Two Marine Corps Osprey aircraft, which have characteristics of both a helicopter and a fixed-wing airplane, flew over the recently reopened U.S. Embassy in Caracas. They landed in the parking lot with the downdraft blowing tree branches. Forces then descended from the aircraft.

“Ensuring the military’s rapid response capability is a key component of mission readiness, both here in Venezuela and around the world,” the embassy said on Instagram.

Venezuela’s government had announced the drill earlier this week. Foreign Minister Yván Gil said the U.S. would conduct the exercise to prepare “in the event of medical emergencies or catastrophic emergencies.”

The drill comes almost two months after the U.S. formally reopened its embassy in Caracas. The reopening followed the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the South American country after Maduro 's ouster in early January.

Some Caracas residents Saturday gathered near the embassy to watch the aircraft, while a few dozen others gathered elsewhere in the city to protest the exercise. Protesters held a Venezuelan flag with the message “No to the Yankee drill” written over it.

U.S. military aircraft last flew over Caracas on Jan. 3, when elite forces rappelled down from helicopters and captured Maduro and his wife. Both were taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges. They have pleaded not guilty.

Víctor Chanfreau, Claudio Caiozzi y Carolina Eltit pisaron suelo chileno vestidos con kufiyas cerca de las 9 de la mañana del sábado. En diálogo con la prensa, dieron su versión sobre la detención y denunciaron maltratos por parte de las fuerzas israelíes.

“El gobierno de Chile actuó pésimo, no sorprendiendo nuevamente”, se quejó Chanfreau, y calificó de “negligentes” las gestiones diplomáticas de la cancillería.

“Imagínense que un país cualquiera, que no sea Israel, secuestre en aguas internacionales a tres chilenos y los torture durante más de 60 horas", agregó. "Es evidente que ya se habrían quebrado las relaciones diplomáticas. Se ve que (a las autoridades de Chile) les importa más el dinero que cómo están sus ciudadanos alrededor del mundo”.

Más de 50 embarcaciones con ayuda humanitaria para los palestinos zarparon del puerto de Marmaris, Turquía, la semana pasada, en lo que los organizadores de la Flotilla Global Sumud describieron como el tramo final de su viaje hacia las costas de Gaza. Al menos 17 botes fueron interceptados por la Armada israelí en las primeras tres horas de la operación, según el rastreador de la flotilla.

Israel ha mantenido un bloqueo sobre Gaza desde que Hamás tomó el control del territorio en 2007, un año después de ganar las elecciones parlamentarias palestinas. El bloqueo restringe el movimiento de bienes y personas que entran y salen de Gaza. Egipto también ha cerrado ocasionalmente el cruce de Rafah, que, antes de la reciente guerra, era el único cruce fronterizo que no estaba bajo el control de Israel.

Un grupo nutrido de personas recibió a los chilenos con banderas palestinas, letreros, aplausos y sentidos abrazos por parte de los allegados más cercanos. “Gaza resiste, Palestina existe”, coreaban.

Chanfreau agradeció la recepción y la presión ejercida por la gente, y afirmó que fue fundamental para lograr su libertad.

Sobre las condiciones de la detención, que duró casi 3 días, Eltit denunció haber sufrido golpes y que fue “en condiciones precarias, sin papel higiénico, un baño para 190 personas, tirados al sol, amarrados de pies y manos”.

“Todos lo pasamos muy mal; nos trataron como si no fuéramos humanos”, coincidió Caiozzi.

Los organizadores indicaron que las embarcaciones fueron interceptadas a 250 millas náuticas (463 kilómetros) de las costas de Gaza. A diferencia de interceptaciones anteriores, que en su mayoría tuvieron lugar al amparo de la noche, las fuerzas armadas israelíes abordaron los botes a plena luz del día.

Una hora antes de la interceptación, el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Israel instó a los activistas a “cambiar de rumbo y dar la vuelta de regreso de inmediato”.

“Una vez más, una provocación por el simple hecho de provocar: otra supuesta ‘flotilla de ayuda humanitaria’ sin ayuda humanitaria”, publicó el ministerio en la red social X.

Las fuerzas armadas israelíes declinaron comentar sobre la operación.

Activistas de la flotilla originarios de Estados Unidos, México, Suecia y España también denunciaron vejaciones por parte de las fuerzas israelíes en las últimas horas.

“Nos interceptan con buques militares, nos apuntan con armas de guerra y se suben a nuestros barcos, además de que los destrozan y algunos se los roban, y ahí nos suben a un buque prisión”, agregó Chanfreau.

Turquía —que acogió a los detenidos antes de devolverlos a sus países— exhortó a Israel a que detuviera de inmediato la operación y liberara a los participantes de la flotilla.

The U.S. Travel Association said that Mullin confirmed he is considering withdrawing CPB officers in a meeting where the trade group was pressing its concerns about other proposals the Trump administration is considering that could hamper travel. U.S. Travel and the major airlines quickly condemned the idea, and even Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said it doesn't make sense to him.

“U.S. Travel believes such a move would have devastating consequences for the travel industry and communities that depend on international visitation,” the industry group said Friday in a statement.

Details of the meeting were first reported by The Atlantic.

Duffy told a Congressional hearing earlier this week that he wasn’t familiar with Mullin’s remarks, and he’d like to learn more about the context and maybe ask Mullin a question about what he meant. But Duffy said it would be a bad idea to start restricting travel based on political views. After all, at some point Democrats will be in charge and “you will all switch spots at one point — hopefully not too soon Mr. Chairman,” Duffy said.

“We have people from around the world and around the country that need to be able to fly into all different kinds of places. We shouldn’t shut down air travel in a state that doesn’t agree with our politics,” Duffy said.

So it's not clear how much support this idea has within the administration, though President Donald Trump has previously threatened to withhold funding from sanctuary cities.

There is no strict definition for sanctuary policies or sanctuary cities, but the terms generally describe limited cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. And courts have rejected the idea of pulling funding from them in the past.

In Trump’s first term in office, in 2017, courts struck down his effort to cut funding to the cities.

It’s not clear exactly which cities and airports Mullin might target, but the Justice Department last year published a list of three dozen states, cities and counties that it considers to be sanctuary jurisdictions.

The Airlines for America trade group was quick to say the idea would hurt the economy and disrupt travel.

“Reducing CBP staffing at major airports would have a devastating effect on the airline and tourism industries, causing a significant operational disruption to carriers, travelers and the flow of international cargo.”

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Hosted by the Kennedy Kids Foundation, the walk began at Kennedy’s former high school in the city’s Design District and included a route to Wynwood Walls and back.

Participants received Kennedy Kids Foundation T-shirts that they customized with spray-painted messages of hope and encouragement.

Attendees also took part in activities including rock painting, leaving uplifting messages along the route for others who may be struggling.

The event aims to raise support for teen mental health education, suicide prevention programs and resources for families nationwide.

Local 10 spoke with Kennedy’s mother, Tina Bailey, who said returning to D.A.S.H. each year is emotional, but seeing the community come together gives her family purpose.

“It feels like community,” Bailey said. “And that’s what we wanted to create — a community. We want people to feel safe to come and get help and we want to provide resources and tools for them because we really don’t want no one else to feel alone.”

Organizers said the annual walk is designed not only to honor Kennedy’s memory, but also to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health struggles among teens and encourage families to seek support when needed.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available by calling or texting 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Organizada por la Fundación Kennedy Kids, la caminata comenzó en la antigua escuela secundaria de Kennedy en el Design District de la ciudad e incluyó una ruta hacia Wynwood Walls y de regreso.

Los participantes recibieron camisetas de la Fundación Kennedy Kids que personalizaron con mensajes de esperanza y aliento pintados con aerosol.

Los asistentes también participaron en actividades como pintar piedras y dejar mensajes alentadores a lo largo de la ruta para otras personas que puedan estar atravesando dificultades.

El evento tiene como objetivo recaudar apoyo para la educación sobre salud mental en adolescentes, programas de prevención del suicidio y recursos para familias en todo el país.

Local 10 habló con la madre de Kennedy, Tina Bailey, quien dijo que regresar a D.A.S.H. cada año es emotivo, pero ver a la comunidad unirse le da propósito a su familia.

“Se siente como comunidad”, dijo Bailey. “Y eso es lo que queríamos crear: una comunidad. Queremos que las personas se sientan seguras para venir y buscar ayuda y queremos brindarles recursos y herramientas porque realmente no queremos que nadie más se sienta solo”.

Los organizadores dijeron que la caminata anual está diseñada no solo para honrar la memoria de Kennedy, sino también para reducir el estigma en torno a las luchas de salud mental entre adolescentes y alentar a las familias a buscar apoyo cuando sea necesario.

Si usted o alguien que conoce está atravesando dificultades de salud mental, hay ayuda disponible llamando o enviando un mensaje de texto al 988, la Línea de Ayuda para Suicidio y Crisis, disponible las 24 horas del día, los siete días de la semana.

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Federal prosecutors said Javier Ravelo pleaded guilty in March to distributing more than 40 “animal crush videos” in violation of the federal Animal Crushing statute.

According to investigators, Ravelo owned and administered several invitation-only online chat groups focused on sharing and discussing graphic videos showing monkeys being mutilated and tortured.

Prosecutors said he controlled access to the groups and acted as a “leader and organizer.”

The news release states that a judge sentenced Ravelo to 60 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. During that time, he is prohibited from having unsupervised contact with animals.

The court described the material as “evil” and said the sentence was intended to show that “in society we will not tolerate this kind of material being distributed in any way, shape, or form,” according to the DOJ.

“The production and distribution of obscene animal crush videos is a felony,” Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson said in a statement. “In passing the Animal Crushing statute, Congress recognized that cruelty to animals desensitizes participants to the suffering of human beings.”

Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans said investigators pursued Ravelo despite efforts to conceal the activity through private online groups.

“Even when offenders use advanced technology and exclusive, invitation-only groups to hide their illegal activities, HSI will relentlessly pursue them and ensure they are held accountable,” Wright said.

Federal prosecutors previously said the videos depicted animals being “purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.”

According to his arrest report, Ravelo used the Telegram username “Tony (expletive) Montana.” The University of Miami graduate and former Air Force contractor had been free on a $100,000 bond while awaiting sentencing.

Los fiscales federales dijeron que Javier Ravelo se declaró culpable en marzo de distribuir más de 40 “videos de crueldad animal” en violación de la ley federal contra la crueldad animal.

Según los investigadores, Ravelo era propietario y administrador de varios grupos privados de chat en línea enfocados en compartir y discutir videos gráficos que mostraban monos mutilados y torturados.

Los fiscales dijeron que controlaba el acceso a los grupos y actuaba como un “líder y organizador”.

El comunicado indica que un juez condenó a Ravelo a 60 meses de prisión seguidos de tres años de libertad supervisada. Durante ese tiempo, tiene prohibido tener contacto sin supervisión con animales.

La corte describió el material como “malvado” y dijo que la sentencia tenía como objetivo demostrar que “en la sociedad no toleraremos este tipo de material distribuido de ninguna manera”, según el DOJ.

“La producción y distribución de videos obscenos de crueldad animal es un delito grave”, dijo en un comunicado el principal fiscal general adjunto Adam Gustafson. “Al aprobar la ley contra la crueldad animal, el Congreso reconoció que la crueldad hacia los animales desensibiliza a los participantes ante el sufrimiento de los seres humanos”.

El agente especial interino a cargo Matt Wright, de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional de Nueva Orleans, dijo que los investigadores persiguieron a Ravelo a pesar de los esfuerzos por ocultar la actividad mediante grupos privados en línea.

“Incluso cuando los delincuentes usan tecnología avanzada y grupos exclusivos solo por invitación para ocultar sus actividades ilegales, HSI los perseguirá incansablemente y garantizará que rindan cuentas”, dijo Wright.

Los fiscales federales habían dicho previamente que los videos mostraban animales siendo “aplastados, quemados, ahogados, asfixiados, empalados o sometidos deliberadamente a lesiones corporales graves”.

Según el reporte de arresto, Ravelo utilizaba el nombre de usuario de Telegram “Tony (expletivo) Montana”. El graduado de la Universidad de Miami y ex contratista de la Fuerza Aérea había permanecido en libertad bajo una fianza de $100,000 USD mientras esperaba la sentencia.

Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said in a news release the family received the medical evaluation on Saturday.

Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at 41 on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator.

Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Typically the immune system releases chemicals to fight off pathogens like bacteria, viruses or fungi, but with sepsis the response goes into overdrive. The results can cause widespread inflammation, form microscopic blood clots and make blood vessels leak.

Busch was thought to have had a sinus cold while racing at Watkins Glen on May 10 and radioed in to his team saying that he needed a “shot” from a doctor after the race.

However, he bounced back to win the Trucks Series race at Dover last weekend, and then he finished 17th in the All-Star race on Sunday.

Busch, who was preparing to race Sunday at the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

During the emergency call placed late that afternoon, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”

The caller said Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.

NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski said he knew Busch wasn’t feeling well recently.

“Yes, but I won’t go into any specifics," Keselowski said. “But then when he ran the Truck race last week, those (thoughts) were honestly kind of erased in my mind.”

Keselowski said running multiple races on the same weekend can be difficult on a driver's health — but most don't want to miss a race for fear of being replaced.

“There’s no shortage of drivers that would love to take my seat or anybody else’s seat if we weren’t feeling well, and I think every driver feels that pressure,” Keselowski said. “All athletes do. It’s not unique to NASCAR in that sense. We’re all thinking to ourselves, ‘I don’t wanna be replaced.’ ... So you try to power through it the best you can."

Busch won 234 races across NASCAR’s top three series over his two-decade career, more than any driver in history.

All 39 drivers in the field for Sunday’s race will race with a black No. 8 decal on their car to honor Busch.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

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Staff member Cherie Wachter said Nola is about 22 to 25 pounds and is expected to grow to roughly 40 to 50 pounds.

She is believed to be a cattle dog mix and is described as affectionate, playful and highly attentive once she bonds with people.

“She loves to give hugs, she loves to give kisses,” Wachter said, adding that Nola will need continued training, including potty training, and would do best with a family willing to spend time helping her adjust.

The shelter also has several cats available for adoption, including siblings Pookie and OJ.

Pookie is about 1 year and 2 months old, and OJ is her brother.

Staff say the pair are closely bonded and were surrendered when their family could no longer keep them due to a move. Pooky recently had a haircut to address matting, but both cats are healthy, social and available for adoption.

More information about available pets and adoption hours can be found on HSBC’s website.

No injuries were reported after the pressurized tank overheated Thursday and began venting vapors in Garden Grove, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Evacuation orders were issued for 40,000 people, and several shelters were opened by Friday night, including at three high schools.

The main concern was that the tank could fail and crack, releasing the chemical onto the ground, or it could explode, said Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey. The tank is located at GKN Aerospace, which makes parts for commercial and military aircraft. The tank holds between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons (22,700 and 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate, used to make plastic parts.

Drones are monitoring the tank's temperature, and by Friday evening, efforts to cool the tank were working, Covey said.

“It is not OK with me just to sit back and watch this thing blow up or fail. That is not acceptable to me," Covey said in an update posted on social media. "Our group is going to do everything they can to come up with a third, a fourth, a fifth option that is not that, that is not failure, and we can get all of you back home as soon as possible. I ask you to continue to be patient.”

That included asking the public not to call 911 for nonemergency issues. especially with suggestions about solving the problem, Covey said

“I know that everybody’s thinking they're going to give us some really good ideas on how to fix that,” he said. "While we really appreciate the intent of that, trust me, I have the best people around working on solutions.”

Initially, residents in Garden Grove were ordered to leave. Evacuation orders were expanded Friday to some residents of five other Orange County cities — Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park and Westminster.

Garden Grove is about 38 miles (61 kilometers) south of downtown Los Angeles and less than a mile from Disneyland's two theme parks, which were not under evacuation orders. The city is known for its vibrant Vietnamese community, one of the largest of any U.S. city. Local Vietnamese television stations translated updates from officials and urged residents to take the situation seriously.

Covey said crews used sandbags to create containment barriers to prevent the toxic chemical from getting into storm drains or reaching creeks or the nearby ocean in the event of a spill.

If the chemical heats up, it can release a vapor that is harmful to people’s health. It can cause respiratory issues, itching and burning eyes, nausea and headaches, said Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, the Orange County health officer.

Crews were initially successful and were able to neutralize one of two damaged tanks, but Covey said they determined Friday morning that the remaining tank was “in the biggest crisis.”

In a statement, GKN Aerospace said it was “fully focused on working with emergency services, specialized hazardous material teams and the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of the local community, our employees and everyone else involved.”

La empleada Cherie Wachter dijo que Nola pesa entre 22 y 25 libras y se espera que crezca hasta aproximadamente entre 40 y 50 libras.

Se cree que es una mezcla de perro ganadero y es descrita como cariñosa, juguetona y muy atenta una vez que crea vínculo con las personas.

“Le encanta dar abrazos, le encanta dar besos”, dijo Wachter, agregando que Nola necesitará entrenamiento continuo, incluido entrenamiento para hacer sus necesidades, y que le iría mejor con una familia dispuesta a dedicar tiempo para ayudarla a adaptarse.

El refugio también tiene varios gatos disponibles para adopción, incluidos los hermanos Pookie y OJ.

Pookie tiene aproximadamente 1 año y 2 meses, y OJ es su hermano.

El personal dice que la pareja está muy unida y fue entregada cuando su familia ya no pudo mantenerlos debido a una mudanza. Pookie recientemente recibió un corte de pelo para tratar el pelo enredado, pero ambos gatos están saludables, son sociables y están disponibles para adopción.

Puede encontrar más información sobre mascotas disponibles y horarios de adopción en el sitio web de HSBC.

Another surprise: The 2022 world champion at 100 meters, banned from the regular track circuit until August 2027 for missing tests required by a system he portrayed as disrespectful and intrusive, has every intention of being on another starting line.

“I will compete at the LA Olympics in 2028," he said.

When Kerley signed onto the Enhanced Games roster, he became their most recognizable name and gave the new enterprise a headliner it had been missing.

Some six months later came his two-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit for missing tests, a violation of the antidoping code that doesn't necessarily mean an athlete is taking drugs.

The 31-year-old Kerley, who bet on himself after the COVID-19 pandemic when he successfully gave up the 400-meter grind for the 100-meter straightaway, insisted it was the multimillion-dollar contract, not the prospect of taking performance enhancers, that led him to the breakaway league.

“I don't need it,” he said. “God gave me fast feet for a reason. I'm here to showcase my talent. You still have to work. Drugs aren't going to give you an advantage if you're not putting the work in.”

USADA's doping control officers on hand this week

That, in part, is what the Enhanced Games will or will not prove on Sunday. Most of the 50 athletes competing in track, swimming and weightlifting are taking performance enhancers under the watchful eye of doctors and trainers. A few, like Kerley and Olympic gold-medal relay swimmer Hunter Armstrong, say they are not.

Rick Adams, the former chief of sport performance for the U.S. Olympic team whose move to become an executive for Enhanced also gave the enterprise a greater sense of legitimacy, said doping control officers are on hand in Las Vegas this weekend, testing on behalf of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, which still keeps a list of active athletes who could return to traditional events.

“There's a lot of scrutiny, not only against me but against the Enhanced Games,” Armstrong said. “I want them to test me because I don't want there to be a single doubt that I'm a man of my word.”

Kerley, a man of few words, says he will be ‘fast’ on Sunday

Kerley, who has a reputation as a man of few words, has spent large parts of 2026 using his social media feed to rip into antidoping authorities, while teasing that a 9.4-second run could be possible. He has turned himself into maybe track's most intriguing character this side of Sha'Carri Richardson.

Does he think Usain Bolt's 9.58-second world record can be broken Sunday — a feat that would earn the record breaker $1 million, in addition to a $250,000 first prize? “It's going to be destroyed," Kerley said.

How fast does he think he can go? “Fast.”

How fast? “Fast.”

Does he have a time in mind? “Fast.”

When Kerley's ban for missing tests was announced in March, the easy conclusion was that he didn't care about testing anymore now that he was part of the Enhanced Games.

But the reason, he explained, had to do with the 24/7 whereabouts requirements in antidoping. In essence, athletes in the testing pool have to spell out where they'll be at all times and give drug testers specific windows when they'll be available.

When the ban came down, Kerley argued he had no intention of answering phone calls that looked like spam from Mexico while he was in the U.S. Those, apparently, were from doping control officers trying to track him down.

On Friday, he went a little deeper.

“I grew up with family,” he said. “You just don’t come and disrespect my space. Once you come and start disrespecting my space, it’s irritating.”

But, he says, despite the ban and despite his presence with Enhanced, he continues to be tested by the AIU and USADA.

He says the move to Enhanced had nothing to do with taking drugs, everything to do with signing a contract that he suggested on social media would take $12 million-plus to top.

Like so many in his sport, he has grown tired of shoe contracts that place too many obligations on athletes and sometimes go away if an injury hits or times falter.

“We're training, basically, 365, and it hasn't changed from back in the day when all the greats were running,” Kerley said.

Banned for taking PEDs, Marvin Bracy-Williams makes a comeback

Also running in the 100 on Sunday is Marvin Bracy-Williams, whose own curious doping case resulted in what could have been a career-ending 45-month ban but instead led him to the Enhanced Games where he said he is, in fact, taking drugs.

Bracy-Williams, who finished second at worlds to Kerley by .02 seconds in 2022, conceded that his sudden disappearance from track in 2023 came because he was doping after a series of injuries.

He ended up providing information to authorities that led to the arrest of a Florida man, who faces up to 10 years in prison for violating a law passed in 2020 that allows U.S. authorities to prosecute doping crimes involving international events.

The reduced ban wasn't enough to salvage the 2028 Olympic hopes of Bracy-Williams, now 32, so he jumped when he saw the chance to go to the Enhanced Games.

“We get in these situations where the treatment is good when you're good,” Bracy-Williams said, referencing a $100,000 reduction in his contract that came if he failed to make a U.S. national team. "But when you're in a place where you're not doing so good, it just goes away, and sometimes, for some people, that can be hard.

Bracy-Williams said he trained with Tyson Gay in the early 2010s when Gay got nailed for doping. He passed no judgment on him or anyone else.

“The dude never changed,” Bracy-Williams said. “I didn't look at him like he was some boogeyman now."

He rattled through a long list of great sprinters who had tested positive for doping through the years.

“But you meet them behind closed doors, and they're good guys,” Bracy-Williams said.

As he spoke at a table surrounded by media, his two kids sat quietly against the wall and played on cellphones. There was no need to ask why Bracy-Williams, who has a two-year contract with "lots of zeros" on it, was trying to extend his career at the Enhanced Games.

Same for Kerley, who promises that track and field hasn't seen the last of him.

“At the end of the day," Kerley said, “I'm here to provide for my kids and myself.”

___

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

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The honor comes with the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy and a $100,000 donation from the NBA to Adebayo’s Bam, Books & Brotherhood Foundation.

“I accept this award not just for myself, but for every voice that has gone unheard and every person working behind the scenes to create a more just and compassionate world,” Adebayo said in a statement.

Adebayo becomes the first player in Heat franchise history to win the award.

The league also announced Friday that Adebayo earned a spot on the 2025-26 NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

He received 10 First Team votes and 51 Second Team votes, marking the sixth All-Defensive selection of his career — the most in Heat franchise history, according to a news release from the team.

Adebayo started all 73 games he played this season, averaging 20.1 points, 10 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.18 steals in 32.4 minutes per game. He became just the third player in franchise history to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in a season, joining Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O’Neal.

He also led Miami in rebounds for a franchise-record seventh straight season and recorded at least 80 steals for the fifth consecutive year, joining only Dwyane Wade, Grant Long and Glen Rice in team history to accomplish that feat.

With Adebayo anchoring the defense, the Heat held opponents under 100 points 21 times and finished among the NBA’s top defensive teams for the seventh straight season.

Adebayo passed Udonis Haslem for the most defensive rebounds in franchise history on March 3 and is now just 35 boards short from tying the team’s all-time rebounding record.

He also scored 83 points on March 10 at the Kaseya Center in a 150–129 win over the Washington Wizards, the second-highest point total in NBA history.

El honor incluye el Trofeo Kareem Abdul-Jabbar y una donación de $100,000 USD de la NBA a la fundación de Adebayo, Bam, Books & Brotherhood Foundation.

“Acepto este premio no solo para mí, sino para cada voz que no ha sido escuchada y cada persona que trabaja tras bastidores para crear un mundo más justo y compasivo”, dijo Adebayo en un comunicado.

Adebayo se convierte en el primer jugador en la historia de la franquicia del Heat en ganar el premio.

La liga también anunció el viernes que Adebayo obtuvo un lugar en el Segundo Equipo Defensivo de la NBA 2025-26.

Recibió 10 votos para el Primer Equipo y 51 votos para el Segundo Equipo, marcando la sexta selección defensiva de su carrera, la mayor cantidad en la historia de la franquicia del Heat, según un comunicado del equipo.

Adebayo inició los 73 partidos que jugó esta temporada, promediando 20.1 puntos, 10 rebotes, 3.2 asistencias y 1.18 robos en 32.4 minutos por partido. Se convirtió en apenas el tercer jugador en la historia de la franquicia en promediar al menos 20 puntos y 10 rebotes en una temporada, uniéndose a Alonzo Mourning y Shaquille O’Neal.

También lideró a Miami en rebotes por séptima temporada consecutiva, un récord de la franquicia, y registró al menos 80 robos por quinto año seguido, uniéndose a Dwyane Wade, Grant Long y Glen Rice como los únicos jugadores en la historia del equipo en lograr esa marca.

Con Adebayo liderando la defensa, el Heat limitó a sus oponentes a menos de 100 puntos en 21 ocasiones y terminó entre los mejores equipos defensivos de la NBA por séptima temporada consecutiva.

Adebayo superó a Udonis Haslem en rebotes defensivos como el líder histórico de la franquicia el 3 de marzo y ahora está a solo 35 rebotes de empatar el récord histórico de rebotes del equipo.

También anotó 83 puntos el 10 de marzo en el Kaseya Center en una victoria 150-129 sobre los Washington Wizards, la segunda mayor cantidad de puntos en la historia de la NBA.

One night after Stephen Colbert recorded his final episode of “The Late Show" on CBS, he made a surprise appearance hosting the “Only in Monroe” community access show broadcast in southeast Michigan along the shores of Lake Erie.

Michigan native Jack White, who grew up in Detroit about 40 miles northeast of Monroe, joined Colbert as his “volunteer music director.”

“Looking forward to hearing some of your music, time permitting,” Colbert joked with White, as laughter could be heard from a handful of people off camera.

Colbert interviewed actor Jeff Daniels during the hourlong broadcast that leaned heavily into Michigan-centric jokes. Actor Steve Buscemi appeared in a recorded bit joking about Buscemi’s Pizza in Monroe.

Rapper Eminem, who was raised in Detroit, appeared on tape as the “fire marshal” who approves setting fire to remnants of the set that Colbert, White and Daniels destroyed at the end of the show.

Colbert also spoke via FaceTime with comedian Byron Allen, who will be hosting “Comics Unleashed” that is replacing Colbert’s canceled “Late Show,."

The community access program’s normal hosts, Michelle Baumann and former Miss America Kaye Lani Rae Rafko Wilson, sucked helium from balloons with Colbert while discussing Baumann's battle with cancer. A warning on the screen said, “Former professional TV host, do not try this at home.”

It marked the second time Colbert has hosted “Only in Monroe.” As he said during the surprise Friday broadcast, he previously hosted an episode in the summer of 2015 just before taking over “Late Night” from David Letterman.

It was not clear where or when Colbert recorded the latest episode, which aired exactly 24 hours after his final “Late Night” show. Messages left Saturday seeking comment from the community access channel were not immediately returned.

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“We’re ecstatic. We’ve been waiting since October 2019 for some justice. It’s been a long wait,” said Bobby Randazzo, Christopher Randazzo’s brother, moments after hearing the verdict.

“Guilty,” was read in court as the verdict was announced.

Holston and Romero were convicted in the killing of the 39-year-old.

“I feel bad for their families too because they ruined their families. But they still get to see them and hear from them,” Bobby Randazzo said.

Nearly seven years ago, Christopher Randazzo’s body was found near the Southern Seas Resort in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. His iPhone, sneakers, wallet and keys were taken after he was shot in the back of the head.

“We have closure and can put it to rest,” Bobby Randazzo said. “We got justice for him so now maybe he can rest in peace.”

Randazzo’s family, including his elderly father, remained in court throughout the weeklong trial.

“It was awful. It’s something you’ll never forget,” a family member said. “It gives us the truth of what happened instead of imagining the last seven years.”

Following the verdict, Holston was seen mouthing “I love you,” blowing a kiss and making a heart shape with his hands while in handcuffs.

Romero’s attorney said an appeal is already being considered.

Although both men were found guilty of murder, they were not found guilty of possessing a gun or discharging a firearm.

“I think the jury was clear and unanimous on the involvement of both. It perhaps couldn’t find beyond a reasonable doubt who is the actual person,” Judge Michael A. Usan said.

“The jury’s verdict was inconsistent, basically told us we don’t know who had a gun, or how this man was killed and that’s troubling,” said Jim Lewis, Romero’s attorney.

Lewis said trying both men together was a “detriment.”

“We had always asked to be separate. Jose Romero was never alleged to carry a gun in this incident. The co-defendant was, so to some extent we paid the price,” Lewis said.

Following the verdict, the Randazzo family said they planned to visit his gravesite.

“He was a joy at home and anyone he ever ran into,” a family member said. “We brought light to everybody’s life and everybody misses him for it.”

Prosecutors were not seeking the death penalty in the case, but both men face mandatory life sentences. They are scheduled to return to court in June for sentencing.

“Estamos eufóricos. Hemos estado esperando justicia desde octubre de 2019. Ha sido una larga espera”, dijo Bobby Randazzo, hermano de Christopher Randazzo, momentos después de escuchar el veredicto.

“Culpable”, se leyó en la corte al anunciarse el veredicto.

Holston y Romero fueron condenados por el asesinato del hombre de 39 años.

“También me siento mal por sus familias porque arruinaron a sus familias. Pero ellos todavía pueden verlos y escuchar de ellos”, dijo Bobby Randazzo.

