The Cuban government has realized that efforts to attract investment from U.S. and Cuban-American businesses have largely failed because of the many sanctions imposed by the United States and the fact that the risks still outweigh the opportunities.

However, the Cuban government is trying very hard to attract companies from around the world to take over many operations and businesses in Cuba. With many European hoteliers and other companies having recently left Cuba, it will still be a challenge to attract new investors.

One thing these companies should keep in mind before starting operations in Cuba is that they could be operating in properties that were confiscated by the Cuban government in the early 1960s. They could potentially face legal challenges in the future as a result.

For American companies alone, there are 5,913 businesses and properties that were confiscated and registered with the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Aug. 13: Fidel Castro’s 100th birthday prompts reflection on his legacy in Cuba

Thursday marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Fidel Castro, a man whose narcissistic personality took control of Cuba after overthrowing Fulgencio Batista on Jan. 1, 1959. He made promises to the Cuban people that he later betrayed for his own selfish ambitions and thirst for power.

At his trial on Oct. 16, 1953, following the failed attack on the Moncada military barracks in Santiago de Cuba, he famously said, “History will absolve me.”

In the end, history will judge him as a ruthless dictator who destroyed Cuba, impoverished its people and inflicted tremendous suffering on an entire nation.

Aug. 12: Cuba poses a tough foreign policy challenge for Rubio

“Who is on first, what is on second, I don’t know is on third.”

The famous comedy routine by Abbott and Costello can be compared to the Trump administration’s foreign policy strategies these days. Diplomatic negotiations are complex and complicated, especially when dealing with countries, governments, and individuals with whom the United States has not had good relationships.

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Reliable sources tell me there are tremendous differences between the staffs at the White House and the Department of State over how to handle negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, Israel-Gaza, Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba. It does not help when those negotiating on behalf of the United States have limited to no diplomatic experience.

For now, let’s stay within the area of expertise: Cuba. While President Trump thinks Cuba can be resolved in two months, Secretary of State Marco Rubio knows very well, as does his senior staff, that negotiating with Cuba is not easy.

The Cuban government is willing to continue introducing cosmetic changes to its moribund economy without relinquishing political control. The United States can continue to sanction everyone on the island, and the Cuban government could not care less. All the while, the people of Cuba continue to suffer tremendous hardships. Yet the people are unlikely to turn against the government. The consequence of doing so can mean spending years in jail.

Meanwhile, in Miami, the guessing game continues over who will replace Raúl Castro when he dies, along with preparations for possible transition plans for Cuba. A transition to a democratic system of government in Cuba will take time. A civil society cannot be built overnight. It is also important to remember that Cuba did not have a democratic government before 1959.

For Rubio, expectations from the Cuban American community are high. Yet most in the community understand that it will not be easy to get the Cuban government to make political changes short of a U.S. military invasion. However, Rubio needs a win, especially if he is considering another presidential run. The failures of the Trump administration’s foreign policies around the world could affect Rubio’s future presidential campaign.

So, what will be Rubio’s next step on Cuba? The clock is ticking.

Aug. 10: Will the cat catch the mouse this time?

While U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio continues to put pressure on the Cuban government to change, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel went on Cuban television this past weekend and announced to the Cuban people that the government was making major “transformational changes” to the economy.

Díaz-Canel also told the Cuban people that it would take time and patience -- two things the Cuban people do not have anymore. Díaz-Canel went on to say that the benefits of these changes will begin to show by 2029.

Sources in Washington, D.C. have told me that the Trump administration is looking to see if there is someone in the Cuban government, like Delcy Rodriguez in Venezuela, to hand over Raul Castro or even take over the current government and be willing to negotiate with the U.S.

The Miami Herald reported this weekend that General Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas, currently the Cuban Minister of the Interior, may be acceptable to the U.S. General Casas is considered a hardliner and therefore unlikely to break with the Cuban leadership.

As I have said before, the case of Venezuela is quite different than Cuba. While Raul Castro is alive, I believe the Cuban government will continue in power and make promises to the Cuban people they cannot keep.

Aug. 8: Cuban opposition leader says Cuba’s transformation must include those on the island

According to Cuban opposition leader Jose Daniel Ferrer, any plans to transform Cuba must include Cubans on the island.

But do Cubans on the island have the capacity and capabilities to participate in such a process? After living for almost 68 years under a totalitarian system that has shaped the population’s personal values and attitudes, it could take time not only to change it but, more importantly, to sustain those changes.

Democracies are not built in one day. It will take time and patience. Let’s also remember that before the Cuban Revolution, Cuba had a dictatorship under Batista.

Aug 6: US announces new set of economic sanctions against Cuba; 2 of Cuba’s top generals also sanctioned

The U.S. State Department announced a new set of economic sanctions against Cuba on Thursday. At the same time, two of Cuba’s top generals were also sanctioned, Alvaro Lopez Miera, Minister of Defense; and General Roberto Sotolongo, head of the armed forces.

Aug. 5: CIA Task Force on Cuba created, per report

The New York Times has reported the creation of a CIA Task Force on Cuba with the purpose of putting additional pressure on the Cuban government to make political and economic changes to their system.

This news will probably be received by Cuba as an additional threat by the U.S.

Aug. 5: Cuban president confirms ongoing conservations between Havana, US

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel confirmed today that there are ongoing conversations between Havana and DC for the purpose of avoiding a military confrontation and trying to find solutions to the issues between both nations.

The Cuban government understands that they are running out of options and most likely will need to reach an agreement with the U.S. Will it include regime change?

Aug. 3 update: Rubio speaks about Cuba’s ongoing espionage activities in the US

This past weekend, in an interview with Fox News, U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio spoke about Cuba’s ongoing espionage activities in the U.S.

Rubio went on to say that Cuban spies continue to infiltrate the U.S. government, financial institutions, organizations, and academic institutions. Rubio claimed that Cuba continues to be a national security threat to the U.S.

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.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Hawaii County and the Big Island in anticipation of hurricane conditions (winds of 74 mph or higher), while Maui County – including the islands of Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Kahoʻolawe – is under a tropical storm watch for the possibility of tropical storm winds (winds of 39 mph or higher) as Lala passes to the south.

A rare direct hurricane threat for the Big Island

While the 50^th state is no stranger to brushes from tropical storms and hurricanes, only 2 hurricanes on record (since 1949) – Category 4 Iniki in 1992 and Category 1 Dot in 1959 – have passed directly over any of the main Hawaiian Islands (both struck Kauaʻi in the north).

Only three other tropical storms on record have passed directly over the state – Iselle in 2014 and Darby in 2016 (both striking the Big Island) and Olivia in 2018, the only named storm on record to pass directly over Maui and Lanai.

If Lala’s center crosses the Big Island as a hurricane, it would be the first hurricane on record to cross the island.

Even tropical storms and hurricanes that haven’t struck Hawai’i square on have caused major problems over the years, especially from terrain-enhanced rainfall caused by strong winds forced up the archipelago’s dramatic mountain slopes.

Hurricane Lane in August 2018, whose center passed 150 miles west of the Big Island, dropped an astounding 58 inches of rainfall over eastern parts of the Big Island northwest of Hilo. This is the second-highest rainfall total ever observed from a tropical cyclone in the United States, only eclipsed by Hurricane Harvey the previous August and September (2017), which dumped over 60 inches of rain in the Houston-Beaumont region of southeastern Texas.

What’s in store for Hawai’i from Lala

The most serious inland hazard from Lala will be heavy rainfall, which could top two feet across the Big Island, leading to life-threatening flooding and mudslides, particularly in areas of steep terrain.

While up to 8 inches of rain are possible across the other main islands this weekend, the Big Island and Maui will see the lion’s share of the heavy rainfall, with widespread 8- to 12-inch totals and isolated totals exceeding 20 inches on their wetter windward sides where steep slopes face east toward the prevailing winds.

Meanwhile, hurricane conditions (winds of 74 mph or stronger) are expected by early Saturday across the Big Island, with tropical storm conditions (winds of 39-73 mph) spreading into Maui County – including Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi, Kahoʻolawe – by later Saturday local time. Winds at the top of east-facing mountain slopes could be up to 30% stronger than what’s reflected by the National Hurricane’s Center forecast, which estimates only surface winds (for example 75 mph winds at the surface could be as high as 100 mph at elevation).

Additionally, treacherous surf and marine conditions, with large and breaking waves reaching 15 feet or larger, are forecast through the weekend along east-facing shores in Hawai’i.

Seas will stay elevated into early next week, but conditions will generally improve across the island archipelago by Monday as Lala pull away.

Lukewarm Atlantic walks it back

Forecast models continue to walk back their initial interest in two systems we’ve been tracking over the deep tropical Atlantic designated Invest 92L and Invest 94L.

Invest 92L – the westernmost disturbance now located only about 350 miles east of the easternmost Caribbean islands – which had an 80% chance of development only yesterday and was on the brink of becoming the Atlantic’s next named storm faltered on Thursday as it ran into a staunch wall of El-Niño-induced wind shear. NHC quickly peeled back its development odds from 80% Thursday morning to a paltry 20% by Friday morning.

Though it could bring periods of heavy rain and squally weather as it passes through the islands this weekend, 92L’s development odds look to be kaput beyond today as it heads directly into the teeth of the highest ribbon of wind shear ahead.

The disturbance to 92L’s east – designated Invest 94L – was similarly struggling early Friday. A dry and stable environment is limiting thunderstorm organization and this still has some work to do before it clears the formation hurdle.

As we discussed in previous newsletters, this one will outlast 92L but it’s left to be seen if it can muster up enough organization to become a tropical depression or named storm by this weekend or early next week.

In general, models have continued to trend away from development with 94L and our two better-performing modeling systems – the Euro and Google’s DeepMind – have pared back their odds considerably.

We’ll monitor the trends for the northeastern islands of the Caribbean for later next week as 94L or what forms from it will track near or north of the islands. For now, however, our guidance doesn’t suggest a significant threat for the islands next week.

La policía de Wilton Manors dijo que los agentes fueron llamados a Manor Grove Apartments por un robo a mano armada.

La situación se intensificó cuando la persona de interés se negó a salir de su unidad.

Vecinos dijeron que observaron mientras agentes de la policía de Wilton Manors y Fort Lauderdale rodeaban el edificio.

“He vivido aquí unos 8 años. Fue bastante angustiante verlo, sin duda”, dijo un vecino.

Alex Dorsey, un vecino, dijo que un trabajador de Amazon había llegado para entregar un paquete y tomarle una foto antes de recoger nuevamente el paquete.

“El trabajador de Amazon vino a entregar un paquete”, dijo Dorsey. “Tomó una foto del paquete y luego procedió a recogerlo inmediatamente después. Al vecino no le gustó, esto es Florida, salió con un arma, ya sabes”.

Otro vecino, Paul Baker, compartió un video de un hombre que dijo era su vecino. En un clip, se puede ver a un hombre caminando afuera con un arma de fuego en la mano. Más tarde, se puede escuchar a la policía diciéndole que se rindiera pacíficamente.

Baker dijo que estaba sorprendido por lo ocurrido.

“No podía creerlo. Es un tipo muy amable. Siempre ha sido muy amigable conmigo”, dijo Baker.

La policía arrestó al hombre y lo acusó de agresión agravada con un arma de fuego.

“Me alegra que todo se haya resuelto”, dijo Yarden Ben-David, productor ejecutivo de WPLG.

Karyne David, who resides in the county’s West Little River neighborhood, was arrested Monday by the Miami Gardens Police Department following the overnight incident, according to an arrest report.

Jail records show he is facing two counts each of attempted premeditated murder with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a firearm and shooting or throwing a deadly missile.

Polic said the incident began with a domestic violence-related shooting reported Sunday night at a Miami Gardens home, where multiple rounds were fired into the occupied residence.

The arrest report details allegations involving David’s ex-girlfriend, who told investigators the couple had been dating for about a year before their relationship ended in April following “infidelity” issues.

According to the report, the woman said David continued contacting her from different phone numbers after their breakup, making threats and showing up unannounced at her home. She also told investigators that her car had been vandalized several times since June and that she believed David was responsible.

The woman provided investigators with messages between her and David from her cellphone, the report states.

Police said one of those messages from David to his ex-girlfriend stated, “Next time it will be worse so don’t be outside.”

Investigators said they also interviewed two people who were inside the home during the shooting. They said David’s ex-girlfriend told police that she was asleep in her mother’s room because she was already afraid following an earlier shooting at the home that night.

A second person inside the home told police she heard loud sounds striking the residence and attempted to look outside to determine what was happening, according to the report.

As part of the investigation, a MGPD Special Victims Unit detective was conducting surveillance in the area at about 4:15 a.m. Monday, the report states.

The responding detective told investigators he saw a Black Honda Accord parked near the home and later observed David standing in the roadway with a rifle, police said.

The detective told investigators he saw David shoulder the rifle, followed by a muzzle flash and several gunshots. Police said the detective then returned fire.

David then got into the Honda Accord and fled, prompting a pursuit involving the detective and other Miami Gardens officers, police said.

According to the report, the detective and other officers pursued the vehicle, which came to a stop near Northwest 107th Street and 17th Avenue in Opa-locka, where officers took David into custody.

After David’s arrest, a Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit searched the area and located a Century Arms Draco rifle in the grass near where David was taken into custody, the report states.

Authorities said further testing determined the rifle was a match to shell casings recovered from both the Aug. 9 shooting and the shooting at the home.

Police said David was arrested and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

As of Friday morning, David remained in custody at TGK with his bond listed as “to be set.”

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is investigating the shooting involving the Miami Gardens detective. No officers or detectives were injured during the shooting and subsequent pursuit, authorities said.

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Angeline Jean Elliott said she was in bed watching TV last week when she suddenly heard a “puff.”

She soon felt pain and heat in her left leg. Then she saw the blood.

Elliott had been shot, but she had no idea how the bullet got into her bedroom.

According to police, her neighbor was cleaning rust off a gun when it accidentally discharged. The bullet first went through a wall before entering Elliott’s home.

The bullet then struck a metal bedpost, slowing it down before eventually hitting Elliott in the leg.

Elliott underwent surgery Tuesday to remove the bullet.

Her neighbor ran over to help her after the shooting. Police classified the incident as an accidental shooting, and no charges were filed.

“I felt bad for him because he was crying,” Elliott said. “According to me, I thought that it wasn’t intentional.”

Elliott, who is a nurse, said she is grateful to be alive.

“Thank you, God and praise him, you know, forever,” she said.

Looking at the path the bullet took, Elliott said she considers herself lucky.

Angeline Jean Elliott dijo que estaba en la cama viendo televisión la semana pasada cuando de repente escuchó un “soplo”.

Pronto sintió dolor y calor en su pierna izquierda. Luego vio la sangre.

Elliott había recibido un disparo, pero no tenía idea de cómo la bala había entrado en su habitación.

Según la policía, su vecino estaba limpiando el óxido de un arma cuando esta se disparó accidentalmente. La bala primero atravesó una pared antes de entrar a la casa de Elliott.

La bala luego golpeó el poste metálico de la cama, lo que redujo su velocidad antes de finalmente impactar a Elliott en la pierna.

Elliott fue sometida a una cirugía el martes para retirar la bala.

Su vecino corrió a ayudarla después de la balacera. La policía clasificó el incidente como una balacera accidental y no se presentaron cargos.

“Me sentí mal por él porque estaba llorando”, dijo Elliott. “Según yo, pensé que no fue intencional”.

Elliott, quien es enfermera, dijo que está agradecida de estar viva.

“Gracias a Dios y alabado sea Él, ya sabes, por siempre”, dijo.

Al observar la trayectoria que tomó la bala, Elliott dijo que se considera afortunada.

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Attorney General James Uthmeier released a court-ordered rewrite Thursday, 10 days after Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank ruled that the original title and summary were biased, misleading and inaccurate.

First reported by the Tampa Bay Times, the new title, “Increased Homestead Exemption; Lower Cap on Increases in Non-Homestead Property Assessments,” replaces “Save Our Homes From Excessive Property Taxes,” which Frank called more of a political slogan than a neutral description.

The rewrite also removes claims that the amendment “benefits” taxpayers, “protects small businesses,” “ensures” core services and guarantees “fairness” for Florida residents.

Instead, it spells out the mechanics.

The measure would raise the homestead exemption for non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, with inflation adjustments after that. The old language only mentioned the $250,000 exemption, even though it would not take effect until the second year.

The rewrite also makes clear there is no required schedule to eliminate non-school homestead property taxes. Lawmakers would instead create a process allowing local governments to raise the exemption further, potentially up to a home’s full assessed value.

It also says the annual assessment-growth cap would drop from 10% to 5% for all non-homestead property, including rentals, vacation homes and commercial buildings, not just small businesses.

New Florida residents would receive the existing exemption after qualifying for homestead, but would not receive the larger exemption until their fifth year of claiming it.

Former Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes, a plaintiff in one of the consolidated challenges, welcomed the rewrite.

“Finally, the practicing attorneys took control of the language,” Brandes said in a text. “The text is honest about what the amendment does. I hope Florida voters will dig deeper, ask hard questions, and understand the consequences before they decide the outcome.”

Opponents say the clearer language does not fix what they consider a flawed proposal.

“The revised ballot language in response to the court’s ruling more accurately represents the underlying policy for voters,” Florida Policy Institute CEO Sadaf Knight said. “However, the amendment’s harmful potential impacts remain the same.”

State analysts estimate the measure would eventually reduce recurring local property-tax revenue by nearly $12 billion annually. Opponents warn that could mean service cuts or higher taxes and fees elsewhere.

“The language on voters’ ballots may have changed, but Amendment 3 is still a scam and a tax shift,” said Jackson Peel, communications director for Save Our Services–No on 3.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, who pushed the proposal, argues homeowners need relief from rapidly rising local property-tax collections and local governments can rein in spending.

Amendment 3 needs at least 60% support to pass in November. If approved, it would take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

You can read the full amendment below:

Reportada primero por el Tampa Bay Times, la nuevo título, “Aumento de la exención de vivienda; menor límite a los aumentos en las tasaciones de propiedades sin vivienda”, reemplaza a “Salvemos nuestros hogares de los impuestos excesivos a la propiedad”, que Frank calificó más como un eslogan político que como una descripción neutral.

La nueva versión también elimina las afirmaciones de que la enmienda “beneficia” a los contribuyentes, “protege a las pequeñas empresas”, “garantiza” los servicios esenciales y garantiza la “equidad” para los residentes de Florida.

En cambio, detalla cómo funcionaría.

La medida elevaría la exención de vivienda para los impuestos que no son escolares a $150,000 USD en 2027 y a $250,000 USD en 2028, con ajustes por inflación después de eso. El texto anterior solo mencionaba la exención de $250,000 USD, aunque esta no entraría en vigor hasta el segundo año.

La nueva versión también deja claro que no existe un calendario obligatorio para eliminar los impuestos a la propiedad de viviendas que no sean escolares. En su lugar, los legisladores crearían un proceso que permitiría a los gobiernos locales aumentar aún más la exención, potencialmente hasta el valor total tasado de una vivienda.

También señala que el límite anual al crecimiento de las tasaciones bajaría del 10% al 5% para todas las propiedades que no sean viviendas, incluidos alquileres, casas de vacaciones y edificios comerciales, no solo pequeñas empresas.

Los nuevos residentes de Florida recibirían la exención existente después de calificar para la exención de vivienda, pero no recibirían la exención mayor hasta su quinto año de solicitarla.

El ex senador estatal republicano Jeff Brandes, uno de los demandantes en uno de los desafíos consolidados, recibió con beneplácito la nueva versión.

“Finalmente, los abogados en ejercicio tomaron el control del lenguaje”, dijo Brandes en un mensaje de texto. “El texto es honesto sobre lo que hace la enmienda. Espero que los votantes de Florida profundicen, hagan preguntas difíciles y entiendan las consecuencias antes de decidir el resultado”.

Los opositores dicen que un lenguaje más claro no soluciona lo que consideran una propuesta defectuosa.

“El lenguaje revisado de la boleta electoral, en respuesta al fallo de la corte, representa con mayor precisión la política subyacente para los votantes”, dijo Sadaf Knight, directora ejecutiva del Florida Policy Institute. “Sin embargo, los posibles impactos perjudiciales de la enmienda siguen siendo los mismos”.

Analistas estatales estiman que la medida eventualmente reduciría los ingresos recurrentes por impuestos locales a la propiedad en casi $12,000 millones USD anuales. Los opositores advierten que eso podría significar recortes en los servicios o impuestos y tarifas más altos en otros lugares.

“El lenguaje en las boletas de los votantes puede haber cambiado, pero la Enmienda 3 sigue siendo una estafa y un traslado de impuestos”, dijo Jackson Peel, director de comunicaciones de Save Our Services–No on 3.

El gobernador Ron DeSantis, quien impulsó la propuesta, sostiene que los propietarios necesitan alivio ante el rápido aumento de la recaudación de impuestos locales a la propiedad y que los gobiernos locales pueden controlar el gasto.

La Enmienda 3 necesita al menos 60% de apoyo para ser aprobada en noviembre. Si es aprobada, entraría en vigor el 1 de enero de 2027.

Puedes leer la enmienda completa a continuación:

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• Roedores roen repollo, cucarachas caminan sobre mesas de preparación de alimentos; ordenan cerrar 13 negocios
• Courtney Clenney se declara culpable de homicidio involuntario por matar a su novio en 2022
• Arrestan a ex profesor de Miami Dade College acusado de llevar a una menor de Jacksonville a hotel en el condado Flagler
• Cuatro republicanos compiten en las primarias por el escaño de Florida en el Senado de EE. UU.
• El complejo de Spirit Airlines en Dania Beach se vende por más de 93 millones de dólares
• Joven de 17 años enfrenta cargos como adulto intento de asesinato en Berry Farms y robo a mano armada en los baños: MDSO
• ¡Un restaurante, 63 infracciones! No creerás lo que encontraron durante la inspección
• Jugador de Illinois gana $1,040 millones en Powerball; boleto vendido en Florida obtiene $1 millón

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• Atlantic looks to break its silence this week
• Miami fraudster flew to Phoenix to scam seniors, authorities say
• Rodents gnaw cabbage, roaches crawl on food prep tables; 13 businesses ordered shut
• Courtney Clenney pleads guilty to manslaughter for killing boyfriend in 2022
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• 4 Republicans running in primary for Florida’s U.S. Senate seat
• Spirit Airlines’ Dania Beach campus sells for over $93 million
• Boy, 17, faces adult charges for Berry Farms attempted murders, armed bathroom robberies: MDSO
• 1 restaurant! 63 violations! You won’t believe this inspection!
• Illinois player wins $1.04 billion Powerball jackpot; Florida player wins $1 million

Even as the army took positions around him and the homes of two other families that settlers had blockaded for most of this week, the settlers remained close enough that Abu Rida feared they would again return after the army left and try to take over the home owned by his Palestinian American brother in Ohio.

“I just don’t know when this will end,” he said.

The standoff in Qusra entered a new stage Friday as activists marched toward the besieged homes to try and replenish the families' food and water supply. But Abu Rida said he was growing tired of the pattern, with Israeli forces removing the settlers, only for them to return and reestablish their positions after the troops withdrew.

“It’s like a kids’ game, like cat and mouse,” Ziv Stahl, the executive director of the Israeli rights group Yesh Din, said. “It’s clearly not a matter of capability but a matter of will.”

The siege of the homes is the latest episode in a wave of settler violence convulsing the occupied West Bank, which Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war and which would make up the main part of a future Palestinian state. Israel's military said the village — roughly 10 miles (16 kilometers) from the Palestinian city of Nablus — was a closed military zone.

They did not answer questions about the presence of the settlers. Both Israel’s military and Israel’s police both referred questions arrests in Qusra to the other.

The West Bank has become more dangerous for Palestinians as Israel, under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has approved more than 100 new settlements. Extremist settlers routinely enter Palestinian towns, clashing with villagers, burning homes, mosques and cars.

Netanyahu is courting blocs of ultranationalist voters ahead of what’s expected to be a difficult reelection campaign in October. He and members of his cabinet have largely dismissed concerns about settler violence as overblown and attributed it to fringe groups of a few hundred youths. Yet rights groups and Palestinians say the government's policies have made it more difficult to restrain settlers, who are rarely punished for attacks.

Qusra siege reflects broader violence

The standoff in Qusra began on Sunday when dozens of settlers arrived and blocked the doors to the three houses, preventing occupants from leaving, according to the families inside.

Israeli troops intervened multiple times and arrived in large numbers Thursday.

Abu Rida and his teenage son were temporarily moved by the army on Thursday but allowed to return hours later. He told his brother in Ohio that he planned on staying to defend the home.

For many, the scene unfolding in Qusra — now in its sixth day — reflected broader failures by Israeli authorities to curb the violence in the West Bank.

Itamar Weil, an Israeli human rights activist from the group Bnei Avraham, said the army had threatened to use tear gas against the activists and forced them to leave, even as settlers remained in the valley below Qusra.

“The army used to prevent settlers from carrying out this kind of violence,” he said. “Now, with a government that fully supports them, they’re not doing their job. They should be protecting both sides from violence, but instead they’re removing activists while barely doing anything about the settlers.”

Palestinian officials have reported 1,476 attacks by Israeli settlers in 2026, including several earlier instances in which settlers staged takeovers of Palestinian homes on the outskirts of other West Bank towns.

A total of 87 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers in the West Bank this year, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Health Ministry. Israel says some were involved in terrorism, which it defines broadly to include militancy and rock-throwing. Three Israelis were killed by Palestinians, including two in a July clash during which four Palestinians were also killed.

Katz strips army of enforcement power against settlers

Before calm was restored in Qusra, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Friday that he would transfer all enforcement powers against Israeli civilians in the West Bank from the army to Israel’s police.

“The (Israeli military’s) role is to fight Palestinian terrorism, focus on protecting the borders and settlements against threats, deal with the borders and the territory itself and security threats to the settlements and the State of Israel, and not chase after boys on the hills,” Katz said in a statement.

Historically, the army has been able to arrest Palestinians and bring those accused of crimes before military courts. But when it comes to Israeli civilians, in most circumstances it can only use temporary detention for those suspected of crimes, leaving arrests, investigations and prosecutions to police and civilian courts.

Katz’s move comes after he ended the use of administrative detention against Israeli civilians in November 2024. The military had used the policy as a tool to contain settler violence, allowing it to detain suspects without charge and remove them from the West Bank.

Much like with that move, rights groups said transferring all powers to the police was unlikely to restore order or ensure Palestinian safety.

Some 2.8 million Palestinians live under Israeli military rule in the West Bank alongside more than 560,000 Israeli civilians who live in settlements that the international community largely considers illegal and an obstacle to peace.

Though the Palestinian Authority exercises limited autonomy and policing power in the territory’s largest cities, agreements that date back to the 1990s give Israel security control over large swaths of the territory, including agricultural areas and communities such as Qusra.

Stahl, Yesh Din's executive director, said Katz's announcement wouldn't change or help stem the violence because police will still require army escorts to operate in Palestinian areas.

“Unless (Katz) means he’s going to apply Israeli law and have the police control the West Bank, the military is still the main body in charge,” she said.

Earlier this month, The Associated Press highlighted Maisa Lopes Eliaser as one of dozens of spouses or parents of U.S. troops who had been detained after President Donald Trump’s administration rolled back protections for military families amid its push for mass deportations. Following the AP’s reporting, a group of Congressional Democrats launched an investigation into deportations of military service members and their families.

Eliaser was placed on a deportation flight Wednesday to her native Brazil when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers on the plane received a phone call about her mid-flight, she told the AP. She said she was then asked by an ICE officer whether she wanted to continue on to Brazil or go back to the U.S.

“Who made the call? We don’t know,” said Eliaser’s husband, Army Staff Sgt. Alexis Jaramillo. “But someone made the phone call, and then she came back.”

While other detainees were led off the plane in Brazil, Eliaser stayed on board and returned to Louisiana. ICE officers told her that she was “famous” because there were videos about her case, she said.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

DHS previously told AP that Eliaser, 32, had been issued a final order of removal by an immigration judge on April 15, after overstaying the tourist visa she used to enter the U.S. in 2019.

Jaramillo, a 43-year-old aviation operations specialist who has served in the Army for more than a decade, took leave of his duties training soldiers in Fort Polk, Louisiana, to care of Eliaser’s 5-year-old son after she was detained on July 8.

Jaramillo said Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, a former Navy officer, also looked into his wife’s case. Kelly’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

“This family’s reunion is proof of what’s possible when people set politics aside and do right by those who serve,” said Danitza James, president of the organization Repatriate Our Patriots, which supports military families facing deportation and helped with Eliaser’s case. “We won’t stop until every military family facing detention gets the same chance at justice.”

Eliaser, who was detained in July while at an immigration appointment, has another appointment scheduled for Monday in an effort to reopen her case and advance her green card application. Jaramillo is a U.S. citizen and the couple have been married since 2024.

Jaramillo said he has been told that there will be no further issues with Eliaser’s case, but the couple is still concerned.

“We are really, really, really scared about it, but you know, we have to go,” Jaramillo said. “I told the person who gave me the appointment, ‘Hey sir, don’t play with me, I’ve been through a lot.’”

Eliaser said she is still struggling to sleep and is afraid she will be sent back to the detention facility, where she said she was treated like “an animal.”

“It felt like I was in a nightmare,” Eliaser said. “I could not believe what was happening until I returned to my house. Day by day, I’m trying to recover from this trauma.”

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Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

And thus, “A Very Laufey Day” was born. Each year, the Grammy-winning singer curates itineraries for different locations across the globe for her listeners to follow. It's “anywhere I have been and loved,” she says. It allows them to live what she refers to as “a perfect day,” but also to connect with their community offline and in person. And as she approaches its fourth edition, it has only grown larger.

“It became much bigger than I anticipated, really,” she says. She sought to inspire her audience to find “third spaces,” and explore some of her favorite locales: museums, bookstores, cafes, concerts and the like, and foster community in the process. And each year, it has only grown bigger, with fans dressing up in their favorite Laufey-themed vintage fashions to celebrate the unofficial holiday.

And Aug. 23 will mark the fourth annual “A Very Laufey Day.”

“It is a fun puzzle every year,” she says.

‘A Very Laufey Day’ 2026

This year, “A Very Laufey Day” will include experiences in 75 cities across 25 countries, centering on the theme of “A Celebration of the Arts.”

Those include performances spanning symphony orchestras, ballet, jazz, opera and theater as well as events with libraries, bookstores, coffee shops, yogurt/ice cream shops and more. Her concert film “A Night at the Symphony: Hollywood Bowl” will be screened at select theaters. And she's partnered with many museums around the world, including New York City's Guggenheim, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, London's Tate Modern and National Gallery, Chile's Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Seoul's Daelim Museum and more. At some participating businesses, fans will be able to acquire limited edition merchandise and Laufey-themed specialty drinks.

“This year it was really about focusing on the arts and culture and finding ways to bring this barrier of entry down between my audience — which is mostly Gen Z and Gen A — and these kind of so-called high cultural experiences,” she says. “Whether it’s going to see an orchestra show … museums or galleries, we really want to find ways to connect with those institutions.”

Some of these spaces can be intimidating for younger fans, and Laufey says this year was all about making these rooms, some of her favorites, inviting to her audience.

“It doesn’t have to be this scary thing. And so, I’ve kind of made it my life’s mission to make spaces like that fun and accessible,” she says.

Colón’s death was confirmed in statements by the World Boxing Council and the World Boxing Organization late Thursday.

In October 2015, Colón suffered a brain bleed in a light-middleweight fight against Terrel Williams in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Fairfax, Virginia.

Colón underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain and the WBC said he sustained “irreversible neurological damage” because of what the governing body described as “severe, illegal blows to the back of the head.”

He never fought again and was later pictured in a wheelchair. The WBC named him an honorary world champion.

“The ‘Champion of the Heart’ became a global symbol of resilience, faith, and dignity,” said the WBC, which added that the incident involving Colón inspired the governing body to reinforce its safety regulations and implement stricter medical protocols.

The WBC praised his family for its support in “one of the most moving and outstandingly brave battles for life the world has ever witnessed.”

The WBO described Colón as “a warrior until the very end” and said his “courage, strength and fighting spirit transcended the ring.”

“His greatest fight became a testament to resilience and the unwavering love of his family,” the WBO added.

Before the fight against Williams, Colón collected 16 straight wins, including 13 knockouts.

He lost by disqualification against Williams because his cornermen removed his gloves after the 10th round, believing the contest to be over.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

The season itself is in no danger; climate change, mainly caused by the burning of oil, gas and coal, is warming the weather year-round. Viewed this way, summer-like weather is ascendant. It's setting records across the globe — melting Arctic ice, driving droughts, i ntensifyingwildfires, spinning up storms and endangering millions of people who can't affordair conditioning, time off work or “coolcations.” The heat is so extreme in Asia that Japan has coined a new meteorological category for the danger: kokusho-bi — or “cruelly hot day.”

