Cameron threw only 72 pitches through six innings with two walks and five strikeouts, with little solid contact by the Twins. Catcher Salvador Perez sprang forward to pick up Ryan Kreidler’s dribbler in front of the plate and make an on-target underhand toss to first base for the second out of the sixth as the 36-year-old tumbled to the grass to keep the feat alive.

But Jeffers delivered a clean single to right-center field on an 0-2 changeup from Cameron.

Cameron still stretched his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 15 by getting the next three outs to match his career-long outing with seven innings. He threw seven shutout frames in relief on Friday after the Royals used an opener in a 2-1 loss at Detroit.

Former Twins right-hander Randy Dobnak pitched seven scoreless innings for the Royals on Wednesday night in a 4-0 victory.

Cameron went 9-7 with a 2.99 ERA in 24 starts last season and finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year award voting. The 27-year-old threw 6 1/3 no-hit innings in his major league debut on April 30, 2025, for a 3-0 win at Tampa Bay.

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The department’s 27 passport agencies nationwide will start offering the special travel documents next month. They previously had only been available at the Washington, D.C., passport office for in-person applicants.

Trump, whose stern portrait is emblazoned on an inside page, is the first living president featured in the travel document.

The passports are the latest instance of Trump having his name and likeness added to buildings, documents and other highly visible tributes. His image is on a gold-finished commemorative coin celebrating the country’s founding that the U.S. Mint has begun producing, and there are efforts to put Trump’s signature on all new U.S. paper currency, also a first for a sitting president.

“In response to overwhelming demand, the Department of State is making an additional 250,000 of the special commemorative passports available to the public,” it said in a statement. “Americans all across the country will now have the opportunity to apply for one of these additional special passports, known as the ‘Patriot Passport.’”

Passport offices in Centennial, Colorado; Chicago; Dallas; Detroit; New Orleans; New York; and Stamford, Connecticut, will offer the Trump passports at one-day special events starting Aug. 8. The list will grow to include other passport offices throughout August.

Those who want the special passport must apply in-person on the day specified on the department’s passport website. Those wanting a traditional passport must apply on different days.

The commemorative passport features Trump’s picture over a gold imprimatur of his signature to an interior page, while the cover carries the words “United States of America” in bold gold print at the top and “Passport” at the bottom — a reversal of the current standard cover.

In addition, a small gold laminate American flag, with the number 250 encircled by stars, is at the bottom of the back cover.

The only presidents featured in current U.S. passports are in a double-page depiction of Mount Rushmore in South Dakota — George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Other depictions include the Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and scenes of the Great Plains, mountains and islands. Current passports also contain quotations from Martin Luther King Jr. as well as Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy and Dwight Eisenhower.

The addition of Trump’s picture and signature to the passport book is the newest step his aides have taken to increase the president’s visibility, including adding his name to the U.S. Institute of Peace building and the Kennedy Center performing arts venue, although that signage was later removed on a court order.

Trump also has made waves with his plans for a new White House ballroom and a massive arch to be built at one of the entrances to Washington from Virginia.

The changes at the National Jamboree, which ends Friday, reflect shifts made by Scouting America since the organization became a target of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over what he calls “woke” policies. Some scouts who had planned to attend the event in West Virginia said they backed out because Scouting America scrapped the inclusion initiatives it previously celebrated.

Hegseth threatened to end the Pentagon's century-old partnership with Scouting America if it did not make changes including refocusing away from diversity initiatives. The organization, previously known as Boy Scouts of America, rebranded in 2024 to emphasize inclusion and the growing number of girls in the scouting ranks.

“Scouting fundamentally is a safe place for young people to have fun,” said Samuel J. Aronson, an assistant scoutmaster who has organized inclusive events at previous national events. “In the absence of these spaces, we’re denying all that, both the safety and the fun, to thousands of young people.”

Thousands attend the National Jamboree

This year, about 15,000 scouts, leaders and volunteers from across the country are attending the 10-day event in the mountains of West Virginia. In addition to activities including mountain biking and kayaking, the gathering hosts leadership programs and educational sessions.

A Scouting America spokesperson said the organization remains “fully committed to welcoming and serving all youth,” but did not address questions about the changes to the jamboree.

The Pentagon made a deal with Scouting America in February but the two sides have given conflicting accounts of that agreement. This month, a gay rights activist obtained the memo outlining the agreement from the Defense Department after filing a lawsuit, arguing that clarity was of public importance.

The six-page document spells out ways the Pentagon will monitor compliance, including that officials from each organization would have “periodic touchpoints and meet” as needed. It was obtained by James Dale, who was expelled from the Boy Scouts in the early 1990s for being gay and later sued over discrimination. He equated the Pentagon's tactics to the actions of a bully.

“They basically have their thumb on the organization, threatening them under constant pressure,” Dale said.

Deal preserves ties between Scouting America and Pentagon

The scouts and the military have long held close ties; The military provides logistical support for the jamboree and some scout troops meet on or near bases.

Asked about the implementation and monitoring of the deal, a Pentagon spokesperson referred to previous comments by Hegseth.

In February, Hegseth posted a video that said his department would “vigorously review” changes made by Scouting America and would cease the military’s longtime support of the organization if it failed to comply by late August.

Some scouts disappointed by changes to inclusion efforts

John Andrew Segebarth, a 21-year-old college student and Eagle Scout, has been disheartened by the agreement. He joined the scout ranks in first grade and said he had been looking forward to staffing the space for LGBTQ+ and Allied Scouts at this year’s Jamboree.

Segebarth, who is gay and was elected by peers as a national officer for scouts in 2024, said the removal of inclusive spaces is a sharp reversal for Scouting America. National scouting events in recent years included community spaces for girls, scouts of color, LGBTQ+ scouts and persons with disabilities, according to Aronson.

“Scouting’s kind of walking back on its values that they told me they believed in,” said Segebarth who, along with Aronson, decided not to attend the jamboree this year.

It was at a community tent that Layla Grace found the first place where she could talk openly about being a transgender female. Now a 21-year-old assistant scoutmaster, Grace had also planned to staff the space for LGBTQ+ and Allied Scouts in West Virginia this year.

When the spaces were canceled, Grace said she almost didn't go to the jamboree but decided she wanted to be there to help those in need. She wound up volunteering at an area dedicated to addressing issues that include mental health, food security and education.

And she's trying to fill the gap left by the removal of inclusive areas.

“I am wearing so many rainbows on me, my right hand has my nails painted in the lesbian flag and my left hand has my nails painted in the transgender flag,” she said. “I am being as loud as I can to do my best to hopefully make up for the lack of community spaces.”

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Associated Press reporter Ben Finley contributed to this report from Washington.

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A representative for the the mall said the new stores are aimed to give visitors more reasons to enjoy the outlet shopping center.

One of the newest arrivals is Sephora, a longtime request by shoppers, the representative said. Also now open is LandShark Bar & Grill by Margaritaville, the brand’s first location in Miami-Dade County. The company says it serves American fare, seafood and tropical cocktails with live music on the weekends.

Dolphin Mall also recently welcomed Eko Padel & Pickle, which the company says is the brand’s first U.S. location. This indoor sports venue features professional padel and pickleball courts, lessons for players of all skill levels, an on site-cafe, and spaces for private events. Prices start at $30 for one person per hour.

Other recent openings include JD Sports, Miniso, Luli Fama, Primark, and the newly renovated CMX Cinemas Dolphin 19 & IMAX.

Fabletics is expected to open in August, according to the mall, and Pop Mart, a retailer known for collectable designer toys and character collaborations, is expected to open later this year.

Dolphin Mall said the new businesses reflect continued investment in expanding the property’s mix of retail, dining and entertainment experiences for shoppers and visitors.

Un representante del centro comercial indicó que las nuevas tiendas buscan ofrecer a los visitantes más razones para disfrutar del centro comercial outlet.

Una de las incorporaciones más recientes es Sephora, una tienda muy solicitada por los compradores, señaló el representante. También abrió sus puertas LandShark Bar & Grill by Margaritaville, la primera ubicación de la marca en el condado Miami-Dade. La empresa indicó que ofrece comida estadounidense, mariscos y cócteles tropicales con música en vivo los fines de semana.

Dolphin Mall también dio recientemente la bienvenida a Eko Padel & Pickle, que, según la empresa, es la primera ubicación de la marca en Estados Unidos. Este recinto deportivo bajo techo cuenta con canchas profesionales de pádel y pickleball, clases para jugadores de todos los niveles, una cafetería y espacios para eventos privados. Los precios comienzan en $30 USD por persona por hora.

Otras aperturas recientes incluyen JD Sports, Miniso, Luli Fama, Primark y el renovado CMX Cinemas Dolphin 19 & IMAX.

Según el centro comercial, Fabletics abrirá en agosto y Pop Mart, una tienda conocida por sus figuras coleccionables de diseñador y colaboraciones con personajes, abrirá más adelante este año.

Dolphin Mall indicó que estos nuevos negocios reflejan la inversión continua para ampliar la oferta de tiendas, restaurantes y entretenimiento para compradores y visitantes.

The former lieutenant governor made the announcement in a video posted on his Facebook page as democratic socialist Francesca Hong has garnered strong support from the liberal wing of the party.

Barnes’ decision to drop out came a day after the release of a Marquette Law School poll of Wisconsin Democratic primary voters that found Hong leading Barnes and the other candidates by a significant margin, although about one-third of primary voters remained undecided.

“It's become very clear who our nominee is going to be,” Barnes said.

Barnes is the third Democrat to withdraw from the race. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her run amid a campaign finance scandal two weeks ago and former state economic development director Missy Hughes dropped out in June.

After Rodriguez ended her campaign, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley rejoined the race with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers.

Evers told reporters Thursday that he was surprised by Barnes’ move.

“But he needs to do what he needs to do,” Evers said. “I don’t know why he’s getting out. I have to believe it’s something relatively important.”

Evers said he stuck by his endorsement of Crowley, who worked closely with Evers and Republican lawmakers on a deal to increase funding for local communities. Evers chose to endorse him over Barnes, who served as his lieutenant governor in his first term.

Evers said Crowley was the best candidate “even if Mandela was in.”

Hong did not immediately return a text message seeking comment.

Joel Brennan, a longshot candidate in the race, said “It’s unfortunate for voters that this primary has gotten more attention for chaos than the stakes of this election."

The shakeup comes after nearly 128,000 voters have already returned absentee ballots and on the third day of in-person early voting. On Wednesday, a judge rejected a lawsuit supported by the Democratic Party seeking to allow voters who have already returned their absentee ballots to cancel them and vote again.

The winner of the Democratic primary is expected to face U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, who faces only nominal opposition in the Republican primary. Tiffany, who has the endorsement of President Donald Trump, did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Barnes ending his campaign comes after he benefitted from other candidates dropping out in the Democratic primary race for Senate in 2022 to clear the field for him. He ended up losing by under 27,000 votes that year to Republican U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson.

Según la policía de North Miami, el accidente se reportó poco después de las 3 pm en Lost City Brewing Company , ubicada en 12207 NE 13th Court.

Según la policía, el conductor, Eros Emanuel Gehrig, de 53 años, perdió el control del vehículo y chocó contra cinco coches antes de estrellarse contra la fachada del edificio.

“La estructura fue evaluada y se determinó que era segura y que no representaba ningún peligro para la seguridad”, dijo un portavoz del Departamento de Policía Metropolitana de Nuevo México (NMPD) a Local 10 News en un correo electrónico.

El propietario de la cervecería, Chris Campos, declaró a Local 10 News que es un milagro que no hubiera nadie dentro del local en ese momento.

“Falta una hora para que abramos, media hora después de que estuviéramos haciendo algunas reparaciones al refrigerador que está en esta pared”, dijo Campos. “Fue un momento realmente fortuito en el que no había nadie y, la verdad, si hubiera habido gente, habría sido terrible”.

Según el informe de detención, una revisión de los registros reveló que la licencia de conducir de Gehrig en Florida había sido suspendida indefinidamente el 12 de septiembre de 2012.

Fue arrestado bajo el cargo de conducir con la licencia suspendida.

La policía informó que Gehrig fue trasladado al Hospital HCA Florida Aventura para ser evaluado antes de ser ingresado en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

Gehrig fue puesto en libertad el jueves por la mañana tras pagar la fianza.

The 2-1 decision by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, with a judge appointed by President Donald Trump in the majority, deepened a split between federal appeals courts over the administration's mandatory detention policy.

Four other appeals courts have also rejected it, while the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans and Eighth Circuit in St. Louis have sided with the Trump administration.

The expanding circuit split increases the likelihood that the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually take up the issue.

An email to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for comment was not immediately returned.

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

Last July, immigration officials issued guidance expanding mandatory detention to immigrants in the U.S. interior. The move — part of the administration's mass deportation campaign — prompted a deluge of federal lawsuits by immigrants seeking release from custody.

Some federal judges who ordered bond hearings blasted the administration for repeatedly violating their orders.

The Trump administration has argued that Congress changed immigration law in 1996 to allow mandatory detention beyond the border, but previous administrations didn't enforce that provision.

Writing for the majority in Thursday's ruling, 9th U.S. Circuit Judge Daniel Bress rejected that argument.

“Although no reading of the complicated and interrelated textual provisions at issue here is without some shortcomings, the historical understanding of the statute is the better one,” Bress, a Trump appointee, wrote.

He was joined by Judge M. Margaret McKeown, who was appointed by President Bill Clinton.

Judge Carlos Bea, who was appointed by President George W. Bush, dissented, saying the text and purpose of an amendment Congress approved in 1996 support the Trump administration's reading.

Smallpox was one of the deadliest diseases in human history before it was eradicated in 1980, largely thanks to vaccination. For centuries, the virus had killed about one-third of the people it infected and left most survivors with deep and sometimes disfiguring scars.

Outbreaks struck Asia and Europe and eventually spread to the Americas, where colonial writings, administrative records and missionary reports documented how it killed millions and devastated Indigenous populations who had never been exposed to the virus.

Now there's scientific evidence for the spread: An analysis of Chilean mummies provides the strongest genetic link yet to the virus as it existed outside of the Americas, and provides a better picture of how it reached remote populations through colonization, said geneticist Shigeki Nakagome with Trinity College Dublin.

In the new study, Nakagome and colleagues examined 13 bone samples previously collected from an archaeological site at Camarones, in northern Chile.

Researchers found evidence of two smallpox infections in ancient DNA from the leg bone fragments of an adult man and woman.

From dating the remains and peeking at the genes, scientists concluded the two likely died between 1492 and 1631. Scientists also compared the genes in this version of smallpox to other versions and fit it neatly between European strains from medieval times and later versions. This was important molecular evidence, suggesting that the strains of smallpox infecting people in the Americas evolved first from Europe.

“Nobody would ever question that smallpox came to this hemisphere from colonization, but this proves it,” said Patricia Foster, a biologist at Indiana University. She had no role in the new research, which was published Thursday in the journal Science.

Exactly which population brought smallpox to the Americas from the Old World remains unclear, said the study authors. European settlers came in different waves to the Americas following the explorations of Christopher Columbus in the Caribbean in 1492 and Amerigo Vespucci along the South American coast about a decade later. The disease also could have passed through Africa as part of the introduction and expansion of the slave trade.

These smallpox infections in South America were identified in an area with no previous record of the disease, opening new questions about how the virus got so far south — possibly spreading along Indigenous trading networks that had long pre-existed the arrival of Europeans.

Studying various strains of the virus also allowed scientists to pinpoint how it evolved over time, turning off certain genes to become more effective at its deadly mission.

In addition to confirming the history of smallpox, the research also shines a light on the human cost. The two sick individuals studied were between 18 and 35 years old, and the disease is likely what killed them.

The findings point to how devastating the disease was across the Americas, wiping out entire populations and leaving them vulnerable to European conquest, said study coauthor Constanza de la Fuente Castro, a biological anthropologist at the University of Chile.

“It wasn't just cultural or demographic. It's literally written into biological evidence that we can still recover and read today,” de la Fuente Castro said.

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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 crackdown set off after a truck driver, who authorities said was in the country illegally, made an illegal U-turn that caused a crash that killed three people on the Turnpike in Saint Lucie County.

Since then, the industry has been on high alert.

“There’s a lot of disruption in this industry,” said Osvaldo Canto, an instructor with the Commercial Driver License program at Miami Dade College. “In our opinion, it was needed because we were seeing a lot of things going on that were not supposed to be happening.”

Canto said enrollment in the program has boomed. New and experienced drivers want to comply with state and federal requirements.

“They need to have basic English,” Canto said.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has been enforcing the executive order. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced states couldn’t issue commercial licenses to drivers who couldn’t speak English. Law enforcement checks the driver’s language skills during traffic stops or inspections.

Luis Garcia is a student in the program at Miami Dade College. He is taking English proficiency courses at MDC.

“I’m originally from Cuba,” Garcia said.

Critics say the increased enforcement unfairly targets immigrants, and it is to blame for a shortage of truck drivers. Canto hopes it will just make the roads safer.

Related story: White House wants veterans to replace immigrant truckers who lost their licenses in crackdown

Hafley spoke with reporters Thursday before the Dolphins took the field for the second day of training camp, just months after a major offseason overhaul that included the releases of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and linebacker Bradley Chubb.

The team also traded wide receiver Jaylen Waddle to the Denver Broncos and safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the New York Jets.

Despite the changes, Hafley said the word “rebuild” does not fit the mindset inside the Dolphins’ locker room.

“I don’t know how you can have a conversation with a competitive player or a competitive coach and have it sit right with them where we’re just going to say, we’re just going to rebuild this year,” he said. “And I mean, it’s just not the mentality of any competitor who’s made it to this level or any coach that’s made it to this level.”

Hafley said the team’s approach is centered around getting better every day while competing.

“Whether it’s practice or whether it’s a drill, I think we all want to win it and our mindset is we need to get better, we need to develop, and everything that we do is going to be about competing to get better throughout the process and we want to win,” he added.

The Dolphins began training camp with a new coaching staff and a new quarterback in Malik Willis, who joined Miami after the offseason departure of Tagovailoa.

Hafley said it is too early to evaluate players after only a few practices and emphasized the importance of consistency over time.

“I just think, guys, it’s going to be really hard to assess anybody in these first couple of practices,” Hafley said. “I think the key to everything is going to be consistency over time.”

One of Hafley’s biggest priorities during camp has been creating more realistic game situations. The Dolphins have spent more time in 11-on-11 drills and less time in 7-on-7 work, something Hafley said better prepares players for the challenges of an actual game.

“I want to just play football,” he said. “I think that’s how you get good.”

Hafley also discussed the return of running back De’Von Achane, who is being eased back into practice after time away from football.

“Well, he (Achane) just came back, so he’s got to build up his reps just like everybody else to get ready to play in a game,” Hafley said. “But we’ve got to gradually increase it, and we’ll do that throughout camp. So it’s just (his) first day back. (He) hadn’t really played football in a while, but I am very glad that he’s back.”

The Dolphins will continue training camp as Hafley works to establish his culture heading into the new season. The first practice open to the public is set for Sunday at 9:30 a.m.

View the Dolphins’ full training camp schedule by clicking here.

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Miami opens the preseason Oct. 3 against the Toronto Raptors at the Videotron Centre in Quebec City as part of NBA Canada Games 2026. The game marks the first NBA preseason contest ever played in Quebec City.

The Heat then return home to host the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 8, the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 10 and the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 14 before wrapping up the preseason on the road against the Orlando Magic on Oct. 16.

The announcement comes after one of the most eventful offseasons in franchise history, during which the Heat acquired forwards Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis via trade with the Milwaukee Bucks in late June.

The pair were officially introduced by the team at Kaseya Center on July 16 and said they were eager to begin their new chapter in South Florida.

Miami will hold its annual media day Sept. 28 at Kaseya Center before opening training camp on Sept. 29.

And don’t forget, you can watch Miami Heat games on Local 10 next season as WPLG Local 10 and the Heat announced a newly expanded media rights agreement, making Local 10 the home of HEAT basketball across South Florida! CLICK HERE for more information on how to watch!

Heat fans can also call 786-777-4375 for more information on how to purchase tickets for the 2026-2027 preseason and regular season.

Miami Heat 2026-27 preseason schedule (locations included)

• Oct. 3: at Toronto, 7 p.m. (Videotron Centre)
• Oct. 8: vs. New Orleans, 7:30 p.m. (Kaseya Center)
• Oct. 10: vs. Minnesota, 8 p.m. (Kaseya Center)
• Oct. 14: vs. Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. (Kaseya Center)
• Oct. 16: at Orlando, 7 p.m. (Kia Center)

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week announced it would wrap up the program, which was initially implemented by the Biden administration in 2024 to lower patients' Medicare Part D prescription drug costs in response to effects of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

While federal officials insist the financial impact on Medicare beneficiaries will be minimal, the decision opens the Republican-led administration to potential political consequences in a high-stakes midterm election year. Voters have identified cost of living as a top concern, and many older adults, who tend to vote in high numbers, are on fixed incomes where every dollar counts. The roughly 25 million Americans with Medicare Part D plans will find out about their 2027 rates in the fall, when they are casting ballots in November's elections.

Democrats slammed CMS's move as part of a pattern of federal attacks on healthcare affordability, alongside federal Medicaid cuts and the expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies that had reduced premium costs for working-age Americans in that program.

“The Trump administration is actively raising prescription drug costs for 25 million seniors,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X in response to the news, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. “Heartless, cruel, and completely by choice.”

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz on Tuesday said ending the subsidy program would prevent billions of taxpayer dollars from being funneled to insurance companies. It cost the agency an estimated $3.6 billion in 2026.

He said most Medicare beneficiaries would see less than a $10-per-month increase, and some would even see lower premiums than beforehand.

“Every Medicare beneficiary still has access to low-cost plans, and we will continue to lower prescription drug prices for every American patient, from more MFN deals to our policy giving seniors access to GLP-1s for $50 a month,” he wrote on social media.

The federal government also negotiates directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower the prices of some of the most expensive drugs in Medicare, through a program created by Congress in 2022.

This week's decision has no impact on the out-of-pocket cap that limits the amount that older adults with standalone Medicare drug coverage spend on their prescription drugs over the course of a year. That was set at $2,100 in 2026 and is projected to rise to $2,400 for 2027.

Part D beneficiaries paid an average of $36 a month this year for their prescription drug premiums with the subsidies in place, according to the healthcare research nonprofit KFF. The subsidies offset the average premium by $16 in 2026, according to the federal Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC).

It's not yet known how many Americans the change will effect, or how much more they'll pay. Older Americans have the opportunity to shop for plans each year, and prices vary widely between them. CMS has said it will release information about next year's premiums in September.

Juliette Cubanski, vice president and director of the program on Medicare policy at KFF, said the price increases may be marginal for some consumers but impactful for others when combined with higher prices in other areas, like groceries, gas and housing.

“What's going to matter most for consumers is how much more or less they have to pay at the end of a month, and how much they have left after the bills are paid,” she said. “This could just make it more challenging for some people to make that math work.”

Medios de prensa oficiales indicaron que el presidente Miguel Díaz-Canel encabeza el foro y que el exlíder Raúl Castro lo sigue por teleconferencia.

La reorganización del Estado fue anunciada en junio y contempla reducir de 27 a 20 los ministerios. Se producirán algunas fusiones y desaparecerán otros cuyos contenidos serán absorbidos por los restantes. Por ejemplo, el nuevo Ministerio de Agricultura y Alimentación reunirá a los actuales de Agricultura y de la Industria Alimentaria.

En tanto, la nueva ley de vivienda permitirá que los ciudadanos tengan dos viviendas a su nombre en zonas urbanas –hasta ahora sólo se autoriza una— y una de descanso y que los emigrados no pierdan sus propiedades.

La víspera los diputados escucharon informes de varios funcionarios sobre la marcha de la economía isleña. Entre quienes comparecieron estuvo el primer ministro Manuel Marrero, quien aseguró que a raíz de la salida de las cadenas internacionales y de la caída del turismo –muchas líneas aéreas abandonaron sus rutas a la isla— se encuentran cerrados el 73% de los hoteles, informaron medios oficiales.

Además, el viceprimer ministro y titular de Comercio Exterior, Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, informó que debido a las sanciones estadounidenses varias empresas navieras se vieron obligadas a dejar más de 7.000 contenedores en puertos del Caribe cargados con alimentos y medicinas para la isla.

Cuba enfrenta la casi paralización de su vida económica por el cerco petrolero impuesto por Estados Unidos en enero que agudizó una crisis económica que ya lleva un lustro.

Las consecuencias para la población han sido apagones de más de 20 horas diarias, cortes de internet, desabastecimiento de agua y medicinas y escasez de combustible.

El Legislativo cubano —que se reúne pocas veces al año— comenzó su actividad la víspera, el mismo día en que se formalizaron normas de apertura económica inusuales para Cuba.

The players won't be punished for the bet, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

The league posted the initial video from All-Star Weekend, days before Bueckers’ Dallas Wings and Reese’s Atlanta Dream were set to play Wednesday night. The clip featured Bueckers and Reese placing what appeared to be a personal wager on the game. It was presented with the caption, “We did?” with a laughing emoji followed by, “Paige Bueckers on the bet she made with Angel Reese at All-Star Weekend on tonight’s matchup.”

The WNBA moved quickly to delete the message, but not before it was shared on social media.

“While the social media post was intended to be lighthearted, WNBA players are well aware of the league’s policies prohibiting betting on WNBA games and receive training every year reinforcing those policies,” a league spokesperson said Thursday. “We recognized that the post missed the mark, removed it shortly after it was published, and addressed the matter internally.

“We will also use this as an opportunity to reemphasize with the players involved that conversations about wagering on WNBA games, even when intended as a joke, can have negative consequences.”

The Wings and the Dream both deferred to the league statement when asked for comment.

The league’s collective bargaining agreement states that any kind of wagering is strictly prohibited and that players can be fined, suspended or even disqualified from the WNBA at the sole discretion of the commissioner.

The Dream rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat the Wings 82-81 on Wednesday, with Reese notching 22 points and 12 rebounds and Bueckers finishing with 16 points and six assists.

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According to North Miami police, the crash was reported shortly after 3 p.m. at the Lost City Brewing Company, at 12207 NE 13th Court.

Police said the driver, Eros Emanuel Gehrig, 53, lost control of the vehicle and struck five cars before hitting the front of the building.

“The structure was assessed and determined to be safe and did not pose a safety hazard,” an NMPD spokesperson told Local 10 News in an email.

Brewery owner Chris Campos told Local 10 News that it’s a miracle no one was inside the business at the time.

“It’s an hour before we open, a half-hour after we were doing some repairs to the fridge that sits on this wall,” Campos said. “It’s really that serendipitous moment where nobody was here and, I mean, if people would have been here, it would have been awful.”

According to an arrest report, a records check revealed that Gehrig’s Florida driver’s license had been suspended indefinitely on Sept. 12, 2012.

He was arrested on a charge of driving with a suspended license.

Police said Gehrig was taken to HCA Florida Aventura Hospital to be evaluated before being booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Gehrig was released from jail Thursday morning after posting bond.

La camiseta, diseñada por adidas, presenta una base blanca con detalles en rosa, verde menta y negro. Según el club, el diseño está inspirado en la cubierta arquitectónica del Nu Stadium y refleja tanto el estilo de Miami como la nueva etapa del equipo.

Royal Caribbean aparece en la parte frontal de la camiseta como socio oficial del uniforme del club, mientras que Lowe’s continúa como patrocinador de las mangas. La empresa de tecnología financiera Nu debuta como patrocinador en la parte posterior de la camiseta.

El club celebrará el lanzamiento la noche del jueves con un evento por invitación en el Nu Stadium, que también servirá como presentación oficial del recién fichado mediocampista brasileño Casemiro.

Se espera que los propietarios del club, Jorge Mas y Jose Mas, participen en las actividades, que incluyen una conferencia de prensa y un encuentro con los aficionados.

Además de la camiseta, la colección Cénit incluye prendas de vestir y calzado, entre ellos chaquetas, camisetas, pantalones cortos, pantalones deportivos, zapatos y sandalias.

Está previsto que los jugadores de Inter Miami estrenen el nuevo uniforme el Sabado, cuando reciban al Columbus Crew durante la Noche de Fútbol Juvenil de Lowe’s. Los primeros 10,000 aficionados que ingresen al estadio recibirán una camiseta blanca conmemorativa del evento.

La campaña promocional de la colección, bajo el lema “We’re Home”, cuenta con Lionel Messi, Facundo Mura, Mateo Silvetti y Germán Berterame, y destaca la mudanza del club al Nu Stadium, inaugurado en abril.

La colección Cénit está disponible desde el jueves en las tiendas oficiales de Inter Miami, en distribuidores seleccionados de adidas y en MLSstore.com.

Inter Miami tiene marca de 11-4-2 en la temporada y ocupa el segundo lugar de la Conferencia Este de la MLS, detrás de Nashville (12-3-2).

El próximo partido del club contra Columbus Crew está programado para el sábado a las 7:30 p.m.

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The adidas-designed jersey features a white base with pink, mint and black accents. According to the club, the design draws inspiration from the architectural canopy at Nu Stadium and reflects both Miami’s style and the team’s next chapter.

Royal Caribbean appears on the front of the jersey as the club’s official jersey partner, while Lowe’s remains the sleeve sponsor. Financial technology company Nu also makes its debut as the back-of-jersey sponsor.

The club will celebrate the launch Thursday night with an invitation-only event at Nu Stadium that will also serve as the official introduction of newly signed Brazilian midfielder Casemiro.

Club owners Jorge Mas and Jose Mas are expected to take part in the festivities, which include a press conference and fan meet-and-greet.

In addition to the jersey, the Cénit collection includes apparel and footwear, including jackets, T-shirts, shorts, track pants, shoes and slides.

Inter Miami players are scheduled to wear the new kit for the first time Saturday when they host the Columbus Crew during Lowe’s Youth Fútbol Night. The first 10,000 fans through the gates will receive a commemorative white event T-shirt.

The promotional campaign for the collection, themed “We’re Home,” features Lionel Messi, Facundo Mura, Mateo Silvetti and Germán Berterame and highlights the club’s move into Nu Stadium, which opened in April.

The Cénit collection is available beginning Thursday at Inter Miami team stores, select adidas retailers and MLSstore.com.

Inter Miami is 11-4-2 on the season and sits behind Nashville (12-3-2) in second place in the MLS Eastern Conference.

The club’s next match against the Columbus Crew is set for Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The blast apparently was triggered by a buildup of methane gas and occurred on the outskirts of the Baluchistan provincial capital of Quetta, government mine inspector Ghani Baloch said.

The bodies of the seven miners initially were recovered hours after the deadly blast, and emergency responders later found four more bodies, officials said.

Baloch said rescue operations would continue until all the trapped miners were found, but he indicated that officials believed the death toll likely would rise further.

“The chances of finding anyone alive diminish after methane gas explosions because oxygen levels drop to zero, and rescuers are also proceeding cautiously inside the mine,” Baloch said.

Baluchistan’s Minister for Mines and Minerals Shoaib Nosherwani said the rescue teams were working under extremely difficult conditions. He pledged that the provincial government would go all-out in the continuing response.

Nosherwani expressed condolences to relatives of the victims and said the provincial government would pay compensation of 500,000 Pakistani rupees (about $1,800) to the family of each miner killed in the blast.

He said authorities would conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion, and would review mining safety measures to help prevent similar accidents.

A coal miners’ labor union said it suspected negligence led to the explosion and called for action against those responsible. In a statement, the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation urged the government to strictly enforce safety regulations and take tough action against companies that violate mine safety laws.

Deadly accidents are common in Pakistan’s coal mining industry, particularly in Baluchistan, where many mines lack adequate ventilation, gas monitoring systems and other basic safety measures.

Mine workers and labor groups have long accused mine owners of failing to enforce safety regulations or provide adequate protective equipment.

Despite the risks and low wages, thousands of miners depend on the coal industry for their livelihoods in Baluchistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, where unemployment and poverty remain widespread.

___

Ahmed reported from Islamabad.

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Preacher-turned-fugitive Monte Chitty will now have to register as a sex offender for life. Facing a judge in Marathon on Thursday, the 64-year-old pleaded no contest to sexual battery of a minor and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies first arrested Chitty, then 62, on March 4, 2024, one day after they said he abused the girl.

Graphic texts, searches incriminate pastor

Investigators said while serving as pastor of First Baptist Marathon, located at 200 62nd St., he provided alcohol to the victim ― who believed the beverage was “spiked” ― and she passed out on a couch in his church’s library, later waking up to Chitty performing oral sex on her.

Authorities said Chitty sent the girl graphic text messages afterward acknowledging what happened, including complimenting her genitals using a cat emoji and telling her, “I prefer you pass out after I play not before” and “You can’t even remember what I did.”

He later probed her on what she recollected and described what he did to her, went on to compliment the teen’s breasts and encouraged her to sit on the couch in a way to make it “easier” to perform oral sex on her, deputies said.

Authorities said he admitted to sending the texts.

MCSO detectives later revealed a concerning Google search history, including “how to make sex for a virgin less painful.”

They said the girl told her grandmother what happened after leaving the church and deputies arrested him the next morning.

Escape to Texas; past ‘disturbing incident’ in Alaska

After being bonded out of jail, Chitty skipped out on an April 2024 bond hearing and fled to the small town of Woodville, Texas. U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement captured him days later after he “reportedly approached a Texas church group that was working with the homeless,” prompting a call to police.

He’s been jailed in the Florida Keys ever since his extradition back to South Florida.

Chitty lived in several states before Florida, including Alaska, where he worked in churches and as a law enforcement officer in remote villages.

His arrest in the Keys drew the attention of Alaska media outlets, including the Anchorage Daily News, which reported on an alleged “disturbing incident” by Chitty in Cold Bay, Alaska that led parishioners at a church to chip in to fly a girl out of town. Chitty has no Alaska criminal record.

Prosecutors sought ‘more significant’ sentence

As part of the plea deal, prosecutors dropped charges of lewd and lascivious conduct and a failure to appear charge related to Chitty fleeing to Texas.

In a news release, a spokesperson for the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office said they had “sought a more significant prison sentence.”

But, they said, “the negotiated plea resolved the case without requiring the victim to return to Monroe County or testify at trial, consistent with her expressed wishes.”

“Holding offenders accountable is always our priority, but when justice can be achieved without forcing a victim to relive a traumatic experience in a courtroom, that is a significant consideration,” Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield said in the release. “This resolution accomplishes both by securing a state prison sentence, long-term supervision through sexual offender probation, and lifetime sex offender registration.”

Chitty, as part of the agreement, will spend 10 years on sex offender probation in addition to being on the registry for life. He’ll also have to pay a little more than $3,600 in fines plus court and prisoner transportation costs.

Court records indicate that Chitty plans to move to Texas after he finishes serving time in Florida.

El predicador convertido en fugitivo Monte Chitty tendrá que registrarse como delincuente sexual de por vida. El jueves, ante un juez en Marathon, el hombre de 64 años se declaró culpable de agresión sexual a un menor y de contribuir a la delincuencia de un menor.

Los agentes de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Monroe arrestaron a Chitty, que entonces tenía 62 años, el 4 de marzo de 2024, un día después de que, según ellos, abusara de la niña.

Textos explícitos, registros incriminan al pastor

Los investigadores dijeron que, mientras ejercía como pastor de la Primera Iglesia Bautista de Marathon, ubicada en el número 200 de la calle 62, le proporcionó alcohol a la víctima, quien creía que la bebida estaba adulterada, y ella se desmayó en un sofá en la biblioteca de su iglesia, despertando más tarde con Chitty practicándole sexo oral.

Las autoridades dijeron que Chitty le envió a la niña mensajes de texto explícitos después, reconociendo lo sucedido, incluyendo halagos a sus genitales con un emoji de gato y diciéndole: “Prefiero que te desmayes después de que juegue, no antes” y “Ni siquiera puedes recordar lo que hice”.

Posteriormente, la interrogó sobre lo que recordaba y le describió lo que le había hecho, luego elogió los pechos de la adolescente y la animó a sentarse en el sofá de una manera que le facilitara practicarle sexo oral, según informaron los agentes.

Las autoridades dijeron que admitió haber enviado los mensajes de texto.

Los detectives de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Maricopa (MCSO) revelaron posteriormente un historial de búsquedas preocupante en Google, que incluía preguntas como “cómo hacer que el sexo sea menos doloroso para una virgen”.

Según informaron, la niña le contó a su abuela lo sucedido después de salir de la iglesia y los agentes lo arrestaron a la mañana siguiente.

Escapada a Texas; pasado “incidente perturbador” en Alaska

Tras salir de la cárcel bajo fianza, Chitty no se presentó a una audiencia de fianza en abril de 2024 y huyó al pequeño pueblo de Woodville, Texas. Los alguaciles federales y la policía local lo capturaron días después, luego de que supuestamente se acercara a un grupo religioso de Texas que trabajaba con personas sin hogar, lo que provocó una llamada a la policía.

Ha estado encarcelado en los Cayos de Florida desde su extradición de regreso al sur de Florida.

Antes de mudarse a Florida, Chitty vivió en varios estados, entre ellos Alaska, donde trabajó en iglesias y como agente del orden en aldeas remotas.

Su arresto en los Cayos atrajo la atención de los medios de comunicación de Alaska, incluido el Anchorage Daily News, que informó sobre un presunto “incidente perturbador” protagonizado por Chitty en Cold Bay, Alaska, que llevó a los feligreses de una iglesia a recaudar fondos para pagar el vuelo de una joven fuera de la ciudad. Chitty no tiene antecedentes penales en Alaska.

Los fiscales solicitaron una sentencia “más severa”.

Como parte del acuerdo con la fiscalía, se retiraron los cargos de conducta lasciva e indecente y el cargo de no comparecer ante el tribunal relacionado con la huida de Chitty a Texas.

En un comunicado de prensa, un portavoz de la Fiscalía del Condado de Monroe dijo que habían “solicitado una pena de prisión más severa”.

Pero, según indicaron, “el acuerdo negociado resolvió el caso sin que la víctima tuviera que regresar al condado de Monroe ni testificar en el juicio, de acuerdo con sus deseos expresados”.

“Nuestra prioridad siempre es exigir responsabilidades a los delincuentes, pero cuando se puede lograr justicia sin obligar a la víctima a revivir una experiencia traumática en un tribunal, eso es algo muy importante”, declaró el fiscal adjunto principal Joseph Mansfield en el comunicado. “Esta resolución logra ambos objetivos al garantizar una pena de prisión estatal, supervisión a largo plazo mediante libertad condicional para delincuentes sexuales y el registro de por vida como delincuente sexual”.

Como parte del acuerdo, Chitty cumplirá 10 años de libertad condicional por delitos sexuales, además de figurar en el registro de por vida. También deberá pagar algo más de 3600 dólares en multas, así como los costos judiciales y de transporte penitenciario.

Los registros judiciales indican que Chitty planea mudarse a Texas después de terminar de cumplir su condena en Florida.

Miami abrirá la pretemporada el 3 de octubre ante los Toronto Raptors en el Videotron Centre de la ciudad de Quebec como parte de los NBA Canada Games 2026. El partido marcará el primer encuentro de pretemporada de la NBA disputado en la ciudad de Quebec.

Luego, el Heat regresará a casa para recibir a los New Orleans Pelicans el 8 de octubre, a los Minnesota Timberwolves el 10 de octubre y a los Brooklyn Nets el 14 de octubre, antes de cerrar la pretemporada como visitante frente al Orlando Magic el 16 de octubre.

El anuncio llega después de una de las temporadas bajas más movidas en la historia de la franquicia, durante la cual el Heat adquirió a los delanteros Giannis Antetokounmpo y Bobby Portis mediante un canje con los Milwaukee Bucks a finales de junio.

Ambos fueron presentados oficialmente por el equipo en el Kaseya Center el 16 de julio y afirmaron que están entusiasmados por comenzar esta nueva etapa en el sur de Florida.

Miami realizará su tradicional Día de Medios el 28 de septiembre en el Kaseya Center antes de iniciar el campamento de entrenamiento el 29 de septiembre.

Y no lo olvide, podrá ver los partidos del Miami Heat la próxima temporada por Local 10, ya que WPLG Local 10 y el Heat anunciaron un acuerdo ampliado de derechos de transmisión, convirtiendo a Local 10 en la casa del baloncesto del Heat en todo el sur de Florida. HAGA CLIC AQUÍ para obtener más información sobre cómo ver los partidos.

Los aficionados del Heat también pueden llamar al 786-777-4375 para obtener más información sobre cómo comprar boletos para la pretemporada y la temporada regular 2026-2027.

Calendario de pretemporada del Miami Heat 2026-27 (incluye sedes)

3 de octubre: en Toronto, 7 p.m. (Videotron Centre)8 de octubre: vs. New Orleans, 7:30 p.m. (Kaseya Center)10 de octubre: vs. Minnesota, 8 p.m. (Kaseya Center)14 de octubre: vs. Brooklyn, 7:30 p.m. (Kaseya Center)16 de octubre: en Orlando, 7 p.m. (Kia Center)

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The woman's attorney, Matthew Farley, urged the chief judge of the Alien Terrorist Removal Court to dismiss the case against Nazira Haji Zada and immediately release his client, who the government alleges is an Islamic State supporter. Judge Joan Ericksen denied Farley’s requests but said Zada's lawyers can renew them as the case proceeds in the nation's capital.

“This entire scheme is in violation of due process and unconstitutional,” said Farley, an assistant federal public defender.

The case against Zada opens a new, untested front for President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign, which has flooded the nation’s federal court system with immigration proceedings, sometimes based on novel or shaky legal foundations.

The court, established in 1996, had never received a petition until this month, when the Justice Department filed an application seeking Zada's removal. The court has a specific authority to conduct deportation proceedings for individuals whom the Department of Justice classifies as “alien terrorists.”

FBI agents arrested her Tuesday at her Fort Worth, Texas, home. She is not charged with any crimes.

“This is a runaround for bringing a criminal case,” Farley said during the court's first-ever public hearing.

Ericksen, a senior judge who sits in Minnesota and was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, acknowledged that the court was operating without a clear blueprint.

“We probably read the same law review articles. There aren't that many,” the judge told Farley.

An FBI memo dated July 15 said it “developed information” that Zada is an IS supporter who had her children pledge their loyalty to the terrorist group. The memo says she “supported” a plot by relatives to carry out an ISIS-inspired attack in the United States.

Zada is a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. Court filings identify her as the mother and mother-in-law of two Afghan men who were convicted in Oklahoma for their roles in the 2024 Election Day plot. Her son, Abdullah Haji Zada, was sentenced in November to 15 years in prison and court records show he previously agreed to be removed from the U.S. after his release.

Her son-in-law, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, previously worked as a security guard for an American military installation in Afghanistan. He pleaded guilty to conspiring and attempting to provide material support to IS. Prosecutors have said he took steps to advance his attack plans by ordering AK-47 rifles, liquidating his family’s assets and buying one-way tickets for his wife and child to travel home to Afghanistan.

Zada was led into the courtroom by U.S. Marshals Service deputies. Interpreters translated the proceedings for Zada, who answered the judge's questions with head nods instead of words. The judge cautioned that the court was still in the process of building up its “infrastructure.”

“This is not a criminal matter,” the judge told her. “This is a civil matter that arises under the immigration code.”

Justice Department attorney Hayden O'Byrne read aloud a brief summary of the case but noted that the FBI's investigation of Zada involves classified information that cannot be made public. The judge assured Zada that the federal courts routinely handle cases involving classified information, even though her case is the first of its kind.

Eriksen one of five federal judges from different districts across the country who are appointed to the court by the chief justice of the United States.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that Congress created the court to deport “alien terrorists who never should have been here in the first place.”

“The allegations in this case show the matriarch of an ISIS-sympathizing family aiding in a plot to launch a mass casualty attack on American voters on Election Day. The Department’s application in this court makes clear that terrorists have no place in the United States of America,” Blanche added.

But it’s not actually as complicated as it sounds, and it’s all related to the broader war between the United States and Iran, currently focused on the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran supports armed groups across the Middle East that allow it to project power far beyond its borders. The U.S. has thousands of troops based in allied Arab countries that have been targets of Iran's retaliation.

Here’s a look at why so many fronts seem to be heating up at once.

A struggle over the strait

The epicenter of the latest violence is the Strait of Hormuz, an elbow-shaped passage running between Iran and Oman that carried a fifth of the world's traded oil and gas before the war.

Iran says it controls the waterway and has attacked ships attempting to use an alternative route overseen by the U.S. military along the coast of Oman.

The U.S. has struck Iran in response, saying the strait should be open to all international traffic, as it was before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. When the U.S. strikes Iran, Iran retaliates by firing missiles and drones against Arab countries hosting U.S. forces, like Jordan and Kuwait.

The exchanges of fire in recent weeks led to the collapse of an interim agreement aimed at winding down the war. That has deepened mistrust on both sides. At this point, Iran appears to be more interested in cementing its control over the strait than in making a deal with the U.S. to lift international sanctions.

Yemen's Houthis are wading in

The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, who stayed on the sidelines during the initial phase of the war, have declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia, threatening shipping through another major trade route leading through the Bab el-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea up to Egypt's Suez Canal.

The Houthis also claim to have attacked Saudi oil infrastructure near an East-West pipeline that the kingdom has used to ship millions of barrels of oil since the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed.

The Houthi-Saudi tensions are rooted in a separate but related conflict going back more than a decade that seems to be reigniting. But it also presents a new front on which Iran could pressure a key U.S. ally and potentially choke off more of the world's energy supplies, with effects far beyond the region.

Ambrey, a maritime security firm, has recorded over 10 transits that U-turned in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since the Houthi naval blockade against Saudi Arabia was announced. Bab al-Mandeb transits have been down 30% since July 21 compared to June, according to the latest Ambrey data.

The Saudis take aim at Iran-backed groups in Iraq

Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia accused Iran-backed militias in Iraq of launching drone attacks on its oil facilities for two straight days. In response, U.S. and Saudi fighter aircraft bombed militia sites in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers.

Iraq has close ties to both the U.S. and Iran and has long struggled to balance them. Since the start of the war, it has been in a literal crossfire. The government condemned the U.S.-Saudi strikes, saying they came as it was trying to investigate what had happened.

The Popular Mobilization Forces, a collection of armed groups close to Iran, are officially part of Iraq's security forces but often act autonomously, including by attacking U.S. forces stationed in Iraq.

American forces are due to finish their withdrawal from the country at the end of September, and the Iraqi government has vowed to disarm nonstate actors or incorporate them into the military. But those efforts could stall as the wider war rages.

The remaining U.S. forces are based in Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region, which is also home to armed Iranian Kurdish dissident groups. Iran has attacked both over the course of the war.

Drone attack on Egypt signals a possible widening of the war

On Wednesday, a drone attack on Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta set two natural gas vessels ablaze, including a U.S.-owned floating storage facility.

No one has claimed the attack, and the Houthis have denied responsibility.

Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator, is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have avoided military involvement in the war.

Israel is on the sidelines, for now

Israel, which took part in the initial weekslong bombardment of Iran and was repeatedly targeted by Iranian missiles earlier in the conflict, has remained on the sidelines since the interim peace deal.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group fired rockets into northern Israel shortly after the outbreak of the war. Israel responded with aerial bombardment and a ground invasion. It has since occupied, depopulated and destroyed large parts of southern Lebanon, saying such measures are necessary to root out militants.

A June 20 truce has largely held. Israel and Lebanon's government are currently implementing the initial stages of an agreement in which Israeli forces would withdraw and Lebanon's army would move in. The deal also states that Hezbollah must be disarmed. The group has rejected the deal and could violently resist any attempt to forcibly disarm it.

Any attack by Iran, Hezbollah or Israel could reignite those hostilities, reopening yet another front.

___

Krauss reported from Ottawa, Ontario.

Según la Policía de Plantation, los agentes respondieron al área de 7800 NW 11th Court luego de que se reportara la desaparición de un hombre de 76 años.

“Durante la búsqueda, uno de los zapatos del hombre fue localizado en un lago cercano”, publicó el Departamento de Policía de Plantation (PPPD) en redes sociales. “El Equipo de Buceo del Departamento de Bomberos de Plantation y un perro K-9 Bloodhound de la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward asistieron a los agentes en la búsqueda del área”.

La Policía confirmó que el hombre finalmente fue encontrado muerto en el lago.

Los detectives ahora investigan las circunstancias que rodean la muerte de la víctima.

Su identidad aún no ha sido divulgada.

Las autoridades llegaron al área de Southwest 103rd Place y 51st Street y encontraron varios vehículos en llamas.

Según funcionarios de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, los bomberos comenzaron de inmediato las labores para extinguir el incendio tras evaluar la situación.

Indicaron que el incendio fue controlado alrededor de las 10 a.m.

Las autoridades informaron que al menos una persona fue trasladada a un hospital cercano para recibir tratamiento, pero no ofrecieron detalles sobre sus lesiones ni su condición.

Esta es una noticia en desarrollo y será actualizada a medida que se disponga de nueva información.

“Este ha sido un año realmente difícil, atípico”, dijo la secretaria de Medio Ambiente, Alicia Bárcena, durante la conferencia presidencial. Agregó que lo que hace más de una década era un fenómeno temporal de sólo unos meses se ha convertido en un problema continuo. “Este año ha llegado a las playas del Caribe mexicano cuatro veces más (sargazo) que en 2025 y tenemos 27 veces más que el promedio histórico", explicó.

Los científicos prevén que la situación empeore porque hasta junio la cantidad total de sargazo observada en todo el mar Caribe ya casi duplicó el récord histórico y alcanzó cinco millones de toneladas, según el Observatorio de Oceanografía Óptica de la Universidad de Florida.

De todo ese sargazo el gobierno calcula que llegan a las costas caribeñas mexicanas unas 9.000 toneladas diarias en los días fuertes y unas 2.600 en los días bajos. La acumulación de esta alga, además de convertir las aguas turquesas en una interminable mancha marron, inunda las playas de un olor pestilente e impacta en la biodiversidad de la zona.

La meta: recoger más sargazo en el mar

Con los recursos actuales de 16 barcos, 18 embarcaciones menores y más de 16.000 metros de barreras sólo pueden recogerse en torno a 1.200 toneladas al día, una cifra que con la inversión prevista para este año y el próximo el gobierno confía en elevar a 1.800 toneladas en 2026 y hasta 4.000 en 2027.

El principal objetivo es recoger el sargazo en el mar y no en la playa, como mayoritariamente ocurre ahora, porque así se evitará que se erosione las playas.

Por eso la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum dijo que los nuevos fondos serán para tener más barcos, más barreras y más equipos de recolección sustentables que eviten que al limpiar las playas se lleven la arena. Uno de los nuevos barcos prevé llegar en breve a la zona y tendrá más del triple de capacidad que el mayor actual.

Además, el gobierno quiere impulsar todos los proyectos de reciclaje de esta alga que van desde su utilización como biofertilizante a bloques para la construcción o sandalias biodegradables. Según el gobierno, ya hay 39 empresas que desarrollan este tipo de productos.

Actualmente, el 83% del sargazo se recoge en las playas y la mayoría lo hacen los municipios o los hoteles más grandes que desde hace años destinan decenas de trabajadores a limpiar sus playas cada mañana.

Organizaciones civiles llevan años pidiendo más recursos y celeridad en la recolección e impulso a una industria que recicle el sargazo.

Cita internacional en octubre

Siempre ha habido sargazo pero desde 2011 su cantidad se ha multiplicado y extendido desproporcionalmente circulando entre Africa occidental y Brasil e inundando el mar Caribe.

Según el Grupo Interdisciplinario para el Estudio del Sargazo, de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, esto se debe a un cúmulo de factores exacerbados por el cambio climático, como el aumento de la temperatura del mar, las alteraciones en las corrientes oceánicas y el incremento en los océanos de sustancias provenientes de la actividad humana como fertilizantes.

Al ser un problema que trasciende fronteras, México quiere coordinar esfuerzos internacionalmente y tiene previsto celebrar un encuentro el 1 y 2 de octubre no sólo con países del Caribe, sino también con como Brasil y Japón y eventuales donantes como la Unión Europea.

Bárcena dijo que la ayuda de Brasil será importante porque la falta de tratamiento del agua en el Amazonas hace que cuando desemboca en el mar tenga más compuestos que alimentan el alga y agregó que Japón ya ha mostrado su disposición a apoyar con barcos balleneros que ya no utiliza y que pueden ser reconfigurados para recolectar sargazo.

Amazon’s fully autonomous Zoox vehicles got approval Thursday to begin charging customers for rides in the specially designed boxy cars that feature four inward-facing seats once they secure state and local approval. Zoox has already been offering free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco since last year.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also proposed a rule last month to allow robotaxis to operate without brake pedals, but that proposal is still pending. Administrator Jonathan Morrison said his agency wants to clear the way for the safe development of autonomous vehicles.

"By removing unnecessary barriers to innovation, developing industry guidance, and providing strong enforcement oversight while we create performance requirements, NHTSA is taking a balanced approach to AV regulation,” Morrison said in a statement. “These advancements will ensure that the United States continues to lead the world in AV technology in a safe and responsible manner.”

The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety group raised concerns about Zoox’s plan to operate without a steering wheel or other standard controls because the company didn’t provide detailed evidence to show that its vehicles could operate safely on public roads.

“Lots of promises, lots of glossy language, lots of ‘We believe, we think we’ll do this.’ Yet there really was no data behind the promises, and that’s really concerning to us,” said Peter Kurdock, who is general counsel for the Advocates group.

Zoox and Tesla are working to catch up to the industry-leading Waymo that already operates in multiple cities. Waymo is owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet.

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans said this approval is an important milestone for autonomous vehicles.

“This achievement reflects a shared commitment to enabling innovation while maintaining the highest standards of safety,” Evans said.

Amazon hopes to eventually produce as many as 10,000 robotaxis a year at a plant near Silicon Valley as it works to challenge Waymo. Amazon paid $1.2 billion to acquire self-driving startup Zoox. Initially, Zoox will only be allowed to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles without steering wheels over the next two years as it works to prove the technology is safe. The company said that more than half a million people have already ridden in its vehicles.

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According to Plantation police, officers responded to the area of 7800 NW 11th Court after a 76-year-old man was reported missing.

“During the search, one of the man’s shoes was located in a nearby lake,” the PPPD posted on social media. “The Plantation Fire Department Dive Team and a Broward Sheriff’s Office Bloodhound K-9 assisted officers in searching the area.”

Police confirmed that the man was ultimately found dead in the lake.

Neighbors told Local 10 News that the man who passed away lived in the area for several decades. They said he was a nice man who had a big family living with him.

Detectives are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.

His identity has not yet been released.

Morales negó las acusaciones sobre su presunta participación en las protestas con bloqueos que asfixiaron al país durante más de 50 días entre mayo y junio en reclamo de la renuncia del presidente Rodrigo Paz, quien asumió en noviembre dejando atrás casi 20 años de gobiernos de izquierda.

”¿De qué terrorismo hablan? ¿Qué es terrorismo para el Ministerio Público?… Esto obedece a la instrucción de Estados Unidos”, señaló el exmandatario, de 66 años, en su programa en la radio Kausachun Coca en el Chapare, al centro de Bolivia, donde permanece refugiado desde octubre de 2024 para evadir una primera orden de detención por el supuesto abuso de una menor cuando era presidente (2006-2019).

Según el exgobernante, el secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, Marco Rubio, expresó hace dos semanas que se “perseguirá a grupos de izquierda como terroristas”.

El 16 de julio Rubio convocó a líderes de más de 60 países para participar en un encuentro para combatir la violencia política de izquierda.

El exmandatario, que emergió a la política luego de ser dirigente cocalero, mantuvo durante su gobierno una fuerte tensión con Estados Unidos y en 2008 expulsó al embajador de ese país en Bolivia por presuntamente realizar espionaje.

Por su parte, el vocero presidencial José Luis Gálvez dijo a los medios que todos los bolivianos deben rendir cuentas ante la ley, incluido el expresidente. “Estos son temas de seguridad y tengan la certeza de que respecto a ese tema, primero vamos a actuar y luego vamos a comunicar”, agregó en referencia a la orden de detención de Morales.

El miércoles la Fiscalía boliviana emitió una segunda orden de captura contra Morales por los presuntos delitos de instigación pública para delinquir y alzamientos armados contra la seguridad y soberanía del Estado por supuestamente alentar las protestas que ocasionaron escasez de alimentos y medicamentos, principalmente, en ciudades como La Paz y El Alto.

Los denunciantes son miembros del Comité Cívico de la región de Santa Cruz, el motor productivo de Bolivia, críticos del exmandatario.

El gobierno culpó a Morales de promover las protestas y decretó un estado de excepción en un esfuerzo por terminar con los bloqueos. Durante las manifestaciones el exmandatario incluso pidió que se adelantaran las elecciones.

Por el mismo caso se encuentra detenido un dirigente campesino.

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Authorities arrived at the area of Southwest 103rd Place and 51st Street and said they found several vehicles on fire.

Residents told Local 10 News they heard crackling and saw a Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works vehicle going up in flames.

According to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials, firefighters quickly began working to extinguish the blaze after assessing the situation.

They said the fire was out around 10 a.m.

Authorities said at least one person was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, but they did not elaborate on that person’s injury or condition.

The emergency appeal comes after a lower court reinstated the damages in the wake of a Supreme Court decision that followed more than two decades of litigation.

The Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority said in court documents that paying the hefty judgment now would “destabilize critical government services Petitioners provide in the West Bank, injure innocent citizens, and jeopardize regional security.”

They asked the justices to pause payment as they appeal the reinstatement of the verdict.

The lawsuit was filed by victims of attacks in Jerusalem in the early 2000s that killed 33 people and wounded hundreds more. Families brought their lawsuit under the Anti-Terrorism Act, a law aimed at opening U.S. courts to victims of international terror attacks.

A federal court in New York tossed the original verdict on appeal and continued to rule in favor of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority as Congress revised the law to allow suits to go forward. In 2025, the Supreme Court sided with the families and revived the lawsuits.

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to reinstate the verdict in March. Attorneys for the plaintiffs said at the time that the families were pleased and relieved by the decision, saying it would allow “justice to be done.”

They declined to comment on Thursday's petition.

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There are dozens of candidates hoping to be elected to run in the general election on Nov. 3 to replace Gov. Ron DeSantis, who can’t seek re-election for a third term.

The deadlines to send vote-by-mail ballots are July 4 for Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act voters and July 9–16 for domestic voters. July 20 is the deadline to register to vote or change party affiliation.

The deadline to request that a ballot be mailed is Aug. 6, and early voting is Aug. 8–15.

How to be prepared

SEARCH DATABASES: Check that you are registered to vote, confirm your assigned voting precinct, and research your ballot

• Voter information look-up database
• Miami-Dade voting precinct finder
• Broward voting precinct finder
• Monroe voting precinct finder
• Research your ballot: BallotReady database and Vote database

Frequently asked questions

Who can vote?

To be eligible to vote, the applicant for registration has to be a U.S. citizen, a legal resident, at least 18 years old, and not be mentally incapacitated, or a convicted felon without a restoration of rights.

A military member, a military family member, or an overseas citizen can register and request an absentee ballot with the online Federal Post Card Application.

Are independents allowed to vote in the primary?

Florida is a closed primary election state, so only voters who are registered members of political parties may vote for respective party candidates.

Who can’t vote?

A felony conviction in Florida for murder or a sexual offense makes a person ineligible to vote unless the State Clemency Board restores the right to vote.

How do I know if I am registered to vote?

There is a database online to look up voter information.

Can this be done online?

The voter registration process can be done online. The application requires a Florida driver’s license or identification card, the date when it was issued, and the last four digits of the Social Security Number.

When can one pre-register to vote?

Florida allows 16-year-olds to pre-register, but they won’t be allowed to vote until they are 18 years old.

Are there any restrictions to vote in the primaries?

Florida is a closed primary election state, so only voters who are registered members of political parties may vote for their party’s candidates or nominees.

Independent voters may choose which party’s primary they want to vote in.

Who handles the process?

The Supervisor of Elections in the county of residence.

Can I register by mail and cast a ballot by mail?

Yes, if done on time and there is access to the forms online, a printer, and a post office. In Florida, those eligible are allowed to register to vote or vote by mail.

To vote: U.S. military members, military family members, and overseas citizens can register and request absentee ballot with the Federal Post Card Application as soon as possible.

If done in Miami-Dade, visit this page. If done in Broward, visit this page. If done in Monroe, visit this page.

To register: Download the form to print, fill out, and mail.

Here are the mailing dates to remember if mailing the application to register to vote in Florida:

• Applications for the Aug. 18 state primary have to be postmarked by July 20.
• Applications for the Nov. 5 general election have to be postmarked by Oct. 7.

Here are the mailing addresses for Monroe, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties:

BROWARD

Broward County Elections Office

4650 NW 21st Avenue

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309.