Hace casi siete años, el cuerpo de Christopher Randazzo fue encontrado cerca del Southern Seas Resort en Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Su iPhone, tenis, billetera y llaves fueron robados después de que recibió un disparo en la parte posterior de la cabeza.

“Tenemos cierre y podemos dejar esto atrás”, dijo Bobby Randazzo. “Obtuvimos justicia para él y ahora quizá pueda descansar en paz”.

La familia de Randazzo, incluido su padre de edad avanzada, permaneció en la corte durante todo el juicio de una semana.

“Fue horrible. Es algo que nunca olvidarás”, dijo un familiar. “Nos da la verdad de lo que pasó en lugar de imaginarlo durante los últimos siete años”.

Tras el veredicto, Holston fue visto moviendo los labios diciendo “Te amo”, lanzando un beso y haciendo la forma de un corazón con las manos mientras estaba esposado.

El abogado de Romero dijo que ya se está considerando una apelación.

Aunque ambos hombres fueron declarados culpables de asesinato, no fueron encontrados culpables de posesión de arma ni de disparar un arma de fuego.

“Creo que el jurado fue claro y unánime sobre la participación de ambos. Quizá no pudo determinar más allá de una duda razonable quién fue la persona responsable”, dijo el juez Michael A. Usan.

“El veredicto del jurado fue inconsistente, básicamente nos dijo que no sabemos quién tenía un arma ni cómo fue asesinado este hombre y eso es preocupante”, dijo Jim Lewis, abogado de Romero.

Lewis dijo que juzgar a ambos hombres juntos fue un “perjuicio”.

“Siempre pedimos ser juzgados por separado. Nunca se alegó que Jose Romero portara un arma en este incidente. Sí se alegó del coacusado, así que hasta cierto punto pagamos el precio”, dijo Lewis.

Tras el veredicto, la familia Randazzo dijo que planeaba visitar su tumba.

“Era una alegría en casa y para cualquiera con quien se encontraba”, dijo un familiar. “Llevaba luz a la vida de todos y todos lo extrañan por eso”.

Los fiscales no estaban buscando la pena de muerte en el caso, pero ambos hombres enfrentan sentencias obligatorias de cadena perpetua. Está previsto que regresen a la corte en junio para la sentencia.

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Officers responded around 8:45 p.m. to the 600 block of Northwest 12th Avenue after receiving reports of two men who had been shot.

Police said one victim was shot in the leg while the other suffered a gunshot wound to the upper torso.

Both men were taken to Broward Health Medical Center as trauma alerts with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

The incident remains under investigation.

Los agentes respondieron alrededor de las 8:45 p.m. a la cuadra 600 de Northwest 12th Avenue tras recibir reportes de dos hombres que habían recibido disparos.

La policía informó que una víctima recibió un disparo en la pierna, mientras que la otra sufrió una herida de bala en la parte superior del torso.

Ambos hombres fueron trasladados al Broward Health Medical Center como alertas de trauma con heridas que no fueron consideradas de riesgo para sus vidas.

El incidente continúa bajo investigación.

He spent the time contemplating the haunting images of a spinning car hitting the wall last May before the race had even started, his hands flapping in anger and the frustration sinking in as he climbed out. All the inconsolable McLaughlin could do was cover his face.

He's not going to blow it Sunday at another sold-out Indianapolis 500.

Instead, McLaughlin intends to take full advantage of a second chance on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval, and he hopes to show everyone what he's learned and how resilient he's become as he tries to write a worst-to-first script.

“No doubt I’ve come back stronger from it,” he said. “I don’t think I’m driving differently this year because of it. I’m just looking forward to getting back into the race, creating a new storyline, getting on with it. I’d love to go zero to hero, of course, but driving with emotion like that is probably a detriment. I've just got to go out there, execute and see what I’ve got.”

The 32-year-old New Zealander has returned to Indy with a steadier, more determined mindset to prove he won't make the same mistake twice. He didn't duck any questions about what happened, even if it still seems inexplicable.

But at Team Penske, it's not just McLaughlin seeking redemption this weekend.

Last May might have been the worst for team founder Roger Penske since 1995, when neither of his two-time 500 winners — Al Unser Jr. or Emerson Fittipaldi — made the 33-car starting field, with the open-wheel split keeping Penske away from Indy for the next five years.

In 2025, the trouble started long before McLaughlin crashed while warming up his tires as he was driving past pit lane. Two-time defending champion Josef Newgarden and 2018 Indy 500 winner Will Power were both penalized following a post-qualifying inspection that showed each car had illegally modified rear attenuators.

It marked the second time in 14 months The Captain's team had been tarnished by a cheating scandal. In April 2024, Newgarden was stripped of his win and McLaughlin lost his third-place finish at the season-opening race in St. Petersburg because they improperly used the push-to-pass button on restarts — a rule that was changed earlier this month after a dozen drivers did the same thing at Long Beach. The new rule will allow all 33 drivers to use it on restarts Sunday, the first time on an oval.

“What happened there was a nothing burger,” Newgarden said when asked about Long Beach. “I mean look, I don't have much to say about it, it doesn't matter to me. I'm here in Indianapolis.”

But the second infraction sent both cars to the back of the starting grid, essentially ending Newgarden's opportunity to become the first driver in race history with three straight 500 wins and Power's chance to add a second Indy crown in his contract year. Three key team executives —president Tim Cindric, IndyCar managing director Ron Ruzewski and IndyCar general manager Kyle Moyer — were fired.

The three drivers' race-day results were subpar, too, for a team with a record 20 Indy wins. Power was the team's best finisher, in 16th and one lap behind the leaders. Newgarden dropped out with 66 laps to go and came in 22nd. And McLaughlin, Penske's top qualifier, didn't complete a single lap.

This year, McLaughlin and Newgarden came back to Indy with a new teammate, David Malukas, who drives the No. 12 car Power occupied for more than a decade. McLaughlin also has a new race strategist, Cindric.

And while Malukas and McLaughlin already have put Team Penske in more favorable position this May, starting third and ninth, Newgarden struggled in qualifying. He'll start 23rd, in the middle of Row 8, though it's still a nine-spot improvement over last year's starting spot. The combination at least gives Penske's team a fighting chance on the track he owns.

“I'm just going into it like I do any race,” Malukas said when asked about starting on the outside of Row 1. "I'll just watch previous race starts from that position, just getting a collection of data to see where people funnel out, funnel in. I'll just go with the flow.”

Newgarden, however, will have to manage traffic all around him after earning his worst starting spot since 2013 with the exception of last year's penalty.

And then there's McLaughlin, who has a second chance to prove to his fans and the team that last year was an aberration and this year could have a storybook ending.

“I feel like last year sucked and stunk, but it’s part of my journey,” he said. “I feel like I’ve gotten years of experience in one. It was a tough thing. I never wish that upon my worst enemy, as I’ve said. It’s something I’ve grown from, for sure. But it put a lot of perspective in my life.”

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

En un comunicado, su oficina anunció que planea ayudar a ofrecer más apoyo a las familias que enfrentan altos precios de gasolina, vivienda y alimentos en el condado Broward.

“He luchado por la gente del condado Broward toda mi vida adulta, y siempre han podido contar conmigo para ofrecer resultados para nuestra comunidad”, dijo Wasserman Schultz en un comunicado. “Y he librado estas batallas cuando nuestros valores estaban en juego, mientras criaba una familia, vencía el cáncer y respondía al llamado del presidente Barack Obama para liderar nuestro partido nacional”.

La mayoría republicana en la Legislatura de Florida aprobó el mapa de redistribución de distritos propuesto por el gobernador Ron DeSantis, el cual es objeto de varias demandas que lo impugnan por supuestamente violar la Constitución estatal.

El Distrito 20 ha permanecido vacante desde que Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick renunció el 21 de abril.

DeSantis promulgó el nuevo mapa el 4 de mayo, y este modificó cinco áreas clave para los demócratas en Florida, incluyendo el Distrito 23.

Elijah Manley, un demócrata que compite en las primarias del Distrito 20, reaccionó rápidamente con críticas.

“DWS es todo lo que está mal con el establishment demócrata … Espero retirarla de la vida pública”, escribió Manley en X tras el anuncio.

Publicación relacionada en redes sociales

One of Wasserman Schultz’s opponents in the FL-20 Dem primary is jumping on the attack. Elijah Manley is accusing her of jumping ship to what has been a black represented district after her own was carved up in the state’s new congressional map. @WPLGLocal10 https://t.co/iO87ihcSgh pic.twitter.com/m6RiUHh54m

— Ross Ketschke (@rossk_news) May 22, 2026

Gráfico interactivo: Nuevo mapa de redistribución de distritos electorales

Iran signaled “narrowing differences” in negotiations with the U.S. after Pakistan’s army chief held more talks in Tehran, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told journalists in India that “there’s been some progress made" and “there may be news later today.”

The officials and diplomat expressed hope that a final decision on the Pakistan-prepared draft could come within 48 hours as both sides review it. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.

They said Vice President JD Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner played significant roles in helping bridge remaining gaps, and that Qatar played a key role by sending a senior official to Tehran to support Pakistan’s mediation efforts.

Still, both Iran and the U.S. emphasized their key positions and have warned of the risks of resuming attacks.

Iran describes it as a ‘framework agreement' for more talks

Iran state TV quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei as describing the draft as a “framework agreement" and adding: “We want this to include the main issues required for ending the imposed war and other issues of essential importance to us. Then, over a reasonable time span, between 30 to 60 days, details are discussed and ultimately a final agreement is reached.”

He said the Strait of Hormuz is among the topics discussed.

Positions have moved closer in recent days, Iran’s official IRNA news agency quoted Baghaei as saying.

“Over the past week, the trend has been toward narrowing differences,” he said. “We will have to wait and see what happens over the next three or four days.”

Baghaei said nuclear issues are not part of the current negotiations, as Tehran first seeks to end the war before discussing its nuclear program that has long been at the heart of international tensions.

“Our focus at this stage is on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon,” Baghaei said, adding that lifting sanctions on Tehran “has explicitly been included in the text and remains our fixed position.”

Rubio, in New Delhi, said that "even as I speak to you now there is some work being done. There is a chance that whether it’s later today, tomorrow, in a couple days we may have something to say.”

Rubio repeated the U.S. stance that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and must turn over its highly enriched uranium, and the Strait of Hormuz must be open.

Iran has rebuilt military assets after weeks of war and then a fragile ceasefire, parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said after the meeting with Pakistan's Field Marshal Asim Munir, state TV reported.

Qalibaf, the lead negotiator in historic face-to-face talks with the U.S. last month, also said the result would be “more crushing and more bitter” than at the start of the war if U.S. President Donald Trump resumes attacks.

Trump had said ‘serious negotiations’ were underway

Trump earlier said he was holding off on a military strike against Iran because “serious negotiations” were underway, and at the request of allies in the Middle East. Trump has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off.

The U.S. and Israel sparked the war with attacks on Feb. 28, cutting short talks with Iran. Tehran retaliated by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the region’s oil, natural gas and fertilizer, causing global economic pain.

The U.S. then blockaded Iranian ports, and the U.S. Central Command on Saturday said U.S. forces had turned away more than 100 commercial vessels and disabled four since the blockade began April 13.

On his visit to Tehran, Pakistan’s army chief also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, President Masoud Pezeshkian and other senior officials, the two officials said, adding that Islamabad continues efforts to arrange a second round of direct negotiations.

It was not clear whether Munir met with Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who heads Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, has become a major player in formulating Iran’s tough stance in talks.

___

Lee reported from Washington.

El espectáculo, que se llevará a cabo desde el mediodía hasta las 5 p.m., incluye sobrevuelos de aviones de combate militares estadounidenses y exhibiciones de lanchas de alta velocidad.

Rita Case, presidenta y directora ejecutiva de Rick Case Automotive Group, dijo que el evento continúa creciendo cada año y sirve como un homenaje a los militares.

“Estoy muy orgullosa de ser concesionaria de Hyundai durante 40 años y me siento muy honrada de que Hyundai haya fundado este evento”, dijo Case. “El Salute to America’s Heroes presentado por Hyundai ha sido un gran evento. Continúa creciendo cada año”.

El espectáculo de este año contará con una amplia variedad de exhibiciones militares y sobrevuelos, incluida una formación denominada “Arsenal of Freedom”, que los organizadores califican como la primera de su tipo.

“Vamos a tener el espectáculo aéreo de los Thunderbirds”, dijo Case. “También vamos a tener el Arsenal of Freedom. Por primera vez vamos a tener al B-1, el B-2 y otras fortalezas voladoras de la Fuerza Aérea de Estados Unidos volando al mismo tiempo. Eso nunca se ha hecho antes en la historia de la Fuerza Aérea”.

El evento también incluye un espectáculo de drones, fuegos artificiales y un concierto gratuito con Parmalee el sábado por la noche.

Case dijo que el evento busca honrar a los miembros de las fuerzas armadas, especialmente antes del Día de los Caídos.

“Todo esto se trata del fin de semana del Memorial Day”, dijo. “Hyundai quería demostrar que este fin de semana debe ser para honrar a quienes pagaron el precio máximo por nuestra libertad. Somos un país libre gracias a más de un millón de hombres y mujeres del servicio militar que han perdido la vida a lo largo de la historia de Estados Unidos”.

Los organizadores dicen que el espectáculo será transmitido a nivel nacional y se espera que atraiga a grandes multitudes a Miami Beach durante todo el fin de semana.

Las autoridades recomiendan a los asistentes llegar temprano, llevar protector solar y prepararse para las altas temperaturas.

El sargento del Ejército de Estados Unidos Nelson Vélez describió el propósito de la participación de su Team 6 de los Golden Knights.

“La importancia de hacer espectáculos aéreos es definitivamente inspirar, no solo a la juventud estadounidense, sino también al público en general”, dijo Vélez el viernes.

Los eventos después del espectáculo incluyen presentaciones de drones, fuegos artificiales, proyecciones 3D y presentaciones musicales en vivo.

La entrada es gratuita. Para más información, visite esta página.

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Fernández spoke exclusively with Local 10 News on Saturday, offering a personal perspective on escalating tensions between the Cuban government and the Trump administration.

“Being part of that family, this moment weighs in a very different and personal manner,” Fernández said. “But everybody’s been waiting for justice. I think that more than justice, this indictment means the end of impunity for the Cuban regime.”

She said Cuban leaders have long operated without fear of consequences.

“For years and years and years they have been acting like nothing will happen to them, that there were no consequences,” she said. “They have been hostile to this country since the beginning of the revolution, for almost 70 years. So it was about time.”

Fernández, who left Cuba in the 1990s and now lives in Miami, has long been a critic of the island’s government.

During the interview, she was asked about the feasibility of bringing a 94-year-old Raúl Castro to the United States to face charges tied to the 1996 downing of two civilian planes operated by the Miami-based humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.

The attack killed four people, including three Americans, during a mission aimed at assisting Cubans fleeing the island.

“I don’t think this maneuver is as much about justice as the end of accountability,” she said. “It puts certainly a lot of pressure on the regime, a lot. It’s the first time they have been accused of something this serious.”

She added that while she does not believe extradition is realistic, she sees the indictment as symbolically significant.

“I don’t think it’s going to be an easy process,” Fernández said. “It’s not going to be easy, and I don’t think it’s really doable to bring a 95-year-old person to a court in the United States. That seems to be impossible. But I don’t really know the plans of this government. They amaze and surprise every day.

Fernández also addressed uncertainty surrounding U.S. policy toward Cuba, including shifting rhetoric on possible military intervention and diplomacy.

“I think that this is the 14th presidency since the Cuban regime is in place and none of them have known before how to deal with the Cuban government,” she said. “So let’s see if this one does.”

She said change in Cuba will likely not come easily from within.

“I’m convinced that a dictatorship needs a little push to get established and needs a little push to be taken away,” Fernández said. “I don’t think the Cuban population can deal with it by itself. It’s not banging in casseroles that you’re going to get rid of a regime that has been in place for 70 years.”

When asked about the emotional toll of the situation, Fernández said her feelings fluctuate.

“It’s complicated. It’s a lot of mixed emotions,” she said. “One day I’m hopeful, one day I’m depleted of whatever joy the freedom of Cuba can bring us.”

She said what troubles her most is the state of the country after more than six decades under communist rule.

“To see what the country has become after 67 years of this regime is falling apart,” she said. “Cuba hasn’t had electricity since the fall of the Soviet Union. We’ve been a subsidized country. Russians provide oil, then the Chinese, then Venezuela.”

Fernández also discussed a documentary about her life, The Revolution’s Daughter, which features stories from Cuban exiles.

“It’s a compilation of some exiles’ experiences and personal stories,” she said. “It’s very intimate and personal and it makes you understand how we feel and why we feel this way.”

She ended the interview urging viewers to better understand the Cuban exile experience.

“I just have to try to learn more about the Cuban experience,” Fernández said. “These days, everybody is so radicalized into a point of view without getting deeper into reality. I ask people to try to understand us — why we feel this way.”

Unidentified people arrived at the clinic in Mongbwalu on Friday night and set fire to a tent set up for suspected and confirmed Ebola cases by the Doctors Without Borders humanitarian group, Dr. Richard Lokudi, director of the Mongbwalu General Reference Hospital, told The Associated Press.

“We strongly condemn this act, as it caused panic among the staff of the Mongbwalu Referral Hospital and also resulted in the escape of 18 suspected cases into the community," he said.

On Thursday, another treatment center in the town of Rwampara was burned down after family members were prohibited from retrieving the body of a local man.

The bodies of those who died of Ebola can be highly contagious and lead to further spread when people prepare them for burial and gather for funerals. The dangerous work of burying suspected victims is being managed wherever possible by authorities, which can be met by protests from families and friends.

A burial for Ebola patients in Rwampara took place on Saturday under tight security as tensions between health workers and the local community ran high, said David Basima, a team leader with the Red Cross overseeing burials.

“Arriving at the (healthcare) structure, we experienced a lot of difficulties, including resistance from young people and the community. So we were forced to alert the authorities so that they could come to our aid, just for safety,” said Basima.

Authorities in northeastern Congo on Friday banned funeral wakes and gatherings of more than 50 people in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. The World Health Organization said that the outbreak now poses a “very high” risk for Congo — up from a previous categorization of “high” — but that the risk of the disease spreading globally remains low.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday that 82 cases and seven deaths have been confirmed in Congo, but that the outbreak is believed to be “much larger.”

There is no available vaccine for the Bundibugyo virus, a rare type of Ebola, which spread undetected for weeks in Congo’s Ituri province following the first known death while authorities tested for another, more common, Ebola virus and came up negative. There are now 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths, though more are expected as surveillance expands.

Dr. Jean Kaseya, director-general of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said a response to the outbreak must include building trust with communities.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Saturday that three of its volunteers had died from the outbreak in Mongbwalu. The agency said it believed the three healthcare workers contracted the virus while carrying out dead body management activities on March 27 as part of a humanitarian mission unrelated to Ebola.

This would significantly push back the timeline of the outbreak from the previous first confirmed death in late April in the town of Bunia, the capital of Ituri.

The international reaction to the current outbreak has been strong with the United States

——-

McMakin reported from Dakar, Senegal.

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The show, which runs from noon to 5 p.m., includes U.S. military fighter jets’ flyovers and high-speed boats’ performances.

Rita Case, president and CEO of Rick Case Automotive Group, said the event continues to grow each year and serves as a tribute to the military.

“I’m so proud to be a Hyundai dealer for 40 years, and I’m so honored that Hyundai has founded this event,” Case said. “The Salute to America’s Heroes presented by Hyundai has been a great event. It continues to grow every single year.”

This year’s show will feature a wide range of military displays and flyovers, including what organizers are calling a first-of-its-kind “Arsenal of Freedom” formation.

“We’re going to have the Thunderbird Air Show,” Case said. “We’re also going to have the Arsenal of Freedom — for the first time ever we’re going to have the B-1, the B-2 and other flying fortresses from the U.S. Air Force all flying over at one time. That’s never been done before in the history of the Air Force.”

The event also includes a drone show, fireworks and a free concert featuring Parmalee on Saturday night.

Case said the event is meant to honor members of the military, especially ahead of Memorial Day.

“This is all about Memorial Weekend,” she said. “Hyundai wanted to show that this weekend should be about honoring those that paid the ultimate price for our freedom. We are a free country because of the over 1 million servicemen and women that have lost their lives over the history of America.”

Organizers say the show will be broadcast nationally and is expected to draw large crowds to Miami Beach throughout the weekend.

Officials are encouraging attendees to arrive early, bring sunscreen and prepare for hot conditions.

U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Nelson Velez described the purpose of his Team 6 of the Golden Knights’ participation.

“The importance of doing air shows is definitely to inspire, not only Americans youth, but also the normal public,” Velez said on Friday.

The events after the show include drone shows, fireworks, 3-D projection mapping, and live music performances.

Admission is free. For more information, visit this page.

Fernández habló en exclusiva con Local 10 News el sábado y ofreció una perspectiva personal sobre las crecientes tensiones entre el gobierno cubano y la administración del presidente Trump.

“Ser parte de esa familia hace que este momento tenga un peso muy diferente y personal”, dijo Fernández. “Pero todos han estado esperando justicia. Creo que más que justicia, esta acusación significa el fin de la impunidad para el régimen cubano”.

Dijo que los líderes cubanos han operado durante mucho tiempo sin temor a consecuencias.

“Durante años y años y años han actuado como si nada les fuera a pasar, como si no hubiera consecuencias”, dijo. “Han sido hostiles hacia este país desde el comienzo de la revolución, durante casi 70 años. Así que ya era hora”.

Fernández, quien salió de Cuba en la década de 1990 y ahora vive en Miami, ha sido durante mucho tiempo una crítica del gobierno de la isla.

Durante la entrevista, se le preguntó sobre la viabilidad de llevar a Raúl Castro, de 94 años, a Estados Unidos para enfrentar cargos relacionados con el derribo en 1996 de dos avionetas civiles operadas por el grupo humanitario Hermanos al Rescate, con sede en Miami.

El ataque dejó cuatro personas muertas, incluidos tres estadounidenses, durante una misión destinada a asistir a cubanos que huían de la isla.

“No creo que esta maniobra tenga tanto que ver con justicia como con el fin de la impunidad”, dijo. “Sin duda pone mucha presión sobre el régimen, mucha. Es la primera vez que han sido acusados de algo tan grave”.

Añadió que, aunque no cree que una extradición sea realista, considera que la acusación tiene un significado simbólico.

“No creo que vaya a ser un proceso fácil”, dijo Fernández. “No va a ser fácil y no creo que realmente sea posible llevar a una persona de 95 años a un tribunal en Estados Unidos. Eso parece imposible. Pero realmente no conozco los planes de este gobierno. Sorprenden y asombran todos los días”.

Fernández también abordó la incertidumbre en torno a la política de Estados Unidos hacia Cuba, incluidos los cambios en la retórica sobre una posible intervención militar y la diplomacia.

“Creo que esta es la presidencia número 14 desde que el régimen cubano está en el poder y ninguno de ellos ha sabido antes cómo lidiar con el gobierno cubano”, dijo. “Así que veamos si este sí lo logra”.

Dijo que el cambio en Cuba probablemente no llegará fácilmente desde dentro.

“Estoy convencida de que una dictadura necesita un pequeño empujón para establecerse y necesita un pequeño empujón para ser removida”, dijo Fernández. “No creo que la población cubana pueda lidiar con eso por sí sola. No es golpeando cacerolas como se va a eliminar un régimen que ha estado en el poder durante 70 años”.

Cuando se le preguntó sobre el impacto emocional de la situación, Fernández dijo que sus sentimientos cambian constantemente.

“Es complicado. Son muchas emociones mezcladas”, dijo. “Un día tengo esperanza, otro día estoy agotada de cualquier alegría que la libertad de Cuba pueda traernos”.

Dijo que lo que más le preocupa es el estado del país después de más de seis décadas bajo el régimen comunista.

“Ver en lo que se ha convertido el país después de 67 años de este régimen es devastador”, dijo. “Cuba no ha tenido electricidad desde la caída de la Unión Soviética. Hemos sido un país subsidiado. Los rusos proporcionaban petróleo, luego los chinos, luego Venezuela”.

Fernández también habló sobre un documental sobre su vida, The Revolution’s Daughter, que presenta historias de exiliados cubanos.

“Es una recopilación de experiencias e historias personales de algunos exiliados”, dijo. “Es muy íntimo y personal y te hace entender cómo nos sentimos y por qué nos sentimos así”.

Concluyó la entrevista instando a los televidentes a comprender mejor la experiencia del exilio cubano.

“Simplemente tienen que tratar de aprender más sobre la experiencia cubana”, dijo Fernández. “En estos días todos están tan radicalizados en un punto de vista sin profundizar en la realidad. Le pido a la gente que trate de entendernos, por qué nos sentimos así”.

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Martinez said she feared that he was among the hundreds of activists who Israeli soldiers had detained on Monday and Tuesday at sea.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent referred to the flotilla as “pro-terror” and imposed sanctions against several European activists.

“They are taking food, clothing, pampers, baby food,” Martinez said about the purpose of the Global Sumud Flotilla that challenged the blockade on Gaza.

Israel has been enforcing a sea blockade of Gaza since Hamas took control in 2007, and intensified it after Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostage.

The Global Sumud Flotilla had a live feed video from cameras on boats online and reported that at least 31 boats out of the 50 that departed on May 14 from Turkey were intercepted, and 428 activists were unaccounted for.

Israel reported detaining 430 activists after intercepting 41 boats.

Martinez said she was terrified after she saw the videos that Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir released on Wednesday. The images later drew the ire of Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“If they are willing to do that and show it and be super blatant about it, I can’t imagine what’s going on behind closed doors,” Martinez said.

On Tuesday, Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani called for an urgent review of Israel’s use of force, and Ireland’s Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the detentions were “absolutely unacceptable.”

On Wednesday, Netanyahu ordered the activists’ deportation, and British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Ben-Gvir’s video “violates the most basic standards of respect and dignity.”

On Thursday, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced the activists were deported, and Netanyahu said that although Israel has to stop “provocative flotillas of Hamas terrorist supporters,” Ben-Gvir’s treatment was “not in line with Israel’s values and norms.”

Also on Thursday, French foreign affairs minister Jean-Noel Barrot condemned Ben-Gvir’s treatment of the activists.

A group of 420 activists departed Israel on Thursday. Some talked to reporters about beatings, tasers, and attack dogs after arriving at Istanbul, Athens, and other cities in Europe on Thursday and Friday.

There were journalists among the activists. Alessandro Mantovani, an Italian journalist for the daily Il Fatto Quotidiano, told The Associated Press that he and the activists were put on their knees and blindfolded.

“They repositioned mine 30 times because I kept trying to look around. And there’s absolutely no possibility in this situation to say ‘I’m a member of parliament’ or ‘I’m a journalist’ — you’re dealing with machines that scream and accompany their screaming with physical gestures," Mantovani told the AP.

Mantovani said Israeli authorities put them flat on the ground, then on their knees, with zip ties on their wrists tied down to a metal structure.

“So you’re forced to travel in an extremely uncomfortable position on rough concrete. And I had cramps in my legs the whole time, obviously,” Mantovani told the AP.

Mantovani said they were transferred to a ship, entered through a small hatch, were shoved and dragged by force with their arms twisted behind their backs, and forced to kneel in front of a wall with their heads down.

“Flat on my stomach, hands behind my back, face pressed, head pressed against the soaking wet and dirty floor of this ship — pressed down with their feet — and then they pressed my hands behind my back,” Mantovani told the AP.

Once inside the container, he said the abuse continued.

“I was kicked in the shin. Honestly, I don’t expect it. And they say, ‘Welcome to Israel.’ Then a punch to the face, one from this side, one from that side. A closed-fist punch,” Mantovani told the AP. “I moved to get up, and I got kicked in the leg. A little jolt from a taser to the ribs. And then I make it out the other side of this container and reach the deck.”

On Friday, Martinez said she still had not heard from her brother, who she said knew the risks of joining the Global Sumud Flotilla.

“I am so proud of my brother for doing this, because they went and basically risked their lives for people that we don’t even know,” Martinez said.

Related reports

• Israeli security minister who taunted flotilla activists has a record of extreme actions
• Flotilla activists describe beatings, tasers and mistreatment by Israeli forces

Martínez dijo que temía que él estuviera entre los cientos de activistas detenidos por soldados israelíes el lunes y martes en el mar.

El secretario del Tesoro de Estados Unidos, Scott Bessent, se refirió a la flotilla como “proterrorista” e impuso sanciones contra varios activistas europeos.

“Están llevando comida, ropa, pampers, comida para bebés”, dijo Martínez sobre el propósito de la Flotilla Global Sumud, que desafió el bloqueo sobre Gaza.

Israel ha mantenido un bloqueo marítimo sobre Gaza desde que Hamás tomó el control en 2007 y lo intensificó después de que militantes de Hamás atacaran Israel el 7 de octubre de 2023, dejando alrededor de 1,200 personas muertas y más de 250 rehenes.

La Flotilla Global Sumud tenía una transmisión en vivo de cámaras instaladas en las embarcaciones en internet y reportó que al menos 31 barcos de los 50 que partieron el 14 de mayo desde Turquía fueron interceptados y que 428 activistas estaban desaparecidos.

Israel informó la detención de 430 activistas tras interceptar 41 embarcaciones.

Martínez dijo que estaba aterrorizada después de ver los videos que el ministro de Seguridad Nacional de Israel, Itamar Ben-Gvir, publicó el miércoles. Las imágenes posteriormente provocaron la indignación del ministro de Relaciones Exteriores israelí, Gideon Saar, y del primer ministro Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Si están dispuestos a hacer eso, mostrarlo y ser tan descarados al respecto, no puedo imaginar lo que ocurre a puertas cerradas”, dijo Martínez.

El martes, el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Italia, Antonio Tajani, pidió una revisión urgente del uso de la fuerza por parte de Israel, y el primer ministro de Irlanda, Micheál Martin, dijo que las detenciones eran “absolutamente inaceptables”.

El miércoles, Netanyahu ordenó la deportación de los activistas, y la secretaria de Relaciones Exteriores británica, Yvette Cooper, dijo que el video de Ben-Gvir “viola los estándares más básicos de respeto y dignidad”.

