. “And one of my other friends told him not to do it.”

After police got involved, the lockdown was lifted and school operations continued as normal.

Charles praised the student and parent who reported the weapon, saying that the idea of “see something, say something” worked in this particular situation.

Craig McQueen, a former assistant chief for the Miami Police Department, told Local 10 that the situation could have had far more serious consequences.

“Now he could possibly have a criminal record that’s gonna follow him for the rest of his life. Why? To show off a gun? To be braggadocios for just a few minutes?” McQueen asked.

McQueen questioned how the student obtained the BB gun in the first place and stressed the role of parents in preventing incidents like this.

“These parents should be held accountable for their kids’ actions,” he said.

He also praised those who came forward to report the weapon, saying it helped prevent a worse outcome.

“I am happy that the kids who saw this reported it and no further injury or any major thing happened because people spoke up. They saw something, they said something,” McQueen said.

McQueen also emphasized how parents should handle access to weapons.

“If you want to buy your child a weapon, BB gun or whatever, please, take it to the right location,” he said. “Take it to the gun range with your supervision. Don’t allow the child to take the gun out of your presence. This is a kid that’s now facing serious criminal issues.”

Police confirmed no injuries were reported during the incident and there is “no ongoing threat to the school.”

Officials with the district said that the lockdown at Parkway Middle School, located at 3600 NW Fifth Court in Lauderhill, was the result of a weapon on campus.

Police said it appears to be the result of an accidental activation of a safety alert.

Some of the confusion can possibly be blamed on the type of weapon. Students told Local 10 News that it involved a BB gun.

Some students initially thought it was a drill.

“It was on lockdown for like the whole first period,” one student said.

But the seriousness of the situation became evident as the day went on.

Broward County Public Schools confirmed that a tip from a student and parent led to a potentially dangerous discovery.

Ackimo Charles, who is listed as “intern principal” of elementary and 8^th grade on the school website, said in a message to parents, in part, “We received information from a student and parent about a possible weapon on campus. We immediately placed our school on Lockdown and notified our School Resource Officer and security team, who safely handled the situation and confiscated the weapon.”

“He told me he was going to bring it to school, but I told him not to do it, but he still went ahead,” another student said. “And one of my other friends told him not to do it.”

After police got involved, the lockdown was lifted and school operations continued as normal.

Charles praised the student and parent who actually stepped in to say something, saying that the idea of “see something, say something” worked in this particular situation.

So, which luxury SUV is the better buy? Let’s examine their specs, strengths, weaknesses and differences, along with how Edmunds’ car experts rated them overall and in specific categories.

Performance and fuel economy

Both the X5 and Q5 are available with powerful performance variants, but for this comparison, we’ll stick with the more popular standard engines. Each SUV comes standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The Q5’s is slightly more powerful — it makes 268 horsepower compared to the X3’s 255 horsepower — but in real-world acceleration, the two SUVs are very similar. Both have sufficient power to quickly get you up to highway speeds or pass a slow-moving vehicle without trouble.

When it comes time to fill up at the pump, the EPA estimates that the Q5 will get 24 mpg in combined city/highway driving. The X3 30 xDrive gets an estimated 29 mpg combined, so that’s a crystal-clear advantage in the BMW’s favor.

Advantage: BMW X3

Comfort and space

The Q5 and X3 both have a comfortable ride, albeit with a typically German buttoned-down feel. Keep in mind, though, that options such as the X3’s M Sport package can enhance handling performance at the detriment to ride smoothness. Your best option for a cushy ride is to get the Q5 Prestige trim, which comes with an air suspension that can also adjust the SUV’s ride height.

The Audi Q5’s back seat offers more legroom and its seatback reclines, unlike the fixed back of the X3. If you’re a rear passenger, you’re likely to prefer the Audi. Edmunds’ car experts touted both for having front seats with firm cushioning and extensive adjustments.

In terms of cargo capacity, the BMW would seem to have an advantage on the spec sheet, but Edmunds’ editors were able to fit just as much luggage behind the Q5’s back seat as the X3’s. Moreover, the Q5’s 60/40-split back seat can slide forward to increase cargo capacity even further should you be OK sacrificing some rear seat legroom.

Advantage: Audi Q5

Technology

The Audi Q5 and BMW X3 interiors both feature big touchscreen infotainment systems. Both include full integration of the climate controls into the screen, requiring more concentration to use and additional steps to make adjustments previously accomplished by pressing a simple button. Beyond that, though, Edmunds’ experts found both systems to be impressive. They even have similarly sized screens.

Connectivity to your personal devices is also excellent for both. Standard equipment includes a wireless phone charging pad, USB-C ports in each row, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Both also include integrated navigation and a digital instrument panel.

Audi and BMW also offer similar standard driver assistance features, such as forward collision warning, automatic braking, lane keeping assistance and blind-spot warning. The Q5 also comes with standard adaptive cruise control, which is an option on the X3. But the X3 offers a hands-free highway driving assistance function intended for traffic congestion that operates at speeds up to 40 mph. Audi doesn’t currently offer a hands-free driving system on the Q5.

Advantage: tie

Value

The BMW X3’s base price is lower at $52,650 compared to $54,095 for the Q5, including destination fees. That said, the Audi Q5 comes with equipment you have to pay extra for in the BMW, including all-wheel drive, a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, adaptive cruise control, and a function that lets you use your phone as the car’s key. The Q5 can get more expensive than the X3 when fully loaded, however, and its styling isn’t as evocative. Overall we think you’re getting a bit more for your money with the X3.

Advantage: X3

Edmunds says

This comparison is incredibly close, as are the overall Edmunds Rating scores for both. The X3 ultimately has a slightly higher score, but we would recommend the Q5 if comfort is a priority.

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This story was provided to The Associated Press by the automotive website Edmunds. James Riswick is a contributor at Edmunds.

In Dearborn, just outside of Detroit, families wait restlessly for word from relatives abroad, hoping they are safe, and mourning those already lost.

What began as anguish over the war in Gaza has widened. In a city with a large Lebanese American population, the expanding conflict in Lebanon has made the crisis even more personal. That anxiety is colliding with pressures at home, including heightened immigration enforcement, a strained economy and rising tensions after a recent attack on a synagogue.

“The community now sees that it could have got worse — and it did get worse,” said Nabih Ayad, founder of the Arab American Civil Rights League. “But the community was just so desperate.”

The national spotlight that once fixed on Dearborn during the 2024 election has faded. The mass protests have quieted. But inside mosques, at vigils and around family tables, conversations reveal a city still reeling, and one beginning to reckon with what comes next.

A community reckoning

Last week, Ayad joined other Arab American leaders for a meeting with The Associated Press. Many of them had been deeply involved in conversations with both Democrat Kamala Harris' and Trump's campaigns as each courted their vote during the last presidential race.

“We get this all the time by media, okay? It’s basically, ‘How’d that decision go? How’d that work out for you?’” Ayad said.

Among the nearly dozen leaders — ranging from county commissioner to state lawmakers to business owners — there was wide agreement that life had not improved since Trump was sworn into office.

But there was little regret. Many said Democrats did not offer a viable alternative because Harris, the vice president at the time, did not distance herself enough from President Joe Biden's support for Israel's war in Gaza.

Few of them plan to support Trump or Republicans in the future.

“I think November 3rd couldn’t come soon enough,” said Wayne County Commissioner Sam Baydoun, referring to the midterm elections.

War with Iran engulfs Lebanon

After the United States joined with Israel to attack Iran, the conflict widened to include Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based.

A fragile, two-week ceasefire announced last week did not extend to fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, meaning the violence continues there. The war has displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon and killed more than 2,000, including more than 500 women, children and medical workers. Lebanon and Israel held their first direct diplomatic talks in decades on Tuesday in Washington.

Michigan is home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the country, and nearly a quarter are of Lebanese descent. In Wayne County, which includes Detroit and Dearborn, about a third of the roughly 140,000 residents identified as Middle Eastern or North African in the 2020 Census are Lebanese.

For many, that means constant worry.

“I have family in Lebanon. I have an uncle with his wife and his kids and his grandkids. And to be honest with you, I’m just waiting for the call from overseas saying that he’s perished,” said Assad Turfe, a Wayne County official who was among the few Arab Americans to endorse Harris in 2024.

“This is the kind of environment that this community is living with every day,” he added. “That story is in the minds and the hearts of almost everyone that lives in this community.”

Inside mosques and outside vigils

On a Friday in Dearborn Heights, over a hundred worshippers packed into a mosque from the afternoon's prayer. An imam opened by talking about the conflict in the Middle East and deriding Trump's comments that a “whole civilization will die" if Iran did not agree to his terms.

“Political leaders are supposed to build the bridges, not promote scorched earth policies,” the imam said.

It was a reminder of how deeply the conflict has seeped into daily life, and how places of worship have become spaces not just for prayer.

That night, Peace Park in Dearborn filled with Lebanese flags as a vigil took over the main square.

Children sat on steps draped in American flags, holding photos of children killed in the war. Nearby, speakers took turns describing a conflict that has stretched across presidencies with little sign of easing.

“What we have witnessed is not just another headline. It is not distant. It is not abstract,” Suehaila Amen, a Lebanese American, said at the vigil.

“We are a community in mourning," she said, "and we have been mourning for a long, long time."

Russian strikes hit more than a half-dozen areas of Ukraine behind the front line from Tuesday to Wednesday, killing an 8-year-old boy in the central Cherkasy region and a woman who was in a kiosk near a bus stop that was hit in southern Zaporizhzhia, according to Zelenskyy and local officials.

“Every day we need air defense missiles — every day Russia continues its strikes,” Zelenskyy said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.

With no plans announced for further U.S.-mediated talks with Russia, Zelenskyy was visiting three European capitals in 48 hours, securing promises of further military and financial support from Germany and Norway ahead of his trip to Italy on Wednesday. Germany and Ukraine agreed a defense package valued at 4 billion euros ($4.7 billion), and Norway has pledged 9 billion euros ($10.6 billion) in assistance, Ukrainian officials said.

After more than four years of fighting Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine possesses battle-tested drone interceptor expertise and has developed groundbreaking air defense technology, but it lacks the money to scale up production to levels that would press its advantage.

Defense leaders from 50 countries aim to send more help to Ukraine

Zelenskyy said he is asking European countries to keep adding money to a fund that allows the purchase from the United States of American-made weapons for Ukraine, especially the Patriot air defense system that can stop Russian cruise and ballistic missiles hitting civilian areas.

Between November and March, Russia launched 27,000 Shahed-type drones, nearly 600 cruise missiles and 462 ballistic missiles at Ukraine, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said.

Zelenskyy is also championing joint weapons production agreements, including for drones and missiles, while pushing for the European Union to move quickly on providing a promised 90 billion euro ($106 billion) loan.

Defense leaders from the about 50 nations who regularly gather to coordinate weapons aid for Kyiv held an online meeting Wednesday, chaired by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and British Defense Secretary John Healey. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also attended.

Ahead of the meeting, Britain announced it will send 120,000 drones to Ukraine this year, its biggest delivery of the weapons so far. Officials didn’t say how soon they will be sent.

Ukraine seeks to keep up its battlefield momentum

Ukraine’s war effort has gained momentum in recent weeks, according to Western officials and analysts. Its short-handed troops have disrupted Russia’s spring offensive, thanks in part to drones and ground robots, and its long-range strikes have dented Russian oil exports and some manufacturing output.

Ukraine’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said Wednesday that last month Ukrainian troops recaptured nearly 50 square kilometers (20 square miles) of territory from Russian forces. Also in March, Ukrainian deep strike operations hit 76 Russian targets, including 15 oil refining facilities, he said.

But clouds have also gathered, as the Iran war drains stockpiles of advanced air defense missiles that Ukraine needs, and Kyiv’s money is running short.

“We cannot lose sight of Ukraine” amid the Middle East conflict, NATO chief Rutte said.

Russia fires more than 300 drones at Ukraine civilian areas

Russia launched 324 drones and three ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian air force said, in its biggest barrage in almost two weeks. Air defenses intercepted 309 of the drones.

Russia also fired a powerful FAB-1500 glide bomb, weighing 1.5 metric tons, at the central part of Sloviansk before dawn Wednesday, the Sloviansk City Military Administration head Vadym Liakh said.

The blast destroyed a children’s sports facility that was a city landmark, he said.

In a nighttime strike on the southeastern city of Dnipro, Russian forces struck two universities overnight, damaging academic buildings, dormitories and nearby homes, Mayor Borys Filatov said.

The blast wave shattered more than 1,000 windows in surrounding buildings, he said, adding that there were no military targets in the area.

Meanwhile, Ukraine proceeded with its long-range drone attacks, with the Russian Defense Ministry reporting Wednesday that its air defenses intercepted 85 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Ukrainian drones targeted an industrial facility in Sterlitamak, a Russian city about 1,300 kilometers (roughly 800 miles) east of the border with Ukraine, local authorities said.

Radiy Khabirov, governor of the Bashkortostan region where Sterlitamak is located, said in an online statement Wednesday that several drones were shot down over Sterlitamak’s “industrial zone,” and debris fell on one of the facilities there, starting a fire. One person died in the attack, he said.

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Associated Press writers Jill Lawless in London, Kirsten Grieshaber in Berlin and Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this report.

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

The Bavarian powerhouse holds a 2-1 lead over Madrid from the first leg of their quarterfinal last week, and coach Vincent Kompany has a full squad at his disposal with no injuries after Bayern smashed the Bundesliga goals record with a 5-0 rout of St. Pauli at the weekend.

That victory put Bayern within touching distance of yet another league title – the 13th in 14 years – while it faces Bayer Leverkusen in the semifinals of the German Cup on April 22.

Bayern’s excellence contrasts sharply with Madrid’s troubles. The 15-time European champion faces the prospect of a second consecutive season without a trophy unless it beats Bayern away by two goals in what is sure to be a hostile environment in Munich.

Madrid was held 1-1 at home by Girona at the weekend, allowing Barcelona to open a nine-point lead in La Liga, after its third straight game without a win.

Kylian Mbappé received a blow to his face at the end of that match but will be able to play as Madrid attempts a famed “remontada” (comeback) to salvage the tie and keep alive its hopes of a trophy in the competition that defines the club.

“We are the team that never gives up,” coach Álvaro Arbeloa said.

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The decision by Ye came a week after he was banned from entering the U.K., where he was scheduled to headline the Wireless Festival in July, following a backlash over the artist’s history of antisemitic remarks.

“After much thought and consideration, it is my sole decision to postpone my show in Marseille, France until further notice,” Ye wrote Wednesday on the social network X. “I know it takes time to understand the sincerity of my commitment to make amends."

The rapper, who changed his name in 2021, had been expected to play at Marseille's Stade Vélodrome on June 11.

French Interior minister Laurent Nuñez had pledged to explore “all possibilities” to make sure the show would not go on as planned, according to his office.

Earlier this year, Marseille Mayor Benoît Payan opposed the rapper’s visit to one of France’s most multicultural cities, which has a history of immigration stretching back centuries.

“I refuse to let Marseille be a showcase for those who promote hatred and unabashed Nazism,” Payan said. “Kanye West is not welcome at the Vélodrome, our temple of community and home to all Marseillais.”

Ye has drawn widespread condemnation for making antisemitic remarks and voicing admiration for Adolf Hitler.