MIAMI-DADE

Miami-Dade County Elections Office

2700 NW 87 Ave.

Miami, Fla., 33172

MONROE

Monroe County Elections Office

530 Whitehead Street #101

Key West, Fla., 33040-6577

What is the deadline to drop off my vote-by-mail ballot?

Before 7 p.m., on Aug. 18. In Miami-Dade, sign inside the red box on the back of the vote-by-mail envelope. If you forgot to sign the envelope or the signature does not match, Florida law allows you to submit an affidavit to cure your vote-by-mail ballot. The affidavit must be completed and submitted to the Elections Department along with a copy of your identification by 5 p.m. on the second day after the election.

· Vote-by-Mail Ballot - Signature Cure Affidavit (English)

· Vote-by-Mail Ballot - Signature Cure Affidavit (Español & Kreyòl)

Useful links

• Restoration of voting rights for convicted felons
• For how to check your voter status, visit this page.
• To download the online registration form, visit this page.
• The national 27-page voter registration application with instructions for each state is available here.
• For vote-by-mail ballot information and status lookup, visit this page.
• Find your local election office by searching this database
• Visit the Florida Division of Elections page
• For more information about federal election guidelines, visit this page.
• For more information about early voting and ballot intake stations, visit this page.
• Florida key election dates
• Florida Election Day Voting FAQ
• The Federal Voting Assistance Program
• Where you go before you vote

Useful contacts

• For more information from the Florida Division of Elections, call 1-866-308-6739 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday.
• For more information in Broward, call 954-357-7050
• For more information in Miami-Dade, call 305-499-8683
• For more information in Monroe, call 305-292-3416

The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate rose to 6.66% from 6.58% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. One year ago, the average rate was 6.72%.

Higher mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting homebuyers’ purchasing power. As rates rise, that can lead prospective home shoppers to delay buying a home, one reason U.S. home sales have been sluggish this year.

Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, often sought by borrowers refinancing a home loan, also rose this week. That average rate increased to 6.04% from 5.96% last week. A year ago, it was at 5.85%, Freddie Mac said.

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

Rates have been mostly rising this year as the Iran war has driven crude oil prices sharply higher, fueling expectations of hotter inflation. That’s pushed up long-term bond yields relative to where they were before the conflict began in late February, causing mortgage rates to trend higher.

The 10-year Treasury yield was 4.66% at midday Thursday on the bond market. It was just 3.97% in late February, before the war broke out.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage is now the highest it’s been since July 31, 2025, when it was at 6.72%. As recently as late February, the average rate dropped slightly below 6% for the first time since late 2022.

The latest increase in mortgage rates comes a day after the Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged as it wrestles with how to tame stubbornly high inflation, which has been stuck above the central bank's 2% target for more than five years.

During the central bank's two-day monetary policy meeting this week, three regional Fed bank presidents dissented in favor of higher rates to combat high prices.

That's a signal that Fed members are no longer in lockstep on inflation and that their next move is not going to be a rate cut, said Anthony Smith, senior economist at Realtor.com.

“With the Fed signaling that its next move is more likely a hike than a cut, near-term rate relief looks unlikely,” Smith said. “Because oil remains the primary channel through which the Iran conflict feeds inflation, a de-escalation and a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remains the clearest path back toward lower rates.”

The central bank doesn’t set mortgage rates, but its decisions to raise or lower its short-term rate are watched closely by bond investors and can ultimately affect the yield on 10-year Treasurys.

While average long-term mortgage rates remain lower than they were at this time last year, their upward trajectory has weighed on home sales this year. Seasonally adjusted sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were up 0.7% from January to June compared with the same period last year, but they’re still hovering close to a 4-million annual pace far short of the historic norm that is closer to 5.2-million.

The trend has extended the national housing market slump that began in 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes were essentially flat last year, stuck at a 30-year low.

The latest data on mortgage applications show that the upward trend in mortgage rates has given some would-be homebuyers reason to pause.

Mortgage applications, which include loans to buy a home or refinance an existing mortgage, fell 6.4% last week from the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

"While incoming economic data will continue to shape the outlook for interest rates, elevated borrowing costs remain a challenge this summer for many prospective homebuyers,” said MBA CEO Bob Broeksmit.

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Lt. Luis F. Correa Jr. of the Homeland Security Bureau received the agency’s Silver Medal of Valor, Lifesaving Award, and Distinguished Deputy of the Month award after rescuing an injured worker during a deadly explosion.

According to the sheriff’s office, the incident occurred on June 15, where Correa was fueling his patrol vehicle at a Miami-Dade Fire Rescue logistics facility. At the same time, two civilian workers were inside a manhole when a fire and explosion erupted in the fueling area, authorities said.

According to MDSO, one worker was killed, while the other suffered critical injuries. Authorities said Correa immediately rushed to the scene, removed the injured survivor from the danger zone, and helped move the victim to a safer location where emergency medical personnel began treatment.

The sheriff’s office credited Correa’s quick actions with helping the injured worker receive medical care as well as risking his own safety.

The agency also recognized William C. Varas as the first-ever MDSO Citizen of the Month. Varas is a Physical Education Teacher at Lighthouse Ministry School, and was honored for saving the life of a student on May 8.

The sheriff’s office said the student accidentally swallowed a water bottle cap that became lodged into their throat, blocking the airway. Varas immediately began performing abdominal thrusts, eventually dislodging the cap and helping the child to breathe again, authorities said.

The sheriff’s office credited his actions, saying it was instrumental in saving the student’s life.

Along with the individual awards, the MDSO Warrants Bureau’s Florida Caribbean Fugitive Task Force was named the unit of the month. The seven-member team, consisting of six deputies and one sergeant, demonstrated the ability to conduct difficult, high-risk operations that led to the apprehension of several dangerous fugitives, according to the sheriff’s office.

Authorities commended the unit’s teamwork, professionalism and commitment to public safety.

The MDSO June Awards Ceremony will take place on July 30, from 10:00 a.m. till 11:00 a.m. at the Fred Taylor Headquarters Building in Doral.

El teniente Luis F. Correa Jr., de la Oficina de Seguridad Nacional, recibió la Medalla de Plata al Valor de la agencia, el Premio por Salvar una Vida y el reconocimiento como Agente Distinguido del Mes por rescatar a un trabajador herido durante una explosión mortal.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff, el incidente ocurrió el 15 de junio, cuando Correa abastecía de combustible su patrulla en una instalación logística de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue. Al mismo tiempo, dos trabajadores civiles se encontraban dentro de un registro subterráneo cuando se produjo un incendio y una explosión en el área de abastecimiento de combustible, informaron las autoridades.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO), uno de los trabajadores murió, mientras que el otro sufrió heridas de gravedad. Las autoridades indicaron que Correa acudió de inmediato al lugar, sacó al sobreviviente herido de la zona de peligro y ayudó a trasladarlo a un lugar más seguro, donde el personal de emergencias médicas comenzó a atenderlo.

La Oficina del Sheriff atribuyó a la rápida actuación de Correa el haber facilitado que el trabajador herido recibiera atención médica, además de destacar que puso en riesgo su propia seguridad.

La agencia también reconoció a William C. Varas como el primer Ciudadano del Mes de la MDSO. Varas es maestro de educación física en Lighthouse Ministry School y fue homenajeado por salvar la vida de un estudiante el 8 de mayo.

La Oficina del Sheriff informó que el estudiante tragó accidentalmente la tapa de una botella de agua, que quedó atascada en su garganta y bloqueó las vías respiratorias. Varas comenzó de inmediato a realizar maniobras de compresión abdominal, logrando finalmente desalojar la tapa y ayudando al menor a respirar nuevamente, indicaron las autoridades.

La Oficina del Sheriff destacó que sus acciones fueron fundamentales para salvar la vida del estudiante.

Además de los reconocimientos individuales, el Grupo de Trabajo de Fugitivos Florida Caribbean de la Oficina de Órdenes Judiciales de la MDSO fue nombrado Unidad del Mes. El equipo, integrado por siete miembros, seis agentes y un sargento, demostró su capacidad para realizar operaciones complejas y de alto riesgo que permitieron la captura de varios fugitivos peligrosos, según la Oficina del Sheriff.

Las autoridades elogiaron el trabajo en equipo de la unidad, su profesionalismo y su compromiso con la seguridad pública.

La ceremonia de premios de junio de la MDSO se llevará a cabo el 30 de julio, de 10:00 a.m. a 11:00 a.m., en el edificio Fred Taylor Headquarters, en Doral.

Elijah Bieniemy was arrested Monday in connection with the late-Sunday shooting. He has been charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling.

Bieniemy remained in the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center on Thursday. He had a court date to hear motions scheduled for later in the day, and a preliminary hearing date had been set for Aug. 31. But both appearances have been continued pending a mental health evaluation, according to records available from the Virginia judiciary system.

The sheriff's office in Loudoun County, Virginia, has said the investigation is ongoing. No motive has been provided.

Eric Bieniemy remained away from the Chiefs on Thursday as they continued with their second full-squad workout of training camp. Pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier and offensive line coach Andy Heck have assumed most of his responsibilities, while coach Andy Reid continues to have a significant role overseeing the offensive system.

“Eric's a big part of this, and so I love having him here,” Reid said, “but right now it's important that he takes care of business, and everybody knows that. So everybody's game is picked up, and they're working hard, and Eric will be back soon enough to jump in there and do his thing. But he's got to take care of that first.”

Reid declined to provide a timetable for Bieniemy's return to the team.

Mia Bieniemy, the coach's 57-year-old wife, has been released from the intensive care unit, where she was being treated for multiple gunshot wounds. Reid said that she was “doing better, and great from where she was.”

Eric Bieniemy helped the Chiefs reach three Super Bowls and win two of them, then left to become the offensive coordinator with the Washington Commanders — the reason the Bieniemy family still has a home in Virginia. The staff there was fired after one season, though, and Bieniemy spent a season apiece at UCLA and coaching running backs with the Chicago Bears.

He was hired to replace Matt Nagy as the offensive coordinator in Kansas City earlier this year.

“We stay in touch with him and keep him abreast of everything that's going on,” Reid said. “He's got the tape (of camp practices). He can watch with whatever spare time he's got there.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The Cuban government announced this morning the elimination of 92,000 government jobs. A state worker in Cuba makes on the average $16-$18 per month.

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Meanwhile, Cuba’s Prime Minister Manuel Marrero announced this week that Cuba was creating its first private bank under the Central Bank of Cuba, which is run by the Cuban government, and its president serves on the Council of Ministers of the government.

Why would any foreign investor want to invest in such a system with no protection for their money?

July 29 update: 5 leading economists in Cuba release report entitled ‘A Proposal to Transform the Cuban Economy.’

Five leading economists in Cuba just released a report entitled “A Proposal to Transform the Cuban Economy.” The document lays out a structural diagnosis of the current economic crisis facing the nation and proposes, as a strategic goal, the creation of a social market economy underpinned by a democratic state governed by the rule of law.

While the report is good, the problem that I see is the creation of a democratic state. We must remember that Cuba did not have a democracy before the start of the Cuban Revolution in 1959. To transition a totalitarian state that has had a centralized economy for almost 68 years could take time. Time that Cuba and its population do not have given the current economic crisis.

July 27 update: 73 years after start of Cuban Revolution

Yesterday marked the 73^rd anniversary since Fidel Castro, Raul Castro and their group of rebels attacked the Moncada Military Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. July 26, 1953 is considered the start of the Cuban Revolution.

Like Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken”, the Cuban revolution took a path that destroyed the country and “never looked back.” Today, Cuba is at the end of what Fidel called its glory days.

July 24 update: Trump Administration announces series of new sanctions against Cuba

On Thursday, the Trump Administration announced a series of new sanctions against Cuba targeting the government’s military conglomerate Gaesa. However, this time it includes companies like Coral S. A. that took over operations from some sectors of GAESA to avoid U.S. sanctions and keep import operations in Cuba functioning.

The question many academics that follow Cuba like me are asking is whether the U.S. strategy moving forward is to force Cuba to eventually sell some of GAESA’s assets to the U.S.

July 23 update: US continues to send mixed signals as to what will be done with Cuba

This past Monday, the U.S. Department of State issued a 100-page report entitled “Cuba: The Capital of 21^st Century Communism” that outlined why Cuba is a national security threat not only to the U.S., but to the entire world. The Cuban government reacted at once and not only criticized the report but blamed Secretary of State Marco Rubio with threatening the island nation.

On Wednesday at a press conference in the Philippines, Rubio, when asked by a reporter what the U.S. plan was for Cuba, used a much more diplomatic tone and said the U.S. is still willing to negotiate with Cuba.

Washington continues to send mixed signals as to what will be done with Cuba. What we do know is that the strategy used in Venezuela did not bring about regime change.

July 21 update: First humanitarian aid from US will arrive in Cuba

Today, the first humanitarian aid will arrive in Cuba as part of Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s offer to help the Cuban people as they experience the worst economic situation since the early 1990’s. Today’s cargo includes 700 hygiene kits and 700 food items to be distributed directly to the Cuban people by Catholic Relief Services Caritas Cuba and other faith-based organizations.

Secretary Rubio wants to let the Cuban people clearly know that the U.S. stands behind them and is willing to continue to help them as part of the U.S. commitment of $100 million in humanitarian aid.

July 20 update: Cuba releases artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara

This past Saturday, Cuba released artist and opposition leader Luis Manuel Otero Alcantara after serving five years in jail. Otero Alcantara was one of the leaders of the San Isidro movement that led to large protests across the island nation five years ago.

Upon arriving in Miami, Otero Alcantara thanked the Cuban American community for its support and asked Cuba to release all political prisoners in jail.

July 16 update: US Department of Defense pays $3 million to US personnel affected by Havana Syndrome

The U.S. Department of Defense has paid $3 million in compensation to U.S. personnel affected by the mysterious condition known as Havana Syndrome, making the first payment under the 2021 Havana Act.

Havana Syndrome first appeared in 2016 when U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers in Havana, Cuba reported unusual symptoms, including intense head pressure, dizziness, nausea, hearing disturbances and memory problems.

July 14 update: New U.S. sanctions increase pressure on Cuba’s military-run economy

The United States on Monday introduced new sanctions targeting companies controlled by GAESA, Cuba’s military economic conglomerate, as well as some of the military brigades responsible for suppressing protests like the ones we saw the other day.

How much longer can the Cuban government hold on? Information continues to reach U.S. officials indicating that there are sectors within the Cuban government that are increasingly concerned about how much longer they can survive without negotiating with the U.S. government before facing a complete collapse of their system.

July 10 update: Does Raul Castro’s grandson have the full authority to negotiate for the Cuban government?

As I expected, there seems to be a small crack within the inner circle of the Cuban government. Some have criticized Raulito (Raul Castro’s grandson) for offering to negotiate directly with President Trump. The criticism comes as to whether he has the full authority to negotiate for the Cuban government or is he just negotiating for the Castro family?

Yesterday, the Cuban Communist Party (PCC) backed Raulito’s efforts, but the military leadership has remained quiet.

July 8 update: United Nations has no legal right to lift U.S. embargo on Cuba

Every year, Cuba argues in front of the United Nations that the U.S. economic embargo is the cause for their economic problems. Each year, Cuba loses more support for their argument. The United Nations has no legitimate or legal right to lift the embargo. The U.S. Congress can only lift the embargo.

The Cuban government propaganda machine has failed. Most Cubans on the island, including economists on the island, blame the Cuban government for their current poor economic conditions.

July 6 update: Raul Castro’s grandson says Cuba is willing to negotiate with US

Reuters reported earlier this morning that Raul Castro’s grandson Raulito, known as “El Cangrejo,” announced that Cuba is willing to negotiate with the U.S. The question we need to ask ourselves is whether Raulito is negotiating on behalf of the Castro family or the Cuban government?

We know that Cuba has been selling some of their assets, including some belonging to the military economic conglomerate GAESA in the last couple of weeks. Cuba’s attempt to invite foreign investment has not attracted many takers for the fear of losing their money.

July 2 update: Cuba’s culture of fear complicates a Democratic transition

When we talk about Cuba, we usually concentrate on their centralized political and economic system. However, we fail to recognize that individuals that have lived under totalitarian regimes have had to survive under a culture of fear. Such system of government creates a psychological set of attitudes and values that help define the daily behavior in order to align the people’s wants and needs to the restrictions imposed by the government.

To break such behaviors could take years of psychological training and change. Therefore, transitioning a totalitarian state to support a transition to some form of a Democratic government could take time.

Dr. Andy S. Gomez’s June updates can be viewed by clicking here.

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

Trump doubled down on choosing his former personal lawyer as the nation’s top lawman, calling him “a STAR” and saying he will keep him in the role as acting attorney general until Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina leave office.

“I have no objection to temporarily withdrawing Todd’s name, if they do not do the right thing, and putting him back after Cornyn and Tillis are out of office,” Trump posted on his social media site.

Cornyn and Tillis, who both leave office next year, have said they won't back Blanche's nomination without additional assurances in writing about the controversial settlement of Trump's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over his leaked tax returns.

In a social media post responding to Trump’s suggestion that he may pull Blanche’s nomination, Cornyn wrote that the president is “mistaken if he believes concerns about the provisions in his tax lawsuit settlement are limited to me and Senator Tillis.”

“I don’t know whether they think they can wait us out or we’ll cave, but I assure you we won’t,” Cornyn told reporters Thursday.

The Senate Judiciary Committee was forced to scrap a planned vote for Thursday to advance Blanche’s nomination after the Justice Department and the Republican senators failed to reach a resolution despite hours of negotiations. With all Democratic senators opposed, just one Republican holdout on the committee could sink Blanche’s chances for confirmation.

The settlement included the creation of a $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” meant to pay Trump allies who believe they were wronged by the Justice Department that was scrapped after bipartisan outrage about the potential of payouts going to violent Jan. 6 rioters. Officials have said that another piece of the settlement — granting Trump and members of his family immunity from tax audits — remains in place.

Through Blanche has repeatedly insisted that the “Anti-Weaponization fund” is dead, skeptical lawmakers have pushed for a commitment in writing — especially since Trump has expressed continued support for the idea.

A crucial sticking point appeared to be the settlement's audit immunity provision that said the U.S. government is “forever barred and precluded” from scrutinizing or prosecuting Trump, his sons and the Trump organization’s current and past tax examinations. Cornyn and Tillis are pressing Trump's administration to modify the agreement to make clear that it covers only existing audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.

Tillis characterized the president’s position as “win a battle, lose a war.”

“It makes no sense to me,” Tillis told reporters Thursday. “This is not popular. The president’s not winning on this issue. It is killing some of our candidates because they can’t explain it. And now, it looks like they weren’t being honest when they said it was inoperative.”

While the majority of Republican senators oppose the settlement, the main pushback to Blanche has come from Cornyn, who lost his seat earlier this year when Trump opposed him in a GOP primary. Trump has also frequently targeted Tillis, who announced last year that he would not run for re-election and has criticized the administration over the pardons of Jan. 6 rioters and other matters.

Through it would be politically embarrassing for the Trump administration, pulling Blanche’s nomination would likely have little practical impact on the management of the Justice Department.

Blanche can still lead the department as either acting attorney general or deputy attorney general, the No. 2 post he was confirmed to last year. The deputy attorney general, who runs the day-to-day operations of the law enforcement agency, is able to perform the duties of the attorney general if that post is vacant.

“I don’t know whether they think they can wait us out or we’ll cave, but I assure you we won’t,” Cornyn said Thursday of the Trump administration.

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Associated Press reporter Kevin Freking in Washington contributed to this report.

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Jinx, who recently recovered from a bad cold, is described as an affectionate and adventurous kitten who loves to climb, play and cuddle.

“She’s the most outgoing kitty cat,” Humane Society of Broward County spokesperson Cherie Wachter said. “When I opened her kennel door, she got out, crawled up on my shoulder and was sitting there.”

Wachter said Jinx has an easygoing personality and even remained calm during the ride to the TV studio, making her stand out from many other kittens.

The shelter is also caring for a large number of dogs, particularly those weighing 40 pounds or more. One of them, Angel, is a 6-year-old bully breed mix who is house-trained and gets along with children, cats and other dogs.

The Humane Society of Broward County encourages anyone considering adding a pet to their family to visit the shelter and meet the animals currently available for adoption.

Click here for more information on how to adopt a pet.

Jinx, que recientemente se recuperó de un fuerte resfriado, es descrita como una gatita cariñosa y aventurera que disfruta trepar, jugar y acurrucarse.

“Es la gatita más extrovertida”, dijo Cherie Wachter, portavoz de la Sociedad Protectora de Animales del condado Broward. “Cuando abrí la puerta de su jaula, salió, se subió a mi hombro y se quedó sentada allí”.

Wachter dijo que Jinx tiene una personalidad tranquila e incluso permaneció calmada durante el trayecto al estudio de televisión, lo que la hace destacar entre muchos otros gatitos.

El refugio también está cuidando a una gran cantidad de perros, especialmente aquellos que pesan 40 libras o más. Uno de ellos, Angel, es un perro mestizo de seis años de raza bully que está entrenado para hacer sus necesidades fuera de la casa y se lleva bien con niños, gatos y otros perros.

La Sociedad Protectora de Animales del condado Broward invita a cualquier persona que esté considerando incorporar una mascota a su familia a visitar el refugio y conocer a los animales que actualmente están disponibles para adopción.

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

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Florida, Power & Light announced in a news release that Ashley Vargas-Fonseca was selected as a recipient for FPL’s first ever Drones in School Scholarship.

The $5,000 scholarship recognizes her academic achievements and passion for drone technology. Ashley, a recent graduate at George T. Baker Aviation Technical School, completed multiple robotics competitions that boosted her team to first place at the Florida Drones in School State Championship and Drones in School National Championship.

This fall, Ashley will attend Santa Fe College in Gainesville, where she plans to major in electrical engineering.

“I’m having trouble with my tuition, as of now, but knowing that I have this scholarship in my hand will definitely be a weight off my shoulder,” Ashley said.

This scholarship is a part of FPL’s commitment to prepare and support STEAM education and prepare for the next generation of innovators.

Florida Power & Light (FPL) anunció en un comunicado de prensa que Ashley Vargas-Fonseca fue seleccionada como la primera beneficiaria de la beca Drones in School de FPL.

La beca de $5,000 USD reconoce sus logros académicos y su pasión por la tecnología de drones. Ashley, recién graduada de George T. Baker Aviation Technical School, participó en múltiples competencias de robótica que llevaron a su equipo a obtener el primer lugar en el Campeonato Estatal de Florida de Drones in School y en el Campeonato Nacional de Drones in School.

Este otoño, Ashley asistirá a Santa Fe College en Gainesville, donde planea especializarse en ingeniería eléctrica.

“En este momento tengo dificultades para pagar mi matrícula, pero saber que tengo esta beca definitivamente me quitará un gran peso de encima”, dijo Ashley.

Esta beca forma parte del compromiso de FPL de impulsar la educación STEAM y preparar a la próxima generación de innovadores.

The 49-year-old Green discussed his diagnosis this week on Tyler Dunne’s “Go Long” podcast.

“I know unfortunately there’s a day we eventually, where our clock stops ticking,” Green said. “The way I look at it, my clock is going to stop ticking when I want it to stop ticking.”

Green said it’s similar to the approach he took while running the ball during a 12-year NFL career in which he rushed for 9,205 yards and 60 touchdowns. His last season was 2009.

Green said his symptoms began when his feet started twitching in his sleep.

“I knew something was going on long before that,” he said.

Parkinson’s is a neurologic disease that robs people of control over their movements. It typically starts with tremors and is characterized by slow movement, a shuffling gait, stiff limbs, balance problems and slurred speech.

Green said he sometimes sleepwalks and has no recollection of it afterward. He called his short-term memory “trash,” but said his long-term memory is better.

He expressed optimism about his long-term outlook while pointing out he exercises regularly and has a “super clean” diet.

Green rushed for at least 1,163 yards each season from 2000-04 while playing for the Packers. He earned four straight Pro Bowl appearances from 2001-04.

He rushed for 8,322 yards as a Packers player, the highest total in the franchise’s storied history. He set a Packers single-season record by rushing for 1,883 yards in 2003.

Green’s NFL career began with the Seattle Seahawks, who selected him out of Nebraska in the third round of the 1998 draft. He spent two seasons with Seattle before getting traded to Green Bay in April 2000.

He played for the Packers from 2000-06, spent 2007-08 with the Houston Texans and returned to Green Bay for one last season.

Green’s announcement comes two years after former Packers teammate Brett Favre disclosed that he has Parkinson’s disease. Green said he spoke with Favre a couple of weeks ago to catch up but added that he planned to call the Hall of Fame quarterback to let him know “he has a brother right behind him.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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According to the Miami Police Department, officers responded to the Bay of Pigs Monument, located at 806 SW 13th Ave. in the city’s Little Havana neighborhood, on Wednesday after a city parks employee was alerted to the monument being damaged.

The monument, which has been in place since 1971, is owned by the city.

Investigators said that after reviewing surveillance footage, they found that the vandalization occurred on Sunday night when a man was seen breaking the monument.

That man has since been identified as Jean Carlo Rojas.

Police said the impacted part of the monument, which was described as “the gray missile,” suffered damages that would cost $1,000 to repair.

As officers were retrieving the surveillance footage, they realized the suspect was still in the area, standing on the sidewalk near the monument, and quickly took him into custody.

Official documents identify Rojas as a construction worker who is currently homeless.

He is facing a felony charge of criminal mischief on a memorial or historic property.

According to jail records, Rojas was already out on felony bond for a separate case in which he was charged with battery on a police officer, firefighter or corrections officer and resisting an officer without violence.

As of Thursday morning, he was being held behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center with bond listed as “to be set.”

Según el Departamento de Policía de Miami, los agentes respondieron el miércoles al Monumento de Bahía de Cochinos, ubicado en 806 SW 13th Ave., en el vecindario de Little Havana, luego de que un empleado de parques de la ciudad fuera alertado sobre daños en el monumento.

El monumento, que se encuentra en ese lugar desde 1971, es propiedad de la ciudad.

Los investigadores informaron que, tras revisar los videos de vigilancia, determinaron que el acto de vandalismo ocurrió la noche del domingo, cuando un hombre fue captado dañando el monumento.

Ese hombre fue identificado como Jean Carlo Rojas.

La Policía indicó que la parte afectada del monumento, descrita como “el misil gris”, sufrió daños cuya reparación costaría $1,000 USD.

Mientras los agentes recopilaban los videos de vigilancia, se dieron cuenta de que el sospechoso aún se encontraba en el área, de pie en la acera cerca del monumento, por lo que fue arrestado de inmediato.

Los documentos oficiales identifican a Rojas como trabajador de la construcción y actualmente sin hogar.

Enfrenta un cargo grave de daños criminales contra un monumento conmemorativo o propiedad histórica.

Según los registros de la cárcel, Rojas ya se encontraba en libertad bajo fianza por otro caso en el que fue acusado de agresión contra un oficial de Policía, un bombero o un oficial correccional, y de resistirse a un agente sin violencia.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, con la fianza pendiente de ser fijada.

Gilbert police had recommended negligence charges. But Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt was unlikely.

“The family had multiple childproof locks and safety measures in place, and multiple adults were present in the home, all of whom believed someone was watching the child,” Mitchell said Wednesday. “Additionally, the investigation found no evidence that the parents exhibited any obvious signs of impairment.”

First responders were dispatched to the home on Feb. 8 in response to a reported drowning. They performed life-saving measures on the 18-month-old child before taking him to a hospital where the boy was pronounced dead about an hour later.

But about five hours later, police were notified that the child was breathing, and he was flown to another hospital. The boy survived.

Earlier this month, Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where the child was initially taken, called it “a heartbreaking situation” but declined to release further details.

The hospital said it conducted a "thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care.”

Gilbert police officers who were at the hospital said they saw possible signs of life multiple times, but the child was still taken to a “cold room,” which serves as a morgue, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

The records also indicated tension between officers and a doctor who reportedly told one, “Please do your thing and let me do my thing. I went to medical school for a reason.”

If confirmed by the full Senate, the 54-year-old would become the 22nd director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats. Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard.

Schwartz appeared to be on shaky ground after a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee this month. The chairman, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and others questioned whether she would be willing to stand up to Republican President Donald Trump's health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., if he ordered CDC to do something that was unsupported by science and good public health practice.

But when the committee met last week, Cassidy said he had spoken with Schwartz after that hearing and to others who knew her.

“I’m confident that she knows what she is doing and will stand against those who do not,” said Cassidy, whose support was necessary for the nomination to go forward.

The committee's near party-line vote Thursday moved Schwartz’s nomination ahead.

Among those who opposed her was Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent.

“The issue at hand is not complicated," Sanders said last week. "Will we have people in the Trump administration who have the guts to stand up to people who are anti-science and into conspiracy theories?”

The CDC has faced more than a year of unrest

The CDC has been in turmoil since Trump returned to office last year.

Largely due to layoffs and resignations, the agency has lost 3,000-plus employees, more than one-quarter of its workforce. Morale has plummeted as a succession of mostly temporary leaders have come and gone. The front office has been staffed by political appointees with little or no training in medicine or public health.

When Schwartz was nominated in April, public health experts were cautiously optimistic, citing her background. They also noted she was the choice of Trump and not Kennedy, a leading voice in the anti-vaccine movement before he was tapped to oversee the CDC and other federal health agencies.

Kennedy had promised not to change the nation’s vaccination schedule but later attempted a substantial rewrite of vaccine recommendations for kids. Some of those efforts were put on hold this year by a federal judge.

Kennedy’s actions have rankled Cassidy, a physician who initially expressed doubts about Kennedy as Trump's pick to be health secretary. Cassidy ultimately signed off on Kennedy after the nominee promised not to change the nation’s childhood vaccine recommendations.

Public health groups seek reassurance

At Schwartz’s hearing, Cassidy and some other senators asked her what she would do if Kennedy or other political appointees instructed the CDC to make changes that were not supported by science. Schwartz pledged to “never betray the science,” but she repeatedly declined to dissent from some of the actions Kennedy has taken.

The National Public Health Coalition, an organization of former and current CDC workers, was not reassured by her responses and said senators should require specific written commitments from Schwartz on scientific independence, evidence-based vaccine policy, conflicts of interest and other issues.

“The public needed to hear clear commitments about how she would protect CDC guidance from political pressure," the group said in a statement. “Too often, her stated commitments were incomplete, vague, or missing.”

At the hearing, Schwartz said she was unaware that CDC programs that worked to prevent smoking and promote vaccinations had been curtailed. She declined to commit to taking down a CDC website that suggests a link between childhood vaccines and autism. She said she had not seen it, though she agreed existing medical evidence has not found a link.

