“Espero que el papa venga a ayudar a los pobres como yo”, dijo María Ruíz Díaz, una jubilada de 70 años que, como cada 7 de agosto, acudió este viernes a la Parroquia de San Cayetano de Buenos Aires a rezar al santo católico del trabajo.

“El país no la está pasando bien, hay muchos hermanos necesitados”, opinó Santiago Olave, de 60 años, entre decenas de devotos que aguardaban por ingresar al santuario ubicado en el barrio de Liniers. “El papa puede abrir corazones y mentes”.

El Vaticano anunció el miércoles que el papa visitará Argentina, la patria de su predecesor Francisco, del 8 al 11 de noviembre, como parte de su primera gira por Latinoamérica que también incluirá Uruguay y Perú.

El último líder de la Iglesia Católica que pisó suelo argentino fue Juan Pablo II en abril de 1987. Francisco nunca regresó a la Argentina, donde el catolicismo es la religión mayoritaria, desde que asumió su pontificado en 2013.

La llegada de León XIV se produce en momentos en que la Iglesia Católica argentina viene alertando sobre un deterioro alarmante en las condiciones de vida de los sectores más postergados como consecuencia del plan de austeridad del presidente liberal Javier Milei, que en tres años ha logrado desacelerar la inflación y reducir drásticamente el déficit fiscal, pero con un alto costo social.

La caída de salarios y pensiones en simultáneo a un aumento del costo del transporte público, las tarifas del gas y de la luz, alquileres y alimentos ha provocado que millones de argentinos tengan que endeudarse para subsistir. El Banco Central ha reportado un crecimiento constante de la morosidad con bancos y entidades no financieras en los últimos 19 meses.

De los 20,9 millones de deudores con bancos y billeteras virtuales, los morosos suman cerca de 6 millones, en su mayoría jóvenes de entre 18 y 34 años.

“San Cayetano, aquí tienes a tu pueblo, que no quiere resignarse a que el trabajo sea una mercancía y que haya que tener dos o más empleos para llegar a fin de mes, o caer en la trampa de los créditos que endeudan y asfixian a muchísimas familias”, expresó el arzobispo de Buenos Aires, monseñor Jorge García Cuerva, al encabezar la misa en el santuario del patrono del trabajo. Decenas de devotos levantaban mientras espigas de trigo con la imagen del santo.

“Con el papa León decimos que la libertad económica no puede ser absoluta y debe medirse siempre en función del bien común y de la dignidad de cada persona”, añadió el arzobispo.

Con la figura de una motosierra como bandera, Milei ha dicho que el plan de austeridad que aplicó a su llegada al poder a fines de 2023 era la única vía para evitar una crisis hiperinflacionaria en Argentina como consecuencia de la emisión descontrolada de los gobiernos de centro-izquierda que lo antecedieron. El mandatario, que buscará la reelección en 2027, también ha prometido a los argentinos que su sacrificio dará frutos.

“No voy a hacer populismo. Voy a morir con las botas puestas haciendo lo que corresponde y haciendo lo que está bien. Si quieren populismo tienen otras alternativas”, dijo Milei en una reciente entrevista.

Una visita oportuna

En coincidencia con el anuncio de la gira de León XIV, la parroquia colocó al lado de la imagen del santo una maqueta de cartón representando al papa junto a una anciana, una discapacitada en sillas de ruedas, un mendigo y una maestra debajo de la leyenda “San Cayetano, aquí tienes a tu pueblo”.

Representan algunos de los sectores más afectados por los recortes a los presupuestos destinados a la salud, educación y población vulnerable.

“(El papa) le va a tirar de la oreja a Milei”, comentó Marcos, un miembro de la cooperativa textil San Cayetano que fabrica indumentaria con motivos religiosos que se vendía en el acceso al santuario. “Uno desea que se arregle la situación económica porque están todos mal, no es que es una parte solamente. Es general”.

Durante su estadía, León XIV visitará el santuario de la Virgen de Luján, patrona de Argentina, en esa localidad al oeste de la capital, y la provincia de Córdoba. La agenda completa de actividades todavía no fue anunciada.

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Police officers responded to the crash on Monday at Northwest 31st Avenue and 16th Street. They found the girl in the back seat of the crashed sedan, and her father, Shane Allen, running away near Northwest 33rd Avenue, according to the police report.

Allen, 40, was “stumbling while walking, had difficulty maintaining balance ... exhibited glassy eyes, and emitted an odor of an alcoholic beverage each time he spoke,” a police officer wrote, according to the report.

Police officers arrested Allen, and Lauderhill Fire Rescue personnel took the girl to the Broward Health Medical Center, according to police.

Allen remained at the Broward County Main Jail on Friday in Fort Lauderdale, according to inmate records. He faced seven charges in two pending cases.

For the crash in Lauderhill, Allen faced five charges: Driving under the influence with an unlawful blood alcohol level of .15 or higher, while accompanied by a minor, child neglect without great bodily harm, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, refusal to submit to DUI testing, and a license violation.

Allen also had a pending case on charges of battery and possession of a controlled substance, according to court records.

Agentes de policía respondieron al accidente el lunes en Northwest 31st Avenue y 16th Street. Encontraron a la niña en el asiento trasero del sedán accidentado y a su padre, Shane Allen, huyendo cerca de Northwest 33rd Avenue, según el reporte policial.

Allen, de 40 años, “tambaleaba mientras caminaba, tenía dificultades para mantener el equilibrio, presentaba ojos vidriosos y emitía olor a bebida alcohólica cada vez que hablaba”, escribió un agente de policía, según el reporte.

Agentes de policía arrestaron a Allen y personal de Lauderhill Fire Rescue trasladó a la niña al Broward Health Medical Center, según la policía.

Allen permanecía detenido el viernes en la cárcel principal del condado Broward, en Fort Lauderdale, según registros de reclusos. Enfrentaba siete cargos en dos casos pendientes.

Por el accidente en Lauderhill, Allen enfrentaba cinco cargos: conducir bajo los efectos del alcohol con un nivel ilegal de alcohol en la sangre de .15 o más mientras estaba acompañado por una menor, negligencia infantil sin lesiones corporales graves, abandonar la escena de un accidente con daños a la propiedad, negarse a someterse a una prueba de DUI y una infracción de licencia.

Allen también tenía un caso pendiente por cargos de agresión y posesión de una sustancia controlada, según registros judiciales.

Los conservadores han ganado siete importantes elecciones presidenciales en América Latina en los últimos años, la mayoría desde la investidura del presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, en enero de 2025, en una racha de triunfos impulsada por la preocupación por el crimen, la inmigración y el lento crecimiento económico.

Este es un vistazo a los países latinoamericanos que han elegido recientemente a presidentes conservadores:

El autoproclamado “tigre” de Colombia enfrenta a rebeldes y bandas de narcotraficantes

El marginal de la Espriella, respaldado por Trump, ganó la elección presidencial de Colombia en junio por un estrecho margen, al derrotar al legislador progresista Iván Cepeda.

De la Espriella, apodado “El Tigre”, hizo campaña con un enfoque de mano dura contra el crimen, que incluye propuestas como cancelar las conversaciones de paz con grupos rebeldes colombianos y construir megaprisiones, como las de El Salvador. La elección de de la Espriella marca un momento decisivo para Colombia, gobernada durante los últimos cuatro años por Gustavo Petro, un exmiembro de un grupo rebelde, crítico de las políticas migratorias y antidrogas del gobierno de Trump.

“El Tigre” ha prometido combatir la extorsión y el narcotráfico. Recibió el respaldo de Trump, quien describió al abogado y empresario como el candidato que podría restablecer la ley y el orden en Colombia.

Perú elige a una conservadora como 9na presidenta en 10 años

Keiko Fujimori, una política conservadora favorable a las empresas que hizo campaña con una plataforma de mano dura contra el crimen, asumió el cargo en julio tras ganar la segunda vuelta presidencial de junio por un margen de menos de 50.000 votos.

Fujimori es hija del fallecido expresidente Alberto Fujimori, cuyo gobierno derrotó al violento grupo extremista Sendero Luminoso en la década de 1990, pero también derivó hacia el autoritarismo. Ella también se ha comprometido a emprender una agresiva ofensiva contra el crimen.

Prometió construir cuatro nuevas prisiones, entre ellas, una megaprisión inspirada en el centro CECOT de El Salvador, militarizar las fronteras de Perú para frenar el narcotráfico y deportar a migrantes que trabajen en el país sin residencia legal.

Argentina elige a un libertario para enfrentar la inflación

Javier Milei, economista y comentarista de televisión apodado “El león”, ganó la elección presidencial de Argentina en noviembre de 2023 prometiendo recortar el gasto público y enfrentar el problema de inflación que el país sudamericano ha sufrido por décadas. El libertario derrotó al movimiento peronista gobernante.

Durante su mandato, Milei ha impedido que el banco central del país imprima dinero para financiar el déficit del gobierno y ha recortado el gasto público al despedir a empleados estatales y frenar la inversión en programas de infraestructura pública, al tiempo que redujo los subsidios a las facturas de servicios públicos.

La inflación de Argentina ha bajado de 211% en 2023 a 32% en 2025. Sin embargo, algunos han culpado a las políticas de austeridad de Milei de disminuir el nivel de vida de muchos argentinos, incluidos los trabajadores del sector público.

Ecuador reelige a un líder que favorece a los militares

Daniel Noboa, integrante de una de las familias más ricas de Ecuador, fue reelegido para un mandato de cuatro años en abril de 2025, tras ganar la elección con 56% de los votos. El líder conservador ha dado a los militares un papel más destacado en la provisión de seguridad en ciudades costeras desbordadas por bandas de narcotraficantes que se disputan el control de puertos y rutas de narcotráfico.

Sin embargo, la estrategia no ha reducido de manera sustancial las tasas de homicidios. El gobierno también ha recibido críticas por abusos de derechos humanos, como ejecuciones extrajudiciales.

Bajo la gestión de Noboa, las fuerzas armadas de Ecuador han comenzado a realizar operaciones conjuntas con Estados Unidos contra el narcotráfico. El mandatario también impulsó la reapertura de una base militar de Estados Unidos en Ecuador, pero la propuesta fue rechazada en un referendo el año pasado.

Honduras vuelve al partido conservador

Nasry Asfura, inversionista inmobiliario y exalcalde del Partido Nacional, ganó por un estrecho margen la elección presidencial de Honduras en noviembre, derrotando a su rival más cercano por menos de un punto porcentual.

Asfura, que pertenece al mismo partido que el expresidente Juan Orlando Hernández, indultado por Trump tras una condena por narcotráfico, recibió el respaldo del presidente de Estados Unidos, quien amenazó con cortar la ayuda al pequeño país centroamericano si Asfura no era elegido.

Bajo la administración de Asfura, Honduras ha recibido a decenas de deportados de terceros países mediante un acuerdo que firmó con Estados Unidos a inicios de 2025, la mayoría de ellos ciudadanos guatemaltecos.

Kast derrota al movimiento progresista en Chile

En diciembre, José Antonio Kast, conservador y católico devoto, ganó la elección presidencial de Chile con 58% de los votos, tras derrotar a un gobierno progresista que había estado en el poder durante los cuatro años anteriores.

En sus campañas, Kast capitalizó los temores por el aumento de las tasas de criminalidad en Chile y afirmó que expulsaría a migrantes de países como Venezuela y Haití que habían trabajado en Chile sin permisos de residencia. Una de sus primeras medidas tras asumir el cargo ha sido ampliar una zanja a lo largo de las fronteras de Chile con Perú y Bolivia, en un intento —según su gobierno— de frenar el narcotráfico y la migración.

Recientemente, el gobierno de Kast ha enfrentado protestas por el aumento del desempleo y recortes presupuestarios que han afectado a empleados públicos.

Costa Rica propone un enfoque de mano dura contra el crimen

Laura Fernández, ministra de Economía durante el gobierno del expresidente conservador Rodrigo Chaves, ganó la elección en Costa Rica en febrero con 48% de los votos, venciendo a su rival más cercano por 15 puntos porcentuales y superar el 40% de los votos necesario para evitar una segunda vuelta.

Durante su campaña, Fernández propuso medidas de mano dura contra el crimen, incluido un estado de excepción que permitiría a la policía detener a sospechosos sin órdenes judiciales, y afirmó que construiría una megaprisión inspirada en la notoria penitenciaría CECOT de El Salvador.

El gobierno de Fernández ha recibido varios vuelos con migrantes de terceros países deportados por Estados Unidos, en cumplimiento de un acuerdo que firmó su antecesor el año pasado. En junio, uno de esos vuelos transportó migrantes de China, Vietnam, Colombia y Azerbaiyán.

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

As his $10 billion lawsuit against the BBC proceeds, a federal judge in Florida granted the president a temporary reprieve on Thursday from an order that he begin divulging details of his business empire’s financial performance — something he is clearly loath to do.

U.S. District Judge Roy Altman agreed to put that order on hold while he considers an amended complaint from Trump that would narrow his claim that he suffered damage to both business and reputation. By focusing only on the latter, Trump’s lawyers hope to avoid the need for the financial disclosures. That updated complaint has not been made public.

Trump filed the lawsuit in December over the way the British broadcaster, in a 2024 documentary, edited a speech he gave on Jan. 6, 2021, before protesters attacked the Capitol in Washington. It is one of many actions he has taken in his second term against media coverage that displeases him — in the courts, with executive action and in the overall presidential bully pulpit.

Trump contends that the BBC's editing was misleading because it cut out, among other parts, a section where Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully. The claim seeks $5 billion in damages for defamation and $5 billion for unfair trade practices.

The publicly funded broadcaster has apologized to Trump over the edit but rejects claims it defamed him. The furor produced the resignations of the BBC’s top executive and its head of news.

Judge finds new Trump argument noteworthy

In Thursday’s order, Altman said he found “compelling” Trump’s argument that an amended complaint might remove the need for financial disclosures, an argument the BBC disagrees with. Under the order from a Miami-based magistrate judge, Enjoliqué Lett, Trump had been required to start releasing financial records by Thursday from businesses held by his family trust.

“If the plaintiff’s amendment obviates the need to compel a non-party to disclose confidential financial information,” wrote Altman, a 2019 Trump appointee, “we think it’s prudent to enter a brief stay of the Order until the amendment request is resolved.”

But where will the case go from here. And did the Trump legal team overreach in this case?

Seth Stern, advocacy director at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, notes that the president can simply drop the lawsuit if the BBC proves successful in arguing that disclosure of financial data is also relevant to reputational harm.

“Trump has a history of filing lawsuits and then just dismissing them before they get to discovery,” Stern said. “So there’s a chance he’ll do that and I’m sure it’ll give him a day or an hour of embarrassing headlines. But as we’ve seen countless times with Trump’s administration ... no one headline seems to stick for very long, and I suspect that one would be no different.”

Stern thinks the BBC would be correct in arguing that financial data would still be relevant in the case. After all, the president is contending he suffered $10 billion worth of reputational harm.

“You cannot claim $10 billion in reputational damages when you’re the president of the United States and you won the presidential election after the reporting that you’re complaining about," he said. “That makes no sense.”

He added: “For him to say that discovery into his economic damages is intrusive or in any way problematic, after he placed such an outrageous damages number on his lawsuit, is absurd."

For now, the BBC trial is set for February

How long the legal maneuvering will take remains unclear. A trial is provisionally set for February in the case, which is just one of a host of legal actions Trump has initiated against media organizations whose coverage draws his ire.

The president is also seeking $10 billion in an ongoing defamation case against The Wall Street Journal over a sexually suggestive letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that the newspaper said bore Trump’s signature. His Justice Department recently issued and then withdrew subpoenas to several New York Times journalists who reported on security concerns about his new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet.

Trump and his administration is also engaged in a battle with ABC, whose coverage he often objects to. His Federal Communications Commission has launched an early review of eight ABC local broadcast licenses well before they expire. Its chairman, Brendan Carr, also appears to be seeking to penalize ABC’s “The View,” where some hosts speak out against Trump, by revoking its exemption from equal-time rules.

The Associated Press has also sued Trump over access to the White House press pool, from which the news organization was curtailed for sticking with the name “Gulf of Mexico” after the administration ordered it rechristened the “Gulf of America.” The AP said it was retaining the term because the body of water crossed borders, but that it would would also note Trump's renaming.

Stern, at the Freedom of the Press Foundation, feels that Trump will continue to press lawsuits — even those he may have no expectation of winning — unless courts suddenly decide to sanction his attorneys for filing frivolous lawsuits.

“Trump doesn’t care about losing a lawsuit or about spending a little bit of money on legal fees,” Stern says. “He understands full well that these aren’t cases he’s going to win. (But) he’s counting on them costing the defendants more than they cost him, in money, time and distraction. He’s counting on the initial headlines when he files a $10 billion lawsuit, making a big splash, and then his subsequent losses being an afterthought."

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Jocelyn Noveck covers the intersection of media and entertainment for The Associated Press.

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According to the Lauderhill Police Department, officers responded to the 1500 block of Northwest 33rd Avenue at around 1:15 p.m. and found the wounded victim.

Police said medics took the man to Broward Health Medical Center, where doctors pronounced him dead. Authorities have not yet released his name.

An LPD spokesperson said a “motive is currently unknown” and police had not identified a suspect or suspects.

Anyone with information on the “active” investigation is asked to call LPD at 954-497-4700 or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

Según el Departamento de Policía de Lauderhill, agentes respondieron a la cuadra 1500 de Northwest 33rd Avenue alrededor de la 1:15 p.m. y encontraron a la víctima herida.

La policía dijo que paramédicos trasladaron al hombre al Broward Health Medical Center, donde los médicos lo declararon muerto. Las autoridades aún no han divulgado su nombre.

Un portavoz del Departamento de Policía de Lauderhill dijo que “el motivo se desconoce actualmente” y que la policía no había identificado a ningún sospechoso.

Se pide a cualquier persona que tenga información sobre la investigación “activa” que llame al Departamento de Policía de Lauderhill al 954-497-4700 o a Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477.

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The superintendent stood on stage in the school’s auditorium, at 2450 SW First St., before a crowd that included School Board members and Parent Teacher Association leaders.

“For more than 150 years, our school district has been part of the American story, a belief that individuals and institutions can learn and become better,” Dotres said.

The event, which also included school principals, was in preparation for the return of more than 313,000 students on Thursday, the first day of the 2026-2027 academic year in Miami-Dade.

“They deserve adults who never lose sight of the power of human connection,” Dotres said about the incoming MDCP students.

Despite enrollment reductions, Miami-Dade remains the third-largest public school district in the nation after New York City, the largest, and the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Dotres listed the district’s achievements to include achieving an “academically high performing” designation, leading the nation in magnet education, and opening the first district-run Innovation School of Technology at Venetian Parc Academy.

“It is a school of the future with a shift from seat time to learning time. In that school, students will not be bound by minutes of instruction in particular areas,” Dotres said. “It will be about mastery and the readiness at each stage of their education process.”

Dotres also re-introduced his successor, Rafael Villalobos, whose experience includes teaching at South Dade High School and leading as principal of John A. Ferguson Senior High School and as the South Regional Superintendent since 2022. He starts on Feb. 17.

Watch a video of the event

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El superintendente subió al escenario del auditorio de la escuela, ubicada en 2450 SW First St., ante un público que incluía miembros de la Junta Escolar y líderes de la Asociación de Padres y Maestros.

“Durante más de 150 años, nuestro distrito escolar ha sido parte de la historia estadounidense, una creencia de que las personas y las instituciones pueden aprender y mejorar”, dijo Dotres.

El evento, que también incluyó a directores de escuelas, se realizó como preparación para el regreso de más de 313,000 estudiantes el jueves, primer día del año académico 2026-2027 en Miami-Dade.

“Merecen adultos que nunca pierdan de vista el poder de la conexión humana”, dijo Dotres sobre los estudiantes de las M-DCPS que regresan a clases.

A pesar de la reducción en las inscripciones, Miami-Dade continúa siendo el tercer distrito de escuelas públicas más grande del país, después de la ciudad de Nueva York, el más grande, y el Distrito Escolar Unificado de Los Ángeles.

Dotres enumeró entre los logros del distrito haber obtenido la designación de “alto rendimiento académico”, liderar el país en educación magnet y abrir la primera Escuela de Innovación Tecnológica administrada por el distrito en Venetian Parc Academy.

“Es una escuela del futuro con un cambio del tiempo en el aula al tiempo de aprendizaje. En esa escuela, los estudiantes no estarán limitados por minutos de instrucción en áreas específicas”, dijo Dotres. “Se tratará del dominio de los conocimientos y de la preparación en cada etapa de su proceso educativo”.

Dotres también volvió a presentar a su sucesor, Rafael Villalobos, cuya experiencia incluye haber enseñado en South Dade High School, desempeñarse como director de John A. Ferguson Senior High School y como superintendente de la Región Sur desde 2022. Comienza el 17 de febrero.

Vea un video del evento

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The justices, in a 5-4 decision in June, said Cook, who was nominated to the Fed’s Board of Governors by President Joe Biden, could remain in her post at least as long as her lawsuit challenging her firing goes on. The Trump administration is appealing a lower-court ruling in Cook's favor.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in a footnote in his opinion that nothing forbids President Donald Trump from “trying again” to fire Cook, provided she is given proper notice and a chance to contest it. Trump indicated, after the opinion, that he would do just that, vowing to “take appropriate action immediately.”

In a letter this week obtained by The Associated Press, White House aide Dan Scavino told Cook that Trump was “considering removing you from your position” but cited the Supreme Court's requirement of proper notice in giving her until August 26 to challenge it.

The attempt to fire Cook is rooted in a criminal referral made last August by Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, that accused her of committing mortgage fraud by declaring two different homes – one in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and one in Atlanta – as “primary residence.’’ Homebuyers can get lower mortgage rates or smaller down payments on their primary homes compared to second or vacation homes.

Cook has aggressively defended herself against the allegations, saying the president had attempted to oust her “on a manufactured pretext because I refused to bow to political pressure and continued to set interest rates based only on what would best serve the American people.’’

Her lawyer, Abbe Lowell, argued in a November letter that Cook has mostly lived in the Ann Arbor property since first purchasing it in 2005. As a result, it was accurate for her to refer to it as her “primary residence” in a June 2021 application to refinance its mortgage, the letter said.

A month later, she purchased a condominium in Atlanta and, in a July 2021 document, also referred to it as her “primary residence.” Lowell said that it was an “isolated notation” that did not reflect an intent to defraud. An earlier mortgage application to the same lender in May 2021 had referred to the Atlanta condo as a “vacation home,” Lowell said. Cook also referred to it as a second home in federal filings during her confirmation process to become a Fed governor.

The latest White House letter largely rehashes the year-old allegations.

“These allegations are as baseless now as they were a year ago when President Trump tried to remove Governor Cook and interfere with the independence of the Federal Reserve,” Lowell said in a statement.

“No matter what President Trump tries to do next, this much is clear under the facts and Supreme Court precedent — there is no valid cause for removing Governor Cook. As we did before, we will challenge this latest pretext and preserve her position and the historic role of the Fed,” he added.

In an opinion filed Thursday in U.S. District Court of Virginia, Judge Michael F. Urbanski said the school board in Shenandoah County violated Black students’ rights under the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause, which forbids racial discrimination in state-supported institutions. The decision also violates the Equal Educational Opportunities Act, the court found.

Confederate army officers' names are “vestiges” of Shenandoah County's segregationist history that required separate schools for Black and white students.

“The Confederate names were restored with complete awareness of their historic legacy and ongoing discriminatory impact,” Urbanski wrote. “In the court’s view, the affirmative act of reinstating these vestiges of segregation is far more problematic than a passive failure to remove a long-standing name or symbol.”

The judge ordered the board to settle on new school names “on a racially nondiscriminatory basis with all deliberate speed.”

Unlike memorials named after Confederate figures, schools are places where children should have an “educational environment free of vestiges of racial discrimination,” Urbanski added.

Jim Guynn, the attorney representing Shenandoah County, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment.

In a statement Friday, the NAACP Virginia State Conference called the ruling “a decisive victory" for students.

“For decades, the practice of honoring Confederate leaders in Virginia schools has been steeped in a history of racial discrimination,” said its president, the Rev. Cozy Bailey. “The school board’s 2024 renaming decision is impossible to explain except through the lens of race."

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs represented the NAACP.

“The court acknowledged that such names inflict real, racially disproportionate harm," said Kaitlin Banner, deputy legal director.

The Virginia NAACP filed the suit on behalf of six students and their parents in June 2024 after the school board voted 5-1 to change Mountain View High School back to Stonewall Jackson High School and Honey Run Elementary back to Ashby-Lee Elementary, which combines the names of Gen. Robert E. Lee and Turner Ashby, a Confederate cavalry officer. The board reversed a 2020 decision to remove the original names against a backdrop of nationwide protests over racial injustice.

The NAACP argued in its lawsuit that Black students, who make up less than 3% of the school system’s population, would be “required against their will to endorse the violent defense of slavery pursued by the Confederacy and the symbolism that these images have in the modern White supremacist movement.”

Under President Donald Trump's second administration, some statues honoring Confederate figures have been restored after being removed in 2020. It is part of Trump's ongoing efforts to control how American history is framed at Smithsonian museums, monuments in national parks and in classrooms.

Board members who voted to restore the Confederate names said they were honoring popular community sentiment. They said the previous board members who voted to remove the names in 2020 had ignored constituents and due process on the matter.

Her stay is a key chapter in both the prosecution and defense narratives about her mental state when she strangled the children in their suburban home and then jumped out a second-story window.

In questioning one of her McLean Hospital psychiatrists on Friday, a prosecutor underscored that Clancy denied to hospital clinicians that she wanted to hurt anyone else or planned to kill herself. Clancy's lawyer, meanwhile, aimed to flesh out the defense's claim that she sought mental health help for months, wasn't properly diagnosed as she went from provider to provider, and was put on a series of medications that left her worse off.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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Clancy has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the January 2023 strangling deaths of Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy, who ranged from 8 months to 5 years old. They were found in the basement of the family's home in coastal Duxbury, Massachusetts, and their mother was lying, badly injured, in the yard. She remains paralyzed from the waist down.

Prosecutors argue that Clancy, a 35-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, was an intentional killer who attacked her children after getting her husband out of the house by asking him to run errands. The defense doesn't dispute that she killed the children but says she shouldn't be held criminally responsible, contending that she was so mentally ill that she heard voices telling her to kill them and herself.

In the criminal trial and a medical malpractice lawsuit, Clancy's attorneys say she had bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis — a break with reality that a small fraction of women have after childbirth — that weren't fully diagnosed until after the killings, though one of her outpatient providers considered bipolar disorder in 2022.

Clancy recounted that provider's opinion and disagreed with it after she checked herself into McLean early on New Year's Day 2023, psychiatrist Dr. Alia Goodheart told jurors Friday.

When Goodheart joined Clancy's lineup of providers that Jan. 3, the patient expressed concerns about an antipsychotic medication she'd previously been prescribed to help with insomnia, and about feeling numb, which can be a side effect of that drug, Goodheart said. She diagnosed her with insomnia with a mental health condition and tapered down the medication.

Clancy then reported she could sleep, was eager to go home in time for a long-planned belated birthday party for Cora, and booked herself follow-up outpatient care, the psychiatrist testified. The hospital discharged her that Jan. 5 with prescriptions for an antianxiety drug and a sleep aid.

“She had never stated that she had any thoughts of harming anybody else,” Goodheart told jurors. And although Clancy said she'd had suicidal thoughts, she denied having them in the moment and indeed said she had reasons not to take her own life: “her children and her family, her mother,” Goodheart recalled.

When defense lawyer Kevin Reddington had his turn to question the psychiatrist, he emphasized that the hospital care team didn't do various tests — Goodheart said they weren't necessary — or learn that she had called a suicide hotline that fall. Nor did the providers talk to various outpatient clinicians who had treated Clancy over the prior months, though they did speak to her husband.

“She was very sick, wasn’t she?” Reddington asked at one point.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Goodheart responded.

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

A record-setting contract brought financial security, but for Gibbs, it also ended an anxious wait that had kept him off the practice field.

“This process has been extremely stressful,” Gibbs said Friday, one day after signing a three-year contract extension that made him the highest-paid running back in NFL history. “I just wanted to play ball. I missed being out there with my teammates and coaches and it’s just fun being out there now.”

The extension, agreed to Thursday, is worth $67.5 million over three years and could reach $75.75 million with incentives. It includes $51.5 million in guaranteed money, according to multiple reports, surpassing the deal Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson signed earlier this week.

After signing the contract, Gibbs participated only in individual drills Friday, but said the biggest relief was putting the negotiations behind him.

Three years ago, many questioned whether the Lions had reached by selecting a running back with the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Gibbs said the criticism never bothered him.

“For me, I didn’t really care, because I knew what I could do, and I was confident in myself,” he said.

Three seasons into his career, Gibbs has put together one of the most productive starts by a running back in NFL history.

Despite sharing the backfield with David Montgomery, Gibbs has scored 49 total touchdowns in his first three NFL seasons, the most by any player during that span. He broke the previous record of 47 set by Hall of Famer and former Lion Barry Sanders.

Last season, Gibbs totaled 1,839 yards from scrimmage, including 1,223 rushing yards and 616 receiving yards, while scoring 18 touchdowns. He also set career highs with 77 receptions, 616 receiving yards and five touchdown catches.

Since entering the league, Gibbs has rushed for 3,580 yards — seventh-most in the NFL during that span — while averaging 5.3 yards per carry. He has topped 1,200 rushing yards in each of the past two seasons and caught at least 50 passes in all three years.

Lions Associate Head Coach Scottie Montgomery said Gibbs earned the extension through both his production and his professionalism.

“He has came in from day one and did everything we asked him to do,” Montgomery said. “He is what a pro should be.”

Montgomery said Gibbs has continued to improve each season while maintaining the same approach that made him the 12th overall pick.

“I hope a lot of kids, a lot of people are watching the way that he went about the process,” Montgomery said. “Going from year one to year two to year three and continually getting better.”

Montgomery also pointed to Gibbs’ versatility as one of the reasons he has become such an important part of Detroit’s offense.

“When you got a guy like Jah, you can be a bell cow and touch it 10 times and have 200 total yards,” Montgomery said. “He can play at the receiver position. He can play at the wing position. He can play at the back.”

Gibbs said he heard from several fellow NFL running backs after agreeing to the extension, including Robinson, Montgomery, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, James Cook and De’Von Achane.

Gibbs said signing the extension also means he gets to remain in a city he has embraced since arriving in 2023.

“Before I got here, everything you hear about Detroit is negative," Gibbs said. "Since I’ve been here, all I can say is positive things. The people, there’s a lot of good food, the culture.

“I love being here. I’m so glad I get to be here for the next five years.”

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

Según el líder opositor cubano José Daniel Ferrer, cualquier plan para transformar Cuba debe incluir a los cubanos que están en la isla.

Pero, ¿tienen los cubanos en la isla la capacidad y las herramientas para participar en un proceso de este tipo? Después de vivir durante casi 68 años bajo un sistema totalitario que ha moldeado los valores y las actitudes personales de la población, podría tomar tiempo no solo cambiarlo sino, más importante aún, mantener esos cambios.

Las democracias no se construyen en un día. Se necesitará tiempo y paciencia. Recordemos también que antes de la Revolución Cubana, Cuba tuvo una dictadura bajo Batista.

6 de agosto: Estados Unidos anuncia un nuevo paquete de sanciones económicas contra Cuba; también sanciona a dos de los principales generales cubanos

El Departamento de Estado de Estados Unidos anunció el jueves un nuevo paquete de sanciones económicas contra Cuba. Al mismo tiempo, también fueron sancionados dos de los principales generales de Cuba: Álvaro López Miera, ministro de Defensa, y el general Roberto Sotolongo, jefe de las Fuerzas Armadas.

5 de agosto: Según informe, la CIA crea grupo de trabajo sobre Cuba

The New York Times informó sobre la creación de un grupo de trabajo de la CIA sobre Cuba con el propósito de ejercer mayor presión sobre el gobierno cubano para que implemente cambios políticos y económicos en su sistema.

Esta noticia probablemente será recibida por Cuba como una amenaza adicional por parte de Estados Unidos.

5 de agosto: Presidente cubano confirma conversaciones en curso entre La Habana y Estados Unidos

El presidente de Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, confirmó hoy que existen conversaciones en curso entre La Habana y Washington con el propósito de evitar una confrontación militar y tratar de encontrar soluciones a los problemas entre ambas naciones.

El gobierno cubano entiende que se está quedando sin opciones y que, muy probablemente, necesitará llegar a un acuerdo con Estados Unidos. ¿Incluirá un cambio de régimen?

Actualización del 3 de agosto: Rubio habla sobre las actividades de espionaje de Cuba en Estados Unidos

El pasado fin de semana, en una entrevista con Fox News, el secretario de Estado y asesor de Seguridad Nacional de Estados Unidos, Marco Rubio, habló sobre las actividades de espionaje que Cuba continúa realizando en Estados Unidos.

Rubio afirmó que espías cubanos continúan infiltrándose en el gobierno de Estados Unidos, instituciones financieras, organizaciones e instituciones académicas. También sostuvo que Cuba sigue representando una amenaza para la seguridad nacional de Estados Unidos.

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

Cousins, who is operating the first-team offense in training camp, remained on the field to finish the drive. Crosby, however, was sent to the sideline.

“Those are two leaders of our team going at it, so that is part of camp,” coach Klint Kubiak said. “Obviously, if you fight in a game and throw a punch in game, then you're out of the game. So we've got to be smart and treat it like a game.”

Cousins appeared upset that Crosby tipped his pass, forcing an incompletion, and then charged the 6-foot-5, 256-pound defensive end who is three inches taller and 42 pounds heavier.

“We don't want to be throwing punches, but I think on any padded day of camp, there's going to be some tussles,” tight end Michael Mayer said. "That's our starting quarterback right now, and you want him to defend your team and you want him to have some edge to him, which he does. He's always had since the first day I met him when he came in here.

“I don't want him getting thrown out. I don't want him getting a flag. Nothing like that, but you've got to be able to defend yourself.”

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

Hamilton was among a group of 74 nominations approved by the Senate, including President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Transportation Security Administration, David Cummins, and his choice for ambassador to Brazil, Daniel Perez.

Upon his swearing in, Hamilton will take over an agency whose future has been uncertain since Trump threatened to get rid of it days into his second term. Hamilton's nomination signaled that Trump may be moving on from that idea, but his Republican administration is still promising drastic changes in how the government handles disasters.

Hamilton will have to shepherd that overhaul while stabilizing an agency of more than 20,000 employees recovering from Kristi Noem's chaotic tenure as Department of Homeland Security secretary, during which FEMA saw mass staff departures, disruptions to grant programs and delays of disaster aid.

While her successor, former Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin, has worked to reverse some of the upheaval, Democrats are accusing Trump of politicizing disaster relief. Trump has approved 80% of disaster requests from Republican governors but only about 60% from Democratic governors, a July analysis by The Associated Press found.

In his June hearing before a Senate committee, Hamilton pledged to advocate for FEMA and its workforce while promising to ensure FEMA is “objective, is fair and reasonable, follows the law, and is consistent in the approach to how we adjudicate and process claims and requests for disasters.”

He also maintained that the agency is burdened by bureaucracy and cannot be expected to respond to every disaster. “We would need to strike a new balance to encourage cost reasonableness and cost savings,” he said.

Hamilton was fired from a temporary role leading FEMA

Hamilton had limited emergency management experience before Trump named him FEMA's temporary leader in January 2025. Formerly a critic of the agency, Hamilton has said he came to appreciate FEMA's mission. His tenure proved short after he broke with Noem and other DHS officials over FEMA's future.

“I do not believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate the Federal Emergency Management Agency,” Hamilton told a House panel in May 2025. He was fired the next day.

His stand drew admiration among some emergency management professionals.

“It tells you exactly who he is and how he will lead when the pressure is highest and the easy answer is the wrong one,” Pete Gaynor, FEMA administrator in Trump's first term, said in a statement supporting Hamilton's confirmation.

The National Emergency Management Association said it welcomes Hamilton as the FEMA administrator.

Still, some FEMA staffers have remained wary of Hamilton’s role in controversial decisions last year like canceling a multibillion-dollar resilience grant program.

FEMA has been an agency under siege

Hamilton will take over in the middle of a busy summer disaster season that has already brought destructive wildfires and dangerous flooding and as FEMA manages more than 1,000 open disaster declarations. He will be FEMA’s first permanent administrator in Trump’s second term, overseeing an agency eager for stability.

More than 4,300 employees separated from FEMA in the 2025 budget year, more than 1,500 through voluntary reductions, resulting in a “loss of institutional knowledge and experienced personnel,” according to a Government Accountability Office report.

Since replacing Noem in March, Mullin has rehired for some eliminated positions and rescinded a rule that any expense greater than $100,000 needed to be approved by the secretary’s office — a requirement that backlogged billions of dollars in disaster aid.

But DHS has also introduced policies stirring up new controversy. Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia sued the Trump administration last month over new election security requirements in FEMA counterterrorism grants to states.

The Trump administration and lawmakers are advocating for sweeping changes to federal disaster response. At a meeting of governors last weekend, Mullin called FEMA “bloated.”

“The biggest reform you’re going to see is more responsibility is going to go back to your states,” Mullin said, with “FEMA there for worst of the worst, not every storm.”

In May, a Trump-appointed FEMA Review Council recommended major changes to how the federal government supports states, tribes and territories during disasters. That could speed assistance but might reduce how much and how often FEMA helps. Many of the suggested changes require congressional action.

Gaynor told the AP he expects that Hamilton will work quickly to make changes within his authority. “I think his biggest priority in general is making the whole recovery system simpler for disaster survivors, for states and locals to navigate, to make it less of mystery, and cut out red tape,” Gaynor said.

Senate approves 74 nominations, including for airport security

Other nominees confirmed included Cummins as head of the Transportation Security Administration, an agency also facing persistent challenges, particularly after this year’s record partial government shutdown left TSA employees working for weeks without pay. The funding lapse prompted thousands of officers to call out of work and about 1,100 to quit.

Cummins is a former senior vice president at the government contractor Serco, which runs air traffic control towers at 60 American airports. He is taking over as the Trump administration seeks to expand private airport screening and cut thousands of TSA jobs.

The Senate also confirmed Perez, a close friend of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a former speaker of Florida’s House of Representatives, to be the next U.S. ambassador to Brazil.

Perez has been central to an ongoing diplomatic dispute between the Trump administration and the government of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Earlier this week, the State Department said the Brazilian government’s refusal to accept Perez’s appointment was a main reason for its decision to revoke the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the United States. International diplomatic protocols demand that host countries approve any foreign ambassadors before they can take their posts.

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Associated Press writers Rio Yamat in Las Vegas; Josh Funk in Omaha, Neb.; and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

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In North Miami, Espinosa sexually molested a girl when she was 10 years old and started to rape her when she was 11, according to a police officer’s arrest report.

Espinosa “would lose his temper if she refused to have sex with him,” a police officer wrote about the girl in North Miami, according to the arrest report.

In Hialeah, detectives accused Espinosa of sexually abusing a 9-year-old boy from 2018 to 2022 and a 9-year-old girl from 2009 to 2020, according to arrest warrants.

Espinosa “had access to a ... daycare and pre-school owned by his spouse,” a detective wrote, according to the arrest warrant.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Espinosa, 65, shortly after 11:35 a.m. on Wednesday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.

North Miami police officers re-arrested him at 3:20 p.m. on Thursday at TGKCC.

A Tampa Police Department detective had arrested Espinosa on Dec. 5 in Manatee County for child sex abuse in Hillsborough County, records show.

On Friday, Espinosa faced 18 charges in three cases in Miami-Dade County, according to court records.

In a Hialeah case, Espinosa faced 14 charges: Six counts of engaging in a sexual act with a child, three counts of lewd or lascivious molestation on a child, and five counts of sexual battery on a child.

In the North Miami case, Espinosa faced three charges: Engaging in a sexual act with a child, lewd or lascivious molestation on a child, and knowingly transmitting, distributing, or showing obscene or harmful material to a minor.

In a second Hialeah case, Espinosa faced a charge of lewd or lascivious molestation on a child.

Espinosa, who was born in Cuba, also had holds from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Florida Department of Corrections, according to inmate records

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report.

Related story

• Man accused of sexually abusing children for several years in Hialeah

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Michael Simpson, 51, of Miami Beach, held a news conference in Miami on Friday morning.

Deputies said the incident happened on July 29 during lobster mini-season off Fisher Island while diver Hunter Cofer was in the water searching for lobsters.

They said in a fight over a diving spot, he became irate and threatened to turn off Cofer’s air supply, then made good on the threat.

But Simpson said that’s not at all what happened. On Friday, he said he had swam over to see why Cofer’s father, whom he said was being belligerent, was yelling at his son. Simpson said that the teen’s father accidentally turned off the air supply while trying to pull on a float.

“He pulls it, and the machine turns off. He kind of does this shuffle. He slips. He falls on the edge of the boat and falls into the water,” Simpson said. “Immediately, the gentleman comes up and does one stroke towards my child to turn off the air. It’s a lie. It’s (a) 100% lie. Why would the dad need to lie that he jumped in? He fell in front of everybody.”

Simpson said the teen underwater was tangled. Deputies said there were there no injuries. Simpson showed media outlets a video where state wildlife officers spoke to him later on without incident. He said he didn’t flee the scene; he just motored away about 300 yards to get away.

Simpson has retained attorney Howard Srebnick, who recently led a successful defense in another high-profile maritime case in Miami-Dade County: Jurors found his client, George Pino, not guilty in a vessel homicide case back in June.

Simpson and Srebnick have promised to fight the charges.

Michael Simpson, de 51 años y residente de Miami Beach, ofreció una conferencia de prensa en Miami la mañana del viernes.

Los agentes dijeron que el incidente ocurrió el 29 de julio durante la minitemporada de langosta frente a Fisher Island, mientras el buzo Hunter Cofer estaba en el agua buscando langostas.

Indicaron que, durante una disputa por un lugar para bucear, Simpson se enfureció y amenazó con cerrar el suministro de aire de Cofer, y luego cumplió la amenaza.

Pero Simpson dijo que eso no fue en absoluto lo que ocurrió. El viernes, dijo que había nadado hasta el lugar para ver por qué el padre de Cofer, quien según él se comportaba de manera agresiva, le gritaba a su hijo. Simpson dijo que el padre del adolescente cerró accidentalmente el suministro de aire mientras intentaba tirar de un flotador.

“Él tira de él y la máquina se apaga. Hace una especie de movimiento, resbala, cae sobre el borde del bote y cae al agua”, dijo Simpson. “Inmediatamente, el hombre sale a la superficie y da una brazada hacia mi hijo para cerrar el aire. Es mentira. Es una mentira al 100%. ¿Por qué tendría el padre que mentir diciendo que saltó al agua? Se cayó frente a todos”.

Simpson dijo que el adolescente que estaba bajo el agua se había enredado. Los agentes dijeron que no hubo heridos. Simpson mostró a los medios un video en el que agentes estatales de vida silvestre hablaron con él posteriormente sin incidentes. Dijo que no huyó de la escena, sino que simplemente se alejó unos 300 yardas en su embarcación.

Simpson contrató al abogado Howard Srebnick, quien recientemente encabezó una defensa exitosa en otro caso marítimo de alto perfil en el condado Miami-Dade: en junio, un jurado declaró a su cliente, George Pino, no culpable en un caso de homicidio con una embarcación.

Simpson y Srebnick han prometido luchar contra los cargos.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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According to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, officers responded just before 10:40 p.m. to Blue Martini at 2432 E. Sunrise Blvd. after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a stabbing.

When officers arrived, they found a man suffering from multiple stab wounds.

Investigators said the victim was taken to Broward Health Medical Center with serious injuries and is expected to survive.

They said the victim and Lawrence Constantine Edmonson had been involved in an altercation before the stabbing.

Police said license plate reader cameras helped officers quickly locate the Edmonson’s vehicle. They said a grappler device was used to safely stop the vehicle before taking him into custody.

Police said Edmonson suffered minor injuries during the initial altercation with the victim.

As of Friday afternoon, he was being held without bond at the Broward County Main Jail.

No other details about the stabbing were immediately released.

Según el Departamento de Policía de Fort Lauderdale, agentes respondieron poco antes de las 10:40 p.m. al Blue Martini, ubicado en 2432 E. Sunrise Blvd., después de recibir varias llamadas al 911 que reportaban un apuñalamiento.

Cuando los agentes llegaron, encontraron a un hombre que sufría múltiples heridas de arma blanca.

Los investigadores dijeron que la víctima fue trasladada al Broward Health Medical Center con lesiones graves y se espera que sobreviva.

Indicaron que la víctima y Lawrence Constantine Edmonson habían estado involucrados en un altercado antes del apuñalamiento.

La policía dijo que cámaras lectoras de matrículas ayudaron a los agentes a localizar rápidamente el vehículo de Edmonson. Indicaron que se utilizó un dispositivo Grappler para detener el vehículo de manera segura antes de detenerlo.

La policía dijo que Edmonson sufrió lesiones menores durante el altercado inicial con la víctima.

Hasta la tarde del viernes, permanecía detenido sin derecho a fianza en la cárcel principal del condado Broward.

No se divulgaron de inmediato más detalles sobre el apuñalamiento.

The bipartisan legislation, which passed the Senate 86-11, would penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports seeking to deprive Putin of revenues fueling the war. It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Capitol hours after Graham’s funeral, met with senators from both parties and watched from the gallery as the Senate took the first procedural votes last week on the sweeping legislation.

“Today, President Zelenskyy is watching from Ukraine — and Putin is watching from Moscow,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who had worked with the late South Carolina senator on the package.

“I would like to think Lindsey Graham is watching, too,” he said. “Today we say to the people of Ukraine: You are not alone. And today we say to Vladimir Putin: You will not conquer Ukraine.”

The sweeping show of force from the Senate is the most substantial move yet during President Donald Trump’s second term to shift the dynamic of the more than four-year war, which has now churned longer than World War I. Congress has struggled to ensure U.S. funding and munitions flows to Ukraine, but Trump has given a nod to the sanctions package, putting pressure for the House to take it up for a vote and send it to the White House for his signature.

Graham and Blumenthal had announced a deal with the White House on the sanctions legislation on July 10 after more than a year of negotiations with the White House. Graham, who had just returned from Ukraine, died suddenly the next day, likely from an aortic tear.

The bipartisan package that carries Graham’s name allows the president to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, including China and India. It provides exceptions for countries that import less than 15% of their natural gas from Russia and are taking steps to reduce those imports.

The legislation also includes sanctions on Putin, senior Russian political and military leaders, Russian financial institutions and Russian energy projects. It would expand U.S. sanctions to target older, reflagged oil tankers that Russia uses to circumvent existing U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and energy revenues.

Democrats and some Republicans have been wary of giving Trump broad authority to slap tariffs on imports that have spiked prices for goods, worried about inflation and high costs of living for Americans. Those voting against the final package were mostly progressive Democrats.

The negotiated bill also includes waiver authority for the president, allowing the White House to waive sanctions or restrictions if the president certifies to Congress that the waiver is in the national interest.

Sen. Darline Graham, R-S.C., who was appointed by the state’s governor to fill her brother’s seat, said he was determined to bring an end to the Ukraine war, and she was honored to carry on his work. “This legislation hits Putin where it hurts,” she said.

Bill sends ‘a moral signal’ to Ukraine and its allies

Zelenskyy told senators during last week’s private meeting at the Capitol that Ukraine is making gains in the war, but still needs more help from the U.S. He publicly thanked them for the sanctions package and said it would send a “big signal” to Ukraine and its allies of U.S. support.

Republican Sen. Todd Young of Indiana, who attended the meeting, said the sanctions legislation “is important as a moral signal to a country that is weary and tired, though holding its own.”

New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said advancing the legislation now, ahead of Russia’s own elections, will put pressure on Putin to seriously revisit prospects for a peace deal. And she warned that every time the U.S. backs away from tough actions, Russia ramps up its attacks.

“If we can’t shut down the funding for the war machine that Russia is using against Ukraine, then they’re going to keep at it,” she said.

Some say the bill would give Trump too much tariff power

The Senate defeated an amendment by Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon that would have removed the new tariff authority for Trump. Paul says it would be too costly for taxpayers, while Wyden and other Democrats say they don’t want to give Trump any new authority to impose tariffs.

“We’ve got folks who are walking an economic tightrope here in America,” Wyden said.

Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., who had held up passage of the package over the tariff authority, said he received a written commitment from the Trump administration through U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer that ensures guardrails. The tariffs would be lifted once the countries are no longer on the lists of those purchasing Russian oil and gas, or helping to evade sanctions, he said.

“We should not have to choose between putting a check on Putin’s aggression and putting a check on this president’s tariffs regime,” Warnock said. If Trump “oversteps his power, we will see him in court.”

Other Democrats say that while they are wary of giving Trump any new powers, they don’t want to jeopardize the help for Ukraine.

“Weighing that against the boost for Ukraine, I think it’s important to support Ukraine right now,” said Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

Package next goes to the House

The momentum from the Senate is expected to press the House to act swiftly on the Russia sanctions package when lawmakers return to session at the end of the month.

The House had already passed a separate measure in June that would provide security and reconstruction aid to Ukraine and sanction key segments of the Russian economy.

That package pushed by Democrats drew bipartisan support from Republicans, overriding objections from GOP leaders who warned the bill would undermine negotiations designed to achieve a comparable but stronger result.

Catholicos Karekin II and six other senior clergymen are accused of defying a court order to reinstate a defrocked bishop. The case is widely seen as a part of long-simmering tensions between Pashinyan, who was reelected earlier this year, and the church, which has called for his ouster.

If convicted, Karekin and the other clerics could face up to two years in prison.

Relations between the powerful church and Pashinyan’s government have deteriorated rapidly since 2024, when tens of thousands of demonstrators, led by a high-ranking cleric, called for his ouster. They were angered by Armenia's agreement to hand over control of several border villages to Azerbaijan and normalize relations with its neighbor after being locked for decades in territorial disputes.

Many clergy bitterly opposed the handover of the villages and criticized Pashinyan, who came to power in the South Caucasus nation amid a wave of hopeful, pro-democracy protests that swept Armenia in 2018. Some senior clerics have since faced a crackdown by the government.

The judge in the trial recuses himself

The first court hearing took place Friday in the central city of Vagharshapat, also known as Etchmiadzin, which is Armenia's spiritual capital and the headquarters of the church.

Shortly after the hearing, Karekin's lawyer Ara Zograbyan told reporters the judge in the case has recused himself.

“I welcome this move by the judge, because in effect he refused to become a part of this shameful proceeding,”Zograbyan said, adding that the case will be assigned to a new judge.

Hundreds of Karekin's supporters gathered outside the courthouse in Vagharshapat, which is located about 18 kilometers (11 miles) west of Armenia's capital, Yerevan. Members of opposition parties, clergy leaders and representatives of nongovernmental organizations also came for the hearing.

Samvel Karapetyan, head of the pro-Russian opposition party Strong Armenia, called the case against Karekin a “national disgrace.”

“It seemed that maybe the authorities would come to their senses and stop their attacks on the church, but they're keeping at it,” local media quoted him as saying.

The case of a defrocked bishop led to the charges

The charges arose after the church in January defrocked Bishop Gevorg Saroyan, who had previously called for Karekin's ouster. The church accused Saroyan of abuse of power. Saroyan contested the move in court, which sided with him and ordered his reinstatement.

The church refused, and Armenia's Prosecutor General's office launched the case against Karekin and the other clerics in February, accusing them of defying a court order and barring them from leaving the country.

Two other top clergymen were arrested last year. Archbishop Mikael Ajapahyan was convicted of calling for the overthrow of the government, and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, who led the anti-government protests in 2024, is currently under house arrest awaiting trial on charges of attempting a coup, fomenting mass unrest and preparing a terrorist attack.

Earlier this year, an appellate court overturned Ajapahyan's conviction and ordered a new trial.

Clerics denounce the case as an assault on church autonomy

During an evening service at the Etchmiadzin Cathedral, Karekin denounced the case against him.

“These days the authorities take steps to undermine the church's authority, restrict its autonomy and subjugate it to their will,” he said, adding that the institution's autonomy is at the core of Armenia's prosperity.

Archbishop Natan Hovhannisyan, head of the Department of External Relations and Protocol of the church and one of the defendants, said the church is not an entity that can be “nationalized, expropriated and have a manager appointed.”

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Karmanau reported from Tallinn, Estonia.

“I don't know how old he is. Isn't he past 35?,” the offensive coordinator asked Friday before being told Smith is actually 35. “It feels like he's 28. I'm telling you, it feels like physically, I see no ... like, he is in his prime, physically.”

Not bad for a quarterback entering his 14th NFL season, a journey that began as a second-round draft pick of the Jets in 2013 and has included several ups and downs on the field along the way.

“Like his arm, the way he moves, his feet in the pocket, he’s physically in his prime,” said Reich, in his first season running the Jets' offense. “So he takes great care of himself and that’s going to help this team.”

New York certainly hopes so. The Jets acquired Smith in the offseason from Las Vegas to add a veteran quarterback to an offense that struggled mightily during a 3-14 season. The Jets ranked last or near the bottom in several offensive categories as the likes of Justin Fields, Tyrod Taylor and Brady Cook took turns calling the signals for then-coordinator Tanner Engstrand. Their 8 yards per completion was the lowest mark in the NFL, and that's something that's expected to improve significantly.

Smith has always been able to stretch the field, especially during three straight seasons of at least 3,500 yards passing in Seattle from 2022-24. He threw for 3,025 last year in a down season with Las Vegas that included an NFL-leading 17 interceptions.

Back with the Jets, Smith has had a mostly good training camp. And he has thoroughly impressed Reich, who said during minicamp that the quarterback has an “elite” football mind. Reich was back gushing about Smith on Friday.

“Geno’s the leader,” Reich said. "He’s the leader of the offense, make no mistake about it, in every way, shape and form. And to me, what has become crystal clear in this early time in training camp, the attribute that sticks out to me is his laser focus. This man is laser focused like people don’t understand. Like, he comes to work and he is locked in.

“And I feel like the whole offense plays off of that. That’s a really big deal.”

Reich has seen what leadership looks like from a quarterback. He was a longtime backup to Jim Kelly as a player and has coached Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Andrew Luck and Matt Ryan.

The offensive coordinator also knows what good quarterback play looks like. And he sees all of that in Smith, granted, still in the protected, no-contact confines of training camp.

“I remember when he was coming out (of college), I had a high grade on him,” Reich said. “His throwing mechanics, if I'm just talking pure upper-body mechanics, they're pure. There's only a couple guys in the league that I would say are pure. Geno's one of them.”

Smith has also been drawing positive reviews from his teammates, who have praised his leadership since re-joining the Jets.

“Geno is a legend to guys like me,” fifth-year tight end Jelani Woods said. “He’s been in the league for a long time. You look up to him, just the professionalism he has, it’s something that you look into and he’s one of those guys that you go up to and talk to him at any time. He sits with you at the lunch table, he sits with anybody at the lunch table and you just have a simple conversation with him and just talk about life outside of football.

"And, you know, stuff like that goes a long way.”

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

“That’s my hometown team, them and the Baltimore Ravens,” Diggs said Friday. "I always played with a chip on my shoulder, but the chip got really big when I’d go home because I felt like they passed up on me, didn’t give me a chance, and I was right in their backyard.”

Washington, and every NFL franchise, passed on Diggs multiple times in the 2015 draft before Minnesota selected him in the fifth round. After stints with the Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and New England Patriots, and four Pro Bowl selections later, Diggs signed with his hometown Commanders earlier this week.

It's a full-circle moment for Diggs, a Gaithersburg, Maryland, native who played for youth programs in the area growing up. A five-star recruit with scholarship offers practically anywhere in the country, Diggs chose to stay home and play for the University of Maryland.

“I can’t write a better story,” Diggs said. “At this point in my career, being healthy, coming off an ACL (injury), having success, going to your hometown team and wanting to shine for them. ... I want to put on for my city.”

His homecoming is more than just a feel-good story. The Commanders entered training camp with a massive hole at No. 2 wide receiver opposite Terry McLaurin, and Diggs figures to fill it as an instant upgrade.

Stylistically, Diggs is an excellent fit opposite McLaurin, who is a more traditional “X” receiver. Diggs has experience playing on the perimeter and in the slot and was one of the league's best chain-movers in 2025 — 51 of his 85 receptions went for first downs.

“When you see him work inside as a slot player, he’s got great feel,” head coach Dan Quinn said. “He’s a great competitor. … He’s somebody certainly that can move the chains, and you know how important that is — to have somebody that has the detail of option routes and specifics.”

Diggs said he didn’t have a personal relationship with McLaurin before his arrival, but admired his new teammate's game and intensity from afar and called it “real similar to myself.” Diggs praised the rest of the Commanders’ receivers, specifically rookie Antonio Williams, who he said "can hoop a little bit.”

Quinn said the plan for Diggs was to ramp up over the next two days, but the 32-year-old arrived in great shape and participated in individual and team drills on Friday. His immediate focus is in the classroom, hoping to learn new offensive coordinator David Blough’s system quickly.

Throughout his career, Diggs has earned the reputation of helping elevate young quarterbacks. After a so-so rookie year, New England’s Drake Maye finished second in MVP voting last season with Diggs as his top target. Josh Allen took a major step forward in 2020, Diggs’ first year in Buffalo.

“Quarterbacks got a lot on their plate, so I bring it down a notch and talk to them brother to brother,” Diggs said. “With young quarterbacks, making plays for them gives them confidence. That puts a battery in their back to feel like, ‘Man, I can do anything out here.’ That’s how I try to help them: just by playing well.”

With Washington, Diggs joins Jayden Daniels, who proved himself as AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2024. The duo started building their chemistry on Friday.

“They got a great young quarterback,” Diggs said. “He’s a star. He’s a superstar. I’m excited for him, excited for this team.”

In Buffalo and Houston, Diggs was selected as a team captain. Quinn said the receiver’s leadership skills have already stood out in their brief time together.

For now, Diggs’ goal is to earn the respect of his teammates and coaches through his play and experience.

“I always try to push the guys around me to be the best version of themselves,” Diggs said. “At the same time, more show than tell. I can say a bunch of hoopla, but I’d rather just go out there and hoop and show you why I did what I did or communicate through the actions.”

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

Harris County Criminal Court Judge Alex Salgado in Houston dismissed the criminal charge Thursday at the request of the Harris County district attorney's office following Harden's completion of an alternative resolution program. Such programs allow defendants to avoid a criminal conviction by doing community service. Court documents don't detail the terms of Harden's agreement.

Harden was arrested June 13 in Houston after police found that he had a handgun in his vehicle. Texas law makes it a misdemeanor to have a gun “in plain view” in a vehicle without a license, punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.

Neither the district attorney's office nor Harden's attorney in Houston immediately responded to email and phone messages Friday seeking comment. The Cavaliers also did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Harden, 36, finished his 17th NBA season in May when the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks swept the Cavs in four games in the Eastern Conference finals. He averaged 23.6 points per game during the regular season, playing in 70 of 82 games.

He has said he'd like to remain with the Cavaliers, but he declined to exercise a $42.3 million option to return next season in favor of a longer contract. A deal has not been finalized.

Harden is an 11-time All-Star and an eight-time All-NBA selection. He earned MVP honors in the 2017-18 season while playing for the Houston Rockets, averaging 30.4 points per game. Harden led the Rockets to the Western Conference finals where they lost to the Golden State Warriors.

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This story has been corrected to show that the Rockets reached the Western Conference finals in the 2017-18 season, and didn’t win the Eastern Conference.

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

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told reporters at a military testing range in Michigan that the effort will cut months and sometimes years of the red tape that typically stifles military contractors. He pledged to grant companies access to ranges in the U.S. or those belonging to allies abroad within 30 days of them making a request through an online marketplace that went live Friday.

“It can take 12 to 18 months for a company that wants to go test the thing that can make a soldier’s life better, that can increase their lethality and that can keep them safer," Driscoll said. "That is not sufficient.”

The announcement comes as warfare rapidly changes around the globe, from the swarms of Shahed drones that Iran launched against American forces in the Middle East to Ukraine's innovations in drone technology while defending against Russia's invasion. But the Army is also opening its ranges as the Pentagon grapples with the costs of the Iran war, which has diminished the nation's stockpiles of advanced weapons that sometimes cost millions of dollars for a single missile or interceptor.

Driscoll told The Associated Press that policy changes such as making test ranges more accessible were driven in part by his observations of the war in Ukraine and how quickly that country has moved to produce new weapon systems. The Army secretary had been a key interlocutor during talks between Russia and Ukraine last year before those negotiations stalled.

Pentagon leaders have been trying to increase the tempo of production by incentivizing smaller companies to enter the market to build cheap and effective weapons. Driscoll told reporters that the Army aims to “break down every single barrier that we have put up over the last 20 or 30 years.”

“We are inviting industry to get in the mud with our soldiers, to innovate, to invest behind them,” Driscoll said in a roundtable call. “And then our commitment as an Army is we will purchase the things that will make our soldiers more lethal, more safe, and keep our country safer.”

The first company to take advantage of the new program has tested a new cruise missile at the Army’s missile test range in Morocco.

Abby Denburg, an executive with Covenant Industries, said the company “demonstrated not only the performance of the Anthem missile but also a repeatable pathway now available to every company.”

The program allows drone and missile companies to use five Army ranges to test new rockets, drones and anti-drone weapons even if that company does not have a military contract.

The effort to get weapons faster to the battlefield comes as a recent think tank analysis found that the conflict with Iran has used up more of the U.S. military’s already diminished stockpiles of advanced interceptors such as Patriot and THAAD missiles that are used to defend against air threats such as missiles and drones.

The analysis, conducted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, also noted that this shortfall could force the U.S. and its Middle Eastern allies to take more risks to conserve those air defenses.

President Donald Trump has pushed back on media coverage about the issue, telling reporters Thursday that “we need more all the time.” He claimed that certain kinds of munitions are in “virtually unlimited supply” and others are “a little bit tighter.” He didn’t offer more specifics.

Driscoll deflected questions about the nation's munitions stockpiles. He said that “we have a larger arsenal than any nation in the history of the world, and we will have an even larger arsenal with new and different and layered defenses.”

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Associated Press writer Ben Finley in Washington contributed to this report.

The video revealed more details of a chaotic scene in Twin Falls last weekend. The gunman walked up to the drive-thru window four times and opened fire, killing an In-N-Out employee, police said.

A total of 10 people were shot — inside the restaurant, directly outside, on an adjacent busy road and at a nearby visitors center lot, Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said.

Hicks said at a news conference that investigators still don’t have a motive for the shooting. The gunman, Chad Williams, 24, killed himself.

“What happened here was violent, frightening and deeply traumatic,” Hicks said.

It should have been a “normal Saturday afternoon,” he said. “Employees showing up for work. Visitors coming to see our beautiful city. Instead they were confronted with chaos, fear and now loss.”

A man who encountered the gunman is a ‘hero’

As the shooting unfolded, employees from nearby stores fled to a walking trail. When the gunman headed to the trail, he came across two people, including one with his hands in the air talking to him, according to the video.

He distracted the gunman from possibly pursuing others on the trail. Williams subsequently killed himself as police closed in. His body was found near a canyon.

“To that young man, you are a hero,” Hicks said. “Your courage, your composure, your selflessness in that moment likely gave others the time they needed to escape harm. This community is grateful for you, and we will never forget what you did that day.”

Hicks also praised the work of an off-duty state trooper and a former police officer, A.J. James, who was wounded while confronting Williams.

An off-duty officer helps the wounded

James ran toward the sound of gunfire from the drive-thru window and was shot and wounded, while the off-duty officer inside the In-N-Out exchanged gunfire with Williams through the window and directed workers out of the building, Hicks said.

He acted “heroically and unbelievably” to try to slow down the shooter, the police chief said, declining to release the off-duty officer's name.

Braxton Steube said he was the person who encountered Williams on the trail after fleeing a Dick's Sporting Good store.

“I said, ‘I have a family.’ I said, ‘You don’t have to do this. I’ll tell you whatever you want. I’ll do anything,'” Steube told KMVT-TV. “He started to like tear up a bit, it seemed. And he said to me, ‘Just get away from me, man.’”

Steube said the gunman shot at him and missed.

The Twin Falls In-N-Out, 130 miles (210 kilometers) southeast of Boise, the state capital, had opened in July as part of the chain’s expansion into Idaho.

Police identified those killed as Ashley Garibay, 23, of Stockton, California; Dale Schultz, 66, of Salt Lake City; and Christopher Claunch, 59, of Hagerman, Idaho.

Williams had briefly attended the College of Southern Idaho and previously lived in Arizona.

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Jail records show Tavaris Dewand Greene, who is listed as homeless in his arrest report, was arrested on felony battery charge following the attack.

According to a Miami police arrest report, the assault happened shortly after noon Thursday outside of Calle 8 Sports Bar and Grill near the intersection of Southwest Eighth Street and 11th Avenue.

The victim told officers she was walking east on Southwest Eighth Street when a man, who police identified as Green, was walking in the opposite direction when he suddenly approached her and punched her in the face, authorities said.

They said she fell to the ground as Greene ran westbound.

Miami police said bystanders helped the woman and called 911.

The victim was taken to HCA Florida Mercy Hospital, where doctors said she suffered a fractured nose and a laceration to her left cheek that required stitches, according to the report.

Surveillance video from a nearby businesses obtained by Local 10 News on Friday showed Green wearing a black hoodie and camouflage pants approaching the victim before cops say he punched her and fled the scene.

Miami police said they located Green near Southwest 17th Avenue and Eighth Street and detained him.

Police said they were able to identify Greene as the suspect after an officer who works out of Little Havana recognized him from the surveillance images and “previous incidents” the report states.

While at the Miami Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit office, Greene “spontaneously stated that he was fine but having a bad day because he punched someone,” according to the report.

Police said Greene later told detectives he punched someone earlier in the day, returned home, took a nap, smoked marijuana and was later detained by officers.

As of Friday afternoon, he was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was set at $150,000.

A motive for the attack is unclear at this time.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Tavaris Dewand Greene, quien figura como indigente en su reporte de arresto, fue arrestado por un cargo de agresión grave tras el ataque.

Según un reporte de arresto de la policía de Miami, la agresión ocurrió poco después del mediodía del jueves cerca de Southwest Eighth Street y 11th Avenue.

La víctima dijo a los agentes que caminaba hacia el este por Southwest Eighth Street cuando un hombre, a quien la policía identificó como Greene, caminaba en dirección opuesta y repentinamente se acercó a ella y la golpeó en el rostro, informaron las autoridades.

Indicaron que la mujer cayó al suelo mientras Greene huyó hacia el oeste.

La policía de Miami dijo que personas que se encontraban en el lugar ayudaron a la mujer y llamaron al 911.

La víctima fue trasladada al HCA Florida Mercy Hospital, donde los médicos dijeron que sufrió una fractura de nariz y una laceración en la mejilla izquierda que requirió puntos de sutura, según el reporte.

Los investigadores dijeron que recorrieron la zona y revisaron videos de vigilancia de negocios cercanos, que, según la policía, mostraban a un hombre con una sudadera negra con capucha y pantalones de camuflaje acercándose a la víctima, golpeándola y huyendo.

La policía de Miami dijo que vio a un hombre que coincidía con la descripción de Greene cerca de Southwest 17th Avenue y Eighth Street y lo detuvo.

La policía dijo que pudo identificar a Greene como el sospechoso después de que un agente que trabaja en La Pequeña Habana lo reconociera por las imágenes de vigilancia y por “incidentes anteriores”, indica el reporte.

Mientras se encontraba en la oficina de la Unidad de Crímenes Violentos del Departamento de Policía de Miami, Greene “declaró espontáneamente que estaba bien, pero que estaba teniendo un mal día porque había golpeado a alguien”, según el reporte.

La policía dijo que Greene posteriormente declaró a los detectives que había golpeado a alguien más temprano ese día, regresó a casa, tomó una siesta, fumó marihuana y posteriormente fue detenido por agentes.

Hasta la mañana del viernes, permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, donde su fianza figuraba como “por determinar”.

El motivo del ataque no está claro en este momento.

En North Miami, Espinosa abusó sexualmente de una niña cuando tenía 10 años y comenzó a violarla cuando tenía 11, según el reporte de arresto de un agente de policía.

Espinosa “perdía los estribos si ella se negaba a tener relaciones sexuales con él”, escribió un agente de policía sobre la niña de North Miami, según el reporte de arresto.

En Hialeah, Espinosa abusó sexualmente de un niño de 9 años y una niña de 9 años, según recientes reportes de arresto de agentes de policía.

“El acusado fue arrestado en Tampa, Florida, por un caso similar, actualmente está encarcelado por cargos similares”, escribió un agente de policía, según el reporte de arresto.

El Departamento de Correcciones de Miami-Dade ingresó a Espinosa, de 65 años, poco después de las 11:35 a.m. del miércoles en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight. Agentes de la policía de North Miami volvieron a arrestarlo a las 3:20 p.m. del jueves en TGKCC.

El viernes, Espinosa enfrentaba 18 cargos en tres casos en el condado Miami-Dade, según registros judiciales.

En un caso de Hialeah, Espinosa enfrentaba 14 cargos: seis cargos por participar en un acto sexual con un menor, tres cargos de conducta lasciva o indecente con un menor y cinco cargos de agresión sexual contra un menor.

En el caso de North Miami, Espinosa enfrentaba tres cargos: participar en un acto sexual con un menor, conducta lasciva o indecente con un menor y transmitir, distribuir o mostrar deliberadamente material obsceno o perjudicial a un menor.

En un segundo caso de Hialeah, Espinosa enfrentaba un cargo de conducta lasciva o indecente con un menor.

Espinosa, quien nació en Cuba, también tenía órdenes de retención del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos y del Departamento de Correcciones de Florida, según registros de reclusos.

La editora de asignaciones de Local 10 News Mercedes Cevallos contribuyó a este reporte.

Historia relacionada

• Hombre acusado de abusar sexualmente de menores durante varios años en Hialeah

The now-finalized rule, which was unveiled Thursday and kicks in Sept. 10, applies to certain aircraft under three Boeing 737 Max models: the 737-8, 737-9 and 737-8200. The FAA estimates this covers 471 planes — and said it is using this directive to address “the unsafe condition" tied to prior reports.

So far, no cracks have been found in these specific Max models. But when proposing the rule back in November, the FAA noted it had received reports of cracks in a forward bear strap for several older, “Next-Generation” 737 planes. Bear straps are metal sheets that reinforce areas on planes like doorways and emergency exits.

The Max jets have “a similar design and build process” to the older models, “making those airplanes susceptible to the same crack condition,” the FAA wrote in November. The agency warned that the issue could “adversely affect the structural integrity of the airplane" if not addressed.

In a statement, Boeing said that it previously identified and reported this issue — and “has been working with operators on it over the past six years.”

The Virginia-based aircraft maker said it sent operators inspection instructions for the affected Next Generation 737s back in 2019, and the FAA later mandated those checks in 2021. The company added that it had already expanded those inspections to Max jets — and the FAA's latest directive now similarly mandates that process.

“We support both directives and continue to support our airline customers,” Boeing said in a statement.

The FAA noted Thursday that its directive also requires inspections of the fuselage skin of planes with existing repairs.

Boeing has been battered by years of safety, quality and production challenges — notably in the aftermath of two deadly crashes involving the larger Max 8 that killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019, as well as a 2024 incident in which a panel flew off one its Max 9 planes operated by Alaska Airlines midflight.

Just last month, the FAA said Boeing would again be allowed to take responsibility for certifying all of its 737 Max and 787 planes.

Los bomberos utilizaron helicópteros para arrojar agua sobre las llamas que avanzaban por bosques de pinos cerca de Deliblatska Pescara, una reserva natural protegida a unos 65 kilómetros (40 millas) de la capital, Belgrado. Otro gran incendio se desató cerca de la ciudad central de Kraljevo.

La sofocante ola de calor que ha asfixiado a Europa en las últimas semanas ha batido récords nacionales de temperaturas en varios países, provocó sequías que han puesto a prueba los sistemas energéticos de varias naciones y ha alimentado incendios forestales desde Europa occidental hasta los Balcanes.

El fuego se acerca a núcleos urbanos en Serbia

Los incendios arden cerca de las localidades serbias de Cardak y Sumarak, en la zona de Deliblatska Pescara. La televisión regional informó que se ha pedido a los habitantes de Sumarak que abandonen sus hogares como medida de precaución. Las autoridades indicaron que ninguna vivienda se había quemado y no se reportaron víctimas por el momento.

Días de clima seco y un calor abrasador que alcanzó los 40º Celsius (104º F) han agravado el riesgo de incendios forestales. Los fuertes vientos que azotaban el país balcánico el viernes complicaban la labor de los bomberos para contener las llamas.

Tras una reunión de emergencia el viernes, el ministro del Interior, Ivica Dacic, señaló que se había incorporado al ejército para ayudar en las labores de emergencia. El gobierno pidió a las empresas estatales que aporten equipos y personal de los que puedan prescindir para ayudar a combatir el fuego. Dacic añadió que, pese a que había nueve incendios forestales activos en distintas partes del país, la situación “no era crítica”.

Los bomberos también combatían el fuego el viernes en el vecino Montenegro, cerca de la ciudad de Cetinje, y en otros puntos de la nación del mar Adriático.

La ola de calor bate récords en Europa

El clima extremo en Europa ha elevado las temperaturas por encima de los 40º C en muchos países, lo que ha derivado en advertencias sanitarias para millones de personas. Científicos y autoridades sostienen que estos episodios se están volviendo más frecuentes e intensos a medida que el clima se calienta.

En Europa central, Eslovaquia y Austria registraron esta semana máximas históricas.

En Dolne Plachtince, en el sur de Eslovaquia, los termómetros alcanzaron los 42,2º C (108º F), mientras que la aldea austríaca de Bad Deutsch-Altenburg, cerca de la frontera eslovaca, llegó a 41,2º C (106,2º F). Hungría también registró su temperatura nocturna más alta de la que se tenga registro, con valores que solo descendieron hasta 28º C (82º F) en la capital, Budapest.

En Italia, las autoridades pusieron el jueves a las principales ciudades bajo alerta máxima por calor, lo que indica un riesgo para la salud de toda la población, no solo de los grupos vulnerables.

Sequías severas afectan a los principales ríos europeos

La sequía prolongada ha dejado grandes ríos europeos como el Danubio y el Rin con niveles de agua significativamente bajos, y varios gobiernos en Europa central y oriental enfrentan emergencias energéticas como consecuencia.

Rumania continuaba el viernes una operación para hundir cuatro barcazas cargadas de rocas en el Danubio, cerca del canal de Bala, con el fin de redirigir el agua río abajo hacia su central nuclear de Cernavoda, de propiedad estatal, que depende de su caudal para enfriar sus reactores. El objetivo es ganar tiempo antes de que se pueda ver obligado a desconectar el segundo reactor, después de apagar el primero la semana pasada.

En la vecina Hungría, los operadores de la única central nuclear del país también se vieron obligados a reducir la producción a alrededor del 10% de lo habitual debido al bajo caudal del Danubio, lo que llevó al gobierno a pedir a las empresas y a la población que reduzcan el consumo de electricidad, especialmente durante las horas de más demanda.

El primer ministro del país, Péter Magyar, dijo en una conferencia de prensa el viernes que un clima ligeramente más fresco y un aumento del nivel del agua de alrededor de 20 a 30 centímetros (8 a 12 pulgadas) en el Danubio supondrían la suspensión de las medidas de ahorro energético. Además, elogió a los húngaros por haber reducido con éxito la carga de la red eléctrica.

“Nos gustaría agradecer a todos los que, durante la difícil semana que quedó atrás, se sumaron a esta cooperación nacional sin precedentes”, afirmó Magyar. “Hemos preservado la seguridad energética y del agua de Hungría”.

Según Magyar, las lluvias podrían elevar aún más el nivel del Danubio y ofrecer un “alivio temporal” en los próximos días, pero advirtió que los pronósticos de más calor y más sequía podrían hacer que el caudal volviera a disminuir.

Durante la última semana, la mayor central hidroeléctrica de Eslovaquia, en Gabčíkovo, se vio obligada a detener siete de sus ocho turbinas, y Alemania también enfrentó una creciente preocupación por el impacto de la sequía en el transporte y la industria, mientras los niveles de agua en el Rin y otros ríos seguían descendiendo.

En Moldavia, que depende en gran medida de la electricidad importada, incluida la procedente de Rumanía, las autoridades pidieron a la población que reduzca voluntariamente el consumo durante las horas pico.

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McGrath informó desde Leamington Spa, Inglaterra. El periodista de The Associated Press Justin Spike en Budapest, Hungría, contribuyó a este despacho.

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

Judges in the northern Moroccan city of Tetouan found the taxi drivers guilty of “facilitating the illegal exit of Moroccans and foreigners through unauthorized border points” and “transporting passengers without a license,” after they drove clients to the Moroccan border town of Fnideq, according to excerpts of the ruling on the Justice Ministry website.

The drivers were sentenced Monday after appearing before prosecutors without defense representation due to a nationwide lawyers’ strike. They retain the right to appeal. One vehicle was confiscated by authorities.

Dozens in pre-trial detention

The Moroccan Association of Human Rights said on Friday that 111 people are in pretrial detention following the recent Ceuta events. Charges include mass rebellion, assaulting public officials and obstruction of traffic, it said.

Morocco’s Justice Ministry and the public prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Labor unions, including the national taxi union, condemned the sentences as “shocking and harsh,” noting in a statement that “no official decision was issued imposing restrictions on passenger transport.”

“Taxi drivers cannot be held responsible for what happened,” Ali Younes, secretary general of the Tetouan branch of the national taxi union told The Associated Press. “They were punished simply for providing a public service.”

Fueled by false social media rumors that the border was open and economic hardship, tens of thousands of Moroccans crossed or swam into Ceuta, a Spanish city that sits on the North African coast, triggering a crisis resonating across Europe.

More than 80 people died on both sides of the border. Nearly all of the migrants who survived were expelled by Spanish authorities or returned voluntarily after seeing they were unwelcome. An estimated 1,000 minors remain, their future uncertain.

Officials in Spain take apart a major trafficking network

Meanwhile, European Union police agency Europol on Friday announced that an international police operation led by Spanish authorities dismantled a major criminal network involved in trafficking migrants, drugs and weapons across the Western Mediterranean. The operation resulted in 78 arrests in Spain and Algeria in June, weeks before the migrant surge into Ceuta.

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Tania Andre, founder of The Mavuno Project, shared her story as part of Local 10’s Good News South Florida series, describing how years of silence eventually led her to a mission of education, advocacy and hope.

“Storytelling is healing,” Andre said.

Breaking years of silence

Andre said she was sexually abused when she was 3 years old but kept the abuse a secret for decades.

“I was sexually abused at the age of 3 years old,” she said.

For years, she said, she chose not to speak out because she didn’t want to change how others viewed her family.

“For many years, I held onto that. I didn’t want to ruin anything that people thought about our family,” Andre said.

She remained silent until her mid-30s, even as she built a successful career as a marketing executive.

But after 17 years in the corporate world, Andre said she realized professional success could no longer outweigh the emotional burden she had carried.

“After 17 years, I called the VP of the company and I told him that I was quitting,” she said.

Andre said her faith guided her through the uncertainty that followed.

“That’s when I really had to hone into my faith and say, ‘What’s next?’” she said.

An unexpected calling

Andre said she felt led to an unlikely place — a local strip club — where she began selling jewelry and building relationships with women working there.

Over the course of more than a year, she listened as many shared stories of sexual abuse, exploitation and trafficking.

“I knew that I was in a place to be (a) light,” Andre said. “And that I needed to be a voice to let people know that this was happening.”

Those experiences inspired her to launch The Mavuno Project in 2017.

“Mavuno,” the Swahili word for “harvest,” reflects the organization’s mission to prevent human trafficking through education while offering hope to survivors.

Educating communities and preventing trafficking

Today, Andre balances her work as an advocate with life as a wife and mother, leading an organization that provides human trafficking prevention programs in schools, churches and communities.

“Our mission is to prevent human trafficking with education and a message of hope,” she said.

The nonprofit has expanded well beyond South Florida, conducting outreach in six to seven countries and helping support a safe house for survivors in Honduras.

Closer to home, The Mavuno Project has educated more than 8,000 students in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, providing resources to students, educators and families about recognizing and preventing trafficking.

Andre said the organization also encourages parents to take steps to protect children online, including using safety software on their phones.

She has found particular encouragement in working with college students.

“It’s in the college campuses that we’ve been seeing survivors starting to feel empowered,” she said.

Turning pain into purpose

Looking back, Andre says sharing her story has become part of her healing process and has allowed others to begin their own journeys toward recovery.

“I am living life now for something greater than myself,” she said. “And I think I find great joy, great joy in that.”

The Mavuno Project continues to offer educational presentations for schools, churches and community organizations while raising support for its anti-trafficking efforts both locally and abroad.

Click here for more information about The Mavuno Project or to get involved.

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Good News South Florida airs Fridays on the Local 10 morning news at 10 a.m. It will encore Fridays at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday mornings, beginning at 6 a.m.

Tania Andre, fundadora de The Mavuno Project , compartió su historia como parte de la serie Good News South Florida de Local 10 , describiendo cómo años de silencio la llevaron finalmente a una misión de educación, defensa y esperanza.

“Contar historias es terapéutico”, dijo Andre.

Rompiendo años de silencio

Andre contó que sufrió abusos sexuales cuando tenía 3 años, pero que mantuvo el abuso en secreto durante décadas.

“Sufrí abusos sexuales a los 3 años”, dijo.

Según contó, durante años optó por no hablar porque no quería cambiar la percepción que los demás tenían de su familia.

“Durante muchos años, guardé ese secreto. No quería arruinar la imagen que la gente tenía de nuestra familia”, dijo Andre.

Permaneció en silencio hasta los treinta y tantos años, incluso mientras desarrollaba una exitosa carrera como ejecutiva de marketing.

Pero después de 17 años en el mundo empresarial, Andre dijo que se dio cuenta de que el éxito profesional ya no podía compensar la carga emocional que había soportado.

“Después de 17 años, llamé al vicepresidente de la empresa y le dije que renunciaba”, dijo.

Andre dijo que su fe la guió a través de la incertidumbre que siguió.

“Fue entonces cuando realmente tuve que afianzarme en mi fe y preguntarme: ‘¿Qué sigue?’”, dijo.

Una llamada inesperada

Andre contó que se sintió atraída a un lugar inesperado —un club de striptease local— donde comenzó a vender joyas y a entablar relaciones con las mujeres que trabajaban allí.

Durante más de un año, escuchó a muchas personas compartir historias de abuso sexual, explotación y trata de personas.

“Sabía que estaba en un lugar donde podía ser una luz”, dijo Andre. “Y que necesitaba ser una voz para que la gente supiera que esto estaba sucediendo”.

Esas experiencias la inspiraron a lanzar The Mavuno Project en 2017.

“Mavuno”, palabra suajili que significa “cosecha”, refleja la misión de la organización de prevenir la trata de personas a través de la educación, al tiempo que ofrece esperanza a los supervivientes.

Educar a las comunidades y prevenir la trata de personas

En la actualidad, Andre compagina su labor como activista con su vida como esposa y madre, dirigiendo una organización que ofrece programas de prevención de la trata de personas en escuelas, iglesias y comunidades.

“Nuestra misión es prevenir la trata de personas mediante la educación y un mensaje de esperanza”, afirmó.

Esta organización sin fines de lucro se ha expandido mucho más allá del sur de Florida, realizando actividades de divulgación en seis o siete países y ayudando a mantener un refugio para sobrevivientes en Honduras.

Más cerca de casa, el Proyecto Mavuno ha educado a más de 8.000 estudiantes en los condados de Broward y Miami-Dade, proporcionando recursos a estudiantes, educadores y familias sobre cómo reconocer y prevenir la trata de personas.

Andre afirmó que la organización también anima a los padres a tomar medidas para proteger a sus hijos en internet, incluido el uso de software de seguridad en sus teléfonos.

Ha encontrado un estímulo particular trabajando con estudiantes universitarios.

“Es en los campus universitarios donde hemos visto que las sobrevivientes comienzan a sentirse empoderadas”, dijo.

Convertir el dolor en propósito

En retrospectiva, Andre afirma que compartir su historia se ha convertido en parte de su proceso de curación y ha permitido que otros inicien sus propios caminos hacia la recuperación.

“Ahora vivo la vida por algo más grande que yo misma”, dijo. “Y creo que encuentro una gran alegría, una gran alegría en eso”.

El Proyecto Mavuno continúa ofreciendo presentaciones educativas para escuelas, iglesias y organizaciones comunitarias, al tiempo que recauda fondos para sus esfuerzos contra la trata de personas tanto a nivel local como internacional.

Haz clic aquí para obtener más información sobre el Proyecto Mavuno o para participar.

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El programa Good News South Florida se transmite los viernes en el noticiero matutino de Local 10 a las 10 a. m. Se repetirá los viernes a las 3:30 p. m. y los domingos por la mañana, a partir de las 6 a. m.

The defense attorneys filed a motion for release in Miami federal court, where a judge will next week determine if the brothers should stay in jail or be released during what could be a monthslong extradition process.

The brothers have repeatedly denied wrongdoing. Prosecutors must file a response to the motion by Monday.

The detention hearing is likely to be the first time the Tates leave the Federal Detention Center in Miami since making a brief court appearance two days after their July 18 arrest. The Tates have become among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities with their promotion of wealth, male dominance and misogyny through their social media empire. The new allegations are the latest in the Tates' long-running international legal saga spanning the U.S., Britain and Romania.

The brothers claim special circumstances for their release

The defense motion acknowledges there is a presumption against bond in extradition proceedings but argues that release can be granted in special circumstances. It says the Tates’ high profile makes it nearly impossible for them to flee, and that they regularly post updates about their locations on social media.

Prosecutors call the brothers a flight risk but their attorneys said they have proved they are not, by complying with all pretrial restrictions in Romania, where they are accused of luring women for sexual exploitation.

“Every prediction the government now asks this Court to make about the brothers’ future conduct — that they will flee if released — has already been made and answered by three years of data showing that they do not flee,” the motion says.

The U.K. has until mid-September to provide evidence to the State Department to support extradition, meaning the brothers could spend months in FDC Miami before the proceedings are resolved, the motion says. No date has been set for an extradition hearing. They are being held in a special unit for their own protection.

“The Tates have limited contact with their families, no television, no radio, and no commissary access,” the motion says. “They sleep without pillows, on bunks shorter than they are tall.”

It says holding a detainee who hasn't been convicted of a crime under such conditions violates due process.

They have a history of legal troubles

The brothers have long claimed that their violent and misogynistic statements have been taken out of context or were intended as jokes.

The former professional kickboxers, who have dual U.S. and U.K. citizenship, have millions of social media followers and are vocal supporters of President Donald Trump. The White House has said the brothers shouldn't expect any help from the president.

British prosecutors said the new charges relate to four new accusers and were brought after authorities received evidence from police in Bedfordshire, in southeastern England. The allegations, which span from 2010 to 2017, include rape, assault, trafficking and offenses relating to “indecent images of a child and extreme pornography.”

The brothers are already charged with rape, bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain relating to three other accusers in the U.K. between 2012 and 2015.

The brothers moved to Romania in 2016 and were arrested there in 2022, accused of participating in schemes to lure women for sexual exploitation. They denied those allegations, and the Romanian case hasn't moved forward due to legal and procedural problems.

The Tates' attorneys have said the Romanian court has granted a U.K. request for extradition that will take effect after Romanian proceedings conclude.

“What the United Kingdom seeks now is to shop for a second forum and a second judge in order to jump ahead of the Romanian proceedings and bypass the Romanian order that deferred surrender of the brothers,” the motion said. “The Court should decline and release the brothers on conditions.”

Andrew Tate, 39, became famous a decade ago when he was a contestant on the U.K. reality television show “Big Brother.” He was ejected from the show when a video appeared to show him assaulting a woman.

He has amassed over 10 million followers on X but has been banned from other platforms, including YouTube, TikTok and Instagram, for violating hate speech guidelines. He has made widely condemned comments, such as saying women who are sexually assaulted should bear some responsibility for the attacks and sharing graphic descriptions of how he might attack women.

Tristan Tate, 38, has worked with his brother on multiple businesses, including the production of online webcam pornography.

El sospechoso fue identificado como Richard Kenneth Hughes Jr., de Milton. Los registros de la cárcel muestran que fue arrestado el jueves por el Departamento de Policía de Miami.

Según el reporte, agentes fueron enviados al área en relación con una “agresión violenta” ocurrida cerca de la intersección de Northwest First Court y Sixth Street.

La víctima dijo a la policía que caminaba hacia su trabajo cuando Hughes, a quien no conocía, se le acercó y comenzó a seguirla, mostrándose “verbalmente agresivo” antes de abalanzarse sobre ella, indica el reporte.

La policía dijo que la víctima reportó que Hughes le arrebató un paraguas y la golpeó repetidamente en el rostro con él.

“Como resultado directo del ataque, la víctima sufrió una laceración profunda en el rostro que requirió atención médica”, indica el reporte.

Un testigo dijo a los agentes que vio a Hughes golpear repetidamente a la mujer mientras ella estaba tendida en el suelo, según el reporte. El testigo dijo que la mujer no provocó el ataque y no pudo defenderse, confirmó la policía.

Los investigadores también revisaron un video de vigilancia que, según dijeron, captó el ataque. La policía dijo que otro video muestra a Hughes recogiendo una piedra grande y lanzándola hacia la víctima, fallándole por poco.

Mientras era detenido, la policía dijo que Hughes hizo una declaración que fue censurada en el reporte divulgado públicamente.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Hughes enfrenta un cargo de agresión agravada con un arma o arma de fuego que causó lesiones corporales graves y un cargo de asalto agravado con un arma mortal.

Hasta la mañana del viernes, Hughes permanecía detenido en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight, donde su fianza figuraba como “por determinar”.

El motivo del ataque continúa sin estar claro en este momento.

Este es el segundo ataque reportado en el área de Miami ocurrido el jueves.

La policía de Miami también confirmó que un hombre fue arrestado y acusado de golpear al azar a una mujer en La Pequeña Habana en un incidente no relacionado.

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The suspect was identified as Richard Kenneth Hughes Jr., of Milton. Jail records show he was arrested Thursday by the Miami Police Department.

According to the report, officers were dispatched to the area in reference to a “violent battery” that occurred near the intersection of Northwest First Court and Sixth Street.

The victim told police she was walking to work when she was approached and followed by Hughes, who was no known to her “verbally aggressive” before charging at her, the report states.

Police said the victim reported that Hughes snatched an umbrella from the victim and repeatedly struck her in the face with it.

“As a direct result of the attack, the victim sustained a deep laceration to her face requiring medical attention,” the report states.

A witness told officers he saw Hughes repeatedly strike the woman while she was lying on the ground, according to the report. The witness said the woman did not provoke the attack and was unable to defend herself, police confirmed.

Investigators also reviewed surveillance video that they say captured the attack. Police said additional video shows Hughes picking up a large rock and throwing it toward the victim, narrowly missing her.

While being detained, police said Hughes made a statement that was redacted in the publicly released report.

Jail records show Hughes is facing one count each of aggravated battery with a weapon or firearm causing great bodily harm and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

As of Friday morning, Hughes was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center, where his bond was listed as “to be set.”

A motive for the attack remains unclear at this time.

This is the second reported attack in the Miami area that occurred on Thursday.

Miami police also confirmed that a man was arrested and accused of randomly punching a woman in Little Havana in an unrelated incident.

Firefighters used helicopters to drop water on the blaze sweeping through pine forests near Deliblatska Pescara, a protected nature reserve about 65 kilometers (40 miles) from the capital, Belgrade. Another major fire raged near the central town of Kraljevo.

The blistering heat wave bearing down on Europe in recent weeks has set national temperature records in multiple countries, led to droughts that have strained national energy systems and fueled wildfires from Western Europe to the Balkans.

Fires in Serbia rage close to settlements

Fires in Serbia rage close to the settlements of Cardak and Sumarak in the Deliblatska Pescara area. Regional television reported that villagers from Sumarak have been asked to leave their homes as a precaution. Authorities said that no houses had caught fire and no casualties had been reported.

Days of dry weather and scorching heat reaching 40 degrees Celsius (104F) have worsened the wildfire risk. Strong winds across the Balkan nation on Friday complicated firefighters’ efforts to contain the blazes.

After an emergency meeting Friday, Serbia’s Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said the army had been brought in to help emergency efforts. The government urged all state companies to provide any equipment and human resources they can spare to help tackle the blazes. Dacic added that despite nine wildfires affecting various parts of the country, the situation was “not critical.”

Firefighters were also tackling blazes on Friday in neighboring Montenegro near the town of Cetinje, and other locations in the Adriatic Sea nation.

Heat wave breaks records in Europe

The extreme weather across Europe has pushed temperatures above 40 C in many countries, prompting health warnings for millions of people. Scientists and officials warn that such events are becoming more frequent and intense as the climate warms.

In Central Europe, Slovakia and Austria both recorded all-time high temperatures this week.

In Dolne Plachtince in southern Slovakia, temperatures soared to 42.2 C (108 F), while the Austrian village of Bad Deutsch-Altenburg near the Slovak border recorded 41.2 C (106.2 F). Hungary also recorded its warmest overnight temperature on record, with temperatures falling only to 28 C (82 F) in the capital, Budapest.

In Italy, officials placed all its major cities under the highest heat alert on Thursday, signaling a health risk for the entire population, not only vulnerable groups.

Severe droughts hit major European rivers

Prolonged droughts have left major European rivers such as the Danube River and Rhine River at significantly low water levels, and multiple Central and Eastern European governments are facing energy emergencies as a result.

On Friday, Romania continued an operation to sink four rock-laden barges into the Danube near the Bala Canal to redirect water downstream toward its state-owned Cernavoda nuclear plant, which relies on river water to cool its reactors. The aim is to buy more time before the second reactor is likely forced offline after its first reactor was shut down last week.

In neighboring Hungary, operators of the country’s only nuclear power plant were also forced to reduce output to about 10% of normal production due to the Danube’s low levels, prompting the government to ask businesses and the general public to cut down on their electricity use, particularly during peak hours.

On Friday, Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar told a news conference that slightly cooler weather and water level increases of around 20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 12 inches) on the Danube meant that energy-saving measures could be suspended. He praised Hungarians for successfully reducing the burden on the electrical grid.

“We would like to thank everyone who, during the difficult week that’s behind us, joined in this unprecedented national cooperation,” he said. “We have preserved Hungary’s energy and water security.”

Magyar said some rainfall could raise water levels on the Danube further and bring “temporary respite” in the coming days, but warned that more hot and dry weather in the forecast would likely lead to levels dropping again.

Over the past week, Slovakia’s biggest hydroelectric power plant in Gabčíkovo was forced to shut down seven of its eight turbines, and Germany also faced growing concerns over the impact of drought on transportation and industry as water levels on the Rhine and other rivers continued to fall.

In Moldova, which relies heavily on imported electricity, including from Romania, authorities have urged citizens to voluntarily reduce usage during peak hours.

—

McGrath reported from Leamington Spa, England. Justin Spike reported from Budapest, Hungary.

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Investigators said Mike Menard was found shot dead in his car in the 1300 block of Northwest 13th Court in the early morning hours of July 8.

On Friday, Fort Lauderdale police announced the arrest of Candacia Walker, 33, on a first-degree murder charge.

Records show she was booked into the Broward Main Jail on Thursday, where she was being held without bond.

Police did not provide any additional details on Friday, including information about a motive or what led them to arrest Walker.

Local 10 News has requested a copy of her arrest report.

Los investigadores dijeron que Mike Menard fue encontrado muerto a tiros dentro de su automóvil en la cuadra 1300 de Northwest 13th Court durante las primeras horas de la mañana del 8 de julio.

El viernes, la policía de Fort Lauderdale anunció el arresto de Candacia Walker, de 33 años, por un cargo de asesinato en primer grado.

Los registros muestran que fue ingresada el jueves en la cárcel principal de Broward, donde permanecía detenida sin derecho a fianza.

La policía no proporcionó detalles adicionales el viernes, incluida información sobre el motivo o qué los llevó a arrestar a Walker.

Local 10 News solicitó una copia de su reporte de arresto.

Annelise Camp “is now with Jesus,” her parents Johnston and Joy Camp said in a statement, weeks after a judge granted a temporary injunction in their favor. “While our hearts are broken, we trust in His perfect love, His faithfulness, and His promises.”

The family had long said she still showed signs of life and wanted more time for her to recover and explore treatment.

Breathing tubes were removed from Annelise on Monday, her grandfather Steve Camp posted online. “When this procedure was done, she passed very quickly.”

A church service for Annelise is scheduled for next Wednesday in Houston.

The Texas Right to Life organization supported the family's case.

“This victory gave the Camp family two extra months with Annelise and provided her a chance to recover from her injury,” the organization posted online.

Annelise was discovered unconscious in the hotel pool and was brought to Texas Children's Hospital in Houston. Several days later, her parents petitioned the judge, requesting that she not be tested for brain death as advised by doctors.

Court documents said Annelise’s heart was beating, although she was dependent on a ventilator, The Texas Tribune reported.

The Camps also asked that Annelise be transferred to another hospital to explore other treatment options. However, Texas Children’s stated it wanted to conduct testing to determine next steps in her medical care and that it had no imminent plans to end care for Annelise.

Texas Children’s officials said in court documents they had contacted medical facilities to ask about accepting Annelise, but 35 of the 36 have declined and the one pending hospital said it needed her to undergo brain death testing to consider transfer, the Tribune reported.

The Camps eventually were able to transfer Annelise to a hospital in Louisiana.

A state legislator, Rep. Steve Toth, told The New York Times that Annelise was brought back to Texas about a week ago and had been treated at Christus Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler. Messages seeking comment were sent to Roth and the hospital.

The Camps did not say why Annelise was removed from life support. Messages seeking comment were sent to the family.

Texas law defines brain death as the irreversible cessation of brain function. Under the law, once a patient is declared brain-dead, a hospital can withdraw life-sustaining measures.

“The big common denominator is time,” Johnston Camp told KRIV-TV in June. “And so when you have time, I know scientifically you can see a certain reading, but she is showing progressive results from her body or complexions, her vitals.”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also supported the family.

“Annelise Camp is fighting for her life and deserves a medical team that will fight just as hard,” he posted on X in June.

In July, the Camps had posted on a GoFundMe site that Annelise continued to show “encouraging signs” at the Louisiana hospital.

“We are pursuing every available option, including specialized and exploratory treatments that show promise,” they added.

Trump doesn’t have the unilateral authority to build a 90,000-square-foot (8,400-square-meter) ballroom where the White House’s East Wing stood before he ordered its demolition last fall, according to the decision by a three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

The Republican president said in a post on social media that he would be appealing what he called an “unjust decision” to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Friday's ruling marked the second time this week the Trump administration has made headlines for construction plans that have been called into question. An assessment by the National Park Service found that a 250-foot-tall (76-meter-tall) triumphal arch that Trump has proposed building could compromise the historical significance of dozens of sites near its planned location on a traffic circle between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.

In a 2-1 decision on the ballroom, the appeals court sided with historic preservationists who sued to stop construction of the massive structure, which has begun to rise aboveground on the east side of the White House, according to the most recent aerial photos of the site. The court said it would stay its ruling for two weeks to give the administration time to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the court wrote.

“This holding has nothing at all to do with whether the proposed ballroom is desirable, or not, as a matter of policy. This ruling does not even necessarily mean that the Defendants may not ultimately construct the ballroom.

“What it does mean,” the court continued, “is that the Defendants may not do so during the district court’s expeditious litigation without securing Congress’s authorization, as the Constitution and laws require.”

Trump insists Congress' approval is unnecessary

The president reacted to the ruling with a lengthy post on social media in which he quoted from a dissenting opinion issued by Judge Neomi Rao, whom he nominated. He also described the plans for the facility to include bomb shelters, a hospital and medical facilities, “Top Secret Military Facilities” and other security features.

“The Military and Secret Service are viewing this horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful ruling as a National Security threat to our Nation in that the entire Complex is being built for the protection of our Country and, additionally, all future Presidents,” Trump wrote.

After the lower court earlier this year ordered a halt to aboveground construction, the president argued that permission from Congress to build the ballroom was unnecessary because public money was not being used to pay for it.

Trump has said he has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from corporations and wealthy people, including himself, to cover the construction costs.

But the Trump administration requested $1 billion for the ballroom, which Congress refused in May. In June, Democrats warned that $350 million in funds from a tax cuts law appeared to have been redirected for the ballroom.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, the nonprofit organization that brought the lawsuit against the Trump administration, said Friday's decision affirmed “the American people's right to voice their opinions about the historic places they cherish,” including the White House.

“From the beginning, our position has been clear and consistent: the law states that only Congress can authorize the construction of a ballroom at the White House,” Brent Leggs, the group's president and CEO, said in a statement. "We are pleased with the DC Circuit Court’s decision to uphold the District Court’s preliminary injunction, which although stayed for 14 days will block any above-ground ballroom construction unless and until Congress takes action.”

The divided appeals court panel upheld an April 16 order from Leon for the Trump administration to halt aboveground work on the ballroom. Leon, who was nominated to the bench by Republican President George W. Bush, allowed construction to continue on underground work on a bunker and other “national security facilities” at the site.

The appeals court case was assigned to Judges Rao, Patricia Millett and Bradley Garcia. Millett was nominated to the court by Democratic President Barack Obama. Garcia was nominated by Democratic President Joe Biden. Both Millett and Garcia backed the decision, while Rao opposed it.

Preservationists challenge Trump in court

The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued to challenge the project in December 2025, a week after completion of the East Wing demolition to make way for a ballroom that Trump says would hold 999 people.

Government lawyers have argued that the project — the biggest structural change to the White House in more than 70 years — must move forward because it includes critical security features to guard against a range of threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards.

“These upgrades, alterations, and improvements are essential to protecting the President, his family, and his staff, as well as the White House itself, and the entire project flows from them,” government attorneys wrote in a court filing.

Attorneys for the preservation group countered that the lack of a White House ballroom doesn’t constitute a national security emergency.

“That commonsense conclusion is not clearly erroneous, and there is no basis to disturb it,” they wrote.

In an initial ruling that the government also appealed, Leon barred aboveground work on the ballroom from proceeding without congressional approval. In response, the appeals court instructed the judge to reconsider the national security implications of stopping construction.

In his most recent decision, Leon ordered a stop only to the aboveground construction of the planned ballroom. The judge stressed that the White House is free to proceed with underground work, including the construction of any bunkers, military installations and medical facilities.

On April 2, Trump’s ballroom won final approval from the 12-member National Capital Planning Commission, which is charged with approving construction on federal property in the Washington region.

___

Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta and Gary Fields and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.

Illinois state officials, meanwhile, suspended the license of one of the funeral home's directors, alleging bodies were being kept in an unrefrigerated area in “deplorable conditions."

The discovery came months after neighborhood residents began noticing a “stench” emanating from the funeral home, which led some to complain to the city.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office said it was notified by state and local officials that bodies were being stored improperly at South Chicago Chapel, and investigators and forensic pathologists were dispatched Thursday. The remains were in various states of decomposition, officials said.

“Staff is assessing the conditions of the remains, searching for documentation regarding identification of the decedents as well as death certificates. This process could take several days to ensure proper disposition,” the medical examiner's office said in a statement, adding that family notifications will be made following the identifications.

Police said Friday that their preliminary statement on the case incorrectly said that fire department officials declared the scene a hazardous materials incident.

No arrests have been announced, but city police said detectives are investigating.

Messages for the funeral home were left by phone and through its website Friday.

Funeral home client, community advocate express dismay, frustration

Later Friday, a small number of residents and people seeking information about their deceased loved ones gathered in front of the brick-walled funeral home, which is on a South Chicago street lined with trees, homes and businesses.

Latasha Johnson, 55, said her mother's funeral was held at South Chicago Chapel on Thursday before authorities arrived and she later heard of their gruesome discovery. She said authorities told her that her mother's body would have to undergo an autopsy and she would have to identify the remains in a day or two.

“I’m discombobulated,” she said. “My heart is broken.”

Blaise Von Bruchhaeuser, who described herself as a community advocate for the neighborhood, said it was upsetting that complaints about a terrible odor had been made for months before the decomposing bodies were found.

State business records show that funeral director Johanna Morgan incorporated South Chicago Chapel Inc. in 2022 and her funeral director's license was temporarily suspended on Wednesday.

The state Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said the license suspension was due to “a finding that Respondent’s continued practice is a danger to the public safety, interest and welfare due to Respondent allowing multiple decedents to be kept in an unrefrigerated area with deplorable conditions including rodent infestation, causing decomposition and maggot infestation of the bodies.”

The state business records also list Clark Morgan, who state officials say is Johanna Morgan's husband, as the funeral home's president. The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said Clark Morgan's funeral director license was revoked in 2024 for practicing with an expired license and “unprofessional conduct” that it did not specify.

Funeral home owners also ran crematory that was shut down by the state

State Comptroller Susana Mendoza said Friday that Johanna and Clark Morgan previously ran a crematory in Chicago Heights, south of Chicago, which had its license revoked last year after authorities discovered improperly stored bodies and hundreds of cremated remains that had never been returned to their families.

“Horrified. Again,” Mendoza said in a statement. “The discovery of decomposing remains waiting to be laid to rest this week at a South Side funeral home is heartbreaking and an abomination. These are people – someone’s mother, father, sister, brother, child or friend, and they deserve better.”

Both Johanna and Clark Morgan are listed in Cook County court records as defendants in connection with lawsuits involving Heights Crematory in Chicago Heights, south of Chicago.

Messages were left Friday at phone listings for the Clarks and an attorney listed in records as their business agent. Public records indicate the Clarks live in the Chicago suburb of Evergreen Park.

The case is the latest in a series of incidents involving mishandled remains over the past three years.

Last month, police arrested two men in Pueblo, Colorado, for allegedly mishandling at least two dozen decomposing bodies and other remains found behind a hidden door in a funeral home.

That followed the discovery of 18 bodies in various stages of decomposition at a funeral home in Georgia in 2024. In 2023, nearly 200 decomposing bodies were found in a building in Colorado, and another 31 decomposing bodies were discovered at an Indiana funeral home.

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Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut. Mayes-Osterman is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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The Main Development Region of the Atlantic often roars to life by middle to late August during most hurricane seasons, but this year could sound more like a murmur given the Atlantic’s unusually hostile posture.

Models appear to be keying in on two distinct disturbances for next week – the leading one exiting the African coast today and another disturbance rolling off Africa around next Tuesday.

At this stage, neither disturbance shows great promise, but low development odds are now reflected in most of our major model camps, including the traditional physics-based European and American GFS ensembles, as well as the newer AI-based modeling systems.

Interestingly on Friday, the modeling camps have flipped, with the AI-based models less enthusiastic and the traditional physics-based models a little more bullish. Google’s bellwether DeepMind machine learning-based ensemble system, which was first to pick up on the possibility of development over a week ago, has become more bearish in recent runs.

The good news is that in addition to low development odds overall, models generally keep the system weak (tropical depression or tropical storm) in the scenarios where development occurs.

Given the curtain of wind shear laid across the western Atlantic, this one should hit a major roadblock as it enters the central Atlantic next weekend (weekend of Aug. 16) into the following week (in about 10 days).

It’s unclear yet which of the two disturbances (if either) might try to develop, but models generally favor the second (trailing) disturbance set to move off Africa early next week.

Given the marginal environment for development, with lots of dry, dusty air infiltrating the tropical Atlantic next week followed by increasingly hostile wind shear, don’t expect too much out of this one other than perhaps a low-key kickoff to what’s typically the busiest -week stretch of the season.

La Región Principal de Desarrollo del Atlántico suele cobrar fuerza entre mediados y finales de agosto durante la mayoría de las temporadas de huracanes, pero este año podría mostrar una actividad más moderada debido a las condiciones inusualmente hostiles del Atlántico.

Los modelos parecen centrarse en dos perturbaciones distintas para la próxima semana: la primera está saliendo hoy de la costa africana y otra perturbación saldrá de África alrededor del próximo martes.

En esta etapa, ninguna de las dos perturbaciones muestra un gran potencial, pero las bajas probabilidades de desarrollo ahora se reflejan en la mayoría de nuestros principales modelos, incluidos los conjuntos tradicionales basados en la física, como el europeo y el GFS estadounidense, así como los nuevos sistemas de modelado basados en inteligencia artificial.

Curiosamente, el viernes los modelos cambiaron de tendencia, con los modelos basados en inteligencia artificial menos entusiastas y los modelos tradicionales basados en la física un poco más optimistas. El sistema de conjuntos basado en aprendizaje automático DeepMind de Google, considerado un referente y que fue el primero en detectar la posibilidad de desarrollo hace más de una semana, se ha vuelto más pesimista en ejecuciones recientes.

La buena noticia es que, además de las bajas probabilidades de desarrollo en general, los modelos generalmente mantienen el sistema débil, como depresión tropical o tormenta tropical, en los escenarios en los que ocurre desarrollo.

Dada la barrera de cizalladura del viento que se extiende sobre el Atlántico occidental, este sistema debería encontrar un obstáculo importante a medida que ingrese al Atlántico central el próximo fin de semana, el fin de semana del 16 de agosto, y durante la semana siguiente, en unos 10 días.

Aún no está claro cuál de las dos perturbaciones, si alguna, podría intentar desarrollarse, pero los modelos generalmente favorecen la segunda perturbación, la que viene detrás, que se espera salga de África a principios de la próxima semana.

Dado el ambiente marginal para el desarrollo, con una gran cantidad de aire seco y polvoriento que penetrará en el Atlántico tropical la próxima semana, seguido de una cizalladura del viento cada vez más hostil, no se espera demasiado de este sistema, aparte de quizás un inicio discreto de lo que suele ser el período de semanas de mayor actividad de la temporada.

1 pound of gnocchi (can be purchased or use your favorite recipe)

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup chicken stock or broth

zest of 1 lemon

Juice of ¼ lemon, freshly squeezed

8 basil leaves, torn in half

¾ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a large, wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in the cream and stock, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add a few gnocchi at a time, and cook until they float, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to the sauce and warm through.

Add the basil and cheese to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and toss well to combine all the ingredients. Serve immediately.

Abdul El-Sayed, a former public health official who narrowly beat establishment-backed Rep. Haley Stevens in a contentious primary for an open Senate seat, will be the most closely watched candidate at the event.

With less than three months before the general election where El-Sayed will face Republican Mike Rogers, the Democratic Party is under pressure to close ranks in a race that will help determine control of the Senate.

“The things that unite us are so much bigger than the things that divide us,” El-Sayed said in a Wednesday speech.

Former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, a potential presidential candidate who lives in Michigan, is also slated to attend on Friday.

Current Democratic Sen. Gary Peters’ decision to not seek reelection left the seat open. Michigan is a perennial battleground state, having voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020 and Trump again in 2024.

Stevens, who lost the primary by just under 1 percentage point, told CBS News on Thursday she was willing to campaign with El-Sayed.

“Whatever he wants me to do," she said.

That follows a messy primary campaign that occasionally got personal. El-Sayed told Semafor in early July that Stevens couldn’t “string together two coherent sentences.” In a separate interview, he called Stevens “the least capable candidate in America.”

Stevens, in turn, accused El-Sayed of chasing publicity.

“I’m the only one on this stage who doesn’t have a talent agent trying to pitch me for paid speeches,” she said during a debate against El-Sayed. “And unlike my opponent, I’m not running at the first mic or camera I see.”

Gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson, who easily won her primary, is scheduled to attend the event as well. She will face Trump-backed Rep. John James in the general election.

Also slated to attend will be Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, who is running for secretary of state; Eli Savit, who is running for attorney general; and Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party.

___

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

The agreement represents the Bills’ latest major investment in keeping much of their offensive line intact for the long term.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been announced by the team.

Torrence was selected in the second round of the 2023 draft out of the University of Florida, and was entering the final season of his rookie contract. The 26-year-old has been a starter since his rookie season and part of a line that’s played a key role in protecting Josh Allen and helped James Cook to lead the NFL in yards rushing last season.

Torrence has 57 career starts, including playoffs, and was part of a line that allowed the NFL’s fewest sacks in both 2023 and 2024.

The group has been mostly together since 2024. The only change entering this season is at left guard, with Alec Anderson and Austin Corbett competing for the starting job left open following David Edwards’ free-agent departure to New Orleans in March.

Otherwise, the four returning starters, including left tackle Dion Dawkins, are now under contract through at least the 2027 season.

In March, the Bills signed center Connor McGovern to a four-year, $52 million contract to prevent him from entering free agency.

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

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The TSA checkpoints for concourses E, F and G, along with surrounding areas, are reopening after being temporarily closed.

Travelers heading to MIA should continue to allow extra time as operations return to normal.

Los puntos de control de la TSA para las salas E, F y G, junto con las áreas circundantes, están reabriendo después de haber sido cerrados temporalmente.

Los viajeros que se dirijan al Aeropuerto Internacional de Miami (MIA) deben continuar tomando tiempo adicional mientras las operaciones vuelven a la normalidad.

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Authorities said two men attempted to rob a food delivery driver near Northwest 35th Avenue and Northwest 203rd Street around 2 p.m.

A barrage of gunfire was captured on a nearby doorbell camera.

“I just hear a shower of bullets. Boom -- like seven times,” witness Hector Joch said.

“Just bah, bah, bah,” another witness, Luis Ordonez, said.

Cellphone video from the scene appeared to show a man lying on the ground after the shooting. Witnesses said he was wearing a black ski mask.

“He was wearing a black ski mask, but it wasn’t fully on his face,” witness Isabell Ordonez said. “He was having trouble breathing.”

Another man was captured on camera pacing while talking on the phone.

A 911 caller reported that the food delivery driver had shot one of the people who allegedly tried to rob him.

A source told Local 10 News the two men attempted to rob the delivery driver.

“I think he has a right to defend himself. Everyone has a right to defend themselves,” resident Anaaya Khan said.

Video from Sky 10 appeared to show a sum of cash, sandals and a handgun near a Toyota.

“Very shocking. We’ve been living here for five years, and this is the first time something like this happened,” Joch said.

As evidence markers covered the scene, the alleged suspect who was shot was airlifted to an area hospital, where he died.

Miami Gardens police are searching for the second suspect.

“It’s not good for the people living here,” Khan said.

The delivery driver remained at the scene and was detained.

The identity of the dead suspect has not been released, and there was no word on whether the second suspect had been arrested.

Las autoridades dijeron que dos hombres intentaron robar a un conductor de entrega de comida cerca de Northwest 35th Avenue y Northwest 203rd Street alrededor de las 2 p.m.

Una ráfaga de disparos fue captada por una cámara de timbre cercana.

“Solo escuché una lluvia de balas. Boom, como siete veces”, dijo el testigo Hector Joch.

“Solo bah, bah, bah”, dijo otro testigo, Luis Ordonez.

Un video de celular de la escena parecía mostrar a un hombre tendido en el suelo después de la balacera. Testigos dijeron que llevaba un pasamontañas negro.

“Llevaba un pasamontañas negro, pero no cubría completamente su rostro”, dijo la testigo Isabell Ordonez. “Tenía dificultades para respirar”.

Otro hombre fue captado por una cámara caminando de un lado a otro mientras hablaba por teléfono.

Una persona que llamó al 911 reportó que el conductor de entrega de comida había disparado contra una de las personas que presuntamente intentaron robarlo.

Una fuente dijo a Local 10 News que los dos hombres intentaron robar al conductor de entrega.

“Creo que tiene derecho a defenderse. Todos tienen derecho a defenderse”, dijo la residente Anaaya Khan.

Un video de Sky 10 parecía mostrar una cantidad de dinero en efectivo, sandalias y una pistola cerca de un Toyota.

“Muy impactante. Hemos estado viviendo aquí durante cinco años y esta es la primera vez que ocurre algo así”, dijo Joch.

Mientras marcadores de evidencia cubrían la escena, el presunto sospechoso que recibió un disparo fue trasladado en helicóptero a un hospital de la zona, donde murió.

La policía de Miami Gardens busca al segundo sospechoso.

“No es bueno para las personas que viven aquí”, dijo Khan.

El conductor de entrega permaneció en la escena y fue detenido.

La identidad del sospechoso muerto no ha sido divulgada y no se informó si el segundo sospechoso había sido arrestado.

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Authorities said the shooting occurred at the bank in the 12000 block of Northwest Eighth Street, near the corner of Southwest 122nd Avenue and Northwest Eighth Street.

According to the preliminary investigation, MDSO Midwest District deputies responded to the scene around 3:20 a.m. and found a man sitting inside a vehicle suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his lower extremities.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue said medics transported the man, who has not been identified, as a trauma alert to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital shortly before 3:30 a.m. He was listed in stable condition.

Hours later, the parking lot remained taped off, with multiple deputies still on scene. A brown Honda Civic was parked with its doors open, and clothing could be seen on the ground nearby. A black Honda SUV was also parked in the lot.

Three men and one woman were at the scene speaking with deputies. No one appeared to be detained.

MDSO has not released additional details on the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing.

Las autoridades dijeron que la balacera ocurrió en el banco ubicado en la cuadra 12000 de Northwest Eighth Street, cerca de la esquina de Southwest 122nd Avenue y Northwest Eighth Street.

Según la investigación preliminar, agentes del Distrito Midwest de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade (MDSO) respondieron a la escena alrededor de las 3:20 a.m. y encontraron a un hombre sentado dentro de un vehículo que sufría una aparente herida de bala autoinfligida en las extremidades inferiores.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue informó que paramédicos transportaron al hombre, quien no ha sido identificado, como alerta de trauma al HCA Florida Kendall Hospital poco antes de las 3:30 a.m. Su condición fue reportada como estable.

Horas después, el estacionamiento permanecía acordonado, con varios agentes todavía en la escena. Un Honda Civic marrón estaba estacionado con las puertas abiertas y se podía ver ropa en el suelo cerca del vehículo. Una SUV Honda negra también estaba estacionada en el lugar.

Tres hombres y una mujer se encontraban en la escena hablando con los agentes. Ninguno parecía estar detenido.

La MDSO no ha divulgado detalles adicionales sobre la balacera. La investigación continúa en curso.

A sus 48 años, De la Espriella sucederá al progresista Gustavo Petro tras imponerse en una reñida segunda vuelta el 21 de junio al oficialista Iván Cepeda en su primera incursión en la política. De la Espriella compitió como un "outsider" que se financió con la fortuna que amasó como abogado y empresario.

“El Tigre”, como le gusta denominarse, prestará juramento a las 20:00 GMT ante el Congreso reunido en un auditorio universitario en Cali, rompiendo con la tradición de realizar el acto protocolar en Bogotá.

Para la jura presidencial arribaron el rey Felipe VI de España y presidentes de la región como el argentino Javier Milei, el ecuatoriano Daniel Noboa, el panameño José Raúl Mulino, el paraguayo Santiago Peña, el chileno José Antonio Kast y el hondureño Nasry Asfura. También llegaron el primer ministro de Curazao, Gilmar Pisas, y el fiscal general encargado de Estados Unidos, Todd Blanche.

De la Espriella sostuvo reuniones con varios mandatarios. “¡Viva la libertad, carajo!", exclamó el colombiano al saludar a Milei haciendo uso del latiguillo del libertario argentino. Y añadió en referencia a los apodos de ambos: "aquí están El Tigre y El León”.

También se encuentra en Cali el presidente de la FIFA, Gianni Infantino, quien tuvo un encuentro con niños futbolistas. No se ha confirmado si asistirá a la jura presidencial.

La seguridad es el principal reto de la juramentación. Las autoridades desplegaron varios retenes para registrar vehículos, buscando posibles sospechosos o explosivos.

Después de la toma de posesión del cargo, De la Espriella se desplazaría a un batallón militar. El dirigente busca advertir a los ilegales que deben entregarse o, de lo contrario, serán declarados “objetivo militar”.

De la Espriella quiere lidiar con la violencia en Colombia con una política opuesta a la de Petro, por lo que cerrará las mesas de negociación con los grupos armados ilegales alegando que la política de paz fracasó.

Las economías ilegales, como el narcotráfico y la minería ilegal, son disputadas por estructuras como las disidencias de las extintas Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) que no se acogieron al acuerdo de paz firmado hace una década, el cártel Clan del Golfo y la guerrilla Ejército de Liberación Nacional.

Impacto en la región

De la Espriella, con nacionalidad colombo-estadounidense, llega al poder luego de recibir el respaldo de Donald Trump y en medio de la preocupación regional por la delincuencia, la inmigración y la economía.

“Su llegada al poder va a reforzar este giro hacia la derecha que atraviesa buena parte de América Latina”, indicó a The Associated Press Glaeldys González, del International Crisis Group para los Andes.

De la Espriella se propone unir a Colombia al “Escudo de las Américas” que surgió de la cumbre realizada por Trump en marzo con países de América Latina para combatir a los cárteles de las drogas.

Además anticipó que reanudará las relaciones diplomáticas con Israel y las romperá con Cuba y Nicaragua por considerarlas “tiranías”.

Férrea oposición

De la Espriella enfrentará una robusta oposición de Petro, quien señaló un supuesto fraude electoral del que no mostró pruebas. El presidente saliente ha dicho que continuará insistiendo en la “ilegitimidad” del gobierno conservador.

Pero al salir el viernes del palacio presidencial Petro afirmó que estaba acatando la voluntad del pueblo. “Dijeron que me quedaría en este edificio y no...el mandato popular se respeta”.

El director de la consultora Colombia Risk Analysis, Sergio Guzmán, dijo a AP que Petro va a ser “incesante” y “ácido” como opositor en un intento de robustecer su liderazgo.

En Cali, donde hay un amplio sector que apoya a Petro, organizaciones sociales y estudiantiles se manifestaban el viernes. También se desarrollaban protestas en Bogotá y Barranquilla.

"Aquí estamos defendiendo la dignidad, resistiendo y haciendo manifestar que él (Espriella) acá no ganó y se lo hacemos saber”, dijo a AP Sebastián Ocampo, de 25 años, en Puerto Resistencia, una zona residencial de Cali.

Petro ha instado a los movimientos sociales del suroeste del país a organizar “milicias populares” para defenderse de eventuales ataques de lo que llamó el “fascio” y pidió a sus simpatizantes prepararse para una “huelga general” en caso de que traten de encarcelarlo cuando deje el cargo.

La Policía de Lighthouse Point informó que los agentes respondieron alrededor de las 10:13 a.m. a una vivienda cerca de la cuadra 2600 de Northeast 52nd Street tras recibir reportes de una “mordedura de animal”.

La Policía indicó que el ataque ocurrió después de que dos perros escaparan de un patio cercado y comenzaran a deambular por el vecindario. Señalaron que los perros se encontraron con un perro más pequeño en el porche delantero de una vivienda cercana, donde uno de los perros sueltos lo atacó.

Indicaron que el dueño del perro pequeño y varios vecinos intentaron separar a los animales, pero no lo lograron. Entonces, el dueño sacó un arma y mató al perro que atacaba en un esfuerzo por detener el ataque.

La Policía informó que el segundo perro suelto huyó y posteriormente se encontró con otro residente cerca del lugar, al que mordió en una pierna y le causó una herida por punción antes de abandonar el área. Más tarde, el perro regresó a su residencia, donde quedó asegurado por la persona encargada de su cuidado.

Paramédicos de Lighthouse Point Fire Rescue evaluaron al residente herido en el lugar. Posteriormente, el residente decidió buscar tratamiento médico adicional por su cuenta, informó la Policía.

Indicaron que el perro pequeño sufrió heridas graves y fue llevado por su dueño a un hospital veterinario local para recibir tratamiento.

Vecinos dijeron a Local 10 News que escucharon gritos y salieron rápidamente de sus casas, donde encontraron al perro de mayor tamaño atacando el cuello del perro pequeño. Los residentes también describieron el vecindario como una zona popular para familias y personas que pasean a sus perros.

La Policía informó que personal del condado Broward también respondió al lugar e investigó el incidente.

Las autoridades ahora trabajan para determinar de dónde provenían los dos perros que atacaron y las circunstancias que llevaron al ataque.

Indicaron que hasta el jueves no se habían presentado cargos. La investigación continúa.

Cualquier persona con información adicional sobre este incidente debe comunicarse con el Departamento de Policía de Lighthouse Point al 954-942-8080.

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Five Democrats and four Republicans are seeking their parties’ nominations to succeed embattled Democratic Hawaii Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, who pleaded not guilty in July to bribery charges stemming from her 2022 campaign when she was a state lawmaker.

Hawaii’s lieutenant governorship has long been a steppingstone to higher office in the state. Democratic Gov. Josh Green and Democratic U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz all served as lieutenant governor. The governor and lieutenant governor are elected individually and do not run on the same ticket.

The Democratic field includes Kauai County Mayor Derek Kawakami, state Rep. Della Au Belatti and former state Deputy Attorney General John Choi. Kawakami has led in fundraising. He also has the backing of a political action committee tied to the carpenters union that has spent roughly $2 million on his behalf, according to state campaign finance records.

Republican Daniel Anthony was the top spender among his primary opponents for the first few weeks of July, but at about $6,900, it was a fraction of spending by the leading Democratic candidates.

Luke has been on an unpaid leave of absence since April. Green named state official Keith Regan as acting lieutenant governor. Regan isn’t running for a full term.

Green is seeking reelection as governor. He faces three Democratic primary challengers. Republicans have a two-way primary.

In the 1st Congressional District, Democratic U.S. Rep. Ed Case seeks a seventh full term but first must overcome four primary challengers, including state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole.

Keohokalole has criticized Case for crossing party lines in April 2025 to support Trump’s signature election legislation, known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or the SAVE Act. The Republican president's legislation would, among other things, require voters to prove their U.S. citizenship when registering for federal elections.

Case has said, including in a recent Hawaii Public Radio interview, that the version of the SAVE Act he voted for provided accommodations for voters who don’t present the required documentation, including signing a written attestation of their citizenship. He has voted against subsequent versions of the bill that didn’t provide those accommodations.

Case and Keohokalole were evenly matched in terms of campaign fundraising and spending, although Case had a sizable advantage in terms of cash in the bank heading into the campaign’s final stretch.

The winner will face Republican Adriel Lam, who is unopposed in the primary.

Hawaii’s 1st Congressional District is heavily Democratic. Case won reelection in 2024 with about 72% of the vote. Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris received about 62% of the district vote in the presidential election against Trump.

About half of Hawaii's 25 state Senate seats and all 51 state House seats are up in 2026. Democrats hold overwhelming majorities in both chambers.

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

When do polls close?

Polls close at 7 p.m. local time, which is 1 a.m. ET Sunday.

What’s on the ballot?

The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in contested primaries for governor, lieutenant governor, U.S. House, state Senate and state House.

Who gets to vote?

Any registered voter in Hawaii may participate in any party’s primary.

How many voters are there?

As of the November 2024 general election, there were about 861,000 registered voters in Hawaii.

How many people actually vote?

About 195,000 voters cast ballots in the 2024 Democratic U.S. Senate primary and about 54,000 in the Republican primary. Turnout was higher in the 2022 primaries for governor. About 251,000 Democratic primary voters and about 76,000 Republican primary voters cast ballots that year.

About 91,000 voters cast ballots in the 1st Congressional District Democratic primary in 2024.

How much of the vote is cast early or by absentee ballot?

Hawaii conducts its elections primarily by mail. Ballots are mailed to all registered voters. Less than 2% of 2024 state primary voters cast their ballots in person.

As of Tuesday, about 179,000 ballots had already been cast in Saturday’s election.

When are early and absentee votes released?

All four counties in Hawaii tend to release most of their results from early in-person and mail voting in their first vote updates of the night, before any in-person Election Day votes are released. Almost all results are released by the final election night vote update.

How long does vote-counting usually take?

Hawaii typically has three vote updates after polls close: the first at roughly 1:30 a.m. ET, the second at roughly 4:30 a.m. ET, and the third and final in the early hours of the Monday following the election.

In the 2024 state primary, the AP first reported results at 1:22 a.m. ET, or 22 minutes after polls closed. The last vote update of the night was at 4:48 a.m. ET, with about 92% of total votes counted.

In the 2022 state primary, the first results were available at 1:58 a.m. ET, and the last election night update was at 4:45 a.m. ET, with about 86% of total votes counted.

When will the AP declare a winner?

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

How do recounts work?

Recounts in Hawaii are automatic if the vote margin is 100 votes or less, or 0.25% of the total votes cast for a contest, whichever is smaller. The AP may declare a winner in a race that is subject to a recount if it can determine the lead is too large for a recount or legal challenge to change the outcome.

Are we there yet?

As of Saturday, there will be 87 days until the 2026 midterm elections.

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

About 1 in 5 Americans who have sought financial advice in the past year turned to AI, the survey found. But among U.S. adults overall, only about 3 in 10 have “a great deal” or “some” confidence in its expertise for managing money, according to the survey, including just 3% who trust AI “a great deal.”

The poll, which was conducted in the spring and looked at the views of adults who are at least 21, found a disconnect between the resources Americans trust for financial advice and the ones they actually rely on. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults have at least “some” confidence in financial advisers. But only about one-third of U.S. adults who sought financial advice turned to a professional financial adviser, with far more, 73%, saying they relied on their own internet research.

As the use of AI increases, financial experts say consumers should be cautious about fully trusting these tools. Using AI as a tool at the start of a learning journey and then combining this knowledge with other trusted sources can be the best way to engage with new and traditional financial guidance tools, said Taha Choukhmane, associate professor at MIT’s Sloan School of Management.

“I would encourage people to use AI to explain and define,” Choukhmane said. “If you’re interested in knowing what the stock market is, what the difference between a mutual fund and an index fund is. Using AI to explain these concepts can be very useful because it can empower people to get the most out of these methods.”

Most Americans have sought financial guidance from at least one source in the past year, the survey found. In addition to those who said they used internet research, financial advisers, or AI, 35% went to a parent, sibling, or relative, while 26% got information from news, media or social media. About 2 in 10 said they turned to a friend or an author, speaker, or influencer, and fewer relied on an employer or retirement plan provider, a robo-advisor or a teacher or professor.

Younger generations are more likely to say they’ve used AI for financial advice, while older adults are more likely to have turned to a professional financial adviser.

Affordability can often deter younger adults from hiring a financial adviser. While doing research online, asking family and friends and using AI can have minimal costs, hiring a professional can require a bigger financial commitment. About a quarter of Gen Z and millennial adults who looked for financial advice in the past year went to AI, compared to 16% of Gen Xers and just 7% of baby boomers. But while only 14% of Gen Z adults and 21% of millennials who sought guidance turned to a professional financial adviser, that rose to 34% of Gen X adults and about half, 55%, of baby boomers.

Since AI interacts with specific user prompts, the advice can vary depending on how questions are asked. But asking general questions about personal finance can help people understand complex financial terms. Choukhmane also recommends asking AI to provide references to trusted sources to verify the information provided.

While AI can be utilized for research, some financial experts are skeptical about the legal responsibilities of the technology. Certified financial planners have a legal responsibility to give the most fitting advice while AI tools don't. Ultimately, the decisions a person makes based on AI advice are their responsibility.

“Fiduciary responsibility is very real," said Bobbi Rebell, certified financial planner and founder of Financial Wellness Strategies. “There’s no AI that is a fiduciary. It doesn’t really know your life; it’s not asking you all the questions."

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Amelia Thomson-Deveaux, AP’s editor for polling and surveys, contributed to this report from Washington.

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

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The poll of 5,075 U.S. adults ages 21 and older was conducted March 20-April 6, 2026, using a sample drawn from Gallup's probability-based panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for U.S. adults overall is plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.

Blanche’s prospective confirmation appeared threatened earlier Friday, when Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced her opposition. Murkowski cited concern that the administration could proceed with a $1.8 billion fund to compensate Trump allies, despite Blanche formally terminating it.

Also, an appeals court has ruled Trump must seek approval from Congress to build his proposed White House ballroom, saying construction must stop. The U.S. Court of Appeals sided with historic preservationists who sued to stop construction. The court said it would stay its own ruling for two weeks to allow the administration to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Here's the latest:

Senate confirms 74 Trump nominations, including TSA leader and ambassador to Brazil

The Senate also confirmed David Cummins as head of the Transportation Security Administration, an agency facing persistent challenges, particularly after this year’s record partial government shutdown left TSA employees working for weeks without pay.

He is taking over as the Trump administration seeks to expand private airport screening and cut thousands of TSA jobs.

Daniel Perez, a close friend of Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a former speaker of Florida’s House of Representatives, was confirmed to be the next U.S. ambassador to Brazil. Perez has been central to an ongoing diplomatic dispute between the Trump administration and the government of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Earlier this week, the State Department said the Brazilian government’s refusal to accept Perez’s appointment was a main reason for its decision to revoke the visa of Brazil’s ambassador to the United States.

Senate confirms Cameron Hamilton to lead FEMA

The Senate on Friday confirmed Cameron Hamilton as head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, returning the former Navy SEAL to the embattled agency he led temporarily last year only to be fired after he publicly opposed eliminating it.

He will take over an agency whose future has been uncertain since Trump threatened to get rid of it days into his second term. Hamilton’s nomination signaled that Trump may be moving on from that idea, but his Republican administration is still promising drastic changes in how the government handles disasters.

Hamilton will have to shepherd that overhaul while stabilizing an agency of more than 20,000 employees recovering from a slew of chaotic policies enacted during Kristi Noem’s tenure leading the Department of Homeland Security.

He was among a group of 74 nominations approved by the Senate 51-47.

Ukraine’s foreign minister commends Senate for passing Russia sanctions bill

Andrii Sybiha called it “an important step” to further strengthening the sanctions regime against Russia.

“This landmark legislation is a powerful demonstration of America’s global leadership. I extend my sincere gratitude to the members of the U.S. Senate for their leadership, their principled bipartisan support, and their enduring solidarity with Ukraine. Together, we are bringing a lasting peace closer,” Sybiha said in a post on X.

Senate passes sweeping Russia sanctions bill negotiated by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham

Passage of the bill Friday signals renewed bipartisan support for Ukraine as the war drags on.

The legislation would penalize countries that continue to buy Russian oil, gas and other exports. It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the Capitol late last month and watched from the gallery as the Senate took the first procedural votes on the legislation.

The legislation allows the president to impose tariffs on the world’s top five purchasers of Russian oil or natural gas, including China and India. The package next goes to the House.

Army secretary gets inspiration from Ukraine’s weapons advancements

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told The Associated Press that policy changes like making test ranges more accessible to private companies developing drones and missiles have been driven in part by his observations of the war in Ukraine and how quickly that country has moved to produce new weapon systems.

He had been a key interlocutor during talks between Russia and Ukraine last year before those negotiations stalled.

Hillary Clinton blasts Trump’s White House changes

The former first lady and secretary of state said the president’s changes to the White House, such as gold trims added through the building, recall the decor of Saddam Hussein’s palaces.

“I had meetings in some of his palaces and they were quite reminiscent of what we are seeing in our own White House,” Clinton said in a podcast with Kara Swisher posted on Friday.

Clinton said she wasn’t opposed to the idea of a ballroom, noting the need during her White House days to hold events in a tent if there were too many guests. But she said she was opposed to Trump’s lack of process.

“The next president is going to have a big decision,” she said. “What do you do with a half-finished ballroom?”

Graham gives closing argument for her brother’s Russia sanctions bill

Sen. Darline Graham of South Carolina has given the closing arguments for a bill that aims to penalize countries that purchase Russian oil and gas, depriving President Vladimir Putin of resources for his war against Ukraine.

The bill is named after her late brother, Lindsey Graham, who spent more than a year trying to win support for the measure before he died.

Darline Graham said the legislation her brother helped craft “hits Putin where it hurts.”

She says lawmakers had a choice to stand up to evil or continue with the status quo.

“It’s time for a show of strength,” she said.

Colleagues from both parties applauded as she closed, something they rarely do after Senate speeches, an acknowledgment of just how personal the bill was for her brother.

Trump says he will appeal ruling on ballroom, which he calls a 'desperately needed Military Center'

The president reacted to the ruling with a lengthy post on social media.

In it, he said he will appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, quoted from a dissenting opinion issued by one of the judges and described the plans for the facility to include bomb shelters, a hospital and medical facilities, “Top Secret Military Facilities” and other security features.

“The Military and Secret Service are viewing this horrendous, politically motivated, and unlawful ruling as a National Security threat to our Nation in that the entire Complex is being built for the protection of our Country and, additionally, all future Presidents,” Trump wrote.

He also repeated his false claims that it will not cost taxpayer money. Congress refused the Trump administration’s request for $1 billion for the ballroom in May. In June, Democrats warned that $350 million in funds appeared to have been redirected for the ballroom.

Trump administration pledges $2B for humanitarian assistance to faith-based organizations

The State Department announced the commitment with little fanfare on Thursday. The money will primarily find Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision and Compassion International, it said.

The move “underscores the Trump administration’s commitment to partnering with organizations that demonstrate faith in action and have proven their ability to deliver health and humanitarian assistance in the world’s most difficult environments.”

The three groups are all Christian charities and have been active in combatting the recent Ebola virus outbreak in Africa as well as delivering assistance in the Middle East and Latin America.

National Trust for Historic Preservation reacts to ballroom ruling

Brent Leggs, the nonprofit organization’s president and CEO, said the appeals court ruling affirmed “the American people’s right to voice their opinions about the historic places they cherish,” including the White House.

“This is a great day for our country,” Leggs said. “From the beginning, our position has been clear and consistent: the law states that only Congress can authorize the construction of a ballroom at the White House. We are pleased with the DC Circuit Court’s decision to uphold the District Court’s preliminary injunction, which although stayed for 14 days will block any above-ground ballroom construction unless and until Congress takes action.”

Army pushes for faster weapons development under new test range initiative

The U.S. Army says it’s opening up test ranges to private companies developing missiles, drones and other weapons in hopes of buying them more quickly for use on the battlefield.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told reporters Friday at a range in Michigan that the effort will cut the red tape that can stifle military contractors. He pledged to grant companies access to ranges within 30 days of making a request through an online marketplace.

The announcement comes as warfare is rapidly changing around the globe, particularly with the use of cheap drones in Ukraine and Iran. The Pentagon also is grappling with the costs of the Iran war, which has diminished the nation’s stockpiles of advanced weapons.

Trump says he kept Ogles endorsement out of loyalty

The president tried to explain away why Rep. Andy Ogles, one of his handpicked endorsements, lost his primary in Tennessee on Thursday night.

“Last night was another good night for Endorsements, 8-1, and the 1 was a person who I remained loyal to even though he had virtually no chance of winning,” Trump wrote on social media on Friday, referring to Ogles.

Trump takes great pride in his endorsements and the mostly winning record he has in Republican primaries.

Ogles was defeated by former state Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Hatcher. The president said Friday that Hatcher is a “Great ‘Trump’ Candidate” and that he now has his “Complete and Total Endorsement!”

Cassidy acknowledges political tightrope on Blanche vote

The senator nodded to the realities of being a Republican who doesn’t reflexively align with Trump.

“Mr. Blanche has become a referendum on how people feel about President Trump,” he said. “This process should be about Mr. Blanche.” He added, with emotion, “I’ll be criticized for this vote, but what’s new.”

Cassidy criticized Blanche for initially approving a $1.8 billion fund to compensate Jan. 6 rioters, among others, and for endorsing a tax immunity deal for Trump.

“Mr. Blanche is not perfect,” Cassidy said, before arguing essentially that Blanche is likely better than anyone else Trump could nominate.

Cassidy didn’t acknowledge Trump’s saying in an interview released Friday that he’d keep Blanche as acting attorney general if the Senate rejected him.

In either instance — Blanche’s confirmation or continuing as acting chief — the president could fire him at any point, a legal reality Cassidy glossed over in his stated reasoning.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation sued over the ballroom project in December

That came a week after the White House finished demolishing the East Wing to make way for a ballroom Trump said would fit 999 people.

Government lawyers have argued that the project — the biggest structural change to the White House in more than 70 years — includes critical security features to guard against a range of threats, such as drones, ballistic missiles and biohazards.

“These upgrades, alterations, and improvements are essential to protecting the President, his family, and his staff, as well as the White House itself, and the entire project flows from them,” government attorneys wrote in a court filing.

Attorneys for the preservation group countered that the lack of a White House ballroom doesn’t constitute a national security emergency.

Cassidy says confirming Blanche is better than Trump picking someone else

The Louisiana senator seemingly secured confirmation for the president’s acting attorney general after weeks of Senate wrangling.

Cassidy affirmed on the Senate floor that he still worries about Trump’s influence over the Justice Department, especially the prospects of a $1.8 billion fund for possible payouts to the president’s supporters who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. But Cassidy said, essentially, that confirming Blanche is better than allowing Trump to pick another potential Justice Department chief.

“This is not a referendum on President Trump, it is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances,” Cassidy said.

Republicans Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine had already said they wouldn’t support Blanche’s confirmation, effectively leaving his confirmation up to Cassidy.

Cassidy voted to convict Trump on impeachment charges in 2021. He lost a Republican primary earlier this year after the president endorsed his opponent.

Appeals court orders halt to White House ballroom construction

An appeals court has ruled President Trump must seek approval from Congress to build his proposed White House ballroom, saying construction must stop.

The U.S. Court of Appeals sided with historic preservationists who sued to stop construction. The court said it would stay its own ruling for two weeks to allow the administration to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Whether or not a massive ballroom should be constructed is for Congress to decide and is not a matter for Executive self-help,” the court wrote.

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Sen. Cassidy supports Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy said Friday he’ll back Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general, likely paving the way for Blanche to be confirmed to lead President Trump’s Justice Department.

The Louisiana senator announced his support on the Senate floor after Blanche’s confirmation was thrown into doubt over opposition from two other Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.

Blanche’s path to confirmation has been complicated over a settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service that’s drawn intense scrutiny by Republicans and Democrats alike.

The settlement called for the creation of a $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who feel mistreated by the criminal justice system and provided Trump and family members with immunity from tax audits.

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ICE will release body camera video only when seen in the agency’s ‘best interests,’ policy says

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is moving to equip officers with body cameras in the next two months but the agency’s policy gives it broad control over what footage will be made public by specifying any releases must be in its “best interests.”

After years of delays, ICE said its field officers nationwide will have body-worn cameras by the end of September. The rollout comes after recent fatal shootings by officers enforcing President Trump’s immigration crackdown have intensified pressure for accountability the cameras could provide.

But the agency’s body-worn camera policy could mean taxpayers who are pitching in tens of millions of dollars to pay for the cameras may be kept in the dark about some high-profile confrontations, at least in their immediate aftermath.

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‘I’m very good at grass.’ Why Trump goes into the weeds on one of his favorite topics

President Trump will tell you: The grass is always greener on his side of the fence.

And tell you. And tell you.

Trump has spoken repeatedly of his prowess with green lawns since returning to the White House — at some events even spending more time talking about it than the war in Iran, the economy or November’s midterm elections.

It was on the president’s mind just five weeks after his second inauguration, when he pointed out the Oval Office window during an interview with The Spectator. “You see the grass outside, right?” he asked before detailing his plans to pave over much of it. “Some people would like to leave it. But the problem is, you can’t.”

Trump has kept on the topic constantly ever since. All told, he’s mentioned grass in at least 45 public events or interviews over the past 18 months — or at least once every 12 days. That doesn’t include the numerous social media posts he’s also made on the topic.

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Trump bounces between confidence and pragmatism on midterms

The president maintained that Republicans can hold onto control of Capitol Hill and he told Punchbowl News he’s “working hard” to make it happen.

“I’m going to fight,” he said, noting this week’s trip to western states and the upcoming GOP midterm convention that was his idea.

Still, Trump noted the historical trends that go against Republicans. “Even good presidents, they tend to lose in the midterms,” he said.

He even called House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries a “nice guy” and recalled a “good meeting” with him, even though he and the would-be speaker have been “harsh” with one another publicly.

Trump also pushed back against the idea that his presidency would effectively end if Democrats win a majority in the House, Senate or both.

“To some degree,” he said. But he nodded to the presidential veto. “I have great blocking power,” he said. “I’m a great blocker.”

A deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz may require a compromise from Trump

Any concession would be tough for the Republican president, who’s insisted there’s no truth to his sagging poll numbers, the sluggish economy and the U.S. military’s dwindling stockpiles of key weapons following the Iran war he launched with Israel more than five months ago.

“He divides the world into winners and losers, and this would make him a loser,” said Eliot Cohen, who served as counselor of the State Department in the George W. Bush administration. “And the image of being a loser, I think, would be intolerable for him.”

The sticking point has been over control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil normally flows. While both sides say a deal is close, the Trump administration has ruled out any arrangement that would cement Iran’s grip over the waterway, including Tehran charging fees.

But Iran has insisted on some measure of control, saying the strait will not go back to being an open international waterway as it was before the war.

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Trump backs Johnson as House leader but is less enthusiastic about Sen. Thune

The president praised House Speaker Mike Johnson, a stalwart Trump loyalist, and said he should be the Republican leader even if the GOP loses its narrow majority.

“He’s great. We work together great,” Trump told Punchbowl News. Sometimes, the president mused, “we’re one heart attack away from losing the House in Congress,” yet Johnson has still delivered major pieces of Trump’s agenda.

“I don’t think there’s even a thought of anybody challenging him,” Trump insisted.

Trump wasn’t so effusive about Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

“I don’t want to get into that. It’s early,” Trump said when asked whether he’d support Thune’s reelection as leader.

Trump said he gets along with the South Dakota senator but lamented the leader’s opposition to scrapping the filibuster and the Senate’s inability to pass the president’s proposals to expand federal power over elections.

“It’s a shame he doesn’t have the votes,” Trump said.

Trump says Republican voters are frustrated with Congress — but not him

The president’s job approval rating of 33%, according to the latest AP-NORC polling, is as low as it has been in his second presidency — the kind of numbers that hurt a president’s party in midterm elections. But Trump insisted to Punchbowl News that he isn’t the real target of voter frustration, especially among Republicans.

“They’re not angry at me, but they are angry at Republicans” on Capitol Hill, he said.

He cited voter turnout in presidential elections, alluding to analyses that show he’s attracted sporadic voters and flipped some historically Democratic-leaning voters.

“The question is, will they vote? Because a lot of them are very angry at Republicans to be honest with you,” Trump said.

The president maintained that Republicans can hold their House and Senate majorities this November. But his overall argument was clear: If they don’t, it’s not his fault.

US employers unexpectedly cut 23,000 jobs last month amid strain from the Iran war

And Labor Department revisions shaved 103,000 jobs off payrolls in May and June. But the unemployment rate dipped to 4.1% as Americans left the job market.

The June jobs numbers from the Labor Department on Friday marked a sharp reversal for the American labor market.

Hiring had rebounded this year from a lackluster 2025 in the face of the conflict in the Persian Gulf that has sent energy prices surging and put a strain on family budgets. Job growth had been solid, if unspectacular. Some businesses are having trouble filling vacancies. Others are using technology to do the work humans used to do.

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Trump promises he’ll tap his campaign chest to help Republicans

The Republican president is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign money but told Punchbowl News in an interview released Friday that he’ll unleash the funds to help GOP candidates ahead of the November midterms.

Trump says he has as much as $800 million to spend.

“I control it,” he emphasized.

Notably, he did not offer any details about when or where he’ll distribute the campaign cash.

Many Republicans have been counting on Trump’s super PAC being a key part of the GOP’s defense of their House and Senate majorities. The president’s political funds are a key part of Republicans’ overall financial advantage in the midterm campaign, despite individual Democratic Senate and House candidates outraising their Republican opponents in many key races across the country.

Trump says he’d leave Blanche as acting AG whatever the Senate decides

The president told Punchbowl News he’ll leave his acting attorney general at the Justice Department even if his nomination fails.

“It’ll be very sad,” Trump said, but, “we’ll all survive. Todd will survive.”

Trump called Blanche “fair” and said he’s “not a radical flamethrower.” But he acknowledged the political realities.

He singled out Sen. Murkowski as one of his Republican critics but said he has no regrets about his relationship with the Alaska Republican or other GOP senators, including Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy, who could now determine whether Blanche is confirmed.

“You do what you have to do,” Trump said. “Just so you understand, they voted to impeach me. ... In all fairness, you think that I’m going to support somebody that voted to impeach me?”

Cassidy and Murkowski were among the Republicans who voted to convict Trump on impeachment charges in 2021 after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she’ll oppose Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination

The Alaska Republican announced on social media that she’ll vote against confirming the acting attorney general for the permanent job.

Murkowski complimented Blanche personally after private meetings with him but said she’s concerned he cannot lead an independent Justice Department under President Donald Trump.

“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration,” she said. “I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.”

Murkowski’s decision puts Blanche’s nomination on the brink of failing in a chamber where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. She joins Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine in opposition, and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has missed Senate votes since early June because of health problems.

That leaves Sen. Bill Cassidy as the potentially deciding vote given that all Democrats are expected to vote against Blanche.

Perú rompió relaciones con México el 3 de noviembre luego de que Betssy Chávez, que fungió como primera ministra durante el mandato del presidente Pedro Castillo (2021-2022), obtuvo asilo diplomático tras refugiarse en la embajada mexicana en Lima.

El jueves por la noche Chávez recibió el salvoconducto y viajó a México en un avión de las fuerzas armadas, explicó a periodistas la presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum.

La cancillería peruana acotó el viernes en un comunicado que la entrega del salvoconducto se realizó "con reserva del derecho que asiste al Estado peruano de solicitar la eventual extradición de la señora Chávez”, según los tratados aplicables a ambos países y en caso de que la justicia peruana lo solicite.

A principios de julio, la entonces presidenta electa de Perú, Keiko Fujimori, indicó que tenía “toda la intención” de retomar las relaciones rotas con México.

Según contó Sheinbaum, Fujimori llamó directamente al canciller mexicano, Roberto Velasco, para decirle que quería resolver la situación de Chávez, a quien estaba dispuesta a otorgarle el salvoconducto al llegar al poder. También le transmitió a Velasco que entendía la postura de México de apoyo a Castillo, pero que “era su deseo restablecer las relaciones" con ese país.

En el comunicado conjunto, los dos gobiernos reafirmaron su respeto al derecho internacional y a los principios de Naciones Unidas.

Para México, la actitud de Fujimori “es una señal importante” de que pese a las diferencias ideológicas los gobiernos deben mantener abiertas las vías de comunicación. Sheinbaum puso la excepción de Ecuador, con el que México rompió relaciones en 2024 porque la policía de ese país irrumpió en la embajada mexicana en Quito para detener a un exvicepresidente ecuatoriano, algo que México denunció como una flagrante violación a su soberanía.

Perú y México comenzaron a distanciarse después de que el 7 de diciembre de 2022 el Congreso peruano destituyó al entonces presidente Castillo. El mandatario fue encarcelado tras intentar suspender sin éxito la cámara legislativa, controlada por el partido de Fujimori, que lo investigaba por presuntos actos de corrupción.

A finales de 2022, la esposa de Castillo y sus dos hijos menores recibieron asilo en la embajada mexicana en Lima y luego viajaron a México, donde viven. El entonces presidente mexicano, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, y Sheinbaum, su sucesora, han pedido varias veces la liberación del exmandatario peruano.

La detención de Castillo derivó en protestas que dejaron 50 manifestantes muertos en medio de una represión de las fuerzas de seguridad bajo el mando de la presidenta Dina Boluarte (2022-2025), quien gobernó con el apoyo del partido de Fujimori y otros grupos que la salvaron de varios intentos de destitución.

Castillo y Chávez fueron condenados a 11 años de cárcel por conspiración para la rebelión. Castillo ha apelado la sentencia, pero sigue investigado por otros casos de corrupción.

That background sounds ideal for a U.S. Senate hopeful in a Deep South state run for generations by white conservatives.

Except Colom is a Democrat. And a Black man.

So, he's an underdog in his bid to unseat Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a white Donald Trump acolyte seeking her second full term. Yet several variables — Colom’s biography, Mississippi’s demographics, lingering inflation and Hyde-Smith's understated profile — make for a wildcard matchup as Republicans defend their 53-47 Senate majority at the midpoint of Trump's second presidency.

“Mississippi matters,” Colom insisted throughout a recent day of campaigning.

He told The Associated Press he has a rare opportunity to flip the state's usual script by casting Hyde-Smith as a rubber stamp while deflecting broadsides that he's a liberal misfit.

“I’m going to fight the corruption that we’re seeing in D.C. that’s making everything less affordable,” he said, zeroing in on Trump’s tariffs, the Iran war and the Republican-controlled Congress’ capitulation on both. “Our junior senator has totally given away our voice. She’s not worried about us at all.”

Through aides, Hyde-Smith declined an interview. But her campaign manager projected confidence.

“No one believes in Scott Colom except for Scott Colom,” said Jake Monssen, tagging the challenger as a stooge of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and billionaire donor George Soros, whose family backed Colom's district attorney races.

Schumer recently held a fundraiser for Colom, and Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, Maryland's first Black senator, traveled to Mississippi to support him as Democrats look for every path to Senate control. She predicted more senators will follow.

“I can guarantee you one thing,” Alsobrooks said, "I’m not the last.”

As they campaigned together, Colom cited a famous biblical long shot while alluding to his state's history at the vanguard of the Civil Rights Movement.

“We know a little something about David and Goliath in Mississippi," he said.

The outcome hinges on ‘simple math’

Mississippi’s fraught history with racism is never far below the surface.

Colom’s weekend featured a voting rights discussion at Jackson’s Farish Street Baptist Church, where Medgar Evers, the NAACP leader killed by white supremacists in 1963, held organizing meetings. One of Evers’ successors embraced Colom's candidacy as the next step in a long struggle.

“Mississippi is not just a moral argument,” said state NAACP Executive Director Charles Taylor. “It is simple math.”

Black voters make up a larger share of Mississippi's 2.95 million residents (about 37%) and typical November electorate (about a third) than in any other state. More than 9 out of 10 of them typically vote Democratic but turn out at a lower rate than white voters, especially young generations, according to strategists in both major political parties. White voters opt by a 4-1 ratio or more for Republicans. Younger white voters trend slightly less Republican, but they're also less likely to vote.

That makes most Mississippi elections closer than in neighboring Alabama and Louisiana. In 2018, Hyde-Smith won a special election runoff over Mike Espy, Mississippi's first Black congressman since Reconstruction and a former U.S. agriculture secretary, by 7 percentage points. She notched a 10-percentage-point rematch win in 2020 but trailed Trump’s 16-percentage-point margin over Democrat Joe Biden.

Three years later, Republican Gov. Tate Reeves managed just a 3-percentage-point reelection margin and finished less than 1 percentage point over the majority threshold that Mississippi law requires to avoid a runoff in statewide general elections.

Taylor said registration and turnout efforts by the NAACP and other groups could draw 75,000 more Black voters, enough to close recent gaps.

Wilbur Colom, who once lost a state treasurer’s race as a Republican, enjoys gaming out turnout scenarios for his son.

Scott Colom can hit a winning sweet spot, his father said, by increasing Black share of the electorate to 35% and get closer to one out of four white votes rather than the typical 20% or less.

“That’s hard,” Wilbur Colom said. “But demographics are our friend here.”

Scott Colom leans on contrasting records

Colom mostly sidesteps Mississippi history or electoral math unless asked.

“We’ve made a lot more progress than we get credit for,” he said.

“A lot of Mississippians,” he added, “want somebody that’s going to look out for them,” regardless of race.

On Republican gerrymandering after the U.S. Supreme Court gutted a last key Voting Rights Act provision protecting minority voting strength, Colom steers the conversation to economics. Republicans, Colom said, “don't want to be held accountable” for how things are going.

Asked about Biden tapping him for a federal judgeship only for Hyde-Smith to block the nomination, Colom says the campaign isn't about that. He avoids personal shots at Trump, instead emphasizing Mississippi farmers harmed by the Republican president’s tariffs and “400,000 Mississippians that don’t have health insurance” because the state hasn’t expanded Medicaid and Republicans, Hyde-Smith included, let expanded insurance premium subsidies expire.

Colom mentions crime victims and their families in his jurisdiction, promising voters will see them vouch for him. And he criticizes Hyde-Smith for using campaign funds at Las Vegas hotels.

“Voters in Mississippi were promised America first. They were promised lower grocery prices, no more endless wars, concepts of a healthcare plan,” he said. “We’ve been betrayed on all three fronts, and Cindy Hyde-Smith won’t even do a town hall to justify any of it.”

Hyde-Smith's team targets Colom as too liberal

The senator's aides note that she travels regularly to community events around Mississippi — and only annually to Las Vegas for a national campaign fundraiser the onetime state agriculture commissioner plans around a professional rodeo event.

Hyde-Smith, in turn, frames Colom as beholden to extremes beyond Mississippi. Monssen said voters will see a challenger trying “to transition kids’ genders,” raise taxes and give “healthcare to illegal immigrants” to please his “socialist supporters” from the coasts.

It’s a play-it-safe strategy that presumes Republicans like Steve Rogers, a 73-year-old from Brandon, still make up Mississippi's majority.

“I like how she votes, and I think any Democrat’s wasting their time,” Rogers said. He still gives Trump high marks and hasn't even heard of Colom. Trump’s slide “may give her some trouble,” he allows, “but I think she coasts.”

Colom acknowledged financial support from the Soros family but said no candidate controls outside political action committees. He pointed to his prosecution of a Democratic sheriff for sexual abuse of a prisoner as proof that partisanship doesn’t guide him. Voters, including many who've backed Trump and Hyde-Smith, “are smart enough,” he said, to “see through the lies.”

Democrat Judy Weiner, a 72-year-old poll worker in Hinds County, added that Hyde-Smith distinguishes herself only by her fealty to Trump, while not establishing a reputation for securing appropriations and helping rank-and-file Mississippians, as did her predecessor Cochran.

“He made his decisions based on what was good for all the people in Mississippi, not because the president whispered in his ear,” she said, noting Cochran attracted votes from Black and white Democrats.

A little cash could go a long way

The candidates' campaign accounts and Mississippi's inexpensive media markets intensify the unknowns.

Through June, Hyde-Smith had raised $3.8 million this cycle, with $2.5 million left. Colom pulled in $2.8 million and had $850,000 remaining. But Colom outpaced Hyde-Smith among individual contributors, $1.9 million to $1.8 million, from the start of 2025. More of his money ($536,000) came from Mississippi than any other state, despite Monssen's broadsides.

There is no statewide TV advertising yet, but Senate Majority PAC spokeswoman Lauren French said the group is “watching closely.” And it doesn't take seven figures per ad buy to penetrate the electorate, unlike in more populous states like Texas, Georgia and North Carolina. That means that either national party or super PACs could make late investments that matter.

“We need to be working for every single seat,” said Alsobrooks, the Maryland visitor, “and you know what, it always seems impossible until it’s done.”

Here’s a look at developments across the Middle East on Friday. Full coverage can be found here.

Pakistan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia sign a mutual defense agreement

Oil-rich Saudi Arabia, nuclear power Pakistan and Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a rapidly growing defense industry, signed a mutual defense agreement on Friday.

The deal stipulates that an armed attack on either of the three countries will be regarded as an attack against them all. It was signed during a meeting in Saudi Arabia between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan's foreign ministry said.

“The Agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression,” the ministry said in a statement.

The deal comes at a time when Saudi Arabia, whose critical infrastructure and oil facilities have come under attack as part of the war in Iran, has been looking to diversify its defense partnerships.

Houthi rebels blamed for attack on eastern Yemen

Iran-backed Houthis launched attacks on Marib province in eastern Yemen on Friday morning, in the latest escalation with Saudi-backed forces, a military official with the forces in Marib said.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak to the media, said the missiles were fired from west of the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.

Qassem Bahaibah, health minister in Yemen’s internationally recognized government, said in a statement on social media that the attacks targeted a refugee camp and residential areas, killing at least two people and injuring 14 others.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement late Friday that the rebel group targeted a Saudi-backed military camp in Marib, using drones and missiles to destroy storage facilities and military equipment. He added that the rebel group will target any Saudi-supported troop buildup or allied groups meant to keep the Saudi blockade on Yemen.

Separately, the rebel group struck the Najran region in southwestern Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border on Thursday, the official spokesperson of the Saudi-led Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, confirmed in a statement on X overnight.

He said the attack wounded 11 civilians, including a woman and a child who suffered second-degree burns, and accused the rebels of carrying out “indiscriminate shelling against civilian objects.”

The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack on Najran in Saudi Arabia.

The attacks mark a major escalation since a truce in 2022 largely halted fighting. The civil war pits the Iran-backed Houthis against a Saudi-led coalition allied with Yemen’s internationally recognized government.

— By Ahmed Al-Haj in Aden, Yemen and Fatma Khaled in Cairo

Israeli strike wounds Lebanese soldier

The Lebanese army said the soldier was lightly wounded on Friday while he was in a bulldozer opening roads in the southern village of Mansouri.

Mansouri was subjected to Israeli shelling earlier this week, according to Lebanon’s state news agency.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

The Israeli army launched strikes Wednesday in southern Lebanon in response to what it described as Hezbollah’s violation of the ceasefire and called on residents of Mansouri to flee — the first such warning Israel has issued in Lebanon for weeks.

The practice was first highlighted by Local 10 last year, leading to a congressional investigation into one of the offices advertising maternity services in North Miami Beach.

Dr. Wladimir Lorentz, the clinic’s head pediatrician, has promoted maternity services online in Spanish and Portuguese, offering assistance to expectant mothers seeking care in the United States.

The Trump administration argues the practice is an abuse of the immigration system, saying some people enter the country on tourist visas with the primary goal of giving birth so their children can receive U.S. citizenship.

In his executive order, Trump wrote that “citizenship is not a commodity to be acquired through calculated exploitation and evasion of the immigration law.”

“The big crackdowns, and this will give us the right to do it in a much more forceful manner,” Trump said.

The White House cited a recent report claiming about 77,000 people came to the United States in 2023 on tourist visas for what the administration describes as fraudulent purposes — including giving birth on American soil.

Children born in the United States are granted citizenship under current law, while their parents do not automatically receive citizenship.

Trump also signed a second executive order seeking to restrict birthright citizenship, despite the U.S. Supreme Court rejecting his previous attempt to limit the practice.

The new orders expand the administration’s definition of individuals who could be denied entry or removed from the country if they have participated in — or plan to participate in — what the government calls birth tourism.

Politicians from Prime Minister Andy Burnham to London Mayor Sadiq Khan have piled in to decry the idea from Westminster City Council, which is responsible for licensing pubs and restaurants in the West End, a nightlife hub popular with tourists and locals.

A feature of many of those pubs is the crowd of drinkers who mill around sharing drinks with friends, often spilling out into the street on warm spring and summer evenings. Lesley Lewis, who has run the French House pub in Soho for 37 years, said discouraging that tradition would only drive customers to other parts of the city.

“We rely on those people standing up with the rents and the rates (taxes) put upon us,” she said. “People want to enjoy themselves in Soho, they want to have a drink outside, they want to dance. They don’t want to sit down and just be where they are, they want to meet people and chat.”

With British newspapers filled with headlines such as “Sitting room only at pubs?” and “Soho’s pubs won’t take clamp down on ‘vertical drinking’ lying down,” the Westminster council hit back at “confusing” news stories that misrepresented its plans.

Council leader Paul Swaddle issued a press release stressing that the proposal was part of a draft policy that is still open for public comment. The council’s goal is to reduce noise and disorderly behavior by encouraging bars and restaurants to serve more people at their tables, not bar anyone from having a drink while standing, he said.

“Let me be clear about what we’re trying to achieve,’’ he said. “This is about safety, not stopping anyone standing at a bar with a pint in their hand.’’

The council’s draft licensing policy includes a proposal to discourage “excessive drunkenness” by encouraging business owners to provide more opportunities “for people to sit and enjoy a drink and order food by table service in place of open bar space that caters for high volume vertical drinking.”

Westminster has more pubs, bars and restaurants licensed to sell alcohol than any other local authority in the U.K.

While the council’s policy statement stresses the important role the hospitality industry plays in the local economy, it also says local leaders must ensure Westminster is “a great place for residents to live.”

That didn’t stop the criticism from more senior government officials, who have been focused on bolstering a hospitality industry that still hasn’t recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A spokesman for Burnham said pubs full of people standing around sharing a pint isn’t a nuisance, it’s a part of “British life.” The prime minister is encouraging local leaders to work with the hospitality industry so that pubs can thrive, he said.

“The pubs that we’ve got are at the heart of high streets, and I think it’s really important to signal at the start of my time in office that I will be a defender for them,” Burnham told reporters last month while visiting a pub called the Hare in Harlow, Essex. “I will speak up for them and act.”

Khan suggested he would use new powers that will be granted to his office later this year to review the Westminster policy.

“You can’t run a world-famous nightlife district with a village-hall mindset,” Khan said on X. “London’s hospitality and nightlife support jobs, culture and growth.”

Authorities said Toney was charged July 31 with assault “causing actual bodily harm.” The alleged incident took place in December at a nightclub in the Soho district of London.

Police did not immediately give any other information about what happened.

BBC Sports said a spokesperson for Toney said the player “acknowledges the charge and although he is naturally shocked, he looks forward to being given the opportunity to clear his name in court.”

Toney, who plays for Al-Ahli in the Saudi Arabian league, is expected to appear in court on Sept. 24.

The 30-year-old Toney was a member of England's squad that finished in third place at the World Cup last month.

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

The Louisiana senator announced his support on the Senate floor after Blanche's confirmation was thrown into doubt over opposition from two other Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.

Cassidy said Blanche “is not perfect," citing concerns over a proposed $1.8 billion fund to compensate Trump allies, a tax audit immunity deal for the Republican president and investigations targeting the president's political opponents.

But Cassidy said no other nominee may be able to run the department better under Trump, and he added that Blanche's role as Trump's former criminal defense lawyer can make him more effective at pushing back on the president's demands.

“This is not a referendum on President Trump. It is a decision regarding Mr. Blanche in very specific circumstances," Cassidy said. Cassidy, who lost his Republican primary after Trump endorsed his rival, appeared to choke up as he described the criticism he expected to face for his Blanche vote, adding: “What’s new?”

Blanche's nomination came after Bondi was ousted

Blanche would become Trump’s second confirmed attorney general since the president returned to the White House last year with a stated desire to use the law enforcement agency to investigate his perceived enemies. He has been serving as acting attorney general since Trump fired Pam Bondi in April after she failed to deliver on criminal cases against Trump's foes.

Blanche's path to confirmation has been complicated over a settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service that has drawn intense scrutiny by Republicans and Democrats alike. The settlement called for the creation of the $1.8 billion fund to compensate people who feel mistreated by the criminal justice system and provided Trump and family members with immunity from tax audits.

Republican senators cites concern about Blanche

Murkowski, in announcing her opposition to Blanche, cited concerns over the Justice Department’s handling of files related to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, the sweeping tax audit immunity deal and the proposed “Anti-Weaponization Fund.” The Alaska senator said she is worried the Trump administration could proceed with the fund despite the administration's promises that it is dead, noting that the Senate has leverage over the fund only because Blanche’s nomination is pending.

“The country needs an Attorney General who will check the worst impulses of this administration," Murkowski said. “I hope Mr. Blanche is able to achieve that, if confirmed, but I simply do not have confidence that will be the case.”

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche's nomination only after a deal reached last weekend with two other Republican senators — John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — who had been threatening to block his confirmation over aspects of the settlement.

Under the deal, Blanche formally rescinded the “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” writing in an order that “there is no Fund.”

The Justice Department also clarified in writing that the tax audit immunity agreement applies only to claims open at the time of the settlement and does not protect Trump from examination of future tax filings. It also makes clear that only the parties that brought the lawsuit — Trump, two of his sons and the Trump Organization — are covered by the tax agreement.

Democrats accuse Blanche of prioritizing his allegiance to Trump

But Democrats say Blanche's order doesn't stop the Trump administration from reviving the fund after his confirmation and have called for legislation to permanently bar it. Trump has repeatedly defended the fund and has threatened to push forward with it if Republicans don't support Blanche's nomination.

Lawmakers and legal experts have also questioned the lawfulness of the tax protections for Trump. A federal judge who oversaw the IRS case has described Trump’s lawsuit as an improper exercise in self-dealing, and on Thursday the union representing IRS workers asked another judge to block the immunity agreement.

Democrats have accused Blanche of prioritizing his loyalty to Trump above all else through investigations against Trump foes such as former FBI Director James Comey and a radical reshaping of a department that historically prided itself on its independence from the White House. Under Bondi and Blanche’s leadership, the department has lost thousands of employees through firings, resignations or voluntary departures.

Blanche’s supporters say his experience as a federal prosecutor and the trust he earned from Trump in the courtroom makes him better equipped than Bondi to explain to the White House the legal constraints of its demands. Republicans have also touted his efforts to bring down violent crime, tackle illegal immigration and combat violent cartels and drug trafficking.

Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, the top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said it would be a “serious mistake” to confirm Blanche, begging his colleagues not to be on the “wrong side” of history.

“If there is ever a moment in history when we need an attorney general above reproach, who is clearly dedicated to ending corruption, even at the highest level of our government, it’s right now,” Durbin said.

Jay’s, a steakhouse located inside a former church, has become a destination for diners looking for more than just a meal.

Owner Jay Shirodkar said the building’s history and character made it the perfect location for his restaurant concept.

“This building is one of a kind and when we walked into this church, there’s nothing like it in Fort Lauderdale. I knew we had to have it,” Shirodkar said.

Instead of changing the features that made the building unique, Shirodkar said the restaurant embraced them. Original stained glass, towering ceilings and separate dining spaces help create a different atmosphere throughout the restaurant.

Shirodkar said entertainment is also a key part of the experience.

“I really like having really good DJs,” he said. “Sometimes we’ll have singers accompany them or we do some, you know, live, there was electronic saxophonists and violinists and stuff like that.”

For Shirodkar, the right atmosphere is just as important as the food.

“I just need music, an espresso martini in my hand, and then I’m setting the vibe,” he added.

Although Jay’s is known as a steakhouse, Shirodkar said the menu also incorporates Asian-inspired dishes.

“We have a lot of Asian influence, of course the best steaks that money can buy,” Shirodkar said.

The menu includes dishes such as spicy tuna crispy rice, rock shrimp tempura and specialty steaks.

Shirodkar said the goal is to make every part of the visit memorable.

“It’s just as important to have excellent food, but to also make sure every time you sit at that table, you’re enjoying everything around you,” he said.

Jay’s also offers a happy hour where everything is half off, with reservations available through the restaurant’s website.

On Thursday, Miami-Dade County reached a high of 88 degrees, snapping a streak of 56 consecutive days with highs of at least 90 degrees.

On Friday, temperatures are expected to climb back into the low 90s, but rain chances won’t be as widespread. As the disturbance moves away this weekend, rain chances will decrease while temperatures trend back up.

It’s the last weekend of summer before many kids head back to school, so expect plenty of heat if you have outdoor plans.

Keep it tuned to Local 10 for the latest forecast.

Infantino is facing a revolt after his failed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup.

The Norwegian federation held a meeting on Thursday and president Lise Klaveness said the decision had been made to ask Infantino to resign.

“When trust is gone, leadership must also be assessed. We therefore believe that Gianni Infantino’s time as FIFA President should be over, and ask him to resign," Klaveness said via translation.

The announcement is the latest blow for Infantino as the fallout continues over his controversial plan to sell profits in the World Cup through a commercial subsidiary called the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE).

European soccer's governing body UEFA said Thursday its threat to boycott the World Cup and other FIFA competitions remained in place despite FIFA abandoning and apologizing for its failed plan.

It reiterated its stance that it had lost confidence in Infantino.

Earlier this week Infantino appeared to have held off the potential of an internal revolt during a summit meeting with top staff in Rabat, Morocco.

FIFA said the president had been given the full support of those in attendance.

But UEFA's response, followed by Norway's direct call for him to resign shows the sense of anger from Europe, in particular, remains strong.

The English Football Association has also withdrawn its support for Infantino’s re-election next March.

He did, however, receive backing from Mexico’s federation.

The Norwegian federation said it would raise concerns with FIFA regarding FFE, the peace prize awarded to Donald Trump and the suspension of Folarin Balogun's one-match ban at the World Cup.

“FIFA needs new leadership to rebuild trust, strengthen good governance and ensure that the organization’s own reforms are actually implemented," Klaveness said.

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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

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

Zendaya’s angelic strapless gown with feathered white wings was the work of Matières Fécales — yes, in English, Fecal Matter — the Paris-based, high-end fashion house founded in Montreal over a decade ago that’s, seemingly suddenly, everywhere.

Why Matières Fécales is called ... that

The design duo behind Matières Fécales, Steven Raj Bhaskaran and Hannah Rose Dalton, have aimed to subvert beauty with their own alien-like personal style, including dramatic white makeup, shaved heads and eyebrows, and skin boots made to look like realistic feet.

Bhaskaran and Dalton started the brand as students at Collège LaSalle Montréal, going from selling designs on the secondhand shopping platform Depop to showcasing collections at Paris Fashion Week. The designers have said the name reflects their view of the fashion industry, a perspective they initially summed up with a more vulgar word.

“There’s no other word for it, but how can we say it in a glamorous way? So we’re like, ‘fecal matter’ is the scientific word for it,” Dalton recalled to Vogue last year, adding they translated it into French, which “sounds way more glamorous.” Bhaskaran told the “Fashion Neurosis” podcast in March that the name was also intended to “challenge the wasteful side of fashion.”

A representative for Matières Fécales said the designers were not available for comment.

Despite the visceral name, tastemakers from Lady Gaga to Kylie Jenner are embracing their designs.

“There is this beautiful tension in their work between the finesse and the decaying, and the strong and the soft,” celebrity stylist Brad Goreski told The Associated Press.

And after years of building a cult following, they were taken under the wings of Dover Street Market in 2024, after first meeting its president, Adrian Joffe, backstage at a Madonna show. The global retail and concept stores offer emerging brands development support, from production and distribution to sales.

Kristen Bateman, a longtime fashion and culture writer who has attended all three of the designers’ Paris Fashion Week shows, said their rise is driven by the industry’s desire to see something new.

“If you’re looking at the high-fashion brands like Chanel and Dior, it all sort of starts to blend together,” she said. “And this feels like it’s in its own category. ... You can’t replicate it.”

From cult status to Paris Fashion Week

Milan Tanedjikov, a Collège LaSalle Montréal design teacher, had a front-row seat to Dalton and Bhaskaran's rise and says they have finally found the balance between their art and fashion.

“They have created this, like, very interesting organism together,” he said.

The designers were invited onto the official calendar for Paris Fashion Week last year, debuting “The Other,” a collection they described as an ode to being fearless with identity. It featured a collaboration pairing their striking curved-heel design with Christian Louboutin’s signature red sole.

“At their very core, what drives them is absolute freedom of expression, and they want to push the boundaries of what is human,” Tanedjikov said.

In March, during Paris Fashion Week, the duo unveiled “The One Percent,” with models theatrically strutting with red paint on white opera gloves and wearing eye masks made of dollar bills. The collection showcased how “power affects us all,” they wrote on Instagram.

“What they were able to build in such a small amount of time is really insane in terms of world building and creating their world,” Augustin Maunier, Dover Street Market's director of brand development, said. “There’s real storytelling behind it.”

The show's theme was a stark contrast to the billionaires who had been sitting front row at other fashion week shows. At this year’s Met Gala, where Jeff Bezos was an honorary chair, actor Sarah Paulson wore a voluminous, gray, distressed ball gown from the collection, paired with the eye-covering money mask.

Goreski pulled from “The One Percent” for Demi Moore's wardrobe as a Cannes Film Festival jury member, telling the AP he wanted something new for Moore. Moore's frayed, full-volume, Barbie-pink ball gown with a distressed bow was a break from her usual structured looks. In 20 years of dressing Moore, Goreski said she hardly ever chooses a full-skirt “cupcake” shape, but that she fell for the designers’ artistic vision and storytelling.

“They’re designing clothes for themselves,” he said. “That’s authentically them, but they’re bringing it to like a whole other audience.”

Find their clothes on Lady Gaga and a Dunkin’ ad

Early supporters of the brand fittingly included boundary-breaking performers Madonna and Lady Gaga. Madonna even invited them to DJ on her tour in 2023 and they've designed custom looks for Gaga’s live performances, including Coachella. At this year's Grammys, Gaga wore a high-neck, feathered, black gown from the designers, a dark angel to Zendaya’s heavenly “Odyssey” look.

Now, though, their bold designs are going beyond red carpets. In a television ad for Dunkin’, Kylie Jenner wore a blush-pink, satin, structured blazer with over-the-top shoulder pads, a designer choice that generated some amusement online from those previously unfamiliar with the brand's name.

The designers created a distressed Victorian-style dress for model Gabbriette Bechtel's wedding to musician Matty Healy, a first for the brand. With their next Paris Fashion Week show set for September, fashion connoisseurs are eagerly waiting to see what’s next.

“We’re rooting for them because they’re younger designers who have something to say,” fashion commentator Hanan Besovic, who posts online as @Ideservecouture, said.

That's when 72-year-old Leidis Rodríguez frantically cooked beans after the lights switched on this week following hours of uninterrupted blackouts.

“The power has come back on, everyone go!” Rodríguez shouted.

In the wake of sometimes dayslong blackouts in Cuba — fueled by the oil blockade imposed by the Trump administration in January — Cubans are planning their lives around the lights turning back on.

Those small bursts of relief last a few minutes or a few hours. They come at any time, day or night. Increasingly, electricity flicks on when Rodríguez and her 41-year-old daughter, Yaimara Matos, would normally be asleep.

When the power comes on, the family stops everything they're doing.

“You want to do everything at the same time — wash clothes, iron, cook, tidy the rooms, because it’s impossible in the dark, and even get a little relief from the heat," Matos said. “What we used to do in 10 hours, we now have to do in two.”

Life transformed by crisis

That’s the case for Cubans across the island, whose lives have been transformed by one of the worst crises the island has seen since the Cuban revolution. Daily life has turned into a tangle of compounding crises families have to unravel.

Public transportation and cultural events have come to a standstill. So has tourism, the country's economic engine, especially as tourism companies have withdrawn, leaving 25,000 hospitality jobs vacant. Flights to the island are regularly canceled and workdays have been shortened to adjust to the new reality of a Cuba without power. Medicine shortages have worsened and food rots in fridges without power.

"If there’s no electricity, there’s no water because it doesn’t get pumped to the tank. When there’s water, there’s no electricity,” Rodríguez lamented.

Power outages are nothing new to the Caribbean nation. Endemic blackouts began to worsen five years ago as a result of a crumbling energy grid, decades-long U.S. sanctions and failed economic reforms by the communist-run government.

But the quality of life began to rapidly deteriorate when U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose a tariff on any goods from countries that sell or provide it with oil, Cuba's main source of power. The move, combined with even more rigid sanctions, was aimed at pressuring Cuba's government into political change. The worst effects have been felt by average Cubans.

Previously, most blackouts were scheduled by the government to save power, so each family knew how long they would be without electricity — usually two or three hours. Now there is no longer any predictability: an outage can last 12 hours, 30 hours or longer. Increasingly, the entire island goes dark. Last weekend's grid collapse marked the sixth time this year.

‘I try to carry on with life’

Cubans like Rodríguez and Matos, long accustomed to adapting to crisis, have found ways to cope. The family bought a small power generator, which they're only able to run a few hours a day.

Others install solar panels — often sent by relatives abroad. Some purchase rechargeable fans or solar-powered vehicles since gasoline is also unavailable.

Lianet Barroso once cooked with a gas stove. Now she cooks over a wood fire. Unsure of when she will next get water when the power does go on, she fills up as many plastic bottles as she can.

“Life for Cubans has become difficult, harsh and sad,” Barroso said.

In several municipalities, particularly in Havana, residents staged neighborhood protests after blackouts lasting more than 48 hours, banging pots and pans and burning garbage piled up on street corners.

Meanwhile, with inflation surging as Cuba's currency is increasingly devalued against the dollar, many people are struggling to even pay for food that could later go bad in a blackout.

At 10 p.m. on Tuesday, 64-year-old Caridad Delgado was preparing food for her cat during a blackout under the light of a rechargeable lamp, something the family bought with remittances from her three children, who had emigrated from the island.

Months ago at this hour, she said, “ I’d probably be watching a soap opera. Now I can’t even dream of it.”

“There’s just too much anguish, too much desperation,” she said. “I try to carry on with life.”

——

Associated Press writers Megan Janetsky in Mexico City and Milexsy Durán and Ariel Fernández in Havana contributed to this report.

The agreement was signed in the Saudi holy city of Mecca by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, according to statements from all three countries.

The so-called “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement” between the three Sunni Muslim-majority states brings together oil-rich Saudi Arabia and nuclear power Pakistan as well as Turkey, which has NATO’s second-largest army and a rapidly growing defense industry. It would increase cooperation and deterrence at a time of increased regional uncertainty and threats from the war in Iran.

Commitment to joint deterrence

"The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against any act of aggression, and stipulates that any armed attack against any one of the three states shall be regarded as an attack against them all," the statements read.

“It further provides for the enhancement of all aspects of defense cooperation among the three States,” the statements said.

Saudi Arabia, whose critical infrastructure and oil facilities have come under attack as part of the war in Iran, has been looking to diversify its defense partnerships.

In September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a mutual defense pact that also defines any attack on either nation as an attack on both.

The agreement also comes amid rising tensions between Turkey and Israel over Gaza and other regional conflicts, including the war in Iran and Lebanon.

The deal highlights how far relations between Saudi Arabia and Turkey have shifted toward alignment and partnership, after being highly strained just a few years ago, including over the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul by Saudi operatives.

Iran criticizes the deal

In Iran, Ebrahim Rezaei, a member of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, criticized the deal on X, saying it would not bring security to Saudi Arabia.

“The Saudis should know that a paper agreement with Turkey and Pakistan will not bring them security, just as years of one-sided ‘milking’ by the Americans did not bring them security. Change your policies so that you do not have to #BegForSecurity from others,” he wrote.

Saudi Arabia says deal is not a military axis or religious bloc

A statement from Saudi Arabia insisted that the agreement does not amount to a military pact and would not affect the kingdom's existing partnerships.

“The agreement does not represent any orientation toward building a military axis or sectarian/religious bloc, and it is not linked to nuclear endeavors or an arms race, but rather to building sustainable self-reliant capabilities,” the statement read. "The agreement does not come at the expense of the Kingdom’s strategic and strong relations at the Gulf, Arab, and international levels."

Erdogan said the agreement was based on “collective deterrence” and would deepen cooperation in defense, support joint defense industry projects and bolster efforts to combat terrorism.

“The agreement, which also reaffirms the right of defense as defined in Article 51 of the UN Charter, targets no country and is open to the participation of all brotherly countries that aim for the peace, prosperity, and stability of our region,” the Turkish president said on X.

A Turkish government official described the agreement as “purely defensive in nature” and “not against any specific actor.” The deal does not annul or replace any bilateral or multilateral agreements between these states or with other states and organizations, the official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the issue publicly.

Long‑standing security ties

Sharif described the agreement as a “historic pact” that would serve as a “shield of peace” for the three countries and the wider Muslim community.

In a post on X, he also praised Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, saying his “untiring efforts and utmost dedication” had contributed significantly to the agreement.

In Islamabad, defense analyst Abdullah Khan described the agreement as a natural evolution and formalization of decades of strategic ties among Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, saying a changing regional security environment and the evolving nature of warfare had increased the need for closer cooperation.

Khan said the pact was “purely defensive” and not directed against any country, with collective deterrence intended to raise the cost of aggression and prevent conflict.

The analyst said the three countries bring complementary strengths to the arrangement: Pakistan’s military experience and expertise in managing escalation, Saudi Arabia’s economic strength and regional influence, and Turkey’s advanced defense technology and industrial capabilities.

Abdolreza Davari, an Iranian analyst and former politician, downplayed the risks the new defense pact poses to Tehran as it seeks to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has already shown it can stand up to two of the world’s leading military powers – the U.S. and its ally Israel, he said.

“What difference does it make? Will it be more difficult than the pressure the U.S. and Israel have created on Iran? Is the power of the U.S. and Israel greater or these three countries?” he said in a phone call from Tehran.

Turkey and Pakistan unlikely to engage in large troop deployment

Hamish Kinnear, a Middle East analyst for the risk intelligence company Verisk Maplecroft, said Turkey and Pakistan were unlikely to send large numbers of troops to assist Saudi Arabia. The deal was expected to allow deeper coordination in diplomacy, defense production, and technology transfer.

“Token deployments are possible, but it is doubtful that Ankara and Islamabad want to become heavily involved in an anti-Houthi military operation. Pakistan, which already held a bilateral collective defense pact with Saudi Arabia, has not been a significant partner in anti-Houthi operations so far,” Kinnear said in an emailed note.

“More likely is increased Ankara-Islamabad-Riyadh coordination on diplomacy, weapons development and technological transfer, with Saudi capital boosting the defense sectors of Turkey and Pakistan,” he added.

Ozgur Unluhisarcikli, director of the Ankara office for The German Marshall Fund think tank, said the agreement was the culmination of the countries’ shared concerns over regional fragmentation, civil conflict, and armed non-state groups.

“This is a reflection of their growing desire for greater regional stability,” Unluhisarcikli said.

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Ahmed reported from Islamabad. Amir-Hussein Radjy contributed from Washington.

After years of delays, ICE said its field officers nationwide will have body-worn cameras by the end of September. The rollout comes after recent fatal shootings by officers enforcing President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown have intensified pressure for accountability that the cameras could provide.

But the agency's body-worn camera policy could mean taxpayers who are pitching in tens of millions of dollars to pay for the cameras may be kept in the dark about some high-profile confrontations, at least in their immediate aftermath.

The policy says ICE will promptly release video of shootings and other encounters in which its agents cause death or serious injury only after determining “it is in the best interests of the agency” to do so. That gives its director discretion to release recordings that reflect well on the agency’s image while working to keep others secret, experts on body camera policies said.

Such selective releases are routine in some law enforcement agencies but usually not so clearly contemplated in policy, according to professor Christopher Schneider of Brandon University in Canada, a co-author of the new book “Police Body-Worn Cameras: Media and the New Discourse of Police Reform.”

“In some ways, ICE is saying the quiet part out loud,” he said. “Body-worn cameras are being used as contemporary image-work tools to present the police to the public in the most favorable way possible.”

Body camera policy allows withholding some video

The policy requires officers to activate cameras during routine enforcement activities, including while making arrests, executing search warrants and responding to emergencies.

After shootings or other serious confrontations, a committee that includes top ICE officials and lawyers will review footage and recommend whether to release it promptly, according to the body camera policy issued in February 2025.

If the answer is yes, the recording could be released within 72 hours. But if the ICE director finds that “specific and compelling circumstances” justify withholding the video, they have the authority to block or indefinitely delay the release, the policy says.

The policy does not elaborate on such circumstances, and ICE did not respond to a question from The Associated Press about how it would make such decisions.

Practices vary widely in the U.S. In Chicago, a police watchdog agency routinely releases body camera video of shootings and other serious use-of-force incidents within 60 days. In Philadelphia, the police department very rarely uses its discretion to release video of specific incidents and has no policy for when to do so.

Even when footage is released, ICE’s policy will require the redaction of all officers’ identifying features such as their faces, names and badge numbers to preserve their privacy.

Schneider, who has studied body cameras since their use began spreading a decade ago, said he does not expect ICE to release footage of fatal shootings like those last month in Houston and Maine.

He noted ICE’s sister agency, Customs and Border Protection, has not released footage of the January shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis even though it was captured on agents’ cameras. CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott told lawmakers in February that the video and other materials were under investigation and would be made public “when it’s appropriate.”

ICE says all officers will have cameras by end of September

ICE spent $30.9 million in July to purchase body camera equipment from Axon, the Arizona-based company that also manufactures Tasers, federal spending records show.

The spending began one day after the fatal shooting of a 25-year-old motorist in Maine by an ICE officer with a history of violent behavior. Days earlier, another ICE officer shot and killed a homebuilder in Houston who was driving to work.

Neither shooting was recorded with body cameras. That news angered members of Congress, who had given ICE $20 million to purchase body cameras in a bill passed to end a partial government shutdown on April 30.

ICE said body cameras have been sent to more than half its field officers and the rest will receive them by the end of September. That timeline pushes back estimates from earlier public statements. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins, who backed funding for cameras, said last month that the agency informed her they would be deployed by the end of August. ICE had said earlier that they would be issued by mid-September.

ICE officers working in the Houston area, where the agency sent more than 800 cameras, are among those who have started training, according to U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Texas Democrat and member of the House Appropriations Committee.

At least one member of every arrest team will be required to have a camera, the agency said.

“I think the American people need to see what that officer sees and hears,” White House border czar Tom Homan said July 19 on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” “And if you look at the data, body cameras actually exonerate agents more than they, you know, provide evidence of wrongdoing.”

Schneider said he expects ICE to release recordings that promote the agency’s mass deportation program by portraying officers as brave and immigrants as dangerous criminals.

“Much of what law enforcement does is convince the public that we need them and feel safe and they do all this good stuff for us,” he said. “The more bad stuff the public sees, the more angry the public gets. And this causes problems for the police brand.”

ICE has taken years to adopt body cameras

ICE began testing body cameras in 2021 during President Joe Biden's administration and distributed 1,400 devices three years later, saying use would expand as funding became available.

After returning to office in 2025, President Donald Trump rescinded a Biden order that required federal law enforcement agencies to use body cameras.

ICE did not buy body cameras even after it received a historic $75 billion infusion in Trump’s signature policy bill in 2025 and began hiring thousands of new officers. The two July purchases from Axon were made through an existing government contract that began in 2023, records show.

“This is not hard to deploy, but they’ve slow-rolled it,” said Jason Houser, who was ICE chief of staff under Biden and helped implement the agency’s pilot program.

Houser said the Trump administration should have equipped officers with body cameras when it expanded mass arrests and traffic stops. Doing so only after several shootings and pressure from Congress “is clearly a political response” that will not make officers or the public safer, he said.

“This doesn’t fix the problem of putting officers in a place where they’re not trained or equipped to carry out the style of operations that the administration is asking them to do,” he said.

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AP reporter Valerie Gonzalez contributed to this report.

Ukraine has regularly hit targets in the distant Urals this year and has even struck a Russian oil refinery in western Siberia, nearly 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) from the border. The attacks are examples of how Kyiv has used drone innovation as a key part of its response to the invasion by its much bigger enemy more than four years ago.

Its successes have drawn international interest and drone cooperation agreements with nine countries, with further deals being negotiated with 15 other countries, according to Kyiv officials.

Wildberries said its warehouse in Yekaterinburg, Russia’s fourth-largest city, was set ablaze by the attack. Most merchandise wasn’t damaged, the company said, unlike at some of the more than a dozen other Wildberries depots struck by Ukraine in recent weeks that have burned down.

The regional governor, Denis Pasler, said three drones hit the warehouse’s roof. Artyom Zhoga, the Kremlin’s representative in the region, said that 800 people were evacuated from the warehouse and nobody was hurt.

Kyiv is trying to rattle the Russian public and the Kremlin with the attacks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chaired a meeting Friday of the country’s Security Council. He said in televised opening remarks that the meeting would focus on additional measures to “strengthen … protection of infrastructure facilities” but gave no further details.

Ukraine presses on with plans for new weapons

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pushing for his country to keep up the pace of technological development, especially in air defense systems to help stop Russian ballistic missiles that are exploiting Ukraine’s shortage of American-made Patriot interceptor missiles and battering civilian areas.

A joint European anti-ballistic development program is already underway, Zelenskyy said late Thursday, with 10 countries engaged in developing an anti-ballistic shield. Europe is concerned about Moscow’s ambitions on the continent beyond Ukraine.

“Ukraine is capable of producing its (anti-ballistic) missile and launcher, while our partners will provide the necessary components and critical elements — radars, sensors, and everything else required,” Zelenskyy said on social media. “An anti-ballistic program of our own — one that is truly large-scale — will greatly benefit everyone in Europe.”

At the same time, Ukraine is working on manufacturing its own ballistic missiles to use against Russia. “The tests have shown strong potential. We need to turn this into a real weapon,” Zelenskyy said.

Defenders are under pressure in eastern Ukraine

Ukrainian front-line defenses in eastern regions, meanwhile, remain under strain as Russia’s bigger army looks for a breakthrough after months of minimal advances that Western analysts and officials say have had a high cost for Moscow in troop casualties.

Ukraine has been evacuating children from Kramatorsk, one of the four eastern Donetsk region cities that make up the Ukrainian so-called Fortress Belt. The line of four large and heavily defended cities, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) long, has been key to denying Moscow its goal of seizing Ukraine's industrial heartland.

The head of the Donetsk region’s regional military administration, Vadym Filashkin, said Friday that more than 800 people, including 91 children, were evacuated over the previous 24 hours.

Ukraine has been deploying midrange strike drones to disrupt Russia’s supply lines and slow its advance.

Zelenskyy said that the recently appointed commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian armed forces, Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi, reported to him Friday about the military situation in Donetsk.

He said in a social media post that they reached “an understanding of how to strengthen” Ukraine’s defenses there but gave no details.

Russia and Ukraine sustain nightly drone attacks

Russia’s air defenses downed 203 Ukrainian drones from late Thursday through early Friday, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said.

Over the past week, the Russian military struck 31 bulk cargo vessels and three tugboats that operated “in the interests of the Ukrainian armed forces,” it said.

It added that late Thursday two ships were hit by Geran-4 drones in the Black Sea east and southeast of Odesa and one was struck in the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk.

In other attacks, the ministry said that the military hit a facility assembling long-range drones in Okhtyrka in the Sumy region on Thursday. It also released a video of a train purportedly carrying military equipment struck by a Geran drone and then an Iskander ballistic missile near Vyshneve in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Meanwhile, Russia attacked Ukraine with 147 long-range strike drones overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force.

In Ukraine’s northern Sumy region, a Russian drone struck a busy market Friday morning, wounding 10 people, authorities said.

Russia also launched glide bombs and drones of various types at the regional capital, according to the head of regional administration, Oleh Hryhorov.

The attack targeted residential buildings, transport and infrastructure, wounding two people, he said.

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The S&P 500 rose 0.5% and is hovering around the record it set on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 120 points, or 0.2%, as of 3:07 p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq composite rose 1.1%. Every major index is on track for weekly gains.

Technology stocks, with their big market values, did much of the heavy lifting for the broader market. They are often the heaviest weights determining the market’s direction. Nvidia jumped 1.6% and Broadcom rose 1.5%.

The bond market reacted more strongly to the weaker signal on the job market, which can be seen as allowing the Federal Reserve more time before raising interest rates to fight inflation.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.66% from 4.67% just prior to the jobs update. It was as low as 4.60% before recovering a bit.

The yield on the two-year Treasury, which more closely tracks expectations for Fed action on interest rates, fell to 4.20% from 4.22% prior to the report's release. It was as low as 4.15% before edging back up.

“Although the stock market is likely to welcome the dovish implications of the report, investors should be wary of the future growth potential of an economy where fewer people are working,” said Peter Graf, chief investment officer at Amova Asset Management Americas, in a research note.

Overall, the report paints a dimmer picture of the jobs market, which has been one of the brighter areas of the economy amid rising inflation and worries about household spending. It included a revision to the figures for June and May that involved slashing a combined 103,000 jobs from payrolls for those months.

Eyes on the Fed's next move

The Fed has been holding interest rates steady amid worries about hotter inflation, fueled by a rise in oil prices because of the U.S. war with Iran. Wall Street expects at least one rate increase by the end of the year, with forecasts shifting for the next meeting. Expectations for a rate cut in September are down to 44%, from 55% on Thursday and from 67% a week ago, according to CME FedWatch.

A weakening jobs market could make matters more complicated for the Fed, which has to balance supporting job growth with fighting inflation. Raising interest rates can help tame inflation by slowing economic growth. A weaker jobs market, though, could become even shakier under higher interest rates as businesses find it more difficult to expand under increased borrowing rates.

Businesses, and Wall Street, prefer lower interest rates because it can help boost investments. That might bolster a weakened jobs market, but it could worsen already stubborn inflation.

Wall Street will get several important inflation updates next week. The most closely watched will be the consumer price index, or CPI, which measures costs for consumers. Wall Street expects it to show that inflation in July rose at a 3.4% rate, which would be a slight easing from the 3.5% rise in June. Interest rates have held stubbornly above 3% for most of the year.

“Today’s weak payrolls print may ease the pressure on the Fed to raise rates at its September meeting, but next week’s inflation data will still likely be the deciding factor,” said Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, in a research note.

The earnings picture

The jobs report caps a week dominated mostly by corporate earnings and concerns about the ongoing U.S. war with Iran.

Corporate earnings for the second quarter are on track for the strongest growth since 2021. Nearly 90% of companies in the S&P 500 have reported their results and analysts expect profit growth of 50% overall. That has helped allay some concerns on Wall Street about whether big gains for stocks in 2026 are justified. Strong profits help support those gains in stock values.

It was a light day for earnings as companies near the close of the latest round of reports.

Airbnb jumped 15.5% following the vacation-rental company's report late Thursday that showed stronger profit and revenue for its most recent quarter than analysts expected.

Oil prices gained ground. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, rose 1.3% to $83.55 a barrel.

Rising oil prices have been behind hotter inflation. Prices were as high as $113 per barrel at one point during the now five-month U.S. war with Iran. That raised prices for gasoline and shipping for a wide range of products. The U.S. and Iran have both said they are working on deals that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas once passed through.

Markets in Europe gained ground and markets in Asia were mixed.

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Associated Press Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

It was Shavuot, the Jewish holiday commemorating God giving the Torah to Moses. Hallegua reached the 458-year-old Paradesi Synagogue where he knew he would pray alone — without a minyan, the quorum of 10 males required for a communal service there.

Hallegua is the synagogue's last local congregant — the only Jew left in Jew Town.

Across the city at the centuries-old Kadavumbagam Synagogue, Elias “Babu” Josephai remembered the “chukkunda" — fried dough balls his grandmother used to make for Shavuot.

“It wasn’t much,” he said, wiping away tears. “But at that time, it was everything."

They ache for what’s already gone and work to preserve what's left.

In the 1950s, much of the Jewish community in Kochi (historically known as Cochin), a seaport on India’s southwestern coast, immigrated to Israel, leaving behind their homes, synagogues and cemeteries.

The burden of being the last Jews

Hallegua and Josephai stayed. Now they represent the final chapter for the Cochin Jews who have lived peacefully — and without fear of antisemitism — for centuries alongside Hindu, Muslim and Christian neighbors. There are now fewer than 5,000 Jews in all of India, the world's most populous country.

But the Cochin Jewish community's complex history includes both religious freedom and internal divisions over class and colorism. Hallegua is a Paradesi Jew, the once-dominant group whose fair-skinned, Sephardic ancestors from Spain and Portugal fled the Spanish Inquisition in the 16th century. They brought enslaved people with them, and their freed descendants, known as the Meshuchrarim Jews, were relegated to a lower social status and had to fight for religious equality.

Josephai is a Malabari Jew. The group's darker-skinned ancestors trace their roots back more than 2,000 years, to King Solomon’s time. They also faced past discrimination from the Paradesi community. While these divisions didn't survive after the Cochin Jews migrated to Israel and elsewhere, the bitter remnants still haunt the community's legacy.

Though Hallegua and Josephai rarely meet, both are intensely proud of their ancient heritage.

Josephai spent years resurrecting Kadavumbagam Synagogue, the last functioning Malabari house of worship. Services are rare; it's up to Josephai to light the lamps and keep the prayers going, often alone. He weeps for the past, when the synagogue was filled with people, prayers and songs.

“That will never come back,” he said.

Hallegua is the last local member of Paradesi Synagogue, which now relies on tourists and visitors to have a quorum for services.

“Quite often, I walk to the synagogue and I ask HaShem (God), why have you done this?” Hallegua said. “I never hear a response.”

Locals and global community strive to preserve history

On a recent morning, tourists crowded the Paradesi Synagogue and Synagogue Lane, the street it anchors. Former homes are now occupied by spice warehouses and stores selling antiques and handicrafts. Historically, the Jewish community played a major role in the spice trade in Kochi, a hub for black pepper, cardamom and nutmeg.

The synagogue’s entryway leads to a main hall with blue and white Chinese porcelain tile floors. Nineteenth century Belgian crystal chandeliers and colorful glass lanterns adorn the sanctuary. A carved teakwood Torah ark stands at the western wall facing Jerusalem. As in other Kochi synagogues, the women’s section is upstairs. Visitors slip off their shoes, in keeping with regional etiquette.

Synagogue trustee M.C. Praveen says his life's mission is protecting Cochin Jewish history. Praveen, a Hindu, spent his childhood in Jew Town, attending school with Hallegua's family members, eating Shabbat dinners, playing cricket near the synagogue.

“I want to make sure future generations know the history of this town and the people who lived here,” said Praveen, who seeks guidance from the community's former residents and their far-flung children.

The connections transcend geography. Trustee Shulamit Kotzer, 55, was born in Jew Town and spent vacations there after moving to Israel at age 2. She dreams of opening a hotel in the neighborhood.

“I consider Cochin not a second home, but my home,” she said.

Earlier this year, synagogue leaders opened a museum showcasing Kochi's Jewish history. It features the settlement's original deed: two copper plates bearing a Hindu king's charter from 1000 CE granting the community religious freedom.

Preservation efforts transcend religious ties

Praveen is not the only non-Jew trying to ensure the community's culture survives.

Thaha Ibrahim, a Muslim, forged a profound connection with the late Sarah Cohen, one of the neighborhood's Jewish matriarchs. He now runs her embroidery shop on Synagogue Lane. Cohen, or “Sarah aunty” as he calls her, taught him how to do Cochin Jewish embroidery.

“I'm teaching my son to do this embroidery so he can continue Sarah aunty's legacy,” he said.

Ibrahim lights Shabbat candles on Fridays and closes his shop on Saturdays. Muslim-Jewish tensions elsewhere in the world are not a deterrent, he says.

“This is not about religion, it's about human connection."

Across the city in Ernakulam, Josephai shoulders the preservation of Malabari Jewish heritage. The 12th century Kadavumbagam Synagogue, which he saved after vandals destroyed it, is tucked behind the store where he sells aquarium fish and plants. The renovated interior features hand-crafted tile and a red-and-gold Torah ark.

Josephai is proud that people of different faiths helped him rebuild. A Muslim donated the lamps, a Christian gave a Ten Commandments plaque, a Hindu foundation paid for the chandeliers.

An oil lamp hangs in front of the ark, its flame kept burning by Josephai. He also keeps the synagogue prayers going, a promise made to his grandmother after his siblings moved to Israel in 1972.

“Every Jew has a dream that his last breath should be in Israel," he said. “I believe my last breath should be inside this synagogue.”

Josephai, 70, hopes a Jewish organization will take over the synagogue, along with the library and museum he is building.

“Once I’m gone, there is no one who can tell these stories,” he said. “But this is our fate and that’s how it is.”

Thapan Dubayehudi, a Malabari Jew who moved to Vienna in 2022, called Josephai “a one-man army” keeping the history alive. He remembers sitting with Josephai as they assembled and lit hundreds of lamps in the sanctuary during Hanukkah.

“I’d carry that memory with me if God gives me 90 years of life,” he said.

A strong identity that is both Indian and Jewish

Keith Hallegua also stayed to fulfill family responsibilities.

“Never did I ever think that I would be the last Jew in Jew Town,” said Hallegua, who remained to care for his brother and mother.

His mind teems with memories. Singing the Paradesi Jewish tunes that blended Sephardic chants with local folk elements. The aroma of his mother's chili chicken. His grandmother's frantic cleaning ahead of Passover, Hallegua’s favorite season. The new clothes for Rosh Hashanah.

“That’s never going to come back,” Hallegua said.

He realizes his memories will vanish with him. It's deeply painful, and some days he wants to leave Jew Town. But he is grounded by his homeland and its history.

As he once explained, “I was born a Jew in India and I shall die in India, a Jew.”

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

Customs data released Friday showed China’s trade surplus narrowed to $112.5 billion from $125.6 billion in June.

Exports rose nearly 24% in July from a year earlier, compared with a 27% increase in June. Imports climbed 27.5% year-on-year, but that was lower than June's jump of 36%.

Disruptions to port operations due to typhoons helped to slow trade, though the actual figures were slightly better than analysts had forecast.

“The boom in Chinese trade slowed a touch in July but the big picture is that export and import values remain elevated, helped by soaring global demand for electronics and green tech products,” Julian Evans-Pritchard of Capital Economics said in a report.

The Iran war interfered with shipments of aluminum from the Middle East, leading to an increase in Chinese exports of the metal, he noted.

Trade data show China has fully transitioned from providing mostly low cost manufacturing to supplying vital machinery and components for advanced manufacturing.

China’s exports of high-tech items surged nearly 41% in January-July from the same period the year before, while shipments of vehicles, many of them electric, jumped 55%. Exports of electronics and machinery rose 26%.

Sustained demand for such goods, despite rising tariffs and other trade barriers in the U.S. and some other countries, helped push its trade surplus to a record high of nearly $1.2 trillion in 2025.

After U.S. President Donald Trump boosted tariffs on imports from China and many other countries, China’s exports to the U.S. slowed precipitously. They climbed just 2.6% year-on-year in the first seven months of this year, while imports from the U.S. grew 1.4%.

But trade issues and restrictions on China's access to advanced technology are likely to be high on the agenda during a planned visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the U.S. next month.

In key industries such as autos, its leaders have been adjusting policies to counter price wars due to brutal competition and slack demand, while the U.S. and some other major trading partners have complained Chinese exporters are flooding global markets due to massive excess manufacturing capacity inside China.

Still, the government issued a report last week condemning what it said was the “myth of overcapacity.”

A commentary issued by the state-run Xinhua News Agency, pointed to a surge in exports of air conditioners to Europe due to skyrocketing demand during a ferocious heat wave.

“Europeans are buying these products, and for good reasons,” the Xinhua commentary said. “These products solve problems local brands often fail to address.”

The data released Friday showed exports to the European Union were up nearly 17% in January-July, while exports to Southeast Asia, which as a bloc is now China's biggest trading partner, surged 25%.

Among other key categories, the total volume of China's crude oil imports fell 13.2% in the first seven months of this year, though due to higher prices the value of those imports rose slightly. Imports of natural gas slipped 3% by volume and 1.6% in dollar terms.

China's exports of strategically vital rare earths fell 10% by volume in January-July, but they jumped 58% in value.

Investigations are ongoing into how cyanide found its way into an ecosystem where wild and domestic animals coexist. Growers have disputed claims that cyanide from their tomatoes killed the elephants.

The elephant deaths and disputes about the cause have intensified concerns over growing human-wildlife conflict in the region due to expanding agricultural activities near Amboseli park. Kenya has until recently been widely recognized for rebuilding its elephant population from historic lows to more than 36,000 individuals by reducing poaching.

Sixteen elephants died in one month

Kenya's Wildlife Service said last month that 15 elephants had died in the Amboseli ecosystem in a span of a month. The service updated the numbers to 16 on Friday. Preliminary laboratory tests detected cyanide, while postmortem examinations found tomatoes in the animals’ stomachs.

The wildlife service on Friday said it requested the Pest Control Products Board to establish a team to investigate whether the chemical “may have been improperly used, stored, or disposed, and whether water, soil, or grass may have been contaminated.”

The head of veterinary services at Kenya's wildlife agency, Dr. Isaac Lekolool, said the elephants had shown signs of “paralysis and difficulty breathing” before they died. Initial tests pointed to cyanide poisoning, although further laboratory tests are being done to determine the concentration of cyanide.

“We are yet to find out where this cyanide came from,” Lekolool said, adding that the elephants had also consumed watermelons. He urged caution over the handling and use of pesticides on farms.

Farmers skeptical that cyanide from their farms was to blame

Elvis Muchai has farmed on the edge of Amboseli for two decades. In all that time, he said, he has never heard of farmers poisoning wildlife, and he was skeptical that farmed tomatoes believed to have been contaminated with the chemical were to blame for the elephants' death.

Muchai, who farms tomatoes in Kimana area, said local communities have long coexisted with elephants despite suffering repeated crop losses when the animals cross the park’s electric fence and raid farms, particularly during the dry season.

“We are used to the animals eating from our farms,” he said.

One of Kenya's most productive farming regions

Kimana, which borders Amboseli, is one of Kenya’s most productive agricultural areas, growing tomatoes, onions and French beans that are transported to markets to the capital, Nairobi.

The samples tested for toxic chemicals were obtained from the elephants' stomach contents and the analysis of blood samples is ongoing, Lekolool said. He disputed earlier claims that cyanide, which is regulated by the government for use in mining, may have been present in the park due to illegal mining.

Farms have expanded near the park and conflict between people and elephants remains the second leading cause of deaths after poaching, according to Kenya’s National Elephant Plan. Between 2000 and 2020, at least 1,160 elephants died in incidents linked to self-defense or retaliatory killings as communities sought to protect their crops, property and lives, the Plan notes.

But Duncan Juma, communications director of Kenya’s wildlife service, ruled out human-wildlife conflict in the death of the elephants, saying “the community loves these animals.”

Urgent need to tackle human-wildlife contact

The International Fund for Animal Welfare, or IFAW, said the recent suspected cyanide poisoning highlights the urgent need to tackle the underlying causes of human-wildlife conflict.

“As people and elephants increasingly share space, protecting wildlife and safeguarding communities’ livelihoods must go hand in hand,” IFAW wrote in a statement.

IFAW’S East Africa director Ben Wandago said the reported cyanide poisoning must be “urgently and thoroughly investigated” and recommended that coexistence solutions to protect communities living near the park be implemented.

“This tragedy also underscores the urgent need for the strict control and responsible handling of highly toxic substances to prevent them from entering the natural environment,” he said.

Farmers are doubtful that the cyanide could have originated from commonly used agricultural inputs.

Muchai said he has never encountered cyanide among the pesticides or chemicals sold to farmers in the area and insisted that products available on the market are regulated by the Kenyan government.

“The chemical they are talking about, we’ve never seen it or heard of it here,” he said.

Last season alone, Muchai said elephants destroyed about half an acre of his tomato crop, costing him an estimated 500,000 Kenya shillings ($3,800).

“We have lived with these animals for years. They eat our crops, and many of us have never received compensation,” he said.

Another farmer, Rymondy Mrosso, also questioned whether pesticides used by local farmers could explain the deaths and wondered why only elephants appeared to have been affected.

“We have goats, cows and other wildlife such as gazelles that also feed in these areas,” he said. “If the crops were poisoned, why were only the elephants affected?”

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The 14-year-old shooter took his own life at the school, officials said.

Five school staff members, including teachers and administrators, died in the shooting around 10 a.m. at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province northwest of Bangkok, Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwunchwee said at the scene.

The boy also killed his grandparents at the home he shared with them prior to the school shooting, Polapee said.

Bangyai Hospital, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the school, said 23 people were wounded, of whom 10 were in critical condition, with most suffering gunshot wounds. Earlier reports gave conflicting casualty numbers.

A witness said students hid inside a classroom while they heard gunshots from another building before police officers knocked on the door and cleared a way for them to leave the building.

Amporn Niamfuang, who owns a restaurant 50 meters (160 feet) from the school, said there was the sound of a single gunshot and then a pause.

“And then there were multiple continuous shots,” Amporn said, recalling the narrow road outside the restaurant filling with fleeing students. “Students were running scared and pouring onto the street. Young girls were holding each other’s hands and crying. I went inside to hide.”

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, speaking after touring the school, confirmed reports that the shooter was 14 and had killed himself. He said the student had shown signs of stress connected to school.

The gun, described by police as small and compact, was legally registered to his grandfather, he said.

About an hour after the shooting, people stood outside comforting one another as police and first responders walked around the co-educational state school, which has an enrollment of about 3,000 students ranging from 12 to 18 years old.

All classes will be suspended between Aug. 10 and Aug. 14 and school staff have been instructed to work from home during that time, the school said.

Police find grandparents dead at family home

After the shooting, police went to his home and found both grandparents dead of apparent gunshot wounds, regional police Commander Wattana Yeejeen said.

The student appeared to have shot them before attending school as normal. He waited until classes started and began shooting inside his classroom before walking out and firing more shots, Police spokesperson Trairong Piwpan said.

The boy fired more than 20 shots and police found he still had 30 rounds after shooting himself, he said.

Several family members, including his uncle and sisters of the grandfather who were at the family home while police investigated, said he usually kept to himself and was a good student.

The family members said they were unaware of any troubles he faced at home or school.

Thailand has high rate of gun owners

Thailand has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Asia, second only to Pakistan and far surpassing its Southeast Asian neighbors.

Data collected in 2017 by the groups Small Arms Survey and GunPolicy.org in their last extensive international study found civilian gun ownership in Thailand was about 15.1 guns per 100 people, compared with less than one per 100 in neighboring Malaysia.

Thailand had 3.49 deaths by firearms per 100,000 people, according to 2023 statistics published by World Population Review. That puts it well behind parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, but relatively high in Asia. Only the Philippines is higher in Southeast Asia.

In February, a 17-year-old stole a gun from police and opened fire at a public high school in southern Thailand, briefly taking people hostage in a two-hour attack that killed one person and injured two others.

A 14-year-old boy was accused of a 2023 shooting at a major Bangkok shopping mall.

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Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok and Kaweewit Kaewjinda in Nonthaburi, Thailand, contributed to this report.

And tell you. And tell you.

Trump has spoken repeatedly of his prowess with green lawns since returning to the White House — at some events even spending more time talking about it than the war in Iran, the economy or November's midterm elections.

It was on the president's mind just five weeks after his second inauguration, when he pointed out the Oval Office window during an interview with The Spectator. “You see the grass outside, right?” he asked before detailing his plans to pave over much of it. “Some people would like to leave it. But the problem is, you can’t."

Trump has kept on the topic constantly ever since, saying as recently as Monday at a White House event with military spouses: “Grass is like humans. It has a life.”

All told, he's mentioned grass in at least 45 public events or interviews over the past 18 months — or at least once every 12 days. That doesn't include the numerous social media posts that he has also made on the topic.

Trump's gravitation toward grass speaks to his decades as a New York real estate developer and personal love of building things and overseeing construction projects. But it is also an indication of how much time he spends on the golf course and his extensive, second-term efforts to revamp the White House and greater Washington in his own image. The president has already far outpaced the 26 times he mentioned grass during the entirety of his first four-year term.

The White House didn't answer questions for this story. But the Republican president has made clear where his interest in — and knowledge of — grass comes from.

“I know a lot about grass because I own a lot of golf courses," he said while announcing the recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors last August. "And, if you don’t have good grass, you’re not in business very long.”

A week later, while visiting park police officers in Washington, the president declared, “I know more about grass than any human being, I think, anywhere in the world.”

Trump frequently touts his Washington overhaul and Rose Garden patio

Matt Koch, the lawns research fellow for gardening giant Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, met recently with the president to discuss planting new grass on the White House’s South Lawn. He proudly considers himself a “grass nerd” and came away convinced Trump is an honorary one.

“An amazing dialogue, talking grass for half an hour,” Koch said of the Oval Office discussion. “Going back and forth about grass.”

Trump has managed to bring up grass at events as varied as the signing of an executive order on TikTok and the 2025 White House celebration of Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. He mentioned it while pardoning turkeys last Thanksgiving, while addressing the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, and while signing a directive on quantum technology.

Last September, while hosting Republican lawmakers for dinner, he pledged of green spaces around Washington, “We’re gonna re-grass them with the best guys in the country.” That same month, during an event announcing the intended renaming of the Department of Defense, Trump assured attendees, “I’m very good at grass.”

Trump most frequently mentions grass while promoting his Washington beautification efforts. In May, he spent 10 minutes of a Cabinet meeting detailing his efforts to fix fountains and give D.C.'s parks and monuments a face-lift — sometimes sounding more like a small-town mayor than the leader of the free world.

Ironically, the president brings up the topic while defending his decisions to remove grass for new construction — like when he covered the lawn near the White House's Rose Garden with a stone patio.

“Problem with the grass, you couldn’t do anything with it,” he said during a 2025 Oval Office tour for hosts of the “All-In” podcast.

The president also frequently recounts that hordes of women, including journalists, Cabinet members and administration officials, used to complain to him about their high heels getting stuck in the mud in the old, grassy Rose Garden.

“The women would be lifting up their shoes, saying, ‘You’ve destroyed my shoes,'” he said during a luncheon last fall. When hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers in July, he relayed that women in heels “would go down like quicksand.”

Trump's helipad is wiping out even more grass

Erecting a UFC octagon to mark his 80th birthday in June reduced large swaths of the South Lawn to dusty dirt. In the weeks since, crews have been building a sprawling helicopter landing pad, meaning even more grass has been removed from the lawn.

Trump said the helipad was needed because the new, more powerful fleet of helicopters now being used as Marine One tore up the previous sod.

“When you land on the grass, it’s not that the grass gets discolored — it gets ripped out,” he said in June. Trump even described tufts of turf going “all over” and said, “Half of the grass was sitting in front of the Oval Office front door.”

Scotts Miracle-Gro donated $1 million in monetary and product support to the National Park Service to restore the South Lawn after the UFC fight, and Trump used the meeting with Koch in June to select a custom turfgrass blend of four kinds of tall fescues and four Kentucky bluegrasses. The company's former CEO, James Hagedorn, is a Trump supporter.

Trump, Koch said, asked good, detailed questions as he was shown carpet sample-like swaths of each grass variety.

“You can tell he spends a lot of time on golf courses," Koch said. “He obviously owns courses, and he knows grass from being around it.”

Koch returned to the White House last week as crews began resodding some areas of the White House lawn outside the helipad construction area. There are plans next spring to plant seeds from the grass blend Trump selected. By then, growth will be optimal, and the helipad work should be complete, making the lawn restoration easier.

Many golfers are obsessed with grass

Also key to the president's grass fixation is his love of golf.

Bert McCarty, a Clemson University professor of turfgrass science and management, said golfers like how top courses are so different — from incorporating the ocean in places near beaches to relying on inclines in the mountains.

Trump, McCarty said, is “like most golfers. He likes the challenge of the course and the differences of the course to add variety."

Last August, Trump pledged that, after his administration's various improvements, parks in Washington will “look like Augusta" — a reference to the home of the iconic Masters tournament, where aesthetics are so important that bags from the pro shop and food wrappers are green so that any possible litter blends in with the grass during TV broadcasts.

McCarty said most people “look at the beautiful flowers and the striped-up fairways, and they just think it’s heaven." But “Augusta basically spares no expense to achieve the look they're after," he added, and municipalities “can't compete with that.”

Cost aside, though, Trump may be thinking even bigger than Augusta, pointing to his own golf course in Northern Virginia.

“It’ll look like, more importantly, Trump National Golf Club,” he said. “That’s even better.”

Any concession would be tough for the Republican president, who has insisted there is no truth to his sagging poll numbers, the sluggish economy and the U.S. military’s dwindling stockpiles of key weapons following the Iran war he launched with Israel more than five months ago.

“He divides the world into winners and losers, and this would make him a loser,” said Eliot Cohen, who served as counselor of the State Department in the George W. Bush administration. “And the image of being a loser, I think, would be intolerable for him.”

The sticking point has been over control of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil normally flows. While both sides say a deal is close, the Trump administration has ruled out any arrangement that would cement Iran’s grip over the Persian Gulf waterway, including Tehran charging fees.

But Iran has insisted on some measure of control, saying the strait will not go back to being an open international waterway as it was before the war. Despite thousands of U.S. strikes, Iran can still fire drones and missiles at vessels, giving it a chokehold over commercial shipping.

Cohen said yielding ground to Iran would be difficult for the president, even if the conflict keeps gasoline prices elevated and poses problems for Republicans in November’s midterm elections.

But David Schenker, a former State Department official in the first Trump administration, said the increasing economic pressure may actually prompt Trump to compromise on the strait, even if it's likely to have profound implications on global trade.

“There will be a lot of spin both ways, but my guess is that the president has tipped his hand as to the urgency for him of resolving the crisis,” said Schenker, now a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “This is a concession he may very well be willing to make.”

Trump says weapons stockpiles are ‘a little bit tighter’

Trump, however, has so far conceded little about the war.

He posted on social media Thursday that the U.S. military still has “massive amounts” of weapons and that large amounts are being manufactured. He threatened jail time for the alleged “leakers” of information on the nation's weapons stockpiles.

Trump was referencing a Washington Post story that reported his frustration with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the shrinking inventories of advanced weapons, as the Cabinet had gathered at Camp David last week.

A senior administration official said there had been a “robust and healthy” discussion about Iran in the Cabinet meeting and would not provide additional details except to say there had not been a "knock-down, drag-out fight” over the matter. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations.

Experts say the U.S. military is running short on weapons like advanced missile interceptors that have defended American troops from Iranian attacks. The Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, has released reports on declining inventories based on budget documents and other public information.

When asked later about weapons stockpiles, Trump told reporters that “we need more all the time.” He claimed that certain kinds of munitions are in “virtually unlimited supply” and others are “a little bit tighter.” He didn't offer more specifics.

He insisted that “we’re in great shape. But, with that being said, we always want more. We have to have more,” noting that the military could tap into U.S. supplies of munitions around the world if needed.

Hegseth was on Capitol Hill this week, meeting privately with Republican senators as he makes the case for billions of dollars in additional Pentagon spending as part of a major GOP budget package.

Sen. Mark Kelly, an Arizona Democrat and former Navy pilot, said the weapons shortfall stems from a war that lacked a well-defined goal and strategy beyond striking more than 14,000 targets.

“My contention on this is, if you knew what the goal is, maybe the target list would have been 500 targets. Maybe it would have been 200 targets," Kelly said, adding the Pentagon wants "billions and billions of dollars to fix their self-inflicted problem.”

Trump has made a dubious claim about polling

Trump also has claimed in a social media post Tuesday that his polling numbers are the best “they have ever been.” He cited accomplishments including employment numbers and the “Denuclearization of Iran.”

But about two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran has not been worthwhile, according to a poll from late July by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as about 37% of Republicans.

On employment, the United States had nearly 159 million jobs in June, not including farmworkers, which was a record. In Trump’s second term, however, job growth has slowed considerably.

Trump also continues to claim that the Strait of Hormuz is open to commercial shipping. He said Thursday that the strait is “sort of open right now” and pointed to the Navy's blockade of Iranian ports.

“But they can always shoot something, they always have something or drop a mine,” Trump said of Iran. “And if you have one mine sitting out there, you sort of mess things up because people don’t want to take their billion-dollar boats and accidentally get hit by a mine.”

At least two ships were hit in the Strait of Hormuz in the past week, while several others reported near misses or warnings from entities claiming to represent Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, according to maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

Vessel traffic through the strait increased to 84 transits last week, up from 45 the week before. But traffic is still far below the more than 700 transits seen in a typical week before the crisis, Lloyd’s List said.

A deal over the Strait of Hormuz could hinge on fees

U.S. and Iranian officials say they are close to reaching an agreement to reopen the strait. That is even as the U.S. military insists the strait is open through a route it helps oversee near Oman’s coast, saying this week that it “remains free and open for all commercial vessels seeking to transit the international waterway.”

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that the potential deal is being portrayed as a temporary solution to the dispute over the strait, and that it would allow ships to enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through an Omani-controlled route.

The Trump administration has said repeatedly that it is strongly opposed to any arrangement that would see Iran charge fees.

Any temporary routes through the waterway will not have tolls, charges or other impediments, according to a U.S. official not authorized to comment publicly who spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity. The official said Trump’s preferred choice is diplomacy and he “holds all the cards” in dealing with Iran.

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Associated Press reporters Lisa Mascaro, Darlene Superville and Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.

Then she took the blame for the Indiana Fever's stinging 86-84 overtime loss to defending champion Las Vegas.

“Obviously, it just can't happen,” the three-time All-Star said just hours after she was one of 12 players named to the FIBA Women's World Cup team. “Those are free throws I usually make and certainly frustrating. Obviously, one of them gives us a two-possession lead and kind of caused my pain there, for sure, so that's on me.”

It wasn't a great night for Clark by any measure. While she scored 20 points, had eight assists and made two go-ahead 3-pointers in the final 4 1/2 minutes of regulation, it was the miscues she rued after first watching a 20-point first-half lead slip away and then failing to protect a three-point lead in the final seconds of the fourth quarter and a two-point lead at the end of overtime.

Jackie Young took advantage of the first opening by scoring a franchise-record 15 consecutive points to finish the second quarter and start the third. Chelsea Gray then made the Fever pay for their late miscues — making a buzzer-beating 3 to tie it at 75 following the missed free throws and then making another buzzer beater to win it following Clark's final turnover, forced by A'ja Wilson.

Clark went 7 of 20 from the field, 2 of 10 on 3s and had more fouls (four) than rebounds (three). Still, she didn't make any excuses.

“I didn't know we scored nine points in the third quarter, but you know we still battled, still fought, we put ourselves in position to win the game,” Clark said. “And then, honestly, it was me that made the costly errors for us. So that's on me to helps us win. That's my job. That's what I get paid to do.”

As usual, though, it wasn't just Clark.

Kelsey Mitchell, July's WNBA Player of the Month, missed one of two free throws with 9.2 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. And then, instead of fouling to prevent the tying 3-point attempt, or corralling the loose ball, Gray got her chance to tie the score.

“Aliyah Boston read it perfectly, her timing was perfect,” coach Stephanie White said, noting they gave up 18 points on turnovers, too.. “It's a loose ball and it bounced their way. We've got to come up with that play.”

White also acknowledged making her own mistake — not calling timeout at the end of overtime when they were struggling to get a shot, which led to Clark's turnover.

And, though, that seemed of little solace to Clark, White saw it another way.

“Players already hate that they miss free throws, right? They hate that they miss plays,” White said. “You've just got to keep them positive in those moments."

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

The rookie quarterback ran in from the 5 on the final play to give the Carolina Panthers a 33-30 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in the Hall of Fame game that kicked off the NFL preseason on Thursday night.

King, who was the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year last season at Georgia Tech, was 21 of 34 for 180 yards and two touchdowns. He ran for 39 yards and the winning score.

“Well, that was a lot of fun. Just the back and forth of it. Just a really good game,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “The guys were resilient and finish is what we preach as a team. We practice for these situations, end of half, end of game. ... Haynes did a fantastic job, just keeping the play alive, doing whatever he had to do, run it, throw it. Really proud of the group.”

Carson Beck also had an impressive debut for Arizona.

After Beck left, Kedon Slovis tossed a 1-yard TD pass to Bryson Green with 1:55 remaining to give the Cardinals a 30-27 lead.

But King rallied the Panthers on a night when both teams didn’t play their starters. Bryce Young was King’s biggest cheerleader on the sideline.

King’s 4-yard TD pass to Anthony Tyus III in the opening minute of the fourth quarter put Carolina ahead 24-20. King threw a 15-yard TD pass Ja’seem Reed in the second quarter. He had a 26-yard run on third-and-14 to keep the final drive going.

“These are things that he did throughout his career,” Canales said of King. “The bottom line is move the chains.”

Both teams gave their backups and reserves opportunities to shine.

Beck, Slovis and King took advantage.

Beck, a third-round pick from Miami, completed 15 of 19 passes for 188 yards and one touchdown. After leading the Hurricanes to the national championship game — a loss to Fernando Mendoza and Indiana — Beck wasn't overwhelmed by the national stage.

“It was a cool environment and for him to just kind of, it’s just another game and that’s the way he took it and he’s been in big ones and that’s how his mindset works,” rookie Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said.

Slovis was 9 of 10 for 106 yards.

Veteran Jacoby Brissett is the Cardinals' starter and their backup is journeyman Gardner Minshew. But expectations are low for Arizona in a division that includes the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks, Rams and 49ers.

So Beck may get a chance to play at some point if he develops under LaFleur. Canales raved about what he saw from the opposing sideline.

“He operated like a professional. He looked fantastic,” Canales said. “He was accurate. He was on time. Our rush was decent. He got the ball out, threw some really beautiful passes down the field, up the sideline on some double moves, over the middle, to keep the drive alive in some third-down situations, so tip my hat to him.”

King is expected to be Carolina’s No. 3 QB behind Young and veteran Kenny Pickett.

The Panthers won the NFC South last season at 8-9 and lost to the Rams in a wild-card game.

Pickett started and was 8 of 11 for 62 yards before King replaced him.

Beck completed all six of his passes on a 98-yard touchdown drive that included a 35-yard strike to Jalen Brooks on third-and-7 from Arizona’s 7.

He threw a perfect deep ball to Brooks for a 49-yard gain and finished that drive with a 5-yard TD pass to Simi Fehoko.

Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, sat out even though he hoped to persuade LaFleur to let him play.

Gold jackets

Quarterback Drew Brees, running back Roger Craig, kicker Adam Vinatieri, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and linebacker Luke Kuechly make up the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

Tomlin makes his TV debut

Former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin made his first appearance with the NBC broadcast crew. Tomlin left Pittsburgh after 19 seasons and became the lead studio analyst for “Football Night in America.”

Brissett and McBride in the Hall

Brissett and All-Pro tight end Trey McBride stopped by the Pro Football Hall of Fame Museum to see their jerseys displayed for breaking records last season. McBride set an NFL record for receptions by a tight end in a season with 126. Brissett set a record for completions in a game with 47 against San Francisco last Nov. 16.

Honoring Fitz

Cardinals players wore red T-shirts with Larry Fitzgerald's No. 11 in warmups and on the sideline.

“It's a great feeling to know your organization stands behind you,” Fitzgerald said. “I'm really happy they would honor me like this.”

Up next

Panthers: At Buffalo on Aug. 15.

Cardinals: At Las Vegas on Aug. 13.

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

After the Rams held their final practice of camp Thursday, McVay said Donald's formal workout with the team went well at their regular training complex in Woodland Hills on Wednesday.

“He looked great, and he's still continuing to go through his process,” McVay said. “No new news on that front. ... We've had a plan in place for a while, and the workout was one of those things. (Calling it an official workout) was kind of semantical to be able to use the equipment and things like that under the (rules) of the CBA. He's very deliberate and intentional about what this looks like. I'm careful to say things are going in the right direction. He's feeling good, but we're not to where we're able to say he is or isn't ready to do it. But he's doing great, and he looked outstanding, as I think all of us would expect.”

McVay reiterated that the Rams will wait indefinitely for Donald's decision on whether to end his 2 1/2-year retirement. McVay also wouldn’t speculate on whether Donald would entertain the notion of returning to the Rams later in the regular season.

“He has earned the right to be able to say how he feels,” McVay said. “I saw (video of) the workout. I've been seeing the things that he's been doing. He and I probably talk every day, so it's one of those deals that if he wants to do it, we'd be excited about the possibility. And I think it's really important to acknowledge that if he doesn't, this guy gave this organization everything he had for 10 years. So if he is going to do it, he's going to do it the right way.”

Donald only began to entertain the notion of a comeback in early June after the Rams traded for Myles Garrett, and he has been working to get in football shape for several weeks. He has worked out at the Rams’ complex and at home while the team went through the past two weeks of training camp, which formally ends Friday.

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

Clark missed two free throws with seven seconds left in regulation and Indiana up by three, then lost the ball with seven seconds to go in overtime and the Fever a point ahead. Clark had 20 points and eight assists along with eight turnovers.

A’ja Wilson had 26 points, 13 rebounds and the key defensive stop against Clark that set up Gray’s winner. Jackie Young added 22 points, including a franchise-record 15 in a row to close the first half and open the second. Gray had 11 points, hitting three 3s.

Las Vegas overcame a 20-point first-half deficit, a three-point deficit at the end of regulation and a two-point deficit at the end of overtime to salvage a win in the three-game season series.

Kelsey Mitchell led the Fever with 28 points, but missed a late free throw in regulation before Clark's misses. Aliyah Boston added 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Las Vegas erased its big deficit by closing the first half on a 15-0 run to cut a 42-22 deficit to 42-37. Young scored the final 13 points of the half, the first basket of the second half and five of the first seven points in the second half to give the Aces a 44-42 lead.

Indiana finally found its shooting touch midway through the fourth quarter.

It rallied from a 64-55 deficit with 6:16 left and led 75-72 when Gray hit the first of her two buzzer-beaters. Gray did it again in overtime knocking down a shot to erase an 86-84 deficit. Both plays withstood replay reviews.

The game was stopped for several minutes with 4:38 left in the third quarter when security escorted a woman, who was sitting in the front row directly across from the Aces bench, out through a tunnel. A few minutes later, she assisted back to her seat and two men who were seated near her were taken out.

The Fever issued a statement that said one fan was removed then elected not to return when it was determined the fan conduct policy had not been violated. Young told reporters someone had been “chirping" all night and at that point, she thought he had crossed the line. Young declined to elaborate on what was said.

Up next

Aces: At Minnesota on Saturday.

Fever: At Chicago on Saturday.

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AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Pese a las críticas que ha recibido de ambientalistas, Sheinbaum ratificó el jueves su decisión de seguir adelante con las evaluaciones de los polémicos proyectos que podrían abrirle la posibilidad a México de disminuir la dependencia que tiene del gas proveniente de Estados Unidos, que es su principal proveedor. En la actualidad el país latinoamericano importa 75% del gas que utiliza.

La técnica de fracturación hidráulica, que implica la inyección de agua con arena y algunos aditivos a presión suficiente como para provocar microfisuras en las rocas y favorecer el flujo del gas natural, ha sido rechazada por los ambientalistas que sostienen que consume y contamina el agua potable con químicos tóxicos y libera enormes cantidades de gas metano que agravan el cambio climático.

Al exponer los alcances de los estudios que realizaron los 54 especialistas invitados por el gobierno, José Antonio Hernández Espriú, investigador de la Facultad de Ingeniería de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), afirmó que para la fracturación hidráulica el grupo de expertos solo está recomendando que “se emplee exclusivamente agua salada” y que se descarte el uso del agua dulce debido a que está comprometida para el consumo humano, la agricultura y la ganadería.

Hernández Espriú dijo en la conferencia presidencial matutina que se debe reutilizar y reciclar, al menos, 75% del agua empleada en los procesos y establecer un sistema permanente de monitoreo para evitar los daños ambientales.

Sobre las regiones donde podrían desarrollarse los proyectos, el comité descartó la cuenca Tampico-Misantla, que está frente a las costas del Golfo de México y que abarca desde el estado de Veracruz hasta Tamaulipas, por las afectaciones ambientales y sociales que podría ocasionar.

Pero los especialistas dejaron abierta la posibilidad para continuar las evaluaciones de viabilidad de yacimientos no convencionales de gas natural en la cuenta de Sabinas-Burro-Picachos, ubicada en los estados norteños de Coahuila y Nuevo León, y la cuenca de Burgos del noreste de Tamaulipas.

Ante las recomendaciones de los especialistas, la mandataria anunció que el Instituto Mexicano de Tecnología del Agua iniciará las perforaciones de pozos exploratorios para determinar si hay agua salada en las áreas donde se podría extraer gas no convencional.

El informe del comité fue rechazado por unas 30 organizaciones civiles locales que acusaron a los especialistas de estar sesgados a favor del gobierno. En un comunicado sostuvieron que el estudio “no buscaba responder si México debía prohibir el uso del fracking, sino cómo usarlo con menos culpa”.

Sheinbaum —una científica experta en temas de cambio climático—por años estuvo en contra, al igual que su antecesor Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024), a los proyectos de fracturación hidráulica.

Pero en los últimos meses decidió cambiar de postura en medio de las tensiones que han surgido en las relaciones entre México y la administración del estadounidense Donald Trump.

El año pasado México batió récords al gastar 9.100 millones de pies cúbicos de gas al día, de los cuales 6.800 millones fueron importados. La mayor parte del gas se usa para generación eléctrica y el gobierno prevé que necesitará 30% más para 2030.

El juez Bryan Biedscheid determinó en su fallo que 420 millones serán utilizados para servicios de atención para jóvenes. El resto del dinero se asignará a labores de concienciación y prevención, servicios de detección y otros costos durante los próximos cinco años.

En la primera fase del juicio, el jurado ordenó en marzo pasado sanciones civiles por 375 millones de dólares contra Meta después de determinar que la empresa perjudicó deliberadamente la salud mental de los niños y ocultó lo que sabía sobre la explotación sexual infantil en sus plataformas.

En la segunda fase, los fiscales habían solicitado al juez que impusiera cambios fundamentales en la compañía con el objetivo de poner fin a funciones adictivas, mejorar los procesos de verificación de edad y prevenir la explotación sexual infantil mediante configuraciones predeterminadas de privacidad, así como una supervisión más estrecha.

La decisión significa que el aspecto de las plataformas de Meta podría cambiar. El juez ordenó a Facebook e Instagram crear y desplegar frecuentemente banners y pantallas informativas para explicar con claridad sus funciones de protección, las mejores prácticas y herramientas para abordar, por ejemplo, los comentarios inapropiados. Esos cambios, así como una campaña educativa en Nuevo México, quedarían sujetos a una revisión por parte del estado.

“No estamos de acuerdo con el fallo y apelaremos”, indicó un portavoz de Meta el jueves por la noche en un comunicado.

“Trabajamos arduamente para mantener a las personas a salvo en nuestras plataformas y hemos sido transparentes sobre los desafíos de identificar y eliminar a los actores malintencionados y el contenido dañino. Seguimos confiando en nuestro historial de protección de los adolescentes en línea y continuaremos defendiéndonos de las afirmaciones que tergiversan los hechos”, añadió.

El Departamento de Justicia de Nuevo México no respondió de momento a un correo electrónico en busca de comentarios.

El tribunal destacó que las leyes federales de privacidad infantil impiden que Meta ponga en funcionamiento herramientas de verificación de edad a niños menores de 13 años. La Ley de Protección de la Privacidad Infantil en Internet --conocida como COPPA-- significa que no puede ordenar a que Meta solicite a los niños que presenten datos personales ni que sean rastreados de forma pasiva en línea, incluso con fines de verificación de edad.

La corte también señaló que ordenar únicamente a Meta, y no a otras empresas de redes sociales, verificar la edad de los menores "no sería equitativo y sería extremadamente perjudicial” para la compañía.

En su lugar, le ordenó a Meta seguir mejorando sus herramientas de garantía de edad en Nuevo México, las cuales incluyen el uso de inteligencia artificial para determinar la edad de una persona a partir de señales como quiénes son sus amigos y el tipo de contenido publican y consumen. Meta también debe tratar de desarrollar un “modelo de predicción para menores de 13 años” en los próximos dos años.

Además, Meta también deberá solicitar en Nuevo México un comprobante de edad a todo usuario de Instagram y Facebook que considere que es menor de 13 años. En caso de determinar que un usuario es menor de 13 años, o menor de 18 pero sin poder estimar una edad específica, Meta deberá tratar al usuario como si fuera un menor de 13 años o un menor de 18 años hasta que el usuario verifique su edad.

La empresa también deberá forjar alianzas con escuelas o con una organización de seguridad infantil para crear un portal de denuncias en donde el personal escolar pueda señalar a los usuarios que sean menores de 13 años. Además, debe eliminar cualquier información personal que haya recopilado de usuarios menores de 13 años.

Meta deberá informar sus avances en cuanto a las medidas de mitigación dos veces al año, de acuerdo con la orden.

___

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

Nearly half of the Team USA athletes who competed in Italy came to the East Room reception, according to the White House, along with coaches, staff, and other representatives.

Among those attending was speedskater Jordan Stolz, whom Trump said was the single most-decorated American Olympian of the 2026 Games while marveling at his “very strong legs.” Stolz, during a rally with the president in Wisconsin earlier this summer, briefly placed a gold medal around Trump's neck.

“Today, we’re truly honored to welcome to the White House perhaps the greatest group of Winter Olympians in American history,” Trump said, as athletes in USA windbreakers filled rows of risers behind him.

They gave Trump a Team USA jacket and sneakers, and the president promised to hand out special coins and invited attendees to a post-event tour of the Oval Office.

Three hundred U.S. athletes participated in this year’s Winter Olympics and Paralympics, winning 57 medals in total. Thursday's event was originally scheduled to be held in the stone patio area that Trump had built near the Rose Garden, but was moved indoors as heavy evening rains fell.

“These men and women sacrificed years of their lives and countless early mornings to be the best in the world,” Trump said.

Then, apparently recalling himself as a one-time athlete, the president added, “That’s right. I guess you get up early in the morning, don’t you? I remember those days. But I didn’t do it as well as you. Not quite.”

Trump also asked who was already training for the next Olympics and most the athletes raised their hands. He noted that the 2034 Winter Olympics will be held in Salt Lake City and that Los Angeles is hosting the 2028 Summer Games.

The Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team visited Trump at the White House in February and later received about a two-minute bipartisan standing ovation during his State of the Union address that night. Members of the gold-medal-winning U.S. women's hockey team declined an invitation to attend the speech, citing previously scheduled academic and personal commitments.

Trump said at the time that the women's hockey team would be honored at a later date, and two of its members, Abbey Murphy and Joy Dunne, attended Thursday's celebration and got shout-outs from Trump. He also spoke at length about the men's team, even though its members didn't make a return to the White House trip.

In a video posted earlier Thursday on social media, ice dancers Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik indicated that they did not want to come to the White House.

Trump stayed mostly focused on the Olympics and not politics in his remarks, though he told those assembled, “We’ve done a lot to help save women’s sports,” drawing only a muted reaction from some athletes. At his “Make America Great Again” rallies, Trump often gets cheers for declaring his opposition to transgender rights.

Trump also said Thursday that we’re “saving college sports” and called on Congress to pass legislation overhauling the way such sports are governed, promising to sign it.

“We’re doing everything we can to protect the cherished sporting traditions that have long been part of our nation from the beginning,” the president said.

La embajada china en Buenos Aires acusó el jueves a Estados Unidos de hipocresía después de que una cooperativa eléctrica de la provincia argentina de Neuquén denunciara que la embajada estadounidense amenazó con revocar las visas de sus directivos por un acuerdo con el gigante chino de las telecomunicaciones Huawei.

“Estas prácticas reflejan plenamente la arrogancia y el prejuicio de Estados Unidos, constituyen una grave falta de respeto hacia la soberanía de otros países y un grave menoscabo de los principios del libre mercado”, señaló la embajada china en un comunicado.

La embajada también pidió a Washington que “corrija su percepción de China y ponga fin a sus prácticas hegemónicas y a sus maniobras políticas”.

El cruce diplomático ocurre mientras el ultraliberal mandatario argentino mantiene un delicado equilibrio entre su cercanía con el presidente estadounidense Donald Trump, su principal aliado en la región, y el fortalecimiento de los vínculos económicos con China, uno de sus mayores socios comerciales.

El miércoles, Argentina renovó por otros cinco años el acuerdo bilateral de intercambio de monedas (swap) con China, reforzando la cooperación financiera entre ambos países. El canciller Pablo Quirno también tiene previsto viajar a China en los próximos meses. Su oficina declinó a comentar sobre el comunicado del país asiático.

El comunicado de China se produjo días después de que CALF, la mayor distribuidora de energía eléctrica del sur argentino, denunciara que sus directivos habían sido amenazados con la revocación de sus visas estadounidenses por negociar con Huawei.

La cooperativa dijo en un comunicado que uno de sus gerentes recibió mensajes por WhatsApp advirtiendo que quienes participaran en la expansión de las operaciones de Huawei en Argentina podrían tener restricciones a sus visas estadounidenses.

CALF anunció en julio que ampliaría su alianza estratégica con Huawei para impulsar la expansión de su red de conectividad en Neuquén.

El embajador de Estados Unidos en Argentina, Peter Lamelas, no respondió a una solicitud de comentario. Sin embargo, el jueves escribió en la red social X: “Decidir quién entra y quién no es una responsabilidad de cualquier nación. Negar o revocar una visa no es un castigo, es una decisión para proteger la seguridad y los intereses del país”.

CALF informó el jueves que Lamelas le envió una carta en la que pidió una reunión con sus autoridades y ofreció ayuda para buscar alternativas tecnológicas de empresas norteamericanas.

La Federación Argentina de Cooperativas Eléctricas y Otros Servicios Públicos (FACE), que representa a cooperativas eléctricas y de servicios públicos en Argentina, sostuvo el jueves que sus entidades “no responden a intereses corporativos ni a estrategias geopolíticas” y que cualquier diferencia debe resolverse mediante un “diálogo institucional, transparente y respetuoso”.

El equilibrio de Milei

El gobierno de Trump busca contrarrestar la creciente influencia de China en América Latina utilizando tácticas de lo que sus funcionarios describen como una versión moderna de la Doctrina Monroe, la política de 1823 que advertía de cualquier intervención de las potencias europeas en el hemisferio occidental.

Estados Unidos revocó este año las visas de tres altos funcionarios chilenos después de que Chile avanzó con los planes para construir un cable submarino de fibra óptica que conectaría al país con China. El año pasado, Trump también amenazó con asumir el control de Estados Unidos sobre el Canal de Panamá, en medio de la disputa geopolítica con Beijing.

Milei, que goza de excelente sintonía con Trump, calificó al gobierno comunista chino de “asesinos” durante la campaña presidencial.

Washington ha respaldado al gobierno de Milei con apoyo político y financiero, incluido un paquete de asistencia por 20.000 millones de dólares aprobado el año pasado para estabilizar el mercado financiero. Sin embargo, a casi tres años del inicio de su gestión, los productos chinos han inundado el mercado argentino y los vínculos económicos con Beijing siguen creciendo.

Plataformas de comercio electrónico como Shein, Temu y AliExpress se encuentran entre las aplicaciones de compras más populares del país; más de 20 fabricantes chinos comercializan más de 60 modelos de vehículos en Argentina. Y la empresa china Ganfeng Lithium ha invertido miles de millones de dólares en yacimientos de litio del norte argentino.

“En cierto sentido, Trump le ha dado margen de maniobra a Argentina”, dijo a The Associated Press Benjamin Gedan, director del Programa de América Latina del Stimson Center. “Pero los acuerdos con Huawei suelen ser una línea roja para Estados Unidos” porque habitualmente involucran infraestructura sensible y activos estratégicos, acotó.

Towle was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer in the bile ducts, in August 2023. Her mother, Elizabeth Morrow, and brother, Austin Towle, posted a video to her TikTok account confirming she died Wednesday.

“Syd went peacefully last night after an almost three-year long battle with cholangiocarcinoma,” her brother said. “She fought really hard, and we’re so proud of her, and we thank all of you for your support over the years.” Towle's mother said they appreciated the messages of support and that “she will not be forgotten.”

Her family described her as “an endless ray of sunshine” and a friend to many. Sydney Elizabeth Towle was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on Nov. 15, 1999, and grew up in Hobe Sound, Florida, according to the New York Times. The newspaper reported that she died at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

At the time of her diagnosis, Towle already had a presence on social media where she shared videos from her everyday life. She often posted from the beach and loved the outdoors. She was an avid surfer and runner.

Once she received the diagnosis at age 23, she began posting her unvarnished reality of the disease and treatment while holding fast to her hobbies, style and positive attitude. She had over 1 million followers on TikTok alone.

In a video posted days after she was diagnosed, Towle said, “I’m in good spirits, I’m smiling. If anything, it just makes me appreciate life more.” That essentially became the ethos that guided her online presence, where she shared videos of herself running, going out with friends and traveling alongside videos from a hospital bed or at chemotherapy appointments.

In a column this year advocating for increased funding for research of the rare disease, Towle’s mother wrote that she had seen her daughter become “a beacon of hope for so many” through her candid online presence. “Thousands of people send her messages, stop her on the street and leave comments on her videos, describing how her vulnerability has helped them through their own struggles,” Morrow wrote in February.

Towle graduated from Dartmouth College in 2022, where she studied government and environmental studies. She worked as a social media manager at Epic Games.

She had posted on her LinkedIn account about plans to run the 2026 New York City Marathon in November to raise money for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. She had raised more than $10,000 for the nonprofit that advocates for research and provides patients and caregivers with resources.

“I know it might seem crazy to try to run a marathon with everything going on,” she wrote on the platform months ago. But she noted the importance of hope in her experience with the disease. “Hope keeps us alive, it keeps us going, it makes the impossible seem possible.”

Towle is survived by her mother and brother. Her father, Philip Towle, died in 2016.

La policía desplegó varios retenes para registrar vehículos, buscando posibles sospechosos o explosivos, como parte de un cordón de seguridad. Los controles se concentraron especialmente en la vía que conecta con el aeropuerto, por donde arriban las delegaciones e invitados especiales que asistirán el viernes a la jura presidencial.

Mientras, en la vía que comunica con el vecino departamento del Cauca se ubicaron tanquetas militares y policías de las fuerzas especiales con armas largas. La víspera, hallaron en esa ruta a un autobús cargado con explosivos que tendría como destino a Cal y fue presuntamente enviado por la disidencia de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) que no se acogió al acuerdo de paz firmado hace una década con el Estado.

La seguridad se convirtió en el principal reto del acto que tendrá como protagonista a de De la Espriella, quien ha denunciado amenazas en su contra y prometido tener mano dura contra los grupos armados ilegales revirtiendo así la política de paz que impulsó su antecesor, Gustavo Petro.

"Hay mucha expectativa...lo único que yo quiero es que haya seguridad; ya el trabajo uno lo consigue", aseguró a The Associated Press Víctor Vélez, de 65 años, quien pasaba por un retén de las autoridades.

La juramentación se realizará en la tarde del viernes en un auditorio de la Universidad Santiago de Cali, con una capacidad para más de 2.000 personas. Sus alrededores fueron custodiados por agentes y las alcantarillas registradas por expertos antiexplosivos.

Voces críticas

Mientras los mandatarios locales celebraron que Cali albergue un evento destacado, asegurando que traerá beneficios económicos y reputacionales, algunos ciudadanos reprochan que se trata de una “provocación” para una ciudad en la que la mayoría de los votos los obtuvo el progresista Iván Cepeda, aliado político de Petro.

Para Ramiro Prieto Parra, un docente de 62 años, la toma de posesión presidencial no va a traer mejoras permanentes para la ciudad, mientras que puede generar “conflictos sociales, porque él (De la Espriella) sabe que esta es una ciudad donde él no es bien recibido", explicó a la AP.

En Puerto Resistencia, una zona residencial de Cali que fue epicentro de las multitudinarias protestas antigubernamentales de 2021, una decena de personas se preparaban para proteger una escultura que se alza cerca de 10 metros con un puño izquierdo que sostiene la palabra “resiste”. Se espera que ese lugar sea un punto de concentración de las manifestaciones en contra de De la Espriella durante la juramentación.

En el 2021 el país vivió el ciclo de protestas antigubernamentales más grande de su historia reciente. Iniciaron por un descontento por una reforma fiscal y se extendieron a reclamos estructurales por la desigualdad social. Según Naciones Unidas, más de 40 personas perdieron la vida en las manifestaciones.

De la Espriella dijo en campaña que de llegar a la presidencia tumbaría el “adefesio” de monumento que fue levantado por la denominada “primera línea”, como fueron conocidos en las manifestaciones de 2021 quienes estaban más cerca de la policía antimotines para defenderse, por considerarla una “oda al terrorismo”.

“Nos persiguieron, nos desaparecieron, nos mutilaron, nos sacaron ojos, nos hicieron irnos del país, nos encarcelaron. Y ahora, ¿por qué no nos dejan quietos?”, cuestionó Rolando Quintero, uno de los voceros de la “primera línea”. “El monumento hace parte de la ciudad y de la nación...es una expresión de los derechos del pueblo”, explicó a AP.

Quintero aseguró que harán actividades culturales y esperan una jornada pacífica, aunque teme que el dirigente envíe a los antimotines o militarice la ciudad una vez asuma el mando.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid said in a ruling late Thursday that the bulk of the money — $420 million — will be used for treatment services for young people. The rest will go toward awareness and prevention, screening services and other costs over the next five years.

The new penalty is in addition to the $375 million in civil penalties that jurors ordered against Meta in March after determining the company knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms. In the second phase, prosecutors asked the judge to impose fundamental changes at Meta aimed at reining in addictive features, improving age verification and preventing child sexual exploitation through default privacy settings and closer oversight.

The total amount Meta is responsible for — $942 million — is a small fraction of of its annual profit, which was about $60 billion in 2025. Investors seemed to shrug off the New Mexico ruling in after-hours trading Thursday, sending Meta’s stock down less than half a percent to $589.44.

Still, the ruling is another setback for Meta, which faces an avalanche of lawsuits from thousands of families of children harmed by social media.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said it sends an unmistakable message that companies will be held accountable when their product designs knowingly put children at risk.

“Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online,” he said in a statement.

Meta vowed to appeal.

“We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content," the company said in a statement. "We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.”

The look of Meta's platforms could change

The judge ordered Facebook and Instagram to build banner and informational screens to clearly explain its protection features, best practices and tools to address inappropriate comment, for example, and display them regularly. Those changes and an educational campaign in New Mexico would be subject to review by the state.

The court said federal children’s privacy laws prevent Meta from applying age-verification tools to children under 13. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA, means it cannot order Meta to request children to submit personal data or be passively tracked online, even for age verification purposes.

The court also noted that ordering verification of children’s ages only for Meta and not other social media companies would be “inequitable and unduly injurious” to the company.

Instead, the court ordered Meta to continue to improve its age assurance tools in New Mexico, which include using artificial intelligence to determine people’s age based on signals such as who their friends are and what types of content they post and consume. Meta must also attempt to develop a dedicated “under-13-years-of-age prediction model” in the next two years.

Additionally, Meta should also request proof of age for Instagram and Facebook users in New Mexico it estimates to be under 13. If it determines a user to be under 13, or under 18 but without being able to estimate a specific age, Meta must treat the user as under 13 or under 18 until the user verifies their age.

The company must also partner with schools or a child safety organization to create a reporting portal where school staff can flag users who may be under 13. And it must delete personal information it has collected on users under 13. The court also ordered Meta to report on its progress twice a year on how it’s complying with the abatement measures.

Meta is gearing up for a trial this month in California amid flood of lawsuits

Meta is also gearing up for a trial later this month in federal court in Oakland, California. Here, Meta will face the first four of 29 states that sued it in a federal multi-district lawsuit filed in 2023 for contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms.

Eight states, including Tennessee, where a trial is currently ongoing, filed lawsuits in their own state courts.

And late last month, Meta, along with TikTok, Snap and Google’s YouTube, were sued by the families of four teenagers who died by suicide over what they describe as “years of escalating harms” from using their platforms that eventually resulted in their deaths.

What comes out of New Mexico is the first of many dominoes that will fall for Meta, said Laura Edelson, an assistant professor at Northeastern University focusing on social media and cybersecurity.

“America is not going to pass a law that bans social media," Edelson said. "But if companies like Meta know they’re causing harm to users by product design, the states are finally finding a way to rein this in.”

____

This story has been updated to correct the judge's last name to Biedscheid, not Biedcheid. ___

Ortutay reported from Oakland, California, and Yu from Phoenix. Associated Press writer Mikella Schuettler in Phoenix contributed. Schuettler is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

The final tournament of the regular season determines the top 70 in the FedEx Cup who advance to the postseason.

James, the No. 1 player in the PGA Tour University ranking that came with a tour card, has to win to reach the top 70. He was tied for the lead until a bogey-birdie-bogey finish for a 62, both bogeys coming after he missed 6-foot par putts.

Koivun earned his card from the accelerated PGA Tour University program for underclassmen — he clinched his card as a sophomore and deferred it one year — and is in much better shape at No. 70. Koivun missed some birdie chances coming in and shot 67.

Hossler is at No. 122 in the FedEx Cup and also has to win to reached the first playoff event next week. He ran off four straight birdies early in his front nine at Sedgefield Country Club, and played the the final holes in 4 under with a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 15th.

“Try and win a golf tournament,” Hossler said. “That's all there is to it.”

James, the 36-hole leader at the Canadian Open in his professional debut before crashing on the weekend, made a 15-foot eagle putt on the 15th that allowed him to catch Hossler.

With the chance at another 59 at Sedgefield, he three-putted from just inside 25 feet on the par-3 16th, birdied the 17th and then came up short of the green from the first cut on the 18th, chipped to 6 feet and missed the par putt.

Still, it was an impressive start at a tournament where so many players know they have to go low and finish high if they want to advance.

“Every week someone always shoots anywhere from 63 to 60 or 59 the first day, so it’s always there. You just try to put yourself in position, play the best you can,” James said.

No one had a more bizarre round than Sahith Theegala, whose postseason is safe at No. 43. He didn't make a par on the front nine — eight birdies and one bogey. And then all he could manage were pars on the back nine until stuffing his approach tight on the 18th for a birdie and a 62.

“Pretty wild,” Theegala said. "I've never had a round like that. I think historically I’ve always struggled to start rounds really well, so that was the first time I ever started a round with six (birdies) in a row. That was an incredible start. It didn’t feel like a fluke or anything, either.

“Got to the back nine and just stopped hitting fairways,” he said. “And really that cost me a lot of opportunities. Yeah, it was an interesting round.”

Eric Cole shot 63 and was in fourth, and the six players at 64 included five of them who are outside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup. The exception is Matti Schmid at No. 67, far from safe.

“I feel like I’m in a decent position if I play the golf that I know that I can play,” Schmid said. “I don’t really think about it. I just want to put three more good rounds on the board.”

Brooks Koepka, who returned to the PGA Tour this year after four years at LIV Golf, needs a high finish to reach the postseason and had to settle for a 67, which was closer to the cut line than the lead on a course that yielded 36 rounds of 66 or lower.

The focus is on those who risk finishing out of the top 70. That wouldn't be the end of their seasons, but most would need to play in the FedEx Cup Fall to make sure they finish in the top 100 to simply keep a full card for 2027.

James doesn't face those prospects because his No. 1 ranking in PGA Tour University makes him exempt through 2027. Even so, it would be a big feat to go from the library to the postseason in just over two months. Koivun put himself in that position by winning the 3M Open two weeks ago.

Hossler knew he had to win if he wanted to play next week in the playoff opener, but he is trying to keep it all in perspective.

“There's lots of players that this week’s performance does impact moving on or not or whatever,” Hossler said. “Obviously, every week that we play out here has implications for future years. I think if you let that consume you, it’s a dangerous thing.

“I'm going to go try and play great golf and kind of see where the cards fall.”

___

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

In a findings letter to the school, the department said that while administrators paid lip service to being race-neutral in admissions, they used other factors as stand-ins for race, including personal essays and whether someone was a first-generation college student.

The Durham, North Carolina, school said in an emailed statement it was reviewing the letter and is committed to following the law “in a manner that is consistent with our academic mission.”

“Duke Law School doesn’t get a free pass to discriminate against white and Asian students simply because it thinks it has good intentions,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division said in a news release. “Using ‘diversity’ essay questions to identify preferred races for admission is still illegal discrimination based on race.”

Affirmative action in college admissions has been illegal since a 2023 Supreme Court ruling. The same ruling said colleges could continue to assess how applicants’ backgrounds might speak to broader characteristics, but President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused colleges of using other proxies to maintain racial diversity, which conservatives view as illegal discrimination.

The department recently found that the medical schools at Yale University and the University of California, Los Angeles, illegally considered race in admissions. It announced in June that it was launching similar investigations into 15 other medical schools.

The Trump administration previously targeted undergraduate admissions at selective colleges, demanding they collect data to show they are complying with the Supreme Court ruling.

In its findings against Duke Law, the DOJ said Black or Hispanic applicants were much more likely to be admitted than white or Asian applicants with the same academic credentials. Further, it said, in 2024 and 2025, the median Law School Admissions Test scores of rejected white and Asian applicants exceeded the median scores of admitted Black applicants.

The department said it was seeking to reach a settlement with Duke Law.

Now, in the middle of hurricane season, Puerto Ricans are facing another crisis — no water.

Tens of thousands of people are trying to collect every drop before they’re forced to go without as the island’s government rations water during a serious drought gripping the U.S. territory.

On the way to the island is some relief from a company in Lauderdale Lakes.

Jeffrey Szur, with Altitude Water, is sending about 100 water-making systems built in South Florida to Puerto Rico.

Szur said the machines use condensation and atmospheric water generation technology to make water from the air.

The systems have been deployed during natural disasters before, including the fires in Maui and in hurricane-impacted areas like Asheville.

The units can be plugged into generators or run on solar power, making them useful in places with deteriorating infrastructure like Puerto Rico.

“It’s not just the drought, it’s also the infrastructure where they’re losing all this water. They can’t deliver it,” Szur said.

“Even before the drought, people were already without water.”

For many Puerto Ricans, this is the latest in a series of crises on the island.

Sofia Droz, who went viral earlier this year, shared the difficulties of living in what she called a paradise where many people are forced to leave.

“You have this generation who loves Puerto Rico and really wants to push the island forward, but the living conditions are just unbearable,” Droz said.

“This isn’t a third world country. We’re talking about a U.S. territory.”

About 100 of the water-making systems are on their way to Puerto Rico. The company said a distributor working with the government there purchased the units for about $250,000.

When asked whether he trusts the systems will make it to where they’re needed, Szur said he plans to travel to Puerto Rico himself to make sure they do.

“(Acting President) Delcy Rodriguez’s strategy is to buy time, it’s to discuss about the earthquake,” Jesus Armas, a former political prisoner, said. “She doesn’t want to discuss about free and fair elections, about democracy, about new electoral authority, about new members of the Supreme Court.”

Neither the government nor the opposition have said expressly when elections could be held in Venezuela.

“What is the regime going to do when it truly has its back against the wall?,” political analyst Luis Salamanca asked.

Salamanca believes democracy will eventually come to the country. But in similar situations around the world, organizing that process has taken up to a year and a half.

“I am one of those who believe that a path toward democratic elections will indeed emerge,” Salamanca said.

How Rodriguez may react if ultimately faced with leaving office would be a wildcard.

“It’s not going to be so easy, it’s not going to be fast,” Armas said.

Armas also says he believes Rodriguez will attempt to remain in power, but is hopeful the United States will force her out.

“I don’t want any other person in Venezuela, any other innocent to have to live what I live or what other political prisoners were living right now,” Armas said.

On Thursday, the U.S. State Department released a statement celebrating this process, calling it a unique opportunity. The statement said the dialogue was Venezuelan-led, but many believe it’s all being guided by the United States.