Ye released a song called “Heil Hitler” and advertised a swastika T-shirt for sale on his website last year. Officials in Australia canceled the musician’s visa in July after the release of the single.

The 48-year-old apologized in January with a letter published as a full-page advertisement in The Wall Street Journal. He said his bipolar disorder led him to fall into “a four-month long, manic episode of psychotic, paranoid and impulsive behavior that destroyed my life.”

Ye said in his latest message on X, “I take full responsibility for what’s mine but I don’t want to put my fans in the middle of it. My fans are everything to me. Looking forward to the next shows. See you at the top of the globe.”

Mikel Arteta's team faces two huge games in its pursuit of a Premier League and Champions League double this season.

Leading 1-0 against Lisbon after the first leg in Portugal last week, Arsenal is closing in on a place in the semifinals for the second successive year. Then on Sunday it faces Manchester City in a top two showdown in the Premier League.

Arteta said there was “zero fear” ahead of a potentially pivotal few days.

“We are in April, we have an incredible opportunity ahead of us. Let’s confront it, let’s go for it by really putting absolutely everything into it,” he said.

Arsenal's form has slumped in recent weeks — losing the English League Cup final against City and then being dumped out of the FA Cup by second division Southampton. Last weekend it was beaten at home in the league by Bournemouth, allowing City to close the gap at the top of the standings to six points with a game in hand.

For now the focus is on the Champions League, a trophy Arsenal has never won.

“I said to the players, ‘guys, we are trying to do something that hasn’t been done in the history of the club in 140 years. So that tells you the difficulty of what you are doing,’” Arteta said.

Declan Rice faced a late fitness test after missing practice on Tuesday. Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber were also doubtful starters.

Arsenal or Lisbon will face Atletico Madrid in the semifinals after the Spanish club beat Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate.

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

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

Cheering Cameroonians lined the road into the capital Yaounde from the airport, two and three deep in places, dancing and waving palm fronds as the pope's motorcade whizzed by. Many women dressed in identical bright dresses and stood behind banners announcing the name of their parish, while billboards splashed posters of the pope and Biya under the banner “Land of Hope.”

The Vatican says fighting corruption in the mineral-rich country and insisting on the correct uses of political authority are expected to be themes of Leo’s visit. Leo was traveling from Algeria, the first stop on his four-nation Africa tour.

The Vatican has made clear that Catholic social teaching disapproves of the types of authoritarian leaders that Leo is encountering on his visit, the first to the continent by history's first U.S.-born pope.

Biya is the world’s oldest leader and has led Cameroon since 1982.

Leo was meeting with Biya upon arrival at the presidential palace in Yaounde. He’ll then address government authorities, civil service representatives and diplomats before visiting an orphanage run by a Catholic religious order of nuns.

Cameroon authorities made a last-minute change to the program, the Vatican said. Biya, and not the prime minister, will deliver a speech before Leo addresses authorities and the encounter will occur in the presidential palace, not a conference center.

A call for ‘authentic democracy’

Cameroon’s opposition has contested the result of the Oct. 12 election. Biya's election rival, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, claims to have won and has called on Cameroonians to reject the official result.

Just this week, Leo issued an unrelated message on the correct role of political leaders and the need for “authentic democracy” to legitimize their authority and act as a “guardrail against the abuse of power.”

In a message to a Vatican academy for social science, Leo wrote that democracy remains healthy only when it is driven by morality and a vision of humanity that respects the dignity of everyone.

“Lacking this foundation, it risks becoming either a majoritarian tyranny or a mask for the dominance of economic and technological elites,” he warned in a message that wasn’t directed at any particular nation or leader and was dated April 1.

Gerald Mambeh, a teacher in Yaounde, said the pope’s visit needs to spark genuine dialogue and accountability to achieve lasting peace.

“This visit feels like light entering a dark room… but peace will not come from symbolism alone,” said Mambeh, a Catholic. “In a country where many feel abandoned, his presence feels like God has not forgotten us. Let the pope hear this beyond the politics: Cameroonians are not asking for miracles, we are asking for fairness, dignity, and a future.”

A peace meeting and a pause in fighting

Leo has two major events in Cameroon, with the highlight a “peace meeting” on Thursday in Cameroon’s northwest city of Bamenda, which has been plagued by separatist violence.

English-speaking separatists launched a rebellion in 2017 with the stated goal of breaking away from Cameroon's French-speaking majority and establishing an independent state. The conflict has killed more than 6,000 people and displaced over 600,000 others, according to the International Crisis Group, a think tank.

On the eve of Leo’s arrival, the English-speaking separatists announced a three-day pause in fighting to allow “safe travel” for his visit.

The Unity Alliance, which includes several separatist groups, said in a statement Monday the pause reflects the “profound spiritual importance” of the visit and is intended to allow civilians, pilgrims and dignitaries to travel safely.

Leo’s other big event in Cameroon, where about 29% of the population is Catholic, is a Mass on Friday in the city of Douala, where some 600,000 people are expected to turn out.

On Saturday, Leo heads to Angola for the third leg of his trip, which ends next week in Equatorial Guinea.

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

El calor es inusual para abril, no solo porque está abrasando gran parte del país tan pronto en el año, sino también por su duración. Los meteorólogos señalan que se espera que las temperaturas cercanas a niveles récord se mantengan hasta este fin de semana.

El calor potencialmente peligroso llega después de que tormentas severas azotaran Kansas, Minnesota y Wisconsin el lunes, y de que más tormentas amenacen el martes a la franja central del país.

Aunque no es inédito ver que las temperaturas máximas se acerquen a los 32 grados Celsius (90 grados Fahrenheit) en un día de abril, la duración de una ola de calor de abril de este tipo rara vez se ve, según expertos.

“Eso roza lo inédito en cuanto a su duración para esta época del año”, manifestó John Feerick, meteorólogo sénior de la firma de pronósticos AccuWeather.com.

Feerick indicó que, a partir del miércoles, “vamos a tener récords en riesgo básicamente desde Georgia hasta el área de la ciudad de Nueva York y de regreso hacia el valle de Ohio”.

El Servicio Meteorológico Nacional prevé una máxima de alrededor de 30 ºC (86 ºF) para Central Park, en la ciudad de Nueva York, el miércoles. El récord de máxima para esa fecha es de 30,5 ºC (87 ºF), vigente desde 1941.

Se espera un calor aún mayor en Filadelfia, con una posible máxima el miércoles de 33,3 ºC (92 ºF). Otros posibles puntos más calurosos incluyen Washington, D.C., que podría registrar una máxima de 34,4 ºC (94 ºF); y Atlanta, donde se proyecta una máxima de 31,1 ºC (88 ºF).

“Sin duda, es un calor realmente muy impresionante para mediados de abril”, comentó Feerick.

“Lo bueno de esto es que la humedad no está en niveles de verano”, añadió. Eso significa que no se sentirá tan caluroso como un sofocante día de julio.

Sin embargo, el calor de comienzos de temporada puede ser más estresante para el cuerpo, ya que las personas no han tenido oportunidad de aclimatarse.

“Es una de esas cosas en las que resulta un poco más estresante para el cuerpo porque no estás acostumbrado la primera vez”, explicó Feerick.

El calor es la principal causa de muerte relacionada con el clima en Estados Unidos, advirtió el servicio meteorológico. Los bebés y los niños pequeños; los adultos mayores, las personas con afecciones médicas crónicas y las mujeres embarazadas son especialmente vulnerables a lesiones y muertes relacionadas con el calor.

Una fuerte dorsal de alta presión que impulsa humedad hacia las llanuras del sur provocaba el calor inusual en el este de Estados Unidos, señaló el servicio meteorológico.

Aunque el miércoles es un día en el que podrían caer muchos récords, los expertos indicaron que la ola de calor continuará hasta el viernes en muchas zonas.

En las zonas de menor altitud de las Carolinas se esperaban máximas generalizadas entre los 90 y los 95 grados Fahrenheit, "lo que podría establecer récords diarios adicionales y quizá acercarse a algunos récords mensuales”, escribió el Centro de Predicción Meteorológica del organismo en un memorando.

El servicio meteorológico indicó que la ola de calor por fin debería empezar a desvanecerse el domingo, a medida que un fuerte frente frío avance hacia la costa este, y que el tiempo debería ser “agradablemente más fresco” el lunes, cuando el frente se dirija mar adentro.

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

The latest setback was a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night. They've been outscored 36-10 during their skid and are mired in the NL East cellar at 7-11.

Soto is nursing a calf injury and isn't expected back for another two to three weeks.

Francisco Lindor raised his batting average 18 points to .194 with a leadoff home run — his first RBI of the season — against World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. It snapped the team's streak of 20 scoreless innings and helped the Mets avoid three consecutive shutouts for the first time since 1992.

But Yamamoto promptly set down the next 20 batters in a row.

New York's only other hits were a double by Bo Bichette in the seventh and singles by Carson Benge and Lindor in the eighth.

Trailing by a run in the ninth, the Mets got overly aggressive at the plate and Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia struck out the side to end the game.

“We chase and it's hard to score in situations like that,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “You really have to force those guys to come in the strike zone and right now we’re not doing that, especially at the end of the game.”

The Mets are hitting .178 during the skid, including .083 with runners in scoring position (2 for 24). They are averaging 1.43 runs per game with just eight extra-base hits.

“You’re down one run and you’re basically trying to hit one out of the ballpark and that’s when the chase comes,” Mendoza said. “If you continue to swing at pitches out of the strike zone, they’re going to continue to do that, so we have to make adjustments.”

The Mets struck out 11 times, their fourth straight game with double-digit strikeouts. Jorge Polanco, Brett Baty and Mark Vientos had two strikeouts each.

“It’s easy to put too much pressure on yourself,” Mendoza said. “You got to go back to your fundamentals, you got to go back to what got you to this level, understanding that you are a great hitter.”

If not, he said, the offensive struggles can spiral.

“I know it’s tough right now, but the last thing you could do is just panic and try to do too much,” Mendoza said.

The lone bright spot for the Mets was rookie Nolan McLean. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up one run and two hits in seven innings with eight strikeouts and two walks.

“He pretty much dominated one of the best lineups,” Mendoza said. “It sucks losing when you get that type of outing.”

McLean has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 11 of his first 12 major league games.

“It was fun to watch McLean pitch,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Man, he's special.”

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The Grateful Dead cover band Splintered Sunlight jammed out to hits from the 1970s and graybeards old enough to remember the Flyers' Stanley Cup victories swayed in their tie-dyed T-shirts. Just down the concourse, Flyers Hall of Famer Joe Watson signed copies of his autobiography and all-time great Bobby Clarke was all smiles as he filled his cup — soda, not Stanley — at the press box fountain station.

The good old days.

The Flyers remained tethered for decades to the glory days like a dog on a leash because, well, what was there to really celebrate?

At last, plenty — and an unbridled optimism that even better seasons were ahead.

The youth moment skated at full blast on the ice Tuesday night in a 4-2 win over Montreal a day after the Flyers clinched their first playoff berth since 2020 and their first home playoff series since 2018.

Philadelphia's first goal was scored by 19-year-old sensation Porter Martone, who just weeks ago starred at Michigan State and now could be a dangerous weapon in the first-round series against Pittsburgh. Martone deflected a point shot from Matvei Michkov, the 21-year-old Russian who navigated an uneven first half of the season only to heat up as the games heightened in importance down the stretch.

Michkov scored the Flyers' third goal unassisted (20th overall) as one fan raised a “We Want More!” sign.

Architects of the lengthy rebuild, general manager Danny Briere and team president Keith Jones, could bask in the credit tossed their way from social media to talk radio to even the written word for never wavering from their plan to build a playoff team through the draft and shrewd acquisitions for 20-somethings over making moves for quick-fix veterans with no long-term fit.

Take a look at the clincher against Carolina: 2020 first-round pick Tyson Foerster, still just 24, scored the shootout winner that ignited pandemonium on the ice and in the stands.

Just how young are the Flyers?

Their last home playoff series came in the Year 2018 BG.

Before Gritty.

Gritty, the wild-haired, googly-eyed, fuzzy faced mascot, got his playoff reps in Tuesday night when he hurled a cake into the face of an unsuspecting (ahem) fan dressed in Penguins gear.

Gritty smashed dessert. Dan Vladar, the goalie who won the Bobby Clarke Trophy as the team’s most valuable player, spilled the tea.

Briere, who sparked the Flyers to their last Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2010, had publicly downplayed playoff possibilities all season.

He had a more upbeat message inside the Flyers' locker room.

“He told us at the beginning of the year, I hope he’s not going to get mad at me, but he said the goal is to make the playoffs,” Vladar said. “There was always a belief in this room. Obviously, we knew that, even if it was the media or outsiders who didn’t really believe in us, we always had the belief here since Day 1.”

Flyers captain Sean Couturier was once a key cog in rebuilding — back when he was the eighth overall pick in the 2011 draft. Couturier made his debut that season and has largely remained a steady presence in the lineup — save for injuries that cost him the 2022-2023 season — and is the only Flyer still here from their last home playoff series victory against, yes, the Penguins in 2012.

“You want things to turn around,” Couturier said. “I think that the management, the organization has done a great job of being patient and building assets and putting us in a great spot here for now and the future.”

The now actually seemed dire before the Olympic break when the Flyers lost 11 of their last 14 games before the shutdown and dropped one more once play resumed.

Whatever defensive adjustments coach Rick Tocchet made during the layoff worked.

The Flyers' season caught fire when they won three straight road games against the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks and they ended the season on an 18-6-1 tear that propelled them to 98 points and into third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Who knows, maybe it was the suburban Philadelphia family that gifted Pope Leo XIV his own customized Flyers jersey that truly the blessed the team.

The regular-season finale served more as a joyous pep rally than a game with any real consequences. The fans dancing to the Dead cover band cheered as the singer paused during “Jack Straw” after he hit the lyric “sun so hot, the clouds so low, the eagles filled the sky” in appreciation of the NFL team across the street.

The rest of the night belonged to the orange and black.

Gritty once issued a warning to the Penguins: “Sleep with one eye open tonight, bird.”

Led by one of the youngest teams in the NHL, the Flyers are going into the playoffs with eyes wide open and ready to prove to their fans, don’t you worry any more.

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Carga una furgoneta con picos, palas, agua y comida. Se encomienda a Dios, recoge a sus compañeras y se lanzan a rastrear zonas donde hay sospechas de cuerpos escondidos, personas que desaparecieron sin dejar rastro en medio de la violencia de los cárteles.

Su colectivo, Guerreros Buscadores, es uno de las decenas que hay en México con la misma misión. Hay mucho que buscar: más de 130.000 desaparecidos desde 2006, según el registro oficial.

Compaginar ese trabajo con los quehaceres diarios no es fácil. Servín perdió su empleo cuando empezó a buscar a su hijo. Ahora trabaja de camarero los fines de semana.

Tampoco lo es manejar logística y emocionalmente todo lo que conlleva buscar. Un cráneo o un cuerpo mutilado pueden suponer el inicio del cierre del duelo inacabado de alguna familia. Conocer la verdad, por dolorosa que sea, siempre es mejor que la incertidumbre, coinciden los buscadores.

Es entonces cuando Servín se enfrenta a una realidad desconcertante: hay ocasiones en las que puede surgir un atisbo de alegría incluso de una fosa.