Last week, Cassidy said that “as a sign of good faith” officials at the Department of Health and Human Services had modified the page. But this week, it continued to argue that “vaccines do not cause autism” is not an evidence-based claim, despite numerous studies that have found no such link.

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, interpreted Schwartz's performance as someone trying to please different factions. He disagreed with how she answered several questions, but continued to support her nomination.

Schwartz is qualified, might be able to rebuild the CDC’s depleted command structure and could start to rebuild public trust in the agency by focusing on bipartisan concerns such as foodborne disease outbreaks, he said in a recent interview.

Dr. Daniel Jernigan, a former top CDC official who resigned in August, echoed that.

If Schwartz is not confirmed, “it will mean a continued rudderless journey for CDC," he said.

For Kennedy, "having to start over is probably what he wants — many more months with no one stopping him from pursuing the same anti-science and anti-vaccine efforts he has been pursuing,” Jernigan said.

The CDC has had several leaders under Trump

Schwartz was the third Trump nominee for the office in the past 18 months.

The first was a former Florida congressman, Dr. David Weldon. His Senate hearing in March 2025 was canceled an hour before it was to begin. Weldon said at the time that he had been told not enough senators were willing to vote for him.

The White House then moved on to Susan Monarez, who had been serving as the CDC’s acting director. Monarez was confirmed by the Senate, but she was ousted in less than a month. Trump administration officials said she was not aligned with the president's agenda so they terminated her.

Since then there have been a series of HHS officials as acting CDC director.

The committee also advanced a controversial health nominee

The CDC position is one of a number of leadership vacancies among federal health agencies, including surgeon general and commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.

Also unfilled is the job of assistant health secretary for preparedness and response. That official oversees preparations and response to public health emergencies and disasters and is involved in decisions about funding next-generation vaccines against pandemic flu or other infectious disease threats.

Trump wants Sean Kaufman in that post, and the Senate committee on Thursday approved the nomination by a party-line vote.

In LinkedIn postings, Kaufman has made comments cheered by vaccine skeptics, arguing against hepatitis B vaccinations for newborns and saying he served as an expert witness to advocate for people who refused the COVID-19 vaccine. He also supported a Trump administration decision last year to cancel projects to develop vaccines using mRNA technology.

“Mr. Kaufman has said some pretty stupid things and irresponsible things regarding immunization,” Cassidy said.

But Cassidy said he spoke to HHS officials and was assured that personnel changes are being made at the department to provide “better oversight to ensure that science, not ideology, is driving decision-making.”

Cassidy also said he has been assured that if Kaufman is confirmed, "he will not be involved in vaccine policy and nor will he be the ultimate decision-maker on certain issues.”

Sanders, who voted against Kaufman, said: “I think the American people are owed better than what President Trump has nominated.”

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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.

“I am saddened to hear that BTS has chosen not to participate in the Grammy Awards process this year, but as a music creator, I understand and respect their decision,” Mason jr. wrote on the Grammys' official Instagram page.

On Wednesday, all seven BTS members — RM, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V, Jung Kook and Jin — shared the same note on Instagram, stating that they would not be submitting their comeback album, “ARIRANG” or its songs for Grammys.

“We hope our music can be heard and loved for what it is, rather than being divided by region or language,” they wrote, just over a month after the Recording Academy announced five new Grammy categories, which include best Asian pop music performance.

According to the rulebook, the category recognizes releases across K-pop, J-pop, C-pop and beyond. But some fans viewed it as a racialized barrier for Asian performers.

In his statement, Mason jr. stated that the new category was created in order to celebrate more voices across the Asian music industry — not to separate those artists from other awards.

“I do want to clarify something that seems to be getting lost in the conversation. The Asian Pop category was created to celebrate the depth, diversity and extraordinary growth of pop artistry coming out of Asia,” he wrote. “More categories mean more artists' work is recognized. It's never to divide, but to expand who is recognized by our 15,000 Grammy voters.”

He added a reminder that submitting in a genre category — such as the new Asian pop award — does not exclude an artist from submitting to the general field categories like album, song and record of the year.

“Recognition in a genre category and recognition in the General Field are not mutually exclusive,” Mason jr. said. “An artist can absolutely pursue both.”

BTS has never won a Grammy, though they’ve been nominated for five: three times in the best pop duo/group performance category as well as album of the year (for their contributions to Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres”) and best music video for “Yet to Come.”

In fact, no K-pop act had ever won a Grammy before this year, when “Golden” from the Netflix animated film “KPop Demon Hunters” took home the trophy for best song for visual media. It capped a highly visible night for K-pop at the Grammys — an institution where the genre has long been undercelebrated despite its massive international following.

“We’re working through some things,” Belichick said before the morning’s first official practice. “We’re at a particular time of year now where there are certain things that are in play and certain things that aren’t in play that won’t happen until later in the calendar year at some other point.

“Again, we’re taking it day to day, and working through the things that are on the table now.”

The school announced Monday that Lombardi had been placed on leave but didn’t provide details as to the reason, noting that employees and athletes aren’t permitted to address the topic “as is standard procedure with personnel matters.” On Thursday morning, about 30 minutes before Belichick spoke to reporters, UNC released another statement that said its Office of University Counsel was conducting an investigation — an announcement coming just shy of a month from kickoff to Year 2 of the Belichick era in Chapel Hill.

Two people with knowledge of the situation said a human resources complaint from a former employee is involved with Lombardi’s leave. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the school isn’t commenting publicly about the specific reasons of the case.

According to university policy, the length of an administrative leave shouldn't exceed 30 days but can vary based on issues under review.

“We're going to let that process play out,” athletic director Steve Newmark said Thursday morning of the investigation while declining to discuss specific details. “It's paramount for us to do what's right to make sure it's a full and fair review, and that we don't do anything to compromise the integrity of the process.”

Speaking later after a regularly scheduled morning meeting of the UNC trustees, chancellor Lee Roberts said Thursday that the school learned of “some concerns” last week.

“If something has gone wrong, we want to know about it,” Roberts said. “If something needs to be fixed, we will be sure to fix it. There’s a standard of excellence here that all of us are entrusted with adhering to.”

Roberts added later: "It’s distressing to me and everyone else in the administration entrusted with leadership at this remarkable university that this is something that we have to have to spend time on.”

Belichick didn’t specify exactly how Lombardi’s duties have been divided among the staff, including referencing “a few adjustments” when asked about his own daily tasks.

At the college level, GMs across sports generally work what amounts to front-office roles dealing with roster construction and negotiations over player compensation, with the heaviest work coming in the offseason. In that sense, the football focus centers now more on the on-field work for a roster Lombardi helped put together ahead of the Aug. 29 opener against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.

UNC hired Belichick in December 2024, hoping the man who led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles could thrive as a first-time college coach.

Belichick immediately hired Lombardi, who was in attendance for Belichick's introductory news conference. Lombardi’s career as an NFL executive had included being the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2013. And he secured a three-year deal paying him $1.5 million in base salary through the 2027 season, making him the country's highest-paid GM, according to a USA Today salary database.

A few months into Belichick’s tenure, Lombardi said the goal was running a college program in a way similar to the NFL, saying the Tar Heels “consider ourselves the 33rd (NFL) team” because of the staff connections to the pros. That confident statement didn't align with the on-field results, with the Tar Heels having more more double-digit losses (five) than total wins (four) in Belichick's debut season.

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According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, the shooting was reported at about 10:12 p.m. near the 4000 block of Southwest 15th Street.

BSO spokeswoman Gerdy St. Louis said as deputies and Pompano Beach Fire Rescue medics were heading to the scene, they were advised that the victim’s parents had transported the boy to a nearby fire station.

Medics there provided aid to the victim before he was transported to a local hospital for treatment, authorities said.

As of Thursday morning, the boy was listed in critical condition.

The victim’s age has not yet been released.

St. Louis said detectives with BSO’s Crime Scene and Violent Crimes units are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

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“He has his Heisman trophies right here,” Byrd said. “So this is a young man that had a future and once that accident happened, everything went away.”

Demetrius Byrd, once a standout football player at Miami Central Senior High School who helped lead LSU to a national championship in 2005, is now in jail, accused of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Demetrius Byrd’s mother blames a head injury from a car crash, just before he was set to be drafted into the NFL, for triggering mental illness.

“Everybody is against him, everybody wants to hurt my son, in his mind,” Sharon Byrd said. “Everyone wants to hurt him.”

Demetrius Byrd, 40, appeared before a judge Tuesday to answer to the charge.

“He had a silver multi-tool in his right pocket,” the judge said.

Police said Demetrius Byrd was on a Miami-Dade Transit bus Monday in Miami Beach, causing a disruption near Abbott Avenue and Indian Creek Drive.

They said a male passenger tried to calm him down, but that only escalated the confrontation.

“He opened his multi-tool to a blade and asked the victim if he wanted to die and walked towards him with a blade in his hand,” the judge said.

The bus driver called police, which led to Demetrius Byrd’s arrest.

“My son don’t need jail, he needs help mentally,” Sharon Byrd said.

Despite her plea for help, Demetrius Byrd’s mother said she is not giving up on her son.

“There’s nothing vicious about him and anyone who knows him will tell you that. That’s not my son,” she said.

“I can’t wake them up — I can’t get them up!” he frantically told the officers who, along with firefighters and paramedics, gave jurors firsthand accounts on Thursday of the aftermath.

The murder trial has centered on Clancy’s mental state at the time. Her lawyers do not dispute that she strangled the children with exercise bands. But they say she was in the grip of postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth.

Prosecutors say Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, acted intentionally and is criminally responsible for the deaths in January 2023.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org

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The testimony came after jurors spent two days listening to testimony from Patrick Clancy and his anguished 911 call. He was still on the phone when he discovered the bodies of 3-year-old Dawson, 5-year-old Cora, and 8-month-old Callan, minutes after returning home from an errand his wife asked him to run.

Patrick Clancy has said in interviews that he forgives his ex-wife, whom he viewed as ill rather than evil. The trial marks the first time he has seen Lindsay Clancy since the killings.

She remains paralyzed from the waist down after using multiple methods to try to end her life that night. She says a voice told her, “This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself,” according to her lawyer.

Officers Stephen Hall and Brian Josephine testified Thursday that they were each dispatched separately to the house in Duxbury, a coastal town south of Boston. Hall said they arrived to find Patrick Clancy yelling for help from behind the home.

Patrick Clancy testified earlier this week that his injured wife told him the kids were in the basement, but she didn't say they were dead.

When the officers followed the sound of his screams downstairs, only 8-month-old Callan had a faint pulse, Josephine testified.

“Based on my training experience from previous incidents, I knew it wasn’t going to be good,” Josephine said. They began rendering aid with help from firefighters.

PJ Hussey, a fire department supervisor, arrived in time to glimpse through a basement window as Patrick Clancy unwrapped an exercise band from his child's neck.

“It turned very chaotic very quickly” as more ambulances rushed to the house, Hussey testified. Duxbury firefighter and paramedic Jennifer Stratton said the infant never regained a pulse.

If convicted of murder, Lindsay Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

In opening arguments Monday, her attorney said she had bipolar disorder, and that antidepressants prescribed after the birth of her third child worsened her condition.

Patrick Clancy testified about his wife’s deteriorating mental health in the months leading up to the killings. He said she told him about intrusive thoughts of harming the children, as well as thoughts of suicide.

She sought care from experts in postpartum mood disorders and was put on multiple psychiatric medications. When nothing worked, she checked into a psychiatric hospital. She killed the children 19 days after she was discharged.

Clancy and her ex-husband accuse her medical providers of failing to properly diagnose, treat and monitor her, according to lawsuits filed earlier this year.

“Aquí tiene sus trofeos Heisman”, dijo Byrd. “Este joven tenía un futuro prometedor, pero tras el accidente, todo se esfumó”.

Demetrius Byrd , quien fuera un destacado jugador de fútbol americano en la escuela secundaria Miami Central y ayudó a LSU a ganar un campeonato nacional en 2005, ahora está en la cárcel, acusado de agresión con agravantes con un arma mortal.

La madre de Demetrius Byrd atribuye la enfermedad mental a una lesión en la cabeza sufrida en un accidente automovilístico, justo antes de que su hijo fuera seleccionado en el draft de la NFL.

“Todos están en su contra, todos quieren hacerle daño a mi hijo, en su mente”, dijo Sharon Byrd. “Todos quieren hacerle daño”.

Demetrius Byrd, de 40 años, compareció ante un juez el martes para responder a la acusación.

“Tenía una multiherramienta plateada en el bolsillo derecho”, dijo el juez.

Según la policía, Demetrius Byrd viajaba el lunes en un autobús de Miami-Dade Transit en Miami Beach , provocando una interrupción del servicio cerca de la intersección de Abbott Avenue e Indian Creek Drive.

Según los informes, un pasajero intentó calmarlo, pero eso solo intensificó la confrontación.

“Abrió su multiherramienta en una hoja y le preguntó a la víctima si quería morir, y caminó hacia él con la hoja en la mano”, dijo el juez.

El conductor del autobús llamó a la policía, lo que condujo al arresto de Demetrius Byrd.

“Mi hijo no necesita ir a la cárcel, necesita ayuda psicológica”, dijo Sharon Byrd.

A pesar de su súplica de ayuda, la madre de Demetrius Byrd afirmó que no se dará por vencida con su hijo.

“No tiene nada de malo, y cualquiera que lo conozca te lo confirmará. Ese no es mi hijo”, dijo.

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Over the years, studies have shown data collected by hurricane hunters, which drop thousands of instruments each year into the core of hurricanes and surveil the structure of storms by way of 3-dimensional radar, help to improve track and intensity forecasts by an average of 10 to 20 percent.

For a four- to five-day forecast, that amounts to a reduction in track error of about 25 miles. With coastal evacuations costing about $1 million per mile, this improvement from hurricane hunters alone is estimated to save taxpayers about $25 million for each hurricane impact.

Now, in new research published earlier this month, NOAA scientists for the first time evaluated the forecast improvements from hurricane hunter data after landfall, including for predictions of catastrophic flooding.

Researchers analyzed 10 high-profile hurricanes from 2017 to 2020 — including Hurricanes Harvey (2017) and Florence (2018) which brought catastrophic and deadly inland flooding to parts of Texas and the Carolinas respectively — and found significant improvements in post-landfall rainfall forecasts from data collected by hurricane hunters before landfall when each storm was still over open water.

The research team credited improvements in the inland track forecast from data collected by hurricane hunters in ultimately improving the rainfall forecasts for the storms included.

This is consistent with preliminary results from other studies that have examined the improvements to rainfall forecasts from aircraft reconnaissance during Atmospheric River events over the U.S. West Coast and Canada.

Bipartisan support for expanding the hurricane hunter fleet

The new research from NOAA shows just how valuable data from hurricane hunters are for forecasting potentially deadly hazards before and after landfall, and Congress is taking note.

In June, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill that would authorize $2.5 billion to expand the aging fleet of NOAA hurricane hunter airplanes — 50 years old this season — from 3 now to a minimum of 6 and up to a maximum of 9 crewed aircraft, plus $45 million each year for routine operations and maintenance of the upgraded fleet.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic Senator Maria Cantwell who introduced the bill both cited the need for critical data to improve forecasts and support earlier warnings in statements issued last month.

The push to expand hurricane hunters comes a year after the Trump administration proposed eliminating the scientific office of NOAA that supports the life-saving work of its hurricane hunter missions, including crucial data collection and ensuring hurricane hunter data is included in NOAA’s state-of-the-art hurricane models.

At the time the administration proposed a significant reduction in flight hours for hurricane hunter aircraft for this hurricane season — a 52% and 33% reduction from flight hours in 2023 and 2024, respectively – largely due to the elimination of its research laboratories and related goals.

Despite the request last summer from the administration to severely cut or wholly eliminate budgets for hurricane forecasting, bipartisan Congressional committees have continued to both reject and rectify NOAA’s budget during its appropriations process, providing full funding (and then some) for NOAA’s weather enterprise, including its research laboratories and cooperative institutes critical to hurricane forecasting.

No Atlantic candidates on the horizon

As we covered in Wednesday’s newsletter, the Atlantic will be dealing with historically high wind shear for at least the next week or two, which should keep things quiet to open August.

Some of the AI models — including the European AI ensemble and Google’s DeepMind ensemble — are picking up on a disturbance over the far eastern Atlantic (between Africa and the Caribbean) as we approach the middle part of the month.

For now, the signal is very weak (less than 10%), but a low signal this far out (10+ days) is worth checking back on in the weeks ahead.

For now, it’s nothing we need to worry about.

Con el paso de los años, diversos estudios han demostrado que los datos recopilados por los cazadores de huracanes, que cada año lanzan miles de instrumentos al núcleo de los huracanes y vigilan la estructura de las tormentas mediante radar tridimensional, ayudan a mejorar las previsiones de trayectoria e intensidad en un promedio del 10 al 20 por ciento.

Para un pronóstico de cuatro a cinco días, esto representa una reducción en el margen de error de trayectoria de aproximadamente 25 millas. Dado que las evacuaciones costeras cuestan alrededor de un millón de dólares por milla, se estima que esta mejora, solo gracias a los cazadores de huracanes, ahorrará a los contribuyentes unos 25 millones de dólares por cada impacto de huracán.

Ahora, en una nueva investigación publicada a principios de este mes , los científicos de la NOAA evaluaron por primera vez las mejoras en los pronósticos a partir de los datos de los cazadores de huracanes después de que estos tocaran tierra, incluidas las predicciones de inundaciones catastróficas.

Los investigadores analizaron 10 huracanes de gran repercusión ocurridos entre 2017 y 2020, incluidos los huracanes Harvey (2017) y Florence (2018), que provocaron inundaciones catastróficas y mortales en el interior de partes de Texas y las Carolinas, respectivamente, y encontraron mejoras significativas en los pronósticos de lluvia posteriores al impacto a partir de los datos recopilados por los cazadores de huracanes antes de que cada tormenta tocara tierra, cuando aún se encontraba sobre aguas abiertas.

El equipo de investigación atribuyó la mejora en los pronósticos de precipitaciones para las tormentas incluidas a las mejoras en la trayectoria tierra adentro pronosticadas a partir de los datos recopilados por los cazadores de huracanes.

Esto coincide con los resultados preliminares de otros estudios que han examinado las mejoras en los pronósticos de lluvia gracias al reconocimiento aéreo durante los fenómenos de ríos atmosféricos en la costa oeste de Estados Unidos y Canadá.

Apoyo bipartidista para ampliar la flota de cazahuracanes.

La nueva investigación de la NOAA demuestra lo valiosos que son los datos de los cazadores de huracanes para pronosticar peligros potencialmente mortales antes y después de que el huracán toque tierra, y el Congreso está tomando nota.

En junio, un grupo bipartidista de senadores presentó un proyecto de ley que autorizaría 2.500 millones de dólares para ampliar la envejecida flota de aviones cazahuracanes de la NOAA —que esta temporada cumple 50 años— de los 3 actuales a un mínimo de 6 y hasta un máximo de 9 aeronaves tripuladas, además de 45 millones de dólares anuales para las operaciones y el mantenimiento rutinarios de la flota modernizada.

El senador republicano Ted Cruz y la senadora demócrata Maria Cantwell, quienes presentaron el proyecto de ley, citaron la necesidad de datos cruciales para mejorar los pronósticos y respaldar las advertencias anticipadas en declaraciones emitidas el mes pasado.

El impulso para ampliar los programas de caza de huracanes se produce un año después de que la administración Trump propusiera eliminar la oficina científica de la NOAA que apoya la labor vital de sus misiones de caza de huracanes, incluida la recopilación de datos cruciales y la garantía de que los datos de los cazadores de huracanes se incluyan en los modelos de huracanes de última generación de la NOAA.

En aquel momento, la administración propuso una reducción significativa de las horas de vuelo de los aviones cazahuracanes para esta temporada de huracanes —una reducción del 52 % y del 33 % con respecto a las horas de vuelo de 2023 y 2024, respectivamente— debido en gran parte a la eliminación de sus laboratorios de investigación y los objetivos relacionados.

A pesar de la solicitud del gobierno el verano pasado de recortar drásticamente o eliminar por completo los presupuestos para la predicción de huracanes, los comités bipartidistas del Congreso han seguido rechazando y rectificando el presupuesto de la NOAA durante su proceso de asignación de fondos, proporcionando financiación completa (e incluso más) para la actividad meteorológica de la NOAA, incluidos sus laboratorios de investigación e institutos cooperativos fundamentales para la predicción de huracanes.

No hay candidatos atlánticos en el horizonte

Como ya informamos en el boletín del miércoles , el Atlántico se enfrentará a una cizalladura del viento históricamente alta durante al menos la próxima semana o dos, lo que debería mantener la calma hasta la apertura de agosto.

Algunos modelos de IA, incluidos el conjunto de IA europeo y el conjunto DeepMind de Google, están detectando una perturbación en el extremo oriental del Atlántico (entre África y el Caribe) a medida que nos acercamos a mediados de mes.

Por ahora, la señal es muy débil (menos del 10%), pero una señal débil con tanta antelación (más de 10 días) hace que valga la pena volver a comprobarla en las próximas semanas.

El primer ministro de Cuba, Manuel Marrero, anunció esta semana que Cuba está creando su primer banco privado bajo el Banco Central de Cuba, que es administrado por el gobierno cubano y cuyo presidente forma parte del Consejo de Ministros del gobierno.

¿Por qué querría un inversionista extranjero invertir en un sistema así, sin protección para su dinero?

Actualización del 29 de julio: Cinco destacados economistas en Cuba publican informe titulado “Una propuesta para transformar la economía cubana”

Cinco destacados economistas en Cuba acaban de publicar un informe titulado “Una propuesta para transformar la economía cubana”. El documento presenta un diagnóstico estructural de la actual crisis económica que enfrenta el país y propone, como objetivo estratégico, la creación de una economía social de mercado sustentada por un Estado democrático regido por el Estado de derecho.

Aunque el informe es positivo, el problema que observo es la creación de un Estado democrático. Debemos recordar que Cuba no tenía una democracia antes del inicio de la Revolución Cubana en 1959. La transición de un Estado totalitario que ha tenido una economía centralizada durante casi 68 años podría tomar tiempo. Un tiempo que Cuba y su población no tienen debido a la actual crisis económica.

Actualización del 27 de julio: 73 años del inicio de la Revolución Cubana

Ayer se conmemoró el 73 aniversario desde que Fidel Castro, Raúl Castro y su grupo de rebeldes atacaron el Cuartel Moncada en Santiago de Cuba. El 26 de julio de 1953 es considerado el inicio de la Revolución Cubana.

Al igual que en el poema de Robert Frost, “El camino no tomado”, la Revolución Cubana tomó un rumbo que destruyó al país y “nunca miró atrás”. Hoy, Cuba se encuentra al final de lo que Fidel llamó sus días de gloria.

Actualización del 24 de julio: La Administración Trump anuncia una serie de nuevas sanciones contra Cuba

El jueves, la Administración Trump anunció una serie de nuevas sanciones contra Cuba dirigidas al conglomerado militar del gobierno, GAESA. Sin embargo, esta vez también incluye a empresas como Coral S.A., que asumieron operaciones de algunos sectores de GAESA para evitar las sanciones de Estados Unidos y mantener en funcionamiento las operaciones de importación en Cuba.

La pregunta que muchos académicos que seguimos a Cuba nos hacemos es si la estrategia de Estados Unidos en adelante es obligar a Cuba a vender eventualmente algunos de los activos de GAESA a Estados Unidos.

Actualización del 23 de julio: Estados Unidos continúa enviando señales contradictorias sobre lo que hará con Cuba

El pasado lunes, el Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos emitió un informe de 100 páginas titulado “Cuba: La capital del comunismo del siglo XXI”, en el que expone por qué Cuba representa una amenaza para la seguridad nacional no solo de Estados Unidos, sino del mundo entero. El gobierno cubano reaccionó de inmediato y no solo criticó el informe, sino que acusó al secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, de amenazar a la isla.

El miércoles, durante una conferencia de prensa en Filipinas, Rubio, al ser consultado por un periodista sobre cuál era el plan de Estados Unidos para Cuba, utilizó un tono mucho más diplomático y dijo que Estados Unidos sigue dispuesto a negociar con Cuba.

Washington continúa enviando señales contradictorias sobre lo que hará con Cuba. Lo que sí sabemos es que la estrategia utilizada en Venezuela no produjo un cambio de régimen.

Actualización del 21 de julio: Llegará a Cuba la primera ayuda humanitaria desde Estados Unidos

Hoy llegará a Cuba la primera ayuda humanitaria como parte del ofrecimiento del secretario de Estado, Marco Rubio, para ayudar al pueblo cubano mientras enfrenta la peor situación económica desde principios de la década de 1990. El cargamento de hoy incluye 700 kits de higiene y 700 paquetes de alimentos que serán distribuidos directamente al pueblo cubano por Catholic Relief Services Caritas Cuba y otras organizaciones religiosas.

El secretario Rubio quiere dejar claro al pueblo cubano que Estados Unidos lo respalda y está dispuesto a seguir ayudándolo como parte del compromiso de $100 millones USD en ayuda humanitaria.

Actualización del 20 de julio: Cuba libera al artista Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara

El pasado sábado, Cuba liberó al artista y líder opositor Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara tras cumplir cinco años en prisión. Otero Alcántara fue uno de los líderes del Movimiento San Isidro, que impulsó grandes protestas en toda la isla hace cinco años.

Al llegar a Miami, Otero Alcántara agradeció a la comunidad cubanoamericana por su apoyo y pidió a Cuba liberar a todos los presos políticos.

Actualización del 16 de julio: Departamento de Defensa de Estados Unidos paga $3 millones USD a personal afectado por el Síndrome de La Habana

El Departamento de Defensa de Estados Unidos ha pagado $3 millones USD en compensación al personal estadounidense afectado por la misteriosa condición conocida como Síndrome de La Habana, realizando el primer pago bajo la Ley de La Habana de 2021.

El Síndrome de La Habana apareció por primera vez en 2016, cuando diplomáticos y oficiales de inteligencia estadounidenses en La Habana, Cuba, reportaron síntomas inusuales, entre ellos intensa presión en la cabeza, mareos, náuseas, alteraciones auditivas y problemas de memoria.

Actualización del 14 de julio: Nuevas sanciones de Estados Unidos aumentan la presión sobre la economía controlada por los militares en Cuba

El lunes, Estados Unidos impuso nuevas sanciones dirigidas a empresas controladas por GAESA, el conglomerado económico militar de Cuba, así como a algunas de las brigadas militares responsables de reprimir protestas como las que vimos recientemente.

¿Cuánto tiempo más podrá resistir el gobierno cubano? Continúa llegando información a funcionarios estadounidenses que indica que hay sectores dentro del gobierno cubano cada vez más preocupados por cuánto tiempo más podrán sobrevivir sin negociar con el gobierno de Estados Unidos antes de enfrentar un colapso total de su sistema.

Actualización del 10 de julio: ¿Tiene el nieto de Raúl Castro plena autoridad para negociar por el gobierno cubano?

Como esperaba, parece haber una pequeña grieta dentro del círculo más cercano del gobierno cubano. Algunos han criticado a Raulito, el nieto de Raúl Castro, por ofrecer negociar directamente con el presidente Trump. La crítica se centra en si realmente tiene plena autoridad para negociar en nombre del gobierno cubano o si solo negocia en representación de la familia Castro.

Ayer, el Partido Comunista de Cuba (PCC) respaldó los esfuerzos de Raulito, pero la cúpula militar ha permanecido en silencio.

Actualización del 8 de julio: Las Naciones Unidas no tienen derecho legal para levantar el embargo de Estados Unidos a Cuba

Cada año, Cuba argumenta ante las Naciones Unidas que el embargo económico de Estados Unidos es la causa de sus problemas económicos. Cada año, Cuba pierde más apoyo para ese argumento. Las Naciones Unidas no tienen un derecho legítimo ni legal para levantar el embargo. Solo el Congreso de Estados Unidos puede hacerlo.

La maquinaria de propaganda del gobierno cubano ha fracasado. La mayoría de los cubanos en la isla, incluidos economistas cubanos, responsabilizan al gobierno cubano por las actuales malas condiciones económicas.

Actualización del 6 de julio: Nieto de Raúl Castro dice que Cuba está dispuesta a negociar con Estados Unidos

Reuters informó esta mañana que Raulito, nieto de Raúl Castro y conocido como “El Cangrejo”, anunció que Cuba está dispuesta a negociar con Estados Unidos. La pregunta que debemos hacernos es si Raulito negocia en nombre de la familia Castro o del gobierno cubano.

Sabemos que Cuba ha estado vendiendo algunos de sus activos, incluidos algunos pertenecientes al conglomerado económico militar GAESA, durante las últimas semanas. El intento de Cuba por atraer inversión extranjera no ha despertado mucho interés debido al temor de perder el dinero invertido.

Actualización del 2 de julio: La cultura del miedo en Cuba complica una transición democrática

Cuando hablamos de Cuba, normalmente nos concentramos en su sistema político y económico centralizado. Sin embargo, no reconocemos que las personas que han vivido bajo regímenes totalitarios han tenido que sobrevivir dentro de una cultura del miedo. Ese sistema de gobierno crea un conjunto psicológico de actitudes y valores que ayudan a definir el comportamiento diario para alinear los deseos y necesidades de la población con las restricciones impuestas por el gobierno.

Romper esos comportamientos podría requerir años de preparación y cambio psicológico. Por lo tanto, la transición de un Estado totalitario hacia alguna forma de gobierno democrático podría tomar tiempo.

Las actualizaciones de junio del Dr. Andy S. Gomez pueden consultarse haciendo clic aquí.

El Dr. Andy S. Gomez es el analista de Cuba de Local 10. Gomez es considerado uno de los principales expertos sobre Cuba. Trabajó en educación superior durante 32 años antes de retirarse de la Universidad de Miami en 2012.

Wilkinson Sejour, dueño de Chef Creole, dijo que recientemente perdió a cuatro empleados.

“Les dije: “Miren, lo extendieron por tres días más”. Ellos me respondieron: “Jefe, por la forma en que esta administración está manejando las cosas, no les importa el estado de derecho. Solo les importa su agenda. No voy a pasar vergüenza. No voy a parecer un criminal frente a la gente”, así que se fueron. Ya no están aquí”, dijo Sejour.

Sejour, quien es haitiano-estadounidense, dijo que comprende a los beneficiarios haitianos del TPS que llegaron a Estados Unidos en busca de mejores oportunidades mientras Haití continúa enfrentando la delincuencia y la inestabilidad.

“¿Cómo pueden enviar de regreso a alguien a un país al que la embajada de Estados Unidos está diciendo: “No vayan allí”? Esto es muy contradictorio. No lo entiendo”, dijo Sejour.