El jueves, el Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Israel anunció que los activistas fueron deportados, y Netanyahu dijo que, aunque Israel debe detener las “flotillas provocadoras de simpatizantes terroristas de Hamás”, el trato de Ben-Gvir “no estaba alineado con los valores y normas de Israel”.

También el jueves, el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Francia, Jean-Noel Barrot, condenó el trato de Ben-Gvir hacia los activistas.

Un grupo de 420 activistas salió de Israel el jueves. Algunos hablaron con reporteros sobre golpizas, pistolas taser y perros de ataque tras llegar a Estambul, Atenas y otras ciudades de Europa el jueves y viernes.

Había periodistas entre los activistas. Alessandro Mantovani, periodista italiano del diario Il Fatto Quotidiano, dijo a The Associated Press que tanto él como los activistas fueron obligados a arrodillarse y vendados.

“Reposicionaron mi venda 30 veces porque seguía tratando de mirar alrededor. Y en esta situación no hay absolutamente ninguna posibilidad de decir ‘soy miembro del Parlamento’ o ‘soy periodista’; estás lidiando con máquinas que gritan y acompañan sus gritos con gestos físicos”, dijo Mantovani a la AP.

Mantovani dijo que las autoridades israelíes los pusieron boca abajo en el suelo, luego de rodillas, con las muñecas sujetas con bridas plásticas atadas a una estructura metálica.

“Así que te obligan a viajar en una posición extremadamente incómoda sobre concreto áspero. Y tuve calambres en las piernas todo el tiempo, obviamente”, dijo Mantovani a la AP.

Mantovani dijo que fueron transferidos a un barco, ingresaron por una pequeña escotilla, fueron empujados y arrastrados por la fuerza con los brazos torcidos detrás de la espalda y obligados a arrodillarse frente a una pared con la cabeza hacia abajo.

“Boca abajo, con las manos detrás de la espalda, la cara y la cabeza presionadas contra el piso mojado y sucio de este barco, presionadas con sus pies, y luego me apretaron las manos detrás de la espalda”, dijo Mantovani a la AP.

Una vez dentro del contenedor, dijo que el abuso continuó.

“Me patearon en la espinilla. Honestamente, no lo esperaba. Y dicen: ‘Bienvenido a Israel’. Luego un golpe en la cara, uno de este lado, otro del otro lado. Un puñetazo con el puño cerrado”, dijo Mantovani a la AP. “Me moví para levantarme y me patearon la pierna. Una pequeña descarga de una pistola taser en las costillas. Y luego logré salir al otro lado de este contenedor y llegar a la cubierta”.

El viernes, Martínez dijo que aún no había tenido noticias de su hermano, quien, según ella, conocía los riesgos de unirse a la Flotilla Global Sumud.

“Estoy muy orgullosa de mi hermano por hacer esto, porque fueron y básicamente arriesgaron sus vidas por personas que ni siquiera conocemos”, dijo Martínez.

Reportes relacionados

• Ministro de Seguridad de Israel que se burló de activistas de la flotilla tiene historial de acciones extremas
• Activistas de flotilla describen golpizas, pistolas taser y maltrato por parte de fuerzas israelíes

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In comes after Federal prosecutors announced earlier this week that Castro is facing charges tied to the 1996 downing of two civilian planes operated by the Miami-based humanitarian group Brothers to the Rescue.

The attack killed four people, including three Americans, during a mission aimed at assisting Cubans fleeing the island.

“Raul is not a defendant; Raul is our leader, a soldier of dignity,” Cuban lawmaker and former spy Gerardo Hernandez said during Friday’s protest in Havana.

Cuba’s government sharply condemned the charges, calling them “despicable.”

Castro, 94, did not attend the demonstration. However, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel and Castro’s grandson, who often serves as his bodyguard, joined the crowd outside the embassy.

As demonstrators gathered in Havana, some residents questioned the motives behind the indictment and what it could mean for Cuba moving forward.

“I think their plan to use the figure of our Army General, Raul Castro, for a possible intervention in our country is the same tactic they used against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro,” Havana resident Ernardo Musibay said. “The Department of Justice later made clear there was no evidence to back those accusations.”

Havana resident Ernesto Musibay expressed frustration over conditions in Cuba.

“All people in Cuba are the same — only one class, poor people,” he said.

In Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood, reactions to the protests were mixed.

“When I saw the large crowd, I couldn’t believe it,” Miami resident Annabella Vigna said.

“In my eyes, that’s not representative of the Cuban people or the people who left because of the regime and oppression,” she said. “I don’t believe those people genuinely support the Cuban government. I think many are being forced.”

Esto ocurre luego de que fiscales federales anunciaran esta semana que Castro enfrenta cargos relacionados con el derribo en 1996 de dos avionetas civiles operadas por el grupo humanitario Hermanos al Rescate -Brothers of Rescue-, con sede en Miami.

El ataque dejó cuatro personas muertas, incluidos tres estadounidenses, durante una misión destinada a asistir a cubanos que huían de la isla.

“Raúl no es un acusado; Raúl es nuestro líder, un soldado de la dignidad”, dijo el legislador cubano y ex espía Gerardo Hernández durante la protesta del viernes en La Habana.

El gobierno de Cuba condenó enérgicamente los cargos, calificándolos de “despreciables”.

Castro, de 94 años, no asistió a la manifestación. Sin embargo, el presidente cubano Miguel Díaz-Canel y el nieto de Castro, quien frecuentemente actúa como su guardaespaldas, se unieron a la multitud frente a la embajada.

Mientras los manifestantes se reunían en La Habana, algunos residentes cuestionaron los motivos detrás de la acusación y lo que podría significar para Cuba en el futuro.

“Creo que su plan de usar la figura de nuestro General de Ejército, Raúl Castro, para una posible intervención en nuestro país es la misma táctica que utilizaron contra el presidente venezolano Nicolás Maduro”, dijo el residente de La Habana Ernardo Musibay. “El Departamento de Justicia posteriormente dejó claro que no había evidencia que respaldara esas acusaciones”.

El residente de La Habana Ernesto Musibay expresó frustración por las condiciones en Cuba.

“Todas las personas en Cuba son iguales, solo hay una clase: personas pobres”, dijo.

En el vecindario de La Pequeña Habana en Miami, las reacciones a las protestas fueron divididas.

“Cuando vi la gran multitud, no podía creerlo”, dijo la residente de Miami Annabella Vigna.

“A mis ojos, eso no representa al pueblo cubano ni a las personas que se fueron debido al régimen y la opresión”, dijo. “No creo que esas personas realmente apoyen al gobierno cubano. Creo que muchas están siendo obligadas”.

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A Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said deputies responded around 6:20 a.m. to Northwest 24th Avenue and Northwest 62nd Street in the county’s Brownsville area after receiving reports of a person shot.

Investigators said the victim was walking in the area when he was struck by gunfire from an unknown suspect and did not initially realize he had been shot.

Deputies said they found a man suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to his lower extremities.

They said Miami-Dade Fire Rescue personnel transported him to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in stable condition.

Authorities said MDSO’s Northside General Investigations Unit is handling the case.

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

Un portavoz de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade indicó que agentes respondieron alrededor de las 6:20 a.m. a la intersección de Northwest 24th Avenue y Northwest 62nd Street, en el área de Brownsville del condado, tras recibir reportes de una persona herida de bala.

Los investigadores dijeron que la víctima caminaba por el área cuando fue alcanzada por disparos de un sospechoso desconocido y que inicialmente no se dio cuenta de que había sido baleada.

Los agentes informaron que encontraron a un hombre con una aparente herida de bala en las extremidades inferiores.

Indicaron que personal de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue lo trasladó al Ryder Trauma Center del Hospital Jackson Memorial en condición estable.

Las autoridades dijeron que la Unidad de Investigaciones Generales Northside de la MDSO está a cargo del caso.

Cualquier persona con información sobre la balacera debe llamar a Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

“As of today, Itamar Ben-Gvir is banned from entering French territory. This decision follows his unspeakable actions toward French and European citizens who were passengers on the Global Sumud Flotilla," the French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, announced in a post on X.

“We cannot tolerate that French nationals can be threatened, intimidated or brutalized in this way — all the more so by a public official,” Barrot posted, calling on the European Union to also sanction Ben-Gvir.

The Associated Press has sought comment from Ben-Gvir's spokesperson and the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This week, Ben-Gvir sparked global outrage after promoting a video of himself taunting detained flotilla activists.

In one clip, Ben-Gvir is seen waving a large Israeli flag over hunched-over detainees whose hands appear to be bound. In another, he taunts a kneeling detainee whose wrists are zip-tied, yelling “Am Yisrael Chai” at him — Hebrew for “The nation of Israel lives.” In a third, detainees can be seen — foreheads to the floor of an outdoor pen — as the Israeli national anthem plays and armed guards encircle them.

Foreign leaders — and even coalition partner Netanyahu — condemned Ben-Gvir's on-camera treatment of some 430 flotilla detainees.

In his post, the French minister was also critical of flotilla activists, who were attempting to breach Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.

“We disapprove of this flotilla’s approach, which produces no useful effect and places an additional burden on diplomatic and consular services," Barrot wrote.

The flotilla of 50 boats was intercepted in international waters some 250 miles (400 kilometers) off the coast of Israel. Detained activists accused Israeli forces of mistreatment, describing beatings, tasers and attack dogs.

Poland has also barred Ben-Gvir, announcing a five-year-ban on Thursday.

“In the democratic world we do not abuse and gloat over people in custody," Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski posted.

The question up for debate: take a traditional vacation and travel out of town, or opt for a staycation closer to home.

Vacations can offer a chance to explore new destinations, try different experiences and step away from daily routines. But they also come with higher costs, including airfare, lodging and transportation.

Staycations, by contrast, often cost less and eliminate travel time and the stress of packing and logistics. But they can also make it harder for some people to fully disconnect if work, errands or family obligations continue to intrude.

Some South Florida residents note that rising travel costs, including fuel prices, are factoring into their decisions. Others say the region itself offers plenty of local attractions that can make staying home feel like a getaway.

For families, especially those with young children, travel can also add challenges, from navigating airports to managing schedules.

In the end, the decision often comes down to budget, convenience and how much time off people can truly dedicate to unplugging.

Viewers are being asked to share their preference: vacation or staycation this Memorial Day weekend. Let us know in the poll or comment section below.

The purge of news releases documenting criminal charges, convictions and sentencings is the latest step by the Trump administration to dramatically rewrite the history of the assault on the Capitol, when hundreds of supporters of Republican President Donald Trump stormed the building in an effort to halt the congressional certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump, on his first day back in office in January 2025, pardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all of the 1,500-plus people charged with crimes during the Capitol assault, including those convicted of attacking officers with makeshift weapons such as flagpoles, a hockey stick and crutch.

On Monday, the Justice Department announced the creation of a $1.776 billion fund meant to compensate Trump allies who feel they were unjustly investigated and prosecuted. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has not ruled out that rioters convicted of violence will be eligible for payouts, prompting bipartisan anger in Congress.

After a journalist on Friday observed on the social media platform X that the Justice Department was “quietly” removing news releases on its website that were related to the Jan. 6 attack, including about a Texas man who pleaded guilty to assault and also faced separate state charges of soliciting a minor, the department responded through its “rapid response” account that there was “nothing ‘quiet’ about it.”

“We are proud to reverse the DOJ's weaponization under the Biden administration. We will do everything in our power to make whole those who were persecuted for political purposes,” the post said. “This includes stripping DOJ's website of partisan propaganda.”

Among the releases removed from the site were those concerning seditious conspiracy cases against members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, far-right extremist groups. The Justice Department, in an unopposed motion last month, asked a federal appeals court to vacate those seditious conspiracy convictions, a request that was granted Thursday. The department on Friday moved to dismiss the cases against the group members.

Rep. Mark Takano, whose American-born parents were both incarcerated as young children with their families during the forced relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II, could not help but see the parallels between that chapter of American history and this one.

“I do feel like there's a similarity of circumstance of my own 2-year-old father and my 1-year-old mother being labeled as enemy aliens and they’re considered a danger to national security," he told The Associated Press in an interview.

“They’re put into these incarceration camps,” he said. “Similar arguments have been made by this administration — that immigrants pose a grave danger to our country and it’s for the security of our country that we’re doing this.”

Echoes of history in Trump's immigration sweeps

President Donald Trump’s campaign promise of the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history is at an inflection point. Americans are seeing what it looks like to round up, detain and deport thousands of people, particularly in the aftermath of the deaths this year of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, U.S. citizens protesting the actions in Minneapolis.

The White House changed the leadership at the Department of Homeland Security as it reframes its approach. New Secretary Markwayne Mullin promised to keep the department off the front pages.

But Trump is also under mounting pressure from conservative groups not to let up on the goal of deporting 1 million people a year. The president's Republican allies in Congress are fueling the immigration and deportation actions with billions of dollars in special funds.

Takano, the ranking Democrat on the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, has drawn from his own family history — and the country's eventual redress to Japanese Americans who were detained — to challenge Trump's approach.

“We look back on that era of history as a shameful one, as a time when our political leaders failed the Constitution, failed the American people,” he said.

One family's story among many

A former high school history teacher before being elected to Congress in 2012, Takano grew up in Southern California and came to understand the family stories.

His grandfather Isao Takano arrived in the U.S. from Hiroshima and married Kazue Takahashi, a U.S.-born citizen. Together they settled in Bellevue, Washington, and launched a business growing tomatoes, strawberries and chrysanthemums for the marketplace in Seattle.

When the U.S. entered the war after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, they were among some 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry, immigrants and those born in the U.S., forcibly relocated.

His father, William, was 2 years old when his family was sent in 1942 to the incarceration camp at Tule Lake in California. His mother, Nancy Tsugiye Sakamoto, born in California to American-born parents, was a year old when she was relocated to the detention facility in Heart Mountain, Wyoming.

Then, as now, he said, people are being swept up in the anti-immigrant detentions.

“Will Americans generations from now visit Alligator Alcatraz and think to themselves, How could our government do this?” Takano said during a House floor speech, referring to the Trump-era immigration detention facility in Florida.

“These future generations of Americans will look to us, the Congress, to see what we did to try to stop it.”

A Reagan-era law is seen as model for redress

Takano remembers his father taking him to see the land the family once owned. He learned about his great uncles who served in the Army's 442nd Regimental Combat Team of Japanese American soldiers; one was killed in action in Italy. He recalls his own father later collected donations for the national redress campaign.

In 1988 Congress passed the Civil Liberties Act, which sought to apologize for the “grave injustice” that had been done and provide $20,000 to each person detained. Republican President Ronald Reagan signed it into law.

Takano's parents were among those who received a letter of apology from the federal government, he said, and a payment.

Talks are underway among some in Congress, he said, for a similar redress to the people who have had their car windows smashed in, their homes raided and livelihoods upended as part of Trump's immigration enforcement operations.

“Remarkably the country did come to realize the mistake,” he said. “I believe we’re living through one of those eras of mistakes and I believe we can come out of this moment stronger.”

Strawberry-Lemon Popsicles:

1½ cups coconut water

3 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into quarters

3 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into your popsicle molds and freeze overnight or until frozen solid.

To release the popsicles, run the molds under warm water for 15-20 seconds then unmold. Wrap the popsicles in wax pepper then place in a bag to store in the freezer.

Yogurt Blueberry Popsicles:

2 cups Greek yogurt (I love Pilos extra cream)

3 cups blueberries

3 tablespoons honey

Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into your popsicle molds and freeze overnight or until frozen solid.

To release the popsicles, run the molds under warm water for 15-20 seconds then unmold. Wrap the popsicles in wax pepper then place in a bag to store in the freezer.

Lemony Popsicles:

2 cups simple syrup (you will need 2 cups granulated sugar)

1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed

pinch of kosher salt

1 tablespoon powdered gelatin mixed with 1 tablespoon ice cold water

Make the simple syrup by combining 2 cups granulated sugar and 2 cups of water in a small pot. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sugar has completely dissolved.

While you make the simple syrup, bloom the gelatin in 1 tablespoon ice cold water. Once the simple syrup is made, carefully measure out 2 cups and pour over the bloomed gelatin. Add the salt. Stir until the gelatin and salt are completely melted. Allow to cool slightly. Stir in the lemon juice. Pour into your popsicle molds and freeze overnight or until frozen solid.

To release the popsicles, run the molds under warm water for 15-20 seconds then unmold. Wrap the popsicles in wax pepper then place in a bag to store in the freezer.

1 Florida or Hass avocado

½ bunch radishes, washed, stemmed and cut in half

2 small heads of lettuce (like romaine hearts, endive and red or green leaf lettuce)

1 English cucumber

olive oil

grill basket

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

green goddess dressing (recipe below)

Heat the grill to medium heat, about 350˚F.

Prepare the salad ingredients.

Cut the avocado into halves or quarters, remove the peel and seed. Cut the lettuce heads into quarters or 1/6ths, depending on the size of the heads, leaving the stem intact so the leaves stay together. Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise then in half crosswise. Transfer the salad ingredients to a grill basket. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, flipping a couple times, until lightly charred in spots.

Dress the grilled greens with as much of the green goddess dressing as desired. Serve immediately.

Green Goddess dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup parsley leaves

½ cup cilantro leaves

¼ cup dill leaves

¼ cup tarragon leaves

½ cup picked dill

4 each Anchovies

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

juice from ½ a lemon

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Taste for seasoning and adjust lemon if desired.

A storage tank holding between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons (22,700 and 26,500 liters) of methyl methacrylate overheated Thursday and began venting vapors into the air at an aerospace plastics facility in Garden Grove, a city in Orange County, the local fire authority said.

The tank could fail and crack, releasing the chemical onto the ground, or it could explode, Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Craig Covey said Friday.

“This thing is going to fail, and we don’t know when,” Covey said. “We’re doing our best to figure out when or how we can prevent it.”

Officials ordered residents in Garden Grove to leave and expanded evacuation orders Friday to some residents of five other Orange County cities — Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park and Westminster — after being unable to stop the leak overnight on the tank at GKN Aerospace, which makes parts for commercial and military aircraft.

No injuries or deaths have been reported, authorities said.

In an update later Friday, Covey said authorities have been able to maintain the tank’s temperature, buying time to figure out how to fix it.

Garden Grove is about 38 miles (61 kilometers) south of downtown Los Angeles and less than a mile from Disneyland’s two theme parks, which were not under evacuation orders Friday. The city is known for its vibrant Vietnamese community, one of the largest of any U.S. city.

Danny Pham said he was deep in a dream when his roommate banged on his door around 7 a.m. Friday morning and told him he needed to leave immediately. Pham had been working late the night before at a Vietnamese restaurant and had not seen the news.

“It was shocking to me,” said Pham, who lives only a couple blocks from the plastics plant. “I didn’t know how serious it would be. I never knew that a thing like this could happen.”

He left minutes later, grabbing only his wallet and passport, and took shelter at a friend’s restaurant in a neighboring city.

By late Friday afternoon, Pham was still trying to figure out where he would stay the night and worrying that he had only the clothes on his back, possibly for days to come.

Covey said crews have created containment barriers with sandbags in case there is a chemical spill from the tank to prevent the toxic chemical from getting into storm drains or reaching creeks or the nearby ocean.

Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, the county health officer, said if the chemical heats up, it can release a vapor that is harmful to people’s health. It can cause respiratory issues, itching and burning eyes, nausea and headaches.

Crews were initially successful and were able to neutralize one of two damaged tanks, but Covey said they determined Friday morning that the remaining tank was “in the biggest crisis.”

GKN Aerospace said specialized hazardous material teams are assessing the situation.

“There are no reports of injuries at this time and our priority remains the safety of our employees, responders, and the surrounding community,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “We will provide verified updates as soon as more information becomes available.”

Kim Yen, a retiree in Garden Grove, was settling in for the night Thursday when she heard a sirenlike sound coming from her phone. An alert told her she needed to leave her home, which was just two blocks from the chemical leak.

As Yen drove to her daughter’s house in Seal Beach, she worried that others in the local Vietnamese community might ignore or not understand the evacuation alert because it was in English.

“They are family,” she said. “I’m hoping they stay alert and listen to the news and the authorities. This is scary.”

Yen, who is originally from Vietnam and has lived in Orange County since 1980, quickly stopped by her house Friday morning to grab important documents and medications. By then her neighborhood was “a ghost town,” and she was comforted to see police officers going door to door to make sure everyone had evacuated.

“We understand that this is frightening,” Garden Grove Mayor Stephanie Klopfenstein said. “But the evacuation orders are in place for your safety.”

Local Vietnamese television stations translated updates from officials and urged residents to take the situation seriously.

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Rodriguez reported from San Francisco, Rush from Portland, Oregon, and Schoenbaum from Salt Lake City.

6 each bratwurst or your favorite sausages

2 bottles of your favorite lager-style beer

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red onion, cut into ½-inch thick wedges

2 poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded and cut into ½ inch thick strips

2 small or 1 large red bell pepper(s), stemmed, seeded and cut into ½ inch thick strips

High temperature nonstick cooking spray

For serving:

hoagie rolls

Munster cheese

your favorite mustards

Place the sausages in a pot. Cover with beer and water if necessary to just cover the sausages. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer covered for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the grill to medium-high heat, about 350-400˚F. Place a cast iron pan on the grill to preheat.

Once the sausages are cooked, remove them from the beer, allowing any excess to drip off. Add the oil to the pan. Place the sausages, peppers and onions in the pan. Grill, turning occasionally until the peppers and onions have softened and the sausages are lightly charred in places.

Before serving, split open your hoagie rolls and line with a few slices of cheese. Grill the bread over indirect heat to toast the buns and melt the cheese. Serve with the rolls next to the sausages, onions and peppers and alongside your favorite mustard so everyone can make their own sandwiches.

He smiled as she ran to fetch it. Caregivers cheered.

“Look how good you’re doing!” said Hadley's handler, Schellie Scott.

Such small victories and moments of joy are common whenever Hadley or one of the other three facility dogs at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital show up. These furry caregivers aren’t the typical therapy dogs volunteers bring to hospitals to comfort patients. They are specially trained, full-time working dogs that provide emotional support during stressful procedures, motivate kids to move around and make hospitals seem less scary. And experts say their ranks are growing at children’s hospitals across the nation.

A mounting body of research shows that even short interactions with facility dogs can improve children’s overall well-being, decrease the pain they feel and reduce signs of stress, like cortisol levels and blood pressure.

“These dogs are making a real difference,” said Kerri Rodriguez, director of the Human-Animal Bond Lab at the University of Arizona. “They can provide a little bit of normalcy, a little bit of comfort, in a really stressful, sterile environment that kids might not feel comfortable in.”

How hospital facility dog programs work

Although no one tracks the number of facility dogs in children's hospitals, Rodriguez points to the continual growth of the annual Facility Dog Summit, where handlers and other participants network and where attendance nearly doubled from 2024 to 2025. Other types of hospitals also have full-time dogs, but experts say children's hospitals account for most of the expansion in programs. One large nonprofit, Canine Assistants in Georgia, has a specific children’s hospital initiative through which it has placed more than 80 dogs nationally.

Dogs have been on the job for years at places such as Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in New York, Norton Children’s in Louisville, Kentucky, and St. Louis Children’s Hospital. And new programs keep sprouting up. In March, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Maryland introduced its first two facility dogs.

Hospitals generally get the dogs from nonprofits. Organizations such as Canine Companions, where Cincinnati Children's gets its dogs, breed, raise and train them, then place them with hospital staff members but still own them. Dogs and handlers live and work together.

Although hospitals don’t pay for the dogs, they’re responsible for costs such as food and veterinary care, which can add up, especially since most are larger breeds like Labradors or golden retrievers. Hospitals usually fundraise or seek grants to cover the costs.

Experts say the benefits of these sorts of “animal-assisted therapies” are clear. A 2022 study Rodriguez coauthored analyzed a survey conducted across 17 children's hospitals. Pediatric health professionals described how facility dogs provided a comforting presence, built rapport, and normalized the hospital environment for children and families. A 2021 study in the Journal of Pediatric Nursing concluded that animal- assisted therapies were beneficial for controlling pain and blood pressure in children and teens. Other research also found these therapies reduce anxiety and pain and can even improve heart and lung function.

Facility dogs are allowed in more sensitive areas of the hospital than volunteer dogs, and sometimes serve particular hospital units. Opal, one of two St. Louis dogs, splits her time between the pediatric behavioral health unit and the child protection program.

No matter where the dogs work, keeping them clean is key.

Hadley, in Cincinnati, is bathed twice a month because she works in the cancer and blood diseases area, where kids might have reduced immunity. She gets even more baths, or cleanings with special wipes, if she’s potentially exposed to germs. Handlers use leashes and balls that can be easily cleaned, and people must sanitize their hands before and after touching the dogs.

If a patient is in isolation, the dog stays outside the room. The one exception is if a dying child wants a dog to be close. In those cases, caregivers say concerns about germs are outweighed by the need to ease fears and provide comfort.

A day in the life of a hospital facility dog

Hadley’s workday starts whenever her handler Scott — whose job as a child life assistant involves keeping patients' lives as normal as possible — arrives at the hospital. Hadley mostly sees patients, but also gets breaks when she can just do what she wants.

On a recent morning, the Labrador-golden retriever mix raced around a grassy dog play area with her canine co-worker, Grover. While Grover is calm and chill, Hadley gets so excited she shakes her head to toss balls to herself.

“Hadley loves life,” Scott said. “Hadley lives big.”

Inside the hospital, the dogs get constant attention. For handlers, "it's like being the assistant to a famous person,” joked Scott.

Signs of the dogs’ celebrity status are everywhere.

They appear on closed-circuit television shows filmed by the hospital and beamed into patient rooms. Photos of the dogs, themed for holidays or events, line the hallways. And there are mailboxes where kids can drop letters or pictures for the dogs and get replies.

Patients can also get trading cards for each dog with stats like breed and birthday, bandanas to decorate for their furry friend, or little stuffed dogs. Caregivers create books featuring the dogs to show kids about procedures or treatments they’re about to undergo.

Kids hospitalized for long stretches get to know the dogs well.

Aspen Franklin, a 14-year-old fighting a life-threatening immune disorder, has been coming to the hospital since she was a toddler and was recently hospitalized for weeks. At times, Hadley has snuggled beside her in bed.

“She has a calming presence,” Aspen said. “That is a comfort to me.”

Like other facility dogs, Hadley also helps her family cope. When Aspen's younger brother Emory donated his cells for her bone marrow transplant, Hadley spent time with him — and other visiting siblings.

Having Hadley around “is really nice because they’re away from their animals at home,” said their mom, Brittney Franklin, whose family has two dogs and a cat.

Franklin recently watched as Aspen painted with Hadley. The dog couldn’t go in her room so soon after her transplant, so Aspen dabbed colors on a small canvas and handed it to Scott, who put it in a plastic bag and smeared peanut butter on top. Just outside the room, Hadley eagerly licked it up. A piece of abstract art emerged.

Hadley’s next patient was Calvin, the little boy she met on the patio. Calvin has a rare, severe type of childhood arthritis and recently had a bone marrow transplant. Though he could only stand for a few moments at a time, he made the effort repeatedly to play with Hadley.

“He’s such a strong little man,” Scott said.

After Calvin went inside, Hadley met up with 11-year-old Bethany Striggles, who recently finished a chemotherapy treatment for bone cancer. The girl hurled the ball all the way down the hallway, and Hadley bounded happily to retrieve and gently return it. Bethany rewarded her with an ice pop.

“She helps me exercise more,” Bethany said. “She’s energetic and happy and always likes to see me.”

But Hadley does eventually tire. When that happens, she goes back to an office affectionately known as her lair, where she has treats, toys and a big dog bed.

Above the bed is a bulletin board covered with drawings, photos and notes. One, written on orange construction paper, contains a small, pink handprint and the words: “Thank you for being my BEST FRIEND.”

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

Authorities in the city of Novorossiysk said falling drone debris sparked a fire at an oil terminal, injuring two people. Russia’s Astra news outlet said Ukrainian drones struck the Sheskharis oil terminal and depot, the terminus for Russian state-controlled pipeline company Transneft’s main oil pipelines in the region. Images posted by Astra appeared to show smoke rising above the oil terminal, but they could not be verified.

On Saturday afternoon, Ukraine's General Staff said its forces had struck the Sheskharis oil terminal overnight.

“The facility provides shipment of oil and oil products for export and is involved in meeting the needs of the Russian army,” the General Staff wrote on Telegram, adding that Ukrainian forces had also hit a tanker in the Black Sea belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.”

Ukraine has expanded its mid- and long-range strike capabilities, deploying drone and missile technology that it has developed domestically to battle Russia’s 4-year-old invasion. Attacks on Russian oil assets that play a key part in funding the invasion have become almost daily occurrences.

Meanwhile, the death toll from a Ukrainian drone strike overnight into Friday on a college dormitory building in Starobilsk, a city in Ukraine’s Russia-occupied Luhansk region, rose to 18, the press service of Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations said. According to the ministry, 60 people were wounded in the attack.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday denounced the attack on the dormitory as a “crime” and ordered the military to submit its proposals for retaliation. He said there were no military or law enforcement facilities near the college.

At a U.N. Security Council emergency meeting on the strike, held at the request of Russia, Ukrainian Ambassador Andrii Melnyk denied his Russian counterpart’s accusations of war crimes, calling them a “pure propaganda show” and asserting that the May 22 operations “exclusively targeted the Russian war machine.”

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

Watch out for a high risk of rip currents at all East Coast beaches on Saturday, with southeasterly winds at 15-20 mph. Our rain chances go up later next week, but the near-term forecast looks mostly dry for much of the holiday weekend. Highs will be in the upper 80s, with overnight lows in the upper 70s.

Many paused to share photographs and other mementos of children and young people who have died or are battling cancer because of the pollution.

Leo's visit to the so-called Terra dei Fuochi, or Land of Fires, came on the eve of the 11th anniversary of Pope Francis’ big ecological encyclical Laudato Si (Praised Be), and indicates Leo’s commitment to carry on his predecessor’s environmental agenda.

“I have come first of all to gather the tears of those who have lost loved ones, killed by environmental pollution caused by unscrupulous people and organizations who for too long were able to act with impunity,” Leo said in remarks to family members and local clergy inside Acerra's cathedral.