Un fotoperiodista de The Associated Press acompañó a Servín durante una de sus más recientes salidas con tres compañeras y fue inusual testigo de la mezcla de emociones vividas en las afueras de Guadalajara, una de las sedes de la Copa Mundial de Fútbol, bastión del Cártel de Jalisco de Nueva Generación (CJNG).

Pistas anónimas y esperanzas

Esta vez los cuatro buscadores salen solos, sin protección. El único rastro de autoridad es el “botón de pánico” que lleva Servín, un mecanismo que lo mantiene conectado con funcionarios federales encargados de proteger a defensores de derechos humanos.

El entorno en el que se mueven es complicado. México no está en guerra ni tiene una dictadura militar pero miles de personas desaparecen cada año en medio de la violencia de los cárteles. Mientras, no dejan de aparecer fosas clandestinas y, según datos de la ONU, más de 70.000 restos humanos sin identificar se acumulan en morgues y cementerios.

La anterior administración reconoció la envergadura del problema y puso en marcha comisiones oficiales de búsqueda, pero persisten altos niveles de impunidad e inacción por parte de las autoridades. Un comité de Naciones Unidas acaba de afirmar que el país está totalmente desbordado por esta crisis, algo que el gobierno niega aunque reconoce que no tiene información suficiente para buscar, al menos, a un tercio de los desaparecidos. Por eso las familias siguen siendo el principal motor de las búsquedas y de los hallazgos.

Servín y sus compañeras se dirigen a varios lugares mencionados en pistas anónimas llegadas al Facebook del colectivo, personas que han escuchado gritos, balazos, que han visto algo y no se atreven a hablar con las autoridades.

En la anterior salida excavaron más de un metro de profundidad en cuatro puntos. Nada. A veces encuentran manchas de sangre, casquillos. Todo se revisa. “No nos podemos quedar con la duda”, afirma.

De repente recibe una llamada. Un informante les indica un lugar donde asegura hay un cuerpo sepultado. Los datos parecen fiables y el grupo cambia de planes aunque eso implica no visitar primero el sitio —como suelen hacer—- para evitar encontrarse con vigilantes del cártel o gente armada y ser expulsados con balazos al aire, como ya ha ocurrido.

Unos arcos marcan la entrada a un complejo residencial señalado por el informante. Está junto a un tren urbano, en las afueras de Guadalajara, una ciudad parcialmente empapelada por fichas de búsqueda. Jalisco es uno de los estados con más desaparecidos de México.

La presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum había visitado poco antes la zona para insistir en que la seguridad del Mundial estaba totalmente garantizada tras la violencia desatada en febrero por la muerte del líder del cártel.

Los colectivos quieren aprovechar que el mundo mira a México para llamar la atención sobre su realidad. “Me encanta el fútbol”, asegura Servín. “Pero eso no va a impedir que yo salga a buscar”.

Arrullos para un muerto

Gorras y pañuelos protegen a los buscadores del sol. Cada uno lleva una camiseta personalizada con las fotos de su familiar. La de Servín tiene a un joven de 20 años y dice “Papá buscador”.

El grupo alista su equipo que incluye las varillas metálica que apodan “el vidente”. Hace más de una década que esta rudimentaria herramienta se convirtió en imprescindible para todos los colectivos. La clavan en el terreno y luego la huelen. Si hay olor orgánico, hay pista.

Empiezan a excavar en una pequeña zona verde del complejo residencial. Nada.

Después de horas sin avances, Servín camina entre el muro y las vías. El terreno está blando. “Vi un agujero que tenía piedras y se me hizo raro”.

Años atrás su corazón se hubiera acelerado. Ahora dice que los “nervios ya no me dan”. Se arrodilla y empuña su pala. Pasa un tren. Primero ve parte de un cráneo. Empieza a sacar tierra con la pala y las manos.

“¡Tenemos un positivo!”, grita a sus compañeras.

Los cuatro se ponen cubrebocas y guantes. Aparece una mandíbula.

El hombre muestra a sus compañeras la cabeza mientras la toma con suma delicadeza. Siguen cavando en paralelo a la pared. Aparece una bolsa con huesos, un zapato, una pelvis. Colocan cada pieza fuera de la fosa. Si algún hueso pareciera igual, se situaría en otro lado porque podría ser de una segunda persona.

Las voces de las mujeres se cruzan como arrullos a un niño. “Chiquitito ya vas a regresar a tu casa”. “Tu familia te espera”. “Qué bueno que estás aquí”. Una de ellas enciende una vela al borde de la fosa.

Para alguien ajeno a estos contextos, la escena podría parecer macabra. Para quien la presencia, es un acto de tremenda ternura protagonizado por personas que durante años fueron revictimizadas por las autoridades.

En 2021, un fiscal entregó a una mujer los restos de su familiar en una enorme bolsa de basura. La foto de la señora con la mirada perdida en la bolsa a sus pies se hizo viral.

Manejar la logística y las emociones

Los criminales ocultan a sus víctimas porque, si no hay cuerpo, no hay delito que perseguir. Casi 20.000 personas desaparecidas han sido localizadas muertas desde 2010, según datos oficiales.

Encontrar un cadáver puede ser peligroso y Servín activa su “botón de pánico”. Muchos buscadores tienen este mecanismo de protección federal. Desde 2010 al menos 36 han sido asesinados, según organizaciones civiles. La última fue una mujer a mediados de marzo.

Servín habla con los funcionarios al otro lado de la línea, confirma su identidad con una contraseña, explica lo encontrado, la ubicación y quién lo acompaña. Pide que lo monitoreen cada hora, lo que implica una llamada para ver si está bien. Luego llama a la policía.

Una de las mujeres prepara una publicación en vivo para Facebook. Es la manera de que quede registro. Si no hubieran hecho el vivo cuando encontraron el rancho donde operaba el CJNG probablemente nadie hubiera creído lo que hallaron. También sirve por si alguien reconoce algo.

“Está un calzoncito gris que dice Sport con letras naranjas, unas botas café número 5”, explica una de las buscadoras. “Ahí está el cráneo, todavía tiene pelito... ahí está la pelvis”.

El celular se acerca para mostrar detalles de una bota, de la mandíbula a la que le falta un diente. Cualquier dato da pistas.

Servín empieza a contestar preguntas en línea. No es perito pero la experiencia le dice que el cadáver como mucho tiene año y medio de antigüedad. No puede ser su hijo, pero no pierde la esperanza. Hace dos semanas una madre buscadora encontró al suyo después de siete años. Da gracias a Dios porque hay restos de los que saldrá material genético.

El hombre dice que siente “feo”. Reconoce que a veces le dan ganas de llorar, sobre todo si encuentran cuerpos “en pedacitos”. “Entonces es cuando más nos pega el pensar que a lo mejor nuestros hijos están bajo esas condiciones”.

Pero también dice sentir satisfacción. Sabe que ahí hay respuestas.

Mientras esperan a las autoridades los buscadores se sientan a descansar. Es un momento de intimidad y confidencias entre personas unidas por una misión y por el dolor de no saber el destino de los suyos.

Una vecina del complejo residencial llega con su hijo a preguntar. Tiene otro desaparecido y quiere ver si reconoce algo. Una hora más tarde llega otra otra mujer. Las buscadoras la abrazan. Recomiendan acudir a la fiscalía para hacerse pruebas de ADN. La emoción vuelve a rebosar.

Al llegar la policía Servín responde las preguntas de rigor, aunque la desconfianza persiste. Teme que haya agentes coludidos con los criminales. Dice que “tiempo atrás” las autoridades los acusaban de contaminar escenas del crimen, pero ahora respetan más su trabajo.

Al caer la tarde llegan los forenses. Los resultados de una prueba genética pueden tardar días o años. Servín cuenta cómo los restos del hermano de una sus compañeras de búsqueda —su pareja actual— llevan seis años en el instituto forense porque, aunque ha habido un positivo, los peritos no terminan de procesar los restos de todas las bolsas encontradas. “Es algo ilógico”.

A las 9 de la noche acciona el botón de pánico para informar que ya está en casa. “Llego tranquilo al saber que el día tuvo frutos”.

____

Verza reportó desde Ciudad de México.

In an interview that aired Wednesday, Trump said the war in Iran was “very close to over.” He has declared a U.S. victory repeatedly since mere days after the war started — even as the reality on the ground has been far more complicated.

U.S. Central Command said it has achieved “maritime superiority” and that the blockade on Iranian ports had been “fully implemented” within 36 hours of its launch, according to a statement on social media late Monday.

Mediators’ efforts to extend a ceasefire between the United States and Iran have made progress as the warring sides are expected to return to the negotiations table, regional officials said. Mediators aim to extend the ceasefire, which is due to expire on April 22, for at least another two weeks to allow diplomacy another chance.

Here is the latest:

No ships have made it past U.S. naval blockade, military says

U.S. Central Command said in a statement Wednesday that no vessels have made it past U.S. naval forces during the first 48 hours of the blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports.

Central Command also said nine vessels have complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and return toward an Iranian port or Iran’s coastal area.

First crude tanker passes Strait of Hormuz since US blockade

A Malta-flagged vessel is the first crude oil carrier to head west through Strait of Hormuz since the United States blocked Iranian ports, according to a global shipping tracking monitor.

The Malta-flagged VLCC Agios Fanourios I is expected to arrive on Thursday to Basra, Iraq, where ports are not under U.S. blockade. Marine Traffic said the vessel attempted again a transit after anchoring in the Gulf of Oman for nearly two days.

US called on Iran to halt uranium enrichment for 20 years

The negotiating team led by Vice President JD Vance called for Iran to agree to a uranium enrichment moratorium as part of a potential deal to end the war, according to a regional official involved in the mediation efforts and a person briefed on the matter.

The Iranians rejected the U.S. plan laid out during last weekend’s talks in Islamabad and came back with a counteroffer to suspend enrichment for five years, the regional official and a person briefed on the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly on the negotiations.

The White House rejected the Iranian proposal that was conveyed by Tehran’s negotiators earlier this week.

The White House and the vice president’s office did not respond to requests for comment about the proposals.

The U.S. and Iranian proposals were first reported by the New York Times.

Democrats grill US envoy in first opportunity to question Trump administration on Iran

Attending a Senate Foreign Relations committee hearing on reforms to the United Nations, ambassador Mike Waltz unintentionally became the highest-level U.S. official to testify before Congress since U.S. and Israeli strikes started a war against Iran.

Democratic senators, including Chris Coons, Chris Murphy and Tim Kaine, took that opportunity to express their frustration with the Trump administration’s decision not to consult or further brief Capitol Hill on military action it is taking against Tehran.

“Those of us on the Democratic side do find it amazing that we still have not had an open hearing on this committee or the Armed Services Committee on this conflict,” Murphy, who represents Connecticut, told Waltz.

Asked several times about Trump’s threats last week to end Iranian civilization, Waltz defended it as “tough talk” and a “mean tweet” that yielded diplomatic results.

“They clearly got the message, and they clearly came back to the table,” he said.

Germany’s foreign minister: Strait of Hormuz opening is in interest of ‘entire global community’

Johann Wadephul said it is “unacceptable” that the strait is being controlled by a single state and that tolls are being collected.

“We will demand that a complete opening of the Strait of Hormuz is guaranteed once again,” the foreign minister told reporters in Berlin on Wednesday. “This is not just in the interest of the Gulf states, this is not just in the interest of the immediate Asian neighboring states, but it is in the interest of the entire global community.”

Referring to the Iran war, Wadephul reiterated that “this conflict can’t be solved through military means, it must be solved through negotiations.”

He also stressed that “the demands of the U.S. president are right — that the result of negotiations must be that there is no nuclear threat coming from Iran in the future.

3 different teams of paramedics were struck, Lebanese health ministry says

The attacks in southern Lebanon killed three paramedics, wounded six others and left a fourth medic missing in the town of Mayfadoun, the health ministry said.

The ministry said Israel struck the first team of paramedics on Wednesday as it was heading to rescue wounded people, killing one paramedic. Another medical worker on that initial mission remains “missing,” the ministry said, without elaborating.

Israel struck the second team as it rushed to rescue the first, wounding three more paramedics.

In the third and final rescue attempt, Israel again hit ambulances heading to the site, killing two paramedics and wounding three more.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes.

Lebanon’s health ministry denounced Israel’s attacks as “a flagrant crime” and warned that “paramedics have become direct targets, pursued relentlessly in a blatant violation (of) … international humanitarian law.”

Pakistan’s prime minister arrives in Saudi Arabia

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Jeddah on Wednesday and is set to meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss bilateral ties and regional issues, following recent Pakistan-hosted talks between the United States and Iran.

A statement from Sharif’s office in Islamabad said the prime minister was received at the airport by senior Saudi officials.

Sharif is accompanied by a high-level delegation including Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and the prime minister’s spokesman, Mosharraf Zaidi.

Children killed in Lebanon as Israeli strikes hit homes far from the front lines

Jawad Younes, 11, and his cousins were playing soccer in the lot between their houses, as they often did. His little brother, 4-year-old Mehdi, had joined them but grew tired, so Jawad took him home and handed him off to their mother before returning to the game. Minutes later, an Israeli strike came.

The target was Jawad’s uncle’s home. The blast shook neighboring buildings and threw Jawad’s siblings at home to the ground. As their mother, Malak Meslmani, scrambled to help them up, she could think only of Jawad.

“I was pulling my children off the floor in the house, but as I was running to pick them up, I screamed, ‘Jawad,’” she said. ”My heart told me.”

Her son was instantly killed in the March 27 Israeli strike in Saksakieh. So was one of his cousins — so close they were more like brothers. Several other children were wounded.

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Pakistani military chief arrives in Tehran, military says

Pakistan’s army chief arrived in Tehran on Wednesday in the latest diplomatic move to ease tensions in the region and facilitate a second round of negotiations between the United States and Iran, two Pakistani officials said.

The military said the visit is “part of the ongoing mediation efforts” and gave no details.

UN nuclear chief urges strict Iran checks in any deal to end war

The head of the U.N. General Assembly’s nuclear watchdog said Wednesday that “very detailed” measures to verify Iran’s nuclear activities must be included in a potential U.S.-Iran agreement to end their war in the Middle East.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi stressed the need for a thorough verification regime for Iran’s nuclear program, as U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a second round of talks could happen over the next two days.

The Trump administration has said that preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon is a key war aim. Iran has previously said it isn’t developing such weapons but rejected limits on its nuclear program.

▶ Read more

Mixed feelings in Lebanon over talks with Israel

Lebanese were divided on Wednesday over their government’s decision to pursue rare, direct negotiations with Israel in hopes of ending the war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Some forced to flee their homes and communities in southern Lebanon say they believe Israel’s ground invasion can only be stopped through military force, not diplomacy.

“We stand with the young men, the fighters, and those stationed on the border, and with whatever decision they make,” said Mustafa Alaa Al-Din, now living in Beirut after being displaced from a southern border village. “These negotiations do not represent us … it’s as if they never existed.”

Others said they support any initiative that promises to hasten the end of the war.

“The negotiations are more in our interest than in Israel’s interest, because we are the ones whose country is being destroyed, we are the ones suffering losses,” said Mohamed Saad, a resident of Beirut, the Lebanese capital. “We are the ones out in the streets.”

