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The low-cost airline announced plans to begin the FLL to CCS service on the 150-passenger Airbus A320 aircraft “before the end of the year,” and for tickets to go on sale “in the coming months.”

Government approval was pending.

“South Florida is home to a large Venezuelan community, and this new route would help connect families and loved ones with JetBlue’s competitive fares and award-winning service,” Dave Jehn, the airline’s vice president of network planning and airline partnerships, said in a statement.

JetBlue plans to include unlimited in-flight Wi-Fi service, seatback entertainment, and complimentary snacks and drinks during the flights. This would be JetBlue’s first venture in Venezuela.

After regular flights since 1987, American Airlines suspended the service in 2019 due to security concerns. AA started flights between Miami International Airport and Simón Bolívar International Airport on April 30, and added a second on May 21.

La aerolínea de bajo costo informó que planea iniciar el servicio entre FLL y CCS en aviones Airbus A320 con capacidad para 150 pasajeros “antes de que termine el año”, y que los boletos saldrán a la venta “en los próximos meses”.

La aprobación gubernamental aún estaba pendiente.

“El sur de Florida alberga una gran comunidad venezolana, y esta nueva ruta ayudaría a conectar a familias y seres queridos con las tarifas competitivas y el servicio galardonado de JetBlue”, dijo en un comunicado Dave Jehn, vicepresidente de planificación de red y alianzas aéreas de la compañía.

JetBlue planea incluir servicio ilimitado de Wi-Fi a bordo, entretenimiento en las pantallas de los asientos y refrigerios y bebidas de cortesía durante los vuelos. Esta sería la primera operación de JetBlue en Venezuela.

Tras operar vuelos regulares desde 1987, American Airlines suspendió el servicio en 2019 debido a preocupaciones de seguridad. American Airlines reanudó los vuelos entre el Aeropuerto Internacional de Miami y el Aeropuerto Internacional Simón Bolívar el 30 de abril y agregó una segunda frecuencia el 21 de mayo.

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The Hollywood Police Department has put out information on 32-year-old Rebecca Snider.

According to Hollywood PD, Snider was last seen Friday along the 3900 block of Grant Street around 12 p.m.

Authorities released a photo of Snider which can be seen at the top of this page.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts or who thinks they have seen her is urged to contact Hollywood police at 954-764-HELP.

El Departamento de Policía de Hollywood difundió información sobre Rebecca Snider, de 32 años.

Según la Policía de Hollywood, Snider fue vista por última vez el viernes alrededor de las 12 p.m. en la cuadra 3900 de Grant Street.

Las autoridades divulgaron una fotografía de Snider, la cual puede verse en la parte superior de esta página.

Cualquier persona con información sobre su paradero o que crea haberla visto debe comunicarse con la Policía de Hollywood al 954-764-HELP.

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Speaking at a news conference in Sweetwater alongside law enforcement officials, business leaders and anti-trafficking advocates, Uthmeier highlighted what he described as major gains in prosecuting traffickers and child predators.

“We prosecute to the absolute fullest,” he said. “We don’t give out plea deals when people go after our kids. They need us to protect them and if you abuse that, you’re going to face the wrath of our prosecutors and law enforcement.”

Uthmeier said Florida has the right people in place to “take down these bad guys” and credited partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, nonprofits and advocacy groups for helping victims and pursuing criminal cases.

According to Uthmeier, human trafficking arrests and convictions have both increased by more than 30% since he took office, setting records for the state.

He said his office has participated in more than 1,600 arrests involving individuals accused of child abuse, child exploitation and the trafficking of women and children.

He also highlighted several recent operations, including Operation Dragon Eye, a joint effort with the U.S. Marshals Service that rescued more than 60 missing children in Florida last year. Uthmeier said a separate operation in November resulted in the recovery of 120 children across the state.

In Polk County, authorities arrested 230 alleged traffickers and predators during a recent operation, he said.

Uthmeier said several major prosecutions contributed to the large enforcement successes, including a recent 120-year sentence against longtime trafficker Marquett James in Hillsborough County, and a life sentence against child trafficker Raul Brown in Palm Beach County.

Statewide, Uthmeier said prosecutions have increased charges by more than 54%, while the number of defendants charged has risen by more than 30%. Total prison time imposed has increased by more than 10%.

Combined, those cases have resulted in sentences totaling more than 3,275 years in prison and more than $53 million in fines and restitution recovered over the past year, according to Uthmeier.

Uthmeier also framed the state’s anti-trafficking efforts as a warning to criminals who may target Florida ahead of this year’s FIFA World Cup matches, which will bring visitors from around the world to Miami-Dade County and other host cities.

“While we welcome visitors to Florida to enjoy events like the FIFA World Cup, that are set on a global stage, we need you to know: if you come to our home and take advantage of Floridians and our visitors, we will hold you accountable, added John Vecchio, assistant commissioner of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Uthmeier also encouraged residents and visitors to remain vigilant for signs of human trafficking and to report any suspicious activity to authorities.

Local 10 viewers can watch the full news conference in the video below.

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Police said Ciela Mendez is 5 feet, 6 inches tall, and weighs around 130 pounds.

They said she was last seen in Miami’s Little Haiti area on May 22.

Ciela has black hair and brown eyes, and it is unknown what clothing she was wearing when she was last seen, according to investigators.

Anyone with information on her wherabouts is urged to call MPD at 305-603-6300 or 305-579-6111.

La policía indicó que Ciela Méndez mide 5 pies y 6 pulgadas de estatura y pesa aproximadamente 130 libras.

Según las autoridades, fue vista por última vez el 22 de mayo en el área de Little Haiti, en Miami.

Los investigadores informaron que Ciela tiene cabello negro y ojos marrones, y se desconoce qué ropa vestía cuando fue vista por última vez.

Cualquier persona con información sobre su paradero debe comunicarse con el Departamento de Policía de Miami al 305-603-6300 o al 305-579-6111.

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The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspects as 36-year-olds Evan Robert Aubrey, of Winchester, Massachusetts, and Chabar Sara Duangsay, of Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

Jail records show the incident happened at Wheaton’s Service Center & Towing at 101500 Overseas Highway.

According to MCSO, deputies responded to the repair shop at around 7:45 a.m. after an employee saw the two burglarizing a Mercedes-Benz sedan.

“Security video showed Duangsay removing items from the car and Aubrey directing her,” MCSO spokesperson Adam Linhardt said in a news release. “Duangsay was wearing black latex gloves.”

Linhardt said that Aubrey told the employee that the two were burglarizing the sedan “because it was unlocked.”

Authorities said Aubrey additionally threw a lit cigar into a dumpster at the business, causing a fire.

According to MCSO, Aubrey faces charges of arson, accessory and criminal mischief, while Duangsay faces a burglary charge.

Records show both were being held in the agency’s Key West jail facility with no listed bond. They’re set to be arraigned on June 16.

Cuatro personas resultaron heridas después de que dos vehículos chocaran en la intersección de Douglas Drive y Monroe Street. Uno de los vehículos impactó un tercer automóvil y otro terminó estrellándose contra una casa.

“El auto gris venía de ese lado a como 100 millas por hora y golpeó al auto rojo”, dijo Errol Gunter.

El impacto empujó tanto el auto rojo como el gris a través de la cerca metálica de la casa. El auto rojo golpeó el vehículo utilitario deportivo estacionado.

Gunter dijo que el auto gris chocó a apenas unas 16 pulgadas de la sala, donde estaba su madre. Ella no resultó herida.

“Mi hermana me dijo que escuchó un sonido muy, muy fuerte afuera, y cuando salieron, vieron ambos autos”, dijo Gunter.

Los cuatro heridos, incluyendo tres en condición crítica, estaban dentro de los autos rojo y gris. La familia de la casa tuvo que evacuar hasta que las autoridades determinen que es seguro regresar.

“Cada vez que pienso en lo cerca que estuvo de mi mamá, se me llenan los ojos de agua”, dijo Gunter.

Under a deal made public in March, French company TotalEnergies is getting $1 billion — essentially a refund of its leases for offshore wind projects off New York and North Carolina — if it invests the money in fossil fuel projects instead.

State attorneys general from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont joined New York in challenging the cancellation of the lease off of New York, the larger of the two projects and the bulk of the payout. They say it will harm their states’ economies, energy grids and climate goals.

“This administration cooked up a sham deal to pay a foreign energy company hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to abandon offshore wind and invest in oil and gas instead," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. "We are fighting back to stop this illegal agreement that threatens to erase over a thousand union jobs and cheat millions of New Yorkers out of clean, affordable energy.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she and James will continue to aggressively fight back against President Donald Trump’s “overt and never-ending hostility toward offshore wind." Trump, who often talks about his hatred of wind power, has said his goal is to not let any “windmills” be built.

The complaint filed in District Court for the District of Columbia names administration officials, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, as defendants, and argues that they canceled the lease without following proper procedures. The states are asking a federal judge to vacate the lease cancellation and settlement agreement with TotalEnergies' subsidiary, Attentive Energy.

The Interior Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday, but Burgum defended the deal last month during a hearing at the House Natural Resources Committee.

U.S. Rep. Dave Min, a California Democrat, asked Burgum if it's appropriate for Interior to send $1 billion to a foreign oil company to stop producing energy, while people are dealing with sky-high utility bills.

Burgum said TotalEnergies was simply refunded their money, which they have already invested in other energy projects in the U.S.

“They essentially gave the U.S. government an interest-free loan and their money was refunded to them,” he said.

Min said the cancellation of TotalEnergies’ offshore wind leases is a case study on Interior's “economically illiterate and unlawful energy strategy.”

TotalEnergies purchased the lease off New York and New Jersey, in 2022, for $795 million. This was planned as a larger project, with the potential to generate 3 gigawatts of clean energy to power nearly one million homes. It would have brought $10 billion in savings to ratepayers across New York, with $500 million in savings for low-income households, on electricity bills, according to the complaint filed Tuesday.

TotalEnergies also purchased a lease for its Carolina Long Bay project in 2022 for about $133 million. It aimed to generate more than 1 gigawatt there, enough to power about 300,000 homes.

Burgum has said companies were sold a product that was only viable when propped up by massive taxpayer subsidies when they bid for these offshore wind leases in 2022, under former President Joe Biden.

The Trump administration is spending nearly $2 billion to get energy companies to walk away from U.S. offshore wind projects. It adopted this strategy after federal courts thwarted Trump’s efforts to stop offshore wind development through executive action.

Democrats in Congress are investigating the TotalEnergies agreement, and California is investigating a deal that ended a floating offshore wind project, Golden State Wind, proposed off the state's central coast.

Bluepoint Wind also agreed to end its lease for an offshore wind project in the early stages of development off the coasts of New Jersey and New York. Tuesday's complaint does not challenge this agreement, as the lease has not been canceled yet.

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

La Oficina del Sheriff del Condado Monroe identificó a los sospechosos como Evan Robert Aubrey, de 36 años, de Winchester, Massachusetts, y Chabar Sara Duangsay, de 36 años, de Fitchburg, Massachusetts.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que el incidente ocurrió en Wheaton’s Service Center & Towing, ubicado en 101500 Overseas Highway.

Según la MCSO, los agentes respondieron al taller de reparación alrededor de las 7:45 a.m. después de que un empleado vio a ambos robando en un sedán Mercedes-Benz.

“Los videos de seguridad mostraron a Duangsay sacando artículos del vehículo mientras Aubrey la dirigía”, dijo el portavoz de la MCSO, Adam Linhardt, en un comunicado. “Duangsay llevaba guantes negros de látex”.

Linhardt indicó que Aubrey le dijo al empleado que ambos estaban robando en el sedán “porque estaba sin seguro”.

Las autoridades informaron que Aubrey además lanzó un cigarro encendido a un contenedor de basura del negocio, provocando un incendio.

Según la MCSO, Aubrey enfrenta cargos de incendio provocado, complicidad y daños criminales a la propiedad, mientras que Duangsay enfrenta un cargo de robo.

Los registros muestran que ambos permanecían detenidos en la cárcel de la agencia en Key West sin fianza establecida. Está previsto que comparezcan ante el tribunal el 16 de junio.

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In fact, the nonprofit organization began planning for this year’s emergency response efforts last November, carefully determining what supplies communities will need when disaster strikes.

When hurricanes make landfall, they often leave widespread destruction in their wake. Powerful winds and flooding can quickly cut off access to basic necessities, making emergency supplies critical for survival.

That’s why Food For The Poor focuses heavily on “pre-positioning” — strategically placing emergency supplies in vulnerable regions before a storm arrives. The organization stocks pallets with essential items such as wipes, gloves, blankets, women’s care kits, flashlights, tarps and diapers.

Kivette Silvera, of Food For The Poor, has witnessed firsthand the challenges communities face after major storms, including Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.

“You may not be able to have a blanket, a sheet that is dry. And the blankets within these kits will be able to provide warmth to a mother and her children,” Silvera said.

She explained that flooded roads, mud-covered terrain and damaged infrastructure can make it nearly impossible for relief organizations to reach affected areas quickly.

“Pre-planning can be the difference between life and death,” Silvera said.

At Food For The Poor’s Coconut Creek headquarters, pallets of emergency supplies are already being prepared for shipment to countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

Typically, seven pallets of supplies are sent to each location. The organization’s disaster preparedness efforts focus on approximately 10 countries throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, regions that are particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and other natural disasters.

Kyle Morris, of Food For The Poor, said the pre-positioned supplies are especially important during the first critical days following a disaster.

“These supplies are crucial for the first 24-to 72-hour window when a hurricane does hit,” Morris said. “It helps to buy that time for more lifesaving aid to come in.”

Food For The Poor has been providing disaster relief and humanitarian assistance for four decades. Those interested in supporting the organization’s hurricane preparedness and emergency response efforts can learn more or make a donation at FoodForThePoor.org.

De hecho, la organización sin fines de lucro comenzó a planificar las labores de respuesta a emergencias para este año desde noviembre pasado, determinando cuidadosamente qué suministros necesitarán las comunidades cuando ocurra un desastre.

Cuando los huracanes tocan tierra, suelen dejar destrucción generalizada a su paso. Los fuertes vientos y las inundaciones pueden interrumpir rápidamente el acceso a las necesidades básicas, lo que hace que los suministros de emergencia sean fundamentales para la supervivencia.

Por eso, Food For The Poor se enfoca en gran medida en el “preposicionamiento”, una estrategia que consiste en ubicar suministros de emergencia en regiones vulnerables antes de que llegue una tormenta. La organización almacena palés con artículos esenciales como toallitas húmedas, guantes, mantas, kits de cuidado para mujeres, linternas, lonas y pañales.

Kivette Silvera, de Food For The Poor, ha sido testigo de primera mano de los desafíos que enfrentan las comunidades después de grandes tormentas, incluido el huracán Melissa en Jamaica.

“Puede que no tenga una manta o una sábana seca. Y las mantas incluidas en estos kits podrán brindar calor a una madre y a sus hijos”, dijo Silvera.

Explicó que las carreteras inundadas, los terrenos cubiertos de lodo y la infraestructura dañada pueden hacer casi imposible que las organizaciones de ayuda lleguen rápidamente a las zonas afectadas.

“La planificación anticipada puede marcar la diferencia entre la vida y la muerte”, dijo Silvera.

En la sede de Food For The Poor en Coconut Creek, ya se están preparando palés con suministros de emergencia para ser enviados a países de América Latina y el Caribe.

Por lo general, se envían siete palés de suministros a cada ubicación. Los esfuerzos de preparación ante desastres de la organización se centran en aproximadamente 10 países de América Latina y el Caribe, regiones particularmente vulnerables a huracanes y otros desastres naturales.

Kyle Morris, de Food For The Poor, dijo que los suministros preposicionados son especialmente importantes durante los primeros días críticos después de un desastre.

“Estos suministros son cruciales durante las primeras 24 a 72 horas después de que un huracán impacta”, dijo Morris. “Ayudan a ganar tiempo para que llegue más ayuda que salva vidas”.

Food For The Poor ha brindado ayuda humanitaria y asistencia ante desastres durante cuatro décadas. Quienes estén interesados en apoyar los esfuerzos de preparación para huracanes y respuesta a emergencias de la organización pueden obtener más información o hacer una donación en FoodForThePoor.org.

Left, who was a securities analyst, trader, and guest commentator on television channels including CNBC and Fox Business, was charged in July 2024 with one count of engaging in a securities fraud scheme, 17 counts of securities fraud, and one count of making false statements to federal investigators. As a short seller, Left would make money betting that stocks would fall.

The Justice Department said Tuesday that Left was convicted of one count of participating in a securities fraud scheme and 12 counts of securities fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 31. He faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.

“Andrew Left used his expertise to profit at the expense of retail investors, ordinary people who owned the stocks he targeted. He callously boasted that it was like ‘taking candy from a baby,’” Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said in a statement. “Egregious schemes like this strike at the heart of free, fair and open markets, and warrant prosecution when they involve criminal manipulation. Investors should have confidence that U.S. markets are safe and free from the type of deliberate manipulation that Left engaged in to enrich himself at the expense of American investors.”

The Justice Department previously said that Left conducted business under the name Citron Research, which had a website that published investment recommendations. He published research on companies ranging from Tesla and GameStop to Grand Canyon Education and Peloton.

According to the indictment, Left would comment on publicly traded companies and make recommendations on the shares. The commentary often included sensationalized headlines (“Investors Peddling Themselves into Frenzy”) and exaggerated language to maximize the reaction it would get from the stock market. As alleged, Left knowingly exploited his ability to move stock prices by targeting stocks popular with retail investors and posting recommendations on social media to manipulate the market and make fast, easy money.

The indictment further alleged that before Citron would publish its commentary, Left would create long or short positions in a public company on which he was commenting in his trading accounts and prepared to quickly close those positions after Citron’s publication and take profits on the short-term price movement caused by his commentary.

In a post on social media platform X under the Citron Research handle, Left expressed his opposition to the conviction.

“We disagree with the jury and this does not stop here,” the post said. “We will keep fighting for free, honest speech and opportunity, the backbone of this country. This is not over.”

Durante una conferencia de prensa en Sweetwater junto a funcionarios de las fuerzas del orden, líderes empresariales y defensores contra la trata de personas, Uthmeier resaltó lo que describió como importantes avances en el procesamiento de traficantes y depredadores sexuales de menores.

“Procesamos estos casos con todo el peso de la ley”, dijo. “No ofrecemos acuerdos de culpabilidad cuando las personas van tras nuestros niños. Ellos necesitan que los protejamos y, si abusas de eso, enfrentarás todo el rigor de nuestros fiscales y de las fuerzas del orden”.

Uthmeier afirmó que Florida cuenta con las personas adecuadas para “acabar con estos criminales” y atribuyó a las alianzas con agencias locales de seguridad, organizaciones sin fines de lucro y grupos de defensa el éxito en ayudar a las víctimas y llevar adelante los casos penales.

Según Uthmeier, los arrestos y las condenas por trata de personas han aumentado más de un 30% desde que asumió el cargo, estableciendo récords para el estado.

Dijo que su oficina ha participado en más de 1,600 arrestos de personas acusadas de abuso infantil, explotación infantil y trata de mujeres y niños.

También destacó varias operaciones recientes, incluida la Operación Dragon Eye, un esfuerzo conjunto con el Servicio de Alguaciles de Estados Unidos que permitió rescatar a más de 60 menores desaparecidos en Florida el año pasado. Uthmeier señaló que una operación independiente realizada en noviembre resultó en la recuperación de 120 menores en todo el estado.

En el condado Polk, las autoridades arrestaron a 230 presuntos traficantes y depredadores durante una operación reciente, indicó.

A nivel estatal, Uthmeier dijo que los procesamientos han aumentado los cargos presentados en más de un 54%, mientras que el número de acusados procesados ha aumentado más de un 30%. El tiempo total de prisión impuesto también ha aumentado más de un 10%.

En conjunto, esos casos han resultado en sentencias que suman más de 3,275 años de prisión y más de $53 millones USD en multas y restituciones recuperadas durante el último año, según Uthmeier.

Los televidentes de Local 10 pueden ver la conferencia de prensa completa en el video a continuación.

Critical to NASA's Artemis moon program, the company's massive New Glenn rocket blew up during an engine-firing test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. A lightning tower and the transporter-erector used to move and hoist the rocket were destroyed in the blast that sent shock waves across the state.

CEO Dave Limp said the methane, hydrogen and oxygen tanks look to be in good shape. The water tank is also fine and the support tower that's still standing can be repaired in place. A booster and other rocket parts housed nearby were not damaged.

Overall, this was “a bit of good news,” Limp said in an X update, adding: “We will fly again before the end of this year.”

The cause is still under investigation.

Just two days before the accident, NASA awarded a contract worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Blue Origin, choosing New Glenn rockets to launch a pair of rovers to the moon ahead of the arrival of the first Artemis moonwalkers who will drive them. New Glenn also is needed to launch the company's Blue Moon lander that will be used to get astronauts to the lunar surface in the coming years.

NASA is aiming for as early as 2028 for the first moon landing by astronauts since Apollo 17 in 1972.

The space agency will “do all we can” to get the pad back in action as soon as possible “while staying extremely focused on progressing the lander,” Administrator Jared Isaacman said via X.

Blue Origin’s New Glenn line of reusable rockets — named after John Glenn, the first American in orbit — has launched only three times. It’s not nearly as big as SpaceX’s Starship that is making test flights to the fringes of space from Texas. NASA has ordered up Starships, in addition to Blue Moon landers, to get Artemis astronauts to the lunar surface in the years ahead.

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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.

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The storms that form tend to stay on the weaker side – only three Category 3 or stronger hurricanes have ever been recorded in June: Audrey (1957), Alma (1966), and Beryl (2024) – but when tropical storms or the less common hurricane does form in June, they tend to do so closer to the U.S. And typically, it’s rainfall and flooding – not strong winds – that are the hallmarks of these early bloomers.

But it’s during the opening weeks of the season especially that formations happen closer to home in the western Caribbean, Gulf, and off the southeast U.S. Only once in our record books has a tropical cyclone formed east of the islands in the first few weeks of June (Tropical Depression Two in 2003 that didn’t even survive a full 24 hours), which means we generally have less time to prepare when an early season storm threatens.

Two primary triggers are responsible for development in early June: stalled fronts draped over the Gulf or western Atlantic and the Central American Gyre or CAG – a broad area of storminess and spin extending from the eastern Pacific into the Caribbean that can be a breeding ground for tropical systems in shoulder months like June, October and November.

As we mentioned in yesterday’s newsletter, we have a cold front diving into Florida over the next few days that’s expected to stall out across South Florida by late week and into the weekend. But for now models aren’t showing any areas of organized spin along the stalled front, with wind shear remaining prohibitively high into early next week.

MJO makes a go by mid-June

During the early months of the hurricane season, we also look to the progression of the Madden-Julian Oscillation or MJO – a see-saw configuration of upper-level winds that moves around the globe every 30 to 60 days. The MJO has a stormy side and a dry side and it’ll be trending toward the stormy side in the Atlantic by mid-month, according to forecast models.

This could promote more organized storminess in the Caribbean or Gulf starting late next week, but right now the long-range models are wholly unimpressed. We’ve seen some hints of mischief in the southern and western Gulf a few weeks out in intermittent model runs, but the signal’s been weak and inconsistent. It’s also worth noting that with the developing El Niño in the eastern Pacific – something we detailed in yesterday’s newsletter – the MJO will likely have less influence this season than it would otherwise.

We’ll keep an eye on the trends, but for now, things will stay quiet in the Atlantic, as they often do to start the season.

Las tormentas que se forman suelen mantenerse en el lado más débil. Solo tres huracanes de categoría 3 o superior han sido registrados en junio: Audrey (1957), Alma (1966) y Beryl (2024). Sin embargo, cuando una tormenta tropical o un huracán, menos común en este mes, se forma en junio, tiende a hacerlo más cerca de Estados Unidos. Por lo general, las lluvias y las inundaciones, y no los vientos fuertes, son las principales características de estos sistemas tempranos.

Especialmente durante las primeras semanas de la temporada, los desarrollos suelen ocurrir más cerca de casa, en el Caribe occidental, el Golfo y frente a la costa sureste de Estados Unidos.

Solo una vez en los registros un ciclón tropical se ha formado al este de las islas durante las primeras semanas de junio (la Depresión Tropical Dos en 2003, que ni siquiera sobrevivió 24 horas completas), lo que significa que generalmente hay menos tiempo para prepararse cuando una tormenta temprana amenaza.

Dos factores principales son responsables del desarrollo durante los primeros días de junio: los frentes estacionarios extendidos sobre el Golfo o el Atlántico occidental y el Giro Centroamericano (CAG, por sus siglas en inglés), una amplia zona de tormentas y circulación atmosférica que se extiende desde el Pacífico oriental hasta el Caribe y que puede servir como zona de formación para sistemas tropicales durante meses de transición como junio, octubre y noviembre.

Como mencionamos en nuestro boletín de ayer, un frente frío avanzará sobre Florida durante los próximos días y se espera que se estanque sobre el sur de Florida hacia finales de la semana y durante el fin de semana. Sin embargo, por ahora los modelos no muestran áreas de circulación organizada a lo largo del frente estacionario, mientras que la cizalladura del viento seguirá siendo demasiado fuerte para favorecer el desarrollo al menos hasta principios de la próxima semana.

La MJO podría favorecer el desarrollo a mediados de junio

Durante los primeros meses de la temporada de huracanes, también observamos la evolución de la Oscilación Madden-Julian (MJO, por sus siglas en inglés), una configuración oscilante de vientos en niveles altos de la atmósfera que se desplaza alrededor del planeta cada 30 a 60 días.

La MJO tiene una fase favorable para la actividad de tormentas y una fase más seca, y según los modelos de pronóstico, se encaminará hacia la fase favorable para tormentas en el Atlántico a mediados de mes.

Esto podría favorecer una actividad de tormentas más organizada en el Caribe o el Golfo a partir de finales de la próxima semana, pero por ahora los modelos de largo plazo no muestran mucho entusiasmo.

En algunas corridas aisladas de los modelos se han observado indicios de posible desarrollo en el sur y el oeste del Golfo dentro de varias semanas, pero la señal ha sido débil e inconsistente.

También vale la pena señalar que, con el desarrollo de El Niño en el Pacífico oriental, algo que detallamos en el boletín de ayer, la MJO probablemente tendrá menos influencia esta temporada de la que tendría en otras circunstancias.

Seguiremos atentos a las tendencias, pero por ahora las condiciones permanecerán tranquilas en el Atlántico, como suele ocurrir al inicio de la temporada.

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 1 winners:

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

June 2 winners:

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

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It happened on Monday afternoon at a construction site near the corner of Northeast Sixth Street and North Miami Avenue.

According to authorities, two workers were injured while working on the top floor of a building under construction when a structural column suddenly fell, trapping the man and woman underneath.

Miami Fire Rescue crews quickly responded and rushed both victims to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Authorities later said the woman, identified as 25-year-old Maria Fernanda Gonzalez Garcia, was pronounced deceased a short time after arriving the hospital.

The man who was injured remains hospitalized, and officials said he will be facing a lengthy recovery process.

El hecho ocurrió el lunes por la tarde en una obra de construcción cerca de la intersección de Northeast Sixth Street y North Miami Avenue.

Según las autoridades, dos trabajadores resultaron heridos mientras laboraban en el último piso de un edificio en construcción cuando una columna estructural cayó repentinamente, atrapando al hombre y a la mujer debajo.

Equipos de Miami Fire Rescue respondieron rápidamente y trasladaron a ambas víctimas al Ryder Trauma Center del Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Posteriormente, las autoridades informaron que la mujer, identificada como Maria Fernanda Gonzalez Garcia, de 25 años, fue declarada muerta poco después de llegar al hospital.

El hombre que resultó herido permanece hospitalizado y las autoridades indicaron que enfrentará un largo proceso de recuperación.

More primaries are being held on Tuesday as well. Democrats are banking on a rare chance to regain ground in Iowa, a rural state that has repeatedly eluded them in recent years. Republicans, meanwhile, are grappling with a New Jersey congressman whose unexplained absence could put their already slim majority at risk.

— California: Voters are weighing in on who should lead the nation’s most populous state, where there is no clear leader among candidates vying to advance in the race to succeed Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Plus, U.S. House races are on the ballot, along with the Los Angeles mayor’s race.

— New Mexico: Contests in the state include primaries for congressional seats, a U.S. Senate seat and a long list of statewide offices, but the governor’s race is the main attraction. Former Interior Secretary Deb Haaland is running for the Democratic nomination, which could put her on a historic path for Native American leaders.

— New Jersey: One of this year’s most closely watched House midterms will take place in the battleground district represented by Rep. Tom Kean Jr., who has drawn public scrutiny and concern after missing more than 100 House votes due to an undisclosed medical issue. Voters are deciding which Democrat will run against him in November.

— Read more about races in Iowa, Montana and South Dakota.

Here's the latest:

Trump says absent congressman is ‘working tirelessly’

Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. is running unopposed in the primary for New Jersey’s 7th congressional district on Tuesday. But he’s facing growing scrutiny for an unexplained medical absence that has stretched for more than three months, causing him to miss more than 100 votes in Congress.

Trump weighed in on social media late Monday, saying Kean was “working tirelessly” to support the MAGA agenda.

Though Kean isn’t facing any GOP competition today, he’s seeking reelection this fall in one of the few genuinely competitive congressional districts left on the map. Several Democrats vying to take him on in the general election have made his absence — and the lack of clarity surrounding it — a central part of their message.

Democrats hope to dislodge GOP incumbent by redrawing his California district

Every two years, the attention of the nation’s political class is riveted on a Democratic-leaning congressional district in California’s Central Valley. Republican Rep. David Valadao has been able to fend off repeated Democratic challengers, except in 2018, when he barely lost. But he ran again two years later and reclaimed the seat.

Democrats redrew the district to make it even tougher for Valadao. They recruited a moderate who represents the area in the state capital, Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains, to run against him. But she’s had to battle a more liberal rival, political science professor and school board member Randy Villegas. The primary will determine Valadao’s next opponent.

California uses a top-2 primary system

That means all candidates are on the same ballot, regardless of their party affiliation. California has used that system for more than a decade.

It’s occasionally resulted in two candidates from the same party competing against each other in a general election. That happened most notably in U.S. Senate races in 2016 and 2018, when two Democrats faced off.

In the governor’s race, though, one Republican and one Democrat have always advanced to November. Democrats had feared a lockout this year given their large field of candidates. But those worries have diminished in the race’s closing weeks.

Republicans will fight hard to keep the Iowa US Senate seat

Holding on to Iowa is a big part of the GOP’s plan to keep its U.S. Senate majority.

A super PAC affiliated with Senate Republicans has pledged $29 million to help ensure the seat stays in GOP hands.

Republican candidates for governor say California needs a change

A Democrat has held the governor’s office since 2011, when Jerry Brown took over from Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Democrats have also had a firm grip on the state Legislature.

Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco say that means Democrats are to blame for the state’s expensive gas and housing, its homelessness crisis and a slew of other problems. Both have pledged to reduce regulations and taxes.

Hilton has President Donald Trump’s backing. That could help him in the primary but hurt him in the general election in the heavily Democratic state.

Republicans will fight hard to keep the Iowa US Senate seat

Holding on to Iowa is a big part of the GOP’s plan to keep its U.S. Senate majority.

A super PAC affiliated with Senate Republicans has pledged $29 million to help ensure the seat stays in GOP hands.

California uses a top-2 primary system

That means all candidates are on the same ballot, regardless of their party affiliation. California has used that system for more than a decade.

It has occasionally resulted in two candidates from the same party competing against each other in a general election. That happened most notably in U.S. Senate races in 2016 and 2018, when two Democrats faced off.

In the governor’s race, though, one Republican and one Democrat have always advanced to November. Democrats had feared a lockout this year, given their large field of candidates. But those worries have diminished in the race’s closing weeks.

5 Republicans want to be Iowa governor

The candidates are U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, state Rep. Eddie Andrews, businessman and former conservative political director Zach Lahn, former state Rep. Brad Sherman and former director of the state Department of Administrative Services Adam Steen.

If no candidate earns at least 35% of Republican primary voters, the nominee would be selected at a contested state party convention.

Trump endorsed Feenstra on Friday, saying on social media that “Randy is MAGA all the way!”

2 veteran California US House members draw generational challenges

The generational fighting that has been ripping through the Democratic Party continues in California’s primaries.

In the Los Angeles-area’s 32nd District, 42-year-old lawyer Jake Levine is challenging Brad Sherman, 71, a 15-term member of the House of Representatives.

And in the 7th District near Sacramento, 40-year-old city councilwoman Mai Vang is challenging Doris Matsui, 81, who has held the seat since her husband, a congressman himself for decades, died in 2005.

California Democrat’s spending dwarfed his rivals

Tom Steyer, the former hedge fund manager turned climate activist, spent nearly $200 million of his money on advertising alone.

The billionaire’s ad campaign was the most expensive in the country by far this election cycle. The data comes from advertising tracker AdImpact.

Steyer’s rivals in the governor’s race and his critics have accused him of trying to buy the election.

But he’s defended his spending, saying he is fighting against powerful corporate interests that are driving up the price of living in the state. Pacific Gas & Electric, a major California utility, is among the corporations and business interests funding anti-Steyer ads.

“I’m only working for the people of California,” Steyer said last week.

3 Republicans seek party nomination for New Mexico governor

They are former mayor of fast-growing Rio Rancho Gregg Hull, cannabis business owner Duke Rodriguez and public relations professional Doug Turner.

While Hull and Turner have not aligned their campaigns with the MAGA movement, Rodriguez was recently served a cease-and-desist letter from a law firm representing Trump for “deceptive use” of the president’s image in campaign materials. That contest's winner faces an uphill battle to win in a state where a Republican has not been elected to statewide office in 10 years.

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It’s been nearly three weeks since Justo Betancourt was released from the facility, but it was on Sunday that Trump posted on social media about him.

In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “Welcome home to Justo Betancourt whose daughter Arianne, fought very hard to free her father from Alligator Alcatraz. Enjoy your freedom together!”

Local 10 News spoke to Arianne Betancourt about it on Monday.

“It is a surprise because I haven’t really been in support of these policies. I’ve been on the opposite end,” she said. “It’s just very confusing. I think myself and everyone else who read that is confused as to why us? And why a Cuban family? I think it has a lot to do with the political climate around Cuba at the moment and the importance of retaining the Cuban vote.”

Justo Betancourt, a Cuban national, spent six months in Alligator Alcatraz.

He was detained during a routine immigration check-in late last year.

A few weeks ago, a judge ruled he was in the detention center too long.

He spoke about what he thought of Trump’s post.

“When he loses a moment, when a decision doesn’t go his way, he tries to make fun of it,” he said in Spanish.

With reports that the facility is set to close this month, it’s not yet clear when that will be.

For Arianne Betancourt, she’s not sure if Trump’s post is a threat or not, but says at least it’s bringing attention to the detention center.

“I want them to shut down operations, but I want it to be treated like a crime scene and I want them to do a full investigation,” she said.

Han pasado casi tres semanas desde que Justo Betancourt fue liberado de la instalación, pero fue el domingo cuando Trump publicó sobre él en las redes sociales.

En una publicación en Truth Social, Trump escribió: “Bienvenido a casa, Justo Betancourt, cuya hija, Arianne, luchó muy duro para liberar a su padre de Alligator Alcatraz. ¡Disfruten juntos de su libertad!”.

Local 10 News habló con Arianne Betancourt sobre el tema el lunes.

“Es una sorpresa porque realmente no he apoyado estas políticas. He estado en el lado opuesto”, dijo. “Es muy confuso. Creo que tanto yo como todos los que leyeron eso estamos confundidos sobre por qué nosotros. ¿Y por qué una familia cubana? Creo que tiene mucho que ver con el clima político en torno a Cuba en este momento y la importancia de mantener el voto cubano”.

Justo Betancourt, ciudadano cubano, pasó seis meses en Alligator Alcatraz.

Fue detenido durante una cita rutinaria de control migratorio a finales del año pasado.

Hace unas semanas, un juez determinó que había permanecido demasiado tiempo en el centro de detención.

También habló sobre lo que pensó de la publicación de Trump.

“Cuando pierde un momento, cuando una decisión no sale a su favor, trata de burlarse de eso”, dijo en español.

Aunque hay informes de que la instalación cerrará este mes, aún no está claro cuándo ocurrirá.

Para Arianne Betancourt, no está segura de si la publicación de Trump es una amenaza o no, pero dice que al menos está atrayendo atención al centro de detención.

“Quiero que cesen las operaciones, pero quiero que sea tratado como una escena del crimen y quiero que realicen una investigación completa”, dijo.

U.S. employers posted 7.6 million job vacancies in April, the Labor Department reported Tuesday, up from 6.9 million in March and most since May 2024. Economists had forecast just 6.8 million openings.

The department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) showed that layoffs fell but so did the number of Americans quitting their jobs - a sign of confidence in their prospects. And the report's measure of gross hiring also dropped in April, suggesting that companies remain reluctant to add new workers even as they hold on to the ones they have.

The American job market has been recovering from a dismal 2025. Last year, companies, nonprofits and government agencies added fewer than 10,000 jobs a month, least outside a recession since 2002.

This year has been better — job growth averaged 76,000 a month from January through April. Big tax refunds — the product of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax cut bill last year — have given the economy a lift this year, offsetting the impact of sharply higher energy prices since the United States and Israel attacked Iran Feb. 28. But the refunds have mostly been paid out and are fading as an economic booster.

The United States also doesn’t need as many new jobs as it used to. Trump’s immigration crackdown and Baby Boomer retirements mean that fewer people are competing for work. As a result, the so-called break-even point — the number of new jobs needed every month to keep the unemployment rate stable — has dropped to near zero from 155,000 a month two or three years ago, according to an April report by Federal Reserve economists Seth Murray and Ivan Vidangos.

On Friday, the Labor Department will issue its job report for May. The numbers are expected to show that employers added 100,000 jobs last month, according to a survey of forecasters by the data firm FactSet. The unemployment rate is expected to have stayed at a low 4.3%.

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According to Detective Samantha Choon, with the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the shooting was reported at about 10:45 p.m. in the area of Northwest 32^nd Avenue and 79^th Street.

A Local 10 News crew was at the scene later in the evening and detectives had a 7-Eleven in the area blocked off with crime scene tape.

Choon said deputies found a man at the scene suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel transported the victim to a local hospital in stable condition.

Witnesses told Local 10 that two men got into an argument before one of the men pulled out a gun and shot the other.

Choon confirmed that a man was detained, but it’s unclear whether he will be charged in the shooting.

MDSO General Investigations detectives are investigating.

No other details were immediately released.

Programmers at the American Cinematheque, a non-profit arts group that curates for several historic theaters in Los Angeles, heard the cries for comedies and thought, well, what if they did the opposite? Bleak Week, which would conveniently coincide with the city’s June Gloom, could be the art house version of Shark Week.

“We didn’t know how it was going to go,” said Grant Moninger, the group's artistic director. “People may like this…or people may look at it and somehow be offended.”

In 2022, he and Chris LeMaire programmed wall-to-wall selections of world cinema’s most austere offerings, from Elem Klimov’s anti-war epic “Come and See” to Béla Tarr’s 439-minute “Sátántangó.” LA-based film critic Katie Walsh was one of the early champions of the concept. When it was announced she remembered tweeting the “sickos” meme.

“I was just like, yes, this is for me, this for the sickos,” Walsh said. “We were really enthusiastic about it online. I think that they were like, OK, great, this is like a concept that is going to translate.”

From niche experiment to global footprint

Five years later, Bleak Week has gone global. Across June there will be Bleak Weeks taking place in 100 theaters in 73 cities spanning eight countries, from the United Kingdom and Canada to Puerto Rico and Latin America. In the United States, it’s not just the biggest cities either: There are versions in Columbia, Missouri (Ragtag Cinema), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Row House Cinema), Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, (Cinema Art Theatre), Brookline, Massaschusetts (Coolidge Corner Theatre) and Albuquerque, New Mexico, (Guild Cinema), to name a few.

“Although Bleak Week sounds depressing, it’s really a celebration of the human experience,” Moninger said. “It’s really what cinema is about: Empathy and understanding the world.”

Ennui at the movie theater wasn't niche after all. Those nearly seven and a half hour showings of “Sátántangó” regularly sell out. It’s not uncommon to see famous people both on the stage and in the audience ( Sean Baker and Mikey Madison were spotted at a screening one year of “In a Glass Cave,” about an ex-Nazi pedophile). Even Tarr, the great Hungarian filmmaker who died earlier this year and once said he’d never come back to the United States, made an exception and attended Bleak Week in year two. Expansion soon followed to The Paris Theatre in New York and The Prince Charles Cinema in London.

“The thing about cinema is that you get to experience all the colors of human experience,” said Walsh, who has both attended and served as a moderator over the years. “Bleak Week offers a chance to kind of like revel in this specific feeling in a lot of ways. I just really love it. I see stuff that I would never ever see elsewhere.”

At the end of the movies, Walsh said, “I usually have to go stare at a wall for like 30 minutes.”

Over 300 movies at Bleak Week 2026

The fifth edition is already underway in Los Angeles at the Egyptian Theatre, the Aero Theatre and the Los Feliz 3. On the schedule are appearances by the likes of Isabelle Huppert, who will do Q&As for several films, including “The Piano Teacher” and “Heaven’s Gate,” filmmaker Ari Aster, showing his director’s cut of “Midsommar” and Denis Villeneuve on behalf of his breakout film “Incendies.”

One of the most liberating aspects about the concept is that there’s no genre stranglehold on the idea of bleak cinema. It can be wartime. It can be interpersonal drama. It can be fantasy. It can even be family friendly. They’ve empowered local programmers to make their own selections; This year there are over 300 movies being shown globally.

“They know their audience. They know what films will resonate,” said LeMaire. “It’s fun for us to see all the different approaches.”

The Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago is focusing on animation, playing movies like Hayao Miyazaki’s “Princess Mononoke,” Martin Rosen’s “Watership Down” and Michael Schaack’s “Felidae.” The Argentina program will include both local films and a retrospective of Aster’s works. At Vancouver’s historic Park Theatre, selections were made by local filmmakers and “friends of the venue.” Actor Finn Wolfhard elected “The Celebration,” “Sinners” cinematographer Autumn Durland Arkapaw chose “The Deer Hunter” and “Anora” producer Samantha Quan picked “The Virgin Suicides.”

The most programmed film this year is Isao Takahata’s animated “Grave of the Fireflies,” about a boy and his sister fighting for survival in post-World War II Japan after losing their parents. One movie they make a point to show every year is “Come and See,” which Moninger said is “the bleakest of the bleak experience.”

The concept is open to interpretation, as long as it’s a narrative film. The one thing it can’t be is a documentary.

“There’s something still yet triumphant about taking horrible experiences or someone’s personal tragedy and being able to turn it into art,” Moninger said. “That’s really one of our only rules is that we just don’t do docs.”

When it’s all said and done, at least in Los Angeles, they make sure to close with something sweet: The three “Paddington” movies. It’s what they like to call a “marmalade chaser.”

Según la detective Samantha Choon, de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, la balacera fue reportada alrededor de las 10:45 p.m. en el área de Northwest 32nd Avenue y 79th Street.

Un equipo de Local 10 News estuvo en la escena más tarde en la noche y los detectives tenían una tienda 7-Eleven en el área acordonada con cinta de escena del crimen.

Choon indicó que los agentes encontraron a un hombre en la escena con una aparente herida de bala.

El personal de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue trasladó a la víctima a un hospital local en condición estable.

Testigos dijeron a Local 10 que dos hombres tuvieron una discusión antes de que uno de ellos sacara un arma y le disparara al otro.

Choon confirmó que un hombre fue detenido, pero no está claro si enfrentará cargos en relación con la balacera.

Los detectives de Investigaciones Generales de la MDSO están investigando el caso.

No se divulgaron de inmediato más detalles.

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Detectives arrested Michael Enriquez, 53, who worked as a teacher at American Senior High School, located at 18350 NW 67th Ave., on Monday.

According to deputies, Enriquez was involved in a sexual relationship with one of his students that began in May of 2025.

Deputies said Enriquez and the student, who was 17 at the time, went out after school twice -- once in May and once in June -- at which time they drove to a shopping plaza in his truck and performed sex acts on one another.

When the new school year began in August of 2025, the two resumed their sexual relationship, deputies said.

According to authorities, their final encounter occurred on May 14. Deputies said that date was the only time they had sexual intercourse.

The victim was 18 at the time of their final sexual encounter, according to Enriquez’s arrest report.

Authorities did not disclose how they were alerted to the alleged crimes or how they discovered the dates and details.

As of Monday evening, Enriquez was behind bars at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. He faces charges of unlawful sex act with a specified minor as an authority figure, lewd and lascivious touching of a minor and offenses against a student by an authority figure. His bond was listed as “to be set.”

Detectives said they believe there could be additional victims and urge anyone with information to call the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Bureau at 305-715-3300 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS.

Los detectives arrestaron a Michael Enriquez, de 53 años, profesor de la preparatoria American Senior High School, ubicada en 18350 NW 67th Ave.

Según los agentes, Enriquez mantuvo una relación sexual con una de sus estudiantes que comenzó en mayo de 2025.

Los agentes indicaron que Enriquez y la estudiante, quien tenía 17 años en ese entonces, salieron después de clases en dos ocasiones: una en mayo y otra en junio. En esas ocasiones, se dirigieron a un centro comercial en su camioneta y mantuvieron relaciones sexuales.

Al comenzar el nuevo año escolar en agosto de 2025, ambos reanudaron su relación sexual, según los agentes.

De acuerdo con las autoridades, su último encuentro ocurrió el 14 de mayo. Los agentes señalaron que esa fue la única vez que tuvieron relaciones sexuales.

Según el informe de arresto de Enriquez, la víctima tenía 18 años al momento de su último encuentro sexual.

Las autoridades no revelaron cómo fueron alertadas de los presuntos delitos ni cómo descubrieron las fechas y los detalles.

Hasta el lunes por la noche, Enriquez permanecía recluido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight. Enfrenta cargos por acto sexual ilícito con una menor de edad en calidad de figura de autoridad, tocamientos lascivos a una menor y delitos contra una estudiante por parte de una figura de autoridad. Su fianza se encuentra pendiente de fijación.

Los detectives indicaron que creen que podría haber más víctimas e instan a cualquier persona con información a llamar a la Oficina de Víctimas Especiales de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade al 305-715-3300 o a Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-TIPS.

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In the newly released surveillance video, a condominium staffer can be seen rushing over to check on Justin Zelin moments after he fell from a balcony above.

It all happened on Feb. 15 at the Akoya Condominiums, located at 6365 Collins Ave. on Mid-Beach.

Three days prior, video footage captured a man who appeared to be Zelin entering the building with 37-year-old Corey Hutterli, who was carrying what appeared to be several bottles of alcohol.

Hutterli would quickly become the main suspect on the night of Zelin’s death.

Prior to Zelin falling from his balcony, he called police after getting into an altercation with Hutterli.

Investigators said the victim could be heard on the call saying “get away from me Sasha,” which is an alias they said Hutterli was referred by.

Hutterli has since been accused by authorities of pushing Zelin from the condo’s balcony.

“During (a) physical altercation, Hutterli caused for victim Zelin to perish due to blunt force trauma from decent from height,” an arrest report states.

On the ground, body worn cameras were rolling as officers located Zelin’s body.

Upstairs, officers inside Zelin’s condo said they found a disheveled Hutterli exiting the victim’s apartment wearing only socks, with cuts on his body consistent with having been involved in a fight.

Investigators said they collected evidence from Hutterli’s shirt and backpack, which contained ketamine and patches of his own beard.

Hutterli remains behind bars at the Metrowest Detention Center without bond, facing charges of second degree murder, burglary with assault or battery, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to use.

El Reino Unido tiene un objetivo legalmente vinculante, fijado en 2008, de alcanzar emisiones netas cero de carbono para 2050. Por ley, el gobierno debe legislar topes de emisiones para futuros presupuestos quinquenales en un calendario estricto.

El secretario de Energía, Ed Miliband, señaló el martes que el gobierno aceptará el consejo de su Comité de Cambio Climático independiente de fijar una meta del 87% para el próximo presupuesto, que abarca los años 2038 a 2042.

El gobierno sostiene que avanzar hacia la energía limpia reducirá la exposición del país a sacudidas en los precios de los combustibles como las observadas a raíz de la guerra entre Rusia y Ucrania y del conflicto en Oriente Medio.

“Mientras Gran Bretaña enfrenta el segundo shock de combustibles fósiles de la década, la única manera de proteger las finanzas de las familias y las empresas es impulsar energía limpia, nacional y producida en casa, que controlemos”, declaró Miliband.

Científicos indicaron que la meta encamina al Reino Unido a cumplir su objetivo de cero neto para 2050, aunque el anuncio del martes no incluye detalles sobre cómo se logrará.

“Creo que esto es una muy buena noticia como hito hacia el cero neto en 2050. Pero, junto con la ambición, necesitamos tanto un plan coherente e integrado para alcanzarlo como una junta de ejecución —independiente del gobierno, de la política y del (Comité de Cambio Climático)— encargada de hacerlo realidad”, indicó Martin Siegert, profesor de geociencias en la Universidad de Exeter.

Los partidos de oposición Conservador y Reform UK sostienen que el gobierno debería rebajar los objetivos de energía renovable y extraer más petróleo y gas del mar del Norte para reducir la dependencia de Gran Bretaña de la energía importada.

La portavoz de energía del Partido Conservador, Claire Coutinho, denunció que el objetivo de emisiones “nos hará más débiles, más pobres y elevará aún más las facturas de energía de todos”.

___________________________________

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

En el video de vigilancia recién divulgado, se puede ver a un empleado del condominio corriendo para verificar el estado de Justin Zelin momentos después de que cayó desde un balcón ubicado más arriba.

Todo ocurrió el 15 de febrero en los condominios Akoya, ubicados en el 6365 de Collins Ave. en Mid-Beach.

Tres días antes, imágenes de video captaron a un hombre que parecía ser Zelin entrando al edificio con Corey Hutterli, de 37 años, quien llevaba lo que parecían ser varias botellas de alcohol.

Hutterli se convertiría rápidamente en el principal sospechoso la noche de la muerte de Zelin.

Antes de que Zelin cayera desde su balcón, llamó a la policía tras involucrarse en un altercado con Hutterli.

Los investigadores dijeron que se podía escuchar a la víctima durante la llamada diciendo “aléjate de mí, Sasha”, un alias por el que, según dijeron, era conocido Hutterli.

Desde entonces, las autoridades han acusado a Hutterli de empujar a Zelin desde el balcón del condominio.

“Durante un altercado físico, Hutterli provocó que la víctima Zelin falleciera debido a un trauma contundente por la caída desde una altura”, señala un informe de arresto.

En la planta baja, las cámaras corporales estaban grabando mientras los agentes localizaban el cuerpo de Zelin.

Arriba, los agentes dentro del condominio de Zelin dijeron que encontraron a un Hutterli desaliñado saliendo del apartamento de la víctima usando solo calcetines, con cortes en su cuerpo consistentes con haber estado involucrado en una pelea.

Los investigadores dijeron que recolectaron evidencia de la camisa y la mochila de Hutterli, que contenían ketamina y fragmentos de su propia barba.

Hutterli permanece detenido en el Centro de Detención Metrowest sin derecho a fianza, enfrentando cargos de asesinato en segundo grado, robo con agresión o lesiones, posesión de una sustancia controlada y posesión de parafernalia de drogas con intención de uso.

Today is the last day of record heat before cooler air moves in Wednesday through the rest of the week. Extensive clouds will keep temperatures in the middle 80s, which is several degrees lower than average for this time of the year. Humidity will be a touch lower too. Certainly not refreshing, but a lot more comfortable than today.

Mullin's appearance at the appropriations subcommittee on homeland security comes as the Senate is weighing legislation that would fund immigration enforcement agencies through the end of President Donald Trump’s term in a maneuver that would bypass the need for support from Democrats, who have demanded restraints before agreeing to fund the agencies.

But, the attempt to fund those two agencies for the long term has been stalled over separate Republican opposition to a $1.776 billion settlement fund to compensate Trump allies who believe they have been politically prosecuted.

Mullin, who was tapped by Trump to lead Homeland Security after his predecessor Kristi Noem was fired, is appearing in the Senate Tuesday for the first time since his confirmation hearing in March. On Wednesday, he'll testify in the House about the budget.

The hearing also comes at a time when Mullin, who projected himself as a steadying hand at a department wracked by instability during Noem's tenure, has set the travel industry on edge with threats to withdraw U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers from airports in so-called “sanctuary cities."

Such a move could upend international travel at a time when millions of visitors are gearing up to come to the U.S. for the World Cup.

Mullin said during a news conference Monday that if needed, he has a plan to pull CBP officers from airports to help with security at the Delaney Hall ICE facility in Newark, New Jersey, where demonstrators have been protesting conditions inside. But he said the state is working to provide security there so it’s not needed right now.

New Jersey state police on Friday relieved federal immigration enforcement agents who had been facing off against protesters at the facility for days. The mayor of Newark Sunday also imposed a curfew around the center.

“As long as we continue to have this partnership with local and state law enforcement then there will be no need to do so,” Mullin told reporters during a news conference in Dallas Monday, in response to questions about whether he would be pulling CBP officers from airports.

Mullin can also expect to face questions over a recent announcement from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that demands that most green card seekers apply for permanent residency from their home country, changing longstanding policy that allowed them to do so from the U.S. and prompting widespread confusion among immigration lawyers and their clients.

The U.K. has a legally binding target, set in 2008, of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. By law, the government must legislate for emissions caps for future five-yearly budgets on a strict timetable.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said that the government will accept the advice of its independent Climate Change Committee of an 87% target for the next budget, covering the years 2038 to 2042.

The government argues that moving to clean energy will reduce the country's exposure to fuel-price shocks like those seen from the Russia-Ukraine war and the conflict in the Middle East.

“As Britain faces the second fossil fuel shock of the decade, the only way to protect family and business finances is to drive for clean homegrown power that we control,” Miliband said.

Scientists said that the goal puts the U.K. on course to meet its 2050 net zero target, though Tuesday's announcement doesn't include details of how it will be achieved.

“I think this is very good news as a milestone to net zero at 2050. But, alongside the ambition, we need both a coherent joined-up plan to achieve it and a delivery board — independent of government, politics and the (Climate Change Committee) — tasked with making it happen," said Martin Siegert, professor of geosciences at the University of Exeter.

The opposition Conservative and Reform UK parties argue that the government should water down renewable energy targets, and extract more oil and gas from the North Sea to reduce Britain’s dependence on imported energy.

Conservative Party energy spokeswoman Claire Coutinho said that the emissions target “will make us weaker, poorer and send everyone’s energy bills even higher.”

Trump made the surprise announcement Tuesday on social media that Pulte would be replacing Tulsi Gabbard, the former Hawaii congresswoman who had served as the director of national intelligence. Trump said Pulte will keep his other positions even as he fills in for Gabbard, who resigned last month after revealing her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

The Republican president cited Pulte's work at the FHFA and his role as chair of the mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as indicating that his real estate work would overlap with the skills needed to coordinate 18 federal agencies tasked with aspects of foreign and domestic security.

“William has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets," Trump posted on Truth Social.

Trump's choice to elevate Pulte, who would also continue in his post at FHFA, shows how the president is putting a greater priority on loyalty to him, even as the side effects of the Iran war has damaged Trump politically going into November's midterm elections and raised basic concerns about the quality of advice that aides are giving to a president who has rewarded flattery.

It’s unclear what national security expertise Pulte brings to bear as the U.S. faces conflict in the Middle East, helps Ukraine defend itself against Russia's assault and manages the emergence of artificial intelligence as a military tool. But Pulte, who's 38 years old, has been a frequent guest on Air Force One as Trump has traveled to Mar-a-Lago, his home and club in Palm Beach, Florida.

On one such flight, the housing finance director stood in a doorway as Trump discussed with reporters the ballroom he’s building at the White House and handed Trump a series of renderings of the project that the president held up.

Questions about Pulte's experience

Tuesday's announcement quickly drew criticism from Trump administration opponents that Pulte could undermine the credibility and integrity of America's intelligence agencies.

“The concern is not only that Mr. Pulte lacks the ‘extensive national security experience’ required by statute for the job, which was created after intelligence failures led to the deaths of thousands of Americans on 9/11," said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., in a statement. “It is that he appears to have been selected precisely because the White House believes he will provide the narrative it wants, not the intelligence we need.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said Pulte has been “abusing his authority” as the federal housing finance director and Trump is now "rewarding his lackey — who has no national security experience — with a perch atop our nation’s intelligence community. What could go wrong?”

Robert Weissman, co-president of Public Citizen, the liberal consumer rights advocacy group, warned that Pulte was “Trump's hatchet man” who would use the government against those Americans who object to the president's actions.

“Placing Pulte in this post would position him to use the nation’s massive surveillance apparatus and police capacity to harass, intimidate and threaten the many, many people that Trump considers his enemies," Weissman said.

Pulte's attacks on Trump foes

As the grandson of the founder of PulteGroup, one of the country's largest homebuilders, Pulte has cut a combative streak on social media and used his post at the FHFA to attack perceived opponents of the Trump administration.

His time overseeing mortgage finance has been linked with criminal referrals for mortgage fraud by public officials Trump sought to punish, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat; Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.; and Lisa Cook, a board member of the Federal Reserve, who was nominated by a Democratic president, Joe Biden.