Sejour es propietario de siete restaurantes Chef Creole en Miami. Dijo que ahora está buscando contratar más trabajadores para reemplazar a los empleados que perdió recientemente.

“Mi costo laboral debería ser del 23.5%, y ahora va a subir al 27% o quizás al 28%”, dijo Sejour. “Así que mi ganancia neta será menor. ¿Cómo voy a compensar eso? Tendré que aumentar los precios de mis productos. Todos lo van a sentir”.

La Policía confirmó que el martes se presentó un informe después de que el bulldog francés fue encontrado muerto en una vivienda ubicada en la cuadra 6600 de Atlanta Street.

Los dueños del bulldog francés, llamado Prince, dijeron que estaba al cuidado de una cuidadora de mascotas contratada a través de Rover.com cuando fue dejado en una jaula al aire libre bajo el calor del verano. Aseguraron que Prince gozaba de buena salud antes de su muerte.

La Policía de Hollywood confirmó el miércoles que los agentes se encuentran en la vivienda investigando qué provocó la muerte del perro y que también trabajan junto con el Departamento de Control Animal de la Ciudad de Hollywood.

“Entendemos la preocupación de los miembros de la comunidad y estamos trabajando para reunir la mayor cantidad de información posible para determinar exactamente lo que ocurrió”, publicó el Departamento de Policía de Hollywood (HPD) en redes sociales. “Seguimos comprometidos con esta investigación y proporcionaremos actualizaciones tan pronto como la información esté disponible”.

Rover también emitió un comunicado a Local 10 News sobre la muerte de Prince.

“La mayoría de nosotros en Rover también somos dueños de mascotas y solo podemos imaginar el dolor y el estrés que está viviendo la familia de Prince”, señala el comunicado. “Al enterarnos de este incidente, nuestro equipo de Confianza y Seguridad, disponible las 24 horas, inició una investigación exhaustiva. La cuenta de la cuidadora involucrada fue desactivada sin opción de apelar, lo que significa que no podrá comunicarse ni aceptar nuevas reservas con dueños de mascotas a través de Rover. También reembolsamos la estadía de la señora Ackeret y ofrecimos cubrir todos los gastos veterinarios y de cuidados posteriores que sean elegibles a través de la Garantía Rover.

“Los incidentes relacionados con la seguridad en nuestra plataforma son extremadamente poco frecuentes. Los dueños de mascotas han reservado más de medio millón de estadías en el área de Miami y más del 98% de las estadías evaluadas recibieron cinco estrellas. La muerte de Prince es realmente desgarradora y la estamos manejando con la seriedad que merece”.

We will not have much relief from rain with only a 20% chance of a stray shower or two, mainly in Broward County. Most of us will be completely dry.

Moisture starts moving back into the area Friday afternoon with spotty showers and thunderstorms developing. This will certainly be the case over the weekend, but still with plenty of dry time.

Some storms could produce frequent lightning, gusty winds, and very heavy rainfall. This rainy season pattern will last well into next week.

Leer en español

The fire is burning about 6 miles north of Interstate 75 and about 20 miles west of U.S. 27.

Video taken from Sky 10 early Thursday morning shows a line of flames coming from the area.

The fire is 20% contained.

The Holey Fire puts the statewide total to 2,908 wildfires this year, making it the worst fire season statewide since 1998 when over 500,000 acres burned.

So far, we’ve seen around 250,000 acres burned across Florida, which is the size of some large U.S. cities. Most of the fires have been sparked by what is called “dry lightning,” which is lightning from a storm that produces very little rainfall.

Other causes are manmade, however, so we need to be careful with starting sparks and any outdoor burning at places like parks and campgrounds.

Even parking your car on the street instead of on the grass could prevent a fire from starting.

It’s unusual to see such an extended fire season, but well below rainfall this rainy season has allowed fire dangers to continue.

We’re over 10 inches of rain below normal for the calendar year and we’re not making up ground so far this wet season.

We still have about 10 weeks left in our statistically rainiest part of the year, so hopefully we’ll make up some of these deficits.

Until then, expect even more fires anywhere statewide as this hot and drier than normal summer rolls on!

El incendio arde a unas seis millas al norte de la Interestatal 75 y a unas 20 millas al oeste de la U.S. 27.

Un video captado por Sky 10 la madrugada del jueves muestra una línea de llamas proveniente del área.

El incendio está contenido en un 20%.

El Holey Fire eleva el total estatal a 2,908 incendios forestales este año, lo que convierte esta temporada en la peor de Florida desde 1998, cuando se quemaron más de 500,000 acres.

Hasta ahora, alrededor de 250,000 acres se han quemado en toda Florida, una superficie comparable al tamaño de algunas grandes ciudades de Estados Unidos. La mayoría de los incendios han sido provocados por lo que se conoce como “rayos secos”, descargas eléctricas de tormentas que producen muy poca lluvia.

Sin embargo, otras causas son de origen humano, por lo que es importante tener cuidado con cualquier chispa y con las quemas al aire libre en lugares como parques y campamentos.

Incluso estacionar su vehículo sobre el pavimento en lugar de hacerlo sobre el césped puede ayudar a prevenir que se inicie un incendio.

Es inusual ver una temporada de incendios tan prolongada, pero las lluvias muy por debajo de lo normal durante esta temporada lluviosa han permitido que el riesgo de incendios continúe.

En lo que va del año calendario, el déficit de lluvia supera las 10 pulgadas y, hasta ahora, no se ha recuperado durante esta temporada de lluvias.

Aún quedan unas 10 semanas de la época estadísticamente más lluviosa del año, por lo que se espera recuperar parte de ese déficit.

Hasta entonces, se prevé que continúen registrándose más incendios en cualquier parte del estado mientras persistan este verano caluroso y más seco de lo normal.

Según la Oficina del Sheriff de Broward (BSO), la balacera fue reportada alrededor de las 10:12 p.m. cerca de la cuadra 4000 de Southwest 15th Street.

La portavoz de la BSO, Gerdy St. Louis, informó que mientras los agentes y los paramédicos de Pompano Beach Fire Rescue se dirigían al lugar, les notificaron que los padres de la víctima la habían trasladado a una estación de bomberos cercana.

Los paramédicos en el lugar brindaron asistencia a la víctima antes de que fuera trasladada a un hospital local para recibir tratamiento, informaron las autoridades.

La edad y el estado de la víctima aún no han sido divulgados.

St. Louis indicó que detectives de las unidades de Escena del Crimen y Delitos Violentos de la BSO investigan las circunstancias que rodean la balacera.

The Hollywood star behind the “Ocean’s Eleven” franchise and other films made the statement in a letter to Didier Bremond, the mayor of the town of Brignoles, some 90 kilometers (55 miles) east of Marseille, publicist Guido Gotz told The Associated Press in an email.

Addressed “Dear Didier,” the letter said Clooney and his wife Amal, a human rights lawyer, had “no idea whether our beautiful home makes it through this terrible moment." But as they evacuate Brignoles they wanted to assure Bremond that, whatever happens to the community, “we’ll be part of making it whole,” the letter said.

The fire near Brignoles broke out Wednesday afternoon and burned some 100 hectares (250 acres), local officials said. The blaze was far smaller than a vast inferno that has swept up the region around Bordeaux in southwestern France in recent days.

About 700 residents were evacuated and were allowed to return to their homes on Thursday after the fire was brought under control, they added.

Water-bombing helicopters remained deployed over the area after the evacuation order was lifted, the regional administration said. It said weather conditions remained unfavorable, with high temperatures and winds expected to pick up again in the afternoon.

The French government in December announced that the Clooneys along with their twins Ella and Alexander were awarded French citizenship.

The couple purchased their estate in France in 2021, and have been living there with their children. In an interview with Esquire last October, Clooney described their “farm in France” as their primary residence.

“UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the European soccer body said after an urgent online meeting of its 55 member nations.

The next scheduled FIFA tournament is within weeks in Europe — the Women’s Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland from Sept. 5 — and the four British federations comprise FIFA's only bidder to host the 2035 Women's World Cup. That decision is due Nov. 23.

“Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA said in a statement. “The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”

The strategy meeting was called to counter FIFA President Infantino’s offer of $20 million to each of FIFA's 211 global members that has to be accepted by mid-September.

Infantino’s secret project was revealed Tuesday to spin off its commercial operations in a new $20 billion subsidiary called FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) 20% owned by private investors. The core investor would be a New York investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Infantino wrote Tuesday to the 211 members — already the effective owners of FIFA as a non-profit association under Swiss law — that if they approve FFE their promised $10 million basic funding for the next four years will double to $20 million. He projected their FIFA funding through 2038 would be $86 million each, instead of about $36 million.

“This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football,” said UEFA, where Infantino was a long-time staffer and its CEO-like general secretary when he was first elected to lead FIFA in 2016.

Infantino's presidency at risk?

Infantino’s high-stakes financial gambit now could threaten his previously secure 11-year presidency of FIFA as anger and frustration with him rises among soccer stakeholders including three of the six continental bodies.

FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for potential candidates to declare in a presidential vote of the 211 members scheduled next March in Rabat, Morocco.

Infantino had seemed — 11 days ago after the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey — to have a clear path to being re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term in office through 2031, despite a furor over letting United States forward Folarin Balogun play against Belgium despite a red card in his previous game.

Soccer officials have said privately Infantino has eyed a lucrative commissioner-like role at the FFE spinoff beyond 2031.

“Game over, Gianni #InfantinOUT,” the Football Supporters Europe group, which advises UEFA on fan issues such as ticket prices, posted after the boycott threat.

Soccer’s concern at investor pressure

UEFA detailed Thursday why soccer officials fear external investors owning a stake of the global game's biggest events, including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women.

“The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever,” UEFA said. “Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure.”

Infantino has presented the private equity offer as a chance to “turbocharge” funding development of soccer across the world, where a majority of the 211 FIFA members rely on its funding.

Officials from about 40 UEFA member spoke at the urgent meeting, with anger expressed that FIFA is not using some of its multi-billion reserves to fund extra development programs.

“As a result of today’s discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive,” the European soccer body said, “unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.”

Asia adds rare criticism of Infantino

On a seismic day in soccer politics, a traditional bedrock of support in Asia for FIFA and Infantino had earlier Thursday been shaken.

“FIFA’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football,” the Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said in a letter to its 46 members of FIFA, warning of risks to their own competitions.

Sheikh Salman, an ally to Infantino since losing the FIFA presidential election to him in 2016, wrote “such an initiative will not succeed without the support of all the confederations, which is not the case now.”

In a video message published Wednesday by FIFA, Infantino insisted spinning off its money-making operations was “an offer, not an obligation.”

A FIFA presentation for its members, co-written with its banking advisors from J.P. Morgan and seen by the AP, set a goal for FFE as “commercial rigor and expertise to better capitalize on broadcast rights, sponsorships and a growing tournament portfolio.”

FIFA squeeze on continental games

That growing portfolio likely would include adding more teams to FIFA competitions like the World Cup and Club World Cup for men and women, and potentially staging them more often than every four years, including in the U.S.

FIFA adding teams, games and competitions would squeeze the value, status and space in the congested global fixture calendar for those that fund and are organized by the six continental soccer bodies like UEFA and the AFC. Those include World Cup qualifying games, continental tournaments and Champions Leagues.

“It is important that the AFC family has a complete understanding,” Sheikh Salman wrote, “of how such an initiative may affect key areas of global and Asian football, including the sustainability of confederation and (domestic) competitions, as well as the organization and commercial landscape surrounding the AFC’s activities.”

UEFA's previous boycott threat

A threatened World Cup boycott from Europe helped derail Infantino’s plan in 2021 to play World Cups every two years instead of four.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

Whether Hill — the only player in the NFL's Super Bowl era to amass 1,000 or more yards passing, rushing and receiving — continues to play professional football remains to be seen. He did not announce his retirement.

“I’ve taken time this offseason to think carefully about what comes next for my family and me,” Hill said in a social media post on Wednesday night. “I still don’t have a clear answer about what the future holds, but I know that returning to New Orleans is not in the cards."

Hill's announcement was largely anticipated; he sold his New Orleans-area home during the offseason and had not signed an extension with the Saints after becoming a free agent in March.

Soon after Hill's post, the Saints posted a highlight video, narrated by record-setting, Hall of Fame-bound quarterback Drew Brees, thanking Hill for his contributions to the franchise.

On the eve of training camp, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said he had spoken to Hill, but wanted to keep those conversations private for the time being. The uncertainty surrounding those conversations lasted little more than a day.

“As training camp begins, I didn’t want my silence to be misinterpreted," Hill said. "As hard as it is to put into words, I wanted to express my gratitude. To the city of New Orleans: thank you.”

Hill's NFL career began as an undrafted free-agent QB with Green Bay during the 2017 offseason. When he was waived at the end of training camp, the Saints, then coached by Sean Payton, claimed him.

Payton, now coaching the Denver Broncos, initially planed to groom Hill as a possible successor to Brees at QB. But not wanting to let the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Hill's athleticism go to waste, the Saints decided to try him out on special teams as a returner, an upback on punts and covering kicks.

After Hill proved effective in those roles, he became a change-of-pace, running QB who also chipped in at running back, tight end and receiver, earning him the moniker of the Saints' “Swiss Army Knife.”

While Hill never won the full-time starting QB job, he started nine times because of injuries. The Saints went 7-2 in those games.

Hill now has career statistics of 2,554 yards and 34 touchdowns rushing; 2,426 yards and 12 TDs passing; and 1,034 yards and 11 touchdowns receiving. In 2023, Hill became the first NFL player in half a century to have 10 touchdowns rushing, passing and receiving.

During his final home game for the Saints, Hill surpassed the career 1,000 yard mark as a receiver and also threw a touchdown pass. He waved goodbye to fans as he left the field after the game, saying he wasn't sure if he'd play in the Superdome again.

If he does, it'll be in a different uniform.

“Taysom’s career to this point as a member of the Saints organization has been remarkable in all facets,” Loomis said in a statement. “His intelligence, unique athletic ability, versatility and unselfishness have benefited this team in many facets for the past nine seasons. Additionally, he’s been a great teammate, excellent leader and mentor."

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Growth in U.S. gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — decelerated from 2.1% in the first three months of 2026, the Commerce Department reported Thursday, coming in below economists' expectations. But consumer spending — which accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity — increased at a 3.2% annual clip, up from 0.5% in the January-March period.

A measure of the economy’s underlying strength – which strips out volatile government spending and trade numbers – looked good, expanding at a 3.9% annual pace, up from 1.7% from January through March.

Business investment, excluding housing, rose at an 8.4% pace, down from 10.6% from January through March but strong, reflecting a surge in investment in artificial intelligence.

Imports are subtracted from the economic figures because GDP is only supposed to count what is produced in the United States. Imports rose at an 11.5% pace, partly on a surge in shipments of computer chips and other products that support AI investment. The imports shaved 1.5 percentage off second-quarter GDP growth.

"The consumer rescued the quarter,'' said Olu Sonola, head of U.S. economics at Fitch Ratings. “AI investment remains a powerful growth story, but the import surge underpinning the buildout is a reminder that an AI boom does not automatically translate into an equally large boost to U.S. GDP.”

The Commerce Department also said Thursday that its personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, the one favored by the Fed, rose 3.7% last month from June 2025 , down from a 4.1% year-over-year increase in May. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, so-called core consumer prices were up 3.3% from a year earlier, little-changed from 3.4% increase in May. Prices actually fell 0.1% from May to June on a 9.2% drop in the price of gasoline and other energy products.

The PCE prices were about in line with economists' expectations. But the year-over-year increase in prices has been stuck above the Fed's 2% target for more than five years, and some Fed officials are getting impatient with progress against inflation.

The Fed on Wednesday chose to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the fifth straight meeting. But three regional Fed presidents dissented, saying they wanted to raise rates to combat elevated inflation.

The American economy has been surprisingly resilient in the face of the Iran war and the spike in energy prices it caused. The job market has bounced back this year from a lackluster 2025, giving consumers the wherewithal to spend. Employers are adding an average 92,000 jobs a month this year, compared with fewer than 10,000 a month in 2025 when high interest rates and President Donald Trump’s erratic use of tariffs discouraged businesses from hiring.

Higher costs have frustrated Americans ahead of November’s midterm elections, which will determine whether President Donald Trump’s Republicans keep full control of Congress

A new AP-NORC poll found that the public is souring on the Iran war. And about 7 in 10 U.S. adults — 72% — say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to prevent domestic oil and gas prices from rising, up from 67% in March.

U.S. filings for jobless aid in the week ending July 25 rose by 9,000 to 197,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The previous week's figure was revised up by 1,000 to 188,000 but remains the lowest in more than 50 years.

Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 207,000 new applications.

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

Despite surging oil prices resulting from the U.S.-Iran war, the American job market remains healthy. However, analysts say a prolonged war and higher than normal energy costs may eventually upend that, forcing companies to trim their costs by reducing head counts.

Following a 6.6% rise a day earlier, the price for a barrel of U.S. crude fell slightly more than 1% Thursday to $83.36 a barrel. Gas prices in the U.S. are also back up above $4 a gallon on average. Besides squeezing consumers’ budgets, it also hits businesses hard, especially those which are heavily dependent on fuel.

Also Thursday, the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation metric, PCE, came in at 3.7%, still well above its 2% target. On top of that, the government reported Thursday that the U.S. economy grew at an unexpectedly sluggish 1.5% pace in the April-June quarter.

If inflation remains elevated, Fed officials say they are ready to raise interest rates to combat higher prices, raising costs for businesses and making them less likely to hire.

In its expansive June jobs report earlier this month, the government reported that employers pulled back on hiring, adding only 57,000 jobs. That’s less than half the previous month’s total and a sign that companies remain cautious about adding to their head counts. The unemployment rate dropped to 4.2% from 4.3% in May, though that decline is mostly because many out-of-work people gave up looking for jobs and were no longer counted as unemployed.

June’s tepid hiring comes after a relative surge in job gains the previous three months, countering concerns that the war in Iran could trip up an already wobbly labor market.

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

Among the companies that have trimmed their workforce recently are Verizon, UPS, Amazon, Disney, Starbucks, Walmart and Microsoft.

The Labor Department's report Thursday also showed that the four-week moving average of weekly jobless claims, which softens some of the weekly volatility, fell by 5,000 to 202,750.

The total number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits for the previous week ending July 18 was 1.78 million, a decline of 7,000 from the previous week.

The U.S. and Iran each fired barrages of missiles Thursday, as the pattern of back-and-forth strikes took hold again and hope dimmed for any quick resolution. After a brief respite, the risk of a return to all-out war emerged once more, with the fighting threatening to engulf even more countries. Jordan said Thursday it intercepted Iranian missiles for the second consecutive day, while Kuwait said a strike in the northern part of the country killed one person.

Most Americans say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, and Trump’s approval rating on Iran has fallen slightly since last month, according to a new AP-NORC poll. The results are a stark repudiation of Trump’s approach to the conflict, which has dragged on far longer than he originally predicted.

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What to know about Trump’s nearly $1.8B fund to compensate allies claiming political targeting

Back in May, the Justice Department announced that allies of the president who believe they have been wrongly investigated and prosecuted could soon have access to a nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” would represent “a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.” Blanche’s statement made no mention of how investigations and prosecutions of Trump’s political opponents under his watch have exposed the Justice Department to the same claims of politicized law enforcement that he has said he opposed.

The fund was announced as part of a deal to resolve Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, but was subsequently scrapped and a federal judge blocked the fund’s creation.

Trump-branded commemorative USA 250 passports to become more widely available

The State Department says its limited-edition Trump-branded commemorative USA 250 passports will soon become available to Americans outside the greater Washington, D.C., area.

Beginning next month, the department’s 27 passport agencies around the nation will start one-day events, offering the so-called “Patriot Passports” that feature a page emblazoned with a stern portrait of Trump. Previously, the commemorative passports were only available at the Washington, D.C., passport office for in-person applicants.

Starting on Aug. 8, passport offices in seven cities including Chicago, New York City and Dallas will offer the Trump passports. More passport offices will be included throughout August. Applicants wanting the special passport must apply to the selected offices in person on the day specified. Those wanting a traditional passport must apply on different days.

A total of 250,000 of the commemorative passports will be available.

Bessent says US expects China to meet rare earth and agriculture commitments

After meeting on Thursday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on social media that the Trump administration expects Beijing “to fully meet its commitments on rare earths and U.S. agricultural products.” Trade representative Greer also attended, Bessent said.

The meeting between finance and trade officials sets the stage for Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected meeting face to face in September.

Bessent said the group also discussed implementation of the Trade and Investment Boards as a way to build more “balanced, fair, and constructive U.S.-China economic relationship.”

Trump wants more military veterans to become commercial truckers

The president hosted an event on the White House campus where he said America’s roads had been “terrorized by unqualified illegal aliens dangerously driving big rigs” and that he would replace these immigrants with “highly qualified American veterans.”

The Trump administration has dubbed this program the “Freedom Haulers Initiative,” under which anyone who has driven a heavy truck for the military would automatically be eligible for a commercial drivers license.

Trump said that 34 states are part of the initiative.

Immigrants account for about 20% of all truck drivers, but all of these non-domiciled licenses for immigrants represent only about 5% of all commercial driver’s licenses, or about 200,000 drivers.

State Department says ‘unfortunate error’ led to badly mislabeled map of Africa at AIDS conference

The State Department is taking full responsibility for a badly mislabeled map of Africa that was presented at a global AIDS conference last week in Brazil.

It called it an “unfortunate error” that should not take away from the Trump administration’s commitment to fighting the deadly virus.

“This was an unfortunate error caused by a team member who hastily altered the slide deck immediately before the presentation at the AIDS 2026 Conference,” the State Department said Thursday after photos of the map were posted online by conference participants.

A photo of the map was shared by AIDS activist Emily Bass in a Substack post on Sunday showing six countries mislabeled. Among them, Nigeria was placed in roughly the same location as Niger; Ivory Coast, placed in southern Africa; Mozambique, placed in the Horn of Africa; and Cameroon, placed in what appeared to be the location of Ghana. The State Department confirmed that six countries had been misidentified.

Senate rejects another war powers resolution to halt Iran war

Most Senate Republicans voted against advancing the measure in the Democrats’ latest effort to end Trump’s engagement in military action without congressional approval.

“We were told this president would bring peace and lower prices,” said Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New Year, who sponsored the resolution. “What is President Trump doing? Pouring bills of tax dollars into an open-ended war with Iran.”

The tally was 49-50. Three Republicans, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, joined most Democrats to advance the measure. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania joined Republicans to oppose.

Since the war began earlier this year, House and Senate Democrats have introduced more than a dozen war powers resolutions, but none has passed both chambers.

Trump administration wants veterans to replace immigrant truck drivers who lost licenses

The White House is encouraging veterans who drove large military vehicles to consider a career in trucking.

Attracting more veterans to trucking will help replace immigrant drivers who lost their commercial driver’s licenses during the crackdown over the past year. The administration enforced English-proficiency requirements and worked to ensure drivers were qualified to pilot 80,000-pound trucks.

Veterans who drove trucks or other large vehicles in the military recently will be eligible to skip the skills test when they apply for a commercial driver’s license. Trump plans to highlight the campaign Thursday afternoon at the White House.

Trucking groups like the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association support getting more veterans into trucking. Roughly 40% of that group’s 150,000 members are veterans.

“Military veterans have the skills to succeed in trucking, and that’s what makes them the safest operators of the 80,000-pound commercial vehicles that traverse America’s roadways,” said Todd Spencer, who is president of that trucking trade group.

Democratic senators call on Treasury to move forward with new Tubman $20 bill

Ten Democratic senators are calling on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to provide more details about whether a longtime effort to place Harriet Tubman’s likeness on the $20 bill has been canceled or merely delayed.

The senators are following up on comments Bessent made to Spectrum News, saying Treasury was “not at present” planning to put Tubman on the $20 bill.

The senators in their letter are calling on Bessent to immediately reconsider and resume plans to create the new bill. They are also asking for a briefing on the matter. Meanwhile, the senators noted that Treasury has prepared the design for a $250 bill featuring Trump.

The effort to place the 19th-century abolitionist leader on the $20 bill began more than a decade ago, was delayed during Trump’s first term and restarted during former President Joe Biden’s presidency.

Trump says he may delay Blanche nomination until dissenting senators leave office

Trump says he may withdraw Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general until Republican senators who are seeking concessions from the top prosecutor leave office next year.

Trump doubled down Thursday on choosing his former personal lawyer as the nation’s top lawman, calling him “a STAR.” He said he’ll keep Blanche as acting attorney general until Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are gone.

Cornyn and Tillis have demanded additional assurances in writing that the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is dead and have pressed for clarification on the scope of a tax immunity deal Trump secured by suing the Internal Revenue Service. Cornyn has said he wants the administration to modify that piece of the settlement to make clear that it covers only existing audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.

Trump’s comments came after the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a planned vote on Thursday to advance Blanche’s nomination.

Senate committee advances nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz to be Trump’s CDC director

A Senate committee on Thursday advanced Dr. Erica Schwartz’s nomination to be director of the nation’s top public health agency, setting aside concerns that she won’t stand up to political meddling.

If confirmed by the full Senate, the 54-year-old would become the 22nd director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is charged with protecting Americans from preventable health threats. Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position at the U.S. Coast Guard.

Schwartz appeared to be on shaky ground after Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and others questioned whether she would be willing to stand up to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., if the health secretary ordered CDC to do something unsupported by science and good public health practice. But Cassidy later expressed confidence that “she knows what she’s doing.”

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US-Iran conflict enters new phase as Saudi Arabia helps hit proxies and diplomacy stalls again

The stop-start fighting between the United States and Iran appears to have entered a new phase with Saudi Arabia publicly joining military escalations against Tehran-backed proxies and an already untenable diplomatic effort to end the war faltering once again.

Little is clear about what strategy, if any, American or Iranian officials have for a path forward. The Republican president has vacillated for months between insisting a deal was near to end the war and Tehran’s nuclear program, and using vulgarities and threats to try to get Iran to capitulate.

The stakes for continued U.S. military action have never been higher for Trump and his party as the conflict, unpopular among many Americans, has jolted the world economy months before voters get their say in November. The renewed fighting has killed and injured more American troops and raised concerns about drawing down the stockpiles of key U.S. air defense systems.

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Trump touted his tariffs in Michigan despite rising costs. Even some of his supporters are worried

Flying to a rally at General Motors this week, the president declared that “car companies are doing better than they’ve ever done” thanks to his tariffs, “all because of Trump.”

“It’s amazing what tariffs will do for General Motors,” the Republican leader said before autographing a white Corvette. “Michigan is thriving,” he told cheering supporters.

That’s not exactly true, according to many metrics. Tariffs have cost businesses in Michigan and across the country billions of dollars while stoking inflation that continues to run hot. Many Americans believe tariffs have pushed prices higher and the war in Iran has increased gasoline prices, hurting consumer confidence in the economy while keeping Trump’s approval ratings low.

There are few places where Trump’s boasts and economic reality are more likely to collide ahead of November’s midterm elections than in battleground Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday.

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Opposition to FIFA’s World Cup private equity plan grows

Global opposition is growing to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan for selling a stake in World Cup revenue to private investors.

The FIFA project would be underwritten by a New York investment vehicle, Thrive Eternal, created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Infantino has had close ties to Jared Kushner and held secret talks with potential backers in the U.S. about creating the $20 billion FIFA Forward Enterprise subsidiary with $4.2 billion of private equity.

“FIFA’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football,” the Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned in a letter Thursday to member federations that was seen by The Associated Press.

It circulated as the 55-nation European soccer body UEFA prepared to meet Thursday to shape a resistance strategy. The 35-member North American soccer body CONCACAF, meanwhile, said it is “deeply concerned by the lack of due process” in Infantino’s project.

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US economy turns in sluggish 1.5% second-quarter growth and inflation remains above Fed target

The U.S. economy expanded at a sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June as rising imports weighed on growth. But consumer spending rose. And the Federal Reserve’s favored measure of inflation grew more slowly last month, by 3.7%, but remained above the central bank’s 2% target.

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that growth in U.S. gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — decelerated from 2.1% in the first three months of 2026 and came in below economists’ expectations.

The Fed on Wednesday chose to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the fifth straight meeting. But three regional Fed presidents dissented, saying they wanted to raise rates to combat elevated inflation.

Higher costs have frustrated Americans ahead of November’s midterm elections, which will determine whether Trump’s Republicans keep full control of Congress.

US filings for jobless benefits rise to 197,000 last week, but layoffs remain historically low

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but layoffs remain in the historically healthy range of the past few years.

U.S. filings for jobless aid in the week ending July 25 rose by 9,000 to 197,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The previous week’s figure was revised up by 1,000 to 188,000 but remains the lowest in more than 50 years.

Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 207,000 new applications.

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

Urban League report says Trump harms Black Americans’ chances at American Dream

The American Dream may not be dead for many Black Americans, but a National Urban League report warns that it’s further away than at any point since the Civil Rights Movement.

The 50th annual “State of Black America” report released Thursday grimly describes Black Americans ’ economic and political prospects as having worsened due to Trump’s policies. A copy obtained by The Associated Press says all Americans should be concerned.

“While they have targeted and focused on Black Americans, these attacks are going to impact broadly working Americans, poor Americans, aspirational middle-class Americans, and this is what this report points to,” said Marc Morial, the league’s president and CEO.

Morial urged concerned Americans to respond at the ballot box and with their pocketbooks. “We cannot be dejected. We cannot be cynical. We must act,” Morial said.

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Most say it’s important to keep gas prices down: AP-NORC poll

Many Americans continue to be concerned about the pocketbook impact of the Iran war, the new poll shows.

About 7 in 10 U.S. adults — 72% — say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to prevent domestic oil and gas prices from rising, up slightly from 67% in March.

A similar share, 70%, say it’s highly important for the U.S. to reach a ceasefire agreement with Iran.

Americans’ goals for the Iran war may not be fully aligned with Trump, who has repeatedly said the war was launched to keep a nuclear weapon out of Iran’s hands.

While about two-thirds of U.S. adults say it’s “extremely” or “very” important to keep Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon — with Republicans especially likely to say this — Americans are more likely to prioritize low gas prices and a permanent ceasefire with Iran.

About two-thirds say the Iran war is not worth fighting: AP-NORC poll

Most U.S. adults say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, according to a new AP-NORC poll. About two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran, which began Feb. 28, has not been worthwhile. That includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as about 37% of Republicans.

The poll shows little appetite among Americans for a prolonged conflict.

Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults want to continue military action in Iran, while about 3 in 10 say the U.S. should pause military action and seek a renewed ceasefire through negotiations. About 2 in 10 want to completely stop military action in Iran and roughly one-quarter don’t know enough to say.

Trump announces a $22.5B makeover of Dulles airport that will eliminate the ‘people movers’

Trump on Wednesday announced a $22.5 billion renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport that will end the use of the widely disliked “people movers,” the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travelers to and from the main terminal.

In place of the people movers, the airport will add a new U-shaped passenger train, a central walking tunnel, more moving walkways and new concourses. An above-ground parking garage closer to the main terminal with space for 32,000 vehicles is also in the offing, according to Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

The airport makeover would add to a long list of renovation projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave a lasting mark on the Washington region after his term ends in January 2029. Among other undertakings, he is building a new White House ballroom and wants to build a towering triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial.

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The announcement comes after local authorities in Ceuta had asked the central government in Madrid for reinforcements to manage a border crisis that had been building up before boiling over on Thursday with large crowds of people breeching the border fence.

Spain's government said Thursday evening it would send the Armed Forces to help the Civil Guard “to maintain security in the city of Ceuta." It also announced that Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez would join Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska and visit Ceuta Friday.

“The situation is absolute chaos,” Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain's Civil Guard officers in Ceuta, who police the border told The Associated Press. “It's not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” he said, adding that the border had “totally collapsed.”

Achraf Maimouni, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, described the situation as ‘’exceptional.''

“The Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances this morning and people crossed,'' he said.

Video footage showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach onto local roads. While the majority appeared to be young men, there were also families with women and small children. Spanish media reported several

“Viva España!” some shouted to a freelance photographer working for the AP. It was not immediately clear what prompted so many migrants to cross to Ceuta.

Arrivals had been increasing, but reasons still unclear

The escalation at the frontier between Spain and Morocco comes after a surge in migrants attempting to reach the small exclave, mainly by swimming, on Wednesday. At least three people died yesterday attempting to reach Ceuta by sea, Sbihi and activists in both Morocco and Ceuta reported.

Moroccan authorities have not publicly commented on the crossings, and the interior ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Spain’s Interior Ministry said the Moroccan government was “closely cooperating” with Spain to handle the situation and that Moroccan police are stopping “numerous people” who are trying to cross the border. Both countries agreed to work together “for the return, as soon as possible, of all the people who entered Ceuta illegally.”

Spain’s interior ministry earlier said it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation’s border but that the government could not declare a national emergency - as local authorities had asked - over migration concerns.

Ceuta authorities had previously linked the spike to a Spanish Supreme Court decision earlier this month that migrants who arrive by sea cannot be immediately pushed back across the border without due process, unlike those who cross into Spain by land — by climbing over the border fence, for example.

But some activists in Morocco expressed doubt that the ruling was behind the surge, arguing most migrants would have been unaware of such legal decisions.

Spain is a main point of arrival into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence in their home countries.

To reach Ceuta, located on the northern African coast, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, covering about 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) to reach Spanish territory. Others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter.

The scenes of people streaming across the frontier recall the border crisis of May 2021 when more than 8,000 migrants poured into Ceuta in just two days.

At the time, Morocco was accused of easing border controls and allowing migrants to cross into the Ceuta after Spain allowed Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali to receive treatment at a Spanish hospital, triggering a diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Madrid. The pro-independence Polisario Front for decades has claimed to be the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people of the Western Sahara, disputed with Morocco.

Ceuta authorities ask Madrid to declare emergency, send army

Juan Jesús Vivas, the head of Ceuta's regional government, called for the national government to declare an emergency on grounds of national security, asking for more police and for the army to be deployed on the border "to guarantee the inviolability of the frontier and citizen safety.”

He had warned Wednesday that migrant reception centers were overwhelmed with hundreds of people sleeping on the streets after more than 1,500 migrants entered the territory in the past week. But thousands more crossed overnight and Thursday.

Spain's Interior Ministry, which tracks irregular migration, would not confirm the number of migrants who had made it to Ceuta in the last few days but said it would publish its next migration report on Aug. 3. As of July 15, nearly 3,000 migrants had entered Ceuta by land or sea this year, according to ministry figures.

Legislation covering a declaration of national emergencies does not consider migration flows as a risk to national security, according to the ministry, which said government administrations are “coordinating to respond with speed and efficacy to the situation in Ceuta.”

Ceuta, which is perched on a historical isthmus, has been a Spanish possession since 1580. Its mixed population of Christians and Muslims, Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers, live in relative harmony behind a border fence that many desperate migrants from across Africa attempt to cross for a better life in Europe.

—

Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. AP journalists Joseph Wilson in Barcelona and Akram Oubachir in Casablanca, Morocco, contributed to this report.

The Oakland hip-hop pioneer is still recording, touring and talking slick more than four decades after he began selling homemade tapes on the streets of the Bay Area. While the genre has long treated aging like an unwritten career-ending offense, Too $hort is breaking the rule and challenging the culture’s elder statesmen to keep going with him.

His latest proof is “Sir Too $hort Vol. 2: Drink & Smoke,” his 23rd studio album, produced entirely by longtime collaborator Lil Jon. It arrives Friday, exactly 20 years after the release of his enduring hit “Blow the Whistle.”

Too $hort, whose catalog also includes classics like “The Ghetto” and “Shake That Monkey,” says he isn’t interested in slowing down anytime soon. That was certainly evident when he and E-40 performed at the NFL Honors in February.

In an interview with The Associated Press this week, Too $hort reflected on turning 60, challenging hip-hop’s age limits, preserving the legacy of Lil Jon’s late son, DJ Young Slade, the staying power of “Blow the Whistle” and why he has no plans to stop until “the wheels fall off.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

AP: You recently turned 60, but you’re still releasing albums, touring and influencing the culture. When you first started selling homemade tapes on the streets of Oakland, did you ever imagine you’d still be doing this more than four decades later?

TOO $HORT: At the age of 14 or 15, my mentality was, “Let people hear this music. We’re going to rock some house parties and high school dances and sell some tapes to fans in the streets.” When I got my foot in the door, I knew this was going to be my job. It was always “till the wheels fall off.” It was never, “Let’s do this for 30 or 40 years.”

I’ve always said the day hip-hop is no longer my job is probably the day I’ll stop. But the love I have for hip-hop won’t allow me to stop recording. I’ve never taken a long break. I’ve continuously been in the studio, continuously doing shows. I just keep it going because it’s my job.

AP: Why do you think you’ve remained relevant when so many careers have come and gone?

TOO $HORT: I truly love making music. It’s never felt like work. I could have stopped after “Blow the Whistle” and been like, “Story told.” But somebody’s got to go out into these uncharted waters and blaze the trail. Look at E-40,Snoop Dogg,Fat Joe and the other guys who kept going after the kids were grown and the grandkids were on the way.

Who laid the rule down that in hip-hop you gotta stop at 40? Every milestone they said was old. First it was 30, then it was 40, then it was 50. Now we got senior citizen rappers, and this ... is real. Hip-hop is entering the place where jazz, blues and R&B have older artists who are still performing and recording. We should too.

AP: Twenty years after its release, “Blow the Whistle” is still played everywhere from NBA arenas to the Olympics. Why do you think that record has endured?

TOO $HORT: I don’t know if you could give me the ingredients and tell me how to do it again; I don’t think I could. It had to happen organically. I give Lil Jon a lot of credit because he’s made a lot of songs we’ve loved since the day they came out. We make good music together, and that’s why I’m excited for people to hear what we’re still doing 30 years after we first worked together.

AP: This album reunites you with Lil Jon, but it also features work from his late son, Slade, who died in February. What did that collaboration mean to you?

TOO $HORT: His son passed away after we finished recording. We had actually done about twice as many songs as ended up on this project. I saw how it affected Jon, and I had recently lost my brother, so I knew that feeling of loss. The whole time, Slade was producing or co-producing a lot of the tracks I was working on. The first thing that came to me was that I’d be more than proud to be part of his son’s legacy and give something to the world that would help him live forever. Jon keeps saying, “Slade’s legacy,” and I’m just trying to be a part of that and show the world we lost another good, talented person.

AP: You and E-40 celebrated Bay Area hip-hop together during your 2020 Verzuz appearance. Fans still love seeing you two together. Would you ever team up again, whether for another Verzuz, a tour or something else?

TOO $HORT: We did one in 2020, but it wasn’t a battle. We had a good time. We did a lot of laughing, a lot of togetherness. I didn’t want to battle 40 then, and I don’t want to battle him now. That’s my best friend in hip-hop. I’d sign up for me and 40 against anybody. That’d be fun. They haven’t had two groups. … I put that out there: Who wants to battle Too $hort and E-40 in Verzuz?

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With a new coaching staff and front office in place, competition is wide open as players battle for starting jobs and roster spots.

Running back De’Von Achane said it felt good to be back on the field with his teammates, calling the first day a “good start” as the team begins building chemistry in the new system.

“It was fun to get back out here with my brothers,” Achane said. “We was off a little bit but it’s exciting to get back on the field, especially just to hurry up and build that connection with each other.

One thing that stood out after practice was the effort.

Local 10’s Clay Ferraro said even after the session ended, several players stayed on the field getting extra work in, a sign of the competitive culture Hafley is trying to establish.

The rookies made a strong first impression.

Rookie linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, a second round pick from Texas Tech, broke up two passes, including a diving pass breakup over the middle, while showing impressive range in coverage, according to Dolphins reporter Travis Wingfeld.

Wide receivers Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman Jr. each came away with explosive plays from Malik Willis. Douglas turned a short catch into a long gain with his speed and also hauled in a tough third-down reception despite tight coverage. Coleman picked up a big gain after hauling in a strike from quarterback Willis.

Wingfeld said Willis had a solid first day overall, connecting on several throws while working behind good pass protection. He had a few off-target passes and one tipped at the line, but looked comfortable for most of the practice. Tight ends Greg Dulcich and Ben Sims were both involved in the passing game.

On defense, cornerback Chris Johnson, who was drafted with the Dolphins’ second first round selection, flashed throughout practice with his athleticism and ability to make plays.

The defense also produced several takeaways, highlighted by linebacker Willie Gay Jr.’s pick-six after jumping a pass. Rookie safety Michael Taaffe added an interception that was thrown by Quinn Ewers, and linebacker David Ojabo forced a fumble during a running play.

That guy Taaffe 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/zdu19LFtfW

— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) July 29, 2026

Veteran players said the intensity was evident from the opening practice.

“The energy is always there, especially day one, right?” said Dolphins defensive lineman Zach Sieler. “It’s hard to get a heartbeat on the whole team in one day, but the guys, they just want to be there. There’s no pride. No one’s mad about whatever. You take corrections.”

EDGE Chop Robinson said the urgency has increased as the regular season approaches.

“Yeah, I mean, it’s definitely more urgency compared to OTAs in camp, obviously, because we’re getting, we’re competing every day,” he said. “We’re getting close to the season and stuff like that in the real game. So everybody was just fired up and just competing out there.”

The defensive front also made its presence felt against the run. Defensive tackles Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips and Zeek Biggers each recorded stops, while linebacker Jordyn Brooks consistently found the football, including a tackle for loss on Achane.

Safety Dante Trader also made a quick read to shut down a running lane on the first team play of practice.

The first practice open to the public is set for Sunday. View the Dolphins’ full training camp schedule by clicking here.

Los osos polares Aleut y Gregor no perdieron tiempo y se revolcaron en montones de cubos de hielo tras salir a su recinto exterior.

Los gemelos parecían divertirse con el premio helado, que pretendía mantenerlos frescos en medio de las temperaturas extremas, que se preveía subieran hasta 38 grados Celsius (100 grados Fahrenheit) más tarde ese día.

“Los osos se refrescan con ello y, al mismo tiempo, es un enriquecimiento de su vida en el zoológico”, explicó el portavoz del zoológico, Filip Mašek.

El zoológico comenzó a proporcionar hielo a algunos de los animales hace dos años, en respuesta al cambio climático y al creciente número de días con temperaturas extremas.

Los osos polares, que nacieron en Núremberg, Alemania, hace 16 años y se han adaptado al clima europeo, fueron los que más lo disfrutaron.

Este año, el plan era encargar hielo para los animales en julio y agosto, que tradicionalmente son los meses más calurosos. Pero la primera ola de calor llegó temprano y la República Checa vivió su día más caluroso registrado, con 41,9 C (107,4 F) el 28 de junio.

“El tiempo no deja de sorprendernos”, comentó Mašek. El hielo estará listo antes el próximo año, añadió. “Hemos aprendido la lección”.

Otros animales que se han beneficiado en años anteriores del suministro de hielo para mantenerse frescos son nutrias, elefantes y loros.

Algunos animales del zoológico están acostumbrados al calor, mientras que otros pueden quedarse en la sombra o en recintos interiores y usar diversas piscinas para refrescarse. En años anteriores, a los gorilas se les dieron trozos de hielo con frutas congeladas.

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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 results are a stark repudiation of the Republican president’s approach to the conflict, which has dragged on far longer than he originally predicted.

About two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran, which began Feb. 28, has not been worthwhile, according to the new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as about 37% of Republicans.

The poll was conducted July 23-27, as the U.S. and Iran paused attacks following a nearly two-week escalation in the war. During the escalation, the U.S. targeted Iranian military and commercial sites while Iran attacked U.S. military facilities in the Middle East, resulting in additional deaths of American service members. Since the war began, 18 U.S. service members have been killed, but the Trump administration has sought to revise those numbers.

The survey reinforces how unpopular the Iran war has become at home, a potential problem for congressional Republicans up for reelection in November who have defended Trump’s military actions. Just 28% of U.S. adults now approve of how Trump is handling Iran, a slight decline from 34% last month. Even Republicans appear to be increasingly unhappy with the prolonged conflict. Roughly 61% of Republicans approve of how Trump is handling Iran, an apparent decline from 71% in June. The margin of sampling error for Republicans is 6 points, so the decline is considered slight, but it’s still noteworthy given Republicans’ much higher approval of how Trump is handling the presidency overall.

Trump’s overall approval rating is at 33%, slightly below where he stood at this point in his first term and similar to where former President Joe Biden stood about one and a half years into his presidency, when inflation peaked.

Robert McClary, a 52-year-old Republican from Sugar Grove, Ohio, is skeptical the war could be brought to an easy conclusion and disapproves of Trump’s handling of it. McClary voted for the president once, in 2016, but recalls that during the last election, Trump campaigned on not starting new wars in the Middle East.

“I don’t have any trust in this administration at all and to why they brought us into this war, why they’re putting our soldiers at risk again,” he said.

The findings also indicate that most Americans’ goals for the conflict may not be aligned with Trump, who has repeatedly said the war was launched to keep a nuclear weapon out of Iran’s hands. While about two-thirds of U.S. adults say it’s “extremely” or “very” important to keep Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon — with Republicans especially likely to say this — even more Americans say it’s highly important for the U.S. to keep gasoline prices low or negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Iran.

McClary added: “I really don’t know what you can do now. I mean, you’ve kind of gotten yourself buried into this mess.”

Relatively few want military action against Iran to continue

There’s little appetite among Americans for a prolonged conflict.

Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults want to continue military action in Iran, while about 3 in 10 say the U.S. should pause military action and seek a renewed ceasefire through negotiations. About 2 in 10 want to completely stop military action in Iran and roughly one-quarter don’t know enough to say.

About half of Republicans say the U.S. should continue military action against Iran, particularly those who identify as “very conservative.” Republicans who identify as MAGA — part of Trump’s Make America Great Again movement — are much likelier than non-MAGA Republicans to say the war should continue. Non-MAGA Republicans are more likely to want a ceasefire or a complete halt to the military action.

Jennifer Norton, a 71-year-old Republican from Crossville, Tennessee, supports military action in Iran but has been displeased to see prices rising for things like beef roasts and hamburgers. Norton lives on a “modest income,” and things are getting expensive.

“I am getting a little impatient, but when I start to dwell on that for a minute, I remember Mr. President Trump is a brilliant businessman,” she said. “He can’t tell us exactly what he’s doing, but I trust that he’s doing something. I mean, he is doing fine.”

Independents and Democrats are more likely than Republicans to want to stop military action against Iran immediately, although about 3 in 10 Republicans want either a pause or complete stop to military action.

Ryan Sloan, a 39-year-old Republican in Lakeland, Florida, has come to disapprove of the conflict in Iran recently because he wants a better explanation from the Trump administration about why the war intensified in late July.

“Let’s face it, not everybody’s going to be happy with him,” Sloan said. “I just wish I’d have had more transparency about why things were going on the way they were.”

Most say it’s important to keep gas prices down

Many Americans continue to be concerned about the pocketbook impact of the Iran war. About 7 in 10 U.S. adults — 72% — say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to prevent domestic oil and gas prices from rising, up slightly from 67% in March.

Oil topped $100 a barrel last week, ending a brief period of lower prices when hostilities between the U.S. and Iran eased in June. Gas prices rose above $4 per gallon on average, and the elevated fuel price is hitting consumers in other ways, too. Inflation cooled last month but remains elevated, and consumer spending has slowed, with signs that Americans are taking advantage of sales and other incentives.

There are also indications that fluctuating gasoline prices are an increasingly big problem for many Americans. About 4 in 10 say the cost of gas for their car is a “major source” of stress in their life right now, compared with about 3 in 10 in February.

Mikal Baker, a 47-year-old political independent in Sandy Springs, Georgia, disapproves of the war in Iran and is frustrated by the effect on gas prices.

“I don’t see the benefit. I don’t see the total benefit of the American citizen for this war,” he said. But Baker is skeptical it will ever come to an end. “I can’t say it will ever be over with.”

Some Americans may be hoping that gasoline prices could stabilize or go down. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned about being able to afford gas in the next few months, down slightly from 45% in March.

Republicans prioritize keeping Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon

Even as most Americans prioritize keeping gas prices from rising, a similar share say it’s “extremely” or “very” important to negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Iran.

About 7 in 10 Americans say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to reach a ceasefire agreement, slightly higher than the roughly two-thirds who say it’s at least “very” important to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. That’s also well above the 4 in 10 who say it’s “extremely” or “very” important to prevent Iran from threatening Israel.

Early in the conflict, Trump said the United States’ primary objectives were to degrade Iran’s military capability, eliminate their Navy and Air Force, keep them from gaining nuclear weapons and protect U.S. allies in the region.

Republicans, in particular, say it’s highly important to keep Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. About 8 in 10 say this is at least “very” important, compared with roughly 7 in 10 who say that about preventing oil and gas prices from rising and negotiating a permanent ceasefire with Iran.

Sloan, the Florida Republican, believes it’s important to keep Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon, adding: “We are most definitely their number one targets once they do have nuclear capabilities.”

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The AP-NORC poll of 1,165 adults was conducted July 23-27 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 6.0 for Republicans overall and plus or minus 5.4 for Democrats overall.

Polar bears Aleut and Gregor wasted no time and were rolling in the beds of ice cubes after entering their outside enclosure.

The twins looked to have fun with the ice treat that was meant to keep them cool amid the extreme temperatures forecast to soar to 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) later in the day.

“The bears cool off with it and at the same time it's an enrichment of their life in the zoo,” said zoo spokesperson Filip Mašek.

The zoo began providing ice to some of the animals two years ago in response to climate change and the increasing number of days with extreme temperatures.

The polar bears, who were born in Nuremberg, Germany, 16 years ago and have adapted to the European climate, were the ones who enjoyed it the most.

This year, the plan was to order ice for the animals in July and August, which are traditionally the hottest months. But the first heat wave struck early and the Czech Republic experienced its hottest day ever with 41.9 C (107.4 F) on June 28.

“The weather keeps surprising us,” Mašek said. He said the ice will be ready sooner next year. “We’ve been taught a lesson.”

Other animals that have benefited from the provision of ice to keep cool in previous years include otters, elephants and parrots.

Some animals in the zoo are used to heat, others could stay in the shade or inner enclosures and use various pools to keep cool. Gorillas were given pieces of ice with frozen fruits in the previous years.

Deputies and Oakland Park Fire Rescue crews responded around 6:35 p.m. to the intersection of Northwest 44th Street and Northwest 31st Avenue following reports of a crash.

Investigators said the crash involved two cars with one person in each vehicle. The female driver of one of the vehicles died at the scene.

The male driver of the other vehicle was taken to Broward Health Medical Center for treatment of his injuries.

Detectives with BSO’s Traffic Homicide Unit are investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash. The investigation remains ongoing.

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Earlier on Wednesday, the two final candidates for Miami-Dade Schools superintendent were working to convince the school board that they’re the best person for the job.

They are Ernie Lozano, the Broward County Public Schools Chief Human Resources Officer; and Rafael Villalobos, the Miami-Dade School District’s South Region Superintendent.

After hearing from both candidates, the eight board members unanimously voted for Villalobos to be the county’s next superintendent.

“He is steadfast, he is not afraid to make a tough call, he is not afraid to have a tough conversation, he is not afraid to disagree,” said board member Mary Blanco.

Rained with praise for his grit, determination and experience, Villalobos was chosen to lead the more than 330,000 students who are part of Miami-Dade’s public school system.

He spoke about the first challenges he plans to tackle.

“I think the greatest issue is lower enrollment, and making sure that parents understand that we are your best choice, that they understand that the programs that we have, the teachers that love children and the entire staff are here for them, and that undeniably we have the better programs,” said Villalobos. “They have to entrust in us, they have to know that we are ready to serve them and serve their children.”

He also spoke about taking a close look at the budget to see if he can increase the percentage of funding going toward teacher salaries.

Villalobos began his career as a teacher at South Dade Senior High School in 1994. He later became an assistant principal and then served as principal at four different public schools through 2010.

After spending several years in the private sector, he returned to Miami-Dade County Public Schools in 2015, where he has served in different leadership roles.

Wednesday’s public interviews were part of the selection and appointment process.

Interview questions were submitted by the Office of the General Counsel, with board members each taking a turn reading a question to the candidates.

A finalist was required to receive five affirmative votes from school board members in order to move forward in the appointment process.

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Chef Creole owner Wilkinson Sejour said he recently lost four employees.

“I said, ‘Look, they extended it for three more days,’” Sejour said. “They said, ‘Boss, the way this administration is doing business, they don’t care about the rule of law. They just care about their agenda. I’m not going to be embarrassed. I’m not going to be looking like a criminal in front of people,’ so they’re out of here. They’re gone.”

Sejour, who is Haitian American, said he empathizes with Haitian TPS holders who came to the United States for better opportunities as Haiti continues to deal with crime and instability.

“How do you get sent back to a country that the American Embassy is saying, ‘Do not go over there?’” Sejour said. “This is very contradictory. I don’t understand it.”

Archbishop of Miami Thomas Wenski recently returned from Washington, D.C., where he lobbied senators to pass a House bill that would extend TPS protections for Haitian nationals for three more years.

“They were not very optimistic about the possibilities of the Senate passing the bill that was referred to them from the House. But I told them, I said, ‘Listen, that bill that came out of the House of Representatives on a discharge petition was a minor miracle. And we’re here to ask them to help make a major miracle,’” Wenski said.

While Wenski continues to push for a legislative solution, Sejour says he is already preparing for the financial impact on his business.

Sejour owns seven Chef Creole locations across Miami. He said he is now looking to hire more workers to replace the employees he recently lost.

“My cost of labor is supposed to be at 23½%, and now it’s going to go to 27% or maybe 28%,” Sejour said. “So my net profit is going to be smaller. How am I going to mitigate that? My prices on my goods are going to have to go up. Everyone is going to feel it.”

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Police confirmed that a report was made Tuesday after the Frenchie was found dead at a home in the 6600 block of Atlanta Street.

The owners of the Frenchie named Prince said he was being watched by a pet sitter found on Rover.com when he was left in a crate outside in the summer heat. They said Prince was in good health prior to his death.

Prince’s owner, Kaylynn Ackeret, was heartbroken when she found out.

“I didn’t really know what to say,” she said. “I just started crying and I got off the phone.”

Ackeret said a friend went to pick up Prince’s body.

“They told me they left him in a kennel,” she said.

Hollywood police confirmed Wednesday that officers were at the home investigating what led to the dog’s death, and are also working with City of Hollywood Animal Control.

“We understand the concern from community members and are working to gather as much information as possible to determine exactly what occurred,” HPD posted on social media. “We remain committed to this investigation and will provide updates as soon as the information becomes available.”

Rover also released a statement to Local 10 News about Prince’s death.

“Most of us at Rover are pet parents ourselves, and we can only imagine the heartbreak and stress Prince’s family is experiencing,” the statement read. “Upon learning of this incident, our 24/7 Trust & Safety team launched a thorough investigation. The account of the sitter involved has been deactivated without the option to appeal, meaning they cannot communicate or book new stays with pet parents via Rover. We have also refunded Ms. Ackeret’s stay and offered to reimburse all eligible veterinary and aftercare costs through the Rover Guarantee.

“Safety incidents on our platform are extremely rare — over half a million stays have been booked by pet parents in the Miami area, with more than 98% of reviewed stays receiving five stars. Prince’s death is truly heartbreaking, and it’s one we’re handling with the seriousness it deserves."

The bank’s monetary policy committee voted 6-3 to keep the rate at 3.75%, in line with the expectations of most economists. Policymakers have kept the rate at that level since December after four rate cuts in 2025.

The split decision highlights growing tensions within central banks around the world about how to respond to stubbornly high inflation and concerns that the war in Iran will lead to another round of price increases. The U.S. Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept its key rate at a range of 3.5% to 3.75%, with Chairman Kevin Warsh saying the Fed “will not hesitate to act” to keep inflation under control.

“The impact of the energy shock on the UK economy remains uncertain,” the committee said in a summary of its deliberations. The interest rate changes required to meet the inflation target “will depend on the scale and duration of the shock, and how it propagates through the economy,” it added.

But three policymakers disagreed, saying the potential inflationary effect of the recent surge in energy prices was too great to ignore, even though price spikes earlier in the war haven't yet pushed up prices and wage demands in Britain. All three voted to raise rates by a quarter point to 4%.

“I remain concerned about more insidious second-round effects driven by catch-up dynamics in wage and price setting,” committee member Huw Pill said. “While these may be slower to emerge, they could prove more lasting and create greater intrinsic inflation persistence.”

Adjusting central bank interest rates, which serve as a benchmark for loans and credit cards, is the primary tool central banks use to control inflation. Higher rates make it more expensive to borrow money, tending to reduce spending and lower prices. Lower rates make it cheaper to borrow, tending to increase spending and boost prices.

Consumer price inflation in the U.K. slowed to 2.6% in the 12 months through June from 2.8% the previous month, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. While the drop was bigger than economists expected, inflation remained above the bank’s 2% target for a 21st consecutive month.

Renewed attacks by the United States and Iran in the Middle East sent oil prices soaring this month due to concerns about the continued disruption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of all crude oil and natural gas traded once passed in peacetime

Brent crude, the benchmark for world oil prices, jumped to more than $100 a barrel on July 23 from less than $71 three weeks earlier as the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran broke down. Brent crude traded for about $92 a barrel on Thursday.

In Britain, economists are also closely watching the tax and spending policies of new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to see if his efforts to shield consumers from rising prices and spur economic growth are likely to add to inflation.

Pakistán ha registrado en los últimos años precipitaciones por encima de lo normal, una tendencia que, según científicos, está vinculada al cambio climático. Aunque el país aporta menos del 1% de las emisiones mundiales de gases de efecto invernadero, las investigaciones muestran que está entre las naciones más vulnerables al cambio climático.

Los aguaceros han causado la muerte de más de 100 personas en incidentes relacionados con la lluvia desde finales de junio, incluidos 14 niños que murieron después de que se desplomara el tejado de un centro educativo.

Un fuerte estruendo despertó a los residentes del barrio de Baghbanpura, en Lahore, la capital de la provincia oriental de Punjab, la noche del miércoles, cuando la casa se vino abajo. Equipos de emergencia llegaron al lugar mientras los vecinos intentaban sacar a las víctimas de debajo de los escombros.

La operación de rescate duró casi 24 horas y los socorristas recuperaron los cuerpos de tres familias, según testigos y un comunicado del gobierno.

Varios de los sobrevivientes quedaron sepultados bajo una enorme pila de escombros, según el servicio de emergencias de Punjab. Algunos estaban en estado crítico.

Según los residentes, las persistentes lluvias monzónicas habían debilitado el techo superior del edificio, que cedió por falta de mantenimiento. Indicaron que el impacto desencadenó un colapso progresivo, que derribó los pisos inferiores y el resto de la estructura.

Las autoridades han advertido que no pueden descartar que se repita el clima extremo que provocó las catastróficas inundaciones de Pakistán en 2022. Las inundaciones sumergieron cerca de un tercio del país, causaron la muerte de 1.737 personas y desplazaron a millones.

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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.

As of Tuesday, 3,442 cases had been recorded, with 1,521 deaths, according to the latest government update. The sharp rise since last week partly reflects a backlog of cases and deaths that had not yet been confirmed or recorded, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.

The outbreak, declared on May 15, has been linked to the Bundibugyo virus for which there are no approved vaccines or treatments. Delays in contact tracing, difficulties accessing affected areas, mistrust from communities and violence by armed groups and some residents have hampered the response, the Africa CDC said.

The outbreak is mostly concentrated in eastern Congo’s remote Ituri province, which accounts for nearly 90% of cases, but there have been others confirmed in five provinces, including one of the country’s largest cities, Kisangani.

Neighboring Uganda declared itself free of Ebola on Tuesday following the discharge of the country’s last patient in mid-June.

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

Africa CDC Director-General Dr. Jean Kaseya said Thursday that 63% of confirmed deaths in the last two weeks occurred outside of treatment centers.

Kaseya said this is largely due to the “unsafe handling of infected bodies” by residents. Traditional burial practices in some communities involve touching the bodies of the deceased, which can be highly contagious.

The restrictions that health authorities have placed on such funerals, along with widespread misinformation asserting that the deadly virus isn’t real, have angered some residents and led to attacks on health facilities.

In Ituri’s Nyakunde health zone, international partners supporting the Ebola response had to temporarily relocate after a July 15 attack on a hospital and a treatment center, sparked by a patient’s death.

Officials say the relocation of these partners, including Africa CDC and Mercy Corps, has disrupted surveillance, contact tracing and supplies.

Dr. Désiré Duabo, chief medical officer for the health zone, said foreign aid groups and agencies had provided much of the supplies, equipment and operational support, and warned that the small stocks left are “almost depleted.”

Attacks such as the one in Nyakunde are causing anxiety among health workers and making it difficult for them to carry out their duties, said Pierre Akilimali, the Ebola response incident manager at the National Public Health Institute of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

“They are working amidst risks of infection as well as risks to their personal safety,” he said.