What seems as dead as the grass in England this year is summertime ideal — lazy days, warm nights and escape, however temporary, from classes or parents or work or rules. During the Summer of '26, people are grieving that freedom. And perhaps, the versions of ourselves we become when our senses tell us that we are safe.

“I mourn for the way summer used to be,” wrote “cli-fi” author Debra Denker in an essay last month recalling leisurely days and July Fourth block parties of the 1960s. “Unless we change the trajectory we're on, today's children will never know the gentle and balmy summers of my childhood ... I feel sad that they may never know the truly carefree summers that the more privileged among us enjoyed.”

In 2026, summertime is a different kind of blast

No one needs meteorologists to confirm that this summer is different and our rituals are changing. Downwind from wildfires in North AmericaandEurope, the sky turns orange and the air tastes gritty. Life under Paris' famous gray rooftops can be deadly. Nights can be a sullen cycle of sleep, showering and opening a window — only to close it later to block out the urban noise.

Everywhere, life-giving sun hurts during much of the day. Checking the air quality index has become part of the act of stepping outside. We get things done earlier in the day and stay up later at night. And a full day at the beach — or an August holiday in Europe — is more a matter of risk management than it used to be.

A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that Americans are more likely to say extreme heat has had either a “major impact” or “minor impact” on their travel or vacation plans, electricity bills, their sleep, their family’s outdoor activities and more parts of their day-to-day life than in July 2024. Research at Oxford University published in July found that the intense heat influences daily behavior globally, with such “everyday adaptations” to daily activities occurring across seven of the countries most at risk of heat waves: Brazil, France, India, Nigeria, Turkey, the U.S. and China.

For some, it's a summer of discontent

Amber Risebrow, a teacher in Britain’s Channel Islands, said she yearned for England’s idyllic warm season — that period when the sunlight lingers.

“I wanted the long light evenings and the sunshine and the not-dark-at-4pm of it all,” she posted recently on Instagram. “What I did not want was to feel like a rotisserie chicken every single time I stepped outside. Slowly rotating. Gently basting. Questioning my life choices by 10am.”

For those who care to look, the data is plentiful and the weight of it is moving toward hotter and stormier summers. This week alone, intense heat hammered the U.K. and France as temperatures soared toward 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit). It was the fifth heat wave of the year in a region where air conditioning is sporadic at best. And the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that the contiguous United States sizzled to its hottest month ever in July.

Globally so far, this is the third-hottest year, behind 2024 and 2025, climate statistics show.

But 2026 still has time to catch up. Thanks to the one-two punch of accelerated human-caused global warming and a supersized El Nino — a periodic warming of parts of the Pacific that leads to temperature variations around the globe — there’s an increasing chance that by the end of the year, 2026 could become the hottest year on record, scientists said.

“And it’s not just extreme heat,” the World Meteorological Organization’s Clare Nullis told reporters in Geneva. “We’re also seeing extreme rainfall, tropical cyclones. So we’re not in holiday mode at all.”

Is summer an ‘outdated sham’?

Somewhere deep, there's a sense of acceptance that life-threatening, trip-canceling heat waves and their rippling effects aren't a one-off fluke. So management has ensued, with the hope that escaping hot weather might somehow allow the return of that summertime feeling — for now.

Advisories urging tourists to limit outdoor activity during peak heat hours have become a standard part of trip planning from Cambodia to Cambridge, England. Dog walking is becoming a dawn-or-dusk activity, with governments in high heat zones advising owners against midday walks. Employers and workers are adapting, with work hours especially for agricultural and construction workers shifting to the morning, and policies in some places allowing employees to work from home when the heat becomes extreme.

But home doesn't offer much solace for workers with no air conditioning. Only about 4% of British homes have “air-con,” compared to about 90% of American homes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

So achieving old-fashioned summertime bliss is, and perhaps always has been, mostly a matter of privilege.

In “An Open Letter to the Person Who Asked Me What I'm Doing For The Summer As If I Didn't Have to Work,” comedy writer Elizabeth Simone addressed the issue in the Weekly Humorist last year.

“You do know that summer vacation is an outdated sham, right?” she wrote. “Obviously it's because of what summer meant back when we were kids.”

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Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed from Tokyo.

Trump’s solicitor general petitioned the high court to suspend last week’s decision by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The divided panel ruled last week Trump must stop the White House ballroom’s construction because Congress has not approved the project. The panel’s majority said Trump doesn’t have the unilateral authority to build a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom where the White House’s East Wing stood before he ordered its demolition last fall.

The lower court suspended its own ruling for two weeks to give Trump's Republican administration time to appeal to the Supreme Court. The solicitor general asked the Supreme Court to rule on its stay petition before the appeals court panel’s decision takes effect on Aug. 21.

"This case involves an extraordinary and unlawful injunction that will halt the ongoing construction of the integrated military complex, including a totally secure ballroom space, at the East Wing of the White House, which is vitally required by national security,” the solicitor general wrote.

The lower court’s 2-1 decision sided with historic preservationists who sued to stop construction of the ballroom.

The administration argues that the president, not Congress or the courts, has unimpeded authority to renovate the White House. The current state of the project, essentially an open construction site, makes it harder to protect the White House, the Justice Department contends.

The administration also says the National Trust for Historic Preservation does not have the legal right, or standing, to sue over the ballroom.

During an appeals court hearing in early June, an administration lawyer defended a broad view of presidential control over iconic public facilities.

The government could bulldoze the Statue of Liberty and the White House, Justice Department lawyer Yaakov Roth said in response to a hypothetical question, and the descendants of immigrants who came through Ellis Island and the enslaved people who built the White House would not have standing to sue.

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Officials said they received a 911 call just before 8 a.m. about a vehicle rollover in the 700 block of Northeast Flagler Drive.

When crews arrived, they found two vehicles involved in the crash. One was on its side, while the other had come to rest against a building.

Two people suffered minor injuries, officials said. One person was transported to a hospital, while the other declined transportation.

A building inspector was called to the scene to check the structure for possible damage. No significant structural damage has been reported.

Officials have not said what led to the crash.

Las autoridades indicaron que recibieron una llamada al 911 poco antes de las 8 de la mañana en la que se alertaba de un vuelco de un vehículo en la manzana 700 de Northeast Flagler Drive.

Cuando los equipos de emergencia llegaron al lugar, encontraron dos vehículos implicados en el accidente. Uno estaba volcado, mientras que el otro había quedado apoyado contra un edificio.

Dos personas sufrieron heridas leves, según informaron las autoridades. Una de ellas fue trasladada al hospital, mientras que la otra rechazó el traslado.

Se llamó a un inspector de edificios al lugar para que comprobara si la estructura había sufrido daños. No se han registrado daños estructurales significativos.

Las autoridades no han revelado qué provocó el accidente.

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According to the sheriff’s office, Isabelle Johnson, 38, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Task Force at a house in Cottondale Thursday afternoon in connection with the killing of 43-year-old Jason Coulthart.

Authorities said Coulthart vanished on May 24 in Niceville, in Okaloosa County, and his body was discovered on June 25 in a shallow grave in Walton County.

“The arrest was the result of information developed by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit on Johnson’s whereabouts,” the sheriff’s office posted on social media. “Johnson was brought to the Jackson County Jail and will be extradited to Walton County.”

Since Coulthart’s death, detectives have been searching for Johnson and released surveillance video showing her in Destin.

While Johnson faces a murder charge in connection with Coulthart’s death, several others have also been arrested in the case.

On June 26, detectives arrested Bobbi Wagstaff, 31, on charges of possession of a controlled substance and accessory to a capital felony after the fact.

On July 1, detectives arrested Martin Leaverton and Sandra Leaverton and accused them of helping Johnson. The Leavertons, both 63, each face a charge of accessory to a capital felony after the fact.

On July 10, detectives arrested Michael White and Kathleen Morris and accused them of helping Johnson hide until June 30 in Santa Rosa Beach.

Morris, 59, and White, 74, face charges of obstruction and accessory to a capital felony after the fact.

A motive for the killing remains unclear.

“The investigation on the circumstances landing Johnson in Cottondale is continuing,” the WCSO said. “Additional charges may be forthcoming.”

Según la oficina del sheriff, Isabelle Johnson, de 38 años, fue arrestada por el Grupo de Trabajo de los Alguaciles de Estados Unidos en una casa de Cottondale el jueves por la tarde en relación con la muerte de Jason Coulthart, de 43 años.

Las autoridades dijeron que Coulthart desapareció el 24 de mayo en Niceville, en el condado Okaloosa, y su cuerpo fue descubierto el 25 de junio en una tumba poco profunda en el condado Walton.

“El arresto fue resultado de información obtenida por la Unidad de Delitos Cibernéticos de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado Walton sobre el paradero de Johnson”, publicó la oficina del sheriff en redes sociales. “Johnson fue trasladada a la cárcel del condado Jackson y será extraditada al condado Walton”.

Desde la muerte de Coulthart, los detectives han estado buscando a Johnson y difundieron un video de vigilancia que la muestra en Destin.

Aunque Johnson enfrenta un cargo de asesinato en relación con la muerte de Coulthart, varias otras personas también han sido arrestadas en el caso.

El 26 de junio, los detectives arrestaron a Bobbi Wagstaff, de 31 años, por cargos de posesión de una sustancia controlada y complicidad después de los hechos en un delito grave capital.

El 1 de julio, los detectives arrestaron a Martin Leaverton y Sandra Leaverton y los acusaron de ayudar a Johnson. Los Leaverton, ambos de 63 años, enfrentan cada uno un cargo de complicidad después de los hechos en un delito grave capital.

El 10 de julio, los detectives arrestaron a Michael White y Kathleen Morris y los acusaron de ayudar a Johnson a esconderse hasta el 30 de junio en Santa Rosa Beach.

Morris, de 59 años, y White, de 74, enfrentan cargos de obstrucción y complicidad después de los hechos en un delito grave capital.

El motivo del asesinato sigue sin estar claro.

“La investigación sobre las circunstancias que llevaron a Johnson a Cottondale continúa”, dijo la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado Walton. “Podrían presentarse cargos adicionales”.

El tiroteo ocurrió alrededor de las 2 a.m. del 10 de junio en la vivienda de Ashley Marie Hosendove, de 32 años, ubicada cerca de Northwest First Court y 16th Street. La mujer había sido arrestada inicialmente por un cargo no relacionado con el incidente.

Según el informe de arresto, la niña, identificada por un familiar como Janova Park, sufrió heridas de bala en el abdomen y el torso y fue trasladada de emergencia al HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, donde posteriormente murió.

Hosendove dijo a agentes de la Policía de Florida City que el hermano de Janova, de 4 años, fue quien apretó el gatillo, según el informe.

“Debido a que [Hosendove] no aseguró adecuadamente el arma de fuego y mostró una indiferencia consciente hacia el bienestar de sus hijos, lo que provocó la muerte de la víctima, fue acusada de un cargo de homicidio involuntario agravado de un menor y un cargo de negligencia culpable”, concluyó en el informe el detective Paulo Klimick Pereira, de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade.

Hasta la mañana del jueves, Hosendove, nacida en Carolina del Sur, permanecía detenida sin derecho a fianza en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, según los registros carcelarios.

En un comunicado, su abogado, Chad Piotrowski, calificó el incidente como “una tragedia absolutamente desgarradora”.

“Una madre perdió a su hija”, señala el comunicado. “No hay nada que el sistema de justicia penal pueda hacerle a esta mujer que se acerque siquiera a lo que ya está viviendo”.

Piotrowski dijo que su firma actuó “rápidamente” para lograr la liberación de Hosendove y agregó que “mañana por la mañana presentaremos un acuerdo para que pueda regresar a casa con su familia”.

“También existen verdaderas cuestiones legales en este caso”, continuó. “Ella es propietaria legal de un arma. El arma de fuego estaba dentro de una cangurera que había sido colocada en un clóset. Abordaremos esos asuntos ante el tribunal, pero por ahora nuestro objetivo es lograr que esta madre regrese a casa y trabajar rápidamente para resolver el caso”.

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Wilton Manors police said officers were called to the Manor Grove Apartments for an armed robbery.

The situation escalated when the person of interest refused to leave his unit.

Neighbors said they watched as Wilton Manors and Fort Lauderdale police officers surrounded the building.

“I’ve lived here about 8 years. It was pretty nerve-racking to see, for sure,” one neighbor said.

Alex Dorsey, a neighbor, said an Amazon worker had come to drop off a package and take a photo of it before picking up the package again.

“Amazon worker came to drop off a package,” Dorsey said. “Take a picture of the package then proceeded to pick up the package right afterwards. Neighbor wasn’t having it, it’s Florida, came out with a gun, you know.”

Another neighbor, Paul Baker, shared video of a man he said was his neighbor. In one clip, a man can be seen walking outside with a firearm in his hand. Later, police can be heard telling him to surrender peacefully.

Baker said he was surprised by what happened.

“I couldn’t believe it. He’s such a nice guy. He’s always been very friendly to me,” Baker said.

Police arrested the man and charged him with aggravated assault with a firearm.

“I’m just glad that it was all resolved,” said Yarden Ben-David, a WPLG executive producer.

The former LSU coach and athletic director passed away in a Baton Rouge hospital, LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette said.

The LSU Tigers, now synonymous with college baseball's elite and known for fielding numerous Major League Baseball prospects, had never won a national title when Bertman, a native of Miami, took over the program in 1983.

The College Baseball Hall of Famer's legacy now includes the current Alex Box Stadium, which opened in 2009, holds about 11,000 and routinely is filled to capacity. The field in the stadium was named for Bertman in 2013. The Tigers also have won three national championships under two of Bertman's successors, most recently in 2025.

Since 2013, the College Baseball Foundation's annual award for the nation's top coach has been named the Skip Bertman Coach of the Year Award. Bertman won it six times between 1986 and 2000.

Bertman coached a total of 18 seasons, retiring in 2001 with a record of 870-330-3 and 11 College World Series appearances. He then served as Athletic Director until 2008 and Athletic Director Emeritus after that, continuing to live in Baton Rouge, support the university and attend LSU events for the rest of his life.

Bertman coached the Tigers to their first five NCAA College World Series championships in 1991, ’93, ’96, ’97, ’00. His tenure as coach also included seven Southeastern Conference championships. His NCAA Tournament winning percentage of .754 is the highest in the history of the event.

Bertman also was head coach of the 1996 U.S. Olympic team, which at that time included only amateur players and won a bronze medal in Atlanta.

Bertman played baseball at Miami before going into coaching, starting at the high school level in Miami Beach. His final job before taking over at LSU was as an assistant at Miami under then coach Ron Fraser.

Bertman was preceded in death by his wife, Sandy, and daughter, Lisa.

Funeral arrangements were pending Friday.

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

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FHP officials said three southbound lanes were closed between Commercial Boulevard and Sunrise Boulevard as emergency crews responded to the scene.

Four patients were transported to hospitals, including one person who was taken as a trauma alert, authorities said.

An additional crash in the northbound lanes adjacent to the southbound incident blocked one lane and further slowed traffic Thursday night.

Tamarac Fire Rescue, Lauderhill Fire Rescue, Sunrise Fire Rescue and other emergency personnel responded to the scene.

Authorities have not yet released details about what led up to either crash.

Funcionarios de la FHP dijeron que tres carriles en dirección sur fueron cerrados entre Commercial Boulevard y Sunrise Boulevard mientras equipos de emergencia respondían a la escena.

Cuatro pacientes fueron trasladados a hospitales, incluida una persona que fue llevada como alerta de trauma, dijeron las autoridades.

Un accidente adicional en los carriles en dirección norte, junto al incidente en dirección sur, bloqueó un carril y ralentizó aún más el tráfico la noche del jueves.

Tamarac Fire Rescue, Lauderhill Fire Rescue, Sunrise Fire Rescue y otros equipos de emergencia respondieron a la escena.

Las autoridades aún no han divulgado detalles sobre lo que provocó ninguno de los dos accidentes.

Retail sales fell 0.6% last month, marking the biggest decrease since May 2025, compared with a revised gain of 0.2% in June, according to the Commerce Department data released Friday.

The drop in spending raised concern among some economists about the resiliency of consumers who have powered the economy forward despite nagging inflation and soaring gasoline prices. Yet it may be too early to declare a retreat by one of the strongest and most consistent forces in the U.S. economy of late.

Still, the weak sales report follows unexpectedly sluggish jobs figures last week, and both suggest the economy could be slowing after strong consumer and business spending in the first half of the year.

Consumers are grappling with persistent inflation that has pushed up prices faster than wages and they may have already exhausted generous tax refunds that helped offset rising costs.

There was also a notable bump in spending in both April and May as Americans dipped into their generous government tax refunds.

While most economists still expect solid growth in the July-September quarter, many have lowered their forecasts in the wake of the retail sales report.

Prices in July, which were not adjusted for inflation, were impacted by falling sales at gas stations. Fuel prices remained low until later in the month when evidence of a stalemate between the U.S. and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz began to grow. Business at gas stations fell 0.9% last month, according to the report.

Gas prices have been rising since the final week of July and ticked higher again overnight to $4.08 per gallon, up from $3.85 a month ago, according to motor club AAA. That's 92 cents more per gallon than Americans were paying last year at this time.

Gas prices typically begin to recede in August as the driving season comes to a close and the AAA said this week that the high cost of fuel for Americans this late in the year is unprecedented.

Excluding sales at gas stations and auto dealers, retail sales in July fell 0.2%.

Business at motor vehicle and parts dealers saw a 1.8% drop from a 1.9% increase in June which was helped by auto makers' promotion incentives.

Electronics and appliance sales declined 0.5%. Online sales fell 2.2% from June when they were fueled by Amazon’s four-day Prime Day event that began in late June, earlier than previous years.

The data offers only a snapshot of consumer spending and doesn’t include activities like travel and hotel stays. The lone services category – restaurants – registered a 0.5% increase.

“American consumers are showing signs of fatigue, “ Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, wrote Friday. “July retail sales were disappointing on all levels."

New data this week showed that inflation declined slightly in July as gas and grocery prices slipped, though it is still rising more quickly than before the Iran war.

Consumer prices increased 3.4% in July from a year ago, down slightly from 3.5% in June, the Labor Department said Wednesday. Inflation had fallen to 2.4% before the Iran war. On a monthly basis, prices rose just 0.1% from June to July.

The modest decline marked the second straight decrease after sharply higher gas prices pushed inflation to 4.2% in May, a three-year high.

Given the volatile economic environment, economists are closely watching how families spend behind Christmas.

Shopping has been steady, though Americans have dialed in on sales as they grow more careful with their money.

Off-price retailers, consumer electronics and office supply retailers have had a “strong early start” to the back-to-school season, said Elizabeth Lafontaine, director of research at Placer.ai.

“Consumers have looked to take advantage of early deals to check off their lists,” Lafontaine said.

Walmart, Target and other retailers have been pushing discounts for the fall season, seeking to lure inflation-weary shoppers.

Target, for example, says that 95% of prices for school supplies are at or below last year’s levels.

Retailers begin reporting quarterly earnings next week.

Stephen Yalof, CEO of the outlet mall operator Tanger, noted an increase in foot traffic this summer because of the World Cup festivities.

More Americans were shopping too, Yalof said, because more people are vacationing close to home to save money.

“We’re rewarding with value, and we’re getting customers to come in … and shop more frequently,” Yalof told The Associated Press.

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AP Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber contributed to this report from Washington.

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“Jakey’s Army is not something to mess with,” said Karen Duque, the boy’s mother, after the statue was found.

The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded just after 1 p.m. Saturday to the park, located at the intersection of Northwest 154th Street and 89th Avenue, after receiving a report that the statue had been stolen.

Detectives with the agency’s General Investigations Unit said they took over the case and determined that the bronze statue, valued at approximately $8,000, had been removed by “unknown suspects.”

They said the statue remained missing for several days before investigators received information Wednesday about where it was located. With assistance from MDSO’s Robbery Intervention Detail Team, detectives were able to find and recover the statue, authorities said.

Investigators said they arrested 27-year-old Derick Coca on Thursday after he was caught attempting to move the statue to another location.

Officials also arrested 26-year-old Damian De Los Santos, who they said was connected to the theft.

MDSO detectives said they will continue investigating whether other people were involved in the theft.

The statue holds special significance for the Duque family and the Miami Lakes community. Jakey died at age 5 after battling a rare form of cancer.

His parents have said they wanted his memory to remain present in the community and for the statue to serve as a reminder of the young boy’s strength and courage.

“Faith is knowing that no matter what life throws at you, God is going to equip you with what you need,” said Duque. “And that’s what Jakey showed us.”

Neighbors said they were relieved when the statue was returned.

“It has just been a long few days knowing that someone had taken it, something that means a lot to the family and to our community,” neighbor Patty Becerra said.

Becerra said the statue also serves as a reminder of how fragile life can be.

“How life is so very fragile, so very fragile,” she said. “So I’m glad it’s back. It means a lot to all of us.”

MDSO officials shared photographs of the detectives who helped recover the statue alongside Jakey’s father and mother after its return.

Jail records show Coca and De Los Santos are facing one count each of third-degree grand theft.

As of Thursday, both suspects were being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on $2,500 bond.

The 7.4 magnitude earthquake affected a large swath of western Colombia, from urban centers like Cali and Pereira to remote and rugged areas in the department of Chocó. As of Friday morning, authorities had confirmed more than 280 dead, thousands injured and over 12,000 dwellings destroyed. Responders have managed to rescue about 350 people, but hundreds remain missing.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella has promised a robust governmental response. But with so much need spread across a large area, aid groups will also play important roles helping those needing shelter, supplies and economic assistance.

“Institutional capacity does not remove the humanitarian need,” said Catalina Vargas, Colombia country director for the humanitarian group CARE. “The most severely affected area, Chocó, is also one of the most isolated and underserved parts of the country, so access remains the binding constraint regardless of the strength of national institutions.”

For those who can help, giving cash is often ideal to give groups flexibility and agility, said Abe Diaz, head of disaster relief for Amazon, which is providing requested supplies to partners.

"Unrequested product donations overwhelm communities and force responders to divert resources from life-saving work just to sort and store unwanted supplies,” Diaz said.

Here are some organizations collecting donations for Colombia earthquake recovery, including U.S. groups responding on the ground and some local organizations accepting outside funds.

U.S.-based groups already on the ground

All Hands and Hearts has provided search and rescue tools like jackhammers and pickaxes to the Pereira fire department as well as blankets and rehydration supplies for those affected. Link to donate.

CARE has a longtime presence in Colombia. Its immediate support will focus on food assistance through cash and vouchers, emergency supply care packages, and protection and emotional support for affected families. Link to donate.

Direct Relief is funding medical responders on the ground and preparing to deliver requested medications and healthcare supplies. Link to donate.

GEM is joining with local partners to provide essential kits with food, water, and hygiene necessities. Link to donate.

Operation Blessing is focusing its initial response on providing food and water, as well as solar lanterns, to displaced people. Link to donate.

Save the Children has worked in Colombia for over 40 years and has begun psychosocial support activities and set up multiple child-friendly spaces in affected areas. Link to donate.

World Central Kitchen is providing food and water for displaced people, first responders and volunteers, including in more remote mountain communities. Link to donate.

Marc Anthony leads Sunday benefit concert for Colombia and Venezuela

Latin music stars Marc Anthony, Luis Fonsi, Chayanne, Feid, Jay Wheeler and many more will perform at an international benefit concert for Venezuela and Colombia on Aug. 16 at 6 p.m. EDT at Miami’s Kaseya Center. It will be carried live on Univision, ViX, WAPA and TelevisaUnivision radio stations, iHeartLatino and Venevision Play in Venezuela.

Viewers can donate by scanning onscreen QR codes, texting UNIDOS to 707070 or visiting univision.org during the broadcast. Proceeds will go to All Hands and Hearts, CARE, GEM, TECHO and World Central Kitchen.

Colombia-based groups accepting outside donations

Abaco Colombia, an association of 26 food banks across Colombia, is distributing food to affected families across the impacted regions. They accept online donations, though the payment processor requires a passport number.

Cruz Roja Colombiana teams are doing search and rescue, offering medical attention and psychosocial support, and filling other needs. They accept online donations, though the payment processor requires a passport number.

Fundación Solidaridad por Colombia supports youth initiatives, nutrition and health, and community building. It's helping deliver relief supplies and food to displaced people in Pereira and other locations. They accept PayPal.

Fundación Semillas de Oportunidades supports youth through art and sport from its base in Quibdó, Chocó. They are supporting families of young people across Chocó. They accept PayPal.

Manos Visibles, a network of organizations dedicated to racial and territorial equity, is collaborating with a local trade school with a goal to restore at least 100 homes in the city of Buenaventura. They accept online donations, though the payment processor requires a passport number.

Presentes Corporation, a 43-year-old organization in Colombia focused on community resilience, is partnering with the Miami-based nonprofit Give to Colombia to facilitate donations from the U.S. Their Colombia Se Levanta fund accepts online donations.

Refugio Huellas de Amor in Pereira is supporting rescue animals already in their care as well as other impacted animals. Huellitas Callejeras Barranquilla is sending vets and medical supplies to affected areas. Both accept PayPal.

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Associated Press staff writer Megan Janetsky contributed reporting from Mexico City.

Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia said it was suspending the counting immediately “in view of the security situation and continued threats of violence.” It did not say who might be responsible for the alleged theft.

The commission said it would review the decision in 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the main opposition leader, Brian Mundubile, claimed victory and said the delay could lead to “an opportunity for interference with or manipulation of the results.”

Mundubile said he had received information that members of the military had taken control of vote counting stations in at least one town and boxes containing ballots had been taken away from stations in other places. He did not provide any evidence for that claim.

There was no sign of any unrest in the capital, Lusaka.

Zambia, a former British colony, has held largely peaceful elections since it returned to a multiparty democracy in 1991 but there was some criticism of President Hakainde Hichilema ahead of Thursday's election by the opposition and independent rights groups, which said his government was squeezing dissent.

Mundubile’s alliance had accused the government of being behind a law enforcement agency raid on its offices days before the election and claimed the action was designed to hurt the alliance’s election campaign.

The election in the copper-rich southern African country saw Hichilema seeking a second term in office. Results were initially expected to be announced on Monday, according to the electoral commission, though it said they might come sooner.

Hichilema ran against 13 other candidates including Mundubile, the leader of an alliance of opposition parties who is seen as Hichilema’s strongest challenger.

Zambians also voted for members of Parliament and local government councilors. About 8 million people in the country of 22 million were registered to vote at more than 13,500 polling stations.

The election was largely seen as a test of Hichilema’s economic reforms, and whether they were enough to overcome widespread frustration over the cost of living. Hichilema stabilized the economy after a debt crisis in 2020, but critics say those reforms haven't yet benefited ordinary Zambians struggling with a high cost of living and electricity shortages.

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AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

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A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck on Monday in Colombia. The 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes hit on June 24 in Venezuela.

Francine De La Rosa, a GEM executive member, was at the GEM warehouse in Doral, where volunteers received a truckload of aid for western Colombia.

“We really need to double up because a lot of help is needed,” De La Rosa said.

GEM also announced partnerships in Colombia with two nonprofits: Motorrad Angels Foundation, a nonprofit that travels to hard-to-reach areas, and Fundación Solidaridad por Colombia, a Bogotá-based nonprofit founded in 1975 with offices in Medellin and Córdoba.

Spence Taylor, a GEM team member who experienced the earthquake on Monday in Bucaramanga, spent about a month in northern Venezuela, and he was working in the city of Pereira, where officials reported 79 dead.

“One thing that you see here that is fundamentally different from Venezuela is the Colombian people and the government is very strong. The response is actually very impressive,” Taylor told CNN. “So, you see a lot more first responders, you see people flooding in from the areas that weren’t affected.”

Taylor recently told CNN that GEM had teams going to Chocó, an impoverished region where the earthquake’s epicenter was, and there was a GEM team in Cali, where the mayor reported 74 dead. Taylor said teams were packing family kits.

“We are doing our best to source those here in Colombia. But right now, I would say to the Colombian diaspora, it is very helpful with cash donations,” Taylor told CNN.

The government’s official toll in Colombia had increased to at least 239 dead and 3,755 injured.

On Tuesday, Colombia’s first lady, Ana Lucie Pineida listed GEM in Miami-Dade as an authorized drop-off point. On Wednesday, Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella asked donors to exercise caution.

“For those who want to help by donating, there are official channels and collection and gathering points; do not donate to politicians who only commit the crime of illegal fundraising of money, especially if they come from being associated with people involved in corruption scandals,” De La Espriella wrote on X in Spanish. “What a shame that there are people profiting from the tragedy; that must be investigated.”

GEM representatives asked the public for in-person donations of new camping gear, hygiene supplies, and first-aid kits with items that are not expired.

The City of Pembroke Pines, in partnership with Pembroke Pines Fire Rescue, is also accepting donations that will be provided to GEM.

Drop-off locations in Pembroke Pines are:

Station 33 - 600 SW 72nd Ave.

Station 69 - 9500 Pines Blvd.

Station 89 - 13000 SW Pines Blvd.

Station 99 - 16999 Pines Blvd.

Station 79 - 19900 Pines Blvd.

Station 101 - 6057 SW 198 Ter.

You can also drop off donations directly at GEM’s warehouse from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1850 NW 84th Ave. in Doral. For more information about how to donate to GEM or volunteer in Doral, visit this page.

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Roughly 97 million people from the central Plains to the Southeast face heat advisories. Dangerous temperatures are expected in more than a dozen states in the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley through Wednesday, the National Weather Service said.

Some places could hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 Celsius), forecasters said. But the combination of soaring temperatures and high humidity could make it feel as hot as 115 F (46 C) in portions of the Southeast.

That heat dome effect is created by high-pressure systems sitting above a region, trapping heat and humidity closer to the ground.

And there will be little nighttime relief, with overnight lows predicted to remain in the 70s in many places, forecasters said.

“The nighttime lows are not going to get below about 80 Fahrenheit for a lot of urban areas,” said meteorologist Jeff Masters of Yale Climate Connections. “So that's really going to bump up the mortality from this heat wave. It's going to be deadly because of all these factors: Long lasting, intense, and high humidity.”

People were urged to stay indoors when possible and keep hydrated.

Early days of the heat wave force workers to cope with risks

In Little Rock, Madi Ramos wore a large straw hat as she shoveled an irrigation ditch outside the state Capitol building on Thursday morning when temperatures had already reached 90 F (32 C).

“This heat is stronger than last year’s,” said Ramos, 21, who works with her stepfather at a landscaping company.

The forecast comes after July became the hottest month on record in the contiguous United States. Extreme heat events are increased and exacerbated by climate change, which comes from the burning of fuels like gasoline, oil and coal.

During a July heat wave, Ramos said she felt nauseous and had to pause for a break. One of her colleagues took three days off after falling ill from heat.

Ramos said she usually drinks seven to eight bottles of water that she sometimes mixes with electrolyte packets during her 12-hour outdoor shifts. She’s preparing for this week’s heat wave by wearing breathable clothing.

But sometimes the heat can be too much and, Ramos said, the company encourages her to take breaks.

“When I feel I can’t take it anymore, I take a break and then I come back,” Ramos said in Spanish.

Communities offer residents places to cool off or stay hydrated

When the heat gets oppressive, communities across the country typically offer public libraries, community centers and senior centers as air-conditioned places to cool down. Other places try to make sure residents are hydrated.

Donna Schillinger expected dozens of visitors to WayStation, a resource center in Rogers, Arkansas, as the heat wave lingers. The center had already provided bags filled with food and bottled water to nearly two dozen people by Thursday afternoon. Schillinger, the executive director of nonprofit Micah 6:8, said the center typically sees six people per day for to-go bags.

“Everybody is commenting about how hot it is outside,” Schillinger said. “I mean it’s just crazy hot.”

Heat arrives with a new school year and sports activities in full swing

The heat wave is coinciding with the start of the new school year in much of the country, forcing discussions about how to keep students comfortable on buses, in classrooms and even on school playground equipment.

In some school districts, parents are urged to send bottled water to school with their students. One Central Arkansas district implemented a policy this year mandating that students remain indoors, including during recess, when the heat index reaches 95 F (35 C).

Young athletes and professionals preparing for a new football season also are having to take precautions against overheating.

In South Carolina, where an extreme heat warning was in place, two school districts canceled a series of football scrimmages involving more than a dozen high schools Friday evening due to the forecast.

Nationwide, at least 58 players died from exertional heat stroke between 1992 and 2024, the latest year available, and thousands more are sickened each year, according to the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut. Most of the deaths involved younger athletes.

The institute is named after the Minnesota Vikings player who died of heat stroke in 2001, prompting changes in safety protocols.

Sweltering heat is ongoing in Europe

Hot weather is taking its toll abroad as well.

The United Kingdom recorded its hottest day of the year Thursday, coming during an excessively dry stretch that saw multiple fires break out as an intense stretch of sizzling weather continued to grip Europe.

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Raby reported from Charleston, West Virginia.

Las históricas temperaturas están vinculadas al cambio climático causado por el ser humano y están azotando países más preparados para largas temporadas de frío y mal equipados para este tipo de calor, con un acceso limitado al aire acondicionado.

Más evacuaciones en Francia cuando el fuego afecta más regiones

En Francia, que vive su año más seco jamás registrado, un nuevo fuego se propagó durante la noche por zonas boscosas en la región de Las Landas, en la costa suroccidental. Las llamas obligaron a evacuar a más de 500 personas en la localidad de Luglon y cientos de bomberos se desplegaban en la zona, indicó el viernes el gobierno regional.

Es uno de los varios focos que están arrasando bosques en todo el país esta semana, incluso en áreas del norte y en la Bretaña, normalmente más frescas y húmedas. Un histórico incendio calcinó bosques cerca de Burdeos el mes pasado y obligó a un cuarto de millón de personas a abandonar sus hogares.

Francia también ha apagado seis reactores nucleares en los últimos días debido al calor extremo y la sequía —y por la llegada de una masa de medusas a la costa frente a una central en el Canal de la Mancha—, informó la empresa de servicios públicos EDF. Grandes cantidades de medusas están apareciendo en muchas playas francesas debido a la temperatura inusualmente cálida del mar.

En un comunicado, la empresa señaló que los apagones tuvieron un impacto mínimo en la producción de electricidad de Francia. Aclaró que el clima extremo no plantea riesgos de seguridad para los propios reactores.

Incendios en el Reino Unido en el día más caluroso en Londres

En Stourbridge, poblado en el centro de Inglaterra, donde el jueves se originó un enorme incendio, imágenes de televisión mostraron cómo el fuego devoraba viviendas, muchas de las cuales se quedaron sin tejado cuando las llamas ardían entre los muros carbonizados. Entre 20 y 30 casas quedaron completamente arrasadas, dijo a la BBC Cat Eccles, diputada por la localidad.

Una mujer que fue evacuada de su hogar en Stourbridge narró que la policía llamó a su puerta y la instó a marcharse de inmediato.

“Creían que el fuego estaba cambiando de dirección y no sabían en qué dirección iba” , contó Jane Baxter a BBC Radio. “Así que, literalmente, fue ‘agarra lo que necesites y sal corriendo’”.

Simon Tuhill, jefe del servicio de bomberos de West Midlands, anunció que se abrirá una investigación, pero se cree que el incendio comenzó en una zona de pasto antes de alcanzar las casas.

Diecinueve personas y seis bomberos fueron hospitalizados por inhalación de humo y otras lesiones derivadas de múltiples incendios forestales en la región de West Midlands. En la cercana localidad de Stoke-on-Trent, un hombre de 23 años y una mujer de 24 fueron detenidos el viernes bajo sospecha de haber provocado un gran incendio de vegetación que se propagó rápidamente.

La Met Office, la agencia meteorológica británica, reportó que el jueves se registraron 38,1 grados Celsius (100,6 grados Fahrenheit) en el oeste de Londres, en el que fue el día más caluroso del año. Aunque las temperaturas bajaron ligeramente el viernes, muchas partes del país han recibido poca o ninguna lluvia desde hace semanas. Este julio fue el más seco en Inglaterra y Gales desde que comenzaron los registros en 1836.

España traslada restos de reyes para evitar el fuego

Las autoridades españolas trasladaron el jueves por la noche los restos de tres reyes del siglo XI desde un monasterio en la región nororiental de Aragón, cerca de un incendio forestal activo.

Los restos fueron llevados a un museo a unos 80 kilómetros (50 millas) al sur del monasterio de San Juan de la Peña, del siglo X, que permanecía intacto el viernes, según las autoridades regionales.

Pinturas, objetos litúrgicos y la ropa de un destacado conde español del siglo XVIII estuvieron entre los otros artículos retirados del monasterio.

El incendio forestal aún no estaba contenido al mediodía del viernes, y unos 800 residentes fueron evacuados. Se espera que las temperaturas bajen ligeramente el sábado.

Un incendio forestal separado, mucho más grande, en el sur de España ha quemado más de 300 kilómetros cuadrados (120 millas cuadradas) en la provincia de Huelva, obligando también a evacuaciones.

Bomberos combaten las llamas en Alemania

Los cerca de 1.800 residentes de la aldea de Gey, en el estado alemán de Renania del Norte-Westfalia, fueron evacuados luego que un incendio forestal en el cercano bosque de Hürtgen amenazó con alcanzar sus viviendas. Cerca de 300 hectáreas (1,16 millas cuadradas) de bosque ardían el viernes por la mañana, de acuerdo con las autoridades locales.

La existencia de munición sin explotar de la Segunda Guerra Mundial en el bosque obstaculizó las labores de extinción, reportó la agencia noticiosa alemana dpa.

El fuego avanzó hasta quedar a 300 metros (1.000 pies) de Gey, que se encuentra al borde del bosque cerca de la frontera con Bélgica. Las autoridades aún desconocen el origen del incendio.

Alemania ha establecido un nuevo récord de muertes relacionadas con el calor en lo que va de año, superando el nivel de 2018 para todo el año, afirmó el jueves el Instituto Robert Koch. Se estima que 12.500 personas murieron por causas relacionadas con el calor entre el 1 de enero y el 2 de agosto.

Fuego en Croacia deja 1 muerto y 14 hospitalizados

En Croacia, una persona murió y 14 personas fueron hospitalizadas —y siete de ellas seguían en estado crítico a primera hora del viernes— debido a un incendio desatado durante la noche cerca de la localidad costera de Omis que obligó a más de 1.000 personas a evacuar sus hogares. El cuerpo de la persona fue hallado cuando la policía registraba la zona calcinada.

El fuego comenzó a última hora del jueves en un suburbio de Omis y se propagó rápidamente debido al fuerte viento. Las autoridades marítimas regionales informaron que 194 personas, incluidos niños, fueron rescatadas del mar y de diversas embarcaciones cuando intentaban huir del fuego.

Los bomberos habían sofocado las llamas por la mañana y otros equipos en aviones se dirigían más al sur, hacia la península de Peljesac, donde se declaró otro incendio durante la noche.

Bomberos evitan que el mayor incendio de Albania llegue a viviendas

Albania lleva semanas combatiendo decenas de incendios forestales. El viernes, 11 de ellos todavía se mantenían activos en todo el país.

El más grande está en la zona de Gure-Lure, donde se ha controlado el perímetro más cercano a viviendas residenciales.

Tres personas han sido inculpadas por ese fuego, que envolvió el Parque Nacional de Lura. Se sospecha que no tomaron las medidas necesarias para proteger el territorio bajo su responsabilidad contra el fuego, de acuerdo con las autoridades.

Por otra parte, en el norte de Grecia, más de 300 turistas y residentes fueron evacuados por mar el jueves luego que un incendio arrasara un bosque de pinos y amenazara viviendas junto al mar, señalaron las autoridades.

Se prevé que Bélgica bata otro récord de calor

Bélgica espera alcanzar el viernes su temperatura más alta del verano llegando a los 37 grados Celsius (98,6 grados Fahrenheit) en la capital, Bruselas.

También se prevé que el mercurio alcance los 37 grados Celsius (98,6 Fahrenheit) en los vecinos Países Bajos. El país padece también una grave sequía, con escasez en algunas zonas, pero las autoridades holandesas han evitado declarar una crisis de agua, ya que se espera lluvia en los próximos días.

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Hui reportó desde Londres. Los periodistas de The Associated Press Stefanie Dazio en Berlín; Claudia Ciobanu en Varsovia, Polonia; Zana Cimili en Pristina, Kosovo; Jovana Gec en Belgrado, Serbia; Lorne Cook en Bruselas; y Suman Naishadham en Madrid contribuyeron a este despacho.

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

A statement from the Italian Carabinieri’s art recovery squad said the artworks were discovered during searches ordered by prosecutors, but no details were given. The investigation is ongoing.

The three recovered artworks are “Fish,” a painting by Auguste Renoir, “Still Life with Cherries,” a pencil and watercolor by Paul Cézanne, and “Odalisque on the Terrace,” a color aquatint by Henri Matisse. Authorities said the Cézanne was valued at 6 million euros ($7 million), the Renoir at 3 million euros ($3.5 million), and the Matisse at 20,000 euros ($23,000).

The heist at the Magnani Rocca Foundation, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from Parma, took place on the night of March 22-23, with thieves forcing open the entrance door, police said.

Local media reported that the thieves took the paintings in less than three minutes and escaped across the museum gardens.

Established in 1977, the foundation hosts the collection of art historian Luigi Magnani and includes works by Dürer, Rubens, Van Dyck, Goya and Monet.

The museum believes a structured and organized gang was responsible for the theft, which the alarm interrupted, local media reported.

The crime followed a series of high-profile heists at major European museums, including the theft in October of French crown jewels and other items valued at 88 million euros ($101 million) from the Louvre in Paris.

Catania’s airport will remain closed until early Saturday, which falls on the Ferragosto holiday that marks the height of the Italian summer holiday season when millions flock to the sea and mountains, deserting Italian cities.

While Etna’s activity often interrupts flights at the airport, located 30 kilometers (20 miles) south of the volcano, this is the longest emergency since 2002.

“Volcanic ash can be a great risk for aircraft,” said Boris Behncke, a researcher at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology’s Etna Observatory. “It can be sucked into the motors, and force them to stall. This is why everyone is so very cautious with aircraft when there is a volcanic ash emission.”

Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe. The latest activity has been unusual for its persistence and sustained ash emissions. Northerly winds have spread light amounts of ash to Malta and northern Africa.

“There have been many shorter interruptions — and stronger eruptions — over the past few decades, but this event is different because the ash emission from Etna’s summit has been much more persistent,” Behncke said.

The closure has forced planes to be rerouted to other airports on the island, which has pushed up taxi fares and car rental prices, according to the Corriere della Sera daily. The Codacons consumer association has announced it will file a complaint with Italy’s competition authority following complaints about price gouging.

The SAC airport operator said 36% of nearly 2,000 flights scheduled to arrive in Catania from Aug. 6-12 had been canceled, while more than 600 were diverted to Palermo, Trapani and Comiso in Sicily and Lamezia Terme in Calabria. Flights were able to depart Catania over the weekend, but the airport was officially closed to both incoming and outgoing flights Monday. Comiso also was briefly closed.

The Italian train company Trenitalia has added six trains along the Palermo-Messina-Catania route to help ease the travel pressure.

Italy's federation of travel agencies and tour operators has called for a task force to coordinate responses to disruptions caused by Mount Etna and said it would ask for a review of how airlines handled the cancellations and passenger assistance.

“Operators are working around the clock to provide assistance, cancellations and alternative travel arrangements, but they cannot bear the burden of structural shortcomings and the management responsibilities of others," FIAVET President Gian Mario Pilieri said in a statement.

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The attacks caused no casualties but underlined the dangers faced by vessels moving cargo through the critical waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the open oceans, as Iran keeps a firm grip on the passage.

Here’s a look at the latest developments in the Iran war and the wider Middle East. Full coverage can be found here.

2 oil tankers hit by drones as they transited Strait of Hormuz

Two tankers owned by Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil and gas company ADNOC were attacked Thursday evening while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, the company said. It added that the attack caused no injuries and that “the situation has been brought under control.”

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center said two vessels were reported to have suffered minor damage when attacked by drones while transiting the Strait of Hormuz. It did not identify them as the ADNOC ships, but it appeared to be the same incident.

The UAE's Foreign Ministry blamed the attacks on Iran and said they were a “flagrant violation” of the United Nations' principles of freedom of navigation.

“Targeting commercial shipping and using the Strait of Hormuz as a tool of economic coercion or blackmail represents acts of piracy by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the Foreign Ministry said.

There was no immediate response from Iran.

Activists bring food and water to Palestinians under siege by Israeli settlers

Activists marched through the occupied West Bank, bringing food and water to Palestinians who have been under siege by Israeli settlers for days.

Three Palestinian families in the town of Qusra have been unable to leave their homes for nearly a week after settlers surrounded the area. Israeli troops intervened multiple times, but the settlers have kept returning.

The standoff in the northern West Bank town of Qusra is the latest in a wave of settler violence in the territory, which Israel seized in the 1967 Mideast war and which would make up part of a future Palestinian state.

Defense Minister Israel Katz instructed the army to prepare a plan to transfer power to the police to enforce civilian-related matters, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Yemen says it disrupted a Houthi attack as fighting continues

Yemen’s military said its forces thwarted Houthi attacks early Friday in southwestern Yemen amid ongoing fighting with the Iran-backed rebels.

Forces affiliated with Yemen’s internationally recognized government said in a statement that dozens of Houthis were killed and injured in fighting that disrupted plans to attack military reinforcements in Taiz province with drones, explosives and artillery.

The Associated Press was unable to independently verify that toll.

Recent Houthi attacks on government-held areas across Yemen have raised fears that the country’s civil war could reignite and open another front in the Middle East.

Drone intercepted over Irbil in area home to hotels and consulates

In Iraq, a drone was intercepted over the northern city of Irbil in an area where a number of hotels and consulates are located.

The regional counterterrorism service said in a statement that there were no casualties.

It was not immediately clear who had launched the drone.

Kushner will head to Middle East for talks on Gaza

President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and negotiator Jared Kushner will travel to the Middle East next week to try to advance plans for an end to the conflict in Gaza after a deal recently announced by the Trump administration ran into Israeli opposition.

An official with the Board of Peace, the body Trump established to oversee the fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, said Kushner, board high representative Nickolay Mladenov, and executive board member and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair would arrive in Israel on Sunday.

The group will then travel to Cairo, where meetings of a Palestinian technocratic group set to assume control of Gaza under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal have been taking place for the past several months, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because planning for details of the trip has not yet been finalized.

The trip was reported earlier by Axios.

— Matthew Lee in Washington

The Taliban regained control of Afghanistan on Aug. 15, 2021, after it launched an offensive as the U.S. and other NATO troops withdrew from the country after two decades of war. The withdrawal led to chaotic scenes at and around Kabul’s airport with thousands wanting to leave.

“Thank God, the past five years have passed in safety,” said Mohammad Qasim, 30, reflecting on the anniversary that comes against a backdrop of economic hardship in a conflict-stricken country. “Our wish and hope from the government is to create job opportunities for the youth.”

“We, along with the entire nation, call upon the government to create employment opportunities for the youth and to encourage them to pursue education,” he added.

Taliban curbs women's rights despite pledge

Before the takeover, the Taliban stated that, upon assuming power, it would allow women access to education, employment and public participation, albeit in accordance with its interpretation of Islamic principles.

Soon after it seized power, the Taliban imposed an indefinite ban on girls’ education beyond the sixth grade and, a few months later, also banned higher education for women until “further notice.”

Women also were banned from entering gyms, parks and public baths, from taking part in sports and traveling to distant locations without a “mahram,” or male guardian.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has repeatedly said the administration is working to establish conditions under which girls and women can attend classrooms or university campuses in line with Islamic Sharia laws. The restrictions, nevertheless, remain in force.

While the U.N. has acknowledged that the country has become more stable since the takeover, it has warned that lasting stability cannot be possible unless the Taliban rulers — who remain isolated internationally — lift restrictions on women and girls, protect basic rights and address terrorism concerns.

“A reduction in conflict has brought tangible benefits for many Afghans and created opportunities to focus on recovery, development and regional economic cooperation,” the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, said in a statement ahead of the anniversary. It added, however, that the restrictions on women and girls impede Afghanistan’s recovery and its reintegration with the international community.

UN says Afghanistan in world's most severe women's rights crisis

In a statement this week, the U.N.'s agency on women’s rights, said Afghan women and girls are living under the world’s most severe restrictions, which not only violate their rights but also threaten the country’s social and economic future.

“Half a decade after the Taliban takeover in August 2021, Afghanistan has systematically dismantled the rights of half its population, making it a global outlier with no parallel in the modern world,” U.N. Women said.

“In the past year alone, this exclusion of women and girls from education, employment, public life, justice systems and healthcare has only intensified, entrenching what remains the world’s most severe women’s rights crisis,” it said.

Fazila Soroush, a 39-year-old Kabul-based entrepreneur and an advocate for women’s rights, said the government had “demonstrated its worth to the people through its actions in every area.”

“We consider it essential that the officials of the Islamic Emirate who had announced the closure of schools and universities until further notice, now make a clear and practical decision regarding this matter,” she said.

In the streets of Kabul, preparations for the anniversary celebrations were underway. Vendors sold the Taliban’s white with black scripted flags while painters were busy writing slogans in praise of Islamic laws on walls, including: “The Islamic system has been achieved at the cost of the martyrs’ blood” and “Our commitment stands firm: Consolidation and implementation of Islamic Sharia.”

Taliban says it brought security and stability

Molvi Hayatullah Mahajar Farahi, deputy minister in the Taliban government for broadcasting at the Ministry of Information and culture, said in the five years the administration has delivered security, stabilized the currency, improved infrastructure and formed industrial parks that have created jobs.

“Naturally, challenges and difficulties exist, yet we can highlight several accomplishments,” Farahi told The Associated Press.

Farahi, when asked, did not address the issue of the education of girls and women but said “the level of investment made in universities surpasses anything seen in the past.

“The Emirate continues its efforts to further organize and improve services for our citizens in the fields of education and other sectors,” he stated.

The deputy minister rejected a U.N. report that documented terrorist networks in Afghanistan, saying “these are merely enemy propaganda, spread to portray the country as unstable.”

Asked to comment about its international isolation, Farahi insisted the Taliban government was engaged with some 40 countries. The Taliban government currently is only formally recognized by Russia.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has fulfilled all the requirements necessary for official recognition. It is now up to the international community and others to step forward and take the appropriate action,” he said.

UN points at broader educational crisis

The bans have left an estimated 2.4 million girls excluded from secondary education, UNESCO, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, said this week — a 200,000 increase from last year. The restrictions have reversed two decades of progress that Afghanistan had made in education, the agency said.

Pointing at a broader educational crisis, the agency said 53% of primary school-aged children are out of school. Schools lack basic infrastructure such as water, sanitation or heating, while natural disasters have also led to hundreds of school closures.

Meanwhile, the U.N. World Food Program said child malnutrition has reached critical levels in a third of Afghanistan’s provinces and is expected to worsen as funding shortfalls force cuts in food distributions and other support.

In Kabul, Dost Mohammad Khan expressed support for the Taliban administration, saying the past five years have brought stability. He said however, that the country needs trained professionals such as doctors and engineers, urging the authorities to keep “all sectors operational.”

“We also call upon the Islamic Emirate to permit women to attend school under the sharia dress code and we urge the public to heed the directives of the Emirate also,” said the 38-year-old.

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Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey.

The strike came a day after the United Nations said July was the deadliest month for Ukrainian civilians since the weeks following Moscow's all-out invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago.

At least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 wounded last month, the U.N. monitoring mission in Kyiv said, as Russia escalated its bombing of Ukrainian towns and cities. That was 70% higher than in July last year and 30% up on June of this year.

Overall, since Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, U.N. human rights monitors say the war has killed at least 16,874 civilians, including 820 children, and wounded 51,273, including 3,126 children.

“Every month this year the number of killed and injured civilians has increased. That trend accelerated sharply in July,” said Danielle Bell, head of the U.N. human rights monitoring mission in Kyiv. “The number of civilian casualties in July was the highest we documented in a single month since March 2022.”

The Russian strike in northern Ukraine’s Sumy region early Friday also wounded four other people, including the dead boy’s father and grandmother, who were hospitalized with severe burns, the regional military administration chief Oleh Hryhorov said.

Russia's top diplomat says Moscow will intensify its aerial attacks

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that Moscow is planning to escalate its strikes on Ukraine, even as U.S. diplomatic efforts to end the war are set to continue.

“We will use much harsher methods to destroy everything that feeds Kyiv’s war machine from the West,” Lavrov said in an interview with Russian state TV broadcast Friday, referring to military aid Kyiv receives from abroad.

Officials in Washington said last month that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s main envoys, would travel to Kyiv sometime in the future. No date for the trip is publicly known, as the U.S. focuses on the Iran war.

Zelenskyy has accepted an unconditional ceasefire demanded by Trump, but Putin has refused, demanding a comprehensive peace agreement first, and Lavrov said that position hasn’t changed.

“We will only stop when there’s a long-term, reliable and sustainable settlement,” he said.

Russian glide bombs hit residential areas near front line

In Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, a Russian glide bomb demolished six floors of a 10-story apartment block, killing one person and wounding 16 others, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Russia is launching around 220 glide bombs every day against settlements near the front line in eastern and southern Ukraine, Zelenskyy said in a social media post Friday.

Russian forces crush settlements with the brute force of 3,000-pound (1,300-kilo) glide bombs, artillery, missiles and drones, then send in infantry units to attack the exposed defenders. The tactic has rendered many towns and villages uninhabitable.

In addition, Russian forces struck two tugboats in the Black Sea that were escorting cargo ships carrying Western weapons for Ukraine, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said.

It also said that its drones overnight hit Ukraine’s southern Izmail port’s railway station which it said is used for transporting military cargo and fuel for the Ukrainian armed forces.

In all, Russia attacked 12 Ukrainian regions overnight, wounding dozens of people, Zelenskyy said.

Ukrainian drones strike a major port north of Moscow

Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, extended their long-range strike campaign against Russian infrastructure, hitting the port of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad region north of Moscow and starting a brief fire, its governor Alexander Drozdenko said.

Ust-Luga is one of Russia’s largest oil and gas export terminals located more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) from Ukraine.

It has been a frequent target of Ukrainian drone attacks this summer, as Kyiv seeks to undermine Russian oil exports that provide Moscow with vital revenue for its war effort.

Ukraine also launched another attack on the premises of Wildberries, Russia’s biggest online retailer, which Kyiv says helps supply the Russian military.

The attack damaged a wall of a Wildberries warehouse in the Tver region north of Moscow, the region’s acting governor, Vitaly Korolyov, said.

Wildberries reported “insignificant damage” and said the goods stored at the site were not damaged.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Friday its air defenses overnight intercepted 553 Ukrainian drones over 18 Russian regions, as well as occupied Crimea and the waters of the Azov and the Black seas.

NATO warplanes shoot down a drone over Latvia

NATO fighter jets shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace in the early hours of Friday, the Latvian army and an official for the military alliance said.

Latvian authorities did not say what the origin of the drone was, but said it had entered Latvia “as a result of Russian electromagnetic warfare.”

Several drones have previously crossed the border into Latvia. Most of them are thought to be Ukrainian drones that strayed off course due to Russian electronic jamming.

Two Italian Eurofighter jets were scrambled to tackle the drone and one of them shot it down, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said.

Two Turkish fighter jets were also deployed, she said.

Residents in five municipalities in eastern Latvia were warned about the threat to airspace and told to take shelter.

Also, a drone crashed in woodland in Romania 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the border with Ukraine, the NATO member’s Defense Ministry said Friday.

Military radars did not detect the drone, which landed in eastern Tulcea County, because it was flying at a “very low” altitude, the ministry said. It provided no details about the drone’s origin.

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Associated Press reporters Claudia Ciobanu in Warsaw, Poland, Lorne Cook in Brussels and Stephen McGrath in Leamington Spa, England contributed to this report.

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

Kevin Rideout “is in good health in the care of US officials,” SIM International said in a statement.

He will soon be reunited with his extended family, the statement added.

Rideout was kidnapped in the West African country's capital, Niamey, on Oct. 21 by three armed individuals and was probably driven out of town, according to information provided by a security official at the time.

No armed group claimed responsibility for the abduction.

Niger has long faced attacks from armed groups including jihadis linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State organization.

The U.S. Embassy in Niamey issued a security alert a day after Rideout's kidnapping warning that American citizens “remain at a heightened risk of kidnapping throughout Niger, including in the capital city.”

Niger is ruled by a military junta that took power in 2023 after deposing the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. The new authorities ousted Western partners including the United States, which had soldiers in Niger, and forged a new security and diplomatic alliance with Russia.

In June, more than 30 people were killed when gunmen attacked the main airport in Niamey. It was the second attack this year at the airport, a strategic hub that serves as the ruling military’s command, hosting its air force base and most of its drones and aircraft. It’s also the headquarters of the regional alliance that brings together troops from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

The violence is the latest sign of armed groups increasingly targeting cities and urban centers in Africa’s Sahel region.

The historic temperatures are linked to human-caused climate change, and are hitting countries more used to long cold seasons and ill-equipped for this sort of heat, with limited air conditioning.

More evacuations in France as fire affects more regions

With France experiencing its driest year ever, a new fire raced through woodlands overnight in the Landes region on the southwest coast. The blaze forced more than 500 people to evacuate their homes in the town of Luglon as hundreds of firefighters deployed to the area, the regional administration said Friday.

It’s one of several fires scorching forests around France this week, including in normally cooler and wetter regions in the north and Brittany. A historic fire devoured forests near Bordeaux last month and pushed a quarter of a million people from their homes.

France also has shut down six nuclear reactors in recent days because of extreme heat and drought — and because a mass of jellyfish washed up outside one power plant on the English Channel coast, utility company EDF said. Large numbers of jellyfish are appearing on many French beaches in connection with unusually warm sea temperatures.

In a statement, the company said the shutdowns had minimal impact on France’s electricity production. It said extreme weather poses no safety risks to the reactors themselves.

UK wildfires come as London records its hottest day of the year

In the central English town of Stourbridge, where a huge blaze started Thursday, TV footage showed the fires consuming houses, with many left without roofs as flames burned inside the charred walls. About 20 to 30 homes were completely destroyed, Stourbridge lawmaker Cat Eccles told the BBC.

A woman who was evacuated from her Stourbridge home said police knocked on her door and urged her to leave immediately.

“They thought the fire was changing directions, and they didn’t know which direction it was going in,” Jane Baxter told BBC Radio. “So, it was literally ‘grab what you need and get out.’”

Simon Tuhill, chief fire officer of West Midlands Fire Service, said an investigation will be launched but the fire was believed to have started in the grassland before spreading to homes nearby.

Nineteen people and six firefighters were hospitalized for smoke inhalation and other injuries from multiple wildfires in the West Midlands region. In nearby Stoke-on-Trent, a 23-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman were arrested Friday on suspicion of arson over a large grass fire that spread quickly.

The Met Office, the official weather agency, said 38.1C (100.6 F) was recorded in west London on Thursday, marking the hottest day of the year. While temperatures cooled slightly on Friday, many parts of the country have seen little to no rain for weeks. This July has been the driest in England and Wales since records began in 1836.

Spain moves kings' remains to avoid fire

Spanish authorities on Thursday night transferred the remains of three 11th Century kings from a monastery in the northeastern Aragón region near an active wildfire.

The remains were taken to a museum about 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the 10th-century San Juan de la Peña monastery, which remained unharmed Friday, according to regional authorities.

Paintings, liturgical objects and the clothes of a notable 18th-century Spanish count were among the other items removed from the monastery.

The wildfire was not yet contained midday Friday with some 800 residents evacuated. Temperatures were expected to cool slightly Saturday.

A separate, much larger wildfire in southern Spain has burned more than 300 square kilometers (120 square miles) in the province of Huelva, also forcing evacuations.

Firefighters battle forest fire in Germany

All 1,800 residents of the village of Gey in western Germany were evacuated after a wildfire with shifting winds in the nearby Hürtgen forest threatened to reach their homes. Nearly 300 hectares (1.16 square miles) of forest were ablaze on Friday morning, local authorities said.

Unexploded ordnance from World War II in the forest hampered firefighting efforts, German news agency dpa reported.

The fire advanced to within 300 meters (1,000 feet) of Gey, which sits on the edge of the forest near the Belgian border. The cause of the blaze remains unknown.

Germany has set a new record for heat-related deaths so far this year, surpassing the 2018 level for the entire year, the Robert Koch Institute said Thursday. An estimated 12,500 people died from heat-related causes between Jan. 1 and Aug. 2.

Fire in Croatia leaves 1 dead, 14 hospitalized

In Croatia, one person was killed and 14 people were hospitalized, of whom seven remained in life-threatening condition early Friday, from a fire that raged overnight by the coastal town of Omis and forced more than 1,000 people to evacuate their homes. The person's body was found as police combed through the burned-out area.

The fire erupted late Thursday in an Omis suburb and quickly spread because of strong wind. The regional maritime authorities said 194 people, including children, were plucked from the sea and from various boats as they tried to flee the fire.

Firefighters put out the blaze by Friday morning as other crews in planes headed further south toward the Peljesac peninsula, where another wildfire broke out overnight.

Firefighters keep Albania's largest wildfire from spreading to homes

Albania has been battling dozens of wildfires in recent weeks, with 11 active fires reported across the country Friday.

The largest fire is in the Gure-Lure area, where the perimeter near residential homes has been brought under control.

Three people have been prosecuted over that fire, which engulfed Lura National Park. They are suspected of failing to take measures to protect the territory from fire, authorities said.

Meanwhile, in northern Greece, more than 300 vacationers and residents were evacuated by sea Thursday after a wildfire swept through a pine forest and threatened seaside homes, authorities said.

Belgium expected to set another heat record

Belgium was expecting to hit its highest temperature of the summer on Friday, climbing to 37 C (98.6 F) in the capital, Brussels.

The mercury was also set to hit 37 C (98.6 F) in the neighboring Netherlands. The country is suffering from severe drought, with water shortages in some areas, but Dutch authorities have held off declaring a water crisis as rain is expected in the coming days.

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Hui reported from London. Stefanie Dazio in Berlin; Claudia Ciobanu in Warsaw, Poland; Zana Cimili in Pristina, Kosovo; Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia; Lorne Cook in Brussels; and Suman Naishadham in Madrid contributed to this report.

And probably more than anything when it comes to time, most of us try to manage it — in our everyday lives and on a global scale, from the biology of our circadian rhythms to what constitutes a work day. Clocks. Calendars. Pendulums. Hourglasses. Sundials. Time zones.

For something that's been a pretty universal impulse to mark the shift of light and dark, the movement of the stars and the rhythms of the tides, the cycles of summer heat and winter cold, one might assume there's been a universal way of measuring time. That assumption would be wrong.

Take the shifting of the clock twice a year in most of the United States, once forward and then back again, a system that “moves” the time to let people enjoy daylight hours later into the evening.

While people love the light, a lot of them loathe having to make the change. So much so that the House of Representatives last month overwhelmingly passed legislation calling for the shift to become permanent year-round. Its prospects for passage in the Senate aren’t high, and when the country tried it in the 1970s it was wildly unpopular and short-lived. But it continues to be brought up, an indication that the way we keep the clock counts.

The methods different peoples and communities have used to track their lives haven't existed in a vacuum. They've been impacted by culture, by religion, by economics and technology, by the governing principles both within nations and among them.

Turns out, like pretty much anything where people are involved, there’s a politics to time.

Measurements of time are made up, but they matter

“Every measurement of time is arbitrary,” says Elizabeth Cohen, a political science professor at Boston University who has written about how we chronicle time and how it impacts the way people relate to each other. “Every deadline could have been a fraction of a second or a large increment of time different than it was,” she says. “None of it is natural.”

Take calendars. We use them to give a structure to our lives, but the spectrum of what that has looked like is vast through human existence. Some followed the sun, others the moon, and others still a combination of both. Maybe all the months were the same length, maybe they weren’t. What we call a seven-day week might have had four, or six, or some other number of days in other timekeeping systems.

Even today, when the main calendar in use globally is what we know as the Gregorian calendar, with its 12 months and leap years, other calendars are still consulted for religious or cultural purposes in places from Israel to Thailand. And daylight saving time? With its connection to our perceptions of what hours of light become available to us, it reflects “a desire for natural time,” says Michael O’Malley, professor of history at George Mason University.

People “are outside longer, so they feel it as a connection to nature,” he says. “But it only makes sense in a society that’s completely hypnotized by clocks so you think the clock is time.”

The culture of the clock is evolving

It's not just about the how. When we think about how culture evolved around time, there's also the why.

For most of human history, there were ties to the rhythms of the natural world: the phases of the moon, the rising and setting of the sun, the ebb and flow of the tides. And in agricultural societies, the importance of when to plant and when to harvest.

Tracking the sun's journey across the sky was a local endeavor. While the idea of a day broken down into 24 equal segments was important to groups like astronomers or seafarers, daily life was broken into “systems that tended to expand and contract based on the time of year and the location,” says Kevin Birth, a professor of anthropology at Queens College.

“But since people weren’t really traveling back and forth with any great rapidity back," he says, "then it really didn’t matter.”

Industrialization — in the form of the Industrial Revolution that started in 18th-century England and spread — pushed people to shift notions of time. No longer was it about the sun's cycle or the turn of the seasons. Industrial production meant schedules — people paying attention to the clock because they were due for specific shifts.

“It was one of the goals of industrialization to instill in people this regular, unvarying sense of time,” O'Malley says.

Contrast that to a preindustrial farmer, he says. “You could have an ethic of hard work, but that work is not going to be governed by a clock. It’s typically going to be governed by natural cues. The clock establishes this external authority that’s not you."

In the United States, by the mid-1800s, another issue arose: time zones. There were more than 40 based around cities, which O'Malley says forced railroad companies to switch dynamically as trains traveled.

Worried that other entities would standardize the zones and disrupt their businesses, the companies acted. “The American Railway Association got all the American railroads to agree that on Nov. 18, 1883, they would declare a four-zone system in effect in America,” O'Malley says. “And they just announced it.”

Time can be a cudgel

It's hardly the only occasion where the perception of time has involved national or global concerns.

Take the Prime Meridian, the entirely made-up longitude line running from the North Pole to the South Pole, that divides Earth into eastern and western hemispheres and is used as the basis for global timekeeping as well as navigation.

It runs through Greenwich, England, and was selected at an international conference in 1884. Was that because Greenwich was the ideal place? No, Birth says — it simply was established during “a period when the British Empire was one of the dominant empires in the world.”

Time zones themselves “are about politics,” he says, pointing out that they are not divided in a standard format. Countries decide their own, and in the U.S., the individual states can decide if they observe Daylight Saving or not.

A prime example is China, which stretches more than 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) across Asia. It has one official time zone for the country, instituted when the Communist Party took power in 1949 as a form of national unity.

The entire country runs officially on Beijing time, but the reality on the ground when the sun rises in eastern China hours before it rises in western China is people adjust with their own local times for daily life, Birth says.

Time can also be a tool used in a society to manage dissent and protest, Cohen says. She pointed to examples like governments instituting curfews or protesters engaging in slowdowns or strikes.

“Time has a lot of power," she says, “and people are battling over it to try and impose themselves on others or remove the yoke that has been imposed on them.”

The Dodgers took a two-run lead into the ninth inning Thursday night with Diaz, the highest-paid closer in baseball, on the mound. The defending champions left one inning later with a 5-4 loss to the NL-leading Milwaukee Brewers, who wreaked havoc on Los Angeles’ already beleaguered relief corps with a clutch three-run, five-hit rally.

Diaz (2-2) blew a save for the third time in his last four appearances for the Dodgers, giving up four consecutive one-out singles and three runs.

The normally imperturbable Roberts was clearly annoyed after this brutal loss in a game that would have pulled the Dodgers even with the Brewers atop the National League standings. Instead, Los Angeles has lost nine of 13.

When Roberts was asked whether Diaz would be allowed to continue to work through his struggles as the closer, Roberts snapped: “Give me another option.”

“I can’t just say, ‘Change (Diaz) to low leverage,'” Roberts added. “I have to have other options, and to be quite honest, none of those guys really have thrown the baseball great. That’s just kind of the way it is.”

That’s the dilemma facing Roberts, whose bullpen doesn’t currently contain a reliever he completely trusts. While the Dodgers’ overall bullpen statistics aren’t glaringly bad, Diaz’s struggles and a series of poor performances in recent high-leverage situations have clearly taxed Roberts’ problem-solving ability.

“You look back at the last week, and guys have struggled,” Roberts said. “I’m not going to sit here and play carousel and chase my tail ... when a guy is struggling, and then when he doesn’t pitch well, then it’s, ‘Why are you pitching him?’ I don’t do that. Everyone has got a role. They all have jobs to do, and they all have to do their job. That’s it.”

The trumpets that herald Diaz’s entrance into games have sounded more like a dirge lately while his ERA ballooned to 11.57. The three-time All-Star and longtime Mets closer has been frequently awful since returning late last month from a three-month absence for elbow surgery, giving up eight runs and 12 hits in only seven appearances.

“It’s frustrating, because I know my ability,” Diaz said. “I know what I can do on the mound. To not be able to do it (stinks). I've just got to come tomorrow and try to keep getting better.”

Diaz realizes he could be in danger of losing his job as the Dodgers' closer.

“I've just got to see what they want to do,” he said. “I want to do the best thing for the team. At the end of the day, if they give me the ball in the ninth, I will try to do my job. If they give me the ball in another inning, I will try to do my job. Got to get better, be consistent.”

Despite Roberts’ protestations, the clearest option to replace Diaz is left-hander Tanner Scott, who earned 16 saves this season before Diaz returned. But Scott’s miserable 2025 season is still top of many minds in Los Angeles, and his 2026 performance has mildly declined in recent weeks.

Roberts realizes he could consider a closer-by-committee plan, but that’s also difficult when any choice will be concerning.

“We’ve got to get other guys on track to even have that be even a valid conversation, to be honest with you,” Roberts said.

The bullpen’s struggles are magnified because the Dodgers’ talent-laden lineup hasn’t blown out anyone in weeks. Los Angeles has won just two games by more than two runs since July 19, repeatedly putting its relievers into perilous situations.

The Dodgers are trying to become the first NL team to win three straight World Series, and their fans still remember their team barely scraping through last season with a patchwork bullpen that finished 21st in the majors in ERA. In the postseason, LA improbably converted rookie starter Roki Sasaki into a closer.

Diaz was supposed to be the foundation of a return to a strong bullpen for the Dodgers, who hadn’t had a standout closer for years. Instead, he’s the central figure in another mess in mid-August.

Roberts is frustrated, but he’s also got perspective.

“I know people don’t want to hear it, but it’s baseball,” Roberts said. “Offenses go in lulls, and the bullpens go in lulls, and sometimes you get in a run where the starting pitching isn’t there. It is what happens, and it just doesn’t feel good. And it certainly is more highlighted when the ’pen doesn’t throw the baseball well, because it costs you games.”

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Many Christians in Israel, who make up less than 2% of the country’s population, are worried visible signs of their faith will draw harassment, which has increased as multiple conflicts grip the region.

“I’m scared after the sister was beat up,” said Sister Mayela, a Mexican nun who’s lived in Jerusalem on and off for more than two decades. “Before, one could live with more confidence. Some people spat, some said hi. Now we have to live trusting in God.”

She finds resilience in her faith — and in support from Israelis like the volunteers. Even that, though, didn’t prevent a teen from spitting right behind her as they passed a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews recently. The teen said she was only clearing her throat, but the volunteer reported it to police.

Incidents like that are among the challenges for Christians in Israel, particularly since the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7, 2023, plunged the country back into war and polarization. But interfaith leaders and researchers are encouraged by better policing and prosecution as well as the recent appointment of a government envoy to the Christian world, who is Greek Orthodox.

In northern Israel, many Christians say they feel the state isn’t doing enough to protect them from crime because they’re not Jewish. But those concerns didn’t stop groups of Catholics from joining a recent joyous pilgrimage on Mount Tabor, where the Gospels say Jesus appeared transfigured alongside the Jewish prophets Moses and Elijah.

“In a world where darkness is filling the hearts of people, we need to diffuse God’s light to other people,” said Sister Muna, the nun who led one youth group.

For many Christians and Jews, protecting coexistence in the Holy Land is a moral imperative after their own long histories of religious persecution.

“I don’t want Christians to go out of their house in Jerusalem … and have fear,” said Yisca Harani, the Jewish Israeli educator and activist who escorted Sister Mayela. “I’ve gone through this 2,000 years in my Jewish history. I’m not going to let that happen.”

Occasional flare-ups occur in multifaith Old City

In the Old City, Jewish men in black hats and tzitzit tassels, Muslim women in hijabs and Christian priests in flowing robes walk past each other daily in the maze of stone alleyways. Many are headed to pray at the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. These are some of the most sacred sites respectively for Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and they are close to each other.

“If you stroll around in your habit, sooner or later you’ll get some spitting next to you,” said the Rev. Alberto Pari, who leads interfaith dialogue and Christian-Jewish relations as secretary to the Custody of the Holy Land, the Catholic order ministering to holy sites across the region. “But it’s important not to generalize, because that unleashes antisemitism.”

Religious Freedom Data Center, the organization that Harani founded to track harassment of Christians, has recorded a near-tripling of incidents in Jerusalem from four years ago to the last three months recorded — about one a day now — virtually all by Jewish religious nationalists.

A Jewish man from a settlement in the occupied West Bank was indicted in the violent attack on the nun in April. The French Biblical and Archeological School of Jerusalem where the nun is a researcher expects “effective prosecution at the criminal and civil levels,” said the school’s director, Friar Olivier Poquillon.

Israel's government tackles anti-Christian incidents

Among those reaching out to Catholic leaders to denounce the attack and offer support was Ambassador George Deek, Israel's new envoy tasked with building what he calls the “special relationship” between Christians and the country, to both keep Christians safe and partner on issues like fighting antisemitism.

“We believe that every incident against Christians is immoral, illegal and should be prosecuted. That’s exactly what we are going to do,” Deek told The Associated Press. “We want to make sure that Israel continues to prosper and grow as a place where Christians can not only survive, but they can thrive.”

Around the time that the nun was attacked, two other incidents drew global condemnation. An Israeli soldier smashed a crucifix in a family garden and another stuck a cigarette in the mouth of a statue of the Virgin Mary in southern Lebanon, where the military is fighting Hezbollah militants. The soldiers involved received military prison sentences.

Most Israelis find harassment unacceptable. But Jewish religious nationalists, particularly uneducated young men, remain a threat, said John Munayer of the Rossing Center for Education and Dialogue, an interreligious organization in Jerusalem.

Their hostility to Christians is grounded in the history of persecution of Jews in Christian-majority European countries, in faith practices they see as idol-worshipping, and in a “general intolerance” for anyone who’s not Jewish near sacred areas like the Western Wall, Munayer said.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict spills over in Christian-Jewish tensions

Then there’s the overhanging trauma of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, since most local Christians in Israel and the occupied West Bank are Palestinian.

In Taybeh, the last entirely Christian village in the West Bank, Jewish settlers recently cut through house fences and destroyed fruit and vegetable gardens, said the Rev. Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest of Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church.

“All the people here are afraid,” he said. “Settlers come and go every day.”

Israel’s army declared the village a closed military zone earlier this week to curb the attacks. But concerns about Israel’s ability and willingness to rein in the settlers remain even among evangelicals, who are among the staunchest Christian supporters of Israel.

“What happens in Taybeh is really troubling,” said David Parsons, spokesperson for International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. “Israeli leaders have realized for some time that Christian support for their nation is not only vital, it’s a strategic interest.”

And yet since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, “generalized fear and skepticism” pervaded all interreligious work, Pari said. The interfaith music institute he directs, Magnificat, was invited to play at a peace march in Jerusalem. But when the Palestinian members saw that the stage had been set up by an Old City gate flanked by Israeli flags, they refused to play.

“I felt a real failure,” Pari said. “We think that as Christians, we have a very important role to patch things back together. ... It will be difficult, but we can do it.”

Israeli Christians hold tight to faith and identity

That faith-grounded resilience prevailed among the Mount Tabor pilgrims, who gathered on the mountain to celebrate the feast of the Transfiguration last week. Rising interfaith tensions and crime have driven many of the area’s Christians to emigrate, several said.

“It’s very difficult that we keep our identity as Christians in the Middle East, but it’s the most important,” said John Akleh, 20, who came with Sister Muna’s group.

Ten pilgrims from nearby Nazareth — where Jesus grew up — started the climb at 4:15 a.m. led by the Rev. Fadi Shallufi in a yearly tradition they’ve maintained even in wartime.

“We will have a lot of sacrifice, but you will be sure in this land something will change,” Shallufi told them as he celebrated Mass in the mountaintop basilica.

___

Associated Press journalists Ibrahim Hazboun and Moshe Edri contributed from Jerusalem.

___

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.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

U.S. futures are mixed as Wall Street looks to advance for the week ahead of new retail sales data.

The future for the S&P 500 edged 0.1% higher Friday while Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1%. Nasdaq futures rose 0.1%.

The U.S. stock market hit all-time highs Thursday on new data that showed inflation cooled in July, as well as a decline in oil prices.

However, oil is rebounding to end the week after two United Arab Emirates tankers were attacked while trying to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

New numbers for U.S. retail sales arrive Friday before the opening bell after shoppers slowed their spending in June from May. There had been a notable bump in spending in both April and May as Americans dipped into their U.S. tax refunds.

Consumers, while resilient, have become more careful about how they spend money with more of their paychecks going to groceries and gasoline.

The average price of gas rose again overnight to $4.08, according to motor club AAA. That's 92 cents more per gallon than at this time last year.

Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 24 cents to $87.31 per barrel early Friday. U.S. benchmark crude rose almost 1% to $81.83.

Businesses and households have had difficulty budgeting for gasoline and shipping because energy prices have become extremely volatile as fighting continues in the Middle East. Hopes for a U.S. deal with Iran have faded and the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the global oil supply usually transits each day, remains bottled up.

There was a level of relief after new reports this week showed consumer inflation, as well as rising costs in the pipeline before it reaches consumers, slowed in July.

If inflation appears to be in check, the Federal Reserve could hold off on raising interest rates. Higher rates would help keep a lid on inflation, but they do so by intentionally slowing the economy and making it more expensive for everyone to borrow money.

“The disinflation ducks are starting to line up, and with oil also backing off, the market has steadily stripped away the case for another near-term Fed hike,” Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management said in a commentary.

In equities trading Friday, Reddit’s stock surged more than 12% before the bell with the social media platform joining the S&P 500 next week. Applied Materials slumped after the second quarter performance of the computer chip equipment maker fell short of investor expectations.

Britain's FTSE 100 fell 0.1% to 10,761.60 after Nigel Farage regained the seat in Parliament he quit a month ago, beating trash-can wearing comic candidate Count Binface in a widely mocked special election.

In Germany, the DAX rose 0.7% to 26,476.21, while the CAC 40 in Paris edged less than 0.1% lower to 8,654.97.

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.6% to 68,713.80, while the Kospi in South Korea rose 2.4% to 6,977.94.

The U.S. dollar dipped to 159.15 Japanese yen from 159.16 yen. The euro edged down slightly to $1.1555 from $1.1556.

Farage, leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party who some see as a possible next prime minister, abruptly quit his seat in July amid an investigation into whether he failed to report a 5 million pound ($6.7 million) gift from an overseas crypto billionaire.

He denied wrongdoing and ran again for the seat to prove he had voters’ support, regaining it with 63% of Thursday’s vote in an unusual election on the hottest day of the year. Binface, a serial candidate who has challenged prime ministers past and present, represented a protest vote and finished second in a field of 34 candidates — many of them also jokers — with about 27%, according to the results announced Friday.

Farage hailed the result as an “overwhelming win” that increased his vote share over the last election, but it’s hard to draw broad conclusions from the election given the lack of genuine rivals and the fact that Farage has long been popular in the conservative constituency on the east coast of England.

“Today the voters in Clacton have stuck up two fingers to the entire political establishment,” Farage said, referring to the British equivalent of a crude gesture that employs the middle finger in other cultures.

The result will send him back to the House of Commons, but an investigation by a parliamentary watchdog that was suspended when he stepped down was resumed hours after the result was announced. That means Farage could be forced out of Parliament — and face yet another election.

Farage reshaped UK politics

Farage, the chief cheerleader in getting Britain to vote to leave the European Union a decade ago, has shattered the country's longstanding two-party system by positioning himself to the right of the Conservative Party.

With Farage’s win, the party has just eight of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, but is popular nationally by drawing on a mix of cultural grievances and a vow to stop what he has called an invasion of migrants crossing the English Channel in inflatable rafts. Reform has frequently changed the national conversation and forced the governing center-left Labour Party and the Conservatives, long the dominant parties, to address Reform’s key issues.

But with Farage under scrutiny and a Labour leadership shakeup that installed Andy Burnham as prime minister, some analysts say Labour is regaining popularity.

Farage still faces investigation over an undeclared donation

Pressure will continue to mount on Farage as Parliament’s standards watchdog investigates an undeclared donation he got in 2024 from Christopher Harborne, a Thailand-based cryptocurrency billionaire. Farage says he didn’t need to declare the money because it was a personal gift he used to fund his security and was made before he was elected.

When he resigned on July 7, he complained of an “establishment hit job” and a media-driven “witch-hunt.”

Farage also faces an investigation into his financial relationship with George Cottrell, an aristocratic crypto-gambling entrepreneur who served eight months in a U.S. prison for fraud a decade ago after offering to launder money for undercover agents posing as drug traffickers.

Cottrell remains close to Farage and has reportedly given him money for security and staff. Farage has denied wrongdoing and stood by the man he calls “Posh George.”

Labour Party chairwoman Bridget Phillipson said the election was no victory for Farage, and he needs to come clean over his finances and relationship with Cottrell.

“The mountain of sleaze and scandal he and Reform are now engulfed in has grown and grown while he’s been trying to distract the public by fighting a by-election against a bin,” Phillipson said.

Farage was a no-show at the vote count

Farage’s gambit to resign and run again backfired when other parties refused to participate and he was left facing a massive field of independent and small-party candidates, including novelty acts such as Howling Laud Hope of The Official Monster Raving Loony Party and Marcus White from the Everyone is God Party.

Farage declared victory in the early morning and blew off the official declaration where he would have had to stand alongside the other candidates — a time-honored tradition in British politics.

“I’m damned if I’m going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory ... and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies,” Farage told supporters at a victory party.

Farage also said he didn’t attend because police told him about an “organized campaign to disrupt and degrade the result.” A spokesperson for Reform said there was a credible threat against him, though police disputed that.

Fiona Byrne, who wouldn’t say who she voted for, said Farage shouldn’t have called the election, which she said was an expensive joke.

“It’s just been a complete waste of money and time for everybody here, and he just needs to face the music,” she said.

But John Fairclough said he was happy Farage won because he’s what the country needs.

“To my mind he hasn’t done anything wrong,” Fairclough said. “He’s a threat to the main media and government who want to just control us and control everything.”

Binface, who ran on a wacky platform that included a vow to “cut your taxes, and raise everyone else’s,” build one affordable home, and nationalize singer Adele, declared himself the "winning candidate of the candidates who bothered to turn up for the results."

Under the black cape, trash can helmet and ample body armor straight out of a low-budget sci-fi film, Binface’s alter-ego is Jon Harvey, a middle-aged comedian who spent most of the campaign doing media interviews and trying to stay cool in the costume during a sweltering summer.

Binface has hinted that if Farage faces another election, he could return to run again.

“Over one in four people in this constituency would rather have Count Binface as their MP than the leader of Reform UK,” Binface said in a video on X. “Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Clacton by-election.” ___

Melley reported from London.

A rescue operation was launched after a sudden rush of water and debris entered the tunnel at the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti hydroelectric project in Chamoli district later Thursday night, said top district official Gaurav Kumar.

Of 22 people who were working in the tunnel, 12 have been rescued alive and another three are still missing, the chief minister of Uttarakhand state Pushkar Singh Dhami told reporters.

Rescue teams from the national and state Disaster Response Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and fire services are fighting rising water and debris with as they search for the remaining workers, officials said.

“When our team reached the site and started the operation, there was a lot of water inside the tunnel and water was also seeping from the sides. Since then, the water level has increased considerably,” said the commander of the National Disaster Response Force team, Amrit Lal Meena.

Construction accidents are common in India, where rapid infrastructure growth often collides with fragile geology, construction lapses, extreme weather and safety standards.

In the Himalayan region, fragile mountains, seismic activity and unpredictable underground conditions make tunnel projects especially risky. An explosion inside a coal mine in neighboring Meghalaya state in February killed at least 18 workers. In 2023, a tunnel section in northern Uttarakhand state collapsed, trapping 41 workers for 17 days before they were rescued.

The 33-year-old Philadelphia Phillies slugger added another thoroughly Midwestern highlight to his well-decorated career Thursday night, hitting two home runs into an Iowa cornfield.

Schwarber led off the Field of Dreams game with a homer and then connected for a two-run shot in the fourth inning to spark the Phillies in a 7-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins.

“We all watched the movie as kids, so it was really cool to be able to see exactly where it was and just kind of the full ceremony of it, too,” said Schwarber, who leads the major leagues with 37 home runs. “Just an unbelievable experience.”

After helping the Cubs win the World Series in 2016, making the postseason 10 times in his first 11 years and being selected to four All-Star teams, Schwarber has been building quite the resume. With 377 career home runs and counting, perhaps he'll one day join the club in Cooperstown like the 26 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame who took part in the pregame pomp at the newly constructed ballpark.

For now, Schwarber has an unforgettable night to share with his family forever. His two children are too young to watch or understand the movie now, but he can't wait to watch the 1989 film with them down the road.

“You might not ever get to play another big league baseball game here, so to be able to have that experience, it’s a unique thing for you and it’s something you’re going to bring up to your kids,” Schwarber said. “We’re going to watch that movie together with my kids one day and be able to say, ‘Hey, dad got to play there,’ or, ‘See that house in this movie? I got to see it.’ So it’ll be really cool.”

Twins right fielder Luke Keaschall, who homered in the loss, nearly caught Schwarber's second home run above the wall, but the ball glanced off his glove and into the dark green sea of corn.

“It was up there a while. In a perfect world, I think I should catch it,” Keaschall said. “I didn’t today.”

The Phillies moved a half-game ahead of idle Arizona into the third and final wild-card spot for the NL playoffs. So Schwarber's big swings meant more than just a page in his personal memory book.

“To have a good season a lot of guys have to have good years, but the aircraft carriers have still got to carry you,” Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly said. “That just takes pressure off of everyone.”

Having entered the night just 10-15 since the All-Star break, the Phillies needed a bit of a jolt like the magic of the movie site and game location can produce — and their star designated hitter can provide.

“I feel like some people could take that for granted because he’s done it so many times, but we definitely don’t,” Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola said. “There’s no moment ever too big for him.”

___

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Trump is visiting the Nassau County Police Academy in suburban Long Island, where the White House said he will release new FBI crime statistics showing a decrease in violent crime for 2025.

“President Trump promised to make America safe again and the data proves he has done just that,” White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said. “Unlike Defund-the-Police Democrats, President Trump will always stand with our law enforcement officers and deliver safer American neighborhoods.”

Trump's visit is aimed at boosting Republican candidates in closely contested races across his home state, but just how much his presence will help is in question as he faces lagging approval ratings and a deeply unpopular war in Iran with no end in sight.

Trump narrowly won Nassau County in 2024, flipping it for Republicans for the first time in more than two decades. It's home to two Democratic House seats that Republicans now see as winnable this fall, and it's home turf for Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman, the Trump-endorsed Republican challenging Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Trump will be joined by Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel in Nassau County, which has one of the largest police forces in the nation.

Crime becoming a theme in New York races

It's the second time this year Trump has visited New York in support of Blakeman and other Republicans. He stopped by the Hudson Valley area in May for a speech in which he said Blakeman would curb “out of control” crime.

Crime has emerged as a significant issue in the governor's race, with both candidates claiming to have the better track record of making New Yorkers safe. Hochul visited a different Long Island police department in July to announce a statewide investment in policing technology.

A statement from Blakeman said he's grateful Trump is visiting “to tour our outstanding, state-of-the-art law enforcement facilities” and pay tribute to law enforcement workers.

In a Fox Business interview Thursday, Blakeman played down concerns that Trump's visit would be unpopular with voters in New York City.

“When the most powerful person in the world comes to visit you and shows that you have a relationship together, I think that’s a very good thing,” Blakeman said, adding that even voters who disagree with Trump might appreciate a governor with a direct line to the president.

Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki said the governor "has invested billions in public safety to protect New Yorkers — ‘MAGA all the way’ Bruce Blakeman is bringing Donald Trump to tour the county where he let violent crime spike to decade highs and Trump’s unaccountable ICE agents abuse their power.”

For GOP, safety is seen as a winning issue

Matt Gorman, a Republican strategist, said Trump's visit stands to boost Blakeman along with Republican challengers looking to unseat a pair of Democratic incumbents in Nassau County districts. Michael LiPetri Jr. is challenging Rep. Tom Suozzi in New York's 3rd Congressional District, while Jeanine Driscoll is opposing Rep. Lauren Gillen in the 4th Congressional District.

The focus on crime is seen as a cornerstone issue for Republicans that appeals to Trump's base along with suburban swing voters, Gorman said.

“On the strategic level, crime is an issue that Republicans feel comfortable going on offense with, where the country kind of broadly agrees with them,” he said.

Trump is touting the issue as he faces low approval ratings on a number of other issues, including the economy and the Iran war. An AP-NORC poll from August 2025 found that Trump’s handling of crime was among his strongest issues, though his approval on the issue had fallen by 10 points by December 2025.

Trump lashes out over report finding he hasn't reduced crime

While many of Trump's recent swing-state speeches have focused on his tax breaks and economic policies, Trump often mentions his effort to curb crime by deploying the National Guard in Washington, New Orleans and other Democrat-led cities.

This week, Trump lashed out at the Center for American Progress and threatened to sue the liberal think tank over a report finding that the National Guard deployments failed to reduce crime. Without giving evidence, Trump said in a social media post that “crime is way down since I took Office, and they know it.”

For Trump, talking about crime reduction during his trip to New York offers a chance to reach voters across political and class divisions, said Jesse Hunt, a Republican strategist.

“The issue of crime and safety is a massive winner for Republicans,” Hunt said. “What we’ve seen from the Trump administration and Republicans in general is a real focus on that issue. And they should highlight the successes.”

The White House said the new FBI statistics will show year-over-year decreases in murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Crime experts often caution against drawing too much from single-year changes and encourage a focus on long-term patterns.

The conservative voter from northeast Iowa said he didn't know Zach Lahn before the political newcomer “came out of nowhere" with a surprise GOP primary win over the candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump. So when Lahn came to his farm last week, Burrack questioned him on his approach to agriculture.

“I hit him pretty hard,” said Burrack, who was considering whether to vote for Lahn in November or not vote at all.

It wasn't the first skeptical audience for the self-described “change candidate” in the state led by Republicans.

Lahn won the June primary even though an “entire establishment was set up against me,” he said. He criticizes politicians in both parties, accusing them of being bought by corporate interests. His bid for governor will test how an anti-establishment conservative fares with a general electorate — and with traditional Republicans — a decade after Trump’s own brand of populism reshaped the GOP.

While Iowa Republicans have an electoral advantage, Lahn entered the general election with a lower public profile than his Democratic opponent, state Auditor Rob Sand. Democrats see an opportunity to win this cycle in once-competitive Iowa, where high costs, health clinic closures, manufacturing job losses and a struggling agricultural economy weigh on voters.

Lahn talks about bringing a “different message” to Iowans who aren't satisfied with the trajectory of Iowa's small towns, public education or cancer rates, even after years of Republican control of state government. But only three months before Election Day, Lahn acknowledged he needs to keep getting out in front of people to address their questions and concerns.

“I think, for the most part, a lot of people just have never heard my message,” Lahn said after the event at Burrack's farm in Arlington. “The more we’ve met with people, the more they understand where our priorities lie, the more they say, ‘We are with you.’”

In farm country, Lahn has to answer for his positions on ‘big ag’

Some of Lahn's ideas challenge the Republican Party's status quo. Among them is his approach to agriculture and embrace of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, which has prompted questions in the state that's among the nation's top producers of corn, soybeans, red meat and ethanol. Lahn promotes regenerative farming; emphasizes a link between high nitrate-loaded water and cancer; and questions the safety of agrochemicals.

Before Lahn took the stage in Arlington to talk agriculture, farmer Lance Lillibridge, a former president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, told the couple hundred Iowans there that the goal was to “get the air clear."

In front of a huge American flag and sandwiched between two freshly washed John Deere tractors, Lahn said, “We farm a bit weird” on his own Iowa acres, growing oats, alfalfa and einkorn along with corn and beans.

But he told the crowd he wants to fund farmers’ efforts to diversify their operations, not force Iowans to farm like him. He said targeting “big ag” means filing antitrust lawsuits against corporate conglomerates that sell seed and fertilizer and taxing out-of-state investors consolidating Iowa acres, not stepping on family farms. He wants to see more incentives to improve water quality but wouldn’t try to outright ban agrochemicals.

Burrack, like Lahn, says that they won’t agree on everything. But after talking with Lahn, he called himself a supporter.

Lahn pushes back on claims that he's a ‘part-time Iowan’

At another stop, a few dozen faces crowded at the back of a coffee shop in Hampton, Iowa, just after the lunch rush. Many of them were familiar with each other but less so with the candidate they came to see. Among them were Jay and Sally Van Wert, retired farmer and teacher, who said Lahn seemed like a nice guy, but they didn't know much else.

Several Iowans attending some of Lahn's first publicly advertised events since the primary said they only knew what they’ve seen in advertisements from Sand's campaign. The ads call Lahn a “part-time Iowan" and reference dozens of occasions where Lahn piloted his private plane to and from Kansas since launching his campaign.

“Is he going all the time to Kansas?” asked Larry Streicher, 84, a Republican farmer in the front row in Arlington. “We don’t know anything about him.”

Lahn said he left Iowa for college like so many others but wanted to come home, amplifying a nostalgia for Iowa culture and heritage that resonated with voters, not unlike Trump's “Make America Great Again” message.

He left Iowa again to start a private school funded by the Koch family, which opened in Kansas in 2018. He co-founded the school with his now-wife, Annie, who had been married to Chase Koch, son of conservative billionaire Charles Koch.

Lahn told the crowds he and Annie moved into their Belle Plaine, Iowa, homestead in 2023 after finishing renovations. Lahn bought the farm that had been in his family for a century but sold it after his great-grandmother died.

Douglas Puffett, a farmer from Strawberry Point and member of his county’s GOP central committee, said Lahn's story is like so many other Iowans’ and his vision for Iowa is driven by what drew him back.

“That’s how you inspire the next generation,” said the 40-year-old, who appreciates that Lahn, also 40, is young and has young kids.

Lahn has explained that trips to Kansas are due to his blended family, which includes children from his and Annie’s previous marriages. He doesn't comment on whether he would travel or use taxpayer resources to do so if elected governor, saying it would not impact his ability to govern.

Puffett, who attended Lahn’s Arlington event, thinks 10 years of Republican trifecta have given Sand an opening to appeal to people who might be unhappy with the “Republican establishment,” he said, but Lahn “stacks up really nice” with his calls for reform.

“I think it’s time to kind of roll over the leadership of the Republican Party here in Iowa," he said.

A grassroots campaign receives ‘full embrace’ from the establishment

Gov. Kim Reynolds’ decision to not seek a third term gave Republicans their first wide-open primary since 2010, and five candidates were on the ballot. Lahn overtook U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra by less than a percentage point, or about 1,650 more votes.

Lahn told crowds that he only met Reynolds after the primary, a signal of his distance from Iowa politics. Speaking at the state party’s fundraiser in July, he joked about all the donors who “haven’t been returning my calls” all being in one room.

Since his primary win, Lahn has met with party leaders and Iowa's prominent industry groups. His campaign spent the summer ramping up fundraising, staff and organizing infrastructure.

State Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, who is the majority leader of House Republicans, said there may be some differences of opinion or “curiosities, not concerns" about Lahn's positions, but added that's always the case.

Kaufmann met Lahn earlier this year, voted for him in June and said there's been a “full embrace” of the nominee. He said Lahn is not a traditional candidate, but that's what makes his campaign energizing for Republicans who are “constantly craving new leadership."

“I think it began back in 2016 with President Trump,” Kaufmann said. “Republicans don’t rest on our laurels."

The program remained secret for decades and in 1982, President Ronald Reagan signed a proclamation designating Aug. 14 as the official day to honor the Navajo Code Talkers and all Native Americans who served in the war.

A crowd is expected to gather in Phoenix to mark the day. Among them will be Thomas H. Begay, 101, who is among the last two remaining Code Talkers.

In all, the military recruited and trained more than 400 Navajo men to communicate confidential information using their then-unwritten language. It became the largest code-talking program in the military at the time.

Between 1942 and 1945, they sent thousands of secret messages on battle tactics and enemy troop movements and ultimately helped save the lives of thousands of Allied soldiers.

“The U.S. was being defeated. Without that code, that war could have been different," said Dawn Manuelito, a granddaughter of one of the first 29 Navajo Code Talkers. “Our language saved this country."

Navajo soldiers were sworn to secrecy

When the Code Talkers were discharged after the war, they couldn't tell anyone — even family members — about their secret mission. The program remained classified until 1968 and then efforts began to formally recognize the soldiers for their contributions.

In 1971, President Richard Nixon sent a letter of appreciation to the Navajo Tribal Council. Code Talker veterans participated in the bicentennial parade in Washington in 1976 and then Begay and other Code Talkers made a written request for recognition that resulted in a 1982 joint congressional resolution and Reagan's proclamation.

In the proclamation, Reagan also acknowledged that members of the Choctaw, Chippewa, Creek, Sioux, and other tribes used their tribal languages as effective battlefield codes in the two world wars.

At least 20 tribes have had members participate in the code talking programs, according to the National Museum of the American Indian.

During World War II, over 40,000 Native American men and women enlisted in the U.S. armed forces. Of the hundreds of Code Talkers deployed, the Comanches participated in operations in Europe, including the D-Day invasion of Nazi-occupied France.

Advocates work to keep the legacy alive

Following President Donald Trump’s executive order to end federal diversity and equity programs, the Defense Department deleted thousands of pages honoring contributions by women and minority groups, including the Navajo Code Talkers and other Native American veterans.

Tribes condemned the action. The Pentagon restored some webpages, saying the Navajo Code Talker material was erroneously removed.

Laura Tohe, the Arizona poet laureate and daughter of a Navajo Code Talker, said her father went to a boarding school where students were punished for using their native languages. But when he joined the Army, Tohe said, he and other men were told that the military would use their language to devise a code.

“It's a huge contradiction,” Tohe said. “Despite the complicated and dark history and relationship that we have with the U.S., these men were willing to step up because many of them felt like it was their responsibility to serve."

There's no dedicated museum to honor the group. Attempts to build one on the Navajo Nation haven't come to fruition, but plans were announced last week to establish one in Farmington, New Mexico.

Only two Navajo Code Talkers remain

Begay grew up speaking only the Navajo language with his parents. At 13, like many Native American Code Talkers, he first learned English when he was sent to boarding school.

Begay left the Marines in 1946 but joined the U.S. Army a year later. He worked as a communication specialist and was a paratrooper during the Korean War. The experience in Korea convinced him to leave the military in 1953.

The other surviving Navajo Code Talker is Peter MacDonald. He joined the Marine Corps at 15. He was two years too young, so he lied about his age.

After the war, MacDonald worked as an engineer at a defense contractor company and eventually became a powerful and controversial politician on the Navajo Nation. In November 2017, MacDonald, along with other World War II veterans, met Trump in the Oval Office and shared the history of the Navajo Code Talkers.

——

Associated Press writer Savannah Peters contributed from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The vandalism comes weeks after President Donald Trump said the nearby Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool was deliberately damaged. He called the people responsible “animals.”

“Our beautiful World War II Memorial was just hit by Spray Painting Vandals,” he said on Friday on his Truth Social site. “THERE CAN BE NO GREATER INSULT TO THOSE AMERICAN HEROES WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR II."

The Interior Department said that the U.S. Park Police were on the scene following the Thursday vandalism and an investigation was ongoing. "The public should know we will find the person responsible for this disgusting act,” the department said.

The Friends of the National World War II Memorial, a nonprofit organization that helps maintain the site, said: “There are many places in our country for expression, debate, and disagreement. A national memorial honoring those who served and those who never returned home should never be used as a canvas for vandalism.”

The Veterans of Foreign Wars called the vandalism “an act of profound disrespect, a slap in the face to the veterans who served and sacrificed and to the families who carried that burden at home.”

The World War II Memorial is just east of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on the Mall. After a botched repair job earlier this year left the pool with peeling blue sealant and green algae, Trump blamed the issues on vandalism without providing evidence.

“First the Reflecting Pool, now this,” Trump said in his Truth Social post. "We are on their trail! Where do these animals come from???”

A former Olympian was charged in late July with deliberately damaging the Reflecting Pool, but the Justice Department later moved to dismiss that case, saying evidence prosecutors had received refuted the idea that vandals were to blame.

Trump sharply criticized U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s assessment that damage to the Reflecting Pool was the result of shoddy construction and not the work of vandals, as he claimed.

The case dismissal was an embarrassing setback for a Justice Department that had previously echoed Trump’s claims and billed the prosecution as accountability for damage at a Washington landmark, a pet project of Trump. Pirro’s decision to drop the case was also a rare moment during Trump’s second term of an aide or political appointee openly defying him.

Pirro blamed the Interior Department for providing “less than fulsome information at the outset of the case.” It was a jarring turn in position from Pirro, who had claimed the government’s case was built on “tremendous evidence” when she announced the indictment.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in a posting on X appeared to push back against Pirro’s criticism, claiming some of the acts of vandalism were captured on video.

Mangione could still change his mind about the plea, said the person, who was not authorized to talk publicly about the case and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. Previous plea talks in June broke down.

Lawyers for Mangione and the Justice Department declined to comment prior to the late-morning court hearing, which was hastily requested by prosecutors and defense lawyers earlier this week.

Mangione, 28, was charged by both federal and state prosecutors with ambushing Thompson, 50, outside a New York City hotel on Dec. 4, 2024, as the insurance executive walked to UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference.

A trial on state murder charges is scheduled to start next month. It is unclear whether that trial would go forward if Mangione pleaded guilty in the federal case.

Mangione faces two federal charges that he stalked Thompson to cause his death. Both the federal and state cases could lead to a life prison sentence. A federal judge earlier this year tossed out additional charges that could have exposed Mangione to a potential death penalty.

Mangione had complained about the prospect of two trials, telling a judge in February: “It’s the same trial twice. One plus one is two. Double jeopardy by any commonsense definition.”

Under New York law, a state prosecution could potentially be barred if the federal case is resolved first.

The state’s double jeopardy protections kick in if a jury has been sworn in a prior prosecution, such as a federal case, or if that prosecution ends in a guilty plea. Mangione’s cases involve different charges arising from the same course of conduct.

In a letter last month, state prosecutors objected to the possibility of a guilty plea in the federal case wiping out the state case.

U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett has delivered some setbacks to the defense, including ruling in January that prosecutors could use items collected from Mangione’s backpack during his arrest as evidence against him.

They included a 3D-printed pistol that investigators said matched the one used to kill Thompson and a notebook in which authorities say Mangione described his intent to kill an insurance executive.

In June, Mangione’s lawyers said they would pursue a psychiatric defense in the state case but reversed course a day later. The defense, involving claims that he was suffering from extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the killing, isn’t allowed in federal court.

Surveillance video of the killing showed a masked gunman shooting Thompson from behind. Police say “delay,” “deny” and “depose” were written on the ammunition, mimicking a phrase used to describe how insurers avoid paying claims.

Mangione, a University of Pennsylvania graduate from a wealthy Maryland family, was arrested five days later at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, about 230 miles (370 kilometers) west of Manhattan.

He has become a cause célèbre for some people upset with the health insurance industry.

___

Durkin Richer reported from Washington.

It is just one way officials across the country are trying to tackle the growing issue, while families navigate a patchwork of local laws and guidance on what kind of souped-up cycles and scooters are safe or even legal for their kids to ride.

New York City’s mayor recently sent cease-and-desist notices to dozens of online retailers for selling products marketed as “e-bikes” that aren’t street legal after a 17-year-old died in a crash on an illicit vehicle. In neighboring New Jersey, new regulations require e-bike riders to be at least 15 and obtain a license and vehicle registration.

But do the measures hit the mark? Cycling advocates worry regulations might be too broad — demonizing low-powered e-bikes instead of speedier motos — while some parents question whether localized, piecemeal strategies are enough.

Monica Stafford, a San Francisco-area mother whose teen daughter fractured her skull falling off an e-bike, said officials are “missing the mark” if they’re seeking to lay the blame solely on parents. The San Rafael resident said a unified, national set of rules is needed.

“We’re in a total Wild West of laws,” Stafford said. “Being for common sense laws doesn’t mean that you’re against e-bikes, just like you can be for cars but not think that it’s safe to put keys in the hands of a 10-year-old.”

E-bike injuries disproportionately impact children, experts say

The two-wheeled machines have become nearly ubiquitous in recent years, from packs of teens zipping around California beach towns to the army of delivery drivers dodging traffic on the congested streets of Manhattan.

Hospital visits for injuries from e-bike, e-scooter and other motorized rides have, as expected, soared as they have grown in popularity, study after study has shown. But researchers stress that the more concerning trends are the severity of the injuries and the fact that they’re especially pronounced among children.

“The big takeaway is that people are generally more severely injured than they would be if they were on a traditional, pedal bicycle,” said Dr. John Austin, a doctor at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine who led a recently published statewide study. “Overall, these patients tend to be younger, they tend to be unhelmeted and, in turn, be more severely injured.”

Recent youth deaths prompt officials to take action

Most e-bikes are classified as nonmotorized vehicles akin to traditional bicycles under federal law, meaning riders don’t need a license, insurance or to even wear a helmet. Most states, though, have enacted additional requirements for higher powered machines, including minimum age and helmet requirements.

In New York City, the death of the 17-year-old just steps from City Hall has spurred renewed debate about the bikes. Gabriel Nacato had been riding a vehicle advertised as an “e-bike” but wasn't legal on city streets.

Earlier this month, Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned more than 40 online retailers, including Amazon, Walmart and Target, that they could face fines of up to $2,000 for each sale of an e-bike that exceeds city regulations.

New York state requires riders of all forms of e-bikes to be at least 16, and New York City imposes additional restrictions, including a 15 mph (24 kph) speed limit. California, in contrast, has no statewide minimum age for lower-powered bikes, though riders must be at least 16 to use e-bikes that can go up to 28 mph (45 kph).

New Jersey and Illinois are among the states that have enacted statewide regulations recently, and Massachusetts is weighing measures. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in June vetoed a 10 mph (16 kph) speed limit and other e-bike regulations, saying the measures would lead to “enhanced surveillance” of citizens.

Other jurisdictions seek to hold parents accountable

In Southern California, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer says his office has more than two dozen open investigations against parents after launching a new unit focused on e-bike and e-motorcycle cases involving children.

The office has already brought charges against four, including the mother of a 14-year-old boy accused of killing an elderly pedestrian while riding an e-motorcycle.

That mother’s attorney declined to comment, but Mitchell Krems, the lawyer for another parent, dismissed the charges against his client as “absurd,” suggesting his client was being made a “scapegoat.”

Richard Eyssallenne pleaded not guilty to child endangerment charges after prosecutors say he bought his 12-year-old son an e-motorcycle and helped him illegally modify it to make it go faster. The boy ran through a red light and was injured by a car.

Other jurisdictions have also taken steps to hold parents liable. In Ohio, a Columbus suburb recently issued new e-bike rules making it clear that parents who knowingly allow their children to break the rules are subject to the same penalties as the rider.

Cycling advocates blame electronic motorcycles

PeopleForBikes, a national bicycle advocacy group that tracks state e-bike regulations, stressed that many of the problematic vehicles are actually electronic motorcycles with heavy frames, sturdy tires and sizable motors that are falsely marketed as e-bikes.

Lower-powered and pedal-assisted e-bikes have been used safely for decades on U.S. streets and are key to reducing society's reliance on cars, advocates argue.

“Many of the dangerous behaviors people cite — running red lights, riding on sidewalks, not wearing helmets — are already illegal,” added Chloé Lauer, executive director of the San Diego County Bike Coalition. “We’d rather see those laws enforced than add new restrictions that limit mobility for kids who are riding responsibly.”

Anya Dalal, a San Francisco-area high school senior who has been advocating for better safety measures, believes the problem requires multiple solutions, including setting age limits.

“It should be a mix of parental accountability, accountability from the manufacturers and retailers and also education for kids to understand e-bike laws and road rules,” said the 17-year-old Hillsborough resident.

Sharon Franke, a San Diego-area mother, agreed, though she said the first step starts at home, with parents doing their research, accompanying their children on rides and reinforcing safety once they set off on their own.

“We want them to have fun, but we also want them to come back safe and we don’t want them to hurt anybody,” she said as her 15- and 12-year-old sons prepared to attend a safety training last weekend. “How do you balance all of it? It’s just overwhelming right now.”

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Associated Press reporters Amy Taxin and Christopher Weber in California and Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed to this story.

___

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

In conversation, she seamlessly slips in and out of that singular voice — a little breathy, a little squeaky, a little lispy, a little New York — that made her “Little Shop of Horrors” heroine an instant icon. It wasn’t a register she’d planned on hitting at the audition. It just came out of her in the moment, and it stuck.

“I didn’t think about it,” Greene, 75, said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “It was weird, I mean, I don’t know where half of this stuff came from.”

Back on tour with ‘Little Shop’

In her long and robust career on the stage and screen, Audrey is perhaps Greene’s defining role. Her tragicomic shopgirl of skid row belted her way into audiences’ hearts off-Broadway in 1982, and then in Frank Oz’s 1986 film opposite Rick Moranis.

The catchy musical about that flesh-eating plant is never too far in the rearview either. Every few years it seems she’s beckoned for an encore. In 2015, she reprised the role for three sold-out shows, with Jake Gyllenhaal playing Seymour.

Starting this weekend, she'll be making stops around the country for the next few months for 40th anniversary screenings, from Seattle (Aug. 18) to Atlanta (Nov. 13). Performances of “Somewhere That’s Green” have been promised too.

'Somewhere That’s Green'

That aching ballad about wanting more, aside from being one of the big showstoppers, holds a special place for Greene. She remembers first listening to it on the unemployment line, waiting to get her check, and quietly singing along.

“I just knew there was an Audrey inside of me waiting to be born,” Greene said.

She carried that feeling to the audition where composer Alan Menken jumped in to play the piano with lyricist Howard Ashman, already her great friend, looking on. When she finished, everyone was in tears.

Getting the role wasn’t any sort of immediate windfall either. When they started at the WPA Theatre in New York, she was being paid $50 a week for a month of rehearsals and two months of shows off-Broadway. But it was a hit. One night, Steve Martin, who would later play Audrey’s abusive dentist boyfriend in the film, even came to see it with Mary Tyler Moore.

On the stage, she performed “Somewhere That's Green” sitting on a trash can. For the film, Ashman wrote the number to be staged like the Leslie Caron and Cyd Charisse numbers they both loved, where a character walks into a room and suddenly they’re in a different outfit for the song.

“You would think I would just have been floored and so excited that he gave me this gift,” she said. “Instead, I call him up and I’m crying my eyes out. And I’m saying, wait for this, ‘Where’s my trash can?’”

Ashman, she said, just laughed and assured her that they’d elicit the same response when the camera pans out to reveal she’s still on skid row. Ironically, this whole exchange happened before she’d even officially been cast in the movie.

How the audience saved Audrey from dying

The story of how the film was made is long and bumpy. John Landis was originally attached to direct, then, briefly, Martin Scorsese, before it found its way to Oz. Greene’s participation was never a given, either. Producer David Geffen wanted to get a “bigger name,” like Cyndi Lauper, on screen.

“I never thought I would have gotten the film,” Greene said.

But it’s hard to imagine anyone else turning in a performance as distinctive. Test audiences loved her Audrey so much that they wholly rejected an ending in which she dies.

“I love that death scene, personally,” Greene said. “But I had an inkling, you see, because Frank directed the Audrey for the screen more heroine-like.”

He’d taken out lines from the play like “you don’t meet nice boys when you live on skid row,” she said in Audrey-speak. She thinks it set her up a little differently. Then at the end, there’s the line “when I die, which should be very shortly.” On stage, she said it to the audience. In the film, she says it to Seymour. It's more intimate and serious.

“Frank thinks it’s because we didn’t take a bow, like in the play, but I think it’s because it’s just the line is interpreted two different ways. One sets it up that this is silly and I’m OK, and the other one is it’s real and it’s touching,” she said.

Oz ultimately relented and they shot a happier conclusion. Now, Greene just likes that they both exist (the original in a director’s cut).

Keeping Howard Ashman's memory alive

Remembering “Little Shop” is also a way to remember Ashman, who died of complications related to AIDS in 1991. Their friendship was one of many laughs, songs and adventures. He even took her on her first trip to Paris.

“We got into my room and he put on a bubble bath, because he knows I love bubble baths. I got into the bath, he gave me Champagne, he gave me caviar, he put on Piaf,” she said. “We had separate rooms, of course, but we were close, so what can you do? And I’m from the theater, so I’m not modest.”

He also looked out for her. When they were drawing up contracts for the “Little Shop” stage run, all she could think about was making sure London was in there. Unbeknownst to her, Ashman had also given her a half point of the profit, “because I created Audrey,” she said.

“That’s how generous and kind he was and how much he loved me,” she said. “Everybody loves Audrey because we, I, loved her first. And everybody loves “Little Shop” because we put so much love in it … I am so grateful and very humble because when they love ‘Little Shop’, they keep it alive, and they keep Howard Ashman alive.”

“I’m not too concerned,” deGrom said following a 7-0 loss to the Angels. “I mean, hopefully I’ll make my next (start). We’ll see. It was tight in the second inning, and it just didn’t want to loosen up, so I don’t know, I haven’t really had this before.”

The 38-year-old right-hander, who has been dealing with a left hip and glute injury since the All-Star break, escaped a two-on, one-out jam in the first but gave up two runs and five hits during a 32-pitch second. He was replaced by right-hander Peyton Gray to begin the third with the Angels leading 2-0.

It was the first time deGrom permitted five hits in an inning since Sept. 5, 2017, with the New York Mets.

“I wasn’t going to risk it once I heard (it was) the triceps,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “Obviously, you don’t want to hear anything arm-related. You pull a guy out in the second inning, it’s concerning. But we’ll figure it out when he gets some imaging. We won’t know until they get in there.”

This seven-game road trip began with the Rangers placing pitcher Nathan Eovaldi on the 15-day injured list because of elbow inflammation Monday. Texas beat the Angels 4-1 that night but lost the next three games to fall to 60-62 and two games behind first-place Houston in the AL West.

Now, the Rangers might have to navigate the next few weeks without their two best starting pitchers.

“Our starting pitching has taken a hit, that is reality,” Schumaker said. “With two guys going down, we’ll see what it looks like, but it’s never easy when you’re No. 1 and No. 2 guys are down.”

A two-time Cy Young Award winner, deGrom allowed six hits, struck out three and walked one. He needs two strikeouts to become the ninth active pitcher and 94th in major league history to reach 2,000.

In three starts against the Angels this season, deGrom has yielded 10 earned runs in 10 innings.

“It was very disappointing,” he said of Thursday night's start. “I needed to go out there and give us some length and wasn’t able to do it. I said I could probably keep going, and they said, ‘Well, we’re not going to risk this right now,’ so we’ll just see how it is tomorrow and I’ll go from there.”

One of baseball’s best pitchers when healthy, deGrom made at least 31 starts per season and pitched to a 2.53 ERA across 622 1/3 innings from 2017-19 with the Mets.

He won NL Cy Young Awards with New York in 2018 and 2019 and led the National League with 255 strikeouts in 2019 and 104 strikeouts during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

But deGrom made only 35 starts because of injuries from 2021-24 and underwent his second Tommy John surgery in June 2023, which sidelined him for much of his first two seasons with Texas in 2023 and 2024.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Australia led all but 150 meters of the women's 4 x 200 freestyle relay, with the team of Inez Miller, Lani Pallister, Hannah Casey and Milla Jansen winning in 7 minutes, 42.40 seconds to lower the country's championship mark of 7:44.12 set at the 2018 Pan Pacs.

Katie Ledecky swam the anchor leg for the U.S., but couldn't overhaul Jansen although she got within a body length in the closing meters. Erin Gemmell, Anna Peplowski, Rylee Erisman and Ledecky took silver in 7:43.10, also going under the old championship mark.

“I've kind of struggled with the 200 individually from a flat start over the last couple years, but I always know I'll have something in me for the relay and I'll pull out a good split,” Ledecky said. “I love swimming that anchor leg.”

McIntosh helped Canada earn the relay bronze.

The U.S. team of Luke Hobson, Aaron Shackell, Patrick Sammon and Gabriel Jett won the men's 4 x 200 free relay in a championship record of 6:59.37. The Americans led the entire race, with Jett's explosive turn off the final wall helping him hold off a charging Sam Short of Australia on the anchor leg.

“I just kind of poured everything on,” Jett said. “I swim with my eyes closed, so I didn't know where I was.”

McIntosh briefly dipped under her own world-record pace early in the 400 IM. McIntosh finished in a championship record time of 4:28.01 after qualifying second-quickest for the eight-woman final at the outdoor pool.

McIntosh was disappointed with her time in the 200 free after losing to Pallister of Australia on opening night of the four-day international meet.

“Just trying to forget about it,” McIntosh said.

Jenna Forrester of Australia was second in 4:31.50. Agostina Hein, an 18-year-old from Argentina, took bronze after coming into the final with the fastest time in preliminaries.

Meg Harris of Australia surprised herself with a victory in the women's 100 freestyle from Lane 6. She touched in 52.60 seconds, beating American Gretchen Walsh, who was second in 52.78 after being 0.01 seconds under world-record pace at the turn. Olivia Wunsch of Australia was third.

American Simon Manuel, the 2016 Olympic champion, finished fourth.

The U.S. went 1-2 in the men's 100. Jack Alexy won in 47.14, lowering his championship-record time of 47.40 from the preliminaries. Teammate Patrick Sammon was second at 47.62. Guilherme Caribe of Brazil was third.

American McKenzie Siroky won the 100 breaststroke for her first international medal. She outdueled Tang Qianting of China down the stretch to touch first in 1:05.32. Tang was second in 1:05.46.

The U.S. swept the 50 backstroke events.

Quintin McCarty won the men's race in 24.51, lowering the championship record set by Isaac Cooper of Australia in the prelims. Cooper took silver.

Katharine Berkoff won the women's race in a career-best 26.90, bettering her championship mark set in the prelims. Teammate Regan Smith was second in 27.14.

American Van Mathias earned his third medal of the meet, winning the 100 breaststroke in 58.02, lowering his championship record from the prelims. He took silver in the 50 butterfly and gold in the world record-setting 4 x 100 mixed medley relay Wednesday.

The men's 400 IM was won by Tomoyuki Matsushita of Japan in 4:06.75. His time erased American Ryan Lochte's championship mark of 4:07.59 set at the 2010 Pan Pacs, also in Irvine.

“Next time I come back to the U.S. I'm going to get gold again,” a smiling Matsushita said through a translator.

American Carson Foster was second.

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

La Agencia Meteorológica de Japón rebajó su alerta más severa por lluvias intensas en más de una docena de municipios de la prefectura de Chiba, después de que la lluvia amainara el viernes por la mañana, pero pronosticó más precipitaciones más tarde en el día.

En fotos e imágenes de televisión fue posible ver daños generalizados tras el amanecer. Viviendas, autos y partes de las vías del tren quedaron inundadas con agua lodosa.

La Fuerza Terrestre de Autodefensa informó que envió autobuses para recoger a unas 4.000 personas varadas que pasaron la noche en la estación de tren de Soga, una ruta local que también da servicio a Tokyo Disney, una operación que terminó más tarde el viernes. El parque temático no reportó daños.

Miles de personas que quedaron varadas durante la noche en el aeropuerto de Narita, que presta servicio a la región de Tokio, se fueron gradualmente a medida que el servicio de trenes se reanudó parcialmente el viernes por la mañana con retrasos. Los vuelos hacia y desde Narita operaban con normalidad el viernes, y muchas personas regresaban a casa al final de la semana festiva budista de Bon en Japón.

Cientos de personas se refugiaron durante la noche en el edificio del gobierno de la prefectura de Chiba.

La prefectura indicó que cinco personas fueron encontradas muertas y otra está desaparecida. Entre las víctimas estaba un hombre que fue hallado flotando en un camino inundado en la ciudad de Ichikawa, y una mujer que había quedado atrapada en un auto inundado en la ciudad de Sakura. Se presume que dos personas estén muertas después de ser sacadas de autos inundados en la ciudad de Kashiwa y en Chiba.

Más de 170 viviendas se anegaron en la prefectura y más de 300 personas se refugiaban en instalaciones públicas hasta la tarde del viernes, señalaron funcionarios de Chiba.

Las lluvias torrenciales y las inundaciones también dejaron sin electricidad a unas 18 .000 viviendas el viernes por la mañana, una disminución con respecto a las 68.000 previas, según TEPCO Power Grid.

En la ciudad de Chiba cayeron 11,5 centímetros (4,5 pulgadas) de lluvia en apenas una hora, y en Sakura se registraron 9,7 centímetros (3,8 pulgadas) en una hora, lo que también fue un récord. El pronosticador oficial de la agencia meteorológica, Takuya Hosomi, manifestó en una conferencia de prensa televisada de emergencia que se registraron niveles de lluvia sin precedentes.

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

The Heisman Trophy winner led one touchdown drive for the Raiders (0-1) in four series — not including a kneel-down at the end of the first half — and finished 10 of 16 for 97 yards and a 6-yard TD pass to Jack Bech.

“I thought he led a good scoring drive as far as getting in and out of the huddle and commanding the group and getting the play calls down,” Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said. “I saw the same guy that we’ve seen in practice. I see an ascending player.”

Mendoza was more critical in his self-evaluation.

“Unfortunately, I let my teammates down today,” Mendoza said. “But it's a growing experience, and I feel like we're all growing. It showed me that I need to grow a lot.”

Mendoza became the first top overall draft selection to throw a touchdown pass in his first preseason game since 2018, when Baker Mayfield had two for Cleveland against the New York Giants.

Mendoza just missed a second touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, throwing beyond the reach of Deven Thompkins. He was sharp at times, threading a 19-yard pass in the second quarter between three defenders to fellow rookie Malik Benson.

While noting that everything came together on that play, including his timing with the receiver, Mendoza said some of his throws were a bit off.

“There's other passes I made that did not have great timing and anticipation,” Mendoza said. “But that was one that was a good connection. You see (starter) Kirk (Cousins) is timing and anticipation — boom, boom, boom. So that's an area I've got to grow in.”

The expected rematch of college football national championship quarterbacks didn't happen because the Cardinals (1-1) decided not to play Carson Beck, who has sore ribs. Mendoza led Indiana to a 27-21 victory over Beck and Miami in the title game in January.

“Being the preseason, we just didn't want to risk it,” Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said. “It was kind of a bummer for our fan base and (media) and me and all us because we want to see these guys out there.”

Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby also did not play, which wasn't completely unexpected after Kubiak said Tuesday that his playing status was to be determined. Crosby, who underwent knee surgery in January, has participated in training camp.

Teammate Jermod McCoy, who hasn't played in nearly two years because of a torn ACL, played with the second-team defense at cornerback. He was the primary defender on two Cardinals touchdowns.

Each team's starting quarterback played one series, both resulting in touchdowns.

Las Vegas' Cousins was 5 of 6 for 50 yards and a 13-yard touchdown pass to Michael Mayer. Arizona's Jacoby Brissett completed all five passes for 44 yards and a 7-yard TD to Marvin Harrison Jr.

Brissett and former Raider Gardner Minshew combined to go 15 of 15 for 123 yards and three touchdowns in the first half to build a 21-14 lead. That string of completions extended 16 early in the second half before Minshew finally threw an incomplete pass on a rollout to the right.

Rookie Jeremiyah Love, drafted third overall by the Cardinals, made his preseason debut and rushed for 58 yards on 11 carries.

Injury report

Cardinals: Rookie right guard Chase Bisontis, who was drafted in the second round, injured his left knee. LaFleur said the injury appears serious. ... LaFleur said he didn't think Love's ankle injury was a major concern.

Up next

Cardinals: Host Dallas on Aug. 22.

Raiders: At Houston next Thursday.

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

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Inspectors recently ordered 13 establishments shut, finding everything from rodent droppings and live roaches, to hundreds of flies, mold-like buildup, filthy equipment and food held at unsafe temperatures.

At Yellow Tail Subs Grill in Homestead, inspectors documented 32 violations, including live roaches crawling across a food-preparation table, among cleaned containers, and even out of a box of parchment paper used to wrap food; more than 100 roach droppings were found on a shelf.

At Pack Supermarket in Miami, inspectors found rodent droppings throughout the store, including 15 or more inside the walk-in cooler, along with gnawed cabbage bags. Records show it was the fourth time the supermarket had been ordered shut over rodent issues since October 2025.

At Pickles Pub Sandbar in Key West, inspectors reported 100 or more live flying insects landing on soda boxes, clean plates, napkins, pitchers and cups, while Tacombi in Miami was cited for dozens of rodent droppings and live flies.

Other shutdowns involved improperly cooled or stored food, unsanitary food-contact surfaces, dirty floors and equipment, and repeated pest problems.

All the places mentioned were allowed to re-open following an ordered cleanup and then a re-inspection.

**TACOMBI

3930 NE 2ND AVE.

MIAMI

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 8/6

11 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed approximately 16 droppings at floor by mop sink by water heater room under storage dry rack. Observed approximately 25 droppings on floor under dishwasher and three compartment sink. Observed approximately 10 droppings behind ice machine bar area.”

“Live, small flying insects found. Observed approximately 5 live small flies flying by ware washing area and 3 flies flying around prep area by hand sink front counter.”

“Cutting board has cut marks and is no longer cleanable. Observe green cutting board By prep area front counter.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed reach in cooler gaskets soiled at front counter.”

**YELLOW TAIL SUBS GRILL

27275 SOUTH DIXIE HIGHWAY

HOMESTEAD

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 8/6

32 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed at cook line 4 live roaches crawling across floor. Observed at fire suppression extinguisher above reach in cooler, 6+ live roaches. Observed at dish washing area shelf approximately 6+ live roaches crawling between cleaned containers. Observed at prep table in kitchen 2 live roaches crawling on prep table where uncovered hot sauce containers were being prepped. Observed at water heater closet 8 live roaches crawling out of door frame. Observed at dry storage area 4 live roaches crawling on walls and shelves where flour bags are stored. Observed 1 live roach crawling out of box of parchment paper used to wrap food items. Observed 1 live roach crawling from under gyro machine at cook line. Observed 1 live roach crawling on lid of reach in cooler flip top.”

“Roach excrement and/or droppings present. Observed at dish washing area shelf 100+ roach droppings on shelf and metal containers.”

“Accumulation of dead or trapped birds, insects, rodents, or other pests, in control devices. Observed at drive thru area big zapper with an accumulation of dead fly’s and roaches.”

“Insect control device installed over food preparation area. Observed at drive thru bug zapper stored on top of soda machine. Observed at dry storage area big zapper stored on shelf above bags of flour.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed throughout with dirty build up, dead roaches and cob webs and flies.”

“Pesticide/insecticide labeled for household use only present in establishment. Observed can of household roach spray at kitchen prep table.”

“Objectionable odors in bathroom or other areas of the establishment. Observed at rear dry storage area where flour is stored.”

“Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. Observed at all reach in cooler and freezer handles.”

“Single-use gloves not changed as needed after changing tasks or when damaged or soiled. Observed cook coat raw chicken then proceed to grab raw tilapia and wash off gloves.”

“Stored food not covered. Observed at reach in cooler containers of tilapia, shrimp and conch fritters stored uncovered. Observed at dry storage shelf bucket of dry seasoning stored uncovered.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed at cook line table fried chicken (101F - Hot Holding).”

“No proof of required state approved employee training provided for employee hired more than 60 days ago.”

“Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Observed employee remove soiled gloves then take new pair to replace no hand wash.”

**ELEVENTH STREET PIZZA

9025 SW 72ND PL.

MIAMI

ORDERED SHUT 8/3

13 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Observed 20 + live flies in kitchen area under prep table in bags of red onions.”

“Live, small flying insects found. Observed 20 + live flies in kitchen area under prep table in bags of red onions. Observed 2 live flies at front counter near beer tap.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed meat slicer soiled. Repeat Violation.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Observed near pizza mixer. Repeat Violation.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Observed throughout kitchen.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed reach in across oven with ambient temp of 55F; the following TCS foods stored inside for more than 4 hours: mozzarella cheese (54F - Cold Holding); roasted onions (58F - Cold Holding); mushrooms roasted (72F - Cold Holding); Alfredo sauce (70F - Cold Holding); roasted garlic (55F - Cold Holding). Repeat Violation.”

**PICKLES PUB SANDBAR

511 GREENE ST.

KEY WEST

ORDERED SHUT 8/3

24 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed approximately 20+ rodent droppings on deli slicer underneath prep table in pizza prep area and approximately 15+ droppings on shelf where pizza boxes are stored.”

“Live, small flying insects found. Observed approximately 100+ live flying insects flying and landing on soda boxes, clean plates, napkins, bottle of grenadine, clean pitchers, and clean cups inside server station near bar.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Observed one dead roach on stairs leading up to dry storage room.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed storage container heavily soiled with old food debris where clean pizza pans are stored under pizza ovens in pizza area.”

“Accumulation of debris on exterior of ware washing machine. Repeat Violation.”

“Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. Observed all reach in cooler handles soiled. Repeat Violation.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Observed ceiling heavily dusty above bar area. Repeat Violation.”

“Equipment in poor repair. Observed broken reach in cooler next to fryers, not in use. Observed pizza prep reach in cooler lid broken. Repeat Violation.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Observed floor heavily soiled in pizza prep area and floor in server station soiled with slime like substance. Repeat Violation.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed shredded cheese (56F - Cold Holding); sausage (55F - Cold Holding); shredded mozzarella (55F - Cold Holding); pizza sauce (54F - Cold Holding) inside reach in cooler at pizza prep area, as per operator for 2 hours. Observed shredded cheese (45F - Cold Holding); shredded lettuce (46F - Cold Holding); raw chicken (45F - Cold Holding) inside reach in cooler across from walk in cooler. Repeat Violation.”

“Employee touched soiled surface and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands. Observed employee grab trash can then handle pizza paddle to plate pizza without changing gloves and washing hands.”

“Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Observed employee handle raw chicken then change gloves and begin to handle clean equipment without washing hands.”

**PACK SUPERMARKET

8235 NE 2ND AVE.

MIAMI

ORDERED SHUT 8/3

25 VIOLATIONS FOUND

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 3/2026 (RODENT ISSUE)

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 12/2025 (RODENT ISSUE)

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 10/2025 (RODENT ISSUE)

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed 3 rodent droppings on the floor behind soda reach in cooler, 4 rodent droppings on the floor under 3 compartment sink, 2 droppings on the floor under front counter, 2 droppings on the floor of the stairs by the 3 compartment sink, 15+ droppings on the floor inside the walk in cooler and 3 rodent droppings on the floor under the mop sink. Repeat Violation.”

“Presence of insects, rodents, or other pests. Observed gnawed marks on 3 cabbage bags inside the walk in cooler.”

“Stop Sale issued due to food not being in a wholesome, sound condition. Observed gnawed marks on 3 cabbage bags inside the walk in cooler.”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed containers of sugar heavily soiled by the coffee machine.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Observed pickles (67F - Cold Holding) stored on top of prep table for 2 hours, as per operator. Operator placed item into reach in cooler.”

“Food service manager not certified within 30 days of employment.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tile shows damage or is in disrepair. Throughout the establishment. Repeat Violation.”

“Equipment in poor repair. Observed walk in cooler #1 and walk in cooler door in disrepair. Repeat Violation.”

“Exterior door has a gap at the threshold that opens to the outside. Repeat Violation.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed mop sink heavily soiled.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. By the mop sink, next to and behind fryer station. Repeat Violation.”

“No currently certified food service manager on duty with four or more employees engaged in food preparation/handling.”

FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION 8/4

“Observed approximately 25 rodent droppings around inside the walk in cooler floor. Observed behind cook line table 4 rodent droppings.”

**SUGAR BAE

8253 SUNSET STRIP

SUNRISE

ORDERED SHUT 8/7

6 VIOLATIONS FOUND

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 8/2025 (ROACH ISSUE)

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. 1) 6 live roaches inside dishwashing machine dishwashing machine in kitchen. 2) 7 live roaches under chest freezer in kitchen 3) 5 live roaches crawling on wall next to triple sink in kitchen. 4) 6 live Roaches under food warmer in kitchen.”

“Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Cheese (50F - Cold Holding); Cooked Potatoes (49F - Cold Holding). Per Manager food items in unit overnight. Items not prepared or portioned today.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Cheese (50F - Cold Holding); Cooked Potatoes (49F - Cold Holding). Per Manager food items in unit overnight. Items not prepared or portioned today.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food, other than whole meat roast, hot held at less than 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Prep Table- Cooked Rice (98-110F - Hot Holding). Per cook food items stored at room temperature less than 2 hours. Cook discarded.”

**RENDEZ-VOUS

1576 EAST OAKLAND PARK BLVD.

OAKLAND PARK

ORDERED SHUT 7/27

10 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Approximately 4 rodent droppings on dry storage shelf next to dry pancake mix. 1 rodent droppings on top of box of pancake mix. Operator removed rodent droppings.”

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. 1 live roach under dry storage shelving. Operator exterminated and removed.”

“Dead roaches on premises. 1 dead roach next to front counter ice machine. 1 dead roach under dish machine. 3 dead under dry storage shelving. Operator removed dead roaches.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. 1. Under dry storage shelving. 2. Under triple sink and dish machine. 3. Behind booths along front windows.”

“Required employee training expired for some employees.”

**GOURMET CREOLE

416 NE 36TH ST.

POMPANO BEACH

INSPECTION BASED ON COMPLAINT

ORDERED SHUT 7/27

13 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. 1. Observed approximately 10 rodent droppings on floor behind fridge in dry storage area. 2. Observed approximately 25 rodents droppings on food storage container packing on bottom shelf of food prep table next to fridge in dry storage area.”

“Dead roaches on premises. 1. Observed approximately 10 dead roaches on glue board on floor in closet. 2. Observed approximately 10 dead roaches on a glue board under food prep table next to fridge in dry storage area.”

“Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. 1. Observed Cooked chicken (48F); cooked beef (51F); Pikliz (49F) in two door reach in cooler in kitchen. Not prepared or portioned today.”

“Food being cooled by nonapproved method as evidenced by inadequate rate of cooling during time of inspection. 1. Observed black beans cooling on counter in kitchen at 11:30a at 105F to 91F at 11:59, cooling since 11a. Observed cooling in deep containers. Observed operator covering with plastic and placing container in reach in cooler.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. 1. Observed buildup of spilled dry rice and beans on floors and under tables and equipment in dry storage area.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. 1. Observed old food debris on bottom shelf of reach in freezer in kitchen. 2. Hood filters at cookline in kitchen. Repeat Violation.”

**IFRA’S INDIAN KITCHEN

9543 S. DIXIE HIGHWAY

PINECREST

ORDERED SHUT 7/27

23 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Observed 1 live roach on floor next to mop sink in kitchen area. Observed 1 live roach on reach in cooler in kitchen area across triple sink. Observed 1 live roach on empty container in kitchen area above hand sink. Observed 1 live roach under triple sink next to cook line in kitchen area.”

“Live, small flying insects found. Observed 2 live flies on wall next to mop sink in kitchen area. Observed 1 live fly on wall next to cooler in kitchen area. Observed 2 live flies in restroom on wall behind toilet.”

“Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Observed reach in outside of kitchen with ambient temp of 54F; the following TCS foods stored inside for more than 4 hours: lamb (47F - Cold Holding); chicken (45F - Cold Holding); cheese (46F - Cold Holding); cooked potato (45F - Cold Holding); cauliflower cooked (46F - Cold Holding).”

“Food-contact surface soiled with food debris, mold-like substance or slime. Observed food and dish shelves soiled. Repeat Violation.”

“Buildup of food debris/soil residue on equipment door handles. Repeat Violation.”

“Ceiling/ceiling tiles/vents soiled with accumulated food debris, grease, dust, or mold-like substance. Observed soiled ceiling. Repeat Violation.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of debris. Observed in kitchen. Repeat Violation.”

“Interior of oven/microwave has accumulation of black substance/grease/food debris. Observed microwave and oven soiled. Repeat Violation.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Repeat Violation.”

“Wall soiled with accumulated grease, food debris, and/or dust. Observed soiled walls in kitchen. Repeat Violation.”

“Cold holding equipment not maintained in good repair. Do not store time/temperature control for safety food in this unit until the unit is repaired. Observed reach in outside of kitchen with ambient temp of 54F; the following TCS foods stored inside for more than 4 hours: lamb (47F - Cold Holding); chicken (45F - Cold Holding); cheese (46F - Cold Holding); cooked potato (45F - Cold Holding); cauliflower cooked (46F - Cold Holding).”

FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION 7/28

“At time of callback inspection observed 6 live flying insects on wall and ceiling in the restroom. Observed 1 live flying insects on kitchen reach in cooler door.”

“At time of callback inspection observed 4 live roaches in kitchen area behind window opening panel and shelf as well as coming out of the floor drain. Observed at lobby dry storage area 3 dead roaches under shelving and on walls.”

FOLLOW-UP INSPECTION 7/29

“Observed 1 live roach crawling on floor in front of dry storage rack. Observed 1 live roach on kitchen floor. Observed 1 live roach on rack above reach in cooler in kitchen area.”

**LUCKY CAT STREET EATERY

6322 N. ANDREWS AVE,

FORT LAUDERDALE

ORDERED SHUT 7/28

13 VIOLATIONS FOUND

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 11/2023 (ROACH ISSUE)

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Approximately 10 crawling on the floor on wall behind reach in freezer under reach in freezer on cook line next to cooler with food.”

“Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Operator left kitchen area into dining room to touched dirty surfaces then touched face then putting gloves and started to make food without washing hands Employee washed hands.”

“Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Time/temperature control for safety food prepared from/mixed with ingredient(s) at ambient temperature not cooled to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within 4 hours. Flip top cooler cooked bamboo at 2:36pm ( 46F cooling) since 10:30am raw breaded chicken at 2:48pm (46F cooling ) since 10:30am Products did not cool to 41F within 4 hours. See stop sale Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Multiple coolers on kitchen with overstocked items, Flip top cooler cook line Hard boil eggs 50F cold holding, over 4 hours. See stop sale tall stainless still fridge in kitchen. Pork stuff bun 52F cold holding.”

“Food being cooled by nonapproved method as evidenced by inadequate rate of cooling during time of inspection. Time/temperature control for safety food prepared from/mixed with ingredient(s) at ambient temperature not cooled to 41 degrees Fahrenheit within 4 hours. Flip top cooler cooked bamboo at 2:36pm ( 46F cooling) since 10:30am raw breaded chicken at 2:48pm (46F cooling ) since 10:30am Products did not cool to 41F within 4 hours. See stop sale Cooked chicken at 1:38pm (52F cooling) since 10:30am at 2:37pm same At this current cooling rate product will not cool to 41F within 6 hours.”

“Operator is not properly tracking/marking the number of days ready-to-eat, time/temperature control for safety food prepared onsite was held at refrigeration temperatures prior to freezing in order to properly date mark the food when it is thawed and held at refrigeration temperatures again. Multiple items like chicken wontons, cooked rice previously frozen not date marking properly.”

“Raw animal food stored over/not properly separated from ready-to-eat food. Sushi cooler Raw fish over cooked salmon Flip top cooler Raw shell eggs over cooked chicken Stainless steel fridge Raw chicken over cooked chicken wontons.”

**LE GENIE RESTAURANT

187 NE 167TH ST.

NORTH MIAMI BEACH

ORDERED SHUT 7/29

33 VIOLATIONS FOUND

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 9/2025 (FLYING INSECT ISSUE)

ALSO ORDERED SHUT 2/2024 (RODENT ISSUE)

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed 25+ rodent droppings behind the reach in freezer in the storage room.”

“Presence of insects, rodents, or other pests. Observed approximately 100+ dead flies in the gaskets of the reach in freezers in the storage room.”

“Live, small flying insects found Observed approximately 50+ live flies laying on the clean to go containers in the storage room, 10+ live flies on the wall by the reach in freezer in the storage room, 50+ live flies on the wooden pallet in the storage room. Observed 3+ live flies in the dining room.”

“Stop Sale issued on time/temperature control for safety food due to temperature abuse. Observed pig ear (54F - Cooling); beef (54F - Cooling); turkey (54F - Cooling); chicken (54F - Cooling) stored in the walk in cooler since last night.”

“Food stored on floor. Observed plantains, rice and beans stored on the floor of the kitchen.”

“Frozen time/temperature control for safety food being slacked at room temperature is no longer frozen solid. Observed conch (44F - Cold Holding) thawing in room temperature in the prep area no longer frozen.”

“Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit based upon minimum required cooking temperature. Observed all types of meat and fish mixed with one another in the reach in freezer. Repeat Violation.”

“Nonfood-contact surface soiled with grease, food debris, dirt, slime or dust. Observed fan covers in the walk in cooler with accumulated dust.”

“Employee used the bathroom and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands upon returning to employee area. Observed employee come back from the bathroom, place gloves on and did not wash her hands.”

“Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Observed employee not wash their hands before starting to prep plate for customer.”

“No handwashing sign provided at a hand sink used by food employees. In the kitchen. Repeat Violation.”

“Employee touched soiled apron/clothes and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands.”

“Manager or person in charge lacking proof of food manager certification.”

FOLLOW UP INSPECTION 7/30

“At the time of the callback observed 3 live flies on the wall in the storage room and 10+ flies laying on soda and juice cases.”

“Observed 15+ dead flies in the gaskets of the reach in freezers in the storage room.”

**FOODEYEZ CARIBBEAN

6268 WEST SAMPLE ROAD

CORAL SPRINGS

ORDERED SHUT 7/30

10 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. Approximately 10 live roaches found behind the steam table in the kitchen.”

“Dead roaches on premises. 2 dead roaches found behind the refrigerators at the front counter. 2 dead roaches found next to the flip top cooler on the cook line.”

“Floor soiled/has accumulation of food debris. Behind the cooking equipment on the cook line.”

“Floor area(s) covered with standing water. Behind the cooking equipment on the cook line.”

“Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside the cook line flip top cooler, butter (64F - Cold Holding). The item was held above the rails at room temperature. The butter was returned to the refrigerator to chill and cold hold.”

**KENIA PIZZA

14511 SW 266TH ST.

NARANJA

ORDERED SHUT 7/31

15 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Rodent activity present as evidenced by rodent droppings found. Observed approximately 8 rodent droppings on shelf over prep table at kitchen area. Observed approximately 20 rodent droppings on bottom shelf next to clean pots at kitchen area.”

“No proof of required state approved employee training provided for employee hired more than 60 days ago.”

**HAAGEN DAZS

SAWGRASS MILLS

12801 WEST SUNRISE BLVD.

SUNRISE

ORDERED SHUT 7/29

7 VIOLATIONS FOUND

“Roach activity present as evidenced by live roaches found. 1) 4 Live roaches in trash bag under triple sinks in preparation area. 2) 3 live Roaches under vacuum cleaner stored under triple sinks in preparation area. 3) 4 live roaches crawling under triple sinks. In preparation area.”

“Dead roaches on premises. Approximately 10 dead roaches in sticky traps under triple sinks.”

“Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Employee put on gloves after using personal phone. Employee proceeded to get a cup to serve drinks to guests without first washing hands.”

“Operating with an expired Division of Hotels and Restaurants license. 12-01-2025.”

“Manager or person in charge lacking proof of food manager certification.”

“No proof of required state approved employee training provided for any employees.”

The program, dubbed Operation Puppet Master, was aimed at what officials called a network of conspirators helping “violent opportunists and agitators.” The documents were filed in a case involving 15 people charged by federal prosecutors in June with impeding the crackdown, accusing them of conspiring against the federal government through a range of actions, from throwing ice chunks to setting up blockades.

The government documents were released Thursday in connection with a motion from a defense lawyer in the case, Kevin Riach, who requested that officials disclose more material collected during the investigations.

The reality, according to government documents revealed in court motions, was Department of Homeland Security officers infiltrating meetings in churches, schools and parks that were often simply discussions of constitutionally protected protests.

A statement from the department said Homeland Security Investigations doesn’t comment on the existence or status of on-going investigations or investigative methods. The statement referred questions to the U.S. attorney’s office in Minnesota, which didn’t immediately respond to an after-hours email from The Associated Press.

Puppet Master, and a later operation called Project Whipple Shield, were a “broad and irrational investigation” driven by politics and not criminal conduct, Riach said in a motion filed Thursday.

Take, for example, a Jan. 31 meeting in a Minneapolis library, when a Homeland Security report says an undercover officer identified as “UCA 9833” listened as supporters of a progressive climate group, the Sunrise Movement, discussed sit-ins, de-escalation tactics and “having a police liaison and safety marshal present during events.”

“During the Action meeting, it was made clear that the Sunrise Movement organization focused on ‘peaceful’ protests,” the agent reported.

Dozens of pages of documents describe agents secretly infiltrating meetings, monitoring activist chat groups and using license plate numbers to compile names of people who attended gatherings.

A slide created by Homeland Security’s investigative branch titled “The Conspiracy” shows 18 organizations, from a small Minneapolis bicycle repair collective to the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor groups in the U.S.

The government also obtained years of certain financial records for groups ranging from the Sunrise Movement to major unions, including the Service Employees International Union and the Communications Workers of America.

“You are requested not to disclose the existence of this summons for an indefinite period of time,” warned a DHS request to FedWire, a money transfer system operated by the U.S. Federal Reserve.

“It's very disturbing,” said Ahilan Arulanantham, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. Over time, it could deter people from expressing their beliefs, he said.

Many people don’t want to live in a world where expressing their beliefs gives federal agencies the right to investigate them, he said.

“It’s that fear of that creeping police state,” he said.

Groups that the government investigated were furious at the news.

“Our union has become the latest target of a corrupt administration that weaponizes the legal process against law-abiding Americans exercising our Constitutional rights,” CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. said in a statement. “We will not be intimidated, and we will not be silenced.”

The AP News Guild, the union that represents many Associated Press employees, is part of the CWA.

On Thursday, a coalition of Minneapolis-area civil society groups defended the protests and criticized the investigations.

The government is “lashing out desperately in hopes of intimidating people and organizations that have shown the power of communities acting together," said a statement distributed by Unidos MN, a local human rights group.

DHS deployed about 3,000 federal officers to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area for roughly three months starting late last year in what the department called its “ largest immigration enforcement operation ever.” It led to thousands of arrests, angry mass protests and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens.

Minnesota U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen said the 15 were part of two groups that he characterized as “antifa,” an umbrella term for a diffuse movement of militant left-wing activists.

Defense attorney Riach said at the time that his client, Isaac Sant, had no affiliation with antifa, which he called “a boogeyman invented by the far-right.”

___

Kelleher reported from Honolulu.

That's all changed this summer, at least in the parts of the world with a passion for sports.

The 41-year-old Kushner and his partner, former Disney CEO Bob Iger, reached a stunning agreement this week to buy the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers from Mark Walter at a valuation of $12.5 billion — the highest ever for a team sports sale.

It's been a wild two weeks for the 41-year-old Kushner, who followed up his failed attempt to purchase a stake in future World Cup profits in a much-criticized plan orchestrated by FIFA President Gianni Infantino by acquiring the glamorous Lakers in a shockingly swift deal.

Until this month, many people didn't even know that Jared Kushner — President Donald Trump's son-in-law and his longtime lieutenant in government — had a younger brother with a thriving business empire, a supermodel wife and a passion for basketball.

While Josh Kushner avoids the spotlight and rarely grants interviews, the success of his venture capital investment firm, Thrive Capital, has boosted him to mogul status in the past few years. Forbes estimates Kushner’s net worth at about $5 billion.

Kushner’s partner in this historical venture is no secret to anybody, at least in Los Angeles or the entertainment industry or the larger business world. The 75-year-old Iger ran The Walt Disney Co. for two stints over the past two decades, leading the Hollywood behemoth into the streaming age before he stepped away from the Mouse earlier this year.

Los Angeles is still reeling from the surprise of this deal: Just 10 months after Walter — the owner currently presiding over the renaissance of the back-to-back World Series champion Dodgers — formally took control of the Lakers, he essentially flipped them for a possible multibillion-dollar profit to two new owners with none of Walter's sports ownership experience or credibility among Southern California fans.

So who are the two men suddenly in charge of LA's 17-time NBA championship team?

Kushner and Iger were reportedly introduced by their significant others

The son of a real estate mogul, Kushner founded Thrive Capital in 2009 and health insurance company Oscar Health in 2012. Thrive Capital grew with early investments in OpenAI and SpaceX, among other tech companies. He remains close with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Kushner and Iger reportedly first met eight years ago after they were set up by Iger's wife, Willow Bay, and Kushner's then-girlfriend, Karlie Kloss, whom he has since married. What started as a friendly mentorship turned into a business relationship shortly before Iger left Disney for the first time.

Iger joined Thrive Capital in 2022 as a venture partner, with Iger connecting Kushner to the broader business world while Kushner educated Iger on the tech world. Iger left only months later to go back to Disney for another stint, but he stayed in close contact with Kushner, and they teamed up again this year.

The new owners pounced quickly upon hearing about possible sale

Iger confirmed to the California Post on Wednesday that he had teamed with Kushner on pursuing an NBA expansion team in Las Vegas, only to pivot dramatically last weekend when they learned Walter might be looking to sell the Lakers.

“We immediately decided that given the value of the franchise and the iconic nature of the team, that we would be really smart to pursue it,” Iger said. “The deal came together in three days. It’s that simple.”

Iger acknowledged that the deal was finalized so quickly that he and Kushner hadn't had time to make any long-term plans for the Lakers.

New owners have basketball backgrounds, but not with the Lakers

Kushner is new to the Lakers, but not to the NBA. He once owned a minority stake in the Memphis Grizzlies, but sold it to buy into the Miami Heat. He'll have to sell that stake to complete his purchase of the Lakers. Kushner and Kloss also have been spotted frequently at Knicks games.

Iger is a longtime basketball aficionado — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reportedly introduced him to Bay, a former NBA journalist, 30 years ago — but his particular background makes his Lakers ownership a bit strange.

Iger grew up a Knicks fan, and after he moved to Los Angeles, he decided he couldn't support the rival Lakers — so he became one of the Clippers' most prominent fans, buying season tickets and forming a friendship with former point guard Chris Paul.

Kushner's political beliefs differ from his brother and father

Thousands of Lakers fans in progressive Los Angeles reacted with a raised eyebrow when they learned the name of their team's primary new owner Wednesday, but it's not that simple.

Kushner's surname is indeed among the most politically weighted in the world, but Josh Kushner and Kloss both have publicly said they don't share the conservative beliefs currently espoused by his brother and their father, Charles Kushner.

Josh Kushner has repeatedly donated to progressive political candidates, and he once stated in an interview that “liberal values have guided my life.” Kloss is an outspoken advocate for reproductive rights and other progressive causes.

Iger has described himself as a political independent with progressive personal views. He briefly served in a business advisory forum for Trump in 2017 before resigning over his beliefs in environmental conservation.

___

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

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It was just before noon when crews responded to the 1900 block of Rodman Street after receiving reports of a unit on fire.

Officials said 12 dogs died in the fire while one canine was saved by a firefighter giving it CPR.

Owner Andrea Santos was at work when her boyfriend called and asked if she had noticed smoke on their ring camera.

She told Local 10 News she immediately thought of her dogs, five adult dogs and a litter of puppies, who were all trapped inside.

Santos says she took off running to save the dogs, but it would be too late by the time she arrived back at her home.

Officials said the dogs perished due to smoke inhalation.

Santos said she and her family are emotionally destroyed.

“They mean the world,” she said. “I’ve had her since she was born, I’ve had all of them since they were born. It’s a major heartbreak for me and my family.”

Authorities said signs point to an accidental fire, but the investigation remains ongoing.

The American Red Cross is now assisting Santos and her family find a place to stay.

Family members also created a GoFundMe page to help with expenses and vet bills.

Poco antes del mediodía, equipos de emergencia acudieron a la cuadra 1900 de Rodman Street tras recibir reportes de un incendio en una unidad residencial.

Las autoridades informaron que 12 perros murieron en el incendio, mientras que uno logró sobrevivir después de que un bombero le practicara reanimación cardiopulmonar.

La propietaria, Andrea Santos, se encontraba trabajando cuando su novio la llamó para preguntarle si había visto humo a través de la cámara Ring de la vivienda.

Santos dijo a Local 10 News que inmediatamente pensó en sus perros: cinco adultos y una camada de cachorros que estaban atrapados dentro.

Contó que salió corriendo para intentar salvarlos, pero cuando llegó a su casa ya era demasiado tarde.

Las autoridades señalaron que los perros murieron por inhalación de humo.

Santos dijo que ella y su familia están devastados emocionalmente.

“Significan el mundo para mí”, dijo. “La he tenido desde que nació, los he tenido a todos desde que nacieron. Es un dolor enorme para mí y para mi familia”.

Las autoridades indicaron que todo apunta a que el incendio fue accidental, aunque la investigación continúa.

La Cruz Roja Americana está ayudando ahora a Santos y a su familia a encontrar un lugar donde quedarse.

Familiares también crearon una página de GoFundMe para ayudar con los gastos y las facturas veterinarias.

The pregame pomp before the Minnesota Twins played the Philadelphia Phillies — adjacent to the farmland where the 1989 fantasy was filmed — featured 26 members of the Hall of Fame emerging from the outfield corn just as the ghost players did in the movie.

With some of the loudest cheers saved for former Phillies third baseman Mike Schmidt and former Twins catcher Joe Mauer, the capacity crowd of about 8,000 at the newly constructed ballpark in northeast Iowa soaked up the surreal atmosphere as the aged stars strolled into the infield for proper introductions.

Fireworks were launched from the cornfield during the national anthem, and Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber followed with his own big bang — a stalk shot to right on Twins starter Taj Bradley's third pitch of the game that set the tone for a 7-1 win on Thursday night.

After stealing the show at the inaugural 2021 event, which was played on the same footprint at a temporary setup that also hosted the 2022 game, Kevin Costner did not appear.

But the star of the film — as the restless farmer Ray Kinsella who reconnects with his late father by playing catch on his front-yard ballfield — narrated the pregame video that helped pump some old-guard nostalgia through the new-school broadcast on global streaming giant Netflix.

Both teams emerged from the corn together to take their places along the lines like on opening day, and Twins All-Star Byron Buxton — who came off the injured list in the afternoon to play — took the microphone to evoke a line from James Earl Jones, who played the author Terence Mann in the movie.

“The one constant through all the years has been baseball," Buxton said before Schwarber followed with a brief script on an idyllic late-summer night after heavy rain moved through the area earlier in the day.

Then came the legends, and living ones at that, unlike those wool-clad lads in the movie.

Schmidt and Steve Carlton wore Phillies uniforms along with Jim Kaat, who played for both teams. Mauer and Bert Blyleven donned Twins jerseys. The others — Andruw Jones, Harold Baines, Fred McGriff, Adrián Beltré, Andre Dawson, Larry Walker, Cal Ripken Jr., Iván Rodríguez, Jim Thome, Scott Rolen, Tony Pérez, Tony La Russa, Jeff Kent, Fergie Jenkins, Joe Torre, CC Sabathia, Billy Wagner, Rollie Fingers, Lee Smith and Trevor Hoffman — helped form a half-ring around the diamond to represent about one-third of the Cooperstown contingent that's still alive.

This was the largest such gathering at a ballpark, not including the annual ceremonies at the Hall of Fame in upstate New York, since the All-Star Game in 2008 that feted the final season at old Yankee Stadium.

Phillies manager Don Mattingly relished the brief pregame mingle before the grand entrance, with many in the group contemporaries of his as a player in the 1980s and 1990s and a few others in Jones and Kent he was able to coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“It was definitely good to see the boys,” Mattingly said.

No place evokes baseball and family nostalgia like the Field of Dreams

Before the game, Buxton played catch with his 12-year-old son on the nearby movie site that remains open to the public for no cost on non-event days. Twins manager Derek Shelton did the same with his 78-year-old father, a former educator who coached him on his high school baseball team. Shelton later complained that his arm was in weaker shape.

“You don’t get old enough that an experience like that is not emotional to be able to do something with your father,” Shelton said.

Mattingly, whose son just happens to be the club's general manager, found himself harkening back to Indiana childhood ballgames with his brothers upon arrival on the team bus.

“This place reminds me of when I was a kid,” Mattingly said. "You’d go down a dirt road, and all of sudden you’d see a cornfield and then there’d be a field there."

Both teams wore throwback uniforms — the Twins in home threads from their first season in 1961 and the Phillies in road jerseys circa 1940 — in step with the hand-operated scoreboard in right field.

The permanent ballpark built for all kinds of events — including the opportunity to host MLB games on a recurring basis — also has plenty of amenities with the video board in left field, a state-of-the-art sound system and, of course, indoor plumbing.

The feel of the farm was just as strong as the buzz of the ballpark, with natural sponsor John Deere pledging $100,000 per home run hit to hunger-relief organization Feeding America.

The special environment didn't erase the circumstance of the stretch run of the regular season, though, with both the Twins and Phillies in the thick of their respective wild-card races.

“We’re not in Minnesota for three days," Phillies star Bryce Harper said, "but we’re still playing the Twins three times and we've still got to win some games."

Even in defeat, the Twins enjoyed taking part in something bigger than simply the 123rd game on their schedule.

“As you grow in this game and get older and play more games, the shine of being in the big leagues and walking out on a big league field starts to wear off,” catcher Ryan Jeffers said. “Moments like this kind of bring that excitement and that energy and the goosebumps similar to your debut day.”

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She said thousands of people across the county chimed in.

“Seventy percent of the community expressed a high or very high trust in the sheriff’s office,” she said. “Seventy-seven percent wants faster emergency response, 64% of our community wants to see more deputies in their communities”

Respondents added that they’re seeing too many traffic violations going unnoticed and stressed a need for more patrols in areas near Southwest Eighth Street and Northwest 12th Street.

“They’re absolutely correct people are driving aggressively,” said Cordero-Stutz. “Regards to the areas of patrol, yes those areas are proactively addressed.”

Cordero-Stutz highlighted the reduction in crime across the board and said it hasn’t been an easy job, adding that she’s been fighting for funding to get the job done and keep deputies from going to other higher paying agencies.

She also commented on controversial Amendment 3, which if approved, would raise exemptions on property taxes. Some critics say it would come at the cost of public money for crucial services, like law enforcement.

“The amendment does not clearly identify how public safety will be funded,” she said.

The Florida Sheriffs Association has taken stance against the amendment and Cordero-Stutz was asked if her stance matches the association.

“The sheriffs association is its own place,” she said. “I am a member of the Florida Sheriffs Association. I absolutely work alongside them all the time, but that statement came from the organization.”

Cordero-Stutz added that MDSO is currently short 150 deputies.

The starting annual salary for a deputy is just over $66,000.

Según explicó, miles de personas participaron en el sondeo.

“El 70% de la comunidad expresó un nivel de confianza alto o muy alto en la Oficina del Sheriff”, dijo. “El 77% quiere una respuesta de emergencia más rápida y el 64% de nuestra comunidad quiere ver más agentes en sus vecindarios”.

Los participantes también señalaron que demasiadas infracciones de tránsito pasan desapercibidas y destacaron la necesidad de una mayor presencia policial en zonas cercanas a Southwest Eighth Street y Northwest 12th Street.

“Tienen toda la razón, la gente está conduciendo de manera agresiva”, dijo Cordero-Stutz. “En cuanto a las áreas de patrullaje, sí, esas zonas se atienden de manera proactiva”.

Cordero-Stutz destacó además la reducción general de la delincuencia y aseguró que lograrlo no ha sido una tarea sencilla. Añadió que ha estado luchando por obtener más fondos para mantener las operaciones y evitar que agentes dejen la institución para trabajar en otras agencias que ofrecen mejores salarios.

La sheriff también se refirió a la controvertida Enmienda 3, que, de ser aprobada, aumentaría las exenciones del impuesto sobre la propiedad. Algunos críticos sostienen que la medida podría reducir los recursos públicos destinados a servicios esenciales, como la seguridad.

“La enmienda no identifica claramente cómo se financiará la seguridad pública”, dijo.

La Asociación de Sheriffs de Florida se ha pronunciado en contra de la enmienda y Cordero-Stutz fue consultada sobre si comparte esa postura.

“La Asociación de Sheriffs tiene su propia posición”, respondió. “Soy miembro de la Asociación de Sheriffs de Florida. Trabajo junto a ellos constantemente, pero esa declaración provino de la organización”.

Cordero-Stutz agregó que actualmente a la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade le faltan 150 agentes.

El salario inicial anual para un agente es de poco más de 66,000 dólares.

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The mid-size twin-jet took off at 5:45 p.m. from the Opa-locka Executive Airport to land at 8 p.m. at the Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Palmira, according to FlightAware.

“It’s going to be only for rescue teams” in Cali, said Ender Urdaneta, of the Help Land Foundation, a Miami-based nonprofit founded after Hurricane Dorian in 2019.

A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck on Monday morning in western Colombia. Jose Ecarri, of the Miami Pilots Association, said he was grateful to have been able to borrow the jet.

“I used to fly this plane. I am a pilot too, and I got in contact with the owner,” Ecarri said. “The owner is Colombian, and I told him, ‘Hey, I need a plane to send help to your country.’”

On Thursday evening, the earthquake’s official death toll was at 273 and climbing. Officials estimated there were 3,824 injured and 40,753 families affected.

Juan Rojas, of Legacy Aviation, was the jet’s pilot, and he planned to return to Miami-Dade on Friday morning.

Related stories

• Death toll rises to 273; 3,284 injured
• Miami Beach opens 4 aid drop-off locations
• Rescuers call for silence around earthquake rubble as window for survival narrows in Colombia

El avión ejecutivo bimotor de tamaño mediano despegó a las 5:45 p.m. del Aeropuerto Ejecutivo de Opa-locka y tenía previsto aterrizar a las 8 p.m. en el Aeropuerto Internacional Alfonso Bonilla Aragón, en Palmira, según FlightAware.

“Será exclusivamente para los equipos de rescate” en Cali, dijo Ender Urdaneta, de Help Land Foundation, una organización sin fines de lucro con sede en Miami fundada después del huracán Dorian en 2019.

Un poderoso terremoto de magnitud 7.4 sacudió el oeste de Colombia la mañana del lunes. José Ecarri, de la Miami Pilots Association, dijo estar agradecido por haber podido conseguir prestado el avión.

“Yo solía volar este avión. También soy piloto y me puse en contacto con el propietario”, dijo Ecarri. “El dueño es colombiano y le dije: ‘Oye, necesito un avión para enviar ayuda a tu país’”.

La noche del jueves, la cifra oficial de muertos por el terremoto había llegado a 273 y continuaba aumentando. Las autoridades estimaban que había 3,824 personas heridas y 40,753 familias afectadas.

Juan Rojas, de Legacy Aviation, era el piloto del avión y tenía previsto regresar a Miami-Dade la mañana del viernes.

The warning is typical of the harsh rhetoric that North Korea often deploys ahead of major U.S.-South Korean military exercises and suggests the country could conduct more missile tests in coming days. Experts say North Korea has often used its rivals' drills as a pretext to ramp up its testing activities to expand its weapons arsenals and promote public support for leader Kim Jong Un.

The U.S. and South Korean militaries are to start their major summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises Monday and have described their scope as similar to past years. The allies have said the 11-day exercises are meant to strengthen their readiness against North Korean threats and reiterated that they are defensive in nature.

In a statement carried by state media Friday, North Korea’s Foreign Ministry called the U.S.-South Korean training “a rehearsal for an aggressive war” that is triggering a different level of instability in the region.

“It is our consistent principle of ensuring security to respond to a new level of a threat with a new level of a deterrent,” the statement said. North Korea “will more clearly express its stance on the enemies to cope with any threats and challenges through the responsible and decisive exercise of the right to legitimate self-defense.”

North Korea also said the drills would be of a “more serious provocative nature and dangerousness than last year” and involve all the military assets and war-fighting modes of the U.S. and South Korea, a claim that those countries haven’t said.

A U.S. military statement issued Friday said U.S. and South Korean forces will practice joint operations in complex scenarios, including a live-fire exercise to test joint precision targeting and maneuver, a wet gap crossing, and distribution of prepositioned military equipment.

North Korea's neighbors detected two ballistic missile launches off the North's east coast in the past week. North Korea hasn’t commented on the launches, but outside experts assess they were likely meant to protest the U.S.-South Korean drills or upgrade its weapons systems.

Kim has ignored the U.S. and South Korea’s offers to resume diplomacy and focused on taking steps to bolster his nuclear arsenal since his diplomacy with U.S. President Donald Trump broke down in 2019. Experts say Kim will likely eventually aim to use his advancing nuclear program to win greater U.S. concessions such as extensive sanctions relief.

North Korea has expanded cooperation with Russia in recent years by supplying troops and ammunition to support its war against Ukraine in return for economic and military assistance. North Korea has also recently pushed to deepen ties with China, its biggest trading partner.

A través de redes sociales, las autoridades señalaron que el operativo se desarrollaba en el área del complejo Manor Grove Village, en la cuadra 1900 de North Andrews Avenue.

En el lugar se observó a agentes con las armas desenfundadas. Imágenes de Sky 10 también mostraron presencia de la Policía de Fort Lauderdale.

La Policía de Wilton Manors no dio a conocer detalles sobre el “caso de delito violento”.

Las autoridades pidieron a los vecinos permanecer resguardados en sus viviendas y recomendaron al resto de los residentes evitar la zona.

An official with the Board of Peace, the body Trump established to oversee the fragile ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, said Kushner, board high representative Nickolay Mladenov, and executive board member and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair would arrive in Israel on Sunday.

The group will then travel to Cairo, where meetings of a Palestinian technocratic group set to assume control of Gaza under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal have been taking place for the past several months, the official said. The trip was reported earlier by Axios.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because planning for details of the trip has not yet been finalized, said the meetings would demonstrate the determination of Trump and the Board of Peace to “see peace, prosperity and sustainable security emerge” in a demilitarized Gaza where Hamas has ceded control to allow reconstruction of the devastated territory.

But Israel has dismissed a recent deal announced by Trump for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its forces from the Palestinian territory, marking a rare public display of friction with the Trump administration. Though Hamas accepted the plan to decommission its weapons, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in recent days that Israel would not withdraw until Hamas has completely disarmed.

The deal had been seen as a potential breakthrough for ending the war in Gaza. The agreement was based on an October ceasefire that ended major military operations and brought about the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, but it has stalled on other fronts.

The new mandate would likely cost billions of dollars and revert the Navy’s most advanced ships to a system that takes more sailors to operate and is more difficult to maintain.

The memo directs the Pentagon and the Navy to present Trump with plans to remove the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, also known as EMALS, within two months. It also says the Ford-class carrier's electromagnetic weapons elevators should be replaced.

The move comes after years of Trump railing against the new, magnetically powered catapult system that shoots fighter jets off the deck of the carriers. It also comes at a time when the U.S. military is trying to find funding from Congress for all its desired equipment and as the Navy is struggling to fill its ships with enough sailors.

Trump's ire with the new technology goes back to at least 2017 in his first term, when he claimed the new system is “not good” and “doesn't have the power” of the older, steam systems in an interview with Time magazine.

“You're going to goddamned steam,” Trump said at the time. The topic has frequently come up since then at rallies and other events.

While Trump is looking to roll back the latest technology, the newest Chinese aircraft carriers employ electromagnetic catapults and France said it plans to use the system on its new carrier.

Trump's memo directs the fourth Ford-class carrier, the USS Doris Miller, to be the first ship to include the new changes. That will leave the USS Gerald R. Ford, as well as the forthcoming USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise, untouched.

However, redesigning an already finalized ship for such a major system change will not be an easy task.

General Atomics, the company that makes EMALS, told The Associated Press in an email that the decision not to proceed with the system on the USS Doris Miller “warrants careful reconsideration.”

Trump's memo that mandates the removal of the system also noted that one of the issues facing shipbuilding is the Navy's constant design changes, “which have resulted in cost growth, delays, and cancellations.”

General Atomics said the work on the Doris Miller's catapults and arresting gear was already halfway complete and said “changing course now would introduce significant cost, schedule, and integration risks."

The move comes as Congress will weigh the necessary budget and funding bills that the Trump administration has said they need to fund the Pentagon and the Iran war.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth estimated last month that the war's cost grew to $37.5 billion as Republicans prepared a $95 billion package to fund the military, along with other White House priorities.

Hegseth said the supplemental war funding is an “urgent, necessary” injection of money, and with Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget a generational investment in the military.

The House narrowly adopted both but the Senate still must act when it returns in September.

Some of the key advantages to the electromagnetic system are its ability to launch aircraft at faster speeds while being easier to maintain, requiring fewer sailors to operate and using less space aboard the ship.

EMALS aboard the USS Ford cut the number of sailors need to operate the catapults from about a dozen to two.

Reverting to a system that requires more people to operate it comes as the Navy has struggled to translate its recruiting successes in the past year to actually filling jobs on warships. At the start of the year, the Navy had about 20,000 unfilled posts across the fleet.

In February, the Navy touted the system in a press release that said it allowed the USS Ford to launch and recover aircraft at a higher rate than its predecessor, the Nimitz-class ships.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract hasn’t been finalized.

Arnold, 23, is facing eight felony charges stemming from allegations he orchestrated the abduction and beating of three men in February. He became a free agent in June, when the Detroit Lions released him a few days after the kidnapping, armed robbery and conspiracy charges were levied.

Prosecutors in Florida said Arnold arranged for the men to be pistol-whipped after he wrongly suspected them of stealing $100,000 in cash and luxury goods from him. Police called him the “primary conspirator” in the Feb. 4 attack, and a judge set his bail at $1 million.

Defense attorney R. Timothy Jansen said in Hillsborough County court earlier this summer that Arnold is “absolutely denying these allegations.” Denise White, the CEO of EAG Sports Management, an agency that represents Arnold, said there’s “no credible evidence” against him, only accounts from others who may have an incentive to get a lighter sentence.

Arnold has played in 25 NFL games, including playoffs, since the Lions took him with the 24th pick of the 2024 draft out of Florida State. The Seahawks hosted Arnold on Sunday, two days before he visited the New York Giants.

Coach Mike Macdonald said Monday that Arnold's visit and tryout went well.

“It’s a situation where there’s other things surrounding it as well, we’re aware of that,” Macdonald said. “We’re working through the situation right now. I enjoyed meeting him and he enjoyed being here. We’ll see how it goes.”

The Seahawks fielded arguably the NFL’s best defense last season. No team allowed fewer points per game (17.2), and Seattle finished in the top seven in the league in sacks and interceptions.

Arnold should add depth to a secondary that lost cornerback Riq Woolen to free agency and has been without second-year safety Nick Emannwori, who had offseason ankle surgery, during training camp.

Macdonald said the Seahawks would look into Arnold's background.

“I trust our people to make the best decision for us,” Macdonald said. “We also think this is a great place to come work, too, and that people can be the best version of themselves if given the opportunity. Works both ways.”

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U.S. Attorney Aaron Reitz confirmed the tests were negative for meth in a statement to The Texas Tribune, the news organization reported Thursday.

Reitz did not say what the substance actually was, but an attorney for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo's family has said it was a homemade electrolyte mixture that Salgado Araujo and his construction crew used to stay hydrated in the grueling summer heat.

Salgado Araujo, 52, was killed July 7 when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in unmarked vehicles chased his white work van through the streets of Houston, then shot him through the window. He had been driving his work crew, including his brother, to a construction site.

Salgado Araujo was a Mexican national who lived without legal status in the U.S. for 35 years, ran a homebuilding business and had never been in trouble with the law.

His death is one of at least 10 during immigration enforcement operations since the start of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, sparking protests in Houston and calls for an independent investigation.

Shortly after the shooting, the Department of Homeland Security said Salgado Araujo had “weaponized his vehicle in an attempt to run over an ICE law enforcement officer,” and that the officer had fired in self-defense. The FBI then executed a search warrant on the van, alleging that officers saw several small bags inside filled with a substance that appeared to be methamphetamine.

But the two men who were riding with Salgado Araujo wrote in statements submitted in court that the ICE officers were never in danger of being run over, and in fact were always to the side of the van, never in front of or behind it.

Reitz revealed last month that the ICE officers were targeting two Guatemalan men who were potentially subject to deportation and who were driving a van that was similar to the one Salgado Araujo was driving the day he was killed.

David Donatti, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas which is representing the Salgado family, said the FBI search warrant was part of a government attempt to create a “false narrative.”

“Lorenzo Salgado Araujo should still be alive today, and nothing about the government’s so-called ‘search’ could have changed that fact. That search proved what the Salgado family had said all along: Lorenzo was a hardworking man who made homes for Houston families, and his wife packed him homemade electrolyte mixes to keep him and his crew hydrated under the Texas sun," Donatti said.

“By taking the unusual steps of securing and then unsealing their search warrant, the government has demonstrated that it is more interested in creating a false narrative than in seeking the truth,” he said.

“The Salgados deserve real answers about what happened to their father,” he said.

Kast viajó a la recientemente inaugurada cárcel La Laguna —una de las más grandes de Chile, ubicada a unos 250 kilómetros (155 millas) al sur de la capital chilena, Santiago— para supervisar el traslado, que su gobierno describió como una iniciativa para aliviar el hacinamiento en las prisiones y evitar que líderes de pandillas encarcelados dirijan a distancia sus empresas criminales desde la prisión.

Imágenes difundidas por el gobierno mostraron a los internos apiñados en filas, con la cabeza agachada y los pies encadenados, lo que evocó escenas de El Salvador, donde el presidente Nayib Bukele ha hecho énfasis en difundir en redes sociales sus estrictas medidas de seguridad.

La campaña de encarcelamiento masivo de Bukele ha derivado en una reducción drástica de la violencia, pero ha suscitado denuncias de grupos de defensa de los derechos humanos por detenciones arbitrarias, abusos y el deterioro de las libertades civiles.

El presidente de Chile invoca a Bukele como modelo

Al igual que otros aspirantes presidenciales de derecha en toda América Latina, más recientemente en Colombia y Perú, Kast ha invocado a Bukele como modelo para sus propias promesas de combatir el crimen organizado.

Durante la campaña del año pasado, Kast visitó El Salvador para estudiar las políticas de seguridad de Bukele y recorrer la tristemente célebre megacárcel del país, donde no se permiten visitas, recreación ni educación.

“Es una manera de dar una señal clara a los delincuentes de que la mano cambió, de que los vamos a buscar, los vamos a encontrar, los van a juzgar y los vamos a encerrar, de acuerdo a lo que dice nuestra legislación”, advirtió Kast en una conferencia de prensa sobre el traslado.

La oficina de Kast informó que 298 presos de máxima seguridad fueron trasladados a La Laguna el jueves en la madrugada desde prisiones de todo el país, incluidos 40 presuntos integrantes de organizaciones criminales, nueve de ellos líderes de pandillas.

Cientos de presos más tienen previsto llegar a La Laguna por etapas, a medida que el gobierno avanza para llenar la instalación hasta su capacidad prevista de 2.097 internos en más de una docena de unidades, incluidas alas de máxima seguridad. Está equipada con 1.500 cámaras de vigilancia, escáneres corporales y tecnología diseñada para bloquear señales de teléfonos celulares.

La prisión, presentada como la instalación más moderna y segura de Chile, abrió sus puertas el año pasado bajo el predecesor de Kast, el presidente de izquierda Gabriel Boric, y comenzó a recibir reos meses antes de que Kast —aliado del presidente estadounidense Donald Trump— asumiera el cargo.

Kast vuelve a centrarse en la seguridad tras un inicio vacilante

El intento de Kast de dar publicidad a la medida llega mientras busca cumplir sus promesas emblemáticas en materia de seguridad tras un inicio vacilante.

“Si hay un punto en el cual la ciudadanía nos interpela a todos es mayor seguridad”, expresó Kast el jueves. “Y eso es lo que se está dando ahora, en un traslado seguro y en una señal clara al crimen organizado y al terrorismo”.

Destituyó a su primer ministro de Seguridad poco más de dos meses después de iniciar su gobierno, y ha tenido dificultades para implementar su promesa central de campaña de deportar rápidamente a inmigrantes. Hasta ahora, su gobierno ha deportado a unos 878 de los aproximadamente 300.000 inmigrantes en Chile que carecen de permiso para estar en el país. Otros 7.501 inmigrantes se fueron voluntariamente durante los primeros siete meses de 2026.

Algunos votantes han expresado su frustración de que, hasta ahora, las políticas de seguridad de Kast han diferido poco de las aplicadas bajo Boric, ante lo cual Kast presentó la semana pasada un importante paquete de seguridad que otorgaría al Estado autoridad más amplia para combatir el delito.

Las propuestas, muchas de ellas ya ante el Congreso, contemplan una presencia policial permanente en los barrios más peligrosos de Chile, sanciones más severas por pertenecer a pandillas, y una nueva agencia estatal para incautar y destruir bienes vinculados al crimen organizado.

La legislación también flexibilizaría las normas que rigen el uso de la fuerza por parte de la policía, y modificaría la Constitución para facilitar la declaración de estados de emergencia en respuesta a graves amenazas a la seguridad.

Chile sigue estando entre los países más seguros de América Latina, pero un incremento reciente de los secuestros, la extorsión y el narcotráfico —junto con la expansión de pandillas transnacionales como el Tren de Aragua de Venezuela— ha causado hacinamiento en las prisiones del país y azuzado la ansiedad pública sobre el crimen organizado, lo que ayudó a impulsar a Kast a la victoria electoral en diciembre.

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

The dismissal marks the latest setback in swing states’ efforts to prosecute fake electors who tried to keep Trump in the White House after he lost to Joe Biden in 2020.

Three other fake elector cases in Arizona, Michigan and Georgia have been dismissed. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes recently dismissed her office’s criminal case but vowed to bring it back to a grand jury in hopes of securing another indictment. The dismissal was a legal maneuver aimed at getting around a deadline for starting new grand jury proceedings after Mayes lost an appeal earlier in June.

Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is also running for governor as a Democrat, brought charges relating to forgery and “offering a false instrument for filing or record” against the six Nevada Republicans, who pleaded not guilty.

His office plans to appeal the ruling.

The defendants included Michael McDonald, the chair of the Nevada Republican Party, and Jesse Law, the former chair of the Clark County Republican Party.

In a Thursday statement, McDonald’s defense attorney Richard Wright called the attorney general’s plans to appeal “hasty” and “premature” and said continuing the case was politically motivated.

After the 2020 election, the six Republican electors gathered outside of the Nevada Legislature to sign a certificate giving the state’s six electoral votes to Trump, despite Biden winning the state by more than 30,000 votes. The ceremony was broadcast online, and the video footage was used as evidence in the case.

The case has revolved around the defendants’ intent behind submitting the certificate.

Prosecutors argue the defendants intended for their documents to be mistaken for actual electoral votes that then-Vice President Mike Pence would count on Jan. 6, 2021.

The defendants say submitting the certificate was an act of “political theater” designed to publicize their concerns about the election. They were preserving their rights to challenge the official election results and had no intent to deceive a government agency into accepting the GOP certificate as real, their attorneys argued.

Nevada Judge Mary Kay Holthus agreed.

She found there was a lack of evidence that showed the electors intended to deceive government officials, and she determined that the state failed to disclose exculpatory evidence to the grand jury.

“The fact that Defendants openly announced both their actions and their asserted purpose, rather than concealing their conduct or attempting to secretly induce governmental reliance, weighs against a reasonable inference that they acted with fraudulent intent,” Holthus wrote in her ruling.

Jurisdiction had also been an issue, but the case eventually landed in Clark County, which is home to Las Vegas and leans Democratic.

The case was originally scheduled for a trial in Nevada's capital of Carson City, but the attorney general's office voluntarily dismissed the case to pursue it instead in Southern Nevada, which leans more Democratic.

Courts have dismissed similar cases in Michigan and Georgia, and a special prosecutor dropped a federal case in late 2024 that charged Trump with conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. Those cases ended after Trump defeated Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. A fake electors case is ongoing in Wisconsin.

En declaraciones a un grupo de periodistas que lo acompañan en el viaje y antes de presenciar unos ejercicios militares multinacionales a orillas del Canal de Panamá, el jefe del Pentágono señaló que “estamos comenzando por nuestro hemisferio” y trabajando con países como Panamá, Ecuador y ahora Colombia en el tema de la seguridad.

Resaltó que la coalición de 19 miembros está integrada por países libres y dispuestos a colaborar para enfrentar los cárteles. Lanzó seguidamente una advertencia directa a Cuba señalando que Estados Unidos no tolerará “ese tipo de influencia maligna en nuestro hemisferio”. No explicó a qué tipo de influencia se refería, aunque Washington sostiene que la isla, a la que impuso desde inicios de año un cerco petrolero para forzar cambios políticos y económicos, representa una amenaza a la seguridad de Estados Unidos. El gobierno cubano lo ha negado.

La víspera Hegseth instó a los países latinoamericanos en el encuentro de la coalición a no reconocer a la Corte Penal Internacional (CPI), mientras el ejército estadounidense ataca a presuntos narcotraficantes en la región.

Argumentó que estos esfuerzos “son totalmente legales según el derecho internacional humanitario”. Sin embargo, enfrenta interrogantes en su país sobre la legalidad de llevar a cabo ataques mortales contra pequeñas embarcaciones acusadas de traficar drogas.

No quedó claro en las declaraciones de Hegseth qué medidas, si las hay, ha tomado la CPI para obstaculizar las operaciones estadounidenses en la región. Instó a los países reunidos a “abandonar la CPI y rechazar sus intentos de arrebatarles la soberanía a sus gobiernos y tribunales”.

Hegseth también anunció el miércoles que el nuevo gobierno del presidente conservador Abelardo de la Espriella ha solicitado colaboración estadounidense en operaciones militares conjuntas en Colombia para combatir el “narcoterrorismo”, y el jueves le dio la bienvenida al nuevo socio de la coalición.

Presencia de militares de EEUU en Panamá

Sobre la presencia estadounidense en el país centroamericano sostuvo que se trata de una “asociación”. Refirió que “cientos de millones de dólares han sido invertidos en la economía panameña y en las fuerzas de seguridad”, y afirmó que “los estadounidenses están aquí y han venido para quedarse”.

Esta fue la segunda visita de Hegseth a Panamá. La anterior ocurrió en abril de 2025, cuando ambos países firmaron un memorando para ampliar la cooperación en seguridad, con entrenamientos conjuntos y presencia rotativa de personal estadounidense, lo que generó críticas de la oposición política y otros sectores que consideraron que el acuerdo afectaba la soberanía de la nación centroamericana.

En esa ocasión el jefe del Pentágono dijo que Washington no permitiría lo que llamó la presencia “maligna” de China en el Canal de Panamá y la región, en momentos en que Trump advertía sobre la posibilidad de retomar la operación de la vía marítima comercial.

Hegseth presenció por la mañana una demostración táctica que simuló la interdicción de una embarcación vinculada al tráfico ilegal de armas operada por una red transnacional, como parte de los llamados ejercicios PANAMAX.

El ejercicio, realizado frente al guardacostas estadounidense USCG Robert W. Ward a orillas del canal, incluyó la inmovilización de la nave, un abordaje multinacional con unidades de Panamá, México, Ecuador, República Dominicana y Estados Unidos, y culminó con la captura de los supuestos traficantes y el aseguramiento del cargamento ilegal,

PANAMAX 2026 es un ejercicio multinacional realizado de forma presencial y con operaciones prácticas en el que participan Estados Unidos, Panamá y otras 17 naciones. Durante 11 días, las fuerzas realizaron maniobras marítimas, operaciones aéreas, defensa cibernética y ejercicios de fuerzas especiales con el fin de fortalecer la protección del Canal de Panamá y la capacidad de respuesta conjunta ante amenazas regionales.

Rocket Classic champion Michael Thorbjornsen, Jake Knapp, Michael Kim and Kurt Kitayama also opened with 65s in the sweltering heat at the TPC Southwind. Spieth and Kim are outside the top 50 in the FedEx Cup who advance to the BMW Championship next week.

This is the second straight year Spieth, at No. 54 and winless in more than four years, has been on the bubble going into the postseason. He was at No. 48 a year ago and fell out of the top 50.

He said the difference is the way he feels he is playing, even though he is the only player from the top 70 who qualified who has yet to register a top 10 this year.

“I'm just in a very different place about the game of golf than I was the last couple seasons heading into this event,” Spieth said. “Again, if it’s going to work out, great. If it doesn’t, I know next year is going to be an awesome year for me. So it takes a lot of the stress off of this week.”

Kim is at No. 61 and likely would need to finish at least 11th to have a chance to move on.

But it's just one round, and it was crowded at the top. Seven players, including defending FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood, Hideki Matsuyama, Gary Woodland and Adam Scott — were at 66. Four others were another stroke back.

So much emphasis is on getting into the top 50 because that locks up all the $20 million signature events for next season. Spieth has been on the outside the last two years and knows what's on the line this week.

More than half the field, however, already is assured of heading to Bellerive in St. Louis for the BMW Championship. For the likes of Woodland and Scott — both just inside the top 30 — a good week could lock them up for the Tour Championship and a shot at playing for the FedEx Cup.

It all comes with a reward of getting in all the majors.

“My only feeling has been make the most of this week, then it's all upside for me,” Scott said. “There's so much to gain from a good week right now, not only for the remainder of this season. It’s possible to lock up a spot in the Tour Championship this week, but also what it does into next year, the signatures and all the majors.

“It sets me up for what can be a year on my terms, which will be nice.”

Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world who has played the TPC Southwind more times (seven) without winning than any other course on the PGA Tour, opened with a 68. He was playing alongside Masters champion Rory McIlroy, who skipped last year knowing that his result had no bearing on his position the rest of the playoffs. McIlroy finished bogey-bogey-double bogey for 74.

The attention falls to Spieth, who won three legs of the career Grand Slam before his 24th birthday. But he had wrist surgery at the end of 2024 and has struggled to contend.

He opened with eight pars, finally got a putt to fall, and then ran off four birdies in a five-hole stretch, including a 40-footers on the par-3 14th. Mostly, no bogeys on the card was a plus.

“I just tried to come into this week and just be as patient, nonreactive as possible, dumb it down to try to win the golf tournament and not worry about anything else,” Spieth said. “Just knowing that I’m a lot better golfer than I’ve been in a very long time and continue to believe in that. If low scores come, they come. If they don’t, it doesn’t change the fact that I know that I’m better than I’ve been in a long time.”

Jackson Koivun, who won the 3M Open in his third start as a pro and narrowly got the final spot in the postseason at No. 70, played as a single and shot 71. The 69-man field is due to Daniel Berger choosing not to play, and there are no alternates.

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See AP’s full golf coverage here

The Lincoln has been supporting the U.S. war against Iran, and its deployment has included a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days. Several Democratic lawmakers are pressing for accountability from the Pentagon over conditions aboard the carrier, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said were “completely misrepresented.”

Extended deployments of carriers during the Iran conflict have raised concerns about the impact on service members who are away from home for long periods as well as the increasing strain on the ship and its equipment. While renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran have calmed in recent weeks, the Navy has reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the crucial Strait of Hormuz, and the Trump administration has offered no clarity on how it intends to wind down the war.

Hegseth told reporters that the U.S. can maintain the blockade “indefinitely.”

A new aircraft carrier is heading west from the Asia-Pacific

The USS George Washington left port in Da Nang, Vietnam, last week, a Navy statement said. The carrier, along with a cruiser and a destroyer, have since been spotted crossing the Singapore Strait.

A Navy official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to detail sensitive ship details, confirmed that the Washington was in the Strait of Malacca, which links the Pacific and Indian oceans and puts the carrier on a course to head into the Indian Ocean. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that the Washington would replace the Lincoln as one of the two aircraft carriers now stationed in the Middle East.

The move would leave the waters of the Pacific without a U.S. carrier presence for an unknown period of time. The Trump administration sees China, the dominant power in the region, as “a settled force” that only needs to be deterred from dominating the U.S. or its allies and not the top global adversary that it was under the Biden administration.

The Lincoln originally deployed Nov. 21 from San Diego, and it arrived in the Middle East in January, ahead of the launch of the Iran war on Feb. 28. The Navy conceded that the conflict created a “highly contested environment where traditional supply hubs in the Middle East were disrupted by combat actions.” That, in turn, led to shortages and loss of mail aboard the aircraft carrier, the Navy said in a statement.

“Leadership prioritized mission-critical supplies: first food, then hygiene items, then mail,” the statement said, before assuring that sailors aboard the ship now have access to clean water and “healthy meal options.”

Democrats call for scrutiny, while the Pentagon defends conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln

Democratic lawmakers are calling for investigations, more information and greater visibility into conditions aboard the ship, which was originally set to return home in May.

“The Lincoln’s prolonged deployment is especially significant because it is occurring in the context of continuing military operations against Iran and the possibility that substantial US naval forces will be required in the region for an extended period,” Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, wrote in a letter to Navy leadership asking for a response to several questions.

Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, a Marine Corps veteran, said on social media that he is looking to take a bipartisan delegation on an official oversight visit to the ship and that the way sailors are being treated is “not just disgusting; it’s dangerous.”

Hegseth told reporters during ​a visit to Panama that he wants the Lincoln’s sailors home and crews rotated as quickly as possible but pushed back against reports of problems aboard.

“We make sure that every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment. Some deployments are longer than others, and ​I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than ​anybody. What they do in those high seas in those austere ⁠conditions with less port calls — it’s incredible.”

Navy leaders, including acting Secretary Hung Cao, last week held a tense town hall for families of troops aboard the USS Lincoln, at which the commanders of the Navy’s air and surface forces promised to do everything they could to relieve the aircraft carrier. MS NOW reported earlier on the meeting.

When reports of food shortages aboard the ship first surfaced in April, the Navy pushed back, calling those reports “false.”

Reports of mental health concerns and more aboard the ship

Reports have since emerged that sailors on the Lincoln are struggling with mental health concerns. The Navy said in its statement that it has “not observed an increase in suicidal ideations or attempts aboard the ship,” but officials declined to provide data, citing operational security and patient privacy concerns.

The Navy official said that a sailor aboard the Lincoln went overboard in early August but that the person was quickly recovered, treated by the ship’s medical department and transferred off ship for follow-on care. The official would not say if it was being considered a suicide attempt.

Other carriers also have had long runs that have raised concerns about morale. The USS Gerald R. Ford returned home in mid-May after an 11-month deployment, the longest since the Vietnam War, that had it support the U.S. war with Iran and the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

During its deployment, the Ford experienced a fire in a laundry space that forced the carrier to turn around and return to the Mediterranean Sea for repairs and left hundreds of sailors without places to sleep.

Concerns about the demands of battle and the dangers of overextending ships and their crew predate the Iran war, with a number of mishaps on ships battling Houthi rebels in Yemen in 2024 and 2025, including the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman on a longer-than-expected deployment.

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Associated Press writer Ben Finley contributed to this report.

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

It’s been over 30 years since the state last elected a Democrat governor in 1994.

Current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won reelection by about 20% in 2022, but he’s term-limited.

One of the Democrats running is former Republican Congressman David Jolly, who left the party and became a prominent critic of President Donald Trump.

“Look, this is a governorship,” said Jolly. “I don’t have to litigate the President of the United States.”

Jolly said he is focusing on kitchen table issues.

“This is about housing, healthcare, and education,” he said. “We need more workforce and affordable housing. We have to solve our insurance prices. I think we can cut insurance by 50 to 60%.”

Jolly says he worked with colleagues on both sides of the aisle in Congress and added that his approach can appeal to all kinds of voters.

“I’m in a very post-ideological space in my life,” he said. “I believe in the Democratic values, but this is bigger than one party.”

A top challenger to Jolly is State Rep. Dotie Joseph of North Miami.

“I’m somebody who’s not afraid to work across the aisle, but also not afraid to fight,” said Joseph. “There are times when we need to stand up and make sure our rights are protected.”

A former government and civil rights attorney, Joseph has served in the state house since 2018.

“I want to focus on our needs right here in the state of Florida,” she said. “And for me, that focuses on affordability.”

Joseph said she wants to raise the minimum wage to $20 an hour.

In the Florida House of Representatives, she has proposed guaranteeing universal healthcare for all by creating a statewide publicly funded system.

“My message is just that I’m here for the people,” she said. “And I think for too long, we have a government that has only worked for its select few.”

There are four other candidates who are also running in the Democratic primary. They are Evelyn Castillo-Bach, Thomas Fernandez, Dayna Foster and Shephann Norman.

Olsen, who volunteers for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said the state agency has been tracking him.

“A few weeks ago, I got a call from a friend who told me, ‘Hey, I’m being tracked by the FWC, and you might be as well.’ And I said, ‘What do you talk about? That’s kind of crazy,’” Olsen said.

A record made it clear he was the subject of a FWC investigation.

“As of April of 2024, they’ve searched me 14 times now in the DAVID system under a claimed criminal investigation,” Olsen said.

Records show the agency has pulled more than a dozen records of environmental activists like Olsen. The DAVID system helps investigators access tondrivers license numbers, social security numbers, and other sensitive information.

A spokesperson for FWC said the searches came after credible threats against commissioners and staff. Activists believe it’s to silence criticism.

“Anybody who’s actually making any commotion at meetings is finding themselves under the radar ... I’ve never made hateful comments online. I don’t use social media,” Olsen said.

The FWC released a statement saying the agency had complied with all applicable user agreements and all legal requirements governing access to and use of DAVID records.

“I don’t know what’s going on, but we’re going to get to the bottom of it,” Olsen said.

The Hennepin County search warrant obtained by The Associated Press identified the man as Nathan Brown, 41. It says he stabbed his wife, 41-year-old Kristen Brown, and their daughter, Evie Brown, inside the daycare that Kristen Brown operated out of the family's basement in Hopkins, a suburb of Minneapolis. He then fatally shot himself in an upstairs closet.

Hopkins police said in a statement Thursday that they are still investigating.

According to police records, a father dropping off two of his children for daycare heard screams coming from the basement. The father entered the home and initially thought Nathan Brown was performing CPR before realizing it was an attack. The witness called 911 and fled with his children and two other children.

Authorities said Wednesday that they believe Nathan Brown earlier killed a 78-year-old relative at her home in Burnsville, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Hopkins. Nathan Brown had recently been living there, investigators said. Police have not released the woman’s identity or said how she was related to Brown.

The warrant says the parent who witnessed the daycare attack told investigators that Kristen Brown had recently sent parents a letter that the daycare would soon be closing, citing “relationship issues with Nathan.”

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

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Six other children were present, but none were physically harmed, authorities said.

Authorities have not released any information about a potential motive for the killings. They said there was no history of police calls to the Hopkins address.

Records show that Kristen Brown had been licensed by the state since 2019. The daycare had a capacity of 10 children and was found to be in compliance during visits in 2023, 2024 and 2025. Family members of Kristen Brown declined to comment on Thursday.

Kristen Brown opened Brown Bear Childcare a few months after giving birth to Evie. In a 2019 post on the daycare’s Facebook page, Brown wrote that she hoped to help her daughter and other children “blossom into happy, intelligent, caring individuals.”

Kristen Brown had a bachelor’s degree in elementary education foundations from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities and was certified in vision therapy, according to her daycare’s Facebook page. She incorporated music and cooking classes into her days with the children and would take them on field trips to a science museum and an orchard.

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Rico reported from Atlanta.

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At Miami Springs Preparatory Academy, sixth through 12th graders arrived before sunrise for the first day of classes. The school is now serving a larger student population after Miami Springs Middle School closed.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent José Dotres spoke at the school and said the changes are intended to give students access to better resources as the district responds to shifting enrollment.

He likened the drop to a hurricane.

“When do you lose 12,000 students from one year to the next? It’s never happened,” Dotres said, saying that perhaps the only similar situation was immediately after Hurricane Andrew in the 1990s.

Thursday marked Dotres’ final first day of school as superintendent. His tenure is scheduled to end in February.

“This role of mine is my the privilege and the honor of my lifetime and I’m just excited to see one more year of schools opening we’ve had,” Dotres said. “With my tenure, we’ve had terrific every single year has been excellent. I’m planning, specially this one more than ever.”

He said the enrollment drop, in part fueled by numbers of immigrant students dropping from up to 22,000 three years ago to only 3,200, reduced funding from the state.

Dotres said the district is keeping an eye on schools in the northeastern part of the county, the epicenter of the district’s Haitian American student population, with the end of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians ending just before the school year began.

“There are concerns and fears,” he said. “But we as a school district (will) help students.”

The district is also reminding families about changes to its free and reduced-price meal program.

A total of 121 schools across the district will continue providing free breakfast and lunch to all students. Free breakfast will continue to be available at elementary schools, while families with students in middle or high school should check whether their school qualifies for free or reduced-price meals.

The M-DCPS website lists the schools that will continue to offer meals at no charge under the Community Eligibility Provision.

Families whose children are not already covered are being urged to apply through the district’s website before the application deadline.

Eighth-grader Jesus Perdomo offered some advice to other students starting the new school year.

“All the students out there should try not to like get in trouble, try and focus on their studies and just generally have a good time,” he said.

Angelica Rodriguez told Local 10 that her son normally takes the bus but did not have an assigned route listed in his schedule.

“He usually comes in the bus, but today something came out in the schedule,” Rodriguez said. “It says that he doesn’t have an assigned bus. I called transportation and they told me just to bring him to school and ask at the office what’s going on and it’s probably something in the system.”

District officials reminded families to make sure emergency contact information is updated and to double-check bus routes, stops and schedules as the new school year begins.

Families can also use the Dadeschools Mobile App, the district’s official mobile application, to access school-related information, including schedules and transportation information.

As students begin returning to classes across South Florida, Local 10 wants to help celebrate the milestone by sharing your favorite back-to-school photos.

Officers from the Key West Police Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded at about 9 a.m. on Thursday to the park at 601 Howard England Way.

The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection also responded to the park, a natural historic landmark with a pre-Civil War fortress.

The agencies seized the vessel, and CBP took custody of the migrants.

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It was the clubs and concerts that beckoned tourists.

And it’s where 24-year-old model Alysha Hanin was living on and off.

Until she disappeared in January 2002.

On Jan. 6, between 2 and 4 a.m., Alysha left the Shore Club Hotel to walk to a diner off Washington Avenue and 11th Street.

Weeks later, a friend who assumed she was jet-setting somewhere reported her missing after not hearing from her.

Her belongings were left behind at the hotel, including her passport.

Her son, Adrian, was 3 at the time. He holds on to the little memories he has of her, along with pictures.

“I have a photo of my mom and dad together in Miami Beach and I can kind of see myself being there with them in a way,” Adrian said.

Adrian’s father died in 1999. He was raised by Alysha’s mother.

Weeks before Alysha disappeared, she dropped Adrian off at her mother’s home in New Zealand to undergo a medical procedure back in Miami.

She has never been seen again.

More than 20 years later, Adrian traveled from New Zealand to retrace her steps.

“I felt like not enough was done with the information we have, and I wanted to kind of unravel it, unpack it, and kind of get my boots on the ground, come here and see what it’s all about,” he said.

Police suspect foul play.

Adrian says there are several avenues they are exploring as far as possible persons of interest, including an ex-lover.

“Yeah, I mean, we have a lot of information and the night that she goes missing is very hazy,” he said.

He plans to meet with Miami Beach detectives to go over the case.

“My chosen route 24 years later is to be more public about it, get her face, her, you know, name out there, so that anyone that was around Miami Beach at the time in 2002 can come forward,” Adrian said.

He says anyone who may have worked valet at the Shore Club or worked at Stereo nightclub in Fort Lauderdale should contact him or submit a tip at FindingAlysha.com.

Miami Beach police say no one has been arrested in her case, but the case has been reopened and is active.

Clancy looked up suicide methods, bipolar disorder and insomnia at the end of December 2022 and, in January, went in search of information on postpartum depression. She also wrote a detailed note in October 2022 expressing doubts about her parenting choices, second-guessing her decision to stop breastfeeding her 8-month-old, and reconsidering plans for a fourth child.

The defense says she was in the grip of bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis, a rare condition that can alter a woman’s sense of reality after childbirth. A forensic psychiatrist diagnosed Clancy with those conditions following the killings.

In her note, the 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse seemed most concerned with not being able to give her youngest child the same attention as her first two, ages 3 and 5.

“I’m terrified of something happening to my kids or doing something wrong to mess up their development,” Clancy’s note read. “Our generation is inundated with information about every aspect of parenting. ... It’s insane. For the last five years, I’ve just filled my mind with all things parenting and it’s just unhealthy.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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Clancy has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy. Their father found the children in the basement of the family’s home in coastal Duxbury, south of Boston. Their mother was lying in the yard after jumping out a second-story window, and remains paralyzed from the waist down.

Text messages with her then-husband, Patrick Clancy, show them juggling the routines of parenthood. Massachusetts State Police cellphone forensics expert Tim Chiappini read aloud texts between them from the day of the killings. They checked in on each other and Lindsay Clancy expressed relief that one of their children's kidneys were OK. There were also photos of the children.

“You're a good mamma,” Patrick Clancy texted, prompting Lindsay Clancy to respond with a heart and smile emoji.

Clancy's livestreamed trial has generated intense public interest, with journalists and spectators packing the courtroom as online audiences pore over the details of the tragedy.

Clancy’s attorneys do not dispute that she killed the children. But they say the jury should not hold her criminally responsible because she was mentally ill, believing she heard voices ordering her to take their lives and her own.

Prosecutors argue she was an intentional killer who contrived to get her husband out of the house by sending him to get takeout and to the pharmacy on Jan. 24, 2023, then strangled the children with exercise bands.

Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham has urged jurors not to view the trial as “a public debate about women’s mental health and how the medical system treats women.”

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

Her attorneys say Clancy did everything she could to seek help: She turned to multiple outpatient providers, tried various drugs they prescribed, called a suicide hotline, went to an emergency room, and approached but wasn’t accepted into a hospital-based, full-day treatment program for women with postpregnancy mental health problems. Clancy even checked herself into a psychiatric hospital for several days.

Rather than improving, her condition worsened on the ever-remixed cocktail of psychiatric medications, some of them problematic for bipolar patients, her attorneys and family say.

Prosecutors aim to show that Clancy had access to a range of mental health services but sometimes ignored doctors' advice and stopped taking certain medications. They've brought several of her medical providers who testified she never talked about having a plan to harm herself or her children. They say she never showed signs of psychosis or mania, although she did say she was having suicidal thoughts.

“I commented a week ago on that,” Kiffin said after practice in Baton Rouge. “That's the comment that I had and we're moving forward.”

LSU's official online store has removed replica Daniels jerseys from the menu of those for sale, which include the No. 9 of 2019 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow and the No. 3 of former star receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

Meanwhile, Pickett showed no interest in relinquishing the No. 5 when he spoke with reporters after Thursday's practice.

“I’ve been wearing the number my whole life, since I was 4 years old,” Pickett said. “That was the number I was promised. I wish Jayden the best. Good player — he did real good here.”

Daniels, drafted second overall by the Washington Commanders in 2024, said in a social media post on Thursday that the matter would not affect his preparation for the NFL season.

“I have been locked in on training camp and that has been my No. 1 focus,” Daniels said in the post. “I have a lot of gratitude for my time at LSU and I'm proud of what my teammates and I accomplished there.

“Obviously there are issues to get worked out” with LSU, Daniels continued. “My hope is that it will get done privately. ... I realize the business of football is unique and I trust that this can all be resolved.”

Daniels' statement came in the wake of reports about a letter in which his Miami-based attorney, Adam Kenner, demanded that LSU no longer use his client's name, image or likeness to promote the university or its athletic programs.

Pickett wore a No. 3 jersey as a freshman last year but was wearing No. 5 when August camp opened last week. The 6-foot-5 cornerback is a former five-star recruit who had three interceptions in 2025.

Kiffin said last week that Pickett was promised the opportunity to wear No. 5 when he signed with LSU in December 2024, when Brian Kelly was coaching the Tigers. Kelly was fired in October 2025, and Kiffin was hired at the end of the regular season.

“When a kid’s promised something to come to a school, he should wear it,” Kiffin said during an Aug. 5 media session. “So at that point, I don’t think it’s really my decision. We should honor what he was told.”

Pickett is the first player to wear No. 5 since Daniels left LSU. Under LSU policy, the only number football players cannot wear is No. 20, worn by the late Billy Cannon, who was the Tigers' first Heisman winner in 1959.

Top LSU officials, including athletic director Verge Ausberry, have declined to comment on the matter.

A number of images of Daniels that are on display at LSU would be considered in the public domain, and not subject to any contractual agreements between the university and the quarterback. But LSU has in the past featured Daniels in promotional videos shown in Tiger Stadium or and elsewhere, and it remains to be seen whether LSU might edit some of those out should the dispute become protracted.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow — who won the 2019 Heisman Trophy and led LSU to a national title — declined to comment on the specifics of Daniels' situation after Thursday night’s preseason game against the Detroit Lions. But he said he's had conversations about his No. 9 not being issued to another player.

“They told me that they wouldn’t use it again, but you never know what happens,” he said.

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AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy in Cincinnati contributed to this report.

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En Auburndale Elementary, los estudiantes escogieron mochilas gratuitas llenas de útiles escolares, con muchos colores y estilos para elegir.

“¡Estoy emocionada!”, dijo Keila, estudiante de quinto grado.

Camilla, estudiante de segundo grado, dijo que escogió una mochila morada porque también tenía color rosado.

El evento de Auburndale fue uno de varios realizados en las Escuelas Públicas de Miami-Dade en la víspera del nuevo año escolar.

Comisionados locales se asociaron con las escuelas para dar la bienvenida a los estudiantes y sus familias.

“Fui a una escuela pública a solo unas cuadras de aquí. Recuerdo el primer día de clases. Era aterrador, intimidante: nuevos estudiantes, nuevos maestros, director”, dijo el comisionado de Miami Rafael Rosado. “Lo que estamos haciendo es darles la bienvenida para que puedan ver nuestras sonrisas, nuestra emoción y nuestro apoyo para ellos”.

Los eventos también dieron a los estudiantes la oportunidad de conocer sus salones antes del inicio de clases y aprender más sobre los programas en los que participarán durante el año escolar.

En Bowman Ashe/Doolin K-8 Academy, en el suroeste de Miami-Dade, estudiantes y familias conocieron el programa STARTs de la escuela magnet, que incluye música y robótica.

Los maestros también se preparaban para dar la bienvenida a los estudiantes.

“Reunirnos con los padres y tener esa conexión, en última instancia, ayuda a que los estudiantes tengan éxito”, dijo Rachel Ruiz, maestra de Bowman Ashe/Doolin Academy. “Estoy sumamente emocionada. Los nervios son buenos nervios. Estoy lista para enseñarles”.

El inicio del nuevo año escolar trae desafíos adicionales para algunas familias de Miami-Dade afectadas por cambios migratorios, mientras las autoridades educativas aseguran que están preparadas para brindarles apoyo.

Para algunas familias, este año escolar comenzará con ajustes importantes en medio de cambios recientes en materia migratoria.

El Estatus de Protección Temporal (TPS) terminó recientemente para miles de ciudadanos haitianos en Estados Unidos, una situación ante la cual las autoridades de las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Miami-Dade enviaron un mensaje a los padres afectados.

“Los padres no deben dejar a sus hijos en casa”, dijo el superintendente de Miami-Dade, José Dotres. “Por favor, llévenlos a la escuela”.

Los permisos de trabajo también vencieron para ciudadanos haitianos que trabajaban en el sistema escolar, por lo que las autoridades están realizando los ajustes correspondientes.

“Tenemos que tomar las medidas apropiadas, pero tratamos de asegurarnos de monitorear de cerca el impacto del TPS en nuestro distrito escolar”, señaló Dotres.

Las autoridades educativas dijeron estar preparadas para ayudar a las familias que puedan sentir preocupación o incertidumbre ante las actuales medidas de control migratorio.

En cuanto a los empleados, funcionarios del distrito indicaron que el área de servicios humanos está revisando la situación de cada trabajador, ya que las circunstancias migratorias pueden variar de una persona a otra.

Además, para la tarde del miércoles estaban programados varios eventos de regreso a clases, entre ellos una feria de recursos escolares en South Miami Heights hasta las 4 p.m., una actividad en Shenandoah Elementary a la 1 p.m. y otra en Citrus Grove K-8 a las 2:30 p.m.

Mientras los estudiantes comienzan a regresar a clases en todo el sur de Florida, Local 10 quiere ayudar a celebrar este momento compartiendo sus fotos favoritas del regreso a clases.

“Bristol was always one of Kyle’s favorite tracks,” Samantha Busch wrote on X. “He loved racing under the lights, found so much success there, and the iconic M&M’S car holds some of the best memories of his career and our life together.”

Busch, 41, died May 21 after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming complications.

Busch and the No. 18 Toyota M&M’s car were synonymous when he drove for Joe Gibbs Racing from 2008-22. He moved to Richard Childress Racing in 2023.

Busch won nine Cup Series races and a total of 23 NASCAR races at Bristol.

Ty Gibbs, 23, is coming off his second win of the season at the Cup Series race in Iowa.

He posted pictures of the M&M's car on Instagram and wrote, “Excited for Bristol. Gonna be a cool (one)... So honored to drive this.”

Samantha Busch wrote it would be “heartbreaking” to be at Bristol without Kyle. The race is Sept. 19.

“He should be there,” she wrote. “But I’m so grateful to be able to tell you that those iconic M&M’S colors will be coming back to Bristol, one last time, on the 54 car. It’s a chance to honor him at a place he loved so much, surrounded by our NASCAR family and the fans who loved him too. I know Kyle would want us to be there, to keep showing up, keep racing, and keep carrying his legacy forward.”

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See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Meanwhile, a system designated Potential Tropical Cyclone One-C in the central Pacific, located about 800 miles southeast of Hawaii, is expected to organize into Tropical Storm Lala on Thursday and threaten the 50^th state this weekend.

Tropical twins plodding westward over the open Atlantic with a lackluster future

Two robust tropical disturbances – designated Invest 92L (westernmost) and Invest 94L (easternmost) – continue to gradually organize over the central and eastern Atlantic this morning and could each become a tropical depression or named storm in the coming days. The next names on the list are Dolly and Edouard.

The disturbance with the best development shot in the short term is the westernmost wave (Invest 92L), which has maintained persistent thunderstorms with an organizing circulation.

While 92L will probably get the nod as our next tropical depression or named storm — perhaps as soon as Thursday — like Crisobal before it, it’s time as a tropical cyclone will be short-lived.

By Saturday, it will be moving into the eastern Caribbean where a firehose of wind shear will mean lights out, and the system is expected to wash out over the weekend. 92L or what develops from it will not pose a widespread threat to the islands and may benefit drought-stricken areas of the Caribbean.

Meanwhile AI models that turned quickly bullish on Invest 94L late Tuesday have – in a similar fashion to 92L – since retreated in their enthusiasm. Models do suggest a longer shelf life for 94L than 92L but in general intensity guidance caps it as a low- to mid-tier tropical storm into early next week.

Unlike 92L which will sail deep into the Caribbean as a washed-out wave, 94L could maintain its designation as a tropical depression or tropical storm as it curls near or north of the easternmost Caribbean islands from Tuesday to Thursday next week.

Needless to say, this one has some obstacles ahead, including shear and dry air, which will tap the brakes on any significant organization.

For now, 94L doesn’t look to be a significant threat for the islands even if it develops.

Hawaii in the crosshairs of soon-to-be Lala

A disturbance about 800 miles southeast of Hawai’i – designated Potential Tropical Cyclone One-C – is likely to become Tropical Storm Lala later Thursday.

Models show Lala slowly strengthening to a strong tropical storm as it nears the Big Island early Saturday local time.

The good news since yesterday is forecast models have trended slightly south and away from the state but there remains a growing threat for impactful weather – including periods of heavy rains on east and south-facing slopes, flash flooding, strong winds, and dangerous surf and large swell along east-facing shorelines – for not only the Big Island but for Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Oahu, and Kauai this weekend.

It’s been nearly two years since a tropical storm watch or warning has been issued for Hawaii and since Hurricane Douglas in 2020 that the state has been under a hurricane watch.

Only 11 tropical storms or hurricanes on record (since 1949) have been observed within 50 miles of the state and Tropical Storm Olivia in 2018 was the last named storm to pass directly over the island chain.

Residents and visitors should continue to closely monitor the forecast over the coming days.

The comments came two days after a fiery, 2 1/2-minute monologue by White during which she defended herself after some critics contended she didn't show enough support for guard Sophie Cunningham when she took a hit across the head and neck area last weekend at Chicago. Referees upgraded the foul from a Flagrant 1 to a Flagrant 2, resulting in an ejection of Sky guard DiJonai Carrington.

“I think Steph does a great job with us,” Boston said before practice. “We love her and appreciate her and so to hear (boos), it was really annoying, honestly, and disrespectful. But for us, the main thing is the main thing, and we said we’re going to come out here and get that win.”

They did win — in resounding fashion, 106-92 over the Commissioner's Cup champion New York Liberty.

Following the game, Cunningham and three-time All-Star Caitlin Clark both backed their coach. Cunningham told reporters she had no problem with White's comments after the Sky game that she thought the refs made the right call, but that she didn't think Carrington was intentionally trying to hit Cunningham above the neck.

Carrington also wrote “WHITE PRIVILEGE” and tagged the Fever account on social media after the ejection. She has since explained she never claimed the foul was a result of white privilege.

Before Tuesday's game, White said she had not seen a replay of what happened before her postgame availability Saturday. When she did watch it later, she said called the foul “egregious.”

But the delay put White squarely in the middle of yet another controversy and Indiana Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith even used his social media account to call for White's firing.

Clark, Cunningham, Boston and Mitchell disagree.

“I told her to her face, I said, ‘Coach, you know this is for you,’ in terms of a sense of confidence, a sense of awareness that she's not alone,” Mitchell said, referring to Tuesday's pregame conversation. “It's like it really hurt my feelings to see her kind of have emotions in terms of not feeling valued and not feeling wanted in a place where she has to coach. At the end of the day, this is her job and she has to shows up, too, and I think people don't really realize that but it's our job to remind her.”

The boos came as a surprise to some for such an iconic figure in her basketball-rich home state.

She finished her high school career at Seeger, a school located between Indy and Purdue's campus in West Lafayette, as the state's career scoring leader in girls basketball. She led the Boilermakers to the 1998-99 national championship, was one of the original Fever players in 2000 and was an assistant coach on the Fever's 2012 WNBA title team.

The league's 2023 coach of the year returned to Indiana as head coach last season and came within one win of taking a severely injury-riddled Indiana team to the WNBA Finals.

Clark didn't like what happened, but understands because she has also been the target of boos.

“I hated that our fans booed, to be honest, and you can disagree with this and that, I get it,” Clark said Tuesday. “It's professional sports, people are going to boo. But, at the end of the day, that's our head coach and we're going to ride for her and we're always going to have her back and that's never going to tear our locker room apart.”

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See AP’s full WNBA coverage here

“It’s another device to help someone get compliant when they are not,” Homan said Thursday in an interview on Fox News Channel's “Fox & Friends.” “You can't just go from 0 to 100, right, and the first thing you go for is lethal force.”

Homan's remarks were the Trump administration's first public defense of ICE's plan to spend up to $20 million to purchase thousands of “conductive distraction and de-escalation devices” for officers and agents. The devices are known as the G.L.O.V.E., which stands for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, and are manufactured by Compliant Technologies LLC. They have been used in recent years by some jails and police departments.

The plan has drawn intense criticism from civil rights groups, Democrats in Congress, and some use-of-force experts, who say ICE agents have been too quick to use force while carrying out President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration. At least six people have been shot and killed by immigration enforcement agents since last year, including motorists last month in Maine and Texas.

Homan argued the gloves could help avoid such encounters. He said they would give another less lethal option to ICE officers, similar to Tasers or pepper spray, for use in potentially violent situations on the streets and in detention facilities. He said that it would “be awhile” before the gloves are deployed in the field by ICE officers because the agency is still working out training protocols and other policy issues.

In Bardstown, Kentucky, Nelson County Jailer Justin Hall said Thursday that his agency began using the gloves four years ago to try to gain compliance when inmates are out of control. He said that, unlike Tasers, the shocks do not incapacitate people and make them fall or leave contact or burn marks.

Hall estimated that he had been shocked by the gloves more than 10 times during training, and the pain was intense but stops once the gloves are no longer touching skin. He said the shock gloves have been used sparingly, but are helpful as an initial deterrent when de-escalation techniques do not work.

“It’s just a safer way. It’s safer on the inmate. It’s safer on the staff. And most of the time, most of the time we get compliance,” he said. “It's been a great tool for our facility.”

Geoffrey Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina who has written extensively about police use-of-force and tactics, said the devices should be studied more broadly to ensure departments have proper guidance on when and how they should be used. He said it might be a wiser investment for ICE to start with a smaller purchase, given how little is known about them.

“You are wholesaling these to a group of officers who may not be trained in other strategies like de-escalation or trained to interact with the public in non-enforcement ways, like most local police officers are,” he said. “User error is almost predictable at some level. The tech may be fine, but let’s take a minute and make sure that it is used in an appropriate custom and practice.”

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Foley reported from Iowa City, Iowa. AP reporter Claudia Lauer contributed to this report from Philadelphia.

Opening statements at the murder trial in Las Vegas are expected to begin Monday.

Family members and fans of the legendary rapper have been waiting for decades to learn the truth behind the 1996 drive-by shooting that left Shakur dead at the height of his career.

Shakur was just 25 when he was shot near the Las Vegas Strip at a time when he was in the middle of a fierce battle for dominance in a music scene shaped by rival gangs.

Authorities three years ago charged Duane “Keffe D” Davis with murder, describing him as the “shot caller” who orchestrated the killing. Davis has pleaded not guilty and could be sentenced to life in prison if he’s convicted.

Sixteen jurors were picked for the trial, which is expected to last about a month. During the selection process, potential jurors were asked about their favorite books and movies, if they had any strong feelings about gangs, and whether they had listened to Shakur’s music.

Shakur still is considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. With hits like “California Love” and “Dear Mama,” more than 75 million of his records have been sold worldwide, including seven albums released after his death.

He was in the passenger seat of a BMW driven by Death Row Records co-founder Marion “Suge” Knight on Sept. 7, 1996, when shots were fired from a Cadillac at a red light. Knight survived but Shakur died six days later.

Prosecutors have not accused Davis, now 63, of pulling the trigger that night, instead saying that he made the calls that led to Shakur’s death and provided the gun.

In Nevada, a person can be convicted of murder for helping another person commit the crime.

Davis is the only person still alive who was in the car where prosecutors said the fatal shots originated.

The case against Davis was revived when Davis published the book “Compton Street Legend,” about the shooting and his time in the Crips, in 2019 as well as his statements during police and media interviews.

Davis’ attorneys unsuccessfully fought to block from the trial details written in the book and said during a 2008 police interview. They argued the book was fictionalized and had a co-author, making it impossible to know which parts Davis wrote.

They also argued Davis’ previous interview with a federal task force was supposed to be confidential and not used against him.

Among those who could be called to testify in the trial is Knight, the rap music mogul whose label represented Shakur. He continually has said that he wants no part in the trial.

Knight, who is serving a 28-year sentence for running over and killing a Compton businessman in 2015, is the only surviving person who was in the car with Shakur at the time of the shooting.

Prosecutors expect to call between 35 and 45 witnesses, ranging from people who saw Shakur moments before he was shot to those who were associates of both Shakur and Davis at the time. Sean “Diddy” Combs, who Davis claimed wanted Shakur and Knight dead, will not be one of those witnesses, attorneys said.

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Associated Press writers John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio, and Rio Yamat in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

The ruling allows people to purchase silencers, short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns and certain other firearms without registration, while also removing an extra layer of background checks.

The order benefits parties that brought the lawsuit, including some dealers based outside northern Texas, but it is not a national injunction. Advocates say there are similar challenges in federal courts in other states. Separately, some states have their own prohibitions on silencers.

U.S. District Judge James Hendrix in Lubbock, Texas, said regulations in a 1930s-era law are unconstitutional. He said the rules must fall after the Republican-controlled Congress and President Donald Trump eliminated a $200 permit tax on the devices.

Hendrix said his Aug. 5 order would take effect in seven days unless the government appealed. There was no sign of a filing Wednesday in online entries at Hendrix's court or the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The government’s refusal to pursue an immediate appeal “is a failure to defend public safety,” said Emma Brown, executive director at Giffords, the gun violence prevention group.

An email Thursday seeking comment from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which enforces the law, was not immediately answered. Under court procedure, the government still could file an appeal in the weeks ahead, even while Hendrix's order stands.

Gun Owners of America said two members acquired suppressors at Silencer Shop in Leander, Texas, without having to register.

“Our members are putting the historic victory into action. The era of federal registration for constitutionally protected arms must end,” said Erich Pratt, the group's senior vice president.

The National Firearms Act has been around since 1934 in response to concerns about mafia violence. It regulates firearms that are considered the most dangerous, though gun-rights advocates say it conflicts with the Constitution's Second Amendment.

“The system of regulating these weapons has been effective. The need is no less today than it was after the Prohibition era almost a century ago,” said Giffords chief counsel Adam Skaggs.

Orange County deputies say they would steal family heirlooms from cemeteries.

The group, deputies said, broke into niches containing cremated remains and took everything from jewelry to family heirlooms.

Deputies identified them as Angela Garrett, 52; her son, Drake Lee Milam, 33; and his girlfriend, Porsche Bancroft, 32. All of them are from Indiana.

The sheriff’s office is asking everyone to stay vigilant. They asked anyone who hasn’t visited a loved one’s niche to check on it.

There are at least 20 reported cases across Florida, but detectives believe the number could be higher.

Miami is poised for a fun and exciting season following the acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who joins a group led by Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Davion Mitchell and head coach Erik Spoelstra.

Opening Night is set for Wednesday, Oct. 21 when Miami hosts the Minnesota Timberwolves at Kaseya Center.

The majority of Miami’s games this season, at least 68, will be airing on Local 10 News in South Florida.

The full season schedule can be found by clicking here.

Matchups to circle on the calendar are a meeting with the Detroit Pistons on Friday, Oct. 23, the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, Nov. 2, the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, Nov. 5, the New York Knicks on Thursday, Jan. 14 and the Boston Celtics on Saturday, March 27, all games that can be seen on Local 10.

Other marquee matchups include Miami visiting LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, Nov. 25 and the NBA Champion New York Knicks two days later on Friday, Nov. 27.

Miami will also play on Christmas Day, visiting the Boston Celtics for a 2:30 p.m. afternoon tipoff.

Superstar center Victor Wembenyama and the San Antonio Spurs will visit Miami on President’s Day, which is Monday, Feb. 15.

Remember, you can watch Miami Heat games on Local 10 next season as WPLG Local 10 and the Heat announced a newly expanded media rights agreement, making Local 10 the home of HEAT basketball across South Florida! CLICK HERE for more information on how to watch!

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

The Tigers became the first team to blank an opponent without a strikeout since Rick Porcello did it to the Athletics on July 1, 2014. The feat has only been accomplished seven times since 2000.

Montero (9-7) allowed one walk over 6 1/3 innings, holding the Guardians scoreless despite not recording a strikeout. Tyler Holton worked 1 2/3 strong innings, and Kenley Jansen earned his 15th save in a perfect ninth.

Dillon Dingler drove in the game's first run with an RBI groundout in the third before Eduardo Valencia added his fifth homer of the season on a ball that sailed into the left-field seats.

Spencer Torkelson capped the scoring with a one-run single in the eighth.

Parker Messick (9-7) worked 5 2/3 innings for the Guardians, allowing two runs and three hits while fanning six.

Cleveland's Steven Kwan had his career-high on-base streak of 27 games snapped, finishing 0 for 4.

Up next

Tigers: RHP Jackson Jobe (1-0, 0.00 ERA) starts the series opener against the White Sox on Friday.

Guardians: RHP Gavin Williams (11-6, 3.55 ERA) starts the series opener versus the Padres this Friday.

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See AP’s full MLB coverage here

La inflación acumulada en lo que va del año alcanzó 19,3%, mientras que la variación interanual fue de 33,8%, informó el jueves el Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos (INDEC).

En junio, el costo de vida había marcado una suba de 1,9%, la menor en 10 meses.

De acuerdo al informe oficial, el aumento del costo de vida en el sexto mes del año estuvo liderada por el rubro Recreación y Cultura (5%), seguida por Restaurantes y hoteles (2,8%) en coincidencia con el receso de invierno. Las subas de alquileres y tarifas de servicios públicos también estuvieron por encima del 2%, lo que contribuyó a un registro más elevado respecto a junio.

El dato oficial de julio muestra una leve aceleración de precios que se había frenado a partir de abril y vuelve prácticamente inviable la promesa del presidente liberal Javier Milei de una inflación de un dígito a partir de agosto.

Poco antes de conocerse el dato oficial, el ministro de Economía, Luis Caputo, atribuyó la aceleración de precios en julio proyectada por consultoras a que “es un mes estacionalmente alto” y a factores externos.

“Más allá del número, tenemos una confianza plena en lo que estamos haciendo”, remarcó el funcionario el jueves en rueda de prensa. “El proceso de desinflación que estamos viendo es fenomenal. No tenemos ninguna duda que este es el rumbo y vamos a seguir por este rumbo".

La tasa anual, ahora en 33%, superaba el 200% cuando Milei asumió el cargo en 2023.

Sin embargo, una aceleración de la inflación, aunque sea leve, termina erocionando aún más el poder adquisitivo de los argentinos con salarios que se mantienen muy rezagados respecto al aumento del costo de vida de los últimos tres años y que han obligado a miles de familias a endeudarse para poder costear sus gastos diarios. Esta caída en el poder de compra ha impactado negativamente en el consumo y la rectivación económica.

“Para bajar la inflación hacen falta políticas contractivas que van en contra de la reactivación. Políticas de estímulo pueden ayudar, pero seguramente van a implicar una tasa de inflación más alta”, planteó la consultora Econviews en un reciente informe.

Las proyecciones para el segundo trimestre del año vaticinan una caída del PIB de entre 0,4 y 1%.

Al menos 3,284 personas resultaron heridas, informó David Tamayo, nuevo director de la Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (UNGRD).

“De esas 273 personas fallecidas, 250 han sido remitidas a Medicina Legal; 227 ya fueron identificadas y 189 cuerpos han sido entregados a sus familias”, dijo Tamayo durante una conferencia de prensa.

Entre las víctimas mortales se encuentran 96 personas que murieron en Cali, 93 en Pereira y 13 en la región del Chocó, donde se localizó el epicentro del terremoto, según las autoridades.

Tamayo informó que unas 12,600 viviendas quedaron destruidas y más de 74,800 resultaron dañadas.

El funcionario agregó que la UNGRD mantiene bajo vigilancia el volcán Puracé, en la región del Cauca, y revisa la situación de los albergues ante la posibilidad de que sea necesaria una evacuación “debido al aumento de la actividad volcánica”.

También este jueves, el presidente de Colombia, Abelardo De la Espriella, anunció a través de X que los Emiratos Árabes Unidos donarán $10 millones para apoyar las labores de emergencia.

Por su parte, la Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (Conmebol) y la Federación Colombiana de Fútbol anunciaron una donación de $1 millón para las labores de reconstrucción en el oeste del país.

Conferencia de prensa