The prosecution against James was dismissed in November after a judge concluded that the prosecutor who filed the charges was illegally appointed. Other referrals made by Pulte, including against Schiff and Cook, have not yielded any criminal charges. Lawyers for both have denied any claims of wrongdoing. But Trump did try to use the possibility of mortgage fraud as grounds for removing Cook from the Fed.

Cook’s lawyer accused Pulte of pursuing mortgage fraud on a partisan basis, focusing on Democrats and refusing to pursue similar allegations against Republicans.

Pulte told reporters at the White House several months ago that he had also made criminal referrals regarding at least one Republican official, but he declined to provide the name.

He has famously gone after then-Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting the central bank’s benchmark interest rates as aggressively as the president wanted. He has also been linked to ideas such as the 50-year mortgage and efforts to lower mortgage rates through the purchase of home loan debt that have not paid off as promised, as mortgage rates began to climb after the Iran war started at the end of February.

Pulte has a reputation for cultivating enemies. In a legal feud pursued by Pulte that involved his family namesake's homebuilding company, he accused his grandfather’s widow of insider trading. He was believed to be the driving force behind a website trashing an aunt as a “fake Christian.” And he publicly blasted another relative as “a fat slob,” “weirdo” and “grifter,” according to court records.

Politico reported in September that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened to punch Pulte in the face. The showdown occurred at a private dinner, and the treasury secretary claimed that he had heard Pulte had been badmouthing him to Trump.

If formally nominated, Pulte would need to be confirmed by the Senate to hold the position full time.

In his first term, Trump at various points had acting officials leading the Justice and Defense departments and in top posts at Homeland Security and the Interior.

More than half of 2025’s sales were “mega-deals” valued at $100 million or more, the ministry said, adding that sales have more than doubled in the last five years, despite widespread criticism of Israel’s conduct in its wars in Gaza, with Hezbollah and with Iran.

It did not identify any of the buyers.

Countries that have vowed to shun Israeli weapons makers are nonetheless quietly placing orders, according to industry officials. Experts say governments look to Israel because its weapons are battle-tested and they're able to see in real time that the munitions and systems work.

“There is a clear and unmistakable thread connecting the (army's) battlefield achievements across all fronts, the extraordinary capabilities of Israel’s defense industries, and the success of Israeli defense exports around the world,” said Defense Minister Israel Katz. He said the growing figures reinforce Israel's position as a leading defense technology power and carry a responsibility to keep innovating.

One area Israel’s Defense Ministry says will be a future priority for innovation is taking down drones, which has proven challenging during the war with Iran. Drones are hard to pinpoint on radar systems calibrated for spotting high-speed missiles and can be mistaken for birds or planes.

This year’s Defense Tech Expo in Tel Aviv reflected the growing international interest in Israeli weapons, with manufacturers promoting arms and other equipment shaped by the country’s recent conflicts. But it also highlighted the tension between showcasing the military technology and the political debate surrounding its use, with event protesters decrying the widespread destruction of Gaza as a testing lab for Israeli weapons.

Israel’s Defense Ministry says it uses its equipment to defend the country and its people, and denies that it uses battlefields as testing grounds.

More than a quarter of the sales last year were missile, rocket, and air defense systems, as in the year prior, said the defense ministry. There was also a surge in observation and optronics systems, it said. Optronics is a branch of electronics dealing with optical, infrared or ultraviolet radiation, and is used in applications such as rifle sights.

A March report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said that for the first time, Israel has surpassed the United Kingdom in its share of global arms exports, making it the world’s seventh-biggest supplier.

At issue is territory claimed by both that is believed to contain large, exploitable amounts of natural gas and other hydrocarbons.

The decision to take the matter to the the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, comes after Thailand last month terminated a 25-year-old memorandum of understanding with Cambodia meant to resolve overlapping maritime claims.

Thailand unilaterally revoked the agreement in May after relations between the countries worsened last year after major armed clashes over their land border.

Last year’s fighting with Cambodia spurred nationalistic fervor, putting political pressure on Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to abrogate the pact.

In a live broadcast on TVK state television, Hun Manet said that his government had delivered formal notice to Thailand and to the U.N. secretary-general to begin compulsory conciliation proceedings under UNCLOS rules.

“Cambodia has never violated the sovereignty of other states," he said.

"At the same time, we are unwaveringly determined to defend Cambodia’s sovereignty. Today, we continue to honor that responsibility, not through force, but through international law; not through unilateral action, but through peaceful engagement.”

It wasn't immediately clear when the claim might be adjudicated.

Anutin responded to the announcement by telling reporters that Cambodia's action wasn't a problem. He had previously said that Thailand would continue to pursue a resolution of the maritime border issue according to UNCLOS guidelines, but didn't agree with Cambodia's intention to force conciliation.

Any UNCLOS ruling isn't binding on the parties involved, even though both countries are signatories to the international pact.

Thailand has been averse to having territorial issues decided by third parties rather than handled bilaterally. It has long felt that a 1962 ruling by the International Court of Justice awarding Cambodia the hilltop Preah Vihear temple along their border to be unfair, which has contributed to ongoing tensions between the neighbors.

Senate Republicans are meeting Tuesday to discuss next steps after the Justice Department said it would comply with a court order pausing the implementation of a $1.776 billion settlement fund designed to compensate President Donald Trump’s political allies.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is also set to return to Capitol Hill on Tuesday for a hearing before the House Appropriations Committee. The hearing was scheduled for discussion of the Justice Department’s budget, but lawmakers will almost certainly focus their questioning on the settlement fund.

The Latest:

Rubio says Iran will not receive sanctions relief for reopening Strait of Hormuz

Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy pushed Rubio to see what incentives, if any, Washington is willing to offer Tehran in exchange for a deal.

Rubio said that any sanctions relief would have to come after major concession on the nuclear issue and the enriched uranium.

“Will they receive relief just in exchange for reopening the strait?” Murphy asked.

Rubio responded, “No, that’s not been discussed. That’s not been offered.”

US targeting criteria for alleged drug boats does not include narcotics on boat, Kaine says

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia pressed Rubio on why the U.S. military’s targeting criteria for attacking alleged drug boats in Latin American waters do not include drugs on the boat. Kaine described it as “odd” before adding that he can’t share much more because the targeting criteria are classified.

Rubio pushed back, saying that every strike follow’s a legal officer’s determination on whether a strike is legal or not. Rubio also said that the U.S. military has “walked away from strikes” multiple times because they did not meet the targeting criteria.

The U.S. military has attacked dozens of boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, killing roughly 200 people since early September. The Trump administration says the U.S. is at war with drug cartels, while many Democrats have questioned the legality and effectiveness of the strikes.

Senate Majority Leader says acting DNI Pulte would face ‘lengthy road’ to confirmation

Sen. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, says he’s trying to get more insight from the White House about the decision to make Bill Pulte the acting Director of National Intelligence.

“I’m trying to get more information about the current state of their thinking about that position,” Thune told reporters Tuesday.

Thune said if the White House wants to nominate the real estate scion and Trump loyalist to that position permanently, he would have “a lengthy road ahead of him.”

Asked if he has concerns about a weaponized DNI position, Thune said “we don’t need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there.”

Democrats blast Trump for picking Pulte as director of national intelligence

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Trump’s decision to tap his housing finance director as acting director of national intelligence, saying Bill Pulte is “a partisan thug with no experience in intelligence.”

Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a lengthy statement that Pulte was picked because Trump “believes he will provide the narrative it wants, not the intelligence we need.” He warned that a pick like this leaves Americans “vulnerable to a terrorist attack.”

Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said “it is critical that Pulte go through a full security clearance process before he walks into the building.”

Pope Leo’s AI manifesto sparks viral reactions: ‘Love my woke pope’

Shortly after Pope Leo XIV issued his sweeping manifesto calling for robust regulation of artificial intelligence, the Instagram meme account Saint Hoax posted this reaction to its more than 3 million followers about the pope’s call to “disarm” AI.

Similar reactions to Leo’s first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), seem driven by a perception among young people that few political or global leaders are taking seriously the ramifications of AI’s rapid rise.

The pontiff reiterates throughout the roughly 42,300-word document that the church must engage in contemporary questions and challenges. For Leo, that has included rebuking certain policies, actions and leaders, including Trump and the ongoing war in Iran. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, invoked the “just war” theory in response. Leo’s encyclical calls this church teaching “outdated.”

“Humanity possesses far more effective and capable tools for promoting human life and resolving conflicts, such as dialogue, diplomacy and forgiveness,” Leo wrote.

Rubio says while US is leading on AI, the technology could ‘destabilize societies all over the world’

In a very sober assessment, the secretary of state was clear-eyed about the innovation that artificial intelligence can have on the U.S. and global economy but also acknowledged that the emerging technology will also cause destruction to certain industries and white-collar jobs.

Those jobs will have to be replaced with new jobs or new skills, he said.

“That’s not just an economic issue. That is a political issue, that over time could destabilize societies all over the world. And so we have to start thinking about AI in those terms, as well,” he said.

Rubio won’t commit to not extending waiver on Russian oil sanctions

Shaheen, the committee’s ranking Democrat, pressed Rubio on whether the U.S. will extend a waiver on Russia oil sanctions. The U.S. has issued extensions for countries to import Russian oil that is already in tankers at sea in order to ease oil shortages caused by the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Rubio said the decision will ultimately be made by the U.S. Treasury Department, “but I will tell you, it depends on the circumstances at the time.”

“We would like to end it as soon as we possibly can, because the underlying policy of this country has been to sanction their oil. These are time limited waivers for the purpose of opening up more global supply,” Rubio said.

Rubio to Congress: Iran has ‘agreed to negotiate aspects of their nuclear program’

Pressed by Democrats and Republicans on the status of negotiations with Tehran, Rubio tried to present a more optimistic view on the progress Washington has made with the Iranian regime.

“They have agreed to negotiate aspects of their nuclear program that just a month ago, just a year ago, they were refusing to even mention,” he said. But he added that it’s “not a guarantee that ultimately it will lead to a deal that’s acceptable” by Congress. He said these negotiations have been made difficult by the instability of Iran’s leadership.

Israel, Lebanon begin new round of political talks in Washington as fighting surges

U.S. and Israeli officials said the talks between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the United States began on Tuesday at the State Department, as planned, despite intensified fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that has thrown the already fragile ceasefire into new uncertainty.

The two days of talks — the fourth round of such direct discussions — follow a security meeting between the two sides that was held on Friday at the Pentagon.

None of the participants in Tuesday’s meetings spoke as they posed for photos before the talks began.

Shaheen lambasts Rubio for ignoring requests for information on Ukraine, Iran and more

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, lambasted Rubio in her opening remarks. She said his office has refused to provide information requested about the Trump administration’s changing troop posture in Europe as well as U.S. operations in Iran and American support for Ukraine.

“When you do notify Congress, it’s to inform us of decisions you have already made,” she said.

She also focused on the U.S. military’s declining stockpile of advanced weapons used in the Iran war.

Rubio set to testify as Senate committee hearing begins

James E. Risch, the Republican chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, kicked off Tuesday’s hearing, the first for the U.S. secretary of state since the Iran war began.

Risch has praised Rubio’s efforts to reduce illegal immigration and the flow of fentanyl into the United States.

Rubio to be defiant on status of US foreign policy in first congressional testimony since Iran war

The former Republican senator is set to defend the Trump administration’s bulldozing of American soft power in his opening statement to senators Tuesday as part of an annual budget request hearing.

“The U.S. government is not a charity. We are not here to play social worker,” Rubio’s prepared remarks say.

The written remarks focus mostly on the Western Hemisphere, with no mention of the ongoing, sprawling U.S. operations in the Middle East.

They call the capturing of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro “one of the most extraordinary feats of lethal precision in military history.”

“We have made it clear to every government in this hemisphere that America can either be their greatest friend or their most feared enemy — the choice is theirs,” he added.

Rubio enters Senate briefing room to chants from protesters

Rubio faced chants from protesters who urged him to “stop killing Cubans” when he entered a Senate briefing room Tuesday.

The protesters were quickly pulled from the room. Their chants also included “Let Cuba live!” as well as, “Repent Marco Rubio. God will forgive you for your sins. Stop killing Cubans.”

Rubio is sitting at a table staring into the lenses of media photographers.

Protesters arrested outside Rubio hearing

A small number of protesters who were lined up outside a Senate briefing room where Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to testify before Congress have been arrested.

The group chanted “Rubio lies. People with AIDS die” as well as “One child dies every 30 mins.”

A small number of other protesters, who were not arrested, have found seats in the back of the room where Rubio is to provide testimony at 10 a.m.

Judges and grand juries have rebuffed Pulte’s accusations against Trump rivals

Pulte has used his perch as FHFA director to make a succession of criminal referrals against political opponents of Trump related to allegations of mortgage fraud.

One such referral centered on New York Attorney Letitia James, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing. A prosecution against her was dismissed in November after a judge concluded that the prosecutor who filed the charges was was illegally appointed. Prosecutors have tried several times since to bring a new case but have been rebuffed by grand juries.

Other referrals made by Pulte, including against Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, have not yielded any criminal charges. Lawyers for both have denied any claims of wrongdoing.

Pulte has raised his profile by attacking Trump’s rivals

Pulte has mainly trained his sights on Trump’s domestic rivals. He targeted Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting the central bank’s benchmark interest rates as aggressively as the president wanted, and led a protracted campaign against New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat who angered Trump by prosecuting him in court.

It’s unclear what national security expertise Pulte has, but the attention-seeking and hyper-online millennial has become a major player in the Trump administration, and a frequent guest on Air Force One as Trump has traveled to Mar-a-Lago, his home and club in Florida.

▶ Read more

Pulte is a loyal Trump aide who lacks intelligence agency experience

The position, which involves overseeing and coordinating the country’s 18 intelligence agencies, is one that requires Senate confirmation.

With the appointment, Trump, who has long the nation’s intelligence agencies with suspicion, is foregoing a director with experience in sensitive intelligence and national security matters and is instead selecting a loyal aide who made a career in the homebuilding industry and cultivated a combative social media presence.

Gabbard was seen as an unconventional pick, but she was a former congresswoman who had served in the military.

Trump taps federal housing finance director Bill Pulte as acting director of national intelligence

Trump made the surprise announcement on Truth Social on Tuesday regarding Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and chair of mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

“William has deep experience managing the most sensitive matters in America, the safety and soundness of the Markets, and over 10 Trillion Dollars at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, a substantial increase from where it was just 12 months ago,” he wrote.

Trump said Pulte would keep his other positions even as he fills in for Tulsi Gabbard, who resigned last month after revealing her husband’s cancer diagnosis.

If formally nominated, Pulte would need to be confirmed by the Senate to hold the position full time.

Pulte’s current role involves ensuring the soundness of the mortgage market, but he morphed into a megaphone who went after Trump’s perceived political foes.

EU strikes Trump-like deal for more deportations and detention centers abroad

A vast overhaul of the European Union’s migration policy aims to speed deportations using detention centers outside the 27-nation bloc. Critics compare the regulations agreed-to Monday night to the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration policies.

“The new regulation will speed up the return process and increase returns of persons who have no legal right to stay in the EU,” said Nicholas Ioannides, deputy migration minister for Cyprus, which holds the rotating EU presidency.

Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark and Greece are already in talks with third countries, mostly in Africa, to host the “return hubs.” Critics compare them to the secretive Trump administration agreements to deport thousands of people to countries that are not their own.

“The legalization of return hubs outside the European Union, the green light for the detention of minors, home visits inspired by ICE practices: the legal arsenal serving a xenophobic ideology is now complete,” said Mélissa Camara, a French Green party lawmaker.

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Jill Biden surprised at Kamala Harris’ critiques of Joe Biden’s 2024 decision

The former first lady said Tuesday she was surprised that the former vice president wrote in her own memo that Joe Biden’s ego and ambition effectively damaged Democrats’ hopes in the 2024 presidential election.

“I was a little surprised she wrote that,” Jill Biden said on MSNOW’s “Morning Joe,” adding that “Joe and Kamala, me, Doug (Emhoff), I thought we were a great team.”

She added that “when Joe got out, he handed over the reins to Kamala” and “had full confidence in her.”

The interview comes as part of Jill Biden’s media tour touting her new memoir of the Bidens’ White House years.

The former first lady said her husband and Harris remain on good terms and that Harris “just called two days ago” to check on how he’s doing.

Former first lady says of Joe Biden’s cancer has been tough

Jill Biden said her 83-year-old husband “gets tired a little more often” since his prostate cancer diagnosis.

“Cancer takes its toll,” she said in an MSNOW interview.

But she noted the former president is “still giving speeches” and “still on Amtrak a couple of times a month, keeping a schedule.”

Biden’s son, Beau Biden, died of an aggressive brain cancer in 2015, when his father was still vice president.

“I know every family in America has been touched by cancer,” Jill Biden said. “So I think people can relate when I say ... it’s been, it’s been tough.”

Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, appeals court panel rules

A Pentagon policy illegally banned transgender troops from military service, a divided panel of federal appeals court judges ruled on Monday in another legal setback for President Donald Trump’s sweeping agenda.

The majority opinion — by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia circuit — held that the Trump administration’s policy was designed to exclude people from the military based on their gender identity.

The ban remains in effect. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Pentagon to start enforcing it last year, as litigation continues to play out.

The panel’s new ruling would keep the military from kicking out current service members named in the lawsuit, but wouldn’t allow new transgender recruits to join. The judges put their decision on hold, though, to let the administration seek further review.

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What to watch in Tuesday’s primaries as Democrats try to defend California and make inroads in Iowa

For a state that’s home to Hollywood, there isn’t much star power in California’s gubernatorial race. It’s a somewhat different story in Los Angeles, where a reality television personality is running for mayor as the city prepares to host the Olympics.

More primaries are being held on Tuesday as well. Democrats are banking on a rare chance to regain ground in Iowa, a rural state that has repeatedly eluded them in recent years. Republicans, meanwhile, are grappling with a New Jersey congressman whose unexplained absence could put their already slim majority at risk.

▶ Read more about what to watch as voters in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota cast ballots

Pentagon bars journalists from its press office, saying it has become a ‘classified space’

In another of a series of moves restricting media access at the Pentagon, the Defense Department has declared that its press office is now a classified space inaccessible to journalists.

On X, acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez confirmed the move, saying there was “nothing controversial” about it and that it came because speechwriters, who use classified material, were now occupying the space.

“The Pentagon Press Office has been redesignated as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility due to speechwriters from the Office of the Secretary of War sharing the facility,” Valdez wrote.

“These speechwriters routinely handle classified material … as a result, journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the office space. There’s nothing controversial about that.”

The latest move, first reported by The Washington Post, took place against a backdrop of escalating tensions between the U.S. media and the second Trump administration, which has played out both in the public arena and at times in the courts.

▶ Read more

“He transcended boxing into every space you can imagine,” she told The Associated Press this week ahead of the 10-year anniversary of Ali’s death on June 3, 2016, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

“Muhammad lived by this mantra: service to others is the rent we pay for our room here on earth," Lonnie Ali said during an interview at The Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Kentucky. “He showed up every day with kindness and empathy in his heart for people who are in need."

Ali, known as the “Louisville Lip” in his hometown, rose to prominence as a trash-talking world champion boxer in the 1960s and began speaking about civil rights issues as his star was rising. He is widely regarded as the most famous and influential boxer of all time, winning the heavyweight title three times.

The Ali Center is sponsoring a “Day of Compassion” on Wednesday, the 10th anniversary of his death, to promote acts of service and caring. Lonnie Ali, who serves as the center's lifetime director, said the hope is an expanding annual event to highlight works of service and volunteering.

The day will focus on one of "the core values that made up Muhammad Ali” in an increasingly divided country, she said.

“Today, we are in a place where we are losing touch with our humanity and with each other,” she said. “It’s causing rifts, not just in families and communities, but in this nation. We’re becoming increasingly polarized and separated, and sort of retreating to people who think like us, look like us, and not really reaching out.”

She also challenged political leaders to lead with compassion, noting the recent weakening of the 1965 Voting Rights Act by the Supreme Court.

“We should always be thinking about how we can uplift a community, not how we can make it harder for them,” Lonnie Ali said. “We want equal representation in this country. You can’t have equal representation when you’re denying people voting rights, you can’t do that.”

But there is hope, she said, and she saw that when the city of Louisville came together for a weeklong celebration of Ali's life in 2016. The week was capped by a funeral procession through the city and past her late husband's modest childhood home near downtown Louisville. Former President Bill Clinton and actor Billy Crystal spoke at his funeral, and Will Smith, who portrayed Ali in a 2001 movie, was a pallbearer.

The outpouring of love for Ali at his hometown funeral service was livestreamed to millions around the world. A decade later, Ali’s face graced a U.S. Postal Service stamp for the first time, showing his enduring influence.

“We’re talking about people who traveled thousands of miles to come here, who had never met the man, never laid eyes on him personally, but wanted to ... give their last respects to him: kings, princes, presidents, heads of state, celebrities, sports figures,” Lonnie Ali said.

It happened on Friday in Shelby, a town about an hour west of Charlotte.

The officer, who has since been identified as 22-year-old Karson Hyder, has been charged with assault inflicting serious injury.

He turned himself in and has since posted a $10,000 bond.

It happened as officers tried to handcuff the victim, who asked for mental health care and for officers to call her father, adding she was off her medication.

In the video, Hyder is seen slamming the woman to the ground, and seconds after getting her to the ground, he starts throwing punches, hitting her a number of times.

A second officer is then seen seemingly trying to intervene, saying, “I got her.”

It is unclear what happened in the moments before the video started, but the department chief said officers were conducting a criminal investigation when they encountered a “suspicious female.”

A homeowner, whose security camera captured the video, posted it on social media.

Court records show the woman was charged with breaking and entering, resisting a public officer, and assault on a government official or employee. She was initially held on a $10,000 bond, but was later released on an unsecured bond.

“This man is supposed to protect, but he chose to like ... he was wanting to murder her,” said Gregory Moore, the victim’s father. “Thank God (there) was cameras out there. And I wonder, does he have a daughter or kids, and how would he feel if the shoe was on the other foot?”

The police chief said the department has sent the findings of their investigation to the North Carolina State Bureau for an independent review of any criminal violations.

The bureau is asking the public for patience as they investigate.

Animal poison control centers are reporting a nearly 300% increase in marijuana-related calls over the last several years.

For Hannah Branson, a pet emergency started with chocolate.

“The first thing I see when we walk in is just foil everywhere, all over the floor,” Branson said.

Branson had recently adopted Falcore, a small terrier-Chihuahua mix.

“I glance over at the dining room table and the bowl is completely empty so my heart sank,” she said.

She said she had no idea her new puppy would be able to climb onto the table and help himself to a bowl full of chocolate Easter candy.

“The bowl was pretty full. It was a Costco-size bag, so quite a decent amount, for sure,” Branson said when asked about how much chocolate Falcore ate.

Unsure what to do, she rushed her 5-pound dog to an emergency veterinarian.

“They give an injection which induces vomiting pretty much immediately, so he started throwing up and the amount that he threw up, they were like, ‘Oh wow, he ate a lot of chocolate,’” she said.

Chocolate toxicity remains a major concern for pets, but veterinarians say it is no longer the most common toxin they treat.

“More and more often, we’re seeing people come in with marijuana toxicity cases. It’s one of the more common toxicities that we see,” said Dr. Ignacio Casali, of Veterinary Emergency Group in Fort Lauderdale.

“THC, chocolate, chocolate and mushrooms, now we’re seeing it a lot,” he said.

Casali said he sees at least one case a week, and sometimes more, involving pets that have eaten THC edibles or marijuana-infused chocolate.

“It can get dangerous at high quantities, especially now that for humans, they are selling it in concentrated forms,” he said.

The dosage intended for adults can be far too much for small animals.

Early symptoms include lethargy, confusion, glassy eyes and trouble walking.

“They are losing balance, they’re walking around and they’re kind of falling to the side and they’re doing the bobbling head sometimes. They are walking into the hospital and they are dribbling urine,” Casali said.

Veterinarians say one of the biggest challenges is getting accurate information about what an animal may have ingested.

“The more information we have, the easier it is for us, because we do have toxicity calculators with chocolate, with THC. We can plug in the patient’s weight and the amount of THC they were exposed to and immediately we have an idea of how heavy the symptoms are going to be,” Casali said.

Treatment typically includes fluids and support for blood pressure and body temperature.

Veterinarians say THC toxicity is mostly treatable and usually nonlethal, with most side effects subsiding within 12 to 24 hours.

Back at home, Branson said she is relieved Falcore has returned to his normal energetic self, keeping his older sister Pippa busy.

The incident left her with a $500 veterinary bill.

While Branson is comfortable talking about her dog’s chocolate overdose, veterinarians say some pet owners are reluctant to admit when their animals may have consumed marijuana because of the stigma surrounding it.

“Nothing is forcing me to report to the authorities about what the dog got exposed to. Our main goal here is to help pets, no matter what toxicity it is,” Casali said.

Veterinarians recommend keeping all candies, chocolates and THC products out of reach of pets.

The fate of the embattled immigration detention center is in flux.

Vendors have confirmed to Local 10 that they’ve been told operations at the facility will end by Monday, nearly one year after President Donald Trump’s famed visit on the day gates opened.

The facility was built in less than two weeks, but a new chapter for the detention center is taking shape.

Monday morning, Floridians for Public Lands founder Jessica Namath observed vendors and law enforcement vehicles coming and going from the facility.

“It is June 1, start of hurricane season, so I was curious what was happening at the site, and I have definitely seen more vehicular traffic than I did at the middle of last month,” she said. “I am hopeful that they are packing up and getting out of the Everglades.”

Sky 10 was above Alligator Alcatraz in recent days as a growing number of detainees inside the facility are calling Local 10, claiming they’re seeing operations shutting down.

Multiple sources said the number of detainees is dropping drastically.

“It’s supposed to be to effectuate the removal, not to have them there indefinitely,” immigration attorney Sammy Aliferis said.

Justo Bentacourt was one of the inmates recently released from Alligator Alcatraz.

He was released two weeks ago after being detained six months ago during a routine immigration check-in.

“I knew one day I’d get out,” Bentacourt said shortly after his release.

Over the weekend, President Donald Trump posted a message on social media, telling Bentacourt to enjoy his freedom with his daughter who worked hard to free him.

The high cost to run the facility could be a factor in the decision to shut it down as the money comes from Florida’s emergency fund.

U.S. Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost, who represents District 10 in Florida, weighed in.

“They spent nearly a billion dollars of taxpayer dollars on this failed project of human suffering,” he said.

More than $600 million is supposed to be reimbursed by the federal government, but the timeline for complete repayment is unclear.

“It’s irrelevant whether the state’s being reimbursed or not – they’re being reimbursed with our taxpayer money regardless," Frost said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis defended his actions to support the controversial detention center, but he does not deny the recent New York Times report that the federal government is closing it for good.

The halt in communication was likely meant to increase pressure on U.S. President Donald Trump over negotiations on the Iran war ceasefire and loosening the Islamic Republic's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and the oil, gas and other commodities that normally pass through it. Trump then could potentially push Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt or slow the advance of his forces, which have moved deeper into Lebanon than at any time in over a quarter of a century.

The reports by the Fars and Tasnim news agencies, both believed to be close to Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, come as the conflicts in Iran and Lebanon have increasingly become conjoined. Iran insists that any potential truce in the war there must also quell the fighting in Lebanon, where Hezbollah remains one of Iran's chief allies in its self-described “axis of resistance” against Israel.

A regional official involved in the mediation, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks, told The Associated Press that Iran had not communicated at all on Tuesday after saying that a ceasefire needed to be enforced in Lebanon for negotiations to continue.

Israel and the U.S. maintain the fighting in Lebanon is separate from the Iran war talks.

Inflation takes an economic toll on Iran

Meanwhile, year-on-year inflation in Iran reached a level in May unseen since World War II, underlining the economic pain average Iranians are facing. While the U.S. is eager to ease the Islamic Republic's grip on the strait — through which a fifth of all traded oil and natural gas passed in peacetime — Iran faces economic challenges as its oil-backed economy remains under a U.S. naval blockade.

Economic pressure touched off nationwide protests in Iran in 2017 into 2018, when rising food prices sparked demonstrations that killed over 20 people and saw hundreds arrested. The next year, an increase in government-subsidized gasoline prices caused protests that saw over 300 people reportedly killed.

Then came the protests over the collapsing value of Iran's currency, the rial, at the start of this year. They were the most intense demonstrations to shake the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution and the chaotic years that followed. Iran's theocracy met January's protests with a crackdown on demonstrators in January that killed over 7,000 people, according to activists' estimates.

Now, even as hard-liners hold gun-handling workshops and organize marriages under the shadow of a ballistic missile to bolster spirits, experts note there could be new demonstrations if people find themselves priced out of feeding their families.

“I have no doubt that if Trump leaves (Iran without a formal peace deal) ... most probably, we will see something like January by the end of summer because of the economic and social situations," analyst Mohsen Jalilvand said in a video published by Iran's Fararu news website.

Prices climb at ‘an unprecedented rate’

Iran's Central Bank said the consumer price index, which measures a basket of goods and services, reached 77.2% in May compared with the year before. The rate is 8.5% higher than in April, the bank added. Inflation in daily and general needs — like medicine, taxi fares, tobacco and communication fees — rose 113.8% from the year before.

A private economic think tank in Iran, the Bamdad Institute of Economic Studies, described the current figures as “an unprecedented rate since World War II.” Iran’s Central Bank did not acknowledge the significance of the figures.

The previous record came in 1942. During the war, the British and Soviets invaded Iran and took over its railway, disrupting food supplies. The lack of food, worsened by a poor harvest, sparked hyperinflation and a famine. Hunger and a typhus outbreak killed many.

Airstrikes this year have greatly damaged Iran's businesses and its oil industry, Meanwhile, the U.S. blockade has been targeting Iranian crude oil shipments trying to reach the international market, a key source of hard revenue. Tax revenues have been depressed by businesses struggling even after the fighting paused.

The rial, which traded at 32,000 to $1 in 2015, now trades at over 1.7 million to $1.

“We will definitely have higher prices," Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned in May. "We are fighting, and we must accept this hardship.”

Tehran-based economist Saeed Leilaz, speaking to the AP, warned that annual inflation in Iran could reach 80%.

"Iran’s society cannot tolerate above 25%” annual inflation, he said.

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Karimi reported from Tehran, Iran. Magdy reported from Cairo.

In another viral post, one X user referenced a common meme in response to the encyclical, writing: “The atheism leaving my body the moment the pope starts talking about how AI is an affront to God and the new Tower of Babel."

That kind of reaction to Leo’s first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), has been prevalent online since its release last week. That enthusiasm is driven in part by a perception, especially among young people, that few political or global leaders grasp or take seriously the known and potential ramifications of AI’s rapid rise. Leaders often have worked to accommodate the tech industry, citing the need for economic growth — and along the way, critics say, cozying up to wealthy CEOs.

“People have really been looking for a response to AI,” said Isabel Thurston, a 27-year-old comedian from Boston. “This was the first — at least in my sphere of the world — world leader to make an announcement to this magnitude.”

History’s first U.S.-born pope has demonstrated a willingness to embrace aspects of contemporary culture. He was recently spotted wearing Nike sneakers under his vestments, and in his encyclical, Leo quoted the wise wizard Gandalf from the “Lord of the Rings," a series by Catholic author J.R.R. Tolkien.

“It’s clear that this is written by an American pope. There’s a spirit breathing through this document of an emphasis on individual freedom, on human happiness and human dignity," Robert Orsi, a professor of religious studies and history at Northwestern University, said of Leo's encyclical. “At times, I thought the language really resonates with the Declaration of Independence.”

This specific kind of cultural fluency may help explain some of his viral moments as the leader of the ancient faith.

Just weeks earlier, a group of youths visiting the Vatican coaxed the 70-year-old pontiff to do a viral hand gesture on camera known as the 6-7 meme — a meaningless “brain rot” joke among young people. Though it’s clear in the video that the pope, like most adults, doesn’t understand what they’re asking him to do or its significance, he does it anyway and is met with enthusiastic cheers. A week later, he did it again while smiling and waving to crowds from the popemobile.

The portrait that has emerged from these instances is one of playfulness, but also intentionality. The pontiff reiterates throughout “Magnifica Humanitas” that it is the church’s responsibility to engage contemporary questions and challenges.

“Her mission has a historical scope and entails a responsibility for the way in which social relations are built,” Leo wrote about the Catholic Church. “She cannot consider herself a stranger to the forces shaping society. On the contrary, the Church actively participates in the processes by which society grows and is organized.”

Since his election last year, Leo has made a point to directly converse with — and sometimes critique — various aspects of society, ranging from politics to entertainment and sports.

Pope Francis, Vatican II and other preludes

Orsi studies the relationship between Catholicism and modernity, which he says have often historically been at odds with one another. He said Leo’s encyclical and his broader papacy, like that of his predecessor Pope Francis, is informed heavily by the still-polarizing Second Vatican Council, which brought modernizing reforms to the church more than 60 years ago.

“It’s speaking with a Vatican II voice to the modern world. So, it’s not a voice of condemnation, but it’s a voice of respect,” Orsi said of Leo’s encyclical. “Pope Francis, in a sense, was the necessary prelude to this kind of encyclical. I think Francis gave a really strong encouragement to take a clear critical voice on these urgent questions.”

That’s not to say there haven’t been detractors to Leo's approach. Some criticized his decision to present his encyclical alongside Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah. The Vatican decided to involve the tech company as part of its decade-long effort to engage Silicon Valley in dialogue over the human cost of AI.

In the roughly 42,300-word document, the pontiff exhorts all “men and women of goodwill” to not be afraid to get their “hands dirty on the ‘construction site’ of our time.”

That willingness has sometimes led to measured but very public rebukes of policies, actions and leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and the ongoing war in Iran. Some conservatives including Vice President JD Vance, who is a Catholic convert, have invoked the concept of “just war” theory in response to Leo’s critiques.

Church teaching has long allowed for “just wars” — the use of force to stop an unjust aggression — as long as certain conditions are met. But Leo directly addressed this doctrine in his encyclical, calling it “outdated.” “Humanity possesses far more effective and capable tools for promoting human life and resolving conflicts, such as dialogue, diplomacy and forgiveness,” he wrote.

Hollywood to baseball: American culture at the Vatican

Last November, the pontiff hosted a “World of Cinema” day at the Vatican with actors and filmmakers including Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Gus Van Sant and Spike Lee, who gifted Leo a custom New York Knicks jersey with the number 14 and the name Pope Leo on the back.

“Cultural facilities, such as cinemas and theaters, are the beating hearts of our communities because they contribute to making them more human,” Leo told his Hollywood audience. “The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what ‘works,’ but art opens up what is possible.”

He has also not been shy about his love of the Chicago White Sox, sometimes sporting baseball caps or posing with bats — the latter inspiring a kind of subgenre of Leo memes. “POV: you’re a priest who just asked ChatGPT to write your Sunday homily,” the Rev. Harrison Ayre posted on X with a photo of Leo holding a bat and smiling.

Shortly after “Magnifica Humanitas” was released, Thurston, who is Catholic, posted a video of her and a friend drinking margaritas while meticulously studying and discussing printed pages of the encyclical. It has racked up more than 3 million views on Instagram.

“An aspect that made the video going viral really joyful for me was to represent all of the Catholics or lapsed Catholics or adjacent interested parties as really celebrating what Pope Leo is saying in his encyclical,” she said.

Orsi said this strategy is coming at a crucial time for the Catholic Church following years of reckoning with its legacy of clergy sexual abuse. “I think a lot of people who moved away from the church are now saying, ‘Wait, maybe the church does have something to say to the modern world,’” he said.

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

The hearing before the House Appropriations Committee was scheduled for discussion of the Justice Department's budget, but lawmakers will almost certainly focus their questioning on the creation of a fund that has provoked outrage over the mere possibility that violent pro-Trump rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, could be eligible for payouts.

The Republican president is now reconsidering whether to move forward with the fund established to resolve his lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, according to a person familiar with the matter, in the face of Republican backlash and legal setbacks. The person insisted on anonymity to discuss the president’s thinking on Monday. The Justice Department also said Monday it would comply with a Virginia court temporarily blocking the administration's “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” effectively agreeing to pause the plan for at least two weeks.

Another judge in Florida raised the prospect of reopening the IRS lawsuit because of “grievous allegations” of improper dealing made against the administration by settlement critics.

The Trump administration has defended the fund as an appropriate measure to make up for what officials insist was a weaponized Justice Department during President Joe Biden's Democratic administration, a claim the Biden administration strongly denied. Though some Trump supporters, including participants in the Capitol riot, have celebrated the announcement, the reaction among Republicans in Congress has been decidedly more hostile, forcing Blanche to try to assuage a GOP constituency that generally operates in close alignment with the administration.

The furor has especially complicated matters in the Senate, where Republicans defiantly left town 10 days ago without passing legislation to fund Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies. Republicans who returned to Washington on Monday said they won’t have the votes to pass the Homeland Security spending bill until the White House works with them to place parameters on the fund. Many have pushed the administration to impose limits or scrap the idea altogether.

At a Senate budget hearing last month, Blanche refused to rule out the possibility that those who carried out violence on Jan. 6 could be eligible for payouts and has repeatedly said in interviews that anyone who feels persecuted by the criminal justice system is free to apply. Payouts will be decided by a five-member commission appointed by Blanche.

But he has apparently struck a more conciliatory tone in private when confronted by Republican anger.

Blanche encountered a groundswell of opposition last month at a tense private meeting with GOP senators, with more than half raising concerns, including by shouting at the Justice Department's top official, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas said in a recent episode of his podcast.

“There were fireworks at an epic level — and I've got to say, it's one of the roughest meetings I've seen in my entire time in the Senate," Cruz said.

Behind closed doors, Blanche was “adamant” that no one who assaulted police at the Capitol would receive compensation, according to Cruz.

“He said not just ‘no,’ but ‘hell no,’” the senator recalled.

The lineup for the event, which will take place Sept. 18-19 at the T-Mobile Arena, also includes Weezer, Goo Goo Dolls and Kenny Chesney. More artists will be announced at a later date.

Ryan Seacrest will once again host, and fans can hear it all on iHeartMedia radio stations or watch it streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

The general public can buy tickets on AXS.com starting at 2 p.m. EDT/11 a.m. PDT on June 12. Capital One cardholders will be able to access a presale beginning at 1 p.m. EDT/10 a.m. PDT on June 10.

“The iHeartRadio Music Festival is all about bringing together the biggest artists across every genre for two unforgettable nights, and this year’s lineup truly reflects the incredible diversity of music today,” Tom Poleman, chief programming officer, and John Sykes, president of entertainment enterprises of iHeartMedia, said in a joint statement.

Earlier this year, BTS made a triumphant return after a nearly four-year musical hiatus. “ARIRANG,” the 14-track, fifth studio album from the septet is huge; an ambitious reunion and the band’s first original full-length release since the seven members completed South Korea’s mandatory military service. Not that it has been all quiet at team BTS: The band staggered their enlistments, giving ample time for its members to focus on solo projects while the group was on a break.

They've returned to the stage since then, and iHeartRadio Music Festival is another victory lap.

Kostyuk won an intense all-Ukraine quarterfinal against Elina Svitolina 6-3, 2-6, 6-2 on Tuesday.

That set up Kostyuk against Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, who thumped Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea 6-0, 6-3.

Kostyuk leads Andreeva 2-0 on the tour; the second win in the Madrid final a month ago. Kostyuk didn’t shake hands at the net, following protocol for Ukrainians with opponents from Russia and its ally Belarus since the war started four years ago.

“We had a very difficult night again in Ukraine, especially in Kyiv, so many people dead,” Kostyuk said. "I want to give this match to Ukrainian people and to their resilience. Slava Ukraini! (Glory to Ukraine!)”

Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles against Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least 18 civilians and wounding more than 100 others, authorities said on Tuesday.

“I found out early in the morning. I have a couple of friends that told me about it, who are there,” Svitolina said. “Just very sad that we all have to really put up with this heaviness and pain every single day, and scared moments not knowing what’s going to bring the next day.”

Svitolina will leave Roland Garros to look after the daughter she has with French tennis player Gael Monfils, but will be cheering Kostyuk on from a distance.

“I will be watching the match and definitely cheering for her, hopefully that she can get the title,” Svitolina said. “It’s going to be massive for Ukraine.”

No. 7-seeded Svitolina got off to a slow start but worked her way back, matching No. 15 Kostyuk’s power from the baseline. Kostyuk was better on the important points in the decider and improved her impressive 2026 record on clay to 17-0.

She's the first Ukrainian woman to reach the semifinals at Roland Garros in the professional era (since 1968). Svitolina has reached the semis at the other three Grand Slams but failed for the sixth time to win a French Open quarterfinal.

Andreeva will appear in her second French Open semifinal, two years after the first. She was asked about the challenges of playing a Ukrainian in wartime.

“Well, for me it doesn’t matter who I play,” Andreeva said.

“I really try to play against the ball that is coming at me. Usually it doesn’t matter to me who I’m playing against, so I’m trying to really focus on the game and on the game plan.”

After a week of hot weather, rain arrived in Paris and play started under the closed roof of Court Philippe-Chatrier. Competing in the quarterfinals for the first time in 17 years, Cirstea struggled to find her rhythm against her 19-year-old rival.

The 36-year-old veteran, playing the final season of her career, immediately dropped her serve. She didn't hold serve or win a game until the first game of the second set. Andreeva’s deep, accurate groundstrokes and charges to the net took a toll on 18th-seeded Cirstea, whose attempt to come back was shortlived.

“I felt like it was one of my best matches so far this tournament,” Andreeva said. “Super happy to be back in semis.”

In men's play, up-and-coming Rafael Jodar of Spain faces a tall order against second-seeded Alexander Zverev. Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic takes on Joao Fonseca of Brazil in the night session.

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

Through their own determination and courage, and with family support, Yousufi and others like Mona Amini had been able to study, to play soccer for clubs and for the Afghanistan women’s team. But when the Taliban returned to power in 2021 it shut down all women’s sports, and the players of the Afghan team went into hiding.

After a frantic evacation, 13 of the players settled in Australia where for five years they lived, played and trained in the hope of once again being allowed to represent their country.

The Afghanistan soccer federation doesn’t recognize the women’s team. But in April, soccer’s world governing body granted the Afghan women’s team eligibility for international competition.

This week, 23 members of the Afghan Women United program are in a training camp in Auckland, New Zealand and will play games against a team from the Cook Islands.

“It was a special day that we heard that Afghanistan can represent again our flag in international tournaments," Amini, a midfielder, told The Associated Press in a Zoom call Tuesday. “This is the result of hard work that we did in the past four or five years.”

Seven months ago, the Afghan women played in the so-called “Unite” tournament in which they achieved a win over Libya.

“It was a very special moment because we played in an international friendly tournament, and after three years we heard our anthem,” Amini said. “That was amazing for me.”

A better future

FIFA’s subsequent recognition was another important milestone on a long and perilous journey.

Yousufi, a Melbourne-based goalkeeper, remembers her reaction vividly.

“We’re going to have the national team! That’s the greatest thing ever that could have happened to the team," she said. “It was super important to us, especially thinking of the time when we arrived in Australia and we had lost everything: family, our childhood memories and that national team.”

Yousufi said she left home with one backpack, “to be safe and to continue to be alive.”

“When we came here the most important part of our life was to be a soccer player and to be a soccer team,” she said. "When we we saw we could not be (officially) a national team and we could not represent our country ... it was like I lost the game.”

While many ended up in Australia, there are Afghan players spread across Europe and some in the United States. Coach Pauline Hamill holds talent identification camps and helps pull the squad together for games.

Memories of their darkest days remain a strong part of the team’s motivation to succeed, and to represent women and girls still in their homeland. The Afghan women’s team played its last official competitive match in 2018.

“We couldn’t play freely in Afghanistan," Amini said. “Going out from home was tough because there was the risk of the Taliban seeing us and finding that we were playing soccer. "It was a very tough time and I’m pretty sure every one of the girls, every single one of us, fought hard to create this team and we are very happy right now to stay with each other.”

A student and an athlete

Yousufi was a student and a soccer player, and she said it was difficult even before the Taliban returned to power “for a girl to play football in Afghanistan with such difficulties as family barriers and difficulties of the society to accept a woman in sport.”

“We were thinking of any other outcomes like the danger we were facing, everyday dangers in Afghanistan like bomb explosions. Considering all those things — and it was the same for the other girls — we took all those risks to be part of the national team and to be a football player.”

Then life became even more difficult.

“The only thing humans want is freedom, and the Taliban took our freedom,” Amini said. “It is really difficult that you cannot educate, you cannot play sport, you cannot go outside or you cannot do what you love ... (or) follow your dreams.”

Role models

Amini said the refugee players now were determined to represent all women and girls in Afghanistan.

“We are here and we are going to be trying our best to do something for them, to be the voice of them so that we could have a new generation for the future for the Afghanistan women’s national team,” she said.

Yousufi said she was among a group of players “adopted by the Australian government,” and “we’re now living our life and continuing our journey with football, with our education and also being a voice for all those girls who are in Afghanistan.”

“Our team might be the one to change the way the people think and also the way that things are happening towards the girls and women in Afghanistan," she said. “We're all trying our best show that women and girls can be part of the society and can be someone who is in education or in sport, that women also have the right to do that.”

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

The ongoing hostilities — despite Trump's announcement and a nominal ceasefire that began in April — are deepening displacement for Lebanon's conflict-weary population. They also are a significant sticking point in negotiations to extend a ceasefire in the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, as the Islamic Republic wants any such deal to end fighting in Lebanon, too.

Two semiofficial Iranian news agencies reported Tuesday that the country cut off communication with mediators facilitating the ceasefire talks.

Another round of talks between Israel and Lebanon began Tuesday in Washington, where Lebanese negotiators are set to seek a full ceasefire that will prevent future attacks. The talks began in April and were the first in more than three decades between the countries, which have no formal diplomatic relations. Hezbollah has rejected direct talks, counting on pressure from Iran.

The planned talks come days after Israeli ground troops made their deepest incursion into Lebanon in 26 years and Israel then threatened to strike Beirut’s southern suburbs, causing panic in the Lebanese capital as thousands fled.

Israel says it will keep attacking if Hezbollah does

Trump said Monday he'd spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and had communicated with Hezbollah through mediators, and that no troops would be “going to Beirut." But the intensity of attacks between Israel and Hezbollah continued.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday that Israel previously refrained from attacking Beirut out of deference for negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. But he said Netanyahu informed Trump in a phone call late Monday that Israel will attack Beirut's southern suburbs if Hezbollah continues targeting northern Israel, echoing comments from the prime minister the previous day.

An Israeli drone strike hit a car on the road linking the southern town of Marjayoun with the city of Nabatiyeh, killing James Karam, a dentist from the nearby Christian town of Qlayaa, along with his daughter and son, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported Tuesday.

The Lebanese army said two soldiers were lightly wounded when a separate drone targeted them on a road outside the city.

Drone strikes killed two Syrians working at a plant nursery in the village of Jibchit and two people in the nearby village of Toul, the news agency reported. A third strike hit a car near the village of Harouf, killing one person. The Israeli military said it wasn't aware of any Israeli strikes in that area.

NNA also reported that an Israeli airstrike on Monday killed six in the southern village of Marwaniyeh.

Hezbollah said Tuesday its fighters fired anti-tank missiles on Israeli troops who were pushing into the southern village of Hadatha, about 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the Israeli border.

Sirens sounded in several areas in northern Israel, its military said in a statement. It added that “a suspicious aerial target" was identified in the area where Israeli soldiers are operating in southern Lebanon, but that no injuries were reported.

More than 3,400 people have been killed in Lebanon

The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has killed 3,433 people in Lebanon and displaced more than 1 million people. According to Netanyahu’s office, at least 27 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon. Two civilians have also been killed in northern Israel.

Israel’s military said late Monday that a soldier was killed in southern Lebanon. It added that seven more soldiers were wounded in the incident, three of them severely.

Hezbollah’s use of hard-to-detect fiber-optic drones has been deadly for the Israeli military, which is struggling to respond.

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This version corrects to say Hezbollah fired at Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon.

Japan's Environment Ministry said a record 13 people were killed in more than 230 attacks by bears in 2025.

Police and fire department officials rushed to the Sasakino district of Fukushima in northeastern Japan after receiving an emergency call from the Fukushima Steel Works reporting bear attacks on two employees.

Security camera footage shows a black bear appearing and chasing an employee near the entrance. As the man in his 20s tries to flee, the bear throws him to the ground. It then moves into the compound and injures a second male employee in his 60s.

The bear later injured a third person, a male employee in his 60s at separate company. A woman in her 80s who lives in the neighborhood also was attacked and injured, the Fukushima City Fire Department said.

The three men sustained minor injuries and the woman had moderate injuries but none were considered life-threatening, the fire department said.

The bear had not been caught as of Tuesday afternoon and was believed to be inside the second company compound, which was surrounded by uniformed police carrying long sticks.

Two nearby schools were closed, including Noda Elementary School, which held classes online and put a warning on its website to “avoid non-essential outings and stay safe.”

The bear attack has rekindled last year's nationwide fear that led to Japan's army being dispatched to the northern prefecture of Akita where more than 60 people were attacked by bears, with four killed.

The encroachment by a growing bear population has occurred in a region with a rapidly aging and declining human population that has few people trained to hunt the animals, experts say.

The Japanese government in March estimated the overall bear population at around 57,800. Officials have adopted a road map of bear population management, calling for systematic culling. Under the plan, the number of municipal bear control staff will triple to 2,500 within five years, while the number of bear traps will double.

Bear sightings were reported recently in Tokyo's western suburbs, including the hiking area of Okutama. Park officials have set up additional traps and launched bear alerts on social media.

The government has stepped up a public awareness campaign, urging hikers and mushroom hunters to check notifications about bear sightings and avoid outdoor activity in the early morning and evening when bears are active.

An environment ministry manual advises that anyone encountering a bear should not panic, move slowly and avoid turning around and running. As a last resort, the manual says anyone attacked should turn face down, ball up and cover their neck.

“The point is to save yourself from a fatal wound," according to the manual.

Her hair covered by a pink bonnet, Basekawike prepares porridge, omelets and bread for breakfast in a shed outside the Evangelical Medical Center in Bunia, the heart of the outbreak in eastern Congo. Lunch and dinner might include fresh fish with fufu, made of mashed plantains, finished off by fruit. She feeds both patients and health workers.

“Even though the patients have this disease, they still feel better when they eat, and the doctors have the energy to treat the sick and give them medication,” Basekawike told The Associated Press as she prepared vegetables and potatoes with goat meat in a large pot. “I’m here for them like a parent, preparing food so they feel comfortable.”

Her contribution may appear like a simple task, but it has become a critical support for the remote region as it grapples with the rapidly spreading Bundibugyo virus, the rare species of Ebola confirmed in May.

As of Tuesday, 321 cases and 48 deaths had been confirmed in the Central African nation’s three eastern provinces of Ituri, North and South Kivu, according to the World Health Organization. Neighboring Uganda has had nine cases and one death confirmed, prompting Uganda to close its border with Congo.

Meanwhile, Congolese authorities reopened Bunia’s airport on Tuesday for domestic flights, requiring passengers to undergo temperature checks and respect strict sanitary measures.

The International Organization for Migration on Tuesday urged governments to strengthen cross-border coordination instead, warning that border closures could drive people's movement underground and increase transmission risks.

“Viruses do not stop at borders, and neither should our response,” said Ugochi Daniels, IOM deputy director-general for operations. “When borders close, people often continue moving through informal routes where health screening and surveillance are limited.”

The Congo-Uganda border has numerous footpaths beyond formal border posts.

Before the outbreak, the region already faced one of the world's most severe food crises, because of an ongoing conflict that has displaced millions of people as government forces fight rebels. The United Nations has warned that might complicate efforts to manage the spread of the virus among an already wary population.

“Ebola is an additional crisis on top of a crisis,” said Olivier Nkakudulu, who heads the World Food Program in Ituri province.

WFP is facing a critical choice as aid cuts by the U.S. and other major partners have disrupted operations in the vulnerable region. Efforts to contain the disease, which WHO has deemed a public health emergency of international concern, have been hampered.

Meanwhile, attacks by suspicious residents on health workers and the slow delivery of aid because of the conflict have been challenging.

Responders say they have ensured patients' nutritional demands are met as “comfort food” takes on a more significant meaning.

“Today we need to increase the amount because the number of patients has gone up,” said Esther Bao, a nurse and one of the volunteers. She worried about patients who, because of their health situation, “don't eat just any meal.”

Among the rare signs of optimism, at least five people have recovered in the outbreak, which continues to spread.

More than 400 meals have been served since the food assistance began on Thursday, according to Nkakudulu.

But "without more funding, we might not be able to prioritize every suspected case,” Nkakudulu said. "We might have to focus on some and not have food to give to others."

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Ope Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria. Geir Moulson in Berlin, and Mark Banchereau in Dakar, Senegal, contributed to this report.

After drawing outcry in Congress and the courts, however, the White House is reconsidering the fund. That potentially means the suit — and the possibility that the president could still cash in — might be back on.

Trump hasn’t been shy about turning the presidency into a major source of personal benefit, involving everything from merchandising deals to crypto ventures to high-dollar political and official events at his properties.

Asked about possible self-dealing by the president, the White House called such suggestions “the same, tired narrative that Democrats have pushed against President Trump, his family, and his administration for a decade.”

"President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public — which is why they overwhelmingly re-elected him to this office, despite years of lies and false accusations against him and his businesses from the fake news media," spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. “There are no conflicts of interest.”

Here are some key ways Trump has reaped rewards for himself, his children and allies in his second term:

Suing his government and deals favoring his family

Last year, the president submitted a claim seeking $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for a FBI search of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida as part of an investigation into whether he took classified records from the White House.

In January this year, Trump, his two eldest sons and the family's business, the Trump Organization, filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Department after a former IRS contractor illegally leaked Trump's tax returns.

In an attempt to resolve those cases, Trump's government agreed that $1.776 billion in taxpayer funds be distributed to people who believe they were targeted by past administrations for prosecution for political purposes — including the Trump supporters imprisoned for attacking police while overrunning the U.S. Capitol in 2021.

After blowback from even some congressional Republicans, the Justice Department now says it will comply with a ruling temporarily blocking the fund.

But there was less clamor about another part of the deal allowing the government to drop pending IRS audits into Trump and his relatives.

Separately, the Air Force has agreed to purchase interceptor drones from Powerus, a Florida-based company linked to Trump’s family. And ProPublica reported that direct intervention from the White House preceded the Pentagon agreeing to loan $620 million to Vulcan Elements, a North Carolina startup linked to Donald Trump Jr.

Trump Organization spokesperson Kimberly Benza denied any ethical conflicts between the White House and the family business.

“The Trump Organization operates completely separate from the presidency and is in full compliance with all ethics and conflict-of-interest laws,” Benza said in a statement.

As for Powerus, Benza said Eric Trump was “a passive investor in a vehicle that, among many others, holds an interest” in the company, but wasn't involved in its decision-making or management.

Trading in financial markets he can help move

Trump has traded stocks and bonds in unprecedented ways for a sitting U.S. president.

Office of Government Ethics filings show Trump made more than 3,600 stock trades in the first quarter of 2026 alone — transactions far exceeding $100 million in value.

Many of those trades involved sizable purchases of shares of technology and artificial intelligence giants like Nvidia, Dell, Oracle and Palantir before Trump's administration took policy actions favoring those firms.

Similar disclosures last year show that Trump bought up more than $300 million in bonds issued by companies, states and municipalities even as he repeatedly pressed the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates — a move that could help drive up the value of his holdings.

Crypto ventures

Trump's family has raked in big profits in the crypto sector since he was reelected. A key driver has been the $TRUMP meme coin, announced the day before Trump took office. Some 220 of the top investors were invited to a subsequent, private reception with the president.

Trump's family also has a controlling stake in World Liberty Financial, a crypto firm co-founded with the president's special envoy Steve Witkoff and run by his son Zach. It has its own stablecoin, USD1, and got a major boost when, just before Trump took office, an investment fund linked to the United Arab Emirates bought a large stake in it.

An Abu Dhabi state-backed investment firm, MGX, subsequently pledged to use $2 billion worth of USD1 to purchase a stake in Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange — a move that further bolstered World Liberty Financial.

Trump-branded bonanza

Beyond the digital realm, scores of companies pay to license the president's name for physical products, from Bibles, guitars and sneakers to watches, fragrances and a gold-hued cellphone.

Trump has promoted many such goods on social media, particularly during his 2024 campaign, but they've also made conspicuous appearances at the White House.

When French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited last summer, Trump showed them a merchandise room off the Oval Office stocked with goods for sale on his website. A few months later, video emerged of Trump at the White House spraying Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa with bottles of his “Victory 47” cologne and perfume, which he gave him as a gift.

The president displayed hats emblazoned with “Trump 2028” on the Resolute Desk while meeting with congressional Democrats last year. And, during a televised Cabinet meeting in May, at every seat was a red hat commemorating America's 250th anniversary.

Each hat sells for $55 on Trump's website.

Paydays for the president's properties

The Republican National Committee and various political groups associated with Trump and the GOP have held fundraisers and political events at Mar-a-Lago, as well as Trump's estate in Bedminster, New Jersey, and his golf clubs in Doral, Florida, and Sterling, Virginia.

The LIV Golf league, controlled by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, which is helmed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has held events at Doral. Trump will host the G20 summit there in November.

That means world leaders, support staff, business executives, journalists and the bevies of others involved will be paying the Trump Organization, which purchased Doral in 2012, to attend. The president has already tried to head off criticism of self-dealing around the summit, saying that government attendees will be billed “at-cost" and “We will not make any money on it."

Meanwhile, conservative groups and Republican committees have spent at least $26 million at Trump properties since 2015. The actual figure is likely higher since some groups don’t have to detail their spending.

Renovation and construction projects

Qatar gave Trump a $400 million jet that he intends to employ as Air Force One, then store at his presidential library after he leaves office. The gift has undergone extensive taxpayer-funded rebuilding and security upgrades that lawmakers estimate may exceed $1 billion.

Trump has also ordered up scores of renovation projects meant to leave his mark on Washington while passing on the costs to taxpayers.

He long insisted that wealthy donors would pay for the $400 million ballroom he demolished the White House's East Wing to build — only to seek $1 billion in federal funding for security upgrades he says the military and Secret Service have sought as part of the project.

At least $15 million in public funds is going for the ceremonial arch Trump wants built at an entrance to the nation’s capital. The National Park Service is also paying a contractor $13.1 million to carry out the Trump-directed renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.

By green-lighting controversial “return hubs” outside the 27-nation EU, the regulation represents the EU’s hardest line on migration so far and has drawn sharp criticism from opponents who warn it will endanger migrants and undermine human rights from Spain to Romania.

“The new regulation will speed up the return process and increase returns of persons who have no legal right to stay in the EU,” said Nicholas Ioannides, deputy migration minister for Cyprus, which holds the rotating presidency of the 27-nation bloc.

The deal was struck between the EU's three main institutions — the European Commission, the European Council and European Parliament — during a so-called “trilogue” Monday evening.

“Europe cannot afford another period of standstill,” said Dutch lawmaker Malik Azmani, who shepherded the regulation through the European Parliament.

“There is an urgent need for an effective return policy with higher return rates," he said, adding that only 28% of rejected asylum seekers return to their country of origin, with the majority staying put in the EU. “This situation is deeply concerning. It undermines public confidence in our common migration policies.”

Critics compared the regulation to the immigration policies of the Trump administration, which has struck a series of secretive agreements with nations around the world to deport thousands of people to countries that are not their own. The United Kingdom also planned to deport migrants to Rwanda, but the plan was bogged down in legal red tape and was dropped when a new government came to power in July 2024.

Several EU governments are already in talks with third countries

“Across the Atlantic, we see the violence and fear created by ICE’s brutal immigration enforcement," said Silvia Carter, spokesperson for the Brussels-based Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “Europe should be learning from the harms of that model, not building its own version of it.”

Law enforcement officers across the bloc no longer need warrants from judges to raid private residences or public institutions like hospitals, she said. “The regulation is going to create a draconian detention and deportation machine."

The provisional agreement will now head to the EU lawmakers and governments, where approval will likely be swift.

“These new rules will ensure swifter, simpler, and more effective procedures across the European Union for returning non-EU nationals who have no right to stay, in full respect of international law and fundamental rights,” said Henna Virkkunen, EU commissioner for technology.

EU member nations will soon be able to set up bilateral deals with countries outside the bloc to build deportation centers. At least five EU nations — Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark and Greece — are already in talks with third countries, mostly in Africa, to host “return hubs” on the model of Italy's detention deal with Albania.

“We are delivering the member states tools in their hands to make those agreements and arrangements with third countries,” Azmani said.

Mélissa Camara, a lawmaker from the French Green party, said the deal was “a historic setback” for human rights in the bloc.

“The legalization of return hubs outside the European Union, the green light for the detention of minors, home visits inspired by ICE practices: the legal arsenal serving a xenophobic ideology is now complete,” she said.

EU migration policy has steadily shifted to the right

The EU has continually tightened migration policies after right-wing parties secured the majority of votes in some countries in the 2024 elections to the European Parliament. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, from the center-right European People’s Party coalition, has said that the new measures will prevent a repeat of the 2015 crisis caused by Syria’s civil war, when about 1 million people arrived to seek asylum.

Fueled by people fleeing conflict and poverty across Africa and the Middle East, the 2015 refugee crisis and successive years of irregular migration to Europe drove a rightward shift in the bloc's politics not unlike the anti-immigrant sentiment that buoyed a “ red wave ” in the 2024 election in the United States.

After successfully campaigning on tougher migration policies, the winners of that election, the European People’s Party, the largest political group in the EU, began negotiating migration reform with centrist and left parties only to eventually sidestep them by allying instead with the far right, said Carter, the asylum rights activist. “There was quite an unprecedented shift in the European Parliament."

Advocacy groups warned the regulation would cut deep into the protections granted by the EU fundamental charter on human rights and expose people to risks outside the bloc.

“This deal will give governments much broader powers to detain and deport people," said Marta Welander, a spokesperson for the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian organization. "It looks set to normalize immigration raids, expand the use of detention in prison-like facilities outside EU territory that are essentially legal black holes, and increase the risk of people being deported to countries where they could face persecution, torture or worse.”

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Follow AP’s coverage of migration issues at https://apnews.com/hub/migration

“We want to be aggressive off the ice,” the GM said. “When you have a chance to add really high-end players, we never want to miss out on it.”

While the Golden Knights under Kelly McCrimmon have deservedly earned their reputation for going after every high-end player available, that sentiment came from Carolina's Eric Tulsky, whose team has generally been considered far more selective.

The Hurricanes have taken bigger leaps since Tulsky took over two years ago, but his challenge has been finding particular players who fit coach Rod Brind'Amour's demanding style. The Golden Knights have added one big star after another, in the name of trying to win it all for a second time in less than a decade of existence.

One approach will end with hoisting the Cup.

“It probably should be more fun than we appreciate in the moment,” McCrimmon said. “We have made a lot of big decisions over our time in the league — very bold. I always say that to be big or bold is one thing. You’ve got to make good decisions, and I think that we’ve collectively through our hockey ops have done a good job of that. It’s exhilarating to win.”

Building the Hurricanes

Six Carolina players were drafted and developed, including No. 1 defenseman Jaccob Slavin, top-line forwards Seth Jarvis, Sebastien Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, and young building-block winger Jackson Blake.

Starting goaltender Frederik Andersen was a free-agent signing, and second-liners Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven were acquired in trades. Tulsky, a Harvard graduate with a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley, worked under previous GM Don Waddell and pieced the rest of the puzzle together himself.

McCrimmon pointed to Waddell as a positive influence and complimented his counterpart for smart draft picks and trades.

“They’ve consistently been building their team, and they’ve done it different ways,” McCrimmon said. “Looking at it from the outside, they’ve been aggressive in their way of doing that. They have an idea what they want it to look like, the type of players that their organization will make good use of and they go out and get those guys.”

Sometimes those guys do not fit. One of the big gambles Tulsky made came in January 2025 when he gave up young forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury in a three-way trade that landed the Hurricanes big winger Mikko Rantanen and veteran Taylor Hall.

Rantanen was not interested in re-signing, so Tulsky explored options and flipped him to Dallas for young Logan Stankoven and picks.

“Sometimes it doesn’t go the way you hoped, and you’ve got to be ready to figure out how you’re going to move forward from there,” Tulsky said. “One of the strengths of our organization is we’re not afraid to take those swings, but we’re confident that if we just keep staying aggressive, some will work out, some won’t (and) we’ll end up ahead of where we would be if we just stayed passive the whole time.”

Stankoven, free-agent signing Nikolaj Ehlers and other additions like Eric Robinson and Mark Jankowski have fit Brind'Amour's mold like a glove. Tulsky was a hockey blogger before moving into management and he thinks analytically but also credits his staff for talent evaluation to play for this coach.

“We’ve really focused on finding people who fit the way we want to play,” Tulsky said. “We ask players to play a very distinctive style, and our scouts have done a great job finding players who can come in and look their best playing the way Rod needs them to play.”

Building the Golden Knights

From the start, Vegas was built to win. Original GM George McPhee aced the expansion draft, from picking players from the other 30 teams in the league to making side deals that brought even more talent into the fold.

The initial bunch delivered an unexpected trip to the final during the club's inaugural season in 2017-18, with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury the backbone of a group that included forwards William Karlsson and Reilly Smith and defensemen Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb. Karlsson, Theodore and McNabb have been around the entire time, and Smith returned after a brief absence.

Along the way, McPhee and McCrimmon never shied away from making big moves. They made trades for Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin, signed Alex Pietrangelo and made a sign-and-trade for Mitch Marner.

“We appreciate how George and Kelly operate,” McNabb said. “They’re always trying to build a winning team, and they’ve done a great job for the nine years.”

The Golden Knights have made the playoffs in eight of them, won the Cup in 2023 and consistently been championship contenders.

"It’s a privilege," McCrimmon said. "We don’t take it for granted. We work real hard. You have to get lucky along the way at times, also. That’s kind of been our objective right from the opening season."

McNabb said McCrimmon is doing his job. There are no complaints from players about Vegas going big-game shopping all the time.

“I don’t know if he’s in on every player, but he’s trying to make the team better and that’s what you want and you appreciate,” McNabb said. “You want to be on a team that’s trying to get better and have the best team going into playoffs and performing in playoffs.”

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

President William Ruto on Monday night said the U.S. had a long-standing partnership with Kenya on health matters and that the quarantine facility at Laikipia Air Base was one of 24 facilities that had been established in the event of an Ebola outbreak in the country.

Some Kenyans have opposed the Laikipia facility after the U.S. last week said no American Ebola patient would be allowed to return home and that patients would instead be quarantined at the facility in Kenya. The U.S. intends to commit $13 million to the partnership with Kenya.

The high court on Tuesday extended orders issued Friday suspending the construction of the facility and the arrival of foreign patients. The case had been filed by the Law Society of Kenya and a constitutional watchdog, Katiba Institute, who cited Kenya's fragile health system as unable to handle foreign patients.

Speaking for the first time on the matter, Ruto said he agreed to the establishment of the facility based on existing bilateral relations.

“When President Trump asked the government of Kenya to support them by having a center at Laikipia Air Base, I gave the OK because it was an agreement and a partnership with friends who have worked with Kenya for 30-40 years,” he said.

Ruto said the facilities established across the country under the partnership would also benefit Kenyans in the event of an Ebola outbreak.

“We are a responsible government. We know what we are doing. People should relax. Politicians should avoid reckless, unnecessary talk that doesn’t mean anything,” he said.

“I am Lady Sarsaparilla Ovabyte, of the Coventry Ovabytes,” she said. “We are purveyors of fine cordials.”

Her companion peered through glasses made from fused-together forks.

“Captain Bob McSpoon, inventrepreneur,” he said.

On a Victorian-era street in rural Ōamaru, New Zealand, Ovabyte and McSpoon, who usually go by Juliet and Greg Thorn, weren’t the only ones wearing goggles or forks, or emitting steam. They were in the small town to attend the annual steampunk festival, a four-day love letter to being as odd as possible, which draws thousands of visitors from around the country and abroad.

Steampunk fuses Victorian aesthetics and mechanics with a science fiction twist to create a parallel universe imagining what the age of steam might have produced if it had continued to the present day. The genre is limited only by imagination, and the weirder the better.

Steampunks pride themselves on a knack for recycling and DIY, honing skills in sewing, metalworking, hat-trimming and steam mechanics as they dream up fantastical personas with outfits to match. During the year, attendees are bricklayers, engineers, artists and farmers, with many describing themselves as normally shy or reserved. But they had come to the festival to be seen.

“The first time you dress up and go out in public is really scary and then people get such a buzz out of it,” Juliet Thorn said. “It’s so cool that you take on a different personality.”

Teapot racing and parasol dueling are steampunk sports

In its 17th year, whole traditions and sporting codes have sprung up around the steampunk festival, which is among the world’s best-known.

Hundreds crowded into upstairs rooms and old community halls for steampunk-themed contests. They raced to dunk cookies in cups of tea and cram the soggy results into their mouths before their competitors. A parasol-dueling contest looked like competitive vogueing judged on speed and style.

Michele Cotten won a fashion show displaying wild and upcycled outfits that participants spent months finessing. Cotten fused steampunk with the Star Trek universe to create a hooped dress made in the style of a navy Starfleet uniform. It was rigged with Christmas lights to evoke a galaxy and Cotten, a crowd favorite, strutted and posed to whoops from onlookers.

Then there was the teapot racing, in which competitors sent remote-controlled vehicles mounted with teapots around a fiendish obstacle course to the gasps and groans of a watching crowd.

“If you go out of bounds, that’s a disqualification,” said Ross McKay, one of the sport’s creators, who dreamed it up with his late wife and a friend. He has since introduced teapot racing to other steampunk events worldwide.

“It’s lots of fun and the judges will take bribes,” he added.

When McKay’s wife showed him pictures of steampunks, he recalled thinking, “What a bunch of weirdos," but the self-confessed “history geek and science fiction nerd” found plenty to love about the genre. The retired banker was soon enrolled in night classes for sewing.

Now he is Captain Roscoe Dangerfield, Inspector of Nuisances to Her Majesty Queen Victoria III, which combines the historical element of a real Victorian job with the fiction of a monarch who never lived.

The steampunk community had become his tribe, he said.

Small town is an unlikely steampunk capital

Ōamaru is the placid home to 14,000 people and 3,000 endangered native penguins, the latter of which live at the far end of town in a colony so pungent it can be smelled from the hill above. The town on New Zealand’s South Island doesn’t feature the sweeping vistas popularized by the Lord of the Rings films, which bring tourists to nearby regions, and for years was mostly seen as a stopping point between the cities of Christchurch and Dunedin.

An architectural quirk has put Ōamaru on the map as what locals call the steampunk capital of the world. The town features a completely preserved Victorian street by the harbor, a legacy from the 19th century days when Ōamaru was a commercial and mercantile powerhouse as a departure point for meat, wool and grain exports from New Zealand to Britain.

The cream-colored stone buildings now form the backdrop for the festival's steampunk adventures. Later in the year the town also hosts a Victorian festival celebrating a historically accurate version of the era, with the events coexisting peacefully after the steampunks and Victorians decided the town was big enough for everyone.

Anything goes in a no-rules genre

Steampunk, a term coined in the 1980s, gives participants an opportunity to rewrite Victorian-era social conventions on the basis that if you are flying on a magic carpet or traveling through time, it doesn’t matter if you make the rest up.

“We’re an equal opportunity society,” said Iain Clark, who co-founded the festival and is widely known in the community as Agent Darling. “Women, unlike in Victorian times, can be anything. We have female engineers, captains of industry, captains of airships, adventurers, explorers, scientists.”

Sometimes all in the same week. Bringing a different outfit for each day of the event is common and fitting rooms at the festival’s headquarters allow for quick changes, with nothing strange enough to raise eyebrows.

In the street, a Star Wars trooper trudged past, followed by a pack of wolves. A French tourist nervously adjusting his crocheted and leather gloves was introduced to steampunk only three days earlier and immediately fell in love with the genre.

“You can be creative and you can be somebody else and no one cares,” said John Syben, who was attending his fourth festival.

His partner, Chris Sinclair, said the pair previously had been “far too tame, so we’ve gotten more and more outrageous every year.”

“There’s always someone who’s more nuts than you," she said.

The two-time Cy Young Award winner tossed five scoreless innings to earn his 100th career win as the Texas Rangers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1 on Monday night.

“It’s really cool,” deGrom said. “As a kid, your goal is to just play major league baseball and for it to become a reality and win 100 games in the major leagues, it’s kind of crazy to think about. Today was Nolan’s third birthday, so I’ll always remember that being my 100th night on his third birthday.”

The right-hander notched his 99th victory May 10 when he threw seven scoreless innings against the Chicago Cubs.

In his first three attempts at reaching the century mark, the 37-year-old deGrom (4-4) went 0-2 while allowing 12 runs over 15 innings. He finished 1-3 with a 5.72 ERA in five May starts, but Monday night was different after the calendar flipped to June. He yielded just four hits and struck out eight to help the Rangers win their fourth straight game.

“I was trying not to do too much,” deGrom said. “Having the meeting, talking to (catcher) Danny (Jansen) I was like, `Hey, tonight we’re hitting the glove as many times as we can. Mechanics are what they are. We’re throwing everything else out the window. We’re going back to how I used to pitch.'"

Selected in the ninth round of the 2010 amateur draft, deGrom debuted for the New York Mets in 2014 and was the NL Rookie of the Year.

Despite going 100-69 with a 2.61 ERA in 260 career starts, deGrom has only made 30 starts five times in his first 12 big league seasons, and 2025 was his first time making 30 starts since 2019.

“He’s never really felt 100%,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “I’ve said it before, he should be a Hall of Famer. I think he’s going to be a Hall of Famer. That’s how dominant he’s been throughout his career, and he’s still got a couple of years left in him, too.”

DeGrom is the 16th active pitcher to reach 100 career wins after Texas teammate Nathan Eovaldi became the 15th on July 30, 2025, against the Los Angeles Angels.

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

Russian President Vladimir Putin has escalated Moscow’s aerial campaign in recent weeks in an apparent bid to take advantage of Ukraine’s shortage of U.S.-made air defense systems and persuade an increasingly pessimistic audience at home that Moscow is prevailing in the 4-year-old war.

Emergency rescue crews digging through the wreckage of apartment buildings pulled out the bodies of a 3-year-old child as well as those of a woman and her 8-year-old son in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro, officials said.

The attack stretched past dawn, with explosions reverberating across cities. Officials said 12 people were killed in Dnipro and six in Kyiv.

Residents of the capital have been on edge for days after Russia warned last week that a massive aerial attack was coming and told foreign diplomats to leave. None appeared to heed the call and no embassies immediately reported damage Tuesday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed for more U.S. and European support, describing the massive overnight attack as “an explicit statement by Russia: If Ukraine is not protected from ballistic missiles and other missile strikes, those strikes will continue.”

Putin has stepped up his aerial campaign against Ukraine, with Russian forces recently launching another of their powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missiles. Ukraine's shortage of air defense systems, in part because of depleted U.S. stocks from the Iran war, has left civilians especially vulnerable to ballistic missiles, even as Kyiv's defenses stop most of Moscow's drones.

Kyiv mother and daughter shelter in a bathtub

At least 79 people were wounded in the capital, emergency services said. Iryna Salikova, 37, spent the night lying in a bathtub for protection with her 3-year-old daughter, as blasts reverberated across the city.

“Our window was broken. A cobblestone flew into the children’s room,” Salikova said, although they weren't hurt. “Thank God we’re alive. Today we’re alive, today we’re lucky.”

Russia unleashed 73 missiles and 656 drones across Ukraine, according to the country’s air force, with the main targets including Kyiv, Dnipro and the eastern cities of Poltava, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian air defense forces destroyed or suppressed 40 missiles and 602 drones.

Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov proclaimed Wednesday would be a day of mourning for the 12 dead in his city. That announcement came 20 minutes before Filatov said another drone had struck a residential building there about 2:40 p.m.

Putin seeks to change the narrative of the war

Putin is keen to generate some positive news from the conflict that began with Russia’s February 2022 invasion of its neighbor and hasn’t gone according to plan.

Western officials and analysts say Ukrainian drones are pinning down Russian troops on the front line, choking Russian supply lines in occupied regions of Ukraine and disrupting oil facilities deep inside Russia that provide vital revenue for Moscow. That has made the war, which Moscow refers to as a “special military operation,” more visible to Russians and increased pressure on Putin.

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

Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that Tuesday's bombardment struck military-industrial facilities in the Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Poltava, Khmelnytskyi and Sumy regions.

Ukraine said residential, energy and civilian infrastructure was hit but did not confirm or comment on damage to any military-related sites.

Putin signaled that Russia won’t let up its attacks. He said Tuesday that Ukraine’s May 22 drone attack on a college dormitory in Starobilsk in the Russia-controlled Luhansk region of Ukraine that killed 21 had given the war “a whole new dimension.”

Ukraine said the attack in Starobilsk hit a Russian drone pilot training center.

Man hurled from Kyiv apartment by blast

Hits of 30 ballistic missiles, three cruise missiles and 33 drones were recorded in at least 38 locations across Ukraine, according to regional authorities. Debris from destroyed drones fell on 15 locations, the air force said.

At least four people were killed in Kyiv and 79 people were injured, including three children, Ukraine's state emergency service said. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were damaged in eight Kyiv districts.

Olena Dniprovska, 65, and her husband Yevhen, 64, were wounded in their apartment in Kyiv’s Podilskyi district.

“I went out into the corridor with the phone, and before I understood what happened, everything fell on my head, the glass, and the door blew off,” said Dniprovska, dried blood streaked across her face and a bandage on her chin. “I ran out into the front door and started calling my husband from the room, but he was also blown out by the blast wave.”

“Now I have nowhere to live, the apartment is completely destroyed, no doors, no windows, no balcony. You can step straight from the room out onto the street,” she said.

In Kharkiv, at least 19 people were wounded in residential areas in the past two days — including 11 on Tuesday, burying some residents in the rubble.

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Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, and Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed.

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

GOP senators who revolted against the settlement before leaving for a Memorial Day recess two weeks ago say they want more information from the administration about the future of the fund, which could potentially go to Trump supporters who beat police and attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Meanwhile, Trump is reconsidering whether to move forward with it at all, according to a person familiar with his thinking.

Caught in the middle is legislation that would fund Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies for three years. Republicans abruptly left town without passing it after Democrats said they would offer amendments to scrap or scale back the judgment fund, forcing Republicans to go on the record for or against it and endangering the money for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.

Returning to Washington on Monday evening, Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he wasn’t sure if the immigration spending bill would move this week.

“To be determined,” he told reporters.

The extraordinary standoff comes after Trump announced the fund with no heads up to lawmakers as part of a settlement to resolve his lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns. When word of the settlement broke, the Senate was navigating tricky passage of the immigration legislation with an added $1 billion in White House security costs — including for Trump’s ballroom project.

Furious, Senate Republicans jettisoned the White House security money from the bill and made clear they would not pass the legislation at all unless the White House made major changes to the settlement.

“I do think the best way to handle it is if the administration decides to shut it down themselves,” Thune told reporters Monday, referring to the fund.

He said Republicans will have a better idea of how to proceed after they meet for their weekly conference lunch on Tuesday.

Senators say they need more ‘explicit’ commitment

The Justice Department said it would comply with a ruling Friday from U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who temporarily halted the fund for two weeks. The judge scheduled a June 12 hearing for arguments on whether to extend her order.

The department said in a statement that it strongly disagrees with the ruling but would comply.

Republican senators weren't satisfied. They said Monday evening that they need more detail from the administration on what happens after that deadline before deciding next steps.

“It’s pretty clear that the president has to say very explicitly that there’s not going to be a weaponization fund,” said Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

Oklahoma Sen. Jim Lankford said Trump administration officials “need to say what they actually mean.”

“They need to say, we’re setting this whole thing aside,” Lankford said.

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski said that if the settlement is “completely pulled, then I’m satisfied. But I haven’t heard anybody say that.”

Republican Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana said the administration already has to abide by the court decision, “that’s in the Constitution. I have to know more about their position.”

“Right now, the reconciliation bill looks like a broken arm with the bones sticking out,” Kennedy said. “It won’t move this week, in my opinion, unless we have some resolution on the weaponization account.”

Senators issue ultimatum to Justice Department

The outrage of the fund came to a head last month at a closed-door meeting between senators and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche that Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas described on a recent episode of his podcast as “one of the roughest meetings I’ve seen in my entire time in the Senate.”

GOP senators had been discussing several ways that they could curb the fund, including limiting who can receive payouts, changing the makeup of the commission in charge of settlement decisions, adding some sort of judicial review for applicants or scrapping the fund altogether.

Amid the backlash, a person familiar with the matter, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the president’s thinking, said Monday that Trump was reconsidering whether to move forward with the fund. But the president has not said publicly what he intends to do.

Also complicating matters is Trump’s campaign-year push to defeat GOP lawmakers whom he sees as disloyal, including some of Thune’s most reliable Republican votes in the narrow 53-47 Senate. Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and John Cornyn of Texas both lost reelection bids in May after Trump endorsed their primary opponents, and it’s unclear how supportive they’ll be of the president’s agenda going forward.

“I think it’s hard to divorce anything that happens here from what’s happening in the political atmosphere around us,” Thune said before the Senate left town.

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Associated Press writers Joey Cappelletti and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

Four meters (13 feet) beneath them, a team of archaeologists is digging the other way — straight down and back in time, to Roman Paris 2,000 years ago.

In 2019, fire brought Notre Dame’s spire crashing down as the world watched. The cathedral was rebuilt and reopened in late 2024, and now Paris wants to soften the hot, bare square in front of it with trees and shade.

But in a city this old, the soil cannot be turned until what lies beneath it is excavated, in case it is damaged during works.

So a slice of Notre Dame’s forecourt has become an excavation site — an open pit ringed by barriers and crossed by a wooden walkway, a few steps from the line-up.

A modern Da Vinci Code

French media have dubbed it the “dig of the century.”

“It’s a rare opportunity for us to work on something that’s tangibly going to make a difference to the history of Paris,” Lucie Altenburg, a conservator with the Paris archaeology unit, told The Associated Press.

Among the hundreds of objects already found: a fourth-century coin stamped with the face of the Emperor Constantine, and shards of medieval pottery painted on the inside with marks no expert has yet deciphered — like a modern Da Vinci Code.

“It makes Notre Dame feel alive again,” said Emily Carter, 34, a tourist from Manchester waiting in line with her two children. “You come to see the cathedral, then realize there’s another city under your feet. That’s almost more moving.”

The first traces appear 50 centimeters (20 inches) down; 4 meters (13 feet) lower, the team is still pulling up the past. Some days they fill 15 crates — from ground that has lain untouched for decades.

Ancient cities have archaeologists monitoring digs

This is the bargain in every old city: The past is not in a museum down the street — it is under the street.

Cities rise. Each age builds on the rubble of the last, and the ground climbs with it; in Rome, it has risen about 9 meters (30 feet) since the empire fell in the fifth century AD.

When Athens built its metro for the 2004 Olympics, it set off the largest excavation in Greek history and turned up tens of thousands of objects, now shown in the stations themselves. Paris is no different.

It all comes from the island in the Seine, the Ile de la Cite, where Paris began.

Centuries later, Notre Dame rose on the same ground.

At the cathedral's birth in 1163, the entire square was packed with medieval houses, split by a single street, said Camille Colonna, the archaeologist leading the dig.

Digging down, her team has reached their cellars — and therefore also the time in history they represent.

Below them lie Merovingian and Carolingian grain pits, from the sixth to the 10th centuries; below those, darker and deeper still, a dense Roman quarter from the fourth and fifth centuries.

Twenty centuries are stacked in 4 meters (13 feet) of earth — or about the height of two-and-a-half Napoleon Bonapartes standing on top of one another.

“Here you can see the layers — medieval Paris, Roman Paris, maybe even before that,” said Yasmine Benali, 22, an archaeology student watching from behind the barriers. “It makes the city feel less like a postcard and more like something still being discovered.”

Coins, ceramics and mysterious markings

The richest finds here come from the foulest place: the deep pits beneath the medieval houses, old latrines that doubled as rubbish dumps.

Out of them the team keeps lifting whole jugs and cups — thrown away centuries ago, yet still intact — among the broken plates and animal bones.

It’s “rare to find complete ceramics,” said Valentine Breloux, an archaeologist with the unit.

Here the soft waste cushioned them, and centuries later they miraculously came up whole.

Then some other objects came that confounded experts. As conservators cleaned what looked like ordinary medieval pottery, they found faint reddish writing painted on the inside — the same mysterious markings on shard after shard.

What they mean has yet to be deciphered.

Of everything she has cleaned from Notre Dame, Breloux said, these are the most “astonishing.”

Coins can help date the layers

The coins came up as black discs, eaten by rust. But under an X-ray, a face returned: it was Constantine, the Roman emperor who ruled in the early 300s AD.

Such objects also "can be invaluable in giving us the date of the (underground) layer,” Altenburg said.

The Roman finds are the ones the archaeologists value most — the deepest, oldest and least understood. In Roman times, the town was called Lutetia, and its center lay across the river, on the Left Bank.

As the Roman empire collapsed, people pulled back to the Ile de la Cite, where Notre Dame would later rise, and fortified the island with walls of stone taken from earlier buildings.

Colonna’s team found some proof: a Roman doorstep found in the dig, taken from a much bigger building, carried over, turned upside down, and laid in a road as paving.

Paris houses thousands of finds in an archaeology center

Every find leaves the pit and travels north, to the city’s archaeology center — what Colonna calls “a huge archaeological store," a treasure house of Paris.

For archaeologists, the cathedral dig is a rare treat. In France, like elsewhere, they work only where building work is about to begin — a bit like how industrial quarry workers end up unearthing dinosaur remains.

"This only happens because the city of Paris decided it wanted to beautify the area," Altenburg said.

The new square should be mostly finished by 2028: a kind of woodland clearing, with 160 new trees and a thin film of water sliding over the stone to cool it in summer — part of how Paris is bracing for ever hotter summers induced by global warming.

The tourists who now wait in the bare sun beneath the gargoyles will, in a few summers, line up in the shade.

The old underground parking lot will reopen as a visitor center looking onto the Seine.

Until then, the Notre Dame team wants to go deeper still — past the Romans, toward whoever came before them, the Gauls who gave the city its first name.

“The hope is that we are able to go back in time even further than we’ve ever been before,” Altenburg said.

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Nicolas Garriga in Paris contributed.

The state’s unusual primary system, in which the top two vote-getters advance to the general election regardless of party, means Democrats have a chance of effectively missing out on a pickup in the San Diego suburbs, where Republican Rep. Darrell Issa's district was redrawn to give it a slight Democratic lean.

Issa retired, and a Republican San Diego County supervisor, Jim Desmond, stepped in to run. So did an avalanche of nine Democrats — so many that some fear the Democratic vote will be split among them, leaving Desmond and the only other GOP candidate, Jim O’Neil, as the top vote-getters. Under that scenario, Democrats would be locked out of the November general election.

“After millions of dollars and a nationwide effort to redraw these districts in response to Texas, Democrats being shut out would be a nightmare,” said Ammar Campa-Najjar, a former Obama administration official who is one of the Democrats running.

California has been the bright spot for Democrats in a redistricting war kicked off by President Donald Trump to help his party retain control of the House. After Texas redrew its map to make as many as five more seats winnable for the GOP, California voters allowed Democrats to suspend their state’s own independent redistricting commission and create a new map in retaliation.

But when Virginia Democrats tried to replicate that, they were blocked by their state Supreme Court. Meanwhile the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, letting Republicans eliminate some majority-Black congressional districts in the South.

Campa-Najjar, San Diego City Councilwoman Marni von Wilpert and investor Brandon Riker, who is financing his own campaign, are the most prominent Democrats in the race for the seat vacated by Issa. Many Democrats are optimistic their voters will coalesce around one candidate and set up a competitive election against Desmond in the fall.

The 48th district would not be the only competitive fall race for Democrats.

In the Central Valley, they redrew the seat held by Republican Rep. David Valadao to make it even more Democratic. Valadao is a survivor of several targeted Democratic campaigns and one of two remaining Republican House members who voted to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

He's expected to make it to the general election, so the primary will determine which Democrat faces him — state Assemblywoman Jasmeet Bains, a moderate backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, or Randy Villegas, a political science professor at College of the Sequoias and a school board member who represents the party’s liberal wing.

The schism between establishment Democrats and a younger, insurgent progressive wing is a defining characteristic of many of this year's primaries.

In a safe Democratic district in San Francisco, Scott Wiener, a state lawmaker and former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, is considered likely to make the November race to replace retiring former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The suspense is over whether he will face Saikat Charkrabati, a wealthy former technology entrepreneur who supported Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s insurgent primary in 2018, or Supervisor Connie Chan, who was endorsed by Pelosi.

In Sacramento, city council member Mai Vang is challenging 81-year-old Rep. Doris Matsui, who succeeded her late husband after his death in 2005.

Rep. Brad Sherman, whose Southern California district stretches from the San Fernando Valley to Malibu, is being challenged by Democrat Jake Levine, a 42-year-old lawyer who argues that it is time to move on from the 15-term congressman.

And in a redrawn district that stretches from Napa Valley into conservative Northern California farming communities, 14-term Democratic Rep. Mike Thompson has drawn a younger challenger, former venture capitalist Eric Jones.

California's congressional primaries also will determine the fate of Republicans targeted in the Democratic redraw.

In Southern California, sitting Republican Reps. Ken Calvert and Young Kim, were drawn into the same conservative district and are battling over their pro-Trump credentials.

In the Sacramento suburbs, Rep. Kevin Kiley, who left the GOP to become an independent and a critic of partisan gerrymandering, hopes to survive in one of the two Democratic-leaning districts where his more conservative district’s voters were scattered.

Meanwhile in the San Francisco suburbs, six Democrats and two Republicans are running for the seat formerly held by Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned and ended his gubernatorial bid amid sexual harassment allegations. The top two vote-getters advance to the November ballot to fill the seat starting in 2027, while a special election will be held June 18 for the remainder of Swalwell's current term.

The Republican former senator will sit before House and Senate committees to make the State Department's annual budget request. But the focus is likely to shift quickly to the already unsteady ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, which has been further tested in recent days by back-and-forth attacks.

Cabinet members, including Rubio, have defended President Donald Trump's decision to launch the conflict despite promises over the years not to engage in “forever wars” in the Middle East. That work has been made more difficult by Trump's shifting goals for the conflict.

While Rubio is testifying before Congress for the first time since the Iran war started on Feb. 28, he took part in a classified briefing for lawmakers days after the first U.S. and Israeli strikes. He faced Democrats' anger over the lack of congressional approval but strong support from most Republicans for taking action against one of America's oldest adversaries.

In the two months since the war began, however, a small but growing faction of Republicans have joined Democrats in questioning the astronomical price tag and overall economic consequences of the conflict as they head into midterm elections in the fall. The war has cut tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway through which 20% of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passes in peacetime, spiking gas prices.

Last month, the Senate advanced legislation for the first time that would have forced Trump to withdraw from the conflict after GOP Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — fresh off a primary election loss in which Trump endorsed his opponent — joined Democrats in pushing it forward.

The House also had scheduled a vote on a war powers resolution, but GOP leadership kept it from coming to the floor after it became clear that the majority party would not have the numbers to defeat it.

The actions show the GOP is struggling to maintain political backing for Trump's handling of the war as rank-and-file Republicans are increasingly willing to defy the president over the conflict.

Following his appearances Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Appropriations subcommittee responsible for the State Department, Rubio will return to the Hill on Wednesday to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee and equivalent Senate Appropriations subcommittee.

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, also is likely to be questioned about the Trump administration’s escalatory behavior toward Cuba, as Trump has hinted that the small island country could be the next U.S. target after operations in Iran are wrapped up.

Despite a series of meetings between U.S. and Cuban officials, Trump and Rubio have renewed threats against the island's government, which take on greater weight after the administration announced criminal charges against former President Raúl Castro. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the indictment as a political stunt that sought only to “justify the folly of a military aggression against Cuba.”

Over his congressional career and now as America's top diplomat, Rubio has maintained that Cuba is a national security threat because of its ties to U.S. adversaries and that Trump is intent on addressing it.

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Amiri reported from New York.

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Follow the AP's coverage of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at https://apnews.com/hub/marco-rubio.

The end of the voting period, which began in early May, concludes a chaotic contest without a clear front-runner. Candidates tried to elbow each other out in the final stretch as each sought to convince voters that they were best prepared to lead the most populous state and one of the world's largest economies.

California puts all candidates on a single primary ballot regardless of party, and the top two finishers advance to the November general election. About 60 candidates were on the ballot, most of them largely unknown to the state’s roughly 23 million voters.

On the Democratic side, top contenders include Xavier Becerra, a former state attorney general and U.S. health secretary; Tom Steyer, a billionaire climate activist; Katie Porter, a former member of Congress; and Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose.

The two most prominent Republicans are conservative commentator Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.

The Democrats campaigned on fighting Trump administration attacks on the state’s liberal policies, while Republicans vowed to bring change after more than 15 years of Democratic leadership in Sacramento. But the through line of the race was how to tackle the state's notoriously high cost of living.

Drivers were paying $6.08 per gallon at the pump as of the end of May, $1.65 higher than the national average, according to AAA. Meanwhile the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has estimated that the typical home is about $775,000, more than double the national average. And Californians pay the second-highest residential electricity rates behind Hawaii, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Some candidates proposed suspending the state’s gas taxes, which total roughly 70 cents a gallon, while others floated subsidizing in-state tuition at public colleges. A few of the Democrats said they would eliminate private health insurance in favor of a government-run system with no premiums, while the Republicans vowed to increase oil and gas production and reduce regulations.

“The truth is that we’ve gone off track — we’ve got one-party rule,” Hilton said at a debate in May. “The results have been such a disappointment. It is time for some balance.”

Primary system creates uncertainty

Earlier in the race, Democrats worried about possibly being locked out of the general election even though they count 45% of the state's registered voters compared to Republicans' 25%.

The concern was that their relatively crowded field of candidates could split the Democratic vote enough for the two Republicans to advance under the single primary system, which was first used at the statewide level in 2014.

Two candidates from the same party have never made the general election in a California governor's race, though it happened twice for U.S. Senate elections in 2016 and 2018.

Recent developments, however, have diminished Democrats’ fears as a few candidates emerged as leading contenders. In the race's final days it was Hilton warning that Republicans could be locked out if they failed to coalesce behind him.

Candidates squabbled over their records

Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell’s resignation and withdrawal from the race after sexual assault allegations were made against him left an opening for Becerra, who previously had struggled to gain traction.

Highlighting his long political resume, Becerra started raising more money and won the endorsements of powerful labor groups and Latino legislative leaders.

But that momentum also made him a target, and his rivals criticized his leadership as health secretary including his handling of an influx of unaccompanied migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border in 2021, when Becerra's Department of Health and Human Services was responsible for shelters where they were housed. Some of them were criticized as having inadequate living conditions, and there were also concerns about authorities failing to thoroughly vet sponsors with whom some children were placed.

“The secretary has never met a crisis that he couldn't ignore,” Mahan said at a debate in April.

Steyer's campaign spent or booked more than $203 million in ads for broadcast TV, cable and radio, according to tracker AdImpact. On the campaign trail, he was attacked over past investments in fossil fuels and private prisons at a hedge-fund he founded in the 1980s and left more than a decade ago. And some accused him of trying to buy the election.

“This race will come down to those who’ve earned it versus those who are trying to buy it,” Becerra told CNN in April.

Republicans, for their part, never coalesced behind a strategy to send both Hilton and Bianco to the general election, and the two fought to consolidate support. President Donald Trump’s endorsement in April of Hilton, a former political adviser to a conservative British prime minister, likely boosted him among GOP voters and diminished Bianco's chances of advancing.

Trump on Monday evening again urged people to vote for Hilton, saying Democrats have done an “absolutely horrendous job” running the state.

“Steve can turn it around, before it is too late, and, as President, I will help him to do so!” Trump posted on his social media platform.

A final result could take a while

All California voters receive a mail ballot, and election officials count those that are received up to a week after Election Day so long as they are postmarked by then. That often results in a drawn-out count, with no winners declared until days or even weeks later.

It is the first time in over two decades that there has not been a political superstar in the governor’s race. In 2003, A-list actor and Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger rocketed into office in a recall election that ousted then-Gov. Gray Davis; in 2010, former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown cemented a political comeback by winning nearly three decades after his first two terms; and in 2018, Newsom had already established a national profile after stints as lieutenant governor and San Francisco mayor and won easily.

More primaries are being held on Tuesday as well. Democrats are banking on a rare chance to regain ground in Iowa, a rural state that has repeatedly eluded them in recent years. Republicans, meanwhile, are grappling with a New Jersey congressman whose unexplained absence could put their already slim majority at risk.

Here are some things to watch as voters in California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota cast ballots.

California's low-wattage race for governor

Ronald Reagan. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Jerry Brown. Gavin Newsom.

The governor's office in California typically attracts some of the highest-wattage names in politics, but not this year.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Alex Padilla took a pass on the race. And with Newsom barred from seeking a third term, the campaign to succeed him turned into a sprawling, often messy contest.

In the final stretch, much of the attention has focused on Democrats Xavier Becerra, the former congressman and state attorney general who was also health secretary under President Joe Biden, and Tom Steyer, a billionaire known for his climate activism. Republican Steve Hilton is campaigning with President Donald Trump's endorsement.

Under California's primary system, all candidates appear on a single ballot and the top two finishers advance to the November general election, regardless of party. The absence of a front-runner incentivized virtually anyone with political ambition and a modicum of organization to join the race, leaving Democrats worried that their candidates would divide the vote and ultimately be shut out of the fall campaign. But those fears have eased in the primary's closing weeks, with the party now expecting to secure at least one slot on the November ballot.

The results could offer insight about how voters are feeling in a state where Democrats have dominated statewide elections for two decades.

Los Angeles mayor seeks to fend off reality star challenger

In a city still recovering from the most destructive wildfire in its history, Mayor Karen Bass is in a tough fight for reelection.

The mayor, who is a frequent target of Trump's criticism, was in Ghana as part of a presidential delegation when the blaze began. She has acknowledged mistakes but has centered her campaign around a message of recovery and progress.

Bass is facing a spirited challenge from reality television personality Spencer Pratt, who has blamed Bass for presiding over destruction that claimed his own home. Pratt, who rose to fame on “The Hills,” has shared videos created by artificial intelligence that show him taking on a superhero persona to battle street criminals and Democratic politicians.

The race is officially nonpartisan, but Bass is a Democrat, as is progressive city council member Nithya Raman, who made a last-minute decision to challenge her one-time ally. Pratt is a registered Republican who has received a nod of approval — if not an outright endorsement — from Trump.

Unless a candidate receives a majority of the vote in the primary, the top two will advance to a general election in November.

Los Angeles hasn't elected a Republican mayor since Richard Riordan won his second term in 1997, and the results will be closely watched for signs of dissatisfaction with liberal urban governance. The winner will emerge as a national and global figure as the city prepares to host the Olympics in 2028.

Democrats look to Iowa to rebuild in the heartland

Iowa wasn't always a Republican stronghold.

Before Trump reshaped American politics, this was the state the lifted the political career of Barack Obama and sent Tom Harkin to the Senate for five terms.

The party is particularly excited about Rob Sand, who is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for governor. A native of Decorah, Iowa, he has the rural roots that have become rare among Democrats. Perhaps most importantly, he's a proven winner in a Republican-leaning state, having been elected twice as auditor.

Republicans head into the primary with five candidates. Trump jumped in last week to endorse Rep. Randy Feenstra.

This is the first open contest for the governor's seat since 2006. Democrats are hoping that a combination of the economic fallout from Trump's tariff policies, rising gas prices stemming from the Iran war and the lack of a Republican incumbent could give them their best opportunity in years. Sand also has a fundraising advantage over the Republicans, including Feenstra.

State Rep. Josh Turek and state Sen. Zach Wahls are competing in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by incumbent Republican Joni Ernst. The race has divided in part along questions of who should lead the party in Washington, with Wahls openly criticizing Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. Republicans have largely coalesced behind U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson as their candidate for the Senate seat.

An unexplained absence puts crucial GOP seat at risk

In the final frenzied days before an election, voters can sometimes grow tired of hearing from candidates so much. But in New Jersey's 7th congressional district, they're not hearing from one candidate at all.

Republican Rep. Tom Kean Jr. is running unopposed in Tuesday's primary. But he's facing growing scrutiny for an unexplained medical absence that has stretched for three months, causing him to miss more than 100 votes in Congress.

That's not an ideal statistic for any lawmaker, but it's especially problematic for someone running in one of the few genuinely competitive congressional districts. While gerrymandering has yielded most U.S. House seats reliably Democratic or Republican, Kean's district has flipped between the parties in each of the last two midterm elections. Republican Leonard Lance lost to Democrat Tom Malinowski in 2018. Malinowski lost to Kean in 2022.

As they cling to a narrow majority in the House, Republicans can't afford to lose a district like Kean's. Several Democrats vying to take on Kean in the fall have made his absence — and the lack of clarity surrounding it — a central part of their message.

In a social media post late Monday, Trump said Kean was “working tirelessly” to support the MAGA agenda.

New Jersey was one of the first places that voter pushback to Trump became apparent last year when Democrat Mikie Sherrill won the governor's race by more than 14 percentage points. The turnout in the 7th district on Tuesday could provide clues about whether that Democratic enthusiasm remains in place.

Democrats pin their hopes on independent candidates in some states

Democrats are hopeful they can mount a serious challenge against Republican Senate candidates in deep-red South Dakota and Montana this fall. But their best hope may not be the Democrats featured on Tuesday’s primary ballot.

Both states feature higher-profile independent candidates, who, because they’re not running to represent a political party, do not have to compete in primary elections.

In Montana, there are five Democrats competing for the party’s Senate nomination. But independent Seth Bodnar, the former University of Montana president, has raised more money than all of them combined. He’s even significantly out-raised Trump-backed Republican candidate Kurt Alme.

In South Dakota, three-term incumbent Republican Mike Rounds is expected to cruise to his party’s nomination on Tuesday. He’ll face Democrat Julian Beaudion, a former highway patrol trooper and small business owner, on the November ballot. But it’s a former Democrat now running as an independent, Brian Bengs, a military veteran, who may be the tougher challenger.

Andrew Richard Lukehart, 53, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. He was sentenced to death after being convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in 1997 for the death a year earlier of 5-month-old Gabrielle Hanshaw.

This would be Florida’s eighth execution so far this year, following a record 19 executions in 2025. Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis oversaw more executions in a single year in 2025 than any other Florida governor since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. The previous record was set in 2014 with eight executions.

According to court records, Lukehart was watching his girlfriend's baby in February 1996 while his girlfriend was caring for her older daughter, who had been ill. At some point, the girlfriend said Lukehart drove away from their Jacksonville home, and she couldn't find baby Gabrielle. Lukehart called his girlfriend about 30 minutes later and told her to call police because the baby had been kidnapped and he was chasing the kidnapper.

Later that evening, Lukehart was found in a neighboring county after driving his car off the road. During questioning the next day, Lukehart told investigators that Gabrielle died after he dropped the baby on her head and then shook her. He told police that he panicked and threw the baby in a pond. Law enforcement officers searched the pond and found the child's body.

The Florida Supreme Court denied Lukehart's appeals last week. His attorneys had claimed that medication he was taking for kidney disease could have a negative reaction with the lethal injection drugs. They also argued that having only a month between the signing of Lukehart's death warrant and the execution deprived him of his due process.

The U.S. Supreme Court denied Lukehart’s final appeal on Monday.

A total of 47 people were executed in the U.S. in 2025. Florida led the way with a flurry of death warrants signed by DeSantis. Alabama, South Carolina and Texas tied for second with five executions each.

Another execution is planned in Florida later this month. Dusty Ray Spencer, 74, was convicted of fatally stabbing his wife in 1992.

All Florida executions are carried out via lethal injection of a sedative, a paralytic and a drug that stops the heart, according to the Department of Corrections.

Despite New Mexico's persistent challenges, the primary election comes at a time of promise for the next governor, who is all but likely to be a Democrat. Oil prices had surged globally from the Iran war, translating into an influx of tax revenue to state coffers. New Mexico is the nation’s second largest oil-producing state behind Texas, and the industry’s revenue funds an array of progressive social programs that include universal childcare.

For the first time, the primary will be open to voters who are independent. The state’s semi-open primary system, which was signed into law by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham last year, allows the roughly 23% of New Mexico voters who are not affiliated with a political party to request either a Democratic or Republican ballot.

While voters will decide primaries in three congressional seats, a U.S. Senate seat and a long list of statewide offices, the governor's race is the main attraction.

Former U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, who also served a term in the U.S. House of Representatives, and Albuquerque-based district attorney Sam Bregman are seeking the Democratic nomination to replace Lujan Grisham, who reached her term limit.

Haaland, a citizen of Laguna Pueblo, could become the first Native American woman elected governor in the U.S. Her campaign has focused on reducing costs for families, emphasizing her ancestral roots in the state and touting her experience working in the nation's capital.

She leads Bregman in fundraising by a wide margin in a campaign that became increasingly contentious. Haaland’s campaign has highlighted Bregman's personal wealth and cast him as out of touch with everyday New Mexicans. Haaland declined several opportunities to debate Bregman, who has argued his experience as a prosecutor puts him in the best position for Democrats to chart a new course in a state that has been bedeviled for years by high crime rates.

His campaign also criticized Haaland after her name appeared in the Jeffrey Epstein files. She flew on a private jet chartered by one of Epstein's companies during her unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor in 2014. That flight to a fundraising meeting in Washington, D.C., was paid for by Gary King, her running mate at the time. King's family had sold Epstein a ranch in New Mexico two decades earlier.

Haaland said she was unaware of Epstein’s role in arranging the flight and never met him.

Bregman, the prosecutor for Bernalillo County and the father of Chicago Cubs All-Star Alex Bregman, has promised to stand up to the Trump administration on issues such as healthcare and immigration.

Three candidates are running in the Republican primary, with the winner facing an uphill battle to claim a state that increasingly has trended left in recent years. Democrats have won every statewide elected office since 2017, and it's been decades since a Republican presidential candidate won the state.

Gregg Hull was mayor of fast-growing Rio Rancho and has pointed to his leadership there as a blueprint for how he would govern, promising to attract large employers to the state. Duke Rodriguez, former state Cabinet secretary under former Republican Gov. Gary Johnson turned cannabis CEO, has focused on stabilizing the state’s healthcare system, which faces financial troubles and a severe shortage of physicians. Public relations professional Doug Turner has focused on plans to lift the state’s public education system from the bottom of national rankings.

While Hull and Turner have not aligned their campaigns with the MAGA movement, Rodriguez was recently served a cease-and-desist letter from a law firm representing President Donald Trump for “deceptive use” of Trump’s image in campaign materials.

The winner of November's general election will inherit the oil windfall in the state budget that has led to competing ideas on how best to use it — from cutting one-time checks for taxpayers to funding tax credits that would mostly aid low-income residents to eliminating the state's income tax.

The state's reliance on fossil fuels to fund its programs also has proved politically sensitive for Democrats.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.1% a day after setting its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 121 points, or 0.2%, as of 10:05 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was virtually unchanged.

Analysts have said the market may be set for a slowdown following an unrelenting streak of nine straight winning weeks for the S&P 500, its longest since 2023. The rally has built with strong profit reports from U.S. companies, as well as hopes that the United States and Iran will reach a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. That would allow oil to flow freely again from the Persian Gulf and hopefully lower its price.

One of the heaviest weights on the U.S. stock market was the parent company of Google, which fell 2.7% after saying it is raising $80 billion in cash by selling its stock. Alphabet said it plans to use some of that cash to pay for its huge investments in artificial-intelligence technology.

It’s planning to spend as much as $190 billion on equipment and other investments this year. That's more than all the stock of The Walt Disney Co., Boeing or AT&T is worth, and Alphabet is forecasting spending next year “to significantly increase.”

Such huge sums raise the question about whether AI can produce the profits and productivity necessary to make all the investment worth it. Critics have already been talking about the possibility of a bubble in AI investment.

In the meantime, the companies selling the shovels and picks in Wall Street’s latest gold rush continue to benefit.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise soared 25% after reporting a profit for the latest quarter that blew past analysts’ expectations. It credited demand from customers building their AI capabilities.

Generac climbed 5.8% after saying it signed a deal to provide backup power generators to an unnamed “leading hyperscale data center operator.”

Chip companies also continued to rally. Nvidia rose 2.6%, and Broadcom added 4.5%.

Marvell Technology leaped 24.2% after Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, suggested at a conference in Taiwan that Marvell could be “the next trillion-dollar company.” The latest to join the growing club of companies worth $1 trillion was Micron Technology, which is also riding the AI wave.

In the oil market, prices were calmer following Monday’s bounce back. Brent crude oil, the international standard, edged down by less than 0.1% to $94.96 per barrel, though that’s still well above the roughly $70 level it was at before the war.

In the bond market, Treasury yields were relatively steady.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.45% from 4.47% late Monday. It briefly jumped after a report said that U.S. employers were advertising many more jobs at the end of April than economists expected, a potential signal of continued health for the U.S. labor market. But it quickly pulled back to where it was just before the report's release.

In stock markets abroad indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng jumped 2.5% for one of the world’s biggest moves.

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AP Business Writers Yuri Kageyama and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

Johnson hizo su pronunciamiento un día después del duro discurso que ofreció la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum en un evento en la capital, en el que criticó los procesos por narcotráfico que iniciaron las autoridades estadounidenses en abril contra diez funcionarios mexicanos —algunos de ellos miembros de Morena, el partido de gobierno—, y planteó que, cuando se interviene en asuntos internos, “ya no estamos hablando de cooperación, estamos hablando de injerencia”.

“Primero vienen por unos, luego por otros, hasta que las oficinas de justicia se vuelven el principal elector de México. Eso no lo podemos permitir”, manifestó Sheinbaum, al insinuar que detrás de los procesos judiciales habría el interés de afectar los comicios regionales y legislativos que se realizarán en el país el próximo año.

El proceso judicial contra el gobernador oficialista del estado de Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha Moya, y otros nueve funcionarios activos y retirados, generó fricciones entre México y Estados Unidos y desató una crisis interna que golpeó al gobierno de Sheinbaum y a Morena.

Contra la politización

Sin hacer ninguna mención específica, el diplomático dijo en su cuenta en la red social X que la “lucha contra los cárteles debe unirnos, no dividirnos”, y añadió que las personas de ambos lados de la frontera merecen vivir “libres de la intimidación, la corrupción y el miedo que generan los cárteles”.

“Cada momento que dedicamos a convertir este desafío compartido de seguridad en una discusión política, es una oportunidad perdida para fortalecer nuestra cooperación”, señaló Johnson, quien hace un año asumió la representación diplomática de Washington en México.

En los últimos dos meses han surgido tensiones entre ambos gobiernos por las acusaciones que realizó la fiscalía de Nueva York contra diez funcionarios mexicanos, y por el incidente ocurrido en abril en el estado norteño de Chihuahua, en el que murieron dos agentes de la CIA.

La presencia en México de los dos estadounidenses se conoció poco después de su fallecimiento en un percance vial, ocurrido el 19 de abril en las montañas de Chihuahua, donde se había desmantelado un laboratorio clandestino de drogas sintéticas.

El gobierno de Sheinbaum le reclamó a Estados Unidos que no le informara de las actividades de sus agentes en territorio mexicano.

La fiscalía de Nueva York acusó en abril a Rocha, al alcalde de la capital de Sinaloa, Juan de Dios Gámez, y a otros ocho funcionarios activos y retirados de cooperar con el Cártel de Sinaloa, y solicitó su detención preventiva con fines de extradición.

Rocha y Gámez –-ambos de Morena— se separaron temporalmente de sus cargos para facilitar la investigación. Por su parte, Gerardo Mérida y Enrique Díaz, exsecretarios de Seguridad y Finanzas respectivamente del gobierno de Sinaloa, se entregaron a las autoridades estadounidenses a mediados de mayo.

Mérida tuvo el lunes su primera audiencia en una corte federal de Nueva York, donde la juez Katherine Polk afirmó que las evidencias del caso eran “abundantes”.

En medio de las tensiones, el secretario de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos, Markwayne Mullin, visitó el 21 de mayo la capital mexicana y se reunió con Sheinbaum en el Palacio Nacional para dialogar sobre el fortalecimiento de las labores contra los cárteles, el progreso de la lucha contra el tráfico de personas y narcóticos ilegales, y el reforzamiento de los compromisos operativos para la seguridad fronteriza y la prevención de la migración ilegal.

A two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, the 37-year-old deGrom (4-4) allowed four hits and struck out eight in his fourth attempt at the milestone victory. The right-hander went 1-3 with a 5.72 ERA in five May starts and has not won this season when allowing multiple runs.

Jacob Latz pitched a perfect ninth for his eighth save to help the Rangers win their fourth straight game.

Michael McGreevy (3-5) gave up two runs on five hits and two walks in six innings after yielding eight runs in nine innings over his previous two starts.

Masyn Winn lined his second home run of the season down the left-field line off reliever Peyton Gray to cut Texas’ lead to 2-1 in the sixth.

Joc Pederson hit an RBI single up the middle to drive in Danny Jansen after Jansen walked, stole second base and advanced to third on Nicky Lopez's single in the fifth to make it 2-0.

Duran lined an RBI double to the left-field wall to drive in Brandon Nimmo and give Texas a 1-0 advantage in the fourth.

Up next

Rangers RHP Nathan Eovaldi (5-6, 3.93 ERA) will face Cardinals RHP Dustin May (3-6, 4.57) in the middle game of the series Tuesday night.

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

Jacob Baker, 36, who is charged with murder in the deaths of two 69-year-old men and one 79-year-old man, appeared in court Monday where a judge granted a defense request for Baker to undergo a mental fitness examination.

According to a criminal complaint, the killings were of “exceptional depravity.”

Robert Shine, 69, was found dead last week submerged in a cement pond, according to police. The body of a 79-year-old man was discovered a day later a few hundred feet away.

And later that day, police found 69-year-old John Carse dead at a property 19 miles (31 kilometers) from where the other two bodies were located.

Police hadn't released the name of the 79-year-old man, but prosecutors identified him in the criminal complaint as Frederick Morse. Friends said they knew him as “Chitta.”

If convicted and if a jury agrees that Baker knew the victims were older men, or that the killings were especially heinous, he would face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility for parole. Without the enhancement, parole would be possible.

Police apprehended Baker last week, following a manhunt of the vast island, where the three victims were found in the remote and mostly rural Puna community known for its jungle-like landscape and free-spirited residents.

The killings left residents on edge in the community set amid lush jungle and barren lava fields where people seeking to live off-grid commonly trade work for lodging.

Disturbing details of the investigation are detailed in a probable cause document, including that Morse was found dead in his bed with several severed fingers. Shine was found with fractured ribs and other injuries and had been strangled before he was put in a concrete fishpond, where he was found face-down in water. Carse was found face-down in dirt under corrugated roofing material and an autopsy found cuts to his face, severed neck muscles, a broken jaw and other injuries, the document said.

A woman told police she had driven Baker to a store in Hilo, east Hawaii's biggest town, before the men were found, and while driving back, he showed her a newly purchased knife and said he would “shank all the rapists in Pahoa and anyone who messed with him,” according to the document. Baker "reportedly spoke about the island being full of rapists and pedophiles and stated that he wanted to ‘chop them up with machetes.’”

She described him as erratic, aggressive and hyperverbal, police said, and that he referred to himself using the Spanish word for hitman. Police said they determined he also purchased two brass knuckles.

She then took him to a tattoo shop, where police said Baker got a tattoo under his left eye.

Baker is ordered held without bail. A report on his mental fitness examination is due Aug 4. A court hearing is scheduled Aug. 11.

Momcilovic announced his decision on Instagram on Monday, less than a week after pulling his name out of the NBA draft.

A 6-foot-8 forward, Momcilovic led the nation in 3-point shooting at shooting 48.7% on 7.5 attempts per game last season and was fifth nationally in 3-pointers made. He made at least five 3-pointers in a game 10 times in 2025-26, including eight in a last-second loss to Arizona in the Big 12 tournament.

Momcilovic averaged 16.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while leading Iowa State to the Sweet 16 for the third time in five years. He shot 43% from 3 in three seasons with the Cyclones.

Momcilovic announced in April he planned to enter the transfer portal and test the NBA waters before pulling out just before the deadline last Wednesday.

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

On May 27, DeSantis called for state lawmakers, a Republican majority, to pass a ballot measure to raise the state’s $50,000 homestead exemptions to $250,000.

“With five-days notice and a 72-hour session, this legislature is being asked to dramatically reshape our entire state financial landscape,” Florida Sen. Lori Berman said during a news conference.

Some have concerns about local governments’ services, and public schools suffering budget shortfalls as a result of the revenue loss.

“They’re still getting a lot of money, way more than they did seven years ago,” DeSantis said on May 27 about property values increasing.

The Florida Senate Appropriations Committee approved an amendment on Monday to secure funding for the state’s public school districts.

“I personally would like to see a school carve out,” Republican Florida Rep. Alex Rizo said, adding that some of his colleagues shared his position.

Florida Rep. Ashley Gantt was among the Democrats who did not support the measure despite this change.

DeSantis also suggested that the exemption not apply to homeowners who move to Florida after November until they have established residency for five years.

The plan would include a constitutional amendment on the November ballot. It has to be approved by at least 60% of the state’s voters.

Related report

Torres contributed to this report from Miami.

Leer en español

Four were injured after two cars crashed at Douglas Drive and Monroe Street. One car crashed into a third car, and another crashed into a house.

“The gray car was coming from that side at like 100 mph, hit the red car,” Errol Gunter said.

The impact pushed both the red and gray cars through the house’s metal fence. The red car struck the parked sports utility vehicle.

Gunter said the gray car crashed just about 16 inches away from the living room, where his mother was. She wasn’t among the injured.

“My sister told me that she heard a big, big sound outside, and when they came out, they saw both cars,” Gunter said.

The four injured, including three whose condition was critical, were inside the red and gray cars. The family at the house had to evacuate until authorities deem it safe for them to return.

“Every time I think about how close it came to my mom, my eyes fill with water,” Gunter said.

It would follow nearby Sunny Isles Beach in doing so, which implemented its ban on Monday, the same day Bay Harbor Islands Town Council discussed a potential ban.

Sunny Isles Beach Mayor Larisa Svechin said she noticed an immediate difference on Monday, saying she saw “zero” scooters. She said she would see previously see hundreds daily.

Some question whether scooter bans are government overreach.

“I very much believe that the government should stay out of your private life,” Svechin said. “However, that’s like saying I don’t want to wear a seat belt.”

Bay Harbor Islands town officials met at 6 p.m. Monday to discuss.

“The purpose of tonight’s meeting is really to hear from the residents how they feel,” Bay Harbor Islands Councilman Eric Rappaport told Local 10 News.

According to Bay Harbor Islands Police Chief Luis Alvarez, they’ve recently seen nearly a dozen injury reports involving electric scooters.

“We’re not just issuing citations to the kids on the bikes, some of them really don’t know any better,” he said. “When the parents get there and receive a citation it really is an eye opener.”

This all comes as a new state law is set to take effect on July 1 requiring scooter riders to stay below 10 miles per hour when within 50 feet of a pedestrian.

There is no word on when Bay Harbor Islands will make a decision on any scooter regulations.

“If it’s about the money, then I can just pack it in and not go out there and give my best effort. But I plan to be the best leader possible as well as dominating on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays,” Garrett said last March.

That is why Garrett’s nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns ended on Monday when he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams, less than 15 months after signing a $204.8 million, four-year contract extension with $122.8 million guaranteed.

The Browns dealt the two-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year to the Rams for pass rusher Jared Verse and three draft picks.

Garrett demanded a trade last year during Super Bowl week, but agreed to an extension one month later that made him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history at the time.

General manager Andrew Berry was adamant that Garrett would spend his entire career in Cleveland and enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame wearing orange and brown. But repeated quarterback missteps, organizational dysfunction, and a disastrous trade for Deshaun Watson have kept the Browns in a near-constant state of rebuilding.

“We were sincere in that desire as we entered this offseason and did not envision a world where Myles was not a Cleveland Brown,” Berry said on Monday. “However, as we embark on a new era of Browns football with a young core and a replenished asset base, we felt this move was important to our transition.”

Berry was able to make a deal after the Browns and Garrett agreed to modify the contract and defer option payments over the 2026-28 seasons in March. The first payment of around $10 million was due on March 28, but was moved to near the start of the regular season.

Cleveland will still have a cap hit of $15.53 million this year and $25.56 million next year for the trade.

Trade set in motion early

The second honeymoon between Garrett and the Browns after signing the extension was short lived.

“To lose the same way every time, it’s frustrating as hell,” Garrett said on Oct. 12 after a 23-9 loss at Pittsburgh, where the Browns failed to score a touchdown on offense.

Rookie Dillon Gabriel was making his second start at quarterback after replacing veteran Joe Flacco, who was traded to AFC North rival Cincinnati.

After the Steelers’ loss, Garrett had at least a half-sack in nine straight games. He set a team record with five at New England in Week 8, had four against Baltimore in Week 11, and three the following week at Las Vegas. He broke the single-season mark of 22½ sacks set by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt during the fourth quarter of his final game for the Browns in the season finale at Cincinnati.

After Kevin Stefanski was fired many on the defense lobbied for coordinator Jim Schwartz to be promoted to head coach.

“I’m committed to winning, and as long as the team (and) organization are doing so and they’re committed to that same thing, then I’m all on board. But if we’re thinking anything other than winning — tanking or rebuilding, that’s not me,” Garrett said on Jan. 2.

Schwartz was bypassed as the organization selected Todd Monken in late January. One week later, Schwartz resigned after three years in Cleveland.

Monken said two weeks ago he had not met Garrett face-to-face since being hired.

Garrett — who has a minority stake in the Cavaliers — visited Cleveland a couple of times during the NBA playoffs, but did not make a stop at the Browns' complex.

Garrett’s time in Cleveland

Garrett was the Browns’ first overall pick in 2017. He was part of the NFL’s second 0-16 team his rookie year, the first of five double-digit losing seasons he endured.

Garrett helped lead Cleveland to its first playoff win since the 1994 season, defeating Pittsburgh 48-37 in an AFC wild-card matchup during his fourth year in 2020. The Browns returned to the playoffs in 2023, losing to Houston in the first round, but went 8-26 over the past two seasons.

Cleveland has the league’s sixth-worst record since 2017 at 58-90-1.

The 30-year-old Garrett — a five-time All-Pro — is the first player in NFL history with at least 12 sacks in six consecutive seasons (2020-25) and the only player with double-digit sacks each of the past eight years. His 125½ career sacks are tied for 20th on the league list.

“What I can say with complete honesty is this; I gave this city everything I had. I suited up and wore those colors with pride, and I don’t regret a second of being part of this storied franchise. Every Sunday. Every offseason. Every play, Every down. Every moment. You gave me more in return than I can ever repay,” Garrett said in a social media post addressed to Browns fans. "The best days for this franchise are ahead, Thank you for letting me grow here. Thank you for believing in me.

“Loving you is easy, leaving you is the hard part. Thank you for nine unforgettable years.”

Different seasons, same dysfunction

The Browns have had 42 quarterbacks make at least one start since their 1999 return, including 15 the past nine seasons.

The revolving door at quarterback is a major reason why the Browns have had just four winning seasons since their return and why Monken is the seventh coach hired by Jimmy and Dee Haslam since they bought the franchise in 2012.

Jimmy Haslam said last year the Browns “took a big swing and miss” when they sent three first-round picks to Houston for Watson in 2022 and signed him to a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million deal that remains the worst in NFL history.

However, guess who is favored to start Week 1 at Jacksonville? Watson, who has not played since Week 7 of the 2024 season after two Achilles tendon injuries. Watson is vying with Shedeur Sanders, who started the final seven games as a rookie last season, going 3-4 with seven touchdown passes, 10 interceptions, and a 68.1 passer rating.

If the Browns struggle again at quarterback, they will have two first-round picks in 2027.

What does Verse add?

Garrett’s trade did not bring three first-round picks, but it did add a young pass rusher in Verse. Besides the 2027 first-rounder, the Browns received a second-round pick in 2028 and a third-rounder in 2029.

Verse’s acquisition gives the Browns the past two AP Defensive Rookies of the Year. Carson Schwesinger won last season after leading NFL rookies with 156 tackles and 11 tackles for loss.

Verse, the 19th overall pick in the 2024 draft, had 4½ sacks as a rookie and 7½ sacks last season, along with three forced fumbles.

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

“Did anyone else hear that boom?”

“Anyone feel that?”

NASA let people know over the weekend that the cause of the commotion was a meteor, but on Monday they revealed even more stunning details.

The fireball was as heavy as an elephant and 5 feet (1.52 meter) wide and was going 42,000 mph (67,592.5 kph) when it entered Earth’s atmosphere. It broke up miles above New England on Saturday and the energy released was equivalent to about 230 tons of TNT, the agency estimated, accounting for the booms.

NASA revealed the jaw-dropping details in a social media post Monday along with other statistics.

The meteor was made up of natural material — not a satellite or space debris — and traveled through the atmosphere for about 26 miles (41.8 kilometers), according to NASA, before falling into Cape Cod Bay, which sits along southeastern Massachusetts.

The agency was quick to point out that meteors are very common, but typically don't have as big of an audience as this one.

“They often occur over the ocean or unpopulated areas with no witnesses, or during the daytime, making them difficult to spot,” according to NASA.

The event prompted widespread speculation initially.

The rattling boom had some people in Massachusetts and Rhode Island thinking there had been an earthquake or that a tree had fallen. Others posted that their dogs were freaking out. At least one person posed the possibility of aliens.

A man in Peabody, Massachusetts, posted that it had been a windy day, so he thought a large tree had hit his house. When he came outside, he said, he found most of his neighbors in the street asking the same questions.

Several people filed reports with the U.S. Geological Survey, registering the shaking they felt with the National Earthquake Information Center, Steve Sobie, an agency spokesman, confirmed.

The agency opened an event page, based on the number of “Did you feel it?” reports it received on its website. But Sobie said there was no event registered on the agency’s seismographs. meaning the shaking was not due to an earthquake.

The American Meteor Society received dozens of reports from Delaware to Montreal with people either hearing the double boom, feeling the ground shake or seeing the fireball, its program monitor, Robert Lunsford, said.

Marner was nearing the end of his contract with Toronto, and all signs pointed to him not re-signing. Carolina had just acquired fellow pending free agent Mikko Rantanen from Colorado in a three-way trade in late January, and after several weeks it was also clear that would not be a long-term relationship.

The Maple Leafs and Hurricanes discussed the possibility of a Marner-for-Rantanen swap. Marner held the keys with his full no-movement clause, and he preferred staying put and seeing out one more run with the team that drafted him, then went on to choose Vegas, going to the Golden Knights in a sign and trade in late June before hitting the open market.

Marner's decision caused a domino effect that led Vegas and Carolina to this stage, where they'll now meet in the Stanley Cup Final beginning Tuesday night. The Hurricanes pivoted to sending Rantanen to Dallas for Logan Stankoven — one of their best players during this run — along with a pick they then used to trade for K'Andre Miller last summer, in the process saving the salary cap space needed to sign top free agent Nikolaj Ehlers.

The Golden Knights got Marner, who leads all scorers in the playoffs and left no doubt why the Hurricanes were interested. Asked what the team liked, general manager Eric Tulsky declined comment because Marner is under contract with another team.

"I can answer that one," coach Rod Brind'Amour said. “What don’t you like about him?”

‘What if?’ is not on Marner's mind

When speculation was building last spring about Marner potentially being involved in a trade for Rantanen, it wasn't just a question of hockey. Marner's wife, Stephanie, was pregnant with the couple's first child. Marner is from the Toronto area.

The Leafs reached the second round before blowing a 2-0 series lead to defending and eventual back-to-back champion Florida. The Hurricanes lost in five games to the Panthers in the East final, still missing something.

This season, Marner was a point-a-game player. He has seven goals and 14 assists for a playoff-high 21 points.

“Mitch is playing with tremendous confidence,” GM Kelly McCrimmon said. “I think he’s really savoring the moment.”

Marner credited the coaching staff for putting him in positions to succeed and teammates for finishing scoring chances. Wearing a Vegas hoodie on Cup final media day, he insists he's not thinking about the alternate reality of playing for Carolina instead.

“No, I’m not a guy that lives in the past,” Marner said. “I’m in the present. I’m here in the moment.”

The Hurricanes pivoted perfectly

Tulsky was referring to Rantanen when he said of taking chances, “Sometimes it doesn’t go the way you hoped, and you’ve got to be ready to figure out how you’re going to move forward from there.” Trading Martin Necas to the Avalanche for Rantanen did not work out, though getting veteran winger Taylor Hall from Chicago in the same deal certainly has.

The pursuit of Marner fits in the same category, but plan B worked out swimmingly. Stankoven has been a difference-maker for Carolina centering the second line of Hall and Jackson Blake and is showing why he was the centerpiece of the return from the Stars for Rantanen.

Had Marner wanted to go to Carolina, Stankoven could still be with Dallas. Instead, he had to grapple with the strange feeling of getting traded.

“I didn’t see it coming,” Stankoven said. “Everything kind of happens for a reason. Obviously, Dallas got their player, and I just want to become the best version of myself here in Carolina. Just how welcoming everyone has been here, the fans, my teammates, I absolutely love the city and couldn’t be happier that I was able to sign long term here.”

The same day Stankoven signed an eight-year, $48 million contract, Tulsky used one of the first-round picks from the Rantanen trade to acquire Miller from the New York Rangers and sign him long term. By the end of the week, Ehlers chose Carolina among several intriguing suitors.

Miller has thrived with the change of scenery, and Ehlers has, along with Stankoven, given the Hurricanes the offensive finish they lacked in several playoff runs that ended before the final.

“(Ehlers) adds things to it that aren’t what we would ask a lot of players to do,” Tulsky said. “Having that kind of ability on the team — someone who could just create scoring chances out of thin air — it always makes you more dangerous.”

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

El ritual es una tradición al inicio de cada año y antes de elecciones.

Los chamanes se reunieron junto al mar en la playa La Herradura, en el distrito de Chorrillos, en Lima, y alzaron carteles de los dos candidatos.

Los dos —Keiko Fujimori, la hija conservadora del desacreditado expresidente Alberto Fujimori, y Roberto Sánchez, un congresista nacionalista y exministro— están muy parejos en las encuestas y se enfrentarán el domingo.

Fujimori obtuvo poco más del 17% de los votos, mientras que Sánchez consiguió aproximadamente el 12% entre un concurrido grupo de candidatos en la primera vuelta en abril. Esa ronda estuvo marcada por problemas logísticos, los cuales impidieron que miles de personas en Perú y el extranjero pudieran sufragar. Posteriormente, el organismo electoral del país tardó semanas en oficializar a los dos contendientes para la segunda vuelta.

En el ritual de bendición, los chamanes usaron pétalos de flores, fruta, hojas de coca y trozos aromáticos de palo santo, además de tabaco negro, espadas y muñecos. También encendieron bengalas de colores y tocaron tambores.

El chamán Andrés de los Santos, quien viajó a Lima desde el norte del país, dijo que el principal objetivo del ritual que realizan es garantizar que el mejor candidato sea el que represente a Perú.

Aunque esta vez los chamanes no hicieron pronósticos, anteriormente ya han vaticinado el futuro. A finales de 2025 predijeron que el entonces presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, que ahora se encuentra encarcelado en Estados Unidos y enfrenta cargos por narcotráfico, ya no estaría en el puesto para finales de 2026.

El ganador de la segunda vuelta se convertirá en el noveno presidente de Perú en apenas 10 años, al reemplazar a José María Balcázar, quien fue elegido mandatario interino en febrero. Balcázar sustituyó a otro presidente interino, José Jerí, quien fue destituido por acusaciones de corrupción apenas cuatro meses después de asumir el cargo.

El próximo presidente del país juramentará el cargo el 28 de julio para un mandato de cinco años.

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

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to the commissioner on Monday requesting his appearance at a hearing on June 10 examining the league's TV deals and their compliance with the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961.

The 65-year-old law grants professional sports leagues limited antitrust immunity, allowing them to pool their media rights and negotiate as a single entity while protecting them from antitrust lawsuits.

The law applies only to broadcast networks. Courts have ruled in the past that it does not apply to other media, including cable, satellite and streaming. There has been bipartisan sentiment in favor of updating the law, and president Donald Trump has been among the critics of the NFL's embrace of streaming.

According to Jordan's letter, the hearing next week will “examine the extent to which the antitrust exemption created by the SBA has been used by the professional sports leagues to harm consumers and whether potential legislative remedies may be needed to address that harm.”

An NFL spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.

The move by Congress comes as the Justice Department is investigating the NFL for potential anticompetitive practices. Speaking in April when the probe was disclosed, a government official, who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name, said it was “about affordability for consumers and creating an even playing field for providers.”

In March, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote a letter to the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission urging them to review whether the NFL’s distribution methods comply with the 1961 law. The FTC has sought comments from the public on the shift of live sports from broadcast channels to streaming services.

The NFL has said 87% of its games are available on free television, and games aired exclusively on cable or streaming services remain available over the air in the home markets of the competing teams.

The league has broadcast or streaming deals with CBS/Paramount+, NBC/Peacock, ABC/ESPN/ESPN+, Fox, NFL Network, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube TV. Thursday night games moved to Prime Video in 2022, and the league has since moved a wild-card playoff game, Christmas Day games and a Black Friday game to streamers.

This season, Netflix will stream an opening-week game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne, Australia, and a Green Bay Packers-Rams game the day before Thanksgiving.

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

A few minutes later, White said she also appreciates coaching Clark.

Two days after cameras caught the Indiana star and the Fever coach engaged in what appeared to be a brief sideline spat, Clark and White explained the confrontation was not the result of some deep-seeded dispute but rather the result of two highly competitive women fighting to win a game.

“I think a lot of those things happen all the time,” Clark said Monday. “I know there's a camera on me and that's how it's going to be, but there are a lot of people out there in the media or on TV that think they know a lot of things and they're just blatantly wrong about a lot of things. I ride with Steph, I ride for these girls. Steph has my back more than anybody.”

What fans saw Saturday, though, was White appearing to confront Clark who responded by putting her arms in the air. White then pulled Clark and plugged in rookie guard Raven Johnson for Clark. White has since said she was merely challenging a player to perform at a higher level.

But on social media, the fierce postgame reaction focused largely on whether the incident may have exposed a rift between the two and whether White might be fired. They spent Monday taking turns passionately expressing their unhappiness over how the exchange — and their relationship — were characterized by outsiders.

“As far as we were concerned, the moment died right then,” White said. “We can’t control the outside narrative. We can’t control where people choose to take a snippet of an instance in a game or whatever it might be and run with it. We know that people are always going to have an opinion about what we’re doing in here, people are always going to have an opinion about Caitlin. It’s the reality of the world we live in, the reality of the job we have. But it’s not the reality of what the relationship is like.”

It's been an understandably frustrating start for the Fever and Clark, who missed 31 games last season with an assortment of injuries. Rather than starting this season as the title contenders many expected to see, the Fever fell to 4-4 with Saturday's 100-84 loss at expansion Portland.

Clark, the former Iowa star and the NCAA's career scoring leader, has struggled in her comeback, too. She's made just 39.3% of her shots and only 33.3% of her 3-pointers this season and last week's West Coast trip wasn't any better.

She finished Saturday's game 1 of 7 from the field with six points and no 3s while trying to play through foul trouble. Clark went 4 of 19 from the field in last week's two games, finishing with 22 points, 12 assists and six turnovers. Her defensive play also has come under fire.

Indiana hosts Atlanta and Angel Reese on Thursday.

Off the court, Clark has been dealing with a sore back, which kept her out of the first matchup against Portland, May 20, and prompted league officials to warn the Fever about not listing Clark on the team's injury list before the game.

Yet White has continued to defend one of the league's most popular players, and Clark said she appreciates the support she's received from the 2023 WNBA Coach of the Year.

“When I got hurt at the Connecticut game last year, like I bawled in Steph's arms,” Clark said. “That's somebody I will ride for for the rest of my life. Those are moments that people don't see. People just sit on their phones all day, they don't see those moments. They don't see the moments where we come into work, they don't see the moments that absolutely suck that people have your back. They think they know everything when in reality they don't have a clue.”

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Adelman, the father of Denver Nuggets coach David Adelman, was 79. The cause of his death was not immediately announced.

“The Denver Nuggets were extremely saddened to learn of the passing of Hall of Fame Head Coach Rick Adelman,” the Nuggets said Monday night. “Our thoughts are with head coach David Adelman, the entire Adelman family and the many friends and loved ones that were lucky enough to know Rick.”

Rick Adelman won 1,042 games as an NBA coach, 10th-most in league history. Only four other coaches — Pat Riley, Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan and George Karl — coached more games and had a better winning percentage than Adelman, who took the Portland Trail Blazers to the NBA Finals twice and also was head coach in Sacramento, Houston, Minnesota and Golden State.

“Adelman will be remembered not only as a coach and a player, but also as a mentor to so many in the basketball community,” read a statement from the coaches' association, which honored Adelman with its Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2023.

“Rick Adelman’s NBA coaching career has been highlighted by innovation, integrity and excellence,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said when the NBCA presented that award three years ago. “His teams always played to their strengths, and Rick always found subtle ways to reinvent NBA basketball to help his players thrive. His quiet, unassuming nature belies his impact as one of the great NBA coaches of all time.”

Adelman also played in the NBA from 1969 through 1975 as a point guard for five different teams — but found his calling as a coach.

The Kings, in paying tribute, said Adelman “will be remembered for the way he inspired those around him — with humility, integrity, kindness, and an unwavering belief in the power of teamwork."

Adelman's path to the NBA, as a coach, was unintentional.

He thought he would become a high school coach, though his lack of experience was a deterrent. He then started his coaching career at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon.

“We had great success there,” Adelman said in his Hall of Fame enshrinement speech. “The one thing I did not realize is Jack Ramsey was following my team.”

Ramsey was coaching the Portland Trail Blazers, and invited Adelman to interview when a position opened on his staff. Adelman worked under Ramsey for three seasons and Mike Schuler for 2 1/2 more, then took over as interim coach with 35 games left in the 1988-89 season.

“We had a team that was ready to win,” Adelman said in 2021.

Blazers owner Paul Allen told Adelman he could coach the 1989-90 season. The rest is history. Portland won 59 games that season with Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, Jerome Kersey and Buck Williams leading the way, getting to the NBA Finals and falling to Detroit.

Adelman was off and running. He took the Blazers back to the NBA Finals two years later, falling then to Chicago. After his Portland era, Adelman coached two years at Golden State and then went to Sacramento — where he had eight winning seasons in an eight-year stint, with players like Vlade Divac, Peja Stojaković, Mike Bibby, Chris Webber, Jason Williams, Bobby Jackson and current Kings coach Doug Christie. And in those Sacramento years, Adelman was widely credited for running some types of offenses that the league had never seen.

“He was a brilliant strategist and teacher of the game, and an even better person,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

Adelman had 210 players appear in at least one NBA game for him.

“He actually challenged me and poured into trusting me," 20-year guard Kyle Lowry said Monday night. “That was important for me. He didn’t have to. He could have done everything else, he could have played other players, but he believed in me. ... He just trusted his players. He just wanted to win. And if it wasn't for him, I don't know what career I would have. It's a sad day.”

Among Adelman’s accomplishments: He engineered a 22-game winning streak with Houston in 2008, a run that is the fourth-longest in NBA history.

“Coach Adelman guided the Rockets with professionalism, integrity, and a deep commitment to the game,” the Rockets said in a release. “His role in leading the team during the 22-game winning streak in 2008 remains one of the most remarkable achievements in franchise history and will always be remembered by Rockets fans.”

The Blazers noted that not only did Adelman lead the team to the finals twice, but he was a player on the inaugural Portland team in 1970.

"Rick was one of the most influential figures in franchise history," the Blazers said.

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

On X, acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez confirmed the move, saying there was “nothing controversial” about it and that it came because speechwriters, who use classified material, were now occupying the space.

“The Pentagon Press Office has been redesignated as a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility due to speechwriters from the Office of the Secretary of War sharing the facility,” Valdez wrote.

“These speechwriters routinely handle classified material … as a result, journalists will no longer be permitted to enter the office space. There’s nothing controversial about that.”

The latest move, first reported by The Washington Post, took place against a backdrop of escalating tensions between the U.S. media and the second Trump administration, which has played out both in the public arena and at times in the courts.

For many years, Pentagon reporters had credentials granting them wide movement in the building as they sought to interact with press officials there. But last October, most news outlets turned in access badges and walked out of the Pentagon rather than agree to government-imposed restrictions on their work,

The New York Times sued the Defense Department on May 18 for the second time in five months, arguing that a requirement that journalists be escorted while on Pentagon grounds violates the First Amendment and is “an unconstitutional attempt by the Pentagon to prevent independent reporting on military affairs.”

The paper said it had filed the additional lawsuit after first suing the Pentagon in December over new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to challenge an interim policy “that the Pentagon hastily put into place after a federal judge ruled in The Times’s favor in its original lawsuit.” The new policy included the requirement that journalists be accompanied by escorts at all times while in the Pentagon.

The policy was implemented in March following a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman that had struck down earlier restrictions. The following month, the judge ruled that the interim policy violated his March order. But the escort policy remained in place when an appeals court stayed part of Friedman’s ruling while the government appeals. The appeals process is ongoing.

The nominal ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. has been repeatedly tested with back-and-forth attacks, though officials from both countries are still trying to negotiate an end to the war. It’s not clear how close they are to a deal — and there is always the risk that an attack could derail those talks.

Fighting has also been escalating between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, despite their nominal ceasefire, and that has increasingly threatened the emerging deal to extend the Iran war ceasefire.

On Monday afternoon U.S. President Donald Trump said Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to dial back their fighting after he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and communicated with Hezbollah through mediators. Moments later, though, Israel said it had detected missile launches from Lebanon and warned Israelis in part of northern Israel to take cover in protected spaces.

Meantime, Iran maintained its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global energy supplies and driving up the price of fuel around the world, with far-reaching consequences. A cargo ship came under attack off Iraq Monday afternoon, the British military said.

Fighting in Lebanon poses risks to Iran ceasefire

Israel has extended its occupation deep into Lebanon, and Hezbollah — which joined the war in support of its main backer, Iran — continues to launch drones into Israel.

Iran wants any agreement to include Lebanon, and its foreign ministry on Monday highlighted the rising tensions in Lebanon, saying via government media: “The responsibility of the results and consequences of this situation is on the U.S.”

In his social media post about Israel and Hezbollah scaling back their fighting, Trump added that talks with Iran “are continuing, at a rapid pace.”

In Pakistan, which has been a mediator between Washington and Tehran, a former ambassador to the U.S. said that Israel’s actions in Lebanon were complicating the diplomatic environment.

“Israel is creating a new strategic reality in its neighborhood,” Masood Khan told The Associated Press.

US military attacks Iran

The U.S. military’s Central Command said it carried out the strikes in Iran on Saturday and Sunday around the city of Geruk and on Qeshm Island, hitting air defenses, a ground control station and two attack drones it said threatened ships in the region.

“The measured and deliberate strikes occurred ... in response to aggressive Iranian actions that included the shootdown of a U.S. MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters,” Central Command said.

Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is at a trickle compared to before the war, with ship owners deterred by the risk of an Iranian attack. Only 36 ships transited the waterway in the seven days leading up to to Friday, a third of them carrying crude oil or petroleum products, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, which counts only ships big enough to carry globally significant amounts of oil or cargo. That compares to an average of more than 130 ships per day before the war began.

A fifth of all the world’s traded oil and natural gas once passed through the strait. Its closure has put pressure not only on energy supplies but on chemical fertilizer, generating fears of food shortages. The Gulf region produces 30% of globally traded chemical fertilizers.

Kuwait reports incoming fire

Kuwait said its air defenses opened fire early Monday morning to intercept incoming drone and missile fire.

Around the same time, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it responded to an American attack without saying where, likely referring to the attack on Kuwait. In a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency, the Guard said that U.S. forces had targeted a telecommunications tower.

Kuwait is home to U.S. Army Central, the Mideast forward command for the Army.

Iranian state television shared footage of the ballistic missile launch, including a close-up showing a sticker on its body depicting a bruised Trump overlaid on a “closed” Strait of Hormuz with the caption: “Until the last American soldier leaves the region.”

Central Command said U.S. forces shot down two ballistic missiles Iran launched toward bases home to American troops. No Americans were hurt, it added.

Attacks rattle ceasefire talks

Over the weekend, the U.S. fired a missile into the engine room of a Gambia-flagged cargo ship trying to break its blockade of Iranian ports.

On Monday, a cargo ship off Umm Qasr, Iraq, was struck by a projectile that caused a “large explosion,” the British military said. It offered no other details, and no one claimed the attack. Iran previously has attacked ships off Iraq.

Trump met with advisers on Friday but has yet to decide on whether to move ahead with a deal to extend the ceasefire and reopen the strait. Iran has said the deal had not been finalized.

The U.S. and Israel launched the war with strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Trump has offered shifting goals for the conflict, although preventing Iran from building a nuclear weapon is among them. Iran has insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though it has highly enriched uranium that could be made weapons-grade. Iran has enough of the material to build several nuclear weapons, should it choose to do so.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance suggested last week that negotiators were trying to strike general terms on Iran’s nuclear program, with the specifics to be hammered out in the ensuing talks.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday again accused the U.S. of “constantly” changing its positions.

“We are negotiating in an atmosphere of mistrust,” Baghaei told journalists.

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Associated Press writer Munir Ahmed in Islamabad, and Jennifer Peltz in New York, contributed to this report.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association forecasted a 55% chance of a below-normal season. Fenton, FEMA’s senior official since May 12, also served as FEMA administrator in 2021 and 2017.

Fenton said FEMA counts on nearly 20,000 staff, and on about 7,000 volunteers from Homeland Security’s surge capacity force program, if an incident exceeds FEMA’s capacity to respond.

“It’s not just FEMA, it starts with local and state government, and their capabilities ... they are really the lead for disasters,” Fenton said.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Pete Gomez, the director of the Miami-Dade Emergency Management Department, said the county is ready.

“We still have FEMA, that’s good news, and we know that yes, there has been talk about shifting some of the expenses to the state and to local communities, but we are ready and we have a very strong relationship with our state emergency management, which also does a fantastic job,” Levine Cava said.

The overall message from the NHC, the Coast Guard, and other agencies was for the public to be prepared for the possibility of a hurricane.

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A long-anticipated deal was completed Monday when the Eagles traded Brown to the AFC champion New England Patriots for two draft picks, ending the tenure of perhaps the greatest receiver in franchise history.

Also, one of the more complicated ones.

Brown's relationship with the franchise, notably Super Bowl MVP QB Jalen Hurts, soured as much as his production in 2025 and the clock ticked toward a June 1 deadline for a deal when his contract would no longer be such an albatross on the salary cap. The Eagles will save up to $133 million overall in cash.

It still stings a bit.

The Eagles can now spread $43.4 million in dead money over the 2026 and 2027 seasons.

Sounds great — along with the 2028 first-rounder and a 2027 fifth-rounder acquired from the Patriots — on paper.

On the field, the Eagles will surely miss Brown, who had 339 catches for 5,034 yards receiving with 32 touchdowns in four seasons with the franchise. Brown, who turns 29 later this month, was acquired in a trade with the Tennessee Titans during the 2022 draft and was signed to a four-year deal worth $100 million.

Brown had 106 catches for 1,456 yards receiving in 2023 after he had 88 catches for 1,496 yards in 2022 in his first season with the Eagles and was rewarded with one of the richest contracts in team history.

He agreed to a three-year contract extension in April 2024 that included $84 million in guaranteed money.

The Eagles would win the Super Bowl in the 2024 season — Brown was caught reading an inspirational self-help book on the sideline during the postseason run — but the good vibes wouldn't last much longer.

Brown is not only the Eagles' No. 1 wide receiver, he was also one of the top receivers in franchise history. He topped 1,000 yards receiving all four seasons with the Eagles — including consecutive 1,400-plus-yard seasons — and was a crucial member of two teams that played in the Super Bowl.

“It is hard to find great players in the NFL and A.J.’s a great player,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said at the end of the season.

Brown thanked the Eagles, staff and fans in a social media post and wrote, “Playing for this city has been an honor. And I'm thankful for every moment in midnight green.”

Yet, Brown was unhappy last season as the Eagles offense stagnated, leading to a change at offensive coordinator.

Brown and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni bickered on the sideline during a wild-card loss to the 49ers, forcing chief security officer Dom DiSandro to intervene. Brown ripped off his helmet in frustration and yelled more in Sirianni’s direction.

Brown had nothing to say after the game, continuing a pattern where he declined to speak to the media over the final weeks of the season.

Brown had been irked about his production — rather, his lack of it — last season and wasn't shy about voicing his need for a bigger role in the offense.

He would post cryptically on social media, including a September post that said: “If you’re not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.”

Brown is on his way to New England, where he will be reunited with coach Mike Vrabel, his former coach in Tennessee.

The Eagles signaled the end of Brown's tenure during the April draft when they selected Southern California wide receiver Makai Lemon in the first round. Lemon won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver after catching 79 passes for 1,156 yards — tops in the Power Four conferences — and 11 touchdowns for the Trojans.

Philadelphia had already added receivers Dontayvion Wicks, “Hollywood” Brown and Elijah Moore to potentially pair with No. 1 receiver DeVonta Smith.

Brown never got to meet the new guys inside the locker room after he skipped last week's voluntary organized team activities.

“For us, we’re focused on learning the offense,” Hurts said last week. “It really doesn’t change in terms of our approach to improve.”

Hurts and Brown had reported cracks in their relationship in 2024 when Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham said “ things have changed ” in their dynamic. Both players downplayed any tension, but questions lingered about their relationship all the way until last week's organized team activities.

The 51st pick overall out of Mississippi in 2019, Brown had been the best receiver drafted by the Titans since the organization moved to Tennessee in 1997. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2020 and had 185 career catches for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns before he was dealt to the Eagles for a first-rounder in the 2022 draft.

Brown hopes he can find the happiness, catches and cash in New England that he failed to find in his two previous stops.

“It’s going to be a hard time for me to say anything bad about A.J. Brown,” Eagles running back Saquon Barkley said at OTAs. “I’m a big fan of A.J. Brown, one of my really good friends, one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever been around, just respect him as a man. But this is the business.”

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

Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi finally was persuaded to sit down in Manhattan federal court as two marshals approached him at a judge's urging. One marshal put his hand on his shoulder to guide him into his seat.

Al-Saadi did not appear to be trying to be disruptive as he commented beyond his response to the charges. The charges say he conspired to provide material support to Kata’ib Hizballah, an Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militant group, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“I'm not guilty in a war situation,” Al-Saadi responded, before adding through an Arabic translator: “I'm a prisoner of war. I'm not a threat. Children and women are being killed by your rockets.”

Judge Colleen McMahon responded by saying: “The defendant will be seated please,” which prompted the marshals behind Al-Saadi to move up to where he was seated.

Both Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. have been designated by the U.S. government as foreign terrorist organizations. U.S. prosecutors say Al-Saadi was a Kata’ib Hizballah commander.

But his lawyer, Andrew Dalack, told the judge that his client worked for the Iraqi government, though he did not specify what position.

The lawyer said Al-Saadi was held at an underground Turkish prison for two weeks before he was turned over to the FBI.

“I'm sure it was unpleasant, to say the least,” the judge said.

Dalack said Al-Saadi has been held in solitary confinement at a federal lockup in Brooklyn but was hoping to communicate with a diplomatic counsel from Iraq and his mother and siblings, although he expects the U.S. government to severely limit his communications.

Last month when the charges against Al-Saadi were announced, Dalack told reporters that his client believed he was being persecuted for his relationship with Qasem Soleimani, the Revolutionary Guard leader who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2020.

Among the 18 attacks in Europe, Al-Saadi is charged in the firebombing of a bank in Amsterdam and with stabbing Jewish men in London.

Federal authorities also said in court papers that he sought to attack a New York City synagogue last month and provided an undercover law enforcement officer with photos and maps of Jewish centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, that he planned to target.

Al-Saadi is also accused of involvement in two recent attacks in Canada: an attack on a synagogue and a shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto in March. U.S. prosecutors said he directed and urged other people to attack U.S. and Israeli interests, including by killing Americans and Jews.

Al-Saadi posted about the attacks on Snapchat and Telegram and spoke about them in phone calls recorded by an FBI informant whose help he solicited in planning attacks in the U.S., according to court papers.

Platner, a Democrat, posted a video over the weekend taken by his wife, Amy Gertner, who reportedly told his campaign of the text messages last year. In the video, Gertner decried coverage of the issue as “gossip” and said “being married is hard.”

Sanders, a critical early backer of Platner, told The Associated Press on Monday that he still supports the oyster farmer and combat veteran, who hopes to unseat veteran Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

“People can't afford healthcare. Can't afford groceries. Can't afford to put gas in their cars. And I think it might be a good idea if we focused on the important issues facing the working families of Maine and this country,” Sanders said.

Pressed later by reporters on whether he still backed Platner, Sanders was unequivocal.

“Of course,” he said. “Why would I not?”

The independent senator added that he was scheduled to meet with Platner while he's in Washington this week and feels the nation should “focus on issues more important than the Platner marriage.”

During the Washington trip, which a campaign official said has been in the works for weeks, Platner is expected to meet with other senators and attend a fundraiser co-hosted by Ron Klain, the former chief of staff to President Joe Biden.

Democratic senators returned from a 10-day recess to a barrage of questions about Platner. Many who have previously backed him stood by their support, while others avoided weighing in. California Sen. Adam Schiff said he would need to “follow up to find out the scoop on that before” he could comment.

Platner is seeking the Democratic nomination for one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country as Democrats hope to defeat longtime Republican Sen. Susan Collins and regain control of the chamber. The Maine primary is June 9, and Platner's primary rival for the nomination, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, already suspended her campaign in April.

Platner is scheduled to appear in Bar Harbor Friday evening with progressive Rep. Ro Khanna of California and a pair of Democratic Maine candidates. It’s billed as a “get out the vote” rally and it’s taking place at a historic theater in the coastal resort town.

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Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press reporter Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.

Attorneys for Pino, 55, had sought to get those statements thrown out. They had also tried, unsuccessfully, to have the entire case ― centering on the death of 17-year-old Lucy Fernandez ― thrown out or moved out of Miami-Dade County.

Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez also denied another defense request to have a 12-person jury instead of a six-person jury.

Authorities said Pino, then 52, was behind the wheel of a 29-foot Robalo boat in the early evening hours of Sept. 4, 2022 when he lost control and slammed it into a channel marker near Boca Chita Key, killing Fernandez. Two other girls were seriously hurt, including 17-year-old Katerina Puig.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys continued to clash over whether Pino was impaired, including debating over empty beer bottles found on the boat. During Monday’s hearing, Pino’s attorney, Howard Srebnick, brought up testimony from Fernandez’s father.

“Mr. Fernandez testified that he himself had consumed alcohol at the sandbar, as did his spouse,” Srebnick said. “That they left the sandbar before Mr. Pino did. They left Lucy at the sandbar with Mr. Pino, and of course, would never have had Lucy go on board a vessel with Mr. Pino if he had thought that Mr. Pino was impaired and by his testimony he did not observe any impairment of Mr. Pino.”

During jury selection Monday afternoon, 100 prospective jurors filed into the courtroom.

They were asked about what they knew about the high-profile case or the people or places involved.

Pino, facing charges of both manslaughter and vessel homicide, could spend up to three decades in prison if convicted of both charges.

Según la policía de Hollywood, los agentes respondieron a la escuela, ubicada en 1901 N Federal Highway, tras una “preocupación de seguridad” y despejaron el campus mientras investigaban lo ocurrido.

La policía confirmó posteriormente que un estudiante había sido detenido y que todos los estudiantes y miembros del personal estaban a salvo.

Según un par de estudiantes de último año de la escuela que hablaron con Local 10, un compañero pasaba por seguridad pero no quiso ser cacheado y corrió hacia el interior de la escuela.

Dijeron que el campus fue puesto en cierre de emergencia mientras los agentes buscaban al estudiante.

“Vine a recoger mi toga y birrete porque soy de último año, y había policías por todos lados y yo decía, ‘¿Qué está pasando?’”, dijo Jada Harris. “Estaba justo ahí parada y el chico saltó esa reja exactamente, tratando de caminar tranquilo, pero lo agarraron. Se aseguraron de agarrarlo.”

La policía dijo que el cierre de emergencia fue levantado y que el día escolar se reanudó con normalidad.

Las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Broward emitieron el siguiente comunicado:

“Esta mañana, un estudiante corrió a través del área de detección de metales de la escuela. En respuesta, el personal activó inmediatamente el botón de pánico, lo que inició un cierre de emergencia. Los protocolos de seguridad del Distrito funcionaron según lo previsto y las autoridades respondieron con prontitud para ayudar. Agradecemos las rápidas acciones de nuestro personal y el apoyo de nuestros socios en la aplicación de la ley para garantizar la seguridad de nuestros estudiantes y empleados.”

Leer en español

The most recognizable name on the list was Steak ‘n Shake in Sunrise, which was closed after inspectors found evidence of rodent activity.

Also in Sunrise, Luv’n Oven Ale House was shut down after inspectors documented roach activity and sanitation issues.

In Miami, Mi Lindo Ecuador was ordered closed with 37 violations, the highest total on this week’s list.

Miami Cafe in Miami Beach was shut down because of a sewage backup, while Denny’s in Coral Gables was ordered closed following a complaint inspection that uncovered multiple sanitation concerns.

All of the establishments were allowed to re-open after an ordered cleanup and re-inspection. No places in the Florida Keys were ordered shut.

**STEAK N’ SHAKE

12541 WEST SUNRISE BLVD.

SUNRISE

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 5/18

3 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Approximately 8 rodent droppings around CO2 tank on left corner of dry storage area next to office away from kitchen.”

**LUV’N OVEN ALE HOUSE

10033 SUNSET STRIP

SUNRISE

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 5/19

6 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Approximately 3 live roaches around pipe under triple sinks in kitchen.”

“Dead roaches on premises. 1) 2 Dead roaches in container under continental reach in cooler in kitchen.”

“Accumulation of black mold-like substance in the interior of the ice machine.”

**MI LINDO ECUADOR

8726 NW 26TH ST.

MIAMI

ORDERED SHUT 5/27

37 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed at hand wash sink located in dish washing area 2 live roaches crawling on utensils stored inside hand sink. . Observed approximately 10 + live roaches underneath shelf of food preparation tables all around kitchen area. Observed 3 live roaches inside oven. Observed one live roach on floor behind stove. Observed approximately 10 + live roaches on wooden Dollie’s used to store boxes of to go containers located inside kitchen.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed 10 + dead roaches all around kitchen area floors under cooking equipment.”

“Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. Observed oven soiled, inside and outside, handles soiled.”

“Floor and wall junctures not coved in food ware washing areas or bathroom. Observed some areas of the kitchen missing the molding.”

“Floor not cleaned when the least amount of food is exposed. Observed floor underneath cooking equipment soiled with accumulated grease.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Shelves soiled with grease. Observed blender soiled.”

“Chlorine sanitizer used to sanitize clean in place equipment not at proper minimum strength. Do not use equipment not properly sanitized. Observed at bucket in the kitchen.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed at prep table the following items out of temperature: White rice 70 F, beef 70 F, plantain 77F.”

“Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit based upon minimum required cooking temperature. Observed in chest freezer several raw items like meat, fish, vegetables next to each other in contact.”

“Employee handled soiled equipment or utensils and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Observed employee touching different soiled surfaces in the kitchen area and did not washed hands after.”

“Handwash sink used for purposes other than handwashing. Observed at hand wash sink a tray with utensils stored inside.”

**MIAMI CAFE

1201 WASHINGTON AVE.

MIAMI BEACH

ORDERED SHUT 5/18

14 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Sewage/wastewater backing up through floor drains. Observed establishment open and serving food to the public while sewage backing up through floor drains at kitchen.”

“No currently certified food service manager on duty with four or more employees engaged in food preparation/handling.”

“No proof of required state approved employee training provided for any employees.”

**DENNY’S

1150 S. DIXIE HIGHWAY

CORAL GABLES

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 5/18

8 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Dead flying insects on premises. Observed at lobby of establishment along all windows approximately 25+ dead flying insects on window sills/ledge of interior windows. Observed at cook line hood filter system, approximately 15+ dead flying insects attached to hood system.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Observed at kitchen prep area and dry storage area behind shelves and fixed equipment. Repeat Violation.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair. Observed throughout kitchen area ceiling tiles drooping and peeling. Repeat Violation.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed at cook line soiled with grease build up. Repeat Violation.”

The five people will complete their monitoring at home after remaining symptom-free and meeting criteria for monitoring outside the quarantine unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

They are leaving Omaha about three weeks after they and the 13 other Americans arrived in Nebraska following a deadly outbreak of hantavirus on a cruise ship traveling in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Hantaviruses usually spread when people inhale contaminated residue of rodent droppings, but the hantavirus that has caused the current outbreak, called the Andes virus, may be able to spread between people in rare cases.

A total of 13 confirmed or probable hantavirus cases, including three deaths, have been linked to the ship, according to the World Health Organization.

No Andes virus cases have been confirmed in the U.S., and the risk to the public remains low, health officials said.

None of the U.S. passengers has shown any symptoms, a spokesperson for Nebraska Medicine said Monday.

Symptoms of hantavirus have taken as long as 42 days to appear in previous outbreaks, but some medical experts say most people who develop symptoms do so within 21 days.

The doctors in Omaha monitoring the passengers had said previously that they would work with each person individually to determine if it was appropriate for them to go home to finish their recommended 42-day quarantine period.

Federal officials arranged travel for the five people going home, in coordination with state and local authorities. Officials said the travel was not to be on commercial flights, with appropriate biocontainment measures in place. State health departments will continue daily symptom monitoring, maintain 24/7 oversight and provide guidance.

Two of the people returning to their homes live outside New York City, said city Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin.

One of the remaining passengers, Jake Rosmarin, posted on his blog Sunday that he plans to stay at the Omaha unit for his final three weeks of quarantine because he would have immediate access to care if he gets sick and he doesn’t want to risk unnecessarily exposing anyone else.

Rosmarin, who posts daily updates about his experience, said he’s not judging anyone who decided to go home.

“For me personally, this experience has been incredibly traumatic," Rosmarin said. “I don’t think I’ve fully processed everything yet, and right now I don’t want to leave until I know there is no risk of me getting sick or putting my family, friends, or the general public at risk.”

Not everyone quarantined in Nebraska has been happy about it. About a week after the 18 arrived, U.S. health officials issued quarantine orders forcing two passengers who wanted to leave to stay there.

___

Stobbe reported from New York.

___

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.

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In 2019, the Cuban government amended their constitution to allow foreign investment. However, they did not change their laws to protect the investments.

Therefore, the risks to invest in Cuba remain greater than the opportunities.

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.

Renegade drew post position No. 4 and is set to be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. The Todd Pletcher-trained horse is coming off finishing second by a neck in the Derby to Cherie DeVaux-trained Golden Tempo, who opened as the 9-2 third choice. Golden Tempo will start on the outside Saturday after drawing the No. 9 post in the nine-horse field.

DeVaux made history as the first woman to train a Derby winner. She returns to Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, where she was born and spent some of her early career looking to win two Triple Crown races in the same year.

Golden Tempo, with Jose Ortiz set to be aboard, is running for the first time after DeVaux and owners decided not to run him in the Preakness Stakes.

“The field can go out ahead of him, and he’ll just find himself in the back of the pack early in the race,” DeVaux said.

Bill Mott’s Chief Wallabee was the second choice at 3-1 after being fourth in the Derby and will start the race out of the No. 3 post. Mott won the Derby and the Belmont with Sovereignty last year. Jockey Junior Alvarado will look to bring Mott another Belmont win.

“Our horse seems to be doing well,” Mott said. “He doesn’t seem to have taken a step backwards since the Derby. It seems like he’s been on an upwards progression.”

The rematch of Golden Tempo and Renegade highlights the third and final Belmont at Saratoga. It has taken place at the historic track in upstate New York while Belmont Park is undergoing a full reconstruction.

New York-based trainer Chad Brown has the most horses entered in the race, headlined by Derby 10th-place finisher Emerging Market, who opened at 6-1 with Flavien Prat lined up to ride. Brown, who has never won the Belmont, also has Ottinho (20-1) and Growth Equity (12-1).

“He hasn’t taken a step back from the Derby,” Brown said on Emerging Market. “It was kind of a rough race for him. He came out of there in one piece, and we got him up here a few days after and he’s been doing really well.”

The rest of the nine-horse field includes Brad Cox’s Commandment (6-1), Doug O’Neill’s longshot Vitruvian Man (30-1), and Pletcher’s second horse, Powershift (12-1).

This year’s field doesn’t include any horses that ran in the Preakness, including winner Napoleon Solo.

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AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing

Cepeda, aliado del presidente Gustavo Petro, cuestionó el lunes a su contrincante por usar la camiseta de la Selección Colombia durante su campaña electoral, un gesto que fue replicado por muchos de sus simpatizantes que la vistieron durante la primera vuelta electoral celebrada la víspera.

“Ahora se roba la camiseta de la Selección Colombia”, dijo Cepeda a la prensa. “De cuándo acá la Selección Colombia es patrimonio del señor De la Espriella... nos pertenece a todos”, agregó.

De la Espriella, su esposa y sus hijos usaron la camiseta amarilla en el evento en el que recibieron los resultados en los que obtuvo el 43,74% de los votos frente al 40,90% de Cepeda, según el conteo preliminar e informativo de la Registraduría.

“Colombia, aquí está tu tigre que ruge y que muerde”, gritó De la Espriella, quien resaltaba de amarillo desde una cabina antibalas ubicada en una plataforma sobre el río Magdalena. Sus simpatizantes, muchos vestidos con la camiseta de la selección y ondeando banderas de Colombia, lo vitoreaban desde el malecón de la ciudad de Barranquilla en el norte del país.

De la Espriella, simpatizante del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump y del mandatario salvadoreño Nayib Bukele, no respondió sobre el uso de la prenda.

La polémica se da en la recta final del balotaje y del Mundial de Estados Unidos, México y Canadá que comenzará el 11 de junio y despierta especial fervor en la afición de la Tricolor.

“Su uso con fines electorales, particulares e ideológicos es un acto claramente oportunista, cuyos efectos jurídicos se deben examinar. Más aún cuando estamos a pocos días del inicio de la Copa Mundial de Fútbol”, advirtió Cepeda en la red social X.

El uso de este tipo de prenda también fue polémico en 2020, cuando pasó a ser un símbolo del entonces presidente de Brasil Jair Bolsonaro dividiendo opiniones en ese país. Aun el año pasado, personas vestidas con la camiseta amarilla y verde de la selección nacional salieron a las calles a defenderlo en una causa por intento de un golpe de Estado, por la cual fue condenado.

Carlos Arias Orjuela, consultor en comunicación política, explicó a The Associated Press que la camiseta de la selección ha reemplazado en parte el uso de la bandera como símbolo patrio en Colombia. Significa el “orgullo, dignidad y patriotismo” con los que "se arropa el candidato cuando la usa”.

El analista aseguró que las camisetas de la selección no han sido sólo usadas por “políticos de derecha" y al respecto dijo que "hay videos en los que el mismo Petro usó la camiseta como símbolo en la campaña electoral”.

La Federación Colombiana de Fútbol aclaró el lunes en un comunicado que no es distribuidora de esa camiseta, por lo que no tiene facultad legal para limitar el uso de una prenda de vestir que cualquiera puede comprar.

Al tiempo, lamentó que la camiseta, como símbolo de deporte y trabajo en equipo, “sea malinterpretada o sea objeto de controversias ajenas a la gloria deportiva”.

Arias no considera que los colombianos vayan a abstenerse masivamente de usar la camiseta justo durante el Mundial, aunque en el imaginario colectivo pueda ser asociada al candidato conservador.

———

El periodista Manuel Rueda contribuyó a este reporte.

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Capt. Maximo Vazquez had been arrested last year after he was accused of attacking a colleague in June and calling 911 to report his wife had vanished.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Vazquez, 43, shortly before 8:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Vazquez, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, walked out of his home “with a hammer,” approached his wife, who was in a parked 2026 dark gray Tesla sedan, and “threatened” to smash all of the windows, according to a deputy’s arrest report.

Vazquez placed several metal screws under the car’s tires, and when his wife got out of the car, he “grabbed” and “twisted her wrists, took her cell phones, and disabled the car’s start-up mechanism, according to the deputy’s arrest report.

Vazquez “continued drinking alcohol inside the residence, aggressively grabbed both of her arms, placed them against her chest, and pushed her ... began to slap her in the face ... butt headed [her], and proceeded to strike [her] in the head with his personal cellular phone ... proceeded to rip-off [her] clothing ... grabbed her by the hair,” a deputy wrote, according to the arrest report.

Someone called 911 anonymously, and when deputies responded to the house, the woman denied the domestic violence and said she did not need help, according to a deputy’s arrest report.

The woman left her home and went to the emergency room at the Jackson South Medical Center after suffering “a major headache,” according to deputies, who responded to the hospital.

“We have not been in contact with the individual. Once contact is established, the department will initiate a thorough internal investigation in accordance with our policies and procedures,” a Miami Fire Rescue Department spokesperson wrote in a statement.

Vazquez faced new charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery, strong-arm robbery, and false imprisonment.

Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Michelle Ashby Delancy was set to preside over the new case.

Local 10 News Assignment Editors Carson Merlo and Mariana Ortiz contributed to this report.

Inmate record

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Deputies took Victor Boyd, 43, of Deerfield Beach, into custody early Saturday morning after the shooting, which occurred at the Citgo at 598 NW 15th St. in Pompano Beach.

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the scene around 1:21 a.m. after receiving reports of a shooting.

First responders said they arrived to find the victim, a 45-year-old man, suffering from gunshot wounds to the ear and the shoulder.

While being treated by rescue crews at the scene, deputies asked the victim who shot him, to which he replied, “It was Vic. He lives off (Sixth) and 15th,” while adding that he was driving an orange Buick, according to an arrest form.

Moments later, deputies said a witness at the scene told them, “that it was Vic in the orange Buick,” while adding that the suspect frequented the area to sell drugs.

Surveillance footage from the gas station showed the victim and several other people gathered around the gas pumps, which is when deputies said the suspect pulled a handgun from his pocket and fired two shots at the victim before calmly walking away, deputies said.

After relaying the suspect information across BSO’s radio channels, another deputy advised that he was familiar with the suspect and that he had seen Boyd, whom the deputy described as “well-known” to him, at the gas station a little less than 20 minutes before the shooting occurred.

A helicopter unit was dispatched and located the orange Buick soon after, and deputies said the unit captured video footage of Boyd getting out of the car and throwing an object believed to be a gun into a nearby canal in the area of the 7000 block of Northwest First Street in Margate.

According to BSO, it took less than 20 minutes after the initial dispatch call for deputies to take Boyd into custody.

Deputies also noted in an official arrest form that Boyd was wearing the same clothes seen by the person who opened fire in the surveillance footage from the gas station.

Boyd is now facing charges of premeditated attempted murder and possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon.

State records show Boyd has multiple convictions for selling and possessing drugs.

As of Monday afternoon, he was being held at the Broward Main Jail on no bond.