Local health officials say security has since stabilized and are urging partners to return, with Africa CDC saying teams could redeploy as soon as next week.

The latest outbreak has killed more people at a quicker rate than any previous outbreak, including in 2014-2016 when 28,000 cases were reported, of which over 11,000 people died. That outbreak took about eight months to reach 1,000 deaths.

The World Health Organization says the global risk of spread remains low because Ebola does not travel through the air, making it much harder to spread than respiratory viruses. Cases detected outside the affected region have so far been quickly identified and contained without leading to sustained transmission, the agency said.

In Congo, however, the risk of the spread remains “very high,” according to the WHO.

——

Banchereau reported from Dakar, Senegal.

The European Commission said it would like the public financing to draw an additional 20 billion euros ($22.8 billion) in private investment.

“Access to the raw scale of computing power within AI gigafactories is a strategic necessity for Europe as AI development accelerates,” said Henna Virkkunen, the Commission executive vice president overseeing tech sovereignty.

The efforts by Brussels to establish “ tech sovereignty ” have gained urgency as leaders worry about dependence on technologies from foreign providers, which they say could be “weaponized” against Europeans. U.S. President Donald Trump has railed against the EU over its tech regulations and China has limited the supply of minerals critical to the sector.

Firms can now bid for contracts to build gigafactories that are planned to have at least 100,000 cutting-edge AI chips, making them roughly four times more powerful than the data centers currently running in the EU.

The EU's current computing power — delivered by a network of 19 AI data centers from Finland to Spain — will more than double when these seven gigafactories come online.

Europe lags far behind the U.S. and China in crucial sectors for the development of AI, according to a 2025 assessment by the U.S. Federal Reserve. China has an enormous electrical power capacity for data centers while the U.S. bags the lion's share of private AI investment.

Europe doesn’t manufacture many of the millions of components needed for data centers and electricity in the EU can cost double or triple what it does in the U.S. and China, according to a Commission report presented to European Parliament in June.

“European businesses and public authorities will continue to rely on US AI providers to the detriment of European service providers struggling to work at the frontier,” said the report, which listed the bloc's top five cloud service providers as all American. “Dependence on hyperscale cloud and AI computing service providers, particularly for highly critical use cases, will continue to expose data to third-country access and carry risks to service continuity, endangering operational autonomy.”

France's Mistral now runs the one of the largest AI data center in the EU so far at its campus in Paris. Mistral makes the Le Chat chatbot but it hasn't kept pace with American AI companies like OpenAI, maker of ChatGPT, and Chinese rivals like DeepSeek.

While political leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron have raised the alarm about Europe lacking homegrown AI companies, deep anxieties run rife across the continent about the economic disruption and privacy implications of the nascent technology.

The Commission said AI products developed with the growing network of data centers will “follow EU standards on data protection, safety, security and ethics,” perhaps referring to the bloc’s Digital Services Act and its Digital Market Act.

In June, 40 mayors around the world signed a pact to curtail the negative impact of the construction of AI data centers on the natural resources, energy prices or climate targets of cities from Phoenix to Melbourne.

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El Danubio, que atraviesa 10 países desde el suroeste de Alemania hasta el mar Negro, ha retrocedido a niveles nunca vistos a lo largo de gran parte de su curso, dejando al descubierto rocas, bancos de arena y antiguos pecios que rara vez se habían visto antes.

En Budapest, la capital de Hungría, la autoridad nacional del agua midió el nivel del Danubio en 23 centímetros (9 pulgadas) el miércoles por la mañana, muy por debajo del anterior mínimo histórico de 33 centímetros (13 pulgadas) registrado en 2018.

Se espera que el nivel del río siga bajando en los próximos días, sin lluvias significativas en el pronóstico y con temperaturas que se espera que superen los 38º Celsius (100º Fahrenheit) en toda la región.

La sequía altera el tráfico de embarcaciones

Cuando los niveles del Danubio cayeron a un nuevo mínimo el martes, el fotógrafo Gábor Kertész fue a la base del Puente Margarita de Budapest —que normalmente está sumergido, pero ahora es un banco de arena expuesto— para documentar la escena.

“Las rocas desnudas, los bancos de arena secos alrededor de los pilares del puente... es impactante ver cómo eran las cosas antes y cómo son ahora", comentó. "¿A dónde llevará esto? ¿Qué pasará? Todavía no lo sabemos, pero esto debe ser el resultado del cambio climático”.

Gran parte de Europa central ha sufrido una prolongada sequía durante la mayor parte del año, y las sucesivas olas de calor han acelerado la evaporación y han hecho que las vías fluviales se sequen.

Según el Servicio Meteorológico de Hungría, los totales de precipitaciones en los últimos 90 días son de entre 80 y 130 milímetros (3,1 a 5,1 pulgadas) inferiores en casi todo el país en comparación con los promedios plurianuales.

El bajo nivel del agua ha obligado a los populares cruceros, donde los pasajeros suelen desembarcar para hacer turismo en la capital, Budapest, a atracar mucho más arriba, mientras que los buques de carga han dejado de operar casi por completo, según el Ministerio de Transporte e Inversión húngaro.

En Bulgaria, donde el Danubio forma frontera con Rumania, la policía evacuó a 186 turistas el martes de un crucero que había encallado cerca de la ciudad portuaria de Vidin.

Los pasajeros del Viking Ullur se quedaron sin comida y agua después de que la embarcación, que tenía previsto abastecerse en Vidin, no pudiera llegar al puerto tras toparse con un banco de arena poco profundo, según la agencia estatal de noticias búlgara BTA. Los 52 miembros de la tripulación podrían tener que permanecer a bordo durante un largo periodo, dependiendo de las condiciones de navegación y de las opciones para reflotarlo, indicó la policía.

En Serbia, cientos de pequeñas embarcaciones y decenas de buques de carga quedaron varados en la ribera seca del río cerca de la ciudad de Novi Sad, en el norte.

Radovan Segrt, propietario de casa flotante y que realiza excursiones fluviales en su embarcación, contó a The Associated Press que el agua del Danubio se había retirado “unos 15 a 20 metros (50 a 65 pies) de su orilla”.

“La temporada de verano ya terminó, en lo que respecta a pasear en barco”, manifestó.

El bajo nivel de agua obliga a cerrar plantas nucleares

El retroceso también afecta a la producción de energía nuclear en numerosos países donde el agua del Danubio suele utilizarse para enfriar los reactores.

En Rumania, donde el caudal del Danubio había caído a 1.630 metros cúbicos por segundo, alrededor de un tercio de la media habitual para el mes de julio, las autoridades apagaron una unidad de reactor en la central de Cernavoda el martes por razones de seguridad y anunciaron que otra se apagaría poco después.

La central nuclear de Paks, en Hungría, que suministra casi la mitad de la electricidad del país, comenzó a reducir la potencia de un reactor el miércoles debido a restricciones en el suministro de agua de enfriamiento. La medida se tomó después de dos reducciones sucesivas en la producción de energía en dos reactores durante los dos días anteriores.

La sequía deja al descubierto tesoros y peligros

El lecho expuesto también puede suponer peligros. La semana pasada, las autoridades en Budapest cerraron el Puente Margarita después de que una bomba de la Segunda Guerra Mundial quedara al descubierto en su base por el retroceso del agua.

El buscador de tesoros Zsolt Horváth aprovechaba las condiciones extremas para sacar objetos metálicos de la orilla expuesta con un potente imán el martes. Dijo que le producía mucho placer encontrar cosas como un viejo amplificador de radio o casquillos de bala de las guerras mundiales.

Horváth señaló que, si bien “tener tan poca agua en el Danubio es una bendición para este tipo de actividad, por lo demás, es una maldición”.

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Los periodistas de Associated Press Stephen McGrath en Leamington Spa, Reino Unido; Veselin Toshkov en Sofía, Bulgaria; Béla Szandelszky en Budapest y Radul Radovanovic en Novi Sad, Serbia, contribuyeron a 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.

Europe is sweltering under an exceptionally hot and arid summer, creating tinderbox conditions for unprecedented fires that have flared from the Atlantic coast to the eastern Mediterranean and forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate homes and vacation spots.

Firefighters battled flames in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Greece and Turkey on Thursday and were tamping down smoldering forests in southwest France where 224,000 people had been forced to flee. Romania shut down both reactors at its Cernavoda nuclear power plant due to low water levels in the Danube River used to cool them.

Hollywood star George Clooney wrote to his local mayor that his family evacuated the southeastern French town where they've settled and that “we have no idea whether our beautiful home makes it through this terrible moment.” Clooney's publicist Guido Gotz shared the message to Brignoles Mayor Didier Brémond with The Associated Press.

Clooney wrote that he and his wife Amal, a human rights lawyer, were committed to the town and that, whatever happens, “we’ll be part of making it whole.”

The fire near Brignoles, in the Var region, flared Wednesday, forcing 700 people to evacuate, the mayor's office said. It said they were allowed back Thursday once the fire was tamed.

Returnees in France clear away ash

In the Bordeaux region of southwest France, wildfire evacuees streamed back to nine localities that authorities now deem safe after round-the-clock combat with the huge fire that ignited last week. Returnees included 50-year-old Sanachit Pho Ne Keo and his wife, relieved to discover that apart from black ash on an outside terrace, their home in Martignas-sur-Jalle wasn't damaged.

“Everything seems OK and it’s a good feeling!” he said.

“The fire was pretty close, the last smoking embers are still close,” he added. “But we could’ve expected worse.”

Regional health authorities recommended that returnees wear gloves and face masks as they clean up and wash children’s toys and pets’ feeding bowls and paws. France’s public health agency reported that call-out doctors and hospital emergency wards in Bordeaux had seen a spike in cases involving asthma sufferers last weekend when the raging wildfire was still spewing choking smoke clouds.

“It's the first somewhat optimistic day,” said Sophie Brocas, prefect of Bordeaux's Gironde region who gave the go-ahead for nearly two-thirds of the 224,000 evacuees to go home, including 60,000 allowed back to three Bordeaux suburbs on Tuesday.

Still, returnees were told to keep phones on and pack bags in case they have to be evacuated again.

The A63 highway south of Bordeaux also was reopened, clearing a major artery for road traffic with Spain and vacationers as France enters its peak August holiday period.

“Our feeling is that we’re getting back to the path of a normal life,” Brocas said Thursday evening.

Fire still smoking but not spreading

Gironde authorities said the blaze is no longer growing beyond the 420 square kilometers (about 162 square miles) already affected — an area four times that of Paris.

Capitalizing on the shift of momentum, police water cannons usually used for riot control are being added to the effort to extinguish embers and flare-ups, involving 3,300 firefighters and two dozen planes and helicopters dumping water and retardants, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said.

More aid came from other countries, with Luxembourg, Slovakia, Latvia, Germany and Serbia sending fire crews, adding to aircraft and other assistance provided by other countries, and Ukraine also offering help, Nuñez said.

Crews using heavy diggers continued ripping up trees and bushes to carve barriers of land between woodlands that burned and those that didn't, boxing in the blaze with firebreaks — now exceeding a total of 130 kilometers (80 miles) through the forests.

Emergency crews also set fires deliberately to burn away scrub that could fuel the wildfire.

“If we light a fire here, we know that our fire will move toward the incoming fire. So we’re not taking much of a risk,” said Lt. Col. Jérôme Jallet, overseeing a burn.

A heat wave — France's fourth of the year — gave way Thursday to cooler weather, higher humidity and even a little rain, helping the effort.

Tinderbox conditions across southern Europe

Successive heatwaves have created tinder-dry conditions across swaths of southern Europe and whack-a-mole emergencies for fire crews, with blazes flaring as others are extinguished.

Greece was tackling large fires on the islands of Crete, Paros and Andros, a day after three firefighters died.

In Spain, firefighters fought blazes in northwestern Zamora and eastern Castellón, after making progress against infernos in the Madrid region and Ávila that prompted the government to declare a national fire emergency for the first time.

At the peak of evacuations, a third of a million people were driven from homes and vacation sites in France and Spain.

In France, two firefighters suffered light injuries battling a woodlands blaze in the eastern Burgundy region and four were injured in the southern Var region on a fire brought under control with a dozen planes and helicopters dropping water and retardant, authorities said.

In Germany, firefighters using drones and helicopters battled an Alpine forest fire near the Austrian border, the dpa news agency reported.

On a heath of birch trees, heather and wildlife in Suffolk, east England, wind-whipped flames burned across an area the size of 140 soccer pitches and forced hundreds of people to evacuate homes, vacation cottages and a mobile home park, fire services said. New U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham called it “a very serious incident.” The southern half of the U.K. is suffering drought.

In Turkey, firefighters and aircraft battled forest fires in four western provinces, including tourist areas Mugla and Antalya.

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Turnbull reported from Martignas-sur-Jalle, France, and Leicester reported from Paris. Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Jill Lawless and Samuel Petrequin in London, Suman Naishadham in Madrid, Elena Becatoros in Athens, Stefanie Dazio in Berlin, Andrew Wilks in Ankara, Turkey, and Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England contributed to this report.

The blitz expanded Russia’s almost daily bombardment of Ukrainian cities, including the capital of Kyiv where tens of thousands spent the night sheltering in subway stations, as Moscow apparently looked to exploit Kyiv’s critical shortage of Western-supplied anti-ballistic missile defenses.

NATO said a Russian missile entered Polish airspace during the onslaught and landed in a rural area. It caused no injuries or damage but could deepen tensions between the military alliance and Moscow, as wary European countries fear the 4-year-old war could spill into their territory.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called it “yet another reckless act by Russia and a dangerous consequence of its war against Ukraine.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was “a very serious incident,” but added: “There are absolutely no reasons to believe that Poland was the target.”

Russia's barrage struck areas of Ukraine where weapons are believed to be stored and manufactured. Ukrainian long-range drones and missiles have battered Russia's oil sector, causing a fuel crisis.

The attack came two days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. President Donald Trump and representatives of American defense companies as he pleads for swifter and bigger deliveries of Patriot air defense systems to stop Russia’s ballistic missiles.

The Iran war has drained stockpiles of the U.S.-made interceptors. Trump has promised to grant Ukraine licenses to build its own Patriots, but production could take many months.

“Given the critical shortage of air defense missiles from our partners, our warriors are accomplishing truly incredible things, demonstrating a very high level of professionalism,” Zelenskyy said on social media.

“This Russian terror once again proves that protection against the Russian missile threat is the most important task when it comes to saving the lives of our people,” he said.

Russia says it targeted military sites

Zelenskyy said at least 10 Ukrainian regions were attacked, with dozens of homes, businesses and infrastructure facilities destroyed or damaged.

Russia launched more than 70 missiles, a significant number of them ballistic missiles, he said, and over 280 attack drones, of which more than 260 were intercepted.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it targeted Ukrainian air bases, arms factories and military telecommunications and logistics facilities, including drone factories and storage depots, as well as plants for missiles, aircraft repairs, electronics and chemicals.

In the Dnipropetrovsk region, the Russian attack killed six people and wounded 10, said Oleksandr Hanzha, head of the regional military administration, in a post on Telegram. Children were among the dead — a 6-year-old girl and boys aged 11 and 17 in the area of Kryvyi Rih, Zelenskyy's hometown, Hanzha added.

The children’s parents were killed in the same attack, but two more children were pulled alive from the rubble, Zelenskyy said.

“It was an ordinary home, blown (to) smithereens by a ballistic missile,” he said on X.

In Kyiv, Russian forces struck the capital with ballistic missiles, killing a 31-year-old man and wounding two others, the National Police press service said.

More than 56,000 people sheltered in Kyiv’s subway stations overnight, according to the Facebook post from the metro system.

A cruise missile attack struck the western city of Lviv, killing one person and wounding over 30, including children aged 6, 13 and 15, said Maksym Kozytskyi, head of the Lviv regional military administration.

In the Poltava region, a drone hit warehouses, killing one person, said regional military head Vitalii Diakivnych.

Closer to the front line, which comes under almost daily attack, Russian forces dropped three glide bombs on an industrial zone in the southern city of Kherson, killing a 56-year-old man, local officials said.

Poland says fragments indicated a Russian cruise missile

A Russian Kh-101 cruise missile crossed into Poland overnight, violating NATO airspace, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X, calling it a clear demonstration that strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses would also guarantee wider European security.

Responding to the missile alert, NATO forces in Poland scrambled two fighter jets, an attack helicopter and two other aircraft, and activated ground defenses, said Col. Michael O’Connell, the spokesperson for the alliance’s military command in Belgium.

The missile quickly disappeared from radar, the Polish Armed Forces said. A helicopter flew to its last known location, where the crew discovered a probable impact site in a farming area in Lublin province, the command said.

Investigators found fragments indicating that the object was a Kh-101 missile, Polish news agency PAP reported.

Tusk had met with Zelenskyy in Lublin on Wednesday to discuss defense issues.

NATO military commander Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich told Poland’s Defense Chief Gen. Wiesław Kukułan the military alliance “will continue to take all necessary measures to defend NATO territory,” O’Donnell said.

Ukr

aine hits more depots of major Russian online retailer

Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 258 Ukrainian drones overnight.

A depot belonging to Wildberries online retailer was set ablaze in Russia's Penza region southeast of Moscow, in the latest strike on the company's warehouses, Penza Gov. Oleg Melnichenko.

Four people were injured and 200 workers were evacuated, he said, adding that about 100 firefighters were deployed.

Wildberries also reported its warehouse in Sarapul in the Udmurtia region more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Ukraine, was struck by a Ukrainian drone and set ablaze. It said the workers had been safely evacuated.

The Russian online news outlet Astra reported that another Wildberries depot in the Perm region in the Urals was also set ablaze by a Ukrainian drone strike. Regional authorities reported a Ukrainian drone attack but didn’t give information about the damage.

Thursday’s attacks on Wildberries warehouses brought to 14 the number of the retailer’s depots struck by Ukrainian drones in under two weeks. Ukraine accuses Wildberries of supplying goods that can be used by the Russian military.

Ukrainian drone units destroyed four more vessels belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” of sanctions-busting tankers, bringing the total to 205 since the operation began July 6, Robert Brovdi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, said on his Telegram channel.

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AP reporter Stefanie Dazio in Berlin, Rafal Niedzielski in Warsaw, Poland, and Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed.

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

“He ran into that water despite those conditions that are deadly. You have 10 foot waves; you have riptides and currents coming in,” Sumit Rai told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “It is not safe for him to go into that water. So he’s risking his own safety.”

Rai’s son Nathaniel was standing in shallow water when he lost his footing and was pulled into the ocean Saturday by powerful swells that suddenly came ashore at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz, about 60 miles (about 100 kilometers) down the coast from San Francisco. Rai, who was in his home city of Dallas, said he heard about what happened when he spoke to his kids on the phone that evening.

“My son told me that he drowned and my son told me that he went unconscious,” he said. “He was very subdued, still in a state of shock.”

By the next morning, Rai had watched the video of the rescue that has since caught the attention of President Donald Trump.

Ryder Williams, 16, the lifeguard who saved Nathaniel, said he saw the boy lose his footing in ankle-deep water. He radioed in and then raced toward Nathaniel.

“After the first wave, I was unable to pull him out because he was limp and the waves were pushing so hard,” he said in a statement.

California State Parks, which employs the lifeguards at that beach, said the boy was swept about 15 yards (13.7 meters) into the ocean before the lifeguard made contact with him.

In the video, Williams can be seen diving into a coming wave while holding tight to the boy.

Another lifeguard jumped in to help, along with some bystanders, who Williams said he warned to go back to the shore.

“I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to return the child to his family safely,” he said. “This is my job and I love what I do. I’m thankful to my fellow lifeguards who perform rescues just like this every day.”

The boy had no serious injuries, and after an medical evaluation he was released to his family, the California State Parks said in an emailed statement.

Rai said his son told him that he got sand in his lungs and was coughing it out after getting to the shore. Now his son, who is expected back from California in a few days, is dealing with the psychological effects of what happened.

“He’s still been thinking about it a lot. It’s on his mind,” he said. “It bothers him when he’s sleeping. So it’s obviously traumatizing.”

Rai has reached out to Williams and said he hopes to be able to thank him directly.

“What he did, I can never ever repay," he said. "I'm forever grateful.”

Los científicos afirman que el cambio climático, provocado principalmente por la quema de petróleo, carbón y gas, calienta el mar Mediterráneo y atrae a cientos de especies de peces nuevas e invasoras que diezman las poblaciones autóctonas.

A medida que disminuye la biodiversidad, las comunidades costeras tendrán dificultades para ganarse la vida de la forma en la que se ha hecho durante generaciones.

“El Mediterráneo de nuestros abuelos, de nuestros mayores, y de los griegos, de la antigua Grecia, se ha perdido para siempre. Muchos de esos cambios son irreversibles”, manifestó Ernesto Azzuro, biólogo marino del Instituto de Recursos Biológicos Marinos y Biotecnología del Consejo Nacional de Investigación de Italia.

El calor no puede disiparse en la cuenca del Mediterráneo

Los científicos han designado al Mediterráneo como un “punto crítico” del cambio climático, y se espera que sus aguas se calienten entre 2 y 6 grados Celsius (entre 3,6 y 10,8 grados Fahrenheit) para 2100. Es probable que las olas de calor se vuelvan más frecuentes y más extremas, según Mediterranean Experts on Climate and Environmental Change, una red independiente de científicos.

Ronan McAdam, oceanógrafo del Centro Euromediterráneo sobre Cambio Climático, explicó que un factor clave del calentamiento es que el mar es una cuenca cerrada y el calor no puede disiparse como ocurre en la inmensidad de los océanos.

El calentamiento de sus aguas ha convertido al Mediterráneo en un nuevo y atractivo hogar para especies invasoras como el pez globo moteado, un depredador voraz y el “peor invasor”, señaló Azzuro.

Estas especies se dirigen ahora hacia Francia y España tras entrar al Mediterráneo por el canal de Suez.

La Comisión General de Pesca del Mediterráneo, de la agencia de Naciones Unidas para la alimentación y la agricultura, indicó que esas especies invasoras han estado presentes durante décadas, pero su propagación se aceleró a partir de los comienzos de la década de 2000, coincidiendo con el aumento de la temperatura del mar. Por ejemplo, el pez león se registró por primera vez en el Mediterráneo oriental en 2012 y se ha expandido rápidamente hacia el oeste.

“El Mediterráneo será aún más pobre, con aún menos especies, simplemente porque el cambio climático está haciendo que esta parte del Mediterráneo, especialmente la parte oriental, sea realmente inadecuada para las especies autóctonas”, explicó Azzuro.

Chipre, debido a su proximidad al canal de Suez, fue el primero en sentir el impacto de estos peces invasores. El pez león desplazó a poblaciones autóctonas como el salmonete rojo, para disgusto de los pescadores, que han visto disminuir en gran medida las variedades locales apreciadas por los clientes.

Además están los peces conejo, que pueden devorar algas del fondo marino, destruyendo el hábitat de muchas especies autóctonas.

“Sabemos lo que debería hacerse. Deberíamos reducir el uso de combustibles (fósiles)”, dijo Piero Genovesi Papik, zoólogo del Instituto Superior para la Protección e Investigación Ambiental de Italia. “Se trata, definitivamente, de un asunto urgente para la humanidad, y todos conocemos las soluciones, aunque, por supuesto, requieren una visión global y conjunta”.

Se han identificado unas 1.000 especies invasoras

Azzuro apuntó que se han identificado unas 1.000 especies invasoras en el Mediterráneo, y que 800 de ellas están firmemente establecidas.

Los cambios son drásticos. Azzuro indicó que las aguas poco profundas del Mediterráneo oriental han perdido el 93% de su población de moluscos. A lo largo de la costa adriática, antes abundante en mejillones, casi todos han muerto debido a la temperatura del agua, que en ocasiones han superado los 30º C (86º F).

Desde Venecia, en el norte, hasta Bari, en el sur, “la mortandad fue espectacular”, sostuvo. “A menos que… encontremos poblaciones capaces de sobrevivir a través de estos distintos climas, el futuro de los mejillones no es un futuro feliz, al menos en el mar Adriático”.

Azzuro dijo que su instituto y su socio lanzaron hace unos años la campaña “Cuidado con esos cuatro” para concienciar sobre los peligros que suponen las especies invasoras para la salud humana.

Por ejemplo, el pez globo es tóxico y potencialmente letal si lo consumen los humanos. Las espinas venenosas del pez león pueden causar lesiones graves a cualquiera que sea picado.

Expertos: la propagación de las invasoras no puede revertirse

Los científicos están debatiendo cómo pueden adaptarse a esta situación las comunidades costeras. Una forma es comercializar las especies invasoras que son comestibles. Otra es pagar a los pescadores para que capturen las no comestibles, como el pez globo, para que puedan ser incineradas.

Algunas especies, como el pez león, tienen “claros beneficios económicos porque se vende a precios muy altos, especialmente en algunos países”, comentó Azzuro. Pero los pescadores no han aprovechado otra especie invasora, el sigano nebuloso, cuya población ha crecido de manera significativa en aguas italianas.

Papik, el zoólogo, señaló que, aunque es “demasiado tarde” para revertir la propagación de las invasoras en el Mediterráneo, existen formas prácticas de mitigar su impacto.

La primera es impedir que sigan migrando mediante la aplicación de un tratado internacional que obligue a las autoridades nacionales a tratar las aguas de lastre de los barcos que lleguen a puerto y puedan transportar esas especies.

“Esto es algo técnicamente factible y puede reducir el número de… nuevas especies exóticas entre un 95% y un 99%”, explicó. Otra táctica es tratar los cascos de los barcos con una pintura especial que impide que polizones indeseados se adhieran a ellos.

Papik indicó también que se están modificando las políticas pesqueras para permitir que las especies autóctonas recuperen parte de su población, como el cultivo de moluscos menos susceptibles al cangrejo azul exótico.

“En los próximos años, creo que el desafío será restaurar, encontrar nuevas maneras de restaurar el medio ambiente”, agregó.

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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 United Arab Emirates-based app, which reports having 1 billion users worldwide, faces a fine of up to 54.6 million Australian dollars ($38 million) if convicted in the Australian Federal Court for “alleged failure to detect and remove pro-terror material,” eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Thursday.

The civil action is a test of Australia's 2021 law requiring tech platforms to work to keep illegal and pro-terrorism material off their networks.

Telegram denied the claims. “We reject these allegations and will contest them in court,” a spokesperson said in a written statement sent on Telegram.

Regulator says app must take responsibility

The platform is one of the world's most popular messaging apps. The Australian regulator is taking issue with what's shared in group chats of up to 200 people and channels with unlimited reach.

“This case concerns content linked to some of the most notorious acts of known extremist violence in recent history, including material associated with the Christchurch and Buffalo terror attacks,” Inman Grant said in a statement.

“We allege that this content remained accessible on the service long after Telegram had been put on notice,” she said.

The crimes cited by Inman Grant were ideologically-driven massacres performed for online audiences. Years later, digital artifacts of the massacres are still confounding regulators, who fear the power of videos and so-called manifestos to radicalize others.

In Buffalo in 2022, an American white supremacist livestreamed on Twitch part of a shooting at a supermarket in which he killed 10 Black people. He cited among his motivations the crimes of an Australian white supremacist who in 2019 livestreamed on Facebook a shooting at two Christchurch mosques, where he murdered 51 Muslim worshippers.

Telegram channels established after these and other hate-fueled crimes were populated by users who endorsed the killers and shared videos and other content from the massacres. The Australian watchdog's claim, filed to the federal court Wednesday, said the unlimited broadcast size of Telegram channels meant the app must take responsibility for culling harmful material.

Telegram says it blocks 'terrorist-related communities'

The messaging app's statement said that the platform's “extensive anti-terrorism efforts are well-documented," adding a link to its published figures recording blocked content and channels. More than 150,000 “terrorist-related communities” have been blocked from the platform this year, according to the figures.

Inman Grant said eSafety began urging Telegram to comply with its own policies in March 2024, but the platform had been “non-responsive” for months.

The Australian official said that changed after France arrested Telegram’s Russian billionaire founder and CEO Pavel Durov in August 2024 over allegations that his platform was being used for illegal activity, including drug trafficking and the distribution of images of child sexual abuse. He was released after four days of questioning on bail of 5 million euros ($5.7 million).

Telegram had "become more compliant initially with us and with other regulators after France took action against the company,” Inman Grant said.

“They've still kept a permissive hosting environment for terrorist content,” she added.

The Australian court case also related to IS beheadings and other “horrific material used for propaganda and for radicalization,” she said.

“When platforms are alerted to terrorist content, they must act,” Inman Grant said.

On Wednesday, Russia’s Federal Security Service accused Durov of aiding what it called terrorist activities. The service also said it was adding Durov’s name to international wanted lists.

Telegram said in its statement supplied to The Associated Press on Thursday that it is committed to protecting user privacy and human rights such as freedom of speech and assembly. It said it had played a prominent role in pro-democracy movements around the world, including in Iran, Russia, Belarus, Myanmar and Hong Kong.

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Graham-McLay reported from Wellington, New Zealand.

The S&P 500 rallied 1.5% and recovered nearly all of its drop from the prior day, which was its worst in seven weeks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 555 points, or 1.1% as of 1:49 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite, which is full of artificial-intelligence stocks, jumped 2.6% a day after it fell 9.8% below its record set last month.

Microsoft led the way and leaped 17% after reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Growth was strong for its Azure cloud business, and CEO Satya Nadella said it reflects how customers are using Microsoft to move into AI.

Perhaps just as importantly for Wall Street, Microsoft did not announce a big increase in how much it plans to spend on AI investments, something that several other Big Tech rivals have done. Worries are high that such spending is eating into companies’ cash flows and may not ultimately be worth it if AI does not produce as much productivity and profits as promised.

Meta Platforms helped demonstrate such fears after falling 9%. The parent company of Facebook and Instagram reported a weaker profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, even though it made slightly more in revenue than expected. It also raised the lower end of its forecasted range for spending on investments this year.

Companies involved in the making of the computer memory and processors that such “hyperscalers” are buying rose Thursday, recovering some of the big losses they’ve taken on worries that their stock prices shot too high in the euphoria around AI.

Micron Technology jumped 17.6%, for example, to trim its loss for the week to 5.6%. It was one of the strongest forces lifting the S&P 500 after Microsoft.

Lam Research, a supplier to the semiconductor industry, soared 17.6% after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Chip giant Advanced Micro Devices rallied 13.5%.

Jersey Mike's Subs fell 4.4% shortly after the sandwich chain made its market debut. Its IPO was priced at $23.

In the bond market, longer-term Treasury yields held a bit steadier following their sharp accelerations Wednesday. They had jumped after the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, gave few clues about what the central bank will do with interest rates to combat the painfully high inflation that continues to hurt the country.

Higher rates could keep a lid on inflation, but they can also slow the economy and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury held steady at 4.67% from late Wednesday. The 30-year Treasury yield edged up to 5.21% from 5.20%, a day after it shot up from 5.09%. They move with investors’ expectations for inflation and economic growth in upcoming years.

Warsh reaffirmed on Wednesday the Fed wants to get inflation back down to 2%, even though the central bank decided not to raise interest rates despite its remaining higher than that. He also implied the bond market may already be doing some of the Fed’s work to restrain inflation, and he pointed to how yields have climbed since the central bank’s last meeting six weeks earlier.

That leaves investors questioning whether the Fed is prepared to act if inflation worsens, or whether it is relying on financial markets to achieve the same outcome, according to Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management.

“If investors conclude that the latter is true, the credibility of the Fed’s inflation-fighting commitment could come under increasing scrutiny. Arguably, it already is.”

President Donald Trump, who nominated Warsh to lead the Fed, has argued for lower interest rates even though they could cause inflation to accelerate.

Reports released Thursday suggested the U.S. economy’s growth slowed by more during the spring than economists expected. A measure of Inflation, meanwhile, remained worse last month than the Federal Reserve’s target, but it slowed from May.

In the oil market, prices eased back.

Brent crude, the international standard, fell 1.2% to $87.01 per barrel. It had swung as low as $72 early this month and as high as $102 last week on uncertainty about whether the United States and Iran could reach a deal to allow oil tankers to move freely again from the Middle East to customers worldwide.

In stock markets worldwide, indexes rose in Europe following a mixed finish in Asia. South Korea's Kospi fell 1.2%, and France's CAC 40 rose 0.9% for two of the world's bigger moves.

Seoul's market has been at the center of the huge recent moves for AI stocks because it's dominated by two tech titans, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix. After more than doubling through this year's first six months, the Kospi has plunged 34% so far in July.

Its drop on Thursday came as Samsung Electronics dipped 0.7%. The tech giant reported a record profit for the spring and said demand for its chips continues to outpace supply, but its earnings nevertheless fell shy of analysts' high expectations.

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AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

Following a few days of respite, fears of a wider war have grown, with renewed fighting threatening to engulf even more countries: Jordan said Thursday it intercepted Iranian missiles for the second consecutive day, while Kuwait said a strike in the northern part of the country killed one person. Also this week, drones caused fires on ships at an Egyptian port, and Saudi Arabia said it came under fire from Iran-backed militias in Iraq.

The war — which in its early days President Donald Trump said would last four to five weeks, although he warned it could take longer — has caused the price of fuel to spike and roiled the global economy. As months have passed, concerns have deepened about using up the stockpile of weapons the U.S. needs to defend its bases and allies.

Meanwhile, the war is unpopular among Americans, and a new AP-NORC poll says Trump’s approval rating on Iran has dipped slightly since last month.

The recent pause in fighting, which began over the weekend and spurred hopes among mediators of diplomatic progress, ended with increasing missile and drone attacks across many countries in the Middle East.

“We note with concern that the security situation remains precarious,” said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi, whose country has been a key mediator.

Talks “are ongoing to normalize the situation, particularly the situation in the Strait of Hormuz,” he told reporters.

The US and Iran trade strikes

An Iranian strike hit a Chinese firm’s building in Kuwait on Thursday, severely damaging the structure and killing a worker, Kuwait’s military said, hours after Jordan’s air defenses shot down five missiles launched from Iran.

No injuries were reported from Jordan’s interception, Jordan’s state-run Petra news agency said, quoting the spokesman for the country’s armed forces. Both countries are U.S. allies and host American troops.

The attacks came after the U.S. military said it completed “a heavy wave of strikes against Iran,” conducted in response to an earlier Iranian missile attack on a U.S. base in Jordan.

The military's Central Command said in a social media post that the U.S. struck dozens of targets belonging to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance and defense sites.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said three people were killed and two were wounded in a strike on the island of Qeshm, which lies just off the Iranian mainland in the Strait of Hormuz — a crucial waterway for the world's energy supplies that has been at the center of the conflict.

The latest barrage came after the U.S. partnered with Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers.

Fires were reported on two natural gas vessels at an Egyptian port

Also on Wednesday, British maritime security firm Ambrey said drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a U.S.-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker. No injuries were reported.

The office of the Egyptian prime minister said initial investigations showed the fires on the two vessels had been caused by a drone.

Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator, is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have been spared direct military action during the war. A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict. The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have denied they were behind the attack.

The war has wreaked havoc on the global economy

Since Iran began threatening and firing on ships in the Strait of Hormuz early in the war, the conflict has wreaked havoc on the global economy as energy shipments through the waterway ground to a near halt. Much of the diplomacy around ending the war has focused on reopening the strait, through which 20% of oil and natural gas shipments passed in peacetime.

The already limited ship traffic through the strait has plunged to wartime lows during the recent exchange of strikes, from 82 ships during the week of July 13-19 to just 39 from July 20-26, Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a shipping data and analysis firm, said in an webinar.

Fighting elsewhere has squeezed energy supplies further.

Saudi Arabia has accused the Iraqi militias of firing drones against its oil facilities over the past days. An umbrella group of Iraqi militias initially denied the allegations, while the Houthi rebels said they had attacked Saudi energy facilities as part of a separate but related conflict.

The Houthis have also declared a blockade of Saudi shipping and threatened to choke off another crucial Middle East trade route, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from the Red Sea into the Gulf of Aden. That route became even more important during the war, as Saudi Arabia used it to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

While some Saudi oil exports are continuing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait despite the blockade, Lloyd’s List Intelligence said much of that oil now follows an expensive and time-consuming workaround: It travels from Saudi Arabia on tankers to the Egyptian city of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea coast before being pumped overland through a pipeline to the Mediterranean port of Sidi Kerir. Then it's loaded on tankers again.

The Suez Canal is not deep enough to handle the largest and most economical tankers when they are full loaded with oil.

On Monday, the Houthis said they had launched drones targeting facilities used to transport oil across Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea port of Yanbu. The rebels said the attack was in response to a Saudi drone they said breached Yemen’s airspace.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman met Wednesday with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, according to two people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to comment publicly about the private meetings.

They said the Saudi decision to join the U.S. attacks against the Iraqi militias was meant to send a message to Iran that the kingdom would not tolerate Iran or its proxies targeting the Saudi oil industry and other critical infrastructure. At the same time, the defense minister underscored to Trump and Vance that the Saudis want to see a de-escalation in the war and for Washington and Tehran to return to negotiations.

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Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press writers Konstantin Toropin and Aamer Madhani in Washington, Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad and Fatma Khaled in Cairo contributed.

The Danube River, which runs through 10 countries from southwestern Germany to the Black Sea, has receded to never-before-seen lows along much of its course, exposing rocks, sand bars and old shipwrecks that have rarely been seen before.

In Budapest, Hungary's capital, the national water authority measured the Danube's water level at 23 centimeters (9 inches) on Wednesday morning, well below the previous all-time low of 33 centimeters (13 inches) set in 2018.

The river is expected to further ebb in the coming days with no significant rain in the forecast and temperatures expected to rise to over 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) across the region.

Drought upends boat traffic

As Danube levels sank to a new low on Tuesday, photographer Gábor Kertész went to the base of Budapest’s Margaret Bridge — typically underwater but now an exposed shoal — to document the sight.

“The bare rocks, the dry sand bars around the bridge pillars ... it’s all shocking to see how things were before and how they are now,” he said. “Where will this lead, what will happen? We don’t know that yet, but this must be the result of climate change.”

Much of Central Europe has been under a prolonged drought for most of the year, and successive heat waves have accelerated evaporation and caused waterways to dry out.

According to the Hungarian Meteorological Service, 90-day precipitation totals are between 80-130 millimeters (3.1-5.1 inches) lower across nearly the entire country compared to multi-year averages.

The low water level has forced popular cruise ships, where passengers usually disembark for sightseeing in Budapest, to dock far upriver, while cargo ships have stopped operating nearly entirely, according to Hungary’s Ministry of Transport and Investment.

In Bulgaria, where the Danube forms a border with Romania, police on Tuesday evacuated 186 tourists from a cruise ship that had run aground near the port city of Vidin.

Passengers of the Viking Ullur ran out of food and water after the vessel, which had been scheduled to take on supplies in Vidin, was unable to reach the port after running into a shallow shoal, according to Bulgaria’s state news agency BTA. The ship's 52 crew members could have to remain onboard for an extended period depending on navigation conditions and refloating options, police said.

In Serbia, hundreds of small boats and dozens of cargo ships were marooned on the dried out river bank near the northern city of Novi Sad.

One house boat owner, Radovan Segrt, who runs river excursions on his vessel, told The Associated Press that the water in the Danube had withdrawn “some 15 to 20 meters (50 to 65 feet) from it's shore.”

“The summer season is over now, as far as boat riding is concerned,” he said.

Low water levels force nuclear plant shut downs

The receding waters are also affecting nuclear energy production in numerous countries where water from the Danube is typically used to cool reactors.

In Romania, where Danube water flow had fallen to 1,630 cubic meters per second, around a third of a typical July average, authorities shut down a reactor unit at the Cernavoda power plant on Tuesday for safety reasons and announced another would be shut down soon after.

Similarly, Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant, which supplies nearly half of the country's electricity, began powering down a reactor on Wednesday due to restricted cooling-water supplies. That came after two successive reductions in power output in two reactors over the previous two days.

Drought exposes treasures and dangers

The exposed river bed can also pose dangers. Last week, authorities in Budapest closed the Margaret Bridge after a bomb dating from World War II was exposed at its base by the receding water levels.

Treasure hunter Zsolt Horváth was using the extreme conditions to fish metal objects from the exposed bank with a powerful magnet on Tuesday. He said he got a lot of pleasure from finding things like an old radio amplifier or bullet casings from the World Wars.

Horváth said that while "having so little water in the Danube is a blessing for this kind of activity, otherwise, it’s a curse.”

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Associated Press writers Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England, Veselin Toshkov in Sofia, Bulgaria, Béla Szandelszky in Budapest, Hungary and Radul Radovanovic in Novi Sad, Serbia contributed.

Smith's family said in a statement Wednesday that Smith died following a bout with CTE-caused dementia.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the loss of our beloved Billy Ray Smith Jr., who passed away peacefully surrounded by family,” the statement said. “Billy Ray faced his long journey with dementia caused by CTE with unmatched bravery, dignity, and strength. Billy Ray brought so much joy, light, and laughter to the world as a devoted father, husband, son, and loyal friend."

Smith played 10 seasons with the Chargers after being drafted with the No. 5 overall pick of the 1983 NFL draft out of Arkansas. He was named to the Chargers' 50th anniversary team after racking up 15 career interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries and 13 forced fumbles.

Smith became the sports director at the ABC affiliate in San Diego following his playing career and was co-host of a long-running radio show while covering college and professional football for national TV broadcast.

Smith was a two-time All-American at Arkansas and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000. He starred at Plano Senior High School in Texas.

His father, Billy Ray Smith Sr., also played at Arkansas and in the NFL from 1957-70 with the Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Colts.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The 44-inch (112-centimeter) steel-tipped pole passed through the flesh beneath Cifaldi’s left arm, missing any vital organs, and protruded from his back. After conferring with his friends — and considering the high cost of a helicopter rescue — Cifaldi knew who would save him: himself.

“I was like, ‘We’ve got to get off this mountain.’ And they're both like, ‘I don’t know about that,’" Cifaldi said of his friends' initial reaction. “I’m pretty confident this is outside my chest wall. ’Tis but a flesh wound.”

The 32-year-old nurse, who works in wound care at a hospital in Billings, Montana, did a self-assessment. He was alert. There was little pain or blood. And the pole wasn’t moving. The group used a satellite-based communication device, a Garmin inReach, to contact local authorities and inform them of their plan to self-rescue.

Then they started hiking out. They carefully descended from the plateau along an unmarked route, navigating through boulders and snowfields before bushwhacking their way to an established trail.

After more than six hours in which they traveled about 10 miles (16 kilometers) and descended roughly 5,000 feet (1,500 meters), the group reached a trailhead where one of them, Cifaldi's friend Jesse Ross, had parked a vehicle.

“The only reason it was possible at all was his confidence,” Ross recalled. “Who are we to say anything? He's the medical person. Our job is just to support at that point.”

Cifaldi had long wanted to climb Granite Peak. At 12,800 feet (3,900 meters), Montana’s tallest mountain is prone to unpredictable weather including dangerous lightning storms and bitter cold. Hundreds of people annually try to reach the rocky summit; many come up short. In 2019, authorities said a 65-year-old Minnesota man who was an experienced climber fell about 150 feet (45 meters) to his death after reaching nearly the top of Granite Peak with his son.

As Cifaldi and his companions started hiking out, the pole awkwardly sticking out of his side, Stillwater County Search and Rescue team commander Ty Williams monitored the group's progress via a dispatcher who took calls from the group.

The first call came in at 9:44 a.m. on July 20, right after Cifaldi impaled himself. At 1:30 p.m. the trio said they were getting closer to the trailhead and to let the nearest hospital know they were coming, Williams said.

"There was no danger to anybody else. He didn’t want our help and so we’re not going to essentially violate his rights or go against his wishes by forcing our help on him,” Williams said.

By about 3:30 p.m. the hikers were in Ross' vehicle headed to the nearest clinic, Cifaldi said.

When they arrived, they were told Cifaldi needed more advanced treatment in Billings. So they got back in Ross' truck and kept driving to the hospital where he works, St. Vincent Regional Hospital.

Doctors removed the pole, bandaged him up and Cifaldi was back at work this week.

"I think 99 times out of a hundred I would make the same decision," Cifaldi said as he sat in Ross' front yard in Billings. “Search and rescue coming to help you is free. The flight's not. That was a factor in me deciding to self-rescue. But the fact that I had two experienced great friends with me and we had the ability to contact search and rescue if something went wrong made that a lot more of an easy decision.”

Released on Thursday, the annual “State of Black America” report grimly describes Black Americans ' economic and political prospects as having worsened due to policy changes from President Donald Trump's administration, according to a copy obtained by The Associated Press.

The report contends that the challenges it highlights for Black communities are warning signs for the prosperity of all Americans.

“It may be the focus is us, but the impact is not just us,” said Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. “While they have targeted and focused on Black Americans, these attacks are going to impact broadly working Americans, poor Americans, aspirational middle-class Americans, and this is what this report points to.”

Tracing the arc of American history, the Urban League describes Black Americans' struggle for emancipation from slavery and equal economic and political rights as a gruesome but optimistic part of the American story.

Now, the report says, the Trump administration is at odds with the goals and achievements of the Civil Rights Movement, citing the overhaul of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, as well as the president’s focus on overhauling voting laws through the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, as examples of rollbacks of long-sought civil rights policies.

The report's authors offer policy and strategy recommendations for civil rights groups aiming to combat the Trump administration.

“The civil rights community must consolidate its legal resistance and turn courtroom wins into durable policy,” the report says. “The movement must build economic infrastructure that doesn’t depend on the goodwill of any one administration.”

The AP reached out to the White House for comment on the report.

Report contributors include a potential Democratic presidential contender

This year’s report includes contributions from members of Congress, and policy and legal experts, as well as some media personalities.

U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks, Lisa Blunt Rochester and Raphael Warnock all contributed to the report, as well as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey contributed a video message to the report.

Moore, who is widely viewed as a potential 2028 presidential contender, submitted an essay focused on closing the racial wealth gap and Black Americans' history of economic advancement in the face of adversity.

“With wisdom and grit, my mom was able to lift me and my family to a higher rung on the economic ladder. But too often wisdom and grit aren't enough,” Moore wrote.

He later called closing the racial wealth gap “a matter of moral clarity” but cautioned that “government alone cannot close the racial wealth gap. It's going to take all of us,” referencing the private sector and civil society.

Report blasts 'economic assault' on Black Americans

Whether corporate America and major nonprofits are still willing to participate is an open question. The report condemns the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back diversity initiatives and economic advancement projects in the private sector, and expresses frustration with companies that cooperated with an “economic assault” on Americans, especially Black Americans.

“This has been a campaign of coercion and oppression directed at these institutions who have been out here working hard to, if you will, change America,” Morial said. “The important thing about companies is that every company has not bent the knee. Some may have done some cosmetic changes. Some have been in full and complete retreat.”

The DEI rollbacks are a jarring reversal for the Urban League, which held sway in the Biden White House on economic and social policies. The report lauds President Joe Biden's administration for signing a sweeping COVID-19 stimulus package, as well as laws supporting minority small businesses and a bipartisan infrastructure bill.

“Not every promise was kept, and the current administration is pushing to roll our wins back, but these wins serve as a blueprint for what is possible through sustained advocacy and a clear vision,” the authors write. The agenda, the Urban League declares, was “the most consequential federal investments in Black America since the Great Society.”

The organization and its civil rights allies now find themselves in a strikingly different political environment under the Trump administration.

“Looking at our current political landscape, the calls for racial healing and righting of this nation’s wrongs in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd feel like a fever dream,” the report reads.

But the study also acknowledges that Black Americans have overcome more dire and discriminatory moments.

Latest Black America report is the Urban League's 50th edition

The Urban League's inaugural 1976 report on the state of Black America was described by the New York Times at the time as “a profoundly depressing document” that laid out the persistent disparities between the economic outlooks of Black and white Americans, a decade after the Civil Rights Movement's crowning achievements were signed into law.

The report was established as a response to that year's State of the Union address by President Gerald R. Ford and the Democratic response, neither of which mentioned the economic outlooks for Black Americans. The report offered policy recommendations on crime, education, housing, social services and general economic policy.

“It is a document that does not attempt to cover up the seriousness of the situation black people find themselves in,” the authors wrote at the time. Several of its recommendations were later taken up by President Jimmy Carter, who was elected to the White House months after the report’s release.

This year's 50th anniversary document echoes the frustration found in the inaugural report. While Morial acknowledged that the Urban League's assessments may lead to pessimism, he urged Americans concerned about civil rights and economic progress to respond at the ballot box and with their pocketbooks.

“We cannot be dejected. We cannot be cynical. We must act,” Morial said. “We have to fight to make sure that those that are really trying to kill the essence of the American dream don’t win.”

Colin Gray’s sentencing comes days after his son, Colt Gray, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the Sept. 4, 2024, shooting at the school 45 miles (70 kilometers) northeast of Atlanta. Colt Gray, 16, had pleaded guilty to murder and other charges.

Judge Nicholas Primm, who also sentenced Colt Gray, was blunt in addressing the elder Gray: “It is clear you failed as a parent.” But he said punishing crimes of negligence is particularly difficult because there was no intent to commit a crime.

“My heart aches for everyone that was there that day, for all of you that have been impacted by it. But the law requires that I set aside emotion. I don’t get to sentence with passion. I have the nearly impossible task of sentencing you without passion despite the immeasurable heartache that you caused,” Primm said.

Gray, 55, is one of a handful of American parents who have been criminally charged after their children were accused in shootings.

A jury in March found Colin Gray guilty of second-degree murder in the deaths of two 14-year-old students, Mason Schermerhorn and Christian Angulo. Georgia law defines second-degree murder as causing the death of a child by committing the crime of cruelty to children. Gray was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the killings of teachers Richard Aspinwall, 39, and Cristina Irimie, 53.

Another teacher and eight other students were wounded, seven of them hit by gunfire.

Families speak their pain

Family members of those who died and victims of the shooting, many of whom also spoke during Colt Gray's sentencing, condemned what they said were Colin Gray's failures as a parent and urged the judge to give him the maximum sentence.

“This wasn’t unavoidable. This was preventable. Because of the choices made inside the Gray household, four families were handed life sentences of grief,” said Breanna Schermerhorn, whose son was killed.

“He did not pull the trigger but purchased and left a firearm accessible to a minor," said Shayna Aspinwall, whose husband was killed. She said the sentence must take into account "the families left behind who must carry the grief and trauma for the rest of our lives.”

The judge addressed those in the courtroom after announcing the sentence: “This only closes the legal chapter for this horror. The pain, the heartache, they continue. I understand that. I hope all of you know this community loves you, and I ask that God gives you peace.”

Prosecutors said Colin Gray missed red flags

Prosecutors said Colin Gray gave his son the rifle as a Christmas gift along with ammunition, a gun sight and other shooting accessories.

An investigator testified that Colt Gray carried the semiautomatic rifle onto the school bus with the barrel sticking out and wrapped in poster board. The teenager left his second-period class and went to a bathroom, emerged with the rifle and shot people in the hallway and a classroom, the investigator said.

Colt Gray, who was 14 at the time of the shooting, had shown signs of deteriorating mental health in the weeks leading up to the killings, according to testimony. He belonged to a “true crime community” online where he and other young people discussed their obsession with mass shooters, an investigator testified.

The teen's mother, Marcee Gray, who was separated from Colin Gray, told investigators she had argued with her estranged husband weeks before the shooting, asking him to secure his guns and restrict their son's access.

Prosecutors had asked for a sentence of 80 years

Defense attorney Brian Hobbs asked the judge for a sentence of 10 years in prison followed by 10 years on probation. Barrow County District Attorney Brad Smith said Gray deserved a sentence of 80 years in prison.

Hobbs argued that Colt Gray “actively hid the depth of his involvement” in the online community obsessed with mass shooters, and the red flags enumerated by prosecutors were outliers among happier moments.

Smith countered that Colin Gray ignored “a substantial and unjustifiable risk."

“This was the risk that he was ignoring, that there would be a mass shooting of children at a school, and he gave his son the exact tool he would need to accomplish this," Smith said.

Colin Gray is not the first parent to face such charges

Prosecutors have in recent years held parents responsible when they believe they can prove a parent contributed to a killing.

Jennifer and James Crumbley were the first U.S. parents to face such charges after their son, Ethan, killed four students and wounded others at Michigan’s Oxford High School in 2021. Like Colin Gray, they were unaware of their son’s plans but had gifted him a gun before the shooting. They are serving 10-year prison terms for involuntary manslaughter. Hobbs, the defense attorney, urged the judge to use that sentence as a guide.

The judge called these cases “divisive.” There would have been no crime by the father if the son hadn't brought a gun to school and shot people, he noted. But he said Colin Gray could have locked up the guns, kept ammunition out of the house, had someone else keep the guns and gotten his son counseling.

“You were convicted because the warning lights were flashing brighter and brighter and you didn’t get him help and you didn’t remove his access to the guns,” Primm said.

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This story has been corrected to show the school is called Apalachee High School, not Appalachee.

It’s also chance for some 2 million voters to pass judgment on the governing Labour Party, whose sagging popularity Burnham hopes to revive. Polling stations are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., with vote-counting starting Friday morning.

Burnham was mayor of Greater Manchester for nine years until he won a special election for a seat in Parliament last month with the intention of challenging then- Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership.

Burnham’s momentum spurred Starmer to announce he would resign after just two years in office. Burnham was the only candidate in Labour’s leadership election, and he became prime minister on July 20.

He has established a branch of the prime minister’s office in the city, dubbed “No. 10 North,” to help fulfil his pledge to give local leaders more powers and spread economic growth around the country.

The Greater Manchester region has a population of about 3 million and includes the city of Manchester and surrounding towns. Burnham won three straight mayoral elections, in 2017, 2021 and 2024, and Labour candidate Bev Craig, the current leader of Manchester City Council, is hoping to retain the mayoralty for the party.

Burnham said serving as mayor had been an “immense privilege,” and he urged voters to back Craig to “build on the progress we’ve all made together.”

Craig faces six other candidates, including Sian Astley from the anti-immigration party Reform UK, which won big in many areas of Greater Manchester in local elections in May.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Astley, a city councilor, is “someone with real-life experience of building successful businesses from scratch, not yet another career politician who will keep enriching the city center while leaving behind towns and communities like Bolton and Wigan” on the outskirts of Greater Manchester.

Labour has also lost voters to the Green Party, which won a special parliamentary election in the Gorton and Denton district of Greater Manchester in February, pushing Labour into third place and heightening concerns in the governing party about Starmer’s leadership. Those worries came to a head after the May election rout, leading to Starmer’s fall and Burnham’s rise.

Voters can mark a first and second choice on their mayoral ballots. If no candidate reaches 50% of the votes on the first round, the top two compete in a runoff in which the second-preference choices of eliminated candidates are added.

Rob Ford, professor of politics at the University of Manchester, said, “Labour want a show of strength in a city region where the party has long been politically dominant.”

“A big win in his former stomping ground will provide a significant boost for Andy Burnham,” Ford wrote in a blog post for the U.K. in a Changing Europe think tank.

"All because of Trump,” he said.

It was a message the Republican president repeated while touring a collection of new vehicles, predicting that "it’s amazing what tariffs will do for General Motors" before autographing a white Corvette commemorating America’s 250th anniversary. He later told a crowd of cheering supporters that “Michigan is thriving.”

That's not exactly true, according to many metrics. Tariffs have cost businesses in Michigan and across the country billions of dollars while helping to stoke inflation that has continued to run hot — despite Trump's assurances his business background would wipe it out.

Many Americans believe tariffs have pushed prices higher and the war in Iran has increased gasoline prices, hurting consumer confidence in the economy while keeping Trump's approval ratings low.

There are few places where contradictions between the president's boasts and the economic reality of his tariffs are more likely to collide ahead of November's midterm elections than in battleground Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday. Trump won the state in 2016 and then again in 2024, after it had flipped to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

During Trump's rally in Milford, northwest of Detroit, the crowd was adoring. But even some of his ardent supporters said prices are too high and tariffs had caused short-term economic pain — even as they still support him overall.

Lisa Scherer, a 64-year-old who used to run a landscaping company and work as a bus driver and union steward, acknowledged high gas prices are “hurting a lot” and it's “very rough” to afford things.

“But I’m just hoping, if we hang in there,” she said, emphasizing she still thinks the president is doing a good job.

Michigan and Canada have deep trade ties

Though the Supreme Court struck down many of the tariffs Trump ordered upon first returning to the White House, his administration has launched new import taxes and recently invoked the Tariff Act of 1930 to accuse Canada of using discriminatory practices and plans to impose 50% tariffs on many imports from that country.

Michigan relies on supply chains that are heavily integrated with Canada after decades of policies that encouraged reducing bilateral trade barriers. That included the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement from Trump’s first term. Trump chose not to renew that trade pact, setting up years of negotiations.

GM said it was “honored to spend time showcasing our vehicles and facilities” for Trump. But automakers have long said tariffs increase production costs — so much so that the president offered them a reprieve from his auto parts tariffs, extending in October what was supposed to have been a short-term rebate until 2030.

Veteran Michigan pollster Bernie Porn said Trump's rosy words can't hide how his tariffs are helping intensify voters' concerns about inflation and affordability.

“When I was listening to him, I said, ‘What planet are you on?’" Porn said.

Porn noted that some Republicans nationally are worried their voters won't be motivated to turn out in November and “I doubt if Michigan is going to be very different."

“He is like an anchor around Republicans,” Porn said.

Trump's policies don't bother Joe Miskovich, the 57-year-old owner of an aerospace business from Fenton, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of Milford. He said of tariffs that “the American public needs to look at the bigger picture."

People need to see, Miskovich said, that "yes, granted, there might be a little higher increase in price. But the long-term effect is going to be absolutely positive to the nation.”

Trump is helping decide next week's primaries

As he's done in key midterm primary races nationwide, Trump has used his endorsements to help ensure candidates he sees as most loyal or potentially helpful to his policies prevail. In Michigan's Republican gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, Trump has endorsed congressman John James over rival Perry Johnson.

Also speaking was former Rep. Mike Rogers, who's again running for Senate after narrowly losing to Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin two years ago.

More national attention has been focused on the state's Democratic Senate primary, which will decide if Rogers faces Rep. Haley Stevens or progressive favorite Abdul El-Sayed. But Rogers said Michigan needs a senator who promotes Trump's agenda, not someone who works to stymie it.

“This is the time that we will stand up and get Michigan up off of her knees,” he said at Trump's rally.

Scherer, who once ran the landscaping company, drove nearly five hours from her home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio, to see Trump's speech. She's nonetheless worried the president has left behind some supporters like herself who helped get him back to the White House.

“I’m brutally honest, like Trump is, aren’t I? He’s forgot about the people on a fixed income,” said Scherer, who lives on Social Security benefits of $1,100 per month. “But I look at it like, I guess, no pain, no gain.”

Automakers plan to increase domestic production — eventually

Republican Michigan House Speaker Matt Hall praised tariffs at Trump’s rally, while also noting the president last year announced a new fighter jet mission that secured the future of the state’s Selfridge Air National Guard Base.

“This is what putting Michigan first looks like,” he said.

Some auto companies have pledged to ramp up U.S. production, yet those benefits aren't being felt yet. GM announced in June 2025 it planned to invest $4 billion to shift some vehicle production from Mexico to the U.S. starting next year.

Ford and Stellantis, which owns Chrysler, have a similar timeline for expanding domestic operations.

Toyota also said it would invest $3.6 billion and relocate production of its Tacoma pickup from Mexico to Texas, but that will happen over roughly four years.

In the meantime, Michigan has seen only modest increases in auto sector job creation during Trump's second term, while jobs tied to auto parts manufacturing declined by about 4,000 statewide through June when compared with the same month last year.

Michigan has lost 8,300 manufacturing jobs since Trump announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs in April of last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Among some of Trump's base, economic worries show

Outwardly, the rally was a lovefest. When Trump told of encountering a “beautiful” waitress in Las Vegas during the 2024 campaign, a man in the audience bellowed, “You're beautiful!”

Later, the crowd began chanting “10 more years!” when Trump talked about needing to leave office after January 2029.

“Trump is, like, No. 1. You know, he’s the best,” said Rose Stroud, 75, who attended the rally from Commerce, Michigan. “He thinks about the people, about what they need.”

Some attendees insisted the president should get the benefit of the doubt — even as concerns about kitchen table issues tick up.

“There’s always a method to the madness, and people sometimes don’t understand or get it," said Roy Parks, 49, a self-employed handyman, photographer and videographer from Milford. “But there’s always a reason he’s doing things a certain way, and it may not make sense at first, but after six, 12 months, it all comes together."

He said the same goes for tariffs: "You may not like it at first, but it’s a short-term pinch, short-term pain, but long-term good. It works out in the end. It’s for the best.”

“When you rip off the Band-Aid right away, it stings," Parks added. "But, after a few minutes, there’s no pain. You have to go through a little bit of pain at first to get to long-term good.”