British leader defends King Charles III’s visit to US, despite criticism

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended sending King Charles III to the U.S. for a state visit later this month despite Trump’s threat to tear up a trade agreement with the U.K.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey asked Starmer in Parliament how he could allow Charles to travel to the U.S. after Trump threatened to punish the U.K. “for us not joining his idiotic war in Iran.”

“This must be the last straw,” Davey said Wednesday. “Surely the prime minister can’t send our king to meet a man who treats our country like a Mafia boss running a protection racket.”

Starmer says the visit is to mark the 250th anniversary of the U.S. and the bond between the two countries that is more important “than anyone who occupies any particular office at any particular time.”

Lebanon lodges complaint with UN over Israeli attacks

Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry has filed an official complaint with the U.N. Security Council over Israel’s intense barrage on the country last week that it says killed over 300 people and wounded 1,150 others.

In less than 10 minutes last Wednesday, Israel struck 100 targets across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and southern Lebanon without warning during rush hour, marking one of the deadliest single bombing campaigns in the country’s history. The ministry said in its letter on Wednesday that the majority of casualties were unarmed civilians.

Israel says it targeted Hezbollah militants and infrastructure, but has offered few details on what was hit.

The foreign ministry also condemned Israeli attacks on Lebanese medical facilities as violations of international law. It said Israel has launched 17 attacks on hospitals and 101 attacks on emergency response teams in its latest war against Hezbollah.

Iran open to discuss matters about enrichment, official says

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran is open to discussing the type and level of its uranium enrichment, but his country “based on its needs, must be able to continue enrichment,” Iran’s state media reported.

US official says no agreement yet to extend Iran war ceasefire

A senior U.S. official said Wednesday that the United States has not formally agreed to extend the ceasefire and that “engagement” with Iran continues.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive negotiations.

___

Associated Press reporter Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.

British PM won’t buckle to pressure from Trump to join Iran war

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would not alter his stance to stay out of the war in Iran after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to tear up a trade deal with the U.K.

Trump told Sky News on Tuesday night that the U.K. had not been there when the U.S. needed their help. Trump said the so-called special relationship between the allies had been better.

“It’s been better, but it’s sad,” Trump said. “And we gave them a good trade deal. Better than I had to. Which can always be changed.”

Starmer said a lot of pressure had been put on him to change course, including Trump’s latest remarks.

“I’m not going to change my mind,” Starmer said. “I’m not going to yield. It is not in our national interest to join this war, and we will not do so.”

Trump claims China has agreed not to provide weapons to Iran

Trump on Wednesday claimed that China has agreed not to provide weapons to Iran, as reports circulate that Beijing has considered transferring arms.

Trump wrote in a social media post that China is “very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz.” He said, “They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran.” He seemed to suggest the two are linked.

The president had told an interviewer on Tuesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping had denied sending weapons to Iran.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokespersons have repeatedly denied in recent days that the country is providing any form of military support to Iran.

China has long supported Iran’s ballistic missile program and backed it with dual-use industrial components that can be used for missile production, according to the US government.

Iran says it would block Gulf trade if blockade continues

Iranian state media reported that the commander of Iran’s joint military command warned that Iran would completely block exports and imports across the Persian Gulf region, the Sea of Oman, and the Red Sea if the United States does not lift its blockade on Iranian ports.

“Iran will act with strength to defend its national sovereignty and its interests,” said Ali Abdollahi.

He added that the U.S. blockade is “a prelude to violating the ceasefire.”

Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz when Israel and the United States launched strikes against it more than a month ago. The United States on Monday began blockading ships trying to enter or leave Iranian ports and said it would not impede the freedom of navigation of other vessels in the Persian Gulf.

Trump says China’s president denies sending weapons to Iran

Trump said in the Fox News interview that Xi Jinping issued the denial in a written response letter to Trump, after the U.S. president wrote him following reports that surfaced about China supplying Iran with weapons for the war.

“I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that. And he wrote me a letter saying that, essentially, he’s not doing that,” Trump said.

Trump is scheduled to meet Xi in Beijing in early May.

Trump now says oil prices will drop ‘very big’ after he ends Iran war

In an interview Sunday with Maria Bartiromo of Fox News, Trump had said fuel prices could be the same or “maybe a little bit higher” by the November congressional elections.

But in a separate interview with Bartiromo, which was taped on Tuesday at the White House and broadcast on Wednesday, Trump claimed he’d been misquoted and tried to overcome the blowback from his previous comments.

He said he’s happy with oil costing about $92 per barrel. “It’s going to come dropping down very big as soon as this is over,” he said, referring to the war. “And I think it can be over very soon.”

Later in the interview, he predicted that gas prices, now averaging slightly above $4 a gallon, will be “much lower” by the elections.

Speaking again about the war, Trump said, “When that’s settled, gas prices are going to go down tremendously.”

Israel hits more Hezbollah targets in Lebanon

Israel’s military said on Wednesday that it had struck more than 200 Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon as it presses ahead with its aerial and ground war there despite the U.S.-Iran ceasefire.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling in multiple southern Lebanese locations on Wednesday, including near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled Hezbollah fighters.

The fighting in the south has continued after Israeli and Lebanese officials concluded their first direct talks in decades. Lebanese officials want a ceasefire to halt fighting that has displaced more than 1 million people in their country, while Israel wants the Lebanese government to assume responsibility for disarming Hezbollah.

Prominent Hezbollah legislator calls for referendum on the Shiite militant group

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah has harshly criticized the Lebanese government’s rare direct talks in Washington with Israel as “disgraceful” and urged Lebanon to hold a public referendum to determine the future of Hezbollah’s arsenal.

Fadlallah said that if the Lebanese government “truly wants to prove it reflects the aspirations of the Lebanese people, then it should accept a popular referendum” rather than negotiating with Israel on Hezbollah’s disarmament. He accused Lebanon of giving Israel a political platform with the talks “at a time when it is killing Lebanese people and committing massacres.”

“The enemy is the one benefiting,” he said.

He said he would expect a popular referendum on Hezbollah to show that “a majority of the Lebanese people” support the militant group’s campaign against Israel.

Some Israelis cast doubt over the future of their country’s talks with Lebanon

In the streets of northern Israel, in the border town of Kiryat Shmona near Lebanon, some Israelis feel wary that the ongoing talks with Lebanon may not bring about a decisive victory against the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group.

“Hezbollah is much stronger than the Lebanese army, nothing will come out of it,” said Eli Mizrahi, as residents believe that Israel should not retreat until a decisive victory is realized in Lebanon.

Resident of Kiryat Shmona Bruria Danino said she will only “feel calm” when Hezbollah is eliminated, while the majority voiced their inconvenience from the constant sounds of sirens, warning them of incoming fire from Lebanon.

Fighting renewed between Hezbollah and Israel on March 2, when the militant group fired rockets into northern Israel. At least 2,124 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon, the country’s Health Ministry said.

Erdogan says Turkey working to extend ceasefire, sustain talks

The Turkish leader acknowledged that talks between the United States and Iran have hit obstacles, especially on the nuclear issue, but insisted that the dialogue must continue.

“Negotiations cannot be conducted with clenched fists. Weapons must not be allowed to speak again instead of words,” Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday in an address to his ruling party’s legislators.

Erdogan renewed his warning that Israel should not be allowed to undermine the ceasefire.

“The Israeli government, which is known to be displeased with the ceasefire, must not be allowed to sabotage the process,” Erdogan said.

His comments came as Turkish and Israeli officials traded accusations this week in a new verbal spat that further strained the two countries’ already tense relations.

Every Tuesday, Servín loads a van with picks, shovels, water and lunches. He commends himself to God. He picks up his three teammates for the day. Then they venture forth into areas where the ground beneath their feet may sometimes hide the bodies of the missing — the victims of foul play in a Mexican state rife with drug cartel violence.

They call themselves the Guerreros Buscadores — the “Searching Warriors." There is much to search for, and dozens of groups like theirs do: More than 130,000 people have been reported missing since 2006, according to official records.

Balancing the search efforts with daily obligations is not easy. Servín lost his job when he started looking for his missing son. Now he works as a waiter on weekends.

But the most difficult parts also offer ways forward — news that arrives via a skull, a mutilated body, evidence of closure in many respects of the word. There is even joy now and then — even if it comes from a pit.

On those difficult days, Servín, 54, comes to grips with a jarring fact: Sometimes, in the end, the worst-case scenario can become the best possible outcome.

Searching, waiting, hoping

Servín's life is filled with mixed-feeling moments not easy to witness. On a recent day, these Guerreros agreed to be shadowed by an Associated Press photojournalist to see what they do — and why it matters. They set out to cover several locations on the outskirts of Guadalajara, the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco and a World Cup host city.

Servín and the women go alone, unaccompanied by any protection. The only semblance of an authority is a “panic button” held by Servín that connects to a federal network to protect rights activists.

It is perilous work in a perilous environment. Mexico is neither at war nor under a military dictatorship, yet thousands of people disappear every year amid cartel violence. Clandestine graves are discovered on a semiregular basis; more than 70,000 unidentified remains have piled up in morgues and cemeteries.

The previous administration recognized the magnitude of the problem and launched official search commissions, but high levels of impunity and inaction persist. The current government has said missing information for one-third of those disappeared makes it impossible to search for them at all. Families remain the main driving force behind the searches and the findings.

The group heads to several locations based on anonymous tips received on the Guerreros Buscadores website. These often come from people who heard screams or gunshots or who saw something but fear going to the authorities.

On their previous outing, they dug down more than a yard (meter) at four locations. Nothing. Sometimes they find bloodstains or shell casings. They check every tip anyway. Says Servín: “There cannot be room for doubt."

He receives a call. An informant says there is a body buried in a residential area. The information seems reliable, so they change their plans. This time they won't be able to check the area in advance, a security measure to avoid encountering drug cartel lookouts or gunmen who could drive them off with shots into the sky. That has happened before.

Arches mark the entrance to the residential complex identified by the informant. It sits next to a commuter train line on the outskirts of Guadalajara, a city plastered with fliers of missing people. Jalisco state, a stronghold of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, is an epicenter of disappearances.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum visited the area following the violence that erupted in February over the killing of the cartel's leader. She insisted that security for the World Cup would be guaranteed.

The search collectives want to take advantage of the world’s focus on Mexico to draw attention to their reality. “I love soccer," Servín says, “but that’s not going to stop me from going out to search.”

A lullaby for the dead

Caps and scarves shield the searchers from the sun. Each wears a personalized T-shirt with a photo of their loved one. Servín’s reads “Searcher Dad.”

The group prepares their equipment. A metal rod they call “the seer" is a must-have: For over a decade, it has been the searchers’ rudimentary yet indispensable tool. They stick it into the ground and then sniff. If there’s an organic smell, there’s a clue.

They begin digging in a small dirt area at one residential corner. They dig and dig some more. Nothing.

Then, after hours of no progress, Servín steps outside the apartment complex and walks between the wall and the tracks. The ground is soft. “I saw a hole with small rocks; it was strange.”

Years ago, his heart would have raced. Now he says, “I don’t get nervous anymore.”

He kneels and grips his shovel. A train passes. First he sees part of a skull. He begins to dig out the soil with his shovel and hands.

“We’ve got a positive!” he shouts.

The four don masks and gloves. A jawbone appears. There is no doubt: It is a human being.

Servín shows his colleagues the head, holding it with the utmost delicacy. They decide to keep digging to look for the full body. A bag of bones appears. Then a shoe. Then a pelvis. They carefully place each outside the pit. If any bone looks the same, it would be placed elsewhere because it could belong to a second person.

The women’s voices mingle like lullabies. “Hi baby, you’re going home soon.” “Your family is waiting for you.” One lights a candle at the edge of the pit.

To someone unfamiliar with violent environments, the scene might seem macabre. To those who witness it, it’s an act of tremendous tenderness and solidarity carried out by people who were re-victimized by the authorities for years. In 2021, a prosecutor handed a woman the remains of her relative in a trash bag. A photo of her with a vacant stare over the huge black bag at her feet went viral.

Criminals hide their victims because if there’s no body, there’s no crime. Nearly 20,000 missing people have been found dead since 2010. So finding a body can be dangerous.

Servín activates his panic button that many searchers carry. Since 2010, at least 36 searchers have been killed, according to civil society organizations. The latest was in mid-March.

Servín talks to the federal officials on the line, confirms his identity with a password, explains what he found and notes the location. He requests hourly monitoring, which means a call to confirm everything is all right.

Then he phones the police.

Navigating the aftermath — logistically and emotionally

One of the women prepares to go live on Facebook. It’s a way to leave a record. If they hadn’t gone live when they found a ranch used by the Jalisco Cartel, it would have been difficult to get people to believe what they discovered. It also helps people recognize things.

“There’s a pair of gray underwear that says ‘Sport’ in orange letters, some size 5 brown boots,” one of the searchers explains. “There’s the skull, it still has some hair. … There’s the pelvis.”

The phone zooms in to show the details of the shoe, of the jawbone missing a tooth. Any detail might help. One woman hopes that the “little person” will soon be with loved ones. They pray.

Servín begins answering questions online. He’s no expert, but his experience tells him the body might have been buried about 18 months ago. It cannot be his son, but hope is never entirely lost; two weeks ago, a mother found her son after seven years of searching. He thanks God that there are remains for DNA testing.

When the Guerreros find bodies “in pieces,” Servín feels like crying. “What hits us hardest is to think that our children might be in those conditions.”

But he also feels good. Because he knows there are answers there.

While waiting for the authorities, the searchers sit down to rest. It is a moment of intimate conversation among people united by grief and their mission.

A woman from the neighborhood arrives with her son. She has a missing child and wants to see if he recognizes anything. An hour later, another mother arrives. The searchers embrace her and advise to go to the attorney’s office for a DNA test. Emotion overflows.

When the police arrive, Servín answers their questions. Mistrust, though, persists because he knows some officers work for the cartel. He says that “some time ago” the authorities accused them of contaminating crime scenes, but the collectives have gradually earned respect.

As evening falls, the forensic team begins its job. In Mexico, the results of a genetic test can take days or years. The remains of one searcher's brother — a searcher who is also Servín's partner — have been at the forensic institute for six years. There has been a match, but the experts haven’t finished processing the remains from all the bags found back then. “It’s illogical,” he says. His anguish is evident.

At 9 p.m., Servín presses the panic button one more time to check in that he is home. “I arrive feeling at peace," he says, "knowing the day was fruitful."

——

Verza reported from Mexico City.

Jordan Goodwin drove for a layup to give the Suns a 110-109 lead with 32 seconds left, but Avdija, who also had 12 assists, responded with a physical take to the rim, making a layup while getting fouled and made the free throw for a 112-110 lead.

The Suns had a chance to go back ahead but Jalen Green's 3-pointer was off the mark. Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound but was stripped by Matisse Thybulle to seal the win for the Blazers.

Portland earned the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round. The Suns will host the winner of the Clippers-Warriors game on Friday. Whoever wins will earn the No. 8 seed and face the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoffs. The loser’s season is over.

The final few minutes were white-knuckle basketball with the lead changing several times.

Jerami Grant — who returned after missing the final seven games of the regular season because of a calf injury — made a corner 3-pointer to give the Trail Blazers a 107-106 lead with 1:54 left. Devin Booker responded with a pair of free throws for a 108-107 lead but Avdija made a finger roll at the rim for a 109-108 lead with 37.3 seconds left.

Green led the Suns with 35 points. Booker had 22.

The Blazers led 83-82 going into the fourth despite shooting just 1 of 11 on 3-pointers in the third quarter. Phoenix pushed to its first lead of the second half when Green made a jumper on the opening possession of the fourth.

It was the start of an 11-0 run that gave the Suns a 93-83 advantage. Royce O’Neale’s steal and 3-pointer put Phoenix ahead 98-87 lead with 7:13 remaining, but that’s when the Blazers started their comeback.

The Suns led 33-31 after one quarter, but the Trail Blazers pushed to a 55-41 advantage by midway through the second. Phoenix bounced back to cut the deficit to 65-62 at the break after Green completed a four-point play — hitting a 3 while being fouled — with one second remaining.

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

The Pakistani military said the delegation included Field Marshal Asim Munir, the country's interior minister and other senior security officials. The group is “part of the ongoing mediation efforts,” the military said, but it gave no details.

Pakistan has emerged as a key mediator in the conflict after it hosted rare direct talks between the U.S. and Iran in Islamabad, a move authorities said helped narrow differences between the two sides.

Meanwhile, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia on an official visit to discuss regional issues. A statement from Sharif’s office in Islamabad said he was received at the airport in Jeddah by senior Saudi officials. Sharif was accompanied by Pakistan's foreign minister and information minister.

Officials say US and Iran are making progress

The U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and renewed Iranian threats strained the week-old ceasefire agreement, but regional officials said they were making progress, telling The Associated Press that the United States and Iran had an “in principle agreement” to extend it to allow for more diplomacy. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.

But even as mediators worked for peace, tensions were still simmering. The commander of Iran’s joint military command, Ali Abdollahi, threatened to halt trade in the region if the U.S. does not lift its naval blockade.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei, announcing the incoming Pakistani delegation, said Islamabad “has held discussions with the Americans and has also heard our stances. During this visit the views of both sides are to be discussed in detail.”

A senior U.S. official said before the Pakistani visit was announced that the United States has not formally agreed to extend the ceasefire and that “engagement” with Iran continues. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the sensitive negotiations.

Mediators seek compromise on sticking points

Before the two-week ceasefire expires on April 22, mediators are pushing for a compromise on three main sticking points that derailed direct talks last weekend — Iran’s nuclear program, the Strait of Hormuz and compensation for wartime damages, according to a regional official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the mediation efforts.

Baghaei said Iran is open to discussing the type and level of its uranium enrichment, but his country “based on its needs, must be able to continue enrichment,” Iran’s state-media reported.

The fighting has killed at least 3,000 people in Iran, more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than a dozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have also been killed.

Trump says Iran wants a deal

The war, now in its seventh week, has jolted markets and rattled the global economy as shipping has been cut off and airstrikes have torn through military and civilian infrastructure across the region. Oil prices fell on hopes for an end to fighting on Wednesday, and U.S. stocks surged close to records set in January.

Yet the future of the fragile ceasefire still hung in the balance as the U.S. pressed ahead with its blockade, which threatens to sever Iran from economic lifelines it has relied on since the war began nearly seven weeks ago, and Tehran threatened regional trade.

“I think they want to make a deal very badly,” U.S. President Donald Trump said in an excerpt from an interview with Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria” scheduled to air Wednesday morning. He added: “I view it as very close to over.”

Trump claimed Wednesday that China has agreed not to provide weapons to Iran as reports circulated that Beijing has considered transferring arms.

Trump wrote in a social media post that China is “very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz.” He added: “They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran.” He seemed to suggest the two are linked.

China has long supported Iran’s ballistic missile program and backed it with dual-use industrial components that can be used for missile production, according to the U.S. government.

US military says no ships got past blockade

U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that no ships made it past the blockade in the first 24 hours, while six merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around and reenter Iranian waters.

The blockade is intended to pressure Iran, which has exported millions of barrels of oil, mostly to Asia, since the war began Feb. 28. Much of it has likely been carried by so-called dark transits that evade sanctions and oversight, providing cash that’s been vital to keeping Iran running.

Since the war began, Iran has curtailed maritime traffic, with most commercial vessels avoiding the waterway. Tehran's effective closure of the strait, through which a fifth of global oil transits in peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing, pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other basic goods far beyond the Middle East.

Strikes continue in Lebanon after Washington talks

Elsewhere, Israel pressed ahead with its aerial and ground war in Lebanon. The country's National News Agency reported airstrikes and artillery shelling throughout southern Lebanon on Wednesday, including near Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces have encircled fighters with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The fighting continued after Israeli and Lebanese officials concluded their first direct talks in decades.

Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said the two countries are “on the same side of the equation” in “liberating Lebanon” from Hezbollah. Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad called Tuesday's meeting “constructive” but urged an end to the fighting. Since March, that war has displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and Lebanon remains deeply divided over diplomatic engagement with Israel.

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Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank, Ahmed from Islamabad and Corder from The Hague, Netherlands. Associated Press Writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.

While details remained sketchy, Bangladesh Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Sabbir Alam Suzan told The Associated Press on Wednesday that nine people, including three Rohingya and six Bangladeshis, were rescued on April 9. Suzan said that the Bangladesh flag carrier M.T. Meghna Pride rescued the nine people when the crew found them floating at sea after the capsizing.

The status of any search on Wednesday or when the boat sank weren't immediately clear.

UNHCR, the U.N. refugee agency, and the International Organization for Migration, or IOM, said in a joint statement on Tuesday that the trawler departed from Teknaf in the southern Bangladeshi district of Cox’s Bazar carrying a large number of passengers to Malaysia.

The IOM said Wednesday in a new statement that the boat reportedly sank on April 9.

Overcrowding, strong winds and rough seas caused the vessel to lose control and sink, the agencies said.

A Rohingya woman who survived the capsizing and was rescued narrated her ordeal on Wednesday. The survivor said that she set out for Malaysia on April 4, and about 20 women were on board when the boat sank.

“I drifted in the sea for two days and one night," said Rahela Begum, who was brought to a refugee camp. "There were many people on the trawler, but after it sank, I have no idea what happened to them or where they went,"

“After drifting in the sea for two days and one night, the piece of wood I was holding onto also flipped over and I lost it. At that point, I lost consciousness. When I regained consciousness, I saw that Allah had sent a ship. The ship rescued me," she said.

Shari Nijman, a UNHCR communication officer in Cox’s Bazar, said Wednesday that the agency had no other updates.

Another coast guard media official told the AP by phone Wednesday that the rescued people, eight men and one woman, were all safe, after being handed over to the coast guard, which brought them to the police in Teknaf.

The official said that the rescue wasn't part of any official search operation, because the area is outside Bangladeshi territory, and that the crew of the M.T. Meghna Pride saved the people while it was on its way to Indonesia from Bangladesh's Chittagong.

The official spoke by phone on condition of anonymity in line with official policy.

UNHCR and IOM said that the disappearance reflected the protracted displacement of Rohingya people and the absence of durable solutions.

They said that ongoing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine state has made the Rohingya’s safe return to Myanmar uncertain, while limited humanitarian assistance, as well as restricted access to education and employment in refugee camps, continue to push vulnerable Rohingya refugees to choose risky sea journeys, often based on false promises of higher wages and better opportunities abroad.

“This incident is a stark reminder of the grave risks people continue to face when undertaking dangerous sea journeys in search of safety and better opportunities,” IOM spokesperson Mohammedali Abunajela said in a statement on Wednesday. “No one should have to choose between remaining in situations of profound hardship or embarking on a journey that may cost them their lives.”

UNHCR and IOM urged the international community to strengthen funding and solidarity to ensure lifesaving assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, which has sheltered more than 1 million Rohingya from Myanmar.

In 2025, more than 6,500 Rohingya refugees embarked on dangerous maritime journeys from Bangladesh and Myanmar, almost 900 of whom lost their lives, the IOM said. On the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal specifically, deaths and disappearances increased by more than 40% compared with 2024 figures, the U.N. organization said.

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Suzauddin Rubel reported from Cox's Bazar.

A key provision of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act permits the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and other agencies to collect and analyze vast amounts of overseas communications without a warrant. It incidentally sweeps up the conversations of any Americans who interact with those foreigners targeted for surveillance.

The program expires Monday, and critics want changes, including a requirement for warrants before authorities can access the emails, phone calls or text messages of Americans. They also want limits on the government's use of internet data brokers, who sell large volumes of personal information gleaned online, offering the government what critics say amounts to an end-run around the Constitution.

Despite bipartisan criticism, the chances of significant changes dropped when Trump announced his support for the program's renewal, saying it had proved its worth in supplying information vital to recent U.S. actions in Venezuela and Iran.

“The fact is, whether you like FISA or not, it is extremely important to our military,” Trump said on social media Tuesday.

Trump calls for another extension of the program

U.S. authorities say the program, known as Section 702 of the law, is essential to national security and has saved lives by uncovering terrorist plots. Critics question what they say is a dangerous infringement on civil liberties and privacy.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said a different FISA provision was used to spy on his 2016 campaign but that he supported Section 702's renewal despite misgivings that political adversaries could use parts of the law against him in the future. He urged lawmakers to extend the foreign surveillance program for 18 more months.

“My administration has worked tirelessly to ensure these FISA reforms are being aggressively executed at every level of the Executive Branch to keep Americans safe, while protecting our sacred Civil Liberties guaranteed by our Great Constitution,” Trump wrote.

The Republican president is a longtime critic of the nation's intelligence services and was once opposed to Section 702 before he reversed himself. His director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, sponsored legislation to repeal Section 702 as a Hawaii congresswoman but now supports it. She says new protections added since her time in Congress helped change her mind.

Greater protections are sought

for Americans' communications

In addition to a requirement for a warrant to access Americans' data, critics also want greater protections on how the FBI or other agencies can search communications and how that is reported to the public.

“Journalists, foreign aid workers, people with family overseas, all could have their communications swept up in this surveillance merely because they talked to someone outside of this country,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. He is pushing for changes that he said will ensure the government is not violating civil rights in secret.

Several Republicans also have suggested changes, such as the warrant requirement.

“National security and civil liberties are not mutually exclusive,” said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. “We can give our intelligence professionals the tools they need to target foreign threats while ensuring that Americans are not subjected to unconstitutional surveillance.”

Gabbard's office releases an annual report showing the number of foreign surveillance targets and number of searches likely to identify an American. For 2025, the number of foreign surveillance targets increased to nearly 350,000 from almost 292,000 in 2024. Searches using terms likely to identify an American decreased slightly to 7,724 from 7,845 in 2024.

The totals are incomplete because agencies such as the FBI have found ways to access the data without reporting the searches publicly, said Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.

FBI officials repeatedly violated their own standards when searching for intelligence related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol and racial justice protests in 2020, according to a 2024 court order.

“It’s reminiscent of J. Edgar Hoover's tenure at the FBI,” Goitein said, referring to the FBI's founding director who used illegal surveillance to harass and spy on Americans. “They can pretty much target anyone."

There's little time to make changes to the law

Despite bipartisan concerns about the law and its implications for civil liberties, time is running out for Congress to make any changes before Monday's expiration.

Trump's support also reduces the odds that enough Republicans will break ranks and join Democrats to push for an overhaul.

Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, announced a proposal Tuesday night that would require the Department of Justice to seek a court order before the FBI could access search results involving Americans. Himes said in a statement that he wants to see Section 702 renewed with new protections.

He said it “is too critical to allow it to expire, but the legitimate concerns about the possibility of abuse also demand that we consider additional reforms.”

The best chance for inserting changes likely is the House, where a large number of lawmakers from both parties have expressed concerns.

But Rep. Rick Crawford, an Arkansas Republican who leads the House Intelligence Committee, is backing Trump's call for an 18-month renewal.

Crawford has said he believes the government can empower spy agencies while also holding them accountable.

“Doctor SV evoluciona para atender pacientes crónicos. Alguien que tiene hipertensión, diabetes, problemas renales», dijo Guy Nae, director de Google Cloud para el Sector Público en América Latina.

Nae explicó que el programa atiende actualmente 18.000 llamadas al día, pero que se tiene la capacidad para recibir hasta 30.000 llamadas diarias.

Bukele aclaró que “las 30.000 citas al día son médicos, humanos, que están atendiendo al paciente con apoyo de la inteligencia artificial y de todo el sistema, pero son humanos. Pero esto lo van a estar haciendo agentes (de la IA), por aparte y de forma paralela”.

“Estamos creando el mejor sistema de salud del mundo”, añadió el mandatario.

Cinco meses después de su lanzamiento, el programa cuenta con 1,1 millones de usuarios y más de 400 farmacias y laboratorios afiliados. Además, se han realizado 1,5 millones de citas, con un 93% de efectividad y 97% de satisfacción de los usuarios.

Doctor SV es una app que permitirá recibir atención médica las 24 horas al día, los siete días de la semana, utilizando elementos de inteligencia artificial para mejorar la precisión del diagnóstico, y la generación de códigos QR para obtener medicamentos y tramitar los análisis de forma gratuita.

La app facilita una videollamada entre el paciente y el médico. Al concluir la consulta, el paciente recibirá un código QR que puede hacer válido en cualquiera de las farmacias de la red hospitalaria de El Salvador, al igual que los exámenes de laboratorio que se le indiquen.

Durante la reunión con Bukele, el especialista en salud pública e IA aplicada a la salud Edgardo Von Euw aseguró que en el país hay tres millones de personas con enfermedades crónicas.

Von Euw, explicó que el enfoque con Doctor SV en una primera etapa es tratar de identificar a cada uno de los pacientes, tomando en consideración que sólo seis de cada 10 personas saben que son hipertensos, explicó.

Reps. Eric Swalwell, a California Democrat, and Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican, both announced within hours of each other Monday that they were leaving Congress. Their decisions came the day before the House returned to Washington and as both faced the prospect of being expelled from the chamber by their colleagues.

It was a reckoning of sorts for Capitol Hill, the most striking since the careers of roughly a dozen male politicians were toppled during the heights of the #MeToo movement. Yet some congresswomen said that the pair of resignations took too long and proved what they've long been saying: that more must be done to rid Capitol Hill of sexual predation.

“Today was an important turning point,” said Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. “That it should — that abuse of power — should never be accepted, and above all, in public office. And so, I think this is an important resetting point for the institution.”

A bipartisan group of congresswomen had threatened on Tuesday to file resolutions that could have forced votes on expelling Swalwell and Gonzales. Their moves forced the two men to act and came swiftly after the San Francisco Chronicle and CNN had reported Friday that a woman said Swalwell sexually assaulted her.

The initial allegations against Swalwell date back to 2019 and 2024; they were followed with other allegations of inappropriate behavior made by other women. Swalwell has denied engaging in any sexual misconduct but acknowledged mistakes in judgment. Gonzales for months had resisted calls for his resignation after he admitted to a 2024 affair with a staff member who later died by suicide.

“Accountability can happen. We can hold men accountable when they abuse women, and we’re going to do more of it,” said Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, who chairs the Democratic Women’s Caucus.

House rules forbid relationships with staff

It is against the House Code of Conduct for any member to have a sexual relationship with their staff members.

Following the #MeToo movement, the House changed its rules to require annual trainings on sexual harassment and discrimination for members. The House also approved legislation to speed the slow-moving process for harassment complaints, require more disclosure of settlements and force lawmakers to personally pay any penalties they’re required to make.

Former Rep. Jackie Speier, a California Democrat who led the movement for reforms around sexual assault, told The Associated Press that problems still persist after those reforms.

“What we do in Congress is basically look the other way,” she said, adding that she was calling on House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries to “really tighten the rules and create a safe environment for these women to report.”

While Johnson said he did not talk with the lawmakers before they announced their resignations, he told reporters that the episode had played out “appropriately.”

“This is the right thing for the institution," he said.

How the push for accountability has grown

Sexual abuse has been top of mind for lawmakers as they investigate the actions of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. A handful of Republican women, mostly hailing from the right wing of their party, played crucial roles in forcing Congress to take up the issue.

Republican Rep. Nancy Mace, alongside Rep. Lauren Boebert and then-Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, rebuffed pressure from President Donald Trump and Johnson last year as they joined with Democrats and forced a vote on a bill mandating the release of many of the case files on Epstein.

Mace, who in 2019 shared her own account of surviving rape, has continued an outspoken campaign advocating for victims of sexual assault. She and Republican Rep. Anna Paulina Luna had repeatedly called for Swalwell and Gonzales to resign.

Mace has also extended that demand to Republican Rep. Cory Mills, who is facing an ethics investigation on allegations of sexual misconduct and violence against an ex-girlfriend. Mills has said he will disprove the allegations.

Meanwhile, Mace and Luna are also calling for the resignation of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat. The House Ethics Committee found evidence that she broke campaign finance law related to a mistaken overpayment of $5 million from the state of Florida to her family's health care business. She has said she did nothing wrong.

“Clean house. Expel them. Hold every last one accountable,” Mace said on social media. “The American people are watching.”

At the same time, Mace herself is under investigation by the ethics panel for allegations she improperly claimed housing reimbursements. She has denied wrongdoing.

Swalwell allies are facing close scrutiny

As accusations of sexual abuse continued to land against Swalwell, some Democrats found themselves in a moment of reflection and contrition, especially those who kept close company with him.

Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, a close friend of Swalwell’s who chaired his presidential campaign, called reporters to his office on Tuesday for an emotional press conference.

“I messed up. I’m human. I trusted this man,” a teary-eyed Gallego said.

Under intense questioning from reporters, Gallego acknowledged that he had heard rumors about Swalwell being “flirty,” but contended that he trusted him as a close family friend.

“I definitely look at the world in a different way now,” Gallego said. “I personally am going to make sure that I’m going to take personal steps and office steps to make sure that we don’t even get close to a gray line.”

Policing behavior in Congress presents challenges

Speier, who entered politics by first working as a congressional aide and experienced harassment from a supervisor, said that part of the problem in Congress is that members are given wide latitude to run their offices. All 535 lawmakers are bosses of their own hand-selected staff.

“There’s really no one overseeing you," Speier said. "There’s a sense of entitlement that kind of overtakes many of these members.”

Speier, alongside then-Rep. Bradley Byrne, led the effort to pass legislation to make it easier to report sexual harassment and discrimination, including banning nondisclosure agreements to protect members of Congress.

Since the 2018 reforms began requiring the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights to report awards and settlements related to formal complaints, there have been eight payments made by House members' offices, totaling just over $400,000. Those payments cover all types of violations of workplace rights, not just sexual harassment, and the violations could have been committed by other congressional staff in the office.

Speier said that it was crucial to keep making it easier for survivors to report sexual abuse.

"Unless someone comes forward, you know the conduct continues,” she said.

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Associated Press Chief Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

“I’ll just basically let ChatGPT know my status, how I’m feeling,” said the 42-year-old in Mesquite, Texas. “I use it for anything that I’m experiencing.”

Turning to artificial intelligence tools for health advice has become a habit for Davis and many other Americans, according to a West Health–Gallup Center on Healthcare in America poll published Wednesday. The poll, conducted in late 2025 and backed up by at least three other recent surveys with similar findings, found that roughly one-quarter of U.S. adults had used an AI tool for health information or advice in the past 30 days.

Dr. Karandeep Singh, chief health AI officer at the University of California San Diego Health, said AI tools, many of which now incorporate web search, are an upgraded version of Google health searches that Americans have been doing for decades.

“I almost view it like a better entry portal into web search,” he said. “Instead of someone having to comb through the top, you know, 10, 20, 30 links in a web search, they can now have an executive summary.”

Most recent AI health users are looking for quick answers

Most Americans using AI tools for health purposes say they want immediate answers. In some cases, it helps them evaluate what kind of medical attention they need.

“It’ll let me know if something’s serious or not,” Davis said of ChatGPT, which she typically consults before scheduling medical appointments.

The Gallup survey found about 7 in 10 U.S. adults who have used AI for health research in the past 30 days say they wanted quick answers, additional information or were simply curious. Majorities used it for research before seeing a doctor or after an appointment.

Rakesia Wilson, 39, in Theodore, Alabama, said she recently used AI to better understand her lab results after an endocrinologist visit. She also regularly uses ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot to decide whether she needs to take time off for a doctor's appointment or can simply monitor an ailment.

“I just don’t necessarily have the time if it’s something that I feel is minor," said Wilson, who said she sometimes works up to 70-hour weeks as an assistant principal.

Younger adults and lower-income users have used AI to bridge care gaps

On the whole, the findings suggest that the rise of AI tools hasn't stopped people from seeking professional medical care. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults say they have sought out a doctor or other health care professional for health information in the past year, while about 3 in 10 say that about AI tools and chatbots, according to a KFF poll conducted in late February.

Similarly, a Pew Research Center survey conducted in October found that about 2 in 10 U.S. adults say they get health information at least sometimes from AI chatbots, while about 85% said the same about health care providers.

But there are indications that some Americans are using AI for health advice because they are struggling to obtain professional medical care, at a time when federal policy and market factors are worsening health costs and creating obstacles to access around the country.

A small but significant share of respondents in the Gallup study say they used AI because accessing health care was too expensive or inconvenient. About 4 in 10 wanted help outside of normal business hours, while about 3 in 10 did not want to pay for a doctor’s visit. Roughly 2 in 10 did not have time to make an appointment, had felt ignored or dismissed by a provider in the past or were too embarrassed to talk to a person.

The KFF survey found that younger adults and lower-income people were more likely to say they used an AI tool or chatbot for health information because they could not afford the cost of seeing a provider or were having trouble accessing health care.

Americans are divided on whether AI medical advice can be trusted

Tech experts often warn that AI chatbots don’t think for themselves — and therefore can sometimes spout false information. Those concerns have trickled down even to frequent AI users.

About one-third of adults who had recently used AI for health information said they “strongly” or “somewhat” trust the accuracy of health information and advice generated by AI tools, according to the Gallup poll. About the same share, 34%, distrusted it, and another 33% neither trusted it nor distrusted it.

Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, an ear, nose and throat doctor and the president of the American Medical Association, said he loves when patients come in and have “more evolved questions than they used to have” because they used AI for research. But he said AI should be considered a tool and not a stand-in for medical care.

“It is an assistant but not an expert, and that’s why physicians need to be involved in that care,” he said.

There are also concerns about privacy, according to KFF. About three-quarters of U.S. adults said they are “very concerned” or “somewhat concerned” about the privacy of personal medical or health information that people provide to AI tools or chatbots.

Singh, of UC San Diego Health, said most AI tools have settings users can toggle to prevent their data from being used to train future models. But that requires user vigilance — and not being careful can have consequences.

Last summer, for example, internet sleuths on Google discovered private ChatGPT conversations that had been indexed on a public website without the users realizing it.

Tamara Ruppart, a 47-year-old director in Los Angeles, said she is lucky enough to have doctors in her husband’s family that she contacts instead of turning to AI. With her family history of breast cancer, using a chatbot for health advice feels too risky.

“Health care is something that’s pretty serious,” she said. “And if it’s wrong, you could really hurt yourself.”

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Sanders reported from Washington.

The heat is unusual for April, not only because it’s scorching much of the nation so early in the year but also for its duration. The near-record temperatures are expected to last into this weekend, forecasters say.

The potentially dangerous heat comes after severe storms tore through Kansas, Minnesota and Wisconsin on Monday and Tuesday. There's a possibility of more storms on Wednesday.

While it's not unprecedented to see high temperatures climb toward 90 degrees (32 Celsius) on an April day, the length of such an April heat wave is rarely seen, experts say.

“That’s borderline unprecedented as far as the duration of it this time of year,” said John Feerick, senior meteorologist at the forecasting firm AccuWeather.com.

Feerick said that starting Wednesday “we're going to have records challenged from basically Georgia all the way up through the New York City area and back towards the Ohio Valley.”

The National Weather Service is projecting a high temperature around 86 degrees (30 Celsius) for Central Park in New York City on Wednesday. The record high for the date is 87, which has stood since 1941.

Even hotter weather is expected in Philadelphia, where Wednesday's high is expected to be 92 degrees (33 C). Other likely hot spots include Washington, D.C., which could see a high of 94 (34 C); and Atlanta, where the high is projected to be 88 (31 C).

“It's really some very impressive heat for the middle of April, for sure,” Feerick said.

“The good thing about this is that the humidity is not summertime levels,” he added. That means it won't feel as hot as a sizzling July day.

However, the early-season heat can be more stressful on people's bodies since they haven't had a chance to acclimate.

“It's kind of one of those things where it’s a little more stressful to the body because you're not used to it the first time around,” Feerick said.

Heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer in the U.S., the weather service warns. Infants and young children; older adults, people with chronic medical conditions and pregnant women are especially vulnerable to heat-related injuries and death.

A strong ridge of high pressure fueling moisture into the southern plains was responsible for bringing the unusual heat to the eastern U.S., the weather service said.

Though Wednesday is a day when many records could fall, the heat wave will continue through Friday in many areas, forecasters said.

“Widespread lower to even middle 90s are expected Friday across the lower elevations of the Carolinas, which could set additional daily records and perhaps come close to some monthly records,” the agency's Weather Prediction Center wrote in a memo.

The heat wave should finally be breaking down by Sunday as a strong cold front moves toward the Eastern Seaboard, and then it should be “pleasantly cooler” by Monday with the front heading out to sea, the weather service said.

Meat raffles have been popular in pockets of the U.S. for decades, offering a fun way to raise money for charities while handing out prizes ranging from ground beef and hot dogs to chicken breasts and steaks. But while inflation has surged and meat prices have soared, Minnesota's $70 per-event prize limit hasn't changed in nearly 40 years.

The deeply divided Minnesota Legislature hasn't been able to agree on much this year, but it's almost a sure bet to respond by upping the cap to $200. That will allow charities to offer more and bigger grill packs, and thicker, fancier steaks, while funding local youth sports teams and other causes. And it will ensure that the state’s beloved if quirky tradition of gambling for meat products will remain viable.

“This is probably the best feel-good bill that we have going on in the Legislature right now,” said Republican Rep. Jim Nash, lead House author of the meat raffle legislation.

Even with the lower prize limit, Andrea “Mama” Avaloz scored with a $2 bet. Game organizers spun a wheel and landed on her number 5, making her a winner of the American Legion Post 150 in the lakeside town of Waconia, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Minneapolis.

“So I have a little fajita meat. We are set to go!” Avaloz said as she picked up her plastic-wrapped prize. “Beef sticks! Love them!”

Moments later she realized there was a surprise hidden beneath her beef and sausages.

“Oh my God, I have pork chops!” she exclaimed. “I picked a good one! I’m so excited!”

Meat raffles originated during World War II as a response to wartime rationing in the United Kingdom. They spread to Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and eventually migrated to Minnesota, Wisconsin, western New York and a few other states.

Nash, who represents Waconia, said he expects a vote in the House next week to expand the prize cap and approval soon after in the Senate.

“It’s an opportunity for bipartisanship,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to do good things.”

The service organizations that run meat raffles and other charitable gambling in Minnesota put the proceeds back into their communities. The bars and restaurants that host them benefit from bigger crowds that buy more burgers and beer.

Joe Gifford, commander of Post 150, which was founded in 1920, said those sales mean even more money to support Legion baseball and softball teams, and to maintain veterans' monuments.

“Every dollar we raise here, after we pay our bills, actually goes right back into all those different services for community, veterans, and active duty military,” Gifford said. “And the meat raffle is a part of that. It’s one of the instruments where we actually draw crowds in on a Friday.”

In Minneapolis, meat raffles are held each Friday night in the 1029 Bar, a spot often patronized by police officers. Behind the bar there's a squad car door hanging that's riddled with bullet holes.

Roberta Rodriguez, site manager for the Northeast Minneapolis Lions Club, runs the charitable gambling operation at the bar, which like Post 150 also includes other games, like bingo and pull-tabs.

“We have a lot customers that come every week,” Rodriguez said. “So they get to know each other, they tease each other when someone wins too much.”

Ashley Burris hadn't heard of meat raffles until she moved to Minnesota from Virginia. Now she seeks out bars that offer them.

“It’s kinda my vibe,” she said during a break in the action.

Burris said she hadn't heard of the legislation — or the idea that prizes might be too small. She was focused more on the fun.

“It’s never crossed my mind — although you can never have too much rib-eye,” she said.

But instead of showcasing the youthful energy that the organization harnessed to return President Donald Trump to the White House less than two years ago, there was a mostly empty arena, awkward questions and unusually sharp criticism.

The event affirmed Trump's difficulty selling the war and how much he’s complicated his own political fortunes by assailing Pope Leo XIV and posting a social media meme that depicted himself as Jesus.

“I did vote for Trump. I am not a Trump supporter anymore,” said Joseph Bercher, a Catholic who said he was glad that Leo has expressed opposition to the war with Iran.

Bercher said the Jesus meme, which the president took down Monday after a rare conservative backlash, was a “red flag” indicating Trump's true character.

“He sees himself as like a demagogue or someone to be worshipped," Bercher said.

C.J. Santini, a recent graduate of Liberty University, an evangelical school in Virginia, said he didn't have an opinion on whether Iran was truly close to manufacturing a nuclear weapon and thus needed to be attacked. But he laughed and shook his head when asked about Trump attacking Leo.

“It’s just stupid. Stupid,” he said, calling it a “distraction” from Trump’s agenda in Iran and at home.

Mostly empty arena contrasts with 2024 rallies

Many of the college-age attendees donned Turning Point attire, Trump hats and red-white-and-blue paraphernalia for the event. Yet they were outnumbered more than 2-to-1 by empty seats in what is not even the largest arena on this sprawling campus that sits about a 90-minute drive from downtown Atlanta.

A Marine veteran who served in Iraq, Vance acknowledged that not all young conservatives are enamored with another U.S. war in the Middle East.

“I’m not saying you have to agree with me on every issue,” Vance told the young crowd. “What I’m saying,” he added, “is don’t get disengaged.”

The vice president took questions from Turning Point executive Andrew Kolvet instead of Erika Kirk, who began leading the organization after the assassination of her husband Charlie Kirk. Kolvet said Erika Kirk canceled her plans to be on stage because of unspecified threats she had received.

Vance, whose presence ensured significant Secret Service and other law enforcement protection around the venue, said he’d been worried that the event would be canceled altogether.

Kolvet asked Vance directly about the war and Trump’s back-and-forth with Leo. Audience questions were more aggressive. Vance jousted with at least one heckler over the war in Gaza, and he was pressed by another person over the administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case files.

In the audience, even some of Vance’s sympathetic listeners offered caveats and critiques.

“The pope needs to stay out of politics,” said Jessie Williams, a Methodist. But he noted his mother is Catholic, and he said he understands why Catholics recoil at Trump calling the pope “weak” and suggesting that the first U.S.-born pontiff was chosen only as a counter to Trump.

Williams called Trump’s meme distasteful.

“I don’t like it, but it’s — what can we do?" Williams said. "He’s a grown man, he’s gonna do what he wants.”

Blake McCluggage, a Baptist, said he did not approve of the meme or Trump’s profane Easter Sunday message that threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s civilian infrastructure.

The threat, plus Trump’s follow up message that a “whole civilization” would die, prompted escalating criticism from Leo, with the pope calling the president’s comments “truly unacceptable.”

However, McCluggage said, “you can still be a Republican” despite disagreeing with Trump.

Vance adjusts his comments about the pope

A day before coming to Georgia, Vance tried to laugh off the meme as a joke that “a lot of people weren’t understanding.” The vice president also seemed to echo Trump’s assertion that Leo should concentrate less on global affairs.

“It would be best for the Vatican to stick to matters of morality, to stick to matters of what’s going on in the Catholic church and let the president of the United States stick to dictating American public policy,” Vance said in a Fox News interview.

On stage in Athens, he shifted his arguments, saying he welcomes Leo’s comments even if he disagrees with them.

“At the very least, it invites conversation,” said Vance, who converted to Catholicism as an adult.

Still, Vance questioned Leo anew, pushing back specifically at the pope’s Palm Sunday assertion that God does not hear the prayers of those who make war. Leo was quoting scripture from the Old Testament book of Isaiah. Vance asked whether God was on the side of Allied forces in World War II as they liberated Jewish survivors of Nazi extermination camps.

“I certainly think the answer is yes,” Vance said. When Leo mixes global affairs and complex theology, Vance said, “it’s very important for the pope to be careful.”

“860,” written and performed by the Tony- and Emmy-winner, will begin previews this October at a theater to be revealed later. The title comes from the street address for the home Crystal and his family lived in for 46 years, a house lost in last year's devastating Palisades fires.

“I invite you to come inside 860 and I’ll tell you all the funny and touching things that happened there, not only in my career but to our family,” Crystal said in a statement. “It’s a joyous and heartfelt visit, about how with the love of family and friends and your inner strength, you can get through tough times.”

This is Crystal’s first return to Broadway following his “Mr. Saturday Night,” which he premiered in 2022 and earned Tony nominations for best book and lead actor in a musical. Scott Ellis will direct his new work.

Crystal has had success with one-man shows before. He turned his memoir “700 Sundays” into a stage show — in 2004 and revived in 2013 — that won him a Drama Desk Award in 2005.

The Palisades and Eaton fires erupted in Jan. 7, 2025, killing 31 people and destroying about 13,000 homes and other residential properties. The fires burned for more than three weeks and clean-up efforts took about seven months.

At the televised fundraising concert FireAid, held at the end of January, 2025, Crystal appeared as the first host in the same clothes he was wearing when he fled his family home.

Crystal said he returned to the wreckage of his home and began to wail: “I had not cried like that since I was 15 and I was told that my father had just died.” His daughters soon found a rock in the wreckage with the word “Laughter” engraved in it.

Crystal made a name for himself first in comedy, from stand-up to TV’s “Soap” to the films “When Harry Met Sally” and “City Slickers.” Then in 1992, he got serious with the movie “Mr. Saturday Night,” which he directed, co-wrote and starred in.

The S&P 500 rose 0.3% and was on track to eclipse its all-time high set in January. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 139 points, or 0.3%, as of 10:45 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.8% higher.

The U.S. bond market also held relatively steady as mediators moved closer to extending the ceasefire between the United States and Iran and restarting negotiations before the agreement expires next week.

After falling nearly 10% below its record in late March, a drop steep enough that Wall Street calls it a “correction,” the S&P 500 has roared roughly 10% higher. The move was mostly on expectations for calming tensions to come in the war and a resumption of the full flow of oil from Persian Gulf producers to customers worldwide through the Strait of Hormuz.

If those expectations get undercut, which has happened before in the war, stocks could easily resume their fall. Oil prices drifted up and down Wednesday and showed that caution remains in financial markets.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, added 0.2% to $94.95. That’s still well above its roughly $70 price from before the war, though it’s down from its $119 peak when worries about the fighting have been at their heights.

But if U.S.-Iran talks do happen and if they are successful, the war could end up being only a temporary setback for the global economy instead of a new normal of very high oil prices and inflation. And that in turn could allow investors to return their attention to what matters most for stock prices: money.

Through all the day-to-day noise that can affect investors’ opinions, stock prices tend to move with the direction of corporate profits over the long term. And positive trends there had stock markets worldwide doing well before the war began. Analysts also see continued growth ahead, for now at least.

Bank of America rose 1.6% Wednesday after saying it made $8.6 billion in profit during the first three months of the year. That’s up 17% from a year earlier and more than analysts expected. CEO Brian Moynihan also said the bank saw signs of a “resilient American economy,” including solid spending by U.S. consumers.

Morgan Stanley jumped 5.4% after the investment bank likewise delivered a better-than-expected quarter of results.

Companies hurt earlier in the year by worries about artificial-intelligence technology also rose to recover more of their losses for 2026. Some of the concerns were about companies potentially spending too much to build out AI capabilities, while others focused on businesses that may go obsolete because of AI-powered competition.

The worries got so deep that they shook private-credit companies that have lent money to software businesses and others potentially under threat because of AI.

ServiceNow climbed 5.9%, Oracle rose 4.5% and Ares Management gained 4.7% for some of Wednesday's bigger gains. All are still down between 12% and 40% for the year so far.

With stock prices overall back to where they were in January, and with analysts' expectations for upcoming profits from big U.S. companies only rising since then, optimists say stocks look cheaper than they did a few months ago.

“Today, we see compelling opportunity potential” to move into areas of the market that look like better buys than earlier this year, such as technology stocks, said Mason Mendez, investment strategy analyst at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

The stock price of Allbirds more than quintupled above $12 after the company said it's shifting gears and moving into the AI compute infrastructure industry, while changing its name to NewBird AI. The Allbirds name will stay with the shoe brand that the company has already agreed to sell to American Exchange Group.

Nike rose 2.6% after CEO Elliott Hill and Tim Cook — a Nike director and the CEO of Apple — disclosed that they purchased a combined 48,000 shares of the athletic shoe maker at a cost of about $1 million each. Nike shares are still down nearly 29% this year.

On the losing end of Wall Street was ASML. The Dutch company, whose machinery helps make chips, fell 4.1% after giving a forecasted range for upcoming revenue whose midpoint fell below analysts' expectations. Its stock is nevertheless still up nearly 36% for the year so far.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe following modest gains in Asia.

In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury edged up to 4.27% from 4.26% late Tuesday.

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AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

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This version corrects the last name of Nike's CEO, which is Hill.

Emergency crews arrived to North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines around 6:11 p.m. due to a plane traveling off of a runway.

Officials said the small plane veered off the runway due to one of its breaks locking up.

There were two people on board at the time, according to authorities.

No injuries were reported.

Duran, who has spoken about his past struggles with mental health, said a fan made a personal comment that crossed the line.

“Somebody just told me to kill myself,” Duran said. “I’m used to it at this point, you know? I mean, (expletive) happens. I mean, I’m gonna flip somebody off if they say something to me, but it is what it is. I shouldn’t react like that, but that kind of stuff is still kind of triggering.”

Duran discussed bouts with severe depression and a suicide attempt in a Netflix series that debuted last year.

“Honestly, it’s my fault for talking about my mental health because I kind of brought in the haters. So I've just got to get used to it,” Duran said. “I was just trying to hold it in and not really bring that up to the team. I mean, we’re trying to win a game. I shouldn’t even bring that up to anybody. ... It just happens.”

Boston manager Alex Cora said he didn't witness the incident and hadn't reviewed video of it.

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

Ball finished with 30 points and 10 assists and Bridges had 28 points and nine rebounds as the Hornets won their first postseason home game in a decade. Coby White had 19 points, including a turnaround 3 with 10.8 second left in regulation to send the game to OT.

Mitchell scored 28 points and Andrew Wiggins added 27 for the Heat, who lost Bam Adebayo to a lower back injury when Ball tripped him in the second quarter.

The Hornets will travel to face the loser of Wednesday’s matchup between Philadelphia and Orlando on Friday night for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is seeking its first playoff appearance in a decade.

Ball's driving layup put the Hornets up by five with 26 seconds left in OT. But he made two critical mistakes after that.

Tyler Herro, who scored 23 points for Miami, hit a twisting, corner 3, and Ball then turned the ball over in the backcourt and fouled Herro on a 3-point shot. Herro made all three free throws to give Miami a 126-125 lead with 8.7 seconds left.

After a timeout, Ball drove the right side of the lane and made a leaning, right-handed layup to give Charlotte the lead. Miami, without any timeouts, pushed the ball up the court and Bridges chased down Mitchell to block his layup attempt, setting off a frenzied celebration.

Ball flexed at midcourt as players mobbed each other.

Despite the loss of Adebayo, the Heat remained in control until late in the third quarter, when White banked in a 3-pointer and then added another 3 at the top of the key as part of a 10-0 Charlotte run.

White, acquired in a midseason trade with Chicago, drained another 3 in the closing seconds of the third quarter to give Charlotte a 89-83 lead.

The Heat then built a 102-95 lead in the fourth quarter behind two 3s from Wiggins.

The Hornets tied it when White caught an inbounds pass and made a unbalanced 3 from the corner. Herro had a chance to win it in regulation but hit the back iron on a 3-point try.

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

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The Florida Forest Service responded to the wildfire burning in Naples on Monday.

Officials said the fire erupted at about 9 a.m. at Picayune Park.

As of Tuesday evening, officials said the fire was 40% contained and had spread to 1,700 acres.

“It’s been really difficult to get to quickly and efficiently,” Jesse Lavender, a mitigation specialist with the Florida Forest Service, said.

Footage captured from I-75 traffic cameras showed thick clouds of smoke billowing from the area.

“Pretty crazy to see something this crazy going on in my neighborhood,” resident Stan Rosendahl said.

This comes as Naples is under extreme drought conditions.

Officials are taking caution as windy conditions could cause the flames to spread.

Evacuation orders have been issued for about 150 residents in the area and shelters have been opened. Some horses were also evacuated from the area.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office said evacuations have been lifted for the Forest Glen community, but evacuation orders are still in place for Stable Way, Newman Drive, Barton Gilba Drive, Benfield Road and Le Buffs Road.

Officials warn people not to operate drones in the area as it “impedes the safety of the first responders and interferes with fire operations.”

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Agents are asking anyone with information about the shooting to come forward.

According to the FBI, the shooting occurred shortly before 7:30 p.m. on April 6.

“A large group of subjects assaulted a lone victim when one of the subjects produced a handgun and fired a single shot which struck the victim,” the FBI said in a news release. “After the shots were fired, the subjects then attempted to remove the wounded victim’s watch. The watch was not stolen.”

Offset, 34, whose real name is Kiari Kendrell Cephus, was hospitalized after the shooting, while fellow rapper Lil Tjay was arrested on charges of disorderly conduct-affray and operating in traffic without a valid license.

The 24-year-old Lil Tjay, whose real name is Tione Jayden Merritt, has not been charged in the shooting, which happened outside of the building’s valet area, and denied that any fight occurred between him and Offset.

“I don’t do no damn fightin‘,” Lil Tjay told media outlets as he walked out of the Fort Lauderdale jail.

He gave an expletive-laden account of what he said happened.

“That n---- shot me. That n---- shot me. That n---- is a rat. Cap n----,” Lil Tjay said. “Weirdos. Y’all gettin’ a good a-- interview.”

Offset has since been released from the hospital.

The FBI confirmed the suspects fled the scene in two Chevrolet SUV’s after the shooting -- a matte gray Tahoe and a black Suburban.

“The black Suburban fled the area towards Hollywood, Florida, while the Tahoe fled southbound towards Miami,” the news release stated.

Offset was part of the rap trio, Migos, before going out on his own.

The trio became known as one of the most popular hip-hop groups of all time. It broke out with the 2013 hit “Versace” and later earned Grammy nominations for best rap album with 2018’s “Culture,” while a track off it nabbed a nod for best rap performance.

Offset was once married to fellow rapper Cardi B, who he shares three children with. The two divorced in 2024.

Offset’s cousin, Takeoff, who was also part of the Migos group, was fatally shot in 2022.

Anyone with information about the Hard Rock shooting and those involved is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip on tips.fbi.gov.

The FBI noted that the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood is operated by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and “crimes committed on Indian land are subject to federal investigation.”

Ball fell to the floor after missing a shot on a drive to the basket early in the second quarter, and appeared to reach out with his left arm and grab Adebayo's left leg, causing the big man to fall on his back.

Ball was not called for a foul, and Adebayo remained on the floor as play continued. He eventually got up and walked to the locker room under his own power but did not return.

“He should have been thrown out of the game for that,” Spoelstra said. “There is no place in the game for that.”

Adebayo did not speak to reporters.

Ball, who scored 30 points and made the go-ahead layup with 4.7 seconds left in overtime, apologized for his role in Adebayo’s injury but said he was disoriented because he had been hit in the head on the drive.

“I apologize on that one,” Ball said. “I got hit in the head and didn’t really know where I was. But I’m going to check on him and see if he is OK and everything.”

When asked if he intentionally grabbed Adebayo’s leg, Ball said he hadn’t seen a replay and added, “Like I said, I got hit in the head and didn’t know where I was and was just playing basketball. But like I said, sorry, and I’m going to check on him.”

Ball remained in the game and was not immediately checked for a concussion.

“I don’t think it’s cute, and I don’t think it’s funny,” Spoelstra said after the loss, which ended Miami's season. “I think it’s a stupid play. It’s a dangerous play and obviously our best player was out. I’m not making an excuse. The Hornets played great and made those plays down the stretch. We had opportunities to win.

“That’s a shame. He should be penalized for that. I don’t think that belongs in the game, you know, tripping guys, shenanigans.”

Official Zach Zarba explained in a pool report why the play was not reviewed.

“The play wasn’t whistled in real time. Play continued with a fast break. And because play wasn’t stopped immediately, and there was no whistle on the play, the window to review the play was closed,” Zarba said. “Play was stopped, after a change of possession, and then a timeout. So, by rule, our window to review that play then is closed.”

Zarba said the officiating crew reviewed the play at halftime.

When asked if Ball should have been assessed a flagrant foul, Zarba said, “At this point, that goes to league operations, and they’ll make a determination on that in the coming days. So, they will make that determination and go from there.”

Ball had only one flagrant foul this season, on Feb. 5 against Houston.

Andrew Wiggins said seeing Adebayo go down was a “gut punch” for the Heat.

“To lose the leader of the team, the captain of the team, seeing him go down was definitely tough and guys had to rally around that,” Wiggins said.

Despite the loss of Adebayo, who scored 83 points in a game last month, Miami had a chance to win at the end of regulation, but Tyler Herro missed a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

In overtime, Herro put the Heat up by one when he made three free throws with 8.7 seconds left after getting fouled by Ball following a Hornets turnover. Before that play, Herro hit a turnaround corner 3.

But Ball's driving layup saved the day for the Hornets.

Miami's Davion Mitchell said he hadn't seen video of the play where Adebayo was hurt, but called it a “high-intensity game.”

“I didn’t grab nobody’s ankle, but I grabbed somebody’s shirt,” Mitchell said. “I just think it was just a physical game because we were both fighting for our lives just to stay in. Obviously you don’t want to see Bam get hurt, especially like that, but it was a physical game.”

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

Police in the Salt Lake City suburbs of Draper City and West Jordan have been investigating claims of domestic violence in 2024 and this February from Paul's ex-partner Dakota Mortensen, the father of her 2-year-old son. Paul has also made allegations against Mortensen, but those were not addressed in the documents.

Any new charges against Paul would have violated her probation, which stemmed from a 2023 assault on Mortensen.

The pair has filed dueling petitions for protective orders against one another that will be the subject of an upcoming hearing.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of domestic violence. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the national domestic violence hotline: 1-800-799-7233 in the U.S.

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“Several incidents that were submitted do not rise to the level of criminal offenses. The remaining incidents lack sufficient evidence to support filing criminal charges,” Breanne Miller, a lawyer in the district attorney's Family Protection Unit, wrote in a memo explaining that Paul would not be charged.

She noted that some reported incidents occurred more than three years ago and fell outside the legal time frame for review.

The decline in charges does not have a direct effect on Mortensen’s protective order against Paul, which has been temporarily granted and could become long-term at an April 30 hearing. But the lack of prosecution could help Paul and her lawyers make her case to a court commissioner who at an earlier hearing ordered that she could have visits with her son only if they were supervised.

Eric Swinyard, a lawyer for Paul, argued at an April 7 hearing that Mortensen was the aggressor in a February fight that the lawyer called “the truck tussle.”

Mortensen said in his request for a protective order that Paul threw a drink at him as they argued in a truck to not wake children who were sleeping inside Paul’s home. But Swinyard said Mortensen slammed Paul’s head into the dashboard and punched her in the leg, and provided photos she took of her bruises.

A different fight between the couple in 2023 prompted ABC to make the unprecedented move of shelving an already-filmed season of “The Bachelorette” after video of the altercation leaked last month.

In the video, Paul appeared to punch, kick and throw chairs at Mortensen while her young daughter watched and cried. Paul was charged with aggravated assault and other offenses, including domestic violence in the presence of a child. She pleaded guilty to an assault charge, which will be reduced from a felony to a misdemeanor if Paul stays out of legal trouble for a three-year probationary period that ends in August. The other counts were dismissed.

Eleven fights between Paul and Mortensen were under examination in their protective order requests.

A court-appointed attorney for their son, Ever, said another video from May of last year shows Paul pushing Mortensen and shouting at him to get out of her house while he is holding the boy. The lawyer, Michael McDonald, said at the April 7 hearing, “that makes me very nervous about her ability to control herself.”

Paul’s attorney said Mortensen deliberately created the situation by holding their child as a “human shield.” Mortensen's attorney, Daniela Diaz, argued that Paul uses their son “as a pawn to start fights.”

The couple’s fiery relationship was heavily featured on “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” from its 2024 debut, and it was central to Paul becoming a reality star. The series premiere featured police body camera footage of her 2023 arrest.

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Dalton reported from Los Angeles.

The operation is the latest in a series of strikes on vessels that the Trump administration says were trafficking drugs in Latin American waters, a campaign that began more than seven months ago and continues even as the military has been preoccupied with the Iran war.

The latest strike brings the death toll to 175 since the operations began in early September. The U.S. Coast Guard has suspended the search for one survivor from an attack Saturday.

U.S. Southern Command posted aerial video on social media Tuesday showing a vessel bobbing in the water before being struck by a projectile and exploding. The military earlier said it struck two boats on Saturday and a third on Monday.

The military said all the vessels were “operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations” and that intelligence confirmed they “were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations” but did not provide evidence.

President Donald Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels in Latin America and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. But his administration has offered little evidence to support its claims of killing “narcoterrorists.”

The strikes began months ahead of the U.S. raid in January that captured then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He was brought to New York to face drug trafficking charges and has pleaded not guilty.

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

Fuller represents a deep red district in northwest Georgia and has sought to align himself with President Donald Trump as much as possible. Fuller will serve out the remaining months of Greene’s term, maintaining Republicans’ slim majority in the House.

Greene resigned her seat after a contentious public fallout with Trump that has shown no signs of letting up despite her exodus from Congress.

“You have sent a warrior to Congress and I can't wait to fight for you each and every day,” Fuller said to his constituents as he addressed the House. “To my Democratic colleagues, I look forward to working with each and every one of you.”

“I can't blow my nose for six weeks, because one of the fractures is kind of like where my orbital bone is,” he said before a 4-3 loss to Arizona. “If I blow my nose, it's going to go up into my eye.”

Albernaz said he has more than a half-dozen fractures in his cheek area and a broken jaw, but he was relieved to avoid surgery and said he doesn't need his jaw wired. Albernaz joked that he might grab a Ravens helmet from his desk to wear in the dugout.

Albernaz, in his first season as Baltimore's manager, was in the part of the dugout closest to the on-deck circle when Jeremiah Jackson's foul ball struck him in the fifth inning Monday night. He returned to the dugout an inning later when Jackson hit a grand slam, but he ultimately ended up listening to the game on the radio en route to a hospital, where he says he remained until about midnight.

“I was trying to get back out there after my concussion protocol was fine, but they wanted me to get a CT scan,” Albernaz said. “I was trying to get it after the game, but obviously the medical team has better judgment than I do.”

He was back in the dugout Tuesday, but the healing process could take time.

“Six weeks of soft foods,” Albernaz said. “Can't do anything strenuous.”

Including argue with umpires?

“Medically speaking, yeah I probably shouldn't,” he said. “I think everything gets thrown out the window when that first pitch happens.”

The Orioles also announced that infielder Jackson Holliday was recalled from his rehab assignment Monday because of mild right wrist soreness. The team said that's not uncommon following hamate surgery. He will be shut down for a few days.

Albernaz has been loath to give timelines on players returning from injury so as not to create added pressure.

“I said I don't believe in timelines, and this is a perfect example of that. It all depends on the player,” he said. “It's great to see Jackson being communicative and open at every turn.”

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

Speaking at a groundbreaking for a project that will transport natural gas from Pennsylvania into New York City and Long Island, Wright said President Donald Trump “is about driving down costs for Americans and driving up job opportunities and wages for Americans.”

Moments later, Wright apparently misspoke as he said, “Just because it looks like we’re going in the wrong direction doesn’t mean that’s the direction we are going.”

The Energy Department later posted excerpts of Wright's speech that did not include the “wrong direction” comment.

The apparent gaffe comes a month after Wright posted a video on social media that claimed the U.S. Navy had helped an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a key access point for oil and natural gas shipments in the Middle East and has been largely blocked during the Iran war. The video was quickly taken down, and officials blamed Wright's staff for the error.

On Tuesday, Wright and other Trump officials spoke at a groundbreaking in Brooklyn for the Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline. Officials said the project, to be developed by the Williams Companies, will provide affordable and reliable energy for millions of Americans in the region.

The project is an expansion of an existing pipeline system across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York and was a priority for the Trump administration.

The project, along with another Williams pipeline, the Constitution Pipeline, was long blocked over environmental concerns. The Trump administration, which has emphasized development of oil and gas infrastructure, pushed to restart efforts to build the pipelines.

The restarts came shortly after the Trump administration withdrew its opposition to a massive wind project off Long Island that New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul championed.

Hochul agreed to review the pipeline projects last year amid intense lobbying from the Trump administration. Hochul denied any deal connecting the wind farm and gas pipelines, saying in a statement that she “ will work with the administration and private entities on new energy projects that meet the legal requirements under New York law.”

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As part of a deal with prosecutors, the 51-year-old former elected official pleaded guilty on Tuesday to a third-degree grand theft charge in connection with a 2024 corruption case in which authorities accused her of racking up about $100,000 in personal purchases on a district credit card.

Prosecutors alleged Navarro used the official card to buy food, groceries, appliances, vacations and more.

At least two of the purchases veered into the bizarre: Investigators said she bought a pair of “artificial silicone pregnancy bellies” after a breakup with her boyfriend in an apparent attempt by the then-48-year-old to convince him she was expecting, during a period in which she followed and harassed him.

Before the breakup, authorities allege she used the district card to buy items for his Hollywood smoothie business.

As part of Navarro’s plea, prosecutors agreed to drop an additional grand theft charge, plus two organized fraud charges. Under the agreement, she’s sentenced to spend 14 months in prison followed by probation.

“I just accepted full responsibility for my actions,” she said in court. “I can now begin to put this behind me and serve the time that I have accepted to be able to repair and apologize sincerely to my entire community for all of my actions.”

She’ll also have to pay more than $101,000 in restitution.

Navarro’s three-year probation term can be terminated halfway through for good behavior. She’s prohibited from running for office ― but only during that term ― meaning it’s possible that South Florida hasn’t seen the last of Navarro in public office.

“This community is really embracing of those who recognize their wrongdoing and strive to do better,” Ben Kuehne, Navarro’s attorney, said. “We have seen many situations that are sad, but that turn into positives. We expect Lubby is going to be one of those situations.”

Authorities took Navarro into custody immediately after Tuesday’s court hearing.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle issued a statement after the plea Tuesday, saying in part that Navarro has “admitted her guilt and has accepted her sentence” instead of “seeking to avoid the consequences of her actions.”

“Let there be no doubt that I and my public corruption team of prosecutors and investigators will continue ensuring that our government operates for the people of Miami-Dade County, not for the financial benefit of those holding office or position,” Fernandez Rundle said.

If Navarro does want to run for office in the future, she’ll have to get her rights restored first as a convicted felon.

Kuehne said for now, Navarro will focus on completing her prison sentence and rehabilitation.

Community trust is the foundation of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS). We are committed to the highest standards of fiscal stewardship for our students. It was M-DCPS that first identified these discrepancies and provided the information that led to the investigation and current legal resolution. To ensure this does not happen again, M-DCPS and the School Board implemented additional safeguards for all credit card expenditures. We appreciate the partnership of the Inspector General and State Attorney in upholding the integrity of our District.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools

El supertifón Sinlaku golpeó las Islas Marianas del Norte durante varias horas la madrugada del miércoles, desacelerándose apenas lo suficiente para infligir más daño en las islas de Tinian y Saipan, donde residen alrededor de 50.000 personas.

“Supongo que nada que esté hecho de madera y lámina sobrevivió a esto”, declaró Glen Hunter, quien creció en Saipan y vio pasar volando al menos tres techos de lámina por su patio.

Hunter, quien ha visto el paso de varios tifones por la isla, declaró a The Associated Press que este se sintió como el más fuerte hasta ahora. La lluvia se filtraba por cada rendija de su vivienda de concreto, explicó.

“Fue una batalla perdida porque la lluvia entraba por todas partes”, indicó a primera hora del miércoles. “Todas las casas están simplemente inundadas, sin importar en qué tipo de estructura estés”.

El tifón tropical —el más fuerte registrado este año— alcanzó vientos sostenidos de hasta 240 km/h (150 mph) al momento de tocar tierra en las islas, informó el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional de Estados Unidos.

Vientos con fuerza de tormenta tropical y lluvias torrenciales también provocaron inundaciones repentinas en Guam, un territorio estadounidense que cuenta con varias instalaciones militares y alrededor de 170.000 residentes, señaló el servicio meteorológico.

Aunque las ráfagas de viento perdieron un poco de fuerza en las islas Marianas a primera hora del miércoles y la tormenta empezó a desplazarse hacia el norte, las condiciones no mejoraron de inmediato, informó el servicio meteorológico.

Una vez que amaneció, la magnitud de los daños seguía sin quedar clara debido a que las condiciones en el exterior seguían siendo inseguras, señaló Ed Propst, un exlegislador en Saipan que trabaja en la oficina del gobernador.

Dijo que escuchó “golpes y estruendos durante toda la noche”.

“Hasta ahora no hemos sabido de ninguna muerte —tocamos madera”, subrayó, y atribuyó la falta de víctimas fatales al hecho de que los residentes hicieron caso a las advertencias de buscar refugio si no estaban dentro de una vivienda de concreto.

El tifón se desacelera y aumenta el riesgo de daños generalizados

La velocidad de la tormenta se redujo drásticamente al acercarse a las islas.

“No va a ser una noche fácil para nadie en Tinian o Saipan. Será una noche ruidosa”, dijo Landon Aydlett,del servicio meteorológico. Muchas personas “se despertarán en una isla diferente”, añadió durante una transmisión por Facebook.

Saipan es la capital de las Islas Marianas del Norte y es conocida conocida por sus complejos turísticos y campos de golf.

El alcalde Ramon “RB” Jose Blas Camacho dijo la noche del martes que las intensas lluvias y vientos alrededor de Saipan dificultaban el acceso a personas que necesitaban de asistencia.

“Hay cosas volando de un lado a otro”, indicó.

Lo peor de la tormenta llegó en medio de la noche y se tenía previsto que continuara al menos hasta el amanecer del miércoles, indicó el servicio meteorológico. Si bien se prevé que el meteoro se debilite ligeramente en los próximos días, Sinlaku atravesaba las islas como un tifón de categoría 4.

El “Callejón de los Tifones”

En Guam, donde el tifón Mawar provocó un apagón de varios días en 2023, oficiales militares de Estados Unidos advirtieron al personal que se refugiara en interiores. El ejército controla aproximadamente una tercera parte de Guam, un centro crucial para las fuerzas de Estados Unidos en el Pacífico.

Antes de desviarse hacia las Marianas del Norte, la tormenta dejó daños significativos a su paso por las islas exteriores y atolones de Chuuk, en los Estados Federados de Micronesia, informó Aydlett desde su estación del servicio meteorológico en Guam.

La región es conocida por los habitantes locales como el “Callejón de los Tifones”.

Saipan --que depende del turismo y fue escenario de una de las batallas más cruentas de la Segunda Guerra Mundial en el Pacífico-- estaba en proceso de recuperación tras el paso del supertifón Yutu en 2018 cuando llegó la pandemia de COVID-19, relato Hunter, quien destacó que la economía aún no se recupera por completo desde entonces.

El presidente Donald Trump aprobó declaraciones de emergencia por desastre para Guam y las Marianas antes de la llegada de la tormenta. La Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA, por sus siglas en inglés) anunció que coordina el apoyo entre varias agencias.

Los supertifones equivalen a huracanes de categoría 4 o 5 en el Atlántico, con vientos de al menos 240 km/h (150 mph). El Centro Conjunto de Alerta de Tifones en Guam ha identificado más de 300 supertifones en los últimos 80 años.

Los tifones son “muy comunes” en el Pacífico, pero la temporada alta es similar a la temporada de huracanes del Atlántico, que va del verano al otoño, dijo Jason Nicholls, meteorólogo internacional para AccuWeather.

“Como hemos visto este año, se pueden tener sistemas tropicales en el Pacífico occidental en cualquier época del año”, dijo Nicholls. “Pero que ocurran en abril es un poco inusual”.

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Los periodistas de The Associated Press Patrick Whittle en Portland, Maine; Gabriela Aoun Angueira en San Diego; y Seth Borenstein en Washington contribuyeron con este despacho.

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