The pontiff recalled that the area now dubbed the Land of Fires was once called “Campania felix,” Latin for blessed or fruitful countryside, "capable for enchanting for its fertility, its produce and its culture, like a hymn to life.

"And yet — here is death, of the land and of men,'' the pope said.

The European Court of Human Rights last year validated a generation of residents’ complaints that mafia dumping, burial and burning of toxic waste led to an increased rate of cancer and other ailments in the area of 90 municipalities around Caserta and Naples, encompassing a population of 2.9 million people.

The court found Italian authorities had known since 1988 about the toxic pollution, blamed on the Camorra crime syndicate that controls waste disposal, but failed to take necessary steps to protect the residents. The binding ruling gave Italy two years to set up a database about the toxic waste and verified health risks associated with living there.

Bishop says the dumping continues

Bishop Antonio Di Donna estimated 150 young people had died in the city of some 58,000 over the past three decades — emphasizing in his opening remarks that the number didn't take into account adults and victims in other municipalities.

He urged the pope to admonish those who continue to pollute, noting that the dumping of tons of toxic waste was reported a day earlier near Castera. Di Donna said that Italian officials had identified dozens more human-caused contamination sites throughout the country, including the Venetian port of Marghera, and the leaching of PFAS forever chemicals into groundwater near Vicenza.

"We say to those brothers of ours ensnared in evil and seized by a mirage of fabulous earnings: Convert, change your ways, because what you are doing is not only a crime, it is a sin that cries out to God for vengeance,'' the bishop said.

The pope later greeted the mayors of the 90 communities impacted by the toxic dumping, and greeted thousands of people waving yellow flags and chanting “Papa Leone” along the route of his popemobile and in a central piazza.

Families of young victims appeal to the pope

The victims include Maria Venturato, who died of cancer in 2016 at the age of 25. Her father, Angelo, said he hopes to speak with the pope to explain their reality, “not for me … for the next generation.”

“I’d like to give these young people a future, so I’m asking for the pope’s help with this. That is, I’m making a strong appeal to him to go to those in power and say, ‘Look, let’s heal this land of fires,’" he said on the eve of the pope's visit.

Inside the cathedral, Filomena Carolla presented the pope with a book containing memories from the life of her daughter, Tina De Angelis, who died of cancer at the age of 24.

“I’m just angry at the people who poisoned the soil, because what did our children have to do with it? What did they have to do with it, so young,” Carolla told The Associated Press on Friday.

Francis' plans to visit the area in 2020 were canceled due to the pandemic.

By wide consensus, it hasn’t been a banner festival. Hollywood largely sat out this year’s edition. Many of the selections struggled to bowl over critics. The global buzz that Cannes typically generates was fitful at best.

But the lack of a clear front-runner should give the nine-member jury, headed by Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, a range of possibilities for the Palme. Winning Cannes' top honor almost immediately raises the international profile of a film, and likely sets it up as an Oscar contender, too.

Some of the festival’s best received films include Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski’s “Fatherland,” a black-and-white postwar rumination on art and politics; Japanese auteur Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “All of a Sudden,” a tender three-hour elder care opus; Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaur,” a drama of crime and punishment in contemporary Russia; and Romanian filmmaker Cristian Mungiu’s Norway-set child services nightmare “Fjord.”

But on the second-to-last day of the festival, a possible dark horse emerged. Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi's “The Black Ball” found one of Cannes' most passionate receptions. The sprawling Spanish film tells a story of three gay men across generations.

But few awards are harder to predict than the Palme d’Or. The jury’s deliberations are entirely private. Any of the 22 films in competition in Cannes can win. This year's jury also includes Demi Moore, Chloé Zhao and Stellan Skarsgård.

Those who are chosen for a prize — others to be handed out Saturday include best actress, best actor and the grand prix — are asked by the festival to return to Cannes for the closing ceremony. They know they've won something, but they don't know what. Typically, juries award only one prize per movie.

One of the movies’ most extraordinary streaks is on the line. Neon, the specialty label, has been attached to the last six Palme d’Or winners. That includes last year’s champion, Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” and the 2024 winner, “Anora.” The latter went on to win best picture at the Oscars.

Saturday’s ceremony will be missing its tribute honoree. Barbra Streisand was to receive an honorary Palme d’Or, but a knee injury will prevent her from attending. The festival still plans to honor Streisand.

For Scott Remer, the champion spellers' coach, posing for a picture was more than just a celebration. It was a business necessity.

While nearly every National Spelling Bee champion over the past 15 years has worked with a coach, the 32-year-old Remer is the country's only full-time, professional tutor for elite spellers. Most coaches are former spellers who are still in college or even high school.

When the field of 247 spellers at this year's bee — which begins Tuesday and concludes Thursday in Washington — is cut down to 10 or so finalists, it's all but inevitable the group will include multiple Remer students.

“He’s probably one of the most influential figures in spelling over the past 10 years,” said Shah, now 17.

Remer has coached five national champions, and since the bee emerged from the pandemic disruptions of 2020 and '21, he has scaled up the coaching profession. He claims 34 spellers as his students this year and has worked with no fewer than 29 during each of the past four bees.

He charges more than other coaches: up to $180 for an hourlong private lesson. If spellers finish in the top 10 and earn a cash prize, he receives up to 10% of their winnings, which he called “a performance-based bonus.”

Many spellers and their families believe Remer is worth it — despite, or perhaps because of, the intense personality that emerges during his lessons.

Always earnest and gregarious on any spelling-related topic, Remer describes coaching as a passion that grew out of his disappointing fourth-place finish in 2008, his final year as a speller. He says he's motivated by sharing his knowledge, helping kids reach their potential and the challenge of discovering spelling bee-worthy words.

“This is really about the love of language and the love of the competition. Part of it is once you're stung by the bee, there's kind of no going back,” Remer said. “I'm not going to deny that it pays well, because it does. But I don't know that there's anything wrong with that.”

The last two champions he coached say he was crucial to their victories.

“Even though his classes are more expensive, it's definitely worth it,” Faizan said. “I saw results.”

Faizan's father, Zaki Anwar, said he negotiated a reduced rate of $120 an hour for Remer's services because Faizan was already an accomplished speller. Remer took home 7% of the champion's prize haul of $52,500 — a bonus of $3,675.

“After winning, it doesn't really matter,” Anwar said.

Expensive and demanding, Remer is not for everyone

Remer drills his students on roots, language patterns and the exceptions to those patterns. He seeks to instill a deep understanding of languages that will allow spellers to figure out a word even if they have never seen or heard it before, as Shah did with “rommack” in 2023.

But Remer's pricing, and his coaching style, have led some spellers to seek help elsewhere.

“I found it prohibitively expensive,” said Navneeth Murali, a University of Pennsylvania student who competed through 2020 and now coaches spellers, charging roughly $50 for an hourlong lesson. “It wasn't a realistic option for me.”

Grace Walters, who coached 2022 champion Harini Logan, charges $75 an hour. She and Murali take a handful of students each year.

“I'm very much quality over quantity. It's really important to me that I'm able to get to know each speller as a whole person, not just as a speller, and tailor my curriculum to them as individuals,” said Walters, a graduate student in linguistics at the University of Kentucky. “But I have to give credit where it's due: If everyone was doing it like me, there wouldn't be enough coaches for all the spellers out there.”

Sree Vidya Siliveri was coached by Remer before her 60th-place finish in 2024 but didn't respond well to his methods, said her father, Sreedhar Siliveri. She found a new coach and finished 10th in 2025.

“We were looking for alternatives and found some of the fresh, like, high school students who can be friendlier and charge less,” Sreedhar Siliveri said.

Even spellers and their parents who swear by Remer say he can be brusque and demanding of his middle school-age pupils. Simone Kaplan, who finished runner-up to the “octo-champs” of 2019, appreciated Remer's tough coaching but said it's not for everyone.

“Scott is a true logophile, a master of languages. He pushes his students to keep up with him,” Kaplan said. “That can inspire some spellers to learn and succeed, but it can also leave a student feeling like they've disappointed him if they don't spell every word right. And that's difficult for a kid.”

Remer said his goal is to be supportive while giving spellers the feedback they need to avoid repeating mistakes.

“I try to be tough but fair, and I also try to modulate my teaching methods, based on the kids' needs and the kids' personalities,” he said. “Whether I'm always successful at that is I guess an open question.”

From the Ivy League to full-time spelling coach

Remer graduated from Yale in 2016 and earned a master's degree from Cambridge a year later. His first study guide, “Words of Wisdom: Keys to Success in the Scripps National Spelling Bee,” was published in 2010, when he was a teenager. That was also the year he coached his first champion, Anamika Veeramani.

He has published three other books and has worked for the Council on Foreign Relations and as the communications coordinator for an LGBTQ-friendly synagogue in New York. Since 2020, he has been a full-time spelling coach while also offering tutoring in Chinese, Spanish, writing and standardized test prep. Born and raised in the Cleveland suburbs, he now lives in Mexico City.

Remer has written an op-ed about the bee for the Guardian every year since 2019. He emails out lists of his students and sends updates on their progress, calling them “my spellers” even if they have multiple tutors. (Faizan had three coaches last year.) During bee week, Remer is a constant presence, giving lessons on-site and sitting with spellers' families while the television cameras roll.

He knows he has to market himself, but he says he doesn't enjoy it.

“I think I'm trying not to be particularly self-aggrandizing in general,” Remer said, “so if the question is, does it come naturally to me to do that sort of promotional and marketing work, the answer is no.”

Scripps, the Cincinnati-based media company that has run the bee for a century, does not endorse coaching, but Corrie Loeffler, the bee's executive director, described the practice as inevitable, given the intensity of the competition.

Loeffler gently pushed back at the idea that any coach should claim credit for a speller's success.

“It's hard work, it's study ethic, it's perseverance,” she said. “These kids are doing pretty incredible things at a really high level, especially at a young age, and I want them to be able to take credit for that themselves, knowing that it's a community and they've had so much support along the way.”

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Ben Nuckols has covered the Scripps National Spelling Bee since 2012. Follow him at https://x.com/APBenNuckols

Jared McCain had 24 points and Jaylin Williams added 18 for Oklahoma City. The Thunder were without Jalen Williams, who sat out with left hamstring soreness.

Oklahoma City’s bench outscored San Antonio’s 76-23, including 15 points by Alex Caruso.

“We just went out there and competed,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They obviously jumped on us early. First game in their building, their crowd behind them, they were excited to play. We just wanted to make sure we competed from that point on. We obviously didn’t give our best effort to start that game, but can’t do nothing about it. It’s behind us. All we can do is focus on the next possession, and we did that.”

Victor Wembanyama had 24 points for San Antonio. Devin Vassell added 20 and De'Aaron Fox had 15 in his series debut.

The Thunder have won two straight after the Spurs' double-overtime victory in Game 1. Game 4 is Sunday.

Fox (sprained right ankle) and Dylan Harper (right adductor soreness) were cleared to play 45 minutes prior to tipoff.

Fox's return sparked a historic start.

The Spurs raced to a 15-0 lead, the longest run to open a game in the conference finals since the play-by-play era began in 1997.

Fox opened the run by wrapping in a driving layup and Wembanyama followed by crossing over Isaiah Hartenstein to drill a 3-pointer. Vassell’s 3-pointer put the Spurs up 10-0, leading to an early timeout by Thunder coach Mark Daigneault.

“Other than the first 15 points, our defense was really tight,” Daigneault said. “We got back, settled down into the halfcourt. Our offense had something to do with that. We ran good offense tonight, despite the fact that they were amped up and ready to go, the Spurs were. It’s a discipline series. We did that. We couldn’t be reckless against them, they are too good with the ball, too well coached, too talented. So you’ve got to be able to do it with discipline. I thought we really were disciplined tonight.”

Isaiah Hartenstein broke the drought with a runner over Wembanyama, but the center was immediately greeted with thunderous boos after his physical play against the Spurs in Game 2.

The Thunder went on a 13-2 run when Wembanyama went to the bench and closed the first quarter trailing 31-26.

It was a pattern the Spurs could not overcome.

“It’s my first playoffs,” Wembanyama said. “It’s the first playoffs for many of us. Of course, there was going to be hard trials. It’s to be expected, but now we’re going to see what we’re made of.”

The series continued to be chippy with emotions boiling over early in the second half. Stephon Castle hit the court on back-to-back dunk attempts. The second resulted in a flagrant 1 foul against Ajay Mitchell and technical fouls on Mitchell and Vassell after the two exchanged words following the foul.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams extended Oklahoma City's first lead to 35-31.

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

“Lo primero que tenemos que hacer es un homenaje para poder decirle a él (Petro) que estamos orgullosos de haber sido elegidos bajo su liderazgo, y entonces comenzaremos nuestra segunda gran marcha en nuestro segundo gobierno progresista”, aseguró Cepeda, senador de izquierda y uno de los punteros en las encuestas.

Cepeda es uno de 12 candidatos que disputarán la primera vuelta electoral el 31 de mayo, comicios en donde los colombianos decidirán si el país sigue la línea de Petro —el primer izquierdista en gobernar el país— o regresa a la senda de los moderados y conservadores.

Al igual que Petro, los discursos del Cepeda giran en buena medida en torno a las élites, por lo que prometió dar prioridad a los más vulnerables y luchar contra la desigualdad social mediante subsidios y programas sociales para adultos mayores, los jóvenes y las mujeres.

“El eje central de nuestro programa es reparar el daño que ha causado el neoliberalismo”, dijo Cepeda, quien aseguró que continuará con las ambiciosas reformas sociales de Petro, incluida una en el sector laboral que amplió los beneficios a los trabajadores.

Los asistentes a la Plaza de Bolívar ondeaban banderas de sindicatos de trabajadores, de Pacto Histórico y de movimientos de izquierda, mientras cargaban pancartas con la imagen de Cepeda y su compañera de fórmula, la líder indígena Aida Quilcué.

“Estamos seguros de que en primera vuelta vamos a lograr dar continuidad al gobierno del cambio... después de tantos años de otros gobiernos que no han reconocido las bases movilizadas que han luchado por sus derechos”, dijo el indígena Carlos Mario Calvo en declaraciones a The Associated Press.

El candidato pidió a sus seguidores votar en grandes números para ganar los comicios en la primera vuelta, algo que ninguno de los últimos tres mandatarios ha conseguido. El último candidato en ganar las elecciones sin la necesidad de un balotaje fue Álvaro Uribe Vélez, quien gobernó entre 2002 y 2010.

Cepeda se ha hecho de una enorme reputación dentro de la izquierda colombiana luego de derrotara Uribe en un juicio. El exmandatario fue condenado en primera instancia por los delitos de soborno a testigos y fraude procesal, aunque posteriormente fue absuelto.

Cepeda enfatizó su antagonismo con Uribe, a quien calificó de “fascista” y resaltó que fue durante su gobierno que se dieron los “falsos positivos”, como se le conoce a las ejecuciones extrajudiciales de civiles que fueron presentados como guerrilleros abatidos en combate.

“El uribismo es fascista, representa la ideología del desprecio, en todos sus componentes, de los demás seres humanos: el racismo, el clasismo, la misoginia, la homofobia... el odio a la paz”, aseguró Cepeda, mientras la multitud respondía al unísono: “Uribe, fascista”.

El uribismo también participa en las elecciones de fines de este mes con la candidata Paloma Valencia, abanderada por el partido Centro Democrático, fundado por el expresidente.

“I don’t think people had this on their bingo card,” Golden Knights defenseman Dylan Coghlan said. “We knew we could do it.”

Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev scored in a 2:07 span in the third period and the Golden Knights stunned the Avalanche 3-1 on Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Final.

Eichel tied it, then set up Barbashev for the go-ahead goal with 8:38 remaining. Barbashev added an empty-netter with 1:03 left. The comeback stunned the capacity crowd and wiped out the top-seeded Avalanche's 1-0 lead.

By winning twice at Ball Arena, the Golden Knights put the Presidents' Trophy-winning Avalanche in a huge hole. Since 1982, road teams that started 2-0 in the conference finals have a 13-0 series record.

“They understand the situation,” said Vegas coach John Tortorella, who has watched his team go 17-4-1 since he took over on March 29. “I’m not sure where the series goes. I’m not sure where Game 3 goes. But I know I’m not going to have to worry about that, because they get it."

Carter Hart had another stellar performance, stopping 29 shots. He made 36 saves in a 4-2 win on Wednesday.

Colorado was cruising after Ross Colton opened the scoring in the first period. But things unraveled for the Avalanche in the third. Eichel lined a shot past Scott Wedgewood for his first goal in 11 games to get Vegas on the board.

“I haven’t scored in a million days,” he cracked.

The Golden Knights then took advantage of a miscue — Devon Toews and Brock Nelson struggled to clear the puck along the boards in the Avalanche end — as Eichel sent a pass to Barbashev, who rang in a shot off the post.

This was the fourth third-period comeback by the Golden Knights in this postseason, the most in a single playoffs in team history, according to NHL Stats.

“Just resiliency,” Hart said. “That’s the key word for our group here — we’ve just stuck in games and just grinded it out, and just battled. Resiliency, that’s a term that describes our group really well. We’re never out of the fight, and we’re always grinding in games.”

Game 3 is Sunday night in Las Vegas. The Avalanche are hoping to have star defenseman Cale Makar back in the lineup. He has missed the last two games because of an upper-body injury.

“There's urgency to get him back since he got hurt,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. “He's doing all the work he can possibly do to get back as fast as he can.”

Before the Golden Knights' rally, the Avalanche were 45-0-0 when leading after two periods in the regular season and playoffs combined.

“It stings for sure right now,” Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “But tomorrow we’ll wake up, have a meeting, fly to Vegas and regroup. That’s all you can do.”

Vegas struggled on the power play, going 0 of 4. The team also saw defenseman Brayden McNabb limp to the locker room in the first period soon after taking a check along the boards. He returned for the third period. The hard-checking Golden Knights finished with 32 hits and 16 blocked shots.

“We know how hard it is to win,” Eichel said. “A lot of that falls on playing hard defensively.”

Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson briefly left late in the second period after delivering a check on Barbashev and then ramming his face into the boards.

Wedgewood had 22 saves.

“We can't ride the emotional roller-coaster like fans,” Bednar said. “If you lose Game 1, you're getting swept. If you win Game 1, we're sweeping them. That's not reality. You have to deal with the task at hand and what's to come. We're not going to try and win four games the next night in Vegas. We're going to try to win one game.”

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

Before it became the somewhat easy-to-mispronounce name of a rare type of Ebola virus, Bundibugyo is a mountainous district in western Uganda that even some locals would struggle to pinpoint on a map.

It's home to roughly 200,000 people. Many are cocoa farmers who search for whatever cultivable land they can find in the impossibly steep landscape of hills and valleys marking Uganda’s border with Congo. As an example of the classic village idyll, Bundibugyo is a beautiful place.

Yet it now trends for an unpleasant reason, making some Ugandans rue Bundibugyo's association with the current Ebola outbreak, which has infected hundreds of people in eastern Congo. There are 160 suspected Ebola deaths in two provinces.

Virus type discovered in 2007

The Ugandan district's connection to the Bundibugyo virus stems from an Ebola outbreak there nearly two decades ago that was flagged as a new species of Ebola, a viral disease that usually manifests as hemorrhagic fever.

The outbreak wasn't the Sudan virus, named for the area in present-day South Sudan where that type was first identified. It also wasn't the type known as Zaire, as present-day Congo was known when Ebola — itself the name of a Congolese river — was first discovered in 1976.

So the November 2007 outbreak in a remote part of western Uganda came to be known as Bundibugyo, one that scientists even now haven't studied as much. That is why Ebola specialists say it is particularly dangerous. Moreover, it was spreading in Congolese villages before health authorities there identified it as the cause of sickness in a growing number of people.

The 2007 outbreak in Bundibugyo killed at least 37 people but had been contained by the end of the year. A second outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus, also relatively small, came in 2012 in Congo's northeast.

Initial cases in those outbreaks were identified early, allowing for a quick public health response, according to Dr. Tom Ksiazek, a University of Texas Medical Branch virologist who directed the group within the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that first identified the Bundibugyo virus.

Ugandans upset about the name

This time, while there is no Ebola in Bundibugyo, a lingering connection to the picturesque Ugandan district is hurtful, said Ugandan government spokesman Alan Kasujja, who has urged global health authorities to clarify that Uganda isn't the epicenter of the latest outbreak.

“Bundibugyo is too beautiful to be the name of a disease,” he said on X. “We need to take back its name from this madness.”

The World Health Organization is responsible for the taxonomic descriptions. As was seen with the global mpox outbreak — the disease's name was changed in 2022 from monkeypox — the United Nations agency is sensitive to the use of descriptors or tags that may expose whole communities to stigmatization.

With Ebola, however, the trend has been to name viruses for the places where they were first identified.

Ugandan health authorities have experience dealing with Ebola, one reason they are adamant there is “no Ebola” in this East African country and want WHO to be more specific in its updates on the toll of the outbreak now deemed to be of global concern.

Cases in Uganda linked to Congo

Uganda has reported five cases, all linked to the outbreak in Congo. One of them, a 59-year-old Congolese man, was admitted to a hospital in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, on May 11 and died three days later. On Saturday, Ugandan health authorities said a driver and a health worker — both Ugandans — exposed to that Congolese patient have since tested positive. The others are two Congolese women who sought medical care in Uganda before Congo declared an outbreak on May 15.

This outbreak is on “the Congo side” mainly, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said Thursday, urging local tourism authorities to fight the perception that Ebola is spreading in Uganda.

Museveni urged Ugandans to “stop shaking hands” as part of measures to avoid infection. He also ordered the postponement of an annual religious event that attracts thousands of pilgrims, from Congo and elsewhere, who converge around a Catholic basilica just outside Kampala by June 3.

Other measures announced Thursday include the suspension of all public transportation and flights between Congo and Uganda.

Contact tracing is key

The risk stemming from cross-border commerce is high, said Dr. Emmanuel Batiibwe, who led efforts to stop an Ebola outbreak in 2022 that killed at least 55 people.

Stopping the current outbreak from spreading into Uganda will require “enhanced surveillance at all points of entry,” he said.

Uganda has had multiple Ebola outbreaks, including one in 2000 that killed more than 200 people. There was an outbreak in Kampala last year.

All available vaccines and treatments for Ebola don’t work for Bundibugyo patients. Tracing contacts and isolating them is seen as especially key to stopping the spread of this virus, in addition to getting healthcare workers proper protective equipment.

A family of fruit bats is believed to be the natural hosts of the viruses that cause Ebola, according to WHO. Ebola is spread by contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials.

Base, whose real name was Robert Ginyard, was best known for the 1988 chart-topper “It Takes Two,” a blend of hip-hop and house music that helped bring both genres into the mainstream.

“Rob’s music, energy, and legacy helped shape a generation and brought joy to millions around the world," read a statement on his Instagram announcing his death. “Beyond the stage, he was a loving father, family man, friend, and creative force whose impact will never be forgotten.”

His creative counterpart Rodney “Skip” Bryce, who went by the stage name DJ E-Z Rock, died in 2014 at age 46 of complications from diabetes.

The two met as fifth grade students in Harlem and said they were inspired to make music by the success of another Harlem-based group, Crash Crew. They signed in 1987 with Profile Records, one of the earliest hip-hop labels.

The following year, “It Takes Two” landed in the Billboard Hot 100 and reached No. 3 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Club Songs chart. The song has since been sampled by other artists including Snoop Dogg and The Black Eyed Peas and has appeared in several films. It has been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

The duo's next single, “Get on the Dance Floor," saw similar success on the club songs chart.

The woman, who asked to be identified only as “M,” says she briefly dated a man named Richard Anderson who she met online in 2021.

After his name appeared in an “Are we dating the same guy?” Facebook group, she said she told him about the post because she did not believe the accusations.

Years later, ‘M’ says she was served with an injunction for stalking. Anderson accused her of sending thousands of messages from fake phone numbers. ‘M’ denied it, but says a judge initially ruled against her, forcing her to attend an evaluation and anger management classes.

“I thought somebody was impersonating me, essentially,” she said.

Davie police Detective Kenneth DeArmas later investigated the messages and found many came from TextNow numbers, gmail accounts and IP addresses tied to VPN’s. Police said they could not connect ‘M’ to the accounts or locations.

“Her cellphone records did not ever put her there though. So, I was kind of like at a dead end ‘cause I’m like, well, her phone’s never there,” DeArmas said.

Detectives eventually traced some IP addresses to a hotel in Boca Raton, where they say a woman named Gressa Dugan was living. According to police Dugan had a past connection to Anderson.

Police say ‘M’s’ underage daughter began receiving disturbing messages, including explicit altered images involving ‘M’s face. Investigators believe Anderson and Dugan worked together to target the girl.

Now, Dugan and Anderson are facing aggravated stalking of a minor charges connected to the messages sent to ‘M’s daughter. Dugan remains in the Broward County Jail.

‘M’ says the restraining order was later reversed, but the experience has been traumatic.

“This could happen to anyone,” she said.

Rubio's first official trip to India comes as Washington seeks to stabilize relations with New Delhi after ties soured over President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which raised duties on several Indian exports.

Much of Rubio’s four-day visit, however, will focus on a multicity tour, along with a gala reception in New Delhi marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

“There’s a lot to work on with India, they’re a great ally and partner. We do a lot of good work with them so this is an important trip,” Rubio said ahead of his visit to India.

Rubio arrived in eastern city of Kolkata early Saturday and was scheduled to visit Mother House, the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa. In coming days, he will also visit northern cities of Agra and Jaipur, known for iconic monuments and palaces.

Later Saturday, Rubio called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and “shared U.S. perspective on various regional and global issues, including the situation in West Asia,” a statement by Modi's office said. Modi reiterated India’s support for peace efforts and stressed the need to resolve conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy, it said.

Rubio briefed Modi on progress in bilateral cooperation across defense, strategic technologies, trade and investment, energy, connectivity, education and people-to-people ties, the statement added.

Sergio Gor, the U.S. ambassador in India, in a social media post said Rubio extended an invite to Modi on behalf of Trump to visit the White House in the near future. He said the meeting was productive and focused on ways to deepen U.S.-India cooperation in security, trade and critical technologies.

Rubio is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Sunday.

On Tuesday in New Delhi, Rubio will participate in the ministerial meeting of the Quad that has repeatedly accused China of flexing its military muscles in the South China Sea and aggressively pushing its maritime territorial claims.

Beijing maintains that its military is purely defensive to protect what it says are its sovereign rights and calls the Quad an attempt to contain its economic growth and influence.

After his inauguration in January last year, Rubio’s first formal international engagement was meeting with the foreign ministers of the other Quad countries, both jointly and in separate sessions.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the accident at Changzhi city’s Liushenyu coal mine happened on Friday evening.

At a news conference late Saturday, local authorities said 82 were dead and that more than 120 people were hospitalized. Two were still missing. The death toll was a revised, lower number from earlier reports by state broadcaster CCTV that said 90 had died.

The scene at the coal mine was “chaotic” in the immediate aftermath of the accident, they said, and figures provided at the time were initial and not definite.

The explosion was under investigation, local officials said, adding there were “serious violations” of the law by the mine’s operator. They did not elaborate on any specific violations.

Earlier on Saturday, Xinhua reported that rescue work was pressing on a day after the accident, with hundreds of rescuers and medical personnel sent to the site. Among the injured, many were hurt by toxic gas, according to CCTV.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for an all-out effort to rescue the missing, Xinhua reported. Xi also called for a “thorough investigation" and accountability "in accordance with the law.”

Xinhua later reported that those responsible for the company involved in the mine accident have been "placed under control,” citing the local emergency management bureau.

An investigation team sent by China’s powerful State Council, equivalent to the country’s Cabinet, would be conducting a “rigorous and uncompromising” probe into the deadly explosion, a separate Xinhua report said following Xi’s remarks.

Wang Yong, one of the hospitalized miners, told CCTV in a video interview that he smelled sulfur “like firecrackers” and saw smoke.

“I told people to run,” he said. “As I ran, I saw people being choked by the smoke. And then I blacked out.”

The state broadcaster also reported that blueprints provided by the coal mine did not match the actual layout, hampering rescue efforts.

The coal mine, operated by the Shanxi Tongzhou Coal & Coke Group with an annual production capacity of 1.2 million tons, was placed on a national list of disaster-prone coal mines by China’s National Mine Safety Administration in 2024 for having “high gas content.”

Shanxi province is known as China’s main coal mining province. With a size larger than Greece and a population of around 34 million, the province's hundreds of thousands of miners dug 1.3 billion tons of coal last year, almost a third of China’s total.

In China, coal remains a key energy source due to its lower cost and high availability, even as the country accelerates its transition toward green energy. Mining disasters have been common although authorities had implemented measures to improve safety over the past years.

In February 2023, 53 people were killed after a collapse at an open-pit mine in northern China’s Inner Mongolia region. In November 2009, an explosion at a mine in northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province killed 108, according to state media.

Only this time with his son kneeling behind home plate.

The Red Sox's career leader with 2,590 strikeouts fired his latest offering just slightly off the right side of the plate to 30-year-old Twins utility player Kody Clemens in a ceremonial first pitch before Minnesota's matchup with the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.

With family members, including his grandchildren in the stands to witness it, that was just fine by the 63-year-old grandfather.

“A little two-seamer. Didn’t slip, didn’t tear anything,” Clemens said. “Home plate seems to get farther and farther away every year. I don’t know what that’s about. But it’s kind of like the Ted Williams seat. I think we know no one’s going to hit one there and it keeps going up one row every year.”

Fans were also given a special edition Roger Clemens bobblehead to commemorate his latest return to Fenway.

It was the latest father-son moment for the elder Clemens. He exchanged pregame lineup cards with Kody in 2025 before a spring training game between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies. Roger was working with New York, and Kody was playing for Philadelphia.

Roger also played alongside his oldest son, Koby, in the minors in 2006 when a 43-year-old Roger was making a rehab start while with the Houston Astros in what proved to be his penultimate major league season.

Roger said whenever he gets together with Kody on the field, his family often reminds him of the baseball exploits he’ll never have over his son.

“They’re always messing with me now because they said he’s done two things in professional ball that I never will: strike out (Shohei) Ohtani and hit a home run here at Fenway,” Clemens said.

There is another thing the elder Clemens doesn’t yet have: a retired major league jersey. The University of Texas made their former star the first player to receive that honor in 1993.

While he’s not officially on Boston’s row of honor, since Clemens left following the 1996 season no other full-time Red Sox player has worn the No. 21.

He said he's open to the idea of seeing it retired by the Red Sox, the franchise for which he played the bulk of his career.

“I don’t have any control over that, but I had 13 wonderful years here. I love that number,” Clemens said. “I thought it was really cool when I came out at Texas that they had it hanging in my locker. So, it’s been a great number for me. I went to 22 a little bit, and a lot of family members had that number, too. So both solid numbers.”

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

“Just let it rip downrange and see what we got,” the New York Yankees ace thought to himself.

Cole allowed two hits over six shutout innings Friday night in his return from elbow ligament reconstruction surgery. He left with a 1-0 lead that the Yankees wasted in a 4-2 loss to the major league-best Tampa Bay Rays.

“It was almost like a second debut," the 35-year-old right-hander said. “It was nice to get back in the fire.”

Cole had not pitched a big league outing that counted since Game 5 of the World Series on Oct. 30, 2024. He had reconstructive surgery the following March 11, then started a rehab path that included two spring training outings this year and six minor league rehabilitation starts beginning April 17.

“Some ups and downs, for sure. A long road," Cole said. “And yet at some point tonight it was almost like I had never left.”

With a few days of stubble on his face, Cole warmed up to the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.”

“Let’s go swing the rock around,” catcher Austin Wells told him. “Have fun.”

Cole averaged 96.1 mph with 35 four-seam fastballs, reaching a high of 98.6 mph in the first. He mixed in 13 sinkers, 10 sliders, eight changeups and six knuckle-curves.

“It's great to have our ace back in the mix,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He did a lot of game management things really well.”

Cole threw 50 of 72 pitches for strikes, starting 18 of 22 batters with an offering in the strike zone.

“It was lovely,” he said.

Chandler Simpson singled leading off and Junior Caminero walked but Cole retired Jonathan Aranda on a flyout, picked off a dancing Simpson at second and got Yandy Díaz to take a sinker for a called third strike.

Using his new overhead hand movement in his windup, adopted during his rehab, Cole needed just seven pitches in the third inning and four in the fourth. He retired 10 in a row during one stretch.

“He looked healthy to me,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He’s as special as there is.”

Cole munched on a banana between innings at one point to keep up his energy. He struck out two and walked three, including Richie Palacios on four balls that followed a first-pitch strike and Taylor Walls on four straight balls.

Against the high-contact Rays, he induced just five misses among 31 swings.

“The command was good enough. It was hard to trust some off-speed pitches there early,” Cole said. “Controlled the zone well and sequenced well. Brought ourselves room inside the strike zone and beside some lapses in control kept pressure on the opposition throughout the at-bats.”

He thought there was room for improvement.

“There’s probably some opportunities to get a little further outside of the strike zone, but at the same time, knowing that that might not be as crisp as it has been before,” he said.

He joined a rotation that includes Carlos Rodón, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers, taking the spot that opened when Max Fried went on the injured list because of a bone bruise in his left elbow.

Wells backed him with his first home run since April 28, a fifth-inning drive off Nick Martinez.

José Caballero, back at shortstop after missing 10 days because of a broken finger, allowed Simpson’s one-hopper to bounce off his glove leading of the eighth. The Rays burst ahead on Aranda's RBI double, Palacios' two-run single on a comebacker off the glove of leaping reliever Tim Hill and Ryan Vilade's sacrifice fly, then held on to improve to 4-0 against New York this year.

Yankees captain Aaron Judge went 0 for 4 with a game-ending flyout to the center-field warning track with a man on against Bryan Baker. Judge is in a 1-for-24 slide that dropped his average to .245 and has gone a career-high 11 games without any RBIs.

Cole will start again next week at Kansas City. During his long rehab, he had thought about the night of his return.

“It was kind of what I imagined it would be,” he said with a smile.

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

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In a statement, her office announced she plans to help deliver the most for families struggling with high gas, housing, and grocery prices in Broward County.

“I’ve fought for the people of Broward County my whole adult life, and you’ve always been able to count on me to deliver results for our community,” Wasserman Schultz said in a statement. “And I’ve waged these battles when our values were on the line, all while still raising a family, beating cancer, and answering President Barack Obama’s call to lead our national party.”

The Republican majority in the Florida legislature approved Gov. Ron DeSantis’s proposed redistricting map, which is the subject of several lawsuits contesting it as a violation of the state’s constitution.

District 20 has been vacant since Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned on April 21.

DeSantis signed the new map into law on May 4, and it changed five key areas for Democrats in Florida, including District 25.

Elijah Manley, a Democrat who is running in the District 20 primary, quickly jumped on the attack.

“DWS is everything that’s wrong with the Democratic establishment ... I look forward to retiring her from public office,” Manley wrote on X after her announcement.

Manley later told Local 10 News that many Black leaders asked Wasserman Schultz not to run in the district because it’s an attack on Black representation.

“She is giving Republicans exactly what they want, a divisive Democratic party,” Manley said.

Related social media post

One of Wasserman Schultz’s opponents in the FL-20 Dem primary is jumping on the attack. Elijah Manley is accusing her of jumping ship to what has been a black represented district after her own was carved up in the state’s new congressional map. @WPLGLocal10 https://t.co/iO87ihcSgh pic.twitter.com/m6RiUHh54m

— Ross Ketschke (@rossk_news) May 22, 2026

Interactive graphic: New redistricting map

Vietnam's U.N. Ambassador Do Hung Viet, who chaired the conference, announced that there was no consensus among the 191 parties to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty on even a watered-down final document.

He told a news conference later that “no one blocked consensus.” But he said “a very important reason” for the failure to reach an outcome was a provision in the final draft that said Iran “can never seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.”

It was the third failure in a row at a conference reviewing the NPT, considered the cornerstone of global nonproliferation and disarmament. At the last treaty review in August 2022, Russia blocked agreement on a final document over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and references to Moscow’s occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed regret at the failure when the “elevated risk posed by nuclear weapons demands urgent action,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. He appealed to all countries “to make full use of all available avenues of dialogue, diplomacy, and negotiation to reduce tensions, lower nuclear risks, and ultimately eliminate the nuclear threat.”

Tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program escalated ahead of the Iran war, which began with U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Feb. 28. President Donald Trump has said the war was aimed at preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Iran has enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels but insists its program is only for civilian purposes.

The U.S. and Iran have clashed since the opening of the review conference on April 27. The U.S. has accused Iran of showing “contempt” for its commitments under the treaty, while Iran has said U.S. and Israeli attacks on its nuclear facilities violated international law.

Iran is a party to the NPT, which requires countries to open all nuclear sites to inspection by the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency. But Iran has not given inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency access to nuclear sites that were bombed by the U.S. last June.

Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Washington-based Arms Control Association, said the United States insisted that Iran be named in the outcome document for its refusal to comply with its NPT obligations, including inspections, and it was. Iran objected to being singled out and insisted that the U.S. and Israel be condemned for attacking its nuclear sites, which violates the NPT, but that was not included, he said.

In speeches at the end of the conference, the United States called Iran a “prolific treaty violator” and said it had spent the conference “shirking accountability for its grotesque violations.” Iran accused the U.S. and its allies of conducting a “relentless campaign” to legitimize their “unlawful attacks” on the country and its nuclear facilities.

Kimball said the conference “showed that rhetorical support for the NPT is strong, but the foundations of the NPT are cracking due to inaction, inattention, and intransigence on the part of the major powers.”

“Much more enlightened, engaged, and pragmatic leadership and diplomacy will be needed to guard against the growing risks of an unconstrained nuclear buildup, threats to resume nuclear testing, and the risk of a nuclear-armed Iran," Kimball said.

Britain’s Rebecca Johnson, founding executive director of the Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy, had harsh criticism for both the U.S. and Russia, the two largest nuclear powers, which she said "double down on nuclear threats, blame others and try to undermine or ignore the NPT’s nuclear disarmament commitments and related agreements,” including on nuclear testing.

Miami-Dade prosecutors filed separate felony cases against Gracie David and Dayleon Murray on Feb. 4. They were both released on bond, and both pleaded not guilty, according to court records.

After prosecutors decided to drop the strong-armed robbery charge against David and the strong-armed robbery and battery charges against Murray, Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Andrea Wolfson closed both cases on May 20, according to court records.

Tres personas halladas dentro de la casa el miércoles murieron. Una cuarta persona que estaba en la vivienda y uno de los socorristas que se enfermó seguían recibiendo tratamiento en un hospital el viernes.

Un médico que vio a los socorristas cuando presentaron síntomas, entre ellos náuseas y mareos, señaló que sus síntomas parecían de una exposición al fentanilo. Sin embargo, la investigación sobre cómo ocurrió la exposición y qué la causó seguía en curso.

El director médico del Hospital de la Universidad de Nuevo México, Steve McLaughlin, manifestó durante una conferencia de prensa en Albuquerque que las autoridades trabajaban “bajo el supuesto” de que el fentanilo era el responsable. Indicó que los síntomas de los socorristas iban de leves a ligeramente más graves.

“Probablemente no se absorbe a través de la piel, pero sí se absorbería por los ojos, la nariz, las membranas mucosas o si se inhala”, indicó McLaughlin a The Associated Press.

La metanfetamina es notoriamente tóxica cuando las personas se exponen a ella, y el fentanilo lo es menos. Las autoridades señalaron durante la conferencia de prensa del viernes que los socorristas que se enfermaron habían atendido directamente a las personas encontradas dentro de la casa situada al este de Albuquerque, en el poblado rural de Mountainair.

Más de una docena de socorristas fueron puestos en cuarentena y descontaminados después de acudir al lugar.

Las autoridades indicaron que acudieron a la casa tras ser llamadas por un compañero de trabajo de una de las personas que estaban dentro, luego de que no se presentaran a trabajar.

El jefe de la Policía Estatal de Nuevo México, Matt Broom, dijo que los investigadores no encontraron indicios de fabricación de drogas en la casa.

La policía estatal señaló desde el principio que no había amenaza para el público y que los investigadores no creían que la sustancia misteriosa estuviera en el aire.

Dos de las víctimas fueron identificadas el viernes como Mika Rascon, de 51 años, y Georgia Rascon, de 49. El nombre de la tercera persona que murió no ha sido divulgado, y aún no se ha determinado la causa y la forma de sus muertes.

Archivos de audio del canal de despacho de bomberos del condado de Torrance en el sitio Broadcastify mostraron que los socorristas acudieron a la vivienda tras un reporte de un hombre de 60 años que estaba inconsciente pero respirando.

En cuestión de minutos, se escucha a un despachador decir que había otras tres personas en la casa, dos de las cuales quizá no estaban respirando. Luego se pidió naloxona, el antídoto para sobredosis de opioides. Una persona fue reanimada con naloxona, informaron las autoridades.

Menos de una hora después de la llamada inicial, el centro de despacho comunicó que había múltiples exposiciones.

Algunos socorristas comenzaron a toser, vomitar y sentir mareos, indicaron las autoridades. La mayoría no presentó síntomas, señalaron funcionarios del hospital.

La evidencia científica muestra que el fentanilo, un opioide potente, no provoca sobredosis por contacto casual con la piel ni por una breve exposición en el aire en escenarios típicos de trabajo en el terreno. Los expertos afirman que las sobredosis requieren una ingestión, inyección o inhalación significativa de la sustancia.

Residentes de los alrededores de Mountainair, un poblado con menos de 1.000 habitantes, han expresado frustración por el consumo de drogas en la comunidad y en otros lugares.

Nuevo México tuvo la cuarta tasa más alta de muertes por sobredosis de drogas de cualquier estado de Estados Unidos en 2024, con 775 fallecimientos, según los datos más recientes disponibles de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades.

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Brown informó desde Billings, Montana.

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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 30-year-old South Korean put himself in position to break 60 with a curling 17-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the par-3 17th hole at TPC Craig Ranch. It was his 12th birdie of the day, putting him at 12 under on the par-71 layout.

Kim was in the fairway on the 18th, but blasted his second shot over the green. His chip coming back stopped about 19 feet short of the hole, and his putt for par lacked pace and broke to the right for his only bogey of the day. Kim shot 11-under 60 for a five-shot lead at 18-under 124 after two rounds.

The 18th hole at Craig Ranch — about 30 miles north of Dallas — is a par 4 for the first time in the six Nelson tournaments it has hosted. A $25 million overhaul designed by Lanny Wadkins changed it from a par 5, and it has played as the hardest hole on the course through two rounds.

Most of the rest of the holes are as easy as they've been in the past — despite more bunkers along the fairways and contours on the greens. Part of the the reason is soft conditions from a rainy opening day and calm winds that aren't supposed to pick up on the weekend, either. Because of the rain on Thursday, players were still allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairway.

Kim, playing with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, took full advantage.

The four-time PGA Tour winner who lives in Dallas already had seven birdies through 10 holes when he put his 166-yard approach shot at the par-4 11th inside 3 feet.

Needing just one birdie over the final three holes for a 59, Kim missed by inches on the par-4 16th. Hopes dimmed with his tee shot on the stadium hole at 17, until he dazzled by far the biggest of any of the galleries on the course with a perfect putt.

“I hit it great and putted great,” Kim said. “So everything was perfect, other than the last hole. I’ll still take it. Sixty is hard, but I was a little bit of thinking about the 59 after I make that on 17. It was a little bit of like adrenaline.”

Jim Furyk has the PGA Tour's 18-hole record with his 58 from the 2016 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. A 59 has been recorded 14 times, including by Furyk and Scheffler, who shot his at TPC Boston in 2020. That was two years before the first of his 20 tour wins, and four major victories.

“I definitely wasn’t going to tell him anything about his round today as we were out there,” Scheffler said. “I would say it would definitely be in poor taste to remind somebody they’re on 59 watch.”

The 59 watch overshadowed Scheffler's 8-under 63, which included a stretch where he was 5 under over four holes with a 45-foot eagle putt.

Scheffler was five shots back in second place, tied at 13 under with Kim's fellow South Korean, Sungjae Im, Japan's Kensei Hirata and Wyndham Clark. Im aced the par-3 seventh and shot 61.

“I feel like, when you’re watching somebody like Si Woo, especially when you’re paired with him, just watching somebody birdie every hole and you feel like the tournament is getting further and further away from you,” said Scheffler, who had a runaway eight-shot victory at his hometown Byron Nelson last year. “I think I did a good job of staying patient and not forcing things.”

Kim said he chose a hard 6-iron over a 5-iron for the approach on 18, and said the chip might have been too clean because it had too much spin and stopped sooner than he hoped.

“Yeah, it was a tough shot,” Kim said. “But I’ll take it still — 60.”

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

Three people found inside the house on Wednesday died. A fourth person who was in the house and one of the emergency responders who became sick were still being treated at a hospital Friday.

A doctor who saw the responders exhibiting symptoms — including nausea and dizziness — said their symptoms most closely resembled fentanyl exposure. However, the investigation into how the exposure happened and what caused it was ongoing.

University of New Mexico Hospital Chief Medical Officer Steve McLaughlin said during a news conference in Albuquerque that authorities were working “under the assumption” that fentanyl was to blame. He said the responders' symptoms ranged from mild to slightly more severe.

“It’s probably not absorbed through your skin, but it would be absorbed through your eyes, nose, mucous membranes, or if you inhale it,” McLaughlin told The Associated Press.

Meth is notoriously toxic when exposed to it, and fentanyl less so. Authorities noted during Friday's news conference that the responders who became ill had directly treated the people found inside the house east of Albuquerque, in the rural town of Mountainair.

More than a dozen first responders were quarantined and decontaminated after responding to the scene.

Of the two people still hospitalized Friday, one was a person who was found unresponsive in the home where three died. Authorities said they were called to the home by a co-worker of one of the people inside after they failed to show up to work.

New Mexico State Police Chief Matt Broom said investigators did not immediately find evidence of drug manufacturing in the house.

State police said early on that there was no threat to the public and that investigators did not believe the substance that caused the responders to become sick was airborne.

Two of the victims were identified Friday as Mika Rascon, 51, and Georgia Rascon, 49. The name of the third person who died has not been released, and the cause and manner of their deaths has not been determined.

Audio archives from the Torrance County Fire Dispatch channel on the site Broadcastify showed that responders went to the home following a report of a 60-year-old man unconscious but breathing.

Within minutes, a dispatcher is heard saying there were three other people at the home, two of whom might not be breathing. Then came a call for naloxone, the opioid-overdose antidote. One person was revived using naloxone, authorities said.

Less than an hour after the initial call, the dispatch center relayed that there were multiple exposures.

Some first responders began coughing, vomiting and experiencing dizziness, authorities said. Most had no symptoms, hospital officials said.

The initial responders on the scene did not have protective gear but followed safety protocols, said Torrance County Fire Chief Gary Smith. They saw two victims inside, pulled them into the fresh air and attempted to resuscitate them, he said.

“This did come in as an overdose. There was no indication of any type of hazmat type scenario,” Smith said.

Debriefings were planned in coming days to determine if there were any weaknesses in the response, he added.

Scientific evidence shows fentanyl, a potent opioid, does not cause overdoses through casual skin contact or brief airborne exposure in typical field scenarios. Experts say overdoses require significant ingestion, injection or inhalation of the substance.

Residents around Mountainair, a town with fewer than 1,000 people, have voiced frustration about drug use in the community and elsewhere.

New Mexico had the fourth-highest rate of drug overdose deaths of any U.S. state in 2024, with 775 deaths, according to the most recent data available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Claudia Lauer contributed reporting from Philadelphia.

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Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

Miami-Dade and Broward counties can expect partly cloudy skies Friday night with the slight chance for a rogue shower.

Saturday will feature sunshine, scattered clouds and east-southeast winds, sustained 5 to 15 mph. Random showers may not be completely out of the question, especially during the early part of the day.

The southeast breeze will carry into Sunday. The onshore flow could drive some spotty showers across the area, particularly during the morning. Otherwise, partly cloudy skies can be expected.

Temperatures will make a run for 90°F both days with heat indices forecast to peak in the upper 90s.

“Her speech was rapid and slurred, her gait was unsteady, and she was fidgeting with her fingers,” the report from the California Highway Patrol said. “Her mood changed from confrontational and agitated to flamboyant and compliant. She also appeared to speak with a British accent at times.”

Spears told officers, “I could probably drink four bottles of wine and take care of you, I’m an angel.”

But she said that in actuality she only had one drink, a mimosa, hours earlier, and she put her level of drunkenness at “zero.” Breath tests put her blood alcohol level at .05 and .06, below the .08 level at which someone is presumed impaired in California.

A bottle of Adderall — the stimulant used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder — was found by an officer in her purse, and was not prescribed to her, the report said. She also gave a blood sample for a drug test, but those results were not included in the report.

A Spears representative did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Friday.

Spears was pulled over for speeding and swerving on U.S. 101 in Ventura County near the Los Angeles County line in the area where she lives on March 4, authorities said. She was later charged with misdemeanor DUI and pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

Spears at first refused to get out of the car, saying she had been pranked and harassed in the past and as a woman she had a right to decline. She also said she feared getting out on the highway. When officers said they could take her around the corner, she suggested they go to her house.

“I’ll make you food or lasagna, whatever you want. I have a pool,” Spears says on the video.

She was eventually cuffed, taken to jail and released on bail hours later.

Spears voluntarily checked into a rehabilitation facility soon after.

On May 4 she pleaded guilty to reckless driving involving alcohol and drugs and avoided more jail time. Ventura County prosecutors said the plea agreement is standard offer for defendants with no DUI history, no crash or injury on the road and a low blood-alcohol level.

“I don’t think anybody’s happy about pleading guilty to anything, but under the circumstances, to get this behind her, I think everybody is pleased with the result,” Spears' lawyer Michael Goldstein said after the plea hearing, at which she did not appear.

Spears grew to superstardom in the 1990s and 2000s with several platinum-selling albums and hit singles including “Toxic,” “… Baby One More Time” and “Oops! … I Did It Again.”

She became a tabloid obsession in the early 2000s and a source of intense public scrutiny as she battled mental illness and paparazzi fought to document her private life.

Spears spent nearly 14 years in a court-ordered conservatorship controlled primarily by her father before she was freed from it in 2021. Since then she has married, divorced and released a bestselling memoir, “The Woman in Me.”

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This story has been updated to correct the date of Spears’ arrest to March 4, not March 5.

For many of these dogs, it is the first time they have ever received medical care or appropriate attention. Paul Motz shared the conditions the animals were living in and what the rescue hopes this massive effort means for the dogs.

The redesigned mega rocket made its debut two days after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced he’s taking the company public. It blasted off from the southern tip of Texas, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites that were released midway through the hourlong spaceflight that stretched halfway around the world.

The spacecraft reached its final destination — the Indian Ocean — despite some engine trouble, before erupting in flames upon impact. That last part was not unexpected, according to SpaceX.

Musk called it “an epic” launch and landing.

“You scored a goal for humanity,” he told his team via X.

It’s the 12th test flight of the rocket that Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But first comes the moon and NASA’s Artemis program.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman flew in for the launch, saying Starship is now one step closer to the moon.

The last of the old space-skimming Starships lifted off in October. SpaceX’s third-generation Starship — a souped-up version dubbed V3 — soared from a brand-new launch pad at Starbase, near the Mexican border. Last-minute pad issues thwarted Thursday evening's launch attempt.

SpaceX was hoping to avoid the fireworks it experienced during back-to-back launches last year when midair explosions rained wreckage down on the Atlantic. Earlier flights also ended in flames.

There was no fireball this time until the very end. The spacecraft plummeted upright into the Indian Ocean under seemingly full control, then toppled over and ignited.

While the liftoff itself went well, not all of the engines fired as the booster attempted a controlled return. The spacecraft also had to make do with fewer engines, but kept heading eastward 120 miles (194 kilometers) up. A pair of modified, camera-equipped Starlinks ejected from Starship provided brief views of the spacecraft in flight — a remarkable first.

At 407 feet (124 meters), the latest model eclipses the older Starship lines by several feet (more than 1 meter) and packs more engine thrust.

The revamped booster sports fewer but bigger and stronger grid fins for steering it back to Earth following liftoff, and a larger and more robust fuel transfer line to feed the 33 main engines. This fuel line is the size of SpaceX's Falcon 9 first-stage booster. The retro-looking, stainless steel spacecraft also has more of everything — more cameras and more navigation and computer power — as well as docking cones for future rendezvous and moon missions.

Starship is meant to be fully reusable, with giant mechanical arms at the launch pads to catch the returning rocket stages. But on this latest trial run, nothing was being recovered. The Gulf of Mexico marked the end of the road for the redesigned first-stage booster, and the Indian Ocean for the spacecraft and its satellite demos.

NASA is paying SpaceX billions of dollars — and also Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin — to provide the lunar landers that will be used to land Artemis astronauts on the moon.

The two companies are scrambling to be first.

While Starship has reached the fringes of space on multiple flights lasting an hour at most, Bezos' Blue Moon has yet to lift off, although a prototype is being readied for a moonshot later this year.

NASA is following April’s successful lunar flyaround by four astronauts with a docking trial run in orbit around Earth planned for next year. For that Artemis III mission, astronauts will practice docking their Orion capsule with Starship, Blue Moon or both.

A moon landing by two astronauts — Artemis IV — could follow as soon as 2028 using either Starship or Blue Moon, whichever lander is safer and ready first. It will be NASA’s first lunar landing with a crew since 1972’s Apollo 17. The goal this time is a moon base near the lunar south pole, staffed by astronauts as well as robots.

SpaceX is already taking reservations for private flights to the moon and Mars on Starship.

The world's first space tourist, California businessman Dennis Tito, and his wife signed up 3 1/2 years ago for a flight around the moon. The timing is uncertain.

This week, another wealthy space tourist — Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang — announced he will fly to Mars on Starship's first interplanetary mission. Wang previously chartered a SpaceX polar flight in a Dragon capsule last year and, along with his hand-picked crew, became the first to orbit above the north and south poles.

No price tag or date was revealed for his Mars cruise.

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

Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil in federal court in Manhattan chided Wolff for an “inappropriate level of tactical gamesmanship” and said she “will not be conscripted to oversee an abusively presented spat.”

Vyskocil, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, agreed that Wolff and the first lady “have a real dispute,” but said “they must litigate it according to the same procedures as everyone else.”

Wolff sued Melania Trump last October after her lawyer, Alejandro Brito, told him in a letter that she would be “left with no alternative” but to sue him if he didn’t retract statements that the lawyer said had caused her “overwhelming reputational and financial harm.”

Wolff wanted a judge to declare that he did not defame the first lady and that, were she to pursue a lawsuit against him, she would be liable for costs, fees and unspecified monetary damages.

Wolff originally sued in state court in New York under a law barring lawsuits designed to silence critics. Such lawsuits are known as SLAPPs, or strategic lawsuits against public participation. Brito then had the case transferred to federal court and later sought to have it dismissed or moved to a federal court in Florida.

Vyskocil, in her 45-page decision, said that while federal court does have jurisdiction, she was declining to exercise it and “dismisses this case to be litigated like any other.”

Nick Clemens, a spokesperson for Melania Trump, said she “is proud to continue standing up to, and fighting against, those who spread malicious and defamatory falsehoods as they desperately try to get undeserved attention and money from their unlawful conduct.”

In April, Melania Trump made a statement at the White House denying any affiliation with Epstein, the millionaire financier and convicted sex offender who killed himself in jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

Reading prepared remarks, the first lady said she and her lawyers were fighting back against “unfound and baseless lies” that suggested she had ties to Epstein.

“The lies linking me with the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein need to end today,” Melania Trump said. “The individuals lying about me are devoid of ethical standards, humility and respect. I do not object to their ignorance, but rather I reject their mean-spirited attempts to defame my reputation.”

In his lawsuit, Wolff argued that the Trumps “have made a practice of threatening those who speak against them” with costly legal actions “to silence their speech, to intimidate their critics generally, and to extract unjustified payments and North Korean style confessions and apologies.”

He said the threats were “designed to create a climate of fear in the nation so that people cannot freely or confidently exercise their First Amendment rights.”

Wolff has published a dozen books, including four bestsellers about the president.

Wolff said in the lawsuit that Melania Trump’s threat to sue him was related to statements he made to The Daily Beast and in three social media videos. Some statements were incomplete phrases and were taken out of context, he said.

Others, the lawsuit said, were protected speech. For instance, the statement that the Trumps were in a “sham marriage, trophy marriage,” was a “fair and justified” statement of opinion, it said.

The lawsuit noted that Wolff never said Melania Trump was involved in any of Epstein’s crimes.

In July 2025, after receiving a letter from Brito, The Daily Beast retracted an article titled, “Melania Trump ‘Very Involved’ in Epstein Scandal: Author,” that was based on an interview with Wolff.

Wolff, in his lawsuit, said his comments pertained to the first lady’s “involvement” last year managing the matter “behind the scenes” at the White House — not that she was involved in any of Epstein’s crimes.

Among other statements Wolff said were true were those his comments about Melania Trump meeting Donald Trump in Epstein’s social circle, and that Donald Trump liked to have sex with his friend’s wives and first slept with Melania Trump on Epstein’s private jet.

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Associated Press writer Darlene Superville in Washington contributed.

Elsewhere, a 12th illness linked to the ship was confirmed Friday in the Netherlands as health officials continue to monitor hundreds of people who were potentially exposed.

The doctor who runs the National Quarantine Unit where the American passengers are being monitored said at a news conference Friday that none of them are showing any symptoms at this point, but Dr. Michael Wadman referred questions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about whether these 18 people will have to remain at the specialized facility at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for the full 42-day quarantine period.

The CDC didn't respond Friday to questions about the plan for these passengers staying in what resemble hotel rooms, complete with their own workout machines and a small refrigerator. The rooms are equipped with specialized negative-pressure ventilation and waste sterilization systems to keep germs from escaping.

Hantavirus usually spreads from rodent droppings and is not easily transmitted between people. But the Andes virus detected in the cruise ship outbreak may be able to spread between people in rare cases. Symptoms usually show between one and eight weeks after exposure. Health officials recommended the long quarantine because of the incubation period for the virus.

Passengers arrived with few belongings

Wadman said that once the passengers realized how long they were going to be staying in quarantine, they started ordering things they needed because health officials let them bring only a small plastic sack of belongings with them when they left the MV Hondius. They had to leave their luggage behind, so a steady stream of boxes started arriving at the quarantine unit after the passengers began arriving in Omaha on May 11.

In between the symptom checks twice a day, the staff at the nation's only dedicated quarantine unit are doing their best to help the passengers pass the time with special meals featuring local food trucks and distinctive Nebraska delicacies like Runzas along with lessons on the sandhill cranes migration that brings millions of the majestic birds to the state every spring and other subjects.

The rooms also have high-speed internet connections to help the passengers connect virtually with family and friends. Jake Rosmarin said it can be lonely at times being so far away from his fiance back in Boston, but the days have mostly been flying by as he calls family and friends and makes videos for his Facebook and Instagram pages where he normally posts travel videos. Rosmarin tries to think positive and not dwell on the fact that he still faces almost another month in quarantine.

“Why am I going to harp on those negative aspects? The time’s just gonna go by slow if I kind of harp on the negatives,” he said.

Hospital staff works to make passengers comfortable

Rosmarin said he really appreciates everything the nurses and doctors from the medical center and adjoining Nebraska Medicine hospital, who volunteer to work at the quarantine unit, have done for him and the other passengers, beginning with the deliveries of his favorite Starbucks iced horchata with oat milk and vanilla cold foam.

“They’ve just been amazing. Truly. Truly, truly, truly. I think they’ve gone above and beyond with making sure that we’re comfortable here,” said Rosmarin, who ordered himself a new mattress pad and pillows along with a set of Mixtiles photos of himself and his fiance to hang on the wall to help make the room homier.

Rosmarin and a few other passengers unexpectedly got a chance to leave their rooms for a few minutes Sunday evening when Omaha was under a tornado warning, but they all wore masks and kept their distance while the medical staff had on full protective suits.

The hospital is planning to give the passengers a taste of Runza on Tuesday and a meal from Omaha Steaks on Thursday of next week. Rosmarin said he ordered a barbecue bacon Runza, which is a mix of meat, seasonings and sauce baked inside bread. The fast food chain that's known for the sandwiches is almost exclusively in the state, but elsewhere in the country the same meal might be called a bierock.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen, who owns a massive hog farm, said at Friday’s news conference that he’s hoping to arrange a pork tenderloin dinner as well, if he can be sure the hospital chefs will cook it correctly.

Quarantine will likely last roughly another month

Wadman said the passengers who remain in Omaha have all been cooperative despite the fact that the CDC issued a formal order earlier this week to prevent two of them from leaving the quarantine unit.

“I think there's many that would really like to be home,” Wadman said, but it's not yet clear that the CDC will allow that before the 42 days are up. Each case will be evaluated individually.

Twelve people worldwide who were aboard the MV Hondius have fallen ill, including one of the crew members that was just confirmed Friday in the Netherlands. Three people from the cruise died, including a Dutch couple that health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America. No deaths have been reported since May 2, according to World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

“We continue to urge affected countries to monitor all passengers and crew carefully for the remainder of the quarantine period. More than 600 contacts continue to be followed in 30 countries, and a small number of high risk contacts are still being located,” he said.

University of Nebraska President Jeffrey Gold said the new cases will definitely be considered as public health officials decide how long the passengers have to quarantine, but the CDC is calling the shots on that period.

“Any case, any symptoms, any positive test anywhere gives us more information about the biology of this viral illness. And it as any good scientific approach would be, it influences our decision making,” Gold said.

She says her life changed after a series of decisions led her into the drug trade and eventually behind bars.

Now, after receiving a presidential pardon and founding a nonprofit organization, she’s helping other women start over, including many here in South Florida.

“I started selling drugs,” Sam told Local 10 News. “And that’s how I ended up being in prison.”

Sam said she never expected her life to take that turn. She grew up in a stable home, but said the wrong decisions and fast money changed everything.

“It was a federal drug sting operation and I was arrested and put in the jail in Virginia,” she said.

At 35, Sam was facing decades behind bars.

“I broke down because I did not expect it at all,” she said.

While incarcerated, Sam said she witnessed the harsh realities many women faced daily.

“There was this big dumpster that came out with used panties and you would have to go in and pick and see which panties weren’t as soiled as others,” Sam said.

But Sam said even in her darkest moments, she felt called to something bigger.

“I woke up and God spoke to me,” she said. “I would start a nonprofit organization.”

That vision became the Ladies of Hope Ministries, an organization now helping formerly incarcerated women rebuild their lives.

“I have to help because I believe that it is a requirement of me,” Sam said.

And today, she’s fulfilling that mission nationwide, including here in South Florida.

The organization is helping women like Judith Negron, who received clemency after serving time in a healthcare fraud case.

“I felt a sense of belonging,” Negron said.

It’s also helping Alina Feias, who says the group helped her after a stint in prison.

“I found the Ladies of Hope Ministry and here I am a full-time employee,” Feias said.

In 2020, Sam received a pardon from President Donald Trump.

“For me, it was like God’s pardon,” she said.

Sam, who received an honorary doctorate in divinity from the New York Theological Seminary in recognition of her work, is now dedicating her life to helping other women find a second chance too.

On July 27, she’ll host a “pamper day” for women inside Miami-Dade County’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, focused on encouragement, self-care and reminding those incarcerated that their story does not end behind bars.

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It comes as the new Education Recovery Scorecard — a collaboration between researchers at Harvard University and Stanford University — found that Florida ranks 35th out of 35 states in reading recovery between 2022 and 2025.

At the same time, educators and arts advocates in Miami-Dade are pushing for increased investment in arts programs they say help boost attendance, literacy and overall student performance.

At the Marshall L. Davis Sr. African Heritage Cultural Arts Center in Miami Gardens, local arts organizations gathered to celebrate the expansion of Arts Access Miami into Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ Central District.

A recent Arts Access Miami impact study found students participating in arts programs saw higher attendance rates and measurable improvements in math and English scores.

“We are giving opportunities to students across our county to find the room where they belong because when that happens it absolutely changes their lives,” said Jamie Sutta of Vocal Youth Miami.

Zach Larmer, the CEO of Young Musicians Unite, said arts education plays a key role in motivating students to attend school and stay engaged in the classroom.

“At first it might not look like they’re connected, but every student needs a reason to get up in the morning to be motivated and to make it to the classroom,” Larmer said. “If learning is going to happen, then you have to be there.”

Chad Bernstein, CEO and co-founder of Guitars Over Guns, said arts programs help students find a sense of identity and belonging.

“I think the arts gives us the opportunity to have students create those spaces and find themselves in those spaces,” Bernstein said.

Researchers found Florida students are performing about half a grade level below their 2022 reading levels. The report also found chronic absenteeism remains nearly nine percentage points above pre-pandemic levels statewide.

In South Florida, researchers found Broward County Public Schools is performing somewhat better than the state average in reading recovery, while Miami-Dade County Public Schools is tracking closer to statewide trends.

In math, however, both Miami-Dade and Broward students outperformed the statewide average in recovery gains.

Steve Gallon III, who represents District 1 on the Miami-Dade School Board, said the report highlights the long-term impacts of the pandemic and years of underinvestment in literacy programs.

“I think anytime you get a report that’s this serious, it gives us an opportunity to see not only where we stand as a state but where we stand for our students to compete at the national and quite frankly global level,” Gallon said.

Gallon also pointed to Florida’s education spending levels, noting the state has ranked 50th in average teacher pay for three straight years and 41st in per-student spending, according to the National Education Association rankings.

At the same time, Florida lawmakers are negotiating the state’s next education budget during the legislative session. Senate budget documents show lawmakers are proposing a roughly 1.75% increase in education funding, which Gallon argued does not keep pace with inflation.

“We’re not going to continue to be able to support our teachers, support our employees and quite frankly compete with the challenges that we face in terms of affordability,” Gallon said.

He also raised concerns about what he described as declining investment in early childhood education and public schools overall.

According to the Florida Policy Institute, Florida’s overall 2025-26 education budget decreased by 1.3% to $31.5 billion, with early learning programs seeing the largest proportional cuts.

“We need to make an intentional investment in early childhood programs,” Gallon said. “Reading is the foundation.”

Despite the concerns, Gallon said research continues to show arts education can play a meaningful role in student success.

“It is very, very clear that research demonstrates that art education stimulates learning, it stimulates literacy, and it stimulates the overall well-being of children,” he said.

Miami-Dade Public Schools released a statement saying the district is outperforming the state and comparable urban districts in both math and reading recovery and said preliminary testing data shows “continued academic momentum.”

According to the Education Scorecard, Florida ranked 24th in math recovery nationwide, while both Miami-Dade and Broward counties exceeded the statewide average in math improvement since 2022.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Education described the “Education Scorecard” comparisons as “arbitrary.”

Researchers behind the scorecard said on their website that “similar districts” are selected based on district characteristics averaged from 2022 to 2025 using data from the Stanford Education Data Archive, or SEDA, including:

• Average enrollment in grades 3 through 8
• Percentage of students receiving federally subsidized lunches
• Racial and ethnic demographics within the district
• Percentages of students attending urban, suburban and town schools
• Average socioeconomic status of families in the district

Researchers said socioeconomic status was measured using a composite index that included:

• Median family income
• Percentage of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher
• Unemployment rates
• Household poverty rates
• SNAP benefit participation
• Percentage of households with children led by a single mother

The Florida Department of Education spokesperson also said “the number of students performing on grade level has significantly increased, with nearly 115,000 more students on grade level in English language arts and 100,000 more in math compared to prior years,” but did not provide the source data or methodology used to support the statement.

The spokesperson also told Local 10 News that, in the department’s view, the “Education Scorecard” “does not take into account that Florida actually outperformed the nation and ranked in the top 10 in Grade 4 reading performance in 2024,” but did not cite a source for that claim.

It remains unclear who determined that Florida “outperformed the nation” and ranked in the top 10 for fourth-grade reading performance in 2024, or how that conclusion was measured, because those details were not included in the statement.

Local 10 News has asked the department to provide links to the findings and the assessment methodology referenced in the statement. If those materials are provided, they will be shared with readers.

Read the budget comparison in the documents below for a better understanding of the Conference Committee between the House Higher Education Budget Subcommittee and the Senate Appropriations Committee on Higher Education and the Education Scorecard.

Offer Joint 2

Offer Joint Doc 1

Officials said 36 people were injured, most of them firefighters and other first responders, and one civilian died at the scene.

A firefighter and a fire marshal were inside the structure when a second explosion happened, and both were seriously injured by the shock wave from the blast.

“This was a complex, fast-developing emergency situation,” New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during a news conference Friday evening.

Multiple people called the fire department around 3:30 p.m., reporting smoke and two workers trapped in the basement of a 150-foot by 150-foot (46 meters by 46 meters) metal structure at the back of the shipyard, Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said.

Firefighting and EMS crews were on the scene within six minutes. But shortly after they arrived, an explosion occurred, causing serious injuries to multiple fire department members and a couple of civilians, Bonsignore said — including one who died at the scene.

Five firefighters and rescue paramedics were searching for the trapped workers inside, on top of and next to the structure when the second blast occurred, said Chief of Department John Esposito, causing more injuries.

The most serious injuries happened to a fire marshal and a firefighter who were inside and hit by the energy wave from the blast.

“Confined spaces are very dangerous operations for any rescuers,” Esposito said.

The fire marshal is in critical but stable condition with a fractured skull and a small brain bleed, said the fire department's chief medical officer Dr. David Prezant.

“We will be watching him very carefully over the next 24 hours to make certain there is not subsequent brain swelling. As long as there is not, he should do well,” Prezant said.

The firefighter was in serious condition when he arrived at the hospital. But Prezant said he was doing “very well” by Friday evening, and he was being observed to ensure he doesn't have muscle injuries.

The fire was still burning but under control Friday night, with more than 200 firefighters still at the scene, Mamdani said. A comprehensive investigation into the cause of the fire will begin as soon as possible, he said.

Richard Oviogor, who was in the area, told WABC-TV that he heard two explosions and what seemed like a “big shock wave.”

The area is home to several businesses, including a coffee roasting company and a self-storage facility. The shipyard used to be owned by the Bethlehem Steel Company, which built ships for the U.S. Navy during World War II.

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Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.

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She’s headed to a medical foster home where she will continue to get treatment.

“I hadn’t been able to see her walk yet and I can’t believe she’s walking,” Cindy Mucciaccio with iHeart Animal Rescue said.

It’s not clear how long she had been on her own after being found abandoned behind a Walgreens on Broward Boulevard, but she suffered serious health complications.

“She’s a miracle. She really is a miracle. Every dog should be so lucky,” Cheryl Marrone with iHeart Animal Rescue said.

The search for whoever neglected “Miracle” continued Friday.

Fort Lauderdale police said they have canvassed the area seeking surveillance video.

Anyone with information is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

La frase con la que lo despidieron sus compañeros de pabellón todavía resuena en los oídos del argentino Nahuel Gallo, quien estuvo 448 días preso en Rodeo I, la cárcel ubicada a las afueras de Caracas.

Desde que recuperó la libertad el 1 de marzo el sargento de la Gendarmería —la policía militar de fronteras de Argentina-— reclama a la comunidad internacional que incremente la presión sobre el gobierno de la presidenta encargada Delcy Rodríguez para lograr la liberación de otros extranjeros presos en Venezuela.

"Yo creo que todavía seguimos encerrados hasta que no liberen a nuestros compañeros”, dijo Gallo, de 35 años, durante una entrevista el viernes con The Associated Press.

Gallo se reunió el jueves con el embajador de Estados Unidos en Argentina, Peter Lamelas, quien expresó en un comunicado que el gobierno de Nicolás Maduro "usó la detención arbitraria de ciudadanos extranjeros como herramienta de represión política”.

Tras la captura de Maduro por fuerzas estadounidenses en enero, Washington reconoció a Rodríguez como presidenta encargada y comenzó negociaciones con el nuevo gobierno en medio de promesas de una transición democrática.

Pero para Gallo la permanencia de presos por cuestiones políticas y extranjeros demuestra que el sistema represivo sigue vigente.

Esta semana el titular de la Asamblea Nacional, Jorge Rodríguez —hermano de la presidenta encargada— anunció que el gobierno venezolano planea excarcelar a 300 personas, algunas de las cuales han estado detenidas durante años por motivos políticos.

Sobrevivir al encierro

Durante los 15 meses que estuvo preso Gallo nunca tuvo contacto con funcionarios argentinos ni supo si existían negociaciones para liberarlo. “Veinticuatro horas ahí son como 48 horas”, dijo el gendarme que llegó a pensar en quitarse la vida. “Si la mente la controlás, estás bien. Si no la controlás, te quebrás”.

Según Gallo, los detenidos en Rodeo I sólo eran trasladados fuera del penal en casos extremos. Relató que sufrió infecciones y hongos de los que le costó sanar porque la atención médica era limitada. Había pocos medicamentos y los presos dependían de familiares para conseguir tratamientos básicos. Él, como extranjero, no estaba autorizado a recibir visitas.

La primera vez que logró hablar por teléfono con su esposa fue después de un año de detención y tras iniciar una huelga de hambre.

Para pasar el tiempo durante el encierro, Gallo aprendió a jugar al ajedrez. Con jabón y papel, él y otros presos fabricaban las piezas y cada uno desde su celda gritaba los movimientos. Con la misma técnica hizo una pequeña bandera celeste y blanca para recordarse a sí mismo cada día que volvería a su patria.

Lo único que a veces hacía tambalear su esfuerzo por mantenerse cuerdo era escuchar cómo otros presos eran golpeados por guardias que siempre mantenían sus rostros cubiertos.

“Yo creo que el dolor o la tortura más grande es ver que le están haciendo algo a alguien y no poder hacer nada”, reflexionó.

La detención

El 8 de diciembre de 2024 Gallo fue detenido al intentar ingresar a Venezuela para visitar a su pareja, la venezolana María Alexandra Gómez García, y a su hijo que entonces tenía menos de dos años.

Gallo había iniciado el viaje dos días antes: cruzó en automóvil de Argentina a Chile, tomó un vuelo comercial a Bogotá y desde allí viajó en taxi hasta la ciudad colombiana de Cúcuta, sobre el compartido río Táchira.

Al cruzar la frontera las autoridades migratorias venezolanas le revisaron el teléfono celular, donde encontraron conversaciones con su pareja sobre la situación política y económica de Venezuela.

“Tú hablas mal de mi presidente”, recuerda que le dijeron los oficiales.

Gallo relató que de inmediato le quitaron sus pertenencias y comenzaron a burlarse de él. Luego fue trasladado a la Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar donde, según su testimonio, fue esposado, golpeado y pateado durante varios interrogatorios.

Cinco días después fue subido esposado y encapuchado a una camioneta en la que los agentes continuaron interrogándolo tras encontrar en su celular contactos de organismos judiciales argentinos.

“Eres un espía, trabajas para el gobierno”, recordó que le decían mientras lo amenazaban con arrojarlo del vehículo, le apoyaban el caño de un arma en la cabeza y lo apuntaban con una picana eléctrica.

Al llegar a Rodeo I vio que su celda estaba identificada con la inscripción “Procesado: espionaje”.

Casi 20 días después de su detención, el entonces fiscal general venezolano Tarek William Saab anunció su imputación por presuntas “acciones terroristas”.

La libertad y los que quedaron atrás

Gallo fue liberado en marzo pasado tras una gestión encabezada por la Asociación del Fútbol Argentino (AFA) con el apoyo de la Federación Venezolana de Fútbol y trasladado a Buenos Aires en un vuelo privado de la AFA. No creyó que realmente estaba libre hasta que el avión salió del espacio aéreo venezolano.

“Ya cuando salimos de Venezuela dije 'bueno, ya está’. Fue una tranquilidad, un alivio”.

Gallo aseguró que todavía se siente conectado con los presos en Venezuela. Por eso denuncia permanentemente en las redes sociales las malas condiciones de las cárceles de ese país.

“El que está ahí adentro está esperando que el que salió esté haciendo algo”, dijo.

The officers who conducted a welfare check at the home of Caleb Vazquez wrote that he was “involved in suspicious behavior idolizing nazis and mass shooters,” and obtained a court order on Jan. 29, 2025, to remove 26 guns under a 2014 California law allowing the confiscation of firearms from people considered dangerous.

Vazquez's father initially denied police entry into his home when they requested to see how he was storing his weapons.

Vazquez’s parents had voluntarily removed the guns from the house and placed them in a secure storage facility days earlier, according to an affidavit signed by Marco Vazquez, the father.

Authorities have said Vazquez, 18, met Cain Clark, 17, online, where they both were radicalized. Police haven't shared more details about how they knew each other, or specified whose weapons were used in the shooting.

Cain Clark’s mother told law enforcement that weapons were missing from her home on Monday, kicking off an hourslong search for the teens before they committed the shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego and then killed themselves, police said.

Court filings indicate mental health struggles

Court filings show Vazquez decided to “secure all sharp knives in the home” and removed from the house the firearms that they had previously kept in a secure gun safe into an outside storage facility. The affidavit also mentions unspecified serious allegations against their son, who was also previously committed to an involuntary psychiatric hospitalization. The court filings, first reported by The New York Times, didn't say what he was admitted for.

The Vazquez family said in a statement released Thursday that Caleb Vazquez was on the autism spectrum and had grown to resent parts of his identity — but didn’t specify what aspects were challenging to him.

“Coming from a diverse family that not only includes immigrants but Muslims as well, we always taught the importance of acceptance, compassion, and love for one another. We are proud of the different backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, and religions within our family and community,” their statement said.

“We believe this, combined with exposure to hateful rhetoric, extremist content, and propaganda spread across parts of the internet, social media, and other online platforms, contributed to his descent into radicalized ideologies and violent beliefs,” said their statement, released through their attorney Colin Rudolph.

His family said they tried to get him help

They encouraged him to seek help and he spent time in rehabilitation centers, the statement said. Vazquez's parents did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment from The Associated Press. An attorney who represented Vazquez's parents when their guns were confiscated also didn't immediately respond to calls.

In writings by Vazquez and Clark that expressed white supremacist views, Vazquez wrote of having “some mental health issues” and being rejected by women. They suggest both teenagers idolized previous shooters who have died while carrying out mass shootings. The writings expressed hatred toward Jewish people, Muslims, Black people and a range of other groups.

Vazquez left the San Diego Unified School District in June 2018 after attending Washington Elementary up until the 5th grade, district spokesperson James Canning told The Associated Press. It’s unclear where he went to school after that.

Clark was enrolled in a virtual high school in the district, Canning said.

Police began searching for the teens on Monday after Clark's mother called to say her son was suicidal and ran away. She told them he was dressed in camouflage, had taken multiple weapons from the home, and was with an acquaintance, San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said earlier this week.

Officers were still interviewing the mother about places the teens might be when the shooting began at the county's largest mosque.

De-radicalizing people is becoming more difficult

Vazquez's father said in a 2025 court statement that his family made a concerted effort to steer Caleb Vazquez back onto the right track. He said when they locked away their weapons, they were in communication with his school, were monitoring his social media presence closely and he was in therapy twice a week.

“We observe all of his online activities, who he talks to, what he talks about, and who he is friends with,” Marco Vazquez wrote, emphasizing that he didn't support his son's ideology.

Some experts say it's increasingly difficult to help people drawn to the kind of radicalism Vazquez and Clark expressed.

Samira Benz works for the Violence Prevention Network, which conducts interventions when people are radicalized into believing in violent extremism. Benz said the work has become increasingly complicated as the internet blurs ideologies and creates niche, meme-based languages that can be fleeting and hard to decipher.

“Even if a parent is looking at the phone of their child, they don’t necessarily see something bad is going on,” Benz said.

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Associated Press writers Julie Watson and Javier Arciga in San Diego contributed.

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On Feb. 21, a tourist from New York reported that a thief stopped him as he walked along Northwest 24th Street, near Second Avenue, offered to play a game, and fled with his chain in an Acura ADX, records show.

The tourist was able to provide the Acura’s tag, and after a line-up, a Miami detective identified the thief as Charlie Sanchez, according to a police arrest report.

On Thursday, police officers arrested Sanchez, of Doral, at 2:10 p.m. in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood, and the detective questioned him.

Sanchez “stated he recalled the incident where he held the chain but denied stealing it ... mentioned he was not the one operating the game of chance ... he did not know who the one operating the game was,” a detective wrote, according to the arrest report.

Miami-Dade County corrections booked him at 6:40 p.m. on Thursday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where he remained on Friday afternoon, according to inmate records.

Sanchez faced charges of third-degree grand theft and obtaining property by gaming. His bond was $2,650.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Carson Merlo contributed to this report.

El 21 de febrero, un turista de Nueva York reportó que un ladrón lo detuvo mientras caminaba por Northwest 24th Street, cerca de Second Avenue, le ofreció participar en un juego y huyó con su cadena en un Acura ADX, muestran los registros.

El turista pudo proporcionar la placa del Acura y, tras una rueda de reconocimiento, un detective de Miami identificó al ladrón como Charlie Sanchez, según un informe de arresto policial.

El jueves, oficiales arrestaron a Sanchez, residente de Doral, a las 2:10 p.m. en el vecindario Liberty City de Miami, y el detective lo interrogó.

Sanchez “indicó que recordaba el incidente en el que sostuvo la cadena, pero negó haberla robado … mencionó que él no era quien operaba el juego de azar … y que no sabía quién era la persona que lo operaba”, escribió un detective, según el informe de arresto.

Correcciones del condado Miami-Dade lo ingresó a las 6:40 p.m. del jueves en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, donde permanecía hasta la tarde del viernes, según registros de reclusos.

Sanchez enfrenta cargos de robo mayor en tercer grado y obtención de propiedad mediante juego de azar. Su fianza era de $2,650 USD.

El editor de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Carson Merlo, contribuyó a este informe.

For over half a century, foreign nationals with legal status have been able to apply for and complete the entire process for permanent residence in the United States — including individuals married to U.S. citizens, holders of work and student visas, and refugees and political asylum seekers, among others.

The announcement from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said foreigners who are in the U.S. temporarily and who want to apply to become lawful permanent residents, or green card holders, have to return home and apply there, except in “extraordinary circumstances." USCIS officers would decide whether applicants meet those.

“Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers, or people on tourist visas, come to the U.S. for a short time and for a specific purpose. Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over. Their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process,” the agency said in a statement.

It is the latest step by the Trump administration making legal immigration more difficult for foreigners already in the U.S. and for those hoping to come here.

Hundreds of thousands apply for green cards from the US each year

“The goal of this policy is very explicit. Senior officials in this administration have said over and over that they want fewer people to get permanent residency because permanent residency is a path to citizenship and they want to block that path for as many people as possible,” said Doug Rand, a former senior advisor at USCIS during the Biden administration, who added that about 600,000 people already in the U.S. apply each year for a green card.

USCIS did not say when the change would come into effect, whether individuals would be required to remain in another country throughout the entire process, or whether the policy impacts foreigners whose green card applications are already underway.

In an emailed statement to the Associated Press the agency said people who provide an “economic benefit” or “national interest” could likely stay in the U.S. while others would have to go abroad to apply.

The changes come on top of steps the administration has already taken to restrict and limit entry for people from dozens of countries. In some cases, there are outright bans on travel from those countries, while people from others face pauses in visa processing. Experts and attorneys warned that forcing people from those countries to return home to apply for a green card would result in them being barred from coming back.

“If families are told that the non-citizen family member must return to his or her country of origin to process their immigrant visa, but immigrant visas are not being processed there, it’s a Catch-22. These policies will effectively create an indefinite separation of families,” wrote World Relief, a humanitarian and refugee resettlement organization.

Confusion over who the change applies to

USCIS described the change as a return to “the original intent of the law” and closing a “loophole.”

But immigration lawyers and aid groups pushed back, saying it was longstanding practice for many groups to be able to adjust their status in the U.S. and that many people couldn’t return home because it wasn’t safe or they had no embassy to apply at. The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, for example, has been closed since the U.S. pullout in August 2021.

“USCIS is trying to upend decades of processing of adjustment of status,” said Shev Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association. “This all applies very broadly to anyone seeking a green card”.

Among them could be individuals married to U.S. citizens, immigrants with humanitarian protection who are applying for a green card, and holders of work visas — including doctors and professionals — as well as student and religious visa holders, the attorney noted.

At some U.S. consulates abroad, wait times for a visa appointment could take up to more than a year, said Dalal-Dheini.

Immigration attorneys were picking through the policy memo and announcement Friday afternoon, trying to decipher who it would apply to.

Organizations that provide legal and other assistance to immigrants said they were hearing from clients concerned about what the new guidance would mean for them.

“It’s really hard to tell how this is going to be applied,” said Jessie De Haven, senior staff attorney with the California Immigration Project a non profit that provides legal services to low income immigrants. “I do think it might have a chilling effect on people applying.”

There is a civil case in Maryland where he has been challenging the Department of Homeland Security’s attempts to deport him to a series of African countries. A criminal case in Tennessee, where the government accused him of human smuggling, has just been dismissed after a judge found evidence of “vindictive prosecution” by the Justice Department.

Here is a timeline of key events:

Arrival: around 2011

Abrego Garcia flees El Salvador for the U.S. as a teenager.

Arrest: March 28, 2019

Abrego Garcia is arrested outside a Maryland hardware store. Police accuse him of being a gang member and turn him over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Immigration court: Oct. 10, 2019

A Maryland immigration judge rules that Abrego Garcia cannot be deported to El Salvador, where a gang has threatened his family. He is given a work permit and placed under federal supervision.

Detained by ICE: March 12, 2025

Abrego Garcia is detained by ICE in Baltimore while driving home with his 5-year-old son.

Deportation: March 15, 2025

Abrego Garcia is mistakenly deported to El Salvador and held in a notoriously brutal prison.

Supreme Court: April 10, 2025

The U.S. Supreme Court says the Trump administration must work to bring Abrego Garcia back.

Criminal charges: June 6, 2025

Abrego Garcia is returned to the U.S. and charged with human smuggling, based on a Tennessee traffic stop from 2022.

Attempts at second deportation: July 23, 2025—present

ICE announces plans to remove him to a series of African countries, but is blocked by an injunction from a Maryland federal judge.

Released from jail: August 22, 2025

Abrego Garcia leaves the Tennessee jail, where he has been since June, to return to his family in Maryland and await trial. Within minutes of his release, ICE sends notice that they intend to deport him to Uganda.

In immigration custody: Aug. 25, 2025

Abrego Garcia reports to an immigration office in Baltimore and is taken into custody.

Judge orders release: Dec. 11, 2025

A federal judge in Maryland orders ICE to immediately release Abrego Garcia.

No immigration detention: Feb. 17, 2026

A Maryland federal judge rules ICE cannot re-detain Abrego Garcia.

Judge dismisses criminal case: May 22, 2026

A federal judge in Tennessee dismisses the human smuggling case against Abrego Garcia after finding evidence the government engaged in “ vindictive prosecution."

RCR will run the No. 33 car on the Cup Series circuit beginning Sunday night at the Coca-Cola 600 and for the foreseeable future after the 41-year-old Busch died unexpectedly Thursday. The cause of death has not been released.

Austin Hill is scheduled to replace Busch, a two-time Cup Series champion, in the driver’s seat at Charlotte Motor Speedway for NASCAR's longest race of the season.

Busch's son, Brexton, is already known for his racing exploits, having won the Tulsa Shootout Jr. Sprint Championship to earn his first career Golden Driller last year.

“Kyle Busch was instrumental in the design of RCR’s stylized No. 8 and it has become synonymous with Kyle and an important symbol for his fans and the NASCAR industry,” RCR said in a statement. “No one can carry it forward to the level that he did. The No. 8 is reserved and ready for Brexton Busch when he is ready to go NASCAR racing.”

Brexton, a third-generation Busch driver, began his racing career in 2020 at 5 years old in the Beginner Box Stock division at Millbridge Speedway, a 1/6-mile dirt track in Salisbury, North Carolina, according to his website. He picked up his first victory at Mountain Creek Speedway a month later and has built on his racing resume since.

He won 48 races, earned 126 top-10s and 107 top-5’s in multiple styles of race cars in 2024.

In 2001, when Dale Earnhardt was killed in a crash at the Daytona 500, RCR changed car numbers from the black No. 3 to the white No. 29. The No. 3 eventually returned for the 2014 season when owner Richard Childress' grandson Austin Dillon took over as the driver.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Ken Martin, the committee's chair, faced new calls to resign from elected officials and Democratic operatives, who say he mismanaged a report originally intended to be a comprehensive examination of the party’s failures and a potential road map for its future. Martin kept the document under wraps for months, stoking speculation about its contents, only to release it this week and insist it was too flawed to be useful anyway.

“There doesn’t seem to be a plan to turn things around and the clock is ticking. November is literally around the corner,” Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, told Semafor. “I believe it’s time for him to move on.”

“He should resign,” Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., said to Axios.

And in a radio interview, Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wisc., said he agreed with a caller saying Martin should be replaced.

But Martin maintains support from many state party leaders, who have benefited from a steady stream of funding from national headquarters since he took over. In a conversation with DNC staff on Thursday, Martin apologized for his handling of the autopsy and said he was determined to continue leading the organization.

“This was a major mistake. I own it, and now it’s time for us to move forward at the DNC, and I hope that you’ll move forward with me,” Martin said, according to a person with knowledge of the call who was not authorized to disclose a private conversation.

Martin, a little-known Minnesota operative before emerging last year as the head of the national party’s formal political machine, has already faced criticism for dismal fundraising and inability to inspire confidence among his party's unruly membership.

However, there was no sign that a serious alternative was emerging. The Associated Press contacted a half dozen Democratic presidential prospects to gauge their support for Martin and all of them declined to weigh in.

The intraparty feud represented an extraordinary distraction for a Democratic Party showing signs of momentum in its fight to break President Donald Trump's grip on power in Washington. Democrats hope to regain majorities in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate in the November midterms, and Republicans could be vulnerable because of Trump's low approval ratings, dissatisfaction over the war in Iran and lingering economic frustration.

Martin's allies across the country lashed out at Democrats who were fueling the election-year drama, dismissing them as unhappy consultants and supporters of Martin's previous rivals for DNC leadership.

Kansas Democratic Party Chair Jeanna RePass described calls for the first-term chair to step down as “ridiculous and dangerous.”

“It is dangerous for Democrats to be playing politics with our leadership when these elections are five and a half months away,” she said. “The American people are counting on us.”

Janet Kleeb of Nebraska, who leads her state party and the DNC's association of state committees, said the fighting “is nuts.”

“I haven’t had a single chair come to me saying I think Ken needs to resign,” she said. “Ken was elected by the DNC members to do a four-year term, and he has not violated any of our rules or bylaws where there would be a two-thirds vote, right? Because that’s what it would take to remove the chair.”

Kleeb added, “These reports are such distraction.”

The long-awaited postelection autopsy said Kamala Harris “wrote off rural America” during the 2024 presidential campaign and failed to attack Trump with sufficient “negative firepower,” among other key findings.

Martin shared the 192-page report only after facing intense internal pressure from Democratic operatives. He originally promised to release the autopsy even before taking over the committee last year, only to keep it under wraps because he worried it would interfere with Democrats’ focus on the November midterms.

“I didn’t want to create a distraction,” Martin wrote on Substack. “Ironically, in doing so, I ended up creating an even bigger distraction. And for that, I sincerely apologize.”

Although the autopsy criticizes Democrats’ focus on “identity politics,” it sidesteps some of the most controversial elements of the 2024 campaign. The report does not address former President Joe Biden’s decision to seek reelection, the rushed selection of Harris to replace him after he dropped out or the party’s acrimonious divide over the war in Gaza.

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Kinnard reported from Columbia, South Carolina.

Blood and gore gushed from where his arms used to be. Laughter cascaded as the on-site reporter, Kevin Nealon, threw it back to Dennis Miller in the studio.

It took almost 40 years, but finally, the event that tackles that age-old bar question, “What would happen if we just let them all take drugs?” has arrived.

“The Enhanced Games,” featuring 50 athletes who have been free to use performance enhancers of their choice and will compete in track, swimming and, yes, weightlifting, is set for Sunday in Las Vegas.

Is it just a bad joke? Depends on who you ask.

“A big success for us would be the athletes being healthy, safe, better paid and happier than they’ve ever been before,” said Max Martin, the CEO and co-founder of Enhanced.

Mainstream sports ignoring Enhanced — they're not the only ones

The Associated Press spoke with a handful of leaders in the Olympic and anti-doping world, most of whom would not agree to speak on the record, even to denigrate the Enhanced Games, lest they lend oxygen to an idea they largely portrayed as a cynical money grab for washed-up athletes.

Benjamin Cohen, director general of the International Testing Agency that spearheads testing for the Olympics along with dozens of individual sports, was among those who would comment.

“I’ve heard some people calling it the ‘Doping Olympics,’ but even using the word ‘Olympics’ (is a stretch)," Cohen said. “At the end of the day, it’s a one-day event, it’s 2,000 people eating popcorn and there’s a music concert. It’s (50) athletes. It’s not right to put it on the same level.”

The germ of the idea for the Enhanced Games formed in 2022. Then, the event was largely seen as a disruptive, potentially paradigm-shifting sports event meant to poke at the mainstream anti-doping world’s troubled enforcement efforts and Olympic sports’ inability to pay a living wage to a disturbingly large percentage of their athletes.

It has since evolved into a new-age online pharmaceutical company, which describes itself as a “global movement that develops scientific insights, medical discoveries and record-breaking sports events to unite humanity and inspire innovation.”

Enhanced, which became a publicly traded company May 8 and has seen its initial stock price drop by around half to $5.24 as of Friday afternoon, made some of its biggest headlines early by touting its $250,000 first prizes and bonuses of up to $1 million for those who break world records in top events like the 100-meter sprint.

Those marks, of course, would not count in any real sports record book. They have to come in events sanctioned by, say, World Athletics or World Aquatics, both of which require athletes to pass drug tests for any result to count.

Another number that might or might not be real is the $12 million that sprinter Fred Kerley says he’s making. Arguably the biggest name among the 50 athletes competing, Kerley, the 2022 world 100-meter champion whose personal best is 9.76 seconds — .18 short of Usain Bolt's world record — has been doing live streams leading up to the event.

In one exchange about how much it would cost a shoe company to sign him, he said: “My contract was $12 million altogether, so if they’re not willing to pay 12-plus, they can kiss my ass.”

Experts debate what an enhanced record, or no record, would mean

All the 2,500-or-so tickets for the specially built venue on the Strip that includes a pool and track are going to people chosen by the organization. The Vegas betting line? Inside the sports book attached to the venue, there was no mention of Enhanced and the ticketwriters didn't know what the Enhanced Games were.

What would it mean if somebody breaks a record? What would it mean if nobody does?

“For me, it will be difficult to draw conclusions from one race this weekend,” Cohen said. “For Usain Bolt to have broken a world record at the Olympics, it means he had to perform at a certain level for a number of months in the lead-up to qualify to get to that stage. It’s not the same as a one-day competition where you had a six-month doping regimen.”

Earlier this year, an Enhanced swimmer, Kristian Gkolomeev of Greece, set an unofficial record (20.89 seconds) in the 50 meters and received the $1 million bonus from the group. He was using performance enhancers and a speed suit that has been banned by world swimming authorities.

His ability — or Kerley's — to cash in for the $1 million this week won’t be the only measure of success (or failure) for this one-day event.

Michael Ashenden, a former drug fighter in the Lance Armstrong era who argued in a 2024 paper that the Enhanced Games weren't such a radical idea, has been working with the group's medical commission as an independent advisor.

He says an anti-doping system that oversees elite sports doesn’t reflect the real world and its needs.

Enhanced, which openly lists an available menu of what have long been sports’ most worrisome performance enhancers — nandrolone, erythropoietin (EPO) and human-growth hormone — emphasizes that athletes who choose those drugs are under strict medical supervision and are only using substances that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

The records from their training and testing will be used to publish papers and take a stab at that old question: What would happen if we let the athletes dope?

“The same science that allows an athlete to enhance might allow a 70-year-old to regain their strength, their recovery, and their energy,” Ashenden said. “The Enhanced Games are using the stadium to show what medicine might do for the rest of society.”

If that works, and the stock price goes up, then Enhanced, which has been bankrolled by billionaire venture capitalist Peter Thiel and others, would view this as a success.

“If you’re a 25-year-old training for your first marathon, if you’re 65 and you’re looking for more energy to take your grandkids to the playground and play with them, enhancements can help you be the best at any point in time that you can be,” said Martin, the CEO.

Anti-doping researcher Oliver Catlin, whose father, Don, was one of the godfathers of the profession, pointed out the upcoming 60th anniversary of the start of the modern-day drug-fighting movement in sports. It was triggered by the death at the Tour de France of cyclist Tom Simpson, whose autopsy blamed overuse of amphetamines and other stimulants for his death.

“I have friends of enhanced sports who believe it can be done legally and safely,” Catlin said. “But you have to look at the other side of the coin, too. There’s a reason we have clean sport, and it’s because some of these substances have literally been implicated in the death of athletes.”

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

The indictment mentions Operation Scorpion, an effort involving Cuban spies’ efforts to sabotage Brothers to the Rescue, which CIA-trained Cuban exile Jose Basulto had founded in 1991.

The Cuban intelligence agency tasked spies “to perfect the confrontation” and “provide information” on Basulto’s “plans and activities,” according to the new indictment.

“We have sometimes dispatched Cuban citizens to the United States to infiltrate counter-revolutionary organizations, to inform us about activities that are of great interest to us,” Fidel Castro told CNN in 1998. “I think we have a right to do this.”

Basulto, now 85, remembers how volunteers flew small planes out of Miami-Dade County to search the Florida Straits in hopes of helping to save the Cuban refugees who were risking their lives to get to the U.S.

The Cuban operation’s spies, known as The Wasp Network, included Rene González, also known as “Castor” and “Iselin,” and Juan Pablo Roque, also known as “Vedette” and “German,” according to the indictment.

In 2001, federal prosecutors presented evidence that the FBI had investigated the 14-member Cuban spy ring, known in Spanish as “La Red Avispa,” while it operated in South Florida, records show.

To infiltrate Brothers to the Rescue as volunteers, “the spies posed as exiled pilots fleeing Cuba,” and Roque contacted the FBI as “an informant” who did not disclose he was a spy, according to the indictment.

Cuban intelligence ordered the spies to avoid flying with Brothers to the Rescue “in and around” Feb. 24, 1996, and cancelled a mission to “embarrass and undermine” Brothers to the Rescue, according to the indictment.

Cuban spies González, Gerardo Hernández, Antonio Guerrero, Ramón Labañino, and Fernando González, later known as the Cuban Five, were convicted in the 2001 federal case.

The new indictment includes a timeline of three of the spies’ actions before the shootdown: Hernández traveled to the U.S. from Cuba “on or about” Jan. 29, 1996; met with Roque on Feb. 22, 1996; and met with Rene González on Feb. 23, 1996, when Roque returned to Cuba.

Castro was accused of ordering the Cuban Air Force’s fatal shootdown of two Brothers to the Rescue Cessna 337 Skymasters on Feb. 24, 1996.

“The passage of time does not erase murder, it does not diminish the value of those lives, and it does not weaken our commitment to the rule of law,” U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones said on May 20 at the Freedom Tower.

Cuban Air Force MiG-29 fighter jets flew out of the San Antonio de los Baños airfield in Cuba at about 3 p.m. on Feb. 24, 1996, with “authorization to destroy” the Brothers to the Rescue’s “unarmed civilian aircraft,” according to the indictment.

Three Brothers to the Rescue Cessna 337 Skymasters registered in Florida departed from the Opa Locka Executive Airport at about 3:20 p.m., on Feb. 24, 1996.

During their last flight, Carlos Costa and Pablo Morales were in the Cessna 337C, and Mario De La Peña and Armando Alejandre were in the Cessna 337B. They were in international waters, according to the indictment.

“Four humanitarians were on a noble mission to help those fleeing oppression,” FBI Deputy Director Christopher Raia, a former member of the U.S. Coast Guard in Miami Beach, said on May 20 at the Freedom Tower.

At about 3:21 and 3:28 p.m., a Cuban MiG 29-1 fighter jet fired air-to-air missiles “without warning” and hit both planes — killing Alejandre, 45; Costa, 29; and De la Peña, 24, who were U.S. citizens; and Morales, 29, a U.S. resident, according to the indictment.

Records show the Cuban Directorate of Intelligence recognized Hernández for his role and announced his promotion to captain.

“If you kill Americans, we will pursue you. No matter who you are. No matter what title you hold,” U.S. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on May 20 at the Freedom Tower about the new indictment.

Cuban MiG 29-2 and MiG 29-3 joined Cuban MiG 29-1 in the pursuit of the third Brothers to the Rescue’s Cessna 337 Skymasters with “the intent of destroying it,” according to the indictment.

Basulto, the Cessna’s pilot, managed to get away after witnessing the attack. He was flying with three passengers: Arnaldo Iglesias, the secretary of Brothers to the Rescue; Silvia Iriondo, the president of Mothers and Women Against Repression for Cuba; and Iriondo’s husband, Andres Iriondo-Olazabal.

Basulto, Iglesias, and Iriondo testified before Congress in 1999. They had been asking for the U.S. to indict the Castro brothers for giving the orders.

“The U.S., whose defense mechanisms were on alert that day to follow BTTR’s flight, saw these events unfold on its radars and heard them on its monitors,” Basulto said during his testimony in 1999. “Nevertheless, they remained motionless and in absolute silence, as if no response was required to protect U.S. lives, property, and national security. Why?”

During his testimony in 1999, Iglesias talked about Roque’s betrayal.

“We took him in as a friend and as a collaborator in our humanitarian mission. It turns out that he was acting on the orders of Fidel Castro to infiltrate our group and to participate in the downing of these two planes,” Iglesias said. “You might have read on the day before the shootdown, [Roque] returned to Cuba, leaving his wife in Florida ... and confess to a lie ... our plane survived, and we were in a position to disprove anything [Roque] would have said.”

During her testimony, Iriondo recalled the horror.

“It is often that I close my eyes and find myself recalling the humming of the tiny Cessna as we searched through clouds, worried about the two sudden bursts of smoke over the horizon that had just taken the lives of our colleagues. I recall clutching my husband’s hand,” Iriondo said, and later added, “In a radio transmission to their base, Castro‘s pilots gloated over their heinous deed.”

There were other Cuban spy cases after the shootdown. Three members of the Cuban mission to the United Nations, who were Wasp Network handlers, and two Cuban diplomats were expelled for espionage.

The FBI arrested Ana Montes, a senior intelligence analyst for the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency who had worked at the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2001, and she confessed to spying for Cuba for 16 years.

Rene González and Hernández, who had been arrested in 1998, were convicted in 2001 of espionage conspiracy, acting as an unregistered agent, and conspiracy to commit murder.

Montes, who confessed to disclosing the identities of four U.S. intelligence officers working undercover, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit espionage in 2002 and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Iriondo-Olazabal died as a great-grandfather on Aug. 16, 2009, in Miami-Dade County. Rene González was released from federal prison in 2011 after serving 13 years of a 15-year sentence, and he was on probation when he returned to Cuba in 2013.

“I was a pilot here in Cuba ... I took a chance and stole a plane, and I landed in Key West. Of course, I had been born in the United States. I showed my birth certificate,“ Rene González, who later renounced his U.S. citizenship, told Democracy Now in 2013 from Havana.

Hernández, who was sentenced to two consecutive terms of life imprisonment, was released during a prisoner swap in 2014. Fidel Castro died in 2016, and Raúl Castro served as president until 2018.

In 2020, Netflix released “Wasp Network,” an espionage thriller starring Penélope Cruz and Ana de Armas. Two defamation lawsuits followed by Ana Margarita Martinez, who was briefly married to Roque in Miami, and Basulto.

In 2023, Montes was released from prison after serving 21 years and 3 months, and the FBI arrested Victor Manuel Rocha, a retired U.S. diplomat who worked for the U.S. Southern Command.

Roque, who had served in the Cuban Air Force when he arrived at the U.S. base in Guantanamo Bay in 1992 and claimed to be a refugee — only to return to the island four years later, died after a heart surgery in 2025.

Interactive: Read the new indictment

Judges on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia voted 6-5 against having the court's full complement of judges review the ruling. In January, a three-judge 3rd Circuit panel found that a federal judge in New Jersey who had sided with Khalil and ordered his release last year from immigration detention didn’t have jurisdiction to decide the matter.

The American Civil Liberties Union, which is involved in representing Khalil, said his lawyers will ask the 3rd Circuit for an order preventing the decision from taking effect — and barring Khalil from being detained or deported — while it asks the Supreme Court to take up the case.

An appeal to the high court is expected in the coming months, possibly in late summer.

“Today’s decision is not the final word, and we still strongly believe in our arguments going forward,” ACLU senior counsel Brett Max Kaufman said in a statement.

In its January ruling, the 3rd Circuit found that Khalil's lawsuit challenging his detention and U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz’s subsequent rulings in the case were premature because federal law requires that such challenges first move through the separate immigration court system. That system is part of the Justice Department, not the judicial branch.

The decision didn’t decide the key issue in Khalil’s case: whether the Trump administration’s effort to throw Khalil out of the U.S. over his campus activism and criticism of Israel is unconstitutional.

Judge Cheryl Ann Krause, who had voted for the 3rd Circuit to review the decision, wrote in a dissent that the court was “abdicating our duty to meaningfully review Khalil’s constitutional claims. The Judicial Branch, she wrote, cannot fulfill its role as a check on the other branches of government, “if we write ourselves out of relevance and leave the Executive Branch to check itself.”

Khalil, 31, has also appealed to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana, where he was detained, after the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld his removal order.

Through his lawyers, Khalil argued that the immigration judge who issued the order failed to consider relevant evidence and wrongly upheld a charge that he had misrepresented information on his application for legal permanent resident status. That charge, Khalil's lawyers said, was brought in retaliation for his protest activity.

The immigration judge suggested Khalil could be deported to Algeria, where he maintains citizenship through a distant relative, or Syria, where he was born in a refugee camp to a Palestinian family. Khalil's lawyers have said he would face mortal danger if forced to return to either country.

An outspoken leader of the pro-Palestinian movement at Columbia, Khalil was arrested in March 2025. He then spent three months detained in a Louisiana immigration jail, missing the birth of his child.

Federal officials have accused Khalil of leading activities “aligned to Hamas,” though they have not presented evidence to support the claim and have not accused him of criminal conduct. They also accused Khalil of failing to disclose information on his green card application.

Khalil has dismissed the allegations as “baseless and ridiculous,” framing his arrest and detention as a “direct consequence of exercising my right to free speech as I advocated for a free Palestine and an end to the genocide in Gaza.”

The government justified the arrest under a seldom-used statute that allows for the expulsion of noncitizens whose beliefs are deemed to pose a threat to U.S. foreign policy interests. In June 2025, Farbiarz ruled that justification would likely be declared unconstitutional and ordered Khalil released.

President Donald Trump’s administration appealed that ruling, arguing the deportation decision should fall to an immigration judge, rather than a federal court. The 3rd Circuit ruled 2-1 in the administration’s favor.

Judge Emil Bove, who was involved in investigating student protesters while a top Justice Department official, did not participate in the 3rd Circuit vote on whether to review the decision. He later issued an order denying a request by Khalil's lawyers that he step aside from the matter, calling it moot.

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Associated Press writer Lindsay Whitehurst contributed to this story.

Caballero was activated and started at shortstop in Friday's series opener against AL-best Tampa Bay after spending the minimum 10 days on the injured list. Volpe was on the bench.

“As I’ve told them each, it’s not going to be the perfect scenario every single day. You may like or not like a decision on a given day, but the end of the day we’re all working for the same thing,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “We want to win big, and we want win big for the Yankees. And then it’s my job to try and put you in the best position to be successful and there’ll be some days where that makes sense and is fair or not fair.”

Caballero was hurt diving back to first base on a pickoff attempt by Abner Uribe during the ninth inning of a game at Milwaukee on May 10, even though he was wearing a sliding mitt. Acquired from Tampa Bay last July 31, the 29-year-old Caballero started 39 of the Yankees’ first 41 games at shortstop and hit .249 with four homers, 13 RBIs and 13 stolen bases with a .720 OPS.

Volpe, the starting shortstop from 2021-23, had been optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following his recovery from shoulder surgery Oct. 14 and then was brought up after Caballero got hurt.

“Both guys are going to play. Cabby’s versatility comes into play now again with Anthony here,” Boone said. “These things have a way of working themselves out. It’s a good situation to be in because we have two players that we feel like can play vital roles in us winning games.”

Volpe started eight games at shortstop while Caballero was on the IL and hit .217 with three RBIs, two stolen bases and seven walks for a .707 OPS.

“Like what I’ve seen. I feel like he’s had a good week of at-bats," Boone said. "I feel he’s played well in the field. Again, it’s a week, but he’s a really talented player that we have high expectations for.”

Volpe's professional experience at second is one game each at Class A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley in 2021, when he also played three games at third base for Tampa.

“Second base I’m not too worried about,” Boone said. “I probably wouldn’t put him over at third up here. I’d want him to go do that a little bit.”

Volpe also appeared at second base during five spring training games in 2023.

“He may still end up being all at shortstop. On the days he’s playing shortstop, I may move Cabby around,” Boone said. “But I want him to at least get some work over there and see that side of the field, too.”

Caballero also has played second, third and outfield.

New York opened a roster spot by optioning top prospect Spencer Jones to Scranton. Jones debuted on May 8 and hit .167 with no extra-base hits and two RBIs in 27 plate appearances over 10 games. He was brought up after Jasson Domínguez sprained his left shoulder when he crashed into Yankee Stadium’s outfield wall on May 7.

“It was a good experience for Spencer even though he didn’t get a lot of results,” Boone said. “I actually feel like he held his own pretty well.”

Domínguez is hitting off a tee and could be ready for games by the end of next week or early June.

Giancarlo Stanton, sidelined since April 24 by a strained right calf, is to be examined next week and could be given permission to start running.

Trent Grisham was back in the lineup leading off and playing center field after missing one game. He left Wednesday's game because of knee pain and tests showed no structural damage.

New York also activated ace right-hander Gerrit Cole from the 15-day IL following his recovery from elbow ligament replacement surgery. He was to start Friday in his first big league appearance that counted since the 2024 World Series.

Right-hander Yovanny Cruz was optioned to the RailRiders on Thursday night after making his first two big league appearances.

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

An attorney opposed to the settlement filed paperwork Friday to move the case to federal court instead of a Missouri court, where people face a June 4 deadline to opt out of the settlement. The dispute about who should preside over the proposed settlement could disrupt its deadlines and delay a resolution about whether it should be approved.

The legal wrangling over the settlement is playing out as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a case that could block thousands of lawsuits filed in state courts against agrochemical-maker Bayer, which added Roundup to its portfolio when it acquired Missouri-based Monsanto in 2018. Bayer contends the state-level claims that it failed to warn of cancer risks should be forbidden because it followed federal labeling standards that don't require a warning.

Germany-based Bayer also disputes the assertion that Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate, can cause non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The Environmental Protection Agency has determined that it’s not likely to be carcinogenic to humans when used as directed. But plaintiffs point to a 2015 decision by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, which classified the chemical as “probably carcinogenic.”

The case before the Supreme Court was filed on behalf John Durnell, who says he developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma after more than 20 years of spraying Roundup on a community garden in St. Louis. Durnell is not covered by the proposed class-action settlement. But his attorney, Ashley Keller, filed objections opting out of the settlement on behalf of several other clients before also filing a document to shift the settlement case to federal court.

“This is a huge settlement that is extinguishing the rights of tens of thousands of cancer victims," Keller said Friday. “It was rushed in to state court.”

The move to federal court is sure to face opposition.

Attorney Christopher Seeger, who is proposed as a claimants’ representative in the settlement, denounced the court shift as “a baseless delay tactic that should be promptly denied.”

A statement from Bayer said the move “has no merit,” and it would work to keep the proceedings in state court.

The proposed nationwide settlement was filed in February in St. Louis Circuit Court in Missouri. It's designed to address most pending Roundup lawsuits, as well as any additional cases brought in the coming years by people who were exposed to Roundup. But if too many claimants opt out, Bayer reserves the right to cancel it.

A hearing on the settlement is scheduled for July 9 in state court. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, is expected to issue a decision in Durnell’s case by the end of June.

The proposed settlement calls for Bayer to make annual payments into a special fund for up to 21 years, totaling as much as $7.25 billion. The amount of money paid out to individuals would vary depending on how they used Roundup, how old they were when diagnosed and the severity of their non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

An agricultural, industrial or turf worker exposed at length to Roundup would receive an average of $165,000 if they were diagnosed with an aggressive form of the illness while younger than age 60, according to the proposed settlement. But those diagnosed at age 78 or older would get an average of $10,000.

La policía indicó que los vecinos de Tyrone James Causey, de 79 años, estaban “cada vez más preocupados y frustrados por su comportamiento continuo”, que incluía una llamada a las autoridades el día anterior por el mismo problema.

Los investigadores dijeron que Causey, quien según registros judiciales vive en la cuadra 2400 de Van Buren Street, caminaba regularmente por las áreas comunes del complejo de apartamentos y hacía “gestos lascivos”, como “empujar su pene” hacia la cámara de timbre de una mujer.

La agente del Departamento de Policía de Hollywood Savannah Hutcheson escribió que fue a la puerta de Causey para hablar con él, y él respondió usando una “tanga tipo G-string”.

Hutcheson escribió que el anciano en tanga le dijo que tenía “derecho a caminar desnudo bajo el Estatuto 800.001 de Florida” y que “solo es ilegal en parques, no en público”.

La agente escribió que le explicó que, de hecho, es ilegal “caminar en público exhibiéndose”.

La policía indicó que él explicó que caminaba desnudo “porque tiene permitido hacerlo y que no sabía que estaba siendo grabado”.

Hutcheson escribió que Causey posteriormente se puso labial frente a ella, “comenzó a tocarse el pene” y le dijo: “salta la cuerda para mí, muñeca”.

Las autoridades dijeron que encontraron a cinco vecinos que vieron a Causey exhibirse, lo que llevó a su arresto por cinco cargos de exhibición indecente.

Esos cargos inicialmente eran delitos graves por tratarse de una segunda ofensa o posterior, basados en un arresto por exhibición indecente en 1987 y una citación relacionada con la llamada policial previa del jueves, pero los registros judiciales de Broward indican que un juez solo encontró causa probable para cargos menores estándar.

Causey ya no aparecía en los registros de la cárcel de Broward hasta la tarde de este viernes.

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Police said neighbors of Tyrone James Causey, 79, became “increasingly concerned and frustrated with his continued behavior,” which included a call to authorities the day before about the same problem.

Investigators said Causey, who court records show lives in the 2400 block of Van Buren Street, regularly walked around the common areas of the apartment complex and made “lewd gestures,” like “thrusting his penis” at a woman’s doorbell camera.

Hollywood Police Department Officer Savannah Hutcheson wrote that she went to Causey’s door to speak with him, and he answered wearing a “G-string thong.”

Hutcheson wrote that the bethonged senior told her that he has “a right to walk around naked under Florida Statute 800.001″ and that it is “only illegal in parks, not in public.”

The officer wrote that she explained to him that it is, in fact, illegal “to walk around in public exposing himself.”

Police said he explained that he walks around naked “because he is allowed to and that he did not know he was being filmed.”

Hutcheson wrote that Causey later put on lipstick in front of her, “began touching his penis” and told her to “jump rope for me, baby doll.”

Authorities said they found five neighbors who had seen Causey expose himself, leading to his arrest on five indecent exposure charges.

Those charges were initially felonies for a second or subsequent offense, based on a 1987 indecent exposure arrest and a citation from the prior police call on Thursday, but Broward court records indicate that a judge only found probable cause for standard misdemeanor charges.

Causey was no longer listed in Broward jail records as of Friday afternoon.

The Global Sumud Flotilla of 50 boats was intercepted in international waters some 250 miles (400 kilometers) off the coast of Israel, and activists along with journalists and at least one lawmaker from Italy were transferred onto military boats and brought to a larger military vessel at the Ashdod port in southern Israel, where they were held in containers, according to their accounts. They told The Associated Press they were punched and kicked, as well as dragged and pulled by their hair.

Israel's far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has called for deporting political opponents and was barred from mandatory military service for his extreme views, sparked global outrage after promoting a video of himself taunting activists from a flotilla to Gaza who were detained by his police force. Foreign leaders have condemned his on-camera treatment of the detainees and several countries summoned Israeli envoys to air their concerns.

Israel denies mistreatment. The allegations were “false and entirely without factual basis,” said Zivan Freidin, a spokesperson for the Israeli Prison Service.

Some 420 activists departed for Turkey on Thursday after they were deported from Israel, many wearing gray sweatsuits and Arab kaffiyehs.

The AP spoke to some Thursday and Friday as they reached Istanbul, Athens and other European cities:

Here are their accounts:

Zeynel Abidin Ozkan, Turkish flotilla board member

He detailed being held in a container alongside other detainees shortly after the flotilla raid and he said some people were taken outside the containers where he heard them being physically assaulted.

“We faced periods where we couldn’t stand, our heads were bowed to the ground, we were dragged and pulled by our hair. The handcuffs left serious marks on us.”

After arriving at Ashdod port, Ozkan says he was denied the right to contact his lawyer, embassy officials or relatives back home. He describes being told to sign papers under duress, which he refused.

“When we refused to sign, they treated us like prisoners, creating a file, taking photos, forcibly handcuffing our hands and feet with iron shackles. And then, with the soldiers, dragged us along the ground, surrounded by dogs, releasing the dogs on us, before loading us into prison trucks.”

Christopher Boren, activist from Hawaii

“When we got to Ashdod port, I was immediately grabbed by five IDF (soldiers) or police officers. They put my head down and started beating me. One of them had gloves on with hardened plastic and he started punching my face and it swelled shut,” he said, showing his black eye.

Alessandro Mantovani, Italian journalist for the daily Il Fatto Quotidiano

“During the crossing, we were put on our knees, blindfolded, and told to make sure the blindfold didn’t move. They repositioned mine 30 times because I kept trying to look around. And there’s absolutely no possibility in this situation to say ‘I’m a member of parliament’ or ‘I’m a journalist’ — you’re dealing with machines that scream and accompany their screaming with physical gestures. They put you flat on the ground, then on your knees, with zip ties on your wrists. The blindfold, plus an additional zip tie securing your wrists down to a metal structure, just a few inches from the deck. So you’re forced to travel in an extremely uncomfortable position on rough concrete. And I had cramps in my legs the whole time, obviously.”

After they were transferred to a ship that was used for detention “the treatment became immediately more violent. We entered through this small hatch and were shoved and dragged by force with our arms twisted behind our backs, forced to kneel in front of a wall with our heads down.”

At one point, he was thrown down “flat on my stomach, hands behind my back, face pressed, head pressed against the soaking wet and dirty floor of this ship — pressed down with their feet — and then they pressed my hands behind my back.”

Once inside the container, “I was kicked in the shin. Honestly, I don’t expect it. And they say ‘Welcome to Israel.’ Then a punch to the face, one from this side, one from that side. A closed-fist punch. I moved to get up and I got kicked in the leg. A little jolt from a taser to the ribs. And then I make it out the other side of this container and reach the deck.”

Mantovani said he was also strip searched, and his eye glasses and wallet discarded. He and the activists on his ship threw their cellphones into the sea when the Israeli boats approached, and he didn’t wear a watch on this mission after his was nearly confiscated on a previous flotilla.

Yiannis Atmatzidis, Greek activist

“I was struck with a taser, beaten with punches and kicks, insulted and humiliated. On the prison ship there was a container that everyone had to pass through. You entered through one door and a group of six or seven people would beat you mercilessly until you emerged from the other side. Every single one of us went through that.”

Atmatzidis said he was being processed for identification when Ben-Gvir was touring the prison ship.

“The minister entered the room and asked me where I was from. I replied, ‘from Greece.’ He then asked why I was there, and I told him that I had come to deliver humanitarian aid to people who needed it. He responded, ‘Are you a friend of Hamas?’ I explained that our mission had no political agenda and was purely humanitarian. He was surrounded by four armed guards who aimed their weapons and laser sights at me while I sat there handcuffed behind my back.”

He added: "Whenever we told them that circulation was being cut off and our hands were going numb, they showed absolutely no mercy. I do not have the words to describe the brutality and cruelty of these people. It is something I will never forget.”

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AP journalists Emrah Gurel in Istanbul, Andrea Rosa in Rome and Derek Gatopoulos in Athens contributed to this report.

Spieth is giving himself a chance to answer, although Si Woo Kim's flirtation with history while settling for a 60 left the three-time major winner with plenty of work to do.

Kim was in position for the 16th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history on Friday before a bogey on the final hole left him at 11 under for the day and 18-under 124 through 36 holes. Scheffler was among the players five shots behind the 30-year-old South Korean.

Spieth started his back nine — the front side of TPC Craig Ranch — with six consecutive birdies on the way to a 9-under 62 and was 12 under.

Spieth was one shot behind playing partner Sungjae Im, who aced the par-3 seventh moments after Spieth's sixth birdie in a row and finished his 61 with an eagle on the par-5 ninth. Im was tied with Scheffler, Japan's Kensei Hirata and Wyndham Clark, who matched Scheffler's 63.

A nearly $25 million renovation at the TPC Craig Ranch added bunkers and put plenty of contours in the greens. But a rainy Thursday and minimal wind left the Lanny Wadkins-led redesign as vulnerable as the course was the first five times it hosted the Nelson.

“I think the problem right now is that this is like the first time in the history of Dallas, Texas, that you’ll have four or five days of very little east wind and soft conditions in May,” Spieth said. “You get your normal what we had on Monday out here, that’s how it’s designed. I think it would show that it’s significantly harder, but also fair.”

Tom Hoge shot 62 and Tony Finau had a 63 to join Spieth at 12 under, one stroke ahead of first-round leader Taylor Moore, who followed his opening 62 with a 69. Tyler Duncan and Keith Mitchell also were at 12 under after each shot 66.

Brooks Koepka, who opened with a 63 and is looking for his first victory since his return to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf, shot 69 while playing with Scheffler and Kim. He was eight shots back.

Spieth credited a par at No. 18 for setting up his birdie binge, which started with a 12-footer. He hit the first four fairways after struggling off the tee on his first nine, made a 12-footer at the par-3 fourth, a 4-footer on the par-5 fifth and capped the surge from 9 feet on the sixth.

After Spieth put his tee shot 29 feet right of a pin to the far left at No. 7, Im bounced his 222-yard shot between the fringe and the hole and watched it roll in, raising his arms and looking skyward after the ball dropped. The 28-year-old was tied for the lead at that point.

“That was one of the prettiest hole-in-ones I’ve ever seen,” Spieth said. “Prettier than any one I ever made. There’s only a few people that would land that left of it on purpose. He might be one of them.”

Spieth's birdie run ended when his 29-footer at No. 7 came up about a foot short, while Im added another eagle with a 14-foot putt at the par-5 ninth. Spieth finished a bogey-free round with a birdie on No. 9. Im had a bogey and seven birdies to go along with his hole-in-one and eagle.

“I was hurting my head trying to figure out what our best ball was,” Spieth said. “I think it was 57, which is pretty good.”

Spieth, who contended on Sunday as a 16-year-old high schooler at his first Nelson in 2010, finished fourth a year ago when Scheffler won by eight at 31 under while tying the tour's 72-hole scoring record of 253.

The 32-year-old Spieth with 13 tour victories was actually worried about the cut line when he was 5 under at the turn. Then he went on to match his career best at the Nelson from the final round last year.

“Just a lot of it just comes down to knocking in putts,” he said. “It’s not a normal week, and it’s fantastic. Now that our families have grown and stuff, you get the little kids coming out, and it makes it even better.”

Scheffler kept himself in contention by playing a four-hole stretch in 5 under on the back nine, including a 45-foot eagle putt on the par-5 12th.

Hirata, a six-time Japan Golf Tour winner looking for his first PGA Tour victory, followed a 64 that included an eagle with a bogey-free 65. A short birdie putt on the ninth pulled him even with Im.

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

The ruling amounted to an extraordinary rebuke of a Justice Department that under President Donald Trump has repeatedly been accused of targeting defendants for political purposes. The Trump administration touted the charges against Abrego Garcia last year at a press conference in which then-Attorney General Pam Bondi declared, “This is what American justice looks like.”

“The evidence before this court sadly reflects an abuse of prosecuting power,” U.S. District Judge Waverly Crenshaw, in Nashville, Tenn., said in his ruling granting Abrego Garcia’s motion to dismiss for “selective or vindictive prosecution.” Without Abrego Garcia’s “successful lawsuit challenging his removal to El Salvador, the government would not have brought this prosecution."

Abrego Garcia’s deportation became an embarrassment for Trump officials when they were ordered to return him to the U.S. In his motion to dismiss, Abrego Garcia claimed that both the timing of the criminal charges and inflammatory statements about him by top Trump officials demonstrated that the prosecution was vindictive.

Despite the win in criminal court, his future in the United States is uncertain. Barred from deporting him to El Salvador, administration officials have threatened to deport him to a series of African countries, most recently Liberia.

“Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a victim of a politicized, vindictive White House and its lawyers at what used to be an independent Justice Department," his criminal defense attorneys said in a statement after Friday's ruling. "We are so pleased that he is a free man."

The Justice Department vowed to appeal, calling the judge’s order “wrong and dangerous.”

Crenshaw stopped short of finding the government acted with “actual vindictiveness,” a rarely-met standard that usually requires evidence like a prosecutor admitting that charges were filed in retaliation against someone. But the judge did find there was enough evidence of “presumptive vindictiveness” — including the timing of the indictment, statements made by then-U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, and the sustained oversight of the case by other top Justice Department officials — that the case against Abrego Garcia was thoroughly tainted.

The government’s own explanations weren’t convincing, Crenshaw wrote.

Abrego Garcia was charged with human smuggling and conspiracy to commit human smuggling, with prosecutors claiming that he accepted money to transport within the United States people who were in the country illegally.

The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee for speeding. Body camera footage from a Tennessee Highway Patrol officer shows a calm exchange with Abrego Garcia. There were nine passengers in the car, and the officers discussed among themselves their suspicions of smuggling. However, Abrego Garcia was eventually allowed to continue driving with only a warning.

In the Friday ruling, Crenshaw wrote that the timing of the charges was central to the presumption of vindictiveness. Homeland Security had been aware of the traffic stop for two years and had closed the case against Abrego Garcia when it deported him. Once the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that he should be brought back to the U.S., they reopened the case. While the government bore the responsibility to rebut the presumption of vindictiveness, prosecutors did not call as a witness the person who reopened the case, to explain why. Instead they offered only “secondhand testimony.”

In a statement released by the group We are CASA, which has been supporting Abrego Garcia and his family, he thanked God for the dismissal of the criminal charges.

“Justice is a big word and an even bigger promise to fulfill; and I am grateful that today, justice has taken a step forward,” he said.

Abrego Garcia's deportation violated a 2019 immigration court order granting him protection from deportation to his home country, after the judge found he faced danger there from a gang that targeted his family. Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran citizen with an American wife and child who has lived in Maryland for years although he immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager. The 2019 order allowed him to live and work in the U.S. under Immigration and Customs Enforcement supervision, but he was not given residency status.

The lawsuit adds fuel to a mounting backlash against the Trump administration's creation of an “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to resolve the Republican president's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns.

Plaintiffs' attorneys from the legal advocacy group Democracy Forward are seeking a court order halting the fund's implementation and preventing the Trump administration from disbursing any payouts from it. The federal suit, filed in Alexandria, Virginia, claims there is no legal basis or accountability behind the fund.

“The unlawfulness that has imbued the Anti-Weaponization Fund from its inception requires that it be wholly dismantled,” the suit says.

Another advocacy group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, separately filed its own lawsuit on Friday in Washington, D.C., to challenge the “slush fund” created by Trump's “sham settlement.” CREW's suit refers to the fund as "a jaw-dropping act of presidential corruption."

Two police officers who helped defend the U.S. Capitol from a mob's attack on Jan. 6, 2021, also sued this week to prevent anyone, including Capitol rioters, from receiving payments from the settlement fund.

During a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche wouldn’t rule out the possibility that rioters who assaulted police on Jan. 6 could be eligible for fund payouts.

The plaintiffs for Friday’s lawsuit include former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Floyd, an Alexandria resident who prosecuted Capitol riot cases in Washington, D.C., before he was fired last year by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi. Floyd was a deputy chief of the Justice Department’s Capitol Siege Section. He believes his firing was retaliation for his Jan. 6 work.

Another plaintiff is California State University Channel Islands professor Jonathan Caravello, who was acquitted of an assault charge. He was accused of throwing a tear gas canister at federal agents during a 2025 protest against an immigration raid at a Camarillo, California, cannabis farm.

Also named as plaintiffs are the government watchdog Common Cause; the city of New Haven, Connecticut; and the National Abortion Federation, an association of abortion providers. New Haven claims the Trump administration officials have targeted it and other municipalities that they perceive to be “sanctuary” cities. The federation fears that the fund will issue payments to people who have attacked abortion clinics, providing an incentive for more violence against its members.

The suit's defendants include the Justice and Treasury departments, Blanche and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Spokespeople for the departments didn't immediately respond to emails seeking comment.

The Capitol riot investigation was the largest in Justice Department history. Trump ended it with the stroke of his pardon pen, erasing hundreds of Jan. convictions.

Nearly 1,600 people were charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Over 1,200 were convicted and sentenced before Trump handed out mass pardons, commuted prison sentences and ordered the dismissal of every pending Jan. 6 criminal case.

Beneficiaries of Trump’s sweeping act of clemency included supporters who assaulted officers at the Capitol. He also freed far-right extremist group members who were imprisoned for plotting to attack the Capitol to keep Trump in office after he lost the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden.

After Trump returned to the White House last year, he appointed conservative activist Ed Martin as interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Martin, a leading advocate for Jan. 6 defendants, fired or demoted some prosecutors who worked on Capitol riot cases.

Sheinbaum indicó que ese fue uno de los puntos que abordó en la reunión que sostuvo el jueves con el secretario de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos, Markwayne Mullin, quien solicitó a México el fortalecimiento de los esfuerzos contra los “narcoterroristas” y el reforzamiento de los compromisos operativos para la seguridad fronteriza y la prevención de la migración ilegal.

El encuentro se dio tras las fricciones que surgieron el mes pasado por el deceso de dos agentes de la CIA en un accidente de tránsito en el estado fronterizo de Chihuahua y las acusaciones de narcotráfico que realizó la fiscalía de Nueva York contra 10 funcionarios mexicanos, entre ellos el gobernador oficialista del estado de Sinaloa, Rubén Rocha.

Pese a los reclamos y las presiones que ha mantenido Washington hacia México para endurecer el cerco a los carteles mexicanos, Sheinbaum aseguró que tuvo una “buena reunión” con Mullin, pero dejó claro que “colaboramos, nos coordinamos, pero operaciones conjuntas en tierra pues eso no lo permite nuestra constitución”.

A inicios de mes Trump volvió atacar las políticas de seguridad de México y dijo que “si no hacen su trabajo” contra el narcotráfico, Washington lo hará.

“El ingreso de drogas por vía marítima ha disminuido un 97%, y ahora hemos puesto en marcha la fuerza terrestre, lo cual es mucho más sencillo”, afirmó el presidente durante un acto en la Casa Blanca, y aprovechó para lanzar una nueva amenaza a su vecino: “si no van a hacer su trabajo, nosotros lo haremos”.

La mandataria dijo en su habitual conferencia matutina que estaba abierta a buscar “otros mecanismos” de cooperación en materia de seguridad con Estados Unidos, pero no abundó sobre las alternativas.

Los equipos de ambos países que hacen seguimiento a las acciones en materia de seguridad tienen previsto reunirse en junio en la capital mexicana para evaluar los avances.

Diferencias sobre Cuba

En medio de la crisis que enfrentan las relaciones entre Washington y Cuba tras el proceso que emprendieron autoridades estadounidenses contra el expresidente cubano Raúl Castro por el derribo en 1996 de pequeñas aeronaves civiles tripuladas por exiliados, la mandataria mexicana criticó esa acción y abogó una vez más por la “autodeterminación de los pueblos”.

“¿Qué sentido tiene que en este momento acusen a una persona por algo que ocurrió hace 30 años?”, se preguntó Sheinbaum al ser consultada sobre el caso de Castro, y dejó entrever que eso tiene que ver con la “visión injerencista” de Estados Unidos que aseguró que ha mantenido por años.

Pese a las diferencias sobre Cuba, la mandataria dijo que está dispuesta a seguir colaborando con Estados Unidos. “No queremos pelea con ellos y hasta ahora en muchas áreas han sido respetuosos”.

But similar pressure campaigns do not equal similar results, experts say, even if President Donald Trump has often warned that "Cuba is next.”

“President Trump viewed the Venezuelan intervention as a fantastic success,” said Brian Finucane, a senior adviser with the International Crisis Group and a former State Department lawyer. “And he’s sought to replicate the Venezuela model elsewhere, including in Iran. But obviously, Cuba, like Iran, is a very different country than Venezuela."

If the U.S. were to depose Cuba's leadership, there is no obvious successor who would work with the Trump administration, Finucane said. That is unlike Venezuela, where the U.S. captured leader Nicolás Maduro in January and his second in command, Delcy Rodríguez, stepped in with U.S. approval and remains in power.

Cuban officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, say “there is no Delcy in Cuba.”

The number of American forces in the Caribbean Sea now is also smaller and far less foreboding than the massive military buildup off Venezuela's coast in the months ahead of Maduro's ouster, Finucane said. Plus, an indictment against a 94-year-old former Cuban leader — Raúl Castro — is less impactful than charging Venezuela's sitting president with drug trafficking and using that to justify his capture.

Here are some of the similarities and differences between the U.S. pressure campaigns against Venezuela and Cuba:

Trump has threatened military action

Like other conflicts, Trump began to lay the groundwork for U.S. intervention in Venezuela — and the possibility for Cuba — with escalating threats months before military action took place.

He has warned the leaders of the Caribbean countries to either get in line or face American might. Weeks before the audacious military operation that plucked Maduro from power, Trump stood with his top national security advisers in Florida and made what would be one of his last public threats to the autocratic leader.

“If he wants to do something, if he plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’ll ever be able to play tough,” Trump said in December. Just after Maduro was whisked to the U.S. to face trial, Trump shifted his focus to other countries in the region, namely Cuba, as being next on his list.

“Cuba is ready to fall. Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall. I don’t know if they’re going to hold out,” he told reporters on Jan. 5.

He went on to threaten tariffs on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba and said the U.S. might have “the honor of taking Cuba” following military operations in Venezuela and Iran.

On Thursday, he repeated his threats, calling Cuba “a failed country.”

“Other presidents have looked at this for 50, 60 years, doing something,” Trump said. “And, it looks like I’ll be the one that does it."

US squeezes countries with oil embargoes

U.S. oil embargoes on Cuba and Venezuela have been designed to have the same impact: Putting intense pressure on ruling elites — but push diametrically opposite means to achieve those goals.

With Venezuela, the Trump administration was targeting the country's oil exports, aiming to starve the Maduro government of revenue. After Maduro’s ouster, the focus shifted to denying Venezuela the ability to export oil to certain countries — primarily Cuba, from which it did not receive cash payments — and forcing it to agree to U.S. conditions for such shipments.

Much of Venezuela’s crude is now or will soon be sent through U.S. refineries.

With Cuba, the embargo is aimed at starving the energy-strapped country of oil imports, although the U.S. has allowed some limited shipments to arrive on the island, which recently declared it had run out of reserves. The oil embargo, an extension of the broader U.S. blockade on Cuba in place for decades, has made it far more difficult for the government to provide electricity and gasoline to its citizens.

The measures could go too far, Finucane said, and prompt many Cubans to head 90 miles north for Florida in makeshift boats as many did in the 1990s.

“President Trump especially cares about immigration. And if they push too hard on Cuba and destabilize the island, there’s the possibility of some kind of a refugee crisis,” he said.

US brings charges against figures in power

The Justice Department had charged Maduro with narco-terrorism conspiracy and other counts during Trump's first term in 2020.

The case was used to justify capturing Maduro, who is now in New York awaiting trial and has pleaded not guilty. The move changed Venezuela's relationship with the United States, which has allowed the sale of previously sanctioned Venezuelan oil to U.S. companies and on global markets, a massive shift after largely blocking dealings with Venezuela’s government and its oil sector for years.

The immediate aim of the indictment against Castro over the 1996 shootdown of civilian planes flown by Miami-based exiles is to take another step up the ladder of escalation in the Trump administration's pressure campaign, said William LeoGrande, a professor specializing in Latin American politics at American University in Washington.

But he said that capturing Castro following charges that include murder and destruction of an airplane would not change the operations of the Cuban government.

Castro “still has influence and the leadership seeks his opinion on major decisions, but he is not running the government on a day-to-day basis,” LeoGrande said.

Building up a US military footprint in the region

In the months before Maduro was captured, the U.S. dispatched a fleet of warships to the waters near Venezuela in what became its largest military buildup in Latin America in generations.

The nation's most advanced warship, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, was notably rerouted from Europe to join in the operation. Three amphibious assault ships carried around 2,000 Marines as well as helicopters and Osprey aircraft.

U.S. forces spent months attacking small boats accused of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean — and still are carrying out those strikes — while fighter jets flew over the Gulf of Venezuela.

The actual mission to capture Maduro involved more than 150 aircraft launched across the Western Hemisphere.

The U.S. military now has a smaller force in the Caribbean Sea, which still includes two amphibious assault ships with Marines onboard. It touted the arrival of the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier and accompanying warships on the same day the charges against Castro were announced this week.

But the Nimitz is on its last ever tour, taking part in maritime exercises in the region, before being decommissioned.

“They're very different situations, and it's very difficult to see similar outcomes," Finucane said. “A snatch-and-grab raid against Raúl Castro or someone who's actually in a leadership position doesn't seem like it's going to have the same outcome in Cuba as in Venezuela.”

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Associated Press writer Andrea Rodríguez in Havana contributed to this report.

El Airbus A330-200 luce en su cola los colores celeste y blanco de la camiseta argentina sobre los que está escrito el número 10 en alusión al capitán de la selección Lionel Messi. Tiene además pintada la “C” de capitán en cada motor y las tres estrellas doradas alusivas a las copas mundiales ganadas por Argentina en su fuselaje inferior.

La aeronave será el transporte aéreo oficial de la albiceleste durante el Mundial que se disputará desde el 11 de junio en México, Estados Unidos y Canadá.

Pablo Da Grava, jefe de turno del hangar 5 de Aerolíneas Argentinas, dijo a periodistas que el diseño busca hacer hincapié “en el número 10, que tanto representa para todos los argentinos”. Además de ser la de Messi, la “10” fue la camiseta utilizada por el fallecido astro Diego Maradona durante la Copa de 1986 que ganó Argentina.

Para el Mundial de Qatar en 2022 la selección también usó un Airbus de Aerolíneas, lo que hace suponer que busca mantener la “cábala” para repetir el éxito que tuvo en ese certamen.

Fendrich, a regular at Roland Garros and all the tennis majors since 2002, died Thursday, less than three months after being diagnosed with cancer.

The news elicited a social media outpouring that included a Friday morning post from Nadal, whose record 14 French Open victories were chronicled in rich and colorful detail by Fendrich. “Tennis loses one of its great journalists,” Nadal said.

Gauff, whose title last year at Roland Garros was her second major singles championship, opened her pre-tournament news conference with a shout-out to Fendrich, the award-winning writer who spent 24 of his 33 years with AP on the tennis beat.

“I just wanted to start this off just recognizing a deep loss that I think we all have experienced as a community with Howard,” Gauff said. “He was someone I always enjoyed having conversations with. One of my favorite faces to see in the room.”

Fendrich died Thursday at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. He was diagnosed with cancer in February shortly after returning from Milan, where he covered his 11th Olympics. He was 55.

The Women’s Tennis Association wrote a tribute to Fendrich, recalling that “His classic opening before a question, ‘soooo, I’m curious ...’ always set a comfortable tone of kindness in interviews.”

The fifth-ranked Pegula, a member of the WTA Players’ Council, sent her condolences.

“Howard was one of the most respected journalists in our sport and someone players trusted because he always approached his work with honesty, professionalism and fairness,” she said.

Roger Federer, Billie Jean King and Patrick McEnroe, a former player and the current president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, were among those who honored Fendrich on Thursday.

Other tributes streamed in from Fendrich’s press box colleagues. Washington-based Adam Kilgore called him “the best person to see at a game, in a press room, at a dinner after an event.” They also came from across Fendrich’s home base, where, when not covering tennis, he was a regular in press boxes at Commanders, Nationals and Capitals games.

“His contributions to and impact on sports journalism extend far beyond that of the Nationals press box,” the baseball team said. “He will be dearly missed.”

Fendrich was based in Washington and the city’s football and hockey teams — the Commanders and Capitals — also extended their condolences.

Fendrich is survived by his wife, Rosanna Maietta; his mother, Renée; his brother, Alex; and two sons, Stefano and Jordan.

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

Friction has grown between Congress and the Trump administration in recent weeks as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle push for updates on what has happened with $400 million in Ukraine aid and $200 million more for defense programs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The money was allocated by Congress last year. Even Republican lawmakers have aired their frustration as President Donald Trump's administration disengages with Ukraine and other European allies.

“Ukraine has persistently and bravely repelled a four-year Russian onslaught, but its military needs and deserves continued American support,” said Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley in the joint letter.

Republican Sens. Kevin Cramer and Thom Tillis and Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and Catherine Cortez Masto also signed onto the letter.

During a congressional hearing over three weeks ago, Hegseth had told lawmakers that the Ukraine funding had been “released” and a spending plan would soon be sent to lawmakers. But the senators say the Pentagon failed to meet the promised May 15 deadline for that plan.

“Any further delays — particularly as the Department reportedly plans troubling U.S. troops withdrawals from the region — risks our ability to adequately deter Russia,” the senators said.

The letter was the latest sign of Senate Republican frustration with the Trump administration after a week in which the president endorsed the primary challenger to Texas Sen. John Cornyn, angering many.

In a back-and-forth with the president on social media Friday, Tillis blamed Trump's advisors for a list of policies he says are hurting the GOP politically, including, “Firing our very best generals and not holding Putin accountable for his systematic kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder of Ukrainian civilians.”

Several Republicans have also taken issue with Hegseth's firing of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George last month. George had pushed to reconfigure the Army's battlefield strategy to incorporate drone warfare and had worked with Ukraine's military to learn from its experience.

In the House, a Democratic-backed proposal to impose sweeping sanctions on Russia and send $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine has gained momentum as well. While that aid package is unlikely to become law, it’s helping fuel a renewed push among lawmakers for supporting Ukraine’s war effort.

The $400 million in security aid for Ukraine is relatively small compared to the multi-billion dollar aid packages that Congress initially approved in the months and years immediately following Russia's invasion, but for lawmakers, the provision has also taken on significance as a sign of their continued support.

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The suspect was identified in an arrest report from the Miami Police Department obtained by Local 10 News on Friday as 26-year-old Joseph Nelson Saroza.

According to the report, the scheme unfolded between February and March 2026 and involved fraudulent apartment rental listings posted on Facebook Marketplace.

Investigators said Saroza communicated with victims by text message and FaceTime, and allegedly sent them fake lease agreements.

They said he often posed as a property owner or manager under the name “Bryan Rodriguez” and provided video walkthroughs of apartments to make the listings appear legitimate. After receiving money, he would allegedly block victims and stop responding, according to investigators.

The report states that in one case, a victim sent $2,000 in online deposits after being shown a video tour and a fabricated lease for an Edgewater apartment in the 400 block of Northeast 29th Street.

Police said when that victim attempted to move in, Saroza delayed the date multiple times because of a “plumbing issue,” before cutting off contact.

They said other victims reported similar experiences, including in-person walkthroughs, signed fake agreements, and payments made through Zelle ranging in the thousands of dollars.

One victim later learned from building management that the suspect had no connection to the property, according to investigators.

Investigators said multiple victims were later able to identify Saroza through photo lineups and provided detectives with messages, screenshots and copies of the fake leases.

Miami police confirmed Saroza was arrested Thursday.

Jail records show he is facing six counts of third-degree grand theft and one count of organized fraud involving $20,000 or more but less than $50,000.

As of Friday, he was being held on a $22,500 bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

Anyone who believes they may have been targeted in this case is urged to call Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

Un hombre de Miami está acusado de operar una estafa de alquileres de apartamentos durante varios meses a través de Facebook Marketplace que, según la policía, afectó a múltiples víctimas y robó miles de dólares en depósitos.

El sospechoso fue identificado en un informe de arresto del Departamento de Policía de Miami obtenido por Local 10 News el viernes como Joseph Nelson Saroza, de 26 años.

Según el informe, el esquema ocurrió entre febrero y marzo de 2026 e involucró anuncios fraudulentos de alquileres de apartamentos publicados en Facebook Marketplace.

Los investigadores dijeron que Saroza se comunicaba con las víctimas mediante mensajes de texto y FaceTime, y presuntamente les enviaba contratos de arrendamiento falsos.

Indicaron que frecuentemente se hacía pasar por propietario o administrador bajo el nombre de “Bryan Rodriguez” y proporcionaba recorridos en video de apartamentos para hacer que los anuncios parecieran legítimos. Según los investigadores, después de recibir el dinero, bloqueaba a las víctimas y dejaba de responder.

El informe señala que en un caso, una víctima envió $2,000 USD en depósitos en línea después de recibir un recorrido en video y un contrato falso para un apartamento en Edgewater, en la cuadra 400 de Northeast 29th Street.

La policía indicó que cuando la víctima intentó mudarse, Saroza retrasó la fecha varias veces debido a un “problema de plomería” antes de cortar toda comunicación.

Indicaron que otras víctimas reportaron experiencias similares, incluyendo recorridos en persona, contratos falsos firmados y pagos realizados a través de Zelle por miles de dólares.

Según los investigadores, una víctima descubrió posteriormente a través de la administración del edificio que el sospechoso no tenía ninguna relación con la propiedad.

Los investigadores dijeron que múltiples víctimas pudieron identificar posteriormente a Saroza mediante ruedas fotográficas y proporcionaron a los detectives mensajes, capturas de pantalla y copias de los contratos falsos.

La policía de Miami confirmó que Saroza fue arrestado el jueves.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que enfrenta seis cargos de robo mayor en tercer grado y un cargo de fraude organizado por entre $20,000 USD y $50,000 USD.

Hasta el viernes, permanecía detenido con una fianza de $22,500 USD en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight.

Cualquier persona que crea haber sido víctima en este caso debe llamar a Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

Busch died Thursday at age 41. No cause of death has been given, though his family said earlier he had been hospitalized with a “severe illness” three days before he was to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch was testing in the Chevrolet racing simulator in Concord on Wednesday when he became unresponsive and was transported to a hospital in Charlotte, several people familiar with the situation told the AP.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because details have not been disclosed by Busch’s team or family.

During the emergency call placed late that afternoon from the General Motors training facility, an unidentified caller calmly told the dispatch: “I’ve got an individual that’s (got) shortness of breath, very hot, thinks he’s going to pass out, and is producing a little bit of blood, coughing up some blood.”

Busch was lying on the bathroom floor inside the complex and the caller told dispatch “he is awake,” according to audio provided by the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office.

The man then gave directions on where emergency responders should go and asked that they turn off any sirens upon arrival.

NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell addressed reporters at a news conference Friday but declined to answer any questions about the cause of death or any health problems that might have plagued Busch.

“We are 24 hours from getting a phone call and out of respect for the family, and they have asked for privacy, I am not going to address anything,” O'Donnell said. “But transparency is something that we all believe in. So in due time I think that everyone will be comfortable with where things stand.”

O'Donnnell talked at length about Busch's legacy, his rebellious nature and even his feuds with NASCAR, while calling him “an American badass.”

“We certainly had our battles but I would give a lot of money to have a few more battles,” O'Donnell said.

He joked about the time Busch pretended to be seriously hurt when NASCAR had ordered him to go to the infield care center after hitting the wall at Texas.

“He laid flat out on a pit cart, made fun of us,” O'Donnell said. “I was mad at the time, but I look back and that was damn funny — and that was Kyle.”

O'Donnell mentioned NASCAR might consider adding Busch to this year's list of Hall of Fame Class of 2027 inductees, which was determined earlier this week with Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Larry Phillips being voted in.

The news of Busch's death sent shock waves across the motorsports world on one of racing's biggest weekends, which also features the Indianapolis 500.

The NHL's Carolina Hurricanes honored Busch with a moment of silence before Thursday night's Eastern Conference Finals game against the Montreal Canadiens.

Vice President JD Vance took to social media, saying “I had the opportunity to meet Kyle, one of NASCAR’s greatest racers, on the campaign trail in 2024. Usha and I are praying for him and his family. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.”

Richard Childress Racing announced plans to suspend use of Busch's No. 8 Cup Series car until his 11-year-old son, Brexton, is old enough to begin NASCAR racing.

Gloomy, gray skies hung over the track on an unseasonably cool day in Concord, which seemed a fitting background for the in memoriam photo of Busch on the videoboard.

Christopher Bell was among the drivers planning to run in the NASCAR Trucks Series race on Friday night, one that Busch had been scheduled to compete in. Busch won last week's Trucks race at Dover — the final win of his career — giving him 234 victories across NASCAR's three national series, the most of any driver.

“It's going to be very strange to be out there without Kyle in the field,” Bell said. “It's going to take a long time before things feel back to normal.”

Bell called Busch's death a “gut-wrenching feeling.”

He said he spoke to Busch before the last Trucks Series race and said he seemed “normal, like completely normal.”

On Monday, Busch posted a birthday message to Brexton on Instagram, saying, “Your mom & I are so proud who you’re turning out to be!”

The father and son spent Tuesday night in Durham, North Carolina, with the Andretti family at the opening of a go-kart facility.

“I guess it is a very stark reminder of how fragile life can be,” Bell said.

O’Donnell said NASCAR never seriously considered canceling the Coca-Cola 600.

“Kyle Busch would probably be pretty (upset) if we didn’t race,” O’Donnell said. “So we’re going to honor his memory and make sure people know what he was all about.”

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing