Leer en español

According to North Miami police, the crash occurred in the area of Northwest 135^th Street and Seventh Avenue.

Police said a motorcycle and SUV collided in the area, and the motorcyclist died from his or her injuries.

North Miami police confirmed that they are “handling the traffic crash,” while the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Traffic Homicide Unit is conducting a traffic homicide investigation.

No other details were immediately released.

Según la policía de North Miami, el accidente tuvo lugar en la zona de la calle Northwest 135 y la Séptima Avenida.

La policía informó de que una motocicleta y un todoterreno colisionaron en la zona, el motociclista falleció a causa de sus lesiones.

La policía de North Miami confirmó que está “ocupándose del accidente de tráfico”, mientras que la Unidad de Homicidios de Tráfico de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade lleva a cabo una investigación por homicidio de tráfico.

No se han dado a conocer más detalles por el momento.

Leer en español

Jail records show Daniel Edward Niemiec, who turns 21 on Sunday, was arrested Monday by the Margate Police Department on one count of vehicular homicide and four traffic-related charges involving damage to a person or property.

According to his arrest report, the crash occurred Feb. 2 in the 4900 block of West Atlantic Boulevard in Margate.

Investigators said Niemiec was driving a 2025 Lexus NX350H eastbound on Atlantic Boulevard when a Kia began making a left turn.

They said the Lexus struck the passenger-side doors of the Kia before the vehicles collided a second time, with the driver’s side of the Lexus hitting the Kia’s passenger-side rear quarter panel.

Police said the second impact caused the Kia to spin multiple times before coming to a rest on a nearby median. They said Niemiec’s Lexus then crashed into an electrical light pole.

According to investigators, the male passenger in the Kia, whose name and age were redacted from the arrest report, had to be extricated by the Margate Fire Department and was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Kia’s driver was also hospitalized with injuries to her stomach and legs, police said.

“Prior to the crash, multiple witnesses described the Lexus driving erratically at a high rate of speed and weaving in and out of traffic,” investigators wrote in the report.

Police said investigators determined Niemiec was traveling about 90 mph with a 22% accelerator input just before impact in a 45- mph zone.

After reviewing surveillance video, investigators concluded Niemiec was “operating the Lexus in a reckless manner,” resulting in the passenger’s death and injuries to the Kia’s driver, the report stated.

The arrest marks Niemiec’s second this month.

Coral Springs police arrested him July 2 after accusing him of choking his ex-girlfriend and dumping a backpack filled with feces, urine, hot sauce, soda, ketchup and other fluids at her home as “payback” over suspicions she had been unfaithful.

Investigators alleged Niemiec admitted to filling the backpack with the substances because it would be “payback for her cheating.”

In that case, Niemiec is facing two counts of domestic battery and one count of domestic battery by strangulation, according to jail records.

As of Tuesday morning, he was being held at the Broward County Main Jail on a $100,000 bond. A judge also ordered him to wear a GPS monitor.

Los registros de la cárcel muestran que Daniel Edward Niemiec, quien cumplirá 21 años el domingo, fue arrestado el lunes por el Departamento de Policía de Margate y enfrenta un cargo de homicidio vehicular y cuatro cargos relacionados con infracciones de tránsito que ocasionaron daños a una persona o propiedad.

Según el reporte de arresto, el accidente ocurrió el 2 de febrero en la cuadra 4900 de West Atlantic Boulevard, en Margate.

Los investigadores dijeron que Niemiec conducía un Lexus NX350H modelo 2025 en dirección este por Atlantic Boulevard cuando un Kia comenzó a girar a la izquierda.

Indicaron que el Lexus impactó las puertas del lado del pasajero del Kia antes de que ambos vehículos chocaran por segunda vez, cuando el lado del conductor del Lexus golpeó el panel trasero del lado del pasajero del Kia.

La policía informó que el segundo impacto hizo que el Kia girara varias veces antes de detenerse en el separador central de la vía. Agregaron que el Lexus de Niemiec luego chocó contra un poste de alumbrado eléctrico.

Según los investigadores, el pasajero del Kia, cuyo nombre y edad fueron censurados en el reporte de arresto, tuvo que ser rescatado por el Departamento de Bomberos de Margate y fue trasladado a un hospital cercano, donde fue declarado muerto.

La conductora del Kia también fue hospitalizada con lesiones en el abdomen y las piernas, informó la policía.

“Antes del accidente, varios testigos describieron al Lexus conduciendo de manera errática, a alta velocidad y zigzagueando entre el tráfico”, escribieron los investigadores en el reporte.

La policía indicó que los investigadores determinaron que Niemiec conducía a unas 90 mph con un 22 % de presión sobre el acelerador justo antes del impacto en una zona con límite de velocidad de 45 mph.

Tras revisar videos de vigilancia, los investigadores concluyeron que Niemiec “operaba el Lexus de manera temeraria”, lo que provocó la muerte del pasajero y las lesiones de la conductora del Kia, señala el reporte.

Este arresto marca el segundo de Niemiec en lo que va del mes.

La Policía de Coral Springs lo arrestó el 2 de julio tras acusarlo de estrangular a su ex novia y arrojar una mochila llena de heces, orina, salsa picante, refresco, kétchup y otros líquidos en la vivienda de ella como “venganza” por sospechar que le había sido infiel.

Los investigadores alegan que Niemiec admitió haber llenado la mochila con esas sustancias porque sería una “venganza por haberle sido infiel”.

En ese caso, Niemiec enfrenta dos cargos de agresión física en un caso de violencia doméstica y un cargo de agresión física por estrangulamiento en un caso de violencia doméstica, según los registros de la cárcel.

Hasta la mañana del martes, permanecía detenido en la cárcel principal del condado Broward con una fianza de $100,000 USD. Un juez también le ordenó usar un monitor GPS.

Leer en español

According to police, the shooting was reported at The Mirage at Sailboat Cove complex in the 1800 block of Northwest 143^rd Terrace.

Police said the victim was shot once in the leg after several unknown males approached him and tried to rob him.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue medics responded to the scene and treated the victim.

Police confirmed that OLPD’s Criminal Investigation Unit is investigating the incident.

No other details were immediately released.

Anyone with information about the attempted robbery and shooting is asked to call the Opa-locka Police Department or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.

“We urge all residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity or emergencies promptly to local authorities,” OLPD said in a news release. “The safety and security of our community are paramount, and we appreciate the cooperation of all residents in maintaining a safe environment for everyone.”

District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín said in a Monday ruling that the class-action settlement provides “meaningful relief” to affected authors and publishers.

About 91% of the more than 482,000 books covered by the ruling have been claimed by authors or publishers who are now due payment.

Plaintiff attorney Justin Nelson said in a statement that the settlement was "the largest known copyright recovery in history. We look forward to making distributions to the Class as promptly as possible.”

U.S. District Judge William Alsup issued the preliminary approval in San Francisco federal court last September and has since retired. Alsup had dealt the case a mixed ruling last summer, finding that training AI chatbots on copyrighted books wasn’t illegal but that Anthropic wrongfully acquired millions of books through pirate websites.

Bestselling thriller novelist Andrea Bartz first brought the suit with two other authors in 2024.

Según la policía, la balacera fue reportada en el fraccionamiento The Mirage at Sailboat Cove, ubicado en la cuadra 1800 de Northwest 143rd Terrace.

La policía indicó que la víctima recibió un disparo en una pierna luego de que varios hombres desconocidos se le acercaran e intentaran robarle.

Paramédicos de Miami-Dade Fire Rescue respondieron al lugar y atendieron a la víctima.

La policía confirmó que la Unidad de Investigaciones Criminales del Departamento de Policía de Opa-locka investiga el incidente.

No se dieron a conocer de inmediato más detalles.

Cualquier persona con información sobre el intento de robo y la balacera debe comunicarse con el Departamento de Policía de Opa-locka o con Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers al 305-471-8477.

“Instamos a todos los residentes a mantenerse vigilantes y reportar de inmediato cualquier actividad sospechosa o emergencia a las autoridades locales”, indicó el Departamento de Policía de Opa-locka en un comunicado de prensa. “La seguridad de nuestra comunidad es primordial y agradecemos la cooperación de todos los residentes para mantener un entorno seguro para todos”.

Leer en español

On average over the past 30 years, the second named storm has formed on July 17 in the Atlantic basin.

Bertha’s disheveled appearance a sign of its struggles

Hurricane Hunters flying Bertha Tuesday morning found pressures down slightly from earlier missions with thunderstorms trying to build near or over to its earlier exposed center, which could give the storm a brief window to organize further today. That said, wind shear is high and is forecast to only strengthen in the days ahead, which should mean any strengthening will be short-lived and limited.

The strong upper-level winds from the north responsible for the high wind shear will also keep the storm lopsided, with a relatively dry north side and the heaviest rainfall and worst weather to the south of the center.

Heaviest rainfall to remain well offshore

The lopsided nature of Bertha means its highest rainfall totals exceeding a foot will remain well offshore and widespread flooding isn’t expected as it skirts westward along the northern Gulf Coast this week.

Locally heavy rain is possible in outer bands near and north of the center, however, and some parts of the Florida Panhandle, coastal Alabama, and southern Mississippi and Louisiana could see localized flooding through Thursday.

Bertha not so big and full of bluster

Overall, the threat Bertha poses to the coast is low. The storm is likely peaking or will peak today as a mid-tier tropical storm (highest winds in the 50-60 mph range; hurricane winds start at 74 mph) and weakening should commence in earnest by tomorrow.

Although Tropical Storm Warnings are posted from extreme southeastern Louisiana to the Alabama/Florida border for the likelihood of tropical storm conditions, Bertha doesn’t pose a widespread damaging wind threat and sustained tropical storm winds (winds of 40 mph or higher) should be contained mostly to rain squalls and periodic gusts over the next few days.

High surf along the north Florida and Alabama shoreline will lead to treacherous beach conditions and life-threatening rip currents. If you’re on a beach vacation in these areas, this is a week you’ll want to stay out of the water.

Deafening crickets across the Atlantic

Elsewhere, the Atlantic appears closed for business for the rest of the month. As we’ve discussed in previous newsletters, we’ll keep an eye to the subtropics this season (like the zone in the Gulf where Bertha formed), but for now, we’re not seeing any candidates for at least the next few weeks.

En promedio, durante los últimos 30 años, la segunda tormenta con nombre se ha formado el 17 de julio en la cuenca del Atlántico

La apariencia desorganizada de Bertha refleja las dificultades que enfrenta

Los “Cazahuracanes” que sobrevolaron Bertha la mañana del martes encontraron una ligera disminución en la presión con respecto a misiones anteriores, mientras las tormentas eléctricas intentaban desarrollarse cerca o sobre el centro previamente expuesto del sistema, lo que podría darle una breve oportunidad para organizarse mejor durante el día. Dicho esto, la cizalladura del viento es fuerte y se pronostica que seguirá aumentando en los próximos días, por lo que cualquier fortalecimiento será breve y limitado.

Los fuertes vientos en los niveles altos provenientes del norte, responsables de la elevada cizalladura, también mantendrán la tormenta asimétrica, con un lado norte relativamente seco y las lluvias más intensas, así como las peores condiciones del tiempo, al sur del centro.

Las lluvias más intensas permanecerán mar adentro

La naturaleza asimétrica de Bertha significa que los mayores acumulados de lluvia, superiores a un pie, permanecerán bien mar adentro y no se esperan inundaciones generalizadas mientras el sistema avanza hacia el oeste a lo largo de la costa norte del Golfo de México durante esta semana.

Sin embargo, son posibles lluvias localmente intensas en las bandas exteriores cerca y al norte del centro, y algunas zonas del Panhandle de Florida, la costa de Alabama y el sur de Mississippi y Luisiana podrían registrar inundaciones localizadas hasta el jueves.

Bertha no es muy grande ni muy intensa

En términos generales, la amenaza que representa Bertha para la costa es baja. Es probable que la tormenta haya alcanzado o alcance hoy su máxima intensidad como una tormenta tropical de intensidad moderada, con vientos máximos de entre 50 y 60 mph (los vientos con fuerza de huracán comienzan en las 74 mph), y se espera que comience a debilitarse de manera sostenida a partir de mañana.

Aunque se han emitido advertencias de tormenta tropical desde el extremo sureste de Luisiana hasta la frontera entre Alabama y Florida debido a la probabilidad de condiciones de tormenta tropical, Bertha no representa una amenaza generalizada por vientos destructivos y los vientos sostenidos de tormenta tropical (de 40 mph o más) deberían limitarse, en su mayoría, a bandas de lluvia y ráfagas ocasionales durante los próximos días.

El fuerte oleaje a lo largo de la costa del norte de Florida y Alabama provocará condiciones peligrosas en las playas y corrientes de resaca que ponen en riesgo la vida. Si está de vacaciones en la playa en estas zonas, esta es una semana en la que deberá mantenerse fuera del agua.

Silencio absoluto en el Atlántico

En otras partes, el Atlántico parece permanecer tranquilo durante el resto del mes. Como hemos comentado en boletines anteriores, esta temporada seguiremos atentos a las zonas subtropicales (como la región del Golfo de México donde se formó Bertha), pero por ahora no observamos ningún sistema con potencial de desarrollo durante, al menos, las próximas semanas.

Leer en español

According to an arrest report by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, Ada Caballero, 44, of Homestead, was arrested Sunday on charges of armed robbery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery.

St. John’s Episcopal School’s website lists Caballero as a first-grade teacher at the Homestead school, who has more than 10 years of experience working in education and “loves to teach and shape young minds with love.”

Deputies said she didn’t show any love to her boyfriend, however, on Saturday when she allegedly attacked him.

According to her arrest report, Caballero and the victim got into an argument and the victim began recording with his cellphone, at which time Caballero grabbed her boyfriend by the shirt and reached for his cellphone, scratching his chest in the process.

Deputies said a struggle ensued for the victim’s phone and Caballero eventually snatched it from his hand.

The victim then “bear-hugged” Caballero to stop her from attacking him, but she pulled out a knife and “took a swipe at the victim but missed,” the report stated.

According to the report, the victim pushed Caballero away from him, and his phone and the knife fell to the floor.

Deputies said another brief struggle ensued for the victim’s cellphone, but the victim was able to take his phone back and call 911 for assistance.

According to the report, Caballero invoked her rights and did not make any statements to detectives.

Details about what she and her boyfriend were initially arguing about were not mentioned in the arrest report.

As of Tuesday morning, Caballero was being held at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $6,000 bond.

Local 10 News has reached out to St. John’s Episcopal School for comment on the status of her employment following her arrest.

The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, is credited with saving at least 26 million lives since its inception in 2003. But last year, it was impaired by the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and cuts to thousands of global health grants.

“The disruptions were very widespread,” with services for young women, orphans and children impacted, said Elise Lankiewicz, policy associate for the nonprofit amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, which released the report.

Researchers contacted groups that got PEPFAR funding to deliver HIV services last year. Nearly a quarter — 166 groups from 46 countries — responded to an electronic survey conducted between last November and April, providing information on their funding, staff and services.

The survey didn’t reach all PEPFAR groups and certain types of organizations — like those that were most severely disrupted or still receiving U.S. funding — may have been less likely to respond. That could result in an underestimate or an overestimate of disruptions, depending on which organizations were missed. Nevertheless, the findings are a window into the struggles that some groups faced last year.

Some key findings were:

—Most organizations had at least one award terminated or payment delayed last year. Terminations led to the closure of more than 1,700 clinics, drop-in centers and other service delivery sites, and to the loss of more than 16,000 full-time staff members.

—Even though the U.S. government directed services providing HIV treatment, testing, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission to continue, a majority of partners still reported a disruption to those services.

—Cuts were concentrated on services for populations most impacted by HIV. Most organizations previously serving groups such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people, and people who inject drugs reported permanently ending a service for these groups. Even among organizations that didn’t lose funding, some reported stopping a service for one of these key populations to comply with U.S. policy.

—HIV prevention has been sharply reduced, with many organizations stopping condom programs or services offering what's called PrEP, preventive medicines to guard against sexually transmitted HIV. From fiscal years 2024 to 2025, prevention spending fell 51%, according to PEPFAR expenditure data.

—Locally-based partners were much more likely than international organizations to have an award terminated and to close service delivery sites. Funding disruptions also destabilized interconnected HIV service systems.

“Taken together, these results describe widespread degradation of the infrastructure built to deliver HIV services worldwide, with the deepest damage falling on the populations and partners most essential to controlling the epidemic,” the report says.

The survey doesn’t provide data at the country level, but amfAR officials point out that the majority of responses came from African countries.

The Trump administration has presented a rosier picture of what’s happened since the federal changes. In April, the U.S. State Department released PEPFAR data for one quarter in 2025: July through September. Officials said PEPFAR-supported programs provided standard HIV treatment for 20.6 million people in more than 50 countries, which they said is stable from the same reporting period in 2024. They also said PEPFAR started 103,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women on PrEP, up from 43,000 the previous year.

But researchers from amfAR and the International AIDS Society combined that quarter's data with another data release that included all four quarters and found substantial disruptions across PEPFAR services.

Other research, published in the journal Nature Health in June, specifically examined treatment globally using PEPFAR data. It found that nearly two million fewer people living with HIV were receiving PEPFAR-supported antiretroviral treatment in fiscal year 2025 as compared with the previous fiscal year — about a 10% decline.

“That does raise really important questions about program stability," said Ramona Godbole, an author of that study who wasn’t involved in the latest report.

AmfAR's report made numerous recommendations to help restore care. It said the U.S. government and PEPFAR leaders should reinstate support for all HIV services, not just treatment. It also called on other national governments to spend more on HIV services and contract with nongovernmental organizations, including those led by people in key vulnerable populations.

But Jennifer Sherwood, amfAR’s director of research and public policy, said even if money is put back into the system, it will take time to get the services up and running and regain the trust of communities.

“And unfortunately, with HIV and infectious disease, each day is deadly,” she said. “Each day that we don’t have those systems in place, you see new infections.”

___

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

Según un reporte de arresto de la Oficina del Sheriff de Miami-Dade, Ada Caballero, de 44 años y residente de Homestead, fue arrestada el domingo y enfrenta cargos de robo a mano armada con un arma mortal, agresión agravada con un arma mortal y agresión física.

El sitio web de St. John’s Episcopal School identifica a Caballero como maestra de primer grado en la escuela de Homestead, con más de 10 años de experiencia en educación y señala que “le encanta enseñar y formar mentes jóvenes con amor”.

Sin embargo, los agentes dijeron que el sábado no mostró ese amor hacia su novio, cuando presuntamente lo atacó.

Según el reporte de arresto, Caballero y su novio comenzaron a discutir y la víctima empezó a grabar con su celular. En ese momento, Caballero lo sujetó por la camisa e intentó quitarle el teléfono, arañándole el pecho durante el forcejeo.

Los agentes indicaron que se produjo un forcejeo por el celular de la víctima y que Caballero finalmente logró arrebatárselo.

La víctima entonces abrazó con fuerza a Caballero para impedir que continuara atacándolo, pero ella sacó un cuchillo e “intentó lanzar una cuchillada contra la víctima, pero falló”, señala el reporte.

Según el informe, la víctima empujó a Caballero y tanto el celular como el cuchillo cayeron al piso.

Los agentes dijeron que hubo otro breve forcejeo por el celular, pero la víctima logró recuperarlo y llamar al 911 para pedir ayuda.

De acuerdo con el reporte, Caballero invocó sus derechos y no hizo declaraciones a los detectives.

El reporte de arresto no menciona qué originó la discusión entre Caballero y su novio.

Hasta la mañana del martes, Caballero permanecía detenida en el Centro Correccional Turner Guilford Knight con una fianza de $6,000 USD.

Local 10 News se comunicó con St. John’s Episcopal School para solicitar comentarios sobre la situación laboral de Caballero tras su arresto.

Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton, of Fayetteville, will receive a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, and will be promoted posthumously to staff sergeant. The Army said it was investigating the circumstances of his death Sunday at an air base in Irbil.

He leaves behind a 6-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter, his mother said.

“I will never recover from this, you should be home,” his wife, Mia Gonzalez-Swinton, posted Monday on Facebook. “We had so many plans for when you got back, I’m sick to my stomach.” She said she was notified Sunday that he had been killed.

Two U.S. Army soldiers were also killed in Jordan last week while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. They were the first U.S. troop deaths from direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war.

Swinton’s mother, Christel Swinton Andujar, told WRAL-TV on Tuesday that her son's family was “the center of his world.”

“Every decision he made and every sacrifice he endured was with them in his heart,” she told the television station from her home near Fort Bragg.

Swinton enlisted in the Army in 2017 and was assigned to the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

“Sgt. Swinton was an experienced noncommissioned officer who took great pride in his work and the people around him,” said Brig. Gen. John L. Dawber, commanding general of the Army Air and Missile Defense Command. “He answered the call to duty with courage, honor, and selfless dedication.”

Renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran is now in its 10th day, with both sides launching barrages of strikes. Iran has attacked U.S. allies in the region, and American soldiers are stationed across the Middle East.

The Defense Department identified the soldiers who were killed in Jordan as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Carrollton, Texas. They were also with Army Air and Missile Defense Command units.

A third service member was reported missing after the attack. U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East, said “unidentified remains” have been found and were being examined.

Iranian authorities say U.S. strikes in just the past three weeks have killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 500 others.

Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people. Workers on ships, as well as foreign workers and others in Gulf nations, Israel and Lebanon have also died in the conflict.

The U.S. State Department said in a new warning to Americans that “Iran and groups supportive of Iran may target other U.S. interests overseas or at locations associated with the United States and Americans throughout the world.”

U.S. President Donald Trump has said the war is necessary to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Trump, a Republican, now faces political pressure to bring the war to a close and avoid the kind of prolonged Middle East conflict he had campaigned against. The escalation has pushed oil prices higher in recent weeks.

___

This story was corrected to show Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton died Sunday, not Saturday, as earlier reported by the military.

Leer en español

According to Fort Lauderdale police, at about 2 a.m., officers responded to the 400 block of Southeast 32^nd Street after receiving a report about a car accident involving a pedestrian.

Police said officers arrived at the scene and discovered that the driver and pedestrian knew each other and had gotten into a physical altercation at a local hotel.

According to police, the man attempted to leave the hotel in his vehicle, but the woman jumped on the hood of the car and fell off as the vehicle was in motion.

Police said the woman was critically injured and the man stopped his car and called 911.

The woman was then transported by Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue medics to Broward Health Medical Center, where she died, authorities said.

Police said detectives are investigating the incident and the woman’s identity is being withheld as they work to notify her next of kin.

They did not confirm why the two were allegedly fighting to begin with.

Anyone who witnessed anything related to the case is urged to call the Fort Lauderdale Police Department.

Según la Policía de Fort Lauderdale, alrededor de las 2 a.m., agentes respondieron al llamado tras recibir un reporte sobre un accidente de tránsito que involucraba a un peatón en el 400 de Southeast 32nd Street

La policía indicó que los agentes llegaron al lugar y descubrieron que el conductor y la peatón se conocían y habían protagonizado un altercado físico en un hotel de la zona.

Según la policía, el hombre intentó salir del hotel en su vehículo, pero la mujer saltó sobre el capó del auto y cayó mientras el vehículo estaba en movimiento.

La policía informó que la mujer sufrió heridas de gravedad, mientras el hombre detuvo su vehículo y llamó al 911.

La mujer fue trasladada por paramédicos de Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue al Broward Health Medical Center, donde murió, informaron las autoridades.

La policía indicó que los detectives investigan el incidente y que la identidad de la mujer no ha sido divulgada por el momento trabajan para notificar a sus familiares.

Las autoridades no confirmaron por qué ambos presuntamente comenzaron a pelear.

Cualquier persona que haya presenciado algún hecho relacionado con el caso debe comunicarse con el Departamento de Policía de Fort Lauderdale.

While the Trump administration says it is open to diplomacy, Iran so far has refused to loosen its grip over the crucial oil shipping corridor in the Persian Gulf. It is raising questions about the strategy for the conflict's next phase. The intensifying attacks have collapsed an interim ceasefire deal, killed more American troops and sent U.S. gasoline prices back up, posing more problems for Republicans hoping to get reelected.

The Latest:

Trump administration pushes ahead with plans to reopen US embassy in Libya

The State Department has informed Congress that it plans to move ahead with the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Libya. It’s proposing to allocate nearly $41 million to restore America’s formal diplomatic presence in the North African nation.

The effort comes amid new warnings of Iranian-related attacks against U.S. facilities and interests around the world, particularly in the Middle East.

The department told lawmakers that the money would cover “a range of security-related activities associated with plans for the potential phased resumption of embassy operations in Libya.” The embassy in Tripoli was shuttered in July 2014.

The Trump administration reopened the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela following the ouster of former President Nicolas Maduro in January and is also seeking to reopen the closed embassy in Damascus, Syria.

AI stocks keep rising, even as Brent oil’s price tops $90

More gains for makers of computer chips and other winners of the artificial-intelligence boom are carrying Wall Street higher on Tuesday after tumbling the week before.

After rocketing higher because of the boom in investment in AI chips and data centers, they’ve come under pressure in recent weeks on worries that they shot too high. Concerns are also weighing that AI investments may fall off if they don’t produce as much profit and productivity as promised.

The gains came despite more climbs for oil prices, and Brent crude oil topped $90 per barrel because of continued attacks between the United States and Iran. It rose 2.2% to $91.17, up from less than $72 early this month.

The oil price hikes threaten a reacceleration of inflation, just as it was slowing more than economists expected. That in turn could push the Federal Reserve and other central banks to raise interest rates, which would slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

▶ Read more

Rubio will meet with Chinese counterpart in Manila

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday in Manila, the State Department said.

The top diplomats from the world’s two largest economies are attending annual talks of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this week in the Philippine capital.

The ASEAN summit comes amid unfolding crises led by renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran as well as a violent skirmish in the disputed South China Sea.

The Rubio-Wang meeting could help set up the next sitdown between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Rubio said ahead of the summit that he expects Xi to visit the U.S. in September and that “it’s incumbent on powerful, important countries like ours to continue to talk and have a relationship.”

Secret Service agent injured at White House correspondents’ dinner will be honored at make-up event

Secret Service Police Officer Victor Gonzales will be given a special award for exceptional service at a rescheduled White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, the association said Tuesday.

Gonzales was at a security checkpoint during the April dinner when it was interrupted by a gunman who prosecutors say was trying to assassinate Trump. The Secret Service said Gonzales was struck in his protective vest as he engaged the gunman, who was tackled outside the ballroom.

“His swift and decisive actions assisted in deterring the gunman from proceeding any further,” the Secret Service said.

A make-up event being held Friday at the Waldorf Astoria hotel at Trump’s encouragement will also honor Washington Hilton hotel staff who helped guests in the aftermath.

Soldier’s widow says she’ll ‘never recover’

Swinton’s wife, Mia Gonzalez-Swinton, posted on social media that she was informed of his death on Sunday. The couple have a young daughter.

“I will never recover from this, you should be home. We had so many plans for when you got back, I’m sick to my stomach,” she wrote in a Facebook post Monday.

US military identifies soldier killed while disarming a drone in Iraq

The military said it was investigating the death of Sgt. Michael Emmanuel Swinton of Fayetteville, North Carolina, during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone on Sunday at an air base in Irbil.

Swinton, 30, will get a Bronze Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge, and be promoted to staff sergeant, the military said in a statement.

He enlisted in the Army in 2017, and was assigned to the 55th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 108th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, out of Fort Bragg.

Two U.S. Army soldiers were killed in Jordan on Friday while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. They were the first U.S. troop deaths from direct Iranian fire since the opening days of the war.

Seeking calm for his country, Lebanon’s president will meet with Trump at the White House

The landmark meeting between Joseph Aoun and Trump comes as Lebanon and Israel continue to hold rare direct talks mediated by Washington in a bid to bring about long-term calm in Lebanon after months of war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group.

Lebanon hopes the talks will lead to Israeli troops withdrawing from large swaths of southern Lebanon, and for the Lebanese military to receive support to assert full control in areas where Hezbollah militants had held sway.

Lebanon and Israel announced a “framework agreement” on June 26, setting a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw from southern Lebanon as well as the disarmament of Hezbollah.

Aoun is scheduled to arrive at the White House at 11 a.m.

Trump’s Justice seeking phone records of reporters’ mother and spouses

Subpoenas for phone records of New York Times reporters now include the mother of one journalist and the spouses of two others as the Justice Department seeks to unmask the confidential sources of reporters who wrote about Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air Force One jet.

The Times’ lawyers have moved to quash the subpoenas, noting that the mother in question is a mental health professional with confidential client relationships and that one of the two spouses is the general counsel of a law firm.

The Justice Department has previously said that the reporters are not the targets of the investigation and asserted in a new legal filing Tuesday that it had followed its own protocols in issuing the subpoenas.

U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian is scheduled to hear arguments Thursday.

Appeals court rejects Biden’s bid to withhold recordings and transcripts of ghostwriter interviews

The appellate panel’s 2-1 ruling late Monday found “substantial” public interest in disclosing what former President Joe Biden wants to keep under wraps. Redactions to the recordings would help protect Biden’s privacy, the majority noted.

The judges suspended their decision until Aug. 3 to allow more time for Biden to consider another appeal.

Mark Zwonitzer, who worked with Biden on his two memoirs, interviewed the Democrat at his home in 2016 and 2017, before his presidency. Biden’s lawyers say the conversations were candid, personal and intended to remain private.

The recordings were obtained by special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden’s handling of classified documents from his time as a senator from Delaware and as vice president. Republicans demanded the material after Hur declined to file charges against the then-president.

Civilian infrastructure now targeted by both the US and Iran

Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people.

Kuwait’s Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy Ministry said Tehran struck desalination and power plants for a fourth straight day on Monday night, causing fires and damage. Some 90% of Kuwait’s drinking water comes from desalination, making the attacks a matter of life and death for the tiny nation.

U.S. strikes have been hitting electrical equipment in Iran as well, and Iranian officials also have said Americans targeted water facilities.

US command says its broad strikes are in response to Iran’s attacks on shipping

The U.S. military’s Central Command said Tuesday it targeted “Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and air defense systems.” It released more footage of bombings that targeted sites in Iran.

“American forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression toward civilian mariners seeking to freely and openly transit the strait,” the command said.

Iranian state media reported that explosions were heard in across six different provinces.

Tanker attacks expand, forcing crew to abandon ship

Traffic through the strait has slowed to a crawl during the latest violence. Lloyd’s List Intelligence said only three ships transited the strait on Sunday.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said a tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed the attack, as well as two other attacks on ships Monday in the waterway.

The route around Oman has been the one the U.S. military has encouraged ships to travel to avoid Iran’s control. The UKMTO separately reported Tuesday that another previously unknown attack on a ship took place early the previous day.

Iranian official meets mediators in Pakistan as attacks rage

An Iranian official began meetings Tuesday with mediators in Pakistan as diplomats sought to salvage the collapsed interim deal between Iran and the United States, even as both countries continued to launch attacks for a 10th day of renewed fighting.

The visit by Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni comes as Pakistan has intensified diplomatic efforts in recent days to resuscitate the deal. However, it remains unclear just what new arrangement could be reached to end the fighting.

Momeni met Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations. Momeni later met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Pakistan’s political leadership and Munir, who serves as both the chief of army staff and defense forces, have worked to persuade the United States and Iran back to resume negotiations.

— By Munir Ahmed

The limits of intensifying attacks emerge as US and Iran dig in

The U.S. and Iran are back to bombing every day in a bid to control the Strait of Hormuz. And neither is backing down, showing the limitations of President Donald Trump’s reliance on escalating airstrikes to bend Tehran to his will.

While the Trump administration says it is open to diplomacy, Iran so far has refused to loosen its grip over the crucial oil shipping corridor in the Persian Gulf. It is raising questions about the strategy for the next phase of the conflict as intensifying attacks have collapsed an interim ceasefire deal, left additional American troops dead and sent U.S. gasoline prices back up — posing new problems for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

Even with glimmers of hope for talks, the sides could be headed back to all-out war, with Trump warning that “every time Iran kills an American Soldier” going forward, “they will pay for that killing many times over.”

Leer en español

Police officers reported finding the woman, identified as Lucrecia Cardozo, 56, dead outside a house in the 21000 block of Southwest 176th Avenue.

The investigation remained active on Monday afternoon, according to police.

Detectives asked anyone with information about this or other cases who wants to remain anonymous to call Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

Local 10 News Assignment Editor Mariana Ortiz contributed to this report.

Leer en español

According to the report, Thalia Rodriguez was taken into custody by the Miami Beach Police Department following a disturbance call near the 400 block of Euclid Avenue.

The report states officers initially responded around 1 p.m. to a call about a “suspicious person causing a disturbance outside a business.”

When Miami Beach police arrived at the scene, they said the individual had left the area, but they recovered belongings, including a wallet containing a Florida driver’s license identifying Rodriguez.

While canvassing the area, an officer spotted a woman matching the description involved in a physical altercation with Jeanne and Richard Korman near 1000 Fifth St., according to the report.

Officers then separated the individuals and detained Rodriguez pending an investigation.

According to the report, the victims told officers they were walking into a business for an appointment when Rodriguez approached them from behind, called 80-year-old Jeanne Korman a w----, and then slapped her in the face.

Police said Richard Korman intervened to protect his wife, and a struggle with Rodriguez ensued, the report states.

“She (Rodriguez) wasn’t going to get to swing another time. I figured the easiest way to get her down was to grab her by the hair,” he said.

Investigators said Jeanne Korman suffered a superficial cut to her lip, while Richard Korman had minor scratches to his face. Both were treated at the scene and declined to be transported to the hospital.

Jeanne Korman told Local 10’s Rosh Lowe on Tuesday that she was heading to the lab for blood work when she and her husband of 55 years were attacked.

“She took her fist and hit me right in the face,” she said. “My husband said he saw my head move.”

A witness and surveillance video from the building corroborated the victims’ accounts, according to the report.

A motive for the attack remains unclear at this time.

Jail records show Rodriguez is facing two counts of battery on a person 65 years or older.

Records show she was released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $20,000 bond. A judge also placed her on house arrest.

A divided three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit suspended its decision until Aug. 3 to allow more time for Biden to consider another appeal.

The panel's 2-1 ruling late Monday found there is a “substantial” public interest in disclosing the material that Biden wants to keep under wraps. Redactions to the recordings would help protect Biden's privacy, the majority noted.

“We conclude that any remaining incursion on personal privacy from disclosure of the now-redacted materials likely does not outweigh the public interest in disclosure,” the ruling says.

Judge Florence Pan, who was nominated by Biden, a Democrat, wrote a dissenting opinion in which she said Biden has shown a “substantial privacy interest” in keeping the material hidden.

“The conversations at issue took place in Biden’s home, and the recordings of them were obtained by the government in the course of a criminal investigation that did not lead to an indictment,” she wrote.

The appeal also was heard by D.C. Circuit Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan and Judge Gregory Katsas. Srinivasan was nominated by President Barack Obama, a Democrat who chose Biden as his vice president. Katsas was nominated by President Donald Trump, a Republican who lost to Biden in 2020 but was elected again to the White House in 2024.

Mark Zwonitzer, who worked with Biden on two memoirs, 2007’s “Promises to Keep” and 2017's “Promise Me, Dad,” interviewed him at his home in 2016 and 2017. Biden’s lawyers say the conversations were candid, personal and intended to remain private.

The recordings were obtained by special counsel Robert Hur, who investigated Biden's handling of classified documents from his time as a senator from Delaware and as Obama's vice president. Republicans in Congress demanded the material after Hur declined to file charges against the then-president.

Biden sued and sought an injunction to prevent the Justice Department under Trump from releasing the recordings to Congress and the conservative Heritage Foundation. The department previously argued that the recordings were exempt from disclosure under public records law.

Biden appealed after U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich, who was nominated by Trump, ruled in June that the public interest in the material outweighed whatever privacy rights Biden had.

Pan noted that the majority is effectively ruling in favor of immediately disclosing the material by denying Biden's request for an injunction pending appeal.

“That, of course, will moot this case,” she wrote.

Pull into the small town of Luverne and the figure — a nearly 66-foot (20-meter) tall nutcracker, decked out like Uncle Sam — comes into full view.

Luverne, which thanks to a local collector claims to have more of the decorative figurines than people, now boasts the world's tallest nutcracker too. And yes, the star-spangled behemoth has a working jaw.

Outside a quirky rock shop in the town's center, hundreds of people gathered for a weekend ribbon cutting where the nutcracker's name and exact height were revealed to a crowd that was later served red, white and blue cookies and slushies.

“Please welcome our newest Luverne resident, Verne the Patriot,” Katie Walgrave announced to cheers.

It stands 65 feet and 7 1/2 inches tall, with the pedestal pushing Verne an additional 9 feet (2.7 meters) over the surrounding prairie, according to Walgrave. That's almost twice the height of a 33-foot (10-meter) tall nutcracker in Neuhausen, Germany, that Guinness World Records currently has ranked as the largest.

Walgrave, who runs the rock shop called Those Blasted Things with her family, said that since the nutcracker was completed in mid-June, customers have quadrupled. Other local businesses have reported more traffic too.

“Our goal is to have something that’s different and that you won’t see anywhere else. And so that’s what we have here,” she said.

Given the association between nutcrackers and Tchaikovsky's namesake holiday ballet, the July unveiling seemed a bit out of season. But nutcrackers are a year-round obsession in Luverne, which also hosts a “Nutcracker Fest” every summer.

It all traces back to Betty Mann, 96, and a trip that she made to a Cracker Barrel in January 2001 after her daughter and husband had recently died.

“I said to my daughter-in-law, ‘I had a hard Christmas and I’ve always wanted a wooden nutcracker. I’m buying myself a belated Christmas present,’” she recalled.

She got her first in the Cracker Barrel’s gift shop. She kept buying them, and Mann's collection eventually ballooned to more than 2,500 nutcrackers. In 2016, she donated them to the town’s historical society, where she was president, hoping to draw more visitors to its museum.

Others also started donating and today, Luverne’s 7,554 nutcrackers outnumber its roughly 5,000 residents. No two are the same.

A few years ago, when the city brought in a tourism expert to figure out how to lure more visitors, he concluded “we’re crazy if we don’t utilize the nutcracker collection,” Mayor Patrick Baustian said.

A city committee came up with the idea of building the world's tallest nutcracker, and so Verne was conceived. It was timed perfectly to arrive as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary.

The nutcracker was several years in the making, with the pieces crafted in Utah and assembled in Luverne. The head and hat had to be lifted on with a crane three weeks ago, completing the structure.

It cost around $600,000, and was funded by donations and grants, Walgrave said.

John Hawkinson of Lakeville, Minnesota, surprised his wife, Francine, with a trip to Luverne (nearly 200 miles, or 321 kilometers, away) after a house fire last month destroyed her collection of nearly 300 nutcrackers. Many represented times from their life together — a nutcracker resembling a sailor for John’s time in the Navy, and matching bride and groom nutcrackers for their marriage.

“Betty started her collection as a way of dealing with grief,” John Hawkinson said Saturday. “We came down here out of loss as well. … I thought that was kind of a full circle moment.”

Luverne is about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and about 200 miles (322 kilometers) from Minneapolis. One of its other claims to fame is being a setting for the second season of the TV show “Fargo.”

Both are hoping to take on incumbent Republican Maria Elvira Salazar in November’s election.

Local 10’s Jeff Derderain caught up with Rodriguez at the Miami home he grew up in.

“The people who grew up here, they are leaving,” he said. “They can’t afford to live here, and we need someone who is in Congress focused on these economic realities.”

He says he’ll fight for federal housing dollars.

“I will tell you when I’m elected to Congress, I will vow not to trade individual stocks,” he said.

Peguero told Derderain that Rodriguez refuses to debate.

“Will you debate him?” Derderain asked Rodriguez.

“I’ll run that by my campaign,” Rodriguez replied.

“That’s a half an answer, Eliott,” said Derderian.

“That’s what you’re going to get,” replied Rodriguez.

Peguero met with Derderain at a public library in Hialeah not far from where he grew up and was asked why he decided to run.

“To advocate for the people of this community who are suffering,” he said.

Peguero agreed with Rodriguez on term limits and stock trading.

“My plan says no stock trading while you’re in Congress,” he said.

The crime was caught on camera around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday outside her Hollywood apartment.

In a matter of minutes, crooks pulled up in a white van with a Comcast sticker on the side and stole Isabella San Juan’s $7,000 motorcycle.

San Juan is a third year medical student.

“Everything I spent on the bike is pretty much everything I’ve saved working before medical school,” she said. “So I don’t have any way of replacing it.”

She posted about what happened on social media in hopes someone might know something.

That is when she connected with Aiden, who had his $15,000 motorcycle swiped from outside his Miami apartment building around 2:45 a.m. Saturday.

Turns out, he had a tracker on his bike, which led him to a home in North Miami.

North Miami police found his motorcycle in the back of a van at the home, releasing a statement about the incident that read, in part:

“The motorcycle, which had been reported (stolen) from the city of Miami was recovered at the residence along with a white van. No arrests were made.”

“I was more so just shocked and just so, like, disappointed that it comes down to that,” Aiden said. “When it’s actually they think it’s their job or something, or it’s their way of making money to just steal other people’s property.”

The license plate on the van matches the one in San Juan’s surveillance video, and she is hopeful her motorcycle will be recovered too.

“I don’t think criminals care much about the feelings of people they steal things from,” she said. “I just want the bike back. They could just leave it somewhere. I’ll pick it up, no worries.”

He plans to host sloth encounters in Margate, but he faces plenty of obstacles not limited to just permits and licensing.

That man, Larry Wallach, showed up to the May 6 Margate city commission meeting with a sloth in his arms.

Animal activists are outraged that anyone would attempt a sloth encounter after the atrocities that just took place in the transport of wild-caught sloths from Peru to Orlando, which caused the death of 55 sloths.

“Commissioner Tommy Rizzano brought in a guy with a sloth -- just seemed incredibly tone-deaf considering what just happened in Orlando,” said James Wildman, with the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida.

Added animal activist Ana Campos: “The last thing that we need is a Sloth World in Broward County. Nothing like that should ever open up here.”

Plans ended for the now defunct Sloth World in Orlando after 55 sloths died due to improper housing in a warehouse without heat, water, humidity or electricity.

“It just blew my mind that we learned nothing from what happened in Orlando and that they are even considering it,” said animal activist Ronald Roberts.

Margate City Commissioner Joanne Simone spoke publicly against Wallach’s plan to bring his wildlife adventure business to her doorstep.

“I personally do not want this store to open up in Margate. It’s unfortunate that this is happening in our city,” Simone said.

Wallach’s proposal for his new storefront was denied at the meeting due to code-related issues, but he was told he can resubmit.

PETA has filed local and state complaints while working to keep his business out of Florida.

“For years he’s disregarded city ordinances, court orders and even federal animal welfare laws in order to exploit sloths and other animals,” said Amanda Brody, with PETA. “Larry Wallach has a decades long rap sheet of over 60 animal welfare violations from the (U.S. Department of Agriculture) and he has been cited by them for improperly caring for sloths.”

After first not wanting to talk with us, the Animal Advocate team was invited inside for a sit-down with Wallach.

“They want to say violations, they are absolutely inspection reports. If I had 60 violations, like bad, I wouldn’t have any animals,” he said. “Fifty some odd years, 60 violations, I could live with it -- broken hose, water bowl.”

There is, however, an undercover video of his sloth encounters store in Long Island that was filmed by Humane World for Animals, showing what could have been a dangerous situation.

Wallach downplayed that too.

“She was bopping Chewbacca on the head, and I’m going to tell you right now, that did not hurt him. The only way we got them apart was me grabbing him by the nape of the neck and moving him,” said Wallach.

His New York location was shut down by the courts, which may be the reason he wants to make a move to Margate.

“Brick and mortar is closed,” he said. “Because I wasn’t zoned for that at that location.”

Wallach says he plans to renew his USDA license for the South Florida move.

There is no denying Wallach is a character. He claims he loves his animals and he does not believe in the bad publicity he has been receiving, but at a time when the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is cracking down on sloth imports from the wild, and many sloth species are endangered or threatened, he claims his are merely exotic pets.

“Not one (came from the wild),” he said. “I get them from breeders.”

No evidence was provided to that end, but he did show Local 10 scrapbooks containing 50 years of his life spent with animals. It’s not a done deal that his life will continue with them here in the Sunshine State, though.

“There’s still a chance the Margate commission could vote no,” he said. “There’s a chance for everything, but I could always go to Loxahatchee, which is designated agricultural. I can do whatever the hell I want.”

Temporary Protected Status is set to end Friday for around 350,000 Haitians as well as around 4,000 Syrians.

Democratic State Rep. Marie Woodson, of Pembroke Pines, is someone who’s lived the American dream after being born in Haiti.

In 1981, when she was 21, Woodson moved to the U.S. in search of a better life.

She now says her heart is aching for people like her who could soon be deported.

“It’s really heart wrenching what the people are going through,” said Woodson. “And as a Haitian American serving in the state Legislature, I felt it could’ve been me because I’m also from Haiti.”

Woodson represents parts of both Miami-Dade and Broward counties and says she is constantly hearing from Haitians in need who are asking for help.

“They want to know what we are doing,” she said. “Even though immigration is a federal issue, I’m a state legislator, but they still want to know, ‘You are elected. What are you going to do about it?’”

This all comes after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Department of Homeland Security to end TPS for these groups, with the DHS claiming Haiti is now safe enough for people to return to.

The United Nations and the U.S. State Department, meanwhile, continue to warn of frequent gang violence and kidnappings in Haiti.

“When you look at what’s going on in Haiti, the gangs, everything, those people have nothing to go back to right now,” said Woodson.

Many South Florida Haitians work in hospitality and healthcare, and advocates have said that will hit those industries that are already dealing with staffing shortages hard.

“A lot of business owners, they come to me, their employees are mostly immigrants right, with TPS, so if they don’t have immigrants in their job, over 90% of their workforce will no longer be there,” said business owner Dinah Escarment.

Woodson is asking the president or Congress to do something before it’s too late.

“I’m just asking for compassion. I’m asking for humanity for my brothers and sisters,” she said.

While Woodson said she understands criminals being deported, she said most of the people impacted by this are hard-working, decent human beings who are just trying to have a better life.

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews responded to the flaming truck, which was parked in a spot near Northeast Sixth Street and Fourth Avenue.

Once the flames were out, crews began to get a real sense of the damage.

The vehicle was a total loss for a mobile pet grooming business.

Investigators said the groomer left the vehicle to grab a client from a nearby business and returned to find the truck already on fire.

Officials said there was a lot of equipment inside, from the truck’s generator to essentials needed in the pet grooming process, all of which were destroyed.

There were no injuries reported, human or animal, authorities said.

A Honda that was parked behind the truck was damaged by the fire, with its front end partially melted down because of the intense heat.

Those are the house rules of the 40+ Double Dutch South Florida subclub, where your age is your ticket in.

Growing older gets you access. Growing old is optional. The club is part of an international sisterhood that’s turning a childhood pastime into something much bigger.

“We take care of everyone. We continuously pour out into others,” said South Florida subclub captain Adrienne “Asia” Philpart. “Our kids, our pets, our spouses, our significant others. We need a time and a place where we can get poured back into us.”

“Take that break from adulting and let go of the cares,” she continued.

CLICK HERE to find a subclub near you.

That need is what sparked the global movement in the first place. Women 40 years and older can walk into any group and start jumping right away.

Founder Pamela Robinson launched the 40+ Double Dutch Club in Chicago in 2016 while searching for the woman she was before adulthood took over. She returned to the game she loved as a child — one that reminded her of life before responsibilities consumed it. Nearly a decade later, that personal journey has grown tremendously into an international sisterhood with more than 100 chapters in place.

CLICK HERE to find the 40+ Double Dutch Club on Instagram.

“We have women that are taking care of parents with Alzheimer’s, special needs children,” said Philpart.

Philpart learned of the movement through social media and worked fast to bring that energy to South Florida, launching the subclub in 2019 with a few close friends.

Membership has since grown quickly, jumping rope at community events and getting together twice a week to practice and “play.”

For co-captain Natasha “T Boogie” Hendricks, joining the chapter in 2020 came at exactly the right time.

“There were a lot of times where I just felt I was losing myself,” Hendricks said. “We know exactly who we are when we’re young. When we’re in our 20s. But then we get married and it’s not that we don’t love our families, but we do so much - we’re running here, we’re running there and we never take time out for ourselves.”

While balancing work, family and caring for her nonverbal daughter, Hendricks said the club became an opportunity to make connections while staying sharp and active.

Today, members proudly wear their ages across their backs — the club’s favorite humble brag.

Ages range across all groups from women starting in their 40s and jumping well into their 90s.

Double Dutch may be the draw, but hula hoops, jacks and plenty of laughter are all part of the experience. Philpart said women can simply walk up and join. Before long, they’re part of a sisterhood built on friendship, fitness and fun.

To submit an idea for What Connects Us, email whatconnectsus@wplg.com.

The report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime outlines how transnational crime that used to be concentrated in Southeast Asia has expanded to other regions, while global criminal groups are increasingly engaging in drug, human and wildlife trafficking in Asia.

Criminals are using new technologies to launder money through global financial systems and using artificial intelligence to steal from victims worldwide, said the report, released Tuesday.

Children are increasingly at risk

One key finding of the report is the threat to children both from AI and from online gaming, as hundreds of scam compounds scattered across Southeast Asia provide venues for sex trafficking and selling of child sexual abuse content.

“There is a huge jump in AI-generated child sexual images ... communicated through encrypted communications platforms,” said Inshik Sim, UNODC researcher and coordinator for the report, told reporters at a briefing at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand.

East Asian crime syndicates are running businesses that use malware, generative AI and deepfakes for sexual extortion and exploitation in a trend that increases risks of in-person abuse as well as livestreamed abuse and grooming of victims. Apart from outright trafficking for the sex industry, victims can be sold into domestic servitude, forced begging and forced labor, among other forms of exploitation, the report says.

Social media and online gaming and gambling also pose dangers for children, the report notes, citing surveys showing that hundreds of children and teens across Southeast Asia are engaged in online gambling, some to the extent of addiction.

Trafficking in drugs, guns tobacco and wildlife is expanding

The report estimates the combined annual sales of illicit drugs in Southeast Asia and nearby countries at up to $109 billion, with seizures of illegal shipments soaring. That includes methamphetamines, heroin and ketamine.

It points to the Sulu-Celebes maritime “triangle” between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines as an increasingly important corridor for shipments of cocaine from Latin America to Asia, with illicit cargoes sometimes embedded in legitimate shipments such as Chinese tea.

The area is also often used for smuggling of wildlife and small arms, the report says.

Meanwhile, Thailand and Vietnam increasingly are the source of cannabis sent to Japan, where it is illegal, and to Europe, it says.

Earlier this year, authorities in Malaysia's Sabah seized more than 3 tons of methamphetamine, ketamine and ecstasy in the largest such seizure for Sabah so far.

Money laundering and other tools keep criminals in business

The report outlines how cross border financial and technology networks are supporting what it calls a “criminal service infrastructure” that facilitates global organized crime.

The tools used include cryptocurrency, encrypted and private communications platforms and generative AI to create convincing phishing content, deploy real-time deepfake videos and voice calls. Using AI-powered translations, they can target victims across many languages at the same time, the report says.

Satellite communications also enable scam compounds to operate in places that are remote or subject to close surveillance.

To counter this growing criminal ecosystem, authorities need a coordinated, cross-border strategy that integrates enforcement across data, communications and financial systems, and online services and marketplaces, the report said.

Crackdowns drive scam centers offshore and underground

As authorities in Thailand, China and elsewhere have raided industrial-sized scam centers mostly located in border regions of Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia, criminals have responded by shifting to other parts of the world or operating on a smaller scale.

“They were destroyed, but none of the operations stopped,” said Seong Jae Shin, an analyst and counter-terrorism office at the UNODC.

Scam centers moved to villas and other properties, he said, going underground.

“It's much harder for the Cambodian authorities to crack down now,” he said.

The U.N. food security report, released Tuesday, found global hunger has eased modestly in recent years, but projected more than 500 million people could still face chronic hunger by 2030. Africa is expected to bear the largest share of that burden.

In an interview with The Associated Press on July 10, IFAD President Alvaro Lario said geopolitical tensions and potential disruptions to shipping and energy supplies, including uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war, could leave an additional 9-18 million people facing hunger if the shocks persist.

“We are in a current era where we have the highest number of conflicts and are still increasing,” Lario said. “Whenever there is a conflict, also hunger, displacement, refugees increase.”

Conflict fuels food insecurity

Conflict remains one of the biggest obstacles to reducing hunger worldwide, Lario added.

Wars and geopolitical tensions can disrupt shipping, energy supplies and agricultural inputs, increasing costs across food systems already strained by inflation. Lario stressed that hunger and conflict often reinforce one another, creating a cycle that is difficult to break without greater stability.

Higher energy prices are already affecting fertilizers and agricultural production, he said. The impact is especially significant for small-scale farmers, many of whom rely on diesel fuel to pump water, harvest crops and transport goods to market.

Rising fuel costs increase production expenses and can feed directly into higher food prices.

Climate shocks add pressure

The new report identifies affordability as one of the world’s biggest food security challenges. While food production continues to grow, roughly a third of the global population still can't afford a healthy diet. In low-income countries, that figure rises to about 77%, according to Lario.

“The biggest challenge is no longer simply producing enough food, but making healthy diets affordable,” he said.

Climate change is adding further pressure to food systems and rural livelihoods.

Lario noted that floods, prolonged droughts and extreme heat are increasingly disrupting agriculture around the world and have become a common reality for many communities.

Governments should focus on resilience and adaptation before disasters strike, rather than relying solely on emergency responses afterward, he said.

“This is just becoming the new normal,” Lario said. “We are seeing floods in many countries. We’re still seeing droughts that have been expanding for four or five years.”

The fund is increasing investments in climate-adaptation programs aimed at helping rural communities withstand floods, droughts and extreme heat, he said, arguing that support is urgently needed for the millions of small farmers who produce much of the world’s food.

Africa emerges as the epicenter

The report highlights Africa as the world’s most pressing food-security challenge. For the first time, the continent has overtaken Asia as the region with the largest number of hungry people, and nearly 60% of the world’s chronically undernourished people could live there by 2030.

Lario attributed the shift partly to rapid population growth and slower economic gains than in parts of Asia, and he called for greater investment in agriculture, infrastructure and food systems.

African countries currently import nearly $100 billion worth of food each year, he said, underscoring the need for stronger local production, storage, distribution and regional trade networks.

Conflicts, energy-market disruptions and climate extremes threaten to derail progress unless governments invest in more resilient food systems, Lario said.

State Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who visited the disaster site near the Chinese border, said the explosion was triggered by a build-up of methane gas.

At least 27 people were trapped, including some who entered the tunnel to help with rescue efforts after the blast, while two workers escaped, Tamang said.

The blast ripped through the tunnel at Samardung village, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the state capital, Gangtok, where multiple workers were carrying out construction work on the 500-megawatt Teesta hydroelectric project, civil official Anupama Tamling said.

Survivors told authorities they heard a loud explosion before debris came crashing through the tunnel, trapping dozens inside, Tamling said.

Officials had recovered 11 bodies on Tuesday while rescue teams including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) raced to reach at least 14 people who remained trapped inside the tunnel, where toxic gases and hazardous conditions have hampered operations.

“We found toxic gases such as methane, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide inside the tunnel,” NDRF official Nitin Kumar said at the scene, adding that rescuers were using breathing equipment as they searched in the for survivors in the dangerous air conditions.

As news of the accident spread, six officials from the state-owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), which is building the project, entered the tunnel to assist in rescue efforts but became trapped themselves, officials said.

Construction accidents are not uncommon in India, where rapid infrastructure growth often collides with fragile geology, construction lapses, extreme weather and safety standards.

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

Experts say the Teesta River basin, where the hydropower project is being built, lies in a seismically active region marked by young, fragile rock formations riddled with fractures and underground pockets that can trap ancient gases.

Dr. Devesh Walia, a geology professor at North-Eastern Hill University in Meghalaya, said the area contains relatively young rock formations, some associated with coal-bearing strata.

“It is quite possible that methane along with other gases accumulated underground and may have triggered an explosion,” he said.

The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations met behind closed doors in Manila before issuing a joint statement calling for an immediate halt to fighting in the Middle East and the full and safe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key corridor for energy shipments.

“We expressed serious concern over the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East, particularly the renewed hostilities involving the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the ASEAN ministers said.

The ministers said they reaffirmed the obligations of states to peacefully resolve their differences and respect national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Southeast Asia, a bustling region of more than 680 million people, relies heavily on Middle East oil and gas and was severely hit by the global supply and price shocks sparked by the Iran war. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a national energy emergency in March to ensure the availability of fuel, food and other basic goods and prevent hoarding and profiteering.

Rubio to meet his Chinese counterpart

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Manila on Tuesday morning for an annual meeting with his ASEAN counterparts on Wednesday, where the Middle East crisis will be high on the agenda along with other security and economic issues.

Rubio plans to join regional security talks called the ASEAN Regional Forum, which also will include the European Union, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Rubio will meet Wang on the sidelines on Wednesday, the State Department said. It will be the highest-level contact between the U.S. and China since President Donald Trump flew to flew to Beijing in May for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping that focused on the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, trade and the status of Taiwan, among other issues.

Rubio, Wang and Lavrov will attend a final forum Thursday called the East Asia Summit, where 18 Western and Asian countries, including the 11-nation ASEAN, will tackle geopolitical, economic and security concerns.

Tensions have grown in the South China Sea

ASEAN ministers were scheduled to meet Wang on Wednesday with an agenda that includes a discussion on the status of negotiations between China and the regional bloc on a proposed pact called a “code of conduct,” which aims to prevent territorial disputes in the South China Sea from spiraling out of control.

A new clash in the disputed waters underscored the urgency of the proposed nonaggression pact, which has been negotiated by the two sides for about two decades. They aim to conclude talks within the year.

The Philippine military accused China’s coast guard of injuring a Filipino sailor during an altercation Monday in the disputed Second Thomas Shoal.

Chinese coast guard personnel aboard a motorboat repeatedly struck the sailor on the head with a wooden baton, injuring him and damaging his smaller vessel, the Philippine military said.

Philippine officials condemned the Chinese coast guard, which blamed the Filipinos for starting the high seas confrontation. Marcos called the Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan for a meeting Tuesday afternoon, his spokesperson said without providing details.

In Beijing, China’s Foreign Ministry said the Philippine ambassador was summoned on Tuesday to protest his country’s actions in the confrontation.

___

Associated Press writers Michelle L. Price in Manila, Philippines, and Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report.

• Breaking News: Police investigation underway in Fort Lauderdale
• Miami, Hollywood thefts lead police to recover bike at North Miami home
• Parked pet grooming truck goes up in flames

La Autoridad Nacional de Gestión de Desastres de Afganistán informó el martes que 23 personas habían muerto, 80 habían resultado heridas y más de 100 estaban desaparecidas después de que las inundaciones golpearan el lunes la provincia oriental de Nuristán, lo que provocó el derrumbe de un número indeterminado de edificios. La capital provincial, Parun, estuvo entre las zonas afectadas, indicaron las autoridades.

Se han pronosticado más fenómenos meteorológicos extremos, con lluvias intensas, tormentas eléctricas, vientos fuertes acompañados de polvo y arena e inundaciones repentinas en 10 de las 34 provincias del país, señaló el lunes por la noche el departamento de meteorología del Ministerio de Transporte y Aviación Civil. El ministerio advirtió a los residentes que eviten las riberas de los ríos y otras zonas con riesgo de inundación.

Afganistán es altamente vulnerable a los fenómenos meteorológicos extremos, con nieve y lluvias intensas que desencadenan inundaciones repentinas, que a menudo matan a decenas o incluso a cientos de personas de una sola vez. En 2024, más de 300 personas murieron en inundaciones repentinas de primavera. A principios de este año, al menos 110 personas murieron por inundaciones generalizadas y deslizamientos de tierra en varias partes del país.

Décadas de conflicto, junto con una infraestructura deficiente, una economía en dificultades, la deforestación y los efectos cada vez más intensos del cambio climático han amplificado el impacto de este tipo de desastres, particularmente en zonas remotas donde muchas viviendas están construidas de barro y ofrecen una protección limitada frente a aguaceros repentinos o fuertes nevadas.

___

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

The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority said Tuesday that 80 people also were injured when floods struck the eastern province of Nuristan on Monday, causing an undetermined number of buildings to collapse. The provincial capital city of Parun was among the areas affected, authorities said.

Video footage from Parun showed scenes of utter devastation, with piles of mud, rocks and rubble where buildings used to be. Bulldozers helped clear mud and smashed concrete while local residents used shovels to dig away at piles of earth.

“The flood came through here. We saw bodies being swept away in the floodwaters with our own eyes," said Parun resident Zubair Ahmad, who said homes and shops were destroyed. “The flooding caused extensive damage and heavy losses for the local people.”

Forecasters predicted more extreme weather, with heavy rain, thunderstorms, strong winds accompanied by sand and flash floods in 10 of the country's 34 provinces, the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation’s meteorology department said Monday evening. The ministry warned residents to avoid riverbanks and other areas at risk of flooding.

Afghanistan is highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, with snow and heavy rain that trigger flash floods, often killing dozens, or even hundreds, of people at a time. In 2024, more than 300 people died in springtime flash floods. Earlier this year, at least 110 people were killed by widespread flooding and landslides in several parts of the country.

Decades of conflict, along with poor infrastructure, a struggling economy, deforestation and the intensifying effects of climate change, have amplified the impact of such disasters, particularly in remote areas where many homes are built of mud and offer limited protection against sudden deluges or heavy snowfall.

La tormenta se encontraba unos 177 kilómetros (110 millas) al sur de Panama City, Florida, y 274 kilómetros (170 millas) al sureste de Mobile, Alabama, y se desplazaba hacia el noroeste a 8 km/h (5 mph) con vientos máximos sostenidos de 80 km/h (50 mph), según informó el martes por la mañana el Centro Nacional de Huracanes, con sede en Miami.

La velocidad del viento aumentó 16 km/h (10 mph) desde que Bertha se formó la noche del lunes. Una alerta de tormenta tropical —lo que significa que se prevé que las condiciones se presenten dentro del área bajo advertencia en un plazo de 36 horas— estaba vigente a primera hora del martes desde la frontera entre Florida y Alabama hasta la línea entre las parroquias de Jefferson y Plaquemines, en Luisiana.

El centro de huracanes indicó que se emitió una vigilancia por marejada ciclónica —que señala el aumento del nivel del agua, potencialmente mortal, que puede avanzar tierra adentro desde la costa en un plazo de 48 horas— desde la frontera entre Alabama y Florida hasta la desembocadura del río Mississippi, informó el centro de huracanes.

Se espera que Bertha se mantenga cerca de la costa

Bertha es la segunda tormenta tropical de la temporada de huracanes del Atlántico, después de que la tormenta tropical Arthur llevó fuertes lluvias al sureste de Estados Unidos en junio.

Se esperaba que la tormenta se mantuviera cerca de, o a lo largo de, la costa norte del Golfo esta semana, dejando lluvias intensas en zonas costeras de Florida, Alabama, Mississippi y Luisiana, mientras avanzaba hacia el oeste en dirección a Texas.

El centro de huracanes advirtió de posibles marejadas ciclónicas potencialmente mortales de hasta 1,2 metros (4 pies) en partes de Luisiana, Alabama y Florida, y advirtió que Bertha podría generar uno o dos tornados aislados sobre la región de Florida Big Bend.

Los meteorólogos añadieron que también podrían producirse inundaciones repentinas hasta el viernes a lo largo de la costa desde el oeste de Florida hasta el centro de Texas, y que la lluvia podría sumar de 7 a 12 centímetros (entre 3 y 5 pulgadas) de agua a lo largo de la costa de Luisiana, con cantidades mayores en algunas zonas dispersas.

Banderas rojas en la playa de Orange Beach, Alabama, advirtieron a los nadadores sobre el fuerte oleaje y las corrientes. En el condado de Escambia, Florida, funcionarios de emergencias ofrecieron arena para que las personas que viven en zonas propensas a inundaciones la usaran para llenar sacos de arena.

El huracán Fausto avanza en el Pacífico

En el océano Pacífico oriental, el huracán Fausto se desplazaba lejos de la península mexicana de Baja California y no representaba ninguna amenaza para tierra firme, informó el centro de huracanes.

Fausto alcanzó la categoría de huracán la noche del lunes. Se encontraba unos 1.191 km (740 millas) al suroeste del extremo sur de la península de Baja California, con vientos máximos sostenidos de 129 km/h (80 mph), y se desplazaba hacia el noroeste a 19 km/h (12 mph).

Se esperaba que la tormenta se fortaleciera el martes y el miércoles. No había avisos ni alertas costeras en vigor, aunque el oleaje generado por la tormenta podría provocar condiciones de oleaje fuerte y corrientes de resaca potencialmente mortales en la costa de Baja California, indicó el centro.

___

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

Burnham told his top team that he would lead a “cost-of-living government” focused on easing the economic burden felt by millions of people.

“We need to think every day, what can we do just to take that little bit of pressure off people’s shoulders, to give them that little extra sense that help is coming, so they can have that bit of hope that things are getting better,” Burnham said.

He made a small down payment on that pledge by announcing a tax cut on energy bills that will save the average household about 45 pounds ($60) a year. The cut will take effect Oct. 1, Burnham said, with the funding coming from scrapping a plan for digital ID cards announced by Starmer.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester entered Downing St. on Monday after replacing Starmer as leader of the governing Labour Party, becoming Britain’s seventh prime minister since 2016. Starmer resigned just two years after winning a landslide election victory, forced out by his party after missteps and U-turns.

In his first speech as prime minister, Burnham pledged to ease the cost of living, decentralize political power, revitalize industry and end street sleeping by homeless people — a tall order, especially given Britain's sluggish economic growth in recent years.

Burnham acknowledged at the Cabinet meeting that the government would have to make difficult financial decisions and “take a really hard look at what our priorities are.”

Starmer loyalists removed from office

After taking office Monday, Burnham set about remaking the government.

Starmer’s finance minister, Rachel Reeves, was ousted, replaced by John Healey, a former defense secretary who resigned in June and accused the Treasury of failing to spend enough on the military at a time of rising threats. In an interview after he quit, Healey called the Treasury “a dead hand on dynamic government” and “in denial.”

Healey has said defense spending, due to be 2.6% of GDP next year, should rise to 3% by 2030. Now he will have to find the money.

Wes Streeting, whose resignation as health secretary in May helped topple Starmer, took over the defense portfolio.

Other key Cabinet appointees include Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner and Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who has an expanded brief that includes innovation and science.

Louise Haigh, a key Burnham ally who helped engineer his rise to the top, was named First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, effectively the deputy prime minister.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, who has overseen contentious rules designed to reduce immigration, kept her job.

Burnham has huge support from the party that is desperate for a new leader to reverse its decline in popularity under Starmer. But there is some grumbling after Burnham removed several of Starmer’s senior ministers including ex-Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy, former Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Starmer’s chief secretary, Darren Jones.

Foreign policy challenges lie ahead

Burnham has little experience of foreign policy and faces a stack of challenges including wars in Ukraine and the Middle East and managing relations with U.S. President Donald Trump, who first warmed to Starmer before souring on him.

Burnham’s office said he spoke to Trump in one of his first calls as prime minister and “underlined his commitment to defense and security.” Trump posted on social media that the men had “a very good conversation” and would be “meeting in the not too distant future for topics of mutual interest.”

The prime minister also spoke to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and leaders of the European Union and NATO.

Burnham told NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte that putting former defense chief Healey in charge of the nation’s finances “was a signal of his intent.”

In a reminder of the growing international tensions Britain faces, a Russian warship carried out a live-fire weapons exercise in the English Channel on Monday, the day Burnham took office.

The Ministry of Defense said the frigate Neustrashimy was being shadowed by the Royal Navy when it conducted the exercise in international waters about 46 miles (74 kilometers) south of Plymouth, off southwest England. It said the navy “continues to track the vessel’s activity closely and stands ready to protect U.K. national security.”

Streeting, the new defense secretary, said the Russian ship's actions were “performative and irresponsible.”

“Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this government and this prime minister, our resolve to stand against Russian aggression in Ukraine but also Russian aggression against all of our allies,” he said at a news conference.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russian warships always acted “in strict accordance” with international and maritime law.

Asked whether the Russian government felt relations with the U.K. would improve under the new prime minister, Peskov said it had “no such hopes.”

The storm was about 110 miles (177 kilometers) south of Panama City, Florida, and 170 miles (274 kilometers) southeast of Mobile, Alabama, and moving northwest at 5 mph (8 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80 kph), the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said Tuesday morning.

The wind speed increased by 10 mph (16 kph) since Bertha formed Monday night. A tropical storm warning, meaning the conditions are expected within the warning area within 36 hours, was in effect early Tuesday from the Florida and Alabama border to the Jefferson and Plaquemines parish line in Louisiana.

A storm surge watch, indicating rising, possible life-threatening water moving inland from the coast within 48 hours, was issued from the Alabama and Florida border to the mouth of the Mississippi River, the hurricane center reported.

Bertha is expected to stay near or along the Gulf Coast

Bertha is the second tropical storm of the Atlantic hurricane season after Tropical Storm Arthur brought heavy rainfall to the southeastern U.S. in June.

The storm was expected to stay near or along the northern Gulf Coast this week, dropping heavy rain on coastal areas of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana while pushing west toward Texas.

Potentially life-threatening storm surges of up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) are possible in portions of Louisiana, Alabama and Florida, the hurricane center said, warning Bertha could spin off an isolated tornado or two over the Florida Big Bend region.

Areas of flash flooding also will be possible through Friday along the coast from western Florida to middle Texas, forecasters said, adding that rainfall could total 3 to 5 inches (7 to 12 centimeters) along the Louisiana coastline, with higher amounts in some scattered areas.

Red flags on the beach at Orange Beach, Alabama, cautioned swimmers about high surf and currents. In Escambia County, Florida, emergency officials offered sand for people living in flood-prone areas to use for sandbags.

Hurricane Fausto churns in the Pacific

In the eastern Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Fausto churned far from Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and posed no threat to land, the hurricane center said.

Fausto gained hurricane status Monday night. It was about 740 miles (1,191 kilometers) southwest of the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, had top sustained winds of 80 mph (129 kph) and was moving northwest at 12 mph (19 kph).

The storm was expected to strengthen Tuesday and Wednesday. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect, though ocean swells generated by the storm could cause life-threatening surf and rip tide conditions on the Baja California coast, the center said.

The movement, now attracting professionals and families beyond students, represents a rare public challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi ’s government, reviving criticism over its handling of dissent and use of force to respond to protests.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and dozens of his Congress party lawmakers showed their support Tuesday with a sit-in outside Modi’s residence before police forcibly removed them in a dramatic escalation.

Footage showed Gandhi, who had urged “every patriotic Indian who believes that our students should get justice” to join, resisting. Government minister Jitendra Singh said Gandhi was told the location was not “suitable for a sit-in."

Meanwhile, hundreds of protesters remained camped at Jantar Mantar, a designated protest site, under heavy police presence, saying they would stay until Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigns over alleged failures in India’s examination system.

“We are going to continue our protest,” said Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, which emerged just two months ago as a satirical protest after a Supreme Court judge described India's youth as “cockroaches” but quickly evolved.

It gained momentum over the weekend after prominent activist Sonam Wangchuk, whose three-week hunger strike became a symbol of the protests, was forcibly taken to a hospital by police.

Video of police beating protesters and dragging them away spread on social media, fueling public outrage. Footage showed young protesters crying and pleading with officers not to hit them, while others stood their ground and endured blows.

Delhi Police said nearly 180 people were injured, including 118 security personnel and 60 protesters.

Sona Bisht, a 20-year-old student who was part of the protest, said the confrontation strengthened her resolve.

“If the government thinks that doing this with Gen Z, they can stop us, then that won’t happen. We are here talking about education, talking about securing our future. And till the time our demands are not met, we will not move from here,” she said.

After nearly a month of silence, the government made its first apparent move to engage with the protesters Monday, when a senior minister held talks with movement representatives. The outreach failed to ease tensions.

Movement leaders said they wanted action rather than assurances, including Pradhan’s resignation, examination reforms and compensation for families of students who died by suicide after alleged exam irregularities.

Dipke accused authorities of breaking their word, saying police resorted to a baton charge after protesters were invited for talks.

Rights group Amnesty International said in a statement late Monday that the police action showed “how peaceful dissent is being suppressed in India," noting that the right to freedom of peaceful assembly is recognized under the Indian constitution.

More people have joined the movement after seeing the confrontation.

Rabina Kashyap, a 26-year-old working professional, said she joined the protest on Tuesday.

“I have nothing to do with this protest," she said. “But this is India, this is my country, and these are my people. So I will stand by them.”

___

Associated Press video journalist Piyush Nagpal contributed to this report.

Engelbert, the second-longest tenured WNBA president or commissioner, helped negotiate a transformative collective bargaining agreement this past spring that gives the WNBA its first core of million-dollar player salaries.

“There’s not a lot of jobs where you can make over 30-plus millionaires instantly, right?” Engelbert said in a phone interview with The Associated Press heading into this weekend's WNBA All-Star festivities in Chicago. “It just doesn’t exist in most companies, except if you’re like a stock-option company, and your stock does really well. Most of them are under the age of 30 and there are more to come.”

Even with the financial gains, the WNBA’s growth has come amid a strained partnership between the commissioner and players. Engelbert has been criticized for how she has handled various situations, including for being out of touch or not doing enough to help combat social media vitriol.

Engelbert will meet with the executive committee of the players’ union on Tuesday to discuss the recent uptick in online hatred and threats directed toward players.

New York Liberty All-Star Breanna Stewart, vice president of the WNBA players' union executive committee, said there is a respect for Engelbert among the players, just not much of a relationship.

Her Liberty teammate, Sabrina Ionescu, said she talks more to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver than Engelbert.

WNBA business is booming

While the commissioner continues to try and strengthen her relationship with players, the business of the WNBA has thrived.

Engelbert was involved in talks that led to a record media rights deal worth over $3 billion. The league has had record ratings, attendance and team valuations, and will expand to a record 18 teams by 2030.

“We’ve been in hypergrowth mode now for two or three years and companies, if you look back in time, you are not in hypergrowth mode forever,” Engelbert said. “We’re preparing ourselves now for the next version of ourselves, which probably isn’t as hypergrowth.”

From a business standpoint, though, the league has grown, including navigating the coronavirus pandemic that could have crippled the WNBA.

“Give Cathy credit, as she advocated for the season,” Seattle Storm owner Ginny Gilder said. "We had no idea what was going to happen. People had to make decisions. Cathy pushed the Board of Governors to not only have a shortened season, but to fully pay the players. Don’t bicker. We were going to figure out the finances.”

Expansion fees have gone up five-fold over the past few seasons. Golden State paid $50 million to join the league and Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia — all joining the league over the next four years — each paid $250 million.

“Look at the financial side in such a short period of time — Cathy with all the work she did and the staff she hired deserves a tremendous amount of credit for that,” Gilder said. “If you look around the league from 2015 to 2020 to now, you know it is a completely new day.”

Valuations of teams were around $5-10 million a decade ago and now the average is around $460 million, Engelbert said.

“When you’re CEO, when you’re commissioner, you’re going to have good days and bad days. But if you just looked at the overall scorecard, you’d have to say we’re doing great,” Washington Mystics owner Ted Leonsis said.

More endorsements for WNBA players

It's nearly impossible to turn on a major sporting event over the past few years without seeing a WNBA player featured in a commercial. From Gatorade to State Farm, Nike and CarMax, product ads feature some of the league's top newsmakers, including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, A'ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu.

Engelbert said when Clark was drafted, it created a "domino effect, because they started seeing the value of putting players in their ads and then separately endorsing the players. I’m really proud of that because when I came to the league, absent a few sneakers ads, I don’t remember any players in spots. Maybe there were a few.”

The commissioner has seen the trend continue with younger players coming into the league, including Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Olivia Miles.

“Everybody sees the W is here to stay,” the commissioner said.

The commissioner's future and what's next for the WNBA

Engelbert deflected questions about her future other than to say she's turning 62 this year and that was the mandatory retirement age at her old job at Deloitte, where she was the president.

“I haven’t given it a ton of thought. We’ll think about it,” Engelbert said of how long she will stay in her current role, adding she is "focused on the whack-a-mole that is our season. I always tell people don’t focus on me, focus on the rest of my team.

"You always want to leave an organization better than you found it. Internally we’re proud of the team we’ve built.”

Silver said in Las Vegas that he supports what Engelbert is doing.

“I think Cathy continues to do a strong job building that league,” the NBA commissioner said. “We’ll have ongoing discussions about what the future looks like.”

With media rights stable for the next decade as well as labor peace achieved and expansion finished for the immediate future, Engelbert said her list of priorities includes a look at officiating, with WNBA referees finding themselves at the center of questions from frustrated players, coaches and fans. She also wants to help teams with lower attendance improve those numbers, and expand the league's international footprint.

___

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

The next World Cup, the women's edition, is set for next summer in Brazil. Just as Spain won the men's trophy in the recently concluded tournament, that nation's women were the champions three years ago.

Currently the top-ranked women's team in the world, Spain topped England 1-0 in the 2023 Women's World Cup final in Sydney. That squad was loaded with talent, including Ballon d'Or winners Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, as well as young star Salma Paralluelo.

In a television interview following the men's final, Spain star Rodri paid Bonmati the ultimate compliment: “I'm trying to see if I can get to her level.”

The memories of 2023 aren't so sweet for the United States, which was knocked out of the tournament in the round of 16 by Sweden. Still, the U.S. has won four World Cup titles and is currently ranked No. 2 in the world.

The United States will host Spain twice in October, serving as a tuneup for CONCACAF qualifying to start in late November in Texas. The friendly matches against Spain could provide a glimpse of what both teams might look like next summer.

“We know Spain is an amazing team, and I think we’re just really looking forward to having this prep. Especially before qualifying,” said U.S. midfielder Lily Yohannes. “And yeah, I think it will be a really great opportunity for us. Playing these players, I played against them in the Champions League, and I know how great they are.”

The road to Brazil

Qualification for the World Cup is well under way, with 14 teams already securing berths. Brazil, which has an automatic spot as host, has never won the women’s tournament.

“Some time ago the opportunities for men and women were not equal. But that’s changing. This World Cup has tremendous potential to make that change truly happen,” said former Brazil defender Aline Pellegrino, now executive director of legacy and stakeholder affairs for Women’s World Cup in Brazil. “So there’s a great deal of excitement and expectation that we’ll have the best possible atmosphere in our stadiums, just as we recently saw in the two matches between the Brazilian national team and the United States. FIFA, together with the federal government and the host cities, have been working very hard to ensure that we’ll have full stadiums and that everything runs as efficiently as possible.”

The biggest question around the Brazilians is the status of veteran captain Marta, the nation's all-time leading scorer with 122 goals. Marta retired from international play following Brazil's 1-0 loss to the United States in the gold-medal match at the Paris Olympics, but returned the next year for the Copa America Femenina. She will be 41 when her nation hosts the World Cup.

The United States visited Brazil for a pair of matches in June, falling 2-1 in Sao Paulo before a 1-0 victory in Fortaleza. U.S. coach Emma Hayes said the team needed to embrace those “moments of chaos” in a hostile environment.

Who's in so far?

Australia, the Philippines, Japan, North Korea, China, South Korea, Argentina, Colombia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Spain and Denmark are among the nations that have qualified. Germany, the 2003 and 2011 world champions, are ranked No. 3 globally.

Brazil previously hosted both the men's World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. All eight cities that will host women’s matches next year also hosted men’s games in 2014: Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Recife and Salvador.

Next year's tournament will be the last with 32 teams before jumping up to 48 teams like the men’s tournament. The 2031 Women's World Cup is expected to be hosted by the United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and Jamaica. The formal decision will likely be announced in November.

___

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni’s visit to Pakistan, a key mediator in the conflict, pointed to intensified diplomatic efforts, but it was unclear what new arrangement might be reached to end the war.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled, and as the fight for control over the waterway intensifies, both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure in the region relied on by millions of people.

A barrage of U.S. strikes hasn’t compelled Tehran to loosen its grip on the strait, through which about one-fifth of the world's crude oil and natural gas was shipped before the war. The U.S. continued its airstrikes on the Islamic Republic early Tuesday, and Iran attacked a tanker in the strait, forcing the crew to abandon the ship.

Iran also kept up attacks against U.S. allies in the region. Sirens in Bahrain and Kuwait warned residents on Tuesday afternoon of incoming projectiles.

In the Red Sea, Iran-backed Houthi rebels opened a new front against Saudi Arabia by declaring a naval blockade of the kingdom, threatening the flow of global oil supplies and trade. With the Strait of Hormuz blocked up, Saudi Arabia has been relying on a pipeline to the Red Sea to get millions of barrels of oil out to market.

The escalation has pushed oil prices higher. Benchmark Brent crude traded Tuesday above $90 a barrel and regular gasoline in the U.S. climbed to an average of $4 a gallon, keeping pressure on Americans’ wallets ahead of midterm elections this fall.

Iranian official begins meetings in Pakistan

Momeni met Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, according to two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door negotiations. Momeni later met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

In a statement, Sharif expressed deep concern over the recent escalation between the U.S. and Iran, and he urged all sides to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could further destabilize the region.

Pakistan’s political leadership and Munir, who serves as both the chief of army staff and defense forces, played a key role in brokering last month’s interim agreement between the United States and Iran. Islamabad has been working to persuade both sides to return to the negotiating table to resolve outstanding issues under the June memorandum of understanding.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the U.S. remained open to negotiating with Iran but that “it has to be real.” It remains unclear whether Tehran will offer anything that President Donald Trump would consider “real.”

A deep level of mistrust persists on both sides. Iran came under surprise attack in June 2025 and again in February while it was engaging in nuclear negotiations with the U.S. The interim deal unraveled when Iran resumed attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which was supposed to be reopened under the agreement.

US strikes come as ships attacked

The U.S. military’s Central Command said Tuesday it targeted “Iranian military command centers, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and air defense systems.” It released more footage of bombings that targeted sites in Iran.

“American forces remain postured and prepared to hold Iran accountable for unwarranted aggression toward civilian mariners seeking to freely and openly transit the strait,” the command said.

Iranian state media reported that explosions were heard in Fars, Hormozgan, Ilam, Kerman, and Sistan and Baluchistan provinces.

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said a tanker came under attack early Tuesday in the strait off Oman, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed the attack, as well as two other attacks on ships Monday in the waterway.

The route around Oman has been the one the U.S. military has encouraged ships to travel to avoid Iran’s control.

Iran strikes US allies around the region

Tehran also hit U.S.-allied countries throughout the Middle East.

Jordan's military said Tuesday that Iran targeted it with five drones and three missiles, all of which were shot down. Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens Tuesday afternoon as another Iranian barrage targeted the island kingdom, which is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

The Kuwaiti government said Iran had struck desalination and power plants for a fourth straight day on Monday night. Authorities said the attacks sparked fires and caused damage.

Some 90% of Kuwait’s drinking water comes from desalination, making the attacks a matter of life and death for the tiny nation.

U.S. strikes have been hitting electrical equipment in Iran as well, and Iranian officials also have said Americans targeted water facilities.

___

Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

But in retrospect, a lot of things went right.

The United States, Canada and Mexico spent nearly six weeks hosting soccer's biggest showcase and — at least for the most part — the action stayed on the field.

Star players like Argentina's Lionel Messi, France's Kylian Mbappé and Norway's Erling Haaland became household names across North America, television ratings remained high in the U.S. even after the Americans were eliminated and despite high ticket prices, most games featured packed stadiums.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino gave effusive praise to the host countries on Sunday after Spain won the final by beating Argentina 1-0 in extra time.

Attendance was good, so were ratings

Fox broadcast all 104 games in English on its platforms and American viewership remained strong even after the U.S. was eliminated by Belgium in the round of 16.

Spanish broadcasts on Telemundo were also a popular option — even for non-native speakers.

Fox hasn't yet released its viewership numbers for Sunday's final, but Telemundo's preliminary numbers show the Spain-Argentina matchup had a total audience of 22.6 million, putting it on track to become the most-watched World Cup final in Spanish-language media history.

The US-Belgium game on July 6 was watched by more than 45 million, including 33.1 million on Fox and 12 million on Telemundo.

And despite a few early hiccups, stadium attendance was strong throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

“We have had a record number of spectators in the stadiums, almost 7 million," Infantino said. "We will have had, I mean the official figures will come out soon, but probably over 6 billion people watching it from home."

The weather cooperated — usually

Fans and players from other countries found out what Americans, Canadians and Mexicans have known for a long time — it can get pretty hot here in the summer. Climate change isn't helping matters.

But Mother Nature could have been a lot meaner than she decided to be.

Even so, there were a handful of games that featured particularly hot and muggy conditions. The best example was a knockout-round game between Paraguay and France on July 4 in Philadelphia when temperatures hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius).

The World Cup final on Sunday also dodged a potential problem when smoke from Canadian wildfires that wrapped the Northeast in haze mostly cleared from the New Jersey area just in time thanks to some well-timed thunderstorms.

Size doesn't matter

This year's 48-team World Cup field was the biggest in the tournament's history and many thought it would water down the competition.

That wasn't the case.

Cape Verde held eventual champion Spain to a draw in its opening game, advanced to the round of 32 and gave Argentina a scare before losing 3-2 in extra time in a World Cup classic. Congo also advanced beyond the group stage and pushed England before eventually losing, while Curaçao was still in with a chance of making the knockouts going into its final group match.

After those Cinderella stories, fans eventually got to enjoy semifinal games full of heavyweights. England, Argentina, Spain and France were the top four in the world rankings.

Politics can't be ignored

The World Cup is famously a petri dish for political conflict, and this year's version provided its share of strife.

Iran's participation in the tournament amid the war in the Middle East was a particularly thorny issue and the team had to move its base camp from Arizona to Mexico. The Iranians' participation was overshadowed by travel complaints and visa issues, with the U.S. refusing visas to several members of Iran’s delegation.

U.S. President Donald Trump's relationship with Infantino was scrutinized after American striker Folarin Balogun’s one-game ban for a red card was suspended ahead of the team’s round of 16 game against Belgium.

Travel restrictions for a series of countries prevented some fans from traveling to the U.S., but there were no reports of the aggressive immigration enforcement that some human rights groups had feared could take place around World Cup stadiums.

Infantino brushed aside most of the controversies, instead focusing on the positives. While the FIFA president has a vested interest in painting a rosy picture of this year's World Cup, there's little doubt the tournament was a hit from a soccer perspective.

“I think we have to invent a new vocabulary, new words to define the success of this World Cup,” Infantino said.

___

AP Soccer Writer James Robson and AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy contributed to this story.

___

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

The assailant, identified only as a 60-year-old Greek man, attacked a Greek American couple with a knife on a pedestrian street near an entrance to the archaeological site and near the entrance to the Acropolis Museum, which lies at the foot of the Acropolis hill.

The 53-year-old male victim suffered a serious wound to his arm which required a tourniquet to be applied, while the 48-year-old woman was more lightly wounded in the leg, police said. Both were transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Neither of their injuries was reported to be life-threatening.

The attacker was detained at the scene and was to appear in court before a prosecutor later Tuesday to be formally charged, police said. Authorities did not provide further details on his identity, in line with Greek law regarding the identification of suspects. The motivation for the attack was not immediately clear, but police said the assailant appeared to have been suffering from psychological problems.

The incident did not lead to any closure to the sites, which continued operating as usual. Greek media reported that the assailant had allegedly been randomly threatening passersby with a knife, and that police had been alerted by a member of the public.

The attack occurred shortly after 8 a.m. local time, just as the ancient site opened. Early morning visits to the Acropolis are popular as they avoid the intense midday summer heat on the exposed hill, where there is little shade. Greece is currently experiencing its first heat wave of the summer, with temperatures forecast to reach 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in Athens and 41 degrees Celsius (105 Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country.

Violent street attacks are rare in Greece. In April, authorities arrested an 89-year-old man who allegedly opened fire with a shotgun in a social security office and a courthouse in central Athens, wounding at least four people, reportedly over social security grievances.

The Acropolis hill in Athens hosts the nearly 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple as well as other monuments, and attracts millions of tourists. Last year, about 4.6 million people visited the site.

More than 23 kilometers (14 miles) have been constructed in recent months, running through Palestinian communities demolished by the military. That is equivalent to more than half the length of the coastal strip, which is some 40 kilometers (25 miles) long and 11 kilometers (7 miles) wide, and home to over 2 million Palestinians.

When presented with the satellite images, Israel’s military confirmed to The Associated Press it has built a physical barrier in the area of the so-called yellow line, the boundary to which Israeli troops withdrew under the October ceasefire deal with Hamas. The line was envisioned in the U.S.-backed agreement as a temporary division of the territory pending a fuller Israeli withdrawal.

But as the truce stagnates, it appears Israel is digging in, heightening Palestinian fears that the line is morphing into a border. Neither U.S. Central Command, which is tasked with monitoring the ceasefire, nor the Board of Peace, the body led by U.S. President Donald Trump meant to eventually oversee Gaza, would comment on the barrier.

Along with the barrier, the military told AP it has developed a “security zone” around the line, equipped with intelligence and technological assets. It declined to give details on the route of the barrier when asked how far it would be extended. It said the barrier aimed to prevent infiltration and protect Israeli troops and Israeli communities near Gaza.

Construction of the barrier is proceeding rapidly

Since the ceasefire deal took hold, Palestinians in Gaza have feared Israel would not return the area of Gaza it controls. But few appear to be aware of the berms now being built around them — because of the danger of even approaching that area.

A portion of the berm network in southern Gaza was extended by more than 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) in two weeks this month, according to the satellite images provided by Planet Labs PBC.

The berm was about 500 meters (0.3 miles) long on July 1. By July 15, it was about 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles), splicing the Israel-controlled ruins of the city of Rafah from Muwasi, site of some of the largest Palestinian tent camps.

If construction continues in its current direction, it will join up with the longest stretch of the barrier, which runs nearly unbroken for around 17 kilometers (10 miles) from the southern city of Khan Younis to near Gaza City, in the north.

Construction began on that stretch in February, and it appears work to extend it further south is continuing, according to the satellite images. More than a kilometer (0.6 miles) was added between June 21 and July 7, running close to an Israeli military base built on the ruins of the town of Bani Suheila, near Khan Younis.

In the far north of Gaza, several unconnected stretches of berms run just outside the largely leveled town of Beit Lahia.

The height of the berms in each place remains unclear. In some places, the barriers appear to run outside the yellow line.

Israel has mostly destroyed and depopulated the half of Gaza it controls

Gaza’s population has been crowded into the coastal area west of the yellow line, most living in squalid tent camps and dependent on aid.

On the other side of the line, satellite imagery shows that Israeli forces have leveled the vast majority of buildings using bulldozers and explosives, virtually erasing several towns and Rafah, once home to more than a quarter million people.

They have carved new road networks and erected new bases on the ruins of Palestinian towns. Agricultural land has also been destroyed. The Israeli military says it is demolishing infrastructure used by Hamas.

The yellow line was never precisely defined, whether in the ceasefire deal or by Israeli or U.S. officials, and it has been inconsistently marked on the ground. The military told AP it is working to clearly mark the route of the yellow line to “reduce friction and prevent harm to uninvolved individuals.”

Israeli forces have killed Palestinians who came close to the line or crossed it. The Israeli military says it fires on those believed to be militants threatening its troops. But those killed have included children and other civilians seemingly unaware of the line. Some soldiers have said they don’t always know who they are firing on and have orders to kill anyone crossing the boundary.

Israeli strikes have killed hundreds of Palestinians since the ceasefire

Israeli forces have killed more than 1,100 Palestinians since the ceasefire began, most in airstrikes and drone strikes around Gaza. Militant attacks have killed five Israeli soldiers in the same period.

Early on Tuesday, an Israeli strike in Gaza City killed Firas al-Masri, his wife and their four children, ages 6 to 13, according to Shifa Hospital. Israel's military only said that they conducted a strike on Hamas militants in the area at that time.

Firas' brother, Ahmad al-Masri, lives nearby and said he heard the children's voices at the moment of the blast.

“They were calling out to me, ‘Uncle! Uncle!’” he said. “But the fire was raging, and we couldn’t do anything.”

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel is eventually supposed to withdraw its troops further to the very edges of Gaza, to be replaced by an international security force. But implementation of the deal has been stalled for months.

A former U.N. diplomat now in charge of coordinating the ceasefire has blamed Hamas’ failure to disarm. Sporadic talks to reach a formula for decommissioning its weapons appear to have made little progress, and Hamas accuses Israel in turn of violating the ceasefire.

The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage. Israel responded with a punishing military offensive that has killed more than 73,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The ministry, which was part of the recently dissolved Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.

___

Frankel reported from Jerusalem.

Joseph Aoun's first-ever meeting with Trump comes as Lebanon and Israel hold rare direct talks mediated by Washington. This is the first visit by a Lebanese president to the White House since 2009.

Lebanon hopes the talks will result in Israeli troops withdrawing from large swaths of southern Lebanon that they currently occupy, and the Lebanese military receiving support to assert full control in areas where Hezbollah militants had held sway.

Lebanon and Israel announced a “framework agreement” on June 26, setting a plan for Israeli forces to withdraw and for the disarmament of Hezbollah, which for decades had a strong presence in southern Lebanon. It also lays out steps toward an eventual peace agreement between the countries, which have never held formal diplomatic ties and have been nominally in a state of war for nearly 80 years after Israel’s establishment.

The U.S. State Department announced Monday that operations in three villages deemed part of a “pilot zone” had begun, without giving details. Two of the villages, Froun and Srifa, are not under Israeli military control and the Lebanese army is present, while Israeli forces are in part of Zawtar al-Gharbieh.

The Lebanese army in a statement said it was preparing for Israel to withdraw from Zawtar al-Gharbieh and that it had begun deploying troops Tuesday. The Israeli military said it “will adjust its force posture in one of the pilot areas in order to enable the Lebanese Armed Forces to carry out their mission,” without specifying the location.

The Lebanese military later said Israeli troops fired near that area in Zawtar al-Gharbieh, without giving details, and warned it could delay deployment.

An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in accordance with military guidelines, said the withdrawal had not yet begun.

Village mayor waits for safety to be confirmed

Abed Ezzeldine, mayor of Zawtar al-Gharbieh, said they were waiting for the Lebanese military to say whether it's safe for residents to check on their homes after they fully deploy and patrol the area. He was concerned about safety, given that the Israeli military is still present in a village next door, while Israeli strikes continue nearby.

“The villages are intertwined, so we don’t feel safe because the Israelis are present there, they’re on our borders and are not very far from us,” Ezzeldine told The Associated Press, who said Zawtar al-Gharbieh is uninhabitable.

“Once the army gives us permission to enter Zawtar al-Gharbieh, we as civilians will go in, but only to check it out and see how things are and then we will leave,” he said. "We can’t stay because the infrastructure is completely damaged and houses have been leveled. They (the Israelis) have bulldozed the roads.”

The Lebanese military last week increased its presence in some of the areas expected to be included in the pilot zone, including the three villages, with troops patrolling and setting up checkpoints.

Rubio says US will support the framework agreement

Aoun on Sunday met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Washington will continue to endorse the Lebanese agreement and support its full implementation. Rubio described the meeting as “very positive” and warned that Lebanon will “never be fully at peace” as long as the Hezbollah issue is not resolved.

“How do you replace Hezbollah? You defeat and replace them with a government that is strong enough to be the sole force of arms in the country,” Rubio said.

Skeptics in Lebanon fear that a military confrontation with Hezbollah could lead to a civil war.

Government officials have urged investment in the country's battered infrastructure to empower the weakened state, which Rubio echoed.

“This is not just about military stuff," he said. "This is about how can we attract more U.S. and international investment into Lebanon.”

Israel plans on a long-term presence

Israeli officials, meanwhile, have said they plan to keep military forces long-term in a “security zone” in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has dismissed the U.S.-brokered direct talks and instead backed Washington’s talks with its key ally and patron Iran to end their war, which includes ending the war in Lebanon as a condition.

Lebanon’s government came to power on a reformist platform in early 2025, vowing to disarm all non-state groups including Hezbollah. It blames Hezbollah for dragging the country into another war with Israel in March, when the militant group fired several rockets toward northern Israel two days after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.

Beirut's leadership, however, has condemned Israel’s subsequent ground invasion and massive aerial campaign in the country, which has killed over 4,000 people and displaced 1.2 million others.

While grappling with stark political opposition from Hezbollah and allies within the deeply divided country, Lebanon's leadership insists that Israeli withdrawal and international financial support for Lebanon’s cash-strapped army is crucial for a sustainable security solution.

___

Associated Press writer Giovanna Dell'Orto in Jerusalem contributed.

The S&P 500 rose 0.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 327 points, or 0.6%, as of 10:15 a.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.8% higher.

AI stocks were once again at the center of the action, and they rose for a second straight day after tumbling the week before.

After rocketing higher because of the boom in investment in AI chips and data centers, they’ve come under pressure in recent weeks on worries that they shot too high. Concerns are also weighing that AI investments may fall off if they don’t produce as much profit and productivity as promised.

Micron Technology jumped 6% and added to its 1.9% gain from the day before, coming off its 13.3% drop from last week. Advanced Micro Devices rose 4.3%, and they were the two strongest forces lifting the S&P 500.

The gains came despite more climbs for oil prices, and Brent crude oil topped $90 per barrel because of continued attacks between the United States and Iran. It rose 2.2% to $91.17, up from less than $72 early this month, which is roughly where it was before the war with Iran.

Rising oil prices are threatening a reacceleration of inflation, just as it was slowing more than economists expected. That in turn could push the Federal Reserve and other central banks to raise interest rates, which would slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.62% from 4.60% late Monday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran began.

On Wall Street, several stronger-than-expected profit reports from big U.S. companies helped stocks to strengthen despite that added pressure.

3M climbed 9.9% after topping analysts’ expectations for both profit and revenue in the latest quarter. It also raised its forecast for profit over the full year of 2026.

Hasbro jumped 10.6% after the toy maker said its Magic: The Gathering game topped $500 million in revenue for a quarter for the first time. It also raised its revenue forecast for the year.

General Motors cruised 3.8% higher after the automaker's profit and revenue for the latest quarter beat analysts' expectations and CEO Mary Barra said demand in North America remains strong.

They helped offset a drop for Danaher, which slid 12.2% even though it likewise topped analysts’ expectations for profit and revenue. Analysts pointed to its forecast for an underlying measure of revenue growth for the summer, which was slower than Wall Street expected.

Homebuilder D.R. Horton slipped 0.2% despite also topping profit and revenue expectations for the latest quarter. Executive Chairman David Auld said it's still feeling the effects of affordability concerns in the housing market and caution among potential home buyers.

Mortgage rates have already climbed to their highest level in nearly a year because of higher Treasury yields in the bond market. That could force D.R. Horton to offer more incentives to homebuyers in the current quarter, which would cut into its profits.

Companies broadly are under pressure to deliver strong growth in profit and revenue because of how high their stock prices have shot. Indexes are near their records, even with the recent shakiness for AI stocks.

In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed in Europe amid mostly modest movements. The United Kingdom’s FTSE 100 added 0.1% as new Prime Minister Andy Burnham hosted his first Cabinet meeting.

In Asia, stocks swung more. South Korea’s Kospi jumped 3.6% on strong gains for its two dominant stocks. Both Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have been big beneficiaries of the AI boom, and the Kospi has soared 60% so far this year even with its 20% drop for July so far.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 climbed 3.3% after returning from Monday’s holiday, while indexes rose 1.8% in Shanghai and edged down by less than 0.1% in Hong Kong.

___

AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Matt Ott contributed to this report.

Lesotho's high elevation and mountainous terrain combine to make it the coldest country on the continent, with temperatures in the highlands typically plunging to minus 8 degrees Celsius (about 18 degrees Fahrenheit) between June and August.

The Afriski Mountain Resort, some 3,200 meters (10,499 feet) above sea level, nestled in the northern Maluti Mountains, is Lesotho's single fully operational ski resort — and the only one in sub-Saharan Africa.

The majestic snow-covered landscape is ideal for skiing, and both seasoned and new visitors enjoy the slopes that are spread over 17 hectares (42 acres) surrounding the resort — about the size of 24 standard soccer pitches. The resort opened 25 years ago, a short bus or car ride from the nearest major town of Butha-Buthe, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) away.

Last year, tourism contributed about 7% to Lesotho's annual GDP of some $2.6 billion. For its part, Afriski provides a chunk of needed cash in a country cited by the World Bank as one of the poorest in the world — and its artificial snow machines ensure it stays open throughout the Southern Hemisphere’s winter.

Thousands come to a country Trump says no one's heard of

U.S. President Donald Trump may have joked in 2025 about Lesotho being a country that “nobody has ever heard of” but just a year earlier, the kingdom, bordered on all sides by South Africa and with a population of 2.3 million, celebrated 200 years of the founding of the Basotho nation and 58 years of independence from British rule.

Located in its entirety at and over 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) above sea level, Lesotho sees a lot of snow — and skiing is growing in popularity here from a rare sport previously mainly associated with North America and the European Alps.

Most people drive into Lesotho from neighboring South Africa but international visitors can also fly in to the airport in Maseru, the country's capital.

Afriski's CEO, Theo Ferreira, says almost 70% of the visitors come from South Africa; the rest are mostly from Lesotho or elsewhere in southern Africa. The resort now has 227 full-time and seasonal employees, nearly all Lesotho nationals, with about 30 South Africans, working mainly as skiing instructors, he said.

While the resort has rooms for 420 overnight guests, the nearby Butha-Buthe and Mohlokong towns can offer extra accommodations in peak season. The busiest day so far this year saw over 1,400 visitors while in 2025, the record was over 1,600 day visitors and those staying overnight or longer, Ferreira said.

Because unreliable weather patterns can make natural snow scarce, the resort relies on artificial snow to make skiing possible all winter long.

Lesotho's snow may not be how you imagine Africa

The resort has played role in helping ski tourism emerge as another attraction in southern Africa, known for its wildlife and scenic coastlines along the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

For many visitors, Afriski is where they had their first ski lessons, braving falls and dusting themselves off before having another try, and another — until making that first, full glide down without falling.

Janco Smits, a student from Cape Town, South Africa, describes it as "an amazing slope to learn on.”

“At the start it was a little discouraging because you fall, and you fall hard,” he said. “But the people here, they gave me one lesson and after an hour, honestly, I felt confident.”

“When you think of the African continent, you don't think of snow. You think about ... the sun and the Sahara (Desert),” said Thato Ramaphoko, a first-timer at the resort from Pretoria, South Africa’s capital. "But that you can actually go to all that and also come here and it also snows at the same time, it is just mind-blowing, so I just had to see it for myself."

Visitors at Afriski can also sample a taste of Lesotho in the form of traditional sausage rolls and Maluti Lager, the country's proudly home-brewed beer.

As for a souvenir to take home, try the colorful Basotho blanket, which comes in vibrant colors and patterns that also pop up in local garments and are creatively integrated into various skiing jackets and gear.

___

This story has been edited to correct the spelling of Janco Smits's name.

___

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

Both benches and bullpens emptied after Caballero bounced into an inning-ending double play in the eighth. Santana got angry following the play, gesturing and shouting a few times at Caballero on the field.

“Just don’t (take) that long (at) home plate and that’s it,” Santana said when asked what he said to Caballero.

The right-hander was restrained by teammates Rafael Flores and Bryan Reynolds before order was restored after a few minutes without any punches or ejections.

“Dennis just got frustrated by something,” Pittsburgh manager Don Kelly said. “Thankfully it didn’t end up being a big deal.”

Since the pitch clock was implemented in 2023, hitters are required to be in the batter’s box and facing the pitcher with eight seconds remaining on the clock. Caballero was trying to wait until the last second available during his at-bat, which lasted three pitches.

“I just grounded into a double play, turning my back to the coach at first base to give my guards to him, and he was chirping at me,” Caballero said. "I was a little bit surprised about it.”

Caballero had two hits, including a two-run double, before his at-bat against Santana, who has a 6.05 ERA in 44 appearances and gave up a game-ending two-run homer to Cleveland rookie Travis Bazzana on Saturday.

“At this point, he’s lucky he doesn’t get a ball right away because at this point, it’s been four years with the same rules, which we all should know about the rules,” Caballero said. “The whole league should know who I am, what I do (in) the box, and they should be aware of it. For you to get mad at something that the league’s implementing — you shouldn’t be mad at me, you should be mad at someone else.”

During New York’s 8-3 win in Toronto on June 14, Caballero was issued a warning for intentionally delaying an at-bat. He was warned by plate umpire Stephen Jaschinski that he would get an automatic strike called if it happened again, and Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke to Major League Baseball officials about it the following day.

“I know he does it every pitch. It’s his thing,” Reynolds said.

Caballero’s deliberate style in the batter’s box has periodically irked opponents, including the Yankees, who acquired him from Tampa Bay on July 31 last year.

As a rookie with the Seattle Mariners in June 2023, Caballero annoyed Yankees ace Gerrit Cole so much the right-hander threw a 97 mph fastball to him that landed high up on the backstop.

Cole’s pitch was in response to Caballero stepping out repeatedly during his first two plate appearances until the pitch clock was down to the eight-second requirement to be in the batter’s box and alert.

___

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

Prosecutors have said the evidence will show that 21-year-old D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, brought Celeste Rivas Hernandez to the Hollywood Hills house he was renting, stabbed her multiple times then cut apart her body in his garage using chain saws.

The preliminary hearing in Los Angeles is expected to last about four days and will look much like an abbreviated trial. There is no jury. Judge Charlaine Olmedo will decide whether the prosecution offered enough evidence to demonstrate probable cause to proceed to trial.

The hearing will resemble a mini trial

It will be the first public presentation of evidence against Burke, who was arrested in April and pleaded not guilty to murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains. His attorney, Blair Berk, has said Burke is not responsible for Rivas Hernandez's death.

The defendant, who has been held without bail in a jail near the courthouse since his arrest, will appear in court in his jail clothes, after the judge rejected a request that he be able to wear a suit as is usually allowed at a jury trial. No cameras will be allowed in the courtroom.

Soon after his arrest, prosecutors filed a memo, which the defense unsuccessfully tried to have sealed, outlining what their evidence would show at this hearing.

The defendant and the victim had known each other several years

The filing said Burke met Rivas Hernandez when she was 11, began sexually abusing her when she was 13 and he was 18, and killed her when she threatened to report him.

She was reported missing multiple times in the years before her death, and prosecutors said they have evidence she was with Burke for long stretches, including a trip to Texas where she met his family. Detectives had contacted him about her, but authorities say he lied and said he had only met her once and didn't know she was a minor. Prosecutors said they have sexual text messages and photos the two exchanged.

A court filing said he sent a car to pick her up on the night of April 23, 2025, from her hometown of Lake Elsinore, California, some 80 miles (129 km) outside of Los Angeles. The two exchanged messages until she arrived at his Hollywood home, after which her phone went dead.

“Knowing he had to silence the victim before she ruined his music career as she had threatened, very soon after her arrival at his home, defendant stabbed the victim to death multiple times and stood by while she bled out,” the document said.

Prosecutors say they have evidence linking Burke to girl's death

Prosecutors said they have records showing Burke ordered chain saws and wading pools that he used to dismember her body in his garage, and that her DNA was found there on blood stains discovered when police served a search warrant.

They said he then drove around for months with the body in the trunk. About four months after her death, her decomposing body was found in the Tesla registered to Burke that had been towed from the Hollywood Hills in September.

Prosecutors said the car was parked around the corner from his house, and surveillance video will show he was the last person to drive it.

It's not entirely clear why it took seven more months to arrest Burke — though uncooperative witnesses had to be subpoenaed and the final autopsy report showing she was stabbed was not released until December.

The defense has not publicly provided its version of events.

Preliminary hearings like this one serve a similar function to that of grand jury proceedings. Prosecutors generally present only as much evidence as they think they need to, and witnesses are kept to a minimum — mostly police and other investigators. For defense attorneys, it can provide ways to explore potential weaknesses in witness testimony that they can exploit at a trial.

D4vd had budding music career

D4vd began making music for YouTube videos he created of the video game Fortnite when he was a teenager.

The songs he wrote and recorded on his phone were a blend of indie rock, R&B and lo-fi pop. The music made him a phenomenon on TikTok, Instagram, Soundcloud and Spotify, where his top songs, including his 2022 breakthrough “Romantic Homicide,” have more than a billion plays. In 2023, he released two EPs and opened for SZA on tour.

He performed at last year's Coachella music festival just a few weeks before prosecutors said Rivas Hernandez was killed, and his album was released. Five months later, he was on tour promoting it when the body was discovered.

The expansion, first announced in April through an agreement between the Multi-State Lottery Association in the U.S. and Allwyn UK, will mark the first time a lottery outside the U.S. contributes to the Powerball jackpot. The expansion will allow U.K. players to play for much larger jackpots than are now available at lotteries in the country and Europe.

Wednesday night’s drawing will be the first Powerball drawing open to players in the U.K.

The largest Powerball payout was just over $2 billion (about 1.5 billion pounds) from a ticket bought in 2022 in California. EuroMillions, a lottery offered across nine European countries and also operated in the U.K. by Allwyn, awarded the maximum 250 million euros (about $285 million) to players from France, Ireland and Austria over the course of 2025.

The odds of winning a Powerball jackpot are a minuscule 1 in 292.2 million. Those odds will be the same for U.S. and U.K. players, lottery officials say.

U.S. lottery officials say the expanded player base will allow Powerball jackpots to grow more quickly, likely increasing sales as more people are drawn to larger grand prizes.

Powerball tickets cost $2.

Tickets purchased in the U.K. will only go toward the Powerball jackpot — not lower-tier prizes. Players in the U.K. will have a different lower-tier prize structure.

The estimated jackpot amounts in each country will differ due to currency conversion rates and because the U.S. advertises prize amounts pretax, unlike in the U.K.

U.K. Powerball jackpots will also be paid over 30 years, whereas in the U.S. jackpot winners have a choice between taking their winnings spread over years through an annuity or in cash — nearly all winners opt for cash.

Powerball is played in 45 U.S. states, and Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In the game, players choose five white-ball numbers from 1 to 69 and one red Powerball number from 1 to 26. Drawings will continue to be held Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

While the Trump administration says it is open to diplomacy, Iran so far has refused to loosen its grip over the crucial oil shipping corridor in the Persian Gulf. It is raising questions about the strategy for the next phase of the conflict as intensifying attacks have collapsed an interim ceasefire deal, left additional American troops dead and sent U.S. gasoline prices back up — posing new problems for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

Even with glimmers of hope for talks, the sides could be headed back to all-out war, with Trump warning that “every time Iran kills an American Soldier” going forward, “they will pay for that killing many times over.”

The renewed escalations reflect "a fundamental misreading of the Iranian psyche and a lack of learning” from previous fighting, said Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

“I think it’s driven by a calculus on either side that they can double down on military escalation as a way of breaking the impasse and getting the other side to relent,” Yacoubian said. “The danger, of course, is that the more escalatory it becomes, the harder it will be to seize any potential opening back to diplomacy.”

The Trump administration says the door to diplomacy is open

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. is still open to negotiating, telling reporters Sunday night that Iran continues "to send signals that they want to talk, that they want to negotiate, but their behavior is what we’re responding to. And their behavior is they’re launching missiles and drones at ships” in the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's oil normally passes.

“The United States always remains open to a diplomatic solution, and we’ve tried multiple times with Iran, and we’ll continue to try," he said. "If that door opens, we’ll be happy to see it open.”

Trump is focused on making Iran pay for the recent deaths of U.S. troops, violations of the interim deal reached last month and attacks on ships in the strait, according to a U.S. official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official said that military strikes on Iran would continue until Trump decides otherwise, but that talks between the countries also would go on.

For some outside observers, the administration appears to be struggling to find an off-ramp, both militarily and diplomatically.

“This administration currently is flustered,” said Alan Eyre, a former U.S. diplomat once involved in past nuclear negotiations with Tehran and now a fellow at the Middle East Institute. “It really doesn’t have a coherent and consistent strategy as to how to extricate itself from this quagmire.”

There are some limitations to Trump's air war

The U.S. military can only accomplish so much as it ramps up attacks on Iran, experts say.

The conflict has demonstrated the limits of relying solely on air power, said Christopher Preble, a scholar at the Stimson Center think tank focused on U.S. foreign policy. But he noted that sending in ground troops would be unpopular with many Americans and members of Congress.

“It seems that President Trump certainly has the capability to continue to bomb, and Iran will have the capability to continue to keep the strait closed — or closed well enough,” Preble said.

David Schenker, a former official in the first Trump administration who is now a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the renewed strikes on Iranian infrastructure are a repeat of attacks during the early weeks of the war. And those did not result in Iran’s capitulation.

“The U.S. hit 13,000 targets in the first 6 weeks of the war, and this didn’t sway Iran to take a knee,” he said.

Retired Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who served under President Joe Biden, said previous wars such as Vietnam showed the limitations of air power alone.

“Generally, you have to couple air power with ground operations, sometimes naval operations as well, and certainly space today,” he said.

When launching the war on Feb. 28, the U.S. and Israel struck many fixed targets identified before the conflict began. But Iran had a long time to prepare for the attacks by concealing and dispersing weapons.

“So the easy targets are pretty much gone,” Kendall said. “They can hide ballistic missiles and cruise missiles and small air vehicles pretty easily. So it’s a very hard job to try to suppress that kind of a threat over a period of time. And that’s why they’re still able to attack not just ships in the Straits, but also our bases in the region and so on.”

Diplomacy has struggled with a lack of trust between the US and Iran

A diplomatic solution also could prove elusive.

Eyre, of the Middle East Institute, said the Trump administration has shown no preference for “actual diplomacy,” relying instead on close advisers with little international relations experience while outsourcing some of the work to mediators such as Qatar, Pakistan and Egypt.

“We’ve got a tough road ahead of us, but it theoretically could be done,” Eyre said of potential negotiations to end the conflict. “Unfortunately, there is so little mutual confidence in the other side. There’s so little bilateral trust between the U.S. and Iran that it makes everything so much harder.”

Both Schenker and Yacoubian said recent comments from Trump, Rubio and their Iranian counterparts reflect some openness to diplomacy.

Yacoubian pointed to the “measured” response from Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the recent killing of U.S. service members in Jordan, indicating a possibility for an off-ramp. Iran’s release last week of an Iranian-American woman who had not been allowed to leave the country also showed a sign of goodwill from Tehran, she said.

But these small, positive signals could quickly become moot if the decision by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels Monday to announce a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia expands to a complete shutdown of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

That, Yacoubian says, could constitute “a perfect storm of disruption” for the already precarious global economy.

___

Amiri reported from New York. Associated Press writers Aamer Madhani and Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.

The first example of that came Monday night.

Misiorowski worked just four innings in an 8-3 victory over the New York Mets that marked his first appearance since pitching seven innings in a July 7 victory at St. Louis. The Brewers scratched Misiorowski from a scheduled July 12 start in Pittsburgh due to arm fatigue, and he didn’t pitch in the All-Star Game last week despite getting selected to the team for a second straight year.

“I think we take that as kind of a reset,” Murphy said before the game. “Now I think we have to build him back up and make sure that we are mindful of it.”

Misiorowski struck out six Monday while allowing one unearned run, four hits and a walk. Twenty-six of his 65 pitches went at least 100 mph, and he topped out at 104 mph on a first-inning fastball to Juan Soto. He reached 102 mph on 12 pitches, though all but one of them came in the first inning.

Murphy noted after the game that limiting Misiorowski to four innings wasn’t simply a matter of being careful with the flamethrowing right-hander. He said it was more a matter of “just being mindful of when a guy’s not right.”

“We would have probably let him go further if his delivery and his legs felt great,” Murphy said. “I think he was a little bit out of it. The long layoff kind of affected his delivery and everything else. I think it was important to notice that and get him out of there then. The velo dropped. He couldn’t find the rhythm on his heater and went to off-speed stuff.”

Misiorowski acknowledged that it felt a little more difficult than usual pitching Monday after such a long layoff.

“Of course,” Misiorowski said. “I felt like I wasn’t in my legs as well as I should have been, but I felt halfway decent. Good enough.”

The Brewers have reason to be careful with their star as he makes his way through his first full season in the big leagues.

Misiorowski already has pitched 115 innings this season. He worked 141 1/3 innings last year, including his regular-season totals in the majors and minors plus his 12 postseason innings during Milwaukee’s run to the NL Championship Series.

The Brewers (63-37) have the best record in the major leagues and lead the Chicago Cubs by seven games in the NL Central. Misiorowski has been baseball’s best pitcher, and the Brewers’ chances of making a deep postseason run likely depend on him staying healthy and effective.

Misiorowski hasn’t allowed an earned run in eight of his last 13 starts, and he owns a 9-2 record and 0.87 ERA during that stretch. He has a 1.57 ERA and 173 strikeouts this season to lead the majors in both categories.

The 24-year-old said after Monday’s game that he’s hopeful he can go longer in his next start and can ramp his way back up quickly after this recent time off. Misiorowski had spent the offseason preparing for the greater workload he expected to encounter this year.

“The offseason last year, we focused on legs and doing all that stuff to get myself ready for this track of the year,” Misiorowski said. “I feel good where I’m at. Ready to go.”

___

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

On Tuesday night, the Red Sox can match that mark set by the 1946 club.

Caleb Durbin hit a tiebreaking homer over the Green Monster with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Red Sox extended the second-longest winning streak in club history to 14 games, beating Baltimore 6-5 on Monday night to snap the Orioles’ season-best win streak at seven.

“I’m trying not to, but I want it,” Durbin said about the possibility of tying the club record. “I can’t speak for anyone else. We really haven’t talked about it, but I want to make history here.”

Durbin, who had a miserable start to the season after being picked up in an offseason trade with Milwaukee, connected on a 1-0 cutter from Tyler Wells, setting off a celebration by his teammates in front of Boston’s dugout.

“It would mean a lot, for sure,” first baseman Willson Contreras said. “We are trying to play the same way every day. … If it happens, that would be great for us. We can celebrate that. If it doesn’t happen, you have to keep going.”

Boston was 37-48 when the streak began and is now in position for a wild-card playoff berth.

The Red Sox overcame three deficits on Monday.

“I can’t imagine it being more electric than tonight,” Durbin said. “It might be. Tonight was awesome, though.”

What was he thinking as he rounded the bases, heading toward a handful of players who were jumping up and down in front of the dugout?

“There’s not a lot of times that you black out -- as they say,’’ he said. “I think that was one of the moments where I didn’t know what was happening. I couldn’t tell you what I looked like running around the bases.”

Contreras was one of the first players to jump over the railing onto the field after Durbin’s shot.

“I felt like (the) playoffs, going to the World Series, to be honest,” he said. “Hopefully it happens. We’re on the way, but there’s a lot of season left, a lot of games to be played.”

___

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

That includes many in South Florida households that have found themselves struggling in recent years.

United Way Miami President and CEO Symeria Hudson spoke about the ongoing situation with Local 10’s Calvin Hughes and Nicole Perez, and their discussion can be seen at the top of this page.

Leer en español

According to police, the department was called at about 8:15 a.m. about a body being found along the 2600 block of West Commercial Boulevard.

Detectives said they discovered the man, identified as Dario Alejandro , 20, had been killed in a hit-and-run crash and said the vehicle involved in the crash has since been recovered, although the driver remains at large.

Sky 10 was above the scene shortly before 10:30 a.m. as a damaged e-bike was in the grass near the roadway.

Dario’s body was spotted a short distance away.

Police said FLPD’s Traffic Homicide Unit is investigating.

Anyone with information is asked to call the FLPD or Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477.

They finally got it Monday night.

The Guardians hit seven home runs in a 13-4 victory over Minnesota Twins, one short of the franchise record and matching the record for a home game.

It was an unlikely power surge for the Guardians, who came into the game tied with Tampa Bay for the third-fewest homers in the majors with 94.

“A really fun night,” Vogt said. “The coolest feeling in the world is hitting a home run in the big leagues. So to see our guys keep doing it, obviously we’re getting good pitches to hit and we’re not missing them. I think that’s more telling than anything.”

Five of the longballs were by players who came into the game batting under .200. Petey Halpin and Rhys Hoskins each went deep twice and Patrick Bailey's shot in the seventh made it the sixth game in the franchise’s 125 seasons with at least seven homers. Cleveland hit eight home runs at Milwaukee on April 25, 1997, and at Seattle on July 16, 2004.

“We’ve been talking a lot about how both good and bad things are so contagious in this game and we feed off that as a team,” said Hoskins, who came into the game batting .177.

It was the first time two Cleveland players homered at least twice in a game since José Ramírez and Carlos Santana did it in 2019 against the Yankees.

Brayan Rocchio and Travis Bazzana also went deep for Cleveland, which also homered seven times at home on April 30, 2013 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

It’s the fourth time this season a major league team has hit at least seven homers. The Chicago Cubs had eight in their 23-3 win over the San Diego Padres on July 1.

Twins starter Joe Ryan became the 11th starting pitcher in major league history to give up six homers in a game. It was also a franchise record for homers allowed. Ryan, who pitched in his second All-Star Game last week, left too many of his 78 pitches over the middle of the plate as the Guardians took advantage of an off night by the right-hander.

“It’s a tough one, right, because I’m the one that’s wearing it. It’s definitely all on me,” said Ryan, who allowed eight runs and a career-high 10 hits in four innings, raising his ERA from 2.85 to 3.38. “It’s definitely frustrating and not the way you want to start a series against this team. They beat me to the spot more times than I got them.”

Vogt was happiest for Halpin, who hit his first two major league homers with drives to right-center in the second and fourth innings.

“It feels incredible. I think that my role and what I try to do is get on base for the guys that do hit home runs. And today I was able to connect on a couple of them,” Halpin said.

Halpin's homer in the fourth extended Cleveland's lead to 8-2. According to Sportradar, it was the first time since 1974 — when innings data started to be tracked — that Cleveland had six homers in the first four innings. It had five on July 22, 1994, against the Chicago White Sox and on Aug. 15, 2019, at the New York Yankees.

It was the 24th time that has happened in the majors during that span. The last was by the New York Yankees on Aug. 27, 2025, against the Washington Nationals.

Rocchio hit a two-run homer to right in the first. Two pitches later, Hoskins followed with a drive down the line in left to make it 3-0. It was the second time this season that Rocchio and Hoskins have gone back to back. They also did it against the Twins on July 8.

Bailey led off the seventh with a solo shot to center off Woo-Suk Go. The Guardians also had three other balls that went off the wall for doubles.

“I think it was just a great commitment on our part to really not be sold out, but be really confident about what we’re trying to do with the fastball,” Hoskins said. “I also think it gives you some conviction on which ones are balls. And I think we just did a really good job of that today. Ready to hit on the ones that weren’t up. And I think a lot of those are the ones that we did damage on, those are the pitches that you can’t miss against a guy like that and we just didn’t do that tonight.”

___

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

El anuncio canceló de facto los próximos comicios en el país, previstos originalmente para noviembre de 2027, luego de que en enero de 2025 el Congreso controlado por el gobierno votara ampliar un año el mandato presidencial de cinco años.

Ortega habló el domingo durante el aniversario de la Revolución Sandinista, la cual derrocó la dictadura de Anastasio Somoza en 1979 y lo llevó por primera vez al poder. Regresó a la presidencia en 2007, y desde entonces ha reescrito la Constitución, aplastado a la oposición política y consolidado su control sobre prácticamente todas las ramas del gobierno nicaragüense.

Desde las protestas masivas de 2018, que derivaron en una sangrienta represión gubernamental que dejó cientos de muertos, Ortega y su esposa y copresidenta, Rosario Murillo, se han aferrado al poder.

Ortega se declaró ganador de las elecciones de 2021 —una votación que la comunidad internacional considera ilegítima— después de encarcelar a todos los candidatos que podrían haberlo derrotado. Estados Unidos no reconoce su presidencia.

“Aquí no volverá a haber elecciones”, declaró Ortega en un discurso en el que arremetió contra Washington, su adversario de larga data. “Aquí se acabó la historia de que los partidos puestos por los yanquis, puestos por los somocistas, volverán a llegar al gobierno”.

“Jamás, jamás, jamás”, expresó al referirse a cualquier elección futura.

Opositores y grupos defensores de los derechos humanos señalaron que el anuncio del domingo representa una intensificación de las maniobras, a medida que Ortega afianza aún más su control sobre Nicaragua.

Juan Sebastián Chamorro, candidato en 2021 que estuvo preso hasta que fue enviado a Estados Unidos en 2023 junto con más de 200 presos políticos, dijo que el anuncio deja al descubierto el plan de larga data de Ortega de concentrar el poder en manos del Partido Sandinista, en forma similar a otros países de partido único como China y Cuba.

“Es evidente que Ortega y Murillo temen la idea de que la más mínima apertura política pueda crear las condiciones para que se manifieste la disidencia y amenace su control del poder”, sostuvo Tiziano Breda, analista sénior para América Latina de ACLED, monitor independiente de conflictos.

“En lugar de montar una elección amañada, han optado por eliminar por completo la competencia electoral”, añadió.

Danny Ramírez Ayérdiz, abogado nicaragüense y fundador del Centro Interamericano para la Asistencia Legal en Derechos Humanos, que investiga abusos del gobierno de Ortega y Murillo desde Argentina, dijo que el anuncio “termina evidenciando el rostro de una dictadura que ya sin ningún tipo de de pudor se enraizó al poder”.

“También da cuenta de un nivel posible mayor de represión contra personas que exijan la salida del poder, o la realización de procesos electorales”, agregó.

Al menos 46 personas están encarceladas en Nicaragua por razones políticas, según el grupo Mecanismo para el Reconocimiento de Personas Presas Políticas, que da seguimiento a los casos. Nicaragua niega tener presos políticos.

Tras la operación militar de Estados Unidos en enero que capturó al entonces presidente de Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, el gobierno nicaragüense anunció que liberaría a más presos, aparentemente en un intento por evitar presiones sobre sí mismo.

Pero no ha habido continuidad, y hay poca transparencia sobre el tema. Al menos un activista encarcelado ha muerto desde entonces.

En años recientes, el gobierno ha liberado a cientos de activistas, líderes religiosos y políticos encarcelados —incluidos varios candidatos presidenciales de 2021— hacia Estados Unidos y Guatemala, despojando a muchos de su ciudadanía nicaragüense y de sus pertenencias.

Quienes fueron liberados describieron que estuvieron recluidos en aislamiento y dijeron que fueron sometidos a tortura física y psicológica.

Desde 2018, Nicaragua también ha clausurado más de 5.000 organizaciones, en su mayoría religiosas, y ha obligado a miles a huir del país. Previamente en julio, el gobierno de Ortega y Murillo despojó masivamente a abogados de sus licencias para ejercer, en lo que expertos de la ONU calificaron como una “purga de la profesión jurídica”.

___

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

Michael Waltz, a former U.S. Army Special Forces officer, told the U.N. Security Council the gangsters took over the main port.

“They are exporting their crime far beyond Port-au-Prince,” Waltz said. “What was incredibly disturbing, amongs many things, is that they are valorizing it, they are celebrating it on social media sites like TikTok and Facebook and Instagram.”

Waltz said the U.S. will be working “in the very near future” to stop the Haitian gangsters from earning an income from the traffic on their social media posts.

The gangsters are “portraying themselves as revolutionaries as they recruit children to their cause,” and “move guns and drugs and terror,” Waltz said.

Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, a former elite police officer wanted by the FBI, is the leader of the “Viv Ansanm” or Living Together, a gang alliance in Port-au-Prince.

“There will be hell to pay,“ Waltz wrote on X in a message for gang leaders in Haiti about the U.N.-backed multinational gang suppression force commanded by Mongolian Maj. Gen. Erdenebat Batsuuri.

The U.N. estimates that the gangs have internally displaced about 1.5 million people.

Related social media

Haiti is only a few hundred miles from Florida.

What happens there does not stay there.

Gangs are moving guns, drugs, and terror through the Caribbean—to our shores, at our border, and in our communities. pic.twitter.com/6oiU9uPcPg

— Ambassador Mike Waltz (@USAmbUN) July 20, 2026

The Gang Suppression Force will do EXACTLY what it was named to do: suppress the lawless thugs causing chaos in Haiti and threatening the entire region.

My message to the gang leaders, like ‘Barbecue’: There will be hell to pay. pic.twitter.com/1uBVqwRyaa

— Ambassador Mike Waltz (@USAmbUN) July 20, 2026

Messi, whom many consider soccer's greatest player, was photographed holding Yamal, then an infant and now a 19-year-old rising star. The two met in Sunday's final, with Yamal and Spain defeating Messi and Argentina 1-0.

That game was a potential changing of the guard with the 39-year-old Messi perhaps playing in his final World Cup.

Playing for Barcelona at the time of the initial meeting with Yamal, Messi took part in a fundraising drive for UNICEF and wound up holding the player who could be the future face of the sport. Yamal has followed in Messi's footsteps by becoming Barcelona's standout player.

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

The new report accused Cuba’s communists of operating as a “vector for Iran and Russia” and China; of using spies to infiltrate the “highest reaches” of the federal government; and of growing and supporting a “wave” of left-wing terrorism.

“For more than six decades, the Cuban regime has been the leading sponsor of radical leftism and Third Worldism in the United States,” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in a statement on X. “The State Department is exposing the full history of Cuban espionage and subversion in our country.”

President Donald Trump reinstated Cuba’s status as a state sponsor of terrorism in 2021 and again in 2025, both of which resulted in reinstating sanctions.

The new report described an alliance that included access to “attack drones,” as Cuban military officials “consulted with Iranian advisors on asymmetrical drone warfare for a potential conflict” with the U.S, and links between Cuba’s intelligence agency, the Dirección General de Inteligencia, or DGI, and the “Islamist militant axis,” which includes Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

“The regime in Cuba exploits every opportunity to undermine America & any suggestion otherwise is a gross underestimation of their capability,” U.S. Rep. Carlos A. Giménez wrote on Monday about the report on X.

CUBA’S ‘SPRAWLING ECOSYSTEM’

While “overriding resentment and fundamental hatred,” Cuba influenced “a disproportionate share of America’s most famous and influential extremist movements” to “turn America against itself,” according to the report.

The report cites the late Fidel Castro’s efforts to associate with “American Black radicals,” including Huey Percy Newton, the founder of the Marxist–Leninist Black Panther Party, which embraced armed self-defense, and JoAnne Deborah Byron, better known as Assata Shakur, a member of the Black Liberation Army, a Marxist-Leninist urban guerrilla.

The report also cites Castro’s idea that “the same racist Yankee imperialism victimizing Africa, Asia, and Latin America” was targeting minorities in the U.S. and describes the Instituto Cubano de Amistad con los Pueblos, or ICAP, as a Havana-based foreign intelligence operation that is connected to more than 2,000 “solidarity groups.”

The Cuban regime’s “sprawling ecosystem” has been using left-wing activists “less as a vehicle for the interests of ordinary Cubans – who are subject to brutal repression and often unable to freely work, assemble, speak, travel, or provide for their families” but as a part of a ”one-stop shop political service,” according to the report.

“Cuba has been oppressing its people, stifling freedom,” said U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, who met with Cuban exiles on Monday at the Bay of Pigs Museum, also known as the Brigade 2506 Museum and Library, in Miami’s Little Havana.

The Ernesto “Che” Guevara Volunteer Work Brigade, a Havana-based state agency founded in 1993, and the Canadian Network on Cuba, or CNC, a Toronto-based organization, are ICAP collaborators, according to the report.

Baptist Rev. Lucius Walker Jr., the founder of the New York-based Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization, who died in 2010, was part of the ICAP’s U.S. network and Castro’s ally, according to the report.

Other leaders Cuba used as allies, according to the report, included Robert F. Williams, who was born in North Carolina and died in 1996; Trinidadian-American Stokely Carmichael, who died in 1998; and Puerto Rican Filiberto Ojeda Ríos, who died in 2005.

Dominican-American Manolo De Los Santos, the founder of Manhattan-based nonprofit People’s Forum; Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles; and organizations Code Pink and the Democratic Socialists of America are allies of Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel against, according to the report.

After George Floyd died during his arrest in Minneapolis and protests and riots followed, Díaz-Canel, who the U.S. accused of “repressing and imprisoning” Afro-Cuban dissident artists, delivered a speech in 2020 at the United Nations criticizing police brutality in the U.S.

‘UNCONVENTIONAL’ SPYCRAFT

For espionage purposes, the Cuban government recruited and “cultivated” students at elite U.S. universities to groom them into spies to infiltrate the U.S. government, according to the report.

The report cited the cases of Victor Manuel Rocha, a former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia who admitted to acting as a secret agent for over 40 years, and Ana Montes, a former FBI analyst who admitted to passing U.S. secrets to Cuba.

The report alleged the ICAP had also infiltrated the National Lawyers Guild, an association of lawyers, law students, legal workers, and jailhouse lawyers, and NLG International, which advocated for the “Cuban Five” intelligence officers.

The report also cited The Wasp Network, which the FBI dismantled in 1998 after identifying several agents, including Juan Pablo Roque, a former Cuban MiG-23 pilot who was behind the Cuban Air Force’s fatal 1996 attack at sea of two planes from Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based nonprofit behind rescue flights.

The attack resulted in the recent U.S. Department of Justice’s indictment of Raúl Castro.

GUERRILLA WARFARE

The U.S. has accused Cuba of supporting Marxist-Leninist guerrillas such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC; the National Liberation Army, or ELN, in Colombia; the Ejercito Popular Revolucionario, or EPR, in Mexico; the Tupamaros in Uruguay; the Montoneros in Argentina; the Sandinistas in Nicaragua; the Ação Libertadora Nacional in Brazil; and the Maoist-aligned Shining Path in Peru.

Colombia’s outgoing president, Gustavo Petro, a former Marxist guerrilla fighter known as “Aureliano,” shows that the “fingerprints of this era of Cuban-backed terror are still imprinted on Latin American politics today,” according to the report.

Andy Gomez, the former director of the University of Miami’s Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, said on Monday that the report didn’t establish any new connections.

“It keeps some of the members of the Cuban American community pointing the finger at Cuba and asking for regime change,” Gomez said about the likely strategic purpose of the report.

Related story: Read Gomez’s latest analysis on Cuba

Ortega, 80, has been in power for three decades. First, he was in power for 11 years, from 1979 to 1990, and he reassumed the presidency in 2007.

“Forget about it! There will be no more elections here for them,” Ortega said in Spanish during a televised speech. He said this was to prevent the opposition from attempting “to seize the government, to seize power.”

The former guerrilla commander stood alongside his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, also known as his “co-president,” during a ceremony in Managua.

U.S. diplomats have condemned Ortega for repressing protesters, imprisoning candidates, persecuting Catholic clergy, and changing the constitution to weaken his opposition.

Earlier this year, human rights activists denounced the death of Brooklyn Rivera, a Nicaraguan lawmaker of the Indigenous Miskito people who was imprisoned in 2023 after fighting the ruling Sandinistas for decades on land rights.

Rivera, a political prisoner, founded Yatama, a political party that aimed to represent the rights of Afro-Nicaraguans from the Miskito, Mayangna, Rama, and Creole communities.

Related social media post

Costa Rica reafirma su compromiso con la celebración de elecciones libres en Nicaragua.

📎Más detalles: https://t.co/ElcHsxxPRZ pic.twitter.com/LzuA7RU3Rp

— Cancillería Costa Rica 🇨🇷 (@CRcancilleria) July 20, 2026

The panel that sets the party's voting order could make that determination as early as Friday when it meets in Washington, two people with knowledge of the party's process but not authorized to discuss it publicly told The Associated Press on Monday.

The Rules and Bylaws Committee has been holding monthly meetings as it considers the order in which states will vote during the 2028 primaries. The panel has heard presentations from a dozen states hoping to kick off the party's primaries and caucuses, including Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.

The calendar isn't considered set until it's approved by the full DNC, which is scheduled to meet in August. The DNC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Democrats upended their process for setting their calendar after Iowa's 2020 Democratic caucus debacle, which led to days of uncertainty over who had won. The party since then has favored more diverse states.

For the 2024 cycle, President Joe Biden led a DNC effort to have South Carolina — which for years has held the party's first Southern contest — go first overall in the party’s primaries. He cited the state’s more racially diverse population compared to the traditional first-in-the-nation states of Iowa and New Hampshire, which are overwhelmingly white.

Four years earlier, Rep. Jim Clyburn, South Carolina's lone congressional Democrat and for a time the top Black Democratic lawmaker on Capitol Hill, helped Biden revive his flagging primary campaign and win a resounding victory in the state. He then went on to secure the party's presidential nomination.

South Carolina's Democratic leaders have pushed for the state to lead off again, lobbying for support and getting buy-in from Democratic Party chairs in five Southern states. In May, they pressed for South Carolina to reprise its role as the party’s first-in-the-nation contest holder, arguing that the state best represents the initial playing field for presidential candidates to build the coalitions needed to win.

A quarter of the state's population is Black and about 9% is Hispanic, according to the Census Bureau.

___

Cappelletti reported from Washington. Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP

Justice Department officials announced the new review Monday, saying Harvard’s foreign funding disclosures “raised concerns” about possible discrimination against U.S. students. The agency did not specify which scholarship programs are being targeted and emphasized it “has not reached any conclusions.”

The investigation is aimed at Harvard’s “China-based financial aid programs,” the Justice Department said. The agency said Chinese donors have given money to Harvard to support financial aid programs limited to students from certain countries. That restriction could amount to illegal discrimination based on country of origin, the department said.

“Schools cannot take federal dollars and then turn around and accept money from foreign sources to give financial aid that deliberately excludes American citizens — doing so is illegal, and we will stop it wherever we find it,” said Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the department’s Civil Rights Division.

Harvard said it was reviewing the Justice Department notice.

“Harvard follows the law for required reporting of donations and, consistent with our legal obligations under Title VI, does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or national origin in allocating financial aid," the university said in a written statement.

In a statement, Liu Chang, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said China-U.S. education cooperation is mutually beneficial. “China maintains that normal education and academic exchange should not be disrupted for political purposes,” Liu said.

Like many U.S. universities, Harvard accepts foreign funding through direct donations or contracts. The Trump administration has pushed for greater transparency around outside money, warning that accepting funding from foreign adversaries is a national security risk.

Federal disclosures from Harvard show it has accepted $630 million from Chinese sources over a period of decades. Overall, it has reported about $4.5 billion in foreign funding. The Justice Department cited those figures but did not single out any donors or programs being reviewed.

The investigation is a compliance review, meaning it’s initiated by the federal government rather than responding to an outside complaint.

Unlike the vast majority of U.S. universities, Harvard and a small number of other schools provide need-based scholarships to international students on the same basis as U.S. students. Grants and other aid from the federal government are reserved for American students, but Harvard “has its own job and scholarship money available to foreign students,” according to a Harvard financial aid website.

In some cases, foreign donors have given money to be used for international students.

In 2014, Pan Shiyi and Zhang Xin, a Chinese couple that co-founded the real estate company SOHO China, donated $15 million to Harvard to provide financial aid for Chinese students. Their gift drew blowback from critics in China who said it was a betrayal to give money to foreign schools instead of Chinese universities.

The Justice Department’s announcement makes the unusual legal argument that steering private funding to students of certain countries amounts to a civil rights violation for U.S. students.

“Harvard appears to be accepting these funds and, in adherence to their restrictions, providing student financial aid to foreign students, presumably Chinese, based on their national origin — to the potential detriment of students of other national origins, including American citizens,” the agency said.

The Trump administration has repeatedly opened new federal investigations against Harvard in its battle to win obedience from the nation’s oldest university.

Harvard has been a prime target in the administration’s push to end “wokeness” and fight alleged antisemitism in American higher education. A federal judge has blocked the White House from cutting billions of dollars in federal research funding from Harvard amid the feud.

Even as the legal battle continues, the government has sought new lines of attack, seeking to limit Harvard’s ability to enroll foreign students and U.S. military members, and launching investigations into the school’s admissions process.

___

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

Heritage Auctions announced the results of its Hollywood & Entertainment Signature Auction on Monday.

The lightsaber, used onscreen by Mark Hamill in the climactic Cloud City fight where Darth Vader declares “I am your father” in the 1980 “Star Wars” sequel, included a severed hand effects rig used for when Vader sliced it off.

Heritage said the price was the highest ever fetched for a prop used in a “Star Wars” film.

A Wicked Witch of the West hat worn by actor Margaret Hamilton in 1939’s “The Wizard of Oz” brought in $550,000 at the auction, and the cocoa-colored top hat worn by Gene Wilder as the title character in 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” went for $350,000.

Daenerys Targaryen's chest with dragon eggs inside from the first season of “Game of Thrones” brought in $312,500.

Two rugs essential to the convoluted plot of “The Big Lebowski” also sold. The one belonging to Jeff Bridges’ the Dude that “really tied the room together” and is soiled at the beginning of the 1998 film went for $350,000. And the nicer one that he takes from his wealthy namesake outdid it with a price of $375,000. The rugs went for far more than expected. Bidding began on each at $15,000.

The items' buyers and sellers were not identified.

Tuesday will feature ample sunshine and a southeast breeze (winds sustained around 10 to 15 mph). Temperatures will make a run for the lows 90s-- humidity will make it “feel like” 100°+F. Rain chance remains low.

In an alliance that takes immediate effect through 2029, the PGA Tour and European tour will partner with the Asian Tour to help provide commercial and playing opportunities and establish a path for Asian Tour members to join European circuits.

The PGA Tour and DP World Tour -- as it is known commercially -- have a separate alliance that has yet to be renewed, which includes 10 top European tour players earning PGA Tour cards. Officials from both tours met at the British Open. The alliance with the Asian Tour, along with the PGA Tour's involvement with the Australian Open, is seen as progress on a new deal.

The announcement was a blow to LIV Golf, which has had a relationship with the Asian Tour since before the rival league launched in 2022.

LIV invested $300 million in the Asian Tour to create the “International Series” with purses of up to $2 million. They have been won by LIV players such as Peter Uihlein, Carlos Ortiz and David Puig.

The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, the financial muscle behind LIV Golf, has said it will no longer fund the league after this season. Scott O’Neil, the CEO of LIV Golf, has been trying to find investors to keep the league alive for 2027 and beyond.

The European tour had an alliance with the Asian Tour from 2016 until 2021. It stopped co-sanctioning Asian Tour events in 2022.

Now that’s back in play under the alliance that is expected to have at least two co-sanctioned Asian Tour events each of the next three years. Other details, such as Asian Tour players having access to European and Challenge Tour events, are still being worked out.

“We feel the time is now right to collaborate with the DP World Tour and PGA Tour to enhance the Asian Tour for our members, fans and partners,” said Cho Minn Thant, commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour. “Bringing the three tours together under one partnership will increase the bandwidth of the professional game in Asia.

“Not only will co-sanctioning events see our members competing regularly on the global stage, but we are excited to welcome players from the other Tours to our pinnacle events.”

The announcement comes one day after reports that Canadian-based Mobii Systems Group has sued LIV Golf in U.S. District Court in Miami, alleging LIV has not paid $925,100 in fees to the company that supplies the league’s “Any Shot, Any Time” technology during the LIV broadcasts.

Mobii Systems also claims $209,531 in lost revenue for the remaining six events in 2026.

ESPN reported that Nick Connor, LIV Golf’s senior vice president of technology, wrote in a May 25 email to Mobii Systems that LIV would no longer use the technology after the South Korea event that ended May 31 or the remaining events on the schedule as it evaluates its business model.

The PGA Tour recently announced a commercial partnership with the European tour involving the Australian Open as golf makes a push to recognize more national opens. The Masters this year added to its invitation criteria the winners of six national opens.

Christian Hardy, the senior vice president of international for the PGA Tour, said the three-tour alliance was an example of collaboration by tours “with a shared vision for the future of professional golf.”

“Through our strategic alliance with the DP World Tour, we have worked to build a more connected global golf ecosystem, and we are excited to welcome the Asian Tour into that effort,” Hardy said. “Together, we are creating new opportunities for players, enhancing key national opens around the world and continuing to evolve and strengthen pathways to identify and develop the next generation of elite talent.”

___

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

The warning comes after the U.S., early Monday, launched its ninth night of airstrikes on Iran after announcing the death of another American service member killed in Iraq during the “controlled detonation” of a downed Iranian drone. The U.S. military also identified two soldiers who were killed in Jordan on Friday while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Seventeen U.S. troops have been killed since the start of the war.

The renewed exchanges of fire, now in their second week, have seen the U.S. target Iranian bridges, electrical facilities and, as of Monday, the city believed to host its underground missile bases, as the countries inch closer to a return to full-scale war. Iran on Monday retaliated with attacks on American allies Kuwait and Bahrain, home of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet.

The Latest:

More US strikes start up against Iran

The U.S. military says it’s carrying out its 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran in a push to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Central Command said on social media that the strikes “are designed to further degrade Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The strikes have escalated as the U.S. and Iran vie for control of the crucial energy shipping route, with Tehran retaliating by launching attacks on American allies Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain.

Two soldiers were killed in Iranian attacks on a base in Jordan on Friday that left a third service member missing. Separately, another died in Iraq on Saturday during the “controlled detonation” of a downed Iranian drone.

President Trump earlier warned on social media that “Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!”

Trump signs executive order on supply chains for US military

Trump on Monday signed an executive order that would expand the Pentagon’s ability to track the raw materials and equipment used in software and gear — with the goal of strengthening domestic supply chains.

The order would require government contractors starting in 2027 to prove their need for waivers when domestic materials are not available, Peter Navarro, the president’s senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, said during a call with reporters.

The Defense Department would also require contractors to map their critical supply chains from raw materials to the products delivered to the military.

Jordan says Iran launched another missile attack

Jordan’s armed forces said Monday evening they had shot down three Iranian missiles, adding that there had been no material damage or casualties.

There was no immediate word from Iran.

Trump will visit Delaware to honor service members killed in Iran war

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump will be at Dover Air Force Base on Tuesday evening for the dignified transfer of U.S. service members.

“The President and the entire White House are praying for their families,” Leavitt said on social media Monday.

Two service members were killed Friday in Jordan while defending against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks, the U.S. military said. A third service member was missing after the attack.

Another American service member was killed Saturday in northern Iraq in what was described as a controlled detonation of an Iranian ordnance.

Trump, in apparent pushback on Mamdani, says Netanyahu won’t be arrested in US

The president offered the assurance to Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told the New York Times that the Israeli prime minister “belongs in The Hague” and that he was in “active conversation” with the city’s legal department about potentially arresting him if he comes to New York City for the U.N. General Assembly in September.

“Benjamin Netanyahu will not be arrested, in any way, shape, or form, while in the United States of America,” Trump said in a social media post in which he made no direct mention of Mamdani.

During his mayoral campaign last year, Mamdani said he would order the city’s police to arrest Netanyahu under a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court over Netanyahu’s role in the war in Gaza.

Trump threatens harsh response against Iran for targeting of US troops going forward

The president took to social media on Monday to warn that “every time Iran kills an American Soldier” going forward “they will pay for that killing many times over.”

Trump offered no further details but said his directive has been relayed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other U.S. military leaders.

Trump’s warning came after the U.S. earlier Monday launched its ninth night of airstrikes on Iran after announcing the death of a U.S. service member, killed in Iraq during the “controlled detonation” of a downed Iranian drone. Seventeen American troops have been killed since the start of the war.

British military says a second ship was attacked off the coast of UAE

The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said Monday evening that a second ship had been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, this one off the coast of the United Arab Emirates

Earlier, a vessel caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile near the coastline of Oman. The crew abandoned the vessel, which was adrift and still ablaze hours later, the UKMTO said.

The route around Oman has been the one the U.S. military has encouraged ships to travel to avoid Iran’s control. The Guard later claimed it was targeting tankers in the strait.

Tehran also hit U.S.-allied countries throughout the Middle East. Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens Monday morning, while Kuwait said its air defenses were firing at an incoming Iranian barrage.

Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry condemned Iranian drone strikes targeting the country’s air traffic systems, saying they endanger travel for civilians.

Ontario’s premier says he’s frustrated with Trump’s wildfire comments

Ontario Premier Doug Ford told a news conference Monday he is frustrated with Trump’s threats to place tariffs on Canada over wildfire smoke.

Ford said Ontario has contributed to fighting fires in the U.S. and offered assistance when Georgia was struck with a hurricane in 2024.

“Rather than criticize and threaten Canada, your closest friend, maybe one day you’re going to need our help,” Ford said. “I get frustrated just listening (to) that bunch of rubbish.”

Ford noted one of the largest fires started in Minnesota.

“Maybe President Trump would offer his closest allies and friends some support rather than sit there and threaten tariffs.”

Nearly 200 wildfires are currently burning across Northern Ontario, with 57 out of control.

Trump talked about wildfires with Carney at World Cup

Trump said he told Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney he needs to do more to stop wildfires when they talked during Sunday’s FIFA World Cup final in New Jersey.

“I told them you got to stop these fires from coming in and poisoning our air. Our air has been poisoned,” Trump told reporters on Sunday when he returned from the game.

“If we can help them, we’ll help them. But maybe they should pay us some damages or something, or we should do some tariffs.”

Trump last week accused Canada of neglecting forest management. It is unclear under what authority Trump would rely on to impose new tariffs on Canada.

Sen. Jon Ossoff fuels reelection campaign by accusing Trump of corruption

The Democrat from Georgia is making full-throated broadsides against Trump as he runs for reelection, calling the president a “national disgrace” leading a “Mar-a-Lago mafia” and “the most corrupt administration of all time.”

The 39-year-old senator’s approach is being noticed across the Democratic spectrum, from activists hungry for the right message in the 2026 midterms to those pining for viable presidential candidates.

And now he has a 20-1 fundraising advantage against Rep. Mike Collins, who won a Republican primary runoff after Trump’s last-minute endorsement. Collins argues that Ossoff is “weak” and “woke,” just another “out-of-touch, far-left liberal.”

“The senator is definitely having a moment,” Democratic strategist Lis Smith said, adding that tying Trump’s personal financial gain to his performance on the economy is a strategy “more Democrats should adopt.”

Justice Department activates untested ‘alien terrorist’ deportation court

The Justice Department has filed a first-ever petition to a secretive and dormant court created 30 years ago to weigh government requests to deport so-called “alien terrorists” from the United States.

The Alien Terrorist Removal Court was established in 1996 but had never received a petition until the Justice Department filed an application last week seeking the removal of an individual whose name is withheld from the single-page document posted on the court’s website.

A written response from the chief judge of the five-member court — all appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts — indicates that a hearing was held and that the Justice Department was directed to provide more information on Wednesday.

The chief judge of wrote that “the Government could benefit from the opportunity for more thoughtful consideration.”

Trump urges review of climate change report used by judges

Trump complained that a report on climate change National Academy of Sciences included “discredited” information that created “huge losses” across the country. The report is used by the Federal Judicial Center as a resource to assist judges in considering scientific evidence.

Trump ordered “federal suspension and debarment officials” to review the research organization’s conduct, adding that taxpayers should not be funding ″climate fraud” and judges should not rely on the report.

It was not clear what officials Trump was referring to and what, exactly, he wants them to investigate.

Earlier this year, the judicial center withdrew a chapter on climate change from the newest reference manual on scientific evidence after Republican state attorneys general complained it was biased against fossil fuel companies.

The Vances are doing their part to reverse declining birth rates

Vice President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, are celebrating the birth of their fourth child.

Born Sunday, Alec Neel Vance joins older siblings Ewan, 9; Vivek, 6; and Mirabel, 4. The Vances said Usha and the baby are happy and healthy. They also thanked the doctors and staff at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the White House medical team.

The Republican vice president has passionately advocated for Americans to have more children. He repeatedly expressed alarm about declining birth rates as he launched his political career in 2021, and told the 2025 March for Life anti-abortion rally, “I want more babies in the United States of America.”

The story behind the Freedom Fuel Trump loves to promote

Trump and his White House have enthusiastically promoted the Freedom Fuel Network, a chain of star-spangled convenience stores selling gas at $3.47 per gallon to honor the 47th president.

Untangling exactly who is behind the Philadelphia-area venture has proven difficult. Records indicate the chain was launched last month by a collection of businessmen including an NFL kicking coach, a GOP fundraiser and a New Jersey entrepreneur who was ordered along with his brother to pay civil damages for unlawfully taking more than 200,000 gallons of fuel.

None of them want to talk about it. How the stations got Trump’s attention remains a mystery. Experts say they’re likely selling the gas for a loss.

What is clear: Trump has loved the idea of cheaper gas with average costs per gallon rising above $4 again as the war with Iran continues.

▶ Read more

Olympian accused of damaging Reflecting Pool gets a trial date

David Hearn, 67, has pleaded not guilty to deliberately damaging the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool amid a troubled multimillion-dollar renovation project championed by Trump.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Todd Edelman set the date for Sept. 28 during a Monday hearing, Hearn’s second since a grand jury indicted him on a single felony count of property destruction.

Trump has claimed without providing evidence that damage to the pool’s lining was caused by vandals.

David Hearn, 67, a canoeist who competed in three Summer Olympics, told The Associated Press that he reached into the water to see what the peeling new coating felt like — “very rubbery” — and let go of it when a park worker told him to. At least three others have been charged in the same court with misdemeanors for allegedly removing pieces of the paint.

Tate brothers to appear in Miami court. UK wants them extradited

Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate are scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate in Miami on Monday after they were arrested to face rape and sex trafficking charges in the United Kingdom.

Their attorney Joseph McBride said the charges are “filth and slander” and that he’s confident the extradition request would be denied.

He also said he believed the arrests were “greenlighted by a low-level functionary” at the Justice Department, without input from leadership. But the Justice Department told The Associated Press that the arrests were approved by leadership of its Criminal Division.

The Tates’ social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny has made them among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities.

▶ Read more

Why Yemen seeks to close Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea access

There were few details, but the deputy head of the Houthi media office, Nasruddin Amer, said on X that the Bab al-Mandeb strait will be closed to Saudi vessels in response to what he called Saudi Arabia’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years.”

The Houthis are key to Iran’s regional influence and they have a large stockpile of drones, but several Houthi members previously told the AP that the group’s weapons stockpile is running low after its attacks during the Israel-Hamas war. The Iran war has further impeded the flow of weapons, said the officials, who at the time spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk to the media.

Gulf nations warn of incoming Iranian fire

Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens Monday afternoon to warn of a possible Iranian fire, while Kuwait said its air defenses were responding to incoming Iranian missiles and drones. No damage was immediately reported in either country.

Senators want answers on ICE policies

Dozens of Democratic senators and Maine’s Independent Sen. Angus King want more details on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s vetting practices and vehicle pursuit policies following more deaths in ICE shootings.

In a letter spearheaded by King and sent to the Department of Homeland Security, the senators listed new measures to increase accountability at the agency tasked with carrying out immigration enforcement.

They said ICE should immediately start wearing uniforms or vests that clearly identify them as “ICE” instead of the more generic “POLICE” or “POLICE ICE.”

The senators also want to know whether ICE considers records of domestic violence or abuse when vetting new recruits. In Maine, the AP reported that the ICE officer who opened fire and killed a man from Colombia had a history of violent behavior detailed in family court records.

As student loan defaults surge, Trump is making borrowers pay more

Defaults are reaching record levels as borrowers struggle to pay.

The numbers have spiked since payments came due again following a lengthy pause intended to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, around 9.5 million people — 1 in 5 federal student loan borrowers — are in default, meaning their wages or Social Security payments could be garnished. The Trump administration has held off on such involuntary collections for now.

And still another wave of defaults could be coming. The Trump administration eliminated the most generous income-driven repayment plan, Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, as part of its overhaul of the federal student loan system. Millions who had been enrolled in SAVE now must pay more each month.

▶ Read more

Yemen’s Houthis announce a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia

A Houthi military spokesperson described the embargo on Monday, effective immediately, as an “eye for an eye” response.

Attacks by the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen last week damaged Sanaa International Airport and Abha airport in Saudi Arabia, threatening a truce that began in 2022.

Imposing an embargo could put new pressure on Saudi Arabia, which is sending oil through pipes to the Red Sea as a way of avoiding the chokehold in the Strait of Hormuz.

Houthis attacked more than 100 ships over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. It’s unclear whether the Houthis will keep up that level of attack now against Saudi Arabia.

Global rates of road injuries and deaths each fell more than 30% between 1990 and 2023, according to the study published in Lancet Public Health, which noted the progress varied from country to country.

Pedestrian and vehicle occupant deaths rose over that time in six countries — including the United States. However, more recent data shows road deaths fell in the U.S. in 2024 and 2025.

The World Health Organization put out its own numbers Monday, finding that road traffic deaths declined by 21% between 2011 and 2025. However, traffic crashes still claimed more than 1.1 million lives last year, and they remain the leading cause of death among children and youth aged 5 to 29 years, the WHO said.

Road deaths involve fatal injuries that happen to pedestrians, cyclists and people riding in cars, trucks and other vehicles. Complete data is lacking in some countries, so the researchers behind the new report made estimates based on what data is available.

The researchers, from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, found that road injury rates are higher in high-income countries, but 90% of road deaths occur in low-income countries.

In many low-income countries, safety measures have not kept up with rapid growth in cities and use of motorized vehicles. For example, seat belt mandates are more common in high-income countries, as are car safety features such as air bags.

“Road injury outcomes are shaped not only by crashes, but by the systems designed to prevent them and protect people when they occur,” said Liane Ong, the new paper's senior author, in a statement.

However, there have been conflicting trends in the U.S., including the proliferation of taller and larger passenger vehicles, the authors wrote. U.S. officials also have said thousands of deaths each year can be attributed to “distracted driving," including drivers looking at their phones.

In the U.S., motor vehicle traffic fatalities rose in the last decade and peaked at more than 43,000 in 2021 before beginning to decline, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency estimated the count fell to about 36,600 last year.

Meanwhile, the Governors Highway Safety Association recently reported that U.S. drivers hit and killed 7% fewer people walking on U.S. roads in 2025 compared with the year before. It was the largest annual reduction since pedestrian deaths began falling three years ago, but it was still higher than what the numbers were before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The WHO identified road safety as an international public health priority more than two decades ago. The Lancet report's release coincides with the start of a two-day United Nations high-level meeting on improving global road safety, being held in New York City.

___

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

The Tates have been held in federal detention following their arrest on Saturday. In the coming weeks, a U.S. district judge will consider whether they meet the conditions for extradition.

An attorney for the brothers, Joseph McBride, has blasted the charges as “filth and slander,” as well as “salacious and defamatory.”

Prosecutors in Britain said the new charges relate to four new victims and were brought after authorities received evidence from Bedfordshire Police in southeastern England. The allegations, spanning 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 alleged victims in the U.K. between 2012 and 2015.

Their lawyer said in a statement Saturday that he believed the arrests were “greenlighted by a low-level functionary” at the Justice Department without input from leadership.

But the Justice Department told The Associated Press that the arrests were approved by leadership of its Criminal Division.

McBride, outside of the Miami federal courthouse, said he plans to fight extradition on the Tates’ behalf.

“We are going to fight them at every turn, and at every corner, because they are American citizens,” McBride said.

McBride claims the new allegations are politically-motivated.

“I’ve never seen evidence that indicates these guys are guilty of anything,” he said. “They are being punished and attacked for what they say and not for what they have done. You can love them, you can hate them, but nobody should go to jail for free speech.”

Taking a swipe at the U.K., McBride said, “We will make sure that we exhaust all remedies before they are sent over to the communist regime previously known as the free place of the United Kingdom.”

McBride, explaining his ties representing people in Jan. 6 cases, implied that he believes President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio would be sympathetic to the case.

“I believe that Marco Rubio and the rest of the trump administration are not fans of communism, for prosecuting people for free speech, this is one of the reasons why they were elected,” he said, noting that after the Jan. 6 prosecutions, “I would just think as a matter of principle, based on the reasons why they were elected, that they would not want to see two free citizens go to a country where they are going to be thrown in jail for political reasons.”

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, “If the court finds the fugitive to be extraditable, it certifies the extradition and sends the record to the Secretary of State, who decides whether to surrender the fugitive.”

Former federal prosecutor David Weinstein said even though the charges the Tates face are not considered “political offenses” by definition, under the extradition treaty, “the executive branch of the U.S., including the president, can block the extradition request if they determine that the request was politically motivated.”

“So yes, President Trump is able to help prevent an extradition to the U.K. if he wanted to,” Weinstein said.

The new allegations are the latest in a long-running international legal saga involving the Tates that has spanned the U.S., Britain and Romania. The brothers have repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

Their social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny has made them among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities.

The dual U.S. and British citizens moved to Romania in 2016. They 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 gone forward because of legal and procedural problems.

Last year, they were allowed to leave Romania and flew to Florida.

Ohtani had been scheduled to start against the Phillies in the finale of the three-game series in Philadelphia on Wednesday. But left knee irritation that kept him out of last week’s All-Star Game scrapped those plans.

The four-time MVP last pitched on July 3. He received a lubricant injection in his balky knee, which does not bother him while batting.

Manager Dave Roberts said the injection, bypassing the All-Star game and skipping the scheduled start is not because the issue is worsening. Rather, that it has “not gotten better.”

“All that stuff is trying to give us the best chance to be out of the woods entirely,” Roberts said before Monday’s game against Philadelphia.

Roberts indicated that Ohtani would try to throw off the mound later this week, saying it could happen on Thursday or Friday. The two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers are scheduled to visit the White House on Thursday, an off day. They begin a three-game series at the New York Mets on Friday.

Asked if Ohtani could return to the rotation sometime in the near future, possibly as early as next week, Roberts said, “I don’t know. He’s got to play catch again and then we’ll see.”

The two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers have the best record in the majors at 63-37 and an 11 1/2-game lead in the NL West.

___

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

Según la Oficina del Alguacil de Broward (BSO), los agentes que acudieron a la cuadra 2500 de East Atlantic Boulevard encontraron a la víctima con múltiples heridas de arma blanca. Los equipos de rescate la llevaron de urgencia al Broward Health North Hospital, donde fue declarada muerta.

Los investigadores hablaron con una testigo que dijo estar esperando en una parada de bus cuando la víctima —que no ha sido identificada públicamente— y el sospechoso, David Edward Rice, comenzaron a discutir.

La testigo les dijo a los agentes que los hombres “estaban discutiendo por crack” antes de que Rice, de 67 años, empezara a apuñalar a la víctima, que estaba desarmada.

Los agentes dijeron que la testigo explicó además que Rice intentó irse del lugar, pero primero le entregó el cuchillo a otro hombre que trató de subirse a un bus. La mujer contó que le avisó al chofer lo que había pasado para que no lo dejara abordar.

Ese segundo hombre fue detenido inicialmente por los agentes.

Poco después, las autoridades dijeron que se recibió una llamada al 911 indicando que el sospechoso del apuñalamiento estaba en un Publix cercano, ubicado en el 2500 de E. Atlantic Blvd., con una mano ensangrentada.

Los agentes acudieron al Publix y detuvieron a Rice, mientras los investigadores revisaban las cámaras de vigilancia de un estacionamiento administrado por el supermercado. Según dijeron, las imágenes mostraban a Rice caminando por el mismo trayecto donde los investigadores notaron un rastro de sangre, que iba de un extremo al otro del estacionamiento y luego cruzaba la calle hasta el Publix.

Las autoridades dijeron que, durante el interrogatorio, “Rice dio versiones inconsistentes sobre su cronología y su paradero antes del incidente y antes de su captura”, y que además “contradijo sus propias acciones captadas por las cámaras de vigilancia de Publix”.

Según el reporte, Rice afirmó que estaba en el Publix “para comprar fresas”.

Hasta la tarde del lunes, Rice permanecía recluido sin derecho a fianza en la cárcel principal de Broward, bajo cargos de asesinato premeditado en primer grado e invasión armada de una estructura o vehículo.

El teniente del Departamento de Policía de Miami (MPD) Thomas Carroll, de 49 años, fue arrestado bajo un cargo de manejar bajo la influencia (DUI) e ingresado en la cárcel la madrugada del domingo, informó un portavoz de la agencia.

Los registros de la cárcel mostraban que también enfrentaba un cargo por negarse a una prueba de alcoholemia tras la suspensión de su licencia.

Carroll salió rápidamente de la cárcel bajo fianza.

Un portavoz de MPD dijo que el teniente “ha sido relevado de sus funciones a la espera del resultado” de una investigación interna.

No había más detalles disponibles sobre su arresto la noche del domingo.

Carroll acaparó titulares a finales de 2024, cuando fue arrestado en un caso de violencia doméstica.

Ese caso ya no aparece en los registros judiciales de Miami-Dade.

“Escuché un ruido fuerte y sonó como si hubiera explotado una bomba”, contó Terry. “Mi esposo me dijo: ‘Alguien acaba de chocar contra la casa’”.

Tres hombres iban dentro del auto. El video de vigilancia muestra que las bolsas de aire se activaron mientras intentaban salir. Uno de ellos agarró un bolso antes de que, según Terry, todos huyeran del lugar.

“Me sorprende mucho que hayan podido salir caminando, porque el impacto fue tan severo que la casa tembló”, dijo Terry. “Se me cayó la puerta del ático”.

El accidente ocurrió alrededor de las 3:30 a.m. El Tesla arrancó el buzón antes de chocar contra una Range Rover estacionada en la entrada de la casa y, finalmente, contra la vivienda.

“Ahora tengo que averiguar ¿quién? ¿por qué? Es frustrante”, expresó Terry.

Terry dijo que agradece que ella y su esposo estén bien, pero ahora espera que alguien pueda ayudar a atrapar a los responsables.

“Los carros en realidad lo frenaron, porque si no, si no hubiera habido nada aquí, se habría metido hasta mi habitación”, afirmó Terry.

Se pide a cualquier persona con información que llame a Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477.

Leer en español

According to Hallandale Beach police, the collision happened near Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Dixie Highway.

Police said eastbound lanes of Hallandale Beach Boulevard are experiencing traffic delays as officers investigate what led up to the incident.

Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue officials confirmed that one person was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Drivers are urged to avoid the area for the time being.

“Please use caution when approaching railroad crossings. Never drive around lowered crossing gates or attempt to cross when warning lights are flashing,” HBPD posted on social media.

No other details were immediately released.

Leer en español

According to the MPD report, Lt. Thomas Carroll had rear-ended a Mercedes-Benz on U.S. 1 a few blocks south of the Dadeland Mall; a witness followed him nearly six miles before the longtime lawman crashed the Ford F-150.

Authorities said Carroll, 49, nearly sideswiped a Tesla Cybertruck during the intervening drive between Pinecrest and Coconut Grove.

Police said after crashing at the Bird Road intersection at around 6 p.m., Miami Fire Rescue crews “were forced to break the rear window to gain access” to Carroll.

Carroll came to and “was groggy and uneasy on his feet,” according to the arrest report.

Police said medics took him to HCA Florida Mercy Hospital, where he refused treatment “and waited outside with police.”

According to the report, while waiting outside, officers smelled alcohol on Carroll’s breath and he had slurred speech with “very poor balance.”

Authorities said Carroll refused to perform a field sobriety test and officers took him into custody. They said he later refused a breath test and officers took him to jail, where he quickly bonded out.

Carroll, who has been with MPD since 1999, is facing charges of DUI and refusal to submit to DUI testing.

It’s not his first time in trouble as Carroll, once an assistant chief with the department, has had a highly-publicized run-in with the law.

He was previously arrested in 2024 after allegations of domestic violence. That case no longer appears in Miami-Dade court records.

After his latest arrest, an MPD spokesperson said Sunday evening that Carroll “has been relieved of duty” pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

Leer en español

According to Coconut Creek Fire Rescue officials, the fire was reported just before 4:15 a.m. in the 900 block of Palmetto Drive.

The flames tore through the garage before spreading to the roof, leaving extensive damage behind.

Officials confirmed that a man who lives at the home was transported to a local hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and at least seven cats were killed in the fire. A dog did make it out of the home safely, they said.

The fire has since been extinguished.

“It’s like scary -- it’s like, what the heck is going on?” one neighbor said. “I walk here every morning -- every morning. So this is unusual, very unusual.”

First responders said a family of three lives at the home and is now displaced. That family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with expenses.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Leer en español

Detectives accused Edgar Olivas of fatally shooting Walter Castañeda during a robbery shortly after 8:10 p.m. on Oct. 1, 2021, at 443 NW 12 Ave., records show.

Castañeda, 62, who was armed with a .38 revolver, was pulling down shutters after closing his Boost Mobile store when Olivas ambushed him, police reported, according to an arrest warrant.

“Let everything go,” Olivas, then 36, ordered Castañeda, a witness reported to police, according to the arrest warrant.

Olivas, of Orlando, stole Castañeda’s black bag, and Castañeda pulled out a revolver and fired at Olivas, who then returned fire and fled, according to the warrant.

Miami Fire Rescue personnel took Castañeda to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center, where a doctor later pronounced him dead, records show.

A Miami homicide detective tracked Olivas’s getaway car, a white 2022 four-door Honda Civic that was reported stolen on Oct. 3, 2021, according to police.

The owner of the Honda Civic reported renting the car on Sept. 29, 2021, to a woman who police later identified as Megan Hester-Villalobos, according to the arrest warrant.

The Honda’s GPS helped detectives to find evidence at a motel at 148 NW 167 St., near North Miami Beach, a gas station at 744 NW 12 Ave., in Little Havana, and an apartment at 2523 N. Alafaya Trail, in Orlando, according to the arrest warrant.

Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputies helped Miami homicide detectives find a video of the Honda that was published on an Instagram account that Hester-Villalobos used, according to the arrest warrant.

Miami-Dade corrections booked Olivas, 40, shortly before 8:55 a.m. on Friday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center near Doral, according to county inmate records.

Olivas faced two charges: First-degree murder and armed robbery with a deadly weapon, according to county court records. A judge denied him bond.

Related story: A grieving family says the way police responded to a robbery in Little Havana cost their loved one his life

Leer en español

According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, deputies responding to the 2500 block of East Atlantic Boulevard found the victim suffering from multiple stab wounds and rescue crews rushed him to Broward Health North Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

Investigators spoke to a witness who said she was waiting at a bus stop when the victim ― who has not been publicly identified ― and suspect David Edward Rice got into an argument.

The witness told deputies the men “were arguing over crack” before Rice, 67, began to stab the unarmed victim.

Deputies said the witness further explained that Rice attempted to leave the scene, but first he gave the knife to another man who tried to board a bus, but the witness said she told the bus driver what happened so the man wouldn’t be allowed to board.

The second man was initially detained by deputies.

Soon after, authorities said a 911 call was received stating that the suspect in the stabbing was at a nearby Publix, located at 2500 E. Atlantic Blvd., with a bloody hand.

Deputies responded to the Publix and detained Rice, while investigators viewed surveillance footage of a parking garage managed by Publix that they said showed Rice walking along the same path that investigators noticed a trail of blood, leading from one end of the garage to the other, then across the street into the Publix.

Authorities said that during questioning, “Rice provided inconsistencies on his timeline and whereabouts leading up to the incident and leading up to his apprehension” while he also “contradicted his own actions which were captured on Publix surveillance cameras.”

According to the report, he claimed he was at the Publix “to buy strawberries.”

As of Monday afternoon, Rice was being held at the Broward Main Jail on charges of first-degree premeditated murder and armed trespassing of a structure of conveyance on no bond.

Leer en español

Police suspect that Justin Ramirez, 24, of Sunny Isles Beach, opened fire from a moving Audi SUV, shooting into a green rented BMW near Northwest 22nd Avenue and 36th Street at around 8:10 p.m. on July 5. A 2-year-old boy was in the BMW but was unharmed, according to police.

Authorities said the victims, who sought treatment at Jackson Memorial Hospital, had been traveling from Broward County toward Brickell. An arrest report from the Miami Police Department does not provide an alleged motive for the shooting.

According to police, detectives viewed video footage of the shooting and were able to identify the Audi Q8. Police said it was registered to someone else, but they were able to tie it to Ramirez after he got a traffic ticket in Lauderhill while driving the vehicle.

Additionally, they said license plate reader data showed the Audi near Bayfront Park on July 1, the same day Ramirez posted photos on social media of himself attending FIFA Fan Fest ― and a photo of himself in the Audi “holding a bottle of Sprite with purple liquid consistent with promethazine codeine syrup,” a concoction often known by the street name “purple drank.”

The report states that detectives recovered multiple latent fingerprints from the vehicle matching Ramirez after executing a search warrant on July 9.

Police said they later got a warrant for cellphone data that placed Ramirez at the crime scene.

They took him into custody just after 12:45 p.m. Friday in a North Miami Beach neighborhood.

Ramirez, who’s previously spent time in state prison for armed robbery, now faces several charges: most notably, four counts of attempted murder.

Records show he was released from jail after posting a $90,000 bond.

Leer en español

Michael Mobile, better known as Mobile Mike, shared the video showing “The Determination” motor superyacht along the New River in the Riverwalk neighborhood.

“A yacht was being towed down the river at an incredibly high speed,” Mobile wrote, according to a post on X. “Right away, I knew something didn’t seem right, so I pulled out my camera.”

Mobile reported he witnessed the crash, which damaged the dock and the roof of a two-story building near Southeast First Avenue and Riverwalk North, and he saw police officers and fire rescue personnel responding.

The crash damaged a stormwater pump station, according to city officials.

Mobile’s cellphone video shows a small boat marked as owned by Steel Towing and “The Determination,” a 112-foot Westport motor yacht, marked as based in Sarasota, Fla.

City crews closed the adjacent sidewalk, placed barriers around the property damage, and a structural engineer was set to assess the building and the seawall, according to city officials.

City employees notified the Fort Lauderdale Police Department’s marine unit and the U.S. Coast Guard, according to city officials. A representative for the towing company couldn’t be reached for comment.

Location

Related social media

🚨 Another Crazy Day in Paradise… 🇯🇲#MobileMike I had just gotten back from a trip and was out for a walk when something caught my attention. A yacht was being towed down the river at an incredibly high speed. Right away, I knew something didn’t seem right, so I pulled out my… pic.twitter.com/JOMtgu9dth

— Mobile Mike (@MOBILEMIKE_) July 20, 2026

Según la policía, el departamento recibió una llamada alrededor de las 8:15 a.m. sobre un cuerpo hallado en la cuadra 2600 de West Commercial Boulevard.

Los detectives creen que el hombre podría haber muerto en un atropello y fuga.

Sky 10 sobrevoló el lugar poco antes de las 10:30 a.m., donde se veía una bicicleta eléctrica dañada sobre la hierba, cerca de la vía.

La policía dijo que la Unidad de Homicidios de Tránsito del Departamento de Policía de Fort Lauderdale (FLPD) estaba en el lugar investigando.

Se pide a cualquier persona con información que llame a la FLPD o a Broward Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477.

Leer en español

South Florida will have no direct impacts from the system this week, though drier air is forecast to filter in behind it midweek.

This lower storm chance will keep temperatures above normal, with heat index values approaching Heat Advisory criteria each afternoon.

As of Monday evening, Tropical Depression 2 was located about 105 miles south of Panama City.

It was moving northwest at 3 mph with maximum winds of 35 mph.

A Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the Alabama Gulf coast from the Florida border to the Mississippi border.

Según los oficiales de Coconut Creek Fire Rescue, el incendio fue reportado poco antes de las 4:15 a.m. en la cuadra 900 de Palmetto Drive.

Las llamas arrasaron el garaje antes de extenderse al techo, dejando daños considerables a su paso.

Los oficiales confirmaron que un hombre que vive en la casa fue trasladado a un hospital local para recibir tratamiento por inhalación de humo, y que al menos siete gatos murieron en el incendio. Un perro sí logró salir a salvo de la vivienda, dijeron.

El fuego ya fue extinguido.

“Da miedo... es como, ¿qué rayos está pasando?”, dijo una vecina. “Camino por aquí todas las mañanas, todas las mañanas. Así que esto es inusual, muy inusual”.

Los equipos de emergencia dijeron que en la casa vive una familia de tres personas, que ahora quedó desplazada.

La causa del incendio está bajo investigación.

Michael Mobile, mejor conocido como Mobile Mike, compartió el video que muestra al superyate a motor "The Determination" en el New River, en el vecindario de Riverwalk.

“Un yate estaba siendo remolcado río abajo a una velocidad increíblemente alta”, escribió Mobile en una publicación en X. “De inmediato supe que algo no andaba bien, así que saqué mi cámara”.

Mobile reportó que presenció el choque, que dañó el muelle y el techo de un edificio de dos pisos cerca de Southeast First Avenue y Riverwalk North, y que vio a oficiales de policía y personal de rescate acudir al lugar.

El choque dañó una estación de bombeo de aguas pluviales, según oficiales de la ciudad.

El video del celular de Mobile muestra un bote pequeño identificado como propiedad de Steel Towing y a "The Determination“, un yate a motor Westport de 112 pies, registrado con base en Sarasota, Florida.

Las cuadrillas de la ciudad cerraron la acera adyacente y colocaron barreras alrededor de los daños, mientras que un ingeniero estructural evaluaría el edificio y el malecón, según oficiales de la ciudad.

Los empleados de la ciudad notificaron a la unidad marina del Departamento de Policía de Fort Lauderdale y a la Guardia Costera de EE.UU., de acuerdo con los oficiales. No fue posible contactar a un representante de la empresa de remolque para obtener comentarios.

Leer en español

The system remains weak and disorganized – battling environmental adversaries like wind shear and dry air that we previewed in this newsletter last week – with only sporadic and patchy thunderstorms near its nascent center.

Slow and steady pressure falls reported by an Air Force Reconnaissance Hurricane Hunter airplane investigating the depression early Monday, however, indicates at least gradual organization of the surface circulation. Only a slight tick up in estimated surface winds (from 35 mph to 40 mph) will get us to Tropical Storm Bertha, which should come by this afternoon.

In terms of its track, the forecast is fairly straightforward, with a slow plod westward this week underneath a building high-pressure ridge nosing into the northern Gulf from the central U.S.

Significant strengthening not in the cards

The forecast for soon-to-be Bertha is fraught with impediments that should stymie strengthening in the days ahead. Nearly all reliable intensity guidance keep the system from climbing much above a low-to mid-tier tropical storm, and only about 3% of the 1,000-member Google DeepMind ensemble system scenarios show Bertha reaching hurricane strength.

If you spend enough time online, you’ll find bad actors sharing outlier computer models depicting scary-looking hurricane scenarios. These rogue models typically have abysmal hurricane track records (such as the German ICON) or aren’t designed and shouldn’t be used for hurricane forecasting (such as the RRFS).

So while Tropical Storm Watches stretch across parts of the northern Gulf Coast from Florida’s Panhandle to coastal Alabama in anticipation of winds above 38 mph, for now we’re not expecting widespread damaging winds for these areas.

Heaviest rains stay offshore for now

The primary hazards will be from locally heavy rainfall and dangerous rip currents as the storm slides westward along the north-central Gulf this week.

The heaviest rainfall will depend on the exact track of future Bertha and the heaviest rain totals will remain on the south side of its track, which largely stays offshore this week. A nudge northward could bring heavier totals over land, so we’ll want to watch the trends.

For the time being, we’re not expecting a widespread flood threat, but instead, mainly localized flooding from slower-moving outer bands around the system along the north-central Gulf through Thursday. The higher risk of scattered flash flooding will come from late Tuesday through Thursday from southern Louisiana to southeastern Texas.

Simmering Gulf waters kept in check

The biggest factor favoring organization is the near-record water temperatures for the time of year in the northern Gulf. We discussed this extensively in last Wednesday’s newsletter for what was (at the time) the less likely outcome:

“It’s the westward path over the northern Gulf that would leave it over record to near-record warm waters and the scenario that would raise the specter of pure tropical development.”

That notable shift westward by the models over the weekend now keep the system lingering over those seasonably waters this week.

The good news, though, are all the limiting factors we discussed working to tap the brakes over this part of the Gulf. By Wednesday, especially, a curtain of northerly shear and land interaction should begin to gut what remains of the storm as it approaches Louisiana.

The only game in town for now

Across the remainder of the Atlantic, especially through the deep tropics, things look to stay quiet to round out July, with no additional development expected elsewhere over the next week or two.

Según la policía de Hallandale Beach, la colisión ocurrió cerca de Hallandale Beach Boulevard y Dixie Highway.

La policía dijo que los carriles en dirección este de Hallandale Beach Boulevard presentaban demoras en el tráfico mientras los oficiales investigaban qué llevó al incidente.

Los oficiales de Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue confirmaron que una persona fue trasladada a un hospital local con heridas que no ponían en riesgo su vida.

Se exhorta a los conductores a evitar la zona por el momento.

“Por favor, tenga precaución al acercarse a los cruces ferroviarios. Nunca maneje alrededor de las barreras bajadas ni intente cruzar cuando las luces de advertencia estén parpadeando”, publicó el Departamento de Policía de Hallandale Beach (HBPD) en redes sociales.

No se divulgaron más detalles de inmediato.

Los oficiales de policía reportaron haber encontrado muerta a la mujer, de unos 50 años, en el exterior de una casa en la cuadra 21000 de SW 176th Avenue.

La investigación seguía activa la tarde del lunes, según la policía.

Los detectives pidieron a cualquier persona con información sobre este u otros casos, y que desee permanecer en el anonimato, que llame a Broward County Crime Stoppers al 954-493-8477.

La editora de asignaciones de Local 10 News, Mariana Ortiz, contribuyó a este reporte.

The center was meant to take in and quarantine Americans evacuated from Congo, where an Ebola outbreak that erupted two months ago has so far killed at least 930 people, out of the 2,344 cases confirmed there.

A U.S. humanitarian organization, the Samaritan’s Purse, said over the weekend that seven of its American staff from Congo were being quarantined in “large military tents” for 21 days in Kenya, adding that none had so far shown symptoms of Ebola.

The organization did not say where in Kenya their workers were quarantined but local media have reported that military tents in Laikipia Air Base would house the U.S.-backed Ebola facility. The air base is about 185 kilometers (115 miles) north from Nairobi, Kenya's capital, near the town of Nanyuki.

Residents of Nanyuki have staged a series of protests against the facility recently, and two people have died when the protests turned violent.

Both Kenya’s Ministry of Health and the U.S. State Department did not respond to requests for comment about whether Americans were being quarantined in Kenya. The Laikipia Air Base could also not be reached for comment.

Kenya — hundreds of miles to the east of Congo and with the country of Uganda between them — has no confirmed Ebola cases but is a key U.S. ally in Africa. The United States has pledged $13.5 million toward Kenya’s Ebola preparedness efforts.

Kenyan President William Ruto has defended the planned U.S.-backed quarantine facility, describing it as part of a partnership with the U.S. He said there were also plans to establish 24 additional Ebola preparedness centers across the country, with U.S. funding.

However, a Kenyan court last month issued an order that barred the operationalization of the facility and Health Minister Aden Duale later ordered suspension of its construction.

The case was based on a petition by the Law Society of Kenya and constitutional lobby group Katiba Institute, which had argued against establishing a quarantine for Americans from Congo, saying that Kenya’s fragile health system could be overwhelmed in the event of an Ebola outbreak.

Katiba Institute’s chief Nora Mbagathi told The Associated Press the activists groups were concerned about the latest reports of Americans already being quarantined in Kenya.

“Should any Kenyan government official be involved ... they have completely betrayed the public trust and must be held personally accountable,” Mbagathi added.

In a statement to the AP, the Law Society of Kenya said on Monday that a “deliberate" violation of a court order would amount to "impunity and lawlessness.”

Samaritan’s Purse said its staff had been working on the front lines of the Ebola response in Congo, where the organization operates two treatment centers in Bunia and Nyankunde.

“They are being housed in large military tents in a fenced gravel compound, sleeping on military cots, and their food is being provided by the U.S. military,” Samaritan’s Purse President and CEO Franklin Graham said in a statement.

Graham did not respond to questions why the quarantine was up and working in Kenya despite the court order.

___

For more on Africa and development: https://apnews.com/hub/africa-pulse

U.S. Housing Secretary Scott Turner said that nine years after the U.S. territory received $1.9 billion in disaster recovery funding, it has spent only $570 million, less than a third of the funds.

He noted that a HUD investigation found “widespread financial mismanagement, inadequate fraud controls, false certifications and improper payments.” The investigation is ongoing.

“This failure has, to date, deprived Virgin Islanders of roughly $1.3 billion worth of assistance that Congress intended them to have,” stated a July 20 letter that HUD sent to the head of the U.S. Virgin Island’s Housing Finance Authority.

The director for the U.S. territory’s housing authority and its spokesperson did not immediately return messages seeking comment. The authority has the right to appeal the suspension by requesting a hearing.

In a post on X, Turner accused officials with the U.S. Virgin Islands’ Housing Finance Authority of prioritizing “kickbacks over helping families recover from disasters.”

The U.S. Virgin Islands was struck by Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 storm, in September 2017. Roughly two weeks later, Hurricane Maria, also a Category 5 storm, struck St. Croix. The U.S. territory is still struggling to recover from the storms.

In a July 20 letter to the head of the U.S. Virgin Islands' housing authority, HUD said that its “record demonstrates that it is an abysmal steward of taxpayer funds.”

The investigation so far has found that the U.S. Virgin Islands’ housing authority has completed only two of 95 planned single-family rental rehabilitation projects and zero of 329 single and multifamily housing projects.

In addition, the authority had spent only 2% of its electrical grid recovery funding as of May, the investigation found.

Meanwhile, the Virgin Islands housing authority has spent more than half the grant funds slated for administrative costs, according to the letter.

The authority also is accused of seeking $6.2 million in disaster-related funds that the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency had already paid.

The U.S. government also noted that the authority’s former chief operating officer who oversaw disaster recovery programs is in federal prison after being convicted on charges including fraud and money laundering.

Turner wrote on X that the former chief operating officer inflated a lumber contract meant to rebuild hurricane-damaged homes from $3 million to $4.5 million and took a $107,000 kickback “and let the lumber rot in the sun, rendering it useless — a waste of taxpayer funds.”

In February, the executive director of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ housing authority resigned as local legislators questioned why some $4.2 million remained idle as a September deadline to use the funds looms.

At the time, Sen. Kurt Vialet accused the former director of “just sitting there with a smug look.”

“The Housing Finance Authority is not building. You can’t be upset at senators being frustrated,” Vialet was quoted as saying by the St. Thomas Source, a local news site.

___

This version has corrected that the U.S. government says the territory spent $570 million, not $570,000, of the disaster funding that was sent.

The move could unleash a new wave of economic chaos, with risks of higher inflation and further fraying of relations between two nations that had been closely woven together before Trump's return to the White House. The administration official previewing the action said that Canada was one of the only nations other than China that retaliated against Trump's previous tariffs and must be held accountable.

The official insisted on anonymity on a call with reporters to preview the president's actions and said that Trump signed three proclamations to launch the tariffs under Section 338 of the 1930 Trade Act. Several Democratic lawmakers last year proposed repealing the section because they said Trump could use it to destabilize the economy.

The new 50% tariffs would exclude energy products, potash, fish and critical minerals, but they would include goods that had previously been protected from import taxes by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA. That 2020 trade pact was not renewed by the U.S., triggering a new set of negotiations that could run until 2036.

The White House said in a fact sheet that the tariffs would go into effect in 30 days, meaning there is time for negotiations as Trump has not always followed through on his announced tax hikes on imports.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a statement that his government believes in the “benefits of free and fair trade,” having signed “more than 20 new economic and security partnerships." He said Canada is prepared to negotiate with the Trump administration.

“This trade dispute has raised costs for families, particularly in the U.S.,” Carney said. “Canada stands ready to engage intensively to address outstanding issues with the U.S. to the mutual benefit of our citizens.”

Canada faces the risk of a broader trade war

Still, the tariffs could escalate into a wider trade war as Canada seeks to defend its economy. Ontario Premier Doug Ford saw a possible showdown ahead.

“If these tariffs proceed, Canada should respond tariff for tariff, dollar for dollar,” Ford posted on social media.

Candace Laing, CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said the Trump administration's moves were “regrettable” but the two countries need to use the 30-day window before the tariffs start "to make meaningful progress in advancing formal talks.”

Chris Swonger, CEO of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, also called for a deal: "We encourage policymakers on both sides of the border to pursue a negotiated solution that restores market access for U.S. spirits and avoids further harm to the U.S. hospitality sector.”

But the use of a Great Depression-era law to impose the tariffs broadens some of the risks, as those tariffs could be applied to other U.S. trading partners, not just Canada, and inject “massive uncertainty” into the global economy, said Scott Lincicome, vice president of general economics at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.

“We crossed the Rubicon,” Lincicome said. “The invocation of 338 is the nuclear option for Trump tariffs.”

Tariffs are also a political challenge for Trump

The new tariffs carry serious political and economic risks for Trump ahead of the November midterm elections for control of Congress. His “Liberation Day” tariffs last year in April provoked a financial market meltdown over concerns about inflation and a recession, prompting him to walk back the rates for a period of negotiation.

The Supreme Court ruled this February that Trump had lacked the legal authority to impose the tariffs by declaring an economic emergency, causing the administration to find alternative ways to raise import taxes based on a series of legal authorities.

Tariffs are taxes on imports, which companies can then pass along to consumers in the form of higher prices. The president maintains that the costs created by tariffs will cause manufacturing to relocate to the U.S., though there is little evidence of that in the economic data.

“These new taxes will raise prices on American families and likely lead to retaliation against the very industries Trump purportedly wants to protect,” said Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., who is chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The latest import taxes could worsen Trump's weak ratings on the economy. He promised voters when running for the presidency that he would bring prices down, but the annual inflation rate has risen since he became president because the tariffs and the war in Iran are pushing up oil prices.

Trump has repeatedly targeted Canada on trade issues

The Trump administration official said the president had also requested that his aides look into additional tariffs on Canada because its wildfires hurt air quality in the U.S. He had publicly threatened to do so in social media posts.

At the World Cup final on Sunday, Trump watched the game with Carney. The Trump administration official said their time together at the game was not a working visit to discuss trade and tariffs.

Trump claims in the proclamations that Canada discriminates against American autos, alcohol and cheese relative to other nations, but his argument rests in large part on retaliatory actions taken by Canada after the U.S. president imposed tariffs on Canada under the pretext that it should do more to stop fentanyl smuggling.

Trump noted in his autos proclamation that Canada maintained, starting in April 2025, a 25% tariff on the imports of U.S. motor vehicles that did not qualify for preferential treatment under the USMCA.

The White House said that, regarding alcohol, all but two Canadian provinces and territories halted the purchase and retailing of American alcoholic beverages beginning last year, which was also a response to Trump's tariffs and taunts of making Canada the 51st state.

But Trump has long objected to Canada's treatment of U.S. cheese, saying in his proclamation that Canada discriminates against the U.S. compared to Europe on dairy products.

Trump and Carney have had a frosty relationship, with Carney, a former central banker, who pledged to go “elbows up” for Canada during his election campaign last year.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January, Carney called out Trump — without naming him — by saying that the “most powerful” countries are using the economy to coerce less powerful nations.

Trump responded at the time by saying: “Canada lives because of the United States."

___

Associated Press writer Jim Morris contributed from Vancouver, British Columbia.

Quinn Brown had been eyeing a massive bin of clothes at a Goodwill store outside Portland in January when he saw someone toss a Lakers jacket with Chamberlain's name on it back on the pile. Brown, who resells used clothes online, quickly grabbed it.

The jacket was auctioned by Sotheby’s, which had estimated its value between $150,000 and $250,000 before bidding closed Monday. It received a total of 48 bids, according to the auction house.

Described on Sotheby’s website as an “extraordinary piece of memorabilia," the short-sleeved yellow warmup jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 NBA finals, in which the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New York Knicks.

“I didn’t even think that finding something like this was possible,” Brown said. “I got very, very lucky.”

Chamberlain, an NBA Hall of Famer viewed as one of the all-time greats, played in the league from 1959 to 1973. He won two championship rings — one with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1967, and another with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1972. He holds the record for most points scored by a player in a single game, netting 100 points in a 1962 match.

For the past three years, Brown has been reselling clothes online after finding them in thrift stores. The most expensive item he had sold previously was a T-shirt of Sub Pop Records, the indie label that signed Nirvana in 1989 and released the band’s first album. It went for $250.

After buying the Chamberlain jacket back in January, Brown searched online to see if it was worth something. He found a picture on Google of Chamberlain wearing such a jacket and compared it to the one he had.

In examining the Lakers patch on the front, he noticed certain small stitching details that matched the photo. He also looked up the measurements of a different jersey worn by Chamberlain, a towering figure at 7 feet, 1 inch (2.2 meters) tall, and discovered that they nearly aligned.

“I really just wanted to make sure, because it was so hard to believe at the time,” he said, adding that he had only ever read about such serendipitous thrift findings.

When he posted a photo of the jacket on social media, Sotheby’s contacted him about consigning the jacket to the auction house. Brown agreed, and an armored van came to pick it up.

Sotheby’s then did its own photo verification and determined that the jacket was worn by Chamberlain during the 1972 finals, in which he was named the finals MVP.

“Photomatching a piece of game-worn clothing to a specific Finals series, for a player of this era, is genuinely exceptional,” Sotheby’s website says. “As photomatched items worn by Chamberlain become exceedingly rare, this jacket is a piece of sports history.”

It is not the first Chamberlain item from the 1972 finals to fetch a hefty sum under the hammer: A game jersey he wore during the series sold for $4.9 million at Sotheby's in 2023, the fourth most expensive NBA jersey ever sold by the auction house.

As for his thrifted find, Brown said: “That was as good as it gets.”

El canciller peruano Carlos Pareja dijo a la prensa que vendrán a Lima los presidentes de Argentina, Javier Milei; Bolivia, Rodrigo Paz; Chile, José Kast; Paraguay, Santiago Peña; Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi; Panamá, José Mulino; Honduras, Nasry Asfura y Ecuador, Daniel Noboa. También el rey de España Felipe VI.

Pareja declaró tras visitar a la presidenta electa conservadora en su oficina en Lima.

Keiko Fujimori, de 51 años, ganó los comicios en Perú en su cuarto intento. Su triunfo en el balotaje del 7 de junio ante el progresista Roberto Sánchez fue de casi 50.000 votos, gracias al decisivo apoyo que recibió de votantes del exterior. Antes fue legisladora y primera dama en el gobierno de su padre, el fallecido expresidente Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000).

Keiko Fujimori ha prometido gobernar “por cinco años”, a diferencia de su padre quien buscó permanecer en poder y fue reelegido en 1995 y en 2000. Luego abandonó Perú en 2000 tras escándalos de corrupción y huyó a Japón. Después fue extraditado desde Chile, a donde había llegado de forma sorpresiva, y luego fue condenado por corrupción y asesinato. Fue excarcelado tras un indulto presidencial en 2023 y murió en 2024.

All the way to his $75 million, five-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks.

“I’ve said (it) so much and it’s not anything fake. Chicago’s really, you know, the only place I want to play,” Bedard said.

Bedard's new deal was announced on Saturday, a day after his 21st birthday. It provides a level of security for both Bedard and the rebuilding Blackhawks, even if it always seemed as if it was just a matter of the final numbers than any sort of question about the end result.

Some intrigue arrived when Leo Carlsson, another restricted free agent, signed a $90 million, five-year offer sheet with Philadelphia before going back to Anaheim when the Ducks decided to match the offer sheet. But Bedard stayed with his plans all along.

It was always Chicago.

“I’m very happy with the amount of money I’m making. You know, it’s a lot,” a chuckling Bedard said Monday in his first public comments since the deal was announced. “I think just with that, obviously the offer sheet is different as well. You know with a team trying to take a guy, it is going to be a different value. But for me, that didn’t change anything I was thinking.”

The final details were completed after Bedard had surgery on his left shoulder on July 8. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft is expected to miss the start of the season after he got hurt while skating with a group of NHL players in western Canada.

Bedard also missed 12 games last season after he hurt his right shoulder on a draw during a 3-2 loss at St. Louis on Dec. 12.

“You always do everything you can to try to prevent injury and stay healthy,” he said. “It’s a terrible part of the game but it’s something that you know I think for me to have this next little bit and go through that adversity and try to get stronger, you know, mentally in that way. That’s the way I’m trying to look at it and then come back.”

Bedard has been Chicago's most important player since he made his anticipated NHL debut in October 2023. He continued his steady improvement in his third season, setting career highs with 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games.

But he hasn't experienced much winning since arriving in Chicago. The Blackhawks went 29-39-14 last season, an 11-point improvement on the previous season and still nowhere near playoff contention. The team has finished No. 31 in the NHL each of the past three years.

Chicago is looking for its first postseason appearance since the NHL used an expanded playoff format after the 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Looking to get the team back in contention, general manager Kyle Davidson swung a trade for defenseman Bowen Byram on June 23. The Blackhawks also signed forward prospect Roman Kantserov in May, and then added forward Cole Smith and defenseman Ian Cole on the first day of free agency.

“I think we’ve had a great summer,” Bedard said.

But Chicago could use another top-six forward, possibly to play alongside Bedard, and, well, Patrick Kane remains on the market as a free agent. The 37-year-old Kane, who helped the Blackhawks win three Stanley Cup championships before he was traded to the New York Rangers in February 2023, is reportedly considering a return to his first NHL team.

“That would be incredible to get to play with him and learn from him,” Bedard said. “So hopefully he decides to come back. ... You talk about kind of the legacy aspect of it, but just as a team, it would make us a way better team. He’s still an amazing player.”

With the contract completed, the next big moment for Bedard could be taking over as the 36th captain in franchise history. He became an alternate captain after the team traded away its entire leadership group in March.

“If I was able to get that honor, it would be so special and something that I know I wouldn’t take for granted for a second,” Bedard said. “But we got so many guys in the room that can lead.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The U.S. has agreed since 2020 to send more than 20 people wanted in the U.K. on various criminal charges, according to the U.K. Parliament. With possible appeals, the process could last a few years — if the accused wants to fight it.

“The government holds all the cards in an extradition proceeding because the rules of evidence allow the government to submit any evidence they wish,” said Jacques Semmelman, a New York-based lawyer and expert in the procedure.

“It is very hard for the defense to defeat an extradition,” he said.

Process starts with a treaty

The U.S. has a treaty that allows it to honor a U.K. extradition request if the alleged crimes would also be considered illegal in the U.S. The Tate brothers are accused of rape, assault, trafficking and other offenses in southeastern England, from 2010 to 2017.

“They’ve never done nothing wrong. They shouldn’t be extradited for crimes they did not commit,” defense attorney Joseph McBride said.

A federal judge will review arrest warrants, investigative documents and other information submitted by the U.S. government to show there was a “reasonable basis” to file charges against them in the U.K., according to the treaty.

The hearing would not be similar to a trial, said Semmelman of the Katten Muchin Rosenman law firm.

“A partial victory might mean a reduction in the charges to be extradited upon,” he said. “An across-the-board victory — no extradition — is very difficult to achieve.”

It's rare to reject extradition

If a judge finds that the U.K. government has met the threshold, and any appeals fail, the final decision to extradite would rest with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has wide discretion, or his successor.

“In most cases the secretary of state will sign the warrant of extradition,” Semmelman said.

Some extradition requests have failed in the U.S. In 2015, a judge said there was insufficient evidence to show that an art dealer knew that an 18th-century painting taken from a Polish museum by the Nazis during World War II was stolen property when he inherited it.

In 2020, during President Donald Trump's first administration, the government declined to turn over an American woman who fatally struck a young man while driving in eastern England. Anne Sacoolas, who was the wife of a U.S. intelligence officer, subsequently returned to the U.S. She later admitted responsibility in a U.K. court by video.

TIPS Explained

TIPS are bonds issued by the US Treasury with maturities of five, 10, or 30 years. They pay a fixed rate of interest every six months, but the amount varies based on changes in the principal value.

Every six months, the Treasury updates the principal to reflect changes in the  Consumer Price Index. If inflation goes up, the principal value increases.

Investors holding TIPS to maturity will receive either the adjusted principal amount or the original principal amount, whichever is greater.

What are the advantages and risks of investing in TIPS?

TIPS have indeed outpaced inflation over longer periods. Bonds in most maturity ranges have also outperformed other investment-grade bonds.

But volatility has been higher, as well.

Over the trailing 20-year period through May 31, TIPS with maturities of 10 years or more have been nearly twice as volatile as those with maturities of five to 10 years, but returns have also been lower.

The main reason?

TIPS can be highly sensitive to changes in interest rates. Like other bonds, their principal value declines during periods of rising interest rates, and that may or may not be offset by adjustments for  higher inflation  at the same time. Interest rate risk can be particularly pronounced for TIPS because issuance has historically been weighted more toward longer-term bonds; as a result, most TIPS benchmarks have relatively long durations.

On the extreme end, TIPS with maturities of 10 years and more have lost as much as 41% of their value during interest rate spikes.

When interest rates spiked during the 2013 taper tantrum, TIPS lost significantly more than other investment-grade bonds. And their limited liquidity was a major liability during the global financial crisis in September and October 2008, when TIPS lost nearly 12% of their value.

How to invest in TIPS

Investors have several options for investing in TIPS.

First is purchasing an individual bond through TreasuryDirect or a brokerage account.

Constructing a  TIPS ladder, which is a series of bonds with staggered maturity dates, is another option. Investors seeking a steady stream of income during retirement, for example, could purchase 30 separate sets of TIPS with maturity dates ranging from one year to 30 years from now. Coupons from the bond portfolio and cash flows from maturing bonds can be used to cover each year’s living expenses.

TIPS funds are a bit more straightforward because they don’t require purchasing individual bonds, although they also lack the cash flow-matching properties of a ladder.

In addition, iShares now offers a series of target-maturity TIPS ETFs with maturity dates up to 2036.

How long should I hold my investments in TIPS?

If you’re investing in a TIPS fund, I recommend using one with a short- or intermediate-term maturity and holding it for at least two to six years, as outlined in Morningstar’s  Role in Portfolio Framework.

For individual bonds, you’ll want to match up the timing of when you’ll need the proceeds with the maturity date of the bond. Although the principal value will still fluctuate, interest rate risk is a nonissue if you hold the bond to maturity.

How much of my portfolio should be in TIPS?

If you’re a younger investor, you may not need any exposure to TIPS. Human capital—or the present value of all the earnings you’re going to generate during your lifetime—is likely your largest asset. Because wages normally increase over time to keep up with inflation, this human capital provides a built-in hedge against higher prices for goods and services. Also, your investment portfolio is probably  heavily weighted toward stocks, which are one of the best ways to offset long-term inflation risk.

Investors approaching retirement or already in retirement have a greater need for an inflation hedge to protect their fixed-income holdings. Based on Morningstar’s Lifetime Allocation Indexes, it’s reasonable to allocate 20% to 40% of a portfolio’s fixed-income assets to TIPS.

Individuals who construct a ladder of these bonds to support spending during retirement may be able to allocate a higher percentage of their portfolio to TIPS, but this strategy is designed to be self-liquidating. In other words, a 30-year TIPS ladder will end up with a portfolio balance of zero by the end of year 30. That means retirees concerned about longevity risk or who want to leave money behind for heirs will want to keep some assets invested outside the TIPS ladder to fund those goals.

It’s also important to note that both interest payments and increases in the principal value for TIPS are subject to ordinary income tax. As a result, TIPS are best held in a tax-sheltered account, such as an IRA.

Finally, TIPS aren’t always a compelling portfolio addition. At times, they’ve had negative real yields, which would lead to a loss of spending power over time despite the inflation adjustment.

_____

This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance.

Amy C. Arnott, CFA, is a portfolio strategist for Morningstar and co-host of The Long View podcast.

Related Links

How to Use Small-Cap Stocks in Your Portfolio

https://www.morningstar.com/portfolios/how-use-small-cap-stocks-your-portfolio

6 Investment Lessons from Will Danoff and Fidelity Contrafund

https://www.morningstar.com/funds/6-investment-lessons-will-danoff-fidelity-contrafund

The Portfolio That Has Been Beating the Classic 60/40, and Why It Matters for You

https://www.morningstar.com/podcasts/investing-insights/portfolio-that-has-been-beating-classic-6040-why-it-matters-you-2

En tanto, el huracán Fausto se formó el lunes en el Pacífico lejos del extremo de la península de Baja California, México, y no representaba amenaza para tierra.

El vórtice de Bertha se ubicaba a unos 180 kilómetros (110 millas) al sur de Panama City, Florida, hacia las 8 de la noche del lunes. La tormenta tiene vientos máximos sostenidos de alrededor de 65 km/h (40 mph) y se anticipa que siga fortaleciéndose, según un aviso vespertino del Centro Nacional de Huracanes de Estados Unidos (NHC por sus iniciales en inglés), con sede en Miami.

La tormenta de lento desplazamiento lento se ha estado desplazando de forma errática, pero se tiene previsto que se mantenga cerca de o a lo largo de la costa norte del golfo de México a principios de esta semana, provocando fuertes lluvias en las zonas costeras del norte de Florida, Alabama, Mississippi y Luisiana mientras avanza hacia el oeste en dirección a Texas.

Bertha es la segunda tormenta tropical de la temporada de huracanes del Atlántico. La tormenta tropical Arthur llevó el mes pasado fuertes lluvias al sureste de Estados Unidos.

La tormenta se desplaza en dirección oeste-noroeste a unos 6 km/h (3 mph) hacia el borde norte del golfo, y se tiene previsto que gire hacia el noroeste durante la noche, en dirección a la costa, indicó el NHC.

Un aviso de tormenta tropical entró en vigor para una amplia zona que abarca desde el río Ochlockonee en Florida hasta el sureste de Luisiana, en los límites con los municipios de Jefferson y Plaquemines. También se emitió un aviso de marejada ciclónica que va desde la desembocadura del río Mississippi hasta los límites entre Alabama y Florida.

El centro de huracanes indicó que podrían registrarse marejadas de hasta 1,2 metros (cuatro pies) en partes de las costas de Luisiana y Mississippi, y advirtió que podría generar esta semana uno o dos tornados aislados en la región de Big Bend, en Florida.

El servicio meteorológico añadió que también podrían presentarse zonas de inundaciones repentinas a lo largo de la costa hasta el viernes, desde el oeste de Florida hasta el centro de Texas. Agregó que las precipitaciones podrían alcanzar entre 7 y 12 centímetros (3 y 5 pulgadas) a lo largo de la costa de Luisiana, con cantidades mayores en algunas áreas.

En la playa de Orange Beach, Alabama, ondeaban banderas rojas para indicar la presencia de fuerte oleaje y corrientes. En tanto, en el condado de Escambia, Florida, funcionarios de emergencias pusieron a disposición arena para que los residentes de zonas propensas a inundaciones puedan rellenar sacos.

Fausto se convirtió en huracán la noche del lunes y se ubicaba a unos 1.200 kilómetros (745 millas) al suroeste del extremo sur de la península de Baja California, informaron los meteorólogos.

La tormenta registra vientos máximos sostenidos de 120 km/h (75 mph) y se desplaza en dirección oeste-noroeste a 15 km/h (9 mph), señaló el NHC.

No había avisos ni alertas costeras en vigor, aunque la tormenta podría provocar fuertes olas y corrientes de resaca en la costa de Baja California, indicó el centro.

___

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

Trump’s use of the new red, white and navy blue aircraft has faced much scrutiny not only because it was gifted by a foreign government, but also because it appears to not be equipped with some of the same missile detection and countermeasure systems as the older jets.

But it came under deeper scrutiny this month when he left the NATO summit in Turkey on the older, baby blue Air Force One and made a previously unscheduled stop at a base in the United Kingdom. Trump then swapped back onto the new Qatari-gifted plane at Royal Air Force Mildenhall.

“The new Air Force One is perfectly safe for the President’s travels, but will receive additional upgrades and enhancements in the fall which will take approximately one month to complete,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday. “During that time, the President will fly on the old Air Force One.”

The statement from Leavitt elaborated on a comment from the president as he returned to Washington on Sunday night, when he told reporters that the new plane will be sent to be “maxed out.”

Trump claimed earlier this month that the stop in the United Kingdom was so U.S. troops at Mildenhall could look at the new plane. He denied to reporters that the jet switch was due to security concerns, although he also said that he has a threat against him “all the time” and is Iran’s “No. 1” target.

Food and Drug Administration officials on Monday said a laboratory test incorrectly identified a positive result for cyclospora on a sample of lettuce from Taylor Farms. The FDA posted the finding to its website on Saturday but then said Sunday that the result had been a false positive.

Federal and state authorities have been investigating a rise in cases of the parasite, initially linking the outbreak in five states to lettuce served at Taco Bell locations. On Saturday, Taylor Farms announced it was recalling 25 shredded lettuce and salad mix products sold under eight different brand codes. The products are used by a number of U.S. food chains and suppliers.

“FDA’s traceback investigation and the outbreak data continue to converge on shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms’ locations in central Mexico,” FDA's acting food chief, Donald Prater, told reporters on Monday.

In addition to tracing the supply chain of lettuce, FDA staff have begun testing samples of produce coming across the U.S. border.

FDA officials on Monday said the false positive result came from a rapid test used to screen for traces of cyclospora. The sample that initially appeared positive for the parasite came from Taylor Farms but was not part of the company's lettuce recall. FDA officials said they felt compelled to alert the public to the finding.

But a subsequent quality control check showed the positive finding was an error. FDA officials notified Taylor Farms of that on Sunday.

The company touted the updated test results on social media and claimed “FDA apologized to us.” Agency officials said there was no official apology.

Cyclospora is a microscopic parasite that infects food that has come into contact with human feces, most commonly when produce is irrigated or washed with contaminated water. When ingested, the parasite causes intestinal illness marked by “frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC.

In 2026, cyclospora has sickened at least 1,645 people in the U.S. and hospitalized 141, according to the FDA and CDC. The agencies are investigating five separate clusters of illnesses, including the one traced to Taylor Farms.

FDA's acting commissioner, Kyle Diamantas, said health officials have continued to see new cases associated with the latest outbreak, including some as recent as last week.

“Which means it’s imperative for us to take action to ensure that contaminated product is not making its way to the market,” Diamantas explained.

As of Friday, foot traffic was down at a number of dining chains compared with the day-of-the-week averages between Jan. 1 and July 6, according to Placer.ai, which tracks people’s movements based on cellphone usage.

Taco Bell suffered the biggest drop — an 18.9% decline — after federal health officials named the chain in its investigation of the cyclosporiasis outbreak. Foot traffic fell 14.3% at Chopt, Placer.ai said. Both Chipotle and Panera Bread had close to a 7% drop in traffic, while Cava’s drop was less — at 4.2% — according to the firm.

Food safety investigators often cannot draw a direct biological connection between recalled produce and outbreaks of foodborne illness. Some common tests used to check for food poisoning have not been geared to detect cyclospora. Technicians aren’t able to grow the parasite in labs, making it hard to draw evidence from contaminated produce.

Instead, investigators draw conclusions based on accounts of what people ate, the proximity and timing of cases and other patterns.

___

AP Business Writer Anne D'Innocenzio contributed from New York.

___

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

Goal of the tournament

Sidny Lopes Cabral stunned defending champion Argentina with a tying goal in extra time of their round of 32 match at Miami Gardens, Florida, on July 3. The Blue Sharks, who entered the tournament ranked 67th, trailed 2-1 in the 103rd minute when Cabral settled a long pass from Yannick Semedo near the left flank with his left foot. The 23-year-old, who plays in Turkey for Trabzonspor, cut past Alexis Mac Allister while playing the ball onto his right foot and from just inside the penalty area curled a shot past goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez and into the upper corner at the far post for his fourth goal in 14 international appearances. Argentina went on to win on an own goal.

Upset of the tournament

Eliminated in consecutive group stages following its fourth World Cup title in 2014, Germany clinched its group title with wins over Curaçao and Ivory Coast before losing its first-round finale against Ecuador. Paraguay was in its first World Cup since 2010, began the tournament ranked 41st and advanced as a third-place team, opening with a 4-1 loss to the U.S., beating Turkey 1-0 and playing a 0-0 draw against Australia. Julio Enciso put Paraguay ahead in the 42nd minute of the round of 32 match at Foxborough, Massachusetts, on June 29 but Kai Havertz tied the score 12 minutes later. Germany, which began the World Cup ranked No. 10, appeared to go ahead on Jonathan Tah’s header of a corner kick in the 102nd minute but a video review concluded the goal should be disallowed because of a foul by Waldemar Anton on goalkeeper Orlando Gill. Germany won all four of its previous World Cup penalty kick shootouts, succeeding on 17 of 18 kicks — including 15 in a row. Havertz's attempt on the opening kick was saved by Gill, who also batted away Nick Woltemade's effort on Germany's fourth kick. Tah skied Germany's sixth kick over the crossbar, José Canale beat Manuel Neuer and Paraguay won the shootout 4-3 after the 1-1 draw only to lose 1-0 to France in the round of 16.

Breakout player

Pau Cubarsí, a 19-year-old Barcelona defender, played every minute of every match as Spain won its second title and first since 2010. He had 668 successful passes in 690 attempts, a 96.8% rate that was the second best in the tournament among players with 400 or more attempts, just behind Norway's Sander Berge at 96.9%. Cubarsí's total was second to teammate Rodri's 747. Cubarsí's 750 minutes tied teammate Marc Cucurella and Mac Allister for the tournament high among outfield players. At 19 years, 178 days he became the seventh youngest to win a World Cup, trailing Pelé (17-249), Ronaldo (17-298), Giuseppe Bergomi (18-174), teammate Lamine Yamal and Coutinho (both 19-6) and Marco Antonio (19-135).

Save of the tournament

Vozinha, Cape Verde's 40-year-old goalkeeper, leapt to his left to slap away Lionel Messi's quick free kick in the 73rd minute that was headed to the upper corner, keeping the score 1-1.

Blunder of the tournament

Matt Freese had a howler in the United States' 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16 that will long be replayed among goalkeeper lowlights. Brandon Mechele played a long ball from deep in his own end and when Charles De Ketelaere burst past American defender Chris Richards, Freese came off his line and about 5 yards outside the penalty area chested the ball, which had taken two hops. The 27-year-old, who became the No. 1 U.S. goalkeeper last year, was about to clear the ball with his left foot, hesitated and tried to pass to his left only for the ball to deflect off a leg of De Ketelaere toward midfield. Hans Vanaken scored from about 30 yards as defender Tim Ream missed his attempt to block the ball.

Worst foul

Qatari midfielder Assim Madibo broke the left tibia and fibula of Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné with a tackle from behind in the 51st minute of a June 18 group stage match at Vancouver, British Columbia. Madibo received a red card and a five-game suspension. Koné had surgery and Madibo visited Koné at the hospital.

Fan base of the tournament

Norway's fans charmed fellow spectators and television viewers when they performed the Viking Ro w, chanting “Ro!” while mimicking oarsmen in stadiums and even in the bleachers above the TKTS booth selling Broadway theater tickets in New York's Times Square. Martin Ødegaard and Erling Haaland led the row celebration on the field following wins. Scotland's Tartan Army also left indelible memories, depleting Boston's beer supply and taking an excursion to a baseball games at Fenway Park and in Miami.

Best photo

Raúl Jiménez scored Mexico's second goal in the tournament-opening 2-0 win over South Africa on June 11. An image from Associated Press photographer Natacha Pisarenko captured the joy of a player who scored on a header, six years after his career was endangered when he fractured his skull while playing for Wolverhampton in a clash of heads with Arsenal's David Luiz.

___

AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup